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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 25, 1910)
1 - fl THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAy, PORTLAND. DECEMBER 25, 1910. KEEPING HOUSE WHERE THE KITCHEN WON'T ACCOMMODATE TWO PERSONS Portland Woman in Paris Tells of the Trial and Tribulations That Beset the Housewife in Strange Environment. BT EVXA SE.-KI.E MARSHALL, HOCSEKEEWNO In rrl to all right for rreneh people, of course. and probably for foreigners who have been long nouch in the French capital to have aselmllJrtcd Its wajn and mean, but to the American housewife accus tomed to a kitchen large enough to ac commodate al least two persona at once, act to all the conveniences and acces sories which whe considers absnlu-lety necessary for her work. It Is a constant struggle against odds until It becomes routine which Is sometimes never. Add to this a Terr ellglit knowledge ot the language In the bc-ctnulBg and the fact that weights and measures are total ly different and some of tha drtTicultles whtrh. In the beginning, beset the foreign housekeeper can he Imagined. Perhapa one of the Duet annoying things she baa to contend with Is the clerk who has an extremely limited English vocabulary which he Is eager to enlarge and in con sequence Insists upon giving all prices In Knglvh shillings and pence. In Justice to the dapper Individual K might bo well to give htm tho benefit of the doubt and believe him to be also actuated by a deaire to confer especial favor upon a new customer. It Is almost tanpoaslble to convince fclm that the customer la quite as anxious to famlhar.se herself with French money values, and that English and American currency have not even the shadow of a relationship. At lint It was difficult to remember that half a kilo. oi. to give It the full value, half a kilogram. Is equal to about a pound avoirdupois. It hnpmwi one as being much more and the placard upon the potato Mn which read. deml kilo. 30 centimes" appeared to us to represent an amount ranging In the neighborhood of an hundredweight or so, but 50 centimes Im equal to about t cents so wa ventured to order the amount named, mentally wondering where wa would store so many, as our tiny kitchen, with Its small corner cupboard, constitutes our only storeroom. The shelf across list length waa too high and the space under the sink too Incon venient, and visions of an overflow from the lower part of the cupboard waa not alluring. However, the clerk expressed no such surprise at that order as ha lid the next day when four kilos were demanded. in fart, our lavish orders have caused tlie whole store to stand aghast and the tone of the clerk was that of utter In credulity as he asked. "lkl you say six esse?" It is quite the custom, we after ward ascertained, to buy the exact amount needed for Immediate use. whether It be one egg or two rolls, as the amount of the purchase has no bearing what ever n the price, reduction becaiM-e of quantity being an unheard of thing. There are numerous groceries besting 11 legend. "Kngllsh and American grocers." which certainly looks good to tha newcomers of those nationalities, and they boldly enter only to be Immediately dlaailustoned In the majority of cases for while tha clerk Immediately and proudly offers you Upton's or Ceylon tea or Colman's mustard he Is densely Ignorant on the subject of baking powder, breakfast foods) and other ataples neces sary to the stomach or the larder of tha average person from "the elates. Fortunately all wares are plainly dis played with thj price mark on each and wa decided to patronise tha French shops entirely. The faot that our sign language excited considerable merriment urged on a determination to Immediately acquire a knowledge of fruit vegetables, groceries ' and meats. It becornea embarrassing. In time, to polrt to a tray of grapes or be una and after Inquiring. In a confident tone, "com hlenT to be obllced to stand like a stick while listening to the reply, which ts totally unintelligible. One may flatter herself that eie Is able to epesk some French but It Is quite another thing to understand It. especially whei. delivered In the rspld-flrs manner of the average French clerk or conrlerre. Tha concierge, or janitor, what would we do without him? Our pockothooka would be heavier. bst then so would be our hearts. It la worth an occasional sou or two to see him fsce wrinkle Into what he means for a smile ss he bobs Ms head In thanks, tha effusiveness of. his. Mercl blen. Madame. being prn