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DETROIT, MARCH 22. 1890.

 

 

THE HOUSEHOLD-"Supplement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

a QUARREL.

 

There‘s a. knowing little proverb,
From the sunny land of Spain;

But in Northland as in Southland.
ls its meaning clear and plain.

Look it up within your heart;
Neither lose nor lend it—

Two it takes to make a quarrel:
One can- alwaye end it.

Try it well in every way,
Still you‘ll find it true,
In a fight without a foe,
Pray what could you do?
If the wrath is yours alone,
Soon you will expend it—
Two it takes to make a quarrel:
One can always end it.

Let‘s suppose that both are wroth,
And the strife begun,
If one voice shall cry for “ Peace,“
Soon it will be done;
If but one shall span the breach,
He will quickly mend it—
Two it takes to make a quarrel;
One can always end it.
T reasure— Trove.

W

THE DIET OF THE CHILDREN.

 

I think if halftthe time and thought
that is given to make our children look
well and appear well, was taken to make
them really well and truly good it would
be better, not only for the children but for
every one. I consider it our duty as
mothers to study the laws of health, and
not only study them but make use of them;
what good will it do our children for us to
know that their sleeping rooms should be
well aired if we do not open the windows
for weeks atatime? Let all those who
are large enough to exercise have good
warm underclothes and overshoes and
leggings (if they don’t have so many nice
dresses); then let them go out of doors
every day and be in the fresh, pure air that
is not confined by walls of lath and plaster.
If you haven’t time and strength to carry
baby out every day, shut her in one room
while you open all the doors and windows
in the other, and when it is thoroughly
swept with a current of fresh air shut it
up and with a good fire it will soon be
warm enough to put baby in while you air
the other rooms; a little dust on the furni-
ture will not hurt baby but. odors of pan-
cakes and decaying vegetables will.

I have, in a previous article, quoted Dr.
Foote’s rules for healthful clothing; but
must say something about children’s food.
Some mothers never deny their children
anything that is on the table, and really
think that is be way to be kind to them,
. but everyone who has read In Guru’s or

 

 

any other medical work knows that they
are mistaken. Some things that are good
for grown people to eat and drink are
positively injurious for little ones; in order
to make this subject as well understood as

' I wish to it seems absolutely necessary to

quote Dr. Foote again: “ Milk forbabics.
and that only, if possible, which issues
from the breasts of healthy mothers, mush
and milk for children under six years of
age; and during this period all wholesome
veg tables may be permitted, but no
stronger animal food than milk. Passing
the sixth year, butter, eggs and fish may
he allowed to enter sparingly into the diet
of the child; and for the twelfth year,
poultry, broths and the soups of other
meats. Not before he is fifteen or twenty
should he be permitted to taste of steak,
roast beef, or strong meat: Not before he
is twenty-five or thirty should he allow
himself to drink coffee or tea, and now
for the reason: A child can not well
endure a stimulating diet. His little vital
machinery, fresh from the ingenious hands
of nature, is full of life, electricity and
animation. At birth his palpitating little
heart contracts from 130 to 140 times per
minute. At the age of three his pulse is
about ninety, while that of an adult
averages seventy-two. Stimulating food
of course quickens the activity of the vital
organs of children, and this morbid activity
renders them susceptible to inflammatory
diseases. Hence the prevalence of measles,
scarlet-fever, canker-rash, chicken-pox and
other ills, hardly known to adults. I
really believe that these disorders would
never afiect children if they were fed and
clothed properly, or in such a way as not
to derange the activity of their vital
machinery as set going by good old Dame
Nature. The blood of children is richer
in solid constituents, and especially in blood
corpuscles than that of adults, and as ani-
mal food tends to increase this richness and
solidity toa greater extent than vegetable
food, allowing to a child the former in-
evitably causes .an undue proportion of
those constituents to go to the blood, there-
by rendering the vascular fluids as ignitable
to the breath of contagion, as powder is to
the touch of fire. Let intelligent mothers
who set their children’s blood on fire with
the flesh of animals as food, and then let
their doctors kill them in endeavors to
quench it with poisonous ’drugs, hesitate
before they add fuel to the flame.”

I intended to write more, but am afraid
this article is already too long.

mm MI. mm.

 

WHAT CAN FARMERS' WIVES DO
FOR THE DISTRICT SCHOOL?

