DETROIT, NOV. 1'7, 1888.

 

 

THE HOUSEHOLD-"Supplement.

 

 

'NIIEE DE];

The: 1 need rare lilies in her hands,
Poo: hands that scarce had touched a flower.
And creamy rosebuds. whose perfume
Enrolmed her for her funeral hour.

(IFTS.

 

They Tmapped her form in lustrous silk,
And draped soft folds of tlimy lace
About the slender pulselcss wrists,
Ant; nz'rierneath the patient face.

At last -.r.-e lay in perfect rest:
Wren,- voices, late so slow to praiw.
Renews-ell her many virtues o‘er
ALC spoke of all he‘ pleasant ways.

The sleeper heeded nor the wealth
05 bier-m that lay on either hand;
Ani no. a word of love or toss
He: titled ear> could understand.

‘ Strange we so often keep the flowers
To 1»: in folded hands at last:
And litilr luxuries of life
Wftllli-'lld, till care for ' hem is past.

Strange that we do not oftener praise
The Willing toiler by our side!
Why keep the full-blown llower of love
Yuri. t’:r friend we loved has died:
————-——-...——

I.ike 2. ..2.rerock in the lift. sing. O bonny bride:
It‘s w‘. two, it‘s we too, happy side by side.
Take 5. kiss from me. thy man: now the song

in gins.

All is made afresh for us. and the brave heart
‘E‘lfl.

\Vhe‘: 7.7m» datktr days come. and no sun will
shine.

Thou shalt dry my tears, lass. and H] dry thine.

It‘s we 1W0. it‘s we two, while the world‘s away,

sitting ty the golden sheaves on our wedding
day. I --Jnm Ingelmr,

.—_’

A DRESS PARADE.

 

 

““.3...'_‘r€ and see our new pomps and
_ yiniries—three new bonnets and three new
dresse- f~l$t borne, and we are all doing the
great feminine admiration act over them.
Now don’t make any excuses; we all know
you’re y tat dying for a look" and so I was
whisked off up stairs and into the guest
room. Where was much diStrrder of empty
hosts and tissue piper wrappings, and a
great display of millinery and " fixings.”
Caroline, the vivacious speaker, ”fair,
fat and tort r,” at the head of her father’s
household, continued: "We are going to
draw lets to see who shall go to church to-
morrow: we don’t dare to take all this finery
into one pew the same day, you know, in
justice :0 the minister. Sena'ores prim'es,

so I’ll show you mine first.” and she took
up a bonnet of seal brown velvet, with a
full coronet front, and trimmed with a bit
of silver embroidery on brown, a shaded
brown cook's plume, and wide grosgrain
ribbon with three satin stripes on one edge.
"‘ Cost me ten dollars, out and out, but it is

  

every hit new, the velvet is silk, and I shall
wear it exactly as it is for two winters, and
have the velvet made over for the third, so
[do not feel as if it was an extravagance.
And it’s very becoming," and she set the
bOnnet, which she had heretofore held
poised on her forefinger, daintily upon
her fair hair. “This is my dress,” she
continued, taking up a seal brown basque,
of the wool goods known as “ whipcord,” a.
diagonal twill which nukes a narrow raised
satiny cord over the surface. There was a
row of silk galloon next the small, iridescent
brown buttons which closed the front; and
alternate folds of seal brown velvet and the
dress goods coming from the shoulder, and
narrowing to the bottom of the basque, en-
closed the vest and covered nearly all the
front, the sleeves had wide velvet cuffs.
The skirt was plain across the front and
laid in backward turning pleats at the sides:
one edge of the front drapery was straight,
and bordered with two rows of the gilloon,
with a strip of the velvet, about two inches
wide, between them; the other edge was
caught up high and well back on the back
drapery, which fell in full unbroken lines to
the foot. “Very simple, you see, but it
suits me exactly; such an animated dump-
ling as lam cannot stand much draping.
Those folds on the waist are a new de-
parture, but they are m )re becoming than
you‘d guess. And l’ve had my seal sacq'te
‘done over’ till it is as good as new; you
know I’ve worn it five years, and it really
needed modernizing; had new linings put
in, and new backs; cost me $30, it ought to
look well.” And it did. It had been a
good quality of skin in the first place, and
looked as fresh as if just. from the shop.

