22 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[January, 
lot, a little of my experience and observation in 
the olden time, I am quite sure they would cease 
tlieir murmuring. Between the Greek and the 
American woman, there is a long reach upward, 
that it is difficult for the present generation to 
comprehend, because they have no practical 
acquaintance with a'different state of society. 
In this favored age and country, woman is no 
more doomed to the cc-arsc rude toil of the fields, 
the companion of brutes. She is the wife and 
companion of man, generally of the man who 
appreciates her worth, and makes her the mis¬ 
tress of his home and of his affections. She is 
no more an unlettered drudge, with no thought 
beyond the present day and scene of her activi¬ 
ty. She has had the advantages of the schools, 
and the world of letters with all its joys is open 
to her. There is more to quicken thought in a 
single newspaper that comes every day, or every 
week to her home, than ail that a Greek woman 
read, or heard read, in her life time. She is 
linked by a thousand ties with the great world 
outside of her home, and feels that she is a part 
of society. 
She has far more elevated hopes for herself 
and for her children. The schools are theirs, 
and the humblest mother upon the free acres of 
this favored land has as cheering prospects for 
her children, as the most favored. There is no 
barrier of caste for them to break through. She 
knows that a farmer’s home lias nurtured the 
proudest names upfon the pages of the history 
of the country, and slic may help to fill its fu¬ 
ture pages with the Washingtons and Frank¬ 
lins of a coming generation. Ro work can be 
drudgery, that prepares the way for the realiz¬ 
ation of her cherished hopes. She may toil 
early and late, but it is blessed toil. She will 
live again in the lives of her children. 
Ro error is more common, I find, than to sup¬ 
pose that another’s lot is more, favored than our 
own. Mrs. Jones, the farmer’s partner, envies 
Mrs. Smith, the wife of the merchant. She 
thinks it must be delightful to have a store of 
her own to run to, and have all the nice things 
without money and price. She has no butter 
and chccso to make, no milk to look after, no 
large family to cook for, and no such lot of 
clothes to wash every week. Mrs. Smith, on the 
other hand, envies Mrs. Jones her neat white 
limn house in the country, with ample front 
yards and orchards, and acres of green grass 
and Summer flowers, her inexhaustible patch 
of strawberries, and her sweet cream and irre¬ 
proachable butter, all without money and price. 
She does wish she could have such a range for 
her children. She will he so glad when her 
husband has made money enough to go into fine 
country and live independently as a farmer. 
Every man knows more of his own lot than 
of his neighbor’s, and, of course, feels more its 
evils. But there is no perfect happiness of con¬ 
dition for mortals, and wc shall err less, if we 
believe Jhat our lot, whatever it may he, is more 
nearly perfect than our neighbor’s. It is gener¬ 
ally much better than we deserve, and probably 
the kindest lot that could have fallen to us, con¬ 
sidering our characters. If wc look at it light¬ 
ly, there is much in it to he thankful for, and its 
burdens will grow lighter as we accept them, 
and make them our own. 
In the single fact of independence which be¬ 
longs pre-eminently to farm life, there is ample 
compensation fi>r all its ills. The mechanic too 
often does not own his home. The merchant 
nine times cut of ten fails in business and his splen¬ 
dor is short lived. The farmer’s home, howev¬ 
er humble, is his own, and all the broad acres 
are the possession of his family for life, unless 
they choose to alienate thorn. I was much hap¬ 
pier in my tub, than Alexander in his palace, 
for the king and his home belonged to the na¬ 
tion, though he, unhappy monarch, labored un¬ 
der the delusion, his life long, that the Greeks 
belonged to him. The tub was mine, and all 
the sunshine that fell upon it; if in any way the 
sunshine got obstructed, it was easy to move 
my habitation to where light was plenty. 
The first element of success in the life of a 
farmer’s wife is, that she accept her lot as the 
kindest tiling that coidd have been ordered for 
her, that she magnify her office, and make tiie 
most of it If there ho in her a willing mind, 
she will'find in her position and in her routine 
of duties, enough to develop her womanhood, 
ample opportunity for her to make the most of 
herself as a wife and mother, and as a woman. It 
is something to fill these offices well, and to min¬ 
ister to the daily happiness and comfort of a 
household. As a means of livelihood this busi¬ 
ness is as respectable, and as good in its influ¬ 
ence upon the mind and heart, as any other. 
Cooking is a philosophic art, and she knows 
much, who learns to do it well. The making 
of butter and cheese requires tact and skill, and 
contributes something to the well being of soci¬ 
ety. It is more than the gift of a cup of water, 
which has its reward. These and kindred arts 
of the good housewife contribute to the thrift 
and prosperity of tlie farmer. They help make 
a substantial and comfortable livelihood which 
is the material basis out of which grow all do¬ 
mestic virtues and graces. She who would 
shine as something more than a farmer’s wife 
or dairy maid, should first shine in these capac¬ 
ities. Shilling milk pans, pails, and cheese 
tubs, a neat kitchen and table, the clean bright 
faces of happy children are good omens for bril¬ 
liancy iu other quarters. So thinketh Diogenes. 
A €4ood Chicken Pie. 
