The  Pt  ize  IV inners. 
Miss  CLARA  JONES,  West  Bend,  Wis. 
Mrs.  BELLE  B.  GODDARD,  Bridgeton,  St.  Louis  Co.,  Mo. 
Mrs.  E.  M.  SALISBURY,  Bashaw,  Burnette  Co.,  Wls. 
Notes  on  the  Competition. 
IN  a  very  true  sense,  all  writing  for  publication  is 
competitive,  and  the  best  finally  come  to  the  top 
and  gain  the  prizes.  It  is  sometimes  said  with  regard 
to  the  great  mass  of  women  writers  of  this  country 
that  there  is  a  remarkable  number  of  bright  ones,  but 
that  the  number  who  can  rise  above  the  average  of  these , 
is  not  large.  At  no  time,  perhaps,  does  this  truth  stand 
out  so  plainly  before  the  eyes  of  the  editor  as  when 
trying  to  decide  upon  the  merits  of  the  articles  in  a 
competition  for  a  certain  definite  use. 
*  #  * 
Not  more  than  half  a  dozen  of  the  articles  submitted 
for  the  present  competition  are  unworthy  of  a  place  in 
any  good  household  department.  Yet  to  select  surely 
the  one  that  should  distance  all  others  has  been  a  most 
difficult  task.  Nearly  the  same  ideas  appear ;  the 
question  then  becomes:  “  Which  one,  keeping  closely 
to  the  subject,  puts  these  ideas  in  the  best,  the  most 
striking,  the  most  helpful  form  ?  ” 
On'"  or  two  were  thrown  out  for  lack  of  addresses  ; 
one  or  two  were  too  late;  a  few  overreached  the  limit 
of  space.  ^  ^ 
Most  of  those  who  wrote  on  supporting  the  family 
asked  that  their  names  be  not  published;  a  request  that 
we  think  all  can  see  reasons  for  granting.  As  there 
were  less  than  a  dozen  of  these  articles  nearly  all  of 
them  will  be  used.  The  prize  was  awarded  in  this  set 
on  the  score  of  the  difficulties  to  be  faced,  judgment 
shown  in  meeting  them,  and  the  measure  of  success 
achieved.  *  *  * 
Teachers  of  six  months’  experience,  and  from  that 
to  23  years’  experience,  grappled  with  the  district 
school  problem  on  paper,  as  they  have  done  so  many 
times  in  fact.  In  the  declarations  that  parents  do 
largely  expect  teachers  to  furnish  both  morals  and 
manners  for  their  children  ;  that  children  mirror  the 
home  life  so  distinctly  that  the  teacher  is  made  aware 
through  them  of  the  habits  and  characters  of  the 
parents;  that  visiting  and  showing  interest  in  the 
school  are  the  most  practical  ways  in  which  parents  can 
add  to  its  efficiency ;  that  the  spirit  of  criticism  in 
parents  is  by  far  its  most  hurtful  foe,  and  that  refrain¬ 
ing  from  cricicism  of  the  teacher  practically  ensures 
that  her  government  shall  be  good,  the  27  teachers 
who  discussed  the  topic  are  practically  a  unit.  We 
earnestly  hope  their  “line  upon  line  ”  will  set  many 
parents  to  thinking  as  they  have  never  done  before. 
It  was  almost  an  even  race  between  “Little  Rhody,” 
and  Wisconsin  for  the  prize,  but  it  was  finally  award¬ 
ed  to  Wisconsin  in  the  person  of  Miss  Jones.  In  the 
former  competition,  all  of  the  prizes  were  taken  by 
Eastern  subscribers.  For  this  season  we  are  glad  that 
the  middle  Western  States  are  ahead  this  time.  Is  the 
center  of  competition,  as  well  as  the  center  of  popu¬ 
lation  moving  westward  ? 
*  *  * 
Between  three  and  four  score  of  our  best  cooks 
wielded  eager  pens  on  the  “  Dainty  Cookery  ”  ques¬ 
tion.  But  although  the  articles  are  excellent — as  arti¬ 
cles,  between  the  Scylla  of  a  mere  essay  on  cookery, 
and  the  Chary bdis  of  a  mere  collection  of  recipes,  many 
missed  the  helpful  course.  If  these  articles  were  to  be 
of  any  value,  it  was  necessary  that  they  should  contain 
suggestions  which  could  be  put  into  practice  by  less 
skilful  and  less  thoughtful  workers.  It  was  on  this 
basis  that  the  prize  was  awarded.  There  are  at  least 
30  of  these  articles  that  we  are  anxious  to  use,  but 
space  and  the  interest  of  our  readers  will  together 
influence  the  final  decision  as  to  the  number  to  be 
published. 
