WHAT SOME OF US THINK. 
HESE are regular soft soap days ” said the 
Boarder.” One is sort of flattered into getting 
out-of-doors. You set aside your judgment and don a 
light wrap. The sunshine whispers that it is warm 
and pleasant, and forth you go. You get away from 
the shelter of the buildings, and, mercy! the east wind 
ftrikes you, feeling like a blast from ‘Greenland.’ 
Your feet sink out of sight in the water-soaked earth, 
that looked so firm and dry. The sunshine you per¬ 
ceive, is decidedly thin. After a desperate struggle 
with the wind, in which you lose your breath, your 
wraps and your temper, you regain the house, sink 
down exhausted saying: ‘ I might have known better 
than to be deceived into thinking balmy spring was 
here.’ ” 
“ Yes ” laughed the cook. “ I think that March, 
instead of borrowing three days of April, as the legend 
says, must have borrowed the whole month this year. 
But speaking about soft soap, I wish, F-, that you 
would make a barrel of soap this spring; you always 
make such nice soap.” 
“ No soft soap about that,” says F. “But you say 
that one five-cent cake of soap does your washing or¬ 
dinarily. Counting the worth of the ashes for our 
land, and the fuss and bother of making, I don’t think 
it pays to make soap.” 
“ O dear ! but I like soft soap so much the better 
for washing white clothes and for dishes.” 
“You might try mother’s way when the weather 
gets warmer,” said the Boarder. “She has lime put 
between each two layers of ashes in the leach, runs off 
some strong lye, and puts a gallon or so into a 10 gal¬ 
lon crock. This is set where the sun will strike it. 
Then she heats the grease (about four quarts, clear, 
clean, sausage and bacon fat, etc ) smoking hot, and 
pours it into the lye, stirring it vigorously. She lets 
the mixture stand several days, stirring it every day 
until it begins to thicken and looks soapy ; then adds 
at intervals of a few days a pailful of lye, until the 
crock is full. Then she dissolves and adds one pound 
of borax, and I had rather have her soap than all 
the washing fluids made.” 
“ I believe I must try making some,” said the cook. 
“ I have had some of her soap, and it certainly is the 
nicest I ever used, (without any soft soaping) so strong 
and clean, and it looks good enough to eat.” 
“ By the way,” put in F. at this point, “ did you no¬ 
tice in this week’s Rural, what a rebilke the editor 
gives F. S. A- for the 4 rather fastidious ’ in her article 
on the Open Eyes page ? ” 
“ Ye6, I saw it; and, rereading the article, I thought 
she might or might not have deserved it. She did not 
say too fastidious, or that she objected to the Chief 
Cook’s being particular; still ‘rather’ is a vague, mean¬ 
ingless word, and it may be a lesson to her, as well as 
to the rest of us, to use just the right words to express 
our meaning.” a. a. a. 
FANCIES IN FLOWERS. 
C AN the character of the woman be guessed at to 
any true extent from the flowers she loves ? If 
so, the following may be considered a character study: 
Mrs. Win. Astor is known to prefer pink roses. Mrs. 
Richard Lounsbery says she loves violets almost as 
well as she loves her children, and they are always on 
her dressing table. Mrs. Van Rensselaer Cruger always 
chooses the English violet, both to wear and for her 
table. Mrs. Grover Cleveland must have her violets 
in the form of pansies, of which she is extremely fond. 
Mrs. George Gould (now known as Mrs. George Jay 
Gould) has a passion for all flowers. This has crys¬ 
tallized in practical form into a “ Potted Plant Mis¬ 
sion ” for kindergarten children. Marquize Clara 
Lanza favors lily-of-the-valley. Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish 
gives her special favor to the white water lily. 
A few prominent women o^y are said to be especially 
devoted to orchids, despite the so-called orchid craze. 
Two of these choose oddly enough. One saysmignon- 
nette and green orchids; Mrs. George Dodge varies this 
by substituting red roses for the mignonettes. Mrs. 
Gertrude Franklin Atherton declares for eschscholt- 
zias California poppies), she having spent much of 
her life in California. Mrs. Frank ijeslie, luxurious 
in temperament and a Southerner by birth, declares 
her own tendencies in her preference for the royal mag¬ 
nolia. Marion Manola likes the bouncing American 
Beauty above every other flower. Mrs. George B. de 
Forest prefers white lilacs, and thinks that the ideal 
bouquet is a combination of these and pink roses. 
