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DETROIT, COT.

26. 1889.

 

 

THE HOUSEHOLD-"Supplement.

 

 

THE LII’I’LZ’ MIDDLE DAUGHTER.

 

The little middle daughter,
Just eight years old to-day;
Her hair is bright as sunshine,
Her look is SWeet as May,
So plump and routd and dimpled,
Pray what can grieve her now.
The little middle daughter,
For a shade is on her brow.

“ Please, would you like it. madam?”
The little maiden cries.

And something like a dew drop
Is trembling in her eyes.

-‘ To wear your sister‘s dresses,
Cut down for ﬁtting you.

While Jessie, ten, and )lillie, six
Have always something new?

“ You see, when Jessie’s gowns and capes
Are fashioned o‘er on me,
They soon wear out, 0, yes indeed,
As fast as fast can be:
And Mollie never gets them.
She’s like a fairy queen;
And Jessie‘s like another,
And I'm the one between.

"‘ I wish you’d tell my mother,
(0, not that I‘m afraid,
Except to hurt her feelings).
That her little middle maid
Would be the gladdest being:
If she might have from town,
Just once, and all hers only,
A single whole new gown.”

So, as I‘m sympathetic,
Dear mothers, heed, I pray,
The little middle daughter’s plea,
Which I send forth to-day.
So plump and round and dimpled,
So swift your will to do,
Please, when you buy the autumn things,
Just buy her one thing new.
—Harper‘s Young People.

 

COURTESY VS. SINCERITY.

 

In the HOUSEHOLD of the 12th inst.
Eunice asks this question: Is true court-
esy always consistent with perfect sincerity?
I shall take the afﬁrmative of the proposi-
tion, and depend on that little qualifying
adjective true to help me out. True
courtesy always is genuine, hence sincere
and from the heart. It is the expression in
manners of good will, of friendliness and
kind feeling toward the world at large; to
our friends it means more than this; to our
enemies somewhat less, but is even to them
indicative of self control and Christian
charity. “Courtesy,” says St. Francis,” is
one of God’s own properties. Yerily court-
esy is the sister of charity, who banishes
hatred and cherishes love.”

Many people make stncerity an excuse
for saying and thinking disagreeable and
unkind things of others, or for speaking

 

unpalatable truths personally. Is it essen—
tial that we unveil our hearts to our friends,
or give words and wings to our estimate of
them made before the rwhmgwirﬁt of our
inmost heart-s? It certainly is not neces-
sary; it is always unwise; and often cruel.
Had you ever a friend who had not some
weakness you deplored, some trait of
character you would have had amended?
Yet you loved that friend for the good
qualities he or she possessed, overlooking
those you could not admire. Before the
strict tribunal of your own consciousness
you judged—yet loved. Is there anything
inconsistent with fricndship, sincerity or
courtesy in this?

As I have said, many think that to be
sincere they must notice faults if any
exist, and who is free from blemishes? Not
infrequently these are talked over—in the
interests of sincerity?—and no mention
made of the many counterbalancing good
qualities. Is not this a meaner form of in-
sincerity, that picks ﬂaws, but forgets the
merited praise? Dr. 0. W. Holmes says:
“Don’t ﬂatter yousclf that friendsoip
authorizes you to say disagreeable things
to your intimates. On the contrary, the
nearer you come into relation with a per-
son, the more necessary do tact and court-
esy become. Except in cases of necessity,
leave your friends to learn unpleasant
truths from their enemies; they are ready
enough to tell them.”

The trouble is that we are altogether too
ready with our measuring-tapes, too
anxious to measure our neighbor’s corn in
our own bushel baskets; altogether too
quick to forget that men and women are
not all alike, like a gross of button-moulds.
Courtesy does not demand that we sit in
judgment on our friends, nor perfect sin_
cerity require us to pronounce our verdict.

