Women Make the 
Homes. 
Woman And The Home. 
Homes Make the 
Nation. 
well furnished house, and well laid out grounds. It Is the 
A LOOK through several of the wholesale millinery 
stores during the past week, revealed a bewildering 
variety of odd shapes and new effects in the use of fancy 
feathers. The standard shapes do not differ so greatly 
from those of the past season, the upturned brims at the 
back being a common feature. Some broad brimmed 
smooth beavers in all colors with the brims edged with 
fur are shown, and will make elegant winter head cover¬ 
ings; but the felt hat is the one to be universally worn for 
fall. * * * 
Some tender-hearted man has launched the story that al¬ 
though birds are not to be so largely used, yet their 
slaughter will be, if possible, greater than ever, in order to 
supply the demand for feather trimmings, etc. His solici¬ 
tude for the birds seems sadly wasted, in this instance, for 
the fancy feathers are almost universally made from com¬ 
mon hens’ feathers, on which all the arts of the dyer and 
the feather manufacturer have been lavished. Most of the 
feather boas are also made from the commonest of feathers 
and even the millinery birds now shown are largely manu¬ 
factured articles, and in most cases far more beautiful 
than the real. 
* * * 
Turquoise blue, the prettiest of salmon pinks, the most 
esthetic shades of pale and yellowish green, the most tender 
of grays, heliotrope and many mauve and brown shades 
are prominent among the new fancy feathers. Many of 
them are curled much like ostrich tips, although not so 
fluffy, and many new effects are obtained in the shape of 
feather flowers, thistles, etc., the last perhaps the pret¬ 
tiest and most taking of all. Spangled effects are still 
shown in quantity, but they are neither durable, nor likely 
to hold the popular fancy. 
# * * 
We think our readers can scarcely fail to be interested 
in the cheery dweller iu “ The Lark’s Nest.” We notice in 
an exchange a note from one who has a welcome there, to 
the effect that Dorothy Deane is “just Dorothy Deane and 
as sweet as her letters.” In a letter to the Chief Cook, 
Dorothy says, speaking of her former article in our col¬ 
umns: “ I wrote * * * bee iuse I was born in the sun¬ 
shiny country, because my home is there, and because I 
love blue skies and blossoms, sunshine and all fresh heart¬ 
ed country folks ; and because I wanted them to know how 
the beauty that is spread broadcast around them looks to 
my eyes after I have been a prisoner inside city gates.” 
QUINCE PRESERVES AND JELLY. 
LTIIOUGH the quince as a dessert fruit has no claim 
to notice, as a preserve it is a favorite with many, 
and no preserve closet can be considered fully stocked 
without it. 
Quince Preserves. No. 1 .— Carefully wipe the down 
from the fruit, pare, core and quarter it. Boil the par¬ 
ings in a quantity of water ample to cover them, and when 
done strain the liquid through a thin jelly-bag. Return 
the strained juice to the kettle, add the fruit and boil until 
tender. Skim it out carefully, that the pieces may not be 
broken, and add sugar to the juice in the proportion of one 
pound to each pound of fruit. When it bolls, skim lightly, 
and return the fruit once more to boil until it attains a 
rich dark red color. This preserve has the strong quince 
flavor so much liked by the connoisseur In quinces. 
Quince Preserves. No. 2.—A preserve which is equally 
economical in the use of all parts of the fruit, is made in 
connection with quince jelly. The fruit is prepared for the 
kettle as above, and makes a fine appearance halved in¬ 
stead of quartered, if the specimens are not over large. It 
is boiled in clear water until nearly done and skimmed out 
as before. One pound of sugar is allowed to each pint of 
juice. After it bolls and has been skimmed, the fruit Is 
returned to finish cooking, but is placed in the jars as 
soon as it is sufficiently tender, not allowing it to redden. 
If the syrup is not thick enough to suit the taste, it may 
be reduced somewhat by boiling, before pouring it over 
the fruit and sealing the jars. This preserve is not as 
strong as the first, and suits some tastes much better. 
Quince and Apple Preserves.— A device resorted to 
in cases where only a little of the quince flavor is liked, or 
in years when quincas are scarce, is to use equal parts of 
quinces and firm, sweet apples. The preserve is made like 
either No. 1, or No. 2, except that the two fruits must be 
boiled separately in the water; otherwise one might become 
soft before the other was sufficiently cooked'. When the 
fruit is out of the water, unless It is desired to have It red, 
it should be covered from the air. 
Quince Jelly. —An excellent quince jelly may be made 
iu connection with the No. 2 preserve by boiling the skins 
well in water sufficient to cover, straining the juice, and 
reducing by boiling, adding sugar at the last in the propor¬ 
tion of one pound to a pint of j uice. 
