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DETROIT, JANUARY 28, 1.888.

 
THE HOUSEHOLD-"Supplement.

 
LIFE.

 
Lifel I know not what thou art,
But know that thou and I must part
And when. or how. or where we met
I own’s to me a secret yet.

Life! we‘ve been long together
Through pleasant and through cloudy weather
’Tis hard to part when friends are dear,—
Perhaps ’twill cost a sigh or tear;

Then steal away. give little warning,

Choose thine own time;

Say not Good Night. bu '. in some brighter clime

Bid me Good Morning.

——A. L. Bar-banal.

+

GIVING ADVICE.

 
During my seven years’ connection with
the FABMER as editor of the Household De-
partment, I have received a great many let-
ters asking advice on many suij cts, all of
more or less importance to the inquirer.
These letters have in every instance been
answered, either through the HOUSEHOLD
or by private letter, as seemed most expe-
dient, and always according to my best
judgment, information, and knowledge of
the matter at issue. Without doubt the
counsel given has sometimes been unpala-
table; I dare say I’ve more than once been
voted “9. disagreeable old thing” as the
reward of a candid opinion. A great many
people have a way of asking advice of others
and paying no heed to it unless it agrees
with their preferences. Indeed, I once
heard of a lady who being asked the secret
of the popularity, which led her opinions to
be in great request among her associates, re-
plied that it was very simple: “ I ﬁnd out
what they want to do, and then advise them
to do it.” Her knowledge of human nature
taught- her it is always pleasing to our self-
love to have our conclusions corroborated by
others. And yet can a conscientious person
conﬁrm a friend in an opinion or encourage
a project which her wider experience and
knowledge teach her must result disastrous-
ly? Certainly not; it is the province of the
true friend to warn if she sees danger
ahead. I believe it is better never to offer
advice, but if it is asked, to give a candid
opinion, based on our best knowledge of
conditions, and such an opinion ought to
receive the courtesy of consideration. To
ask a friend what she would do under cer.
tain circumstances which affect us only, is
putting her in a difﬁcult position. No hu-
man being knows what he would do till the
occasion arises for individual action; we
only know what we think we would do.
Pope says

“ T1: with our judgment as our watches, none
Go just alike, yet each believes his own.”

 
Each individual’s conception and under-
standing must be. in accordance with mental
and external conditions which we cannot
entirely comprehend.

This long prelude brings me back to the
matterI had in mind at the outset. One of
my recent letters was from a young lady
who asked my opinion in regard to a pro-
posed line of acti in. To this I replied,
mentioning several points involving SUCCrSS
or failure, which she had overlooked. My
letter was not encouraging, for I felt assur-
ed the chances of success in her scheme were
greatly overbalanced by the probabilities of
defeat, and she had said she was borh poor
and inexperienced. But were she imperial
Caesar and I the Roman senator with the
b oody dagger, my little friend could not say
" Et tu, Brute! ” more reproachfully. She
writes in return (the italics are mine):

“ I was very much saddened by the dis-
couraging tone of your letter. 1 had hoped
you would enter into my plans and give me
some good advice. I have had a great deal
of Opposition at home which I have not yet
overcome, and I wanted an encouraging
letter to help me with the folks. I felt sure
of it, for I have so many times read your
articles advising girls to try to be indepen-
dent that 1 zrlt certain of your approval and
help. I cannot give up my plans; they have
been my dream too long ; but I see I must
depend on my own strength.”

The real meaning of the above is that the
writer wanted to be advised in a line with
her inclinations and had no use for adverse
sentiments. She had made up her mind in
a certain fashion, and was not prepared to
unmake it for anybody’s counsel. What,
then, is the use of asking for what you have
decided not to use unless it quite suits you,
like the tramp who begs bread at the kitchen
door and tosses it over the alley fence be-‘
cause it is not pic?

