Women Make] the 
Homes. 
Homes Make the 
Nation. 
Woman And The Home. 
A NOTABLE golden wedding which occurred on the 
fifth “of August was that of John and Isabella 
Beecher Hooker. “ Without presents” distinctly said the 
hundredsof invitations. Mrs. Hooker has been faithful 
for more than 35 years to the cause of woman’s enfra chise- 
ment. She Is reported as having said but a few weeks ago 
that she still hopes to see a woman President of the United 
States—a woman who shall rival Washington in character 
and ability. _ 
WORDS FROM A WOMAN’S COUNCIL. 
OMEN’S Councils have sprung to the front as a 
fe iture of t he times. Last year, a department with 
this name was added to the Chaubauquan, and generous 
space was allowed to It throughout the year. Some of the 
work that led to and followed this is discussed by Marlon 
Harland in the Housekeeper’s Weekly. She quotes from 
two local papers of the year. 
“ The Bay View Assembly Herald for June says : ‘ Last 
year this department was first added to the Assembly and 
proved an instant success. From first to last the audience 
numbered 800 and 900 women daily, who came together to 
hear about and discuss among themselves sensible ques¬ 
tions of home and social matters. Never was such a wo¬ 
man’s gathering at Bay View 1 The Woman’s.Council con¬ 
tinues to be in charge of the same leaders—Marlon Har¬ 
land and Mrs. Margaret E. Sangster. Each will contribute 
several papers, the subjects to be afterwards discussed in 
open session.’ 
“ And The Winona Lake Quarterly for July: * This is a 
new feature in Assembly instruction. Introduced last 
year, it became so popular as to cause it to be adopted at 
nearly all the first class Assemblies for this season. In 
these meetings it is proposed to bring up, for consideration 
and discussion, impoitant questions pertaining to the 
home and the development of women. 
“ * To conduct these gatherings, we have secured two 
ladles having large knowledge of the world and of the 
wants of their sex. We refer to Marion Harland and Mrs. 
Margaret E Sangster. 
“ 1 These ladies will be with us one week, and each morn¬ 
ing will present a paper, to be followed by discussion and 
questions, all present being invited to participate. These 
lectures usually draw together a large number of ladies, 
who enter into the discussions with a will, and thus make 
the meetings attractive, interesting, aDd helpful.’ ” 
Something of the first days’s work is touched upon thus : 
“Every seat was filled before tbe hour of meeting, chairs 
were set in the aisles, and many stood upon the outskirts 
of the assembly. Wnile the major part of the audience 
consisted of women, many men were present. The sub¬ 
ject of the first day’s paper was ‘ Leaven.’ The leading 
tbought, drawn from the parable of leaven hidden in three 
measures of meal, was the potentiality of contact, based 
upon the simple truth that one irresponsive atom would 
arrest the process of leavening,—a stratum of such pre¬ 
vent the result altogether. Among the kinds of evil leaven 
mentioned were the American haste to acquire knowledge, 
resulting in well-smattered pupils; the popular greed for 
money-getting; the growing younyness of American so¬ 
ciety ; lastly and chiefly, the prevalence of irreverence and 
unfaith, the fashionable craze for doubt. As a cure for 
all was recommended the home-made leaven of maternal, 
sisterly and wifely influence. The ‘ talk ’ over, Mrs. Sang¬ 
ster was the first speaker. In a few well-put sentences 
she called attention to a section of the subject that ad¬ 
dressed itself particularly to her mind and sympathy. 
Next, after a momentary pause, a woman arose and asked 
a question, pertinent and modest. It was answered 
promptly from the platform, and followed in quick suc¬ 
cession by others from different parts of the audience. 
Brief addresses in the form of comment, query and dissent 
succeeded. Perhaps a hundred men were present, hearken¬ 
ing with curious and courteous attention, and one pres¬ 
ently excited a laugh by arising, with the humble inquiry, 
‘ Is it permitted unto men to speak in this place ? ’ It was 
graciously allowed, and what he said was so helpful that 
all were grateful for the innovation. Upon the stroke of 
the hour for closing the sessions the meeting was ad¬ 
journed, and general congratulations were exchanged 
upon the result of the first days’s work of the first 
Woman’s Council ever held at Monona L"ake.” 
Before this can reach our readers, the council may be a 
thing of the past, but its influence will remain. It may be 
given to some of our readers throughout the country to 
attend some of these gatherings. If so, we hope they will 
not forget to share the crumbs they gather thereat. 
VEGETABLES IN VARIETY. 
A SALAD made from thinly-sliced cucumbers which 
have lain in ice water for half an hour, sliced, boiled 
potatoes and a few slices of onion is very appetizing 
when served with a dressing of salt, pepper and vinegar. 
There are several ways of cooking cucumbers, and al¬ 
though they do not appeal to my taste, I will mention 
them for the benefit of those who might enjoy them. 
Fried Cucumbers.— Peel and drop into ice cold water, 
tasting each one lest it should be bitter. When all are 
peeled, cut them into even slices aud lay them on a dry 
towel. When drained, roll them in flour and fry them in 
a mixture of butter and drippings. Season them with 
pepper and salt as they fry. 
