ORDER AND CARE OF ATTIC

Frequently so much of the attic space is finished off for bed and other
rooms that what remains is somewhat limited, and cannot be turned into
a catch-all for the may-be-usefuls. Indeed, only such things as have
true worth should go into it, whatever its size, these to be carefully
stowed away, like things together--boxes, furniture, winter stovepipes
with their elbows, piles of magazines systematically tied together by
years, trunks, etc. In each trunk place its own special key and strap,
and when garments or other articles are packed therein, fasten to the
lid a complete list of its contents. Upholstered furniture must be
closely covered with old muslin or ticking. The family tool chest
seems to fit into the attic, as well as the small boxes of nails, rolls
of wire, screws, bolts, and the hundred odds and ends of hardware which
the lord of the house must be able to lay his hand on when he wants to
do any tinkering about the place. A semiannual sweeping, mopping, and
dusting will keep the attic in good condition if thoroughly done, with
the help of the "place for everything, and everything in its place," a
precept as well as an example which has entered prominently into the
upbringing of most of us. Here is another spot where corners and
cobwebs like to hobnob, and such intimacy must be sternly discouraged.
If old garments are kept in the attic, they should be either packed
away in labeled boxes or trunks, or hung on a line stretched across the
room and carefully covered with an old sheet. This line is also
serviceable when rainy days and lack of other room make it necessary,
to dry the washing here. The modern attic is for utility only, and so
its story is soon told.