THE NEW
HOUSEKEEPER'S MANUAL:
EMBRACING A NEW REVISED EDITION OF
THE AMERICAN WOMAN'S HOME;
OR, PRINCIPLES OF DOMESTIC SCIENCE.
BEING A GUIDE TO ECONOMICAL, HEALTHFUL,
HOMES.
BEAUTIFUL, AND CHRISTIAN
BY
CATHERINE E. BEECHER AND HARRIET BEECHER STOWE.
TOGETHER WITH
THE H A N D Y
COOK-BOOK:
A COMPLETE CONDENSED GUIDE TO WHOLESOME, ECONOMICAL, AND
DELICIOUS COOKING.
GIVING NEARLY 500 CHOICE AND WELL-TESTED RECEIPTS.
B Y C A T H E R I N E E. BEECHER.
Illustrated
NEW YORK:
J. B. FORD AND COMPANY.
1873.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873,
BY
J.
B. F O R D
&
CO.,
in t h e Office of t h e Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
UNIVERSITY PRESS : WELCH,
CAMBRIDGE.
BIGELOW, &
Co.,
THE WOMEN OF AMERICA,
IN WHOSE HANDS REST THE REAL DESTINIES OF THE REPUBLIC, AS
MOULDED
BY
THE
EARLY
TRAINING
AND
PRESERVED
AMID THE MATURER INFLUENCES OF HOME,
THIS
VOLUME
IS
AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
PART I.
INTRODUCTION.
THE chief cause of woman's disabilities and sufferings, that women are
not trained, as men are, for their peculiar duties—Aim of this volume
to elevate the honor and remuneration of domestic employment—Woman's duties, and her utter lack of training for them—Qualifications of
the writers of this volume to teach the matters proposed—Experience
and study of woman's work—Conviction of the dignity and importance
of it—The great social and moral power in her keeping—The principles and teachings of Jesus Christ the true basis of woman's rights and
duties.—Pages 13-16.
I.
TEE
CHRISTIAN
FAMILY.
Object of the Family State—Duty of the elder and stronger to raise the
younger, weaker, and more ignorant to an equality of advantages—Discipline of the family—The example of Christ one of self-sacrifice as
man's elder brother—His assumption of a low estate—His manual labor
—His trade—Woman the chief minister of the family estate—Man the
out-door laborer and provider—Labor and self-denial in the mutual relations of home-life, honorable, healthful, economical, enjoyable, and
Christian.—Pages 17-22.
n.
A CHRISTIAN
HOUSE.
True wisdom in building a home—Necessity of economizing time, labor,
and expense, by the close packing of conveniences—Plan of a model cottage—Proportions—Piazzas—Entry—Stairs and landings—Large room
—Movable Screen—Convenient bedsteads—A good mattress—A cheap
and convenient ottoman—Kitchen and stove-room—The stove-room and
its arrangements—Second or attic story—Closets, corner dressing-tables,
windows, balconies, water and earth^closets, shoe-bag, piece-bag—Basement, closets, refrigerator, washtubs, etc.—Laundry—General woodwork—Conservatories—Average estimate of cost.—Pages 23-42.
ii
CONTENTS,
iii.
A HEALTHFUL
HOME.
leasehold murder—Poisoning and starvation the inevitable result of bad
air in public halls and private homes—Good-air as needful as good
food—Structure and operations of the lungs and their capillaries and
air-cells—How people in a confined room will deprive the air of oxygen
and overload it with refuse carbonic acid—Starvation of the living
body deprived of oxygen—The skin and its twenty-eight miles of perspiratory tubes—Reciprocal action of plants and animals—Historical
examples of foul-air poisoning—Outward effects of habitual breathing
of bad air—Quotations from scientific authorities.—Pages 43-58.
IV.
SCIENTIFIC
DOMESTIC
VENTILATION,
AJI open fireplace secures due ventilation—Evils of substituting air-tight
stoves and furnace heating—Tendency of warm air to rise and of cool
air to sink—Ventilation of mines—Ignorance of architects—Poor ventilation in most houses—Mode of ventilating laboratories—Creation of a
current of warm air in a flue open at top and bottom of the room—Flue
to be built into chimney : method of utilizing it.—Pages 59-65.
v.
STOVES,
FURNACES,
AND
CHIMNEYS.
The general properties of heat, conduction, convection, radiation, reflection—Cooking done by radiation the simplest but most wasteful mode:
by convection (as in stoves and furnaces) the cheapest—The range—The
model cooking-stove—Interior arrangements and principles—Contrivances for economizing heat, labor, time, fuel, trouble, and expense—Its
durability, simplicity, etc.—Chimneys: why they smoke and how to
cure them—Furnaces : the dryness of their heat—Necessity of moisture
in warm air—How to obtain and regulate it.—Pages 66-83.
VI.
HOME
DECORATION
Significance of beauty in making home attractive and useful in educatiop
—Exemplification of economical and tasteful furniture—The carpet
lounge, lambrequins, curtains, ottomans, easy-chair, centre-table—
Money left for pictures—Chromos—Pretty frames—Engravings—Statu
ettes—Educatory influence of works of art—Natural adornments—Mate
rials in the woods and fields—Parlor-gardens—Hanging baskets—Fern
shields—Ivy, its beauty and tractableness—Window, with flowers, vine?
CONTENTS.
iii
and pretty plants—Rustic stand for flowers—Ward's case—How to make
it economically—Bowls and vases of rustic work for growing plants—
Ferns, how and when to gather them—General remarks.—Pages
84r-103.
VII.
THE CARE
OF
HEALTH.
Importance of some knowledge of the body and its needs—Fearful re
sponsibility of entering upon domestic duties in ignorance—The fundamental vital principle—Cell-life—Wonders of the microscope — Cellmultiplication—Constant interplay of decay and growth necessary to
life—The red and white cells of the blood—Secreting and converting
power—The nervous system—The brain and the nerves—Structural
arrangement and functions—The ganglionic system—The nervous fluid
—Necessity of properly apportioned exercise to nerves of sensation and
of motion—Evils of excessive or insufficient exercise—Equal development of the whole.—Pages 104-112.
VIII.
D0MESTIC
EXERCISE.
Connection of muscles and nerves—Microscopic cellular muscular fibreIts mode of action—Dependence on the nerves of voluntary and involuntary motion—How exercise of muscles quickens circulation of the blood
which maintains all the processes of life—Dependence of equilibrium
upon proper muscular activity—Importance of securing exercise that
will interest the mind.—Pages 113-118.
IX.
HEALTHFUL
FOOD.
apportionment of elements in food : carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, iron, silicon, etc.—Large proportion of water in the human body—
Dr. Holmes on the interchange of death and life—Constituent parts of a
kernel of wheat—Comparison of different kinds of food—General directions for diet—Hunger the proper guide and guard of appetite—Evils
of over-eating—Structure and operations of the stomach—Times and
quantity for eating—Stimulating and nourishing food—Americans eat
too much meat—Wholesome effects of Lenten fasting--Matter and
manner of eating—Causes of debilitation from misuse of food.—Pages
119-137.
iv
CONTENTS.
HEALTHFUL
DRINKS.
Stimulating drinks not necessary—Their immediate evil effects upon
the human body and tendency to grow into habitual desires—The arguments for and against stimulus—Microscopic revelations of the effects of alcohol on the cellular tissue of the brain—Opinions of high
scientific authorities against its use—No need of resorting to stimulants either for refreshment, nourishment, or pleasure—Tea and coffee
an extensive cause of much nervous debility and suffering—Tend to
wasteful use in the kitchen—Are seldom agreeable at first to children
—Are dangerous to sensitive, nervous organizations, and should be at
least regulated—Hot drinks unwholesome, debilitating, and destructive
to teeth, throat, and stomach—Warm drinks agreeable and not unhealthful—Cold drinks not to be too freely used during meals—Drinking while eating always injurious to digestion.—Pages 138-149.
XI.
CLEANLINESS.
Health and comfort depend on cleanliness—Scientific treatment of the
skin, the most complicated organ of the body—Structure and arrangement of the skin, its layers, cells, nerves, capillaries, absorbents, oiltubes, perspiration-tubes, etc.—The mucous membrane—Phlegm—The
secreting organs—The liver, kidney, pancreas, salivary and lachrymal
glands—Sympathetic connection of all the bodily organs—Intimate connection of the skin with all the other organs—Proper mode of treating
the skin—Experiment showing happy effects of good treatment.—
Pages 150-157.
XII.
GLOTHING.
Fashion attacks the very foundation of the body, the bones—Bones com
posed of animal and mineral elements—General construction and arrangement—Health of bones dependent on nourishment and exercise of
body—Spine—Distortions produced by tight dressing—Pressure of interior organs upon each other and upon the bones—Displacement of
stomach, diaphragm, heart, intestines, and pelvic or lower organs—Women liable to peculiar distresses—A well-fitted jacket to replace stiff
corsets, supporting the bust above and the under skirts below—Dress
ing of young children—Safe for a healthy child to wear as little clothing as will make it thoroughly comfortable—Nature the guide—The
very young and the very old need the most clothing.—Pages 158-166
CONTENTS.
V
XIII.
GOOD
COOKING.
Bad cooking prevalent in America—Abundance of excellent materia]
—General management of food here very wasteful and extravagant
—Five great departments of Cookery—Bread—What it should be,
how to spoil and how to make it—Different modes of aeration—Baking
—Evils of hot bread.—Butter—Contrast between the butter of America
and of European countries—How to make good butter.—Meat—Generally used too newly killed—Lack of nicety in butcher's work—Economy
of French butchery, carving, and trimming—Modes of cooking meats—
The frying-pan—True way of using it—The French art of making
delicious soups and stews—Vegetables—Their number and variety in
America—The potato—How to cook it, a simple yet difficult operation
—Roasted, boiled, fried.—Tea—Warm table drinks generally—Coffee
—Tea—Chocolate.—Confectionery—Ornamental cookery—Pastry, ices,
iellies.—Pages 167-190.
XIV.
EARLY
RISING.
A virtue peculiarly American and democratic—In aristocratic countries,
labor considered degrading—The hours of sunlight generally devoted to
labor by the working classes and to sleep by the indolent and wealthy—
Sunlight necessary to health and growth whether of vegetables or animals—Particularly needful for the sick—Substitution of artificial
light and heat, by night, a great waste of money—Eight hours'
sleep enough—Excessive sleep debilitating—Early rising necessary to a
well-regulated family, to the amount of work to be done, to the community, to schools, and to all classes in American society.—Pages 191-196.
xv.
DOMESTIC
MANNERS.
Good manners the expression of benevolence in personal intercourse—
Serious defects in manners of the Americans—Causes of abrupt manners
to be found in American life—Want of clear discrimination between
men —Necessity for distinctions of superiority: and subordination—Importance that young mothers should seriously endeavor to remedy this
defect, while educating their children—Democratic principle of equal
rights to be applied, not to our own interests but to those of others—
The same courtesy to be extended to all classes—Necessary distinctions
arising from mutual relations to be observed—The strong to defer to
the weak—Precedence yielded by men to women in America—Good
manners must be cultivated in early life—Mutual relations of husband
and wife—Parents and children—The rearing of children to courtesy—
De Tocqueville on American manners.—Pages 197-211.
vi
CONTENTS*
XVI.
GOOD TEMPER
IN
THE
HOUSEKEEPER,
Easier for a household under the guidance of an equable temper in the
mistress—Dissatisfied looks and sharp tones destroy the comfort of
system, neatness, and economy—Considerations to aid the housekeeper
—Importance and dignity of her duties—Difficulties to be overcome—
Good policy to calculate beforehand upon the derangement of wellarranged plans—Object of housekeeping, the comfort and well-being
of the family—The end should not be sacrificed to secure the means—
Possible to refrain from angry tones—Mild speech most effective—Ex
emplification—Allowances to be made for servants and children—Power
of religion to impart dignity and importance to the ordinary and petty
details of domestic life.—Pages 212-219.
XVII.
HABITS
OF SYSTEM
AND
ORDER.
Relative importance and difficulty of the duties a woman is called to perform—Her duties not trivial—A habit of system and order necessary—
Right apportionment of time—General principles—Christianity to be the
foundation—Intellectual and social interests to be preferred to gratification of taste or appetite—Neglect of health a sin in the sight of God—
Regular season of rest appointed by the Creator—Divisions of time—
Systematic arrangement of house articles and other conveniences—
Regular employment for each member of a family—Children—Family
work—Forming habits of system—Early rising a very great aid—
Due apportionment of time to the several duties.—Pages 220-232.
XVIII.
GIVING
IN
CHARITY.
No point of duty more difficult to fix by rule than charity—First consideration—Object for which we are placed in this world—Self-denying
Benevolence.—Second consideration—Natural principles not to be exterminated, but regulated and controlled.—Third consideration—Superfluities sometimes proper, and sometimes not.—Fourth consideration
—No rule of duty right for one and not for all—The opposite of this
principle tested—Some use of superfluities necessary—Plan for keeping
an account of necessities and superfluities—Untoward results of our
actions do not always prove that we deserve blame—General principles to guide in deciding upon objects of charity—Who are our neighbors—The most in need to be first relieved—Not much need of charity
for physical wants in this country—Associated charities—Indiscriminate charity—Impropriety of judging the charities of others —Pages
233-246.
vft
CONTENTS.
XIX.
ECONOMY
OF TIME
AND
EXPENSES.
EconoiiiVj value, and right apportionment of time — Laws appointed
by God lor the Jews—Christianity removes the restrictions laid on the
Jews, but demands all our time to be devoted to our own best interests
and tho good of our fellow-men—Enjoyment connected with every
duty—Various modes of economizing time-—System and order—Uniting several objects in one employment—Odd intervals of time—Aiding
others in economizing time—Economy in expenses—Contradictory notions—General principles in which all agree—Knowledge of income
and expenses—Evils of want of system and forethought—Young ladies
should early learn to be systematic and economical.—Pages 247-254.
xx.
HEALTH
OF
MIND.
Intimate connection between the body and mind—Brain excited by improper stimulants taken into the stomach—Mental faculties then affected—Causes of mental disease—Want of oxygenized blood—Fresh air
absolutely necessary—Excessive exercise of the intellect or feelings—
Such attention to religion as prevents the performance of other duties,
wrong—Unusual precocity in children usually the result of a diseased
brain—Idiocy often the result, or the precocious child sinks below the
average of mankind—This evil yet prevalent in colleges and other seminaries—A medical man necessary in every seminary—Some pupils
always needing restraint in regard to study—A third cause of mental
disease, the want of appropriate exercise of the various faculties of the
mind—Extract from Dr. Combe—Beneficial results of active intellectual
employments—Indications of a diseased mind.—Pages 255-262.
XXI.
THE
CARE
OF
INFANTS.
Herbert Spencer on the treatment of offspring—Absurdity of undertaking to rear children without any knowledge of how to do it—Foolish
management of parents generally the cause of evils ascribed to Providence—Errors of management during the first two years—Food of child
and of mother—Warning as to use of too much medicine—Fresh air—
Care of the skin—Dress—Sleep—Bathing—Change of air—Habits—
Dangers of the teething period—Constipation—Diarrhea—TeethingHow to relieve its dangers—Feverishness—Use of water.—Pages 263274.
viii
CONTENTS.
xxii.
THE
MANAGEMENT
OF YOUNG
CHILDREN.
Physical education of children—Animal diet to be avoided for the very
young—Result of treatment at Albany Orphan Asylum—Good ventilation of nurseries and schools—Moral training to consist in forming
habits of submission, self-denial, and benevolence—General suggestions
—Extremes of sternness and laxity to be avoided—Appreciation of
childish desires and feelings—Sympathy—Partaking in games and
employments—Inculcation of principles preferable to multiplication of
commands—Rewards rather than penalties—Severe tones of voiceChildren to be kept happy—Sensitive children—Self-denial—Deceit
and honesty—Immodesty and delicacy—Dreadful penalties consequent
upon youthful impurities—Religious training.—Pages 275-286.
xxiii.
DOMESTIC
AMUSEMENTS
AND
SOCIAL
DUTIES
Children need more amusement than older persons—Its object, to afford rest
and recreation to the mind and body—Example of Christ—No amusements to be introduced that will tempt the weak or over-excite the
young—Puritan customs—Work followed by play—Dramatic exercises,
dancing, and festivity wholesomely enjoyed—The nine o'clock bell—The
drama and the dance—Card-playing—Novel-reading—Taste for solid
reading—Cultivation of fruits and flowers—Music—Collecting of shells,
plants, and minerals—Games—Exercise of mechanical skill for boys—
Sewing, cutting, and fitting—General suggestions—Social and domestic
duties—Family attachments—Hospitality.—Pages 287-302.
xxiv.
CARE
OF THE
AGED.
Preservation of the aged, designed to give opportunity for self-denial ana
loving oare—Patience, sympathy, and labor for them to be regarded as
privileges in a family—The young should respect and minister unto
the aged—Treating them as valued members of the family—Engaging
them in domestic games and sports—Reading aloud—Courteous attention to their opinions—Assistance in retarding decay of faculties by
helping them to exercise—Keeping up interest of the infirm in domestic
affairs—Great care to preserve animal heat—Ingratitude to the aged
its baseness—Chinese regard for old age.—Pages 303-306-
ix
CONTENTS.
xxv.
THE
CARE
OF
SERVANTS.
Origin of the Yankee term "help"—Days of good health and intelligent house-keeping-—Growth of wealth tends to multiply hired service
—American young women should be trained in housekeeping for the
guidance of ignorant and shiftless servants—Difficulty of teaching servants—Reaction of society in favor of women's intellectuality, in
danger of causing a new reaction—American girls should do more
work—Social estimate of domestic service—Dearth of intelligent do
mestic help—Proper mode of treating servants—General rules ana
special suggestions — Hints from experience—Woman's first " right/*
liberty to do what she can—Domestic duties not to be neglected for
operations in other spheres—Servants to be treated with respect—Errors of heartless and of too indulgent employers—Mistresses of American families necessarily missionaries and instructors.—Pages 307-334
xxvi.
CARE
OF
THE
SICK
PrDminence given to care and cure of the sick by our Saviour—Every
woman should know what to do in the case of illness—Simple remedies
best—Fasting and perspiration — Evils of constipation—Modes of relieving it—Remedies for colds—Unwise to tempt the appetite of the sick
—Suggestion for the sick-room—Ventilation—Needful articles—The
room, bed, and person of the patient to be kept neat—Care to preserve animal warmth—The sick, the delicate, the aged—Food always to be carefully prepared and neatly served—Little modes of refreshment—Implicit obedience to the physician—Care in purchasing medicines—Exhibition of cheerfulness, gentleness, and sympathy—Knowledge and experience of mind—Lack of competent nurses — Failings of nurses —
Sensitiveness of the sick—" Sisters of Charity," the reason why they
are such excellent nurses—Illness in the family a providential opportunity of training children to love and usefulness.—Pages 335-347.
XXVII.
ACCIDENTS
AND
ANTIDOTES.
Mode of treating cuts, wounds, severed arteries—Bad bruises to be bathed
in hot water—Sprains treated with hot fomentation and rest—Burns
cured by creosote, wood-soot, or flour—Drowning ; most approved mode
of treatment—Poisons and their antidotes—Soda, saleratus, potash,
sulphuric or oxalic acid, lime or baryta, iodine or iodide of potassium,
prussic acid, antimony, arsenic, lead, nitrate of silver, phosphorus, alcohol, tobacco, opium, strychnia—Bleeding at the lungs, stomach, throat,
nose—Accidents from lightning — Stupefaction, from coal-gas or foul
air—-Fire—Fainting—Coolness and presence of mind.—Pages 348-352'
CONTENTS.
X
XXVIII.
SEWING,
CUTTING,
AND
MENDING.
Different kinds of Stitch—Overstitch—Hems—Tucks—Fells—GoresButtonholes—Whipping—Gathering—Darning-r- Basting — Sewing —
Work-baskets—To make a frock—Patterns—Fitting—Lining—Thin
Silks—Figured and plain silks—Plaids—Stripes—Linen and Cotton—
How to buy—Shirts—Chemises—Night-gowns—Under-skirts—Mending—Silk dresses—Broadcloth—Hose—Shoes, etc.—Bedding—Mattresses—Sheeting—Bed-linen.—Pages 353-359.
XXIX.
FIRES
AND
LIGHTS.
Woodfires—Shallow fireplaces—Utensils—The best wood for fires—How
to measure a load—Splitting a.nd piling—Ashes—Cleaning up—Stoves
and grates—Ventilation—Moisture—Stove-pipe thimbles—Anthracite
coal—Bituminous coal—Care to be used in erecting stoves and pipes—
Lights—Poor economy to use bad light—Gas—Oil—Kerosene—Points
to be considered: Steadiness, Color, Heat—Argand burners—Dangers of
kerosene—Tests of its safety and light-giving qualities—Care of lamps
—Utensils needed—Shades—Night-lamps—How to make candles—
Moulded—Dipped—Rush-lights.—Pages 360-366.
XXX.
THE
GAME OF
ROOMS.
Parlors—Cleansing—Furniture—Pictures—Hearths and jambs—Stains in
marble—Carpets—Chambers and bedrooms—Ventilation—How to make
a bed properly—Servants should have single beds and comfortable
rooms—Kitchens—Light—Air—Cleanliness—How to make a cheap oilcloth—The sink—Washing dishes—Kitchen furniture—Crockery—
Ironware—Tinware—Basketware—Other articles—Closets — CellarsDryness and cleanliness imperative necessities—Store-rooms—Modes ol
destroying insects and vermin.—Pages 367-378.
XXXI.
THE C A R E OF
YARDS
AND
GARDENS.
Preparation of soil for pot-plants—For hot-beds—For planting flower
seeds—For garden seeds—Transplanting—To re-pot house plants—The
laying out of yards and gardens—Transplanting trees—The care of
house plants.—Pages 379-383.
CONTENTS.
xi
XXXII.
THE PROPAGATION
OF
PLANTS.
Propagation of bulbous roots—Propagation of plants by shoots—By layers—Budding and grafting—The outer and inner bark—Detailed description of operations—Seed-fruit—Stone-fruit—Rose bushes—Ingrafting—Stock grafting—Pruning—Perpendicular shoots to be taken
out, horizontal or curved shoots retained—All fruit-buds coming out
after midsummer to be rubbed off—Suckers—Pruning to be done after
sap is in circulation—Thinning—Leaves to be removed when they
shade fruit near maturity—Fruit to be removed when too abundant for
good quality—How to judge.—Pages 384-388.
XXXIII.
THE CULTIVATION
OF FRUIT.
A pleasant, easy, and profitable occupation—Soil for a nursery—Planting of seeds—Transplanting—Pruning—Filberts—Pigs—Currants—
Gooseberries—Raspberries—Strawberries—Grapes—Modes of preserving fruit trees—The yellows—Moths—Caterpillars—Brulure—
Curculio— Canker-worm.—Pages 389-392.
XXXIV.
THE CARE OF DOMESTIC
ANIMALS.
Interesting association of animals with man, from childhood to age—
Domestic animals apt to catch the spirit of their masters—Important
necessities—Good feeding—Shelter—Cleanliness—Destruction of parasitic vermin—Salt and water—Light—Exercise—Rule for breeding
— Care of Horses : feeding, grooming, special treatment—Cows : stabling, feed, calving, milking, tethering— Swine: naturally cleanly,
breeding, fresh water, charcoal, feeding—Sheep: winter treatment—
Diet—Sorting—Use of sheep in clearing land—Pasture—Hedges and
fences—Poultry—Turkeys—Geese—Ducks—Fowls—Dairy work generally—Bees—Care of domestic animals, occupation for women.—
Pages 393-402.
XXXV.
EARTH-CLOSETS.
Deodorization and preservation of excrementitious matter—The earthcloset—Waring's pamphlet—The agricultural argument—Necessity of
returning to the soil the elements taken from it—Earth-closet based on
power of clay and inorganic matter to absorb and retain odors and fertilizing matter—Its construction—Mode of use—The ordinary privy—
The commode or portable house-privy—Especial directions : things to
be observed—Repeated use of earth—Other advantages—Sick-rooms
—House-labor— Cleanliness—Economy.—Pages 403-418.
xii
CONTENTS.
XXXVI.
WARMING
AND
VENTILATION.
Open fireplace nearest to natural mode by which earth is warmed and
ventilated—Origin of diseases—Necessity of pure air to life— Statistics
—General principles of ventilation—Mode of Lewis Leeds—Ventilation
of "buildings planned in this work—The pure-air conductor—The foulair exhausting-flue—Stoves—Detailed arrangements—Warming—Economy of time, labor, and expense in the cottage plan—After all schemes,
the open fireplace the best.—Pages 419-432.
PART II.
HEALTH,
ECONOMY,
AND
PLEASURE
IN
FOOD.
Special advantages of Part II.—Rules of health in regard to food and
drink—Measures used in cooking.—Pages 433-435.
II.
MARKETING
AND
THE
CARE
OF
MEATS.
Marketing—Beef—Different " cuts," etc.—Veal—Mutton—Pork—Poultry
—Fish—Shell-fish—Care of meats—To salt down beef—To cleanse calf's
head and feet—To prepare rennet—To salt down fish—To try out lard
—Molasses-cured hams—Brine for corning hams, beef, pork, etc.—Another—Brine by measure—To salt down pork—To prepare cases for
sausages—Sausage meat—Another recipe—Bologna sausages—To
smoke hams.—Pages 436-445.
in.
STEWS
AND
SOUPS.
New soup- and stew-kettle—General directions—Stews: of Beef and potato ; Mutton and turnip, (French ;) Simple mutton ; Beef, with vegetable flavors ; Fowl, with celery or tomatoes—Irish stew—-Veal stew—
Another—Pilaff (Turkish)—Rice or hominy stew—English beef s t e w Pot au Feu (French)—Olla Podrida (Spanish)—French mutton stew—
French modes of cooking—Flavors—Soup powder.—Pages 446-452.
xiii
CONTENTS.
IV.
SOUPS.
General directions—Soup stock—Soup of potato—Plain beef—Rich beef
—Green pea—Dried bean or pea—Clam—Vegetable and meat for summer—Dried pea, with salt pork—Dried bean or pea, with meat stock—
Mutton—Vegetable (French)—Plain calfs head—Simple mutton.—
Pages 453-456.
v.
HASHES.
Four ways of spoiling hashes—Hashes: of Fresh meats, seasoned ; Cold
fresh meats and potatoes; Meat, with eggs; Meat, with tomatoes;
Beef; Veal; Rice and cold meats; Bread-crumbs and cold m e a t s ;
Another ; Cold beefsteak ; Same, with potatoes and turnips; Cold mutton or venison ; Corned beef; Cold ham—Meats warmed over—To cook
cold meats—Cold meat hash—Souse—Tripe.—Pages 457-460.
VI.
BOILED
MEATS.
To cook tough beef—Boiled ham—Beef—Fowls—Fricasseed fowls—To
boil leg or shoulder of veal, mutton, or lamb—Calfs feet—Calfs liver
and sweet-breads—Kidneys—Pillau—Smoked tongue—Corned beef—
Partridges or pigeons—Ducks—Turkey.—Pages 461-463.
VII.
BOAST
AND
BAKED
MEATS.
The best beef—Brown flour for gravies—Roast beef—To roast in a cookstove—Roast pork; Mutton ; Veal; Poultry—Pot-pie of beef, veal, or
chicken—Mutton and beef-pie—Chicken-pie—Rice chicken-pie—Potatopie—Calf s head.—Pages 464-467.
VIII.
BROILED
AND
FRIED
MEATS
AND
RELISHES.
Boiled mutton or lamb chops; Beefsteak; Fresh pork ; Ham ; Sweetbreads ; Veal—Pork relish—Frying—Calfs or pig's liver—Beef liver—
E g g omelet—Frizzled beef—Veal chase—Codfish relish-—Another—
Salt herrings.—Pages 468-469.
IX.
PICKLES.
General directions—Sweet pickles—To pickle Tomatoes ; Peaches ; Peppers ; Nasturtions ; Onions ; Gherkins; Mushrooms; Cucumbers; WaL
CONTENTS.
XIV
nuts ; Mangoes; Cabbage—To prepare tomatoes for eating—Martinoes
—Spiced cucumber pickles—Indiana pickles—Cauliflower-or broccoli.—
Pages 470-473.
x.
SAUCES
AND
SALADS.
Milk and egg sauce—Drawn butter—Mint sauce—Cranberry sauce—Apple sauce—Walnut or butternut catsup—Mock capers—Salad dressing
—Turkey or chicken salad—Lettuce salad—Tomato catsup.—Pages
474-475.
XI.
FISH.
Oysters, stewed ; Fried ; Scalloped ; Broiled—Oyster fritters—Oyster omelet—Pickled oysters—Roast oysters—Scallops—Clams—Clam chowder
—Fish, boiled; Broiled ; Baked—Pickle for cold fish—Pages 476-477.
XII.
VEGETABLES.
General remarks—Potatoes—Old potatoes—Potato puffs—Sweet-potatoes
—Green corn—Succotash—Oyster-plant or salsify—Egg-plant—Carrots
—Beets—Parsnips—Pumpkin and squash—Celery—Radishes—Onions
—Tomatoes—Cucumbers—Cabbage and cauliflower—Aspaiagus—Macaroni.—Pages 478-481.
XIII.
FAMILY
BREAD.
General remarks—Fine and unbolted
flour—Middlings—Kneading—
Yeast: Hop and potato; Potato ; Hard—Bread: of fine flour ; Of middling or unbolted flour ; Raised with water ; Rye and Indian ; Third ;
Rye ; Oat-meal, Pumpkin; Apple ; Corn-meal—Sweet rolls of cornmeal—Soda biscuit—Yeast biscuit—Potato biscuit—Buns.—Pages 482487.
XIV.
BREAKFAST
AND
SUPPER.
General supplies—Receipts for corn-meal—Hominy—Rice—Economical
breakfast dish—Biscuits of sour milk and flour—Pearl or cracked wheat
—Rye and corn meal—Oat-meal—Wheat muffins—Sally Lunn improved
—Cream griddle-cakes—Royal crumpets—Muffins—Waffles—Drop-cakes—
Sachem's head corn-cake—Rice waffles—A rice dish—To use cold rice—
Buckwheat cakes—Cottage cheese—Eggs.—Pages 488-492.
XV
CONTENTS.
XV.
PUDDINGS
AND
PIES.
Sweet food, remarks—Queen of all puddings—Flour pudding—Flour and
fruit pudding—Rusk and milk—Rusk pudding—Meat and rusk pudding—A good pudding—Pan dowdy—Corn-meal pop-over—Best applepie—Puddings: of rice ; Bread and fruit; Boiled fruit; Curds (English)
—Common apple-pie—Plain custard—Another—Mush or hasty pudding—Stale bread pudding—Rennet wine—Rennet custard—Bird's
nest pudding—Minute pudding of potato starch—Tapioca pudding—
Cocoa-nut pudding—New-England squash or pumpkin-pie—Ripe fruit
pies, Peach, Cherry, Plum, Currants, and Strawberry—Mock cream—
Pudding of bread-crumbs and fruit—Bread and apple dumplings—Indian pudding without eggs—Boiled Indian and suet pudding—Dessert
of rice and fruit—Another—Cold rice and stewed or grated apple—
Rich flour pudding—Apple-pie—Spiced apple-tarts—Baked Indian pudding—Apple custard—Macaroni or vermicelli pudding—Green-corn
pudding—Bread pudding for invalids or young children—A good pudding—Loaf pudding—Lemoa pudding—Green-corn patties—Cracker
plum-pudding—Sauces for puddings, liquid—Hard—Another—A
healthful sauce—Universal sauce—Paste for puddings and pies—Piecrusts, without fats; Made with butter, very rich.—Pages 493-503.
XVI.
C A K E.
General directions—Cake raised with powders—One, two, three, four cake
—Chocolate ; Jelly; Orange ; Almond and cocoa-nut—Cake raised with
eggs—Pound cake ; Plain; F r u i t ; Huckleberry; Gold and silver; Rich
sponge ; Plain sponge—Gingerbread, etc.—Aunt Esther's gingerbread—Sponge gingerbread—Ginger snaps—Seed cookies—Fried
cakes—Cakes raised with yeast—Plain loaf-cake—Rich loaf-cake—
Dough-cake—Icing for cake.—Pages 504-508.
m
PRESERVES
xvii.
AND
JELLIES.
General directions—Canned fruit—To clarify syrups for sweetmeats—
Brandy peaches—Peaches (not very rich)—Peaches (elegant)—To
preserve quinces whole—Quince jelly—Calf-foot jelly—To preserve apples—Pears—Pine-apples—Purple plums, No. 1 and No. 2—White or
green plums—Citron melons—Strawberries—Blackberry jam—Currants
to eat with meat—Cherries—Currants—Raspberry jam, No. 1 and No.
2—Currant jelly—Quince marmalade—Water-melon rinds—Preserved
pumpkin.—Pages 509-514.
xvi
CONTENTS.
XVIII.
DESSERTS
AND
EVENING
PARTIES.
Ice-cream—Strawberry ice-cream—Ice-cream without cream—Fruit icecream—A cream for stewed fruit—Currant, raspberry, or strawberry
whisk—Lemonade—Ice and other ices—Charlotte Russe—Flummery
—Chicken salad—Wine jelly—Apple-lemon pudding—Wheat-flour
blanc-mange—Orange marmalade—Simple lemon jelly—Cranberry—
Apple ice—Whip syllabub—Apple-snow—Iced fruit—Ornamental froth
—To clarify isinglass—Blanc-mange—Apple jelly—Orange jelly—
Floating island—A dish of snow—To clarify sugar—Candied fruits—
Another way—Ornamental pyramid.—Pages 515-519.
XIX.
DRINKS
AND
ARTICLES
FOR THE
CHILDREN
SICK
AND
YOUNG
Tea—Coffee—Fish-skin for coffee—Cocoa—Cream for coffee and tea—
Chocolate—Milk lemonade—Strawberry and raspberry vinegar—White
tea and Boys' coffee—Dangerous use of milk—Simple drinks—Simple
wine whey—Toast and cider—Panada—Water-gruel—Beef-tea—Tomato syrup—Sassafras jelly—Egg-tea, egg-coffee, and egg-milk—Oat-meal
gruel—Pearl barley-water—Cream-tartar beverage—Rennet whey—A
fever drink—Food, etc., for infants.—Pages 520-523.
xx.
THE
PROVIDING
AND
CARE
OF FAMILY
STORES.
The art of keeping a good table—Successive variety—Doing every thing
in the best manner—Stores and store-rooms—Flour—Unbolted flour—
Indian-meal — Rye — Buckwheat — Rice — Hominy — Arrow-root — Tapioca, etc.—Sugars—Butter—Lard and drippings—Salt—Vinegar—Oil
—Molasses—Hard Soap—Starch—Indigo—Coffee—Tea—Soda—Raisins
—Currants—Lemon and orange peel—Spices—Sweet herbs—Cream-tartar—Acids—Essences, etc.—Preserves and jellies—Hams—Cheese—
Bread—Cake—Codfish—Salted provisions.—Pages *524-529.
XXI.
SETTING
TABLES,
PREPARATION
OF
FOOD.
Table-cloth—Napkins—Table furniture—Bread—Butter—Dishes—Soiled
spots—Plates to be warmed in winter—Certain dishes served together
—Strong flavored meats—Boiled poultry—Jelly—Fresh pork—Drawn
butter—Pickles—Garnishing dishes—Boiled ham or veal—Greens and
asparagus—Hashes—Curled parsley—Mode of setting table.—Pages
530-532.
xvii
CONTENTS.
XXII.
WASHING,
IRONING,
AND
CLEANING.
Modes of economizing the wash—Good washing depends on conveniences
—Articles needed—Common mode of washing—Fine clothes—White
articles—Colored articles—Flannels—Bedding—Calicoes—Waters, etc.
—To cleanse broadcloth—To make lye—Soft soap—Potash soap—To
prepare starch—Beef's gall—To do up laces—Articles needed for ironing—Sprinkling, folding, and ironing—To whiten articles and remove
stains—Mildew—Stain-mixture—Another—To remove grease, tar,
pitch, turpentine, lamp-oil, oil-paint, ink-stains, stains on varnished
articles—To clean silk handkerchiefs and ribbons—To clean silk hose
or gloves.—Pages 533-542.
XXIII.
MISCELLANEOUS
ADVICE
AND
RECIPES.
How to keep cool ii* hot weather—Indelible ink—To keep eggs—To prevent earthen, glass, and iron-ware from breaking easily—Cement for
broken ware—To keep knives from rust—To cleanse or renovate furniture—To clean silver—To cleanse wall-paper—To purify a well—To
take care of roses and other plants—To keep grapes—Snow for eggs—
Paper to keep preserves—To cool butter in hot weather—To stop cracks
in iron—To stop creaking hinges—To stop creaking doors and make
drawers slide easily—To renovate black silk—To clean kid gloves—To
remove grease spots—To get rid of rats and mice—Odds and ends for
housekeepers.—Pages 543-546.
xxiv.
THE
LAWS
OF HEALTH
AND
HAPPINESS.
Laws of health : for the Bones ; Muscles; Lungs ; Digestive organs ;
Skin ; Teeth, eyes, and hair ; Brain and nerves.—Pages 547-551.
XXV.
ADDRESS
OF THE
SENIOR
AUTHOR.
To housekeepers, mothers, and teachers—What God made woman for—
The author's early training, ruin of health, recovery, experience—Women to train their own children to health and happiness, wholesome
labor, and intelligent direction of servants.—Pages 552-553.
GLOSSARY OF WORDS AND REFERENCES.—Pages
ANALYTICAL
INDEX.—Pages 575-591.
555-573.
NEW YORK
J.B.FORD &C0.
1873.
THE HOUSEKEEPERS MANUAL.
PART I.
THE AMERICAN WOMAN'S HOME.
I.
T H E DUTIES OF WOMAN'S PROFESSION.
THE authors of this volume, while they sympathize with
every honest effort to relieve the disabilities and sufferings
of their sex, are confident that the chief cause of these evils
is the fact that the honor and duties of the family state are
not duly appreciated, that women are not trained for these
duties as men are trained for their trades and professions,
and that, as the consequence, family labor is poorly done,
poorly paid, and regarded as menial and disgraceful.
To be the nurse of young children, a cook, or a housemaid, is regarded as the lowest and last resort of poverty,
and one which no woman of culture and position can assume without loss of caste and respectability.
It is the aim of this volume to elevate both the honor
and the remuneration of all the employments that sustain
the many difficult and sacred duties of the family state,
and thus to render each department of woman's true profession as much desired and respected as are the most
honored professions of men.
The following will show, though very imperfectly, how
many branches of science and training are included in
woman's profession, and thus what needs to be attempted :
First, the department of a housekeeper demands some
knowledge of all the arts and sciences connected with the
proper construction of a family dwelling. A widow, or a
woman whose husband has not time or ability to direct^
14
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
and in communities destitute of intelligent artisans, on
building a house would need the guidance of the leading
principles of architecture, pneumatics, hydrostatics, calorification, and several other connected sciences, in order to
secure architectural beauty, healthful heating and ventilation, and the economical and convenient arrangements for
labor and comfort. A housekeeper properly instructed in
these principles would know how to secure chimneys that
will not smoke, the most economical furnaces and stoves,
and those that will be sure to " draw." She would know
how dampers and air-boxes should be placed and regulated,
how to prevent or remedy gas escapes, leaking water-pipes,
poisonous recession of sewers, slamming shutters, bells that
will not ring, blinds that will not fasten, and doors that
will not lock or catch. She will understand about ballcocks, and high and low pressure on water-pipes and
boilers, and many other mysteries which make a woman
the helpless victim of plumbers and other jobbers often as
blundering and ignorant as herself. She would know
what kind of wood-work saves labor, how to prevent its
shrinkage, when to use paint, and wdiat kind is best, and
many other details of knowledge needed in circumstances
to which any daughter of wealth is liable: knowledge
which could be gained with less time and labor than is now
given in public schools to geometry and algebra.
On supposition of a yard and garden, with young boys
and domestic animals under her care, she would need the
first principles of landscape gardening, floriculture, horticulture, fruit culture, and agriculture ; also, the fitting and
furnishing of accommodations and provision for domestic
animals. And to gain this knowledge would demand less
time than young girls often give to picking pretty flowers
to pieces and saying hard names over them, or storing
them in herbariums never used. And yet botany might be
so taught as to be practically useful.
Next, in selecting furniture,
a woman so instructed
THE DUTIES
OF WOMAN''S PROFESSION,
15
would know when glue and nails are improperly used instead of the needed dovetailing and mortising. She would
know when drawers, tables, and chairs were properly made,
and when brooms, pots, saucepans, and coal-scuttles would
last well and do proper service. She would know the best
colors and materials for carpets, curtains, bed and house
linen, and numerous other practical details as easily learned
as the construction of " bivalves" and " multivalves," and
other particulars in natural history now studied, and, being
of no practical use, speedily forgotten.
Next, in the ornamentation of a house, she will need the
general principles that guide in the making or selection of
pictures, statuary, in drawing, painting, music, and all the
fine arts that render a home so beautiful and attractive.
Next comes all involved in the cleansing, neatness, and
order of houses filled with sofas, ottomans, curtains, pictures, musical instruments, and all the varied collection of
beautiful and frail ornaments or curiosities so common.
Every girl should be taught to know the right and the
wrong way of protecting or cleansing every article, from
the rich picture-frames and frescoes to the humblest crockery and stew-pan. And this would include much scientific
knowledge as well as practical training.
Next comes the selection of healthful food, the proper
care of it, and the most economical and suitable modes of
cooking. Here are demanded the first principles of physiology, animal chemistry, and domestic hygiene, with the
practical applications. Thus instructed, the housekeeper
will know the good or bad condition of meats, milk, bread,
butter, and all groceries. And a class could be taken to a
market or grocery for illustration as easily as to a museum or
the field for illustrations of mineralogy or botany. All this
should be done before a young girl has the heavy responsibilities of housekeeper, wife, mother, and nurse. The art
of cookery, in all its departments, has received more attention than any other domestic duty in former clays ; but at
16
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
the present time no systematic mode is devised for training
a young girl to superintend and instruct servants in this
complicated duty, on which the health and comfort of a
family so much depend.
Next, in providing family clothing and in the care of
household stuffs, she will know how to do, and to teach in
the best manner plain sewing, hemming, darning, mending, and the use of a sewing-machine, thus cultivating ingenuity, dexterity, and common sense in judging the best
way of doing things and deciding what is worth doing and
what is not. She will exercise good taste and good judgment in dress for herself and family, in the selection of
materials, in the adaptation of colors and fashion to age,
shape and employments, and in the avoidance of unhealthful and absurd fashions; and she will have such knowledge
of domestic chemistry as is needed in the cleansing, dyeing,
and preservation of household clothing and stuffs.
Next comes all involved in the care of health. This
again involves the first principles of animal and domestic
chemistry, hydrostatics, pneumatics, caloric, light, electricity, and especially hygiene and therapeutics. A housekeeper instructed in these will have pure water, pure air,
much sunlight, beds and clothes well cleansed, every
arrangement for cleanliness and comfort, and all that
tends to prevent disease or retard its first approaches.
And her knowledge and skill she will transmit to the
children and servants under her care, while the dumb animals of' her establishment will share in the blessings secured by her scientific knowledge and trained skill.
Next comes the care of family expenses in all departments of economy, and in which science arad training are
also demanded : to this add the enforcement of system and
order, hospitalities to relatives, friends, and the homeless,
the claims of society as to calls, social gatherings, the sick,
the poor, benevolent associations, school and religious
duties.
THE DUTIES
OF WOMAN* S PROFESSION.
17
Not the least of the onerous duties of a housekeeper is
the training and government of servants of all kinds of
dispositions, habits, nationalities, and religions.
All these multiplied and diverse duties are demanded of
every woman, whether married or single, who becomes
mistress of a house.
The distinctive duties of wife and mother are such that
both science and training are of the greatest consequence5
and a dreadful amount of suffering has resulted from want
of such proper instruction. One of the most important of
these duties is the care of new-born infants and their
mothers. Thousands of young infants perish and young
mothers are made sufferers for life for want of science and
training in the mothers and monthly nurses.
Then the helpers in the nursery have a daily control of
the safety, health, temper, and morals of young children;
and a conscientious, careful, affectionate woman, instructed
in the care of health and remedies for sudden accidents, is
a rare treasure. These arduous duties are now extensively
given to the inexperienced and the ignorant. It is a
mournful fact that more science and care are given by
professional trainers to the offspring of horses, cows, sheep,
and hogs, than to the larger portion of children of the American people. Thus comes the fact that the mortality of the
human offspring greatly exceeds that of the lower animals.
The most difficult and important duties of a woman are
those of an educator in the family and the school. In the
nursery, children are taught the care of their bodies, the
use of language, the nature and properties of the world
around them, and many social and moral duties, all before
books are used. Then it is a mother's duty to select the
school-teacher, and so to supervise, that health and intellectual training shall be duly secured. To this add the duties
of training and controlling the helpers in the nursery and
kitchen, and to a housekeeper and mother the duties of an
educator stand first on the roll of responsibilities.
18
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
It is the conceded office of the school-teacher to conduct intellectual and literary training; but a woman in
this position has also extensive control of the health, the
habits, the opinions, and the moral character of her pupils,
and often supplies deficient parental influences to an extent
little realized. For this department of woman's profession
more has been accomplished in preparing for future duties
than in any other.
I t is for want of facilities for the proper scientific training of women for these multiform duties that they are so
generally not educated to be healthy, nor economical, or
industrious, or properly qualified to be happy wives, or to
train children and servants, or to preserve health in
families and schools, or to practice a wise economy in the
various departments of the family state. It is for want of
such scientific training that the most important duties of
the family, being disgraced and undervalued, are forsaken
by the cultivated and refined, and, passing to the unskilled
and vulgar, secure neither honorable social position nor
liberal rewards. The poorest teacher of music, drawing, or
French has higher position and reward than those who
perform the most scientific, sacred, and difficult duties of
the family state.
The true remedy for this state of things is to provide as
liberally for the scientific training of woman for her profession as men have provided for theirs. A wide-spread
attempt is organizing for the establishment of an institution to cover this very ground of educating woman for
the specific duties of her profession.
But there are
many thousands who are already beyond the reach of
such instruction, and thousands of others who could never
avail themselves of i t ; and certain it is, that a gathering
together, in a compact volume like the present one, of
many facts and ideas bearing upon these all-important
topics, will be of great advantage to readers, especially in
remote districts, far from the conveniences of cities.
THE DUTIES
OF WOMAN'S PROFESSION.
19
With such motives has this book been made, and it is
hoped that its usefulness may be proved in many an
American woman's home.
Jesus Christ worked with his hands nearly thirty years,
and preached less than three. And he taught that his
kingdom is exactly opposite to that of the world, where all
are striving for the highest positions. " Whoso will be
great shall be your minister, and whoso will be chiefest
shall be servant of all."
The family state is the aptest earthly illustration of the
heavenly kingdom, and in it woman is its chief minister.
Her great mission is self-denial, in training its members to
self-sacrificing labors for the ignorant and weak : if not her
own children, then the neglected children of her Father in
heaven. She is to rear all under her care to lay up treasures, not on earth, but in heaven. All the pleasures of
this life end here; but those who train immortal minds are
to reap the fruit of their labor through eternal ages.
To man is appointed the outdoor labor—to till the earth,
dig the mines, toil in the foundries, traverse the ocean,
transport merchandise, labor in manufactories, construct
houses, conduct civil, municipal, and state affairs, and all
the heavy work, which, most of the day, excludes him from
the comforts of a home. But the great stimulus to all
these toils, implanted in the heart of every true man, is
the desire for a home of his own, and the hopes of paternity. Every man who truly lives for immortality responds
to the beatitude, " Children are a heritage from the Lord:
blessed is the man that hath his quiver full of them I"
The more a father and mother live under the influence of
that "immortality which Christ hath brought to light,"
the more is the blessedness of rearing a family understood
and appreciated. % Every child trained aright is to dwell
forever in exalted bliss with those that gave it life and
trained it for heaven.
20
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
The blessed privileges of the family state are not confined to those who rear children of their own. Any woman who can earn a livelihood, as every woman should be
trained to do, can take a properly qualified female associate, and institute a family of her own, receiving to its
heavenly influences the orphan, the sick, the homeless,
and the sinful, and by motherly devotion train them to
follow the self-denying example of Christ, in educating
his earthly children for true happiness in this life and for
his eternal home.
And such is the blessedness of aiding to sustain a truly
Christian home, that no one comes so near the pattern of
the All-perfect One as those who might hold what men call
a higher place, and yet humble themselves to the lowest in
order to aid in training the young, " not as men-pleasers,
but as servants to Christ, with good-will doing service as
to the Lord, and not to men." Such are preparing for
high places in the kingdom of heaven. " Whosoever will
be chiefest among you, let him be your servant."
It is often the case that the true humility of Christ is
not understood. I t was not in having a low opinion of his
own character and claims, but it was in taking a low place
in order to raise others to a higher. The worldling seeks
to raise himself and family to an equality with others, or,
if possible, a superiority to them. The true follower of
Christ comes down in order to elevate others.
The maxims and institutions of this world have ever
been antagonistic to the teachings and example of Jesus
Christ. Men toil for wealth, honor, and power, not as
means for raising others to an equality with themselves,
but mainly for earthly, selfish advantages. Although the
experience of this life shows that children brought up to
!abor have the fairest chance for a virtuous and prosperous
life, and for hope of future eternal blessedness, yet it is the
aim of most parents who can do so, to lay up wealth that
their children need not labor with the hands as Christ did.
THE CHRISTIAN FAMILY.
21
And although exhorted by our Lord not to lay up treasure
on earth, but rather the imperishable riches which are
gained in toiling to train the ignorant and reform the sinful, as yet a large portion of the professed followers of
Christ, like his first disciples, are "slow of heart to believe."
Not less have the sacred ministries of the family state
been undervalued and warred upon in other directions;
for example, the Romish Church has made celibacy a
prime virtue, and given its highest honors to those who
forsake the family state as ordained by God. Thus came
great communities of monks and nuns, shut out from the
love and labors of a Christian home; thus, also, came the
monkish systems of education, collecting the young in
great establishments away from the watch and care of
parents, and the healthful and self-sacrificing labors of a
home. Thus both religion and education have conspired
to degrade the family state.
Still more have civil laws and social customs been opposed to the principles of Jesus Christ. I t has ever been
assumed that the learned, the rich, and the powerful are
not to labor with the hands, as Christ did, and as Paul
did when he would " not eat any man's bread for naught,
but wrought with labor, not because we have not power "
[to live without hand-work,] " but to make ourselves an
example." (2 Thess. 3.)
Instead of this, manual labor has been made dishonorable and unrefined by being forced on the ignorant and
poor. Especially has the most important of all hand-labor, that which sustains the family, been thus disgraced;
so that to nurse young children, and provide the food of a
family by labor, is deemed the lowest of all positions in
honor and profit, and the last resort of poverty. And so
our Lord, who himself took the form of a servant, teaches,
" How hardly shall they that have riches enter the kingdom of heaven!"—that kingdom in which all are toiling
22
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
to raise the weak, ignorant, and sinful to such equality
with themselves as the children of a loving family enjoy.
One mode in which riches have led to antagonism with
the true end of the family state is in the style of living,
by which the hand-labor, most important to health, com*
fort, and beauty, is confined to the most ignorant and neglected members of society, without any effort being made
to raise them to equal advantages with the wise and cul
tivated.
And, the higher civilization has advanced, the morhave children been trained to feel that to labor, as did
Christ and Paul, is disgraceful, and to be made the portion of a degraded class. Children of the rich grow up
with the feeling that servants are to work for them, and
they themselves are not to work. To the minds of most
children and servants, " to be a lady," is almost synonymous with " t o be waited on, and do no work." It is the
earnest desire of the authors of this volume to make plain
the falsity of this growing popular feeling, and to show
how much happier and more efficient family life will
become when it is strengthened, sustained, and adorned
by family work.
II
A CHRISTIAN HOUSE.
IN the Divine Word it is written, " The wise woman buildeth her house." To be "wise," is " t o choose the best
means for accomplishing the best end." I t has been shown
that the best end for a woman to seek is the training of
God's children for their eternal home, by guiding them to
intelligence, virtue, and true happiness. When, therefore,
the wise woman seeks a home in which to exercise this
24
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
ministry, she will aim to secure a house so planned that is
will provide in the best manner for health, industry, and
economy, those cardinal requisites of domestic enjoyment
and success. To aid in this, is the object of the following
drawings and descriptions, which will illustrate a style of
living more conformed to the great design for which the
family is instituted than that which ordinarily prevails
among those classes which take the lead in forming the
customs of society. The aim will be to exhibit modes of
economizing labor, time, and expenses, so as to secure
health, thrift, and domestic happiness to persons of limited
means, in a measure rarely attained even by those who
possess wealth.
At the head of this chapter is a sketch of what may be
properly called a Christian house; that is, a house contrived for the express purpose of enabling every member
of a family to labor with the hands for the common good,
and by modes at once healthful, economical, and tasteful
Of course, much of the instruction conveyed in the fol
lowing pages is chiefly applicable to the wants and habits
of those living either in the country or in such suburban
vicinities as give space of ground for healthful outdoor
occupation in the family service, although the general
principles of house-building and house-keeping are of necessity universal in their application—as true in the busy
confines of the city as in the freer and purer quietude of
the country. So far as circumstances can be made to
yield the opportunity, it will be assumed that the family
state demands some outdoor labor for all. The cultivation of flowers to ornament the table and house, of fruits
and vegetables for food, of silk and cotton for clothing,
and the care of horse, cow, and dairy, can be so divided
that each and all of the family, some part of the day,
can take exercise in the pure air, under the magnetic and
healthful rays of the sun. Every head of a family should
seek a soil and climate which will afford such opportuni-
A CHRISTIAN
HOUSE.
25
ties. Railroads, enabling men toiling in cities to rear
families in the country, are on this account a special blessing. So, also, is the opening of the South to free labor,
whei-e, in the pure and mild climate of the uplands, openair labor can proceed most of the year, and women and
children labor out of doors as well as w: thin.
In the following drawings are presented modes of economizing time, labor, and expense by the close packing of
conveniences. By such methods, small and economical
houses can be made to secure most of the comforts and
many of the refinements of large and expensive ones.
The cottage at the head of this chapter is projected on a
plan which can be adapted to a warm or cold climate with
little change. By adding another story, it would serve a
large family.
Fig. 1 shows the ground-plan of the first floor. On the
inside it is forty-three feet long and twenty-five wide, excluding conservatories and front and back projections. Its
inside height from floor to ceiling is ten feet. The piazzas
each side of the front projection have sliding-windows to
the floor, and can, by glazed sashes, be made green-houses
in winter. In a warm climate, piazzas can be made at the
back side also.
In the description and arrangement, the leading aim is
to show how time, labor, and expense are saved, not only
in the building but in furniture and its arrangement.
With this aim, the ground-floor and its furniture will first
be shown, then the second story and its furniture, and
then the basement and its conveniences. The conservatories are appendages not necessary to housekeeping, but
useful in many ways pointed out more at large in other
chapters.
The entry has arched recesses behind the front doors,
(Fig. 2,) furnished with hooks for over-clothes in both—a
box for over-shoes in one, and a stand for umbrellas in the
other. The roof of the recess is for statuettes, busts, or
Fig. 1.
43 X 25
10 FEET
INSIDE
FROM FLOOR TO CEILINQ
DRAWING ROOM
2 5 X 16
< •
N
•
;
N i
< !
EN
A
CHRISTIAN
HOUSE.
27
flowers. The stairs tnrn twice with broad steps, making
a recess at the lower landing, where a table is set with a
Fig. 2.
vase of flowers, (Fig. 3.) On one side
of the recess is a closet, arched to correspond with the arch over the stairs.
A bracket over the first broad stair,
with flowers or statuettes, is visible
from the entrance, and pictures can
be hung as in the illustration.
The large room on the left can be
made to serve the purpose of several
rooms by means of a movable screen.
By shifting this rolling screen from one
part of the room to another, two apartments are always available, of any desired size within the limits of the large
room. One side of the screen fronts
what may be used as the parlor or sitting-room; the other
side is arranged for
Fig. 3.
bedroom conveniences. Of this, Fig.
4 shows the front
side; covered first
with strong canvas,
stretched and nailed
on. Over this is
pasted panel-paper,
and the upper part
is made to resemble
an ornamental cornice by fresco-paper.
Pictures can be
hung in the panels,
or be pasted on and
varnished with
STAIR
CLOSET
REGESS
white varnish. To
LANDING
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
28
MANUAL.
prevent the absorption of the varnish, a wash of guM
isinglass (fish-glue) must be applied twice.
Fig. 4.
-CE/LWP,.
ROLLERS
ROLLERS
Fig. 5 shows the back or inside of the movable screen,
toward the part of the room used as the bedroom. On
one side, and at the top and bottom, it has shelves with
shelf-hoxes, which are cheaper and better than drawers,
and much preferred by those using them. Handles are
cut in the front and back side, as seen in Fig. 6. Half an
inch space must be between the box and the shelf over it,
and as much each side, so that it can be taken out and
put in easily. The central part of the screen's interior is
a wardrobe.
This screen must be so high as nearly to reach the
ceiling, in order to prevent it from overturning. It is to
fill the width of the room, except two feet on each side.
A projecting cleat or strip, reaching nearly to the top of
A CHRISTIAN
HOUSE.
29
the screen, three inches wide, is to be screwed to the front
sides, on which light frame doors are to be hung, covered
with canvas and panel-paper like the front of the screen.
The inside of these doors is furnished with hooks for clothing, for which the projection makes room. The whole
screen is to be eighteen inches deep at the top and two
feet deep at the base, giving a
Fig. 6.
solid foundation. It is moved
on four wooden rollers, one
foot long and four inches in
diameter. The pivots of the
rollers and the parts where
there is friction must be rubbed with hard soap, and then
a child can move the whole easily.
A curtain is to be hung across the whole interior of the
30
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
screen by rings, on a strong wire. The curtail should be
in three parts, with lead or large nails in the hems to
keep it in place. The wood-work must be put together
with screws, as the screen is too large to pass through a
door.
At the end of the room, behind the screen, are two
couches, to be run one under the other, as in Fig. 7. The
upper one is made with four posts, each three feet high
and three inches square, set on casters two inches high.
The frame is to be fourteen inches from the floor, seven
feet long, two feet four inches wide, and three inches in
thickness. At the head, and at the foot, is to be screwed
a notched two-inch board, three inches wide, as in Fig. 8.
The mortises are to be one inch
lg
' "
wide and deep, and one inch apart,
I — I—I I—I | ^o r e c e i v e s l a ts made of ash, oak,
or spruce, one inch square, placed
lengthwise of the couch. The slats being small, and so
near together, and running lengthwise, make a better
spring frame than wire coils. If they warp, they can be
turned. They must not be fastened at the ends, except
by insertion in the notches. Across the posts, and of equal
height with them, are to be screwed head and foot-boards.
A CHRISTIAN
HOUSE.
31
The under couch is like the upper, except these dimensions : posts, nine inches high, including castors; frame,
six feet two inches long, two feet four inches wide. The
frame should be as near the floor as possible, resting on
the casters.
The most healthful and comfortable mattress is made
by a case, open in
lg
'
the centre and
^ ^ ^
_ _
^1\lf
fastened together
/ _
*
r^^^^^
with buttons, as
lllli
,i1
11, li1 % ^
in Fig. 9 ; to be
filled with oat
straw, which is softer than wheat or rye. This can be
adjusted to the figure, and often renewed.
Fig. 10 represents the upper couch when covered, with
the under couch put beneath it. The coverlid should
match the curtain of the screen; and the pillows, by day,
should have a case of the same.
Fig. 10.
Fig. 11.
Fig. 11 is an ottoman, made as a box, with a lid on
hinges. A cushion is fastened to this lid by strings at
each corner, passing through holes in the box lid and tied
inside. The cushion to be cut square, with side pieces;
stuffed with hair, and stitched through like a mattress.
Side handles are made by cords fastened inside with knots.
The box must be two inches larger at the bottom than
at the top, and the lid and cushion the same size as the
bottom, to give it a tasteful shape. This ottoman is set
on casters, and is a great convenience for holding articles,
while serving also as a seat.
32
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
The expense of the screen, where lumber averages $4 a
hundred, and carpenter labor $3 a day, would be about
$30, and the two couches about $6. The material for
covering might be cheap and yet pretty. A woman w ; th
these directions, and a son or husband who would use plane
and saw, could thus secure much additional room, and
also what amounts to two bureaus, two large trunks, one
large wardrobe, and a wash-stand, for less than $20—the
mere cost of materials. The screen and couches can be
so arranged as to have one room serve first as a large and
airy sleeping-room ; then, in the morning, it may be used
as sitting-room one side of the screen, and breakfast-room
the other; and lastly, through the day it can be made a
large parlor on the front side, and a sewing or retiringroom the other side. The needless spaces usually devoted
to kitchen, entries, halls, back-stairs, pantries, store-rooms,
and closets, by this method would be used in adding to
the size of the large room, so variously used by day and
by night.
Fig. 12 is an enlarged plan of the kitchen and stoveroom. The chimney and stove-room are contrived to
ventilate the whole house, by a mode exhibited in another
chapter.
Between the two rooms glazed sliding-doors, passing
each other, serve to shut out heat and smells from the
kitchen. The sides of the stove-room must be lined with
shelves; those on the side by the cellar stairs, to be one
foot wide, and eighteen inches apart; on the other side,
shelves may be narrower, eight inches wide and nine
inches apart. Boxes with lids, to receive stove utensils,
must be placed near the stove.
On these shelves, and in the closet and boxes, can be
placed every material used for cooking, all the table and
cooking utensils, and all the articles used in house work,
and yet much spare room will be left. The cook's galley
in a steamship has every article and utensil used in cook-
Fig. 12.
T^rmm
I /FLOUR) COOK DRAIN
SINK
-oi
| |0
2| 0
II 1
L
5U
5-
KITCHEN
9X9
W>.
LANDING
34
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
ing for two hundred persons, in a space not larger than
this stove-room, and so arranged that with one or two
steps the cook can reach all he uses.
In contrast to this, in most large houses, the table
furniture, the cooking materials and utensils, the sink, and
the eating-room, are at such distances apart, that half the
time and strength is employed in walking back and forth
to collect and return the articles used.
Fig. 13.
CE/L ING
p
Fig. 13 is an enlarged plan of the sink and cookingform. Two windows make a better circulation of air in
warm weather, by haying one open at top and the other
A CHRISTIAN
HOUSE.
35
at the bottom, while the light is better adjusted for working, in case of weak eyes.
The flour-barrel just fills the closet, which has a door
for admission, and a lid to raise when used. Beside it, is
the form for cooking, with a moulding-board laid on i t ;
one side used for preparing vegetables and meat, and the
other for moulding bread. The sink has two pumps, for
well and for rain-water—one having a forcing power to
throw water into the reservoir in the garret, which supplies the water-closet and bath-room. On the other side
of the sink is the dish-drainer, with a ledge on the edge
next the sink, to hold the dishes, and grooves cut to let
the water drain into the sink. It has hinges, so that it
can either rest on the cook-form or be turned over and
cover the sink. Under the sink are shelf-boxes placed on
two shelves run into grooves, with other grooves above
and below, so that one may move the shelves and increase
or diminish the spaces between. The shelf-boxes can be
used for scouring-materials, dish-towels, and dish-cloths;
also to hold bowls for bits of butter, fats, etc. Under
these two shelves is room for two pails, and a jar for
soap-grease.
Under the cook-form are shelves and shelf-boxes for unbolted wheat, corn-meal, rye, etc. Beneath these, for
white and brown sugar, are wooden can-pails, which are
the best articles in which to keep these constant necessities. Beside them is the tin molasses-can with a tight,
movable cover, and a cork in the spout. This is much
better than a jug for molasses, and also for vinegar and
oil, being easier to. clean and to handle. Other articles
and implements for cooking can be arranged on or under
the shelves at the side and front.
A small cooking-tray, holding
pepper, salt, dredging-box, knife
and spoon, should stand close at
hand by the stove, (Fig. 14.)
36
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
The articles used for setting
Fig. 15.
tables are to be placed on the
shelves at the front and side of
the sink. Two tumbler-trays,
made of pasteboard, covered
with varnished fancy papers and
divided by wires, (as shown in Fig. 15,) save many steps
in setting and clearing table. Similar trays, (Fig. 16,) for
knives and forks and spoons, serve
Fig. 16.
the same purpose.
The sink should be three feet
long and three inches deep, its
width matching the cook-form.
Fig. IT is the second or attic story. The main objection
to attic rooms is their warmth in summer, owing to the
heated roof. This is prevented by so enlarging the closets
each side that their walls meet
the ceiling under the garret
floor, thus excluding all the
roof. In the bed-chambers,
corner dressing-tables, as Fig.
18, instead of projecting bureaus, save much space for
use, and
a handsome
form and finish to the room.
In the bath-room must be
the opening to the garret, and
a step-ladder to reach it. A
111 ° 1 ° |]f
1
reservoir in the garret, supI °
° lli
o
• H jo
plied by a forcing-pump in
III o
o
the cellar or at the sink, must
be well supported by timbers, and the plumbing must be
well done, or much annoyance will ensue.
The large chambers are to be lighted by large windows
or glazed sliding-doors, opening upon the balcony. A roof
can be put over the balcony and its sides inclosed by win-
Fig. 17.
38
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
dows, and the chamber extend into it, and be thus much
enlarged.
The water-closets must have the latest improvements
for safe discharge, and there will be no trouble. They
cost no more than an out-door building, and save from the
most disagreeable house-labor.
A great improvement, called earth-closets, will probably
take the place of water-closets to some extent; though at
present the water is the more convenient. A description of
the earth-closet will be given in another chapter relating to
tenement-houses for the poor in large cities.
The method of ventilating all the chambers, and also
the cellar, will be described in another chapter.
Fig. 19 represents a shoe-bag,
that can be fastened to the side
of a closet or closet-door.
Fig. 20 represents a piece-bag,
and is a very great labor and spacesaving invention. It is made of
calico, and fastened to the side of
a closet or a door, to hold all the
bundles that are usually stowed
in trunks and drawers. Indiarubber or elastic tape drawn into
hems to hold the contents of the
bag is better than tape-strings.
Each bag should be labeled with
the name of its contents, written
with indelible ink on white tape sewed on to the bag.
Such systematic arrangement saves much time and annoyance. Drawers or trunks to hold these articles can not be
kept so easily in good order, and moreover, occupy spaces
saved by this contrivance.
Fig. 21 is the basement. It has the floor and sides plastered, and is lighted with glazed doors. A form is raised
close by the cellar stairs, for baskets, pails, and tubs.
A CHRISTIAN
HOUSE.
39
Here, also, the refrigerator can be placed, or, what is
better, an ice-closet can be made, as designated in the
illustration. The floor of the basement must be an inclined plane toward a drain, and be plastered with waterlime. The wash-tnbs have pings in the bottom to let off
water, and cocks and pipes over them bringing cold water
from the reservoir in the garret and hot water from the
laundry stove. This saves much heavy labor of emptying
tubs and carrying water.
The laundry closet has a stove for heating irons, and
also a kettle on top for heating water. Slides or clothesFig. 20.
Fig. 21.
I
(Rl
u
o
CO
l
]
GLAZED DDL
LAUNDRY
o
O
TUBS
LAUNDRY
SLIDES
A CHRISTIAN
MOUSE.
41
frames are made to draw out to receive wet clothes, and
then run into the closet to dry. This saves health as well
as time and money, and the clothes are as white as when
dried outdoors.
The wood-work of the house, for doors, windows, etc.,
should be oiled chestnut, butternut, whitewood, and pine.
This is cheaper, handsomer, and more easy to keep clean
than painted wood.
In Fig. 1 are planned two conservatories, and few understand their value in the training of the young. They provide soil, in which children, through the winter months,
can be starting seeds and plants for their gardens and raising valuable, tender plants. Every child should cultivate
flowers and fruits to sell and to give away, and thus be
taught to learn the value of money and to practice both
economy and benevolence.
According to the calculation of a house-carpenter, in a
place where the average price of lumber is $4 a hundred,
and carpenter work $3 a day, such a house can be built
for $1600. For those practicing the closest economy, two
small families could occupy it, by dividing the kitchen,
and yet have room enough. Or one large room and the
chamber over it can be left till increase of family and
means require enlargement.
A strong horse and carryall, with a cow, garden, vineyard, and orchard, on a few acres, would secure all the
substantial comforts found in great establishments, without the trouble of ill-qualified servants.
And if the parents and children were united in the
daily labors of the house, garden, and fruit culture, such
thrift, health, and happiness would be secured as is but
rarely found among the rich.
Let us suppose a colony of cultivated and Christian people, having abundant wealth, who now are living as the
wealthy usually do, emigrating to some of the beautiful Southern uplands, where are rocks, hills, valleys, and
42
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
mountains as picturesque as those of New-England, where
the thermometer but rarely reaches 90° in summer, and
in winter as rarely sinks below freezing-point, so that out
door labor goes on all the year, where the fertile soil is
easily worked, where rich tropical fruits and flowers
abound, where cotton and silk can be raised by children
around their home, where the produce of vineyards and
orchards finds steady markets by railroads ready made;
suppose such a colony, with a central church and schoolroom, library, hall for sports, and a common laundry, (taking the most trying part of domestic labor from each
house,)—suppose each family to train the children to
labor with the hands as a healthful and honorable duty;
suppose all this, which is perfectly practicable, would not
the enjoyment of this life be increased, and also abundant
treasures be laid up in heaven, by using the wealth thus
economized in diffusing similar enjoyments and culture
among the poor, ignorant, and neglected ones in desolated
sections where many now are perishing for want of such
Christian example and influences ?
in
A HEALTHFUL
HOME.
W H E N " the wise woman buildeth her house," the first
consideration will be the health of the inmates. The
first and most indispensable requisite for health is pure
air, both by day and night.
If the parents of a family should daily withhold from
their children a large portion of food needful to growth
and health, and every night should administer to each a
small dose of poison, it would be called murder of the
most hideous character. But it is probable that more
than one half of this nation are doing that very thing.
The murderous operation is perpetrated daily and nightly,
in our parlors, our bed-rooms, our kitchens, our schoolrooms; and even our churches are no asylum from the
barbarity. Nor can we escape by our railroads, for even
there the same dreadful work is going on.
The only palliating circumstance is the ignorance of
those who commit these wholesale murders. As saith the
Scripture, " The people do perish for lack of knowledge."
And it is this lack of knowledge which it is woman's
special business to supply, in first training her household
to intelligence as the indispensable road to virtue and
happiness.
The above statements will be illustrated by some account of the manner in which the body is supplied with
healthful nutriment. There are two modes of nourishing
the body, one is by food and the other by air. In the
44
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
stomach the food is dissolved, and the nutritious portion
is absorbed by the blood, and then is carried by bloodvessels to the lungs, where it receives oxygen from the
air we breathe. This oxygen is as necessary to the nourishment of the body as the food for the stomach. In a fullgrown man weighing one hundred and fifty-four pounds,
one hundred and eleven pounds consists of oxygen, obtained chiefly from the air we breathe. Thus the lungs
feed the body with oxygen, as really as the stomach supplies the other food required.
The lungs occupy the upper
Fig. 22.
portion of the body from the
collar-bone to the lower ribs,
and between their two lobes is
placed the heart.
Fig. 22 shows the position of
the lungs, though not the exact
shape. On the right hand is
the exterior of one of the lobes,
and on the left hand are seen
the branching tubes of the interior, through which the air
we breathe passes to the exceedingly minute air-cells of
which the lungs chiefly consist.
Fig. 23 shows the outside of a
cluster of these air-cells, and
Fig. 23.
Fig. 24.
Fig. 24 is the inside view.
The
lining membrane
of each air-cell is
covered by a network of minute
blood-vessels called cajpil laries,
which, magnified
A HEALTHFUL
HOME.
45
several hundred times, appear in the microscope as at Fig.
25. Every air-cell has a blood-vessel that brings blood
from the heart,
Flg 26,
Fig. 25.
which meanders
*
through its capillaries till it reaches another bloodvessel that carries
it back to the
heart, as seen in
Fig. 26. In this
passage of the blood through these
capillaries, the air in the air-cell imparts its oxygen to the blood, and receives in exchange carbonic acid and
watery vapor. These latter are expired at every breath into the atmosphere.
By calculating the number of air
cells in a small portion of the lungs, under a miscroscope,
it is ascertained that there are no less than eighteen million of these wonderful little purifiers and feeders of the
body. By their ceaseless ministries, every grown person
receives, each day, thirty-three hogsheads of air into the
lungs to nourish and vitalize every part of the body, and
also to carry off its impurities.
But the heart has a most important agency in this
operation. Fig. 27 is a diagram of the heart, which is
placed between the two lobes of the lungs. The right
side of the heart receives the dark and impure blood,
which is loaded with carbonic acid. It is brought from
every point of the body by branching veins that unite in
the upper and the lower vena cava, which discharge into
the right side of the heart. This impure blood passes to
the caj)illaries of the air-cells in the lungs, where it gives
off carbonic acid, and, taking oxygen from the air, then
46
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
returns to the left side of the heart, from whence it is sent
out through the aorta and its myriad branching arteries
to every part of the body.
AORTA
When the up-
lungs on one side, and also on the other side forces the
purified blood through the aorta and arteries to all parts
of the body.
As before stated, the lungs consist chiefly of air-cells,
the walls of which are lined with minute blood-vessels;
and we know that in every man these air-cells number
eighteen millions.
Now every beat of the heart sends two ounces of blood
into the minute, hair-like blood-vessels, called capillaries,
that line these air-cells, where the air in the air-cells gives
its oxygen to the blood, and in its place receives carbonic
acid. This gas is then expired by the lungs into the surrounding atmosphere.
Thus, by this powerful little organ, the heart, no less
than twenty-eiglit pounds of blood, in a common-sized
man, is sent three times every hour through the lungs,
A HEALTHFUL HOME.
47
giving out carbonic acid and watery vapor, and receiving
the life-inspiring oxygen.
Whether all this blood shall convey the nourishing and
invigorating oxygen to every part of the body, or return
unrelieved of carbonic acid, depends entirely on the pureness of the atmosphere that is breathed.
Every time we think or feel, this mental action dissolves
some particles of the brain and nerves, which pass into
the blood to be thrown out of the body through the lungs
and skin. In like manner, whenever we move any muscle,
some of its particles decay and pass away. I t is in the
capillaries, which are all over the body, that this change
takes place. The blood-vessels that convey the pure blood
from the heart, divide into myriads of little branches that
terminate in capillary vessels like those lining the air-cells
of the lungs. The blood meanders through these minute
capillaries, depositing the oxygen taken from the lungs
and the food of the stomach, and receiving in return the
decayed matter, which is chiefly carbonic acid.
This carbonic acid is formed by the union of oxygen
with carbon or charcoal, which forms a large portion of
the body. Watery vapor is also formed in the capillaries
by the union of oxygen with the hydrogen contained in
the food and drink that nourish the body.
During this process in the capillaries, the bright red
blood of the arteries changes to the purple blood of the
veins, which is carried back to the heart, to be sent to the
lungs as before described. A portion of the oxygen received in the lungs unites with the dissolved food sent
from the stomach into the blood, and no food can nor rish
the body till it has received a proper supply of oxygen in
the lungs. At every breath a half-pint of blood receives
its needed oxygen in the lungs, and at the same time gives
out an equal amount of carbonic acid and water.
Now, this carbonic acid, if received into the lungs,
undiluted by sufficient air, is a fatal poison, causing
48
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL,
certain death. When it is mixed with only a small portion of air, it is a slow poison, which imperceptibly undermines the constitution.
We now can understand how it is that all who live in
houses where the breathing of inmates has deprived the
air of oxygen, and loaded it with carbonic acid, may truly
be said to be poisoned and starved; poisoned with carbonic
acid, and starved for want of oxygen.
Whenever oxygen unites with carbon to form carbonic
acid, or with hydrogen to form water, heat is generate^
Thus it is that a kind of combustion is constantly going
on in the capillaries all over the body. It is this burning
of the decaying portions of the body that causes animal
heat. It is a process similar to that which takes place
when lamps and candles are burning. The oil and tallow5
which are chiefly carbon and hydrogen, unite with the
oxygen of the air and form carbonic acid and watery
vapor, producing heat during the process. So in the capillaries all over the body, the carbon and hydrogen supplied to the blood by the stomach, unite with the oxygen
gained in the lungs, and cause the heat which is diffused
all over the body.
The skin also performs an office, similar to that of the
lungs. In the skin of every adult there are no less than
seven million minute perspirating tubes, each one fourth
of an inch long. If all these were united in one length,
they would extend twenty-eight miles. These minute
tubes are lined with capillary blood-vessels, which are
constantly sending out not only carbonic acid, but other
gases and particles of decayed matter. The skin and
lungs together, in one day and night, throw out three
quarters of a pound of charcoal as carbonic acid, beside
other gases and water.
While the bodies of men and animals are filling the
air with the poisonous carbonic acid, and using up the
life-giving oxygen, the trees and plants are performing an
A HEALTHFUL
HOME.
49
exactly contrary process; for they are absorbing carbonic
acid and giving out oxygen. Thus, by a wonderful
arrangement of the beneficent Creator, a constant equilibrium is preserved. What animals use is provided by
vegetables, and what vegetables require is furnished by
animals; and all goes on, day and night, without care or
thought of man.
The human race in its infancy was placed in a mild
and genial clime, where each separate family dweJt in
tents, and breathed, both day and night, the pure air of
heaven. And when they became scattered abroad to
colder climes, the open fire-place secured a full supply of
pure air. But civilization has increased economies and
conveniences far ahead of the knowledge needed by the
common people for their healthful use. Tight sleepingrooms, and close, air-tight stoves, are now starving and poisoning more than one half of this nation. I t seems impossible to make people know their danger. And the
remedy for this is the light of knowledge and intelligence
which it is woman's special mission to bestow, as she controls and regulates the ministries of a home.
The poisoning process is thus exhibited in Mrs. Stowe's
" House and Home Papers," and can not be recalled too
often:
" No other gift of God, so precious, so inspiring, is treated with such utter irreverence and contempt in the calculations of us mortals as this same air of heaven. A sermon on oxygen, if we had a preacher who understood the
subject, might do more to repress sin than the most orthodox discourse to show when and how and why sin came.
A minister gets up in a crowded lecture-room, where the
mephitic air almost makes the candles burn blue, and bewails the deadness of the church—the church the while,
drugged by the poisoned air, growing sleepier and sleepier,
though they feel dreadfully wicked for being so.
" Little Jim, who, fresh from his afternoon's ramble in
50
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
the fields, last evening said his prayers dutifully, and lay
down to sleep in a most Christian frame, this morning sits
up in bed with his hair bristling with crossness, strikes at
his nurse, and declares he won't say his prayers—that he
don't want to be good. The simple difference is, that the
child, having slept in a close box of a room, his brain all
night fed by poison, is in a mild state of moral insanity.
Delicate women remark that it takes them till eleven or
twelve o'clock to get up their strength in the morning.
Query, Do they sleep with closed windows and doors, and
with heavy bed-curtains ?
" The houses built by our ancestors were better ventilated in certain respects than modern ones, with all their
improvements. The great central chimney, with its open
fire-places in the different rooms, created a constant current which carried off foul and vitiated air. In these
days, how common is it to provide rooms with only a flue
for a stove ! This flue is kept shut in summer, and in winter opened only to admit a close stove, which burns away
the vital portion of the air quite as fast as the occupants
breathe it away. The sealing up of fire-places and introduction of air-tight stoves may, doubtless, be a saving of
fuel; it saves, too, more than t h a t ; in thousands and thousands of cases it has saved people from all further human
wants, and put an end forever to any needs short of the
six feet of narrow earth which are man's only inalienable
property. In other words, since the invention of air-tight
stoves, thousands have died of slow poison.
" It is a terrible thing to reflect upon, that our northern
winters last from November to May, six long months, in
which many families coifine themselves to one room, of
which every window-crack has been carefully calked to
make it air-tight, where an air-tight stove keeps the atmosphere at a temperature between eighty and ninety; and
the inmates, sitting there with all their winter clothes on,
become enervated both by the heat and by the poisoned
A HEALTHFUL
HOME.
51
air, for which there is no escape but the occasional opening of a door.
" It is no wonder that the first result of all this is such
a delicacy of skin and lungs that about half the inmates
are obliged to give up going into the open air during the
six cold months, because they invariably catch cold if they
do so. I t is no wonder that the cold caught about the first
of December has by the first of March become a fixed consumption, and that the opening of the spring, which ought
to bring life and health, in so many cases brings death.
" We hear of the lean condition in which the poor bears
emerge from their six months' wintering, during which
they subsist on the fat which they have acquired the previous summer. Even so, in our long winters, multitudes
of delicate people subsist on the daily waning strength
which they acquired in the season when windows and
doors were open, and fresh air was a constant luxury. No
wonder we hear of spring fever and spring biliousness, and
have thousands of nostrums for clearing the blood in the
spring. All these things are the pantings and palpita
tions of a system run down under slow poison, unable to
get a step further.
"Better, far better, the old houses of the olden time,
with their great roaring fires, and their bed-rooms where
the snow came in and the wintry winds whistled. Then,
to be sure, you froze your back while you burned your
face, your water froze nightly in your pitcher, your breath
congealed in ice-wreaths on the blankets, and you could
write your name on the pretty snow-wreath that had sifted
in through the window-cracks. But you woke full of life
and vigor, you looked out into the whirling snow-storms
without a shiver, and thought nothing of plunging through
drifts as high as your head on your daily way to school.
You jingled in sleighs, you snow-balled, you lived in snow
like a snow-bird, and your blood coursed and tingled, in
full tide of good, merry, real life, through your vein?—
52
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL
none of the slow-creeping, black blood which clogs the
brain and lies like a weight on the vital wheels!"
To illustrate the effects of this poison, the horrors of
" t h e Black Hole of Calcutta" are often referred to,
where one hundred and forty-six men were crowded into
a room only eighteen feet square with but two small windows, and in a hot climate. After a night of such horrible torments as chill the blood to read, the morning
showed a pile of one hundred and twenty-three dead men
and twenty-three half dead that were finally recovered
only to a life of weakness and suffering.
In another case, a captain of the steamer Londonderry,
in 1848, from sheer ignorance of the consequences, in a
storm, shut up his passengers in a tight room without windows. The agonies, groans, curses, and shrieks that followed were horrible. The struggling mass finally burst
the door, and the captain found seventy-two of the two
hundred already dead; while others, with blood starting
from their eyes and ears, and their bodies in convulsions,
were restored, many only to a life of sickness and debility.
It is ascertained by experiments that breathing bad
air tends so to reduce all the processes of the body, that
less oxygen is demanded and less carbonic acid sent out.
This, of course, lessens the vitality and weakens the constitution ; and it accounts for the fact that a person of full
health, accustomed to pure air, suffers from bad air far
more than those who are accustomed to it. The body of
strong and healthy persons demands more oxygen, and
throws off more carbonic acid, and is distressed when the
supply fails. But the one reduced by bad air feels little
inconvenience, because all the functions of life are so slow
that less oxygen is needed, and less carbonic acid thrown
out. And the sensibilities being deadened, the evil is not
felt. This provision of nature prolongs many lives, though
it turns vigorous constitutions into feeble ones. Were it
A HEALTHFUL
HOME.
53
not for this change in the constitution, thousands in badly
ventilated rooms and houses would come to a speedy death.
One of the results of unventilated rooms is scrofula. A
distinguished French physician, M. Baudeloque, states that:
" The repeated respiration of the same atmosphere is
the cause of scrofula. If there be entirely pure air, there
may be bad food, bad clothing, and want of personal cleanliness, but scrofulous disease can not exist. This disease
never attacks persons who pass their lives in the open air,
and always manifests itself when they abide in air which
is unrenewed. Invariably it will be found that a tru.y
scrofulous disease is caused by vitiated air; and it is not
necessary that there should be a prolonged stay in such
an atmosphere. Often, several hours each day is sufficient. Thus persons may live in the most healthy country, pass most of the day in the open air, and yet become
scrofulous by sleeping in a close room where the air is not
renewed. This is the case with many shepherds who pass
their nights in small huts with no opening but a door
closed tight at night."
The same writer illustrates this by the history of a
French village where the inhabitants all slept in close, unventilated houses. Nearly all were seized with scrofula,
and many families became wholly extinct, their last members dying "rotten with scrofula." A fire destroyed a
large part of this village. Houses were then built to
secure pure air, and scrofula disappeared from the part
thus rebuilt.
We are informed by medical writers that defective ventilation is one great cause of diseased joints, as well as of
diseases of the eyes, ears, and skin.
Foul air is the leading cause of tubercular and scrofulous consumption, so very common in our country. Dr.
Guy, in his examination before public health commissioners in Great Britain, says: " Deficient ventilation I believe
to be more fatal than all other causes put together." He
54
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
states that consumption is twice as common among tradesmen as among the gentry, owing to the bad ventilation of
their stores and dwellings.
Dr. Griscom, in his work on Uses and Abuses of Air,
says:
" Food carried from the stomach to the blood can not become nutritive till it is properly oxygenated in the lungs;
so that a small quantity of food, even if less wholesome,
may be made nutritive by pure air as it passes through
the lungs. But the best of food can not be changed into
nutritive blood till it is vitalized by pure air in the lungs."
And again:
" To those who have the care and instruction of the rising generation—the future fathers and mothers of men—
this subject of ventilation commends itself with an interest surpassing every other. Nothing can more convincingly establish the belief in the existence of something vitally wrong in the habits and circumstances of civilized life
than the appalling fact that one fourth of all who are born
die before reaching the fifth year, and one half the deaths
of mankind occur under the twentieth year. Let those
who have these things in charge answer to their own consciences how they discharge their duty in supplying to the
young a pure atmosphere, which is the first requisite for
healthy bodies and sound niinds"
On the subject of infant mortality the experience of savages should teach the more civilized. Professor Brewer,
who traveled extensively among the Indians of our western
territories, states: " I have rarely seen a sick boy among
the Indians." Oatlin, the painter, who resided and traveled
so much among these people, states that infant mortality is
very small among them, the reason, of course, being abundant exercise and pure air.
Dr. Dio Lewis, whose labors in the cause of health are
well known, in his very useful work, Weak Lungs, ana
How to Malce them Strong, says:
A HEALTHFUL HOME.
55
" As a medical man I have visited thousands of sickrooms, and have not found in one in a hundred of them
a pure atmosphere. I have often returned from church
doubting whether I had not committed a sin in exposing
myself so long to its poisonous air. There are in our great
cities churches costing $50,000, in the construction of which
not fifty cents were expended in providing means for ventilation. Ten thousand dollars for ornament, but not ten
cents for pure air!
" Unventilated parlors, with gas-burners, (each consuming as much oxygen as several men,) made as tight as possible, and a party of ladies and gentlemen spending half
the night in them! In 1861,1 visited a legislative hall,
the legislature being in session. I remained half an hour
in the most impure air I ever breathed. Our school-houses
are, some of them, so vile in this respect, that I would prefer to have my son remain in utter ignorance of books
rather than to breathe, six hours every day, such a poisonous atmosphere. Theatres and concert-rooms are so foul
that only reckless people continue to visit them. Twelve
hours in a railway-car exhausts one, not by the journeying,
but because of the devitalized air. While crossing the
ocean in a Cunard steamer, I was amazed that men who
knew enough to construct such ships did not know enough
to furnish air to the passengers. The distress of sea-sickness is greatly intensified by the sickening air of the ship.
Were carbonic acid only Mack, what a contrast there would
be between our hotels in their elaborate ornament!
" Some time since I visited an establishment where one
hundred and fifty girls, in a single room, were engaged in
needle-work. Pale-faced, and with low vitality and feeble
circulation, they were unconscious that they were breathing air that at once produced in me dizziness and a sense
of suffocation. If I had remained a week with them, I
should, by reduced vitality, have become unconscious of
the vileness of the air!"
56 ,
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
There is a prevailing prejudice against night air as unhealthily to be admitted into sleeping-rooms, which is
owing wholly to sheer ignorance. In the night every
body necessarily breathes night air and no other. When
admitted from without into a sleeping-room it is colder,
and therefore heavier, than the air within, so it sinks to
the bottom of the room and forces out an equal quantity
of the impure air, warmed and vitiated by passing through
the lungs of inmates. Thus the question is, Shall we shut
up a chamber and breathe night air vitiated with carbonic
acid or night air that is pure ? The only real difficulty
about night air is, that usually it is damper, and therefore
colder and more likely to chill. This is easily prevented
by sufficient bed-clothing.
One other very prevalent mistake is found even in books
written by learned men. It is often thought that carbonic
acid, being heavier than common air, sinks to the floor of
sleeping-rooms, so that the low trundle-beds for children
should not be used. This is all a mistake; for, as a fact, in
close sleeping-rooms the purest air is below and the most impure above. It is true that carbonic acid is heavier than common air, when pure; but this it rarely is except in chemical
experiments. It is the property of all gases, as well as of
the two (oxygen and nitrogen) composing the atmosphere,
that when brought together they always are entirely mixed,
each being equally diffused exactly as it would be if alone.
Thus the carbonic acid from the skin and lungs, being
warmed in the body, rises as does the common air, with
which it mixes, toward the top of a room ; so that usually
there is more carbonic acid at the "L/p than at the bottom of
a room.* Both common air and carbonic acid expand and
become lighter in the same proportions ; that i % for every
&
* Prof. Brewer, of the Yale Scientific School, says: " A s a fact, often
demonstrated by analysis, there is generally more carbonic acid n^a* th*
ceiling than near the floor."
A HEALTHFUL
HOME,
57
degree of added heat they expand at the rate of ^\-Q of
their bulk.
Here, let it be remembered, that in ill-ventilated rooms
the carbonic acid is not the only cause of disease. Experiments seem to prove that other matter thrown out of the
body, through the lungs and skin, is as truly excrement and
in a state of decay as that ejected from the bowels, and as
poisonous to the animal system. Carbonic acid has no
odor; but we are warned by the disagreeable effluvia of
close sleeping-rooms of the other poison thus thrown into
the air from the skin and lungs. There is one provision of
nature that is little understood, which saves the lives of
thousands living in unventilated houses; and that is, the
passage of pure air inward and impure air outward through
the pores of bricks, wood, stone, and mortar. Were such
dwellings changed to tin, which is not thus porous, in less
than a week thousands and tens of thousands would be in
danger of perishing by suffocation.
These statements give some idea of the evils to be remedied. But the most difficult point is how to secure the
remedy. For often the attempt to secure pure air by one
class of persons brings chills, colds, and disease on another
class, from mere ignorance or mismanagement.
To illustrate this, it must be borne in mind that those
who live in warm, close, and unventilated rooms are much
more liable to take cold from exposure to draughts and
cold air than those of vigorous vitality accustomed to
breathe pure air.
Thus the strong and healthy husband, feeling the want
of pure air in the night, and knowing its importance, keeps
windows open and makes such draughts that the wife, who
lives all day in a close room and thus is low in vitality, can
not bear the change, has colds, and sometimes perishes a
victim to wrong modes of ventilation.
So, even in health-establishments, the patients will pass
most of their days and nights in badly-ventilated rooms.
o8
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
But at times the physician, or some earnest patient, insists
on a mode of ventilation that brings more evil than good
to the delicate inmates.
The grand art of ventilating houses is by some method
that will empty rooms of the vitiated air and bring in a
supply of pure air by small and imperceptible currents.
But this important duty of a Christian woman is one
that demands more science, care, and attention than
almost any other; and yet, to prepare her for this duty
has never been any part of female education. Young
women are taught to draw mathematical diagrams and to
solve astronomical problems; but few, if any, of them are
taught to solve the problem of a house constructed to secure pure and moist air by day and night for all its inmates.
The heating and management of the air we breathe is
one of the most complicated problems of domestic economy, as will be farther illustrated in the succeeding chapter; and yet it is one of which most American women
are profoundly ignorant.
IV.
SCIENTIFIC DOMESTIC VEHTTLATION.
W E have seen in the preceding pages the process through
which the air is rendered unhealthful by close rooms and
want of ventilation. Every person inspires air about twenty
times each minute, using half a pint each time. At this
rate, every pair of lungs vititates one hogshead of air every
hour. The membrane that lines the multitudinous air-cells
of the lungs in which the capillaries are, should it be united
in one sheet, would cover the floor of a room twelve
feet square. Every breath brings a surface of air in contact
with this extent of capillaries, by which the air inspired
gives up most of its oxygen and receives carbonic acid in
its stead. These facts furnish a guide for the proper ventilation of rooms. Just in proportion to the number of persons in a room or a house, should be the amount of air
brought in and carried out by arrangements for ventilation.
But how rarely is this rule regarded in building houses or
in the care of families by housekeepers!
The evils resulting from the substitution of stoves instead of the open fireplace, have led scientific and benevolent men to contrive various modes of supplying pure air
to both public and private houses. But as yet little has
been accomplished, except for a few of the more intelligent
and wealthy. The great majority of the American people,
owing to sheer ignorance, are, for want of pure air, being
poisoned and starved; the result being weakened constitutions, frequent disease, and shortened life.
60
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
Whenever a family-room is heated by an open fire, it ia
dnly ventilated, as the impure air is constantly passing off
through the chimney, while, to supply the vacated space,
the pure air presses in through the cracks of doors, windows, and floors. No such supply is gained for rooms
warmed by stoves. And yet, from mistaken motives of
economy, as well as from ignorance of the resulting evils,
multitudes of householders are thus destroying health and
shortening life, especially in regard to women and children
who spend most of their time within-doors.
The most successful modes of making " a healthful home "
by a full supply of pure air to every inmate, will now be
described and illustrated.
It is the common property of both air and water to expand, become lighter and rise, just in proportion as they
are heated; and therefore it is the invariable law that cool
air sinks, thus replacing the warmer air below. Thus,
whenever cool air enters a warm room, it sinks downward
and takes the place of an equal amount of the warmer air,
which is constantly tending upward and outward. This
principle -of all fluids is illustrated by the following experiment:
Take a glass jar about a foot high and three inches in
diameter, and with a wire to aid in placing it aright, sink
a small bit of lighted candle so as to stand in the centre at
the bottom. (Fig. 28.) The candle will heat the air of the
jar, which will rise a little on one side, while the colder air
without will begin falling on the other side. These two
currents will so conflict as finally to cease, and then the
candle, having no supply of oxygen from fresh air, will begin to go out. Insert a bit of stiff paper so as to divide
the mouth of the jar, and instantly the cold and warm air
are not in conflict as before, because a current is formed
each side of the paper ; the cold air descending on one side
and the warm air ascending the other side, as indicated by
the arrows. As long as the paper remains, the candle will
SCIENTIFIC
DOMESTIC
VENTILATION.
61
bum, and as soon as it is removed, it will begin to go out,
and can be restored by again inserting the paper.
This illustrates the mode by which coal-mines are ventiFig. 28.
lated when filled with carbonic
acid. A shaft divided into two
/
/r
passages, (Fig. 29,) is let down
into the mine, where the air is
warmer than the outside air.
Immediately the colder air outside
presses down into the mine, through
the passage wliich is highest, being
admitted by the escape of an equal
quantity of the
Fig. 29.
warmer air,
#
which
rises
through the lower passage of the
shaft, this being
the first available opening for
it to rise through.,
A current is thus
created, which
continues as long as the inside air is
warmer than that without the mine,
and no longer. Sometimes a fire is
kindled in the mine, in order to continue or increase the warmth, and
consequent upward current of its air.
This illustrates one ol the cases
w^here a " wise woman that buildeth
her house" is greatly needed. For,
owing to the ignorance of architects,
house-builders, and men in general,
they have been building schoolhouses, dwelling-houses, churches,
62
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
and colleges, with the most absurd and senseless contrivances for ventilation, and all from not applying this simple
principle of science. On this point, Prof. Brewer, of the
Scientific School of Yale College, writes thus :
" I have been in public buildings, (I have one in mind
now, filled with dormitories,) which cost half a million,
where they attempted to ventilate every room by a flue, long
and narrow, built into partition walls, and extending up into
the capacious garret of the fifth story. Every room in the
building had one such flue, with an opening into it at the
floor and at the ceiling. It is needless to say that the
whole concern was entirely useless. Had these flues been
of proper proportions, and properly divided, the desired
ventilation would have been secured."
And this piece of ignorant folly was perpetrated in the
midst of learned professors, teaching the laws of fluids and
the laws of health.
A learned physician also thus wrote to the author of
this chapter: " The subject of the ventilation of our dwelling-houses is one of the most important questions of our
times. How many thousands are victims to a slow suicide
and murder, the chief instrument of which is want of ventilation ! How few are aware of the fact that every person,
every day, vitiates thirty-three hogsheads of the air, and
that each inspiration takes one fifth of the oxygen, and
returns as much carbonic acid, from every pair of lungs in
a room! How few understand that after air has received
ten per cent of this fatal gas, if drawn into the lungs, it
can no longer take carbonic acid from the capillaries! No
wonder there is so much impaired nervous and muscular
energy, so much scrofula, tubercles, catarrhs, dyspepsia,
and typhoid diseases. I hope you can do r^uch to remedy
the poisonous air of thousands and thousands of stoveheated rooms."
In a cold climate and wintry weather, the grand impediment to ventilating rooms by opening doors or wir
SCIENTIFIC DOMESTIC
VENTILATION.
S3
dows is the dangerous currents thus produced, which are
so injurious to the delicate ones that for their sake it can
not be done. Then, also, as a matter of economy, the
poor can not afford to practice a method which carries
off the heat generated by their stinted store of fuel.
Even in a warm season and climate, there are frequent
periods when the air without is damp and chilly, and yet
at nearly the same temperature as that in the house. At
such times, the opening of windows often has little effect
in emptying a room of vitiated air. The ventilating-flues,
such as are used in mines, have, in such cases, but little
influence; for it is only when outside air is colder that a
current can be produced within by this method.
The most successful mode of ventilating a house is by
creating a current of warm air in a flue, into which an
opening is made at both the top and the bottom of a room,
while a similar opening for outside air is made at the opposite side of the room. This is the mode employed in chemical laboratories for removing smells and injurious gases.
The laboratory-closet is closed with glazed doors, and has
an opening to receive pure air through a conductor from
without. The stove or furnace within has a pipe which joins
a larger cast-iron chimney-pipe, which is warmed by the
smoke it receives from this and other fires. This cast-iron
pipe is surrounded by a brick flue, through which air passes
from below to be warmed by the pipe, and thus an upward
current of warm air is created. Openings are then made
at the top and bottom of the laboratory-closet into the warmair flue, and the gases and smells are pressed by the colder
air into this flue, and are carried off in the current of warm air.
The same method is employed in the dwelling-house
shown in a preceding chapter. A cast-iron pipe is made
in sections, which are to be united, and the whole fastened
at top and bottom in the centre of the warm-air flue by
ears extending to the bricks, and fastened when the flue is
in process of building. Projecting openings to receive the
64
TEE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
pipes of the furnace, the laundry stove, and two stoves in
each story, should be provided, which must be closed when
not in use. A large opening is to be made into the warmair flue, and through this the kitchen stove-pipe is to pass,
and be joined to the cast-iron chimney-pipe. Thus the
smoke of the kitchen stove will warm the iron chimneypipe, and this will warm the air of the flue, causing a current upward, and this current will draw the heat and smells
of cooking out of the kitchen
Fig. 30.
into the opening of the warmair flue. Every room surrounding the chimney has an
opening at the top and bottom
into the warm-air flue for ventilation, as also have the bathroom and water-closets.
The writer has examined
the methods most employed
at the present time, which are
all modifications of the two
modes here described. One
is that of Robinson, patented
by a Boston company, which
is a modification of the mining mode. It consists of the
two ventilating tubes, such as
are employed in mines, united
in one shaft with a roof to
keep out rain, and a valve to
regulate the entrance and exit
of air, as illustrated in Fig.
30. This method works well
in certain circumstances, but
fails so often as to prove very unreliable. Another mode
is that of Ruttan, which is effected by heating air. This
also has certain advantages and disadvantages. But the
SCIENTIFIC DOMESTIC VENTILATION,
65
mode adopted for the preceding cottage plan is free from
the difficulties of both the above methods, while it will
surely ventilate every room in the house, both by day and
night, and at all seasons, without any risk to health, and requiring no attention or care from the family.
By means of a very small amount of fuel in the kitchen
stove, to be described hereafter, the whole house can be
ventilated, and all the cooking done both in warm and cold
weather. This stove will also warm the whole house, in the
Northern States, eight or nine months in the year. Two
Franklin stoves, in addition, wTill warm the whole house
during the three or four remaining coldest months.
In a warm climate or season, by means of the non-conducting castings, the stove will ventilate the house and do
all the cooking, without imparting heat or smells to any
part of the house except the stove-closet.
At the close of this volume, drawings, prepared by Mr.
Lewis Leeds, are given, more fully to illustrate this mode
of warming and ventilation, and in so plain and simple a
form that any intelligent woman who has read this work
can see that the plan is properly executed, even with workmen so entirely ignorant on this important subject as are
most house-builders, especially in the newer territories. In
the same article, directions are given as to the best modes
of ventilating houses that are already built without any
arrangements for ventilation.
V.
THE OONSTRUOTION AND OABE OF STOVES, FURNA.OE8,
USB
CHIMNEYS.
I F all American housekeepers could be taught how to
select and manage the most economical and convenient
apparatus for cooking and &r warming a house, many
millions now wasted by ignorance and neglect would be
saved. Every woman should be taught the scientific principles in regard to heat, and then their application to practical purposes, for her own benefit, and also to enable her
to train her children and servants in this important duty
of home life on which health and comfort so much depend.
The laws that regulate the generation, diffusion, and preservation of heat as yet are a sealed mystery to thousands
of young women who imagine they are completing a suitable education in courses of instruction from which most
that is practical in future domestic life is wholly excluded.
We therefore give a brief outline of some of the leading
scientific principles which every housekeeper should understand and employ, in order to perform successfully one
of her most important duties.
Concerning the essential nature of heat, and its intimate
relations with the other great natural forces, light, electricity, etc., we shall not attempt to treat, but shall, for practical purposes, assume it to be a separate and independent
force.
Heat or caloric, then, has certain powers or principles.
Let us consider them :
STOVES,
FURNACES,
AND CHIMNEYS.
65
First, we find Conduction, by which heat passes from one
particle to another next to i t ; as when one end of a poker
is warmed by placing the other end in the fire. The bodies
which allow this power free course are called conductors,
and those which do not are named non-conductors. Metals
are good conductors; feathers, wool, and furs are poor conductors ; and water, air, and gases are non-conductors.
Another principle of heat is Convection, by which water,
air, and gases are warmed. This is, literally, the process
of conveying heat from one portion of a fluid body to another by currents resulting from changes of temperature.
I t is secured by bringing one portion of a liquid or gas
into contact with a heated surface, whereby it becomes
lighter and expanded in volume. In consequence, the
cooler and heavier particles above pressing downward,
the lighter ones rise upward, when the former, being
heated, rise in their turn, and give place to others again
descending from above. Thus a constant motion of currents and interchange of particles is produced until, as in
a vessel of water, the whole body comes to an equal temperature. Air is heated in the same way. In case of a
hot stove, the air that touches it is heated, becomes lighter,
and rises, giving place to cooler and heavier particles,
which, when heated, also ascend. It is owing to this process that the air of a room is warmest at the top and coolest
at the bottom.
It is owing to this principle, also, that water and air
can not be heated by fire from above. For the particles
of these bodies, being non-conductors, do not impart heat
to each other; and when the warmest are at the top, they
can not take the place of cooler and heavier ones below.
Another principle of heat (which it shares with light) is
Radiation, by which all things send out heat to surrounding cooler bodies. Some bodies will absorb radiated heat,
others will reflect it, and others allow it to pass through
them without either absorbing or reflecting Thus, black
68
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
and rough substances absorb heat, (or light,) colored and
smooth articles reflect it, while air allows it to pass through
without either absorbing or reflecting. It is owing to this,
that rough and black vessels boil water sooner than smooth
and light-colored ones.
Another principle is Reflection, by which heat radiated
to a surface is turned back from it when not absorbed or
allowed to pass through; just as a ball rebounds from a
wall; just as sound is thrown back from a hill, making
echo; just as rays of light are reflected from a mirror.
And, as with light, the
Fig. 31.
rays of heat are always
reflected from a surface
in an angle exactly corresponding to the direction in which it strikes
that surface. Thus, if
— _
heated air comes to an
object perpendicularly—
that is, at right angles, it will be reflected back in the
same line. If it strikes obliquely, it is reflected obliquely,
at an angle with the surFig
face precisely the same
* ^
as the angle with which
it first struck. And, of
course, if it moves toward the surface and
comes upon it in a line
having so small an angle
with it as to be almost
parallel with it, the heated air is spread wide and diffused
through a larger space
mg
_^
-^
^^^,
than when the angles are
— ^—-^
greater and the width of
reflection less.
The simplest mode of warming a house and cooking food
STOVES, FURNACES, AND CHIMNEYS.
69
is by radiated heat from fires; but this is the most wasteful
method, as respects time, labor, and expense. The most convenient, economical, and labor-saving mode of employing
heat is by convection, as applied in stoves and furnaces.
But for want of proper care and scientific knowledge this
method has proved very destructive to health.
When
warming and cooking were done by open fires, houses were
well supplied with pure air, as is rarely the case in rooms
heated by stoves. For such is the prevailing ignorance on
this subject that, as long as stoves save labor and warm the
air, the great majority of people, especially among the
poor, will use them in ways that involve debilitated constitutions and frequent disease.
The most common modes of cooking, where open fires
are relinquished, are by the range and the cooking-stove.
The range is inferior to the stove in these respects: it is
less economical, demanding much more fuel; it endangers
the dress of the cook while standing near for various operations; it requires more stooping than the stove while
cooking; it will not keep a fire all night, as do the best
stoves; it will not burn wood and coal equally well; and
lastly, if it warms the kitchen sufficiently in winter, it is
too warm for summer. Some prefer it because the fumes
of cooking can be carried off; but stoves properly arranged
accomplish this equally well.
After extensive inquiry and many personal experiments,
the author has found a cooking-stove constructed on true
scientific principles, which unites convenience, comfort, and
economy in a remarkable manner. Of this stove, drawings
and descriptions will now be given, as the best mode of
illustrating the practical applications of these principles to
the art of cooking, and to show how much American womer have suffered and how much they have been imposed
upon for want of proper knowledge in this branch of theii
profession. And every woman can understand what follows with much less effort than young girls at high-schools
70
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
give to the first problems of Geometry—for which they will
never have any practical use, while attention to this problem of home affairs will cultivate the intellect quite as
much as the abstract reasonings of Algebra and Geometry.
Fig. 34.
Fig. 34 represents a portion of the interior of this cooking-stove. First, notice the fire-box, which has corrugated
(literally, wrinkled) sides, by which space is economized,
so that as much heating surface is secured as if they were
one third larger; as the heat radiates from every part of
the undulating surface, which is one third greater in superficial extent than if it were plane. The shape of the firebox also secures more heat by having oblique sides—
which radiate more effectively into the oven beneath than
if they were perpendicular, as illustrated below—while
also it is sunk into the oven, so as to radiate from three
instead of from two sides, as in most other stoves, the
STOVES,
FURNACES^
AND CHIMNEYS.
71
front of whose fire-boxes with their grates are built so as
to be the front of the stove itself.
The oven is the space under and around the back and
front sides of the
fire-box.
Fig. 36.
Fig. 35
The oven-bottom is not
tor
BOX
^^/'-•
introduced in the diagram, but it is a norrzonOVEN
' / / • \ \\Vtal plate between the firebox and what is represen0rdinary st0Ye
Model stove.
flue-plate,"
'
t e d a s the «
which separates the oven from the bottom of the stove.
The top of the oven is the horizontal corrugated plate
passing from the rear edge of the fire-box to the back flues.
These are three in number—the back centre-flue, which
is closed to the heat and smoke coming over the oven from
the fire-box by a damper—and the two back corner-flues.
Down these two corner-flues passes the current of hot air
and smoke, having first drawn across the corrugated oventop.
The arrows show its descent through these flues,
from which it obliquely strikes and passes over the flueplate, then under it, and then out through the centre backflue, which is open at the bottom, up into the smoke-pipe.
The flue-plate is placed obliquely, to accumulate heat by
forcing and compression; for the back space where the
smoke enters from the corner-flues is largest, and decreases
toward the front, so that the hot current is compressed in a
narrow space, between the oven-bottom and the flue-plate
at the place where the bent arrows are seen. Here again
it enters a wider space, under the flue-plate, and proceeds
to another narrow one, between the flue-plate and the
bottom of the stove, and thus is compressed and retained longer than if not impeded by these various contrivances. The heat and smoke also strike the plate
obliquely, and thus, by reflection from its surface, impart
more heat than if the passage was a horizontal one.
The external radiation is regulated by the use of non-
72
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
conducting plaster applied to the flue-plate and to the sides
of the corner-flues, so that the heat is prevented from radiating in any direction except toward the oven. The doors,
sides, and bottom of the stove are lined with tin casings,
which hold a stratum of air, also a non-conductor. These are
so arranged as to be removed whenever the weather becomes
cold, so that the heat may then radiate into the kitchen.
The outer edges of the oven are also similarly protected from
loss of heat by tin casings and air-spaces, and the oven-doors
opening at the front of the store are provided with the same
economical savers of heat. High tin covers placed on the
top prevent the heat from radiating above the stove.
These are exceedingly useful, as the space under them is
well heated and arranged for baking, for heating irons,
and many other incidental necessities. Cake and pies can
be baked on the top, while the oven is used for bread or
for meats. When all the casings and covers are on, almost
all the heat is confined within the stove, and whenever
heat for the room is wanted, opening the front oven-doors
turns it out into the kitchen.
Another contrivance is that of ventilating-holes in the
front doors, through which fresh air is brought into the
oven. This secures several purposes: it carries off the
fumes of cooking meats, and prevents the mixing of flavors
when different articles are cooked in the oven; it drives
the heat that accumulates between the fire-box and front
doors down around the oven, and equalizes its heat, so that
articles need not be moved while baking; and lastly, as
the air passes through the holes of the fire-box, it causes
the burning of gases in the smoke, and thus increases heat.
When wood or bituminous coal is used, perforated metal
linings are put in the fire-box, and the result is the burning of smoke and gases that otherwise would pass into the
chimney. This is a great discovery in the economy of
fuel, which can be applied in many ways.
Heretofore, most cooking-stoves have had dumping-grates,
STOVES,
FURNACES,
AND CHIMNEYS.
73
which are inconvenient from the dust produced, are uneconomical in the use of fuel, and disadvantageous from too
many or too loose joints. But recently this stove has been
provided with a dumping-grate which also will sift ashes,
and can be cleaned without dust and the other objectionable features of dumping-grates. A further account of this
Btove, and the mode of purchasing and using it, will be
given at the close of the book.
Those who are taught to manage the stove properly
keep the fire going all night, and equally well with wood
or coal, thus saving the expense of kindling and the trouble
of starting a new fire. When the fuel is of good quality,
all that is needed in the morning is to draw the backdamper, shake the grate, and add more fuel.
Another remarkable feature of this stove is the extensiontop, on which is placed a water reservoir, constantly heated
by the smoke as it passes from the stove, through one or two
uniting passages, to the smoke-pipe. Under this is placed
a closet for warming and keeping hot the dishes, vegetables,
meats, etc., while preparing for dinner. I t is also very
useful in drying fruit; and wThen large baking is required,
a small appended pot for charcoal turns it into a fine large
oven, that bakes as nicely as a brick oven.
Another useful appendage is a common tin oven, in
which roasting can be done in front of the stove, the ovendoors being removed for the purpose. The roast will be
done as perfectly as by an open fire.
This stove is furnished with pipes for heating water, like
the water-back of ranges, and these can be taken or left
out at pleasure. So also the top covers, the baking-stool
and pot, and the summer-back, bottom, and side-casings
can be used or omitted as preferred.
Fig. 37 exhibits the stove completed, with all its appendages, as they might be employed in cooking for a large
number.
Its capacity, convenience, and economy as a stove may
74
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
be estimated by the following fact: With proper manage*
ment of dampers, one ordinary-sized coal-hod of anthracite
coal will, for twenty-four hours, keep the stove running,
keep seventeen gallons of water hot at all hours, bake pies
Fig. 37.
and puddings in the warm closet, heat flat-irons under the
back cover, boil tea-kettle and one pot under the" front
cover, bake bread in the oven, and cook a turkey in the
tin roaster in front. The author has numerous friends,
who, after trying the best ranges, have dismissed them for
this stove, and in two or three years cleared the whole expense by the saving of fuel.
The remarkable durability of this stove is another economic feature. For in addition to its fine castings and
STOVES,
FURNACES^ AND CHIMNEYS.
75
nice-fitting workmanship, all the parts liable to burn out
are so protected by linings, and other contrivances easily
renewed, that the stove itself may pass from one generation to another, as do ordinary chimneys. The writer has
visited in families where this stove had been in constant
use for eighteen and twenty years, and was still as good as
new. In most other families the stoves are broken, burntout, or thrown aside for improved patterns every four,
five, or six years, and sometimes, to the knowledge of the
writer, still oftener.
Another excellent point is that, although it is so complicated in its various contrivances as to demand intelligent management in order to secure all its advantages, it
also can be used satisfactorily even when the mistress and
maid, are equally careless and ignorant of its distinctive
merits. To such it offers all the advantages of ordinary
good stoves, and is extensively used by those who take no
pains to understand and apply its peculiar advantages.
But the writer has managed the stove herself in all the
details of cooking, and is confident that any housekeeper
of common sense, who is instructed properly, and who also
aims to have her kitchen affairs managed with strict economy, can easily train any servant who is willing to learn,
BO as to gain the full advantages offered. And even without any instructions at all, except the printed directions
sent with the stove, an intelligent woman can, by due
attention, though not without, both manage it, and teach
her children and servants to do likewise. And whenever
this stove has failed to give the highest satisfaction, it has
been, either because the housekeeper was not apprized of
its peculiarities, or because she did not give sufficient
attention to the matter, or was not able or willing to superintend and direct its management.
The consequence has been that, in families where this
stove has been understood and managed aright, it has
saved nearly one half of the fuel that would be used in ordi-
76
TEE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL,
nary stoves, constructed with the usual disregard of scientific and economic laws. And it is because we know this
particular stove to be convenient, reliable, and economically efficient beyond ordinary experience, in the important
housekeeping element of kitchen labor, that we devote to
it so much space and pains to describe its advantageous
points.
CHIMNEYS.
One of the most serious evils in domestic life is often
found in chimneys that will not properly draw the smoke
of a fire or stove. Although chimneys have been building
for a thousand years, the artisans of the present day seem
strangely ignorant of the true method of constructing them
so as always to carry smoke upward instead of downward.
It is rarely the case that a large house is built in which
there is not some flue or chimney which " will not draw."
One of the reasons why the stove described as excelling all
others is sometimes cast aside for a poorer one is, that it
requires a properly constructed chimney, and multitudes
of women do not know how to secure it. The writer in
early life shed many a bitter tear, drawn forth by smoke
from an ill-constructed kitchen-chimney, and thousands
all over the land can report the same experience.
The following are some of the causes and the remedies
for this evil.
The most common cause of poor chimney draughts is too
large an opening for the fireplace, either too wide or too
high in front, or having too large a throat for the smoke.
In a lower story, the fireplace should not be larger than
thirty inches wide, twenty-five inches high, and fifteen deep.
In the story above, it should be eighteen inches square and
fifteen inches deep.
Another cause is too short a flue, and the remedy is to
lengthen it. As a general rule, the longer the flue the
stronger the draught. But in calculating the length of a
STOVES,
FURNACES,
AND CHIMNEYS.
77
flue, reference must be had to side-flues, if any open into it.
Where this is the case, the length of the main flue is to be
considered as extending only from the bottom to the point
where the upper flue joins it, and where the lower will
receive air from the upper flue. If a smoky flue can not
be increased in length, either by closing an upper flue or
lengthening the chimney, the fireplace must be contracted
so that all the air near the fire will be heated and thus
pressed upward.
If a flue has more than one opening, in some cases it is
impossible to secure a good draught. Sometimes it will
work well and sometimes it will not. The only safe rule is
to have a separate flue to each fire.
Another cause of poor draughts is too tight a room, so
that the cold air from without can not enter to press the
warm air up the chimney. The remedy is to admit a small
current of air from without.
Another cause is two chimneys in one room, or in rooms
opening together, in which the draught in one is much
stronger than in the other. In this case, the stronger
draught will draw away from the weaker. The remedy is,
for each room to have a proper supply of outside air; or,
in a single room, to stop one of the chimneys.
Another cause is the too close vicinity of a hill or buildings higher than the top of the chimney, and the remedy
for this is to raise the chimney.
Another cause is the descent, into unused fireplaces, of
smoke from other chimneys near. The remedy is to close
the throat of the unused chimney.
Another cause is a door opening toward the fireplace,
on the same side of the room, so that its draught passes
along the wall and makes a current that draws out the
smoke. The remedy is to change the hanging of the door
so as to open another way.
Another cause is strong winds. The remedy is a turncap on top of the chimney.
78
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
Another cause is the roughness of the inside of a chimney, or projections which impede the passage of the smoke.
Every chimney should be built of equal dimensions from
bottom to top, with no projections into it, with as few bends
as possible, and with the surface of the inside as smooth
as possible.
Another cause of poor draughts is openings into the
chimney of chambers for stove-pipes. The remedy is to
ulose them, or insert stove-pipes that are in use.
Another cause is the falling out of brick in some part of
the chimney so that outer air is admitted. The remedy is
to close the opening.
The draught of a stove may be affected by most of these
causes. It also demands that the fireplace have a tight
fire-board, or that the throat be carefully filled. For neglecting this, many a good stove has been thrown aside and
a poor one taken in its place.
If all young women had committed to memory these
causes of evil and their remedies, many a badly-built chimney might have been cured, and many smoke-drawn tears,
sighs, ill-tempers, and irritating words avoided.
But there are dangers in this direction which demand
special attention. Where one flue has two stoves or fireplaces, in rooms one above the other, in certain states of the
atmosphere, the lower room, being the warmer, the colder
air and carbonic acid in the room above will pass down into
the lower room through the opening for the stove or the
fireplace.
This occurred not long since in a boarding-school, when
the gas in a room above flowed into a lower one, and suffocated several to death. This room had no mode of ventilation, and several persons slept in it, and were thus stifled. Professor Brewer states a similar case in the family
of a relative. An anthracite stove was used in the upper
room; and on one still, dose night, the gas from this stove
descended through the flue and the opening into a room below
STOVES\
FURNACES,
AND CHIMNEYS.
79
and stifled two persons to insensibility, though, by proper
efforts, their lives were saved. Many such cases have occurred where rooms have been thus filled with poisonous
gases, and servants and children destroyed, or their constitutions injured, simply because housekeepers are not properly instructed in this important branch of their profession.
FURNACES.
There is no improved mechanism in the economy of
domestic life requiring more intelligent management than
furnaces. Let us then consider some of the principles involved.
The earth is heated by radiation from the sun. The air
is not warmed by the passage of the sun's heat through it,
but by convection from the earth, in the same way that it
is warmed by the surfaces of stoves. The lower stratum
of air is warmed by the earth and by objects which have
been warmed by radiated heat from the sun. The particles of air thus heated expand, become lighter, and rise,
being replaced by the descent of the cooler and heavier
particles from above, which, on being warmed also rise,
and give place to others. Owing to this process, the air
is warmest nearest the earth, and grows cooler as height
increases.
The air has a strong attraction for water, and always
holds a certain quantity as invisible vapor. The warmer
the air, the more moisture it demands, and it will draw it
from all objects within reach. The air holds water according to its temperature. Thus, at fifty-two legrees, Fahrenheit's thermometer, it holds half the moisture it can
sustain; but at thirty-six degrees, it will hold only one
eighty-sixth part. The earth and all plants and trees are
constantly sending out moisture; and when the air has received all it can hold, without depositing it as dew, it is
said to be saturated, and the point of temperature at which
80
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
dew begins to form, by condensation, upon the surface
of the earth and its vegetation, is called the dew-point.
When air, at a given temperature, has only forty per cent
of the moisture it requires for saturation, it is said to be
dry. In a hot summer day, the air will hold far more
moisture than in cool days. In summer, out-door air
rarely holds less than half its volume of water. In 1838,
at Cambridge, Massachusetts, and New-Haven, Connecticut, at seventy degrees, Fahrenheit, the air held eighty per
cent of moisture.
In New-Orleans, the air often retains ninety per cent of
the moisture it is capable of holding; and in cool days at
the North, in foggy weather, the air is sometimes wholly
saturated.
"When air holds all the moisture it can, without depositing dew, its moisture is called 100. When it holds three
fourths of this, it is said to be at seventy-five per cent.
When it holds only one half, it is at fifty per cent. When
it holds only one fourth, it is at twenty-five per
cent, etc.
Sanitary observers teach that the proper amount of moisture in the air ranges from forty to seventy per cent of
.saturation.
Now, furnaces, which are of course used only in winter,
receive outside air at a low temperature, holding little
moisture; and heating it greatly increases its demand for
moisture. This it sucks up, like a sponge, from the walls
and furniture of a house. If it is taken into the human
lungs, it draws much of its required moisture from the body,
often causing dryness of lips and throat, and painfully affecting the lungs. Prof. Brewer, of the Scientific School
of New-Haven, who has experimented extensively on this
subject, states that, while forty per cent of moisture is
needed in air to make it healthful, most stoves and furnaces
do not, by any contrivances, supply one half of this, or
not twenty per cent. H e says most furnace-heated air is
STOVES,
FURNACES,
AND CHIMNEYS.
81
dryer than is ever breathed in the hottest deserts of Sahara.
Thus, for want of proper instruction, most American
housekeepers not only poison their families with carbonic
acid and starve them for want of oxygen, but also diminish
health and comfort for want of a due supply of moisture
in the air. And often when a remedy is sought, by evaporating water in the furnace, it is without knowing that the
amount evaporated depends, not on the quantity of water
in the vessel, but on the extent of evaporating surface
exposed to the air. A quart of water in a wide shallow
pan will give more moisture than two gallons with a small
surface exposed to heat.
