The record-union., 1899-05-07

A woman who studies economy, but
not at the expense of good appearance,
says that a most satisfactory petticoat
for general wear is made from an old
serge dress skirt 1t should be of the
wiry sort of that material and have the
smooth hard finish rather than the
rough surface. Washed and made up
with bias ruff1es, it is light, durable, and
holds out the dress admirably.
= t.
1.-THE reason explains the hotel cook,
why beef la mode is more delicious
at a hotel or restaurant than when
served at private table, is because the
importance Of the long preliminary
treatment of the meat is apt to be neg
lected by the average cook. The round
should be simmered slowly for at least
forty eight hours, and really three days
is better, immersed in vinegar and wat
er. Tarragon vinegar is the best to
use, one-third vinegar to two-thirds
water being a good proportion. A few
cloves of garlic and some herbs are
thrown in, and it is particularly good
If pint of sour claret is added the
last day. The chief point of the meth
cd, however, is the time allowed to Sc
cure the requisite flavor and tender
ness"
SardineS curried in the English fash
ion are spread first with a paste made
with butter, prepared mustard, curry,
and a few drops of lemon-juice The
oil and skin are washed from the sar-
dimes with a little hot water before this
mixture is coated over them and they
are broiled for a moment over a clear
fire. They should be served on fingers
OF hot buttered toast, little mixed
parsley being sprinkled over 4them as
they are sent to the table. Another
way is to heat them in the chafing-dish
and serve on fried bread with a rich
curry sauce poured over them.
In recent talk before a woman's
club an interesting account of some in
vestigations undertaken by the Boston
Domestic Reform League was given
The league has conducted a system of
investigation by carefully tabulated rec
ords of 200 representative families
These showed that the average work
ing time in domestic service was 49,
hours daily, as against eight hours in
shop and factory. Concerning the ban
which society lays upon the domestic
servant, the records offered only a mo-
notonous result, that of its existence in
every family. Many intelligent and
capable girls are driven from the work
I'm consequence of this, or if obliged to
remain, grow hard and bitter The
abuses of the intelligence offices were
also noted, and the appointment of wo-
men inspectors was advocated These
statements are in direct accord with
the result of the efforts of the Ger
man Housewives Society to effect some
sort of reform in domestic service Only
two women secured premiums for long
service in families. and the ladies of
the society admitted that reform was
slow, and progress handicapped con-
stantly by the distrust and ignorance
of the very class they wished to aid
i The truth Isl summed up one of the
members, the servility of the work is
still so pronounced that only women
who are not competent to do anything
better will undertake it. Until the oc-
cupation is put on a different plane. it
is doubtful if anything but spasmodic
success in the way of lettering it can
be attained
AT the club gathering already referred
to, talk on The Relation of the Do
mestic Problem to the Present Indus
trial Problem" was contributed by Pro-
fessor Cummings of Harvard He
drew a contrast between Household
economics" and business economics.
He suggested, as one remedy, to bring
the factory system into the home and
let labor unions determine the number
of hours domestics shall be on duty and
the kind of work they shall do. The
method of profit-sharing by Offering to
share with your servants all they
would save would stimulate discussion
in the family, would educate both mis-
tress and maid, and would save in the
consumption of coal. In large cities
specializing has grown to be a promi-
nent factor in domestic economy. 1t is
really prossible to get some one to come
In periodically for almost any service
A New York woman who was recently
Frustrated by an illness that was tedi-
Gus, though not critical discovered that
1T was very easy to rid herself partially
of the burden of housekeeping A
young woman came every morning, or
dered the meals, set the machinery of
the house in motion, and overlooked
the work done the day before; she re-
manned each day until after luncheon
Her engagement is like that Of a
trained nurse, by the week only, and
her stay in any place, she says. as a
rule, lasts only for mon h to six weeks.
She is just now running three house
holds, and finds her occupation remun-
erative and independent.
II should be remembered that while
the same fat many be used repeatedly
for frying, it needs special care to be
kept in a suita BILE condition. 1t should
always be carefully strained in order
to be sure that any crumbs or particles
of whatever may have been fried in it
are not retained. Fat, too, that has
been used for fish cannot be used again
for anything else except fish. Where
sweets are immersed in boiling fat, the
latter should not be used to fry meats
oysters, or anything that would be in
jured by a sweet flavor. Now that there
are several grades of so-called olive oil,
this vegetable fat may be used more
freely than when it meant a consider
able item of expense. So long as the
cheaper grade is sweet, too close an in
vestigation into it's elements need not
be insisted upon, where it is used for
frying purposes. Food fried in the
vegetable oil is more wholesome than
that cooked in the animal fat.
One of the best and easiest ways to
suppress moths is to bury sulphur in
their haunts. Closets and apartments
may be treated in this way. one by one.