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DETROIT,

J UNE 25, 1892.

 

 

THE HOUSEHOLD-"Supplement.

 

 

A HUSBAND’S TRIALS.

l have been doing woman's work for at least a
week or more:
And ['11 own it isn‘t anything like fun;
For when you try to think that your labor’s near.
ly o'er
You will often ﬁnd you've only just begun.
There is broiling. and there's baking:
There is sweeping and bed-making;
And a thousand otherthings not understood
By a novice such as I.
And so I won‘t deny
That I would not be a woman if I could.

This is how it came about: My wife was taken
sick;
No help was to be had. so, like a dance,
I thought I’d try my hand. but i found out very
quick
That I couldn't think of everything at once.
The ﬁre was slowly dying,
When i put the steak a-frying.
And the catwas making hav; 0 with the bread
I had prepared 1' or toasting.
While the apple that was roasting
Was a plaything for the pug upon the bed.

When I went to wash the dishes, I found the
kettle dry:
The spt ut was melted off and on the ﬂoor
It lay a perfect wreck. that awoke a pensive sigh,
As 1 thought upon the happy days of yore.
I reﬂected on the bliss
Of domestic scenes like this.
And [couldn’t hit On any other plan.
It might be called bewitclling,
But the work done in the kitchen,
Is not within the scope of common man.

80 I’d like to mention this to every friend anc
neigl her.
That women’s work is never over-drawn:
My respect is something greater for the house-
wife’s daily labor
Since the trials 1 have lately undergone.
Their woes are not mistated
For I’ve been initiated.
And l’m bound to nelp them every time I can.
There a recompense in doing
What alone is worth pursuing.
And woman’s loving labor is a blessing unto

mm.
—G€o. W Shipman.

WHAT TO WEAR.

A correspondent at Vermontv ille asks
information about a traveling dress and
outﬁt, the objective point of the journey
being Denver, the time August.

Were I contemplating such a trip, I
should purchase a storm serge for a
traveling dress. probably in navy blue.
It is 54 inches wide, at $1.503 yard;
and though the price seems high in
these days of cheap goods, the width
and quality, not to mention its ser-

viceableness, make it really cheap. It ,
should be sponged, then can be wet,

without damage; it does not catch or
hold dust, and does not crush or muss,

 

and is a stylish material. Six yards
will make the dress, less being required
for a short person. If a cheaper dress
is required, cheviots and diagonals in
several shades of gray, brown and tan
can be had at 44 cents in this city, at
least. The most modish way of makirg
a traveling dress requires a bell skirt
with a narrow foot trimming, which is
best made of silk folds, which may be
headed by a narrow gimp if desired. A
bias velvet band is often seen, so also a
narrow rulile of the material. With
this skirt is worn a cut-away coat,
made like the popular blazer, opening
over a surah or India silk blouse or
vest. At the bottom of. the waist this
vest is conﬁned by a pointed girdle.
Sleeves are full, but not much puffed on
the shoulder; the high collar is of silk
like the blouse. The turn over collar
and revers of the blazer are faced with
silk. Another model which gives much
the same eliect has the same blouse
waist with jacket fronts which do
not meet, but are loose, vet modeled
to the .ﬁgure so as to ﬁt prettily. Then
have a real blouse or shirt waist of
India or surah silk, or even of satteen
or percale, and when the day is warm
and the car torrid wear this instead of
the jacket. It is also suitable for the
hotel, and it saves the real traveling
dress so much that one feels quite ﬁxed
up when it is donned for street wear.
One other dress, which may be as nice
as one pleases, will be sufﬁcient equip-
ment for athree weeks’ visit. I have
seen many such dresses this season,
worn by travelers or ready for the
outing, and think they ﬁll the bill for
style, suitability and comfort the best
of anything. A black suit worn by a
guest at the Cadillac was furnished
with awhite linen front worn with high
pointed girdle, and with it a black
four-in-hand tie, with ends tucked
under the girdle. It was very “swell.”
One suit of medium underwear, and
two of light weight should be suﬂ‘icient.
No white skirts. You don’t know what
a treasure a silk skirt is till you’ve tried
it. An old silk dress can be put to no
better use than to make it over into a
petticoat. Or $5 will buy taﬁeta silk
enough to make a skirt and put two
rufﬂes on it, the upper one of which
you will edge with the heavy imitation
guipure lace made for the purpose,
at 25 centsayard. You would almost

