Women Make the Homes Make the 
Ho ““ Woman And The Home. 
NOTES IN PASSING. 
FORMER note mentioned the fact that nearly every 
one of the “ economy ” contestants enlarged on the 
desirability of saving steps by using a basket or tray in car¬ 
rying articles to and from the cellar; two only, we believe, 
mentioned a dumb-waiter,—a convenience which should 
be considered a necessity in every farm-house, and which 
would obviate nearly all occasion for trips to the cellar, 
except in connection with the care of milk and butter. 
We desire to call especial attention to our Arkansas corre¬ 
spondent’s description of her cellar-way, given in the 
present issue, and to say that if any reader can furnish 
accurate and clear directions for the construction of a 
dumb-waiter, together with a good sketch, we shall be 
glad to have a cut made for the help of others. We want 
working directions, which will enable any farmer who Is 
reasonably handy with tools to make his wife a present of 
a dumb-waiter to run those numberless errands to and 
from the cellar. 
* * * 
“ I fear I shall never be able to repay your kindnesses,” 
said a home keeping mother of several little children to a 
freer neighbor who had brought her a large bouquet of 
wild wood flowers. 
“ Nay 1 You owe me nothing,” laughed the neighbor. 
“ It was I who owed some one a debt. Do you not remem¬ 
ber how many bouquets Lilian (another neighbor) brought 
me those two springs when I could not get out at all ? I 
cannot pay her in kind, for she can always get all the 
flowers she cares for, but I was in duty bound to pass the 
kindness over to some one.” 
“That is a pleasant thought,” was the reply, “and an 
ingenious way to prevent the recipient of any favor from 
feeling burdened. I will file it away in my memory, and 
thank you for two favors.” 
Is not this the essence of kindliness, and does it not sug¬ 
gest a way In which all may pay debts of kindness, either 
small or great f 
* * * 
Few, perhaps, of our readers have any just Idea of the 
routine of office work, and the monotony which attends 
so^ae portions of it. Subscribers, perhaps, may read a 
striking article a second—possibly, in rare cases, a third 
time ; but if they were obliged to read every word in every 
article, bright or dull, whether it contained a word of in¬ 
terest to them, or not, two or three times, as is done in 
careful offices; if this were to be done not with one num¬ 
ber only, but every week, some idea of the regard which 
those in the office have for bright articles which will bear 
re-reading, might be gained. 
Knowing something of this, it was with a feeling of real 
pleasure that the Chief Cook became aware that even some 
of the men who do routine work in the office are so inter¬ 
ested in the woman’s department, that they “ really like” 
to read it. May not every one who lends a helping hand 
to this department feel that this is a personal, freewill 
compliment ? 
FRESH STRAWBERRY DESSERTS. 
1VEN varieties of this delightful fruit suited to the 
home table, with no stinting as to cream, and really 
no one need ask for any better way of serving it than as 
simple strawberries and cream. Yet the fact remains that 
new recipes are being constantly sought after. 
Strawberries au Naturel.— Large, handsome berries 
are piled effectively in low, cut-glass dishes in a nest of 
their own fresh leaves. The stems are not removed, but 
the berries ^ire lifted by them one by one, and dipped in 
powdered sugar as eaten. Besides being fashionable, this 
is really an inexpensive way of serving the fruit, as a 
lesser quantity will be used, and the cream saved is quite 
an item. 
Strawberry creams are becoming more and more popu¬ 
lar. It is essential in preparing these that the cream, if 
frozen, do not have the fruit added until nearly done; 
otherwise it will form icy lumps that are far from 
pleasing. 
Strawberry Ice Cream, of a standard sort, may be 
made as follows: To three quarts of thin cream add IX 
pound of pulverized sugar, and four well-beaten eggs. 
Mix thoroughly, and cook in a double boiler until thick. 
When cool, place this custard in a freezer. Prepare two 
quarts of strawberries by crushing them to a pulp in a por¬ 
celain dish with three-fourths of a pound of pulverized 
sugar. When the cream is nearly ready for use, add the 
fiuit pulp to it, together with two small tablespoonfuls of 
vanilla flavoring. Give the freezer a few more turns to 
mix the fruit well with the cream, and serve as soon as 
sufficiently hard. 
A Simple Strawberry Cream may be prepared by add¬ 
ing to a quart of frozen ice cream one quart of thoroughly- 
ripened and well-ssveetened berries. This may be done by 
mixing the two, or the berries may be hidden in the center 
of a mold of cream placed on the table, to form a n sur¬ 
prise cream.” Rich cream, scalded and frozen, without 
eggs, may be used in the same way. 
Strawberry Bavarian Cream served with whipped 
cream piled around it, forms a rich and delicious dessert, 
although it is somewhat elaborate as to the making. The 
materials needed will be half a box of gelatine, half a cup 
of cold water, the same of boiling water, one quart of 
strawberries, and one pint of cream. The gelatine is first 
soaked for two hours in the cold water, when the boiling 
water is added to it, and it is stirred until perfectly 
smooth. When the gelatine is put to soak, the berries 
and sugar are mashed and allowed to stand for two hours. 
