A Victorian Passage

A Look Around the Early Country Kitchen

2007-05-08T15:40:17Z

"IN the primitive days of our grandfathers’ time, When the fire-place, genial and bright, Its cavernous recesses glowing with flame, Filled the old-fashioned kitchen with light;" - Taken from a poem by Lizzie Clark Hardy 1877 Kitchens have changed dramatically since the early days of the 19th century. They were simple and often very plainly furnished. This simple mentality is reiterated in the statement 'A fat kitchen maketh a lean will'. So simplicity was the key to kitchens in the early days, even in food selection. This is how the kitchen was summed up in the 1830's, "...the kitchen furnished with clean wholesome-looking cooking utensils, good fires, in grates that give no anxiety lest a good fire should spoil them, clean good table linen, the furniture of the table and sideboard good of the kind, without ostentation, and a well-dressed plain dinner, bespeak a sound judgment and correct taste in a private family..." With that said here are some details of life in and about the kitchen. WASTE NOT WANT NOT If a housewife was properly advised then she did not waste an article of food, clothing, or other resources. One of these items for holding "scraps" was known as the grease-pot. In the 1830's it was said that the housekeeper should look in this grease-pot to ensure there was nothing that could be used to feed her family or even a poorer family than their own. Then they had pails which were for leftover or rotten foods that should be thrown to the pigs or other animals. Also rags, such as mop-rags, lamp-rags, ect, that were used would not have been thrown away because they were dirty, but instead would have been boiled with dirty suds water, after the washing. For door mats they used old coats, pantaloons, ect that when wore out would be cut into strips and then braided into door-mats. This job was usually employed by the children of the house. EARLY KITCHEN TOWELS AND CLEANING RAGS Just like today the early kitchens would have used napkins, rags, table mats, and floor mats. I discovered some interesting information about these items which rarely if at all have survived to our day. Towels made from a coarse fabric of linen or a blend of linen and cotton called crash were to be reserved for kitchen use so that the white napkins for the table would not be used instead. There were four kinds of cloths to be used in the kitchen if you ran a larger and more well to do house. They had knife cloths, dusters, tea cloths, and glass cloths. Eight of each of these types were considered a sufficient amount. The knife cloths would have been made from a very coarse brown cloth called harsh cloth. The shops of those days styled it as sheeting and would have been "ell" wide. A yard worth would have made six knife cloths, three in width and half a yard in length. The dusters were made from checked manufacture of cotton and flax, the cotton being considered better since it seemed to do a better job at picking up the dust than the linen. It was half a yard square in width and one yard in length. For tea and glass cloths it was better if made from bed sheets, which at this time most were made of linen. Some perhaps being of cotton. A "wash leather", made of leather, was reserved for the purpose of the last wipe of cleaning glass to rid of lint. Interestingly one book noted that the "pretty looking 'sleesy' cloth which is sold under the name of glass-cloth, is a perfect nuisance, and wears out incredibly soon.". So they could buy glass cloths but it seemed from the perspective of at least one woman that sheets were better, and economical too. In addition to the above most women kept knife tray cloths, house cloths (for general cleaning), pudding-cloths, and cheese-cloths which were described as clear and gauze like linen to be thrown over dishes of food to keep the flies off, and lastly round towels. TABLE AND FLOOR MATS Moving onto the subject of table and floor mats I found it interesting to learn that the oil flasks came covered in some type of material and it was suggested that this could be sewed together with strong thread, lined and bound neatly together so as to make a good table mat. Once again we can see how resourceful the women were of those times. Now a floorcloth put at the end of the kitchen table helped to keep that area clean since it could be more easily wiped over as dirt and grease fell upon it. And to keep the table from scorching a woman would have made little round mats about an inch thick of plaited straw, with a straw ring to hang it by, which was used to set the pots and pans onto. FOOD STORAGE In the rustic kitchens we find glass, earthenware, china and wood were used to store foods. Earthen ware was used for both storing and for cooking. The brown earthen ware was suggested to have a handful of rye, wheat or bran thrown in while boiling to preserve the glazing from being damaged by acid or salt. Many pottery wares were considered to have been badly glazed and since the glaze was made with lead it was advised to not put anything acidic like vinegar into them. If it were an unglazed earthen ware, which was quite popular, or its glazing were cracked it was said that neither acid or greasy contents should enter into them, therefore ruling out salted meat or pickles. A good strong stone ware was the exception however. Glass or china were the preferred method for storing those types of goods. Wooden storage vessels were quite acceptable, some at the time were even being lined with lead, which during the 1830's it was preferred not to use those. But if the food or liquid had fermented then nature of wood could cause it to taint future contents. So to counteract that they would have charred the insides of the wooden vessel by burning wood shavings in them so as to coat the insides with layer charcoal. For sauces or preserves the preferred vessel was a hollow iron ware that was lined with enamel. A WORD ABOUT CAST IRON STOVES Most all early kitchens only came with a fireplace to do all the cooking. The use of a tin roaster could be placed in front of the fire and used to cook meat. It was considered a better way to cook the meat. But in the early times when the cast iron stove came along it was met with fierce opposition. Most believed the fireplace was the only way to cook a good meal or to heat their house. I read one memoir where the man of the house had no liking whatsoever for the cast iron stove and on arriving home that day and finding his wife had one bought and delivered he was going to sent it back immediately. Some more sentiment on this subject is as follows, "To say the truth the inventors of cast-iron kitchens seem to be to have had every object in view, but that of promoting good cooking. It is certainly desirable and proper that every possible saving should be made in the consumption of fuel; but I am sure it is not possible to have cooking in perfection, without a proper degree of heat, and, as far as my observation has gone, meat cannot be well roasted unless it be before a good fire.". Obviously this view changed over time and by the 1870's and 1880's most homes were cooking with some sort of a cooking stove. KITCHEN PESTS Well all kitchens at some time or another suffer from pests such as mice, ants, cockroaches, ect. Many times over it was suggested to use green paint and "stuff" or paint the the cracks of walls and baseboards with it to keep away mice. The reason for this is because arsenic was used in a particular green paint, which when eaten by the mice it would do away with them. For ants one suggestion was to sprinkle cayenne pepper in the pantry to keep them from coming in. Then for cockroaches one piece of early advice was to take poke-root and boil it in water and then mix with molasses in deep dishes to rid of them in "great numbers". MORE TO COME The next article will be all about the cooking utensils of the early days. There is a great amount of information on those items, which is why I am saving it for a whole new article. Also I'll discuss some interesting information about certain foods of this early period of the 19th century.

