Note  and  Comment. 
NOTICE  the  point  of  view  of  the  writer  of  the 
cookery  article  in  this  issue.  Note,  also,  the 
difference  which  the  point  of  view  makes  in  carrying 
out  the  idea  of  dainty  cookery. 
*  *  * 
Who  has  not  heard  of  Sir  Edwin  Arnold  and  his  won¬ 
derful  “  Light  of  Asia  ?  ”  Yet  few,  perhaps,  know  that 
his  sweet  wife,  long  an  invalid,  wrote,  at  his  dictation, 
and  “  often  from  a  bed  of  pain  where  long  suffering  was 
most  bravely  and  gently  endured,”  every  line  of 
this  now  world-famous  poem.  It  is  told  that,  at  his 
last  visit  to  India,  Sir  Edwin  received  a  welcome  little 
short  of  an  ovation  ;  and  that  one  day  a  concourse  of 
Indian  priests,  1,800  in  number,  assembled  to  greet 
him,  carpeting  the  road  he  was  to  walk  upon  with 
flowers.  Among  his  family,  and  especially  to  his  wife, 
Sir  Edwin  is  himself  known  as  the  “  Light  of  Asia.” 
The  irrepressible  Bill  Nye,  commenting  upon  Sir 
Edwin  Arnold  as  a  reader,  says  :  “  No  one  ever  wrote 
more  stuff  that  had  thrill  and  grandeur  in  it  than  Sir 
Edwin,  *  *  but  he  wets  his  thumb  when  he  turns 
the  leaves.”  *  *  * 
The  great  variety  of  patterns  for  the  Russian  blouse 
indicate  that  it  will  be  one  of  the  most  popular,  as  it 
is  one  of  the  newest  styles.  The  features  of  the  real 
Russian  blouse  are  a  straight  skirt,  reaching  well 
toward  half  way  down  the  dress  skirt,  plain  square 
caps  to  the  sleeves,  and  the  fastening  at  the  left  side 
of  the  waist.  Variations  are  introduced,  so  that  the 
ugliness  of  the  garment  has  been  much  modified — a 
shallow,  round  yoke  is  a  good  feature.  Frills  and  silk 
moss  trimmings  are  used  down  the  closing,  and  sleeves 
are  varied  to  suit  the  taste,  provided  they  are  high  at 
the  shoulder.  The  one  thing  rigidly  adhered  to  is  the 
straight  skirt,  from  12  to  20  inches  in  length,  and  even 
this  is  edged  with  five-inch  lace,  in  some  models.  Every 
material  is  to  be  made  up  into  these  blouses.  The  ex¬ 
tremely  high  collar,  fastening  at  the  left,  will  not  give 
added  comfort  in  the  hot  days  of  midsummer. 
*  *  * 
Most  instructive  it  is  to  note  the  change  of  tone  in 
the  general  press  towards  Mrs.  May  French  Sheldon,  the 
now  famous  African  explorer.  It  thus  becomes  easy 
to  accede  to  the  axiom  that  nothing  succeeds  like  suc¬ 
cess.  Mrs.  Sheldon,  a  few  months  ago,  was  interest¬ 
ing,  but  foolhardy — very  foolhardy — O,  very.  This 
was  heard  in  the  the  tone  of  every  comment  on  her 
prospective  journey  into  the  heart  of  African  wilds. 
When  she  was  reported  ill,  upon  her  way  home,  the 
tone  became  :  “I  told  you  so.”  But  now  plucky  Mrs. 
Sheldon  is  back.  She  has  discovered  countries  never 
before  seen,  some  of  her  route  having  never  before 
been  traversed  by  a  white  person ;  she  has  studied 
modes  of  life  and  customs  in  the  Dark  Continent,  and 
is  “a  most  remarkable  woman.”  She  lias  brought 
home  ornaments  and  attire  never  before  obtainable, 
as  men  traders  could  not  buy  them.  She  has  slidden 
down  a  cliff  several  hundred  feet  high,  and  she  is  to 
publish  a  book  about  it  all. 
One  Woman’s  “  Dainty  Cookery.” 
Alas,  for  the  dreams  of  vouth, 
And  for  childhood's  happy  heart; 
We  all  must  learn  the  truth, 
In  life,  must  act  a  part. 
While  I  pen  these  lines,  six  little  ones  are  tucked 
away  for  the  night —  the  eldest  aged  eleven  years;  the 
youngest  three  months.  What  past  memories,  what 
present  realities  are  mine  ! 
