Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-09-19
SUMMER HOUSEKEEPING
An In Eenlous Woman Finds Wise Way
to Get Iid OF Care.

II wish the Recorder would tell us
how 10 make summer housekeeping
asy," said woman. letting tho tea
ball which hung from her forciiuger
rise and fall in mcditatiye way.
When warm weather comes feel SO
tired of wash days and ironing days.
breakfast, lunch, aud dinner. broken
only by the warnings OF tho old Bridget
and the blundcrs aud breakagcs of Tho
new one"
TRY our way" said Nine. Gill. the
heroine OF tbe road.car adventures Of
the Novel Wedding Journey" Jack
can only leave the city for two weeks.
and spending the summer alone IN tho
country with Toodles and II nurse was
not to be thought of Yet / felt the
need OF n change. If not OF rest. and
contided my state of mind TO Jack.
who is always fertile in resources and
together we evolved an ideal summer
arrangem ent. Tho kitchen range be-
came as il II were not Washing and
ironing were done out Of the house.
We paid 50 per week for the laundry
work. which included that Of two
grown people. my 10-year-old niece,
who was spending the summer with
me, and Toodlcs. There are plenty OF
women who can not go out TO work on
account of their small children, aud
who arc glad 10 get family washing nc
so cents per dozen. For 81 month
servant Chloe had her washing done
by her sister. Tnus we disposed of
one great bugbear. and left Chloe FREQ
to relieve me Of the care of the infant
Toodles.
Expensive. you say?" Well. let us
sec. Fourteen dollars II month extra
for washing. Deduct from this S.
month for coal and wood and 81 for
soap and starch. For the three hot
months we were under total expense
Of $2I by this arrangement. lt would
not have paid our travelling expenses
had summered out OF town, with
Jack going 10 aud fro weekly.
1t only remained 10 dispense with
the cooking to make life Arcadian.
Bread aud milk said Jack. But my
epicurean instincts rcyoted.
liable d'hotes. said Jack. But We
couldn't run around to bohemian dim
ners with Salie aud Toodies; besides.
there was Chloe.
1--WE finally decided to let Chloe at-
tend 10 the simple wants of the young
er members of our family, feeding
them bread ard milk, rolls, buns.
eggs. chops. and fruit; doing such
small cooking rs they required on a
65-cent gas stove. Now indeed life
was worth living. We had all the
comforts of our pretty. cool rooms.
instead of being crowded into stulry
little holes in summer boarding.
house. We were free to walk or
drive whenever We chose without refs
erence to the dinner hour We took
all tho walks which have been de.
scribed in the Recorder. and others OF
which | shall some day tell yon. Our
friends called us the Jolly tramps."
Some one suggested that resta urant
breakfasts and dinners must have
grown tiresome.
Bless you, we never did anything
we felt 10 be tresomc all through that
blissful summer" protested Gill.
Sometimes we shared the simple
breakfasts of Salic aud Toodles--
Chloe bringing a tray TO our room with
buttered muffin cup of coffee. an
egg. aud sliced tomato. This did not
have the same flavor rs "a regular break
fast at home; We made believe we
were guests ut a hotel.
Like most colorcd servants Chloe
had all the instincts of good cook.
and sometimes she varied our bill OF
fare by bringing us broiled herring.
When we felt an appetite for anything
more extensive there were any num-
ber of nice little restaurants where q
cereal. fish. meat or eggs. cooked in
any shape, with potatoes, coffee. and
pancakes. were neatly served for %
cents. Sometimes our dinners were
taken Mt one table d'hote restaurant
and sometimes ut auother-French.
kalian. German, or Spauish--and I
think we arc fitted TO discuss tho rei-
atiye merits OF them all. Occasionally
we took moro ambitious dinner at n
hotel. Extravaganccs of this kind
were balanced by economical gypsy
dinners taken Oh tramps. Again we
picnicked ut home with a can of soup
heated by Chloe. some sliced roast
beef or half a cold chicken and potato
salad from delicatcsscn with the
fruit in season. We grew SO fond Of
these little home dinners. still fancy-
ing ourselves guests and never for q
moment allowing that we were keep
ing house. that before tho end of Sep.
tember we took more than half our
dinners ut home. but The range was
never lighted until the lst of October.
Our living expenses. including the
restaurant breakfasts and dinners. .were
tritlc less than If had kept house
regularly, serving soup. meat. vege-
tables and desser, every day.
Our simple mode OF ealing result,
cd in better health. We never pur-
chased vegetables for our dinners away
from home. but when especially tempt
ed by frcsh-looking asparagus or peas
l carried home a generous supply, and
we dined on peas and pair of great
juicy Dreaded chops. or on asparagus
and Dreaded outlet prepared over our
little gas stove. | never said to my
self What shall have for dinner?-
indeed. seldom gave the matter Of
where we should dino Thought until
the time came. / spent a thoroughly
restfAl summer. and we intend to keep
house exactly on the same plan this
year.".-N y. Recorder.