
  

~ ‘
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DETROIT, NOV. 25, 1890.

 

 

THE HOUSEHOLD-"Supplement.

 

 

BABY'S REPLY.

 

Only a baby!
What should I be?
Lots 0‘ big folks
Been little like me.

Ain‘t clot any hair!
'35 i have, too;

S’pos‘n I hadn‘t.
Dess it tood drow.

Not any teeth!
Wouldn‘thave one;

Don't dit my dinner
Gnawin' a bone.

What am I here for?
At‘s pretty mean;

Who‘s dot a better right,
"1‘ ever you’ve seen?

What 'm I here for?
Did you say?

Ever so many sings.
Ebery day.

’Tourse I squall sometimes.
Sometimes i bawl;

Zey dassn‘t spank me,
‘Tans I'm so small.

Only a baby!
'Es, sir, ‘at‘s so;
’1‘? if you only tood,
You‘d be one. too.

‘At‘s all I‘ve to say,
You're mos’ too old :

Dess l’il dit into bed,
Toss dittin' told.

——-———.5.__—_

LACK OF APPRECIATION.

 

As a rule I have little sympathy for pea.
'ple who go through life mourning because
they are not “ appreciated.” There may
be instances where poverty casts a cloud
that cannot well be dispelled, or being
“unequally yoked ” with an uncongenial
companion has an inﬂuence that tends to
break one’s spirit and persons are not what
might have been; but commonly we get
credit for all the good we do and some-
times the world gives greater measure
than we really deserve.

Not long since a lady of wealth and
leisure said: “ I know very Well that the
people of R— do not like me.” It was
true and I almost felt like telling her that
the fault was all her own, for many a poor
mechanic’s wife is held in greater esteem
and could give her “ points ” about which
she has never thought. She has almost
unbounded wealth, ahusband who will do
anything that gives pleasure, servants to do
her bidding, and a beautiful home while
.“spending much time in travel, yet she is
unhappy because no one likes her; but
with all these helps at her command she
never tries to associate with others only in

 

a lofty, patronizing way; she takes no in
terest in society, in charity, or in any of
the hundred ways that she might do good
until people would rise up and call her
blessed. I think she is fully appreciated.
When one has never lifted a hand to do a
thing for which she might be thanked
why should any one thank her or bow
down to her? Simply because people have
money, if they use it only for personal en-
joyment, is no reason for promiscuous ad-
miration. One can - do so much with a
kind word and a smile, and what grand
possibilities lie behind these in a well ﬁlled
purse? We are rushing through life at
such a rate of speed, crowding the days
and nights so full of going and doing, that
a woman of leisure is rarely met; but how
much can be accomplished by one whose
time is her own to use as she chooses?

For years [have remembered with much
gratitude the gift or an hour’s time by a
strange lady whom I shall never meet again
but whose kindness I can never forget. I
was waiting at a lonely depot in Saginaw,
under circumstances that were peculiarly
depressing, and this bright young music
teacher came to the train to meet a friend
but was disappointed, and we somehow
commetced a conversation which resulted
in her saying that she really had nothing
to do just then, and while I was waiting
she would take me. to see some of the ﬁne
residences and grounds not far distant.
How much she helped and comforted me,
only those who have been in deep trouble
could understand; but I have often thought
if some spare hours of our lives could be
devoted to such kindly deeds we might
be unwittingly surrounded by a halo of
glory, for it helps the giver as well as the
receiver; and surely the angels may look
down approvingly on such an act even
though her gift was but alittle time—~so
cheerfully spent that she really seemed to
consider it a pleasure, and although I know

'r = . no.3} , _
nothing of her life I no not Omit .e tut : one thing in common wrth Hamlet, they

she ever has occasion to mourn over lack
of appreciation.

