, n. ': "Tflp‘i"! w; ..

 

 

 

DETROIT, SEPT.

22, 1888. ’

 

 

THE HOUSEHOLD-"Supplement.

 

 

THE C’OMMONPLAOE WOMAN.

 

We have read, as you know, for ages and ages,
0! a willowy mdden devoid of a spine,
A fabulous, pze-histor’c pe'son,
Who on white of an egg and cracker could
dine.

But I write to you now of a commonplace
woman,
Who‘s shockingly healthy and fearfully fat,
Who never has headache or nervous prostration.
Commonplacel what could be mom to than
that?

She doesn‘t “ do " Keusington cat-tails or rushes,
Nor has she a screen with a one-legged stork;
She doesn‘t adore Charlotte Russe or blanc
manges.
But prefers unromantic, commonplace pork.

She hasn’t a gift for the art decorative,
Pasting Japanese monsters on Yankee stone
jar,
That stands in the corner to look so aesthetic,
But that grieves to the soul the old household
Lar.

She cannot write poems that glow like a furnace,
Nor sonnets as cold as the Apennine snow;

For if the chops up her ideas into meter,
There‘s a rush in the ebb and a halt in the flow.

She doesn‘t believe she was born with a mission,
Unless, it may be, to be happy and well:

Nor does she at all understand protoplasm,
And looks upon women who do as a ‘- sell."

But there’s worse to be told of this common-
place woman,
Who owns reither bird, nor dog, nor pet cat;
They say that s:e‘s really in love with her
husband.
Commonplacel what could be more so than
that?

And when we all stand at the last dread tribunal,
Wh ; re great and where s mall are a ssigned each
a part.
May the angels make room for the common-
place woman
Who knows nanght of litera'ure, science 0
art. ——Good Housekeeping.

__.__....————-

Would 5 on be young again?
So would not 1;

One tear of memory given:
Onward I‘ll hie;

Life’s dark wave forded o‘er,

A l but at rest on shore,

Say, would you plunge once more,
With home so nigh?

If you might, would you now

Retrace your way ?
Wander through stormy wilds

Faint and astray?
Night’s gloomy watches tied,
Morning all beaming red,
Hope's smi e around us:shed,

Heavenward, away!

Lady Nairn.

._____...———

AT THE STATE FAIR.

 

I Spent one day, or rather, that portion of
the day “between trains,” at Jackson, at

 

the State fair, and a very pleasant day it
was, too. In the first place, the weather
was everything that fair weather ought to
be, not too warm nor yet too cool. I heard
so in a discontented persons grumbling about
the dust; but then you know there are peo-
ple who are like Hans Anderson’s princess.
who was so sensitive she could feel a
pen under twenty feather beds, and such
persons can find something to be uncom-
fortable about wherever they are. In the
second place, it was a pretty good fair in
most of its departments. I have seen much
larger exhibits of flowers and plants at State
fairs, but everything shown had at least the
merit of being excellent of its kind. There’s
a great difference in plants, you know;
some get one-sided and out of proportion,
other are symmetrical and we ll grown, and
he who studies all points takes into con-
sideration not alone the bloom and its color
but also the shape of the plant and its per-
fection of foliage.

The exnibition of butter and cheese was
very meagre. Yet in the stalls outside were
lordly Shorthorns, the Holsteins whose milk
records mount up to the tens of thousands
of pounds annually, and the little Jerseys
whose milk is claimed to be “all butter,”
yet dairy products were “conspicuous by
their absence.” I wonder why? By ref-
erence to the premium list I find there
premiums aggregating $23 offered for the
best fifteen pounds of domestic butter, the
same amount for twenty-five pounds of
cre amery butter, and $9 in three prizes for
the best five pounds of print butter; and an
aggregate of $30 for factory cheese. Now
these premiums are not large, considering
the importance of the dairy interests of this
State, and the character and number of its
cattle, and y t they are fairly generous, and
ought to have called out abetter exhibit. If
dairymen are dissatisfied, they should,
through their Dairymen’s Association,
present their desires to the management,
when without doubt some satisfactory ar-
rangement could be made, and the way
made clear for a more creditable showing in
this industry, now rapidly growing in our
State. Then let them take pride in com-
peting for the premiums.

