A TRIAL OF A NEW WARE. 
EADKRS of this department will no doubt re¬ 
member a contributor’s hearty words regarding 
the new “Adamant” ware, which aspires to crowd 
aside the popular “ granite ” ware. The Chief Ccok 
had seen this attractive stove furniture, was much 
pleased with its appearance, believed its claims would 
be sustained, and obtained a kettle for trial. 
The ware is indeed lighter than the granite ware, 
but the vessel on trial had a most absurdly heavy 
bail, which often threw it awkwardly out of balance. 
This aristocratic importation had not looked down on 
its neighbors on The R. N.-Y. kitchen shelves more 
than two weeks, taking its turn with them in use, 
when the beautiful, glossy surface was already melted 
in a spot about one inch across. The positive guaran¬ 
tee that it would not “ break, chip or burn,” was thus 
not sustained ; it was “ burned ” in the only way that 
this class of wares does burn, by melting off the 
enameled surface. This was with the use of an oil 
stove (which some people consider gives no heat at 
all), not over the more intense gasoline or coal heat. 
Having been bought at regular rates, the kettle was 
returned to the importers and makers, with a requisi¬ 
tion for the return of the purchase price. This wa6 
most grudgingly done, with some pointed references 
to “ women who don’t know enough to use a kettle,” 
etc. This being the reception of the representative of 
The R. N.-Y., on the ground, and with our firm be¬ 
hind him, how would the private individual be likely 
to fare, especially if out of direct reach ? 
Certainly one test alone does not prove all vessels 
of this ware lacking ; but the other smooth-surfaced 
wares have been used for years under tests equally 
severe, without showing a flaw. They do burn ; but 
it is when subjected to greater heat than that to 
which this vessel succumbed. The fact is, the lighter 
steel upon which the finish is placed, is too light for 
any but gentle heat. 
MRS. SMITH'S OPINION OF MR. JONES. 
T seems to me those Jones children might almost 
as well be orphans, as far as their father is con¬ 
cerned. He is fond of his children, certainly, and, to 
hear him talk, you would think their welfare and hap¬ 
piness the sole objects of his life. He buys them books, 
furnishes a liberal supply of money, and is anxious to 
give them the best possible advantages in every way. 
They take lesson in music, painting, dancing, and no 
doubt will be accomplished ; but I question whether 
they will develop into the strong manhood and woman¬ 
hood that would result from some real companionship 
with their father. 
“ But did you ever see such a man as Jones ? He is 
always so rushed with his work that he scarcely takes 
time to eat his meals. Talk of social intercourse with 
his family ? I will venture to assert that he does not 
spend an hour a week in conversation with them. 
A man must keep posted in politics : and the daily 
papers are a source of recreation ; one can read them 
while resting—there is no time, really, for conversa¬ 
tion ! 
“When Mrs. Jones remonstrates, and begs him not 
to work so constantly, not to be so * driven,’ he always 
replies : ‘ It is all for your sake, my dear, all for your 
sake, that I do as I do,’ and on he rushes, on the go, 
business, work, till the very atmosphere of their home 
is like an incipient hurricane. I have dropped in to 
see Mrs. Jones several times when Mr. Jones happened 
to be at home. He scarcely accorded me common 
politeness ; barely looked up when I entered, ignored 
my presence entirely, nor took the least notice of my 
departure. He was busy, of course ; but if he should 
come here, and I were ever so busy, it would not ex¬ 
cuse me for lack of common civility. 
“ I thought, poor Mrs. Jones, you do not find much 
of a companion in your husband. There does not 
seem to be any sociability about him ; he never 
appears to think that there is something more to be 
gleaned from daily life than the accomplishment of 
so much work, nor to realize that the poorest day that 
passes over us is the conflux of two eternities, from 
which we might oftentimes extract a thousand-fold 
more good than we do. 
