Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-18
I IOUSE=
HOLD
/ lINTS

To create a home you must have the
| spirit of home. Just as the smallest VII
| lage may have its history, its moral stamp,
SO the smallest home may have its soul.
Obi the spirit of places, the atmosphere
which surrounds US in human dwellings!
What a world of mystery!
Here, even on the threshold, the cold
begins to penetrate; you are Ill at ease,
something intangible REFUSES you
There, no sooner does the door shut you
in, than friendliness and good humor en-
velop you. 1t is said that walls have ears.
They have also voices mute eloquence.
Everything that dwelling contains. is
bathed in an ether of personality. And 1
find proof of its quality even in the apart
ments of bachelors and solitary women.
What an abyss between one room and
another roomi
Here all is dead Indifferent, common
place; the device of the owner is written
all over it, even in his fashion of arrang-
ing his photographs and books. All is the
same to mel There, one breathes In ami
nation, contagious joy in life. The Wis
itor hears repeated in countless fashion,
whoever you are, guest of an hour, l
wish you well, peace be with you!'-Charles
Wagner.
In several English and American papers
lately an attempt Nus DeeU lNdue 10 jlHU
a concise accurate definition of the word
home" In the great array of answers
brought out, nearly all emphasize the idea
of It's being the place where father, mother
and a whole nest full of happy children
gather in mutual confidence and love. But
there are still homes happy homes with
out number, from whence the children have
flown or to which perchance they never
came. Homes from which the dear father
and mother have long since been taken,
and homes in which the solitary have been
set by Providence.
While on this account the idea OF home
varies in detail according to individual cir
cumstances, might not a broad general
Characterization be the place where each
heart cries out to be when misfortune
overtakes or great happiness comes? The
place where our loved ones still abide or
the place where our most cherished belong
ings are gathered; in brief, our earthly
fortress, refuge, shrine, treasure house
hearts ease. What woman could wish for
wider sphere of influence and usefulness
than to be the center of home, for though
many make the household, tbs the woman
makes the home.''
One of the findings of the inter-munici-
pal committee engaged in household re-
search, is that the chief objection girls
have to taking UP domestic service as
against factory or shop life is the use of
the term servant" 1t matters not that
it's original meaning is simply one who
serves; its twentieth century significance
is something so ignoble and servile that
the most ignorant foreigner or humble
American feels it to be mira dig. The new
ruling that is being rapidly accepted in the
best intelligence offices is household EN-
ployer' and "employe," in the place of
mistress" and servants. and there is no
reason why it should not hold
Other factors in the feeling against do
nestle service are the long hours, fire.
Illness; the being in a family yet not one
of it.
In such With the kitchen in the
basement or at the rear, its outlook con-
fined to ash barrels or drying linen, callers
taboed especially young mem, and only
one afternoon out aside from Sunday, life
for the household employee holds not great
Joyance, even with wages far higher than
the quality of the work merits. The sooner
household service is put upon business
basis, the better for all concerned. Yet
even then with fixed hours, stated duties
and wages apportioned to capability, there
will always be the opportunity for the
house mother born to higher ideals and
nobler and larger opportunities to remem-
Der ''Noblesse oblige."
Every good housekeeper takes pardonable
pride in her neatly arranged kitchen, store
room and pantries. For such labeled jars
or glass cans and wide-mouthed bottles
whose contents are easily noted have al
most entirely supplanted the old-tim paper
bags and boxes whose contents have such
an unfortunate habit of sitting out at in
opportune times or else defying indentifi-
cation until much valuable time has been
wasted. Now comes a new contrivance
made in three different sizes of heavy
glass with cone-shaped tops and sliding
valves so that food such as coffee, SALT
Indian meal, tapioca, ETC., can be drawn
off the same as water from faucet when
the jar is inverted. Wall or shelf brackets
come with the jars so that the holders
may be attached to the woodwork in the
kitchen or fastened under the shelves in
the pantry. They are put up inverted, SO
that all the housekeeper has to do is to
hold the sugar bowl or measuring cup
under, turn the knob and the food runs
out.
A clever woman has discovered a new use
for the decorative Japanese lanterns, and
her friends are following her example. She
uses them for lamp shades, simply hang
ing them over wire extender that keeps
them from touching the chimney.
Orange straws are among the dainty It'd
bits that are frequently served with after
noon tea. To make them the easiest, quick
est way, remove the white membrane from
| orange peel, cut into thin, even strips, and
soak in cold water for two hours. At the
end of that time wipe dry. Boil two cups
of sugar with one of water until the syrup
threads. dip the straws into this, then lay
on oiled paper until the next day.
Afternoon tea, by the way, or simple
coffeeklatsch is served daily in almost every
home. Not alone are these refreshments
offered at all the afternoon clubs and meet
ings of whatever sort, but seldom is it that
one makes afternoon call without re-
freshments being offered. Young girls take
their girl friends up into their own rooms,
where they have their own tea service,
which frequently includes a chatting dish
with its equipment Here, too, they have
ON exhibition their various table souvenirs
some of them gifts at various functions,
each with its little bit of history attached,
but many (more's the PITY distracted bod
lily without so much as by your leave.