
.,'-.\rw,,,. . . ~ .. .. ..,

 

 

 

 

 

 

DETROIT, AIPRIL 27’, 1886.

 

 

. THE IHIOUSEHQIT.amenagupplemenm.

 

 

TWO .izo TREES.

 

A woman walkingthe street adown,

Saw at a casement glint the gown

Of a mother. meek, whose little son

Had died with his child joys just begun,
And it smote to her heart, for well she knew
What mother-love with a life may do;

And she said, “Poor soul! how sad that she
Should lose the child in his grace and glee i”
For she thought of her boy that lived to-day,
Though man—grown now and far away.

But the woman there in the window-seat

Looked with a smile, not sad, but sweet.

And touchec with pity, to the place

Where she had marked the othe r’s face;

And she sair‘, “Pocr soul! her child is lost,

For now no is only a man sin—tossed! '

But the boy I watched in his bright young day,

He hides in my heart a. Guild for aye.”

-Ific,’t4_57’d 11’. 12/7105.
-—-——-os.——~-»
SOME GOOD SUGGESTIONS.

Seldom do I read our llousnnorp that
some idea is not presented to my mind that
I would like to say soinetliiuzx about. B:
causeI fail to do so on the spur of the
moment, the particular point (inter. fades
from my mind, or I lose the enthusiasm
which attends the reading, and so lose
the pleasure of saying what I intended.

To one who inquired if any of us had
read “Ramona,” I would reply I have,
and like it very much; but my verdict
would be that “ Ramona ” is not as pow-
erfully written as “ Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”
I think my opinion may not be as un-
biased as a young person’s would be who
would read both books no or, for the fol—
lowing reason: I entered heart and soul
into the great anti-slavery contest, and
“ Uncle Tom's Cabin ” appeared when the
country was greatly agitated upon the
subject. I am sure my conscience has
not been educated to as lively a sense of
the wrongs of the Indians (of which
“ Ramona ” treats) as it was to the wrongs
of the negroes, portrayed in “ Uncle Tom’s
Cabin.”

I would like to know how many of our
readers are interested in the Chautauqua
course of readings. It seems if there was
nothing more helpful to banish discon-
tent, ennui and loneliness. It ﬁlls our
mind so full of suggestive thoughts that
querulousness and dissatisfaction are like
ly to be crowded out. It costs but a few
dollars a year, and farmers’ Wives can ill
afford to be without it. To the one who
is laying by a few shillings at a time for
future use for her children, I would ad-
vise that she should take the Chautauqua
course, let the bank account go, and buy
books for herself, and take papers; that

 

would help her to train the children
physically, morally and mentally. It
will return them seventy per cent in bet-
ter physiques, and more harmonious char‘
acters, and pay her an hundred fold
Who can show a better bank account?
To the lady who asks whether it is
proper for a mother who lives in a small
town to take her daughters and attend
entertainments without the escort of her
husband, I would say yes, emphatically;
not only proper, but a duty, to help her-
self and daughters to whatever is elevat-
ing, comforting, or entertaining, that.
comes within their pecuniary limits. For
the same reason a country woman is cor—
rect in accompanying neighbors to such
entertainments. Nor does. it seem neat-‘-
sarily selfish because the husband fails to
go. There as: so many things us. a ial‘:;‘>-;
class or" men are not irxicresterl in that
greatly to the haopirnss of th. won
(iii-r l‘ﬂSlewri, The llOUsnrroLD ) so run if
the liusbsinalgives no viiiu' reisin why

  
 

the wife mould not g3 1;. seems eminent 5"
ﬁt- that he should sometimes gratify her
own feelings by going. I can well under
sirznd why men who have been in the open
air all day, love the ﬁreside at evening;
and also why women who have been in
the house all day, love to get out occzs-
ionally evenings. Mutual concession
would no doubt make both happy.

