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DETROIT, MAY 80, 1891.

 

THE HOUSEHOLD-"Supplement.

 

 

THIS IS WHAT THEY THINK.

 

BY H. S. DIMON.

 

Up and down the city walks
Or on the village green.
All the girls are after me
Wherever I am seen.
Because I am a bachelor.

I cannot go to ball or play
Or yet a fair attend.
But what I must be introduced
To everybody’s friend.
Because I am a bachelor.

E’en at church I can’t escape
The conflict of bright eyes;
But each and all are waiting
To try and win the prize.
Because I am a bachelor.
I know not how I shall escape
Unless I take a wife ;
And ten to one but she would prove
The torment of my life.
Because I’ve been a bachelor.

My mind’s made tip—I’ll leave the place.
I’ll either hang or drown,
Or else I will the circus join
And act the part of clown.

If they will have a bachelor.
Something desperate must be done
To stop this endless strife:
I’m death on maidens. young or old,
And on the name of wife ; '

I’m bound to be a bachelor.

—-——oeo——-—
OUT OF TOWN.

 

“ I shall expect you at Birmingham
when apple orchards are in bloom,”
wrote Mrs. Langley, well known to
HOUSEHOLD people as A. L. L., to the
Editor, last April, while buds were
bursting the resinous overcoats which
had protected them through the winter,
and the “earliest spring flowers were
trooping up in fence corners and hedge-
rows. It had been ten years since I had
seen an apple tree in its glory of
promise, and I rather longed for the
vision. And so Saturday, May 16th,
was set for the visit, and all the “signs
were right” up to Friday night.

“Good gracious! whatever’s hap-
pened tothe weather! ! ” was my audible
comment Saturday morning when I
essayed to close the windows—left- wide
open the night before because it was so
warm—in face of a north wind that
made my teeth chatter. No wonder I
had dreamed of an Alaskan trip in
which I was cast away on an iceberg
covered with apple trees! “What a
day for a pleasure trip!” I thought.
But the thing I dislike most, next to a
personal disappointment, is to disap-

 

point some one else, so of course I de-
cided to keep the engagement. and
reached the station with just forty
seconds to spare. Half an hour brought
me to Birmingham. and in a few
moments more I was being welcomed at
“ Fairholm.” A “fair home " it is, too.
to be fairer when contemplated im-
provements are carried out. I missed
the beautiful hedges and the wide lawns
of “Ingleside,” but Mr. Langley said
he didn‘t—too much lawn mower to-
gether with a growing incompatibility
with work.

This was my first visit to Birming-
ham, which I found to be a very pretty
town, with streets shaded by fine maples,
many neat residences and a few fine
ones. three or four churches, ahand-
some school building, waterworks, a
little knot Of stores and shops and a
hotel, a bank in a nice new block, and
a newspaper, the Eccentric, which is as
good a local paper as is published in
any town of Birmingham’s size in the
State. A large proportion of the resi-
dents are retired farmers, who have
accumulated a competence and moved
to town, leasing their farms or letting
their sons manage them.

There is a “Village Improvement
Society,” started among the young
people, mostly pupils in the school,
which has compassed much tree-plant-
ing, and furnished street lamps and a
man to light and keep them in order.
The good work of the youngsters has
stirred up their seniors, and several
public improvements are contemplated
-a fountain on the public square, an-
other at the station, these being made
possible by the system of waterworks,
supplied by flowing wells, which abound
in this vicinity. There is a Ladies’
Library Association, with a library of
nearly 1,706 volumes, which A. L. L.
says are well chosen; the Association
bought an old church and converted it
into a hall where. entertainments are
held, and alibrary room. The Ceme-
tery Association is also composed of
ladies, and the adjoining burial grounds
are neatly kept and tastily enclosed.

