1875 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
34t9 
other things, a big primer, gay with pictures of ani¬ 
mals, saying, “ and there is the picture-book for 
baby.”—I was surprised, since none of the older 
children had books last Christmas, and in answer 
to the expression of my face, “papa ” said, “ You 
wrote me to get him a story-book—isn’t that right ?” 
The book was all right, but I had never suggested 
it. As soon as there was leisure he consulted his 
chase two or three such suits, at a time when sew¬ 
ing-machine practice is often dangerous. These 
garments, which can he made looser or tighter at 
will, as corsets are drawn up or loosened, would 
save making any alterations in under clothes, and 
would be convenient in every way for mothers with 
young babes. 
Trying to Economize. 
tude that I am not cumbered with many “ nice 
things,” while my hands are busy with the babies ; 
it is so hard to take care of things that cannot, well 
be kept beyond the reach of children, but which 
children can easily despoil. 
TOYS 4 
Fig, 1.—PATTERN OF JACKET FOR JUMPER. 
letter of “ instructions,” and triumphantly showed 
me “ story hook.” Behold it was (or was meant to 
be) “ strong hook and elastic cord, so that a jumper 
may be baby’s Christmas present.” 
Since one who knows my hand-writing so well 
made such a funny mistake, I can’t blame either 
printer or proof-reader, if, in the June Agriculturist, 
I was made to speak of my children as “never- 
weaning,” instead of “ nerve-wearing ’’—the latter 
term being one which a relative applied to the little 
questioners. In this case, however, one term is al¬ 
most as applicable as the other. I try to write 
plain, but I often write in such haste that it is only 
surprising to me that my manuscripts do not get 
into print far more topsy turvey than is the case. 
In asking for an elastic strap, I had in mind such 
a rubber-strap as doors are sometimes supplied 
with, to ensure their prompt closing in musquito- 
time. None such was obtained, and the common 
cotton elastics supplied instead, did not answer. 
The simple spring-pole does work well. 
I give the jacket-pattern (fig. 1) with the fore¬ 
going description. My own is 27 inches around 
the bodjq and 19 inches from the middle of the 
back to the end of the piece that buttons up to 
the front. The whole jumper is shown in fig. 2. 
The Adaptability of (He New Under Garments. 
The “Emancipation Suit,” with its loosely-fitting 
basque-like waist, seems just the thing for a wo¬ 
man of good figure to wear in her usual condi¬ 
tion of health, but it 
seems open to some 
objections from moth¬ 
ers, who sometimes 
have to change the 
style of their clothing. 
The “ chemile ” is more 
simple in construc¬ 
tion, and made of com¬ 
mon bleached or un¬ 
bleached muslin, is no 
doubt quite comfort¬ 
able and convenient. It 
is more like the night 
drawers worn by chil¬ 
dren, quite loose about 
the waist. I have seen, 
however, a small mod¬ 
el, devised by the in¬ 
ventor of the emancipa¬ 
tion suit, of a garment 
made with especial 
reference to a woman’s 
comfort at a time when 
she has unusual need 
of- comfortable cloth- Fig. 2.— baby-jumper. 
ing. If such garments 
could he obtained ready made, (and I do not know 
but they are already furnished by the Dress Reform 
Committee, of Boston), I think that women who 
buy ready-made clothing, would be glad to pur- 
“ Why need you buy yeast cakes when you can 
make just as good yeast ? ”—says the old-fashioned 
housekeeper; and the modern housekeeper feels 
condemned for her extravagance, unless she stops 
to count the cost of home-made yeast, and com¬ 
pares the difference between that and the purchas¬ 
ed packages. I am told by those who have reckon¬ 
ed the expense of home-made yeast, that it is no 
cheaper than the yeast cakes sold at the shops, not 
counting the time and the trouble caused by yeast 
making at home. The trouble of making and 
keeping yeast is considerable, so it seems to me 
that housekeepers who have plenty of useful oc¬ 
cupation, need not feel at all conscience stricken 
on account of buying good yeast. For more than 
a year I have relied exclusively upon yeast cakes, 
and I have learned to place great confidence in 
them. Those that I use are made in a neighboring 
city, and have a good reputation in this part of the 
country. By observing the directions, printed upon 
the wrapper, one may be sure of good bread, pro¬ 
vided the flour is good and the kneading and bak¬ 
ing are properly done. 
And there is the clothes-line. I leave mine, a 
common fine rope, tied to the posts, week after 
week. I used to feel condemned for wasteful¬ 
ness, knowing that sunshine and rain would 
make the rope decay. But 
now I justify myself in this 
course. It takes too much 
time to put out and take in 
the clothes-line every week ; 
it is not worth the trouble. 
