LADIES 5 DEPARTMENT. 
353 
ffaMcs’ ^Department. 
MAKING BUCKWHEAT-CAKES. 
Do, dear Jane mix up the cakes ; 
Just one quart of meal it takes ; 
Pour the water in the pot, 
Be careful that it’s not too hot; 
Sift the meal well through your hand, 
Thicken well—don’t let it stand; 
Stir it quick—clash—clatter— 
0'n, what light, delicious batter; 
Now listen to the next command ; 
On the dresser let it stand 
Just three-quarters of an hour, 
To feed the gentle rising power 
Of powders melted into yeast, 
To lighten well its precious feast. 
See, how it rises to the brim— 
Quick—take the ladle, dip it in, 
So let it rest until the fire 
Tbe griddle heats as you desire. 
Be careful that the coals are glowing, 
No smoke around its white curls throwing. 
Apply the suet softly, lightly— 
The griddle’s face shines more brightly. 
Now pour the batter on—delicious ! 
(Don’t, dear Jane, think me officious) 
But lift the tender edges slightly— 
Now turn it over, quickly, sprightly. 
’Tis done —now on white plate lay it. 
Smoking hot, with butter spread, 
’Tis quite enough to turn our head. 
Now 1 have eaten—thank the farmer 
That grows this luscious mealy charmer ; 
Yes, thanks to all—the cook that makes 
These light, delicious buckwheat-cakes.— Selected. 
HEATED ROOMS. 
Rooms heated with anthracite coal, and rooms 
heated with close stoves in which wood is burnt, 
have very dry atmospheres. The use of water in 
such rooms is very congenial to health, but the 
water should not be placed in an iron or tin vessel 
upon the stove, for the reason that it will undergo 
that degree of heat which will make its vapors of¬ 
fensive and injurious to breathe. It is as injurious 
to the human system to breathe putrid water vapors 
of this kind, as it is to breathe the vapors from 
stagnant ponds in hot weather. If water is used 
upon a stove, an iron pan should be made use of, 
and this filled with dry sand; in the sand set an 
earthen bowl filled "with clean water, which should 
be changed twice a day, and the bowl washed and 
kept as clean as if used for a drinking vessel. 
Where hard coal is burnt in a grate, a glass 
globe should be suspended in the room filled with 
clean pure water, and as the heated air rises to the top 
of the room, it will steadily evaporate the water and 
moisten the dry and heated air. Persons who pre¬ 
fer the atmosphere of salt water vapor, can add salt 
to the water, or if they prefer an aromatic atmo¬ 
sphere, they can add Cologne water, or any other 
perfume which they prefer. It is as important to 
have clean air for breathing as to have clean water 
for drinking. Basement rooms, where hard coal is 
burnt, should be frequently ventilated. Small chil¬ 
dren accustomed to stay in basement rooms find a 
bad air near the floor. This air should be removed 
by allowing the doors to be opened frequently to 
let in fresh air. A little care in these matters will 
tend wonderfully to comfort and enjoyment.— Ex. 
BUILDING COAL-FIRES. 
As anthracite is now used it makes a fire that is 
unpleasant, expensive, irregular in temperature, and 
productive of great dust and disagreeable and un¬ 
healthy gases, which are wafted about to the great 
inconvenience and annoyance of the inmates of 
every house in which it is used. If properly and 
judiciously used, the anthracite fire is of uniform 
temperature, free from deleterious gases and annoy¬ 
ing dust and ashes, and with a saving of from 
twenty to thirty per cent, as may be seen by the ex¬ 
periment. Anthracite should be carefully broken 
into uniform pieces of the size of a nut, and in 
building the fire in the morning as little charcoal or 
other kindlers used as will assist in starting the ig¬ 
nition with a blower. When the whole is well ig¬ 
nited, cover it with the cinders obtained by riddling 
or sifting the extinguished contents of yesterday’s 
grate, including those of the size of a pea, or even 
smaller. When this, too, has become partially 
ignited, the whole should be covered from an inch to 
an inch and a half, or even two inches thick, with a 
paste or mortar made by mixing the ashes sifted 
from the cinders with water to the consistence of 
mortar for plastering. The fire should be left in 
this situation undisturbed until almost bed-time, or 
until the room begins to get cool. The crust 
should then be broken into pieces of the size of an 
egg, levelled, well wet with water, beat or patted 
down into an even cover, and left until the next 
morning. Thus the poking of the fire is dispensed 
with altogether, and the only moving of the ashes 
is the removing them from the fire-place or grate 
into the hods to be carried out of doors, to be sifted 
preparatory to making the fire. Fires built in this 
manner are of even temperature, free from dust and 
disagreeable and deleterious gases, and at a saving 
of from twenty to thirty per cent, in the expense of 
coal. —Nat ional Intelligencer . 
RURAL PASTIMES BY SOCIAL LABOR—No. 2. 
Another example of comely amusement I shall 
mention, is to my mind a most delightful, as well 
as a most useful kind of recreation ; for those en¬ 
gaged in it carry home with them the heart-cheer¬ 
ing remembrance of a day well spent. In many 
places it is the custom, once or twice in a year, for 
the women to agree upon a time when they will 
have a party or bee at the house of their minis¬ 
ter ; and for many days previous they are quietly 
preparing for it by gathering materials to work 
with and upon, as well as provisions nominally for 
the day; but in reality enough to last for a long 
time after. Each one takes with her, according to 
her fancy or ability, a roast turkey or goose, a 
boiled ham or round of beef'—pies, cakes, and deli¬ 
cacies—a piece of sheeting, or suits of pretty cloth¬ 
ing for the baby; and to these offerings their good 
husbands or friends often add a barrel of flour, or the 
winter’s stock of potatoes. 
The youngest and most active present un¬ 
dertake the task of entertaining the company, by 
waiting on the table, and serving the guests, &c.,— 
others cut out and fit the work for the sewers, and 
thus with respectful cheerfulness the labor of love 
goes on, until amid the blessings and prayers of the 
grateful family they exhibit the day’s work—the 
shirts, aprons, frocks, and warm winter garments 
“for the household of faith”—remembering the 
command with promise, “ if thou hast much, give 
plenteously; if thou hast little, do thy diligence 
gladly to give of that little; for so gatherest thou 
thyself a good reward in the day of thine adversity ” 
Eutawah. E. S. 
