NOTES AND COMMENTS. 
Fair Pages. —Once more the time of glad New Year 
greetings! Once more good resolutions, and a new page 
on which we may each write our own choice of things 
to make us ashamed thereafter, or to make us proud. 
Which shall we write ? The good resolution is a par¬ 
tial choosing to write that which shall make us glad 
and proud ; yet must it be followed by the good doing, 
or the writing of which we are ashamed will be found 
upon our page. 
Encouragement. —From the figurative to the literal 
page is but a thought. Many pages have come to the 
leader of this department—and during the past year 
they seem to have multiplied—telling of hopes, of am¬ 
bitions, of courage animated and sustained through 
the work of The R. N.-Y. woman’s pages. Many hin¬ 
drances have lain in the way of a reply to all these 
messages of encouragement. It is regarded as unwise, 
perhaps undignified, to publish much of the literature 
of praise which flutters in upon us ; and, moreover, 
the Chief Cook is no believer in the sentimentalism 
which enwraps the “ Dear So-and-So” of many house¬ 
hold departments. The world's work is to be done, 
often in pain and sorrow, and, if practical help, cheer, 
courage, a new hold on life can be gained from The 
R. N. Y.’s Woman’s Department, then, and then only is 
its leader satisfied, for then only has her aim been 
attained. 
Some Letters.— Says one : 
*• To me, The Rubai, has come to be a ‘ friend that Is near.’ Many, 
many, times have its timely words seemed like Inspiration; and 
grasping that which I needed, have I taken new courage, and with 
new strength have gone on in the strruggle for right ” 
“ I have been pondering how the Chief Cook has attracted us all so, 
when there has been almost nothing of her personality In The Rubai. 
beyond her writings and the character her mind has stamped upon the 
department. It shows how much there is In being and in alms and 
Ideals,” says another. 
” No woman has ever helped me as you have done,” writes another. 
11 If I ever amount to anything, it will be because of your encourage¬ 
ment.” 
As to Editorial Notes. —Inasmuch as all these letters 
are earnests of successful work, they are gladly re¬ 
ceived. But the demands of‘‘Open Eyes,” and the 
necessity of reserving the first page of the home de¬ 
partment for regular contributors, have necessarily 
lessened the space for editorial notes and comment. 
Some readers are writing that they miss these notes 
from the world of women, but the limitations of our 
two pages are absolute, and we must fain do the best we 
can until we are allowed that third page, of which 
mysterious hints are sometimes heard from the powers 
that be, but which we fear may prove but a delusive 
ignis fatuus. 
“KEEPING WARM.” 
HE article on winter underwear by Prudence 
Primrose, page 74G, should be given careful 
consideration by all Rural readers, as it contains many 
facts and useful suggestions. I am confident, however, 
that the plan of uniting two woven woolen under¬ 
garments here given, is more practical than hers, for 
the method of washing which would be perfect for the 
camel’s hair vest, would scarcely keep the white cot¬ 
ton skirt attachment clean and white. 
Cut off the lower part of the vest two inches below 
the waist-line, cut open the remaining distance at the 
center of the front; face the latter opening, and close 
with buttons and buttonholes its entire length, and 
put a half-fitting waist-band of silesia or white muslin 
on the outside of the vest two inches above the bot¬ 
tom. (If the body of the vest is larger than is re¬ 
quired, open the under-arm seams and cut off some of 
it.) Remove the waist-band from the pants, and at¬ 
tach them to a round cotton yoke four or more inches 
deep; and finish the latter with a waist-band corres¬ 
ponding in size to the one on the vest. At equal dis¬ 
tances each side of the center, and ends of the waist¬ 
band of the vest attach a button, and make button¬ 
holes at corresponding points on the waist-band of the 
pants. By this arrangement the vest is removed and 
donned much more easily than when it must be taken 
over the head; the objectionable fullness and warmth 
are removed from over the abdomen and hips, and if the 
pants are short, as is often the case with a tall person, 
this difficulty is removed. Indeed in most respects I 
prefer two garments thus remodeled, to a combination 
one. The weak points in our winter underwear are 
that in selecting it we confound weight with warmth; 
wear too much over the abdomen (where it is posi¬ 
tively injurious) and hips, too little on the limbs, and 
that little not long enough to come well down around 
the ankles and wrists. 