Birmingham is desirous of becoming
a suburban town. Its nearness to the
city, good railroad service (a suburban
train from Detroit to Orchard Lake is
run daily which gives reduced rates to
holders of season tickets), its natural ad-
vantages, pure air and high-and-dry

 

location, ought to render it inviting to
the city resident who wants a con-
veniently near summer residence where
his family can spend the hot months,
and where he can run out to see them
and spend Sunday, though held in the
city by business during the week. The
only attraction the town lacks is a lake
or a river, for the city man usually has
an insane passion to go fishing, and
finds the acme of rural happiness—as he
knows it—in sitting in the sun in a boat,
and holding a string with a worm at the
other end, in ardent expectation of “a
bite.” The mosquitoes generally get
the bites, but the man thinks he‘s hav-
ing great sport. so both are pleased.
Two little springJed rivulets unite near
the town, and form the beginning of
the River Rouge. which flows into the
Detroit river below Detroit, but this is
all Birmingham can ofl'er as yet. One
branch flows through a ravine with
high banks. where by damming and
aiding nature in the construction of a.
basin an artificial lake might be made;
but this is a possibility merely dis-
cussed as yet, though some day the
capital may be forthcoming and the
scheme realized.

The country about Birmingham is
beautiful. It was looking its brightest
and best that May Sunday, despite the
frost that damaged fruits to some extent
on the previous evening. The farms
are fine—good fences, level, well-
cleared fields, handsome and com-
modious homes and capacious barns all
attest the farmers’ prosperity. The
Watkins and Rundel farms are well
known to readers of the FARMER
through the fine stock they carry. The
roads are magnificent—all but the
“ Southfield road,” which is clayey, and
gave evidence of deep ruts and hard
pulling for teams earlier in the year,
though dry and dusty now.

The distant forests showed an infi-
nite variety of tints of green and tender
browns—the shining brightness of the
beech, the beautiful elm, of which we
encountered some magnificent speci-
mens, the darker hue of the maples
mingled with the more tardily develop-
ing oak and walnut, and broken here
and there by a dogwood shrub in full
bloom against the verdant background,
made up a charming picture, even finer
than Corot’s most exquisite landscape.

And the apple orchards! Oh yes,

 


   

2 The Household.

 

 

they were lovely! Far away in every
direction one caught glimpses of white
clad trees nestled in hollows or stretch-
ing along green slopes. But the trees
are blossoming very unevenly this
year, and many of the winter sorts,
Baldwins particularly, are almost bare
of bloom; and it was noticeable that the
young orchards gave less promise than
the old trees, among which some huge
orchard monarchs were literally Titanic
bouquets.

All things have an end, including
pleasant days as well, and so Monday
morning saw me back in the city, with
apple blossoms and Birmingham laid
away together among pleasant memo-

ries. BEATRIX.
——-OOO— -

A UNIQUE ENTERTAINMENT.

 

The last meeting of the C. L. S. C.
was very enjoyable, and some parts of
the programme might easily be used by
other societies for an evening’s enter-
tainment. First came the opening ex-
ercises, which consist of a motto recited
by the Circle in concert, followed by
prayer by the president, all the mem-
bers joining in the Lord’s prayer at its
close. Then our seven years old Clara
went to the organ and sang “Ring
Those Charming Bells," playing her
own accompaniment very nicely. It is
a. plantation melody that she heard the
Fisk jubilee singers give at Bay View
last summer.

The lessons in geology and French
literature were then recited, followed
by atable talk on the different religions
creeds, in which topics had been
assigned to twenty members, each one
limited to two minutes. Next came
recess, when apples. bananas and
oranges were served to the company.

On taking up the programme again
the first thing was an instrumental
duett by the eldest and youngest sons
of the family, a violin solo with organ
accompaniment.

