New-York tribune., 1908-03-22
Reno.0offnS Country Homes.
Even the Her Retinue of Servants Does Not
Escare All F}ouseclesning Cares

, oldfashoaed way. which just happened to be MIS-
Vanderbilt own.
The island hcres on the ST. Lawrence are a
great trial 10 The owners. Cor there verItable
pest exists in The spiders that build little nests
Of mud in every available spot. As the season
there is short by fashions dictates more than by
climatic infiuences there are several merry months
~ which the gray. pink. brown. black ana green
spinners settle themselves down for work. and the
ceilings, il of wood which is usual, VIII snow
thousands of small brown domes from which a
n;nhle legged explorer will suddenly desceno 10
the brinl. of ones coffee cup and then rapidly run
up to his hut. No one but native French cana
dian will be found willing to attack these spiders
with = broom They must be swept off vigorously.
and with head tiec up in an oilshin cap long
sleeve apron reaching from neck TO hem. and
sloved hands, the maids pass from room to room
in hands cf three. sweeping down the nests,
one z7reer:us them mp into piles with broo1ns satu-
rated with ammonia and water, and the third
shoveill.iG them into pail Later all three turn
to and scrub that few spiders survive 10 fTlSnt-
Ell the Miss Muffets that come that way The
furniture too. has be thoroughly looked over
and under. for these wretched spiders seem 10
take particular delight in perching on pillows ana
a fuzzy black beastie, warranted to bite, is not
pleasant disturber of ones dreams.
Several we'll known New Workers have beautiful
summer places islands toward Murray Bay
George Bonner being the seignor Of particularly
attractive one of vast extent, the manorial rights
Of purchase making him suzerain over a fair
sized colony and the of a chateau and haif
ruined monastery. Frederick G. Bourne has Dark
Island with his newly built small castle as home
for a short time yearly, and from the West the
PuIulans came some years ago, their arbor on
point of rocks, being car shell, that even the
water spiders can board and build in
The actual cost Of housecleaning when done with
a lordly hand that includes redecorating comes to
several hundred dollars for one good sized house.
and when a string to be renovated the expense
IS very heavy. Cleaning women of any capablllty
get two dollars more a day. according TO their
efficiency and these needed both before ana al
ter any repapering or painting
COUNTRY HOUSE CURTAINS
New curtains are always in order, and If the
housekeeper is thrifty the old ones so into soak,
and there they are left for almost a week, the
water being changed daily until whiteness is
reached. After proper stretching they are laun-
dered and laid away, TO be put UP when the new
ones need little soap and water. for the country
house is more dependent upon fresh curtainings
than most people realize, 40 matter how simple
the draperies may be: and in fact, the majority
of the wealthy smart set have embroidered muslin.
with quantity ruIled edges, from garret to cellar
The window shades, too, are other things Of short
lives. two years being their limit Of spotessness
These. however. merely mean an order to some
one OF the department stores. whose men take the
measure and put the finished articles up. But the
order SUst be given, which means one more duty
10 perform Rugs are sent to be cleaned and
rlended; polshers come from the cabinetmaker's s
II rub up the furniture and repair all that can
be possibly done in the house, such pieces as need
more attention going to the shop, after which
comes the tussle TO have them returned on time
ANY one who has had even small experience
knows how easy it Is to find each day holding
some disa ppointment where Workmen are con-
cerned. and in settling affairs in three or four
houses in turn the complications seem without end
no matter how well the plans laid. The short
est time in which really large house can be
thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom is one
week This means three cleaning women at Ions
hours. and if any doing over is planned month
must be counted n.