14 



&1)C JTatmcr's iltontl)Iw btsitor. 



Learn to Cook Well. 



We again propose this advice to those of our 

 young female friends who may cliiince to look 

 into this journal. There need be no scruple, on 

 the ground that the aim proposed is not suffi- 

 ciently high for a generous and cultivated mind. 

 To do well, whatever it becomes our duty to 

 do at all, is an ambition sufficiently elevated, for 

 the highest and most gifted spirit. The care of 

 the family will be the duty of the woman till we 

 all get translated to a higher sphere of existence 

 — and family care will always, as now, be made 

 up of details, small in themselves, 'tis true, but 

 in the aggregate, and in their connections, vastly 

 important. We say then, learn to cook well. 



The health of the family depends upon it. 

 W r e know there are those who associate luxury, 

 effiuiinacy, and all dependent ills with every at- 

 tempt of the kind recommended. Hut we do 

 not believe that health is promoted by eating raw- 

 carrots, or doughy bread — or that to secure long 

 life, it is necessary to turn cannibal. Nor were 

 men made to graze like cuttle, or eat food like 

 dogs. 



Nor is it necessary, in order to shun the errors 

 of which we speak, to rush into the opposite ex- 

 treme. Good cookery does not consist in pro- 

 ducing the highest seasoned dishes ; nor such us 

 foster a morbid appetite, but in preparing every 

 dish well, however simple or common it may be. 

 There are, for instance, families who never eat 

 any good bread from one century to another, and 

 have no idea in what it consists. Nor are meats 

 cooked any better within their precincts. Those 

 little, simple, and healthful delicacies, which the 

 good housekeeper knows intuitively how to 

 produce, are never seen here. Even a dish of 

 potatoes cannot get themselves well boiled. A 

 member of the family might as well fall among 

 the Hottentots as lar as any proper musing is con- 

 cerned. These things ought not to be, nor is 

 there any need of their existence, if the wife has 

 any just notions of her obligations to herself 

 and those about her. 



The science of bread-making, of meat-broiling. 

 stewing, roasting, and boiling ; of vegetable 

 cooking, and of preparing the multifarious small 

 dishes of all sorts, which go to make pleasant 

 the table, and all abou', are bors — hers to under- 

 stand, and practice. They are sciences tun, quite 

 as exulted hi their nature as are those which lie 

 at the foundation of litigation, cloth-selling, im- 

 plemffnt-muking, or wheat-growing. The wo- 

 man who can cook well is an Empress, to whom 

 all that wait at her table will do unhooght lioin- 

 aL'c. Learn to cook well, lair friends. — Prairie 

 Farmer. 



A LADY BOUND FOR THE Gold MlNES. — It is 



staled in the Boston Journal that a young man 

 from the north-eastern section of Massachusetts, 

 became afflicted with the prevailing mania, ami 

 took passage t'm- California in a brig now fining 

 nut from Boston. His young wife, -on bearing of 

 his determination, immediately declared that she 

 would accompany him and share his fortune, be 

 il good or evil. Expostulation was useless, and as 

 a last resource the husband determined to take 

 her to Boston, show her the limited accommoda- 

 tions on shipboard, and explain 10 her the vari- 

 ous inconveniences .which she would be obliged 

 to endure. She was accordingly taken on board 

 the vessel, and duly escorted through every part. 

 The lady was perfectly delighted with every thing 

 about the vessel, anil declared with true woman 

 spirit, that if the Voyage was perilous her hus- 

 band should not undertake it without a friend 

 and companion to share his dangers, and soften 

 his discomforts. The husband finally decided to 

 yield the point, and encaged a passage lor his 

 wife. The agents of the vessel an: doing every 

 thing that lies in their power to make her situa- 

 tion as comfortable as possible (luring the long 

 voyage. — New York Sun. 



Liquid Manure— Grapes.— The Ohio Culti- 

 vator says that a grape vine at a hotel in that 

 Stale, hut three Mars old, has climbed to the sec- 

 ond story, arid has extended its branches round 

 the corners of the building to a distance of twen- 

 ty or thirty feet, nearly the whole being full of 

 clusters of fruit. The only unusual treatment it 

 had received, was a watering every day with 

 dish-water, and occasionally with soap-suds. 