There is also no little wise economy in expense attained
by keeping a proper supply of moisture in the air. For
it is found that the body radiates its heat less in moist
than in dry air, so that a person feels as warm at a lower
temperature when the air has a proper supply of moisture,
as in a much higher temperature of dry air. Of course,
less fuel is needed to warm a house when water is evaporated in stove and furnace-heated rooms. It is said by those
who have experimented, that the saving in fuel is twenty
per cent when the air is duly supplied with moisture.
There is a very ingenious instrument, called the hygrodeik, which indicates the exact amount of moisture in the
air. It consists of two thermometers side by side, one of
which has its bulb surrounded by floss-silk wrapping, which
is kept constantly wet by communication with a cup of
water near it. The water around the bulb evaporates just
in proportion to the heat of the air around it. The changing of water to vapor draws heat from the nearest object,
and this being the bulb of the thermometer, the mercury
is cooled and sinks. Then the difference between the two
thermometers shows the amount of moisture in the air by
a pointer on a dial-plate constructed by simple mechanism
for this purpose.
82
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
There is one very important matter in regard to the use
of furnaces, which is thus stated by Professor Brewer:
" I think it is a well-established fact that carbonic oxide
will pass through iron. It is always formed in great abundance in any anthracite fire, but especially in anthracite
stoves and furnaces. Moreover, furnaces always leak, more
or less; how much they leak depending on the care and
skill with which they are managed. Carbonic oxide is
much more poisonous than carbonic acid. Doubtless some
carbonic oxide finds its way into all furnace-heated houses,
especially where anthracite is used; the amount varying
with the kind of furnace and its management. As to how
much escapes into a room, and its specific effect upon the
health of its occupants, we have no accurate data, no analysis to show the quantity, and no observati ns to show the
relation between the quantity inhaled and the health of
those exposed ; all is mere conjecture upon this point; but
the inference is very strong that it has a very injurious
effect, producing headaches, weariness, and other similar
symptoms.
" Recent pamphlets lay the blame of all the bad effects
of anthracite furnaces and stoves to the carbonic oxide mingled in the air. I think these pamphlets have a bad influence. Excessive dryness also has bad effects. So also the
excessive heat in the evenings and coolness in the mornings
has a share in these evils. But how much in addition is
owing to carbonic oxide, we can not know, until we know
something of the actual amount of this gas in rooms, and
as yet we know absolutely nothing definite. In fact, it will
be a difficult thing to prove."
There are other difficulties connected with furnaces which
should be considered. It is necessary to perfect health that
an. equal circulation of the blood be preserved. The greatest impediment to this is keeping the head warmer than the
feet. This is especially to be avoided in a nation where the
brain is by constant activity drawing the blood from the
STOVES,
FURNACES,
AND CHIMNEYS.
83
extremities. And nowhere is this more important than
in schools, churches, colleges, lecture and recitation-rooms,
where the brain is called into active exercise. And yet,
furnace-heated rooms always keep the feet in the coldest
air, on cool floors, while the head is in the warmest air.
Another difficulty is the fact that all bodies tend to radiate their heat to each other, till an. equal temperature exists.
Thus, the human body is constantly radiating its heat to
the walls, floors, and cooler bodies around. At the same
time, a thermometer is affected in the same way, radiating
its heat to cooler bodies around, so that it always marks a
lower degree of heat than actually exists in the warm air
around it. Owing to these facts, the injected air of a furnace is always warmer than is good for the lungs, and much
warmer than is ever needed in rooms warmed by radiation
from fires or heated surfaces. The cooler the air we inspire,
the more oxygen is received, the faster the blood circulates,
and the greater is the vigor imparted to brain, nerves, and
muscles.
Scientific men have been contriving various modes of
meeting these difficulties, and at the close of this volume
some results will be given to aid a woman in selecting and
managing the most healthful and economical furnace, or in
providing some better method of warming a house. Some
account will also be given of the danger involved in gasstoves, and some other recent inventions for cooking and
heating.
VI.
HOME DECORATION.
HAYING duly arranged for the physical necessities of a
healthful and comfortable home, we next approach the
important subject of beauty in reference to the decoration of houses. For while the aesthetic element must be
subordinate to the requirements of physical existence, and,
as a matter of expense, should be held of inferior consequence to means of higher moral growth; it yet holds
a place of great significance among the influences which
make home happy and attractive, which give it a constant
and wholesome power over the young, and contributes
much to the education of the entire household in refinement, intellectual development, and moral sensibility.
Here we are met by those who tell us that of course
they want their houses handsome, and that, when they
get money enough, they intend to have them so, but at
present they are too poor, and because they are poor
they dismiss the subject altogether, and live without any
regard to it.
We have often seen people who said that they could not
afford to make their houses beautiful, who had spent upon
them, outside or in, an amount of money which did not
produce either beauty or comfort, and which, if judiciously
applied, might have made the house quite charming.
For example, a man-, in building his house, takes a plan
of an architect. This plan includes, on the outside, a
number of what Andrew Fairservice called " curlywur-
HOME DECORATION.
85
lies" and " whigmaliries," which make the house neither
prettier nor more comfortable, and which take up a good
deal of money. We would venture to say that we could
buy the chromo of Bierstadt's " Sunset in the Yo Semite
Valley," and four others like it, for half the sum that
we have sometimes seen laid out on a very ugly, narrow, awkward porch on the outside of a house. The
only use of this porch was to cost money, and to cause
every body who looked at it to exclaim as they went by,
" W h a t ever induced that man to put a thing like that
on the outside of his house ?"
Then, again, in the inside of houses, we have seen a
dwelling looking very bald and bare, when a suflicient
sum of money had been expended on one article to have
made the whole very pretty: and it has come about in this
way.
We will suppose the couple who own the house to be in
the condition in which people generally are after they
have built a house—having spent more than they could
afford on the building itself, and yet feeling themselves
under the necessity of getting some furniture.
" N o w , " says the housewife, " I must at least have a
parlor-carpet. We must get that to begin with, and other
things as we go on." She goes to a store to look at carpets.
The clerks are smiling and obliging, and sweetly complacent. The storekeeper, perhaps, is a neighbor or a friend,
and after exhibiting various patterns, he tells her of a
Brussels carpet he is selling wonderfully cheap—actually a
dollar and a quarter less a yard than the usual price 01
Brussels, and the reason is that it is an unfashionable pattern, and he has a good deal of it, and wishes to close it off.
She looks at it and thinks it is not at all the kind of carpet she meant to buy, but then it is Brussels, and so cheap '
And as she hesitates, her friend tells her that she will find
it " cheapest in the end—that one Brussels carpet will outlast three or four ingrains," etc., etc.
86
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
The result of all this is, that she buys the Brussels carpet,
which, with all its reduction in price, is one third dearer
than the ingrain would have been, and not half so pretty.
When she comes home, she will find that she has spent, we
will say eighty dollars, for a very homely carpet whose
greatest merit it is an affliction to remember—namely, that
it will outlast three ordinary carpets. And because she
has bought this carpet she can not afford to paper the walls
or put up any window-curtains, and can not even begin to
think of buying any pictures.
Now let us see what eighty dollars could have done for
that room. We will suppose, in the first place, she invests
in thirteen rolls of wall-paper of a lovely shade of buff,
which will make the room look sunshiny in the day-time,
and light up brilliantly in the evening. Thirteen rolls of
good satin paper, at thirty-seven cents a roll, expends four
dollars and eighty-one cents. A maroon bordering, made
in imitation of the choicest French style, which can not at
a distance be told from it, can be bought for six cents a
yard. This will bring the paper to about five dollars and
a half; and our friends will give a day of their time to
putting it on. The room already begins to look furnished.
Then, let us cover the floor with, say, thirty yards of
good matting, at fifty cents a yard. This gives us a carpet
for fifteen dollars. We are here stopped by the prejudice
that matting is not good economy, because it wears out so
soon. We humbly submit that it is precisely the thing for
a parlor, which is reserved for the reception-room of
friends, and for our own dressed leisure hours. Matting is
not good economy in a dining-room or a hard-worn sittingroom ; but such a parlor as we are describing is precisely
the place where it answers to the very best advantage.
We have in mind one very attractive parlor which has
been, both for summer and winter, the daily sitting-room
for the leisure hours of a husband and wife, and family
of children, where a plain straw matting has done ser*
HOME
DECORATION.
87
vice for seven years. That parlor is in a city, and these
friends are in the habit of receiving visits from people who
live upon velvet and Brusssls; but they prefer to spend the
money which such carpets would cost on other modes of
embellishment; and this parlor has often been cited to us
'as a very attractive room.
And now our friends, having got thus far, are requested
to select some one tint or color which shall be the prevailing one in the furniture of the room. Shall it be green ?
Shall it be blue ? Shall it be crimson ? To carry on our
illustration, we will choose green, and we proceed with it
to create furniture for our room. Let us imagine that on
one side of the fireplace there be, as there is often, a recess
about six feet long and three feet deep. Fill this recess
with a rough frame with four stout legs, one foot high, and
upon the top of the frame have an elastic rack of slats.
Make a mattress for this, or, if you wish to avoid that trouble, you can get a nice mattress for the sum of two dollars,
made of cane-shavings or husks. Cover this with a green
English furniture print. The glazed English comes at
about twenty-five cents a yard, the glazed French at
seventy-five cents a yard, and a nice article of yard-wide
French twill (very strong) is from seventy-five to eighty
cents a yard.
With any of these cover your lounge. Make two large,
square pillows of the same substance as the mattress, and
set up at the back. If you happen to have one or two
feather pillows that you can spare for the purpose, shake
them down into a square shape and cover them with the
same print, and you will then have four pillows for your
lounge—one at each end, and two at the back, and you
will find it answers for all the purposes of a sofa.
It will be a very pretty thing, now, to cut out of the
same material as your lounge, sets of lambrequins (or, as
they are called, lamberkins,) a kind of pendent curtain-top,
as shown in the illustration, to put over the windows,
88
TEE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
which are to be embellished with white muslin curtains.
The cornices to your windows can be simply strips of
wood covered with paper to match the bordering of your
plain white muslin, or some of the many styles that come for
this purpose. If plain muslin is used, you can ornament
them with hems an inch in width, in which insert a strip of
gingham or chambray of the same color as your chintz.
This will wash with the curtains without losing its color, or
should it fade, it can easily be drawn out and replaced.
The influence of white-muslin curtains in giving an air
of grace and elegance to a room is astonishing. White
curtains really create a room out of nothing. No matter
how coarse the muslin, so it be white and hang in graceful
folds, there is a charm in it that supplies the want of multitudes of other things.
Very pretty curtain-muslin can be bought at thirtyseven cents a yard. It requires six yards for a window.
HOME
DECORATION.
89
Let your men-folk knock up for you, out of rough, unplaned boards, some ottoman frames, as described in Chapter I I . ; stuff the tops with just the same material as the
lounge, and cover them with the self-same chintz.
Now you
have, suppose your
selected
color
to
be green,
a
green
lounge in
the corner
and
two
green ottomans; you
have white
muslin curtains, with
green lambrequins
and borders, and your room already looks furnished.
If you have in the house any broken-down arm-chair, reposing in the oblivion of the garret, draw it out—drive a
nail here and there to . hold it firm—stuff and pad, and
stitch the padding through with a long upholsterer's needle, and cover it with the chintz like your other furniture. Presto—you create an easy-chair.
Thus can broken and disgraced furniture reappear, and,
being put into uniform with the general suit of your
room, take a new lease of life.
If you want a centre-table, consider this—that any kind
of table, well concealed beneath the folds of handsome
drapery, of a color corresponding to the general hue of the room,
will look well. Instead of going to the cabinet-maker and
paying from thirty to forty dollars upon a little, narrow,
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
90
MANUAL.
cold, marble-topped stand, that giyes just room enough to
hold a lamp and a book or two, reflect within yourself
what a centre-table is made for. If you haye in youi
house a good, broad, generous-topped table, take it, coyer
it with an ample cloth of green broadcloth. Such a coyer,
two and a half yards square, of fine green broadcloth,
figured wTith black and with a pattern-border of grapeIeayes, has been bought for ten dollars. In a room we wol
of, it covers a cheap pine table, such as you may buy foi
four or five dollars any day; but you will be astonished
to see how handsome an object this table makes under its
green drapery. Probably you could make the coyer more
cheaply by getting the cloth and trimming its edge with a
handsome border, selected for the purpose; but either way,
it will be an economical and useful ornament. We set
down our centre-table, therefore, as consisting mainly of a
nice broadcloth coyer, matching our curtains and lounge.
We are sure that any one wTith " a heart that is humble" may command such a centre-table and cloth for fifteen dollars or less, and a family of fiye or six may all sit
and work, or read, or write around it, and it is capable of
entertaining a generous allowance of books and knickknacks.
You have now for your parlor the following figures:
Wall-paper and border,
Thirty yards matting,
Centre-table and cloth,
Muslin for three windows,
Thirty yards green English chintz, at 25 cents,
Six chairs, at $2 each,
Total,
$5
15
15
6
7
12
50
00
00
75
50
00
$61 75
Subtracted from eighty dollars, which we set down as
the price of the cheap, ugly Brussels carpet, we haye our
whole room papered, carpeted, curtained, and furnished,
and we have nearly twenty dollars remaining for pictures.
HOME
DECORATION.
91
As a little suggestion in regard to the selection, yon can
get Miss Oakley's charming little cabinet picture of
" The Little Scrap-Book Maker" for
Eastman Johnson's " Barefoot Boy,"
Newman's "Blue-fringed Gentians,"
Bierstadt's " Sunset in the Yo Semite Valley,"
$f
(Prang) 5
(Prang) 6
(Prang) 12
50
00
00
00
Here are thirty dollars' worth of really admirable
pictures of some of our best American artists, from
which you can choose at your leisure. By sending to any
leading picture-dealer, lists of pictures and prices will be
forwarded to you. These chromos, being all varnished,
can wait for frames until you can afford them. Or, what
is better, because it is at once cheaper and a means of educating the ingenuity and the taste, you can make for yourselves pretty rustic frames in various modes. Take a very
thin board, of the right size and
shape, for the foundation or
" m a t ; " saw out the inner oval
or rectangular form to suit the
picture. Nail on the edge a rustic
frame made of branches of hard,
seasoned wood, and garnish the
corners with some pretty device;
such, for instance, as a cluster of
acorns; or, in place of the branches of trees, fasten on with glue
small pine cones, with larger ones for corner ornaments.
Fi
Or use the mosses of the wood or
socean shells for this purpose. It
may be more convenient to get the
mat or inner moulding from a
framer, or have it made by your
carpenter, with a groove behind to
hold a glass. Here are also pictureframes of pretty effect, and very
simply made. The one in Fig. 42
92
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
is made of either light or dark wxood, neat, thin, and not
very wide, with the ends simply broken off, or cut so as to
resemble a rough
break.
The other
is white pine, sawn
into simple form,
well smoothed, and
marked with a delicate black tracery,
as suggested in Fig.
43.
This should
also be varnished,
then it will take a
rich, yellow tinge,
wxhich
harmonizes
admirably with
chromos, and lightens up engravings
to singular advantage. Besides the
American and the higher range of German and English chromos, there are very many pretty little French
chromos, which can be had at
prices from $1 to $5, including
black walnut frames.
We have been through this
calculation merely to show our
readers how much beautiful
effect may be produced by a
wise disposition of color and
skill in arrangement.
If any
of our friends should ever carry
it out, they will find that the
buff paper, with its dark, narrow border; the green chintz
repeated in the lounge, the ottomans, and lambrequins;
the flowing, white curtains; the broad, generous centre-
HOME DECORATION.
93
table, draped with its ample green cloth, will, when arranged together, produce an effect of grace and beauty
far beyond wThat any one piece or even half a dozen pieces
of expensive cabinet furniture could. The great, simple
principle of beauty illustrated in this room is harmony of
color.
You can, in the same way, make a red room by using
Turkey red for your draperies; or a blue room by using
blue chintz. Let your chintz be of a small pattern, and
one that is decided in color.
We have given the plan of a room with matting on the
floor because that is absolutely the cheapest cover. The
price of thirty yards plain, good ingrain carpet, at $1.50
per yard, would be forty-five dollars; the difference between forty-five and fifteen dollars would furnish a room
with pictures such as we have instanced. However, the
same programme can be even better carried out with a
green ingrain carpet as the foundation of the color of the
room.
Our friends, who lived seven years upon matting, contrived to give their parlor in winter an effect of warmth
and color by laying down, in front of the fire, a large
square of carpeting, say three breadths, four yards long.
This covered the gathering-place around the fire where the
winter circle generally sits, and gave an appearance of
warmth to the room.
If we add this piece of carpeting to the estimates for
our room, we still leave a margin for a picture, and make
the programme equally adapted to summer and winter.
Besides the chromos, which, when well selected and of the
best class, give the charm of color which belongs to expensive paintings, there are engravings which finely reproduce
much of the real spirit and beauty of the celebrated pictures of the world. And even this does not exhaust the
resources of economical a r t ; for there are few of the
renowned statues, whether of antiquity or of modern times,
94
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
that have not been accurately copied in plaster casts; and
a few statuettes, costing perhaps five or six dollars each,
will give a really elegant finish to your rooms—providing
always that they are selected with discrimination and
taste.
The educating influence of these works of art can hardly
be over-estimated. Surrounded by such suggestions of the
beautiful, and such reminders of history and art, children
are constantly trained to correctness of taste and refinement of thought, and stimulated—sometimes to efforts at
artistic imitation, always to the eager and intelligent inquiry about the scenes, the places, the incidents represented.
Just here, perhaps, we are met by some who grant all
that we say on the subject of decoration by works of art,
and who yet impatiently exclaim, " But I have no money
to spare for any thing of this sort. I am condemned to an
absolute bareness, and beauty in my case is not to be
thought of."
Are you sure, my friend ? If you live in the country, or
can get into the country, and have your eyes opened and
your wits about you, your house need not be condemned
to an absolute bareness. Not so long as the woods are
full of beautiful ferns and mosses, while every swamp
shakes and nods with tremulous grasses, need you feel
yourself an utterly disinherited child of nature, and deprived of its artistic use.
For example: Take an old tin pan condemned to the
retired list by reason of holes in the bottom, get twenty-five
cents' worth of green paint for this and other purposes, and
paint it. The holes in the bottom are a recommendation
for its new service. If there are no holes, you must drill
two or three, as drainage is essential. Now put a layer
one inch deep of broken charcoal and potsherds ever the
bottom, and then soil, in the following proportions :
Two fourths wood-soil, such as you find in forests, under
trees.
HOME
DECORATION.
95
One fourth clean sand.
One fourth meadow-soil, taken from under fresh turf.
Mix with this some charcoal dust.
In this soil plant all sorts of ferns, together with some
few swamp-grasses; and around the edge put a border of
money-plant or periwinkle to hang over. This will need
to be watered once or twice a week, and it will grow and
thrive all summer long in a corner of your room. Should
you prefer, you can suspend it by wires and make a hanging-basket. Ferns and wood-grasses need not have sunshine—they grow well in shadowy places.
On this same principle you can convert a salt-box or an
old drum of figs into a hanging-basket. Tack bark and
pine-cones and moss upon the outside of it, drill holes and
pass wires through it, and you have a woodland hangingbasket, which will hang and grow in any corner of your
house.
We have been into rooms which, by the simple disposition of articles of this kind, have been made to have an air
so poetical and attractive
that they seemed more
like a nymph's cave than
any thing in the real
world.
Another mode of disposing of ferns is this: Take
a fiat piece of board sawed
out something like a
shield, with a hole at the
top for hanging it up.
Upon the board nail a
wire pocket made of an
ox-muzzle flattened on
one side; or make something of the kind with stiff wire. Line this with a
sheet of close moss, which appears green behind the wire
96
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
net-work. Then you fill it with loose, spongy moss, such
as you find in swamps, and plant therein great plumes
of fern and various swamp-grasses ; they will continue to
grow there, and hang gracefully over. When watering,
set a pail under for it to drip into. It needs only to keep
this moss always damp, and to sprinkle these ferns occasionally with a whisk-broom, to have a most lovely ornament for your room or hall.
The use of ivy in decorating a room is beginning to be
generally acknowledged. It needs to be planted in the
kind of soil we have described, in a well-drained pot or
box, and to have its leaves thoroughly washed once or
twice a year in strong suds made with soft-soap, to free it
from dust and scale-bug; and an ivy will live and thrive
and wind about in a room, year in and year out, will grow
around pictures, and do almost any thing to oblige you that
you can suggest to it. For instance, in a March number of
Hearth and Home* there is a picture of the most delightful
library-window imaginable, whose chief charm consists in
the running vines that start from a longitudinal box at the
bottom of the window, and thence clamber up and about
the casing and across the rustic frame-work erected for its
convenience. On the opposite page we present another
plain kind of window, ornamented with a variety of these
rural economical adornings.
In the centre is a Ward's case. On one side is a pot of
Fuchsia.
On the other side is a Calla Lily. In the hanging-baskets and on the brackets are the ferns and flowers
that flourish in the deep woods, and around the window is
the ivy, running from two boxes; and, in case the window
has some sun, a Nasturtion may spread its bright blossoms
among the leaves. Then, in the winter, when there is less
sun, the Striped Spider-wort, the Smilax and the Saxifraga
* A beautifully illustrated agricultural and family weekly paper, edited
by Donald G. Mitchell (Ik Marvel) and Mrs. H. B. Stowe.
Fig. 46.
98
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
Samentosa (or Wandering Jew) may be substituted. Pretty
brackets can be made of common pine, ornamented with
odd-growing twigs or mosses or roots, scraped and varnished,
or in their native state.
A beautiful ornament for a room with pictures is German ivy. Slips of this will start without roots in bottles of
water. Slide the bottle behind the picture, and the ivy will
seem tc come from fairyland, and hang its verdure in all
manner of pretty curves around the picture. It may then
be trained to travel toward other ivy, and thus aid in forming green cornice along the ceiling. We have seen some
rooms that had an ivy cornice around the whole, giving
the air of a leafy bower.
There are some other odd devices to ornament a room.
For example, a sponge, kept wet by daily immersion, can be
filled with flax-seed and suspended by a cord, when it will ere
long be covered with verdure and afterward with flowers.
A sweet potato, laid in a bowl of water on a bracket, or
still better, suspended by a knitting-needle, run through or
laid across the bowl half in the water, will, in due time, make
a beautiful verdant ornament. A large carrot, with the
smallest half cut off, scooped out to hold water and then
suspended with cords, will send out graceful shoots in rich
profusion.
Half a cocoa-nut shell, suspended, will hold earth or water
for plants and make a pretty hanging-garden.
It may be a very proper thing to direct the ingenuity
and activity of children into the making of hanging-baskets
and vases-of rustic work. The best foundations are the
cheap wooden bowls, which are quite easy to get, and the
walks of children in the woods can be made interesting by
their bringing home material for this rustic work. Different
colored twigs and sprays of trees, such as the bright scarlet
of the dog-wood, the yellow of the willow, the black of the
birch, and the silvery gray of the poplar, may be combined
in fanciful net-work For this sort of work, no other in-
HOME
DECORATION.
99
vestment is needed than a hammer and an assortment of
different-sized tacks, and beautiful results will be produced.
Fig. 46 is a stand for
Fig. 46.
flowers, made of roots,
scraped and varnished.
l3ut the greatest and
cheapest and most delightful fountain of
beauty is a " Ward
case."
Now, immediately all
our economical friends
give up in despair.
Ward's cases sell all
the way along from
eighteen to fifty dollars, and are, like every
thing else in this lower
world, regarded as the
sole perquisites of the
rich.
Let us not be too sure. Plate-glass, and hot-house plants,
and rare patterns, are the especial inheritance of the rich;
but any family may command all the requisites of a Ward
case for a very small sum. Such a case is a small glass
closet over a well-drained box of soil. You make a Ward
case on a small scale when you turn a tumbler over a plant.
The glass keeps the temperature moist and equable, and
preserves the plants from dust, and the soil being well
drained, they live and thrive accordingly. The requisites
of these are the glass top and the bed of well-drained soil.
Suppose you have a common cheap table, four feet long
and two wide. Take off the top boards of your table, and
with them board the bottom across tight and firm; then
line it with zinc, and you will have a sort of box or sink on
legs. Now make a top of common window-glass such as
100
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
you would get for a cucumber-frame; let it be two and a
half feet high, with a ridge-pole like a house, and a slant-
and cheap. Common window-sash and glass are not dear, and any man with
moderate ingenuity could fashion such a glass closet for
his wife ; or a woman, not having such a husband, can do
it herself.
The sink or box part must have in the middle of it a hole
of good size for drainage. In preparing for the reception
of plants, first turn a plant-saucer over this hole, wThich may
otherwise become stopped. Then, as directed for the other
basket, proceed with a layer of broken charcoal and potsherds for drainage, two inches deep, and prepare the soil as
directed above, and add to it some pounded charcoal, or
the scrapings of the charcoal-bin. In short, more or less
charcoal and charcoal-dust is always in order in the treatment of these moist subjects, as it keeps them from fermenting and growing sour.
HOME
DECORATION.
lOi
Now for filling the case.
Our own native forest-ferns have a period in the winter
months when they cease to grow. They are very particular in asserting their right to this yearly nap, and will not,
on any consideration, grow for you out of their appointed
season.
Nevertheless, we shall tell you what we have tried ourselves, because greenhouse ferns are expensive, and often
great cheats when you have bought them, and die on your
hands in the most reckless and shameless manner. If you
make a Ward case in the spring, your ferns will grow
beautifully in it all summer; and in the autumn, though they
stop growing, and cease to throw out leaves, yet the old
leaves will remain fresh and green till the time for starting
the new ones in the spring.
But, supposing you wish to start your case in the fall,
out of such things as you can find in the forest; by searching carefully the rocks and clefts and recesses of the forest,
you can find a quantity of beautiful ferns whose leaves the
frost has not yet assailed. Gather them carefully, remembering that the time of the plant's sleep has come, and that
you must make the most of the leaves it now has, as you
will not have a leaf more from it till its waking-up time
in February or March. But we have succeeded, and you
will succeed, in making a very charming and picturesque
collection. You can make in your Ward case lovely little grottoes with any bits of shells, and minerals, and rocks
you may have; you can lay down, here and there, fragments of broken looking-glass for the floor of your grottoes,
and the effect of them will be magical. A square of looking-glass introduced into the back side of your case will
produce charming effects.
The trailing arbutus or May-flower, if cut up carefully
in sods, and put into this Ward case, will come into bloom
there a month sooner than it otherwise would, and gladden
your eyes and heart.
102
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
In the fall, if you can find the tufts of eye-bright or
houstonia cerulia, and mingle them in with your mosses,
you will find them blooming before winter is well over.
But among the most beautiful things for such a case is
the partridge-berry, with its red plums. The berries swell
and increase in the moist atmosphere, and become intense
in color, forming an admirable ornament.
Then the ground pine, the princess pine, and various
nameless pretty things of the woods, all flourish in these
little conservatories. In getting your sod of trailing arbutus, remember that this plant forms its buds in the fall. You
must, therefore, examine your sod carefully, and see if the
buds are there ; otherwise you will find no blossoms in the
spring.
There are one or two species of violets, also, that form
their buds in the fall, and these too, will blossom early for
you.
We have never tried the wild anemones, the crowfoot, etc.;
but as they all do well in moist, shady places, we recom
mend hopefully the experiment of putting some of them
in.
A Ward case has this recommendation over common
house-plants, that it takes so little time and care. If well
made in the outset, and thoroughly drenched with water
when the plants are first put in, it will after that need
only to be watered about once a month, and to be ventilated
by occasionally leaving open the door for a half-hour or
hour when the moisture obscures the glass and seems in
excess.
To women embarrassed with the care of little children,
yet longing for the refreshment of something growing and
beautiful, this indoor garden will be an untold treasure.
The glass defends the plant from the inexpedient intermeddling of little fingers; while the little eyes, just on a level
with the panes of glass, can look through and learn to enjoy
the beautiful, silent miracles of nature.
HOME
DECORATION.
103
For an invalid's chamber, such a case would be an indescribable comfort. It is, in fact, a fragment of the green
woods brought in and silently growing; it will refresh
many a weary hour to watch it.
VII.
THE
CARE
OF
HEALTH.
THERE IS no point where a woman is more liable to
suffer from a want of knowledge and experience than in
reference to the health of a family committed to her care.
Many a young lady who never had any charge of the sick;
who never took any care of an infant; who never obtained
information on these subjects from books, or from the experience of others; in short, with little or no preparation,
has found herself the principal attendant in dangerous sickness, the chief nurse of a feeble infant, and the responsible
guardian of the health of a whole family.
The care, the fear, the perplexity of a woman suddenly
called to these unwonted duties, none can realize till they
themselves feel it, or till they see some young and anxious
uovice first attempting to meet such responsibilities. To
a woman of age and experience these duties often involve
a measure of trial and difficulty at times deemed almost insupportable ; how hard, then, must they press on the heart
of the young and inexperienced!
There is no really efficacious mode of preparing a
woman to take a rational care of the health of a family,
except by communicating that knowledge in regard to the
construction of the body and the laws of health which is *
the basis of the medical profession. Not that a woman
should undertake the minute and extensive investigation
requisite for a physician; but she should gain a general
knowledge of first principles, as a guide to her judgment
in emergencies when she can rely on no other aid.
THE CARE
OF
HEALTH.
105
With this end in view, in the preceding chapters some
portions of the organs and functions of the human body
have been presented, and others will now follow in connection with the practical duties which result from them.
On the general subject of health, one recent discovery
of science may here be introduced as having an important
relation to every organ and function of the body, and as
being one to which frequent reference will be made; and
that is, the nature and operation of cell-life.
By the aid of the microscope, we can examine the minute
construction of plants and animals, in which we discover
contrivances and operations, if not so sublime, yet more
wonderful and interesting, than the vast systems of worlds
revealed by the telescope.
By this instrument it is now seen that the first formation, as well as future changes and actions, of all plants and
animals are accomplished by means of small cells or bags
containing various kinds of liquids. These cells are so
minute that, of the smallest, some hundreds would not
cover the dot of a printed i on this page. They are of diverse shapes and contents, and perform various different
operations.
The first formation of every animal is accomplished by
the agency of cells, and may be illustrated by the egg of any bird or
fowl. The exterior consists of a
hard shell for protection, and this
is lined with a tough skin, to which
is fastened the yelk, (which means
the yellow^) by fibrous strings, as
seen at a, a, in the diagram. In
the yelk floats the germ-cell, 5, which is the point where the
formation of the future animal commences. The yelk,
being lighter than the white, rises upward, and the germ
being still lighter, rises in the yelk. This is to bring both
nearer to the vitalizing warmth of the brooding mother.
106
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
New cells are gradually formed from the nourishing
yelk around the germ, each being at first roundish in
shape, and having a spot near the centre, called the
nucleus. The reason why cells increase must remain a
mystery, until we can penetrate the secrets of vital force
—probably forever.' But the mode in which they multiply is as follows: The first change noticed in a cell,
when warmed into vital activity, is the appearance of a
second nucleus within it, while the cell gradually becomes
oval in form, and then is drawn inward at the middle, like
an hour-glass, till the two sides meet. The two portions
then divide, and two cells appear, each containing its own
germinal nucleus. These both divide again in the same
manner, proceeding in the ratio of 2, 4, 8, 16, and so on,
until most of the yelk becomes a mass of cells.
The central point of this mass, where the animal itself
commences to appear, shows, first, a round-shaped f|g nre >
which soon assumes form like a pear, and then like a
violin. Gradually the busy little cells arrange themselves
to build up heart, lungs, brain, stomach, and limbs, for
which the yelk and white furnish nutriment. There is a
small bag of air fastened to one end inside of the shell;
and when the animal is complete, this air is taken into its
lungs, life begins, and out walks little chick, all its powers
prepared, and ready to run, eat, and enjoy existence. Then,
as soon as the animal uses its brain to think and feel, and
its muscles to move, the cells which have been made up
into these parts begin to decay, while new cells are formed
from the blood to take their place. Thus with life commences the constant process of decay and renewal all over
the body.
The liquid portion of the blood consists of material
formed from food, air, and water. From this material the
cells of the blood are formed: first, the white cells, which
are incomplete in formation; and then the red cells, which
are completed by the addition of the oxygen received from
THE CARE
OF
HEALTH.
107
air in the lungs. Fig. 49 represents part of a magnified
blood-vessel, $, $, in which the round cells are the white,
and the oblong the red cells,
floating in the blood. Surrounding the blood-vessels
are the cells forming the adjacent membrane, b h, each
having a nucleus in its centre.
Cells have different powers
of selecting and secreting
diverse materials from the
blood. Thus, some secrete
bile to carry to the liver,
others secrete saliva for the
mouth, others take up the
tears, and still others take
material for the brain, muscles, and all other organs. Cells also have a converting
power, of taking one kind of matter from the blood, and
changing it to another kind. They are minute chemical
laboratories all over the body, changing materials of one
kind to another form in which they can be made useful.
Both animal and vegetable substances are formed of
cells. But the vegetable cells take up and use unorganized or simple, natural matter; whereas the animal cell
only takes substances already organized into vegetable or
animal life, and then changes one compound into another
of different proportions and nature.
These curious facts in regard to cell-life have important
relations to the general subject of the care of health, and
also to the cure of disease, as will be noticed in following
chapters.
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM.
There is another portion of the body, which is so intimately connected with every other that it is placed in this
108
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
chapter as also having reference to every department ii>
the general subject of the care of health.
The body has no power to move itself, but is a collection
of instruments to be used by the mind in securing various
kinds of knowledge and enjoyment. The organs through
which the mind thus operates are the brain and nerves.
The drawing (Fig. 50) represents them.
The brain lies in the skull,
and is divided into the large
or upper brain, marked 1,
and the small or lower brain,
marked 2. From the brain
runs the spinal marrow
through the spine or backbone. From each side of the
spine the large nerves run
out into innumerable smallei
branches to every portion of
the body.
The drawing
shows only some of the larger branches. Those marked
3 run to the neck and organs
of the chest; those marked 4
go to the arms; those below
the arms, marked 3, go to
the trunk ; and those marked
5 go to the legs.
The brain and nerves consist of two kinds of nervous
matter—the gray, which is supposed to be the portion
that originates and controls a nervous fluid which imparts
power of action; and the white, which seems to conduct
this fluid to every part of the body.
The brain and nervous system are divided into distinct
portions, each having different offices to perform, and each
acting independently of the others; as, for example, one
THE CARE
OF
HEALTH.
109
portion is employed by the mind in thinking, and in feeling
pleasurable or painful mental emotions ; another in moving
the mnscles; while the nerves that run to the nose, ears,
eyes, tongue, hands, and surface generally, are employed in
seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling all physical
sens&ticns.
The tack portion of the spinal marrow and the nerves
that run from it are employed in sensation, or the sense of
feeling. These nerves extend over the whole body, but are
largely developed in the network of nerves in the skin.
The front portion of the spinal marrow and its branches
are employed in moving those muscles in all parts of the
body which are controlled by the will or choice of the mind.
These are called the nerves of motion.
The nerves of sensation and nerves of motion, although
they start from different portions of the spine, are united
in the same sheath or cover, till they terminate in the
muscles. Thus, every muscle is moved by nerves of motion ;
while alongside of this nerve, in the same sheath, is a nerve
of sensation. All the nerves of motion and sensation are
connected with those portions of the brain used when we
think, feel, and choose. By this arrangement the mind
knows what is wanted in all parts of the body by means of
the nerves of sensation, and then it acts by means of the
nerves of motion.
For example, when we feel the cold air on the skin, the
nerves of sensation report to the brain, and thus to the
mind, that the body is growing cold. The mind thus
knows that more clothing is needed, and wills to have the
eyes look for it, and the hands and feet move to get it.
This is done by the nerves of sight and of motion.
Next are the nerves of involuntary motion, which move
all those parts of the head, face, and body that are used in
breathing, and in other operations connected with it. By
these we continue to breathe when asleep, and whether we
will to do so or not. There are also some of the nerves ol
110
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
voluntary motion that are mixed with these, which enable
the mind to stop respiration, or to regulate it to a certain
extent. But the mind has no power to stop it for any
great length of time.
There is another large and important system of nerves
called the sympathetic or ganglionic system. It consists of
small masses of gray and white nervous matter, that seem
to be small brains with nerves running from them. These
are called ganglia, and are arranged on each side of the
spine, while small nerves from the spinal marrow run into
them, thus uniting the sympathetic system with the nerves
of the spine. These ganglia are also distributed around in
various parts of the interior .of the body, especially in the
intestines, and all the different ganglia are connected with
each other by nerves, thus making one system. It is the
ganglionic system that carries on the circulation of the
blood, the action of the capillaries, lymphatics, arteries, and
veins, together with the work of secretion, absorption, and
most of the internal working of the body, which goes forward without any knowledge or control of the mind.
Every portion of the body has nerves of sensation coming from the spine, and also branches of the sympathetic
or ganglionic system. The object of this is to form a sympathetic communication between the several parts of the
body, and also to enable the mind to receive, through the
brain, some general knowledge of the state of the whole
system. It is owing to this that, when one portion of the
body is affected, other portions sympathize. For example,
if one part of the body is diseased, the stomach may so sympathize as to lose all appetite until the disease is removed.
All the operations of the nervous system are performed
by the influence of the nervous fluid, which is generated
in the gray portions of the brain and ganglia. Whenever
a nerve is cut off from its connection with these nervous
centres, its power is gone, and the part to which it minis
tered becomes lifeless and incapable of motion.
THE CARE
OF
HEALTH.
Ill
The brain and nerves can be overworked, and can also
suffer for want of exercise, just as the muscles do. It is
necessary for the perfect health of the brain and nerves
that the several portions be exercised sufficiently, and that
no part be exhausted by over-action. For example, the
nerves of sensation may be very much exercised, and the
nerves of motion have but little exercise. In this case, one
will be weakened by excess of work, and the other by
the want of it.
It is found by experience that the proper exercise of the
nerves of motion tends to reduce any extreme susceptibility of the nerves of sensation. On the contrary, the
neglect of such exercise tends to produce an excessive
sensibility in the nerves of sensation.
Whenever that part of the brain which is employed in
thinking, feeling, and willing, is greatly exercised by hard
study, or by excessive care or emotion, the blood tends to
the brain to supply it with increased nourishment, just as
it flows to the muscles when they are exercised. Over-exercise of this portion of the brain causes engorgement of
the blood-vessels. This is sometimes indicated by pain, or
by a sense of fullness in the head; but oftener the result
is a debilitating drain on the nervous system, which depends for its supply on the healthful state of the brain.
The brain has, as it were, a fountain of supply for the
nervous fluid, which flows to all the nerves, and stimulates
them to action. Some brains have a larger, and some a
smaller fountain; so that a degree of mental activity that
would entirely exhaust one, would make only a small and
healthful drain upon another.
The excessive use of certain portions of the brain tends
to withdraw the nervous energy from other portions; so
that when one part is debilitated by excess, another fails by
neglect. For example, a person may so exhaust the brain
power in the excessive use of the nerves of motion by
hard work, as to leave little for any other faculty. On the
112
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
other hand, the nerves of feeling and thinking may be so
used as to withdraw the nervous fluid from the nerves of
motion, and thus debilitate the muscles.
Some animal propensities may be indulged to such ex*
cess as to produce a constant tendency of the blood to a
certain portion of the brain, and to the organs connected
with it, and thus cause a constant and excessive excitement, which finally becomes a disease. Sometimes a paralysis of this portion of the brain results from such an
entire exhaustion of the nervous fountain and of the overworked nerves.
Thus, also, the thinking portion of the brain may be so
overworked as to drain the nervous fluid from other portions, which become debilitated by the loss. And in this
way, also, the overworked portion may be diseased or
paralyzed by the excess.
The necessity for the equal development of all portions of
the brain by an appropriate exercise of all the faculties of
mind and body, and the influence of this upon happiness,
is the most important portion of this subject, and will be
more directly exhibited in another chapter.
VIIL
DOMESTIC EXERCISE,
I N a work which aims to influence women to train the
young to honor domestic labor and to seek healthful exercise in home pursuits, there is special reason for explaining
the construction of the muscles and their connection with
the nerves, tliese being the chief organs of motion.
The muscles, as seen by the naked eye, consist of very
fine fibres or strings, bound up in smootli, silky casings of
thin membrane. But each of these visible fibres or strings
the microscope shows to be made up of still finer strings,
numbering from five to eight hundred in each fibre. And
each of tliese microscopic fibres is a series or chain of
elastic cells, which are so minute that one hundred thousand would scarcely cover a capital O on this page;
The peculiar property of the cells which compose the
muscles is their elasticity, no other cells of the body Having
this property. At Fig. 51 is a
. lg' '.
diagram representing a micror y v y y V Y Y SC0 P^ C m u scular fibre, in which
V A . A - A A A A».y. the cells are relaxed, as in the
natural state of rest. But when
the muscle contracts, each of its numberless cells in all its
small fibres becomes widened, making
Flg 62
_ each fibre of the muscle shorter and
f
V V YVV ^ c k e r , a s a t Fig. 52. This explains
,1111)
the cause of the swelling out of muscles
when they act.
Every motion in every part of the body has a special
114
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
muscle to produce it, and many have other muscles to restore the part moved to its natural state. The muscles that
move or bend any part are called flexors, and those that restore the natural position are called extensors*
Fig. 53 represents the muscles of the arm after the skin
and flesh are removed. They are all in
smooth silky cases, laid over each other,
and separated both by the smooth membranes that encase them and by layers of
fat, so as to move easily without interfering with each other. They are fastened
to the bones by strong tendons and cartilages ; and around the wrist, in the drawing, is shown a band of cartilage to confine them in place. The muscle marked
8 is the extensor that straightens the fingers after they have been closed by a
flexor the other side of the arm. In like
manner, each motion of the arm and fingers has one muscle to produce it and
another to restore to the natural position.
The muscles are dependent on the
brain and nerves for power to move. I t
has been shown that the gray matter of
the brain and spinal marrow furnishes
the stimulating power that moves the
muscles, and causes sensations of touch
on the skin, and the other sensations of
the several senses. The white part of the brain and spinal
marrow consists solely of conducting tubes to transmit this
influence. Each of the minute fibrils of the muscles has a
small conducting nerve connecting it with the brain or
spinal marrow, and in this respect each muscular fibril is
separate from every other.
When, therefore, the mind wills to move a flexor muscle
of the arm, the gray matter sends out the stimulus through
DOMESTIC
EXERCISE.
115
the nerves to the cells of each individual fibre of that
muscle, and they contract. When this is done, the nerve
of sensation reports it to the brain and mind. If the mind
desires to return the arm to its former position, then follows the willing, and consequent stimulus sent through the
nerves to the corresponding muscle; its cells contract, and
the limb is restored.
"When the motion is a compound one, involving the
action of several muscles at the same time, a multitude of
impressions are sent back and forth to and from the brain
through the nerves. But the person acting thus is unconscious of all this delicate and wonderful mechanism. H e
wills the movement, and instantly the requisite nervous
power is sent to the required cells and fibres, and they
perform the motions required. Many of the muscles are
moved by the sympathetic system, over which the mind
has but little control.
Among the muscles and* nerves so intimately connected,
run the minute capillaries of the blood, which furnish
nourishment to all.
Fig, 54 represents an artery at a, which brings pure
blood to a muscle from the heart. After
Fig. 54.
meandering through the capillaries at c,
to distribute oxygen and food from the
stomach, the blood enters the vein, 5,
loaded with carbonic acid and water
taken up in the capillaries, to be carried
to the lungs or skin, and thrown out into
the air.
The manner in which the exercise
of the muscles quickens the circulation of the blood will now be explained.
The veins abound in every part of every
muscle, and the large veins have valves which prevent the
blood from flowing backward. If the wrist is grasped
tightly, the veins of the hand are immediately swollen.
116
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
This is owing to the fact that the blood is prevented from
flowing toward the heart by this pressure, and by the veinvalves from returning into the arteries; while the arteries
themselves, being placed deeper down, are not so compressed,
and continue to send the blood into the hand, and thus it accumulates. As soon as this pressure is removed, the blood
springs onward from the restraint with accelerated motion.
This same process takes place when any of the muscles
are exercised. The contraction of any muscle presses some
of the veins, so that the blood can not flow the natural way,
while the valves in the veins prevent its flowing backward.
Meantime the arteries continue to press the blood along
until the veins become swollen. Then, as soon as the
muscle ceases its contraction, the blood flows faster from
the previous accumulation.
If, then, we use a number of muscles, and use them
strongly and quickly, there are so many veins affected in
this way as to quicken the whole circulation. The heart
receives blood faster, and sends it to the lungs faster.
Then the lungs work quicker, to furnish the oxygen required by the greater amount of blood. The blood returns with greater speed to the heart, and the heart sends
it out with quicker action through the arteries to the capillaries. In the capillaries, too* the decayed matter is carried off faster, and then the stomach calls for more food
to furnish new and pure blood. Thus it is that exercise
gives new life and nourishment to every part of the body.
It is the universal law of the human frame that exercise
is indispensable to the health of the several parts. Thus,
if a blood-vessel be tied up, so as not to be used, it shrinks,
and becomes a useless string; if a muscle be condemned
to inaction, it shrinks in size and diminishes in power; and
thus it is also with the bones. Inactivity produces softness, debility, and unfitness for the functions they are designed to perform.
Now, the nerves, like all other parts of the body, gain
DOMESTIC
EXERCISE.
117
and lose strength according as they are exercised. If they
have too much or too little exercise, they lose strength;
if they are exercised to a proper degree, they gain strength.
When the mind is continuously excited, by business, study,
or the imagination, the nerves of emotion and sensation are
kept in constant action, while the nerves of motion are unemployed. If this is continued for a long time, the nerves
of sensation lose their strength from over-action, and the
nerves of motion lose their power from inactivity. In
consequence, there is a morbid excitability of the nervous,
and a debility of the muscular system, which make all
exertion irksome and wearisome.
The only mode of preserving the health of these systems
is to keep up in them an equilibrium of action. For this
purpose, occupations must be sought which exercise the
muscles and interest the mind; and thus the equal action
of both kinds of nerves is secured. This shows why exercise
is so much more healthful and invigorating when the mind
is interested, than when it is not. As an illustration, let a
person go shopping with a friend, and have nothing to do
but look on. How soon do the continuous walking and standing weary! But, suppose one, thus wearied, hears of the
arrival of a very dear friend: she can instantly walk off a
mile or two to meet her, without the least feeling of fatigue.
By this is shown the importance of furnishing, for young
persons, exercise in which they will take an interest. Long
and formal walks, merely for exercise, though they do some
good, in securing fresh air, and some exercise of the muscles, would be of triple benefit if changed to amusing
sports, or to the cultivation of fruits and flowers, in which
it is impossible to engage without acquiring a great interest.
I t shows, also, why it is far better to trust to useful domestic exercise at home than to send a young person out to
walk for the mere purpose of exercise. Young girls can
seldom be made to realize the value of health, and the
118
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
need of exercise to secure it, so as to feel much interest in
walking abroad, when they have no other object. But, if
they are brought up to minister to the comfort and enjoyment of themselves and others, by performing domestic
duties, they will constantly be interested and cheered in
their exercise by the feeling of usefulness and the consciousness of having performed their duty.
There are few young persons, it is hoped, who are brought
up with such miserable habits of selfishness and indolence
that they can not be made to feel happier by the consciousness of being usefully employed. And those who have
never been accustomed to think or care for any one but
themselves, and who seem to feel little pleasure in making
themselves useful, by wise and proper influences can often
be gradually awakened to the new pleasure of benevolent
exertion to promote the comfort and enjoyment of others.
And the more this sacred and elevating kind of enjoyment
is tasted, the greater is the relish induced. Other enjoyments often cloy; but the heavenly pleasure secured by
virtuous industry and benevolence, while it satisfies at the
time, awakens fresh desires for the continuance of so ennobling a good.
IX.
HEALTHFUL FOOD.
T H E person who decides what shall be the food and
drink of a family, and the modes of its preparation, is the
one who decides, to a greater or less extent, what shall be
the health of that family. I t is the opinion of most medical men, that intemperance in eating is one of the most
fruitful of all causes of disease and death. If this be so, the
woman who wisely adapts the food and cooking of her family to the laws of health removes one of the greatest
risks which threatens the lives of those under her care.
But, unfortunately, there is no other duty that has been
involved in more doubt and perplexity. Were one to
believe all that is said and written on this subject, the conclusion probably would be, that there is not one solitary
article of food on God's earth which it is healthful to eat.
Happily, however, there are general principles on this
subject which,, if understood and applied, will prove a safe
guide to any woman of common sense; and it is the object
of the following chapter to set forth these principles.
All material things on earth, whether solid, liquid, or
gaseous, can be resolved into sixty-two simple substances,
only fourteen of which are in the human body; and these,
in certain proportions, in all mankind.
Thus, in a man weighing 154 lbs. are found, 111 lbs.
oxygen gas, and 14 lbs. hydrogen gas, which, united, form
water; 21 lbs. carbon; 3 lbs. 8 oz. nitrogen gas; 1 lb. 12
oz. 190 grs. phosphorus; 2 lbs. calcium, the chief ingredient of bones; 2 oz. fluorine ; 2 oz. 219 grs. sulphur; 2 oz
120
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
47 grs. chlorine; 2 oz. 116 grs. sodium; 100 grs. iron; 290
grs. potassium; 12 grs. magnesium; and 2 grs. silicon.
These simple substances are constantly passing out of
the body through the lungs, skin, and other excreting
organs.
It is found that certain of these simple elements are used
for one part of the body, and others for other parts, and
this in certain regular proportions. Thus, carbon is the
chief element of fat, and also supplies the fuel that com
bines with oxygen in the capillaries to produce animal
heat. The nitrogen which we gain from our food and the
air is the chief element of muscle; phosphorus is the chief
element of brain and nerves; and calcium or lime is the
hard portion of the bones. Iron is an important element
of blood, and silicon supplies the hardest parts of the teeth,
nails, and hair.
Water, which is composed of the two gases, oxygen and
hydrogen, is the largest portion of the body, forming its
fluids ; there is four times as much of carbon as there is of
nitrogen in the body; while there is only two per cent as
much phosphorus as carbon. A man weighing one hundred
and fifty-four pounds, who leads an active life, takes into
his stomach daily from two to three pounds of solid food,
and from five to six pounds of liquid. At the same time he
takes into his lungs, daily, four or five thousand gallons of
air. This amounts to three thousand pounds of nutriment
received through stomach and lungs, and then expelled from
the body, in one year; or about twenty times the man's own
weight.
The change goes on in every minute point of the body,
though in some parts much faster than in others; as set
forth in the piquant and sprightly language of Dr. O. W
Holmes,* who, giving a vivid picture of the constant decay
and renewal of the body, says:
* Atlantic Almanac, 1869, p. 40.
HEALTHFUL
FOOD.
121
" Every organized "being always lives immersed in a
strong solution of its own elements."
" Sometimes, as in the case of the air-plant, the solution
contains all its elements; but in higher plants, and in animals generally, some of the principal ones only. Take our
own bodies, and we find the atmosphere contains the oxygen
and the nitrogen, of which we are so largely made up, as its
chief constituents ; the hydrogen, also, in its watery vapor ;
the carbon, in its carbonic acid. What our air-bath does not
furnish us, 've must take in the form of nourishment, supplied through the digestive organs. But the first food we
take, after we have set up for ourselves, is air, and the last
food we take is air also. ¥ e are all chameleons in our diet,
as we are all salamanders in our habitats, inasmuch as we live
always in the fire of our own smouldering combustion; a
gentle but constant flame, fanned every day by the same
forty hogsheads of air which furnish us not with our daily
bread, which we can live more than a day without touching,
but with our momentary, and oftener than momentary, aliment, without which we can not live five minutes."
" We are perishing and being born again at every instant.
We do literally enter over and over again into the womb of
that great mother, from whom we get our bones, and flesh,
and blood, and marrow. ' I die daily ' is true of all that
live. If we cease to die, particle by particle, and to be born
anew in the same proportion, the whole movement of life
comes to an end, and swift, universal, irreparable decay resolves our frames into the parent elements."
" The products of the internal fire which consumes us over
and over again every year, pass off mainly in smoke and
steam from the lungs and the skin. The smoke is only invisible, because the combustion is so perfect. The steam is
plain enough in our breaths on a frosty morning; and an
over-driven horse will show us, on a larger scale, the cloud
that is always arising from own bodies."
" Man walks, then, not only in a vain show, but wrapped
122
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
in an nncelestial aureole of his own material exhalations.
A great mist of gases and of vapor rises day and night from
the whole realm of living nature. The water and the carbonic acid which animals exhale become the food of plants,
whose leaves are at once lungs and mouths. The vegetable
world reverses the breathing process of the animal creation,
restoring the elements which that has combined and rendered
effete for its own purposes, to their original condition. The
salt-water ocean is a great aquarium. The air ocean in
which we live is a ' Wardian case,' of larger dimensions."
It is found that the simple elements will not nourish
the body in their natural state, but only when organized,
either as vegetable or animal food; and, to the dismay of
the Grahamite or vegetarian school, it is now established
by chemists that animal and vegetable food contain the
same elements, and in nearly the same proportions.
Thus, in animal food, carbon predominates in fats, while
in vegetable food it shows itself in sugar, starch, and vegetable oils. Nitrogen is found in animal food in the albumen, fibrin, and caseine; while in vegetables it is in
gluten, albumen, and caseine.
It is also a curious fact that, in all articles of food, the
elements that nourish diverse parts of the body are divided
into separable portions, and also that the proportions correspond in a great degree to the
wants of the body. For example, a kernel of
wdieat contains all the articles demanded for
every part of the body. Fig. 55 represents,
upon an enlarged scale, the position and proportions of the chief elements required. The
white central part is the largest in quantity,
and is chiefly carbon in the form of starch,
which supplies fat and fuel for the capillaries. The
shaded outer portion is chiefly nitrogen, which nourishes
the muscles, and the dark spot at the bottom is principally phosphorus, which nourishes the brain and
HEALTHFUL
FOOD.
125
nerves. And these elements are in due proportion to the
demands of the body. A portion of the outer covering of
a wheat-kernel holds lime, silica, and iron, which are
needed by the body, and which are found in no other part
of the grain. The woody fibre is not digested, but serves
by its bulk and stimulating action to facilitate digestion.
Tt is therefore evident that bread made of unbolted flour
is more healthful than that made of superfine flour. The
process of bolting removes all the woody fibre; the lime
needed for the bones ; the silica for hair, nails, and teeth;
the iron for the blood; and most of the nitrogen and
phosphorus needed for muscles, brain, and nerves.
Experiments on animals prove that fine flour alone,
which is chiefly carbon, will not sustain life more than a
month, wdiile unbolted flour furnishes all that is needed
for every part of the body. There are cases where persons
can not use such coarse bread, on account of its irritating
action on inflamed coats of the stomach. For such, a
kind of wheaten grit is provided, containing all the kernel
of the wheat, except the outside woody fibre.
When the body requires a given kind of diet, specially demanded by brain, lungs, or muscles, the appetite will crave
food for it until the necessary amount of this article is secured.
If, then, the food in which the needed aliment abounds
is not supplied, other food will be taken in larger quantities than needed until that amount is gained. For all kinds
of food have supplies for every want of the body, though
in different proportions. Thus, for example, if the muscles
are worked a great deal, food in which nitrogen abounds is
required, and the appetite will continue until the requisite
amount of nitrogen is secured. If, then, food is taken
which has not the requisite quantity, the consequence
is, that more is taken than the system can use, while
the vital powers are needlessly taxed to throw off the
excess.
These facts were ascertained by Liebig, a celebrated Ger
124
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
man chemist and physicist, who, assisted by his government, conducted experiment? on a large scale in prisons, in
armies, and in hospitals. Among other results, he states
that those who use potatoes for their principal food eat them
in very much larger quantities than their bodies would demand if they used also other food. The reason is, that the
potato has a very large proportion of starch that supplies
only fuel for the capillaries and very little nitrogen to feed
the muscles. For this reason lean meat is needed with
potatoes.
In comparing wheat and potatoes we find that in one
hundred parts wheat there are fourteen parts nitrogen for
muscle, and two parts phosphorus for brain and nerves.
But in the potato there is only one part in one hundred
for muscle, and nine tenths of one part of phosphorus for
brain and nerves.
The articles containing most of the three articles needed
generally in the body are as follows: for fat and heat-making—butter, lard, sugar, and molasses ; for muscle-making
—lean meat, cheese, peas,, beans, and lean fishes; for brain
and nerves—shell-fish, lean meats, peas, beans, and very
active birds and fishes who live chiefly on food in which
phosphorus abounds. In a meat diet, the fat supplies carbon for the capillaries and the lean furnishes nutriment for
muscle, brain, and nerves. Green vegetables, fruits, and
berries furnish the acid and water needed.
In grains used for food, the proportions of useful elements are varied; there is in some more of carbon and in
others more of nitrogen and phosphorus. For example,
in oats there is more of nitrogen for the muscles, and less
carbon for the lungs, than can be found in wheat. In
the corn of the North, where cold weather demands fuel
for lungs and capillaries, there is much more carbon to
supply it than is found in the Southern corn.
From these statements it may be seen that -me of the
chief mistakes in providing food for families has been in
HEALTHFUL
FOOD.
12*
changing the proportions of the elements nature has fitted
for our food. Thus, fine wheat is deprived by bolting of
some of the most important of its nourishing elements,
leaving carbon chiefly, which, after supplying fuel for the
capillaries, must, if in excess, be sent out of the body; thus
needlessly taxing all the excreting organs. So milk, which
contains all the elements needed by the body, has the cream
taken out and used for butter, which again is chiefly carbon.
Then, sugar and molasses, cakes and candies, are chiefly
carbon^ and supply but very little of other nourishing elements, while to make them safe much exercise in cold and
pure air is necessary. And yet it is the children of the
rich, housed in chambers and school-rooms most of their
time, who are fed with these dangerous dainties, thus
weakening their constitutions, and inducing fevers, colds,
and many other diseases.
The proper digestion of food depends on the wants of
the body, and on its power of appropriating the aliment
supplied. The best of food can not be properly digested
when it is not needed. All that the system requires will
be used, and the rest will be thrown out by the several excreting organs, which thus are frequently over-taxed, and
vital forces are wasted. Even food of poor quality may
digest well if the demands of the system are urgent. The
way to increase digestive power is to increase the demand
for food by pure air and exercise of the muscles, quickening
the blood, and arousing the whole system to a more rapid
and vigorous rate of life.
Rules for persons in full health, who enjoy pure air and
exercise, are not suitable for those whose digestive powers
are feeble, or who are diseased. On the other hand, many
rules for invalids are not needed by the healthful, while
rules for one class of invalids will not avail for other classes.
Every weak stomach has its peculiar wants, and can not
furnish guidance for others.
We are now ready to consider intelligently the following
126
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
general principles in regard to the proper selection oi
food:
Vegetable and animal food are equally healthful if
apportioned to the given circumstances.
In cold weather, carbonaceous food, such as butter,
fats, sugar, molasses, etc., can be used more safely than in
warm weather. And they can be used more safely by
those who exercise in the open air than by those of confined
and sedentary habits.
Students who need food with little carbon, and women
who live in the house, should always seek coarse bread,
fruits, and lean meats, and avoid butter, oils, sugar, and
molasses, and articles containing them.
Many students and women using little exercise in the
open air, grow thin and weak, because the vital powers are
exhausted in throwing off excess of food, especially of the
carbonaceous. The liver is especially taxed in such cases,
being unable to remove all the excess of carbonaceous matter from the blood, and thus "biliousness" ensues, particularly on the approach of warm weather, when the air
brings less oxygen than in cold.
It is found, by experiment, that the supply of gastric
juice, furnished from the blood by the arteries of the
stomach, is proportioned, not to the amount of food put
into the stomach, but to the wants of the body; so that it
is possible to put much more into the stomach than
can be digested. To guide and regulate in this matter, the
sensation called hunger is provided. In a healthy state oi
the body, as soon as the blood has lost its nutritive supplies,
the craving of hunger is felt, and then, if the food is suitable, and is taken in the proper manner, this sensation
ceases as soon as the stomach has received enough to supply
the wants of the system. But our benevolent Creator, in
this, as in our other duties, has connected enjoyment with
the operation needful to sustain our bodies. In addition
to the allaying of hunger, the gratification of the palate is
HEALTHFUL
FOOD.
\21
secured by the immense variety of food, some articles of
which are far more agreeable than others.
This arrangement of Providence, designed for our happiness, has become, either through ignorance, or want of
self-control, the chief cause of the many diseases and sufferings which afflict those classes who have the means of seeking a variety to gratify the palate. If mankind had on]y
one article of food, and only water to drink, though they
would have less enjoyment in eating, they would never be
tempted to put any more into the stomach than the calls of
hunger require. But the customs of society, which present
an incessant change, and a great variety of food, with those
various condiments which stimulate appetite, lead almost
every person very frequently to eat merely to gratify the
palate, after the stomach has been abundantly supplied,
so that hunger has ceased.
When too great a supply of food is put into the stomach,
the gastric juice dissolves only that portion which the wants
of the system demand. Most of the remainder is ejected,
in an unprepared state; the absorbents take portions of it
into the system; and all the various functions of the body,
which depend on the ministries of the blood, are thus
gradually and imperceptibly injured. Very often, intemperance in eating produces immediate results, such as colic,
headaches, pains of indigestion, and vertigo.
But the more general result is a gradual undermining of
all parts of the human frame; thus imperceptibly shortening life, by so weakening the constitution, that it is ready
to yield, at every point, to any uncommon risk or exposure.
Thousands and thousands are passing out of the world,
from diseases occasioned by exposures which a healthy constitution could meet without any danger. It is owing to these
considerations, that it becomes the duty of every woman,
who has the responsibility of providing food for a family,
to avoid a variety of tempting dishes. I t is a much safei
rule, to have only one kind of healthy food, for each meal,
128
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
than the too abundant variety which is often met at the
tables of almost all classes in this country. When there is
to be any variety of dishes, they ought not to be successive,
but so arranged as to give the opportunity of selection.
How often is it the case, that persons, by the appearance
of a favorite article, are tempted to eat merely to gratify
the palate, when the stomach is already adequately supplied.
All such intemperance wears on the constitution, and
shortens life. It not unfrequently happens that excess in
eating produces a morbid appetite, which must constantly
be denied.
But the organization of the digestive organs demands,
not only that food should be taken in proper quantities,
but that it be taken at proper times.
Fig. 56 shows one
important feature of
the digestive organs
relating to this point.
The part marked L M
shows the muscles of
the inner coat of the
stomach, which run
in one direction, and
C M shows the muscles of the outer coat,
running in another
direction.
As soon as the food enters the stomach, the muscles are
excited by the nerves, and the peristaltic motion commences,
This is a powerful and constant exercise of the muscles of
the stomach, which continues until the process of digestion
is complete. During this time the blood is withdrawn from
other parts of the system, to supply the demands of the
stomach, which is laboring hard with all its muscles.
When this motion ceases, and the digested food has gradually passed out, nature requires that the stomach should
HEALTHFUL
FOOD.
129
have a period of repose. And if another meal be eaten
immediately after one is digested, the stomach is get to
work again before it has had time to rest, and before a sufficient supply of gastric juice is provided.
The general rule, then, is, that three hours be given to
the stomach for labor, and two for rest; and in obedience
to this, five hours, at least, ought to elapse between every
two regular meals. In cases where exercise produces a flow
of perspiration, more food is needed to supply the loss;
and strong laboring men may safely eat as often as they
feel the want of food. So, young and healthy children, who
gambol and exercise much and whose bodies grow fast, may
have a more frequent supply of food. But, as a general
rule, meals should be five hours apart, and eating between
meals avoided. There is nothing more unsafe, and wearing
to the constitution, than a habit of eating at any time
merely to gratify the palate. When a tempting article 15
presented, every person should exercise sufficient self-denial
to wait till the proper time for eating arrives. Children,
as well as grown persons, are often injured by eating between their regular meals, thus weakening the stomach by
not affording it any time for rest.
In deciding as to quantity of food, there is one great difficulty to be met by a large portion of the community. The
exercise of every part of the body is necessary to its health
and j^erfection. The bones, the muscles, the nerves, the
organs of digestion and respiration, and the skin, all demand exercise, in order properly to perform their functions.
When the muscles of the body are called into action, all the
blood-vessels entwined among them are frequently compressed. As the veins have valves so contrived that the
blood can not run back, this compression hastens it forward toward the heart; which is immediately put in
quicker motion, to send it into the lungs; and they, also,
are thus stimulated to more rapid action, which is the cause
of that panting which active exercise always occasions. The
130
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
blood thus courses with greater celerity through the body,
and sooner loses its nourishing properties. Then the stomach issues its mandate of hunger, and a new supply of
food must be furnished.
Thus it appears, as a general rule, that the quantity of
food actually needed by the body depends on the amount
of muscular exercise taken. A laboring man, in the open
fields, probably throws off from his skin and lungs a much
larger amount than a person of sedentary pursuits. In
consequence of this, he demands a greater amount of food
and drink.
Those persons who keep their bodies in a state of health
by sufficient exercise can always be guided by the calls of
hunger. They can eat when they feel hungry, and stop
when hunger ceases; and thus they will calculate exactly
right. But the difficulty is, that a large part of the community, especially women, are so inactive in their habits
that they seldom feel the calls of hunger. They habitually
eat, merely to gratify the palate. This produces such a
state of the system that they lose the guide which Nature
has provided. They are not called to eat by hunger, nor
admonished, by its cessation, when to stop. In consequence
of this, such persons eat what pleases the palate, till they
feel no more inclination for the article. It is probable that
three fourths of the women in the wealthier circles sit
down to each meal without any feeling of hunger, and eat
merely on account of the gratification thus afforded them.
Such persons find their appetite to depend almost solely
upon the kind of food on the table. This is not the case
with those who take the exercise which Nature demands.
They approach their meals in such a state that almost any
kind of food is acceptable.
The question then arises, How are persons, who have lost
the guide which Nature has provided, to determine as to the
proper amount of food they shall take ?
The best method is for several days to take their
HEALTHFUL FOOD,
131
ordinary exercise and eat only one or two articles of
simple food, such as bread and milk, or bread and butter
with cooked fruit, or lean meat with bread and vegetables,
and at the same time eat less than the appetite demands.
Then on the following two days, take just enough to
satisfy the appetite, and on the third day notice the quantity which satisfies. After this, decide before eating that
only this amount of simple food shall be taken.
Persons who have a strong constitution, and take much
exercise, may eat almost any thing with apparent impunity ;
but young children who are forming their constitutions, ami
persons who are delicate, and who take but little exercise,
are very dependent for health on a proper selection of food.
It is found that there are some kinds of food which afford
nutriment to the blood, and do not produce any other effect
on the system. There are other kinds, which are not only
nourishing, but stimulating, so that they quicken the functions of the organs on which they operate. The condiments
used in cookery, such as pepper, mustard, and spices, are of
this nature. There are certain states of the system when
these stimulants may be beneficial; such cases can only be
pointed out by medical men.
Persons in perfect health, and especially young children,
never receive any benefit from such kind of food; and just
in proportion as condiments operate to quicken the labors
of the internal organs, they tend to wear down their powers.
A person who thus keeps the body working under an unnatural excitement, live faster than Nature designed, and
the constitution is worn out just so much the sooner. A
woman, therefore, should provide dishes for her family which
are free from these stimulating condiments.
It is also found, by experience, that the lean part of animal food is more stimulating than vegetable. This is the
reason why, in cases of fevers or inflammations, medical
men forbid the use of meat. A person who lives chiefly on
animal food is under a higher degree of stimulus than if his
132
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
food was chiefly composed of vegetable substances. His blood
will flow faster, and all the functions of his body will be
quickened. This makes it important to secure a proper proportion of animal and vegetable diet. Some medical men
suppose that an exclusively vegetable diet is proved, by the
experience of many individuals, to be fully sufficient to nou
rish the body; and bring, as evidence, the fact that some of
the strongest and most robust men in the world are those
who are trained, from infancy, exclusively on vegetable food.
From this they infer that life will be shortened just in proportion as the diet is changed to more stimulating articles;
and that, all other things being equal, children will have a
better chance of health and long life if they are brought
up solely on vegetable food.
But, though this is not the common opinion of medical
men, they all agree that, in America, far too large a portion of the diet consists of animal food. As a nation, the
Americans are proverbial for the gross and luxurious diet
with which they load their tables; and there can be no
doubt that the general health of the nation would be increased by a change in our customs in this respect. To take
meat but once a day, and this in small quantities, compared
with the common practice, is a rule, the observance of which
would probably greatly reduce the amount of fevers, eruptions, headaches, bilious attacks, and the many other ailments which are produced or aggravated by too gross a diet.
The celebrated Roman physician, Baglivi, (who, from
practicing extensively among Izloman Catholics, had ample
opportunities to observe,) mentions that, in Italy, an unusual number of people recover their health in the forty days
of Lent, in consequence of the lower diet which is required
as a religious duty. An American physician remarks, " Foi
every reeling drunkard that disgraces our country, it contains one hundred gluttons—persons, I mean, who eat to
excess, and suffer in consequence." Another distinguished
physician says, " I believe that every stomach, not actually
HEALTHFUL
FOOD.
133
impaired by organic disease, will perform its functions, if
it receives reasonable attention; and when we perceive the
manner in which diet is generally conducted, both in regard
to quantity and variety of articles of food and drink, which
are mixed up in one heterogeneous mass—instead of being
astonished at the prevalence of indigestion, our wonder must
rather be that, in such circumstances, any stomach is capable of digesting at all."
In regard to articles which are the most easily digested,
only general rules can be given. Tender meats are digested more readily than those which are tough, or than many
kinds of vegetable food. The farinaceous articles, such as
rice, flour, corn, potatoes, and the like, are the most nutritious, and most easily digested. The popular notion, that
meat is more nourishing than bread, is a great mistake.
Good bread contains more nourishment than butcher's meat.
The meat is more stimulating, and for this reason is more
readily digested.
A perfectly healthy stomach can digest almost any healthful food; but when the digestive powers are weak, every
stomach has its peculiarities, and what is good for one is
hurtful to another. In such cases, experiment alone can
decide which are the most digestible articles of food. A
person whose food troubles him must deduct one article
after another, till he learns, by experience, which is the best
for digestion. Much evil has been done, by assuming that
the powers of one stomach are to be made the rule in regulating every other.
The most unhealthful kinds of food are those which are
made so by bad cooking; such as sour and heavy bread,
cakes, pie-crust, and other dishes consisting of fat mixed
and cooked with flour. Rancid butter and high-seasoned
food are equally unwholesome. The fewer mixtures there
are in cooking, the more healthful is the food likely to be.
There is one caution as to the mode of eating which seems
peculiarly needful to Americans. It is indispensable to good
134
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
digestion, that food be well chewed and taken slowly. It
needs to be thoroughly chewed and mixed with saliva, in
order to prepare it for the action of the gastric juice, which,
by the peristaltic motion, will be thus brought into contact
with every one of the minute portions. It has been found
that a solid lump of food requires much more time and labor of the stomach for digestion than divided substances.
It has also been found, that as each bolus, or mouthful,
enters the stomach, the latter closes, until the portion received has had some time to move around and combine with the
gastric juice, and that the orifice of the stomach resists the
entrance of any more till this is accomplished. But, if the
eater persists in swallowing fast, the stomach yields; the food
is then poured in more rapidly than the organ can perform
its duty of preparative digestion; and evil results are sooner
or later developed. This exhibits the folly of those hasty
meals, so common to travelers and to men of business, and
shows why children should be taught to eat slowly.
After taking a full meal, it is very important to health
that no great bodily or mental exertion be made till the
labor of the stomach is over. Intense mental effort draws
the blood to the head, and muscular exertions draw it to
the muscles; and in consequence of this, the stomach loses
the supply which it requires when performing its office.
When the blood with its stimulating effects is thus withdrawn from the stomach, the adequate supply of gastric
juice is not afforded, and indigestion is the result.
The
heaviness which follows a full meal is the indication which
Nature gives of the need of quiet. When the meal is moderate, a sufficient quantity of gastric juice is exuded in an
hour, or an hour and a half; after which, labor of body and
mind may safely be resumed.
When undigested food remains in the stomach, and is at
last thrown out into the bowels, it proves an irritating substance, producing an inflamed state in the lining of the stomach and other organs.
HEALTHFUL
FOOD,
135
It is found that the stomach has the power of gradually
accommodating its digestive powers to the food it habitually
receives. Thus, animals which live on vegetables can gradually become accustomed to animal food; and the reverse
is equally true. Thus, too, the human stomach can eventually accomplish the digestion of some kinds of food, which,
at first, were indigestible.
But any changes of this sort should be gradual; as those
which are sudden are trying to the powers of the stomach,
by furnishing matter for which its gastric juice is not prepared.
Extremes of heat or cold are injurious to the process of
digestion. Taking hot food or drink, habitually, tends to
debilitate all the organs thus needlessly excited. In using
cold substances, it is found that a certain degree of warmth
in the stomach is indispensable to their digestion; so that,
when the gastric juice is cooled below this temperature, it
ceases to act. Indulging in large quantities of cold drinks,
or eating ice-creams, after a meal, tends to reduce the temperature of the stomach, and thus to stop digestion. This
shows the folly of those refreshments, in convivial meetings,
where the guests are tempted to load the stomach with a
variety such as would require the stomach of a stout farmer
to digest; and then to wind up with ice-creams, thus
lessening whatever ability might otherwise have existed to
digest the heavy load. The fittest temperature for drinks,
if taken when the food is in the digesting process, is blood
heat. Cool drinks, and even ice, can be safely taken at
other times, if not in excessive quantity. When the thirst
is excessive, or the body weakened by fatigue, or when in a
state of perspiration, large quantities of cold drinks are injurious.
Fluids taken into the stomach are not subject to the slow
process of digestion, but are immediately absorbed and carried into the blood. This is the reason why liquid nourishment, more speedily than solid foodr restores from exhaustion.
136
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
The minute vessels of the stomach absorb its fluids, which
are carried into the blood, just as the minute extremities of
the arteries open upon the inner surface of the stomach, and
there exude the gastric juice from the blood.
When food is chiefly liquid, (soup, for example,) the fluid
part is rapidly absorbed. The solid parts remain, to be acted on by the gastric juice. In the case of St. Martin,* in
fifty minutes after taking soup, the fluids were absorbed,
and the remainder was even thicker than is usual after eating solid food. This is the reason why soups are deemed
bad for weak stomachs; as this residuum is more difficult of
digestion than ordinary food.
Highly-concentrated food, having much nourishment in
a small bulk, is not favorable to digestion, because it can not
be properly acted on by the muscular contractions of the
stomach, and is not so minutely divided as to enable the
gastric juice to act properly. This is the reason why a certain bulk of food is needful to good digestion ; and why
those people who live on whale-oil and other highly nourishing food, in cold climates, mix vegetables and even sawdust with it to make it more acceptable and digestible. So
in civilized lands, fruits and vegetables are mixed with more
highly concentrated nourishment. For this reason also,
soups, jellies, and arrow-root should have bread or crackers
mixed with them. This affords another reason why coarse
bread, of unbolted wheat, so often proves beneficial. Wliere,
from inactive habits or other causes, the bowels become con-
* The individual here referred to—Alexis St. Martin—was a young
Canadian, eighteen years of age, of a good constitution and robust healtn,
who, in 1822, was accidentally wounded by the discharge of a musket which
carried away a part of the ribs, lacerated one of the lobes of the lungs,
and perforated the stomach, making a large aperture, which never closed ;
and which enabled Dr. Beaumont (a surgeon of the American army, stationed at Michilimackinac, under whose care the patient was placed) to
witness all the processes of digestion and other functions of the bodv for
several years.
HEALTHFUL
FOOD.
137
stipated and sluggish, this kind of food proves the appropriate remedy.
One fact on this subject is worthy of notice. In England, under the administration of William Pitt, for two
years or more there was such a scarcity of wheat that, to
make it hold out longer, Parliament passed a law that
the army should have all tneir bread made of unbolted
flour. The result was, that the health of the soldiers improved so much as to be a subject of surprise to themselves,
the officers, and the physicians. These last came out publicly and declared that the soldiers never before were so robust and healthy; and that disease had nearly disappeared
from the army. The civic physicians joined and pronounced
it the healthiest bread; and for a time schools, families, and
public institutions used it almost exclusively. Even the
nobility, convinced by these facts, adopted it for their common diet, and the fashion continued a long time after
the scarcity ceased, until more luxurious habits resumed
their sway.
We thus see why children should not have cakes and candies allowed them between meals. Besides being largely
carbonaceous, these are highly concentrated nourishments,
and should be eaten with more bulky and less nourishing
substances. The most indigestible of all kinds of food are
fatty and oily substances, if heated. It is on this account
that pie-crust and articles boiled and fried in fat or butter
are deemed not so healthful as other food.
The following, then, may be put down as the causes of a
debilitated constitution from the misuse of food. Eating
too much, eating too often, eating too fast, eating food and
condiments that are too stimulating, eating food that is too
warm or too cold, eating food that is highly concentrated,
without a proper admixture of less nourishing matter, and
eating hot food that is difficult of digestion.
JL.
HEALTHFUL DRINKS.
THERE is no direction in which a woman more needs both
scientific knowledge and moral force than in using her
influence to control her family in regard to stimulating
beverages.
It is a point fully established by experience that the full
development of the human body and the vigorous exercise
of all its functions can be secured without the use of stimulating drinks. It is, therefore, perfectly safe to bring up
children never to use them, no hazard being incurred by
such a course.
It is also found by experience that there are two evils incurred by the use of stimulating drinks. The first is, their
positive effect on the human system. Their peculiarity consists in so exciting the nervous system that all the functions
of the body are accelerated, and the fluids are caused to
move quicker than at their natural speed. This increased
motion of the animal fluids always produces an agreeable
effect on the mind. The intellect is invigorated, the imagination is excited, the spirits are enlivened; and these
effects are so agreeable that all mankind, after having once
experienced them, feel a great desire for their repetition.
But this temporary invigoration of the system is always
followed by a diminution of the powers of the stimulated
organs ; so that, though in all cases this reaction may not be
perceptible, it is invariably the result. It may be set down
as the unchangeable rule of physiology, that stimulating
drinks deduct from the powers of the constitution in exact-
HEALTHFUL
DRINKS,
139
ly the proportion in which they operate to produce temporary invigoration.
The second evil is the temptation which always attends
the use of stimulants. Their effect on the system is so agreeable, and the evils resulting are so imperceptible and distant,
that there is a constant tendency to increase such excitement
both in frequency and power. And the more the system is
thus reduced in strength, the more craving is the desire for
that which imparts a temporary invigoration. This process
of increasing debility and increasing craving for the stimulus that removes it, often goes to such an extreme that the
passion is perfectly uncontrollable, and mind and body perish
under this baleful habit.
In this country there are three forms in which the use of
such stimulants is common; namely, alcoholic drinks, opium mixtures, and tobacco. These are all alike in the main
peculiarity of imparting that extra stimulus to the system
which tends to exhaust its powers.
Multitudes in this nation are in the habitual use of some
one of these stimulants ; and each person defends the indulgence by certain arguments:
First, that the desire for stimulants is a natural propensity
implanted in man's nature, as is manifest from the universal
tendency to such indulgences in every nation. From this,
it is inferred that it is an innocent desire, which ought to be
gratified to some extent, and that the aim should be to keep
it within the limits of temperance, instead of attempting to
exterminate a natural propensity.
This is an argument which, if true, makes it equally proper for not only men, but women and children, to use opium,
brandy, or tobacco as stimulating principles, provided they
are used temperately. But if it be granted that perfect
health and strength can be gained and secured without these
stimulants, and that their peculiar effect is to diminish the
power of the system in exactly the same proportion as they
stimulate it, then there is no such thing as a temperate use,
140
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
unless they are so diluted as to destroy any stimulating power;
and in this form they are seldom desired.
The other argument for their use is, that they are among
the good things provided by the Creator for our gratiiication ; that, like all other blessings, they are exposed to abuse
and excess ; and that we should rather seek to regulate their
use than to banish them entirely.
This argument is based on the assumption that they are,
like healthful foods and drinks, necessary to life and health,
and injurious only by excess. But this is not true; for whenever they are used in any such strength as to be a gratification, they operate to a greater or less extent as stimulants;
and to just such extent they wear out the powers of the
constitution ; and it is abundantly proved that they are not,
like food and drink, necessary to health. Such articles are
designed for medicine and not for common use. There can
be no argument framed to defend the use of one of them
which will not justify women and children in most dangerous indulgences.
There are some facts recently revealed by the microscope
in regard to alcoholic drinks, whicb every woman should
understand and regard. It has been shown in a previous
chapter that every act of mind, either by thought, feeling,
or choice, causes the destruction of certain cells in the brain
^nd nerves. It now is proved by microscopic science* that
the kind of nutrition furnished to the brain by the blood to
a certain extent decides future feelings, thoughts, and volitions. The cells of the brain not only abstract from the
blood the healthful nutrition, but also are affected in shape,
size, color, and action by unsuitable elements in the blood.
This is especially the case when alcohol is taken into the
stomach, from whence it is always carried to the brain. The
consequence is, that it affects the nature and action of the
* For these statements the writer is indebted to Maudsley, a recent
writer on Microscopic Physiology.
HEALTHFUL
BRINKS,
141
brain-cells, until a habit is formed which is automatic; that
is, the mind loses the power of controlling the brain in its
development of thoughts, feelings, and choices as it would
in the natural state, and is itself controlled by the brain.
In this condition a real disease of the brain is created, called
<rino-mania, (see Glossary}) and the only remedy is total
abstinence, and that for a long period, from the alcoholic
poison. And what makes the danger more fearful is, that the
brain-cells never are so renewed but that this pernicious
stimulus will bring back the disease in full force, so that a
man once subject to it is never safe except by maintaining
perpetual and total abstinence from every kind of alcoholic
drink. Dr. Day, who for many years has had charge of an
inebriate asylum, states that he witnessed the dissection of the
brain of a man once an inebriate, but for many years in
practice of total abstinence, and found its cells still in
the weak and unnatural state produced by earlier indulgences.
There has unfortunately been a difference of opinion
among medical men as to the use of alcohol. Liebig, the
celebrated writer on animal chemistry, having found that
both sugar and alcohol were heat-producing articles of food,
framed a theory that alcohol is burnt in the lungs, giving
off carbonic acid and water, and thus serving to warm the
body. But modern science has proved that it is in the capillaries that animal heat is generated, and it is believed that
alcohol lessens instead of increasing the power of the body to
bear the cold. Sir John Ross, in his Arctic voyage, proved
by his own experience and that of his men that cold-water
drinkers could bear cold longer and were stronger than any
who used alcohol.
Carpenter, a standard writer on physiology, says the objection to a habitual use of even small quantities of alcoholic
drinks is, that " they are universally admitted to possess a
poisonous character," and " tend to produce a morbid condition of body;" while " t h e capacity for enduring extremes
142
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
of heat and cold, or of mental or bodily labor, is diminished
rather than increased by their habitual employment."
Prof. J. Bigelow, of Harvard University, says, "Alcohol
is highly stimulating, heating, and intoxicating, and its effects
are so fascinating that when once experienced there is danger that the desire for them may be perpetuated."
Dr. Bell and Dr. Churchill, both high medical authorities, especially in lung disease, for which whisky is often
recommended, come to the conclusion that" the opinion that
alcoholic liquors have influence in preventing the deposition
of tubercle is destitute of any foundation ; on the contrary,
their use predisposes to tubercular deposition." And " where
tubercle exists, alcohol has no effect in modifying the usual
course, neither does it modify the morbid effects on the
system."
Prof. Youmans, of New-York, says : " It has been demonstrated that alcoholic drinks prevent the natural changes
in the blood, and obstruct the nutritive and reparative functions." He adds," Chemical experiments have demonstrated
that the action of alcohol on the digestive fluid is to destroy
its active principle, the pepsin, thus confirming the observations of physiologists, that its use gives rise to serious disorders of the stomach and malignant aberration of the whole
economy."
We are now prepared to consider the great principles of
science, common sense, and religion, which should guide
every woman who has any kind of influence or responsibility on this subject.
It is allowed by all medical men that pure water is perfectly healthful and supplies all the liquid needed by the
body; and also that by proper means, which ordinarily are
in the reach of all, water can be made sufficiently pure.
It is allowed by all that milk, and the juices of fruits, when,
taken into the stomach, furnish water that is always pure,
and that our bread and vegetable food also supply it
in large quantities. There are besides a great variety of
HEALTHFUL
DRINKS.
143
agreeable and healthful beverages, made from the juices of
fruit, containing no alcohol, and agreeable drinks, such as
milk, cocoa, and chocolate, that contain no stimulating principles, and which are nourishing and healthful.
As one course, then, is perfectly safe and another involves great danger, it is wrong and sinful to choose the
path of danger. There is no peril in drinking pure water,
milk, the juices of fruits, and infusions that are nourishing
and harmless. But there is great danger to the young, and
to the commonwealth, in patronizing the sale and use of
alcoholic drinks. The religion of Christ, in its distinctive
feature, involves generous self-denial for the good of others,
especially for the weaker members of society. It is on this
principle that St. Paul sets forth his own example," If meat
make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the
world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend." And
again he teaches, " We, then, that are strong ought to
bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves."
This Christian principle also applies to the common drinks
of the family, tea and coffee.
It has been shown that the great end for which Jesus
Christ came, and for which he instituted the family state,
is the training of our whole race to virtue and happiness,
with chief reference to an immortal existence. In this mission, of which woman is chief minister, as before stated, the
distinctive feature is self-sacrifice of the wiser and stronger
members to save and to elevate the weaker ones. The children and the servants are these weaker members, who by
ignorance and want of habits of self-control are in most
danger. It is in this aspect that we are to consider the expediency of using tea and coffee in a family.
These drinks are a most extensive cause of much of the
nervous debility and suffering endured by American women;
and relinquishing them would save an immense amount of
such suffering. Moreover, all housekeepers will allow that
144
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
they can not regulate these drinks in their kitchens, where
the ignorant use them to excess. There is little probability
that the present generation will make so decided a change
in their habits as to give up these beverages ; but the subject is presented rather in reference to forming the habits
of children.
It is a fact that tea and coffee are at first seldom or never
agreeable to children. It is the mixture of milk, sugar, and
water, that reconciles them to a taste, which in this manner
gradually becomes agreeable. Now suppose that those who
provide for a family conclude that it is not their duty to
give up entirely the use of stimulating drinks, may not the
case appear different in regard to teaching their children to
love such drinks ? Let the matter be regarded thus : The
experiments of physiologists all prove that stimulants are
not needful to health, and that, as the general rule, they tend
to debilitate the constitution. Is it right, then, for a parent
to tempt a child to drink what is not needful, when there
is a probability that it will prove, to some extent, an undermining drain on the constitution ? Some constitutions can
bear much less excitement than others ; and in every family
of children, there is usually one or more of delicate organization, and consequently peculiarly exposed to dangers from
this source. It is this child who ordinarily becomes the victim to stimulating drinks. The tea and coffee which the
parents and the healthier children can use without immediate injury, gradually sap the energies of the feebler child,
who proves either an early victim or a living martyr to all
the sufferings that debilitated nerves inflict. Can it be right
to lead children where all allow that there is some danger,
and where in many cases disease and death are met, when
another path, is known to be perfectly safe ?
The impression common in this country, that warm drinks,
especially in winter, are more healthful than cold, is not
warranted by any experience, nor by the laws of the physical
system. At dinner, cold drinks are universal, and no one
HEALTHFUL
DRINKS.
145
deems them injurious. It is only at the other two meals
that they are supposed to be hurtful.
There is no doubt that warm drinks are healthful, and
more agreeable than cold, at certain times and seasons; but
it is equally true that drinks above blood-heat are not healthful. If a person should bathe in warm water every day,
debility would inevitably follow; for the frequent application of the stimulus of heat, like all other stimulants, eventually causes relaxation and weakness. If, therefore, a person
is in the habit of drinking hot drinks twice a day, the teeth,
throat, and stomach are gradually debilitated. This, most
probably, is one of the causes of an early decay of the teeth,
which is observed to be much more common among American ladies, than among those in European countries.
It has been stated to the writer, by an intelligent traveler
who had visited Mexico, that it was rare to meet an individual with even a tolerable set of teeth, and that almost
every grown person he met in the street had merely remnants of teeth. On inquiry into the customs of the country,
it was found that it was the universal practice to take their
usual beverage at almost the boiling-point; and this doubtless was the chief cause of the almost entire want of teeth
in that country. In the United States, it can not be doubted
that much evil is done in this way by hot drinks. Most teadrinkers consider tea as ruined if it stands until it reaches
the healthful temperature for drink.
The following extract, from Dr. Andrew Combe, presents
the opinion of most intelligent medical men on this subject.*
" Water is a safe drink for all constitutions, provided it
be resorted to in obedience to the dictates of natural thirst
* The writer would here remark, in reference to extracts made from various authors, that, for the sake of abridging, she has often left out parts
of a paragraph, but never so as to modify the meaning of the author.
Some ideas, n^t connected with the subject in hand, are omitted, but none
are altered.
146
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
only, and not of habit. Unless the desire for it is felt, there
is no occasion for its use during a meal."
" The primary effect of all distilled and fermented liquors
is to stimulate the nervous system and quicken the circulation. In infancy and childhood, the circulation is rapid and
easily excited; and the nervous system is strongly acted
upon even by the slightest external impressions. Hence, slight
causes of irritation readily excite febrile and convulsive disorders. In youth, the natural tendency of the constitution
is still to excitement, and consequently, as a general rule, the
stimulus of fermented liquors is injurious."
These remarks show that parents, who find that stimulating
drinks are not injurious to themselves, may mistake in inferring from this that they will not be injurious to their
children.
Dr. Combe continues thus: " In mature age, when digestion is good, and the system in full vigor, if the mode of life
be not too exhausting, the nervous functions and general
circulation are in their best condition, and require no stimulus for their support. The bodily energy is then easily
sustained by nutritious food and a regular regimen, and
consequently artificial excitement only increases the wasting
of the natural strength."
It may be asked, in this connection, why the stimulus of
animal food is not to be regarded in the same light as that
of stimulating drinks. In reply, a very essential difference
may be pointed out. Animal food furnishes nutriment to
the organs which it stimulates, but stimulating drinks excite
the organs to quickened action without affording any nourishment.
It has been supposed by some that tea and coffee have, at
least, a degree of nourishing power. But it is proved that
it is the milk and sugar, and not the main portion of the
drink, which imparts the nourishment. Tea has not one
particle of nourishing properties; and what little exists in
the coffee-berry is lost by roasting it in the usual mode. All
HEALTHFUL
DRINKS.
147
that these articles do, is simply to stimulate without nourishing.
Although there is little hope of banishing these drinks,
there is still a chance that something may be gained in attempts to regulate their use by the rules of temperance.
If, then, a housekeeper can not banish tea and coffee entirely, she may use her influence to prevent excess, both by
her instructions, and by the power of control committed
more or less to her hands.
It is important for every housekeeper to know that the
health of a family very much depends on \hepwity of water used for cooking and drinking. There are three causes
of impure and unhealthful water. One is, the existence in
it of vegetable or animal matter, which can be remedied by
filtering through sand and charcoal. Another cause is, the
existence of mineral matter, especially in limestone countries, producing diseases of the bladder. This is remedied
in a measure by boiling, which secures a deposit of the lime
on the vessel used. The third cause is, the corroding of zinc
and lead used in pipes and reservoirs, producing oxides that
are slow poisons. The only remedy is prevention, by having
supply-pipes made of iron, like gas-pipe, instead of zinc and
lead ; or the lately invented lead pipe lined with tin, which
metal is not corrosive. The obstacle to this is, that the trade
of the plumbers would be greatly diminished by the use of
reliable pipes. When water must be used from supply-pipes
of lead or zinc, it is well to let the water run some time before drinking it and to use as little as possible, taking milk
instead ; and being further satisfied for inner necessities by
the water supplied by fruits and vegetables. The water in
these is always pure. But in using milk as a drink, it must
be remembered that it is also rich food, and that less of
other food must be taken when milk is thus used, or bilious
troubles will result from excess of food.
The use of opium, especially by women, is usually caused
at first by medical prescriptions containing it. All that haa
148
.
TEE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
been stated as to the effect of alcohol in the brain is true of
opium; while, to break a habit thus induced is almost hopeless.
Every woman who takes or who administers this drug, is dealing as with poisoned arrows, whose wounds are without cure.
The use of tobacco in this country, and especially among
young boys, is increasing at a fearful rate. On this subject,
we have the unanimous opinion of all medical men; the following being specimens.
A distinguished medical writer thus states the case: " Every
physician knows that the agreeable sensations that tempt
to the use of tobacco are caused by nicotine, which is a rank
poison, as much so as prussic acid or arsenic. When smoked,
the poison is absorbed by the blood of the mouth, and carried to the brain. When chewed, the nicotine passes to the
blood through the mouth and stomach. In both cases, the
whole nervous system is thrown into abnormal excitement to
expel the poison, and it is this excitement that causes agreeable sensations. The excitement thus caused is invariably
followed by a diminution of nervous power, in exact proportion to the preceding excitement to expel the evil from the
system."
Few will dispute the general truth and effect of the
above statement, so that the question is one to be settled on
the same principle as applies to the use of alcoholic drinks.
Is it, then, according to the generous principles of Christ's
religion, for those who are strong and able to bear this poison,
to tempt the young, the ignorant, and the weak to a practice not needful to any healthful enjoyment, and which leads
multitudes to disease, and often to vice ? For the use of
tobacco tends always to lessen nerve-power, and probably
every one out of five that indulges in its use awakens a morbid craving for increased stimulus, lessens the power of
self-control, diminishes the strength of the constitution, and
sets an example that influences the weak to the path of
danger and of frequent ruin.
The great danger of this age is an increasing, intense
HEALTHFUL
DRINKS.
149
worldliness, and disbelief in the foundation principle of the
religion of Christ, that we are to reap through everlasting
ages the consequences of habits formed in tins life. In the
light of his word, they only who are truly wise " shall shine
as the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness,
as the stars, forever and ever.'"
It is increased faith or belief in the teachings of Christ's
religion, as to the influence of this life upon the life to come,
which alone can save our country and the world from that
inrusliing tide of sensualism and worldliness, now seeming
to threaten the best hopes and prospects of our race.
And woman, as the chief educator of our race, and the
prime minister of the family state, is bound in the use of
meats and drinks to employ the powerful and distinctive
motives of the religion of Christ in forming habits of temperance and benevolent self-sacrifice for the good of others.
XI.
CLEANLINESS.
BOTH the health and comfort of a family depend, to a
great extent, on cleanliness of the person and the family
surroundings. True cleanliness of person involves the scientific treatment of the skin. This is the most complicated
organ of the body, and one through which the health is affected more than through any other; and no persons can or
will be so likely to take proper care of it as those by whom
its construction and functions are understood.
ing is a decayed portion of
these cells. This part of the skin has neither nerves nor
blood-vessels.
The dark layer, marked 2,7, 8, is that portion of the true
skin which gives the external color marking diverse races.
In the portion of the dark layer marked 3, 4, is seen a network of nerves which run from two branches of the nervous
CLEANLINESS.
151
trunks coming from the spinal marrow. These are nerves
of sensation, by which the sense of touch or feeling is performed. Fig. 58 represents the
blood-vessels, (intermingled with
the nerves of the skin,) which
divide into minute capillaries,
that act like the capillaries of
the lungs, taking oxygen from
the air, and giving out carbonic
acid. At a and b are seen the
roots of two hairs, which abound
in certain parts of the skin, and
are nourished by the blood of
the capillaries.
At Fig. 59 is a magnified view
of another set of vessels, called the lymphatics or absorbents. These are extremely minute vessels that interlace
with the nerves and blood-vessels of the skin. Their office
is to aid in collecting the useless, injurious, or decayed matter, and carry it to certain reservoirs, from which it passes
into some of the large veins, to
be thrown out through the
lungs, bowels, kidneys, or skin.
These absorbent or lymphatic
vessels have mouths opening
on the surface of the true skin,
and, though covered by the
cuticle, they can absorb both liquids and solids that are
placed in close contact with the skin. In proof of this, one
of the main trunks oi the lymphatics in the hand can be
cut off from all communication with other portions, and tied
u p : and if the hand is immersed in milk a given time, it
will be found that the milk has been absorbed through the
cuticle and fills the lymphatics. In this way, long-con-
152
TEE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
tinued blisters on the skin will introduce the blistering matter into the blood through the absorbents, and then the kidneys will take it up from the blood passing through them to
carry it out of the body, and thus become irrigated and inflamed by it.
There are also oil-tubes, imbedded in the skin, that draw
off* oil from the blood. This issues on the surface and spreads
over the cuticle to keep it soft and moist.
But the most curious part of the skin
is the system of innumerable minute
perspiration-tubes. Fig. 60 is a drawing of one very greatly magnified.
These tubes open on the cuticle, and
the openings are called pores of the
skin. They descend into the true skin,
and there form a coil, as is seen in the
drawing. These tubes are hollow, like
a pipe-stem, and their inner surface
consists of wonderfully minute capillaries filled with the impure venous
blood. And in these small tubes the
same process is going on as takes plaice
when the carbonic acid and water of
the blood are exhaled from the lungs.
The capillaries of these tubes through
the whole skin of the body are thus
constantly exhaling the noxious and decayed particles of
the body, just as the lungs pour them out through the
mouth and nose.
I t has been shown that the perspiration-tubes are coiled
up into a ball at their base. The number and extent of
these tubes are astonishing. In a square inch on the palm
of the hand have been counted, through a microscope, thirty-five hundred of these tubes. Each one of them is about
a quarter of an inch in length, including its coils. This
makes the united lengths of these little tubes to be seventy-
CLEANLINESS.
153
three feet to a square inch. Their united length over the
whole body is thus calculated to be equal to twenty-eight
miles. What a wonderful apparatus this ! And what mischiefs must ensue when the drainage from the body of such
an extent as this becomes obstructed !
But the inside of the body also has a skin, as have all its
organs. The interior of the head, the throat, the gullet, the
lungs, the stomach, and all the intestines, are lined with a
skin. This is called the mucous membrane, because it is
constantly secreting from the blood a slimy substance called
mucus. When it accumulates in the lungs, it is c&lle&phlegm.
This inner skin also has nerves, blood-vessels, and lymphatics.
The outer skin joins to the inner at the mouth, the nose, and
other openings of the body, and there is a constant sympathy
between the two skins, and thus between the inner organs
and the surface of the body.
SECRETING 0EGA1STS.
Those vessels of the body which draw off certain portions
of the blood and change it into a new form, to be employed
for service or to be thrown out of the body, are called secreting organs. The skin in this sense is a secreting organ,
as its perspiration-tubes secrete or separate the bad portions
of the blood, and send them off.
Of the internal secreting organs, the liver is the largest.
Its chief office is to secrete from the blood all matter not
properly supplied with oxygen. For this purpose, a set of
veins carries the blood of all the lower intestines to the liver,
where the imperfectly oxidized matter is drawn off in the
form of bile, and accumulated in a reservoir called the
gall-Uadder. Thence it passes to the place where the
smaller intestines receive the food from the stomach, and
there it mixes with this food. Then it passes through the
long intestines, and is thrown out of the body through the
rectum. This shows how it is, that want of pure and cool
154
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
air and exercise causes excess of bile, from lack of oxygen.
The liver also has arterial blood sent to nourish it, and corresponding veins to return this blood to the heart. So there
are two sets of blood-vessels for the liver—one to secrete the
bile, and the other to nourish the organ itself.
The kidneys secrete from the arteries that pass through
them all excess of water in the blood, and certain injurious
substances. These are carried through small tubes to the
1)1 adder, and thence thrown out of the body.
The pancreas, a whitish gland, situated in the abdomen
below the stomach, secretes from the arteries that pass
through it the pancreatic juice, wliich unites with the bile
from the liver, in preparing the food for nourishing the
body.
There are certain little glands near the eyes that secrete
the tears, and others near the mouth that secrete the saliva,
or spittle.
These organs all have arteries sent to them to nourish
them, and also veins to carry away the impure blood. At
the same time, they secrete from the arterial blood the peculiar fluid which it is their office to supply.
All the food that passes through the lower intestines
which is not drawn off by the lacteals or by some of these
secreting organs, passes from the body through a passage
called the rectum.
Learned men have made very curious experiments to ascertain how much the several organs throw out of the body,
It is found that the skin throws off five out of eight pounds
of the food and drink, or probably about three or four
pounds a day. The lungs throw off one quarter as much
as the skin, or about a pound a day. The remainder is
carried off by the kidneys and lower intestines.
There is such a sympathy and connection between all the
organs of the body, that when one of them is unable to
work, the others perform the office, of the feeble one.
Thus, if the skin has its perspiration-tubes closed up by a
CLEANLINESS.
155
chill, then all the poisonous matter that would have been
thrown out through them must be emptied out either by
the lungs, kidneys, or bowels.
When all these organs are strong and healthy, they can
bear this increased labor without injury. But if the lungs
are weak, the blood sent from the skin by the chill engorges the weak blood-vessels, and produces an inflammation
of the lungs. Or it increases the discharge of a slimy mucous substance, that exudes from the skin of the lungs.
This fills up the air-vessels, and would very soon end life,
were it not for the spasms of the lungs, called coughing,
which throw off this substance.
If, on the other hand, the bowels are weak, a chill of the
skin sends the blood into all the blood-vessels of the intestines, and produces inflammation there, or else an excessive
secretion of the mucous substance, which is called a diarrhea. Or if the kidneys are weak, there is an increased secretion and discharge from them, to an unhealthy and injurious extent.
This connection between the skin and internal organs is
shown, not only by the internal effects of a chill on the skin;
but by the sympathetic effect on the skin when these internal
organs suffer. For example, there are some kinds of food
that will irritate and influence the stomach or the bowels j
and this, by sympathy, will produce an immediate eruption on
the skin. Some persons, on eating strawberries, will immediately be affected with a nettle-rash. Others can not eat
certain shell-fish without being affected in this way. Many
humors on the face are caused by a diseased state of the
internal organs with which the skin sympathizes.
This short account of the construction of the skin, and
of its intimate connection with the internal organs, shows
the philosophy of those modes of medical treatment that are
addressed to this portion of the body.
It is on this powerful agency that the steam-doctors rely,
when, by moisture and heat, they stimulate all the innu
156
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
merable perspiration-tubes and lymphatics to force out
from the body a flood of unnaturally excited secretions;
while it is " kill or cure," just as the chance may meet or
oppose the demands of the case. It is the skin also that is
the chief basis of medical treatment in the Water Cure,
whose slow processes are as much safer as they are slower.
At the same time it is the ill-treatment or neglect of the
skin which, probably, is the cause of disease and decay
to an incredible extent. The various particulars in which
this may be seen will now be pointed out. In the management and care of this wonderful and complex part of
the body, many mistakes have been made.
The most common one is the misuse of the bath, especially
since cold water cures have come into use. This mode of
medical treatment originated with an ignorant peasant, amid
a population where outdoor labor had strengthened nerves
and muscles and imparted rugged powers to every part of the
body. It was then introduced into England and America
without due consideration or knowledge of the diseases,
habits, or real condition of patients, especially of women.
The consequence was a mode of treatment too severe and
exhausting; and many practices were spread abroad not
warranted by true medical science.
But in spite of these mistakes and abuses, the treatment
of the skin for disease by the use of cold water has become
an accepted doctrine of the most learned medical practitioners. It is now held by all such that fevers can be detected in their distinctive features by the thermometer, and
that all fevers can be reduced by cold baths and packing in
the wet sheet, in the mode employed in all water-cures. Directions for using this method will be given in another place.
It has been supposed that large bath-tubs for immersing
the whole person are indispensable to the proper cleaning of
the skin. This is not so. A wet towel, applied every morning to the skin, followed by friction in pure air, is all that
is absolutely needed; although a full bath is a great luxury.
CLEAXLTXESS.
157
Access of air to every part of the skin when its perspiratory
tubes are cleared and its blood-vessels are filled by friction
is the best ordinary bath.
In early life, children should be washed all over, every
night or morning, to remove impurities from the skin. But
in this process, careful regard should be paid to the peculiar
constitution of a child. Very nervous children sometimes
revolt from cold water, and like a tepid bath. Others prefer a cold bath; and nature should be the guide. It must be
remembered that the skin is the great organ of sensation, and
in close connection with brain, spine, and nerve-centres: so
that what a strong nervous system can bear with advantage
is too powerful and exhausting for another. As age advances,
or as disease debilitates the body, great care should be taken
not to overtax the nervous system by sudden shocks, or to
diminish its powers by withdrawing animal heat to excess.
Persons lacking robustness should bathe or use friction in
a warm room ; and if very delicate, should expose only a
portion of the body at once to cold air.
Johnson, a celebrated writer on agricultural chemistry,
tells of an experiment by friction on the skin of pigs, whose
skins are like that of the human race. He treated six of
these animals with a curry-comb seven weeks, and left three
other pigs untouched. The result was a gain of thirty-three
pounds more of weight, with the use of five bushels less of
food for those curried, than for the neglected ones. This
result was owing to the fact that all the functions of the
body were more perfectly performed when, by friction, the
skin was kept free from filth and the blood in it exposed to
the air. The same will be true of the human skin. A cal
dilation has been made on this fact, by which it is estimated that a man, by proper care of his skin, would save over
thirty-one dollars in food yearly, which is the interest on
over five hundred dollars. If men will give as much care
to their own skin as they give to currying a horse, they wil]
gain both health and wealth.
XII.
CLOTHING.
THERE is no duty of those persons having control of a
family where principle and practice are more at variance
than in regulating the dress of young girls, especially at
the most important and critical period of life. It is a difficult duty for parents and teachers to contend with the
power of fashion, which at this time of a young girl's life is
frequently the ruling thought, and when to be out of the
fashion, to be odd and not dress as all her companions do,
is a mortification and grief that no argument or instructions
can relieve. The mother is often so overborne that, in spite
of he r better wishes, the daughter adopts modes of dress
alike ruinous to health and to beauty.
The greatest protection against such an emergency is to
train a child to understand the construction of her own
body and to impress upon her, in early days, her obligations to the invisible Friend and Guardian of her life, the
" Former of her body and the Father of her spirit," who has
committed to her care so precious and beautiful a casket.
And the more she can be made to realize the skill and
beauty of construction shown in her earthly frame, the
more will she feel the obligation to protect it from injury
and abuse.
It is a singular fact that the war of fashion has attacked
most fatally what seems to be the strongest foundation and
defense of the body, the bones. For this reason, the construction and functions of this part of the body will now
receive attention.
The bones are composed of two substances, one animal,
CLOTHING.
159
and the other mineral. The animal part is a very fine
network, called cellular membrane. In this are deposited
the harder mineral substances, which are composed principally of carbonate and phosphate of lime. In very early
life, the bones consist chiefly of the animal part, and are
then soft and pliant. As the child advances in age, the
bones grow harder, by the gradual deposition of the phosphate of lime, which is supplied by the food, and carried to
the bones by the blood. In old age, the hardest material
preponderates; making the bones more brittle than in earlier life.
The bones are covered with a thin skin or membrane,
filled with small blood-vessels which convey nourishment
to them.
Where the bones unite wTith others to form joints, they
are covered with cartilage, which is a smooth, white, elastic substance. This enables the joints to move smoothly,
while its elasticity prevents injuries from sudden jars.
The joints are bound together by strong, elastic bands
called ligaments, which hold them firmly and prevent dislocation.
Between the ends of the bones that unite to form joints
are small sacks or bags, that contain a soft lubricating fluid.
This answers the same purpose for the joints as oil in making machinery work smoothly, while the supply is constant
and always in exact proportion to the demand.
If you will examine the leg of some fowl, you can see the
cartilage that covers the ends of the bones at the joints,
and the strong white ligaments that bind the joints together.
The health of the bones depends on the proper nourishment and exercise of the body as much as that of any other
part. When a child is feeble and unhealthy, or when it
grows up without exercise, the bones do not become firm
and hard as they are when the body is healthfully developed by exercise. The size as well as the strength of the
160
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
bones, to a certain extent, also depend upon exercise and
good health.
The chief supporter of the body is the spine, which consists of twenty-four small bones, interlocked or hooked into
each other, while between them are elastic cushions of cartilage which aid in preserving the
upright, natural position. Fig. 61
shows three of the spinal bones,
hooked into each other, the dark
spaces showing the disks or flat circular plates of cartilage between
them.
The spine is held in its proper
position, partly by the ribs, partly by
muscles, partly by aid of the elastic
disks, and partly by the close packing of the intestines in front of it.
The upper part of the spine is often thrown out of its
proper position by constant stooping of the head over books
or work. This affects the elastic disks so that they grow
thick at the back side and thinner at the front side by such
constant pressure. The result is the awkward projection
of the head forward which is often seen in schools and colleges.
Another distortion of the spine is produced by tight dress
around the waist. The liver occupies the right side of the
body and is a solid mass, while on the other side is the larger
part of the stomach, which is often empty. The consequence of tight dress around the waist is a constant pressure of the spine toward the unsupported part where the
stomach lies. Thus the elastic disks again are compressed;
till they become thinner on one side than the other, and
harden into that condition. This produces what is called
the lateral curvature of the spine, making one shoulder
higher than the other.
The compression of the lower part of the waist is especial-
CLOTHING.
161
ly dangerous at the time, young girls first enter society and
are tempted to dress according to the fashion. Many a
Bchool-girl, whose waist was originally of a proper and
healthful size, has gradually pressed the soft bones of
youth until the lower ribs that should rise and fall with
every breath, become entirely unused. Then the abdominal breathing, performed by the lower part of the lungs,
ceases; the whole system becomes reduced in strength ;
the abdominal muscles that hold up the interior organs become weak, and the upper ones gradually sink upon the lower.
This pressure of the upper interior organs upon the lower
ones, by tight dress, is increased by the weight of clothing
resting on the hips and abdomen. Corsets, as usually worn,
have no support from the shoulders, and consequently all
the weight of dress resting upon or above them presses
upon the hips and abdomen, and this in such a way as to
throw out of use and thus weaken the most important supporting muscles of the abdomen, and impede abdominal
breathing.
The diaphragm is a kind of muscular floor, extending,
across the centre of the body, on which the heart and lungs
rest. Beneath it are the liver, stomach, and the abdominal viscera, or intestines, which are supported by the abdominal muscles, running upward, downward, and crosswise.
When these muscles are thrown out of use, they lose their
power, the whole system of organs mainly resting on them
for support can not continue in their naturally snug, compact,
and rounded form, but become separated, elongated, and unsupported. The stomach begins to draw from above instead
of resting on the viscera beneath. This in some cases causes
dull and wandering pains, a sense of pulling at the centre
of the chest, and a drawing downward at the pit of the
stomach. Then as the support beneath is really gone, there
is what is often called " a feeling of goneness" This is
sometimes relieved by food, which, so long as it remains in
a solid form, helps to hold up the falling superstructure.
162
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
This displacement of the stomach, liver, and spleen interrupts their healthful functions, and dyspepsia and biliary
difficulties not unfrequently are the result.
As the stomach and its appendages fall downward, the
diaphragm, which holds up the heart and lungs, must descend also. In this state of things, the inflation of the lungs is
less and less aided by the abdominal muscles, and is confined chiefly to their upper portion. Breathing sometimes
thus becomes quicker and shorter on account of the elongated or debilitated condition of the assisting organs. Con
sumption not unfrequently results from this cause.
The heart also feels the evil. " Palpitations," " flutterings," " sinking feelings," all show that, in the language of
Scripture, " the heart trembleth, and is moved out of its
place."
But the lower intestines are the greatest sufferers from
this dreadful abuse of nature. Having the weight of all
the unsupported organs above pressing them into unnatural
and distorted positions, the passage of the food is interrupted, and inflammations, indurations, and constipation
are the frequent result. Dreadful ulcers and cancers may
be traced in some instances to this cause.
Although these internal displacements are most common
among women, some foolish members of the other sex are
adopting customs of dress, in girding the central portion of
the body, that tend to similar results.
But this distortion brings upon woman peculiar distresses.
The pressure of the whole superincumbent mass on the
pelvic or lower organs induces sufferings proportioned in
acuteness to the extreme delicacy and sensitiveness of the
parts thus crushed. And the intimate connection of these
organs with the brain and whole nervous system renders injuries thus inflicted the causes of the most extreme anguish,
both of body and mind. This evil is becoming so common, not only among married women, but among young
girls, as to be a just cause for universal alarm.
CLOTHING.
163
JbEow very common these sufferings are, few but the medical profession can realize, because they are troubles that
must be concealed. Many a woman is moving about in uncomplaining agony who, with any other trouble involving
equal suffering, would be on her bed surrounded by sympathizing friends.
The terrible sufferings that are sometimes thus induced
can never be conceived of, or at all appreciated from, any
use of language. Nothing that the public can be made to
believe on this subject will ever equal the reality. Not
only mature persons and mothers, but fair young girls somotimes, are shut up for months and years as helpless and
suffering invalids from this cause. This may be found all
over the land. And there frequently is a horrible extremity
of suffering in certain forms of this evil, which no woman
of feeble constitution can ever be certain may not be her
doom. Not that in all cases this extremity is involved, but
none can say who will escape it.
In regard to this, if one must choose for a friend or a
child, on the one hand, the horrible torments inflicted by
savage Indians or cruel inquisitors on their victims, or, on
the other, the protracted agonies that result from such deformities and displacements, sometimes the former would
be a merciful exchange.
And yet this is the fate that is coming to meet the young
as well as the mature in every direction. And tender
parents are unconsciously leading their lovely and hapless
daughters to this awful doom.
There is no excitement of the imagination in what is here
indicated. If the facts and details could be presented, they
would send a groan of terror all over the land. For it is
not one class, or one section, that is endangered. In every
part of our country the evil is progressing.
And, as if these dreadful ills were not enough, there have
been added methods of medical treatment at once useless, torturing to the mind* and involving great liability to immoralities.
164
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
In hope of abating these evils, drawings are given (Fig,
62 and Fig. 63) of the front and back of a jacket that will
preserve the advantages of
the corset without its evils.
This jacket may at first be
fitted to the figure with corsets underneath it, just like
the waist of a dress. Then ?
delicate whalebones can be
used to stiffen the jacket, so
that it will take the proper
shape, when the corset may
be dispensed with. The buttons below are to hold all
articles of dress below the waist by button-holes. By this
method, the bust is supported as well as by corsets, while
the shoulders support from above, as they should do, the
weight of the dress below. ISTo stiff bone should be allowed
to press in front, and the jacket should be so loose that a
full breath can be inspired with ease, while in a sitting
position.
The proper way to dress a young girl is to have a cotton
or flannel close-fitting jacket
'Fig. 63.
next the body, to which the
drawers should be buttoned.
Over this, place the chemise;
and over that, such a jacket
as the one here drawn, to
which should be buttoned the
hoops and other skirts. Thus
every article of dress will be
supported by the shoulders.
The sleeves of the jacket can
be omitted, and in that case a
strong lining, and also a tape binding, must surround the
arm-hole, which should be loose.
CLOTHING.
165
It is hoped that increase of intelligence and moral power
among mothers, and a combination among them to regulate
fashions, may banish the pernicious practices that have prevailed. If a school-girl dress without corsets and without
tight belts could be established as a fashion, it would be
one step gained in the right direction. Then if mothers
could secure daily domestic exercise in chambers, eatingrooms and parlors in loose dresses, a still farther advance
would be secured.
A friend of the writer informs her that her daughter had
her wedding outfit made up by a fashionable milliner in
Paris, and every dress was beautifully fitted to the form,
and yet was not compressing to any part. This was done
too without the use of corsets, the stiffening being delicate
and yielding whalebones.
Not only parents but all having the care of young girls,
especially those at boarding-schools, have a fearful responsibility resting upon them in regard to this important duty.
In regard to the dressing of young children, much discretion is needed to adapt dress to circumstances and peculiar
constitutions. The leading fact must be borne in mind that
the skin is made strong and healthful by exposure to light and
pure air, while cold air, if not excessive, has a tonic influence.
If the skin of infants is rubbed with the hand till red with
blood, and then exposed naked to sun and air in a well-ventilated room, it will be favorable to health.
There is a constitutional difference in the skin of different
children in regard to retaining the animal heat manufactured within, so that some need more clothing than others for
comfort. Nature is a safe guide to a careful nurse and
mother, and will indicate by the looks and actions of a child
when more clothing is needful. As a general rule, it is
safe for a healthful child to wear as little clothing as suffices to keep it from complaining of cold. Fifty years ago,
it was not common for children to wear as much under-clothing as they now do. The writer well remembers how even
166
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
girls, tho ugh not of strong constitutions, used to play for hour?
in the snow-drifts without the protection of drawers, kept
warm by exercise and occasional runs to an open fire. And
multitudes of children grew to vigorous maturity through
similar exposures to cold air-baths, and without the frequent
colds and sicknesses so common among children of the
present day, who are more carefully housed and warmly
dressed. But care was taken that the feet should be kept
dry and warmly clad, because, circulation being feebler in
the extremities, this precaution was important.
It must also be considered that age brings with it decrease
in vigor of circulation, and the consequent generation of
heat, so that more warmth of air and clothing is needed at
an advanced period of life than is suitable for the young.
These are the general principles which must be applied
with modification to each individual case. A child of delicate constitution must have more careful protection from
cold air than is desirable for one more vigorous, while the
leading general principle is retained that cold air is a healthful tonic for the skin whenever it does not produce an uncomfortable chilliness.
xm.
GOOD COOKING.
THERE are but a few things on which health and happiness depend more than on the manner in which food is
cooked. You may make houses enchantingly beautiful,
hang them with pictures, have them clean and airy and convenient; but if the stomach is fed with sour bread and
burnt meats, it will raise such rebellions that the eyes will
see no beauty anywhere. The abundance of splendid material we have in America is in great contrast with the
style of cooking most prevalent in our country. How often,
in journeys, do we sit down to tables loaded with material,
originally of the very best kind, which has been so spoiled
in the treatment that there is really nothing to eat! Green
biscuits with acrid spots of alkali; sour yeast-bread; meat
slowly simmered in fat till it seemed like grease itself, and
slowly congealing in cold grease; and above all, that unpardonable enormity, strong butter! How one longs to
show people what might have been done with the raw material out of which all these monstrosities were concocted!
There is no country where an ample, well-furnished table
is more easily spread, and for that reason, perhaps, none
where the bounties of Providence are more generally neglected. Considering that our resources are greater than
those of any other civilized people, our results are compara
tively poorer.
It is said that a list of the summer vegetables which are
exhibited on New-York hotel-tables being shown to a French
artiste, he declared that to serve such a dinner properly
168
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
would take till midnight. A traveler can not but be struck
with our national plenteousness, on returning from a Continental tour, and going directly from the ship to a NewYork hotel, in the bounteous season of autumn. For
months habituated to neat little bits of chop or poultry,
garnished with the inevitable cauliflower or potato, which
seemed to be the sole possibility after the reign of green
peas was over; to sit down all at once to such a carnival! to
such ripe, juicy tomatoes, raw or cooked; cucumbers in brittle
slices; rich, yellow sweet-potatoes; broad lima-beans, and
beans of other and various names; tempting ears of Indiancorn steaming in enormous piles ; great smoking tureens of
the savory succotash, an Indian gift to the table for which
civilization need not blush; sliced egg-plant in delicate fritters ; and marrow-squashes, of creamy pulp and sweetness;
a rich variety, embarrassing to the appetite, and perplexing
to the choice.
Verily, the thoughj must often occur that the vegetarian
doctrine preached in America leaves a man quite as much
as he has capacity to eat or enjoy, and that in the midst of
such tantalizing abundance he has really lost the apology,
which elsewhere bears him out in preying upon his less gifted
and accomplished animal neighbors.
But with all this, the American table, taken as a whole,
is inferior to that of England or France. It presents a fine
abundance of material, carelessly and poorly treated. The
management of food is nowhere in the world, perhaps,
more slovenly and wasteful. Every thing betokens that want
of care that waits on abundance; there are great capabilities and poor execution. A tourist through England can
seldom fail, at the quietest country-inn, of finding himself
served with the essentials of English table-comfort—his
mutton-chop done to a turn, his steaming little private apparatus for concocting his own tea, his choice pot of marmalade
or slice of cold ham, and his delicate rolls and creamy butter, all served with care and neatness. In France, one never
GOOD
COOKING.
169
asks in vain for delicious cafe-au-lait, good bread and butter, a nice omelet, or some savory little portion of meat with
a French name. But to a tourist taking like chance in
American country-fare, what is the prospect ? What is the
coffee? what the tea? and the meat? and above all, the
butter ?
In writing on cooking, the main topics should be first,
bread ; second, butter; third, meat; fourth, vegetables;
and fifth, tea—by which last is meant, generically, all sorts
of warm, comfortable drinks served out in tea-cups, whether
they be called tea, coffee, chocolate, broma, or what not.
If these five departments are all perfect, the great ends
of domestic cookery are answered, so far as the comfort
and well-being of life are concerned. There exists another
department, which is often regarded by culinary amateurs
and young aspirants as the higher branch and very collegiate course of practical cookery; to wit, confectionery, by
which is designated all pleasing and complicated compounds
of sweets and spices, devised not for health and nourishment, and strongly suspected of interfering with both—
mere tolerated gratifications of the palate, which we eat,
not with the expectation of being benefited, but only with
the hope of not being injured by them. In this large department rank all sorts of cakes, pies, preserves, etc., whose
excellence is often attained by treading under foot and disregarding the five grand essentials.
There is many a table garnished with three or four
kinds of well-made cake, compounded with citron and
spices and all imaginable good things, where the meat
was tough and greasy, the bread some hot preparation
of flour, lard, saleratus, and acid, and the butter unutterably detestable, where, if the mistress of the feast
had given the care, time, and labor to preparing the
simple items of bread, butter, and meat, that she evidently had given to the preparation of these extras, the lot
of her guests and family might be much more comfortable,
170
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
But she does not think of these common articles as consti
tuting a good table. So long as she has puff pastry, rich
black cake, clear jelly and preserves, she considers that
such unimportant matters as bread, butter, and meat may
take care of themselves. It is the same inattention to common things as that which leads people to build houses with
stone fronts, and window-caps and expensive front-door
trimmings, without bathing-rooms or fireplaces, or ventilators.
