DETROIT, DECEMBER 26, 1887.

 

 

THE HOUSEHOLD---Supplement.

 

 

THE FIRE OF HOME.
Sometimes I hear of noble deeds.
0! words that move mankind;
or willing hands that to other lands
Bring light to the poor and blind:
I dare not preach. I cannot write.
I fear to cross the foam;
Who, if I go, will spin and sew,
And light the fire of home?

My husband comes as the shadows fall,
From the fields with my girl and boy,
His loving kiss brings with it bliss
That hath no base alloy.
From the new-plowed meadow, fresh and brown
I catch the scent of the loam;
" Heart, do not fret, ’tis something vet
To light the fire of home.”

——-—-——OOO——--—'-

BE CEEERFUL !

 

It really seems to me that farmers’ wives
are the most “ preached at ” class of women
in existence. They get so much advice
from people who know little or nothing of
the conditions of their lives," so much in-
struction about their duties and res ponsibili-
ties that the only wonder is that they bear
it so meekly; and like children who are over-
governed do not rebel, cast off their chains
and “let natur caper.” There is a great
deal of anxiety manifested by mankind,
anyway, for fear women will not attain their
“highest possibilities” there are columns
written describing what a woman ought to
be and to do, principally on the text

“ A woman shy and an eet should be,
And rule at home right modestlee,"

yet every woman knows right well that not
one of these men who feel called upon to
ofler so much instruction “ free-gratis-for—
nothing,” could or would perform the mul-
tifarious duties that fall to woman’s lot,
with one-tenth of her ability, courage or
patience. If the average man was as good,
as honest, as conscientious, as deeply im—
pressed by a sense of his responsibilities to
this family as the average women, half the
laws ,might be stricken from our statute-
books. Man’s nature, in its strength or its
weakness, is not so widely different from
woman’s that the same general laws do not
govern each, the same passions and im-
pulses influence both; though woman’s ner-~
vous organization is the more sensitive, her
moral perceptions more acute, perhaps more
by education than by nature, however. But
it is a solemn thing to be a woman, when
there are so many self-elected advisers and
critics in the world. A good deal that is
said is at least entitled to the respect ac-
corded to age, it has been said often
enough.
One of the themes on which prolific ad-

ness. We are told to be cheerful very much

as we are ordered quinine—as a tonic, and as

if we could take it in powders. We must

“ be cheerful” to avoid the fate that sends

so many farmers’ wives to the lunatic asy-

laws, 3 result due, we are told, to overwork

and monotony of life. But if the wife

works herself to death, is it not for some

man’s benefit, and for the sake of their

mutual “hostages to fate,” their children?

Who is responsible for the monotonous life

many women endure? Is it the woman, who

can go nowhere except to a near neighbor’s

unless her husband takes her? If she goes

away from home one day in the week does

not her neighbor’s husband tell his wife

“ Mrs. is on the road again,” and

wonder “ when she gets her work done?”

How many of these husbands who preach

the duty of cheerfulness, will cheerfully

harness the horse and drive two miles of

an evening to some gathering not entirely

to their own taste, but which their wives

wish to attend? If a woman has not been

out of the house for a week, is not an excuse

always ready if the husband is not inclined

to go out? Most farmers’ Wives are willing

to “be cheerful,” but they must have help

in that line. Set a man in the kitchen seven

days in the week; let him see only visions

of open mouths to be filled three times a

day, fill his days with a wife’s daily duties

and his evenings with the mending basket,

and the house would not hold him the week

out. Any woman who ever tried to get

along with a bus )and too sick to work yet

not sick enough to be flaton his back knows

three days of the confinement she bears pa—
tiently week in and week out, transforms
him into a fretful, irritable “ crosspatch.”
Many a man who stands up before a farm-
ers’ club or institute and advises his neigh-
bors’ wives to be economical, spends more
for tobacco in six months than the personal
expenses of any one of them amount to in a
year; many a man who on paper extols the
virtue of good temper at home and harps on
the always-meet-your-husband-with-a-smile
idea is more arbitrary and disagreeable than
a turbaned Turk in his own .home when
there are no observers present. It is easy
to “ be fuller of virtuous precepts than a
copy book” on occasion; it is quite another
thing to practice them.

Let us have a truce to this preaching, then.
Women are without doubt poor, weak, frail.
miserable creatures, but also, without doubt,
God made them, and we also know it was a
part of the Divine plan that they should
somewhere nearly “match the men,” for
whose companions and helpmates they were

 

THE CHILDREN.

 

Among the Christmas gifts described in
the HOUSEHOLD, some one at last has given
a few to be made for children. If there is
one day above another that the children
should be made happy it is the 25th of De—
cember. Costly toys, perfect in their com—
pleteness, are less acceptable to children
than rough unfinished toys that leave room
for the constructive powers. for the play of
the imagination. Anything that will give
them employment and cause them to exer-
cise thought is far preferable to a toy that is
simply to be lookel at for its beauty. The
building blocks, the dissected maps and pic—
tures, will give greater pleasure and the in—
terest in them will last longer than in many
other things.

The interest of children in any object, or
it; their work or play is in pSOportion to the
activity of mind or body it calls from them
—-aud upon their interest depend their at—
tention, and upon the fixedness ot' the at-
tention depends the certainty of knowledge
—that is, the thoroughness with which a
thing is learned. The teacher has learned
the difficulty of teaching any branch the
pupil is not interested in, and will not at-
tempt much until an interest has been
awakened.

One of the most marvelous feats I ever
accomplished was the mastery of the alpha—
bet. The letters were utterly devoid of in-
terest in their relation to me, to each other,
or to anything else in the universe. A
represented nothing, it was simply a letter.
If it had not been for the facts that 0 was
round, S the crooked letter, X like the saw
horse, and the picture book with “ B stands
for the boy who ate the pie.” I might still
have been conning the A B C’s. By the use
of the word method the interest is excited
from the first.

If we would have children do their work
willingly and well, it mustbe by creating an
interest in it. An empty wood box has not
much of interest in it to the twelve year old
boy, but love for mother, that love that
manifests itself in deeds, in little acts of
helpfulness, will keep that box full. What
boy has not at least once filled that box
without asking, and while doing it, pictured
to himself the surprise and pleasure it will
give? Ah! mothers, here is your chance;
greet your boy with words of praise, for
certainly it is an act worthy of praise, and
you have not only made probable the repeti-
tion of the act, but you have influenced the
very character of your boy; greet him with
words of fault-finding, say to him: “Why

 

 

vice is offered is the necessity of cheerful-

 

  

created. BEATRIX.

can’t you bring in wood without making


       

  

  

 

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
   
   
   
    
  
    
    
  
  
    
    
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
  
 
   
 
  
 
   
 
 
 
 
  
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.x."xa;;.s‘....-_‘~..;_4.._;az..;....-.s. .. ..-:~.. .4 x. . u

‘. , u...

4:

 

THE HOUSEHOLD.

 

the fire so every cake is done alike, instead
of having a black patch on either side of
some.

Stir up the graham bread to-night; one

-- quart of warm water, a teacup of brown

sugar and molasses equally divided, lump
of lard size of an egg, use two-thirds gra—
ham and one-third roller flour and one tea-
cup yeast; mix as usual in the morning,
using graham flour, and mould into the tins,
asonce rising is sufficient; mix it soft as
you can handle. I sometimes stir it stiff
as I can and put it right in the tins, letting
it rise only once. But your father likes it
best made the other way. It makes deli-
cious toast when it becomes stale.
BATTLE CREEK. EVANGELINE.
___—..Q————-—
THE LAST INSTALLMENT.

This issue of the HOUSEHOLD will reach
its readers just as the last gifts of the sea-
son are being finished. These then are
afterthoughts, and mostly directions for
gifts which are e isily prep ired.

First, however, a few directions for
dressing the Christmas tree. There are
very pretty fancy ornaments expressly for
this purpose to he bought at the stores, but
if money is scarce. one feels as if it ought
to be spent more wisely than in the pur-
chase of purely ornamental things. A good
deal can be done at home. Cornucopias
of fancy paper and lace bags to be filled with
candies are easily and cheaply made.
Strings of popcorn and cranberries can be
used for festoons; red apples and golden
oranges make bright spots of color. Stars,
circles and crescents cut in thin pasteooard,
covered with gilt or silvereel paper, and ar-
rarged behind the tapers so as to reflect the
light, adi much to the beauty of the tree.
Clusters of autumn leaves, gilded, and
others dusted with diamond powder, are
very pretty; while gilded fir cones and
acorns are both new and “too sweet for
anything.”

A mirror in a plush frame like those in
the fancy shops may be made at home
easily, and at very small expense. Pro-
cure a smooth board eighteen inches
square, and cut an opening in the centre;
get a carpenter to bevel both edges of the
opening and of the board, then cover
neatly with plush or velvet, which may be
decorated or left plain. Behind the open—
ing fasten a piece of mirror, pasting strong
paper over the edges to hold it in place.
Hang diamond-shape.

A pretty plaque is made by taking a
common tin pieplate and painting in any
way desired. Gild the edge of the plate.
A light blue ground with spray of apple
blossoms or daisies is very pretty. If you
cannot paint you can make quite as pretty
a one by painting the plate the color
wished, and in the centre glue an embossed
picture, a group of pansies or roses. A
cream ground with pansies is pretty, and a
cluster of fruit or blossoms cut from one
of our seedsmen’s catalogues might be used.