Then these people who are not appre-
ciated are just the ours ‘9; ho do not ap-
preciate anything in others. Their to N11 is
always “so dull,” “nothing going on”
when others ﬁnd the churches with their
many charities and societies, the literary
clubs, the large and small dinners and teas,
with the receiving and returning calls
enough to more tlan occupy their time for
such things; and when persons are heard
complaining that the place is ,“dead,” it
can be safely written down that they never

u-»—

 

 

exerted themselves to help to keep the
breath of life in it. Some people think it
is the duty of some one else to amuse and
entertain them all through life, and such
usually have a sorry time of it. Standing
in front of the main Exposition building I
heard a ﬁne lady say: “ Well, if the
World‘s Fair is as big a sell as this is, I
don’t want to go." I wondered if she ex-
pected to “ have the earth ” for ﬁfty cents.

Romeo. EL. SEE.
_._—__..~...___

EXPERIENCES AS A. COUNTRY
SCHOOL MA'AM.

, For two months Iihave been struggling
to apply the theory of grading country
schools to one particular school, and now
that I seem to have gained a certain de-
gree of sucqess I feel like proclaiming the
fact to all those who have looked doubt—
tully upon the plan.

Never shall I forget the agony of the
ﬁrst week. Brought face to face with
ignorance which I had never dreamed
existed in this age of the world within
three miles of a city, I did not know what
to teach my pupils ﬁrst, and tried to teach
them everything at once, to my own dis-
couragement and the utter bewilderment
of the pupils. Most of the classes had
been through their books, or nearly so, but
two months’ vacation had evidently caused
them to forget all that they had learned.
The class in civil government never heard
of Congress, and had a vague idea that
Harrison was governor of Michigan. With
anything but joy I recognized some of the
books which were in use when I went to a
district school ten years ago, and which
were even then considered antiquated.
“Sandcrs’ Union Readers” recalled to
mind an old white school house and the
sound of voices droning out “The Dead
Child’s Ford” or “The Soldier‘s Re-
prieve.” None of my pupils had ever
heard of Shakespeare, but they all have

read “words, words, words.” If at the
end of the year they are convinced that
sealing means something mzre than pro-
nouncing words, I shall feel that one good
Work has been accwnplished. I tried the
seventh grade with the “ Legend of Sleepy
Hollow,” but shall not repeat the experi-
ment for some time for fear of being
haunted by the ghost of lrving as punish-

; ment for allowir g his stories to be read as

if they were funeral orations. Then I
tried “Young Lochinvar,” but that was
even Worse; it might. have been a Gospel
hymn for all the life that was put in it.

  


 
   
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
   
   
   
  
  
  
  
  
   
  
    
  
  
  
 
  
   
 
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
 
   
  
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
  
 
 

  

...‘,.,‘.......,n,~.swv., ... ., ‘

 

 

 

THE HOUSEHOLD.

 

Lg

 

But I mean that when I leave them they
shall at least have heard the names of‘
some of the best authors; once or twice al-
ready I have been encouraged by the re-
mark, “ I saw a piece in the paper about
that writer—or book—you told us of.”

The ﬁrst thing to be done was to ﬁnd out
in which grade each pupil had most of his
or her studies, and then work from that
standpoint. This was a work of time; for
there was no record of standing or ability
of any pupil, and i had to ﬁnd it all out for
myself. This is without doubt the hardest
year; the schools can no longer be carried
on in the old ruts, and they have not yet.
been lifted out and set on the new track.
It takes a vast amount of pushing, pulling
and lifting, but the result will be an ample
reward for the effort. There has been very
little opposition to the grading. The chil-
dren like it, and are as proud of “ their
class ” as any High School senior. “ Stand-
ing ” and “ passing ” were unknown terms
at ﬁrst, but now the eager question, “ Did
I pass” is the ﬁrst thing heard after an
examination. The parents, with one ex-
ception, have bought the books required
and have made no opposition to the chil-