Free 1887 Almanac Ebook

2007-04-11T22:36:41Z

We have scanned in the 1887 Agricultural Almanac so you can download it for free! This e-book contains helpful hints and tips, funny stories, recipes of the time and more. Here are just a few of the titles found in this issue. * Calendar on Your Fingers * When to Have Chickens Hatched * How to Purify Cisterns * Health Hints * Care of Cellars * A Desperate Encounter with a Kangaroo * Recipes, tips, and hints can be found toward the back of the almanac. This booklet is 34 pages. The original color version is about 48 MB in size to download and the black and white version is about 17 MB in size. The file you will download is in zip format and once extracted you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view your e-book. Download Black and White Version Here [Size 17MB] Download Original Color Version Here[Size 31MB] This is just a one of some of the old publications we will have in our upcoming store that will be opening soon. We plan on having freebies as well as low priced and affordable e-books. Please let us know what you think! We hope you enjoy your free e-book! The only terms we have is this e-book is not to be redistributed, resold, or uploaded to a website. If you have any problems downloading and/or viewing it please click on 'Contact' from the menu and fill out the form to let us know. Thanks!

Calendar on Your Fingers

2007-04-05T06:26:34Z

I couldn't resist publishing the following little "lingo", as it's called, from an 1887 Almanac. Someone long ago devised a special way to find the first day of the month. This dates before 1837 according to the narrative, so it is quite old and very interesting. I haven't run across this one before. So once again its published so it may not be "lost". "This is the way that an old timer manages to keep the days of the week that months open with. It will be found correct and interesting to such people who have a memory for such things: 'What day of the week did January come in on?' asked Grandpa Martin. 'If you can tell that, I can tell you the day that any month will come in on, by help of a little lingo I learned from my father when I was a boy. Monday, did you say?' and grandpa held up his hands preparatory to counting his fingers. Now, April is the month; let us see: 'At Dover dwelt George Brown, Esq, good Christopher French and David Frier.' We go by the first letters of these words - 1, 2, 3, 4 - At Dover dwelt George, - G is the letter we want, and it is the seventh letter of the alphabet. January came in on Monday, you say. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday - seven; April comes in on Sunday. Take February- second month- at Dover. D is the letter, and fourth in the alphabet. Take Monday again as the starting point - Monday, one; Tuesday, two; Wednesday, three; Thursday, four; February comes in on Thursday.' 'If you make no mistakes in using the rule, it will give you the answer every time. Leap year requires the addition of one day for the last ten months, to allow for the additional day, the 29th of February. 'I never knew anybody outside of my father's family, ' continued grandpa, 'who knew this little lingo and how to use it. He taught it to his children, and I have tried to teach it to mine, but they seem to forget it, and I am afraid it will get lost. When father used to go to presbytery, fifty years ago, it often happened that a question of dates and their relation to days would come up, and no almanac at hand; in fact, the question might be as to some day of the next years; but almanac or not, my father could always find the fact wanted with just the little key of the first day of the years.'" - From Agricultural Almanac for the year 1887

Soapstone, Wash-Tubs and Sinks

2007-03-21T18:45:33Z

Click on image to enlarge AMONG the mineral productions the usefulness of which has for centuries remained unknown, and only recently has become to be appreciated, is undoubtedly soapstone, by mineralogiss called steatite, and by chemists hydrated silicate of magnesia. The pure material is white, translucent, and looks like soap, while all the varieties have a. greasy feeling, whence the name soapstone. The ordinary variety has a bluish or greenish-gray appearance, which is caused by slight traces of foreign ingredients, and as these vary with the locality, so does the color of the soapstone. A beautiful variety is now quarried in New Hampshire, from whence at present blocks and slabs are sent to various cities, and are worked up in New York chiefly into wash-tubs and sink-basins, for which the material is most admirably adapted, being not only perfectly waterproof, but literally indestructible, so that by the use of it the utmost cleanliness, unattainable with wooden wash-tubs is secured. Every housekeeper, servant, or head of a family who attends to the duty of looking after the condition of the various things to be used in keeping an orderly house, must have become convinced that the wooden stationary wash-tubs are a nuisance. After they have been in use for some time, they emit a most disagreeable odor, which no amount of care can prevent. The cause of this is a slow decay of the wood by the continual absorption of water. If not very well made, they will often leak, causing great annoyance, and requiring frequent repairs, involving a perpetual bill of expenses. If they are so well made as never to leak, they cost as much as soapstone tubs can now be furnished for, a fact which we can testify to from personal experience. We do not hesitate, therefore, to recommend the introduction of soapstone stationery wash-tubs in all first-class new houses, and an exchange for the wooden ones, as soon as a renewal is required. Even if they do cost a little more than wooden tubs (which is not the case when the latter are as good as they can be made,) it would in any case be cheap in the end, as they are indestructible (even if the house burns down, being fire-proof as well as water-proof), so that while the best wooden tubs require to be renewed about every ten years, the soapstone tubs involve only one single outlay. The way in which the slabs are put together so as to form the tub with waterproof joints, is as simple and ingenious as it is effective. The flat side is ploughed out to the thickness of the piece to be set in on edge, they are secured together with sunken bolts and nuts in the same way as a stair-rail, while the joint is made perfectly waterproof with a cement indestructible even by boiling water. The qualities of soapstone are indeed most remarkable; it is never affected by water, even the hottest: the tubs never crack or leak, can be wiped perfectly dry, and are always clean and odorless. Neither acids nor alkalies affect the material, and for this reason soapstone mortars have been used by chemists from time immemorial. We have even used soapstone tabletops in order to have a material as little as possible susceptible to be attacked by the chemicals used, and we have no doubt that this material will in the course of time be applied to many scientific purposes. For sinks they are far superior to iron, which is always rusty and dirty, while the charge for breakage of plates on soapstone is considerably less than it is on iron. Wooden sinks should never be allowed on sanitary grounds. We are confident of expressing a correct opinion when we say that the general health, comfort, and quietude of a household is largely and directly promoted by the adoption of soapstone wash-tubs and sinks; and it is not surprising, therefore, that all who use them unite in their favorable testimony, and that at the late fair of the American Institute a medal was awarded to this useful improvement and display of articles manufactured of this material. In regard to the latter we may mention that there are variously colored soapstones for the construction of ornamental tiling for floors and sidewalks. Beautiful specimens of this may be seen in a few churches; but thus far the material is not used as extensively for this purpose as it deserves, but no doubt that ultimately it will be largely employed. The public is much indebted for the introduction of this useful material to Mr. F. 0. Munroe, of 107 West 25th Street, where fine specimens of work may be seen, and who deserves a reward for his energy and perseverance. - From Manufacturer & Builder April 1876