 

save the cost in laundry bills. A warm
shawl or a cloak, for use on side trips,
rubbers and mackintosh, would,l should
think, be all one would need, except
the little things, among which a cake
of soap should be included. A chunir
of marble is about as saponiferous as
the ordinary article furnished by
hotels. I want to say a good word for
“footholds,” which are rubbers whiten
ﬁt the ball of the foot, with straps going
round the shoe on the “counter ” to
hold them on. On sidewalks, except in
heavy rains, they are all the protection
demanded, and they are so much
lighter than the ordinary rubber that it
does not tire one half as much to walk
in them.

And now a few words for others.

A stylish gown for a fourteen year
old miss is of two materials, plain and
ﬁgured, in which a remnant of brocade
or plain moire silk can be made cf~
fectively available. The bell skirt is
quite plain and gathered to a band,
worn over the bodice. The latter is
tucked 0n the shoulders, front and bacrs',
the fullness drawn down and pleated in
at the waist. A vest of the second
material is inserted between the fronts,
and collar, pointed girdle and elbow
culls are also made of it. A three
inch band can be added as skirt trinr
ming if desirable.

Nothing is prettier than a well ﬁtting
princess dress on a svelte ﬁgure. I saw
a gray diagonal On a lady the other
day, which was the perfection of style
and simplicity. There wasn’ta wrinkle
in it. It lapped from left to right, from
shoulder to foot, and was closed in~
visibly by hooks and eyes; a three inch
passementerie in gray satin cord out-
lined the closing, and as the edge of the
passementerie formed shallow sca110pn,
the edge of the dress was cut to fit
them. The same passementerie trimm-
ed the collar, and outlined a V from
shoulder to elbow on the sleeves, and
there was not a ribbon bow anywhere
upon it.

A summer cloak for a little girl is
quite novel. It has a straight full skirt.
pleated to a plain round waist; the
skirt, being edged with lace at least
eight inches deep. Over this is worn a
cape composed of a lace-edged strip cf
the material pleated to ﬁt the shoulu
ders, and attached to a round ﬂat cape-
like collar ornamented. with feather-

 


2

    

The Household.

 

stitching. The neck is ﬁnished with a
mm, which ties the cloak in front.

A pretty jacket dress for a four year
old has a skirt edged with a row of em-
broidery and two rows of insertion, over
which is worn a little double breasted
jacket with turnover collar, with
deuble row of pearl buttons as large as
a nickel down the front. The collar is
of embroidery, which also edges the
jacket all round and is used for pocket
laps.

I have described the Russian blouse
earlier__in the season; it seems quite
priilar thcugh not common, and is a
good model for a wash costume. As
amended for wash materials, there is
a bell skirt over which is worn a
shorter skirt, coming almost to the
knees and out exactly like the upper
part of lower skirt. Trimming of some
kind—embroidery, velvet ribbon, at
ruﬁiz, etc., must outline the edge of
each skirt. With this skirt is worn a
blouse waist, double breasted if fyou
prefer, and a belt.

Belts are very handsome. Some have
gold and silver Clasps, others are of gilt
galoon as ﬂexible as ribbon: most of
them are long enough to give the
Cleopatra effect, or tie in a ﬂat knot if
desired. And whereas you can buy one
for a dollar, so also you can buy them
for ﬁve dollars or twenty-ﬁve; and
somehow after you‘ve seen the ﬁve
dollar ones the dollar goods seem un-
desirable. That's always the way—in
other things than clothes—what you
most want is in sight but out of reach.