Ideal Jelly.—No jelly that is made is equal in texture, 
color or quality to a perfect quince jelly made from the 
whole fruit. The fruit is wiped with the utmost care, 
quartered, and boiled until soft in water en< ugh to cover 
it. It is then drained, first through a cheese-cloth bag, 
and afterward through loose white flannel, absolutely 
without squeezing. The next step is to return it to the 
fire, in small quantities in flat vessels, and boil for 15 or 20 
minutes. In the meantime the sugar has been warmed, 
(taking care not to scorch it) that the boiling may not be 
retarded when it is added. When a silky film shows on 
the top of the liquid, the sugar Is to be added, and the 
mixture should form a jelly as soon as the sugar is dis¬ 
solved. Perfect jelly keeps the shape of the mold, while 
not too firm to quiver when jarred. It is understood that 
all these operations are performed with the use of por¬ 
celain-lined, or the far nicer granite kettles. 
MYRA V. NORYS. 
THE LARK’S NEST. 
OULD you like to peep into my nest ? It is only a 
tiny room in a dingy Chicago boarding house, but 
it has a folding bed, and the closet is roomy enough to hold 
my trunk, and has plenty of wide shelves. On one side of 
the room stands the dresser, with Its pretty round mirror. 
Over the back I have draped a tissue paper “ throw ” and 
some pond lilies. The cover of the big, fat pin cushion 
has grown dingy, so I wrapped it up in a red silk handker¬ 
chief that had been lying in my trunk for a couple of years. 
Then there is a book ortvo, a pretty glass “ dew-drop ” 
dish that had come from home, and two or three other 
trifles in the way of perfume bottles. 
Across the room is the little shrine where I keep my 
books. You see there is a door opening out of my room 
into the next one; when there were four of us girls 
here together we had the two rooms, and the door was 
open. Now there is a “ yellow-haired laddie ” in there, and 
the door is bolted and barred. It being on his side of the 
wall, there is a sort of little alcove on my side six Inches 
deep. Over this I hung some curtains of slate-blue, five 
cent challie, letting them hang straight without draping, 
only parting them to show my books. 
My book case Is a wooden box that once contained soda ; 
the pater fastened in a shelf for me before I flew away 
from the home nest. 
Shall I tell you a secret T It is about the way I got my 
books. I had only two or three, till last winter I thought 
to myself: “ If you will only go without your noon 
lunches and save your money you can buy some books.” 
So I did it, and now my box is nearly full. I am not 
hungry now either—just had my breakfast. However, 
there is a question as to the wisdom of the plan, and I 
have abandoned it. 
The walls of the nest are variously decorated; in one 
corner Is a cluster of fans that have s. en service, and a 
couple of pretty kitten cards (don’t I love kittens, 
though ?) in another place, three little landscape pictures 
with ferns around them. I have a picture framed in wall 
paper bordering, tacked flat to the wall, and you won’t 
know how pretty it is till you have tried something simi¬ 
lar. Fold the corners neatly in a diagonal fold. 
Pictures on a wall are just like so many windows. They 
broaden a room so much. Whenever I am tired of the city, 
I look up at a picture on my south wall, and lo I there are 
broad country fields, with sunshine upon them, some 
children playing by a brook. Then in thought I look out 
through the windows of the home nest, away in Ohio; I 
see the great maples, with the wind in their branches; I 
see the clustering vines, and the wilderness of flowers ; I 
look down across the meadows sloping to the westward, to 
the river, and the hills beyond it; I see the wide shining 
of the country sky ; hear the drone of the bee flying past, 
and the softly contented chirp of the cricket In the grass. 
I watch when the brook winds its way down the slope, past 
the three black-walnut trees, losing itself in a lovely, wil¬ 
low-grown hollow at the foot of the hills. 
I can never be thankful enough that I grew up in the 
country, among the birds and flowers and sunshine; I 
shall never be sorry for the good, wholesome atmosphere 
of work and common sense and good will, and shall be 
glad always that I learned to see the violets that blossom 
in life’s meadows and the rainbows in life’s skies I 
Illinois. DOROTHY DEANE. 
A HINT TO HOUSE BUILDERS. 
F you want a farm house for show, employ an archi¬ 
tect and pay him i>50 or $100 for a design, and no 
doubt you’ll get one to please the eye from the outside.” 
We had been gossiping about our neighbor’s new house, 
that had cost him about $1,500, and a more ill-contrived 
house in which to do the work, ought never to be found. 
The dining-room was never used for the purpose intended, 
because it was so far removed from the pantry and china 
closet, so family and guests always took their meals at the 
old-fashioned long pine table in the great roomy kitchen, 
in company of the cook-stove and its furnishings of kettles 
and stew pans, both in summer and winter. To be sure, 
the place was usually kept neat and sweet as any kitchen 
could be kept; but there was nearly the whole of that 
great house almost useless. 
The dining-room was used as a sitting-room when there 
was company, and the unfurnished parlor was a store room 
for all kinds of traps. It was like going a journey to reach 
it, and the young lady of the house declared it was not 
worth the bother of furnishing, if she must be the one to 
have the care of it, in addition to the steps she already had 
to take, and so the farmer often felt that he had been 
“ penny wise and pound foolish” in building on so large a 
scale, and wasting his money. 
