Topics  of  the  Time. 
Restraints  on  the  Press. — Two  recent  occurrences 
bhow  which  way  the  current  of  thought  with  regard 
to  newspaper  license  is  setting.  Last  winter  a  syndi¬ 
cate  article  on  Wellesley  College  was  of  such  a  char¬ 
acter  that  it  started  a  serious  question  as  to  the  extent 
of  possible  restraints  upon  the  press.  The  Home- 
Maker  states  that  “as  a  result  of  the  disgust  caused 
by  the  above-named  article,  it  has  even  been  suggested 
that  State  laws  might  be  passed  which,  if  going  no 
further  than  this,  might  forbid  any  newspaper  to 
print  the  portrait  of  a  woman  without  her  permission. 
The  ‘ethics  of  journalism’  must  be  determined  by  each 
editor  himself,  and  on  the  whole,  editors  even  of 
metropolitan  journals  mean  to  do  what  is  right,  at 
least  where  women  are  concerned.  Nevertheless,  as 
in  the  Wellesley  case,  they  are  often  imposed  on.  For 
the  most  part  they  furnish  the  reading  public  with 
what  their  reading  public  demands,  and  the  only  real 
hope  for  the  elevation  of  the  press  consists  in  elevating 
the  taste  of  the  great  democracy  which  buys  the 
newspapers.  ’ 
The  Friends  go  Further. — Indignation  at  certain 
abuses  has  resulted  in  action  among  the  Baltimore 
Friends.  The  Yearly  Meeting  of  Woman  Friends 
sent  an  appeal  to  79  editorial  organization  in  the 
United  States.  After  referring  to  the  power  and  in¬ 
fluence  of  the  public  press,  the  appeal  begs  that  the 
press  devise  some  method  whereby  this  influence  may 
be  used  more  effectually  for  virtue  and  morality.  It 
continues :  “  The  omission  of  detail  in  reports  of 
crime,  including  in  these,  suicides,  scandals  and 
breaches  of  faith  and  honor,  appears  to  us  the  first  in 
this  direction,  and  giving  greater  prominence  to  what¬ 
soever  things  are  honest,  just,  pure,  lovely  and  of  good 
report,  the  second  step. 
“  As  mothers  and  guardians  of  youth  we  are  desir¬ 
ous  of  availing  ourselves  of  the  assistance  of  your  pub¬ 
lications  in  the  home  education  of  our  children,  but 
too  often  find  the  lessons  of  good  they  contain  over¬ 
balanced  by  the  lessons  in  evil ;  we  ask  also  your 
earnest  cooperation  in  arousing  public  sentiment  to 
the  demoralizing  infiuAee  of  many  of  the  pictorial 
advertisements  that  defile  the  streets  of  our  cities,  and 
to  our  responsibility  as  citizens  in  this  matter.” 
Things  Charged. — Two  families,  having  an  equal 
membership,  live  on  adjoining  farms.  One  runs  bills 
for  all  things  bought ;  the  other  pays  cash.  Which, 
think  jmu,  will  have  spent  the  most  at  the  end  of  the 
year  ?  Experience,  or  observation  has  left  you  no 
choice  but  to  say,  “The  one  that  did  not  pay  cash.” 
Charges  will  run  up  without  our  noting  the  fact.  A 
famous  sun-dial  at  Oxford  bore  a  Latin  inscription, 
which,  translated,  is:  “They  perish,  and  are  imputed.” 
That  is,  the  hours,  which  we  think  so  freely  our  own, 
to  use  as  we  will,  not  only  perish,  but  they  are  charged 
to  us.  We  are  responsible  for  them.  What  shall  we 
say  when  the  bill  is  presented,  if  they  have  been 
wasted,  or  worse  than  wasted  ?  How  shall  we  redeem 
the  time  ? 
Some  Points  on  That  Pest. 
WITH  all  due  respect  for  the  advice  of  those  who 
have  hitherto  written  of  ways  and  means  to 
circumvent  that  “offensive  bug”  ( vide  Webster)  I 
submit  that  a  knowledge  of  his  habits  is  the  key  to 
the  situation.  Fore  knowledge  is  of  course  much  bet¬ 
ter  than  after  knowledge,  but  even  the  latter  may  be 
of  help  in  the  warfare,  when  the  enemy  is  thoroughly 
intrenched.  No  matter  how  thoroughly  is  the  work 
done,  it  is  often  rendered  futile  by  a  failure  to  guard 
some  unsuspected  point.  This,  I  think,  explains  the 
supposed  failure  of  many  remedies.  The  amazing  in¬ 
crease  of  his  kind  during  the  early  hot  season,  indi¬ 
cates  that  this  is  the  breeding  time  of  ctmex  lectulartus; 
but  in  his  case,  it  is  not  his  breeding  habits,  but  his 
haunts  that  need  to  be  studied. 
