The National tribune., 1906-11-08

SDA1, NOVEMBER 8, 1906.
served at regular hours the work OF
the household cannot be properly OF
seasonably performed; and if this i:
true of the house in which there are
several servants ii is even more so OF
that in which there is but one-or, per-
haps, none at ALL In the larger estab-
lishment there must of necessity be two
sets of meal hours-one for the dining
room and one for the kitchen-since II
is plainly impracticable to have the
i servants meals in progress at the same
hour as those of the family. But where
one servant only is kept. and the fam
| lily, by consequence, demand but little
attendance at table. it is generally a
! distinct saving of time to serve both
meals simultaneously. as. by following
this plan, both tables may be cleared al
once and all dishes washed together
/ The meals may then be regulated some
what after this rule: Week days. break
fast at half-past Z. luncheon at half
| past IL, dinner at half-past 6. Sun
days, breakfast at half-past s, dinner at
half-past 1. tea or supper at 6. Thus,
| 1t VIII be seen, ample allowance is
| made daily for the business hours OF
the head of the family. the school hours
of the children. and the marketing,
| shopping, visiting, etc, of the house
margin of leisure for the maid of all
| work. The Sunday schedule on the
| other hand, affords plenty of oppor-
tunity for attending church and Sunday
| school. and for the maids inevitable
afternoon out" One afternoon in each
| week. with Sunday afternoon and even
| ing in addition, may appear to the
thrifty housewife good daal Of time
to ailow her mpid for recreation: but
| If she could exchange places with the
girl for hut one week she would scarce
ly find it too much-more probably, rot
enough.
One of the most vexatious and soul
| trying problems that confront the in
experienced housewife-and many an
experienced one, too, for that matter
is that of how to live comfortably and
well on a moderate income and yet lay
| something aside for the proverbial
rainy day" The ordinary exigencies
| of life are so much more complicated,
and living expenses so much higher.
nowadays, than they were in the days
of our mothers and grandmothers first
essays in housekeeping that it is by no
means easy to fashion ones course of
action upon the simple rule quoted in
the beginning of this article. do not
let your expenditures exceed your in
come" Incomes are small and ex-
penses large, and between the two ex-
tremes the couch of the harassed young
hOusekeeper is not aIwayS "a bed of
roses" Twenty-Five years ago the young
couple who had an income of $500 or
a $1,000 a year to marry upon We're
| looked upon as comparatively wealthy:
nowadays twice that amount is hardly
sufficient to maintain city home OF
even moderate pretensions. To rent a
whole house is quite out of the ques-
ton for the average young couple, while
even fat. in p good ncighborhOOd is
not to be had for much less than $50
month. Six hundred dollars 4 year for
rent alone, without so much as think
ing of food, fuel and light, clothing,
"hired help" car Hares, doctors bills,
etc, etc, etc,
That under such circumstances some
sacrifices must necessarily be made goes
without saying. One cannot, with a
small income live in an ultra-fashion-
able neighborhood or give expensive en-
tertainments, or wear Paris gowns, or
occupy box at the theater; nine times
out of 10, indeed. one cannot even af-
ford the meager luxury of maid of
all work. In the latter case much dis
agreeable labor may be saved by the
hiring of woman one day in the
week. or two half-days, to do the wash
ing and the rough cleaning, thus leav-
ing the ironing and the less laboriousl
general work for the house mistress's
own accomplishment.
Economy in purchasing Is an impor-
tant qualification for the housekeeperI
to possess. but economy untempered byl
discretion is in itself a highly danger
Gus quality. Too many housekeepersl
are economical to the point of parsi-I
mony, health and comfort alike being
made subservient to their pet fetch.
TicC DnrIn nd frrrIN. Il
does not mean doing without thingsI
that are necessary to health and hap-I
pineSS. 1t means that every |
thing is put to its proper use-that
there is no waste" Good, wholesome
food is a necessity; and in food the
best is always the cheapest. whatever
its actual cost. Cheapness of price IS |
almost invariably synonymous with
cheapness of quality: in meats it al
ways is. Buy no more than you need, !
but buy the best you can get" is bit !
of advice that many domestic econo-
mists would do well to accept with
personal applcation-especially when
they visit the butchers and fruiterers'
stores. Groceries, however can bel
bought to better advantage by the
quantity. and, being for the most part
easily kept fresh should be SO pur-
chased. Butter and eggs. with most of
the condiments, are, of course, to be
eAttpleu lTOIi tfflS StHtTdl I'd
and coffee-of which the latter should
be bought in the bean and freshly
ground only as it is required for imme-
diate use-must be kept in air-tightl
receptacles or their flavor will be seri-
ously impaired, If not altogether lost.
In a well-ordered kitchen waste
should be unknown, for what cannot be
used in one way can always be used in
another None but the most whole
some food should be purchased. and
of that the wisest possible use should
be made. "Left-overs' of meat and
potatoes, instead of being served up as
hash or stew, la clearinghouse, may
be made into rissoles and croquets and
patties. than which no daintier lunch
con dishes could grace the table of a
King; while remnants of fish, when
boned and minced may ad-
van antageously be used either as salads
or as filling for stuffed eggs. Meat
bones and shreds of fresh vegetables
can always be utilized in the making
Of soups, though 1t is highly important
that nothing in the slightest degree
tainted or sour should find its way into
the family stock-pot. Stale bread can
be transformed into puddings and stale
cake into the most delicious of trifles.
In the matter of marketing it is al
ways the early bird that catches the
and the thrifty housewife who
aims at obtaining the most for her
money will make q point of going to
N, rlxet early in tho morning before theI