New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-22
HOUSEHOLD LINENS.
THINGS FOR THE TABLE.

II was known that the goods would be solu d. d ea
rIce and each one feared either to ontbid Ut uhuoi
bid the other A house which remains iahou' ~ '"s
linen trade actually bought this STOCK al o"o I'M
less than the regular price and a. l. stewart WI"
was n bidder found himself beaten in his favorite
department OF the trade. lie began Without hcS""
ton TO reduce the price OF his linens and war Oh
prices was tho result and one Of the dulest moh'hs
In the year became one of the busiest. ,
Shop keepers finding these January sales to their
advantage continued them the following year anu
they are now matter Of annual recurrence Ho"'o
keepers find 1t wise to purchase goods al ths se@So
when they are fresh and there Is a large quantity 10
select from: so that January has finally come TO 90
tho regular month when the careful housewife eA-
amnes and repenshes her stock OF hOusehold hhcnS'
Conservative merchants declare. that there mas
been comparatively little change In tho prices OF de
srable household linens since the resumption OF specie
payments and that these goods are peculiarly guardeu
Inv manufacturers against the dangers OF overpro-
ducton Other large houses say that the IRISH trouoes
have affected the exclusive trade OF the west emu o Lon
that manufacturers of fine linens VINO nave nero
tofore disposed OF their stock In England have been
compelled to send them this market TO be SOLD at
a sacrifice There has been great advance In tasteIui
design in the last dozen years and patterns whcn
were formerly considered desirable are now al
most unstable. The PATTERN peculiar width or
length OF q table cloth or napkin may az ma'oihy
affect its price its quality. There are many quaii-
ties fine linen sold at prices from 40 to ~ Genus
on the dollar cheaper than they were severa seasons
ago. but these cheap goods usually are old patterns
which ready to dispose OF at heaVy
discounts. Tho oblong napkin so popular In Europe
has mover como into general here and such nap
kns are usually sold below the regular price.
The great advances made In the last few years Dy
the power loom In the manufacture of fine damasks
ond a
prices and competition has recently been known 10
reduce the value Of toweing to one-quarter or even
one half actual market worth but this was merely
an incidental occurrence which shrewd judges OF goods
were enabled to take advantage Of The folly OF
waiting till the season Of sales is past hoping 10
gain advantage from a reduction Of the remnant OF
stock left cannot be too strongly condemned etand
goods seldom reduced between seasons ana oy
waiting the purchaser loses the advantage OF any
special bargains which the merchant may haVe peen
able offer at the beginning OF the safes
The artistic conventlonallzed designs Of tho South
Konslngton schools are seen iE all the new patterns
OF damasks. pure white cloth of fine satiny finish
preferred for dinner and breakfast USE More color
Is allow able In the lunch cloth, than anywhere ese
but this Is frequently added by scarf of embroidery
doylIes and other bits of fancy neede-worked linen
English patterns Irish linens usually sho"
comparatively little plain Surface. The old set
medallion designs seldom seen. There are lovely
patterns In cObweb and bali design; another called
by the shower of pearls SEEDED IN
the centre with raised dots and surrounded by
border of holly and leaves which lies upon the
table and Is finished by wider border In ball pattern
with a holly leaf edge. The clover flower leaf and
curling stem forms beautiful all-over pattern ana
In patterns the refoil leaf alone Is strewn at
intervals the centre of a damask and bOrdered
with a garland OF ong-stemmed clover leaves. The
border is now always designed to match the centre
Of cloth auS border 10 not used as 1t formerly
was with several different centre designs The 0ran-
bic flower with It's graceful blossom, thOrned stem anu
leaf form lovely popular pattern.
There are beautiful cloths in Indian damasse effects
and arabesque designs which nearly the surface
Of the linen. The water-hly and leaf and triple
with star borders arc other patterns.
French designs In damask differ materially from those
described An abundance Of plain surfaces are SHOWN
scattered with flower garlandS far apart o. wrought
with flight of water fowl Or any suitable design rom
nature A ribband border wreahed with ho~ers Is
frequently seen In French damask " lille French
designs are wonderfully effective and the damask ex
ouslte in finish Is heavy the Ulster linens
and not as durable The Irish Of County Ulster re-
main they have been for generations the best linen
makers of tho world, though linen Is made In scot
land, England France, Germany, Russia and many
other countries.
Tho difference between the single and double dam
ask is merely the ght and peculiar weave gwen
by the loom which only experts can detect. About
nineteen of twenty ordinary saiesmen OF linen do
not know the difference. The difference Is, after
ALL immateral 1t Is wiser for the purchaser Of o-4
damask under al 20 yard to buy single damask as
single damask Is finer and wears well and looks
better II tho heavy telling now In common use ON the
table IS under 1t. Double damaSk IN Ga width be-
gins in q lair quality at about III 20 yard tlne
artistic patterns range 10 prce from III % aud u 80
to " upward. according to quality. The difference
between the price OF a made cioh and the damask
10y tho yard is not often over 10 cents on the Oiar
The finest patterns and the highest grades of table
dainask are sold only by the CLOTH Napkins In three
towels which may be used to cover side tables arc
imported in all patterns TO match cloths. Three
arers of yard square Is the regular size OF dinner
napkins. few napkins seVen-eighths OF yard
square used, and for breakfast use napkin i've
1t is common thing for the pur-
chaser Of damask to mistake the right for the
pattern Is the right side; 1t IS raised and heavier
than the undcrSidc.
The bost choice in bed linen is a heavy firm goods,
which Will not "roll up" but remains In place.
sheets and pillow danty hemstched and made
by hand are now feature OF tho linen shops. Oc-
casOnally the hem Is ornamenied with border OF
drawn work. Plain hemsttched sheets two-and-a
half yards wide by twO-and-t hlee quarters long begin
at s6 so pair; in heavy quality they range in price
from 80 to $40 and Sl2 pair according to quality.
Pillow match these sheets are 81 10 upward
and bolster So. Fancy sets of fine pillow
cases and single sheets for day deliberately
wrought in drawn work and Ornamcned with fine hem
stitched blocks as dainty as handkenhefs OF linen
lawn.
There is a growing preference for towel of pure
white huckaback of fine quality. Bordcred and raged
towels not popular as they were few seasons
ago and rather lower In price. towel of pure
white huckaback of fine silken quality with hem
stitched border varying from quarter OF an inch to
TIVE inches in width Is considered the most elegant
choice for handsome rooms. Many ladies who do not
wish TO 20 10 the expense Of a hcmstched towel now
buy the white huckaback by the yard and hem their
towels at home In the old fas bOned way Quite large
towels are generally preferred though the sizes
of fine towels range from twenty by thrty-six inches
to twenty seven by forty five fifty inches set
OF small towels sixteen by twenty seven inches are
often purchased by mothers for children'S rooms.
Bordered towels with frnges still used by many
persons, but the color introduced In the towels Is
generally limited to fine lines of blue red to nero
inch or quarter inch bands OF loose embroidery.