The  winter  is  gone,  during  which  only  one  batch  of 
pies  had  been  made;  and  no  cake,  of  any  kind  save 
“  Johnny  cake”  made  of  six  handfuls  of  Indian  meal, 
two  of  flour,  sugar  to  taste,  salt  and  soda.  Mix  to  the 
consistency  of  cake  batter  with  rich  buttermilk  and 
bake.  This,  with  apples  served  baked,  stewed,  fried 
or  raw,  with  a  cup  of  tea  from  the  hemlock  bough, 
furnishes  breakfast.  Omit  sugar,  fry  in  pancakes  and 
serve  with  molasses  for  a  change.  Also  omit  sugar 
and  stir  into  the  batter  dried  fruit  without  soaking. 
Steam  two  hours.  Serve  with  rich,  sweetened  milk, 
seasoned  with  nutmeg. 
Browned  potatoes  are  relished.  Soups  of  beef,  pota¬ 
toes  and  onions,  corn,  beans,  peas,  (not  thickened)  for 
dinner,  and  mush  and  milk  for  supper.  These  form 
the  main  bill  of  fare. 
Indian  corn  bread  is  made  by  thoroughly  scalding 
the  meal,  sugar  and  salt :  cool,  and  add  yeast.  When 
light,  mix  with  flour  to  a  stiff  dough.  Place  in  tins; 
when  light,  bake.  This  with  us  is  preferred  to  wheat 
bread. 
During  summer,  gardening  not  only  proves  a  health¬ 
ful  occupation,  but  supplies  much  for  the  table  while 
a  good  store  is  dried  for  winter  use.  The  little  ones 
are  happy  in  drawing  and  husking  corn,  which  mother 
cuts  and  scrapes  from  the  cob,  adding  a  sprinkling  of 
granulated  sugar,  then  setting  a  panful  of  it  into  the 
oven,  stirring  frequently  until  thoroughly  scalded. 
At  night  it  is  spread,  filling  the  oven  and  stove,  and 
reheated  in  the  morning,  care  being  taken  not  to 
scorch.  Berries  are  dried  in  the  same  way ;  thus  ex¬ 
cluding  flies.  When  finished,  they  are  kept  in  a  close 
drawer.  One  Saturday  the  children  and  myself  went 
to  pick  wild  berries.  On  returning  home,  it  was  found 
they  would  fill  a  three  gallon  jar  when  cooked.  The 
top  of  the  jar  was  covered  with  fool’s  cap  paper,  over 
which  was  placed  a  paper  flour  sack,  both  beiDg  pasted 
tightly  over  the  rim  of  the  jar  and  tied  securely.  Over 
all  was  a  cloth.  They  kept  as  well  as  those  in  glass 
jars.  The  berries  must  not  be  over-ripe.  Granulated 
sugar  was  used,  while  the  berries  were  not  over  cooked, 
as  this  hardens  the  seeds  and  shrinks  the  fruit.  More 
help  might  be  secured  from  the  children,  but  they 
must  not  be  kept  from  school.  Their  minds  must  be 
provided  for  as  well  as  their  bodies.  The  hens,  too, 
do  their  share  in  providing  not  only  food,  but  many  a 
blue  denim  suit  or  gingham  dress  and  apron  (cheap 
calico  never  pays).  I  serve  as  barber  for  all,  even  to  a 
few  sheep,  and  milk  the  cows  to  make  the  most  out  of 
them  ;  although  I  am  pleased  to  note  that  the  children 
have  practiced  the  art  during  the  fall  and  winter. 
My  husband,  whose  health  is  very  poor,  sometimes 
hints  that  we  can  hardly  afford  The  Rural,  but  I  re¬ 
mind  him  of  the  good  things  it  has  brought  to  us. 
While  bright  eyes  were  made  even  brighter  by  the 
grand  display  of  last  season’s  poppies.  By  the  blessing 
of  God  it  is  with  us  yet.  The  question  is  raised  : 
“Would  it  not  be  better  for  me  to  be  mending  than 
writing  this,”  to  which  I  reply,  “  perhaps  !”  I  would 
not  feel  privileged  to  take  time  to  write  this  article 
were  it  not  that  all  hard  labor  outside  must  be  hired, 
even  to  the  cutting  of  fuel,  thus  necessitating  the 
strictest  economy  indoors.  rose  m.  trainer. 
Husband’s  and  Homes. 
BE  TACTFUL  WITH  THE  ONE;  BEAUTIFY  THE  OTHER. 