rorrtoned to the slse of the tip. lie carries a 3o-pound trunk or a b-tter up three or four flights of steep stairs with eoual ease and complaisance hla prompt ness being regulated by his expectation of reward. laughable m are some of the market ing experiences of the new housekeeper there are times when her sensibilities re ceive a shock from which recovery seems doubtful, as In the case of the first sight pf tne cf the numerous. "Boucherles du t'hevaux" or butcher shops, where horse meat ts sold. Fortunately, for the Am en ran, at leaet. thee shoos are allowed to sell only such meat and It ts not un common to see slcns which Indicate that choice steaks from a young Jackass) are to be obtained within. Nor are the shops which deal In beef. veal, mutton and pork permitted to sell anything esse, a very gratifying knowledge to a new comer from America. One cannot blame a person for rating food of this kind If It Is palatable to him or her. for hard labor requires) solid, strength-giving foods, and meets of other varieties) are expensive, and a luxury only to be Indulged In sparingly or by those wtth long purses. A small piece of cheap beef ateak costst about cents of Vnlted Kates money, snd one pays an quality of about X or e cents for five averags-stxed mutton chops, but the cheep steak Is tender and well-flavored and tha chops, when carefully broiled, are datn tlea fit for the gods. Among the delicacies) which appeal strongly to the masses are snaje. and thee are retailed In hand carts or are heaped up in the market stalls; There aeem to be several varlsties) but aa yet 1 have not ascertained whether or not thews ra the round white shells are superior In flavor and quality to the ones In tte round brown shells. sea Long before reaching Par's we had learned to rat and like unsalted butter, and It was well thst we hsd done so as no other Is obtslnable In liurope unless especially ordered. Hut while this butter does not possess the keeping qualities of the American product It Is sweet and solid, though the appearance of a deml kilo is not as attractive as the trim oblong" or patties of our own butter since tt ts .!- d from a large mold of probebly 2 kilogram, and delivered In a clean white paper wrapper. The first loaf of real French bread brought Into our apartment occasioned a genuine thrill of surprise. It measured ut a yard In length and about three inches In diameter In Its w1det part, but a familiarity fostered by the sight of men. women and children careleaeiy carrying very much longer loaves through the streets, protected only by a piece of paper, sometimes newspaper, where the hand grsaps It. has long since made S'lr prve and even Interest a thing of the p&st. We have even scqulred the art of ,t!eet rg such a loaf In a workmanlike manner. It did require some nerve, how ever, to really enjoy H for a few days after passing a bakery In which a clerk was diaelrg the kmvee with aa ordinary feather duster, but the faot that oar own dainty bakery produces such ex cellent bread that there Is never any left to dnst quieted our qualms and revived our apnetke. Among the real characters that add seat to the routine cf every -day Ufa Is our milk girl, aa. we have dubbed the Ittle maid who delivers a bottle of milk and another of cream promptly on the stroke of 7 SO every morning, one evl dentlv considers American beings from another world ao Intense Is her silent interest In the one who answers ber ling. So keen and undying Is this Interest that each morning her eyes travel wonderingly from the "curlers" which adorn tne nee a. down the gay kimono to the slippered feet and back again to the curler and she ts awakened to the fact that ahe la reallv In Parts only when the potties are placed In her little red hands. Ona csn not be attired for the day In Paris at 7:30 A. M. since only the laboring classes) ana Mrinaietie tourists sre awake at such an hour, and tha request for cream at 7: caused a surprise In .tne cresmery has never abated. The frugality of the French race la evidenced by some of the "kindlings on sale. Theee consist of the tiny twigs and wee branches snipped from trees by the pruning shears, which are gathered, dried and tied In little bun dles. One can buy prepared kindlings also In the shape of blocks of finely split sticks about six Inches long, each of which haa been dipped In an Inflam mable substance which renders papers for Ignition unnecessary. Furnace heat la not turned on In apartment bouses or pensions, ordinar ily, until November 1. no matter how cold the days or