The British Army. — A London journal suy» 

 that two hundred members of the British House 

 of Commons are directly or indirectly connected 

 with the army and navy. The army con- 

 sists of about one hundred and twenty-four thou- 

 sand rank and file, officered by five thousand 

 seven hundred and thirty-four gentlemen. The 

 household troops who never leave London, for 

 foreign service, have among their officers fifteen 

 noblemen and many honorables. An ordinary 

 regiment of British cavalry costs about $90,000 

 a year. One regiment of the Horse guards costs 

 $130,000, and the Coldstream guards costs $250,- 

 000 per annum. There are on the staff forty- 

 four generals receiving pay, and one hundred 

 and thirty-five more who are colonels of regi- 

 ments. Among these generals there are three 

 kings and two princes. There are also three 

 hundred and one colonels, and six hundred and 

 eighty-four lieutenant-colonels. The friends of 

 reform point to these "superfluous veterans," and 

 ask that the diminution of the public burthens 

 may begin by a reduction of epaulettes. 



Our Wondrous Atmosphere. 



The atmosphere rises above us with its cathe- 

 dral dome, arching towards the heavens, of 

 which ii is the most familiar synonyme and sym- 

 bol. It floats about us like that grand object 

 which the apostle John saw in his vision — "a sea 

 of glass like unto crystal." So massive is it, that 

 when it begins to stir, ii tosses about great ships 

 like playthings, and sweeps cities and forests, 

 like snow-flakes, to destruction before it. And 

 yet it is so mobile, that we have lived years in it 

 before we can be persuaded that it exists at all, 

 and the great hulk of mankind never realized 5 

 the truth that they are bathed in an ocean of air. 

 Its weight is so enormous that iron shivers be- 

 fore it like glass ; yet a soap bubble sails through 

 it with impunity, and the tiniest insect waves it 

 aside with its wing. It ministers lavishly to all 

 the senses. We touch it not, but it touches us. 

 Its warm south winds bring back color to the 

 pale face of the invalid : its cool west winds re- 

 fresh the fevered brow, and make the blood 

 mantle in our cheeks ; even its north blasts brace 

 into new vigor the hardened children of our 

 rugged climate. The eye is indebted to it lor all 

 the magnificence of sun-rise, the full brightness 

 of mid-day, the chastened radiance of the gloam- 

 ing, ami the clouds that cradle near the setting 

 sun. But for it the rain-bow would want its"trf- 

 iiuiphal arch," and the winds would not send 

 their fleecy messengers on errands round the 

 heavens. The cold would not either shed snow 

 leathers on the earth, nor would drops of dew 

 gather on the flowers. The kindly rain would 

 never fall, nor hail storm nor fog 'diversify the 

 face of the sky. Our naked globe would turn 

 its tanned and unshadowed forehead to the sun, 



I one dreary, monotonous blaze "of light and 



heat dazzle anil burn up all things. Were there 

 no atmosphere, the evening sun would in a mo- 

 ment set, and, without warning, plunge the eunh 

 in darkness. But the air keeps iu her hand a 

 sheal of his rays, anil lets them slip hut slowly 

 through her fingers ; so that the shadows of eve- 

 ning are gathered by degrees, and the bowers 

 have lime to how their heads, and each creature 

 spaee to find a place of rest, and to nestle to re- 

 pose. Iu the morning, the garish sun would at 

 one bound burst from the bosom of night, and 

 blaze above the horizon ; hut the air watches for 

 his coming, and- sends at first but one litile ray 

 lo announce his approach, ami then another, and 

 by and by a handful, am! so gently draws aside the 

 curtain of night, and slowly h-ts the light hill on 

 the face of (he sleeping earth, till her evelids 

 open, and like man, she goeth forth again to her 

 labor till the evening.— Quarterly Review. 



Oregon dispeopled.— The Mary Frances, 

 which arrived at Honolulu in October, from San 

 Francisco, brings word that all the sealers are 

 leaving Oregon for the gold diggings. The 

 Spectator and Free Press had both suspended 

 publication, ami editors, printers, and imps gone 

 with the rest. The harvest promised an abund- 

 ance, but so many had left for the gold region 

 that few reapers remained. An emigration of 

 nearly three thousand had started overland. 