“‘ lly dress cost me $23, and of that $10

went to the dressmakor. DJn’t tell me I’m
not an economical soul. Now here’s Kate—
she don’t know what ccmomy means.
Whatever she happens to fancy she must
have, and she seems to fancy a. great many
things in the course of a year. This is
hers.”

“ This” was a hat of line French» felt, of
a peculiar greenish gray, large, with a wide
and somewhat rolling brim faced on the
inside, from the crown to within two inches
of the edge, with dark green velvet cut into
blocks which were edged with narrow gilt
braid, so that the lines radiated from the
inside of the crown as a centre. A large
flat bow of shaded, green ribbon was twisted
with a bit of plush, so that the long loops
came forward over the crown, from the
back, and the plush and a fold of ribbon
held the brim against the crown behind. A

 

long full ostrich plume having half the

 

 

barbes on one side of its entire lengths.
pale green, the other half a darker shade,
encircled the crown, flat upon the brim.
Kate came in at the moment, and was in-
stantly invested with the new head gear;
her golden hair and pink cheeks gained an
added beauty by contrast with the dark halo,
which formed a. most becoming background.
But Kite at twenty is a beauty and fairly
well aware of it. The dress lay near, a
heavy ottoman rep, in dark green, with for-
ward turning pleats meeting in the front,
and the remainderof the skirt plain; over
this was to be worn a Directorie polonaise
or redingote of dark green plush, perfectly
plain and without ornament of any kind. A
muff and boa of fluffy fox fur lay near, but
“ Where’s her wrap?” I queried. “Bless
you! that plush atftir is the wrap. I tell
her to wait till the thermometer gets down
below zero, and she will wish she h. d
bought afur~linod circularJnstead of that
fal-lal, but pride will keep her warm, I pre-
sume. 1 hope it willgprevent pneumonia.
also.”

“Cal always wasacroaker: don’t mind
her,” said the saucngtte, who somehow
“ fits her name” and makes you think just
a little of Potruchio’s Kite. “ And to turn
the conversation and avert the solemn re-
monstrance you are: getting ready to otter,
what do you think of this?" “ You better
think what pa’ll say when the bill for your
things comes in. Can you see where there's
$l4 worth on that hat?” pointing to Kate's.
“ And there’s not a. thing on it that can be
utilized anotherIyear. She would not wear
a ‘done over’ felt, and the plume and the
ribbon will both be antiques next season,
novelties always are. l‘lurteen dollars! It
takes a woman without a conscience about
her to make a milliuer: there‘s no use for
anything so uncomfortable as an ‘inward
monitor’ in that trade. And just the
material for that suit spoiled a fifty diffs:
b'll,” groaned the economical Caroline,
while her sister stood “preening ” herself
like abird before the long mirror, under a.
very dashing cardinal felt, profusely trim-
med with creamy ribbon and clusters of
ostrich tips. “This is Evie’s,” she con-
tinued, as calm and undisturbed as ever.
“The child looks like a ti .rniugo in it, bu“;
it is wonderfully becoming to her brunette
style. And I trimmed it myself, and don’t
you think it is pretty? And here’s her
dress,” and she lifted from a chair a mass
of bright cashmere, fashioned for the
youngest of the trio of sisters, Miss Evie, _
who at thirteen was mimicking a good many
grown up airs and graces, though her
sisters sedulously nipped all young lady

 

   


    
  

 
 
 
   
  
 
  
  
 
   
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
 
  
 
  
  
   
    
  
   
 
  
   
   
 
  
 
  
  
   
   
   
 
  
   
  
  
 
   
  
  
  
 
   
 
  
  
   
    
  
 
   
  
 
   
  
   
 
 
 
  
   
    
   
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
  
  
  
 
 
  
 

 

 

 

THE HOUSEHOLD.

