Women Make the 
Homes. W Q M A N AND THE HOME 
Homes Make the 
Nation. 
THE GRANDMOTHERS AND THE GIRLS. 
E are very glad to be able to place side by side the 
efforts of women at the two extremes of their life- 
work. No doubt the girls have gained their ideas at the 
first from older heads, precisely in accordance with " Sev¬ 
enty-four’s ” ideas, yet now these ideas are their own. 
* * * 
Thk comparison between the work of the older women 
and the girls emphasizes, however, what has been said by 
some one—that every girl has now what no queen had a 
hundred or so years ago; for we see that these girls are 
ready to start just where the older women leave off. See 
how much broader is their opportunity I 
* * * 
"Seventy-four” writes that she fears we may think 
her rash to compete with younger and abler pens. We 
want the girls to note how the older ones feel their limita¬ 
tions, in order that they—the girls—may be stimulated to 
use to the utmost these greater advantages which are 
theirs. 
* * * 
“Seventy-four” and some of the girls had a whole¬ 
some fear of the waste basket, yet here they are. One 
said : “ I am only a farmer’s daughter.” We want her to 
leave out that “only,” both in her words and in her 
thoughts. No one will respect us if we do not respect 
ourselves. Let us command respect, not merely timidly 
beg for it. We can do it, all of us. 
* * * 
Two of our girls say that this is their first attempt at 
writing for publication. They have made a very good 
beginning. Will each girl remember that if she signs 
herself only "A Farmer’s Girl,” she loses her individu¬ 
ality ; for how can any of us distinguish her from all the 
others ? __ 
THE RIPE EXPERIENCE OF "SEVENTY-FOUR.” 
OMESTIC economy is a subject worthy of more 
attention than the majority in our community give 
it; certainly it is essential to our individual and national 
prosperity. As individuals we suffer, and as families are 
made miserable for want of considering and mastering 
this important subject. Parents should early teach their 
children the value of small savings and give them object 
lessons to prove their utility. Mothers should also teach 
children never to destroy anything that can be of service 
to themselves or others even by repairing. 
Benjamin Franklin was an excellent example of true 
nobility when he carried his loaf of bread to his room in 
the attic, thus economizing bis money to add to his mental 
store. Our most successful financial men have com¬ 
menced life in poor or moderate circumstances and by 
dint of judgment, economy and Industry, coupled with 
fair dealing and strict integrity, have gained their reward 
—prosperity 1 
First impressions are not easily effaced, and if habits of 
economy and industry are not early fixed, it is doubtful if 
they will ever be attained. How my mind reverts to my 
parents’ early teaching! 
The youth who laughs at small economies will never 
know a truly independent spirit—the spirit that will cause 
him to live within his means, looking not only to the 
present but to the future. It is the reflective boys and girls, 
those who are willing to deny themselves some present 
gratification and experience some inconvenience rather 
than go beyond their means, that will acquire a compe¬ 
tency ; and as they advance in years and take the responsi¬ 
bilities of family life, economy will naturally be exercised 
in household matters, in the kitchen, in the larder, in the 
wardrobe, and on the farm. What shall I say for those 
who have for years battled unsuccessfully for a better 
living ? Is there no hope ? Ye3, verily for those 
who really desire a remedy and who will search for and 
apply it. To the housekeeper I would say, use common- 
sense rather than ask Mrs. Grundy for your bill of fare, 
for when she tells you to use six eggs for your pudding, 
you need not be surprised to find that three are sufficient. 
By all means understand your financial limit—never 
overreach it even for company ; but rather leave a margin 
for an unforeseen emergency, or that you may be able to 
minister to the wants of the sick or worthy poor. 
Select a good quality of nourishing food ; see that it is 
nicely cooked; let the table be garnished with order and 
neatness ; be yourself cheerful, courteous, and companion¬ 
able. Then I hope the family, and I am sure the Good 
Father, who looks kindly down, will say, “ She has done 
what she couldand success will continue to crown your 
efforts. MRS. E. H. 8. 
Massachusetts.___ 
SOME OF SEVENTY’S COMMON SENSE IDEAS. 
DO not expect to teach the Chief Cook anything new, 
but can give a few general ideas in regard to my own 
experience in the matter of economy, as my husband is a 
subscriber to The Rural New-Yorker, and we think 
that is economy to commence with. 
