ON THE CARE OF CHAMBERS AND BEDROOMS.
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 open fireplace to admit the pure air from the
exterior, 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. Straw matting is best for a chamber carpet, and strips of woollen
carpeting may be laid by the side of the bed. Where chambers have no
closets, a _wardrobe_ is indispensable. This is a moveable closet, with
doors, divided, by a perpendicular partition, into two apartments. In
one division, rows of hooks are placed, on which to hang dresses. The
other division is fitted up with shelves, for other uses. Some are made
with drawers at the bottom for shoes, and such like articles. A low
square box, set on casters, with a cushion on the top, and a drawer on
one side to put shoes in, is a great convenience in dressing the feet.
An old champaigne basket, fitted up with a cushion on the lid, and a
valance fastened to it to cover the sides, can be used for the same
purpose.
A comfortable couch, for chambers and sitting-rooms, can be made by a
common carpenter, at a small expense. Have a frame made (like the
annexed engraving, Fig. 38,) of common stuff, six feet long,
twenty-eight inches wide, and twelve inches high. It must be made thus
low, because the casters and cushions will raise it several inches. Have
the sloping side-piece, _a_, and head-piece, _b_, sawed out of a board;
nail brown linen on them, and stuff them with soft hay or hair. Let
these be screwed to the frame, and covered with furniture patch. Then
let slats be nailed across the bottom, as at _c_, _c_, four inches
apart. This will cost two or three dollars. Then make a thick cushion,
of hay or straw, with side strips, like a mattress, and lay this for the
under-cushion. To put over this, make a thinner cushion, of hair, cover
it with furniture-calico, and fasten to it a valance reaching to the
floor. Then make two square pillows, and cover them with calico, like
the rest. Both the cushions should be stitched through like mattresses.
[Illustration: Fig. 38.]
The writer has seen a couch of this kind, in a common parlor, which
cost less than eight dollars, was much admired, and was a constant
comfort to the feeble mother, as well as many other members of the
family.
Another convenience, for a room where sewing is done in Summer, is a
fancy-jar, set in one corner, to receive clippings, and any other
rubbish. It can be covered with prints, or paintings, and varnished; and
then looks very prettily.
The trunks in a chamber can be improved in looks and comfort, by making
cushions of the same size and shape, stuffed with hay and covered with
chintz, with a frill reaching nearly to the floor.
Every bedchamber should have a washstand, bowl, pitcher, and tumbler,
with a washbucket under the stand, to receive slops. A light screen,
made like a clothes-frame, and covered with paper or chintz, should be
furnished for bedrooms occupied by two persons, so that ablutions can be
performed in privacy. It can be ornamented, so as to look well anywhere.
A little frame, or towel-horse, by the washstand, on which to dry
towels, is a convenience. A washstand should be furnished with a sponge
or washcloth, and a small towel, for wiping the basin after using it.
This should be hung on the washstand or towel-horse, for constant use. A
soap-dish, and a dish for toothbrushes, are neat and convenient, and
each person should be furnished with two towels; one for the feet, and
one for other purposes.
It is in good taste to have the curtains, bedquilt, valance, and
window-curtains, of similar materials. In making featherbeds,
side-pieces should be put in, like those of mattresses, and the bed
should be well filled, so that a person will not be buried in a hollow,
which is not healthful, save in extremely cold weather. Featherbeds
should never be used, except in cold weather. At other times, a thin
mattress of hair, cotton and moss, or straw, should be put over them. A
simple strip of broad straw matting, spread over a featherbed, answers
the same purpose. Nothing is more debilitating, than, in warm weather,
to sleep with a featherbed pressing round the greater part of the body.
Pillows stuffed with papers an inch square, are good for Summer,
especially for young children, whose heads should be kept cool. The
cheapest and best covering of a bed, for Winter, is a _cotton
comforter_, made to contain three or four pounds of cotton, laid in
batts or sheets, between covers tacked together at regular intervals.
They should be three yards square, and less cotton should be put at the
sides that are tucked in. It is better to have two thin comforters, to
each bed, than one thick one; as then the covering can be regulated
according to the weather.
Few domestics will make a bed properly, without much attention from the
mistress of the family. 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. After the bed is well aired, shake the feathers, from
each corner to the middle; then take up the middle, and 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. Then put on the bolster and the under sheet, so that the wrong
side of the sheet shall go next the bed, and the _marking_ come at the
head, tucking in all around. Then put on the pillows, even, so that the
open ends shall come to the sides of the bed, and then spread on the
upper sheet, so that the wrong side shall be next the blankets, and the
marked end 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. Then put 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, to provide them with single beds, that they may 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 narrow trucklebed
under another, 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.
_On Packing and Storing Articles._
Fold a gentleman's coat, thus:--Lay it on a table or bed, the inside
downward, and unroll the collar. Double each sleeve once, making the
crease at the elbow, and laying them so as to make the fewest wrinkles,
and parallel with the skirts. Turn the fronts over the back and sleeves,
and then turn up the skirts, making all as smooth as possible.
Fold a shirt, thus:--One that has a bosom-piece inserted, lay on a bed,
bosom downward. Fold each sleeve twice, and lay it parallel with the
sides of the shirt. Turn the two sides, with the sleeves, over the
middle part, and then turn up the bottom, with two folds. This makes the
collar and bosom lie, unpressed, on the outside.
Fold a frock thus:--Lay its front downward, so as to make the first
creases in folding come in the side breadths. To do this, find the
middle of the side breadths by first putting the middle of the front and
back breadths together. Next, fold over the side creases so as just to
meet the slit behind. Then fold the skirt again, so as to make the
backs lie together within and the fronts without. Then arrange the
waist and sleeves, and fold the skirt around them.
In packing trunks, for travelling, put all heavy articles at the bottom,
covered with paper, which should not be printed, as the ink rubs off.
Put coats and pantaloons into linen cases, made for the purpose, and
furnished with strings. Fill all crevices with small articles; as, if a
trunk is not full, nor tightly packed, its contents will be shaken
about, and get injured. A thin box, the exact size of the trunk, with a
lid, and covered with brown linen, is a great convenience, to set
inside, on the top of the trunk, to contain light articles which would
be injured by tight packing. Have straps, with buckles, fastened to the
inside, near the bottom, long enough to come up and buckle over this
box. By this means, when a trunk is not quite full, this box can be
strapped over so tight, as to keep the articles from rubbing.
Under-clothing packs closer, by being rolled tightly, instead of being
folded.
Bonnet-boxes, made of light wood, with a lock and key, are better than
the paper bandboxes so annoying to travellers. Carpet bags are very
useful, to carry the articles to be used on a journey. The best ones
have sides inserted, iron rims, and a lock and key. A large silk
travelling-bag, with a double linen lining, in which are stitched
receptacles for toothbrush, combs, and other small articles, is a very
convenient article for use when travelling.
A bonnet-cover, made of some thin material, like a large hood with a
cape, is useful to draw over the bonnet and neck, to keep off dust, sun,
and sparks from a steam engine. Green veils are very apt to stain
bonnets, when damp.
In packing household furniture, for moving, have each box numbered, and
then have a book, in which, as each box is packed, note down the number
of the box, and the order in which its contents are packed, as this will
save much labor and perplexity when unpacking. In packing china and
glass, wrap each article, separately, in paper, and put soft hay or
straw at bottom and all around each. Put the heaviest articles at the
bottom; and on the top of the box, write, "This side up."