
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DETROIT, JULY LLB, 1887.

 

 

THE. HOUSEHOLD-+Supplement.

 

GIVEN AND TAKEN.

 

Smoothing soft the nestling head
Of a maiden fancy-led
'Thus the grave-eyed woman said:

“Richest gifts are those we make,
Dearer than the love we take
That we give for love‘s own sake.

:” Well I know the heart‘s unrest;
Mine has been the common quest
To be loved and therefore blest.

“ Favors undeserved were mine;
At my feet as on a shrine

 

 

Love has laid its gifts divine.

“Sweet the oﬁ‘erings seemed, and yet
With their sweetness came regret,
And a sense of unpaid debt.

~‘ Heart of mine unsatisﬁed,
Was it vanity or pride
That a deeper joy denied?

‘- Hands that Ope but to receive.
Empty close: they only live
Richly who can richly give.-

-- still." she sighed. with moistening eyes.
" Love i> sweet in any guise;
Zut its best is sacrifice!
‘- He who giving. does not crave,
lnkcst is to Him who gave
Lite itself the loved to save.
" Love that self-forgetful gives
Sows surprise of ripened sheaves,
Late or soon its own receives."
—-.f0/¢n, G. WI/i/Hcr.

-——-——-OOO-—-—-

HINTS FOR HOT WEATHER.

 

These torrid days of midsummer, when
the mercury reaches the nineties by day
and lingers among the eighties by night.
are trying times for every one. There is a
great deal of "constitutional tiredness”
developed, and industry is below par. It
makes us tired even to see other people
work. But most of. us must work, and the
great question becomes, How can we per-
form our tasks most comfortably? And I
am not sure but those who stay quietly at
home, simplifying their work as muchas
possible, and making the most of their
comforts, really endure the hot weather
better and come out at the close less ex-
hausted and fatigued, than those who rush
off to mingle with the crowds at summer
resorts. A great deal depends upon the
individual and her surroundings.

How to keep cool is the great question.
A little care and forethought help us woua
derfully, especially in the matter of shut—
ting out the heated outside air by day, and
admitting the cooler air by night. Shut
blinds and windows on the sunny side of
the house, opening them again when the
sun shines there no longer. Do not be so

they cannot do unless they can sleep com-
fortably. Better give up the spare bedroom,

them go to the barn to sleep. on the hay,

you use them, you will sleep much cooler;

'aside from its Cooling and sedative in-

room windows Open but a crack. From
such hot, unventilated rooms one comes
forth tired and unrefreshed, languid and
“headache-y.” Put up the windows “sky-
high ”and produce a draught by raising
those in opposite rooms. Occupy the most
comfortable and commodious rooms in the
house during the hot weather. Do not
assign the room over the kitchen, through
Which stovepipe or chimney passes, to the
boys or the hired men it you have a more
comfortable one vacant; it is for your in-
terest to have your help rest well, that they
may be able to give you eﬁicieut aid, which

with all its glory of ruffled Shams and star-
Spangled hair receiver, to the boys, than let

“because the house is so hot.” in company
with a lot of’ tramp haying or harvest
hands. ' .

Spread comforts over the feather beds, if

and however tired do not omit the nightly
Sponge bath; it is worth an hour’s sleep,

tiuences.

Get a kerosene or gasoline stove; either
willpay for itself in the single item of
ironing. You have no idea—until you
have tried it—what an amount of heat and
discomfort such a convenience really saves,
Trade off your old ﬂatirons for those with
wooden handles; you will thus avoid
blistered and heated hands.

Simplify living as much as possible. Rise
early, to accomplish as much as possible in
the cool morning hours, but do not cheat
yourself out of needed rest by working
straight through to bed-time. Take a nap
after dinner, or if you are one of those
wide-awake individuals who cannot sleep
while the sun is above the horizon, lie down
and rest a couple of hours. Do not have
a “general baking day,” but each morning
bake what pies and cake will be necessary
for the day’s meals, that the food may be
fresh and palatable. Set the bread sponge
over night, and it will be ready to bake in
the early hours of the day. Forget how to
make fried cakes and cookies till cool days
come again; they require too muc l ﬁre and
hard work. Remember fresh fruit is the
best dessert you can serve, and if you have
berries don’t think you must make pics of
them. Stir up a cake which shall be fresh,
light, and not too rich, to eat with them; it
is less work than to make pies. Serve fruit

for breakfast; it is both “stylish” and

There is an old

silverat noon, and lead at night.” Fruit,
fresh and not over-ripe, is healthful at any
time of the day. > .