Stuffed Cucumbers. —Cut off the ends of large, green 
cucumbers and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Mince 
some bread with parsley and onion, mix it with well- 
beaten egg and fill the shells. Replace the ends and lay 
the cucumbers on thin slln slices of nice corned pork in a 
dripper. Dust with salt, pepper and flour, and bake in a 
quick oven. The following sauce should be served with 
them : Mix one ounce of flour and two ounces of butter 
and cook until brown; add a pint of cold water or stock 
and season to taste. Cook until thick and smooth. 
Ego Plant. —Cut into slices half an inch thick and par¬ 
boil in salted water. Drain dry, dip in beaten egg, then 
in flour or cracker crumbs and fry in a mixture of butter 
and salt pork dripping. Summer squash may be cooked 
in the same way except that no parboiling is required. 
Brussels Sprouts. —Soak for half an hour in strong salt 
and water, then boil in clear water until tender. Have 
some slips of toast nicely buttered. Put the sprouts on 
the toast, give them a sprinkling of salt and pepper and 
pour melted butter over them. 
Cabbage and Cauliflower and their near relatives 
are so infested with insects in summer that it has ceased 
to be a pleasure to use them. They must be examined with 
closest care and soaked in strong salt and water to guard 
against the presence of insects. Broccoli and cauliflower 
are so nearly alike that many persons consider them the 
same vegetable. They are nice cooked in clear water, 
drained, salted and served with melted butter or drawn 
butter. Some persons use grated cheese in the dressing 
for cauliflower. 
I know of but one new way to cook cabbage and here it 
is: chop boiled cabbage very fine, add milk and beaten 
egg, season with salt and pepper, and bake in a well but¬ 
tered pudding dish. A sprinkling of bread crumbs on top 
improves the dish for some persons. 
Plain Stewed Mushrooms. —These are delicious stewed 
in a very little water, seasoned with pepper, salt and but¬ 
ter and served steaming hot with nice tender beefsteak. 
Stewed Mushrooms —Pat in a stew pan with a lump of 
butter, salt and pepper to taste and one tablespoonful of 
lemon juice to each pint of mushrooms. Cover and stew 
until tender. Mix a little flour with sweet cream to thicken 
the gravy. Serve very hot. Mushrooms may also be broiled 
over a clear fire and served with a seasoning of salt, pep¬ 
per, butter and lemon juice. 
Stewed Okra. —Okra is a vegetable which is but little 
known at the North, but in the South it is highly esteemed. 
None but the tenderest green pods should be used. The 
simplest way of cooking is to slice the pods and cook them 
slowly in a little water until tender. Season with salt, 
pepper and butter. 
Gumbo. —Partially fry a chicken with two or three slices 
of salt pork. Take out the chicken and replace it with 
two quarts of okra sliced very thin and fry until it is dark 
green. Put a gallon of boiling water in a soup kettle with 
the chicken and okra and the gravy in which they were 
fried, also one onion. Set the kettle where the contents 
will simmer slowly. When partly cooked add a quart of 
tomatoes, a pint of green corn, aud one red pepper and salt 
to taste. Cook until one vegetable cannot be distinguished 
from another. Remove the chicken bones and serve as 
soup. 
Creamed Onions —Onions may be stewed until tender, 
drained carefully and dressed with sweet cream, pepper 
and salt. Let them come to a boil in the cream. 
Baked Onions.— These may be baked, rolled in tissue 
paper and placed in a hot oven. They will require an hour 
to cook. When done remove the paper, baste the onions 
with melted butter and brown them nicely. Season them 
with pepper and salt while they are browning. 
Fried Onions. —Peel and slice, and cook in a spider with 
a little hot butter and drippings. Care must be taken to 
prevent burning. When tender season with salt and serve 
with beefsteak. s A. little. 
Our Rconomy Column. 
A WELiL known man once said to me; “Economy 
must be cheap, some people use so much of it.” 
Time is money; money saved is money earned, but we 
must remember the cheapest is not always the best. 
To economize in time I arrange my coffee pots with the 
handles out—above the coffee mill; when in haste I can 
snatch them in a moment. 
After ironing, all clothing hard to dry is hung in a dry¬ 
ing closet, for where dampness prevails consumption 
comes an invited guest to stay. 
An Arabian proverb says, “Keep in good fellowship 
with your blacksmith,” therefore I avoid cheap, or poor 
shoes as I would a pestilence and next to protecting my 
cooking stove from ever becoming red hot, protect my 
nimble foot. 
When a week of company is expected I prepare a menu 
for each day before their arrival, so that the time may be 
devoted to the guest as much as possible. I consider 
guests as making my house their home for the time, I 
teach children that at no place is good breeding at a higher 
premium than at home. 