A very attractive costume worn by a
young lady was of black-and—white
checked wool goods. There were two
narrow ruﬁiss round the skirt, the
upper one turned to form a narrow up-
right heading for itself. The bodice
had a deep yoke of white embroidery.
Two lengths of embroidered edge
had been sewed together, scallops

meeting on a linen tape to form
the middle of the back of the
yoke. The full bodice was gathered to
this. with a little upright frill for
heading, and formed a point front and
back. Very full sleeves with elbow
cuffs of embroidery completed a plain
but very dainty toilette with which
was worn a fancy straw hat decorated
with white daisies. The strips of em-
broidery of which the cuffs were made
were arranged to run lengthwise of the
arms, and the collar was of embroidery.
If you copy this model, remember one
thing: Adress witha yoke must be
made as long-waisted as possible, owing
to the horizontal line which seems to
divide it where the yoke ends. And an
equally pretty yoke is made by running
three or four inch wide perpendicular
tucks an inch apart and covering the
spaces between with embroidered
edge, the plain or nainsook part of it
earning under one tuck, the scallops
just on the line of the next, so the yoke
seems formed of even lines of embroi~
dery and goods.

 

 

There seems to be only two accepted
methods of ﬁnishing the backs of
tight-ﬁtting bodices. One is the in-
evitable short point front and back; the
other the equally inevitable postilion
back in two tails which are long or
short according to one’s fancy.

There is a fancy for trimming the
skirts of dresses with ribbon rufﬂes,
used in two inch widths, gathered
rather scantily and set on to lap each
other. Instead of using plain silk for
the full vests so much worn, that with
small squares, cubes or other geometric
ﬁgures in color is liked. Alpaca and
brilliantine are coming “in” again;
such gowns are made in tailor fashion.
The upper part of the right side of the
bodice laps far to the left and is cut in
three large squares or points edged
with jet gimp and each has abutton-
hole for a large jet button placed to
meet it; the lower part of the front is
closed down the middle with small jet
buttons. The collar has a jet edge, the
sleeves are very full but entirely un-
trimmed, and the bell skirt is also
untrimmed. BEATRIX.

 

A RAINY DAY OUTFIT.

 

Rain, rain, rain! The sky drips, the
atmosphere drips, eaves, umbrellas,
branches, boots, skirts and noses drip!
In short Nature and all her namesakes
are giving the “little drops of water,”
business abig boom. The potato bug
is watching the weather with one eye
and pulling the wool of “hope differed”
over the other. The infant turkey is
thunderstruck, and the callow gander
and ﬂedging rooster are seized with
cramps and expire in the ever increas-
ing surface puddle. But Young
America! Oh what a glorious time!
Bare feet! Beaming faces! Knee
breeches and knee skirts! Happy,
healthy, hearty! They ﬁnd an Eden
of delight in all this drip and puddle
and pour. But methinks the wail of
the draggletail will soon ﬁll with its
shrill piercing note the throat of our
clan, with a call for the doctor to come
with his pills and his potions. his
washes and lotions to relieve the grave
hurts born of bedraggled skirts. Ah!
And for myself, I wish it were possible
for a woman to dress comfortably and
conveniently for walking out of doors
in all sorts of weather and places, with-
out making a guy of herself. That is,
I wish that custom and fashion would
dictate and establish a caitume that
would insure dry feet and ankles, dry
skirts, freedom of all the limbs and
muscles of the body, and the possibility
of an easy, graceful carriage of the
body, with absolute relief from all

clutching wildly hold of any stray
sheets in the wind or water, unless it
be the handle of the top-sail called an
umbrella.

I have been boarding for the last
year, part of the time one and three-
fourths miles from the schoolhouse in

    

 

a country district. And of course I had
in some way to solve this skirt jand
weather problem, with a view to my
own health and ease of locomotion. I
did it in this wise: A good gossamer,
stout rubbers and umbrella, and stout
safety pins, with which in times like
these I pinned up all of my skirts clear
around, not stopping at an elevation
short of knee high. Over this was
worn my good ulster-like gossamer.
which like a depressed flag at half
mast, beat about my bashful calves at
the caprice of every breeze that blew;
said calves being in winter protected
from all this rudeness by a pair of
stout leggings. In this “rig ” I passed
through many a storm safely. But
that is not all that is to be desired. I
would very much have liked to cut a
better ﬁgure as I went over the high-
way. However, the garments that the
law allows me would not permit it, and
as health is a prime consideration
the good people had to take the will for
the deed, and let me travel—well, I
guess it must have been in-rog (itation)
most of the time. Now I board near to
my work and have no need of a uniform.
But if I were so situated that I must do
out of door farm work, I should not do
a great deal of it in petticoats, I assure
you. And if anybody didn’t like my
style they could do the other thing.

and no offence to E. L. NYE.
ORTONVILLE.

