Evening star., 1908-01-11
I 1OUSE=
TOLD
| lINTS

With Yulctide festivities IT an end.
Yuietide crumhlng greens relegated u
the ash cart and the house tidicd, Christi
mas gifts fitted into their new places
and children back in school. the house
wife's thoughts and energies, IL ttad-
ton is respected. turn to tAe reinforce
ment of her linen closet. Every paper
and magazine teens with ADVERTISE
ments of white sales and linen bar
gains" while the shop windows them
selves run riot with dainty lingerie.
satiny linens for bed and table. piles
OF snowy blankets and attractive towels.
In Buying Towels.
In buying towels IL old bleached vare-
ty is considered the best. They cost little
more than the others for the reason that
the damask huck or crash has been
bleached out of doors instead OF by the
quicker chemicals used in factories. but IL
will outwear everything else. \ few old
fashioned people still cling 10 the fine
damask toweling. but the majority of folk
demand the huck. Fringed towels are
almost as extinct the dodo. All towels
are hemmed or buttonholed with or with
out drawnwork borders. There is a great
demand for hand embruderies. even some
of the plainest huckabacks showing a row
OF irregular embroidery back OF the hem.
Marking Linen.
The old custom OF marking linen with
indeible ink is also out. Even down 10
glass and ordinary tea towels. embroider-
ed initials or monograms are deemed the
proper thing. For the busy woman who
has neither time nor skill in embroidery
colored initials may be purchased by the
yard ready to cut off one by one and APP
plfque on.
The Ideal Linen Closet.
The ideal linen closet is a commodious
room with shelves composed of strips OF
| wood with spaces between to allow for
| free circulation of air. The drawers in
which smaller pieces are kept are also
| provided with ventilation facilities i'm the
| ways or groups of small holes bored be-
tween the handles.
Bed Linen.
In the matter of using linen for sheets
and pillow cases each housewife must
| be an authority unto herself. In the
summer linen is undeniaby cool and re-
| freshing. but there is a chill about IL III
the winter that renders it most objection
| able to the majority of folk. Inyalids and
i little children. according 10 the latest
| medical dictums, should not use linen.
| in that it absorbs too readily the moisture
| and heat of the body. rendering il too de-
/ vitalizing for the extremely delicate. Lin
| en- pillow slips. simply made and marked
/ however. are used for the babies pill
l
| crib or carriage. The latest fancy for
| fastening these-an English importation.
by the way-is to fasten them on with
| ribbons run through embroidered eyelets
| in the ends. and tied in bows TO diagonal
| corners.
The Brides Linen Chest.
| We are barking back to the old days
when the brides linen chest was the
most important factor in her dowry-
| There is this difference, however. that
| while our grandmammas began working
out their own salvation while their hair
was still in pigtails and the coming prince
| simply an ideal figurehead to inspire the
| little worker to more diligent stitching.
| the up-to-date bride waits until the real
man is sighted and the date for the nup-
tials set before she or her friends get
| busy with the plenishing of the chest.
The chest itself may be as ornate with
| carving and polishing as taste dictates.
| and there is money 10 pay for 1t, or IL
may be a simple, substantial affair At a
| recent wedding the bridesmaids dubbed
together and purcha sed a handsome chest
made in quartered oak finely polished.
and fitted with compartment trays. It's
contents included four sheets and pillow
cases of fine linen. hemsttched, and with
the brides initials beautifully embroider-
ed fine tablecloth and a dozen dinner
napkins to match, each piece having the
brides initials Embroidered. besides A
number Of doilies and tray cloths. Sprgs
Of lavender were laid away in the folds
| of the packages which were done up in
white tissue paper tied with white ribbons
| A spray of orange blossoms was fastened
TO the bow OF white ribbon which tied to-
| gether the cards OF the donors.
The Popular Linen Shower.
The linen shower rendered a bride-elect
is no longer any novelty. but its popular
ity seems unabated. The shower is given
by soma friend OF the bride and 10 he
successful must be a complete surprise TO
| the guest of honor In the notes of in
yitation sent out by the hostess the bride
should be invited to come half hour later
| than the time specified for the other
guests. This gives time to arrange the
gifts attractively they come. Some
times they are simply arranged on table
draped in white. and again they are tied
| to large bell. made or wire and covered
with white crepe paper or flowers, real
! or artificial The gifts are not expensive
ones, as they are rot intended to Inter-
fere with the regular wedding gifts. Tn
less some special class Of linen articles
| is mentioned in the invitation. such as
| a handkerchief shower. a. bag shower or
| q bridal chest shower, the linen may coi-
sist of any one OF q number OF things,
such as towels. busters and busting caps,
holders work aprons toilet pieces. nap
! kins centerpieces diShcloths and wash
+! cloths and SO ad lib. On each gift should
| be pinned the name OF the donor and an
/ appropriate quotation.
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