THE HEAD HEALS THE HEEL. 
"BTKP SAVARH” I.V TRE HOUSKUOLP 
We want to net and print a collection of wbat we may call Step 
Saverg—tbat Is. helps and devices that have enabled you to do your 
housework with less walklnjr. Will you be kind enouith to describe 
two or three devices In jour house that have enabled y. u to save 
steps, as compared with the old order of things T 
Improving the House That Jack Built. 
In the first place, my small kitchen was not made 
very convenient, but that was not my fault, for 
“ John” built the house before he asked me to become 
Mrs. John, so I was not consulted. The dining-room 
cupboard projected into the kitchen, and the stove had 
to back up against it so as to stand nearly in the 
middle of the room. Then the kitchen cupboard 
joined the other at right angles. A convenient pump 
stood at the right of the small sink, and in this sink 
the dish pan could stand; but there was not room 
enough cn the short shelf at the left to rinse, drain 
and place wiped dishes, because the door leading into 
the dining-room cut off my chance for a longer shelf. 
It is surprising, though, what a carpenter can do with 
hammer and nails, especially if you don’t mind noise 
and pounding and shavings and sawdust and showers 
of plaster and things. 
Now that door Las walked over to the corner where 
the cupboards were, and my nice shelf goes across the 
old doorway. Below this shelf are drawers and a cup¬ 
board, and about 14 inches above it is another cup¬ 
board. The space between, leaves room for a small 
sliding window through which the dishes can be 
shoved into the dining-room. In there a broader shelf 
meets it, and with the large cupboard above that and 
a small one below with six drawers—three on each 
side of it—it answers for a commodious sideboard. 
The table stands near, so that there is but a step to 
take to reach the dishes at meal times, and soiled 
dishes can be pushed though the window to be washed 
in the kitchen. 
That is the theory. The fact is that the convenient 
little window isn’t used for that purpose yet, because 
the woodwork which was grained many weeks ago, 
still awaits a coat of varnish to harden the graining 
before use. “ John” threatens to attend to it occasion¬ 
ally, or hire a professional varnisher, but his head is 
so full of plans, and his hands so full of work, that 
the thing isn’t done yet. Might doit myself? Oh, 
yes—while I’m taking time to tell about it, perhaps— 
but then The Rurae readers possibly might not know 
how to arrange their own inconvenient cupboards and 
places, and get lots of nice big drawers to keep towels, 
tablecloths, napkins, bread, cakes and groceries in. 
You see, I’m a believer in doing the greatest good to 
the greatest number. 
There, the baby is waking up, and it is half past 
five, and I must tell Sarah Ann what to get for supper, 
so I can’t stop either to varnish or to tell any more 
long stories. carrie ellis rrkck. 
Q,uite a List of Conveniences. 
My greatest helps are order and system. They are 
the best “step savers” that I’ve yet found. But besides 
them, I count as especially helpful a zine-covered 
table, convenient closets, a steam cooker, steam 
washer, charcoal smoothing iron, granite or enameled 
iron kitchen ware, a meat block, good sink with prop¬ 
erly plumbed waste pipe, and water piped in from the 
wind-mill tank. I think these are my most helpful 
things. MRS. c. 15. s. 
One That Takes the Steps Itself. 
We have a small house, with one room for both 
dining-room and kitchen, out of which three doors in 
close proximity open into the china closet, pantry and 
sink-room. As the latter contains an easy going 
pump and a long bench, we have not felt the need of 
any special devices for saving steps in housework. 
We have, indeed, a step-saver we could illy afford to 
do without, but it is thus valuable only because of the 
rheumatic trouble with which one member of the 
family is afflicted. Unable to walk, or even to stand, 
without pain, and often unable to walk at all, the idea 
came to her that if she had a chair on casters, she 
might be able to push herself about. An old-fashioned, 
straight-backed, originally flag-bottomed chair was in 
consequence fitted with ordinary iron casters about an 
inch and a-half in diameter. The experiment was an 
immense success. By pushing with her feet against 
the floor our invalid could get about the house easily 
and painlessly. Since that time she has been able to 
wait on herself, and when the housekeeper has been 
sick, has even washed dishes and carried them away, 
made and baked biscuit, set the table, done a small 
ironing, and swept the floor, all without having to 
walk a step, or stand except to reach something that 
could not be reached sitting. The chair has been in 
constant use for nearly three years, has worn out 
s 'veral sets of casters, and saved its possessor and the 
other members of the family many thousand steps. 