I think then, that true courtesy, pro-
ceeding as it does from a kindly good will
and friendliness toward every one, is the
very essence of sincerity. But I know
very well Eunice means those people whose
courtesy is assumed, not heartfelt; whose
courteous manners cover inward dislike
and aversion, as a veneer of costly rose-
wood sometimes is made to conceal the
coarser grain of common pine—people
who do not feel the friendliness they
simulate in our presence, but speak bitter-
ly and act treacherously in our absence.
But this is a sham courtesy, insincere, to
be mistrusted. Yet, is it not better that
people should “ assume this virtue though

they have it not” than that they should
give free rein to their unkindly, hateful,

 

ill-tempered feelings? If we practice
courtesy we soon ﬁnd it has an appreciable
effect not only on our manners but also on
our minds and hearts; it makes us more
gentle, more moderate, much more con-
siderate of the rights and feelings of others.
Did you ever think what kind of a world
we would have if politeness were mt
practiced and everybody availed himself of
the privilege of saying “just what I
think? ” Your neighbor calls at an inop-
portnne moment; you greet her with, “I
wish you had stayed at home; I have no
time to spare this morning.” Somebody
begs leave to tell you: “ Of all the dis-
agreeable young ones in the world your
son Tommy is the meanest, he’s a perfect
little cur.” You love your husband dearly,
honor and esteem him, yet some day your
intimate friend cloctriﬁes you by telling
you frankly that she does not see how you
can live with such a man, that his manners
are boorish, his mind uncultivated, he is
in appearance a Caliban. that friendship
would survive the test? Half the trouble
between husband and wife begins in the
liberty each assumes in the intimacy of the
marriage relation of saying “just what- I
think ” of the other’s acts, appearance and
opinions. The alienation and unfriendly
feeling in families is often traceable to
the same want of courtesy and courteous
reserve between the members, who think
their relationship excuses uncomplimen-
tary frankness.

It is not evidence of insincerity to re.
serve our judgments and be courteous
even to those we do not wholly approve.
We need not overdo or exaggerate our
politeness, that is uncalled for; we need not
seek them or be intimate with them, but
they have a right, as fellow beings, to our
courtesy. Many a time when I have been
tempted to express an adverse opinion of
the conduct of others I have remembered
these words, " He that judgeth me is the
Lord;” and that the same unerring authori-
ty is my neighbor’s judge as well. What
right have we to judge the motives of
others? If we do not thus transcend our
bounds there are few people we will meet to
whom we may not be truly courteous with
perfect sincerity. BEATRIX.

—--QOO———-—

PHILOSOPHERS.

 

We often quote Burns, “0 wad some
power,” etc., without taking into the ac-
count just what the impression upon our
feelings might be, were ,our invocation
successful. By the candor of a valued.

 


  

    
  
  

 

THE' HOUSEHOLD.

 

friend, I have had a small experience of
this kind lately, and although not at all
unpleasant, it was a surprise. Had it been
unpleasant do you think I would have
told you about it? I wrote this friend of a
somewhat trying case of indisposition of
which I was the victim, and her note of
condolence read: “ I would Offer you
sympathy in your aﬂiiction, but you are
such a philosopher you have no need, and
would not care for it.” There, what do
you think of that? A. philosopher, I! Ah
me! I had never found out my superior at-
tainments.

But, mind the quiet sarcasm found
farther on in the same note: “ It is so
easy to treat the ills of a friend with phi-
losophy, is it not?” You may be sure, I
had tread on her pet trouble, sometime,
with the comforting aphoreims we are so
prone to use when offering consolation,
“ Whatever is, is best,” or “All will work
out for the best,” or something in that line;
and, wise little woman that she is, she has
patiently bided her time (taking the potion
offered almost too sweetly) and now, the
occasion opportune, she has “hoist me
with my own petard,” making the dose
delicately bitter by puttin; it in the form
of a compliment. Ah! woman! wonderful
are thy machinations even to sister women!
How then can lofty, stupid man be ex-
pected t) comprehend thee!

