Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-02-21
HOUSEHOLD.

HOUSEHOLD.
Jean Paul Richter says of woman that to
her belongs:
| the fit, the proper the becoming, seems TO
be torn and scratched by the touch OF any
| thing angular and unpublished"
| If this estimate is true one it is easy to
see that woman is the genius of home and
of all that the word conveys. The
''womanly sense of the fit oftentimes gives
unnecessary labor to the home-maker, for
to her, system and order are essentials, and
to remedy lack of these in others she
works and slaves. The indolent and the
thoughtless give her many steps, and one
| unsystematic member Of household is as
offensive as the fly in the apothecary's
ointment
No matter how willing are the martyrs,
how unselfsh the wives and mothers, disor-
der, as well as angularity and want of pol
ISL serve to make their home life one of en-
durance, and an endurance which is not
virtue.
The thoughtless and the careless, because
of either, have no right to wear out nerves
and waste another's physical strength,
neither is it right for the home-maker to
condone offenses of this nature 1t is
form of selfshness that is well nigh crimi-
nal, for if children are allowed to be care
less they are apt to be neglectful when
iifes real duties press, and there is no
mother to repair mistakes.
Into the home there must come to each
member self-discipline and system, and
while the husband may not be amenable to
drill, and it may not be best to urge it,
surely the children can be thus taught and
much OF the perplexities in the home will
disappear.
Then the mistress of the house will be in
better frame and vigor for that highest
form of sociability, hospitality. In well
regulated home, little dinner, an informal
luncheon, or friends to spend day or So
will not be dreaded.
The housekeeper ''r eady for company is
ready to give to her guest that beautiful
sense of welcome which is more to be
priced than great feast, like the dinner of
herbs where love is, the welcome and the
readiness to share what one has is better
than elegance and display. 1t is not shining
that makes hospitality, nor luxurious ap-
pointments that give spirit to an enter
tainment.
In dinner-giving in particular it is better
to have few well-prepared dishes than
table loaded with badly-cooked food or
number of courses lily served. The APP
pearance of the table counts for much, and
a simple feast can be made attractive where
there is pervading delicate sense of the
fit'' Even course is not of necessity an
elaborate afair-it can be simple and yet
satisfactory. A housekeeper of small ex-
perience can serve one in the following
fashion:
First, soup, succeeded by fish and pota-
toes, then a roast or fowl with vegetables,
then salad, nice dessert and coffee.
The order of such a dinner is simply to
spread the table with cloth. For decora-
ton have either flowers or fruit IN the
center, and nothing besides except dish
of celery, sailed almonds and olives. The
soup course requires nothing but bread or
crackers. If the fish is boiled or baked,
dress with parsley and slices of hard boiled
eggs; the entree with this is fried potatoes,
sometimes placed upon the same dish.
After the fish course the dinner plates are
brought in and the host carves, helping
each guest. The waiter should then pass
the vegetables, following with Jelly. When
this course is completed everything is re-
moved except the dishes that were on at
first. The salad and desse TT plates are put
before the hostess, who serves the guests,
then crackers and cheese are passed. After
this course the crumbs are brushed and the
table cleared entirely. The hostess serves
dessert and with it the coffee. The finger
bowls IN dessert plates are set before each
guest. If there is a fruit course, fruit
plates replace the dessert, and at this time
the waiter may be dismissed.
This menu is not startling, and if neces-
sary the pretty daughters of the family
make most charming mattresses
One rule should in every case be Needed.
Do not overio. It is always better to fall q
little short than to go beyond.
Whatever happens during the meal the
hostess must retain her equipoise and smile
with Spartan-like endurance over any con-
tretemps, To aid her in this she should
always secure as an aide-de-camp setae
bright, quick woman, and if it is asnhxed
company man who is good ras6uteuEy
who viii keep the ball of conversAsiaafoll-
ing.
This description of possible dinner giving
is not intended to discourage the good 0sf |
OF welcoming 70 the everyday Sneal
any friend, or ID feel because cooks sre aQf
chefs and the ware not Sevrcs, ashQzhss-
keeper cannot ask even the possessor OF |
such luxuries to sit at her humber board.