I am indeed strongly in favor of bringing
up girls to be self-supporting; even if it is
not necessary tor them to earn money at the
moment, they need the strength, the disci-
pline and self-reliance that come from know-
ing how to earn it. The great trouble is
people agree in this view in a large-hearted,
impersonal way, as being applicable to the
great mass of humanity, but with no special
bearing on their own case. It is an excel-
lent thing-——for other peopte. It seems an
almost impossible thing to impress them
with the idea of the imperative necessity of
preparation and education for the work by
which we are to be independent. Self-sup-
port for women means, even yet, to the ma-
jority of people, something a women can
do without training, something she can pick
up and work at for a time pending the real
object of woman’s life, marriage. To this

is opposed the fact that as the world grows

     
more luxurious, its demands are more ex-
acting; it will pay good wages only for the
skilled labor which gives the most perfect
results. Take an employment peculiarly a
feminine one, sewing, for instance; dress-
making is a ﬁne art compared to what it was
twenty years ago. The unskilled labor of
the New York sewing woman who takes
“slop work” from the manufacturers of
ready-made clothing, is worth ﬁfty cents
per day,sometimes less. Her work requires
but little more intelligence than than of an
automaton. But the nine hours of a good
needlewoman, who can cut and drape, bring
her three dollars. The ﬁfty cent woman
can only hope to earn higher wages when
she has acquired the skill and experience
which cost the better workwoman weeks of
weary toil. I know no better argument in
favor of training and preparation than the
difference in wages between skilled and
unskilled labor.

My ambitious young friend wanted to
engage in work which she said she was
"sure would be congenial and pleasant,”
but which required a special training and a.
good education. She was not wishing to
learn, but expected to step into a place
where she could earn good wages at once.
It was very much as if a novice should step
into M. S. Smith’s jewelry store here and
ask to be set at making watches at once,
expecting the wages of a competent watch-
maker. The question is not whether the
work would be congenial, but of her ability
to do it. And what chance does ignorance
and incapacity stand in competition with
trained aptitude, where there are more
workers than work?

Now, I am going to offer some gratuitous
advice, to be taken by those who may
chance to need it, but especially for the
girls who long fora “career,” but are in
too great haste to prepare for what they
wish to do. The old prophet Nehemiah
bade every man rebuild the wall before his
own door. So you, in searching for some-
thing to do, do not overlook that imme—
diately before you. Take up the duty that
is nearest you. We cannot choose duties
any more than we can choose the color of
our eyes. Some of you have mothers who
need your help; pay your hone st debts ﬁrst.
See what you can ﬁnd to do near home.
Most of you look to the city as a place
of numberless opportunities, and think
were you but here you could quickly ﬁnd
something to do. There is one- and only
one—ﬁeld of labor in this city at least,
where there is plenty of room and that the
despised domestic service; in every other

 
branch of woman’s work there are dozens

  
2 THE HOUSEHOLD.

 
of applicants for every place; and only
women who have educated themselves to
their work or made themselves necessary to
their employers through their skill, are re-
ceiving good wages.

Remember that though a dollar a dry
may seem opulence to you, it melts like
mist before a host of unaccustomed ex-
penses incidental to city life, and even a
dollar a day is not always obtainable. If
you can give skilled labor, if you can
create a new want and ﬁll it, you are justi—
ﬁed in seeking a larger ﬁeld, though often
the little business that ﬂourished modestly
ina small town, when transplanted to a
city is blighted by the keener competition
it must meet. The city swallows hosts (f
bright dreams and anticipations every
year, and turns out scores of disappointed
men and women. We hear of the suc-
cesses, but the lips of Failure are mute.

And bear in mind this truth, that, once
you have made up your mind to be in-
dependent, and chosen your vocation, the
next thing, and the most important thing of
all, is to set about learning how to do it.
And I wish all women would look upon
marriage as men do-as an incident. not as
the aim of life; that is, resolve that their
lives are theirs, to be moulded and shaped
to a deﬁnite purpose, and that marriage
must never be marriage for maintenance,
but because two lives and hearts are so

attuned that uLion alone results in harmony.
' BE ATRIX.

