Women Make the Homes Make the 
Woman And The Home. “ 
We have in hand some valuable articles from Dr. 
Kellogg of the great Battle Creek Sanitarium. 
They are extracts from stenographic reports of lec 
tures delivered to his patients at the Sanitarium, 
and we think our readers cannot fail to find them 
helpful. Dr. Kellogg is well known through the 
Sanitarium magazine, “ Good Health,'' and he 
speaks with authority. Not long ago he made a 
tour abroad through all the great health institu¬ 
tions on the European Continent, in the interests of 
his patients and others whom he might benefit. We 
will try to give one of the articles next week. 
DEPENDENCE AND DEPRIVATION, 
un'que department In the bright Housewife is that 
devoted to the “shut-ins.” Larger than many of 
us dream is the number of those who are shut-in by pro¬ 
tracted illness or by pitiful deformity to live their lives 
within four walls, and who are thereby shut out in great 
measure from the pleasures and interests of those blessed 
with health and strength. Tne well may seek pleasures 
and interests if they do not come to them; the shut-ins 
must take what comes. It was a beautiful thought to 
give them a place right in the midst of the interests of a 
popular paper, yet a corner by themselves; and the inter¬ 
est in their corner and the kindness for others shown 
by them are beautiful to fee. 
Clarissa Potter, known for some years as a sympathetic 
writer on home topics, has an article on “ little lifts” for 
such as are shut in, which touches some points seldom 
thought of by those who have never been ill. 
“ ‘I do so miss the use of my own dear self,’ an active 
young housewife repeatedly said, during the few but long 
days of convalescence following her baby’s coming ‘I am 
always wanting something brought from up-stairs or 
down, that no one but myself can seem to find, and I’ve 
always ready a dozen little foolish errands that I want 
done and would be glad to do for myself, but cannot, and 
nurse calls me me fussy and notional because I keep her 
trotting to do this and that, though, I’m sure. I keep whist 
over the greater part of my notions and wishes.’” 
Only a few days’ confinement with a sprained ankle 
brought an active housekeeper to this conclusion : “ Oh, 
what a life of galling dependency and chafing deprivations 
a bed-ridden invalid must endure 1 If ever again I have 
the use of my feet, I will surely go to every shut-in of my 
acquaintance and give them not only heartfelt sympathy, 
but be feet and hands and eyes for them so long as I can.” 
In the light of those four words, “ galling dependency and 
chafing deprivations,” we may read the whole story of the 
existence of many a poor shut-in, and in them we may find 
sufficient reason for the fretfulness and irritability as it 
seems to us, leaving entirely out of account the actual 
bodily suffering which alone renders life a burden to many 
a helpless one. 
Where the sick are taken care of in their own homes, it 
is often the case that the nurse has all the other work of 
the household to perform, when either the nursing or the 
care taking would be all that body and nerves could en¬ 
dure. In such case, when the patient is worn and nervous 
from sickness, and the nurse worn and nervous from over¬ 
work, what wonder if the nurse considers the patient 
“ fussy,” and the patient charges the nurse with being neg¬ 
lectful and unfeeling. Perhaps no right-feeling home 
nurse but has berated herself at times, when rested, for 
previous impatience and lack of tender attention to some 
dear chronic invalid’s innumerable wants or “ notions.” 
To the feeling of helplessness under which the patient 
lies is often due the nervous tension caused by the least of 
little miseries. It is for the little lifts which may so easily 
be given even by the visitor who comes merely to inquire, 
and perhaps to sit a few minutes, that the writer makes 
her plea, and she illustrates it so well that we quote seve¬ 
ral paragraphs. 
“I want first and most of all that bit of torn border 
pasted in place,” a bed-ridden convalescent said, with tear¬ 
ful hesitancy, in answer to a friend’s persistent demand to 
be feet and hands and eyes for her during a brief call. 
“ Nurse thinks me a very troublesome patient, and I have 
so many real wants and cause her so many necessary steps, 
I am ashamed to bother her with these little things that 
do so fret and tire me. That flap of torn wall paper, 
swinging down from the celling just opposite my pillows, 
has distressed me more than I can tell.” 
“ I do know. I can understand you dear, patient mar¬ 
tyr,” was the quick, sympathetic answer, “for I was once, 
myself, a bed-ridden sufferer, and the tiresomeness I en¬ 
dured those long weeks, seeing a hideous face that my eyes 
would persist in tracing from a dark smooch and crink¬ 
ling drizzle of paint on a door facing my bed, I can never 
forget.” 
“ And did that dreadful face stare down at you as long 
as you were ill ?” 