All this is but preface. Now mark what
she says: “You remind me of a lady, a
school ma’am, who fell down the steps of
the house where she had gone to spend her
vacation; the resultant consequences kept
her in doors all the weeks of her leisure;
yet when condoled with she piously re-
marked that ‘her Heavenly Father knew
what was best for her,’ ” so I supp 'se she
grew more saintly in her martyrdom. My
friend, after all this, sagely remarks: “I
hardly think a Divine Providence responsi-
ble for our carelessness. What is your
opinion.” Now after giving me such a
stab, while pretending to compliment me,
I really do wonder what kind of an
answer she expects. Well, she is too can-
did to be met in any other way than with
equal candor.

I think any one who could kick her.
self down the porch-steps, and then thank
her Father for sending afﬂiction upon her,
is a ﬁt subject for a lunatic asylum, or
altogether too good for this world—a blind
egotist or a dazed saint. I humbly hope
that the resemblance my friend sees be-
tween this person and myself is only
enough to remind her of the other; not
strong enou gh to imply that I am quite
such a philosopher.

While I believe it is well to bear life’s
ills with what ﬁrmness we may, being
especially brave to bear misfortunes of
our own manufacture, or resuls of our
own acts or omissions, I surely have an
abiding faith that while “man proposes
God disposes,” and in this view, “ What
ever is, is best.”

My friend is quite right, as she gener-
ally is, in her saying, “that it is easy to
take a friend’s troubles with philosophy.”
It is on a plane with Mark Twain’s

 

patriotism. He was willing to sacriﬁce all
his wife’s relations to preserve the Union.
Strange it is, egotism, pure selﬁshness,
will mix itself (if it be not the largest in-
gredient) in every motive of life. “How
good I am,” or “HOW good people will
think me to be,” will be found in many
motives, the mainspring of many acts ap-
parently the most disinterested and un-
selﬁsh, and may not even be suspected by
the person performing the acts. Close
analysis of motives is the most potent
factor in acquiring self-knowledge, and as
our own company must be kept, it is well
to know ourselves even better than others
know us, and as a correlative may be of
more importance than the much quoted
one of “ seeing ourse’ls as ithers see us.”

I most sincerely thank my friend for her
candor, and although on a strict account-
ing with myself I do not subscribe to a
verdict of guilty, I freely admit circum-
stantial evidence pointing that way, and
believe that the train Of thought awakened
may accrue to my personal advantage; and
thinking the “mass is composed of like
units,” I have thought out my conclusions
on paper, Offering them for the “ baptism
of print,” to the end that if any others
can see themselves in the same mirror,
they, like myself, may take lessons of im-
provement from the reﬂection.

INGLESIDE. -
-——..q_—_._

SOME PROBLEMS SOLVED.

The pail for well water upon the pantry
shelf has been a tin one these many years.
Once we tried paper but it was no good,
soon came to pieces. The tin rusted so
badly and leaked so often that it never was
satisfactory, but we could think of nothing
better. A few weeks ago when I found
the shelf ﬂooded, I poured the water into a
stone jar, pushed the jar into the pail’s
place while the pail was sent for a new
bottom. Before night the problem was
solved. A stone jar was better in every
way for holding the water and would not
rot like wood, rust like tin or dissolve like
paper. A new four gallon jar is my water
tank now; the boys ﬁll it with apail and I
marvel that I did not think of it years ago.

When I made peach jam I was alone and
could not stir it constantly, as is necessary
to keep it from burning, so I placed the
kettle on two ﬂatirons without handles
(two bricks would be better) and it cooked
all right with an occasional stir as I c ame
near the stove.

