i89i 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
i35 
MY “CASTLE IN SPAIN.” 
I T is a very practical “ air castle” which 
I have built so many times, and at 
every rebuilding I find in it room for im¬ 
provement. It is not built entirely in the 
imagination, for I was at one time in an¬ 
other woman’s home where many of my 
ideas had been materialized, together with 
others which were planned by the owner. 
My “ castle ” is that most prosaic affair, a 
thoroughly convenient kitchen and pantry. 
Let me sketch it for you: A room which 
shall be neither too large nor too small, 
probably about 12 by 15 feet, separated from 
the wood-house and pantry by a partition on 
one side and from the dining-room on an¬ 
other, and having the other two sides ex¬ 
posed, on the north and east, if possible. 
The entire north side of the room is 
taken up by the sink and closets. In the 
outside corner is a square closet, the upper 
shelves of which are devoted to kitchen 
towels, cans of tea and coffee, and other ar¬ 
ticles needed every day in cooking. Below 
is an open closet for men’s boots and slip¬ 
pers, boot jacks, shoe brushes and polish, 
and kindred articles. Next comes the sink 
where dishes are washed, and as ours is a 
hard water country, the rain-water pump 
is here. Over this is a frame for drying 
dish-cloths and towels. Here, also, is a 
large window, protected from without by 
a strong wire screen, so that the entire 
window may be removed on a hot day or 
when it requires washing. 
Under the sink is a closet for the kero¬ 
sene can, with cloths and feathers for lamp 
cleaning, extra wicks and the like. 
Next comes another low closet the top of 
which is on a line with the top of the sink. 
This top is used to hold the rinsing pan 
when washing dishes, and as it is at the 
left of the worker no time is- lost by 
changing the dishes from one hand into 
the other before putting them in the rins¬ 
ing pan. There is a deep drawer at the 
top for surplus dish-towels, bread-cloths, 
holders and like articles, while the space 
below is devoted to ironware. On the wall 
above hangs a bracket shelf on which stands 
a small alarm clock. 
Next comes the china closet which ex¬ 
tends to the ceiling and opens into the 
dining-room, as well as into the kitchen. 
The under side of the third shelf is supplied 
with brass hooks on which the cups are 
hung by their handles, leaving the shelf- 
room beneath for articles which will not 
hang. The lower shelf of this closet is left 
free to receive the dishes removed from the 
table during meals. On the dining room 
side there are drawers under the shelves 
for table-cloths, napkins, etc. 
The door between the kitchen and 
dining room is near the closet, and mid¬ 
way between this and the corner next the 
stove is an opening, with sliding door and 
a shelf on either side, through which food 
may be sent to the dining-room without 
opening the door between the rooms. The 
tray which receives the dishes of food in 
the diningroom is movable and maybe 
carried to the table, and a second set of 
supports makes it a convenient butler’s 
tray. 
Leaving the dining room partition, the 
next on the left is the one between the 
kitchen and the wood and coal room. A 
corner is taken from this room for the 
pantry, and it is built out four feet beyond 
in order that there may be a door between 
Please 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 leave them Castorla. 
pantry and dining-room, and a window op¬ 
posite to this door. In the kitchen there is 
a door into the pantry midway between the 
corner and the stove. On the wall at the 
right of the stove is a little closet or cabinet 
with doors, in which are pepper and salt, 
large spoons, forks, skimmers and the other 
things which one must use in cooking. 
There are hooks on each side of the stove 
for holders and a shelf at the back for flat¬ 
irons. Above this there are hooks for stew 
pans, and frying and roasting pans. 
Between the stove and the wood-house 
door is a big wood-box which projects into 
the wood-house and is filled from the wood- 
house side. It is so near the stove that one 
need not take a step from the stove to put 
in wood. Next comes the wood-house door 
and then the corner. 
The remaining outside wall has two win¬ 
dows and a door between them. There is 
a covered porch which does not cover the 
windows. The space between the first 
window and the door is occupied by a small 
sink for washing hands, over which is a big 
roller towel. Between the door and the 
other window is the water-box, through 
which clear spring water runs constantly, 
pumped by a windmill, if there are no 
springy hills to supply it by natural 
means. The box opens from the top by 
means of a hinged door, and there is a fau¬ 
cet both indoors and out at a height suffi¬ 
cient to admit of a common pail being put 
beneath it. The water passes out through 
a waste pipe which supplies a trough in the 
barnyard, and the overflow from this is 
conducted to a second trough at the road¬ 
side. The little porch is inclosed with wire 
screens with a screen door, and the windows 
are entirely covered with screens like the 
one already described. The three win¬ 
dows and the porch are covered with morn¬ 
ing glories and climbiog nasturtiums in 
summer, which keep out much of the sun’s 
heat and which cheer the weary worker 
with delightful bits of color when she can 
pause a moment to enjoy them. I will de¬ 
scribe my pet pantry in another paper, if 
permitted. s. A. little. 
