Women Make the 
Homes. 
Woman And The 
NOTES ON THE PRESENT ISSUE. 
HE contributor who sends the recipes for preparing 
gooseberries for the table finds herself exercised 
over the apparently absurd name of a famous dish. This 
is another case of corruption of words. Instead of “ fool,” 
it is often spelled “ foule,” which no doubt comes from the 
foreign fouler, “ to squeeze, or press.” When pressing 
the fruit through a colander, as per directions, the appo¬ 
siteness of the title may be easily recognized. Gooseberry 
foule would be simply pressed gooseberries. 
* • « 
As our eyes first scanned the ‘‘copy ” of the article on 
“ The Home Nest,” with the three critical question marks, 
Is it practical t Is it suited to the needs of our readers ? 
Will it be helpful to them in any way ? over against it— 
those questions which decide the fate of so many articles— 
we were constrained at first to reply in the negative to all 
these and to say : this contains nothing for us. Further 
thought, however, assures us that this glimpse into the 
effect which the delights of the country have upon the 
busy city worker, may be of the greatest value in leading 
those who are in the midst of these delights, but who see 
them not, to meditate upon them, and to resolve that they 
will open the eyes of the soul to the beauties among which 
their lot is cast, closing them, if possible, or as far as may 
be, to the sordidness which so often threatens to fill the 
life, and shut out all the beauty and delight. It is a trite 
maxim that every life has compensations. The apparent 
inequalities, the oft-time seeming crookedness of things, 
result from unfairly comparing our own deficiency with 
the overplus of others, instead of weighing our ills against 
their ills, our blessings against their blessings. We are 
all too grasping; the intellectual girl would fain be beau¬ 
tiful also; the beauty feels it an unfair thing if she has 
not also Intellectual capacity; the city toller as well as 
the city idler sighs for country scenes and country quiet. 
Let each get what he may of the other’s atmosphere, but 
be content otherwise with his own compensations. 
HOME MAKING ON THE FRONTIER. 
ILL any one be interested in my experience with 
housekeeping in North Dakota? I wonder how 
many would like to begin housekeeping in a sod shanty 
10 by 12 feet. 
I left the home of my girlhood on my wedding day. I 
never had seen a sod shanty, and certainly never expected 
to live in one; but I did, and found it far more pleasant 
than many would suppose. On arriving at our claim Mr. 
S. discovered that his bride was too tall for his house (my 
height is five feet four inches). The sod shanty belonged 
to a young man who had been “ baching” there. There 
was nothing to do but to move into it, and make the best 
of It. We had 110.10 in cash, a box of bedding and some 
dishes; you see our earthly possessions were very small. 
We found some home-made furniture in the shanty, but 
had no chairs at all. There was one bench in the house 
and Mr. S. made one; by putting these close to the wall 
we could sit and not be in danger of upsetting. The cook- 
stove was so small that I could put only one small pie- 
plate into the oven at a time to do my baking. 
Mr. S. was so hurried with his work (here the wheat 
must be put into the ground as early as possible in the 
spring) that he could not take the time to look for some 
one to dig a well, so we used surface water for nearly two 
months. 
We had been living in this domicile about two weeks, 
when one evening, while we were eating supper, I heard 
the noise of wheels and turning to look out of the only 
window, I saw a carriage with several persons in it. Mr. 
S. stepped to the door, and then made a rush forward, and 
grasped one of the gentlemen by the hand. It was his 
father, whom he had not seen in five years ! He had come 
from New York to surprise us. I had never seen my father- 
in-law before, but I knew he was a minister, and ministers 
were always treated extra well at my father’s. But I did 
not know where to begin; as I looked about the room I felt 
quite discouraged. It had rained about two hours that 
day; the roof did not keep the rain out very well, and 
everything was wet. We soon got acquainted, however, 
and had a very pleasant visit. He remained with us for 
some time. 
He had been with us about a week when we heard that 
our claim was about to be contested, so we put our bed 
into Mr. S.’s claim shanty. Although we could not stand 
upright, we could manage to sleep there. 
One night there came up a heavy rain while my father- 
in-law was the only occup int of the sod shanty at night: 
he thought he heard the rain dripping on something, and 
rose to investigate. He was none too soon; the water was 
running down on the flour sack. He carried it from place 
to place, trying to find a dry spot somewhere, but found 
none; finally he thought he would put it under the bed, 
where I found it the next morning. He went to work at 
once and built a house for us, which we still live in. 
I am a young housekeeper yet, but have learned to econo¬ 
mize in almost everything. There are five of us in the 
family ; I have three children, the oldest not yet five years 
of age. I have my work so arranged that I nearly always 
have my afternoons for reading, sewing or music. As soon 
as my work is done in the morning, I prepare the vege¬ 
tables for dinner, and have everything ready to serve din¬ 
ner promptly ; 1 alwaysYry to have as good a dinner as we 
can afford, for I think well cooked and nicely prepared 
food has a great deal to do with the happiness of a family. 
I fear this article will be too long, but must say this yet; 
I think Thk R N.-Y. is one of the best papers I have ever 
read. a north Dakota farmer’s wife. 
