TRIAL OF FLAVORING POWDERS. 
OR a long time there has been, among others, 
this mooted question with those of ultra con¬ 
science on the temperance question : Does not the use 
of alcohol in the now profusely-used flavoring ex 4 racts 
lead to an appetite for strong drink, and cannot a sub¬ 
stitute be found ? In answer to this demand, several 
firms in this country are now manufacturing flavoring 
powders. 
Two years ago the Chief Cook made inquiry in these 
columns as to wnether or not any readers were famil¬ 
iar with flavoring powders in actual use. It was 
hoped to get some testimony as to their value, or 
otherwise, for family use; but no one responded. 
Presumably no one had the requisite experience. 
Since that time, the Chief Cook has been making a 
somewhat extended trial of the flavoring po *ders 
manufactured by C. A. Mann & Co., of New York. 
Four several flavors have been in use, viz , lemon, 
vanilla, peach and rose. The lemon flavoring is most 
delightful; there is no essence to be for a moment 
compared with it. The same may be said of the 
vanida, but this has the disadvantage of being so dark 
colored that it cannot be used in any delicate cake or 
pudding as it spoils the appearance of the dessert. 
The peach is, it is thought, as good as the ordinary 
peach extract; while the “rose” is evidently a com¬ 
posite flavor, made up of the union of several per¬ 
fumes, and is very little like rose. 
The powders come put up in v lass screw-cap bottles, 
holding one ounce by weight. It is claimed that the 
expense is about the same as with the use of extracts. 
In The R. N.-V. cookery it was found necessary to 
increase somewhat the amount mentioned in the direc¬ 
tions. This may, however, be a mere matter of taste. 
The powders do not have to be dissolved before using, 
and if the caps are closely screwed, they will keep an 
indefinite time. 
IS SHE CONCEITED? 
WAS much interested in Mrs. Kellerman’s article 
on sloyd and it recalled my own childhood, 
wherein I always thought I could do whatever I set 
out to do. One day a lady called at our house and 
wanted to teach me to do some fancy work. I quickly 
replied that I did not need to be taught; I could do it 
myself. The lady indignantly replied that some folks 
always thought they knew everything. Then my 
mother explained that I was always picking up fancy 
work, crochet work, etc., and took to such work very 
readily. Nevertheless, after the lady had gone I got 
a good scolding for being so conceited ; and mother 
told me I could not do the kind of fancy work that 
lady had, and I knew it. I was all the more eager to 
show her what I could Jo, and not long afterwards 
had the pleasure of proving I could not only do this, 
but various other kinds. 
I always encourage my little ones in the way of 
which Mrs. Kellerman spoke. If one says she cannot 
do so and to, I say ; “Oh yes, you can, I am sure ; you 
are mamma’s smart little girl you know. Now let us 
see what you can do,” and they always take up their 
work with renewed vigor. 
A school teacher once remarked to some of her 
pupils: “ There is no use in your trying to compete 
for a prize; there are only two pupils in the whole 
school bright and studious enough to win one.” And 
although it was decidedly wrong for the teacher to 
speak thus, it did no harm in this case, as it spurred 
those children on to better action. Tney were brave 
and not easily discouraged, and when the last day 
came, not only did they do as well as the two their 
teacher had said would take the prize, but even 
better. 
But where one person would be spurred on to bet¬ 
ter action by such words, 10 would be so completely 
discouraged that they would never try again. 
It seems a part of my nature to try to buoy people 
up and encourage them. I recall a lady who was 
habitually “blue,” as the common saying is. All her 
family had died with consumption and she was expect¬ 
ing it would be her lot too. She was a stranger to 
me, but it so happened that we both visiteu at a 
friend’s house. I was in extra high spirits that day, 
happy, full of life and fun, and of course very talka¬ 
tive ; so much so that I was actually ashamed of my¬ 
self. But before we parted the strange lady said to 
me : “Oh, I do wish you were a neighbor of mine, I 
am sure I should never have the blues again.” Such 
a feeling of happy content came over me when the 
lady we were visiting told me her friend’s sad story 
and that for years she had never seen her so cheer¬ 
ful and happy as on that afternoon. So I said, when 
we go on a visit let us carry the sunshine with us; 
and when we are at home let us give it the largest 
place in our hearts. There is no room in this short 
life of ours for bitter weeping and repining. There 
is always an oasis in our lives, a brighter side to our 
natures if we only try to bring it out. Let us gather 
up the sunbeams lying all around our path not on 
one, but every day. Happy, contented people are the 
healthiest and youngest-looking and longest-lived as 
a rule ; while fretting, outbursts of temper and scold¬ 
ing add furrow upon furrow upon our brows, put the 
wrinkles in our faces and sprinkle our hair with 
gray. Let the sunshine in and keep the heart young. 
