'Uhe  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
627 
tables  which  are  used  for  this  purpose, 
and  gives  just  the  information  necessary 
to  produce  the  best  goods.  Every  woman 
who  things  of  trying  this  work  should 
have  this  lesson. 
It  does  my  heart  good  to  read  the  way 
you  go  after  the  fakers  and  swindlers, 
and  especially  these  hard-hearted  wretch¬ 
es  who  try  their  games  on  the  gentler 
sex.  j.  k. 
The  fact  is  that  some  of  the  members 
of  this  “gentler  sex”  are  more  than  a 
match  for  these  swiudlei‘8.  As  a  matter 
of  fact  the  women  of  the  farm  are  less 
likely  to  be  taken  in  or  defrauded  than 
the  men.  We  have  studied  this  for  many 
years,  and  iu  the  great  majority  of  cases 
the  gold  brick  is  sold  to  the  men  folks, 
and  the  bogus  contract  is  signed  by  father 
rather  than  mother. 
* 
The  Domestic  Relations  Court  in  New 
York  City  has  some  remarkable  cases 
brought  before  it.  Recently  there  was  a 
desertion  case  in  which  the  man  claimed 
that  his  wife  became  so  excited  over  votes 
for  women  that  she  neglected  him. 
“One  day  a  hoy  deaf  mute  from  the 
State  Deaf  and  Dumb  Military  School 
of  West  Virginia  came  to  my  home  to 
have  me  explain  the  Springfield  rifle  to 
him.  While  I  was  showing  the  boy  the 
diagrams  my  wife  ‘hutted  in'  and  wrote 
on  a  piece  of  paper,  ‘Are  you  for  suf¬ 
ance  and  will  not  reform  even  when  wood 
dried  for  three  or  four  years  is  used. 
One  woman  who  has  struggled  with  such 
a  chimney  says : 
I  cau  feelingly  say  there  have  been 
many  times  when  my  ideas  must  have 
been  along  the  same  lines  with  “R arson 
Gilbert”  when  the  “silage  cutter  bust.” 
When  the  farm  woman  gets  into  that 
mental  condition  it  is  high  time  to  have 
a  new  chimney. 
sf! 
The  Community  Physician 
The  following  letter  is  typical  of  sev¬ 
eral  recently  received.  It  is  evidence  of 
the  thought  which  country  people  are  giv¬ 
ing  to  community  or  co-operative  work. 
In  practically  all  lines  where  farmers  are 
forced  to  pay  for  service  or  for  materials 
prices  are  rising.  You  can  hardly  think 
of  any  needed  article  or  professional  ser¬ 
vice  which  either  does  not  cost  more  than 
formerly  or  would  cost  more  if  those  who 
control  it  could  think  of  any  way  for  in¬ 
creasing  the  price.  The  farmer  or  the 
workingman  is  expected  to  stand  for  all 
this  and  more  though  what  he  has  to  sell 
must  lie  increased  so  that  it  will  sell  for 
less  money. 
Wc  are  not  familiar  with  this  work  of 
developing  the  community  doctor  plan, 
though  we  have  had  some  discussion  of  ir. 
No  doubt  some  of  our  readers  live  in 
liuinmiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiniinimriiimfnininiiiuiirniimiimiriininumniniriirnriiintniniMmitiiiiiittiuiitutm.iiimitiiiimiiiMttiutiiuiiMmtiiiiiiiiitimiiimimi 
IUIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIilimilllllllllllHIMIIIIIIIIillilllMIHItltllllllllMIIIIIIUIIIIItlllllllllllllllllltlllimtl11lllllllHllllltimilMlli:itlltlllllllllllllltlllllll|IMIlllllllHIIIIHi 
Two  Questions  for  Discussion 
HERE  are  two  questions  asked  in 
good  faith  by  women  fl  They  are  of  a 
character  which  require  personal  and 
pra<5tical  experience  in  order  to  obtain  a  helpful 
answer  If  you  have  such  experience  let  us 
have  it.  Make  it  short  and  pointed  and  give 
us  fadts  for  the  May  Woman  and  Home  number 
THE  BEST  DOG  FOR  CHILDREN 
In  reading  The  It.  X'.-Y.  I  saw  a  dog,  the  Airedale,  advised  as  best  for  farmers. 