I am told that one rope 
will last a housekeeper’s life¬ 
time, if properly cared for. 
But I feel sure that my life¬ 
time would be a very short 
one, if I should pick up and 
carry every burden of that 
kind which I can see lying 
around, for the sake of sav¬ 
ing here a penny and there a 
penny. I refuse to sacrifice 
myself to that clothes-line. 
Besides I like to have it 
where I can use it at any mo¬ 
ment, for airing bed-clothes, 
or drying anything washed 
between regular washings. 
And there is the pin-paper. I have heard of one 
woman who has been married ten years, and had 
never used up the first paper of pins with which 
she began housekeeping. I often think of her, for 
now that my little girls are in the early stages of 
dolly dressing, pins are in such demand that one 
paper of pins scarcely lasts a month. It is strange 
where they go to, for I always pick up every pin I 
see when I sweep, and each child has a pin-ball or 
a pin-cushion to cany all that it can find upon the 
floor. I know that if all the buttons were in their 
places on all of the little garments, fewer pins 
would get lost, but there are so many buttons to 
look after ! Couldn’t I make the two eldest chil¬ 
dren begin already to sew buttons on their own 
clothes ? I can’t refuse the children pins, though 
I know they lose almost as many as I furnish, but 
little by little they learn to use them more carefully. 
Presently there will be the same trouble about 
needles, when the girls have fairly begun to make 
their dolls’ clothing. I think they must have their 
own needles, with safe places for keeping them, 
and not touch mamma’s needles and thread without 
permission. To refuse to let small children have 
pins and needles to use—as the manner of some is— 
seems to me not economical, but stingy. 
Economy is an excellent thing, and very neces¬ 
sary for most of us to practice, but good judgment 
must go along with it. I often express my grati¬ 
Sei»teml»er. 
In our notes of the months you have seen that they 
have been named either after some person, or after some 
heathen deity. In olden times several of the months 
were known by numbers ; we told you that August was 
formerly the sixth month, but that it was changed to 
flatter Mr. Augustus. The seventh month, the year be¬ 
ginning with March, was called September, septem being 
the Latin for seven, and fortunately no Roman emperor 
has taken away the name and put his own in its place— 
fortunately, because September is a good, round, full 
sounding name, and a great deal pleasanter to the ear 
than July or August. In September the Jewish year be¬ 
gins, for you know that the Jews have their own way of 
times and seasons; with them the 12th of this month 
will be the beginning of 5634. How strange it must 
seem to have New Year’s day at that time, and when our 
year is approaching its end, to be talking about beginning 
the year, and to wish one “A happy New Year” when 
the days are warm and flowers are plenty. September is 
the season of ripeness, the time of growth is over, and 
the red cheeks on the peaches and apples, the bright tints 
on the sumachs, and a hundred other signs, show that 
summer is over—yes, and in this month, too, school be¬ 
gins, and vacation is over as well as the summer. Now 
for the books and studies, which will be taken up with 
new interest after the long rest. 
What Is Papyrus ? 
A little miss, who has found papyrus mentioned in one 
of her books, wishes to know what it is. Papyrus, in 
the first place, is the name of a plant, and secondly, the 
name of a kind of paper made from it. Indeed, it was 
the very first paper; before this, the little writing that 
was done, was upon tablets of stone or wood, plates of 
lead, and even layers of wax. Papyrus was not only the 
first paper, but it gives the name to the kind we now use. 
Our word paper comes from papyrus, which is an ancieut 
Greek name. Before I describe how papyrus was made, I 
must first t.cll yon something about the plant itself; it 
has been called a 'grass and a rush, but it is neither, but a 
sedge, which grows in the Nile and other rivers. We 
have a plenty of sedges in this country, but none of them 
so large as the papyrus; some of them at first sight seem 
very much like grasses, but a close look at them will 
show that they are very different. The stems of grasses 
are never three-cornered, while those of the sedges usu¬ 
ally are, and when you come across a grassy-looking 
plant that has a three-cornered stem, you will be pretty- 
safe in saying that it is a sedge, and belongs to the same 
family with the papyrus. In my greenhouse I keep a 
number of plants just to show my young friends who 
come to see me ; I have the tea-plant, the coffee-plant, the 
pepper-plant, and others that are interesting, because 
they are useful, and among other curious plants is the 
papyrus, or paper-reed. I formerly used to plant it out 
in the lawn, where it makes a very fine show, but the 
autumn winds break it so badly, that I have concluded to 
keep it in the house altogether. I have said that the 
plant grew in rivers, and you will wonder, how a water- 
No. 445.— Puzzle Picture.— The cat does not see it. Do you ? 
