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Mahing Soap. — Wholesome Truths. 



Vol. VIII. 



From the Michigan Farmer. 



Making Soap. 



Among other things, let me tell yon to 

 learn how to make soap. I do not know 

 that I should have thought of naming this, 

 if my ignorance of soap making had not 

 troubled me exceedingly. At first I did not 

 know the method, and depended on the old 

 woman who lived with me, to make it. 1 

 went to her when the soap-keg was almost 

 empty, and told her we must have some 

 made as quick as possible. "Why, law! 

 Miss, now don't you see it ain't the right 

 time of the moon?" I tried to persuade her 

 that soap making and the moon were but 

 very slightly connected, if the other part of 

 the business was well conducted. It was,' 

 however, to no purpose — I had to wait till 

 the "right time" came round, before I could 

 get my soap. After this, when I had the su- 

 perintendence of a large family, I was obliged 

 to buy it by the barrel, because I did not well 

 understand the manufacture of the article, 

 and I was really ashamed that such extra 

 expense was caused by my ignorance. Some- 

 times there was too much lime with the ash- 

 es; then again not enough : sometimes it was 

 too greasy, and sometimes any thing but what 



Wholesome Truths. 



Keep it before yourself, young man, that 

 industry and good morals will be a passport 

 for you in good society ; and will make you 

 respected and esteemed by the good and 

 wise. 



Keep it before yourself, young lady, that 

 kindness of heart, a sweet disposition and an 

 even temper, will make you an agreeable 

 companion with the old and the young. 



Keep it before yourself, young man or 

 woman, that in a choice for a partner for 

 life, you should look well to the habits and 

 disposition of each other. That a young 

 man with a cigar in his mouth, and cane in 

 his hand, and his brains running to hair, 

 may do very well for a beau, but is not to 

 be compared to the plain, unpretending 

 youth, whose heart is right, and whose com- 

 mon sense will not allow him to play the 

 dandy. 



That young lady who is all accomplish- 

 ments, who can sing a little, dance a little, 

 thumb the piano a little, and look fascinating 

 any time, may fill a place on the sofa, and 

 be the belle of a ball room, yet if she can- 

 not boil a pudding, roast a steak, dust a 

 room, or darn a stocking — if her accomplish- 

 ments are all for show and none for use, 



It ought to be. I tell you my experience m jthen ten chances to one, that the young lady 

 the matter, so that you may learn from yourk^ho has got a knowledge of household af- 

 mothers now, and not have the trouble of.fairs, who has been brought up by a careful 



learning, when you ought to be making it. 

 As I have given you so long a talk on the! 

 subject, I will add a recipe I found in the; 

 Cultivator. It may be of use to some of 

 your mothers, if not to you. Mr. Tomlin-' 

 son writing to Judge Buel, says: "My wife} 

 has no trouble about soap. The grease is! 

 put into a cask, and strong lye added. Du-| 

 ring the year, as the fat increases, more lyej 

 is stirred in, and all occasionally stirred with 

 a stick that is kept in it. By the time the 

 cask is full, the soap is made ready for use.] 

 It is made hard by boiling and adding a 

 quart of fine salt to three gallons of soap. 

 It is put into a tub to cool, and the froth 

 scraped off It is afterwards melted to a 

 boiling heat, and a little rosin or turpentine 

 given, which improves the quality." 



Some of you will think me a most unsen- 

 timental sort of a woman, when I advise you 

 to learn how good bread, butter, coffee, pick- 

 les, puddings, &c., are made ; but you will 

 have to learn sometime, or do worse. Work 

 with your own hands too, even if it should 

 tarnish their whiteness a little. A man does 

 not consider the beauty of a soft white hand 

 a very strong recommendation, when he finds 

 it has been kept for show and not for use. I 

 think a young lady should be able to scour a 

 kettle and grace a diamond. Lvcy. 



mother, and is well learned in the actual 

 duties of life, will make a better wife, and a 

 pleasanter and a happier home. 



Keep it before yourself, farmer, that you 

 should return to the earth at least as much 

 as you take from it — that you should make 

 your land richer each year, nor let it wear 

 out — that you should have a neat house, 

 large barns, good sheds for your cattle, and 

 show that it is your ambition to make "two 

 spears of grass grow where one grew before." 



Keep it before yourself, merchant, that a 

 " nimble sixpence is better than a slow shil- 

 ling;" that one price for goods or dealing 

 with every person alike, is the right way to 

 give general satisfaction ; and that to secure 

 customers and trade, you must advertise 

 freely. 



Keep it before yourself, mechanic, that 

 punctuality is a virtue — that work promised, 

 should always be done at the time, and well 

 done — and then you need give yourself no 

 fears of a want of business. — Exchange 

 paper. 



A princely mind will ruin a private for- 

 tune — keep the rank in which Providence 

 hath placed you ; and do not make yourself 

 unhappy, because you cannot afford whatever 

 a wild fancy might suggest. 