_.__.._...—

OPPORTUNITIES.

When God created this earth, which oc-
cupies so small a place in the universe;
with its wide expanse of water, intermin-
able forests, rich and productive soil, and
placed here, not only the ornamental and
the beautiful, but the useful and the nec-
essary things of life, he also created man;
endowed him with faculties, which if
rightly cultivated and controlled will en-
able him to reach the glorious end for
which he was designed. And one of his
richest blessings is the mutable law which
governs his destiny. So it is with the
destinies of all things around us, they are
not governed by an invincible law, but are
subject to constant changes. The plant

that springs up by the wayside to—day may _

fade and die tomorrow or it may live and
bloom for many days. The tree which to-
day is leaﬂess and bare, through whose
branches the wind whistles and means,
and whose ice-covered limbs glisten in the
winter sunshine will in a few short weeks
shoot forth buds on every side, which will
under the inﬂuence of spring showers and
heat expand until it stands dressed in its
summer robe of green.

We believe in the abstract principle
that “nothing was created in vain. Yet we
sometimes reject it when we see the mis-
takes and failures of so many around us.
How sad it is to see one whose form is bent
with age and inﬁrmity, whose every ex-
pression tells of a misspent life! He may
have been an only child with every pros-
pect of a brilliant future, but as is too
often the case (in this nineteenth century)
took no thought of the morrow, heeded not
the precious moments that were silently,
swiftly gliding away; and soon, ah! sooner

than he was aware, those jetty locks were

silvery white, that once proud form was
bent and suffering under the weight of ad-
vancing age. Then bitter indeed the,

thoughts as memory recalls those wasted

moments. In occurrences of life gone by,

memory is as moonlight on still waters; 3.
far showing, steadily burning lamp, guiding
the soul back to lost opportunities, failures,

sorrow, intervening goodness, in short a
ﬁckle career. Did you ever pause and
think of the many opportunities that have
come to you, and which in your eagerness
after something better you have neglected
to grasp? It may have been the neglect to
speak a kind word or perform some little
act that would brighten a sick and desolate
heart. For it is just as true now as when
it was written, that “a merry heart doeth
good like a medicine,” and modern
science with all its discoveries has found
nothing better. To a great many these
would seem little things, but we should re

member that it is the little things which
make up the sum of life. Little by little is
the law of nature’s inﬂuences, the motto of
the dew, the lesson of the light; it is found
in the manifold quickenings of spring and
in the glorioui unfoldings of summer. No
one can succeed in all or expect to accomp-
lish any great end without a goal to
work for, all his ambitious aspirations
would avail him nothing; such an one
would be like a vessel at sea without
a star to guide her, but carried by
the winds and tossed by the waves until
at last bewildered and overwhelmed she
sinks to the bottom. In many it is the
will that is wanting, but we should remem-
ber that as water is to the engine, so is will
to us. The application of heat to the
water in the boiler is necessary to generate
steam. So the preper determination is
essential to ﬁt our ambition for efﬁcient
work.

All the grand enterprises which have been
advanced in past ages and are now suc.
cesses, have resulted from long continued
perseverance anda strong, determined will.
How true it is that “ Trials show what the
character is,” they bring out the best or
worst that is in us, and prove what we are
worth. But we must not be discouraged
by our many failures, but ever remember
that “Behind the clouds the sun’s still
shining,” and take heart. We are aware
that we can not all be naturalists, inven-
tors or artists. He who can not paint must
grind the colors; humble positions must be
ﬁlled, and if the work is not ennobling en-
noble the work. It is the earnest, active,
wise labor in the ﬁeld of life that enables
the soul to reach far above those inﬂuences
that would otherwise end in self abase-
ment.

“ Gather up the fragments, ’3 Jwas the com-
mand given to the disciples on the plains
of Judea, and gather up the fragments of
life should be re-echoed in the heart of
every man and woman.