 

SKIRTS.

The thought that returns to vex me
when I consider this dress reform
problem is, Why on earth do not
women who want “reform” set about
reforming, not sit around in corsets
and trains and talk about it?

Here’s a woman who says in the
HOUSEHOLD that she’s minded to make
adenim skirt to come to her shoetops
to wear for work in the garden. Well,
why on earth doesn‘t she do it if she
wants to?” It seems to me a very
proper, commendable reform she can
inaugurate for her own comfort and
convenience. Here’s our sensible Ella
Rockwood too, complaining one can’t
“feed the chickens without getting
drabbled.” What prevents her from
shortening her skirts so they cannot
get drabbled? It seems to me that any
woman whose work around the house
or garden would be more easily or con-
veniently performed by wearing a
skirt which comes well up to her shoe
tops lacks good sense if she does not
arrange a special working rig exactly
adapted to her business, instead of
having her dresses made long and then
rushing into print to tell how terribly
she is hampered and worn out by these
awful skirts. A man who's going to
plow or shear sheep or paint a barn
gets into overalls and jumper and goes
to work at it, but he. doesn’t wear the
rig down town or for a ride with his
best girl; what’s to hinder a woman
from putting on a short, plain skirt,

 


 

v

cut just full encugh so it will not im-
pede her movements and cannot ﬂy
over her head, as one writer patheti-
cally remarked, a loose blouse waist. a
wide hat and a pair of stout shoes, and
going about her chicken business or
her garden work as independent asa
man. and appropriately garbed for her
work? When she goes away from
home or her outside duties are done
she can do as the man does, get into
same kind of clothes other women
wear, for I don’t suppose our most
energetic kickers want to go to church
and parties and down town looking like
a picture in a comic almanac.

Well, I’ll tell you what prevents a
woman from adapting her dress to her
work. She daren’t! She’s afraid of

“ they say.” Somebody might see her'

(oh horrors!) when her feet were not
pro perly concealed from view. (Makes
me recall the time when nothing
feminine had legs and a woman blush-
ingly alluded to her “lower limbs” in

a whisper.) The trouble is these com--

plain'ing sisters haven’t the courage of
their convictions. They want “the
other woman” to don the abbreviated
or bi-furcated garments, then they’ll
follow suit—or they think they will.

When I lived at home I wore very
much such a rig as described above
when tending to the poultry and work-
ing among my ﬂowers. I made no re-
marks about it myself, and though
numbers of people saw me wear it, I
never heard that it created any sensa-
tion in the neighborhood or that any
one made adverse comments on my
appearance. I shouldn’t have cared if
they had; and never apologized or felt
an apology would be in good taste when
company surprised me in my working
clothes. There’s no earthly reason,
except her anxiety to look exactly like
other women who do not have her work
to do, why a woman should not suit her
garments to her business and go about
it in a perfectly independent and self-
respecting spirit. BRUNEFILLE.

-——-——...—_
CARDS AGAIN.

 

Will some please tell me how it hap-
pened that a former race of boys really
worked? They got up at an incredible
hour to light the ﬁre in the kitchen
and get the chores done before break-
fast. They eschewed the vanities of
marbles, cards or baseball and went
through the long day’s work as if the
eight hour law had never been heard
of. When some father or aged grand-
father says to the youth of to-day,
“When I was your age, sir, I could do
as much work in a day gas a man, and
my father made me do it, too,” the
lad scrapes the custard from his piece
of pie and vaguely weders why his
father does not make him do it, then
asks for twenty-ﬁve cents to subscribe
to a baseball club, and gets it——the
boy must have some exercise. The
father is puzzled. He knows some old
time discipline is wholesome, but really

 

can’t see how he can secure it for his
boys, so they go on loaﬁng and loung-
ing and making work for the mother.
How can a boy feel that sense of degra-
dation that he should when he allows
others to do for him what he can do for
himself? He knows no contempt for
shirking, but can beat any boy in the
neighborhood at a game of euchre,
whist, pedro or poker; and thinks (if
he ever does any thinking) how much
nicer it is to spend his evenings thus
than in the company of some good
printed matter that might do him
some good in helping to mould a mind
that would serve him in after years.

