18a 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
pots and kettles, knives and forks, and all the 
etceteras,—never forgetting those precious jars 
and cans that mother had sent,—were to be duly 
arranged. At home the preserves were always 
kept on the topmost shelf—why, we •perhaps can 
not tell—so they must go there now, though we 
had to climb upon a chair, and lift until our arms 
ached to get them up. The glass ware and chi¬ 
na for extra occasions occupied the next highest 
place, followed by the common dishes, and so on 
down to the kettles in the corner, and the coffee 
mill behind the door. It took a world of contriv¬ 
ing and arranging before the final approving look 
was given, and then with an importance that none 
hut a young housekeeper can know, the door was 
locked and the key safely put, we thought—we 
were sure—in our pocket, but alas ! it never was 
found again, and that was the first but not the 
last vexation over the pantry. It were useless 
to speak of the intrusive ants that came in, no 
one knew how, to pepper the cake and spice the 
sugar; of the roaches that shot like little imps 
over the shelves and into their hiding places ; and 
the provoking mice that played such tricks with 
our pastry, and with our nerves—these alas ! have 
not all passed away. 
I have learned one or two things in pantry ex¬ 
perience valuable to me, perhaps to others. It 
should be large and airy. Time enough is wast¬ 
ed and dishes enough broken in a “cluttered’’ 
up little closet, to pay for the room needed, even 
if comfort and good temper are not counted. 
Anybody’s nasal organs if at all sharp, will prove 
the necessity of free ventilation. The shelves 
should be movable, so that they may be taken 
down and scrubbed, and the wall behind them 
properly whitewashed. It is well to have them 
numbered by notches or otherwise, so that they 
can be readily replaced. Ants may be kept out 
by making the shelves of black-walnut. For mice 
we have found nothing equal to toasted cheese. 
They are very fond of it. The proper way to give 
it is in a small wire trap. A few doses, occa¬ 
sionally, will suffice. The roaches dislike hot 
water exceedingly, and it is said that elderberry 
bark, powdered finely and distributed about their 
haunts, will drive them away ; I have not tried it. 
Cleanliness is a good preventive. Instead of 
placing the preserves on the top shelf and risking 
broken limbs and jars whenever they are wanted, 
I have found it better to have a locker or tight 
box made in one corner of the pantry, which can 
be securely closed. A few drawers, in which 
knives and forks, spoons, spices, etc., can be kept 
safely, are convenient But more hereafter. 
Betsev. 
My First Bread. 
[Many lady readers of the Agriculturist will no 
doubt be forcibly reminded of their own first es¬ 
says and failures in housekeeping—the remem¬ 
brance of which, as in this case, may now excite 
a smile, hut at the time, they were very weighty 
matters, especially the bread. Our fair corres¬ 
pondent thus tells her own story.— Ed ] 
“ Our first barrel of flour was the dearest we 
have ever used, though the prices now, are just 
double what they were when we commenced 
housekeeping. The first bread I made, had a 
streak through the center, about an inch wide, 
that cut like green cheese. How my spirits sank 
as I cut it fo*r tea. It was too late to prepare 
anything that would take the place of bread. The 
only alternative was toasting; but it betrayed the 
making. You may judge what my feelings were 
as ‘William’ took the first slice, for I could not 
summon courage enough to pass it to him ; but 
with the gentle courtesy of those first days of 
married life, he said, ‘do not be discouraged with 
the first effort, you will be more successful the 
next lime.’ How my heart thanked him for those 
kind words. 
The next day I made my second attempt; this 
time I was determined to have it light. I put in 
an extra quantity of yeast; wet it up with so 
much water to so much flour, etc , according to 
rule, and set it by, to rise. I watched it carefully, 
and it began to look spongy and light. After 
letting it remain a while longer, I broke the sur¬ 
face to commence molding, when a pungent acid 
smell arose from it; but as I continued to mold 
it, it seemed to subside, and I felt encouraged 
that my bread would be palatable. Then came 
the baking, (but who ever baked bread nice and 
brown out of sour dough,) my oven was hot 
enough I was sure ; but after an hour’s watching 
and waiting, it showed no signs of browning, and 
was, though hard, of a pale livid hue ; and that 
same sour smell greeted my nostrils as I turned 
one of the loaves from the pan. I gave up in tears. 
Vexed at my own ignorance and childishness, I 
determined to go to mother for advice, so I wiped 
off my tears and went home to tea, leaving a note 
for William to come aud join me when he left 
business. While there I related to them my ex¬ 
perience. Anna, my eldest sister, advised me to 
make biscuit the next day, and she would soon 
come and assist me, to make bread. 
With a light heart I procured the materials for 
the biscuit, thinking I would surprise W., as I 
knew he was very fond of them. As I used sour 
milk, I recollected that I was to add saleratus 
until it was sweet, and the thought of tl.e sour 
bread made me rather lavish of the alkali : I made 
up my cakes and baked them (you are laughing at 
me). I assure you I did not laugh when I took 
them from the oven. If my bread would not 
brown, these certainly had a livelier hue ; for they 
were green, green as an olive. I betook myself 
to batter, and with the aid of eggs and milk suc¬ 
ceeded in preparing quite an acceptable tea-table. 