‘The exhibit of bread was moderately

'good, and it looked good. The judges had

affixed the blue cards, and it was therefore
possible to jidge of color and appearance.
I teil'you, dear ladies, there is “an awful
sight” of good wheat made into poor bread
by ignorant, careless housekeepers, who yet
think their own as good as anybody’s. A
loaf of heavy, dark, underdone bread is a
waste-a wicked waste, because it is easy to

I

 

 

make it good by a little painstaking and the»
trouble of learning how.

In the ladies’ needlework department
there was an unusually fine and large dis»
play; indeed i think I never saw a better-
And the quality of the work was much bet-
ter than heretofore; that is, there was more
that was artistic and harmonious and less
that was gaudy and biz me. The gorgeous
patchwork which I remember as a feature of
the fairs 1 used to attend “ when I was a
girl” was replaced by the pretty silk quilts,
and some specimens of quilts in two colors
more remarkable for beauty of workman-
ship than for showy material. [, heard a.
lady who “ spoke as one having authority “
say there were but three “tidies” entered.
and “ not one of them worthy of mention.”
One lady had 123 samples of knitted and
crocheted lace and insertion arranged

against a blue groundwork; these were quite
astudy. Drawn work, aprons and pillow“
slips trimmed with knitted and crocheted
lace, ribbon and arrasene embroidery. made
up most of the goods. There were some
nics home made rugs, too, which I think
had been made by fraying the edges of the -
rags before weaving, giving achenille—like
effect not unlike the Smyrna rugs of the
stores. Another quite novel rug which
represented a great deal of patient labor.
consisted of overlapping half circles of
black cloth. neatly bound. and ornamented
with a few fancy stitches in colored wool..
It would be very pretty in the hall at the
foot of the staircase. An acquaintance of
mine once showed me over her new and
newly furnished house on the occasion of
my first call, and at the foot of the hall
stairs lay a bran new Angora wool mat. My
hostess very carefully stepped over this to
the first step, and not to be outdone in re- -
spect to the freshness and flc-ffiness of that
mat, I did likewise. I fancy wherever that
tate fair rug belongs it will have to be-
“stepped ov:r”-—it represents too much
work for practical use. I had not time to
study this exhibit as I would have liked, but
i did see one thing 1 must tell the girls»
about, it was such a pretty thought for
Christmis. It wasa needlebook made of
chamois skin; a piece about nine inches
long by four and a half wide was doubled
in the centre, book fashion, the edges cut-
in points, and one cover embellished with:
a few flourishes put on in gold paint. and‘
the word “needles.” The inside was lined‘.
with silk whose fringed edges prr j:cted be--~
yond the chamois points, and the pinked.
flannel leaves were held in place by a bit of”
silk cord and tiny tassels tied at the back.
Ihad the pleasnre'of meeting my oidi

 


 

 

#2

THE HO USEHOLD.

 

‘Iriends. and making some new and delight-
‘ ful acquaintances, besides seeing briefly
-*many who professed themselves interested
readers of the HOUSEHOLD. Only one
Housarnonn contributor made herself
«known, M. E. H , of Albion, with whom I
enjoyed a cosy chat. I had hoped to meet
"Evangeline, Mrs. Hall, of Leslie, Mrs. R.
; ‘D. P., and others whose homes are not far
from Jackson, but either they were not
there or we failed to meet. And I hone the
f ladies who agreed to occasionally contribute
' to our little paper will not give me reason
‘ to complain that promises, “like piecrust,

{are often made to be broken.”
BEATRIX.
——--—§o.-———

: DAFFODILLY AS HOUSEKEEPER.