“ What does a fine house, fine furniture, costly 
dress signify; what do all the luxuries that wealth 
can purchase amount to, if one’s whole time is con¬ 
sumed in their acquisition ? ‘ What shall it profit a 
man if he gain the whole world and lose ’—the dis¬ 
position to enjoy his family in a rational, natural 
way ? Children need the companionship of a father 
even if they have a devoted mother who is never 
weary in 'well-doing. 'They need his strength-giving 
influence, as well as her unceasing guardianship to 
arm them for the duties of noble manhood and woman¬ 
hood. They need the combined influence of father 
and mother to enable them to build up the truest, 
strongest characters. If this birthright of children be 
sold for ‘ a mess of pottage,’ that is withheld from 
them which no courts of justice can restore. 
“One might say of the Jones children that they 
have everything necessary for their happiness but 
their father ; him they have not. Though he imag¬ 
ines he is theirs devotedly, his devotion is to his 
work instead, and his family, in lieu cf enjoying him, 
en j y the fruits of his labor.” mbs. w. a. kellerman. 
TOO FASTIDIOUS. 
O we detect the slightest suspicion of reproach 
in our friend F. S. A.’s “ Rather fastidious” on 
the opposite page? But think for a moment! The 
Chief Cook stands as purveyor to you all. She must 
a«=k herself what our girls, just on the threshold of 
life, need for encouragement and stimulation. She 
must think what will help most in kitchen, dining¬ 
room and parlor ; she must lift, if she can, (through 
others usually) some burden each week from some 
over-burdened wife and mother—sometimes from the 
body, sometimes from the mind ; she must look back 
to the time when she was “ father’s boy ” and some¬ 
times called “Tommy” (this is the best she can do) to 
think what will help the boys; she must remember 
all the difficulties and trials incident especially to 
farm life, the difficulties with poor help, with insuf 
ficient means, with distance from supplies, the difficul¬ 
ties of isolation. 
Though personally unknown to you all, she must 
feel herself a friend to every woman who reads the 
Home Department; a trained writer herself, she must 
put aside this critical faculty oft-times, and stand 
with the young and the untrained who are eager to 
write, and who send in their first timid work. She 
must counsel, both publicly and privately, those whom 
she does not know, from the standpoint of sympa¬ 
thetic womanhood alone. She must skim every house¬ 
hold publication of importance, and keep “ Open 
Eyes” for all the ongoings in woman’s world every¬ 
where She must exhort, encourage, lead onward and 
upward constantly, if she may. 
Critically speaking, she must ask of every article or 
note offered : “ Have they all heard this so often that 
they are tired of it ? Ts there yet a chance here to 
enforce the ‘line upon line?’ Is there some young 
housekeeper who needs this bit of counsel ? Can this 
possibly be admitted, though not quite so good as it 
ought to be ?” She must be fastidious for you all. 
All this, and more, is the weekly effort of your Chief 
Cook, loyally and gladly attempted. Is she not “rather 
fastidious” in a good cause— your cause ? 
|;WHERE ART, NOT FASHION, IS STUDIED. 
T is an open secret that the feminine portion of the 
community at large now asks anxiously, “ Do 
you think that crinoline will really be worn ?” and 
cries dubiously, “ I don't think those big skirts are a 
bit pretty, but I suppose I must wear them or be out 
of style.” But while this is the case with the major¬ 
ity, there is a little body of women in Chicago who 
are serenely untroubled, because they do not try to 
follow any fashion whatever, but only to wear what 
is most suitable to each individual. 
In 1888 that admirable association, foremost in our 
city in philanthrophy and in all that constitutes 
earnest advancement towards a broader life, mental, 
moral, physical—I refer to the Chicago Woman’s 
Club—adopted reform in dressing as part of the work 
of the Home Department, and established the “Society 
for Physical Culture and Correct Dress.” Before the 
end of the year 300 members were enrolled, (dues $1 
a year, entrance fee, $2.) Its object is to realize the 
highest possible physical perfection, expressing it in 
dress, and to lead its members to give each other 
mutual help in this by meeting, by conversation, by 
criticism. As no two individuals are alike, no one 
should copy another’s dress, but strive, by study of 
the best models, to evolve a garb becoming to herself. 