To economize time and money we have a double house 
for my own and my son’s family, instead of having two 
houses, as both families can use one cellar, one well and 
one barn. Each family has its own work and takes its 
own time to do it in, each has its own things and its own 
place to put them in (which we think is good economy, as 
we all believe in having a place for everything and every¬ 
thing in its place), yet we are always ready to help one 
another. This we also think is good economy, and it 
saves time and money (time is money), and anything is 
better than discord in and between families 1 As to our 
own family, we are three, my husband and myself—some¬ 
times they call us Hiram and Nancy—and our youngest 
daughter. Another thing which we regard as great 
economy in health—and health is wealth—is this: We 
have been in the habit of rising In the morning at about 
five o’clock, especially in the summer time; but since ar¬ 
riving at three score and ten we feel like indulging our¬ 
selves a little more sometimes, as ills are more liable to 
overtake us. But when we do get out all right we get to 
business. 
In the first place, we think it not only economy but good 
common sense to have the kindling wood all prepared and 
ready overnight; then the girl and I sometimes have each 
our own work, and sometimes we help each other until all 
is completed. In order to save time and steps we try to 
load both ways in our trips to the cellar, to the woodhouse 
or to the upper rooms. We keep tubs and wooden pails 
under cover in the woodhouse, and thus save money, for 
many times the weather rot and wear is more than the 
natural wear: this care is no friction or hardship, for we 
all believe it and practice it. 
I also prefer to spin and knit the stockings and mittens 
for our family use; we never want to be idle, but always 
busy providing something for family use or getting 
information from books or papers. I Intend to have our 
meals regularly, and on time, so that when I pull the bell 
wire, the men know what it means and come forthwith to 
find us ready to commence eating after grace. Our meat 
consists of pork or beef, chicken or mutton, sometimes 
with fish for a change, as variety is the spice of life. Our 
sauce mostly consists of berries, cherries, apples, peaches 
or quinces; occasionally we have a few baked or steamed 
apples ora pudding; generally potatoes, and sometimes 
tomatoes and other vegetables in their season, which is the 
year round with some, as my husband raises and secures 
his own garden sauce. In some portions of his garden he 
raises two crops in one season with good results, which 
gives us a good variety both early and late. As for pie and 
cake, we eat all we make, but with economy, not extrava¬ 
gance. It is better to have now and then a brown loaf or 
some mush and milk. Sometimes I employ the spare time 
between meals in piecing quilts of various designs; if we 
do not need them ourselves, it helps to encourage the grand¬ 
children and teaches them to be industrious and to plan 
for themselves. If some of us are away on business or on 
errands, the others are working and taking care of things 
at home. MRS. hiram c. 
New York. 
THE VIEWS OF TWENTY SIX. 
F the Chief Cook had asked how not to economize I think 
she would not have failed to receive much valuable 
Information. It is hard to tell just how to plan one’s 
work so as to economize in all things—time, money, labor, 
etc., at the same time. She who plans to save labor is 
often looked upon by her shorter-sighted neighbors as lazy— 
an epithet which none of us likes to incur the risk of, even 
when rightfully applied, and it is still more galling when 
applied wrongfully. She who works all of the time—wear¬ 
ing the very life out of her body, in order to keep her house 
spotlessly clean whenever her neighbors may take it into 
their wise (?) heads to come in, perhaps to gather a morsel 
to add to the village gossip,—is called a drudge by these 
self-same women who were so ready to call the other lazy. 
I do not mean to make this a tirade against one’s neigh¬ 
bors, but only to show how foolish it is for one person to 
try to economize in all things, according to rules given by 
another person from bis or her standpoint. That 
which is economy for one might be just the reverse 
for another in different circumstances. It would be 
as foolish for a person physically weak to under¬ 
take to perform as much work as does her more strongly 
constituted sister, as it would be for a poor man’s family 
to attempt to load their table with luxuries that a rich 
man’s family would place upon their board. 
I am an advocate of good housekeeping, especially as re¬ 
gards the art of cooking. A good cook is not necessarily 
extravagant ; nay, an extravagant cook I should not deem 
a good one—to have, at least. 
There is truth in the old adage—What is worth doing at 
all is worth doing well. But I believe that if one can not 
get the week’s washing ironed as smoothly as she would 
like, without overtaxing her strength, it is better economy 
for her to leave it unironed. In most cases the family will 
grumble less at wearing wrinkled clothes than at having 
your spirits and temper wrinkled as a result of over¬ 
work. A woman’s first duty is to her family, and if her 
strength or her means, or perhaps both, will not allow her 
to place as many knickkuacks on her table, or to keep her 
house as neat as desired and herself as fashionably attired 
as she might wish and leave a surplus of time for her to 
devote to her family, I say, let her give the time required 
to her family and do the rest as well as she can. 