“The Geology of Romeo,” was a
paper of much local interest, and the roll
call following was really unique. The
hostess said: “ Heretofore the roll call
has been a test of our mental capabili-
ties, but this evening we will vary
the order by testing our five physical
senses—seeing, smelling, tasting and
hearing. We often say that 'we know
anything because we saw it with our
own eyes or heard with our own ears.
We will prove if this be true, and those
giving correct answers will receive a
prize.” She gave to each member a
sheet of paper and pencil, after which a
tray containing five articles was placed
on the center table, and the company
were told that they might look at but
must not touch the articles and they
were to write the names of the five.
There was a whale’s tooth, a peculiar
formation of lava, bread fruit, 3 mass
of melted nails and an ear of clay corn
—kindergarten work. For the next
five colored bottles were passed around,

each to judge of the contents by the
smell, as they could not see and must
not taste, and these contained carbolic
acid, ammonia, vinegar, camphor and
perfume. Then five sachet bags,
fashioned from different bright colors,
were sent around the room, for them to
guess by feeling; these contained oats,
beans, buttons, cornmeal and cut straw,
For the taste a small tray was brought
in on which wasa glass dish and enough
spoons for all the company, each one
taking a spoonful from the dish, which
contained a mixture of cornstarch,
sugar, cocoa, cinnamon and nutmeg, and
was really a palatable “dose.” After
they had satisfied themselves as to this
the hostess touched a bell and announced
that the test- would conclude with
music by the Chinese band of five pieces
and opened a door upon the porch where
the five children all together discoursed
classical (‘9) music on a horn, flute,
triangle, mouth-organ and kazoo.

Each sheet of paper contained the
name of the writer and these were ex-
changed; then as a correct list was read
the mistakes were marked, and as each
name was called the report was made.
The best paper had three errors, so no
prize was taken, but the exercise was
productive of much merriment, and the
plan might be elaborated into a “quiz
social” and be a taking entertainment.

More music and the business and
closing exercises finished the evening’s
programme for over thirty guests, and
another Friday evening will give us
something entirely different but al-
ways enjoyable.

As a sequel, the cook took what was
not used of the taste test, and by adding
yolks of eggs and a little salt and boil-
ing milk, made a pudding for next day’s
dessert, covering with a slightly
browned meringue of the whites. The
family of six pronounced it delicious,
and when asked for its name she called
it “Taste.” EL. SEE.

ROMEO .
——...—-_

DOMESTIC EXPERIENCES.

 

Last Monday I tried Busy Bee’s mode
of washing, and liked it so well I thought
I must report to her through the
HOUSEHOLD. In so doing I write my
first letter to that little weekly visitor,

I have only been married three years,
but I have always had the HOUSEHOLD
during that time, for my husband was
a subscriber to the FARMER when I

HOLD a help sometimes.

I have quite a family to do for—two
babies, the older one not two years old
yet, two hired men by the month,
besides my husband and myself; and I
find I have to do my work the shorter
way in order to get it done.

I would say as to washing, that my
clothes were as white and clear last
Monday as when I rubbed, boiled,
sudsed, rinsed and blued them, and it

 

was such a saving of time and carrying

came here to live. I find the HOUSE-.

water. Will Busy Bee please tell me
what she uses for aweight under which
to press her clothes.

I think E1. See’s ginger cake splendid;
also many other recipes I'find in the
HOUSEHOLD. . -

I am quite interested in Brue’s af-
fairs; the more I read her letters the
more so I become. ZIPP.

ORLEANS.

 

MAC COMES AGAIN.

 

Many thanks to those who have so
kindly answered my inquiry regarding
my soap. I did not think it possible for
lye to be too strong if plenty of grease
was used; but I tried adding soft water
and found it was just what was wanted.

I often wonder if any of the HOUSE~
HOLD correspondents have as much
housework to do as I, or if they have,
how they find time to write for the
HOUSEHOLD. I suppose they keep in
mind that “ Where there’s a will there’s
away.” I’m sure my will is all right,
but it is the way that fails me. How
many times I’ve resolved, and failed on
account of lack of time, to give the
HOUSEHOLD my opinion on some of the
different subjects discussed in its
columns, I do not know. Any one who
lives on a farm can not but know that
this is about the busiest time of the
year for both the farmer and his wife.