nights, and an early acquaintance la made with these fagots and the funny little brlquettea that are sold for coal, as almost every room In a French house la provided with a grate. What American doing light house work In a Paris apartment haa not longed for her own gas stove and snathemaUxed the small, two-burner gaa shelf on which her cooking most be done If she decides not to encourage spells of temper by attempting to use the square coal range to be found In every kitchen? Think of cooking two vegetables, a steak, boiling water for tea or coffee and heating the dishes all at once on a shelf a foot and a half long and about eight lnchea wide. Yet we do It every day. At first It seemed quite an Impossi bility and the Initiative meals were rather failures because of potatoes grown cold through standing while something else cooked, and meat on a cold plate, frigidly resenting an at tempt at mastication, but experiments proved thst while the potatoes and beans, or whatever other vegetable we had elected to have, were boiling over the Jeta the steak could be brblline; underneath. sind. above this, between the two vegetable pans, water for cof fee could be heating In a small but deep utensil, thur utilising the broiler flame for two purposes, and, by dis tributing the plates over the hot shelf while "dishing up" they were piping hot by the time they were needed. Kconomy of space and material la tha watchword of the Parisian and the coal range bears evidence pf this, since Jn Its square, safelike body It contains not only tba firebox, ash pan and good slxed oven, but a bot water reservoir and a large fuel pan or box under the oven. Into which a sack of brlquettea can be emptied. As this big receptacle Is fitted with rollers but little effort Is required to pull It out or push It back la place. In a hollow space In the thick brick wall, just underneath the window, la the "cold closet," screened on the out side with fine wire game, thua doing away with tha necessity of a refriger ator. Perhaps tha one great Inconvenience of housekeeping In Paris Is ths lack ot a place to dry clothes. All ovsr Eu rope one sees garments fluttering from all sorts of places, but In Paris. If any washing Is performed at home we have yet to see evidence of It. even though laundry work la neither cheap nor well done. If one Is willing to pay the price charged by the places that make a specialty of fine work, and run the risk of having their garments fall to pieces after the third washing, she can have a shirtwaist or lingerie gown "done up" In a msnner that will make her hesitate to don It. so perfectly are Its tucks and laces Ironed and so whlta and filmy doea It look. What Ameri can of the great middle class does not find It necessary to "rub out" a hand kerchief or two, a jabot, or aven a shirtwaist once In a while? Nor doea she mind doing It In the bowl In the bathroom or even In the dlshpan In the kitchen should occasion demand It, ear peclally If she has been something of a traveler, but to be forced to suspend the articles from a line of string above the bathtub, or across a chair back In her limited room space Is rather trying to her pride aa a laundress. since whiteness cannot be secured under such circumstances. A peculiarity of the lighting system ot a Parts apartment house Is the plug for an electric reading lamp In the bed chamber, and the fact that In that room la to be found the only light that can be lowered and raised. Ail other lights are so high that one's heart flutters at thought of the bill that must result from the use of sufficient brilliancy to render music, reading, writing, aewlng or even cheerful conversation possible, aa the average American is accustomed to a bright artificial light, believing It cheaper to pay the lighting bills than the oculist. e a The serving maid question ia a greater problem here in Paris even than elsewhere one. Indeed, that wo have feared to tackle, despite tha al lurement of small wages, as your bright, seemingly eager and willing maid may prove a veritable "old man ot the mountain." She is tha autocrat of your household; she even tries to regulate the number of rolls you may eat with your matutinal coffee at your "little breakfast. " 8he will not remain If not allowed to do tha ordering and the marketing, since she receives a commission from the shopkeepers. She must have her perquisite of a certain amount of wine dally and ahe must be Insured against accident: otherwise. If njured while In your service, you are required by law to pay all expenses