_——_—

Before this question can be answered we
must know the needs of the school. There
are three things essential for the success
of any school, interest of pupils,
interest of teacher and interest of
patrons. The pupil will not be interested
in his studies it the teacher manifests no
interest; and but few teachers will retain
enthusiasm and interest in the work if the
people have no regard or care as to how
the work is done, thus we see the success
lies largely with patrons.

There is no greater incentive for thor-
ough work by both pupil and teacher than
frequent visiting of the school. Why not
appoint a. committee whose duty shall be
to visit and examine the school? Let the
results of the work and not the methods
be the foundation of criticism. The suc-
cess or the failure may or may not be the
fault of the method. Let the teacher de-
termine that after hearing your criticism,
and remember that criticism does not mean
finding fault; if you must criticise adverse-
ly let it be given in a. capsule; the most dis-
agreeable medicine may be given in this
way without the patient even knowing
what it is, and its action upon the system
be just as powerful and beneficial as
though it were accompanied by the bitter
taste. And so I say give your criticism in
a capsule made of words of praise and it
will be swallowed without any wry faces.
I have yet to meet the teacher or pupil so
complete a failure as not to merit a single
word of praise.

Our public schools are the nurseries of
the nation; here the children of foreign
born parents, as well as our own children
are taught—or ought to be—the principles
upon which our government is founded.
They are taught to rejoice in a. liberty that
respects the rights of others; they are or
should be taught to love the right and
shun the evil; and if our schools rise not to
the highest possible standard the fault lies
wholly with the people. The teacher’s
calling is a high one and a responsible one,
but they can not bear the whole burden,
let the farmer’s wife co-operate with and
help them.

If any of our girls intend teaching, I
have lots of advice to give. Some people
are always giving advice and it usually is
about as valuable as are hens’ feathers for
a bed; so after all, girls, it would not be
worth while to give you advice, but work
out for yourselves the problems that will

JLNNBTTE.

 

l present themselves to you.

 


 

 

THE ,HObSEHOLif).

    

 

FRESH AIR AND WATER.

 

Two subjects have been sizzling in my
mind a long time. That book “ Looking
Backward,” and the manners and tricks of
folks about sleeping. I exclaim with
Dickens’ Old Jew, “ Oh my layers and
lights, oh my eyes and limbs.” The
longer I live the more 1' find out, and the
stronger are my convictions that the nor-
mal element of the human family is dirt.
When I go down among the heathen
where we make a business of handcuffing
them and pouring the gospel down them
While the police hold their noses, I expect
to inhale the conglomerated odors of musty
bedrooms and fumes of clothing that has
been slept in every night for six months,
but when I discover the same sort of
thing about people who have every facility
for keep’ng themselves clean, I want to set
a trap with a plunge bath beneath and
give ’em adose of water once. I know
people who pass for right nice sort of
Christians who sleep every night in the
clothing they wear during the day and
who had as soon sleep under bed clothing
that has not been aired or made over for
ten years, as not. Most of the diseases we
have are traceable directly to lack of fresh
air and cleanliness, and I am going to keep
right on saying so as long as my tongue
will wag. This screeching about “ night
air” is idiotic. What sort of. air are we to
breathe if not “night air”? I hired a
stout German girl from the country whose
surface indications were quite fair, and her
recommendations induced me to assign her
as good a room as my own, with a hard
coal stove and one of the best beds in the
house. Clean, light colored comforters,
sheets and everything as nice as I should
give to a guest was set apart for the damsel,
with only the injunction to bathe often and
air daily. A bath room with hot and cold
water opened into this room. During six
months she used the bath tub once and
then under watching. At the end of the
second week I found her in bed with most
of her clothing on and no sheets. She pre-
ferred lying abed without fresh air and a
red hot stove and the headache in the
morning. I know plenty of cases not
among servants. I know far more than I
want to about the way poor ignorant chil-
dren are sent to bed night after night with
never a drop of water on their dirty hands
and faces and who wear the same clothing
night and day. No wonder they grow up
to be liars, thieves and Congressman. Oh
“my eyes and limbs,” if there were only
more purifying of bed clothing and wash-
ing of bodies in place of so much fancy
work! We want showers of blessing in
the shape of common sense about the use
of what is free to all. Give it to the
young if the old don’t want it. Let us
have clean children anyhow.

