Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-22
\ MODEL LINEN CLOSET
Its Well Filled Shelves Are Housekeepsrs
Pride
Now is n Good Time to RepIenish
Your Stockholm to Patch
and Mend.
Written for The Evening STAR.

The present is good time to replenish
the household stock of linen, for almost all
the shops are holding sales of linen and
such things. To have handsome linen is
the desire Of every good housekeeper, and
in these days, when such material is sold
so cheaply, there is no reason why every
one may not possess it. The love of fine
linen Is strictly old-fashioned taste: the
Priscillas and the Evangelines of old all
mad their chests of linens, most likely gath
cred together to stock their households in
anticipation of the time when they should
be brides of their john Aldens or Benedicts
In those days no colonial dame considered
that her daughter was eligible for mar
riage until she had spun and woven her
stock of household linen, enough to fill a
good-sized chest, for in these times a dam
sci would display her store of white goods
with as much pride as the Colonial Danes
OF today display their pearls and diamonds
The larger the stock of household goods
the-better the reocmmanda ton 1t was of
the girls value as wife, for the thrifty
G9lonials wooing was not all sentiment
He desired maiden skillful and indus
tr1ous. willing to help him make comfort
able tie frontier home and the chest of
linen was the diploma that said she had
graduated in the school of housewif,ry
with degree of creditahility
VI course, in these days of factories wo-
men are content to purchase their linen
ana there is no especial need to buy it IN
til house for it to adorn, is fairly well as
sured by the solitaire ring of some thrifty
young man
As Necessary as China,
No woman who is at the head of a house
should any more consider being without a
cupboard full of linen than without one of
china. Even if the stock of linen is scanty
1t is more convenient for both mistress and
maid to keep it in it's own special Closet.
BY linen is meant all draperies bed fur
nlsn1ngs, towels. napkins tabiecleths dol
hes, wash covers etc. Most of these should
De OF linen, because linen fabrics are the
most serviceable. Linen is not necessarily
expensive. In quality it ranges from heavy
sacking to the finest cambria and lawns
Linen is better than cotton for household
use for several reasons Owing to the
length and fineness of the flax fibers from
which it is woven its surface is smoother
and more lustrous than cotton. Because
the hbers are longer. presenting on the sur
face fewer short ends. it is less woody than
cotton and therefore linen soils less easily
Nor does it so readily absorb moisture Be
cause it does not take up perspiration so
thoroughly as cotton, linen makes cooler
clothing and bed Sheeting than cotton For
pillow cases and bolster cases, doilies tray
cloths, etc. It's purity, gloss and smooth
ness recommend it as superior to cotton,
for so long as there is shred of it left it
looks well. Its superiority over cotton in
the way of durability is as 3 to /. any
housekeeper who has tested it bearing wit
ness to this fact. no. q
How to Build md Fill
The linen cupboard may be any ordinary
closet fitted up with shelves for the pur-
pose -Four and oneHhalf feet by 61a feet
high will allow five shelves. The lower
shelves should be II to 10 inches apart. the
upper ones to 10 inches
On the first shelf may be placed pillow
and bolster cases; OBJ. the second, towels;
on the third, tabecloths. 9fancy cloths and
serviettes; on the fourth n window curtains
ana toilet covers: On the fifth, the best
sheets: on the sixth shelf, the bottom of
the cupboard, bath sheets and common
sheets. ~
The most convenient way to fold the linen
IN placing 1t upon the shelves so as to take
up least room is to fold the largest towels
across so that they may be put on the shelf
IN rows The sheets may, be rolled In the
usual way two in a Tow in len 9Th and two I
in width. With shelves twelve. inches apart
sheets may be put IN two in depth that is,
eight bundles, each sheet being a double
bundle. Four pairs of double bed sheets,
besides thlse in general use and the small
ones with the bath sheets, on the lower
shelf will be enough for most households.
White counterpanes. dirnity bed hangings,
window curtains, cretonne curtains for box
ottomans and the like may all find place
in the linen cupboard. although it Is best
that blankets and wooden bed covers should
be Put away by themselves with plenty of
Camphor
If an extra shelf is desired in this cup
board it can be made by lessening the
space between the shelves containing the
lighter articles.
AS articles come from the wash they
should be placed at the bottom of the pile.
and care should be observed in putting
them away SO that in hastily taking them
out for use half sets may not be confused.
Always before the linen is sent away to
I no. r1ch CHI no Ial Snft
thread should be used, and the hole or rent
darned up to look as much like the original
fabric possible. Old linen may be used
to patch with. 1t also makes excellent
banGages for wounds or cloths for polish
ing glass.
Evils of Bad Washing.
Tablecloths and serviettes will wear out
at first at the creases. When a tablecloth
trays and wears out at the edges before
the center it is because 1t is not carefully
hung out to dry or is being roughly used in
the washing. Bad clothespins and a defect
i've washing machine destroy a great deal
of linen. When spots of an iron mold APP
pear on the linen 1t is likely that there is
something wrong with the bluing, some
qualities containing iron.
Many persons prefer to keep their linen
in chest. If you have such thing in |
the family, or can afford one, nothing Is |
handsomer than one of the old-fashioned |
carved oak chests. They are not, however. |
so convenient as the cupboard arrangement |
whore everything has its place, so that any |
required article may be found in the dark. |
A heavy wooden box with a hinged Id and |
covered with bright denim or cretonne and |
fitted with brass handles, hinges and hasp. |
makes an excellent linen holder. The |
chests can be filled with scents and made
as odorous as the lavender and sandal wood |
perfumed chests of a century ago.
The linen closet should be fitted with |
or hot he closed
need be- SO that all dust may be kept out. |
1t goes without saying that the shelves |
should always be kept scrupulously clean
and the wall freshly papered or painted |
or even whitewashed.
EDITH LAWRENCE.