Women  in  Public  Positions.— Straws  show  the  way 
of  the  wind,  we  all  think,  hut  what  shall  we  say  when 
the  wind  is  apparently  blowing  in  two  opposite  di¬ 
rections  at  the  same  time!  In  New  York  city,  the  post 
office  authorities  have  just  taken  the  first  steps  toward 
the  employment  of  women,  by  giving  Mrs.  Ray  a 
place  at  one  of  the  stamp  windows.  She  is  reported 
as  doing  wTell.  In  the  same  city  the  Mayor  has  just 
thrust  out  the  only  woman  member  heretofore  on  the 
board  of  education,  although  saying  that  he  preferred 
re-appointments  in  all  cases,  other  conditions  being 
equal.  He  says  publicly: 
The  question  was  complicated  by  a  question  of  the  advisability  of 
woman  commissioners  as  a  part  of  the  school  system.  I  was  not  con¬ 
vinced  of  the  value  of  the  service  of  women  In  this  direction.  I 
was  being  overwhelmed  with  petitions,  letters  and  applications  in 
her  favor,  founded  on  the  ground  that  as  more  than  nine-tenths  of 
the  teachers  In  our  public  schools  are  women,  and  more  than  one-half 
of  the  pupils  are  girls,  it  is  desirable  and  Important  for  obvious  reas¬ 
ons  that  women  should  have  a  voice  in  the  government  of  the  public 
schools. 
Teachers,  pupils  and  alumnse  of  the  Normal  College, 
business  and  professional  men  in  large  numbers, 
womens’  societies,  etc.,  signed  these  petitions. 
The  chief  point  made  against  the  former  commis¬ 
sioner,  Mrs.  Clara  Williams,  was  that  she  gave  too 
much  of  her  time  to  the  Normal  College,  and  showed 
little  interest  in  the  common  school  system  Mrs. 
Williams  stigmatizes  the  Mayor’s  public  utterances  re¬ 
garding  her  as  “  unjust  and  untrue,”  and  says: 
The  statement  of  Mayor  Grant  that  I  have  devoted  all  my  time 
to  the  Normal  College  Is  false.  Truly,  my  Interest  has  been  there. 
Why  should  It  not  be  when  In  It  are  1,900  women,  who  are  to  be  the 
future  teachers  In  our  schools  ?  I  can  say  truthfully  that  with  a  few 
exceptions  the  only  interest  shown  by  the  members  of  this  board  In 
the  Normal  College  Is  when  an  appointment  is  to  be  made.  As  for 
the  other  schools,  I  have  visited  them  as  often  as  any  other  commis¬ 
sioner,  and  more  frequently  than  some. 
Nevertheless,  the  Mayor  has  been  obdurate,  and  has 
appointed  a  man  to  Mrs.  Williams’s  position.  Which 
way  does  the  wind  blow? 
MY  SON’S  ROOM.  II. 
PACKING  box  draped  with  muslin  had  always 
served  the  boy  for  a  wash-stand,  but,  after  the 
room  had  progressed  so  far,  he  became  so  dainty  in 
his  tastes  that  he  begged  to  have  that  left  out,  and 
declared  that  he  could  wash  at  the  horse-trough.  To 
satisfy  both  him  and  myself,  I  devised  what  we  called 
an  “  invisible  wash-stand.”  On  the  inside  of  the  closet 
door  we  fastened  with  iron  brackets  a  narrow  shelf 
having  a  circular  hole  eight  inches  in  diameter,  cut  in 
the  center.  This  wTas  to  hold  a  tin  wash-basin.  Above 
this  shelf  I  tacked  a  barred  crash  splasher  with  pockets 
for  comb,  brushes,  etc.,  and  above  all  hung  a  small 
mirror.  The  water  pitcher  stood  on  a  shelf  in  the 
closet.  Under  the  shelf  a  wide  tape  was  stretched 
across  the  door,  on  which  to  hang  towels.  When  the 
door  was  shut,  there  was  no  suspicion  whatever  of  the 
wash-stand. 