The Making of Beeswax Candles

2007-03-01T03:59:08Z

What a variety of candles can be found today! The types of waxes have extended beyond the tallow and beeswax of our early ancestors to include parrafin, soy, and gel. There is even another type of wax which was discovered by the American colonists and still in use today. It is called Bayberry wax, which is derived from bayberries, naturally! Many people are interested in making their own candles. You can find many kits available in the stores today helping you in this regard. Simply melt, add color and/or scent, pour into a mold and presto you have a homemade candle. Well for some of us this just isn't enough. Being the purist that I am, I enjoy knowing exactly how people from the days of old made the candles they used. So step back with me and lets see how beeswax candles were made on a small scale in the 1870's. THE BASIC PROCESS IN A NUTSHELL Here is a quick overview of the process used in the 1870's, for those who like to jump right into things. The beeswax, once separated from the honey, is placed in a boiler and gently heated. This part needs caution for those not having dealt with beeswax before. Beeswax doesn't boil so if over heated, it can ignite. You should be able to bring the wax just past the melting point and stir it often, and that should to do the trick. Then after it has melted it is poured into a linen bag which had been moistened by hot water and then submitted to pressure. The wax would pass through the linen and then be received by a pot which would have been moistened on the inside so as to not have the wax stick to it. It is then remelted in a pot or kettle which was half full of water and then cast into cakes of about an ounce or ounce and half in weight. You would then end up with a clear yellowish colored cake of beeswax. WHITE OR YELLOW? When looking around to purchase natural, unscented and uncolored, beeswax candles, most come in a yellow coloring which occurs rather naturally. White is perhaps a little more sparse, which can be for a good reason. Candle making from beeswax is already time-consuming. You must bleach the beeswax to obtain that white color. But bleaching it naturally is that much more time consuming. Lets see what this bleaching process entailed for Victorians to obtain white beeswax. In 1871 this statement was given in the publication, Manufacturer and Builder, concerning the practice of bleaching beeswax in Italy, “The yellow wax is first melted in a kettle, and then is dipped out into a long tin vessel that will hold two or three gallons, and which has a row of small holes, about the diameter of a knitting-needle, in the bottom. This vessel is fixed over a cylinder of wood two feet in length and fifteen inches in diameter, which is made to revolve like a grindstone, in one end of a trough of water, two and one half feet in width, ten to fifteen feet in length, and one foot in depth. As the melted wax falls in small streams on this wet revolving cylinder, it flattens out into a thin ribbon and floats off toward the other end of the trough of water. It is then dipped out with a skimmer, (that may be made of osier twigs,) spread on a table with a top made of small willow rods, covered with a clean white cloth, and then exposed in this way to the sun until bleached.” Then in 1874 of the same publication it was said to use this method to simplify the bleaching process, "a small board, smooth and thin, with a handle at one end, is moistened, rapidly dipped into the melted wax, and then into cold water, when the adhering film of wax peels off easily. In this way the wax may be soon reduced to a number of very thin sheets, which are bleached in the open air." However, even all these tedious methods were not a guarantee to a white wax. It was noted in 1872 that beeswax wasn't always successful with the current bleaching process. So a small portion would have been used to test to see if the whole batch of beeswax would take to the sun bleaching with success. If proved successful then the process could take anywhere from 3 to 5 weeks, and only during clear and dry weather, to produce that white beeswax. Many experiments using chemicals to try and speed up the bleaching process were conducted. Chemicals such as chlorine gas, hypochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulpheric acid were among a few. But the best process was still considered to be the power of the sun. And that was considered the best and most widely used process for the 1870s. THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR THE JOB Click on image to enlarge The article of 1874 suggested the above tools for candle making. Figure A shows what is called the hoop and it is supported by the axis, Figure B - which turns on pivots at the top and then kept in place by Figure 1. Other articles would include a kettle [figure 3], a scoop like spoon [figure 2], a small tank [figure 4], a table [figure 5], a polisher [figure 6], a knife of sorts [figure 7], a punch, called a pole, [figure 8], and a pair of wooden forceps if making religions candles [figure 9]. DIPPING AND FORMING THE CANDLES Outlined below are the steps they used after they had prepared the beeswax. Step 1 - Melt your wax in the kettle. Step 2 - Hang the cotton wicks on the hoop. Step 3 - Use the spoon and while having one of the wicks hung over the kettle pour the melted wax slowly over the wick. Repeat by rotating the hoop to hover each wick over the kettle to be have the wax poured over it. Don't worry if they end up bigger at the bottom than the top, this is normal. Tip: Make sure the wax isn't too hot or it will melt the other layers of wax, thus slowing down the whole process. Step 4 - When the candles are cold, they are placed in the tank with warm water that is just warm enough to soften the wax, but not too hot. Step 5 - When softened they are rolled to an even shape and then polished with the tool shown in the illustration. Step 6 - The ends are cut off for a flat edge. Step 7 - Use the pole to put a hole at the bottom of the candle in order to be placed in the candlesticks. RELIGIOUS CANDLES Interestingly, the article in Manufacturer and Builder, went on to speak about candles that were used in connection with religious customs. It says, "If the candles are to be used for religious purposes, as is customary in the Roman Catholic churches, and lately introduced in this country by the so-called High Church Episcopalians, they must then be ornamented, This is done by a kind of forceps, Fig. 9, made of hard wood, by which the sides of the wax candle are squeezed into leaf-like forms, sometimes made to run spirally around the candle; colored,gilt, and silvered paper is added, sometimes part of the wax painted in different colors, according to taste, etc. The use of candles during daylight in Christian churches is quite old, and is therefore by many considered orthodox. It was however borrowed from the pagans, who burned lights before their idols. It was only in the eighth century that wax candles were imported into Europe by the Venetians, who obtained them in their trade with the Eastern countries of the Mediterranean." REFLECTION This article discussed only one method that was used to make candles in the Victorian era. I am sure there were many others ways, along with different techniques or tools. However, it's certainly a far cry from making beeswax candles with this popular method , which just uses a sheet of beeswax and rolls it over the wick. Certainly there is a contrast between the days of old and today. The Victorians had to put a lot of work into making their beeswax candles which were not used as novelties, but were necessary for everyday living. But the fact is we still have bees, and we still have beeswax, which means we still have beeswax candles. Some things just never change.