Some of the sisters have written up their
impressions of “Looking Backward.” The
ideal age when the whole world shall run
by clock work as it were, or telephone or
electricity, appears to strike a responsive
chord in most people, but it somehow set
me to thinking things would get miserably
dull after one _had lived a thousand years

under one set of rules. Will not every-
body get moulded into the same habits of
thinking and eating and sleeping and dress-
ing? “ Oh. my,” what if everybody should
be dressed exactly alike, who could dis‘
ting‘iish her dearest friend? No rivalry
in politics or creeds, no new methods of
houSekeeping and managing servants (it all
being done by steam), no money to take
when shopping, no fighting for power and
place! What would existence be worth?
Who cares to live when there is no other
fellow to get ahead of? It seems to‘me as
if things would certainly come to a dead
level of uniformity quite unbearable, when
affairs are all in the hands of the govern-
ment and under one boss. The eternal
sameness of Heaven as commonly pictured,
singing spiritual songs one long eternal
day, has always dampened my ardor about
going there. And as for being rushed
along by electricity, I am scared to death
now when I go down town lest I shall be
hoisted into next week in less than a
minute. Think of a man summoning his
wife by touching an electric button on his
coat~tail. Never such a thing for me! We
shall have to stroll round ere long in rub-
ber bags for protection. Well, there is
consolation in that; it wont make any dif-
ference if a side body is crooked nor if one's
dress belongs to the bustle age or not. I
fancy that kind of armor might be econom~
ical. Dear old Nineteenth Century, let us
live our best through her years; it is likely
many of us will not live beyond her last
day. DAFFODILLY.
S'r. Lotus, Mo.

A NEW SOCIETY PROJECTED.

I imagine Bess had a hearty laugh on
seeing her remarks on napkins for thresh-
ers in the HOUSEHOLD, for you know the
more the ground is stirred the deeper the
seed will go. I expect she will confess she
has noticed a tableful of men eating with
nothing to wipe their mouths upon but
handkerchiefs, wet with sweat. These
men many of them came from their
pleasant homes to help us thresh, because
help is so scarce; thus they take turns until
each has his grain in the bins. They
would not think of eating a meal at home
without napkins, and do not shovel their
food into their mouths with a knife. Now
I think it was Bess’s idea to call our atten-
tion to their needs. I do not twink it
would be such an awful task as it seems at
first. Now I propose to start a society
whose members will furnish napkins for
threshers this fall. We will elect Bess
president, she started the idea; Beatrix
secretary, although she does not have
threshers, and I will tell you how we can
accomplish this awful feat with little
trouble: Purchase ten or fifteen yards of
cheap linen toweling—I have some barred
with red—a yard will make two napkins.
They can be washed very easily in a pan
of warm water, and it only takes a few
minutes to iron them. Some of them would

do to use a second time. All who wish to
become charter members please send in
their names. Our motto will be “ Napkins
for Threshers this Fall.”

 

 

NANCY NAPKINS.

PIONEER‘S SEN TIMENTS

 

" There is a land, of every land the pride,
Belowd by heaven 0 er all the World beside;
Where brighter suns dispense serener light
And milder moons imparadis+ the night;

A and of beauty, virtue, valor. truth.

Time-tutored agw, and lv-ve-exalted youth.
This is the spot of earth supremely 0193*,-
A dearer, sweeter spot tuan all the rest.”

Although the author of these beautiful
lines had reference to another country, they
apply with equal truth to our beloved
land, and in our zeal and love for our
State, think they apply especially to
Michigan.

We are proud of our champion—the
MICHIGAN FARMER, and what true wife,
mother or daughter does not admire our
HOUSEHOLD, woman’s privileged avenue,
the expounder of her rights, interests,
culture and happiness.

