The Gate city journal., June 11, 1920, Image 7

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THE GATE CITY JOURNAL. NYSSA, OREGON.
r
THE PERFECT
HOUSEKEEPER
By JANE OSBORN
i® . 1920. by M cClurs N ew spaper Syndicate.)
Throe times within the two blocks
that Doctor Andover had walked down
College street from his house had he
been greeted with the smiling con­
gratulations of some neighbor or other.
If lie hud not already been sure of Ids
blessing in having secured the serv­
ices of Mrs. Hlldegarde Taylor us
housekeeper he could not but have
heen after these felicitations.
“ She is such a perfect housekeeper,”
Professor Ogden's wife Imd cooed.
“ Dp to tlie day he died old Mr. Mor­
gan laid her tea biscuits every day of
his life. He couldn't get along with­
out them—and such pies!"
“ Yes, indeed,” agreed Doctor An­
dover, somewhat embarrassed but duly
grateful to providence for having
■showered such abundant blessings on
his shoulders.
“ And she's so etononiical, too.” Mrs.
Partridge had said after offering the
young bachelor president of the col­
lege her felicitations over the advent
of Mrs. Taylor In his home. "No
cause for your complaining now over
the high cost of living."»
“ No, indeed," smiled Doctor An­
dover and, as he neared the corner
where dwelt old Doctor Forbes, dean
of his faculty, the fragrance of juicy
beefsteak broiling In the Forbes kitch­
en came to him. lie hud had supper
that night from tea biscuits, tea, sar­
dines in jelly and prune whip. That
as nearly as he could remember was
all there had been to it.
Helen Forbes, not extraordinarily
young or extraordinarily slender, but
radiant and magnetic, only daughter
and housewife for Doctor Forbes,
opened the (hair for the young pro­
fessor. The rest of the college town
hud got used to Helen. Of course, she
wus quite a beauty—but, then, she
was only Helen Forbes.
Nice girl, too, and a few years be­
fore freshmen evety year had gone
quite silly over her; but she was a
little too old for students now. But
Doctor Andover had not quite got used
to the radiance of her. and there were
times when he would have more eager­
ly gone to spend an evening with old
Doctor Forbes in discussing college
plans and policies had it not been for
Helen. Site was a iittle disturbing.
She didn't quite seem to belong to the
little old college town.
On this occasion, however, It was
necessary that he consult with Doctor
Forbes. The tempting aroma of beef­
steak grew even more tempting as
Helen Forbes opened the door for him.
An apron protected her light sum­
mer frock, and she led Doctor An­
dover rather breezily into the dining
room. “ We are having dinner late,"
she said. "Dad's been working on ex­
amination books and didn’t want to be
disturbed until seven. Now,
it’s
planked ste> V suppe:. Dad’s so fond
of it. You don't mind coming right
out, do you? And perhaps we can
tempt you to have some.”
Doctor Forbes had appeared and
Helen had disappeared, to return pres­
ently with the plank on which was
laid the smoking steak with the
tempting border of mashed potatoes
and various vegetables.
“ We must congratulate you." said
Helen, as she laid the plank on the
rather Informally set table. “ 1 don't
suppose anyone can tempt you to
meals, now thnt you have got the
wonderful Mrs. Taylor. You certain­
ly were lucky in these days, to get a
perfect housekeeper like that. And
you know she was with old Mr. Mor­
gan twenty years—stayed till he died
—and she was saying today that she
expected to do the same for you."
“ Why, that’s very kind. I’m sure.”
It was then that there loomed before
Doctor Andover nn Image of Mrs. H ll­
degarde Taylor, with her thin-lipped
and rather acrid smile, ns she sat be­
hind the coffee thinp at breakfast and
the tea things at supper, for she wns
one of those housekeepers who never
fail to take their places at meals with
their employers.
She had sat Ilk? that before Mr.
Morgan twenty years, and then he had
died. How would It be to see that
face for twenty years? Her coffee
was clear and doubtless good, hut she
was sparing iof the coffee, and she re­
garded cream as an extravagance.
Doctor Andover was wondering
whether he would have to drink coffee
every morning for twenty years, just
like that, or whether he would have
courage to ask to have it stronger—
and with cream.