dren’s taking up the studies in the proper
grade. The one exception was a woman
who could see no sense in bringing “new
fangled city notions” into the country.
She “ never studied no grammar and
guessed her daughter wasn’t obleeged to.”
I was quite certain that she .spoke the
truth about herself, but differed with her
in regard to her daughter, who entered the
grammer class next day after the inter-
view and is making good progress. The
expense of a graded school is no greater
than of an upgraded one, for although the
new readers, histories, and grammars are
a great help, they were not absolutely
essential.
The greatest drawback to success is the
habit of keeping the older pupils home
until the fall work is done. Just as I
get a class fairly organized and in good
working order, one or two new pupils
come in and the drill has to be begun all
over again. Those who have been there
from the ﬁrst understand how they are to
recite and that I do not feel obliged to
follow the exact order of the book in ask-
'ing questions, but it is not at all unusual
for a new-comer to raise his hand and say,
“Our lesson begins at such and such a
place,” when I state a question in a slight-
ly different form from that found in the
book. Achild who could answer glibly
the question in her geography: " What are
the political divisions?” was completely
at a loss to know what was actually meant
by political divisions. The answer which
was ﬁnally obtained was: “ Political
divisions are those in which the govern—
ment has no control whatever over the
people.” Yet sarcasm is unknown in the
school!

I had always supposed that the reputed
answers of children in the newspapers were
manufactured by the editor of the funny
column; but after being told that London
is a great kingdom, and Michigan a repub-
lic, and that Easter commorates the dis-
covery of America, anything is credible.

  

I have spent fully half the time so far try-
ing toteach things which children ought
to know by instinct, such as the use of the
capital “ I ” and the way to begin a letter.
They all had an insane idea that the head-
ing should be crowded in'o theleft hand
corner of the paper as near the top as
possible, and that the only way to begin is:
“ I thought I would write you a few lines
to let you know, etc.

It will take more than one year to get
the schools into order so that they can fol-
low closelythe prescribed course of study;
but I am convinced time and patient effort
are all that are required to bring success.
Pour HURON. E. C.

AN 'EARNEST PLEA FOR DRESS

REFORM.
. Dear Mrs. Beatrix, I have just this minute
read your wholesale denunciation of dress
re form in general and Mrs. J enness-Miller
in particular, and although I amastranger
to the HOUSEHOLD, Iam impelled to knock
for admittance on the ground that Ido not
agree with you and that both sides should
be heard.

In the ﬁrst place, I will oﬂset my opinion
against your own as to the manner of
woman’s “ parting her name.” I like Mrs.
Jenness-Miller’s way very much. It is not
a question of whether one’s husband’s
name is ” good enough;” it is a question
of a woman’s retaining something of her
maiden identity and maintaining an indivi-
duality of her own after marriage. It
seems strange to me that any woman is
willing to relinquish every vestige of her
own name at marriage and henceforth be
known socially only as, for example, Mrs.
John Jones; legally, of course, she is al-
ways Mrs. Susan, not Mrs. John. It is, I
suppose, a matter of education. Boys are
en couraged to take a pride in the perpetua-
tion of their name; girls, in the title Mrs.
Second. Be Mrs. Jenness-Miller’s reform
movement a ” scheme” or not, thousands
of American women rejoice to day in a
healthful and comfortable mode of dress
who, but for her lectures, magazines and
patterns would still have been wearing
the old style, separate undergarments, the
corset and a back-breaking weight of pet-
ticoats. Whether the ideas are original
with her or not, I do not care; they have
come as a blessed revelation to many
women, and I am one of tr e many. That
woman could be well dressed and not look
noticeably different from other women, in
a wardrobe comprising but four garments,
was an idea which I was willing to inves.
tigate, and which I did investigate with a
result so satisfactory that I rejoice to day
in an outﬁt which, in but three separate
articles, combines perfect ease, suﬁicient
warmth, delightful freedom, and an out-
ward appearance that is becoming, fashion-
able, and not the least conspicuous.

