MR. AND MRS. CLEVER WATCH THE TREND 
OF THE TIMES. 
“ TXT'ELL, Mathilde, how is it? Are we to go? Or 
* V are we to miss being in the very midst of 
‘Woman’s Opportunity ’ because of our strong objec¬ 
tions to being fleeced with our eyes open? Or shall 
we base our adverse decision on the sneak-thief method 
of the management in accepting the government ap¬ 
propriation and deliberately trampling upon its con¬ 
ditions ? ” 
“ The government which has been flouted should 
settle the latter question, I think,” replied Mrs. Clever, 
“ and I shall have less respect for it than even for 
Chicago, if it tamely submits to such supercilious out¬ 
rage upon good faith, law and decency. The desira¬ 
bility or otherwise of Sunday opening in itself, is no 
longer the main question. As to being fleeced, it will 
be annoying, to be sure. But I cannot see that it is 
not a legitimate carrying out of the pet supply and 
demand idea of political economists.” 
“ But which suit shall you wear, Mathilde ?” 
“ I haven’t anything really suitable, Solomon.” 
“That’s just it Mathilde,” with eager jocoseness, “I 
want to know which one you regard as the most suit¬ 
able. Shall it be the American suit, or the Syrian 
dress, or the gymnasium rig ? Or shall you ignore all 
the suggestions of the regular committee and pin 
your faith to Mrs. Bertha Smith?” 
“ Between the ugly spread of the crinoline and the 
brief ‘ skinching ’ of the knee-skirt is there no middle 
amplitude for women of medium ideas ? If not, which 
would you feel best while walking beside, Solomon ? ” 
“I? oh! you needn’t consider me, Mathilde. You 
will want to spend mcst of your time in the women’s 
convention halls, while I—well, I shall be elsewhere—” 
“ Then I shall stay at home. If you think I am 
going to make myself conspicuous without the moral 
support of your presence and the knowledge that you 
approve, you mistake greatly, my hus and.” 
“ Oh ! come now, Mathilde ! You wouldn’t really 
be any more consp’cuous than the—well, than the 
Esquimaux ! Of course, J approve of any real reform, 
but—” 
“ But you haven’t the courage of your convictions, 
any more than we weak-minded women have. No, 
Solomon, you shall go with me and support me, or it 
shall be 16-yard dresses with crinoline ; or, as a last 
alternative, as I said, I can remain at home.” 
“No, you won’t do that las*;, Mathilde; as for the 
Syrian dress, so-called, you might just as well wear 
that old blue blouse with the full skirt; it has exactly 
the appearance of the foreign novelty. But you 
wouldn’t do that, either. As for the Jenness-Miller or 
‘ American’ suit, I can see no motive which t'.e fair 
reformer couid have had in its invention except that of 
making all other women look ugly. She never wears 
it herself that we hear. You might try the Bertha 
Smith suit, now.” 
“ Which one is that ? To tell the truth, my dear, 
I think you have given this subject more attention 
than I have.” 
“Oh ! you know ; the one with the neat, close-fitting 
waist cut like a vest at the bottom, and the street 
jacket over it. The jacket is shaped just like our one- 
button cutaways, but the sleeves are women’s sleeves. 
It is really quite natty, and I don’t see any reason 
why you should make the skirt as short as that in the 
model. If it cleared the ground three or four inches, 
it would be as much reform as any one ought to take 
at one dose, and you could make it as full as you liked. 
Here ! I have the cut of the thing in my vest pocket 
now. I knew you’d be interested,” said this model 
husband, half apologetically.” 
•‘ Oh ! yes; I had seen it before, but did not remem¬ 
ber whose name was connected with it. But if I con¬ 
struct a suit after this general model, changing it a 
little to suit your ideas—which are really very good, 
my dear—are you ready to keep step with it through 
all those marvelous buildings and plaisances ? ” 
“ I—I—well—yes, Mathilde, since you insist on it. 
I believe it is the only feasible suit that has yet been 
recommended, and if it is really any help to you, I’ll 
stand by you; both for your own sake, and for the 
sake of the hundreds of women who really ought to 
have a distinctive, comfortable and natty business 
suit.” 