Nearly all of my housekeeping life I
have been compelled to sit much when
doing my work. When too tired to stand
a moment longer I placed a stool or some
books in a chair and rested that way, but
the trouble of getting these things together
was so great that I doubted if it helped
much. Last Christmas I received a present
of a strong high stool, an ofﬁce stool,
which cost just seventy-ﬁve cents and it
has been worth as many dollars to me. I
had the legs sawed off until it was con-
venient height (better too high than too
low), so it occupies very little space in the
pantry, and is readily moved to any place
where I wish to use it. I ﬁnd it convenient

A. L. L.

 

when I iron, wash dishes, mix bread, pare
potatoes or apples, can fruit, and have:
done my work without help when I could

not have done it standing.

Some of my windows are under a porch
where the ﬂies come in hosts to spend
nights and dull days. As I only covered
the lower half with netting, the upper half
needed washing much oftener than I had
time or strength to do it. When this
season was half over I thought of a new
plan; washed the windows and tacked
netting to the outside casing, covering the
whole window so that no ﬂy can light on
the glass, and the result is v( ry satisfactory

I greatly admire Simon’s Wife, but it
was most too bad of her to make Simon
lug that lunch basket around all day at the
Exposition. Our folks, too, started at
three after a breakfast of bread, butter,
hot potatoes and coffee. They carried a
pasteboard box ﬁlled with fried chicken,
bread and butter, cheese and grapes. This
they emptied and threw away soon after
entering the grounds. When too tired to.
see one thing more they went to the city
and found a good plain warm dinner for
thirty cents at a restaurant, that lasted
them until they reached home, which was
surely better than carrying a basket all day.

Now, I wonder when and where we are
to enjoy the society Of our friends. There
is very little real visiting about a formal
dinner or party if everything is in spick-
and—span order. Since reading Minnie
Whiting’s comments on a chance dinner I
shall never dare to invite her or any other
acquaintance if everything is not up to
company standard, no matter how much I
long for a sight of her face, or for an hour-
of her society. I wonder there happened
to be either pie or cake for dinner that day,
but I know better now, and if it rains and
her home be twenty miles away I shall not
invite her in if there is a ﬂy in the house.

Now that Bruneﬁlle has told her story I
am resolved never to call on my neighbor
over the way unless I have to go after-
toothache medicine and then I will stand
on the steps while she gets it, for fear I
may tell too long a story. I see I must
stay at home alone and write letters to the
HOUSEHOLD.

If Alzaida will have her dry cans quite-
hot when she puts on the rubber and cover,
her way will be my way, and I am sure it
is a good way. AUNT BESSIE.

 

WHAT SHALL WE TALK ABOUT;

Bruneﬁlle’s morning caller and her con-
versation have served to intensify a desire:
I have for some time had of introducing a
subject into the HOUSEHOLD, namely, the
art of conversation, hoping from its dis»
cussion to obtain help. If it is an art it
can certainly be taught. What may we
talk about? To talk about one’s own
affairs is uninteresting and tiresome to the;
listener, to talk uninvited about the affairs
of your listeners is prying. and may be
met with “mind your own business;” to
talk about your neighbor’s affairs is gossip;
to continually talk about the weather is-
stupid; but few have leisure to read all the-

  

    
  
    
   
  
 
   
   
     
   
  
   
  
  
   
     
  
    
 
 
  
   
  
   
   
   
  
  
 
   
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
   
 
   
   
 
 
   
  
 
   
   
   
  
    
  
   
  
   
  

 


 

THE HOUSEHOLD.

3'?

 

latest novels to be able to talk about them;
fewer still can talk intelligently about the
authors of other centuries.

What I want most is instruction that will
enable me to converse with and entertain
alike the children and Older people, the
bookworm and the politician, the woman
who washes for me, and my city cousin.
In fact, I want to know how to talk in any
and all society.