Those who go into the country looking for summer board
in farm-houses know perfectly well that a table where the
butter is always fresh, the tea and coffee of the best kinds and
well made, and the meats properly kept, dressed, and served,
is the one table of a hundred, the fabulous enchanted island.
It seems impossible to get the idea into the minds of many
people that what is called common food, carefully prepared,
becomes, in virtue of that very care and attention, a delicacy,
superseding the necessity of artificially compounded dainties.
To begin, then, with the very foundation of a good table
—Bread; What ought it to be ?
It should be light, sweet, and tender. This matter
of lightness is the distinctive line between savage and
civilized bread. The savage mixes simple fiour and water into balls of paste, which he throws into boiling
water, and which come out solid, glutinous masses, of which
his common saying is, " Man eat dis, he no die," which a
facetious traveler who was obliged to subsist on it interpreted to mean, " Dis no kill you, nothing will." In short,
it requires the stomach of a wild animal or of a savage to
digest this primitive form of bread, and of course more or
less attention in all civilized modes of bread-making is given to producing lightness. By lightness is meant simply
that in order to facilitate digestion the particles are to be
separated from each other by little holes or air-cells; and
all the different methods of making light bread are neither
more nor less than the formation of bread with these air
cells.
GOOD COOKING,
171
So far as we know, there are four practicable methods of
aerating bread; namely, by fermentation ; by effervescence
of an acid and an alkali; by aerated egg, or egg which has
been filled with air by the process of beating; and lastly,
by pressure of some gaseous substance into the paste, by a
process much resembling the impregnation of water in a
soda-fountain. All these have one and the same object—
to give us the cooked particles of our flour separated by
such permanent air-cells as will enable the stomach more
readily to digest them.
A very common mode of aerating bread in America is
by the effervescence of an acid and an alkali in the flour.
The carbonic acid gas thus formed produces minute aircells in the bread, or, as the cook says, makes it light.
When this process is performed with exact attention to
chemical laws, so that the acid and alkali completely neutralize each other, leaving no overplus of either, the result
is often very palatable. The difficulty is, that this is a happy conjunction of circumstances which seldom occurs. The
acid most commonly employed is that of sour milk, and, as
milk has many degrees of sourness, the rule of a certain
quantity of alkali to the pint must necessarily produce
very different results at different times. As an actual fact
where this mode of making bread prevails, as we lament to
say it does to a great extent in this country, one finds five
cases of failure to one of success.
It is a woeful thing that the daughters of our land have
abandoned the old respectable mode of yeast-brewing and
bread-raising for this specious substitute, so easily made,
and so seldom well made. The green, clammy, acrid substance, called biscuit, which many of our worthy republicans are obliged to eat in these days, is wholly unworthy of
the men and women of the republic. Good patriots ought
not to be put off in that way—they deserve better fare.
As an occasional variety, as a household convenience for
obtaining bread or biscuit at a moment's notice, the process
172
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
of effervescence may be retained ; but we earnestly entreat
American housekeepers, in scriptural language, to stand in
the way and ask for the old pa.ths, and return to the good
yeast-bread of their sainted grandmothers.
If acid and alkali must be used, by all means let them
be mixed in due proportions. ISlo cook- should be left to
guess and judge for herself about this matter. There are
articles made by chemical rule which produce very perfect,
results, and the use of them obviates the worst dangers in
making bread by effervescence.
Of all processes of aeration in bread-making, the oldest
and most time-honored mode is by fermentation.
That
this was known in the days of our Saviour is evident from
the forcible simile in which he compares the silent permeating force of truth in human society to the very familiar
household process of raising bread by a little yeast.
There is, however, one species of yeast, much used in
some parts of the country, against which protest should be
made. It is called salt-risings, or milk-risings, and is made
by mixing flour, milk, and a little salt together, and leaving
them to ferment. The bread thus produced is often very
attractive, when new and made with great care. It is white
and delicate, with tine, even air-ceils. It has, however,
when kept, some characteristics which remind us of the
terms in which our old English Bible describes the effect
of keeping the manna of the ancient Israelites, which we
are informed, in words more explicit than agreeable, " stank,
and bred worms." If salt-rising bread does not fulfill the
whole of this unpleasant description, it certainly does emphatically a part of it. The smell which it has in baking,
and when more than a day old, suggests the inquiry,
wdiether it is the saccharine or the putrid fermentation with
which it is raised. Whoever breaks a piece of it after a
day or two, will often see minute filaments or clammy strings
drawing out from the fragments, which, with the unmistakable smell, will cause him to pause before consummating a nearer acquaintance.
GOOD
COOKING.
173
The fermentation of flour by means of brewer's or distiller's yeast produces, if rightly managed, results far more
palatable and wholesome. The only requisites for success
in it are, first, good materials, and, second, great care in
5mall things. There are certain low-priced or damaged
kinds of flour which can never by any kind of domestic
chemistry be made into good bread; and to those persons
whose stomachs forbid them to eat gummy, glutinous paste,
under the name of bread, there is no economy in buying
these poor brands, even at half the price of good flour.
But good flour and good yeast being supposed, with a
temperature favorable to the development of fermentation,
the whole success of the process depends on the thorough
diffusion of the proper proportion of yeast through the
whole mass, and on stopping the subsequent fermentation
at the precise and fortunate point. The true housewife
makes her bread the sovereign of her kitchen—its behests
must be attended to in all critical points and moments, no
matter what else be postponed.
She who attends to her bread only when she has done this,
and arranged that, and performed the other, very often
finds that the forces of nature will not wait for her. The
snowy mass, perfectly mixed, kneaded with care and
strength, rises in its beautiful perfection till the moment
comes for filling the air-cells by baking. A few minutes now,
and the acetous fermentation will begin, and the whole result
be spoiled. Many bread-makers pass in utter carelessness
over this sacred and mysterious boundary. Their oven has
cake in it, or they are skimming jelly, or attending to pome
other of the so-called higher branches of cookery, while the
bread is quickly passing into the acetous stage. At last,
when they are ready to attend to it, they find that it has
been going its own way,—it is so sour that the pungent
smell is plainly perceptible. Now the saleratus-bottle is
handed down, and a quantity of the dissolved alkali mixed
with the paste—an expedient sometimes making itself too
174
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
manifest by greenish streaks or small acrid spots in the
bread. As the result, we have a beautiful article spoiled
—bread without sweetness, if not absolutely sour.
In the view of many, lightness is the only property required in this article. The delicate refined sweetness which
exists in carefully kneaded bread, baked just before it
passes to the extreme point of fermentation, is something
of which they have no conception ; and thus they will even
regard this process of spoiling the paste by the acetous fermentation, and then rectifying that acid by effervescence
with an alkali, as something positively meritorious. How
else can they value and relish bakers' loaves, such as some
are, drugged with ammonia and other disagreeable things ;
light indeed, so light that they seem to have neither weight
nor substance, but with no more sweetness or taste than so
much cotton wool ?
Some persons prepare bread for the oven by simply mixing it in the mass, without kneading, pouring it into pans5
and suffering it to rise there. The air-cells in bread thus
prepared are coarse and uneven; the bread is as inferior in
delicacy and nicety to that which is well kneaded as a raw
servant to a perfectly educated and refined lady. The process of kneading seems to impart an evenness to the minute
air-cells, a fineness of texture, and a tenderness and pliability to the whole substance, that can be gained in no other
way.
The divine principle of beauty has its reign over bread
as well as over all other things; it has its laws of aesthetics;
ami that bread which is so prepared that it can be formed
ink separate and well-proportioned loaves, each one carefully worked and moulded, will develop the most beautiful
results. After being moulded, the loaves should stand usually
not over ten minutes, just long enough to allow the fermentation going on in them to expand each little air-cell to the
point at which it stood before it was worked down, and then
they should be immediately put into the oven.
GOOD
COOKING.
175
Many a good thing, however, is spoiled in the oven. We
can not but regret, for the sake of bread, that our old
steady brick ovens have been almost universally superseded
by those of ranges and cooking-stoves, which are infinite in
their caprices, and forbid all general rules. One thing,
however, may be borne in mind as a principle—that the
excellence of bread in all its varieties, plain or sweetened,
depends on the perfection of its air-cells, whether produced
by yeast, egg, or effervescence; that one of the objects of
baking is to fix these air-cells, and that the quicker this can
be done through the whole mass, the better will the result
be. When cake or bread is made heavy by baking too
quickly, it is because the immediate formation of the top
crust hinders the exhaling of the moisture in the centre,
and prevents the air-cells from cooking. The weight also
of the crust pressing down on the doughy air-cells below destroys them, producing that horror of good cooks, a heavy
streak. The problem in baking, then, is the quick application of heat rather below than above the loaf, and its steady
continuance till all the air-cells are thoroughly dried into
permanent consistency. Every housewife must watch her
own oven to know how this can be best accomplished.
Bread-making can be cultivated to any extent as a fine
art—and the various kinds of biscuit, tea-rusks, twists,
rolls, into which bread may be made, are much better worth
a housekeeper's ambition than the getting-up of rich and
expensive cake or confections. There are also varieties of
material which are rich in good effects. Unbolted flour,
altogether more wholesome than the fine wheat, and when
properly prepared more palatable—rye-flour and corn-meal,
each affording a thousand attractive possibilities—all of
these come under the general laws of bread-stuffs, and are
worth a careful attention.
A peculiarity of our American table, particularly in the
Southern and Western States, is the constant exhibition of
various preparations of hot bread. In many families of the
176
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
South and West, bread in loaves to be eaten cold is an article quite unknown. The effect of this kind of diet upon
the health has formed a frequent subject of remark among
travelers; but only those know the full mischiefs of it who
have been compelled to sojourn for a length of time in
families where it is maintained. The unknown horrors of
dyspepsia from bad bread are a topic over which we willingly draw a vail.
Next to Bread comes Butter—on which we have to say,
that, when we remember what butter is in civilized Europe,
and compare it with what it is in America, we wonder at
the forbearance and lenity of travelers in their strictures on
our national commissariat.
Butter, in England, France, and Italy, is simply solidified
cream, with all the sweetness of the cream in its taste, freshly churned each day, and unadulterated by salt. At the
present moment, when salt is five cents a pound and butter
fifty, we Americans are paying, at high prices, for about one
pound of salt to every ten of butter, and those of us who
have eaten the butter of France and England do this with
rueful recollections.
There is, it is true, an article of butter made in the
American style with salt, which, in its own kind and way,
has a merit not inferior to that of England and France.
Many prefer it, and it certainly takes a rank equally respectable with the other. It is yellow, hard, and worked so
perfectly free from every particle of buttermilk that it
might make the voyage of the world without spoiling. It
is salted, but salted with care and delicacy, so that it may
be a question whether even a fastidious Englishman might
not prefer its golden solidity to the white, creamy freshness
of his own. But it is to be regretted that this article is the
exception, and not the rule, on our tables.
America must have the credit of manufacturing and putting into market more bad butter than all that is made in
all the rest of the world together. The varieties of bad
GOOD COOKING.
Ill
tastes and smells which prevail in it are quite a study.
This has a cheesy taste, that a mouldy, this is flavored with
cabbage, and that again with turnip, and another has the
strong, sharp savor of rancid animal fat. These varieties
probably come from the practice of churning only at long
intervals, and keeping the cream meanwhile in unventilated
cellars or dairies, the air of which is loaded with the effluvia of vegetable substances. No domestic articles are so
sympathetic as those of the milk tribe: they readily take
on the smell and taste of any neighboring substance, and
hence the infinite variety of flavors on which one mournfully muses who has late in autumn to taste twenty firkins of
butter in hopes of finding one which will simply not be intolerable on his winter table.
A matter for despair as regards bad butter is, that at the
tables where it is used it stands sentinel at the door to bar
your way to every other kind of food. You turn from your
dreadful half-slice of bread, which fills your mouth with
bitterness, to your beef-steak, which proves virulent with
the same poison; you think to take refuge in vegetable diet,
and find the butter in the string-beans, and polluting the innocence of early peas; it is in the corn, in the succotash, in
the squash; the beets swim in it, the onions have it poured
over them. Hungry and miserable, you think to solace
yourself at the dessert; but the pastry is cursed, the cake is
acrid with the same plague. You are ready to howl with
despair, and your misery is great upon you—especially if
this is a table where you have taken hoard for three months
with your delicate wife and four small children. Your case
is dreadful, and it is hopeless, because long usage and habit
have rendered your host perfectly incapable of discovering
what is the matter. " Don't like the butter, sir ? I assure
you I paid an extra price for it, and it's the very best in the
market. I looked over as many as a hundred tubs, and
picked out this one." You are dumb, but not less despairing.
178
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
Yet the process of making good butter is a v$ry simple
one. To keep the cream in a perfectly pure, cool atmosphere, to churn while it is yet sw^eet, to work out the buttermilk thoroughly, and to add salt with such discretion as
not to ruin the fine, delicate flavor of the fresh cream—all
this is quite simple, so simple, that one wonders at thousands
and millions of pounds of butter yearly manufactured
which are merely a hobgoblin bewitchment of cream into
foul and loathsome poisons.
The third head of my discourse is that of Meat, of which
America furnishes, in the gross material, enough to spread
our tables royally, were it well cared for and served.
The faults in the meat generally furnished to us are, first,
that it is too new. A beef steak, which three or four days
of keeping might render palatable, is served up to us palpitating with freshness, with all the toughness of animal muscle yet warm.
In the next place, there is a woeful lack of nicety in the
butcher's work of cutting and preparing meat. Who that
remembers the neatly trimmed mutton-chop of an English
inn, or the artistic little circle of lamb-chop fried in breadcrumbs coiled around a tempting centre of spinach which
may always be found in France, can recognize any family
resemblance to those dapper, civilized preparations, in these
coarse, roughly-hacked strips of bone, gristle, and meat
which are commonly called mutton-chop in America?
There seems to be a large dish of something resembling
meat, in which each fragment has about two or three edible
morsels, the rest being composed of dry and burnt skin, fat,
and ragged bone.
Is it not time that civilization should learn to demand
somewhat more care and nicety in the modes of preparing
what is to be cooked and eaten ? Might not some of the refinement and trimness which characterize the preparations
of the European market be with advantage introduced into
our own ? The housekeeper who wishes to garnish her ta
GOOD COOKING,
179
ble with some of those nice things is stopped in the outset
by the butcher. Except in our large cities, where some foreign travel may have created the demand, it seems impossible to get much in this line that is properly prepared.
If this is urged on the score of aesthetics, the ready reply
will be, " Oh! we can't give time here in America to go into
niceties and French whim-whams !" But the French mode
of doing almost all practical things is based on that true
philosophy and utilitarian good sense which characterize
that seemingly thoughtless people. Nowhere is economy a
more careful study, and their market is artistically arrange!
to this end. The rule is so to cut their meats that no portion designed to be cooked in a certain manner shall have
wasteful appendages which that mode of cooking will spoil.
The French soup-kettle stands ever ready to receive the
bones, the thin fibrous flaps, the sinewy and gristly portions,
which are so often included in our roasts or broilings, which
fill our plates with unsightly debris, and finally make an
amount of blank waste for which we pay our butcher the
same price that we pay for what we have eaten.
The dead waste of our clumsy, coarse way of cutting
meats is immense. For example, at the beginning of the
season, the part of a lamb denominated leg and loin, or
hind-quarter, may sell for thirty cents a pound. ISTow this
includes, besides the thick, fleshy portions, a quantity of
bone, sinew, and thin fibrous substance, constituting full
one third of the whole weight. If we put it into the oven
entire, in the usual manner, we have the thin parts overdone, and the skinny and fibrous parts utterly dried up, by
the application of the amount of heat necessary to cook
the thick portion. Supposing the joint to weigh six pounds,
at thirty cents, and that one third of the weight is so treated as to become perfectly useless, we throw away sixty
cents. Of a piece of beef at twenty-five cents a pound,
fifty cents' worth is often lost in bone, fat, and burnt skin.
The fact is, this way of selling and cooking meat in
180
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
31AN UAL.
!arge, gross portions is of English origin, and belongs to a
country where all the customs of society spring from a class
who have no particular occasion for economy. The practice of minute and delicate division comes from a nation
which acknowledges the need of economy, and has made it
a study. A quarter of lamb in this mode of division would
be sold in three nicely prepared portions. The thick part
would be sold by itself, for a neat, compact little roast;
the rib-bones would be artistically separated, and all the
edible matter would form those delicate dishes of lambchop, which, fried in bread-crumbs to a golden brown,
are so ornamental and palatable a side-dish; the trimmings
which remain after this division would be destined to the
soup-kettle or stew-pan.
In a French market is a little portion for every purse,
and the far-famed and delicately flavored soups and stews
which have arisen out of French economy are a study worth
a housekeeper's attention. Not one atom of food is wasted
in the French modes of preparation; even tough animal
cartilages and sinews, instead of appearing burned and
blackened in company with the roast meat to which they
happen to be related, are treated according to their own
laws, and come out either in savory soups, or those fine,
clear meat-jellies which form a garnish no less agreeable to
the eye than palatable to the taste.
Whether this careful, economical, practical style of meatcooking can ever to any great extent be introduced into our
kitchens now is a question. Our butchers are against it;
our servants are wedded to the old wholesale wasteful ways,
which seem to them easier because they are accustomed to
them. A cook who will keep and properly tend a soupkettle which shall receive and utilize all that the coarse
preparations of the butcher would require her to trim away,
who understands the art of making the most of all these
remains is a treasure scarcely to be hoped for. If such
things are to be done, it must be primarily through the
GOOD COOKING.
181
educated brain of cultivated women who do not scorn to
turn their culture and refinement upon domestic problems.
When meats have been properly divided, so that each
portion can receive its own appropriate style of treatment,
next comes the consideration of the modes of cooking.
These may be divided into two great general classes: those
where it is desired to keep the juices within the meat, as in
oaking, broiling, and frying—and those whose object is to
extract the juice and dissolve the fibre, as in the making
of soups and stews. In the first class of operations, the
process must be as rapid as may consist with the thorough
cooking of all the particles. In this branch of cookery,
doing quickly is doing well. The fire must be brisk, the
attention alert. The introduction of cooking-stoves offers
to careless domestics facilities for gradually drying-up
meats, and despoiling them of all flavor and nutriment—
facilities which appear to be very generally accepted.
They have almost banished the genuine, old-fashioned
roast-meat from our tables, and left in its stead dried meats
with their most precious and nutritive juices evaporated.
How few cooks, unassisted, are competent to the simple
process of broiling a beefsteak or mutton-chop! how very
generally one has to choose between these meats gradually
dried away, or burned on the outside and raw within!
Yet in England these articles never come on the table done
amiss; their perfect cooking is as absolute a certainty as the
rising of the sun.
No one of these rapid processes of cooking, however, is
so generally abused as frying. The frying-pan has awful
sins to answer for. What untold horrors of dyspepsia have
arisen from its smoky depths, like the ghost from witches'
caldrons! The fizzle of frying meat is a warning knell on
many an ear, saying, " Touch not, taste not, if you would
not burn and writhe!"
Yet those who have traveled abroad remember that
some of the lightest, most palatable, and most digestible
182
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
preparations of meat have come from this dangerous
source. But we fancy quite other rites and ceremonies
inaugurated the process, and quite other hands performed
its offices, than those known to our kitchens. Probably the
delicate cdteleUes of France are not flopped down into halfmelted grease, there gradually to warm and soak and fizzle,
while Biddy goes in and out on her other ministrations, till
finally, when they are thoroughly saturated, and dinner-hour
impends, she bethinks herself, and crowds the fire below to
a roaring heat, and finishes the process by a smart burn, involving the kitchen and surrounding precincts in volumes
of Stygian gloom. From such preparations has arisen the
very current medical opinion that fried meats are indigestible. They are indigestible, if they are greasy; but French
cooks have taught us that a thing has no more need to
be greasy because emerging from grease than Venus had
to be salt because she rose from the sea.
There are two ways of frying employed by the French
cook. One is, to immerse the article to be cooked in boiling fat, with an emphasis on the present participle—and
the philosophical principle is, so immediately to crisp every
pore, at the first moment or two of immersion, as effectually
to seal the interior against the intrusion of greasy particles;
it can then remain as long as may be necessary thoroughly
to cook it, without imbibing any more of the boiling fluid
than if it were inclosed in an egg-shell. The other method
is to rub a perfectly smooth iron surface with just enough
of some oily substance to prevent the meat from adhering,
and cook it with a quick heat, as cakes are baked on a
griddle. In both these cases there must be the most rapid
application of heat that can be made without burning, and
by the adroitness shown in working out this problem the
skill of the cook is tested. Any one whose cook attains
this important secret will find fried things quite as digestible,
and often more palatable, than any other.
In the second department of meat-cookery, to wit, the
GOOD COOKING,
183
slow and gradual application of heat for the softening and
dissolution of its fibre and the extraction of its juices,
common cooks are equally untrained. Where is the socalled cook who understands how to prepare soups and
stews? These are precisely the articles in which a
French kitchen excels. The soup-kettle, made with a
double bottom, to prevent burning, is a permanent, everpresent institution, and the coarsest and most impracticable
meats distilled through that alembic come out again in
soups, jellies, or savory stews. The toughest cartilage, even
the bones, being first cracked, are here made to give forth
their hidden virtues, and to rise in delicate and appetizing
forms.
One great law governs all these preparations: the application of heat must be gradual, steady, long protracted,
never reaching the point of active boiling. Hours of quiet
simmering dissolve all dissoluble parts, soften the sternest
fibre, and unlock every minute cell in which Nature has
stored away her treasures of nourishment. This careful
and protracted application of heat and the skillful use of
flavors constitute the two main points in all those nice
preparations of meat for which the French have so many
names—processes by which a delicacy can be imparted to
the coarsest and cheapest food superior to that of the finest
articles under less philosophic treatment.
French soups and stews are a study, and they would
not be an unprofitable one to any person who wishes to
live with comfort and even elegance on small means.
There is no animal fibre that will not yield itself up to longcontinued, steady heat. But the difficulty with almost any
of the common servants who call themselves cooks is, that
they have not the smallest notion of the philosophy of the
application of heat. Such a one will complacently tell you
concerning certain meats, that the harder you boil them the
harder they grow—an obvious fact which, under her mode
of treatment by an indiscriminate galloping boil, has fre-
184
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
quently come under her personal observation. If you tell
her that such meat must stand for six hours in a heat just
below the boiling point, she will probably answer, a Yes,
ma'am," and go on her own way. Or she will let it stand
till it burns to the bottom of the kettle—a most common
termination of the experiment.
The only way to make sure of the matter is, either to obtain a French kettle, or to lit into an ordinary kettle a false
bottom, such as any tinman may make, that shall leave a
space of an inch or two between the meat and the fire.
This kettle may be maintained in a constant position on
the range, and into it the cook may be instructed to throw
all the fibrous trimmings of meat, all the gristle, tendons,
and bones, having previously broken up these last with a
mallet. Such a kettle, the regular occupant of a French
cooking-stove, which they call the pot au feu, will furnish
the basis for clear, rich soups, or other palatable dishes. This
is ordinarily called " stock."
Clear soup consists of the dissolved juices of the meat
and gelatine of the bones, cleared froir the fat and fibrous
portions by straining. The grease, which rises to the top of
the fluid, may be easily removed when cold.
English and American soups are often heavy and hot
with spices. There are appreciable tastes in them. They
burn your mouth with cayenne, or clove, or allspice. You
can tell at once what is in them, oftentimes to your sorrow.
But a French soup has a flavor which one recognizes at
once as delicious, yet not to be characterized as due to any
single condiment; it is the just blending of many things.
The same remark applies to all their stews, ragouts, and
other delicate preparations. No cook will ever study these
flavors; but perhaps many cooks' mistresses may, and thus
be able to impart delicacy and comfort to economy.
As to those things called hashes, commonly manufactured by unwatched, untaught cooks out of the remains of
yesterday's meal, let us not dwell too closely on their mem-
GOOD COOKING.
185
ory—compounds of meat, gristle, skin, fat, and burnt fibre,
with a handful of pepper and salt flung at them, dredged
with lumpy flour, watered from the spout of the tea-kettle,
and left to simmer at the cook's convenience while she is
otherwise occupied. Such are the best performances a
housekeeper can hope for from an untrained cook.
But the cunningly devised minces, the artful preparations
choicely flavored, which may be made of yesterday's repast
—by these is the true domestic artist known. No cook untaught by an educated brain ever makes these, and yet
economy is a great gainer by them.
As regards the department of Vegetables, their number
and variety in America are so great that a table might almost be furnished by these alone. Generally speaking,
their cooking is a more simple art, and therefore more likely to be found satisfactorily performed, than that of meats.
If only they are not drenched with rancid butter, their own
native excellence makes itself known in most of the ordinary modes of preparation.
There is, however, one exception.
Our staunch old
friend, the potato, is to other vegetables what bread is on
the table. Like bread, it is held as a sort of sine-qua-non /
like that, it may be made invariably palatable by a little
care in a few plain particulars, through neglect of which
it often becomes intolerable. The soggy, waxy, indigestible viand that often appears in the potato-dish is a downright sacrifice of the better nature of this vegetable.
The potato, nutritive and harmless as it appears, belongs
to a family suspected of very dangerous traits. It is a
family connection of the deadly-nightshade and other ill-reputed gentry, and sometimes shows strange proclivities to
evil—now breaking out uproariously, as in the noted potato-rot, and now more covertly, in various evil affections.
For this reason scientific directors bid us beware of the water in which potatoes are boiled—into which, it appears, the
evil principle is drawn off; and they caution us not to shred
186
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
them into stews without previously suffering the slices to lie
for an hour or so in salt and water. These cautions are
worth attention.
The most usual modes of preparing the potato for the table are by roasting or boiling. These processes are so simple that it is commonly supposed every cook understands
them without special directions; and yet there is scarcely
an uninstructed cook who can boil or roast a potato.
A good roasted potato is a delicacy worth a dozen com
positions of the cook-book; yet when we ask for it, what
burnt, shriveled abortions are presented to us!
Biddy
rushes to her potato-basket and pours out two dozen of different sizes, some having in them three times the amount of
matter of others. These being washed, she tumbles them
into her oven at a leisure interval, and there lets them lie till
it is time to serve breakfast, whenever that may be. As a
result, if the largest are cooked, the smallest are presented
in cinders, and the intermediate sizes are withered and watery. Nothing is so utterly ruined by a few moments of
overdoing. That which at the right moment was plump
with mealy richness, a quarter of an hour later shrivels
and becomes watery—and it is in this state that roast potatoes are most frequently served.
In the same manner we have seen boiled potatoes from
an untaught cook coming upon the table like lumps pf yellow wax—and the same article, under the directions of a
skillful mistress, appearing in snowy balls of powdery whiteness. In the one case, they were thrown in their skins into
water, and suffered to soak or boil, as the case might be, at
the cook's leisure, and after they were boiled to stand in
the water till she was ready to peel them. In the other
case, the potatoes being first peeled were boiled as quickly
as possible in salted water, which the moment they were
done was drained off, and then they were gently shaken
for a moment or two over the fire to dry them still more
thoroughly. We have never yet seen the potato so de-
GOOD
COOKING.
lft/
praved and given over to evil that it could not be reclaimed
by this mode of treatment.
As to fried potatoes, who that remembers the crisp, golden slices of the French restaurant, thin as wafers and light
as snow-flakes, does not speak respectfully of them ? What
cousinship with these have those coarse, greasy masses of
sliced potato, wholly soggy and partly burnt, to which we
are treated under the name of fried potatoes in America ?
In our cities the restaurants are introducing the French
article to great acceptance, and to the vindication of the
fair fame of this queen of vegetables.
Finally, we arrive at the last great head of our subject,
to wit—Tea—meaning thereby, as before observed, what
our Hibernian friend did in the inquiry, " Will y'r honor
take ' tay t a y ' or coffee tay V
We are not about to enter into the merits of the great
tea-and-coffee controversy, further than in our general caution concerning them in the chapter on Healthful Drinks ;
but we now proceed to treat of them as actual existences,
and speak only of the modes of making the best of them.
The French coffee is reputed the best in the world ; and
a thousand voices have asked, What is it about the French
coffee ?
In the first place, then, the French coffee is coffee, and
not chickory, or rye, or beans, or peas. In the second
place, it is freshly roasted, whenever made—roasted with
great care and evenness in a little revolving cylinder which
makes part of the furniture of every kitchen, and which
keeps in the aroma of the berry. It is never overdone, so
as to destroy the coffee-flavor, which is in nine cases out of
ten the fault of the coffee we meet witfy. Then it is ground,
and placed in a coffee-pot with a filter through which, when
it has yielded up its life to the boiling water poured upon
it, the delicious extract percolates in clear drops, the coffeepot standing on a heated stove to maintain the temperature.
The nose of the coffee-pot is stopped up to prevent the es-
188
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
cape of the aroma during this process. The extract thus
obtained is a perfectly clear, dark fluid, known as cafenoir,
or black coffee. It is black only because of its strength,
being in fact almost the very essential oil of coffee. A table-spoonful of this in boiled milk would make what is ordinarily called a strong cup of coffee. The boiled milk is
prepared with no less care. It must be fresh and new, not
merely warmed or even brought to the boiling-point, but
slowly simmered till it attains a thick, creamy richness. The
coffee mixed with this, and sweetened with that sparkling
beet-root sugar which ornaments a French table, is the celebrated cafe-au-lait, the name of which has gone round the
world.
As we look to France for the best coffee, so we must look
to England for the perfection of tea. The tea-kettle is as
much an English institution as aristocracy or the PrayerBook ; and when one wants to know exactly how tea should
be made, one has only to ask how a fine old English housekeeper makes it.
The first article of her faith is, that the water must not
merely be hot, not merely have boiled a few moments since,
but be actually boiling at the moment it touches the tea.
Hence, though servants in England are vastly better trained
than with us, this delicate mystery is seldom left to their
hands. Tea-making belongs to the drawing-room, and highborn ladies preside at " the bubbling and loud hissing urn,"
and see that all due rites and solemnities are properly performed—that the cups are hot, and that the infused tea
waits the exact time before the libations commence.
Of late, the introduction of English breakfast-tea has
raised a new sect among the tea-drinkers, reversing some of
the old canons. Breakfast-tea must be boiled! Unlike
the delicate article of olden time, which required only a
momentary infusion to develop its richness, this requires a
longer and severer treatment to bring out its strength—
thus confusing all the established usages, and throwing the
GOOD
COOKING.
189
work into the hands of the cook in the kitchen. The
faults of tea, as too commonly found at our hotels and
boarding-houses, are, that it is made in every way the
reverse of what it should be. The water is hot, perhaps,
but not boiling; the tea has a general flat, stale, smoky
taste, devoid of life or spirit; and it is served usually with
thin milk, instead of cream. Cream is as essential to the
richness of tea as of coffee. Lacking cream, boiled milk is
better than cold.
Chocolate is a French and Spanish article, and one seldom served on American tables. We in America, however,
make an article every way equal to any which can be imported from Paris, and he who buys the best vanilla-chocolate may rest assured that no foreign land can furnish any
thing better. A very rich and delicious beverage may be
made by dissolving this in milk, slowly boiled down after
the French fashion.
A word now under the head of Confectionery, meaning
by this the whole range of ornamental cookery—or pastry,
ices, jellies, preserves, etc. The art of making all these
very perfectly is far better understood in America than the
art of common cooking.
There are more women who
know how to make good cake than good bread—more who
can furnish you with a good ice-cream than a wTell-cooked
mutton-chop ; a fair charlotte-russe is easier to gain than
a perfect cup of coffee; and you shall find a sparkling
jelly to your dessert wdiere you sighed in vain for so simple a luxury as a well-cooked potato.
Our fair countrywomen might rest upon their laurels in
these higher fields, and turn their great energy and ingenuity to the study of essentials. To do common things perfectly is far better worth our endeavor than to do uncommon things respectably. We Americans in many things as
yet have been a little inclined to begin making our shirt at
the ruffle ; but, nevertheless, when we set about it, we can
make the shirt as nicely as any body; it needs only that we
190
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
turn our attention to it, resolved that, ruffle or no ruffle,
the shirt we will have.
A few words as to the prevalent ideas in respect to
French cookery. Having heard much of it, with no very
distinct idea of what it is, our people have somehow fallen
into the notion that its forte lies in high spicing—and so
when our cooks put a great abundance of clove, mace, nutmeg, and cinnamon into their preparations, they fancy
that they are growing up to be French cooks. But the
fact is, that the Americans and English are far more given
to spicing than the French. Spices in our made dishes
are abundant, and their taste is strongly pronounced. Living a year in France one forgets the taste of nutmeg, clove,
and allspice, which abounds in so many dishes in America. The English and Americans deal in spices, the French
in flavors — flavors many and fine, imitating often in
their delicacy those subtle blendings which nature produces in high-flavored fruits. The recipes of our cookerybooks are most of them of English origin, coming down
from the times of our phlegmatic ancestors, when the solid,
burly, beefy growth of the foggy island required the heat
of fiery condiments, and could digest heavy sweets. Witness the national recipe for plum-pudding : which may be
rendered: Take a pound of every indigestible substance
you can think of, boil into a cannon-ball, and serve in
flaming brandy. So of the Christmas mince-pie, and
many other national dishes. But in America, owing to
our brighter skies and more fervid climate, we have developed an acute, nervous delicacy of temperament far more
akin to that of France than of England.
Half of the recipes in our cook-books are mere murder
to such constitutions and stomachs as we grow here. We
require to ponder these things, and think how we, in our
climate and under our circumstances, ought to live; and in
doing so, we may, without accusation of foreign foppery,
take some leaves from many foreign books.
XIV.
EARLY RISING.
THERE is no practice which has been more extensively
eulogized in all ages than early rising; and this universal
impression is an indication that it is founded on true philosophy. For it is rarely the case that the common sense of
mankind fastens on a practice as really beneficial, especially
one that demands self-denial, without some substantial
reason.
This practice, which may justly be called a domestic virtue, is one which has a peculiar claim to be styled American
and democratic. The distinctive mark of aristocratic nations
is a disregard of the great mass, and a disproportionate regard for the interests of certain privileged orders. All the
customs and habits of such a nation are, to a greater or less
extent, regulated by this principle. Now the mass of any
nation must always consist of persons who labor at occupations which demand the light of day. But in aristocratic
countries, especially in England, labor is regarded as the
mark of the lower classes, and indolence is considered as
one mark of a gentleman. This impression has gradually
and imperceptibly, to a great extent, regulated their customs, so that, even in their hours of meals and repose, the
higher orders aim at being different and distinct from those
who, by laborious pursuits, are placed below them. From
this circumstance, while the lower orders labor by day and
sleep at night, the rich, the noble, and the honored sleep by
day, and follow their pursuits and pleasures by night.
It will be found that the aristocracy of London breakfast
102
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
near midday, dine after dark, visit and go to Parliament be
tween ten and twelve at night, and retire to sleep toward
morning. In consequence of this, the subordinate classes
who aim at gentility gradually fall into the same practice.
The influence oi this custom extends across the ocean, and
here, in this democratic land, we find many who measure
their grade of gentility by the late hour at which they arrive
at a party. And this aristocratic folly is growing ujjon us,
so that, throughout the nation, the hours for visiting and
retiring are constantly becoming later, while the hours for
rising correspond in lateness.
The question, then, is one which appeals to American
women, as a matter of patriotism and as having a bearing on
those great principles of democracy which we conceive to
be equally the principles of Christianity. Shall we form
our customs on the assumption that labor is degrading and
indolence genteel ? Shall we assume, by our practice, that
the interests of the great mass are to be sacrificed for the
pleasures and honors of a privileged few ? Shall we ape the
customs of aristocratic lands, in those very practices which
result from principles and institutions that we condemn?
Shall we not rather take the place to which we are entitled,
as the leaders, rather than the followers, in the customs of
society, turnback the tide of aristocratic inroads, and carry
through the whole, not only of civil and political but of
social and domestic life, the true principles of democratic
freedom and equality ? The following considerations may
serve to strengthen an affirmative decision.
The first relates to the health of a family. It is a universal law of physiology, that all living things flourish best
in the light. Yegetables, in a dark cellar, grow pale and
spindling. Children brought up in mines are always wan
and stunted, while men become pale and cadaverous who
live under ground. This indicates the folly of losing the
genial influence which the light of day produces on all
animated creation.
EARLY
RISING.
193
Sir James Wylie, of the Russian imperial service, states
that in the soldiers' barracks, three times as many were
taken sick on the shaded side as on the sunny side; though
both sides communicated, and discipline, diet, and treatment
were the same. The eminent French surgeon, Dupuytren,
cured a lady whose complicated diseases baffled for years
his own and all other medical skill, by taking her from a
dark room to an abundance of daylight.
Florence Nightingale writes: " Second only to fresh air
in importance for the sick is light. JNTot only daylight but
direct sunlight is necessary to speedy recovery, except in a
small number of cases. Instances, almost endless, could be
given where, in dark wards, or wards with only northern
exposure, or wards with borrowed light, even when properly ventilated, the sick could not be, by any means, made
speedily to recover."
In the prevalence of cholera, it was invariably the case
that deaths were more numerous in shaded streets or in
houses having only northern exposures than in those having
sunlight. Several physicians have stated to the writer that,
in sunny exposures, women after childbirth gained strength
much faster than those excluded from sunlight. In the
writer's experience, great nervous debility has been always
immediately lessened by sitting in the sun, and still more by
lying on the earth and in open air, a blanket beneath, and
head and eyes protected, under the direct rays of the sun.
Some facts in physiology and natural philosophy have a
bearing on this subject. It seems to be settled that the red
color of blood is owing to iron contained in the red bloodcells, while it is established as a fact that the sun's rays are
metallic, having " vapor of iron " as one element. It is also
true that want of light causes a diminution, of the red and
an increase of the imperfect white blood-cells, and that this
sometimes results in a disease called leucoemia, while all
who live in the dark have pale and waxy skins, and flabby,
weak muscles. Thus it would seem that it is the sun that
194
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
imparts the iron and color to the blood. These things being so, the customs of society that bring sleeping hours into
daylight, and working and study hours into the night, are
direct violations of the laws of health. The laws of health
are the laws of God, and " sin is the transgression of law."
To this we must add the great neglect of economy as
well as health in substituting unhealthful gaslight, poisonous, anthracite warmth, for the life-giving light and warmth
of the sun. Millions and millions would be saved to this
nation in fuel and light, as well as in health, by returning
to the good old ways of our forefathers, to rise with the
sun, and retire to rest "when the bell rings for nine
o'clock."
The observations of medical men, whose inquiries have
been directed to this point, have decided that from six to
eight hours is the amount of sleep demanded by persons in
health. Some constitutions require as much as eight, and
others no more than six hours of repose. But eight hours
is the maximum for all persons in ordinary health, with ordinary occupations. In cases of extra physical exertions,
or the debility of disease, or a decayed constitution, more
than this is required. Let eight hours, then, be regarded
as the ordinary period required for sleep by an industrious people like the Americans.
I t thus appears that the laws of our political condition,
the laws of the natural world, and the constitution of our
bodies, alike demand that we rise with the light of day to
prosecute our employments, and that we retire in time for
the requisite amount of sleep.
In regard to-the effects of protracting the time spent in
repose, many extensive and satisfactory investigations have
been made. It has been shown that, during sleep, the body
perspires most freely, while yet neither food nor exercise
are ministering to its wants. Of course, if we continue our
slumbers beyond the time required to restore the body to
its usual vigor, there is an unperceived undermining of the
EARLY
RISING.
195
constitution, by this protracted and debilitating exhalation.
This process, in a course of years, renders the body delicate and less able to withstand disease, and in the result
shortens life. Sir John Sinclair, who has written a large
work on the Causes of Longevity, states, as one result of
his extensive investigations, that he has never yet heard
or read of a single case of great longevity where the individual was not an early riser. He says that he has found
cases in which the individual has violated some one of all
the other laws of health, and yet lived to great age; but
never a single instance in which any constitution has with
stood that undermining consequent on protracting the
hours of repose beyond the demands of the system.
Another reason for early rising is, that it is indispensable to a systematic and well-regulated family. At whatever hour the parents retire, children and domestics, wearied by play or labor, must retire early. Children usually
awake with the dawn of light, and commence their play,
while domestics usually prefer the freshness of morning for
their labors. If, then, the parents rise at a late hour, they
either induce a habit of protracting sleep in their children
and domestics, or else the family are up, and at their pursuits, while their supervisors are in bed.
Any woman wTho asserts that her children and domestics, in
the first hours of day, when their spirits are freshest, will
be as well regulated without her presence as with it, confesses that which surely is little for her credit. It is believed that any candid woman, whatever may be her excuse for late rising, will concede that if she could rise early
it would be for the advantage of her family. A late breakfast puts back the work, through the whole day, for every
member of a family; and if the parents thus occasion the
loss of an hour or two to each individual who, but for
their delay in the morning, would be usefully employed,
they alone are responsible for all this waste of time.
But the practice of early rising has a relation to the gene-
196*
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
ral interests of the social community, as well as to that of
each distinct family. All that great portion of the community who are employed in business and labor find it
needful to rise early; and all their hours of meals, and
their appointments for business or pleasure, must be accommodated to these arrangements. Now, if a small portion
of the community establish very different hours, it makes
a kind of jostling in all the concerns and interests of society. The various appointments for the public, such as
meetings, schools, and business hours, must be accommodated
to the mass, and not to individuals. The few, then, who
establish domestic habits at variance with the majority, are
either constantly interrupted in their own arrangements, or
else are interfering with the rights and interests of others.
This is exemplified in the case of schools. In families
where late rising is practiced, either hurry, irregularity,
and neglect are engendered in the family, or else the interests of the school, and thus of the community, are sacrificed. In this, and many other matters, it can be showm
that the well-being of the bulk of the people is, to a greater or less extent, impaired by this self-indulgent practice.
Let any teacher select the unpunctual scholars—a class who
most seriously interfere with the interests of the school—
and let men of business select those who cause them most
waste of time and vexation, by unpunctuality; and it will
be found that they are generally among the late risers,
and rarely among those who rise early. Thus, late rising
not only injures the person and family which indulge in
it, but interferes with the rights and convenience of the
community; while early rising imparts corresponding benefits of health, promptitude, vigor of action, economy of
time, and general effectiveness both to the individuals who
practice it and to the families and community of which
they are a part.
XY.
DOMESTIC MANNERS.
GOOD MANNERS are the expressions of benevolence m
personal intercourse, by which we endeavor to promote the
comfort and enjoyment of others, and to avoid all that gives
needless uneasiness. I t is the exterior exhibition of the di
vine precept, which requires us to do to others as we would
that they should do to us. I t is saying, by our deportment,
to all around, that we consider their feelings, tastes, and
conveniences, as equal in value to our own.
Good manners lead us to avoid all practices which offend
the taste of others; all unnecessary violations of the conventional rules of propriety; all rude and disrespectful
language and deportment; and all remarks which would
tend to wound the feelings of others.
There is a serious defect in the manners of the American
people, especially among the descendants of the Puritan
settlers of New-England, which can nevei be efficiently
remedied, except in the domestic circle, and during early
life. I t is a deficiency in the free expressit n of kindly
feelings and sympathetic emotions, and a want of courtesy
in deportment. The causes which have led to this result
may easily be traced.
The forefathers of this nation, to a wide extent, were
men who were driven from their native land by laws and
customs which they believed to be opposed both to civil and
religious freedom. The sufferings they were called to endure, the subduing of those gentler feelings which ibind us
to country, kindred, and home; and the constant subordina-
198
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
tion of the passions to stern principle, induced characters of
great firmness and self-control. They gave up the comforts
and refinements of a civilized country, and came as pilgrims
to a hard soil, a cold clime, and a heathen shore. They
were continually forced to encounter danger, privations,
sickness, loneliness, and death; and all these their religion
taught them to meet with calmness, fortitude, and submission. And thus it became the custom and habit A the
whole mass, to repress rather than to encourage the expression of feeling.
Persons who are called to constant and protracted suffering and privation are forced to subdue and conceal emotion;
for the free expression of it would double their own suffering, and increase the sufferings of others. Those, only, who
are free from care and anxiety, and whose minds are mainly
occupied by cheerful emotions, are at full liberty to unvail
their feelings.
It was under such stern and rigorous discipline that the
first children in New-England were reared; and the manners and habits of parents are usually, to a great extent,
transmitted to children. Thus it comes to pass, that the
descendants of the Puritans, now scattered over every part
of the nation, are predisposed to conceal the gentler emotions, while their manners are calm, decided, and cold,
rather than free and impulsive. Of course, there are very
many exceptions to these predominating characteristics.
Other causes to which we may attribute a general want
of courtesy in manners are certain incidental results of our
domestic institutions. Our ancestors and their descendants
have constantly been combating the aristocratic principle
which would exalt one class of men at the expense of another. They have had to contend with this principle, not
only in civil but in social life. Almost every American, in
his own person as well as in behalf of his class, has had to
assume and defend the main principle of democracy—that
every man's feelings and interests are equal in value to
DOMESTIC
MANNEBS.
199
those of every other man. But, in doing this, there has
been some want of clear discrimination. Because claims
based on distinctions of mere birth, fortune, or position,
wrere found to be injurious, many have gone to the extreme
of inferring that all distinctions, involving subordinations,
are useless. Such would wrongfully regard children as
equals to parents, pupils to teachers, domestics to their employers, and subjects to magistrates—and that, too, in all
respects.
The fact that certain grades of superiority and subordination are needful, both for individual and public benefit,
has not been clearly discerned; and there has been a gradual
tendency to an extreme of the opposite view which has
sensibly affected our manners. All the proprieties and
courtesies which depend on the recognition of the relative
duties of superior and subordinate have been warred upon;
and thus we see, to an increasing extent, disrespectful treatment of parents, by children; of teachers, by pupils; of
employers, by domestics; and of the aged, by the young.
In all classes and circles, there is a gradual decay in courtesy
of address.
In cases, too, where kindness is rendered, it is often accompanied with a cold, unsympathizing manner, which
greatly lessens its value; while kindness or politeness is received in a similar style of coolness, as if it were but the
payment of a just due.
It is owing to these causes that the American people,
especially the descendants of the Puritans, do not do themselves justice. For, while those who are near enough to
learn their real character and feelings can discern the most
generous impulses, and the most kindly sympathies, they
are often so vailed behind a composed and indifferent de<
meanor, as to be almost entirely concealed from strangers.
These defects in our national manners it especially falls
to the care of mothers, and all who have charge of the
young, to rectify; and if they seriously undertake the mat-
200
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
ter, and wisely adapt means to ends, these defects will oe
remedied. With reference to this object, the following
ideas are suggested.
The law of Christianity and of democracy, which teaches
that all men are born equal in rights, and that their interests
and feelings should be regarded as of equal value, seems to
be adopted in aristocratic circles, with exclusive reference
to the class in which the individual moves. The courtly
gentleman addresses all of his own class with politeness and
respect; and in all his actions, seems to allow that the feelings and convenience of these others are to be regarded the
same as his own. But his demeanor to those of inferior
station is not based on the same rule.
Among those who make up aristocratic circles, such as
are above them are deemed of superior, and such as are below of inferior, value. Thus, if a young, ignorant, and
vicious coxcomb happens to have been born a lord, the aged,
the virtuous, the learned, and the well-bred of another class
must give his convenience the precedence, and must address
him in terms of respect. So sometimes, when a man of
"noble birth" is thrown among the lower classes, he demeans himself in a style which, to persons of his own class,
would be deemed the height of assumption and rudeness.
Now, the principles of democracy require that the same
courtesy wilich we accord to our own circle shall be extended to every class and condition; and that distinctions of superiority and subordination shall depend, not on accidents
of birth, fortune, or occupation, but solely on those mutual
relations which the good of all classes equally require.
The distinctions demanded in a democratic state are simply those which result from relations that are common to
every class, and are for the benefit of all.
It is for the benefit of every class that children be subordinate to parents, pupils to teachers, the employed to their
employers, and subjects to magistrates. In addition to this,
it is for the general well-being that the comfort or conven
DOMESTIC
MANNERS.
201
ience of the delicate and feeble should be preferred to that
of the strong and healthy, who would suffer less by any deprivation ; that precedence should be given to their elders
by the young; and that reverence should be given to the
hoary head.
The rules of good-breeding, in a democratic state, must
be founded on these principles. It is indeed assumed that
the value of the happiness of each individual is the same
as that of every other; but as there must be occasions
where there are advantages which all can not enjoy, there
must be general rules for regulating a selection. Otherwise,
there would be constant scrambling among those of equal
claims, and brute force must be the final resort; in which
case, the strongest would have the best of every thing. The
democratic rule, then, is, that superiors in age, station, or
office have precedence of subordinates; age and feebleness,
of youth and strength; and the feebler sex, of more vigorous man.*
There is, also, a style of deportment and address which
is appropriate to these different relations. It is suitable for
a superior to secure compliance with his wishes from those
subordinate to him by commands; but a subordinate must
secure compliance with his wishes from a superior by requests. (Although the kind and considerate manner to subordinates will always be found the most effective as well as
the pleasantest, by those in superior station.) It is suitable
for a parent, teacher, or employer to admonish for neglect
of duty; but not for an inferior to adopt such a course toward a superior. It is suitable for a superior to take precedence of a subordinate, without any remark; but not
for an inferior, without previously asking leave, or offering
* The universal practice of this nation, in thus giving precedence to
woman has been severely commented on by foreigners, and by some who
would transfer all the business of the other sex to women, and then have
them treated like men. But we hope this evidence of our superior civilization and Christianity may increase rather than diminish.
202
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
an apology. It is proper for a superior to use language
and manners of freedom and familiarity, which would be
improper from a subordinate to a superior.
The want of due regard to these proprieties occasions a
great defect in American manners. It is very common to
hear children talk to their parents in a style proper only
between companions and equals; so, also, the young address their elders; those employed, their employers; and
domestics, the members of the family and their visitors,
in a style which is inappropriate to their relative positions.
But courteous address is required not merely toward superiors ; every person desires to be thus treated, and therefore
the law of benevolence demands such demeanor toward all
whom we meet in the social intercourse of life. " Be ye
courteous," is the direction of the apostle in reference to
our treatment of all.
Good manners can be successfully cultivated only in
early life and in the domestic circle. There is nothing
which depends so much upon habit as the constantly recurring proprieties of good breeding; and if a child grows up
without forming such habits, it is very rarely the case that
they can be formed at a later period. The feeling that it is
of little consequence how we behave at home if we conduct ourselves properly abroad, is a very fallacious one.
Persons who are careless and ill-bred at home may imagine that they can assume good manners abroad; but they
mistake. Fixed habits of tone, manner, language, and
movements can not be suddenly altered; and those who
are ill-bred at home, even when they try to hide their bad
habits, are sure to violate many of the obvious rules of propriety, and yet be unconscious of it.
And there is nothing which would so effectually remove
prejudice against our democratic institutions as the general cultivation of good-breeding in the domestic circle.
Good manners are the exterior of benevolence, the minute
and constant exhibitions of " peace and good-will;" and the
DOMESTIC
MANNERS.
208
nation, as well as the individual, which most excels in the
external demonstration, as well as the internal principle,
will be most respected and beloved.
It is only the training of the family state according to
its true end and aim that is to secure to woman her true
position and rights. When the family is instituted by marriage, it is man who is the head and chief magistrate by
the force of his physical power and requirement of the
chief responsibility; not less is he so according to the Christian law, by which, when differences arise, the husband
has the deciding control, and the wife is to obey. " Where
love is, there is no law;" but where lovt is not, the only
dignified and peaceful course is for the wife, however much
his superior, to " submit, as to God and not to man."
But this power of nature and of religion, given to man
as the controlling head, involves the distinctive duty of the
family state, self-sacrificing love. The husband is to " honor " the wife, to love her as himself, and thus account her
wishes and happiness as of equal value with his own. But
more than this, he is to love her " as Christ loved the
Church;" that is, he is to " suffer" for her, if need be, in
order to support and elevate and ennoble her.
The father then is to set the example of self-sacrificing love and devotion; and the mother, of Christian obedience when it is required. Every boy is to be trained for
his future domestic position by labor and sacrifices for his
mother and sisters. It is the brother who is to do the hardest and most disagreeable work, to face the storms and perform the most laborious drudgeries. In the family circle,
too, he is to give his mother and sister precedence in all
the conveniences and comforts of home life.
It is only those nations where the teachings and example
of Christ have had most influence that man has ever assumed his obligations of self-sacrificing benevolence in the
family. And even in Christian communities, the duty of
wives to obey their husbands has been more strenuously
204
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
urged than the obligations of the husband to love his wife
" as Christ loved the Church."
Here it is needful to notice that the distinctive duty of
obedience to man does not rest on women who do not enter
the relations of married life. A woman who inherits property, or who earns her own livelihood, can institute the
family state, adopt orphan children and employ suitable
helpers in training them; and then to her will appertain the
authority and rights that belong to man as the head of a
family. And when every woman is trained to some self-supporting business, she will not be tempted to enter the family state as a subordinate, except by that love for which there
is no need of law.
These general principles being stated, some details in regard to domestic manners will be enumerated.
In the first place, there should be required in the family
a strict attention to the rules of precedence, and those
modes of address appropriate to the various relations to be
sustained. Children should always be required to offer
their superiors, in age or station, the precedence in all comforts and conveniences, and always address them in a respectful tone and manner. The custom of adding, " Sir," or
" Ma'am," to " Yes," or " JSTo," is valuable, as a perpetual
indication of a respectful recognition of superiority. It is
now going out of fashion, even among the most well bred
people; probably from a want of consideration of its importance. Every remnant of courtesy of address, in our
customs, should be carefully cherished, by all who feel a
value for the proprieties of good breeding.
If parents allow their children to talk to them, and to
the grown persons in the family, in the same style in which
they address each other, it will be in vain to hope for the
courtesy of manner and tone which good breeding demands
in the general intercourse of society. In a large family,
where the elder children are grown up, and the younger
are small, it is important to require the latter to treat the
DOMESTIC
MANNERS.
205
elder in some sense as superiors. There are none so ready
as young children to assume airs of equality; and if they
are allowed to treat one class of superiors in age and character disrespectfully, they will soon use the privilege universally. This is the reason why the youngest children of
a family are most apt to be pert, forward, and unmannerly.
Another point to be aimed at is, to require children always to acknowledge every act of kindness and attention,
either by words or manner. If they are so trained as always to make grateful acknowledgments, when receiving
favors, one of the objectionable features in American man
ners will be avoided.
Again, children should be required to ask leave, whenever they wish to gratify curiosity, or use an article which
belongs to another. And if cases occur, when they can not
comply with the rules of good-breeding, as, for instance,
when they must step between a person and the fire, or take
the chair of an older person, they should be taught either
to ask leave, or to offer an apology.
There is another point of good-breeding, which can not,
in all cases, be understood and applied by children in its
widest extent. It is that which requires us to avoid all remarks which tend to embarrass, vex, mortify, or in any
way wound the feelings of another. To notice personal
defects; to allude to others' faults, or the faults of their
friends; to speak disparagingly of the sect or party to
which a person belongs; to be inattentive when addressed
in conversation ; to contradict flatly; to speak in contemptuous tones of opinions expressed by another; all these
are violations of the rules of good-breeding, which children
should be taught to regard. Under this head comes the
practice of whispering and staring about, when a teacher,
or lecturer, or clergyman is addressing a class or audience.
Such inattention is practically saying that what the person
is uttering is not worth attending t o ; and persons of real
good-breeding always avoid it. Loud talking and laughing
206
TEE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
in a large assembly, even when no exercises are going on;
yawning and gaping in company; and not looking in the
face a person who is addressing you, are deemed marks of
ill-breeding.
Another branch of good manners relates to the duties
of hospitality. Politeness requires us to welcome visitors
with cordiality; to offer them the best accommodations; to
address conversation to them; and to express, by tone and
manner, kindness and respect. Offering the hand to all
visitors at one's own house is a courteous and hospitable
custom; and a cordial shake of the hand, when friends
meet, would abate much of the coldness of manner ascribed to Americans.
Another point of good breeding refers to the conventional rules of propriety and good taste. Of these, the
first class relates to the avoidance of all disgusting or
offensive personal habits: such as fingering the hair; obtrusively using a toothpick, or carrying one in the mouth
after the needful use of it; cleaning the nails in presence of
others; picking the nose; spitting on carpets; snuffing instead of using a handkerchief, or using the article in an offensive manner; lifting up the boots or shoes, as some men
do, to tend them on the knee, or to finger them: all these
tricks, either at home or in society, children should be taught
to avoid.
Another topic, under this head, may be called table
manners. To persons of good-breeding, nothing is more
annoying than violations of the conventional proprieties of
the table. Beaching over another person's plate; standing up,
to reach distant articles, instead of asking to have them
passed; using one's own knife and spoon for butter, salt,
or sugar, when it is the custom of the family to provide
separate utensils for the purpose; setting cups with the tea
dripping from them, on the table-cloth, instead of the mats
or small plates furnished; using the table-cloth instead of
the napkins; eating fast, and in a noisy manner; putting
DOMESTIC
MANNERS.
20^
large pieces in the mouth; looking and eating as if very
hungry, or as if anxious to get at certain dishes; sitting at
too great a distance from the table, and dropping food;
laying the knife and fork on the table-cloth, instead of on
the edge of the plate; picking the teeth at table: all these
particulars children should be taught to avoid.
It is always desirable, too, to train children, when at table with grown persons, to be silent, except when addressed
by others; or else their chattering will interrupt the conversation and comfort of their elders. They should always
be required, too, to wait in silence, till all the older persons
are helped.
When children are alone with their parents, it is desirable
to lead them to converse and to take this as an opportunity
to form proper conversational habits. But it should be a
fixed rule that, when strangers are present, the children are
to listen in silence and only reply when addressed. Unless
this is secured, visitors will often be condemned to listen to
puerile chattering, with small chance of the proper attention due to guests and superiors in age and station.
Children should be trained, in preparing themselves for
the table or for appearance among the family, not only to
put their hair, face, and hands in neat order, but also their
nails, and to habitually attend to this latter whenever they
wash their hands.
There are some very disagreeable tricks which many
children practice even in families counted well-bred. Such,
for example, are drumming with the fingers on some piece
of furniture, or humming a tune while others are talking,
or interrupting conversation by pertinacious questions, or
whistling in the house instead of out-doors, or speaking
several at once and in loud voices to gain attention. All
these are violations of good-breeding, which children should
be trained to avoid, lest they should not only annoy as children, but practice the same kind of ill manners when ma
ture. In all assemblies for public debate, a chairman or
208
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
moderator is appointed whose business it is to see that only
one person speaks at a time, that no one interrupts a person
when speaking, that no needless noises are made, and that
all indecorums are avoided. Such an officer is sometimes
greatly needed in family circles.
Children should be encouraged freely to use lungs and
limbs out-doors, or in hours for sport in the house. But at
other times, in the domestic circle, gentle tones and manners should be cultivated. The words gentleman and gentlewoman came originally from the fact that the uncultivated
and ignorant classes used coarse and loud tones, and rough
words and movements; while only the refined circles habitually used gentle tones and gentle manners. For the same
reason, those born in the higher circles were called " of gentle blood." Thus it came that a coarse and loud voice, and
rough, ungentle manners, are regarded as vulgar and plebeian.
All these things should be taught to children, gradually,
and with great patience and gentleness. Some parents,
with whom good manners are a great object, are in danger of
making their children perpetually uncomfortable, by suddenly surrounding them with so many rules that they must
inevitably violate some one or other a great part of the
time. It is much better to begin with a few rules, and be
steady and persevering with these, till a habit is formed,
and then take a few more, thus making the process easy
and gradual. Otherwise, the temper of children will be injured; or, hopeless of fulfilling so many requisitions, they
will become reckless and indifferent to all.
If a few brief, well-considered, and sensible rules of good
manners could be suspended in every school-room, and the
children all required to commit them to memory, it probably would do more to remedy the defects of American
manners and to advance universal good-breeding than any
other mode that could be so easily adopted.
But, in reference to those who have enjoyed advantages
DOMESTIC
MANNERS.
209
for the cultivation of good manners, and who duly estimate
its importance, one caution is necessary. Those who never
have had such habits formed in youth are under disadvantages which no benevolence of temper can altogether remedy.
They may often violate the tastes and feelings of others, not
from a want of proper regard for them, but from ignorance
of custom, or want of habit, or abstraction of mind, or
from other causes which demand forbearance and sympathy,
rather than displeasure. An ability to bear patiently with
defects in manners, and to make candid and considerate
allowance for a want of advantages, or for peculiarities in
mental habits, is one mark of the benevolence of real goodbreeding.
The advocates of monarchical and aristocratic institutions
have always had great plausibility given to their views, by
the seeming tendencies of our institutions to insubordination
and bad manners. And it has been too indiscriminately
conceded, by the defenders of the latter, that such are these
tendencies, and that the offensive points in American manners are the necessary result of democratic principles.
But it is believed that both facts and reasoning are in opposition to this opinion. The following extract from the
work of De Tocqueville, the great political philosopher of
France, exhibits the opinion of an impartial observer, when
comparing American manners with those of the English,
who are confessedly the most aristocratic of all people.
He previously remarks on the tendency of aristocracy to
make men more sympathizing with persons of their own
peculiar class, and less so toward those of lower degree;
and he then contrasts American manners with the English,
claiming that tha Americans are much the more affable,
mild, and social. " I n America, where the privileges of
birth never existed and where riches confer no peculiar
rights on their possessors, men acquainted with each other are
very ready to frequent the same places, and find neither peril
nor disadvantage in the free interchange of their thoughts.
210
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
[f they meet by accident, they neither seek nor avoid intercourse ; their manner is therefore natural, frank, and open."
" If their demeanor is often cold and serious, it is never
haughty or constrained." But an "aristocratic pride is
still extremely great among the English ; and as the limits
of aristocracy are still ill-defined, every body lives in constant dread, lest advantage should be taken of his familiarity. Unable to judge, at once, of the social position of
those he meets, an Englishman prudently avoids all contact
with him. Men are afraid, lest some slight service rendered should draw them into an unsuitable acquaintance;
they dread civilities, and they avoid the obtrusive gratitude
of a stranger, as much as his hatred."
Thus, facts seem to show that when the most aristocratic
nation in the world is compared, as to manners, with the
most democratic, the judgment of strangers is in favor of
the latter. And if good manners are the outward exhibition of the democratic principle of impartial benevolence
and equal rights, surely the nation which adopts this rule,
both in social and civil life, is the most likely to secure
the desirable exterior. The aristocrat, by his principles, extends the exterior of impartial benevolence to his own class
only; the democratic principle requires it to be extended
to all.
There is reason, therefore, to hope and expect more refined and polished manners in America than in any other
land; while all the developments of taste and refinement,
such as poetry, music, painting, sculpture, and architecture,
it may be expected, will come to as high a state of perfection here as in any other nation.
If this country increases in virtue and intelligence, as it
may, there is no end to the wealth which will pour in as the
result of our resources of climate, soil, and navigation, and
the skill, industry, energy, and enterprise of our countrymen. This wealth, if used as intelligence and virtue die
tate, will furnish the means for a superior education to all
D03IESTIC
MANNERS.
211
classes, and every facility for the refinement of taste, intellect, and feeling.
Moreover, in this country, labor is ceasing to be the
badge of a lower class; so that already it is disreputable
for a man to be " a lazy gentleman." And this feeling
must increase, till there is such an equalization of labor as
will afford all the time needful for every class to improve
the many advantages offered to them. Already through
the munificence of some of our citizens, there are literary
and scientific advantages offered to all classes, rarely enjoyed elsewhere. In most of our large cities and towns, the
advantages of education, now offered to the poorest classes,
often without charge, surpass what, some years ago, most
wealthy men could purchase for any price. And it is believed that a time will come when the poorest boy in
America can secure advantages, which will equal what the
heir of the proudest peerage can now command.
The records of the courts of France and Germany, (as
detailed by the Duchess of Orleans,) in and succeeding the
brilliant reign of Louis the Fourteenth—a period which
was deemed the acme of elegance and refinement—exhibit
a grossness, a vulgarity, and a coarseness, not to be found
among the very lowest of our respectable poor. And the
biography of the English Beau Nash, who attempted to reform the manners of the gentry, in the times of Queen
Anne, exhibits violations of the rules of decency among
the aristocracy, which the commonest yeoman of this land
would feel disgraced in perpetrating.
This shows that our lowest classes, at this period, are
more refined than were the highest in aristocratic lands, a
hundred years ago; and another century may show the
lowest classes, in wealth, in this country, attaining as high
a polish as adorns those who now are leaders of good manners in the courts of kings.
XVI.
THE PRESERVATION OF GOOD TEMPER I * THE HOUSEKEEPER.
N
THERE is nothing which has a more abiding influence on
the happiness of a family than the preservation of equable
and cheerful temper and tones in the housekeeper. A woman who is habitually gentle, sympathizing, forbearing, and
cheerful, carries an atmosphere about her which imparts a
soothing and sustaining influence, and renders it easier for
all to do right, under her administration, than in any other
situation.
The writer has known families where the mother's presence seemed the sunshine of the circle around her; imparting a cheering and vivifying power, scarcely realized till it
was withdrawn. Every one, without thinking of it, or
knowing why it was so, experienced a peaceful and invigorating influence as soon as he entered the sphere illumined
by her smile, and sustained by her cheering kindness and
sympathy. On the contrary, many a good housekeeper,
(good in every respect but this,) by wearing a countenance
of anxiety and dissatisfaction, and by indulging in the frequent use of sharp and reprehensive tones, more than destroys all the comfort which otherwise would result from
her system, neatness, and economy.
There is a secret, social sympathy which every mind, to
a greater or less degree, experiences with the feelings of
those around, as they are manifested by the countenance
and voice. A sorrowful, a discontented, or an angry countenance produces a silent, sympathetic influence, imparting
a sombre shade to the mind, while tones of anger or complaint still more effectually jar the spirits.
GOOD TEMPER
[N THE HOUSEKEEPER.
213
No person can maintain a quiet and cheerful frame of
mind while tones of discontent and displeasure are sounding
on the ear. We may gradually accustom ourselves to the
evil till it is partially diminished; but it always is an evil
which greatly interferes with the enjoyment of the family
state. There are sometimes cases where the entrance of
the mistress of a family seems to awaken a slight apprehension in every mind around, as if each felt in danger of
a reproof, for something either perpetrated or neglected. A
woman who should go around her house with a small stinging snapper, which she habitually applied to those whom
she met, would be encountered with feelings very much
like those which are experienced by the inmates of a
family where the mistress often uses her countenance and
voice to inflict similar penalties for duties neglected.
Yet there are many allowances to be made for housekeepers, who sometimes imperceptibly and unconsciously
fall into such habits. A woman who attempts to carry out
any plans of system, order, and economy, and who has her
feelings and habits conformed to certain rules, is constantly
liable to have her plans crossed, and her taste violated, by
the inexperience or inattention of those about her. And no
housekeeper, whatever may be her habits, can escape the
frequent recurrence of negligence or mistake, which interferes with her plans.
It is probable that there is no class of persons in the
world who have such incessant trials of temper, and temptations to be fretful, as American housekeepers. For
a housekeeper's business is not, like that of the other
sex, limited to a particular department, for which previous preparation is made. It consists of ten thousand
little disconnected items, which can never be so systematically arranged that there is no daily jostling somewhere.
And in the best-regulated families, it is not unfrequently
the case that some act of forgetfulness or carelessness, from
some member, will disarrange the business of the whole
214
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
day, so that every hour will bring renewed occasion for annoyance. And the more strongly a woman realizes the
value of time, and the importance of system and order, the
more will she be tempted to irritability and complaint.
The following considerations may aid in preparing a woman to meet such daily crosses with even a cheerful temper and tones.
In the first place, a woman who has charge of a large
household should regard her duties as dignified, important,
and difficult. The mind is so made as to be elevated and
cheered by a sense of far-reaching influence and usefulness.
A woman who feels that she is a cipher, and that it makes
little difference how she performs her duties, has far less to
sustain and invigorate her, than one who truly estimates
the importance of her station. A man who feels that the
destinies of a nation are turning on the judgment and skill
with which he plans and executes, has a pressure of motive
and an elevation of feeling which are great safeguards
against all that is low, trivial, and degrading.
So, an American mother and housekeeper who rightly
estimates the long train of influence which will pass down
to thousands, whose destinies, from generation to generation, will be modified by those decisions of her will
which regulate the temper, principles, and habits of her
family, must be elevated above petty temptations which
would otherwise assail her.
Again, a housekeeper should feel that she really has great
difficulties to meet and overcome. A person who wrongly
thinks there is little danger, can never maintain so faithful
a guard as one who rightly estimates the temptations which
beset her. Nor can one who thinks that they are trifling
difficulties which she has to encounter, and trivial temptations to which she must yield, so much enjoy the just reward of conscious virtue and self-control as one who takes
an opposite view of the subject.
A third method is, for a woman deliberately to calculate
GOOD TEMPER
IN THE HOUSEKEEPER.
215
on having her best-arranged plans interfered with very
often; and to be in such a state of preparation that the
evil will not come unawares. So complicated are the pursuits and so diverse the habits of the various members of a
family, that it is almost impossible for every one to avoid
interfering with the plans and taste of a housekeeper, in
some one point or another. It is, therefore, most wise for
a woman to keep the loins of her mind ever girt, to meet
such collisions with a cheerful and quiet spirit.
Another important rule is, to form all plans and arrangements in consistency with the means at command, and the
character of those around. A woman who has a heedless
husband, and young children, and incompetent domestics,
ought not to make such plans as one may properly form
who will not, in so many directions, meet embarrassment.
She must aim at just as much as she can probably attain,
and no more; and thus she will usually escape much temptation, and much of the irritation of disappointment.
The fifth, and a very important consideration, is, that
system, economy, and neatness are valuable, only so far as
they tend to promote the comfort and well-being of those
affected. Some women seem to act under the impression
that these advantages must be secured, at all events, even
if the comfort of the family be the sacrifice. True, it is
very important that children grow up in habits of system,
neatness, and order; and it is very desirable that the mother give them every incentive, both by precept and example;
but it is still more important that they grow up with amiable tempers, that they learn to meet the crosses of life
with patience and cheerfulness; and nothing has a greater
influence to secure this than a mother's example. Whenever, therefore, a woman can not accomplish her plans of
neatness and order without injury to her own temper or
to the temper of others, she ought to modify and reduce
them until she can.
The sixth method relates to the government of the tones
216
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
of voice. In many cases, when a woman's domestic arrangements are suddenly and seriously crossed, it is impossible not to feel some irritation. But it is always possible
to refrain from angry tones. A woman can resolve that,
whatever happens, she will not speak till she can do it in a
calm and gentle manner. Perfect silence is a safe resort,
when such control can not be attained as enables a person
to speak calmly ; and this determination, persevered in, will
eventually be crowned with success.
Many persons seem to imagine that tones of anger are
needful, in order to secure prompt obedience. But observation has convinced the writer that they are never necessary;
that in all cases, reproof, administered in calm tones, would
be better. A case will be given in illustration.
A young girl had been repeatedly charged to avoid a
certain arrangement in cooking. On one day, when company was invited to dine, the direction was forgotten, and
the consequence was an accident, which disarranged every
thing, seriously injured the principal dish, and delayed dinner for an hour. The mistress of the family entered the
kitchen just as it occurred, and at a glance, saw the extent
of the mischief. For a moment, her eyes flashed, and her
cheeks glowed; but she held her peace. After a minute or
so, she gave directions in a calm voice, as to the best mode
of retrieving the evil, and then left, without a word said to
the offender.
After the company left, she sent for the girl, alone, and
in a calm and kind manner pointed out the aggravations of
the case, and described the trouble which had been caused
to her husband, her visitors, and herself. She then portrayed the future evils which would result from such habits
of neglect and inattention, and the modes of attempting to
overcome them; and then offered a reward for the f iiture,
if, in a given time, she succeeded in improving in this respect. Not a tone of anger was uttered; and yet the
severest scolding of a practiced Xantippe could not have
GOOD TEMPER
IN THE HOUSEKEEPER.
217
secured such contrition, and determination to reform, as
were gained by this method.
But similar negligence is often visited by a continuous
stream of complaint and reproof, which, in most cases, is
met either by sullen silence or impertinent retort, while
anger prevents any contrition or any resolution of future
amendment.
It is very certain, that some ladies do carry forward a
most efficient government, both of children and domestics,
without employing tones of anger; and therefore they are
not indispensable, nor on any account desirable.
Though some ladies of intelligence and refinement do
fall unconsciously into such a practice, it is certainly very
unlady-like, and in very bad taste, to scold; and the further a woman departs from all approach to it, the more perfectly she sustains her character as a lady.
Another method of securing equanimity, amid the trials
of domestic life is, to cultivate a habit of making allowances
for the difficulties, ignorance, or temptations of those who
violate rule or neglect duty. It is vain, and most unreasonable, to expect the consideration and care of a mature mind
in childhood and youth; or that persons of such limited advantages as most domestics have enjoyed should practice
proper self-control and possess proper habits and principles.
Every parent and every employer needs daily to cultivate the spirit expressed in the divine prayer, " Forgive us
our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us."
The same allowances and forbearance which we supplicate
from our Heavenly Father, and desire from our fellow-men
in reference to our own deficiencies, we should constantly
aim to extend to all who cross our feelings and interfere
with our plans.
The last and most important mode of securing a placid
and cheerful temper and tones is, by a constant belief in
the influence of a superintending Providence. All persons
218
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
are too much in the habit of regarding the more important
events of life exclusively as under the control of Perfect
Wisdom. But the fall of a sparrow, or the loss of a hair,
they do not feel to be equally the result of his directing
agency. In consequence of this, Christian persons who aim
at perfect and cheerful submission to heavy afflictions, and
who succeed to the edification of all about them, are
sometimes sadly deficient under petty crosses. If a beloved
child be laid in the grave, even if its death resulted from the
carelessness of a domestic or of a physician, the eye is turned
from the subordinate agent to the Supreme Guardian of all;
and to him they bow, without murmur or complaint. But
if a pudding be burnt, or a room badly swept, or an errand
forgotten, then vexation and complaint are allowed, just as
if these events were not appointed by Perfect Wisdom as
much as the sorer chastisement.
A woman, therefore, needs to cultivate the habitual feeling that all the events of her nursery and kitchen are
brought about by the permission of our Heavenly Father,
and that fretfulness or complaint in regard to these is, in
fact, complaining at the appointments of God, and is really
as sinful as unsubmissive murmurs amid the sorer chastisements of his hand. And a woman who cultivates this
habit of referring all the minor trials of life to the wise and
benevolent agency of a heavenly Parent, and daily seeks
his sympathy and aid to enable her to meet them with a
quiet and cheerful spirit, will soon find it the perennial
spring of abiding peace and content.
The power of religion to impart dignity and importance to
the ordinary and seemingly petty details of domestic life,
greatly depends upon the degree of faith in the reality of a
life to come, and of its eternal results. A woman who is
training a family simply with reference to this life. may
find exalted motives as she looks forward to unborn generations whose temporal prosperity and happiness are depending upon her fidelity and skill. But one win truly and
GOOD TEMPER
IN THE HOUSEKEEPER.
219
firmly believes that this life is but the beginning of an eternal career to every immortal inmate of her home, and that
the formation of tastes, habits, and character, under her
care, will bring forth fruits of good or ill, not only through
earthly generations, but through everlasting ages; such a
woman secures a calm and exalted principle of action,
which no earthly motives can impart.
XVII.
HABITS OF SYSTEM Am)
ORDER
ANT discussion of the equality of the sexes, as to intellectual capacity, seems frivolous and useless, both because it
can never be decided, and because there would be no possible advantage in the decision. But one topic, which is
often drawn into this discussion, is of far more consequence;
and that is, the relative importance and difficulty of the
duties a woman is called to perform.
It is generally assumed, and almost as generally conceded,
that a housekeeper's business and cares are contracted and
trivial; and that the proper discharge of her duties demands far less expansion of mind and vigor of intellect
than the pursuits of the other sex. This idea has prevailed
because women, as a mass, have never been educated with
reference to their most important duties; while that portion of their employments which is of least value has been
regarded as the chief, if not the sole, concern of a woman.
The covering of the body, the convenience of residences,
and the gratification of the appetite, have been too much
regarded as the chief objects on which her intellectual
powers are to be exercised.
But as society gradually shakes off the remnants of barbarism and the intellectual and moral interests of man rise,
in estimation, above the merely sensual, a truer estimate is
formed of woman's duties, and of the measure of intellect
requisite for the proper discharge of them. Let any man
of sense and discernment become the member of a large
HABITS
OF SYSTEM
AND
ORDER.
221
household, in which a well-educated and pious woman is endeavoring systematically to discharge her multiform duties;
let him fully comprehend all her cares, difficulties, and perplexities ; and it is probable he would coincide in the opinion that no statesman, at the head of a nation's affairs, had
more frequent calls for wisdom, firmness, tact, discrimination, prudence, and versatility of talent, than such a woman.
She has a husband, to whose peculiar tastes and habits
she must accommodate herself; she has children whose
health she must guard, whose physical constitutions she must
otudy and develop, whose temper and habits she must
regulate, whose principles she must form, whose pursuits
she must guide. She has constantly changing domestics,
with all varieties of temper and habits, whom she must
govern, instruct, and direct; she is required to regulate the
finances of the domestic state, and constantly to adapt expenditures to the means and to the relative claims of each
department. She has the direction of the kitchen, where
ignorance, forgetfulness, and awkwardness are to be so regulated that the various operations shall each start at the
right time, and all be incompleteness at the same given
hour. She has the claims of society to meet, visits to receive
and return, and the duties of hospitality to sustain. She
has the poor to relieve; benevolent societies to aid; the
schools of her children to inquire and decide about; the care
of the sick and the aged ; the nursing of infancy ; and the
endless miscellany of odd items, constantly recurring in a
large family.
Surely, it is a pernicious and mistaken idea, that the
duties which tax a woman's mind are petty, trivial, or unworthy of the highest grade of intellect and moral worth.
Instead of allowing this feeling, every woman should imbibe, from early youth, the impression that she is in training for the discharge of the most important, the most difficult, and the most sacred and interesting duties that can
possibly employ the highest intellect. She ought to feel
222
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
that her station and responsibilities in the great drama of
life are second to none, either as viewed by her Maker, or
in the estimation of all minds whose judgment is most
worthy of respect.
She who is the mother and housekeeper in a large family
is the sovereign of an empire, demanding more varied
cares, and involving more difficult duties, than are really
exacted of her who wears a crown and professedly regulates the interests of the greatest nation on earth.
There is no one thing more necessary to a housekeeper
in performing her varied duties, than a habit of system
and order j and yet, the peculiarly desultory nature of
women's pursuits, and the embarrassments resulting from
the state of domestic service in this country, render it very
difficult to form such a habit. But it is sometimes the
case that women who could and would carry forward a
systematic plan of domestic economy do not attempt it,
simply from a want of knowledge of the various modes of
introducing it. I t is with reference to such, that various
modes of securing system and order, which the writer has
seen adopted, will be pointed out.
A wise economy is nowhere more conspicuous, than in
a systematic apportionment of time to different pursuits.
There are duties of a religious, intellectual, social, and domestic nature, each having different relative claims on attention. Unless a person has some general plan of apportioning these claims, some will intrench on others, and
some, it is probable, will be entirely excluded. Thus, some
find religious, social, and domestic duties so numerous, that
no time is given to intellectual improvement. Others find
either social, or benevolent, or religious interests excluded
by the extent and variety of other engagements.
I t is wise, therefore, for all persons to devise a systematic
plan, which they will at least keep in view, and aim to
accomplish ; and by which a proper proportion of time
shall be secured for all the duties of life.
HABITS
OF SYSTEM AND ORDER.
223
In forming such a plan, every woman must accommodate herself to the peculiarities of her situation. If she
has a large family and a small income, she must devote far
more time to the simple duty of providing food and raiment than would be right were she in affluence, and witha small family. It is impossible, therefore, to draw out
any general plan, which all can adopt. But there are
some general principles, which ought to be the guiding
rules, when a woman arranges her domestic employments.
These principles are to be based on Christianity, which
teaches us to " seek first the kingdom of God," and to
deem food, raiment, and the conveniences of life, as of
secondary account. Every woman, then, ought to start
with the assumption, that the moral and religious interests
of her family are of more consequence than any worldly
concern, and that, whatever else may be sacrificed, these
shall be the leading object, in all her arrangements, in respect to time, money, and attention.
It is also one of the plainest requisitions of Christianity,
that we devote some of our time and efforts to the comfort and improvement of others. There is no duty so constantly enforced, both in the Old and New Testament, as
that of charity, in dispensing to those who are destitute of the blessings we enjoy. In selecting objects of
charity, the same rule applies to others as to ourselves; their moral and religious interests are of the
highest moment, and for them, as well as for ourselves,
we are to " seek first the kingdom of God."
Another general principle is, that our intellectual and
social interests are to be preferred to the mere gratification of taste or appetite. A portion of time, therefore,
must be devoted to the cultivation of the intellect and the
social affections.
Another is, that the mere gratification of appetite is
to be placed last in our estimate; so that, when a question
arises as to which shall be sacrificed, some intellectual,
224
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
moral, or social advantage, or some gratification of sense,
we should invariably sacrifice the last.
As health is indispensable to the discharge of every
duty, nothing which sacrifices that blessing is to be allowed in order to gain any other advantage or enjoyment.
There are emergencies, when it is right to risk health and
life, to save ourselves and others from greater evils; but
these are exceptions, which do not militate against the
general rule. Many persons imagine that, if they violate
the laws of health, in order to attend to religious or domestic duties, they are guiltless before God. But such
greatly mistake. We directly violate the law, " T h o u
shalt not kill," when we do what tends to risk or shorten
our own life. The life and happiness of all his creatures
are dear to our Creator; and he is as much displeased
when we injure our own interests, as when we injure
those of others. The idea, therefore, that we are excusable if we harm no one but ourselves, is false and pernicious. These, then, are some general principles, to guide
a woman in systematizing her duties and pursuits.
The Creator of all things is a Being of perfect system
and order ; and, to aid us in our duty in this respect, he
has divided our time, by a regularly returning day of rest
from worldly business. In following this example, the intervening six days may be subdivided to secure similar benefits. In doing this, a certain portion of time must be given
to procure the means of livelihood, and for preparing food,
raiment, and dwellings. To these objects, some must devote more, and others less, attention. The remainder of
time not necessarily thus employed, might be divided
somewhat in this manner: The leisure of two afternoons
and evenings could be devoted to religious and benevolent
objects, such as religious meetings, charitable associations,
school visiting, and attention to the sick and poor. The
leisure of two other days might be devoted to intellectual
improvement, and the pursuits of taste The leisure of
HABITS
OF SYSTEM
AND
ORDER.
225
another day might be devoted to social enjoyments, ii
making or receiving visits; and that of another, to mis
cellaneous domestic pursuits, not included in the othei
particulars.
It is probable that few persons could carry out such ai
arrangement very strictly; but every one can make a sys
tematic apportionment of time, and at least aim at accom
plishing i t ; and they can also compare with such a gen
eral outline, the time which they actually devote to these
different objects, for the purpose of modifying any mistaken proportions.
Without attempting any such systematic employment
of time, and carrying it out, so far as they can control circumstances, most women are rather driven along by the
daily occurrences of life; so that, instead of being the intelligent regulators of their own time, they are the mere
sport of circumstances. There is nothing which so distinctly marks the difference between weak and strong
minds as the question, whether they control circumstances or circumstances control them.
It is very much to be feared, that the apportionment of
time actually made by most women exactly inverts the
order required by reason and Christianity. Thus, the
furnishing a needless variety of food, the conveniences of
dwellings, and the adornments of dress, often take a larger
portion of time than is given to any other object. Next
after this, comes intellectual improvement; and, last of all,
benevolence and religion.
It may be urged, that it is indispensable for most persons to give more time to earn a livelihood, and to prepare
food, raiment, and dwellings, than to any other object.
But it may be asked, how much of the time, devoted to
these objects, is employed in preparing varieties of food
not necessary, but rather injurious, and how much is spent
for those parts of dress and furniture not indispensable, and
merely ornamental ? Let a woman subtract from her do
226
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
mestic employments all the time given to pursuits which
are of no use, except as they gratify a taste for ornament,
or minister increased varieties to tempt thQ appetite, and
she will find that much which she calls " domestic duty,"
and which prevents her attention to intellectual, benevolent, and religious objects, should be called by a very different name.
JSTo woman has a right to give up attention to the higher
interests of herself and others, for the ornaments of person or
the gratification of the palate. To a certain extent, these
lower objects are lawful and desirable; but when they intrude on nobler interests, they become selfish and degrading. Every woman, then, when employing her hands in
ornamenting her person, her children, or her house, ought
to calculate whether she has devoted as much time to the
really more important wants of herself and others. If
she has not, she may know that she is doing wrong, and
that her system for apportioning her time and pursuits
should be altered.
Some persons endeavor to systematize their pursuits by
apportioning them to particular hours of each day. For
example, a certain period before breakfast, is given to devotional duties; after breakfast, certain hours are devoted
to exercise and domestic employments; other hours, to
sewing, or reading, or visiting; and others, to benevolent
duties. But in most cases, it is more difficult to systematize the hours of each day, than it is to secure some regular division of the week.
In regard to the minutiae of family work, the writer has
known the following methods to be adopted. Monday,
with some of the best housekeepers, is devoted to preparing for the labors of the week. Any extra cooking, the
purchasing of articles to be used during the week, the assorting of clothes for the wash, and mending such as would
otherwise be injured—these, and similar items, belong to
this day. Tuesday is devoted to washing, and Wednesday
HABITS
OF SYSTEM
AND ORDER.
227
to ironing. On Thursday, the ironing is finished off, the
clothes are folded and put away, and all articles which
need mending are put in the mending-basket, and attended
to. Friday is devoted to sweeping and house-cleaning.
On Saturday, and especially the last Saturday of every
month, every department is put in order ; the casters and
table furniture are regulated, the pantry and cellar inspected, the trunks, drawers, and closets arranged, and
every thing about the house put in order for Sunday. By
this regular recurrence of a particular time for inspecting
every thing, nothing is forgotten till ruined by neglect.
Another mode of systematizing relates to providing
proper supplies of conveniences, and proper places in
which to keep them. Thus, some ladies keep a large closet,
in which are placed the tubs, pails, dippers, soap-dishes,
starch, blueing, clothes-lines, clothes-pins, and every other,
article used in washing; and in the same, or another
place, is kept every convenience for ironing. In the
sewing department, a trunk, with suitable partitions, is
provided, in which are placed, each in its proper place,
white thread of all sizes, colored thread, yarns for mending, colored and black sewing-silks and twist, tapes and
bobbins of all sizes, white and colored welting-cords, silk
braids and cords, needles of all sizes, papers of pins, remnants of linen and colored cambric, a supply of all kinds
of buttons used in the family, black and white hooks and
eyes, a yard measure, and all the patterns used in cutting
and fitting. These are done up in separate parcels, and
labeled. In another trunk, or in a piece-bag, such as has
been previously described, are kept all pieces used in mending, arranged in order. A trunk, like the first mentioned,
will save many steps, and often much time and perplexity;
while by purchasing articles thus by the quantity, they come
much cheaper than if bought in little portions as they are
wanted. Such a trunk should be kept locked, and a
smaller supply for current use retained in a work-basket.
228
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
A full supply of all conveniences in the kitchen and eel
lar, and a place appointed for each article, very much facilitate domestic labor. For want of this, much vexation
and loss of time is occasioned while seeking vessels in use,
or in cleansing those employed by different persons for
various purposes. I t would be far better for a lady to give
up some expensive article in the parlor, and apply the money thus saved for kitchen conveniences, than to have a
stinted supply where the most labor is to be performed.
If our countrywomen would devote more to comfort and
convenience, and less to show, it would be a great improvement. Expensive mirrors and pier-tables in the parlor, and
an unpainted, gloomy, ill-furnished kitchen, not unfrequently are found under the same roof.
Another important item in systematic economy is, the apportioning of regular employment to the various members
of a family. If a housekeeper can secure the cooperation
of all her family, she will find that " many hands make
light work." There is no greater mistake than in bringing up children to feel that they must be taken care of,
and waited on by others, without any corresponding obligations on their part. The extent to which young children can be made useful in a family would seem surprising to those who have never seen a systematic and regular
plan for utilizing their services. The writer has been in a
family where a little girl, of eight or nine years of age,
washed and dressed herself and young brother, and made
their small beds, before breakfast; set and cleared all the
tables for meals, with a little help from a grown person in
moving tables and spreading cloths; while all the dusting
of parlors and chambers was also neatly performed by her.
A brother of ten years old brought in and piled all the
wood used in the kitchen and parlor, brushed the boots
and shoes, went on errands, and took all the care of the
poultry. They were children whose parents could affora
to hire servants to do this, but who chose to have their
HABITS
OF SYSTEM
AND
ORDER.
229
children grow up healthy and industrious, while proper instruction, system, and encouragement made these services
rather a pleasure than otherwise, to the children.
Some parents pay their children for such services ; but
this is hazardous, as tending to make them feel that they
are not bound to be helpful without pay, and also as tending to produce a hoarding, money-making spirit. But
where children have no hoarding propensities, and need to acquire a sense of the value of property, it may be well to let
them earn money for some extra services rather as a favor.
When this is done, they should be taught to spend it for
others, as well as for themselves; and in this way, a generous and liberal spirit will be cultivated.
There are some mothers who take pains to teach their
boys most of the domestic arts which their sisters learn. The
writer has seen boys mending their own garments and
aiding their mother or sisters in the kitchen, with great skill
and adroitness; and, at an early age, they usually very much
relish joining in such occupations. The sons of such mothers,
in their college life, or in roaming about the world, or in
nursing a sick wife or infant, find occasion to bless the forethought and kindness which prepared them for such emergencies. Few things are in worse taste than for a man needlessly to busy himself in women's work; and yet a man never
appears in a more interesting attitude than when, by skill
in such matters, he can save a mother or wife from care
and suffering. The more a boy is taught to use his hands,
in every variety of domestic employment, the more his faculties, both of mind and body, are developed; for mechanical
pursuits exercise the intellect as well as the hands. The
early training of New-England boys, in which they turn
their hand to almost everything, is one great reason of the
quick perceptions, versatility of mind, and mechanical skill,
for which that portion of our countrymen is distinguished.
It is equally important that young girls should be taught
to do some species of handicraft that generally is done by
230
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
men, and especially with reference to the frequent emigration to new territories wheije well-trained mechanics are
scarce. To hang wall-paper, repair locks, glaze windows,
and mend various household articles, requires a skill in the
use of tools which every young girl should acquire. If she
never has any occasion to apply this knowledge and skill
by her own hands, she will often find it needful in directing and superintending incompetent workmen.
The writer has known one mode of systematizing the aid
of the older children in a family, which, in some cases of
very large families, it may be well to imitate. In the case
referred to, when the oldest daughter was eight or nine
years old, an infant sister was given to her, as her special
charge. She tended it, made and mended its clothes, taught
it to read, and was its nurse and guardian, through all its
childhood. Another infant was given to the next daughter, and thus the children were all paired in this interesting relation. In addition to the relief thus afforded to the
mother, the elder children were in this way qualified for
their future domestic relations, and both older and younger
bound to each other by peculiar ties of tenderness and gratitude.
In offering these examples of various modes of systematizing, one suggestion may be worthy of attention. I t is
not unfrequently the case, that ladies, who find themselves
cumbered with oppressive cares, after reading remarks on
the benefits of system, immediately commence the task of
arranging their pursuits, with great vigor and hope. They
divide the day into regular periods, and give each hour its
du t y ; they systematize their work, and endeavor to bring
every thing into a regular routine. But, in a short time,
they find themselves baffled, discouraged, and disheartened,
and finally relapse into their former desultory ways, in a
sort of resigned despair.
The difficulty, in such cases, is, that they attempt too
much at a time. There is nothing which so much depends
HABITS
OF SYSTEM
AND ORDER.
231
upon habit, as a systematic mode of performing duty; and
where no such habit has been formed, it is impossible for a
novice to start, at once, into a universal mode of systematizing, which none but an adept could carry through.
The only way for such persons is to begin with a little
at a time. Let them select some three or four things,
and resolutely attempt to conquer at these points. In
time, a habit will be formed, of doing a few things at regular periods, and in a systematic way. Then it will be
easy to add a few more; and thus, by a gradual process,
the object can be secured, which it would be vain to attempt by a more summary course.
Early rising is almost an indispensable condition to success, in such an effort; but where a woman lacks either the
health or the energy to secure a period for devotional duties before breakfast, let her select that hour of the day in
which she will be least liable to interruption, and let her then
seek strength and wisdom from the only true Source. At
this time, let her take a pen, and make a list of all the
things which she considers as duties. Then, let a calculation be made, whether there be time enough, in the day or
the week, for all these duties. If there be not, let the least
important be stricken from the list, as not being duties, and
therefore to be omitted. In doing this, let a woman remember that, though " what we shall eat, and what we shall
drink, and wherewithal we shall be clothed," are matters
requiring due attention, they are very apt to obtain a
wrong relative importance, while intellectual, social, and
moral interests receive too little regard.
In this country, eating, dressing, and household furniture and ornaments, take far too large a place in the estimate of relative importance ; and it is probable that most
women could modify their views and practice, so as to come
nearer to the Saviour's requirements. No woman has a
right to put a stitch of ornament on any article of dress or
furniture, or to provide one superfluity in food, until she
232
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL,
is sure she can secure time for all her social, intellectual,
benevolent, and religious duties. If a woman wdll take the
trouble to make such a calculation as this, she will usually
find that she has time enough to perform all her duties
easily and well.
It is impossible for a conscientious woman to secure that
peaceful mind and cheerful enjoyment of life which all
should seek, who is constantly finding her duties jarring
with each other, and much remaining undone, which she
feels that she ought to do. In consequence of this, there
will be a secret uneasiness, which will throw a shade over
the whole current of life, never to be removed, till she so
efficiently defines and regulates her duties that she can
fulfill them all.
And here the writer would urge upon young ladies the
importance of forming habits of system, while unembarrassed with those multiplied cares which will make the
task so much more difficult and hopeless. Every young
lady can systematize her pursuits, to a certain extent. She
can have a particular day for mending her wardrobe, and
for arranging her trunks, closets, and drawers. She can
keep her work-basket, her desk at school, and all her other
conveniences, in their proper places, and in regular order.
She can have regular periods for reading, walking, visiting,
study, and domestic pursuits. And by following this
method in youth, she will form a taste for regularity and a
habit of system, which will prove a blessing to her through
life.
XVIII.
GIVING IN CHARITY.
IT is probable that there is no point of duty whereon
conscientious persons differ more in opinion, or where they
find it more difficult to form discriminating and decided
views, than on the matter of charity. That we are bound
to give some of our time, money, and efforts, to relieve the
destitute, all allow. But, as to how much we are to give,
and on whom our charities shall be bestowed, many a reflecting mind has been at a loss. Yet it seems very desirable that, in reference to a duty so constantly and so strenuously urged by the Supreme Ruler, we should be able so
to fix metes and bounds, as to keep a conscience void of
offense, and to free the mind from disquieting fears of deficiency.
The writer has found no other topic of investigation so
beset with difficulty, and so absolutely without the range of
definite rules which can apply to all, in all circumstances.
But on this, as on previous topics, there seem to be general
principles, by the aid of which any candid mind, sincerely
desirous of obeying the commands of Christ, however much
self-denial may be involved, can arrive at definite conclusions as to its own individual obligations : so that when
these are fulfilled, the mind may be at peace.
But for a mind that is worldly, living mainly to seek its
own pleasures instead of living to please God, no principles
can be so fixed as not to leave a ready escape from all obligation. Such minds, either by indolence (and consequent
ignorance) or by sophistry, will convince themselves that a
234
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
life of engrossing self-indulgence, with perhaps the gift of
a few dollars and a few hours of time, may suffice to fulfill
the requisitions of the Eternal Judge.
For such minds, no reasonings will avail, till the heart is
so changed that to learn the will and follow the example
of Jesus Christ become the leading objects of interest and
effort. It is to aid those who profess to possess this temper
of mind that the following suggestions are offered.
The first consideration which gives definiteness to this
subject is a correct view of the object for which we are
placed in this world. A great many, even of professed Christians, seem to be acting on the supposition that the object
of life is to secure as much as possible of all the various enjoyments placed within reach. Not so teaches reason or
revelation. From these we learn that, though the happiness of his creatures is the end for which God created and
sustains them, yet this happiness depends not on the various modes of gratification put within our reach, but mainly
on character. A man may possess all the resources' for enjoyment which this world can afford, and yet feel that " all
is vanity and vexation of spirit," and that he is supremely
wretched. Another may be in want of all things, and yet
possess that living spring of benevolence, faith, and hope,
which will make an Eden of the darkest prison.
In order to be perfectly happy, man must attain that
character which Christ exhibited; and the nearer he approaches it, the more will happiness reign in his breast.
But what was the grand peculiarity of the character of
Christ ? It was self-denying 'benevolence. He came not to
" seek his own;" He " went about doing good," and this
was his "meat and drink ;" that is, it was this which sustained the health and life of his mind, as food and drink
sustain the health and life of the body. Now, the mind ol
man is so made that it can gradually be transformed into
the same likeness. A selfish being, who, for a whole life,
has been nourishing habits of indolent self-indulgence, can
GIVING IN
CHARITY.
235
by taking Christ as his example, by communion with him,
and by daily striving to imitate his character and conduct,
form such a temper of mind that " doing good " will become the chief and highest source of enjoyment. And this
heavenly principle will grow stronger and stronger, until
self-denial loses the more painful part of its character ; and
then, living to make happiness will be so delightful and
absorbing a pursuit, that all exertions, regarded as the
means to this end, will be like the joyous efforts of men
when they strive for a prize or a crown, with the full hope
of success.
In this view of the subject, efforts and seli-denial for the
good of others are to be regarded not merely as duties enjoined for the benefit of others, but as the moral training
indispensable to the formation of that character on which
depends our own happiness. This view exhibits the full
meaning of the Saviour's declaration, " How hardly shall
they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!"
He had before taught that the kingdom of heaven consisted not in such enjoyments as the worldly seek, but in
the temper of self-denying benevolence, like his own; and
as the rich have far greater temptations to indolent self-indulgence, they are far less likely to acquire this temper than
those who, by limited means, are inured to some degree of
self-denial.
But on this point, one important distinction needs to be
made; and that is, between the self-denial which has no
other aim than mere self-mortification, and that which is
exercised to secure greater good to ourselves and others.
The first is the foundation of monasticism, penances, and
all other forms of asceticism; the latter, only, is that which
Christianity requires.
A second consideration, which may give definiteness to
this subject, is, that the formation of a perfect character involves, not the extermination of any principles of our nature, but rather the regulating of them, according to the
236
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
rules of reason and religion; so that the lower propensities
shall always be kept subordinate to nobler principles. Thus
we are not to aim at destroying our appetites, or at needlessly denying them, but rather so to regulate them that
they shall best secure the objects for whicli they were implanted. We are not to annihilate the love of praise and
admiration ; but so to control it that the favor of God shall
be regarded more than the estimation of men. We are not
to extirpate the principle of curiosity, which leads us to
acquire knowledge; but so to direct it, that all our acquisitions shall be useful and not frivolous or injurious. And
thus with all the principles of the mind: God has implanted no desires in our constitution which are evil and pernicious. On the contrary, all our constitutional propensities, either of mind or body, he designed we should gratify, whenever no evils would thence result, either to ourselves or others. Such passions as envy, selfish ambition,
contemptuous pride, revenge, and hatred, are to be exterminated ; for they are either excesses or excrescences, not
created by God, but rather the result of our own neglect
to form habits of benevolence and self-control.
In deciding the rules of our conduct, therefore, we are
ever to bear in mind that the development of the nobler
principles, and the subjugation of inferior propensities to
them, is to be the main object of effort both for ourselves
and for others. And in conformity with this, in all our
plans we are to place religious and moral interests as first
in estimation, our social and intellectual interests next, and
our physical gratifications as subordinate to all.
A third consideration is that, though the means for sustaining life and health are to be regarded as necessaries,
without which no other duties can be performed, yet a very
large portion of the time spent by most persons in easy
circumstances for food, raiment, and dwellings, is for
mere superfluities ; which are right when they do not involve the sacrifice of higher interests, and wrong when
GIVING IN
CHARITY.
237
they do. Life and health can be sustained in the humblest
dwellings, with the plainest dress, and the simplest food;
and, after taking from our means what is necessary for life
and health, the remainder is to be so divided, that the
larger portion shall be given to supply the moral and intellectual wants of ourselves and others, together with the
physical requirements of the destitute, and the smaller
Bhare to procure those additional gratifications of taste
and appetite which are desirable but not indispensable.
Mankind, thus far, have never made this apportionment
of their means ; although, just as fast as they have risen
from a savage state, mere physical wants have been made,
to an increasing extent, subordinate to higher objects.
Another very important consideration is that, in urging
the duty of charity and the prior claims of moral and religious objects, no rule of duty should be maintained
wmich it would not be right and wise for all to follow.
And we are to test the wisdom of any general rule by inquiring what would be the result if all mankind should
practice according to it. In view of this, we are enabled
to judge of the correctness of those who maintain that, to
be consistent, men believing in the perils of all those of our
race who are not brought under the influence of the Christian system should give up not merely the elegancies
but all the superfluities of life, and devote the whole of
their means not indispensable to life and health to the
propagation of Christianity.
But if this is the duty of any, it is the duty of all; and
we are to inquire what would be the result, if all conscientious persons gave up the use of all superfluities.
Suppose that two millions of the people of the United
States were conscientious persons, and relinquished the use
of every thing not absolutely necessary to life and health.
Besides reducing the education of the people in all the
higher walks of intellectual, social, and even moral development, to very narrow limits, it would instantly throw
238
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
out of employment one half of the whole community. The
writers, book-makers, manufacturers, mechanics, merchants,
agriculturists, and all the agencies they employ, would be
beggared, and one half of those not reduced to poverty
would be obliged to spend all their extra means in simply
supplying necessaries to the other half. The use of superfluities, therefore, to a certain extent, is as indispensable
to promote industry, virtue, and religion, as any direct
giving of money or time; and it is owing entirely to a
want of reflection and of comprehensive views, that any
me;, ever make so great a mistake as is here exhibited.
Instead, then, of urging a rule of duty which is at once
irrational and impracticable, there is another course, which
commends itself to the understandings of all. For whatever may be the practice of intelligent men, they universally concede the principle, that our physical gratifications
should always be made subordinate to social, intellectual,
and moral advantages. And all that is required for the
advancement of our whole race to the most perfect state
of society is, simply, that men should act in agreement
with this principle. And if only a very small portion of
the most intelligent of our race should act according to
this rule, under the control of Christian benevolence, the
immense supplies furnished for the general good would be
far beyond what any would imagine who had never made
any calculations on the subject. In this nation alone,
suppose the one million and more of professed followers
of Christ should give a larger portion of their means for
the social, intellectual, and moral wants of mankind,
than for the superfluities that minister to their own taste,
convenience, and appetite; it would be enough to furnish
all the schools, colleges, Bibles, ministers, and missionaries,
that the whole world could demand ; or, at least, it would
be far more than properly qualified agents to administer
it could employ.
But it may be objected that, though this view in the
GIVING IN
CHARITY.
239
abstract looks plausible and rational, not one in a thousand
can practically adopt it. How few keep any account, at
all, of their current expenses! How impossible it is to determine, exactly, what are necessaries and what are superfluities ! And in regard to women, how few have the control of an income, so as not to be bound by the wishes of
a parent or a husband !
In reference to these difficulties, the first remark is, that
we are never under obligations to do what is entirely out
of our power; so that those persons who can not regulate their expenses or their charities are under no sort of
obligation to attempt it. The second remark is that, when
a rule of duty is discovered, if we can not fully attain to it,
we are bound to aim at it, and to fulfill it just so far as we
can. We have no right to throw it aside because we shall
find some difficult cases when we come to apply it. The
third remark is, that no person can tell how much can be
done, till a faithful trial has been made. If a woman has
never kept any accounts, nor attempted to regulate her
expenditures by the right rule, nor used her influence with
those that control her plans, to secure this object, she has
no right to say how much she can or can not do, till after
a fair trial has been made.
In attempting such a trial, the following method can be
taken. Let a woman keep an account of all she spends, for
herself and her family, for a year, arranging the items under three general heads. Under the first, put all articles
of food, raiment, rent, wages, and all conveniences. Under
the Second, place all sums paid in securing an education,
and books, and other intellectual advantages. Undei the
third head, place all that is spent for benevolence and religion. At the end of the year, the first and largest account will show the mixed items of necessaries and superfluities, which can be arranged so as to gain some sort of
idea how much has been spent for superfluities and how
much for necessaries. Then, by comparing what is spent
240
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
for superfluities, with what is spent for intellectual and
moral advantages, data will be gained for judging of the
past and regulating the future.
Does a woman say she can not do this ? let her think
whether the offer of a thousand dollars, as a reward for attempting it one year, would not make her undertake to do
it; and if so, let her decide, in her own mind, which is
most valuable, a clear conscience, and the approbation of
God, in this effort to do his will, or one thousand dollars.
And let her do it, with this warning of the Saviour before
her eyes—" No man can serve two masters." " Ye can
not serve God and Mammon."
Is it objected, How can we decide between superfluities
and necessities, in this list ? It is replied, that we are not
required to judge exactly, in all cases. Our duty is, to use
the means in our power to assist us in forming a correct
judgment; to seek the divine aid in freeing our minds
from indolence and selfishness; and then to judge, as well
as we can, in our endeavors rightly to apportion and regulate our expenses. Many persons seem to feel that they
are bound to do better than they know how. But God is
not so hard a master; and after we have used all proper
means to learn the right way, if we then follow it according to our ability, we do wrong to feel misgivings, or to
blame ourselves, if results come out differently from what
seems desirable.
The results of our actions, alone, can never prove us deserving of blame. For men are often so placed that, owing
to lack of intellect or means, it is impossible for them to
decide correctly. To use all the means of knowledge with*
in our reach, and then to judge, with a candid and conscientious spirit, is all that God requires ; and when we
have done this, and the event seems to come out wrong,
we should never wish that we had decided otherwise. For
this would be the same as wishing that we had not followed the dictates of judgment and conscience. As this
GIVING IN
CHARITY.
241
is a world designed for discipline and trial, untoward
events are never to be construed as indications of the obliquity of our past decisions.
But it is probable that a great portion of the women of
this nation can not secure any such systematic mode of regulating their expenses. To such, the writer would propose one inquiry: Can not you calculate how much time
and money you spend for what is merely ornamental, and
not necessary, for yourself, your children, and your house ?
Can not you compare this with the time and money you
spend for intellectual and benevolent purposes ? and will
not this show the need of some change ? In making this
examination, is not this brief rule, deducible from the
principles before laid down, the one which should regulate
you ? Every person does right in spending some portion
of time and means in securing the conveniences and adornments of taste ; but the amount should never exceed what
is spent in securing our own moral and intellectual improvement, nor what is spent in benevolent efforts to supply the physical and moral wants of our fellow-men.
In making an examination on this subject, it is sometimes the case that a woman will count among the necessaries of life all the various modes of adorning the person
or house, practiced in the circle in which she moves ; and,
after enumerating the many duties which demand attention, counting these as a part, she will come to the conclusion that she has no time, and but little money, to devote
to personal improvement or to benevolent enterprises.
This surely is not in agreement with the requirements of
the Saviour, who calls on us to seek for others, as well as
ourselves, first of all, " the kingdom of God, and his righteousness."
In order to act in accordance with the rule here presented, it is true that many would be obliged to give up
the idea of conforming to the notions and customs of those
with whom they associate, and compelled to adopt the
242
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
maxim, " Be not conformed to this world." In many cases,
it would involve an entire change in the style of living.
And the writer has the happiness of knowing more cases
than one, where persons who have come to similar views
on this subject, have given up large and expensive establishments, disposed of their carriages, dismissed a portion
of their domestics, and modified all their expenditures,
that they might keep a pure conscience, and regulate their
charities more according to the requirements of Christianity. And there are persons, well known in the religious
world, who save themselves all labor of minute calculation,
by devoting so large a portion of their time and means to
benevolent objects, that they find no difficulty in knowing
that they give more for religious, benevolent, and intellectual purposes than for superfluities.
In deciding what particular objects shall receive our
benefactions, there are also general principles to guide us.
The first is that presented by our Saviour, when, after
urging the great law of benevolence, he was asked, " And
who is my neighbor ?" His reply, in the parable of " the
Good Samaritan," teaches us that any human being whose
wants are brought to our knowledge is our neighbor. The
wounded man in that parable was not only a stranger, but
he belonged to a foreign nation, peculiarly hated ; and he
had no claim, except that his wants were brought to the
knowledge of the wayfaring man. From this we learn
that the destitute of all nations become our neighbors, ?.3
soon as their wants are brought to our knowledge.
Another general principle is this, that those who are most
in need must be relieved in preference to those who are
less destitute. On this principle it is, that we think the
followers of Christ should give more to supply those who
are suffering for want of the bread of eternal life, than for
those who are deprived of physical enjoyments. And another reason for this preference is the fact that many who
give in charity have made such imperfect advances in civil-
GIVING IN
CHARITY.
243
ization and Christianity that the intellectual and moral
wants of our race make but a feeble impression on the mind.
Relate a pitiful tale of a family reduced to live for weeks
on potatoes only, and many a mind would awake to deep
sympathy and stretch forth the hand of charity. But describe cases where the immortal mind is pining in stupidity
and ignorance, or racked with the fever of baleful passions,
and how small the number so elevated in sentiment and
so enlarged in their views as to appreciate and sympathize
in these far greater misfortunes! The intellectual and
moral wants of our fellow-men, therefore, should claim the
first place in general Christian attention, both because they
are most important, and because they are most neglected;
while it should not be forgotten, in giving personal attention to the wants of the poor, that the relief of immediate
physical distress, is often the easiest way of touching the
moral sensibilities of the destitute.
Another consideration to be borne in mind is that, in
this country, there is much less real need of charity in
supplying physical necessities than is generally supposed
by those who have not learned the more excellent way.
This land is so abundant in supplies, and labor is in such
demand, that every healthy person can earn a comfortable
support. And if all the poor were instantly made virtuous,
it is probable that there would be few physical wants
which could not readily be supplied by the immediate
friends of each sufferer. The sick, the aged, and the orphan
would be the only objects of charity. In this view of the
case, the primary effort in relieving the poor should be to
furnish them the means of earning their own support, and
to supply them with those moral influences which are most
effectual in securing virtue and industry.
Another point to be attended to is the importance of
maintaining a system of associated charities. There is no
point in which the economy of charity has more improved
than in the present mode of combining many small contri
244
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
but ions, for sustaining enlarged and systematic plans of
charity. If all the half-dollars which are now contributed
to aid in organized systems of charity were returned to the
donors, to be applied by the agency and discretion of each,
thousands and thousands of the treasures, now employed to
promote the moral and intellectual wants of mankind,
would become entirely useless. In a democracy like ours,
where few are very rich and the majority are in comfortable circumstances, this collecting and dispensing of dropn
and rills is the mode by which, in imitation of nature,
the dews and showers are to distill on parched and desert
lands. And every person, while earning a pittance to unite
with many more, may be cheered with the consciousness of
sustaining a grand system of operations which must have
the most decided influence in raising all mankind to that
perfect state of society which Christianity is designed to
bring about.
Another consideration relates to the indiscriminate bestowal of charity. Persons who have taken pains to inform
themselves, and who devote their whole time to dispensing
charities, unite in declaring that this is one of the most fruitful sources of indolence, vice, and poverty. From several
of these the writer has learned that, by their own personal
investigations, they have ascertained that there are large
establishments of idle and wicked persons in most of our
cities, who associate together to support themselves by
every species of imposition. They hire large houses, and
live in constant rioting on the means thus obtained. Among
them are women who have or who hire the use of infant
children; others, who are blind, or maimed, or deformed, or
who can adroitly feign such infirmities; and, by these
means of exciting pity, and by artful tales of woe, they collect alms, both in city and country, to spend in all manner
of gross and guilty indulgences. Meantime many persons,
finding themselves often duped by impostors, refuse to give
at all; and thus many benefactions are withdrawn, which
GIVING IN
CHARITY.
245
a wise economy in charity would have secured. For this
and other reasons, it is wise and merciful to adopt the general rule, never to give alms till we have had some opportunity of knowing how they will be spent. There are exceptions to this, as to every general rule, which a person
of discretion can determine. But the practice so common
among benevolent persons, of giving at least a trifle to all
who ask, lest perchance they may turn away some who are
really sufferers, is one which causes more sin and misery
than it cures.
The writer has never known any system for dispensing
charity so successful as the one by which a town or city is
divided into districts; and each district is committed to the
care of two ladies, whose duty it is, to call on each family
and leave a book for a child, or do some other deed of neighborly kindness, and make that the occasion for entering into
conversation, and learning the situation of all residents in
the district. By this method, the ignorant, the vicious, and
the poor are discovered, and their physical, intellectual, and
moral wants are investigated. In some places where the
writer has known this mode pursued, each person retained
the same district, year after year, so that every poor family in
the place was under the watch and care of some intelligent
and benevolent lady, who used all her influence to secure a
proper education for the children, to furnish them with suitable reading, to encourage habits of industry and economy,
and to secure regular attendance on public religious instruction. Thus, the rich and the poor were brought in
contact, in a way advantageous to both parties; and if such
a system could be universally adopted, more would be done
for the prevention of poverty and vice than all the wealth
of the nation could avail for their relief. But this plan can
not be successfully carried out, in this manner, unless there
is a large proportion of intelligent, benevolent, and selfdenying persons, who unite in a systematic plan.
But there is one species of " charity " which needs espe-
246
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
cial consideration. It is that spirit of kindly love which
induces us to refrain from judging of the means and the relative charities of other persons. There have been such indistinct notions, and so many different standards of duty,
on this subject, that it is rare for two persons to think exactly alike, in regard to the rule of duty. Each person is
bound to inquire and judge for himself, as to his own duty
or deficiencies; but as both the resources and the amount of
the actual charities of others are beyond our ken, it is as
indecorous as it is uncharitable to sit in judgment on their
4ecisions.
XIX.
ECONOMY OF TIME AND EXPENSES.
THE value of time, and our obligation to spend every hour
for some useful end, are what few minds properly realize.
And those who have the highest sense of their obligations
in this respect, sometimes greatly misjudge in their estimate
of what are useful and proper modes of employing time.
This arises from limited views of the importance of some
pursuits, which they would deem frivolous and useless, but
which are in reality necessary to preserve the health of body
and mind and those social affections which it is very important to cherish.
Christianity teaches that, for all the time afforded us, we
must give account to God; and that we have no right to
waste a single hour. But time which is spent in rest or
amusement is often as usefully employed as if it were devoted to labor or devotion. In employing our time, we are
to make suitable allowance for sleep, for preparing and taking food, for securing the means of a livelihood, for intellectual improvement, for exercise and amusement, for social
enjoyments, and for benevolent and religious duties. And
it is the right apportionment of time, to these various duties,
which constitutes its true economy.
In deciding respecting the rectitude of our pursuits, we are
bound to aim at some practical good, as the ultimate object.
With every duty of this life, our benevolent Creator has
connected some species of enjoyment, to draw us to perform
it. Thus, the palate is gratified, by performing the duty of
248
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
nourishing our bodies ; the principle of curiosity is gratified
in pursuing useful knowledge ; the desire of approbation is
gratified, when we perform general social duties ; and every
other duty has an alluring enjoyment; connected with it.
But the great mistake of mankind has consisted in seeking
the pleasures connected with these duties, as the sole aim,
without reference to the main end that should be held in
view, and to which the enjoyment should be made subservient. Thus, men gratify the palate, without reference to
the question whether the body is properly nourished : and
follow after knowledge, without inquiring whether it ministers to good or evil; and seek amusement without reference to results.
In gratifying the implanted desires of our nature, we are
bound so to restrain ourselves, by reason and conscience, as
always to seek the main objects of existence—the highest
good of ourselves and others ; and never to sacrifice this for
the mere gratification of our desires. We are to gratify appetite, just so far as is consistent with health and usefulness ;
and the desire for knowledge, just so far as will enable us
to do most good by our influence and efforts ; and no farther.
We are to seek social intercourse, to that extent which will
best promote domestic enjoyment and kindly feelings among
neighbors and friends; and we are to pursue exercise and
amusement, only so far as will best sustain the vigor of body
and mind.
The laws of the Supreme Euler, when he became the
civil as well as the religious Head of the Jewish theocracy,
furnish an example which it would be well for all attentively to consider, when forming plans for the apportionment of time and property. To properly estimate this example, it must be borne in mind, that the main object of
God was, to set an example of the temporal rewards that
follow obedience to the laws of the Creator, and at the
same time to prepare religious teachers to extend the true
religion to the whole race of man.
ECONOMY OF TIME AND EXPENSES.
249
Before Christ came, the Jews were not required to go
forth to other nations as teachers of religion, nor were the
Jewish nation led to obedience by motives of a life to
come. To them God was revealed, both as a father and a
civil ruler, and obedience to laws relating solely to this
life was all that was required. So low were they in the
scale of civilization and mental development, that a system which confined them to one spot, as an agricultural
people, and prevented their growing very rich, or having
extensive commerce with other nations, was indispensable
to prevent their relapsing into the low idolatries and vices
of the nations around them, wmile temporal rewards and
penalties were more effective than those of a life to
come.
The proportion of time and property, which every Jew
was required to devote to intellectual, benevolent, and religious purposes, was as follows:
In regard to property, they were required to give one
tenth of all their yearly income to support the Levites, the
priests, and the religious service. Next, they were required
to give the first-fruits of all their corn, wine, oil, and fruits,
and the first-born of all their cattle, for the Lord's treasury,
to be employed for the priests, the widow, the fatherless,
and the stranger. The first-born, also, of their children,
were the Lord's, and were to be redeemed by a specified
sum, paid into the sacred treasury. Besides this, they were
required to bring a free-will offering to God, every time they
went up to the three great yearly festivals. In addition to this,
regular yearly sacrifices of cattle and fowls were required
of each family, and occasional sacrifices for certain sins or
ceremonial impurities. In reaping their fields, they were
required to leave unreaped, for the poor, the corners; not
to glean their fields, oliveyards, or vineyards; and, if a
sheaf was left by mistake, they were not to return for it
but leave it for the poor.
One twelfth of the people were set apart, having no land
250
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
ed property, to be priests and teachers; and the othft
tribes were required to support them liberally.
In regard to the time taken from secular pursuits, for the
support of education and religion, an equally liberal
amount was demanded. In the first place, one seventh
part of their time was taken for the weekly sabbath, when
no kind of work was to be done. Then the whole nation
were required to meet at the appointed place three times
a year, which, including their journeys and stay there, occupied eight weeks, or another seventh part of their time.
Then the sabbatical year, when no agricultural labor was
to be done, took another seventh of their time from their
regular pursuits, as they were an agricultural people. This
was the amount of time and property demanded by God,
simply to sustain education, religion, and morality within
the bounds of one nation.
I t was promised to this nation and fulfilled by constant
miraculous interpositions, that in this life, obedience
to God's laws should secure health, peace, prosperity,
and long life; while for disobedience was threatened war,
pestilence, famine, and all temporal evils. These promises
were constantly verified, and in the day of Solomon, when
this nation was most obedient, the whole world was moved
with wonder at its wealth and prosperity. But up to this
time, no attempt was made by God to govern the Israelites
by the rewards and penalties of the world to come.
But " when the fullness of time had come," and the race
of man was prepared to receive higher responsibilities,
Jesus Christ came and " brought life and immortality to
l i g h t " with a clearness never before revealed. At the
same time was revealed the fatherhood of God, not to the Jews
alone, but to the whole human race, and the consequent
brotherhood of man; and these revelations in many respects
changed the whole standard of duty and obligation.
Christ came as " God manifest in the flesh," to set an
example of self-sacrificing love, in rescuing the whole
ECONOMY OF TIME AND EXPENSES.
251
family of man from the dangers of the nnseen world, and
also to teach and train his disciples through all time to follow his example. And those who conform the most consistently to his teachings and example will aim at a standard
of labor and self-denial far beyond that demanded of the
Jews.
I t is not always that men understand the economy of
Providence, in that unequal distribution of property which,
even under the most perfect form of government, will always
exist. Many, looking at the present state of things, imagine that the rich, if they acted in strict conformity to the
law of benevolence, would share all their property with their
suffering fellow-men. But such do not take into account the
inspired declaration that " a man's life consisteth not in the
abundance of the things which he possesseth," or, in other
words, life is made valuable, not by great possessions, but
by such a character as prepares a man to enjoy what he
holds. God perceives that human character can be most
improved by that kind of discipline which exists when there
is something valuable to be gained by industrious efforts.
This stimulus to industry could never exist in a community where all are just alike, as it does in a state of society
where every man sees possessed by others enjoyments
which he desires and may secure by effort and industry.
So, in a community where all are alike as to property,
there would be no chance to gain that noblest of all attainments, a habit of self-denying benevolence which toils for the
good of others, and takes from one's own store to increase
the enjoyments of another.
Instead, then, of the stagnation, both of industry and of
benevolence, which would follow the universal and equable
distribution of property, some men, by superior advantages of birth, or intellect, or patronage, come into possession of a great amount of capital. "With these means
they are enabled, by study, reading, and travel, to secure
expansion of mind and just views of the relative advantages
252
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
of moral, intellectual, and physical enjoyments. At the
same time, Christianity imposes obligations corresponding
with the increase of advantages and means. The rich are
not at liberty to spend their treasures chiefly for themselves.
Their wealth is given, by God, to be employed for the best
good of mankind ; and their intellectual advantages are designed, primarily, to enable them to judge correctly in employing their means most wisely for the general good.
Now, suppose a man of wealth inherits ten thousand
acres of real estate; it is not his duty to divide it among
his poor neighbors and tenants. If he took this course,
it is probable that most of them would spend all in thriftless waste and indolence, or in mere physical enjoyments.
Instead, then, of thus putting his capital out of his hands,
he is bound to retain and so to employ it as to raise his
family and his neighbors to such a state of virtue and intelligence that they can secure far more, by their own efforts and industry, than he, by dividing his capital, could
bestow upon them.
