95 
1891 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
BRAIN AND BREECHES. 
The following poem was read at the Rich- 
ford Institute by Mrs. O. F. Sexton, of 
Harford : 
While a child, In the old village church J was taught 
How the wonderful gift of salvation was brought; 
That all who do right were rewarded at last, 
No matter what nation, what age, sex or caste. 
At school, too, I learned that worth was the test 
The prizes were passed to the one that wrought best. 
Those bright happy schooldays flew onward, alas! 
While up to the ranks of a teacher I passed; 
And I found It was brain that decided our grade, 
And supposed that accordingly all would be paid. 
But T found that it was breeches that wielded the palm, 
Half wages to woman, full wages to man; 
So I taught the same schools and performed the same 
task 
For Just half the price that the breeches would ask. 
Did I write for the press ? It was ever the same- 
full price paid to breeches, half price paid to brain. 
And I asked a kind publisher once In my need — 
For my rosy-lipped children my efforts must feed — 
Why a half price to woman was paid for each page 
And a full price to men, but he flew in a rage,— 
“Why breeches need tobacco and whisky,” said he, 
“While brain needs but water or only weak tea.” 
Disgusted, disheartened, on a farm far away 
I Inquired of a farmer what wages he’d pay, 
“ I board men every month and pay thirty dollars, 
I pay women accordin’. I want workers, not 
scholars.” 
So I toiled In his kitchen from morning till night, 
Was up every day long before it was light, 
Churning, washing or baking—that great house 
I swept 
From garret to basement while hired men slept. 
Sometimes It was midnight ’ere the mending was 
o’er. 
But the men went to bed just at dark or before. 
On rainy days, too, hired men went to town, 
Or out in the barns on the hay loafed around. 
While I did the mopping, cleaned house, ironed 
clothes, 
The farmer and hired men sat down to a doze. 
There I worked till the harvest and haying were o’er. 
The thrashing all done I was wanted no more- 
“And now,” said the farmer, “I'll pay up your bill. 
You lost one whole day when your children were ill. 
You went home to see ’em, I’ll not count that though 
For you saved all my lambs that got chilled in the 
snow. 
Nigh three hundred dollars you saved me, by gum, 
So I’ll make you a present of (hat day at hum. 
Them sorrel colts, too, that the hired man run 
That time he was off four days on a bum, 
I was offered eight hundred for them colts last spring, 
But he stove’m up so not a dollar they’d bring. 
But your fussln’ and bathin’ and rubbin’ ’em so 
Has brought them round right and I very well know 
They’d bring me nine hundred dollars to-day on the 
track ; 
I’ll reward you for this, you deserve 'omething back 
So your trunk to the depot for nothin’ I’ll carry, 
It’s most train time now, we had better not tarry.” 
"But my pay, Farmer Jones, of that I must speak.” 
“Yes,” said he, “you have earned ’bout a dollar a 
week.” 
“Four dollars a month ! Why you promised to pay 
According to men’s wages when you hired me that 
day.” 
“Thirty dollars a month I pay all my men, 
Dollar a week’s ’bout accordin’ to what I pay them. 
But of course their lost time I don’t dare to dock 
For fear they would break things or damage my 
flock.” 
The political field I have cared not to enter, 
I knew that was rotten from circle to center. 
But I wonder sometimes if the women of brain. 
Whose lives and whose motives are free from a stain. 
Wouldn’t vote just as wise as the breeches that come 
From the slums of the orient, all reeking with rum. 
From the cellars and attics and criminal docks 
They cast in their ballots in droves and in flocks; 
They respect not our Sabbath, our Bible, our schools. 
But our vile politicians all use them as tools. 
Tools for what ? To forge fetters for Liberty’s feet. 
Our national bondage they soon will complete. 
Then I thought of the church of the people of God. 
Whose long row of martyrs sleep under the sod. 
Sure that was the spot of all others the best, 
I there should find comfort, protection and rest. 
I united with them while my full heart ran o’er 
With love for my Maker as never before. 
And I rose up in church just to tell of my joy, 
When out spoke the Deacon, my bliss to destroy. 
Said he, “My dear sister, pray have you not heard 
That women in church should speak not a word ? 
For don’t you remember the words of dear Paul, 
Who said that the women must keep silence, all ?” 