Doubtless the type of beauty possessed by each of 
these women has something to do with their choice of 
posies, especially for personal adornment. 
Mrs. John Sherwood was the only one interviewed 
who declared for the “red, red rose,” Jacqueminot. 
The Earl of Craven favors gardenias, which his ushers 
wore at the wedding. 
At the Press Club Fair a single rose was bought 
for $ 200 , by James Gordon Bennett. This, an Ameri¬ 
can Beauty, was presented to Mrs. John A. Keller. 
Geo. W. Childs also sent $50 for a rose bud. which fell 
to Mrs. Sutro, a member of one of the fair committees. 
An Englishwoman of title, Lady Burke, has evolved 
a brilliant new idea; no less than a Shakesperean 
flower bed. This is by no means a “crazy flower 
bed,” but will be neverthel. ss somewi at mixed. It is 
to contain all the flowers mentioned in the dramatist’s 
writings; rosemary for remembrance, pansies for 
thoughts, etc. It is .eally a pretty idza, as women 
are quick to see. And it is whispered that Longfellow 
and Whittier beds will be seen on this side durim, the 
coming summer. One c; nnot but feel proud tha 1 ' 
these, our own poets, are chosen by American women 
for honor. And, apropos of this, why would nut a 
Lucy Larcom memorial bed be a sweet re ccmbrance 
for those who love her ? And who could fail to hold 
in loving remembrance the woman who poured forth 
from her inmost soul these words for women : 
“ But ever as I weave,” saith she, 
“The world of women haunteth me. 
There be sad women, sick and poor; 
And those who walk In garments soiled; 
Their shame, their sorrow, I endure; 
By their defect my hope Is foiled; 
The blot they bear Ison my name; 
Who sins, and I am not to blame?” 
Once on a time Alice Cary wrote a poem in praise of 
the thistle, beginning : 
My homely flower that blooms along 
The dry and dusty ways, 
I have a mind to make a song, 
And make it In thy praise. 
The writer of this does not now remember any ref¬ 
erence to the thistle in Lucy Larcom’s verses. But 
she sees that it would surely be that among the sweets 
of a Lucy Larcom bed, we should have some homely 
everyday things. For, looking back into the early youth 
of a woman known to her, she sees a treasured book 
of clippings. Early in its pages (on the lower right- 
hand corner of the right-hand page; do you under¬ 
stand?) she sees a poem whose brave brightness some¬ 
how, always brought the tears to her eyes Yet it be¬ 
gan simply: 
I like these plants which you call weeds, 
Dill, hard-hack, mullein, yarrow. 
Last year, this woman saw “hard-hack” for the first 
time, and she likes it, as well as mullein and yarrow. 
These must be a part of the Lucy Larcoin flower-bed. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
S. K. Y., Knowlton, (No State Mentioned.)—Write 
to some of our advertisers for information regarding 
the vegetable evap rator to do the work for a family of 
10. Many of them send out complete books of instruc¬ 
tion as to processes, etc. We suggest the names of 
Blymer Iron Works Co., Cincinnati, O., American 
Manufacturing Co., Waynesboro, Pa., and Wm. Stahl, 
Quincy, Ill. 
Suffolk County Woman. —For the wood lice which 
infest .your furniture and books try kerosene. It is 
death to nearly every form of insect life, in egg, larva 
or perfect state Be careful with it on the books ; we 
think it will evaporate and do no harm, but are not 
sure. Probably a small quantity of carbolic acid 
added to the paste will prevent the silver moth from 
eating the wall paper. 
AN ADOPTED HOBBY. 
HEN Aunt Milly came from Boston to western 
Texas, she gave us many new ideas about 
household conveniences. 
But the most wonderful things were her bags. She 
had several in her trunk, and one day we had bags up 
for consideration, and in less than a week under Aunt 
Milly’s direction we had such a supply of bags that 
we were proud; and all of them were made from 
materials on hand. 
Back breadths of an old gingham dress made a good 
bag to cover the ironing board ; small pieces of the 
same a bag for holders, beeswax and flat-iron stand. 