For a shaving-pad, get a sheet of. blue
or pink blotting paper. Cut out of it
pieces about five inches square. Take two
of these pieces and ornament each on one
aid with a pretty flower or ricture pasted
on. Pink the edges, or they may be left
plain, and between the squares put a num-

  

 

 

ber of smaller squares of different shades
of tissue paper. Do not be afraid of put-
ting too many leaves of tissue, for it presses
very close together and you can hardly have
too many of them. Make a hole in one
corner of the pad and run through a strong
cord for a loop by which to hang it up. Have
the loops quite short, and on the corner of
the pad where the cord runs through, place
a bow of satin ribbon sufliciently broad to
conceal the cord. The pad must hang
diamond-wise.

A very dressy apron may be made of
seven-eighths of a yard of black silk. Choose
silk having agold colored selvedge, which
should be left on. Fold over one end an
inch deep and brrar stitch with gold-c3lored
silk, and on the same 'end at one corner,
outline a cluster of buttercupi, the blos-
soms in old gold, the leaves and buds in
green. Turn this end up ten inches and
overseam the edges together, this makes a
pocket deep enough to hold the fancy work
or sewing. Fold the top over an inch and
a half and shir five times across, drawing up
the right size for an apron, add a belt and
loops of ribbon. If your silk has a different
colored selvedge, make the final design to
correspond; daisies with a white selvedge,
carnations with a red one, pansies with pur-
ple. A bow of ribbon can be added at the
other corner of the turned-up portion, if
preferred. This same method may be em-
ployed with other m iterials; the blue or red
checked linen sold for glass toweling makes
very serviceable aprons, the white checks
being worked with polka dots in red work-
ing cotton, and the red with white, for a
a border across the top of the packet.

The prettiest sachet of the season is a bag
of white satin on which is painted a sprig
of red-berried, prickly-leaved holly; the bag
is tied with a bit of ribbon matching the

berries.
-—-—.O.—-—

OUR correspondents are kind enough to
tillushov much they priza the HOUSE-
HOLD, hoav welcome its weekly visits, how
mich of practical help and mental inspira-
tion they get from it. It is always cheer-
ing to know that the work we are doing is
enjoyed and appreciated by others, and the
HOUSEHOLD Editor acknowledges, grate-
fully, the many kindly words from our
re Lders vouchsafed her the past year, and
acknowledges also with sincere gratitude
the obligation the HOUSEHOLD is under to
those who have helped make its pages so
bright and helpful by their letters. We
hope to make the little paper better than ever
this new year. We ask our readers to help
us, not only by their letters, but by saying
a good word for the FARMEB and its little
annex, the HOUSEHOLD, and inducing a
neighbor or a friend to subscribe. That is
a practical way of helping that assists us in
making the paper better. We have no
chrome; or jackvknives to distribute, we
will not insure anybody’s life, we do not
insult the intelligence of our readers by
offering to bribe them to read the FARMEB,
but it will visit you fifty-two times in 1838
for one hundred and fifty cents, less than

three cents per visit, and we can safely
promise three cents’ worth of good reading
and information in every issue. We invite
a renewal of subscriptions, then, with con-
fidence that every reader will get full
“ value received ” every week of the year.

 

A CORRESPONDENT of the Rural New
Yorker says: “I had a tin slop-pail, the
bottom of which was so worn out that I
could not use it. I out two round pieces
from strong manilla paper, just the size of
the bottom on the inside. I then gave the
bottom a good OOht of paint, and while wet
pressed in one of the rounds of paper,
smoothing it well. After in had dried a
little, I paintedgthe paper and sides of the
pail, then put in the second round, smooth- -
ing it in as I did the first. When it was
dry 1 gave it another coat of paint all over
the inside, and dried it in the sun for sever-
al days. Now I can use it as well as ever.
Imended an ash pail in about the same
manner, using instead of the paper, one
round of thin tin.”

___._...__

A HOUSEKEEPER thus describes her
home-made wood box, which she says is a
great convenience and at the same time a
decided improvement on the old fashion of
papering or tacking oilcloth on a box. She
procured a shoe box at the village store,
turning it so that the broadest sides were
perpendicular, the narrower forming top
and bottom. She had a cover made, rather
larger than the top, and secured by hinges,
then painted it black, with a yellow stripe
half an inch wide all round, about an inch
from the edge. The wood is put in endwise
and the box holds a good supply.

..___¢..__——

Useful Recipes.

 

CREAM Canaan—Three quarts of sweet
cream and three quarts of warm milk just
from the cow. Heat to 62 degs. Add to each
quart of the mixture ten drops of liquid ren-
net and one teaspoonful of whey. Stir for
ten minutes. let stand twenty-four hours,
salt to taste, turn into a cheese cloth and let
drain twenty-four hours, then change the
cloth and press lightly. It will keep six days,
in a dry, cool place.

 

GINGER Commas—Two cofieecups of New
Orleans molasses, stand it on top of the tea-
kettle with the lid removed, or some good
place that it may warm through. When the
ingredients are all ready stir into it a tea-
spoonful of soda, same of ginger and salt,
four tablespoonfuls boiling water, and the
same of melted lard. Stir together until it is
all aioam, and then put in flour enough to
makes good firm dough, roll out and bake in
a hot oven, hot enough that they will begin
to bake pretty soon. Do not have them
crowded in the pan.

 

USE FOR DRY BREAD—Cut your bread into
dice, and if you have a quantity of gravy
from which fat can be taken. left from any
kind of roast (though a piece of butter will
do as well), thoroughly grease the bottom of
the Spider; put in the bread, with some little
chunks of butter and plenty of seasoning,
then pour enough boiling water on it to mois-
ten it, cover tightly, and in a moment it will
steam through and you can stir it, and either
brown 9. little or have it moist like dressing.
It should be eaten with gravy over it, and is
agood substitute for potatoes.

 

Mas. CLEVELAND'S BROWN BREAD.-—One
bowl Indian meal; one bowl rye flour; one
bowl sour milk; one large cup molasses; one
teaSpoonful soda; one small tablespoonful
salt. Steam two and one-half hours and bake
from twenty minutes to half an hour, accord-
ing to heat of oven.

 

 


 

 

 

  

/‘ ‘
. V w l ,-
, ,1
_/ ’ ’4/
4 H/ ””4 144/“

3:?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DETROIT, DECEMBER 26, 1887.

 

 

THE HOUSEHOLD-”Supplement.

 

THE FIRE OF HOME.

Sometimes I hear of noble deeds.
0f words that move mankind;

0f willing hands that to other lands
Bring light to the poor and blind:

I dare not preach. 1 cannot write.
[fear to cross the foam;

Who, if I go, will spin and sew,
And light the fire of home?

My husband comes as the shadows fall,
From the fields with my girl and boy,
His loving kiss brings with it bliss
That hath no base alloy.
From the new-plowed meadow, fresh and brown
I catch the scent of the loam;
” Heart, do not fret, ’tis something vet
To light the fire of home.”
_____...____

BE CHEERFUL !

 

It really seems to me that farmers’ wives
are the most “ preached at ” class of women
in existence. They get so much advice
from people who know little or nothing of
the conditions of their lives, so much in-
struction about their duties and responsibili-
ties that the only wonder is that they bear
it so meekly; and like children who are over-
governed do not rebel, cast off their chains
and “let natur caper.” There is a great
deal of anxiety manifested by mankind,
anyway, for fear women will not attain their
“ highest posSibilities;” there are columns
written describing what a woman ought to
be and to do, principally on the text

“ A woman shy and sw eet should be.
And rule at home right modestlee,"

yet every woman knows right well that not
one of these men who feel called upon to
ofier so much instruction “free—gratis—for—
nothing,” could or would perform the mul-
tifarious duties that fall to woman’s lot,
with one-tenth of her ability, courage or
patience. If the average man was as good,
as honest, as conscientious, as deeply im-
pressed by a sense of his responsibilities to
this family as the average women, half the
laws ,might be stricken from our statute-
books. Man’s nature, in its strength or its
weakness, is not so widely different from
woman’s that the same general laws do not
.govern each, the same passions and im-
pulses influence both; though woman’s her--
vous organization is the more sensitive, her
moral perceptions more acute, perhaps more
by education than by nature, however. But
it is a solemn thing to be a woman, when
there are so many self-elected advisers and
critics in the world. A good deal that is
said is at least entitled to the respect ac-
corded to age, it has been said often
enough.
One of the themes on which prolific ad-

ness. We are told to be cheerful very much

as we are ordered quinine—as a tonic, and as

if we could take it in powders. We must

“ be cheerful” to avoid the fate that sends

so many farmers’ wives to the lunatic asy-

lums, a result due. we are told, to overwork

and monotony of life. But if the wife

works herself to death, is it not for some

man’s benefit, and for the sake of their

mutual “hostages to fate,” their children?

Who is responsible for the monotonous life

many women endure? Is it the woman, who

can go nowhere except to a near neighbor’s

unless her husband takes her? If she goes

away from home one day in the week does

not her neighbor’s husband tell his wife

“Mrs. is on the road again,” and

wonder “ when she gets her work done?”