resulting thereform. and If the Injury prove to be of a nature permanently to disable her. no matter whether or not It was caused by her own carelessness, you must settle on her a pension suffi cient for her living expenses during tha remainder of her life. If you conclude that you will dis pense with her services you must give her at least sight days' notice. In writ ing, ststlng a valid reason for so doing, snd conform to several other formali ties, and even then stand tha chance of a lawsuit, a very unpleasant exper ience which a family of Americana ts at present undergoing after supposing they bad conformed to every legal re quirement before leaving Paris last (summer for a prolonged stay la Switz erland. But while the maid Is monarch of tha household shs haa to submit to a higher authority than her own. outside Its limits, and In her turn Is required to pay toil to the person who secured her the place. Talk about American graft! It Isn't In K. aa the small boy would say. with that of Paris, especially as regards the housekeeper. For Instance, the person owning a house pays a tax on every door and window it contains: the person owning furniture paya a tax on It: If be rents a ftirnlKhed apartment he paya at least live dollars to the agent Xor the in ventory when taking possession, and ten dollars on departure to cover the coat of cleaning, laundering curtains, blankets, etc. all breakage to be made good by the tenant; he pays from two to ten dollars per month to the con cierge for keeping the halls and stair ways clean, and the elevator, 'when there Is one. In running order: besides ', FIGURB1 A. - ........ ,,)....) SSSSSSSS .SSllltlSSS i . i I i - T this he expects a tip for every personal service he performs, such as bringing up your bill and your mall and empty ing the ash pan. But he. in his turn, must pay the agent who secured the tenant a commission, for In this man ner are many wages and salaries paid In this great city. Americans who have never been abroad regard the system of Europesn tipping a small matter because of the Insignificance of the amounts paid, but a lake without an Inlet can be drained with a apoon. w hen an order oi gro ceries la delivered the man expects a couple ot sous, only four American cents, "tls true, but one must have TAW. "J ' -- 4l'iS . 'I art-.i-iWl figure; b. mi y 7 Bf V thlns-s delivered more than once. If your friend at home puta an Insuffi cient amount of postage on your letter you must pay double the deficiency be fore receiving It: It you desire to cash a check at the bank you must pay the tax before getting the money, for there Is even a tax charged on every bill paid, no matter how insignificant It may be; If you go to the theater you pay two sous to the woman who turna down the seat and a sou to the boy who hands you a programme; if you sit in a chair rather than on a bench In a park or cathedral a buxom dame steps up and demands two sous, and so It goes on In every detail of life la Paris. It ts these little things that are th great stings of a home In the most fascinating city In the world, for one not conversant with its manners and customs, but one rises above them In the pleasures which are everywhere provided to feast eye, ear, palate and mind, and whether one drives or strolls along the wonderful boulevards, or wanders through the narrow, crooked streets of the older sections, or elbows her way along the crowded highways of the shopping district, there. Is ever present the delight of living In Parts, of being a part of its excitement. Its effervescence, its hurry and its bustle. It Is not unlike the feeling one must have while dwelling on the edge of a living crater. But while you are there you. too, are Impelled . to be doing, doing, doing. Tbere la no room for drones in the busy hive of Parisian life and, though the honey may not all ba sweet. It Is there to be gathered If one has ambition and energy and Is not easily discouraged even though contending with the In conveniences of housekeeping in a small apartment. Menus for One Week Tuesday.. Tomato broth. Ragout of beef. Crust border. Potato puff. German carrots. LetueS salad. Brown Betty. Cream. Balled sea trodl. Parsley sauce. Potato ball. Italian spashatti. Orated Cheese. Celery snd pimento salad. Chocolate pudding. Cream Coffee. Thursday. Brown broth. Roast pork. Appla sauce. Browned potatoes. Baked onions. Chicory sauce.' Moulded lemon creams (starch). Coffee. ?rtdar. Cream of potato soup. Curried Lentils with rice. Cbutney. Sieved tgE yolks. Celery snd spple