The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-06-26
THR HoUsRMoTHER.
StorerOOm, Pantry and Dishes-AH
old-Fashioned Kitchen Gardens
and Herbs.


oId-Fashioned Kitchen Gardens
and Herbs.
To maintain order in the kitchen depart
ment there should be storeroom and pam
try. and to save the table from a disagree
able monotony both should be well sup
piled. One cannot be expected to make
something ont OF nothing. In the store
room, most especially, there should always
be "a place for everything and every
thing in its place." so that should an ar
ticle be needed at any time of the day or
night, when moments are of Importance,
1t can be instantly found. The storeroom
should be as cool and dry as possible. A
window opening out of doors and a small
one over the door will secure draught of
fresh air. There are some table supplies
that may be bought In quantities with a
certain saving of expense, others which
require to be frequently renewed from a
liability to become musty, some that will
spoil In one kind of vessel and keep per-
fectly well in another kind. A good
cookery book will enlighten the young
housewife on this subject and give her the
courage of theoretical knowledge, while
she is learning practically. Domestic
economy requires constant study and at
tention: the smallest relaxation of atten-
tion and the income, if limited is liable to
u
One should always buy for every use the
very best articles. II for wear there will
be not only profit by the saving Of money,
for they will wear three times as long as
the cheaper goods, but there Will also be
the comfort that the wearing of the best
grades of goods always produces. Be
sides, every one knows the refining infiu-
ence of good and well made garments. To
exempIify; Years ago at a certain military
post near village, the men who were al
lowed to go to the village were sure to
drink and get into disgraceful rows. The
long headed comTnandant issued an order
that no man should go to the village ex-
cept in fHll-dress uniform. The effect was
marvellous; no more drunk, no more rows
The fu1 dress was the mans safeguard.
wander from my immediate subject,
but the housemother allows herself the
privilege of making everything part of
her theme, all conspfring to one end, the
faithful representation or exemplification
Of thtngs to be pondered in the heart or
mind of the young housewife who has,
perhaps, not yet attained to the dignity of
h01semother.
Being in the kitchen department to-day
Ed 4 give the young housewife glimpse
of what in my very childhood was to me
ttsevery beau ideal of a kitchen 1t was a
D
and with doors on either side; on one side
opening on a broad veranda, beyond
which the grass sloped down to the edge
of.a brook bOrdered with pine and hem
beck. On the opposite side the same deep
set windows looked into an old-fashioned
flower garden, where tufts of larkspur,
sweet william, and all the old time favor
ties luxuriated, and where punches of
peppermint. sage. thyme, pennyroyal.
chamomile, catnip, fennel, and other
herbs grew and fiourished. Within the
kitchen cool shadows lay across the pale
gray floor. an old-time looking glass a
tall clock in a corner. above its face
ship tossing restlessly on green waves;
behind glass doors were shelves of bur
nished tinware and shining china, and in
n large open fireplace was always a great
bed of Goals ready for covered spiders and
gridirons Is
house keepers easy chair, her table and
worE-baSket. Inside the deep darinU
window and jrIst above the reach of small
hands hung what might be called a series
OF pockets, made of blue and scarlet-a
strip abont half yard long and fonr or
five inches wide with a small pincushion
at the top and a few flannel bits for nee
dies; below three or four pockets for
thread, tape, buttons-all the little things
so constantly needed. The white ruffIed
curtains were looped back, and a screen
o
No odor of cookery pervaded the place:
the wide-throated fireplace took all to it
sell save when the Oid-fashiOned oven WAS
opened and the cakes and pies were taken
out and set upon the long table A very
small child then loved to sit in those deep
window seats and read tales of fairies or
books of travels; things unknown, wheth-
er fanciful or real, always had an especial
charm .r.H #.s- H-a .-. ~.
And would say now, and here. that
believe in cultivating the Imagination.
Nothing so helps the housemother amid
the cares and troubles and turmoil of her
life, well trained Imagination, one
cultivated to see beauties where none ex-
ist, rather than to see the disagreeables of
life Imagination is a good thing to have
and a judicious mother Is of all the one
most needed in its cultivation for the cul-
ture IS most successful in the early days
of childhood a H.r hrf =
In a city il is somewhat dificult. often
impossible, to have a kitchen such as one
would like or as one would desire to have
for the reason that houses are ordinarily
built more for show than for comfort:
but much may be done to remedy the
builders faults. Should there be a nice
pantry, good range, good sized window
and the outer door half glass; one NAV do
wonders with taste and care Two screw
eyes, q brass of iron rod on which cur
tain may be drawn, will serve to hide the
water faucets and the sink when not in
use Wire screen to door and window for
summer and with skill it may be made a
very comfortable place to work in But
beware of "a dark underground kitchen.
such as are too often provided. The best
kind are on a level with the ground open
ing into the garden plot, with flowers and
Rreenery to rest eyes that are weary over
a hot range. Then it can be pleasant and
whatsoever gives pleasure brings happi-
ness and happiness in the kitchen
department means comfort in the house
hold-NeW York Graphic.