How many of these husbands who preach

the duty of cheerfulness, will cheerfully

harness the horse and drive two miles of

an evening to some gathering not entirely

to their own taste, but which their wives

wish to attend? If a woman has not been

out of the house for a week, is not an excuse

always ready if the husband is not inclined

to go out? Most farmers’ Wives are willing

to “ be cheerful,” but they must have help

in that line. Set a man in the kitchen seven

days in the week; let him see only visions

of open mouths to be filled three times a

day, fill his days with a. Wife’s daily duties

and his evenings with the mending basket,

and the house would not hold him the week

out. Any woman who ever tried to get

along with a has )and too sick to work yet

not sick enough to be flat on his back knows

three days of the confinement she bears pa-
tiently week in and week out, transforms

him into a fretful, irritable “ crosspatch.”

Many a man who stands up before a farm-
ers’ club or institute and advises his neigh-
bors’ wives to be economical, Spends more
for tobacco in six months than the personal
expenses of any one of them amount to in a
year; many a man who on paper extols the
virtue of good temper at home and harps on
the a1ways—meet-your-husband-with-a-smile
idea is more arbitrary and disagreeable than
a turbaned Turk in his own .home when
there are no observers present. It is easy
to “ be fuller of virtuous precepts than a
copy book” on occasion; it is quite another
thing to practice them.

Let us have a truce to this preaching, then.
Women are without doubt poor, weak, frail.
miserable creatures, but also, without doubt,
God made them, and we also know it was a
part of the Divine plan that they should
somewhere nearly “ match the men,” for
whose companions and helpmates they were

 

THE CHILDREN.

 

Among the Christmas gifts described in
the HOUSEHOLD, some one at last has given
a few to be made for children. If there is
one day above another that the children
should be made. happy it is the 25th of De-
cember. Costly toys, perfect in their com-
pleteness, are less acceptable to children
than rough unfinished toys that leave room
for the constructive powers, for the play of
the imagination. Anything that will give
them employment and cause them to exer-
cise thought is far preferable to a toy that is
simply to be lookel at for its beauty. The
building blocks, the dissected maps and pic—
tures, will give greater pleasure and the in-
terest in them will last longer than in many
other things.

The interest of children in any object, or
in their work or play is in psoportion to the
activity of mind or body it calls from them
—and upon their interest depend their at—
tention, and upon the fixedness of the at-
tention depends the certain ty of knowledge
—that is, the thoroughness with which a
thing is learned. The teacher has learned
the difficulty of teaching any branch the
pupil is not interested in, and will not at-
tempt much until an interest has been
awakened.

One of the most marvelous feats I ever
accomplished was the mastery of the alpha-
bet. The letters were utterly devoid of in-
terest in their relation to me, to each other,
or to anything else in the universe. A
represented nothing, it was simply a letter.
If it had not been for the facts that 0 was
round, S the crooked letter, X like the saw
horse, and the plcture book with “ B stands
for the boy who ate the pie.” I might still
have been conning the A B C’s. By the use
of the word method the interest is excited
from the first.

If we would have children do their work
willingly and well, it mustbe by creating an
interest in it. An empty wood box has not
much of interest in it to the twelve year old
boy, but love for mother, that love that
manifests itself in deeds, in little acts of
helpfulness, will keep that box full. What
boy has not at least once tilled that box
without asking, and while doing it, pictured
to himself the surprise and pleasure it will
give? Ah! mothers, here is your chance;
greet your boy with words of praise, for
certainly it is an act worthy of praise, and
you have not only made probable the repeti-
tion of the act, but you have influenced the
very character of your boy; greet him with
words of fault-finding, say to him: “Why

 

 

vice is offered is the necessity of cheerful-

  

created. BEATBIX.

can’t you bring in wood without making


a‘.....ac...;...i..£. .ng._:-_..-.a.._a. ; 0-2'3; : . . .u r s.

 

THE HOUSEHOLD. .

 

such a litter;” or, “Do keep the door shut
and bring a pail of water,” and that boy
will be discouraged and will rightly feel
that injustice has been done him.

There is nothing more dampening to the
spirits of children than to have their efforts
to help and please unappreciated and con-
demned. While learning to walk a child is
encouraged by every possible means, a fail-
ure ora fall only calls for help and sym~
pathy on our part. Even so ought it to be
encouraged and helped in all efforts to
do right. But praise should ever be
given judiciously and with discrimination.
Of the two children, the one bright, quick
to perceive, and to memorize, does not need
nor does not deserve the praise for a fault-
less lesson easily learned as does the sensi-
tive, dull, plodding child, who, though giv-
ing close attention and steady application
has a faulty lesson. There is but little
danger of bestowing upon this class too
much praise. Still I would not praise over
and over for the same act. After the child
has learned to walk and runs along every-
where, it no longer needs the words of en-
couragement that it did in its first feeble
efforts. To praise for every little thing is
also bad; it tends to make the child do
things for the sake of the praise it is sure to
receive rather than because it is right to do
them. However, the bad results rising
from continual praise are far less danger-
ous than those arising from continual re~
proof. There is a time for praise and there
is a time for reproof. [f achild does wrong
it merits and ought to receive punishment;
the only question about it is in what degree
and how shall it be administered. It is
easier to tell how not, than how. t should
never be in the presence of company, and
seldom if ever in the presence of compan-
ions, for that quite often creates a spirit of
dofiance in the culprit, or the mortification
of having others witness the punishment
may fill the child’s mind to the exclusion of
all thought concerning his guilt, and is apt
to produce a rebellious feeling. Never cor-
rect while angry yourself for you will be un-
just; nor while the child is angry. for an
angry child and a calm child are as different
as are John and Harry. You might as well
correct Harry for John’s conduct as to cor-
rect angry John; at least the result will be
just as good.

Early childhood days are days of intensi-
ty and reality. A child’s life is not in
memories of the past nor in imagination of
the future, but the present only. It is this
that makes its joys and sufieringmthough
brief, severely intense and real; therefore,
on no account punish a child by sending it
into a dark room you have worried with
hobgoblius, or with the idea that there the
bears will find them. To the child’s mind
the danger is as real as though it actually
existed. I, for one would not compel a
child to go to bed supperless as a punish-
ment, though I might make it go without
some favorite dish if there were any con-
nection between the favorite dish and the
offense, like the stealing of preserves. The

inflicting of bodily pain to correct and in-

fluence the soul is strongly advocated by

some, and there does seem to be a few cases
where this is the only possible way of reach-
ing the soul, but it does not correct it—only
cowers it into obedience.

 

Strange wandering this from Christmas
gifts into punishment; Do not leave me to
wander but let some one tell how'to punish.

-‘—‘ J ANNET [‘E.

CHRISTMAS.

Dickens says “Christmas is the only
holiday of the year that brings the whole
human family into common commission;
the only time in the long calender of the
year, when men and women seem by one
consent to open their shut up hearts,
freely.” There are always such glowing
anticipations, such pleasant, comforting
memories connected with it. How real it
all comes back to me, the Christmas at the
old home! For weeks before it was talked
about, and great preparations were made.

The largest turkey—sometimes two—
geese, ducks, chickens, were shut up for an
especial fattening; sometimesasmall pig,
just large enough to be a good roaster.
For a week profusion and confusion reigned;
mince-meat and pumpkin were cooked and
made ready, and when the great baking
day dawned we felt as if business had com-
menced in earnest. One of the boys had
to mount the loft over the woodshed and
throw down the oven wood, for the big
brick oven was to be heated; we gazed in
wonderment into the mouth of the huge
oven—how the wood snapped and cracked,
how the red blaze roared up the chimney
place! When it had burned down to coals,
mother proceeded to clear out the ashes
with a long-handled shovel. Then crme
the critical time, to find the right tempera-
ture. It should not be too hot, but just hot
enough; not too cool but just cool enough;
this was found out by putting flour on the
shovel and holding it in the oven so many
seconds, if it just browned it was the exact
heat, if it burned that was too hot. How
many times I have wondered if Ishould
ever arrive at such an age of wisdom and
judgment th it 1 should be considered com-
petth to bake a Christmas dinner in that
oven! Alas! to my shame be it spoken I
never did. First the loaves of bread were
put in to the farther end, one at a time, on
the big shovel; then the sheet iron door was
fitted in, for the first heat must be used for
the bread; then what ahurrying to get the
pies ready. We children were set to pick-
ing over raisins, we had a few rules that we
always observed when set at that business,
one was to eat the largest, softest ones, the
thin delica'e slices of citron, the nicest
currents, sample the cocoanut and various
spices. The richest, flakiest crust was
made for the mince pies; they were Spiced
and filled with fruit, the crust market in
fanciful designs, then came the cranberry
pics, with the crust fluted and the top
covered with Gris-cross strips, then the
pumpkin pies; they never loom up before
my mental vision but the lines of Whittier

fill my mind:

“ Then thanks for thy greatness, none sweeter
or better

Ne’ er smoked from an oven, or circled a
platter;

Fa1rerfi hands never wrought over pastry more

ne,

Brighter eyes never watched o’er its baking
than thine.