The eye of the mistress is as necessary to me now, as 
when the loving father committed to his daughter a pre¬ 
cious box which for two years she wa3 obliged to carry 
from the cellar to the attic every morning in her newly 
married husband’s house, before she was permitted to 
open it, in order that she might familiarize herself with 
tbe persistent duties of a housekeeper. E. r. b. 
For washing dlsbe3, I have a rack made of lath ; it Is 
large enough to half cover the bed of the kitchen table. 
A wiping towel is spread over the rack, the dishes are 
washed and turned into a deep pan, scalding water is poured 
over them, and they are then rapidly placed on the rsck 
in any shape so that the water will drain off and be taken 
up by the cloth. Nothing but the knives and forks will 
need to be touched with a wiping cloth. In a family of any 
size a half hour a day is saved by this process. 
I take up boiled potatoes with a long handled skimmer 
Instead of handling each one with a fork. 
In baking cookies I find that if one has two dripping 
pans, so that when one is taken out of the oven another 
may be put in at once, time and p itience are both saved. 
In cold weather I stir up sponge for bread at noon, (using 
the water in which the potatoes have been boiled;) at night 
it is mixed up hard, and in the morning it is'ready to make 
into loaves as soon as you like, and will be ready for the 
oven by 9 o’clock. It is gratifying to a housekeeper’s feel¬ 
ings to have bread baked early ; besides, it is easier to take 
two steps in the morning than one in the afternoon. 
Mucilage is made with a few cents’ worth of gum ara- 
bic, put in a small bottle and covered with rain water. 
Court plaster, too, is made by fastening pieces of silk on 
a smooth board and painting them with mucilage. 
If to economize in money means to see how long it can 
be made to last. I know a plan that works. There was 
once a company of school girls, myself among the num¬ 
ber, who planned to keep their money in bills. While we 
did this we always had money on hand ; but if a bill was 
once changed into smaller money, it all slipped away, and 
we could hardly tell where it went. 
It is true economy to spend only what money you can 
afford, for that which you need and for what is consistent 
with yoiur circumstances. aunt rachel. 
* * * 
For churning, I use the barrel churn, as there is very 
little labor about it, and the butter is of splendid quality. 
I have found it good economy to use blankets, instead of 
sheeets, on beds in winter—giving them a thorough alriug 
each morning—as they are warmer and do not need wash¬ 
ing often if dark. 
I do all my own sewing, without any aid, save observa¬ 
tion and a little natural ability. 
In the matter of carpets I am rather heretical; I do not 
think it saves much to make rag carpets. I prefer to buy 
Ingrain and protect it with rugs or matting. The rugs I 
make of bright colored rags. 
I also find time to read, to practice my music, and to be 
happy. * * * e. j. 
It requires grit, and nerve, and will power to follow the 
example of the foreigners living around me ; namely to go 
without a thing until I have money to pay for it. We 
have tried it and found that It could be done, even when 
the article desired was really needed, and quickly bought 
when the money was obtained. Patches and plain food, 
and the lack of pictures and books, are sources of real dis¬ 
comfort at times, but debt, especially a store debt, Is 10 
times worse. 
Nothing which has cost time and thought, or labor, must 
be wasted. We have no right to receive anything without 
using it to good advantage. We must think carefully that 
no “fragment” which can be successfully used by us in 
building our homes is lost; and especially must we take 
care that while we “ gather fragments” in one direction, 
we do not lose more in some other way. MRS. L. H. n. 
* * * 
When washing the supper dishes we spread the table 
cloth in the dining room and replace the dishes so as to 
avoid carrying them to the pantry and thus have the 
table set for breakfast; then we grind the coffee and place 
it in the coffee pot, and before retiring we gather up 
the papers, books and magazines which have been used 
during the evening, so our sitting-room never has an un¬ 
tidy appearance to present to the light of day when we roll 
up the curtains and let in the morning sunshine. 
When potatoes are high-priced, we save even the baked 
ones left over, scrape them from their shells and fry them 
as we would boiled potatoes. L. m. g. 
* * * 
I have everything that I can get to make my work easy, 
and plan each day’s work beforehand, but do not take it to 
bed with me. I have my rooms carpeted to save scrub¬ 
bing. i do not know how to milk, neither am I going to 
learn, as I consider it a man’s work. mrs. j. a. 
- AND CREAM. 
EARLY every one, if asked to fill the blank space 
with the proper word, would say either “strawber¬ 
ries ” or “ peaches.” Admitting the delights of strawber¬ 
ries and cream for those who can use this magnifi 
cent but acid fruit thus, and merely saying of peaches 
that our regard for them is such that Marmaduke and my¬ 
self could dispose of a quart of peaches and a pint of cream 
at every meal for months if we had them, I want to say a 
word for other fruits. 
Many varieties of plums that are very sour when cooked, 
seem sweet when “eaten out of hand,” as we say. Such 
may be halved and used with cream to form a most accept¬ 
able addition to the supper, especially if the skin is re¬ 
moved before serving. 
Pears, too, if just at the degree of ripeness when all the 
sweetness and flavor are present, may be thinly sliced, 
sprinkled with powdered sugar and covered with whipped 