Children are too apt to get the idea
that people when grown up always do
what they like to do. They eat what
they please. go to bed when it suits
them. and rise accordingly. There is
no visible compulsion, and the child
takes it for granted that they work be-
cause they like to; and that by and by

he will feel that way and like to work.‘

I am sure a little patient instruction
would bring him to understand that he
is not to be a partner by and by, but is
an interested stockholder at present.
Put your quarter or half dollar you are
about to spend on those slippery bits of
pasteboard in some interesting reading
matter, and you will never have to for-
bid card-playing: unless you have al-
ready sown the seed that will take your
boys to idleness, smoking and other
vices, and your girls into associations
that make you blush for them. You may
say your boys or girls do not have to
associate with toughs and riff-rafts
when they play cards. “There are
some mighty nice boys and girls who
play cards.” That may all be true, but
it is like “ going down town;" they are
not so nice when they come back. You
may say if they can not play at home
they will play away from home, which
may be true; but if they learn at home
they will most certainly play away from
home. Quiz your boys on the result of
the Minneapolis convention and see if
they can tell you as much about that as
they can of the right and left bower or
ace? Which is the greater knowledge?
He may know both, but one will surely
crowd the other out if you will wait but
a little.

Yes, I have played cards, but I mar-
ried a man who does not know one
card from another, and were I in a posi~
tion to introduce him to you, good
reader, it would be with pride and
pleasure that I would perform the act.
He is no crank on the subject either;
he only says: “I never had any time
for such.” And, dear friends of cards,
right there hinges the whole secret.
Idleness and cards go hand in hand.
While you are revolving this question
in your mind just ask yourself what
kind of a man you Would like to have
your daughter marry! What kind of
a husband are you making for some
other girl? Those who indulge (or per-
mit the indulgence) in card-playing

 

  
  
 
  
   
   
   
  
 
  
  
   
  
    
  
 
   
   
  
   
    
  
 
   
  
   
   
  
   
   
    
 
  
   
 
  
   
  
   
   
   
  
  
  
    
   
  
   
    
  
  
  
  
 
   
  
  
  
  
    
  

The Household. 8

will never learn that what the judg-
ment approves is to be thoroughly,
regularly and conscientiously carried
out Without reference to the fact that,
as he phrases it, “ it is no fun.”

I have a few words “in the pickle”
for Victory, but will withold them till
another date. LOIS.

 

CHAT.

LITTLE NELL, of Mt. Clemens, sends
us her recipe for Hermits, saying:

“If you try this recipe you will not
be disappointed in them; and the longer
you keep them the better they are."
She also says: “ I have a grandfather
who is ninety-three years of age. His
step is feeble, his eyes are dim and his
hair white as snow. What an em-
blem of peace and rest! It is but a tem-
poral crown, which shall fall at the
gates of Paradise, to be replaced by a
brighter and better one. A little
thoughtful attention; how happy it
makes the old! How lonely must be
the hours. All the friends of their
younger days gone, they seem to feel
that no one cares for them. How often
we see a tear trickle down their cheeks
perhaps thinking of wife or children
who have long since been laid in silent
graves. We all ought to cling around
them. cheering and comforting them
with loving words and happy smiles.
My grandfather is very smart, consider-
ing his years; he has a ﬁne garden, at-
tending to it himself; he markets his
own vegetables and takes great pride
in keeping the garden orderly. I have
great respect for old age, and I think
the hoary head a living monument of
God’s promises. Let us be kind to
the old, for when we go down life’s
stream we may need an encouraging
word and a loving smile to help us on
our way.”

 

EMMARETTE, of Rochester, sends us
some recipes promised 100 g ago, which
will be published soon; extends her
sympathy to Shirtless. who she is sure
has enough to do to make her scold
sometimes. and desires to bear witness
against card playing, which she would
be glad to see fall into discredit.

 

EDNA PERRY, of Ionia, One of our
little HOUSEHOLD girls, says:

“Our school is out for the summer
and I hardly know whether to be glad
or sorry. We intended to have a
picnic the last day, but it was such un-
pleasant weather we could not. I have
72 little chickens and ﬁve hens sitting;
I expect to have 150 chickens when fall
comes. I do not know anything about
cards—not even the color of them;I
have a father and ﬁve brothers but
they do not play. It would be horrid
to have them play here nights."