EAR  fellow  farmers’  wives,  don’t  believe  a  word 
of  this  talk  that  is  becoming  such  a  fad  in  the 
papers;  this  wail  to  the  effect  that  there  is  nothing  for 
a  hard-working  farmer’s  wife  but  one  unceasing  round 
of  work,  work,  work,  from  morning  till  night,  no 
pleasure,  no  relaxation,  no  anything  but  toil!  I  am 
the  daughter  of  a  farmer,  and  for  eight  years  have 
been  the  wife  of  one.  We  have  a  large  farm,  a  large 
dairy  and  always  one  or  two  hired  men.  I  have  a  flock 
of  hens,  and  a  vegetable  and  flower  garden,  and  we 
own  the  bees  together. 
Of  course  I  am  busy  and  many  times  tired,  but  my 
husband  and  I  are  equal  parti} ers  in  this  firm,  and  I 
have  a  washing  machine  and  wringer,  creamery  cans, 
etc.  And  John  would  be  the  first  to  tell  me  to  let  Mrs. 
M.  who  lives  close  to  us  and  takes  in  work,  do  the 
washing,  if  1  were  not  as  well  as  usual. 
Right  here  let  me  say  that  I  have  no  pity  at  all  for 
the  woman  who  is  a  slave  to  her  husband’s  whims  and 
notions,  nor  do  I  believe  there  is  any  need  of  it,  if  she 
has  womanly  tact  and  a  genuine  love  for  the  man  of 
her  choice.  My  husband  is  as  “set”  as  a  man  can  be; 
he  is  a  man  who  would  be  a  pig-headed  tyrant,  if  his 
wife  tried  to  “boss”  him;  yet  there  never  was  a  more 
loving,  indulgent  husband  in  the  world  than  he  has 
always  been  to  me.  At  the  same  time,  I  know  plenty 
of  women  who  I  am  sure  couldn't  live  with  him  a 
month.  When  we  were  first  married  I  used  to  fear 
lest  he  should  get  angry  at  me  for  something;  but  now 
I  never  think  of  such  a  thing.  I  pull  his  hair,  and  call 
him  names,  just  when  I  please  to  do  so,  and  with  a 
certainty  that  I  shall  be  rewarded  by  getting  a  big 
kiss,  or  a  loving  “My  little  old  woman!”  that  makes 
me  feel  good,  for  I  love  him  too,  and  why  shouldn’t  I  ? 
I  was  married  at  27;  that  was  eight  years  ago,  and 
never,  in  the  best  of  my  girlish  days,  was  I  pretty  ; 
but  John  thinks  my  thin  face  and  skeleton  hands  are 
just  perfect.  I  tell  him  he  is  a  big  goose,  a  dunce,  and 
all  that,  but  I  like  to  know  he  thinks  so  all  the  same. 
Now  I  don’t  believe  there  is  one  of  you  wives,  who 
if  you  will  take  the  trouble  to  study  your  husbands  a 
little,  and  take  the  way  with  them  that  your  womanly 
quick  tact  and  instinct  say  is  right,  will  not  find  ample 
compensation  in  increased  comfort  and  peace  in  the 
home  nest.  But  this  is  a  lecture  I  did  not  at  all  intend 
to  deliver  when  I  began  :  all  this  is  by  the  way. 
I  started  to  tell  you  some  simple  ways  of  beautifying 
the  plainest  home.  Never  mind  if  your  house  is  not 
painted  with  as  fine  a  coat  as  your  next  neighbor  can 
afford.  Surround  it  with  vines  of  luxurious  habits  of 
growth,  and  then  be  sure  the  conditions  are  favorable 
for  them  ;  and  in  a  year  or  two,  when  your  neighbor’s 
fine  coat  of  paint  is  dazzling,  your  little  cottage  will 
be  a  shady  bower  of  vines  and  blossoms,  and  filled 
with  the  faint,  sweet  perfume  of  growing  things 
Flies  will  not  approve  of  your  shaded  rooms ;  they 
would  much  rather  lie  in  wait  for  the  screen  door  to 
open  at  this  same  neighbor's  where  there  is  no  way  of 
darkening  and  cooling  the  rooms  but  by  curtains  and 
shutters.  And  if  you  are  in  doubt  as  to  which  way  is 
best  and  most  pleasant  in  hot  weather,  just  call  on 
the  lady  of  your  acquaintance  who  owns  the  grandest 
and  most  fashionable  home,  and  from  there  come  and 
take  a  seat  in  my  cosy  parlor,  where  the  shades  are 
rolled  to  the  very  tops  of  the  windows,  the  curtains 
are  tied  back,  and  the  broad  green  leaves  are  dancing 
in  every  breeze.  The  door,  too,  stands  open  on  a  porch 
covered  with  prosaic  grape  vines,  and  so  cool,  so 
hidden  from  the  sun,  that  in  bright  weather  we  can 
leave  the  screen  open  with  impunity.  Of  course  if  rain 
is  threatening  we  have  to  be  more  careful,  as  the  flies 
will  then  crowd  in  at  any  opening. 
