1895 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
655 
we want their digestive action even 
more developed, we take them after din¬ 
ner in their natural, uncooked state as 
dessert. In the past ages, instinct has 
taught men to do this ; to-day, science 
tells them why they did it, and this 
same science tells us that fruit should be 
eaten as an aid to digestion of other 
foods much more than it is now. Culti¬ 
vated fruits such as apples, pears, cher¬ 
ries, strawberries, grapes, etc., contain 
by analysis, very similar proportions of 
the same ingredients, which are about 
eight per cent of grape sugar, three per 
cent of peptones, one per cent of malic 
and other acids, and one per cent of 
flesh-forming albuminoids, with over 
80 per cent of water. Digestion de¬ 
pends upon the action of pepsin in the 
food, which is greatly aided by the acids 
of the stomach. Fats are digested by 
these acids and the bile from the liver. 
Now, the acids and peptones in fruit 
peculiarly assist the acids of the stomach. 
Only lately even royalty has been taking 
lemon juice in tea instead of sugar, and 
lemon juice has been prescribed largely 
by physicians to help weak digestion, 
simply because these acids exist very 
abundantly in the lemon. 
ODDS AND ENDS. 
T n e Stay-at-Homk Again. — The 
woman who holds herself aloof from 
society—who never goes anywhere (and 
rather prides herself upon it) moves in a 
very narrow orbit and has the smallest 
possible influence in her neighborhood. 
It is chiefly a matter of consequence to 
herself and to her children, if she has 
any, as people at large care very little 
for individuals who are wx’apped up 
within themselves. The basis of pre¬ 
ferred stay-at-homeism is selfishness ox- 
conceit—so x etimes indolence. It seldom 
rests upon a generous or noble reason. 
It is quite soon enough to be shut in 
when one is obliged to be from circum¬ 
stances ; but while health and strength 
endure, it vastly enlax-ges the horizon 
of life to meet people in a social, sympa¬ 
thetic way, to discuss current events, to 
exchange opinions on all sorts of things, 
trivial though they may be. Social 
plans should as much enter in„o one’s 
ai-rangen*«*its as the paying of a mort¬ 
gage. One might as well be a dead dog 
under a rail as a half-alive mummy at 
home. m. w. F. 
Taking Children to Town.—A farmer 
of my acquaintance living over 100 miles 
fi-om Chicago, allowed two of his sons, 
lads of 12 and 13 yeax-s, to leave school 
and go with him to that city to attend a 
fat stock show. They were gone a week, 
and used their time to good advantage. 
Bright and active, they understood all 
they saw, and enjoyed everything in¬ 
tensely, especially the show of stock ; 
that was in their line, and they felt 
themselves to belong to the busy, bust¬ 
ling woi-ld around them. Their enthusi¬ 
asm was unbounded over the various 
grades of cattle, their weight, names 
and pedigrees ; the construction of the 
stockyards, all was like a revelation to 
them. They were more thoroughly de¬ 
voted to the farm and all its belongings 
from that time on. The father thought 
the trip worth several terms of school to 
them, as a mere matter of education. 
All the winter, and long afterwards, 
the amusing incidents of their journey 
were discussed with enjoyment to them¬ 
selves, and the rest of the family. The 
Christmas gifts they had purchased for 
the coming holidays, were gloated over 
in seci-et, and a new and interesting ex¬ 
perience had come into their lives. Often 
on winter evenings when the milking 
was done, they came into the kitchen 
with their lanterns lighted, and would 
swing them backwards and forwards, 
and sing out the names of the different 
stations they had passed through, after 
the fashion of the bx-akemen whose 
MOTHERS .—Be sure to use “Mrs. Wins¬ 
low’s Soothing Syrup ” for your childx-en 
while Teething. It is the Best.— Adv. 
voices had amused them so much. It 
was a very successful trip, for both 
pleasure and profit. aunt racuel. 
Good Government.— It is cui-ious, even 
if too humiliating to be amusing, to hear 
the people under a representative gov¬ 
ernment like ours, speak of the govern- 
ment as being “ bad, corrupt, incom¬ 
petent, etc.,” as though it were a coneex-n 
apart from themselves, whether the gov¬ 
ernment referred to is local or national. 
Any representative government under 
which we live as citizens, is simply an 
expression of ourselves, of our averaged 
goodness or badness, as the i-esult may 
be ; and as people generally get what 
they very much desire to have, their 
government could genei-ally be made at 
least to approximate to their ideals if 
they only made use of the means within 
their power to compass their ends. That 
this can be done, even against tremend- 
ous odds, was exemplified in the over¬ 
throw of Tammany in New Yox-k City. 
