The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-08-14
When Doctors Disagree, Let Common
Sense Decide.

y
to judge which to select as the most re-
liable. We are surprised, in examining
household magazines and receipt books,
to note the numerous conflicting state.
ments coming, as many of them do,
from those who stand as model mana.
gers and most reliable authorities.
Not many weeks ago young and in
experienced but conscientious house
keeper came to US in the lowest depths
of dependency. One of her "guides ~
described the mode of doing certain i'm
portant things, as she thought, verv
sensibly and clearly. Another gave
rules wide apart from the first. For
instance, one advised in washing white
flannel to make strong suds in boiling
hot water, leave the flannel soaking in
it until the water is just cool enough to
be used without burning the hands.
Then wash and throw at once into a tub
OF boiling water in which little bluing
has been stirred. Shake up and down
with clothes-stick till cool enough to
put through the wringer twice, snap,
pull in shape, and hang on the line
evenly, changing it on the line several
times; then fold tightly, before very
dry, for an hour, and press while damp,
drawing lit into shape while pressing.
All very correct, we should say, except
putting through a wringer. That in
lures flannel, in our judgment, making
it hard and knotty.
But the next authority she consulted
was very explicit in directing that fan
nels must be soaked over ight in cold
water, then wrung into cool suds,
rinsed in cold water, and if fair, left out
over night to bleach.
This advice, we, for one, should most
certainly object to, and feel that our
tiannels were yellowed, shrunk, and in
every way greatly injured and yet
these directions are given by one who is
recognized as good authority.
The young lady had the misfortune to
spill some grease on the carpet. She
flies to her books of instruction to learn
how to remedy the disaster, and one
tells her to lift the carpet, stretch it on a
clean floor, pour on boiling water plen-
tifully and with stiff brush scrub the
carpet very thoroughly; pour on more
boiling water and scrub again, then
rinse, and wiping the floor dry, stretch
the carpet on the line to drain, then
nail it down while wet to prevent
shrinking; raise all the windows, if
sunshiny day, and tying a coarse dry
towel on a broom go over the carpet
many times to absorb as much of the
water as can be done, changing the wet
towel to dry one often; then leave the
carpet to dry.
Another advises soapsuds with am
monia, only raising the carpet to lay
some old cloth underneath to absorb
the grease. Then scrub the grease spot
with this suds and, if needful to hold
the colors, put in half a cup of beef's
gall. AS soon as the grease disappears
rinse and with old soft cloths rub till
nearly dry.
Another assures you that any quantity
OF oil or grease can be extracted from
carpet by laying dry buckwheat -four
on the spot plentifully, and removing
1t to add fresh clean buckwheat flour
as often as necessary. When the grease
disappears brush all the flour off into
dustpan and the carpet will be as
good as new-but, never wet the carpet
to take out grease spots.
The first direction we think ruinous to
any carpet but some old rag carpet, the
second very good advice, but the third
the best of all and entirely safe.
Now, mystified by many conflicting
rules (and we have only given az small
sample), what can an inexperienced
housewife dop We know of no better
advice than to let the good common
sense, which in true-hearted, sensible
wife develops rapidly in times of re-
sponsibllity, come to the front; not to
discard rules that are laid down for a
housekeeper's guide, but to weigh them
calmly and accept or discard indepen-
IDENTIFY as careful trial of each shall de-
termine. 1t is true that economy must
be kept in mind, while allowing young,
untried, common sense the privilege of
experimenting, but with care little need
be wasted. Some trials may not give
satisfaction, but if one experiments on q
small scale in matters of food there will
seldom be dish prepared that can not
be eaten with degree of comfort. In
cleaning, repairing, rejuvenating arti-
Giles, try only little spot at time; or
make spot-which is better-on some
old rag that will be no loss if thrown
away. That will give good chance of
trying several ways before deciding
which will be the most effective on that
which can not be thrown away.
But why should there be so many con-
fiicting statementsP We certainly know
how it has originated in several instan-
ces. Many have written on household
affairs who have never had practical
knowledge. They see the workings
only from the outside-the surface work.
They do not know how much time or
thought the mistress of this domain
gives to the work, what mistakes are
made, or what remedies applied to pre-
vent the mistake being known. Some
times mistakes in cook-books occur by
accident We recall receipt in cook
book that used to be very popular that
will clearly show our meaning. The
dish was arrow-root pudding, and part
of the direction read as follows: "To
one pint arrow-root add half cup of
sweet milk; beat it smooth and free
from Jumps, till like cream!'' ANY
cook, and most housekeepers will I'M
derstand the impossibility of following
that direction and the utter absurdity of
it. 1t would be impossible to even
moisten pint of arrow-root with only
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