Now the house was none too large for a well-to do farm¬ 
er. Had he consulted his wife and daughter when about 
to build, instead of a professional architect, his house 
might have been just as roomy and a great deal more con¬ 
venient, at much less cost. Then the furnishing would 
have been something to look after with pleasure, and if 
there is a class of people that should enjoy the luxury of a 
well-to-do farmer. 
Another friend says: “ My house was built to please the 
carpenter’s idea of the fitness of things, and not one bit as 
I wanted it. There is no way of reaching terra firma ex¬ 
cept by going down a flight of stairs; but it looks fine 
from the road.” 
Why should a carpenter have the planning of the dwell¬ 
ing ? He is hired to do the work, and is usually well paid for 
it. Why will men and women allow themselves to be such 
nonentities in the presence of a mechanic 1 They certainly 
ought to know what they want in a house, and then insist 
on having that want supplied. may maple. 
Manistee Co., Mich. 
Our Economy Column. 
I BELIEVE the wife should have dominion over all 
things in the house; therefore it is part of her busi¬ 
ness to keep Informed as to the prices of the groceries she 
uses. There are times when such groceries (necessaries I 
might say) as sugar, flour and coffee are very cheap. Then 
is the time to get enough to last through the months of 
higher prices which are pretty sure to follow. We lose 
money when we buy such small quantities as one pound of 
coffee, 50 cents’ worth of sugar or half a pound of tea. 
If your stove is getting old and you want a new one, 
don’t buy one covered with fancy designs and nickel trim¬ 
mings, to catch dust and take about two hours to blacken ; 
but get a very plain one with a large oven and reservoir— 
one that can Jae easily kept clean. The difference in the 
price will almost pay for an oil or gasoline stove for sum¬ 
mer use. In fact aim to have everything for every-day 
use plain and durable. 
Finally, if you would master the art of economy, take a 
woman’s paper or one with a woman’s department, and 
read it thoughtfully and carefully. Ere long you may dis¬ 
cover that there are many good ways you had never 
thought of, even ways to economize. mrs. carrie 8. 
* * * 
Economy in cooking consists in getting the most nutri¬ 
ment combined with palatableness out of the stock of 
eatables provided, never throwing away anything that can 
be made into wholesome food But do not go to extremes 
in this direction, and waste other Ingredients by combin¬ 
ing them with bad butter, lard, etc., thereby losing the 
whole. I well remember a huge cake that I once made 
after an “ economical ” recipe, using chopped lard scraps 
for shortening. The whole mess was thrown away. 
Raisins, sugar, eggs, all were wasted in trying to save a 
cupful of lawful soap-grease. 
It is better to have pies and cakes at intervals, say once 
or twice a week, as good as they can be made, than to 
have at every meal tough, leathery pies, cakes and cookies 
that would give an ostrich the dyspepsia. One loses the 
reputation of being a good cook, also, by stretching a cup 
of butter or sugar too far. 
Let the children piece the calico quilts to teach them to 
sew, (which is probably what patchwork was invented for) 
while you tie the comforts, two of which can be made in 
one day. And white spreads for the outside of the " ideal ” 
bed were never cheaper than now. 
Raise berries and vegetables in variety. One of my 
friends teased her husband to plant a bed of strawberries. 
He always answered that he could buy strawberries 
cheaper than he could raise them. “Yes !” she said sar¬ 
castically, “ it is cheaper to go without.” I doubt if it can 
always be called economy simply to go without things. 
* # * FANNY FLETCHER. 
I try to use materials mostly of our own production, but 
when our own vegetables, fruits, butter, eggs, etc., are 
high I sell these and buy tropical productions. 
If other work Is pressing and bread and pie fall I cook 
meat and vegetables as usual and make some soda biscuit 
with sour cream or buttermilk and butter (I add a trifle of 
cream of tartar to improve the quality). My people all 
like this better with jam or rich sauce, maple syrup or 
honey in their season, than the usual dinner with pie for 
dessert. 
I save tea and coffee by using all the milk we want. We 
raise all kinds of northern grown fruits, but the Harvest 
Apple tree reduces expenses more than any other kind. 
Pies, puddings, apple sauce and baked apples are on our 
bill of fare all summer. 
By having the hands strictly clean when handling table 
linen and by putting on a large, clean apron when making 
beds, much laundry work is saved. 
The arrangement of the house saves much time ; one 
door of our cook room leads to the dining room, another 
into the store room, another door out into a covered way; 
on the left hand (under this covered way) is the smoke 
house door* and at the right is the dairy. This dry air 
dairy built eight feet below the surface keeps everything 
nicely, without ice or water. I wish every housewife in 
the land had one just like it; it saves time and steps and 
friction. 
I never allow plates, dishes or silverware to be changed 
from one part of the press or closet to another, so that I 
never have to look for anything. I can put my hand on 
whatever I want in a moment. X- 
* # # 
EACH child has special bureau drawer and each knows 
which is his own, so that if they need any article of cloth- 