A good laundry bag hung in every sleeping room, 
another in the dining-room closet for table linen, and 
still another in the kitchen for kitchen towels, dish- 
towels and other things that will accumulate in the 
kitchen. 
Each girl in the family had her own stocking bag, 
with needle book and darning outfit. There were 
bags for dust cloths, buttons, string, fancy work, 
clothes pins and line—though this last was really a 
laundry apron with two big pockets for pins and line. 
Last, but not least, we made a dozen, assorted sizes, 
to cook vegetables in. They are so handy when one 
wishes to boil several kinds at once and don’t want 
them mixed. Ours were made of coarse crash, but 
cheese cloth would do as well. 
Then there were fancy bags so attractive to the 
girl or woman who loves pretty things—36 in all. 
To-day we wonder how we ever kept house without 
them. And, of course, all the people round about 
have caught this bag fever, for they are so convenient 
and save so much room. mbs. e. e. s. 
INDEPENDENT GIRLS. 
ARY VAUGHN’S article has impressed me more 
firmly than ever with the idea that there is a 
necessity for every girl to acquire some trade or pro¬ 
fession. Perhaps many will say that it is easier said 
than done. True, it is ; but that is the case with every 
undertaking ; yet I think the wisdom of the plan will 
be apparent to every ambitious, thinking woman and 
girl. Housework is a profession, and one that every 
girl should learn. The “hired girl’s” position is look¬ 
ing up in the social scale. It is certainly an important 
one, and she may be just as well-bred and as well- 
read as those in other occupations. But all are not 
adapted to such work, even if they were needed, and 
so it would be better for girls to learn something else 
also. There must be opportunities for all now, when 
so many positions are open to women. In this respect, 
city and village girls have the advantage of us country 
girls, in their proximity to schools, colleges, various 
kinds of shops, factories and offices. But I think if it 
were the studied aim of country girls to acquire some 
kind of independence, the majority of them would 
succeed ; then if suddenly thrown upon their own 
resources, they would escape many of the trials which 
Mary Vaughn shared so freely, and would realize the 
satisfaction that there is in being independent; and 
they would not, on the plea of wanting a home, marry 
some dissipated wretch who cannot support himself 
to say nothing of providing a home for others. This 
subject has been on my mind ever since I was a little 
girl; and I am trying to put my ideas into practice ; 
not, however, without meeting some difficulties. It 
seems as if there ought to be more interest taken in 
the subject than is apparent. I had hoped to see more 
essays on it in the prize contest of last spring. f. 
IN TOUCH WITH THE TIMES. 
WISH to express my hearty approval of Mrs. Kel- 
lerman’s article on social and literary clubs for 
country neighborhoods. It is the best article I have 
read in “ Woman and the Home ” since we commenced 
taking The Rukal. [We trust that Mrs. K. will appre¬ 
ciate all that this “ wish ” means.— Ed.] If Mrs. K.’s 
suggestions were carried out and sustained in every 
farming community, the movement would contribute 
more to the advancement of the farmer and his family 
than all the legislation that could be brought about 
by politicians during the next 10 years. 
Social and intellectual stagnation is one of the cry¬ 
ing evils of country life, not always, but in the ma¬ 
jority of places, and no wonder so many of the young 
people leave the farm. Some one says, “Let them go, 
no harm done; there are plenty left to carry on the 
business of farming.” Granted ; but those who go we 
can ill afford to lose. It is usually the brightest and 
most ambitious who go and the stupid and sometimes 
vicious who are left behind. This latter class does not 
advance the cause of agriculture to any great extent. 
We proudly boast that the best blood and brains of 
the cities are supplied by the country homes ; ah ! but 
we need them here ! Our own new life, energy and 
brains are rarely supplied at present by the boy who 
stays on the farm; but rather by some mechanic or 
artisan, who, by contact with his fellow men, has kept 
his wits sharpened, and takes up farming and makes 
a success of it. So let us keep in touch with the great 
social and intellectual world, if only that we may keep 
the bright young minds with us. Josephine stakr. 
When Baby was sick, we nave her Castoria, 
When she was a Child, she cried for Castoria, 
When she became Miss, she clung to Castoria, 
When she had Children, she gave them Castoria, 