19th Century Diaries

2007-02-12T22:08:54Z

Many of our 19th century ancestors kept diaries, scrapbooks or even autograph books. The reasons varied from person to person, but one article on the subject noted that it would be a wise idea to keep a diary of the events that played out. This was true even in the common man [or woman's] life, since after all "every man's life is of importance to him and to his". And just think what a great record would be left for the future generations! As the family "genealogist" this would mean I hit the jackpot if I were to find a diary of my past relatives! RULES TO DIARY KEEPING The article shed light on some observations of diary keeping, or suggestions in the proper diary keeping methods. They set out a few rules for when writing your diary. Rule number one, however, was "one must not attempt too much". This is because "A country school-teacher, leading a humdrum life in a little village, does not need a diary large enough to set down the doings of court and king; but she will probably find much pleasure in jotting down a brief record of her daily life." Rule number two, you don't have to buy a diary. A blank book will work just fine. Matter of fact a blank book is better so that "the date can be written at the head of each day’s entry. This has the advantage of allowing a long and elaborate entry whenever anything happens to demand it." Rule number three, be regular at it for the first year and you should find it a habit to keep up your journal, but only if your entries are brief. WHAT SHALL WE WRITE ABOUT? Well to start with ask yourself, as suggested by the article, "What happenings in your life are worth recording?" So you determine what you deem as most important. Some suggestions are the weather, which if you pick up many of the diaries of old they speak primarily about this day to day. They also suggest you speak about who paid you visits or that you paid to others, or letters you have sent or received. It goes on to suggest recording any special payment of money, change in health or making a note of when you began and finished the reading of books. SAMPLES AND REAL LIFE EXAMPLES Here the article inserts a couple of brief diary entry samples to get the mental disposition set for diary keeping. Here is the first one: JAN. 1st, 1883, Monday. 36º, slight snow-storm. Went to Newsboys’ Lodging House. Sent $50 ck. to Children’s Aid Society. Made eleven calls. Dined with father. Read Stedman’s “Poe.” The above would have been a gentleman's diary entry. Here is what a lady's would be: APRIL 13th, 1883, Friday. 51º, disagreeable wind. Caught slight cold. Called on Dr. From Mary; to her. Mrs. Brown called. Began Aldrich’s "Story of Bad Boy.” "The words “from Mary; to her,” mean, of course, that a letter was received and answered. " Of course these are very brief and meager. However there are times when you would expound on an entry, such as when you travel. A good collection of diaries that concern traveling is found at the Brigham Young University through their online collections. You can browse the diaries from this link. I think a lovely and interesting real life example is Louisa Collins' diary from 1815. She is a young woman who is engaged to be married, from Nova Scotia who provides an interesting window into her simple, but not unlettered, life. You can read her diary here at the Brook House Press. MORE RESOURCES FOR DIARIES Now if you want to read some more diaries I have collected a few links for your viewing pleasure. Some may be very old, perhaps you will even one day run across writing from the 18th century. Many times it can be very challenging to read these manuscripts penned so long ago. The website dohistory.org provides some excellent advice when trying to decipher the writing. You can find a collection of very helpful tips and suggestions here, as well as some good background information on reading and writing of the time. Now here are some diary links for you to peruse: 1) http://www.pincumbe.com/burrell/sarahburrell/diary1877.htm 2) http://www.pincumbe.com/burrell/aliceburrell/index.htm 3) http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/KemPlan.html 4) http://www.americancivilwar.com/women/carrie_berry.html

Sweet Dreams - A Look at the Bed and Bedroom of the 1850's

2007-01-29T04:10:15Z

This being a cold and snowy afternoon has me drowsy and looking over at my feather pillows and covers wishing to slip off into slumber. So with that said and the fact that we have had some recent articles on bedroom cottage furniture, we are going to go over some advice from the book The Practical Housekeeper, about this topic. We have mentioned before how iron bedsteads were becoming more popular because of their cheapness and lovely designs. A few years before the civil war iron and brass bedsteads were made in nearly every size and form. They were to be considered a good choice with the benefits of health, cleanliness, and being lighter than its peers. These beds had no crevices for dust, dirt, or bedbugs to embed themselves - so these beds were held to be healthier than their wooden counterparts. So the mid 19th century saw a boom of these iron or brass bed frames. Why, even Queen Victoria had a brass bed which the 19th century visitor could view a display of in London's Great Exhibition of 1851. But since iron beds were still not held as in as high esteem as brass beds manufacturers began adding brass tubing or finials. Interestingly, the manufactures even began plating the iron beds to look like a brass bed. When browsing antique beds we usually only find the smaller sizes of twin or full. Well one good reason for this is the popular belief of the mid 19th century which was that each person should have their own bed to sleep in. Also a small bedroom was considered to be injurious to the health of the Victorians. Now for bedding the sheets would have been linen, cotton or Swiss twilled calico, and according to the book the most durable linens for sheeting would have been the Russian, German or Irish fabrics. By 1857 these fabrics were woven wide enough to be cut into large pieces for not having a seam, pretty much like its modern counterpart. When buying the material for sheets the lady of the house would measure the width of the bed and then allow an extra half a yard. According to the book an average sheet size would have run you three and a half yards. The pillow cases were to be of the same material as the sheets. Oftentimes mattresses were made of feathers or stuffed with other things like wool or horsehair, and even sometimes straw. The book goes on to mention that soft feather beds cause too much warmth and can contribute to getting sick. If going with a feather bed, then it was suggested to use a well stuffed bed of feathers. Otherwise a mattress of wool, or a combination of wool and horsehair would do just as well. When reaching for your covers the emphasis was on light covers. It was noted that Marsellies quilts were too heavy and should not be used. A Marseilles quilt is what they call a whole-cloth quilt. They had originated in France and became very popular down thru colonial times and into the early 19th century. They were usually an all white woven piece of fabric that was quilted over with intricate designs, stuffed and backed, and then used as a quilt. These declined in popularity during the Victorian era, but regained some popularity during the early 20th century. Now when covering your bedroom furniture it was said that chintz and dimity should be the choices since they do not collect as much dust and are less liable to "hide vermin" that the damask, moreen or any fabrics containing wool would. The carpet that was to be in the bedroom was not supposed to be placed under the bed. Since the debris that fell under the bed would fall on the carpet and it was said that this would lead to "a nice hot-bed for fleas". A three-ply carpet was mentioned as being the best for bedrooms. Lastly, to sum up this article of the bedroom, so that you too can go slip under those covers and fall fast asleep would be to keep it simple. Have only what you need in the bedroom and don't overcrowd the room with unnecessary items.

Wintertime Maladies

2007-01-04T21:35:10Z

When winter gets here it likes to dry our skin. Most of us can relate since we still suffer with chapped lips and dried hands, the very same things our ancestors have dealt with through the centuries. Only today we grab the bottle of lotion for our hands and burt’s bees wax, or chapstick, to ease our irritated lips. Interestingly the book “A New System of Domestic Cookery” published in 1807 gives the following recipes for chapped hands and lips. This year makes these recipes exactly 200 years old. So here is what they used so ever long ago for their wintertime maladies. Paste for Chapped [written chopped in book] Hands, and which will preserve them smooth by constant use. Mix a quarter of a pound of unsalted hog's lard, which has been washed in common and then rose-water, with the yolks of two new-laid eggs, and a large spoonful of honey. Add as much line oatmeal, or almond-paste, as will work into a paste. For chapped [written chopped in book] Lips. Put a quarter of an ounce of benjamin, storax, and spermaceti, twopenny-worth of alkanet root, a large juicy apple chopped, a bunch of black grapes bruised, a quarter of a pound of unsalted butter, and two ounces of bees-wax, into a new tin sauce-pan. Simmer gently till the wax, &c. are dissolved, and then strain it through a linen. When cold, melt it again, and pour it into small pots or boxes; or if to make cakes, use the bottoms of tea-cups.

If Walls Could Say, "I'm Clean!"