 

While the weather was so hot my spirit
yearned for the indolent luxuries depicted
by the popular novelist, of happy people
swinging all day long in hammocks, sand-
wiched between cool breczes, supplied with
literature exactly adapted to the season.
,No ticks, no mosquitoes, no chigres, no
anything that makes a body’s back ,itch and
head swim. A lawn Mother Hubbard and
'a cool parlor at home are not to be sniffed
at, but the work, the work! There is so
much to be done before a good housekeeper
can consent to sit or lie down. In the city
we are obliged to see so many fellows be-

‘ fore we turn a deaf ear to the door bell.
‘ We plan an evening dinner in the morning,
and provide for it by ordering from the
grocer who calls at the back door, and the

' vegetable man who stops at the front gate.
We must see the milkman and watch the
scamp who brings the ice, and then wait to
see if the postman brings anything in the
second mail, so that it is high noon before
.one is clear round, then I had as lief work
the rest of the day as not. The poetry is
all knocked out of me. If I go to the parks
or the country I want to go in the morning,
when the air is less freighted with the care
and the sighs of people who toil and weep.

The grease and garrulity of the boarding
house reached a climax about the Fourth of

- July. We secured a neat brick house of
six rooms with modern conveniences, a
good back yard and a little grass plat in
front, for $2. 50 per month for the house and

' $20 per month for the services of the rats,
roaches and bedbngs—summer terms.

St. Louis is a zigzag, rail fence sort of a
sit y. I am almost sure to go north when I
would go south. The sun seems to shine
from all points of the compass at one time,

- so that I am never quite certain whether I
am gomg toward the center or the circum-
ference of the city, unless I am aboard the
street cars, having the assurance of the con-
I-ductor and driver and all the passengers
that I am on the right car. We have only
taken one trip on the “double deckers,” or
“ Coney Island” cars, which are construct-
» ed like a tally-ho coach, with seats all round
the top. You mount up there by a winding
stairway, the train of course starting off be-
fore you are seated. Then you fall over the
steel: and legs of the other passengers and
tumble into a seat and begin to feel dizzy
:and disgraced and exactly like riding on an
elephant. It was about sundown when we
:started, and it seemed to me that thousands

«of people from the streets and from their

 

windows gazed at us in astonishment, and
thought "There is a hard crowd.” At the

end of the route we received transfer tickets

which took us on the steam cars out about
five miles from the city. We wandered
around a hamlet where no one was at home
but the dogs, for an hour, and then returned
on the same route, but after dark one feels
bolder and more indifferent to the com-
munity below, so we put our feet again st
the railing and leaned back and enjoyed the
difierent smells of St. Louis as we changed
localities and neighborhoods. Forest Park
has been a grateful retreat Saturday after-
noons when the business houses closed
early, giving our husbands achance to go
with us. This park consists of about 1,400
acres owned and cared for by the city, and
a few invisible policem 3n dodge up now and
then to scare the children. Lafayette Park
is a small park with plenty of signs to
“keep off the grass,” and some statuary.
G. W. is there in rusty black surrounded
by plants of a frowz ,1 sort, and Thomas H.
Benton, whose status was unveiled by
his daughter Jessie Fremont, who was at
one time talked about a good deal, princi-
pally I think because her father obj acted to
her marriage, and she ran off with her lover
who was afterward the first presidential
candidate of the Republican party. I have
not visited Shaw's Gtrden this summer, but
have a distinct remembrance of going there
once and getting into a little unpleasant-
ness with the old German woman who
keeps watch at the gate. No one is per-
mitted to enter the gardens with even a tiny
package, but must leave it with her and pay
her five cans for keeping it. I was thirsty,
and on getting out of the carriage stepped
across the road for a glass of lemonade,
where another shrew of a German woman
advised mete leave my hand satchel, as I
would not be allowed to take it in, and
supposing of course I should have to give
up my visit I left the article with her. The
dame at the gate had been a witness to all
this and was ready with a narangue. I
ofiered to let her keep my handkerchief and
collar and pay her ten cents, but she was
wounded and injured by the wicked neigh-
bor. This in a measure clouded my en j oy-
ment in the blooming garden. Mtny peo-
ple have written of this garden as the largest
botanical garden in the world. I only know
it is very extensive and a beautiful and in-
teresting place to visit. It is enclosed on
all sides by a high stone fence covered with
evergreens, and is laid out in walks of
gravel. There is a collection of curiosities
in one of the buildings called the Museum,

and the owner, Henry Shaw, has a mausoleum
built for his body when he passes away.
He is now quite an old man and sick a good
deal of the time. He is very rich and also
a bachelor. He has been persecuted and
prOSecuted once or twice in his life by

women who claimed heavy damages for
breach of promise.
respected citizen, and had he done nothing
more than establish this wonderful garden,
I could forgive him for flirting.