All arOund us, every day, are opportuni-
ties. And if we would gain the victory and
wear the crown of success we must embrace
every one of them, for it is he only who
strives faithfully and untiringly who will
overcome, and stand at last on the sublime
heights, gilded by the rays of success and
illuminated by the sunlight of God’s truth.

HOME TALKS.

N0. XV.

While I am taking up the dinner, Hetty,
you can make a cake for tea: Two-thirds
of a teacupful of sugar, a heaped table—
spoonful of butter and one egg; put all to-
gether and beat to a cream, then add half a
teacipful of sweet milk,a little nutmeg,
one heaping teaspoonful of baking powder,
and ﬂour to make a common batter. I like
such a fresh light cake occasionally; one
tires of the layer and loaf cakes,frosted, and
so rich with butter. For supper, rusks
peaches and cream, baked pears, sliced to
matoes, cold ham, ginger drops and fresh
tea cake, iced tea and lemonade. For
breakfast fried sweet potatoes, minced
ham on toast and poached eggs, coffee,
sugar cookies and soda wafers, grapes and
muskmelons and graham gems. Mince
the ham ﬁne, add butter and a triﬂe of
water, let it heat through nicely, when
ready to eat toast the bread real brown,
butter, and heap the ham on each slice, and
an egg on the ham, serve at each plate or
lay it all around a platter; it makes quite an
ornamental dish.

You can get one of those lirge salt ﬁsh,
and put it a-soak to-day, for future use. 1
heard the boys talking this morningr about
going ﬁshing to-night, but they may not
get a bite. I think these pickerel and bass
are delicious fried, and eels too are splendid
eating, but Ido not like no see them be-
fore they are cut up and fried, they resem-
ble snakes too much. I like ﬁne Indian
meal better than ﬂour to roll ﬁsh in to fry.
The eels are always skinned and ready for
cooking; cut in pieces, roll in meal and drop
in plenty of hot fat, salt; or roll each piece
in egg, then in cracker crumbs, fry brown;
they ought to fry quick so as not to absorb
fat. The eels need a sauce of melted but-
ter, sharpened with lemon juce. I heard
a man say once that up north where gray-
ling ﬁsh are caught, they have a kettle
with fat in as we do for cakes, and they
plunge the ﬁsh in to fry, they swim right
on top as cakes do, and are delicious. As
ageneral thing we use too little fat to fry
them. We don’t get brook trout here,
Betty; I presume you never saw any. They
are real beauties when you see them lear-
ing in brooks, all speckled; it is an un-
common trout that weighs a pound, they are
fried crisp and eaten bones and all. I knew
two men east who had artiﬁcial trout ponds.
I have seen the ﬁsh fed lots of times; they
get liver and cheap meat and chop it ﬁne,
then throw it in to them; they will jump
clear out of the water for it. One gentle-
man had several ﬁsh named, he claimed
he knew them apart; I don’t know whether
he did or not.

I ﬁnd we have plums to take care of; we
will can them the same as other fruits, only
prick each one to keep from cracking, as
they commence to cook. To Spice plums,
take seven pounds of fruit; four of sugar;
one pint of vinegar; cinnamon and cloves
tied up in a bag. For marmala ie cook the
plums all toa mass, then rub through the
colander; add three-quarters of a pound of
sugar to one pound of pulp; this must be
stirred constantly, let it cook for an hour

 
SALINI. FLORENCE .

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THE HOUSEHOLD.

     
3

 
and for tart pies. The following recipe
I have tried for pickled peaches several
years and never knew it to fail; that’s the
kind of recipe one wants—the old reliable
ones. Turn boiling water over a pail full
of selected peaches of even size, let them
remain an instant, then drain and wipe
each peach with a crash towel; all the down
will come off. Then stick a bit of cinna-
mon and one clove in each and pack closely
in a crock. Make a sweetened vinegar in
the preserve kettle sufﬁcient to cover them,
say seven pounds of sugar to three quarts of
vinegar. Some like them very sweet. When
hot, turn it over the peaches; it should two—
thirds cover the fruit. Then set the crock
in a kettle or the boiler, let the water come
pretty well up to the top and keep a steady
ﬁre so the fruit will not boil too hard;try
with a fork or splint; when tender remove
the jar and when cold tie closely. I will
warrant these pickles to keep the year
round without working.