It isa matter for rejoicing that a few
men are enough interested in our paper
to occasionally contribute, and it is a
growing Sign of the times that men and
women are ﬁnding out that their interests
are identical. In the woman’s column in
some of our papers there are Sometimes
articles that if men readthem. I should
think they would be so disgusted that
they would eschew the whole thing. In a
Chicago paper I lately read this sent-l—
ment: “If a woman he at all what people
are pleased to call strong-minded, she had
better remain single all the days of her
life. For it is only by meekness and sub-
mission that we can ever expect or home
to have harmony in the house, or make
an ideal home." I say cut, away with
such talk. Who knows of a. man who
wants an ideal home? Does he not want
just such a home as a woman wants?
And cannot a woman who thinks and acts
for herself make a better home than one
who hardly cares to breathe only as her
husband dictates? When men are pun-
ished by women’s violation of natural and
civil law, it will be time to talkof woman’s
being subject to the man.

I wished to speak of the education of
our girls, but my letter is already too
long. GRANDMOTHER.

Luann.

 

DOES 11‘ PAY TO EDUCATE THE
GIRLS?

 

Ihave seen only one answer to that
question, and one which I do not en—
tirely agree with. I say most emphatically
“yes.” She certainly is not ﬁtted to do
her best work in the world unless her
mind, no less than her hands has been
trained to the work in life which she
will be called upon to do.

The ﬁrst object in the education of a
girl, as well as a boy, should be to render
her self-supporting. One rather hates to
put the bread-anu’l-butter question ﬁrst,
but it must come ﬁrst if girl is left with-
out su-port, as are ever so many girls
bre‘n.:ght up in luxury. To be sure, if
a girl i; a competent Louiekecper she can
get empiriyruent at any time, but it i: just
is. Vii-eurd to think that every girl who
inuv‘. earn her own living-«and their
1122;1ch is legion, should ‘wors’ out " as
that (:V'_ ry boy should he a farmer
whether he like; it. or not. For the shire
other health, more}, mental and physical,
he: educui'on shiul i prcpfre her to earn
her living in the ".vay most co‘r genial to
her, if possible. If once she can be in-
dependent. a toousand opportunities for
eulmre will be open to her. If she has
been well educated in one direction she
will be so much the better prepared for
whatever work in life may fall to her lot.
Her mental training, in whatever direc—
tion it may have been, will have devel—
oped and matured her mind so that she
can soon accommodate hers-elf to house-
hold duties, and she is quite likely to
prove a. more efﬁcient housekeeper as
well as home-keeper, for her better
trained faculties. But even granting
that a knowledge of household affairs is
of primary importance, cannot. a girl in
the intervals of study have leisure to
learn, little by little, household duties?

If circumstances do not allow a good
education in school, give her all the op.
portunities for culture possible at home.
Much as is being said of music nowadays
and the folly of it, if it adds comfort to
yourself, your family and friends, I don’t
see how the money and time can be called
wasted. There is nothing pleasanter in
the family, or that will keep a family more
united than music. . Whatever a girl
may have a taste for, music, reading,
drawing, painting, she will be a happier,
better and more useful woman for having
that taste gratiﬁed.

I suppose hints on the saving of work
are always in order. I have a new (to

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THE HOUSEHOLD'

 

me) way of making work dresses, which
for comert in wearing and ease in wash—
ing and ironing is ahead of anythingI
ever wore. It is all in one piece, a plain
round basque, with a turnover collar, and
askirt sewed on to the bottom of the
basque. Skirt ﬁnished as you like it,
with a shirred heading where it is sewed
on the basque, or put on with a seam.
I make the skirt of four straight breadths’
and put a narrow ruﬁis on the bottom.
The dress looks so neat and so suitable,
too, for housework, that I never want

one made other wise. M.

LAPEER.
———-+oo———-

A LETTER FROM “UP NORTH.”

 

Last summer I canned sixteen cans of
sweet corn, being careful to follow direc-
tions given in the HOUSEHOLD, but not
the recipes in which acid is used. Not a
can kept. I never fail in canning fruit
to have it keep, and have never succeeded
with a can of vegetables. Hereafter dried
corn will do for this family, unless some
one who knows will tell us just how
vegetables are canned in the factories.
This summer I shall put up an extra
quantity Of string beans, dried after
cooking. They are very nice. In using
cotton to keep fruit do you use the glazed
or that which comes in rolls, and do you
try to make the jar air-tight, letting the
cotton touch the fruit, or do you allow
air between the cotton and contents of
jar?

