Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-11-09
AN ART KITCHEN.
BY MARY ANNAnLE PAXTON.

lhe fnbJority OF American women keep
their own homes. Many do all their own
work, and those who do not have an in
teiiigent interest in the management Of
their homes, they oversee the work OF a
servant, and are in and out OF the kitchen
many times Day.
This being the case, 1t naturally follows
that the average American kitchen is
growing to be cheerful and pleasant, not
a dingy, ugly spot, the scrap basket of the
house.
The pfim New England housekeeper
may have smile for the thought of
blue-and-white kitchen, for it does sound
a little elaborate to get up a color scheme
for this busy work room; but she would
really be the first to appreciate the ex-
quisite neatness and aesthetic pleasant.
ness OF delcately clean pretty Delft
kitchen.
1t would be absurd, OF course, IL one
has nice kitchen with stout iron and
fresh tin ware, to suggest doing IL all over
In a blue-and-white effect, just for arts
sake. But II you're doing new kitchen,
strive for this new, charming aud by.
gienic eff ct.
And IL your kitchen Is old and shabby,
then do it over little by little, as you
freehen 1t each season until, In q year or
Two, you will find with only the necessary
outlay that the room you dreaded to work
10 and that your family avoided II posi-
Bile has grown an inviting spot, cheerful
and wholesome.
OF course your Delft effects are not real,
and you don't get imported windml
china and p acques, and blue and whit,
tiled stoves ana cupboafds, but you
get floor and table oilcloths in blue aud
ugly colors C >st. And you cover your
walls with blue-and white imitation ii g
paper, which is very cheap, and you put
white dotted swiss Curtains at ths win
dow, very plain ones without a ruffis or
plat, and hung on cheap brass rods so
that without any trouble they can be
washed at least once month.
And tue WOOD work is painted cleai
dull green which fits perfectly with your
colors and is easier to keep clean t an
white, and the ceiling is pure white.
All this costs not one cent more han the
duh uninteresting colors hat IRE put IL
the average Kitchen. In fact, yoar paper
costs less than painting the walls, and II
vanished, will last years and can tie
washed.
Now for the utensils and dishes. There
is no heavy crockery not OF the coarsest
aad cheapest, any cheaper thaa heavy
mt dern willow ware, aud it comes in the
prettlest blue and white. Put IL on your
cupbosfd shelves 40 that 1t will show and
" bich you hang The cups with the sau-
cars in rows Oh shelves above. 1t ish't
any trouble, it saves time to have them SO
convenient.
And With tue crsze for blue-and white
kitchens tue shops are showing stove
dishes OF enamelled ware in the prettiest
blues, lined with white, no more costly
than ugly Old iroa kettles and pans, and
very, very durab e. Aud infinitely easier
to keep clean.
BUT, as said, IL you had a well-equipp d
kitchen 70 start with, the only way is to
add bits OF blue and white In china, or
pottery, or oAc,oLh as you can, just as
one forms any pretty collection OF IL c.
articles.
Tue modern kitchen has not ouly an ar
tistic standard of appearance, bat is NOR
wholesome and hygienically fresh. The
reason for Its superior daintiness is be-
cause 1t is eaned with borax water; that
is suds OF warm water, pure borax and
CASTLE soap.
From new blue and white oilcloth to
old and worn iron ware this solution is
the wisest and cheapest and simplest
method of cleansing. 1t does away VITA
the scrubbiDg brush and thus saves
money by saving wear and tear and time.
With borax suds, halt cake of borax
aud half cake Of soap to II pail OF hot
water, you can house-clean an entire
kitchen, walls and stove untensils and
floor, In couple of hours, and do 1t in a
fresh nice frock and look pretty all the
time.
And one more idea. Be sure to have one
vigorous growing plant, stout geranium
or sturdy fern, in your window. 1t wi be
charming with your color-sc heme, an Ia
spring sight to mistress or maid, no
trouble. no expense aud much peace OF
mind.
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Money doesn'J ALWAYS lead to happiness,