By the way, this is the one reason
I have never called on Beatrix. I would
think Now I will go, but when about
so near there would loom up before
me an awkward woman standing ﬁrst
on one foot then the other, not know-
ing what to do or say; and this picture
of myself always turned me back. You
see I am sadly in need of help. Will
not some of the HOUSEHOLD writers give
us their ideas upon the subject of conver-
sation? One lady gave me this sensible
advice: “ To converse well you must al-
ways be dressed well.” I know the reverse
is true; to be in an assemblage and feel that
your dress attracts attention because ancient
in style makes one so ill at ease that to
appear natural or converse intelligently is
next to impossible. TO be continually con-
scious of self in all that we do or say is the
one great detriment. Where is the power
by which we may overcome? I have
learned from the HOUSEHOLD many useful
things and hope to learn how to converse.

J ANNE I‘TE.

_—_—...——

CULTURE OF C HRYSAN THEMUMS.

 

It would be well to know the treatment
plants or bulbs have received previous to
their decided failure in health, although I
surmise our Maybelle has a pot-bound set
of chrysanthemums on hand at present,
with perhaps a dozen or more stalks to
each. I fear they will not give her bloom
this season, but if she knows them to be
of good varieties, set them in the cellar
for the winter and in spring proceed in this
manner: The last of April or ﬁrst of May
turn them out of the pots, ﬁll the requisite
number of six-inch pots with rich earth
and plant one, not more than two, sprouts
with a triﬂe of root attached from each Old
plant in those pots; water and set in the
shade until started in growth, pinching in
the tops and side shoots if not in good form.
Most varieties can be made as well formed
as you please, especially the Pompous. I
have had them like miniature trees. When
the pots are nearly ﬁlled with roots shift
into larger ones, and again if necessary,
bearing in mind the fact that they require
rich and abundant fare, plenty of water,
and a cool, moist place to stand. I think
the place most suitable for them is where
they get the morning sun, but not the ﬁerce
noonday heat Of summer. Such a situa-
tion, with attention to potting and prun-
ing, and treats of liquid fertilizers, will
achieve wonders of beauty to bless you
when all out door verdure and bloom are
gone. I have often had the ﬂowers for
Christmas by keeping them out of doors as
long as possible to retard the bursting of
buds; and then when the cold weather
made it necessary to house them, giving

 

them cool quarters yet a while longer, ad-
mi'ting warmth gradually, they ﬂower
beautifully. By cutting the blossoms when
they begin to fade and placing in water,
their stay may be still further lengthened.

When the treatment of chrysanthemums
is well understood, it is very simple; you
see there is no reason why any one should
not possess these glorious ﬂowers. Five
plants may be raised early from a tiny slip
in spring with a certainty of reward—if
well treated. I forgot to say, do not prune
after the ﬁrst of August, as buds even
then begin to form. Small fruit cans
punctured for drainage will do for begin-
ning, and paint kegs or boxes for last trans-
fer of plants, so you see how accommodat-
ing a plant it is; only feed it well and give
fresh air and it will surely ﬂourish.

One of our HOUSEHOLD friends sent me
a specimen leaf of a Japan lily which
showed disease, indicated by a brown,
rusty appearance, but I think not the
work of insects. I would advise removing
the bulb and placing in a dish of dry sand,
then on a shelf in the cellar until spring;
plant in rich sandy garden soil, in a pot or
box for veranda adornment, and I trust
the difﬁculty may be overcome; any cf the
Japan lilies are ﬁne for this purpose.

I am very glad to be remembered by E.
L. Nye, and my ﬂowers also which are
still in fragrant bloom. Honor Glint has
proved the past season that a city yard may
produce wonders in the way of a ﬂower
garden. I think the HOUSEHOLD has been
very interesting this year, all through; I
only regret not doing more myself.

FEN'rox. MRS. M. A. FULLER.

 

OTHER PEOPLE’S FAILINGS.