If you do your own sewing, it is a good
plan to learn to use the chart or model
for dressmaking. Asystem easily learned,
and with it you can out almost any gar-
ment you see in fashion plates, and with
self-measurement cut and ﬁt your own
dresses. There is a diﬁiculty in ﬁtting
one’s self which I have overcome in this
wise: Fasten your corset around a pillow
and try your dress waist on over it. You
can ﬁt the seams of the waist accurately.
To arrange the skirt, stand the pillow,
with corset still on, up on a high chair,
fasten the skirt around the waist and you
can tell just how it will look. This is a
better plan than to try the skirt on your
husband, because the average man will
grow fractious if you take the amount of
time necessary to properly adjust the back
drapery.

Some time ago I bought an oil painting.
Quite likely it was in artistic phrase a
“pot boiler,” but in my untutored eyes it

was a lovely landscape. The picture
wrinkled up and drew together till it tore
away from the frame in places. Wetting
the canvas back will make it come out
straight again, but as soon as it is dry it
wrinkles. Can anything be done to it to
make it remain smooth? '

In spite of Beatrix’s hint that further
discussion of books was not a HOUSEHOLD
necessity, I want to express some literary
preferences of my own. I think “ A Tale
of Two Cities ” the very best of Dickens’,
though it is astrange story, very different
from all the others. Once “Les Miser—
ables” was my only book, and was read
and re—read. But I shall never read the
story of "Fantine and Cosette” again,
it is too dreadful. I ﬁnd it is one of the

things I worrY’about when§I lie awake 0’
nights. Very much do I like Charles
Reade. “Never too Late to Mend ” is of
especial interest, though he makes the
usualmasculine mistake of imagining he
understands feminine human nature—
much to the amusement Of his lady read-
ers, though occasionally to their indigna—
tion. It is one of my afﬂictions that I
cannot buy all the books I want, apd live
too far from public libraries to avail my—
self of them. Much as I admire George
Eliot, I have read only “Middlemaroh ”
and “Mill on the Floss,” and a stray leaf
from “Amos Barton.” But that leaf con-
tained this sentence: '

“Oh, the anguish of the thought that
we can never atone to our dead for the
stinted affection we gave them, for the
light answers we returned to their plaints
or their pleadings; for the little reverence
we showed to that sacred, human soul
that lived so close to us, and was the di—
vinest thing God had given us to know.”

HUL D AH PERKI NS.
PIONEER.

[The directions for canning corn to
which our correspondent alludes, have
been tried with success by some of the
lady readers of the HOUSEHOLD. But the
process seems unsatisfactory, in that it is
not quite certain to give good results.
We believe the failures generally are due
to insufﬁcient cooking; When corn is
packed tightly in acan, and cooked by
heat which must penetrate the mass and
expel all the air, it takes a long time to
thoroughly accomplish the work. The
method of canning is similar to that in
use at the canning factories, except
that glass cans are used instead of tin.
The machinery at the factories is of course
much more perfect than our home meth-
ods and the results more certain. One
lady who put up corn last year scalded it
-—-after it was cut from the cob-rover a
kettle of hot water, and when thoroughly
heated packed in the cans, adding a very
little boiling water if it seemed too dry,
and proceeded as per HOUSEHOLD instruc~
tions. Every can kept. We would be
glad if any of our readers who have mas—
tered this problem of canning corn and
other vegetables, would give us the bene-
ﬁt of their experiments—HOUSEHOLD ED.]

, . _.___*.._._._

NEATNESS.