We  hear  a  great  deal  of  poetical  talk  about  the 
memories  of  girlhood;  one  of  the  “  strongest  ”  mem¬ 
ories  of  my  girlhood  is  that  of  the  annual  holocaust  of 
these  bugs.  We  had  them  in  one  b''g  room  only;  but 
it  was  partially  ceiled  with  wood,  beaded  together, 
thus  making  large  cracks.  The  plastering  was  very 
rough,  and  for  lack  of  a  closet,  clothing  hung  against 
the  walls.  Talk  about  thorough  work,  and  sure  rem¬ 
edies!  We  used  “dead  shot”  (corrosive  sublimate,  I 
think,  which  is  really  a  form  of  quicksilver,  or  mer¬ 
cury)  with  awful  zeal,  after  fire  and  hot  water  had 
given  us  all  the  aid  possible.  The  straw  mattresses 
were  emptied,  and  the  ticks  and  bed-cords  boiled. 
Reckless  of  varnish,  we  scalded  every  inch  of  the  bed¬ 
steads,  the  floor,  and  the  side  walls  when  of  wood. 
Argus  eyes  covered  every  portion  of  the  furniture,  and 
overlooked  every  garment.  Sometimes  the  walls 
were  newly  papered,  then — dead-shot  everywhere. 
Sometimes  we  hoped  tremblingly  that  victory  was 
ours,  as  perhaps  a  year  or  even  two  would  pass  with 
no  signs  of  the  enemy;  but  anon  there  he  was  again! 
We  kept  him  to  that  one  room,  but  he  was  still  ahead 
the  last  1  knew.  In  old  houses  I  doubt  the  possibility 
of  getting  thoroughly  and  “  for  good  ”  clear  of  the 
pest. 
But  here  is  another  experience  :  Four  years  ago,  we 
moved  into  a  house  but  one  year  old,  and  but  once 
tenanted.  Every  bedstead  and  every  mattress  was 
fresh  from  the  shop.  We  had  not  seen  a  bug  in  years, 
and  rested  on  our  arms  with  a  feeling  of  security. 
The  second  year  one  solitary  advance  guard  was  cap¬ 
tured,  supposedly  a  stray  from  outside  ;  but  vigilant 
outlook  was  the  word  thereafter.  The  third  year, 
early  in  the  season,  one  or  two  were  found  under  the 
slats  in  one  bed,  and  later,  one  or  two  more.  With 
faithful  use  of  the  approved  remedies,  these  could  be 
readily  kept  in  check.  Yet  one  of  the  occupants  of 
this  bed  would  rise  in  the  morning  with  big  red  blotches 
giving  evidence  of  the  presence  of  the  enemy.  One 
morning  the  house-mother  was  horrified  to  find  that 
the  brown  calico  pad  that  lay  above  the  mattress  was 
fairly  alive  with  bugs  in  all  stages,  while  the  carvings 
at  the  top  and  the  cracks  at  the  back  of  the  head- 
board  were  also  well  tenanted !  Not  one  on  the 
springs,  or  slats,  or  below,  where  they  had  been  ex¬ 
pected.  The  pad  was  scalded,  and  short  work  made 
of  the  rest  with  kerosene.  The  heavy  mattress  was 
puffed  with  insect  powder  ;  it  alone  is  a  source  of  con¬ 
stant  anxiety.  Modern  bedsteads  can  easily  be  kept 
free,  with  vigilance.  But  the  mattress  is  a  poser. 
Had  it  been  covered  when  new  with  a  firm  cotton 
extra  cover,  as  it  should,  it  would  have  been  safe  from 
soil  and  from  this  worse  evil.  Every  sort  of  crack,  the 
base-boards,  wrinkles  in  the  bedding,  gathers  in  hang¬ 
ing  garments,  all  these  furnish  tenting  places  for  the 
enemy.  Last  week  a  lady  told  of  finding  him  in  a 
book  brought  to  her  house  from  a  public  library  miles 
away.  She  stated  that  a  constant  difficulty  in  such 
libraries  is  the  presence  of  hosts  of  these  bugs,  which 
seem  to  love  books.  This  was  news  to  me,  and  may 
explain  some  failures.  Veterans  in  the  fight  will  dis¬ 
agree  with  “  B.  C.  F.”  They  say  that  a  bedstead  may 
lie  for  untold  years  in  an  out-house,  and  that,  when 
used,  the  occupants  will  come  forth  to  the  fray  with 
appetites  only  whetted,  and  weapons  keener. 