 

In reply to Anna, of Hopkins, I answer
Yes, I do make them welcome. 1 do not
know that there is anything criminal or
wicked between the parties; they are, or
have been, very nice people, and I have no
reason to think they are anything different
now (except the talk). Anna, we are “ all
poor fallible creatures;” we are none of
us so wise as to never do a foolish thing,
it may be something different from the
above, but something we wish. in after
days, we had done differently. One of the
things I continually repeat to myself when
disposed to notice others’ faults, is “If
Others can put up with my faults, I will
with theirs;” I have no right in justice, to
believe any stories I hear which are de-
trimental to my neighbor until there is
good evidence that they are true. Christ
said “ Let him that is without sin cast the
ﬁrst stone;” and the accusers slunk away
one by one; also; “ Charity suffereth long
and is kind; charity covereth a multitude of
sins.” DO you not think innocent persons
are many times slandered? Supposing
every one of their friends turned the cold
shoulder to them, what might be the con-
sequences, especially if they were young?
This is a too painful side of the picture to
contemplate!

Teach the young daughters the beauty
of truth and purity, from their earliest
youth up. Show them how much more
those are loved and respected who have

I

always kept themselves above suspicion; 2
and there will be no danger in meeting
people who are talked about. I Often
think children’s instincts are keener in de- .
tecting the true and the false, than older ‘
persons. None of us can prevent our
daughters from meeting all kinds of pcO- ‘
ple sooner or later in this world; nor pre-
vent their hearing many things which.
would grieve the mother’s heart to-know ,
of. The only thing the mother can do is;
to give them the inheritance of a clean,
pure mind, and teach them to love truth
and purity for its own sake; and as far as ,
human wisdom is capable of judging they
will be sure to choose that kind Of asso--
ciates.

Let me say to any mother, in your
anxiety to impress your daughter's mind '
with your horror Of wrong doing, do not:
above all, make her fear to come to you:
with anything which is of importance"
enough to her to think about. If all.)
mothers understood the advantage it gave'
them to have the full conﬁdence of their '
daughters, it would be a blessed thing for =
both. If every person, male or female,
had some business, work, or study, that ~‘
engrossed the largest part of their time,
there would be nO time for “ platonic'
friendships.”

The crying need of the day is, give the
young people the education of some kind'
Of business, something in which they are;
interested, the performing of which will.
bring a desirable reward; this is one Of the
surest ways Of keeping them out of the
way of temptation, and giving them clear
healthy minds and good judgment, minds .
that can contemplate something of more:
importance than bleaching the hair, con- .
spicuous dress and beaux.

What have girls or women tO think about}
if they were never taught to do any use~
ful work, and necessity never compelled
them to learn? There are many such in;
all towns of any size; women who cannot -
interest themselves in reading anything but.
the most sensational novels, and they, like
confectionary soon pall upon the taste;
then what? Nothing but dress, company"
and ﬂirting. If they get a little farther into -
the rapids than is perfectly safe, is it to be
wondered at that a few go over the pre- -
cipice? I wonder that so many are strong,"
enough to regain the shore.

Aunt Maggie, come again when you get.‘
rested; there is no place like our bright:
cheery HOUSEHOLD for driving away dull"
care; and you can see b y many HOUSEHOLD 1'
letters that you are only one of the large
majority of women who work very hard
and do not have all Of this world’s goods
or pleasures they would like; but “ live-in ..
hopes Of a better day a-coming.”

010. S. Pin, thank you for being so kind .
as to forgive, even an unrepenting one-
You know there are exceptions to all rules; .,

no doubt your pathmaster is one of the-—
exceptions; but you did not guess right-
about the new carriage. POLLY.

———-eoo——-—-

M. E. H. asks a correction of Keturah’s‘>
statement that she is president of the-r
“Gleaners.” She occupies the secretary’s}

 

chair.

 


 

 

4:

T'HE HOUSEHOLD.

 

 

FROM ANOTHER FARMER’S WIFE.