 

When a young boy my mother taught
me to keep my clothes and other belong-
ings neat and clean, and always in their
proper places; and the habit grew as I
grew, till now when I am old it grieves
me to see things scattered anywhere and
anyhow, or left undone. Yet sometimes
when I have attempted to straighten
things up a little my efforts have not
seemed to please. There are some people
who appear to despise neatness, and take
no pains to keep their tools, wood, etc., in
proper places; and men will run by and
pass over an article ﬁfty times a year, and
not seem to see it or put it in its place.

If a small, poor farm and house is neat
and snug, it shows there is comfort there,
but in passing on the roads this spring I
have been surprised at the slovenly sur-

 

roundings of some of our best farm

    

homesteads. Old tin pans, pails, rubber
boots and like rubbish are thrown out into
the public road, an unpleasant sight to
every passer-by. A hole in some back
lot would have been a far better place. I
noticed some orchards, too, with more
neglect and rubbish than a grub lot.

it is always easier to preach than to
practice, but to keep things neat and in
their proper places only needs the “will
and the way,” a little bending of the
back. Some may ask “ Who wants to be
a drudge all his days i” It is very annoy-
ing to have one gathering and three 01'
four scattering on the premises; but
where the family and the hired help think
alike, it is the least trouble in the world
to keep things in order; in fact, it saves a
“heap of trouble.” ANTI~OVER.

PLAINWELL.
————<~oo——-

BROKEN.

 

Everything that is in any sense, either
direct or remote, of the earth earthy must

reak. Everything in the animal, veg-
etable and mineral kingdom, and every—
thing that the ingenuity of man can de—
vise and manufacture from the materials
they afford, SOOner or later is “broken ”
by some of the myriad means that are
constantly producing Time’s wear and
tear, and eventually our bodies them-
selves must break into minute particles
of dry and lifeless dust, since in this
form of "‘ dust ” only, does Earth consent
to take her children home.

And what is thus true of our external
life and its tangible belongings is equally
true of our spiritual life and its intangi-
ble belongings. Though in what form
the spirit is reabsorbed into the Being of
its Creator, none thus reabsorbed ever
come back to teach or tell. But our
hopes, ambitions, affections, must
“ break?” Snapped suddenly asunder by
some ﬁerce storm, some rash or cruel
hand; or in sorrow’s winepress slowly
crushed by the painful process of canker-
ing adverse friction, or as it sometimes
happens, having fully served the purpose
for which they were designed, their
guardian angel removes them from the
soul’s garden.

Then in weakness and blindness we
cry bitterly, “My house is left unto me
desolate,” and the face of our familiar
friend becomes as the face of a stranger.
Again we cry “Have pity on me, oh ye
my friends!" and the spirit of the Good
Samaritan, ever alive in the world, comes
ere long with the oil and wine of strength
and courage to cherish and cultivate with
equally prudent care, the new possession
that the angel, in her own good time, is
sure to set in the desolate place that she
has left in our soul’s fair garden ground.

In many of these possessions the
elements of our natural and Of our
spiritual life are so intimately interwoven,
that ’tis difﬁcult to deﬁne the dividing
line. Take, for instance, one into which
we have merged the very best of our
moral and mental nature, backing these
at all times by the very best of our
physical endeavor. Only those who

through much sorrow, toil and self-sacri-

 

ﬁce, have either singly or in concert with

        

  

.(‘rwu‘fvvy-‘xv; It“: .., . ya». . ,. .,

   
 

 

 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

  
 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 
  

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

  


 

THE HOUSEHOLD as

 

 

others brought such hopes, ambitions and
affections to the threshold of fruition,
can conceive anything like an adequate
idea of what it costs to summarily sur-
render all possibility of participation in
the pleasures and privileges which its
completed condition vouchsafes.

Thus it is that my work here, having
evidently fulﬁlled the intent of its design,
is become a thing of the past. As I
survey its “brokenness” and feel my
limbs all free from the chains of duty, a
ﬂood-like feeling of kinship with “The
Prisoner of Chillon ” enters my blood.

For “I, even I” regain with a sigh the
freedom that, at my mother’s death, 16
years ago, I surrendered.