In this view of the subject, it is manifest that the unequal
distribution of property is no evil. The great difficulty is,
that so large a portion of those who hold much capital, instead of using their various advantages for the greatest
good of those around them, employ them for mere selfish
indulgences; thus inflicting as much mischief on themselves
as results to others from their culpable neglect. A great
portion of the rich seem to be acting on the principle
that the more God bestows on them the less are they under
obligation to practice any self-denial in fulfilling his benevolent plan of raising our race to intelligence and virtue.
But there are cheering examples of the contrary spirit
and prejudice, some of which will be here recorded to influence and encourage others.
A lady of great wealth, high position, and elegant
culture, in one of our large cities, hired and furnished a
house adjacent to her own, and, securing the aid of another
ECONOMY
OF TIME AND EXPENSES.
253
benevolent and cultivated woman, took twelve orphan girls,
of different ages, and educated them under their joint care.
Not only time and money were given, but love and labor,
just as if these were their own children ; and as fast as one
was provided for, another was taken.
In another city, a young lady with property of her own
hired a house and made it a home for homeless and unprotected women, who paid board when they could earn it, and
found a refuge when out of employment.
In another city, the wife of one of its richest merchants,
living in princely style, took two young girls from the certain road to ruin among the vicious poor. She boarded
them with a respectable farmer, and sent them to school,
and every week went out, not only to supervise them, but
to aid in training them to habits of neatness, industry, and
obedience, just as if they were her own children. Next,
she hired a large house near the most degraded part of
the city, furnished it neatly and with all suitable conveniences to work, and then rented to those among the most
degraded whom she could bring to conform to a few simple
rules of decency, industry, and benevolence—one of these
rules being that they should pay her the rent every Saturday night. To this motley gathering she became chief
counselor and friend, quieted their brawls, taught them to
aid each other in trouble or sickness, and strove to introduce
among them that law of patient love and kindness, illustrated by her own example. The young girls in this tenement
she assembled every Saturday at her own house—taught
them to sing, heard them recite their Sunday-school lessons,
to be sure these were properly learned; taught them to make
and mend their own clothing, trimmed their bonnets, and
took charge of their Sunday dress, that it might always
be in order. Of course, such benevolence drew a stream of
ignorance and misery to her door; and so successful wai
her labor that she hired a second house, and managed it on
the same plan. One hot day in August, a friend found hei
254
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
combing the head of a poor, ungainly, foreign girl. She had
persuaded a friend to take her from compassion, and she
was returned because her head was in such in a state.
Finding no one else to do it, the lady herself bravely met
the difficulty, and persevered in this daily ministry till the
evil was remedied, and the poor girl thus secured a comfortable home and wages.
A young lady of wealth and position, with great musical
culture and taste, found among the poor two young girls
with fine voices and great musical talent. Gaining her parents' consent, the young lady took one of them home, trained
her in music, and saw that her school education was secured,
so that when expensive masters and instruments were needed the girl herself earned the money required, as a governess in a family of wealthy friends. Then she aided the
sister; and, as the result, one of them is married happily
to a man of great wealth, and the other is receiving a large
income as a popular musical artist.
Another young girl, educated as a fine musician by her
wealthy parents, at the age of sixteen was afflicted with
weak eyes and a heart complaint. She strove to solace herself by benevolent ministries. By teaching music to children of wealthy friends she earned the means to relieve and
instruct the suffering, ignorant, and poor.
These examples may suffice to show that, even among the
most wealthy, abundant modes of self-denying benevolence
may be found where there is a heart to seek them.
There is no direction in which a true Christian economy
of time and money is more conspicuous than in the stylo
of living adopted in the family state.
Those who build stately mansions, and lay out extensive
grounds, and multiply the elegancies of life, to be enjoyed
by themselves and a select few, " have their reward" in the
enjoyments that end in this life. But those who with
equal means adopt a style that enables them largely to devote
time and wealth to the elevation and improvement of their
fellow-men, are laying up never-failing treasures in heaven.
XX.
HEALTH OF MIND.
THERE is such an intimate connection between the body
and mind that the health of one can not be preserved without a proper care of the other. And it is from a neglect of
this principle, that some of the most exemplary and conscientious persons in the world suffer a thousand mental
agonies from a diseased state of body, while others ruin the
health of the body by neglecting the proper care of the
mind.
When the mind is excited by earnest intellectual effort, or
by strong passions, the blood rushes to the head and the
brain is excited. Sir Astley Cooper records that, in examining the brain of a young man who had lost a portion of
his skull, whenever " he was agitated by some opposition
to his wishes," " the blood was sent with increased force to
his brain," and the pulsations " became frequent and violent." The same effect was produced by any intellectual effort ; and the flushed countenance which attends earnest
study or strong emotions of interest of any kind, is an external indication of the suffused state of the brain from
such causes.
In exhibiting the causes which injure the health of the
mind, we shall find them to be partly physical, partly intellectual, and partly moral.
The first cause of mental disease and suffering is not unfrequently in the want of a proper supply of duly oxygenized blood. It has been shown that the blood, in passing
through the lungs, is purified by the oxygen of the air com-
256
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
bining with the superabundant hydrogen and carbon of the
venous blood, thus forming carbonic acid and water, which
are expired into the atmosphere. Every pair of lungs is
constantly withdrawing from the surrounding atmosphere
its heathful principle, and returning one which is injurious
to human life.
When, by confinement and this process, the air is deprived of its appropriate supply of oxygen, the purification of the
blood is interrupted, and it passes without being properly
prepared into the brain, producing languor, restlessness, and
inability to exercise the intellect and feelings. Whenever,
therefore, persons sleep in a close apartment, or remain for
a length of time in a crowded or ill-ventilated room, a most
pernicious influence is exerted on the brain, and, through
this, on the mind. A person who is often exposed to such
influences can never enjoy that elasticity and vigor of mind
which is one of the chief indications of its health. This is
the reason why all rooms for religious meetings, and all
school-rooms and sleeping apartments should be so contrived
as to secure a constant supply of fresh air from without.
The minister who preaches in a crowded and ill-ventilated
apartment loses much of his power to feel and to speak,
while the audience are equally reduced in their capability of
attending. The teacher who confines children in a close
apartment diminishes their ability to study, or to attend to
instructions. And the person who habitually sleeps in a
close room impairs mental energy in a similar degree. It is
not unfrequently the case that depression of spirits and
stupor of intellect are occasioned solely by inattention to
this subject.
Another cause of mental disease is the excessive exercise of the intellect or feelings. If the eye is taxed beyond
its strength by protracted use, its blood-vessels become
gorged, and the bloodshot appearance warns of the excess
and the need of rest. The brain is affected in a similar
manner by excessive use, though the suffering and inflamed
HEALTH
OF MIND.
251
organ can not make its appeal to the eye. But there are
some indications which ought never to be misunderstood
or disregarded. In cases of pupils at school or at college,
a diseased state, from over-action, is often manifested by
increased clearness of mind, and temporary ease and vigor
of mental action. In one instance, known to the writer, a
most exemplary and industrious pupil, anxious to improve
every hour and ignorant or unmindful of the laws of
health, first manifested the diseased state of her brain and
mind by demands for more studies, and a sudden and earnest activity in planning modes of improvement for herself
and others. When warned of her danger, she protested
that she never was better in her life; that she took regular exercise in the open air, went to bed in season, slept
soundly, and felt perfectly well; that her mind was never
before so bright and clear, and study never so easy and
delightful. And at this time, she was on the verge of
derangement, from which she was saved only by an entire cessation of all intellectual efforts.
A similar case occurred, under the eye of the writer,
from over-excited feelings. It was during a time of unusual religious interest in the community, and the mental
disease was first manifested by the pupil bringing her
hymn-book or Bible to the class-room, and mating it her
constant resort, in every interval of school duty. It finally
became impossible to convince her that it was her duty to
attend to any thing else ; her conscience became morbidly
sensitive, her perceptions indistinct, her deductions unreasonable ; and nothing but entire change of scene and
exercise, and occupation of her mind by amusement, saved
her. When the health of the brain was restored, she
found that she could attend to the " one thing needful,"
not only without interruption of duty or injury to health,
but rather so as to promote both. Clergymen and teachers
need most carefully to notice and guard against the dangers here alluded to.
258
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
Any such attention to religion as prevents the performance of daily duties and needful relaxation is dangerous,
and tends to produce such a state of the brain as makes
it impossible to feel or judge correctly. And when any
morbid and unreasonable pertinacity appears, much exercise and engagement in other interesting pursuits should
be urged, as the only mode of securing the religious benefits aimed at. And whenever any mind is oppressed with
care, anxiety, or sorrow, the amount of active exercise in
the fresh air should be greatly increased, that the action
of the muscles may withdraw the blood which, in such
seasons, is constantly tending too much to the brain.
There has been a most appalling amount of suffering,
derangement, disease, and death, occasioned by a want of
attention to this subject, in teachers and parents. Uncommon precocity in children is usually the result of an
unhealthy state of the brain; and in such cases medical
men would now direct that the wonderful child should be
deprived of all books and study, and turned to play out in
the fresh air. Instead of this, parents frequently add fuel
to the fever of the brain, by supplying constant mental
stimulus, until the victim finds refuge in idiocy or an early
grave. Where such fatal results do not occur, the brain
in many cases is so weakened that the prodigy of infancy
sinks below the medium of intellectual powers in afterlife.
In our colleges, too, many of the most promising minds
sink to an early grave, or drag out a miserable existence,
from this same cause. And it is an evil as yet little alleviated by the increase of physiological knowledge. Every
college and professional school, and every seminary for
young ladies, needs a medical man or woman, not only to
lecture on physiology and the laws of health, but empowered by official capacity to investigate the case of every
pupil, and, by authority, to enforce such a course of
study, exercise and repose, as the physical system requires.
HEALTH
OF MIND.
259
The writer has found by experience that in a large institution there is one class of pupils who need to be restrained
by penalties from late hours and excessive study, as much
as another class need stimulus to industry.
Under the head of excessive mental action, must be
placed the indulgence of the imagination in novel-reading
and " castle-building." This kind of stimulus, unless counterbalanced by physical exercise, not only wastes time and
energies, but undermines the vigor of the nervous system.
The imagination was designed by our wise Creator as a
charm and stimulus to animate to benevolent activity ;
and its perverted exercise seldom fails to bring a penalty.
Another cause of mental disease is the want of the appropriate exercise of the various faculties of the mind. On
this point, Dr. Combe remarks: " We have seen that, by
disuse, muscles become emaciated, bone softens, blood-vessels are obliterated, and nerves lose their characteristic
structure. The brain is no exception to this general rule.
The tone of it is also impaired by permanent inactivity,
and it becomes less fit to manifest the mental powers with
readiness and energy." It is " the withdrawal of the
stimulus necessary for its healthy exercise which renders
solitary confinement so severe a punishment, even to the
most daring minds. It is a lower degree of the same cause
which renders continuous seclusion from society so injurious to both mental and bodily health."
" Inactivity of intellect and of feeling is a very frequent
predisposing cause of every form of nervous disease. For
demonstrative evidence of this position, we have only to
look at the numerous victims to be found among persons
who have no call to exertion in gaining the means of subsistence, and no objects of interest on which to exercise
their mental faculties, and who consequently sink into
a state of mental sloth and nervous weakness." " I f we
look abroad upon society, we shall find innumerable examples of mental and nervous debility from this cause. When
2Q0
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
a person of some mental capacity is confined for a long
time to an unvarying round of employment which affords
neither scope nor stimulus for one half of the faculties, and,
from want of education or society, has no external resources ; the mental powers, for want of exercise, become
blunted, and the perceptions slow and dull." " The intellect and feelings, not being provided with interests external
to themselves, must either become inactive and weak, or
work upon themselves and become diseased."
" The most frequent victims of this kind of predisposition are females of the middle and higher ranks, especially
those of a nervous constitution and good natural abilities;
but who, from an ill-directed education, possess nothing
more solid than mere accomplishments, and have no materials for thought," and no " occupation to excite interest
or demand attention." " The liability of such persons to
melancholy, hysteria, hypochondriasis, and other varieties
of mental distress, really depends on a state of irritability
of the brain, induced by imperfect exercise."
These remarks of a medical man illustrate the principles
before indicated; namely, that the demand of Christianity,
that we live to promote the general happiness, and not
merely for selfish indulgence, has for its aim not only the
general good, but the highest happiness of the individual
of whom it is required in offering abundant exercise for
all the noblest faculties.
A person possessed of wealth, who has nothing more
noble to engage attention than seeking personal enjoyment, subjects the mental powers and moral feelings to a
degree of inactivity utterly at war with health and mind.
And the greater the capacities, the greater are the sufferings which result from this cause. Any one who has read
the misanthropic wailings of Lord Byron has seen the necessary result of great and noble powers bereft of their appropriate exercise, and, in consequence, becoming sources
of the keenest suffering.
HEALTH
OF MIND.
261
It is this view of the subject which has often awakened
feelings of sorrow and anxiety in the mind of the writer,
wddle aiding in the development and education of superior
feminine minds, in the wealthier circles. Not because there
are not noble objects for interest and effort, abundant, and
within reach of such minds; but because long-established
custom has made it seem so quixotic to the majority, even
of the professed followers of Christ, for a woman of wealth
to practice any great self-denial, that few have independence
of mind and Christian principle sufficient to overcome such
an influence. The more a mind has its powers developed,
the more does it aspire and pine after some object worthy
of its energies and affections; and they are commonplace
and phlegmatic characters who are most free from such
deep-seated wants. Many a young woman, of fine genius
and elevated sentiment, finds a charm in Lord Byron's
writings, because they present a glowing picture of what,
to a certain extent, must be felt by every well-developed
mind which has no nobler object in life than the pursuit
of self-gratification.
If young ladies of wealth could pursue their education
under the full conviction that the increase of their powers
and advantages increased their obligations to use all for
the good of society, and with some plan of benevolent enterprise in view, what new motives of interest would be
added to their daily pursuits ! And what blessed results
would follow to our beloved country, if all well-educated
women carried out the principles of Christianity, in the
exercise of their developed powers !
The benevolent activities called forth in our late dreadful war illustrate the blessed influence on character and
happiness in having a noble object for which to labor and
suffer. In illustration of this, may be mentioned the experience of one of the noble women who, in a sickly climate and fervid season, devoted herself to the ministries
of a military hospital. Separated from an adored hus-
262
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
band, deprived of wonted comforts and luxuries, and toiling in humble and unwonted labors, she yet recalls this as
one of the happiest periods of her life. And it was not the
mere exercise of benevolence and piety in ministering
comfort and relieving suffering. It was, still more, the elevated enjoyment which only an enlarged and cultivated
mind can attain, in the inspirations of grand and far-reaching results purchased by such sacrifice and suffering. It
was in aiding to save her well-loved country from impending ruin, and to preserve to coming generations the blessings of true liberty and self-government, that toils and
suffering became triumphant joys.
Every Christian woman who " walks by faith and not by
sight," who looks forward to the results of self-sacrificing
labor for the ignorant and sinful as they will enlarge and
expand through everlasting ages, may rise to the ,same elevated sphere of experience and happiness.
On the contrary, the more highly cultivated the mind
devoted to mere selfish enjoyment, the more are the sources
of true happiness closed and the soul left to helpless emptiness and unrest.
The indications of a diseased mind, owing to the want
of the proper exercise of its powers, are apathy, discontent, a restless longing for excitement, a craving for unattainable good, a diseased and morbid action of the imagination, dissatisfaction with the world, and factitious interest in trifles which the mind feels to be unworthy of its
powers. Such minds sometimes seek alleviation in exciting amusements; others resort to the grosser enjoyments
of sense. Oppressed with the extremes of languor, or
over-excitement, or apathy, the body fails under the wearing process, and adds new causes of suffering to the mind.
Such, the compassionate Saviour calls to his service, in
the appropriate terms, " Oome unto me, all ye that labor
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you, and learn of me," " and ye shall find rest
unto your souls."
XXI.
T H E CAKE OF INFANTS.
THE topic of this chapter may well be prefaced by an
extract from Herbert Spencer on the treatment of offspring.
He first supposes that some future philosophic speculator,
examining the course of education of the present period,
should find nothing relating to the training of children,
and that his natural inference would be that our
schools were all for monastic orders, who have no charge
of infancy and childhood. He then remarks, " Is it not an
astonishing fact that, though on the treatment of offspring
depend their lives or deaths and their moral welfare or
ruin, yet not one word of instruction on the treatment of
offspring is ever given to those who will hereafter be
parents ? Is it not monstrous that the fate of a new generation should be left to the chances of unreasoning custom,
or impulse, or fancy, joined with the suggestions of ignorant nurses and the prejudiced counsel of grandmothers ?
" If a merchant should commence business without any
knowledge of arithmetic or book-keeping, we should exclaim at his folly and look for disastrous consequences.
Or if, without studying anatomy, a man set up as a surgeon, we should wonder at his audacity and pity his patients. But that parents should commence the difficult
work of rearing children without giving any attention to
the principles, physical, moral, or intellectual, which ought
to guide them, excites neither surprise at the actors nor
pity for the victims.'"
" To tens of thousands that are killed add hundreds ol
264
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
thousands that survive with feeble constitutions, and millions
not so strong as they should be; and you will have some idea
of the curse inflicted on their offspring, by parents ignorant
of the laws of life. Do but consider for a moment that
the regimen to which children are subject is hourly telling
upon them to their life-long injury or benefit, and that
there are twenty ways of going wrong to one way of going right, and you will get some idea of the enormous
mischief that is almost everywhere inflicted by the thoughtless, hap-hazard system in common use."
" When sons and daughters grow up sickly and feeble,
parents commonly regard the event as a visitation of
Providence. They assume that these evils come without
cause, or that the cause is supernatural. Nothing of the
kind. In some cases causes are inherited, but in most
cases foolish management is the cause. Yery generally
parents themselves are responsible for this pain, this debility, this depression, this misery. They have undertaken to control the lives of their offspring, and with cruel
carelessness have neglected to learn those vital processes
which they are daily affecting by their commands and
prohibitions. In utter ignorance of the simplest physiological laws, they have been, year by year, undermining the
constitutions of their children, and so have inflicted disease and premature death, not only on them but also on
their descendants.
" Equally great are the ignorance and consequent injury,
when we turn from the physical to the moral training.
Consider the young, untaught mother and her nursery legislation. A short time ago she was at school, where her
memory was crammed with words and names and dates,
and her reflective faculties scarcely in the slightest degree
exercised—where not one idea was given her respecting
the methods of dealing with the opening mind of childhood, and where her discipline did not in the least fit her
for thinking out methods of her own. The intervening
THE CARE
OF
INFANTS.
265
years have been spent in practicing music, fancy work,
novel-reading and party-going, no thought having been
given to the grave responsibilities of maternity, and
scarcely any of that solid intellectual culture obtained
which would fit her for such responsibilities; and now see
her with an unfolding human character committed to her
charge, see her profoundly ignorant of the phenomena
with which she has to deal, undertaking to do that which
can be done but imperfectly even with the aid of the profoundest knowledge!"
In view of such considerations, every young lady ought
to learn how to take proper care of an infant; for, even if
she is never to become the responsible guardian of a
nursery, she will often be in situations where she can render benevolent aid to others, in this most fatiguing and
anxious duty.
The writer has known instances in which young ladies,
who had been trained by their mothers properly to
perform this duty, were in some cases the means of saving
the lives of infants, and in others, of relieving sick mothers from intolerable care and anguish by their benevolent
aid.
On this point, Dr. Combe remarks, " All women are
not destined, in the course of nature, to become mothers;
but how very small is the number of those who are unconnected, by family ties, friendship, or sympathy, with the
children of others ! How very few are there, who, at some
time or other of their lives, would not find their usefulness and happiness increased, by the possession of a kind
of knowledge intimately allied to their best feelings and
affections! And how important is it, to the mother herself, that her efforts should be seconded -by intelligent, instead of ignorant assistants !"
In order to be prepared for such benevolent ministries,
every young lady should improve the opportunity, whenever it is afforded her, for learning how to wash, dress,
266
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
and tend a young infant; and whenever she meets with
such a work as Dr. Combe's, on the management of infants, she ought to read it, and remember its contents.
It was the design of the author to fill this chapter
chiefly with extracts from various medical writers, giving
some of the most important directions on this subject;
but finding these extracts too prolix for a work of this
kind, she has condensed them into a shorter compass. Some
are quoted verbatim, and some are abridged, from the
most approved writers on this subject.
"Nearly one half of the deaths, occurring during the
first two years of existence, are ascribable to mismanagement, and to errors in diet. At birth, the stomach is feeble, and as yet unaccustomed to food; its cravings are
consequently easily satisfied, and frequently renewed."
" At that early age, there ought to be no fixed time for
giving nourishment. The stomach can not be thus satisfied." " The active call of the infant is a sign, which
needs never be mistaken."
" But care must be taken to determine between the crying
of pain or uneasiness, and the call for food; and the practice
of giving an infant food, to stop its cries, is often the means
of increasing its sufferings. After a child has satisfied its
hunger, from two to four hours should intervene before
another supply is given."
" At birth, the stomach and bowels, never having been
used, contain a quantity of mucous secretion, which requires to be removed. To effect this, Nature has rendered
the first portions of the mother's milk purposely watery and
laxative. Nurses, however, distrusting Nature, often hasten to administer some active purgative; and the consequence often is, irritation in the stomach and bowels, not
easily subdued." It is only where the child is deprived of its
mother's milk, as the first food, that some gentle laxative
should be given.
" It is a common mistake, to suppose that because a wo-
THE. CARE
OF
INFANTS.
287
man is nursing, she ought to live very fully, and to add an
allowance of wine, porter, or other fermented liquor, to her
usual diet. The only result of this plan is, to cause an
unnatural fullness in the system, which places the nurse on
the brink of disease, and retards rather than increases the
food of the infant. More will be gained by the observance
of the ordinary laws of health, than by any foolish deviation, founded on ignorance."
There is no point on which medical men so emphatically
lift the voice of warning as in reference to administering
medicines to infants. It is so difficult to discover what is the
matter with an infant, its frame is so delicate and so susceptible, and slight causes have such a powerful influence,
that it requires the utmost skill and judgment to ascertain
what would be proper medicines, and the proper quantity
to be given.
Says Dr. Combe, " That there are cases in which active
means must be promptly used to save the child, is perfectly
true. But it is not less certain that these are cases of
which no mother or nurse ought to attempt the treatment.
As a general rule, where the child is well managed, medicine, of any kind, is very rarely required; and if disease
were more generally regarded in its true light, not as something thrust into the system, which requires to be expelled
by force, but as an aberration from a natural mode of action,
produced by some external cause, we should be in less
haste to attack it by medicine, and more watchful in its
prevention. Accordingly, where a constant demand for
medicine exists in a nursery, the mother may rest assured
that there is something essentially wrong in the treatment
of her children."
" Much havoc is made among infants, by the abuse of
calomel and other medicines, which procure momentary
relief but end by producing incurable disease ; and it has
often excited my astonishment, to see how recklessly remedies of this kind are had recourse to, on the most trifling
268
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
occasions, by mothers and nurses, who would be horrified
if they knew the nature of the power they are wielding,
and the extent of injury they are inflicting."
Instead, then, of depending on medicine for the preservation of the health and life of an infant, the following precautions and preventives should be adopted.
" Take particular care of the food of an infant. If it is
nourished by the mother, her own diet should be simple,
nourishing, and temperate. If the child be brought up
' by hand,' the milk of a new-milch cow, mixed with one
third water, and sweetened a little with white sugar, should
be the only food given, until the teeth come. This is more
suitable than any preparations of flour or arrowroot, the
nourishment of which is too highly concentrated. Never
give a child bread, cake, or meat, before the teeth appear.
If the food appear to distress the child after eating, first
ascertain if the milk be really from a new-milch cow, as it
may otherwise be too old. Learn, also, whether the cow
lives on proper food. Cows that are fed on still-slops, as is
often the case in cities, furnish milk which is very unhealthful."
Be sure and keep a good supply of pure and fresli air in
the nursery. On this point, Dr. Bell remarks, respecting
rooms constructed without fireplaces and without doors or
windows to let in pure air from without, " The sufferings
of children of feeble constitutions are increased beyond
measure, by such lodgings as these. An action, brought
by the commonwealth, ought to lie against those persons
who build houses for sale or rent, in which rooms are so
constructed as not to allow of free ventilation ; and a writ
of lunacy taken out against those who, with the commonsense experience which all have on this head, should spend
any portion of their time, still more, should sleep, in rooms
thus nearly air-tight."
After it is a month or two old, take an infant out to
walk, or ride, in a little wagon, every fair and warm day;
THE CARE OF
INFANTS.
269
but be very careful that its feet, and every part of its body,
are kept warm; and be sure that its eyes are well protected
from the light. Weak eyes, and sometimes blindness, are
caused by neglecting this precaution. Keep the head of an
infant cool, never allowing too warm bonnets, nor permitting it to sink into soft pillows when asleep. Keeping an
infant's head too warm very much increases nervous irritability ; and this is the reason why medical men forbid the
use of caps for infants. But the head of an infant should,
especially while sleeping, be protected from draughts of air,
and from getting cold.
Be very careful of the skin of an infant, as nothing tends
so effectually to prevent disease. For this end, it should
be washed all over every morning, and then gentle friction
should be applied with the hand, to the back, stomach,
bowels, and limbs. The head should be thoroughly washed
every day, and then brushed with a soft hair-brush, or
combed with a fine comb. If, by neglect, dirt accumulates
under the hair, apply with the finger the yolk of an egg,
and then the fine comb will remove it all, without any
trouble.
Dress the infant so that it will be always warm, but not
so as to cause perspiration. Be sure and keep its feet
always warm; and for this often warm them at a fire,
and use long dresses. Keep the neck and arms covered.
For this purpose, wrappers, open in front, made high in the
neck, with long sleeves, to put on over the frock, are now
very fashionable.
It is better for both mother and child, that it should not
sleep on the mother's arm at night, unless the weather be
extremely cold. This practice keeps the child too warm,
and leads it to seek food too frequently. A child should
ordinarily take nourishment but twice in the night. A
crib beside the mother, with plenty of warm and light
covering, is best for the child; but the mother must be sure
that it is always kept warm.
270
TEE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
Never cover a child's head, so that it will inhale the air
of its own lungs. In very warm weather, especially in cities,
great pains should be taken to find fresh and cool air by
rides and sailing. Walks in a public square in the cool of
the morning, and frequent excursions in ferry or steamboats, would often save a long bill for medical attendance.
In hot nights, the windows should be kept open, and the
infant laid on a mattress, or on folded blankets. A bit of
straw matting, laid over a feather bed and covered with the
under sheet, makes a very cool bed for an infant.
Cool bathing, in hot weather, is very useful; but the
water should be very little cooler than the skin of the child.
When the constitution is delicate, the water should be
slightly warmed. Simply sponging the body freely in a
Jub, answers the same purpose as a regular bath. In very
warm weather, this should be done two or three times a day,
always waiting two or three hours after food has been given.
" When the stomach is peculiarly irritable, (from teething,) it is of paramount necessity to withhold all the nostrums which have been so falslylauded as 'sovereign cures
for cholera infantum.'9 The true restoratives for a child
threatened with disease are cool air, cool bathing, and cool
drinks of simple water, in addition to proper food, at stated
intervals."
In many cases, change of air from sea to mountain,
or the reverse, has an immediate healthful influence and is
superior to every other treatment. Do not take the advice
of mothers who tell of this, that, and the other tiling,
which have proved excellent remedies in their experience.
Children have different constitutions, and there are multitudes of different causes for their sickness; and what might
cure one child, might kill another, which appeared to have
the same complaint. A mother should go on the general
rule of giving an infant very little medicine, and then only
by the direction of a discreet and experienced physician.
And there are cases, when, according to the views of the
THE CARE
OF INFANTS.
271
most distinguished and competent practitioners, physicians
themselves are much too free in using medicines, instead
of adopting preventive measures.
Do not allow a child to form such habits that it will
not be quiet unless tended and amused. A healthy child
should be accustomed to lie or sit in its cradle much of the
time; but it should occasionally be taken up and tossed,
or carried about for exercise and amusement. An infant
should be encouraged to creep, as an exercise very strengthening and useful. If the mother fears the soiling of its
nice dresses, she can keep a long slip or apron which will
entirely cover the dress, and can be removed when the
child is taken in the arms. A child should not be allowed,
when quite young, to bear its weight on its feet very long
at a time, as this tends to weaken and distort the limbs. ^
Many mothers, with a little painstaking, succeed in putting their infants into their cradle while awake, at regular
hours for sleep ; and induce regularity in other habits,
which saves much trouble. During this training process a
child may cry, at first, a great deal; but for a healthy child,
this use of the lungs does no harm and tends rather to
strengthen , than to injure them, unless it becomes exceedingly violent. A child who is trained to lie or sit and
amuse itself, is happier than one who is carried and tended
a great deal, and thus rendered restless and uneasy when
not so indulged.
The most critical period in the life of an infant is that
of dentition or teething, especially at the early stages. An
adult has thirty-two teeth, but young children have only
twenty, which gradually loosen and are followed by the
permanent teeth. When the child has ten teeth on each
jaw, all that are added are the permanent set, which should
be carefully preserved; this caution is needful, as sometimes
decay in the first double teeth of the second set are supposed to be of the transient set, and are so neglected,
or are removed instead of being preserved by plug-
272
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
ging. When the first teeth rise so as to press against
the gums, there is always more or less inflammation, causing nervous fretfulness, and the impulse to put every thing
into the mouth. Usually there is disturbed sleep, a slight
fever, and greater flow of saliva; this is often relieved by
letting the ch?M have ice to bite, tied in a rag.
Sometimes the disorder of the mouth extends to the whole
gystem. In difficult teething, one symptom is the jerking
back of the head when taking the breath, as if in pain, owing
to the extreme soreness of the gums. This is, in extreme
cases, attended with increased saliva and a gummy secretion in
the corners of the eyes, itching of the nose, redness of cheeks,
rash, convulsive twitching of lips and the muscles generally,
fever, constipation, and sometimes by a diarrhea, which
last is favorable if slight; difficulty of breathing, dilation
of the pupils of the eyes, restless motion and moaning; and
finally, if not relieved, convulsions and death. The most
effective relief is gained by lancing the gums. Every woman, and especially every mother, should know the time
and order in which the infant teeth come, and, when any of
the above symptoms appear, should examine the mouth,
and if a gum is swollen and inflamed, should either have a
physician lance it, or if this can not be done, should perform the operation herself. A sharp pen-knife and steady
hand making incision to touch the rising tooth will cause
no more pain than a simple scratch of the gum, and usually will give speedy relief.
The temporary teeth should not be removed until the
new ones appear, as it injures the jaw and coming teeth;
but as soon as a new tooth is seen pressing upward, the temporary tooth should be removed, or the new tooth will
come out of its proper place. If there is not room where
the new tooth appears, the next temporary tooth must be
taken out. Great mischief has been done by removing the
first teeth before the second appear, thus making a contraction of the jaw.
THE CARE
OF
INFANTS.
2*3
Most trouble with the teeth of young children comes
from neglect to use the brush to remove the tartar that accumulates near the gum, causing disease and decay. This
disease is sometimes called scurvyr, and is shown by an accumulation around the teeth and by inflamed gums that
bleed easily. Removal of the tartar by a dentist and cleaning the teeth after every meaj* with a brush will usually care
this evil, which causes loosening of the teeth and a bad
breath.
Much injury is often done to teeth by using improper
tooth-powder. Powdered chalk sifted through muslin is
approved by all dentists, and should be used once every
day. The tooth-brush should be used after every meal, and
floss silk pressed between the teeth to remove food lodged
there. This method will usually save the teeth from decay till old age.
When an infant seems ill during the period of dentition,
the following directions from an experienced physician
may be of service. It is now an accepted principle of all
the medical world that fevers are to be reduced by cold
applications; but an infant demands careful and judicious
treatment in this direction; some have extremely sensitive
nerves, and cold is painful. For such, tepid sponging
should be used near a fire, and the coldness increased gradually. The sensations of the child should be the guide.
Usually, but not always, children that are healthy will
learn by degrees to prefer cold water, and then it may safely be used.
When an infant becomes feverish, wrapping its body in
a towel wrung out in warm or tepid water, and then keeping it warm in a woolen blanket, is a very safe and soothing remedy.
In case of constipation this preparation of food is useful:
One table-spoonful of unbolted flour wet with cold water.
Add one pint of hot water, and boil twenty minutes. Add
when taken up, one pint of * milk. If the stomach seems
274
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
delicate and irritable, strain out the bran, but in most cases
retain it.
In case of diarrhea, walk with the child in arms a great
deal in the open air, and give it rice-water to drink.
The warmth and vital influences of the nurse are very
important, and make this mode of exercise both more
soothing and more efficacious., especially in the open air,
the infant being warmly clad.
In case of feverishness from teething or from any other
cause, wrap the infant in a towel wrung out in tepid water and then wrap it in a woolen blanket. The water may
be cooler according as the child is older and stronger.
The evaporation of the water draws off the heat, while
the moisture soothes the nerves, and usually the child will
fall into a quiet sleep. As soon as it becomes restless,
change the wet towel and proceed as before.
The leading physicians of Europe and of this country,
in all cases of fevers, use water to reduce them, by this
and other modes of application. This method is more
soothing than any other, and is as effective for adults as
for infants.
Some of the most distinguished physicians of NewYork who have examined this chapter give their full approval of the advice given. If there is still distrust as to
this mode of using water to reduce fevers, it will be advantageous to read an address on the use of cold applications in fevers, delivered by Dr. William Neftel, before
the New-York Academy of Medicine, published in the
New-YorTc Medical Record for November, 1868 : this
can be obtained by inclosing twenty cents to the editor,
with the post-office address of the applicant.
XXII.
THE MANAGEMENT OF YOUNG CHILDREN.
I N regard to the physical education of children, Dr.
Clarke, Physician in Ordinary to the Queen of England,
expresses views on one point, in which most physicians
would coincide. He says, " There is no greater error in the
management of children, than that of giving them animal
diet very early. By persevering in the use of an over-stimulating diet the digestive organs become irritated, and the various secretions immediately connected with digestion, and
necessary to it, are diminished, especially the hiliary secretion. Children so fed become very liable to attacks of
fever, and inflammation, affecting particularly the mucous
membranes; and measles and other diseases incident to
childhood, are generally severe in their attacks."
The result of the treatment of the inmates of the Orphan
Asylum, at Albany, is one which all who have the care of
young children should deeply ponder. During the first six
years of the existence of this institution, its average number
of children was eighty. For the first three years, their diet
was meat once a day, fine bread, rice, Indian puddings,
vegetables, fruit, and milk. Considerable attention was
given to clothing fresh air?j and exercise; and they were
bathed once in three weeks. During these three years, from
four to six children, and sometimes more, were continually
on the sick-list; one or two assistant nurses were necessary;
a physician was called two or three times a week ; and, in
this time, there were between thirty and forty deaths. At
the end of this period, the management was changed, in
276
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
these respects : daily ablutions of the whole body were
practiced; bread of unbolted flour was substituted for that
of fine wheat; and all animal food was banished. More
attention also was paid to clothing, bedding, fresh air, and
exercise.
The result was, that the nursery was vacated; the
nurse and physician were no longer needed; and, for
two years, not a single case of sickness or death occurred.
The third year also, there were no deaths, except those of
two idiots and one other child, all of whom were new inmates, who had not been subjected to this treatment. The
teachers of the children also testified there wTas a manifest
increase of intellectual vigor and activity, while there was
much less irritability of temper.
Let parents, nurses, and teachers reflect on the above
statement, and bear in mind that stupidity of intellect, and
irritability of temper, as well as ill-health, are often caused
by the mismanagement of the nursery in regard to the
physical training of children.
There is probably no practice more deleterious, than
that of allowing children to eat at short intervals, through
the day. As the stomach is thus kept constantly at work,
with no time for repose, its functions are deranged, and a
weak or disordered stomach is the frequent result. Children should be required to keep cakes, nuts, and other
good things, which should be sparingly given, till just before a meal, and then they will form a part of their regular
supply. This is better than to wait till after their hunger
is satisfied by food, when they will eat the niceties merely
to gratify the palate, and thus overload the stomach and
interrupt digestion.
I n regard to the intellectual training of young children,
some modification in the common practice is necessary,
with reference to their physical well-being. More care is
needful, in providing well-ventilated school-rooms, and in
securing more time for sports in the open air, during school
THE MANAGEMENT
OF YOUNG CHILDREN.
211
hours. It is very important to most mothers that their
young children should be removed from their care during
certain school hours; and it is very useful for quite young
children, to be subjected to the discipline of a school, and
to intercourse with other children of their own age. And,
with a suitable teacher, it is no matter how early children
are sent to school, provided their health is not endangered by
impure air, too much confinement, and too great mental
stimulus, which is the chief danger of the present age.
In regard to the formation of the moral character, it has
been too much the case that the discipline of the nursery
has consisted of disconnected efforts to make children either
do, or refrain from doing, certain particular acts. Do this,
and be rewarded; do that, and be punished; is the ordinary routine of family government.
But children can be very early taught that their happy
ness, both now and hereafter^ depends on the formation of
habits of submission, self-denial, and benevolence. And
all the discipline of the nursery can be conducted by
parents, not only with this general aim in their own minds,
but also with the same object daily set before the minds of
the children. Whenever their wishes are crossed, or their
wills subdued, they can be taught that all this is done, not
merely to please the parent, or to secure some good to
themselves or to others ; but as a part of that merciful
training which is designed to form such a character, and
such habits, that they can hereafter find their chief happiness in giving up their will to God, and in living to do good
to others, instead of living merely to please themselves.
I t can be pointed out to them, that they must always
submit their will to the will of God, or else be continually
miserable. It can be shown how, in the nursery, and in
the school, and through all future days, a child must
practice the giving up of his will and wishes, when they
interfere with the rights and comfort of others ; and how
important it is, early to learn to do this, so that it will, by
278
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
habit, become easy and agreeable. I t can be shown how
children who are indulged in all their wishes, and who are
never accustomed to any self-denial, always find it hard to
refrain from what injures themselves and others. I t can be
shown, also, how important it is for every person to form
such habits of benevolence toward others that self-denial
in doing good will become easy.
Parents have learned, by experience, that children can
be constrained by authority and penalties to exercise selfdenial, for their own good, till a habit is formed which
makes the duty comparatively easy. For example, well
trained children can be accustomed to deny themselves
tempting articles of food, which are injurious, until the
practice ceases to be painful and difficult. Whereas, an
indulged child would be thrown into fits of anger or
discontent, when its wishes were crossed by restraints of
this kind.
But it has not been so readily discerned, that the same
method is needful in order to form a habit of self-denial in
doing good to others. I t has been supposed that while
children must be forced, by authority', to be self-denying
and prudent in regard to their own happiness, it may
properly be left to their own discretion, whether they will
practice any self-denial in doing good to others. But the
more difficult a duty is, the greater is the need of parental
authority in forming a habit which will make that duty easy.
In order to secure this, some parents turn their earliest
efforts to this object. They require the young child
always to offer to others a part of every thing which it
receives ; always to comply with all reasonable requests of
others for service; and often to practice little acts of selfdenial, in order to secure some enjoyment for others. If
one child receives a present of some nicety, he is required
to share it with all his brothers and sisters. If one asks
his brother to help him in some study or sport, and is met
with a denial, the parent requires the unwilling child to act
THE MANAGEMENT
OF YOUNG CHILDREN.
279
benevolently, and give up some of his time to increase his
brother's enjoyment. Of course, in such an effort as this,
discretion must be used as to the frequency and extent of
the exercise of authority, to induce a habit of benevolence.
Bat where parents deliberately aim at such an object, and
wisely conduct their instructions and discipline to secure
it, very much will be accomplished.
In regard to forming habits of obedience, there have
been two extremes, both of which need to be shunned.
One is, a stern and unsympathizing maintenance of parental
authority, demanding perfect and constant obedience,
without any attempt to convince a child of the propriety
and benevolence of the requisitions, and without any
manifestation of sympathy and tenderness for the pain and
difficulties which are to be met. Under such discipline,
children grow up to fear their parents, rather than to love
and trust them ; while some of the most valuable principles
of character are chilled, or forever blasted.
In shunning this danger, other parents pass to the opposite extreme. They put themselves too much on the
footing of equals with their children, as if little were due to
superiority of relation, age, and experience. Nothing is
exacted, without the implied concession that the child is to
be a judge of the propriety of the requisition ; and reason
and persuasion are employed, where simple command and
obedience would be far better. This system produces a
most pernicious influence. Children soon perceive the
position thus allowed them, and take every advantage of it.
They soon learn to dispute parental requirements, acquire
habits of forwardness and conceit, assume disrespectful
manners and address, maintain their views with pertinacity,
and yield to authority with ill-humor and resentment, as if
their rights were infringed upon.
The medium course is for the parent to take the attitude
of a superior in age, knowledge, and relation, who has a
perfect right to control every action of the child, and that,
280
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
too, without giving any reason for the requisitions. " Obey
because your parent commands" is always a proper and sufficient reason : though not always the best to give.
But care should be taken to convince the child that the
parent is conducting a course of discipline, designed to
make him happy; and in forming habits of implicit obedience, self-denial, and benevolence, the child should have the
reasons for most requisitions kindly stated; never, however,
on the demand of it from the child, as a right, but as an act
of kindness from the parent.
It is impossible to govern children properly, especially
those of strong and sensitive feelings, without a constant
effort to appreciate the value which they attach to their
enjoyments and pursuits. A lady of great strength of mind
and sensibility once told the writer that one of the most
acute periods of suffering in her whole life was occasioned
by the burning up of some milkweed-silk, by her mother.
The child had found, for the first time, some of this shining
and beautiful substance; was filled with delight at her
discovery; was arranging it in parcels; planning its future
use, and her pleasure in showing it to her companions—
when her mother, finding it strewed over the carpet, hastily
swept it into the fire, and that, too, with so indifferent an
air, that the child fled away, almost distracted with grief
and disappointment. The mother little realized the pain
she had inflicted, but the child felt the unkindness so, severely that for several days her mother was an object
almost of aversion. While, therefore, the parent needs
to carry on a steady course, which will oblige the child always to give up its will, whenever its own good or the
greater claims of others require it, this should be constantly
connected with the expression of a tender sympathy for
the trials and disappointments thus inflicted.
Those, again, who will join with children and help them
in their sports, will learn by this mode to understand the
feelings and interests of childhood; while at the same time,
THE MANAGEMENT
OF YOUNG CHILDREN.
281
they secure a degree of confidence and affection which can
not be gained so easily in any other way. And it is to be
regretted that parents so often relinquish this most powerful mode of influence to domestics and playmates, who often
use it in the most pernicious manner. In joining in such
sports, older persons should never yield entirely the attitude
of superiors, or allow disrespectful manners or address.
A.nd respectful deportment is never more cheerfully accorded, than in seasons when young hearts are pleased and
made grateful by having their tastes and enjoyments so efficiently promoted.
ISText to the want of all government, the two most fruitful sources of evil to children are, unsteadiness in government and over-government. Most of the cases in which the
children of sensible and conscientious parents turn out
badly, result from one or the other of these causes. In
cases of unsteady government, either one parent is very
strict, severe and unbending, and the other excessively indulgent, or else the parents are sometimes very strict and
decided, and at other times allow disobedience to go unpunished. In such cases, children, never knowing exactly
when they can escape with impunity, are constantly tempted
to make the trial.
The bad effects of this can be better appreciated by reference to one important principle of the mind. It is found
to be universally true, that, when any object of desire is
put entirely beyond the reach of hope or expectation, the
mind very soon ceases to long for it, and turns to other objects of pursuit. But so long as the mind is hoping for
some good, and making efforts to obtain it, any opposition excites irritable feelings. Let the object be put entirely beyond
all hope, and this irritation soon ceases.
In consequence of this principle, those children who are under the care of persons of steady and decided government
know that whenever a thing is forbidden or denied, it is out
of the reach of hope; the desire, therefore, soon ceases, and
282
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
they turn to other objects. But the children of undecided, or
of over-indulgent parents, never enjoy this preserving aid,
When a thing is denied, they never know but either coaxing
may win it, or disobedience secure it without any penalty,
and so they are kept in that state of hope and anxiety which
produces irritation and tempts to insubordination. The children ot very indulgent parents, and of those who are undecided and unsteady in government, are very apt to become fretful, irritable, and fractious.
Another class of persons, in shunning this evil, go to the
other extreme, and are very strict and pertinacious in regard to every requisition. With them, fault-finding and
penalties abound, until the children are either hardened
into indifference of feeling, and obtuseness of conscience,
or else become excessively irritable or misanthropic.
It demands great wisdom, patience, and self-control, to
escape these two extremes. In aiming at this, there are
parents who have found the following maxims of very great
value:
First: Avoid, as much as possible, the multiplication of
rules and absolute commands. Instead of this, take the
attitude of advisers. " My child, this is improper, I wish
you would remember not to do it." This mode of address
answers for all the little acts of heedlessness, awkwardness,
or ill-manners so frequently occurring with children. There
are cases, when direct and distinct commands are needful;
and in such cases, a penalty for disobedience should be as
steady and sure as the laws of nature. Where such steadiness and certainty of penalty attend disobedience, children
no more think of disobeying than they do of putting their
fingers into a burning candle.
The next maxim is, Govern by rewards more than by
penalties. Such faults as willful disobedience, lying, dishonesty, and indecent or profane language, should be punished with severe penalties, after a child has been fully instructed in the evil of such practices. But all the constant
THh MANAGEMENT
OF YOUNG CHILDREN
283
\j recurring faults of the nursery, such as ill-humor, quarreling, carelessness, and ill-manners, may, in a great many
cases, be regulated by gentle and kind remonstrances, and
by the offer of some reward for persevering efforts to form
a good habit. It is very injurious and degrading to any
mind to be kept under the constant fear of penalties. Love
and hope are the principles that should be mainly relied on,
in forming the habits of childhood.
Another maxim, and perhaps the most difficult, is, Do
not govern by the aid of severe and angry tones. A single
example will be given to illustrate this maxim. A child is
disposed to talk and amuse itself at table. The mother requests it to be silent, except when needing to ask for food,
or when spoken to by its older friends. It constantly forgets. The mother, instead of rebuking in an impatient
tone, says, " My child, you must remember not to talk. I
will remind you of it four times more, and after that, whenever you forget, you must leave the table and wait till we
are done." If the mother is steady in her government, it is
not probable that she will have to apply this slight penalty
more than once or twice. This method is far more effectual
than the use of sharp and severe tones, to secure attention
and recollection, and often answers the purpose as well as
offering some reward.
The writer has been in some families where the most efficient and steady government has been sustained without
the use of a cross or angry tone; and in others, where a far
less efficient discipline was kept up, by frequent severe rebukes and angry remonstrances. In the first case, the children followed the example set them, and seldom used severe
tones to each other; in the latter, the method employed by
the parents was imitated by the children, and cross words
and angry tones resounded from morning till night, in every
portion of the household.
Another important maxim is, Try to keep children in a
happy state of mind. Every one knows, by experience,
284
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
that it is easier to do right and submit to rule when cheerful and happy, than when irritated. This is peculiarly true
of children; and a wise mother,, when she finds her child
fretful and impatient, and thus constantly doing wrong,
will often remedy the whole difficulty, by telling some
amusing story, or by getting the child engaged in some
amusing sport. This strongly shows the importance of
learning to govern children without the employment of angry tones, which always produce irritation.
Children of active, heedless temperament, or those who
are odd, awkward, or unsuitable in their remarks and deportment, are often essentially injured by a want of patience and self-control in those who govern them. Such
children often possess a morbid sensibility which they
strive to conceal, or a desire of love and approbation, which
preys like a famine on the soul. And yet, they become objects of ridicule and rebuke to almost every member of the
family, until their sensibilities are tortured into obtuseness
or misanthropy. Such children, above all others, need
tenderness and sympathy. A thousand instances of mistake or forgetfulness should be passed over in silence,
while opportunities for commendation and encouragement
should be diligently sought.
In regard to the formation of habits of self-denial in
childhood, it is astonishing to see how parents who are very
sensible often seem to regard this matter. Instead of inuring their children to this duty in early life, so that by
habit it may be made easy in after-days, they seem to be
studiously seeking to cut them off from every chance to secure such a preparation. Every wish of the child is studiously gratified; and, where a necessity exists of crossing its
wishes, some compensating pleasure is offered, in return.
Such parents often maintain that nothing shall be put on
their table, which their children may not join them in eating. But where, so easily and surely as at the daily meal,
can that habit of self-denial be formed, which is so needful
THE MANAGEMENT
OF YOUNG CHILDREN
2oo
m governing the appetites, and which children must acquire, or be ruined ? The food which is proper for grown
persons, is often unsuitable for children; and this is a sufficient reason for accustoming them to see others partake
of delicacies, which they must not share. Requiring chil-^
dren to wait till others are helped, and to refrain from conversation at table, except when addressed by their elders,
is another mode of forming habits of self-denial and selfcontrol. Requiring them to help others first, and to offer
the best to others, has a similar influence.
In forming the moral habits of children, it is wise to take
into account the peculiar temptations to which they are to
be exposed. The people of this nation are eminently a
trafficking people ; and the present standard of honesty, as
to trade and debts, is very low, and every year seems sinking still lower. It is, therefore, preeminently important,
that children should be trained to strict honesty, both in
word and deed. It is not merely teaching children to avoid
absolute lying, which is needed: all hinds of deceit should
be guarded against; and all kinds of little dishonest practices be strenuously opposed. A child should be brought
up with the determined principle, never to run in debt, but
to be content to live in a humbler way, in order to secure that true independence, which should be the noblest
distinction of an American citizen.
There is no more important duty devolving upon a
mother, than the cultivation of habits of modesty and propriety in young children. All indecorous words or deportment should be carefully restrained ; and delicacy and reserve studiously cherished. It is a common notion, that it
is important to secure these virtues to one sex, more than
to the other; and, by a strange inconsistency, the sex most
exposed to danger is the one selected as least needing care.
Yet a wise mother will be especially careful that her sons
are trained to modesty and purity of mind.
Yet few mothers are sufficiently aware of the dreadful
286
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
penalties which often result from indulged impurity of
thought. If children, in future life, can be preserved from
licentious associates, it is supposed that their safety is secured. But the records of our insane retreats, and the
pages of medical writers, teach that even in solitude, and
without being aware of the sin or the danger, children may
inflict evils on themselves, which not unfrequently terminate in disease, delirium, and death.
There is no necessity for explanations on this point any
farther than this ; that certain parts of the body are not to
be t .niched except for purposes of cleanliness, and that the
most dreadful suffering comes from disobeying these commands. So in regard to practices and sins of which a young
child will sometimes inquire, the wise parent will say, thai
this is what children can not understand, and about which
they must not talk or ask questions. And they should be
told that it is always a bad sign, when children talk on
matters which parents call vulgar and indecent, and thai
the company of such children should be avoided. Disclosing details of wrong-doing to young and curious children,
often leads to the very evils feared. But parents and teachers, in this age of danger, should be well informed and
watchful; for it is not unfrequently the case, that servants
and school-mates will teach young children practices, which
exhaust the nervous system and bring on paralysis, mania,
and death.
And finally, in regard to the early religious training of
children, the examples of the Creator in the early training
of our race may safely be imitated. That " He is, and is
a re warder"—that he is everywhere present—that he is a
tender Father in heaven, who is grieved when any of his
children do wrong, yet ever ready to forgive those who are
striving to please him by well-doing, these are the most
effective motives to save the young from the paths of danger and sin. The rewards and penalties of the life to come
are better adapted to maturer age, than to the imperfect
and often false and fearful conceptions of the childish mind
XXIII.
DOMESTIC AMUSEMEJSTTS ASTD SOCIAL DUTIES.
WHENEVER the laws of body and mind are properly
understood, it will be allowed that every person needs
some kind of recreation ; and that, by seeking it, the body
is strengthened, the mind is invigorated, and all our duties
are more cheerfully and successfully performed.
Children, whose bodies are rapidly growing and whose
nervous system is tender and excitable, need much more
amusement than persons of mature age. Persons, also, who
are oppressed with great responsibilities and duties, or who
are taxed by great intellectual or moral excitement, need
recreations which physically exercise and draw off the mind
from absorbing interests. Unfortunately, such persons are
those who least resort to amusements, while the idle, gay,
and thoughtless seek those which are not needed, and for
which useful occupation would be a most beneficial
substitute.
As the only legitimate object of amusement is to prepare
mind and body for the proper discharge of duty, the protracting of such as interfere with regular employments, or
induce excessive fatigue, or weary the mind, or invade the
proper hours for repose, must be sinful.
In deciding what should be selected, and what avoided,
the following are guiding principles. In the first place, no
amusements which inflict needless pain should ever be
allowed. All tricks which cause fright or vexation, and all
sports which involve suffering to animals, should be utterly
forbidden. Hunting and fishing, for mere sport, can never
288
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
be justified. If a man can convince his children that he
follows these pursuits to gain food or health, and not for
amusement, his example may not be very injurious. But
when children see grown persons kill and frighten animals,
for sport, habits of cruelty, rather than feelings of tenderness and benevolence, are cultivated.
In the next place, we should seek no recreations which
endanger life, or interfere with important duties. As the
legitimate object of amusements is to promote health and
] srepare for some serious duties, selecting those which have a
directly opposite tendency, can not be justified. Of course,
if a person feels that the previous day's diversion has
shortened the hours of needful repose, or induced a lassitude
of mind or body, instead of invigorating them, it is certain
that an evil has been done which should never be repeated.
Another rule which has been extensively adopted in the
religious world is, to avoid those amusements which experience has shown to be so exciting, and connected with so
many temptations, as to be pernicious in tendency, both to
the individual and to the community. It is on this ground,
that horse-racing and circus-riding have been excluded.
Not because there is any thing positively wrong in having
men and" horses run and perform feats of agility, or in persons looking on for the diversion: but because experience
has shown so many evils connected with these recreations,
that they should be relinquished. So with theatres. The
enacting of characters and the amusement thus afforded in
themselves may be harmless; and possibly, in certain
cases, might be useful: but experience has shown so many
evils to result from this source, that it has been deemed
wrong to patronize it. So, also, with those exciting games
of chance which are employed in gambling.
Under the same head comes dancing, in the estimation of
the great majority of the religious wwld. Still, there are
many intelligent, excellent, and conscientious persons who
hold a contrary opinion. Such maintain that it is an inno-
DOMESTIC AMUSEMENTS
AND SOCIAL DUTIES.
289
cent and healthful amusement, tending to promote ease of
manners, cheerfulness, social affection, and health of mind
and body; that evils are involved only in its excess; that like
food, study, or religious excitement, it is only wrong when
not properly regulated; and that, if serious and intelligent people would strive to regulate, rather than banish,
this amusement, much more good would be secured.
On the other side, it is objected, not that dancing is
a sin, in itself considered, for it was once a part of sacred
worship; not that it would be objectionable, if it wrere
properly regulated; not that it does not tend, when used
in a proper manner, to health of body and mind, to grace
of manners, and to social enjoyment: all these things are
conceded. But it is objected to, on the same ground as
horse-racing and theatrical entertainments ; that we are to
look at amusements as they are, and not as they might be.
Horse-races might be so managed as not to involve cruelty,
gambling, drunkenness, and other vices. And so might
theatres. And if serious and intelligent persons undertook
to patronize these, in order to regulate them, perhaps they
would be somewhat raised from the depths to which they
have sunk. But such persons believe that, with the weak
sense of moral obligation existing in the mass of society, and
the imperfect ideas mankind have of the proper use of amusements, and the little self-control which men or women or
children practice, these will not, in fact, be thus regulated.
And they believe dancing to be liable to the same objections. As this recreation is actually conducted, it does not
tend to produce health of body or mind, but directly the
contrary. If young and old went out to dance together
in open air, as the French peasants do, it would be a very
different sort of a.nusement from that which often is
witnessed in a room furnished with many lights and filled
with guests, both expending the healthful part of the
atmosphere, where the young collect, in their tightest
dresses, to protract for several hours a kind of physical ex-
290
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
ertion which is not habitual to them. During this process,
the blood is made to circulate more swiftly than usual, in
circumstances where it is less perfectly oxygenized than
health requires; the pores of the skin are excited by heat
and exercise; the stomach is loaded with indigestible articles, and the quiet, needful to digestion, withheld; the diversion is protracted beyond the usual hour for repose; and
then, when the skin is made the most highly susceptible
to damps and miasms, the company pass from a warm room
to the cold night-air. It is probable that no single amusement can be pointed out combining so many injurious
particulars as this, which is so often defended as a healthful one. Even if parents, who train their children to dance,
can keep them from public balls, (which is seldom the case,)
dancing, as ordinarily conducted in private parlors, in most
cases is subject to nearly all the same mischievous
influences.
The spirit of Christ is that of self-denying benevolence;
and his great aim, by his teachings and example, was to
train his followers to avoid all that should lead to sin, especially in regard to the weaker ones of his family. Yet
he made wine at a wedding, attended a social feast on the
Sabbath,* reproved excess of strictness in Sabbath-keeping generally, and forbade no safe and innocent enjoyment.
In following his example, the rulers of the family, then, will
introduce the most highly exciting amusements only in circumstances where there are such strong principles and habits of self-control that the enjoyment will not involve sin
in the actor or needless temptation to the weak.
The course pursued by our Puritan ancestors, in the period
succeeding theii first perils amid sickness and savages, is an example that may safely be practiced at the present day. The
young of both sexes were educated in the higher branches,
in country academies, and very often the closing exercises
* Luke xiv. In reading this passage, please notice what kind of guests
are to be invited to the feast that Jesus Christ recommends.
DOMESTIC AMUSEMENTS
AND SOCIAL
DUTIES,
291
were theatricals, in which the pupils were performers and
their pastors, elders, and parents, the audience. So, at social gatherings, the dance was introduced before minister
and wife, with smiling approval. The roaring fires and
broad chimneys provided pure air, and the nine o'clock bell
ended the festivities that gave new vigor and zest to life,
while the dawn of the next day's light saw all at their posts
of duty, with heartier strength and blither spirits.
No indecent or unhealthful costumes offended the eye,
no half-naked dancers of dubious morality were sustained
in a life of dangerous excitement, by the money of ChrU-'
tian people, for the mere amusement of their night hours.
No shivering drivers were deprived of comfort and sleep,
to carry home the midnight followers of fashion; nor was
the quiet and comfort of servants in hundreds of dwellings
invaded for the mere amusement of their superiors in education and advantages. The command "we that are strong, ought
to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves," was in those days not reversed. Had the drama and
the dance continued to be regulated by the rules of temperance, health, and Christian benevolence, as in the days of
our forefathers, they would not have been so generally
banished from the religious world. And the question is
now being discussed, whether they can be so regulated at
the present time as not to violate the laws, either of health
or benevolence.*
In regard to home amusements, card-playing is now
indulged in, in many conscientious families from which it
formerly was excluded, and for these reasons : it is claimed
that this is a quiet home amusement, which unites pleas* Fanny Kemble Butler remarked to the present writer that she regarded theatres wrong, chiefly because of the injury involved to the
actors. Can a Christian mother contribute money to support young women in a profession from which she would protect her own daughter,
as from degradation, and that, too, simply for the amusement of herself
and family ? Would this be following the self-sacrificing benevolence
of Christ and his apostles ?
292
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
antly the aged with the young ; that it is not now employed
in respectable society for gambling, as it formerly was; that
to some young minds it is a peculiarly fascinating game, and
should be first practiced under the parental care, till the ex
citement of novelty is past, thus rendering the danger to
children less, when going into the world; and, finally, that
habits of self-control in exciting circumstances may and
should be thus cultivated in the safety of home. Many
parents who have taken this course with their sons in early
life, believe that it has proved rather a course of safety
than of danger. Still, as there is great diversity of opinion,
among persons of equal worth and intelligence, a mutual
spirit of candor and courtesy should be practiced. The
sneer at bigotry and narrowness of views, on one side, and
the uncharitable implication of want of piety, or sense, on
the other, are equally ill-bred and unchristian. Truth on
this subject is best promoted, not by ill-natured crimination
and rebuke, but by calm reason, generous candor, forbearance, and kindness.
There is another species of amusement, which a large
portion of the religious world formerly put under the same
condemnation as the preceding. This is novel-reading.
The confusion and difference of opinion on this subject
have arisen from a want of clear and definite distinctions.
Now, as it is impossible to define what are novels and what
are not, so as to include one class of fictitious writings and
exclude every other, it is impossible to lay down any rule
respecting them. The discussion, in fact, turns on the use
of those works of imagination which belong to the class of
fictitious narratives. That this species of reading is not
only lawful but necessary and useful, is settled by divine
examples, in the parables and allegories of Scripture. Of
course, the question must be, what kind of fabulous writings must be avoided, and what allowed.
In deciding this, no specific rules can be given; but it
must be a matter to be regulated by the nature and cireum-
DOMESTIC AMUSEMENTS
AND SOCIAL
DUTIES.
293
stances of each case. No works of fiction which tend to
throw the allurements of taste and genius around vice and
crime should ever be tolerated; and all that tend to give
false views of life and duty should also be banished. Of
those which are written for mere amusement, presenting
scenes and events that are interesting and exciting and having no bad moral influence, much must depend on the character and circumstances of the reader. Some minds are
torpid and phlegmatic, and need to have the imagination
stimulated: such would be benefited by this kind of
reading. Others have quick and active imaginations, and
would be as much injured by excess. Some persons are
often so engaged in absorbing interests, that any thing in
nocent, which will for a short time draw off the mind, is of
the nature of a medicine; and, in such cases, this kind of
reading is useful.
There is need, also, that some men should keep a supervision of the current literature of the day, as guardians, to
warn others of danger. For this purpose, it is more suitable
for editors, clergymen, and teachers to read indiscriminately, than for any other class of persons; for they are the
guardians of the public weal in matters of literature, and
should be prepared to advise parents and young persons of
the evils in one direction and the good in another. In doing this, however, they are bound to go on the same principles which regulate physicians, when they visit infected districts—using every precaution to prevent injury to themselves ; having as little to do with pernicious exposures, as
a benevolent regard to others will allow; and faithfully
employing all the knowledge and opportunities thus gained
for warning and preserving others. There is much danger,
in taking this course, that men will seek the excitement of
the imagination for the mere pleasure it affords, under the
plea of preparing to serve the public, when this is neither
the aim nor the result.
In regard to the use of such works by the young, as a
294
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
general rule, they ought not to be allowed to any except
those of a dull and phlegmatic temperament, until the solid
parts of education are secured and a taste for more elevated
reading is acquired. If these stimulating condiments in
literature be freely used in youth, all relish for more solid
reading will in a majority of cases be destroyed. If parents
succeed in securing habits of cheerful and implicit obedience, it will be very easy to regulate this matter, by prohibiting the reading of any story-book, until the consent of the
parent is obtained.
The most successful mode of forming a taste for suitable
reading, is for parents to select interesting works of history
and travels, with maps and pictures suited to the age and
attainments of the young, and spend an hour or two each
day or evening, in aiming to make truth as interesting as
fiction. Whoever has once tried this method will find that
the uninjured mind of childhood is better satisfied with
what they know is true, when wisely presented, than with
the most exciting novels, which they know are false.
Perhaps there has been some just ground of objection to
the course often pursued by parents in neglecting to provide suitable and agreeable substitutes for the amusements
denied. But there is a great abundance of safe, healthful,
and delightful recreations, which all parents may secure for
their children. Some of these will here be pointed out.
One of the most useful and important, is the cultivation
of flowers and fruits. This, especially for the daughters
of a family, is greatly promotive of health and amusement.
It is with the hope that many young ladies, whose habits
are now so formed that they can never be induced to a
course of active domestic exercise so long as their parents
are able to hire domestic service, may yet be led to an employment which will tend to secure health and vigor of
constitution, that much space will be given in the second
volume of this work, to directions for the cultivation of
fruits and flowers.
DOMESTIC AMUSEMENTS
AND SOCIAL DUTIES.
295
It would be a most desirable improvement, if all schools
for young women could be furnished with suitable grounds
and instruments for the cultivation of fruits and flowers,
and every inducement offered to engage the pupils in this
pursuit. No father, who wishes to have his daughters
grow up to be healthful women, can take a surer method to
secure this end. Let him set apart a portion of his ground
for fruits and flowers, and see that the soil is well prepared
and dug over, and all the rest may be committed to the care
of the children. These would need to be provided with a
light hoe and rake, a dibble or garden trowel, a wateringpot, and means and opportunities for securing seeds, roots,
bulbs, buds, and grafts, all which might be done at a trifling
expense. Then, with proper encouragement and by the
aid of a few intelligible and practical directions, every
man who has even half an acre could secure a small Eden
around his premises.
In pursuing this amusement children can also be led to
acquire many useful habits. Early rising would, in many
cases, be thus secured; and if they were required to keep
their walks and borders free from weeds and rubbish, habits
of order and neatness would be induced. Benevolent and
social feelings could also be cultivated, by influencing
children to share their fruits and flowers with friends and
neighbors, as well as to distribute roots and seeds to those
who have not the means of procuring them. A woman or
a child, by giving seeds or slips or roots to a washerwoman,
or a farmer's boy, thus inciting them to love and cultivate
fruits and flowers, awakens a new and refining source of
enjoyment in minds which have few resources more elevated than mere physical enjoyments. Our Saviour directs
us in making feasts, to call, not the rich who can recompense again, but the poor who can make no returns. So
children should be taught to dispense their little treasures
not alone to companions and friends, who will probably
return similar favors ; but to those who have no means of
296
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
making any return. If the rich, who acquire a love foi
the enjoyments of taste and have the means to gratify it,
would aim to extend among the poor the cheap and simple
enjoyment of fruits and flowers, our country would soon
literally " blossom as the rose."
If the ladies of a neighborhood would unite small contributions, and send a list of flower-seeds and roots to some
respectable and honest florist, who would not be likely to
turn them off with trash, they could divide these among
themselves and their poor neighbors, so as to secure an
abundant variety at a very small expense. A bag of
flower-seeds, which can be obtained at wholesale for four
cents, would abundantly supply a whole neighborhood;
and by the gathering of seeds in the autumn, could be
perpetuated.
Another very elevating and delightful recreation for the
young is found in music. Here the writer would protest
against the practice common in many families, of having
the daughters learn to play on the piano whether they
have a taste and an ear for music, or not. A young lady
who does not sing well, and has no great fondness for music,
does nothing but waste time, money, and patience in
learning to play on the piano. But all children can be
taught to sing in early childhood, if the scientific mode of
teaching music in schools could be more widely introduced, as it is in Prussia, Germany, and Switzerland.
Then young children could read and sing music as easily
as they can read language; and might take any tune,
dividing themselves into bands, and sing off at sight the
endless variety of music which is prepared. And if
parents of wealth would take pains to have teachers qualified for the purpose, who should teach all the young children in the community, much would be done for the happiness and elevation of the rising generation. This is an
element of education which we are glad to know is, year by
year, more extensively and carefully cultivated; and it is
DOMESTIC A3IUSEMENTS
AND SOCIAL
DUTIES.
297
not only a means of culture, but also an amusement, which
children relish in the highest degree; and which they can
enjoy at home, in the fields, and in visits abroad.
Another domestic amusement is the collecting of shells,
plants, and specimens in geology and mineralogy, for the
formation of cabinets. If intelligent parents would procure the simpler works which have been prepared for the
young, and study them with their children, a taste for such
recreations would soon be developed. The writer has seen
young boys, of eight and ten years of age, gathering and
cleaning shells from rivers, and collecting plants and
mineralogical specimens, with a delight bordering on ecstasy ; and there are few, if any, who by proper influences
would not find this a source of ceaseless delight and
improvement.
Another resource for family diversion is to be found in
the various games played by children, and in which the
joining of older members of the family is always a great
advantage to both parties, especially those in the open air.
All medical men unite in declaring that nothing is more
beneficial to health than hearty laughter; and surely our
benevolent Creator would not have provided risibles, and
made it a source of health and enjoyment to use them, if
it were a sin so to do. There has been a tendency to
asceticism, on this subject, which needs to be removed.
Such commands as forbid foolish laughing and jesting,
" which are not convenient" and which forbid all idle
words and vain conversation, can not apply to any thing except what is foolish, vain, and useless. But jokes, laughter,
and sports, when used in such a degree as tends only to promote health and happiness, are neither vain, foolish, nor
" not convenient." It is the excess of these things, and not
the moderate use of them, which Scripture forbids. The
prevailing temper of the mind should be serious, yet
cheerful; and there are times when relaxation and laughter
are not only proper but necessary and right for all. There
298
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
is nothing better for this end than that parents and older
persons should join in the sports of childhood. Mature
minds can always make such diversions more entertaining
to children, and can exert a healthful moral influence over
then minds; and at the same time can gain exercise and
amusement for themselves. How lamentable that so many
fathers, who could be thus useful and happy with their
children, throw away such opportunities, and wear out
soul and body in the pursuit of gain or fame !
Another resource for children is the exercise of mechanical skill. Fathers, by providing tools for their boys, and
showing them how to make wheelbarrows, carts, sleds, and
various other articles, contribute both to the physical, moral
and social improvement of their children. And in regard
to little daughters, much more can be done in this way than
many would imagine. The writer, blessed with the example of a most ingenious and industrious mother, had not only
learned before the age of twelve to make dolls, of various
sorts and sizes, but to cut and fit and sew every article that
belongs to a doll's wardrobe. This, which was done by the
child for mere amusement, secured such a facility in mechanical pursuits, that, ever afterward, the cutting and
fitting of any article of dress, for either sex, was accomplished with entire ease.
When a little girl begins to sew, her mother can promise
her a small bed and pillow, as soon as she has sewed a
patch quilt for them; and then a bedstead, as soon as she
has sewed the sheets and cases for pillows; and then a
large doll to dress, as soon as she has made the under-gar.
ments; and thus go on till the whole contents of the babyhouse are earned by the needle and skill of its little owner.
Thus the task of learning to sew will become a pleasure; and
every new toy will be earned by useful exertion. A little
girl can be taught, by the aid of patterns prepared for the
purpose, to cut and fit all articles necessary for her doll.
She can also be provided with a little wash-tub and irons.
DOMESTIC AMUSEMENTS
AND SOCIAL DUTIES.
299
and thus keep in proper order a complete miniature domestic establishment.
Besides these recreations, there are the enjoyments
secured in walking, riding, visiting, and many other employments which need not be recounted. Children, if
trained to be healthful and industrious, will never fail to
discover resources of amusement; while their guardians
should lend their aid to guide and restrain them from excess.
There is need of a very great change of opinion and
practice in this nation in regard to the subject of social and
domestic duties. Many sensible and conscientious men
spend all their time abroad in business; except perhaps an
hour or so at night, when they are so fatigued as to be
unfitted for any social or intellectual enjoyment. And some
of the most conscientious men in the country will add to their
professional business public or benevolent enterprises, which
demand time, effort, and money; and then excuse themselves for neglecting all care of their children, and efforts
for their own intellectual improvement, or for the improvement of their families, by the plea that they have no time
for it.
All this arises from the wrant of correct notions of the
binding obligation of our social and domestic duties. The
main object of life is not to secure the various gratifications
of appetite or taste, but to form such a character, for ourselves and others, as will secure the greatest amount of
present and future happiness. It is of far more consequence, then, that parents should be intelligent, social,
affectionate, and agreeable at home and to their friends,
than that they should earn money enough to live in a large
house and have handsome furniture. It is far more needful for children that a father should attend to the formation
of their character and habits, and aid in developing their
social, intellectual, and moral nature, than it is that he
should earn money to furnish them with handsome clothes
and a variety of tempting food.
300
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
It will be wise for those parents who find little time to
attend to their children, or to seek amusement and enjoyment in the domestic and social circle, because their time
is so much occupied with public cares or benevolent objects,
to in quire whether their first duty is not to train up their
own families to be useful members of society. A man who
neglects the mind and morals of his children, to take care
of the public, is in great danger of coming under a similar
condemnation to that of him who, neglecting to provide
for his own household, has " denied the faith, and is worse
than an infidel."
There are husbands and fathers who conscientiously
subtract time from their business to spend at home, in
reading with their wives and children, and in domestic amusements which at once refresh and improve. The children
of such parents will grow up with a love of home and
kindred which will be the greatest safeguard against future
temptations, as well as the purest source of earthly
enjoyment.
There are families, also, who make it a definite object to
keep up family attachments, after the children are scattered
abroad; and, in some cases, secure the means for doing this
by saving money which would otherwise have been spent
for superfluities of food or dress. Some families have
adopted, for this end, a practice which, if widely imitated,
would be productive of much enjoyment. The method is
this: On the first day of each month, some member of the
family, at each extreme point of dispersion, takes a folio
sheet, and fills a part of a page. This is sealed and mailed
to the next family, who read it, add another contribution,
and then mail it to the next. Thus the family circular,
once a month, goes from each extreme to all the members
of a widely-dispersed family, and each member becomes a
sharer in the joys, sorrows, plans, and pursuits of all the
rest. At the same time, frequent family meetings are
sought; and the expense thus incurred is cheerfully met by
DOMESTIC AMUSEMENTS
AND SOCIAL
DUTIES.
301
retrenchments in other directions. The sacrifice of some
unnecessary physical indulgence will often purchase many
social and domestic enjoyments, a thousand times more
elevating and delightful than the retrenched luxury.
There is no social duty which the Supreme Law-givei
more strenuously urges than hospitality and kindness to
strangers, who are classed with the widow and the fatherless
as the special objects of Divine tenderness. There are some
reasons why this duty peculiarly demands attention from
the American people.
Reverses of fortune, in this land, are so frequent and unexpected, and the habits of the people are so migratory, that
there are very many in every part of the country who, having seen all their temporal plans and hopes crushed, are now
pining among strangers, bereft of wonted comforts, without
friends, and without the sympathy and society so needful to
wounded spirits. Such, too frequently, sojourn long and
lonely, with no comforter but Him who "knoweth the
heart of a stranger."
Whenever, therefore, new-comers enter a community,
inquiry should immediately be made as to whether they have
friends or associates, to render sympathy and kind attentions ; and, when there is any need for it, the ministries of
kind neighborliness should immediately be offered. And it
should be remembered that the first days of a stranger's
sojourn are the most dreary, and that civility and kindness
are doubled in value by being offered at an early period.
In social gatherings the claims of the stranger are too
apt to be forgotten ; especially in cases where there are no
peculiar attractions of personal appearance, or talents, or
high standing. Such a one should be treated with attention,
because he is a stranger; and when communities learn to
act more from principle, and less from selfish impulse, on
this subject, the sacred claims of the stranger will be less
frequently forgotten.
The most agreeable hospitality to visitors who become
302
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
inmates of a family, is that which puts them entirely at
ease. This can never be the case where the guest perceives that the order of family arrangement is essentially
altered, and that time, comfort, and convenience are sacrificed for his accommodation.
Offering the best to visitors, showing a polite regard to
every wish expressed, and giving precedence to them, in all
matters of comfort and convenience, can be easily combined
with the easy freedom which makes the stranger feel at
home; and this is the perfection of hospitable entertainment.
XXIV.
CAKE OF THE AGED.
ONE of the most interesting and instructive illustrations
of the design of our Creator, in the institution of the family
state, is the preservation of the aged after their faculties
decay and usefulness in ordinary modes seems to be ended.
By most persons this period of infirmities and uselessness is
anticipated with apprehension, especially in the case of
those who have lived an active, useful life, giving largely of
service to others, and dependent for most resources of enjoyment on their own energies.
To lose the resources of sight or hearing, to become feeble in body, so as to depend on the ministries of others, and
finally to gradually decay in mental force and intelligence,
to many seems far worse than death. Multitudes have
prayed to be taken from this life when their usefulness is
thus ended.
But a true view of the design of the family state, and of
the ministry of the aged and helpless in carrying out this
design, would greatly lessen such apprehensions, and might
be made a source of pure and elevated enjoyment.
The Christian virtues of patience with the unreasonable,
of self-denying labor for the weak, and of sympathy with
the afflicted, are dependent, to a great degree, on cultivation
and habit, and these can be gained only in circumstances
demanding the daily exercise of these graces. In this aspect, continued life in the aged and infirm should be regarded as a blessing and privilege to a family, especially to
the young, and the cultivation of the graces that are de-
304
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
manded by that relation should be made a definite and interesting part of their education. A few of the methods to
be attempted for this end will be suggested.
In the first place, the object for which the aged are preserved in life, when in many cases they would rejoice to depart, should be definitely kept in recollection, and a sense
of gratitude and obligation be cultivated. They should be
looked up to and treated as ministers sustained by our
Heavenly Father in a painful experience, expressly for the
good of those around them. This appreciation of their
ministry and usefulness will greatly lessen their trials and
impart consolation. If in hours of weariness and infirmity
they wonder why they are kept in a useless and helpless
state to burden others around, they should be assured that
they are not useless ; and this not only by word, but, better
still, by the manifestation of those virtues which such opportunities alone can secure.
Another mode of cheering the aged is to engage them in
the domestic games and sports which unite the old and
the young in amusement. Many a weary hour may thus
be enlivened for the benefit of all concerned. And here
will often occur opportunities of self-denying benevolence
in relinquishing personal pursuits and gratification thus to
promote the enjoyment of the infirm and dependent. Reading aloud is often a great source of enjoyment to those who
by age are deprived of reading for themselves. So the effort
to gather news of the neighborhood and impart it, is another mode of relieving those deprived of social gatherings.
There is no period in life when those courtesies of good
breeding which recognize the relations of superior and inferior should be more carefully cherished than when there
is need of showing them toward those of advancing age
To those who have controlled a household, and still more to
those who in public life have been honored and admired,
the decay of mental powers is peculiarly trying, and every
effort should be made to lessen the trial by courteous atten-
CARE
OF THE
AGED.
305
tion to their opinions, and by avoiding all attempts to controvert them, or to make evident any weakness or fallacy in
their conversation.
In regard to the decay of bodily or mental facnlties, much
more can be done to prevent or retard them than is genrally supposed, and some methods for this end which
have been gained by observation or experience will be presented.
As the exercise of all our faculties tends to increase their
power, unless it be carried to excess, it is very important
that the aged should be provided with useful employment,
suited to their strength and capacity. Nothing hastens decay so fast as to remove the stimulus of useful activity. It
should become a study with those who have the care of the
aged to interest them in some useful pursuit, and to convince them that they are in some measure actively contributing to the general welfare. In the country and in
families where the larger part of the domestic labor is done
without servants, it is very easy to keep up an interest in
domestic industrial employments. The tending of a small
garden in summer—the preparation of fuel and food, the
mending of household utensils—these and many other occupations of the hands will keep alive activity and interest, in a
man; while for women there are still more varied resources.
There is nothing that so soon hastens decay and lends
acerbity to age as giving up all business and responsibility,
and every mode possible should be deyised to prevent this
result.
As age advances, all the bodily functions move more
slowly, and consequently the generation of animal heat,
by the union of oxygen and carbon in the capillaries, is in
smaller proportion than in the midday of life. For this
reason some practices, safe for the vigorous, must be relinquished by the aged; and one of these is the use of the
cold bath. It has often been the case that rheumatism has
been caused by neglect of this caution. More than or-
306
TEE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
dinary care should be taken to preserve animal heat in
the aged, especially in the hands and the feet.
In many families will be found an aged brother, or sister, or other relative who has no home, and no claim to a
refuge in the family circle but that of kindred. Sometimes they are poor and homeless, for want of a faculty for
self-supporting business; and sometimes they have peculiarities of person or disposition which render their society
undesirable. These are cases where the pitying tenderness
of the Saviour should be remembered, and for his sake
patient kindness and tender care be given, and he will
graciously accept it as an offering of love and duty to himself. " Inasmuch as ye have done it to the least of these
my brethren, ye have done it to me."
It is sometimes the case that even parents in old age
have had occasion to say with the forsaken King Lear,
" How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child !" I t is right training in early life alone that
will save from this.
In the opening of China and the probable influx of its
people, there is one cause for congratulation to a nation
that is failing in the virtue of reverence. The Chinese are
distinguished above all other nations for their respect for
the aged, and especially for their reverence for aged parents and conformity to their authority, even to the last.
This virtue is cultivated to a degree that is remarkable,
and has produced singular and favorable results on the
national character, which it is hoped may be imparted to
the land to which they are flocking in such multitudes.
For with all their peculiarities of pagan philosophy and
their oriental eccentricities of custom and practical life,
they are everywhere renowned for their uniform and elegant courtesy—a most commendable virtue, and one arising from habitual deference to the aged more than from
any other source.
XXV.
THE CARE OF SERVANTS.
ALTHOUGH in earlier ages the highest born, wealthiest,
and proudest ladies were skilled in the simple labors of the
household, the advance of society toward luxury has
changed all that in lands of aristocracy and classes, and at
the present time America is the only country where there
is a class of women who may be described as ladies who do
their own work. By a lady we mean a woman of education, cultivation, and refinement, of liberal tastes and ideas,
who, without any very material additions or changes, would
be recognized as a lady in any circle of the Old World or
the New.
The existence of such a class is a fact peculiar to American society, a plain result of the new principles involved in
the doctrine of universal equality.
When *he colonists first came to this country, of however
mixed ingredients their ranks might have been composed,
and however imbued with the spirit of feudal and aristocratic ideas, the discipline of the wilderness soon brought
them to a democratic level; the gentleman felled the wood
for his log-cabin side by side with the plowman, and
thews and sinews rose in the market. " A man was deemed
honorable in proportion as he lifted his hand upon the high
trees of the forest." So in the interior domestic circle.
Mistress and maid, living in a log-cabin together, became
companions, and sometimes the maid, as the one well-trained
in domestic labor, took precedence of the mistress. It also
308
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
became natural and unavoidable that children should begin
to work as early as they were capable of it.
The result was a generation of intelligent people brought
up to labor from necessity, but devoting to the problem of labor the acuteness of a disciplined brain. The mistress, outdone in sinews and muscles by her maid, kept her superiority by skill and contrivance. If she could not lift a pail of
water, she could invent methods which made lifting the
pail unnecessary,—if she could not take a hundred steps
without weariness, she could make twenty answer the purpose of a hundred.
Slavery, it is true, was to some extent introduced into
New-England, but it never suited the genius of the people,
never struck deep root or spread so as to choke the good
seed of self-helpfulness. Many were opposed to it from
conscientious principle—many from far-sighted thrift,
and from a love of thoroughness and well-doing which despised the rude, unskilled work of barbarians. People, having once felt the thorough neatness and beauty of execution
wdiich came of free, educated, and thoughtful labor, could
not tolerate the clumsiness of slavery.
Thus it came to pass that for many years the rural population of NQW-England, as a general rule, did their own
work, both out-doors and in. If there were a black man
or black woman or bound girl, they were emphatically only
the helps, following humbly the steps of master and mistress, and used by them as instruments of lightening certain portions of their toil. The master and mistress, with
their children, were the head workers.
Great merriment has been excited in the old country
because, years ago, the first English travelers found that
the class of persons by them denominated servants, were in
America denominated help, or helpers. But the term was
the very best exponent of the state of society.
There
were few servants, in the European sense of the
word; there was a society of educated workers, where all
THE CARE
OF SER VANTS.
309
were practically equal, and where, if there was a deficiency
in one family and an excess in another, a helper, not a servant in the European sense, was hired. Mrs. Brown, who
has several sons and no daughters, enters into agreement
with Mrs. Jones, who has several daughters and no sons.
She borrows a daughter, and pays her good wages to help
in her domestic toil, and sends a son to help the labors of
Mr. Jones. These two young people go into the families
in which they are to be employed in all respects as equals
and companions, and so the work of the community is
equalized. Hence arqse, and for many years continued, a
state of society more, nearly solving than any other ever
did the problem of combining the highest culture of the
mind with the highest culture of the muscles and the physical faculties.
Then were to be seen families of daughters, handsome,
strong women, rising each day to their in-door work with
cheerful alertness—one to sweep the room, another to make
the fire, while a third prepared the breakfast for the father
and brothers who were going out to manly labor: and they
chatted meanwhile of books, studies, embroidery; discussed
the last new poem, or some historical topic started by graver
reading, or perhaps a rural ball that was to come off next
week. They spun with the book tied to the distaff; they
wove ; they did all manner of fine needle-work; they made
lace, painted flowers, and, in short, in the boundless consciousness of activity, invention, and perfect health, set
themselves to any work they had ever read or thought of.
A bride in those days was married with sheets and tablecloths of her own weaving, with counterpanes and toiletcovers wrought in divers embroidery by her own and her sisters' hands. The amount of fancy-work done in our days
by girls who have nothing else to do, will not equal what
was done by these who performed, besides, among them,
the whole wrork of the family.
In those former days most women were in good health,
310
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
debility and disease being the exception. Then, too, was
seen the economy of daylight and its pleasures. They
were used to early rising, and would not lie in bed, if they
could. Long years of practice made them familiar with
the shortest, neatest, most expeditious method of doing
every household office, so that really for the greater part
of the time in the house there seemed, to a looker-on, to
be nothing to do. They rose in the morning and dispatched husband, father, and brothers to the farm or woodlot ; went sociably about, chatting with each other, skimmed
the milk, made the butter, and turned the cheeses. The
forenoon was long; ten to one, all the so-called morning
work over, they had leisure for an hour's sewing or reading
before it was time to start the dinner preparations. By two
o'clock the house-work was done, and they had the long
afternoon for books, needle-work, or drawing—for perhaps
there was one with a gift at her pencil. Perhaps one read
aloud while others sewed, and managed in that way to
keep up a great deal of reading.
It is said that women who have been accustomed to doing their own work become hard mistresses. They are
certainly more sure of the ground they stand on—they are
less open to imposition—they can speak and act in their own
houses more as those " having authority," and therefore are
less afraid to exact what is justly their due, and less willing
to endure impertinence and unfaithfulness. Their general
error lies in expecting that any servant ever will do as well
for them as they will do for themselves, and that an untrained, undisciplined human being ever can do house-work,
or any other work, with the neatness and perfection that a
person of trained intelligence can.
It has been remarked in our armies that the men of cultivation, though bred in delicate and refined spheres, can bear
up under the hardships of camp-life better and longer than
rough laborers. The reason is, that an educated mind
knows how to use and save its body, to work it and spare
THE CARE
OF
SERVANTS.
311
it, as an uneducated mind can not; and so the college-bred
youth brings himself safely through fatigues which kill the
imreflective laborer.
Cultivated, intelligent women, who are brought up to do
the work of their own families, are labor-saving institutions.
They make the head save the wear of the muscles. By
forethought, contrivance, system, and arrangement they
lessen the amount to be done, and do it with less expense
of time and strength than others. The old New-England
motto, Get your work done up in the forenoon, applied to an
amount of work which would keep a common Irish servant
toiling from daylight to sunset.
A lady living in one of our obscure New-England towns,
where there were no servants to be hired, at last, by sending
to a distant city, succeeded in procuring a raw Irish maid-ofall-work, a creature of immense bone and muscle, but of
heavy, unawakened brain. In one fortnight she established
such a reign of Chaos and old Night in the kitchen and
through the house that her mistress, a delicate woman, encumbered with the care of young children, began seriously
to think that she made more work each day than she performed, and dismissed her. What was now to be done?
Fortunately, the daughter of a neighboring farmer was going to be married in six months, and wanted a little ready
money for her trousseau. The lady was informed that
Miss So-and-so would come to her, not as a servant, but
as hired " help." She was fain to accept any help with
gladness.
Forthwith came into the family-circle a tall, well-dressed
young person, grave, unobtrusive, self-respecting, yet not in
the least presuming, who sat at the family table and observed all its decorums with the modest self-possession of a
lady. The new-comer took a survey of the labors of a
family of ten members, including four or five young children, and, looking, seemed at once to throw them into system ; matured her plans, arranged her hours of washing,
312
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
ironing, baking, and cleaning; rose early, moved deftly;
and in a single day the slatternly and littered kitchen
assumed that neat, orderly appearance that so often strikes
one in New-England farm-houses. The work seemed to be
all gone. Every thing was nicely washed, brightened, put
in place, and staid in place; the floors, when cleaned, remained clean; the work was always done, and not doing;
an 1 every afternoon the young lady sat neatly dressed in
her own apartment, either quietly writing letters to her betrothed, or sewing on her bridal outfit. Such is the result
of employing those who have been brought up to do their
own work. That tall, fine-looking girl, for aught we know,
may yet be mistress of a fine house on Fifth Avenue; and
if she is, she will, we fear, prove rather an exacting mistress to Irish Bridget; but she will never be threatened by
her cook and chambermaid, after the first one or two have
tried the experiment.
Those remarkable women of old were made by circumstances. There were, comparatively speaking, no servants
to be had, and so children were trained to habits of industry and mechanical adroitness from the cradle, and every
household process was reduced to the very minimum of labor.
Every step required in a process was counted, every movement calculated; and she who took ten steps, when one
would do, lost her reputation for " faculty." Certainly su^h
an early drill was of use in developing the health and the
bodily powers, as well as in giving precision to the practical mental faculties. All household economies were arranged with equal niceness in those thoughtful minds. A
trained housekeeper knew just how many sticks of hickory
of a certain size were required to heat her oven, and how
many of each different kind of wood. She knew by a sort
of intuition just what kinds of food would yield the most
palatable nutriment with the least outlay of accessories in
cooking. She knew to a minute the time when each article must go into and be withdrawn from her oven; and if
THE CARE
OF SER VANTS.
313
she could only lie in her chamber and direct, she could
guide an intelligent child through the processes with
mathematical certainty.
It is impossible, however, that any thing but early training and long experience can produce these results, and it
is earnestly to be wished that the grandmothers of NewEngland had written down their experiences for our children ; they would have been a mine of maxims and traditions better than any other " traditions of the elders " which
we know of.
In this country, our democratic institutions have removed
the superincumbent pressure which in the Old World confines the servants to a regular orbit. They come here feel
ing that this is somehow a land of liberty, and with very
dim and confused notions of what liberty is. They are
very extensively the raw, untrained Irish peasantry, and the
wonder is, that, with all the unreasoning heats and prejudices of the Celtic blood, all the necessary ignorance and
rawness, there should be the measure of comfort and success there is in our domestic arrangements.
But, as long as things are so, there will be constant
changes and interruptions in every domestic establishment,
and constantly recurring interregnums when the mistress
must put her own hand to the work, whether the hand be
a trained or an untrained one. As matters now are, the
young housekeeper takes life at the hardest. She has very
little strength,—no experience to teach her how to save her
strength. She knows nothing experimentally of the simplest processes necessary to keep her family comfortably
fed and clothed; and she has a way of looking at all these
things which makes them particularly hard and distasteful
to her. She does not escape being obliged to do house-work
at intervals, but she does it in a weak, blundering, confused
way, that makes it twice as hard and disagreeable as it
need be.
Now, if every young woman learned to do house-work,
314
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
and cultivated her practical faculties in early life, she
would, in the first place, be much more likely to keep her
servants, and, in the second place, if she lost them temporarily, would avoid all that wear and tear of the nervous
system which comes from constant ill-success in those departments on which family health and temper mainly
ddpend. This is one of the peculiarities of our American
life, which require a peculiar training. Why not face it
sensibly ?
Our land is now full of motorpathic institutions to which
women are sent at a great expense to have hired operators
stretch and exercise their inactive muscles. They lie for
hours to have their feet twigged, their arms flexed, and all
the different muscles of the body worked for them, because
they are so flaccid and torpid that the powers of life do not
go on. Would it not be quite as cheerful, and a less expensive process, if young girls from early life developed the
muscles in sweeping, dusting, starching, ironing, and all
the multiplied domestic processes which our grandmothers
knew of ? A woman who did all these, and diversified the
intervals with spinning on the great and little wheel, did
not need the gymnastics of Dio Lewis or of the Swedish
Movement Cure, which really are a necessity now. Does it
not seem poor economy to pay servants for letting our
muscles grow feeble, and then to pay operators to exercise
them for us ? I will venture to say that our grandmothers
in a week went over every movement that any gymnast
has invented, and went over them to some productive
purpose too.
The first business of a housekeeper in America is that of
a teacher. She can have a good table only by having practical knowledge, and tact in imparting it. If she understands her business practically and experimentally, her eye
detects at once the weak spot; it requires only a little tact,
some patience, some clearness in giving directions, and all
comes right
THE CARE
OF SEE VANTS.
315
If we carry a watch to a watchmaker, and undertake to
show him how to regulate the machinery, he laughs and
goes on his own way; but if a brother-machinist makes
suggestions, he listens respectfully. So, when a woman
who knows nothing of woman's work undertakes to instruct
one who knows more than she does, she makes no imprest
sion; but a woman who has been trained experimentally,
and shows she understands the matter thoroughly, is listened
to with respect.
Let a woman make her own bread for one month, and,
simple as the process seems, it will take as long as that to
get a thorough knowledge of all the possibilities in the
case; but after that, she will be able to command good
bread by the aid of all sorts of servants; in other words, will
be a thoroughly prepared teacher.
Although bread-making seems a simple process, it yet requires delicate care and watchfulness. There are fifty ways
to spoil good bread; there are a hundred little things to be
considered and allowed for, that require accurate observation and experience. The same process that will raise good
bread in cold weather will make sour bread in the heat of
summer; different qualities of flour require variations in
treatment, as also different sorts and conditions of yeast;
and when all is done, the baking presents another series of
possibilities which require exact attention.
A well-trained mind, accustomed to reflect, analyze, and
generalize, has an advantage over uncultured minds even of
double experience. Poor as your cook is, she now knows
more of her business than you do. After a very brief period
of attenti3n and experiment, you will not only know more
than she does, but you will convince her that you do, which
is quite as much to the purpose.
In the same manner, lessons must be given on the
washing of silver and the making of beds. Good servants
do not often come to u s ; they must be made by patience
and training; and if a girl has a good disposition and a
316
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
reasonable degree of handiness, and the housekeeper understands her profession, a good servant may be made out of
an indifferent one. Some of the best girls have been those
who came directly from the ship, with no preparation but
docility and some natural quickness. The hardest cases to
be managed are not of those who have been taught nothing,
but of those who have been taught wrongly—who come
self-opinionated, with ways which are distasteful, and contrary to the genius of one's housekeeping. Such require
that their mistress shall understand at least so much of the
actual conduct of affairs as to prove to the servant that
there are better ways than those in which she has been
trained.
So much has been said of the higher sphere of woman,
and so much has been done to find some better work for
her that, insensibly, almost every body begins to feel that it
is rather degrading for a woman in good society to be much
tied down to family affairs; especially since in these Woman's flights Conventions there is so much dissatisfaction
expressed at those who would confine her ideas to the
kitchen and nursery.
Yet these "Woman's Eights Conventions are a protest
against many former absurd, unreasonable ideas—the mere
physical and culinary idea of womanhood as connected only
with puddings and shirt-buttons, the unjust and unequal
burdens which the laws of harsher ages had cast upon the
sex. Many of the women connected with these movements
are as superior in every thing properly womanly as they
are in exceptional talent and culture. There is no manner
of doubt that the sphere of woman is properly to be
enlarged.
Every woman has rights as a human being
which belong to no sex, and ought to be as freely conceded
to her as if she were a man,—and first and foremost, the
great right of doing any thing which God and nature evidently have fitted her to excel in. If she be made a natural
orator, like Miss Dickinson, or an astronomer, like Mrs.
THE CARE
OF
SERVANTS.
317
Somerville, or a singer, like Grisi, let not the technical rules
of womanhood be thrown in the way of her free use of her
powers.
Still, per contra, there has been a great deal of crude, disagreeable talk in these conventions, and too great tendency
of the age to make the education of woman anti-domestic.
It seems as if the world never could advance, except like
ships under a head-wind, tacking and going too far, now in
this direction, and now in the opposite. Our commonschool system now rejects sewing from the education of
girls, which very properly used to occupy many hours daily
in school a generation ago. The daughters of laborers and
artisans are put through algebra, geometry, trigonometry,
and the higher mathematics, to the entire neglect of that
learning which belongs distinctively to woman. A girl of- •
ten can not keep pace with her class, if she gives any time
to domestic matters; and accordingly she is excused from
them all during the whole term of her education. The boy
of a family, at an early age, is put to a trade, or the labors of
a farm; the father becomes impatient of his support, and
requires of him to take care for himself. Hence an interrupted education—learning coming by snatches in the
winter months or in the intervals of work.
As the result, the young women in some of our country
towns are, in mental culture, much in advance of the males
of the same household; but with this comes a physical delicacy, the result of an exclusive use of the brain and a
neglect of the muscular system, with great inefficiency in
practical domestic duties. The race of strong, hardy, cheerful girls, that used to grow up in country places, and made
the bright, neat, New-England kitchens of old times—the
girls that could wash, iron, brew, bake, harness a horse and
drive him, no less than braid straw, embroider, draw, paint,
and read innumerable books—this race of women, pride of
olden time, is daily lessening ; and in their stead come the
fragile, easily-fatigued, languid girls of a modern age,
318
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
drilled in book-learning, ignorant of common things. Tho
great danger of all this, and of the evils that come from it3
is, that society, by and by, will turn as blindly against female
intellectual culture as it now advocates it, and having
worked disproportionately one way, will work disproportionately in the opposite direction.
Domestic service is the great problem of life here in America ; the happiness of families, their thrift, well-being, and
comfort, are more affected by this than by any one thing else.
The modern girls, as they have been brought up, can not
perform the labor of their own families as in those simpler,
old-fashioned days; and what is worse, they have no practical
skill with which to instruct servants, who come to us, as a
class, raw and untrained. In the present state of prices,
the board of a domestic costs double her wages, and the
waste she makes is a more serious matter still.
Many of the domestic evils in America originate in the
fact that, while society here is professedly based on new
principles which ought to make social life in every respect
different from the life of the Old World, yet these principles have never been so thought out and applied as
to give consistency and harmony to our daily relations.
America starts with a political organization based on a
declaration of the primitive freedom and equality of
all men. Every human being, according to this principle,
stands on the same natural level with every other, and has
the same chance to rise according to the degree of power or
capacity given by the Creator. All our civil institutions
are designed to preserve this equality, as far as possible,
from generation to generation: there is no entailed property, there are no hereditary titles, no monopolies, no privileged classes—all are to be as free to rise and fall as the
waves of the sea.
The condition of domestic service, however, still retains
about it something of the influences from feudal times, and
from the .near presence of slavery in neighboring States.
TEE CARE
OF
SERVANTS.
319
All English literature of the world describes domestic
service in the old feudal spirit and with the old feudal
language, which regarded the master as belonging to a
privileged class and the servant to an inferior one. There
is not a play, not a poem, not a novel, not a history, that
does not present this view. The master's rights, like the
rights of kings, were supposed to rest in his being born in a
superior rank. The good servant was one who, from childhood, had learned " to order himself lowly and reverently
to all his betters." When New-England brought to these
shores the theory of democracy, she brought, in the persons
of the first K pilgrims, the habits of thought and of action
formed in aristocratic communities. Winthrop's Journal,
and all the old records of the earlier colonists, show households where masters and mistresses stood on the " right divine" of the privileged classes, howsoever they might have
risen up against authorities themselves.
The first consequence of this state of things was a universal rejection of domestic service in all classes of American-born society. For a generation or two there was, indeed, a sort of interchange of family strength,—sons and
daughters engaging in the service of neighboring families,
in default of a sufficient working-force of their own, but
always on conditions of strict equality. The assistant was
to share the table, the family sitting-room, and every honor
and attention that might be claimed by son or daughter.
When families increased in refinement and education so as
to make these conditions of close intimacy with more uncultured neighbors disagreeable, they had to choose between
such intimacies and the performance of their own domestic
toil. No wages could induce a son or daughter of JSTewEngland to take the condition of a servant on terms which
they thought applicable to that of a slave. The slightest
hint of a separate table was resented as an insult; not to
enter the front door, and not to sit in the front parlor on
State occasion^ was bitterly commented on as a personal
indignity.
320
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
The well-taught, self-respecting daughters of farmers,
the class most valuable in domestic service, gradually retired from it. They preferred any other employment, however laborious. Beyond all doubt, the labors of a well-regulated family are more healthy, more cheerful, more interesting, because less monotonous, than the mechanical toils
of a factory ; yet the girls of New-England, with one consent, preferred the factory, and left the whole business of
domestic service to a foreign population; and they did it
mainly because they would not take positions in families
as an inferior laboring-class by the side of others of their
own age who assumed as their prerogative to live without
labor.
" I can't let you have one of my daughters," said an
energetic matron to her neighbor from the city, who was
seeking for a servant in her summer vacation; "if you
hadn't daughters of your own, may be I would; but my
girls are not going to work so that your girls may live in
idleness."
It was vain to offer money. " We don't need your money,
ma'am ; we can support ourselves in other ways; my girls
can braid straw, and bind shoes, but they are not going to
be slaves to any body."
In the Irish and German servants who took the place of
Americans in families, there was, to begin with, the tradition of education in favor of a higher class; but even the
foreign population became more or less infected with the
spirit of democracy. They came to this country with
vague notions of freedom and equality, and in ignorant and
uncultivated people such ideas are often more unreasonable
for being vague. They did not, indeed, claim a seat at the
table and in the parlor, but they repudiated many of those
habits of respect and courtesy which belonged to their
former condition, and asserted their own will and way in
the round, unvarnished phrase which they supposed to be
their right as republican citizens. Life became a sort of
THE CARE
OF
SERVANTS.
S21
domestic wrangle and struggle between the employers,
who secretly confessed their weakness, but endeavored
openly to assume the air and bearing of authority, and
the employed, who knew their power and insisted on their
privileges.
From this cause domestic service in America has had less
of mutual kindliness than in old countries. Its terms have
been so ill-understood and defined that both parties have assumed the defensive; and a common topic of conversation
in American female society has often been the general servile war which in one form or another was going on in
their different families—a war as interminable as would be
a struggle between aristocracy and common people, undefined by any bill of rights or constitution, and therefore
opening fields for endless disputes.
In England, the class who go to service are a class, and
service is a profession; the distance between them and their
employers is so marked and defined, and all the customs
and requirements of the position are so perfectly understood, that the master or mistress has no fear of being compromised by condescension, and no need of the external voice
or air of authority. The higher up in the social scale one
goes, the more courteous seems to become the intercourse
of master and servant; the more perfect and real the
power, the more is it veiled in outward expression—commands are phrased as requests, and gentleness of voice and
manner covers an authority which no one would think of
offending without trembling.
But in America all is undefined. In the first place,
there is no class who mean to make domestic service a profession to live and die in. It is universally an expedient, a
stepping-stone to something higher; your best servants always have some thing else in view as soon as they have laid
by a little money; some form of independence which shall
give them a home of their own is constantly in mind.
Families look forward to the buying of landed homesteads,
322
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
and the scattered brothers and sisters work awhile in domestic service to gain the common fund for the purpose;
your seamstress intends to become a dressmaker, and take
in work at her own house ; your cook is pondering a marriage with the baker, which shall transfer her toils from
your cooking-stove to her own.
Young women are eagerly rushing into every other employment, till feminine trades and callings are all overstocked. We are continually harrowed with tales of the
sufferings of distressed needle-women, of the exactions and
extortions practiced on the frail sex in the many branches
of labor and trade at which they try their hands; and yet
women will encounter all these chances of ruin and starvation rather than make up their minds to permanent domestic service.
Now, what is the matter with domestic service ? One
would think, on the face of it, that a calling which gives a
settled home, a comfortable room, rent-free, with fire and
lights, good board and lodging, and steady, well-paid wages,
would certainly offer more attractions than the making of
sliirts for tenpence, with all the risks of providing one's
own sustenance and shelter.
Is it not mainly from the want of a definite idea of the
true position of a servant under our democratic institutions that domestic service is so shunned and avoided in
America, and that it is the very last thing which an intelligent young woman will look to for a living ? It is more
the want of personal respect toward those in that position
than the labor incident to it which repels our people from
it. Many would be willing to perform these labors, but
they are not willing to place themselves in a situation
where their self-respect is hourly wounded by the implication of a degree of inferiority, which does not follow any hind
of labor or service in this country but that of the family.
There exists in the minds of employers an unsuspected
spirit of superiority, which is stimulated into an active
THE CARE
OF
SERVANTS*
323
form by the resistance which democracy inspires in the
working-class. Many families think of servants only as a
necessary evil, their wages as exactions, and all that is allowed them as so much taken from the family; and they
seek in every way to get from them as much and to give
them as little as possible. Their rooms are the neglected,
ill-furnished, incommodious ones—and the kitchen is the
most cheerless and comfortless place in the house.
Other families, more good-natured and liberal, provide
their domestics with more suitable accommodations, and
are more indulgent; but there is still a latent spirit of
something like contempt for the position. That they treat
their servants with so much consideration seems to them a
merit entitling them to the most prostrate gratitude; and
they are constantly disappointed and shocked at that want
of sense of inferiority on the part of these people which
leads them to appropriate pleasant rooms, good furniture,
and good living as mere matters of common justice.
It seems to be a constant surprise to some employers that
servants should insist on having the same human wants as
themselves. Ladies who yawn in their elegantly furnished
parlors, among books and pictures, if they have not company, parties, or opera to diversify the evening, seem astonished and half indignant that cook and chambermaid
are more disposed to go.out for an evening gossip than to
sit on hard chairs in the kitchen where they have been toiling all day. The pretty chambermaid's anxieties about her
dress, the minutes she spends at her small and not very
clear mirror, are sneeringly noticed by those whose toiletcares take up serious hours; and the question has never apparently occurred to them why a serving-maid should not
want to look pretty as well as her mistress. She is a woman as well as they, with all a woman's wants and weaknesses ; and her dress is as much to her as theirs to them.
A vast deal of trouble among servants arises from impertinent interferences and petty tyrannical exactions on the
324
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
part of employers. Now, the authority of the master and
mistress of a house in regard to their domestics extends
simply to the things they have contracted to do and the
hours during which they have contracted to serve; otherwise than this, they have no more right to interfere with
them in the disposal of their time than with any mechanic
whom they employ. They have, indeed, a right to regulate
the hours of their own household, and servants can choose
between conformity to these hours and the loss of their
situation; but, within reasonable limits, their right to come
and go at their own discretion, in their own time, should be
unquestioned.
If employers are troubled by the fondness of their servants for dancing, evening company, and late hours, the
proper mode of proceeding is to make these matters a subject of distinct contract in hiring. The more strictly and
perfectly the business matters of the first engagement of
domestics are conducted, the more likelihood there is of
mutual quiet and satisfaction in the relation. It is quite
competent to every housekeeper to say what practices are
or are not consistent with the rules of her family, and what
w-ill be inconsistent with the service for which she agrees
to pay. It is much better to regulate such affairs by cool
contract in the outset than by warm altercations and protracted domestic battles.
As to the terms of social intercourse, it seems somehow
to be settled in the minds of many employers that their
servants owe them and their family more respect than they
and the family owe to the servants. But do they ? What
is the relation of servant to employer in a democratic
country ? Precisely that of a person who for money performs any kind of service for you. The carpenter comes
into your house to put up a set o shelves—the cook comes
into your kitchen to cook your dinner. You never think
that the carpenter owes you any more respect than you owe
to him because he is in your house doing your behests; he
THE CARE
OF
SERVANTS.
325
is your fellow-citizen, you treat him with respect, you ex*
pect to be treated with respect by him. You have a claim
on him that he shall do your work according to your directions—no more.
Now, I apprehend that there is a very common notion as
to the position and rights of servants which is quite different from this. Is it not a common feeling that a servant
is one who may be treated with a degree of freedom by
every member of the family which he or she may not return ? Do not people feel at liberty to question servants
about their private affairs, to comment on their dress and
appearance, in a manner which they would feel to be an
impertinence, if reciprocated ? Do they not feel at liberty
to express dissatisfaction with their performances in rude
and unceremonious terms, to reprove them in the presence
of company, while yet they require that the dissatisfaction
of servants shall be expressed only in terms of respect ? A
woman would not feel herself at liberty to talk to her milliner or her dress-maker in language as devoid of consideration as she will employ toward her cook or chambermaid.
And yet both are rendering her a service which she pays
for in money, and one is no more made her inferior thereby
than the other. Both have an equal right to be treated
with courtesy. The master and mistress of a house have a
right to require courteous treatment from all whom their
roof shelters; but they have no more right to exact it
of servants than of every guest and every child, and they
themselves owe it as much to servants as to guests.
In order that servants may be treated with respect and
courtesy, it is not necessary, as in simpler patriarchal' days,
that they sit at the family-table. Your carpenter or plumber does not feel hurt that you do not ask him to dine with
you, nor your milliner and mantaa-maker that you do not
exchange ceremonious calls and invite them to your parties.
It is well understood that your relations with them are of a
mere business character. They never take it as an assumption of superiority on your part that you do not admit them
326
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
to relations of private intimacy. There may be the most
perfect respect and esteem and even friendship between
them and you, notwithstanding. So it may be in the case
of servants. It is easy to make any person understand that
there are quite other reasons than the assumption of personal superiority for not wishing to admit servants to the family
privacy. It was not, in fact, to sit in the parlor or at the
table, in themselves considered, that was the thing aimed at.
by New-England girls ; these were valued only as signs that
they were deemed worthy of respect and consideration, and,
where freely conceded, were often in point of fact declined.
Let servants feel, in their treatment by their employers
and in the atmosphere of the family, that their position is
held to be a respectable one ; let them feel, in the mistress
of the family, the charm of unvarying consideration and
good manners; let their work-rooms be made convenient
and comfortable, and their private apartments bear some
reasonable comparison in point of agreeableness to those of
other members of the family, and domestic service will be
more frequently sought by a superior and self-respecting
class. There are families in which such a state of things
prevails; and such families, amid the many causes which
unite to make the tenure of service uncertain, have generally been able to keep good permanent servants.
There is an extreme into which kindly disposed people
often ran with regard to servants which may be mentioned here. They make pets of them. They give extravagant wages and indiscreet indulgences, and, through indolence and easiness of temper, tolerate neglect of duty.
Many of the complaints of the ingratitude of servants
come from those who have spoiled them in this way ; while
many of the longest and most harmonious domestic unions
have sprung from a simple, quiet course of Christian justice
and benevolence, a recognition of servants as fellow-beings
and fellow-Christians, and a doing to them as we would in
like circumstances that they should do to us.
The mistresses of American families, whether they like
THE
CARE
OF
SERVANTS.
327
it or not, have the duties of missionaries imposed upon them
by that class from which our supply of domestic servants is
drawn. They may as well accept the position cheerfully,
and, as one raw, untrained hand after another passes
through their family, and is instructed by them in the mysteries of good house-keeping, comfort themselves with the
reflection that they are doing something to form good wives
and mothers for the republic.
The complaints made of Irish girls are numerous and
loud; the failings of green Erin, alas! are but too open
and manifest; yet, in arrest of judgment, let us move this
consideration: let us imagine our own daughters between
the ages of sixteen and twenty-four, untaught and inexperienced in domestic affairs as they commonly are, shipped to
a foreign shore to seek service in families. It may be questioned whether, as a whole, they would do much better.
The girls that fill our families and do our house-work are
often of the age of our own daughters, standing for themselves, without mothers to guide them, in a foreign country,
not only bravely supporting themselves, but sending home
in every ship remittances to impoverished friends left behind. If our daughters did as much for us, should we not
be proud of their energy and heroism ?
When we go into the houses of our country, we find a
majority of well-kept, well-ordered, and even elegant establishments, where the only hands employed are those of the
daughters of Erin. True, American women have been
their instructors, and many a weary hour of care have they
had in the discharge of this office; but the result on the
whole is beautiful and good, and the end of it, doubtless,
will be peace.
Instead, then, of complaining that we can not have our
own peculiar advantages and those of other nations too, or
imagining how much better off we should be if things were
different from what they are, it is much wiser and more
Christianlike to strive cheerfully to conform to actual cir-
328
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
cumstances; and, after remedying all that we can control,
patiently to submit to what is beyond our power. If domestics are found to be incompetent, unstable, and unconformed to their station, it is Perfect Wisdom which appoints these trials to teach us patience, fortitude, and selfcontrol ; and if the discipline is met in a proper spirit, it
will prove a blessing rather than an evil.
But to judge correctly in regard to some of the evils involved in the state of domestic service in this country, wre
should endeavor to conceive ourselves placed in the situation
of those of whom complaint is made, that we may not expect from them any more than it would seem right should
be exacted from us in similar circumstances.
It is sometimes urged against domestics that they exact
exorbitant wages. But wThat is the rule of rectitude on
this subject % Is it not the universal law of labor and of
trade that an article is to be valued according to its scarcity
and the demand ? When w^heat is scarce, the farmer raises
his price; and when a mechanic offers services difficult to
be obtained, he makes a corresponding increase of price.
And why is it not right for domestics to act according to a
rule allowed to be correct in reference to all other trades and
professions ? It is a fact, that really good domestic service
must continue to increase in value just in proportion as this
country waxes rich and prosperous; thus making the proportion of those who wish to hire labor relatively greater, and
the number of those willing to go to service less.
Money enables the rich to gain many advantages which
those of more limited circumstances can not secure. One
of these is, securing good servants by offering high
wages; and this, as the scarcity of this class increases, wall
serve constantly to raise the price of service. It is right
for domestics to charge the market value, and this value is
always decided by the scarcity of the article and the
amount of demand. Eight views of this subject will sometimes serve to diminish hard feelings toward those who
THE CARE
OF
SERVANTS.
329
would otherwise be wrongfully regarded as unreasonable
and exacting.
Another complaint against servants is that of instability
and discontent, leading to perpetual change. But in reference to this, let a mother or daughter conceive of their own
circumstances as so changed that the daughter must go out
to service. Suppose a place is engaged, and it is then found
that she must sleep in a comfortless garret; and that, when
a new domestic comes, perhaps a coarse and dirty foreigner,
she must share her bed with her. Another place is offered,
where she can have a comfortable room and an agreeable
room-mate; in such a case, would not both mother and
daughter think it right to change ?
Or suppose, on trial, it was found that the lady of the
house was fretful or exacting and hard to please, or that her
children were so ungoverned as to be perpetual vexations;
or that the work was so heavy that no time was allowed for
relaxation and the care of a wardrobe; and another place
offers where these evils can be escaped; would not mother
and daughter here think it right to change ? And is it not
right for domestics, as well as their employers, to seek
places where they can be most comfortable ?
In some cases, this instability and love of change wTould
be remedied, if employers would take more pains to make
a residence with them agreeable, and to attach servants to
the family by feelings of gratitude and affection. There
are ladies, even where well-qualified domestics are most
rare, who seldom find any trouble in keeping good and
steady ones. And the reason is, that their servants know
they can not better their condition by any change within
reach. It is not merely by giving them comfortable rooms,
and good food, and presents, and privileges, that the attachment of domestic servants is secured; it is by the manifestation of a friendly and benevolent interest in their comfort
and improvement. This is exhibited in bearing patiently
with their faults; in kindly teaching them how to improve ;
in showing xhem how to make and take proper care of their
330
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
clothes ; in guarding their health; in teaching them to read
if necessary, and supplying them with proper books; and
in short, by endeavoring, so far as may be, to supply the
place of parents. It is seldom that such a course would
fail to secure steady service, and such affection and gratitude that even higher wages would be ineffectual to tempt
them away. There would probably be some cases of ungrateful returns; but there is no doubt that the course indicated, if generally pursued, would very much lessen the
evil in question.
When servants are forward and bold in manners and disrespectful in address, they may be considerately taught that
those who are among the best-bred and genteel have courteous and respectful manners and language to all they meet:
while many who have wealth, are regarded as vulgar, because they exhibit rude and disrespectful manners. The
very term gentle man indicates the refinement and delicacy
of address which distinguishes the high-bred from the coarse
and vulgar.
In regard to appropriate dress, in most cases it is difficult
for an employer to interfere, directly', with comments or advice. The most successful mode is to offer some service in
mending or making a wardrobe, and when a confidence in
the kindness of feeling is thus gained, remarks and suggestions will generally be properly received, and new views of
propriety and economy can be imparted. In some cases it
may be well for an employer who, from appearances, anticipates difficulty of this kind, in making the preliminary contract or agreement to state that she wishes to have the
room, person, and dress of her servants kept neat and in
order, and that she expects to remind them of their duty,
in this particular, if it is neglected. Domestic servants are
very apt to neglect the care of their own chambers and
clothing; and such habits have a most pernicious influence
on their well-being and on that of their children in future
domestic life. An employer, then, is bound to exercise a
parental care over them, in these respects.
THE CARE
OF
SERVANTS.
331
There is one great mistake, not unfrequently made, in the
management both of domestics and of children, and that is,
in supposing that the way to cure defects is by finding fault
as each failing occurs. But instead of this being true, in
many cases the directly opposite course is the best; while, in
all instances, much good judgment is required in order to decide when to notice faults and when to let them pass unnoticed. There are some minds very sensitive, easily discouraged, and infirm of purpose. Such persons, when they have
formed habits of negligence, haste, and awkwardness, often
need expressions of sympathy and encouragement rather
than reproof. They have usually been found fault witli so
much that they have become either hardened or desponding ; and it is often the case, that a few words of commend
ation will awaken fresh efforts and renewed hope. In al
most every case, words of kindness, confidence, and encouragement should be mingled with the needful admonitions
or reproof.
It is a good rule, in reference to this point, to forewarn
instead of finding fault. Thus, when a thing has been done
wrong, let it pass unnoticed, till it is to be done again ; and
then, a simple request to have it done in the right way will
secure quite as much, and probably more, willing effort,
than a reproof administered for neglect. Some persons
seem to take it for granted that young and inexperienced
minds are bound to have all the forethought and discretion
of mature persons; and freely express wonder and disgust
when mishaps occur for want of these traits. But it would
be far better to save from mistake or forgetfulness by previous caution and care on the part of those who have
gained experience and forethought; and thus many occasions of complaint and ill-humor will be avoided.
Those who fill the places of heads of families are not
very apt to think how painful it is to be chided for neglect
of duty or for faults of character. If they would some :
times imagine themselves in the place of those whom they
332
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
control, with some person daily administering reproof
to them, in the same tone and style, as they employ to
those who are under them, it might serve as a useful check
to their chidings. It is often the case, that persons who are
most strict and exacting and least able to make allowances
and receive palliations, are themselves peculiarly sensitive
to any thing which implies that they are in fault. By such,
the spirit implied in the Divine petition, " Forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,"
needs especially to be cherished.
One other consideration is very important. There is no
duty more binding on Christians than that of patience and
meekness under provocations and disappointment. Now,
the tendency of every sensitive mind, when thwarted in its
wishes, is to complain and find fault, and that often in tones
of fretfulness or anger. But there are few servants who
have not heard enough of the Bible to know that angry or
fretful fault-finding from the mistress of a family, when
her work is not done to suit her, is not in agreement with
the precepts of Christ. They notice and feel the inconsistency ; and every woman, when she gives way to feelings of
anger and impatience at the faults of those around her,
lowers herself in their respect, while her own conscience,
unless very much blinded, can not but suffer a wound.
In speaking of the office of the American mistress as
being a missionary one, we are far from recommending any
controversial interference with the religious faith of our
servants. It is far better to incite them to be good Christians in their own way than to run the risk of shaking their
faith in all religion by pointing out to them what seem to
us the errors of that in which they have been educated.
The general purity of life and propriety of demeanor of so
many thousands of undefended young girls cast yearly upon
our shores, with no home but their church, and no shield
but their religion, are a sufficient proof that this religion
exerts an influence over them not to be lightly trifled with.
THE CARE
OF
SERVANTS.
333
But there is a real unity even in opposite Christian forms;
and the Eoman Catholic servant and the Protestant mistress, if alike possessed by the spirit of Christ, and striving
to conform to the Golden Rule, can not help being one in
heart, though one go to mass and the other to meeting.
Finally, the bitter baptism through which we have passed,
the life-blood dearer than our own which has drenched distant fields, should remind us of the preciousness of distinctive American ideas. They who would seek in their foolish
pride to establish the pomp of liveried servants in America
are doing that which is simply absurd. A servant can never
in our country be the mere appendage to another man, to be
marked like a sheep with the color of his owner; he must
be a fellow-citizen, with an established position of his own,
.free to make contracts, free to come and go, and having in
his sphere titles to consideration and respect just as definite
as those of any trade or profession whatever.
Moreover, we can not in this country maintain to any
great extent large retinues of servants. Even with ample
fortunes, they are forbidden by the general character of society here, which makes them cumbrous and difficult to
manage. Every mistress of a family knows that her cares
increase with every additional servant. Two keep the
peace with each other and their employer; three begin a
possible discord, which possibility increases with four, and
becomes certain with five or six. Trained housekeepers,
such as regulate the complicated establishments of the old
world, form a class that are not, and from the nature
of the case never will be, found in any great numbers in this
country. All such women, as a general thing, are keeping,
and prefer to keep, houses of their own.
A moderate style of housekeeping, small, compact, and
simple domestic establishments, must necessarily be the general order of life in America. So many openings of profit
are to be found in this country, that domestic service necessarily wants the permanence which forms so agreeable a
feature of it in the old world.
334
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
This being the case, it should be an object in America to
exclude from the labors of the family all that can, with
greater advantage, be executed out of it by combined labor.
Formerly, in New-England, soap and candles were to be
made in each separate family; now, comparatively few take
this toil upon them. We buy soap of the soap-maker, and
candles of the candle-factor. This principle might be extended much further. In France, no family makes its own
bread, and better bread can not be eaten than can be
bought at the appropriate shops. No family does its own
washing; the family's linen is all sent to women who, making this their sole profession, get it up with a care and nicety which can seldom be equaled in any family.
How would it simplify the burdens of the American
housekeeper to have washing and ironing day expunged from
her calendar! How much more neatly and compactly
could the whole domestic system be arranged! If all the
money that each separate family spends on the outfit and
accommodations for washing and ironing, on fuel, soap,
starch, and the other requirements, were united in a fund to
create a laundry for every dozen families, one or two good
women could do in first rate style what now is very indifferently done by the disturbance and disarrangement of all
other domestic processes in these families. Whoever sets
neighborhood-laundries on foot will do much to solve the
American housekeeper's hardest problem.
Again, American women must not try with three servants
to carry on life in the style which in the old world requires
sixteen; they must thoroughly understand, and be prepared
to teach, every branch of housekeeping; they must study
to make domestic service desirable, by treating their servants
in a way to lead them to respect themselves and to feel
themselves respected; and there will gradually be evolved
from the present confusion a solution of the domestic problem which shall be adapted to the life of a new and grow
ing world.