If there are young children in the family, the dis¬ 
carded portions of the vests can be utilized for makiDg 
little skirts, by attaching them to a round cotton yoke 
of the required depth; and if worsted lace is added to 
the bottom they are pretty as well as warm and ser¬ 
viceable. 
The best parts of the legs of cashmere, fleece-lined 
or other heavy cotton hose, make excellent patches 
for worn woven undergarments. 
I do not hesitate to say that the washing of soft, all- 
wool garments, of which P. P. speaks so disparagingly, 
has no horror for me, and that I doubt if even camel’s 
hair ones will “grow only softer and finer” by “care¬ 
less ” washing. For nearly a score of years I have 
worn the former constantly, and any one of experi¬ 
ence knows that it is much more difficult to prevent 
shrinkage during the summer months, when perspira¬ 
tion is profuse ; yet I have never failed to have them 
soft and nice to the last, when I was not too ill to 
attend to the washing, or had a laundress that would 
follow the directions here given : 
To wash flannels without shrinkage, they positively 
must not have soap applied directly to them, be rubbed 
on a wash-board or wrung through a wringer; 
neither must they be hung in the hot sun in summer, 
or out-of-doors in freezing weather. An inferior soap, 
too—one containing a large amount of soda or resin— 
will cause woolens to shrink, no matter how care¬ 
fully they are washed. Make a suds then, of nice 
soap, and water as hot as you can hold the hand in : 
add one tablespoonful of powdered borax to each 
pailful of water, and stir well. Have sufficient suds 
that the clothes may not be crowded, and allow them 
to soak from 15 to 30 minutes, according to the tem¬ 
perature of the room and the extent to which they 
are soiled. Prepare two rinsing waters, as hot as the 
first mentioned one; to one add borax in the same 
proportion as above, (but no soap) and leave the other 
clear. Now work the garments up and down, rub the 
neck, wrists or other soiled parts with the hands ; 
turn, wash the wrong side in the same way and rinse 
thoroughly, through the borax water first, then 
through the clear water; dry in a warm room, if 
possible, in winter. Do not wring hard, shake out 
well and carefully pull into shape before hanging 
them on the line. In this way they will dry smooth, 
and will have a much more wholesome odor if worn 
without ironing. Catherine e. beckwith. 
UNPRETENTIOUS PLAN FOR FARMERS’ WIVES. 
ILLIE rushed noisily into the kitchen where 
grandma was busy with her preparations for 
supper. “ Grandma, I’ve got an invitation for you, 
over to Aunt Jane’s to a capet-rag-sewing, to-morrow,” 
he exclaimed with one explosive breath. 
“ Oh, dear!” said grandma, “ I have to wash to¬ 
morrow, the clothes are put to soak, and I don’t see 
how I can go.” 
“Aunt Jane said T should tell you to be sure and 
come early, so you'd have time to sew rags enough to 
pay for your dinner,” added Willie. 
Grandma had no great desire to sew carpet rags : 
indeed she had just vowed that she never would make 
another rag carpet herself,—still she wished to go. 
As the evening’s work was done, a sort of nervous 
haste accompanied every movement, as if something 
were urging her on. “ Why, mother, what in the world 
are you going to do,” said Mr. Anson, as he saw her 
set the wash-boiler on the stove and fill it with water. 
She laughed, in reply : “ I’m only just going to take 
time by the fore-lock—wash to-night instead of wait¬ 
ing till to-morrow. ‘ Never put off till tomorrow,’ you 
know,” and in spite of persuasion and admonitions to 
the contrary, in came the tubs and wash-board, and 
Mrs. Anson had her clothes in ‘ rinse before she went 
to bed. 
Now, what does it mean, when a woman nearing the 
age of 70, is thus inspired with such energy and force 
of will by an invitation to a humble carpet-rag-sew- 
ing ? Does it not indicate that the social nature is 
ravenously hungry for interchange of thought, for 
companionship, for sympathy ? Grandma so seldom 
saw any one besides her husband and her son’s family, 
that even an invitation to sew carpet rags held antici¬ 
pations of pleasure, because she would sew them in 
company with others. It is generally considered 
“gossip” wfiich women indulge in when they meet 
thus and spend a day or an afternoon together; but 
if so, it is well to gossip ! 
