April, 1912 
tear their old table-cloths into sizes small enough for use, 
leaving ravelings to start with and ravelings to accumulate. 
And how the lint comes off! Over and over must the glass- 
ware be wiped to get rid of this lint. Think of how much 
must be left on the white ware which does not show it. I 
call all this mistaken econ- 
omy. It calls for many use- 
less extra motions in the 
course of the lifetime of the 
table-cloth towel which might 
have been saved. This is 
surely an age when all kinds 
of economy of labor should 
be practiced, and the wise 
housekeeper will save her 
maid or herself. Moreover, 
in cases of illness old linen is 
priceless. I have been called 
upon for old linen by my 
neighbors more times than I 
could supply the need, and I 
never wasted any in my 
kitchen. In the times of the 
Civil War the value of old 
linen and cotton cloth was 
recognized. I don't believe 
the housekeepers of those 
days wasted their old linen in the kitchen. If you do not 
think you will need it, save it for someone who may. ‘There 
may come a time when it will be more of a gift than money. 
This is one way to help humanity somewhere, at sometime 
when you least expect it. 
As an example, let us cite the instance of two cases of 
illness in the neighbornood. One, a surgical case of many 
months’ standing, had used up all the available old linen in 
the house where the patient was. I asked housekeepers for 
old linen for bandages, and not one could help me out. 
“Tam very sorry, but you see we use our old table-cloths for 
dish-wipers and our napkins for dishcloths,” was the answer 
every time. Perhaps sometime these people will wish they 
had saved their old linen when sickness finds them unpre- 
pared. And, really, how much money have they saved? 
And how much more work have they put in the kitchen? 
Dish-toweling is woven for the purpose of wiping dishes. 
The fibre is hard-twisted, so 
that the lint does not readily 
come off. Table linen is not 
made that way. It is soft, 
and, when old, it is necessary 
to put a little starch in the 
water to hold the lint of the 
surface down smooth when 
it is ironed. All of this flies 
when kept in use in the 
kitchen. 
The same economy (?) is 
practiced in the use of old 
sheets. How much body is 
there left in sheeting which 
has become thin enough to 
slit upon the slightest provo- 
cation, and is thrown aside as 
too poor to use on the beds? 
Yet these are considered 
good enough to use on iron- 
ing-boards. I have seen ironing-boards, many times, with 
square and three-cornered tears right where you would 
naturally start to iron. Why? Because right there is 
where all the force of the wear was the greatest. A piece 
of starched goods stuck, and rip went the cloth into shreds! 
ORANGE IN SECTIONS: 
GRAPEFRUIT TUB: 
on same. 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
Score the orange in eighths from the 
nearly to the blossom end, and carefully loosen the peel. 
the sections from one another, without removing them from the peel at 
the blossom end. Serve in this way, or roll inward the points of the peel 
to form a border around the base of the fruit. 
Cut the top from smooth, evenly-shaped grape- 
fruit, and carefully cut to simulate the handles of tubs and the hoops 
Remove the core, fill cavity with powdered sugar, and serve. 
143 
Now, two yards of unbleached “domestic,” at eight cents 
a yard, gives the length for an ironing-board. Torn into two 
strips it will furnish the coverings, which in point of time 
will out-wear several old sheets, to say nothing of the com- 
fort of an ironing-board which is to be trusted to resist 
starched articles. It is really 
an art to make a perfect sur- 
face onanironing-board. In 
the first place, the ironing- 
board should not be less than 
five feet in length, tapering 
well at one end. It should 
have three heavy cleats 
screwed on the back to pre- 
vent warping, as the steaming 
on the upper part is very 
considerable. It is well to 
buy a strip of ingrain carpet- 
ing the length of the board, 
if you have none that is old, 
for it must not be too thin. 
[wo thicknesses of that 
should be very firmly tacked 
into place on the edge, not 
turned over, and trimmed off 
neatly. This is really per- 
manent, lasting many years, 
for the wool fibre never packs down so solidly as old cotton 
bedspreads, a favorite covering used by housekeepers. 
On top of the carpet six or even more layers of old sheets 
should be fastened, and these covered by the new cotton, all 
stretched very taut. Here is a perfect ironing surface which 
will delight the heart of the laundress, whoever she may be. 
An old rug for her to stand upon, folded several times, will 
make her comfort complete, for ironing is as hard upon the 
teet as on the hands. 
Speaking of hands, how many times havel had to fold old 
cotton cloths over and over again to use as an iron-holder! 
For the old things would come unfolded while in use. Every 
kitchen should be supplied with perfect iron-holders, as well 
as thinner ones for use in lifting hot dishes. The pieces of 
carpet cut from the tapering end of the ironing-board serve 
as the best foundation. The wool proves an admirable non- 
conductor of the heat, which the old folded cotton is not. 
Cut this in round or oval 
shape, leaving no corners to 
get scorched while in use. 
Cover with bedticking, using 
two or three layers of carpet, 
according to thickness, neatly 
overhanding the edges. 
Three of these are the least 
one should try to get along 
with, for changing from one 
to another rests the hands 
immensely. 
Perhaps this makes a good 
deal of trouble to go to just 
for ironing—but it does pay. 
The smiles of a laundress 
when she finds good tools for 
her work are only part of 
your pay. The moral effect 
of this thought on your part 
for her comfort is returned 
to you by additional perfection of work, for it undoubtedly 
serves as a stimulus. As for one who must do it herself, 
there surely can be no question. 
Much time can be saved when one will bother to hem 
her dustcloths. I never found that feather-stitching made 
stem 
Then loosen 