I sometimes think that if I but
had the “Patent Electric Reversible
Double-Back Action Backbone ” spoken
of by Mrs. H. R. Dewey in her reply to
Charles Baker‘s address, it would be a
great help to me. '

Last Saturday I fully resolved to write
my little item for the'HOUSEHOLD, but
feeling rather tired after cleaning off
the kitchen floor, baking for Sunday
and getting dinner for ten, besides at-
tending to the many other things that
necessity compels a housekeeper to look
after, I thought I’d take a nap of just
one half hour, but instead took three
hours, when I was awakened by a rap at
the door. Whom should it be but the
minister from the far off State of Ohio,
who was to preach for us on the Sabbath,
and one of our church elders. Both
came to stay for tea, so that put an end
to my writing for that day. Sunday
morning I was up at seven: breakfast at
eight, and by the time the breakfast
dishes were washed it left me just time
enough to get ready and drive two and
and one half miles to church—for ser-
vice at half-past ten. I got home about
one o’clock; had dinner; fed forty little
chickens scarcely a week old, then read
and slept the rest of the day.

Monday morning I was up at half-
past five, feeling a little happier than
usual because I did not have to wash, as
I had engaged a girl the Saturday pre-
vious to help me throughout the coming
season. She promised faithfully to be
along early Monday morning, so I
merely put the washing to soak and

 

  

went about the rest of the work, bu

 
   

 

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\\

R

The Household.

  

 

8

 

noon and night came and no girl, so
this being Tuesday morning I got at my
washing as soon as the rest of the
morning’s work was done, and got
'through about ten. I thought then I’d
do a little papering before dinner, when
back comes the Ohio gentleman again
to remain for a couple of days, so that
finishes my papering until he is gone.
I always try to act as if I did not have
much to do when company comes, that
they may not feel that they are intrud-
ing on my time, but my! how I have to
dig in sometimes when they are gone!
I always try to keep baking enough
.ahead, so that if company comes—as is
likely to happen at any moment on a
farm, I do not have to spend all my
time baking and working while com-
pany remains, for I’m sure it is any-

thing but pleasant for either party.
Bnoonwu. MAC.

DOMESTIC AND SOCIAL DUTIES.

{Paper read by Mrs. C. S. Kent at the Institute
at Augusta. held under the auspices of the
Kalamazoo Huebandmen’s Club.]

When in the course of human events

a woman accepts the position of wife and
home keeper for the one man in all the
world, it is expected that she has some
knowledge fitting her for this new place.
:She will have plenty of knowledge and
intried theories, but Wisdom, ah! that

comes slowly and after many sad ex-
periences. In no other department of
the working world is one person ex-
pected to know so much and know it so
well. Poor woman! She is looked to
for three palatable and wholesome
meals a day, for good bread, pies and

 

’cake, for well cooked meats, for pre-

serving and pickling, for making butter
which must rival that of the creamery,
for laundry work, dress-making, raising
poultry, entertaining company, to keep
the house neat and tidy, and the news-
papers insist in addition to all of these
domestic accomplishments she must al-
ways wear a clean dress, hair in order,
and must meet her husband with a
smile. Now to expect the mistress of
so many trades and arts to do all of
these things for her board and clothes,
and then to insist on “that smile” is
too much; and as we shall have to make
a stand somewhere. let it be there. It
is the joy of a good woman to make all
who are set apart with her in a family
as comfortable and happy as she can.
But there are so many varying tem-
peraments among our housekeepers,
and not much liberty for free action,
yet all must go in the one household
groove, or be counted a failure.

Men are usually supposed to be fol-
lowing the business their natural tastes
fit them for, and we all know what
natural aptitude can do in a Special line.
Some ladies here can make a delicious
cake by putting in a little of this and
more of that, and so dexterously
managing the whole thing that they
confidently look for the result without
misgiving. Another may enter a room
and by a little deft arrangement of

  

 

furniture, trifles and light, put the
tasteful, homelike stamp upon it. One
charms you by her easy and intelligent
conversation, showing her thorough
reading and memory; another may use
the needle or brush to create a thing of
beauty; still another will group flowers
in sucha way that their beauty reaches
the heart and exalts the soul. But we
rarely find all of these graces united in
one person except in the story books.
Yet I say, in spite of the multiplicity of
tastes and gifts, if a woman has accepted
this place of homekeeper, she is as
much bound to do her best in it, as is
her husband to make his chosen voca-
tion successful and home-supporting.