How  Can  Parents  Help  the  District 
School ? 
ome  one  quoted  in  a  recent  issue  of  The  R.  N.-Y., 
said,  “Public  school  education  as  it  is,  is  anti¬ 
quated,  worn  out,  a  failure.” 
I  hope  none  of  the  gentleman’s  hearers  believed  him, 
for  we  teachers  do  not.  But  we  do  know  that  the 
district  school  does  not  everywhere  accomplish  the 
work  it  might,  and  where  it  does  not,  we  know  that 
the  fault  lies  with  the  voters  who  have  let  party  prej¬ 
udice  elect  the  school  officers  and  a  spirit  of  stinginess 
hire  the  teacher.  We  do  know  that  parents  are  often 
indifferent — as  well  satisfied  with  a  third-rate  as  with 
a  first-rate  teacher — yet  they  grumble  if  we  do  not 
teach  some  35  different  subjects,  besides  manners  and 
morals.  Our  patrons  crowd  our  programmes  so  that 
we  arc  at  our  wits’  end  to  find  time  for  the  recitations, 
and  the  poor  children  fritter  away  their  time  without 
getting  any  real  mental  discipline. 
Be  patient.  Rome  wasn’t  built  in  a  day;  neither  is 
a  boy  educated  in  a  year. 
When  a  word  of  slang  falls  from  your  daughter’s 
lips,  or  you  surprise  your  son  stoning  a  kitten,  don’t 
be  too  ready  to  ascribe  it  to  the  tenement  house  influ¬ 
ence  in  the  public  school.  Such  shirking  of  responsi¬ 
bility  is  cowardly,  and  does  no  one  any  good.  Children 
are  like  sheep  in  one  respect — always  ready  to  follow 
a  leader;  and  who  is  so  capable  of  being  a  leader  as 
the  child  of  intelligent,  refined  parents?  Too  often 
such  children  are  leaders  in  evil  instead  of  good. 
The  inmate  of  the  cottage  naturally  looks  up  to  the 
dweller  in  the  mansion.  So  if  you  are  afraid  of  the 
influence  of  the  tenement  house,  see  to  it  that  your 
children  are  fitted  to  become  leaders.  Don’t,  what¬ 
ever  you  do,  let  your  fair-faced,  delicate-featured  little 
daughter  get  the  idea  into  her  head  that  she  is  not  to 
associate  with  the  sturdy  little  foreigner.  Don’t  let 
your  boy  think  that  his  American  parentage  gives  him 
the  right  to  tyrannize  over  the  boy  in  the  cotton  jacket. 
If  you  encourage  that  idea,  ever  so  slightly,  you  are 
sowing  the  seeds  of  discord  among  the  flock  gathered 
in  the  little  school  house.  You  are  making  it  impos¬ 
sible  for  your  teacher  to  teach  the  fundamental  prin¬ 
ciple  of  American  liberty,  “  All  men  are  born  free  and 
equal.”  This  is  the  lesson  that  America  was  destined 
to  teach  the  world.  There  is  no  aristocracy  here  ex¬ 
cept  that  of  the  brain  founded  on  a  heritage  of  wisdom 
and  courage.  The  public  school  is  the  only  place  where 
this  can  be  taught  to  children.  You  are  but  repeating 
empty  words  when  you  attach  so  much  importance  to 
the  fact  that  your  ancestors  left  Europe  a  century 
sooner  than  did  those  of  your  neighbor. 
If  a  child  is  encouraged  in  evil  at  home,  the  public 
school  cannot  reform  him;  but  a  boy  who  receives  no 
moral  training  at  home  may  be  saved  by  the  influence 
of  his  class-mates  and  teacher.  Still  you  cannot  afford 
to  leave  the  moral  training  of  your  children  entirely 
to  the  teacher.  No  teacher  could  or  should  take  a 
parent’s  place. 
Parents  are  not  usually  to  blame  when  a  teacher 
fails  to  govern  her  school,  but  you  can  make  her  task 
much  easier  if  you  will.  Teach  your  children  that  it 
is  mean  and  cowardly  to  play  tricks  when  the  teacher’s 
back  is  turned  ;  that  it  is  dishonest  to  cheat ;  that  it  is 
very  ill-mannered  to  disturb  any  one  when  at  work. 