Each member is requested to study statuary, Venus 
de Milo, and other perfect nude figures, so as to be¬ 
come familiar with, and full of admiration for true 
proportions—keeping a photograph by her constantly 
when it is possible to do so; then to make her own 
body like these models by exercise, by diet, by every 
healthful process. By every device of art, if neces¬ 
sary, she is to endeavor to seem to possess these con¬ 
tours, and to provide such clothing as will enhance 
the good or conceal the incomplete proportions. 
Many of the members have really attained such 
love for the admirable that they look upon the small 
waist as a deformity, to be concealed by a folded 
towel rather than revealed by close gowns, stays and 
whalebones. There are no set fashions as to outward 
attire, but robes are fashioned, or draped, upon a 
loose gown form which resembles a Princess dress cut 
large. For underwear in winter, no skirts are worn, 
but instead equestrian tights, in wool and cotton, also 
silk, which come in knee and ankle lengths, with feet, 
and in all colors, though black is generally preferred. 
Beneath this is worn a full union suit of wool. The 
Flint waist, or Equipoise, without steels or bones, 
buttoned in front, is added ; and the Newell bust sup¬ 
porter, which resembles the old-fashioned hair-cloth 
bust, but is cut to fit and provided with shoulder 
straps and skirt straps, so as to leave the important 
portions of the anatomy free from all pressure. These 
are the most important articles worn by correct dress 
disciples, and I can testify from experience, to their 
delightful warmth, freedom, lightness. For summer 
a light skirt is worn attached to its own waist—for 
that is insisted upon—no clothing shall be suspended 
from the hips, but from the shoulders alone. 
“ Well, aren’t they a queerly dressed, slovenly-look- 
ing set of women ?” 
People who ask this will have opportunity at the 
World’s Fair to decide for themselves, for a full ex¬ 
hibit of all kinds of correct dress is to be shown ; 
meanwhile we, who are emancipated from the thrall 
of fashion, go cheerily on, not caring whether hoops 
come or go, whether tight sleeves or balloons for the 
arms, are worn. We can serenely wear old dresses if 
they are becoming, and rest assured that our own 
long-misused muscles will now do their duty in giving 
grace of movement and health. . 
But do we not sometimes fail in achieving grace 
and beauty in our individual gowns ? Assuredly; 
but the effort counts for something, and long-con¬ 
tinued it must prevail. A. d. w. 
DELIGHT IN HOME STUDIES. 
HIDE reading the home department of The 
Rural, I am reminded of many things in my 
owp experience. One of the younger ones in a large 
family, when the as yet undeveloped district school 
furnished nearly the only moans of education, I had 
the benefit of home study. The good elder brother, a 
natural student, procured a copy of Mrs. Lincoln’s 
Botany and commenced the study of it, vigorously as¬ 
sisted by the younger ones. What a new world opened 
before us as we searched for flowers to analyze and 
press. The similarity in the construction of flowers, 
the varying shapes of the leaves and the different 
ways in which they grew on their stems, and their 
classification were all sources of entertainment to us ; 
and we soon became familiar with all the wild flowers 
of our section. One memorable day one of the pro¬ 
fessors of the Academy came home with the brother, 
ne was an enthusiastic botanist, but had never seen 
all the wild flowers growing in our locality. 
We promptly organized a picnic to help him procure 
some specimens, and led the way to a swamp where, 
among other plants, the Sidesaddle flower blooms in 
all its rare beauty. The pleasure of the professor at 
seeing this for the first time was so great that he 
nearly executed a war dance around it before trans¬ 
ferring it, root and all, to his basket. 
We never forgot the pleasure of that day ; our guest 
told us so many new and curious things about the 
habits of plants, and we were quite proud to think 
that we had of ourselves acquired enough knowledge 
of botany to be able to understand it all. In the pleas¬ 
ant school years which followed afterwards, we found 
that our home studies had been of great value to us. 
No student who has gained even a superficial know 1- 
edge of any subject in the freedom of the country 
home can ever be crowded into that monotonous groove 
in which so many are allowed to run their school 
career. aunt rachel. 
One cent will carry this paper to your friend in 
any part of North America after you have written 
your name on the corner to show whom it is from. 
When Baby was sick, we gave her Castorla, 
When she was a Child, she cried for Castorla, 
When she became Miss, she clung to Castorla 
MThen she had Children, she gave them Castorla. 