But to stay away from primaries, to take 
no active and px-onounced part in reform¬ 
ing abuses, or advancing improved meth¬ 
ods, and then sitting in a cushioned chair 
at home and gi-owling because affairs are 
so bad, never yet made good government. 
When the people of a neighboi-hood per¬ 
mit men to be elected—or even so much 
as nominated—for school directors, who 
hardly know B from broomstick, illiter¬ 
ate, ill-bx-ed, antediluvian beings, hardly 
fit to direct a henyard, let alone the 
public school, they might as well expect 
to have intelligent educational ovei’- 
sight out of such dix-ectorship, as to ex¬ 
pect maple sugar fx-om tomato juice. 
Schools, churches, towns, cities, merely 
represent the people—ourselves—and if 
the i-esult is bad, let us take the matter 
home and give oui-selves an ovei-hauling; 
in 99 cases out of 100, every shortcoming 
of which we complain will be found, in 
mof-e or less degree, inside our own in¬ 
dividual skins. MARY wager-fisher. 
RECIPES FOR COOKING OKRA. 
H AVING a request for methods of 
pi eparing okra or gumbo for the 
table, we give the following fx-om Mrs. 
Borer’s Cook Book : 
Boiled Okra. —Wash one quart of 
young white okra well in cold water, 
put into a poi-celain-lined or granite 
kettle (an iron kettle discolors the okx-a) 
with a half-pint of water and a teaspoon¬ 
ful of salt. Cover the kettle and simmer 
gently 30 minutes; then add one table- 
spoonful of butter, one tablespoonful of 
vinegar, and pepper, and more salt if 
necessary, boil up once and serve. 
With Tomatoes. —Wash one quart of 
okra, and cut in thin slices. Peel one 
pint of tomatoes, and cut in slices. Put 
both in a porcelain-lined or gi'anite 
kettle, add one teaspoonful of salt, cover 
the kettle, and simmer gently for a half- 
hour ; then add one tablespoonful of 
butter and pepper, and more salt if 
necessary. 
With Rice. —Wash one quart of okra 
and cut in thin slices. Cut half a pound 
of ham into dice and fry it until brown. 
Peel and cut one pint of tomatoes, put 
them into a porcelain-lined or granite 
kettle with the oki’a, one pint of stock, 
one red pepper, cut in small pieces, and 
one onion cut in slices ; cover the kettle 
and simmer gently for a half-hour. 
and soak 20 minutes, cut them in slices 
and add them to the soup. Simmer 
gently one hour ; then add six tomatoes, 
pared and cut into small pieces, and 
one-half cup of rice. Boil half an hour 
longer, season and serve. 
PEN POTPOURRI. 
O, happy is the human soul, 
Amid this world of sin, 
That never sees the dreary wreck 
Of what it might have been. 
j. w. BAIiKKK. 
... .Amos R. Wells in the Golden Rule: 
“ A fault in a father gets to be a sin in 
his child. A nick in the rule is a notch 
in the line.” 
... .Pascal : “ There is light enough for 
those whose sincere wish is to see; 
and darkness enough to confound those 
of an opposite disposition.” 
.... Branded Matthews in Harper’s 
Weekly : “ There is no place in the 
world wliere those who go out to shear 
are as likely to come home shorn as the 
Stock Exchange, and nowhere is the 
wind less tempered to a shorn lamb.” 
... .General Lew Wallace : “There is 
absolutely nothing immodest about 
bloomers. It is mei-ely their present 
oddity of appearance that excites com¬ 
ment. Why, in the Tyrol all the women 
wear skirts coming just to the knee, and 
no one, not even an entii’e stranger, looks 
askance.” 
In writing to advertisers, please always mention 
The Rubai. New-Yobker. 
Sick 
Or Bilious 
Headache 
Cured by Taking 
m 
Cathartic Pills 
Awarded 
Medal and Diploma 
At World’s Fair. 
Ask your Druggist for Ayer’s Sarsaparilla. 
And STEREOPTICONS, all uluuirai,. 
every subject I r PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS, etc 
Qjp'/i profitable btutintes jor a man, with a email capital. A! - , 
Lanterns tor Home Amusement. *2»J5 page Catalogue. Jk<. 
MCALLISTER, Mfg. 0[,ticiau, 49 Nassau St., N. Y. 
It Pays 
to use Vacuum Leather Oil on harness 
and shoes. Get a can at a harness- or 
shoe-store, 25 c a half-pint to $ 1.25 a 
gallon ; book “ How to Take Care of 
Leather,” and swob, both free; use 
enough to lind out; if you don’t like it, 
take the can back and get the whole of 
your money. 