MYRA  V.  NORYS. 
Small  Potatoes. 
JOHN  MARSHAL  set  the  bushel  of  potatoes  on  the 
floor  and  remarked  to  his  wife  :  “  I’m  afraid  the 
crop  isn't  to  be  very  large  this  year,  Sarah  ;  it’s  almost 
a  pity  to  dig  ’em  so  soon,  and  you'll  hev’  to  use  big 
and  little  and  all.” 
Mrs.  Marshal  gazed  at  the  potatoes  in  despair 
“Oh,  John  !  ”  she  exclaimed,  “  I  can't  put  those  mar¬ 
bles  on  the  table  for  the  boarders  after  the  great  mealy 
ones  we  have  had  from  the  store,  and  I’m  sure  I  can’t 
afford  to  buy  any  longer.” 
Connie  peeped  over  her  mother's  shoulder. 
“Why,  the  dear  little  things!”  she  said  “they  are 
just  what  I’ve  been  wanting  for  that  veal  pot-pie  we 
are  to  have  for  dinner  to-night.  They  make  it  look  so 
much  more  delicious  than  cut  potatoes  do.  Never 
fear  father ;  I  shall  use  them  all.  The  only  trouble 
will  be  the  peeling.” 
Connie  was  a  boarding-school  girl  home  for  vaca¬ 
tion,  and  was  already  studying  a  half  dozen  ’ologies, 
but  she  was  very  proud  of  her  cooking  for  all  that. 
“  See,  mother,  we  will  be  very  choice  of  these  large 
ones,  and  only  cook  them  when  potatoes  are  to  be 
served  plain,  and  I  know  I  can  serve  the  little  ones  at¬ 
tractively.” 
The  pot-pie  proved  to  be  really  delicious,  with  its 
neat  cubes  of  meat,  its  delicate  crust,  creamy  sauce, 
and  a  goodly  quantity  of  the  potato  marbles. 
“  I  am  going  to  cook  some  of  these  potatoes  with 
green  peas  the  way  Cousin  Harper  likes  them,”  said 
Connie  the  next  day,  and  several  quarts  more  of  the 
small  ones  were  nicely  peeled  and  boiled  until  tender, 
and  then  drained  and  added  to  the  peas,  which  were 
simmering  gently  in  milk  enough  to  whiten  the  water 
in  which  they  had  been  boiled  ;  butter,  pepper  and 
salt  were  also  added  for  seasoning,  and  this  was  served 
in  soup  plates  at  luncheon. 
“  Miss  Connie,”  said  Mrs.  Fielding,  “  can’t  we  have 
some  peas  and  potatoes  cooked  in  that  way  for  dinner 
some  day  when  Mr.  Fielding  is  here  ?  I  am  sure  he 
would  enjoy  them.” 
Thursday  morning  Connie  peeled  more  of  the  little 
balls,  placed  them  in  cold  water,  and  left  them  for  an 
hour.  A  half  hour  before  lunch  the  deep  kettle  of 
frying  fat  was  placed  over  the  fire  ;  then  the  potatoes 
were  drained  and  wiped  dry,  put  in  the  frying  basket, 
and  plunged  into  the  kettle  of  boiling  fat. 
“  I  always  attend  to  the  frying  myself,”  said  Connie 
to  a  friend  who  was  watching  the  operation,  “  Mary  is 
so  careless  she  would  be  sure  not  to  have  the  fat  hot 
enough,  or  to  spill  water  into  it,  or  get  into  some  such 
scrape,  and  boiling  fat  needs  careful  handling.” 
In  20  minutes  the  potatoes  came  forth  a  golden 
brown,  and  after  a  moment’s  draining,  were  emptied 
into  a  heated  dish,  and  sent  crisp  and  hot  to  the  table. 
“  Have  you  come  to  the  end  of  your  resources,  Con¬ 
nie  ?”  asked  her  mother. 
“  No,  indeed,”  was  the  reply,  “  I  was  just  coming  to 
a  decision.  Friday  is  fish  day  and  we  are  all  fond  of 
boiled  cod  with  hollandaise  sauce,  and  to-morrow  we 
will  garnish  the  dish  with  potato  olives.  They  will 
be  troublesome  to  peel,  for  I  want  the  smallest,  and 
they  must  either  be  scraped  or  peeled  very  thin.” 
