The San Francisco call., 1904-07-24

THERE is new wrinkle in mark
ing linen that serves the busy
housewife decidedly well and
4 that fairly delights the heart Of
the girl who is intent on stocking her
dover chest Instead of blocking in
the letters and then working them over
ard over until she fairly sees double
and has won reputation for being
a cross patch, she serenely puts on her
daintiest frock and her most becoming
hat and marches herself straightway
downtown on a shopping bee. Once
there she invests in a liberal supply
Of finished initials that are all ready
TO be appliqued on, and 10 and behold,
her troubles are more than half over.
The woman who has not served her
apprenticeship at embrOidering, espe-
ciaIly initials. even though they be over
papier mache foundations. may smile
10 herself and think that there is much
ADO about nothing, but give her even
so small a task as a dozen napkins
and she speedily changes her mind.
For some reason or other this sort of
work is especially tiresome and the
very monotony Of working dozens and
dozens Of pieces has a tendency to
make one hate the chest and all the
dainty things that have been SO care
fully laid away in it.
OF course. these letters all ready TO
sew on are not appropriate for all man
ner OF things. but nevertheless they
are a decided comfort and a great con-
Venience as well. Towels, especially in
outfits, come not less than five dozens.
and five times twelve makes just about
sixty initials that may be put on in
two or three days, whereas il would
take a few weeks to embroider them
and @ great deal Of time and strength
in the bargain. Sheets and pillow
slips, tea cloths and. in fact, all house
hold supplies. excepting, of course.
table linen. may be neatly and service
ably marked in this fashion and will
do quite as well as the handwork to
al intents and purposes.
These little inexpensive treasures
are one Of the best things that a bride
to-be can possibly invest in, for when
she has a thousand and one things TO
do at one and the same time, she
doesn't know which way TO turn first
And brides, by the way, generally
make the mistake Of storing their
chest with absolutely everything that
they can possibly think Of. They pack
away sets and sets of everything in
lavender and occasionally permit some
favored friend to come and see'
while the lady plumes herself and
thinks she has done something re-
markably fine. And then what hap
pens? Unless she is to be mistress of a
large house, her pretty things stay in
the chests and slowly but surely grow
old with age. Sweet scented, to be
sure, but undeniably yellow.
II she is a practical little woman out
they all come and a good Tubing
makes them look quite Ike new, but
after all what's the use OF having more
than can be used comfortable
Besides this there is another side to
the question. After her ladyship has
had time TO stop and breathe she sud-
denly wakes up to the fact that she is
so tired she can scarcely see straight.
so tired she hardly knows what the
matter is with herself. She is cross.
She is peevish- She is scandalously
thin. But the outfit is finished and
That may be very fit and fine, but in
these days Of practicability it is scarce
" a paying proposition to reduce ones
self 10 a shadow. And for such a poor
cause, too. Undoubtedly, all linen
should be marked, but there are ways
and ways OF doing it and life is too
short for one TO become a slave to
household duties.
A good style for ordinary towels is
the rlain initial worked on a bit of
linen that in turn is finished heavily
on the ends. They look a little as
though they had been buttonholed and
as though each little place for the
thread had been finished for that one
thread alone. And, Of a truth, that is
about the facts of the case Sewing
these on is the simplest matter in the
world, for when each little hole is duly
attended to the trick is finished.
For a better grade towel there are
fancier initials and quite a bit larger
as well. The linen is finished with a
number Of fancy frills and furbelows
that look very pretty but that require
somewhat Of a knack 10 applique on
well The little edges that resemble
French embroidery are not supposed
10 be tackled securely in place, and in
all probability would look more flower
Ike and more attractive if they were
permitted to stand UP jauntily, but the
pretty effect is entirely ruined If they