Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-12-12
THE HOME.
MATTERS OF FASHION, FANCY
AND FICTION.
cuIiarities in Styles and Manners
All Around the Plantation.

new HOURS IOf DinibS tartieS-fe-
culiarities in Styles and Manners
All Around the Plantation.
Sociability is the best corrective of that
sc ious and prolonged ABSORB ion in bust
ness or thoughts or cares which is so de ri
mental to many of our busy people The
rest taken in solitude, after working hours
are over, permits the mind still to pursue
on b aten track. The easy chair and b az
ing fire may be tempting to the weary
toiler, but they do not force his thoughts
into other channels or compel him to lay
aside the train of ideas that has for long
hours been working in his brain. Soci t.,
on the contrary, forbids such unwholeso re
indulgence. She insists upon a total
change of mind and manners during her
short reign. She calls for viyacity, variety,
imagination-if possible, wit and humor.
or at least cheerful interest in that OF
others. She banishes the accustomed seri-
BUSINESS of mind, the brooding over familiar
topics, even the earnestness of strong emo
ton. For s ort time all these are forced
to give way to the lighter lay of fancy, the
excitement of popular interests and the de-
velopment of sympathy with others upon
unfamiliar and varied subjects Thus the
mind is refreshed and invigorated, unused
faculties are brought into xercise, and the
lost balance restored by gentle compul-
sion tina no one dares to resist.
BREAKFAST PARTIES.
Breakfast parties are growing in favor
with Americans of late years, and 4 much
more substantial meal with US than with
foreigners, besides being less formal than
the dinner. The hour is from to IL
o'clock, varying with circumstances. The
invitation may be a simple informal note,
or the card of the hostess, in which latter
case below the name is written, Breakfast
at 10 o'clock Thursday" In serving
breakfast there is little difference in form.
The hostess usually serves the coffee, tea
and chocolate; the other dishes may be
served by the gentleman of the house, or
from the side table as desired. The break
fast should never be elaborate but dainty
and tasteful; the few dishes should be of
the choicest, and everything should be
conducted with as little formality as posi-
bic, the attendance of one servant being
sufficient, unless the guests are numerous.
HOW TO SERVE BREAKFAST.
A breakfast table may be spread attrac-
lively with q white cloth and a scarlet and
white napkin under each plate, with mats
bordered with scarlet. Cne caster in the
center is sufficient. Fruit may be set in the
middle of the table III large glass bowl.
and should be served first, then oatmeal,
after which meat and vegetables, to which
each guest is helped ty the host then hot
cakes, with syrup and the coffee, follow.
Meats are covered and cakes are brought in
between plates. Butter is in small plates,
with ice around it. Honey or syrup is
served in saucers. Melons, in season, are
a delicious breakfast dish, while oranges
and bananas are healthful and dainty.
Sliced tomatoes, properly dressed. are ex-
ceedingly refreshing. Oatmeal and cracked
wheat porridge are popular and wholesome
breakfast dishes, and are much used at
fashionable tables since it has become
known that Queen Victoria is partial to
them, which is nonsensical reason enough
| for popularity.
HOW TO STARCH AND IRON SHIRT BosoMs.
To neat and painstaking housewife,
few things are more exasperating than to
have the starching of shirt bosoms not turn
out well. The applying of the starch is an
important part of the work. Some succeed
with cold starch, but better course is to
use both. If little more work to use
both, this is repaid by handsomer and
more lasting finish to the bosom, and there
will rarely be shirt to go back into the
wash. In using both hot and cold starch,
the former is applied first, allowing it to
dry before using the other. For the hot
starch, count on a teaspoonful of good dry
starch for each bosom. II should not be
made very thick, and in applying, the hot
ter it can be put on the better. OF this pre-
pared starch, spread on a tablespoonful al a
time, rubbing in well before putting on
more. Apply first on the right side, and
later from the under side, keeping at it
until the linen will take up no more with
out showing a mussed appearance The
starch must be well rubbed in. If It's not.
the iron will stick, and specks and blisters
appear.
Following on this, the shirt should be
dried, after which the cold starching may
be done. In making up a batch of cold
starch tor use ahead, as should always be
done, the following well-tested receipt will
provide enough to last for several months.
Take two ounces borax, one ounce white
laundry wax, one teacup water three cups
of starch. Dissolve the borax and wax in
the water, sufficiently heated for the pur-
pose, but not so hot as to scald the starch
into this mix the starch, after pulveriZing
and passing it through -four seive. Dry
on platter and keep in box In using, take
teaspoonful of this prepared starch, dis.
solve in water not so cold but that the wax
i'll it will soften. Apply by dipping the
bosom, already treated with hot starch and
dried, as described, into this new batch,
and ringing out; rubbing but slightly. Al
ter an hour or more, iron. In ironing, first
rub the bosom carefully with a cloth
wfung out of hot water to equalize the
starch on the surface. For the first time of
passing the iron over the BOSOM Law a thin
cloth between. Then remove this dampen
the surface of the bosom a little, and iron
carefully, repeating several times, and I'M
til the finish is satisfactory. If the outside
covering of the ironing board be of flannel,
the shirt will not stick. Careful attention
to these details will be rewarded by shirt
bosoms so white and glossy as to give full
satisfaction for the pains taken.
MoNsTRosrrIEs IN HOSIERY.
1t can be no trouble in these days for the
mountebank to clothe his legs in the most
appropriate fantastic manner He need
not go to a costumer; he has only to step
into any large dry goods establishment and
purchase the latest style in ladies' hosiery.
Neither need the barber longer paint his
sign he has but to draw one of these
brilliant and wonderful stockings over a
pole and stand il outside his door. No one
will pass by unheeding. The newest stock
ings have the feet, ankles and half of the
calf in solid color the upper half in three
or four contrasting colorS, sometime
striped, again barred sometimes plain but
in color always of sharp contrast to the
lower half OF the hose. Some are en-
broidered with gold and beads III designs of
flowers, and with dropping tassels of silks
and fine beads Stripes are seen in rose
pink and green, black and red, blue
and cardinal. In some, vertical stripes of
brilliant colors are divided by narrow
stripes Of lace Another style has feet of
rose color and moss-green tops, and an
other feet of delicate colors and artistically
decorated legs. Imagine woman with
moss green feet and ankles and rose-pink