The fruit is then strained through a fine sieve to remove 
the seeds, and the gelatine is also passed through the 
sieve. The cream is whipped to a stiff froth ; the gelatine 
and strawberry mixture is placed in a pan of cracked ice, 
and stirred until it begins to thicken well, and the cream 
is added at this point. Just before the mixture becomes too 
thick to move, it is poured into molds, and set away in the 
ice box to harden. This cream is not frozen. 
Strawberry Shells may be prepared by filling the hol¬ 
low shells made as for cream puffs, with strawberries and 
whipped cream well sweetened. This is one of the newest 
of strawberry desserts, aod a delicious one, although not 
showing the fruit so attractively as some. 
Strawberry Juice with whipped cream is a favorite 
sauce to eat on all cold puddings of the blanc mange class, 
with those who are fond of the strawberry flavor. 
An Economical Strawberry Dessert is a strawberry 
pudding. This is made by placing cubes of stale bread in 
the bottom of a pudding dish. Layers of bread are alter¬ 
nated with layers of mashed ripe strawberries well sweet¬ 
ened. This dish may be steamed or baked. If baked the 
appearance may be improved by placing a meringue on the 
top. It is to be served cold, with sugar and cream, whipped, 
if desired. 
Strawberry Custard Souffle.— For this new dessert, 
place one large cupful of milk iu a double boiler over the 
fire; when hot, add two tablespoonfuls of flour and four 
of butter well rubbed together; stir until well cooked— 
perhaps five or six minutes. Beat the yolks of four eggs 
with a scant half cupful of sugar; add these to the hot 
milk, stir one minute, and remove from the fire to cool. 
When cold, add the well beaten whites, and place in 
a quick oven for 20 minutes. This souffld is to be 
turned, when cold, over a quart of sweet berries, and if 
one feels quite extravagantly inclined, a pink meringue 
may decorate the top of the whole. myra v. norys. 
PRESERVING THE STRAWBERRY. 
N spite of man's best efforts to lengthen the strawberry 
season, a span of six weeks covers it, including the 
very earliest and the very latest varieties; it remains for 
the housewife to so manipulate the fruit that it may be 
eD joyed throughout the remainder of the year. 
We think no housewife has yet reached the point of so 
preparing this fruit that it is equal to the fresh berries 
nor ever will, yet the apparent desire for better ways of 
canning the strawberry seems to indicate a reaching out 
after perfection along this line. The less cooking the bet¬ 
ter, no doubt; but the great difficulty seems to be in the 
fact that unless the fruit be well cooked, fermentation is 
apt to make one’s labor vain. 
The lady known to the public as Shirley Dare, and who 
is supposed to be good authority, asserts that both straw¬ 
berries and raspberries can be preserved for creams, tarts, 
etc., without boiling. The method consists in bruising 
the fruit, (it must not be wet) with an equal weight of best 
“ sifted ” sugar, and placing iC without delay in wide- 
mouthed dry bottles. These are firmly corked and the 
corks are tied down with bladders moistened with alcohol 
on the inner surface, when the bottles are stored in a cool 
place. 
During the last year's canning season, Good Housekeep¬ 
ing gave, through one of its contributors, a method of sun¬ 
cooking, supposed to be both easier and better than that 
ordinarily practiced, or boiling only. The strawberries are 
weighed and placed over the fire in a preserving kettle with 
an equal weight of sugar. They are stirred until they 
begin to boil, and are allowed to boil 10 minutes, after 
which the preserve is poured into large platters, in layers 
perhaps two inches deep, to be placed in the sun for 10 
hours or more. After this process they are put into jars, 
and stored in the preserve closet. Several ladies have 
written of their success with this plan, although to the ex¬ 
perienced cook it looks a little uncertain. 
At best, there must be much careful work about putting 
up fruit for future use. Fortunate she who has fine fruit 
brought ready to her use, without the old-time necessity 
of first roaming the fields in search of the essential basis of 
the preserve. A standard way of canning strawberries, as 
well as other fruits, which is perhaps as little work as any 
method, and more satisfactory than most, consists of the 
water bath. The bottom of a large boiler is lined with 
straw, or covered with an open framework of lath or other 
material, and the boiler Is filled with water nearly as high 
as the tops of the cans. The cans are closely packed with 
the fruit, to which is added a previously prepared and 
cooled syrup; the covers being screwed on tightly, they 
are then placed in the cold, or merely lukewarm water in 
the boiler, which is raised slowly to the boiling point. 
When the water has been boiling ten minutes or longer, 
the cans are removed, the covers unscrewed, and the con¬ 
tents of one used to fill the others to the brim, when the rub¬ 
bers and covers are placed in position and the rings screwed 
firmly to their places. The syrup is made in the propor¬ 
tion of about one-half pound of sugar and one-half cupful 
of water to a quart of fruit. An improvement on this con¬ 
sists in strewing the sugar over the berries in layers, and 
allowing the fruit to stand thus for perhaps three hours, 
or until the jnice flows freely. This “sugar juice” is then 
boiled, forming the syrup, which must be well skimmed. 