“ No, only for one whole year, and then a kind neighbor 
who learned from me 'of this dally trial, hung over the 
offending panel a beautiful Scripture roll with one or 
more of the blessed promises printed on each page, one for 
each day of the year, in type so large and clear I could easi¬ 
ly read them when lying on my pillow, and instead of an 
annoyance, that door panel held a new blessing for me 
every morning. Now, what next, dear f what would you 
do next t that mantel ?” 
“ Yes, but how could you know I wanted it made neat 
and orderly ? the scattered, grease-shouldered vials wiped 
and put in a graded row, that smutty old hearth wing and 
the dust-catching trinkets removed and the cracks in those 
vases turned to the wall ? And then, I want a mislaid 
paper found and a half dozen envelopes addressed, ready 
for my scrawling missives, that now and then I have 
strength to write, dainty breast pockets put on my 
night dresses, and—and—I do so want that glaring mis- 
jibe in the wall hangings, opposite my bed, screened with 
fresh evergreens and that raveling, burned hole in the car¬ 
pet mended.” 
Cannot those who never know what to do when they go 
on duty visits to the sick, find here some thoughts that 
may be worked out in other ways ? 
THE REVIVAL OF DIMITY. 
T will be pleasant news to many an elderly lady,—even 
to those long past taking a very lively interest in the 
fashions of the present—to know that dimity, beloved of 
our grandmothers, bids fair to be revived during the com¬ 
ing season. Harper’s Bazar in a late issue, speaks of dim¬ 
ity gowns as follows: 
“ The beauty of dimity dresses lies in their freshness, 
hence they should be so simply made that they can be eas¬ 
ily laundered. In the first place, the dimity should be 
thoroughly shrunken before the dress is cut; it should be 
divested of every particle of starch, and none should ever 
be added thereto. The round belted bodice, without lin¬ 
ing or whalebones, is cut six inches longer than the waist, 
that the ends may pass under the skirt. An under arm 
form is not needed except for very stout figures. The 
seams should be the English bag seams, stitched first on 
the right side, then turned and stitched on the wrong 
side, inclosing the raw edges. A pretty model has a 
curved yoke of very open embroidery, and a tnrned-over 
collar of the same. The dimity is gathered to the corded 
edge of the yoke, then drawn down and shirred at the 
waist line, in a space of six inches in back and front, on a 
strong linen band set as a belt underneath. The bias 
mutton-leg sleeves are all in one piece, with two deep 
pleats under the elbow, and turned-back cuffs of embroid¬ 
ery. Small pearl buttons set very close together close the 
front. Four larger buttons are set on the waist line, one 
directly in front, another in the back, and one on each 
side, and to these the belt of the skirt is attached. A 
foundation skirt of the dimity is two yards and a half 
wide; it is made with the usual four breadths hemmed at 
the foot, fitted to the figure with darts at the top, finished 
there with a welting cord, and hooked at the back. The 
outside skirt is three yards wide, or slightly wider if made 
to touch the floor in the back. It has a wide band of 
embroidery inserted between two groups of three sma'l 
tucks above a deep hem. The front and side breadths are 
sloped much narrower at the top, and are gathered scanti¬ 
ly, while the straight back breadth is pleated into a very 
small space; this skirt is attached to an inch-wide belt of 
doubled dimity in which are five button-holes, one at each 
end, to meet the four buttons on the bodice. To complete 
this simple and dainty dress is a thick ribbed silk belt rib¬ 
bon two Inches wide, the color of the figure in the dimity, 
fastened by a silver buckle. Sixteen yards of dimity are 
required for this gown. 
“Another dimity bodice has the top drawn in a yoke on 
five thick cords placed an inch and a half apart, the three 
upper cords going around the shoulders, while two lower 
cords pass into the armholes, in front and back alike. Bias 
leg-o’-mutton sleeves have a frill of Marie Antoinette lace 
in bow knot design falling on the hand, and a ruffle of this 
lace three inches wide is gathered inside the standing col¬ 
lar to fall close on the outside. The skirt, like that just 
described, is trimmed with a straight gathered flounce ten 
inches deep, made of five breadths of dimity, with a row 
of the lace set upon it. Still another dimity bodice 
is gathered on the shoulders and pleated at the waist line. 
The high collar has a three-inch frill of lace upon it, a frill 
of lace five inches deep falls from the belt, and a flounce 
of similar lace seven inches wide trims the foot of the 
skirt.” 
01 HER BRIGHT WOMEN AT THE COUNCIL 
EV. MILA FRANCES TUPPER spoke on “Woman’s 
Status in the Church To-day.” She said that the 
present agitation in church circles as to woman’s status 
was partly due to the query raised in the Methodist 
Church as to woman’s constitutional right to hold church 
offices. The main reason, however, was a larger one, in 
all lines of life. It had been found that constitutions wei e 
fixed and did not grow as customs do, and so they do not 
always fit in with changed and modified conditions. As a 
result, there was a growing need for radical changes In 
many church governments in this line. 