This, therefore, dear friends of the
HOUSEHOLD, is my last letter to you from

my Home-in-the-Hills of Metamora, Mich.
E. L. NYE.

AN OFFER TO THE SCHOOL
CHILDREN.

 

 

Spring seems to have come to stay, but
I am doubtful. April is a ﬂattering and
“changefu ” month, and it is not best to
be in too great haste to trust our treasures
for spring planting to the tender mercies
of the elements. The ﬁrst of June is
as early as I consider safe for the setting
out of tuberoses, tigridias and like tender
bulbs; but they can be well started in the
house. Dahlias and gladiolus should be
set deep inarich bed of compost, when
the soil is warm down deep enough for
them, ten or twelve inches. Planted this
depth they multiply better, and stand
more securely, and are not as easily af—
fected by cold as with shallow planting.

As the “15 cent packets for beginners”
are in good demand, I will offer to the
puipils of any school who wish to plant in
school yards and order that collection,
six packets of seeds of best hardy peren-
nials, as a gift for the purpose. Our
editor recommended those hardy plants
for the purpose, and I fully concur in
her opinion. The beginner’s collection
consists mostly of hardy annuals that
will bloom this year, the gift seeds will
bring blooming plants for the next; and
ever after. Now, children, make it
lively this spring, and another yearI shall
have some nice hardy plants to send to
well cultivated school gardens. I can
send good fresh seed of Oobea Scandens
for ten cents, and any others desired not
named in my list in the HOUSEHOLD, 1
shall be pretty sure to have, as well as
hardy garden plants in good variety.

A good way to start cubes and canna
seed, if one has no hot bed, is to ﬁll a
glass nearly full Of good mellow soil, and
place the seed around inside near the
glass, and set on the window sash; cover
with wet ﬂannel a part of the time while
the heat is greatest, and they will soon
start. Plant the cobeas edgewise; that is
the way to plant all ﬂat seeds; it pays, if
they are ever so small, or even large ones
for the garden. I have dahlia bulbs in dark
red, yellow, white, orange red, and pale
yellow tinted with red, three for 25 cents;
of mixed unnamed colors, four for 25
cents. Choice mixed gladiolus bulbs
from named varieties, six for 50 cents;

 

in various shades of red, 50 cents per
dozen. I have many plants and seeds
not named in my offer, and can supply
almost anything desired.

MRS. M. A. FULLER.
FENTON, Genesee Co.

——-¢o.—-——

WE CHILDREN.

 

The other day, an only child asked me
why I spent time caring for plants
through the winter.

She said, “Summer is the time and
out-doors the place for green things grow-
ing.” And I asked her why we should
banish the plants. They are a reminder
of the glad summer days, and often
the sight of them takes the chill from our
hearts. But said she, “You do not get
the good of them. You keep the prettiest
side toward the window, and once in a
while you give them a holiday, then only
do we see their beauty of nothing but
leaves.”

Those words hurt my plant—loving
heart. But Itold her I was content to
work and wait. For I knew just a few
warm touches of sunshine would coax out
the bright blooms among “nothing but
leaves.” The ﬂowers did come and con—
tinue to come, cheering the dull spring
days, while we are waiting for the
awakening of outdoor plants.

She enjoyed the fragrant breath of the
heliotrope and Chinese primroses; she ad-
mired the blushing geraniums and the
delicate petals of the fuchsias. As I gave
her a bouquet of these, she said, “A
darling ﬂower bunch among the leaves.
And now I know Why youlove the plants;
for the comforting ﬂoral gifts they fur—
nish.” I did not answer, for I could not
tell her of tender recollections lingering
among the glossy leaves. How could
she love, as I, do the crooked fuchsia,
climbing up against the window panes?
“Fond memory sheds the light of other
days around it.” A dead sister’s hands
pressed the earth around the tiny shoot,
When winter came we thought we would
not keep it, but she wished it, and so it
was spared. Soon after she went away
from us. The shadow gates opened, she
passed through and beyond them, into
eternity’s light. But our sunshine grew
strangely dark, and the clouds hung
thick around us. But on the darkest
clouds the rainbow colors gleam, when
through the sparkling drops of hope, the
thrilling sunshine of Our Father comes.
Oh, what power has His sunlight of love,
to consume the cloudy Vapors rising
from the earthy soil of the heart! And
then our faith looks out, and we say, “It
is well.” She is not so far away but that
love and faith can span the distance. We
have not lost our sister, but something
we have gained.

