The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-02-27
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so~ooboA Al uophItUouE. communications IOK
her should be addressed to the Press ofacel
KEEPING AHEAD OF WORK.
There is nothing that marks the "caps bls''
housekeeper, she who has that faculty" which
stands iu the place Of genius, like the ability to
keep ahead of work, never letting it catch up
with her and swamp her. 1t is not only the
everyday work, but that added work which
comes from season to season. This is the time
OF year when the thrifty soul looks over the
household effects to see " hat is to be done for
the season that is approaching. She attends
to the summer clothing first. The under wear
is looked over to see that it Is in order and
ready to put on; missing buttons and strings
are replaced, aud all needful repairing done.
II new garments are to be made, now is the
time t" make them. The children's everyday
dresses can be made, or II alterations are need
cd fr 'm last summers dresses. they may be
made also. The planning for the season can
Do done In these disagreeable February days
when there is nothing to tempt one ont Of
doors or very far away from home. Even the
white dresses for the childrsn's summer wear
may be made, as there will be no. yariatiop in
making them between this time and the time
when they are to be worn. All the cotton
dresses for spring aud summer can also be ln.
ished and hung up ready for wear. The boys
warm weather clothes must be looked after,
and their thin summer hannels also, to SEQ II
they will do for another season, or whether
new ones will be necessity. After the per-
soDal clo' hing has been attended to, look
through the linen closet. If you fud your
sheets growing thin In the middle, tear them
in two directly In the centre, sew the selyedge
sides together in fne overseam, and hem the
raw edges; your sheets will last double the
time they would have lasted had you worn
them as they were, for the thin places would
have given way ana the sheet would have been
useless. The sheets that are worn enough to
be u-eless should be torn into strips of differ.
emit widths, the pieces that are of q like width
sewed together in fiat Ream and tightly rolled
and pinned, and put into bag in closet
where they will readily be found in case Of
needing bsudsges In accidents. All the liner
pieces should be kept in bag separate from
the cotton pieces; they should be hung close
together, and each bag should be plainly la
belled that there may be no delay in finding
them should they be needed 1t is well to
have similar bag for flannel pieces, as they
are often required in sore throat cases, or in
any inhammsuory disease wners hot applicA-
lions are used. All these pieces should be
clean, and should be ironed smooth, and when
they are put away they should be rolled In such
manner that they will not become rough
ened or wrinkled. All scraps and pieoes that
will not do for use should be carefully assorted
and put into the rag bag to sell to the tin ped
lar when he comes along, getting a. payment
the articles that you need to replenish your
kitchen closet. Don't throw away the scraps
when you are making or repairing; they'll turn
into new tin ware before you know 1t, if you
save them. Never be afraid Of such small
economies; they are easy to practise, and they
train one in habits of saving. When your clos
cts are all gone through and the linen OF all
kinds In order, you will feel that one great
task has been accomplished, leaving you ready
TO do the something else that is sure to present
itself without your looking after it. One thing
follows another in rapid succession, as you,
my dear young housekeeper, whose experience
has but just begun will speedily find ont.
DRESSING CHILDREN.
In dressing children, as we'll as grown people
the garments should always be suited to the
circumstances of the wearer and the occasion
on which they are to be worn. However rich
one may be, it is wrong to dress child so ele-
gautly that 1t dare not play. nor even be natu-
raj for fear of running its clothes. White ia al
ways prettiest for evening and warm weather,
and In white there is wide range, from piques
and lawns to India muslins and lace. Bat,
whatever the material, let it be the best of the
kind, we'll fitting and we'll made. Pat your
money In the dress itself rather than the trim.
ming. Coarse embroideres and cotton laces
never look we'll and proclaim poverty OF lack
Of refinement loudly. A fiue nainsook or pi-
que, simply trimmed, is often the dress OF
those who can afford more costly garments,
but they never wear the cheaper materials
loaded with coarse embroderies. Every year
the fashion of colored clothes for children
grows more popular, and now 1t is only babies
in their first short clothes who wear white al.
together. Tiny tots of two years. or even Q
year and half old, are dressed altogether in
all wool hannes or fine cashmeres for every
day at home, with long white aprons which
ever the dress completely. For morning the
apron may bel Of fine checked ginghsm, leav-
ing the white aprors for afternoon when
''Miss- =" is dressed fresh and clean. The hest
patterns are the English sacque, plain or
peated, with a scsnt plested ionnce at the
foot, or the Mother Hubbard. Olter girls wear
fahneIs, cloths, cashm-res, serges, merinos,
etc, in any and all colors. Tie princesse dress,
more or less deliberately trimmed, is a favorite
Is lie for gitls under thirteen years of age, and
the simulated jacket, with full pleating Tor the
skirt bag vest, is also popul T. Indeed,
iancy is allowed fall play in dressmaking for
children, and everything pretty and artistic 10
allowable. Very pretty dresses are MADE full,
either shrred around the neck in Mother
Hubbard fashion or on to q yoke, and again be-
low the waist line, the fullness below forming
short skirt 10 the garment. Another pretty
model is worn by girls under ten years all the
way down. About five inches FROM the foot q
wide rbbon sash is run in and out OF eyelet
holes, and large bow is made with 1t In front.
band of embroidery is placed under the edge
SO as to show little beLeath. deep cambria
collar edged vith lace is worn with this dress.
THE KITCHEN SINK.
A great con 'enienee to kitchen which can
not boast OF all the modern improvements is
made with SO little expenditure of time and
money that almost anyone may have II. II the
sink is small, as nearly all sinks are, have q
piece Of board the width o. the sink and any
moderate length, say three-q1srters of yard,
have It placed at one end Of the sink and let
rest upon the sink edge; have a rim Of board
around the edge about five inches high, and
this should be firmly screwed In place; this
shelf should be fastened to the wall, and
propped so that 1t will be well supported; the
end furthest from the sink should be slightly
raised 80 that water will drain from 1t. To as
sist this process Two grooves may be cut In the
board, though not deeply. When the dishea
are washed set them on this shelf, rinse them
and drain them there. Is Is really an impor-
tant matter that great attention be paid to
dish washing. Always seek to inspire your
assistant with zeal on this point One excel.
lent way OF doing 1t is to provide liberal sup
ply of dish towels and washera Have a yarla