Mrs. Mary T. Lathrop has been since her youth identified 
with Methodist Church work, and is president of the 
Michigan W. C. T. U. Her oratorical abilities are of the 
highest order, and she has the logical, argumentative style. 
Besides being a graceful writer, she has a fancy for poeti¬ 
cal composition, which is much admired. She said she 
was glad the doors of the churches were open to women, 
and insisted that the days had long since passed by when 
it was said that woman could not take the higher educa¬ 
tion. “ If you cannot stand the pressure of modern 
womanhood,” she said, “I advise you to move out into 
some other and more conservative world. Woman, for 
the part she takes in the church, deserves a representation 
in church government,” was her sensible conclusion. 
Mrs. E. B. Grannis, editor of the Church Union, spoke 
on the “ Christian League,” or more particularly of 
church union or church unity. She was introduced by 
Miss Willard as a “ brave little woman who believes the 
time is coming when there will be one flock and one shep¬ 
herd,” and spoke of the oneness of the church as it 
should be. 
Miss Mary Burdette, of Chicago, (a sitter of the humor¬ 
ist) and a representative of the Baptist Home Missionary 
Society, opened the discussion with a five-minutes’ address 
on the work of the society in missionary and temperance 
lines. 
Mrs. Susan H. Barney, of Providence, R. I., gave a fine 
address. She has devoted many years of a busy, active 
life to the amelioration of the condition of prisoners, and 
is therefore widely and justly known as the prisoners’ 
friend. She is a W. C T. U. woman, and has been 
appointed by the organization to go around the world 
in the interest of prison reform. She Is also devoted to 
the interests of the Methodist Church. 
The wife of the Rev. Joseph Cook, of Boston, is, 111 e 
her husband, a Congregationaliet. S re is the daughter of 
a wealthy banker of New Haven. She is both personally 
and mentally an unusually charming woman, and repre¬ 
sents in a way the finest type of New England culture. 
She has traveled all over the world with her husband, 
stimulating her interests in the work of the home and 
foreign missionary societies, for which she has ever been 
an acceptable speaker and writer. 
Mrs. Hannah J. Biiley comes from Maine and is a mem¬ 
ber of the Society of Friends. She was left a widow years 
ago, and has managed the large wealth left to her by her 
husband with such ability that she has greatly increased 
it. She ranks among the millionaires of her State. She 
has carried into her connection with the work of the For 
eign Missionary Union of Friends much enthusiasm, but 
at the same time practical and business methods of carry¬ 
ing on its labors. 
Mrs. PI S. Burlingame was for many years president of 
the W. C. T. U. of Rhode Island, and is now known among 
church workers as one of the best speakers in the cause 
of Baptist missions. H A. house. 
Virginia._ 
CHILDREN’S SUMMER CLOTHING. 
S the custom of making summer clothing duriug the 
early spring months has become the almost univer¬ 
sal practice among thrifty housewives, shopkeepers have 
been for some time displaying their new importations of 
cotton dress goods; and surely for beauty and inexpen¬ 
siveness they rival those of any previous season and aie in¬ 
deed tempting. 
Still in spite of this, the mother who is acquainted with 
the merits of light-weight flannels and serges, and to whom 
the laundry ing of her children’s garments is a matter of no 
mean consideration, may well hesitate before investing 
largely in these dresses. 
From a mistaken notion as to what constitutes good 
taste and beauty in dress, and because cotton dress goods 
and Hamburg embroideries were cheap, and ruffles, puffs, 
andtucks easily made on a sewing machine, the majority 
of mothers have yearly imposed upon themselves a burden 
of sewing and laundry work that has sadly depleted their 
vitality. 
When but one servant is kept the mistress must often 
assist in ironing, if it is not made necessary by the in¬ 
efficiency of the servant, and so she stands at the ironing 
table with the thermometer at 100 degrees in the stifl ng 
kitchen when she had far better be romping with her 
children, getting a breath of fresh air, or widening 
her mental horizon by a bit of good reading. 
But we are slowly coming to see that elaborately 
made, and over-trimmed garments are not beautiful but 
vulgar, and a decided reaction in favor of using better 
materials and simplicity in making is apparent. 
Let all intelligent mothers determine to help along 
the movement by the force of their example. There is 
(Continued on next page.) 
!Ui$reUM£jou$ 
In writing to advertisers, please mention The R. N.-Y. 
u Packer’s Tar Soap has been on the 
market now for twenty years. This valuable 
toilet adjunct has long ago distanced all its 
competitors, and each new year only in¬ 
creases its popularity.”— Medical Standard, 
Chicago, April, 1891. 
u Packer’s Tar Soap is of great value 
for cleansing the scalp, and is soothing and 
healing in irritable conditions of the skin.” 
—Toledo Medical and Surgical Reporter, 
April, 1891. 