The Exposition is open and the autumn
testivrties are under way. The Veiled
Prophet pageant will move as usual, accord-
ing to extensive and firming advertise-
ments, and St. Louis be in a flutter of
mysterious anticipation.

S'r. Lorna. DAFFODILLY.

Q

He is a benevolent and'

 

WOMAN VS. WOMEN.

Some time ago I read a paragraph’ that
voiced this sentiment: “I do not kno w
what men would do for something to talk
about, were it not for women, their foibles,
failings and fashions.” It may be that this
constitutes the talking timber of the stern er
sex, but if so, it is an implied compliment
to women, that even their negative virtues
command the almost undivided attention of
men; and we must suppose that in many
ways they are above criticism, and are held
too sacred for familiar discussion.

The writer was in a complaining vein.
She seemed to obj M to her sex being made
the subject of man’s pleasantry; did not
like to have caustic or sarcastic remarks
leveled at the sisterhood.

While we allow that sometimes ridicule
cuts through our armor of indifference, the
question of Boss Tweed seems pertinent;
“Suppose you don’t like it, what are you
going to do about it?” I suppose women
never do the like; they are always blind to
the shortcomings of their heroes; indifferent
to their bad habits: lenient to their faults,
and if they do occasionally confess to them-
selves that “Jones is not quite perfect,”
they are too loyal to speak of it to others.

It is a crying shame that men will notice
woman’s peculiarities of dress, and idiosyn-
crasies of temperament, and mike absurd
or comical remarks thereon, but here again
comes the query: “ What are yin going to
do about it?”

If it is such an unpardonable crime for
men to speak lightly of women’s apparent
foibles and weaknesses, what shall be said of
the woman who takes a sister woman for a
text, and draws a picture of her that would
delight the heart of a reprobate? A woman
is ever the hardest judge of wonen, the
most severe in her judgment, and the most
implacable in her stern denunciation, un-
relenting, unforgiving; one lapse from the
rigid rule laid down, and repentance can
scarcely hope for forgiveness. But while
this may be looked upon as necessary to the
high standard of female excellence called
for, there can be no excuse for any woman
to deliberately sit down and make such per-
verse and untrue statements about the
average woman, as appeared in a late article
in the HOUSEHOLD.

There are ignorant women, fickle women,
frail women, vicious women, impure
women, but that such outnumber the in-
telligent, the honest, the firm, true and
pure is a libel on the sex, and should blister
the tongue of the traducer. Most heartily
dolcongratulate Mrs. R. D. P. for being
first with an indignant protest. Silence at
such an accusation would be cowardly, and
might be construed as agreement. But do
not the women ever take the “starch out
of” the follies and peculiarities of men?
Aye, they do. A wise Providence has
placed the two sexes on this fair earth.
Etch is necessary to the other, each in-
complete without the other; there are good
and bad of both. Let each be true to them-
selves, to each other, and a sly taking off of
the whims and vanities of the other will do
no harm.

Every woman should stand up for her
sex, and by her own life prove the high

 

 


 

ETHE HOUSEHOLD.

3

fl

 

standard women should maintain. But for
the weak, the erring, even the fallen, speak
kindly; hide their faults from the public
eye; let sweet charity and pity dwell in the
heart and soften the words spoken of and
to them. Condemn the sin, but help the
sinner to forsake her sin, and if she en-
deavors to rise, let her forget the phantom
if she can. Do not by word or. manner he
an ever present accuser. How many know
to what depths of degradation hot tempered,
despairing souls have been cast by the re-
coil from some primly pious soul, so wholly
holy that horror only held sway in the

presence of erring humanity.
INGLESIDE. A. L L.

—-——...__._.
HOSPITALITY .

 

[Read at the September meeting of the Ant-
werp and Paw Paw Farmers‘ Association, by
Mrs. A. H. Smith]

True hospitality is a virtue to be coveted.
It is not a natural virtue, but an acquired
one. We are all more or less selfish, each
one works and lives for himself. A liveli-
hood compels business intercourse, and
honest dealings beget friendliness; friendli-
ness develops sociability, and through the
latter we are led to dispense hospitality.
Force of circumstances drives us from one
stage to another, and at last. we think our-
selves really hospitable.