To ﬁnd sympathy in these feelings. we
are drawn toward those who are most
truly our brothers or sisters, let their lot
be cast where it may.

But too often the only child seems like
these onesided winter-grown plants. To
be sure, there is one sided development
found. to some extent, in any family of
children. But this deformity is not as
likely to exist in a garden of ﬁnely set

 

young plants, as on the lawn, where b3—
neath the juniper and service tree grows
one white lily.

Brother and sister plants, growing in
the garden, you attract a wealth of sun-
light which cannot reach the stately lily’s
cup. Covet not her lone growth under
the juniper’s protecting boughs. Behold,
here stands your mighty oak. Its
branches are not as low bending, but you
know its sterling merits. Neither envy
the lily her muter covering of leaves
fallen from the service tree.

Ityou are all sons, or if you are all
daughters, or brothers and sisters to-
gether, growing round the parent trees,
look at your mother; she is like the
generous orange tree, bestowing her gifts
of love to each of you. Did one of you
ever wish to be an only child, the favored
lily? Did you ever sigh in selﬁsh discon—
tent, and think the home garden would
be more attractive if some of the ﬂowers
were taken to the Master’s garden? No,
you could not have wished that the dark
cypress leaves should fall among you,
and cover even one ﬂower’s face. How
lonely you would be. Though all are
different each blossom has its growth, de-
velopment, and some mission to perform.
Dear human plants, with feeling hearts,
would that no tares and seeds of discord
lay dormant in the family garden’s fruit—
ful soil, waiting for some storm Of pas--
sion to ﬂoat them to the surface,’ wnere
they will make such an ugly growth.
But do not allow this seed of the wilder-
ness to germinate. Seek Him who
"' giveth the increase” to all true and
holy growing. And ask that the rootlets
of patience be entwined so closely, that
sudden risings of temperature shall not
harm you. Letthe leaves of kind words
he to you a protecting armor. And to
crown all, see that some true thought
buds, and blossoms of noble little deeds
adorn this immortal garden. For the
like of these ﬂowers shall dress heaven’s
own 'Y'OWCI'S. M. O. SISTER.

LESLIE.

GOSSIP FROM HOWELL.

A happy thought occurred to me today
which I hasten to communicate to the
younger housekeepers; older ones need
not read it and remind me there is noth-
ing new under the sun. Having occasion
to make over an Old rag carpet, cutting it
both lengthwrse and across, it commenced
to ravel in good earnest. I picked it up
piece by piece and ran it through the
sewing machine. which fastened every
warp and made an easy job of it, besides
avoiding waste.

I was so much pleased with the article
on “Buying Books,” by Beatrix. We
must choose our reading well, and then
"digest”what we read. Otherwise we
become but mental dyspeptics, and ﬁnd
if we attempt intelligent conversation,
that our minds resemble the old garret.
We know that in the jumble of our brain
what we wish to use is stowed away in
some corner, but we can not make use of
it at the right moment. I never weary of
the poetic genius of Scott. No matter
how often I read the “ Lady of the Lake,’r

 


 

a}: . T'HE HOUSEHOLD.

 

or “Marmion,” I ﬁnd new beauties in
every canto, So with Macaulay; you
may pick up a volume of his “History of
England” and be at once interested in
the narrative whether you have read the
preceding pages or not. There is some-
thing in his style of writing so easy, yet
so grand and ﬂowing, that I think it
would be impossible to read his works
without improving one’s own conversa-
tional powers; and I think if any contribu-
tor to our little paper would read and
study‘ the ﬁrst page of the “History of
England ” we should cease commencing
our contributions with apologies, fears
.of the waste basket, &c. “ Time is too
precious.”

