Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1905-06-28
THE HOME In SUMMER.
BY MARY ASsABLE FASroS.

The voice of the summer resort - hearo
in the land. 1t murmars seductively from
the advertising pages of the magazines,
and swells to fuller tones in the alluring
booklets and prospectuses that come
to us unbiddcn through the mails. IL
is siren voice against which IL is hard to
close our ears. Behind the most business
like statements Turk sounds of winds and
waters and bird-music, hints Of GOODNESS,
comfort and content II appeals not only
to memories and old associations, but to
the love OF exploration and discovery in
the heart OF even the most commonplace
of us.
But there are times when the voice
charms in vain--times when another voice
cofnpels our attention, voice not duieet
with the honey of allHrement, but quietly
insistsnt and painfully convincing. at
such a time, who can gainsay the voice Of
domestic economy.
After all, the true source Of our pleasure
is the holiday spirit that we take to
summer resort, quite as much as anything
that we find there. And that spirit We
can cultivate and keep by US even through
long, hot summer at home. The essential
thing, Of course, is to be in The open air
and sunlight as much as possible. As
race, we are learning again the benefit
held in trust for us by the out-of-door.
We are learning also, that when We are not
free to seek il in the mountains, or on the
river, or at the seaside, it is still possible
to achieve something Of that benefit, even
in The heart of the city.
One woman, for instance, detected Won
derful possibilities in q few yards of I'M
inviting tin roof outside her windows.
She paid carpenter to cover the roof with
few wooden platforms, built in sections,
so as to be easily removable. With a
number of large shoe boxes, which she
purchased for twenty-five cents each, she
supplied the security and cosiness given
by a railing. The boxes are filed with
earth and planted with sunfiowers and
morning glories. Boxes and flooring were
painted dark green. Five or six light
and comfortable chairs were added. The
sunhowers planted closely, grew over six
feet high, and with their screen of morn
-glories gave both shade and privacy.
As an inner border to boxes, she planted
pansies, heliotrope, mignonette, geran-
iums and begonIss.
Another woman found sleep for herself
and her family during the sizzling, breath
less nights, in hsmmocks swung In the
cool downstairs rooms. To the little ones
the experience savored of the delights OF
yachting or camping out.
Then there are the picnies, forever dear
to the hearts of the ehildren-trips to
some shady nook, where sun and
shadow dapple the tablecloth, and the
contents OF the luncheon basket becomes
meat for the gods.
The woman, who thus, with the help of
the roof-gsrden and hammocks and pie
MICS lives by the gospel Of open air and
sunlight, is conforted, no less tLan her
sister at the seaside. with the problem Of
the summer complexion. Although a good
healthy tan is no longer regarded as
bugbear, but rather as thing TO be de-
sired, no woman regards with equRnimity
the burning discomfort that wind and
sun SO readily induce on a sensitive skin.
This, however, she can easily prevent. II
the water she uses is hard, she win keep
solution of borax on her toilet table, and
will battle her face every night with tea
spoonful OF this borax solution added to
bowl of water. She will then massage
her face with cold cream, which is never
so soothing as when prepared in the fol-
lowing manner:
Take one ounce Of spernaceti; one ounce
OF white wax; five ounces OF oil OF sweet
almond; one and half ounce of rose
water; twenty grains of pure powdered
borax. Dissolve the borax in the rose
water, and set the bottle in pan Of mod
erately warm water. Melt the wax and
spermaceti, add the almond oil and beat
slightly. Remove from the fire and pour
into the rosewater quickly, beating to a
foam with an egg beater. When partly
solid, add two drops OF oil of rose. Cease
beating before the mass is firm and pour
into little porcelain jars.