We will make grape jelly, but I do not
like grapes canned or preserved. We will
put up several bushels by scaring the stem
with sealing-wax and packing in boxes;
they will keep nicely. Quinces I always
can with half their quantity of sweet ap-
ples; the parings and cores 1 make jelly of.
Now I think we come to apple butter and
whole sauce. Your father has brought
home some splendid new boiled cider from
the milk—sweet and red—our apples are
one-half Talman Sweets and half Green-
ings, we will pare and quarter them and
boil them tender as for common apple sauce;
then rub them through the colander; this
frees it from lumps and saves so much
stirring. When we have sufﬁcient for a
large kettlefull add the boiled cider, build
up a good ﬁre and commence operations.
This kettle hold just nine gallons, so we
will need thirteen in all, as it should stir
down that much. John is going to help us,
as your father does not fancy this business;
though he can get away with an immense
quantity of it in the course of the winter,
he always has an important matter to look
after when this comes on the carpet. That’s
human nature, Hetty, this little habit of
beneﬁting ourselves, but you may be sure
somebody must put their shoulder to the
wheel, or the wagon would never be
started. When this has been stirred four
hours or more I will spice it, by taking a
bowlful of the sauce and mixing the spice—
cinnamon. cloves and auspice—in smooth-
ly; then stir the whole into the kettle; in
this way the spice is evenly distributed
through the sauce and is not in lumps.
This is done and well done; after putting it
in jars, wash the kettle and ﬁll with the
sweet apples for whole sauce; nearly cover
them with boiled cider reduced one-third,
and for this ﬁve gallons, add three pounds
of sugar, cover closely and let them boil
gently until tender, this ﬁnishes our sauce
with the exception of citron preserves and
sweet pickles, and cranberries; these will
come later.

We will go into the cellar this afternoon
awhile and look things over; the fruit cup-
board must be washed out and repapered,
the last year’s fruit cans wiped off and the
new fruit looked over. I always set the
cans on this swing shelf through the sum-

mer, covered well from the light. It does
look nice; not a can spoiled or molded. Set
each variety by itself. I never like to use
my fruit all up close. N ow here are fortv-
eight cans left over, and I never like to
keep it more than one year, I have seen
fruit that was half mold, it is not very
palatable I assure you. While I lay clean
paper on these shelves you can set things
in order and sweep; by doing half an hour’s
work occasionally in the cellar it keeps it
clean all the while. I used to sweep it out
every Saturday, but since I have had an

outdoor milk room it does not need it.‘

Father has set next Tuesday to butcher,
and as we shall have no help in the house
we will plan a little, and see how easy we
can get along. There will be three pigs and
a large hog; we will bake a large baking of
bread, so it will last until the following
Saturday, it will do nicely by steaming,
in toast, etc; a jar of doughnuts, cookies,
half a dozen mince pies, dress two chickens
for dinner that day. I like a good dinner
for butchering day. I remember your
father helping once when they cut out one
of the chops and fried it, the meat was not
half cooled through. That was about like
a school teacher who was relating some of
her experiences to me; she said when she
started for school in the morning, the in-
wards were in the hogs. At supper time
the hogs were in the inwards, and fried for
that meal; no, not any on my plate, if you
please; there is an eternal ﬁtness of things,
andIdo think there are instances where
butchering is hurried a little too much.
Stitch up the sausage bags on the machine,
then they will be ready; rub the sage
through the sieve, see that there is plenty of
pepper, summer savory, etc. Monday we
will wash and set the clothes away
until the butchering work is done. I do not
want any ironing or baking or sewing
mixed up with it. I have sometimes had
company drop down upon us at that in-
teresting time, but I never invite any or
go visiting, I like to see it through without
interruption. Last year just as we were
into the merits of the case a bride and
groom came for a few days. Oh! I made
the best of it of course; this is one of the
lessons we learn in life; no matter what
comes make the best of it. But didn’t my
heart stand still once, when you were a lit-
tle midget and Bell a baby of eight months!
I had dinner all ready, we were just sitting
down to eat; I had cooked one chicken, 3.
small one at that, and baked one tin of
biscuit, other things in proportion, when
in drove three buggies, a couple in each.
My rule to keep the house in order and
plenty baked up, always faithfully observed,
paid me well that day. The baby had just
woke up from along nap, and while the
female portion were taking off their things,
the men putting up their horses, etc., I
reset the table, got some potatoes cooking,
made coffee, sliced cold ham and corned
beef, added jelly, pickles, fresh molasses
cake, custard pie, and in half an hour
eerved qu'tea presentable dinner, and we
had a pleasant visit, they staid to tea and
into the evening, it was quite a musical