Above  all,  teach  them  that  getting  their  lessons  is 
their  business  and  must  not  be  neglected  any  more 
than  any  other  business. 
Perhaps  one  of  your  children  has  some  peculiarity  of 
disposition,  or  has  a  decided  talent  in  some  particular 
direction.  Wouldn’t  it  be  wise  to  tell  the  teacher  at 
once,  and  not  leave  it  to  her  to  find  out  after  weeks  of 
experimenting,  which  may  have  a  very  bad  effect  upon 
the  subject. 
It  is  a  deplorable  fact  that  much  of  our  grammar 
teaching  is  wasted,  and  for  this  parents  are  partly  to 
blame.  The  influence  of  home  associations  on  language 
is  much  more  powerful  and  lasting  than  that  of  the 
school.  Children  repeat  what  they  hear  around  their 
mother’s  knee.  In  this  respect  teachers  could  do  much 
better  work  if  they  knew  they  had  the  support  of  the 
parents.  We  may  correct  a  child  for  saying,  “I  drawed 
it,”  and  be  told  innocentty,  “  Mamma  says  so.”  Or  we 
may  remark  that  “dumb”  is  not  the  past  tense  of 
climb  and  tread  on  the  toes  of  some  sensitive  parent. 
Suppose  your  teacher  is  making  an  effort  to  stop  the 
slaughter  of  words  that  is  going  on  in  her  school,  do 
you  let  her  know  that  you  appreciate  her  work  ?  How 
many  parents  ever  think  of  giving  the  teacher  a  word 
of  praise?  How  many  ever  offer  any  honest  criticism? 
Paients,  you  can  help  the  district  school  by  keeping 
all  trashy  novels  and  silly  story  papers  out  of  your 
homes.  You  can  help  the  district  school  by  supplying 
your  children  with  an  abundance  of  good  reading 
matter.  You  can  help  by  sending  your  children  regu¬ 
larly.  You  can  help  by  agitating  for  school  libraries. 
You  can  help  by  working  for  the  improvement  of  your 
own  particular  school.  This  will  do  more  good  than 
volumes  of  eloquent  discussion  on  what  the  district 
school  ought  to  be. 
If  the  most  intelligent  members  of  our  farming  com¬ 
munities  withdraw  their  support  from  the  district 
school,  what  will  be  the  result  ?  If  all  the  readers  of 
The  R.  N.-Y.  determine  that  they  will  do  all  in  their 
power  to  make  the  district  school  a  success,  what  will 
be  the  result  ?  Think  about  it,  friends  of  popular  edu¬ 
cation.  CLARA  JONES. 
Dainty  Cookery  for  the  Farm  Table. 
A  FTER  reading  what  The  Rural  says  of  “farmers’ 
tables,”  and  recollecting  some  as  they  are,  I 
think  what  the  housekeeper  should  secure,  if  she 
hasn't  it,  is  the  planting  of  fruits,  no  matter  by  what 
honest  stratagem,  for  health’s  sake  if  for  no  other.  To 
those  blest  with  an  abundance,  I  would  say,  use  it 
morning,  noon,  yes,  and  afternoon  while  it  lasts,  and 
put  up  all  you  can  for  times  when  you  can’t  eat  it  from 
the  bushes  or  trees.  Press  into  service  all  come-at- 
able  persons  when  the  gathering,  picking  and  peeling 
time  comes.  Interest  the  boys  in  gardening,  give 
them  encouragement  as  well  as  a  little  help  occasion¬ 
ally.  Don’t  forget  to  praise  the  products  of  their  toil, 
even  if  they  might  have  worked  better ;  for  little  by 
little,  you  know,  good  characters  as  well  as  men  grow. 
When  you  have  enjoyed  these  things  during  the  grow¬ 
ing  season,  make  ample  provision  for  the  winter  also. 