“The Mother’s Influence,” and “The
Value of Parental Example,” touched
the tenderest chord of my heart. Next
to the Supreme Father and Saviour I
love the name of mother. Her love is
unfathomable. She will make the most
unbounded sacrifices for her family, as
great as any ever made by the most
valiant soldier. Inspired and enthused
by love of country and excitement
natural in time of peril, he rushes to battle
with the enemy, regardless of results.
Hers is adaily sacrifice, an unending battle
with enemies, seen and unseen. Why, Oh
why will men whom we are taught to
reverence as head and chief of home ever
cast around our sons and daughters in-
fluences fatal, soul-destroying, not to,
speak of bodily risk? This is not always;
plainly seen, but feltlikea withering curse,
that mothers must battle with untiring‘
vigilance, or witness the disastrous out-
come. The conscientious Christian mother
—especia‘ly if a farmer’s wife—not only
has her daily “treadmill” of arduous
labor to perform, but she must find time
to tutor the darlings intrusted to her keep-
ing—we might say “lent,” for she can
keep them so short a time—in the knowl -
edge of athousand and one things they
will inevitably meet, if life's journey proves
of any length. “Fore-warned is fore-
armed.” In childhood’s innocence she-
must teach them how to avoid and escape
foes lurking in every pathway, how to suc-~
cessfully accomplish the multiplied duties
of this life, but more than all the rest, how
to prepare for “ the inheritance not made
with hands, eternal in the heavens,” glori-
ous, everlasting, which we are somerimes
permitted to behold even here “in visions
of enraptured thought.”

What person who has the least compre.
hension of a mother’s responsibility and
numerous cares, or of the grand objects of
life, would place those mountain barriers
between her and her fondest hopes, mak-
ing their accomplishment doubly difficult?
Is it inexcusable ignorance, or is it base,
selfish depravity? Let every one who has
ever had the least temptation to lead young
or old astray, in thought, precept, or ex-
ample, pause and consider, ponder long

and well the momentous evil resulting
thereby, which we can never remedy or
blot out. PIONEER.

 

Gama.

  


THE HOUSEHOLD. . a

 

TABLE MANNERS.

I am wondering if there were ever two
people who behaved alike, two tables that
Were arranged alike, or two women in our
little HOUSEHOLD who thought alike; if
there exists a cook who can season food in
a manner palatable to all who eat so there
will be no call for pepper, salt or more
butter. When everything is perfect the
millenium will be ushered in. There is
occasionally a housewife who possesses a
John so well disciplined he never spills his
coffee, slops the gravy or fails to select the
choicest bit of steak or chicken for her cat-
ing; whose children are born polite, so that
they never need bibs, but can manage a
napkin from the word go; her tablecloth
immaculate, silver shines, not a crumb on
the carpet! These women, few and far
between, have no need to Wait for the
twentieth century, they can fold their
hands any time and he waited away. But
the average woman must have many ex-
asperating, temper-rousing accidents hap-
pening all along the line of the table. To
sit with smiling face while astream of hot
chocolate is pouring over the tablecloth,
to have perfr-ct control of the muscles
when a treasured bit of china is shivered
into atoms is certainly sphinxlike, but I
never met such a one yet. Ihave just read
about them. I have seen people eating
who were so “strained up” trying to be
mannerly that they were not only miser-
able themselves, but made their nearest
neighbors also; their little fingers were out
straight, they tried to swallow noiselessly
but failed most beautifully, and refused
things perfectly delicious because they
were afraid to eat what they wanted.
Now of course these were not home man-
ners. I say, be natural.

Not long since I ate dinner at a fashion-
able hotel. There was a bill of fare; every-
thing about the table was elegant. At my
left were a gentleman and little girl; she
was perhaps six years old, but I saw no
mother. She was mincing, and he finally
went out to his place of business, leaving
her to finish dinner alone. The waiter
came for her order which was “ a piece of
mince pie and afork.” It was brought,
she lifted up the crust, ate the mince out,
and nibbled a piece of cheese, sucked an
orange, munched a banana and stirred her
ice cream until it was melted. I wondered
where she was brought up, and what her
future was likely to be.

I never did believe in making children eat
ofl tin plates. When the child is old
enough to feed himself put a plate, small
knife and fork and spoon before him, and
the chances he will know what they are for.
There is a little incongruity about insisting
upon the children saying “ please,’
" thanks,” etc, while the father says “pass,
that bread,” “ I want some more butter,”
and the mother orders the “hash slung
around,” or partly rises while she spears
a slice of bread. What would be con-
sidered outlandish in one family, might be
A No. l in another. Every person has an
individuality; every family has table man-
nets of its own, no matter what books of
etiquette may say. I believe we can hold

 

achicken bone in our fingers and nibble it,
and it is comma z'l faut to pick up leaves of
lettuce, dip them in salt and eat them from
the fingers; this is refreshing, truly. And
as to napkins let us be lenient with our
good Queen B. Sitting in that big chair
the years that she was on a farm have a
halo about them; you know “ ’tis distance
lends enchantment;” she “forgets.” Look
at the long procession of napkins if the
threshers happened to stay a week and en.
larged the family to the number of twenty-

two? EVANGELINE.
Burma CREEK.
_——.OO——-—-—

“LOOKING BACKWARD."