Use the light tin and granite ware for
cooking, instead of the heavy iron pots’and
kettles; do this the year round.‘ Educate
the men to keep the woodhox' and the
waterpails full, unless you are so fortunate
as to have both these indispensables at
hand. (It is abad plan to begin this educa-
tion during harvest time; the training
should be ﬁnished by that time.) I have
known men who would go. thirsty till the
women brought fresh water: if you have
such men around let them choke awhile,
and be sure to serve salt fish quite fre-
quently. ' '

Do not forget to soak the clothes over
night: they require much less rubbing. Do
not do much scrubbing. Spread Squares of
old carpet about the kitchen ﬂoor to stand
upon; it is hard on the feet to stand on a
bare ﬂotn‘. I think comfortable shoes,
which do not pinch. are better than slip-
pers to wear round the house. Th 5.1068
support the ankles, and protw: the feet
better than which are often so
thin-soled that the chili from a stone or
brick cellar door strikes through them. Sit
down to pure vegetables and-‘wipe dishes,
and to iron napkins and handkerchiefs.
Fold towels. sheets, Coarse shirts, and any-
thing else practicable, and' place a weight
upon them instead of ironing them. Have
the stove setup high enough so you do not
make a rainbow of your back bending over
it. Do not wear the cumbersome-heavy,
warm cotton undergarments, but rather the
gauze merino vests and drawers, which are
so cheap and cool, and have no extra fullness
or weight. There is not enough wool in
them to irritate the skin. "and yet they are
sufficient protection against sudden changes
of temperature; they are as easy to wash as a
handkerchief and need not be ironed at all.
Do not try to sew during the hot weather.
It is all one ought to do to manage the
housework and keep the mending basket
from running over.

Be sure that good sanitary conditions
prevail around and in your home, that the
cellar is sweet and clean, and the drains in
active working order. If you have a sink,
treat it to a dose of copperas water at least
once a week to clear it out and sweeten
and keep it free from poisonous gases. Care
on such points may save sickness, that
“mysterious dispensation of Providence ”
which is most often due to our neglect or
ignorance of sanitary laws.

Above all, don’t fret or worry; keep cool

slippers.

 

healthful at that meal.

 

atraid of fresh air that you keep your bed-

proverb:

    

“Fruit is gold in the morning,

mentally and spiritually if you cannot

 


 

 

'2 ' THE HOUSEHOLD.

 

 

physically. Do not give way to temper, or
get irritated at triﬂes: and before you know
it we shall have a white frost and he look-
ing for fall ﬂannels. BEATRIX.
___...____-.

THE WIFE’S FORTUNE.

 

‘ That question presented to us in the
HOUSEHOLD of June 13, we shall hardly
know how to answer, as we are in the dark
as to circumstances. You know the old
saying. “ Circumstances alter cases.” It
might be a duty the wife owes herself, yes,
and even her husband, to keep it in her own
name, for sometimes the wife may be the
most prudent of the two. If she has earned
the money herself she would be competent
to know how to keep it, but if she has in-
herited it she might need some experience
to make her competent, and who can she
trust better than the husband that she loves
to guide and direct. I presume this is only
a supposed case to draw us out through the
busy season. when some are apt to forget the
duty we owe our HOUSEHOLD. Through
this warm weather we do not feel like writing,
but we would be surprised to turn to our
little paper and find one article from Bea-
trix and the rest a blank. but then I do not
think that the faithful Evangeline would
fail us. One said to me last week, “ Do you
suppose that Evangeline can be a farmer’s
wife; it so, how can she ﬁnd so much time
to write?" Will Evangeline please tell her
through the Hoosnnou) that others may
proﬁt by'it! But will they do so? I know
from experience that it is not those who
have the most spare time, but those who
have the will. And I wish to express my
thanks to Evangeline for her faithfulness.
But. I see I am running away from that
duty of the woman and money question.

