Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1888-05-19
HOUSEHOLDS IN HOLLAND.
THE DOMESTIC ARRAN0EMENT rs
OF THE DUTCH PEOPLE
4 Peasant Woman'z Implements 20
Keep Out the Dust-The Iaun
dry, Servants and Food

4 Peasant Woman'< Implements 20
Keep Out the Dust The Laun
dry. Servants and Food.
Cloths and chamols. brooms AMI
brushes, scrubbinS brushes for the floors,
hair brushes for the walnscots, feather
brushes for the walls. tooth brushes for
the corner, geese wings for the stoves.
hen feathers for cleaning ont the kew
holes, small sticks Of wood for poking
out any unhappy article cf dust which
may have got into the cracks of the
floor, white paste for the windows. red
paste for the hearthstones, emery for the
steel, and several other paste. and pol
ishes as the occasion may reaulre-these
are the implements Dutch peasant
woman uses to clean out her cottage
home Dust is her natural enemy. she
is born into the world TO fight il. il is
her mission. and she does no more than
her mother and foremothers have done
before her No wonder that such a
home training turns out an exceedingly
high class of domestic servants, and vet.
the Dutch mistress grumbes Such ia
life
Laundry arrangements are most pecul
lar in Holland. After having been some
, weeks in the country, not liking 10
! trouble my hostess, decided to inter
view the housemaid on the subject Of nv
Washing This was rather q difficult
matter as neither Of us comprehended
| word of the others language, however
! managed to make myself understood by
pointing to my linen and rubbing and
wringing nv hands as if in the act of
| L
my bundled and in few days it was re
turned to me. The payment was made
by my holding out my hand with several
guldens in it, from which she took two,
little. less than dollar for about three
dozen garments. but what was my con
sternatlon on opening the bundle to find
my clothes all rough dried washer
woman in Holland, means literally a
washer woman, and an ironer is quite a
different person. made no complaint
but for the rest Of my visit to that house,
a handkerchief folded carefully between
the leaves of book and placed un Ter my
pillow was a nightly practice and for
the rest, wore them rough dried Later
on / ascertained that in many Dutch
houses the washing is done out and the
ironing by the household servants. The
ironing room is generally at the top OF
the house, far away from all fumes of
cooking, and kitchen dust, plan wa{thy
of limitation Washing is not done
weekly as, in America, but allowed tc
accumulate for weeks, sometimes ever
longer, an unhealthy custom; but in
this as we'll as in many other respects
the Dutch can hardly be called clean
nation, from a hygienic point Of view
With them it is dust, dust, and again
dust.
Often the underservants, such as soul
lery maid, nurse maid, etc, do not sleeT
in the house. This gives more space
and room for the family. These girl,
come in blythe day, sleeping at their owr
homes at night All servants in Holland
dress extremely neat, generally IN lilac
print dresses, white muslin caps, and
large white aprons
The same dress is worn in the street
as in the house If the weather is cold
a shawl is thrown over the shoulders.
They do a good deal of the household
shopping 1t must be indeed delightful
for the Dutch mistress 10 have Betsey
Jane all ready dressed to run her little
errands, instead Of having to wait ar
1
bang" and bedecks herself with cheAI
fnerv This is good arrangement fol
maid as we'll as mistress for With tn
former it breaks the monotony Of tn
daily round, gives her n little blow 0
fresh air, besides the opportunity Of !
slight Irritation with the butchers boy
or the green grocer's assistant.
A strange household custom IN Hollant
is the custody Of the guest money" b,
the mistress Each guest is, as IN Eng
land, expected 70 fee the house servants
In Holland this money is at once hander
BIZ the recipient 70 the ladv Of the house
who at certain seasons Of the year. sucl
as Christmas and Faster, divides
equally amongst all her s'a4. Not bar
plan when one thinks il over, but start
ling at first 70 the guest
And now for Dutch food All food i
good in Holland, all cooking excellent
beef and mutton even better than il
England, vegetables in abundance But
ter is very good and plentiful and is use
without stint but-everythlng Is spoil
Nv being served cold Ricn dishe
which would be most aIpetizlnC wer
. they eaten pip'pg hot, become repulsise
lnfigestahle mssse- Of gfesss vnen serve
from cold dish On st,re cold plate
During ne whole ot ny stay in HoIlan
| never once saw d.sh covered Or
plate heated
Cake are spco a'ty With the Dutch
ZACH town has one oT more 4 is onE
and Il was interesting 70 trace the ances
- f many r our American ones
, atfes msr me n kermes g. IN
Hague The koe. which j ~ /
found al over Holland ard l. \ far, III
= pu'cf word 'or i'.Ie CAKE < act1all
and etymoloClcaiiv the ancestor of II
New England COOKIE nouEhna's mf
? every ywhere. though | cannot lmagir
: from where the ant their ugly nam" Z
dough nut In Holland they are calle
and ii French ,ansda, vhe'
they arc snr. Of national cake. 'hey a.
F. known by the name o. 70 su}Cnoles al
: sometimes PelGnet, "hi, b latter name
simply The French for friste' imagir
8 tia, in one way and anothe, We owe
<y1sI iAat r.f gaHks-r HolEs-6 :