I wore the “ chemilettc” or “chemiloon”
for years and found it a very comfortable
garment. Many of my friends have done
the same with as perfect satisfaction.
However, I have dropped it from my ward~
robe on the ground that it is one more

 

garment than needed. The knit combina-

tion undersuit, reaching to wrists and!
ankles, and adapted to the season in weight
and ~material, a pair of plain ﬂannel or‘
cloth leglets in winter, or better still, a pair
of the Jenness-Miller knit wool divided
skirts, and in summer the Turkish leglets» '
of silk or cashmere, and the dress in one
piece, this comprises the robe, and I hold
that any woman, he she fat, plump, angu-
lar or thin, can dress becomingly and-
fashionably in these garments, with per-
haps in addition the bust support for the
former, and the bust forms for thelatter.

The princess foundation does not nec—
essarily imply a plain, undraped dress. It
can be plainly or elaborately draped, to
suit taste, ﬁgure or fashion, it may be
made with a basque or a polonaise effect,
and one would never suspect the princess-
foundation. The prinress foundation is.
not absolutely necessary. The same, or
a similar result, can be obtained by sewing
the skirt band securely to basque or
polonaise at every waist seam.

I ﬁnd the leglets, both the Turkish and
the plain ones very comfortable, not the-
least bit “awkward or unmanageable " at
any time, not abit “ exasperating in going
down stairs, . or on the street in wet
weather,” in fact, I don’t think anything
about them any more than the eupeptic
does about his stomach-ache, unless by
comparison with the inconvenience and
discomfort which I formerly experienced
with skirts.

It is of course necessary, or at least ad~
visable for one who adopts the above
described mode of dress to select those
styles which by their make obviate the
need of a petticoat to conform with fash-
ionable appearance. The long front.
drapery is very desirable on this account.
Where one is unfortunate enough to have
chosen a style which seems, by its plainness,
to require something underneath in way of
a petticoat, to look right, a few breadths
of some material (in my own case I have
used the draperies of an old dress) can be
sewed on just below the waist line on the
under side, thus adding but little to the
weight of the dress and having all the
effect of a petticoat. This, however, is.
all unnecessary if a wise choice has been
made in style of making a dress.

In the evolution of things a more health-
in], sensible, and becoming dress is being'
evolved for women generally. Improve-
ments, marked and admirable, are surely
being inaugurated in this year of grace,
1890. The long skirts which are such an
inconvenience, except for indoor indolence
are receiving the condemnation they de-
serve in popular periodicals, and recent
fashion magazines are out with cuts of‘
skirts about misses lengths, for women’s.
walking and working costumes, and this is
a beginning of something like common-
sense in length of skirts. A few years ago-
it was the fashion, as Beatrix admits, for
women to trail a foot or two of the length
of their dress in the dust of the streets,
an abominable fashion, but scarcely more
so than the present slovenly one which
means ruination to the bottom of a dress

 

skirt when the rest of the dress is still as

 

 


 

 

THE HOUSEHOLD.

    

3

 

good as new, for, with every step the
average dress scrapes the walk at the back,
and if the walk be wet and muddy so
much the worse for dress and wearer, for
the former will not escape any way, and
the latter is uncomfortably conscious of
the work of ruin and is striving to avert it,
in a measure, by lifting it here and there,
a pitiable picture of the slavery of custom.
I have taken no “ Rip Van Winkle nap.”
I have merely told what Ihave experienced
and what I see every day on our streets,
and what any one else can see on the streets
of any city or town in Michigan. I stand
somewhat in awe of the relentless and sar-
castic pen of Beatrix, but will venture to
run the gauntlet of her wrath and write
still farther of the exasperation of climb-
ing stairs, perhaps with hands full, and
feet laboring dexterously to avoid that in-
evitable front breadth which will persis-
tently become entangled despite mad ef-
forts to step wide of it, the adjustment of
the armful so as to clutch the enemy, the
ﬁnal tumble~up-stumble-upanysway-to-
get-up, and the mental state thereby su per-
induced, it all deﬁes description. Not a
man living would endure the slavery for a
day, and yet the time was when men wore
these same nonsensical long skirts, but
once out of them into the birthright of
physical freedom. no earthly power could
harness them again. But the world moves,
even woman’s fashionable world, and cus-
tom and sense will go more and more to-
' gather as time rolls on.

