The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-05-20
TALKS OVER THE TEA-CUPS.
flRsT-cLAss KITCHEN ESSENTIALS.
The Old Home-ouida's Amber Hair
The Tortures OF Some OF Worth's
Shop Giris-Ths MarringeabIe
Age-Odds and Ends.

In every Kitchen RnOuld De tOuno GER
tain essentials. These are first, plenty of
| windows for light and ventilation; Sec
ondly, convenience of arrangement so
| that the range, sink, the water supply
and the closets shall be grouped together;
thirdly. that there shall be space to move
about freely, plenty of utensils and room
20 put them in. Moreover, there must be
| n good range or stove connected with
| chimney having a good draught.
| In detached house there is no excuse
| for having a poorly lighted kitchen. Re-
fuse TO build where the sun does not
| shine in one window at least, and have
that window large and low. BE sure that
| light falls directly upon the stove and the
sink. The cook bending over her stew
pans must see their contents. And
where tell-tale light falls upon the sink
| there will be no excuse for accumulated
foulness.
Again. cross-windows are aids to ventila-
| ton. Throwing open the snshcs after
dinner, the tired and heated maid can in
vite the odors and smoke to give place to
| the fresh air that soothes and refreshes in
winter and in summer. For all such help
| she will do more work and better.
II is mistake TO have very large
kitchen This is desirable only where the
| conveniences are grouped together in one
end and the other is left for sitting
| room annex.
That was the fashion with some Of our
fore-mothers. Who does not remember
some low, spacious kitchen over which the
| house-mother presided like benevolent
fairy? Help there was, but not alien help.
Some poorer neighbor's daughter counted
| herself fortunate 70 be initiated into the
mysteries of housekeeping under such tut
al Nal Hatt Nff,rv
oil-cloth, brought to the right turn such
mounds of white and Indian meal bread,
such pies of pumpkin and custard, such
toothsome election" cake as would
tempt a modern faster" to forego his for
ty days.
BY some hosuewifey cunning there was
| no confusion. no clatter of pots and pans,
no unsavory messes. Every dish used
was washed and put back in its place.
That served on the table was from dishes
of the willow ware" pattern. Could any,
thing be so delicious again? There was
yellow cream in high silver pitcher,
plate of homemade cheese and another of
boiled cider apple-sauce, thanking the
vegetables and the roast chicken and
golden ball of butter, and tartlets and GUS
tards, all from home-raised materials and
delicately favored.
carpeting at the cool end of the kitchen,
was as much apart from the cooking APP
purtenances as If it were a separate room.
In the rear window were some favorite
house plants. On a low table stood the
family bible and some genuine knitting
work, not the modern makeshilt crochet
ing.
And the dear old lady who superin-
tended every bit OF work done in the
house was a lady, too. She used vigorous
English, she was upright and downright,
and good blood coursed through her veins,
| and she believed in it also. Lafayette had
handled her upon his knee and kissed her,
for her father was a famous general, and
the instincts of fine breeding were not for
gotten. And yet she despised not the
kitchen she loved it and all the homely
ways that made it home.
When modern lie turns to the kitchen
and puriies and elevates its interests,
there will then be no such complaints of
service as those with which the news
papers are now filed.
A practical woman can arrange her
| kitchen and plan it from g diagram il she
| only sets herself about it. She will have
large sink with pump or faucets over
| it, on one side OF the stove, and the dish
| closet on the other or directly adjacent,
| and all will be clustered near the buffers
pantry or dining-room door. 1t takes little
| wit to see that il these are situated at a
| distance from each other it necessitates
more steps and consumption of time and
strength.
She is the skilled cook whose utensils
are within reach and whose every step
counts Kitchen tools must be brought
| together as certainly as the tools of the
mechanic.
The sink should be of ample size On
| the right the water may be turned on or
pumped directly into the dish-pan. On
| the left a draining rack, two feet long if
there is space for it, should not be omit
J ted.
II there is a fireplace. into which the
| back of the stove can sit, where there is
no range set in brick, much of the cooking
odor and the superhuous heat will pass up
| the chimney, to the great comfort OF the
kitchens presiding genius. Over the range
should be sheet-iron hood for the same
| purpose. With either stove or range
there should be tin-lined doors, oscillat-
ing oven shelves, a dust f1ue attachpent
and foot opener for the oven door.
One OF the greatest comforts will be q
kitchen table made to roll easily on
casters. Generally it should stand in front
of the range, and some six feet away.
This table, about six feet long and three
wide, is divided below into three com
partments. Those on either side are filled
with two deep drawers; the central space
| is open. These drawers are rsceptacles
of things most in use, such as a set of spice
boxes, salt, sugar, flour dredge, small
| sieve, a funnel, an egg-beater and a meas
uring cup. The lower drawer on one side
may be left for clean stove cloths and
holders. The entire apparatus may COM
prise those things in constant use in cook
ing. 1t is an immense saver of steps and
time. And it should be put in order after
each dinner.
The middle compartment is left drawer
less, and with a purpose. In front of it
the housekeeper may sit and roll her
pastry, prepare her puddings or concoct
any OF those comestibles which can be put
together without standing Many a
housekeeper would like to make her favor
lite dishes, but cannot stand long enough
to do so after necessary cares about the
house. By using library revolving chair
or any other which may be raised or low
cred. she can be at sufficient height
from the table to secure free use OF the
arms. When desired the table may be
rolled back against the wall.
THE COST OF A DRESS.
Some Of the fortunes Undergone by worth's