To return to Scott: I think every boy
should read his “Tales of a Grandfa-
ther;” he will be entertained, his stock of
knowledge increased, and he will appre-
ciate our present liberty of thought and
action, and the price at which these lib-
erties have been bought. The boy might
then take up the history of the United
States with greater proﬁt. Socrates, who
lived 390 B. C., said: “Employ your
time by improving yourself by other
men’s writings. So will you come easy
by what others have labored hard for.”

Evangeline is mistaken when she at—
tributes the beautiful lines

“0h there’s nothing on earth half so holy
As the innocent heart of a child ”

to Charles Dickens. The great novelist

‘ admired them, and has been credited with

being the author; but they were written
by a gentleman in this country, and pub
lished with other poems in asmall volume
over the signature of Charles Dickson or
Dickinson. I nave this upon the author
ity of the author himself. I agree with
Evangeline in admiration of them, and
never look at a little child asleep without
calling them to mind.

Is there any reader of the HOUSEHOLD
generous enough -to give away her copy
for October 13th, 1885? I ﬁndjon looking
mine over that I have lost that number.
Some recipes by Aunt Rusha, May 13th,

1885, are especially valuable.
MRS . W. J. G

.__..__....——_—

HOWELL.

TEE BEAUI‘Y OF FLOWERS.

 

“ Spoke full well. in language quaint and olden,
One who d\yell~3th by the castled Rhine,
When he called the 11 was, so blue and golden,
Stars, that in earth’s ﬁrmament do shine.

Stars they are. wherein we read our history;
As astrologers and seers of old; '

Yet not wrapped about with awful mystery,
Like the burning stars which they beheld.

Wondrous truths, and manifold as wondrous
God hath written in those stars above;

But not less in the bright ﬂowerets under us,
Stands the revelation of His love.”

How we long for spring to bring us
those same sweet “stars,” once more!
With what eagerness the true lover of
ﬂOWers awaits the opening of the ﬁrst
tiny buds! How any nature can be in~
different to their heavenly inﬂuence, is a
mystery past my solving; and yet there are
those who profess to have no admiration
for them whatever. I sincerely pity
those" thus constituted, for I feel that
they lose much that would otherwise
be a pleasure in life.

I want to thank Mrs. Fuller for her

 

ﬂower talks. They are always welcome
and interesting to me. and to many others
I have no doubt. She has told us how to
increase our carnations, will she now
kindly inform us how to propagate roses.
Ihad a ﬁne lot of ever-blooming roses
last season, and when I lifted them in the
fall, had a great many cuttings, none of
which I succeeded in rooting. My
method of rooting slips is to place them
in sand, keep moist, set in a warm, light
situation. I usually have very good suc-
cess. I have lost most of my roses and
carnations by the aphis; or rather, by
the treatment given to rid them of this
pest. I have ﬁnally decided that the
Persian insect powder is superior to any
thing else, as it quickly kills the insect,
and does no harm to the plant. Will
Mrs. Puller also describe the manner of
“ pegging down” referred to.

I would like to suggest to our ﬂower
lovers to grow plenty of white ﬂowers, as
they are indispensable in showing oﬂ the
colored blossoms in bouquets. Can some
one tell the cost of a small conservatory.
I enjoy all of the HOUSEHOLD corres—

pondence. Long may its visits continue.
ROSAMOND.
MARSHALL.
—-———ow—

A LITKLE GIRL’S LETTER.

 

Seeing that little girls are admitted in
the HOUSEHOLD, I thought I would come
and stand by Temperance’s side; although
I am not as old as she, I will try to do as
well. I think that I am getting the same
disease she has, for after being on my
my feet awhile my hip pains me. After
reading her letter, I just told the men
they would have to clean the cuspidor
themselves after this; and isn't it funny,
they hardly ever use it now.

Bess can ﬁnd the poem “Over the
Hills to the Posrhouse ” in Hill’s Manual
of Social and Business Forms. I hope
Beatrix will allow me to come again.