"She really is wonderful.” Helen
Forbes was going on. “ I only*wish I
could mnnage the way she does. I
don’t suppose you could be tempted to
take a little of this plankAi steak?’
She had put quite a generous piece on
the warmed plate and was passing it
to him.
“ But. daughter," suggested Doctor
Forties, kindly. “ I f Doctor Andover
has had dinner. It will only be doing
him nn unkindness in forcing more
upon him.”
But Doctor Andover mumbled some­
thing about “rather light supper." and
for the next few minutes joined the
Forbes household in the delectable
task of eating a perfectly broiled
planked steak.
After that, though It was sometime*
a little difficult for Doctor Andover to
walk right up to the front door of the
Fnrbe* houae when he knew he would
p* met there by the disconcerting
Helen Forbes, It was even more diffi­
IT
cult to stay away. Sometimes he
would definitely decide uot to call. Ills
owi evening repust was eurly and this
seemed to add to the desirability of a
short after-dinner walk down Col­
lege street.
But despite Ids decision not to stop
at the Forbes house, he \vould stop.
Sometimes lie wns tempted even
further by the tantalizing aroma of
dinner, huckleberry pie or roasted
lamb or fresh aromatic coffee. Mrs.
Taylor's coffee could never lie smelled
that way when It cooked. Doctor An­
dover renumbered that she had once
told him that the way she made it she
kept all the .flavor in the coffee |>ot
and that was what made it taste so
good.
It was the test of good coffee, she
said, not having the smell of It escape
from tlie pot. But Helen Forties’ cof­
fee always smelled all the way round
to tlie front of the house, and to Doc­
tor Andover It was perfection in the
cup.
So it happened that quite often,
without exactly Intending to do so, the
young college president shared some
of tlie good tilings tliut Helen Imd pre­
pared for her father’s dinner and al­
ways when lie did there was tlie evi­
dence of the greatest pleasure on the
part of the hospitable old professor,
who, though lie may have worn Ills
coats until they were shabby, certainly
did not curtail himself oil the good
things of tlie table.
“Of course, though," said Helen
mice when Doctor Andover imd come
out with an enthusiastic hit of praise
of her cookery, " if I were a perfect
housekeeper like your Mrs. Taylor I
could set a better table on much less
money. She must lie quite remark­
able. Wliy, Just today site was telling
us at tiie missionary society that she
can make a pound of coffee go two
weeks and tlie meat bills aren’t S."4n
week. Of course, she said she couldn’t
manage that way unless she felt a
real interest In you. You really were
mighty lucky to get tier, llenlly. it
was quite amusing.
“ Professor Partridge’s w ife told Mrs.
Taylor that if you never married It
would be her fault, and then Mrs.
Taylor said that at any rate you'd
never marry for a good home and a
good housekeeper. I thought that wus
so sweet of lier— ”
“ Y'es, I am sure It was,” wenkly re­
joined Doctor Andover. He recalled
then that lie bad fried cornmeal for
supper, although he had begged the
perfect housekeeper to omit cornmeal
for a few weeks. He hud never liked
It anyway, be said, but be didn’t suy
what lie felt, that he had been corn-
metiled to death since her arrival.
Of rtnurse it was because of tlie
economy in using cortiineiil thnt she
persisted, and Doctor Andover did eat
It because lie Imd a healthy young ap­
petite and he had to eat something.
“ But, then," continued Doctor An­
dover, "a man doesn't marry for a
borne or for a good cook. ' If the wom­
an he loves happens to be a good
housekeeper and nil that sort o f thing
it is just an added blessing, I sup-
pose.”
Doctor Andover was preoccupied
after that. He tried to discuss the
new system of student grading with
Dean Forbes, hut his thoughts did not
seem to collect. At a quarter to nine
he rose to leave. Nine was tlie dean’s
habitual bedtime.
He bade the dean good night rather
hurriedly, and then as he tnrned to
Helen he looked very intently at her,
so intently that the radiant Helen
dropped tier eyes. “ I'm coming bnck
at half past nine. See me alone on
tlie veranda.”
It was a rather rhilly spring night
to be philandering on verandas, hut
there was a soft, radiant moon nnd
Helen had swathed herself in a soft
woolen scarf and was waiting when
Doctor Andover returned.