The  space  between  the  windows  was  three  feet,  giv¬ 
ing  just  enough  room  for  a  writing  desk.  The  leaf  of 
an  old  black  walnut  kitchen  table  that  had  been  placed 
on  the  retired  list  was  cut  to  this  width.  This  leaf  was 
nearly  two  feet  deep  and  made  a  good-sized  desk.  It 
was  thoroughly  sandpapered  and  varnished,  (Shouldn’t 
“  my  son  ”  have  done  this  ? — Eds.)  and  fastened  to  the 
wall  by  wooden  brackets  cut  from  the  same  table.  The 
corners  of  these  supports  were  made  slightly  acute,  so 
as  to  allow  the  desk  to  slant  a  little  ;  otherwise  I 
should  have  used  iron  brackets.  We  used  long  screws 
to  fasten  it  with,  making  the  desk  quite  firm.  On  the 
under  side  of  the  desk  I  fastened  across  it  two  inch¬ 
wide  leather  straps,  tacking  them  at  the  ends  with 
brass-headed  tacks.  Since  there  could  be  no  drawer  to 
the  desk,  this  was  to  hold  a  large  portfolio  containing 
papers,  etc.  I  bought  an  ink- stand  and  pen-rack  for 
the  desk,  and  a  75-cent  set  of  “  knock-down  ”  book 
shelves  which  we  screwed  to  the  wall  above  it. 
This  contained  the  nucleus  of  my  son’s  library.  The 
cost  of  the  whole  thing  was  only  $1.50  ;  25  cents  for 
straps  and  tacks,  50  cents  for  the  ink-stand,  and  75 
cents  for  book  shelves. 
I  wanted  a  small  table  for  the  room  but  did  not 
have  one  to  spa^e.  After  lying  awake  one  night  over 
it  I  devised  a  sort  of  “  what-not”  that  proved  to  be 
more  useful  than  a  table  would  have  been.  I  cut 
four  broom-sticks  to  exactly  the  same  length,  (three 
feet)  sand-papered  and  varnished  them.  Then  I 
bought  four  half-inch  ash  boards  cut  16  by  24  inches. 
In  the  four  corners  of  each  of  these  I  bored  holes 
large  enough  to  allow  the  boards  to  slip  over  the 
broom-sticks.  The  boards  were  left  in  their  natural 
color,  being  varnished  with  colorless  varnish.  Tn  each 
of  the  broomsticks  I  burned  four  holes  with  a  piece  of 
wire  clothes  line.  The  first  hole  was  an  inch  from 
the  top  end,  the  next  two  at  distances  of  6  and  12 
inches  below  this,  and  the  last  one,  one  foot  from  the 
other  end.  In  the  bottom  holes  of  the  four  sticks  I 
placed  little  wooden  pegs  two  inches  long  ;  then  I 
slipped  one  of  the  boards  over  the  sticks,  and  it  was 
held  in  place  by  the  pegs,  The  other  shelves  were 
similarly  placed,  in  position,  all  holding  the  legs  quite 
firm  and  secure.  The  idea  of  this  I  got  partly  from 
the  “  knock-down”  bookshelves  which  I  had  bought. 
The  lowest  shelf  of  this  stand  held  magazines  and 
papers,  on  the  next  two  was  placed  the  boy’s  her¬ 
barium,  and  on  the  top  of  the  stand  was  his  collection 
of  geological  specimens  found  in  the  surrounding 
country.  I  tried  the  effect  of  a  big  blue  ribbon  bow 
at  one  corner,  but  the  young  autocrat  of  the  room 
gently  nut  firmly  removed  it.  The  effect  was  very 
pretty,  however,  or  would  be  in  a  girl’s  room. 
An  old  light  wood  cane-seated  chair,  very  much 
scratched  and  minus  a  seat,  was  sandpapered  and  var¬ 
nished,  and  fitted  with  a  tufted  seat  of  blue  denim 
worked  all  over  with  zig-zag  lines  in  stemstitch  with 
white  cotton  cord.  In  upholstering  the  seat  I  used 
molds  covered  with  canton  flannel,  as  for  the  couch. 
The  seat  was  fastened  to  the  chair  with  brass-headed 
tacks.  When  finished  the  beauty  of  the  chair  quite 
surprised  me.  A  thing  that  added  quite  a  little  to  the 
charm  of  the  room  was  a  white  rug,  made  from  the 
pelt  of  a  still-born  lamb.  My  son  skinned  the  lamb, 
and  I  washed  the  wool  thoroughly  and  lined  it  with 
an  old  red  woolen  table  cover. 
With  window  curtains  of  ruffled  lawn,  and  a  small 
landscape  etching,  which  I  bought  with  the  remainder 
of  the  $10,  the  room  was  a  little  beauty,  “pretty 
enough  for  a  bride.”  I  received  many  thanks  and  com¬ 
pliments  from  my  son,  which  more  than  repaid  me  for 
the  time  spent  in  making  this  coziness  for  him,  for 
it  was  not  done  in  a  day.  I  began  it  at  the  house¬ 
cleaning  in  April  and  worked  at  it  in  odd  times  until 
August,  when  I  added  the  stand  and  declared  it  fin¬ 
ished.  AGNES  CHASE. 
SHEEP  FROM  A  WOMAN’S  POINT  OF  VIEW. 