XXVI.
CARE OF THE SICK.
IT is interesting to notice in the histories of our Lord
the prominent place given to the care of the sick. When
he first sent out the apostles, it was to heal the sick as
well as to preach. Again, when he sent out the seventy,
their first command was to " heal the sick," and next to
say, " the kingdom of God has come nigh unto you." The
body was to be healed first, in order to attend to the kingdom of God, even when it was " brought nigh."
Jesus Christ spent more time and labor in the cure of
men's bodies than in preaching, even if we subtract those
labors with his earthly father by which family homes
were provided. When he ascended to the heavens, his last
recorded words to his followers, as given by Mark, were,
that his disciples should " lay hands on the sick," that they
might recover. Still more directly is the duty of care for
the sick exhibited in the solemn allegorical description of
the last day. It was those who visited the sick that were
the blessed; it was those who did not visit the sick who
were told to "depart." Thus are we abundantly taught
that one of the most sacred duties of the Christian family
is the training of its inmates to care and kind attention to
the sick.
Every woman who has the care of young children, or of
a large family, is frequently called upon to advise what
shall be done for some one who is indisposed; and often,
in circumstances where she must trust solely to her own
336
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
judgment.
In such cases, some err by neglecting to do
any thing at all, till the patient is quite sick; but a still
greater number err from excessive and injurious dosing.
The two great causes of the ordinary slight attacks of
illness in a family, are, sudden chills, which close the
pores of the skin, and thus affect the throat, lungs, or bowels ; and the excessive or improper use of food. In most
cases of illness from the first cause, bathing the feet, and
eome aperient drink to induce perspiration, are suitable
i emedies.
In case of illness from improper food, or excess in eating, fasting for one or two meals, to give the system time
and chance to relieve itself, is the safest remedy. Sometimes, a gentle cathartic of castor-oil may be needful; but
it is best first to try fasting. A safe relief from injurious
articles in the stomach is an emetic of warm water; but
to be effective, several tumblerfuls must be given in quick
succession, and till the stomach can receive no more.
The following extract from a discourse of Dr. Burne, before the London Medical Society, contains important information : " In civilized life, the causes which are most generally and continually operating in the production of diseases are, affections of the mind, improper diet, and retention of the intestinal excretions. The undue retention
of excrementitious matter allows of the absorption of its
more liquid parts, which is a cause of great impurity to
the blood, and the excretions, thus rendered hard and
knotty, act more or less as extraneous substances, and, by
their irritation, produce a determination of blood to the
intestines and to the neighboring viscera, which ultimately
ends in inflammation. It also has a great effect on the
whole system; causes a determination of blood to the head,
which oppresses the brain and dejects the mind; deranges
the functions of the stomach; causes flatulency ; and produces a general state of discomfort."
Dr. Combe remarks on this subject: " In the natural
CARE
OF THE
SICK.
337
and healthy state, under a proper system of diet, and with
sufficient exercise, the bowels are relieved regularly, once
every day." Habit " is powerful in modifying the result,
and in sustaining healthy action when once fairly establish
ed. Hence the obvious advantage of observing as much
regularity in relieving the system, as in taking our meals."
It is often the case that soliciting nature at a regular period, once a day, will remedy constipation without medicine, and induce a regular and healthy state of the bowels.
" When, however, as most frequently happens, the constipation arises from the absence of all assistance from the
abdominal and respiratory muscles, the first step to be
taken is, again to solicit their aid; first, by removing all
impediments to free respiration, such as stays, waistbands,
and belts; secondly, by resorting to such active exercise
as shall call the muscles into full and regular action; * and
lastly, by proportioning the quantity of food to the wants
of the system, and the condition of the digestive organs.
" If we employ these means, systematically and perseveringly, we shall rarely fail in at last restoring the healthy
action of the bowels, with little aid from medicine. But
if we neglect these modes, we may go on for years, adding
pill to pill, and dose to dose, without ever attaining the
end at which we aim."
" There is no point in which a woman needs more know* The most effective mode of exercising the abdominal and respiratory
muscles, in order to remedy constipation, is by a continuous alternate contraction of the muscles of the abdomen and diaphragm. By contracting
the muscles of the abdomen, the intestines are pressed inward and upward, and then the muscles of the diaphragm above contract and press
them downward and outward. Thus the blood is drawn to the torpid
parts to stimulate to the healthful action, while the agitation moves their
contents downward. An invalid can thus exercise the abdominal muscles
in bed. The proper time is just after a meal. This exercise, continued ten
minutes a day, including short intervals of rest, and persevered in for a
week or two, will cure most ordinary cases of constipation, provided
proper food Is taken. Coarse bread and fruit are needed for this purpose
in most cases.
338
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
ledge and discretion than in administering remedies for
what seem slight attacks, which are not supposed to re^
quire the attention of a physician. It is little realized that
purgative drugs are unnatural modes of stimulating the
internal organs, tending to exhaust them of their secretions, and to debilitate and disturb the animal economy.
For this reason, they should be used as little as possible ;
and fasting, and perspiration, and the other methods
pointed out, should always be first resorted to."
When medicine must be given, it should be borne in mind
that there are various classes of purgatives, which produce very diverse effects. Some, like salts, operate to thin
the blood, and reduce the system; others are stimulating ;
and others have a peculiar operation on certain organs.
Of course, great discrimination and knowledge are needed,
in order to select the kind which is suitable to the particular disease, or to the particular constitution of the invalid.
This shows the folly of using the many kinds of pills, and
other quack medicines, where no knowledge can be had of
their composition. Pills which are good for one kind of
disease, might operate as poison in another state of the
system.
It is very common in cases of colds, which affect the
lungs or throat, to continue to try one dose after another
for relief. I t will be well to bear in mind at such times,
that all which goes into the stomach must be first absorbed
into the blood before it can reach the diseased p a r t ; and that
there is some danger of injuring the stomach, or other
parts of the system, by such a variety of doses, many of
which, it is probable, will be directly contradictory in
their nature, and thus neutralize any supposed benefit
they might separately impart.
When a cold affects the head and eyes, and also impedes
breathing through the nose, great relief is gained by a
wet napkin spread over the upper part of the face, covering the nose except an opening for breath. This is to be
CARE
OF THE SICK.
339
covered by folds of flannel fastened over the napkin with
a handkerchief.
So also a wet towel over the throat and
whole chest, covered with folds of flannel, often relieves
oppressed lungs.
Ordinarily, a cold can be arrested on its first symptoms
by coverings in bed and a bottle of hot water, securing
free perspiration. Often, at its first appearance, it can be
stopped by a spoonful or two of whisky, or any alcoholic
liquor, in hot water, taken on going to bed. Warm coverering to induce perspiration will assist the process. These
simple remedies are safest. Perspiration should always be
followed by a towel-bath.
I t is very unwise to tempt the appetite of a person who
is indisposed. The cessation of appetite is the warning of
nature that the system is in such a state that food can not
be digested. When food is to be given to one who has no
desire for it, beef-tea is the best in most cases.
The following suggestions may be found useful in regard
to nursing the sick. As nothing contributes more to the
restoration of health than pure air, it should be a primary
object to keep a sick-room well ventilated. At least twice
in the twenty-four hours, the patient should be well covered, and fresh air freely admitted from out of doors.
After this, if need be, the room should be restored to a
proper temperature, by the aid of an open fire. Bedding
and clothing should also be well aired, and frequently
changed; as the exhalations from the body, in sickness,
are peculiarly deleterious. Frequent ablutions of the
whole body, if possible, are very useful; and for these, warm
water may be employed, when cold water is disagreeable.
A sick-room should always be kept very neat and in
perfect order; and all haste, noise, and bustle should be
avoided. In order to secure neatness, order, and quiet, in
case of long illness, the following arrangement should be
made. Keep a large box for fuel, which will need to be
filled only twice in twenty-four hours. Provide also and
340
TEE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
keep in the room or an adjacent closet, a small tea-kettle,
a saucepan, a pail of water for drinks and ablutions, a
pitcher, a covered porringer, two pint bowls, two tumblers,
two cups and saucers, two wine-glasses, two large and two
small spoons; also a dish in which to wash these articles ;
a good supply of towels and a broom. Keep a slop-bucket
near by to receive the wash of the room. Procuring all
these articles at once, will save much noise and confusion.
Whenever medicine or food is given, spread a clean towel over the person or bed-clothing, and get a clean handkerchief, as nothing is more annoying to a weak stomach
than the stickiness and soiling produced by medicine and
food.
Keep the fire-place neat, and always wash all articles and put them in order as soon as they are out of use.
A sick person has nothing to do but look about the
room ; and when every thing is neat and in order, a feeling
of comfort is induced, while disorder, filth, and neglect are
constant objects of annoyance which, if not complained
of, are yet felt.
One very important particular in the case of those who
are delicate in constitution, as well as in the case of the
sick, is the preservation of warmth, especially in the hands
and the feet. The equal circulation of the blood is an important element for good health, and this is impossible
when the extremities are habitually or frequently cold. It
is owing to this fact that the coldness caused by wetting
the feet is so injurious. In cases where disease or a weak
constitution causes a feeble or imperfect circulation, great
pains should be taken to dress the feet and hands warmly,
especially around the wrists and ankles, where the bloodvessels are nearest to the surface and thus most exposed to
cold.
Warm elastic wristlets and anklets would save
many a feeble person from increasing decay or disease.
When the circulation is feeble from debility or disease,
the union of carbon and oxygen in the capillaries is slow-
CARE
OF THE SICK.
341
er than in health, and therefore care should be taken to
preserve the heat thus generated by warm clothing and
protection from cold draughts. In nervous debility, it is
peculiarly important to preserve the animal heat, for its
excessive loss especially affects weak nerves. Many an invalid is carelessly and habitually suffering cold feet, who
would recover health by proper care to preserve animal
heat, especially in the extremities.
The following are useful directions for dressing a blister.
Spread thinly, on a linen cloth, an ointment composed of
one third of beeswax to two thirds of tallow; lay this
upon a linen cloth folded many times. With a sharp
pair of scissors make an aperture in the lower part of the
blister-bag, with a little hole above to give it vent.
Break the raised skin as little as possible. Lay on the
cloth spread as directed. The blister at first should be
dressed as often as three times in a day, and the dressing
renewed each time. Hot fomentations in most cases will
be as good as a blister, less painful, and safer.
Always prepare food for the sick in the neatest and
most careful manner. It is in sickness that the senses of
smell and taste are most susceptible of annoyance; and
often, little mistakes or negligences in preparing food will
take away all appetite.
Food for the sick should be cooked on coals, that no
smoke may have access to i t ; and great care must be taken
to prevent, by stirring, any adherence to the bottom of the
cooking vessel, as this always gives a disagreeable taste.
Keeping clean handkerchiefs and towels at hand, cool
ing the pillows, sponging the hands with water, (with care
to dry them thoroughly,) swabbing the mouth with a
clean linen rag on the end of a stick, are modes of increasing the comfort of the sick. Always throw a shawl over
a sick person when raised up.
Be careful to understand a physician's directions, and to
obey them implicitly.
If it be supposed that any other
342
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
person knows better about the case than the physician,
dismiss the physician, and employ that person in his stead.
I t is always best to consult the physician as to where
medicines shall be purchased, and to show the articles to
him before using them, as great impositions are practiced
in selling old, useless, and adulterated drugs. Always put
labels on vials of medicine, and keep them out of the
reach of children.
Be careful to label all powders, and particularly all
white powders, as many poisonous medicines in this form
are easily mistaken for others which are harmless.
In nursing the sick, always speak gently and cheeringiy; and, while you express sympathy for their pain and
trials, stimulate them to bear all with fortitude, and with
resignation to the Heavenly Father who " doth not willingly afflict," and " who causeth all things to work together for good to them that love him." Offer to read the
Bible or other devotional books, whenever it is suitable,
and will not be deemed obtrusive.
Miss Ann Preston, one of the most refined as well as
talented and learned female physicians, in a published article, gives valuable instruction as to the training of nurses.
She claims that every woman should be trained for this
office, and that some who have special traits that fit them
for it should make it their daily professional business. She
remarks that the indispensable qualities in a good nurse
are common sense, conscientiousness, and sympathetic
benevolence: and thus continues :
" God himself made and commissioned one set of
nurses; and in doing this and adapting them to utter
helplessness and weakness, what did he do ? H e made
them to love the dependence and to see something to admire in the very perversities of their charge. H e made
them to humor the caprices and regard both reasonable
and unreasonable complainings. He made them to bend
tenderly over the disturbed and irritated, and fold them to
CARE
OF THE SICK.
343
quiet assurance in arms made soft with love; in a word, he
made mothers ! And, other things being equal, whoever
has most maternal tenderness and warm sympathy with the
sufferer is the best nurse."
And it is those most nearly
endowed by nature with these traits who should be selected to be trained for the sacred office of nurse to the sick,
while, in all the moral training of womanhood, this ideal
should be the aim.
Again, Miss Preston wisely suggests that " persons may
be conscientious and benevolent and possess good judgment in many respects, and yet be miserable nurses of the
sick for want of training and right knowledge.
" Knowledge, the assurance that one knows what to do,
always gives presence of mind—and presence of mind is
important not only in a sick-room but in every home.
Who has not known consternation in a family when some
one has fainted, or been burned, or cut, while none were
present who knew how to stop the flowing blood, or revive
the fainting, or apply the saving application to the burn ?
And yet knowledge and efficiency in such cases would save
many a life, and be a most fitting and desirable accomplishment in every woman."
" "We are slow to learn the mighty influence of common
agencies, and the greatness of little things, in their bearing upon life and health. The woman who believes it
takes no strength to bear a little noise or some disagreeab e announcements, and loses patience with the weak, nervous invalid who is agonized with creaking doors or shoes,
or loud, shrill voices, or rustling papers, or sharp, fidgety
motions, or the whispering so common in sick-rooms and
often so acutely distressing to the sufferer, will soon correct such misapprehensions by herself experiencing a nervous fever."
Here the writer would put in a plea for the increasing
multitudes of nervous sufferers not confined to a sickroom, and yet exposed to all the varied sources of pain in-
344
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
cident to an exhausted nervous system, which often cause
more intolerable and also more wearing pain than other
kinds of suffering.
" An exceeding acuteness of the senses is the result of
many forms of nervous disease.
A heavy breath, an
ur.washed hand, a noise that would not have been noticed
in health, a crooked table-cover or bed-spread may disturb
or oppress ; and more than one invalid has spoken in my
hearing of the sickening effect produced by the nurse
tasting her food, or blowing in her drinks to make them
cool. One woman, and a sensible woman too, told me hei
nurse had turned a large cushion upon her bureau with the
back part in front. She determined not to be disturbed
nor to speak of such a trifle, but after struggling three hours
in vain to banish the annoyance, she was forced to ask to
have the cushion placed right."
In this place should be mentioned the suffering caused
to persons of reduced nervous power not only by the smoke
of tobacco, but by the fetid effluvium of it from the breath
and clothing of persons who smoke. Many such are sickened in society and in car-traveling, and to a degree little
imagined by those who gain a dangerous pleasure at the
frequent expense of the feeble and suffering.
Miss Preston again remarks, " I t is often exceedingly
important to the very weak, who can take but very little
nutriment, to have that little whenever they want it. I
have known invalids sustain great injury and suffering;
when exhausted for want of food, they have had to wait
and wait, feeling as if every minute was an hour, while
some well-fed nurse delayed its coming. Said a lady, ' It
makes me hungry now to think of the meals she brought
me upon that little waiter when I was sick, such brown
thin toast, such good broiled beef, such fragrant tea, and
every thing looking so exquisitely nice ! If at any time I
did not think of any thing I wanted, nor ask for food, she
did not annoy me with questions, but brought some little
CARE
OF THE SICK.
345
delicacy at the.proper time, and when it came, I could
take it.'
" If there is one purpose of a personal kind for which it
is especially desirable to lay up means, it is for being well
nursed in sickness; yet in the present state of society, this
is absolutely impossible, even to the wealthy, because of the
scarcity of competent nurses. Families worn down with
the long and extreme illness of a member require relief
from one whose feelings will be less taxed, and who can
better endure the labor.
" But alas! how often is it impossible, for love or money,
to obtain one capable of taking the burden from the exhausted sister or mother or daughter, and how often in
consequence they have died prematurely or struggled
through weary years with a broken constitution. Appeal
to those who have made the trial, and you will find that
very seldom have they been able to have those who by nature or by training were competent for their duties. Ignorant, unscrupulous, inattentive—how often they disturb
and injure the patient! A physician told me that one of his
patients had died because the nurse, contrary to orders, had
at a critical period washed her with cold water. I have
known one who, by stealth, quieted a fretful child with
laudanum, and of others who exhausted the sick by incessant talking. One lady said that when, to escape this distressing garrulity, she closed her eyes, the nurse exclaimed
aloud, ' Why, she is going to sleep while I am talking to
her.'
" A few only of the sensible, quiet, and loving women,
whose presence everywhere is a blessing, have qualified
themselves and followed nursing as a business. Heaven
bless that few! What a sense of relief have I seen pervade
a family when such a one has been procured; and what a
treasure seemed found!
" There is very commonly an extreme susceptibility in the
sick to the moral atmosphere about them. They feel the
346
TEE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
healthful influence of the presence of a true-hearted attendant and repose in it, though they may not be able to
define the cause; while dissimulation, falsehood, recklessness, coarseness, jar terribly and injuriously on their heightened sensibilities. ' Are the Sisters of Charity really better nurses than most other women V I asked an intelligent
lady who had seen much of our military hospitals. ' Yes,
they are,' wTas her reply. ' Why should it be so V c I think
it is because with them it is a work of self-abnegation, and
of duty to God, and they are so quiet and self-forgetful in
its exercise that they do it better, while many other women
show such self-consciousness and are so fussy!"
Is there any reason why every Protestant woman should
not be trained for this self-denying office as a duty owed to
God?
We can not better close this chapter than by one more
quotation from the same intelligent and attractive writer:
" The good nurse is an artist. O the pillowy, soothing
softness of her touch, the neatness of her simple, unrustling
dress, the music of her assured yet gentle voice and tread,
the sense of security and rest inspired by her kind and hopeful face, the promptness and attention to every want, the
repose that like an atmosphere encircles her, the evidence
of heavenly goodness, and love that she diffuses!" Is not
such an art as this worth much to attain ?
In training children to the Christian life, one very impor ant opportunity occurs whenever sickness appears in
the family or neighborhood. The repression of disturbing
noises, the speaking in tones of gentleness and sympathy,
the small offices of service or nursing in which children
can aid, should be inculcated as ministering to the Lord
and Elder Brother of man, who has said, " Inasmuch as ye
have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren,
ye have done it to me."
One of the blessed opportunities for such ministries is
given to children in the cultivation of flowers. The en-
CARE OF THE SICK.
34)
trance into a sick-room of a smiling, healthful child, bringing an offering of flowers raised by its own labor, is like an
angel of comfort and love, " and alike it blesseth him who
gives and him who takes."
A time is coming when the visitation of the sick, as a
part of the Christian life, will hold a higher consideration
than is now generally accorded, especially in the cases of
uninteresting sufferers who have nothing to attract kind attentions, except that they are suffering children of our
Father in heaven, and " one of the least" of the brethren
of Jesus Christ.
XXVII.
ACCIDENTS AOT> ANTIDOTES
CHILDREN shonld be taught the following modes oi saving life, health and limbs in cases of sudden emergency, before a medical adviser can be summoned.
In case of a common cut, bind the lips of the wo and
together with a rag, and put on nothing else. If it is large,
lay narrow strips of sticking-plaster obliquely across the
wound. In some cases it is needful to draw a needle and
thread through the lips of the wound, and tie the two sides
together.
If an artery be cut, it must be tied as quickly as possible,
or the person will soon bleed to death. The blood from an
artery is a brighter red than that from the veins, and spirts
out in jets at each beat of the heart. Take hold of the end
of the artery and tie it or hold it tight till a surgeon comes.
In this case, and in all cases of bad wounds that bleed
much, tie a tight bandage near and above the wound, inserting a stick into the bandage and twisting as tight as can
be borne, to stop the immediate effusion of blood.
Bathe bad bruises in hot water. Arnica water hastens a
cure, but is injurious and weakening to the parts when used
too long and too freely.
A sprain is relieved from the first pains by hot fomentations, or the application of very hot bandages, but entire
rest is the chief permanent remedy. The more the limb
is used, especially at first, the longer the time required for
the small broken fibres to knit together. The sprained
leg should be kept in a horizontal position. When a leg is
ACCIDENTS
AND
ANTIDOTES.
349
broken, tie it to the other leg, to keep it still till a surgeon
comes. Tie a broken arm to a piece of thin wood, to keep
it still till set.
In the case of bad burns that take off the skin, creosote
water is the best remedy. If this is not at hand, wood-soot
(not coal) pounded, sifted, and mixed with lard is nearly as
good, as such soot contains creosote. "When a dressing is
put on, do not remove it till a skin is formed under it. If
nothing else is at hand for a bad burn, sprinkle flour over
the place where the skin is off and then let it remain, protected by a bandage. The chief aim is to keep the part
without skin from the air.
In case of drowning, the aim should be to clear the
throat, mouth and nostrils, and then produce the natural
action of the lungs in breathing as soon as possible, at the
same time removing wet clothes and applying warmth and
friction to the skin, especially the hands and feet, to start
the circulation. The best mode of cleansing the throat and
mouth of choking water is to lay the person on the face, and
raise the head a little, clearing the mouth and nostrils with
the finger, and then apply hartshorn or camphor to the
nose. This is safer and surer than a common mode of lifting the body by the feet, or rolling on a barrel to empty
out the water.
To start the action of the lungs, first lay the person on
the face and press the back along the spine to expel all air
from the lungs. Then turn the body nearly, but not quite
over on to the back, thus opening the chest so that the air
will rush in if the mouth is kept open. Then turn the body
to the face again and expel the air, and then again nearly
over on to the back; and so continue for a long time.
Friction, dry and warm clothing, and warm applications
should be used in connection with this process. This is a
much better mode than using bellows, which sometimes will close the opening to the windpipe. The above
is the mode recommended by Dr. Marshall Hall, and is approved by the best medical authorities.
350
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
Certain articles are often kept in the house for cooking
or medical purposes, and sometimes by mistake are taken
in quantities that are poisonous.
Soda, saleratus, potash, or any other alkali can be rendered harmless in the stomach by vinegar, tomato-juice, or
any other acid. If sulphuric or oxalic acid are taken,
pounded chalk in water is the best antidote. If those
are not at hand, strong soapsuds have been found effective. Large quantities of tepid water should be drank after
these antidotes are taken, so as to produce vomiting.
Lime or laryta and its compounds demand a solution
of glauber salts or of sulphuric acid.
Iodine or Iodide of Potassium demands large draughts of
wheat flour or starch in water, and then vinegar and water.
The stomach should then be emptied by vomiting with as
much tepid water as the stomach can hold.
Prussic acid, a violent poison, is sometimes taken by
children in eating the pits of stone fruits or bitter almonds
which contain it. The antidote is to empty the stomach
by an emetic, and give water of ammonia or chloric water.
Affusions of cold water all over the body, followed by
warm hand friction, is often a remedy alone, but the above
should be added if at command. Antimony and its compounds demand drinks of oak bark, or gall nuts, or very
strong green tea.
Arsenic demands oil or melted fat, with magnesia or
lime water in large quantities, till vomiting occurs.
Corrosive Sublimate, (often used to kill vermin,) and any
other form of mercury, requires milk or whites of eggs
in large quantities. The whites of twelve eggs in two
quarts of water, given in the largest possible draughts
every three minutes till free vomiting occurs, is a good
remedy. Flour and water will answer, though not so surely as the above. Warm water will help, if nothing else is
in reach. The same remedy answers when any form of
copper, or tin, or zinc poison is taken, and also for creosote
ACCIDENTS
AND
ANTIDOTES,
351
Lead and its compounds require a dilution of Epsom
or Glauber salts, or some strong, acid drink, as lemon or
tomatoes.
Nitrate of Silver demands salt water drank till vomiting
occurs.
Phosphorus (sometimes taken by children from matches)
needs magnesia and copious drinks of gum Arabic, or gum
water of any sort.
Alcohol, in dangerous quantities, demands vomiting
with warm water.
When one is violently sick from excessive use of tobacco, vomiting is a relief, if it arise spontaneously. After
that, or in case it does not occur, the juice of a lemon and
perfect rest, in a horizontal position on the back, will relieve the nausea and faintness, generally soothing the foolish and over-wrought patient into a sleep.
Opium demands a quick emetic. The best is a heaping
table-spoonful of powdered mustard, in a tumblerful of
warm water; or powdered alum in half-ounce doses and
strong coffee alternately in warm water. Give acid drinks
after vomiting. If vomiting is not elicited thus, a stomach pump is demanded. Dash cold water on the head, apply friction, and use all means to keep the person awake
and in motion.
Strychnia demands also quick emetics.
The stomach should be emptied always after taking any
of these antidotes, by a warm water emetic.
In case of bleeding at the lungs, or stomach, or throat,
give a tea-spoonful of dry salt, and repeat it often. F^r
bleeding at the nose, put ice, or pour cold water on the
back of the neck, keeping the head elevated.
If a person be struck with lightning, throw pailfuls of
cold water on the head and body, and apply mustard poultices on the stomach, with friction of the whole body and
inflation of the lungs, as in the case of drowning. The
352
TEE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
same mode is to be used when persons are stupified by
fumes of coal, or bad air.
In thunderstorms, shut the doors and windows. The
safest part of a room is its centre; and where there is a
feather-bed in the apartment, that will be found the most
secure resting-place.
A lightning-rod if it be well pointed, and run deep into
the earth, is a certain protection to a circle around it,
whose diameter equals the height of the rod above the
highest chimney. But it protects no farther than this extent.
In case of fire, wrap about you a blanket, a shawl, a
piece of carpet, or any other woolen cloth, to serve as protection. Never read in bed, lest you fall asleep, and the
bed be set on fire. If your clothes get on fire, never run,
but lie down, and roll about till you can reach a bed or
carpet to wrap yourself in, and thus put out the fire. Keep
young childrer in woolen dresses, to save them from the
risk of fire.
XXVIII.
SEWING, CUTTING, AND MENDING.
EVERY young girl should be taught to do the following
kinds of stitch with propriety : Over-stitch, hemming,
running, felling, stitching, back-stitch and run, buttonholestitch, chain-stitch, whipping, darning, gathering, and
cross-stitch.
In doing over-stitch, the edges should always be first
fitted, either with pins or basting, to prevent puckering.
In turning wide hems, a paper measure should be used, to
make them even. Tucks, also, should be regulated by a
paper measure. A fell should be turned, before the edges
are put together, and the seam should be over-sewed before felling. All biased or goring seams should be felled.
For stitching, draw a thread, and take up two or three
threads at a stitch.
In cutting buttonholes, it is best to have a pair of scissors, made for the purpose, which cut very neatly. For
broadcloth, a chisel and board are better. The best stitch
is made by putting in the needle, and then turning the
thread round it near the eye. This is better than to draw
the needle through, and then take up a loop. A stay
thread should first be put across each side of the buttonhole, and also a bar at each end before working it. In
working the buttonhole, keep the stay thread as far from
the edge as possible. A small bar should be worked at
each end.
Whipping is done better by sewing over, and not under.
The roll should be as fine as possible, the stitches short,
354
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
the thread strong, and in sewing, every gather should be
taken up.
The rule for gathering in shirts is, to draw a thread,
and then take up two threads and skip four. In darning,
after the perpendicular threads are run, the crossing
threads should interlace exactly, taking one thread and
leaving one, like woven threads. It is better to run a fine
thread around a hole and draw it together, and then darn
across it.
The neatest sewers always fit and baste their work before sewing; and they s&y they always save time in the
end by so doing, as they never have to pick out work on
account of mistakes.
I t is wise to sew closely and tightly all new garments
which will never be altered in shape; but some are
more nice than wise, in sewing frocks and old garments in
the same style. However, this is the least common extreme. I t is much more frequently the case that articles
which ought to be strongly and neatly made are sewed so
that a nice sewer would rather pick out the threads and
sew over again than to be annoyed with the sight of grinning stitches, and vexed with constant rips.
If the thread kinks in sewing, break it off and begin at
the other end. In using spool-cotton, thread the needle
with the end which comes off first, and not the end vhere
you break it off. This often prevents kinks.
Work-basJcets.—It is very important to neatness, comfort,
and success in sewing, that a lady's work-basket should
be properly fitted up. The following articles are needful
to the mistress of a family : a large basket to hold work;
having in it fastened a smaller basket or box, containing a
needle-book in which are needles of every size, both blunts
and sharps with a larger number of those sizes most used;
also small and large darning-needles, for woolen, cotton,
and silk; two tape needles, large and small; nice scissors
for fine work, button-hole scissors ; an emery bag ; two balls
SEWING,
CUTTING^ AND MENDING.
355
of white and yellow wax; and two thimbles, in case one
should be mislaid. When a person is troubled with damp
fingers, a lump of soft chalk in a paper is useful to rub on
the ends of the fingers.
Besides this box, keep in the basket common scissors;
small shears; a bag containing tapes of all colors and sizes,
done up in rolls ; bags, one containing spools of white and another of colored cotton thread, and another for silks wound
on spools or papers; a box or bag for nice buttons, and
another for more common ones ; a bag containing silk braid,
welting cords, and galloon binding. Small rolls of pieces
of white and brown linen and cotton are also often needed. A brick pin-cushion is a great convenience in sewing,
and better than screw cushions. It is made by covering
half a brick with cloth, putting a cushion on the top, and
covering it tastefully. It is very useful to hold pins and
needles while sewing, and to fasten long seams when basting and sewing.
To make a Frock.—The best way for a novice is to get a
dress fitted (not sewed) at the best mantua-maker's. Then
take out a sleeve, rip it to pieces, and cut out a paper pattern.
Then take out half of the waist, (it must have a seam in
front,) and cut out a pattern of the back and fore-body, both
lining and outer part. In cutting the patterns, iron
the pieces smooth, let the paper be stiff, and with a pin
prick holes in the paper, to show the gore in front and the
depths of the seams.
With a pen and ink, draw lines
from each pin-hole to preserve this mark. Then baste the
parts together again, in doing which the unbasted half will
serve as a pattern. When this is done, a lady of common
ingenuity can cut and fit a dress by these patterns. If the
waist of a dress be too tight, the seam under the arm must
be let out; and in cutting a dress an allowance should be
made for letting it out if needful, at this seam.
The linings for the waists of dresses should be stiffened
with cotton or linen. In cutting bias-pieces for trimming,
356
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
they will not set well unless they are exact. In cutting them,
use a long rule, and a lead pencil or piece of chalk. Welting-cords should be covered with bias-pieces ; and it saves
time, in many cases, to baste on the welting-cord at the
same time that you cover it. The best way to put on
hooks and eyes is to sew them on double broad tape, and
sew this on the frock lining. They can be moved easily,
and do not show where they are sewed on.
In putting on linings of skirts at the bottom, be careful
to have it a very little fuller than the dress, or it will shrink
and look badly. All thin silks look much better with
lining, and last much longer, as do aprons also. In putting
a lining to a dress, baste it on each separate breadth, and
sew it at the seams, and it looks much better than to have
it fastened only at the bottom. Make notches in selvedge,
to prevent it from drawing up the breadth. Dresses
which are to be washed should not be lined.
Figured silks do not generally wear well if the figure be
large and satin-like. Black and plain-colored silks can be
tested by procuring samples, and making creases in them;
fold the creases in a bunch, and rub them against a rough
surface of moreen or carpeting.
Those which are poor
will soon wear off at the creases.
Plaids look becoming for tall women, as they shorten
the appearance of the figure. Stripes look becoming on a
large person, as they reduce the apparent size. Pale persons should not wear blue or green, and brunettes should
not wear light delicate colors, except shades of buff, fawn,
or straw color. Pearl white is not good for any complexion. Dead white and black look becoming on almost all
persons. It is best to try colors by candle-light for evening
dresses, as some colors which look very handsome in the
daylight are very homely when seen by candle-light.
Never be in haste to be first in a fashion, and never go to
the extremes.
Linen and Cotton.—In buying linen, seek for that which
SEWING,
CUTTING, AND MENDING.
357
has a round close thread and is perfectly white ; for if it
be not white at first, it will never afterward become so.
Much that is called linen at the shops is half cotton, and
does not wear so well as cotton alone. Cheap linens are
usually of this kind. It is difficult to discover which are
all linen; but the best way is to find a lot presumed to be
good, take a sample, wash it, and ravel it. If this be good,
the rest of the same lot will probably be so. If you can
not do this, draw a thread each way, and if both appear
equally strong it is probably all linen. Linen and cotton
must be put in clean water, and boiled, to get out the
starch, and then ironed.
A " long piece " of linen, a yard wide, will, with care and
calculation, make eight shirts. In cutting it, take a shirt
of the right size as a guide in fitting and basting. Bosompieces and false collars must be cut and fitted by patterns
which suit the person for whom the articles are designed.
Gentlemen's night-shirts are made like other shirts, except
that they are longer, and do not have bosoms and cuffs
for starching.
In cutting chemises, if the cotton or linen is a yard
wide, cut off small half-gores at the top of the breadths
and set them on the bottom. Use a long rule and
a pencil in cutting gores. In cutting cotton which is
quite wide, a seam can be saved by cutting out two at once,
in this manner : cut off three breadths, and with a long
rule and a pencil, mark and cut off the gores; thus from
one breadth cut off two gores the whole length, each gore
one fourth of the breadth at the bottom, and tapering off
to a point at the top. The other two breadths are to
have a gore cut off from each, which is one fourth wide at
the top and two fourths at bottom. Arrange these pieces
right and they will make two chemises, one having four
seams and the other three. This is a much easier way of
cutting than sewing the three breadths together in bag
fashion, as is often done. The biased or goring seams
358
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
must always be felled. The sleeves and neck can be cut
according to the taste of the wearer, by another chemise
for a pattern. There should be a lining around the armholes and stays at all corners. Six yards of yard width
will make two chemises.
Long night-gowns are best cut a little goring. It requires five yards for a long night-gown, and two and a
half for a short one. Linen night caps wear longer than
cotton ones, and do not like them turn yellow. They
should be ruffled with linen, as cotton borders will not
last so long as the cap. A double-quilted wrapper is a
great comfort, in case of sickness. It may be made of
two old dresses. It should not be cut full, but rather like
a gentleman's study-gown, having no gathers or plaits, but
large enough to slip off and on with ease. A double-gown
of calico is also very useful. Most articles of dress, for
grown persons or children, require patterns.
Old silk dresses quilted for skirts are very serviceable.
White flannel is soiled so easily and shrinks so much in washing that it is a good plan to color it. Cotton flannel is also
good for common skirts. In making up flannel, back-stitch
and run the seams and then cross-stitch them open. M c e
flannel for infants can be ornamented with very little
expense of time, by turning up the hem on the right side,
and making a little vine at the edge with saddler's silk.
The stitch of the vine is a modification of button-hole stitch.
Mending.
Silk dresses will last much longer, by ripping
out the sleeves when thin, and changing the arms and also
the breadths of the skirt. Tumbled black silk, which is
old and rusty, should be dipped in water, then be drained
for a few minutes, without squeezing or pressing, and then
ironed. Coffee or cold tea is better than water. Sheets
when worn thin in the middle should be ripped, and the
other edges sewed together. Window-curtains last much
longer if lined, as the sun fades and rots them.
Broadcloth should be cut with reference to the way the
SEWING,
CUTTING, AND MENDING.
359
nap runs. When pantaloons are thin, it is best to newly
seat them, cutting the piece inserted in a curve, as corners
are difficult to fit. Hose can be cut down when the feet
are worn. Take an old stocking and cut it up for a pattern. Make the heel short. In sewing, turn each edge
and run it down, and then sew over the edges. This is
better than to stitch and then cross-stitch. " Run " thin
places in stockings, and it will save darning a hole. If
shoes are worn through on the sides, in the upper-leather,
slip pieces of broadcloth under, and sew them around the
holes.
Bedding.
The best beds are thick hair mattresses,
which for persons in health are good for winter as well as
summer use. Mattresses may also be made of husks, dried
and drawn into shreds; also of alternate layers of cotton
and moss. The most profitable sheeting is the Russian,
which will last three times as long as any other. I t is
never perfectly white. Unbleached cotton is good for winter. It is poor economy to make narrow and short sheets,
as children and domestics will always slip them off, and
soil the bed-tick and bolster. They should be three yards
long, and two and a half wide, so that they can be tucked
in all around. All bed-linen should be marked and numbered, so that a bed can always be made properly, and all
missing articles be known.
XXIX.
FIRES AND LIGHTS.
A SHALLOW fireplace saves wood and gives out more heat
than a deeper one. A false back of brick may be put up
in a deep fireplace. Hooks for holding up the shovel and
tongs, a hearth-brush and bellows, and brass knobs to hang
them on, should be furnished to every fireplace. An iron
bar across the andirons aids in keeping the fire safe and in
good order. Steel furniture is neater, handsomer, and
more easily kept in order than that made of brass.
Use green wood for logs, and mix green and dry wood
for the fire ; and then the wood-pile will last much longer.
Walnut, maple, hickory, and oak wood are best; chestnut
or hemlock is bad, because it snaps. Do not buy a load in
which there are many crooked sticks. Learn how to measure and calculate the solid contents of a load, so as not to
be cheated. A cord of wood should be equivalent to a pile
eight feet long, four feet wide and four feet high; that is,
it contains ( 8 x 4 x 4 = 1 2 8 ) one hundred and twenty-eight
cubic or solid feet. A city " load " is usually one third of
a cord.
Have all your wood split and piled under
cover for winter. Have the green wood logs in one pile,
dry wood in another, oven-wood in another, kindlings and
chips in another, and a supply of charcoal to use for broiling and ironing in another place. Have a brick bin for
ashes, and never allow them to be put in wood. When
quitting fires at night, never leave a burning stick across
the andirons, nor on its end, without quenching it. See
that no fire adheres to the broom or brush, remove all arti-
FIRES
AND
LIGHTS.
361
cles from the fire, and have two pails filled with water in
the kitchen where they will not freeze.
STOVES AND GRATES.
Booms heated by stoves should always have some opening for the admission of fresh air, or they will be injurious
to health. The dryness of the air, which they occasion,
should be remedied by placing a vessel filled with water
on the stove, otherwise, the lungs or eyes will be injured.
A large number of plants in a room prevents this dryness
of the air. Where stove-pipes pass through fire-boards, the
hole in the wood should be much larger than the pipe, so
that there may be no danger of the wood taking fire. The
unsightly opening thus occasioned should be covered with
tin. When pipes are carried through floors or partitions,
they should always pass either through earthen crocks,
or what are known as tin stove-pipe thimbles, which may
be found in any stove store or tinsmith's. Lengthening a
pipe will increase its draught.
For those who use anthracite coal, that which is broken
or screened is best for grates, and the nut-coal for small
stoves. Three tons are sufficient in the Middle States, and
four tons in the Northern, to keep one fire through the
winter. That which is bright, hard, and clean is best;
and that which is soft, porous, and covered with damp dust
is poor. I t will be well to provide two barrels of charcoal
for kindling to every ton of anthracite coal. Grates for
bituminous coal should have a flue nearly as deep as the
grate; and the bars should be round and not close together. The better draught there is, the less coal-dust is made.
Every grate should be furnished with a poker, shovel,
tongs, blower, coal-scuttle, and holder for the blower. The
latter may be made of woolen, covered with old silk, and
hung near the fire.
Coal-stoves should be carefully put up, as cracks in the
pipe, especially in sleeping rooms, are dangerous.
362
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
LIGHTS.
Professor Phin, of the Manufacturer and Builder', has
kindly given us some late information on this important
topic, which will be found valuable.
In choosing the source of our light, the great points to be
considered are, first, the influence on the eyes, and secondly, economy. I t is poor economy to use a bad light.
Modern houses in cities, and even in large villages, are
furnished with gas; where gas is not used, sperm-oil, kerosene or coal-oil, and candles are employed. Gas is the
cheapest, (or ought to be;) and if properly used, is as good
as any. Good sperm-oil burned in an Argand lamp—that is,
a lamp with a circular wick, like the astral lamp and
others—is perhaps the best; but it is expensive and attended with many inconveniences. Good kerosene oil gives a
light which leaves little to be desired. Candles are used
only on rare occasions, though many families prefer to
manufacture into candles the waste grease that accumulates in the household. The economy of any source of
light will depend so much upon local circumstances that
no absolute directions can be given.
The effect produced by light on the eyes depends upon
the following points : First, Steadiness.
Nothing is
more injurious to the eyes than a flickering, unsteady
flame. Hence, all flames used for light-giving purposes
ought to be surrounded with glass chimneys or small
shades. No naked flame can ever be steady. Second,
Color. This depends greatly upon the temperature of the
flame. A hot flame gives a bright, white light; a flame
which has not a high temperature gives a dull, yellow
light, which is very injurious to the eyes. In the naked
gas-jet a large portion of the flame burns at a low temperature, and the same is the case with the flame of the kero
sene lamp when the height of the chimney is not properly
proportioned to the amount of oil consumed; a high wick
needs a high chimney. In the case of a well-trimmed Ar
FIRES
AND
LIGHTS.
363
gand oil-lamp, or an Argand burner for gas, the flame is
in general most intensely hot, and the light is of a clear
white character.
The third point which demands attention is the amount
of heat transmitted from the flame to the eyes. It often
happens that people, in order to economize light, bring the
lamp quite close to the face. This is a very bad habit.
The heat is more injurious than the light. Better burn a
larger flame, and keep it at a greater distance.
It is also well that various sized lamps should be provided to serve the varying necessities of the household in
regard to quantity of light. One of the very best forms
of lamp is that known as the " student's reading-lamp,"
which is, in the burner, an Argand. Provide small lamps
with handles for carrying about, and broad-bottomed lamps
for the kitchen, as these are not easily upset. Hand and
kitchen lamps are best made of metal, unless they are to
be used by very careful persons.
Sperm-oil, lard, tallow, etc., have been superseded to
such an extent by kerosene that it is scarcely worth while
to give any special directions in regard to them. In the
choice of kerosene, attention should be paid to two points :
its safety and its light-giving qualities. Kerosene is not a
simple fluid, like water; but is a mixture of several
liquids, all of which boil at different temperatures. Good
kerosene oil should be purified from all that portion which
boils or evaporates at a low temperature; for it is the
production of this vapor, and its mixture with atmospheric
air, that gives rise to those terrible explosions which sometimes occur when a light is brought near a can of poor oil.
To test the oil in this respect, pour a little into an iron
spoon, and heat it over a lamp until it is moderately warm
to the touch. If the oil produces vapor which can be set
on fire by means of a flame held a short distance above the
surface of the liquid, it is bad. Good oil poured into a
teacup or on the floor does not easily take fire when a
364
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL
light is brought in contact with it. Poor oil will instantly
ignite under the same circumstances, and hence, the
breaking of a lamp filled with poor oil is always attended
by great peril of a conflagration. Not only the safety but
also the light-giving qualities of kerosene are greatly enhanced by the removal of these volatile and dangerous oils.
Hence, while good kerosene should be clear in color and
free from all matters which can gum up the wick and thus
interfere with free circulation and combustion, it should
also be perfectly safe. I t ought to be kept in a cool, dark
place, and carefully excluded from the air.
The care of lamps requires so much attention and discretion, that many ladies choose to do this work themselves,
rather than trust it with domestics. To do it properly,
provide the following things: an old waiter to hold all the
articles used ; a lamp-filler, with a spout, small at the end,
and turned up to prevent oil from dripping; proper wicks,
and a basket or box to hold them ; a lamp-trimmer made
for the purpose, or a pair of sharp scissors; a small soapcup and soap ; some washing soda in a broad-mouthed
bottle; and several soft cloths to wash the articles and
towels to wipe them. If every thing, after being used, is
cleansed from oil and then kept neatly, it will not be so
unpleasant a task as it usually is, to take care of lamps.
The inside of lamps and oil-cans should be cleansed with
soda dissolved in water. Be careful to drain them well,
and not to let any gilding or bronze be injured by the
soda coming in contact with it. P u t one table-spoonful
of soda to one quart of water. Take the lamp to pieces
and clean it as often as necessary. Wipe the chimney at
least once a day, and wash it whenever mere wiping fails to
cleanse it. Some persons, owing to the dirty state of their
chimneys, lose half the light which is produced. Keep dry
fingers in trimming lamps. Eenew the wicks before they
get too short. They should never be allowed to burn
shorter than an inch and a half.
FIRES
AND
LIGHTS.
365
In regard to shades, which are always well to use, on
lamps or gas, those made of glass or porcelain are now so
cheap that we can recommend them as the best without
any reservation. Plain shades, making the light soft and
even, do not injure the eyes. Lamps should be lighted
with a strip of folded or rolled paper, of which a quantity
should be kept on the mantelpiece. "Weak eyes should
always be especially shaded from the lights. Small
screens, made for the purpose, should be kept at hand. A
person with weak eyes can use them safely much longer
when they are protected from the glare of the light. Fill
the entry-lamp every day, and cleanse and fill night-lanterns twice a week, if used often. A good night-lamp is
made with a small one-wicked lamp and a roll of tin to
set over it. Have some holes made in the bottom of this
cover, and it can then be used to heat articles. Very
cheap floating tapers can be bought to burn in a teacup
of oil through the night.
TO MAKE
CANDLES.
The nicest candles are those run in moulds. For this
purpose, melt together one quarter of a pound of white
wax, one quarter of an ounce of camphor, two ounces of
alum, and ten ounces of suet or mutton-tallow. Soak the
wicks in lime-water and saltpetre, and when dry, fix them
in the moulds and pour in the melted tallow. Let them
remain one night to cool; then warm them a little to loosen them, draw them out, and when they are hard, put them
in a box in a dry and cool place.
To make dipped candles, cut the wicks of the right
length, double them over rods, and twist them. They
should first be dipped in lime-water or vinegar, and dried.
Melt the tallow in a large kettle, filling it to the top with
hot water, when the tallow is melted. P u t in wax and
powdered alum, to harden them. Keep the tallow hot
366
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
over a portable furnace, and fill the kettle with hot watei
as fast as the tallow is used up. Lay two long strips of
narrow board on which to hang the rods; and set flat pans
under, on the floor, to catch the grease. Take several rods
at once, and wet the wicks in the tallow; straighten and
smooth them when cool. Then dip them as fast as they
cool, until they become of the proper size. Plunge them
obliquely and not perpendicularly; and when the bottoms
are too large, hold them in the hot grease till a part melts
oft Let them remain one night to cool; then cut off the
bottoms, and keep them in a dry, cool place. Cheap lights
are made, by dipping rushes in tallow; the rushes being
first stripped of nearly the whole of the hard outer covering and the pith alone being retained with just enough of
the tough bark to keep it stiff.
XXX.
THE CARE OF ROOMS.
IT would be impossible in a work dealing, as this does
with general principles of house-keeping, to elaborate in
full the multitudinous details which arise for attention and
intelligent care. These will be more largely treated of in
the book soon to be published for the present writer, (the
senior authoress of this volume.) Yet, in the different
departments of family labor, there are certain leading
matters concerning which a few hints may be found useful
in aiding the reader to carry into operation the instructions and ideas of the earlier chapters of this book, and in
promoting the general comfort and convenience of families."
And first, asking the reader to bear in mind that these
suggestions are chiefly applicable to country homes, not
within easy reach of all the conveniences which go under
the name of " modern improvements," we will say a few
words on the care of Parlors.
In hanging pictures, put them so that the lower part
shall be opposite the eye. Cleanse the glass of pictures
with whiting, as water endangers the pictures.
Gilt
frames can be much better preserved by putting on a coat
of copal varnish, which with proper brushes, can be bought
of carriage or cabinet-makers. "When dry, it can be
washed with fair water. Wash the brush in spirits of turpentine.
Curtains, ottomans, and sofas covered with worsted, can be
cleansed with wheat bran, rubbed on with flannel. Shades
368
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
of linen or cotton, on rollers and pulleys, are always useful
to shut out the sun from curtains and carpets. Paper cur
tains, pasted on old cotton, are good for chambers. P u t
them on rollers, having cords nailed to them, so that when
the curtain falls, the cord will be wound up. Then, by
pulling the cord, the curtain w^'ll be rolled up.
Tarnished furniture should be rubbed only with silk, except occasionally, when a little sweet-oil should be rubbed
over, and wiped off carefully. For unvarnished furniture,
use bees-wax, a little softened with sweet-oil; rub it in with
a hard brush, and polish with woolen and silk rags. Some
persons rub in linseed-oil; others mix bees-wax with a little
spirits of turpentine and rosin, making it so that it can be
put on with a sponge, and wiped off with a soft rag. Others keep in a bottle the following mixture: two ounces of
spirits of turpentine, four table-spoonfuls of sweet-oil, and
one quart of milk. This is applied with a sponge, and
wiped off with a linen rag.
Hearths and jambs, of brick, look best painted over with
black lead, mixedwith soft-soap. Wash the bricks which
are nearest the fire with redding and milk, using a painter's
brush. A sheet of zinc, covering the whole hearth, is
cheap, saves work, and looks very well. A tinman can fit
it properly. .
Stone hearths should be rubbed with a paste of powdered
stone, (to be procured of the stone-cutters,) and then brushed
with a stiff brush. Kitchen hearths, of stone, are improved
by rubbing in lamp-oil.
Stains can be removed from marble, by oxalic acid and
water, or oil of vitriol and water, left on a few minutes,
and then rubbed dry. Gray marble is improved by linseed-oil. Grease can be taken from marble, by ox-gall and
potter's clay wet with soapsuds, (a gill of each.) It is better to add, also, a gill of spirits of turpentine. It improves
the looks of marble, to cover it with this mixture, leaving
it two days, and then rubbing it off.
THE
CARE
OF ROOMS.
369
Unless a parlor is in constant use, it is best to sweep it
only once a week, and at other times use a whisk-broom
and dust-pan. When a parlor with handsome furniture
is to be swept, cover the sofas, centre table, piano, books,
and mantelpiece with old cottons kept for the purpose.
Remove the rugs and shake them, and clean the jambs,
hearth, and fire-furniture. Then sweep the room, moving
every article. Dust the furniture with a dust-brush and a
piece of old silk. A painter's brush should be kept, to remove dust from ledges and crevices.
The dust-cloths
should be often shaken and washed, or else they will soil
the walls and furniture when they are used. Dust ornaments and fine books with feather brushes, used for no
other purpose.
Chambers and Bedrooms are of course a portion of the
house to be sedulously and scrupulously attended to, if
either health or comfort are aimed at in the family. And
first, every mistress of a family should see, not only that
all sleeping-rooms in her house can be well ventilated at
night, but that they actually are so. Where there is no
provision made for the introduction of pure air, in the construction of the house, and in the bedroom itself no open
fire-place to allow the easy exit of foul air, a door should
be left open into an entry or room where fresh air is
admitted; or else a small opening should be made in a
window, taking care not to allow a draught of air to cross
the bed. The debility of childhood, the lassitude of domestics, and the ill-health of families, are often caused by neglecting to provide a supply of pure air.
I t is not deemed necessary to add much to the earlier
chapters treating of bedroom conveniences; but one subject is of marked importance, as being characteristic of
good or poor housekeeping—that is, the making of beds.
Few servants will make a bed properly, without much
attention from the mistress of the family; and every young
woman who expects to have a household of her own to
370
TEE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
manage should be able to do it well herself, and to instruct
others in doing it. The following directions should be
given to those who do this work:
Open the windows, and lay off the bed-covering on two
chairs, at the foot of the bed. If it be a feather-bed, after
it is well aired, shake the feathers from each corner to the
middle; then take up the middle, shake it well, and turn
the bed over. Then push the feathers in place, making
the head higher than the foot, and the sides even, and as
high as the middle part. A mattress, whether used on top
of a feather-bed or by itself, should in like manner be well
aired and turned. Then put on the bolster and the under
sheet, so that the wrong side of the sheet shall go next the
bed, and the marlcing always come at the head, tucking in
all around. Then put on the pillows, evenly, so that the
open ends shall come to the sides of the bed, and spread
on the upper sheet so that the wrong side shall be next
the blankets, and the marked end always at the head.
This arrangement of sheets is to prevent the part where
the feet lie from being reversed, so as to come to the face;
and also to prevent the parts soiled by the body from coming to the bedtick and blankets. P u t on the other covering, except the outer one, tucking in all around, and then
turn over the upper sheet at the head, so as to show a part
of the pillows. When the pillow-cases are clean and
smooth, they look best outside of the cover, but not otherwise. Then draw the hand along the side of the pillows,
to make an even indentation, and then smooth and shape
the whole outside. A nice housekeeper always notices the
manner in which a bed is made; and in some parts of the
country, it is rare to see this work properly performed.
The writer would here urge every mistress of a family,
who keeps more than one domestic servant, to provide
them with single beds, that they might not be obliged to
sleep with all the changing domestics, who come and go
so often. Where the room is too small for two beds, a nar-
THE CARE
OF ROOMS.
371
* ow truckle-bed kept under another during the day will
answer. Domestics should be furnished with washing
conveniences in their chambers, and be encouraged to keep
their persons and rooms neat and in order.
The care of the Kitchen, Cellar, and Store-room is necessarily the foundation of all proper housekeeping.
If parents wish their daughters to grow up with good
domestic habits, they should have, as one means of securing this result, a neat and cheerful kitchen. A kitchen
should always, if possible, be entirely above-ground, and
well lighted. I t should have a large sink, with a drain
running under-ground, so that all the premises may be
kept sweet and clean. If flowers and shrubs be cultivated
around the doors and windows, and the yard near them
be kept well turfed, it will add very much to their agreeable
appearance. The walls should often be cleaned and whitewashed, to promote a neat look and pure air. The floor
of a kitchen should be painted, or, what is better, covered
with an oilcloth. To procure a kitchen oilcloth as cheaply
as possible, buy cheap tow cloth, and fit it to the size and
shape of the kitchen. Then have it stretched, and nailed
to the south side of the barn, and, with a brush, cover it
with a coat of thin rye paste. When this is dry, put on a
coat of yellow paint, and let it dry for a fortnight. I t is
safest to first try the paint, and see if it dries well, as some
paint never will dry. Then put on a second coat, and at
the end of another fortnight, a third coat. Then let it
hang two months, and it will last, uninjured, for many
years. The longer the paint is left to dry, the better. If
varnished, it will last much longer.
A sink should be scalded out every day, and occasionally
with hot lye. On nails, over the sink, should be hung
three good dish-cloths, hemmed, and furnished with loops;
one for dishes not greasy, one for greasy dishes, and one
for washing greasy pots and kettles. These should be put
in the wash every week. The lady who insists upon this
372
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
will not be annoyed by having her dishes washed with
dark, musty and greasy rags, as is too frequently the case.
Under the sink should be kept a slop-pail; and, on a
shelf by it, a soap-dish and two water-pails. A large boiler
of warm soft water should always be kept over the fire,
well covered, and a hearth-broom and bellows be hung
near the fire. A clock is a very important article in the
kitchen, in order to secure regularity at meals.
WASHING DISHES.
No item of domestic labor is so frequently done in a
negligent manner, by domestics, as this. A full supply of
conveniences will do much toward the remedy of this evil.
A swab, made of strips of linen tied to a stick, is useful
to wash nice dishes, especially small, deep articles. Two
or three towels, and three dish-cloths should be used. Two
large tin tubs, painted on the outside, should be provided;
one for washing, and one for rinsing; also, a large old
waiter, on which to drain the dishes. A soap-dish, with
hard soap, and a fork, with which to use it, a slop-pail, and
two pails for water, should also be furnished. The following rules for washing dishes will aid in promoting the desired care and neatness:
1. Scrape the dishes, putting away any food which may
remain on them, and which it may be proper to save for
future use. P u t grease into the grease-pot, and whatever
else may be on the plates into the slop-pail. Save tealeaves for sweeping. Set all the dishes, when scraped, in
regular piles, the smallest at the top.
2. P u t the nicest articles in the wash-dish, and wash
them in hot suds with the swab or nicest dish-cloth.
Wipe all metal articles as soon as they are washed. P u t
all the rest into the rinsing-dish, which should be filled with
hot water. When they are taken out, lay them to drain
on the waiter. Then rinse the dish-cloth, and hang it up
wipe the articles washed, and put them in their placet*.
THE
CARE
OF ROOMS.
373
3. Pour in more hot water, wash the greasy dishes with
the dish-cloth made for them, rinse them, and set them to
drain. Wipe them, and set them away. Wash the knives
and forks, being careful that the handles are never put in water ; wipe them, and then lay them in a knife-dish, to be
scoured.
4. Take a fresh supply of clean suds, in which wash
the milk-pans, buckets, and tins. Then rinse and hang up
this dish-cloth, and take the other, with which, wash the
roaster, gridiron, pots, and kettles. Then wash and rinse
the dish-cloth, and hang it up. Empty the slop-bucket,
and scald it. Dry metal teapots and tins before the fire.
Then put the fire-place in order, and sweep and dust the
kitchen.
Some persons keep a deep and narrow vessel, in which
to wash knives with a swab, so that a careless servant can
not lay them in the water while washing them. This article can be carried into the eating-room, to receive the
knives and forks when they are taken from the table.
KITCHEN FURNITURE.
Crockery.—Brown earthen pans are said to be best tor
milk and for cooking. Tin pans are lighter, and more convenient, but are too cold for many purposes. Tall earthen
jars, with covers, are good to hold butter, salt, lard, etc.
Acids should never be put into the red earthen ware, as
there is a poisonous ingredient in the glazing which the
acid takes off. Stone ware is better and stronger, and
safer every way than any other kind.
Iron Ware.—:Many kitchens are very imperfectly supplied
with the requisite conveniences for cooking. When a person has sufficient means, the following articles are all desirable : A nest of iron pots, of different sizes, (they should
be slowly heated when new,) a long iron fork, to take out
articles from boiling water; an iron hook, with a handle, to
lift pots from the crane; a large and small gridiron, witlt
374
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
grooved bars, and a trench to catch the grease; a Dutch
oven, called also a bake-pan; two skillets, of different sizes,
and a spider, or flat skillet, for frying; a griddle, a waffleiron, tin and iron bake and bread pans; two ladles, of different sizes; a skimmer; iron skewers; a toasting-iron;
two teakettles, one small and one large one; two brass kettles, of different sizes, for soap-boiling, etc. Iron kettles,
lined with porcelain, are better for preserves. The German
are the best. Too hot a fire will crack them, but with
care in this respect, they will last for many years.
Portable charcoal furnaces, of iron or clay, are very
useful in summer, in washing, ironing, and stewing, or
making preserves. If used in the house, a strong draught
must be made, to prevent the deleterious effects of the
charcoal. A box and mill, for spice, pepper, and coffee,
are needful to those who use these articles. Strong knives
and forks, a sharp carving-knife, an iron cleaver and board,
a fine saw, steelyards, chopping-tray and knife, an appleparer, steel for sharpening knives, sugar-nippers, a dozen
iron spoons, also a large iron one with a long handle, six
or eight flat-irons, one of them very small, two iron-stands,
a ruffle-iron, a crimping-iron, are also desirable.
Tin Ware.—Bread-pans; large and small patty-pans ;
cake-pans, with a centre tube to insure their baking well;
pie-dishes, (of block-tin ;) a covered butter-kettle; covered
kettles to hold berries; two sauce-pans; a large oil-can ;
(with a cock;) a lamp-filler; a lantern; broad bottomed
candlesticks for the kitchen ; a candle-box; a funnel; a
reflector for baking warm cakes; an oven or tin-kitchen ;
an apple-corer ; an apple-roaster ; an egg-boiler; two sugar-scoops, and flour and meal-scoop; a set of mugs;
three dippers; a pint, quart, and gallon measure ; a set of
scales and weights; three or four pails, painted on the outside ; a slop-bucket with a tight cover, painted on the outside ; a milk-strainer; a gravy-strainer; a colander; a dredging-box; a pepper-box ; a large and small grater; a cheese-
THE CARE OF ROOMS,
375
box; also a large box for cake, and a still larger one for
bread, with tight covers. Bread, cake, and cheese, shut
up in this way, will not grow dry as in the open air.
Wooden Ware.—A nest of tubs; a set of pails and
bowls; a large and small sieve; a beetle for mashing potatoes ; a spade or stick for stirring butter and sugar; a
bread-board, for moulding bread and making pie-crust; a
coffee-stick; a clothes-stick; a mush-stick; a meat-beetle,
to pound tough m e a t ; an egg-beater; a ladle, for working
butter ; a bread-trough, (for a large family;) flour-buckets,
with lids, to hold sifted flour and Indian meal; salt-boxes;
sugar-boxes ; starch and indigo-boxes; spice-boxes; a bosom-board ; a skirt-board; a large ironing-board; two or
three clothes-frames; and six dozen clothes-pins.
Basket Ware.—Baskets of all sizes, for eggs, fruit, marketing, clothes, etc.; also chip-baskets. When often used,
they should be washed in hot suds.
Other Articles.—Every kitchen needs a box containing
balls of brown thread and twine, a large and small darning needle, rolls of waste paper and old linen and cotton,
and a supply of common holders. There should also be
another box, containing a hammer, carpet-tacks, and nails
of all sizes, a carpet-claw, screws and a screw-driver, pincers, gimlets of several sizes, a bed-screw, a small saw, two
chisels, (one to use for button-holes in broadcloth,) two
awls and two files.
In a drawer or cupboard should be placed cotton tablecloths for kitchen use; nice crash towels for tumblers,
marked T T ; coarser towels for dishes marked T ; six
large roller-towels; a dozen hand-towels, marked H T ;
and a dozen hemmed dish-cloths with loops. Also two
thick linen pudding or dumpling-cloths, a jelly-bag made
of white flannel, to strain jelly, a starch-strainer, and a bag
for boiling clothes.
In a closet should be kept, arranged in order, the following articles : the dust-pan, dust-brush, and dusting-cloths,
376
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
old flannel and cotton for scouring and rubbing, large
sponges' for washing windows and looking-glasses, a long
brush for cobwebs, and another for washing the outside
of windows, whisk-brooms, common brooms, a coat-broom
or brush, a whitewash-brush, a stove-brush, shoe-brushes
and blacking, articles for cleaning tin and silver, leather
for cleaning metals, bottles containing stain-mixtures and
other articles used in cleansing.
CARE OF THE CELLAR.
A cellar should often be whitewashed, to keep it sweet.
It should have a drain to keep it perfectly dry, as standing
water in a cellar is a sure cause of disease in a family. I t
is very dangerous to leave decayed vegetables in a cellar.
Many a fever has been caused by the poisonous miasm thus
generated. The following articles are desirable in a cellar : a safe, or movable closet, with sides of wire or perforated tin, in which cold meats, cream, and other articles
should be kept; (if ants be troublesome, set the legs in tin
cups of water;) a refrigerator, or a large wooden-box, on
feet, with a lining of tin or zinc, and a space between the
tin and wood filled with powdered charcoal, having at the
bottom a place for ice, a drain to carry off the water, and
also movable shelves and partitions. In this, articles are
kept cool. It should be cleaned once a week. Filtering
jars to purify water should also be kept in the cellar.
Fish and cabbages in a cellar are apt to scent a house, and
give a bad taste to other articles.
STOREROOM.
Every house needs a storeroom, in which to keep tea,
coffee, sugar, rice, candles, etc. It should be furnished
with jars, having labels, a large spoon, a fork, sugar and
flour-scoops, a towel, and a dish-cloth.
THE
CARE
OF BOOMS.
311
MODES OF DESTROYING INSECTS A N D V E R M I N .
Bed-bugs should be kept away, by filling every chink in
the bedstead with putty, and if it be old, painting it over.
Of all the mixtures for killing them, corrosive sublimate
and alcohol is the surest. This is a strong poison.
Cockroaches may be destroyed by pouring boiling water
into their haunts, or setting a mixture of arsenic mixed
with Indian meal and molasses where they are found.
Chloride of lime and sweetened water will also poison
them.
Fleas.—If a dog be infested with these insects, put him
in a tub of warm soapsuds, and they will rise to the surface. Take them off, and burn them. Strong perfumes
about the person diminish their attacks. "When caught
between the fingers, plunge them in water, or they will
escape.
Crickets.—Scalding, and sprinkling Scotch snuff about
the haunts of these insects, are remedies for the annoyance
caused by them.
Flies can be killed in great quantities, by placing about
the house vessels filled with sweetened water and cobalt.
Six cents' worth of cobalt is enough for a pint of water.
I t is very poisonous.
Mosquitoes.—Close nets around a bed are the only sure
protection at night against these insects. Spirits of hartshorn is the best antidote for their bite. Salt and water is
good.
Red or Black Ants may be driven away by scalding
their haunts, and putting Scotch snuff wherever they go
for food. Set the legs of closets and safes in pans of water
and they can not get at them.
Moths.—Airing clothes does not destroy moths, but laying them in a hot sun does. If articles be tightly sewed
up in linen when laid away, and fine tobacco put about
them, it is a sure protection. This should be done in
April
378
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
Bats cmd Mice.—A good cat is the best remedy for these
annoyances. Equal quantities of hemlock (or cicuta) and
old cheese will poison them; but this renders the house liable to the inconvenience of a bad smell. This evil, however,
may be lessened, by placing a dish containing oil of vitriol
poured on saltpetre where the smell is most annoying.
Chloride of lime and water is also good.
In using any of the above-mentioned poisons, great care
should be taken to guard against their getting into any
article of food or any utensil or vessel used for cooking or
keeping food, or where children can get at them.
XXXI.
THE CAKE OF YARDS AND GARDENS.
FIRST, let us say a fe^vy words on the Preparation of Soil.
If the garden soil be clayey and adhesive, put on a covering
of sand, three inches thick, and the same depth of well-rotted manure. Spade it in as deep as possible, and mix it well.
If the soil be sandy and loose, spade in clay and ashes.
Ashes are good for all kinds of soil, as they loosen those
which are close, hold moisture in those which are sandy,
and destroy insects. The best kind of soil is that which
will hold water the longest without becoming hard when
dry.
To prepare Soil for Pot-plants, take one fourth part of
common soil, one fourth part of well-decayed manure, and
one half of vegetable mould, from the woods or from a
chip-yard. Break up the manure fine, and sift it through
a lime-screen, (or coarse wire sieve.) These materials must
be thoroughly mixed. When the common soil which is
used is adhesive, and indeed in most other cases, it is necessary to add sand, the proportion of which must depend
on the nature of the soil.
To Prepare a Hot-Bed, dig a pit six feet long, five feet
wide, and thirty inches deep. Make a frame of the same size,
with the back two feet high, the front fifteen inches, and the
sides sloped from the back to the front. Make two sashes,
each three feet by five, with thu panes of glass lapping
like shingles instead of having cross-bars. Set the frame
over the pit, which should then be filled with fresh horsedung, which has not lain long nor been sodden by water,
380
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
Tread it aown hard; then put into the frame light and
very rich soil, six or eight inches deep, and cover it with
the sashes for two or three days. Then stir the soil, and
sow the seeds in shallow drills, placing sticks by them,
to mark the different kinds. Keep the frame covered with
the glass whenever it is cold enough to chill the plants;
but at all other times admit fresh air, which is indispensable to their health. When the sun is quite warm, raise
the glasses enough to admit air, and cover them with matting or blankets, or else the sun may kill the young plants.
Water the bed at evening with water which has stood all
day, or, if it be fresh drawn, add a little warm water. If
there be too much heat in the bed, so as to scorch or wither
the plants, lift the sashes, water freely, shade by day; make
deep holes with stakes, and fill them up when the heat
is reduced. In very cold nights, cover the sashes and
frame with straw-mats.
For Planting Flower Seeds.—Break up the soil, till it is
very soft, and free from lumps. Hub that nearest the surface between the hands, to make it fine. Make a circular
drill a foot in diameter. Seeds are to be planted either
deeper or nearer the surface, according to their size. For
seeds as large as sweet peas, the drill should be half an inch
deep. The smallest seeds must be planted very near the surface, and a very little fine earth be sifted over them. After
covering them with soil, beat them down with a trowel, so as
to make the earth as compact as it is after a heavy shower.
Set up a stick in the middle of the circle, with the
name of the plant heavily written upon it with a dark lead
pencil. This remains more permanent if white-lead be first
rubbed over the surface. Never plant when the soil is very
wet. In very dry times, water the seeds at night. Never use
very cold water. When the seeds are small, many should be
planted together, that they may assist each other in breaking the soil. When the plants are an inch high, thin them
out, leaving only one or two, if the plant be a large one
CARE
OF YARDS
AND
GARDENS.
381
like the balsam; five or six, when it is of a medium size;
and eighteen or twenty of the smaller size. Transplanting, unless the plant be lifted with a ball of earth, retards
the growth about a fortnight. It is best to plant at two
different times, lest the first planting should fail, owing to
wet or cold weather.
To plant Garden-Seeds, make the beds from one to
three yards wide; lay across them a board a foot wide,
and with a stick, make a furrow on each side of it, one
inch deep. Scatter the seeds in this furrow, and c6ver
them. Then lay the board over them, and step on it, to
press down the earth. When the plants are an inch high,
thin them out, leaving spaces proportioned to their sizes.
Seeds of similar species, such as melons and squashes,
should not be planted very near to each other, as this causes
them to degenerate. The same kinds of vegetables should
not be planted in the same place for two years in succession. The longer the rows are, the easier is the after culture.
Transplanting should be done at evening, or which is
better, just before a shower. Take a round stick sharpened
at the point, and make openings to receive the plants. Set
them a very little deeper than they were before, and press
the soil firmly round them. Then water them, and cover
them for three or four days, taking care that sufficient air be
admitted. If the plant can be removed without disturbing
the soil around the root, it will not be at all retarded by
transplanting. Never remove leaves and branches, unless
a part of the roots be lost.
To He-pot House-Plants, renew the soil every year, soon
after the time of blossoming. Prepare soil as previously
directed. Loosen the earth from the pot by passing a
knife around the sides. Turn the plant upside down, and
remove the pot. Then remove all the matted fibres at the
bottom, and all the earth, except that which adheres to the
roots. From woody plants, like roses, shake off all the
382
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
earth. Take the new pot, and put a piece of broken
earthen-ware over the hole at the bottom, and then, holding the plant in the proper position, shake in the earth
around it. Then pour in water to settle the earth, and
heap on fresh soil, till the pot is even full. Small pots are
considered better than large ones, as the roots are not so
likely to rot, from excess of moisture.
In the Laying out of Yards and Gardens, there is room
for much judgment and taste. In planting trees in a yard,
they should be arranged in groups, and never planted in
straight lines, nor sprinkled about as solitary trees. The
object of this arrangement is to imitate Nature, and secure
some spots of dense shade and some of clear turf. In
yards which are covered with turf, beds can be cut out of
it, and raised for flowers. A trench should be made around,
to prevent the grass from running on them. These beds
can be made in the shape of crescents, ovals, or other fanciful forms.
In laying out beds in gardens and yards, a very pretty
bordering can be made, by planting them with common
flax-seed, in a line about three inches from the edge. This
can be trimmed with shears, when it grows too high.
For Transplanting Trees, the autumn is the best time.
Take as much of the root as possible, especially the little
fibres, which should never become dry. If kept long before they are set out, put wet moss around them and water
them. Dig holes larger than the extent of the roots ; let
one person hold the tree in its former position, and another
place the roots carefully as they were before, cutting off
any broken or wounded root. Be careful not to let the tree
be more than an inch deeper than it was before. Let the soil
be soft and well manured; shake the tree as the soil is
shaken in, that it may mix well among the small fibres. Do
not tread the earth down, while filling the hole; but,
when it is full, raise a slight mound of say four inches
deep around the stem to hold water, and fill it. Never
CARE
OF YARDS
AND
GARDENS.
383
cut off leaves nor branches, unless some of the roots are
lost. Tie the trees to a stake, and they will be more likely
to live. Water them often.
The Care of Souse-Plants
is a matter of daily attention, and well repays all labor expended upon it. The soil
of house-plants should be renewed every year as previously directed. In winter, they should be kept as dry as they
can be without wilting. Many house-plants are injured
by giving them too much water, when they have little light
and fresh air. This makes them grow spindling. The
more fresh air, warmth and light they have, the more water is needed. They ought not to be kept very warm in
winter, nor exposed to great changes of atmosphere. Forty degrees is a proper temperature for plants in winter,
when they have little sun and air. When plants have become spindling, cut off their heads entirely, and cover the
pot in the earth, where it has the morning sun only. A
new and flourishing head will spring out. Few houseplants can bear the sun at noon. When insects infest
plants, set them in a closet or under a barrel, and burn tobacco under them. The smoke kills any insect enveloped
in it. When plants are frozen, cold water and a gradual
restoration of warmth are the best remedies. Never use
very cold water for plants at any season.
XXXII.
THE PROPAGATION OF PLANTS,
THIS is an occupation requiring much attention and constant care. Bulbous roots are propagated by offsets ; some
growing on the top, others around the sides. Many plants
are propagated by cutting off twigs, and setting them in
earth, so that two or three eyes are covered. To do this,
select a side shoot, ten inches long, two inches of it being
of the preceding year's growth, and the rest the growth
of the season when it is set. Do this when the sap is
running, and put a piece of crockery at the bottom of the
shoot, when it is buried. One eye, at least, must be under
the soil. Water it and shade it in hot weather.
Plants are also propagated by layers. To do this, take
a shoot which comes up near the root, bend it down so as
to bring several eyes under the soil, leaving the top aboveground. If the shoot be cut half through, in a slanting
direction, at one of these eyes, before burying it, the result is more certain. Roses, honeysuckles, and many other
shrubs are readily propagated thus. They will generally
take root by being simply buried; but cutting them as
here directed, is the best method. Layers are more certain
than cuttings.
Budding and Grafting, for all woody plants, are favorite methods of propagation. In all such plants, there is
an outer and inner bark, the latter containing the sap vessels, in which the nourishment of the tree ascends. The success of grafting or inoculating consists in so placing the
bud or graft that the sap vessels of the inner bark shall
THE
PROPAGATION
OF
PLANTS.
385
exactly join those of the plant into which they are grafted,
so that the sap may pass from one into the other.
The following are directions for budding, which may be
performed at any time from July to September:
Select a smooth place on the stock into which you are to
insert the bud. Make a horizontal cut across the rind
through to the firm wood; and from the middle of this,
make a slit downward perpendicularly, an inch or more
long, through to the wood. Eaise the bark of the stock on
each side of
the perpenFig. 64.
dicular cut,
for the admission of
the bud, as
is shown in
the annexed
engraving,
( F i g . 64.)
Then take a
s h o o t of
this year's
growth, and
slice from it
a bud, taking an inch
below and
an
inch
above
it,
and some portion of the wood under it. Then, carefully
slip off the woody part under the bud. Examine whether
the eye or germ of the bud be perfect. If a little hole appear in that part, the bud has lost its root, and another
must be selected. Insert the bud, so that a, of the bud,
shall pass to a, of the stock; then S, of the bud, must be
cut off, to match the cut b, in the stock, and fitted exactly
386
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
to it, as it is this alone which insures success. Bind the
parts with fresh bass or woolen yarn, beginning a little
below the bottom of the perpendicular slit, and winding it
closely around every part, except just over the eye of the
bud, until you arrive above the horizontal cut. Do not
bind it too tightly, but just sufficient to exclude air, sun,
and wet. This is to be removed after the bud is firmly
fixed, and begins to grow.
Seed-fruit can be budded into any other seed-fruit, and
stone-fruit into any other stone-fruit; but stone and seedfruits can not be thus mingled.
Rose-bushes can have a variety of kinds budded into the
same stock. Hardy roots are the best stocks. The branch
above the bud must be cut off the next March or April after the bud is put in. Apples and pears are more easily
propagated by ingrafting than by budding.
Ingrafting is a similar process to budding,
with this advantage, that it can be performed on large trees, whereas budding can
be applied only on small ones. The two common kinds of ingrafting are whip-grafting and
split-grafting. The first kind is for young
trees, and the other for large ones.
• The time for ingrafting is from May to
October. The cuttings must be taken from
horizontal shoots, between Christmas and
March, and kept in a damp cellar. In performing the operation, cut off in a sloping
direction (as seen in Fig. 65) the tree or
limb to be grafted. Then cut off in a corresponding slant the slip to be grafted on.
Then put them together, so that the inner
bark of each shall match exactly on one
side, and tie them firmly together with yellow yarn. It is not essential that both be
of equal size; if the bark of each meet together exactly
THE PROPAGATION
OF
PLANTS.
387
on one side, it answers the purpose. But the two must
not differ much in size. The slope should be an inch and
a half, or more, in length. After they are tied together,
the place should be covered with a salve or composition of
bees-wax and rosin. A mixture of clay and cow-dung will
answer the same purpose. This last must be tied on with
a cloth. Grafting is more convenient than budding, as
grafts can be sent from a great distance; whereas buds
must be taken in July or August, from a shoot of the
present year's growth, and can not be sent to any great distance.
This engraving (Fig. 66) exhibits the
mode called stock-grafting; a being the
limb of a large tree, which is sawed off
and split, and is to be held open by a
small wedge till the grafts are put in.
A graft inserted in the limb is shown
at 5, and at c is one not inserted, but designed to be put in at d, as two grafts
can be put into a large stock. In inserting the graft, be careful to make the
edge of the inner bark of the graft meet
exactly the edge of the inner bark of the
stock; for on this success depends. After the grafts are put in, the wedge must
be withdrawn, and the whole of the stock be covered with
the thick salve or composition before mentioned, reaching
from where the grafts are inserted to the bottom of the
slit. Be careful not to knock or move the grafts after they
are put in.
Pruning is an operation of constant exercise, for keeping plants and trees in good condition. The following
rules are from a distinguished horticulturist: Prune off
all dead wood, and all the little twigs on the main limbs.
Retrench branches, so as to give light and ventilation to the
interior of the tree. Out out the straight and perpendi-
388
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
cular shoots, which give little or no fruit; while those
which are most nearly horizontal, and somewhat curving,
give fruit abundantly and of good quality, and should
be sustained. Superfluous and ill-placed buds may be
rubbed off at any time; and no buds pushing out after
midsummer should be spared. In choosing between shoots
to be retained, preserve the lowest placed, and on lateral
shoots, those which are nearest the origin. When branches
cross each other so as to rub, remove one or the other.
Remove all suckers from the roots of trees or shrubs.
Prune after the sap is in full circulation, (except in the
case of grapes,) as the wounds then heal best. Some think
it best to prune before the sap begins to run. Pruningshears, and a pruning-pole, with a chisel at the end, can
be procured of those who deal in agricultural utensils.
Thinning is also an important but very delicate operation. As it is the office of the leaves to absorb nourishment
from the atmosphere, they should never be removed, except
to mature the wood or fruit. In doing this, remove such
leaves as shade the fruit, as soon as it is ready to ripen.
To do it earlier impairs the growth. Do it gradually at two
different times. Thinning the fruit is important, as tending to increase its size and flavor, and also to promote
the longevity of the tree. If the fruit be thickly set, take
off one half at the time of setting. Revise in June, and
then in July, taking off all that may be spared. One very
large apple to every square foot is a rule that may be a
sort of guide in other cases. According to this, two hundred large apples would be allowed to a tree whose extent
is fifteen feet by twelve. If any person think this thinning
excessive, let him try two similar trees, and thin one as directed and leave the other unthinned. I t will be found
that the thinned tree will produce an equal weight, and
fruit of much finer flavor.
XXXIH.
T H E CULTIVATION OF FKUTT.
BY a little attention to this matter, a lady with the help
of her children can obtain a rich abundance of all kinds
of fruit.
The writer has resided in families where little
boys of eight, ten, and twelve years old amused themselves,
under the direction of their mother, in planting walnuts,
chestnuts, and hazelnuts, for future time; as well as in
planting and inoculating young fruit-trees of all descriptions. A mother who will take pains to inspire a love for
such pursuits in her children, and who will aid and superintend them, will save them from many temptations, and
at a trifling expense secure to them and herself a rich reward in the choicest fruits. The information given in this
work on this subject may be relied on as sanctioned by
the most experienced nursery-men.
The soil for a nursery should be rich, well dug, dressed
with well-decayed manure, free from weeds, and protected
from cold winds. Fruit-seeds should be planted in the autumn, an inch and a half or two inches deep, in ridges four
or five feet apart, pressing the earth firmly over the seeds.
While growing, they should be thinned out, leaving the
best ones a foot and a half apart. The soil should be kept
loose, soft, and free from weeds. They should be inoculated or ingrafted when of the size of a pipe stem ; and in a
year after this may be transplanted to their permanent
stand. Peach-trees sometimes bear in two years from budding, and in four, years from planting if well kept.
In a year after transplanting, take pains to train the head
aright. Straight upright branches produce gourmands, or
390
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
twigs bearing only leaves. The side branches which are
angular or curved yield the most fruit. For this reason,
the limbs should be trained in curves, and perpendicular
twigs should be cut off if there be need of pruning. The
last of June is the time for this Grass should never be allowed to grow within four feet of a large tree, and the
soil should be kept loose to admit air to the roots. Trees
in orchards should be twenty-five feet apart. The soil
under the top soil has much to do with the health of
the trees. If it be what is called hard-pan, the trees will
deteriorate. Trees need to be manured and to have the
soil kept open and free from weeds.
Filberts can be raised in any part of this country.
Figs can be raised in the Middle, Western, and Southern
States. For this purpose, in the autumn loosen the roots on
one side, and bend the tree down to the earth on the other;
then cover it with a mound of straw, earth, and boards,
and early in the spring raise it up and cover the roots.
Currants grow well in any but a wet soil. They are
propagated by cuttings. The old wood should be thinned
in the fall and manure be put on. They can be trained
into small trees.
Gooseberries are propagated by layers and cuttings.
They are best when kept from suckers and trained like
trees. One third of the old wood should be removed
every autumn.
Raspberries do best when shaded during a part of the
day. They are propagated by layers, slips, and suckers.
There is one kind which bears monthly; but the varieties
of this and all other fruits are now so numerous that we
can easily find those which are adapted to the special circumstances of the case.
Strawberries require a light soil and vegetable manure.
They should be transplanted in April or September, and
be set eight inches apart, in rows nine inches asunder, and
in beds which are two feet wide, with narrow alleys be-
THE CULTIVATION
OF FRUIT.
391
tween them. A part of these plants are non-hearers. These
have large flowers with showy stamens and high black
anthers. The hearers have short stamens, a great number
of pistils, and the flowers are every way less showy. In
blossom-time, pull out all the non-bearers. Some think it
best to leave one non-bearer to every twelve bearers, and
others pull them all out. Many beds never produce any
fruit, because all the plants in them are non-bearers.
Weeds should be kept from the vines. When the vines
are matted with young plants, the best way is to dig over
the beds in cross lines, so as to leave some of the plants
standing in little squares, while the rest are turned under
the soil. This should be done over a second time in the
same year.
To liaise Grapes, manure the soil, and keep it soft and
free from weeds. A gravelly or sandy soil, and a south exposure are best. Transplant the vines in the early spring,
or better in the fall. Prune them the first year so as to
have only two main branches, taking off all other shoots as
fast as they come. In November, cut off all of these two
branches except four eyes. The second year, in the spring,
loosen the earth around the roots, and allow only two
branches to grow, and every month take off all side shoots.
When they are very strong, preserve only a part, and cut
off the rest in the fall. In November, cut off all the two
main stems except eight eyes. After the second year, no
more pruning is needed, except to reduce the side shoots,
for the purpose of increasing the fruit. All the pruning of
grapes (except nipping side shoots) must be done when
the sap is not running, or they will bleed to death. Train
them on poles, or lattices, to expose them to the air and
sun. Cover tender vines in the autumn
Grapes are
propagated by cuttings, layers, and seeds. For cuttings,
select in the autumn well-ripened wood of the former year,
and take five joints for each. Bury them till April; then
soak them for some hours, and set them out aslant, so that
all the eyes but one shall be covered.
392
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
Apples, grapes, and such like fruit can be preserved in
their natural state by packing them when dry and solid in
dry sand or saw-dust, putting alternate layers of fruit and
cotton, saw-dust or sand. Some saw-dust gives a bad flavor
to the fruit.
Modes of Preserving Fruit-Trees.—Heaps of ashes or tanner's bark around peach-trees prevent the attack of the
worm. The yellows is a disease of peach-trees, which is
spread by the pollen of the blossom. When a tree begins
to turn yellow, take it away with all its roots, before it
blossoms again, or it will infect other trees. Planting tansy around the roots of fruit-trees is a sure protection
against worms, as it prevents the moth from depositing
her egg. Equal quantities of salt and saltpetre, put
around the trunk of a peach-tree, half a pound to a tree,
improve the size and flavor of the fruit. Apply this about
the first of April; and if any trees have worms already in
them, put on half the quantity in addition in June.
To
young trees just set out, apply one ounce in April, and
another in June, close to the stem. Sandy soil is best for
peaches.
Apple-trees are preserved from insects by a wash of
strong lye to the body and limbs, which, if old, should be
first scraped. Caterpillars should be removed by cutting
down their nests in a damp day. Boring a hole in a tree
infested with worms, and filling it with sulphur, will often
drive them off immediately.
The f/re-hlight or brulure in pear-trees can be stopped by
cutting off all the blighted branches. It is supposed by
some to be owing to an excess of sap, which is remedied by
diminishing the roots.
The curculio, which destroys plums and other stonefruit, can be checked only by gathering up all the fruit
that falls, (which contains their eggs,) and destroying it.
The canker-worm can be checked by applying a bandage
around the body of the tree, and every evening smearing
it with fresh tar.
XXXIV.
THE CARE OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS.
ONE of the most interesting illustrations of the design
of our benevolent Creator in establishing the family
state is the nature of the domestic animals connected with
it. At the very dawn of life, the infant watches with delight the graceful gambols of the kitten, and soon makes it
a playmate. Meantime, its out-cries when hurt appeal
to kindly sympathy, and its sharp claws to fear; while
the child's mother has a constant opportunity to inculcate kindness and care for weak and ignorant creatures.
Then the dog becomes the out-door playmate and guardian
of early childhood, and he also guards himself by cries of
pain, and protects himself by his teeth. At the same time,
his faithful loving nature and caresses awaken corresponding tenderness and care; while the parent again has a
daily opportunity to inculcate these virtues toward the
helpless and dependent.
As the child increases in knowledge and reason, the horse, cows, poultry, and other domestic animals come under his notice. These do not ordinarily express their hunger or other sufferings by cries of
distress, but depend more on the developed reason and
humanity of man. And here the parent is called upon to
instruct a child in the nature and wants of each, that he
may intelligently provide for their sustenance and for their
protection from injury and disease.
To assist in this important duty of home life, which so
often falls to the supervision of woman, the following
information is prepared through the kindness of one of
394
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
the editors of a prominent, widely known agricultural
paper.
Domestic animals are very apt to catch the spirit and
temper of their masters. A surly man will be very likely
to have a cross dog and a biting horse. A passionate man
will keep all his animal a ;v /l'ral fear of him, making
them snappish, and liable to hurt those of whom they are
not afraid*
It is, therefore, most important that all animals should
be treated uniformly with kindness. They are all capable
of returning affection, and will show it very pleasantly it
we manifest affection for them. They also have intuitive
perceptions of our emotions which we can not conceal. A
sharp, ugly dog will rarely bite a person who has no fear of
him. A horse knows the moment a man mounts or takes
the reins whether he is afraid or not; and so it is with
other animals.
If live stock can not be well fed, they ought not to be
kept. One well wintered horse is worth as much as two
that drag through on straw, and by browsing the hedgerows. The same is true of oxen, and emphatically so of
cows. The owner of a half-starved dog loses the use of
him almost altogether; for, at the very time—the night—
when he is most needed as a guard, he must be off scouring the country for food.
Shelter in winter is most important for cows. They
should have good tight stables or byres, well ventilated,
and so warm that water in a pail will only freeze a little
on the top the severest nights. Oxen should have the
same stabling, though they bear cold better. Horses in
stables will bear almost any degree of cold, if they have
all they can eat. Sheep, except young lambs, are well
enough sheltered in dry sheds, with one end open. Cattle,
sheep, and dogs do not sweat as horses do, they " loll;"
that is, water or slabber runs from their tongues; hence,
they are not liable to take cold as the horse is. Hogs bea*
THE CARE
OF DOMESTIC
ANIMALS.
395
sold pretty well; but they eat enough to convince any one
that true economy lies in giving them warm sties in winter, for the colder they are the more they eat. Fowls will
not lay in cold weather unless they have light and warm
quarters.
Cleanliness is indispensable, if one would keep his animals healthy. In their wild state all our domestic animals
are very clean, and, at the same time, very healthy. The
hog is not naturally a dirty animal, but quite the reverse.
He enjoys currying as much as a horse or a cow, and
would be as careful of his litter as a cat if he had a fair
chance.
Horses ought to be groomed daily ; cows and oxen as often as twice a week; dogs should be washed with soapsuds
frequently. Stables should be cleaned out daily. Absorbents of liquid in stables should be removed as% often as they
become wet. Dry earth is one of the best absorbents, and
is especially useful in the fowl-house. Hogs in pens should
have straw for their rests or lairs, and it should be often
renewed.
Parasitic Vermin.—These are lice, fleas, ticks, the scale
insects, and other pests which afflict our live stock. There
are many ways of destroying them; the best and safest is a
free use of carholic acid soap. The larger animals, as well as
hogs, dogs, and sheep may be washed in strong suds of this
soap, without fear, and the application repeated after a week.
This generally destroys both the creatures and their eggs.
Hen lice are best destroyed by greasing the fowls, and dusting them with flowers of sulphur. Sitting hens must
never be greased, but the sulphur may be dusted freely in
their nests, and it is well to put it in all hens' nests.
Salt and Water.—All animals except poultry require
salt, and all, free supplies of fresh water.
Light.—Stables, or places where any kind of animals are
confined, should have plenty of light. Windows are not
more important in a house than in a barn. The sun
396
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
should come in freely; and if it shines directly ujon the
stock, all the better. When beeves and sheep are fattening very rapidly, the exclusion of the light makes them
more quiet, and fatten faster; but their state is an unnatural and hardly a healthy one.
Exercise in the open air is important for breeding animals. It is especially necessary for horses of all kinds.
Cows need very little and swine none, unless kept for
breeding.
Breeding,—Always use thorough-bred males, and improvement is certain.
Horses.—The care which horses require varies with the
circumstances in which the owner is placed, and the uses
to which they are put. In general, if kept stabled, they
should be fed with good upland hay, almost as much as
they will eat; and if absent from the stable, and at work
most of the day, they should have all they will eat of hay,
together with four to eight quarts of oats or an equal
weight of other grain or meal. Barley is good for horses,
and so is dry corn. Corn-meal put upon cut hay, wet and
well-mixed, is good, steady feed, if not in too large quantities. Four quarts a day may be fed unmixed with other
grain; but if the horse be hard worked and needs more,
mix the meal with wheat bran, or linseed oil-cake meal,
or use corn and oats ground together ; carrots are especially
wholesome. A quart of linseed oil-cake meal, daily, is an
excellent occasional addition to a horse's feed, when carrots can not be had. It gives a lustre to his coat, and
brings the new coat of hair out in the spring. A stabled
horse needs daily exercise, as much as to trot three miles.
Where a horse is traveling, it is well to give him six quarts
of oats in the morning, four at noon, and six at night.
Thorough grooming is indispensable to the health of
horses. Especial care should be taken of the legs and fetlocks, that no dirt remain to cause that distressing disease,
grease or scratches^ which results from filthy fetlocks and
THE
CARE
OF DOMESTIC
ANIMALS.
397
standing in dirty stables. When a horse comes in from
work on muddy roads with dirty legs, they should be immediately cleaned, the dirt brushed off, then rubbed with
straw; then, if very dirty, washed clean and rubbed dry
with a piece of sacking. A horse should never stand in a
draught of cold air, if he can not turn and put his back to it.
If sweaty or warm from work, he should be blanketed, if
lie is to stand a minute in the winter air. If put at once
into the stable, he should be stripped and rubbed down
with straw actively for five minutes or more, and then
blanketed. The blanket must be removed in an hour, and
the horse given water and feed, if it is the usual time. I t
will not hurt him to eat hay when hot, unless he be thoroughly exhausted, when all food should be withheld for a
while.
It is very comforting to a tired horse, when he is too
hot to drink, to sponge out his mouth with cool water. A
horse should never drink when very hot, nor be turned
into a yard to " cool off," even in summer, neither should
he be turned out to paature before he is quite cool.
Cows.—Gentle but firm treatment will make a cow easy
to milk and to handle in every way. If stabled or yarded,
cows should have access to water at all times, or have it
frequently offered to them. Clover hay is probably the
best steady food for milch cows. Cornstalks cut up, thoroughly soaked with water for half a day, and then sprinkled with corn or oil-cake meal is perhaps unsurpassed
as good winter food for milch cows. The amount of meal
may vary. With plenty of oil-meal, there is little danger
of feeding too much, as that is loosening to the bowels and
a safe nutritious article. Corn-meal alone, in large quantities, is too heating. Roots should, if possible, form part
of the diet of a milch cow, especially before and soon after
calving; feed well before this period, yet not to make the
cow very fat; but it is better to err in that way than to
have her " come in " thin. Take the calf away from the
398
THE HOUSEKEEPERS
MANUAL.
mother as soon as it stands up, and the separation will
worry neither dam nor young. This is always best, unless
the calf is to be kept with the cow. The calf will soon
learn to drink its food, if two fingers be held in its mouth.
Let it have all the first drawn milk for three days as soon
as milked; after this, skimmed milk warmed to blood
heat. Soon a little fine scalded meal may be mixed with
the milk; and it will, at three to five weeks old, nibble
hay and grass. It is well also to keep a box containing
some dry wheat-bran and fine corn-meal mixed in the calfpen, so that calves may take as much as they like.
In milking, put the fingers around the teat close to the
bag; then firmly close the forefingers of each hand alternately, immediately squeezing with the other fingers.
The forefingers prevent the milk flowing back into the
bag, wThile the others press it out. Sit with the left knee
close to the right hind leg of the cow, the head pressed
against her flank, the left hand always ready to ward off a
blow from her feet, which the gentlest cow may give almost without knowing it, if her tender teats be cut by long
nails, or if a wart be hurt, or her bag be tender. She
must be stripped dry every time she is milked, or she will
dry u p ; and if she gives much milk, it pays to milk three
times a day, as nearly eight hours apart as possible. Never
stop while milking till done, as this will cause the cow to
stop giving milk.
To tether a cow, tie her by one hind leg, making the rope
fast above the fetlock joint, and protecting the limb with
a piece of an old bootleg or similar thing. The knot must
be one that will not slip; regular fetters of iron bound
with leather are much better.
A cow should go unmilked two months before calving,
and her milk should not be used by the family till four
days after that time.
Swine.—The filthy state of hog-pens is allowed on account
of the amount of manure they will make by working ove?
THE
CARE
OF DOMESTIC
ANI3TALS.
399
all sorts of vegetable matter, spoiled hay, weeds, etc., etc.
This is unhealthy for the family near and also for the ani
mal. The hog is, naturally, a cleanly animal, and if given
a chance he will keep himself very neat and clean.
Breeding sows should have the range of a small pasture,
and be regularly fed. They need fresh water constantly
and often suffer for lack of it when they have liquid swill,
which they do not like to drink. All hogs should have a
warm, dry, well-littered pen to lie in, away from flies and
disturbance of any kind. They are fond of charcoal, and
it is worth while frequently to throw a few handfuls where
they can get at it. It has a very beneficial effect on the
appetite, regulates the tone of the stomach and digestive
organs, and can not do any harm. Pigs ought always to be
well fed and kept growing fast; and when being fattened,
they should be penned always, the herd being sorted so
that all may have an equal chance. It is well to feed
soft corn in the ear; but hard corn should always be
ground and cooked for pigs.
Sheep.—In the winter, sheep need deep, well-littered,
dry sheds, dry yards, and hay, wheat, or oat straw, as much
as they will eat. They should be kept gaining by grain regularly fed to them, and so distributed that each gets its
share. Corn, either whole or ground, or oil-cake meal, or
both, are used for fattening sheep. They will easily surfeit
themselves on any grain except oil-meal, which is very safe
feed for them, and usually economical. Strong sheep will
often drive the weaker ones away, and so get more than
their share of food and make themselves sick. This must
be guarded against, and the flock sorted, keeping the weaker and stronger apart.
Sheep are very useful in clearing land of brush and certain weeds, which they gnaw down and kill. To accomplish this, the land must be overstocked, and it is best not to
keep sheep on short pasturage more than a few weeks at a
time ; but if they are returned after a few days, it will serve
400
TEE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
as good a purpose as if they were to be kept on all the time.
Sheep at pasture must be restrained by good fences, or they
will be a great nuisance. Dog-proof hedge fences of Osage
orange are to be highly recommended, wherever this plant
will grow. Mutton sheep will generally pay better to
raise than merinos, but they need more care.
Poultry.—Few objects of labor are more remunerative
than poultry, raised on a moderate scale. Turkeys, when
young, need great care; some animal food, dry, warm quarters, and must be kept out of the wet grass, and kept in
when it rains. As soon as fledged, they become very
hardy, and, with free range, will almost take care of
themselves. Geese need water and good grass pasture.
Ducks do very well without water to swim in, if they have
all they need to drink. They will lay a great many eggs
if kept shut in a pen until say eight o'clock in the morning.
If let out earlier, they wander away, and will hide their
nests, and lay only about as many eggs as they can cover.
It is best to set duck's eggs under hens, and to keep young
ducks shut up in a dry roomy pen for four weeks, at least.
Fowls need light, warm, dry quarters in winter, plenty of
feed, but not too much. They relish animal food, and
ought to have some frequently to make them lay. Pork
or beef scrap-cake can be bought for two to three cents a
pound, and is very good for them. Any kind of grain is
good for poultry. Nothing is better than wheat screenings.
Early hatched chickens must be kept in a warm, dry, sunny
room, with plenty of gravel, and the hen should have no
more than eight or nine chickens to brood; though in summer, one hen will take good care of fifteen. Little chickens,
turkeys, and ducks need frequent feeding, and must have
their water changed often.
It is well to grease the body
of the hen and the heads of the chicks with lard, in order
to prevent their becoming lousy.
Hens set about twenty days, and should be well fed and
watered. Cold cv damp weather is bad for young fowls,
THE
CARE
OF DOMESTIC
ANIMALS.
401
and when they have been chilled, pepper-corns are a good
remedy, in addition to the warmth of an inclosed dry
place.
The most absorbing part of the " Woman's question " of
the present time is the remedy for the varied sufferings of
women who are widows or unmarried, and without means
of support. As yet, few are aware how many sources of
lucrative enterprise and industry lie open to woman in the
employments directly connected with the family state. A
woman can invest capital in the dairy and qualify herself
to superintend a dairy farm as well as a man. And if she
has no capital of her own, if well trained for this business,
she can find those who have capital ready to furnish—an
investment that well managed will become profitable. And,
too, the raising of poultry, of hogs, and of sheep are all within
the reach of a woman with proper abilities and training
for this business. So that if a woman chooses, she can find
employment both interesting and profitable in studying the
care of domestic animals.
Bees.—But one of the most profitable as well as interesting kinds of business for a woman is the care of bees. In
a recent agricultural report, it is stated that one lady bought
four hives for ten dollars, and in five years she was offered
one thousand five hundred dollars for her stock, and refused it as not enough. In addition to this increase of her
capital, in one of these five years she sold twenty-two
hives and four hundred and twenty pounds of honey.
It
is also stated that in five years one man, from six colonies
of bees to start with, cleared eight thousand pounds of
honey and one hundred and fifty-four colonies of bees.
The raising of bees and their management is so curious and as yet unknown an art in most parts of our
country, that any directions or advice will be omitted in
this volume, as requiring too much space, and largely set
forth and illustrated in the second part. When properly
402
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
instructed, almost any woman in the city, as easily as in
the country, can manage bees, and make more profit than
in any other method demanding so little time and labor.
But in the modes ordinarily practiced, few can make any
great profit in this employment.
It is hoped a time is at hand when every woman will be
trained to some employment by which she can secure to
herself an independent home and means to support a family, hi case she does not marry, or is left a widow, with her
self and a family to support.
X X X V\
EABTH-CLOSETS.
Jbr some particulars, the Chinese are in advance of OUT
own nation in neatness, economy, and healthful domestic
arrangements. In China, not a particle of manure is
wasted, and all that with us is sent off in drains and sewers
from water-closets and privies, is collected in a neat manner
and used for manure. This is one reason that the compact
and close packing of inhabitants in their cities is practica
ble, and it also accounts for the enormous yields of some of
their crops.
The earth-closet is an invention which relieves the most
disagreeable item in domestic labor, and prevents the disagreeable and unhealthful effluvium which is almost inevitable in all family residences.
The general principle of
construction is somewhat like that of a water-closet, except
that in place of water is used dried earth. The resulting
compost is without disagreeable odor, and is the richest species of manure. The expense of its construction and use is
no greater than that of the common water-closet; indeed,
when the outlays for plumber's work, the almost inevitable
troubles and disorders of water-pipes in a house, and the
constant stream of petty repairs consequent upon careless
construction or use of water-works are considered, the earthcloset is in itself much cheaper, besides being an accumulator of valuable matter.
To give a clear idea of its principles, mode of fabrication,
and use, we can not do better than to take advantage of
the permission given by Mr. George E. Waring, Jr., of
404
TEE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
Newport, R. I., author of an admirable pamphlet on the
subject, published in 1868 by " The Tribune Association"
of New-York. Mr. Waring was formerly Agricultmal Engineer of the New-York Central Park, and has given much
attention to sanitary and agricultural engineering, having
published several valuable wirkg bearing in the same general
direction. He is now consulting director of " The EarthCloset Company," Hartford, C t , which manufactures the
apparatus and all things appertaining to it—any part which
might be needed to complete a home-built structure. But
with generous and no less judicious freedom, they are endeavoring to extend the knowledge of this wholesome and
economical process of domestic sanitary engineering as
widely as possible, and so allow us to present the following
instructions for those who may desire to construct their own
apparatus.
In the brief introduction to his pamphlet, Mr. Waring
says:
" It is sufficiently understood, by all who have given the
least thought to the subject, that the waste of the most vital
elements of the soil's fertility, through our present practice
of treating human excrement as a thing that is to be hurried
into the sea, or buried in underground vaults, or in some
other way put out of sight and out of reach, is full of danger to our future prosperity.
" Our bodies have come out of our fertile fields; our
prosperity is based on the production and the exchange of
the earth's fruits; and all our industry has its foundation
in arts and interests connected with, or dependent on, a successful agriculture.
" Liebig asserts that the greatness of the Roman empire
was sapped by the Cloaca Maxima, through which the
entire sewage of Eome was washed into the Tiber. The
yearly decrease of productive power in the older grain regions of the West, and the increasing demand for manures
in the Atlantic States, sufficiently prove that our own coun-
EAUTM-CLOSETS.
405
try is no exception to the rule that has established its sway
over Europe.
" The large class who will fail to feel the force of the
agricultural reasons in favor of the reform which this pamphlet is written to uphold, will realize, more clearly than
farmers will, the importance of protecting dwellings against
the gravest annoyance, the most fertile source of disease,
and the most certain vehicle of contagion."
Nevertheless, Mr. Waring thinks that the agricultural
argument is no mean or unimportant one, and says:
" The importance of any plan by which the excrement of
our bodies may be returned to our fields is in a measure
shown in the following extract from an article that I furnished for the American Agricultural Annual for 1868.
" The average population of New-York City—including
its temporary visitors—is probably not less than 1,000,000.
This population consumes food equivalent to at least 30,000,000 bushels of corn in a year. Excepting the small proportion that is stored up in the bodies of the growing
young, whicli is fully offset by that contained in the bodies
of the dead, the constituents of the food are returned to the
air by the lungs and skin, or are voided as excrement.
That which goes to the air was originally taken from the
air by vegetation, and will be so taken again: here is no
waste. The excrement contains all that was furnished by
the mineral elements of the soil on which the food was produced.
" This all passes into the sewers, and is washed into the
sea. Its loss to the present generation is complete.
. . . " 30,000,000 bushels of corn contain, among
other minerals, nearly 7000 tons of phosphoric acid, and
this amount is annually lost in the wasted night-soil of NewYork City.*
* Other mineral constituents of food—important ones, too—are washed
away in even greater quantities through the same channels; but this element is the best for illustration because its effect in manure is the most
*406
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
" Piactically the human excrement of the whole country
is nearly all so disposed of as to be lost to the soil. The
present population of the United States is not far from
35,000,000. On the basis of the above calculation, their
annual food contains 200,000 tons of phosphoric acid, being the amount contained in about 900,000 tons of bones,
which, at the price of the best flour of bone, (for manure,)
would be worth over $50,000,000. It would be a moderate
estimate to say that the other constituents of food are of at
least equal value with the other constituents of the bone,
and to assume $50,000,000 as the money value of the wasted night-soil of the United States every year.
" In another view, the importance of this waste can not
be estimated in money. Money values apply, rather, to the
products of labor and to the exchange of these products.
The waste of fertilizing matter reaches farther than the destruction or exchange of products: it lessens the ability to
produce.
" If mill-streams were failing year by year, and steam
were yearly losing force, and the ability of men to labor
were yearly growing less, the doom of our prosperity would
not be more plainly written, than if this slow but certain
impoverishment of our soil were sure to continue.
. . . . " But the good time is coming, when (as
now in China and Japan) men must accept the fact that
the soil is not a warehouse to be plundered—only a factory
to be worked. Then they will save their raw material, instead of wasting it, and, aided by nature's wonderful laws,
will weave over and over again the fabric by which we live
and prosper. Men will build up as fast as men destroy;
old matters will be reproduced in new forms, and, as the
striking, even so small a dressing as twenty pounds per acre, producing
a marked effect on all cereal crops. Ammonia, too,which is so important
that it is usual in England to estimate the value of manure in exact pro.
portion to its supply of this element, is largely yielded by human excrement.
EARTH-CLOSETS.
407
decaying forests feed the growing wood, so will all consumed
food yield food again."
With the above brief extract, we shall cease using marks
of quotation, as the following information and statements
are appropriated bodily, either directly or with mere modifications for brevity, from the little pamphlet of Mr. Waring.
The earth-closet is the invention of the Rev. Henry
Moule, of Fordington Yicarage, Dorsetshire, England.
It is based on the power of clay, and the decomposed
organic matter found in the soil, to absorb and retain all
offensive odors and all fertilizing matters; and it consists,
essentially, of a mechanical contrivance (attached to the
ordinary seat) for measuring out and discharging into the
vault or pan below a sufficient quantity of sifted dry earth
to entirely cover the solid ordure and to absorb the urine.
The discharge of earth is effected by an ordinary pull-up
similar to that used in the water-closet, or (in the self-acting apparatus) by the rising of the seat when the weight
of the person is removed.
The vault or pan under the seat is so arranged that the
accumulation may be removed at pleasure.
From the moment when the earth is discharged, and
the evacuation is covered, all offensive exhalation entirely
ceases. Under certain circumstances, there may be, at
times, a slight odor as of guano mixed with earth; but this
is so trifling and so local, that a commode arranged on this
plan may, without the least annoyance, be kept in use in
any room.
This statement is made as the result of personal experience. Mr. Waring says:
" I have in constant use in a room in my house an
earth-closet commode; and even when the pan is entirely
full, with the accumulation of a week's use, visitors examining it invariably say, with some surprise, ' You don't
mean that this particular one has been used !' "
408
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
H O W TO M A K E AN EAKTH-CLOSET.
The principle on which the earth-closet is based is as free
to all as is the earth itself, and any person may adopt his
own method of applying it. All that is necessary is to have
a supply of coarsely sifted sun-dried earth with which to
cover the bottom of the vessel to be used, and after use to
cover the deposit. A small box of earth, and a tin scoop
are sufficient to prevent the gravest annoyance of the sickroom. But, of course, for constant use, it is desirable to
have a more convenient apparatus—something which requires less care, and is less troublesome in many ways.
To this end, the patent invention of Mr. Moule is applicable. This comprises a tight receptacle under the seat, a
reservoir for storing dry earth, and an apparatus to measure
out the requisite quantity, and throw it upon the deposit.
Fig. 67.
EARTH- CL OSETS.
409
The arrangement of the mechanism is shown in Fig. 67.
A hopper-shaped reservoir, made of galvanized iron, is
supported by a framework at the back of the seat, which
rests on the framework a, a. Connected with the handle at
the right-hand side, there is an iron lever, which operates a
movable box at the bottom of the reservoir, and causes it to
discharge its contents directly under the seat. When the
handle is dropped, the box returns to its position, and is
immediately filled preparatory to another use.
The hopper-shaped reservoir is supported by two pivots,
and has a slight rocking or vibrating motion imparted to it
by each lifting of the lever. This prevents the earth from
becoming clogged, and insures its regular delivery
THE "PULL-UP" APPABATUS.
Fig. 68.
410
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.'
The construction is more clearly shown in Fig. 68.
In this figure, A is the vibrating hopper for holding the
earth. Its capacity may be increased to any desired extent
by building above it a straight-sized box of any height. It is
not unusual, in fixed privies, to make this reservoir large
enough to hold a supply for several months. As the earth
is dry, there is no occasion for the use of any thing better
than common pine boards in making this addition to the
reservoir.
B is one side of the wooden frame by which the hopper is supported, and it may be made of one inch pine or
spruce.
C is a box of lacquered or galvanized iron, without either
top or bottom. It moves on two pivots, one of which is
shown on its exposed side. In its present position, its upper
end opens into the hopper, and its lower end is closed by
the stationary board over which it stands. When the handle is pulled up, the lover, which is connected with the box,
jerks it rapidly up, so that its back side closes the opening
of the reservoir, and its bottom opens to the front.
In its
movement it discharges its contents of earth forward under
the seat. When the handle is dropped, the box returns to
its natural position, and is charged again.
D is one of the pivots—a corresponding one being on
the other side—by which the hopper is supported, and on
which it vibrates.
&, a, a, a, a, a, are the parts of the framework, the dimensions of which in feet and inches are given.
The only essential part not shown is an earthen-ware pan
without a bottom, similar to the pan of a water-closet, only
not so deep and with a larger opening, which is attached to
the under side of the seat, and which in a measure prevents
the rising of dust, and conducts the urine to the point at
which the most earth falls. This is the least important
part of the invention, but it has a certain advantage.
The self-acting apparatus is more complicated, and per-
EARTH- CLOSETS.
411
sons wishing it would do best to apply directly to the Company.
T H E ORDINARY P R I V Y .
In the circular published by the Earth-Closet Company,
the following directions are given:
" An ordinary fixed closet requires the apparatus to be
placed at the back of, and in connection with, the usual seat;
the reservoir for containing the earth being placed above it.
Under it there should be a chamber or vault about four feet
by three wide, and of any convenient depth, with a paved
or asphalted bottom, and the sides lined with cement.
Fig. e^—Commode, 3 ft. 3 in. high. 1 ft. 11 in. wide, 2 ft. % in. deep.
412
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
Should there be an existing cesspool, it may be altered to
the above dimensions. Into this the deposit and earth fall,
and may remain there three, six, or twelve months, and
continue perfectly inodorous and innoxious, merely requiring to be occasionally leveled by a rake or hoe. If, however, it should be found impossible or inconvenient to have
a vault underneath, a movable trough, of iron or tarred
wood, on wheels, may be substituted. In this case, it will be
advisable to raise the seat somewhat above the floor, to allow the trough to be of sufficient size.
" By one form of construction, (the ' pull-up,') the pulling up of a handle releases a sufficient quantity of the dry
earth, which is thrown into the pit or vault, covering the
deposit and completely preventing all smell. By another,
(the ' self-acting,') the same effect is produced by the
action of the seat. The apparatus may be placed in, and
adapted to, almost any existing closet or privy, and so arranged that the supply and removal of earth may be carried
on inside or outside as desired."
The following is taken from the company's circular:
" In the commode, the apparatus and earth-reservoir are
self-contained, and a movable pail takes the place of the
chamber or vault above described. This must be emptied
as often as necessary, and the contents may be applied to
the garden or field, or be allowed to accumulate in a heap
under cover until wanted for use. This accumulation is
inodorous, and rapidly becomes dry. The commode can
stand in any convenient place in or out of doors. For use
in bedrooms, hospital wards, infirmaries, etc., the commode
is invaluable. It is entirely free from those faint, depressing odors common to portable water-closets and night-stools,
and through its admission one of the greatest miseries of
human life, the foul smells of the sick-room, and one of
the most frequent means of communicating infection, may
be entirely prevented. It is invariably found that, if any
failure takes place, it arises from the earth not being proper-
EARTH-CLOSETS.
413
ly dry. Too much importance can not be attached to this
requirement. The earth-commode will no more act properly without dry earth, than will a water-closet without
water.
" These commodes are made in a variety of -patterns,
from the cottage commode to the more expensive ones in
mahogany or oak, and vary in price accordingly. They
are made to act either by a handle, as in the ordinary
water-closet, or self-acting on rising from the seat. The
earth-reservoir is calculated to hold enough for about
twenty-five times; and where earth is scarce, or the manure
required of extraordinary strength, the product may be
dried as many as seven times, and without losing any of its
deodorizing properties.
" If care be taken to cast one service of earth into the
pail when first placed in the commode, and to have the
commonest regard to cleanliness, not the least offensive
smell will be perceptible, though the receptacle remain unemptied for weeks. Care must also be taken that no liquid,
but that which they are intended to receive, be thrown into
the pails."
The pail used in the commode is made of galvanized
iron, and is shaped very much like an ordinary coal-hod.
It has a cover of the same material, and it may be carried
from an upper floor with no more offensiveness than a hodful of common earth.
Fig. 70 represents a cross-section of the commode, and
will enable the reader more clearly to understand the construction and operation of the apparatus.
a is the opening in the seat; J, the " pan;" c, the pail
for receiving the deposit; c?, the hopper for containing the
earth supply; e, the box by which the earth is measured,
and by which it is thrown into the pail when moved to the
position ef by the operation of the " pull-up;" / , a door by
which the pail is shut in; g, the cover of the seat; A, the
cover of the hopper; i9 a platform which prevents the escape of earth from e.
414
TEE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
Fig. 70.
HOW TO USE T H E
EARTH-CLOSET.
Under this head, the circular issued by the original London company contains the following :
" The first requirement for the proper working of the
earth-closet is earth perfectly dry and sifted.
" Earth alone is proved to be the best deodorizer, and
far superior to any disinfectants; but where it is difficult to
obtain earth abundantly, sifted ashes, as before stated, may
be mixed with it in proportion of two of earth to one of
ashes.
" As the first requirement is dry earth sifted, and as this-
EARTH-CLOSETS.
1 15
is usually thought to be a great difficulty in the way of the
adoption of the dry earth system, the following remarks
will at once remove such an impression.
" T h e earth-commode and closet, if used by six persons
daily, will require, on an average, about one hundred weight
of earth per week. This may be dried for family use in a
drawer made to fit under the kitchen range, and which may
be filled with earth one morning and left until the next.
The drawer should reach to within two inches of the bottom
bar of the grate. A frame with a handle, covered with
fine wire-netting, forming a kind of shovel, should be
placed on this drawer; the finer ashes will fall through,
mixing with the earth, whilst the cinders will remain on
the top, to be, from time to time, thrown on the fire.
" Of course, the most economical method is to provide
in the summer-time a winter store of dry earth, which may
be kept in an out-house, shed, or other convenient place,
just as we lay in a winter store of coals.
" T H I N G S TO B E O B S E R V E D .
" Let one fall of earth be in the pail before using.
" The earth must be dry and sifted.
" Sand must not be used.
" IS o 6 slops' must be thrown down.
" The handle must be pulled up with a jerk, and let fall
sharply."
R E P E A T E D USE OF EARTH.
Concerning the value and use of the product of the earthcloset, the following is copied from the London company's
circular. (It will be noticed that reference is made to the
repeated use of the same earth. When the ordure is completely dried and decomposed, it has not only lost its odor,
but it has become, like all decomposed organic matter, an
excellent disinfectant, and the fifth or sixth time that the
same earth is passed through the closet it is fully as effective
in destroying odors as it was when used for the first time,
416
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
and of course each use adds to its value as manure, until it
becomes as strong as Peruvian guano, which is now worth
seventy-five dollars per ton. In fact, it may be made so
rich that one hundred pounds will be a good dressing for an
acre of land)
" If the closet is over a water-tight cesspool or pit, it will
require emptying at the end of three or six months. The
produce, which will be quite inodorous, should be thrown
together in a heap, sheltered from wet, and occasionally
turned over. At the end of a few weeks, it will be dry and
fit for use.
" If the receptacle be an iron trough or pail, the contents
should be thrown together, re-dried, and used over again,
four or five times. In a few weeks they will be dry and fit
for use ; the value being increased by repeated action. The
condition of the manure should be much the same as that
of guano, and fit for drilling.
The inventor of the earth-closet, Rev. Mr. Moule, says:
" It was to this point (the power of earth or clay to absorb the products of the decomposition of manure) but particularly to the repeated action, and consequently the repeated use of the same earth, that I first directed the
attention of the public. I then pointed out: First. That
a very small portion of dry and sifted earth (one and a
half pints) is sufficient by covering the deposit, to prevent
fermentation, (which so soon sets in whenever water is used,)
and the consequent generation and emission of noxious
gases. Second. That if within a few hours, or even a few
days, the mass that would be formed by the repeated layers
of deposit, be intimately mixed by a coarse rake or spade,
or by a mixer made for the purpose, then, in five or ten
minutes, neither to the eye or sense of smell is any thing
perceptible but so much earth. . . . When about three
cart-loads of sifted earth had thus been used for my family,
(which averaged fifteen persons,) and left under a shed, I
found that the material first employed was sufficiently dried
EARTH-CLOSETS.
417
to be used again. This process of alternate mixing and
drying was renewed five times, the earth still retaining its
absorbent powers apparently unimpaired. Of the visitors
taken to the spot, none could guess the nature of the compost, though in some cases the heap which they visited in
the afternoon had been turned over that same morning. . .
" It is only in towns, where the delivery, stowage, and
removal of earth is attended with cost and difficulty, that
any artificial aid for drying the compost would be desirable.
On premises not cramped for space, the atmosphere,
especially with a glass roof to the shed, will act sufficiently
fast.
" You may by means of it (the earth system) have a privy
close to the house and a closet up-stairs, from neither of
which shall proceed any offensive smell or any noxious gas.
A projection from the back of the cottage, eight feet long
and six feet wide, would be amply sufficient for this purpose.
The nearer three or four feet down-stairs, would be occupied
by the privy, in which, by the seat, would be a receptacle
for dry earth. The 'soil' and earth would fall into the
further five or four feet, which would form the covered and
closed shed for mixing and drying. Up-stairs, the arrangement would be much the same, the deposit being made to
fall clear of every wall. Through this closet the removal
of noxious and offensive matters in time of sickness, and of
slop-buckets, would be immediate and easy ; and if the shed
oelow be kept well supplied with earth, all effluvium would
be almost immediately checked. As to the trouble which
this will cause, a very little experience will convince the
cottager that it is less instead of greater, than the women
generally go through at present, while the value of the
manure will afford an inducement to exertion.
" The truth is, that the machinery is more simple, much
less expensive, and far less liable to injury than that of the
water-closet. The supply of earth to the house is as easy
418
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
as that of coals. To the closet it may be supplied more
easily than water is supplied by a forcing-pump, and to the
commode it can be conveyed just as coal is carried to the
chamber. After use, it can be removed in either case by
the bucket or box placed under the seat, or from the fixed
reservoir, with less offense than that of the ordinary slopbucket—indeed, (I speak after four years' experience,) with
as little offense as is found in the removal of coal-ashes.
So that, while servants and others will shrink from novelty
and at first imagine difficulties, yet many, to my knowledge,
would now vastly prefer the daily removal of the bucket or
the soil to either the daily working of a forcing-pump or to
being called upon once a year, or once in three years, to
assist in emptying a vault or cesspool."
To the above complete and convincingly apt arguments
and statements of fact, we do not care to add any thing.
All that wre desire is to direct public attention to the admirable qualities of this Earth System, and to suggest that,
at least for those living in the country away from the many
conveniences of city life, great water power, and mechanical
assistance, the use of it will conduce largely to the economy
of families, the health of neighborhoods, and the increasing
fertility and prosperity of the country round about.
XXXVI.
WARMING AND VENTILATION.
THERE is no department of science, as applied to practical
matters, which has so often baffled experimenters as the
healthful mode of warming and ventilating houses. The
British nation spent over a million on the House of Parliament for this end, and failed. Our own government has
spent half a million on the Capitol, with worse failure; and
now it is proposed to spend a million more. The reason is,
that the old open fireplace has been supplanted by less expensive modes of heating, destructive to health; and science
has but just begun experiments to secure a remedy for the
evil.
The open fire warms the person, the walls, the floors and
the furniture by radiation, and these, together with the fire,
warm the air by convection. For the air resting on the
heated surfaces is warmed by convection, rises and gives
place to cooler particles, causing a constant heating of its
particles by movement. Thus in a room with an open fire,
the person is warmed in part by radiation from the fire
and the surrounding walls and furniture, and in part by
the warm air surrounding the body.
In regard to the warmth of air, the thermometer is not
an exact index of its temperature. For all bodies are constantly radiating their heat to cooler adjacent surfaces until
all come to the same temperature. This being so, the
thermometer is radiating its heat to walls and surrounding
objects, in addition to what is subtracted by the air that
surrounds it, and thus the air is really several degrees
warmer than the thermometer indicates. A room at 70°
420
TEE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
by the thermometer is usually filled with air five or more
degrees warmer than this.
Now, the cold air is denser than warm, and therefore
contains more oxygen. Consequently, the cooler the air inspired, the larger the supply of oxygen and of the vitality
and vigor which it imparts. Thus, the great problem for
economy of health is to warm the person as much as possible by radiated heat, and supply the lungs with cool air.
For when we breathe air at from 16° to 20°, we take double
the amount of oxygen that we do when we inhale it at 80c
to 90°, and consequently can do double the amount of muscle
and brain work.