“ I want to talk to you—ilown here
in the garden,” he said, ascending
only one step of the veranda, and
Helen slowly went down to meet him.
“ It's about marrying you that I want
to talk, Helen,” he said when they
had reached the dark shelter of an old
lilac hedge. “ You have always been
the kind of womun I'd want—a m il
woman, magnificent and* radiant and
beautiful. It’s the kind of woman I've
always dreamed about. But, hang it
all. I don’.t want you to think Pin ask­
ing you because you are such n won
derful cook and housekeeper. I'd feel
sueh a contemptible blackguard to
nmrry a woman for a housekeeper.
You know it is you, Helen, thnt 1
want?
I've feared there wasn't a
chance you'd have me."
It’s funny how gossip goes in a tit-
tie college town like that. A week
later when Helen and I)oetor An­
dover's engagement was arimaineed
there w asn't a professor's wife in town
hut had known it for weeks.
Helen, they said, imd always be«wi
setting her eap for tlie new president.
For a time they said it seemed as if
he might have preferred Mrs. Hllde-
garde Taylor, in spite of the slight
differenee In age. And it was sueh
pity he didn’t, for Mrs. Tn.vlor was
sueli a good enok—sueh a perfect
housekeeper.
a
Not His.
One day as I was ont In the hack
yard I noticed my neighbor's washing
hanging so low on the line that It wns
dragging on the muddy ground he
nenth. Just as I was debating whether
I should go and tell the laundress or
telephone her the man o f the house
came out o f the bnck door and hurried
through the yard. As he reached the
gate I called to him : “ Hey, your
clothes arc dragging in the mud!” He
started. hlu«hed a rosy red, glanced
ddwn toward his feet, rttd then Blurted
out: “ Wh- \vh—what do you meaql”
—ExehanTe.
T W O EXTREMES IN ,
ATTRACTIVE SUITS
HOUSE OF STUCCO
Handsome Home for a Family
of Medium Size.
INTERIOR
WELL
ARRANGED
handy to the kitchen, while at the
same time it takes the niussy work
of washing out of the room where
the cooking is dooe.
Tlie stair leads to a central hall
on the second floor. Opening off the
hall are three bedrooms, all corner
rooms. They vary slightly In size, the
largest being 14 feet 6 Inches hy 15
feet und the smallest 11 feet 3 inches
hy 15 feet. The other bedroom is 13
hy 13 feet fl Inches. At one end of
the hull Is the bathroom, while adjoin­
ing it Is a room fitted with closet«
and shelves for the storage o f linen.
Tlie foundation Is of concrete up
to grade and brick above. The buse-
Exterior Present! Exceptionally Fine
Appearance— Design Presents
Dwelling That Will Not
Cost Excessive Sum.
By W ILLIAM A. RADFORD.
!
I
j
,
F
ROM the very pluln tailored suits ed at tlie bottom and it is bound with
of wool to the handsomely embroi­ braid.
A group of three tucks or
dered sport suit of silk Is quite « “ far
cords, stitched In the nmteriul and
piece," but the interval is filled with running parallel with tlie edge of the
suits that gradually progress from tlie coat reveals a difficult piece of work
plain model to its smart rival. Street I done with precision. A panel ut the
clothes nowadays have a considerable I buck Is simulated by a fold or cord
flavor of sports styles, although there studied in the material that extends
remains, and probably always will re­ downward from the shoulders and
main, the trim, strictly tailored, busi­ terminates in a rounded end. There
ness-like utilty suit tliut holds the al­ are plain coat sleeves and a small
legiance of American women. This collar.
they must have, others they may have,
A heavy fiber silk makes tlie sport
nnd, if circumstances allow, several suit and a square-necked one-piece
In varying styles they do have. One dress takes the place of a blouse and
of them will be as simple and, we I skirt to be worn under the coat. The
hope, as well tailored as thu mannish bodice Is extended to form a short
suit pictured, another as definitely a yoke for the skirt, which Is stitched
sports style as the suit at the right, on to it. In this suit It is the skirt
and others formal or sportlsh.
