The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-01
ENGLISH HOUSEKEEPING
JOHN BULLS DWELLING AND HOW IT
is FITTED AND FURNISHED.
Shortcomings in Light and Heat. aud
a Lack of other Things which
Americans Deem Essential.

most conditions, seem to be Incompatible.
! The grey, many-gabled ivy-clad country
house. it will be found. lacks the comfort
that the less interesting modern villa pos
/ sesses. and it is apparently impossible 10
supply. afterwards. those necessary inven-
lions which builders ana plumbers should
I adjust at the beginning. London, and, in
| deed. many of the larger provincial towns
J of England, are being modernized at IN
/ alarming rate. and in London, especially,
! whole districts like Chelsea are being torn
down bodily to give way to what are com-
! prehensively termed modern improve
/ ments" These are lofty apartment houses
where rents are excessive and are described
! by the agents either as mansions or this
desirable residence" These new structures
! spring up in night almost, after our own
mushroom fashion, and are fitted out with
hardwood floors, electric bells and baths,
with hot and cold water In the case of a
| fashionable apartment house a 'lift' is
added which moves with true English de-
| Hberateness, and is stiI on its way skyward
when moderately active person has reached
| to top foor, scaling the half dozen flights
! Of stairs on foot Perhaps this may be a
| trihe exaggerated, but it is literal truth to
one who is in something of a hurry to be
set down at his own landing"
IN London both gas and electric light 10
little more than make darkness visible; both
are very bad and are husbanded with ex-
IRENE frugallty. In the older houses where
gas was laid on to use the English term,
after the house had been built, perhaps \
century, tiny lead pipes not much larger
than a quill, run up the corners and around
the door and window frames, connecting with
| the burner The meter is in the basement
! and the supply for the whole house is turned
on from this lower region. In lodgings this
! prudent arrangement makes one entirely de-
| pendent upon the landlady, and the UNI
! fortunate ledger has no choice but to sit IN
| the twilight or freight until she sees fit to
| turn on the gas. Where everything is
extra however little gas may be con-
| sumed, and however useless to one who
wishes to read or write, it varies upon the
weekly bill from one shilling to three. Those
who object to a dull light buy kerosene
lamps, but they are then charged for oil
and cleaning aad nothing is gained financial
! ~, although it is a decided Improvement
! both In comfort and in economizipg eyesight-
| Furnaces and steam have both been intro
duced somewhat cautiously and reluctantly,
| but the heat from either source is rather
uneven and rarely quite sufficient. The Eng
fish protest against the high temperature Of
American houses, in which they gasp and
! perspre and suffer, and they are probably
! justified in some Of their animadversities.
| But their houses, on the other hand, seem to
| an American damp and cold, with a pene-
trating quality of cold that chis one to the
marrow OF the bones Furthermore the
| English absorb caloric in their food and
drink: they are prodiglous meat eaters, and
! in most families the daily of spirits, ale,
! wine and beer in enormous quantities is
| matter of course. The older houses are still
| heated with CRATES. which are 4 continual
! trouble and prolific source of dust and SCOT.
| 1t is the daily duty of the housemaid to
! blackead every CRATE, after which the fires
are laid" and lighted. Very few people,
! even among the well-bred, have fires in their
! bedrooms, this being considered rather an
! effeminate habit, although so tiny are the
! bedroom CRATES that they do little more than
appeal to the imagination. Small as they
| are. it is a common custom to make them
| still smaller by placing in either end a brick,
that considerably diminishes the space left
for the fuel. In all lodging houses Goals
are. also n extra, and viii be found charged
in the weekly bin at the rate of sixpence az
| certs) per scuttle.
BEDROOM TUBING"
The English cling tenaeiously to their old
| fashion of Tubing" in the bedroom. It
has much TO commend it, being botn cleanly
/ ard convenient But this also makes much
work for the servants, who must usually car
rv the water, both hot and cold, UP several
| flights Of stairs, and then carry it down
again An English bathroom, even Il con-
structed on what passes for modern prin-
ciples. may be partly responsible for the
| perennial popularity Of the tin pie-plate or
/ the other species which is shaped like an in
verted silk hat. At any rate, an English
bathroom is usually dark and rarely heated,
except By a vilainous stove or lamp. Oc-
casionaliy as measure Of unusual precau-
ton, the bathroom is built where the kitchen
chimney passes behind one of the walls; this
may or may not raise the temperature to ID
| degrees Fahrenheit, as may be discovered by
pressing the palm against the paster-and
by no other means. In one house where L
lived for two years L darngly dehed the cold.
still patronlzing the frosty bathroom as the
autumn merged into winter. Finally, at the
end Of November 1 announced that 1 would
be obliged to give it up, not wishing to die OF
| influenza or consumption. The landady said
with delightful righteousness:
20 if it is too cold / will have the gas jet
lighted for you at eight; that will make it
quite warm enough
But the prospect was not alluring, and the
tin pan was brought forth from its lurking
place.
Whether they realize it or not. the Eng
| lish are gradually becoming more and morS
Americanized. In the newer houses it is
now quite customary to have the drawing
room on what they call the ground and
! we call the first floor. This, however IS
never in the front but always in the rear of
/ the house They have never yet acquired
our national taste for publicity; they are
not interested in the panorama of the
streets; in seeing people pass. They love
much better the bit of lawn and shrubbery
and the bright flower borders which even
| the poorest householder contrives to have.
The windows, usually French windows,
look out into this quiet little retreat and
| here during the summer when it Is prae-
tieable, tea is served; here the family as
| semble with books and work. shutting out
the world with its glare and noise. An Eng
Iishman can do more with a little plot Of
twenty feet than can an American with
three times that space. Bed chambers IN the
rear of the house are always considered
more desirable than those in front because
of the quiet. The old fashion Of heavy bed
hangings has been practically abolished, al
49, 49,