There  need  be  no  lack  of  variety.  Let’s  see,  canned: 
raspberries,  gooseberries,  blackberries,  peaches,  pears, 
apples,  rhubarb  and  tomatoes.  We  use  glass  cans  al¬ 
together,  and  put  up  as  much  as  possible,  as  fruit  pre¬ 
served  in  this  way  is  nearest  to  the  fresh  article.  You 
have,  of  course,  poultry,  cured  hams,  bacon  and 
shoulders  to  be  used  in  various  ways — by  broiling,  bak- 
ink,  stewing,  boiling  and  frying.  I  put  frying  last,  as 
we  like  it  least.  Don’t  fry  what  can  be  broiled  or 
baked  except  bacon.  Nice  bacon,  sliced  very  thin, 
dipped  in  dry  corn  meal  and  fried  crisp,  is  excellent  if 
care  is  taken  not  to  burn  it.  When  stewing  meats  re¬ 
member  that  a  cupful  of  gravy,  well  boiled  down,  set 
to  stiffen  and  prettily  cut,  makes  a  nice  garnish  for 
cold  dishes.  As  few  farmers  raise  celery,  we  are  de¬ 
pendent  principally  on  cabbage  for  salad  in  winter, 
although  any  other  vegetable  can  be  used 
To  use  inferior  flour  for  bread  is  false  economy.  We 
like  Graham  and  white,  half  and  half,  mixed  as  wanted. 
We  bake  three  times  a  week  for  a  family  of  six.  The 
yeast  is  set  the  afternoon  before  it  is  wanted,  and  the 
bread  at  night.  I  mold  a  pan  of  rolls,  white  or  brown, 
for  breakfast,  and  always  make  one  white  loaf  for 
variety  or  in  case  any  one  should  “happen  in”  who 
doesn’t  like  brown  bread.  Pancakes  are  very  nice  for 
breakfast  and  sweet-cakes  for  dessert.  Muffins  are 
desirable  when  eggs  are  plentiful.  Each  housekeeper 
should  determine  for  herself  when  it  pays  to  sell  eggs 
and  when  to  use  them.  At  our  house,  when  they  are 
at  or  over  a  certain  price  we  use  them  sparingly,  ex¬ 
cept  at  holiday  times ;  when  below  that  figure  we 
have  them  plain  and  concocted  in  every  possible  style. 
The  making  of  cakes,  puddings,  etc.,  need  ordinarily 
take  comparatively  little  of  each  day’s  time.  Here  are 
some  ways  in  which  several  sorts  may  be  made  at  the 
same  time :  as  to  ginger-bread,  make  some  early 
enough  to  have  it  served  hot  with  sauce  pudding  for 
dinner  ;  the  rest  may  be  baked  in  one  loaf  for  slicing, 
or  in  thin  sheets  done  quickly  and  marked  on  top  in 
squares.  When  cold,  cut  in  diamonds,  or  it  may  be 
baked  in  patty -pans,  frosted  or  dredged  with  sugar,  or 
baked  like  jelty-cake,  put  together  with  frosting.  Tart 
shells  enough  can  be  prepared  to  last  three  or  more 
days.  They  should  be  well  baked  and  thoroughly 
cooled  before  they  are  put  away  in  a  tin  box,  which 
should  not  be  tightly  closed.  They  are  easily  filled  in 
a  few  minutes  with  anything  convenient — lemon  but¬ 
ter,  jelly,  jam,  etc.  Seeds  taken  from  blackberry  and 
raspberry  jam  are  an  improvement.  For  variety  we 
can  have  cookies  plain,  lemon,  ginger,  cinnamon,  cur¬ 
rant  or  carraway.  Sponge-cake  batter  can  be  baked 
in  a  round  mold  or  in  sheets  quickly  spread  with 
jelly,  rolled  and  wrapped  in  a  napkin  or  in  small 
shapes  or  patty-pans  thickly  sprinkled  with  sugar  just 
The  palate  is  almost  tickled  with  Scott’s 
Emulsion  of  cod-liver  oil.  The  stomach 
knows  nothing  about  it  —  it  does  not 
trouble  you  there.  You  feel  it  first  in 
the  strength  it  brings  ;  it  shows  in  the 
color  of  cheek  and  smoothing  out  of 
wrinkles. 
It  was  a  beautiful  thing  to  do,  to  cover 
the  odious  taste  of  cod-liver  oil,  evade  the 
tax  on  the  stomach,  and  take  health  by 
surprise. 
Let  us  send  you  a  book  on  careful 
living  ;  free. 
Scott  &  Bownk,  Chemists,  132  South  5th  Avenue,  New  York. 
Your  druggist  keeps  Scott’s  Emulsion  of  cod-llver  oil— all  druggists 
everywhere  do  $1. 