CnaaLorra. BELLE M. PERRY.

——...—___

THANKSGIVING THEN AND NOW.

[Paper read before Lenawee Co. Horticultural
Society Nov. 13,1690, by Mrs. M. W. Ramsdell,
of Cadmus.]

“Thanksgiving Then and Now,” was
the subject gi yen me for this paper,
chosen on account of the near approach of
our annual Thanksgiving Day. The last
Thursday in November has become ﬁrmly
established as one of the three national
festivals of America. The birth of Wash-
ington, which brings before all minds the
example of the patriot hero and Christian
man; Independence Day, which reminds us
of the principles on which our government
was founded; and Thanksgiving Day,
which lifts our hearts to Heaven in grate-
ful devotion, and knits them together in
bonds of social aﬁection—are three an-~
niversaries such as no other prople have
the good fortune to enjoy. We fervently
trust that so long as the nation endures
these three festivals will continue to be ob-
served with an ever deepening sense of their
beauty and value. Thanksgiving betrays
by its very name its pious origin, an origin
unmixed with prior traditions. Coming
as it does in the late November, after the
beauty and glory of summer have gone, as
if to resist the bitterness and sadness of
the failing year, it is the most genial and
kindly of all our festivals. It is pure-y a

Puritan festival of rejoicing, and has be-
come an annual social feature in every
American home.

In'the year 1863 President Lincoln issued
a proclamation appointing the last Thurs
day in November as a day of national

 

thanksgiving, but at that time and also the
following year, the States in rebellion
could not be inﬂuenced to join, so the fes-
tival was necessarily incomplete; but from
that date the President’s Voice can reach
all American citizens. And since then the
last Thursdayin November has been known
over the world as the American Thanks-
giving D ty. Never since the night when
the angels shouted their tidings of great
joy over J udea, has any nation on earth
had such a glorious opportunity of echoing
back to Heaven their songs of joy and
thanksgiving, for such blessings of peace
and good will as the American people have
now before them. And when on Thanks

giving Day, throughout the length and
breadth of our land our Christian temples

of worship are crowded, and from every
altar goes up the sacriﬁce of faith and love,
and prayer and praise to the only living
and true God, and from every choir shall
be chanted glory to God in the highest, on
earth peace and good will to ward men.
May not the nations of the world see and
know that this is a Christian nation, a
people whose God is the Lord? Who may
estimate the beneﬁts and blessings which
may ﬂow from the faithful observance of
this happy festival!

For one day the strife of parties will be
hushed, the cares of business will be put
aside, and all hearts will join in common
emotions of gratitude and good will. A year
never passes in which men and women can-
not ﬁnd abundant cause for thankfulness.
But there seems special reason why people
of the United States should manifest their
gratitude on the present. Thanksgiving
Day. The year has been such a quiet,
peaceful one, the nation has remained in a
state of absolute tranquillity. We have
been so lightly ruled that we have scarcely
known that we were ruled at all. It is
certainly cause for deep and heartfelt
thanks that we live in a nation in which we
continue from year to year to be blessed
by every protection, Iavor, and opportunity
at the hands of an all wise Providence. It
would be impossible to ﬁnd a more ap-
propriate expression of our gratitude than
the words of King David, they make a pzr-
feet song of thanksgiving:

“ ng is good and His mercy endureth for-
ev‘erah give thanks unto the Lord, make known
His deeds among the people.”

. ‘ Let,us come into His presence "with thanks-
gi‘viglgl. that men would praise the Lord for His
goodness, and for his wonderful works to the
children of men "

“From the rising of the sun to the going
down of the same. the Lord‘s name is to be
praised.”