that claims most attention for It is
Blue serge, 'It almost goes without heavily embroidered in wool yarn. In
saying. Is used for the first suit. Its the sweater coat a narrow shawl col­
plain skirt has a little flare and is lar diminishes In width on Its down­
made with box plaits down the front ward way to the hem, where it termi­
and back. It doesn’t take long to nates. The very wide hem turns up
describe this very simple affair but It on the right side providing place for
Is worth while adding that it is per­ deep pockets and the coat has no dec­
fectly fitted and tailored.
oration other than four pearl buttons
Tlie clever and -unusual coat lias that finish off the long sleeves. The
slashes at each side in its skirt round­ narrow belt is made of the goods,
**r. W illiam A. Radford will answer
questions and give advice F R E E OF
COST on all subjects pertaining to the
subject of building, for the readers o f this
Paper. On account of his wide experience
as Editor, Author and Manufacturer, he
Is. without doubt, the highest authority
on all these subjects. Address all Inquiries
to W illiam A. Radford. No. 1827 Prairie
avenue, Chicago. III., and only enclose
two-cent stamp tor reply.
During tlie lust few years one idea
about home building has been radioal-
| ly changed. That idea is regarding
j the size of tlie house. There was a
I time not so many years ago when
| practically every one who built a
house had in it a number of “ spare"
j rooms. There was a parlor on tlie
first floor that was seldom used un-
j less there was company. A “ spare"
| bedroom, or two, usually was incor­
porated into the plan for the second
floor. Now there are practically no
"spare” rooms,
while in the cities
many homes and nearly all apart­
ments are constructed so thnt one or
two rooms do doulde duty—are used
daytimes as a living room or a din­
ing room and by the use of concealed
beds become bedrooms at night.
A home thnt contains sufficient
room for a medium-sized family Is tlie
slx-rooin square bungalow, shown In
the accompanying Illustration. This
house contains three good-sized bed­
rooms on the second floor, so that
a family o f four adults easily can be
accommodated, and by “ doubling up”
there Is room for a guest or two to
stay over night. At the same time
this home is small, being only 31 feet
square. At tlie present cost of build­
ing more room or a larger house than
the needs of tlie family require Is
sheer waste of money, and considera­
ble of it
In exterior appearance this home,
with the outside walls treated as they
are, and with the large porch, pre­
sents an exceptionally' fine appear­
ance. The building is either of frame,
brick or hollow clay building tile con­
struction, with the exterior wails cov-
Second Floor Plan.
meat excavation is under the whole
of tlie house proper and is finished
with a cement floor. The basement
should lie divided into rooms; one for
tlie heating plant, one for fuel storage
und ont* fo r food storage, leaving
room for the storage of lawn und gar­
den tools and other things that usual­
ly are kept in the bnsement.
Taken hotli from tlie standooint of
exterior beauty and convenient and
commodious interior, tills home build­
ing design is excellent und will pro­
vide a dwelling for the average fam­
ily that will not cost an excessive
sum.
Whenever those who have In mind
file erection of a home see
home
building design that appeals to them,
one of thetr first thoughts ts “ what
will it cost?' Building costs are diffl
cult to estimate with any degree of
accuracy, because so many factors en­
ter Into them. There Is the question
of shortage or abundance of the skill­
ed labor required to build a home;
there Is the great variance of freight
rates on the materials, and the loca­
tion of the building site In relation
to the source of material supply and
labor.
For those reasons it never
is sufe to say what
home of a cer­
tain design will cost. But It Is an
easy matter to secure estimates o f
cost. The local architect, the con­
tractors who will be asked to bid on
tlie building and the material dealers
all can give a pretty good estimate of
a
a
Blouses Ready for Summer
ered with stucco. Due of the side
walla is paneled by the use of a
square lattice work, hut it is not good
policy to plant vines to cover the trel­
lis, because vines discolor the stucco.
However, the lattice work takes away
the plainness of the wall. The colo­
nial porch, at the side, with settees
on either side Is a good exterior fea­
ture, while the brick floors to tlie
porches add another attractive touch.
HERE are so many delightfully
pretty und chic Mouses, made
reuuy for summer time, that it *ls not
easy to choose among them
About
the »nost noticeable thing in ninny of
the new ones, b, tlieir front fastening,
or occasional hack fastening, negoti­
ated with very obvious buttons nnd
buttonholes. After following devious
ways, leading to concealed buttons or
snaps und leaving ns to guess how they
were got into, they have collie hack to
n matter of fact moral and simply
button up as in days of old. But there
are still plenty o f slip-overs and other
styles with crAu-ealerl fastenings.