I have of ‘en thought I would write some-
thing for the HOUSEHOLD, but fear of the
waste-bisket and seeming want of time
have prevented. It seems that as we all
enjoy the HOUSEHOLD and get so much
real good from its pages, we ought not to
allow our Editress to complain of want of
copy, but should each try to contribute
something, if it be only a mite.

I am glad the subject of etiquette is
being so well discussed. I think there are
many who will realize they are benefitted,
and more who will be benefitted without
admitting it. Even the sarcasms will help
to make people think upon the subject;
and if they think they are sure to be more
or less benefitted. There is no reason why
farmers’ families should not conduct them-
selves as well as any class of people and
have as good manners.

I wonder if the people who are so carried
aWay with “Looking Backward” realize
how such a condition of affairs as Bellamy
describes would affect mankind. We are
commanded “Go work in my vineyard,”
each according to the talents he has re-
ceived. Of those who have received much,
much is required. If we do not use the
talents we possess they will run away, and
we and the world be no better for our
having lived, or having had those talents.
the person who has no knowledge of the
science of music, cannot appreciate music
one half as well as the one who has studied
enough to know what constitutes music.
Music is something more than a mass of
sounds. We must know what constitutes
music in order to properly appreciate it.
And so in all other things we must know
enough of the laws governing them to
properly appreciate them. The fact of our
having exerted our minds to learn some-
thing about them, adds materially to our
enjoyment. God has given man capacities
for learning of all things, and hidden us
search till we find the causes and govern-
ing laws. Man has almost infinite pos-
sibilities if he makes use of the powers or
talents God has given him, but it is only
through persistent work that these possi-
bilities can be realized. God himself
knows no idleness, but is continually
evolving new worlds, replenishing the old,
and seeing that no jot or tittle of His laws
go unfulfilled. It seems to me Bellamy’s
theory would make mankind sluggards,
drones, and that they would finally be-
come as nothing instead of the image and
likeness of God. I think the expression

 

“ Manklnd are in the image and likeness of
God,” means that mankind is possessed of
the same attributes and possibilities.

Bellamy’s picture of an ideal city isa
fine one, but I think it would not work in
a great nation. Who would milk the
cows at three or four o’clock in the morn-
ing to get milk to the cities for breakfast?
\Vould they have electric machines to do
the milking?

I am thankful I live in this nineteenth
century, with all its work and push and
stir. We know there are very many bitter
wrongs, and crimes without number, but
still God reigns, and in His own time and
way will control these things, and bring
order out of this seeming chaos. I could
have more faith in Bellamy’s theory if he
had dispensed entirely with all alcoholic
drinks, but he speaks of using wine, and
I do not believe crime will be done away
with while alcohol is drank in any form.
It is through its agency, directly or indirect-
ly, that nine-tenths of all crimes are com-

mitted. c. L.
W

THE MOTHER AND HER CHILDREN.

 

Here is another mother who is not un-
mindful of her obligations. Ihave been
thinking about it a great deal of late. As
the unapproachable Samantha says, “ my
thoughts have been hefty ones and several
to the minute.” To me the rearing of a
family seems a most solemn thing. Almost
their eternal welfare depends on their
youthful training in the home. We can-
not commence too early to govern. We
must be their conscience for the first years
of their life; much of the good and evil of
their after lives depend upon this; and in
order to do this we must ourselves be true
and be sure our practice is not at complete
variance with our preaching. Children are
the greatest of observers. None so quick
as they to note if our lives do not accord
with our teaching. Years of primary
teaching taught me this pretty thoroughly.
Not long ago a small miss of my acquaint«
ance was visiting me and chatting about
her school aflairs: “ Oh we just can’t bear
Miss A None of us like her; she
is always talking to us about being lady-
like and polite, and she just stamps her
feet as hard as she can and hollers at us
awful; and the other day she called one of
the boys a blockhead right out before all the
scholars. I don’t call that very ladylike or
polite either. She’s' always doing and
saying rude things.”

