The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-10-02
IN DUTCH HOUSES.
THE WAR WHICH A PEASANT Wo-
MAN MAKES AGAINST DUST.

Interesting Study of y "Dutoh Interior"
How Laundry Work Is Done In Hol-
laud - servants--A Strange Custom
Food and Cooking.
Had Lady Macbeth lived In Holland, that
slammed spot" would have been out in five
minutes, Nothing, not even II, could stand
against Dutch cleaning woman, She is
Irresistible Look how she Is armed, Glance
ut her weapons Cloths and chamois, brooms
and brushes, scrubbing brushes for the floors,
hair brushes for the wainscots, feather
brushes for the walls, tooth brushes for tho
corner geese wings for the stoves, hens
feathers for cleaning out the key holes, small
sticks Of wood for poting out any unhappy
particle OF dnst which muy hive got into the
cracks Of the floor, white paste for the win
dows, red paste fer the hearth stones, emery
for the steel, and several other pastes and
polishes as the occasion mny require. These
are the implements Dutch peasant woman
4 uses TO clean out her cottage home. Dust is
her natural enemy, sheis born into the world
to fight 1t, IL Is her mission, and she does no
moro than her mother and f0remOthers have
done before her. No wonder that such d
home training turns out an exceedingly high
class of domestic servant; and yet, the Dutch
mistress grumbes Such is life,
DUTCH INTERIOR.
A "Dutch INTERIOR from a housekeepers
us well as nu artistic point Of view, is Il most
interesting study. 1t is one thing to know a
country well by travelling through 10, stop
ping ut the best hotels, visiting all points Of
interest, taking careful notes by pen and
brush OF all worth recording, but 1t is quite
another experience and fully us interesting
to live among its people us one Of themselves
to SEQ how they live and think, manage and
eat; when they are conscious no locker on liz
by, and that they need not adapt themselves
to any strangers custom or fancy This
latter has been my good luck to experience,
and can truthtuliy say that there are no
cleaner, more hospitahle, kind hearted, do
nestle people in the world than the Dutch.
Imenton "cleaner" first because with them
it comes first. What would become Of
Dutch woman In world where there is no
dust is II subject for conjecture, and though
look upon my visit to Holland us purt Of
the happiest time in my life still my sincere
prayer is TINT my Dutch friends may never
visit me, could never live up to their idea
of cleanliness; tine mental strain would be too
great,
Washing is not done weekly us in America,
but allowed to accumulate for weeks, some
times even longer, an unhealthy custom but
in this as in many other respects the Dutch
can hardly be called clean nation, from
hygienic point Of view. With them it is dust,
dust and again dust,
Often the underservants such as scuIlery
maid, nurse maid, etc, do not sleep IN the
house This gives more space and room for
the family, These girls come in by the day,
sleeping at their own homes at night All
servants in Holland dress extremely neatly,
generally in lilac print dresses, white muslin
caps, aud large white aprons,
The same dress Is worn IN the street as in
Che house. If the weather is, cold, shawl Is
thrown over the shoulders, They do n good
deal of the household shopping, 1t must be
indeed delightful for the Dutch mistress to
have Betsey Jane all ready dressed to run her
!
hour or more while Betsey Jane curs her
'bang" and bedeeAs herself with cheap linery.
This good arrangement for maid ~ well NJ
mistress, for with the former it breaks tho
monotony Of the daily round, gives hor a lit
tie blow of fresh air, besides Che opportunity
Of slight Irritation with the butchers boy
or the green grocers assistant
A HOUSEHOLD CUSTOM
STRANGE bousebold custom IN Holland
ia tbe cnstody of the ",uost monov,i hv tho
mistress Eoch gnest is as in I,nc,ond ex,
nected to fee fhe housa servants In uoI.
innd This money h at once handed Inv tho
ree,pont 10 the lody of the bou,e who NJ
certain seasons OF the wear such ns Christ
mas ond Easter. divides Il eounllv among
All her staff MOI n Ind nlnn when one
thinks IL aver Inf rather STARTLING nj (lrat to
the guest,
And now for Dutcb food An food ia
rood in Holland NIL eooI,np excollont heeg
and mutton oven hefter finn IN Eng,anJ
veootohles in abundance Ruttor Il ua,,,
pood ana plentiful md L rsed witbont stInt
h,t a,,,l'irq, is a,oi,od w., I.V"u"v h' ss'uV,