A law that would apply to woman ﬁfty

years ago will hardly do for today. The

time has comewhen she can take her place
by the side of man as his equal, though the
laws of our State may not consider her so;
for the laws as yet are made by man, and
most men seem to take pride in holding the
woman as the weaker vessel, although the
prosperity of the coming generation depends
on the mother. If we have money entrusted
, to our care, it is our duty to use that money
in a way that it will do the most good. The
wife herself can only say what her duty is
in that respect to her husband. Somehow
. I can't make that word duty lit in there, it
seems unpleasant, as if she did not desire

it. A kind and loving husband would,

hardly accept the offer if he thought it was
. given through a feeling of duty. What
must be the feeling of a farmer’s wife, these
hard times, if she can look out in the har—
vest ﬁelds and see her husband with his
men, the thermometer up to 90 degrees,
trying to secure what little wheat the insect
has left, in hopes to pay a little more on
that mortgage, and she with money in the
bank, or perhaps speculating in options?
Tue laboring woman has been taught self—
denial from her infancy. so it is not so hard
for her to yield her property to her husband,
and in some cases it might be best, it by so
doing it. made a comfortable home for the
family. It is contentment that brings hap-
pinoss, not dollars, and cents. The molt
, happy homes are those that have but the one

. interest, where in s peaking of their property

theycan say “ours.” But if the husband
has enough to supply home comforts, I
should keep it in her own name if it does
not interfere with her home duty to her
family. When 1' took my pen I thought I
could crack that nut but 1 see it is too hard

or; ﬁle; Ifhope another will try.

MRS. R. D. 1'.
-———oo¢——-—-

ANSWER TO DOT.

Ba) OKLYN.

I could hardly repress a smile at Dot’s
luck; at the same time I had lots of sympa-
thy for her. It is only by patience and per-
severance that good. housekeepers are made.

Occasionally we meet women who are
“ born cooks,” but. the majority become
so through numberless failures. In the ﬁrst
place, I know soft soap is an uncertain arti-
cle. I have read that "it should be made in
the moon and stirred with asassafras stick.”
By this I expect is meant the old of the
moon. You know there are people who have
explicit faith in the moon.

With regard to the jam: Mash the berries;
and nearly all kinds of fruit require but
three-fourths pound of sugar to one pound
of fruit. Jam requires but little cooking,
which should be slow; just allow it to sim-
mer, the superﬂuous juice will evaporate,
and the jam will not be strong. I think
raspberries are greatly improved by adding
a. little currant juice. Perhaps this will be
a‘littlelate, as strawberries are nearly gone,
but in using them for jelly do not allow
them to turn red, use them while they are
white, just before they turn. The jelly is
superior when made in this way. If I were
Dot when 1 was ready to do work of this
kindrzleehould ask some friend who had had
experience to come and assist me. The
knowledge thus gained will be worth more
to her than to fret and worry over it alone
and perhaps lose it all.

 

. E «'ANGELlNE.

B'ATTLE ( 11mm.

[And didn’t but ask not one friend but
many, whenshe called on the Humanoid)
family to help her?——En.]

-—-———OOO———~—

THE SOAP QUESTION.

 

I take it for granted that Dot has already
received all necessary instruction about jam
and jelly-making, so will only say that my
way of canning strawberries is similar to
that ME. 0. 1., of Lenawee. Perhaps she
would like to know how to remove fruit and
vegetable s‘ains from herhands. Although
lemon—juice is very effective, it is not always
at hand, for sometimes, like “ Gail Hamil-
ton,” we are “ twelve miles (or less) from a
lemon.” If she will put one ounce each of
borax and muriate of ammonia and one-half
ounce of soda in a quirt can and ﬁll it with
soft water, it will remove the most of the
stain, being careful to not use soap on the
hands ﬁrst, as that is apt to set the color.