We often hear the remark that we are
“ social beings,” but we like too well to go
away from home to be social, we want some
one else to do the entertaining. Time is so
scarce and valuable in this land of plenty
that the most of us are hospitable when it
is convenient; that is, we combine business
and pleasure so often that one detracts
from the other. We begrudge an hour’s
talk with a chance visitor; we are in such a
hurry that we f irget to ask him to tie his
horse, or invite him to sit in the shade or
by the stove as the case may be. These lit-
tle acts of hospitality cost nothing and they
often gain the good will and favor of many
who might be very disagreeable. If it will
be any advantage to us, financially or
socially, we are willing to incommode our-
selves, but for nothing the stranger can
take care of himself, we are not indebted to
him. We forget that we place him under
obligations to us. and that in “taking in
strangers we sometimes entertain angels
unawares.”

True hospitality seeks no reward. We
have an ex imple of this intrinsic excellence
given twenty centuries before Christ, by
Abraham, who ran out to meet three stran-
gers. He took them to his tent and refresh-
ed them with water, bread and meat. This
act was the outcome of a heart ovetfl )wing
with kindness. He sought no reward; the
reward was in the giving, as may be in-
ferred from his standing under the tree and
watching with satisfaction the men eat.
Future greatness was the compensation
Abraham received for this kindness. The
same recompense may not be awarded us
for a similar deed, but the act itself is a re
ward, in that it makes us larger— hearted. In
order to be truly hospitable we must culti-
vate another virtue that goes hand in hand
with hospitality—generosity. We cannot
be hospitable without being generous.

There is a class of people who will alwaysi

,_........~.a-.«. Mm. .

 

take advantage of a kindly disposal person,
and such do notdeserve hospitality, they are
spongers, human parasites. There are some
who may be hospitabiy disposed, but by
nature or habit are so reserved that their
attempts at entertainment are misunder-
stood. Then there are those of whom
special hospitality cannot be expzc:ed, their
time is not their own. They may be kindly
disposed, but their duty is to attend to busi-
ness.

The Southerner is often held up to us as
a model of this virtue, and there is a reason
for it, more so in days gone by than now.
His work was done by slaves and now by
plenty of cheap help, so that he is a gen-
tleman of leisure and has plenty of time to
devote tothe entertainment of visitors. The
Northerner does his own work, or enough of
it to keep him busy ten or twelve hours a
day, and to entertain his visitors he must
leave his work to some one else or until
some future tima. So the hospitality of a
Northerner should be given more cmsidera-
tion than that of the Smtherner, for the
latter’s is due more to the climate than to
the outcome of a generous heart. Bat what-
ever the 0 use may be the example is worthy
of imitation.

05 course there are exceptions to all rules,
and we often find people who take solid
comfort in having company—indeed, it
seems almost necessary to their existence.
It is a pleasure, real en j )yment to visitsuch -
The German leaves everything to entertain a
stranger, answers all his questions, shows

him everything of interest, and is proud of
what he shows; the Frenchmrn entertains
him out ofcuriosity, and the Englishman for
profit. Among these people the Ansricau
is famous for his hospitality, M ty be live
well and long to dispense this generous
liberality and make his fams abroad a
reality at home.

“ W 10 gives and hid as the giving hand.

Nor counts on favor, fame or praise,

Shall find his smallest gift outweighs
Tue burden of the sea and land.“

-——...._—_

SPRING FLOWERING BULBS.

