114

A WORD
WITH THE WOMEN

(Elia W. Peattie)

The next best thing to going away
in the summer is the making of a cool
place in one's own house. It is surprising
to see how dusty and worn,
faded and frowsy a house can look when
the revealing spring sunshine appears,
illuminating dark corners and the house
is thrown in shabby contrast by the exquisite
cleanliness and freshness of nature
out of door. House cleaning to the
women with some sense of poetry does
not mean a mere cleaning of windows
and whipping of carpets. It means a
regeneration and redecoration in keeping
with the season. It means a putting
aside of the dull and heavy draperies
and a hanging up of cool, fresh, airy
stuffs which give suggestion of summer
and its delights. It means bare polished
floors, or clean canvass, wicker chairs
instead of upholstered ones. Japanese
portiers in the place of woolen or silken
ones and an abundance of blooming
plants. Omaha is sometimes as hot as
the tropics. It is a city in which the extreme
of heat is reached. Not very many
years ago people who could afford to
consult comfort thought it impossible to
remain in Omaha during the hot months.
Since the dust has been allayed by the
paving and watering of streets and the
heat mitigated by the growth of trees
the excellence of the water service and
all the conveniences of the city, this is
not the case. But it is still necessary,
if one would enjoy the summer here, to
adapt life to the conditions to a
marked degree. The house should be
provided with shades which will exclude
the glare. These should be supplemented
by awnings. Hammocks should
be hung in the shadiest places, sleeping
apartments rearranged with special
thought of the southern breeez, and the
method of daily living should be much
more leisurely than in the winter time.
To arise early, sleep during a part of
the day and remain up late in the cool
of the evening is the comfortable way
to get through an Omaha summer. Even
the business men could do this, if they
would only think so as they do in the
semi-tropical cities of the United States.
But if they will not, at least the women
may.

Every year the summer fabrics grow in
beauty and delicacy, and they are so exceedingly
inexpensive that there is really
no excuse of any ingenious women to go
unprovided with fresh wash gowns.
Seventy-five cents will actually buy a
dainty summer dress, and, if home made,
is obtainable by almost anybody. These
ought to be put on May 1 and worn until
the last of October. Woolen gowns will
not do in Omaha and the woman who attempts
to wear them is bound to be uncomfortable.
It has been noticeable the
last few years that there is a growing
disinclination to the wearing of gloves.
This is distinctly the work of that sensible
and charming creature who, under
the name of the 'new woman' has
awakened terror in masculine breasts and
contempt among the conservative of her
own sex. But the new woman---if the
silly name must be used--prefers comfort
to conventionality. She will not do up
her hands in hot kid gloves on a sweltering
day, when all the rest of her body is
clothed in light and cool materials. Instead
she will manicure and perfume her
hands, and go with them uncovered, no
matter whether she goes to market or the
theater. It really is more appropriate to
go with uncovered hands when one is
wearing a summer costume than to dress
oneself in light materials and then enclose
the hands in air tight gloves.

This year most women of moderate
means who live in Omaha must stay here.
They cannot afford to go away. The way,
therefore to enjoy themselves is to prepare
their houses and their wardrobes for
the reason, make a study of summer
menus and then possess their spirits in
peace. I'm after all, a peaceful spirit is
the thing that keeps the body most comfortable
in heat or in cold.