In regard to her inquiry about Soft soap.
I do not know oi any way of making good
S'lft soap except 1‘: e old-fashioned one, with
lye made from “"(nJli-{lShIES. 1 have been a
house-keeper newly thirty" years, and have
not learned it 2}? 3t In the Hones-norm
of June 15, 188i», {here are directions for
making hard soap with Babbitt's potash. I

 

would like to ask Lucy, of Ann Arbor. (the

writer of the article) if it makes any dilfer-
once what kind of grease is used. Last
summer I made hard soap with tallow and
lye made from sal-soda and lime. It is
very hard. and will not make nice suds like
the soap we buy. It will last a life-time,
for I cannot use it. H

In this intensely hot weather and for
weeks to come, our cellars will need looking
after very often. A liberalsprinkling with
copperas water, in the corners and behind
barrels, etc, will remove all foul odors. So
much of our time must be spent in doing
things that belong to the no-name class of
duties, yet are necessary for the health and

has time or patience to attend to them. No
matter what sorrow she has to bear. or how
much she longs for “the sound of a voice
that is gone," every morning she must take
up the burden of life again, and go her
daily round of duties. Happy is the wife
and mother who does not grow marry in
well—doing. Avxr F as n.

PINC‘KNEY.
———-—...——-———'

PRESENT ENJOYMENTS.

 

l have not come among the members of
our Housnnonn to discuss any of the
numerous topics advanced heretofore. but to
tellyou of a great enjoyment which it was
my pleasure to participate in recently.
1 attended a “diamond wedding." the
sixtieth anniversary of the wed ling day of
a gentleman and lady eighty-one years old,
whom I have known all my life.

No ordinary house could hold all those
invited to join them on this rare occasion,
so they held a picnic on the banks of a
beautiful lake on their farm. Six children,
twenty-six grand-children, three great
grand-children, relatives and especial
friends numbering one hundred and ﬁfty,
came togreet them on this their wedding
day. We often hear of two peeple living
together ﬁfty years and celebrating their
golden wedding. but scarcely ever are they
permitted to walk side by side sixty long
years, sharing each other’s joys, cares and
sorrows. Sixty-three years ago this agel
gentleman took his farm from the govern-
ment, and for sixty consecutive years the
two have lived on it, and he is proud to say
there now: was a mortgage on it. To—day'
they are honored for their nprightness,
stability and wonderful hospitality: both
are well preserved, both mentally and
physically. What a sterling example for
the rising generation to follow, instead of
ﬂuctuating here and there like “Pussy
hunting a corner!”

Usually at picnics the table and its con—
tents claim alarge share of attention. Years
agoa pig was only a pig, and frequently
formed a prominent part of a bill of fare.
In later years he has become of greater im-
portance; has had a high record as to price
and number, and gets his nanw in the
papers, this Covering has been of "green-
backs" as well as bristles and fat. But the
idea prevailed that for this t‘estul occasion
nothing was tho good, and forthwith pig-
gie must be killed be he ever so costly, and
must be roasted and occupy a prominent
position at dinner time. Thin: there were
puddings and pics of great varlmy. and all

 

the luxuries suitable to the time.

comfort of the living, and no one but mother

 

 

 


 

 

 

mum amen... .lllﬂv,,_. ”.4 1.»*

THE HOUSEHOLD. 3

 

EAfter dinner came “the feast of reason
and the ﬂow of soul.” Two ministers were
present and they were invited to make re-
marks appropriate to the occasion, and did
so in choice sentiments and well chosen
words. A gentleman who had known the
old couple forty years read from an original
manuscript prepared for the occasion, words
which were like strings of pearls.

Then two beautiful little girls (grand-
children) sang several pieces so sweetly (as
children are apt to do), songs prepared for
the occasion, and speaking so lovingly of
grandma and grandpa. A lad less than
eight years of age, a grand-child, recited a
push, the sentiment of which was that
when a boy needs a ball covered, or hurts
his linger, or wants to make molasses
candy, " It is so nice to have a grandmama.
or two around,” and when some people
think he is too noisy, gran-lint says " boys
will be boys—but he will be a man some-
time." This ended one of the most enjoy—
able, memorable occasions l_ever enjoyed.