Sold only in cans, to make sure of fair dealing 
everywhere—handy cans. Best oil for farm ma¬ 
chinery also. If you can’t find it, write to 
VACUUM OIL COMPANY, Rochester, N. Y. 
LS €★★★★★★ 
^CHAUTAUQUA* 
C (Liter ISi d fic) Reading Circle c 
THE AMERICAN YEAR j 
A systematic course in American politics, 
C industry, and literature, illustrating the ^ 
Development of National Life. 
£ Why not supplement your desultory read- £ 
ing by a well-defined course for the coming 
★ winter? Chautauqua offers a practical, A 
comprehensive plan. ^ 
★ JOHN H. VINCENT. Dept. 17 . BUFFALO. N. Y. ★ 
L S C+rikicikifi 
IF YOU WANT TO 
buy a Buggy, Surrey, 
Road or SpringWagon. 
send to us for Catalogue and Price List. We have all 
styles. Our vehicles are first-class, and prices BIGHT. 
Kalamazoo Buckboard Co., Kalamazoo, Mich. 
iMPLETE 
ATALOGUE 
I OF GUNS AND 
SPORTING GOODS 
NOW READY. 
UNUSUALLY LOW PRICES. 
SEND 2-CENT STAMP FOR COPY. 
E. C. MEACHAM ARMS CO., st. jlouis, 
RA ,L LANDS 
ROAD 
The Illinois Central Railroad Company offers for sale 
on easy terms and at low prices, 150,000 acres of choice 
fruit, gardening, farm and grazing lands located in 
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. They are also largely 
interested in, and call especial attention to the 000,000 
acres of land in the famous 
Yazoo Valley of Mississippi, 
lying along and owned by the Yazoo and Mississipp 
Valley Railroad Company, and which that Company 
offers at low prices and on long terms. Special induce 
ments and facilities offered to go to and examine 
these lands both In Southern Illinois and in the 
•‘Yazoo Valley,” Miss. For further description, 
map and any information, address or call upon 
K. I*. SKENE, Land Commissioner, No. 1 Pars Row. 
Chicago, Hi.; or. G. W. MCGINNIS, Assistant Land 
Commissioner, Memphis, Tenn. 
■■A DIRTY SHIRT « 
j m « a tor H ■ %. 1 H all SV I is a good test for u washing - //. i 
Si machine. TcrrlfPn Perfect Wa„liliig Mu.-lilne makes it spotless. Washes ^ \NzZfry7l > 
} quickly, easily and without injury, everything from the tlimlest lace to the bulkiest 1 
3 bed covers. Machines sent on trial at wholesale price. Mold .wider it positive guuruntce. II 1 
" ISig Money for Agents. For terms, exclusive territory and prices write 'V 1 T > 
“■ PORTLAND MPC, CO., Box 14. Portland, Mich. ^ > 
' **************** * 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER IMP’D SEWING MACHINE. 
It is seldom that we find an article that we can so heartily indorse as we can 
this sewing machine. There are two of them in homes connected with The Rural 
New-Yorker, and we know that no better machine is made at any price. No 
While this cooks, wash and boil one cup 
of rice. When the okra is done, add the 
salt, pepper and one tablespoonful of 
dry sassafras leaves (called fil 6 e), let it 
boil up once, and serve with the rice 
around the dish. 
Gumbo Soup. —Cut up a chicken as for 
fricassee ; cut three-quarters of a pound 
of ham into squares and one onion into 
slices. Roll the chicken in flour and 
brown it in one tablespoonful of butter. 
Then put into a soup kettle with the 
ham, onion, a bay leaf and water. Place 
it on a moderate tire, and bring it slowly 
to a boil, skimming carefully. Simmer 
gently 45 minutes. In the meantime 
cover 1 % pint of okras with cold water 
reader of The R. N.-Y. should pay $45 or 
$50 for a machine. This machine is war¬ 
ranted and guaranteed in every way. We 
shall send it on 20 days’ trial, and if not 
satisfactory in every way, we shall take it 
hack and return the money. It has all the 
attachments, and is warranted for 10 years. 
High arm, oak or walnut woodwoi-k, and 
five drawers. As it is a staple machine, 
new parts may he secured at any time if 
needed. A complete set of attachments and 
instruction book accompany each machine 
Price delivex’ed, east of Rocky Mountains, 
$19.50, or with one year’s subsei-iption, $20 ; 
or we will send it, freight paid, and a club 
of 10 new yearly subscriptions for $25. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, New York. 