THE QUESTION ANSWERED. 
I N The Rural New Yorker, page 37, 
May Maple asks why although sleep¬ 
ing all winter in a room six by six feet 
with no window, a fragile young lady 
maintained good health, and, in fact, im¬ 
proved in health. She has doubtless 
answered it herself, when she tells that the 
room had been partitioned off on the day 
of her arrival. It is altogether likely that 
the whole house was built in the same 
fashion, i. e., so open that light and air 
could freely enter. She could probably lie 
in bed and count the stars through the 
roof. The room was, most likely, not plas¬ 
tered and papered, and so, there was abun¬ 
dant ventilation. Moreover, she had an 
abundance of pure, wholesome, nourishing 
food, probably just what she needed, and 
the life passed at the farm house was quiet 
and agreeable. The walk to school in the 
crisp air was beneficial. Possibly at her 
home the house was damp, and at the farm 
it was dry. There was some condition—at 
this distance, and from what she has told 
us I cannot tell what—(probably good air) 
which produced the excellent effects she 
describes. [dr ] G G. GROFF. 
TWO MORE FIRST-CLASS CHEESE 
RECIPES. 
Cheese Straws.— One cup of flour, one- 
half cup of grated cheese, one-half teaspoon 
ful of salt; sift lightly the flour, salt and 
cheese together, then with a cold knife cut 
Into them a lump of cold butter as large as 
an egg and mix lightly together until thor¬ 
oughly Incorporated. Have ice-cold water 
and mix a few drops at a time until of the 
consistency of good pie crust. Lay the 
mass on the board and roll out one-fourth 
of an inch in thickness; with a sharp knife 
cut in strips across, and make uniformly 
six inches long, so that when done all will 
be of the same length. Bake in a moderate 
oven, laying them in papered pans so that 
they will all lie straight and even. 
Make a few rings by cutting with a cake 
cutter, and bake. When done, gather the 
straws into bundles and insert in the rings, 
and lay on a plate, always laying a pretty 
doily in the plate; or build in log cabin 
style, seven layers high, in the plate. Serve 
with every course if desired. They are pretty 
on the table when set, and replenished if 
need be from time to time. 
Macaroni and Cheese.— Put one-quarter 
of a pound of macaroni, broken into pieces, 
into salted water which is boiling-hot and 
let it stand until it swells, which will be in 
three-quarters of an hour; then turn it 
into a colander and pour ice-cold water 
through it to firm the paste. Place a layer 
of the macaroni in a buttered porcelain 
baking dish; have ready one pint of milk 
boiling hot and a quantity of cheese grated; 
dip in the hot milk to wet the paste, and 
strew the cheese thickly, making two 
layers, cutting in some small pieces of 
butter, and adding a very little salt and a 
sprinkle of Cayenne pepper. Finish with 
the cheese on top, bake in a moderate oven 
until the mils is absorbed, and serve in the 
same dish. ella r beebe. 
Cheat Oyster. —Three pints of boiling 
water ; one teacupful of nice white codfhh; 
one pint of canned tomatoes; add one 
tablespoonful of good butter, and when 
these have boiled 20 minutes put in a pint 
of fresh milk, quickly adding a half tea¬ 
spoonful of baking soda. The taste of fish 
and tomatoes will disappear, and the soup 
will be quite similar to that made from 
oysters, and at one third the expense. 
M. A. D. 
Lemon Pie. —We owe a debt of gratitude 
of several years’ standing to a lady who 
used to sign herself in the household 
papers, “ Helen Herbert,” for a recipe for 
lemon pie which is first-class, and never 
fails. We consider it “the best” unless 
one is especially fond of the flavor of eggs 
in these pies. We have changed it some 
what from the original, but the method of 
putting it together is exactly the same. 