salad, sllnce Pie. Coffee. Saturday. Tomsto-rtee soup. Boiled steak or meat cakes. Sweet potatoes, glazed. Creamed celery. Watcrcreei salad. Canned pears with srape jelly on sweet route m. - Coffee. Sunday. Grape fruit cocktail. Roast turkey or chicken. Savory dressing. Brown sauce. Cranberry jelly. Scalloped ootstoes. Canned peas Chicory salad. New Year's pudding. Coffee. . Monday. Brown soup with wheat hearts. Sliced turkey or chicken glblet pie. Baked potatoes. Lady cabbage, Russian salad. "Banana shortcake. Cedes. VANDALISM THAT HAS BEEN RAMPANT IN YOUNG FIR TREES IN PORTLAND AMONG the haunting things out of harmony with the Christmas spirit and all the holiday jollities must be numbered the thoughtless and wanton destruction of the beautiful ev ergreen trees in Portland's suburbs, of which something has been said in the columns of the dally newspapers. A gaily decked Christmas tree, bearing Its varied fruit, of toys, bags of candy and other gifts dear to the heart of the Juvenile, Is a thing of beauty, and, let us hope, will continue to be a Joy so long as the world endures. But there Is certainly too much ' ruthless haste and lack of thought In the gathering of the small forest of little trees which are lighted up and made to gladden the hearts of wee folk all over tne city, every Tuletlde In Portland. If one but stops to Inquire where the little tree came from, or troubled to trace It back to the clump of flourish ing young firs whence It was felled and carried away, one win una rooa ior re flection. a . few daya ago a young woman -who called at The Oregonlan office spoke of the Christmas tree vandals and the havoc they were working in such sub urbs as Belle Crest and Rose City Park. It is not so long ago that she waa mar rled, and for some months past she has been happily absorbed In plans for a new home that Is to be built In the pDrlng. "We have our suburban lot all paid for now," said she, "and our bungalow plans completed all ready for the build er, but our hearts are Just simply broken .over the way our pretty native trees have been treated. Yesterday we went out to have a look at our lot. and to make some plans about beautifying the premises. We had already cleared off the underbrusn ana naa ten. alarming- five young firs, which were growing In just the right location to give shade and look pretty In the yard. Imagine how dismayed we were to find three of the five trees lying on the ground, with the tops chopped oft, and one of the others all hacked up around the trunk so that it w'll probably die. The Christmas tree fiend had been out there, and because he wanted the top, he had cut down the whole tree, three different times. If his patience had held out. or his hatchet had been sharper, I suppose he would have cut them all down. The top of one of the trees, after it had been cut out, was evidently discarded, as we found It over on the next lot." This is how the work of the tree de stroyer strikes home, robbing the arow ing city of her distinctive glory of flourishing native shade trees, and ne cessitating the planting of the more commonplace maple and walnut. The trees destroyed on the property referred to were probably It or 16 years old, and Nature's work for all this time was wantonly destroyed in an hour's time by some enterprising but thoughtless youth or man who probably sold the tops of the felled tees for from 75 cents to $1.45 each. In the green, abundant woods that hem Portland In so picturesquely on all sides, there are certainly enough Christmas trees to suply the demand of private homes ana tjunaay scnooi rooms, but in the selection-of his tree. every right-minded youth or man will exercise some discretion, and not hack about wantonly, . felling any tree that strikes his fancy, to see tr its pretty, tapering top will suit his needs. But there are too few of the right-minded men and boys, and that Is why one sees i sadly mangled stumps of flourishing saplings on every side out at the ends of the carlines, and along the automo bile thoroughfares leading to the out skirts of the city. Conservation ot the forests is a large subject and o. ' which the masculine mentality Is assumed to be the more able to grapple with, but here is a form ot conservation which .keenly concerns the beauty-loving feminine mind, and if there is anything to the old theory that It is the cradle rocking hand that after all rules the world, it would not come amiss If Port land mothers would earnestly discuss this tree-felling business with their young sons. An enterprising boy