Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-01-10
Small Economies.

Small leaks are worse than large ones, in
that they are not as plainly seen, ana there
fore not so energetically stopped. 1t is the
same in housekeeping; the almost unno-
ticed waste that is seen in many families Is
distressing, and it is generally those who
are the first to complain OF hard tunes, and
how much it takes to keep family. l had
occasion lately to notice the children III Z
| family of my acquaintance. ana / dlScov-
cred that they wasted more bread and but
ter, cake and confections than would sup
| pIy the requirements of two more children
| if properly served. Children can be
taught early not to take food they do not
REQUIRE, and 10 ask for only such a quantity
as they can use-and 10 clean their plates.
remember a little girl who had been sc
brought up-who, when taken for the first
time to the dining-table of steamboat, and
noticing the plates that men removed with
unfinished food on them, called out loudly
" If grandpa was here he'd make you clear
up your plates " and have thought there
was need of I" grandpa with good old
fashioned ideas very often, to teach the sin
of wastefulness. The cellar, laundry and
kitchen need constant supervision that
everything is used to the best advantage,
and that nothing is discarded that can be
used. The waste in soap and starch week
after week is immense in some families,
and clothes lines and pins are uncared foT
till more money must be expended to re-
place those that are spoiled by mildew and
weather changes.
In preparing vegetables for the table it is
often the way to pare the potatoes and
squash too thick carrots are not carefully
scraped, and when fruit is used, the apple
peelings are in like manner, too thick. OF
course, if they are put into jar, and COW
cred with warm water, to be set in a warm
place and turned into vinegar, it makes a
difference; but if thrown away heedleSsly,
ii is one of the small leaks that keep a
housewives hand forever in her pockets
when marketing has to be purchased.
Careless using of a stove or range is another
leak that is not fully appreciated; nothing
is worse than splitting cold water on the
iron when it is red hot; crack is almost
sure to be the result. though not noticed at
the time.
1t is also injurious to allow the wood to
be piled above the lining bricks of a coal
stove, liable to fall over on the inside
Plates, as it soon burns out the lining and
warps the iron. If we could calculate the
waste in one year. the result of carelessness
or depraved appetite, how very much aston
ished We should all be. The man who uses
with the money the woman who allows
the pieces of soap to be thrown ont after
wasting in the water, and the children S
food to be thrown in the ash barrel, might
be able with the saved amount to take a
newspaper that she wishes for but cannot
afford. l have seen as many cotton
rags lying around an untidy door
yard as would procure q new dip
per for the family use, while they
were using one with hole in the bottom
that let out stream of water all over the
floor. Yet doubt if the girls in this family
could be induced TO take care Of the pieces
of cloth, and send them to the tin man,
though not ashamed OF the sloppy dipper.
All these things but go to prove that it is
necessary for every one to study small
economies III their own particular need, to
learn vixen they can Justly save in order to
make the best of everything. Train the
Young people with this idea, and we shall
have less extravaganza, less useless eX-
penditures and needless outlay. For there
Is no better maxim than that a penny
saved is penny earned. = american
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