Warming by an open fire is nearest to the natural mode
of the Creator, who heats the earth and its furniture by the
great central fire of heaven, and sends cool breezes for oui
lungs. But open fires involve great destruction of fuei
and expenditure of money, and in consequence economic
methods have been introduced to the great destruction of
health and life.
Of these methods, the most popular is that by which radiated heat is banished, and all warmth is gained by introducing heated air. This is the method employed in our
national Capitol, where both warming and ventilation are
attempted by means oifans worked by steam, which force
in the heated air. This is an expensive mode, used only
for large establishments, and its entire failure at our capitol will probably prevent in future any very extensive use
of it.
But the most common mode of warming is by heated air
introduced from a furnace. The chief objection to this is
the loss of all radiated heat, and the consequent necessity
of breathing air which is debilitating both from its heat and
also from being usually deprived of the requisite moisture
provided by the Creator in all out-door air. Another objection is the fact that it is important to health to preserve
an equal circulation of the blood, and the greatest iinpedi*
WARMING AND
VENTILATION.
421
inent to this is a mode of heating which keeps the head in
warmer air than the feet. This is especially deleterious in an
age and country where active brains are constantly drawing
blood from the extremities to the head.
All furnaceheated rooms have coldest air at the feet, and warmest
around the head. It is also rarely the case that furnaceheated houses have proper arrangements for carrying off
the vitiated air.
There are some recent scientific discoveries that relate to
impure air which may properly be introduced here. It is
shown by the microscope that fermentation is a process
which generates extremely minute plants, that gradually
increase till the whole mass is pervaded by this vegetation.
The microscope also has revealed the fact that, in certain
diseases, these microscopic plants are generated in the
blood and other fluids of the body, in a mode similar tr
the ordinary process of fermentation.,
And, what is very curious, each of these peculiar dig
eases generates diverse kinds of plants. Thus in the ty
phoid fever, the microscope reveals in the fluids of the
patient a plant that resembles in form some kinds of seaweed. In chills and fever, the microscopic plant has another form, and in small-pox still another. A work has
recently been published in Europe, in which representations of these various microscopic plants generated in the
fluids of the diseased persons are exhibited, enlarged several hundred times by the microscope. All diseases that
exhibit these microscopic plants are classed together, and
are called Zymotic, from a Greek word signifying to ferment
These zymotic diseases sometimes have a local origin, as
in the case of ague caused by miasma of swamps; and
then they are named endemic. In other cases, they are
caused by persona, contact with the diseased body or its
clothing, as the itch or small-pox; or else by effluvia from
the sick, as in measles. Such are called contagious or infec-
422
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
tious. In other cases, diseases result from some unknown
cause in the atmosphere, and affect numbers of people at
the same time, as in influenza or scarlet fever, and these
are called epidemics.
It is now regarded as probable that most of these diseases are generated by the microscopic plants wThich float
in an impure or miasmatic atmosphere, and are taken into
the blood by breathing.
Eecent scientific investigations in Great Britain and
other countries prove that the power of resisting these diseases depends upon the purity of the air which has been
habitually inspired. The human body gradually accommodates itself to unhealthful circumstances, so that people
can live a long time in bad air. But the " reserve power''
of the body, that is, the power of resisting disease, is under
such circumstances gradually destroyed, and then an epidemic easily sweeps away those thus enfeebled. The
plague of London, that destroyed thousands every day,
came immediately after a long period of damp, warm days,
when there was no wind to carry off the miasma thus
generated; while the people, by long breathing of bad air,
were all prepared, from having sunk into a low vitality, to
fall before the pestilence.
Multitudes of public documents show that the fatality
of epidemics is always proportioned to the degree in which
impure air has previously been respired. Sickness and
death are therefore regulated by the degree in which air is
kept pure, especially in case of diseases in which medical
treatment is most uncertain, as in cholera and malignant
fevers.
Investigations made by governmental authority, and by
boards of health in this country and in Great Britain, prove
that zymotic diseases ordinarily result from impure air
generated by vegetab e or animal decay, and that in almost
all cases they can be prevented by keeping the air pure.
The decayed animal matter sent off from the skin and
WARMING AND
VENTILATION
423
lungs in a close, unventilated bedroom is one thing that
generates these zymotic diseases. The decay of animal and
vegetable matter in cellars, sinks, drains, and marshy districts is another cause; and the decayed vegetable matter
thrown up by plowing up of decayed vegetable matter in
the rich soil in new countries is another.
In the investigations made in certain parts of Great
Britain, it appeared that in districts where the air is
pure the deaths average 11 in 1000 each year; while in
localities most exposed to impure miasma, the mortality
was 45 in every thousand. At this rate, thirty-four persons in every thousand died from poisoned air, who would
have preserved health and life by well-ventilated homes in
a pure atmosphere. And, out of all who died, the proportion who owed their deaths to foul air was more than three
fourths. Similar facts have been obtained by boards of
health in our own country.
Mr. Leeds gives statistics showing, that in Philadelphia,
by improved modes of ventilation and other sanitary methods, there was a saving of 3237 lives in two years; and
a saving of three fourths of a million of dollars, which
would pay the whole expense of the public schools. Philadelphia being previously an unusually cleanly and wellventilated city, what would be the saving of life, health,
and wealth were such a city as New-York perfectly
cleansed and ventilated ?
Here it is proper to state again that conflicting opinions
are found in many writers on ventilation in regard to the
position of ventilating registers to carry off vitiated air.
Most writers state that the impure air is heavier, and falls
to the bottom of a room. After consulting scientific men
extensively on this point, the writer finds the true result
to be as follows: Carbonic acid is heavier than common
air, and, unmixed, falls to the floor. But by the principle
of diffusion of gases, the air thrown from the lungs, though
at first it sinks a little, is gradually diffused, and in a heated
424
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
room, in the majority of cases, it is found more abundantly at the top than at the bottom of the room, though in
certain circumstances it is more at the bottom. For this
reason, registers to carry off impure air should be placed at
both the top and bottom of a room.
In arranging for pure air in dwellings, it is needful to
proportion the air admitted and discharged to the number
of persons. As a guide to this, we have the following calculation : On an average, every adult vitiates about half a
pint of air at each inspiration, and inspires twenty times a
minute. This would amount to one hogshead of air vitiated
every hour by every grown person. To keep the air pure,
this amount should enter and be carried out every hour
for each person. If, then, ten persons assemble in a diningroom, ten hogsheads of air should enter and ten be discharged each hour. By the same rule, a gathering of five
hundred persons demands the entrance and discharge of
five hundred hogsheads of air every hour, and a thousand
persons require a thousand hogsheads of air every hour.
In calculating the size of registers and conductors, then,
we must have reference to the number of persons who are
to abide in a dwelling; while for rooms or halls intended
for large gatherings, a far greater allowance must be
made.
The most successful mode before the public, both for
warming and ventilation, is that of Lewis Leeds, who was
employed by government to ventilate the military hospitals and also the treasury building at Washington. This
method has been adopted in various school-houses, and also
by A. T. Stewart in his hotel for women in New-York
City. The Leeds plan embraces the mode of heating both
by radiation and convection, very much resembling the
open fireplace in operation, and yet securing great economy. It is modeled strictly after the mode adopted by the
Creator in warming and ventilating the earth, the home of
his great earthly family. It aims to have a passage of pure
WARMING
AND
VENTILATION
425
air through every room, as the breezes pass over the hills,
and to have a method of warming chiefly by radiation, as
the earth is warmed by the sun. In addition to this, the
air is to be provided with moisture, as it is supplied outdoors by exhalations from the earth and its trees and
plants.
The mode of accomplishing this is by placing coils of
steam, or hot water pipes, under windows, which warm the
parlor walls and furniture, partly by radiation, and partly
by the air warmed on the heated surfaces of the coils. At
the same time, by regulating registers, or by simply opening
the lower part of the window, the pure air, guarded from
immediate entrance into the room, is admitted directly
upon the coils, so that it is partially warmed before it
reaches the person: and thus cold drafts are prevented.
Then the vitiated air is drawn off through registers both
at the top and bottom of the room, opening into a heated
exhausting flue, through which the constantly ascending
current of warm air carries it off. These heated coils are
often used for warming houses without any arrangement
for carrying off the vitiated air, when, of course, their peculiar usefulness is gone.
The moisture may be supplied by a broad vessel placed
on or close to the heated coils, giving a large surface for
evaporation. When rooms are warmed chiefly by radiated
heat, the air can be borne much cooler than in rooms warmed
by hot-air furnaces, just as a person in the radiating sun can
bear much cooler air than in the shade. A time will come
when walls and floors will be contrived to radiate heat in
Btead of absorbing it from the occupants of houses, as is
generally the case at the present time, and then all can
breathe pure and cool air.
We are now prepared to examine more in detail the
modes of warming and ventilation employed in the dwellings planned for this work.
In doing this, it should be remembered that the aim is not
426
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
to give pians of houses to suit the architectural taste or the
domestic convenience of persons who intend to keep several
servants, and care little whether they breathe pure or bad
air, nor of persons who do not wish to educate their children
to manual industry or to habits of close economy.
On the contrary, the aim is, first, to secure a house in
which every room shall be perfectly ventilated both day and
night, and that too without the watchful care and constant
attention and intelligence needful in houses not provided
with a proper and successful mode of ventilation.
The next aim is, to arrange the conveniences of domestic
labor so as to save time, and also to render such work less
repulsive than it is made by common methods, so that children can be trained to love house-work. And lastly, economy of expense in house-building is sought. These things
should be borne in mind in examining the plans of this
work.
In the Cottage plan, (Chap II. Fig. 1,) the pure air for
rooms on the ground floor is to be introduced by a wooden
conductor one foot square, running under the floor from
the front door to the stove-room; with cross branches to
the two large rooms. The pure air passes through this,
protected outside by wire netting, and delivered inside
through registers in each room, as indicated in Fig. 1.
In case open Franklin stoves are used in the large rooms,
the pure air from the conductor should enter behind them,
and thus be partially warmed. The vitiated air is carried
off at the bottom of the room through the open stoves, and
also at the top by a register opening into a conductor to the
exhausting warm-air shaft, which, it will be remembered,
is the square chimney, containing the iron pipe which receives the kitchen stove-pipe. The stove-room receives pure
air from the conductor, and sends off impure air and the
smells of cooking by a register opening directly into the
exhausting shaft; while its hot air and smoke, passing
through the iron pipe, heat the air of the shaft, and produce
WARMING
AND
VENTILATION
427
the exhausting current. The construction of the exhausting
or warm-air shaft is described on page 63.
The large chambers on the second floor (Fig. 12) have
pure air conducted from the stove-room through registers
that can be closed if the heat or smells of cooking are unpleasant. The air in the stove-room will always be moist
from the water of the stove boiler.
The small chambers have pure air admitted from windows
sunk at top half an inch; and the warm, vitiated air is conducted by a register in the ceiling which opens mto a conductor to the exhausting warm-air shaft at the centre of the
house, as shown in Fig. 17.
The basement or cellar is ventilated by an opening into
the exhausting air shaft, to remove impure air, and a small
opening over each glazed door to admit pure air. The doors
open out into a " well," or recess, excavated in the earth
before the cellar, for the admission of light and air, neatly
bricked up and whitewashed. The doors are to be made
entirely of strong, thick glass sashes, and this will give light
enough for laundry work; the tubs and ironing-table being
placed close to the glazed door. The floor must be plastered with water-lime, and the walls and ceiling be whitewashed, which will add reflected light to the room. There
will thus be no need of other windows, and the house
need not be raised above the ground. Several cottages have
been built thus, so that the ground floors and conservatories
are nearly on the same level; and all agree that they are
pleasanter than when raised higher.
When a window in any room is sunk at the top, it should
have a narrow shelf in front inclined to the opening, so as
to keep out the rain. In small chambers for one person, an
inch opening is sufficient, and in larger rooms for two persons, a two-inch opening is needed. The openings into the
exhausting air flue should vary from eight inches to twelve
inches square, or more, according to the number of persons
who are to sleep in the room.
428
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
The time when ventilation is most difficult is tne medium
weather in spring and fall, when the air, though damp, is
similar in temperature outside and in. Then the warm-air
flue is indispensable to proper ventilation. This is especially
needed in a room used for school or church purposes.
Every room used for large numbers should have its air
regulated not only as to its warmth and purity, but also as
to its supply of moisture; and for this purpose will be found
very convenient the instrument called the Hygrodeik,*
which shows at once the temperature and the moisture. A
work by Dr. Derby on Anthracite Coal, scientific men say
has done much mischief by an unproved theory that the discomfort of furnace heat is caused by the passage of carbonic oxide through the iron of the furnace heaters, and not
by want of moisture. God made the air right, and taking
out its moisture must be wrong.
The preceding remarks illustrate the advantages of the
cottage plan in respect to ventilation. The economy of
the mode of warming next demands attention. In the first
place, it should be noted that the chimney being at the
centre of the house, no heat is lost by its radiation through
outside walls into open air, as is the case with all fireplaces
and grates that have their backs and flues joined to an outside wall.
In this plan, all the radiated heat from the stove serves
to warm the walls of adjacent rooms in cold weather; while
in the warm season, the non-conducting summer casings of
the stove send all the heat not used in cooking either into
the exhausting warm-air shaft or into the central cast-iron
pipe. In addition to this, the sliding doors of the stove-room
(which should be only six feet high, meeting the partition
coming from the ceiling) can be opened in cool days, and
then the heat from the stove would temper the rooms each
side of the kitchen. In hot weather, they could be kept
* It is manufactured by N. M. Lowe, Boston,, and sold by him and J,
Queen & Co., Philadelphia
WARMING
AND
VENTILATION.
429
closed except when the stove is used, and then opened only
for a short time. The Franklin stoves in the large room
would give the radiating warmth and cheerful blaze of an
open fire, while radiating heat also from all their surfaces.
In cold weather, the air of the larger chambers could be
tempered by registers admitting warm air from the stoveroom, which would always be sufficiently moistened by
evaporation from the stationary boiler. The conservatories in winter, protected from frost by double sashes, would
contribute agreeable moisture to the larger rooms. In case
the size of a family required more rooms, another story
could be ventilated and warmed by the same mode, with
little additional expense.
We will next notice the economy of time, labor, and
expense secured by this cottage plan. The laundry work
being done in the basement, all the cooking, dish-washing,
etc., can be done in the kitchen and stove-room on the
ground floor. But in case a larger kitchen is needed, the
lounges can be put in the front part of the large room, and
the movable screen placed so as to give a work-room adjacent to the kitchen, and the front side of the same be used
for the eating-room. Where the movable screen is used,
the floor should be oiled wood. A square piece of carpet can
be put in the centre of the front part of the room, to keep
the feet warm when sitting around the table, and small
rugs can be placed before the lounges or other sitting-places,
for the same purpose.
Most cottages are so divided by entries, stairs, closets,
etc., that there can be no large rooms. But in this plan,
by the use of the movable screen, two fine large rooms can
be secured whenever the family work is over, while the
conveniences for work will very much lessen the time
required.
In certain cases, where the closest economy is needful,
two small families can occupy the cottage, by having a
movable screen in both rooms, and using the kitchen in
430
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
common,,or divide it and have two smaller stoves. Each
kitchen will then have a window and as much room as is
given to the kitchen in great steamers that provide for
several hundred.
Whoever plans a house with a view to*economy must
arrange rooms around a central chimney, and avoid all projecting appendages. Dormer windows are far more ex
pensive than common ones, and are less pleasant. Every
addition projecting from a main building greatly increases
expense of building, and still more of warming and ventilating.
It should be introduced, as one school exercise in every
female seminary, to plan houses with reference to economy
of time, labor, and expense, and also with reference to good
architectural taste ; and the teacher should be qualified to
point out faults and give the instruction needed to prevent
such mistakes in practical life. Every girl should be
trained to be " a wise woman" that "buildeth her house"
aright.
There is but one mode of ventilation yet tried, that will,
at all seasons of the year and all hours of the day and
night, secure pure air without dangerous draughts, and that
is by an exhausting warm-air flue. This is always secured
by an open fireplace, so long as its chimney is kept warm
by any fire. And in many cases, a fireplace wTith a flue of
a certain dimension and height will secure good ventilation
except when the air without and within are at the same
temperature.
When no exhausting warm-air flue can be used, the
opening of doors and windows is the only resort. Every
sleeping-room without a fireplace that draws smoke well
should have a window raised at the bottom or sunk at the
top at least an inch, with an inclined shelf outside or in, to
keep out rain, and then it is properly ventilated. Or a
door should be kept opened into a hall with an open window. Let the bed-clothing be increased, so as to keep warm
WARMING
AND
VENTILATION,
431
in bed, and protect the head also, and then the more air
comes into a sleeping-room the better for health.
In reference to the warming of rooms and honses already
built, there is no doubt that stoves are the most economical mode, as they radiate heat and also warm by convection. The grand objection to their use is the difficulty of
securing proper ventilation. If a room is well warmed by
a stove and then a suitable opening made for the entrance
of a good supply of out-door air, and by a mode that will
prevent dangerous draughts, all is right as to pure air.
But in this case, the feet are always on cold floors, surrounded by the coldest air, while the head is in air of
much higher temperature.
There is a great difference as to healthfulness and economy in the great variety of stoves with which the market is
filled. The competition in this manufacture is so stringent, and so many devices are employed by agents, that
there is constant and enormous imposition on the public
and an incredible outlay on poor stoves, that soon burn
out or break, while they devour fuel beyond calculation.
If some benevolent and scientific organization could be
formed that would, from disinterested motives, afford some
reliable guidance to the public, it probably would save
both millions of money and much domestic discomfort.
The stove described in Chapter V. is protected by patents in its chief advantages, but this has not restrained
many of the trade from incorporating some of its leading
excellencies and claiming to have added superior elements.
Others will inform any who inquire for it, that it is out of
market, because later stoves have proved superior. Should
any who read this work wish to be sure of securing this
stove, and also of gaining minute directions for its use, they
may apply to the writer, Miss C. E. Beecher, 69 West 38th
Street, New-York, inclosing 25 cents.
She will then forward the manufacturers' printed descriptive circulars, and her own advice as to the best selection
432
TEE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
from the different sizes, and directions for its use, based on
her own personal experience and that of many friends.
Should any purchases be made through this medium, the
manufacturers have agreed to pay a certain percentage
into the treasury of the Benevolent Association mentioned
at the close of this volume.
There is no more dangerous mode of heating a room
than by a gas-stove. There is inevitably more or less
leakage of the gas which it is unhealthful to breathe.
And proper ventilation is scarcely ever secured by those
who use such stoves. The same fatal elements of imperfect ventilation with its attendant horrors of disease, extravagant wastefulness of material, of fuel, of labor, of
time, and of destruction to the apparatus itself, seem concomitants of all ordinary stoves and cooking arrangements
of the present day, unless those who use them are constant
and unremitting in the exercise of intelligent watchfulness,
guarding against these evils. And in view of the almost
inevitable stupidity and carelessness of servants, who generally have charge of such things, and the frequent
thoughtlessness even of intelligent women who manage
their own kitchens, the writer believes she is doing a public service by offering her own experience as a guide to
simpler, cheaper, and more wholesome means of living and
preparing the family food.
THE HOUSEKEEPERS MANUAL.
PART
II.
THE HANDY COOK-BOOK.
I.
HEALTH, ECONOMY, AND PLEASURE, I N FOOD.
T H E following are the special advantages of the following
pages:
The directions for preparing and cooking food provide a
large variety of articles which, according to all medical and
physiological rules, are healthful.
There is also a good variety of dishes which are economical.
There are unusual contrivances for saving time and labor in
cooking, having special reference to women of culture in new
settlements, who have few conveniences, poor markets, and
either poor servants or none at all.
As the relish of food depends chiefly on the proper seasonings and flavors, there are more specific methods given than
the ordinary rule, " season to the taste," which leaves all to the
judgment of the careless or the ignorant.
The recipes are put in short and clear language, so as to be
easily read and understood by servants, and also more readily
remembered.
These recipes and directions have been criticised and tested
by some of the best housekeepers of all sections of the nation.
RULES OP
HEALTH I N REGARD TO
FOOD AND DRINK.
Always eat slowly and chew very thoroughly, as this greatly
aids digestion.
Do not eat between meals, because this mixes the partly
digested food with the new supply, and impedes digestion.
434
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
Meals should be about five hours apart, to give the stomach
time to rest after the labor of the muscles in digestion.
Do not eat too much, as this tends to indigestion and taxes
the organs that must labor to throw off the excess. A healthful appetite is a safe guide, if meals are at regular and proper
periods, the food simple, and nothing is taken after hunger is
satisfied. Successive dishes of food are unwise for children and
invalids, tempting them to eat too much. Children should
have the kind of food they like best, if it is healthful, and
should make their whole meal of it. Soups, and then meats,
and then tempting desserts, are very dangerous to the young
and the delicate, who have formed no habits of self-control, or
are ignorant of their dangers.
Do not require children to eat what they do not relish, as it
is proved by many experiments that food which is relished is
better digested and more healthful than that which is not.
This shows the importance of care in seasoning food properly,
and of rules to aid in so doing.
Do not multiply dishes for one meal, but rather have a
variety at successive meals; for digestion is easier and more
perfect when there are but few articles taken at one meal, and
grows more difficult as the variety increases.
Food and drinks should not be very hot, as this tends to destroy the teeth.
Drink moderately while eating—one tumbler or tea-cupful
only. If thirsty, drink freely before eating.
Do not drink very cold water or take ices after a full meal,
as cooling the stomach lessens the power of digestion.
Do not drink tea or coffee, except when so largely diluted as
not to stimulate. It will be found that a gradual diminution
of strength in these drinks will modify one's taste, so that after
a few months, weak dilutions will be relished as much as
strong. An expert housekeeper can change dangerous habits
in this way with little trouble, and sometimes without notice
b y those benefited.
Be careful to have pure water to drink, as most important to
health. If water is impure, filter it through sand and powdered
charcoal. The free drinking of pure, cold water before meals
HEALTH,
ECONOMY, AND
PLEASURE,
IN FOOD.
435
is healthful, t e n d i n g t o purify t h e b l o o d , s t r e n g t h e n t h e stomach, a n d thus promoting digestion.
I n u s i n g salt a n d p e p p e r , diversities of s t r e n g t h m a k e a diffic u l t y in g i v i n g v e r y e x a c t d i r e c t i o n s ; so also d o i n e q u a l i t i e s in
t h e size of spoons a n d t u m b l e r s . B u t so m u c h c a n b e d o n e
t h a t a h o u s e k e e p e r , a f t e r one t rial, c a n g i v e e x a c t d i r e c t i o n s t o
h e r cook, or w i t h a pencil a l t e r t h e r e c i p e .
I t is a g r e a t c o n v e n i e n c e t o h a v e r e c i p e s t h a t e m p l o y measures w h i c h all families h a v e on h a n d , so as n o t t o use steely a r d s and balances. T h e following will be found the m o s t
convenient:
A medium size tea-spoon, even full, equals 60 drops or one eighth of an
ounce.
A medium size table-spoon, even full, equals two tea-spoonfuls.
One ounce equals eight even tea-spoonfuls, or four table-spoonfuls.
One gill equals eight even table-spoonfuls.
Half a gill equals four even table-spoonfuls.
Two gills equal half a pint, and four gills equal one pint.
One common size tumbler equals half a pint, or two gills.
One pint equals two tumblerfuls, or four gills.
One quart equals four tumblerfuls, or eight gills.
Four quarts equal one gallon.
Four gallons equal one peck.
Four pecks equal one bushel.
A quart of sifted flour, heaped, a sifted quart*of sugar, and' a softened
quart of butter each weigh about a pound, and so nearly that measuring
is as good as weighing.
Water is heavier, and a pint of water weighs nearly a pound.
Ten eggs weigh about one pound.
II.
MARKETING AND THE CARE OF MEATS.
EVERY young woman, at some period of her life, may need
the instructions of this chapter. Thousands will have the immediate care of buying meats for the family; and even those
who are not themselves obliged to go to market, should have
the knowledge which will enable them to direct their servants
what and how to buy, and to judge whether the household,
under their management, is properly served or not. Nothing
so thoroughly insures the intelligent obedience of orders, as
evidence that the person ordering knows exactly what is wanted.
The directions given in this and the ensuing chapters on
meats, were carefully written, first in Cincinnati, with the
counsel and advice of business men practically engaged in
such matters. They have been recently rewritten in Hartford,
Conn., after consultation with intelligent butchers and grocers.
MARKETING.
BE*£F,
The animal, when slaughtered, should be bled very thoroughly. The care taken by the Jews in this and other points draws
custom from other sects to their markets. The skin is tanned
for leather, and the fat is used for candles and other purposes.
The tail is used for soups, and the liver, heart, and tripe are also
used for cooking. The body is split into two parts, through
the back-bone, and each half is divided as marked in the drawing above. There are diverse modes of cutting and naming
the parts, butchers in New-England, in New-York, in the
South, and in the West, all making some slight differences;
but the following is the most common method.
MARKETING
AND THE CARE
OF MEATS.
437
Fig. 71.
1. The head : frequently used for mince-pies ; sometimes it is tried up
for oil, and then the bones are used for fertilizers. The horns are used
to make buttons and combs, and various other things. 2. The neck;
used for soups and stews. 3. The chuck-rib, or shoulder, having four ribs.
It is used for corning, stews, and soup, and some say the best steaks are
from this piece. 4. The front of the shoulder, or the shoulder-clod, which
is sometimes called the brisket. 5. The back of the shoulder; used for
corning, soups, and stews. 6. The fore-shin, or leg ; used for soups. 7,
7. The plate-pieces ; the front one is called the brisket, (as is also 4,) and
is used for corning, soups, and stews. The back plate-piece is called the
flank, and is divided into the thick flank, or upper sirloin, and the loicer
flank. These are for roasting and corning. 8. The standing ribs, divided into first, second, and third cuts ; used for roasting. The second
cut is the best of the three. 9. The sirloin, which is the best roasting
piece. 10. The sirloin steak and the porter-house steak; used for broiling. 11. The rump, or aitch-bone ; used for soup or corning, or to cook
a la mode. 12. The round, or buttock ; used for corning, or for a la mode ;
also for dried beef. 13. The hock, or hind shank ; used for soups.
In selecting Heef, choose that which has a loose grain, easilyyielding to pressure, of a clear red, with whitish fat. If the
lean is purplish, and the fat yellow, it is poor beef. Beef long
kept turns a darker color than fresh killed. Stall-fed beef has
a lighter color than grass-fed.
Ox beef is the best, and next, that of a heifer.
In cold weather, it is economical to buy a hind quarter; have
it cut up, and what is not wanted immediately, pack with snow
in a barrel. All meats grow tender b y keeping. Do not let
meats freeze; if they do, thaw them in cold water, and do not
438
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
cook it till fully thawed. A piece weighing ten pounds requires
ten or twelve hours to thaw.
Fig. 72.
VEAL.
The calf should not be slaughtered until it is six weeks old.
Spring is the best time for veal. It is divided as marked in
the drawing.
1. The head, sold with the pluck, which includes the heart, liver, and
sweet-breads. 2. The rack, including the neck ; used for stews, pot-pies,
and broths; also for chops and roasting. 3. The shoulder. This, and
also half the rack and ribs of the fore-quarter, are sometimes roasted, and
sometimes used for stews, broths, and cutlets. 4. The fore-shank, or
knuckle; used for broths. 5. The breast; used for stews and. soups;
also to stuff and bake. 6. The loin ; used for roasting. 7. The fillet, or
leg, including the hind flank ; used for cutlets, or to stuff and boil, or to
stuff and roast, or bake. 8. The hind shank, or hock, or knuckle; used
for soups. The feet are used for jelly.
In selecting Veal, take that which is firm and dry, and the
joints sth% having the lean a delicate red, the kidney covered
with fat, and the fat very white. If you buy the head, see that
the eyes are plump and lively, and not dull and sunk in the
head. If you buy the legs, get those which are not skinned, as
the skin is good for jelly or soup,
MARKETING
AND THE CARE
OF MEATS.
439
Fig. 73.
MUTTON.
1. The shoulder ; for boiling or corning. 2, 2. The neck and rack ; for
boiling or corning. 3. The loin ; is roasted, or broiled as chops. 4. The
leg; is boiled, or broiled, or stuffed and roasted. Many salt and smoke
the leg, and call it smoked venison. 5. The breast; for boiling or
corning.
In choosing Mutton, take that which is bright red and closegrained, with firm and white fat. The meat should feel tender and springy on pressure. Notice the vein on the neck of
the fore-quarter, which should be a fine blue.
Fig. 74.
PORK.
1. The leg, or ham ; used for smoking. 2. The hind loin. 3. The fore
loin. 4. The spare-rib ; for roasting; sometimes including all the ribs.
5. The hand, or shoulder ; sometimes smoked, and sometimes corned and
boiled. 6. The belly, or spring, for corning or salting down. The feet
are used for jelly, head-cheese, and souse.
In selecting Pork, if young, the lean can be easily broken
when pinched, and the skin can be indented by nipping with
the fingers. The fat also will be white and soft. Thin rind is
best.
440
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
In selecting Hams, run a knife along the bone, and if it comes
out clean, the ham is g o o d ; but if it comes out smeared, it is
spoiled. Good bacon has white fat, and the lean adheres closely to the bone. If the bacon has yellow streaks, it is rusty, and
not fit to use.
In selecting Poultry, choose those that are full grown, but
not old. W h e n young and fresh-killed, the skin is thin and
tender, the joints not very stiff, and the eyes full and bright. The
breast-bone shows the age, as it easily yields to pressure if
young, and is tough when old. If young, you can with a pin
easily tear the skin. A goose, when old, has red and hairy
legs; but when young, they are yellow, and have few hairs.
The pin-feathers are the roots of feathers, which w e a k off and
remain in the skin, and always indicate a young bird. W h e n
very neatly dressed, they are pulled out.
Poultry and birds ought to be killed b y having the head cut
off, and then hung up by the legs to bleed freely. This makes
the flesh white and more healthful.
In selecting JPish, take those that are firm and thick, having
stiff fins and bright scales, the gills bright red, and the eyes full
and prominent. When fish are long out of water, they grow
soft, the fins bend easily, the scales are dim, the gills grow
dark, and the eyes sink and shrink away. Be sure and have
them dressed immediately; sprinkle them with salt, and use
them, if possible, the same day. In warm weather, put them in
ice, or corning, for the next day.
Shell-fish can be decided upon only by the smell. Lobsters
are not good unless alive, or else boiled before offered for sale.
They are black when alive, and red when boiled. When to be
boiled, they are to be put .-dive into boiling water, which is the
quickest and least cruel way to end their life.
MARKETING
AND THE CARE
OF MEATS.
441
THE CAKE OF MEATS.
In hot weather, if there is no refrigerator, then wipe meat
dry, sprinkle on a little salt and pepper, and hang in the cellar.
Or, still better, wrap it, thus prepared, in a dry cloth, and cover
it with charcoal or with wood-ashes. Mutton, wrapped in a
cloth wet with vinegar, and laid on the ground of a dry cellar,
keeps well and improves in tenderness.
Hang meat a day or two after it is killed before corning it.
In winter, meat is kept finely if well packed in snow, without
salting; but some say it lessens the sweetness.
Frozen meat must be thawed in cold water, and not cooked
till entirely thawed.
Beef and mutton are improved by keeping as long as they
remain sweet. If meat begins to taint, wash it and rub it with
powdered charcoal, which it often removes the taint. Sometimes rubbing with salt will cure it. Soda water is good also.
Take all the kernels out that you will find in the round, and
thick end of the flank of beef, and in the fat, and fill the holes
with salt. This will preserve it longer.
Salt your meat, in summer, as soon as you receive it.
A pound and a half of salt rubbed into twenty-five pounds
of beef, will corn it so as to last several days in ordinary warm
weather; or put it in strong brine.
In most books of recipes there are several different ones for
corning, for curing pork hams, and for other uses, while an inexperienced person is at a loss to know w^hich is best. The recipes here given are decided to be the best, after an examination
of quite a variety, by the writer, who has resided where they
were used; and she knows that the very best results are secured
by these directions. These also are pronounced the best by
business men of large experience.
To Salt down Beef to keep the Year round.—One hundred pounds
of beef; four quarts of rock-salt, pounded fine ; four ounces of saltpetre,
pounded fine ; four pounds of brown sugar. Mix well. Put a layer of
meat on the bottom of the barrel, with a thin layer of this mixture under
it. Pack the meat in layers, and between each put equal proportions of
this mixture, allowing a little more to the top layers. Then pour in
brine till the barrel is full.
442
THE
HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
To cleanse Calf's Head and Feet.—Wash clean, and sprinkle pounded resin over the hair ; dip in boiling water and take out immediately,
and then scrape them clean ; then soak them in water for four days,
changing the water every day.
To prepare Rennet.—Take the stomach of a new-killed calf, and do
not wash it, as it weakens the gastric juice. Hang it in a cool and dry
place five days or so ; then turn the inside out, and slip off the curds
with the hand. Then fill it with salt, with a little saltpetre mixed in,
and lay it in a stone pot, pouring on a tea-spoonful of vinegar, and sprinkling on a handful of salt. Cover it closely, and keep for use. After six
weeks, take a piece four inches square and put it in a bottle with five gills
of cold water and two gills of rose brandy ; stop it close, and shake it
when you use it. A. table-spoonful is enough for a quart of milk.
To salt down Fish,—Scale, cut off the heads, open down the back, and
remove most of the spine, to have them keep better. Lay them in salt
water two hours, to extract blood. Sprinkle with fine salt, and let them
lie over night. Then mix one peck of coarse and fine salt, one ounce of
saltpetre, (or half an ounce of saltpetre and half an ounce of saleratus,)
and one pound of sugar. Then pack in a firkin. Begin with a layer of
salt, then a layer of fish, skin downward. A peck of salt will answer for
twenty-five shad, and other fish in proportion.
A s in m o s t c o u n t r y families, w h e n m e a t is s a l t e d f o r t h e
y e a r ' s use, p o r k is t h e m e a t m o s t g e n e r a l l y a n d m o s t l a r g e l y
r e l i e d u p o n , c o n s i d e r a b l e s p a c e is d e v o t e d t o its p r o p e r p r e p a r a t i o n . Special a t t e n t i o n is g i v e n t o v a r i o u s m o d e s of c u r i n g
a n d p r e s e r v i n g it.
To t r y out Lard.—Take what is called the learns, and take off all the
skin, cut it into pieces an inch square, put it into a clean pot over a slow
fire, and try it till the scraps look a reddish-brown, taking great care not
to let it burn, which would spoil the whole. Then strain it through a
strong cloth, into a stone pot, and set it away for use.
Take the fat to which the smaller intestines are attached, (not the
large ones,) and the flabby pieces of pork not fit for salting, try these in
the same way, and set the fat thus obtained where it will freeze, and by
spring the strong taste will be gone, and then it can be used for frying.
A tea-cup of water prevents burning while trying.
Corn-fed p o r k is b e s t . P o r k m a d e b y still-house slops is alm o s t p r i s o n o u s , a n d h o g s t h a t live on offal n e v e r f u r n i s h h e a l t h ful food. If h o g s a r e p r o p e r l y fed, t h e p o r k is n o t u n h e a l t h f u l .
MARKETING
AND THE CARE
OF MEATS.
443
Pork with kernels in it is measly, and is unwholesome.
A thick skin shows that the pork is old, and that it requires
more time to boil. If bought pork is very salt, soak it some
hours. Do not let pork freeze, if you intend to salt it.
The gentleman who uses the following recipe for curing pork
hams, says it has these advantages over all others he has tried
or heard of, namely, the hams thus cured are sweeter than by
any other method; they are more solid and tender, and are
cured in less than half the time. Moreover, they do not attract
flies so much as other methods:
Recipe for Molasses-cured Hams.—Moisten every part of the ham
with molasses, and then for every hundred pounds use one quart of fine
salt and four ounces of saltpetre, rubbing them in very thoroughly at
every point. Put the hams thus prepared in a tight cask for four days.
Then rub again with molasses and one quart of salt, and return the hams
to the cask for four days. Repeat this the third and the fourth time,
and then smoke the hams. This process takes only sixteen days, while
other methods require five or six weeks.
The following is the best recipe for the ordinary mode of
curing hams ; and the brine or pickle thus prepared is equally
good for corning and % all other purposes for which brine is
used. Some persons nee saleratus instead of the saltpetre, and
others use half and half of each, and say it is an improvement:
Brine or Pickle for corning Hams, Beef, Pork, and Hung* Beef.
—Four gallons of water ; two pounds of rock-salt, and a little more of
common salt; two ounces of saltpetre ; one quart of molasses. Mix, but
do not boil. Put the hams in a barrel and pour this over them, and
keep them covered with t for six weeks. If more brine is needed, make
it in the same proportions.
Brine for Beef, Pork, Tongues, and Hung Beef.—Four gallons of
water; one and a half pounds of sugar ; one ounce of saltpetre ; one
ounce of saleratus. Add salt; a^d if it is for use only a month or two,
use six pounds of salt; if for all the year, use nine pounds. In hot
weather, rub the meat with salt before putting it in, and let it lie for
three hours, to extract the blood. When tongues and hung beef are taken
out, wash the pieces, and, when smoked, put them in paper bags, and
hang in a dry place.
444
THE HOUSEKEEPER*S
MANUAL.
Brine by Measure, easily made.—One gallon of cold water; one
quart of rock-salt, and two of blown salt; one heaping table-spoonful of
saltpetre, (or half as much of saleratus, with half a table-spoonful of saltpetre ;) six heaping table-spoonfuls of brown sugar. Mix, but not boil.
Keep it as long as salt remains undissolved at bottom. When scum
rises, add more salt, sugar, saltpetre, and soda.
To salt down Pork.—Allow a peck of salt for sixty pounds. Cover
the bottom of the barrel with salt an inch deep. Put down one layer of
pork, and cover that with salt half an inch thick. Continue thus till the
barrel is full. Then pour in as much strong brine as the barrel will receive. Keep coarse salt between all pieces, so that the brine can circulate. W h e n a white scum or bloody-looking matter rises on the top,
scald the brine and add more salt. Leave out bloody and lean pieces for
sausages. Pack as tight as possible, the rind next the barrel ; and let it
be always kept under the brine. Some use a stone for this purpose. In
salting down a new supply, take the old brine, boil it down and remove
all the scum, and then use it to pour over the pork. The pork may be
used in six weeks after salting.
To prepare Cases for Sausages.—Empty the cases, taking care not
to tear them. Wash them thoroughly, and cut into lengths of two yards
each. Then take a candle-rod, and fastening one end of a case to the top
of it, turn the case inside outward. When all are turned, wash very
thoroughly, and scrape them with a scraper made for the purpose, keeping them in warm water till ready to scrape. Throw them into salt and
water to soak till used. It is a very difficult job to scrape them clean
without tearing them. When finished, they look transparent and very
thin.
Sausage-Meat.—Take one third fat and two thirds lean pork, and
chop i t ; and then to every twelve pounds of meat add twelve large even
spoonfuls of pounded salt, nine of sifted sage, and six of sifted black pepper. Some like a little summer-savory. Keep it in a cool and dry place.
Another Recipe.—To twenty-five pounds of chopped meat, which
should be one third fat and two thirds lean, put twenty spoonfuls of sage,
twenty-five of salt, ten of pepper, and four of summer-savory.
Bologna Sausages.—Take equal portions of veal, pork, and ham ;
chop them fine ; season with sweet herbs and pepper ; put them in cases;
boil them till tender, and then dry them.
To Smoke Hams.—Make a small building of boards, nailing strips
over the cracks to confine the smoke. Have within cross-sticks, on which
MARKETING
AND
THE CARE
OF MEATS.
445
to hang the hams. Have only one opening at top, at the end furthest
from the fire. Set it up so high that a small stove can be set under
or very near it, with the smoke-pipe entering the floor at the opposite
end from the slide. These directions are for a wooden house, and it is
better thus than to have a fire within a brick house, because too much
warmth lessens the flavor and tenderness of the hams. Change the position of the hams once or twice, tha, - all are treated alike. When this
can not be done, use an inverted barrel or hogshead, with a hole for the
smoke to escape, and resting on stones; and keep a small, smouldering
fire. Cobs are best, as giving a better flavor; and brands or chips of
walnut wood are next best. Keeping a small fire a longer time is better
than quicker smoking, as too much heat gives the hams a strong taste,
and they are less sweet.
The house and barrel are shown in Fig. 75, which follows :
Fig. 75.
m.
STEWS AND
SOUPS.
THE most economical modes of cooking, as to time, care, and
labor, are stews, soups, and hashes; and when properly seasoned, they are great favorites, especially with children.
Below is a drawing of a stew and soup-kettle that any tinman can easily make. Its advantages are that, after the meat is
put in, there is no danger of scorching, and no watching is required, except to keep up the fire aright, so as to have a steady
simmering. Another advantage is that, by the tight cover, the
steam and flavors are confined, and the cooking thus improved.
Then, in taking up the stew, it offers several ponveniences, as
will be found on trial.
Fig. 76.
This stew-kettle consists of two pans, the inner one not
fastened but fitting tight to the outer, with holes the size of a
large pin-head commencing half an inch from the bottom and
continuing to within two inches of the top of the under pan.
It has a flat lid, on which may be placed a weight, to confine
steam and flavors. The holes may be an inch apart. The size
STJSWS
AND
SOUPS.
447
of the kettle must depend on the size of the family; it may
be of any desired size.
GENERAL DIRECTIONS.
Generally, in making stews, use soft water; but when only
hard is at hand, put in half a tea-spoonful of soda to every two
quarts of water. P u t in all the bones and gristle first, breaking the bones thoroughly.
R u b fresh meat with salt, and put it in cold water, for soups,
as this extracts the juices.
As soon as water begins to boil, skim repeatedly till no more
scum rises.
Never let water boil hard for soups or stews; for
" Meat fast boiled
Is meat half spoiled."
Let the water simmer gently and not stop simmering long,
as this injures both looks and flavor.
Keep in water enough to cover the meat, or it becomes
hard and dark.
In preparing for soups, it is best to make a good deal of
broth at one time; cool it slowly, first removing sediment by
straining through a colander. W h e n cold, remove the fat
from the top, and keep the liquor for soups and gravies. This
is called stock, and as such should have no other seasoning
than salt. The other seasoning is to be put in when heated
and combined with other material for soup.
In hot weather, stock will keep only a day or t w o ; but in
cool weather, three or four days. If vegetables were boiled in
it, it will turn sour sooner.
Remnants of cooked meats may be used together for soup;
but take care that none is tainted, thus spoiling all. Liquor
in which corned beef is boiled should be saved to mix with
stock of fresh meat, and then little or no salt is needed. The
rqcipes for stews that follow will make good soups by adding
more water.
448
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
Beef and Potato Stew.—Cut up four pounds of beef into strips three
inches by two, and put them into two quarts of water, with one onion
sliced very fine. Let this simmer four hours. Add in half a cup of warm
water six even tea-spoonfuls of salt, three of sugar, three of vinegar,
a tea-spoonful of black pepper, and six heaping tea-spoonfuls of flour,
lumps rubbed out. Pour these upon the meat; cut up, slice, and add six
potatoes, and let all stew till the meat is very tender, and the potatoes are
soft. If potatoes are omitted, leave out half a tea-spoonful of salt and a
pinch of the pepper.
Be sure and skim very thoroughly when boiling commences, and do
not allow hard boiling, but only a gentle simmer.
French Mutton and Turnip Stew.—Cut up two pounds of mutton, with
a little of the fat, into two-inch squares. Rub two heaping table-spoonfuls of butter into two table-spoonfuls of flour, and stir it into the meat,
with water just enough to cover it. Add three even tea-spoonfuls of salt,
half a one of pepper, four of sugar, a sprig of parsley, and a small onion,
sliced very fine. Skim as soon as it begins to boil, and then add thirty
pieces of turnips, each an inch square, that have been fried brown. Let
all stew till meat and turnips are tender; throw out the parsley, and
serve with the turnips in the centre, and the meat around it.
A Simple Mutton Stew.—Cut four pounds of mutton into two-inch
squares, add four even tea-spoonfuls of salt, four of sugar, half a one of
pepper, and a small onion, sliced fine. Stew three hours, and then
thicken with five tea-spoonfuls of flour, lumps rubbed out. Six tomatoes, or some tomato catsup, improves this.
A Beef Stew, with Vegetable Flavors.—Cut up four pounds of beef
into two-inch squares, and add two quarts of water. Let it stew one hour.
Then add one sliced onion, two sliced turnips, two sliced carrots, four
sliced tomatoes, four heaping tea-spoonfuls of salt, one small tea-spoonful
of pepper, four tea-spoonfuls of sugar, and five cloves. Let it stew till
there is only about a tea-cupful of gravy, and thicken this with a little
flour.
The above may be cooked without cutting up the meat, and it is good
eaten cold. Pressing it under a weight improves it, and so does putting
it an oven for half an hour.
A Stew of Chicken, Duck, or Turkey, with Celery or Tomatoes.—
Take a quart of lukewarm water, and add two heaping tea-spoonfuls of
salt, two of sugar, and a salt-spoonful of pepper. Cut up a large head of
celery, or four large tomatoes. Cut the fowl into eight or more pieces,
and let all simmer together two hours, or till the meat is very tender.
Then add two table-spoonfuls of butter, worked into as much flour, and
let it simmer fifteen minutes.
STEWS
AND
SOUPS.
449
A Favorite Irish Stew.—Cut two pounds of mutton into pieces two
inches square ; add a little of the chopped fat, three tea-spoonfuls of salt,
half a one of black pepper, two of sugar, two sliced onions, and a quart of
water. Let them simmer half an hour, and then add six peeled potatoes,
cut in quarters, that have soaked in cold water an hour. Let the whole
stew an hour longer, or rather till the meat is very tender. Skim it
at first and just before taking up.
Veal Stew.—Put a knuckle of veal into two quarts of boiling water,
with three tea-spoonfuls of salt and half a tea-spoonful of ground pepper. Then chop fine and tie in a muslin rag one carrot, two small
onions, a small bunch of summer-savory, and another of parsley ; put
them in the water, and let them stew three or four hours, till the meat
is very tender. There should only be about half a pint of gravy at
the bottom. Pour in 'boiling water, if needed. Strain the gravy, and
thicken with four spoonfuls of flour or potato-starch, and let it boil up
a minute only. This is improved by adding at first half a pound of salt
pork or ham, cut in strips. When this is done, no salt is to be used, or
only one tea-spoonful. Tomatoes improve it.
Another.—Cut four pounds of veal into strips one inch thick and three
inches long, and peel and soak eight potatoes cut into slices half an inch
thick. Then put a layer of veal at the bottom, and alternate layers of potatoes and veal, with a layer of salt pork on the top. Put four tea-spoonfuls of salt, half a one of pepper, four of sugar, and six tea-spoonfuls of
flour, with lumps rubbed out, into two quarts of water. Pour all upon the
veal and potatoes, and let them stew till the veal is very tender. Celery
or tomatoes will improve this.
A Favorite Turkish Stew, (called Pilaff.)—Take some rich broth,
seasoned to the taste with pepper, salt, and tomato catsup. Add two teacups of rice, and let it simmer till the rice absorbs as much as it will take
up without losing its form—say about fifteen minutes. Cut up a chicken,
and season it with salt and pepper, and fry it in sweet butter or cream.
Then put the chicken in the centre of the rice, and cover it entirely with
rice. Then pour on half a pound of melted butter, and let it stand where
it is hot, and yet will not fry, for fifteen minutes. To be served hot.
A Rice or Hominy Stew.—Take four pounds of any kind of fresh meat,
cut into pieces two inches square, and put in the stew-pan with one pint
of hominy. Then put into two quarts of warm water five heaping teaspoonfuls of salt, four of sugar, half a one of pepper, and three of vinegar.
Let them simmer four or five hours, till the meat is very tender. A teacup of rice may be used instead of hominy. A little salt pork improves
this, as well as all other stews.
450
THE HOUSEKEEPER!S
MANUAL.
A Farorite English Beef Stew.—Simmer a shank or hock of beef, in
four quarts of water, with four heaping table-spoonfuls of salt, until the
beef is soft and the water reduced to about two quarts. Then add peeled
and soaked potatoes cut into thick slices, two tea-spoonfuls of pepper, two
of sweet marjoram, and two of either thyme or summer savory. Stew
till the potatoes are soft, add bread-crumbs and more salt if needful. One
or "two onions cut fine, and put in at first, improve it for most persons.
French Stew, or Pot au Feu.—Put three pounds of fresh meat into
three quarts of cold water, with two tea-spoonfuls of salt. When it begins to simmer, add a gill of cold water, and skim thoroughly. Then add
a quarter of a pound of liver, a medium-sized carrot sliced, two small
turnips, two middle-sized leeks, half a head of celery, one sprig of parsley, a bay leaf, one onion with two cloves stuck in it, and two cloves of
garlic. Simmer five hours. Strain the broth into a soup-dish, and serve
the meat and vegetables on a platter. If more water is needed, add
that which is boiling.
When the dish is served all together, it is called Pot au Feu, and the
vessel in which it is cooked has the same name. It is the common dish
of the French peasantry.
The following is the recipe for the favorite Spanish dish.
A superior housekeeper tried it, and it was so much liked that
several of her family were harmed by eating too much:
Spanish Olla Podrida.—Fry four ounces of salt pork in the pot, and,
when partly done, add two pounds of fresh beef and a quarter of a pound
of ham. Add two tea-spoonfuls of salt in cold water, and only enough
just to cover the meat. Skim carefully the first half-hour, and then add
a gill of peas, (if dried, soak them an hour first,) half a head of cabbage,
one carrot, one turnip, two leeks, three stalks of celery, three stalks of
parsley, two stalks of thyme, two cloves, two onions sliced, two cloves of
garlic, ten pepper corns, and a pinch of powdered mace or nutmeg.
Simmer steadily for five hours. When the water is too low, add that
which is boiling. P u t the meat on a platter, and the vegetables around
it. Strain the liquor on to toasted bread in a soup-dish.
All these articles can be obtained at grocers or markets in our large
cities, and of course can be procured in the country.
French Mutton Stew.—Take a leg of mutton and remove the large
bone, leaving the bone at the small end as a handle ; cut off also the bone
below the knuckle, and fix it with skewers.
Put it in a stew-pan with a pinch of allspice, four onions, two cloves,
two carrots, each cut in four pieces, a small bunch of parsley, two bay
leaves, three sprigs of thyme, and salt and pepper to the taste. Add two
STEWS
AND
SOUPS.
451
ounces of bacon cut in slices, a quarter of a pint of broth, and cold water
enough to cover it. After one hour of simmering, add a wine-glass of
P'rench brandy.
Let them simmer five hours longer, and then dish i t ; strain the sauce
on it, and serve.
The American housekeeper by experiments can modify these
foreign recipes to meet the taste of her family, and will find
them economical modes of cooking, as well as healthful to most
persons.
FRENCH MODES OF COOKING SOUPS AND STEWS.
The writer has examined the recipes of Gouffee, the chief
French cook of the Queen of England, set forth in the expensive Royal Cook-Book; also those of Soyer and Professor Blot.
She and her friends also have tested many of their recipes.
The following are most of the flavors used b y them in cooking soups, stews, hashes, etc. Combination of these is recommended by those authors in these proportions:
One fourth of an ounce of thyme.
One fourth of an ounce of bay leaf.
One eighth of an ounce of marjoram.
One eighth of an ounce of rosemary.
Dry the above when fresh, mix in a mortar, and keep them corked
tight in a glass bottle.
Also the following in these proportions:
Half an ounce of nutmeg.
Half an ounce of cloves.
One fourth of an ounce of black pepper.
One eighth of an ounce of Cayenne pepper.
Pound, mix, and keep corked tight in glass. In using these with salt,
put one ounce of the last recipe to four ounces of salt. In making forcemeat and hashes, use at the rate of one ounce of this spiced salt to three
pounds of meat.
Soup Powder,—Two ounces of parsley
Two ounces of winter savory.
Two ounces of sweet marjoram.
Two ounces of lemon-thyme.
One ounce of lemon-peel.
452
TEE HOUSEKEEPER'S MANUAL.
One ounce of sweet basil.
Dry, pound, sift, and keep in a tight-corked bottle.
Let the housekeeper add these flavors so that they will not
be strong, but quite delicate, and then make a rule for the cooJc.
The peculiar excellence of French cooking is the combination of flavors, so that no one is predominant, and all are delicate in force and quantity.
IV.
SOUPS.
General
Directions.
MOST of the preceding stews will serve also fairly as soups,
by adding more water. R u b salt into meat for soups, but not
for stews, as the salt extracts the juices; and in stews the meat
is to be eaten, while in soups properly so called it is only the
liquor that is served. P u t meat into cold water for soups, as
slowly heating also extracts the juices. For this same reason,
meat that is boiled for eating should be put into boiling water
to keep the juices in it.
Always skim often, as soon as the water begins to simmer;
and do not add the salt and other seasoning till the scum ceases
to rise.
Do not boil after the juices are extracted, as too much boiling injures the flavor.
Never cool soup in metal, as there may be poison in the
soldering or other parts.
If you flavor soup b y vegetables, do not boil them in the
soup, but in very little water, which is to be added to the soup
with them, as it contains much of their flavor.
W h e n onion is used for flavor, slice and fry it, and dredge
on a little flour; add the water in which the vegetables for
soup were boiled, or some meat broth, and then pour it into
the soup. If you flavor with wine, soy, or catsup, put them
into the tureen, and pour the soup upon them, as the flavor is
lessened by putting them into the soup-kettle. Bread-crumbs,
toast, or crackers also must be put in the tureen. Keep soup
covered tight while boiling, to keep in flavors. If water is
added, it must be boiling. The rule to guide in using salt and
pepper is a heaping tea-spoonful of salt to a quart of water,
454
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
and one sixth as much pepper. But as tastes are different,
and the salt and pepper vary in strength, the housekeeper
can, on trial, change the recipe with a pencil.
Soup stock is broth of any kind of meat prepared in large
quantity, to keep on hand for gravies and soups.
Beef
and veal make the best stock. One hind shin of beef makes
five quarts of stock, and one hind shin of veal makes three
quarts. "Wash and put into twice as much water as you wish
to, to have soup, and simmer five or six hours.
All kinds of bones should be mashed and boiled five or six
hours, to take out all the nutriment, the liquor then strained,
and kept in earthenware or stone, not in tin. Take off the fat
when cool.
Cool broth, quickly, and it keeps longer.
Use a flat-bottom kettle, as less likely to scorch.
Soft water is best for soups; a little soda improves hard
water.
Stock will keep three or four days in cool weather; not so
long in warm. Keep it in a cool place. W h e n used, heat to
boiling point, and then take up and flavor.
P u t in the salt and pepper when the meat is thoroughly done.
Meat soups are best the second day, if warmed slowly and
taken up as soon as heated. If heated too long, they become
insipid.
Thin soups must be strained. If to be made very clear, stir
in one or two well-beaten eggs, with the shells, and let it boil
half an hour.
Use the meat of the soup for a hash, warmed together with
a little fat, and well seasoned.
Be very careful, in using bones and cold meats for soups
that none is tainted, for the soup may be ruined by a single bit of tainted meat or bone.
Potato Soup,—Take six large mealy potatoes, sliced and soaked an
hour. Add one onion, sliced and tied in a rag, a quart of milk, and a
quarter of a pound of salt pork cut in slices. Boil three quarters of an
hour, and then add a table-spoonful of melted hutter and a well-beaten
egg, mixed in a cup of milk. This is a favorite soup with many, and
easily made. Some omit the pork, and use salt and pepper to flavor it,,
and add one well-beaten egg.
SOUPS.
455
Green Corn Soup,—This is very nice made with sweet corn put into
seasoned soup stock.
Plain Beef Soup.—Put three pounds of beef and one chopped onion,
tied in a rag, to three quarts of cold water. Simmer till the meat is very
soft—say four hours; then add three tea-spoonfuls of salt, as much sugar,
and half a tea-spoonful of pepper. Any other flavors may be added to suit
the taste. Strain the soup, and save the meat for mince-meat or hash.
Half a dozen sliced tomatoes will rruch improve this. Some would
thicken with three or four tea-spoonfuls of potato-starch or flour.
Rich Beef Soup.—The following is a specimen of soups that are most
stylish, rich, and demand most care in preparation:
Simmer six pounds of beef for six hours in six quarts of water, using
the bones, broken in small pieces. Cool it, and take off the fat. Next
day, an hour before dinner, take out the meat to use for hash or mincemeat, heat the liquor, throw in some salt to raise the scum, and skim it
well. Then slice small, and boil in very little water, these vegetables:
two turnips, two carrots, one head of celery, one quart of tomatoes, half
a head of small white cabbage, one pint of green corn or Shaker corn,
soaked over night. Cook the cabbage in two waters, throwing away the
first. Boil the soup half an hour after these are put in. Season with
salt, pepper, mace, and wine to suit the taste.
Green Pea Soup.—Boil the pods an hour in a gallon of water. Strain
the liquor, and put into it four pounds of beef or mutton, and simmer
one hour. Then add half the peas contained in half a peck of pods, and
boil half an hour ; then thicken with two great spoonfuls of flour, and season with salt and pepper. Three tomatoes, sliced, improve this.
Dried Bean Soup or Pea Soup.—Soak the beans, if dry, over night,
and then boil till soft. Then strain them through a colander; and to
each quart of liquor add a tea-spoonful of sugar, a tea-spoonful of salt, and
a salt-spoonful of pepper. Add a beaten eggf a tea-cup of milk, and two
spoonfuls of butter. A sliced onion improves it for some, and not for
others ; also, half the juice of a lemon when taken up. Canned sweetcorn, or common corn with sugar added, makes good succotash for winter.
Clam Soup.—Wash and boil the clams till they come out of their shells
easily ; then chop them, and put them back into the liquor, which should
first be strained. Add a tea-cup of milk for each quart of soup ; thicken
with a little flour, into which has been worked as much butter as it will
hold, and season with salt and pepper to suit the taste.
A Yegetable and Meat Soup for Summer.—Take three quarts of
stock that is duly seasoned with sugar, salt, and pepper. Add two small
456
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
onions, chopped fine, three small carrots, three small turnips, one stalk of
celery, and a pint of green peas—all chopped fine. Let it simmer two
hours, and then serve it.
Dried Pea Soup, with Salt Pork.—Soak a quart of split peas over
night in soft water. Next morning wash them and put them in four quarts
of water, with a tea-spoonful of sugar, two carrots, two small onions, and
one stalk of celery—all cut in small pieces. Let them boil three hours.
Boil a pound of salt pork in another pot for one hour ; take off the skin,
and put the pork in the soup, and then boil one hour longer.
Dried Bean or Pea Soup, with Meat Stock.—Soak a pint of beans
or split peas over night in soft water. Then boil them in three quarts of
eoup-stock, duly seasoned with salt and pepper, with one small onion, one
turnip, one stalk of celery, and six cloves—all cut in small pieces. Let it
boil four or five hours. Strain through a colander.
Mutton Soup.—Boil four pounds of mutton in four quarts of water,
with four heaping tea-spoonfuls of salt, one even tea-spoonful of pepper,
two tea-spoonfuls of sugar, one small onion, two carrots, and two turnips
—all cut fine—and one tea-cup of rice or broken macaroni. Boil the meat
alone two hours ; then add the rest, and boil one hour and a half longer.
French Tegetable Soup.—Take a leg of lamb, of moderate size, and
four quarts of water. Of potatoes, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, and turnips
take a tea-cupful of each, chopped fine. Salt and black pepper at the
rate of one heaping tea-spoonful of salt to each quart of water, and one
sixth as much black pepper.
Wash the lamb, and put it into the four quarts of cold water. W h e n
the scum rises, take it off carefully with a skimmer. After having pared
and chopped the vegetables, put them into the soup. Carrots require the
most boiling, and should be put in first. This soup requires about three
hours to boil.
Plain Calf's Head Soup.—Boil the head and feet in just water enough
to cover t h e m ; when tender, take out the bones, cut in small pieces, and
season with marjoram, thyme, cloves, salt, and pepper.
P u t ail into a pot, with the liquor, and four spoonfuls of butter ; stew
gently an hour; then, just as you take it up, add two or three glasses of
port wine, and the yelks of three eggs boiled hard.
An Excellent Simple Mutton Soup.—Put a piece of the fore-quarter
of mutton into salted water, enough to more than cover it, and simmer it
slowly two hours. Then peel a dozen turnips, and six tomatoes, and
quarter them, and boil them with the mutton till just tender enough to
eat. Thicken the soup with pearl barley. Some use, instead of tomatoes,
the juice and rind of a lemon. Use half a tea-cup of rice, if you have no
pearl barley.
V.
HASHES.
T H E S E are the common ways of spoiling h a s h e s : 1. B y frying, instead of merely heating them.
Melted butter and oils
are good and healthful when only heated, but are unhealthful
when fried.
2. Dredging in flour, which, not being well
cooked, imparts a raw taste of dough.
3. Using too much
water, making them v a p i d ; or too much fat or gravy, making
them gross.
seasoning.
4. Using too much or too little salt and other
The following recipes will save from these mis-
takes, if exactly followed.
W h e n water is recommended in
these recipes, cold gravy will be better, in which case, the butter m a y be o m i t t e d :
A Seasoned Hash of any Fresh Meats.—Chop, but not very fine, any
kinds of fresh meat, but be sure not to put in any that is tainted. To a
common tumblerful of chopped meat put three table-spoonfuls of water,
a tea-spoonful of sugar, a heaping tea-spoonful of salt, a salt-spoonful of
pepper, and butter the size of half an egg. Warm, but do not fry ; and
when hot, break in three eggs, and stir till they are hardened a little;
then serve. Bread-crumbs may be added. This may be put on buttered
toast or served alone. This and all the following hashes may be varied
in flavor, by adding, in delicate proportions, the mixed flavors on another
page.
A Hash of Cold Fresh Meats and Potatoes.—Take two tumblerfuls
of meat of any kind, chopped. Add as much cold potatoes, also chopped,
two table-spoonfuls of sweet butter in six table-spoonfuls of hot water,
and two tea-spoonfuls of salt. Sprinkle half a tea-spoonful of pepper over
the meat, and also a spoonful of sugar; mix all, and warm about twenty
minutes, but not so as to boil or fry. Tomatoes improve this.
Meat Hash with Eggs, (very nice.)—To a tumblerful of fresh cold
meat cut in pieces about the size of peas, put three table-spoonfuls of hot
water, two spoonfuls of butter, a tea-spoonful of sugar, two tea-»poonfuls
of salt, and a salt-spoonful of pepper. Mix all, warm but not fry; and
458
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
when hot, break in four eggs, and stir till they are hardened. Spread on
buttered toast or serve alone. When eggs are used, the meat should not
be chopped fine.
A Meat Hash with Tomatoes.—Cut up a pint of tomatoes into a saucepan, and when boiling hot, add the cold meat in thin slices, with a tablespoonful of sugar, and salt and pepper, at the rate of a tea-spoonful of salt
and half a tea-spoonful of pepper to each tumblerful of meat.
A Nice Beef Hash.—Make a gravy of melted butter, or take cold
gravy; season with salt, pepper, and currant jelly or vinegar. Cut cold
roast beef or the remnants of cold stake into mouthfuls, and put into
the gravy till heated, but not to fry.
Or, season this gravy with the crushed juice of fresh tomatoes or tomato catsup.
A Simple and Excellent Yeal Hash.—Chop cold veal very fine : butter a pudding-dish, and make alternate layers of veal and powdered
crackers till the dish is full, the first layer of meat being at the bottom.
Then beat up two eggs, and add a pint or less of milk, seasoned well with
salt and pepper, and two or three spoonfuls of melted butter. Pour this
over the meat and crackers ; cover with a plate, and bake about half an
hour. Eemove the plate awhile, and let the top brown a little. This is
the best way to cook veal, and children are very fond of it.
Rice and Cold Meats,—Chop remnants of fresh meats with salt pork
or cold ham. Season with salt and pepper and a little sugar ; add two
eggs and a little butter. Then make alternate layers with this and slices
of cold boiled rice, and bake it half an hour.
Bread-Crumbs and Cold Meats.—Take any remnants of cooked fresh
meats, and chop them fine with bits of ham or salt pork. Season with
salt and pepper ; add three eggs and a little milk, and then thicken with
pounded bread-crumbs. Bake it as a pudding, or warm it for a hash, or
cook it in flat cakes on a griddle.
A Meat Hash with Bread-Crumbs.—One tea-spoonful of flour, (or potato or corn-starch,) wet in four tea-spoonfuls of cold water. Stir it into
a tea-cupful of boiling water, and put in a salt-spoonful of pepper, two
tea-spoonfuls of salt, a tea-spoonful of sugar, arid two table-spoonfuls of
sweet butter. Use cold gravy instead of butter, if you have it. Set this
in a stew-pan where it will be kept hot, but not fry. Chop the meat very
fine, and mix with it while chopping half as much dried bread-crumbs.
Put this into the gravy, and let it heat only ten minutes, and then serve
it on buttered toast. Tomatoes, Q»e or two, improve this.
A Hash of Cold Beefsteak alone or with Potatoes and Turnips.—
Make a paste with a heaping tea-spoonful of flour in two tea-spoonfuls of
HASHES.
459
water. Stir it into a tea-cup and a half of boiling water, with a saltspoonful of black pepper, a half tea-spoonful of sugar, and two tea-spoonfuls of salt. Let it stand where it will be hot but not boil. Cut the beef
into mouthfuls, and also as much cold boiled potatoes and half as much
boiled turnips. Mix all, and then add two table-spoonfuls of butter, (or
some cold gravy,) and a table-spoonful of tomato catsup, or two sliced
tomatoes. Warm, but do not fry, for ten minutes.
When beef gravy is used, take less salt and pepper.
This is a good recipe for cold beef without vegetables.
A Hash of Cold Mutton (or Yenison) and Vegetables.—Prepare as in
the preceding recipe, but add one onion sliced fine, to hide the strong
mutton taste. If onion is left out, put in a wine-glass of grape or currant
jelly. If the vegetables are left out, put in a little less pepper and salt.
A Hash of Corned Beef.—Chop the meat very fine, fat and lean together ; add twice as much cold potatoes chopped fine. For each tumblerful of this add butter half the size of a hen's egg melted in half a tea-cup
of hot water, a salt-spoonful of pepper and another of salt. Heat very hot,
b u t do not let it fry. Some would add parsley or other sweet herb.
A Hash of Cold Ham.—Chop, not very fine, fat and lean together.
Add twice the quantity of bread-crumbs chopped but not fine. Heat it
hot, then break in two eggs for every tumblerful of the hash. A teaspoonful of sugar improves it, and a salt-spoonful of pepper.
Meats warmed over.—Veal is best made into hashes. If it is liked
more simply cooked, chop it fine, put in water just enough to moisten it,
butter, salt, pepper, and a little juice of a lemon. Some like a little
lemon-rind grated in. Heat it through, but do not lei it fry. Put it on
buttered toast, and garnish it with slices of lemon.
Cold salted or fresh beef is good chopped fine with pepper, salt, and
catsup, and water enough to moisten a little. Add some butter just before taking it up, and do not let it fry, only heat it hot. It injures cooked
meat to cook it again. Cold fowls make a nice dish to have them cut up
in mouthfuls ; add some of the gravy and giblet sauce, a little butter and
pepper, and then heat them through.
A nice Way of Cooking Cold Meats.—Chop the meat fine, add salt,
pepper, a little onion, or else tomato catsup; fill a tin bread-pan one third
full, cover it over with boiled potatoes salted and mashed with cream or
milk, lay bits of butter on the top and set it into a Dutch or stove oven
for fifteen or twenty minutes.
A Hash of Cold Meat for Dinner, (very good.)—Peel six large tomatoes and one onion, and slice them. Add a spoonful of sugar, salt and
pepper, and a bit of butter the size of a hen's egg, and half a pint of cold
460
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
water. Shave up the meat into small bits, as thin as thick pasteboard.
Dredge flour over it, say two tea-spoonfuls, or a little less. Simmer the
meat with all the rest for half an hour, and then serve it, and it is very
fine.
Dried tomatoes can be used. When you have no tomatoes, make a
gravy with water, pepper, salt, and butter, or cold gravy; slice an onion
in it, add tomato catsup, (two or three spoonfuls,) and then prepare the
meat as above, and simmer it in this gravy half an hour.
Souse.—Cleanse pigs' ears and feet and soak them a week in salt and
water, changing the water every other day. Boil eight or ten hours till
tender. When cold, put on salt, and pour on hot spiced vinegar. Warm
them in lard or butter.
Tripe.—Scrape and scour it thoroughly, soak it in salt and water a
week, changing it every other day. Boil it eight or ten hours, till tender ; then pour on spiced hot vinegar and broil it.
VI.
BOILED MEATS.
An Excellent Way to cook Tough Beef.—To eight pounds of beef
put four quarts of water, two table-spoonfuls of salt, half a tea-spoonful of
pepper, three tea-spoonfuls of vinegar, and four tea-spoonfuls of sugar.
P u t it on at eight in the morning, and let it simmer slowly till the water is
more than half gone ; then skim off the grease, and set it in the stoveoven till the water is all gone but about a tea-cupful, which is for gravy,
and may be thickened a little. Add boiling water, if it goes too fast, (for
in some kinds of weather it will evaporate much faster than in other
days.) This dish should be very tender, and is excellent cold, especially
if it is pressed under a heavy weight. This was a favorite soldier's dish ;
and tough meat is as good as it is tender, when thus cooked.
Boiled Ham.—The best way to cook a ham is first to wash i t ; then
take off the skin and bake it in a pan, with a little water in it, in a stove or
brick oven, till tender, which is found by a fork piercing easily. Allow
twenty minutes for each pound.
To boil a ham, soak it over n i g h t ; then wash in two waters, using a
brush. Boil slowly, and allow fifteen minutes for each pound. When
cold, take off the skin, and ornament with dots of pepper and fringed
paper tied around the shank.
A nice way to treat a cold boiled ham is, after removing the skin, to
rub it over with beaten egg, and then spread over powdered cracker, wet
with milk, and let it brown in the oven. Boiled ham is much improved
by setting it in the oven half an hour, making it sweeter, while the fat
that tries out is useful for cooking.
Boiled Beef.—Put it in salted water, (a tea-spoonful for each quart;)
have enough to cover it. Skim well just before it begins to boil, and as
long as the scum rises. Allow about fifteen minutes to each pound, or
more for beef. Drain well, and serve with vegetables boiled separately.
Boiled Fowls.—Wash the inside carefully with soda water, to remove
any taint. Stuff with seasoned bread-crumbs, or cracker, wet up with
eggs, and sew up the openings. Put them in boiling water, enough to
cover, and let them simmer gently till tender. It is a good plan to wrap
in a cloth dredged with flour.
462
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
Fricasseed Fowls,—Cut them up, and put in a pot, with cold water
enough to cover. Put some salt pork over, and let them simmer slowly
till very tender and the water mostly gone. When done, stir in a cup of
milk, mixed with two well-beaten eggs, first mixing slowly some of the
hot liquor with the milk and eggs.
Some fry the pork first, thus increasing the flavor, and others leave it
out.
To Boil a Leg or Shoulder of Yeal, or Mutton, or Lamb.—Mutton
should be cooked more rare than any other meat. Make a stuffing of
chopped bread, seasoned with pepper and salt, and mixed with one or two
eggs. Make deep gashes in the meat, (or, better, take out the bone ;) fill
the openings with stuffing, and sew them up. Wrap it tight in a cloth,
and put it so as to be covered with water, salted at the rate of a tea-spoonful to each quart. Let it simmer slowly about two or three hours. Skim
thoroughly just before it comes to boiling heat. If needful, add boiling
water. Save the water for broth for next day. If you pour cold water
on the cloth before removing it, and let it stand two minutes, it improves
the looks.
Calf's Feet.—Wash and scrape till very clean. Boil three hours in
four quarts of water salted with four even tea-spoonfuls of salt. Take
out the bones, and put the rest into a sauce-pan,.with three table-spoonfuls of butter, two table-spoonfuls of vinegar, a great-spoonful of sugar,
and a salt-spoonful of pepper. Add three tea-cups of the liquor in
which the feet were boiled ; dredge in some flour, and simmer for fifteen
minutes. Garnish with sliced lemon. (Save the liquor to make calf s foot
jelly.)
Calf's Liver and Sweetbreads.—These are best split open, boiled, and
then dressed with pepper, salt, and butter.
To cook Kidneys.—Wash them clean, and split them. Heat them
half an hour in a sauce-pan, without water. Then wash them again, and
cover them with a pint of water, having in it a tea-spoonful of salt and a
salt-spoonful of pepper. Boil one hour, and then take off the skin. Cut
them in mouthfuls; add two great-spoonfuls of butter, more salt and hot
water, if needed, and let them simmer fifteen minutes.
Pillau, a Favorite Dish in the South.—Fricassee a chicken with
slices of salt pork, or with sweet butter or sweet cream. Put the chicken,
when cooked, in a bake-dish, and cover it with boiled rice, seasoned with
salt, pepper, and one dozen allspice. Pile the rice, pour on some melted
butter, smooth it, and cover with yelk of an egg. Bake half an hour.
To Boil Smoked Tongues.—Soak in cold water only two hours, as
long soaking lessens sweetness. Wash them, and boil four or five hours,
BOILED
MEATS.
463
according to the size. When done, take off the skin and garnish with
parsley. A table-spoonful of sugar for each tongue, put in the water, improves them.
To boil Corned Beef.—Do not soak it, but wash it, and put it in hot
water, to keep in the juices ; allow a pint for each pound. Skim just before it begins to boil. Let it simmer slowly, and allow twenty-five minutes
for every pound. Keep it covered with water, adding boiling hot water,
if needed. It is much improved for eating cold by pressing it with a
board and heavy stone. It is an excellent piece of economy to save the
water to use for soup.
Some think it an improvement to put on a little sugar, and pour a little
vinegar on before boiling. Some like to boil turnips, potatoes, and cabbage with it. In that case, they must be peeled, and the potatoes soaked
two hours.
To boil Partridges or Pigeons.—Cleanse and rinse the insides with
soda-water, and then with pure water. Wrap them in a damp floured
cloth ; put them into boiling water which is salted at the rate of a heaping tea-spoonful to a quart; also, two tea-spoonfuls of sugar and a saltspoonful of pepper. Simmer them twenty minutes to half an hour.
When done, make a sauce of butter rubbed into flour and half a cup of
milk ; put the birds into a dish and pour on this sauce. Some would add
cut parsley, or other flavors.
To boil Ducks.—Let them lie in hot water two hours. Then wrap in
a cloth dredged with flour ; put them in cold water, salted at the rate of a
half a tea-spoonful for each pint. Add a tea-spoonful of sugar for each
pint. Let them simmer half an hour ; then take them up, and pour over
them a sauce made of melted butter rubbed into flour, and seasoned with
lemon-juice, salt, and pepper, and thinned with gravy or hot water.
Wild ducks must be soaked in salt and water the night previous, to remove the fishy taste, and then in the morning put in fresh water, which
should be changed once or twice.
To boil a Turkey.—Make a stuffing for the craw of chopped bread
and butter, cream, oysters, and the yelks of eggs. Sew it in, and dredge
flour over the turkey, and put it in hot water to boil, with a spoonful of
salt in it, and enough water to cover it well. Let it simmer for two hours
and a half, or, if small, less time. Skim it while boiling. It will look
nicer if wrapped in a cloth dredged with flour while cooking.
Serve it with drawn butter, in which are put some oysters.
vn.
ROAST AND BAKED MEATS.
THE beef of an ox is best, and the next best is that of a heifer.
The best pieces for roasting are the second cut of the sirloin,
the second cut of the ribs, and the back part of the rump.
The art of roasting well consists of turning the meat often,
to prevent burning, and basting often, to make it juicy.
Never dredge flour into gravies, as it makes lumps. Strain
all gravies.
Brown Flour for Meat Gravies.—This is used to thicken meat gravies, to give a good color. It is prepared by putting flour on a tin plate
in a hot oven, stirring it often until well browned ; it must be kept, corked, in a jar, and shaken occasionally.
Roast Beef,—A piece of beef weighing ten pounds requires about two
hours to roast in a tin oven before a fire. Allow ten minutes for each
pound over or under this weight. Have the spit and oven clean and
bright. They should have been washed before they grew cold from the
last roasting.
Put the meat on the spit so that it will be evenly balanced; set the
bony side toward the fire; let it roast slowly at first, turning it often ;
and when all sides are partly cooked, move it nearer the fire. If allowed
to scorch at first, it will not cook in the middle without burning the outside.
Baste often with the drippings and with salted water, (about half a
pint of water with half a tea-spoonful of salt,) which has been put in the
oven bottom. Just before taking up, dredge on some flour, mixed with
a little salt; then baste and set it near the fire, turning it BO as to brown
it all over alike. Half an hour before it is done, pour off the gravy, season it with salt and pepper, and thicken with corn or potato-starch, or
flour.
To roast in a Cook Stove.—Put the meat in an iron pan, with three
or four gills of water, and a tea-spoonful of salt. Turn it occasionally,
that it may cook evenly, and baste often. When done, dredge on some
salted flour, baste again, and set it back till browned.
ROAST
AND BAKED
MEATS.
465
Roast Pork.—Cover a spare-rib with greased paper, till half done;
then dredge with flour, and baste with the gravy. Just before taking it
up, cover the surface with cracker or bread-crumbs, wet up with pepper,
ealt, and powdered sage; let it cook ten minutes longer, and then baste
again. Skim the gravy, thicken it with brown flour, season with a little
powdered sage and lemon-juice, or vinegar; strain it, and pour over the
meat. Pork must be cooked slowly and very thoroughly, and served
with apple sauce. Tomato catsup improves the gravy.
Roast Mutton.—The leg of mutton may be boiled, The shoulder and
loin should always be roasted.
Put the meat in the oven or roaster, and then pour boiling hot water
over it, to keep in the juices. Baste often with salt and water at first, and
then with the gravy. W i t h a hot fire, allow ten minutes for each
pound. If there is danger of burning, cover the outside with oiled white
paper. Skim the gravy; strain it and thicken with brown flour. Serve
with acid jelly. Lamb requires less time in roasting; but mutton should
be rare. Make a brown gravy, and serve with currant jelly.
Roast Veal.—Follow the above directions for roasting mutton, except
to allow more time, as veal should be cooked more than mutton. Allow
twenty minutes to each pound, and baste often. Too much roasting
and little basting spoil veal. To be served with apple-sauce. It much
improves roast veal to cut slits in it, and insert bits of salt pork.
Roast Poultry.—No fowl should be bought when the entrails are not
drawn ; and the insides should always be washed with soda-water—a teaspoonful of soda to a pint of water. Rinse out with fair water. Stuff with
seasoned bread-crumbs, wet up with eggs. Sew and tie the stuffing in
thoroughly. Allow about ten minutes' cooking for each pound, more or
less, according to the fire and size of the fowl.
Put a grate in the bake-pan, with a tea-cup of salted water. Dredge
the fowl with flour at first, and baste often. Strain the gravy, and add
the giblets, chopped fine. Many dislike the liver, and so leave it out.
If fowls are bought with the intestines in, or if they have been kept too
long, the use of soda-water, and then rinsing with pure water, will
often prevent the tainted taste ; so it is well to do this, except when it
is certain that the fowl is just killed. Put a tea-spoonful of soda to a pint
of water.
Pot-Pie, of Beef, Veal, or Chicken.—The best way to make the
crust is as follows: Peel, boil, and mash a dozen potatoes; add a teaspoonful of salt, two table-spoonfuls of butter, and half a cup of milk, or
cream. Then stiffen it with flour, till you can roll it. Be sure to get all
the lumps out of the potatoes. Some persons leave out the butter.
Some roll butter into the dough of bread; others make a raised biscuit,
466
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
with but little shortening; others make a plain soda pie-crust. But none
are so good and healthful as the potato-crust; so choose what is best for
all.
To prepare the meat, first fry half a dozen slices of salt pork, and then
cut up the meat and pork, and boil them in just water enough to cover
them, till the meat is nearly cooked. Then peel a dozen potatoes, and
slice them thin. Roll the crust half an inch thick, and cut it into oblong
pieces. Then put alternate layers of crust, potatoes, and meat, till all is
used. The top and bottom layer must be crust. Divide the pork so as to
have some in each layer.
Lastly, pour on the liquor in which the meat was boiled, until it just
covers the whole, and let it simmer till the top crust is well cooked—say
half or three quarters of an hour. Season the liquor with salt, at the rate
of a tea-spoonful for each quart, and one sixth as much pepper. If you
have occasion to add more liquor, or water, it must be boiling hot, or the
crust will be spoilt.
The excellence of this pie depends on having light crust, and therefore
the meat must first be nearly cooked before putting it in the pie ; and the
crust must be in only just long enough to cook, or it will be clammy and
hard.
Mutton and Beef-Pie.—Line a dish with a crust made of potatoes, as
directed in the Chicken Pot-Pie. Broil the meat ten minutes, after pounding it till the fibres are broken. Cut the meat thin, and put it in layers,
with thin slices of broiled salt pork ; season with butter, the size of a hen's
egg, salt, pepper, (and either wine or catsup, if liked ;) put in water till
it nearly covers the meat, and dredge in considerable flour ; cover it with
the paste, and bake it an hour and a half, if quite thick. Cold meats
are good cooked over in this way. Cut a slit in the centre of the cover.
Chicken-Pie.—Joint and boil two chickens in salted water, just enough
to cover them, and simmer slowly for half an hour. Line a dish with potato crust, as directed in the recipe for pot-pie ; then, when cold, put the
chicken in layers, with thin slices of broiled pork, butter, the size of a
goose egg, cut in small pieces. Put in enough of liquor, in which t h e
meat was boiled, to reach the surface; salt and pepper each layer ; dredge
in a little flour, and cover all with a light, thick crust. Ornament the
top with the crust, and bake about one hour in a hot oven. Make a small
slit in the centre of the crust. If it begins to scorch, lay a paper over a
short time.
Rice Chicken-Pie.—Line a pudding-dish with slices of broiled ham ;
cut up a boiled chicken, and nearly fill the dish, filling in with gravy or
melted butter ; add minced onions, if you like, or a little curry powder.
Then pile boiled rice to fill all interstices, and cover the top quite thick.
Bake it for half or three quarters of an hour.
ROAST
AND BAKED
MEATS.
467
Potato-Pie,—Take mashed potatoes, seasoned with salt, butter, and
milk, and line a baking-dish. Lay upon it slices of cold meats of any
kind, with salt, pepper, catsup, and butter or gravy. Put on another
layer of potatoes, and then another of cold meat, as before. Lastly, on
the top put a cover of potatoes.
Bake it till it is thoroughly warmed through, and serve it in the dish
in which it is baked, setting it in or upon another.
Calf's Head.—Take out the brains and boil the head, feet, and lights
in salted water, just enough to cover them, about two hours. When they
have boiled nearly an hour and a half, tie the brains in a cloth and put
them in to boil with the rest. They should be skinned, and soaked half
an hour in cold water. When the two hours have expired, take up the
whole, mash the brains fine, and season them with bread-crumbs, pep*
per, salt, and a glass of port or claret, and use them for sauce. Let the
liquor remain for a soup the next day. It serves more handsomely to re.
move all the bones. Serve with a gravy of drawn butter.
VIII.
BROILED AND F R I E D MEATS AND RELISHES.
Broiled Mutton or Lamb Chops.—Cut off and the skinny part, which
only turns black and can not be eaten. Put a little pepper and salt on
each one, and broil by a quick fire. Mutton chops should be rare.
Broiled Beefsteak.—Have the steak cut three quarters of an inch to
an inch in thickness. The sirloin and porter-house are the best. The
art of cooking steak will depend on a good fire and turning often after it
begins to drip. When done, lay it on a hot platter, season with butter,
pepper, and salt; cover with another hot platter, and send to the table.
Use beef-tongs, as pricking lets out the juices. Slow cooking and much
cooking spoils a steak.
Broiled Fresh Pork.—Cut in thin slices, broil quickly and very tho,
roughly; then season with salt, pepper, and powdered sage.
Broiled Ham.—Cut in thin slices, and soak fifteen minutes in hot
water. Pour off this and soak again as long. Wipe dry and broil over a
quick fire, and then pepper it. Ham that is already cooked rare is best
for broiling.
Broiled Sweetbreads.—The best way to cook sweetbreads is to broil
them t h u s : Parboil them, and then put them on a clean gridiron for
broiling. When delicately browned, take them off and roll in melted
butter on a plate to prevent their being dry and hard. Some cook them
on a griddle well buttered, turning frequently; and some put narrow
strips of fat salt pork on them while cooking.
Broiled Veal.—Cut it thin, and put thin slices of salt pork on the top
after it is laid on the gridiron, and broil both together. When turning,
put the pork again on the top. When the veal is thoroughly cooked,
brown the pork a little by itself, while the veal stands on a hot dish.
A good Pork Relish.—Broil thin slices of fresh pork, first pouring ou
boiling water to lessen saltness. Cut them in small mouthfuls, and add
butter, pepper, and salt.
F R I E D MEATS AND RELISHES.
The most slovenly and unhealthful mode of cooking is frying, as it usually is done. If the fat is very hot, and the
BROILED
AND FRIED
MEATS
AND RELISHES,
469
articles are put in and taken out exactly at the right time, it is
well enough. But fried fat. is hard to digest, and most fried
food is soaked with it, so that only a strong stomach can digest
it. Almost every thing t h a t is fried might be better cooked
on a griddle slightly oiled. A griddle should always be oiled
only just enough to keep from sticking. I t is best to fry in
lard not salted, and this is better than butter. Mutton and
beef suet are good for frying. W h e n the lard seems hot, t r y
it b y throwing in a bit of bread. W h e n taking up fried articles, drain off the fat on a wire sieve.
A nice Way of Cooking Calf's or Pig's Liver.—-Cut in slices half an
inch thick, pcur on boiling water, and then pour it off entirely ; then let
the liver brown in its own juices, turning it till it looks brown on both
sides. Take it up, and pour into the frying-pan enough cold water to
make as much gravy as you wish; then sliver in a very little onion ; add a
little salt and nutmeg, and a bit of butter to season i t ; let it boil up once,
then put back the liver for a minute longer.
Beef Liver.—Cut it in slices half an inch thick, pour boiling water
on it, broil it with thin slices of pork dipped in flour, cut it in mouthfuls, and heat it with butter, pepper, and salt for three or four minutes.
E g g Omelet.—Beat the yolks of six eggs, and add a cup of milk, half
a tea-spoonful of salt, and a pinch of pepper. Pour into hot fat, and cook
till just stiiFened. Turn it on to a platter brown side uppermost. Some
add minced cooked ham, or cold meat chopped and salted. Others put in
chopped cauliflower or asparagus cooked and cold.
Frizzled Beef.—Sliver smoked beef, pour on boiling water to freshen
it, then pour off the water, and frizzle the beef in butter.
Teal Cheese.—Prepare equal quantities of sliced boiled veal and
boiled smoked tongue, or ham sliced. Pound each separately in a mortar, moistening with butter as you proceed. Then take a stone jar, or
tin can, and mix theni in it, so that it will, when cut, look mottled and
variegated. Press it hard, and pour on melted butter. Keep it covered
in a dry place. To be used at tea in slices.
A Codfish Belish.—Take thin slivers of codfish, lay them on hot coals,
and when done to a yellowish brown, set them on the table.
Another Way.—Sliver the codfish fine, pour on boiling water, drain it
off, and add butter and a very little pepper, and heat them three or four
minutes, but do not let them fry.
Salt Herrings.—Heat them on a gridiron, remove the skin, and then
set them on the table.
IX.
PICKLES.
Do not keep pickles in common earthenware, as the glazing
contains lead, and combines with the vinegar.
Vinegar for pickling should be sharp, but not the sharpest
kind, as it injures the pickles. Wine or cider vinegar is reliable. Much manufactured vinegar is sold that ruins pickles
and is unhealthful. If you use copper, bell-metal, or brass vessels for pickling, never allow the vinegar to cool in them, as it
then is poisonous. Add a table-spoonful of alum and a teacup of salt to each three gallons of vinegar, and tie up a bag
with pepper, ginger-root, and spices of all sorts in it, and you
have vinegar prepared for any kind of common pickling, and
in many cases all that is needed is to throw the fruit in and
keep it in till wanted.
Keep pickles only in wood, or stone-ware.
Any thing that has held grease will spoil pickles.
Stir pickles occasionally, and if there are soft ones, take
them out, scald the vinegar, and pour it hot over the pickles.
Keep enough vinegar to cover them well. If it is weak, take
fresh vinegar, and pour on hot. Do not boil vinegar or spice
over five minutes.
Sweet Pickles, (a great favorite.)—One pound of sugar, one quart of
vinegar, two pounds of fruit. Boil fifteen minutes, skim well, put in the
fruit and let it boil till half cooked. For peaches, flavor with cinnamon
and mace ; for plums and all dark fruit, use allspice and cloves.
To pickle Tomatoes.—As you gather them, leave an inch or more of
stem ; throw them into cold vinegar. When you have enough, take them
out, and scald some spices, tied in a bag, in good vinegar; add a little
sugar, and pour it hot over them.
To pickle Peaches.—Take ripe but hard peaches, wipe off the down,
PICKLES.
471
stick a few cloves into them, and lay them in cold spiced vinegar. In
three months, they will be sufficiently pickled, and also retain much of
their natural flavor.
To pickle Peppers.—Take green peppers, take the seeds out carefully
so as not to mangle them, soak them nine days in salt and water, changing it every day, and keep them in a warm place. Stuff them with chopped cabbage, seasoned with cloves, cinnamon, and mace ; put them in cold
spiced vinegar.
To pickle Ifasturtions.—Soak them three days in salt and water as
you collect them, changing it once in three days; and when you have
enough, pour off the brine, and pour on scalding hot vinegar.
To pickle Onions.—Peel, and boil in milk and water ten minutes,
drain off the milk and water, and pour scalding spiced vinegar on to
them.
To pickle Gherkins.—Keep them in strong brine till they are yellow,
then take them out and turn on hot spiced vinegar, and keep them in it,
in a warm place, till they turn green. Then turn off the vinegar, and
add a fresh supply of hot, spiced vinegar.
To pickle Mushrooms.—Stew them in salted water, just enough to
keep them from sticking. When tender, pour off the water, and pour on
hot spiced vinegar. Then cork them tight, if you wish to keep them
long. Poison ones will turn black if an onion is stewed with them, and
then all must be thrown away.
To pickle Cucumbers.—Wash the cucumbers in cold water, being
careful not to bruise or break them. Make a brine of rock or blown salt
(rock is the best,) strong enough to bear up an egg or potato, and of
sufficient quantity to cover the cucumbers.
Put them into an oaken tub, or stone-ware jar, and pour the brine over
them. In twenty-four hours, they should be stirred up from the bottom
with the hand. The third day pour off the brine, scald it, and pour it
over the cucumbers. Let them stand in the brine nine days, scalding
it every third day, as described above. Then take the cucumbers into a
tub, rinse them in cold water, and if they are too salt, let them stand in it
a few hours. Drain them from the water, put them back into the tub or
jar, which must be washed clean from the brine. Scald vinegar sufficient
to cover them, and pour it upon them. Cover them tight, and in a week
they will be ready for use. If spice is wanted, it may be tied in a linen
cloth and put into the jar with the pickles, or scalded with the vinegar,
and the bag thrown into the pickle-jar. If a white scum rises, take it
off and scald the vinegar, and pour it back. A small lump of alum added
to the vinegar improves the hardness of the cucumbers.
472
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
Pickled Walnuts.—Take a hundred nuts, an ounce of cloves, an ounce
of allspice, an ounce of nutmeg, an ounce of whole pepper, an ounce of
race ginger, an ounce of horse-radish, half pint of mustard-seed, and four
cloves of garlic, tied in a bag.
Wipe the nuts, prick with a pin, and put them in a pot, sprinkling the
spice as you lay them i n ; then' add two table-spoonfuls of salt; boil
sufficient vinegar to fill the pot, and pour it over the nuts and spice.
Cover the jar close, and keep it for a year, when the pickles will be ready
for use.
Butternuts may be made in the same manner, if they are taken when
preen, and soft enough to be stuck through with the head of a pin. Put
them for a week or two in weak brine, changing it occasionally. Before
putting in the brine, rub them about with a broom in brine, to cleanse
the skins. Then proceed as for the walnuts.
The vinegar makes an excellent catsup.
Mangoes.—Take the latest growth of young muskmelons, cut out a
small piece from one side and empty them. Scrape the outside smooth,
and soak them four days in strong salt and water. If you wish to green
them, put vine leaves over and under, with bits of alum, and steam them
awhile. Then powder cloves, pepper, and nutmeg in equal portions, and
sprinkle on the inside, and fill them with strips of horse-radish, small bits
of calamus, bits of cinnamon and mace, a clove or two, a very small onion,
nasturtions, and then American mustard-seed to fill the crevices. Put
back the piece cut out, and sew it on, and then sew the mango in cotton
cloth. Lay all in a stone jar, the cut side upward.
Boil sharp vinegar a few minutes with half a tea-cup of salt, and a
table-spoonful of alum to three gallons of vinegar, and turn it on to the
melons. Keep dried barberries for garnishes, and when you use them,
turn a little of the above vinegar of the mangoes heated boiling hot
on to them, and let them swell a few hours. Sliced and salted cabbage
with this vinegar poured on hot is very good.
Fine pickled Cabbage,—Shred red and white cabbage, spread it in
layers in a stone jar, with salt over each layer. Put two spoonfuls of
whole black pepper, and the same quantity of allspice, cloves, and cinnamon, in a bag, and scald them in two quarts of vinegar, and pour the
vinegar over the cabbage, and cover it tight. Use it in two days after.
An excellent Way of preparing Tomatoes to eat with Meat.—Peel
and slice ripe tomatoes, sprinkling on a little salt as you proceed.
Drain off the j uice, and pour on hot spiced vinegar.
To pickle Martinoes.—Gather them when you can run a pin-head into
them, and after wiping them, keep them ten days in weak brine, changing it every other day. Then wipe them, and pour over boiling spiced
vinegar. In four weeks, they will be ready for use. It is a fine pickle.
PICKLES.
473
A convenient Way to pickle Cucumbers.—Put some spiced vinegar
in a jar, with a little salt in it. Every time you gather a mess, pour
boiling vinegar on them, with a little alum in it. Then put them in the
spiced vinegar. Keep the same vinegar for scalding all. When you have
enough, take all from the spiced vinegar, and scald in the alum vinegar
two or three minutes, till green, ai*d then put them back in the spiced
vinegar.
Indiana Pickles,—Take green tomatoes, and slice them. Put them in
a basket to drain in layers, with salt scattered over them, say a tea-cupful to each gallon. Next day, slice one quarter the quantity of onions,
and lay the onions and tomatoes in alternate layers in ajar, with spice
intervening. Then fill the jar with cold vinegar. Tomatoes picked as
they ripen, and j ust thrown into cold spiced vinegar, are a fine pickle,
and made with very little trouble.
To pickle Cauliflower, or Broccoli.—Keep them twenty four hours in
strong brine, and then take them out and heat the brine, and pour it on
scalding hot, and let them stand till next day Drain them, and throw
them into spiced vinegar.
SAUCES ATsTD SALADS.
S U C C E S S in p r e p a r i n g s a v o r y m e a t s a n d s a l a d s d e p e n d s
g r e a t l y o n t h e different s a u c e s , a n d t h e s e d e m a n d e x t r a
care in p r e p a r a t i o n a n d in flavoring. T h e f o l l o w i n g is a s a u c e
t h a t is a g r e a t favorite, a n d serves f o r s o m e m e a t s , f o r fish,
for m a c a r o n i , a n d for some s a l a d s :
Milk and E g g Sauce, (excellent.)—Take eight table-spoonfuls of
butter and mix it with a table-spoonful of flour, add a pint of milk and
heat it, stirring constantly till it thickens a little. Then beat the yelk of
an egg in a table-spoonful of water and mix it well with the sauce, taking care that it does not boil, but only be very hot. For fish, add to
the above a table-spoonful of vinegar or lemon-juice and a little of the
peel grated. Some add parsley chopped ; and for boiled fowls, add chopped oysters. Fine bread-crumbs are better than flour for thickening. For
macaroni, make in the dish alternate layers with that and grated cheese,
and then pour on this sauce before baking, and it is very fine. Some
omit the cheese..
Drawn Butter.—Take six table-spoonfuls of butter, half a tea-spoonful of salt, two tea-spoonfuls of flour or of fine bread-crumbs worked into
the butter, and one tea-cup of hot water. Heat very hot, but do not let it
boil. Two hard-boiled and chopped eggs improve it much. For fish,
add a table-spoonful of vinegar and chopped capers or green nasturtion
seeds.
Mint Sauce for Roast Lamb.—Chop three table-spoonfuls of green
mint, and add a heaping table-spoonful of sugar and half a coffee-cup of
vinegar. Stir them while heating, and cool before using.
Cranberry Sauce.—Wash well and put a tea-cup of water to every
quart of cranberries. Let them stew about an hour and a half, then take
up and sweeten abundantly. Some strain them through a colander, then
sweeten largely and then put into moulds. To be eaten with fowls.
Apple Sauce.—Core and slice the best apples you can get, cook till
soft, then add sugar and a little butter. Serve it with fresh pork and
veal.
GRAVIES,
SAUCES,
AND SALADS.
475
Walnut or Butternut Catsup.—Gather the nuts when they can be
pierced with a pin. Beat them to a soft pulp and let them lie for two
weeks in quite salt water, say a small handful of salt to every twenty, and
water enough to cover them. Drain off this liquor, and pour on a pint
of boiling vinegar and mix with the nuts, and then strain it out. To
each quart of this liquor put three table-spoonfuls of pepper, one of ginger, two spoonfuls of powdered cloves, and three spoonfuls of grated nutmeg. Boil an hour and bottle when cold. See that the spice is equally
mixed. Do not use mushroom catsup, as the above is as good and not
so dangerous.
Mock Capers.—Dry the green but full-grown nasturtion seeds for a day
in the sun, then put them in jars and pour on spiced vinegar. These are
good for fish sauce, in drawn butter.
Salad Dressing'.—Mash fine two boiled potatoes, and add a tea-spoonful of mustard, two of salt, four of sweet-oil, three of sharp vinegar, and
the yelks of two well-boiled eggs rubbed fine. Mix first the egg and
potatoes, add the mustard and salt, and gradually mix in the oil, stirring
vigorously the while. Stir in the vinegar last. Melted butter may be
used in place of sweet-oil. The more a salad dressing is stirred, the better it will be.
Turkey or Chicken Salad, also a Lettuce Salad.—Take one quarter
chopped meat (the white meat of the fowl is the best for this purpose)
and three quarters chopped celery, well mixed, and pour over it a sauce
containing the yelks of two hard-boiled eggs chopped, a tea-spoonful of
salt, half a salt-spoonful of black pepper, half a tea-spoonful of mustard,
three tea-spoonfuls of sugar, half a tea-cupful of vinegar, and three teaspoonfuls of sweet-oil or of melted butter. Mix the salt, pepper, sugar,
and mustard thoroughly, whip a raw egg and add slowly, stir in the
sweet-oil or melted butter, mixing it well and very slowly, and lastly add
the vinegar. Garnish with rings of whites of eggs boiled hard. Chopped pickles may be added and white cabbage in place of the celery.
Tomato Catsup.—Boil a peck of tomatoes, strain through a colander,"
and then add four great-spoonfuls of salt, one of pounded mace, half a
table,-spoonful of black pepper, a table-spoonful of powdered cloves, two
table-spoonfuls of ground mustard, and a table-spoonful of celery seed tied
in a muslin rag. Mix all and boil five or six hours, stirring frequently
and constantly the last hour. Let it cool in a stone jar, take out the
celery seed, add a pint of vinegar, bottle it and keep it in a dark, cool
place.
XL
FISH.
Stewed Oysters.—Strain off all the oyster liquor, and then add half as
much water as you have oysters. Some of the best housekeepers say
this is better than using the liquor. Add a salt-spoonful of salt for each
pint of oysters, and half as much pepper ; and when they begin to simmer,
add half a small tea-cup of milk for each pint of oysters. When the
edges begin to " ruffle," add some butter, and do not let them stand, but
serve immediately. Oysters should not simmer more than five minutes
in the whole. When cooked too long, they become hard, dark, and tasteless.
Fried Oysters.—Lay them on a cloth to absorb the liquor; then
dip first in beaten egg, and afterward in powdered cracker, and fry
in hot lard or butter to a light brown. If fresh lard is used, put in a
little salt. Cook quickly in very hot fat, or they will absorb too much
grease.
' Oyster Fritters.—Drain off the liquor, and to each pint of oysters
take a pint of milk, a salt-spoonful of salt, half as much pepper, and
flour enough for a thin batter. Chop the oysters and stir in, and then
fry in hot lard, a little salted, or in butter. Drop in one spoonful at a time.
Some make the batter thicker so as to put in one oyster at a time
surrounded by the batter.
Scalloped Oysters.—Make alternate layers of oysters and crushed
crackers wet with oyster liquor, and milk warmed. Sprinkle each layer
with salt and pepper, (some add a very little nutmeg or cloves;) let the
top and bottom layer be crackers. Put bits of butter on the top, pour on
some milk with a beaten egg in it, and bake half an hour.
Broiled Oysters.—Dip in fine cracker crumbs, broil very quick, and
put a small bit of butter on each when ready to serve.
Oyster Omelet, (very fine.)—Take twelve large oysters chopped fine.
Mix the beaten yelks of six eggs into a tea-cupful of milk, and add the
oysters. Then put in a spoonful of melted butter, and lastly add the
whites of the eggs beaten to a stiff froth. Fry this in hot butter or
salted lard, and do not stir it while cooking. Slip a knife around the
edges while cooking, that the centre may cook equally, and turn it out
so that the brown side be uppermost.
FISH.
477
Pickled Oysters.—Take for fifty large oysters half a pint of vinegar,
six blades of mace, twelve black pepper-corns, and twelve whole cloves.
Heat the oysters with the liquor, but not to boil; take out the oysters,
and then put the vinegar and spices into the liquor, boil it, and when the
oysters are nearly cold, pour on the mixture scalding hot. Next day cork
the oysters tight in glass jars, and keep them in a dark and cool place.
Vinegar is sometimes made of sulphuric or pyroligneous acid, and this
destroys the pickles. Use cider or wine vinegar.
Roast Oysters.—Put oysters in the shell, after washing them, upon
the coals so that the flat side is uppermost, to save the liquor ; and take
them up when they begin to gape a little.
Scallops.—Dip them in beaten egg and cracker crumbs, and fry or
stew them like oysters.
Clams.—Wash them and roast them ; or stew or fry them like oysters;
or make omelets or fritters by the recipe for oysters.
Clam Chowder.—Make alternate layers of crackers wet in milk, and
clams with their liquor, and thin slices of fried salt pork. Season with
black pepper and salt. Boil three quarters of an hour. Put this into a
tureen, having drained off some liquor which is to be thickened with
flour or pounded crackers, seasoned with catsup and wine, and then
poured into the tureen. Serve with pickles.
Boiled Fisll.—Wrap in a cloth wet with vinegar, floured inside. Boil
in cold salted water till the bones will slip out easily ; drain and serve
with egg sauce, or drawn butter, or a sauce of milk, butter, and egg.
Try boiling fish with a fork, and if that goes in easily, it probably is done.
Broiled Fish.—Split BO that the backbone is in the middle ; sprinkle
with salt; lay the inside down at first till it begins to brown, then turn
and broil the other side. Dress with butter, pepper, and salt. It is best
to take out the backbone.
Baked Fish.—Wash and wipe, and rub with salt and pepper outside
and inside. Set it on a grate over a baking-pan, and baste with butter
and the drippings; if it browns too fast, cover with white paper. Thicken
the gravy, and season to the taste, using lemon-juice or tomato catsup.
Some put in wine.
Pickle for cold Fish.—To two quarts of vinegar add a pint of the
liquor in which the fish was boiled, a dozen black pepper-corns, a dozen
cloves, three sticks of cinnamon, and a tea-spoonful of mustard. Let
them boil up, and then skim so as not to take out the spice.
Cut the fish into inch squares, and when the liquor boils, put them into
it till just heated through. Pack tight in a glass jar, and then pour on
the pickle; cook it till air-tight. This will keep a long time. It is a
great convenience for a supper relish.
XII.
VEGETABLES.
FRESH-GATHERED vegetables are much the best. Soaking in
cold water improves all. Always boil in salted water, a teaspoonful for each quart of water. Do not let them stop boiling, or they will thus become watery.
POTATOES.
The excellence of potatoes depends greatly on the species and
on the age. Much also depends on the cooking, and here there
are diversities of modes and opinions. Peeling potatoes before cooking saves labor at the time of taking up dinner, which
is a matter of consequence. They should, after peeling, soak
an hour in cold water; then boil them in salted water, putting
them in when the water boils. Have them equal in size, that all
may be done alike. Try with a fork, and when tender drain off
the water, sprinkle on a little fine salt, a n d set them in the oven,
or keep them hot in the pot till wanted.
Some boil with skins o n ; in this case, pare off a small ring,
or cut off a little at each end for the water within to escape,
as this makes them more mealy.
Some make a wire basket and put in the potatoes peeled and
of equal size; and when done, take them up and set in the
oven a short time. This is the surest and easiest method.
Old potatoes should be boiled in salted water, then mashed
with salt, pepper, and cream or butter.
N e w potatoes boil in salted water, and rub off the tender
skins with a coarse towel.
A good Way for old Potatoes.—Peel and soak in cold water half an
hour, then slice them into salted water that is boiling ; when soft, pour
off the water, add cream, or milk and butter, with salt and pepper, also
dredge in a very little flour.
VEGETABLES.
479
Another way is to chop the cold boiled potatoes, and then mix in milk,
butter, salt, and pepper.
Some cold potatoes are nice cooked on a gridiron. A favorite relish for
supper is cold potatoes sliced and dressed with a salad dressing of boiled
eggs, salt, mustard, oil and vinegar.
Cold Potato Puffs.—Take cold mashed or chopped potatoes and stir
in milk and melted butter. Beat two eggs and mix, and then bake till
browned. It is very nice, and the children love it as well as their elders.
This may be baked in patties for a pretty variety.
To cook Sweet Potatoes.—The best way is to parboil with the skins
on, and then bake in a stove oven.
Green Corn.—Husk i t ; boil in salted water, and
cut off the corn and season it with butter or cream
If green corn is to be roasted, open it and take off the
with husks on, buried in hot ashes; or if before the
eat from the cob ; or
and salt and pepper.
silk, and then cook it
fire, turn it often.
Succotash.—Boil white beans by themselves. Cut the corn from the
cob and let the cobs boil ten minutes, then take them out and put in the
corn. Have only just water enough to cover the corn when cut. If there
is more than a tea-cupful when the corn is boiled about half an hour,
lessen it to that quantity, and add as much milk, and let the boiling continue till, on trial, the corn is soft, and then stir in a table-spoonful of flour wet in cold water. Then let it boil three or four minutes,
take up the corn, and add the beans, with butter, pepper, and salt. Have
twice as much corn as beans. Some use string-beans cut up.
If you have boiled corn left on the cob, cut it off for breakfast, and add
milk and eggs, salt and pepper, and bake it. Some say this is the best
way of all to cook sweet corn.
Salsify, or Oyster Plant.—Scrape, cut into inch pieces, and throw into
cold water awhile; put into salted boiling water, j ust enough to cover
them, and when tender turn off the water and add milk, butter, salt, and
pepper, and thicken with a very little flour ; then serve. Or, mash fine,
and add a beaten egg and a little flour; make round, flat cakes, and cook
on a griddle.
Egg1 Plant.—Cut into slices an inch thick and peel. Lay these in
salted water an hour; then dip into egg, and rub in bread or crackercrumbs, and cook on a griddle.
Carrots.—Boil in salted water till tender, take off the skin, slice and
butter them. They are improved by cooking in broth. Some add chopped onion and parsley.
480
THE HOUSEKEEPERS
31 AN UAL.
Beets.—Wash, but do not cut them before boiling; boil till tender,
take off the skin, slice and season with salt, pepper, vinegar, and melted
butter. If any are left, slice them into vinegar, for a pickle.
Parsnips.—Boil in salted water, take off the skins, cut in slices lengthwise, and season with salt, pepper, and butter. When cold, chop fine,
add salt, pepper, egg, and flour, make small cakes, and cook on a
griddle.
Pumpkin and Squash.—Cut in slices, boil in salted water till tender,
drain, and season with salt, pepper, and butter. Baked pumpkin, cut in
slices, is very good.
Celery.—Cut off th
water till wanted.
oots and green leaves, wash, and keep in cold
Radishes.—Wash, cut off tops, and lay in cold water till wanted.
Onions.—Many can not eat onions without consequent discomfort;
though to most others they are a healthful and desirable vegetable. The
disagreeable effect on the breath, it is said, may be prevented by afterward chewing and swallowing three or four roasted coffee-beans. Those
who indulge in this vegetable should, as a matter of politeness and benevolence, try this precaution.
The best way to cook onions is to peel, cut off top and tail, put in cold
water for a while, and then into boiling salted water. When nearly done,
pour off the water, except a little, then add milk, butter, pepper, and salt.
When onions are old and strong, boil in two or three waters; have eacli
time boiling water.
Tomatoes.—Pour on scalding water, then remove the skins, cut them
up, and boil about half an hour. Add salt, butter or cream, and sugar.
Adding green corn cut from the cob is a good variety. Some use pounded or grated stale bread-crumbs to thicken. Some slice without peeling,
broil on a gridiron, and then season with pepper, salt, and butter. Some
peel, slice, and put in layers, with seasoning and bread-crumbs between,
and bake in an oven. If eaten raw, the skins should be removed by a
knife, as scalding lessens flavor and crispness. Ice improves them much.
The acid is so sharp that many are inj ured by eating too many.
Cucumbers.—Peel and slice into cold water, and in half an hour drain
and season with salt, pepper, and vinegar. Some slice them quarter
of an inch thick into boiling water, enough to cover them, and in fifteen
minutes drain through a colander, and season with butter, salt, pepper*
and vineg
Cabbage and Cauliflower.—Take < the outer leaves and look foi
.
any insects to be removed, and let it stand in cold water awhile.
VEGETABLES.
481
Tt should be cut twice transversely through the hardest part, that
all may cook alike. It is more delicate if boiled awhile in one water
then changed to another boiling hot water, in the same or another
vessel. If you are cooking corned beef, use for the second water some
of the meat liquor, and it improves the flavor. Drain it through a
colander. Some chop the cabbage before serving, and add butter,
salt, pepper, and vinegar. Others omit the vinegar, and add two beaten
eggs and a little milk, then bake it like a pudding. This is the favorite mode in some families. Cauliflower is to be treated like cabbage.
Asparagus.—The best way to cook it is to cut it into inch pieces, leave
out the hardest parts, boil in salted water, drain with a colander, and
add pepper, salt, melted butter or cream, when taken up. Some beat up
eggs and add to this, stir till hardened a little, and then serve.
Macaroni.—Break into inch pieces and put into salted boiling water,
and stew till soft—say twenty minutes. Drain it and put it in layers in
a pudding-dish, with grated cheese between each layer. Add a little
salted milk or cream, and bake about half an hour. Many can not eat
this with cheese. In this case it is better to pour cold soup or gravy upon
it, and bake without cheese.
XIII.
FAMILY BREAD.
T H E most important article of food is good family bread,
and the most healthful kind of bread is that made of coarse
flour and raised with yeast. All that is written against the
healthfulness of yeast is owing to sheer ignorance, as the most
learned physicians and chemists will affirm.
Certain recent writers on hygiene are ultra and indiscriminating in regard to the use of unbolted flour. The simple facts
about it are these: Every kernel of wheat contains nutriment
for different parts of the body, and in about the right proportions. Thus, the outside part contains that which nourishes
the bones, teeth, hair, nails, and the muscles. The germ, or
eye, contains what nourishes the brain and nerves; and the
central part (of which fine flour is chiefly made) consists of
that which forms fat, and furnishes fuel to produce animal
heat, while in gentle combustion it unites with oxygen in the
capillaries. W h e n first ground, the flour contains all the ingredients as in the kernel. The first bolting alters the proportions
but very little, forming what is called middlings.
The second
bolting increases the carbonaceous proportion, making fine
flour. The third bolting makes the superfine flour, and removes nearly all, except the carbonaceous portion, which is
fitted only to form fat and generate animal heat. N o animal
could live on superfine flour alone but for a short time, as has
been proved by experiments on dogs.
But meats, vegetables, fruit, eggs, milk, and several other
articles in family diet contain the same elements as wheat,
though in different proportions; so that it is only an exclusive
use of fine flour that is positively dangerous. Still there is no
doubt that a large portion of young children using white bread
FAMILY
BREAD.
483
for common food, especially if butter, sugar, and molasses are
added, have their teeth, bones, and muscles not properly
nourished. And it is a most unwise, uneconomical, and unhealthful practice to use flour deprived of its most important
elements because it is white and is fashionable. It would be
much cheaper, as well as more healthful, to use the middlings,
instead of fine or superfine flour. It would be still better to
use unbolted flour, except where delicate stomachs can not bear
it, and in that case the middlings would serve nearly as well for
nutrition and give no trouble.
Some suppose that bread wet with milk is better than if wet
with water, in the making. Many experienced housekeepers
say that a little butter or lard in warm water makes bread
that looks and tastes exactly like that wet with milk, and
that it does not spoil so soon.
Experienced housekeepers say also that bread, if thoroughly
kneaded, may be put in the pans, and then baked as soon as
light enough, without the second or third kneading, which is
often practiced. This saves care and trouble, especially in
training new cooks, who thus have only one chance to make
mistakes, instead of two or three.
It is not well to use yeast powders instead of yeast, because
it is a daily taking of medicinal articles not needed, and often
injurious. Cream tartar is supertartrate of potash, and soda
is a supercarbonate of soda. These two, when united in dough,
form tartrate of potash, tartrate of soda, and carbonate of
soda; while some one of the three tends to act chemically and
injuriously on the digestive fluids. Professor Hosford's method
is objectionable for the same reason, especially when his medical articles are mixed with flour; for thus poor flour is sold
more readily than in ordinary cases. These statements the
best-informed medical men and chemists will verify.
Flour loses its sweetness by keeping, and this is the reason
why sugar is put in the recipes for bread. The best kind of
flour, when new and fresh ground, has eight per cent of s u g a r ;
and when such flour is used, the sugar may be omitted.
Some people make bread by mixing it so that it can be
stirred with a spoon. But the nicest kind of bread can be
made only with a good deal of kneading.
484
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
RECIPES FOR YEAST AOT) BREAD.
The best yeast is brewers' or distillery, as this raises bread
much sooner than home-brewed. The following is the best
kind of home-made yeast, and will keep good two or three
weeks:
Hop and Potato Yeast.—Pare and slice five large potatoes, and boil
them in one quart of water with a large handful of common hops, (or a
square inch of pressed hops,) tied in a muslin rag. When soft, take
out the hops and press the potatoes through a colander, and add a small
cup of white sugar, a tea-spoonful of ginger, two tea-spoonfuls of salt, and
two tea-cups of common yeast, or half as much distillery. Add the yeast
when the rest is only blood-warm. White sugar keeps better than brown,
and the salt and ginger help to preserve the yeast.
Do not boil in iron or use an iron spoon, as it colors the yeast. Keep
yeast in a stone or earthenware jar, with a plate fitting well to the rim.
This is better than a jug, as easier to fill and to cleanse. Scald the jar
before making new yeast.
The rule for quantity is, one table-spoonful of brewers' or distillery
yeast to every quart of flour ; or twice as much home-made yeast.
Potato Yeast is made by the above rule, omitting the hops. It can be
used in large quantities without giving a bitter taste, and so raises bread
sooner. But it has to be renewed much oftener than hop yeast, and
the bread loses the flavor of hop yeast.
Hard Yeast is made with home-brewed yeast, (not brewers' or distillery,) thickened with Jndian meal and fine flour in equal parts, and then
made into cakes an inch thick and three inches by two in size, dried in
the wind but not in the sun. Keep them tied in a bag in a dry, cool
place, where they will not freeze. One cake soaked in a pint of warm
water, (not hot,) is enough for four quarts of flour. It is a good plan to
work in mashed potatoes into this yeast, and let it rise well before using
it. This makes the nicest bread. Some housekeepers say pour boiling
water on one third of the flour, and then mix the rest in immediately, and
it has the same effect as using potatoes.
When there is no yeast to start with, it can be made with one pint of
new milk, one tea-spoonful of fine salt, and a table-spoonful of flour.
When it is worked, use twice as much as common yeast. This is called
Milk Yeast or Salt Risings, and bread made of it is poor, and soon spoils.
When yeast ceases to look foamy, and becomes watery, with sediment
at the bottom, it must be renewed. When good, the smell is pungent,
but not sour. If sour, nothing can restore it.
Bread of Fine Flour,—Take four quarts of sifted flour, one quart of
lukewarm water, in which are dissolved two tea-spoonfuls of salt, two tea-
FA3IILY
BREAD.
4S5
spoonfuls of sugar, a table-spoonful of melted butter, and one cup of
yeast. Mix and knead very thoroughly, and have it as soft as can be
molded, using as little flour as possible. Make it into small loaves, put
it in buttered pans, prick it with a fork, and when light enough to crack
on the top, bake it. Nothing but experience will show when bread is just
at the right point of lightness.
If bread rises too long, it becomes sour. This is discovered by making
a sudden opening and applying the nose,, and the sourness will be noticed
as different from the odor of proper lightness. Practice is needed in this.
If bread is light too soon for the oven, knead it awhile, and set it in a cool
place. Sour bread can be remedied somewhat by working in soda dissolved in water—about half a tea-spoonful for each quart of flour. Many
spoil bread by too much flour, others by not kneading- enough, and others
by allowing it to rise too much.
The goodness of bread depends on the quality of the flour. Some flour
will not make good bread in any way. New and good flour has a yellowish tinge, and when pressed in the hand is adhesive. Poor flour is
dry, and will not retain form when pressed. Poor flour is bad economy*
for it does not make as nutritious bread as does good flour.
Bread made with milk sometimes causes indigestion to invalids and to
children with weak digestion.
Take loaves out of the pans, and set them sidewise, and not flat, on a
table. Wrapping in a cloth makes the bread clammy.
Bread is better in small loaves. Let your pans be of tin, (or better, of
iron,) eight inches long, three inches high, three inches wide at the
bottom, and flaring so as to be four inches wide at the top. This size
makes more tender crust, and cuts more neatly than larger loaves.
Oil the pans with a swab and sweet butter or lard. They should be
well washed and dried, or black and rancid oil will gather.
All these kinds of bread can be baked in biscuit-form ; and, by adding
water and eggs, made into griddle-cakes. Bread having potatoes in it
keeps moist longest, but turns sour soonest.
Bread of Middlings or Unbolted Flour.—Take four quarts of coarse
flour, one quart of warm water, one cup of yeast, two tea-spoonfuls of salt,
one spoonful of melted lard or butter, two cups of sugar or molasses, and
half a tea-spoonful of soda. Mix thoroughly, and bake in pans the same
as the bread of fine flour. It is better to be kneaded rather than made
soft with a spoon.
Bread raised with Water only.—Many persons like bread made
either of fine or coarse flour and raised with water only. Success in
making this kind depends on the proper quantity of water, quick beating,
the heatiDg of very small pans, and very quick baking. There are cast,
iron patties made for this purpose, and also small, coarse earthen cups.
The following is the rule, but it must be modified by trying;
486
THE HOUSEKEEPER*S
MANUAL.
Recipe.—To one quart of unbolted flour put about one quart, or a little
less, of hot water. Beat it very quickly, put it in hot pans, and bake in a
hot oven. White flour may be used in place of coarse, and the quantity
ascertained by trial. When right, there is after baking little except a
crust, which is sweet and crisp.
Rye and Indian Bread.—The Boston or Eastern Brown Bread is
made thus : One quart of rye, one quart of corn-meal, one cup of molas-.
ses, half a cup of distillery yeast, or twice as much home-brewed ; one
tea-spoonful of soda, and one tea-spoonful of salt. Wet with hot water
till it is stiff as can be stirred with a spoon. This is put in a large brown
pan and baked four or five hours. It is good toasted, and improved by
adding boiled squash.
Third Bread.—This is made with equal parts of rye, corn-meal, and
unbolted flour. To one quart of warm water add one tea-spoonful of
salt, half a cup of distillery or twice as much home-brewed yeast, and half
a cup of molasses, and thicken with equal parts of these three kinds of
flour. It is very good for a variety.
Rye Bread.—Take a quart of warm water, a tea-spoonful of salt, half
a cup of molasses, and a cup of home brewed yeast, or half as much of
distillery. Add flour till you can knead it, and do it very thoroughly.
Oat-Meal Bread.—Oat-meal is sometimes bitter from want of care in
preparing. When good, it makes excellent and healthful bread.
Take one pint of boiling water, one great-spoonful of sweet lard or
butter, two great-spoonfuls of sugar ; melt them together, and thicken
with two thirds oat-meal and one third fine flour. When blood-warm,
add half a cup of home-brewed yeast and two well-beaten eggs. Mold
into small cakes, and bake on buttered tins, or make two loaves.
Pumpkin Bread and Apple Bread.—These are very good for a
variety. Stew and strain pumpkins or apples, and then work in either
corn-meal or unbolted flour, or both. To each quart of the fruit add two
table-spoonfuls of sugar, a pinch of salt, and a cup of home-brewed yeast.
If the apples are quite sour, add more sugar. Make it as stiff as can be
stirred with a spoon, and bake in patties or small loaves. Children like it
for a change.
Corn-Meal Bread.—Always scald corn-meal.
Melt two tablespoonfuls of butter or sweet lard in one quart of hot water; add a
tea-spoonful of salt and a tea-cup of sugar. Thicken with corn-meal,
and one third as much fine flour, or unbolted flour, or middlings. Two
well-beaten eggs improve it. Make it as stiff as can be easily stirred with
a spoon, or, as some would advise, knead it like bread of white flour.
If raised with yeast, put in a tea-cup of home-brewed yeast, or half as
FAMILY
BREAD.
487
mucli of distillery. If raised with powders, mix two tea-spoonfuls of
cream tartar thoroughly with the meal, and one tea-spoonful of soda in
the water.