 

aspirations in embryl, and clad the petite
figure in “missy” style. The front and
sides of the dress were perfectly plain,
with a six inch border of cream colored
satin cord gimp at the foot, the depth being
obtained by putting three rows close to-
gether. There were two steels in the back
of the skirt, and the back drapery was laid
in burnous folds, The waist was cut in
acket fashion. with a cardinal velvet vest,
and the jacket edged with the gimp. With
this was to be worn a coat of some sort of
heavy cloth, in cream, with gilt buttons. I
thought it a very “loud” c)stume, es-
pecially when the liy-away hat was added.
but as I did not have to go to church with
it I prudently held my peace. But I like
much better, the more subdued dress of a
little miss of the same age, who looks very
sweet and modest in a dark blue felt with
cream trimming, a black braided jacket,
and a navy blue dress with a full vest of
soft surah. Evie’s hat seemed overbur-
dened with ornament. the dark blue one had
just a band of the ribbon round the crown,
and a full bow, with the longer loops turn
ing to the front, placed at the side back
again the crown.

“Here’s Addie’s hat and dress I ordered
for her,” said Caroline. (Addie is a cousin
who lives about 50 miles from the city.)
"Between you and 1, they are going on a
bridal tour, I fancy. I tried to coax her into
choosing green, it’s so stylish this year, but
she would not, and perhaps she’s right; she
has not much color. She had these plumes,
and those cashmere loops are like the trim-
mings I got for her dress, dollar a yard, and
‘perfectly stunning;’ and the whole thing
only cost six dollars, and i think it’s pret-
tier than Kate’s, though I’ll admit it is not
so stylish and new. The dress goods was
$1.25 a yard, but it is so wide she only re-
quired six yards, that’s the mercy of being
short and slender; and that’s the wrap I’m
t) send out on approval." The wrap was
of the new brown matalasse, with an edge
of fancy brown balls, to be worn with a
brown bear mud and boa, and the ticket
on it read $32. The trimming for the dress
was half disclosed through the paper
wrappings; it was the new cashmere gal-
loon, woven with tinsel threads, and there
was surah for a vest to match the pretty
wood brown of the goods.

But the bell rang and callers were an-
nounced; I made my escape, feeling it was
none too soon, for so much millinery,
especially when taken so seriously, promised
to become too much for the limited supply
of gray matter in my cranium.

BEATRIX.
————...———
CANNING PUMPKIN AND MAKING
PIES.

I would say for the benefit of Gyp, that l
have two ways of canning pumpkin. One
is to pare and cut the slices in little
block shapes, steam until thoroughly done,
then fill into the cans like any fruit. When
wanted for use, heat and rub through the
colander, My sections that I use are whole,
that is, not perforated over the bottom; the
tube is at one side and has a row of holes
.1. the top of the tube, and one section fits
over the other, so the steam reaches through

or juice from it to fill the can. This isa

very reliable way, as the other method of

cooking—mashing, rubbing through the

colander, then reheating, is quite apt to

make the pumpkin turn white and sour.

But i really like pies made out of dried

pumpkin.

Squash makes delicious pie-e: it needs a
little lemon extract to take (if the strong
squash flavor. How many of the Horse-
IIOLD readers made clderberry pies this
faL? We all pronounced them fine. I
lined the pie tins with crust, then sprinkled
half a cup or more of granulated sugar over
the crust, filled in the berries, sprink‘ed on
more sugar, and moistened the whole with
one tablespoonful of vinegar; then the top
crust, having previously wet the rim of the
lower crust, then press the two together-—
not pinch around—it will snot leak, and
does not need any flour for thickening; the
the juice will be like jelly.

I sat by one time and saw a woman, past
fifty, make two apple pies. She took a large
pan of flour and made ahole in the top of it,
put in some lard, salt and water, mixed up
what crust she thought was required; then
she took it out, picked out the crumbs.
then moulded it up into a hard ball on the
board; it required some muscle to roll that
mass, but it was done; then into the crust
lined plates were sliced or “chunked”
Greening apples, rounded up like 'a huge
p) ramid; on this was sprinkled some flour,
lots of brown sugar, allspice; then the whole

for biscuit, and stowed away in an oven
hot enough to roast a pig. In a short time
we were startled by a sizzling in the oven;
she rushed there, flung open the door and
out rushed burnt sugar and all the other in-
gredients-4n a minature river. “ Well,”
she remarked, “I wonder what makes my
pies always run over? it beats all! 1 likes
good thick pic, a thin one looks so stingy.”
At dinner Idid not dare take a piece, for
though knowing that appearances are often
deceiving, 1 can most always tell from the
looks how anything will taste. If it is the
least bit doubtful I pass it by. As the boy
said when asked to define pie, “ Well, pie
is not exactly an article of commerce, being
used as an accessory to dinner and to chink
up with between times. It is fearfully and
wonderfully made, being constructed upon
scientific principles and can be classed,
good, bad and indifferent. Some pics are
so good, that before a fellow knows it his
pic has disappeared from human vision,
and he is on the look out for another '; others
go down a little bit slow, and the last
named class are simply unendurable.” And
I must add ‘ ‘ them’s my sentiments tew.”

