Evening star., 1901-05-11
Written for Tie Eveging Star.

written i''f lae tYtHlHE
The fnet linen and plenty of it-and
country washing" Thus said Beau Brum-
mel. The finest linen. and plenty of it. and
the equivalent of country washing every
house- mother ought To sspire after. Still
though her linen may not be of the finest.
she can take heaps of comfort and pride
in its care ami due arrangement
A word in the beginning. Linen ought
II be for use. not for show. Better the
simplest cloths fresh from the laundry.
ever if something frayed than the richest
danask yellow with long lying Indeed
1t ought to be cardinal rule in every
home that the silver. linen and. fine man
ners are to be used every day. Use bright
ems and whitens all three and does not
wear them anything like 50 much as lying
IN wait for company. Use. which is thus
essential should be also equal. To insure
that, have a drawer apart from the main
linen closet. In it store a two weeks sup
ply Of every linen requisite. When all its
contents have had their turn take them
bach To the main closet and bring others
in their stead
Since a linen closet may be nothing more
than cuddy, or a stately apartment all
over the shelves and tables, il Is worse
than idle to dogmatiZe regarding it's ar
reLgt ments- But in a general way one
III tit runs through great anu small /
IS orderly and systematic placing. In the
linen room Of the worlds finest hotel there
Is a specially marked shelf space for the
linen belonging to each of the seven hum
dred odd rooms. Linen is not conven-
tioual term there. Sheets. pillow cases
cushion slips, all are of real linen,
Irish Or German. grass-bleached, hand
sewed and embroidered with the hotel in
itial with wreath of oak leaves Further
In the table linen section each day of the
week has shelf. Mondays cloths and
napkins go out only upon Mondays. Tues
days IL is the same. Even in times of
great stress the rule keeps intact The
proprietor had rather buy extra things
than to set the system of giving out and
checking the main supply awry.
This linen room keeps books with itself
Every room is charged with the things
issued TO 1t. The chambermaids and
laUndrymen are responsible for it's safe
return. The laundry. which is up in the
airy tip. beautifully lighted and ventilated.
can wash. iron and return five thousand
pieces within an hour. and that without
strain Steam. steel and electricity do the
work beautifully supplemented by human
skill and muscle The big steam mangle
rollers are ten feet long and four feet
across, Six girls stand either side of them
t. spread the damp linen in place and take
II of as il comes up dry and shining.
No housewife, even the richest, can COM
mand all that. 1t has been mentioned
merely by way Of eXemplifying the value
of systems What the hotel does in large
viding her shelves and marking the spaces
appropriately. as "HuCk Towels" Hem
stitched Towels: ''Damask Towels for
Blue Chamber Towels and Sheets for
Back Room. or Nursery Sheets and Tow
els Tie each weeks wear with a sepa-
rate ColOr-i ribbon and beside the marking
put matching ribbons numbered /. . g, 4.
With the blue ribbon empty there can be
Il" question to which color's turn Is
next
With q sufficient towel supply divide the
Il f.4ff
the days Of the week. Thus use can be
regular. To insure that with napkins al
WAYS take out the fresh ones from the
bottom OF the pile. or else put the clean
ones underneath as they come from the
wash Keep shelves and drawers as near
ly as possible free from dust A good
way to do it is to curtain them with white
OIL cloth daintily sCalloped along the bot
tom and deep enough to reach from shelf
to shelf. Tack the upper part to the shelf
edge and along the bottom sew stout hooks
eight or ten inches apart. Opposite every
hook in the shelf above and below put in
a tiny brass screw eye. Hook down the
curtains after the shelves are filled and
hook them up out of the way in taking
down or putting up linen.
10 light a closet Of any kind but more
especially linen closet. the safest thing
Is to light clear glass lantern with wire
guards outside the glass. Swing It by a
light chain pulley some little way in front
of the shelves Thus touch sends it up
or down. throwing the light wherever 1t
may he needed
The fine Invisible dust which oozes into
every space not Theoretically sealed will
get into linen closet In spite of all pre-
cautions Therefore wipe of the shelves
or II once a month with clean cloth dipped
In boiling water and wrung very dry. AS
TO hniSh. the shelves may be merely sand
papercd and vanished but are better
painted white. In damp weather open the
unen closet almost an hour each day. Rose
leat sachets give the linen an exquisitely
aehcate fragrance Gather freshly opened
petals and dry them in the shade. When
thoroughly dry. mix with them half their
own bulk of dry lemon peel and calamus
root; both grated Strew the mixture
thickiy over sheets OF wadding and tack
the wadding between either cheese cloth
or China silk. Fasten the sachets to the
closet walls or lay them along the shelves
Now and again give them an hours sun
ming II freshens them wonderfully and
brings out the odor anew.
EMILY