 

As each month brings with it a variety of
preparations for the coming cold season,
let us not forget that autumn is the ti ms to
make plans for a gay garden in Spring;
when we will be so glad to see our bulbs in
bloom, and rejoice that we managed to take
time to plant them. Tue last of September
or the mild days of October. when the soil is
warm and out door work is a delight, get
good rich black manure that has been left
in the yard 2. long time—an old sheep pen
or cow yard will yield a suitable fertiliz er.
and the woods a fine addition to that—and
if the soil is stiff clay, take the trouble to
get a q lantity of sharp sand from the well
washed shores of some neighboring lake or
river, and after forking up the soil mix all
thoroughly and deep until free from Iunps
and stones and fit for any variety of bulbs.
I like the plan of planting bulbs in beds of
fanciful shape, and filling them with lozv
growing annuals for summer. Plant the
center with the taller varieties of tulips; and
border with crocus, scillas, snowfl kc and
snow drop; let each border be of one kind
only, without mixing those small bulbs for
they differ in hardiness. A mixture of tulips
or hyacinths for abed is desirable, as there is

 

a difference in their time of blooming, and
so there will be a succession of bloom.

Another way is to plant early, late, or
medium varieties of different colors and
have them to use together, and to make a
pleasing contrast in the beds. 05 all the
gorgeous things in the way of tulips—and
also the earliest—are the Doc Van Thol;
they are of all colors, double and single,
very fine too for house culture in winter.
The later tulips are many of them double as
roses and far more gay; the single ones are
clear white, red, yellow, and bordered in
fanciful styles.

The hyacinth and tulip are the most
hardy of any of the bulbous spring bloomers ,,
and still the most showy and useful in
decorations.

The ditfsrent kinds of narcissus are
necessary to fill out the girden and for
bouq‘lets also. If one hasa good rich gar-
den and somewhat porous soil it will do
well without further preparation. Plant the
bulbs four or five inches deep, and when the
weather becomes cold give a dressing of
leaves or compost from the woods, as straw
will contain seeds that will mike a growth
not desired in the garden. Blib} will do
well planted as late as N )vembrr if the
ground is not frozen, but it is neither safe
or pleasant to wait. As potting bulbs is
later work, i will speak of it in the season,
as requested.

anrox. MRS. M. A. FULLER.
W

BREAKFAST TABLE TALK.

The little olack-eyed woman whose Q’lick,
decisive ways are born of her employment,
which requires promptness and readiness of
both hand and eye, and whose opinions are
as decided as her m )vements, said the other
morning while she waited for her mitutinal ,
coifee and toast: “Dr. —— told me the
other day that in this clim rte every person
who is at all troubled with bro Jchiai affec-
tions ought to wear across the chest a piece
of wadding quilted to silk, coming up well
to the collar and entirely protecting the
chest.” The pale-faced widow at the end of
the table, who rarely takes prrt in the table
talk, spoke up: “ I always make a point of
wearing a couple of thicknesses of. the
glazed wedding across my chest during the
winter, and am sure it saves me many a
cold. Tue silk would probably be an added
protection; I think —” and here the ancient
maiden whom singie-blesseduess has soured
to the world, broke in: “ It’s all nonsense,
mam, all nonsense. I never wear any such
thing andI never have any trouble, mam.
Nine of our family ever were any such
thing, and we never have any trouble with
our throats, mtm.” “ Bat, Miss ——-, don’t
you think that some families are more pre-
disposed to bronchi—” “ We never had any
such thi 1g as ‘bro‘ichitis ' or w‘utever you
call it (Ce he) in our ftm'iy.’ 1 never
heard of such a thing min.” Tue fr ir-
haired, slow-spoken, gentle lady sitting o p-
posite Wis jrst opening her mouth, but
the venerable relic was too q lick for her;
with a little bo rod on her chair, like a child
urging a rocking-horse, and a ciasping of
hands and a sideways nod that might have
been coqmttish and pretty when she was
sixteen -oh so long ago, the “old gal ”—
as a profane youth irreverently styles her—

 


 

4:

THE HOUSEHOLD.

 