company, and I notice with such a com-
pany and a good piano, time passes
pleasantly.

 
Bum: CREEK. EVANGELINE.

 
OTHER PEOPLE’S RIGHTS.

 
“ I suppose it’s because I’m an old maid,
but I don’t want Nora running to my work-
box every time she wants to use scissors or
thread, and 1 am ﬁtting out a box expressly
for her;” said one of my neighbors, who is,
by the way, one of the sweetest women
that ever graced the name of “ old maid.”
She is bringing up aniece and was purchas—
ing scissors, thimble, etc., for the contem-
plated box, just before Christmas. The
neighbor addressed, who is the mother of
four Wayward girls, replied with a laugh:
“Well I guess it is because you’re an old
maid. If you had as many girls as I’ve got
you’d ﬁnd out you couldn’t be so orderly.
Why there’s hardly ever a needle on my
needle cushion ﬁt to work with, they’re
lost or with eyes or points broken, and I
never even expect to ﬁnd the scissors in
the work-box, they’re anywhere in the
house, wherever they were used last.”
Mentioning this conversation afterwards
the ﬁrst speaker said to me: “My mother
had four girls and very little means to do
with, but as far back as I can remember we
each had our own things for such uses, and
kept them in our own little boxes, and if
we wanted anything from mother’s work-
box we were expected to ask for it. Some-
times we only had one needle stuck on a
bit of cloth and some thread wound off on
an emptied spool, but it was our own, and
all we considered we had any right to, so
long as it lasted, for making doll’s clothes,
sewing on our own buttons, etc.” Hav-
ing known these families intimately for
years, I wondered, in thinking it over, if
that conversation was not the key to their
whole daily lives.

Every one of those four women are such
good, properly painstaking workers in' the
world, respecting other people’s opinions
and rights of property, while this family of
wayward girls, still at home with their
mother, are literally “running over her.”
She said to me a few days ago: "I can’t
do anything with Myra, she won’t hear to
me at all. I suppose I ought to be ashamed
to say it ofa sixteen years old girl, but I
can’t help it,” and so it is with all. One
of them recently told me of going for a
sleigh ride the night before and said:
“ We had a splendid time, only I lost ma’s
best veil. She don’t know it yet and I’ll
get a blessing when she ﬁnds it out. It
was nicer than mine so I said nothing but
took it and skipped.”

Another of these girls called my atten-
tion to a ring and when I asked if she had
a new one she said: “No, it’s Ella’s, and
she don’t know that I’ve got it. I found
it in her box and have worn it three days,
only I take it off when she’s around. I
wanted to wear it but she kept it hid for
fear I’d lose it, and while she was gone the
other day I just hunted in her things ’till I
found it.” And so the “free plunder” in
that house goes on. If one is away the
others wear her clothes; and as they were
allowed to do so when young, the habit
grows with them and extends even beyond
the limit of home. They would all scorn
the thought of stealing, yet they freely use
the perfumery, toilet pins, and such things
wherever they are stopping, and think

 
4:

THE HOUSEHOLD.

‘

 
nothing amiss because of their “ bringing
up.”