A woman who expects success in any-
thing must give it careful, concentrated
planning. Hap-hazard may sometimes
“get there,” but is not to be depended
on. This power of concentrating the
mind on any given piece of work, thus
enabling you to do it in the best and
swiftest way, is the why some see
complish more than Others. To be able
to decide quickly on a plan and excute
it comes by training, and no man or
woman does justice to his or her talents
unless before middle life every faculty
has become thoroughly under control
for all it is worth.

One of the virtues we must earnestly
desire is to rise above worry, not to
constantly “nag” those about us by
this rasping nettle. Some forcible
writer has written “ Never worry about
things you can’t help, for that is useless;
nor about things you can help, but work
to remove the cause,” good advice which
we should all strive to follow. It is
commendable for a woman to have a
bright, sensible interest in all that con-
cerns her husband’s business, but I
scarcely include in her domestic duties
the necessity of meddling in the
minutiae of every day’s routine; as we
would not relish a too active interest in
our household plans on the partof our
husbands.

Our social duties are as imperative as
our domestic, and the exercise of both
develops our character symmetrically.
To be thoroughly alive we want to use
all our powers, as disuse soon causes
atrophy. As God has given us asocial
nature we should be careful to give it
its rightful place in our lives. The in-
spiration of love, of friendship, of
sympathy one towards another is be-
yond compute. The use, not the abuse
of society helps to keep up the en-
thusiams of life, without which how dull
and wearisome our duties become!
Who among us has not been overworked
and cumbered with much care and dis-
couraged in consequence, but by getting
out and away from sight and hearing
of it all and meeting friends, receiving
their cordial greetings and sympathetic
clasp of hand, with alittle merry “chit-
chat,” we go home and lo, the moun-
tains have dwindled to “mole hills,”
and new vigor is in our heart and brain.
The kind things we do and say are a

 

 

perpetual source of blessing to us, and
life is so short and uncertain that no
opportunity should be lost to sow for
such a harvest.

We can make our social life rich in
many ways in this comfortable age, and
we must give as well as take in it. Let
the best in us respond to kind efforts
of friends, that we may grow more and
more into the likeness of the ideal man
and woman. We must avail ourselves
of all the glorious privileges possible to

us in this Nineteenth Century to
broaden and deepen our lives, and set
the currents ever stronger and stronger
towards the good and pure.

I would suggest to all these gentle~
men present that they possibly may
have some domestic and social duties
which I hope they will not shirk upon
the shoulders of the weaker partner. It
was ordained of God—this man and
woman partnership; and there can be
no ideal development of home and
society unless they work strongly and
congenially together, supplementing
one another’s work. If the wife cooks
you a good dinner and otherwise well
does her duties, give her a little word
of praise now and then; we like it, as I
notice you do. We all enjoy honest
appreciation. It lightens our burdens
and doubles our joys. Then when the
wife is in the agonies of preparation for
adinner or tea party, don’t insist on
cleaning the stove pipe and chimneys
or scalding the brine from a barrel of
beef, or greasing the harness, or any
other of those delightful things a man
will contrive to think of at such a time.

And have you noticed, ladies, how
versatile the genius of man is in
devising new footgear? You would
almost suppose man to be a centipede
to gaze upon the rows and rows of boots
and shoes which adorn all of our
kitchens—~rubber boots, felt boots, shoes,
overshoes, arctics and what not. One
of the longings 0f the feminine soul is
to have. and a domestic duty of man is
to build, an addition to the house for the
accommodation of the foot coverings
so dear to their hearts. We would
rather have that than to vote for the
next president.