Edna also wishes to know if Mabel
has chosen a name for that baby
brother; and sends a recipe for cake
which she hopes somebody will try and
tell the HOUSEHOLD if it is acceptable.
Edna should write only on one side of
her paper.

 

PRUDY, of Marshall, says:

“I have raised a family of ﬁve chil-
dren, all married and away from home
now; but when they were growing up
into manhood and womanhoou I felt a
great responsibility resting upon me as
to how they should spend their time
in amusements. for the young must

  

WW’*
‘.ﬂ;—‘ ‘

w; «3! +22"

— 3 rem-=5;

   
  
 

     


4

    

The Household.

 

 

have something at home, as all know.
We furnished plentv of good papers
and books for reading, and three
kinds of musical instruments; for games.
dominoes, checkers, backgammon,
authors‘ cards. a parchesa board and a
croquet set. Some of them wanted the
euchre deck, but I told them I did not
want them to play cards: I had seen so
much evil in my younger days from
cards. I never approved of card parties,
and don’t think my boys ever went into
saloons to play cards.”

GRANDPA answers Huldah Perkins’
inquiry as to why he left the delightful
climate of California for Michigan's
bleaker seasons, as follows:

“ Why do we do a great many foolish
things which we afterward regret when
it is too late? At the time we do them
it may appear just the thing to do.
One cannot live on climate, or ﬂowers,
though both are unrivaled in Califor-
nia. One can live longer and easier in
that glorious country than here, be-
cause he cannot use up his vitality so
fast, nor is there the need for such
vigorous exertion as here. But a lon g-
ing to return to the places where my
boyhood was spent was the main in-
centive.“

 

D. H. F., of Springport, advises:

“ I want to say to Shiftless that Itruly
sympathize with her. It is hard work
to care for so many children, and it
keeps one close at home. I presume I
should take the work easier than she
does: Iwould not do much ironing.
Take the plain every day clothes and
towels from the line and fold nicely:
they do not need ironing, especially if
one has a large family and has to
economize on strength. It would be
such a help to housekeepers to have a
high chair so they can sit down to
iron, wash dishes, and do much other
work at which many stand up; would
not do without mine for anything.
Men take advantage of all the easy
ways and machinery for doing their
work, why shouldn’t women? It does
not seem to me that a sensible lady at
this day and age of the world, would
wish to wear pants as an outside gar-
ment. Does Victory mean that a wife
should have one-third for her own
especial beneﬁt; that the husband must
meet all the household expenses,both for
himself and children, run his business
with all the expense necessary, and
pay off the mortgage with the other
two-thirds? I think it depends on cir-
cumstances how much a wife should
have; she should be just as much in-
terested in paying debts and making
improvements as her husband, and also
should dress just as well. Some one
asked what to feed young turkeys when
they ﬁrst hatch. Give them stale
bread moistened with water, or milk,
for two or three feedings; then feed
them milk curd about three times a
day. Can some one tell me how to
polish cuffs, collars and shirts?”

 

NO CARDS.

 

All that has been written in favor of
card playing has not changed my
opinion in the least. I was very much
pleased to see “ One of the Boys” take
part for the right. I would like to
shake his hand. Oh! if all men and
boys could say as he did, there would
be fewer gambling holes, less whiskey
drinking and more happy hearts. If I

at home or at neighbor’s perhaps I
might feel different about it. But as
we do not know the future, I say shield
them from all possible evil. I am very
thankful my husband has no bad habits
for his son to pattern after. There is
the main point. Mother may counsel
and talk and set the example her
self; but if the father does not do
the same it rarely does much good. It
is the every day example parents set
before their children that counts, much
more than this everlasting preaching.
Make home pleasant with games,
music, kindness, and lots of good books.
Read aloud to the children as soon as
they are old enough to understand.
Play bear with the little ones. The
sweetest memories of my childhood
are the romps I used to have with
father. Uncle Moses says “My early
training and love for mother” (don’t
you see?). “I never became an expert.”
It is true boys sometimes learn to
play cards in spite of all their parents
can do or say. but because of their
early training and love for mother
they rarely turn out badly. If per-
chance they go astray you can say,” I
tried to do my best.” I would not fnr~
bid my children. but tell them the evil
that comes of card playing. They are
the recognized tools of the gambler.
Alice C. Dimon says “I am going to
a real live pedro party now.” I would
much rather go to a Grange meeting or

a good reading club. L. E. W.
RANT.

