10 



THE FARM AND GARDEN., 



©HE f)oaSBHOLD. 



WHICH ARE THE HAPPIER? 



By Alice. 



LAYING BY IN STORE. 



By J. E. McC. 



*'0b, if my children could only have such ad- 

 vantasjfes," sighs a weary mother, as she glances 

 out on a smoothly-rolling carriage, with its 

 coi*ehman in livery, and daintily whitc-robed 

 children posingsof^raeefuUy among the cushions, 

 as they take their morning drive. Those vague] 

 *' advantages" seem something to be had for tiie ( 

 taking if one will but hand out the needful ' 

 money in exchange. i 



But facts seem to rarely bear out the supposi- 

 tion. The world over, the people of true mark 

 have always been "self-made." The term itself 

 is n^isleading. There are no other young men or 

 women worthy of ctnisideration but tliose who 

 gained their places by liard work. There is no 

 royal road, nor are the pampered children of 

 luxury as happy as you would suppose, in the 

 iraidst of tlieir abundance. 



A little prince had just recjived from one and 

 another of his doting friends many choice birth- 

 "^lay gifts. The very smallest and humblest would 

 have, no doubt, seemed to our cliildreii eitough | 

 to fill to the brim the cup i\( a child's happiness. \ 

 But the little boy, though courteous and thank- I 

 ful, seemed downcast and unhappy. He was I 

 asked the cause. Did not his beautiful presents 1 

 please him ? Was there something else he would 

 prefer? 



** I know what I would like best of all tlie 

 things in tiie world," he said, ** but you would 

 not allow it, naamma," and he looked Iongingly| 

 down into the castle yard, wliere a group of 

 barefooted gardener's cliildren were sailing a lit- 

 tle fleet of chips, after a recent shower. "1 

 should love to go sailing boats with them.'* He 

 would have willingly sacrificed all his costly toys 

 for an hour of su<;h deligbl. UoUl and gems from 

 the mine are cold and bard, compared with the 

 riches that come in thft wake of a summer 

 shower. 



■• Out from ilie eurth fresh ndors I bring, 

 1 till up Die tiil)H at the spout : 



While e;iuer litdiUH-e lu the puildles I make, 



■ Tlie hiire-heiided child iiilis out. 



The puddles iire sweet icj his naked feet, 

 Wheu the nfound is heated through." 



Let us not be too nice and careful, dear motlier, 

 and cut off unduly these small pleasures. They 

 ■can nev.er grow up but once. 



OUR HELP. 



By Olive. 



If all housekeepers were as considerate as "a 



working mother," whose views are given us in 

 June number, we would not tind so many poor 

 girls who must earn a living, so opposed to earn- 

 ing it by housework. The golden rule is Just as 

 applicable in the case of hired help, as it is In 

 any other social relation. How would we wish 

 to be treated, is a question we ought all u* ask 

 ourselves. A haughty, insolent style, such as 

 ** Mrs. Newrich" is apt to assume, is not the kind 

 to win cheerful or good service, or to impress any 

 one favorably with regard to a hldy's importance. 

 Such manners are never found annnig well-bred 

 people. But they can make life in a lu>us6 very 

 bitter and unendurable. It is no wonder that 

 .girls are averse to such service. ,^^ 



A good home-mother can make a situation 

 with her very pleasant, even to the stnini^er 

 within her gates: that too, without any unsuita- 

 ble -familiarity, which is so subversive of all 

 respect and home comfort. A proper reticence 

 about her own affairs, is always wise and best on 

 the part of a liousekeeper. The opposite course 

 always places her largely at the mercy of her un- 

 disciplined and often unprincipled helpers, and 

 there is no end to the mischief often wrought by 

 such an unwise course. Yet, one may be in a 

 sense, "one of the family," on perfectly friendly, 

 kindly terms, her interests being kindly consid- 

 ered without her being taken to its inmost heart. 

 Young housekeepers, in particular, need this 

 caution. Too often, in unguarded moments, they 

 talk over family matters, which sliould be kept 

 secret; or make comments on associates, which 

 work mischief enough when repeated by a 

 thoughtless girl. 



A good American girl in a house, with whom 

 we can safely trust the children, is indeed a 

 blessing in a household. It is a blessing to a 

 working girl also to have a good, safe home in 

 which she can earn her living, instead of being 

 thrown on the tender mercies of a factory and 

 factory boarding-hou.se. 



Where one has a sensibly educated '* friend " in 

 her hired lielp, like " Working-niol her," slu* may 

 well appreciate her, and make her stay pleasant 

 at the time, and in remembrance afterwards. 

 More pf>/i7&Hc.s-A- towards help, would make the 

 household machinery move much more smoothly 

 for all parties. 



"Apples in the orcliard niellowiug one by one, 

 Grapes uiid pears upnirnint; auft cheeks to the sun, 

 Mollier's 'doing peaches 'all the afiernoon. 

