Produced by Audrey Longhurst, Melissa Er-Raqabi and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net. THE EASIEST WAY IN HOUSEKEEPING AND COOKING. Adapted to Domestic Use or Study in Classes BY HELEN CAMPBELL, AUTHOR OF "IN FOREIGN KITCHENS," "MRS. HERNDON'S INCOME," "PRISONERS OF POVERTY,", "SOME PASSAGES IN THE PRACTICE OF DR. MARTHA SCARBOROUGH," "WOMEN WAGE-EARNERS," ETC., ETC. "If it were done, when 'tis done, then 'twere well It were done quickly." BOSTON: LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY, 1903. _Copyright, 1893,_ BY ROBERTS BROTHERS. University Press: JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A. A Book for Agnes L.V.W. AND THE SOUTHERN GIRLS WHO STUDIED WITH HER. PREFACE TO REVISED EDITION. The little book now revised and sent out with some slight additions, remains substantially the same as when first issued in 1880. In the midst of always increasing cookery-books, it has had a firm constituency of friends, especially in the South, where its necessity was first made plain. To enlarge it in any marked degree would violate the original plan, for which the critic will please read the pages headed "Introductory," where he or she will find full explanation of the growth and purpose of the book. Whoever desires more receipts and more elaborate forms of preparation must look for their sources in the bibliography at the end, since their introduction in these pages would practically nullify the title, proved true by years of testing at the hands of inexperienced housekeepers, whose warm words have long been very pleasant to the author of "The Easiest Way." NEW YORK, June, 1893. CONTENTS. PART FIRST. PAGE INTRODUCTORY 5 CHAPTER. I. THE HOUSE: SITUATION AND ARRANGEMENT 11 II. THE HOUSE: ITS VENTILATION 19 III. DRAINAGE AND WATER-SUPPLY 27 IV. THE DAY'S WORK 35 V. FIRES, LIGHTS, AND THINGS TO WORK WITH 45 VI. WASHING-DAY AND CLEANING IN GENERAL 54 VII. THE BODY AND ITS COMPOSITION 68 VIII. FOOD AND ITS LAWS 73 IX. THE RELATIONS OF FOOD TO HEALTH 80 X. THE CHEMISTRY OF ANIMAL FOOD 90 XI. THE CHEMISTRY OF VEGETABLE FOOD 100 XII. CONDIMENTS AND BEVERAGES 110 PART SECOND.