 

I have long wished to be one of the
members of the HOUSEHOLD, and have
wanted to say something nearly every week
after receiving and reading the contents
of this valuable little sheet, but I am one
of the farmers’ Wives and have had an
average of three or four farm hands every
day all summer, besides carpenters and
masons and painters to wait on, for we are
building a house also, and aside from this I
have done odd jobs of dressmaking When-
ever I could possibly ﬁnd time, for the
sake of obtaining a little money that I could
really ctll my own, and spend as I pleased
for real necessities in the family wardrobe.
This, with my children to take care of, has
kept me very busy, as I cannot turn off
work as Evangeline did in her week’s pro-
gramme. I must say that “ Simon’s Wife ”
did me more good and gave me more en-
couragement in telling of her trials and ex-
periences, which have so often been nearly
like my OWn, than did Evangeline, who
made work and everything that was nec-
essary to be done slip by as though she
were a fairy and lived in fairy land. It
made me feel that if any woman could ac-
complish so muchImust be worse than
useless.

I am with Minnie \Vhiting on the oilcloth
question; I would rather see a clean oil-
cloth than a very dirty tablecloth. I think
Bluebelle is sensible in her talk on to-
bacco. The use of tobacco in any form to
my mind is not only useless but degrading
and wicked (unless it be used to destroy
moths or kill lice on stock). It is useless
because it does no one any good, and it is
degrading and wicked because it is ﬁlthy
and dulls the intellect, and is a sure and
deadly poison to the system. It may not
cause the immediate misery that whiskey
does, but it is as surely a poison although
slower in effect. How many married men
are there with families of little children
who spend too much of their wages for
this werthless stuff just to satisfy a de
praved appetite, while their poor wives and
children do not have the food that their
systems require, nor clothing enough to
keep them warm! I am happy to say that
my husband has neither the whiskey or to-
bacco habit, which is something to be
thankful for. I am greatly interested in
the letters in the HOUSEHOLD, and look

forward very eagerly each week for the

arrival of the FARMER. If this chances to

get into print maybe I will write again.
EATON. MAT I‘IE.

——.¢.-——-—

THE LIBRARY.

Thanks to Ella R. Wood. I suppose
the business is carried on by a board
chosen for that purpose, as in all societies.
I would like to know how many constitute
.a board in her L. L. A. and what are the
different Ofﬁcers. I would like ever so
much to see a copy of their constitution and
by-laws, but only to gratify my own
curiosity, as I suppose our constitution has
been recorded (with the name of the
founders attached) some time ago, as
agreed upon at the annual meeting. She
says much random talk is indulged in.

 

Yes; random talking and doing is the rock
on which our L. A. split.

Our library abounds largely in works of
ﬁction, as I think all libraries do. Stories
are in the papers, cheap novels are in every
newsroom, and book store, no one need
look in vain for that style Of reading,
which I for one do not fancy very much,
but always turn to the FARMER HOUSE-
HOLD as something real and true, a minia-
ture library in itself, minus the works of
ﬁction.

Dear ladies of the HOUSEHOLD, pray let
us conﬁne ourselves strictly to facts, al-
though less entertaining. and not per-
sonate two individuals at one and the
same time. Bess.

PLAINWELL.
”M—

SNIPPINGS.

 

Why doesn't some one tell Silver Bell to
ho‘d her hands over burning sulphur to
remove the fruit stains; or dampen the
hands, then hold them around a lighted
match?

Do men always start the scandalou s
stories? I think if we would pay less at-
tention to so many “ I only tell you” peo-
ple there would be less trouble for us all.
I ﬁnd there is usually some one ina neigh-
borhood who likes to be the ﬁrst to start a
piece of news and commences by saying
“ they say” so and so, but never tells who
“they ” are.

I would like to be introduced to Simon
and wife; is Mrs. Simon an old contributor
or was the “Cloudy Week” her maiden
speech? Huldah Perkins, did that tallow
kill or cure? Now what a chance for E. L.
Nye to kindly insist that she would not
spend the Sabbath in pleasure seeking!
I spent one day at the Detroit Exposition,
I wanted to call on our Editor Beatrix, but
husband said “ No, what would she care
about seeing you,” and as he so very sel-
dom says me hey, I thought “ I will give
in this time.

