March 21, 1901. 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



187 



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1^ The Home Circle. 



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Conducted bij Prof. f\. J. Cook, Claremont, Calif. 



INFLUENCE OF THE QOOD HOME. 



The homo is the greatest civilizer. A nation of good 

 homes must be strong. Nothing will foster patriotism like 

 the presence of innumerable homes where the beautiful is 

 «ver in evidence and where love is law. Anything that makes 

 the home more beautiful, or anything that adds to its delights, 

 not only makes good people — good fathers, mothers, children, 

 good neighbors — but just as truly, good citizens. The man 

 ■whose home is all in all to him, who longs for it when absent, 

 and hies himself to it when business lets go her gripe, who is 

 only away from it when stern duty calls, who rejoices in it 

 from cellar to roof — such an one feels that he has great things 

 to live for. He can accomplish great things, for ho over has 

 a heart light with joy, be ever has wondrous incentive to work 

 — thought of the loved ones that make that home so precious : 

 his daily tasks are only pleasures. .Such are the ministries of 

 the true home. Such a man must be a patriot — he has that 

 which is all priceless to defend. 



The happiest homes, are where all work together to secure 

 comfort — where all give thoughtful love and rejoice most in 

 what brings joy and good fellowship to all. It is not the home 

 of wealth, where money unearned, brings every luxury, and 

 gratification in fullest measure comes without effort, that 

 knows the truest happiness. Such homes breed selfishness, 

 and selfishness and happiness never travel together. I would 

 never covet wealth for my children or friends. I would covet 

 the most generous, the noisiest manhood. Such a state is not 

 born of wealth. The man of wealth may hold onto generous 

 purpose, unselfish regard, disinterested love, but his money is 

 ever working to smother all these blessed instincts. Strong 

 indeed is the man who can maintain his best integrity, and pre- 

 serve ever alive within him the highest ideals of life, thought 

 and purpose, if wealth has ever waited at his call and 

 responded to his beck. Not the home of wealth, then, but 

 the home where industry and frugality supply moderate needs, 

 where daily thought and effort must minister to the daily 

 wants, is where joy is sweetest and best, and such homes are 

 what will surely give to a nation perpetuity. ' 



May we not rejoice then that our nation is blest with such 

 homes ? Their influence is true and sweet, (lod bless every 

 action and eilort that fosters such homes. May God raise his 

 hand against efforts that tend unduly and unrighteously to 

 build up either the homes of squalor, or the homes of the over- 

 wealthy. 



Our American Bee Journal home circles are the average 

 ones. In them all minister. All are ready to give the helping 

 hand. All are alert to add a sheaf to the store of comforts. 

 Thoughtful love for other than self. All this is what makes 

 gladsome the home. 



In our homes, we love to read. The good book and the 

 helpful magazine are the pride and pleasure of the household. 

 The reading aloud, and the good talks called forth, as " Wild 

 Animals That I Have Known," takes us into the fascinating 

 fields of nature, are too precious and valuable to be at all cur- 

 tailed. How can we gain time for more ? So very important 

 is the answer, that we may well share no time or pains to 

 make all about the house convenient. Labor-saving machines, 

 no more than convenience of plan and arrangement, should 

 receive fullest heed and attention. In all this, as it is the 

 workshop of the queen of the household — the loving wife 

 who gives the sunlight to the home — a first place should bo 

 given to 



THE KITCHEN. 



The kitchen round of duties are e\ery day, and many are 

 oft repeated in each daytime. Steps that must bo often taken 

 should bo short and few. Is the kitchen the cheerful room, 

 where sunlight and pure air ever keep company? Are the 

 walls cheerful V and does an atmosphere of cheer and comfort 

 make the kitchen a glad room ? 



.Vny pains to make the kitchen bright and attractive are 

 well and worthily bestowed. Is the kitchen next to the din- 

 ing-room, with double wall between, enclosing an ample cup- 

 board, with convenient sliding or other doors that open both 

 ways ? Doors that slide eitlicr up or sidewise are most con- 

 venient. 



Is the sink close beside this cupboard on the kitchen side ? 

 And has it an ample drain board, and both hot and cold water 



that comes with a turn of a faucet ? Suppose it does cost not 

 a little, to secure all this. It is to h('lp every day and oft- 

 repeatedly. the dearest member of the household. 



