The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-02-19

An authority reminds housekeepers
that where silver furnishes very quick
ly and in a very marked degree, leak
ing sewer or illuminating gas may be
suspected. A careful inspection should
then be, made of fixtures and traps.
A shoe filter comments on the sorry
condition to which ladies' skirts are
brought through the present fashion
of trailing their length over the dirty
pavements Ladies themselves do not
know" says he, how much dirt they
carry around from this style of skirt.
If / take off and replace pair of laced
boots, have to wash my! hands imme-
diately to remove the dust that is whip
ped in by the skirts and held by the
tongue and lacings of the boot, even
though the wearer may have walked
but a short distance. The skirts are
not only long at the back, but at the
sides, and they act as brushes to sweep
the street dirt directly in about the
ankles and ON petticoat hens. Il Is
constant wonder to me that women OF
evident daintiness and neatness will
persist in this very untidy fashion"
The filter echoes the surprise of nine
tenths of the women who wear the
skirts, but who would allow any other
stupidity if fashion demanded it.
Dishes for hot cakes and English
mullins come in various styles of deco
rated pottery. They are like deep soup
plates, and have covers, perforated to
allow the escape of sufficient steam to
prevent sogginess in the cakes when
they are thus covered
A somewhat animated controversy
has been going on lately in Brooklyn
between mistresses and maids. The
servants of one short residence street
of the city set the ball rolling by writ
ing a letter to a Brooklyn newspaper
stating that a Servant Girls Union"
would be started in March, and defining
some of the things which they propose
to accomplish through this union. One
letter said: work to begin at $3.50 in
the morning and end at s in the even
ing. Any longer hours than that to he
charged for. Every girl to have a spe-
cial time set apart on Sunday for GER
vice. Every other Sunday off or ore
day a week Wages from 500 to $50
q month The letter contained a ref
erence to "stingy housekeepers and la
dies who go into the kitchen and stick
their noses into the pots and pans to
see what is going on 1t also cited
cases where girls have to work seven
teen hours a day, adding: IF that is
not slavery, what is slavery"
This letter has brought out a number
of other letters: some from servants,
and more from housekeepers. Some of
the former indorse the movement for
organized action. Others treat it with
contempt. One servant writes to show
that it emanates from a set of poor
workers, and she presents a rather elab-
crate disquisition on the characteristics
of servants from different localities, to
prove that the girls from the north
of Ireland, Sweden, Scotland and Eng
land are better than those who come
from the south and west of Ireland.
Some of the letters from the mistresses
betray a bitterness that indicates long
suffering.
The controversy shows that the an
tagonism existing between these two
classes. mutually dependent upon each
other, is still pronounced. The efforts
that have been made in Brooklyn to-
ward educating mistresses at least to a
more rational view of the domestic SER
vice question have evidently not been
attended with entire success.
Glass candlesticks have been in COM
mon use of late. They are prettier than
china ones for the dressing table, and
are almost as effective as silver on the
dinner board.
"a point upon which I am strenu-
Gus" remarked a man who is the
father of two little lads both under
ten, lis that my boys shall invariably,
when in conversation, repeat the name
of the person whom they may be adj
dressing. Yes, Mrs. JONES' No, Mr..
Smith, Good morning, Miss Helen
this formula goes on Indefinitely with
them. I train them to do this, not so
much because of the courtesy and good
form of the practice, as because of my
keen sense of the commercial value of
the habit to them in later life. A ham
dicap of my business life has been my
inability to recall names, and it is one
that think might have been prevented
if 1 had been carefully trained in my
childhood. A quick and subtle compli-
ment is conveyed in addressing a PER-
son promptly by name. The ability to
do this can undoubtedly be cultivated.
1 shall try very hard to put my sons
in way to secure it,
Linen sales have not developed any
thing especially new in this depart
ment of housekeeping. New designs
are shown in napery every year, but the
old and staple ones are not by any
means put aside. Fine qualities of
huckaback toweling are still considered
the most satisfactory purchase in this
line. The durable quality of hucka-
hack far exceeds that of damask, and
it is possible to get grade Of the for
mer linen which is as fine and smooth
as any of damask finish. Fine hem
stitched huckaback towels a yard long
and with small initials embroidered at
one corner, are still a safe choice Cor
any housekeeper. If it is not decided
to pay the price which these command
and soft towel is preferred it will
have to be selected from the damask
variety. The cheaper grades of hucka-
back are rough and never wear very
smooth. Housekeepers who like the
work, lay in a supply of huckaback
toweling which they buy by the yard
and which, cut in towel lengths, they
finish with hemstitching through Len
ten leisure.
The class in camp cookery for boys
which is announced by the New York