The next day Anna came to assist me, but I 
made my own bread, for I began to see, that we 
learn more by actual operation, than by dry rules 
or observation. So with Anna’s experience and 
my own exertions I succeeded in placing upon 
my table for the first time, good, light, wholesome 
bread of my own making. Makv C. 
Woman’s Wages. 
[In October last, the following item was inserted to fill 
out a column: “We don’t. —If any one knows why a 
woman should teach or do any other good work, for half 
what a man would receive for the same service, let him 
give the world the benefit of his knowlege : but if none 
can give a good reason for this disparity, then all should 
unite to remove it as injurious and unjust.”-This para¬ 
graph called out several communications, which we had 
no room for at the time. Some of them w e laid by for fu¬ 
ture consideration, among which was the one below. 
We do not propose to throw open the gate for the admis¬ 
sion of a rambling or lengthy discussion on the general 
subject of “ Women's Rights,” but a few brief, well-con¬ 
sidered thoughts on the appropriate labors of woman, and 
especially the proper remuneration therefor, will not be 
out of place in these columns.— Ed.] 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist 
There is a question, of your own propounding 
I conclude, in the last Agriculturist, which strikes 
me as lacking in knowledge of the world and the 
laws of society. You ask “why a woman should 
not have the same wages for doing the same 
work as a man 1’’ Provided she does it as well, 
as I suppose you intended to bo understood. 
Why, Sir, don’t you see that if women were paid 
equally with men, there would be some chance 
for them to lay by something every year, so that 
after a time they could make a home for them¬ 
selves, where and as they pleased ; and don’t you 
see what effect such a state of things might be 
supposed to have upon the health and spirits, the 
freedom from anxiety for that future, when ill 
health and age prevent earning a livelihood! 
Then, too, another point of vital importance 
you must have overlooked. Not nearly as many 
men could get wives if women were sure of ease 
and competency, for I believe three-fifths of the 
women who marry after twenty-five, do so for a 
home and comfortable support. Too many of 
that number, alas, for a home and support only. 
Perhaps one-fifth of the remainder retain the 
heart of their girlhood, and marry because God 
gives them that crown and glory to their woman¬ 
hood. The other one-fifth, because they have not 
forgotten the dreams of their teens, that “old 
maids are abominable.” Why, what a revolution 
in society would be made, if your question was 
heeded and acted upon ! There might be ten 
true 'marriages where there is one now, for poor 
mothers would not have to educate their daugh¬ 
ters that they must marry to escape the toil and 
struggle which had been their portion ; and girls 
of good sense and education could afford to wait 
for the twin soul of God's appointment, and not 
get. discouraged after a few years of teaching or 
other labor, because only with their utmost exer¬ 
tions the claims of society as to dress and living, 
are met. Women might grow ambitious and 
worldly, too, if money accumulated in their bands, 
as some men do ; or might have higher aims than 
bickering with help, or gossiping over Mr.-’s 
attentions to Miss Such-an-one, if money increased 
in their hands. 
Then, what could a woman do with money in 
the same proportion as men! She does not al¬ 
ways have a brother to send to college, or pooi- 
parents to help, perhaps, by paying off the mort¬ 
gage on the farm, or an invalid mother to support 
altogether, or brothers and sisters, neices and ne¬ 
phews to help to an education, and on in the 
world. And then, the treasuries of benevolent 
societies might uncomfortably overflow, and chari¬ 
ties of all sorts be unpleasantly diminished, for 1 
believe it is generally acknowledged that women 
are generous according to their means. But, pos¬ 
sibly, wages equal to men’s might change their na¬ 
ture to that of some men ; in which case, the last- 
named danger would be averted. 
Some poor girls struggle and toil for an educa 
lion, as some poor men do, but don’t you see that 
if they were able to pay for it by a few years' 
teaching and preaching, as men do, they would 
be independent too soon ; be able to have a home 
of their own, even if they did not marry ; or to 
make comfortable, or perhaps luxurious, their 
childhood’s home. 
Then, if women earned more money, they might 
dress more, and more expensively, though I con¬ 
fess it would not be possible for some; but you 
know the extravagance of the women in dress is 
all the cause of the late bard times, and you can 
not wish to bring another such crisis upon our 
country. I have never yet seen the exact differ¬ 
ence stated, between the personal expenses ol 
young men and young women of about the same 
age and station in life. I wish some one would 
look into the subject, and give the statistics, in¬ 
cluding cigars and crinoline, jewelry and mint 
juleps, ices, champagne, dances and fast horses, 
I don’t know how many of either sex spend less 
than all they can get, whether earned or begged 
from their “ father,” or “ squeezed from the gover¬ 
nor ;” nor haw many more men than women do 
mote than take care of themselves, with what 
they get in either of the aforesaid ways. 
I have said enough, I am sure, to convince you, 