In our reach after something beyond,
and our struggle for the better things we
desire, there is danger of overlooking the
blessings lying all about our pathway,
which make life a. daily comfort and joy.
These common blessings of life, the com-
forts we share with the world at large —we
do not realize their value unless we are in
someway deprived of them. The air we
breathe, the food we eat, the home and
friends that have been ours since child-
hood days, we think of them as a part of
life, and because of their very commonness,
we fail to remember them as blessings, and

 

 

give that name only to something unusual,
or out of the common course of events. It
is eminently ﬁtting that a day should be set
apart at least once a year, which by its
very name shall suggest the thought of
gratitude.

The United States is the only Christian
country which has a formal public day of
thanksgiving, celebrated not as the result
of an old practice which has become me-
chanical, but in response each year to a
special admonition from the head of the
nation and the heads of the great divisions
which compose it. It is now butlittle less
than two hundred and seventy years since
the ﬁrst Thanksgiving was observed on
American soil. It was in the autumn of
1621, scarcely a year from the time the
Pilgrim Fathers landed at Plymouth. The
springs of our national history start from
that eventful day. The Pilgrims, so called
because of their wanderings, which were
prompted chieﬂy by religious reasons.
were English people who ﬂed ﬁrst to Hol-
land to avoid persecution. Finally a little
company of one hundred and one persons
embarked on the ship Mayﬂower, to cuss
the Atlantic to America. They had along
and tempestuous voyage of sixty-seven
days, and their eyes had almost grown
weary of looking for land when on the
9th of November, 1620, the long low coast
line of the New World dawned on their
sight. it was the shore of Cape Cod, and
two days afterward the Mayﬂower anchored
in what is now the harbor of Provinceton.
It was winter, and the new land must have
looked desolate indeed. but their hearts

'were nevertheless gladdened by the sight.

Several exploring parties were sent to ex~
amine the new land and ﬁnd a suitable
spot for a settlement. Many adventures
befell them in those excursions. The last
exploring party started on the 6th of De-
cember. It embraced all the leading men
of the colony, twenty-four in all. After
great hardships they landed upon an island
at the mouth of the harbor. It being Sun-
day they kept it holy, resting and singing
some of the old English psalms. It was
the ﬁrst Christian Sabbath ever kept in the
State of Massachusetts. On Monday, Dec.
11, 1620, the exploring party sailed up the
harbor and landed on Plymouth Rock.
Five days later the May ﬂower arrived and
the permanent landing took place. Thus
was New England born, and- this is why
we keep Forefathers’ Day. They called it
Plymouth after the last town they had
seen in old England. Forefathers’ Rock, '
on which they ﬁrst stepped, now covered -
with a handsome canopy of granite, still
preserves the memory of this event in the
present town of Plymouth. Before dit-
embarking they agreed upon a form of
government and committed it to writing;
and to that ﬁrst written constitution of gove
ernment ever subscribed by awhole people,
forty-one men afﬁxed their names, and then
elected John Carver to be their governor.
This was done in the cabin of the May-
ﬂower, and that vessel was truly called
“the cradle of Liberty in America, rocked
on the free waves of the ocean.” Dreary

indeed, was the prospect before them.
Cold and exposure brought on fatal sick-

  


  
  
     
     
    
       
      
     
       
      
      
  
  
  
   
 
 
  
   
 
  
 
  
  
   
  
  
 
   
  
  
   
 
 
  
 
   
 
 
  
  
   
   
  
    
   
    
  
  
   
    
  
    
 
  
   
   
  
   
 
  
   
  
   
  
  
 
  
   
  
   
  
   
 
  
   
 
 
 
   

  

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THE HOUSEHOLD.