Place two cupfuls of water over the fire in 
a saucepan. While this is heating, grate 
the rind of one lemon, and add to it its 
juice, strained through a thin cloth. Place 
a teacupful of sugar and a heaping table¬ 
spoonful of butter in a large bowl. When 
the water boils, thicken it with one-half 
cupful of flour, which has been moistened 
and stirred until smooth. (This is best done 
by adding a spoonful of sugar to the flour, 
which keeps it from lumping, and when it 
is stirred smooth with cold water, adding 
a few spoonfuls of the hot water to it, be¬ 
fore stirring it into the larger quantity in 
the saucepan). As soon as this porridge 
boils, pour it over the butter and sugar, 
and stir well. Then add the lemon, and 
when the mixture has cooled so as not to 
cook the eggs, stir in the beaten yolks of 
two. The whites are used as a meringue 
for the top of the pie. This makes one pie 
in a medium-sized plate. The recipe may, 
however, be extended by making more of 
the porridge and using a little more sugar, 
so as to make a large pie, which will still 
be excellent. We have also, when eggs were 
high, made the pie with one egg only, the 
chief difficulty being to make the meringue 
cover the whole surface. 
“ When we find a paper that has back 
bone enough to tell the truth, let us 
have backbone enough to help it along.”— 
L. w. lightly. 
Advertisers treat all correspondents 
well if they mention The Rural New- 
Yorker. 
For Bilious Attacks 
heartburn, 
sick headache, 
and all disorders of 
the stomach, liver, 
and bowels, 
Ayer’s Cathartic Pills 
are the 
safest, surest, 
and most popular 
medicine for 
family use. * 
Dr. J. C. Ayer & Co. 
Lowell, Mass. 
Tuff’s Pills 
The first close often astonishes the invalid, 
giving elasticity of mind, bouyancyofbody, 
GOOD DIGESTION. 
regular bowels and solid flesh. Price, 25c. 
GOLD MEDAL, PARIS, lGVo. 
W. BAKER & CO.’S 
Breakfast Cocoa 
from which the excess of oil 
has been removed, 
Is absolutely pure and 
it is soluble . 
No Chemicals 
are used in its preparation. It 
has more than three times the 
strength of Cocoa mixed with 
Starch, Arrowroot or Sugar, 
and is therefore far more eco- 
, nomical, costing less than one 
centacup. It is delicious, nour- 
I ishing, strengthening, kasily 
digested, and admirably adapted for invalids 
as well as for persons in health. 
Sold by Grocers everywhere. 
W. BAKER & CO., Dorchester, Mass. 
IF YOU WOULD HAVE 
CHOICE VEGETABLES 
And Beautiful Flowers, 
You must plant Good Seeds. 
I)o not go to the village store 
lint write to-day for 
Burpee's Farm Annual 
Which plainly tells 
How to get the Best Seeds, 
Without any Extra Cost, 
Direct from the Growers. 
It describes Rare Novelties 
Which can not lie had elsewhere. 
W. ATLEE BURPEE &, CO. 
PHILADELPHIA, PA. 
My Annual PRICED CATALOGUE is now ready 
and mailed free to all applicants. It contains ail 
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 line of business. 
ALFRED BRIDGIMAN, 
37 East 19th Street, New York City. 
PEACH TREES. 
One year from the bud on natural seedling stocks, 
Trees, 3 to 4, 4 to 5 anti 5 to 7 feet high, stocky and 
healthy. Leading varieties: Mountain Rose, Old 
Mixon FrtJe, Crawford’s Late, Moore’s Favorite, 
Stump. Pride of Franklin, Chair’s Choice, Stephen’s 
Rareripe, Globe, Brandywine, Beer’s Late, Fox’s 
Seedling. 
I. J. BLACKWELL & SON. Titusville, N. J. 
True Danvers Onion Seed. 
My seed farms extend into Danvers, and I fre¬ 
quently buy of the best onion raisers there hundreds 
of bushels of their handsomest onions to plant to 
grow seed from, sometimes paying as high as five 
dollars a barrel. I offer such seed, all this year's 
growth and of my own raising, at *3.1,0 a pound, with 
a discount on large quantities. Much of the onion 
seed sold Is either too fiat or too round for true Dan¬ 
vers. Choice Danvers carrot seed §1.03 per pound. 
Seed catalogue sent FBliE to every one. 
JAMES J H. GREGORY & SON. Marblehead, Mass. 
GRAPE VINES 
Plants of Boot anility. Warraniod truo to namo. Lowest 
Prices. Largest Stock and Assortment of Old and How 
Variotio3. Sond for Prioo List. 
BUSH b SON & MSISSm. Bnshlaarg, Mo. 
Six days earlier than 
any variety tested at the 
Agrlcuit’l Ex. Grounds 
at Gi neva, N. Y. Color 
greenish white : pulp 
lender, 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 
circulars giving furuit-r Information. Agents wanted 
Address STEPHEN HOYT’S SONS, New Canaan, CL 
General Advertising Rates of 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
TIMES BUILDING, NEW YORK. 
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Reading Notices, ending with "Adv.,” per 
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at tfce Post-office at Now York 01 ty, IT. T< 
M Btil biHii, 
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