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38. As
Mrs. Glasse said, first catch your hare, so I say, first
fill your linen-press. Good linen, though expensive, is far more
economical than is cheap linen.
39. SHEETS
should be wider and longer than their bed they are
used on, and should be marked in pairs, as, "E. J. Brown, Pair
5," with date of the year. The hems should be sewn, not hemmed,
with linen thread. They should be folded in pairs, and a ring
of wide cotton elastic passed around each pair; on this ring a
card should be sewn, with the mark repeated on it, the size of
the sheet added, or in a small set of linen, the name of the
bedroom, as "E. J.. Brown, Pair 6,1871--spare room." This
enables a new servant, or entire stranger, to select sheets
required in a hurry; for it should be the chief aim of the
mistress so to arrange her house that even in her absence all
should go on with regularity and order, and that in case of
illness everything may be found without her assistance.
40. PILLOW-CASES.
--These should be of fine linen, the cases to
fit easily the pillows, and made with a double hem, in which
button-holes are placed. Finely-frilled pillow-cases look very
nice, but unless expense is of little object, should be kept for
the use of the spare room. Pillow-cases should be arranged in
half-dozens, and an elastic band and card placed round each
parcel, with the mark, number, and room to which they belong
clearly written on the card.
41. TABLE-CLOTHS.
-- These should be folded carefully, and each
table-cloth should have the band and card, with the mark, date,
&c., and, in addition, the size of the table-cloth. For by this
plan the size is known at a glance, and so trouble and loss of
time in unfolding and refolding avoided.
42. TABLE NAPKINS
should not be marked in ink, but the monogram
worked in raised embroidery. These are usually kept in a silk
case, but may be tied by tapes, on which a card describing them
is sewn; as, for instance, "Dinner" or "Breakfast," "Dinner,
best," "Dinner, daily."
43. TOWELS
should be arranged in the same way as the other
parcels of linen; the elastic band and card are convenient for
these; they should be arranged in half-dozens, whether rough,
bath, fine, or of medium quality.
44. BATH SHEETS
are far pleasanter to use than ordinary towels.
They should be of fine huckabuck, and measure three yards each
way; better still if the length is allowed another half-yard.
They should be dried daily, and brought in hot at the hour for
rising. On leaving the bath, one is entirely enveloped in the
warm sheet, and the process of drying is conducted with rapidity
and comfort.
45. SERVANTS' SHEETS,
PILLOW-CASES, TOWELS, &C.,
should all be
arranged in the same manner, and attended to with equal care;
they should be given out when required by the mistress, who
should have all changes of bed-linen made with exact
regularity. The old-fashioned plan was to change the upper-sheet
every fortnight, giving a clean upper-sheet, and taking the
upper-sheet in place of the lower. This plan insures regularity
of wear in the sheets.
46. GLASS CLOTHS
should be of good linen; that sold for white
roller blinds answers admirably, as it is soft, without fluff,
and is not expensive.
47. TEA CLOTHS
are of coarser linen, but very coarse cloths are
not economical, as they are clumsy, and often cause breakages.
48. KITCHEN CLOTHS.
-- Round towels are made of coarse linen, and
what is called "Crash," respectively. A good supply of these is
required in every house.
49. DUSTERS
are sold at prices varying from sixpence to a
shilling each, but are far more effective when made of old
chintz, old linings, &c., being softer, and taking up the dust
far better than the dressed stiff linen. Ugly, old-fashioned
chintz is often sold at threepence and fourpence a yard, and
when washed, makes admirable dusters at this low price.
50. Every
mistress who wishes to preserve her kitchen cloths
from holes and burns will provide a kettle-holder for the
kitchen, and a pot and saucepan-holder; these may be bought at
the door for threepence, or, made out of old pieces, will save
many a good cloth and duster from being burned, made dirty, or
destroyed.
51. The following list of
HOUSEHOLD LINEN is intended for the
guidance of those whose income is moderate. Fewer articles of
each kind may comfortably answer where strict economy is an
object in starting; but the numbers here given have been found
by experience to suit a household of medium income, keeping two
servants:--Best
SHEETS, six pairs; spare room, two pairs; servants, six pairs;
PILLOW-CASES, six best, twelve good, six common;
TOWELS, twelve rough, twelve coarse, twenty-four fine, twelve servants';
BATH SHEETS, four;
TABLE-CLOTHS, six breakfast, six dinner, two best, six servants';
TABLE NAPKINS, twelve dinner, twelve best, six breakfast;
GLASS-CLOTHS, twelve;
TEA-CLOTHS, eighteen;
DUSTERS, twelve;
ROUND TOWELS, six;
KITCHEN-CLOTHS, twenty-four;
CHAMBER-CLOTHS, six;
PUDDING-CLOTHS, six. A list of all the contents of the
linen-press should be neatly entered in a book, with the marks
carefully copied, and a space left for remarks in time to come.
Example: Six pairs sheets; mark, E. J. B., 6, 1871. 1 pair
turned, 1877; 1 pair cut up into glass-cloths, 1880.
52. At
the periodical counting of the linen, the mistress should
carefully examine each article, opening sheets, darning thin
places with flax, not cotton, and should endeavor each
year to add some article to her stock.
53. After
the first six years, a pair of sheets and a
table-cloth should be bought each year, at least, as these are
very expensive articles to purchase in quantity.
54. BLANKETS
are usually kept in the linen-press when out of
use. They should be tied in pairs, and sewn up in an old linen
pillow-case, with a lump of camphor in each parcel, the name
of the room or bed to which they belong should be added to the
card sewn to the case.
55. COLOURED TABLE-CLOTHS,
when out of use, should be kept in the linen-press.
56. We
prefer the good old-fashioned plan of the mistress
herself counting over the clean linen, examining it for
repairs, and replacing it in the linen-press. By these means
she sees exactly what is wanted to be repaired or renewed, and
is able, by taking things in time, to get a good deal of
needlework done at home with perfect ease to herself and maids;
and by looking over the linen herself, she knows exactly what
mending is to be done each week, and neither allows an idle girl
to impose upon her, nor, on the other hand, makes unreasonable
demands on her housemaiden's industry. At certain seasons a
week's rest from all needlework should be given to servants;
this is to enable them to make a dress, or turn or alter their
clothes to advantage, as they can do more in a week's steady
work than in a hundred odds and ends of stolen time.
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