The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-04-06
How TO Spend SUMMER
A Sensible Mother Decides
to Camp and Enjoy
Nature and Life.
HOUSEHOLD CARES TO Be lEsEA;D
And Pleasures Increased-House-
hold Hints and Re-
cipes.

That stereotyped question, "Where are
you going to spend the summer" has al
ready begun its course. o. for IL mountain
breeze, for a Whit of sea airl Thus most
of US who live in cities. greet the warm
days. 1t is only early spring, and yet
many a mother anxious for her flock has
already planned her summer campaign.
Others are considering which of the Two
modes of life TO choose. boarding or house
keeping. They are tired of the resposi-
bilities of the latter and long to throw
them off for u few weeks. Then they re-
member their former experiences at sum-
mer boarding houses, and realize that
at best boarding is unsatisfactory. After
due reflection the sensible mother de-
cides On Housekeeping on a limited scale,
at a place where Paterfamilias can come
hotne every evening.
| questioned a prominent woman on the
Heights a few days ago as to her plans
for the hummer. She said she had, alter
much thought, pro and con, decided TO go
housekeeping, something after the man
her of camping. She had in view a small
cottage on the NorGheren Railroad, and
was going to rent it from May to October.
Are you going to move all your fur
niture and books?" / asked of Mrs. B..
SIMPLE FURNITURE.
mo. indeed, she ans wered. we are
going to study nature not art. You Will
be surprised to know how plainly i H.
tend TO furnish the house. Ion see we
will havs to keep the w houses, so l
hive decided to economize as much as
possible. 1t Will be somewhat expensive
10 move at all, so / am goiug TO take only
what is absolutely necessary. You Will
laugh when l say that instead Of my
beautiful pictures, / am going TO adorn
the walls with cheap, bright c%olors, ana
may even stoop to chromos. l want to
avoid any extra work which these decorA-
lions always entail. The children are
delighted. I have given them carte
blanche to fix their rooms as they please.
You ought to see the treasures they are
boarding up to furnish with. "oia99sa
"Are you going to take yotfS carpets,
Mrs. Bs" asked. thoroughly interested
In her schemes. ~
"No,' she replied. Eve are going to
furnish all the rooms with mating and
take some of III rugs which have seen
much wear. We are going to take two
beds and get some cots at K We are go
ing to get a large table made the re for
the dining rooln. of perhaps rude con-
struction, but handsome cloths will con-
ceal that. am not even going to take
my best china. Then will get u lot OF
this Swiss curtaining, which is simple
and very cheap, aud use 1t lavishly tor
curtains. 1t will make things look cosy.
l have decided to take such chairs only as
are absolutely necessary. l am4going to
live outdoors n try 10 join the Children
in their sports. You know city life often
makes it difficult for u mother to give
much time TO her children, especially ia
their pleasures. Social and household
duties monopolize oil The spare minutes.
OF course when they are Ill, l put every
thing aside, but at other times they are
lett too much alone. This is the princi-
pal reason why l have concluded to
camp am going to oe a child again
with my children.
STYLE NOT ESSENTIAL.
"As for clothes, l am afraid some of my
friends would not envy my wardrobe. l
am going to live this summer, not slave,
to give the children full liberty to come
anu 90 as they please, and have decided
to dress them in the simplest things.
You see here is some light hannel which
l intend to convert into dresses for the
girls. 1t is much better for morning
romps than wash goods, and they don't
feel too dressed up OR conscious to enjoy
themselves. Ihave found that boarulng
or hotel life always spoiled the children
somewhat. They wanted everything at
the table, and many u time, fearing II
scene, l gave in. But did not enjoy
that, as you can imagine. What do you
think of my plans?" Mrs. b. then asked
the writer. l told her l enyied her. She
laughed and gave me "a cordial Invitation
to visit her in July. l need hardly say
mat | accepted.
AS / lett Mrs. BIS home shortly after.
the idea occurred to me that perhaps
some women who are discussing summer
plans might be thankful to know how
sensibly she had arranged hers. l asked
her whether she had any objection to my
writing them up for The NEWS. She
iaughlngly answered:-''No, only don't
give my full name. or there will no be
room III my camp for all those who will
want to visit me-"