The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-30
NICE LINEN CLOSET.
ItsWellFilled Shelves
Are a Housekeep.
ers Pride.
HOW TO PATCH AND mend.
Now is a Good Time to
Replenish Your
Stock.
HOW TO PATCH and mend.

The present is a good time to replen-
ish the household stock of linen. for al
most all the shops are. holding. sales of
linen and such things, writes Edith
Lawrence in the Washington Star, 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 a strictly fashioned
taste; the Priscillas and the Eyange-
lines of old all had their chests Of
linens, most likely gathered together
to stock their households in antieipa-
ton of the. time when they should be
brides of their John Aldens or Bene-
diets. -
No woman who is at the head of
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, it is more convenient
for both mistress and maid to keep 1t
in its own special closet. ~ t
By linen is meant all draperies, bed
furnishings towels, napkins, table
cloths, doilies, wash covers, etc. Most
of these should be of linen, because
linen fabrics are the most serviceable.
Linen is not necessarily expensive. In
quality 1t ranges from heavy sacking
to the finest cambria and lawns Linen
Us better than cotton for household use
for several reasons. Owing to the
'1ength and fineness of the fax fbres
from which it is woven, it's surface is
smoother and more lustrous than cot
ton Because the flbres are longer,
presenting on the surface fewer short
ends, 1t is less woolly than cotton, and
therefore linen soils less easily. Nor
does it so readily absorb moisture.
Because 1t does not take up perspira-
ton SO : thoroughly as cotton, linen
makes cooler clothing and bed sheet
ing than cotton. For pillow cases and
bolster cases, doilies, tray cloths, etc,
Its purity, gloss and smoothness rec
'ommend it as superior to cotton, for so
long as there is a shred Of it left it
looks well. It's superiority over cotton
in the way of durability is as to /,
any housekeeper who has tested 1t
bearing witness to this fact
The linen cupboard may be any or
binary closet filled up with shelves for
the purpose. Four and one-half feet
by 61s feet high will allow five shelves.
The lower shelves should be IL to IL
inches apart the upper ones to 10
inches.
On the first shelf may be placed pill
low and bolster cases; on the second,
towels; on the third, tablecloths, fancy
cloths and serviettes; on the fourth,
window curtains and toilet covers; on
the fifth, the best sheets; on the sixth
shelf, the bottom of the cupboard, bath
sheets and common Sheets So
The most convenient way to fold the
linen in placing it upon the shelves SO
as to take up least room is to fold the
largest towels across, so that thew NAV
be put on the shelf in rows The sheets
may be rolled in the usual way, two in
"a row in length af1do two in width.
With shelves II 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 those in general use and
the small ones and bath sheets. on the
lower shelf will be enough for most
households White counterpanes, dim
ity bed hangings, window curtains, Gre
tonne curtains for box ottomans and
the like may all find place in the lin
en- cupboard, although it is best that
blankets and wooden bed covers should
De put away by themselves with plenty
of camphor.
If an extra shelf is desired in this
cupboard it can be made by lesseninT
the space between the shelves contain
ing the lighter articles. ut
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 NAV
not be confused. sT9s59
Always before the linen is sent away
70 the wash it should be mended. Soft
linen thread should be used, and the
mole or rent darned up to look as much
IKE the original fabric as possible. Old
hnen may be used to patch with. 1t
also makes excellent bandages for
wounds, or cloths for polishing glass.
Table cloths and serviettes will wear
out at hrst at the creases. When a ia
pleclotn trays and wears out at the
edges before the centre 1t is because II
is not carefully hung out to dry or IL
peing roughly used in the washing. Bad
clothespins and a defective washing
machine destroy great deal of linen.
When spots of an iron mold appear on
the linen it is likely that there is some
thing wrong with the bluing,0 some
Qualities containing iron. N sE
Many persons prefer to keep their
nnen in a chest, If you have such a
thing in the family, or can afford ono
~
old-fashioned carved oak chests They
are not however, so convenient as the
cupboard arrangement, where eyerv-
thing has its place, so that any required
article may be found in the dark.
A heavy wooden box with a hinged
I'D, and covered with bright denim or
ceretonne and fitted with brass handles.
hinges and hasp, makes an excellent
men holder The chests can be filled
with scents and made as odorous as
the Lavender and sandal wood perfumed
chests of century ago. ,9=s s
The linen closet should be fitted with
door or doors that can be closed
locked If need be, so that all dust NAV
pc kept out, 1t goes without, saying
mat the shelves should always be kept
scrupulously clean and the wall fresh
ly papered or painted or even white
washed.
-H