The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-03-18

Any mGC8l uJGuSn 4AMC - SAAUR
ping or meat grinder, q frying pan,
and many others, rust badly when
left in water or allowed to stay
damp. And again, how many Of
us let the small knives or chopper
blades lie I'M the dishpan TO- be
come rusty and less sharp? How
often do we lay away an iron or
tin utensil without thoroughly dry
ing it? wonder! Yet it is but
the work Of moment 20 invert
same, and place near any warmth
back Of stove, over radiator, etc.
Every metal article, whether iron,
tin, aluminium or steel, should be
well dried before laying away to
prevent any rust whateve".
China and gIass-well ] hardly
dare TO touch this dangerous topic !
Just what is the percentage OF
breakage In the home kitchen, no
statistician has been bold enough
70 state! I should put Il at about
1000 per cent II were Asked
But why? Isn't it possible 70
handle this delicate material gent
", deity, without breaking? Is IL
necessary 10 lay heavy pots and al
the coarse kitchen cutlery on top
of pile Of china cups and dishes
as they await drying? Must one
dump tinWaHe and the can opener
and the pancake turner into the
same dishpan as holds the table
plates? Nev-aire! as our French
friends say it. It's all matter Of
technique!
Furniture, too has . way Of los
ing a leg or q rocker, or back spoke
in . mysterious manner. And IN
our ''happy-go-pay installment
play way" we throw out the old,
and bring in the new. But D
glue-pOt and a RON Of adhesive
tape, and fine tacks and other
mending materials are not costly
not One-tenth as costly as to buy
q new chair or boOlrack or plant
stand. / say it with pride, that
in spite Of being a housekeeper
for sixteen years and IN the face
Of the onsIaughts Of four active
children, my diningroom set to-
day is the same that it was when
I first furnished the house-and
most persons think it just pur-
chased.
About three years ago the
: weight Of many SittingS-down had
caved in the seats, SO much so
that straw and loose straps and a
general appearance Of needing to
be donated TO the laundress re-
suited.
No. My pocket book as usual
very fiat, / deeided that any new
''suite" was out Of the question.
On sleuth hunt in housefurnish-
ings basement, / discovered mar
velous near-leather seats at about
So each. Presto! Armed with six
new seats at SIS (the arTn-size cost
more), tacks at 1Oc, glue at Csc
and can of wax 5Oc-a grand
total of $685. "did over"
that set of six chairs. ! think it
took me about four continuous full
hours work. But when finished
tacking on the new seats, tighten
ing the straps under them, and
giving the woodwork the waxiest
time of its life, / was proud of
the job. And the difference be-
tween what / did spend and what
| might have spent went into the
bank for Little Willie's college
fund if he ever grows up!
This simple tale of mending is
not related with personal pride
as l know that many, many women
do as / debut merely point a
moral. But these few are the wise
housewives, and their names shall
be writ in gold in the Great Thrift
Book of All Times, and they be
commended "well done, thou good
and faithful housewife" and for
every woman who does mend, and
repair end take care aren't there
hundred of us who wear instead
of care?
Poor old great-grandmother rises
in my esteem on that one count
alone-care, repair, mending-all
habits following the gold arrow of
THRIFT! That's why she at
eighteen could marry on $50 a
week and make 1t got was be-
cause she was conserver IL there
ever was one in the history of
home making. I'll bet that ii Won
handed her q cast-of suit of pas.
that she could make Little Willie
a complete trousseau! Or that she
could take few scraps Of cloth
which we stuff on the dumb-waiter
shelf and make q warm quilt; or
she polished up the furniture so
carefully" that she helped pa buy
the next 100 acres to pass down
to his children, instead Of owing
bills and shopping away to avoid
the installment collector.
No wonder the young men Of
those days wanted to get married
"a wife in those days was an
asset--now she's a liability
liable to waste and spend and keep
| a fellows nose to the block grind