MABEL II. MONSEY. 
THE SMILING MUSCLES. 
ER mother took Nanny’s hand and led her to the 
mirror. 
“ Look in there my child. What do you see ?” 
“ I see your lovely face,” sobbed Nanny. 
“ First, dry your eyes. Now look at yourself. That 
is not an ugly face, even when it is wet with tears. 
Those lines are full of sweet temper The laughing 
muscles are strong and flexible—you see they make 
dimples,” as Nanny half smiled. “ They like smiling 
best of anything. The shadow of crossness is all bad 
habit. It is quite a new one, too, Nanny, not settled 
and hopeless. . . . Here,” pointing between the 
brows, “ is the trouble. You have a mark there that 
will stay, I’m afraid.” 
“Yes, Don says it will surely freeze the first cold 
morning.” 
“ Don’t listen to the boys. Listen to me. We can 
make our faces, like our manners, largely what we 
like ; as we can be rude and abrupt, or gentle and 
considerate, so we can be dark and forbidding in 
countenance, or open, fair and sweet. Keep the right 
face muscles in training, and the mood will be pretty 
certain to follow their action.” 
Nan laughed merrily. “ What do I know about 
muscles, mamma ? You are so scientific.” 
“ Whit you do not know you can learn. A docile 
spirit need never show a sour face.” 
“Please tell me how. Often when Don and Rick 
call me cross, I don’t feel so. I may be only thinking ’ 
“ Sit down. It has seemed to me that if you would 
think to a little better purpose, you might avoid being 
found so much fault with—as you call it.” 
“ But isn’t thinking of oneself vanity ?” 
“ Not if you think with the hope of making yourself 
more loveable to those about you. To study to be 
pleasing is not vanity.” 
“ But when I haven’t thought of feeling hateful, 
why do I look so ?” 
“ Because you are not on your guard. I have myself 
often got an unconscious look at myself in the glass 
and have seen looks of worry when I wasn't ill. Ah, 
these muscles you know so little about, Nanny, are 
very ready tale-tellers.” 
“ They are story-tellers you mean. They tell what 
isn’t so.” 
“ They get into bad ways. And if you do not want 
them to make mistakes, you must educate them.” 
“ But I might study physiology a whole year and 
yet look cross all the time.” 
“ So you might if you don’t take the trouble to rule 
your face from within.” 
Nanny discerned her meaning. 
“ I should be like an idiot if I always laughed,” she 
said. 
“ Don’t be perverse, daughter. You know very well 
what I mean. Try this rule for a week, and see what 
the result will be. Whenever you feel irritable, even 
in a slight degree, go to the glass and straighten every 
drawn line into repose. You need not laugh or 
smile, but relax the tension of the worry and see to it 
that there is not one visible trace left. By that time 
your fret will have vanished.” 
Nanny tried this rule, with varying success, but 
with general result of good. While she did it she 
never had reason to complain that people called her 
cross. 
In later years Nanny Falconer had a famous face. 
“ You never have any trouble,” some one said to her 
even when she was passing through bitter waters, 
“ you always look so glad.” 
An old negro describing her, called her “ The lady 
with the glory-to-God face.” And everywhere she went 
the sunshine of happy looks was shed broadcast about 
her. 
She herself told me this story, of how she erne to 
realize that a pleasant countenance is largely a matter 
of will, and that worried looks, and cross and sad 
looks, are things of habit and can be educated away. 
