•414 
AMERICAN AGRICULTUEIST. 
[November, 
and making' all the ends meet ; the skill to be 
evinced in extracting the greatest amount of com- 
fort from supplies on hand; the ability to make 
every hour of my time tell upou the happiness of 
those I love, or the growth of our fortunes — these 
seem better to me, and happier, than all the fash- 
ions of cities, the delights of theatres, the vanities 
of dress, or the splendors of wealth. 
The substantial results of my first year's indus- 
try I can sum up as follows ; With Edward's rainy- 
day assistance, I have made a mattress, and an 
extremely neat and comfortable sitting room 
lounge. My needle and sewing machine have done 
my own sewing and made all my husband's and 
my own new winter clothing. I have made three 
hundred and twenty pounds of butter, and twelve 
fifteen-pound cheeses. I have four dozen and a half 
cans of preserved fruit. On the lower shelf of my 
store closet there is a lar^g jar of tomato preserve, 
a smaller one of strawberry, one of quince, a large 
jar of quince and apple, and several quarts of man- 
ufactured honey. A large paper bag I have filled 
with dried corn, and another with dried apples. The 
pigs we saved from infantile death stand in tny 
sitting room in the form of one of Wheeler & Wil- 
son's best. A rug so handsome that every one con- 
siders it bought at the store, lies before our sitting- 
room fire. Two quilts add warmth to Sue's bed, 
and that of our hired man. 
Have I been happy ? I've been too happily busy 
to think whether I was enjoying myself or not, 
but upon retrospect, I must pronounce it by far 
the most delightful year of my life. 
Leaves from My Journal.— No. IX. 
TEIZB ESSAY BY MRS. B. H'CLELLAN, OF OHIO. 
November. — The glory of the Dahlias has depart- 
ed. They look as if mourning that their reign is 
over. But they have well performed their part, 
and given us some useful lessons. Now, some fine 
day, let the bulbs be exposed to the sun and air 
until well dried, and thcu put in the cellar for safe 
keeping until another season of flowers. Roses 
need not be covered yet. They bear the cold well. 
Eveu the choice monthlies designed for the winter 
sitting room, must not be hurried into close, warm, 
quarters. They had better stand on the porch 
awhile. But notice the Chrysanthemums. Now 
is their time of triumph. Jack Frost cannot make 
them bend to him. Among the early snows they 
blossom still. What a bright "good morning" they 
give us after one of these biting nights. What 
mysterious principle of life is theirs ? So frail and 
yet so strong ! Emblems of immortality. Thus 
the good man's soul, when its surroundings die, 
plumes its pinions for that clime where "ever- 
lasting spring abides, and never fading flowers." 
The cars furnish a good place for the study of 
human nature. How involuntarily we sit in judg- 
ment upon the characters of our fellow travelers ! 
How trifling an act will cause them to rise or fall 
iu our esteem ! Is there some strange magnetic 
influence by which we are attracted or repelled, or 
is it only the offshoot of plain common sense ? 
I was on board for a night trip. In the absence 
of sleeping cars, the passengers had arranged them- 
selves as best they could. Some had generously 
appropriated two entire seats,-and with the aid of 
coat, shawl, carpet bag, etc., seemed likely to pass 
a comfortable night. Others sat crowded and erect. 
One little company soon attracted my attention. 
The man had evidently taken good care of number 
one. Stretched at full length upon the seat he 
was enjoying a serene snooze. Opposite sat his 
wife and baby. How tired she looked as the hours 
went on ! Occasionally she would snatch a nap, but 
:i!l the while holding the little one in her arms, — 
with such a care at her heart she could not sleep 
long. I had no patience with Lazybones, as I in- 
wardly named him, and put it down in my own 
mind that he ought not to have a wife or baby 
either. At length, opening one eye dreamily, it 
c haueed to fall upon them in the corner, when 
presto, change ! He rose at once, gave one good 
stretch to his cramped limbs, prepared upon part 
of his seat a nice bed for baby, took it tenderly 
from its mother's arms, and laid it down without 
waking it Then, arranging coats and shawls with 
dispatch, his weary wife sank down upon them with 
such a trusting, grateful look that I knew her bur- 
den was gone — and so it proved. Till broad day- 
light she slept, apparently without one anxious 
thought. And well she might. Did baby wake,— 
strong arms were ready for it, and gently was it 
soothed to rest. Faithful, untiring sentinel that he 
was ! I really felt like shaking hands and begging 
pardon for my harsh judgment at first. But con- 
sidering that this would place me in an embarrass- 
ing situation, I resolved to be more deliberate in 
forming an opinion of the character of others, and 
write this down to deepen the impression. 
