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THE GENESEE FARMER. 



f aMrs' Jlepiirtiiuut. 



A COUNTRY COTTAGE. 



The stream ripples bright by my cottage ; 



The sunshuie is bris'it on the stream; 

 And the wee, pebbly stones, in the sunshine, 



Like diamonds, sparkle and gleam. 

 There are hazel trees kissing the water. 



And plumes o( the fair meadows sweet; 

 And down by the hazel siis Jeanie, 



And dabbles her little -while feet. 



The robin peeps in at my doorway ; 



The linnet looks kown from the tree; 

 And here, i)illowe(l up in his cradle. 



Wee Sandy sits smiling at me. 

 My milk-pail stands bright in the corner, 



My tins are all bright on the shelf, 

 And the white supper-cloth on my table 



Is clean, for 1 ixanhed it myself. 



IDLENESS A CAUSE OF DISEASE. 



The number of servants kept by families in this 

 country is an evil in more respects than one. It 

 fosters indolence in wives and daughters, thus 

 throwing heavier burdens upon husbands and tath- 

 ers, and inaking the comfort of the household al- 

 most entirely dependent on a class (Irish servants, 

 we mean,) who, as a general thing, have no inter- 

 ests or sympathies in common witli the families in 

 which they reside, and who make waste, instead of 

 economy, the rule. The annoyance and discom- 

 forts of a domestic establishment always increases 

 in proportion to the number of servants em[iloyed. 

 With one domestic a lady may get along quite 

 pleasantly, and be really the mistress of her own 

 house. She will then find enough to do to keep the 

 blood circulating freely in her veins, and her mind 

 in that cheerful state which always accompanies a 

 consciousness of having done some useful work. 

 One servant in a moderate sized family, and a will- 

 ing heart, duty wards, in the mistress, will keep out 

 the doctor, the blues, and the domestic irregular- 

 ities that form the common theme of talk among 

 most American housekeepers. But give Biddy a 

 companion in the shape of nurse, waiter, or cham- 

 bermaid, and the day of home comfort has dejiarted. 

 At once a new interest, antagonistic to your own, is 

 set up, and you may consider yourself a second 

 power in tlie kingdom. "Waste, disorder, and an- 

 noyances of various kinds appear, and you war 

 against them in vain. The work that, with your 

 assistance, was easy, has become so hard, that sour 

 faces and complainings meet you at every turn, and 

 in the vain hope of relief you give strength to your 

 enemies by adding a third to their number. Alas 

 for you after that most serious mistake of all ! 

 Two servants in a house are bad enough, but with 

 three the case is hopeless. Four or five are some- 

 times resorted to after this, in the vain struggle for 

 relief — of all unfortunate liousekeepers these last 

 are most to be pitied. The general of an army has 

 a lighter task than the lady who attempts to man- 

 age four or five servants. 



Pride, self-indulgence, and idleness, lie at the 

 root of nearly all the troubles that atflict house- 

 keepers. Verily, we are in the hands of Philistines 

 who are despoiling wives and daughters of health, 

 and husbands aiul fathers of their substance. Not 

 one Vi^oinan in twenty is now able to rule her 

 house, nor one man in twenty sure of order and 



comfort in his home for three days in succession. 



The remedy for all this lies only in one direction. 

 Lady housekeepers must begin to work in an inverse 

 order in the matter of servants, and diminish, in- 

 stead of increasing the number. In every house 

 where there are two or more t-ervants, let the ex- 

 periment be triud of dismissing one, and dividing 

 her duties, if need be, among the growing up girls 

 of the household, if there are any such — the work 

 will do them good in mind and body. If additional 

 work falls on tlie mistress, it will, in four cases out 

 of five, be a useful change for her, and make her 

 feel better, mentally and physically. Such a gen- 

 eral dismissal of servants would help to bring 

 Biddy to Iter senses, and teach her a few lessons 

 that she greatly needs to learn. 



As to the doing of household work by delicate 

 and dainty hands, that now lie for hours each day 

 in fruitless idleness, the honor is all on the side of 

 doing. Idleness is always discreditable, and useful 

 work always honorable. — Arthur's Home Mag. 



ORIGINAL DOMESTIC RECEIPTS. 



[Written for the Genesee Farmer by various Correspondents.] 



Mangoes. — Just before early frosts, take all the 

 green muskmelons that you have, and cut out a 

 small slice from each, large enough to admit your 

 finger to take out the seeds. Then put the slice 

 back again in its place, and tie a string around the 

 melon to confine it. When all are done, put them 

 in salt and water for three or four days. Take small 

 vegetables of any kind, such as cucumbers, radish, 

 pods, onions, small unripe tomatoes, slices of car- 

 rtit and horseradish, and throw them into salt and 

 water. When the melons are ready, they can be 

 filled with these ingredients, with the addition of 

 two teaspoonsfuU of mustard seeds to each, and 

 covered with boiling vinegar. 



To Beat tue Whites of Eggs. — It is a mistaken 

 idea that is held by some housekeepers, that the 

 whites of eggs require beating for half an hour to 

 bring them to a foam. A stift' froth can be pro- 

 duced in less than five or even three minutes, by 

 beating rajndly without stopping from the tiuie you 

 conunence till done. 



To Pickle Pltjms. — To one quart of vinegar 

 allow a pound of common sugar, four tablespoons 

 of cinnamon and a little allspice. Boil these ingre- 

 dients together, and pour while hot over the plums. 

 The fruit should be nearly ripe. 



To Pickle Ripe Tomatoes Whole. — Put them 

 in a jar or barrel and pour cold vinegar over them. 

 Tie up some spice of any kind in a httle bag, and 

 put to them. They will keep all winter without 

 being tied up, and will be a delicious pickle. 



To MAKE Cake Light. — Reserve the whites of 

 eggs and the soda till after the other ingredients 

 are mixed. Then put in the soda, and the whites 

 after, and place in the oven immediately. 



To Whiten the Complexion. — To wash your 

 face in buttermilk every night before going to bed, 

 ii said to be an excellent cosmetic for the skin. 



Black Currants make an excellent preserve, 

 good for colds and sore throat. They do not take 

 much sugar, and will keep perfectly. 