But how many different ways there are
for baking and boiling and cooking! I was
reading Miss Parloa’s recipe for making
coffee—may-be it is good—she said fill the
entice pot with cold water instead of using
hot. I shall try it some time, and wish
others would also. 1 know my coffee is
delicious made from boiling water, but if
there is a better method I shall adopt it, as I
am not so conceited as to think my way is
the only way. As I have said before, good
sense and judgment are necessary with
all recipes. It is “try, try again.” always.

 

the three-at once; in this way there is water

BATTLE CREEK. EVANGELINE.

surmounted with a top crust thick enough '

A PLEASANT LETTER FROM EL
SEE.

Surely Beatrix’s duster bag was not
greatly improved by being immersed in :ny
vinegar barrel. But any one could see that
it was all a typographical error; only such
mistakes are so rare in our llousnnorm
that we’re never on the lookout for them,
and this combination was as comical as the
mixed report of the dog-fight and the wed-
ding that has gone the rounds of the papers.
One other error was in the dimensions of
that kitchen, which was twelve by twenty-
four feet, making a kitchen now nine by
twelve, and a dining room twelve by fifteen,
that can be elongated on occasions. Ori-
ginally the cistern was at one end of that
twenty-four foot room, and the well at the
other, the pantry at one end and cellar stairs
at the other, but now the nine by twelve
contains the stove, wood box, worktable,
sink, well and cistern pumps, doors to eel-
lar, back porch, china closet, papery,
scullery, also two windows, with room

' enough for all.

I, too, have read “She,” and enjoyed it,
but mainly lthink, as one neighbor says of
another, “ 1 like to hear how big a story he
can tell and carry it through successfully;"
even so I enjoyed ll uggird, but would not
care for that as a steady literary diet. How-
ever, one understands the newspaper hits
and reviews so much better if they read
such books when they are having their day,
that it always seems seems to pay. I have
just finished the “Chronicles of the Schon—
berg-Gotta Family,” that 'old book by
Elizabeth Charles. and there is so much to
admire and endorse, that scarce a page is
left free from penciling, as I like to mark
the particularly striking sentences, and then
go over it again and again to study my
favorites. Following that 1 undertook to
read a commonplace love story, and how
dull and profitless it seemed! I really could
not finish it. With books as with sermons,
after we have been served with the “ strong
meat” we lose our relish for watery broth.
Light food is good in its place it well pre-
pared, but when dealt out without any ap-
parent preparation it lacks the relish.

The holidays will soon be here and sug-
gestions for ornament or convenience are,
of course, in order. A decorated bottle
stands at my elbow that is apretty and
inexpensive affair—a common beer bottle.
A mixture was made of dry kalsomine and
liquid shellac and put on to the bottle with
a putty-knife, leaving it very rough, but the
surface was covered to within three inches
of the bottom. This soon hardened like
stone and was gilded, as also the wires
hanging at the side and a tall wooden cork-
A three inch band of cherry plush covers
the plain bottom, and two yards of the
narrowest ribbon of the same color is wound
around the cork, tied in a double bow to the
wires and hangs at the side. It is a showy
ornament for the table or mantel. I saw a
pretty panel the other day that was a piece.
of thin board about eight by fourteen
inches, covered plain wifh blue plush, and a
cabinet photograph was fastened with four
brass-headed nails, diagonally, near the
bottom. On the upper corner a bunch of
small cones, nuts, spice berries, etc., wired

 

and gilded, was fastened with a bow of

  

   

 


 

 

THE HOUSEHOLD.