And I answered him hotly, “Paul made us endure 
More than Arabs aud heathen have done, I am sure. 
To degrade every woman he wrought out this plan, 
For Paul was a bachelor—just half a man. 
And from this harsh statement I ca-not refrain, 
Paul showed by such teachings more breeches than 
brain.” 
Next I came to the Grange and I found to my joy 
Its precepts and principles without alloy. 
There woman stands forth the true equal of man, 
As it was intended in God’s all-wise plan. 
Long flourish the Grange, the one spot on earth 
Where brain and not breeches decides our true worth. 
gMxrrtisittg. 
P lease mention The R. N.-Y. to our adver¬ 
tisers. 
When Baby was sick, we gave her Castorla, 
When she was a Child, she cried for Castorla, 
When she became Miss, she clung to Castorla, 
When she had Children, she gave them Castorla, 
AN EXCELLENT RECIPE. 
MISSOURI subscriber writes : “ I 
thauk you for all the pleasure and 
profit which I have derived from your val¬ 
uable paper. But among all the excellent 
cooking recipes which have been published 
in it, I have not seen one for banana cake. 
Now, I am very anxious to get a good re¬ 
cipe for this cake, and will be exceedingly 
thankful to you or any of your contributors 
who will furnish me with one.” As we are 
only too glad to oblige our subscribers, if 
they will but make their wants known, we 
give the following recipe : 
Banana Cake. —Any good cake recipe 
may be used. The one which with us 
seems best to combine economy with satis¬ 
factory excellence has for its ingredients 4X 
cupfuls of flour; 2% teaspoonfuls of the 
best baking powder; 2% cupfuls of sugar; 
IX cupful of butter and the same of milk, 
water, or milk and water; four eggs, and 
one large teaspoonful of vanilla. First, the 
baking powder and flour are sifted together 
twice; then the butter and sugar are stirred 
to a cream in another dish, and the egg 
yolks and flavoring are added; the next 
addition is the milk and water; after this 
the well-beaten whites are put in, and the 
mixture is beaten to a light foam and 
added to the flour. This makes six good 
layers, and if well baked will be so soft, 
fine and light that it can scarcely be moved 
to be put together. The cup used for meas¬ 
uring is a small teacup. The simplest way 
of adding the bananas is merely to slice 
them very thin, and place them thickly be¬ 
tween the layers. For variety their flavor 
may be modified by adding a few drops of 
vanilla flavoring, or strawberry or lemon 
juice ; the last we consider the best. Thick 
sweet cream and sugar added to the ban¬ 
anas form a rich and delicious filling. The 
greatest trouble is that the sliced layers of 
the fruit, and the layers of the cake do not 
always lie together nicely. This difficulty 
we sometimes obviate by mashing the 
bananas before spreading them on the cake. 
The cake-eater of the family pronounces 
the cake prepared in the style last men¬ 
tioned as delicious the first day, fair the 
second, and not fit to eat the third. Moral; 
prepare this cake to be eaten at once while 
fresh. If any of our subscribers have good 
recipes which differ from the above, we, as 
well as our correspondent, will consider it 
a favor if they will send them to us. 
PRUDENCE PRIMROSE’S DIARY. 
December 31. —In the little blank book 
where I kept a memorandum of Christmas 
presents when preparing them, I have 
written a list of the names of those to whom 
I wish to give presents next season. Now 
seems to be the time to think of suitable 
gifts. Many suggestions in the papers 
came too late for use this year and will be 
forgotten if a note is not made of the file 
and page where they are to be found. The 
sight of so many pretty and useful things 
scattered among one’s friends stimulates 
one’s ideas as to what busy hands and in¬ 
genuity can accomplish. But every trifle 
takes time and I for one do not care to 
spend another three weeks as busily as I 
spent those before the 25th last year. No 
one thought to buy the pretty cup and 
saucer for Le pere, or to make a black silk 
work-bag for La mere, although both 
presents would have been very acceptable ; 
there was not time to crochet the dainty 
hood for Auntie, aud some home-made 
letter baskets would have been tar more 
useful to two or three girl friends than 
were the sachets I sent them. However, it 
would have taken too long to crochet, 
starch and varnish the baskets. 