Sweet Rolls of Corn-Meal.—Mix half corn-meal and half fine or unbolted flour; add a little salt, and then wet it up with sweetened water,
raise it with yeast, and bake in small patties or cups in a very quick oven.
Soda Biscuit.—In one quart of flour mix very thoroughly two teaspoonfuls of cream tartar, and a tea-spoonful of salt. Dissolve in a pint
of warm water one tea-spoonful of soda and one table-spoonful of melted
butter or lard. Mix quickly ; add flour till you can roll, but let it be as
soft as possible. Bake in a quick oven, and as soon as possible after
mixing.
Yeast Biscuit.—Take a pint of raised dough of fine flour ; pick it in
small pieces; add one well-beaten egg, two great-spoonfuls of butter or
lard, and two great-spoonfuls of sugar. Work thoroughly for ten
minutes ; add flour to roll, and then cut in round cakes and bake on tins,
or mold into biscuits. Let them stand till light, and then bake in a
quick oven.
If you have no dough raised, make biscuit as you would bread except
adding more shortening.
Potato Biscuit.—Boil and press through a colander twelve mealy potatoes; any others are not good. While warm, add one cup of butter,
one tea-spoonful of salt, four great-spoonfuls of sugar, and half a cup of
yeast. Mix in white or coarse flour till it can be well kneaded. Mold
into small cakes ; let them stand till light, and bake in a quick oven.
These are the best kind, especially if made of coarse flour.
Buns.—These are best made by the rule for potato biscuit, adding
t wice as much sugar. When done, rub over a mixture of half milk and
half molasses, and it improves looks and taste.
XIV.
BEEAKFAST AND SUPPER.
W H A T shall we have for breakfast to-morrow ? is the constant question of trial to a housekeeper, and it is the aim of
the present chapter to meet this want b y presenting a good
and successive variety of articles healthful, economical, and
easily prepared.
Some of the best housekeepers have taken this method : they
provide a good supply of the following articles, to be nsed in
succession—rice, corn-meal, rye flour, wheat grits, unbolted
wheat, cracked wheat, pearl wheat, oat grits, oat-meal, and
hominy, with which they make a new article for every day in
the week. Some one of these is selected for either a dinner
vegetable or dessert, or for a dish at tea, and the remainder
used for the next morning's breakfast.
The following will indicate the m e t h o d s :
Corn-Meal.—Take four large cups of corn-meal, and scald it. I n all
cases, scald corn-meal before using it. Add half a cup of fine flour, three
table-spoonfuls of sugar or molasses, one tea-spoonful of soda, and one of
salt. Make a batter, and boil an hour or more, stirring often ; or, better,
cook in a tin pail set in boiling water. Use it as mush, with butter,
sugar, and milk for supper. Next morning, thin it with hot water ; add
two or three eggs, and bake either as muffins or griddle-cakes.
Hominy.—Soak and then boil a quart of hominy with two heaping
tea-spoonfuls of salt. Use it for dinner as a vegetable, or for supper with
sugar and milk or cream. Next morning use the remainder, soaked in
water or milk, with two eggs and a salt-spoonful of salt. Bake as muffins
or griddle-cakes, or cut in slices, dipped in flour and fried. Farina may
be used in the same way.
Rice.—Pick over one pint of rice ; add two tea-spoonfuls of salt and
three quarts of boiling water. Then boil fifteen minutes; then uncover ;
let it steam fifteen minutes. This to be used for a vegetable at dinner,
or for a tea dish, with butter and sugar. At night, soak the remainder in
BREAKFAST
AND SUP PEE.
489
as much milk or water, and next morning add as much fine or unbolted
flour as there was rice, three eggs, a tea-spoonful of salt, and half a teaspoonful of soda. Thin with water or milk, and bake as muffins or griddle-cakes.
The most economical Breakfast Dish, Oiealthful also.)—Keep a
jar for remnants of bread, both coarse and fine, for potatoes, remnants of
hominy, rice, grits, cracked wheat, oat-meal, and all other articles used
on table. Add all remnants of milk, whether sour or sweet, and water
enough to soak all, so as to be soft, but not thin. When enough is collected, add enough water to make a batter for griddle-cakes, and put in
enough soda to sweeten it. Add two spoonfuls of sugar, and half a teaspoonful of salt, anc^two eggs for each quart, and you make an excellent
dish of material, most of it usually wasted. Thicken it a little with fine
flour, and it makes fine waffles.
Biscuits of sour Milk and white or unbolted Flour.—One pint
unbolted flour.
One spoonful of sugar.
One tea-spoonful of salt.
Melt a spoonful of butter in a little of the sour milk ; then mix all, and
just before setting in the oven, add very quickly and very thoroughly a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in half a tea-cup of water. This should be done
last and quickly, so that the carbonic acid gas produced by the union of
the soda and the acid of the milk (lactic) may not escape. Use half a teacup of fine flour when molding into biscuits.
P e a r l Wheat, or Cracked Wheat.—Boil one pint in a pail set in
boiling water till quite soft', but so as not to lose its form. Add a teaspoonful of sugar, and as much salt; also water, when needed. It must
boil a long time. Eat a pirt for supper, with sugar and cream, and next
morning add two eggs, a great-spoonful of sugar, and fine flour enough to
make it suitable for muffin-rings or drop-cakes.
Rye and Corn-Meal.—Put into a pint and a half of boiling water one
tea spoonful of salt, two great-spoonfuls of sugar, two well-beaten eggs,
three great-spoonfuls of corn-meal or unbolted wheat. Thicken with rye
flour, and then add two well-beaten eggs. Bake in muffin-rings or as
drop-cakes.
Oat-Meal.—Take one pint of boiling water, and pour it on to one pint
of oat-meal. Add a great-spoonful of butter, half a tea-spoonful of salt,
and two great-spoonfuls of sugar. Stir fast and thoroughly; then add
two well-beaten eggs, and boil twenty minutes. To be eaten as mush for
supper; and next morning thin it, and bake in muffin-rings.
Several of the above articles are good with only salt -and
490
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
w a t e r ; a n d m a n y p e r s o n s w o u l d like t h e m b e t t e r w i t h t h e b u t ter, sugar, a n d eggs omitted.
Wheat Muffins.—One pint of milk, and two eggs.
One table-spoonful of yeast, and a salt-spoonful of salt. One tablespoonful of butter.
Mix these ingredients with sufficient flour to make a thick batter,
Let it rise four or five hours, and bake in muffin-rings.
This can be
made of unbolted flour or grits, adding two great-spoonfuls of molasses,
and it is very fine.
Make it so thick that a table spoon will stand erect in it.
Sally Lunn improved,—Seven tea-cups of unbolted flour, or fine flour.
One pint of water.
Half a cup of melted butter, and half a cup of sugar.
One pinch of salt.
Three well-beaten eggs.
Two table spoonfuls of brewers' yeast, or twice as much of home-brewed.
Pour into square buttered pans, and let it rise two or three hours with
brewers' yeast; with home-brewed, five hours are required. It is still
better baked in patties.
Cream Griddle-Cakes.—One pint of thick cream.
One tea-spoonful of salt.
One table-spoonful of sugar.
Three well-beaten eggs.
Make a thin batter of unbolted or of fine flour, and bake on a griddle.
Royal Crumpets.—Three tea-cups of raised dough.
Two table-spoonfuls of melted butter.
Half a tea-cup of white sugar, mixed with thr#e well-beaten eggs.
Bake in two buttered pans for half an hour.
Muffins of fine Flour or unbolted Flour.—One pint of milk or water.
One pinch of salt.
Two well-beaten eggs.
One table-spoonful of yeast.
Make a thick batter of fine flour or unbolted flour, and let it rise four
or five hours. Bake in muffin-rings.
Unbolted Flour Waffles.—One pint of unbolted flour.
One pint of sour milk, or buttermilk, or water.
Half a tea-spoonful of soda, or more if needed, to sweeten the milk.
Three well-beaten eggs.
Two table-spoonfuls of sugar.
Drop-Cakes of fine Wheat or of Bye.—One pint of milk or water.
One pinch of salt.
BREAKFAST
AND
SUPPER.
491
Two table-spoonfuls of sugar.
Three well-beaten eggs.
Stir in rye, or fine or unbolted flour to a thick batter, and bake in cups
or patties half an hour.
Sachem's Head Corn-Cake.—One quart of sifted corn-meal, scalded.
One tea-spoonful of salt.
Three pints of scalded sweet milk or water.
Half a tea-spoonful of soda in two great-spoonfuls of warm water.
Half a tea-cup of sugar.
Eight eggs, the whites beaten separately, and added the last thing.
Make the cakes an inch thick in buttered pans before baking, and, if
baked right, they will puff up to double the thickness, like sponge-cake,
and are very fine.
Rice Waffles,—One pint of milk. Half a tea-cup of solid boiled rice,
soaked three hours in the milk.
Two cups of wheat flour or rice flour.
Three well-beaten eggs. Bake in waffle-irons.
The rice must be salted enough when boiled.
Another Rice Dish,—One pint of rice, well cleaned.
Three quarts of cold water.
Three tea-spoonfuls of salt.
Boil it twenty minutes; then pour off the water, add milk or cream,
and let it boil ten minutes longer, till quite soft. Let it stand till cold,
and then cut it in slices and fry it on a griddle. It can also be made into
griddle-cakes or muffins by the preceding recipe.
A good and easy Way to use Cold Rice,—Heat a pint of boiled rice
in milk; add two well-beaten eggs, a little salt, butter, and sugar ; let it
boil up once, and then grate on nutmeg.
Buckwheat-Cakes.—One quart of buckwheat.
One tea-spoonful of salt.
Two table-spoonfuls of distillery yeast, or four of home-brewed.
Two table-spoonfuls of molasses.
Wet the flour with warm water, and then add the other articles. Keep
this warm through the night. If it sours, add half a tea-spoonful of soda
in warm water. These cakes have a handsomer brown if wet with milk
or part milk.
Fine Cottage Cheese,—Let the milk be turned by rennet, or by setting it in a warm place. It must not be heated, as the oily parts will then
pass off, and the richness is lost. When fully turned, put in a coarse
linen bag, and hang it to drain several hours, till all the whey is
492
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
out. Then mash it fine, salt it to the taste, and thin it with good
cream, or add but little cream, and roll it into balls. When thin, it is
very fine with preserves or sugared fruit.
It also makes a fine pudding, by thinning it with milk, and adding
eggs and sugar, and spice to the taste, and baking it. Many persons
use milk when turned to bonny-clabber for a dessert, putting on sugar
and spice. Children are fond of it.
Various Ways of cooking Eggs.—Put eggs into boiling water from
three to five minutes, according to taste. A hard-boiled egg is perfectly
healthy if well masticated. Another way is to put them in a bowl or an
egg-boiler, and pour on boiling water for two or three minutes, then
pour off the water and add boiling water, and in five or six minutes the
eggs will be cooked enough.
To make a plain omelet, beat the yolks of six eggs, add a cup of milk,
season with salt and pepper, and then stir in the whites cut to a stiff
froth. Cook in a frying-pan or griddle, with as little butter or fat as possible. Let it cook about ten minutes, and then take up with a spad, or
lay a hot dish over and turn the omelet on to it. This is improved by
mixing in chopped ham or fowl. Some put sugar in, but it is more apt
to burn.
A bread omelet is made as above, with bread-crumbs added, and is very
good.
An apple omelet is made as above, with mashed apple-sauce added, and
this also is very good. Jelly may be used instead of apple.
XV.
PUDDINGS AND P I E S .
W H E R E sugar is made by slaves, the little children feed constantly on it, and grow fat and healthy. But they are nearly
naked, live out of doors, exercise constantly, and have nothing
to do but play. Thus their lungs and skin gain the healthful
and purifying action of the air and the sun, and the excess of
carbonaceous food is rendered harmless. But for those whose
skin never meets the sun, rarely meets the air, and only now and
then some water, a very different regimen is needful. Sugar,
molasses, butter, and fats are chiefly carbonaceous, and, therefore, demand a large supply of oxygen through lungs and
skin. And yet our custom is to use fine flour, which is chiefly
carbon; butter and cream, chiefly carbon; sweet cakes, chiefly
carbon; sweetmeats and candy, chiefly carbon; and worst of
all, pie-crusts, chiefly carbon, and the most difficult of all food
for digestion.
But the love for sweet food is common to all, and demands
gratification.
All that is required is moderation and temperance. For these reasons, a large supply is here provided of
cakes and puddings, which are not rich, and yet are as highly
relished as richer food. As pies are the most unhealthful of
all food, some instruction and but few recipes are given, lest
if entirely omitted, the book would not be read so widely, and
other, more unhealthful ones be used.
The puddings here offered afford a great variety for desserts,
are made with far less labor than pies, and are both more economical and more healthful.
They also can be made more
ornamental and attractive in appearance, and equally good to
the taste. It is hoped, therefore, that the conscientious housekeeper will not tempt her family to eat unhealthful food when
such an abundance is offered that is at once economical of labor,
494
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
time, expense, and health. The first recipe for pudding can
be varied in many ways, and has the advantage which heretofore has recommended pies, namely, that several can be made
at once, and kept on hand as equally good either cold or
warmed over. It is also economical and convenient, as not
requiring eggs or milk.
The Queen of all Puddings.—Soak a tea-cup of tapioca and a teatfpoonful of salt in three tumblerfuls of warm, not hot, water for an hour
or two, till softened. Take away the skins and cores of apples without
dividing them, put them in the dish with sugar in the holes, and spice if
the apples are without flavor; not otherwise. Add a cup of water, and
bake till the apples are softened, turning them to prevent drying, and
then pour over the tapioca, and bake a long time, till all looks A BROWNIS II YELLOW. Eat with a hard sauce. Do not fail to bake a long time.
This can be extensively varied by mixing chopped apples, or quinces,
or oranges, or peaches, or any kind of berries with the tapioca ; and then
sugar must be added according to the acid of the fruit, though some
would prefer it omitted when the sauce is used.
The beauty may be increased by a cover of sugar beaten into the whites
of eggs, and then turned to a yellow in the oven. Several such puddings
can be made at once, kept in a cool place, and when wanted warmed
over; many relish it better when very cold. Sago can be used instead
of tapioca. When no sago or tapioca are at hand, the following recipe
for flour pudding may be used, baking long time :
Flour Pudding's.—Take four table-spoonfuls of flour, half a tea-spoonful
of salt, a pint of water or milk, three eggs, and a salt-spoonful of soda.
Mix and beat very thoroughly, and bake as soon as done, or it will not
be light. It must bake till the middle is not lower than the rest. Eat
with liquid sauce. This can be cooked in a covered tin pan set in boiling
water. This is enough for a family of five. Change the quantity according to the family.
This may be made richer by a spoonful of butter, more sugar, and
some flavoring.
It will be lighter not to beat the eggs separately. If a bag is used to
boil, rub flour or butter on the inside, to prevent sticking.
Flour and F r u i t Puddings.—Add to the above, chopped apples or any
kind of berries. Chopped apples and quinces together are fine when
dried. When berries are used, a third more flour is needed for those very
juicy, and less for cherries. Put in fruit the last thing.
Rusk and Milk.—Keep all bits of bread, dry in the oven, and pound
them, putting half a salt-spoonful of salt to a pint. This eaten with good
PUDDINGS
AND
PIES.
495
milk is what is especially relished by children, and named " rusk and
milk."
Rusk Puddings.—Mix equal quantities of rusk-crumbs with stewed
fruit or berries, then add a very sweet custard, made with four or five eggs
to a quart of milk. Eaten with sweet sauce. This may be made without
fruit, and is good with sauce.
Meat and Rusk Puddings.—Chop any kind of cold meat with salt
pork or ham, season it well with butter, pepper, and salt, and add two
or three beaten eggs. Then make alternate layers of wet rusk-crumbs,
with milk or cold boiled hominy or rice, and bake half or three quarters
of an hour. Let the upper layer be crumbs, and cover with a plate while
baking, and, when nearly done, take it off to brown the top.
A handsome and good Pudding easily Made.—Put a pint of scalded
milk (water will do as well) to a pint of bread-crumbs, and add the yelks
of four eggs, well beaten, a tea-cup of sugar, butter the size of an egg,
and the grated rind of one lemon. Bake and, when cool, cover with
stewed fruit of any kind. Then beat the whites of the eggs into five
table-spoonfuls of powdered sugar and the juice of one lemon. Cover the
pudding with it, and set in the oven till it is a brownish yellow. Puddings covered with sugar and eggs in this way are called Meringue
Puddings.
P a n Dowdy.—Put apples pared and sliced into a large pan, and put
in an abundance of molasses or sugar, and some spice if the apples have
little flavor; not otherwise. Cover with bread-dough, rolled thin, or a
potato pie-crust. Bake a long time, and then break the crust into the
fruit in small pieces. Children are very fond o£ this, especially if well
sweetened and baked a long time.
Corn-Meal Pop-overs.—Two tumblers of scalded corn-meal fresh
ground, three well-beaten eggs, a cup of milk or water, a tea-spoonful
of salt, and three of sugar, two spoonfuls of melted butter. Bake in hot
patties, and eat with sweet sauce.
Best Apple-Pie.—Take a deep dish, the size of a soup-plate, fill it
heaping with peeled tart apples, cored and quartered ; pour over it one
tea-cup of molasses, and three great-spoonfuls of sugar, dredge over this
a considerable quantity of flour, enough to thicken the syrup a good deal.
Cover it with a crust made of cream, if you have i t ; if not, common dough,
with butter worked in, '6r plain pie-crust, lapping the edge over the dish,
and pinching it down tight, to keep the syrup from running out. Bake
about an hour and a half. Make several at once, as they keep well.
Rice Pudding.—One tea-cup of rice.
One tea-cup of sugar.
One half tearuap of butter.
496
THE HOUSEKEEPERS
MANUAL,
One quart of milk.
Nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt to the taste.
Put the butter in melted, mix all in a pudding-dish, and bake it
two hours, stirring it frequently, until the rice is swollen.
This is good made without butter.
Bread and Fruit Pudding.—Butter a deep dish, and lay in slices of
bread and butter, wet with milk, and upon these sliced tart apples,
sweetened and spiced. Then lay on another layer of bread and butter
and apples, and continue thus till the dish is filled. Let the top layer be
bread and butter, and dip it in milk, turning the buttered side down.
Any other kind of fruit will answer as well. Put a plate on the top, and
bake two hours, then take it off and bake another hour.
Boiled F r u i t Pudding 1 .—Take light dough and work in a little butter,
roll it out into a very thin large layer, not a quarter of an inch thick.
Cover it thick with berries or stewed fruit, and put on sugar, roll it up
tight, double it once or twice, and fasten up the ends. Tie it up in a bag,
giving it room to swell. Eat it with butter, or sauce not very sweet.
Blackberries, whortleberries, raspberries, apples, and peaches, all make
excellent puddings in the same way.
English Curd Pudding.—One quart of milk.
A bit of rennet to curdle it.
Press out the whey, and put into the curds three eggs, a nutmeg, and
a table-spoonful of brandy. Bake it like custard.
Common Apple-Pie.—Pare your apples, and cut them from the core.
Line your dishes with paste, and put in the apple ; cover and bake until
the fruit is tender. Then take them from the oven, remove the upper
crust, and put in sugar and nutmeg, cinnamon or rose-water, to your taste.
A bit of sweet butter improves them. Also, to put in a little orange-peel
before they are baked, makes a pleasant variety. Common apple-pies
are very good to stew, sweeten, and flavor the apple before they are put
into the oven. Many prefer the seasoning baked in. All apple-pies are
much nicer if the apple is grated and then seasoned.
Plain Custard.—Boil half a dozen peach-leaves, or the rind of a lemon,
or a vanilla bean in a quart of milk ; when it is flavored, pour into it a
paste made by a table-spoonful of rice flour, or common flour, wet up with
two spoonfuls of cold milk and a half tea-spoonful of salt, and stir it till
it boils again. Then beat up four eggs and put in, and sweeten it to
your taste, and pour it out for pies or pudding. More eggs make it a rich
custard.
Bake as pudding, or boil in a tin pail set in boiling water, stirring
often, and pour into cups.
PUDDINGS
AND
PIES.
497
Another Custard.—Boil six peach-leaves, or a lemon-peel, in a quart
of milk, till it is flavored; cool it, add three spoonfuls of sugar, a
tea-spoonful of salt, and five eggs beaten to a froth. Put the custard
into a tin pail, set it in boiling water, and stir it till cooked enough.
Then turn it into cups ; if preferred, it can be baked.
Mush, or Hasty Pudding.—Wet up the Indian-meal in cold water, till
there are no lumps, stir it gradually into boiling water which has a
little sugar and more salt added; boil till so thick that the stick will
stand in it. Boil slowly, and so as not to burn, stirring often. Two or
three hours' boiling is needed. Pour it into a broad, deep dish, let it
grow cold, cut it into slices half an inch thick, flour them, and fry them
on a griddle with a little lard, or bake them in a stove oven.
Stale Bread Pudding", (fine.)—Cut stale bread in thick slices, and
put it to soak for several hours in cold milk.
Then cook on a griddle, with some salt, and eat it with s,ugar, or molasses, or a sweet sauce. To make it more delicate, take off the crusts.
It is still better to 3oak it in uncooked custard. Baker's bread is best.
To prepare Rennet Wine.—Put three inches square of calf s rennet to
a pint of wine, and set it away for use. Three table-spoonfuls will serve
to curdle a quart of milk.
Rennet Custard.—Put three table-spoonfuls of rennet wine to a quart
of milk, and add four or five great-spoonfuls of white sugar, and a saltBpoonful of salt. Flavor it with wine, or lemon, or rose-water. It must
be eaten in an hour, or it will turn to curds.
Bird's-Nest Pudding".—Pare tart, well-flavored apples, scoop out the
cores without dividing the apple, put them in a deep dish with a small
bit of mace, and a spoonful of sugar in the opening of each apple. Pour
in water enough to cook them. When soft, pour over them an unbaked
custard, so as just to cover them, and bake till the custard is done.
A Minute Pudding of Potato Starch.—Take four heaped table-spoonfuls of potato flour, three eggs, and a tea-spoonful of salt, and one
quart of milk. Boil the milk, reserving a little to moisten the flour. Stir
the flour to a paste, perfectly smooth, with the reserved milk, and put it
into the boiling milk. Add the eggs well beaten, let it boil till very
thick, which will be in two or three minutes, then pour into a dish and
serve with liquid sauce. After the milk boils, the pudding must be stirred
every moment till done.
Tapioca Pudding.—Soak eight table-spoonfuls of tapioca in a quart
of warm milk and tea-spoonful of su^ar, till soft, then add two tablespoonfuls of melted sweet lard or butter, five eggs well beaten, spice.
498
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
sugar, and wine to your taste. Bake in a buttered dish, without any
lining. Sago may be used in place of tapioca.
Cocoa-nut Pudding, (plain.)—Take one quart of milk, five eggs,
one cocoa-nut, grated. The eggs and sugar are beaten together,
stirred into the milk when hot. Strain the milk and eggs, and add
cocoa-nut, with nutmeg to the taste. Bake about twenty minutes
puddings.
and
and
the
like
New-England Squash or Pumpkin-Pie.—Take a pumpkin or winterfcquash, cut in pieces, take off the rind and remove the seeds, and boil
it until tender, then rub it through a sieve. When cold, add to it milk
to thin it, and to each quart of milk five well-beaten eggs. Sugar, cinnamon, and ginger to your taste. The quantity of milk must depend
upon the size and quality of the squash.
These pies require a moderate heat, and must be baked until the centre
is firm.
Ripe Fruit-Pies—Peach, Cherry, Plum, Currant, and Strawberry.
—Line your dish with paste. After picking over and washing the fruit
carefully, (peaches must be pared, and the rest picked from the stem,)
place a layer of fruit and a layer of sugar in your dish, until it is well
filled, then cover it with paste, and trim the edge neatly, and prick
the cover. Fruit-pies require about an hour to bake in a thoroughly-heated
oven.
Mock Cream,—Beat three eggs well, and add three heaping tea-spoonfuls of sifted flour. Stir it into a pint and a half of boiling milk, add a
salt-spoon of salt, and sugar to your taste. Flavor with rose-water or
essence of lemon.
This can be used for cream-cakes or pastry.
A Pudding of Fruit and Bread-Crumbs.—Mix a pint of dried and
pounded bread-crumbs with an equal quantity of any kind of berries, or
of dried and chopped sour apples. Add three eggs, half a pint of milk,
three spoonfuls of fine flour, and half a tea-spoonful of salt. Bake on a
griddle or in an oven in muffin-rings, or, when made thinner, as griddlecakes. If dried fruit is used, more milk is needed than for fresh berries.
This may also be boiled for a pudding. Flour the pudding-cloth and
tie tight, as it will not swell in cooking.
Bread and Apple Dumplings.—Mix half a pint of dried bread-crumbs
and half a pint of fine flour. Wet it with water and two eggs thick
enough to roll. Then put it around large apples peeled and cored whole,
and boil for dumplings in several small floured cloths, or put all into one
large floured cloth, tied tight, as they will not swell. Try with a fork,
and when the apples are soft, take up and serve with a sweet sauce.
PUDDINGS
AND
PIES.
499
An excellent Indian Pudding" without Eggs.—Take seven heaping
spoonfuls of scalded Indian meal, half a tea-spoonful of salt, two spoonfuls
ofbutter or sweet lard, a tea-cup of molasses, and two tea-spoonfuls of ginger or cinnamon, to the taste. Pour into these a quart of milk while
boiling hot. Mis well and put in a buttered dish. Just as you set it in
the oven, stir in a teacup of cold water, which will produce the same
effect as eggs. Bake three quarters of an hour in a dish that will not
spread it out thin.
Boiled Indian and Suet Pudding.—Three pints of milk, ten heaping
table-spoonfuls of sifted Indian meal, a tumblerful of molasses, two eggs.
Scald the meal with the milk, add the molasses and a tea-spoonful of salt.
Put in the eggs when it is cool enough not to scald them. Put in a tablespoonful of ginger. Tie the bag so that it will be about two thirds full
of the pudding in order to give room to swell. The longer it is boiled
the better. Some like a little chopped suet with the above.
A Dessert of Rice and Fruit.—Pick over and wash the rice, and boil
it fifteen minutes in water, with salt at the rate of a heaping tea-spoonful
to a quart. Rice is much improved by having the salt put in while
cooking. Pour out the water in fifteen, minutes after it begins to boil.
Then pour in rich milk and boil till of a pudding thickness. Then pour
it into cups to harden, when it is to be turned out inverted upon a platter
in small mounds. Make an opening on the top of each and put in a pile
of jelly or fruit. Lastly, pour over all a custard made of three eggs, a
pint of milk, and a tea-spoonful of salt boiled in a tin pail set in boiling
water. This looks very prettily. Sweet cream with a little salt can be
used instead of custard. This can be modified by having the whole put
in a bowl and hardened, and then inverted and several openings made for
the fruit.
Another Dessert of Rice and Fruit.—Boil the rice in salted water,
a tea-spoonful to a quart of water. When cooked to a pudding consistency, cool it and then cut it in slices. Then put a thin layer of rice at the
bottom of a pudding-dish, cover it with a thin layer of jelly or stewed
fruit half an inch thick. Continue to add alternate layers of rice and
jelly or fruit, smooth it at top, grate on sugar, and then cut the edges to
show stripes of fruit and rice. Help it in saucers, and have cream or a
thin custard to pour on it. Make the custard with two eggs, half a pint
of milk, and half a tea-spoonful of salt. Boil it in a pail set in boiling
water.
Dessert of Cold Rice and Stewed or Grated Apple.—Cut cold
boiled rice in slices, and then lay in a buttered pudding-dish alternate
layers of rice and grated or stewed apples. Add sugar and spice to each
layer of apples. Cover with the rice, smooth with a spoon dipped in sold
500
THE HOUSEKEEPER''S
MANUAL.
water or milk, and bake three quarters of an hour if the apples are raw.
To be served with a sweet sauce.
A rich Flour Pudding.—Six eggs.
Three spoonfuls of flour.
One pint of milk.
A tea-spoonful of salt.
Beat the yelks well and mix them smoothly with the flour, then add
the milk. Lastly, whip the whites to a stiff froth ; work them in, and
bake immediately.
To be eaten with a liquid sauce.
Apple-Pie.—Take fair apples ; pare, core, and quarter them.
Take four table-spoonfuls of powdered sugar to a pie.
Put into a preserving-pan, with the sugar; water enough to make a
thin syrup; throw in a few blades of mace ; boil the apple in the syrup
until tender, a little at a time, so as not to break the pieces. Take them
out with care, and lay them in soup-dishes.
When you have preserved apple enough for your number of pies, add
to the remainder of the syrup cinnamon and rose-water, or any other
spice, enough to flavor it well, and divide it among the pies. Make a
good paste, and line the rim of the dishes, and then cover them, leaving
the pies without an under crust. Bake them a light brown.
Spiced Apple Tarts.—Rub stewed or baked apples through a sieve ;
sweeten them, and add powdered mace and cinnamon enough to flavor
them. If the apples are not very tart, squeeze in the juice of a lemon.
Some persons like the peel of the lemon grated into it. Line soup-dishe3
with a light crust, double on the rim, and fill them and bake them until
the crust is done. Little bars of crust, a quarter of an inch in width,
crossed on the top of the tart before it is baked, are ornamental.
Baked Indian Pudding1.—Three pints of milk.
Ten heaping table-spoonfuls of Indian meal.
Three gills of molasses.
A piece of butter, as large as a hen's egg.
Scald the meal with the milk, and stir in the butter and molasses, and
bake four or five hours. Some add a little chopped suet in place of the
butter. This can be boiled.
Apple Custard.—Take half a dozen very tart apples, and take off the
skin and cores. Cook them till they begin to be soft, in half a tea-cup
of water. Then put them in a pudding-dish, and sugar them. Then
beat six eggs with four spoonfuls of sugar; mix it with three pints of
milk, and two tea-spoonfuls of salt; pour it over the apples, and bake for
about half an hour.
PUDDINGS
AND
PIES.
501
Plain Macaroni or Yermicelli Puddings.—Put two ounces of macaroni or vermicelli into a pint of milk, and simmer until tender. Flavor
it by putting in two or three sticks of cinnamon while boiling, or some
other spice when done. Then beat up three eggs, mix in an ounce of
sugar, half a pint of milk, a tea-spoonful of salt, and a glass of wine. Add
these to the broken macaroni or vermicelli, and bake in a slow oven.
Green Corn Pudding1.—Twelve ears of corn, grated. Sweet-corn is
best. One pint and a half of milk. Four well-beaten eggs. One tea-cup
and a half of sugar.
Mix the above, and bake it three hours in a buttered dish. More sugar
is needed if common corn is used.
Bread Pudding for Invalids or Young Children.—Grate half a pound
of stale bread ; add a pinch of salt, and pour on a pint of hot milk, and
let it soak half an hour. Add two well-beaten eggs, put it in a covered
basin just large enough to hold it, tie it in a pudding-cloth, and boil it
half an h o u r ; or put it in a buttered pan in an oven, and bake it that
time. Make a sauce of thin sweet cream, sweetened with sugar, and
flavored with rose-water or nutmeg.
A Good Pudding.—Line a buttered dish with slices of wheat bread,
first dipped in milk. Fill the dish with sliced apple, and add sugar and
spice. Cover with slices of bread soaked in milk ; cover close with a
plate, and bake three hours.
Loaf Pudding.—When bread is too stale, put a loaf in a pudding-bag
and boil it in salted water an hour and a half, and eat it with hard pudding sauce.
A Lemon Pudding.—Nine spoonfuls of grated apple, one grated lemon, (peel and pulp,) one spoonful of butter, and three eggs. Mix and
bake, with or without a crust, about an hour. Cream improves it.
Green Corn Patties, (like oysters.)—Twelve ears of sweet-corn grated.
(Yellow corn will do, but not so well.)
One tea-spoonful of salt, and one of pepper.
One egg beaten into two table-spoonfuls of flour.
Mix, make into small cakes, and cook on a griddle.
Cracker Plum Pudding, (excellent.)—Make a very sweet custard,
and put into it a tea-spoonful of" salt.
Take soda crackers, split them, and butter them very thick.
Put a layer of raisins on the bottom of a large pudding-dish, and then
a layer of crackers, and pour on a little of the custard when warm, and
after soaking a little, put on a thick layer of raisins, pressing them into
the crackers with a knife. Then put on another layer of crackers, cus-
502
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
tard, and fruit, and proceed thus till you have four layers. Then pour
over the whole enough custard to rise even with the crackers. It is best
made over-night, so that the crackers may soak. Bake from an hour
and a half to two hours. During the first half-hour, pour on, at three
different times, a little of the custard, thinned with milk, to prevent the
top from being hard and dry. If it browns fast, cover with paper.
Bread and butter pudding is made in a similar manner.
SAUCES FOR PUDDINGS.
Liquid Sauce.—Six table-spoonfuls of sugar. Ten table-spoonfuls of
water. Four table-spoonfuls of butter. Two table-spoonfuls of wine.
Nutmeg, or lemon, or orange-peel, or rose-water, to flavor.
Heat the water and sugar very hot. Stir in the butter till it is melted,
but be careful not to let it boil. Add the wine and nutmeg just before it
is used.
Hard Sauce.—Two table-spoonfuls of butter.
Ten table-spoonfuls of sugar.
Work this till white, then add wine or grated lemon-peel, and spice to
your taste.
Another Hard Sauce.—Mix half as much butter as sugar, and heat
it fifteen minutes in a bowl set in hot water. Stir till it foams. Flavor
with wine or grated lemon-peel.
A Healthful Pudding Sauce.—Boil, in half a pint of water, some
orange or lemon-peel, or peach-leaves. Take them out and pour in a thin
paste, made with two spoonfuls of flour, and boil five minutes. Then put
in a pint of sugar, and let it boil. Then put in two spoonfuls of butter,
add a glass of wine, and take it up before it boils.
An excellent Sauce for any kind of Pudding.—Beat the yelks of three
eggs into sugar enough to make it quite sweet. Add a tea-cup of cream,
or milk, and a little butter, and the grated peel and juice of two lemons.
When lemons can not be had, use dried lemon-peel, and a little tartaric
acid. This is a good sauce for puddings, especially for the starch minute
pudding. Good cider in place of wine is sometimes used.
PASTE FOR PUDDINGS AND P I E S .
This is an article which, if the laws of health were obeyed,
would be banished from every table; for it unites the three
evils—animal fat, cooked animal fat, and heavy bread. Nothing in the whole range of cooking is more indigestible than
rich pie-crust, especially when, as bottom crust, it is made still
worse by being soaked, or slack-baked. Still, as this work
PUDDINGS
AND
PIES.
503
d o e s n o t profess t o l e a v e o u t u n w h o l e s o m e d i s h e s , b u t o n l y t o
s e t f o r t h a n a b u n d a n c e of h e a l t h f u l ones, a n d t h e r e a s o n s for
p r e f e r r i n g t h e m , t h e b e s t d i r e c t i o n s w i l l b e g i v e n for m a k i n g
t h e b e s t k i n d s of p a s t e .
Pie-Crusts without Fats.—Good crusts for plain pies are made by wetting up the crust with rich milk turned sour, and sweetened with saleratus. Still better crusts are made of sour cream, sweetened with saleratus.
Mealy potatoes boiled in salt water and mixed with the same quantity
of flour, and wet with sour milk sweetened with saleratus, make a good
crust.
Good light bread rolled thin makes a good crust for pan-dowdy, or panpie, and also for the upper crust of fruit-pies, to be made without bottom crusts.
Pie-Crust made with Butter.—Very plain paste is made by taking
a quarter of a pound of butter for every pound of flour. Still richer,
allows three quarters of a pound of butter to a pound of flour.
Directions for making rich Pie-Crust.—Take a quarter of the butter to be used, rub it thoroughly into the flour, and wet it with cold
water to a stiff paste.
Next dredge the board thick with flour, cut up the remainder of the
butter into thin slices, lay them upon the flour, dredge flour over thick,
and then roll out the butter into thin sheets, and lay it aside.
Then roll out the paste thin, cover it with a sheet of this rolled
butter; dredge on more flour, fold it up and roll it out, and repeat
the process till all the butter is used up.
Paste should be made as quick and as cold as possible. Some use
a marble table in order to keep it cold. Roll from you every time.
XVI.
CAKE.
T H E multiplication of recipes for cakes, pies, puddings, and
desserts is troublesome and needless, inasmuch as a little generalization will reduce them to a comparatively small compass,
and yet afford a large variety.
Cake is of three classes, as raised either by eggs or b y
yeast or by powders; and different proportions of flour, sugar,
shortening, and wetting make the variety, as appears in what
follows.
GENEEAL
DIRECTIONS.
Sift flour, roll sugar, sift spices, and prepare fruit beforehand. Break eggs that are to be whipped, one at a time, in a
cup, and let none of the yelk go in. Have them cold, and
you will get on faster.
Excepting dough-cake, never use the hand in making cake,
but a wooden spoon, and in an earthen vessel.
The goodness of cake depends greatly on baking. If too hot
at bottom, set the pan on a brick; if too hot at top, cover with
paper. If top-crust is formed suddenly, it prevents what is
below from rising properly; and so, when the oven is very hot,
cover with paper.
When fruit is used, sprinkle the fruit with a little flour to
keep it from sinking when baking. Some put fruit in in layers, one in the middle and another near the top, as this spreads
it evenly. P u t in the flour just before baking.
When using whites beaten to a froth separately, put in the
last thing, so that the bubbles of air which make the lightness
may be retained more perfectly. Bake as soon as the cake is
ready.
CAKE.
505
W a t e r is as good as milk for most cakes as well as for bread;
a mixture of new and stale milk injures the cake.
Streaks in cake are made either by imperfect mixing, or unequal baking, or by sudden decrease of heat before the cake is
done. Try when cake is done, by inserting a splinter or straw;
if it comes out clean, the cake is done.
The best way to keep cake is in a tin box or stone jar.
Do not wrap cake or bread in a cloth.
In baking, move cake gently if you change its place, or it
will fall in streaks. Cake is more nicely baked when the pan
is lined with oiled paper, especially in old pans, which often
give a bad taste to the bottom and sides of the cake.
CAKE RAISED W I T H P O W D E R S .
Although it is unhealthful to use powders in bread for daily
food, the small quantity used for cake will do no harm.
The cake most easily made is raised with soda and cream
tartar or other baking powders, and many varieties can be
made by the following recipes:
One, Two, Three,, Four Cake.—Take one cup of butter, (half a cup
is better,) two cups of sugar, three cups of flour, and four eggs. Mix butter, sugar, and yelks. Then add the flour very thoroughly, and lastly the
whites in a stiff froth. Bake immediately, and the cake will be light,
with nothing added. But it is equally light to omit the eggs and work
two tea-spoonfuls of cream tartar into the flour, and then mix well first
the butter and sugar, and then the flour. When ready to bake, mix very
thoroughly and quickly a tea-spoonful of soda, or a bit of sal volatile dissolved in a cup of warm (not hot) water. This makes two loaves. The
following are varieties made by this recipe, using raising either with eggs
or powders:
Chocolate-Cake.—Bake the above in thin layers, only a little thicker
than carpeting. When nearly cool, spread ver the cake a paste made of
equal parts of scraped chocolate and sugar wet with water. Place the
cake in layers one over another, frost the top, and then cut in oblong
pieces for the cake-basket.
Jelly-Cake,—Proceed as above, only using jelly instead of chocolate.
Orange-Cake.—Proceed as for jelly cake, having flavored the cake
when making with a little grated orange-peel. The oranges must be
peeled, chopped fine, and sweetened.
506
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
Almond and Cocoa-nut-Cake.—Blanch three ounces of almonds, (that
is, pour on boiling water and take off the skins.) Chop or pound them
with an equal quantity of sugar, make a thin paste with water, and use
this instead of the jelly. Cocoa-nut, chopped fine, can be used instead of
almonds. Strawberries, Peaches, Cranberries, and Quinces, and any other
fruit, mashed or cooked, can be used in place of the jelly, being first
sweetened.
This cake can be made richer by adding spices and fruit before baking.
Those who have cream can use it in place of butter. Chopped almonds,
citron, or cocoa-nut may be put in the cake for baking, making still
another variety.
CAKE RAISED WITH EGGS.
Pound-Cake, (very rich.)—One pound of flour, one pound of sugar, half
a pound of butter, nine eggs, a glass of brandy, one nutmeg, one teaspoonful of pounded cinnamon. Mix half the flour with the butter,
brandy, and spice; add the yelks of eggs beaten well into the sugar.
Beat the whites to a stiff froth, and add them in alternate spoonfuls with
the rest of the flour; then beat a long time, and bake as soon as done.
Plain Cake raised with Eggs.—Take a pound or quart of flour, half
as much sugar, half as much butter as sugar, four or five eggs, one nutmeg, and a tea-spoonful of cinnamon. Mix well the sugar, butter, yelks,
and spice ; then the flour, and last the whites as stiff froth.
These two cakes are varied by adding citron, fruit, or other spices,
making them more or less rich.
Fruit-Cake.—This to be made either like pound-cake, with fruit added;
or like plain cake, raised with eggs or yeast, adding fruit.
Walnut-meats or Almonds may be chopped and put in the cake instead
of fruit, making another variety.
Huckleberry-Cake.—One quart of huckleberries, three cups of sugar,
three cups of flour, six eggs, one cup of sweet milk, and one tea-spoonful
of soda dissolved in a little hot water. Cream the butter and sugar, and
add the beaten yelks. Then add the milk, flour, and two grated nutmegs.
Then add the whites, whipped to a stiff froth, and the berries, gently, so
as not to mash them. An excellent cake.
Currants and other berries may be used in the same way. If very sour,
add more sugar. If doubtful of raising it enough, add a tea-spoonful of
soda; or, more surely, a bit of sal volatile the size of a hickory-nut.
Gold and Silver Cake.—This makes a pretty variety when cut and
placed together in a cake-dish. For each, take one cup of sugar, (for the
silver, white ; and for the gold, brown,) half a cup of butter, half a cup of
milk, two cups of flour, one tea-spoonful of cream tartar, and half as much
CAKE.
507
soda. For the one, use the yelk of three eggs; and the white, as stiff
froth, for the other. Mix the cream tartar very thoroughly in the flour,
and put in the soda last. Bake immediately. This makes one loaf of
each kind, in flat pans, and is to be frosted. If more is wanted, double
the quantity of each ingredient.
Rich Sponge-Cake.—Take twelve eggs, and the weight of ten in
sugar, and six in flour.
Beat the sugar into the yelks, add the juice and grated peel of one
lemon, then the flour, and then the whites cut to a stiff froth, and bake as
soon as possible. Bake in brick-shaped pans, and line them with buttered
paper.
Plain Sponge-Cake, (easily made.)—Mix thoroughly two cups of sifted
flour and two cups of white sugar with one tea-spoonful of cream tartar.
Beat four eggs to a froth, not separating the whites, and add some grated
lemon-peel, or nutmeg, or rose-water. Just before baking, add half a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in three great-spoonfuls of warm water. Beat
quick, and set in the oven immediately.
GINGERBREAD, F R I E D CAKES, COOKIES, AND OTHER CAKES.
Aunt Esther's Gingerbread.—Take half a pint of molasses, a small
cup of soft butter, a gill and a half of water, a heaping tea-spoonful of
soda dissolved in a table-spoonful of hot water, and one even table-spoonful of strong ginger, or two if weak. Rub butter and ginger into the flour,
add the water, soda, and molasses, and while doing it, put in two tablespoonfuls of vinegar. Roll it in cards an inch thick, and bake half an
hour in a quick oven.
Sponge Gingerbread.—Add to the above two beaten eggs, and water
to make it thin as pound-cake, and bake as soon as well mixed.
Ginger-Snaps and Seed-Cookies.—One cup of butter, two cups of
sugar or molasses, one cup of water, one table-spoonful of ginger, one
heaping tea-spoonful of cinnamon and one of cloves, one tea-spoonful of
soda dissolved in a small cup of hot water. Mix and add flour for a stiff
dough, roll and cut in small round cakes. Omit the spices, and put in
four or five table-spoonfuls of caraway seeds, and you have seed-cakes
Leave out all spice and seeds, and you have plain cookies.
Fried Cakes.—For doughnuts, use the recipe for Plain Sponge-Cake,
adding flour enough to roll. Or take Plain Cake raised with eggs, and
add flour enough to roll. Or take Dough-Cake, or Plain Loaf-Cake, and
thicken so as to roll. Roll about half an inch thick and cut into oblong
pieces. For crullers, take plain cake raised with eggs, and thicken stiff
with flour ; roll it thin, and cut into strips, and form twisted cakes. More
sugar and butter make it richer, but less healthful.
508
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
Have plenty of lard, or, better, strained beef-fat, quite h o t ; try with a
small piece first, and, if right, there will be a bubbling. Turn two or
three times to cook all alike, break open one to try if done, and when
done, take up with a skimmer and drain well. If the fat is too hot, it will
brown too quick ; if not hot enough, the fat will soak into the cake. Remember that frying is the most unhealthful mode of cooking food, and
the one most likely to be done amiss.
CAKE RAISED WITH YEAST.
Plain' Loaf-Cake.—Two pounds of dried and sifted flour, a pint of
warm water in which is melted a quarter of a pound of butter, half a teaspoonful of salt, three eggs without beating, and three quarters of a pound
of sugar, well mixed ; and then add two nutmegs, two tea-spoonfuls of cinnamon, and two gills of home-brewed or half as much distillery yeast.
When light, add two or three pounds of fruit, and let it stand half an
hour.
Rich Loaf-Cake is made like the above, only adding more butter and
sugar. The following are specimens of the diverse proportions: Four
pounds of flour, three of sugar, two of butter, a quart of water or milk,
ten unbeaten eggs, half a pint of wine, three nutmegs, three tea-spoonfuls
of cinnamon, and two cloves ; two gills of distillery yeast, or twice as
much home-brewed. This is what in New-England would be called
Election or Commencement-Cake. Two or three risings used to be practiced, but one is as good if the mixing is thorough.
Dongli-Cake.—Three cups of raised dough, half a cup of butter, two
cups of sugar, two eggs, fruit and spice to the taste. When light, bake
in loaves. This can be made more or less sweet and shortened by lessening or increasing the quantity of dough. It must be mixed with t h e
hands.
Icing* for Cake.—Put the whites of eggs into a dish, and for each egg
use about a quarter of a pound of sugar. Beat the whites, slowly adding
the sugar. This is better than beating the whites first, and then adding
sugar. A little lemon-juice or tartaric acid makes it whiter and better.
Spread the icing, after pouring it upon the centre, with a knife dipped in
water. If you can, dry in an open, sunny window. Otherwise, harden it
in the oven. It improves it by mixing, when adding sugar, some almonds
pounded to a thin paste.
XVII.
PRESERVES AND JELLIES.
General
Directions.
GATHER fruit when it is dry.
Long boiling hardens the fruit.
Pour boiling water over the sieves used, and wring out jellybags in hot water the moment you are to use them.
Do not squeeze while straining through jelly-bags.
Let the pots and jars containing sweetmeats just made, remain uncovered three days.
For permanent covering, lay brandy papers over the top,
cover them tight, and seal them ; or, what is best of all, soak
a split bladder and tie it tight over them. In drying, it will
shrink so as to be perfectly air-tight.
Keep them in a dry but not warm place.
A thick, leathery mold helps to preserve fruit, but when
mold appears in specks, the preserves must be scalded in a
warm oven, or the jars containing them are to be set into hot
water which must then boil till the preserves are scalded.
Always keep watch of preserves which are not sealed, especially in warm and damp weather. The only sure way to keep
them without risk or care is to make them with enough sugar
and seal them or tie bladder covers over.
The best kettle is iron lined with porcelain. If brass is used,
it must be bright, or acids will make a poison.
The chief art is to boil continuously, slowly, and gently,
and take up as soon as done; too long boiling makes the
fruit hard and dark. Jellies will not harden well if the boiling stops for some minutes. Try jellies with a spoon, and
as soon as they harden around the edge quickly, they are
510
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
3IANUAL.
done. In making, the sugar should be heated and not added
till the juice boils.
Keep preserves in small glass jars, as frequent opening injures them.
Caimed Fruit.—This is far more economical than to preserve in sugar.
Some can he canned without any sugar, and very nice sugar demands
only one fourth sugar to three fourths fruit. The best cans are glass
with metal tops. Those of Wilcox are the best known to the author.
The W. L. Imlay's of Philadelphia are recommended as best of any.
Directions.—Set the jars in a large boiler, and then fill it with cold
water and heat to boiling. Having filled the jars to within an inch of
the top with alternate layers of fruit and sugar, (in proportion of one half
or one fourth of a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit, according as it is
more or less acid,) set them in cold water. As soon as the fruit has risen
to the top of the jar, screw on the cover and take from the water.
Peaches and pears may be canned without sugar.
To clarify Syrup for Sweetmeats.—For each pound of sugar allow
half a pint of water. For every three pounds of sugar allow the white of
one egg. Mix when cold, boil a few minutes, and skim it. Let it stand
ten minutes and skim it again, then strain it.
Brandy Peaches.—Prick the peaches with a needle, put them into a
kettle with cold water, heat the water, scald them until sufficiently soft
to be penetrated with a straw. Take half a pound of sugar to every
pound of peaches ; make the syrup with the sugar, and while it is a
little warm mix two thirds as much of white brandy with it, put the
fruit into jars and pour the syrup over it. The late white clingstones are
the best to use.
Peaches, (not very rich.)—To six pounds of fruit put five of sugar.
Make the syrup. Boil the fruit in the syrup till it is clear. If the fruit
is ripe, half an hour will cook it sufficiently.
Peaches, (very elegant.)—First take out the stones, then pare them.
To every pound of peaches allow one third of a pound of sugar. Make
a thin syrup, boil the peaches in the syrup till tender, but not till they
break. Put them into a bowl and pour the syrup over them. Put them
in a dry, cool place and let them stand two days. Then make a new, rich
syrup, allowing three quarters of a pound of sugar to one of fruit. Drain
the peaches from the first syrup, and boil them until they are clear in thq
last syrup. The first syrup must not be added, but may be used for any
other purpose you please, as it is somewhat bitter. The large whiU
clingstones are the best.
To preserve Quinces whole.—Select the largest and fairest quincea,
PRESERVES
AND
JELLIES.
511
(as the poorer ones will answer for jelly.) Take out the cores and pare
them. Boil the quinces in water till tender. Take them out separately
on a platter. To each pound of quince allow a pound of sugar. Make
the syrup, then boil the quinces in the syrup until clear.
Quince Jelly,—Rub the quinces with a cloth until perfectly smooth.
Remove the cores, cut them into small pieces, pack them tight in your
kettle, pour cold water on them until it is on a level with the fruit, but
not to cover i t ; boil till very soft, but not till they break. Dip off
all the liquor you can, then put the fruit into a sieve and press it, and
drain off all the remaining liquor. Then to a pint of the liquor add a pound
of sugar and boil it fifteen minutes Pour it, as soon as cool, into small
jars or tumblers. Let it stand in the sun a few days, till it begins to dry
on the top. It will continue to harden after it is put up.
Calf's Foot Jelly.—To four nicely cleaned calf's feet put four quarts
of water ; let it simmer gently till reduced to two quarts, then strain it
and let it stand all night. Then take off all the fat and sediment, melt
it, add the j uice, and put in the peel of three lemons and a pint of wine,
the whites of four eggs, three sticks of cinnamon, and sugar to your
taste. Boil ten minutes, then skim out the spice and lemon-peel and
strain it.
The American gelatine, now very common, makes as good jelly, with
far less trouble; and in using it, you only need to dissolve it in hot water,
and then sweeten and flavor it.
To preserve Apples.—Take only tart and well flavored apples ; peel
and take out the cores without dividing them, and then parboil them.
Mdke the syrup with the apple water, allowing three quarters of a pound
of white sugar to every pound of apples, and boil some lemon-peel and
juice in the syrup. Pour the syrup, while boiling, upon the apples, turn
them gently while cooking, and only let the syrup simmer, as hard boiling breaks the fruit. Take it out when the apple is tender through. At
the end of a week, boil them once more in the syrup.
Pears.—Take out the cores, cut off the stems, and pare them. Boil the
pears in water till they are tender. Watch them that they do not break.
Lay them separately on a platter as you take them out. To each pound
of fruit take a pound of sugar. Make the syrup, and boil the fruit in the
syrup till clear.
Pineapples, (very fine.)—Pare and grate the pineapple. Take an equal
quantity of fruit and sugar. Boil them slowly in a sauce-pan for half an
hour.
Purple Plums, No. 1.—Make a rich syrup. Boil the plums in the
syrup very gently till they begin to crack open. Then take them from
512
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
the syrup into a jar, and pour the syrup over them. Let them stand a
few days, and then boil them a second time very gently.
Purple Plums, No, 2.—Take an equal weight of fruit and nice brown
sugar. Take a clean stone jar, put in a layer of fruit and a layer of sugar
till all is in. Cover them tightly with dough, or other tight cover, and
put them in a brick oven after you have baked in it. If you bake in the
morning, put the plums in the oven at evening, and let them remain till
the next morning. When you bake again, set them in the oven as before. Uncover them and stir them carefully with a spoon, and so as not
to break them. Set them in the oven thus the third time, and they will
be sufficiently cooked.
White or Green Plums.—Put each one into boiling water and rub off
the skin. Allow a pound of fruit to a pound of sugar. Make a syrup of
sugar and water. Boil the fruit in the syrup until clear—about twenty
minutes. Let the syrup be cold before you pour it over the fruit. They
can be preserved without taking off the skins by pricking them. Some
of the kernels of the stones boiled in give a pleasant flavor.
Citron Melons.—Two fresh lemons to a pound of melon. Let the
sugar be equal in weight to the lemon and melon. Take out the pulp of
the melon and cut it in thin slices, and boil it in fair water till tender.
Take it out and boil the lemon in the same water about twenty minutes.
Take out the lemon, add the sugar, and, if necessary, a little more water.
Let it boil. When clear, add the melon and let it boil a few minutes.
Strawberries.—Look over them with care. Weigh a pound of sugar
to each pound of fruit; Put a layer of fruit on the bottom of the preserving-kettle, then a layer of sugar, and so on till all is in the pan. Boil
them about fifteen minutes. Put them in bottles, hot, and seal them.
Then put them in a box and fill it in with dry sand. The flavor of the
fruit is preserved more perfectly by simply packing the fruit and sugar
in alternate layers, and sealing the jar, without cooking; but the preserves do not look so well.
Blackberry Jam.—Allow three quarters of a pound of brown sugar to
a pound of fruit. Boil the fruit half an hour, then add the sugar and boil
all together ten minutes.
To preserve Currants to eat with Meat.—Strip them from the stem.
Boil them an hour, and then to a pound of the fruit add a pound of brown
sugar. Boil all together fifteen or twenty minutes.
Cherries.—Take out the stones. To a pound of fruit allow a pound of
sugar. Put a layer of fruit on the bottom of the preserving-kettle, then
a layer of sugar, and continue thus till all are put in. Boil till clear.
Put them in bottles hot and seal them. Keep them in dry sand.
PRESERVES
AND
JELLIES.
513
Currants.—Strip them from the stems. Allow a pound of sugar to a
pound of currants. Boil them together ten minutes. Take them from
the syrup and let the syrup boil twenty minutes, and pour it oa the fruit.
Put them in small jars or tumblers, and let them stand in the sun a few
days.
Raspberry Jam, N->. 1.—Allow a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit.
Press them with a spoon in an earthen dish. Add the sugar, and boil all
together fifteen minutes.
Raspberry Jam, No. 2.—Allow a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit.
Boil the fruit half an hour or till the seeds are soft. Strain one quarter
of the fruit and throw away the seeds. Add the sugar and boil the
whole ten minutes. A little currant-juice gives it a pleasant flavor, and
when that is used, an equal quantity of sugar must be added.
Currant Jelly.—Pick over the currants with care. Put them in a stone
jar, and set it into a kettle of boiling water. Let it boil till the fruit is
very soft. Strain it through a sieve. Then run the juice through a
jelly-bag. Put a pound of sugar to a pint of juice, and boil it together
five minutes. Set it *n the sun a few days. If it stops boiling, it is less
likely to turn to j e
Quince Marmalade.—Rub the quinces with a cloth, cut them in quarters. Put them on the fire with a little water, and stew them till they
are sufficiently tender to rub them through a sieve. When strained, put
a pound of sugar to a pound of the pulp. Set it on the fire, and let it
cook slowly. To ascertain when it is done, take out a little and let it get
cold, and if it cuts smoothly, it is done.
Crab-apple marmalade is made in the same way.
Crab-apple jelly is made like quince jelly.
Most other fruits are preserved so much like the preceding that it is
needless to give any more particular directions than to say that a pound
of sugar to a pound of fruit is the general rule for all preserves that are
to be kept through warm weather and a long time.
Preserved Watermelon Rinds.—This a fine article to keep well without trouble for a long time. Peel the melon, and boil it in just enough
water to cover it till it is soft, trying with a fork. (If you wish it green,
put green vine-leaves above and below each layer, and scatter powdered
alum, less than half a tea-spoonful to each pound.)
Allow a pound of sugar to each pound of rind, and clarify it as directed
previously.
Simmer the rinds two hours in this syrup, and flavor it with lemonpeel grated and tied in a bag. Then put the melon in a tureen, and boil
the syrup till it looks thick, and pour it over. Next day, give the syrup
514
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
another boiling, and put the juice of one lemon to eacn quart of syrup.
Take care not to make it bitter by too much of the peel.
Citrons are preserved in the same manner. Both these keep through
hot weather with very little care in sealing and neeping.
Preserved Pumpkin.—Cut a thick yellow pumpkin, peeled, into strips
two inches wide and five or six long.
Take a pound of white sugar for each pound of fruit, and scatter it over
the fruit, and pour on two wine-glasses of lemon-juice for each pound of
pumpkin.
Next day, put the parings of one or two lemons with the fruit and
sugar, and boil the whole three quarters of an hour, or long enough to
make it tender and clear without breaking. Lay the pumpkin to cool,
strain the syrup, and then pour it on to the pumpkin.
If there is too much lemon-peel, it will be bitter
XVIII.
DESSERTS AND EVENING PARTIES.
Ice-Cream.—One quart of milk. One and a half table-spoonfuls of
arrowroot. The grated peel of two lemons. One quart of thick cream.
Wet the arrow-root with a little cold milk, and add it to the quart of
milk when boiling hot; sweeten it very sweet with white sugar, put
in the grated lemon-pee], boil the whole, and strain it into the quart of
cream. When partly frozen, add the juice of the two lemons. Twice
this quantity is enough for thirty-five persons. Find the quantity of
sugar that suits you by measure, and then you can use this every time,
without tasting. Some add whites of eggs \ others think it j ust as good
without. It must be made very sweet, as it loses much by freezing.
If you have no apparatus for freezing, (which is almost indispensable,)
put the cream into a tin pail with a very tig lit cover, mix equal quantities of snow and blown salt, (not the coarse salt,) or of pounded ice and
salt, in a tub, and put it as high as the pail, or freezer ; turn the pail or
freezer half round and back again with one hand, for half an hour, or
longer, if you want it very nice. Three quarters of a hour steadily will
make it good enough. While doing this, stop four or five times, and mix
the frozen part with the rest, the last time very thoroughly, and then the
lemon juice must be put in. Then cover the freezer tight with snow and
salt till it is wanted. The mixture must be perfectly cool before being
put in the freezer, Renew the snow and salt while shaking, so as to
have it kept tight to the sides of the freezer. A hole in the tub holding
the freezing mixture, to let off the water, is a great advantage. In a tin
pail it would take much longer to freeze than in the freezer, probably
nearly twice as long. A long stick, like a coffee-stick, should be used in
scraping the ice from the sides. Iron spoons will be affected by the
lemon-juice, and give a bad taste.
In taking it out for use, first wipe off every particle of the freezing
mixture dry,'then with a knife loosen the sides, then invert the freezer
upon the dish in which the ice is to be served, and apply two towels
wrung out of hot water to the bottom part, and the whole will slide out in
the shape of a cylinder. Freezers are now sold quite cheap, and such
as freeze in a short time.
Strawberry Ice-Cream,—Rub a pint of ripe strawberries through a
516
TEE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
sieve, add a pint of cream, and four ounces of powdered sugar, and freeze
it. Other fruits may be used thus.
Ice-Cream without Cream.—A vanilla bean or a lemon rind is first
boiled in a quart of milk. Take out the |bean or peel, and add the yelks
of four eggs, beaten well. Heat it scalding hot, but do not boil it, stirring
in white sugar till very sweet. When cold, freeze it.
Fruit lee-Cream.—Make rich boiled custard, and mash into it the soft
ripe fruit, or the grated or cooked hard fruit, or grated pine-apples. Rub
all through a sieve, sweeten it very sweet, and freeze it. Quince, apple,
pear, peach, strawberry, and raspberry are all very good for this purpose.
A Cream for stewed Fruit.—Boil two or three peach leaves, or a
vanilla bean, in a quart of cream, or milk, till flavored. Strain and
sweeten it, mix it with the yelks of four eggs, well beaten ; then, while
heating it, add the whites cut to a froth. W h e n it thickens, take it up
When cool, pour it over the fruit or preserves.
Currant, Raspberry, or Strawberry Whisk.—Put three gills of the
juice of the fruit to ten ounces of crushed sugar, add the juice of a lemon,
and a pint and a half of cream. Whisk it till quite thick, and serve it in
jolly-glasses or a glass dish.
Lemonade Ice, and other Ices.—To a quart of lemonade, add the
whites of six eggs, cut to a froth, and freeze it. The juices of any fruit,
sweetened and watered, may be prepared in the same way, and are very
fine.
Charlotte Russe.—One ounce of gelatine simmered in half a pint of
milk or water, four ounces of sugar beat into the yelks of four eggs, and
added to the gelatine when dissolved. Then add a pint of cream or new
milk. Lastly, add the whites beat to a stiff froth, and beat all together.
Line a mold with slices of sponge-cake and set it on ice, and when the
cream is a little thickened, fill the mould; let it stand five or six hours,
and then turn it into a dish.
Flummery.—Cut sponge-cake into thin slices, and line a deep dish.
Make it moist with white wine ; make a rich custard, using only the
yelks of the eggs. When cool, turn it into the dish, and cut the whites
to a stiff froth, and put on the top.
Chicken Salad.—Cut the white meat of chickens into small bits the
size of peas. Chop the white parts of celery nearly as small.
Prepare a dressing thus : rub the yelks of hard-boiled eggs smooth, to
each yelk put half a tea-spoonful of liquid mustard, the same quantity of
salt, a table-spoonful of oil mixed in very slowly and thoroughly, and half
DESSERTS
AND EVENING
PARTIES.
517
a wine-glass of vinegar. Mix the chicken and celery in a large bowl,
and pour over this dressing.
The dressing must not be put on till just before it is used. Bread and
butter and crackers are served with it.
Wine Jelly.—Two ounces of American isinglass or gelatine. One
quart of boiling water. A pint and a half of white wine. The whites of
three eggs.
Soak the gelatine in cold water half an hour, Then take it from the
water, and pour on the quart of boiling water. When cooled, add the
grated rind of one lemon, and the juice of two, and a pound and a half
of loaf-sugar. Then beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and stir
them in, and let the whole boil till the egg is well mixed, but do not stir
while it boils. Strain through a jelly-bag, and then add the wine.
In cold weather, a pint more of water may be added. This jelly can
be colored by beet-j uice, saffron, or indigo, for fancy dishes.
An Apple Lemon Pudding.—Six spoonfuls of grated, or of cooked and
strained, apple. Three lemons, pulp, rind, and juice, all grated. Half a
pound of melted butter. Sugar to the taste. Seven eggs well beaten.
Mix, and bake with or without paste. It can be made still plainer by
using nine spoonfuls of apple, one lemon, two thirds of a cup full of but
ter, and three eggs.
Wheat Flour Blanc-Mange.—Wet up six table-spoonfuls of flour to a
thin paste with cold milk, and stir it into a pint of boiling milk. Flavor
with lemon-peel or peach-leaves boiled in the milk. Add a pinch of
salt, cool it in a mold, and eat with sweetened cream and sweetmeats.
Orange Marmalade.—Take two lemons and a dozen oranges ; grate
the yellow rinds of all the oranges but five, and set it aside. Make a clear
syrup of an equal weight of sugar. Clear the oranges of rind and seeds,
put them with the grated rinds into the syrup, and boil about twenty
minutes till it is a transparent mass.
A simple Lemon Jelly, (easily made.)—One ounce of gelatine. A
pound and a half of loaf-sugar. Three lemons, pulp, skin, and juice,
grated.
Pour a quart of boiling water upon the isinglass, add the rest, mix and
strain it, then add a glass of wine, and pour it to cool in some regular
form. If the lemons are not fresh, add a little cream of tartar or tartaric
acid.
Cranberry.—Pour boiling water on them, and then you can easily
separate the good and the bad. Boil them in a very little water till soft
then sweeten to your taste. If you wish a jelly, take a portion and strain
t'.irough a fine sieve.
518
THE HOUSEKEEPER1 S
MANUAL.
Apple Ice, (very fine.)—Take finely-flavored apples, grate them fine,
and then make them very sweet, and freeze them. It is very delicious.
Pears, peaches, or quinces also are nice, either grated fine or stewed and
run through a sieve, then sweetened wry sweet, and frozen. The flavor
is much better preserved when grated than when cooked.
Whip Syllabub.—One pint of cream. Sifted white sugar to your
taste. Half a tumbler of white wine. The grated rind and j uice of one
lemon. Beat all to a stiff froth,
Apple Snow.—Put six very tart apples in cold water over a slow fire.
When soft, take away the skins and cores, and mix in a pint of sifted
white sugar ; beat the whites of six eggs to a stiff froth, and then add
them to the apples and sugar. Put it in a dessert-dish and ornament
with myrtle and box.
Iced Fruit.—Take fine bunches of currants on the stalk, dip them in
well-beaten whites of eggs, lay them on a sieve and sift white sugar over
them, and set them in a warm place to dry.
Ornamental Froth.—The whites of four eggs in a stiff froth, put into
the syrup of preserved raspberries or strawberries, beaten well together,
and turned over ice-cream or blanc-mange. Make white froth to combine with the colored in fanciful ways. It can be put on the top of boiling milk, and hardened to keep its form.
To clarify Isinglass.—Dissolve an ounce of isinglass in a cup of boiling water, take off the scum, and drain through a coarse cloth. Jellies,
candies, and blanc-mange should be done in brass and stirred with silver.
Blanc-Mange.—Two and a half sheets of gelatine broken into one
quart of milk ; put in a warm place and stir till it dissolves. An ounce and
a half of clarified isinglass stirred into the milk. Sugar to your taste.
A tea-spoonful of fine salt. Flavor with lemon, or orange, or rose-water.
Let it boil, stirring it well, then strain it into molds.
Three ounces of almonds pounded to a paste and added while boiling
is an improvement. Or filberts or hickory-nuts can be skinned and used
thus. It can be flavored by boiling in it a vanilla bean or a stick of cinnamon. (Save the bean to use again.)
Apple Jelly.—Boil tart peeled apples in a little water till glutinous;
strain out the juice, and put a pound of white sugar to a pint of the juice.
Flavor to your taste, boil till a good jelly, and then put it into molds.
Orange Jelly.—The juice of nine oranges and three lemons. The
grated rind of one lemon, and one orange, pared thin. Two quarts of
water, and four ounces of gelatine broken up and boiled in it to a jelly.
Add the above, and sweeten to your taste. Then add the whites of eight
DESSERTS
AND EVENING
PARTIES.
519
eggs, well beaten to a stiff froth, and boil ten minutes ; strain and put
into molds, first dipped in cold water. When perfectly cold, dip the
mold in warm water, and turn on to a glass dish.
Floating Island.—Beat the yelks of six eggs with the juice of four
lemons, sweeten it to your taste, and stir it into a quart of boiling milk
till it thickens, then pour it into a dish. Whip the whites of the eggs to
a stiff froth, and put it on the top of the cream.
A Dish of Snow.—Grate the white part of cocoa-nut, put it in a glass
dish and serve with oranges sliced and sugared, or with currant or cranberry jellies.
To clarify Sugar.—Take four pounds of sugar, and break it up.
Whisk the white of an egg, and put it with a tumblerful of water into a
preserving-pan, and add water gradually till you have two quarts,
stirring well. When there is a good frothing, throw in the sugar, boil
moderately, and skim it. If the sugar rises to run over, throw in a little
cold water, and then skim it, as it is then still. Repeat this, and when
no more scum rises, strain the sugar for use.
Candied Fruits.—Preserve the fruit, then dip it in sugar boiled to
candy thickness, and then dry it. Grapes and some other fruits may be
dipped in uncooked, and then dried, and they are fine.
Another Way.—Take it from the syrup, when preserved, dip it in
powdered sugar, and set it on a sieve in an oven to dry.
To make an Ornamental Pyramid for a Table.—Boil loaf-sugar as
for candy, and rub it over a stiff form made for the purpose, of stiff paper
or pasteboard, which must be well buttered. Set it on a table, and begin
at the bottom, and stick on to this frame with the sugar, a row of macaroons, kisses, or other ornamental articles, and continue till the whole is
covered. When cold, draw out the pasteboard form, and set the pyramid in the centre of the table with a small bit of wax candle burning
with it, and it looks very beautifully.
XIX.
DRISTKS AND ARTICLES FOR T H E SICK AND TOTJNa CHILDREN.
D R I N K S made of the juice of fruits and water are good for
all who are in health. Various preparations of cocoa-nuts are
so also. Tea is often made or adulterated with unhealthful
articles. Coffee is usually drank so strong as to injure children
and grown persons of delicate constitution. All alcoholic
drinks are dangerous, because they are so generally mixed with
harmful matter, and because they so often lead to excess, and
then to ruin. The common-sense maxim is, when there is danger, choose the safest course. The Christian maxim is, " W e
that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and
not to please ourselves."
Obedience to these two maxims would save thousands of
young children and delicate persons from following the dangerous example of those " that are strong."
To make Tea.—The safest tea is the black, as less stimulating than
green ; both excite the brain and nerves when strong. The chief
direction is to have water boiling hot. First soak the tea in a very little
hot water, and then add boiling water.
To make Coffee.—Roast it slowly in a tight vessel, and so it can be
stirred often. To roast all equally a dark brown and have none burnt, is
the main thing. Keep it in a tight box, or, better, grind it fresh when
used. Clear it by putting into it, when making, a fresh egg-shell crushed, or the white of an egg, or a small bit of fish-skin. Some filter, and
some boil; and there are coffee-pots made for each method, and some
that require nothing put in to clear the coffee. The aroma is retained
just in proportion as the coffee is confined, both before making and also
while making.
Fish-skin for Coffee.—Take it from codfish before cooking ; have it
nice and dry. Cut in inch squares, and take one for two quarts of coffee.
DRINKS
FOR THE SICK AND
YOUNG.
521
Cocoa.—The cracked is best. Put two table spoonfuls of it into three
pints of cold water. Boil an hour for first use, save the remnants and
boil it again, as it is very strong. Do this several times. For ground
cocoa use two table-spoonfuls to a quart, and boil half an hour. Boil the
milk by itself and add it liberally when taken up. For the shells of
cocoa, use a heaping tea-cupful for a quart of water. Put them in over
night and boil a long time.
Cream for Coffee and Tea.—Heat new milk and let it stand till cool
and all the cream rises ; this is the best way for common use. To every
pint of this add a pound and a quarter of loaf-sugar, and it will keep
good a month or more, if corked tight in glass.
Choeolate 0 —Put three table-spoonfuls when scraped to each pint, boil
half an hour, and add boiled milk when used.
Delicious Milk-Lemonade.—Half a pint of sherry wine and as much
lemon-juice, six ounces loaf-sugar, and a pint of water poured in when
boiling. Add not quite a pint of cold milk, and strain the whole.
Strawberry and Raspberry Yinegar.—Mix four pounds of the fruit
with three quarts of cider or wine vinegar, and let them stand three
days. Drain the vinegar through a jelly-bag and add four more pounds
of fruit, and in three days do the same. Then strain out the vinegar for
summer drinks, effervescing with soda or only with water.
White Tea, and Boys' Coffee, for Children.—Children never love tea
and coffee till they are trained to it. They always like these drinks.
Put two tea-spoonfuls of sugar to half a cup of hot water, and add as
much good milk. Or crumb toast or dry bread into a bowl with plenty
of sugar, and add half milk to half boiling water.
Dangerous Use of Milk.—Milk is not only drink, but rich food. It
therefore should not be used as drink with other food, as is water or tea
and coffee. Persons often cause bilious difficulties by using milk in addition to ordinary food as the chief drink. It is a well-established fact that
some grown persons as well as young children can not drink milk, and
in some cases can not eat bread wet with milk without trouble from it.
Simple Drinks.—Pour boiling water on mashed cranberries, or grated
apples, or tamarinds, or mashed currants or raspberries ; pour off the water,
sweeten, and in summer cool with ice.
Pour boiling water on to bread toasted quite brown, or on to pounded
parched corn, boil a minute, strain, and add sugar and cream, or milk.
Simple Wine Whey.—Mix equal quantities of milk and boiling water,
add wine and sweeten.
522
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
Toast and Cider.—Take one third brisk cider and two thirds cold
water, sweeten it, crumb in toasted bread, and grate on a little nutmeg.
Acid jelly will do when cider is not at hand.
Panada,—Toast two or three crackers, pour on boiling water and let it
simmer two or three minutes, add a well-beaten egg, sweeten and flavor
with nutmeg.
W a t e r Gruel.—Scald half a tumblerful of fresh ground corn-meal, add
a table-spoonful of flour made into a paste, boil twenty minutes or more,
and add salt, sugar, and nutmeg. Oat-meal gruel is excellent made thus.
Beef-Tea.—Pepper and salt some good beef cut into small pieces, pour
on boiling water and steep half an hour. A better way is to put the
meat thus prepared into a bottle kept in boiling water for four or five
hours.
Tomato Syrup.—Put a pound of sugar to a quart of juice, bottle it and
use for a beverage wTith water.
Sassafras Jelly.—Soak the pith of sassafras till a jelly, and add a
little sugar.
E g g Tea, Egg Coffee, and Egg Milk.—Beat the yelk of an egg in
some sugar and a little salt; add either cold tea or coffee or milk. Then
beat the whites to a stiff froth and add. Flavor the milk with wine.
Some do not like the taste of raw egg, and so the other articles may first
be made boiling hot before the white is put in.
Oat-Meal Grael.—Four table-spoonfuls of grits, (unbolted oat-meal,) a
pinch of salt and a pint of boiling water. Skim, sweeten, and flavor. Or
make a thin batter of fine oat-meal, and pour into boiling water ; then
sweeten and flavor it.
P e a r l Barley-Water.—Boil two and a half ounces of pearl barley ten
minutes in half a pint of water, strain it, add a quart of boiling water,
boil it down to half the quantity, strain, sweeten, and flavor with sliced
lemon or nutmeg.
Cream T a r t a r Beverage.—Put two even tea-spoonfuls cream tartar,
to a pint of boiling water, sweeten and flavor with lemon-peel.
Rennet Whey, (good for a weak stomach after severe illness.)—Soak
rennet two inches square one hour, add half a gill of water and a pinch
of salt; then pour it into a pint of warm (not hot) milk. Let it stand
half an hour, then cut it, and after an hour drain off the liquid. Let it
Btand awhile and drain off more whey.
Refreshing Brink for a Ferer.—Mix sprigs of sage, balm, and sorrel
DRINKS
FOR THE SICK AND
with half a sliced lemon, skin on.
cork it.
YOUNG.
523
Pour on boiling water, sweeten and
Food, etc., for an Infant.—Nothing is so good as cow's milk diluted
and made only as sweet as mother's milk. Add less water as the infant
grows older. Use milk from the same cow, as mixed milk is not so
good. If the child's bowels are too loose, wait a little; if this continues,
use boiled milk or rice-water. If constipated, a little magnesia may first
be tried, and if it fails, call a doctor.
No other food is so good for an infant, if it is a healthy one, as milk.
If it is not, the physician, and not an uneducated person, should direct.
Boiled rice and rice-water are highly recommended by physicians for
convalescents and children with summer complaints.
Rubbing the body with the hand of a strong and healthy person is a
great help in curing disease and restoring strength.
Many children as well as adults are sick from over-eating, causing
biliousness, disordered stomachs, and headaches. The safest and best
remedy is, total abstinence from food for a day or more, giving the
clogged organs a chance to throw off the excess.
Constipation is best cured by loose dress, exercise in fresh air, sleeping
warm with a window open, and relief from exercise, care, or labor, and
especially by a daily towel-bath, which in cold weather should be taken
by a fire, especially by aged or delicate persons.
American gelatine in cholera infantum is better than farinaceous food.
Keep a sick-room quiet, neat, orderly, and well ventilated. Change the
garment next the skin and the bed often. Ventilate a sick-room not by
large openings, but by a half-inch crack at the top of one window and
at the bottom of another. An open fire is a sure mode of ventilation.
XX.
T H E PROVIDING AND CARE OF FAMILY STORES.
T H E art of keeping a good table consists not in loading on
a variety at each meal, but rather in securing a successive
variety, a table neatly and tastefully set, and every thing that
is on it cooked in the best manner.
There are some families who provide an abundance of the
most expensive and choice articles, and spare no expense in
any respect, yet who have every thing cooked in such a miserable way, and a table set in so slovenly a manner, that a person
accustomed to a really good table can scarcely taste a morsel
with any enjoyment.
On the contrary, there are many tables where the closest
economy is practiced ; and yet the table-cloth is so white and
smooth, the dishes, silver, glass, and other table articles so
bright, and arranged with such propriety; the bread so
light and sweet; the butter so beautiful, and every other article of food so well cooked, and so neatly and tastefully
served, that every thing seems good, and pleases both the eye
and the palate.
A habit of doing every thing in the best manner is of unspeakable importance to a housekeeper, and every woman ought to
aim at it, however great the difficulties she may have to meet.
If a young housekeeper commences with a determination to try
to do every thing in the best manner, and perseveres in the
effort, meeting all obstacles with patient cheerfulness, not only
the moral but the intellectual tone of her mind is elevated by
the attempt. Although she may meet many insuperable difficulties, and may never reach the standard at which she aims,
the simple effort, persevered in, will have an elevating influence
on her character; while, at the same time, she actually will
PROVIDING
AND
CARE
OF FAMILY
STORES.
525
reach a point of excellence far ahead of those who, discouraged
by many obstacles, give up in despair, and resolve to make no
more efforts, and let things go as they will. The grand distinction between a noble and an ignoble mind is, that one will
control circumstances; the other yields, and allows circumstances to control her.
I t should be borne in mind that the constitution of man demands a variety of food, and that it is just as cheap to keep
on hand a good variety of materials in the store-closet, so as
to make a frequent change, as it is to buy one or two articles
at once, and live on them exclusively, till every person is
tired of them, and then buy two or three more of another
kind.
It is too frequently the case that families fall into a very
limited round of articles, and continue the same course from
one year to another, when there is a much greater variety
within reach of articles which are just as cheap and as easily
obtained, and yet remain unthought of*and untouched.
A thrifty and generous provider will see that her store-closet
is furnished with such a variety of articles that successive
changes can be made, and for a good length of time. To aid
in this, a slight sketch of a well-provided store-closet will be
given, with a description of the manner in which each article
should be stored and kept, in order to avoid waste and injury.
To this will be added modes of securing a successive variety
within the reach of all in moderate circumstances.
It is best to have a store-closet open from the kitchen, because the kitchen fire keeps the atmosphere dry, and this prevents the articles stored from molding, and other injury from
dampness. Yet it must not be kept warm, as there are many
articles which are injured by warmth.
A cool and dry place is indispensable for a store-room, and
a small window over the door, and another opening out-doors,
give a great advantage, by securing coolness and circulation
of fresh air.
Flour should be kept in a barrel, wTith a flour-scoop to dip
it, a sieve to sift it, and a pan to hold the sifted flour, either in
the barrel or close at hand.
The barrel should have a tight
526
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL,
cover to keep out mice and vermin. It is best to find, by trial,
a lot of first-rate flour, and then buy a year's supply. But this
should not be done unless there are accommodations for keeping it dry and cool, and protecting it from vermin.
Unbolted flour should be stored in kegs or covered tubs,
and always be kept on hand as regularly as fine flour. It
should be bought only when freshly ground, and only in moderate quantities, as it loses sweetness by keeping.
Indian meal should be purchased in small quantities, say
fifteen or twenty pounds at a time, and be kept in a covered
tub or keg.
It is always improved by scalding.
I t must be
kept very cool and dry, and if occasionally stirred, is preserved
more surely from growing sour or musty. Fresh ground is
best.
Rye should be bought in small quantities, say forty or fifty
pounds at a time, and be kept in a keg or half-barrel, with a
cover.
Buckwheat^ Rice, Hominy, and Ground Rice must be purchased in small quantities, and kept in covered kegs or tubs.
Several of these articles are infested with small black insects,
and examination must occasionally be made for them.
Arrowroot,
Tapioca, Sago, Pearl Barley, Pearl
Wheat,
Cracked Wheat, American Isinglass, Macaroni,
Vermicelli,
and Oat-meal are all articles which help to make an agreeable
variety, and it is just as cheap to buy a small quantity of
each as it is to buy a larger quantity of two or three articles.
Eight or ten pounds of each of these articles of food can be
stored in covered jars or covered wood boxes, and then they
are always at hand to help to make a variety. All of them
are very healthful food, and help to form many delightful
dishes for desserts. Some of the most healthful puddings are
those made of rice, tapioca, sago, and macaroni; while isinglass, or American gelatine, forms elegant articles for desserts,
and is also excellent for the sick.
Sugars should not be bought b y the barrel, as the brown is
apt to turn to molasses, and run out on to the floor. Refined
loaf for tea, crushed sugar for the nicest preserves and to use
with fruit, nice brown sugar for coffee, and common brown for
PROVIDING
AND
CARE
OF FAMILY
STORES.
527
more common use. The loaf can be stored in the papers on a
shelf. The others should be kept in close covered kegs, or
covered wooden articles made for the purpose.
Butter must be kept in the dryest and coldest place you
can find, in vessels of either stone, earthen, or wood, and never
in tin.
Lard and Drippings must be kept in a dry, cold place, and
should not be salted. Usually the cellar is the best place for
them. Earthen or stone jars are the best to store them in.
Salt must be kept in the dryest place that can be found.
Rock salt is the best for table-salt.
It should be washed,
dried, pounded, sifted, and stored in a glass jar, and covered
close. It is common to find it growing damp in the salt-stands
for the table.
It should then be set by the fire to dry, and
afterward be reduced to fine powder again. Few things are
more disagreeable than coarse or damp salt on a table.
Vinegar is best made of wine or cider. Buy a keg or halfbarrel of it, and set it in the cellar, and then keep a supply for
the casters in a bottle in the kitchen.
If too strong, it eats
the pickles. Much manufactured vinegar is sold that ruins
pickles, and is unhealthful.
Pickles never must be kept in glazed ware, as the vinegar
forms a poisonous compound with the glazing.
Oil must be kept in the cellar. Winter-strained must be
got in cold weather, as the summer-strained will not burn
except in warm weather. Those who use kerosene-oil should
never trust it with heedless servants or children. Never fill
lamps with it at night, nor allow servants to kindle fire with
it, or to fill a lamp with it when lighted. Inquire for the
safest pattern of lamps, and learn all the dangers to be avoided,
and the cautions needful in the use of this most dangerous explosive oil. Neglect this caution and you probably will be a
sorrowful mourner all your life for the sufferings or death of
some dear friend.
Molasses, if bought by the barrel, or half-barrel, should be
kept in the cellar. If bought in small quantities, it should be
kept in a demijohn.
No vessel should be corked or bunged,
528
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
if filled with molasses, as it will swell and burst the vessel, or
run over.
Hard Soap should be bought by large quantity, and laid to
harden on a shelf in a very dry place. It is much more economical to buy hard than soft soap, as those who use soft soap
are very apt to waste it in using it, as they can not do with
hard soap.
Starch it is best to buy by a large quantity. It comes very
nicely put up in papers, a pound or two in each paper, and
packed in a box.
The high-priced starch is cheapest in the
end.
Indigo is not always good. W h e n a good lot is found b y
trial, it is best to get enough for a year or two, and store it in
a tight tin box.
Coffee it is best to buy by the bag, as it improves by keeping. Let it hang in the bag in a dry place, and it loses its
rank smell and taste. It is poor economy to buy ground coffee, as it often has other articles mixed, and loses flavor by
keeping after it is ground.
Tea, if bought by the box, is several cents a pound cheaper
than by small quantities. If well put up in boxes lined with
lead, it keeps perfectly; but put up in paper, it soon loses its
flavor. It therefore should, if in small quantities, be put up
in glass or tin, and shut tight.
Soda should be bought in small quantities, then powdered,
sifted, and kept tight corked in a large-mouth glass bottle. It
grows damp if exposed to the air, and then can not be used
properly.
Raisins should not be bought in large quantities, as they are
injured by time. It is best to buy the small boxes.
Currants for cake should be prepared, and set by for use in
a jar
Lemon and Orange-peel should be dried, pounded, and set
up in corked glass jars.
Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Cloves, Mace, and Allspice should be
pounded fine, and corked tight in small glass bottles, with
mouths large enough for a junk-bottle cork, and then put in a
tight tin box, made for the purpose.
Or they can be put in
PROVIDING
AND CARE
OF FAMILY
STORES.
529
small tin boxes with tight covers. Essences are as good as
spices.
Sweet Herbs should be dried, the stalks thrown away, and
the rest be kept in corked large-mouth bottles, or small tin
boxes.
Cream Tartar, Citric and Tartaric Acids, Bicarbonate of
Soda, and Essences should be kept in corked glass jars. Sal
volatile must be kept in a large-mouth bottle, with a groundglass stopper to make it air-tight. Use cold water in dissolving
it. It must be powdered.
Preserves and Jellies should be kept in glass or stone, in a
cool, dry place, well sealed, or tied with bladder covers.
If
properly made and thus put up, they never will ferment. If it
is difficult to find a cool, dry place, pack the jars in a box, and
fill the interstices with sand, very thoroughly dried. It is best
to put jellies in tumblers, or small glass jars, so as to open
only a small quantity at a time.
The most easy way of keeping Hams perfectly is to wrap
and tie them in paper, and pack them in boxes or barrels with
ashes. The ashes must fill all interstices, but must not touch
the hams, as it absorbs the fat. It keeps them sweet, and protects from all kinds of insects.
After smoked beef or hams are cut, hang them in a coarse
linen bag in the cellar, and tie it up to keep out flies.
Keep Cheese in a cool, dry place, and after it is cut, wrap it
in a linen cloth, and keep it in a tight tin box.
Keep Bread in a tin covered box, and it will keep fresh and
good longer than if left exposed to the air.
Cake also should be kept in a tight tin box. Tin boxes made
with covers like trunks, with handles at the ends, are best for
bread and cake.
Smoked herring keep in the cellar.
Codfish is improved by changing it, once in a while, back
and forth from garret to cellar. Some dislike to have it in the
house anywhere.
All salted provision must be watched, and kept under the
brine. When the brine looks bloody, or smells badly, it must
be scalded, and more salt put to it, and poured over the meat.
XXL
ON SETTING TABLES, AND P R E P A R I N G VARIOUS ARTICLES O F
FOOD FOR T H E TABLE.
To a person accustomed to a good table, the manner in which
the table is set, and the mode in which food is prepared and
set on, has a great influence, not only on the eye, but the appetite. A housekeeper ought, therefore, to attend carefully to
these particulars.
The table-cloth should always be white, and well washed
and ironed. When taken from the table, it should be folded
in the ironed creases, and some heavy article laid on it. A
heavy bit of plank, smoothed and kept for the purpose, is useful.
By this method, the table-cloth looks tidy much longer
than when it is less carefully laid aside.
W h e n table-napkins are used, care should be taken to keep
the same one to each person, and in laying them aside, they
should be folded so as to hide the soiled places, and laid under
pressure. I t is best to use napkin-rings.
The table-cloth should always be put on square, and right
side upward.
The articles of table furniture should be
placed with order and symmetry.
The bread for breakfast and tea should be cut in even, regular slices, not over a fourth of an inch thick, and all crumbs
removed from the bread-plate. They should be piled in a
regular form, and if the slices are large they should be divided.
The butter should be cooled in cold water, if not already
hard, and then cut into a smooth and regular form, and a butter-knife be laid by the plate, to be used for no other purpose
but to help the butter.
A small plate should be placed at each plate for butter, and
ON SETTING
TABLES.
531
a small salt-cup set by each breakfast or dinner-plate. This
saves butter and salt.
All the flour should be wiped from small cakes, and the
crumbs be kept from the bread-plate.
In preparing dishes for the dinner-table, all water should be
carefully drained from the vegetables, and the edges of the
platters and dishes should be made perfectly clean and neat.
All soiled spots should be removed from the outside of
pitchers, gravy-boats, and every article used on the table; the
handles of the knives and forks must be clean, and the knives
bright and sharp.
In winter, the plates and all the dishes used, both for meat
and vegetables, should be set to the fire to warm, when the
table is being set, as cold plates and dishes cool the vegetables,
gravy, and meats, which by many is deemed a great injury.
Cucumbers, when prepared for table, should be laid in cold
water for an hour or two to cool, and then be peeled and cut
into fresh cold water. Then they should be drained, and
brought to the table, and seasoned the last thing.
The water should be drained thoroughly from all greens and
salads.
There are certain articles which are usually set on together,
because it is the fashion, or because they are suited to each
other.
Thus, with strong-flavored meats, like mutton, goose, and
duck, it is customary to serve the strong-flavored vegetables,
such as onions and turnips. Thus, turnips are put in mutton
broth, and served with mutton, and onions are used to stuff
geese and ducks. But onions are usually banished from the
table and from cooking on account of the disagreeable flavor
they impart to the atmosphere and breath.
Boiled Poultry should be accompanied with boiled ham or
tongue.
Boiled Rice is served with'poultry as a vegetable.
Jelly is served with mutton, venison, and roasted meats, and
is used in the gravies for hashes.
Fresh Pork requires some acid sauce, such as cranberry, or
tart apple-sauce.
532
THE HOUSEKEEPER*S
MANUAL,
Drawn Butter, prepared as in the recipe, with eggs in it, is
used with boiled fowls and boiled fish.
Pickles are served especially with fish, and Soy is a fashionable sauce for fish, which is mixed on the plate with drawn
butter.
There are modes of garnishing dishes, and preparing them
for table, which give an air of taste and refinement that pleases
the eye. Thus, in preparing a dish of fricasseed fowls, or
stewed fowls, or cold fowls warmed over, small cups of boiled rice can be laid inverted around the edge of the platter, to
eat with the meat.
On Broiled Ham or Veal, eggs boiled or fried, and laid one
on each piece, look well.
Greens and Asparagus should be well drained, and laid on
buttered toast, and then slices of boiled eggs be laid on the
top and around.
Hashes and preparations of pigs' and calves' head and feet
should be laid on toast, and garnished with round slices of
lemon.
Curled Parsley, or Common Parsley, is a pretty garnish, to
be fastened to the shank of a ham, to conceal the bone, and
laid around the dish holding it. It looks well laid around any
dish of cold slices of tongue, ham, or meat of any kind.
In setting g, tea-table, small-sized plates are set around, with
a knife, napkin, and butter-plate laid by each in a regular
manner, while the articles of food are to be set, also, in regular
order. On the waiter are placed tea-cups and saucers, sugarbowl, slop-bowl, cream-cup, and two or three articles for tea,
coffee, and hot water, as the case may be. On the dinner-table,
b y each plate, is a knife, fork, napkin, and tumbler; and small
butter-plate and salt-cup should also be placed b y each plate.
XXII.
WASHING, IRONING, AND CLEANSING.
MANY a woman without servants, or with those untrained,
must do her own washing and ironing, or train others to do it,
and this is the most trying department of housekeeping. The
following may aid in lessening labor and care.
It saves washing and is more healthful to use flannel shirts.
Farmers, sailors, and soldiers have found by experience, that
they are more comfortable than cotton or linen, even in the
hottest days. Many gentlemen use them for common wear,
changing to a cotton-flannel night-gown for sleeping. So
young children can have a flannel jacket and flannel drawers
sewed to the jacket in front, and buttoned behind, and change
them at night for cotton-flannel made in the same way. The
under-garments for women may be made of the same material
and pattern, and this will save washing and promote health.
Some ladies economize time and labor by wearing threecornered lace articles for the neck, trimmed with imitation Valenciennes lace, wash them in their wash-bowl, whiten in soapsuds in a tumbler or bowl in their window, stiffen with gumarabic, and after stretching, press under weights between clean
papers. This is a happy contrivance when on a journey or
without servants. Those who wish to save all needless labor
in washes should have under-garments and night-gowns made
in sack forms or other fashions that save in both material and
labor. They also should omit ruffles and other trimmings that
increase the labor of ironing.
There is nothing which tends more effectually to secure good
washing than a full supply of all conveniences. A plenty of
soft water is a very important item. W h e n this can not be had,
lye or soda can be put in hard water, to soften it. Borax is
534
THE HOUSEKEEPER*S
MANUAL.
safer than soda, which turns white clothes yellow, and injures
texture. Buy crude borax, and for a common washing use half
an ounce. A borax soap is made t h u s : To a pound of barsoap, cut in small pieces, put a quart of hot water and an
ounce of powdered borax. Heat and mix, but do not boil, cool
and cut into cakes, and use like hard soap. Soak the white
clothes in a suds made of this soap over night, and it saves
much rubbing. Two wash-forms are needed; one for the two
tubs in which to put the suds, and the other for blueing and
starching-tubs. Four tubs, of different sizes, are necessary;
also, a large wooden dipper, (as metal is apt to rust;) two or
three pails; a grooved wash-board; a clothes-line, (sea-grass
or horse-hair is best;) a wash-stick to move clothes when
boiling, and a wooden fork to take them out. Soap-dishes,
made to hook on the tubs, save soap and time. Provide, also,
a clothes-bag, in which to boil clothes; an indigo-bag, of
double flannel; a starch-strainer, of coarse linen; a bottle of
ox-gall for calicoes ; a supply of starch, neither sour nor m u s t y ;
several dozens of clothes-pins, which are cleft sticks, used to
fasten clothes on the line; a bottle of dissolved gum-arabic ;
two clothes-baskets; and a brass or copper kettle, for boiling
clothes, as iron is apt to rust. A closet for keeping all these
things is a great convenience. Tubs, pails, and all hooped
wooden ware, should be kept out of the sun, and in a cool place,
or they will fall to pieces.
COMMON MODE OF WASHING.
Assort the clothes, and put those most soiled in soak the
night before. Never pour hot water on them, as it sets the
dirt. In assorting clothes, put the flannels in one lot, the
colored clothes in another, the coarse white ones in a third, and
the fine clothes in a fourth lot. Wash the fine clothes in one
tub of suds. When clothes are very much soiled, a second
suds is needful, turning 1 them wrong side out. P u t them in the
J
o
o
boiling-bag, and boil them in strong suds for half an hour, and
not much more. Move them, while boiling, with the clothesstick. Take them out of the boiling-bag, and put them into a
tub of water, and rub the dirtiest places again, if need be.
WASHING,
IRONING,
AND
CLEANSING.
535
Throw them into the rinsing-water, and then wring them out,
and put them into the blueing-water. P u t the articles to be
stiffened into a clothes-basket, by themselves, and j u s t before
hanging out, dip them in starch, clapping it in, so as to have*
them equally stiff in all parts. Hang white clothes in the sun
and colored ones (wrong side out) in the shade. Fasten them
with clothes-pins. Then wash the coarser white articles in the
same manner. Then wash the colored clothes. These must
not be soaked, nor have lye or soda put in the water, and they
ought not to lie wet long before hanging out, as it injures their
colors. Beefs-gall, one spoonful to two pailfuls of suds, improves calicoes. Lastly, wash the flannels in suds as hot as
the hand can bear. Never rub on soap, as this shrinks them
in spots. W r i n g them out of the first suds, and throw them
into another tub of hot suds, turning tnem wrong side out.
Then throw them into hot blueing-water. Do not j>ut blueing
into suds, as it makes specks in the flannel. Never leave
flannels long in water, nor put them in cold or lukewarm
water. Before hanging them out, shake and stretch them.
Some housekeepers have a close doset, made with slats across
the top. On these slats, they put their flannels, when ready to
hang out, and then burn brimstone under them, for ten minutes.
I t is but little trouble, and keeps the flannels as white as new.
W a s h the colored flannels and hose, after the white, adding
more hot water. Some persons dry woolen hose on stockingboards, shaped like a foot and leg, with strings to tie them on
the line. This keeps them from shrinking, and makes them
look better than if ironed. It is also less work than to iron
them properly.
Bedding should be washed in long days, and in hot weather.
E m p t y straw beds once a year.
The- following cautions in regard to calicoes are useful.
Never wash them in very warm w a t e r ; and change the water
when it appears dingy, or the light parts will look dirty.
Never rub on soap; but remove grease with French-chalk,
starch, magnesia, or Wilmington clay. Make starch for black
calicoes with coffee-water, to prevent any whitish appearance.
Glue is good for stiffening calicoes. When laid aside, not to
536
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
be used, all stiffening should be washed out, or they will often be
injured. Never let calicoes freeze in drying. Some persons
use bran-water, (four quarts of wheat-bran to two pails of
water,) and no soap, for calicoes; washing and rinsing in the
bran-water. Potato-water is equally good. Take eight peeled
and grated potatoes to one gallon of water.
To Cleanse Gentlemen's Broadcloths.—The
best way, which
the writer has repeatedly tried with unfailing success, is the
following: Take one beefs-gall, half a pound of saleratus, and
four gallons of warm water. Lay the article on a table, and
scour it thoroughly, in every part, with a clothes-brush, dipped
in this mixture. The collar of a coat, and the grease-spots,
(previously marked b y stitches of white thread,) must be repeatedly brushed. Then, take the article, and rinse it up and
down in the mixture". Then rinse it up and down in a tub of
soft cold water. Then, without wringing or pressing, hang it
to drain and dry. Fasten a coat up by the collar. When
perfectly dry, it is sometimes the case, with coats, that nothing more is needed. In other cases, it is necessary to dampen
with a sponge the parts which look wrinkled, and either pull
them smooth with the fingers, or press them with an iron,
having a piece of bombazine or thin woolen cloth between
the iron and the article.
TO MANUFACTURE
LYE, SOAP, STARCH, AND
USED
OTHER
ARTICLES
IN WASHING.
To make Lye.—Provide
a large tub, made of pine or ash,
and set it on a form, so high that a tub can stand under it.
Make a hole, an inch in diameter, near the bottom, on one side.
Lay bricks inside about this hole, and straw over them. To
every seven bushels of ashes add two gallons of unslacked
lime, and throw in the ashes and lime in alternate layers.
While putting in the ashes and lime, pour on boiling water,
using three or four pailfuls. After this, add a pailful of cold
soft water once an hour, till all the ashes appear to be well
soaked. Catch the drippings in a tub and try its strength
with an egg. If the egg rise so as to show a circle as large as
a ten-cent piece, the strength is r i g h t ; if it rise higher, the lye
WASHING,
IRONING,
AND CLEANSING.
537
must be weakened by water; if not so high, the ashes are not
good, and the whole process must be repeated, putting in fresh
ashes, and running the weak lye through the new ashes, with
some additional water. Quick-lye is made b y pouring one
gallon of boiling soft water on three quarts of ashes, and
straining it. Oak ashes are best.
To make Soft Soap.—Save all drippings and fat, melt them,
and set them away in cakes. Some persons keep, for soapgrease, a half-barrel, with weak lye in it, and a cover over
it. To make soft soap, take the proportion of one pailful of
lye to three pounds of fat. Melt the fat, and pour in the lye,
by degrees. Boil it steadily, through the day, till it is ropy.
If not boiled enough, on cooling it will turn to lye and sediment. While boiling, there should always be a little oil on the
surface. If this does not appear, add more grease. If there
is too much grease, on cooling, it will rise, and can be skimmed
off. Try it, by cooling a small quantity. W h e n it appears like
jelly on becoming cold, it is done. It must then be put in a
cool place and often stirred.
To make cold Soft Soap, melt thirty pounds of grease, put it
in a barrel, add four pailfuls of strong lye, and stir it up thoroughly. Then gradually add more lye, till the barrel is nearly
full, and the soap looks about right.
To make Potash-Soap, melt thirty-nine pounds of grease,
and put it in a barrel. Take twenty-nine pounds of light ashcolored potash, (the reddish-colored will spoil the soap,) and
pour hot water on i t ; then pour it off into the grease, stirring
it well. Continue thus till all the potash is melted. Add one
pailful of cold water, stirring it a great deal every day, till the
barrel be full, and then it is done. This is the cheapest and
best kind of soap. It is best to sell ashes and buy potash.
The soap is better, if it stand a year before it is used ; therefore make two barrels at once.
To prepare Starch.—Take four table-spoonfuls of starch;
put in as much water, and rub it, till all lumps are removed.
Then add half a cup of cold water. Pour this into a quart of
boiling water, and boil it for half an hour, adding a piece of
spermaceti, or a lump of salt or sugar, as large as a hazel-nut.
538
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
Strain it, and put in a very little blueing. Thin it with hot
water.
Beefs-Gall—Send
a junk-bottle to the butcher, and have
several gall-bladders emptied into it. Keep it salted, and in a
cool place. Some persons perfume i t ; but fresh air removes
the unpleasant smell which it gives, when used for clothes.
DIRECTIONS FOR STARCHING MUSLINS AND LACES.
Many ladies clap muslins, then dry them, and afterward
sprinkle them. This saves time. Others clap them till nearly
dry, then fold and cover, and then iron them. Iron wrought
muslins on soft flannel, and on the wrong side.
To do up Laces nicely y sew a clean piece of muslin around
a long bottle, and roll the lace on i t ; pulling out the edge, and
rolling it so that the edge will turn in, and be covered as you
roll. Fill the bottle with water, and then boil it for an hour in
a suds made with white soap. Rinse it in fair water, a little
blue; dry it in the sun; and, if any stiffening is wished, use thin
starch or gum-arabic.
When dry, fold and press it between
white papers in a large book. It improves the lace to wet it
with sweet-oil, after it is rolled on the bottle, and before boiling in the suds. JBlond laces can be whitened by rolling them
on a bottle in this way, and then setting the bottle in the sun,
in a dish of cold suds made with white soap, wetting it thoroughly, and changing the suds every day. Do this for a
week or more; then rinse in fair water; dry it on the bottle
in the sun and stiffen it with white gum-arabic. Lay it away
in loose folds. Lace vails can be whitened by laying them in
flat dishes, in suds made with white soap; then rinsing, and
stiffening them with gum-arabic, stretching them, and pinning
them a sheet to dry.
ARTICLES TO BE PROVIDED FOR IRONING.
Provide the following articles: A woolen ironing-blanket,
and a linen or cotton sheet to spread over i t ; a large fire, of
charcoal and hard wood, (unless furnaces or stoves are used;)
a hearth free from cinders and ashes, a piece of sheet-iron, in
WASHING,
IRONING,
AND
CLEANSING.
539
front of the fire, on which to set the irons while heating;
(this last saves many black spots from careless ironers ;) three
or four holders, made of woolen, and covered with old silk,
as these do not easily take fire ; two iron rings or iron-stands, on
which to set the irons, and small pieces of board to put under
them, to prevent scorching the sheet; linen or cotton wipers;
and a piece of bees-wax, to rub on the irons when they are
smoked. There should be, at least, three irons for each person
ironing, and a small and large clothes-frame, on which to air
the fine and coarse clothes. It is a great saving of space as
well as labor to have a clothes-frame made with a large number of slats, on which to hang clothes. Then have it fastened
to the wall, and, when not used, pushed flat against the wall.
Any carpenter can understand how to make this.
A bosom-board, on which to iron shirt-bosoms, should be
made, one foot and a half long and nine inches wide, and
covered with white flannel. A skirt-board on which to iron
frock-skirts, should be made, five feet long and two feet wide
at one end, tapering to one foot and three inches wide at the
other end. This should be covered with flannel; and will save
much trouble in ironing nice dresses. The large end may be
put on the table, and the other on the back of a chair. Both
these boards should have cotton covers made to fit them, and
these should be changed and washed when dirty. These
boards are often useful, when articles are to be ironed or
pressed in a chamber or parlor, and where economy of space
is needful, they may be hung to a wall or door by loops on
the covers. Provide, also, a press-board, for broadcloth, two
feet long and four inches wide at one end, tapering to three
inches wide, at the other.
If the lady of the house will provide all these articles, see
that the fires are properly made, the ironing-sheets evenly put
on and properly pinned, the clothes-frames dusted, and all
articles kept in their places, she will do much toward securing
good ironing.
540
THE HOUSEKEEPERS
MANUAL.
ON SPRINKLING, FOLDING, AND
IRONING.
Wipe the dust from the ironing-board, and lay it down, to
receive the clothes, which should be sprinkled with clear
and warm water, and laid in separate piles, one of colored, one
of common, and one of fine articles, and one of flannels. Fold
the fine things, and roll them in a towel, and then fold the
rest, turning them all right side outward. The colored clothes
should be laid separate from the rest, and ought not to lie long
damp, as it injures the colors. The sheets and table-linen
should be shaken, stretched, and folded by two persons.
Iron lace and needle-work on the wrong side, and carry them
away as soon as dry. Iron calicoes with irons which are not
very hot, and generally on the right side, as they thus keep
clean for a longer time. In ironing a frock, first do the waist,
then the sleeves, then the skirt. Keep the skirt rolled, while
ironing the other parts, and set a chair, to hold the sleeves
while ironing the skirt, unless a skirt-board be used. In ironing a shirt, first do the back, then the sleeves, then the collar
and bosom, and then the front. Iron silk on the wrong side,
when quite damp, with an iron which is not very hot, as light
colors are apt to change and fade. Iron velvet, by turning up
the face of the iron, and after dampening the wrong side of the
velvet, draw it over the face of the iron, holding it straight
and not biased.
TO W H I T E N ARTICLES, AND REMOVE STAINS FROM T H E M .
W e t white clothes in suds, and lay them on the grass, in the
sun. It will save from grass stain, to have a clean white cloth
under the articles to be whitened. Lay muslins in suds made
with white soap, in a flat dish; set this in the sun, changing
the suds every day. Whiten tow-cloth or brown linen b y
keeping it in lye through the night, laying it out in the sun,
and wetting it with fair water, as fast as it dries.
Scorched articles can often be whitened again, by laying
them in the sun, wet with suds. Where this does not answer,
put a pound of white soap in a gallon of milk, and boil the
article in it. Another method is, to chop and extract the juice
WASHING,
IRONING,
AND CLEANSING.
541
from two onions, and boil this with half a pint of vinegar, an
ounce of white soap, and two ounces of fuller's earth. Spread
this, when cool, on the scorched part, and, when dry, wash it
off, in fair water. Mildew may be removed b y dipping the
article in sour buttermilk, laying it in the sun, and, after it is
white, rinsing it in fair water. Soap and chalk are also g o o d ;
also, soap and starch, adding half as much salt as there is
starch, together with the juice of a lemon. Stains in linen can
often be removed b y rubbing on soft soap, then putting on a
starch paste and drying in the sun, renewing it several times.
W a s h off all the soap and starch, in cold, fair water.
M I X T U R E S F O R R E M O V I N G STAINS A N D G R E A S E .
Stain-Mixture.—Half an ounce of oxalic acid in a pint of soft water.
This can be kept in a corked bottle and is infallible in removing ironrust and ink-stains. It is very poisonous. The article must be spread
with this mixture over the steam of hot water, and wet several times.
This will also remove indelible ink. The article must be washed, or the
mixture will injure it.
Another Stain-Mixture is made, by mixing one ounce of sal ammoniac, one ounce of salt of tartar, and one pint of soft water.
To remove Grease.—Mix four ounces of fuller's earth, half an ounce
of pearlash, and lemon-juice enough to make a stiff paste, which can be
dried in balls, and kept for use. Wet the greased spot with cold water,
rub it with the ball, dry it, and then rinse it with fair cold water. This is
for white articles. For silks, and worsteds, use French-chalk, which can
be procured of the apothecaries. That which is soft and white is best.
Scrape it on the greased spot, under side, and let it lie for a day and
night. Then brush off that used and renew it, till the spot disappears*
Wilmington clay-balls are equally good. Ink-spots can often be removed
from white clothes by rubbing on common tallow, leaving it for a day
or two, and then washing as usual. Grease can be taken out of wall-paper, by making a paste of potter's clay, water, and ox-gall, and spreading
it on the paper. When dry, renew it, till the spot disappears.
Stains on floors, from soot or stove-pipes can be removed by washing
4he spot in sulphuric acid and water. Stains, in colored silk dresses
can often be removed by pure water. Those made by acids, tea, wine,
and fruits can often be removed by spirits of hartshorn, diluted with an
equal quantity of water. Sometimes it must be repeated several times.
T a r , Pitch, and Turpentine can be removed, by putting the spot i n
542
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
sweet-oil, or by spreading tallow on it, and letting it remain for twentyfour hours. Then, if the article be linen or cotton, wash it as u s u a l ; if
it be silk or worsted, rub it with ether or spirits of wine.
Lamp-Oil can be removed from floors, carpets, and other articles, by
spreading upon the stain a paste made of fuller's earth or potter's clay,
brushing off and renewing it, when dry, till the stain is removed. If gali
be put into the paste, it will preserve the colors from injury. When the
stain has been removed, carefully brush off the paste with a soft brush.
Oil-Paint can be removed by rubbing it with very pure spirits of turpentine. The impure spirits leave a grease-spot. Wax can be removed
by scraping it off, and then holding a red-hot poker near the spot. , Spermaceti may be removed by scraping it off, then putting a paper over the
spot, and applying a warm iron. If this does not answer, rub on spirits
of Wine.
Ink-Stains in carpets and woolen table-covers can be removed by
washing the spot in a liquid composed of one tea-spoonful of oxalic acid
dissolved in a tea-cupful of warm (not hot) water, and then rinsing in cold
water. When ink is first spilled on a woolen carpet, pour on water immediately, and sop it up several times, and no stain will be made. Often
on other articles, a stream of cold water poured on the under side of the
ink-spot will so dilute the ink that it can be rubbed out in cold water.
Stains on Tarnished Articles, which are caused by cups of hot water,
can be removed by rubbing them with lamp-oil, and then with alcohol.
Ink-stains can be taken out of mahogany by one tea-spoonful of oil of
vitriol mixed with one table-spoonful of water, or by oxalic acid and
water. These must be brushed over quickly, and then washed off with
milk.
Silk Handkerchiefs and Ribbons can be cleansed, by using Frenchchalk to take out the grease, and then sponging them on both sides
with lukewarm fair water.
Stiffen them with gum-arabic, and press
them between white paper, with an iron not very hot. A table-spoonful
of spirits of wine tc»three quarts of water improves it.
Silk Hose or Silk Gloves should be washed in warm suds made with
white soap, and rinsed in cold water ; they should then be stretched and
rubbed with a hard rolled flannel, till they are quite dry. Ironing them
very much injures their looks. Wash-leather articles should have t h e
grease removed from them by French-chalk or magnesia; they should
then be washed in warm suds, and rinsed in cold water. Light Kid
Gloves should have the grease removed from them, and then wash them
on the hands with borax water and soft flannel—a tea-spoonful to a tumbler of water. Then stretch and press them. Dark Kid Gloves wash in
the same way.
xxm.
MISCELLANEOUS ADVICE AND EECIPES.
How to keep cool in hot Weather.—Sit in a room covered with
matting or without any carpet, and keep the floor wet with pure water
and a watering-pot. In hot nights, place a double wet sheet on the bed
and a woolen blanket over it, and it will cool the bed which is heated
through the day, and does not cool as fast as the evening air. A hot bed
is often the cause of sleeplessness. Wear wristlets and anklets of wet
flannel. Shut all doors and windows early in the morning to keep in
cool air, and let in air only through windows that are on the shady side
of the house. If chambers open upon the hot roofs of piazzas or porticos,
cover them with clean straw or hay, and wet them with a wateringpot. In all these cases, the heat is taken from the air and from all surrounding things by the absorption of heat as the water changes to vapor.
Indelible Ink.—Put six cents' worth of lunar caustic in a small vial,
and fill with rain-water. To prepare the cloth, put a great-spoonful of
gum-arabic into a larger bottle, with a drachm of salt of tartar, fill with
water, and when dissolved, wet the cloth, and press it smooth with a
warm (not hot) iron. Put the articles, when marked, in the sun.
To preserve Eggs.—Pack eggs in a jar small end downward, and then
pour in a mixture of four quarts of slacked lime, two table-spoonfuls of
cream tartar and two of salt. This will cover about nine dozen for several months.
To prevent Earthen, Glass, and Ironware from being easily Broken.
—Put them in cold water, and heat till boiling, and cool gradually.
A Good Cemesit for Broken Earthen and Glass.—Mix Russian isinglass in white brandy, forming a thick jelly when cool. Strain and cork.
W h e n using it, rub it on the broken edges, and hold them together
three or four minutes.
To keep Knives from Rust and other Injury.—Rub bright, and
wrap in thick brown paper. Never let knife-handles lie in water, and
do not let their blades stay in very hot water, as the heat expands the
iron, and makes handles crack.
544
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
To cleanse or renovate Furniture.—White spots on furniture remove by camphene, or sometimes by oil or spirits of turpentine. Remove
mortar spots with warm vinegar, and paint-spots with camphene or
burning-fluid. Powdered pumice-stone is better than sand to clean paint.
To polish unvarnished furniture, rub on two ounces of bees-wax, half an
ounce of alconet root, melted together, and, when cooled, two ounces of
spirits of wine, and half a pint of spirits of turpentine.
To clean Silver.—Wet whiting with liquid hartshorn, and this will
remove black spots. Or boil half an ounce of pulverized hartshorn in a
pint of water, and pour it into rags, dry them, and use to cleanse silver.
Polish with wash-leather.
To cleanse Wall-Paper.—Wipe with a clean pillow-case on a broom,
and brush gently. Rub bad spots with soft bread-crumbs gently.
To purify a Well.—Get out the water, and then put in three or four
quarts of quick-lime. Any well long unused should be thus cleansed.
How to treat Roses and other Plants.—Water them daily with
water steeped in wood-ashes. To destroy slugs, scatter ashes over the
plant at night before the dew falls, or before a coming shower. Water
all plants with washing-day suds, and it makes them flourish. Scatter
salt in gravel walks to get out grass and weeds. Use old brine for this
purpose. Use saw-dust to manure plants; also wood-ashes; even that
used to make lye is good.
Easy Way to keep Grapes.—When not dead ripe, have them free
from dampness, take out the decayed, and wrap each bunch in cotton,
putting only two layers in a box. Keep in a dry, cool room, where they
will not freeze.
Snow for Eggs.—Two table-spoonfuls of snow strewed in quickly,
and baked immediately, is equal to one egg in puddings or pan-cakes.
P a p e r to keep Preserves.—Soft paper dipped in the white of an egg
is the best cover for jellies and pickles. Turn it over the rim.
To make B u t t e r cool in hot Weather.—Set it on a bit of brick, cover
with a flower-pot, and wrap a wet cloth around the pot. The evaporation
cools it as well as ice.
To stop Cracks in Iron.—Mix ashes and common salt and a little
water, and fill the cracks.
To stop Creaking Hinges.—Put on oil.
To stop Creaking Doors and make Drawers slide easily.—Rub on
hard soap.
MISCELLANEOUS
ADVICE
AND RECIPES,
545
To renovate Black Silk.—Wash in cold tea or coffee, with a little
sugar in them. Pat in a little ink if very rusty. Drain and do not wring
and iron on the wrong side.
Another Way to clean Kid Gloves.—Rub them lightly with benzine, and as they dry, with pearl-powder. Expose to the air to remove
the smell.
To remove Grease-Spots.—Put an ounce of powdered borax to a quart
of boiling water. Wash with this, and keep it corked for further use.
To get rid of Rats and Mice,—A cat is the best remedy. Another
is to half fill a tub with water, and sprinkle oats and meal on the top.
For a while they will be deceived, jump in, and be drowned or caught.
ODDS AND
ENDS.
There are certain odds and ends where every housekeeper
will gain much by having a regular time to attend them. Let
this time be the last Saturday forenoon in every month, or any
other time more agreeable ; but let there be a regular fixed time
once a month in which the housekeeper will attend to the following things:
First. Go around to every room, drawer, and closet in the
house, and see what is out of order, and what needs to be
done, and make arrangements as to time and manner of
doing it.
Second. Examine the store-closet, and see if there is a proper
supply of all articles needed there.
Third. Go to the cellar, and see if the salted provision,
vegetables, pickles, vinegar, and all other articles stored in the
cellar are in proper order, and examine all the preserves and
jellies.
Fourth. Examine the trunk or closet of family linen, and see
what needs to be repaired and renewed.
Fifth. See if there is a supply of dish-towels, dish-cloths,
bags, holders, floor-cloths, dust-cloths, wrapping-paper, twine,
lamp-wicks, and all other articles needed in kitchen work.
Sixth. Count over the spoons, knives, and forks, and examine
all the various household utensils, to see what need replacing,
and what should be repaired.
Seventh. Have in a box a hammer, tacks, pincers, gimlets,
546
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
nails, screws, screw-driver, small saw, and two sizes of chisels
for emergencies when no regular workman is at hand. Also
be prepared to set glass. Every lady should be able in emergency to do such jobs herself.
A housekeeper who will have a regular time for attending
to these particulars will find her whole family machinery
moving easily and well; but one who does not, will constantly
be finding something out of joint, and an unquiet, secret apprehension of duties left undone or forgotten, which no other
method will so effectually remove.
A housekeeper will often be much annoyed by the accumulation of articles not immediately needed, that must be saved
for future use. The following method, adopted by a thrifty
housekeeper, may be imitated with advantage.
She bought
some cheap calico, and made bags of various sizes, and wrote
the following labels with indelible ink on a bit of broad tape,
and sewed them on one side of the bags : Old Linens, Old Cottons, Old Black Silks, Old Colored Silks, Old Stockings, Old
Colored Woolens, Old Flannels, New Linen, New Cotton, New
Woolens, New Silks, Pieces of Dresses, Pieces of Boys' Clothes,
etc. These bags were hung around a closet, and filled with
the above articles, and then it was known where to look for
each, and where to put each when not in use.
Another excellent plan, for the table, is for a housekeeper once
a month to make out a bill of fare for the four weeks to come.
To do this, let her look over this book, and find out what kind
of dishes the season of the year and her own stores will enable
her to provide, and then make out a list of the dishes she will
provide through the month, so as to have an agreeable variety
for breakfasts, dinners, and suppers. Some systematic arrangement of this kind at regular periods will secure gfreat
comfort and enjoyment to a family.
XXIV.
T H E LAWS OF HEALTH AND HAPPINESS.
EVERY housekeeper should well consider the following,
which are laws of health, taught by learned physiologists and
physicians, and also by a widely recorded experience. They
are also the laws of happiness, inasmuch as health is indispensable to happiness. Furthermore, they are laws of God, inasmuch as he has made us to be h a p p y ; and so whatever lessens
our highest happiness is contrary to his will and wishes, and
sore penalties follow disobedience.
Laws of Health for the Bones.—As the nutrition and
strength of the bones depend upon it, take care to exercise
daily in pure air.
Never allow the spine to be habitually out
of its natural position in sitting or sleeping, as thus distortion
and disease are induced.
Never allow clothing to compress
the bones of the chest or ribs, as this Lessens both lung and abdominal breathing, lessens the needful amount of oxygen, and
thus debilitates the whole body. Always have all clothing
supported from the shoulders, so as never to press upon the
abdomen, and thus diminish or stop abdominal respiration on
which good health so much depends. Do not wear high heels,
as it tends to internal displacements, and also to distort the
ankles and spine.
I t also distorts the foot, causes bunions
and corns, while it makes a graceful walk impossible.
Laws of Health for the Muscles.—Be careful that the blood
which nourishes the muscles has the proper supply of pure air
from the lungs, and of healthful nutriment from the stomach.
Take care that all the muscles are brought to full size and
strength by exercise for them all. Take care, also, that none
of them are weakened by excess of exercise. W h e n inactive
548
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
habits are to be changed, take care that it be done not suddenly, but by a gradual process. 1T ever take active exercise where
S
the air is impure, as it usually is in large gatherings where
dancing is practiced. As light is a cause of health and
strength, let exercise be taken by daylight, and not in the
night. Never compress any of the muscles by tight clothing,
as this prevents their proper nourishment by the blood. When
a j)erson is too weak to exercise, let a nurse increase the flow
of blood to the muscles by pressure and rubbing, and do it
in fresh air.
Laws of Health for the Lungs.—-It is proved by many experiments that a full-grown man vitiates a hogshead of air
every h o u r ; therefore, so ventilate every room that each inmate shall have the needful pure air at this rate, especially by
night. Take care so to dress, to sit, and to lie, that the lungs
shall not be compressed, and thus be deprived of the needful
nourishing oxygen.
Laics of Health for the Digestive Organs.-—Take care to secure such a variety of food that every part has a supply of its
peculiar nutriment—nitrogen for muscles, phosphorus for
brain and nerves, and carbon for lungs; and let the proportion
follow the example given in milk, eggs, and wheat, which have
all the elements in right proportions. In doing this, you will
use unbolted flour rather than superfine. In selecting food,
have reference to climate, age, and employments; also, have
reference to the state of health and power of digestion. Take
care nob to overtax the bodily organs by excess of food. Be
careful to eat slowly and masticate thoroughly, as digestion is
more perfect when the food is combined with the saliva of the
mouth. Give four or five hours for digestion and nutrition
between each meal. Eat at regular hours, and do not eat between meals. Do not engage in violent exercise till two hours
after a meal, as this would draw the blood which supplies the
digestive fluids from the stomach to the muscles. Gentle exercise after eating helps digestion. After very vigorous exercise
or fatigue of any kind, rest half an hour before eating. Keep
the skin clean by a daily bath, and its capillaries well filled
LAWS
OF HEALTH
AND HAPPINESS.
