The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-03-21

housekeepers at home In a long let
ter printed in one of the London week
lies she urges English women to assist
in the solution of the domestic service
problem by being more Independent Oh
servants. Let each girl" she begs,
''be taught on leaving school at least
how to care for her own bedroom.
Then, realizing how radical are her
views, she hastens to exclaim and eX-
plain why not?" she says. our
American sisters-eXcept those or the
extreme fashionable caste which mas
arisen of late years-do this as mat
ter of course Gas they also do many
things about the house which we new
er dream of touching); and that they
are one whit behind US in the nicetles
of life any one who has had the priv1-
lege of spending any time in the bosom
o. a typical American family will stren-
uously DENY" The paper goes on at
considerable length to point out the
value of fewer servants and of becom-
ing ones own housemaid in a limited
degree, and explains in detail the meth
Cd necessary.
All of which is interesting for TWO
reasons, one as showing that the SER
question
water as here. and another that in the
opinion of at least one observer the
hope of betterment lies in ability ana
practice of doing ones own work. This
condition is growing more and more
common in this country, not from
choice or desire, but necessity. Supur-
ban residents, except the wealthy mi
nority supporting large establishments,
are without servants for much of the
time village hOuSekeepers find 1t al
most impossible to get any one to work
steadily in their kitchens, a great many
flat-dwellers in this and other cities
are similarly placed, the competent
servants are really being massed in the
homes of the very rich in the large
cities, with a growing smaller and
poorer percentage for the average
household. 1t may be true that no
servants, for the most of US, is to be
the end of it all.
The choice of a color for a gown or
ribbon is more important than is gen.
orally assumed. In looking over an
assemblage of extensively dressed
women recently it was noticed that a
very small percentage wore the colors
which suited them A woman reads or
is told that shades of magenta or tints
OF green are fashionably worn and She
forthwith selects them, often with the
most trying results to her good looks.
Colors matching the hair tint in some
shade are safe. A red haired woman,
one with the bronze red hair, looks her
best in sables and reddish browns; a
golden-haired blonde with blue eyes
should select gown of some shade OF
her hair with a bit of her eye blue at
her throat. This, intensifying the color
of the eye by a throat bow of its pre-
dominating shade, is a hint to be re-
membered, particularly by women
whose eyes have lost some of the
youthful depth of color. Edmund Rus
sell gives his formula for artistic dress
ing to be: Match the hair as nearly as
possible for day and the eyes for even
ing wear" French women, it may lie
added, wear white in the evening, after
40, almost invariably.
housekeeper guards against incom-
potency on the part Of the maid with
the morning coffee by having it
steamed, a process advised by some
cooks. 1t is made in a double boiler,
the usual proportions being followed.
After the boiling water is added, the
vessel is set in its hot-water kettle and
steamed for twenty minutes. There is
no risk that coffee made in this way
will be spoiled from standing or over
cooking.
Some of the restaurants and hotels
make a speciality of pulled bread, serv
ing it regularly as a dinner bread. AS is
well known, this thoroughly dried-ou
bread is commended by physicians and
hygienic advisers as far more whole
some than the soft, soggy breads so
much eaten. 1t may be easily made
from any long loaf of bread by trimming
the outside crusts and cutting or pull
ing the loaf lengthwise into quarters,
then eighths. Break each of these pieces
in two, and lay on a clean paper IN the
warming-oven for several hours. To be
served at dinner the bread should be
pulled right after breakfast 1t is as
wholesome as the German zwieback or
twice baked bread, and is preferred by
many because not sweet.
DdlnIlneSS ana an attention TO color
effects in serving food are what makes
the daily eating delicate feasting Cold
tongue luncheon, for example, becomes
a pleasure to sight as well as taste
when served with cucumber and aspic
jelly. Arrange the slices of tongue on
a platter in the form of a Maltese cross:
on each piece lay neatly slice of Gu
cumber which has lain in a French
dressing fer fifteen minutes and cover
the cucumber with aspic. The combi-
nation produces tongue salad. The pink
of the meat with the pale green of the
vegetable and the amber of the jelly
e thoroughly good to look upon.
A favorite dish in a certain German
family in this city is that of oysters
escalloped with noodles instead of
cracker crumbs. The noodles in this.
as in most German families. are made
at home, but they are purchasable
preferably at delicatessen shop, If
one decides not to make them. They
are boiled quickly till tender in sailed
water then drained and cold water
poured over them as macaroni is treat
ed. The oysters are drained in a coll
ander and the dish is filled with alter
nate layers of oysters and noodles. hav-
ing the latter as a top and bottom
layer. Each spreading is seasoned with