Poxrtac. MYR t.

“90*—

OUR THOUGHTS.

[Pa-per read by Mrs. R D. l’almer, of Brooklyn,
before the Norvell Farmers‘ Club, June 25, at
" Evergreen Home," the residence of James
Hayes}

That is something that we all have more
or less of. But no tw: think alike. What
is thought? Where does it come from?
Where does it go to? What is its mission?
Have we power of ourselves to control it?
Can we say to it come, or go‘.’ Are we
accountable for our thoughts? If so, do
we treat them as our best friends, or abuse
them with neglect, as if they were our worst
enemy? Do we value them at their true
worth, or let them pass, and be lost as
worthless? Or do we gather them and
place them in memory’s store house, to be
called back when needed: or safer still,
write them down, which doubly preserves
them. for memory will sometimes play us
false? Sometimes our thoughts are out of
their prop :r place. and should not be spoken,
but be kept to ourselves. and crowded out
with better ones. To think highly of any
one is to speak in their praise, but to be
low in our thoughts is an insult to ho :nani-
ty. But few people think too much. Most
of our troubles in this life come. from want
of thought; although it is not those dep
thinkers who are the best associates, for
they may lack a certain degree of thought
that is needed to make them amiable. So
we need wisdom to direct our thought, and
the good book tells us what to do that we
may have it. How much trouble and hard
feelings might be avoided if those in com-
mand would use a. little more forethought,
and choose their words when it is necessary
to reprove, that the reproof might be in the
form of a suggestion or caution, instead of
accusation, for that in most people will
arouse self-defense, which sometimes leads
to hard words that are not beneﬁcial to
either party.

 

Do ourthoughts ever tr iuble us. it So. then ,

why‘.’ Thoughts are said to be cheap
things, but some things may no rich with
thought. 1 have known pt rm;-
penny for a good, earnest. candid thought.
And then there is the rich and abiding
thought, its value cannot be estimated: its

4 to offer 3 §

 

next neighbor is athoughtful thought, such
as are employed in meditation or when the
mind is carefully directed to an object or
being. We speak of a passing thought, or
of being full of thought, as if they pass
through the mind and we can hardly catch
them.

What is thought? Webster gives it. the
exercise of the mind in any way except
sense and perception. It denotes the
capacity for, or the exercise of, the very
highest intellectual function. Then how
does one who acts without thought, show
that he is higher than the brute creation?
There is a power of moral beauty in high
and noble thoughts, and what occupation is
there better than farming for such thoughts;
The seed sowing and growth of vegetai ion.
and the blooming of the beautiful ﬂowers.
all give us thought of a wise Creator. Now
is it best to let these thoughts all pass by
unheeded; surely they are God—given bless-
ings; why not put them on paper, that
ozhers maybe blessed by their coming! Is
it not Selfish to keep them all to ourselves?
Suppose for lack of education our thoughts
do not ﬂow as smoothly as our friend’s at
the. right, is that any reason we should not
think at all? Unspoken thoughts and
thoughts on paper are two different things,
with some it is an improvement, with others
if they do not look as well, you have them
where you can reject the brass and pre—
serve the gold. Many a precious thought
has been saved by having a paper handy
when performing some manual labor that
did not require brain work. Some receive
their best thoughts at such times. But says
one. “ 1 have so much to do, and then I am
so timid. 0h, 1 can’t bother, I know i
have only the one life to live here, but the
ladder of perfection is so high and hard to
climb, I guess I’ll not step on the ﬁrst
round for fear l would never reach the,top.”
A friend of mine once had an occasion to
ascend to the roof of his house by the way
of uladder, his little two year old boy fol-
lowing his footsteps up the ladder nearlv
to the top. The mother seeing her child in
peril, for want of thought screamed and
fainted. At that sound the father turned,
and seeing his boy. and being blessed with
a great gift of forethought said, " ls
Frankie coming up to see papa? step up one
step more and take hold of papa’s hand,”
and he thus saved the child. Some. may
claim that this man had a natural gift of
forethought. but if you watch closely you
will see that those gifts are acquired by
exercise. just as the blacksmith gets his
strong right arm. Then, if we do not imv
prove in this direction the fault must lie at
our own door, for we have power in our-
selves to control our thoughts and they will
either elevate us and make us strong in our
resolutions, or lead us to weakness of mind,
for impure thoughts are sure to lead to deg-
radation. Our thoughts are like sowing
seed, much depends on the cultivation of
the soil. The wise man of old has said
‘- As a man thinketh in his heart so is he."
’i‘heu how essential it is that we go i-
Cstrist. for help, for he can keep the foun~
tail: pu ‘e from wn‘zcii all our thoughts
spring. N e should adopt Frances Wit~
lord’s motto, “ Plain living and high think-