2006-12-19T21:41:44Z

WALLS The methods of cleaning paint, wallpaper, and wainscoting varied only slightly throughout the early 19th century. Between 1800 and 1840 we see a few methods spoken of throughout the various cookbooks or servants companions that were being published. One such book called A New System of Domestic Cookery published in 1807 explains how to clean paint: Never use a cloth, but take off the dust with a little long-haired brush, after blowing off the loose parts with the bellows. With care, paint will look well for a length of time. When soiled, dip a sponge or a bit of flannel into soda and water, wash it off quickly, and dry immediately, or the strength of the soda will eat off the colour.. Virtually the same advice was repeated in 1839 in the book The Good Housekeeper: Put a very little pearlash, or soda in the water to soften it, then wash the paint with flannel and soft soap; wash the soap off, and wipe dry with a clean linen cloth. Then of course if you had trouble with 'vermin' you would have followed this advice from The Frugal Housewife which was published in 1830: If the vermin are in your walls, fill up the cracks with verdigris-green paint.* *There are two kinds of green paint; one is of no use in destroying insects. - 1832 edition [NOTE: This green paint would have had arsenic in it, which is why it was effective for killing rats, ect. They have since deemed the arsenic dangerous, naturally, and stopped using it to create the green color in paints.] WAINSCOTING Moving on, if your walls were covered with any wainscoting you would have been doing the following, in 1807, when cleaning it: When wainscot requires scouring, it should be done from the top downwards, and the soda be prevented from running on the unclean part as much as possible, or marks will be made which will appear after the whole is finished. One person should dry with old linen as fast as the other has scoured off the dirt and washed the soda off. - A New System of Domestic Cookery Then if you were really in the cleaning spirit and wanted a nice gloss to your wainscot you could have tried the following: To give a Gloss to fine Oak-wainscot. If greasy, it must be washed with warm beer; then boil two quarts of strong beer, a bit of bee's wax as large as a walnut, and a large spoonful of sugar; wet it all over with a large brush, and when dry rub it till bright.- A New System of Domestic Cookery in 1807. To my surprise this recipe is still being used as an oak furniture polish today. The recipe, unchanged from days of old: 1 Quart of beer 1 Teaspoon Sugar 2 Tablespoons beeswax Boil the beer with sugar and beeswax. Allow mixture to cool, then wipe on wood, and let dry. Polish when dry with chamois cloth. WALLPAPER In the early 19th century wallpaper was often referred to as paper. Thus the terms paper hangings or paper walls were used more frequently than wallpaper. Now some advice on how to clean those paper walls.... First blow off the dust with the bellows. Divide a white loaf of eight days old into eight parts. Take the crust into your hand, and beginning at the top of the paper, wipe it downwards in the lightest manner with the crumb. Don't cross nor go upwards. The dirt of the paper and the crumbs will fall together. Observe, you must not wipe above half a yard at a stroke, and after doing all the upper part, go round again, beginning a little above where you left off. If you don't do it extremely lightly, you will make the dirt adhere to the paper. - A New System of Domestic Cookery in 1807 The bread still being employed in the art of wall paper cleaning here in 1839: The very best method is to sweep off lightly all the dust with clean cloths, bound over a long handled broom, then rub the paper with stale bread--cut the crust off very thick, and wipe straight down from the top, then begin at the top again, and so on. - The Good Housekeeper 1839 Interestingly enough this advice is not as old as you would think. Even though I hadn’t heard of cleaning wallpaper with bread, its advice is still being given today for cleaning delicate or non-washable wallpaper. That makes the advice nearly 200 years old, at least. Can we venture to say then, that it’s a time-tested method for cleaning wallpaper? Probably so.

Painting the House Exterior in 1859

2006-12-14T03:31:06Z

- Fawn [web equivilent #C8B08F] | Drab [web equivilent #A48D6B] | Dark Green [web equivilent #465141]
Exterior Color.-For the outside painting of country houses, quiet, neutral tints should generally be chosen. The various shades of fawn, drab, gray, and brown, are all very suitable. All the positive colors, such as red, yellow, blue, green, black, and white, should always be avoided. Nothing can be in worse taste than the very common practice of painting country houses white. This color is glaring and disagreeable to the eye, when presented in large masses; it makes a house an obtrusive and too conspicuous object in the landscape; it does not harmonize with the hues of nature-standing, as it were, harshly apart from all the soft shades of the scene. Use any other color rather than white. Downing makes an exception to this rule in favor of cottages deeply embowered in trees-the shadow of the foliage taking away the harshness and offensiveness of the color; but even in such cases we would modify the white by a slight admixture of chrome yellow and Indian red. Red, another glaring and disagreeable color, is a common one for farm-houses in some parts of the country. It is scarcely less offensive to the eye than white. Perceiving the absurdity of painting country houses white, many have gone to the other extreme, and given their dwellings a too dark and somber hue. Light, cheerful, but unobtrusive colors, harmonizing with the prevailing hues of the country, are most suitable. Take the colors of the various earths, the stones, the trunks and branches of trees, mosses, and other natural objects for your guides and you will not go far wrong. A quiet fawn color or drab and a warm gray-that is, a gray mixed with a very little red and some yellow-are the safest colors to recommend for general use. The browns and dark grays are suitable for stables and out-buildings. A mansion or a villa should have a somewhat sober hue; a house of moderate size a light and pleasant tone; and a small cottage a still lighter and livelier tint. A house exposed to the view should have a darker hue than one that is much hidden by foliage. To produce the best effect, several tints or shades of color should be used in painting the exterior of a house; and it is important that they be judiciously chosen and combined. If the color selected for the main walls be light, the facings of the windows, the roof trimmings, verandas, etc., may appropriately be a darker shade of the same color; and if the prevailing color of the building be dark, a lighter shade should be applied to the trimmings. If Venetian blinds be used, the solid parts of them may be similar in shade to the window casings, but a little darker, and the movable slats darkest of all. If green be preferred for the blinds, it should be a very dark green; light and bright greens having a flashy and disagreeable effect. - From The House: A pocket manual of Rural Architecture 1859

Pig Latin, Goose Latin and all those Secret Languages

2006-12-11T20:41:24Z

One of my favorite things to do is read articles from old magazines and periodicals. I find it intriguing to get a 19th century view on things, including their own recollections of their past. I was searching for articles about school houses since I had read some rather inspiring verses of prose so that I wanted to explore that theme a little more. While searching I ran across a rather unusual article that I couldn’t resist pondering over. It dealt with a very uncommon subject - that of the secret languages of children. Have you ever have stumbled upon an old journal, book or letter that has some strange markings or gibberish like words in it? I don’t believe I have ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on some secret codes written out with the keys silently lying in the graves of yester-year. But if you have ever used Pig Latin then you will understand what this article was speaking about.

Why Is It Called Pig Latin?