There is at present much discussion of the advan¬ 
tages of university extension, and yet, with all 
the widespread influence claimed for it by its 
advocates, it will scarcely reach the farmer or the 
farmer’s wife. Nearly every organization requires 
fees and dues of its members—university exten¬ 
sion is not an exception. There are expenses con¬ 
nected with the system, which must be paid, and 
those who attend the lectures must of course pay some 
share of this expenditure. It is just this hindrance 
which prevents farmers generally from taking a more 
active interest in various associations for social and 
intellectual improvement. How many Granges have 
dropped from the roll because of the monthy dues—the 
constant taxation which seemed necessary to keep 
them alive ? 
A good thought, apropos of our discussion, is ad¬ 
vanced by the editor of the Popular Science Monthly : 
“ Culture can only become general when socially 
pursued ; every educated man and woman who has a 
living interest in the things of the intellect might and 
should carry on a kind of university extension work 
in a quiet way among his or her own friends.” 
I would advocate strongly a more frequent coming 
together of farmers’ wives, and wish to suggest a 
simple plan which will require very little courage and 
determination to follow out. In every farming com¬ 
munity or neighborhood there is at least one “ moving 
spirit,” and my plan is that this “moving spirit” 
should take it upon herself to bring about the organi¬ 
zation of a club with “an aim of social usefulness.” 
It may be called simply the Pleasant Hour Club, and 
may be wholly informal, having neither constitution 
nor by-laws ; where carpet-rag sewing need not be 
ruled out of order, nor sewing or knitting of any kind; 
the hands which are unaccustomed to be idle are more 
at ease when employed, and those buttonholes can be 
worked just as well while enjoying a “ pleasant hour ” 
at the club. 
Let the objective purpose of the meeting, at first, be 
simply the reading of some good book. Let those who 
take delight in reading by turns read aloud, but never 
insist upon having those read who would find it an 
embarrassing task. Let it be the aim to encourage 
free discussion of that which is read. This discussion 
of a common subject is what is wanted to vivify social 
culture. The meetings might be once or twice a month, 
according to the time at the disposal of members. And 
let me assure any who are doubtful of the results of so 
simple a “club,” that “it may become a power for the 
regeneration of the world.” Happier, more earnest 
wives and mothers would fill the farmers’ homes. 
There would come a larger understanding of the 
brotherhood of mankind, a charity for the wrong¬ 
doers, a desire to help, to lift up, to educate those who 
still seem wedded to the dreadful slums which do 
exist, even though we strive at times to shut out the 
awful realities from our minds. 
The meetings would be held at the homes of the 
various members, in turn or not, as seemed best. There 
need be no possible expense connected with such a 
club. Books are so cheap that for a trifle even the 
latest works may be had. The originator of the club 
could be the president, head or leader, at the various 
meetings; or, the hostess or lady at whose house the 
club met could conduct the meeting. The latter would 
perhaps be the better way—giving the various mem¬ 
bers more responsibility; and earnestness is oft-times 
born of responsibilities. 
By and by, questions of vital importance could be 
discussed; an interest awakened, which may lead to 
reforms. There are hosts of subjects I would like to 
suggest, but I will give just one instance of what “our 
club” did. There was a paper read at one meeting on 
“ Our Feet and Our Shoes;” the advantages of spring- 
heeled shoes were strongly urged. The evils of high- 
heeled shoes were set forth in the strongest terms— 
shoes of both kinds were shown, and there was a gen¬ 
eral, earnest, discussion of the whole subject. Some 
40 different families were represented in this club. 
These mothers inquired every time a shoe was bought, 
thereafter, for spring-heeled shoes—sizes no larger 
than twos could be had—but the demand was so per¬ 
sistent and constant that in the course of a year, 
ladies’ sizes were kept in stock Those who have seen 
the folly of the high, narrow heels, and have adopted 
the spring heel instead, are loud in its praises, and the 
spring heel is being worn more and more, in the little 
western town where our club is still at work. 
MRS. W. A. KELLERMAN. 
There is ease for those far gone in 
consumption—not recovery—ease. 
There is a cure for those not far gone. 
There is prevention—better than cure 
—for those who are threatened. 
Let us send you a book on careful 
living and Scott’s Emulsion of cod-liver 
oil, even if you are only a little thin. 
Free. 
Scott & Bowne, Chemists, 132 South 5th Avenue, New York. 
Your druggist keeps Scott’s Emulsion of cod-llver oil—all druggists 
everywhere do. II. 