And the prayer which my mouth is too full to

express
Fills myW heart that thy shadow may never

gro
That the days53 of thy lot may be lengthened
below,

 

And the fame of thy worth like the pumpkin
vine grow
And thy life be as sweet and thy last sunset

Y
Golden'u'nted and fair as thine own pumpkin
me.”

And now the pies are all ready. The
bread is done, with that most delicious
crispy, brown crust that can never be at-
tained or produced in any but a brick oven,
is taken out on the self«same shovel, twelve
big loaves, removed from the tins and cover-
ed close, to cool, then in go the pies, just
one—half hour, mother says. And new the
cakes come on the carpet—delicate cream
cake filled with big seeded raisins; Wash-
ington cake, a wonderful cake, in which
all kinds of Spices were mingled; French
loaf cake—these must bake after the pies,
and then be frosted, that thick white frost-
ing imitating the crust on snow. When
everything was cleared away the poultry
must be dressed.

And Christmas eve has come, the stock,
ings are hung in a row, eight pairs besides
father’s and. mother’s. How hard it was to

go to sleep with such an anxiety on our

minds! our eyelids would fly open spite of
all we could do; occasional rattling of paper
fell on our ears, but finally quiet settled
down over the house, and severaltimes have
I crept noiselessly from my bed and felt of
my stocking, to make sure that the secret
longing of my heart was contained therein.
It generally was, and I returned to my bed
a wiser and perfectly satisfied child, and
in the morning when one vied with the
other to scream “Merry Christmas,” there
was no happier hand than we; each one had
just what he most longed for. Fires are
lighted all over the house, for when they all
get here there will be not few, but many;
the chickens are cut up and put boiling for
the pie, the turkey, geese, ducks are stuifed
and laid“ 1n the dripping pans, and again is
the oven heated, again is it filled with the
dishes of the dinner table. Now every-
thing is put in apple his order, and each and
all array themSelves in their best “ bib and
tucker;” we children amuse ours elves with
our presents. Mother, flushed, anxious and
smiling, vaciliates from oven to china closet,
from parlor to pantry, and before one can
hardly realize it, dinner is announced; there-
is room for all, two long tables just loaded.
Father presided at one table, Uncle Stephen
at the other; he always said grace. Every
Christmas since my recollection had he
stood in the self-same place, every time utter-
ing the self-same words, while we gravely
folded our hands and reverently bowed our
heads. Many long years have intervened,
but it seems as yesterday that i heard his
voice saying, ” and at list, bring us all to-
gether, for the kind Father's sake.” And
the prayer has been answered, for more are
gone than are left. “it is the old, old
fashion; the fashion that cime in with our
first parents, and will last unchanged until
the race has run its course, and the wide
firmament is rolled up like ascroll. The
old, old fashion—death?

What a joyful, jiVlal time our dinner
hmr was? The older ones equalled the
children in a flow of Spirits. “ It is good to
be children sometimes, and never better
than at Christmas; when its mightyFouuder
was a child Himself.” If through the long
year just closing, there had been petty dif-

 


w

 

 

THE HOUSEHOLD. , 3

ferences, little misunderstanding, hard and
bitter feelings, open ruptures, it was all
bridged over by this Christmas time, which
I'always try to associate with everything
kind and forgiving and charitable: a time
when all animosities and feuds should
be annihilated forever.

“ There’s a song,r the angels sing,
And its notes in rapture ring
Round the Throne whose radiance fills the
Heaven above,
Shepherds hea -d the wondrous strain
Wat-hing on India's plain,
‘ Glory be to God. to man be pea: e and love,‘
Hear the strain forever new
Rising up in Heaven‘s blue,

\ The ‘Glory give to God, and psace. good will

to man.’ ”

Is not it beautiful to think of, that ever
since the little c‘iill Jesus lay in the
manger, ever since the shepherds watching
theirflicks saw the star in the east and
followed it, and the wise men brought
their offerings for the child Jesus, down
through such a space of tims we do the
same; gather our loved ones, the dearest
of earth around us, and prep we and buy
the nicest of presents for them. Are we
not a little selfish, is it really and truly the
spirit of the Grett blister? Do we not for‘
get those who have no means, the old and
innrm, alone and helplss the little ones,
homeless, without tie of any kind, the sick
and sulfering, the pmr and needy? It is
such a great world, peopled with all classes,
the rich and poor, the good and the bad, the
sick and well, the deserving and the worth-
less. Christmis is aim )st here, it will soon
be gone, just as everything goes that we
look ahead to anticipate so long. It will be
a timeof feasting and happiness for ll] my,
it will als) be a time of hunger and discon-
tent for m my, but let us say as Tiny Tim
did “ Goi bless us all.”

BATTLE Cases. EV lNGELi NE.
__....-_ _.

CARPET MOTHS.

 

A number of ladies have told about hav-

ing trouble with the carpet n1 )th. I have
used a solution of alun that has proved

effeczutl in keeping them out of my car-
pets. Dissolve one pound of ainmn in
warm soft water, this is enough for a
g)o.l sizeI roon; then with a spmge or
clean cloth, wet the carpet around the
edge, a strip about three or four inches
wide. Do this after the carpet is put down
so as to wet the floor too.

”.18 lady speaks of using cheese cloth to
cover the ends of quilts and comfortables
ti keep them clean. I have never tried
that, but think it would be too thin for
covers that are in constant use. I have
used print for the last five years, and find
that it saves a great deal of washing, and
it saves the covers too. When buying a
lining for a quilt I get enough more for the
head covering.

I seatlnt Old Szlnol- eacher is teaching
her girls to do housework as they go along,
not waiting, like Hetty’s mother, until it
was a necessity. I have but one girl, but
from the time she was fourteen until she
was married at nineteen, she was my
“right hand man ” at all kinds of work. I
saw Old Szhool-Teacher at the dedication
at Ridgeway, and if I had been within
speaking distance, I should have told her
that I was going to take my knitting and

n in to chat with her some afternoon; but

 

now she has told about that sausage, I think
I will stay until after supper. “ Don’t
cook sausage for supper,” did you say?
Well, no matter; [cm just as well stay all
night. Stusage and buckwheat cakes are
just splendid for breakfast. It I could only
get the time, I would like to tell the read-
ers of the Honsnuorm of the work [do
some weeks, for I am

A BUSY IIOUSEKEEPER.
DUNDEE.

______..._______
THE CRESCENT CITY.

New Orleans is the ninth city in the
United States in size and population.
Mist of its streets running parallel with
the Mssissippi river present an unbroken
line from the lower to the upper limits of
the city. a distance of fourteen miles; those
at right angle: to these excend from the
river to the lake, seven miles. The streets
run from northeast to southwest. Those
in the newer portions of the city are wide,
bordered with trees and very oleouv .
Canal street is the chief thoroughfare. has
many fine stores and beautiful residences.

The custom houseis one of the largest
buildings in America, it is of guy stone.
We were infor nsd the foundation being
cotton bales, it had sunk one story, and no
insurance company will insure the building.
The branch Mint, Cotton Exchange and
St. Charles hotel are line, architecturally;
the latter is beautifully furnished and a cen-
tral place to stop.

As we drew near the city an old lady who
was going to stop in New Orleans, having
been there twenty-seven years before as a
teacher, offered to be ourguia‘ie. As we were
strangers we gladly accepted and went with
her to the St. Chirles hotel. Their price
wrs St a dry, with burl not near as good
as in far less pretentiols houses. Our pilot
in the morning found a friend on Canal
street with whom we all found rooms and
board at .85 each per week. She went with
usto many places of interest. I will tell
you some time about our first excursion;
that one day has so mmy pleasant mem-
ories. In two weeks a man and wife came
from Michigm in pursuit of health; as we
liked a change we went with them and
boarded on St. Charles street, near Lee’s
Circle. I promised to tell you of this and
other squares.

 

There are eleven parks and squares in
New Orleans. Lee’s Circle is perfectly
round, as its name indicates; in the center
is Gen. Lee’s imposing monument; the base
is gray stone in three tiers, perhaps twenty
feet square. The shaft or monument is
eighty feet high, white marble, above that
stands a statue of Gen. Lee, dressed in
black. his hat on an'i one arm outstretched.
The ground on which it stands rises five or
six feet; four wide gravel walks divide and
leai up to it; there are seats but no shade
trees. This is a lively place in the after-
noon, being the resort for nurses with baby
warons, and children of all sizes. An old
soldier is there all day on duty; he allows
no foot to step on the grass and it is beauti-
ful; not a. weed. I saw a man dig every
tiny one, nothing but thick green grass
that looks like a velvet carpet. No one is
now allowel to go up inside to the top, as
so many were chipping elf pieces to carry

away.

 

This monument was our guide
while we lived on St. C nrles street, as it
was to In my a traveler. When we went
out it was almost always up to Ctnal street;
returning we knew we were right when we
could see Lee‘s monument; five streets met
there.

Elst of M trgaret Square is Lafayette
Square, a very pie tsant place to rest in the
shade, but less ornamental than others,
There are no statues or ii >wers, simply the
welcome shade of magnolia plants and the
live oak, with gravel walks around and
across, and seats which look inviting to the
weary traveler. On one side was Camp
street, opposite is Magazine street, east is
the largest store in New Orleans, occupying
one whole block.