This, if well made, is one of the most accept¬ 
able of “chicken fixings.” A correspondent 
sends tiie following directions, to the Ameri¬ 
can Agriculturist. Joint the chicken, thoroughly 
cleanse all the parts, and boil the pieces in just 
sufficient water until tender. Take them put, 
and add to the liquor, butter, pepper and salt to 
the liking : some also put in wine and addition¬ 
al spices. Line the sides of a deep dish with 
ordinary paste or pie crust, lay in the chicken, 
pour over it the liquor, and distribute about the 
dish a. dozen halls the size of a walnut made of 
butter and flour worked together. Cover with 
paste, pinch it well together about the edges, 
hut leave an opening in the center for the steam 
to escape. The top crust may he ornamented 
according to the fancy. Bake in a quick oven 
until the crust is well done. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
Eoned Turkey. 
This noble bird, the pride of American tables, 
can not'casily be recognised after undergoing 
the culinary process termed “ boning;” but for a 
cold relish nothing more acceptable need be 
sought. It is a favorite dish at evening parties. 
It may be thus prepared: Boil a Turkey in ns 
little water as may he, until the bones can bo 
easily separated from the moat. Remove a]l (he 
skin ; cut the meat in thin slicc3, mixing togeth¬ 
er the light and dark parts. Season with salt 
and pepper. Take the liquid in which the tur¬ 
key was boiled, having kept it warm, pour it 
on the meat, and mix well. Shape it like a loaf 
of bread, wrap it in cloth and press with a 
heavy weight for a few hours. When served 
up it is cut in thin slices. 
-- - --- ♦“«» - 
More Good Puddings. 
Delicious Pudding. — Contributed to the 
American Agriculturist , and rightly named as 
we liayo proved. Bake coipmon sponge 
cake in a flat bottomed pudding dish. (Several 
may be prepared at one time, as they are quite 
as good when a few daj’s old, and very dry.) 
When desired for use, cut it into sixths or 
eighths, split each piece, butter them, and re¬ 
turn them to their places in the dish. Make a 
custard with four eggs to one quart of milk, 
season and sweeten to the taste, and pour it 
over the cake. Bake half an hour. The cake 
will swell and fill the custard. 
Cottage Pudding. —Contributed to the Ag¬ 
riculturist by a lady friend—we can endorse it 
from trial. Stir well together, 1 pint of flour, 1 
teaspoonful o f butter, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoonful soda, 
2 teaspoonfuls cream tartar, and 1 tcacupful of 
sweet milk. Put in a deep pan, and bake half 
an hour. Serve up Avith sauce made to the taste. 
Wheat Fnoun Pudding.— Very nice. For 
baling , use 1 qt. milk, 9 eggs, 9 table spoonfuls 
of flour, and 1 teaspoonful of salt. For boiling , 1 
qt. flour, 1 qt. milk, 5 eggs, 1 teaspoonful of salt. 
A Plate of Cakes. 
Contributed to the Agriculturist by modest 
subscribers who withhold their names. 
New Year’s Cake. — Stir together Is lbs. 
Avliite sugar and j 11). of butter. Dissolve a small 
teaspoonful of pearlush in 1 pint of milk and add 
to the butter and sugar. Stir in 3 lbs. flour and 
2 tablcspoonfuls of caraway seeds. Roll about 
half an inch thick, .cut in small cakes, and bake 
in a quick oven. These are good says one of 
the editors Avho has proved them. 
Ginger Snaps. — Rub together 1 cup of but¬ 
ter (or half butter and half lard,) and one of su¬ 
gar, adding a ltltle flour. Mix this Avith 2 cups 
of molasses in Avhibh a teaspoonful of soda has 
been well stirred. Add 1 cup of water, and 
spice to the taste, beating the Avliolc very thor¬ 
oughly ; after which Avork in flour enough to 
make them mold easily. Roll thin, cut small, 
and bake in a quick oven. 
J UAim.ES avith out Eggs. — 2 cups sugar, 1 of 
butter, 1 of milk and Avater, 1 teaspoonful es¬ 
sence lemon, 1 do. cream tartar, A do. soda. 
- -- - 
A Batch of Pies. 
A good “housekeeper” in Middletoivn, Ct., con¬ 
tributes the folloAving items to the Agriculturist : 
Gkaokkr Mince Pie.—F or four pics of com¬ 
mon size, break five large crackers into a pint of 
warm Avater ; add iy cups of butter, y cup mo¬ 
lasses, y cup vinegar, y cup chopped raisins, 2 
cups sugar, Avitli cinnamon, cloves, and salt to your 
taste. [Rather a rich pie for a Avcalc stomach !J 
Cream Pies. — Take one quart of ( hick cream and 
stir in one avcU beaten ogg, dusting in flour if the. 
cream bo not too thick. Sweeten to your liking, 
flavoring Avith lemon juice. If the ercanl is very 
thick, the egg can be omitted. [A “glorious” rich 
pie, this, for those Avho have iho cream. (People 
in this City and Brooklyn, will find Borden’s Con¬ 
densed milk an excellent substitute for cream.) A 
custard pic Avith milk and eggs, Avith a little flour 
dusted in, Avhieh is usually a good addition, Ave be- 