HEEPSKIN  RUGS. — In  my  summer  mountain 
home,  there  is  a  sheepskin  to  be  disposed  of  every 
alternate  week.  When  the  sheep  has  been  sheared,  the 
fleece  is  not  ornamental,  but  it  may  be  used  as  a  saddle 
blanket,  a  chair  seat,  to  make  shoe-string,  shoes  for 
young  children,  or  insoles  for  older  persons.  When 
the  fleece  is  long  and  curly,  I  use  it  as  a  rug,  either  in 
the  natural  shape  or  cut  oblong  and  lined.  The  lining 
may  be  of  any  color.  A  pinked  frill  of  a  dainty  colored 
cloth,  showing  about  two  inches  all  around  it,  gives  a 
pretty  finish,  or  the  edge  may  be  left  plain  with  the 
wool  hanging  over.  These  rugs  are  particularly  useful 
at  the  bedside  on  cold  mornings.  When  the  wool  is  of 
good  length  yet  not  beautiful,  I  cut  it  off  close  with 
ordinary  shears  and  use  it  for  spinning  and  -weav¬ 
ing  or  to  make  comforts.  For  any  of  these  uses  the 
skin  must  be  dried  and  dressed. 
To  Dress  a  Sheepskin. — As  soon  as  the  skin  is  re¬ 
moved,  wash  the  blood  stains  out  of  the  wool  and  rub 
the  flesh  side  thoroughly  with  salt.  Let  it  remain  till 
morning  rolled  together  in  a  dry  tub.  Nail  it  to  the 
sunny  side  of  a  house  with  the  flesh  side  out,  stretch¬ 
ing  it  firmly  with  each  nail  driven.  After  it  is  stretched 
rub  the  flesh  again  with  salt.  Let  it  dry  two  weeks 
or  longer  according  to  the  weather.  Take  off  the 
fleshy  parts  with  a  dull  knife.  After  it  is  taken  down, 
wash  it  in  warm  suds,  through  several  waters,  rinse  it 
in  cold  water,  and  dry  it  in  the  sun.  Shake  out  the 
wool  and  remove  burrs  and  ticks.  If  the  skin  is  to  be 
cut,  it  should  be  done  with  a  knife  on  the  skin  side  to 
avoid  cutting  the  wool. 
Home  Use  of  Wool. — The  old-fashioned  arts  of  spin¬ 
ning  and  weaving  are  still  in  vogue  with  us.  We 
mountain  people  cannot  be  convinced  that  any  linsey, 
jeans,  or  even  blanket  equals  that  developed  in  our 
own  hands  from  the  lamb  through  all  the  pro¬ 
cesses  of  shearing,  washing,  picking,  carding,  spin¬ 
ning,  reeling,  quilling,  and  weaving.  But  if  the  wool 
is  not  needed  for  cloth  or  yarn,  I  card  it  into  “  bats.” 
Three  pounds  of  “  bats”  laid  closely  alongside  be¬ 
tween  Turkey-red  calico  or  challie  and  tacked  closely 
make  a  light  and  warm  comfort,  next  best  to  one  of 
down.  By  using  four  or  five  pounds  and  making  it  just 
the  size  of  the  mattress,  it  forms  an  excellent  pad  to 
put  under  the  sheet  in  cold  weather.  Its  cosy  warmth 
needs  only  to  be  once  tried  to  be  acknowledged. 
Sheepskin  Shoes. — In  a  mountain  log  cabin  in 
winter  the  youngest  three  children  may  be  seen  tod¬ 
dling  over  the  puncheon  floor  in  curious-looking  white 
shoes.  Never  were  little  feet  more  warmly  shod. 
The  shoes  are  made  to  fit  the  foot,  with  the  wool  worn 
inside.  Soles  with  short  wool  worn  inside  of  the  shoes 
keep  warm  the  feet  of  the  elders.  R. 
THE  FACE  BEAUTIFUL. 
UST  above  Ernestine’s  nose,  two  faint,  upright  lines 
are  beginning  to  show  themselves. 
As  she  grows  older  they  will  become  deeper  and 
more  distinct,  unless  she  breaks  away  from  her  habit 
of  scowling  at  everything  she  reads. 
“  It  does  not  much  signify,”  sighs  Ernestine,  “  for 
even  with  no  wrinkles  my  face  can  never  be  beauti¬ 
ful.  My  mouth  is  too  large,  and  my  eyes  are  no-color 
gray,  and — ” 
But  my  dear — begging  pardon  for  the  interruption — 
there  is  beauty  and  beauty.  One  is  born  with  people  ; 
the  other,  and  best,  is  the  work  of  a  great  artist  who 
is  ready  to  serve  whoever  will  accept  his  help. 