 Don't you ihink that August's pleasanter than June?" 



Though the days are^o long and the work so 

 warm and wearying, Let us try and weave into 

 them all the golden sunshine thalVe can. It 

 will make the bitter days of winter all the more 

 bright and our hearts the ligiiter, as we go along. 

 The more of paring and hulling of fruit that can 

 go dn out of doors on shady steps and under 

 trees in the doorj^ard, the better; and the more 

 the childrehs' help can be utilized the greater 

 the advantage to them and you. There is noth- 

 ing like taking stock in an enterprise to give one 

 an interest in it. 



There is nothing that gives a liousekeeper a 

 more comfortable feeling of available ric-hes in 

 the fall than sundry shelves well stored with 

 fruits of various sorts, ready lor any emergency. 

 If siie is not rich enough to put up a home supply 

 for every day. /'ntil fruit comes again, yet there 

 are few who ca. lot eke out some stock of tVe 

 sort, either dried, i.nned, or preserved, that will 

 help materially toward varying the winter's fare. 



A poor woman, I know, dried a bushel of elder- 

 berries last fall, wh ich she made into pies 

 through the winter. Her children picked cher- 

 ries on shares, which she thriftily canned. Their 

 lot was planted mainly in potatoes, corn, and 

 pumpkins, and with her two fat pigs in the bar- 

 rel, the family of eight lived on with but little 

 suffering, though the father had but little work 

 all winter. Other families in similar circum- 

 slances, with less tbrit't, were supported mainly 

 by charity. So much is there in the wife's man- 

 agement, whether a family shall live in compara- 

 tive comfort or in wrelehedness and squalor. 



While you are preparing these various stores, 

 settle, once for all, that no positively hurtful 

 supplies shall go into your store-room. If you 

 are satisfied that blistering hot catsups and burn- 

 ing spiced fruits are an injury to your stomacli 

 and to the digestion of your household, do not 

 throw away lime and labor upon them. You 

 can do belter. No matter if "everybody else 

 docs." That is a weak argument. **To him that 

 knowein lo do good and doeth it not, to him it is 

 .'in." Try and set up a better sentiment among 

 your associates. ".Just a little" is too much of 

 anything we know to be hurtful, as brandied 

 cherries and peaches or whiskey-pickled cucum- 

 bers. 



MRS. TRUMAN'S HIRED BOY. 



By Aunt L'llie. 



" How time is Hying," said Mrs. Truman, glanc- 

 ing hastily at the clock. "How I would like a 

 little help just now. Ho, Benny Biggs! you're 

 just the lad I wished to see. In a great hurry, 

 Henny?'' 



" No, ma'am," said Benny, gazing wistfully at 

 great bowl of sugared blackberries in the big 

 "mixing bowl*" 



" I'm glad of that," said the other. " Now, can 

 ytm dig potatoes, Benny, and not cut them with 

 tlie hoe? The4i I shall be very glad to have you 

 fill this basket for me from the garden. You will 

 see where they have been digging." 



Benny set off cheerily, and soon returned %vith 

 a line basket of large, white potatoes. 



" Well done," said mother, as she set the last 

 blackberry pie in the oven. " There is just a sau- 

 cer of fruit lelt over for you. But come first, 

 Benny, wliile May finishes her nap, and we will 

 gather the other vegetables. I guess she will 

 sleep until we come in." 



So, one took the lar^e and the other the small 

 basket, and it was not long before a kettle of 

 beets was ready for boiling, and Mrs. Truman 

 sat down in i>eace to. prepare a pot of wax beans, 

 so easy to clean, and so nice when done. " I sliall 

 be very glad of your help, Benny, if your hands 

 are first ' spandy ' clean;" and she examined 

 them critically. 



They were presently "spandy" clean, and Ben 

 was helping industriously. What savory odors 

 came from that brov.n roast when Mrs. Truman 

 opened the oven door ! It was not often the poor 

 little fellow even sniffed such luxuries. 



'* I suppose you do not have much of agarden," 

 sa4d the lady. 



" I guess we don't; not a bit of garden." 



" Why, what can yon get for dinners and brpr.k- 

 fasts, without a garden to run to." 



"Baker's bread and black molasses, ma'am, 

 and coffee on Sundays. We are glad when we 

 can get a big loaf for mother and Kitty and me." 

 "Mrs. Truman looked astonished. Here was a 

 poor neighbor only half a mile away, aiid t*he 

 had given as little thought as to bow she livi'd 

 and how she fared, as if she had been at the 

 North Pole. Here her garden was tilled to over- 



flowing, and if they were not actually perishing 

 with hunger, they were suffering great needless 

 privation for a christian land. 



It did not take many minutes to pack a basket 

 to over-flowing with things she would never 

 miss ; but, oh, such a blessing in that poor home. 