ilng,” but it seems that the most- oi us

farmers choose to reverse this. We must
have the high living and take our chances
about the thinking.
——_....——__
A FRUITIESS SEARCH.

When one has bozne the ills one knows,
till theills one knows not seem pleasant by
comparison, it is time to act. That is how I
felt about it. I had endured the heat, the
dust, the incessant rattle of passing vehicles,
the chatter and giggling of the servant girls
at the big boarding-house over the way,-
who rendezvous-ed on our corner and tlirtesl
with their “fellers"— in servant girl ver-
nacular—~till midnight, until it really
seemed as if a desert; island like Robinson
Crusoe's would be an earthly paradise. l
resolved to set up my 1-. ~:l\‘eh0[d lures and
l’enates in a new :wzatton. A modest card
in aSunday pape: brought. me :;1 replies.
The young man at the office, kept piling the
letters before me. while l lucked on in
speechless amazement and when he laid
the check which ensuret me the use of the
box fora week on top of the heap and
pushed it toward me, i funded it back, say-
ing faintly, “ I know when l’ve got enough,
thank you,” and went away, most ﬁrmly
convinced that there is nothing like the
newspapers for getting close to the public.
From these 31 proxies-alt: for the company of
a “respectable middle—aged widow,” I ,
selected twelve. that i thought front loca—
tion and other circumstances might suit me,
and bravely set forth upon the not alto-
gether pleasant tonr.

The Search for zooms or a house to rent
always aﬁords opportunity for brief but in-
teresting studies of character. 1 have
learned to make an immaculate street
toilette when l sally forth on such a quest,
for as I myself lodge of the character,
position and disposition of a possible lam}-
lady by dress ant}. demeanor, so also She
hazards a' guess at my own desirability as
an inmate of her lmuSe by the same stand-
ard. “Appearance:- are often deceiving”
was an axiom l patiently traced down one
page of a juvenile copy-book. I find it true.
A woman whose words are smoother than
butter while you are a tenant in prospec-
tive only, may develop into a forbidding
female you would: not for your life ven—
iure to ask twice to: pie, once you are es-
tablished in her domain.

1 tind a great trouble to be that though
one may advertise explicitly for certain
essentials, those who are anxious to secure
tenants will ignore these speciﬁcations
and trustto something else they can offer
to balance what they have not. Though I
advertised for uni urnished rooms, three out
of the twelve selected replies were from
people whose rooms were furnished, and
who strongly recommended me to store my
own goods and chattels and pay them
roundly for the use of theirs. 1 like to
have my own belongings about me; it they
are shabby, 1 know who made them so, and
it i come home out of temper and hang the
I turmture round, it is no onc’s harshnes but
_% my own.

i ido not think farmers who live in their
: own houses are ever properly gout-ml for
l
l

 

the blessing. 1 know 1 never appreciated
the delicious sense of ownership and

 


‘4

THE HOUSEHOLD.

 

 

absolute control, till by contrast with the
uncertain tenure of rent-ship. House rent
is a big item to the city man. The farmer
:who envies the book-keeper or salesman his
3100 per month, and thinks he could get
rich fast on what he could save from $1,200
-a year. never takes into consideration the
,fact the city man must pay at the very least
one-ﬁfth of that sum for the bare house he
lives in. The farmer’s house is his; he does
not have to beseech a reluctant landlord to
.paperaroom, nor wait three months for
him to send a plumber to mend a leak in a
pipe that is ﬂooding the house with foul air.