on trail of a round, shining silver dollar is much like, his masculine elders in the business world, and his eye is mainly on the getting of that dollar, no mat ter how many young firs may fall un der his ax or his hatchet, or even his trusty Jackknlfe, in the process. A little earnest discussion of the-matter might alter his views, and result In the sparing of some trees next year. see There is an East Side mother of five splendid young sons who are just now riotously enjoying freedom from their schoolbooks. It is a kind of hobby with her to see that each one of these young sters has instilled In him a thorough sense of his personal responsibility in the matter of helping to beautify and keep beautiful all the public parks and squares, as well as the spacious grounds at home. Not one of those five boys, from the tiny 2-year-old to the manly youth of 12, would think of breaking off a branch from a City Park shrub. and the "Do-Not-Plck-the-Flowers" signs would be all unneces sary If all other youngsters (and their elders had had the same training. "It is almost an obsession with me." said the mother,- in speaking of this matter, "but I think it Is an important part of character-building. When I was a child myself no one ever talked to me about these things, and I was a great, big. grown-up girl, out for a walk in Golden Gate Park. San Fran cisco, before it ever occurred to me that the sign admonishing people not to pick flowers really meant anything ex cept to look around and see that no policeman was looking before picking all one cared to. I was almost 20 years old think of it! But I had a manly young sweetheart whose mofher had been more thoughtful than my own, and It was he that brought me up with a jerk to the realization of what .a young savage I was. We were stroll ing along In a little by-path when we came to a beautiful bed of tiger lilies. I reached right over a "Don't-pick-the-flowers" sign - and was Just going to take a whole handful when I was vio lently pulled backward and heard a perfect torrent of angry words. As tonished, I looked up at my sweetheart and saw indignation and disapproba tion written all over his face. Sud denly I realized the enormity of my of fense and the gentle lecture he gave me on my vandalism and how I was one of the thousands of enemies who were constantly pulling down the work of the park beautifiers waa one that I shall never forget. Now I had not been consciously a vandal, yet I was 'really all he said; if all the other people who walked out In the park had picked flowers as I had been picking them, there would have been -no flowers at all. It took just that one rough jerk backward and the gentle lecture that followed to set me right on these things, and to make me a perfect crank SMART GOWNS FOR THE PRETTY CITY WORKERS The young and good-looking business girl naturally pines for new and pretty clothes each season. If she must buy her wardrobe ready made she finds the outlay considerable, for all the ethics of business life call for quite good clothes. Hope comes with the price reductions that follow Christmas, when everything falls from a third to a half of the former price. Then sometimes the most ex cellent bargains may be picked up In the way of exclusive dress models, dis tinctively Winter hats, furs, etc. Know ing this, indeed, many business women wait until this ,time to do their Winter buying, going along content with last year's things, changed a little with home tinkering, until the great shops announce the bargains. This year there is a likelihood of find ing the reduced things cheaper than ever before, as the very eccentricity of pres ent styles will make shopkeepers chary of holding on to their wares too long. Tet more than three months ot cold weather remain for their usefulness, and there is great satisfaction in having the stylish thing at last. A tour of the shops already displaying cut prices convinces me . that velvet dresses are to be much cheapened: vel veteen, corduroy and velvet-trimmed cloth will also come under the head of things the shops will want to dispose of at once. And how smart is velvet just now, any Imitation of this soft and be coming material, so that even if the gown is somewhat shopworn, with a lit tle fixing it will be wearable and very up to date. Costumes In materials adapted to other seasons will be dearer, but a warm gown, furs and a Winter hat are the essentials now and so why take heed of the dis tant morrow?