Beginning nt the beginning of blouse
styles we have the plain tailored mod­
els in linen, wash silk or satin, crepe-
de-ehlne and other suitable fabrics,
followed by many blouses of sheer
cottons with voile Mid batiste at the
head of this dainty company. Made
dp with handsome laces and flue
needlework, these may reach any de­
gree of elegance. Finally there i-omes
the georgette blouse— the flower of the
flock—and apparently the greatest fa­
vorite.
A blouse and a short smock, both
of dark-colored georgette among those
ready for summer, are pictured here.
In the blouse a piping of narrow satin
Is used to finish the edges. This mod­
el Is provided with link buttons, sat­
in-covered and Joined by a small silk
coni. Two colors In silk are used for
the embroidery that embellishes it and
T
it Is made with tlie narrow shouluer
yoke which is generally becoming.
Smocks have grown shorter and
shorter until the model pictured may
tie classed among those that are mod
erntely long. Except for being short
this is a true smock, hanging straight
from the shoulders and with long
sleeves ttiat flare. Its belt of georg­
ette is tacked to the body of the
smock at Intervals to insure a neat
adjustment at the hack and aides. Ilm
broidery done In French knots outline
ami other stitches employs several < Ol-
ors. The selection of color for blouse
or smock nnd In the embroidery silk.
Is a matter of Individual taste nnd
gives the capable needlewoman a
chance to have something exclusively
her own.
&
Hat That Should Pleaae.
In some form, everyone may wear
the rounded or pouched crown and
brim hat that turns upward at side,
hack or front, with flowers massed on
tlie upturned under brim.
Long Black Silk Gloves.
Long black silk gloves are shown
to he worn with thin-sleeved black
gowns.
How the six rooms are arranged and
the size of each one are shown by the
floor plan that accompanies the ex­
terior view of the house. A living
room o f exceptionally large size, 15
what a home of a certain size or style
will cost In thetr Immediate localities,
and hy consulting them the prospec­
tive builder will get reliable figures.
Without a doubt tlie moot satisfac­
tory method of securing a home ts
to build IL By building the owner
gets a home of the right size for his
fam ily; its exterior appearance and
Interior arrangement will conform to
his Ideas o f how a home should be
laid out, nnd he will he able to keep
his requirements within the, range o f
his financial ability.
This Is the yeur of home building
and every mnn of fnmlly who has
been paying the high rents now do-
mnnded la either building a home of
his own or considering building one.
While It Is considerable of an under­
taking to assume the financial obliga­
tions necessary In most cases, wlieu
the home la finished, the owner is
more than compensated.
Answer Business Letters Promptly.
Even though yon are not a business
person yourself business letters should
be written with the utmost promptness
—If not the day of their receipt, then
the day after. For Instance, If you re­
ceive a letter from a stranger regard­
ing the reliability of a servant in your
employ, you should answer at once. I f
you ref*elve a letter from a business
concern concerning some confusion In
your account, that, too, should be
written at once. The only person who
can afford to neglect answering busi­
ness letters Is the person who has s
business manager to attend to such
matters for him.
by 29 feet, extends across the house.
An open fire-place at one end, with a
built-in bookcase at the side and the
open stair running to the second floor
are good features of the living room.
Connected hy a double cased opening
Is the dining room off one end of the
Butter Once Used as Ointment
living room. The dining room Is a
Butter was used locally In the ear­
cheery room, being on the corner and liest periods for which records exIsL
having a doulde French door lending as It was believed to be the best pos­
to tlie open porch. The kitctien ad­ sible ointment for the skin, and In
joins the dining room and can be some parts o f southern Europe It Is
reached either from the living or din­ not yet used ss a fond. Olive oil. used
ing room. This room is of good size, as a luhrleant for bread In the old
13 feet 6 Inches hy 10 feet. Adjoin­ days, still Is nsed by many there In
ing It are panfry and laundry. This the place of butter. In the early days
location for ■ 'sundry la good, as it Is butter also was used In lamps.
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