St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-20
The HOUSEHOLD.
A Day TO Be Set Apart Every
Week for Domestic Repairs.

week Tor Domestic Repairs.
Every housewife should set apart one
day each week for mending day. Its
duties should be as religiously per-
formed as her daily devotions, says
writer in Good Housekeeping. Which
day 1t shall be depends upon the
usual time of getting the clothes
in from the weeks wash. If that
disagreeabie work is done at home. if
should be as early in the week as prac-
lticable; the flannels should be washed
out and dried quickly, so IS to shrink
as little as possible, and To allow plenty
of time to air them, for nothing is more
sruinous to the health than damp fan
nels.
Ii the clothes are all In by Thursday
evening, then Friday would be a nice
opportunity to lay out every garment
and put it through rigorous examina-
ton. 1t is well to have special stock
ing basket, i'll which all the socks and
stockings are placa ready for in
spection. 1t should be furnished
with suitable needles. darning cot
ton OF all cOlOrs to suit the
fancy hosiery, pair of scissors. etc., so
that 1t may be picked up at any of those
odd moments which so often come to a
hOusekeeper when she is not ready to
settle down to work which needs cutting
out or planning. After the holes are
nended, thin places should be neatly
darned, for then they present strong,
even surface, which is more comfortable
IMAM the hole when drawn together
later.
The garments which need mending
should be placed in another basket. Ev-
cry button should be examined, and if
they are pulling out by the roots. as
chlldren's buttons always do, double
bit of cotton or material like the gar
ment can he hemmed on the wrong
side, the edges of the hole hemmed
down on II, and the button replaced.
concealing the hole entirely. 1t looks
much better than setting tie button
higher or lower to gain fresh founda-
ton.
Strings have a way of wearing half off
just where they are SeWed on. They
should be cut, the old place ripped off
ana new sewing taken up. or else new
st ings. Little Sits in underclothing
should have strong piece of material
lald under, much larger than the slit:
when that is darned down with few
neat stitches it will hold much longer
than if it is lust run up"
Boys clothing should he furnished
with good. strong pockets. for the Joy of
littie cTap'S nrSt pantal0OnS paleS be-
fore '.lots OF pockets, to hold Just every
thing.''
Little girls enjoy pockets, too; mod
crate sized one in the seam of a calico or
gingham dress holds her handkerchief,
thimble and other necessary things,
which would otherwise be left living
around and lost.
find that child's habit of neatness
largely depends upon the condition of
the clothing put upon her from infancy.
Ii She is accustomed to whole clean
clothes she will enjoy t EN-, then find
them necessity, and finally learn to
love and keep them so.
The poor little children who dive into
bureau drawers, pulling out buttonless
bodies. torn aprons and ragged dresses,
which they strew about until they find
some wrarable garments, are greatly to
be pltied; nor are they to he blamed if
they grow up into careless and untidy
men and women. 1t is never wise to buy
just enough material for child's dress
with nothing left for mending. The
eibows always rub out first, and if there
is enough to make new underside to
the sleeves it helps the dress to last
much longer.
Ii there is wide sash like the dress.
it can be utilized later on for new
sleeves, and it will be all "washed
alike" for nearly all colored goods will
fade in time.