“ Thank you, Solomon. You will thus prove your¬ 
self a true help-meet. And as a reward I will take 
you to the entertainment proposed by some scorner ‘to 
introduce the new dress and modify the stiffness of 
scant skirts which have no waistbands, and rub the 
awful newness off the emancipated leggings, and to 
encourage the doubters and organize hosts who have 
hesitated to lay their gospel of beauty in dress upon 
the altar of appalling ugliness.’ ” 
Mr. Clover groaned audibly. “ And this is only the 
beginning, Mathilde.” 
“ Yes;” consolingly. “ But we shan’t mind it half 
so much as you fear, and you shall have some of Mrs. 
Rorer’s juicy ‘ flap-jacks’ at the Woman’s Building 
every day, if they are procurable.” myka y. norys. 
CHEAP AND SIMPLE WALL POCKETS. 
A MONG the numerous directions for wall pockets 
sent in answer to the inquiry of <f E. S. B.” only 
the first here given can lay claim to originality. All 
are practical, however, all include good points, and 
we hope all may be of sufficient help to repay the 
trouble of the senders thereof. We thank the many 
, who responded, and we are 
sure “ E. S. B.” will do the 
same. 
Walt, Pocket No. 1.—The 
cut shows the form which the 
wire bracket should take. Size 
of wire, No. 12 or 14. Where 
it hits the wall it should be 
twisted so as to form an eye 
for a screw to fasten to the 
wall. There are two brackets, 
one for each end. Let the 
wire in returning leave space 
same thickness as shelf, so as 
to hold shelf in position. 
Length of shelf to suit size of 
paper. It is a little simple, 
but much prized invention of 
my husband. H. L. s. 
Wai,i. Pocket No. 2.—Use 
three strips of pretty oil-cloth, 
one 24 inches square and two each 8 inches one way 
and 24 the other. Stitch an inch hem at the top of 
the foundation square and along one edge of each of 
the long strips. 
Place one strip at the bottom of the square and the 
other a short distance below the top—say, four inches. 
Pin to position, turn the edges under, and stitch on the 
machine. A double row of stitching through the 
middle of the strips makes four good-sized pockets for 
papers. Tack to a board partition, or a door, or make 
on a board foundation. A wall pocket for letters with 
12 spaces, three rows four spaces each, may be tacked 
to the end of a secretary and will be very convenient. 
The proportions are found by measuring the size of 
envelopes. 
Pockets for circulars, slippers, vials, small boxes or 
rolls of salve, strings, and in fact a regular medicine 
chest can be made by varying the proportions. Those 
for vials must be made with a small plait at the bot¬ 
tom. So convenient do I find these oil-cloth wall 
pockets that our bed-room door is nearly covered with 
them on one side. They are easily cleaned with a 
damp cloth or sponge. n. g. 
Wall, Pocket No. 3.—This is similar in construction 
to No. 2. The pocket is made of brown butcher’s 
linen, is bound with braid and has a hem at the top to 
receive a thin slat of wood or very heavy paste-board 
with three or four holes large enough to go over the 
head of a nail. It will be seen that under some con¬ 
ditions, this little slat would be a great addition to the 
satisfaction which the pocket might give. 
DELIGHTFUL STRAWBERRY SALAD; AND 
SOME OTHERS. 
I N earlier days, when people spoke of “a salad,” 
there was not much question as to what was 
meant. A salad then consisted either of herbs, or of 
a combination of herbs and meats, with vinegar, oils 
and condiments. 
Nowadays, however, a salad seems to be almost any¬ 
thing that is made of mixed materials finely divided. 