- Here and there already one finds, too, a frock trimmed with a feather or fur band, the material a pale cloth or a clinging veiling, that is Just the thing for the one smart frock a business woman needs This purchase would be the best bib and tucker, the costume for half holiday visiting, Sunday outings with friends, the restaurant dinner dress. Along with It will be shown the skimpy street suit of coat and skirt, the jacket single breasted, youthful in its slim cut. the skirt narrow, short and very girlish. This dress in a cloth or serge in quiet color realizes the dapper business frock . jj .. .1 te It Is of velvet, vel- veteen or corduroy, it may be the one good frock in tne smart ti- n.' T-anrieat occasions ele- rU UC. xjt urn O ' . gant details may further set off the dress worn with plainer ones on usual days a handsome collar made of imita tion Irish lace, a white waist of lace net or marquisette, white gloves, fresh shoes, the unaay-su-w-i-e " - the brooch or chain. , - . ., n hmiM frockS it iS al- 111 IUB WJ " " . ways very easy to get something ef made, for here materials need not be so good as elsewhere. Then since it takes so little stuff to make a frock nowadays, unless there is a great . . wn-ir ATtipniiAil on the houee aeai " w . . gown, the usual simple textures used generally turn out suiu'!"""ii f tj -.fth oil huvlns: of shop m P":-V " ,;7 -tvle l the thing. The goods at 10 a yard will look like 2 cents if it le twisieu i ... - i i.- iiu. NniVr: ark. To seem up to date our rockB must be skimpy. n otvkt i rn i prprriH 1 1 v 1 1 tcwu. o-a soli 'is readily removed with a cleaning fluid, thin materials may be pressed, ....... ....... . .wt new details added if the bit of trmmlng does not quite toe . .. -... - ,olr a e-enius to tne mar. ' . , . - change the style nothing short of QlVinest ins-yunuo" - t- m.iM a la snven one of the little coat suit in the latest and most de sirable model. as iumi. .... e.---is of black velvet with a duck-blue col i - .AaA nut hut the model can be found at any good store in serpe, cloth, cheviot, etc If made at home the dress upon the subject of teaching children their personal responsibility for the beauty of the parks, tho neatness and orderliness of the school buildings where they are pupils, and the cleanli ness of the streets where they walk. No boy of mine ever wads up his pea nut bag and throws it carelessly on the sidewalk: he carries it to a gar bage receptacle or drops It in the gut ter, where It will soon be swept up; nor does any boy of mine scrawl silly things in chalk, or write his Initials, upon buildings or fences. .My little four-year-old is even an enthusiast in the other direction, and has a perfect mania for tidying up the streets as we go along. Perhaps I go a little to ex tremes, but I think It is a failing; in the right direction." e e The latest phase of the "suitcase" hat, which is tho round, little soft af fair of crocheted wool. Is taking the needleworkers quite by storm, and in the art-work classes of all department stores, for the past few days, about seven out of every ten busy pupils have been at work upon some form of this crocheted hat. Tassels. simulated buckles and various other features vary the pattern of the crocheted hat, but It is much the same in any design, and if all the hats that are being made are to be worn, the natty little crocheted affair will certainly have a sweeping vogue in Portland. While seemingly more suitable for outing wear than anything else, this kind of hat or cap is also adaptable as a complement to a "trotting" frock, and for cold weather offers warmth about the temples and ears. It is probably doomed to the early death of all fads, but can be resur rected profitably next Summer for wear at the beach, where it will really come Into its own. Incidentally, the crush or "suitcase" hats of soft plush or velvet are coming to the front strong er than ever, and are now being shown in the local stores with ornaments of white kid, soft leather in colors, and other crushable materials. Bands of fur are also figuring as very effective trimming. e This department Is in receipt of a letter again calling the attention of all those who use sewing machines to the usefulness of the ever-ready bobbins that can be bought wound upon wooden bobbin-sticks, all ready for slipping into the shuttle. The thread costs the same wound upon the bobbins as it does upon the spools, and one is spared the annoyance of having to stop and wind a new bobbin in the midst of one s sewing. The bobbins come In both black and white, and in any number of thread desired. Thejr are made to