November, 1891 . 
191 
/ OR CHARD GARDEN 
/ ? . ■''V.' ,'A'*AAA/\Af <\A/v/\/- a»;\/ \a/W\A<\/'.AAAA/ JV'f 
AlUUUwUU ■ | j ' 8 ' S 
The Home Festival. 
HE good Ne>v England 
custom of having all 
the children and grand- 
children gather at the 
old homestead on 
Thanksgiving Day is 
now quite widespread. 
No other holiday is so 
universal a home festival as this, and rightly 
so, when we remember that, for two hun- 
dred and seventy years, American families 
1; have thus gathered together in token of 
especial gratitude to God. 
It is pathetic to consider the first Thanks- 
giving Days, with their abundant but plain 
food, coarse dishes, meagre comforts, rude 
furniture, and entire lack of luxuries. Yet 
it is doubtful if the day wi'l be celebrated in 
any home, in this year of our Lord eighteen 
hundred and ninety one, with the fervor 
and profit with which it was by those few 
brave men and women who sat down to the 
first Thanksgiving dinner, in sixteen hun- 
dred and twenty one. Their trials and 
sufferings had bound them closely together 
and united them in a feeling of complete 
dependence upon God. In the advance of 
civilization, and the greater luxuriance of 
our manner of life, there is danger that we 
shall forget the true meaning of the day. 
It is not sufficient to provide an abundant 
and elaborate dinner for our own family. 
If tne Lord has prospered us, and we are 
really thankful, we shall think of others 
less fortunate and shall share our good 
* things with I hem. 
" Not what we give, but what we share. 
For the gift without the giver is bare.” 
Thanksgiving Dainties. 
OYSTER FILLING FOR THE TURKEY. 
One quart of bread crumbs, stale and fine; 
half an onion, minced very fine; two dozen 
oysters, also chopped: a little powdered 
sage; pepper and salt to taste, a quarter of 
a pound of butter, melted, and poured over 
all. Mix thoroughly and fill the turkey 
loosely, as close packing will spoil the filling. 
CRANBERRY JELLY. 
Wash one quart of carelully-looked-over 
cranberries. Cover with cold water, and 
cook slowly, mashing thoroughly. Strain 
through a cloth, and allow a pound of sugar 
for every pint of juice. Stir till the sugar 
is dissolved; let it boil a minute, skim, and 
turn into a mold. 
NUT CAKE. 
* Rub a cup of butter to a cream: add slow- 
ly two cups of sugar, then the yolks of three 
eggs, one cup of milk, one teaspoon cloves, 
two of cinnamon, and three of baking pow- 
der in three cups of flour. Dredge with 
flour one cup of seeded raisins, one cup of 
citron cut in small pieces, two cups of hick- 
ory or butter nut meats. If it does not seem 
stiff enough, add more flour, then stir in 
lightly the frothed whites of the eggs. 
Bake one hour in a moderate oven. 
MACAROONS. 
The day before you wish to make the 
macaroons, blanch a pound of almonds. To 
do this, pour boiling water over them, and 
let them stand two or three minutes, then 
throw them into cold water. Now rub off 
the skins, and spread the nuts out to dry in 
a warming oven or wherever they will dry 
slowly. The next day, pound the almonds 
to a paste, adding a few drops of lose water. 
While still pounding, add slowly the white 
of an egg, then a pound and a half of pow- 
dered sugar, afterwards very gradually the 
whites of two more eggs. Line a pan with 
oiled or buttered paper, form the almond 
mixture into tiny balls and place quite far 
apart on the paper. Bake in a slow oven, 
A Handy Music Case. fig. 472. 
and do not remove from the paper until 
cold. If desired to make them quickly, the 
paste may be bought of a confectioner. 
SALTED ALMONDS. 
Blanch the almonds, and with tw r o cups 
full, use two table 'poonfuls of olive oil. 
Stir thoroughly and leave standing for one 
hour. The n sprinkle over them two table- 
spoonfuls of salt. Pour into a buttered tin 
and bake until brown, stirring occasionally. 
The oven should be only moderately warm. 
PEANUT CANDY. 
Shell two quarts of peanuts, rub off the 
brown skin, and break them open. Put two 
cups of granulated sugar into a hot frying 
pan and stir constantly. As soon as it be- 
comes liquid, stir in the nuts; and, almost 
immediately, turn out into buttered tins. 
Case For Music. 
It is to be hoped that there are no 
Orchard and Garden families without at 
least one musical member. A little music 
does a great deal towards making a home 
cheerful and attractive, while an interest in 
it has proved a safeguard for many a boy 
and girl. A taste for music should be culti- 
vated and developed in children: and even 
where there is no apparent talent, they 
should be trained to appreciate good music 
as well as to discriminate between good and 
bad. Where there are several children in a 
family, it is very pleasant to have them 
learn to perform upon different instruments, 
the violin, banjo, harp, and guitar, as well 
as the piano. Then they can have delight- 
ful family concerts, and will have another 
bond of sympathy and an added attraction 
tc their home. 
Now that music is so much cheaper than 
formerly, it accumulates with surprising 
rapidity, and soon it is a problem to know 
what to do with it. An exceedingly pretty 
cabinet, given to a musical young lady last 
Christmas, proved so acceptable and satis- 
factory that we give an illustration of it to 
our readers. 
The wood is ash of a fine quality. The 
lower part is divided into three partitions, 
the larger of which occupies one side and is 
arranged with shelves for sheet music, ex- 
ercise books, &c. Before this is a dainty 
China silu curtain, running on a rod but 
without rings. The lower two-thirds of the 
other side provides space for portfolios con- 
taining engravings and photographs of 
musical people, and other large books. This 
is protected by a door having a pretty scroll 
pattern in poker work. Above it is a shelf 
where are found the lives of famous compo- 
sers, and other books on musical topics. 
The upper part has also three partitions, the 
central being simply a deep space where 
rests a bust of Beethoven. Those at each 
side are little cupboards, protected by doors, 
also with poker designs; one having a banjo, 
the other a harp. The top may be used tor 
a lamp, flowers, or bric-a-brac as desired. 
The poker work is done by sketching the 
design on the wood with a lead pencil, and 
then running a hot poker along the lines, 
the effect being much prettier than would 
be imagined. 
Health Food. 
An exhibition of the greatest interest to 
American women was that of health foods, 
held in Boston last month; and all who 
were able to attend it considered themselves 
highly favored. 
Mr. Edward Atkinson illustrated the 
working of his Aladdin Oven and gave val- 
uable talks on the subject of scientific cook- 
ing, while Mrs. Ellen Richards explained 
the work of the New England Kitchen. It 
may not be generally known to our readers 
that this Kitchen is located in one of Bos- 
ton’s “ poor districts,” and is for the benefit 
of the working class. The cooking is all 
done in Aiaddin Ovens, and the well-cooked, 
wholesome foods are sold at low prices by 
the quart or pound, health bread being sold 
at five cents a loaf. Twenty seven varieties 
of food, from which to choose, are printed 
on the card, including several kinds of soup, 
chowders, and hash, beef stew, oatmeal and 
