Living on a Little

ples-The Kitch

hile the wash was drying, and then iron the heavy things; the next morning the sisters were to finish up the light and dainty things left over, the napkins, pretty waists, handkerchiefs, and odds and ends;

at down with books and pencils to lay

live. If you are in the country proper, or possibly even in a suburb, you will find food somewhat less than in the city; milk, eggs, and vegetables are almost always cheaper there than they are here. Then, too, prices differ in differ

otatoes, if we find some that are cheap just then; another, we will buy olive oil, or fruit for preserving, or flour, or something for our emergency closet; all these things must be taken into account, you see, if we are not going to get into deep water financially. Just fancy! We

I have spent only about fifty cents down-town, because we had so much in the house in the way of left-overs that I did not need to get much of anything, I put

. Half the fun of keeping house is having one's friends in

er the leaves of her book. "You certainly said Entertaining

om Incidentals, because otherwise we should be on short rations ourselves for far too long a time to be comfortable, in order to make things come out even; but now I am speaking of little dinners and luncheons when we have four people at a time. Those I hope to get out of our r

y gr

off for a week, and I did the ordering; and I remember the meat bill alone for father, Cousin Marion, myself, and three maids was twenty-eight dollars. Father did not say anything when it came in, and did not seem surprised, and I would not have thought that there was anything strange about i

eads for luncheon once or

ad little French chops, and such things; and for dinner we had capons and guinea-hens and legs of spring lamb. All the d

I was married, and behold me now! And I'll make you into an expert, too, before this year of servitude is over, or I'm no prophet. And as we had better lo

of the walls. Around the room, six feet from the floor, ran a shelf set out with nests of blue and white bowls and cheap but effective plates and cups and saucers to match, all meant to use in cooking. Under the edge of the shelf, over the table, hooks wer

e delightful contrivances in the way of cream-whippers and mayonnaise-droppers

The cooking was done as if by magic, and they called their workroom a 'ladies' kitchen.' That story made an undying impression on me when I was sixteen. I thought if Fate would only grant me the boon of doing my own work in a palatial kitchen like that, I should have no further requests to make. And I've never forgotten the idea behind the story. My kitchen simply must be an attractive room, bright and cheerful, with the 'rocking-chair and the white curtain and red g

r and over? Your first outlay does not by any means co

she will not break pretty things half as fast as she will ugly cracked and burned ones; those she does not bother handling with care. And then I watch the ten-cent counters and other places, and pic

one," said Dolly, look

he regular table. Then I had the top covered with zinc, so nothing would set it on fire. Under this, on the floor, stands my gas-stove. I pull out the small table, set this stove on it, attach the tube to the gas-jet, and cook. The upper table holds all my extra dishes, you see, and I take them off when I want them on the gas. I have a splendid sheet-iron oven I use to bake things quickly; that I keep out by the refrigerator, because it is bulky, but it is light and easy to handle, so I don't mind lifting it in and out. Then when I have finished cooking I unfasten the gas pipe and let it hang down by the wal

each month? I remember hearing somewhere

have a frightful bill. But see these saucepans; three of them, and triangular in shape, so that when they are put together they make what looks like one

, or such things, which take hours and hours, y

drew out a covered wooden box and raised the lid. It was lined with asbestos pads, some fitted

teen or twenty minutes, depending on the size of the materials. A small pudding will need less time and soup more,-say twenty or twenty-five. Then I take it off, cover it tightly, put the dish or pot in the box and

aft a century ago," said Dolly, gaz

plied. "But wait a minute; I forgot to t

y dear, I distinctly

f a pint of whipped cream and flavor it. Then I put the whole in a little covered pail and set that in a larger pail. To admit a somewhat embarrassing truth, they are merely lard-pails which I save for this purpose. I put cracked ice and salt between the two, cover both, and set them in the box. As the p

y day," begged D

cost money; but still we do and will have it at convenient periods. That is one of the things I k

t there is anything at all in it," declared th

that looks like a big square tin cracker-box is what is called an Aladdin oven. Perha

" Dolly murmured, parentheticall

er burner which is attached to a lamp underneath, and then let it go on and bake for you without any attention. It will bake the beans a beautiful and artistic brown, and the kerosene in the lamp will cost you about two cents. Now are not my stoves worth their weight in gold? And if you are too

pose I live in a country village where there is no gas and where the kitchen is unheated. I don't see but that I s

lifting on and off exactly like this one on the gas-stove. That will save fuel and work and keep the house cool at the same time. But I certainly would have a fireless stove in any case, because you often want to cook things all night and still not keep the fire going. Oatmeal, for one thing, is far better cooked in this

ood deal," mused Dolly. "Did y

y tin bank I deliberately take the money out of the general fund; but in this case you can even things up by sa

Why, I supposed of course you bought that in th

beat them up for five minutes, cover the pail, and set it away in a nice cozy place, and in the morning I beat it all up again for three minutes in the same way, and put it in

urself? Because unless you do, I think I

f flour would cost, which would last twice as long at least. Flour is expensive to buy by the bag, too; if I could I should always get a barrel at a time, and save a bagful by doing so, but

quantity? I thought all careful hous

ch on hand. I get a few pounds of sugar, only one box of gelatine, half a cake of chocolate, and so on. I know there is a theory that by buying at wholesale you save a good deal, and so you do, on paper. Actually, with a maid, I believe you use enough to even the account.

d vegetables we use rather seldom, and I get those only by the half-dozen. Still I save a little there, because a half-dozen of this and that gives a discount on the whole dozen or dozens that they come to. Butter

as come in loaded with dates or lemons or pineapples or Bermuda onions, I wait a few days till they are distributed, and then I ask for them, and invariably the price has dropped below normal. So I do not lay down any hard and fast rule about buying, but I just do as seems best from time to tim

outherners do with their colored peopl

pted as a perfectly proper thing to do. Here it would be thought mean and small, and a maid would think herself under suspicion of p

and bed-linen and towels, how do you do about buying those things? Do you

able to replace them; so, though I have so much, I am about on a level with the woman who has none. Don't make the mistake I made, Dolly, and buy your linen all of the loveliest quality. I know it is a temptation, when a father who does not mind what things cost is paying the bills. It is not wise in your future circumstances to have too much beautiful linen and too little that is good also, but plainer and heavier. Get an abundance of small tablec

are cheap; that is all I can tell you about it. I do not buy them at regular intervals, because I cannot do that wa

verings wear out, and carpets, and your china set breaks to bits

r dull orange or old blue; they are really beautiful, and I mean to have plenty of them as my wedding supply of good rugs gradually goes. As for china, I take care of what I have, you may be sure, and once in awhile I put Christmas money or birthday money from home into a set of plates for salad or dessert; or I save up and buy a whole set of platters and vegetable dishes and plates for

rve water in tin mugs before y

t do that way; I'm gl

nd of the less

e you wri

d; buy some things by quantity and don't buy others so; have linen not too nice for hard usage;

own-town. By the way, one of the joys in having no maid is that you can turn the key in your door and walk off any minute you please and leave no anxieties behind you. You know the

y replied. "Let us hope I'll attain that same l