went on: “ It is all nonsense for people to
do themselves up in cotton wool (to he, to
he be). If you’ll bathe yourself properly,
mam (here her glance sought the little
black-3y ed woman who had brought all this
upon us, and who blushed resentfully), and
rub your chest well with a coarse towel,
mam (‘Such as we always use in “our
family,” ’ breathed the widow into my left
ear), you’ll not need any ‘cottin battin’
(scornfully). Itold Mrs. yesterday
when she was having her dress fitted that
she ought to cut the sleeves out of her
wrappers, mam; they spoil the shape of the
arm, ’speclally round the wrist, mam,
where one does not need any flannel to—”
r‘ But, Miss ,” interrupted one who
had not yet spoken, “ do you not remember
the doctors all tell us—” “I don’t care
what the doctors tell us, mam; 1 know as
much as any doctor, manr. My common-
sense teaches me, mam, —” but seeing the
signs of a heated combat impending, which
would continue till the last boarder had
vanished and Kitty began to clear the table
while the old lady for the first time remem-
bered her cold toast and lukewarm coffee, I
fled. And the little blackveyed woman
shook her napkin as a flag of truce and
followed, as did also the widow, and what
we said in the hall as we buttoned our
gloves, I’ll never tell.

And as I went out into the sweet Sep-
tember air, so still that the falling leaves
were scarcely drifted from their direct path
downward by an eddy of air, I remembered
a sentence I once read: “There are people
so disputatious you have only to say water is
wet to set them to thinking of an argument
to disprove it.” 1 doubted it then; I know
it is true now. And it is certainly a most
unfortunate trait of character in any person,
old or young, to be so ready to contradict.
Andifit is developed no pains shouldbe
spared to conquer and repress it within
decent bounds, that one be not so disagree-
able to every one as is this unfortunate
spinster, who between her garrulity and her
disputativeness is only endured by her
acquaintances and tolerated by her relatives,
none of whom will have her as an inmate
of their homes. There is one thought we
ought to take home to ourselves and hear
about with us constantly: it is that our
traits of character, either of strength or
weakness, pleasant or disagreeable, grow
upon us and become more and more intensi-
fied as we grow older. People notice our
peculiarities more, because they become
more striking; in age we have not youth’s
freshness, nor the charm of beauty and
spontaniety to condone our shortcomings.
1f pleasant, agreeable manners are of ad-
vantage to young people, they are of tenfold
more importance to the elderly person, man
or woman, who would win the friendship
and esteem and liking which alone make
old age agreeable. BEATBIX.

___._...___.

MRS. FULLEn‘s letter on spring-flower-
ing bulbs, is commended to the attention of
those who intend to make a beginning in
bulb growing. Mrs Fuller will send mixed
colors of tulips and narcissus at fifty cents
per dozen, separate colors of tulips at sixty
cents, crocus bulbs twenty cents per dozen,
pips of the beautiful lily of the valley at
twenty-five cents per dozen.

 

 

 

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

A young lady who “thinks of going to
housekeeping soon,” she says, asks some
information about dishes, what are the
most popular and desirable styles, what
would be the best choice for a dinner set.
The HOUSEHOLD Editor has an article on
this topic well begun (which the old saw
says is “half done”) and it will be pub-
lished in a week or two. From it our
young friend can probably obtain the in-
f ormation she desires.

“Edna” asks what places of interest
strangers in Detroit can visit during a two
or three days’ stay, Sunday being one of
the days. Read “The Excursionist.” in
the HOUSEHOLD of August 11th for a
partial list of “attractions,” which can be
made to cover much more time if one has
leisure to “ go slow.” Visit the Public
Library, Newcomb’s, the bazars, M. S.
Smith’s jewelry and art store. the little
gallery back of Angell’s picture store,
where you are almost always sure to find
some gem worth seeing. You can spend
the sunshiny hours of a day very pleasantly
at Belle Isle, even if it is Septenberweather,
and see some (if the attractive features, un-
less we have a hard frost to kill the flowers
and denude the branches befere the pro-
posed visit. GO through the Central mar-
hot on Saturday night; you will see more
people, be run over by more baby cabs, get
more pushes and shoves and elbowings
than a few, but alter all it is amusing and
always a novel and interesting study to
strangers. On Sunday ore will visit the
church of her choice, probably. If a Baptist,
Rev. C. R. Henderson is the pastor of the
finest church of that denomination, and
also a very talented man. Rev. W. W.
Ramsry presides over the Central Metho-
dist, the Westminister church on Wood
ward Avenue furnishes sound dtctrine from
a Presbyterian stanu point, the music at St.
Al'ry sius (Catholic) on Washington Avenue,
is celebrated, and the surpliced choirs at
St. Paul’s (Episcopal) and Christ church
draw many visitors. There is a very pretty
choral service at St. Paul’s at four o’clock
on Sunday, which lasts less than an hour,
and is worth. attending. Half a day—pre-
ferably Sunday—should be spent at Elm-
wood, which is more easy of access than
Woodmere and more generally attractive.
Here are the graves of many distinguished
men, Lewis Cass, Zachariah Chandler, Gen.
Williams, Gen. Brady, and others who
helped make Michigan’s history. There
are also some fine monuments, notably the
Flremen’s, and the Waterman, the latter
one of Randolph Rtrgers’ finest efforts;
“Passing Away,” a beautiful female figure,
with clasped hands and Veiled face.