The tenant who sub-lets has few privi-
leges and no rights. If people have two
rooms to rent, they expect the unhappy

, occupant to pay about half the rent of the
. whole house for their use, while they enjoy
-the six or eight remaining. A man who
offered me two front rooms, unfurnished,
- for $18 per month, as I rose to go, saying,
“ I need not detain you longer; your terms
- are above what I wish to pay,” replied:
. “ Why, I pay $40 for the house, and $18 is
not half of that, and I have in addition the
a water rates to pay!" “But,” I could not
help retorting, “ you surely do not expect
me to pay half the rent of a ten-room house
for the privilege of occupying two rooms, do
- you?” . - ,
An “aristocratic location” is highly
prized by the room-renter. ' Two little
rooms on the third ﬂoor of a ﬁne house. on
' a nice residence avenue, were rated at $16
per month. “But think of the location,”
urged the anxious owner, “it’s elegant.
Mr. lives on that corner, Major——
owns the next house, and Banker — lives
next door. We a real aristocratic locality!"
1 hate snobbery. So I said: “ 1’ m not
renting the locality, but rooms I want to
live in, and it is quite immaterial to me
who my neighbors are it‘ they are quiet
and respectable,” and the front door
banged viciously as 1 tranquiily descended
the steps. Of course location is a most im-
portant consideration, but no self-reSpect-
ing woman will pay an exorbitant rent for
the sake of a latch-key to a line house, or
to live next door to a family she don’t
know from Adam. and never would know
by such propinquity, if she lived there till

the crack 0’ doom.

The “professional room-renting fiend,”
who scrutinizes your letters, catechises your
callers, and establishes a watchful espionage
over your goings out and comings in, is to
be specially avoided; so also is the woman
who “ takes boarders for company,” or has
“seen better days.” To get as much as
they can and give as little in return as pos-

'sible, is their motto, which they live up to
with an earnestness that would be highly
commendable in a better cause.

Then there’s the talkative landlady. I
encountered one of her in my round. For
fully three-quarters of an hour she held me
—-not by “her glittering eye” but by her
awful tongue. She told me her family
history in all its ramiﬁcations, and my
endeavors to stem the tide of talk that issued
from her lips were as fruitless as to dam
Niagara with a fence rail. She might have
been talking yet, for all I know, but for an
opportune ring at the bell which gave an
opportunity of escape I was not slow to

 

embrace. though rather uncertain as to the
propriety of venturing on the street, least.
in the parlance of the day. she might have
“talked the buttons off my clothes.”

I wonder why so many of: my sex feel it
necessary to make such profuse apologies
for “the looks of things” to a stranger?
Seems as though, if the family can stand
the disorder, the casual caller on business
intent might be spared long explanations
as to why “things” are not in place; and if
one sees packing cases and corded trunks,
or paper-hangers and painters at work, it is
no compliment to her perceptive powers to
be informed the f mily has just moved in,
or that the house is being renovated. I
don’t wonder John Chinaman says, “ ’Meli-
can gal too much talkee-talkee.”

And when I went home, a tired, unsatis-
ﬁed woman, no better off than when I
started out, Fidus Achates unfeelingly re-
marked: “ Didn’t ﬁnd anything to suit in
those 31 answers? Well. you must be very
difﬁcult to please!” BEATRIX.

——-—-—-‘W————'

A STUDY OF NASTURTIUMS.