My husband and I indulge in using Pig Latin when we have conversations that we don’t want our seven year old to pick up on. However, we never have stopped to think of why we have this silly little sub-language, or even where it came from. So it was very interesting to find the following information. The Century; a popular quarterly, published the above mentioned article on the Secret Languages of Children, in 1892. This is what it had to say about the languages like Pig Latin: "It can never be known whether these languages originated in the very first cases with children. The names would in many instances imply that children had to do with them, as they show things familiar to the child and loved by him. So in the secret languages we find animals playing an important part in the naming. The hog, dog, goose, pigeon, pig, fly, cat, and other animals, are attached to these languages. The child in the old-fashioned school, where all sat together, hearing the (to him) senseless and unknown Latin, would naturally attach the name to his language, and thus give birth to Hog Latin, Goose Latin, etc. Seeing or hearing a language, one letter may strike the child’s fancy, as in one the letter h is “hash,” and so Hash language is the result. In another 'bub' (b) finds the funny spot in child nature, and so Bub talk comes forth. The child in former days, so frequently hearing of the a-b-c’s, would, upon the construction of an alphabetic language, at once recur to such, and so name this the A-Bub-Cin-Dud language."

Different Classes of Secret Languages

The author of the article breaks down these secret languages into a few different classes, though he brings to our attention that there are many varieties. I believe Pig Latin would fall into the first category of syllabic. That is described as follows: "The most numerous class—the syllabic—add or prefix a syllable to a word, or insert it between syllables or letters in a word. This form is the most common, and the syllable most in use is gery, with variants of gry, gary, gree, geree, as, Wigery yougery gogery wigery ‘megery? Next in use is vus, with the variants vers, yes, and vis, as, Willvus youvus govus withvus mevus?" Next up is the alphabetic class. "In the second class—the alphabetic—a very common alphabet is made by placing a short u between a consonant repeated, letting the vowels stand as they are; thus, b is bub, c is cuc, etc. Cipher alphabets are common. Many are arbitrary, being made up by the children using them, while others have been early formed, and used in several generations. One cipher sentence is given so: 'Are you going?' An alphabet often met with is made thus: A sentence is thus: 'I am very tired.' Another cipher alphabet is formed in this most ingenious way: 42.54 42.44 11 43.42.31.51 41.11.55 'It is a nice day.' " Now the third class is called sign langauge. It is the secret gestures of the hands which when correctly interpretted would relay the secret message. These signs were often procured with the hands under the desk in which other children could see and understand leaving the teacher baffled. The article then asks, "Is there a boy living who has not again and again used the two fingers, pointing upward, to signal to a boy at a distance to go swimming?" Sounds a little like todays "thumbs up". Under this same class is also the "Morse telegraphic characters". The children became adept at reading, writing and tapping these out. Moving on we have the Vocabulary class. The article mentioned there are few forms of this class of language. Some are just contributors of of when being very young and learning the english language. What we would call baby words, like ba-ba for bottle, ect. But others are just made-up non-sense words. A few collected from children when the article was written are : TUELO-TUELO. A jay-bird. TRAMP-TRAMP. A man. TIP-TIP. A lady. PAT-PAT. A child. WAH-WAH. A crying baby. GOO-GOO. A good baby. The following are from a paper containing twenty-five such, found by a lady among her childhood savings: FOOL DEEL. I will kiss you. SQUIGGLE. Yes. Mossy BANKS. I will go to supper with you. SEAL. Oh, dear me!. The fifth class is that of the reversing of letters of the words and even the whole sentence. I am sure most of us are familiar with this type code. Certainly an easy remedy - just put it to a mirror. Then of course there are some forms of these secret languages which have no class in which to fit into. The article mentions a few of these. "In one such a slip of paper is prepared by cutting holes in it which fit over certain words on certain pages of a book, and thus make sentences. Another comes from that slip of paper mentioned as found among childhood’s remains. On this paper are thirteen such characters as these three: " Then the article mentions at length what it considers as the most remarkable of them, which was deemed the "Berkshire Gabble". This language was comprised by two young ladies around 18 years old. They devised as system of naming feelings that the English language just didn’t have words to describe. "For instance, one day, when these two girls and one other were together, they decided to make a word for 'the feeling you have in the dark when you are sure you are going to bump into something.' One shouted, 'I choose first syllable '; another, 'I choose second '; and the remaining child had to take the last one. Each thought to herself a syllable, and when all were ready they fitted them together in the order chosen; the result was ku-or-bie—kuorbie. If the word sounded to them like the sensation, they left it as it was; if it did not, they changed it." They even made a dictionary of their "feeling" words and the article lists some of them. " ... the class of city girls who, when they go to the country in the summer, sit on the piazza, dressed up in fine clothes, doing fancy work; who can’t climb, won’t run, and are afraid of cows. The word at first was raggadishy, but finally became rishdagy. They approved of the latter because in order to pronounce it they had to turn up their noses in reality, which mentally they always did at such people. Another word of some picturesqueness is pippadolify, which means young men who wear very stiff collars, newly laundried duck trousers, and walk as though afraid of creasing them or soiling their shoes. Trando. The thing which first suggested it was a gate on a hilltop, sharply outlined against the sky. Beyond it they could see nothing except the blue heavens, stretching on, on, forever. But because there was a path to the gate, and paths always lead somewhere, there must be something beyond. What that something was no one could tell without seeing it. To the imagination it contained as many possibilities as the future. This feeling of the semi-transparency of vastness they called trando. There was one thing that troubled one of these children very much: Where did utterly lost things go, such as the water which vanishes from a mud puddle or the cloth which gradually disappears from the elbows of dresses? There must be some place apart from the earth for such things; so she made up a name for it—Bomattle. The idea of the place gradually grew. She realized that some of the things which went there came back, as the water came back to the puddle in the form of rain. It came to embrace larger things as the child grew, and she has never outgrown it. ANKERDUDDLE, adj. Weird and spectral and romantic feeling of a big, solitary house by moonlight. BOGEWATSUS, adj. Fluttering, though determined, feeling before a high jump or dive (as in bathing). BOZZOISH, adj. A person lacking individuality in his looks. BUTTOR, adj. Peaceful summer Sunday morning feeling out of doors, with the hum of bees and the fluttering of butterflies. CLONUX, adj. Grown up for one’s age. CREAMY, adj. Desire to squeeze a little fat cat or baby. DINX, adj. Vulgar and “showy off.” DOVEY, adj. When one seems to resemble one’s name. This last is very hard to explain, as many of them are—especially in good English. EVO, adj. Instinctive feeling that some one whom you do not see is in the room with you. FAXSY, adj., is one of our best and most used words, and explained in our dictionary as “stuffy-parlorish,” which means a close little country parlor, its water-lilies under glass domes, its dried pampas-grass in tall vases at each end of the mantelpiece, its shell and seaweed designs, its parlor organ, etc. FOMO, adj. Nervousness about squeaking slate pencils, etc. GOATY, adj. The kind of person who uses long words to express very ordinary emotions. HALALA, adj. Exultant feeling, wild and inspiring, from the influence of being out in a wild wind-storm by the sea, etc. HAMALET, adj. The indulgent cheeriness of mothers. HAWPLOW, adj. Sinking feeling, as in a marsh. HEELY, ad]. Feeling of some one close behind you in the dark. KUAWBEE, adj. Feeling, with one’s eyes shut, as if running into something. LULLISH, adj. Feeling, in going up or down stairs, that there is one more step (thinking there is, and taking it). MONIA, adj. Presentiment that something is about to happen. MOUSY, adj. Applied to your unfortunate companion who is not wanted, is in the way, and is staying in the hope of getting something by it. MUNCHY, adj. Up-to-date in every way—dress, speech, manners, and ideas; that is, up-to-date in a worldly way rather than intellectually. NOTTLE, adj. The kind of practical children who play dolls and “horse,” etc., as a matter of course. OPPLE, adj. Crackly and glimmering, as sheets of bright tin or copper. OWLY, ad]. Feeling one has when one has found anything. PALDY, adj. Feeling of the world being like a theater. PATBOORAY, proper n., was the name of a club about six of us had for anti-slang-using. PILTIS, adj. Feeling when one has made something all alone, or bought something with one’s own money. PUSSY, adj. A child capable of making up funny faces. QUONO, adj. Feeling of delicious sense of perfect rest — drowsy and luxurious. REWISH, adj. Feeling numberless eyes on you as you are about to recite something, etc. SABBA, adj. Individual house smell. SPAILY, ad]. Old-fashioned and awkward— I may almost say directly the reverse of “munchy.” STOWISH (or SToIsH), adj., is one of our best, but one I really cannot possibly explain. Out of a large number of persons or things, there is always one that is stowish—and, considering all points, is the one least conspicuous. We used to differ as to what was stowish. It is a word which is wholly comparative, wholly relative. One thing alone can never be stowish; i. e., from the alphabet, d, k, n, and t are considered most universally among us as most stowish. Thursday was the most “stowish” day in the week, and April and November of the months. This is very vague, but the best I can do. THUKS. An unexplainable sensation about an old blue pump. VANIDIES, n. The “sillies.” WILLISH, ad]. When a thing smells as something tastes (or taste reminding one of smell). ZONCE, n. Terrible hatred. ZUMMY, adj. A closely knit, neatly built, shorthaired dog." So when thumbing through old school books, diaries, scrapbooks or perhaps even letters and notes, and you happen across something that’s seems coded or gibberish perhaps it was just a child’s sub-language to connect to its peers. And next time you use Pig Latin, you can be assured you are following your ancestors of old who also found secret languages fun to use with their friends and acquaintances. “...we have a great fact here which must be accepted and acted upon— the great inventiveness, acquisitiveness, patience, and language-forming ability of children at this secret-language period.”