RELISHES FOR THE SICK. 
MRS. E. E. KELLOGG. 
Fruit Juice Egg-Nog. —Beat the white of one egg to a 
stiff froth. Add a tablespoonful of white sugar, then beat 
again. Next, add the yolk of the egg and beat again. Then 
add a tablespoonful of milk, one of cold water, and one of 
raspberry juice, or the juice of any other fruit preferred 
which is not tart enough to curdle the milk. Serve at 
once. 
Lemon Juice Egg-Nog. —Prepare the egg-nog the same 
as above, only using two tablespoonfuls of water, instead 
of one of water and one of milk. Then put in a teaspoon¬ 
ful of lemon juice instead of the fruit juice. This is very 
nice. 
Egg Lemonade. —Beat the white of an egg to a stiff 
froth ; then mix it with the juice of a small lemon, and a 
level teaspoonful of sugar. Ad i a half pint of cold water ; 
stir thoroughly and use at once. It will not do to let it 
stand. 
Lemon Oatmeal Gruel. —This is specially suitable for 
fever patients. Rub one tablespoonful of fine oatmeal 
smooth In a little cold water. Stir into this three pints of 
boiling water. Cook until the quantity is reduced to two 
pints. Let it cool and settle, and then pour the clear gruel 
from the sediment. Add the juice of a lemon and sugar to 
sweeten. This may be served cold or hot, but if served 
hot, it must be reheated before the lemon juice is added. It 
will not be so good if heated after the lemon is put in. 
Beef Broth and Oatmeal Gruel— Rub two table¬ 
spoonfuls of oatmeal smooth in an equal quantity of 
cold water, and stir this into a quart of boiling beef tea or 
beef broth. Simmer in a double boiler for two hours; 
then strain and season with a little cream. 
Beef Tea and Egg. —If beef tea is used, and egg is al¬ 
lowed, the two can be combined nicely. Beat the egg in a 
cup and fill the cup with boiling beef tea. 
Wheat Crisps. —Sift a quart of Graham flour into a 
bowl. Make a hole in the center and stir into it gradually 
two-thirds of a pint of ice-cold water—that is, stopping to 
make a bit of dough with each teaspoonful of water before 
more is added. Alter the water is all added in this way, 
mix very thoroughly, or beat with a mallet to incorporate 
more flour and air. To do this, beat into a thin sheet; 
sprinkle on more flour; double over half and pound 
quickly around the edges to keep in as much air as possi¬ 
ble. Repeat the process and keep up the beating or knead¬ 
ing for at least three-quarters of an hour. Then roll as 
thin as the blade of a knife, and bake quickly in a hot 
oven. Turn carefully and brown upon both sides. It will 
be found nice and crisp and quite tender. These are very 
nice for people who are either dyspeptic or diabetic. 
Battle Creek Sanitarium. 
AN ENERGETIC PROTEST. 
Y Indignation was considerably aroused by reading 
“ Faults in the Castle,” on page 854. The writer 
thereof says that omitting to iron sheets, pillow-cases, 
towels, etc., is a shiftless trick. Now, if she can tell why 
the ironing of any part of a washing except outside gar¬ 
ments—dresses, aprons, shirt fronts, collars and cuffs—is 
not a waste of time and nerve power, which impairs health, 
and a shiftless practice of no use but for looks’ sake, 
I would like to hear what she might say. I fear that if 
she still persists in ironing so much, she is running behind 
the times and will soon be out of fashion. This would be 
especially the case here in Massachusetts, noted for being 
one of the first in the great United States for accepting 
and putting Into practice any sensible idea. I think the 
time saved from needless ironing can be put to far better 
use by donning one’s shade hat or hood, “ as the case may 
be,” for a walk in the open air, taking the children also, 
if blessed with their presence in one’s home. If it be only 
a short walk, one will return feeling rested, and she and 
hers will feel happier than if the sheets or underclothing 
were ironed to the last degree of smoothness. 
The tired housewife has enough of “ can’t get away from 
cares ” to be willing to drop some foolish ideas that have 
become a fashion from usage, such as most of our ironing, 
pie making, and all extra sewing used only for show on 
our clothing or house-furnishings. I don’t wish to have 
it understood that I dislike to see extra needlework or 
fancy work (show me a woman who does not like it) if one 
has the time aside from the “ must be done work” without 
complaining of overtaxed eyesight or rheumatic pains in 
arms and shoulders. Oftener there is no rheumatism about 
it, only tired muscles, owing to too close work, rebelling 
as best they may. When I see one so foolish, all the pleas¬ 
ure of fancy work is dropped from my mind. If every one 
has a hobby, surely Sylvia’s is ironing; her pillow-cases 
must be ironed very smooth or she could not sleep 1 If 
she knows what it is to be tired, as some of us do, I don’t 
think she will stop to look at her pillow-case to see if it is 
smooth, but be glad she has even a pillow to rest on. (My 
husband says that during his four years of service in the 
rebellion, many were the the times he was thankful for a 
board or stone for a pillow to keep his head out of the 
mud or water.) What does she do after the first night’s 
Homes Make the 
Home. 
rest ? Her pillow slip must have become creased from 
use. Does she have a clean one, or is the same one ironed 
each day until it is put Into the wash again, or does one 
night’s sleep suffice for a week ? An acquaintance of mine 
is an expert ironer; it is her delight to see her clothes- 
bars full of clothes without a wrinkle and everything 
folds 1 as if done by machinery; but her back room looks 
as if it was an entire stranger to a broom. I don’t like 
such hobbles when they interfere with other work which 
must also be well done if one desires to wear the crown 
of a good housekeeper. MRS. O. J. putnam. 