Then there is the Art Museum, opened
the first of the current month, which now
contains the famous Seney collection of
pictures, and Some fine paintings from the
gallery of the late E. C. Lewis, of Cold-
water, hinuly loaned by Mrs. Lewis. This
may be visited by day or in the evening, as
suits one’s convenience best, as the pictures
are quite as advantageously seen‘by the
electric lights as by sunlight. The manage-
ment is a trifle cranky; it is one of its
“ fads ” to require a silver quarter dollar as

 

an admission ticket, two ten cent pieces and}
a nickel won’t answer their purpose; you’ll
have to humor them, it is the best way to
get on easily in a. promiscuous world. 1
always like to say a good word for the
“ Battle of Atlanta,” because it is really so
excellent and lifedike a representation; go-
by all means, day or evening, it matters not
which, and give it at least an hour’s careful
scrutiny; all its details are .not apparent to
casual inspection. There are many public
institutions which one may visit if inclined,
as the Home for the Friendless, Found-
ling’s Home, House of Correction; and if
there chances to be a good play in town the
visitor will probably enjoy an evening at.
the theatre as much as anything.
——.—...———-—

Mus. 0. G. H., of Oxford, says: “I
would like to know if any of the readers
of the HOUSEHOLD keep bees and take care
of them themselves. We keep bees, and I
enjoy taking care of them: we have sixteen
swarms, which have done finely for this
season.”

 

Mus. J. M. WEsr, of Fairfield, says in
reply to a late inquiry relative to the merits
of a certain churn: “ I should like to say
that we have used the Davis swing churn
nearly three years, and find it fully equal to
any other in all respects in which churns are
usually compared; and superior in that it is
well adapted to the process of brine salting,
a method which is sure to be adopted as-
soon as it becomes fully understood.”

_____...—————

EDNA sends arscipe for mustard pickles,
for C. B.’s benefit, which she says are
“perfectly lovely.” Sre adds: “ I would
like to thank L. C. (1 think it was, have
sent my papers to atriend, so can’t find out)
for ‘Uses f— r Szale Bread;’ are have tried
nearly all and think them just the thing,
especially the dressing.”

____....__._.

Contributed Recipes.

MUSTARD marinas—Half a peck green cu-
cumbers; half peck green tomatoes; half
dozen green peppers: two quarts green beans;
two quarts silver onions; three or four heads
cauliflower. Cut up into suitable size every—
thing but the beans and onions. Soak each
over night in salt water, drain and scald ln-
vinegar. Drain again. Put one pound of
best ground mustard in six quarts of Vinegar;
boil and pour over the pickles hot. It will be
best to seal up or put in cans, as they won't
be so apt to be used up as fast as though they
were easily gotten at. I have seen five people-
make way with the best part of a quart at one

meal. they were so very nice. EDNA.
HAMBURG.

 

MUSTARD Frances—Six green peppers; six
quarts small onions: six quarts cucumbers:
six cauliflowers:four quarts sliced cucumbers.
Pour over these a weak brine in the propor»
tion of one tablespoonful of salt to one quart
of water, let stand over night, then drain.
Take vinegar to cover; to each quart of vine-
gar add one tablespoonful of mustard, half
cup brown sugar, half cup flour, half ounce
of turner.c powder, boil all together five min-
utes and pour over the pickles. The cucum-
bers are the large ripe ones pared, the seeds~
taken out and sliced. I also use watermelon
or muskmelon rinds the same way. This
year I shall use one-half whole and one-half
ground mustard. MM. 0. G. H.

Oman.