Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-08-05


MANAGEMENT OF THE HOUSE
A lady writes thus about system and
savings in the Tribune and Farmer:
When woman gets married she knows
she has house to keep and has no bus
mess to get married unless she expects
to keep house; and having once ac-
cepted the position of housekeeper, if
not fit for it, she should proceed at once
and cheerfully to fit herself
You would despise yourself, If, tossed
into great sea. you made no struggle
for boat, buoy, or the shore. So,
when you find yourself almost over
whelmed with worries and care, and the
steak is burning. the baby fallen out of
bed, and your husband suddenly wants
a button sewed on--hold the babe with
one arm, lift the steak with the other,
and tell John to bring you needle and
thread. Say no more. There are times
when silence is not only golden but
diamonds, and this is one of them.
Thoughts are ghosts when unspoken,
and troop harmlessly about, but once
spoken they are living, sentient beings;
therefore do not speak of q trouble or
annoyance, unless speaking of it can
remedy it. Very likely silence will in
twenty -four hours lay the ghost, but
once give it voice and it may live for
ever.
Next to silence is order If that is
heavens first law it is twofold, the
housekeeper and the cooks. "a place
for everything and everything in its
place. might well be framed and SUBJ
stituted for Home, Sweet Home" over
our doors.
To misplace kitchen fork or spoon
may burn to a cinder the most carefully
prepared dish. The convenient holder
lost from its nail may burn the cake or
ruin the pie, and incense the cook. A
cook table, full of drawers, where flour,
spices, rolling-pins. and cake-cutters
are kept, with bake pans hanging over
it, will save you miles of travel and
hours of time. A small shelf near the
stove, kept for an extra pepper and salt
dish, has saved me fifty miles travel, l
think, in ten years. Only for one
day count how many times you go
from cook table to stove, seasoning
various dishes, and you will see what
this means.
Before putting a stroke in your kitch-
en- stand by the stove or range as the
objective point. draw a straight line
from that to every object which is used
there, and place it as near rs possible.
Keep kettles and gridirons so near that
you need but to turn to reach them, and
always, if possible, wash them as soon
as used, because they wash easier and
it saves time.
In finding places for kitchen uten-
sis study every time to place them
where it will take the fewest steps to
reach them.
The walk, walk, walk, step, step,
step, all day of some housekeepers re-
minds us of the tread-mill work of a
horse on wheel. The poor, detected
animal looks always down, and counts
the same rounds hopelessly, intermina-
bly,.
There is no use of it. If brains do
not save steps in housekeeping, then
brains should go to the wall and ma
chine work come in. If sane woman
viii go twice or thrice a day down cell
lar and bring up five or ten potatoes at
time, instead of peck and wash
them at once, then my talk is not for
her. for cannot simplify housekeep-
ing.
A japanned server is the keystone of
the kitchen arch, and dumb waiter
between the cellar and the pantry or
kitchen is one of the supporting pillars;
ventilator over the stove is another.
In the sitting-room the greatest aid
to simplify housekeeping is a work
table with folding leaves and the sides
full of small drawers, so that when the
housekeeper sits down to sew she can
put her hand at once. and without aris-
ing, on crochet and knitting needles.
tapes and darning cotton, and every
possible need.
/ reiterate. Put all the articles OF
everyday use at the point where they
can be reached with fewest steps. Once
year weed out the foolish knicknacks
of beads and cardboard, and the like,
which seem to accumulate like frogs Of
Egypt, over night, and drop from our
ceilings. cumber our walls. load our
shelves, and require hours of busting.
They are delusion and snare, and a
caricature on true art at best.