A  few  cents  in  the  spring  will  hire  some  stray  boy, 
if  you  have  none  of  your  own,  to  dig  up  some  nice  deep 
beds  under  the  windows,  around  the  porch,  or  at  the 
edge  of  the  veranda,  and  if  the  soil  is  poor,  it  may  be 
removed  entirely,  and  good,  rich  soil  put  in  its  place. 
Now  plant  the  vines,  choosing  such  as  thrive  best  in 
your  locality,  and  take  care  of  them  ;  any  woman  can 
do  this  and  find  herself  better  for  the  out-door  exer¬ 
cise.  Soap  suds  and  dish-water  applied  freely  in  dry 
weather  will  help  growth  greatly,  and  if  you  were  to 
top-dress  the  beds  occasionally  with  phosphate  or 
guano,  when  John  has  them  temptingly  around,  you 
would  not  be  sorry  afterward. 
Give  each  one  of  the  children  a  bed  in  the  yard,  keep¬ 
ing  one  for  yourself ;  then,  with  a  little  advice  and 
encouragement,  they  will  give  all  the  care  and  culti¬ 
vation  they  require.  Let  each  child  select  from  a 
catalogue  such  seeds  as  he  may  fancy,  if  suitable,  and, 
if  he  is  allowed  to  start  slips  and  seeds  in  the  house  in 
readiness  for  the  planting  time,  the  beginning,  at 
least,  will  be  good.  Try  to  foster  a  love  for  pansies  in 
one  child,  and  explain  to  him  why  a  partly-shaded  bed 
is  best  for  them  ;  tell  him  that  a  dressing  of  leaf-mold, 
or  dry  muck  will  make  the  pretty  faces  larger.  And 
when  you  work  at  your  own  bed,  take  pains  to  show 
the  lad  how  to  dig  among  the  roots  without  hurting 
them — an  old  caseknife  is  a  good  implement  to  use.  If 
you  have  a  particularly  shady  corner,  devote  it  to 
ferns,  day-lilies,  lilies  of  the  valley,  forget-me-nots,  etc. 
But  there  is  no  end  to  the  pretty  plans  for  utilizing 
each  bit  of  earth.  Of  one  thing  1  am  sure  :  if  you  once 
begin  a  flower  garden,  you  will  want  each  year  to  add 
something  to  it  ;  and  each  jmar  your  reward  will  be 
sweet  and  ample.  f.  h. 
Hints  and  Recipes  From  R.  N.-Y. 
Readers. 
EEING  that  a  Rural  writer  is  not  in  favor  of 
laying  down  newspapers  to  save  the  floor  from 
soil,  grease,  etc.,  I  will  suggest  something  which  she 
may  approve. 
We  have  for  the  past  few  years  used  the  common 
sheathing  paper,  such  as  is  used  on  the  outside  of 
houses,  between  the  boards  and  clapboards;  not  the 
tarred  paper.  You  can  have  it  in  strips  just  right  for 
the  room;  then  when  the  dirty  work  is  ended  you  can 
easily  roll  up  the  paper,  and  the  dirt  is  all  removed, 
without  the  usual  hard  labor  of  mopping,  or  scrubbing 
the  floor.  h.  h.  batchelder. 
I  have  tried  different  recipes  for  tapioca  pudding 
but  find  none  that  I  like  as  well  as  the  following: 
Tapioca  Pudding. — Soak  three  tablespoonfuls  of 
pearl  tapioca  in  water  overnight.  Pour  off  the  water; 
Your  druggist  does  not  spread  his 
plasters  or  gelatine-coat  his  pills.  He 
knows  that  such  work  is  better  done  in  a 
factory. 
Some  try  to  make  an  Emulsion  of  cod- 
liver  oil ;  but  they  cannot  make  one  like 
Scott’s  Emulsion — they’ll  find  it  out  some 
day. 
There  is  no  secret  in  what  it  is  made 
of ;  there  is  a  knack  in  making  it.  That 
knack  is  Scott’s  Emulsion. 
There  is  a  book  on  careful  living  that 
you  ought  to  read.  Shall  we  send  it  ?  Free. 
Scott  &  Bowne,  Chemists,  132  South  5th  Avenue,  New  York. 
Your  druggist  keeps  Scott’s  Emulsion  of  cod-liver  oil— all  druggists 
everywhere  do  *1 