Jackslm Square is away down by the
French nnrket, near the river, the largest
and most beautiful one I saw; is enclosed
by a high iron picket fence, with fourdouble
gates, a wide shell drive and walks around
and across. There are flower beds in
ditferent shipes and designs, with most
lovely roses, jtponicas, azrlias, etc, (that
might well be calledthe “land of flowers”). ‘
Near the center is an equestrian statute of
Andrew Jackson. What a striking ap—
pearance he presents. sitting on his great
black horse! Below are the words “The
Union must and shall be preserved.” The
battle of New Orleans, which crowned
Jackson with fame, was fought Sunday,
Jan. ‘3, 1815; theanniversary of that day was
for many years celebrated with enthusiasm
only surpassed by the rejoicings on the
Fourth of July. There are giant shade
trees and seats everywhere inviting one to
sit and enjoy this feast of beauty spread
out by nature’s lavish hand. Opposite the
the gate to the east is the old bastile; op-
posite another gate stands the old Roman
Catholic cathedral.

In response to Cozette, of Flint, let me
say if she will burn bones till they can be
pulverized and sprinkle on top of her flower
pots, or boil in soft water and with this
water her plants, the leaves will cease to
turn yellow and die. My plants three
weeks ago were in that condition. I was
alarmed, could pick off dead leaves in hand
fuls, I feared my fine houseplants would all
die before winter had hardly begun. The
first application 1 boiled the bones ‘aud
watered them, could see a change for the
better. While my friends were using plant
food, ammonia, copperas water and liquid
manure, I have used nothing but warm
rainwater. In applying the bone so quickly
I stopped the leaves dying and now no one
would miss what died. But my friends’
plants are full of white, tiny worms, and '

must be transplanted. I have found noth-
ing as simple and beneficial as bone. Pre-
pared in this way, it is a good fertilizer.
Then the unsightly things are out of the
way, for our dog is always bringing them
around the door and yard. Cozette, please
try this, then write what is the result.
LESLIE. MRS. M. A. HALL.
'——*OO-—————

ANY reader of the HOUSEHOLD who has
the words of the old English ballad, sung
in the time of Madame Vestris, beginning

“When other lips and other hearts
Their tales of love shall tell,”

will confer a favor upon A. S. Hyder, of
Plainwell, by send'ng him a copy.

 


Raw $65851“ .“ams-qwmfim‘uw" . {m indium . ‘rmmwmvmmm

- ,.,_....,.V _
w vagina-ma.

 

INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE '}

THE HOUSEHOLD. .

 

such a litter;” or, “Do keep the door shut
and bring a pail of water,” and that boy
will be discouraged and will rightly feel
that injustice has been done him.

There is nothing more dampening to the
spirits of children than to have their efforts
to help and please unappreciated and con-
demned. While learning to walk a child is
encouraged by every possible means, a fail-
ure or a fall only calls for help and sym-
pathy on our part. Even so ought it to be
encouraged and helped in all efforts to
do right. But praise should ever be
given judiciously and with discrimination.
Of the two children. the one bright, quick
to perceive, and to memorize, does not need
nor does not deserve the praise for a fault-
less lesson easily learned as does the sensi-
tive, dull, plodding child, who, though giv-
ing close attention and steady application
has a faulty lesson. There is but little
danger of bestowing upon this class too
much praise. Still I would not praise over
and over for the same act. After the child
has learned to walk and runs along every-
where, it no longer needs the words of en-
couragement that it did in its first feeble
efforts. To praise for every little thing is
also had; it tends to make the child do
things for the sake of the praise it is sure to
receive rather than because it is right to do
them. However, the bad results rising
from continual praise are far less danger.
one than those arising from continualre-
proof. There is a time for praise and there
is a time for reproof. If achild does wrong
it merits and ought to receive punishment;
the only question about it is in what degree
and how shall it be administered. It is
easier to tell how not, than how. It should
never be in the presence of company, and
seldom if ever in the presence of compan-
ions, for that quite often creates a spirit of
dofiance in the culprit, or the mortification
of having others witness the punishment
may fill the child’s mind to the exclusion of
all thought concerning his guilt, and is apt
to produce a rebellious feeling. Never cor-
rect while angry yourself for you will be un-
just; nor while the child is angry. for an
angry child and a calm child are as different
as are John and Harry. You might as well
correct Harry for John’s conduct as to cor—
rect angry John; at least the result will be
just as good.

Early childhood days are days of intensi-
ty and reality. A child’s life is not in
memories of the past nor in imagination of
the future, but the present only. It is this
that makes its joys and suiferingsrthough
brief, severely intense and real; therefore,
on no account punish a child by sending it
into a dark room you have peopled with
hobgoblius, or with the idea that there the
bears will find them. To the child’s mind
the danger is as real; as though it actually
existed. I, for one would not compel a
child to go to bed supperless as a punish—
ment, though I might make it go without
some favorite dish if there were any con-
nection between the favorite dish and the
offense, like the stealing of preserves. The
inflicting of bodily pain to correct and in-
fluence the soul is strongly advocattd by

some, and there does seem to be a few cases
where this is the only possible way of reach-
ing the soul, but it does not correct it—only
cowers it into obedience.

 

Strange wandering this from Christmas
gifts into punishment; Do not leave me to
wander but let some one tell how punish.

‘” JANNET PE.
HF“

CHRISTMAS.

Dickens says “ Christmas is the only
holiday of the year that brings the whole
human family into common commission;
the only time in the long calender of the
year, when men and women seem by one
consent to open their shut up hearts,
freely.” There are always such glowing
anticipations, such pleasant, comforting
memories connected with it. How real it
all comes back to me, the Christmas at the
old home! For weeks before it was talked
about, and great preparations were made.

The largest turkey—sometimes two——
geese, ducks, chickens, were shut up for an
especial fattening; sometimesasmall pig,
just large enough to be a good roaster.
For a week profusion and confusion reigned;
mince-meat and pumpkin were cooked and
made retdy, and when the great baking
day dawned we felt as if business had com-
menced in earnest. One of the boys had
to mount the loft over the woodshed and
throw down the oven wood, for the big
brick oven was to be heated; we gazed in
wonderment into the mouth of the huge
oven—how the wood snapped and cracked,
how the red blaze roared up the chimney
place! When it had burned down to coals,
mother proceeded to clear out the ashes
with a long-handled shovel. Then otme
the critical time, to find the right tempera-
ture. It should not be too hot, but just hot
enough; not too cool but just cool enough;
this was found out by putting flour on the
shovel and holding it in the oven so many
seconds, if it just browned it was the exact
heat, if it burned that was too hot. How
many times I have wondered if Ishould
ever arrive at such an age of wisdom and
judgment th at 1 should be considered com-
petent to bake a Christmas dinner in that
oven! Alasltomy shame be it spoken I
never did. First the loaves of bread were
put in to the farther end, one at a time, on
the big shovel; then the sheet iron door was
fitted in, for the first heat must be used for
the bread; then what ahurrying to get the
pies ready. We children were set to pick—
ing over raisins, we had a few rules that we
always observed when set at that business,
one was to eat the largest, softest ones, the
thin delicate slices of citron, the nicest
currants, sample the cocoanut and various
spices. The richest, flakiest crust was
made for the mince pies; they were spiced
and filled with fruit, the crust market in
fanciful designs, then came the cranberry
pies, with the crust fluted and the ‘top
covered with eris-cross strips, then the
pumpkin pies; they never loom up before
my mental vision but the lines of Whittier
fill my mind:

“ Then thanks for thy greatness, none sweeter
or better

Ne’er smoked from an oven, or circled a
platter;

Fairer hands never wrought over pastry more

ne,

Brighter eyes never watched o’er its baking
than thine.

And the prayer which my mouth is too full to
express

Fills my heart that thy shadow may never

grow less,
That the days of thy lot may be lengthened
below.

, _ T.--.-.... ‘ _‘ ..._..... .. - . ,

 

And the fame of thy worth like the pumpkin
VlIle grow,
And thy life be as sweet and thy last sunset

Goldersiguted and fair as thine own- pumpkin

pie.

And now the pies are all ready. The
bread is done, with that most deliciom
crispy, brown crust that can never be at‘
tained or produced in any but a brick oven,
is taken out on the self-same shovel, twelve
big loaves, removed from the tins and cover—
ed close, to cool, then in go the pies, just
one-half hour, mother says. And now the
cakes come on the carpet—delicate cream
cake filled with big seeded raisins; Wash-
ington cake. a wonderful cake, in which
all kinds of spices were mingled; French
loaf-cake—these must bake after the pies,
and then be frosted, that thick white frost-
ing imitating the crust on snow. When
evervthing was cleared away the poultry
must be dressed.