January 3. —We are reading “ Life, 
Letters and Journals ” of Louise M. Alcott. 
Bright, imaginative, practical Louise ! 
Working 14 hours a day, paying the family 
debts, educating the petted younger sister, 
and cherishing the dear “ M*rmee; ” long¬ 
ing for pretty things but denying herself to 
feather the home nest for her loved ones. 
Such a strong, cheerful noble character ! 
Emerson shirlfcs forth in a new light, ever 
“ the good Providence of the family;” a 
sympathetic friend, “ bestowing gifts, on a 
table, under a book or behind a candle¬ 
stick when he thinks father wants a little 
money and no one will help him earn it.” 
January 5.—To-day I noticed an adver¬ 
tisement of Iporruea pandurata, or 
“ Hardy Day Moonflower,” and, suspecting 
that it might be our wild morning glory, I 
took my botany from the shelf and found 
my suspicions well founded. Gray gives 
the common names as wild potato vine and 
man-of-the-earth. Location, “sandy fields 
and banks from Connecticut to Illinois and 
southward. June—August. Stems long 
and stout from a huge root, which often 
weighs 10 to 20 pounds. Flowers opening 
in bright sunshine.” 
Since the true name is given and it really 
is a very delicate and graceful flower, no 
one ordering the new Day Moonflower need 
be disappointed; but if it is a common 
wild plant over so wide a stretch of our 
country, many might Drefer digging the 
tubers from the wayside, where, according 
to Prof. Gray, as large clusters may be se¬ 
cured as any planter could desire. Not 
many seasons ago I was saved from order¬ 
ing bulbs of the Apios tuberosa by looking 
up the matter and finding that the 
“Tuberous-rooted Wistaria” was no other 
than our old friend the ground nut or wild 
bean, whose tubers Le pere tells of roast¬ 
ing and eating with relish when a boy. A 
friend, who brought it from the fields, had 
already given me some roots and now every 
spring, when a certain one of our borders 
is spaded, strings of the tubers, like oval 
beads upon a stout twine, are tossed out; 
though always enough remain to clamber 
up a Michigan Rose and afford a whiff of 
delicious fragrance to any one passing that 
way of a dewy morning. 
January 7.— Yesterday I had occasion 
to wait several hours at a dressmaker’s. 
She was nerve-worn and hurried. Another 
customer was waiting for a dress that 
must be doue at one o’clock. About the 
room lay six or eight different garments in 
various stages of completion. The busy 
sewer probably worked far into the night, 
and did not enjoy a walk in the fresh air 
oftener than once a week. Her daughter 
was gay, pretty, and a great favorite with 
the young men. It was towards noon 
when the young lady emerged from an ad¬ 
joining bedroom, asking about her break¬ 
fast. “ What, Lilian, just up ?” exclaimed 
a neighbor who had happened in. “She 
wasn’t feeling very well,” excused the 
mother, and the dainty Lilian yawned and 
laughed. Query: Do indulgent mothers 
make self-indulgent daughters ? 
If you want to serve your meats in 
dainty and aristocratic style, you must use 
meat glaze. This may be made by placing 
in a small saucepan some good, strong, 
clear, brown gravy, and boiling it quickly 
over a clear Are, until reduced to a very 
small quantity. Dip a spoon in it, touch 
it with your thumb and finger, and if it 
feels very sticky it is ready. When you 
wish to use it, set the pot containing it in 
a little warm water, till the glaze becomes 
liquid; dip a pastry brush into the glaze 
and use in brushing over boiled tongues, 
breasts of roast fowls, stewed beef, mutton 
cutlets, sweetbreads, etc. 
If your child has been so unfortunate as 
to get some foreign body fast in the nasal 
passages, the best way to remove it is to 
open his mouth, place your own to it, and 
blow violently. This will usually dis¬ 
lodge the intruder—bean, button, or what¬ 
ever it may be. 
Advertisers treat all correspondents 
well if they mention The Rural New- 
Yorker. 
Boils and Pimples 
Are nature’s efforts to eliminate poison from 
the blood. This result may be accomplished 
much more effectually, as well as agreeably, 
through the proper excretory channels, by 
the use of Ayer’s Sarsaparilla. 