  

€)
éJ

 

shell-pink ribbon, and it stood on the table
as an easel. An old fashioned, hanging
tin candlestick is gilded, a sperm candle
put in proper place in it, then the space
around filled with matches, with a piece of
sand-paper glued to the bottom, and it is a
complete match safe. The mother’s butter-
ladle has a pretty painting inside, the rest
is gilded, a bow of ribbon tied around the
handle and hangs on the wall as a plaque.
Scrap bags are always useful presents, f .r
one can never have too many. 0 re in every
sleeping room is a great convenience for
disposing of stray feathers, bits of paper,
etc; and one used as a string bag is a con-
venience that I‘ve never seen in any house
but my own; but the store parcels bring in
so many strings that a handy place for

them is a real help. EL San.
Wasnmorox.
--—QOO--—-—-

MISTAKES.

Thanks to B:atrix for pointing them out
to us. When you are led to see that you
have madea mistake, the first thing that
should be done is to rectify it; but that is
not a pleasant task, and especially if you
are getting old, and it has been a long
standing one, and has been brought before
the public gaze in literature, and perhaps
caused laughter or ridicule, even in So
small a matter as the signing of your name
to a written note. We find this world full
of mistakes, some through ignorance and
some through neglect or carelessness. And
we have made one sad mistake if we have
,not preserved all our old Hor‘snnorm ;,
which have been so faithful to point them
ou‘. to u=: this life is so full of them that we
find them, it matters not which way we may
turn. Bit some of them cannot be seen,
only from a certain standpoint.

I have been binding my Hot'snnorms; i
put the numbers for two years in one book.
For the benefi: of others I will tell how it
—is done: Lay the papers in order, be sure
to have the double edge even, put in two or
more blank leaves, front and back; now
make several holes through with an awl, and
fasten firmly with strong thread. To trim
the edges place a small board each side of
the book, even where you wish to cut the
edge, place this firmly in avise, and cut
with a sharp draw-shave; next take wood
file or sand paper and rub the edge until you
think that is well done. If you have not a
shop with such tools in, the good man of
the house has made a mistake, for we find
these things indispensable on a well
managed farm. To fasten the cover on
make three holes large enough for a nar-
row tape to pass through. one in the center
and the others an inch and a half from
each end. The holes should be a half inch
from the back, pass the tape through, leave
an inch of the tape on each side. Cut the
cover a little larger than the book except
the half inch less at the back: paste the
cover on the inside, and lay it on the book
even with the tape; paste the tape on the
outside to hold the cover in place, cover the
whole with cloth. Or use cloth for the back,
letting it com-3 on the cover about half of an
inch or more, and cover the rest with fancy
paper. Be sure that the back is well pasted
and that the book closes with ease. Lay a
weight on the book until dry that it may

 

not warp. Now we have a nice book. but
I find one mistake, we have no index, there
is too much lost time to find what I want.
I out several blank leaves in my book, in-
tending to write out an index, and then I
came to another mistake, they were not
paged, only each paper by itsglf. I will
page my book and then I will write any in-
dex in alphabetical order. It would be very
nice if we could have an index at the end of
each year ; our last paper might be a index.
But if we cannot hive that it would not be
much extra work to page them, commenc-
ing with January and so through the whole
year. It would be. agreat help to those who
have them bound. I have tried to make
this so plain that a child would not make a
mistake. Sime will say “01. I have no
time;” it is not so much for want of time
as it is want of will to do. I find that one
woman cannot in all things reach perfec-
tion; if she has succeeded at one. point she is
sadly deficient at another.

It is not supposed that the majority of
women know how to conduct their own
legal afi‘tim but common sense would teach
them if they hold property in their own
right, that they must act independent of
their husbands. SJ it is right that in busi-
ness a woman should use her Christian
name, but in the social world and in domes-
tic life. where the husband and wife are
counted as one. they should be one in name
to avoid all mistakes. I know in some
cases it is very nice to hide behind a nom de
plume,- we feel more like writing that which
we would not, if we were using our hus-
band’sinitials. But to claim a profess in
ship, that can only be attained by personal
effort.

But how is the third person to know what
my husband’s initials are if I sign my letter
with my Christian name? Supposel write
to Evangeline, of Battle Creek, requesting
an answer, how can she do otherwise than
answer to the name that I have signed?
According to etiquette it is not correct to
adiress a married lady by her Christian
name; and I doubt very much if I should
get the letter until it had passed through
the advertisement columns; for us matrons
here are seldom known by our Christian
names. But the HOUSEHOLD hereafter

will know me only as plain DIANA.