And now may I say to the young that
they too have domestic and social duties
which will make them the happier to
perform, and add greatly to the com-
fort of the world. Give freely of your
vivacity, of your boundless enthusiasm
and hope; of your gayety and enjoy-
ment of life. Use your natural gifts to
make the sum total of enjoyment larger
for those less generously dowered.
Learn to serve well your day and gen-
eration with your best efforts: keeping

your SOlllS pure and unspotted, so that
in later years they will be your most
prized possession.

In conclusion, let us one and all give
apprecative credit to our farmers’
gathering, which is only a family en—
larged, Where we come together for
mutual improvement, for affectionate,
kindly intercourse. and for uplifting
moral support.

  


 

4 " The Household.

 

 

TRUSTING IN PROVIDENCE.

 

How much are those who are sick, or
in distress, trusting in Providence when
they resort toother means for help?
This query is suggested by Keturah’s
inquiry in last HOUSEHOLD concerning
Grandpa’s health. While wrestling
with the grippe during the last three or
four weeks, unattended by a physician
or nurse, wholly dependent on Prov-
idence, pluck, patience and grit for
bringing him safely “out of the
woods,” the thought suggested itself
whether persons do not make mistakes
when they pray to the Lord for help,
and then go right off and employ human
aid. Grandpa is about prepared to
think if he had been waited on, doctored
and nursed as most persons are, he
would have been dead and buried ere
this. GRANDPA.

Mosmox.

SOFT SOAP.

 

Soft soap may be made from almost
any kind of wood ashes without the use
of lime, although lime does good.
Pound your leach quite hard; have
some straw in the bottom of the leach;
run the first few gallons of lye through
the leach the second time; boil the lye
and grease together for a few hours and
let cool. If it separates dip off the
grease and lye carefully and throw
away the sediment that is at the bot-
tom, and boil again. Add grease, lye
or water, as the case may require. Tell
what is needed by taking some hot soap
in a dish and trying. Water generally
fills the bill. WINTHROP.

EATON RAPIDS.

W

HOW IT WAS DONE.

 

A Dakota paper tells how “the
ladies” set about raising money for
“the church,” and the result. Does
any one in Michigan recognize in
Western methods a transcript of those
which obtain this side the Great Divide?

“ So it came to pass that the ladies
worked. They made forty-seven frosted
cakes, three thousand cookies, ninety-
one plain cakes, twelve freezers-full of
ice cream, bought sixty quarts of straw-
berries, persuaded all the papersto give
them long free notices, paid for the job
printing with a twenty-five-cent ticket,
sat up nights and labored with fancy
work, and ruined their chances of salva.
tion by putting prices on it; and like-
wise, among miscellaneous things,
pounded ice, and walked round on a
trot, and waited on the table, and
washed dishes, and got confused making
change, and forgot to give the news-
papers complimentaries, and Spoiled

 

their best dresses, and carried chairs
and tables, and tired themselves out
and finally made themselves sick; all
of which, without any exception or
omission, they did in holding a church ’
fair and festival in aid of foreign mis- '-
sions; and the next day, when the re-

porter asked them how much they
made out of‘ the operation, they told
him cheerfully that by close figuring
they found that they had lost only
about $7.38, but that they were going to
hold another, week after next, and
hOped to do a little better. And then
the wicked paper came out and said
that ‘ the ladies who had charge of the
recent church festival report that they
cleared a handsome sum and are so
gratified with the result that they will
give another soon.’ ”

W

FIFTEEN THOUSAND MANUSCRIP 1‘8.

 

Mr. Bok, the Editor of‘lhe Ladies’
Home Journal, recently gave some in-
teresting figures relative to the manu-
scripts received by his magazine during
1890. Owing to its departments and
peculiar character, the Journal probably
receives more manuscripts than any
magazine published. Mr. Bok says that
he received at his office a total number
of 15,205 manuscripts. Of these, 2,280
were poems; 1,746 stories and 11,179 mis-
cellaneous articles. Of the poems, 66
were accepted; of the stories, only 21,
and of the articles 410, of which latter,
however, over 300 were solicited
articles. Thus, it will be seen that of
the entire 15,000 manuscripts only 497
were accepted; a trifle over three per
cent. Deducting from this the 300
accepted articles written at the editor’s
solicitation, the net percentage of
unsolicited manuscripts accepted is
brought down to 197, or a little more
than one per cent. Statistics such as
these show how much utter trash is
being written, and the number of per-
sons writing who ought tobe employing
their time at something else and better.