549
with blood by exercise in pure air, as one mode of promoting
healthful digestion. Never compress the body by tight or
heavy clothing, which diminishes respiration, and thus good
digestion. Take all proper methods for securing a daily evacuation of the bowels. Drink freely of cold water between
meals, and sparingly while eating, and never use stimulating
drinks except for medicine.
Laws of Health for the Shin.—The capillaries of the skin
contain more blood than all the rest of the body, and more
than half the food and drink, its nutritive part being used, is
thrown out by the skin. Cold closes the pores through which
this useless or injurious matter is expelled, and then the lungs,
bowels, or other organs are engorged and inflamed.
Of
course, take care to avoid this by warmth and avoidance of
exposure to cold. When a cold is taken, an immediate and
free perspiration is usually a remedy.
Keep the pores of the skin open and its capillaries filled with
blood by rubbing the whole body with a wet towel, and drying
it with a coarse one. Do this either on retiring or rising, and
it is the best preventive of colds and other diseases. Bathrooms and tubs are a luxury, but a wet towel is equally useful,
and it is what all can secure. A small screen, like a clothesframe, secures privacy, if the room be shared by others, and
can be folded and set away when not used.
Do not sleep in the same article next the skin that is worn
through the day, because the absorbents of the skin will take
back the expelled injurious matter.
Air bed-clothing every morning with open windows, and
mattresses should be beaten and exposed to sun and air. The
white dust thus thrown out is the fine matter expelled from the
skin. Straw beds and cotton comforters should also be often
renewed or beaten and exposed to the air, which absorbs the
injurious matter.
Keep the skin warm by bathing and by exercise in pure air
in daylight, instead of relying solely on clothing and fires.
W e a r so much clothing as will save from chills. Use cool
water for bathing; but invalids, the aged, and persons of weak
550
THE HOUSEKEEPER'S
MANUAL.
nerves should bathe by an open fire, or in a warm room, lest
they lose rather than gain by this practice. It is poor economy to keep an unhealthful skin.
Avoid currents of air on any part of the body. Any diminution of clothing should be made in the morning when the
body is most vigorous.
In times of epidemic or contagious diseases, keep the skin
clean and warm, and use very nourishing food, and thus danger
is lessened.
Exposing the skin to air and sunlight is one mode of preserving health and lengthening life.
Laws of Health for the Teeth, Eyes, and Hair.—Never sleep
till the teeth are cleaned with pure water, a brush, and a piece
of thread or a tooth-pick to remove what lodges between the
teeth. It would be well to do this after each meal. Avoid
very hot food as causing decayed teeth. ~No tooth-powder is
needed if these directions are obeyed.
Accustom the eyes gradually to as much light as they can
bear without pain. Light is healthful, especially to the eyes,
and dark rooms make weak eyes. If the eyes are weak from
excessive use, continue to use them, but only a little at a time,
with intervals of rest; for eyes, like all the rest of the body,
grow weak by disuse. Always shade weak eyes from brilliant
lights, especially when reading. For inflamed eyes or eyelids,
do not use what others recommend, but consult a physician;
as a remedy for one may be injurious for another case. Gentle rubbing around and over the eyes draws the blood there,
and tends to increase strength. Do it only for two minutes at
a time, three or four times a day, and very gently. Bathing
the eyes in cold water strengthens their nerves.
Never use hair mixtures until some chemist has tested them
and assures you there is no lead in them. Many persons have
had paralysis and other evils b y using hair mixtures containing lead to restore the color. Brushing and washing the skin
of the hair, and thus bringing the blood to nourish its roots, is
a safe and sure method, and those mixtures that seem to do
LAWS
OF HEALTH
AND HAPPINESS.
551
good are efficacious chiefly because the directions always require rubbing and cleansing the skin of the hair.
Laws of Health for the Brain and Nerves.—Healthful food,
a clean skin, and daily exercise in the open air are indispensable. Take seven or eight hours of sleep by night and not b y
day, and when taxed by great care, labor, or sorrow, sleep
as much as you can, for then the brain and nerves recover
strength.
Always have some time each day devoted to some amusement, and this out of doors if practicable.
Have system and order in your employments, and let there
be variety, so that no one set of nerves be wearied and another
set unemployed.
Let the intellect and feelings be engaged in safe and worthy
objects, and so exercise all the faculties as to secure a wellbalanced mind in a healthful body. In all cases of disease,
trust more to obedience to these rules than to medicines, which
should be rarely used.
Remember that these laws of health are laws of God, and
that when you disobey them you sin against your kind heavenly Father who loves you, and is grieved when you injure
your own soul and body. Therefore, pray to be enabled to
obey them yourselves, and to teach them to your children,
and all under your care, both by precept and example.
XXV.
ADDRESS OF THE SENIOR AUTHOR TO H O U S E K E E P E R S , MOTHERS,
AND TEACHERS.
M Y D E A R FRIENDS : I wish most fervently to save you and
your household from the sad consequences I have suffered from
ignorance of the laws of health, especially those which women
peculiarly need to understand and obey.
God made woman to do the work of the family, and to train
those under her care to the same labor. And her body is
so formed that family labor and care tend not only to good
health, but to the highest culture of mind.
Read all that is
included m our " profession," as detailed in the first part of
this work, and see how much there is to cultivate every mental
faculty as well as our higher moral powers. Domestic labor
with the muscles of the arms and trunk, with intervals of sedentary work, are exactly what keep all the functions of the body
in perfect order, especially those which, at the present day, are
most out of order in our sex. And so the women of a former
generation, while they read and studied books far less than
women of the present time, were better developed both in mind
and body.
I t was my good fortune to be trained b y poverty and good
mothers and aunts to do every kind of domestic labor, and so,
until one and twenty, I was in
enjoyment of health and
happiness. Then I gave up all domestic employments for
study and teaching, and in ten years, I ruined my health, while
my younger sisters and friends suffered in the same mistaken
course. And my experience has been repeated all over the
land, until there is such decay of female constitutions and
health, as alarms, and justly alarms, every well-informed person.
ADDRESS
OF THE SENIOR
AUTHOR.
553
After twenty years of invalidism, I have been restored to
perfect health of body and mind, and wholly by a strict obedience to the laws of health and happiness^ which I now commend to your especial attention, with the hope and prayer
that by obedience to them you may save yourselves and
households from unspeakable future miseries.
I wish I could give you all the evidence that I have gained
to prove that woman's work in the household might be so conducted as to be agreeable, tasteful, and promotive of both grace
and beauty of person. But this never can be generally credited
till women of high culture set the example of training their
sons and daughters, instead of hired servants alone, to be their
domestic helpers.
According to the present tendency of wealth and culture, it
is women of moderate or humble means who will train their
own children to health and happiness, and rear prosperous
families. Meantime, the rich women will have large houses,
many servants, poor health, and little domestic comfort, while
they train the children of foreigners to do family work, and in
a way that will satisfy neither mistress nor servant; for a woman who does not work herself is rarely able to teach others
properly. Choose wisely, then, O youthful mother and housekeeper! train yourself to wholesome labor and intelligent
direction, and be prepared to educate a cheerful and healthful
flock of your own children.
Your friend and well-wisher,
CATHARINE E. B E E C H E R .
APPENDIX.
A GLOSSARY
OF SUCH WORDS AND PHRASES AS MAY NOT EASILY BE UNDERSTOOD
BY THE YOUNG READER.
[Many words not contained in this GLOSSARY will be found explained
in the body of the work, in the places where they first occur.]
Action brought by the Commonwealth: A prosecution conducted in the
name of the public, or by the authority of the State.
Albumen: Nourishing matter stored up between the undeveloped germ
and its protecting wrappings in the seed of many plants. It is the flowery
part of grain, the oily part of poppy seeds, the fleshy part in cocoa-nuts,
etc.
Alcoholic: Made of or containing alcohol, an inflammable liquid which
is the basis of ardent spirits.
Alkali, (plural, alkalies:) A chemical substance, which has the property of
combining with and neutralizing the properties of acids, producing
salts by the combination. Alkalies change most of the vegetable blues
and purples to green, red to purple, and yellow to brown. Caustic
alkali: An alkali deprived of all impurities, being thereby rendered
more caustic and violent in its operation. This term is usually applied to
pure potash. Fixed alkali: An alkali that emits no characteristic smell,
and can not be volatilized or evaporated without great difficulty. Potash
and soda are called the fixed alkalies. Soda is also called a fossil or
mineral alkali, and potash the vegetable alkali. Volatile alkali: An
elastic, transparent, colorless, and consequently an invisible gas, known
by the name of ammonia or ammoniacal gas. The odor of spirits of
hartshorn is caused by this gas.
Anglo-American:
English-American, relating to Americans descended
from English ancestors.
Anther: That part of the stamen of a flower which contains the pollen or
farina, a sort of mealy powder or dust, which is necessary to the production of the flower.
Anthracite : One of the most valuable kinds of mineral coal, containing na
bitumen. It is very abundant in the United States.
Aperient: Opening.
Archceology : A discourse or treatise on antiquities.
55K
GLOSSARY
OF WORDS AND
REFERENCES.
Arrow-root: A white powder, obtained from the fecula or starch of several
species of tuberous plants in the East and West-Indies, Bermuda, and
other places. That from Bermuda is most highly esteemed. It is used
as an article for the table, in the form of puddings, and also as a highly
nutritive, easily digested, and agreeable food for invalids. It derives its
name from having been originally used by the Indians as a remedy
for the poison of their arrows, by mashing and applying it to the wound.
Articulating process : The protuberance or projecting part of a bone, by
which it is so joined to another bone as to enable the two to move upon
each other
Asceticism: The state of an ascetic or hermit, who Hies from society and
lives in retirement, or who practices a greater degree of mortification
and austerity than others do, or who inflicts extraordinary severities
upon himself.
Astral lamp : A lamp, the principle of which was invented by Benjamin
Thompson, (a native of Massachusetts, and afterward Count Rumford,)
in which the oil is contained in a large horizontal ring, having at the
centre a burner which communicates with the ring by tubes. The ring
is placed a little below the level of the flame, and from its large surface
affords a supply of oil for many hours.
Astute: Shrewd.
Auricles: (From a Latin word, signifying the ear,) the name given to two
appendages of the heart, from their fancied resemblance to the ear.
Baglivi, (George:) An eminent physician, who was born at Ragusa, in
1668, and was educated at Naples and Paris. Pope Clement XIV., on
the ground of his great merit, appointed him, while a very young man,
Professor of Anatomy and Surgery in the College of Sapienza, at Rome.
He wrote several works, and did much to promote the cause of medical
science. He died A.D. 1706.
Bass, or bass-wood: A large forest-tree of America, sometimes called the
lime-tree. The wood is white and soft, and the bark is sometimes used
for bandages.
Belly Sir Charles: A celebrated surgeon, who was born in Edinburgh, in
the year 1778. He commenced his career in London, in 1806, as a lecturer on Anatomy and Surgery. In 1830, he received the honors of
knighthood, and in 1836 was appointed Professor of Surgery in the
College of Edinburgh. He died near Worcester, in England, April 29th,
1842. His writings are very numerous and have been much celebrated.
Among the most important of these, to general readers, are his Illustrations of Foley's Natural Theology, and his treatise on The Hand, its
Mechanism and Vital Endowments, as evincing Design.
Bergamot: A fruit which was originally produced by ingrafting a branch
of a citron or lemon-tree upon the stock of a peculiar kind of pear,
called the bergamot pear.
Biased: Cut diagonally from one corner to another of a square or rect
GLOSSARY
OF WORDS AND REFERENCES.
559
angular piece of cloth. Bias pieces: Triangular pieces cut as above
mentioned.
Bituminous; Containing bitumen, which is an inflammable mineral substance> resembling tar or pitch in its properties and uses. Among
different bituminous substances, the names naphtha and petroleum
have been given to those which are fluid, maltha to that which has the
consistence of pitch, and asphalium to that which is solid.
Blight: A disease in plants by which they are blasted or prevented
from producing fruit.
Blonde lace: Lace made of silk.
Blood heat: The temperature which the blood is always found to maintain, or ninety-eight degrees of Fahrenheit's thermometer.
Blue vitriol: Sulphate of copper.
Blunts : Needles of a short and thick shape, distinguished from Sharps,
which are long and slender.
Bocking : A kind of thin carpeting or coarse baize.
Botany: (From a Greek word signifying an herb,) a knowledge of
plants; the science which treats of plants.
Brazil wood: The central part or heart of a large tree which grows
in Brazil, called the Ccesalpinia echinata. It produces very lively
and beautiful red tints, but they are not permanent.
Bronze: A metallic composition, consisting of copper and tin.
Brulure: A French term, denoting a burning or scalding; a blasting
of plants.
Brussels, (carpet:) A kind of carpeting, so called from the city of Brussels,
in Europe. Its basis is composed of a warp and woof of strong linen
threads, with the warp of which are intermixed about five times the
quantity of woolen threads of different colors.
Bulb: A root with a round body, like the onion, turnip, or hyacinth.
Bulbous : Having a bulb.
Byron, (George Gordon,) Lord : A celebrated poet, who was born in London, January S2d, 1788, and died in Missolonghi, in Greece, April 18th,
1824.
Calisthenics: From two Greek words—KaXog, kalos, beauty, and odevog,
sthenos, strength, being the union of both.
Camwood: A dye wood, procured from a leguminous (or pod-bearing)
tree, growing on the western coast of Africa, and called Baphianitida.
Canker-worm: A worm which is very destructive to trees and plants.
It springs from an egg deposited by a miller that issues from the
ground, and in some years destroys the leaves and fruit of apple
and other trees.
Capillary : A minute, hair-like tube.
Carbon: A simple, inflammable body, forming the principal part of
wood and coal, and the whole of the diamond.
560
GLOSSARY
OF WORDS AND
REFERENCES.
Varbonic acid: A compound gas, consisting of one part of carbon and
two parts of oxygen ; fatal to animal life. It has lately been obtained
in a solid form.
Varbonic Oxide : A compound, consisting of one part of carbon and one
part of oxygen; it is fatal to animal life. Burns with a pale, blue
flame, forming carbonic acid.
Varmine: A crimson color, the most beautiful of all the reds. It is
prepared from a decoction of the powdered cochineal insect, to which
alum and other substances are added.
Vaseine: One of the great forms of blood-making matter; the cheesy
or curd-part of milk; found in both animal and vegetable kingdoms.
Caster: A small vial or vessel for the table, in which to put vinegar,
mustard, pepper, etc. Also, a small wheel on a swivel-joint, on which
furniture may be turned in any direction.
Chancellor of the Exchequer: In England, the highest judge of the
law; the principal financial minister of a government, and the one
who manages its revenue.
Chateau: A castle, a mansion.
Chemistry: The science which treats of the elementary constituents of
bodies.
Chinese belle, deformities of: In China, it is the fashion to compress
the feet of female infants, to prevent their growth ; in consequence
of which, the feet of all the females of China are distorted, and so
small that the individuals can not walk with ease.
Chloride: A compound of chlorine and some other substance. Chlorine is a
simple substance, formerly called oxymuriatic acid. In its pure state, it is
a gas of green color, (hence its name, from a Greek word signifying green.) Like oxygen, it supports the combustion of some inflammable substances. Chloride of lime is a compound of chlorine
and lime.
Cholera infantum: A bowel-complaint to which infants are subject.
Chyle: A white juice formed from the chyme, and consisting of the finer
and more nutritious parts of the food. It is afterward converted
into blood.
Chyme: The result of the first process which food undergoes in the
stomach previously to its being converted into chyle.
Cicuta: The common American hemlock, an annual plant of four or
five feet in height, and found commonly along walls and fences and
about old ruins and buildings. It is a virulent poison as well as
one of the most important and valuable medicinal vegetables. It is
a very different plant from the hemlock-tree or Finns Canadensis.
Clarke, (Sir Charles Mansfield,) Dr.: A distinguished English physician
and surgeon, who was born in London, May 28th, 1782. He was appointee physician to Queen Adelaide, wife of King William IV., in
GLOSSARY
OF WORDS AND REFERENCES.
561
1830, and in 1831 he was created a baronet. He was the author of
several valuable medical works.
Cobalt: A brittle metal, of a reddish-gray color and weak metallic lustre, used in coloring glass. It is not easily melted nor oxidized in the
air.
Cochineal: A color procured from the cochineal insect, (or Coccus cacti)
which feeds upon the leaves of several species of the plant called cactus, and which is supposed to derive its coloring matter from its food.
• Its natural color is crimson ; but, by the addition of a preparation of
potash, it yields a rich scarlet dye.
Cologne-water: A fragrant perfume, which derives its name from having
been originally made in the city of Cologne, which is situated on the
river Rhine, in Germany. The best kind is still procured from that
city.
Comparative anatomy: The science which has for its object a compari*
son of the anatomy, structure, and functions of the various organs of
animals, plants, etc., with those of the human body.
Confection : A sweetmeat; a preparation of fruit with sugar; also a preparation of medicine with honey, syrup, or similar saccharine substance,
for the purpose of disguising the unpleasant taste of the medicine.
Cooper, Sir Astley Paston: A celebrated English surgeon, who was
born at Brooke, in Norfolk county, England, August 23d, 1768, and
commenced the practice of surgery in London, in 1792. He was appointed surgeon to King George IV., in 1827, was created a baronet in 1821, and died February 12th, 1841. He was the author of many
valuable works.
Copal: A hard, shining, transparent resin, of a light citron color,
brought originally from Spanish-America, and now almost wholly
from the East-Indies. It is principally employed in the preparation of
copal varnish.
Copper, Sulphate of: See Sulphate of copper.
Copperas: (Sulphate of iron or green vitriol,) a bright green mineral
substance, formed by the decomposition of a peculiar ore of iron
called pyrites, which is a sulphuret of iron. It is first in the form of a
greenish-white powder or crust, which is dissolved in water, and beautiful green crystals of copperas are obtained by evaporation. It is
principally used in dyeing and in making black ink. Its solution,
mixed with a decoction of oak bark, produces a black color.
Coronary : Relating to a crown or garland. In anatomy, it is applied to
arteries which encompass the heart, in the manner, as it is fancied, of
a garland.
Corrosive sublimate : A poisonous substance, composed of chlorine and
quicksilver.
Cosmetics: Pi jparations which some people foolishly think will preserve
and beautify the skin.
562
GLOSSARY
OF WORDS AND
REFERENCES.
Cream of tartar : See Tartar.
Curculio: A weevil or worm, which affects the fruit of the plum-tree
and sometimes that of the apple-tree, causing the unripe fruit to fall
to the ground.
Cuvier, Baron: The most eminent naturalist of the present a g e ; was
born A. D. 1769, and died A.D. 1832. He was Professor of NaturaHistory in the College of France, and held various important posts
under the French government at different times. His works on Nat
ural History are of the greatest value.
Cynosure : The constellation of the Lesser Bear, containing the star near
the North Pole, by which sailors steer.
It is used, in a figurative
sense, as synonymous with pole-star or guide, or any thing to which the
eyes of many are directed.
Be Tocqueville: See Tocqueville.
Biamond cement: A cement sold in the shops, and used for mending
broken glass and similar articles.
Brab : A thick woolen cloth, of a light brown or dun color. The name
is sometimes used for the color itself.
Bredging-box : A box with holes in the top, used to sift or scatter flour on
meat when roasting.
Brill: (In husbandry,) to sow grain in rows, drills, or channels ; the row
of grain so sowed,
Buchess of Orleans: See Orleans.
The East, and the Eastern States: Those of the United States situated in
the north-east part of the country, including Maine, New-Hampshire,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Vermont.
Elevation, (of a house :) A plan representing the upright view of a house,
as a ground-plan shows its appearance on the ground.
Euclid: A celebrated mathematician, who was born in Alexandria, in
Egypt, about two hundred and eighty years before Christ. He distinguished himself by his writings on music and geometry. The most
celebrated of his works is his Elements of Geometry, which is in
use at the present day. He established a school at Alexandria, which
became so famous that, from his time to the conquest of Alexandria by
the Saracens, (A.D. 646,) no mathematician was found who had not
studied at Alexandria. Ptolemy, King of Egypt, was one of his
pupils ; and it was to a question of this king, whether there was not a
shorter way of coming at geometry than by the study of his Elements^
that Euclid made the celebrated answer, " There is no royal path to
geometry."
Equator or equinoctial line : An imaginary line passing round the earth,
from east to west and directly under the sun, which always shines
nearly perpendicularly down upon all countries situated near the
equator.
Evolve : To throw off, to discharge.
GLOSSARY
OF WORDS AND REFERENCES.
563
Exchequer: A court in England in which the Chancellor presides, and
where the revenues of and the debts due to the king, a re recovered.
This court was originally established by King William, (called " the
Conqueror,") who died A.D. 1087; and its name is derived from a
checkered cloth (French ecliiquier, a chess-board, checker-work) on the
table.
Excretion : Something discharged from the body, a separation of animal
matters.
Excrementitious : Consisting of matter excreted from the body ; containing excrements.
Fahrenheit, {Gabriel Daniel:) A celebrated natural philosopher, who was
born at Dantzig, A.D. 1686. He made great improvements in the thermometer, and his name is sometimes used for that instrument
Farinaceous: Mealy, tasting like meal.
Fell: To turn down on the wrong side the raw edges of a seam after it
has been stitched, run, or sewed^ and then to hem or sew it to the cloth.
Festivals of the Jews, the three great annual: These were, the Feast
of the Passover, that of Pentecost, and that of Tabernacles; on occasion of which, all the males of the nation were required to visit the
temple at Jerusalem, in whatever part of the country they might
reside.
See Exodus 23 : 14, 17; 34 : 23 ; Leviticus 23 : 4 ; Deuteronomy 16 : 16. The Passover was kept in commemoration of the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, and was so named because the
night before their departure the destroying angel, who slew all the
first-born of the Egyptians, passed over the houses of the Israelites
without entering them. See Exodus 12. The Feast of Pentecost was
so called from a word meaning the fiftieth, because it was celebrated on
the fiftieth day after the Passover, and was instituted in commemoration
of the giving of the Law from Mount Sinai on the fiftieth day from the
departure out of Egypt. It is also called the Feast of Weeks, because
it was kept seven weeks after the Passover. See Exodus 3 4 : 2 2 ;
Leviticus 23 : 15-21; Deuteronomy 16 : 9, 10. The Feast of Tabernacles, or Feast of Tents, was so called because it was celebrated under tents or tabernacles of green boughs, and was designed to com
memorate their dwelling in tents during their passage through the
wilderness. At this feast they also returned thanks to God for the
fruits of the earth after they had been gathered. See Exodus 2 3 :
16; Leviticus 23 : 34-44; Deuteronomy 1 6 : 1 3 ; and also St. John 7 : 2.
Fire-bUght: A disease in the pear and some other fruit-trees, in which
they appear burnt as if by fire. It is supposed by some to be caused
by an insect, others suppose it to be caused by an over-abundance of
sap.
Fluting-iron: An instrument for making flutes, channels, furrows, or hoi
lows in ruffles, etc.
564
GLOSSARY
OF WORDS AND
REFERENCES.
Foundation muslin : A nice kind of buckram, stiff and white, used for the
foundation or basis of bonnets, etc.
Free States: A phrase formerly used to distinguish those States in which
slavery was not allowed, as distinguished from Slave States, in which
slavery did exist.
French chalk : A variety of the mineral called talc, unctuous to the touch,
of greenish color, glossy, soft, and easily scratched, and leaving a
silvery line when drawn on paper. It is used for marking on cloth, and
extracting grease-spots.
Fuller's earth : A species of clay remarkable for its property of absorbing
oil, for'which reason it is valuable for extracting grease from cloth,
etc. It is used by fullers in scouring and cleansing cloth, whence its
name.
Fustic: The wood of a tree which grows in the West-Indies called
Morus tinctoria. It affords a durable but not very brilliant yellow
dye, and is also used in producing some greens and drab colors.
Gastric : (From the Greek yaaryg, gaster, the belly,) belonging or relating
to the belly, or stomach. Gastric juice : The fluid which dissolves the
food in the stomach. It is limpid, like water, of a saltish taste, and
without odor.
Geology : The science which treats of the formation of the earth.
Gluten: The glue-like, sticky, tenacious substance which gives adhesiveness
to dough. The principle of gelly, (now generally written jelly.)
Gore: A triangular piece of cloth. Goring : Cut in a triangular shape.
Gothic : A peculiar and strongly-marked style of architecture, sometimes
called the ecclesiastical style, because it is most frequently used in
cathedrals, churches, abbeys, and other religious edifices. Its principle
seems to have originated in the imitation of groves and bowers, under
which the ancients performed their sacred rites ; its clustered pillars and
pointed arches very well representing the trunks of trees and their inlocking branches.
Gourmand or Gormand: A glutton, a greedy eater. In agriculture, itis applied to twigs which take up the sap but bear only leaves.
Green vitriol: See Copperas.
Gnddle: An iron pan, of a peculiarly broad and shallow construction,
used for baking cakes.
Ground-plan: The map or plan of the floor of any building, in which
the various apartments, windows, doors, fire-places, and other things
are represented, like the rivers, towns, mountains, roads, etc., on a map.
Gum Arabic: A vegetable j uice which exudes through the bark of the
Acacia, Mimosa nilotica% and some other similar trees growing in
Arabia, Egypt, Senegal, and Central Africa. It is the purest of al]
gums.
Hardpan : The hard, unbroken layer of earth below the mould or cultivated soil
GLOSSARY
OF WORDS AND REFERENCES.
,
565
Hartshorn, (spirits of:) A volatile alkali, originally prepared from the
horns of the stag or hart, but now procured from various other
substances. It is known by the name of ammonia or spirits of
ammonia.
Hemlock: see Cicuta.
Horticulturist: One skilled in horticulture, or the art of cultivating gardens : horticulture being to the garden what agriculture is to the farm,
the application of labor and science to a limited spot, for convenience,
for profit, or for ornament—though implying a higher state of cultivation than is common in agriculture. It includes the cultivation of
culinary vegetables and of fruits, and forcing or exotic gardening as far
as respects useful products.
Hydrogen: A very light, inflammable gas, of which water is in part
composed. It is used to inflate balloons.
Hypochondriasis : Melancholy, dejection, a disorder of the imagination, in
which the person supposes he is afflicted with various diseases.
Hysteria or hysterics : A spasmodic, convulsive affection of the nerves,
to which women are subject. It is somewhat similar to hypochondriasis
in men.
Ingrain : A kind of carpeting, in which the threads are dyed in the grain
or raw material before manufacture.
Ipecac : (An abbreviation of ipecacuanha,) an Indian medicinal plant, acting as an emetic.
Isinglass : A fine kind of gelatin or glue, prepared from the swimmingbladders of fishes, used as a cement, and also as an ingredient in food
and medicine. The name is sometimes applied to a transparent mineral
substance called mica.
Jams: A side-piece or post.
Kamtschadales: Inhabitants of Kamtschatka, a large peninsula situated
on the north-eastern coast of Asia, having the North Pacific Ocean on
the east. It is remarkable for its extreme cold, which is heightened by
a range of very lofty mountains extending the whole length of the peninsula, several of which are volcanic. It is very deficient in vegetable
productions, but produces a great variety of animals, from which the
richest and most valuable furs are procured. The inhabitants are in
general below the common height, but have broad shoulders and large
heads. It is under the dominion of Russia.
Kerosene : Refined Petroleum, which see.
Kink: A knotty twist in a thread or rope.
Lambrequin : Originally a kind of pendent scarf or covering attached to a
helmet to protect and adorn it. Hence, a pendent ornamental curtain
over a window.
Lapland : A country at the extreme north part of Europe, where it is very
cold. It contains lofty mountains, some of which are covered with pei
petual snow and ice.
5Q(>
GLOSSARY
OF WORDS AND
REFERENCES.
Latin:
The language of the Latins or inhabitants of Latium, the
principal country of ancient Italy. After the building of Rome that
city became the capital of the whole country.
Leguminous: Pod-bearing.
Lent: A fast of the Christian Church, (lasting forty days, from AshWednesday to Easter,) in commemoration of our Saviour's miraculous
fast of forty days and forty nights in the wilderness. The word Lent
means spring, this fast always occurring at that season of the year.
Lemte : One of the tribe of Levi, the son of Jacob, which tribe was set
apart from the others to minister in the services of the Tabernacle, and
the Temple at Jerusalem. The priests were taken from this tribe. See
Numbers 1 : 47-53.
Ley: Water which has percolated through ashes, earth, or other substances, dissolving and imbibing a part of their contents. It is generally spelled lye.
Linnceus, (Charles:) A native of Sweden, and the most celebrated naturalist of his age. He was born May 13th, 1707, and died January 11th,
1778. His life was devoted to the study of natural history. The
science of botany, in particular, is greatly indebted to his labors. His
Amamitates Academicce (Academical Recreations) is a collection of
the dissertations of his pupils, edited by himself, a work rich in matters relating to the history and habits of plants. He was the first who
arranged Natural History into a regular system, which has been generally called by his name. His proper name was Linne.
Lobe : A division, a distinct part; generally applied to the two divisions
of the lungs.
Loire : The largest river of France, being about five hundred and fifty
miles in length. It rises in the mountains of Cevennes, and empties
into the Atlantic Ocean about forty miles below the city of Nantes.
It -divides France into two almost equal parts.
London Medical Society: A distinguished association, formed in 1773.
It has published some valuable volumes of its transactions, It has
a library of about 40,000 volumes, which is kept in a house presented
to the Society, in 1788, by the celebrated Dr. Lettsom, who was one of
its first members.
Louis XIV.: A celebrated King of France and Navarre, who was born
September 5th, 1638, and died September 1st, 1715. His mother having
before had no children, though she had been married twenty-two years,
his birth was considered as a particular favor from heaven, and lie was
called the " Gift of God." He is sometimes styled " Louis the Great,"
and his reign is celebrated as an era of magnificence and learning, and
is notorious as a period of licentiousness. He left behind him monuments of unprecedented splendor and expense, consisting of palaces,
gardens, and other like works.
GLOSSARY
OF WORDS AND REFERENCES.
567
Lumbar : (From the Latin lumbus, the loin,) relating or pertaining to
the loins.
Lunacy, writ of: A judicial proceeding to ascertain whether a person
be a lunatic.
Mademoiselle: The French word for miss, a young girl.
Magnesia: A light and white alkaline earth, which enteis into the
composition of many rocks, communicating to them a greasy or soapy
feeling and a striped texture, with sometimes a greenish color.
Malaria: (Italian, maVaria, bad air,) a noxious vapor or exhalation ; a
state of the atmosphere or soil, or both, which, in certain regions and
in warm weather, produces fever, sometimes of great violence.
Mammon: Eiches, the Syrian god of riches. See Luke 16:11-13; St.
Matthew 6:24.
Mexico : A country situated south-west of the United States and extend
ing to the Pacific Ocean.
Miasms: Such particles or atoms as are supposed to arise from distem
pered, putrefying, or poisonous bodies.
Michilimackinac or Mackinac: (Now frequently corrupted into Mackinaw, which is the usual pronunciation of the name,) a military post
in the State of Michigan, situated upon an island, about nine miles in
circuit, in the strait which connects Lakes Michigan and Huron. It
is much resorted to by Indians and fur-traders. The highest summit
of the island is about three hundred feet above the lakes and commands an extensive view of them.
Midsummer: With us, the time when the sun arrives at his greatest
distance from the equator, or about the twenty-first of June, called
also the summer solstice, (from the Latin sol, the sun, and sto, to stop or
stand still,) because when the sun reaches this point he seems to stand
still for some time, and then appears to retrace his steps. The days
are then longer than at any other time.
Migrate: To remove from one place to another ; to change residence.
Mildew: A disease of plants; a mould, spot, or stain in paper, cloths,
etc., caused by moisture.
Militate : To oppose, to operate against.
Millinet: A coarse kind of stiff muslin, formerly used for the foundation
or basis of bonnets, etc.
Mineralogy: A science which treats of the inorganic natural substances
found upon or in the earth, such as earths, salts, metals, etc., and
which are called by the general name of minerals.
Minutim : The smallest particulars.
Monasticism: Monastic life; religiously recluse life in a monastery or
house of religious retirement.
Montagu, Lady Mary Wortley: One of the most celebrated among the
female literary characters of England. She was daughter of Evelyn,
Duke of Kingston, and was born about 1690, at Thoresby, in England
568
GLOSSARY
OF WORDS AND
REFERENCES.
She displayed uncommon abilities at a very early age, and was edt?
cated by the best masters in the English, Latin, Greek, and French
languages. She accompanied her husband (Edward Wortley Montagu)
on an embassy to Constantinople, and her correspondence with her
friends was published and much admired. She introduced the practice
of inoculation for the small-pox into England, which proved of great
benefit to millions. She died at the age of seventy-two, A.D. 1762.
Moral Philosophy: The science which treats of the motives and rules
of human actions, and of the ends to which they ought to be directed.
Moreen: A kind of woolen stuff used for curtains, covers of cushions,
bed hangings, etc.
Mortise : A cavity cut into a piece of timber to receive the end of another
piece called the Tenon.
Mucous: Having the nature of mucus, a glutinous, sticky, thready,
transparent fluid, of a salt savor, produced by different membranes of
the body, and serving to protect the membranes and other internal
parts against the action of the air, food, etc. The fluid of the mouth
and nose is mucus.
Mucous membrane: That membrane which lines the mouth, nose, intestines, and other open cavities of the body.
Muriatic acid : An acid composed of chlorine and hydrogen, called also,
hydrochloric acid and spirit of salt.
Mush-stick : A stick to use in stirring mush, which is corn-meal boiled in
water.
Nankeen or Nankin: A light cotton cloth, originally brought from
Nankin, in China, whence its name.
Nash, {Richard :) Commonly called Beau Nash, or King of Bath, a celebrated leader of the fashions in England. He was born at Swansea, in
South-Wales, October 8th, 1674, and died in the city of Bath, (England,)
February 3d, 1761.
Natural History: The history of animals, plants, and minerals.
Natural Philosophy : The science which treats of the powers of nature,
the properties of natural bodies, and their action one upon another. It
is sometimes called physics.
New-milch cow : A cow which has recently calved.
Newton, (Sir Isaac:) An eminent English philosopher and mathematician,
who was born on Christmas day, 1642, and died March 20th, 1727. He
was much distinguished for his very important discoveries in Optics
and other branches of Natural Philosophy. See the first volume of Pursuit of Knowledge under Difficulties, forming the fourteenth volume
of The School Library, larger series.
Night-Soil: Human excrement, so-called because usually removed from
privies by night.
Nonrbearers: Plants which bear no flowers nor fruit.
GLOSSARY
OF WORDS AND REFERENCES.
569
Northern States: Those of the United States situated in the northern
and eastern part of the country.
Ordinary: See Physician in ordinary.
Oil of Vitriol: (sulphuric acid, or vitriolic acid,) an acid composed of
oxygen and sulphur.
Oino-mania: A disease of the brain produced by excessive use of alcoholic
stimulants; derived from two Greek words, oinos, wine, and mania,
madness. The same disease sometimes arises from overuse of tobacco
and other stimulants of the nerves.
Orleans, {Elizabeth Charlotte de Baviere,) Duchess of: Second wife of
Philippe, the brother of Louis XIV., was born at Heidelberg, May 26th,
1652, and died at the palace of St. Cloud, in Paris, December 8th, 1722.
She was author of several works; among which were Memoirs and
Anecdotes of the Court of Louis XIV.
Ottoman : A kind of hassock or thick mat for kneeling upon ; so-called
from being used by the Ottomans or Turks.
Oxalic acid : a vegetable acid, which exists in sorrel.
Oxide: A compound of a substance with oxygen, though not enough
oxygen to produce an acid; for example, oxide of iron, or rust of metals.
Oxidize : To combine oxygen with a body without producing acidity.
Oxygen : The vital element of air, a simple and very important substance
which exists in the atmosphere and supports the breathing of animals
and the burning of combustibles. It was called oxygen from two Greek
words, signifying to produce acid, from its power of giving acidity to
many compounds in which it predominates.
Oxygenized: Combined with oxygen.
Pancreas: A gland within the abdomen just below and behind the
stomach, and providing a fluid to assist digestion. In animals, it is
called the sweet-bread. Pancreatic: Belonging to the pancreas.
Parterre: A level division of ground, a flower-garden.
Pearlash: The common name for impure carbonate of potash, which in a
purer form is called Saleratus.
Peristaltic : Contracting in successive circles; worm-like.
Petroleum: Kock oil, an inflammable, bituminous liquid exuding from
rocks or from the earth in the neighborhood of the carboniferous oi
coal-bearing formation.
Phosphorus: One of the elementary substances.
Physician in Ordinary to the Queen: The physician who attends the
Queen in ordinary cases of illness.
Pitt, William : A celebrated English statesman, son of the Earl of Chatham. He was born May 28th, 1759, and at the age of twenty-three was
made Chancellor of the Exchequer, and soon afterward Prime Minister. He died January 23d, 1806.
Political Economy: The science which treats of the general causes affecting the production, distribution, and consumption of articles of ex-
570
GLOSSARY
OF WORDS AND
REFERENCES.
changeable value, in reference to their effects upon national wealth and
welfare.
Pollen: The fertilizing dust of flowers, produced by the stamens and
falling upon the pistils inorder to render a flower capable of producing fruit or seed.
Potter's clay : The clay used in making articles of pottery.
Prairie : A French word, signifying meadow. In the United States, it is
applied to the remarkable natural meadows or plains which are found
in the Western States. In some of these vast and nearly level plains,
the traveler may wander for days without meeting with wood or
water, and see no object rising above the plane of the horizon. They
are very fertile.
Prime Minister: The person appointed by the ruler of a nation to have
the chief direction and management of the public affairs.
Process: A protuberance or projecting part of a bone.
Pulmonary : Belonging to or affecting the lungs. Pulmonary
artery:
An artery which passes through the lungs, being divided into several
branches, which form a beautiful network over the air-vessels, and
finally empty themselves into the left auricle of the heart.
Puritans : A sect which professed to follow the pure word of God in opposition to traditions, human constitutions, and other authorities. In
the reign of Queen Elizabeth, part of the Protestants were desirous of
introducing a simpler, and, as they considered it, a purer form of
church government and worship than that established by law, from
which circumstance they were called Puritans.
In process of time,
this party increased in numbers and openly broke off from the church,
laying aside the English liturgy, and adopting a service-book published
at Geneva by the disciples of Calvin. They were treated with great
rigor by the government, and many of them left the kingdom and settled in Holland. Finding themselves not so eligibly situated in that
country as they had expected to be, a portion of them embarked for
America, and were the first settlers of New-England.
Quixotic: Absurd, romantic, ridiculous; from Don Quixote, the hero of a
celebrated fictitious work written by Cervantes, a distinguished Spanish
writer, and intended to reform the tastes and opinions of his countrymen.
Reeking: Smoking, emitting vapor.
Residuum : The remainder or part which remains.
Routine: A round or course of engagements, business, pleasure, etc.
To Run a seam: To lay the two edges of a seam together and pass the
threaded needle out and in, with small stitches, a few threads below the
edge and on a line with it.
To Run a stocking: To pass a thread of yarn, with a needle, straight
along each row of the stocking, as far as is desired, taking up one loop
GLOSSAEY
OF WORDS AND REFERENCES.
571
and missing two or three, until the row is completed, so as to double
the thickness at the part which is run.
Sabbatical year : Every seventh year among the Jews, which was a year
of rest for the land, when it was to be left without culture. In this
Year, al] debts were to be remitted, and slaves set at liberty. See Ex
odus 21:2 ; 23 :10 ; Leviticus 25 :2, 3, etc.; Deuteronomy 15 :12 ; and
other similar passages.
Saleratus: See Pearlash.
Sal ammoniac: A salt, called also muriate of ammonia, which derives its
name, from a district in Libya, Egypt, where there was a temple of J upiter Ammon, and where this salt was found.
Scotch Highlanders : Inhabitants of the Highlands of Scotland
Selvedge; The edge of cloth, a border. Improperly written selvage.
Service-book ; A book prescribing the order of public services in a church
or congregation.
Sharps: See Blunts.
Shorts : The coarser part of wheat bran.
Shrubbery : A plantation of shrubs.
Siberia : A large country in the extreme northern part of Asia, having
the Frozen Ocean on the north, and the Pacific Ocean on the east, and
forming a part of the Russian empire. The northern part is extremely
cold, almost uncultivated, and contains but few inhabitants. It furnishes fine skins, and some of the most valuable furs in the world. It
also contains rich mines of iron and copper, and several kinds of
precious stones.
Sinclair, Sir John: Of whom it was said, " There is no greater name in
the annals of agriculture than his," was born in Caithness, Scotland,
May 10th, 1754, and became a member of the British Parliament in 1780.
He was strongly opposed to the measures of the British government
toward America, which produced the American Revolution. He was
author of many valuable publications on various subjects. He died
December 21st, 1835.
Sirloin: The loin of beef. The appellation " sir " is the title of a knight
or baronet, and has been added to the word " loin," when applied to
beef, because a king of England, in a freak of good humor, once conferred the honor of knighthood upon a loin of beef.
Slack : To loosen, to relax, to deprive of cohesion.
Soda : An alkali, usually obtained from the ashes of marine plants.
To Spade : To throw out earth with a spade.
Spermaceti: An oily <babstance found in the head of a species of whale
called the spermaceti whale.
Spindling : Shooting into a long, small stalk.
Spinous process : A process or bony protuberance, resembling a spine or
thorn, whence it derives its name.
572
GLOSSARY
OF WORDS AND
REFERENCES.
Spool: A piece of cane or reed or a hollow cylinder of wood, with a ridge
at each end, used to wind yarn and thread upon.
Stamen, (plural, stamens and stamina :) In weaving, the warp, the thread,
any thing made of threads. In botany, that part of a flower on which
the artificial classification is founded, consisting of the filament or stalk,
and the anther, which contains the pollen or fructifying powder.
Stigma, (plural stigmas and stigmata ;) The summit or top of the pistil of
a flower.
Style or Stile : The part of the pistil between the germ and the stigma.
Sub-carbonate: An imperfect carbonate.
Sulphates, Sulphats, Sulphites: Salts formed by the combination of some
base with sulphuric acid, as Sulphate of copper, (blue vitriol or blue
stone,) a combination of sulphuric acid with copper. Sulphate of iron:
Copperas or green vitriol. Sulphate of lime: Gypsum or plaster of
Paris. Sulphate of magnesia : Epsom salts. Sulphate of potash : A
chemical salt, composed of sulphuric acid and potash. Sulphate of soda:
Glauber's salts. Sulphate of zinc : White vitriol.
Sulphuret : A combination of an alkaline earth or metal with sulphur,
as Sulphuret of iron, a combination of iron and sulphur.
Sulphuric acid : Oil of vitriol, vitriolic acid.
Suture : A sewing; the uniting of parts by stitching ; the seam 01 joint
which unites the flat bones of the skull, which are notched like the
teeth of a saw, and the notches, being united together, present the
appearance of a seam.
Tartar: A substance, deposited on the inside of wine casks, consisting
chiefly of tartaric acid and potass. Cream of tartar : The crude tartar
separated from all its impurities by being dissolved in water and then
crystallized, when it becomes a perfectly white powder.
Tartaric acid : A vegetable acid which exists in the grape.
Technology: A description of the arts, considered generally in their
theory and practice as connected with moral, political, and physical
science.
Three-ply or triple ingrain : A kind of carpeting, in which the threads
are woven in such a manner as to make three thicknesses of the cloth.
Tic douloureux: A painful affection of the nerves, mostly those of the
face.
Tocquemlle, (Alexis de:) A celebrated statesman and writei of France,
and author of volumes on the political condition, and the peniten
tiaries of the United States, and other works.
Trachea: The windpipe, so named (from a Greek word signifying rough)
from the roughness or inequalities of the cartilages of which it is
formed,
Truckle-bed or Trundle-bed: A bed that runs on wheels.
Tuber: A solid, fleshy, roundish root, like the potato. Tuberous: Thick
and fleshy; composed of or having tubers.
GLOSSARY
OF WORDS AND REFERENCES.
573
Tacks, (improperly Tacks): Folds in garments.
Turmeric: The root of a plant called Curcuma longa, a native of the East
Indies, used as a yellow dye.
Twaddle: Idle, foolish talk or conversation.
Unbolted: Unsifted.
Unslacked: Not loosened or deprived of cohesion. Lime, when it has
been slacked, crumbles to powder from being deprived of cohesion.
Valance : The drapery or fringe hanging round the cover of a bed, couch,
or other similar article.
Vascular: Relating to or full of vessels.
Venetian: A kind of carpeting, composed of a striped woolen warp on a
thick woof of linen thread,
Verisimilitude: Probability, resemblance to truth.
Verbatim: Word for word.
Vice versa: The side being changed, or the question reversed, or the
terms being exchanged.
Viscera, (plural of viscus:) Organs contained in the great cavities of the
body, the skull, the abdomen, and the chest. Generally applied to the
contents of the abdomen.
Vitriol: A compound mineral salt of a very caustic taste. Blue Vitriol,
sulphate of copper. Green Vitriol, see Copperas. Oil of Vitriol, sulphuric acid. White Vitriol, sulphate of zinc.
Waffle-iron; An iron utensil for the purpose of baking waffles, which are
thin and soft cakes indented by the iron in which they are baked.
Wash-leather: A soft, pliable leather dressed with oil, and in such a way
that it may be washed without shrinking. It is used for various articles of dress, as undershirts, drawers, etc., and also for rubbing silver, and other articles having a high polish. The article known in
commerce as chamois or shammy leather is also called wash-leather.
Welting-cord: A cord sewed into the welt or border of a garment.
The West or Western World. When used in Europe, or in distinction
from the Eastern World, it means America. When used in this country, the West refers to the Western States of the Union.
Western
* Wilds: The wild, thinly-settled lands of the Western States.
White vitriol: see Zinc.
Wilton carpet: A kind of carpets made in England, and so called from
the place which is the chief seat of their manufacture. They are woolen velvets with variegated colors.
Writ of lunacy. See Lunacy.
Xantippe: The wife of Socrates, noted for her violent temper and scolding
propensities. The name is frequently applied to a shrew, or peevish
turbulent, scolding woman.
Zinc: A bluish-white metal, which is used as a constituent of brass and
some other alloys. Sulphate of Zinc or White vitriol: A combination
of zinc with sulphuric acid.
INDEX:
ANALYTICAL AND
ALPHABETICAL.
—•—
PAET I.
A
Argand burners, 362.
Aristocracy, English, 249
The
prejudice of, as to labor, 191.
Courtesy of, limited, 300. Manners of democracy and, 200.
Domestics of, 321.
Arm, muscles of the, 113, 114.
Arsenic, poisoning from, 350.
Arteries, tying up, 348
Associated charities, 243, 244.
Absorbents of the skin, 151.
Accidents and antidotes, 348-352.
Accounts, 239.
Acids, 350, 351.
Air, evils of the want of pure, 42,
49-58.
Exercise in the, 24.
Change of, for infants, 270. Of
sick-rooms, 339. See Ventilation.
Albany Orphan Asylum, 275.
Alcholic drinks, 138-142. See StimB
ulating.
America, anticipations as to, 210.
Conspicuous station of, 211. Baglivi, on health during Lent,
Labor in, 211. Domestic labor
132
in, 307-314, 333, 334.
Balls,*290.
American women, their equality, Baskets, 375. Hanging, for flowers,
316.
Too little exercise, 314.
95, 96.
Precedence given to, by the Bath, on using the, 156.
other sex, 201.
Must become Bathing infants, 269, 870. See
instructors to their servants, 314.
Washing.
Amusements, 287-302,
Bathing-rooms, 36, 446.
Anger, on silence in, 215,216. See Beaumont, Dr., experiments by, on
Temper and Tones.
the digestibility of food, 136t
Animal food, 124,131, 136. For
note.
young children, 276. See Food.
Beauty in the house, 84-103.
Animals, 393^02.
Bed-bugs, 377.
Anthracite coal, 82.
Bedrooms, care of, 369, 370.
Ants, red and black, 377.
Beds and bedding, 30, 31, 359. On
Anxiety, a countenance of, 213.
making, 370.
Appetite of the sick not to be Bees, 401.
tempted, 339.
Benevolence, 233-235. See Charity.
Appetites, gratification of the, 223.
Bituminous coal, 361.
Apple-trees, preserving from insects, Black ants, 377.
392.
Bleeding at the lungs^ stomach, or
Apportionment of time, 222,225,247.
throat, 351.
Bv regular division of work, 226. Blindness, guarding against, 269
Jewish, 210.
Blisters, on dressing, 341.
ANALYTICAL
576
Blood, details as to the circulation
of the, 106, 107. Effect of daylight on the, 193 ; of exercise, 115.
Crowded to the brain when one
is excited, 111. When a cause
of mental disease, 256, 257. Stopping, 348, 351. When dancing,
290. See Circulation.
Blood-vessels, 44-46, 107.
Breakfast-tea, 188.
Body, change and renovation of
the, 121,122. Connection of mind
and, 255. See Mind.
Boldness in domestics, 330.
Bones, described, 158-159.
Bowels, 335-338, note.
Bowls and vases for growing
plants, 99.
Boys, small, made useful, 228. Domestic arts taught to, 229. See
Children.
Brain, 108. Excitement of the, 255.
Over-action of the, 258.
Bread, 170. Aerating, 171-173.
Mixing, 174. Baking, 175.
Breakfast, late, 195.
Broadcloths, cutting, 358.
Broken limbs, 349.
Bruises, 348
Budding, hints on. 385.
Bulbs, 384.
Burne, Dr., cited, 336.
Burns, treatment of, 349.
Butler, Fanny Kemble, on theatres,
291.
Butter, 176. Bad, in America, 177.
How to make good, 178.
Buttonholes, 353.
Byron, Lord, 260.
C
Cakes, keeping till meal-time, 276.
Candles, 362. To make, 365.
Caps for infants forbidden, 269.
Card-playing, 291.
Castle-building, 259.
Caterpillars, 392.
Cathartics, 336, 338.
Catholics, health of, during Lent,
132. Good works of, 450, 458.
Cellars, vegetables in dark, 192.
On the care of, 376. Ventilation
of, in model cottage, 427.
Cell-life, 105-107.
Chambers, care o , 369. Couches
INDEX.
for, 30, 31. Furniture for, 36.
Ventilation of, in model cottage,
42 7. In city house, 441-446.
Character, dependence of happiness
on, 234, 235. Self-denying benevolence of Christ's, 234,
Charcoal, 361.
Charity, Sisters of, 346.
Charity, 118. On giving in, 232246. Difficulty respecting, 233.
General principles respecting,
235, Objects for receiving, 242.
For souls of men, 242, 243. By
furnishing the poor with means
of earning support, 243. Associations for, 244. Indiscriminate bestowal of, 244. Benefit of districts
in distributing, 245. On judging
of other people's, 246.
Children, washing, 157. Living in
the dark, 192. Early retiring
and rising of, 195. Cultivation of
good manners in, 202. Too great
familiarity with, 204, 279. Should
acknowledge acts of kindness,
205 ; ask leave to use others' articles, 205 ; avoid wounding others'
feelings, 205, 283 ; to be taught
to keep silence, 207 ; do not surround with too many rules, 282.
On making allowances for, 285.
Waiting on, 228. On making
useful, 229, 230. On paying, for
services, 229, 283. On giving
younger, to older, 230. Precocity
in, 258. Eating too often, 276.
To be guarded as to dishonesty,
deceit, impurity, and running in
debt, 285. Sharing fruits and
flowers, 295. See Boys, Girls, and
Young children.
Chinese, regard for old age, 306.
Preservation of fertilizing matter,
403.
Chimneys, smoky, 76, 79.
Chocolate, 189.
Christianity, principles of, identical
with democratic, 200, 201.
Chromos, 91.
Churches, ill-ventilated, 55.
Circulation, in the skin of infants,
165, 166. Effect of cold on, 113.
In the aged, 166, 305. See Blood.
Clarke, Dr., on animal diet for very
young children, 275.
' leanliness, 151, 157. Of the sick,
339.
ANALYTICAL
Closets, of conveniences, 227. Slid- :
ing, 444. Earth, 403-418.
I
Clothing and clothes, 159-166. De- |
ficiency of, for infants, 2a9. Rule I
as to quantity of, 165, 166. See
Dress, and Tight dressing.
Coal, 361.
Cockroaches, 377.
Coffee. See Tea.
Cold, on exposure to, 165, 166.
Cold and hot, food, 135. Drinks
145.
Collecting of specimens, 297.
Colleges, physicians in, 258.
i
Colo is for different complexions,
356.
Combe, Andrew, on drinks, 145,
146. On exercising the brain,
259. On infants, 265-268. On
the bowels, 336.
Complexions, colors for the different, 356.
Condiments in food, 133, 190.
Confectionery, 189.
Conservatories, 41.
Constipation, 337, note.
Conveniences, on providing, 228.
For cooking, 373. For the sick
room, 389. Close packing of,
Chap. II.
I
Cooking, 167-190.
|
Cowper, quoted, 460.
;
Cooper, Sir Astley, cited, 255.
Corrosive sublimate,poisoningfrom, j
350.
j
Corsets, 164.
Couches, cheap, 30, 31.
Courtesy, want of, 197 ; causes of it,
198. See Democracy.
Cows, to take care of, 397.
j
Creeping of infants, 271.
Cribs for infants, 269.
'
Crickets, 377.
\
Crockery for the kitchen, 373.
I
Cruelty in amusements, 287.
Crying of infants, 271,
Curculios, 392.
Currants, 390.
Curtains, 88, 867.
Curvature. See Spine.
Cuts, remedies for, 348.
Cutting and sewing, 353-358.
|
D
J
Dancing, 288-290.
j
Daughters, as domestic assistants, *
577
INDEX.
309. Educated to domestic work,
314. See Girls.
Day, on converting into night, 191.
Influence of, on vegetables and
blood, 193.
Debt, on running into, 285.
Decoration, home, 84-103.
Democracy of early rising, 191.
Principles of, identical with Christian, 200. Tendencies of, as to the
female sex, 201. Courtesy of manners and, 209, 210.
Derangement
from over-excitement, 257.
Diet. See Food.
Digestion, organs of, 128. Details
respecting, 138-135.
Articles
easiest for, 133.
Experiments
respecting, 136. Bulk of food'
necessary to, 136.
Dirt not healthy, 157.
Dish-cloths, 372.
Dishes, on washing, 372, 373,
Dolls, benefits from, 298.
Domestic amusements, 287-300.
Domestic exercise, 113-118.
Domestic economy, indispensable
part of education, 14.
Domestic duties, dignity of, 220.
Domestic servants, peculiar difficulties as to, in America, 313. On
making allowances for, 327-330.
Care of, 307-834. Of aristocratic
lands, 321. Placing ourselves in
their situation, 827. Exorbitant
wages of, 328. Instability and
discontent of, and the remedy,
329. Pride and insubordination
of, and the remedy, 380. Bold
and forward, 330. Dress and
rooms of, 323. Finding fault
with, 331. Beds for, 370.
Domestic service, cause of its being
avoided by American girls, 322.
Dress, too much attention to, 231.
Of domestics, 323, 830. See
Clothing.
Drinks, on healthful, 138-149.
Drowning, 349.
Dumb-waiters, 446.
Dusting, 369.
E
Early rising, 191-196. Democratic,
191. Reasons for, 193. Longevity and, 195. Effects of, on a fami
578
ANALYTICAL
INDEX.
ly, 195 ; on the community, 196 ;
on systematic duty, 231.
Earth-closets, 403-418.
Earthen-ware, 373.
Eating, intemperance in, 127. Too
fast, 134. Should not be followed by exercise, 134. See Food.
Economy, valuable only for comfort, 214.
Education in America, 211.
Employment for the different divisions of a week, 226, 227. On
regular, for all the family, 228.
Enjoyments. See Amusements and
Happiness.
Equality. See Democracy, Sexes,
and Women.
Establishments, expensive, given
up, 242.
Exercise, 112-118. Neglect of, 287.
Indispensable to the health of
the several parts of the human
frame, 116, 117. Of the muscles,
113-115. Food to be graduated
by, 130. After eating, bad, 134.
Evils of want of, 116. On furnishing interesting, 117. Walking for, 117. On excessive, of the
mind and feelings, 256-258. Too
little, of intellect and feeling, 259.
Expenses, on keeping account of,
239.
Eyes, screening, from light, 365.
Of infants', 269.
Flower seeds, on planting, 380.
Fluids, on taking, 136.
Food, on the conversion of, into
nourishment, 125. Responsibility as to, in a family, 119. Proportion of nutritive elements in,
124. On taking too much, 125,
126. On one kind of, for each
meal, 133. Quantity of, to be
graduated by exercise, 130. On
the quality of, 132. Stimulating,
133. Animal and vegetable, 131,
132. Kinds of, most easily digested, 133. Injurious, from bad
cooking, 133. On eating, too fast,
134. On exercise, after taking,
134. On hot and cold, 135. Highly concentrated, 136. Certain
bulk of, necessary to digestion,
136. For infants, 266. For nurses,
267. Sickness from improper,
337. Preparing, for the sick,
341.
Foreigners, employed as domestics.
320.
Forewarning domestics, 331.
Forwardness of domestics, 330.
Frocks, to make, 355.
Fruit, on the cultivation of, 294,
389.
Fuel, hints as to, 360.
Furnaces, 79-83, 420.
F
Games of children, 297.
Garden seeds, to plant, 333.
Gardening, 381.
Gardens, on laying out, 382.
Gas, 362.
Gastric juice, 126.
Gathering, in shirts, 354.
Girls, small, made useful, 230,
Forming habits of system, 232.
See Daughters.
Gooseberries, 390.
Government of children, 278. Unsteadiness in, and over-government, 281. Maxims on, 282,283.
See Children, Subo .dinatipu, and
Young children.
Grafting, 386, 337
Grapes, 391,
Grates, 361.
Gratifications, on physical, 226 237
Grease in marble, 368.
Family, on early rising in the, 195.
Fathers neglecting the, 300. On
attachments of, 300.
Fasting in sickness, 336.
Fault-finding, 331.
Feather beds, 370.
Feelings, inactivity of the, 259.
Feet, on protecting the, 166. Keeping those of infants warm, 269.
Figs, 390.
Filberts, 390.
Finger-nails, 206.
Fire, escaping from, 352.
Fire-places and fires, 360, 361,
368.
Fishing, 287.
Fleas, 377.
Flies, on destroying, 377.
Flower-baskets, 98.
G
ANALYTICAL
H
Habit, of system and order, 220232. In infants, 271. Of the
bowels, 338.
Handkerchiefs, cleansing, 298.
Happiness, dependence of, on character, 234. On living to make,
235. Connected with duties, 247,
248.
Health, connection of exercise and,
116 ; of the quantity of food and,
130 ; of the quality, 117. Of Catholics during Lent, 132. Not
from dirt, 157. Effect of early
rising on, 192. On the duty of
sacrificing, 224. Causes which
injure the mind's, 255. Amusements and, 287. Laughter and,
297. Ventilation and, 50-55. Connection of, with cellars, 376. See
Air, Exercise, and Sickness.
Hearths, 368.
Heart, 46.
Help, see Domestics.
Horse-racing, 289.
Horses, care of, 396, 397.
Hospitality, on manifesting, 301,
302.
Hot and cold food and drinks, 135,
145.
Hot-beds, 379.
Housekeepers, preservation of good
temper in, 212-219. Allowances
to be made for, 213. General
principles for, 214-216.
See
American women.
Housekeeping, dignity and difficulty of, 212. See Labor.
House-plants, to repot, 381.
Houses, on the construction of, 2 3 42, 441-446.
Hunger, 126. As a guide for taking food, 130.
Hunting, 287.
I
Imagination, 199. Works of, 259,
292. See Novel-reading.
Impostors, soliciting charity, 244.
Impurity of thought, 285, 286.
Indigestion, 133-137. See Health.
tnfants, mortality among, 266. On
giving to the older children, 228.
Use of, to elicit charity, 244. Ignorance of parents concerning,
579
INDEX.
263, 264. Importance of knowing how to take care of, 265.
Combe, Bell, and Eberle on, cited,
265-268. Food for, 268. Medicines for, 267. Pure air for, 268.
Keeping warm, 269. Keeping
their heads cool, 269. Bathing,
270. To creep, 271. Habits, 271.
Teething, 272, 273. Constipation, 273. Diarrhea, 274. Use
of water in fever, 274. Crying,
271. See Children and MortalityIngrafting, 386.
Insects, on destroying, 377. Preserving trees from, 392. Pre
serving domestic animals from,
395.
Intemperance, in eating, 127. In
drinking, 138. Woman's responsibility as to, 149.
Ignorance, of architects, 62, 63. Of
parents concerning infants, 263265. Of young girls concerning
dangers of wrong dressing, 158.
Of domestic servants in America,
320, 321.
Iron-ware, 373.
J
Jewish use of time, 249.
Jokes, 297.
K
Kernel of wheat, constituent parts
of, 122.
Kerosene, 363.
Kidneys, 154.
Kitchens, 35, 371-375. On taking
care of, 371. Oil-cloths for, 371
Furniture for, 374.
L
Labeling powders, 342.
Labor, nobility of, 19,21, 23. Outdoor, 52. Domestic, 323-327.
Lambrequins, 88, 89.
Lamps, 363. Care of, 364.
Laughter, 297.
Laundry, 39-41.
Neighborhooa,
334. In city house, 446.
Lent, health during, 132.
Lewis Leeds, on ventilation, 424426,423.
580
ANALYTIC. AL
Life, object of, 235.
Light, effects of, 192,193. Screening eyes from, 269, 362.
Lightning, 351.
Lightning-rods, 352.
Lights, 300.
Linens, 356.
Liquids, on taking, 136.
Literature, guarding, 293.
Longevity, Sinclair on, 195.
Louis XIV., manners of his age,
211.
Lungs, 44. Effects of tight-dressing on the, 161. Bleeding at the,
351.
Luxuries. See Superfluities.
M
Mahogany furniture, 368.
Manners, good, 197. American defect in, and cause of it, 198. Of
the Puritans and their posterity,
199. Principles respecting, 200.
Proprieties in, 201. On cultivation of, 202. Leading points as
to, claiming' attention, 204. Children to be taught, 205. On conventional, 206. At table, 207.
Charity for bad, 209. Of the age
of Louis XIV., 211. See Children.
Manual labor of Christ, 18, 19.
Marble, stains on, 868.
Mattresses, 31,370.
Meals, should be five hours apart,
129. Time of English, 191, 192.
Meat, on eating, 132.
Butchering and trimming, 178. Waste
of, in America, 179.
French
economy in, 180. Cooking, 181185.
Mechanical amusements, 298.
Medical men needed in literary institutions, 258.
Medicines, on giving to infants, 266.
On administering, 336. Different
effects of different, 338, 340. Labeling, 342.
Men engaged in women's work,
229.
Mending, 358.
Mental excitement, effect of, on
health, 256-258. On reducing
youthful, 258. Effect of, on the
mind, 257 See Mind.
Mexicans, teeth of, 145.
INDEX.
Microscopic wonders in animal and
vegetable cells, 105. In muscular fibre, 113. In zymotic diseases, 421. In alcoholic effects
on the brain, 140.
Milk, mothers', for infants, 266.
Milkweed-silk, 280.
Mind, connection of body and, 255.
Causes which injure the health
of the, 255-260. On inactivity of.
259. Indications of diseased, 261.
Wholesome occupation for, 260,
261. See Health and Mental ex
citement.
Mineralogical collections, 297.
Missions, 453.
Modesty in children, 285.
Moisture in heated rooms, 79-81,
425.
Money, children's earning. 229.
Morals in children, 286. See Children and Young children.
Mortality among infants, 266.
Causes of it, 267. At the Albany
Orphan Asylum, 275. See Infants.
Mothers, should regulate daughters'
dress, 165. Few qualified to train
children, 264. Influence of, 212214. Teaching boys domestic
arts, 229. See American women
and Women.
Movable screen, 28, 29.
Mucous membrane, 123.
Muscles, 113, 114. Exercise of the,
116,117,258. Excessive exercise
of, 117.
Music, 296.
Mosquitoes, 377.
N
Nails, cleaning, 207.
Nash, Beau, biography of, *.
'1.
Neatness, in housekeeping, 215. Of
sick-rooms, 340, 341. See Cleanliness.
Needle-work, bad economy in, 354.
Neftel, Dr. William, on the use of
water in fevers, 274.
Nerves, 107-110. Ramification of
the, 110. Health of, dependent
on muscular exercise, 111. Excited by stimulating drinks, 138.
Exercise and inactivity of, 111
Debility of, 112.
ANALYTICAL
New-Englanders, one cause of their
tact, 229. Early condition of
home labor among, 308 - 310.
Present condition of domestic service among, 311-313.
Night, converting, into day, 191.
Night-gowns, 358.
Night-lamps, 365.
Novel-reading, 292, 293.
Nursery, 278, 279.
Nursery, soil for a, 379.
Nursing, on food while, 267. Of
the sick, 342-347.
INDEX.
I
581
cottage, 25-42. For Christian
city tenement, 441-446.
For
church, school-house, and family,
dwelling in one building, 455458.
Planting, flower-seeds, 380. Garden-seeds, 381.
I Plants, collecting, 295, 296. Soil
l for, 379. Propagation of, 384
|
See Flowers and Seeds.
Poisoning, 350, 351. Household,
43.
Politeness. See Courtesy and Manners.
Poor, Mosaic laws as to the, 249.
0
On work for the, 243. See Charity.
Obedience of children, 279. See
Pores. See Skin.
Children and Government.
Positions, effects of, 160.
Objects of charity, 242.
Oils, 382-364.
Potato, 185, 186.
Oil-cloths for kitchens, 371.
Pot-plants, soil for, 331.
Open fireplaces, 419.
Pots, transplanting from, 381.
Opium, antidote for, 351.
Poultry, 400.
Powders, labeling, 342.
Order, on a habit of, 220-232.
Precocity in children, 258.
Ornaments, 225.
Preservation of the aged, 303.
Orphan Asylum at Albany, 274.
Over-government, 281. See Chil- Propagation of plants, 34.
Propensities, 236.
dren and Government.
Property, Jews' use of, 249. Unequal distribution of, 251. On
P
sharing, 252. On using, properPacking of conveniences, 25,441.
ly, 253, 254.
Pain, amusements causing, 287.
Pruning, 387, 388.
Pancreas, 154.
Punctuality and want of it, 196.
Parents, exercising of authority by, Puritans, manners of the, 197.
280. Managing children, 275286. Ignorance of, 263. Should
Q
provide amusements, 293. Join- '
ing in children's sports, 300.
Parlors, 367 368. How to furnish, Quality of food, 132, 133.
85-91.
On the care of, 368. Quantity of food, 130. See Food.
Sweeping, 369.
R
Passions, the, 112. See Temper.
Pelvic organs displaced by tightRats, 378.
dressing, 162.
Reciprocal action of plants and aniPeristaltic motion, 128.
mals, 48, 49.
Perspiration, 152, 154. As a cure
for illness, 338.
Red ants, 377.
Physical education of children, Regular employment for members
275. See Exercise and Health.
of a family, 228.
Physicians, obeying, 341.
Religion, perversion of, 258,
Piano, playing on the, 296.
Religious excitement, 259.
Pictures, 91, 93. Hanging and Respect, American want of, 202.
Should be required at home, 204
cleansing, 367.
See Courtesy.
Pills, 338.
Plans, for apportioning time, 226. Respiration, organs of, 44.
For duties, 226, 228- For model Rewards, governing by, 282.
582
ANALYTICAL
Roman Catholics, health of, during
Lent, 132. Nuns, 458.
Rooms, care of, 368.
Rose-bushes, 386.
Running into debt, 366, 378.
S
St. Martin, Alexis, experiments on,
respecting food, 136.
Salt, for bleeding, 351.
Salts, 838.
School, on sending young children
to, 277.
School-rooms and school-houses not
ventilated, 276.
Scolds, 216, 217.
Screens, movable, 28, 29, 456. See
Eyes.
Secret vice, 286.
Secreting organs, 153, 154.
Seeds, on planting, 380, 381. Of
fruit, on plant, j g , 389.
Self-denial, happiness of, 235. Distinction as to, 235. In children,
277, 284.
Servants, 306, 334.
Services, paying children for, 229.
Sewing, bj girls, 298. Hints on,
353-358.
Sewing-trunks, 227.
Sexes, American, 201.
Sheep, 399.
Shells, collecting, 297.
Shirts, making, 357.
Sickness, on ignorance and inexperience in time of, 336. On
nursing in, 342, 347. From chills
and food, 336. Remedies for
slight, 338. See Health.
Sick-rooms, hints on, 339. Furniture for, 340.
Silence, children to keep, 207, 283.
When in anger, 216.
Sinclair, Sir John, on longevity and
early rising, 195.
Sinks, 35, 36.'
Sisters of Charity, 346.
Skin, described, 150. Function of
the, 151. Waste matter from the,
152. Absorbent vessels of the,
151. Circulation in the, in infants, 165. Effect of cold on the
circulation in the, 166. Bathing
infants, 270.
Sleep, amount of, required, 194. On
INDEX.
protracting, 194. See Ventilation.
Smoky chimneys, 76, 78.
Snow, bathing in, 166.
Soda or Saleratus poisoning, 350.
Soil, on the preparation of, 379.
Soups, 183,184.
Specimens, collecting, 297.
Spencer, Herbert, on training of
children, 262, 263.
Spine, disease of the, 160. Curva
ture of the, 160.
Sprains, 349.
Stain-mixture, 369.
Stains, removing, from marble
369.
Starch, to make, 291. To prepare,
292.
Starvation for want of oxygen, 48
State charities of Massachusetts,
434.
Statuettes, 94.
Stimulating drinks, 138, 144. Excite the nervous system, 138. Debilitate the constitution, 138.
Temptation from using, 139.
Reasons for and against using,
considered, 139, 140. Author!
ties on, 141, 142.
Stimulating food, 133. See Animal
food and Food.
Stock-grafting, 387.
Stomach, 128 Peristaltic motion
of the, 128. Effects on, of too
much food, 129. Rule for the labor and repose of the, 129, 134.
Power of accommodation in the,
134.
Store-rooms, 376.
Stoves, 66-79.
Stove-pipes, 361.
Strangers, hospitality to, 301, 302.
Strawberries, 155.
Straw matting, 86, 93.
Strychnia, antidote for, 351.
Subordination, social, 199. Of children and others, 201, 202. See
Government.
Sunlight, importance of, to human
life, 193, 194.
Superfluities, 237. Duty as to,
238.
Sweeping, 369.
Swine, 398.
Sympathy, on silent social, 213.
System, continual change and re^
novation of the human, 122. On
ANALYTICAL
INDEX.
583
V
habits of, 220-232. By dividing
the week, 226. In proper conveniences, 227. On attempting too Vegetable food, 124,126. See Animuch, at once, 230. On commal food and Food.
mencing, while young, 232.
, Vegetables, effect of light and darkness on, 192. Cooking, 185-187,
T
Ventilation, importance of, Chaps
III. and IV. Statistics of, 423.
Of sleeping-rooms, 426. Of schoolTable, manners, 206, 207.
rooms, 255, 256, 456. Of sick,
Taste for solid reading, 294.
rooms, 339. Leeds's mode of, 419Tea, coffee and, on the use of, 143,
432. See Air.
144. Cause nervous debility, 144.
Love of, not natural, 144. No Vermin, on destroying, 377.
nourishment in, 144. Should not Vertebra?, 160.
be drank hot, 145. How to make Virtue. See Morals.
properly, 187-189. See Stimulat- Vulgar habits, 206.
ing.
W
Teachers, 257.
Teeth, effects of hot drinks on, 145.
Wages, exorbitant, of domestics,
Care of, 273.
328. Offering higher, 328.
Teething of infants, 271.
Walking for exercise, 117.
Temper, on the preservation of
Ward's case, how to make one
good, in a housekeeper, 212-219.
cheaply, 100.
See Passions.
Temptations, amusements with, Wardrobes, in movable screen, 28,
29.
286, 287.
Waring on earth-closets, 403.
Tests of good kerosene, 363, 364.
Warm air, tends to rise, 60. Can
Tendons, 114.
be used for ventilation, 63. Needs
Theatres, 288, 291.
moisture, 80-83.
Thinning plants, 388.
Warm drinks, more wholesome
Thoughts, on pure, 286.
than hot, 145. How to make,
Thunder-storms, 352.
187-189.
Tight dressing, 160-165.
Time, on apportioning, 222, 226, Washing, of the body, 156. Of
children, 157. Of infants, 269.
227. On saving, 247,248. Errors
Water for, 157. Of dishes, 372,
as to employing, 249. Devoted
373. See Bathing.
by Jews to religion, 249,250.
Waste matter from the skin, 154.
Tin-ware, 374.
Tocqueville, M. De, on aristocratic Water, on drinking, 143, 147.
Plunging infants in cold, 270.
and democratic manners, 209,
See Drinks and Stimulating.
210.
Tones of voice, 212. On governing Wealthy and benevolent women,
the, 216. Governing by angry, | examples of, 252-254. Plan for,
to take care of homeless and
217. Effects of angry, on chilvicious, 447.
dren, 283.
Wheat, proportion of nutritious
Tracts or books, and charity, 245.
elements in, 122, 123. Unbolted,
Transplanting, 381, 382, 389.
136, 137.
Trees, on transplanting, 382. PrunWicks, 364, Of candles, 365.
ing and thinning, 387, 388.
Window, how to decorate, 96.
Trials. See Difficulties.
Winter air, 420.
Trunks, sewing, 227.
Women, not properly trained for
Turkeys, 400.
their work, 13. American esteem
for, 201. Influence of, on individU
uals and nations, 214. Responsibility of, as to intemperance;
Unbolted flour, 135-137.
149. Importance and difficulty of
Use of water in fevers, 274.
'
584
ANALYTICAL
their duties, 220-222. General
principles for, 223; frequent inversion of them, 225. Men engaged in their work, 229. On
their keeping accounts of expenditures, 239. Appeal to American,
462-470. See American women.
Wood, for fuel, 360.
Wooden-ware, 375.
Work-baskets, 354, 355.
INDEX.
Y
Yellows, the, 392.
Young children, management of,
275-286. Animal food for, 275.
Intellectual and moral training
of, 276. On appreciating their en
joyments and pursuits, 280. Mod
esty and propriety in, 285. Impurity of thought in, 286.
II.
A
Acids, citric and tartaric, 529.
Address of the Senior Author to
housekeepers, mothers, and teachers, 552, 553.
Almond-cake, 506.
Apple bread, 486. Custard, 500.
Dumplings, with bread, 498. Ice,
518. Jelly, 518.
Apple-lemon
pudding, 517. Pie, (best,) 495.
Pie, (common,) 496, 500. Sauce,
474. Apple-snow, 518. Stewed
or grated : Dessert of, with cold
rice, 499. Tarts, spiced, 500.
Appropriate arrangement of dishes,
531, 532.
Arrow-root, tapioca, etc., 525.
Articles for ironing, 538, 539.
Asparagus, 481.
Aunt Esther's gingerbread, 507.
B
Bacon, tests of quality, etc., 440.
Baked fish, 477. Indian pudding,
500. Meats, 464.
Barley-water, 522.
Bean soup, 455. Dried bean soup,
with meat stock, 456.
Bedding, care of, 549.
Beef, boiled, 461. Edible, parts of,
(illustration,) 437. Frizzled, 469.
Hash, 458. Pot-pie, 465. Roast,
465. Salting to keep, 441. Tea,
522. Beef s gall, 538. Stew, with
potatoes, 448. Stew, with vegetable flavors, 448.
Beefsteak, alone, or with potatoes
or turnips, 458. Broiled, 468.
Beets, 480.
Bicarbonate of soda, 529.
Bill of fare, 546.
Bird's-nest pudding, 497.
Biscuit, milk, and white or unbolted
flour, 489.
Potato-biscuit, 487.
Soda, 487. Yeast, 487.
Blanc-mange,
518.
Wheat-flour
blanc-mange, 517.
Boiled fish, 477. Ham, beef, fowls,
461. Shoulders, smoked tongues,
462. Corned beef, 463. Partridges, pigeons, ducks, turkeys,
463.
Bologna sausages, 4:4:4=.
Bones, laws of health for, 543.
Brains, the, laws of health for, 550,
551.
Brandy peaches, 510.
Bread, general remarks, 481-488.
Of fine flour, 484. Of middlings
or unbolted flour, 485. Raised
with water only, 485. Of rye and
Indian, of oat-meal, of pumpkin,
of apples, 486. Third bread, 486.
Care of, 529. Bread-crumbs and
cold meats, 458. Bread and fruitpudding, 496. Crumbs and fruitpudding, 498. Pudding for invalids, 501. Bread and apple dumpling, 498.
ANALYTICS AL
Breakfast and supper, 488. An economical dish, 489 Breakfast disli• es, 4b8-492.
Brine, or pickles, for curing meats,
443, 444.
Broadcloth, how to cleanse it, 536.
Broiled meats and relishes, 468.
Beefsteak, 468. Fish, 477. Fresh
pork, ham, mutton lamb chops,
468. Oysters, 476.
Broccoli or cauliflower, pickled, 473.
Brown flour for meat gravies. 465.
Buckwheat cakes, 491.
Buns 487.
Butter, 524, 527. Care of, 527. To
cool butter in hot weather, 544.
Butternut catsup, 475.
INDEX.
585
lad, 475, 516. Stew, with celery,
etc., 448.
Children, drink and diet for, 515.
Chocolate, 521. Cake, 505.
Choicder, clam, 477.
Cider and toast, 522.
Citron melons, preserves, 512.
Clarified sugar, 519.
Clams, 477. Soup, 455. Chowder,
477.
Cocoa, 531.
Cocoa-nut cake, 506. Pudding, 498.
Cod-fish, etc., 529. Codfish relish,
469.
Coffee, 528. For children, 531. Fishskin for, 515.
Cold meat, 459. For dinner, a hasli
of, 459.
Cold rice, a way to use, 491.
C
Cookies, 507.
Cooking, measures used in, equivaCabbage, 480. Pickled, 472.
lents, etc., 435.
Cake, general directions, 493. Care Corn-cake, sachem's head, 491.
of, 529. Almond, 506. Choco- Corn, gre;n, 479. Patties, pudding,
late, 505. Cocoa-nut, 506. Dough,
501. Soup, 455.
508. Fruit, 506. Huckleberry; Corned beef, boiled, 463.
Hash,
Gold and silver, 506. Jelly ; One,
459.
two, three, four ; Orange, 505. Corn-meal bread, 486. Muffins or
Pound, plain, with eggs, 506.
griddle-cakes, 489.
Drop-cakes,
Raised with
powders, 505.
489. Pop-overs, 495. Sweet rolls
Sponge, (rich and plain,) 507.
of, 487.
Calfs feet, liver and sweetbread, Cottage cheese, 491.
462.
Crab-apple jelly, 513. Marmalade,
Calf s foot jelly, 511.
513.
Calf 8 head, 467. Soup, (plain,) 456. Cracks in iron, to stop them, 544.
Calf's head and feet, cleansing, Cracked wheat, with sugar and
442.
cream, as muffins, 489. Or dropCalicoes, how to wash them, 535.
cakes, 489.
Candied fruits, 519.
Cracker, plum-pudding, 501.
Canned fruit, 510.
Cranberry, 517, 474.
Capers, mock, 475.
Creaking hinges, 544.
Care of household goods, etc., 545, Cream, 521. For stewed fruit, 516.
546.
Griddle-cakes, 490. Mock cream,
Carrots, 479.
498.
Cases for sausages, 444.
Cream tartar, etc., 529. Beverage,
Catsup, walnut or butternut, 475.
522.
Tomato, 475.
Crockery, cement for, 533. BreakCauliflower or broccoli, pickled, 473,
age of, how to prevent it, 533.
480.
Crumpets, royal, 490.
Celery, 480. In poultry stew, 448.
Cucumbers, 480. Pickled, 471-473.
Cement for broken crockery, 533.
Curd pudding, English, 496.
Currants, 528. Preserved, to eat
Charlotte Busse, 516.
with meat, 512. Plain, 513. JelCheese, care of, 529. Cottage, 491.
ly, 513. Currant whisk, 516.
Veal, 469.
Custard, apple, 500. Plain, 496.
Cherries, preserves, 5IS.
Cliicken pie, 466. Pot-pie, 465. Sa- J Bennet, 497.
586
ANALYTIC* 41
D
Dangerous use of milk, 521.
Desserts and evening- parties, 509.
Dessert of cold rice, and stewed or
grated apple ; of rice and fruit,
499.
Diet for invalids, 515.
Digestive organs, laws of health for,
548.
Dishes that belong together, 531
two
Dough-cake, 508.
Doughnuts, 507.
Draicers, to make them slide easily,
544.
Drawn butter, 474.
Dressing, salad, 475.
Dried bean or pea soup, 455.
Dried tomatoes in hash, 460.
Drinks for invalids and children,
515, 522. Simple, 521.
Drop-cakes, of fine wheat or rye,
490. Of pearl or cracked wheat,
rye, or corn meal, 489.
Ducks, boiled, 463. Stewed, with
celery, etc., 448.
Dumplings, bread and apple, 498.
]
INDEX.
482. Biscuits of unbolted flour,
with sour milk, 489.
Flummery, 516.
Folding clothes, 540.
Food and drink, rules of health in
regard to, 433.
Food, health, economy, and pleasure in, 433.
Fowls, boiled, 461. Fricassed, 462.
French modes of cooking soups and
stews, 450, 451.
Fricasseed fowls, 462.
Fried meats and relishes, 468. Oysters or clams, 476. Cakes, 507.
Fritters, oyster, 476.
Frizzled beef 469.
Fruit, candied, 519. Canned, 510.
Cake, 506. Iced, 518. Ice-cream,
516. Pies—peach, cherry, plum,
currant, strawberry, 498. Fruitpudding, boiled, or with bread,
496. Fruit-pudding, with flour,
494; with bread-crumbs, 498.
Stewed, cream for, 516. Dessert,
with rice, 499.
Froth, ornamental, 518.
Furniture, how to renovate it, 544.
G
E
Gall, beefs, 538.
Gherkins, pickled, 471.
Gingerbread, Aunt Esther's sponge,
507.
Ginger-snaps, 507.
Gold and silver cake, 506.
Grapes, preservation of, 544.
Gravies, brown flour for, 465.
Gravies, sauces, and salads, 474.
Grease, how to remove it, 541, 545.
Green corn, 479. Patties, puddings,
500. Soup, 455.
F
Green pea soup, 455.
Of hominy,
Family stores, how to provide, 520. Griddle-cakes, 490.
rice, corn-meal, 488. Of cream,
Fever, drink for a, 522.
490. Of buckwheat, 491.
Fish, 476. Boiled, 477. Broiled,
477. Baked, 477. Pickles for Gruel, oat-meal, water, 522.
cold fish,477. Salting down, 442.
H
Fish-skin for coffee, 515. Tests
of quality, etc., 440.
Flavors for soups and stews, 451, Hair, the, laws of health for, 550.
Ham, boiled, 461. Care of, 529.
452.
Hash of cold ham, 459. Molasses
Floating island, 519.
cured, 443. Smoking hams, 444.
Flour, etc., care of, 525. Puddings,
Tests of quality, etc., 440.
500, 494. Brown flour for meat
gravies, 465. Tests of quality, ] Hard sauce, 502.
Eggs, ways of cooking, 481. Omelet, 469. Preservation of, 533
Egg-tea, coffee, and milk, 522.
Egg plant, 479.
English beef stew, 450.
Curd-pudding, 496.
Essences, etc., 529.
Everting parties, 509.
Eyes, etc., laws of health for, 550.
ANALYTICAL
Hard yeast, 484.
Hashes, 457. Of fresh meats seasoned ; of cold fresh meats and
potatoes ; of meat with eggs, 457.
Of meat with tomatoes ; of beef ;
of veal, (simple ;) of rice and cold
meats; of bread-crumbs and
meats ; of cold beefsteak, alone or
with potatoes or turnips, 458.
Of cold mutton (or venison) and
vegetables; of corned beef; of
cold h a m ; warmed over; of
cold meat for dinner, 459.
Hasty-pudding, or mush, 497.
Health and happiness, laws of, 543.
Healthful pudding-sauce, 502.
Health, rules of, in regard to food
and drink, 433.
Herbs, 529.
Herrings, salt, 469.
Hinges, to stop creaking, 544.
Hominy, fried; muffins; griddlecakes, 488. Stew, 449.
Hop yeast, 484.
Hot weather, to keep cool, 533.
Huckleberry-cake, 508.
I
Ice, apple, 518.
Ice-cream, 509. Strawberry, 509.
Without cream, 516.
Iced fruit, 518.
Icing for cake, 508.
Ices, lemonade, etc., 516.
Indelible ink, 533.
Indiana pickles, 473.
Indian-pudding, baked, 500. Boiled, 499. With suet, 499. Without eggs, 499.
Infant, food for, 523.
Ink, indelible, 533.
Ink, stains, how to remove them,
542.
Invalids, bread-pudding for, 501.
Drink and diet for, 515.
Iron, cracks in, to stop them, 544.
Ironing, 540.
Irish steio, 449.
Isinglass, to clarify, 518.
Island, floating, 519.
587
INDEX.
mon, (simple,) 517. Orange, 518.
Quince, 511.
Sassafras, 522.
Wine, 517.
Jelly-cake, 505.
K
Kid gloves, to clean them, 545.
Kidneys, 462.
Knives, care of, 533.
Laces, how to starch them, 538.
Lamb, Chops, broiled, 468. Shoulder of, boiled, 462.
Lard, care of, 527. Trying out, 442,
Lemon jelly, (simple,) 517.
Lemon-peel, 528.
Lemon-p lidding, 501.
Liquid sauce, 502.
Liver, how to cook calf s, pig's, or
beefs, 469.
Loaf-cake, plain or rich, 508.
Loaf pudding, 501.
Lungs, the, laws of health for, 548.
Lye, soap, starch, etc., manufacture
of, 536.
M
Macaroni, 481. Puddings of, 501.
Mangoes, pickled, 472.
Marketing, and the care of meats,
436-441.
Marmalade, orange, 517. Quince,
513.
Martinoes, pickled, 472.
Measly pork, 443.
Measures used in cooking, equivalents, etc., 435.
Meats, marketing and the care of,
436.
Meats, boiled; ham, beef, fowls,
461. Shoulders, 462.
Smoked
tongues, 462. Corned beef, partridges, pigeons, ducks, and turkeys, 463.
Meats, roast; beef, 464. Pork, mutton, veal, and poultry, 465. Hashed with egjrs, with potatoes, 457.
With tomatoes, 458. Meat and
rusk puddings, 495. For sausages, 444. Improved by keeping, packed in snow, frozen,
Jellies, general directions, 504. Aptainted, 441.
ple, 518. Calfs-foot, 511. Le-
588
ANALYTICAL
Melons, citron preserves, 512.
Middlings, bread made from, 488.
Milk, dangerous use of, 521.
Milk and egg sauce, 474.
Milk-lemonade, 521.
Milk, sour, biscuits of, etc., 489.
Mint-sauce, 474.
Minute-pudding of potato-starch,
497.
Miscellaneous advice and recipes,
533.
Miscellaneous cakes, 507.
Mock capers, 475.
Mock cream, 498.
Molasses, 527.
Monthly inspection of house, 545-56.
Muffins, of corn-meal, 488. Of
cracked wheat, 489. Of hominy,
488. Of oat-meal, 489. Of rice,
488. Of rye, 489. Of wheat, 490.
Muscles, laws of health for, 543.
Mush, or hasty-pudding, 497.
Mush, of oat-meal, 489.
Mushrooms, pickled, 471.
Muslins, how to starch them, 538.
Mutton, care of, 441. Chops, broiled, 468. Cuts, etc., tests of quality, etc., 439. Edible parts of,
(illustration,) 439. Hash, cold,
459. Shoulder of, boiled, 462.
Soups, (rich or simple,) 456.
Stew, (French,) 450. Stew, (simple,) 448. Pie, mutton and beef,
466. Roast, 465. Mutton and turnip stew, (French,) 448.
INDEX.
[ Orange, peel, 528. Jelly, 518. Marmalade, 517.
Oysters, stewed, fried, fritters, scalloped, broiled, omelet, 476.
Pickled, roast, 477.
Oyster-plant or salsify, 479.
P
Paint, how to remove it, 542.
Panada, 522.
Pan-dowdy, 495.
Paper for preserves, 544.
Parsnips, 480.
Partridges, boiled, 463.
Parties, desserts, etc., 509.
Paste for puddings and pies, 502.
Patties, green corn, 501.
Peaches, brandy, 510. Pickled, 470.
Preserved, (rich or plain,) 510.
Pearl-barley water, 522.
Pearl wheat, with sugar and cream,
as muffins or drop-cakes, 489.
Pea soup, 455. Dried-pea soup,
with pork, 456. Dried-pea soup,
with meat stock, 456.
Peppers, pickled, 471.
Pickle for cold fish, 477.
Pickle or brine for curing meats,
443, 444.
Pickled tomatoes, peaches, 470.
Peppers, nasturtiums, onions,
gherkins, mushrooms, cucumbers,
471, (and 473.) Walnuts, mangoes, cabbage, tomatoes, martinoes, 472, (and 473.)
Oysters,
N
477. Indiana, 473. Vinegar for,
470. Sweet pickles, 470.
Pies, 493. Apple, 500. Chicken,
Napkins, 524.
466. Crusts, 503. Fruit, 498. MutNasturtiums, pickled, 471.
ton and beef, 466. Paste for, 502.
Nerves, etc., laws of health for, 551.
Potato, 467.
New-England squash or pumpkinPigeons, boiled, 463.
pie, 498.
Pilaff, 449.
O
Pillau,m.
Pitch, etc., how to remove it, 541.
Oat-meal, as mush or muffins, 488. Plain beef soup, 455.
As bread, 486. As gruel, 522.
Plain cake, with eggs, 506.
Odds and ends, 545, 546.
Plain calfs-head soup, 456.
Oil, care of, etc., 527. How to re- Plain custard, 496, 497.
move it, 542.
Plants, care of, 544.
Olla podrida, 450.
Plums, purple, 511, 512. White,
Omelet, 469. Of oysters or clams,
green, 512.
476.
Pop-overs, corn-meal, 495.
One, two, three, four cake, 505.
Potash soap, preparation of, 537.
Onions, 480. Pickled onions, 471.' Potatoes, tests of quality, etc., 478.
ANALYTICAL
To cook old potatoes, 478. Stew,
with beef, 448. Sweet potatoes,
479. Potato biscuit, 487. Pie,
467. Puffs, cold, 479. Soup, 454.
Yeast, 484. Starch pudding, 497.
Pot aufeu, 450.
Pot-pie, of beef, veal, or chicken,
465.
Pork, broiled, fresh, 468. Cuts,
tests of quality, etc., 439. Edible,
parts of, (illustration,) 439.
Pork, good and bad, 442. Kernels
in, 443 Salting, 444. Eelish, a
good, 468. Roast, 465, 493.
Poultry, roast, 465. Stew, with
celery, etc., 448. Tests of quality,
etc.; manner of killing, 440.
Pound-cake, 506.
Preserves and jellies, general directions, 504. Care of, 529. Paper
for, 544. Peaches, quinces, 510.
Apples, pears, 511. Purple plums,
511, 512.
Water-melon rinds,
513. Pumpkin, 514
Provisions, salted, care of, 529.
Puddings and pies, 493, 495. Apple-lemon, 517. Bird's nest, 497.
Boiled Indian and suet, 499. Bread
and fruit, 496. Cocoa-nut, 498.
Cracker and plum; 501. English
curd, 496. Fruit, boiled, 496.
Fruit and bread-crumbs, 498.
Flour, (rich,) 494, 500. Indian,
baked, 500. Indian, without
eggs, 499. For invalids, 501.
Green corn, 501. Lemon, 501.
Macaroni or vermicelli, 501.
Paste for, 502 Potato-starch, 497.
Tapioca, 497. Queen of all puddings, 494. Rice, 495. Sauces,
502.
Pumpkin, 480. Pumpkin or squash
pie, 498. Bread, 486. Preserves,
514.
Pyramid, ornamental, 519.
Q
Queen of all puddings, the, 494.
Quince jelly, 511. Marmalade, 513.
Quinces, preserved, whole, 510.
R
Radishes, 480.
Raisins, 528.
589
INDEX.
Raspberry jam, 513. Vinegar, 521.
Whisk, 516.
Relishes, with boiled and fried
meats, 468.
Rennet, preparation of, 442. Custard, 497. Whey, 522. Wine,
497.
Rice, boiled, 488. Cold, a way to
use, 491. Cold, dessert of, with
stewed or grated apple, 499.
Griddle-cakes, muffins, 488. With
cold meats, 458. With fruit for
dessert, 499. Rice-chicken pie,
466. Pudding, 495. Stew, 449.
Waffles, 491.
Rich flour pudding, 500.
Rinds, water-melon, preserves, 513.
Ripe fruit pies, 498.
Roast beef, 464. Pork, 465, 493.
Mutton, veal, poultry, 465. Oysters, 477.
Roasting in a cook-stove, 465.
Rolls of corn-meal, sweet, 487.
Royal crumpets, 490.
Rusk puddings, 495. W i t h meat,
495. With milk, 494.
Rust on knives, how to prevent it,
533.
Rye bread, 486. With Indian, 486.
Muffins or drop-cakes, 489.
S
}
Sachem s head corn-cake, 491.
Salsify, or oyster plant, 479.
Salads, etc., 474. Dressing, 475.
Chicken, 516. Turkey or chicken, 475.
Sally Lunn, 490.
Salt, care of, etc., 527. Salt provisions, 529. Pork, 444. Herrings,
469. Salting beef to keep, 441.
Salting down fish, 442.
Sassafras jelly, 522.
Saitsages, cases for, 444. Meat for,
444. Bologna, 444.
Sauces, etc., 474. Hard or liquid,
502. Milk and egg; drawn butter, mint, cranberry, apple, 474.
For puddings, 502.
Scallops, 477.
Setting tables, etc., 524.
Seed Cookies, 507.
Shell-fish, tests of quality, etc., 440.
Silk articles, how to remove stains
590
ANALYTICAL
INDEX.
from, 542. Black silk, how
I Store-room, 525.
renovate it, 545.
Straicberry ice-cream, 509. PreSilver, how to clean it, 544.
serves, 512.
Vinegar, 521.
Simple drink, 521.
Whisk, 516.
Skin, the laws of health for, 549.
Succotash, 479.
Smoked tongues, boiled, 462.
Sugar, kinds, etc., 525. Clarified,
Smoke-house, (illustration,) 445.
519.
Snaps, ginger, 507.
Suet and Indian pudding, boiled,
Snow, a dish of, 519. Apple-snow,
409.
518. As a substitute for eggs, Supper, 488.
544.
Sweetmeats, syrup for, how to clariSoap, 528. Manufacture of, 536.
fy, 510.
Soda, 528, 529. Biscuit, 487.
Sweet pickles, 470.
Soft-soap, preparation of, 537.
Sweet potatoes, 479.
Soup, general directions, 446, 447, Syllabub, whip, 518.
452-454. Beef, plain or rich; Syrup, tomato, 522.
For sweetbones in soup, 454. Clam, corn,
meats, how to clarify, 510.
dried pea or bean, green pea,
mutton, 455. Flavors for, 451.
T
Soup, kettle, (illustration,) 446.
French modes of making, 451.
Meats used for, 447.
French Table-cloths, 524
vegetable, 456. Soup powder, Tainted meat, 441.
451, 453. Stock, 454.
Potato Tapioca, 525. Pudding, 497.
soup, 454.
Skimming, 453. Tar, etc., how to remove it, 541.
Straining, 454. Vegetables for Tarts, apple, spiced, 500.
Tasteful arrangement of dishes, 532.
summer, 455.
Sour milk, biscuits of, with unbolt- Tea, 515, 528. White tea, 521.
Teeth, etc., laws of health for, 550.
ed flour, 489.
[ Third bread, 486.
Spanish steio, 450.
Spices, 528. For soups and stews, j Toast and cider, 522.
Tomatoes, 480. Catsup, 475. Sy451, 452.
rup, 522. Pickled, 470. Dried,
Spiced apple tarts, 500.
in hash, 460. In poultry stew,
Spoiling hashes, 457.
448.
Sponge-cake, rich and plain, 507.
Sprinkling, folding, and ironing, Tongues, smoked, 462.
Tough beef, how to cook, 461.
540.
Tripe, 460.
Squash, 480.
Trying out lard, 442.
Squash or pumpkin pie, 498.
Stains on silk articles, how to re- Turkeys, boiled, 463. Roast; salad,
475.~ Stew, with celery, 448.
move them, 542. On various articles, 540, 541. On varnish, 542. Turkish stew, 449.
Stain-mixture, (for cleansing,)
541.
U
Starch, 528. Use of, 538. Preparation of, 536, 537.
Unbolted flour, bread made from,
Steivs, 446. General directions, 447.
485.
Beef and potato ; French mutton
and turnip ; simple mutton stew ;
V
beef s'ew, with vegetable flavors ;
poultry stew, with celery or to- Varnish, to remove stains from,
matoes, 448. French, Spanish,
542.
450. Irish, veal, Turkish, rice, or Variety of food, 525.
hominy, 449. Flavors for, 451. Veal-cheese, 469. Edible parts of,
Steioed fruit, cream for, 516.
(illustration,) 433. Roast, 465.
Stock, soup, 454.
J Pot-pie, 465. Cuts, tests of qua-
AJYALT:
AL
lity, etc., 439. Shoulder of, boiled, 462.
Vegetables, 478. In stews, 448.
French soup, with meat, 456.
Soup for summer, 455.
Venison hash, cold, 459.
Vermicelli or macaroni puddings,
501.
Vinegar, 527. For pickles, 470.
Strawberry and raspberry, 521.
INDEX.
591
Water-gruel, 522.
Water-melon rinds, preserved, 513.
Well, how to purify a, 544.
WJieat-flour, blanc mange, 517.
Wheat, pearl or cracked ; muffins
and drop-cakes of, 489.
Whey, rennet, 522. Simple wine,
521.
Whip, syllabub, 518.
Whisk, currant, raspberry, or straw
berry, 516.
W
White tea, 521.
Whitening clothes, 540.
Waffles. See Breakfast dish, 489. Whortleberry, free Huckleberry.
Wine, rennet, preservation of, 497.
Unbolted flour, 490. Rice, 491.
Wine jelly, 517.
Wall-paper, how to clean it, 544.
Walnuts, pickled, 472. Catsup, 475. Wine whey, simple, 521.
Warming hashes, 459.
Washing, general directions, 534,
Y
535. Clothes, bedding, etc., 534.
Yeast, recipe for, 484. Yeast bisIroning and cleansing, 530.
Water for soups, 454,
cuit, 487.
September\ 1873.
!• §. jftftitr # Ca/s ^ttMiratkns.
THE CIRCUIT RIDER.
A
NOVEL.
BY EDWARD EGGLESTON.
1 vol. i2mo.
[In Preparation.
Mr. Eggleston is making this his best novel ; and is giving it his
most careful attention. Its own superior merits as well as his brilliant reputation will command for this, his latest work, an immediate
popularity.
A GOOD MATCH.
A NOVEL.
BY AMELIA P E R R I E R , Author of " Mea Culpa."
I vol. i2mo. Cloth, $1 50.
A clever and amusing Novel, agreeably written, racy, and lively.
BRAVE HEARTS.
A NOVEL.
BY
R O B E R T S O N GRAY.
1 vol. i2mo. Cloth, $1 50.
A characteristic American novel under the nom de plume of a
favorite story-writer, heretofore known by the brilliancy, wit, pathos,
humor, and readableness of the shorter tales published under his
own name.
SILVER AND GOLD.
AN ACCOUNT
OF T H E MINING AND
METALLURGICAL INDUSTRY OF T H E
UNITED
STATES, WITH REFERENCE CHIEFLY TO T H E PRECIOUS METALS.
BY ROSSITER W. RAYMOND.
Commissioner of Mining Statistics; President of the American Institute of Mining Engineers; Editor of the Engineering and
Mining Journal; Author of " Mines of the West,"
"American Mines and Mining," "Mines,
Mills, and Furnaces," etc., etc.
1 vol. 8vo. Cloth, $3 50.
27 Park Place, and 24 6° 26 Murray
Street, New
York,
Works Published by J. B. Ford & Co.
WINNING SOULS.
1
SKETCHES AND INCIDENTS DURING FORTY YEARS OF PASTORAL W O R K .
BY REV. S. B. HALLIDAY.
I vol. l2mo. Cloth, §l.
The author of this volume for some time past has been, and now
is, engaged as assistant in the pastoral labors of Plymouth Church,
Brooklyn (Rev. H. W. Beecher's), where, in visiting among the sick,
the poor, and the afflicted of that large parish, and in attending to
many of the social and business details of trie church, he is continually encountering new and interesting phases of heart-life struggling
to turn from sin and sorrow toward godliness and peace. These
simple records of scenes among his earlier labors will possess a peculiar interest to all who love such work for their fellows^
NORWOOD:
Or, Village Life in New England.
A NOVEL.
BY H E N R Y WARD BEECHER.
Uniform Edition of the Author's Works.
I vol. l2mo.
[In Press.
This is Mr. Beecher's only novel, and it affords a most remarkable
illustration of his versatility. Full of exquisite descriptions of
scenery and delineations of social and domestic life, exceedingly
graphic and trustworthy in detail, and abounding in passages of
genial humor and kindly wisdom, it is altogether one of the most
enjoyable novels ever published. It is fragrant with the genuine
raciness of the New England soil.
PLEASANT TALK ABOUT FRUITS,
FLOWERS, AND FARMING.
NEW EDITION, W I T H MUCH ADDITIONAL MATTER.
BY H E N R Y WARD BEECHER.
Uniform Edition of the Author's Works.
I vol. l2mo. Cloth, $i 75.
This volume, when it was first given to the public some years ago,
was most favorably received, both in this country and in Er gland.
The present edition contains many recent additions to the original
book, dealing with both the poetical and the practical side of gardening and farming, the whole making a volume of rare interest and
value.
27 Park Place, and 24 & 26 Murray Street, New York.
Works Published by J. B. Ford 6° Co.
3
YALE LECTURES ON PREACHING.
FIRST
SERIES.
BY H E N R Y WARD BEECHER.
Uniform Edition of the Author's Works.
1 vol. i2mo. Cloth, $1 25.
Delivered before the classes of theology and the faculty of the
Divinity School of Yale College. This series treats of the personal
elements which bear an important relation to preaching. The Lectures are rich in suggestion, not only to the minister, but to the
lawyer,—to everybody to whom the study of human nature is of interest or value. As an expression of the methods by which this
master-preacher works to produce such resulss as have crowned his
ministry, their usefulness cannot be over-estimated.
'Vigorous, eloquent, and practical."
—Philadelphia Age.
" W h a t a charming, what a 'fruity'
volume is this last venture of H e n r y
W a r d Beecher! T h e ' Yale Lectures
on Preaching' can be read b y everybody,
layman or clergyman, with delight. W e
can point to few recent novels which are
more entertaining t h a n this book."—
Boston Globe.
" W e know of no dozen treaties on
the preacher's work which contain so
much of sensible and valuable instruction as is compressed into this little volume."—N. Y.
Independent.
YALE LECTURES ON PREACHING.
SECOND SERIES.
BY H E N R Y WARD BEECHER.
Uniform Edition of the Author's Works.
I vol. i2mo. Cloth, $1 50.
The second course consists of eleven lectures delivered at Yale
College during the winter of 1873. In this course Mr. Beecher considers the social and religious machinery of the church as related to
preaching.
STAR PAPERS.
NEW EDITION, W I T H MANY ADDITIONAL PAPERS.
BY H E N R Y WARD BEECHER.
Uniform Edition of the Author's Works.
I vol. i2mo. Cloth, $1 75.
These experiences of Art and Nature are perhaps the most widely
known of Mr. Beecher's miscellaneous writings. The original edition, issued many years ago, met with a most gratifying reception, and,
although it has been out of print for some years, has been frequently
inquired for. It is now reissued with fresh and charming additions.
I W e have nothing in t h e w a y of descriptive writing, not even t h e best
sketches of Washington Irving, that
exceeds in richness of imagery and p e r spicuity of statement these ' Star P a pers.' —Methodist Home
Journal.
I
" A book to be read and re-read, and
always with a fresh sense of enjoyment."
— P o r t l a n d Press.
I " So full of rural life, so sparkling
I with cheerfulness, so holy_ in their t e n derness, and so brave in nobility of
I t h o u g h t . " — L i b e r a l Christian.
27 Park Place, and 24 6° 26 Murray
Street, *New York,
4
Works Published by J. B. Ford & Co.
L E C T U R E S TO YOUNG MEN
ON VARIOUS IMPORTANT SUBJECTS.
NEW EDITION, W I T H ADDITIONAL LECTURES.
BY H E N R Y WARD BEECHER.
Uniform Edition of the Author's Works.
I vol. i2mo. Cloth, $ i 50.
This was Mr. Beecher's first book, and is known all over the
world. The present edition is enriched by the addition of several
new lectures, and some reminiscences of the origin of the book by
Mr. Beecher. The book should have a place in every family. It
can scarcely fail to interest every intelligent reader, no:: to benefit
every young man who reads it.
u
T h e subjects are all practical, and
presented with characteristic impresslveness."—A Ibany Evening
Journal.
" Wise a n d elevating in tone, pervaded
by earnestness, and well fitted for its
mission to improve and benefit t h e y o u t h
of the land."—Boston
Commonwealth.
u
T h e s e lectures are written with all
t h e vigor of style and b e a u t y of lan-
guage which characterize everything
from t h e pen of this rerr.arkable man.
T h e y are a series of fearless dissertations upon every-day subjects, conveyed
with a power of eloquence a n d a p r a c tical illustration so unique as to be
oftentimes startling to t h e reader ot,
ordinary discourses of t h e k i n d . " —
Philadelphia
Inquirer.
MOTHERLY
WITH
YOUNG
TALKS
HOUSEKEEPERS.
BY MRS. H. W. BEECHER.
WITH CARBON-PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR.
I Vol. I2mo. $2.
Mrs. Beecher's notion of woman's sphere is, that, whatever exceptional women may be able to accomplish by reason of peculiar
circumstances and talents, the place of labor and achievement for
most women, and for all married women and mothers, is Home.
This book, composed of brief and pithy articles on almost every
conceivable point of duty, is an admirable monitor for young wives,
and a mine of good sense and information for growing msidens.
u
A n admirable corrective to ignorance
in t h e household."—N. Y.
Tribune.
u
A useful a n d entertaining work, j
crammed with friendly and admirable
monitions and instruction for young
housekeepers." — Philadelphia
Evening Herald.
*' T h i s book is exactly w h a t its title
sets forth—a kind and motherly way of
helping the young and inexperienced
make agreeable, well-regulated,
h a p p y homes."—Boston Globe.
and
" W h a t she has to say she says so
well, with such good sense, ripe j u d g ment, and such a mother-warmth of
heart, t h a t she cannot fail to help t h e
class for whom she writes, and guide
them into good and useful p a t h s . " —
Presbyterian.
27 Park Place, and 24 6° 26 Murray Street, New York.
Works Published by J. B. Ford & Co.
NEW
LIFE
IN N E W
5
LANDS.
NOTES OF TRAVEL ACROSS T H E AMERICAN CONTINENT, FROM
CHICAGO TO T H E PACIFIC AND BACK.
BY GRACE GREENWOOD.
I vol. i2mo. $2.
This is a gathered series of letters, racy, brilliant, piquant; full of
keen observation and pungent statement of facts, picturesque in delineation of scenes on the plains, in the mountains, and along the
sea.
44
Among the best of the author's
productions, and every way delightful."
—Boston Post.
" T h e late William H . Seward characterized her account of Mormons and
Mormonism as the most graphic and
trustworthy he h a d ever read. — M e t h odist Home
Journal.
OR,
u
Grace always finds lots of things no
one else would see ; and she has a happy
knack of picking u p the mountains and
cities and big tress, and tossing them
across the continent right before the
reader's eyes. I t ' s very convenient."—
Buffalo
Express.
MY W I F E A N D I
HARRY HENDERSON'S HISTORY.
A
NOVEL.
BY H A R R I E T BEECHER STOWE.
Illustrated. I vol. i2mo. Cloth, $ i 75.
This charming novel is, in some respects, Mrs. Stowe's most
thoughtful and complete book. It is eminently a book for the times,
giving the author's individual ideas about the much-vexed Woman
Question, including marriage, divorce, suffrage, legislation, and all
the rights claimed by the clamorous.
u
" A capital story, in which fashionable
Always bright, piquant, and enterfollies are shown u p , fast y o u n g ladies taining, with an occasional touch of
weighed in the balance a n d found w a n t - tenderness, strong because subtle } keen
ing : and the value of true worth ex- in sarcasm, full of womanly logic d i hibited."—Portland A rgus.
rected against unwomanly tendencies.
—Boston Journal.
THE
OVERTURE
OF
ANGELS.
A SERIES OF PICTURES OF T H E ANGELIC APPEARANCES ATTENDING
T H E NATIVITY OF OUR LORD. A CHAPTER FROM
T H E " L I F E OF CHRIST."
BY H E N R Y WARD BEECHER.
Illustrated. I vol. i2mo. $2.
A beautiful and characteristically interesting treatment of all the
events recorded in the Gospels as occurring about the time of the
Nativity. Full of poetic imagery, beauty of sentiment, and vivid
pictures of the life of the Orient in that day.
u
T h e style, the sentiment, a n d faith- [ commend it to m a n y readers } to whom
fulness to the spirit of the Biblical record I its elegance of form will giv2 it an a d d i with which the narrative is treated are | tional attraction."—Worcester {Mass.
characteristic of its author, and will Spy
A perfect fragment. - -N. Y. World.
27 Park P/ace, and 24 6° 26 Murray Street, New York.
6
Works Published by J. B. Ford & Co.
BEECHER'S SERMONS.
FROM PHONOGRAPHIC REPORTS BY T. J . ELLINWOOD, FOR FIFTEEN
YEARS MR. BEECHER'S SPECIAL REPORTER.
UNIFORMLY
BOUND IN DARK BROWN ENGLISH CLOTH. EACH
VOLUME CONTAINS TWENTY-SIX SERMONS, AND T H E PRAYERS BEFORE T H E SERMONS.
Eight vols.
8vo. Cloth, $2 50 each.
Each succeeding volume will contain also, six months' sermons (from
450 to 500 pp.), issued in uniform style. The First Series has an excellent steel portrait of Mr. Beecher ; the Second Series, a fine interior
view of Plymouth Church. The other volumes are not illustrated.
14
T h e s e corrected sermons of perhaps
t h e greatest of living preachers—a man
whose heart is as warm and catholic as
his abilities are great, and whose sermons combine fidelity and scriptural
t r u t h , great power, glorious imagination,
fervid rhetoric, and vigorous reasoning,
with intense h u m a n s y m p a t h y and robust
common-sense," — British
Quarterly
Review.
44
T h e r e is not a discourse in all this
large collection t h a t does not hold p a s sages of great suggestiveness a n d power
for t h e most ordinary, u.isympathizing
reader—illustrations of great b e a u t y and
point, eloquent invitations to better life,
touching appeals to nobler purposes a n d
more generous
action,"—Springfield
Republican*
MATERNITY:
A POPULAR TREATISE FOR WIVES AND MOTHERS.
BY T. S. VERDI, A. M., M. D.
Fifth
I vol.
Edition.
i2mo.
$2 25.
This book has arisen from a want felt in the author's own practice,
as a monitor to young wives, a guide to young mothers, and an assistant to the family physician. It deals skillfully, sensibly, and delicately with the perplexities of married life, giving information which
women must have, either in conversation with physicians or from
such a source as this. Plain and intelligible, but without offence to
the most fastidious taste, the style of this book must commend it to
careful perusal. It treats of the needs, dangers, and alleviations of
the holy duties of maternity, and gives extended, detailed instructions for the care and medical treatment of infants and children
throughout all the perils of early life.
44
T h e a u t h o r deserves great credit for
his labor, and t h e book merits an extensive circulation."—U. S. Medical and
Surgical Journal
{Chicago).
44
W e hail t h e appearance of this work
with true pleasure. I t is dictated by a
pure and liberal spirit, and will be a real •
boon to m a n y a y o u n g m o t h e r . " — A m e r - I
ican Medical Observer {Detroit).
\
44
T h e r e are few intelligent mothers
who w i l l n o t be benefitted by reading
and keeping by them for frequent counsel a volume^ so^ rich in valuable s u g gestions. W i t h its tables, prescriptions,
and indexes at t h e end, this book ought
to do much g o o d . " — H e a r t h and Home.
27 Park Place, and 24 & 26 Murray
Street, New
York.
Works Published by J. B. Ford < * Co.
&
7
T H E CHILDREN'S W E E K :
SEVEN STORIES FOR SEVEN DAYS.
BY R. W. RAYMOND.
ILLUSTRATED BY H. L.
STEPHENS AND MISS M.
L. HALLOCK.
1 vol. i6mo. Cloth, $ i 25.
Seven cheery stories with a flavor of the holidays about them.
Mr. Raymond's conceptions are ingenious, and while the glimpses of
fairy-land and its wonders will open the eyes of the little folk, the
book possesses many attractions for older persons in its simple, artistic style, and the quaint ideas in which it revels.
u
T h e book is bright enough to please and, withal, admirable good sense. T h e
any people of culture, and yet so simple illustrations—all new and made for the
that children will welcome it with glee." book—are particularly apt and pleasing,
—Cleveland
Plaindealer.
showing forth the comical element of the
book and its pure and beautiful sentiCommercial
Mr. R a y m o n d ' s tales have won great ment."—Buffalo (N. Y.)
popularity by their wit, delicate fancy, A dvertiser.
OUR SEVEN CHURCHES:
EIGHT LECTURES.
BY THOMAS K. BEECHER.
I vol. i6mo. Paper, 50 cents ; Cloth, $1.
A most valuable exponent of the doctrines of the leading religious
denominations, and a striking exhibition of the author's magnanimity
and breadth of loving sympathy.
u
T h e sermons are written in a style
at once brilliant, epigrammatic, and
readable."—Utica Herald.
u
T h i s little book has created considerable discussion among the religious
journals, and will be read with interest
by a l l . " — P h i l a . Ledger.
" T h e r e is hardly a page which does
not offer a fresh thought, a genial touch
of humor, or a suggestion at which the
reader's heart leaps u p with grateful
surprise t h a t a minister belonging to a
sect can think and speak so generously
and n o b l y . " — M i l w a u k e e Sentinel.
HISTORY of the S T A T E OF NEW YORK.
FROM T H E DATE OF T H E DISCOVERY AND SETTLEMENTS
MANHATTAN ISLAND TO T H E PRESENT TIME. A TEXT-BOOK
FOR HIGH SCHOOLS, ACADEMIES, AND COLLEGES.
ON
BY S. S. RANDALL,
Superintendent of Public Education in New York City.
I vol.
i2mo.
Illustrated.
Cloth, $1 75.
Officially adopted by the Boards of Education in the cities of
New York, Brooklyn, and Jersey City, for use in the Public Schools ;
and in Private Schools throughout the State.
27 Park Place, and 24 6° 26 Murray Street, New York.
8
Works Published by J. B Ford &> Co.
PRINCIPLES OF DOMESTIC SCIENCE
AS APPLIED TO THE DUTIES AND PLEASURES OF HOME.
BY CATHARINE E. BEECHER and HARRIET BEECH ER STOWE
I voL
l2mo. Profusely Illustrated.
Cloth, $2.
Prepared with a view to assist in training young women for the
distinctive duties which inevitably come upon them in household life,
this volume has been made with especial reference to the duties,
cares, and pleasures of the family', as being the place where, whatever
the political developments of the future, woman, from her nature of
body and of spirit, will find her most engrossing occupation. It is
full of interest for all intelligent girls and young women.
The work has been heartily indorsed and adopted by the directors
of many of the leading Colleges and Seminaries for young women
as a text-book, both for study and reading.
MINES, MILLS, AND FURNACES
of the Precious Metals of the United States.
BEING A COMPLETE EXPOSITION OF THE GENERAL METHODS EMPLOYED IN THE GREAT MINING INDUSTRIES OF AMERICA.
BY ROSSITER W. RAYMOND, P H . D„
U. S. Commissioner of Mining Statistics.
I vol. 8vo.
With Plates.
Cloth, $3 50.
This is a very particular account of the condition of the mining
interests, and the processes and mechanical appliances which are
applicable to them, in California, Nevada, Oregon, Idaho. Montana,
Utah, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. It is the report of the Commissioner to the Secretary of the Treasury, and
embodies all the information which official investigation and contributions from experts and residents of those regions can afford.
u
The author is thorough in his subject, and has already published a work
on our mines which commanded universal approval by its clearness of statement and breadth of views."—Albany
A rgus.
"His scientific ability, his practical
knowledge of mines and mi.iing, his unerring judgment, and, finally, the enthusiasm with which he enters upon his
work, all combine to fit him for his position, and none could bring it to^ a
greater degree of uprightness and fairness.' '—Denver News.
tW Any of the above books w i l l be sent to any address, post-paid,
upon receipt of the price by the Publishers.
27 Park Place, and 24 6° 26 Murray
Street, New
York,
Works Published by J. P. Ford & Co.
9
T H E LIFE OF JESUS, T H E CHRIST.
BY H E N R Y WARD
BEECHER.
PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED, FROM DESIGNS AFTER NATURE, BY A. L.
RAWSON, DRAWN ON WOOD BY HARRY FENN, AND ENGRAVED BY
T H E BROTHERS LINTON ; W I T H NUMEROUS MAPS ; AND W I T H A
STEEL PLATE FRONTISPIECE, " HEAD OF CHRIST," COPIED
FROM DA VINCI'S" LAST SUPPER," BY W . E. MARSHALL.
Popular
Imperial
Edition,
Edition,
PART I.
i vol. 8vo. Cloth, $3 50.
1 vol. 4to. Cloth, $7 50.
It is rare to find in any one book so many attractions as this pretends, in the grandeur and interest of the subject, and the peculiar
fitness of the author for its treatment both by native genius and careful preparation. Mr. Beecher has put his whole wonderful self into
the writing of this book.
" T h e book which the masses of the powers, in t h e maturity of their strength,
Christian world have been waiting for." in the richness of their experience, a n d
D.D.
t h e largeness of their development, to
" H e has neither thrown off his r a n - produce a work t h a t m a y fitly represent
dom thoughts nor strung together his the results of his l i f e . " — R E V . J . P .
best t h o u g h t s ; but has brought all his THOMPSON, in the
Independent.
— R E V . R . S. S T O R R S ,
PART II.
A LIBRARY
I N PREPARATION.
OF POETRY
AND
SONG.
BEING CHOICE SELECTIONS FROM T H E POETS.
W I T H AN INTRODUCTION
BY WILLIAM C U L L E N BRYANT.
Illustrated with a Portrait on Steel of MR. BRYANT, twenty-six Autographic Fac-similes on Wood of Celebrated Poets, and sixteen full-page Wood Engravings by the best Artists
Popular Edition.
Red-Line Edition.
1 vol. 8vo. Cloth, $5 00.
1 vol. 8vo. Cloth, $7 50.
This book has been prepared with the aim of gathering into a
single volume the largest practical compilation of the best poems of
the English language, making it as nearly as possible the choicest
and most complete general collection published.
^ " Good taste has ruled in t h e selections, and the compiler has performed
his exceedingly difficult task with great
success."—Chicago
Advance.
u
Bryant's Introduction to t h e volume
is a most beautiful a n d comprehensive
critical essay on poets a n d poetry, from
the days of 4 t h e father of English
p o e t r y ' to t h e present t i m e . " — A l b a n y
Evening
Journal*
" T h e frontispiece is an exquisite likeness of Mr. B r y a n t . "
New
York
Evening
Post.
27 Park Place, and 24 &> 26 Murray Street, New York.
io
Works Published by J. B. Ford 6° Co.
Subsmpiintt P«;WitEtions»—Continued.
A LIBRARY OF FAMOUS FICTION.
EMBRACING T H E N I N E S T A N D A R D M A S T E R P I E C E S
OF I M A G I N A T I V E L I T E R A T U R E .
WITH AN INTRODUCTION
BY H A R R I E T B E E C H E R STOWE.
Illustrated with thirty-four Engravings on Wooa\
I vol.
8vo.
Cloth, $5.
In this companion book to the " Library of Poetry and Song,"
the famous fictions which have delighted generations are offered to
the public in an elegant and convenient form. Mrs. Stowe's Introtion is an admirable feature of the book.
44
A fitting companion for the popular from this group."—Rahway (N. J.) Ad4
Library of Poetry and Song.' "—Lyons vocate and Times.
44
(N. Y.) Republican.
The book is a gathering of intellecu
All ages will delight in it—some be- tual treasures, which all intelligent famcause it presents the tales which charmed ilies must desire in some forn to possess
them in youth, and some because it will and preserve; and it is believed that
open to them the rich treasures_ of this is the most convenient, interesting,
wildest fancy and most limitless im- and elegant form in which they^ have
ever been presented to the public."—
agination."—Philadelphia Age.
44
Not a single one could be spared Neivburgh {N. Y.) Journal,
T H E NEW HOUSEKEEPER'S MANUAL.
Embracing " The American Woman's Home," and " The Handy Cook-Book."
BY CATHARINE E. BEECHER and HARRIET BEECHER STOWE.
Profusely Illustrated.
I vol.
8vo.
Cloth, $3.
An eminently practical work, the result of long domestic experience, and thorough study of domestic needs. It deals with the
foundation principles of successful housekeeping, besides being full
of detailed directions. It gives the scientific and the common-sense
reason why, which lies at the foundation of the operations of everyday life. It is also a complete Manual of Cookery.
44
44
The reading of this work will tend
It is a book which, to country readers at least, must prove invaluable."— to make better wives, mothers, and companions." Manford's Monthly (St.
N.44 Y. Tribune.
Young married women, if they will Louis.
but read, may find many helps to pleasant and comfortable living in this vol44
ume."—New York Times.
The receipts, counsels, directions,
44
It treats practically of every subject hints, and experiences meet many of the
relating to domestic life, from the wo- little perplexities of a housekeeper's
man's stand-point."—Christian Advo- head."—Northern Christian Advocate.
cate (N. Y.).
27 Park Place, and 24 & 26 Murray Street, New York.