The record-union., 1895-06-13

No such Johnnycakes are put together
now as were baked before an open ire;
no such jellied Indian buildings, no such
creamy 'mush" as that sung by Joel
Barlow.
But those who lament the loss of few
like dishes should remember the won
drous possibilities open to the possessor
of kitchen amply furnished with every
modern convenience" that has become
so much matter of course that one does
not often pause to consider ones bless
ings. There were then both we'll and
cistern generally in use, and usually both
at awkward distances from the house. In
all kinds of weather water must be
brought ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS for the tea
kettle and the table, and soft for the
washing of dishes and of clothes. There
was no touching the faucet and seeing a
steady stream of hot or cold water flow
forth. as if ones finger had been the rod
of Moses. The multiplicity of boilers,
swimmers, strainers, and the Ike that OBJ
tain with us might appear almost as
miraculous TO our OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES,
who were obliged to DO everything III the
hardest possible way. The preparations
OF food to be obtained at present in the
remotest hamlet were then made ready
at tedious length by the COOK. Hours
and hours of boiling and constant watch
ing were necessary for the proper serving
of some of those breakfast cereals-ior
instance, that now arc prepared IN
some ten minutes. Fruit was cored by
hand, and the apple bee or the husklng
frolic was the sole known method OF
tightening the load of work. The multi
farious securing and cleansing COM
pounds that now push each other aside
upon our shelves were then represented
by white sand and what was vuigarly
but realistically called ''elbow grease"
The care OF the brass kettle alone was
enough to shorten the weary life OF
housewife.
Neither was there any attempt to make
the best of the kitchen further than that
attraction which always fingers in room
that has signs of constant habitation, anu
that is eXquisitely neat. The heart of the
house was usually situated in the extreme
end Of the long, telescope shaped build
ing; it was lily lighted by small, high
windows, the floor was uneven and worn.
In one corner was the deadly trapdoor
that led by steep, straight flight OF
steps to the cellar and its stores below.
Outside the radius of the fire the room
was bitter cold in winter, and in summer
it was too badly ventilated not to be most
uncOmfortably hot.
Not only is the modern kitchen con-
stantly manifesting new prOvements
upon all this, but these ever beIteriug in
ventions offer other possibilities still.
The Aladdin oven, the gas stove, and
their cOmpeers, with all that electricity
has already shown us here, bid fair to ef-
feet revolution in domestic economy.
They make what has long been some
thing contemptuously named among
womenkind Eight housekeeping" into
nothing short OF an art. 1t Is feasible by
these means to gild and refine the prosaic
drudgery of the house, to soften its hard
est features, and to reduce it TO simplicity.
Like Mrs. Whitney's clever "We Girls"
the daintinsss and prettiness of DtauU{s
SuJet is brought out. unless, like those
same girls, we cooperate to DEATH" In
this connection, that may mean turning
ones drawing-room into kitchen. The
ideal is the converting the kitchen into a
nearer similitude to the drawing ROOM
New York Times.