 

A VERY old book of recipes—a do-
mestic compendium which embraces
almost every topic on which one
seeks information—gives the following
formula for common solder: “Put in
a crucible two pounds of lead,
when melted put in one pound of
tin. When heated by a hot iron
and applied to tinned iron with pow-
dered resin, it acts as a cement or
solder; it is also used to join lead pipes,
etc.” For a hard solder, the directions
are two pounds of copper and one pound
of tin, melted together; for soft solder,
two pounds of tin and one of lead. The
study of this old recipe book is interest-
ing and profitable; and we have a sus-
picion that several favorite medicines
and toilet preparations now sold at high
prices, are prepared from formulas
found in it. The scope of its cofitents
may be inferred from the fact that it
tells how to paint on satin and how to
make liniment for rheumatism, how to

treat scarlet fever and clean gloves,
make beer and raise potatoes, prepare

rice pudding and freeze quicksilver.

That the art of adulteration was known
at this early date we may infer from a
recipe to make Jamaica rum, followed
by directions for making an imitation.

 

HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

IF you want your “greens” to be at.

their best estate, do not boil them too
long. Boil from fifteen to thirty
minutes in salted water and they will
be much more palatable and quite as
tender asif boiled an hour or more.

 

“A Winged Necessity” is what a.

scientist calls the common house-fly,
that torment of the tidy housekeeper.
He goes on to say: “The popular idea

of flies is that they are a nuisance, while.

in reality they are often the most useful
of scavengers. To such an extent are.
they necessary that many families can.
not exist without them. To see a great
swarm of flies about a house is a sure.
sign of dirt, and the best fly screen in
the world is cleanliness. The house fly
lays its eggs in decaying vegetable
matter, such as potato skins, rhubarb
tops, etc., and in manure piles es-
pecially; also in any refuse of a'fer-
menting character. House flies are
supposed to transmit disease germs, and
their filthy habits would lead me to sus-
pect that this theory is correct. For
instance, they will wade into refuse.
from the sick room and then may fly
directly into the dining-room and alight.
upon a beefsteak or other food upon the
table. They will also alight upon the.
face and often break the skin by their
bite and at the same time may let filth
directly into the blood.” Hence we are.
justified in our war upon them.

 

MRS. W. S. S., of Kalamazoo, says:
“I saw by Busy Bee’s article in a recent.
HOUSEHOLD that she has a 'hen’ hover-
ing over 180 eggs. I wish to know
more about the hen and what success.
I suppose it was an incubator. Please.
will she tell us what success she had in
the hatch; what kind of an incubator;
what was the cost and how she likes it
by this time.”

m

Useful Recipes.

 

STRAWBERRY J AIL-TO each pound of fine
and not too ripe berries, allow three-quarters
of a pound of sugar. Put into a preserving
kettle and stir gently so as not to break the
fruit; simmer for half an hour; put in air-
tight cans.

 

BAKING POWDER BISCUIT.—F01' a family of
five or six, take three cups of flour, one and
one-half cups of water, a. pinch of salt.
(For two, divide the recipe by three.) Mix,
knead well, roll out, then turn the biscuit
over in a little melted lard in a pie pan—this
makes the crust brown nicely. No shorten.
ing must be used in the biscuit. Bake quick-

ly.

 

CHOCOLATE CUP Conan—To a quart of
milk add the beaten yolks of five eggs and
two heaping tablespoonfuls of chocolate,
vanilla, sugar to taste and a very little salt.
Melt the chocolate in a little hot milk before
adding to the other ingredients. Fill cups
with this, and set them in a pan of water to
bake ; they will need about fifteen minutes.
Serve cold.

 

“.4. fl, 4..