 

 

ness; exposure and privations had prostrat-
ed one half the men before the ﬁrst blow
of the axe had been struck to build a habi-
tation. Faith and hope nerved the arms of
the healthy, and they began to build. One
by one they perished. The governor and
his wife died in April, 1621, and on the
ﬁrst of that month forty six of the one hun-
dred were in their graves, nineteen of
whom were signers of the constitution. At
one time only seven were capable of as-
sisting the sick. Spring and summer came.
Game became plenty in the forest; they
caught ﬁsh, they sowed and reaped, and
bore their trials patiently, looking with
faith for better times; and better times
came. They chose William Bradford as
Carver‘s successor. He served as gover-
nor twenty years. In those days men
were not as fond of ofﬁce as at present, for
at one time the colony had to pass a law
imposing a ﬁne of twenty pounds on any
one elected governor who should refuse
to serve. I think many of our men would
willingly pay as much for the privilege or
the honor of serving. Although there was
sore scarcity at times and the corn gave
out, yet their faith in an all-wise Provi-
dence remained unshaken, and in the
autumn of 1621 their governor commanded
that they should gather with one accord
and hold a day of Thanksgiving with God,
which is the origin of our annual festival.

The ﬁrst Thanksgiving Day saw little of
festivity, and sobbing and tears and glad-
ness had each in turn its way—for the
graves of their loved ones overshadowed
them.

Thus we see how the leaven of the
early Puritans has extended throughout
these years, carrying everywhere 8. good
and wholesome example. The simple
and austere faith of the Puritans
has quietly inﬂuenced the spirit
of the nation and is felt through
every American community. The giving
of thanks for blessings received during
the year—by a vast population, is in
itself good and tends to elevate the
thoughts and aims of all. And when the
wheels of labor stand still on Thursday,
and friends and kindred and children gath-
eraround our well-ﬁlled tables, let us not
forget to thank the Lord for that little
shivering, sorrowing band of Pilgrims
gathered on the edgeof the continent. with
the future as dark and forbidding as the deep
forests behind them, with hearts tilled with
and memories of their happy Old England
home. Think of the same festival now,
when our President and our Governors in-
vite millions of prople to return thanks to
the Givrr of all good! Surely we have
much to be thankful fvT. The 3 cars may
mot, indeed, cannot have brought success
and happiness and :arthly enjoyment-s to
us all. Trials and sorrow overshadow some
of our homes. Dear friends have gone out
4mm among us to come no more back for-
ever; and to those who mourn all is
changed. But let us rest in the promise
that after a few more thanksgiving days
here we shall have an everlastin g reunion
-.in that home above, that house not made
.with hands, eternal in the hvavers. May
this society be increased in numbers, each
striving to do the good he can; may the in-
ﬂuence which it exerts be a blessing to the
‘communit , and may the Divine blessing
of Faith, ope and Love be with us is our
Thanksgiving prayer.

 

USE CORRECT LANGUAGE.

I have been an interested reader of the
HOUSEHOLD for two years, and have of
late been wishing that some one would in-
troduce the language question. Iam much
obliged to tiannah for her ideas on the
subject, and agree with her in nearly every
particular.

While I believe that table etiquette
should receive alarge share of attention,
the language used should be of even greater
importance. It is so easy for grown people
as well as children to fall into the habit of
using improper language. Perhaps the
slang words are in more general use among
the young, but the King’s English is mur-
dered most foully by so many who know
better, but have acquired the habit
through carelessness. I will give the
readers of the HOUSEHOLD the beneﬁt of a.
little experience in our own home: My
husband and myself noticed that we as
well as the children had formed the habit
of. using such words as “aint,” "taint"
and the like, and we resolved that the
habit must be broken. So we had a talk
with the children, and all agreed that
when one should notice a mistake of this
kind, he should mention it, when the one
making the mistake should correct it.
This was to be strictly a nome affair, and
among ourselves, thus avoiding the cor-
recting of outsiders, as the children would
most likely have done if nothing had been
said. The result of this plan was most
satisfactory. In ashort time none of us
used those words, and it awakened a desire
in the children to make as few mistakes as
possible. While early training has much
to do in this direction, there must be a
constant watchfulness if we would keep
our language pure. HARRIET.

HOMER.
‘ ———...——-—-—

TREATMENT OF THE “WAX PLANT."