EVA.
ORANGE GROVE FARM.
* —-—«t—-—
INFORMATION WANTED.

I enjoy the HOUSEHOLD more each
week than I can tell you, and thank the
ladies for the help received. I was
pleased with E. L. Nye's talk on sweep—
ing, for that is just the way I do, take a
day for it, and if I am tired the next day.
what matter so long as I have a clean
house to rest in. Some of my friends say,
“Why, do you do so much in one day?”
Well there will always more or less dust
work from one room to another, and in
sweeping all the same day more of the
dust can be swept out and dusted out.
I manage to have plenty of cooked food
11 the house on sweeping day, so that if I
am surprised by visitors I can get din—
ner very easily.

Will some lady give a tested recipe for
hard soap?

How can I remove the coating of lime
from the inside of my teakettle?

If the correspondent who has trouble
with her cake falling, will use only half
the amount ot granulated sugar that she
would of common sugar, she will ﬁnd

 

that her cake will be plenty sweet enough
and not fall on account of the sugar.
Perhaps she slams the oven door while

baking. Mus. PEGGIE.
GRAND BLANC.

 

-——+o*—-—-——

HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

 

THE stains made upon window sills by
ﬂower pots, etc., can be removed by
scouring with ﬁne wood ashes.

 

A CORRESPONDENT of the Ohio Farmer
says those ladies who can maple sirup,
and are troubled by its crystallizing in
the bottoms of the cans, can prevent this
by placing in each can a bit of alum the
size of a pea. It does not change the
ﬂavor of the sirup, and completely pre-
vents granulation.

 

DR. R. C. KEDZIE says granulated
sugar that will not lump or cake by keep-
ing, and has a good clean white color, is
the purest sugar in market. The
presence of more than one per cent of
glucose will deprive it of the granular
form and cause it to form lumps. When
granulated sugar turns dark, or throws
up a blue scum when made into sirup, it
is due to the presence of coloring matter,
usually ultramarine, not poisonous, but
“ suspicious.”

_._..._..._.__

Contributed Recipes.

 

SEEING the remark made by Beatrix in re-
gard to the mock mince pies, which she con-
siders better in summer than the real ones, I
will send my recipe, which has, been tried sum-
mer and winter for a number of years and
gives good satisfaction always; will also send
some pudding recipes, which I know to be
good:

Moor; MINCE Pins—Four soda crackers (or
twenty common-sized round ones, which do
not soften up as quickly as the soda ones) ;
half cup butter; half cup vinegar; four cups
boiling water; two cups sugar, one cup molas-
ses; one and a half cup raisins, chopped; one
teaspoonful cloves; two teaspoonfuls cinna-
mon ; half teaspoonful nutmeg; half teaspoon
ful allspice; half teaspoonful salt; half tea-
spoonful pepper; half cup boiled cider. This
will make four pies.

INSPIRATION PUDDING .—One cup of ﬁnely
broken bread crumbs; two and a half cups of
milk; yolks of two eggs; cinnamon in plenty;
then bake slowly until done, but not till it
curdles. While hot put over it a layer of jam,
jelly or fresh fruit; beat the whites of the two
eggs with one cup sugar, pour over the
pudding, and set in the oven to brown. To be
eaten cold.

GRAHAM PUDDING.—T wo cups Graham ﬂour
unsifted; one cup sweet milk; three quarters
cup molasses; half cup raisins; one egg; salt;
one teaspoonful soda. Steam two hours. To
be eaten with any kind of sauce, or milk and
sugar.

NELL’s Carin—Half cup butter; one cup
sugar; one tablespoonful cold water. Beat to a
cream, and add four tablespoonfuls cold water;
one and a quarter cups ﬂour; three teaspoon-
fuls baking powder; whites of four eggs.
Bake in loaf or layers.

JELLY Carina—One cup sugar; two eggs;
two cups sifted ﬂour; three teaspoonfuls
baking powder ; three dessert spoonfuls melted
butter; half cup sweet milk. MRS. PEGGIE.

GRAND BLANC.