And Christmas eve has come, the stock—
ings are hung in a row, eight pairs besides
father’s and mother’s. How hard it was to

.go to sleep with such an anxiety on our

minds! our eyelids would fly open spite of
all we could do; occ rsional rattling of paper
fell on our ears, but finally quiet settled
down over the house, and severaltimes have
I crept noiselessly from my bed and felt of
my stocking, to make sure that the secret
longing of my heart was contained therein.
It generally was, and I returned to my bed
a wiser and perfectly satisfied child, and
in the morning when one vied with the
other to scream “ Merry Christmas,” there
was no happier hand than we; each one had
just what he most longed for. Fires are
lighted all over the housa, for when they all
get here there will be not few, but many;
the chickens are cut up and put boiling for
the pie, the turkey, geese, ducks. are stufied
and laid in the dripping pans, and again is
the ovén heated, again is it filled with the
dishes of the dinner table. Now every-
thing is put in apple pie order, and eachand
all array themselves in their best “ bib and
tucker;” we children amuse ourselves with
our presents. Mother, flushed, anxious and
smiling, vacillates from oven tochina closet,
from parlor to pantry, and before one can
hardly realize it, dinner is announced; there
is room for all, two long tables just loaded.
Father presided at one table, Uncle Stephen
at the other; he always said grace. Every
Christmas since my recollection had he
stood in the self-same place, every time utter.
ing the self-same words, while we gravely
folded our hands and reverentiy bowed our
heads. Many long years have intervened,
but it seems as yesterday that i heard his
voice saying, " and at list, bring us all to.
gether, for the kind Father’s sake.” And
the prayer has been answered, for more are
gone than are left. “It is the old, old
fashion; the fashion that ctme in with our
first parents, and will last unchanged until
the race has run its course, and the wide
firmament is rolled up like ascroll. The
old, old fashion—death?

What a joyful, javzal time our dinner
hiur was? The older ones equalled the
children in a flow of spirits. “ It is good to
be children sometimes, and never better
than at Christmas; when its mighty Founder
Was a child Himself.” If through the long
year just closing, there had been petty dif-

WW. ._.....4-—-“

 


 

 

THE HOUSEHOLD. _ 8

 

ferences, little misunderstanding, hard and
bitter feelings, open ruptures, it was all
bridged over by this Christmas time, which
I'always try to associate with everything
kind and forgiving and charitable; a time
when all animosities and feuds should
be annihilated forever.

“ There‘s a song the angels sing,
. And its notes in rapture ring
Round the Throne whose radiance fills the
Heaven above,
Shepherds head thewondrous strain
Wat'rhing on India’s plain,
‘ Glory be to God. to man be peat e and love,”
Hear the strain forever new
Rising up in Heaven‘s blue,

\ The ‘ Glory give to God, and pace, good will

to man.’ ”

Is not it beautiful to think of, that ever
since the little c‘iill Jesus lay in the
manger, ever since the shepherds watching
theirfllcks saw the star in the east and
followed it, and the wise men brought
their offerings for the child Jesus, down
through such a Space of time we do the
same; gather our loved ones, the dearest
of earth around us, and prep we and buy
the nicest of presents for them. Are we
not a little selfish, is it really and truly the
spirit of the Gre it Mister? DJ we not for-
get those who have no means, the old and
inurm, alone and helples, the little ones,
homeless, without tie of any kind, the sick
and sulfering, the mm and needy? It is
such a great world, peopled with all classes,
the rich and poor, the good and the bad, the
sick and well, the deserving and the worth—
less. Christmas is almost here, it will soon
begoue, just as everything goes that we
look ahead to anticipate so long. It will be
a timeof feasting and happiness for muiy,
it will als ) be a time of hunger and discon-
tent for in my, but let us say as Tiny Tim
did “ God bless us all.”

Burns CREEK. EV lNGELl NE.

.__....._.___

CARPET MOTHS.

 

A number of ladies have told about hav-
ing trouble with the carpet nnth. 1 have
used a solution of alun that has proved
effectual in keeping them out of my car-
pets. Dissolve one pound of alumn in
warm soft water, this is enough for a
good sized roan; then with a spmge or
clean cloth, wet the carpet around the
edge, a strip about three or four inches
wide. Do this after the carpet is put down
so as to wet the floor too.

0 3e lady speaks of using cheese cloth to
cover the ends of quilts and comfortables
to keep them clean. I have never tried
that, but think it would be too thin for
covers that are in constant use. I have
used print for the last five years, and find
that it saves a great deal of washing, and
it saves the covers too. When buying a
lining for a quilt I get enough more for the
head covering.

I seathat Odd Szhaol-Teachsr is teaching
her girls to do housework as they go along,
not waiting, like Hetty’s mother, until it
was a necessity. I have but one girl, but
from the time she was fourteen until she
was married at nineteen, she was my
“right hand man ” at all kinds of work. I
saw Old School-Teacher at the dedication
at Ridgeway, and if I had been within
speaking distance, Ishould have told her
that I was going to take my knitting and

n in to chat with her some afternoon; but

 

now she has told about that sausage, I think
I will stay until after supper. “ Don’t
cook sausage for supper,” did you say?
Well, no matter; [can just as well stay all
night. Smsage and buckwheat cakes are
just splendid for breakfast. If 1 could only
get the time, I would like to tell the read-
ers of the HOUSEHOLD of the work I do
some weeks, for I am

A BUSY HOUSEKEEPER.
DUNDEE.

 

THE CRESCENT CITY.

New Orleans is the ninth city in the
United States in size and population.
Mist of its streets running parallel with
the Mississippi river present an unbroken
line from the lower to the upper limits of
the city, a distance of fourteen miles; those
at right angle; to these extend from the
river to the lake, seven miles. The streets
run from northeast to southwest. Those
in the newer portions of the city are wide,
bordered with trees and very pleasant".
Canal street is the chief thoroughfare. has
many fine stores and beautiful residences.

The custom house is one of the largest
buildings in America, it is of gray stone.
We were infor ned the foundation being
cotton bales, it had sunk one story, and no
insurance company will insure the building.
The branch Mint, Cotton Exchange and
St. Charles hotel are fine, architecturally;
the latter is beautifully furnished and a cen-
tral place to stop.

As we drew near the city an old lady who
was going to stop in New Orleans, having
been there twenty-seven years before as a
teacher, offered to be our-guide. As we were
strangers we gladly accepted and went with
her to the St. Charles hotel. Their price
Wis 34 a dry, with board not near as good
as in far less pretentious houses. Our pilot
in the morning found a friend on Canal
street with whom we all found rooms and
board at 33 each per week. She went with
usto many places of interest. I will tell
you some time about our first excursion;
that one day has so mmy pleasant mem-
ories. In two weeks a man and wife eime
from Michigin in pursuit of health; as we
liked a change we went with them and
boarded on St. Charles street, near Lee’s
Circle. I promised to tell you of this and
other squares.

There are eleven parks and squares in
New Orleans. Lee’s Circle is perfectly
round, as its name indicates; in the center
is Gen. Lee’s imposing monument; the base
is gray stone in three tiers, perhaps twenty
feet square. The shaft or monument is
eighty feet high, white marble, above that
stands a statue of Gen. Lee, dressed in
black. his hat on and one arm outstretched.
The ground on which it stands rises five or
six feet; four wide gravel walks divide and
lead up to it; there are seats but no shade
trees. This is a lively place in the after-
noon, being the resort for nurses with baby
wagons, and children of all sizes. An old

soldier is there all day on duty; he allows

no foot to step on the grass and it is beauti-
ful; not a weed, I saw a man dig every
tiny one, nothing but thick green grass
that looks like a velvet carpet. No one is
now allowel to go up inside to the top, as
so many were chipping off pieces to carry

. away.

 

This monument was our guide
while we lived on St. Charles street, as it
was to mtny a traveler. When we went
out it was almost always up to Canal street;
returning we knew we were right when we
could see Lee's monum ant; five streets met
there.

Etst of M irzaret Square is Lafayette
Square, a very pleisant place to rest in the
shade, but less ornamental than others,
There are no statues or flowers, simply the
welcome shade of magnolia plants and the
live oak, with gravel walks around and
across, and seats which look inviting to the
weary traveler. On one side was Camp
street, opposite is Magazine street, eastis
the largest store in New Orleans, occupying
one whole block.

Jackson Square is away down by the
French market, near the river, the largest
and most beautiful one I saw; is enclosed
by a high iron picket fence, with fourdouble
gates, a wide shell drive and walks around
and across. There are flower beds in
different shapes and designs, with most
lovely roses, jtponicas, azalias, etc, (that
might well be called the “land-of flowers”). I
Near the center is an equestrian statute of
Andrew Jackson. What a striking ap-
pearance he preSents, sitting on his great
black horse! Below are the words “The
Union must and shall be preserved.” The
battle Of New Orleans, which crowned
Jackson with fame, was fought Sunday,
Jan. 8, 1815; theanniversary of that day was
for many years celebrated with enthusiasm
only surpassed by the rejoicings on the
Fourth Of July. There are giant shade
trees and seats everywhere inviting one to
sit and enjoy this feast of beauty spread
out by nature’s lavish hand. Opposite the
the gate to the east is the old bastile; op-
posite another gate stands the old Roman
Catholic cathedral.