A Patient Man. 



Forty years ago in St. Paul's church-yard, that 

 famous place in the metropolis of England, there 

 w'as a dry goods store, the favorite resort of la- 

 dies. The partners of the bouse, and all their 

 clerks, were known for their respectful and in- 

 dulgent conduct ; but one of bis clerks had earn- 

 ed the appellation " of the patient " man. He 

 had never been known to loose his temper or 

 polite attention, under the trying tedium of a la- 

 dy's whim— a thing of^ourse remarkable. 



A lady of title and large fortune determined 

 she would test his patience. She induced an- 

 other lady to accompany her, dressed in courtly 

 style, drove in her elegant carriage, with coach- 

 man and two footmen in their splendid livery, 

 to the store, and singled out the patient man. 



She first desired to see some satins, and after 

 handing down all that were there, none of them 

 suited her. She then requested to be shown the 

 velvets. These were as little to her mind ; and 

 they were left for muslins. These were unfor- 

 tunate in price and quality, or breadth or length, 

 or something, and she asked to see some rib- 

 bons. Some were too plain, and others too 

 much fringed ; some were too narrow ; and 

 others were too broad. At length she bought a 

 yard of calico, and paid the price, (and not with- 

 out grumbling,) one shilling. 



The patient man folded it up, handed it to her 

 carriage, and politely bowing, went back to his 

 counter, and put up his satins, velvets, muslins, 

 ribbons, calicoes, &c, an occupation costing him 

 an hour or more. 



" He is a patient man," exclaimed the lady, 

 when she had relaxed the tension ol her face and 

 mind, which hud been requisite to the perform- 

 ance of her part. " He is deserving of encour- 

 agement, I will return to-morrow, and really 

 purchase." 



She went again, and singling him out, she 

 pleasantly apologized for her behavior yesterday, 

 and said she meant lo buy to-day. He said there 

 needed no apology; he never wished to sell 

 what the ladies did not wish to buy. 



She now had down the satins, ami look a piece 

 — she looked the velvet over, and selected tho 

 best piece. She look two or three pieces of 

 muslin, end several rolls of ribbon. Selecting 

 other things, she made up an amount of £50, 

 for which she gave her bunker's check — and ask- 

 ed the favor of the partners, for the patient man 

 to go home with the goods. 



He went with her, and as the carriage drove 

 along, she asked him li why do you not go into 

 business for yourself?" "I have no capital," he 

 replied. 



She told him if he would select a place where 

 business could he dune, she would assist him to 

 set up in a good store, and promised lo secure 

 him many families. 



lie was not prepared for this, and pleaded in- 

 experience, and his fears of failure. She insist- 

 ed his indomitable patience would surmount all 

 difficulties, and she would run all risks if he 

 would try. lie wished to led his worthy em- 

 ployers and ask their advice. She consented ; 

 and they advised him io accept the offer. 



The lady sent her own surveyor and her law- 

 yer witli him, and they chose a place in Ludgate 



Hill. She adv :ed £-2000 in cash and hacked 



his credit for £2000 more. He commenced and 

 was successful. He took in partners, and in 

 thirteen years retired from the Lurlgure Hill 

 "Great Shawl Establishment," with "£40,000. 

 The basis of all which was one hour's patince. — 

 .V. I". Organ. 



The Farmer and Store-keeper. — A farmer 

 in Connecticut, who has occupied the same 

 larni on lease for about thirty years past, was 

 lately complaining that he had not been able lo 

 lay up any thing from his thirty years' labor. A 

 neighboring store-keeper offered to explain lo 

 htm Hie reason, and proceeded as follows: '-Dur- 

 ing the thirty years you have been on that firm, 

 I have been trading in this store, and the distilled 

 spirits 1 have sold you, with the interest of the 

 money, would have made you (he owner of the 

 farm you hire." On examination of the hooks 

 of the store- keeper, his assertion was found > or- 

 rect. The firm was worth about five thousand 

 dollnrp, 