It seems as though children could not be
too early instructed in the matter of re-
specting other people’s rights, and having
certain drawers and boxes for their own
things. and even hooks in the closet
sacredly kept for each, would help them
much in orderly ways.

It is'not just because one of my neigh-
bors is an old maid and the other a mother,
for I well know that if number one had
children they would be as carefully in-
structed in such ways as her own sainted
mother kept her'seven little ones. A
brother of thi; orderly friend also carries
out the same system. He is the father of
several children. but when even a toy is
given to one it is considered exclusively
hisown, and the parents never give it to
another to play with. When the older
children put their treasures away to go to
school, they well know that they will re—
main exactly as they left them. The
father maintains that they are as much
their own property as his farm is his own;
and other members of the family have no
more rights in them than his brothers
would have to go to his barns and use his
team or tools. Some one may claim that
this plan would make children selﬁsh, but
it has not resulted thus in any of the
numerous branches of this family, and it
they are only started right they are pretty
sure to go right all the way.

How many tears have been shed and how
many little hearts have ached over the
broken dolls and ruined. toys that the
older children have found when coming
home from school because m=ma had
thoughtlessly given their things to th;
younger ones to play with in their absence;
and many times no doubt, they have
wished there were no baby at their house,
so that they could have something to keep.

If you, mothers, tell me that different
families are so very different because they
are “born so,” I shall not dispute it, but
only believe th it, as some one has said. if
you want to bring up a child all right you
should “ begin with its great grandmother.”

Since my last meeting with the HOUSE-
HOLD the death angel h 58 again visited my
home, and the last member of my family
(except my own lone self) has gone “over
on the other side.” This last was my
mother, so now my husband, father, mother,
grandfather, grandmother, an only brother
anda sister have been carried out through
the same doorway, and to—night I sit alone
in the old home wondering what I shall do
with the life that stretches out such a blank
before me. Can any one advise

WASHINGTON.

.__...__._.

HOUSEHOLD CONVENIENCES.
Will E. R. S., of Paw Paw, please de-
scribe her patent potato masher, and M. E.
F., of Howell her lard press, as a lard
press is something that would ﬁll a long
felt want in this vicinity.
While I think a clothes wringer the
greatest convenience, aside from neces-
saries—not the kind that fastens on the
tub, but the real “Gem” that stands on

EL sun?‘

on each side for a tub, a friend of mine
tells me her patent bread -pan is the boss.

A member of my family wishes to know
if Evangeline has any more marriageable
daughters.

I would suggest to Henpecked Theopalus
that he steal something or commit some
other Offense again st the law, thereby gain-
ing a home in more quiet quarters where
he will not be asked to build ﬁres or split
wood, only called upon to take his meals
through iron grates; in_ the meantime con-
soling himself with the thought that his
family are relieved of aburden. Enough
of the same stamp still remain outside to
hang around the corner grocery and talk

tariff. BESS.
~—-—-—¢w——

TO OUR READERS.

 
We have all settled down again into our
wonted quiet after the holiday festivities,
and some busy housekeepers at least are
looking forward to a time of comparative
leisure before the opening of the'spring
campaign—a time when they will read a
new book, or ﬁnish a bit of neglected fancy
work, or perhaps, write a long contem-
plated letter to -he HOUSEHOLD. The
Editor wants more letters for the little
paper, on practical, common sense, every-
day topics. Do nOt let your pencil lie idle
because you think you cannot write a
thoughtful essay on some abstruse subject;
we greatly prefer you should tell us of
your experiments, your economies, your
ways Of saving time and labor and money.
Such letters are read with deep interest; the
suggestions acted upon and perhaps adopted
in practice; this we know from the frequent
references to them as helpful.