I am apt to miss many good things that
I would delight in enjoying, and the one
I am now thinking about is the Chrysan-
themum show that so recently “ came off "
in Detroit, but is already a memory only
of glorious beauty of form and color.
Well, I didn’t see the show, for business
called me home two weeks too soon, but
none the less I know I would‘have just
reveled in the sight, not nervously or in an
any way frantic style, but quietly making
friends with each new delight and bring-
ing away sweet memories to last me out.
I have some of the Chrysanthemums of my
own raising; beautiful golden yellow pom-
pon and larger ones the same color; a yel-
low deep as orange and shaded with
bronze, pure white ones which are in their
freshness and beauty reminding me of past
times when I had ” oceans ” of them and
other ﬂowers. They remind me also of a
bright future when I withdraw my gaze
from the past and look forward and up-
ward.

Our Bess has a ﬂow that is in failing
health, as reported two weeks ago. Be
brave and do not fear losing your plant;
remove it gently from the soil and if, as I
think, the soil is in an unhealthy condition,
prepare new and place in a box, allowing
only a third more than room for the roots.

 

 

i think having so much earth, three pails
you say, when cool weather comes it be-
comes cold about the roots and is not likely
to get warmed up often. Then you have
perhaps kept up the allowance of water,
which after ﬂowering should have been
gradually withheld, especially in cool
weather. After the blooming period
ceases all houseplants need a nap, and do
not require food and drink in usual quan-
tities while it lasts. A judicious increase
of nourishment is of great advantage to the
plant later, and to enrich and increase the
next crop of ﬂowers soon to follow with this
treatment. The Hog/a. ea’r'nosa or “ wax
plant” as it is often called, is a native of
India and an evergreen, and when in health
will never drop its foliage. Drouth is not
as dangerous to it as cold and wet. Please
report success, Bess. ‘

I doubt there being any dyspeptics in
this HOUSEHOLD. It would be too ungrate-
ful, after all the splendid details in cook—
ing given all along, or I would send a re-
cipe for the best biscuits or any dyspeptic
fcod Iever saw used. If I am mistaken
and the recipe is wanted make it manifest
bﬁaying I. Mus. M. A. FULLER.

NTON.

 

ONE WORD MORE.

Thank you, Maybelle, for your support
of my article, and for your recommend of
the Youth’s Companion. I also consider it
invaluable as a moral and mental stimulus
ina family of girls and boys.

El. See, I believe you and I are kindred
spirits, but please don’t take me to task on
table etiquette; we all said our little say
on the subject until Beatrix cried enough;
and behold our most bitter opponent, Bess,
has actually put damask napkins on the
table for threshersl

I too, am a “devoted Chautauquan,” and
I would encourage the mother with the
three obstrep'rous infants to not be dis.
couraged by adverse comments on her
methods. A. weary mother alone knows
how much rest can be derived from an
hour of, mental gymnastics, and a psycholo-
gist himself would not attempt to explain
why an ordinarily well mannered child
will behave like an untutored savage in
the presence of company.

Hobbies are good things to ride, it they
are going in the right direction; andI can
scarwa believe that a mother with a love

for study and mental improvement would
entirely neglect the more material reﬁne-
ments of life.

“ Where the honey is, there are the
bees,” and if we are reasonably sure our
hobbies are starting for the genuine article
and not- mere sugar and water, let us all
mount and take a ride. HANNAH.

Gases LAKE.

 

EVERY farmer's wife or daughter who
proposes to earn her own pocket money in
the poultry business should have a copy of
“Fanny Field’s ” “ Practical Poultry
Raising” which she will ﬁnd a valuable
aid. “Fanny ” has been very successful
with turkeys, and explains her methods

very clearly and concisely in a pamphlet '

of 28 pages under the above title. The
easiest way in the world to get it is to ob-
tain one new subscriber to the FARMER,
when a copy will be forwarded you from
this oﬂice, postage prepaid.

p

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