Massachusetts. e r. 
Helps in the Dairy, 
The greatest step saver about my house is my cab¬ 
inet creamery. The old way of setting milk in pans, 
with the countless steps taken in skimming, emptying 
and washing them is done away with. A very good 
creamery may be made at home if one is handy with 
tools, lining with zinc and leaving an air chamber be¬ 
tween it and the outside. Have pipes arranged for 
inlet and overflow, 
I have until recently kept cream in two or three 
pails, holding three gallons each, dividing the cream 
at each skimming into each pail. I now have a pail 
holding 12 gallons, with a heavy bail and tight-fitting 
cover, and a heavy wire around the bottom to tip by 
and to keep the bottom of the pail from the floor. 
Its cost was only $1.25, made to order. It is better to 
have all the cream in one vessel, besides there is only 
one to wash. 
A fine scrub brush is an excellent article in washing 
cans, pails and all milk utensils. It cleans the cor¬ 
ners and cracks far better and easier than a cloth. 
Another brush made of palmetto fiber is a great help 
in cleaning tables, tubs, sinks, etc. 
Nebraska. mrs. fred c .tohnson. 
THE WOMAN'S MONEY. 
SHARE FOR WIFE OR DAUGHTER. 
“How can the farmer's wife or daughter best supply 
herself with the money needed for her own wants ? ” 
Part I. 
HIS perplexing problem, existing in so many 
homes, has for several years had a peculiar in¬ 
terest for me, as I have watched its solution, by a 
very intimate friend of mine, who has consented to 
allow me to relate her experience in the hope that 
it may possibly benefit some one else in life’s great 
struggle. To better understand the work she has ac¬ 
complished, and the difficulties she has surmounted, 
it is needful to give a brief outline of her history. 
What this woman has done, any woman with good 
health, a clear head, and a will to do it, may do. Near¬ 
ly her whole life has been upon the farm. She had 
the advantages of good schools, as well as practical 
instruction in housekeeping. At the age of 18 she 
was married to an intelligent, industrious young man, 
of good character, who was possessed of more ability 
than means. A snug little farm was bought, through 
which, in a short time, a railway was built, greatly 
enhancing its value. About this time a sum, largely 
in advance of the purchase price, was offered and ac¬ 
cepted for the farm. This sum was invested in a 
larger farm, on the hillside, one mile distant from a 
pleasant little town. The husband and wife were 
happy in each other’s love, and in the love of two 
bright children, a son and daughter. A pleasant, 
roomy house was built, and life seemed full of promise. 
It was the father’s pride that his son, now 12 years 
of age, was such a promising student, and the best 
opportunities for an education were given him. But 
the boy, who was mature beyond his years, was 
stricken with spinal meningitis and died. One week 
from his death, both parents were stricken with the 
same disease, and for weeks their lives hung in the 
balance. The shock caused by the death of his son, 
and his own terrible illness, had somewhat obscured 
the mental vision of the father. As a man of business, 
his faculties were unimpaired, but he was morose and 
bitter over the loss of his son, and when, in the years 
following, four bright little daughters were added to 
the home circle, his bitterness and disappointment 
knew no bounds. Though possessed of abundant 
means, it was withheld from use for all but the com¬ 
mon necessaries of life. The wife has, with the aid 
of her children, secured for them the higher privileges 
of life. _ BEATRICE 
LEFT-OVERS FROM SYMPOSIUMS. 
The Untrained Girl’s Capital. 