fit any long shuttle, such as are used by all the standard machines. Another useful novelty which is now appearing in the local stores is the spool holder, which has half a dozen little pegs set in a circle, with a needle cushion in the middle; upon each of the pegs one may set a spool of thread, and be able to reach out and select any color or number of thread at any mo ment, without having to delve into the depths of a work-basket, and probably unsnarl a yard or so, before being able to fill a needle. The spoolholder sets upon a stand which takes up very lit tle space, and will be found a step and patience saver for all who wield the needle or run tne sewing macmuo. would require eight yards of single width goods and four and a half of double that is, with careful cutting and for a medium figure. The princess top of the skirt is a smart feature; as the belt line is now most often raised above the nor mal point. The side buttoning is also stylish, and to give the gown just the right look a very close petticoat of soft silk or bloomers would need to be worn underneath. The dashing hat Is of duck blue felt with a bias of black velvet and a black ostrich feather. The handbag and shoes are of black velvet In Figure B is given an alluring little house gown, whose model may easily be changed for a street effect. Eight or nine yards of single-width goods would make this pretty frock, which In this case ie of a pale blue watered veiling, with a feather band marabou in a rich brown. The bit of embroidery that shows at the front is worked with coarse saffron-colored ilk on white marquisette. In this dainty style there are a number of pretty frocks to be found in the shops, with and without gulmpes. and if they are entirely plain it is a simple matter to add the marabou, or a ribbon banding, or one of velvet. Unmade materials, which wou.d be charming for it, are plain and novelty veiling, chiffon velveteen, loulsine, cashmere, etc. A goods that will hang gracefully is the chief requirement, other than the color, for with the ex ception of black only pale colors are now worn in the house. - The flower shaped rosette at the side of the belt is one of the season's most admired coquetries. Figure C, while representing a house f 1. .ha, mfcrht he TTlfldA Of tL Satin OP silk, likewise shows a style adapted to a heavy goods ana street wear, m mui. without the sash the dress might be made in the most commonplace goods for practical use, and the design is espe cially good for a atout dress needed for a long coat. As pictured, the dress is of steel gray satin with a cherry velvet belt and a gulmpe in steel colored tissue. A simple cashmere, that might ba hniT,ht foe cents a. vard. In a rich blue, rose, gray or dim violet, would be very pretty for this rrocK, wun xne giruio In a matching velvet or silk and the 0-nimnA of white not or lace. If .made for street use and business, serge, cheviot and similar stout textures would be more durable than a plain cloth. The princess cut of the dress is admirably suited to the girl with a slim and good figure. and by leaving off tne oeu tne iooe-o-ness of the waist would help to disguise a figure a little too heavy. I am in doubt as to whether this frock could be -had ready made, as the model is so new, but it could be made at home i. - .iiKri limit and if the goods is solid enough It would not need a lining. And now a word as to oetaiis, me muo -AiitrAri to make a frock smart. n-iiifh .r alwavs neetied in these times of extravagance and exquisiteness. Velvet shoes are an aouuiuie itiimi ment for a velvet or velveteen dress of - tr.A nnH the smartness of such footgear renders it Inconspicuous. Velvet boots and shoes are mucn reauceu now. alut eomo tinder the head of distinctively Winter things. Six dol lar boots are sold for 13.50, a coquettish and becoming feature to a noui root . . i - mn e xrhft-e in the buttons. l i ..v. -lnrava match the color of the WIUV ... shoes. White gloves are needed for the smart frock, and stout lauorea ones, which are the kind for street use, go for 1. . . The most dashing handbag is in steel links, with fringes at the bottom, that going with the best bib and selling ac cording to size. The house shoulder scarf one may do without, but it is a bewitching finish to a pretty dress and It is needed for one with a cut-out neck. Chiffon cloth, in bright colors or white or black, with an edge of marabou, turns out a scarf with quite a degree of warmth. A rich shade of blue, with.-a brown edge, is a smart color combina tion. Mary Dean.