Bnooxtvx.
————...——._

WILLING, BUT WEAK.

 

Huldah Perkins asks if the readers of the
HOUSEHOLD are ashamed of their econo-
mies, since they never tell of them. For
my own part, I would be the happiest
woman in the State if I ever had any I could
tell of. I am a particularly unfortu hate in-
dividual in that respect; all my economies
partake of the nature of “saving at the
spigot and wasting at the bunghole.” With
the best intentions in an economical way, I
find myself termed an extravagant woman
by my friends who succeed in being saving.
I have been compelled to admit my con-
viction that I am “not built that way.”
When I attempt to scrimp the shortening in
the piecrust, or economize in the quality of
the coffee, Gustavus Adolphus makes
Rome howl until the old lavishness is re-
sumed, always offering as a conclusive
argument the assertion that as head centre

    

 

of the family he pays the bills and if he does
not grumble, no one else need. And ta: to
him justice, he never does growl; he Lives
good living: his mother was a famous cook
in her day.

I tried to economize by buying cheap
things. A pair of shoes. for instance, st
532;, tempted me into investing, and I fez. Ely
imagined I had saved two dollars. But
there was something about the cut of them
which was wrong—a seam came ove; my
favorite bunion, and they pinched my ties
terribly when I came to wear them. A10“.
it was not long before 1 presented they. to
my washwoman, and sadly fear that :er
profuse gratitude at the time of bestcwal
was not j istitie . by later developments: .n
brief, I think they hurt her worse than they
did me, but I had got rid of them; and I am
still in doubt as LO how much I am actually
out of pocket by the purchase.

The basque and certain portions o; the
skirt of a dress were worn out, and I d cid—
ed the remainder of the skirt and a couple
of yards of new like it, would, if combined
with another shade of the same color. metre
me a serviceable dress. But I could only
find the proper complexion in goods at a
dollar a yard. Then Madame my dress-
maker charges 35 for making the plaisest
of dresses, and will hardly condescefl. so
look at’a reconstructed garment. l fee: as
humble as a feminine "l'riah Heep" when 1
take my simple wool dresses to her, anyh )w.
and I really had not moral cmrage enabitgh
to face her disdain of my purposcd scone any.
A. bright thought struck me: why not make
it myseli‘.’ I woufd! It was a glorious lu-
spiratlon. But I had no pattern! I warm
rip up the old ba=q'.ie, which had titted no
better than a glov , and cut the new has-rue
by it. Another glorious. etc,
ripped and pressed and cut and basted till
it was ready to try on, and still exulting :n
my brilliant scheme, put it on, feeling
“ I've got t'icre; this is a mere form." To!
One of (Listavus Adolphus‘s sh—~ wrtild
have been a better one. Being brought In
on the “try, try again” plan, I dii not
propose to give it up and I worked at it
until I reduced it to a tolerable lit, so :hat
by never wearing it out of the house. and
always being very bright and brilliant when
anyone calls and I have it on, I think i :an
detract attention from the way it “hutct.+s"
up in the neck, and goes 011‘ on the b as .21
the back, and the extsperating way n
which the sleeves wrinkle at the armhue.
And thelostof that " economy” was S's 70..
and conli lenziilly, I hate the sight of it.

Now, candidly, I envy with all my heart
those women who do know how to be eccnss
mical, and who have the faculty to mare
overclothing, cook, using just enough and
not a bit too much, and buy advantageously.
I never made a bargain in my life; always 1
pay the highest price for everything: nd I
honestly do not see why it is so. I would
be glad to be more economical if I only
knew how, but the above specimens of my
success at saving are literally true. and
about the way my attempts turn out. I se-
licve it is because I am totally lacking .u
what the Yankees call “ gumptiong" and I
would be glad to learn of Huldah Perkins,
or any one else, how to cultivate that
faculty. I look with sincere admiration
upon a woman who can so adapt conditions

a
9:0.


 

4:

   

    

THE HOUSEHOLD.