Hence we have every variety of salads; hence also, 
we find a writer in Good Housekeeping giving a 
detailed recipe for strawberry salad, thus : ‘ ‘ Put the 
strawberries in a glass dish with alternate layers of 
pulled pineapple. The fresh is better, but the canned 
pineapple may be used. It should be pulled instead 
of sliced, because the slices retain too much of the 
tough fiber. There are no two flavors that combine 
more perfectly than those of the strawberry and the 
pineapple. When the pyramid of fruit is completed, 
the strawberries, of course, on the top, pour over the 
whole the strained juice of three lemons and two 
oranges, sweetened to taste. Keep it on the ice until 
ready to place on the table. ” 
That this is a most delightful compound there is no 
doubt; and since a part of the work of the century is 
to remodel the language, we may perhaps as well 
submit gracefully to calling it a salad. A year or two 
ago, all these elaborate mixtures of fruits were known 
as “ macedoines.” Elaborate, however, as just used, 
refers rather to the variety than to the amount of 
work necessary in the concocting. These fruit mix¬ 
tures, concoctions, macedoines—salads, are now the 
most popular of desserts, and they may be varied 
almost indefinitely. Strawberries, “ pines,” bananas, 
oranges, peaches, all lend themselves in turn, and all 
delightfully, to combinations, to which cocoanut is 
oftentimes added. Bananas mix delightfully with 
nearly all fruits, and as they are sweet and cheap, and 
can be used in generous proportion, they are a real 
housewife’s friend. Then as to cream on a salad ! 
“ Dear, you’ve no idea how cream improves it,” was 
the remark made on Decoration Day by a connoiseur 
in good living who was giving diligent and delighted 
attention to a banana, orange and pineapple “salad.” 
We suspect, however, that that is a matter of taste, as 
cream often smothers the flavor of the fruit to which 
it is added. 
There may be noticed, too, in the journal first 
quoted, directions for making a strawberry short cake. 
Now there are short-cakes and—well other short cakes— 
and some people so far forget themselves and the 
proper reverent treatment of the strawberry, as to 
make the short-cake a real cake, sweetened! But this 
short-cake is to be baked in six layers, and to have the 
berries “ spread between the pastry in alternate lay¬ 
ers, at least six berries deep.” To a generous allow¬ 
ance of berries we gladly agree, and will be satisfied 
only with a very large piece, especially if there be a 
cream crust. But oh! who could manage a six-layer 
cake, with layers of berries “ at least six berries 
deep?” This building might be charming, but, most 
certainly tottering to a fall. 
DEVOTED TO POULTRY. 
U NDOUBTEDLY there is some money in the poul¬ 
try business when carried on successfully; but 
is a well filled purse to be compared with health ? 
When cousin Elsie told me that their receipts for 
their poultry last year were nearly $100, I almost lost 
my breath, and thought for a moment that it was bet¬ 
ter than I had done with my dozen hives of bees. But 
finally I began to do a little quizzing, and found that 
the cost of feed had not been counted. 
“ The farm produced the grain, and very much of 
what the fowls received would have otherwise gone to 
waste.” 
“ Well, then, making no account of feed, how was 
it for care ; did that cost nothing ? ” 
“ Yes, they had to have lots of care, and, of course, 
that took time ; but one has to spend time if one earns 
a living ; and I can’t do anything else while staying at 
home, and there seems to be a necessity for that.” 
Later I heard her sister remarking : “ Elsie never 
goes by a barnyard without seeing every chicken, 
duck and turkey; she thinks of nothing but poultry 
and talks of nothing else ; and when one goes there 
for a visit in the summer time, one must expect to go 
to the poultry yard a half dozen times during the 
afternoon or else sit in the parlor alone ; for the little 
ones must be fed, or perchance a depredating hawk 
must be driven away. And if a cloud arises as big as 
one’s hand, out she goes to gather in her flocks from 
the ‘ four corners of the globe,’ often going a quarter 
of a mile to hunt up those wandering turkeys and not 
infrequently coming intwet through. She is killing 
herself by inches taking care of her poultry and is 
constantly complaining of poor health and of being 
always tired to death ; consequently is very nervous 
and exceedingly irritable. There are more frowns 
than smiles on her once beautiful face.” 
Ah, no business really pays that makes one cross to 
the hearth-stone friends, and so imbues one’s mind 
that there is room for but the one idea, may maple. 
When Baby was sick, we gave 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 