 

ONE WOM AN’S EXPERIENCE.

I feel I must take up my pen and give
a bit of my experience for Shiftless’
sake. Ten years ago my husband
bought the farm we live on. It was
badly run down, no good fences or
buildings; our own or our neighbors’
horses or cattle were always into mis-
chief. I ran many times a day to drive
them out of the corn, which was three-
quarters of a mile away. I had from
three to ﬁve men to work for, and al-
though I had no children, the work
was too hard for me, for I was never
very strong. I managed to get through
the third summer (I hardly know how)
until December. My husband wished
to keep a man through the winter, and
then I begged for my life. I told him
I could not do the extra work that a
man made, but although he has always
been very kind to me he did not see
that I was overworked. The man
came, and I did the work just three
days; then I fainted away while mixing
the bread before breakfast. That was
the ﬁfth day of December. I grew
worse, until in February my life was
despaired of. For four days the balance
was about even between life and death,
then I came slowly back to life. The
middle of AprilI sat up ten minutes;
it was fall before I could sit up all day.
Oh the long weary months of suﬁeringl
I tell you, sisters, it does not pay. The

no longer. It has cost hundreds of
dollars for doctors' bills since then; and
now the doctor says I will never be
able to do any hard work. I wish every
husband who reads the HOUSEHOLD
would look at his wife this morning
and know whether she is working too
hard or not; if they would all do this I
do not think my experience will have
been written in vain.

I think John‘s \Vife is very brave to
relate her experience with pants after
all Sister Sensible has said.

I enjoy reading the HOUSEHOLD very
much. I’Rt‘ '2.
NIAGARA COUNTY. N. Y.

 

A BRAVE WOM AN.

 

In answer to Victory‘s inquiry here
I am. Does my husband think I earn
more than board and clothes? Yes.
He very often says: “ I wish we were
able to go more and have things more
convenient so you wouldn’t have to work
so hard;” but I know I don’t- work as
hard as he does. I am afraid there are
times when husbands are not appre-
ciated as they should be. I think there
are wives who want too much care and
attention. I do the work for six, have
three little ones, the oldest less than
seven years of age. In the spring has-
band said: " You will have to get a
hired girl with that worrisome bahe,‘l
but I said, “ No, we can’t afford it; Ican
get along,” and I do. Sometimes work
gets a little thick, but I try to think of
some one who has more to do and less
to do with than I; and perhaps hum a
tune or play with baby untilI get a
little rested, then go at it with a will.
In that way I get along ﬁrst rate. 'We
who live on a farm must expect plenty
of work to do.

I think sometimes women make
themselves miserable by being too par-
ticular. I have very large washings,
but my ironings are not so large. In
warm weather when my clothes are
perfectly dry I take down the sheets
and put them on the beds. NO one
could ever tell the difference the next
day; the same with dish towels and a
great many other things, so I can get

my ironing out of the way in one fore-
noon. Then I try to teach the children
to make as little work as possible. and
it will be a beneﬁt to them in after
life. I have much sympathy with
mothers who work hard year in and
out and feel as though no one appre-
ciated their labors. Before I married
I always declared I would never marry
a man who would drink, smoke, swear
or chew tobacco. I kept my word.
ALVENA.

—_—_...*—-_

Contributed Rec lpes.

 

Hnsmrs, on FRUIT Gnomes—One and a
half cups of white sugar; one cup of butter;
three eggs; one cup of chopped and seeded

raisins; one-half teaspoonful of soda. dis-
solved in three tablespoonfnls of sweet

milk: one teaspoonfnl each of cinnamon,
cloves and allspice; six cups of ﬂour. Work
the ﬂour in with the hands; roll thin and
bake in a quick oven.

 

 

were sure my boy would only play ca rds

    

hired girl was found after I could work

Mr. CLEMENS. LITTLE Nam.

 