 

 

 

to circumstances and bring about such re-
suIts as lluldah did in the matters she told
us about in a recent Horsramtum [Issue of
N w. :0. -Ep ] That venison steak would
have had no jelly cake, accompaniment, at
my table, because it never would have oc-
curred to me that I could get out of the
dilfirillla so gracefully as she did. Alas! I
urn not fertile in expedients.
BRI'NEFHLE.
___*..____
ACCEPTING INVITATIONS.

i agreed with Beatrix in her article on
the '- Duties of Guests,” but there were
several things she omitted which I think
some people ought to know and pay some
attention to. I think a visitor ought to
tell the lady of the house how long she pro-
posesto stay, when she first comes. Not
to know is often very inconvenient and an-
noying. as the lady often has visits of her
own to make, or other company she wants
to ask to come, or there are friends waiting
till her house is clear to pay a visit. So I
say always manage to tell how long you
mean to stay; and I second Beatrix‘s saying
' that " short visits make long friends.”

Another point is in accepting invitations.

If you ask a person to visit you on such and
such a date, let her accept or decline for
that time, the time that she is invited for.
BJI a god many will say or write “ I can’t
come then, but will come” a week earlier or
a week later, as the case may be. I do not
think this is good manners. In that point
the convenience of the one who invites is
the principal thing to be considered. and
in inviting us for a given day she is sup-
posed to have arranged to suit her conven-
ience best, and it is out of place to say we
will come some other time, when perhaps it
will be decidedly inconvenient to her.

I do not know whether I am right in this

maizer or not. but as I read in a fashion
paper the other day that in England people
are invited to come a certain day and even
at a given time of that day, and invited to
stay a given number of days, and expected
to go when that limit is expired, I do not
think I am very far out of the way, as what-
ewr is "English, you know” is quite sure
to ac right. ‘

harem. REBECCA.

__.__...¢

FEEDING THE BABY. '

 

Christine Terhune Herrick, who is a
daughter of the popular authoress “ Marion
Harland.” in a very sensible letter in [[ur-
per'a Baz'zr OJ the above subject, says that
the crying of babies is more frFqueDtly to
be attributed to surfeit than to the desire for
food, though it may be taken eagerly by
instinct and as the only means _ to the
baby's knowledge to subdue his pain. It ~gu-
lar meals for the baby should he insisted on
from the first; at first the interval should be
two hours, the time being gradually in-
creased, until at five or six months five
meals in the twenty-four hours will suffice,
To insist that the child shall have but three
meals a day from the beginning of its life is
cruel. The stomach is too small to hold
food enough for the lengthy periods which
must intervene, and the digestive appira-
tus works so rapidly that the stomach is
empty long before time for the next meal.

Milk is the natural and hence best food

      

 

   

for babies. Cow’s milk will be acceptable
to many, while others it will not suit at all.
If milk is not available, next in value is a
mixed diet, barley, rice, or oatmeal water
with cream or milk. to which may be added
lime water, sugar of milk, salt, or soda, as
the physician may direct. An artificial
food should not be tried without a physi-
cian’s advice; nor should experiments be
made on the baby‘s diet because some article
proved nourishing to some other baby. 0f
the care of the appliances for “ bringing up
a baby by hand,” Mrs. Herrick says:

“ T0) much care cannot be bestowed upon
the cleansing of the utensils in which a
baby’s food is prepared and served to him.
To secure this end it is well tohave two sets
of vessels, that the one may have a chance
to be thoroughly cleansed while the other
is in use. The tin in which the food is
cooked should be scoured immediately after
it has been emptied, and then carefully
dried. Seamless cups or saucepans should
be used, if possible, that there may be no
risk of the milk drying in the cracks or
seams and escaping observation. Agate
ironware is preferable to tin, as being more
easily kept clean.

“ The bottle should be rinsed out as soon
asthe baby has finished his meal, and left
filled with clean cold water until it is again
needed. Once a day, at least, they should
be washed out with scalding water and
borax, and if possible have a good sunning
as well. A bottle brush is indispensable.
The long rubber nipples should be selected,
as these can be turned inside out and well
cleansed. Black rubber should always be
used in preference to white.