All of that teacher’s talks about polite-
ness to those pupils fall on deaf ears. She
has lost her influence with them. It is
just as true in the relations of parent and
child. Our lives must accord with our
teachings. We cannot, ought not to ex.
pect more self control from our children
than we ourselves exert. We cannot lose
our tempers every day and expect our
children to always hold theirs in control.
I believe there is such a thing as too much
patience. After a. certain point it ceases to
be patience in its true, sense; it becomes
slackncss. Such a one we say is so easy
with her children. I have no desire to
live in ahouse where there is a famil 0.

 

 


 

THE HOUSEEOL

D.

 

children whose mother is easy with them.
It seems to me the secret (or one of the
secrets) of wise, judicious, ‘firm govern-
ment is in knowing at just what point
patience ceases mm a virtue. It is a very
hard thing to determine sometimes, very
hard not to allow an east wind to deter-
mine for us, very hard not to sometimes
merit the explanation “Mamma’s awful
cross today.”
The mother who successfully rears a
‘ a family of children of diverse tempera-
ments and dispositions, governs them
firmly and impartially, retaining their
confidence and love, and continuing to be
the one incomparable “mamma” to them
all—the tender sacred “mother” through
all their lives, does something more than

heroic; it is almost divine.
EUPHEMIA.

W

OUR FUNERAL CUSTOMS.

I have just been to a funeral; perhaps
that is why thoughts on that subject
hover around me. I believe in paying
tribute to persons when alive, not soon as
dead expend an unnecessary amount fer
flowers, when perhaps their friends would
appreciate the funds more than the flowers.
A gentleman died near here not long since,
leaving awidow; he belonged to a lodge
and the members were intending to make
up a purse to buy expensive flowers, but
finally gave the sum to the widow to help
pay expenses. If they helped take care of
him when sick and always treated him
well they had paid tribute; and it seemed
far more sensible to give the money to the
widow.

I believe in paying respect to the dead.
What acomfort it is to go into some of
our cemeteries and see the fresh flowers,
beautiful monuments and well kept graves;
we think the dead are not forgotten. Then
again some are laid away with no stone to

mark the spot, their friends never visit the ’

grave again, and years after can scarcely
find the spot. An ill kept grave-yard is a
disgrace to any town. I do not believe in
ghosts, but believe I should haunt some of
my friends if my grave did not have proper
care. And I always like to see people
dress in mourning. I always have a feel-
ing of sympathy for them; it shows they
have had ablow sometime in their life.

,I do not believe in having the cofl‘in
opened at the church or at the house, there
are always a few who go out of curiosity,
and after a funeral you will often hear such
remarks as “ Did not look natural one bit,
was awfully poor;” “ Did she have on a
dress or shroud?” If we were alive how

. we would dislike to have a crowd of people
march around and stare us in the face only
to make comments; the last farewell ot the
family is too sacred a scene for outsiders to
gaze on. But there is always a blessed
thought, when a baby dies he is saved, they
have not come to accountability yet and
they do not fear death; there is almost a
smile on their faces. They are not like the
Irishman who worked for us; he said he
rather live than die. for he knew where he
stood now, and if he should die he would
not know exactly where he would stand.
The selection of music is generallygsnch

l

 

pieces as “ Through the dark valley ” or
‘ ‘Sister, thou wast mild and lovely” dragged
out so it would cause the tears to flow at
any time. I like better “ Safe in the arms
of Jesus” sung as it is generally sung.

If those poor soldiers could have had as
much honor when alive as they do now when
dead, they probably would have appreciat-
ed it, but let us decorate our soldiers’ graves
by all means. Let us not wait until people
are dead before we show our respect; some
of our great men never grew popular
unt 1 after death. Death is a debt we all
will have to pay, and it depends on our lives
whether it will all be dark or the rising of
a glorious sun. Rare.

FASHIONS TEND ENCY.

I consider the etiquette question largely
one of fashion; and if fashion in all its
bearings is to lead the average farmer, then
the mortgage will be the next fashion.

Rivalry is often prompted by fashion. A
young man of my acquaintance had, at his
father’s death. a good eighty-acrefarm left
to him. He must be in fashion, mortgaged
the farm to get a fashionable span of horses.
He today is in meager circumstances, while
his old mother washes for a livelihood, the
result of fashion on that line. Many fol-
lowers of fashion have gone the same road.
The aspiring housewife, as well as her hus-
band, dislikes to he excelled by her more
affluent neighbor, and often ruin is the re-
sult. We say then let fashion get behind
common sense. Perhaps you are ready to
say table fashion costs little or nothing;
we may never know what it has cost, not
being able to trace cause to effect. We
know not how many a nervous mother has
been laid in an untimely grave by worry.
ing over fashion‘s demands. Fashion says
the hostess always announces when the
family is to leave the table. Suppose her
to be an ultra woman’s rights woman. The
hen peeked host with bird help must listen
to her one half hour after dinner gossip
with her fashionable visitor, though the
thunder announce the approaching storm
to spoil hay and grain; the host meekly
hiding her announcement, rather than
endure a fashionable domestic thunder
storm.