In response to Gazette, of Flint, let me
say if she will burn bones till they can be
pulverized and sprinkle on top of her flower
pots, or boil in soft water and with this
water her plants, the leaves will cease to
turn yellow and die. My plants three
weeks ago were in that condition. I was
alarmed, could pick off dead leaves in hand
fuls, I feared my fine houseplants would all
die before winter had hardly begun. The
first application I boiled the bones “and
watered them, could see a change for the
better. While my friends were using plant
food, ammonia, copperas water and liquid
manure, I have used nothing but warm
rainwater. In applying the bone so quickly
I stopped the leaves dying and now no one
would miss what died. But my friends’
plants are full of white, tiny worms, and '

must be transplanted. I have found noth-
ing as simple and beneficial as bone. Pre-
pared in this way, it is a good fertilizer.
Then the unsightly things are out of the
way, for our dog is always bringing them
around the door and yard. Cozette, please
try this, then write what is the result.
LESLIE. MRS. M. A. HALL.
——-—-QOO-———

ANY reader of the HOUSEHOLD who has
the words of the old English ballad, sung
in the time of Madame Vestris, beginning

“When other lips and Other hearts
Their tales of love shall tell,”

will confer a favor upon A. S. Hyder, of
Plainwell, by send'ng him a copy.

 


4:

THE HOUSEHOLD.

 

 

A REPLY.

Euphemia thinks that my breakfasts are
elaborate, but does not mention anything
that is extravagant except chocolate and
marmalade. Chocolate is not more ex—
pensive than coffee at the rate the latter is
selling, and marmalade made last summer
when peaches were only fifty cents per
bushel, is no dearer than apple sauce made
fresh every day when apples area dollar per
bushel, That is the retail price in Paw Paw
now.

If we were obliged to buy all the fruit,
canned and fresh, that we consume in a
year it would indeed be an expensive way
of living. But we raise our own fruit,
andIfill every can, jar and crock full. If the
sugar “gives out” I can the fruit without
and when cool weather comes we put
apples, pears and grapes into the cellar,
enough to last all winter. Pears will keep
until Christmas or New Year; grapes until
February, or some varieties until March,
and apples until apples come again. We
are never without fresh fruit; and any farmer
or farmer’s wife can do the same who will
hangathermometer in the cellar and keep
the temperature not below thirty-five and
not above forty-five degrees. Every farmer
should raise enough fruit 'for his family’s
use, so that there may be fresh fruit on
the table twice a day from strawberry time
until the season of grapes is over.

Without the fruit, 1 think my breakfasts
are very plain and I find only one thing——
the fishballs—that would be injurious to a
person’s stomach (but not to his brain); the
rest is certainly healthy, nutritious food.
As Mr. S. did not know that he was being
favored with extra breakfasts, I think I
shall keep right on in the same way. If
Euphemia would write down a week’s
breakfasts or dinners, she would find that
the meals look more on paper than they do
when set on the table.

The most convenient kitchen utensil
here in our family is the patent potato
masher. It is used for potatoes, turnips,
squash and apples, and in the canning sea-
son it is almost indispensable; hardly a day
passes that it is not used. If the dumb
waiter were not more properly a part of the
houseI should name that. E. a. s.

Paw Paw.
‘ —-———-¢oo—-—-

DISPOSING OF FRESH MEATS.

I have been a reader of the HOUSEHOLD
for some time and have never taken part in
any of the discussions although often tempt-
ed to; I suppose it was the courage I lacked.
1 thi if Betty fails to be a good house-
keeper, it will not be her mother’s fault. I
wonder if Hetty will live on a farm and how
she will plan for all those nice cakes when
there is a scarcity of eggs in the market,
and the hens won’t lay and only afew pack-
ed eggs on hand, for I think the recipes her
mother gives, in some respects, are a little
extravagant. Perhaps she is not having the
trouble to get eggs that I am. I wanted to
try her recipe for watermelon cake, but
when I looked it over and found it called
for the whites of six eggs I thought I
should have to give it up; I have only a few
packed eggs and being rather miserly with
them, I hated to use so many at once. So 1

.without danger of taking cold.

 

resolved to make a cake after my own fash-
ion, and as it was a success I will give the
recipe just as I made it. [The recipe will
be found on the last page—En] When
eggs are plenty I shall certainly try the ba-
nana cake, for I think it would be nice.

1 have been taking care of meat this week
and it might not come amiss to mention my
ways of prephring it. After the lard was
taken care of I used the hearts and part of
the meat from the backbones, with some
beef, for mince-meat. The scraps that were
left from cutting up the hogs 1 made into
sausage, seasoning with pepper, salt, sage
and a very little ginger. I took the jaws
and two large chickens, cooked until very
tender and made into pressed meat, and the
bucks andtongues I boiled until tender, then
put in a jar and poured hot spiced vinegar
over them. Our vinegar is very strong so I
weakened it and added some sugar. I like
fresh meat when one can keep it, but the
weather has been so warm that I was afraid
i should have a lot of spoiled meat on hand,
so i in ked the spare-ribs and fried the ten-
derioins and packed away in lard. I intend
to prepare some bacon and then 1 am through
with taking care of meat until time to smoke
the barns and shoulders in the spring. It
was lots of work, but now it is all done and
I have a nice variety of cooked meats put
up in such a manner that i think there is no
chance for spoiling, and to my way of think-
ing, much nicer than the one dish of fried
pork every meal. ETHELDA.

Nuns.
—-—-——-—-+OO--————

HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

Bonax and red pepper scattered on the
pantry shelves will rout the ants.

A CORRESPONDENT of the Rural New
Yorker says that she saved a barrel of pork
which had become “ rusty ” because of the
unnoticed bursting of a hoop which had let
the brine off, by taking it up, packing it in
salt again, and p zuring over a fresh brine to
which several ounces of saltpetre had been
added.

THE common granite ware is considered
a great improvement over the iron pots and
kettles that are so heavy to handle and so
disagreeable to wash. And the agate granite
were is even better than the common, as
it is free from the faults of chipping and
scaling, sometimes observable in the ordi~
nary granite ware. It may be well to men-
tion that to prevent unused iron ware from
rusting, it is only necessary to rub it over
with grease, not a pleasant task, perhaps,
but better than having it a mass of rust.

THE following is recommended as an ex-
cellent method of cleaning a very dirty car-
pet. The work is best done in the spring,
when windows and doors can be opened
Scrape
fine a pound of the best white castile soap,
add a quarter of apound pulverized washing
soda and as much spirits of turpentine as
will serve to make it of a dough-like con-
sistency. This quantity will be sufficient
to clean a very large and dirty carpet.
After the carpet has been beaten and
tacked down, take a pail of hot water and a
flannel cloth, wet the carpet, rub over with

 

the ball of soap, and wipe off the soap with
the flannel wrung out of the hot water.
For a very dirty carpet apply a scrub-brush
after the soap.

AN exchange says: If milk is heated to
the boiling point it kills all ferments which
it may contain or which may have been
absorbed from the air, and if then it is ex-
cluded perfectly from the air, it will keep
sweet and sound for an indefinite length of
time. It is only necessary to heat it and
seal it up hot to have it keep j 18!: as well as
berries and fruit do that are soft and per—
ishable, and for precisely the same reasons,
viz., killing with heat the ferment, which
consists of living orgmic gems that either
exist in the fruit or milk. or are taken into
them from the air, and by sealing to pre-
vent the introduction of any new germs by
absorption. Milk can therefore becanned
for use during an interval when one ex-
pects to be without, and save the trouble of
securing a supply from a. neigh‘mr. Use
only glass cans with porcelain-lined tops.

____._...___

Contributed Recipes.

WATERMELON Cure—Beat the whites of
twoevgs with one cup sugar and one table-
spoonful melted butter, half cup sweet milk,
one and a half cups flour, one teaspoonful
baking powder, flavored with vanilla; this
will make three layers, but I only used two.
Let me say right here I use this recipe for
chocolate cake, only I use the yolks of eggs
for the cake, and the whites for the frosting.
Now for the pink layer, I beat the white of
one egg with half cup of red sugar and one
tablespoonful butter, half cup sweet milk,
one cup flour, one teaspoonful baking powder,
and flavored with pineapple. This will make
nearly two layers, but I use but one. Then
for the filling I took the yolks of the eggs, one
cup milk, half cup sugar, and set it on too
stove and when it came toa boil thickened
with cornstarch; added one cup of fine chop-
ped raisins, and- set away until the cakes
were baked. When ready I placed the white
cake on the plate, spread half the custard on,
then put the pink cake next, then the rest of
the custard, then the other white cake on
top, and I had a very pretty cake as well as
good. or course I had some dough left; this
I marbled and baked in small cakes.

N ILIS. Er Burma.

0

CHICKEN HASH ON RICE Toner—Trim the
meat from the bones, removing all the skin;
cut the meat fine; put it in a pan; add a little

water, salt and pepper. When the water has
evaporated arrange the chicken on the rice
toast, placing a poached egg on top if desired.
To make the rice toast. boil the rice the night
before and pour it in an earthen dish; set in
the ice box or where it will get cold, with a
weighton it. When wanted. cut in half-inch
slices, brush a little butter over them, place
the slices in the double broiler and toast to a
delicate brown; butter them; sprinkle with
salt and pepper. A nice breakfast dish, and
a good way to dispose of the remnants of
poultry; ’I‘. MURRY.

CmCKENs AND MACARONI.—This makes a
very nice family dinner. and is a changefrom
the ord‘nary roast fowl. Cut up a tender
chicken in neat pieces, and fry brown in
fresh butter with a few strips of bacon,
keeping the pan covered. Season with pep-
per anda little salt. Meantime boil half a
pound of macaroni for twenty minutes in
salted boiling water; drain, and pile in the
center of a large dish. Lay on top a piece of
butter the size of an egg, out in bits to facili-
tate its melting: add four tablespoonfuls of
grated cheese, and pour over all a cup of
some good rich gravy. Arrange the chicken
around this mound. , B.