I can hardly agree with Beatrix that we
can always tell a gentleman by his lifting
his hat, for I have known true gentlemen
who seldom lift the hat. What a difference
there is between a lover and a husband!
Did you ever notice how the lover would
carry the parasol, package or fan, and help
you in or out of the buggy so handy, open
the gate for you to pass, in fact so many
little things that we women notice, and
then the husband—come woman, climb in
in or out the best way you can. I am not
writing from experience, but what I have
seen. I have one of the best husbands a
woman ever had. but then he has not got

over being the lover yet, for I have not had
him quite three years—hope he never will.

Will Beatrix tell us how to make our
afternoon aprons, our white ones you
know; should they be short or long, full or
scant, big or little?

Will some one send a recipe for a good
lemon pie?

Oh dear, there is that great hungry scrap
basket waiting for this. SNIP.

OXFORD.

 

Do not use patent shoe dressings until
you are compelled to do so by the increas-
ing shabbiness of the leather. Once begun,
their use must be continued.

 

J

HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

THE very best cure for corns is said to be
equal parts of carbolic acid and glycerine,
applied to the corn every night with a
camel’s hair brush, after bathing the feet.
It must be patiently continued until a cure
is effected.

 

A CHEAP but convenient and pretty
paper holder is made as follows: Take a
round stick about the size of a broom
handle, and two feet long. Screw into
each end a pisture knob, and gild them
if desired, or stain them with any pretty
stain, as this is now so popular. Suspend
it by tying. two or three pretty colored
narrow ribbons, of a contrasting color, to
the knobs, and fastening each end with
dainty little bows. A brass chain may be
used instead of the ribbons, and will be
stronger. Hang the papers over this in
regular order, with the dates outside.

THE old sofa or lounge is, in many com-
monly used rooms, anything but a re-
spectable looking piece of furniture, what-
ever may be its convenience and comfort.
Buy a piece of bright colored, striped ten
nis cloth, twice the length of the lounge,
allowing enough to hang over the ends.
Divide one breadth, and seam it on each
side of the other, and either hem the ends
neatly or ﬁnsh them with a deep fringe of
the predominating color of the cloth. A
covering of cream and blue colors is pretty
with a cream fringe of seine twine sewed
on with a long, loose over and over stitch;
or fringe knotted in the usual way may be
used with good effect. If the sofa has a
back, make the cover plain and straight as
before, and drape it plain over the back,
with only a pleat or two near the top of
each end, and one in the middle if desired.
Fold a crease where the front and back
meet, and tuck it in. If the seat is sep-
arate from the back, tie it on with tapes.

 

DILL says she had heard, long ago, of
burying cream and making butter, but not
for table use. The product is a sovereign
remedy for burns.

____«.__..

As pretty and withal as simple a lamp
shade as can be made is to cover a plain
yellow porcelain shade aicha deep ﬂoun:e
of gathered lace. Around the top tie a
scarf made of a half width of yellow surab,
with sewing silk fringe across the ends.
Tie this in a generous bow, letting the ends
fall over the lace.

__...___._

Contributed Recipes.

PICKLED Gammon—Shred or chop a me-
dium sized head (red cabbage is nice),
sprinkle with salt; let stand four days; drain
well and put into a stone jar and cover with
good cider vinegar, in which has been steeped
a tablespoontul each of black pepper, mus-
tard and cloves. Pour on while hot and cover
closely.

PICKLE FOR Hans on PORK.—-F0r two hun-
dred pounds of meat, two quarts rock salt;

one pound of com. mon coarse salt: two ounce s

sultpeter, and two pounds brown sugar. Boil.

skim and cool. Use water sufﬁcient to cover

the meat. DILL.
FEM on.

 