"No words can be too strong in con-
demnation of the long rubber tubes one
often sees attached to the bottles. It is al-
most impossible to keep the inside of these
tubes clean. The sight of a baby in a.
public conveyance pulling at one end of a
snake-like tube, while the other is connect-
ed with a bottle of stone-cold milk, is
enough to make one’s heart ache for the
little victim to its mother’s carelessness or
lack of knowledge.

“One must remember that while milk
may satisfy the baby’s appetite, it does not
q uench his thirst. He should often have a
few teaspoonfuls of cool water given him.
Many a poor little child who could not put
his woes into words has undergone intense
suffering because it has never occurred to
his attendant that the milk he drank served
only to increase his thirst. In summer he

should have orrl y boiled water, and the pre-
caution is a wise one at all times.”

_____...__._._
C. B. wishes to thank E ina and the other
ladies who responded to her request for
recipes for mustard pickles. She followed
the directions furnished by Edna, and re-
ports that her pickles are very nice.
.___._...,__._

Wt: have received a copy of Miss Parloa’s
New Cook-Book, a collection of several
hundreds of recipes for the preparing of
table luxuries and dainty dishes, soups,
sauces, cakes, puddings, beverages, in fact,

everything to tempt the appetite. A num-
ber of the recipes are new, and have never
been in print before. The purpose of the
author is to teach how to prepare dishes
that are more healthful and satisfying and
also more economical than cake and pastry.
Estes & Lauriat, Boston.

 

  

HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

 

PEAS are the most unpalatable of any
vegetable when canned, even though put up
by professional crnners.

 

WHEN blankets grow thin and begin to
give way, it is scarcely worth while to mend
them. Several such tacked together, and
quilted into a cotton or woolen case. make
an excellent coverlet. To quilt, divide into
diamonds by drawing diagonal lines cross-
ing each other, and stitch on the machine,
or run by hand, taking care that the stitches
go through and through.

—_.— ,-

AN exchange gives the following recipe
for homemade vinegar, a method we have
never before chanced to see. The process
is asfollows: “Boil one pint of corn in a
gallon of water: strain, and to the liquor
thus obtained add syrup or sugar until
pleasantly sweet. Let it stand in a warm
place and you will soon have good vinegar.
The stronger and sweeter the liquor the
stronger will be the vinegar and the longer
in making.” But none of these “slop-
made” vinegars can equal in strength arzd
excellence that made from good apple cider,
and converted into vinegar by the gradual
acidulation of time.

 

A connuspoxnnxr of the Ohio Farmer
dries pears in this manner: “ To dry pears
we pare, quarter and cure them, and if the
quarters are large, divide again. As fast as
they are thus prepared we drop them into a
preserving kettle half full of maple syrup,
fill the kettle with pears, then put it away
for twelve hours to season and harden the
fruit. They are then put overaslow fire
and cooked till the fruit looks clear, but is
not soft. The pieces are then skimmed out
and put into a warm place to dry. I uze
sheets of tin, made especially for the pur-
pose, on which to dry the fruit, putting
them into the stove oven and changir g
often to cooler places. With four of these
large tins, of the size of the bottom of the
stove oven, I can easily dry half a bushel of
pears per day, besides attending to other
household duties. When dry, the pears
look like waxed fruit, and make a rarity for
fruit cake, or for eating, like figs.”

____..,____
Contributed Recipes.

 

1’1er CAKE No. L-Three cups sugar; two
cups butter: four cotfcecnps flour; eight eggs,
whites and yolks beaten separately; two
pounds raisins; two pounds curl-ants; half
pound citron: one teaspoonful each of cinna—
man, cloves, nutmeg and soda. Bake slow
and long. Will keep indefinitely if not eaten,
All fruit cake should be made a mort‘r before
using.

No. 2.-—-Une cup each of butter, sugar and
molasses; half pound each of raisins and cur-
rants; quartrr pound citrou: half teaSpoon-
ful soda; and one teaSpoonful each of cinna-
mon, cloves and nutmeg; four eggS; three
cups flour.

COFFEE CAxr:.-—0ne cup butter; two brovm
sugar; one of cold coffee; three of flour, and
three eggs; one pound raisins: half pound
entrants: quarter pound citron; one teaspoon
ful each of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and
soda. this is my favorite. and will keep a
year If not eaten. M. E, H.

ALBION.