I do not believe it is economy for one woman who has a 
family of small children to care for, to try to do as much 
charitable work outside of her own family as a neighbor 
who has no children may do, just for the sake of 
being looked upon by outsiders as charitable. " Charity 
begins at home,” and I might add, economy also. A wise 
saying is: “What a man brings in at the door with a shovel 
a woman may throw out of the window with a spoon.” We 
often see it exemplified. A careless hired girl may waste 
untold quantities while the woman of the house Is off on 
her rounds of charity. I believe oftentimes better deeds 
of charity may be done at home by a woman’s seeing to, 
or doing her own work, and in her spare time making gar. 
ments for the poor or some delicacy for the sick, and let¬ 
ting her sister woman who has no family distribute them. 
A good table-economy is to save all the bits from the 
table; from the many recipes given in The Rural New- 
Yorker they may be made very appetizing, and thus 
much may be saved that, if thrown away, in a short time 
would prove a direful waste. 
Lastly, if all housekeepers will study the talents they 
have and improve them, they will be practicing economy 
both for themselves and for their fellow creatures in its 
truest sense. _ G. M. 
PHACTICAL NINETEEN. 
Setting the house In order, sweeping, dusting, baking. 
A housekeeper’s task, my friend, Is no slight undertaking, 
especially in a farmhouse; and the woman who is to suc¬ 
ceed must first of all have good health and know how to 
keep it, by economizing in time and steps; for no woman 
can work constantly from four o’clock in the morning till 
nine at night, week after week, without ruining her health 
in the end. 
To begin with the kitchen, a great many things can be 
done just as well sitting as standing. There should be a 
couple of chairs high enough so that one can sit comforta¬ 
bly at the table or sink. Every farmer’s kitchen should 
contain a good washing machine, also a wringer and mop- 
wringer: a baking powder can, used for chopping potatoes, 
as some one suggests in The Rural, will save time every 
day, and so will a chain dishcloth. A good carpet-sweeper 
causes a great saving of time and strength. 
A great deal of time is wasted in ironing, that might be 
spent more profitably in reading The Rural New-Yorker 
or some good book. There is no need of ironing sheets, 
flannels, and stockings; while everyday underclothing and 
coarse kitchen towels need very little pressing, if they are 
well shaken before they are hung up to dry. 
Washings cannot be slighted, but they may be made 
much easier by soaking the clothes overnight and using 
kerosene in the first suds. 
Fancy cooking is another way to throw away time and 
strength, as well as to spoil good materials and ruin 
people’s digestions. There is no need of any woman 
standing over a hot stove for hours, concocting all kinds 
of rich preserves, pickles, jellies, jams, etc. It is a waste 
of money in the shape of sugar, fruit and time, and almost 
any one would rather have plenty of good fruits and vege¬ 
tables to eat, either fresh or canned in the simplest 
manner so as to retain their natural flavor. Grapes can 
be canned almost as quickly as other fruits by squeezing 
out the pulp of a handful at a time instead of only that of 
one. When fruit is scarce, apples for mince pies can be 
chopped with the skins on, and no one will know the 
difference. 
. Then the knitting and the sewing, 
(With the buttonholes to make); 
Oh, the patching and the darning, 
How they make our lingers ache ! 
If a woman is skillful with tb< needle, she will be of far 
'rranre use in the world if she learns to make dresses well, 
and to do " the patching and the darning,” than if she 
learns all the embroidery stitches and occupies all her 
spare time making numberless pretty nothings that will 
never be of use to anybody. One good dress is worth more 
than several poor ones, even if it has to be worn several 
seasons, and it will be quite a saving of money to buy 
the best material if one hires her dressmaking. Two or 
three yards more than are needed for a dress will come 
handy for new sleeves, or for making some alteration. 
Some women think they have not time to take a short 
nap every day; but the busy housekeeper who tries it, 
will find that, although the day will be shorter, bhe can 
get more work done, enjoy life more, and feel like singing: 
Let us find our sweetest comforts 
In the blessings of to day. 
With a patient hand removing 
All the briers from the way. 
Hill Farm, N. Y. A COUNTRY GIRL. 
£Ui£ccUnnt0u<jf 
In writing to advertisers, please mention The R. N.-Y. 
U Packer’s Tar Soag> takes, and keeps, 
the position of a household indispensable. 
For the skin chapped by east winds and coal 
dust, or chafed by the friction of rough linen, 
or pimpled by impure secretions, it offers a 
safe and pleasant corrective. For removing 
scurf from the seal]) and promotion of uni¬ 
form healtbfulness of the cuticle it is invalu¬ 
able in the nursery. Unlike most medicated 
soap, it is bland, lathering readily, and in 
odor recalls the breath of balsamic woods.” 
—Marion Hakland. 