“ For several years I was troubled with 
boils and carbuncles. In casting about for a 
remedy, it occurred to me that Ayer’s Sarsa¬ 
parilla had been used in my father’s family, 
with excellent success, and I thought that 
what was good for the father would also be 
good for the son. Three or four bottles of 
this medicine entirely cured me, and I have 
not since—in more than two years —had a 
boil, pimple, or any other eruptive trouble. 
I can conscientiously speak in the highest 
terms of Ayer’s Sarsaparilla, and many 
years’ experience in the drug business en¬ 
ables me to speak intelligently.” —C. M. 
Hatfield, Farmland, Ind. 
Ayer’s Sarsaparilla 
PREPARED BY 
DR. J. C. AYER & CO., Dowell, Mass. 
Price $1; six bottles, $5. Worth $5 a bottle. 
YOU NEED NOT FEAR 
that people will know your hair is dyed if 
you use that perfect imitation of nature, 
Tutt’s Hair Dye 
No one can detect it. It imparts a glossy 
color and fresh life to the hair. Easily ap¬ 
plied. Price, $1. Office, 3D Park Place, N. Y. 
GOLD MEDAL, PARIS, 1C'75. 
W. BAKER & CO.’S 
Breakfast Cocoa 
from which tho excess of oil 
has been removed, 
la absolutely pare and 
it is soluble. 
No Chemicals 
are used in its preparation. It 
lias more than three times the 
strength of Cocoa mixed with 
Starch, Arrowroot or Sugar, 
and is therefore far more eco- 
I nomical, costing less than one 
centaenp. It iBdelicious,nour¬ 
ishing, strengthening, easily 
digested, and admirably adapted for invalids 
as well as for persons in health. 
Sold by Grocers everywhere. 
W. BAKER & CO., Dorchester, Mass. 
GOOD SEEDS 
Only can produce 
Choice Vegetables and 
Beautiful Flowers. 
If yon want the BEST 
Direct from Headquarters, 
Write to-day, naming this paper, to 
W. ATLEE BURPEE &CO. 
PHILADELPHIA, PA. 
For a FREE copy of their 
Enlarged and Elegantly Illustrated 
Complete Seed Book for 1891, 
Well known for many years as 
Burpee’s Farm Annual 
Every Live Farmer and Gardener should have it. 
BECAUSE THEY ARC 
THE BEST. 
D. M. Fkkry & Co's 
Illustrated, Descriptive and Priced 
Seed Annual] 
For 1891 will be mailed FREE 
I to all applicants, and to last season’sj 
[Customers. It is better than ever. J 
Every person using Garden, 
Flower or Field Seeds, 
should send for it. Address 
D. M . FERRY 4. CO. 
DETROIT, MICH. 
I Largest Seedsmen in the world I 
. SEEDS. 
My Annual PRICED CATALOGUE is now ready 
and mailed free to all applicants. It contains all 
the leading and most popular sorts of 
VEGETABLE, FARM, 
AND 
FLOWER SEEDS, 
Besides all the desirable novelties of last season, and 
nearly everything else in my lino of business. 
ALFRED BRIDGE MAN, 
37 East 19th Street, New York City. 
GRAPE VINES 
Plants of Boo: duality. Warrantoa truo to namo. Lowoat 
Prices. Largost Stock and Aosortmont of Old and Now 
Varietios. Send for Price List. 
BUSH 6 SON k MZISSNZB, Bnshborg, Mo. 
Address 
> giving 
STEPH 
Six days earlier than 
any variety tented at the 
Agrlcuit’l Ex. Grounds 
at G( neva, N. Y. Color 
greenish wtilte : pulp 
tender, sweet and de¬ 
licious. The only grape 
that ranks first both in 
earliness and quality. 
Each vine sealed with 
our registered trade¬ 
mark label. "'Send for 
EN HOYT’S SONS, New Canaan, CL 
General Advertising Rates of 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
TIMES BUILDING, NEW YORK. 
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fOre respectfully informed that any correspondence 
with a view to obtaining different terms will prow 
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agate space. 25 * 
Preferred positions.25 per cent, extri 
Reading Notices, ending with “Adv.," per 
line, minion leaded... 75 oent 
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HMt4 at the Poet-office at New Tork City, V. T, 
•• w oe M -eUn mall nuMev. 
