Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-08-03
Dailu Ke1nehsr 3nurnal.
A Dining Room Talk.

II every housekeeper realized how much
more inviting and comfortable table is
when carefully and prettily set. and how
much more tempting even the plainest
fare can be made with little more care IN
the dishing, am sure every one would
try the experiment. You may think it
more trouble at first, but when you find
how much the very little added effort does
to make the hard work, which the meal
has cost you, count for more in every
way, am quite sure you will not be will
ing, after fair trial, to 60 back to the old
way.
Firstly, do not make the kitchen the
dining room unless it is absolutely neces-
sary. You may not have regular din
ing ROOM" but you surely have sitting
room, and cool, pleasant room it is too,
with, perhaps. door opening on to
shaded porch, and cinnamon roses just now
peeping their pretty pointed buds in at the
open window, full ofpromise OF bright days
to come. Just tor once, follow these sug-
gestions of brightness, and tomorrow set
the dinner table in the sitting room. 1t it Is
an extension table, it is easily turned to one
side and pushed through the door. and If
it chances to be a pretty, old-fashioned,
square table, it will certainly 60 through
easily with the leaves let down. If you
put on two cloths you will be surprised to
see how much heavier and finer the table
cloth seems, and, also, how much more
quiet the dinner-table is. At the head of
the table, where the meat dish is to stand.
spread napkin then, if in the serving Of
the meat any gravy is spilled. fresh nap.
kin can be put on for the next meal, and
is much more easily washed than whole
tablecloth. If you chance to have no
| large napkins. you will be quite sure to
have an old tablecloth, the ends OF which
will make four. and if the days are very
busy ones, hem them on the machine, al
though, OF course, hand-hemmng is pref
tier. They ought to be three-quarters
or seven eightns of a yard square,
and are put on to the end of
the table cornerwise. Ii more con-
venient to make them about tive-eighths
by seven-eighths of yard. they
will be quite as pretty as many of the new
ones which come for the purpose. are in
that shape. The oblong shaped ones are
pnt on straight. Instead of the old
fashioned castor in the centre of the table,
which is so high that one cannot easily
see ones opposite neighbor over it, put in
its place vase or glass of fresh flowers.
But have no time to FUSS" hear you
say. Very few of us have, but, when one
is resting on the door step after tea, one
can have to-morrow's breakfast table suf-
| ficiently in mind to freShen the vase OF
| flowers, which will then be ready for all
the day Don't make the old fashioned
bouquet, which one needed to set ones
self regularly about with good hour of
leisure alter the flowers were gathered.
| But to return to the table. On stand
or de-table arrange your plates and
forks or spoons, as the case may be, for
dessert, putting, at the last moment, the
dessert there, TOO, unless it is something
necessary to be kept very cold. The
meat, vegetables, bread. butter and pitch
er of water, ETC., can be arranged on the
table as it is most convenient 10 place
them. using care to make the arrangement
symmetrical. Take great pains to have
verifying nicely disned. The meat and
vegetables and bread and butter have to
be taken off the table any way, and it
takes no longer to take them off when you
are ready for dessert than alter dinner.
The dainty pudding or delicious pie with
which you have taken so much pains, pre-
serves far better its delicate flavor if
served by itself on fresh plate, thus far
better repaying you for the trouble which
you took in making it. You will be sur
prised to find how much more rested you
will all feel after taking your dinner in a
quiet, cool room, away from all the work.
| Phiiadelphia Press.