SSUMING that this life is a training school for a 
life hereafter, it seems to be a contradiction of 
facts that a technical education is essential to the 
development of one’s talents. So much depends on 
the individual as to the value of an educational train¬ 
ing, tnat many who are termed “ smart women” have 
overcome obstacles and made a success of their chosen 
calling with nothing but their own faculty to rely 
upon. It has even been facetiously remarked that 
they should be “taxed” for their faculty. 
While it is good to feel that one is master of the 
situation at the start, much may be accomplished by 
making use of the hidden capital that is in one ; even 
though it be but Patience, Perseverince and Persist¬ 
ency, those three P’s that can do wonders. Throw off 
care and worry by a simple trust in God, and so foster 
the element of cheerfulness, which means looking on 
the bright side of things. But do not be one-sided, or 
too cowardly to look a difficulty squarely in the face 
and form a just estimate of the pros and cons. Cheer¬ 
fulness is especially useful in the care of the sick, 
whether in a hospital—where one may become trained, 
or outside, where the expense of a trained nurse can¬ 
not be afforded. There are invalids who need a com¬ 
panion more than they need skilled nursing, and quite 
a young person may keep the room tidy, arrange 
flowers, read, do mending and plain sewing and while 
away the ted’ous hours in various ways, by bringing 
some pleasant news from an occasional trip outside. 
When the sick one feels too tired to hear or talk of 
anything, by her mere presence in the room she may 
become a comfort, and if a love for the work grow 
upon one, a good home and wages are insured. I have 
known two women who supported themselves by 
nursing, whose cheerfulness was an inspiration, and 
their patients declared themselves better just at sight 
of their faces. To be sure, both had seen trouble, but 
had learned to overcome it, perhaps by taking up 
other peoples’ burdens and bearing them. There need 
be no complaint of hard times in this business. The 
sick are always in need of help, and when a nurse’s 
reputation is established, there will be no lack of a 
call for her services. s. h. h. 
Division of Labor. 
In the household where love rules, and the Golden 
Rule prevails, there can be little question as to the 
division of labor. There always will be thoughtless 
or selfish men and women. The well man who lies in 
bed while his wife makes the morning fires, is no more 
excusable than is the well woman who leaves little 
household duties unperformed awaiting the tired hus¬ 
band’s home-coming. A lady writer has recently made 
a statement to the effect that selfish women have the 
best husbands—made so by their exactions. A pity 
’tis if true: and who shall say if it be true ? 
There are thousands of affectionate wives who care 
less for the actual help given, than for the loving 
thoughtfulness behind the act. 
In our home where the heavy work of a large dairy 
and farm Demands much hired help with all its vexa¬ 
tions and uncertainties, one side of the house is often 
in a position to require help from the other—and well 
it is for both sides that the will and the ability to give 
the needed help exist. We always have at least four 
men who sleep and board at the house. Two milk 
wagons deliver milk twice each day around town. 
There is no jumping out of the wagon to deliver milk: 
at the ring of a bell, the customer comes to the wagon 
and gets what is wanted. In pleasant weather there 
is nothing to prevent a woman from doing this work 
unless it be her sensitiveness to the remarks it at first 
occasions. Many times in case of sickness or other 
emergency have I supplied the driver’s place on one 
of the wagons—and my daughter has done the same. 
Once my physician advised me to drive the wagon for 
months, telling me it would do more to restore me to 
health than “ all the doctors in Christendom could,” 
if I persisted in trying to oversee my housework. I 
drove the wagon all the lovely fall weather, and really 
enjoyed it—and regained my health besides. 
When 1 have good help in the house, I take the most 
of the care of the fowls, and choose to do it; but the 
time often comes when no girl is to be had. Then, a 
man is delegated to do my bidding, and he is given the 
work best suited to one unskilled in housework. When 
the girl and I reach the kitchen in the morning, we 
find the teakettle boiling, and a pan of potatoes 
nearly baked in the oven—one of the milkers always 
gives us that good start, leaving the drafts to the stove 
partly closed so that we need not hurry. For, where 
A crcau.-of-tartar baking powder. 
Highest of all in leavening strength.— 
Latest U. S. Oovernment Food Report. 
Royal Baking Powder Co., 
106 Wall St., N. Y. 
