THE IMPORTANCE OF LITTLE THINGS.

Evening Post, Volume LXIV, Issue 119, 15 November 1902, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE IMPORTANCE OF LITTLE THINGS.

The average British" housewife (says the Lady) never seems to properly understand the importance of small details — thojse hundred and one dainty touches and little forms and ceremonies which, unimportant as they are in themselves, go so far towards marking out the home of a gentlewoman. They also impart to even the smallest establishment that air of bein soigne which is often lacking in the houses of rich people, who, having plenty of servants to do tne work, do not think it incumbent upon them to trouble about the "little things" which to my mind, are never properly attended to unless watched over by the mistress. Of course, if a housekeeper is kept, or perfectly trained servants, who thoroughly understand their " duties, it is possible to leave everything in their hands ; but unless they can be entirely relied upon, it is the duty of every housewife to devote some parb of each day either to doing the "little things" herself, or else to seeing that they are done to her complete satisfaction. 1 can never agree with those who urge that attention to these small details is waste of time, and that if we are possessed of only small means, and are therefore able to keep but a modest establishment, it is wiser to live as simply as possible — the term living simply being interpreted by a state of hugger-mugger which is very uncomfortable and bad for every inmate jof the house. I do not hesitate to say that an atmosphere of disorder has a deteriorating effect 1 upon the character, and that if we wish our children to grow up to be self-respecting members of society, we .must be careful that from childhood they are made to observe those small forms and ceremonies which, after all, have served to build up our civilisation. ' „ I am going to speak first about the serving of meals, and without touching upon- the- subject of cooking and dishing up (a matter, upon which, by the way, the average English cook is proverbially careless), will mention a few of the little details which are often neglected in small entertainments. < To, begin , with, I wonder if I shall be accused of giving forth a truism if I say that ib is of the utmost importance that' the appointments of the table should be well cared for, and that the silver should be well cleaned, and always wiped over with a fine cloth before be-ing-put'upon the- table V Smudgy, dustylooking spoons and forks are, I fear, sometimes- to- be seen eyen upon otherwise nicely-served tables, and nothing gives such a slovenly appearance to the whole. In defence, however, I must admit that the care of silver adds very much ,tp the parlourmaid's duties, and if that individual is also housemaid, and perhaps even general servant, it is uniair to keep too much of this in use, and better to replace it as far as possible with nice-looking glass aifd china, Tihich is more easily kept in order. Silver salt cellars especially need a gieat deal of looking after, as> they should be emptied and w ashed out every day 'to prevent the salt from marking the silver, and unless the mistress of the house is prepared 'to attend to this herself, it is better, to 'put them away altogether until she can < afford to keep a properly trained servant to iuok after them. Chun, sait-csllars need sonic attention, and the j salt ishoukl be emptied out occasionally, and dried r.i the oven. Salt-eeiiars f'hbuid never be filled very full, and the salt should always be smoothed over and pressed down before it vis placed upon the table. The ' care of the table linen is also an important mailer;' and 1 would, mention in passing that if the tablecloth is brushed free from ci'umbs and folded carefully when removed, ib will last* far longer than » if gathered together and shaken, as is . the untidy habit of some maids, and' that if we go lo the expense of a proper press in which to place it between meals, ye shall soon save its cost in the washing of the cloths, Avhich, if Ireate'd in this way, trill last clean double and treble as long as they would otherwise do. A fairly thick cloth under the white one much' improves its appearance, the linen tablecloth being apt to look ratlier "poor" if put first upon the wooden table ; and we should always be* careful to have an extra napkin placed in front of the carver, and so avoid those unsightly spots of gravy which are so likely lo appear when there is a joint and a clean tablecloth. For the -evening meal it is of the utmost importance that the, lights should be prettily arranged and shaded, for nothing gives such a sordid appearance to the whole repast as a flaring gas, jet or an unshaded and sometimes badly burning j paraffin > lamp. ... 1 suppose that every housewife recognises the necessity for having some sort of flowers o- growing • plants upon the table, and however humble the attempt, I am sure that something of- this kind would always be successful, the bare appearance of the table without any decorations detracting from the success of even the most perfectly served repast. The simplest way lo manage this is to have four' small ferns at the corners of the table, and one larger one in the middle, and if we choose a hardy kind, see that tile plants are properly planted, and keep them well watered,- they will last for years, especially if we plant them in those pierced blue-and-white Japanese flower-pots, which can be bought so cheaply at 'many Oriental shops, and are ideal things in which to grow plants, the piercing allowing the water to escape and 'keeping, the roots well drained.