They  were  troublesome  to  peel,  and  even  Connie's 
patience  was  almost  exhausted.  They  were  trouble¬ 
some  to  cook  also.  They  were  boiled  just  long  enough 
to  be  well  done,  but  not  soft,  and  then  drained  and 
allowed  to  dry.  They  were  then  tossed  around  in 
beaten  egg  and  lastly  in  well-seasoned  dried  bread 
crumbs  until  each  was  well  covered  with  an  egg  and 
bread  coating.  One  minute  in  very  hot  fat  browned 
them,  and  only  enough  to  cover  the  bottom  of  the  fry¬ 
ing  basket  were  cooked  at  once.  Then  each  basket¬ 
ful  was  placed  on  tissue  paper,  so  that  they  would  be 
perfectly  free  from  grease. 
Connie  was  well  repaid  for  her  work  when  at  dinner 
all  praised  the  dish,  and  it  did  make  a  fine  appear¬ 
ance — the  mound  of  white  fish  with  its  golden  sauce, 
and  here  and  there  a  sprig  of  parsley,  and  the  whole 
surrounded  by  a  broad  rim  of  the  tiny  potatoes  in  their 
brown  overcoats. 
The  young  cook’s  next  venture  was  potatoes  and 
onions  boiled  together.  Some  small  white  onions  and 
the  same  quantity  of  potatoes  about  the  size  of  the 
onions  were  selected.  The  onions  were  boiled  in  two 
waters,  and  the  potatoes  added  with  the  second.  They 
were  served  with  a  creamy  white  sauce. 
Even  Mrs.  Fielding  who  couldn’t  tolerate  onions, 
was  tempted  to  try  some  of  those,  and  was  so  pleased 
with  the  result  that  she  became  an  advocate  of  boiled 
onions  and  so  remained  ever  after. 
“  Now,  mother,”  said  Connie  on  Saturday,  “  there 
are  enough  large  potatoes  for  dinner  to-morrow,  and 
on  Monday  we  will  use  the  last  of  the  small  ones.” 
Monday  morning  the  potatoes  were  peeled,  cooked, 
and  drained  as  usual,  and  left  steaming  in  the  pot  ; 
then  to  every  quart  was  added  one  tablespoon  of  but¬ 
ter,  three  of  water,  and  one  of  minced  parsley  and 
salt  and  pepper;  all  were  tossed  together  until  the 
parsley  and  butter  were  evenly  distributed  and  the 
water  had  partly  dried  off. 
The  potatoes  are  all  gone,  father,”  said  Connie  ; 
“  we’ll  need  more  to  day.” 
“  You  have  done  well.”  he  replied.  “  I  don’t  know 
as  I  ever  enjoyed  potatoes  more,  but  they  have  taken 
a  wonderful  start  this  week;  the  rain  did  them  good, 
and  soon  if  you  want  small  potatoes,  you’ll  have  to 
cut  them  small.  Alice  a.  smith. 
Do  You  Know? 
HAT  the  cover  of  a  candy  pail  makes  an  excellent 
board  to  cut  bread  on  ?  Put  a  ring-head  screw 
in  one  edge  to  hang  up  by. 
That  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  resin,  melted  in  oil 
and  mixed  with  the  paint  for  floors,  gives  a  harder 
and  more  durable  finish  ? 
That  mosquito  netting  or  cheese  cloth,  doubled  and 
stitched,  makes  the  softest  of  dish  cloths  ? 
That  Persian  insect  powder  scattered  around  where 
ants  are  troublesome,  will  drive  them  away  ? 
That  a  piece  of  heavy  cloth,  denim  or  the  like, 
basted  over  the  heels  of  stockings,  will  make  them 
wear  much  longer  ? 
That  denim  makes  very  neat  and  serviceable  suits 
for  little  boy’s  wear  in  hot  weather,  if  neatly  made 
and  stitched  with  white  or  ornamented  with  white 
tape  ? 
That  the  best  place  to  arrange  for  letting  down 
gingham  dresses  is  the  underside  of  the  hem  where 
a  tuck  may  be  made  and  easily  ripped  out  when  de¬ 
sirable  ? 
That  a  handful  of  salt  put  into  the  churn  when  the 
butter  grains  begin  to  appear,  will  assist  in  the  sepa¬ 
ration  of  the  buttermilk,  and  make  the  drawing-off 
process  much  easier  ?  ella  rockwood. 
*  *  * 
Keep  the  Stove  Clean. — When  your  stove  smokes, 
'do  not  complain  and  make  a  great  fuss  about  it.  Take 
the  top  all  off  and  brush  it  over  with  a  wing  or  a 
bunch  of  feathers  ;  then  clean  it  out  under  the  oven 
and  complaints  will  fly  to  the  four  winds,  m.  r.  m’c. 