Is the range convenient to sink and table ? and has it a 

 hot water tank ? And does a first-class quick-meal gasoline 

 stove take its place in the hot weather ? Is a neat wood-box 

 close by the stove, and is it ever full of the best of fuel '.' 



Is the arrangement of the cooking table to flour-bin and 

 sugar-box, etc., so that all possible steps are avoided ? Is 

 there a long, narrow spice cupboard above the cooking table, 

 with front door to open downward, that no steps shall be 

 required to reach everything that is needed to make the food 

 appetizing ? 



Is the pantry close at hand, and always stockt with all 

 needed articles ? 



No husband can afford not to give all this most earnest 

 heed. To save the time, the stops, the energy of the wife and 

 mother, is his greatest privilege and his wisest and most 

 blessed act. In building a house tlie most thought and study 

 should be given to the kitchen, that it may be a model of 

 neatness, beauty and convenience. If the house is already 

 built, labor and money spent in remodeling this room so that 

 steps may be saved, and care, worry and labor lessened, will 

 be most wisely used. 



THE BATHTUB. 



That wonderful man. I5ooker T. Washington, in the 

 intensely interesting and inspiring articles just completed in 

 The Outlook, and which it is hoped will be published in book 

 form, speaks of the bathtub, as a mighty civilizer. He is 

 right. No house should be without the most convenient and 

 best arranged bathing arrangements. Indeed, " Cleanliness 

 is 7iext to Godliness." The bathtub — oft used — is the good 

 angel of the home. We are wisest when we do everything to 

 encourage to very frequent bathing. We must have the con- 

 venient bathroom, with hot water. Not to build this if it is 

 wanting, is to stand in the very light of the home. The hot- 

 water tank heated every time the stove is lighted, gives hot 

 water at the kitchen sink and to the bathroom. 



I would work my finger-nails short, if needs be, to have 

 the best and most convenient kitchen and bathroom the 

 county round. Have all our readers lived up to their oppor- 

 tunities in these directions ? These should not be considered 

 luxuries, but necessities — a thing not for the future, but for 

 the now. 



GRAHAM GEMS. 



Nothicg is more important in the home circle than 

 good health. It is true that " what is one man's meat is 

 another man's poison." White bread is often very untooth- 

 some, and, I may add, .unwholesome. To any who, like 

 myself, have found this true, I would sug^gest as a substi- 

 tute graham gems or bread. I feel that my health, if not 

 my life, is due to this displacement. The following is the 

 recipe for gems which I have found very appetizing and 

 wholesome : 



To two cups of graham flour and one of white, add two teaspoon- 

 fuls of good baking-powder, and milk sufficient to make a thick batter. 

 Salt to suit the taste. Add a half cup. more or less, of sugar. If 

 some cream is added with the milk, no harm will be done. Bake 

 quickly in hot buttered gem-irons. 



A Celluloid Queen-Button is a very pretty thing for a 

 bee-keeper or honey-seller to wear on his coat-lapel. It 

 often serves to introduce the s'ubject of honey.and thusoften 

 leads to a sale. 



Note.— f>ne reader wr 

 to believe that it would be 

 bee-keeper to wea 

 people to ask (juesti* 



'I ha 



ry reason 

 :rj good idea for every 

 [of ihe buttons] as it will cause 

 s about the busy bee, and many 

 a conversation thus started would wind up with the 

 sale of more or less honey; at any rate it would (five 

 the bee-keeper a superior opportunity to enlighten 

 many a person in regard to honey and bees." 

 The picture shown herewith is a reproduction of a motto 

 queen-button that we have been furnishing to bee-keepers 

 for a long time. It has a pin on the underside to fasten to 

 the coat. Price, by mail, 6 cents each: two for 10 cents: 

 or six for 25 cents. Send all orders to the office of the Amer- 

 ican Bee Journal. 



The Chicafco Convention Picture is a fine one. It is 

 nearly 8'xlO inches in size, mounted on heavy cardboard 

 10x12 inches. It is, we believe, the largest group of bee- 

 keepers ever taken in one picture. It is sent, postpaid, for 

 75 cents; or we can send the American Bee Journal one 

 year and the picture — both forSl.hO. It would be a nice 

 picture to frame. We have not counted them, but think 

 here are nearly 20U bee-keepers shown. 