Clara Doty Bates, in Wide Awake. 
TESTED RECIPES FROM A RURAL DAUGHTER. 
LTHOUGH but 21, I have had five years’ exper¬ 
ience in cooking. I will send a few recipes 
which I think good, hoping they may prove a help : 
Maple Sugar Frosting. —For a layer cake use 13^ 
cupful of maple sugar, either shaved or broken into 
small pieces, with three tablespoonfuls of water ; boil 
until it forms a soft wax Beat the white of one egg 
to a stiff froth and drop it into the hot sugar, a spoon¬ 
ful at a time, stirring constantly until cold. I always 
use an egg beater. This frosting can be made white 
if stirred long enough. For a change I use jam 
between the layers of the cake and the maple sugar 
on the top. 
Meat Pies. —We are very fond of these, which may 
be made of fresh or corned beef. For four persons a 
pint of meat chopped fine is sufficient. Put it into a 
basin with a half cupful of water, a little butter, 
pepper, and if the meat be fresh, salt, an! heat to'ddie 
boiling point. Make the crust of one cupful of sour 
milk, one-half cupful of sour cream, one teaspoonful 
of soda, salt and flour. Bake in a bread tin. Pour 
the meat in while hot, prick several holes in the upper 
crust. Bake one half hour in a hot oven. Scraps of 
pork or other meats can be used with the beef. One- 
half teaspoonful of cream of tartar makes the crust 
mere tender. One-third cupful of butter may be used 
in place of cream. I always use the liquor of corned 
beef for gravy. Of course it is so salt, that one can 
use but a few spoonfuls, but even that small quantity, 
with the addition of water, butter or sue , with sea¬ 
soning, thicken-d with a teaspoonful of flour, makes 
a nice gravy for a meat pie. 
Plum Pies. —When plums are plentiful, I use a canful 
now and then for pies. They need only a little flour 
and half a cupful of sugar, this last because every time 
a plum is cooked it becomes more tart. Plums also 
make nice cottage puddings with a crust like that of 
meat pie. For breakfast cakes use one egg, one cup¬ 
ful of sour milk, one tablespoonful of butter or cream, 
salt, one spoonful of soda. Roll thin, mix hard, cut into 
three-inch squares and fry in hot lard. Serve with 
maple syrup, or sugar and cream. 
Cider, when boiled the day it is made, is a help in 
the field and house. I put a cupful of boiled eider and 
half a cupful of sugar into a pitcher of water, and 
father thinks it the best of drinks for a hot summer 
day. I also use it in dried apple pies. 
Cold Creamed Tapioca —Soak two tablespoonfuls 
of tapioca in water, drain, and < dd one quart of milk, 
one cupful of sugar, yolks of three eggs, well beaten. 
Cook in a double boiler, stirring all the time. When 
cool, add the whites of three eggs beaten to a stiff 
froth, and set in an ice box over night. 
Tomatoes are delicious served with cream and sugar, 
or when baked. Remove a part of the inside and fill 
with sugar, a little butter, pepper and salt. Dredge 
with flour, and serve with the gravy which forms on 
the plate 
Steamed Pudding. —To dispose of cake that has be¬ 
come old and ary, soak the pieces in milk enough to 
soften them, and beat thoroughly with one egg and 
flour to thicken ; add raisins or quartered apples. 
Steam three hours ; serve with sauce. 
Brown Betty. —Fill a dish with alternate layers of 
bread crumbs and slices of apple. Season each layer 
with 6ugar and nutmeg; pour milk over the whole, 
and add bits of butter. Bake until the apple is soft; 
serve v ith sugar and cream. 
Apple: Snow.— Sift steamed apples enough to make 
one pint of pulp. Beat the whites of three eggs stiff 
and stir together, using one teaspoonful of sugar to 
each table&poonful of apple ; beat the whole stiff, and 
keep as cold as possible. Serve with cream or cus¬ 
tard. A. E T. 
A cream of tartar baking powder. 
Highest of all in leavening strength. 
—Latest United States Government 
Report. 
Royal Baking Powder Co., 
106 Wall Street, New York. 