One of our constant and valued corres-
pondents says we are “too unanimous ” a
family; yet lying upon the Editor’s desk is
a letter which says: “ I read all the HOUSE-
HOLDS carefully, and often think if I had
time I would answer some of the letters in
which I do not believe.” S t, after all, we
are perhaps not as harmonious as we seem,
if only the dissenters would “speak up.”
That isa privilege which we would gladly
accord them. ‘

We hope this year to hear from many new
readers who have subscribed to the FARM.-
ER, and from all our old contributors as
well. The HOUSEHOLD is published for
the women of farm homes, and is sustained
by their writings. There is plenty of
talent among them, as the tone of our little
paper proves; and we earnestly invite them
to let their light shine.

——-——ooo——

ABOU I‘ READING.

 
I was much interested in the article
“Reading for Girls,” in the HOUSEHOLD of
January 2nd, and agree with the writer
concerning the folly of such stories as are
contained in the Saturday Night, New
York Weekly, and other papers of even a
lower grade. The very least that can be
said of such reading is that it is a waste of
time, which ought to be Spent to a better
purpose. Not that I would abolish stories,
oh no! I am too much of a girl myself for
that; neither would I go to Dickens or
Thackeray for all my stories, although they

1

found that young people of the present day"
are best suited with a more modern style.
When there are such pure, wholesome
stories as those from the pens of “Pansy ”‘
and Louisa Alcott, to say nothing of others,
equally as good, it must bea perverted taste
indeed that would choose the lower class.
When I see a book bearing the name of
either of the above named authors, I am
not at all afraid to put it into the hands of
my two young sisters for perusal; for I
know that they will not only be pleased,
but will receive an impress for good. There
are many others whose writings are equally
pure and good; [only mention these two
because I am best acquainted with their
books. There are also many good periodi-
cals especially interesting to young people.
I like the Youth’s Companion best.

I would not have the wide-awake, adven-
ture-loving boys forgotten in this matter of
reading either. Their lives will receive
many an impress for good or evil, as the
case may be, from the books they read.
And instead of letting them ﬁll their minds
with the so-called “detective stories,” and
the “ blood and thunder ” novels, ﬁt only to
be burned, I would give them accounts of
the early pioneers, or some of the fascinat-
ing stories of travel and discovery in our
own and foreign lands. There are many
such books to he found, if we only take the
the trouble to look for them. And if they
desire something more marvellous still, I
would give them an occasional dose of
Jules Verne’s ﬂights of fancy, in which so
much science is cleverly mixed. Of course
all these stories are not to take the place of
more solid reading and study; but they
serve as a rest and recreation to the mind.
OSSEO. MIGNOS.

 
AN eastern housekeeper says: “To me
an old broom is the greatest blessing. Take
an axe and cut the end of the knob square
off just outside the binding. Now stand the
handle down by the doorstep so a strap of
tin or leather can be nailed around and
through it, and we have the very best boot
cleaner imaginable, when we Otherwise
would go into the house with mud and dirt
without end upon them. This will save

much hard work washing ﬂoors.”
———ow————

Useful Recipes.

 
MISS PARLOA'S BUCKWHEAT Canes—Into
a deep pail put a. pint of buckwheat ﬂour;
half a cup Of white Indian meal: a teaspoon-
ful of salt; half a cake of compressed yeast,
dissolved in a little warm water; a. little over
one pint of warm water and one tablespoon-
ful of molasses. Beat thoroughly, and set in
a warm place to rise. In the morning, before
disturbing it, sift a teaspoonl‘ul of dry soda
on top of the batter and stir well.

 
OLD-FASHIONED BUCKWHEAT Caries—Make
a batter of buckwheat ﬂour and warm water,
a little salt and one cup of yeast or a yeast
cake, let rise twenty-four hours, add a pinch
of soda, and if necessary thin with sweet milk
which makes them brown nicely. A little of
this batter saved from one day to another
ObViates the necessity of using yeast again.
It is better to take out the leaven before the
soda is added.

SUGAR SYRUP.—Melt white or light brown

 
its own foundation, and provides a bench

 
are of course standard authors. But I have

cakes.

sugar by adding a little water, let come to a,
boil and skim. Nice with any kind of griddle--

    
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