Advice about the Woodburning Oven

2006-12-08T01:16:57Z

In nine out of ten kitchens, when there is any cooking to be done the range is made red hot; when the cooking is done, the fire is left to go down to ashes, and is then raised by means of a wasteful pile of kindling wood. When no cooking is going on, and a large fire is not needed, the dampers will frequently be left open, and the fuel allowed to blaze itself out up the chimney instead of being kept in reserve for actual service. The general principle of construction upon which American kitchen stoves and ranges is based, renders them either very economical, or very much otherwise, according to the way they are managed. After the fire is first built in an ordinary stove, or range, the dampers ought all to be closed up and not opened again during the day, except while broiling, or something of that sort. If the grate is kept clear, and the fire replenished with a small quantity of coal, before it begins to get low, both the oven, and the top of the range will be kept sufficiently hot for any kind of cooking, and it will be done all the better for being done somewhat more slowly, than is customary. - From Jennie June's American Cookery Book 1870 The Good Stove Co gives some very useful information on how to keep a good fire and bake in a wood burning cook-stove here. They are a great resource for antique stoves. This is from their website, "For 30 years, we have provided fully restored and functional heating stoves and kitchen ranges to museums and living farms; historic homes and period kitchens; bed & breakfasts, libraries, workshops, and great rooms across the nation."

The Correct Thing In Good Society

2006-12-06T16:43:49Z

In Shopping

The Correct Thing
For employees to be patient, cheerful, and obliging.
For employees to remember that it is their business to wait upon customers, and to be civil to them.
For a salesman to prove that he respects himself by showing due respect to others.
For a salesman to advise a customer, or assist her in making a choice, if asked to do so.
For a shopkeeper to be as polite to a poor customer as to a rich one.
For a salesman to remember that customers cannot always know just what they want until they have seen the new fabrics of the season, and that a customer has a right to walk through a shop looking at articles for a reasonable length of time, without being compelled to purchase anything.
To remember that the feminine for "man" is "woman;" for "salesman." "saleswoman;" and that while a salesWOMAN, like any other person of her gender, may or may not be a lady, she is still a woman, and if she be engaged in selling, a saleswoman.
For a customer to know beforehand as nearly as possible what she wishes to buy.
When one intends only to look at articles, and not to buy until another day, to say so in the first instance.
If one wish to see a piece of goods nearer the light, to ask the clerk politely if he cannot bring or send the material to the desired spot.
To hold the door open for a person who is entering or coming out of a shop just behind one. The second comer should in turn take hold of the door as she passes through the doorway.
To shut the door!
For a salesman and customer both to say "Thank you!" when a sale is completed, and the package or change, handed to the latter.

It is Not the Correct Thing
For employees to be uncivil or cross to customers because the shop is crowded, or because they are tired.
For employees to talk to each other while customers are awaiting their attention.
For employees to be impertinent to customers, or to make remarks upon them in the hearing of other customers.
For a salesman to advise a customer when he has not been asked to do so.
For customers to look over goods and take up the time of the salesman, without any real intention of making a purchase, or because they wish to see the new styles, in order to copy them in their home dress-making.
For a salesman to be sulky of a customer do not purchase his goods.
For employees to be harsh or arbitrary in their treatment of employees, especially where these are children.
To use the expression "sales-lady," which is quite as absurd as to say " a sales-GENTLEMAN."
For customers to speak sharply to employees or to be rude to them.
For customers to expect to be allowed to carry valuable dress-goods or other articles to the door of a shop, or to scold and make an outcry because such an unreasonable request is refused.
For gentlemen(?) to try to flirt with saleswomen and annoy them with foolish speeches.
To let the door of a shop slam in the face of another person, or to allow a stranger to hold the door open while one passes through the doorway, without making any attempt to hold the door open for one's self.
For sales men or women to insist that an article matches another perfectly, or that it is "just what the customer wants," when the customer expresses a contrary opinion.
To allow a person to buy damaged goods without their knowing their real condition.