Again, enter the fashion filled parlor, and
introduce some problem or question that is

of the highest importance to the American
citizen, and silence would reign. Mention
the latest fashion notes, eyes would sparkle
and tongues be loosed. We have been
there. Fashion is fickle and ever chang-
ing. Let the Chinese chopsticks meet
dame Fashion’s mind, either for novelty
or gossip. soon Parisian etiquette would be
called “ Waybac ” and “ barbarian.”
Cnnssnme. S. M.

W

THE discussion on table manners and
etiquette has been prolonged and animated.
Have we not had about enough of it?
Beatrix has hesitated to call a halt on the
subject, because she began it and did not
wish to arbitrarily cut off the opinions of
others, but give all a fair chance to express
their views. Suppose we let ,the matter
drop with a d. s. t. (which is a newspaper
abbreviation or “dull, sickening thud”),
and tenderLy spread a napkin—dinner size

i—ovjeritt-

 

“##1##

CHAT.

 

Caser wishes to ask Mrs. No Name, who
told how to make wool comfortables, how
many pounds of wool should be put into a
comfort. “ Take eight or ten pounds "
were the directions, which she thinks both
too heavy and too expensive.

K. T. M. thinks Dafiodilly gave the
“ unattached females” a. good showing up,
but wishes some one would present the
other side. There are many cases where
the maiden sister, or sister-in-law or the
obnoxious motherin law is really the one
who keeps up the order and comfort of the;
home, and is actually the “wheel horse "
of the family, who bears the principal part
of the burdens, and receives in return only
her board and grudgin g recognition of her
service.

——

“ Old Hundred” says: “If Mrs. Ed., I

of Oxbow, will wash her wall with strong
vinegar she will have no further trouble,
as the vinegar will kill the strength of the
lime. I Wish to tell Bess, of Plainwcll, of
a napkin which for cheapnessis unexcelled,
and which for everyday use for the farm-
er’s table I like very much. Take checked
linen toweling, which you can buy at ten
cents per yard, and which comes in either
large or small checks (red or blue); six yards
will make one dozen serviceable napkins.”

POLLY says to Ruth: “Aren’t you a little
too hard on ladies' associations? There
are exceptions. I belong to a Ladies’
Library Association which was organized
in 1870. Every member must pay her
dues or lose her membership, and this rule
is strictly enforced. if any one keeps her
book over the prescribed time, a fine of ten
cents is charged, and it is paid. Iknow
the present generation of women has not
been trained to strictly methodical habits,
but the coming generation will be a great
improvement on the present, and it will
take several generations to make women
what they should be, to make their inter-
ference in politics any advantage to the
country at large.”

Contributed Recipes.

DRIED APPLE CAKE. -Two cups dried ap-
ples. soaked ovu- night: boil in two cups of
molasses until preserved. Drain oi! the mo-
lasses and put with it two eggs. one cup but-
ter, one cup sour mik, two teaspoonfuls soda,
four cups flour, and spice to taste: add the
apples last.

GINGER Gnomes—Two eggs: one cup
sugar: one cup molasses: two-thirds cup
shortening: four tablespoonfuls vinegar;
three teaspoonfuis soda. and one teaspoonful
ginger. Mix rather hard. If you wish snaps
leave out the eggs.

RICE PUDDING.—Three-fourths eup rice for
a two-quart pudding-dish full of milk: sweets
an to taste; add half a teaspoonful salt, and
half a nutmeg; bake about two hours, stirring
once in a while to keep the rice from sticking
on the bottom of the pan.

TAPIOOA PUDDING.—Six tablespooni‘uls of
tapioca, soak and steam in one quart of milk;
add the yolks of three eggs and one cup sugar.
boil until thick enough. Take from the tire
and flavor; beat the whites of the eggs to a

stiff froth, sweeten. and put in the oven to I

brown. Dues Warm