I have been turning a pair of sheets to-day. It 
is good economy, as they will last a third longer. 
After they become thin aud worn in the middle, 
rip open the seam, sewing the opposite sides to- 
gether. My good, prudent mother, taught me this, 
aud I can never feel quite easy until it is doue. 
Graham bread should be freely eaten through the 
winter mouths. If rightly made it is both healthy 
and palatable. It should not be stiff enough to 
mould, but only so thick as to be conveniently stir- 
red with a spoon. Set a sponge as for other bread. 
After rising, add one half teacupful of molasses, 
(some prefer it not so sweet,) and one teaspoonful 
soda, to sponge sufficient for one loaf. Thicken 
with flour as above. If kept moderately warm it 
will soon be ready for baking. It is even better 
when fresh sour milk can be had, to be stirred up 
with that, (adding more soda,) and baked at once. 
Composition Calce. — Three eggs, one-half teacup- 
ful of butter, one aud a half of sugar, two and a half 
of flour, one-half cupfulsweet milk, one teaspoonful 
of cream of tartar, one-half teaspoonful of soda, a 
little salt. This is sufficiently rich for almost any 
occasion. Flavored and frosted it is a good loaf 
cake. Baked in shallow pans it is nice for jelly 
cake, or in patty paus for fancy cake. It is a con- 
venient aud reliable rule for the housekeeper. 
A favorite and simple cake is the raised cake. 
Take one coffee cup of light bread dough, add one 
egg, one cup of sugar, one-half cup of butter, a little 
salt and nutmeg, one-half teaspoonful of soda, and 
raisins, if desired. Mix all together with the hand 
very smooth. Let it stand half an hour, and bake. 
I have received some bracketts and a card rack 
from Nellie, which are very pretty. They are made 
of cigar boxes, [I am glad these, for once, can be 
put to a respectable use,] cut with a knife into 
fanciful shapes, and varnished. They can be ar- 
ranged in clusters, or scattered about the walls 
surmounted with a delicate vase of flowers, choice 
shells, or anything ornamental. Her letter gives' a 
description of a Sabbath School she had visited. 
It is held iu a pleasant hall in town, secured for the 
purpose. Bracketts adorn the walls, with vases 
of flowers in their season. Wreaths and mottoes 
of evergreen here and there—" Get wisdom ;" "He 
shall gather the lambs in His arms ;" " Enter His 
gates with thanksgiving ;" "Love. one another." 
A recess iu one part of the room for the infant 
class Above it this motto — "The Bird's Nest." 
A fountain iu front of the desk. Three or four in- 
struments accompany the voices in their songs of 
praise. It is refreshing thus to see the beautiful 
made to serve the good. 
Dreary, desolate, chill, November. The verdure 
has gone from the meadow, the trees have dolled 
their royal robes, the skies are gray and leaden. 