 


._..~;.~—-a..':.-V.: z..- .

1””: 775W“? "swarm-1.92m ., swarms ....

a,” _, w... Han-fwmm. _. 1... mm» , _. .‘. .

INTENTIONAL SECOND EXPOSURE ,

4: THE HOUSEHOLD.

 

 

A REPLY.

Euphemia thinks that my breakfasts are
elaborate, but does not mention anything
that is extravagant except chocolate and
marmalade. Chocolate is not more ex-
pensive than coffee at the rate the latter is
selling, and marmalade made last summer
when peaches were. only fifty cents per
bushel, is no dearer than apple sauce made
fresh every day when apples area dollar per
bushel, That is the retail price in Paw Paw
now.

If we were obliged to buy all the fruit,
canned and fresh, that we consume in a
year it would indeed be an expensive way
of living. But we raise our own fruit,
andIfill every can, jar and crock full. If the
sugar “ gives out” 1 can the fruit without
and when cool weather comes we put
apples, pears and grapes into the cellar,
enough to last all winter. Pears will keep
until Christmas or New Year; grapes until
February, or some varieties until March,
and apples until apples come again. We
are never without fresh fruit; and any farmer
or farmer’s wife can do the same who will
hang athermometer in the cellar and keep
the temperature not below thirty-five and
not above forty-five degrees. Every farmer
should raise enough fruit 'for his family’s
use, so that there may be fresh fruit on
the table twice a day from strawberry time
until the season of grapes is over.

Without the fruit, I think my breakfasts
are very plain and I find only one thing-—
the fishballs—that would be injurious to a
person’s stomach (but not to his brain); the
rest is certainly healthy, nutritious food.
As Mr. S. did not know that he was being
favored with extra breakfasts, I think I
shall keep right on in the same way. If
Euphemia would write down a week’s
breakfasts or dinners, she would find that
the meals look more on paper than they do
when set on the table.

The most convenient kitchen utensil
here in our family is the patent potato
masher. It is used for potatoes, turnips,
squash and apples, and in the canning sea-
son it is almost indispensable; hardly a day
passes that it "is not used. If the dumb
waiter were not more properly a part Of the
house I should name that. E. a. s.

Paw Paw.
‘ —-—-—oOO——————-

DISPOSING OF FRESH MEATS.

I have been a reader of the HOUSEHOLD
for some time and have never taken part in
any of the discussions although often tempt-
ed to; I suppose it was the courage I lacked.
l thi if Hetty fails to be a good house-
keeper, it will not be her mother’s fault. I
wonder if Betty will live on a farm and how
she will plan for all those nice cakes when
there is a scarcity of eggs in the market,
and the hens won't lay and only afew pack-
ed eggs on hand, for I think the recipes her
mother gives, in some reSpects, are a little
extravagant. Perhaps she is not having the
trouble to get eggs that Iam. I wanted to
try her recipe for watermelon cake, but
when I looked it over and found it called
for the whites of six eggs I thought I
should have to give it up; I have only a few
packed eggs and being rather miserly with
them, I hated to use so many at once. So I

. without danger of taking cold.

 

resolved to make a cake after my own fash-
ion, and as it was a success I will give the
recipe just as I made it. [The recipe will
be found on the last page—En] When
eggs are plenty I shall certainly try the ba-
nana cake, for I think it would be nice.

I have been taking care of meat this week
and it might not come amiss to mention my
ways of preparing it. After the lard was
taken care of 1 used the hearts and part of
the meat from the backbones, with some
beef, for mince-meat. The scraps that were
left from cutting up the hogs 1 made into
sausage. seasoning with pepper, salt, sage
and a very little ginger. I took the jaws
and two large chickens, cooked until very
tender and made into pressed meat, and the
hooks and tongues I boiled until tender, then
put in a jar and poured hot spiced vinegar
over them. Our vinegar is very strong so I
weakened it and added some sugar. I like
fresh meat when one can keep it, but the
weather has been so warm that I was afraid
I should have a lot of spoiled meat on hand,
so i baked the spare-ribs and fried the ten-
derloins and packed away in lard. I intend
to prepare some bacon and then 1 am through
with taking care of meat until time to smoke
the hams and shoulders in the spring. It
was lots of work, but now it is all done and
I have a nice variety of cooked meats put
up in such a manner that i think there is no
chance for spoiling, and to my way of think-
ing, much nicer than the one dish of fried
pork every meal. ETHELDA.

Nrurs.
—-——-—~so¢——-—

HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

BOBAX and red pepper scattered on the
pantry shelves will rout the ants.

A CORRESPONDENT of the Rural New
Yorker says that she saved a barrel of pork
which had become “ rusty ” because of the
unnoticed bursting of a hoop which had let
the brine Off, by taking it up, packing it in
salt again, and p :uring over a fresh brine to
which several ounces of saltpetre had been
added.

THE common granite ware is considered
a great improvement over the iron pots and
kettles that are so heavy to handle and so
disagreeable to wash. And the agate granite
ware is even better than the common, as
it is free from the faults of chipping and
scaling, sometimes observable in the ordi-
nary granite ware. It may be well to men-
tion that to prevent unused iron ware from
rusting, it is only necessary to rub it over
with grease, not a pleasant task, perhaps,
but better than having it a mass of rust.

THE following is recommended as an ex—
cellent method of cleaning a very dirty car-
pet. The work is best done in the spring,
when windows and doors can be opened
Scrape
fine a pound of the best white castile soap,
add a quarterof. a pound pulverized washing
soda and as much spirits of turpentine as
will serve to make it of a dough-like con-
sistency. This quantity will be suflicient
to clean a very large and dirty carpet.
After the carpet has been beaten and
tacked down, take a pail of hot water and a
flannel cloth, wet the carpet, rub over with

 

the ball of soap, and wipe off the soap with
the flannel wrung out of the hot water.
For a very dirty carpet apply a scrub-brush
after the soap.

AN exchange says: If milk is heated to
the boiling point it kills all ferments which
it may contain or which may have been
absorbed from the air, and if then it is ex:
cluded perfectly from the air, it will keep
sweet and sound for an indefinite length of
time. It is only necessary to heat it and
seal it up hot to have it keep j ist as well as
berries and fruit do that are soft and per-
ishable, and for precisely the same reasons,
viz., killing with heat the ferment, which
consists of living organic germs that either
exist in the fruit or milk, or are taken into
them from the air. and by sealing to pre-
vent the introduction Of any new germs by
absorption. Milk can therefore be canned
for use during an interval when one ex-
pects to be without, and save the trouble 0:
securing a supply from a neighbor. Use
only glass cans with porcelain-lined tops.

.___...___..

Contributed Recipes.

WATERMELON CAKE—Beat the whites of
twoeggs with one cup sugar and one table-
spoonful melted butter, half cup sweet milk,
one and a half cups flour, one teaspoonful
baking powder, flavored with vanilla; this
will make three layers, but I only used two.
Let me say right here I use this recipe for
chocolate cake, only I use the yolks of eggs
for the cake, and the whites for the frosting.
Now for the pink layer, I beat the white of
one egg with half cup of red sugar and one
tablespoonful butter, half cup sweet milk,
one cup flour, one teaspoonful baking powder,
and flavored with pineapple. This will make
nearly two layers, but I use but. one. Then
for the filling I took the yolks of the eggs, one
cup milk, half cup sugar, and set it on tue
stove and when it came toa boil thickened
with cornstarch; added one cup of fine chop-
ped raisins, and set away until the cakes
were baked. When ready I placed the white
cake on the plate, spread half the custard on,
then put the pink cake next, then the rest of
the custard, then the other white cake on
top, and I had a very pretty cake as well as
good. or course I had some dough left; this
I marbled and baked in small cakes.

Nrus. E-r EELDA.

0

CHICKEN HASH ON Bron Toast—Trim the
meat from the bones, removing all the skin;
out the meat fine; put it in a pan; add a little

water, salt and pepper. When the water has
evaporated arrange the chicken on the rice
toast, placing a poached egg on top if desired.
To make the rice toast. boil the rice the night
before and pour it in an earthen dish: set in
the ice box or where it will get cold, with a
weighton it. When wanted, cut in half-inch
slices, brush a little butter over them, place
the slices in the double broiler and toast to a
delicate brown; butter them; sprinkle with
salt and pepper. A nice breakfast dish, and
a good way to dispose of the remnants of
poultry: ’I‘. Muanv.

Cmcxass AND MACARONI.—This makes a
very nice family dinner. and is a change from
the Ord‘nary roast fowl. Cut up a tender
chicken in neat pieces, and fry brown in
fresh butter with a few strips of bacon,
keeping the pan covered. Season with pep-
per anda little salt. Meantime boil halt a
pound of macaroni for twenty minutes in
salted boiling water; drain, and pile in the
center of a large dish. Lay on top a piece of
butter the size of an egg, out in bits to facili-
tate its melting; add four tablespoonfuls of
grated cheese, and pour over all a cup of
some good rich gravy. Arrange the chicken
around this mound. , B.