 Wnen the excited, happy Benny skipped home 

 with it, he carried this proposition to his mother, 

 that he should help Mrs. Truman a certain por- 

 tion of every day about her house-work, in return 

 foragood equivalent in vegetables, and his meals 

 every day. 



That was the way she came to have an efficient, 

 little hired boy about the house, whom she sorae- 

 fimes thought almost ahead of her neighbor's big' 

 girls in usefulness; and that was the way the 

 poor widow saved her scanty sewing money, and 

 kept her children so well, besides laying by many 

 little helpful stores for winter. How a little fore- 

 thought, and a little going outside of ourselves at 

 times, in our sympathies and interests, would 

 set in train small enterprises that for some hum- 

 ble lives may be most far-reaching and helpful. 



Pie Crttst.— For pies with (me crust, take a pie 

 dish and grcjise it with lard or buiter; then sift 

 ; over evenly with corn meal. Pour in the filling 

 and bake thoroughlj'. 



A Nice Way to use cold meats of any kind Is 

 to chop fine with a little celery and a small piece 

 of union. Season with salt, pepper, and salad 

 dressing. This salad is a nice relish for lunch or 

 lea. Garnish with the bleached celery leaves. 



Ax Easilv-Mape Picki.e and a very good one 

 is made by chopping together half a head of cab- 

 bage, three onions, one bunch of celery, and one 

 dozen small cucumbers. Chop fine; season with 

 pepper, salt, and vinegar. Salad dressing im- 

 proves it. 



C.ixttEK Cookies.— One cup shortening, one 

 cup molasses, one-half cup sugar, one cup hot 

 water poured over one tablespoonful soda, and 

 one tablespoonful ginger. Stir in flour until 

 thick enough to drop in spoonfuls IrTbuttered 

 pan. Bake in quick oven. Trv them with half 

 whent Hour and half graham fiour. 



Bkeaij caunni.K Cakes.— Take stale breadand 

 soak it over night in sour milk. In the morning 

 add, to one quart, the yolks of two eggs, one lea- 

 spoonful salt, one teaspoonful soda, two table- 

 spoonfuls sugar, and flour enough to make batter 

 a little thicker than for buckwheat cakes. Add 

 last the well-lieaten whites of eggs. 



In a Sick-Room, where it is so necessary that 

 everything should be quTet, a nice way to re- 

 plenish the flrc is to put coal in paper hags, such 

 as you get from the grocery, and lay one on the 

 fire whenever needed, and there need never be 

 heard that unpleasant noise of putting coal on 

 tlie fire. 



A Cure for Dcli. Evenings.— First, be sure 

 you take the Faioi ANn Garden, and while 

 mother and sister are mending or knitting, let 

 brother read aloud to you from its many pages. 

 There is something of interest for each one ; for 

 housework as well as farm work. It will give 

 you new ideas and new ways of doing many 

 things. There is nothing so welcome and cheer- 

 ing to housekeepers as a change in its monot- 

 onous round of duties. 



Mrs. D. S., East Orange, N. J, 



CiiESsiE Cake (for twol.-Heaping cup of sugar, 

 one-half cup of butter, fiveeggs, nutmeg to taste. 

 Mix yolks, sugar, and butter together, and bake 

 as lemon pie. then beat the whites and spread on 

 top and set in stove a few minutes, until whites 

 are browned. 



Cold Slaw.— C^op a small, while head of cab- 

 bage. Prepare a dressing in the proportion of 

 one tablespoonful of oil to four tablespoonfuls of 

 vinegar; a teaspoonful of mustard, the same 

 quantity of salt and sugar, half as much pepper. 

 Heat; pour over cabbage and stir well; let cool 

 ready for table. 



.Snow Cakk.— Beat one cup of butter to a froth. 

 Add one-half cup of flour, mix well, one cup of 

 corn-starch, one cup of sweet.milk. two cups of 

 white sugar, and tliree teaspoonfuls of baking 

 powder, dissolved in milk. Add the whites of 

 eight eggs, well beaten. 



Hard Times PrpDtNG.— One cup of sweet milk, 

 one (Jiip of molasses, one teaspoonful of soda, 

 salt^ tabiespf)otiful of shortening, flour to make a 

 stiff batter, and ifyouwish it, one cup of raisins. 

 Steam one hour without, or one and one-half 

 hours WMtli fruit. Make sauce by rubbing one 

 and one-half tablespoonfuls of butter with fourof 

 sugar and oni' of fi(nn\ Put in two tablespoonfuls 

 of jelly, and pour over enough boiling water 

 (stirring briskly) to make a thin gravy. • 



liKMON Pie.— One lemon, one tablespoonful of 

 corn-starch, one cup of sugar, one cup of boiling 

 water. Beat this together, put on the stove and 

 and let boil, and then put in yolk of one egg, roll 

 out crust, put mixture in and bake quckly. Put 

 sugar in whites for lop. S. J. W. 



