Food and freedom

White fiber tray. Dish-drainer. Dish-pan. Small enameled garbage-can. Crash dish -towels. 134 FOOD AND FREEDOM Linen glass-towels. Paper towels. Hand-brush. Lemon and cold-cream for the hands. For the large family, the dish-washing machine is already demonstrating its usefulness, and greatly improved types are on the market or under construction. A machine must be selected with care and judgment, however. One operated by electricity, where this is available, is, of course, preferable to one operated by hand. Any ma- chine selected and used should be simple in construction so that care and cleaning are easy, should be durable, should not occupy unneces- sary floor space, and should be so constructed that it can be permanently connected with water-supply and disposal pipes. For the small family, and in the home where hot water is abundant, dishes can sometimes be very quickly washed by placing them in a deep wire rack or dish-drainer, sprinkling them with soap-powder, and allowing scalding water from the faucet to run over and through them. The drainer may then be lifted from the sink, placed on the drain board, and the dishes allowed to stand until dry. Work in an orderly manner : Just what routine is best followed must be de- cided by each individual housekeeper. So long as the work is done quickly and well, the exact process matters little. Much time is saved, and SERVING THE MEALS 135 it is usually more sanitary, if dishes are allowed to dry by draining. Dishes should always be carefully scraped, or wiped with paper, before washing; this is particularly important in con- nection with greasy dishes or pans. Our country as an industrial art center is de- veloping rapidly. In every phase of living, pub- lic taste is demanding the artistic as well as the practical. Useful household articles of every kind, from the pots and kettles hanging in our kitchens to the fixtures in the bathroom, are now chosen for line, form, color, as well as for general useful- ness, wearing qualities, and other practical ad- vantages. In no field, however, has the American producer of household requisites assembled greater talent than in the manufacture of furnishings and equipment for the dining-room and table. Artists with a real message for the world are now design- ing our everyday knives and forks and spoons, our dinner-plates and teapots, the glass from which we drink our water, the liner^ on the table. Everything we handle, in this connection, can be a source of rest and inspiration. Every moment spent in the preparation and serving of meals should be one of the brightest spots in life, one very real thing that relieves and balances the struggle to live. That it is not, is one of the sad- dest facts in the history of the world at this time. Knowledge, well-ordered, is suggested over and 136 FOOD AND FREEDOM over again as a remedy — and it is the only prac- tical remedy to offer. But all the knowledge, all the theories, all the order in the world can never entirely remedy matters unless we ourselves can and will see household service stripped of its drudgery and revealed in its true light. REFERENCES: For practical instructions and helpful suggestions in the serving of meals, the following publications will be found of value: Table Service, Lucy G. Allen. Planning and Furnishing the Home, Mary J. Quinn.