The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-05-22

Concerning the fashion OF clothing
and the various fabrics of which it is
made information is full and frequent.
Very little, however, is said about the
care of clothing, and the ways in which
it may be preserved for the longest time
and in the best possible condition. To
those who change their garments with
every change of style this is matter of
slight Importance, but to those who pur-
chase silk dress or a broadcloth. suit
only once in q series of years it is mat
ter of interest and value. Silks, cash
meres, cloths of standard style and
quality, are very little affected by the
various currents of fashion. They hold
their own through all the years and are
always good, always I" Stylish" always
suitable. While new fabrics are for the
hour of their popularity high-priced,
these standard goods sell at the standard
price and know little of rise or fall in
standard value.
Neglect and carelessness deteriorate
clothing great deal faster than steady
wear does. The housekeeper who in
stead Of changing her nice dress when
she passes from the street or the church
to her kitchen, keeps it on and takes it
with her through the various processes
of dishwashing, sweeping and cooking
will soon rob It of ali its nicely while she
who wears her fine clothes only in places
where fine clothes are suitable may keep
them in good condition for an indefinite
time. To dress according to ones work
is good taste. good sense and economy.
The careful person will take pains to
preserve a new calico no less than new
silk. We knew q young lady once who
put on q nice new calico which she had
taken great pains to make, and wore
it through the morning dew to milk the
cows. To keep her arms from being
soiled or tanned by the sun, she declined
to turn up the sleeves of the dress. In
two DAYS the nice new calico looked like
all the rest of her dresses; dowdy, slat-
ternly, unclean. We knew another
young lady who had six silk dresses, and
not one of them was fit to wear, though
none of them had been made above
year. They were spotted, draggled,
tumbled, mussed, abused. We knew
another young lady who was the fortu-
nate possessor of one nice black alpaca
dress which she wore on all occasions the
season through, always appeared fault
lessly dressed. She had no work to do
that would specially soil her clothes. If
. stray drop Of anything that could make
q spot fell upon her dress it was at once
removed. All dust was brushed off, q
sponge dipped in ammonia water bright
ened faded places, and SNOWY collars and
cuffs suggested dainty habits Of cleanh-
ness.
The care of clothing to be easy must
be habitual. The hardest part is in form
ing the habit, and this cannot too early
in life be formed. Most children love to
make mud pies and play in the dirt gen.
orally and give little heed to keeping
themselves clean. This is all well enough
at times, and they should be INDUCED in
their mud pies provided they are dressed
for the work. But it is "poor-folksy"
in the last degree to allow child to play
in the dirt with nice clothes on, or to per-
NIT young person to dress inappropri-
ately while at work. It is vastly easier
to change q good coat for poor one
than it is to restore to its pristine condi-
ton soiled coat. It is vastly easier to
put on pair of overalls than it is to
sponge thoroughly pair of pantaloons.
But the worst OF it is that those who neg
lect to change the coat and to put on the
overalls neglect also the sponging and
cleansing processes, and let dust gather
and spots remain.
A clothes brush, . wisp broom, bot
tie of ammonia, sponge, hand brush,
cake of erasiye soap, q vial of alcohol,
should form q part of the furnishings Of
every toilet. After all dust has been re-
moved from clothing spots may be taken
out of black cloth with the hand brush
dipped in a mixture Of equal parts OF
ammonia, alcohol and water. This will
brighten as well as cleanse. Benzine
is useful in removing grease spots.
Spots of grease may be removed
from colored silks by putting on
them raw starch made into a paste
with water. Dust is best removed
from silk by q soft flannel, from velvet
with brush made specially for the pur-
pose. If hats and bonnets when taken
from the head are brushed and put away
in boxes and covered up, instead of be
ing laid down anywhere, they win last
fresh long time. Shawls and all arti
cles that may be folded, should be folded
when taken from the person in theil
original creases and laid away. Cloaks
should be hung up in place, gloves pulled
out lengthwise, wrapped in tissue paper
and laid away, laces smoothed out nicely
and folded, if requisite, so that they viii
come out of the box new and fresh wher
needed again. A strip of old blacl
broadcloth four or five inches wide, roll
ed up tightly and sewed to keep the roll
in place, is better than q sponge or Z
cloth for cleansing black and dark-col
ored clothes. Whatever lint comes from
it in rubbing is black and does not show
When black clothes are washed, as they
may often be previous to making over
fresh clean water should be used, anl
they should be pressed on the wrong
side before being quite dry. If washed
in water previously used for white cloth
n I ..