Miss Beecher's Housekeeper and Healthkeeper: Containing Five Hundred Receipes for Economical and Healthful Cooking; also, Many Directions for Securing Health and HappinessBeecher, Catharine Esther
General
Miss Beecher's Housekeeper and Healthkeeper: Containing Five Hundred Receipes for Economical and Healthful Cooking; also, Many Directions for Securing Health and Happiness
Beecher, Catharine Esther
Cooking; Home economics
Fig. 23 is the second or attic story. The main objection to attic
rooms is their warmth in summer, owing to the heated roof. This is
prevented by so enlarging the closets each side that their walls meet
the ceiling under the garret floor, thus excluding all or most of the
roof. In the bedchambers, corner dressing-tables, as Fig. 24, instead
of projecting bureaus, save much space for use, and give a handsome
form and finish to the room. In the bath-room must be the opening to
the garret, and a step-ladder to reach it. A reservoir in the garret,
supplied by a forcing-pump in the cellar or at the sink, must be well
supported by timbers, and the plumbing must be well done, or much
annoyance will ensue.
[Illustration: Fig. 24.]
The large chambers are to be lighted by large windows or glazed
sliding-doors, opening upon the balcony. A roof can be put over the
balcony and its sides inclosed by windows, and the chamber extend into
it, and be thus much enlarged.
[Illustration: Fig. 25.]
The water-closets must have the latest improvements for safe discharge,
and there will be no trouble. They will cost no more than an outdoor
building, and they relieve one from the most disagreeable house-labor.
A great improvement, called _earth-closets_, will probably take the
place of water-closets to some extent; though at present the water is
the more convenient.
The method of ventilating all the chambers, and also the cellar, will
be described in another place. Fig. 25 represents a shoe-bag, that can
be fastened to the side of a closet or closet-door.
[Illustration: Fig. 26.]
Fig. 26 represents a piece-bag, and is a very great labor and
space-saving invention. It is made of calico, and fastened to the side
of a closet or a door, to hold all the bundles that are usually stowed
in trunks and drawers. India-rubber or elastic tape drawn into hems
to hold the contents of the bag is better than tape-strings. Each bag
should be labeled with the name of its contents, written with indelible
ink on white tape sewed on to the bag. Such systematic arrangement
saves much time and annoyance. Drawers or trunks to hold these articles
can not be kept so easily in good order, and moreover, occupy spaces
saved by this contrivance.
[Illustration: Fig. 27.]
Fig. 27 is the basement. It has the floor and sides plastered, and is
lighted with glazed doors. A form is raised close by the cellar stairs,
for baskets, pails, and tubs. Here, also, the refrigerator can be
placed, or, what is better, an ice-closet can be made, as designated in
the illustration. The floor of the basement must be an inclined plane
toward a drain, and be plastered with water-lime. The wash-tubs have
plugs in the bottom to let off water, and cocks and pipes over them
bringing cold water from the reservoir in the garret and hot water from
the laundry stove. This saves much heavy labor of emptying tubs and
carrying water.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account