The remainder of the process is the same as that described 
above. We know of no other process which retains the 
flavor and form of the fruit so well, and we have known 
strawberjies canned after this method to keep in a dark 
closet, accidentally unsealed, for months. 
Some housewives find strawberries too ju'cy for their 
taste ; and they correct this by leaving out a portion of 
the juice from each can, adding more fruit to take its place. 
This juice may make thick syrup, or even jelly; the syrup 
may be thinned to form a refreshing drink at midsummer, 
or either syrup or jelly will form an excellent sauce for 
the omelette with preserves which is often used as a quick 
dessert. Strawberries do not make first-class jelly, but if 
one fourth lemon or rhubarb juice be added, the finished 
product will be much improved in quality, while perhaps 
not Injured—indeed not very much changed—in flavor. 
A VERMONT TEACHER’S IDEAS. 
HE following article was not written for us, but 
for a local paper right “on the ground.” But Ver¬ 
mont is by no means the only State where the condition of 
affairs which she describes can be found, and her remarks 
have such general application that we are glad to give 
them place as the live thought of a live teacher. A woman 
who can construct scientific apparatus out of a water-pail, 
and who can (as this one did) turn to poultry when ill 
health has made teaching no longer practicable, and gain 
more profit from the poultry than from the teaching, has 
made good her claim to be heard on both subjects, en¬ 
tirely aside from the fact that she is one of our contribu¬ 
tors, and that all will be glad on that account to hear 
what she has to tay. But fancy the uneasiness among the 
average set of country school trustees, which such live 
methods and live speeches must produce I 
“Many of the country school houses are devoid of any 
of the requirements to successful teaching, even of the ac¬ 
tual necessities for cleanliness and comfort. A teacher dis¬ 
likes to make demands upon a district that will affect the 
pocketbooks, for nothing will bring down so great a wrath 
upon her defenceless head as to do this. If some officer 
was appointed to ascertain the requisites of the school¬ 
room and have them there the first day of school, it would 
be a decided benefit to the condition of the average coun¬ 
try school house. I will enumerate articles whi :h I pro¬ 
vided while teaching a country school: Webster’s Un¬ 
abridged dictionary, large maps of the United States, also 
a large map of Vermont and New Hampshire, reading and 
number charts for primary classes, a two-foot rule for 
measuring, blackboard eraser, (rags had been previously 
used) dust pan and duster, wood box and tongs, scrap bas¬ 
ket, wash basin and towel. I also prevailed upon the com¬ 
mittee to arrange windows on opposite sides of the room 
so that the upper sash could be opened for ventilation, 
there being no provision made for this important detail of 
the school room. 
“I frequently used the current newspapers, which are 
grand educators, particularly in reading, geography, etc.; 
in fact I deem a newspaper a prime necessity for the school¬ 
room. It appears to me a good idea for a school to sub¬ 
scribe for a paper, especially a country school, where the 
pupils do not have access to a library or reading room, as 
in town ; and strange as it may seem, no papers are ever 
seen in some homes. When a scholar is able to read from 
his reader quite well, he will make very bad work of read¬ 
ing from a newspaper sometimes, but that is corrected by 
frequent use of the newspaper, which creates, besides, a taste 
for good reading—no small item, I assure jou. Beside all 
these, a teacher needs a globe, thermometer and as many 
of the articles enumerated, in the study of arithmetic es¬ 
pecially, as possible. In fact, all the real tangible appli¬ 
ances practicable to aid in the daily tasks, perhaps not to 
use at every lesson, but in case of emergency, when ex¬ 
planation fails to accomplish the desired result. I ones 
used the water pail as a practical illustration of a problem, 
where explanation appeared of little benefit; the result 
was very satisfactory to myself, as well as pupils. The 
principle was comprehended and retained and applied in 
solving other problems involving the same principle. I 
know the numerous tables are much more easily and per¬ 
manently remembered if a pupil can measure aad weigh, 
etc., in reality. 
“ Then after these things have been provided the teacher 
should make freqent use of them and not wholly ignore 
them, as I ascertain some teachers had done with regard 
to the most excellent points in some of the text books ” 
Vermont. _ C. T. M. 
“ THE MOTHER OF WOMEN’S CLUBS.” 
REVIEW by Marion Harland of the 23 years’ work of 
the pioneer women’s club, Soro3is, in a late number 
of Harper’s B ^zar, gives probably the first intimation to 
the majority of people of the real nature of this organiza¬ 
tion. 
We venture to say that nine out of ten persons believe 
that this is in essence, a “ woman’s rights” organization ; 
indeed, its defender says that this belief, and the convic¬ 
tion that Sorosis was incendiary and revolutionary refused 
from the first to be dislodged from the general mind. At 
its inception, the club declared itself clearly as follows : 
“ The object of Sorosis shall be to bring together women 
engaged in literary, artistic, scientific and philanthropic 
pursuits, with a view of rendering them helpful to each 
other, and useful to society.” Yet in spite of this, its 
effort has been wofully and willfully misunderstood for 
many years. 
“ Certain topics which obstinate critics persist in believ¬ 
ing form the staple of Sorosis debates, such as woman suf¬ 
frage, free-thinking, polemics, and partisan politics are 