Alice Crockett, inthe N. E. Farmer, tells
the girl artists how to paint this old-
fashinned, bizarre ﬂower, whose brilliant
colors are very fashionable now:

“Nasturtiums are a very showy ﬂower,
and the red and darker shades are very
effective on the cream colored background.
To paint the bright orange-red ﬂowers use
vermilion and deep chrome, adding crim-
son lake in the darker tones: shade with
burnt sienna, where the back of the ﬂower
shows, use also a light yellow witha little
green in some places. For the ﬂowers of a
lighter shade use the light chrome and ver-
milion. and for the brown spots on the
petals use caledouian brown, crimson lake
and black. shade with raw umber. For the
dark red and maroon ﬂowers use crimson
lake and a little vermilion, shading with
black and caledonian brown; paint the
calyx with yellow, shade with raw umber,
and crimson lake and alittle green. In
the high lights use more vermilion. No
white is needed in these dark red ﬂowers.
The nasturtium is in several shades of red
and yellow; some are streaked with red,
others with brown, but I think the colors I
have given will be sufﬁcient to paint any of
the shades desired. This ﬂower is very
showy for many things and makes a hand-
some picture for framing; it is pretty on
black satin, for a hand bag. or on dark
green felt for table scarf, or for lambrequins.

.I have not given the colors for the green

leaves, for those that are already given in
previous chapters are all that are needed in
the different shades. It is always best
when painting any special ﬂowers to have
some of the natural ones to study, even if
you are copying from a good study. The
nasturtium is a ﬂower very much cultivated,
also easy for the amateur topaint, and when
nicely done is very effective. If one wishes
to paint this ﬂower on canvas with a back-
ground, a light silver gray is pretty and
harmonizes well with the different shades of
the ﬂowers. To make this shade of gray
mix white, raw umber, with just a little
cobalt blue, adding more of the colors to
shade it darker at the lower part of the

 

picture. A very handsome background for
pansies of the dark shades is a greenish
yellow. I have a study of pansies arranged
in a little white bowl stdnding on a brown
table. The background is made by mixing
white, lemon chrome, and a little black to

'give the green tone for the lighter part and
shaded with raw umber.

The table is
painted With raw umber, burnt sienna,
caledonian brown, a little bla-‘-k and white
in the light. The harmony of the yellow,
rich purple, and brown is very pleasing.
The effect ofapicture depends very much
upon the harmony and contrastof the dif-
ferent colors in it. The arrangement of
the ﬂowers and accessories is also im-
portant.”

.>.—-——-

CHAT WITH HOUSEHOLDERS.

I think the trouble with Dot’s soap was
the salt in the butter. Had she melted it,
let stand and settle, then drained off the
clear grease, I believe her soap would have
been all right.

Maybelle should give her bird lettuce seed,
instead of hemp or canary. for a few days
or a week. I have tried this with good re-
sults, for'loss of voice.

What has become of Wild Rose, and
those weekly letters she advocated? Surely
they cannot all have _ found the waste-
basket. _

I have quite a curiosity to know what
brought the change in N. E. V. P.’s hus-
band. Not that 1 have the least idea of
idea of trying to convert Mr. Hundred to
sound judgment; we both found‘out years
ago that our interests were identical, but
through other motives wholly unselfish.

Will some one be kind encugh to send an
article on the best approved plan of con-.
structing an out door milk cellar, one large
enough to accommodate the milk from five

or six cows, to be built of stone?
OLD HUNDRED.

W— —~»
INFORMATION WANTED.

I wish to learn how to cure bacon so that
it will be like that we get in a city market,
and which is such a good relish for the
early breakfast. If any reader .of the
HOUSEHOLD can give me directions, I will
be very glad. I want to know what parts
are chosen for the purpose, and all about it.
In our ordinary country curing there seems
no medium between salt pork and ham.

Mas on. DAISY.
__——..*———

IT is quite cheering to the Editor in the
dearth of “copy” which has prevailed since
the hot weather and busy times set in to—
gether, to hear from some whose pens have
been idle along time. Maybelle came back
to us a week or two ago, and nowAunt
Fauna and Old Hundred let us know they
still live. No one drops from the circle of
contributors without being missed by both
Editor and readers. There are many we
wish to hear from again: if you have not
time for a long letter send us a short one,
often the brief sentences contain just what
we want to know, just the “ words ﬁtly
spoken” which so penetrate the mind.
These are busy days, trying days, but we
are none the worse for breaking away from
our bondage to our work, and seeking a
little diversion in interests outside. Make
the HOUSEHOLD one of these interests.

 

 

 

