New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-05
HOW TO KEEP HOUSE.
THE SIMPLEST WAY is THE BEST. SAYS
BACHELOR GIRL.
sHE ADVISES WOMEN WHO WORK FOR A Lrv-
mo NEVER TO BoARD-coMFORTs
OF A MODEST FLAT.


mo NEVER 10 BoARD-ooMFoRTs
OF A MODEST FLAT.
zone OF the most vexing OF the many veHins
problems that the majority Of sef-supporting
women have TO deal with" said young profess
slonal woman Tribune reporter the other day
lis that OF getting suitable quarters None but
those who have tried II can have any idea how diff
fcult this U.s. the woman bachelor being such
recent institution that society has not yet 1ad time
to adjust itself 10 her needs II will do so eventu-
ally. no doubt. but meantime she must choose as
well as she can between evils.
Different women Will have different ideas as to
what the evil Is according TO their tastes and
occupation and the good III fortune that has
attended them IN their search for food and shelter
But those who have tried housekeeping notwltn-
standing the supposed lack Of domestcity In the
self-supporting woman. seldom care TO go back to
boarding houses and restaurants. or even 10 the
artistic studio
"One can get comfort az less expense oy
keeping house in fiat than in any other way.
and Il is not nearly much work as one would
imagine. have been keeping house Tor sew
eral years now, with friend who II IKE
minded and nothing would induce either OF us TO
try living in any other way We 90 all our own
work, too. except what the charwoman. who comes
week relieve us OF. and we live on the
fat OF the land: scarcely ever have dinner Win
less than four courses. and even give dinners oc-
casionally / am not prepared 10 say no" inc pin"
would work II kept servant as we have
never tried It. We find the charwonan as much as
stand In that line.
The first thing. OF course, and also mus, say
the difficult thing is TO secure the nat
We spent days and weeks IN house hunting ana
at last found something near PERFECTION as me
New-York fat ever Is II has steam heat. hot
supply and gas range, and no professional
woman or any other woman for that matter ever
ought to Try keep house without these conven-
fences.
SIMPLE FURNITURE BEST.
In furnishing fat tried to have Just as
few things possible not only because We oon
want to have a lot Of furniture on our hanos II
should find It necessary TO give up mousse
keeping. but also because the fewer things you
have the fewer you have 70 take care OF. W.
have scarcely any chairs, because couches answer
the purpose Just we'll and can be converted INTO
beds IN emergencies. We have no carpets or
portleres and only little sash curtains on the WIN
dows. And have nothing Of decorative oroer
but few pictures and casts. 1t IS twice as easy
to take care OF house when It is not hlled up
with draperies and bric-a-brac- In spite Of It's
baroness compared with the ordinary donlciie
we think our fat is the prettiest place In Man.
haitian And a great many people VINO wouldh I
think OF furnishing on similar lines have held very
much the same opinion.
"As for me housekeeping. We let II 90 iseir as
much as possible. That may sound Ike para
doxica statement, but you would oe surprised 10
find how many things will do themselves II you
will let them.
We have never been able make the cooking
do itself, 10 great regret but don't mink
any one has come nearer 10 mat happy con-
summation than We have We never do any oak-
ing and a lot Of canned things ana any 'hihs
that can be eaten raw or cold We eat that way
We never have anything but uncooked fruit TOT
dessert during the summer season; and never nave
hn
anything We DO 1t in the simplest way possible
When we make coffee simply put I'M Necessary
ingredients together the fire and leave them
till We are ready 10 use the resulting cohcoctloh
and we always use cream instead OF boiled MIX
because II is less trouble and does not make 30
much dishwashing Eggs we have never cooked
in any way but by boiling 1t IS easy and we IKE
them best that way. and there are no dirty pots
and pans 10 be washed after them. We COOK
veReta bles simply by putting them into Doillng
sailed water, leaving them there TIL they appear
to be done and then putting a little SAT- ana pep
11hv anv one wants to cook vegetables any otneI
ny 7y uouIdn't nut sauces on vegetables II had
notjb,ng else in the world 10 do. Cabbage cooked
acoording 10 our method and cut up rather me Is
delicious and would scarcely be recognizeo as 'ha'
I'VE cook things in large quantities when we can
and get as much AZ possible done on SUNDAY. TINS
is nv work and as my colleague Is al home more
than I am she attends TO the things tnat can can
be done en- masse. generally COOK meat SnoaSd 81
on Sunday. and prepare enough soup dessert ana mo
stewed fruit TO last away past the middle OF me
please don't CINE that Il is Ike other peop.e
stews. made out Of bone and gris.e ana seTVeG ~
and allow only three cupfuls Of water TO about TWO
method for cooking meat and we COOK chi t N
this way 9o using az t a @ Ths makes
'Te's Simplest way Of doing thing always seems
understand why people should take much trouble
to spoil good materials
ONE WAY TO DO MARKETING.
zone thing tina, saves lot OF cooking and
other trouble is our always buying the best things
in the market You don't tire Of things quickly
IL they are good and consequently you don't have
10 bother so much about variety. We never tire OF
boiled eggs, because always have perfectly
fresh ones and the way to get perfectly fresh
eggs by the way is to go to reliable dairy and
that there three distinct classes Of eggs in the
New-York market-'p.ain eggs, without aualihca-
eggs are impossible; fresh eggs may 90 for cook
ing but for boiling II Is necessary to have them
fast. because always have cream 10 eat them
with. and for the same reason our two or three
simple desserts are always acceptable. Cream
saves any amount Of cooking
i don't know exactly now much establish
uent costs for We have always been TOO busy 70
keep accounts; but we began 10 feel some curiosity
means Of passoooks. receipts and things we arrived
That perhaps. is not very economical living. and
women might object to doing their own house
but tried TO BE- economical. We never
about looking for cheap things and We have
everything Want-Creen salads nearly all the
year round grapes Christmas, oysters on the
half-sheu any quantity OF fruit and nice sixroom
dat-for all OF which think We pay very little
People tel. us that are extravagant. and sup
pose we might do without OF these things. but
IL self-supportng woman is going TO keep house
she mustn't try to be too economical II takes TOO
much time and strength. The woman whose prin-
cipal business is housekeeping can save money In
a great many ways that would be utter foolishness
on the part OF woman whose time and strength
money. -,
IN getting the place started don't think The
There was the gas deposit a months rent the ak
pressman the moving OF my partners piano and
perhaps a few small Items besides. We spent noth-
ing al all for furniture AZ that time. but began
with a couple OF touches and a few dishes that we
had before and think that that was the best
-, tn hestn- II had had money 20 do al our