“  Dear  me  !”  says  Midget.  “  Who  is  he  ?  Does  he 
charge  much  to  make  you  good-looking  ?” 
Yes,  he  charges  more  than  many  are  willing  to  pay. 
His  name  is  Noble  Thoughts. 
“  It  is  a  fairy  story,”  said  Midget,  with  a  note  of  dis¬ 
appointment.  But  Ernestine  catches  the  idea. 
“  What  must  you  be  willing  to  pay  the  artist  ?  ”  she 
questions. 
His  price  is — to  put  away  steadfastly  whatever  in¬ 
terferes  with  his  work,  such  as  impatience,  envy,  un¬ 
kindness.  Noble  Thoughts  is  an  honorable  fellow. 
He  simply  despises  thinking  what  is  low,  or  mean,  or 
degrading,  or  impure.  I  think  he  ought  to  do  his  best 
with  “  high-born”  folk — people  who  are  truly  children 
of  the  King.  Don’t  you  ? 
Ernestine  glances  at  the  tiny  cross  that  dangles  from 
a  buttonhole  in  her  blouse.  And  at  that  instant  Noble 
Thought  puts  an  expression  of  holy  resolve  into  her 
face  that  makes  it  almost  beautiful. — Good  House¬ 
keeping.  _ 
WEANING  AND  DRESSING  THE  BABY. 
HEN  my  baby  was  four  months  old  I  had  a 
fever,  and  was  so  weak  that  I  found  it  neces¬ 
sary  to  give  him  the  bottle.  I  dreaded  to  make  any 
change,  for  I  have  always  heard  of  the  terrors  of  wean¬ 
ing,  and  they  told  me  that  weaning  from  the  bottle 
was  the  worst  of  all.  I  gave  him  the  bottle,  and  to 
my  surprise,  he  never  called  for  his  mother.  I  taught 
him  to  drink  water  from  a  glass,  when  very  small  ; 
when  eight  months  old  I  gave  him  his  milk  from  a 
glass,  using  the  bottle  at  night  because  it  was  more 
convenient;  but  at  10  months  he  thought  he  was  too 
big  a  boy  to  use  a  bottle,  and  refused  to  take  his  food 
except  from  the  glass,  so  instead  of  my  weaning  him 
after  great  struggles,  he  weaned  himself.  My  theory 
is  that  if  a  child  is  fed  only  at  regular  intervals,  far 
enough  apart  for  him  to  be  hungry,  he  is  not  so  par¬ 
ticular  how  he  is  fed  if  he  only  gets  enough  to  satisfy 
him. 
I  was  delighted  with  the  plan  I  adopted  for  dressing 
my  little  one,  and  his  nurse  said  he  was  the  easiest 
baby  to  dress  she  had  ever  cared  for.  I  first  put  on  him 
a  long  flannel  skirt,  made  like  a  princess  dress,  with 
long  sleeves  and  high  neck  ;  over  that  he  wore  a  white 
skirt,  cut  after  the  same  pattern,  except  that  this  gar¬ 
ment  had  no  sleeves  and  opened  on  the  shoulders. 
Then  came  the  little  dress.  When  he  was  three  weeks 
old,  the  flannel  band  was  discarded,  and  the  little 
fellow  was  so  comfortable  with  no  bands  to  bind  him, 
and  no  pins  to  prick  him,  that  I  could  not  help  feeling 
sorry  for  the  poor  babies  bound  up  in  the  old-fash¬ 
ioned  way.  Some  of  the  old  Aunties  held  up  their 
hands  and  exclaimed  over  it  ;  saying  his  back  would 
be  weak,  and  that  he  would  have  no  shape,  etc.,  etc.; 
but  I  have  proved  them  in  the  wrong.  1  carried  out 
the  same  idea  in  his  short  clothes,  and  have  now  a  16 
months’  old  boy  with  as  strong  and  as  finely  developed 
a  body  as  a  mother  could  wish.  Esther. 
There  is  nothing  that  may  not  happen 
to  a  thin  baby. 
There  is  nothing  that  may  not  happen 
to  a  man  who  is  losing  his  healthy  weight. 
We  say  they  are  “poor.”  They  are 
poorer  than  we  at  first  suspect. 
Do  you  want  almost  all  that  is  known 
of  the  value  of  plumpness  told  in  a  way 
to  commend  to  you  careful  living — and 
Scott’s  Emulsion  of  cod-liver  oil  if  you 
need  it? 
A  book  on  it  free. 
Scott  &  Bowne,  Chemists,  132  South  5th  Avenue,  New  York. 
Your  druggist  keeps  Scott’s  Emulsion  of  cod-llver  oil— all  druggists 
everywhere  do.  $1. 
