Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-02-25
HOUSEHOLD.

HOUSEHOLD.
Jean Paul Richter says of woman that to
her belongs:
"The firm, delicate, womanly sense of
the MT, the proper, the becoming, seems to
be torn and scratched by the touch of any
thing angular and unpublished"
If this estimate is a 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
ish serve to make their home life one of en-
durance, and an endurance which is not a
virtue
The thoughtless and the careless, because
of either, have no right to wear out nerves
and waste anothers physical strength,
neither is it right for the home-maker to
condone ofTenses 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 negloctful when
Ife's 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 a 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 a great feast, like the dinner of
herbs where love is, the welcome and the
readiness to share what one has is better
than elegance ana display. It 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 a
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 a delicate sense of the
fit" Even course is not of necessity an
elaborate affair-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 roast or a fowl with vegetables,
then salad, nice dessert and coffee.
The order of such a dinner is simply to
spread the table with a cloth. For decora-
ton have either flowers or fruit IN the
center, and nothing besides except a 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, helpin g
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 dessert 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 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 overdo. 1t is always better to fall
little short than TO go beyond.
Whatever happens during the meal the
hostess must retain her equipoise and smile
with Spartsn-like endurance over any CON
tretemps. To aid her in this she should
always secure as an aide-de-camp some
brigh t, quick woman, and if it is a mixed
company man who is good raconteur,
who will keep the ball of conversation roll
ing.
This description of possible dinner giving
is not intended to discourage the good old
fashion of welcoming to the everyday meal
any friend, or to feel because cooks are not
chefs and the ware not Sevres, house
keeper cannot ask even the possessor of
such luxuries TO sit at her humber Hoard.
RECIPES.