Fashions for December - 1856

2006-12-03T19:34:25Z

Exactly 150 years ago this was the fashion for December Click on image to enlarge FIGURE 1 is a dress of rich light-blue taffeta, with flounces of velours epingle, representing tangled beds of roses, in their natural colors. The berthe and sleeves are similar in design, but narrower. The berthe forms epaulettes on the shoulders, and meets in a point about the mid-depth of the corsage, which is pointed. The skirt is full, with three flounces, of which only the upper one appears in the figure. Upon the edge is woven a narrow fringe, and narrow lines of blue velvet run parallel with the flounces. A bouillonnee of the same material as the dress trims its top, which is further enriched with an engrelure of point lace. The under-sleeves are puffed, with narrow stripes of cerise velvet running lengthwise. The hair is ornamented with autumn-tinted vine-leaves and green grapes. In Figure 2, the HEAD-DRESS is a transparent, quarilled with black velvet, each mesh ornamented with a pearl, and surrounded with black lace, set on full, intermingled with ivy-leaves, berries, and crimson fuchsias. Figure 3 is a SORTIE DU BAL of white glace. The shoulders are laid in narrow flat plaits, which merge in wider ones below. A deep pointed hood, with tassels at the back, falls upon the shoulders. Its general form is circular. The passamenterie is of azure velvet ribbon and lozenge-formed puffs of taffeta of similar shade, with a pearl on each corner. The spaces between the puffs are occupied by fan-shaped ornaments of bugles—blue and white alternately. A cord, with loops and tassels, gives an appropriate finish to this garment. FIGURE 4.—EVENING DRESS. Hair a la Grec, with coiffure of miniature fruits and flowers. Long drops ornament the ears. Three rows of black lace cover the shoulders, and, forming the sleeves, terminate in a point at the waist, where they form a V-shaped front to the corsage. At the back the lace passes across, making three flounces over the dress, which is of azol-green taffeta. Alternate bouillonnees of lace and twists of the silk occupy the front of the corsage. The skirt is very full, and set on in hollow plaits, with three lace flounces, festooned, and caught up in front by ribbons.

The Correct Thing In Good Society

2006-12-02T19:47:19Z

At The Writing-Desk

The Correct Thing
To use good jet black ink.
To use handsome, thick, plain white paper.
To fold and direct a letter neatly, and to put on the stamp evenly, and in the proper corner.
To put on as many stamps as the weight of the letter or parcel demands.
For the autograph fiend to enclose a stamped and directed envelope when writing to his intended victim.
To enclose a stamp when writing to a stranger on your own business.
To use sealing-wax, if you know how to make a fair and handsome seal.
To fold a letter right-side up, so that the person who receives it will not be obliged to turn it, after taking it out of the envelope, before he can read it.
To use black-edged note-paper when one is in mourning.
To use postal cards for ordinary business communications.
To write legibly.
To write straight.
To spell correctly.
To write numbers, dates, and proper names with especial care and distinctness.
To date a letter at the beginning, on the right-hand side, and a note at the end on the left-hand side.
To use both the day of the week and that of the month when dating a letter, and in business communication to give the year also.
To have one's address engraved at the top of one's note or letter paper.
To give one's full address when writing to a person who does not know it, and from whom an answer is desired.
To sign a letter with the full name, or with the last name and initials.
For a lady to sign her last name and initials, instead of her Christian name, when writing to a comparative stranger, to a younger person, to a servant, or when writing on business.
To sign a business letter, "Your obedient servant," "Yours very truly," "Yours very sincerely," or "Yours respectfully."
To sign a letter to a superior, "Yours respectfully," or " Your obedient servant."
To write "Please address Mrs. or Miss J . T." where it is desirable to let your correspondent know by what title to address you.
To preface a business letter with the name and address of your correspondent.
To make the signature correspond with the general tone of the letter; that is, to sign a formal letter in a formal but courteous manner, and a friendly or affectionate letter in a friendly manner.
To use figures for giving dates or the number of a house or street.
To direct a letter to a married lady with her husband's full name or last name, and initials.
To write "Dr. and Mrs. Paul Jones."
To write "Esq." after a gentleman's name when addressing any letter except a note of invitation, and when he has no other title.
To address a letter to a judge, member of Congress, mayor of a city, member of a State legislature, ect., as "Hon. Montclair Smith," and in the case of a member of Congress, to add M. C. after the name.
To answer all letters promptly.
To remember that a written communication is necessarily more formal that a verbal one, and therefore must be uniformly courteous, and should rarely contain jokes or personal allusions which might be misconstrued.
To remember that "the written word remains," and therefore to write with due caution and clearness.
To be concise, but never curt.
To remember that the adoption of a courteous and dignified tone shows greater self-respect than would the assumption of an undue familiarity.
To avoid egotism on paper, as elsewhere.
To read over letters before sending them off.
To write to a friend or hostess after making a visit to her house, thanking her for her hospitality.

It is Not the Correct Thing
To use pale or colored ink.
To use ruled note-paper, except for business communications.
To use note-paper of bright, variegated, or very dark colors, or envelopes of eccentric shape.
To use a monogram or other device on an envelope.
To use stamped or yellow envelopes, except for familiar or business correspondence.
To mail a letter without a stamp on it.
To use sealing-wax if you don't know how, or if you have not time to make the seal carefully.
To make a seal with a thimble or other miscellaneous objects not intended for the purpose.
To direct an envelope wrong side up.
To use postal cards for private correspondence.
To write a business communication on a postal card, where it may annoy the recipient to have his business or occupation thus publicly set forth.
To write only the two first letters of a word, and to represent the remainder by a series of unintelligible loops or runs.
To write like Horace Greeley.
To write up hill and down dale.
To use a great number of flourishes.
To cultivate a clerk like or commercial hand, except for business correspondence.
To imitate the handwriting of another person to such a degree as to lose the original character of one's own.
To sign a letter with a nickname,-such as "Mamie," "Bessy," ect.,-unless when writing an intimate friend.
To sign a friendly letter, written to an equal, "Your obedient servant," or "Yours respectfully."
To write "My Dear Sir." It should be "My dear Sir," or "Dear Sir."
To abbreviate words. "And" should never be written "&," nor "which" "wh.," ect.
To underline or accent words frequently.
To use slang.
To say, "I take my pen in hand."
To cross a letter. It is inexcusable to do so, when postage and paper are both so cheap.
To sign one's name with any title prefixed, as "Mrs.," "Miss," "Mr.," ect.
To write anonymous letters, even with a good intentions. It is considered very cowardly to do so.
To write in haste where one can possible avoid it, unless to intimate friends. Besides the liability to make mistakes or top express one's meaning imperfectly, haste implies a lack of formality, and therefore respect for one's correspondent.
To use figures to express quantities, as "4 quarts."
To direct a letter to a married lady, using her own name or initials.
To write "Mrs. Dr. Paul Jones."
To write a letter in third person, and sign it in the first.
To put the most important part of a letter in the postscript.
To address an army or navy officer by the title belonging to a lower grade than his own.
To write when angry, or to write threatening letters, thus getting one's self into much trouble, and perhaps incurring lawsuits.
To write long letters, save the possibility to intimate friends.
To write familiarly to persons whom one does not know well, to one's elders, or to those who occupy a high position.
To write a letter, and say nothing in it.
To use "he," "she," ect., first for one person, and then for another, in the same sentence.
To write "Present," "addressed," "Kindness of Mr. Grimes," or "Favored by Mr. Jones," on a letter which is to be delivered by a private messenger. These subscriptions are going rapidly out of fashion, though still used by some people.