THE HOME NEST. 
AM out on the grass under the early pear tree, with a 
host of gay golden dandelions all around me; I am 
doing nothing but being happy. 
- The wind blows through the leaves and they clap to¬ 
gether like innumerable tiny hands; the robin stands at 
the end of the plowed field and regards me gravely, with 
his black head held very straight and high. He has a 
ne3t in the pear tree; I can see Mrs. Robin’s gray tail over 
the edge of it. The orioles swing up and down in the black¬ 
berry bushes, and the wrens flit through the apple trees 
with all sorts of merry chatter and a blackbird files over¬ 
head and calls through his nose at me. Pshaw ! pshaw ! 
Never mind 1 The catbird can tell all my gladness. 
There Isn’t a sweeter singer in all the Ohio orchards than 
the catbird. Oh yes, he can scold; but he can sing too, a 
song most rapturously sweet. He always extemporizes as 
he goes along, marvelous turns, and trills and ripples; 
hidden in the deepest and leafiest spot of the tree he pours 
out his rhapsody of song like the ripple and plash of a 
brook over a stone. 
It is such a sweet place, in the edge of the orchard this 
sunny May morning. Next week when I am back in the 
wilderness of Chicago streets, I shall look back and see the 
grass bending and blowing where the wind walks through 
it; I shall hear the thrush and Phoebe-bird singing their 
exquisite little heart songs; I shall see the violets in the 
grass, and the apple boughs, snow-bound in bloom; I shall 
see the slope of wheat field and meadow, toward the river, 
aud the blue sky, filled to the brim with shining; I shall 
hear the blue-birds warble and the robins carol, and through 
it all will come the lark’s single, slow-spoken, glory-word: 
“ Hal—le—lu—jah 1 ” 
I am storing up hosts of memory pictures to look at by 
and by when I cannot have this fair vista of field and 
meadow, and I am filling my mental phonograph with 
song of oriole and robin and thrush, so that by and by I 
can just turn the crank and hear them sung all over in my 
little room in busy Chicago. I am growing fat and 
freckled, and if my sisters Lole and Louie don’t kill me 
with the good things they have stored away on the pantry 
shelves, I shall go back to work, back to the “ Lark’s 
Nest” (as we call our little room—my mate and I) ready 
for another long year of hurry and bustle and rush. 
It is so sweet and quiet, here in this maple-shaded town, 
a place where dreamer or painter or poet might find inspira¬ 
tion, and where the busy men and women of the world 
might find strength and courage and hope. 
Ohio. DOROTHY DEANE. 
THE ART OF MAKING POULTICES. 
HE moist heat which, acting alone, will quell all but 
the most violent inflammations, is often most con¬ 
veniently attained by means of poultices, which it is de¬ 
sirable that every girl who is studying household duties 
should learn to make. We give below authoritative direc¬ 
tions for making those most commonly used : 
Flax-Seed Poultice.— Pour sufficient boiling water 
over the ground flax seed to make it as thick as thick 
cream, and let the mixture simmer a few minutes. Apply 
as hot as can be borne. 
Mustard Poultice. —Mix equal quantities of mustard, 
corn meal and flour in warm water until just thick enough 
not to run. Spread it over the poultice cloth, and if a 
very quick action of the poultice is desired, sprinkle a little 
clear mustard on before folding the cloth over it. Apply 
this side next to the skin. 
Bread-and-Milk Poultice. —Simmer old bread in milk 
until soft enough to mash smoothly. Crackers may be used 
in place of bread, if necessary. 
Indian Meal Poultice. —Stir the corn meal Into water, 
and cook like mush for five minutes or more. 
Slippery-Elm Poultice. —Pour boiling water over slip- 
pery-elm bark (powdered) and add a little powdered char¬ 
coal, if necessary. 
All classes of poultices should be spread on one-half 
of an oblong piece of thin muslin; the other half 
should then be folded over the spread mass, and the loose 
edges carefully joined with needle and thread. If this is 
done, and the poultice when applied is covered with dry 
cloths, all annoyance from superfluous moisture and crum¬ 
bling or running plasters is avoided. Attention to 
these points will add much to the comfort of the patient, 
who probably “ hates poultices ; ” and, if nervous, may be 
seriously fretted by one carelessly made or carelessly ap¬ 
plied. 
Mrs. Mary Smith Hayward, vice-president of the 
Nebraska Woman Suffrage Association, runs a millinery 
establishment in Chadron. She never sells birds or wings, 
and yet they say she has a good trade.—N. Y. Recorder. 
