Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-11-10

| o
| l really hate to ask you, dear,
But could you fix a bracket hereY'
And on It goes, when these are through,
| And this and that and those to do,
| Ad infinitum, and more, too,
AL in merry jingle.
And isn't that enough 10 make
| man wish he was single?
MRS. JoHNsoN's HoUsE-CLEANING.
1t would be hard to tell where Mrs
| Johnson's house-cleaning began, and when
it left off. Her husband and sons would
have said, had they been asked, that she
never cleaned house at all; they saw no
evidence of it. Old Aunt Mollie, her one
faithful, lifelong servitor, said: claws,
dere amt no use ter clean dis yere house
Miss jules alters cleaning" Both were
wrong; yet, both were right. as Edith, who
was the eldest daughter, could testify.
In fact they, Mrs. johnson and Edith,
began their house-cleaning the latter part
of October, by carefully looking over the
summer clothing for the family, remodel
ing such garments as were worth it, and
| laying aside-to give away-those that
were outgrown or done with. The bed and
table linen also received attention at this
time, sheets were turned, or if too thin for
| that, were put away to use in sickness.
Table-cloths, beyond use as such, were cut
the good parts into napkins for daily
use; thinner portions tackled together into
two or three thicknesses made soft cloths
for many purposes; while the ragged pieces
were rolled up for the bag of old linen, so
indispensable in every family. Camphor
chests and packing trunks were emptied OF
their winter clothing, busted out and lined
with fresh pieces of old linen or cotton
sheeting, so as to be ready for their winter
occupants.
Mattresses and bed clothing were put
out to be thoroughly aired, bedsteads taken
apart and washed all over-slats, springs
and all-in cold water: thoroughly dried,
not only with soft cloths, but put on the
balcony or before an open window; then,
with small paint-brush and a cup of tur-
pentine Mrs. johnson painted each crack
and crevice, the ends of Stats and springs,
and the back of the bedstead. In fact,
every crack and Granny which could serve
as a hiding place received thorough atten-
ton. This annual amounting Mrs. John
son would intrust to no one but Edith or
herself. She used to say she would rather
see snake in the house than a bedbug
and in this way alone could she feel sure
| of perfect immunity from those pests which
are the torment of careless housekeepers.
After these thoughly preventive meas
ures the weekly brushing and busting Of
the entire bed and all its parts was sufii-
cient for the year. Mrs. johnson never
undertook to do more than one bed day.
| There were several reasons for this resolve,
the most important of which was that she
did not intend to tax their strength by
doing more in one day than could be con-
venientIy and pleasantly done in the fore
noon. The morning alone was devoted to
house-cleaning, the subject, being strictly
| tabooed for the rest of the day, was not
even talked or thought of. So that every
morning fresh energies were on hand for
fresh duties, and each bed was attended to
in its turn until ali were done. If a rainy
day interviewed and the cleaning had tc
[ wait, Mrs johnson did not allow it to fret
and worry her, because she intended tC
take her time.
As nothing was out of order, nobody wa;
incommoded the routine of the house.
keeping was undisturbed. Meals were
neither slighted nor abbreviated.
After the beds, the closets, bureaus
wardrobes, sideboards, ETC., received par.
ticular attention, being treated (inside) tC
a coat of turpentine, after having been
thoroughly washed with water in which
had been few drops of carbolic acid
Thus all disease germs, or eggs Of moth:
or other insects which might have found
lodgment in holes or corners. were ef.
fectually destroyed.
Heavy winter clothing and bedding
were thoroughly brushed, shaken, aired
and mended, if need be, and then hung in
their places ready for use. So, through
out the whole house, the closets were done
After this the carpets land only one q
day were taken up and sent away to be
shaken. / know this seems a strange pro
cedure, and old-fashioned housekeeper
will be aghast, feeling sure that all the
preceding work has been wasted. Not so
there is right way and wrong, even il
taking up a carpet, which can be done
without raising particle of dust. This
too, received Mrs. Johnson's personal at
tention.
Where her floors were stained, rugs anc
art squares had been repeatedly shaker
throughout the summer, so that these wert
very little trouble. The carpets that wer,
tackled down had been divested of theil
tacks Immediately after breakfast by th'
children, who thought it only fun. They
had been shown how to lift the tacks care
fully, without pulling up the carpet, ant
| haA ont oil cfr Inhf hax
drew them out, in box, while the crooked
ones, which could not be used again, wer,
, emptied at the roots of the rose-bushes
"'cause iron was dood for 'em," little Tee
would say. The children also helped tC
carry out chairs, light articles of furniture
bric-a-brac and pictures, busting them a
often as possible to prolong the pleasure o
; "helping." Then Mrs. johnson and Edit
} enveloped all the large articles in tn,
calico covers used on sweeping days anC
: moved them to one side of the room
: Taking hold of each end of the carpet a
) the opposite side of the room, they laid i
: gently over in fold about two feet wild,
its entire length, carefully rolled up tn,
newspapers which were spread underneath
} tied them with twine, so that they shoult
not unroll, folded the carpet again, gathered
up the papers as before, and so continued
to do until the middle of the room wa
: reached. Nov they rolled the furnitur,
: over the carpet on to the bare floor, anC
beginning at the end of the room, repeate;
the folding and rolling, until at last tn,
carpet lay in one long, fiat roll in the mid
t die of the room, and the rolls of newspa
pers lying where they had been lef,
: Now, beginning at each end of the carpet