We shiver about, saying winter has not yet come, 
aud knowing too well we are not prepared for its 
coming. Youug people linger to chat upon the 
streets, but with blue lips, and red noses, and chills 
that curdle the blood. Benny runs in from his 
play, and though stoutly protesting he is not cold 
at all, his fingers are red as cherries, and he joins 
the rest encircling the stove, no doubt to keep 
that warm. True winter has not come. It is 
not summer, neither is it spring. Can it be au- 
tumn ? It is not sleighing, neither is it decent 
wheeling. There is no pleasure in riding, none in 
walking. Well, well, can nothing be said iu its 
praise? Do neither moon nor stars appear? Ah, 
nestled somewhere among its thirty revolving suns 
is one dear day, so bright aud gladsome, that with 
a halo of beauty, it illumes the rest, redeeming the 
whole to the rights and honors of the sisterhood 
of months Thanksgiving Day ! How timely its 
coming, how beneficent its missiou ! How fitting 
that with grateful hearts we enter into the courts 
of the Lord, and " sing praises unto Him with the 
timbrel and harp!" " Let everything that hath 
breath praise the Lord." The native born New 
Englander, though thousands of miles, it may be, 
from the old homestead, welcomes and celebrates 
its annual return. How busy are his thoughts with 
the memories of childhood ! Father aud mother, 
brothers and sisters, again surround the family 
board. The portly turkey has the chief place of 
honor, while at its right the chicken pie of ample 
dimensions modestly bides its time. Vegetables 
of all kinds send up their grateful incense, and 
cranberry sauce, jellies, pickles and celery give va- 
riety to the scene. But to the child the next course 
has a more thrilling pleasure. Plum pudding now 
has the place of the turkey, while circled about it 
are choice flaky pies of every conceivable kind. 
Willie has often before been put off with the smaller 
half of one piece. Now look at his plate! He 
thinks he will take some of each, and mother re- 
plies he shall have just as much as he wants. Of 
course he can't dispose of it all, but how sagely he 
reasons that it might make him sick, aud he'll not 
be such a fool as to spoil all the fun in that way. 
Now hurrah for play! With pants tucked into 
boots, with mittens and muffler, with sled aud 
skates too, was there ever a boy so happy as he ! 
The youug people of the neighborhood come in for 
the evening, aud gathering round the fireside crack 
nuts and joke? together. Little Lucy, with the blue 
eyes aud flaxen curls, whom Willie in his own mind 
pronounces by far the handsomest lady (?) in the 
room, he gallantly offers to draw home on his sled, 
and thus ends the programme of Thanksgiving Day 
years ago. We care not to draw a parallel between 
it and that of the present. Its delights seem ever 
new, and each return demands a richer and more 
grateful offering for the mercies of auother year. 
Now, surely, winter is just at hand. Flannel 
wrappers aud drawers, woolen stockings, and sub- 
stantial shoes and boots, must forthwith be put in- 
to service. They cost something indeed — but not 
so much as a cold aud cough that no doctor's skill 
can arrest, not so much as a new made grave aruon<* 
the snows, the vacant place at the tabie, aud the 
broken hearts of the bereaved. 
But now fares it with the poor and unfortunate ? 
Cannot a few garments be spared from our comfort- 
able stock ? Cannot words of tender sympathy 
and encouragement be spoken, or useful hints, that 
shall stimulate to truer economy, and more hopeful, 
persevering labor. — "Inasmuch as ye have done it 
unto one of these, ye have done it unto Me," 
An Oltl Housekeeper's Advice to 
all young housekeepers in the country is to furnish 
their rooms with good Ingrain carpets, (all wool). 
Don't deceive yourself with the economical idea of 
rag or hemp carpets. The clean floor is greatly pref- 
erable. Those who arc averse to scrubbing could 
have painted floors. The shade of newly planed pine 
boards, it seems to me, would be appropriate for the 
floor of the common room, dark colors showing the 
dust, and giving a gloomy appearance to the room. 
For the same reasons, select a carpet not too dark. 
4xi a a.liam ISreatl. — To every quart of un- 
bolted wheat meal add one cup: of molasses, aud 
one tablespoonful of lard or butter. Make it up 
with milk and yeast. When risen, work in a little 
soda, make it into loaves, raise again, and b;ike. 
©inger Drops. — Two tahlespoonfuls of 
molasses, one of lard, half a cup of sour milk, one 
teaspoonful of soda. Will be better with one egg. 
but can be made without. Flour enough to make 
a batter that will drop easily. Bake quickly. 
Poor Man's CaBce= — One tablespoonful 
of butter, one egg, one cup of sugar, one of sweet 
milk or cream, one teaspoouful of soda and two of 
cream of tartar, mixed dry iu two cups of flour. 