I  am  a  widow  with  three  small  children,  seven,  live  and  three  years  old,  nil  brim¬ 
ful  of  life  ami  fun.  X'ear  where  we  live  in  a  small  town  is  a  large  pond,  very 
tempting  to  them  :  both  hoys  have  been  nearly  drowned,  and  I  feel  so  anxious 
about  them.  We  read  so  much  of  dogs  helping  protect  children  I  feel  I  want 
one  for  my  boys.  Papa  says  if  they  play  with  a  dog  he  will  lie  no  good,  but  if 
they  do  not  play  with  him  he  will  not  be  near  when  needed.  I  do  not  want  one 
unless  I  can  have  a  trusty  one.  All  of  the  children  are  so  eager  for  a  dog,  have 
wanted  one  so  long,  but  I  felt  I  could  not  afford  to  keep  one.  Can  yon  let  me 
know  where  I  could  get  the  kind  of  dog  and  some  idea  of  the  price'.' 
New  Jersey  E.  J.  L. 
WANTED— A  FROST-PROOF  BATHROOM 
1  have  a  porch  facing  south  and  open  at  the  cast  end.  I  wish  to  inclose  Ibis 
east  end  for  a  bathroom  which  will  open  from  the  kitchen.  Can  I  make  it  frost¬ 
proof?  If  I  can,  please  tell  me  how. 
Illinois  II .  R.  M.  - 
llin  it  i  n  i  •  1 1 ;  1 1 1 1 1  it  1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1  j  1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1  ii  i  ■  1 1  s  i  it  i  ■  1 1 1  iu  ini  1 1 1  ■  n  m  it  I  it  m  1 1 1  it  1 1 1 1 1 1 1  ti  n  it  1 1 1 1 1  ii  1 1  n  1 1  ii  n  1 1  n  ( 1 1  it  1 1  n  lit  1 1 1  ittit  it  n  i  u  1 1 1  ii  ti  i  ti  1 1  in  i  tu  mi  in  ii  t  it  1 1 1  •  1 1 1  ii  1 1 1 1 1 1  •  1 1 1  i«i  it 
11 1 1 i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 1 1 1 1 1 • 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 M 1 1 M 1 1 1 M 1 1 II 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 r  I M 1 1 1 1  ■  1 1  • 1 1 1  tl ! t II 1 1 1 1 M I  [■  1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 M I II 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 M I  ■  1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 M 1 1  ■  l  r  1 1 1 1  ■  1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 M II 1 1 1 1 1 1 
WOMAN  AND  HOME 
Faith 
The  ruts  are  deep  iu  road  and  lane, 
The  fields  are  soggy  with  the  rain. 
The  skies  are  low  and  grim  and  gray, 
The  cattle  in  the  barnyard  stay. 
And  all  seems  desolate  and  drear, 
It  is  the  weeping  time  of  year. 
As  yet  no  flower  has  come  to  bloom. 
No  touch  of  beauty  lights  the  gloom : 
Cold  pools  of  stagnant  water  lie 
Where  blossoms  soon  shall  greet  the  eye. 
And  where  the  corn  shall  raise  its  spire 
Is  now  a  stretching  sea  of  mire. 
flow  dull  and  dead  the  world  appears. 
How  hopeless  seems  the  work  of  years! 
How  vain  to  think  that,  time  and  care 
Can  order  bring  from  sueh  despair! 
lias  man  the  courage  and  the  pluck 
To  dream  of  mastering  such  muck? 
Has  man  such  faith  that  he  can  see 
Beyond  this  filth  the  fruits  to  be? 
Cold  ruin  lies  on  field  and  hill 
And  is  his  soul  undaunted  still? 
It  must  be  so,  for  even  now 
The  farmer's  getting  out  his  plow. 
Who  looks  upon  the  world  today 
Must  shudder  at  its  disarray. 
It  seemed  to  me  that  it  were  vain 
To  think  that  ever  golden  grain 
Should  wave  and  toss  in  beauty  there 
Where  all  is  bleakness  and  despair: 
And  that  some  charm  should  flbme  to 
grace 
The  meanest  and  the  vilest  place. 
And  vet.  I  saw  the  farmer  smile. 
And  knew  that  in  a  little  while 
Those  fields  chaotic  he'd  attack 
And  unto  beauty  win  them  back. 
lie  did  not  seem  to  think  it  vain 
To  hope  for  fields  of  golden  grain. 
Beyond  the  cheerless,  black  morass 
lie  seemed  to  see  the  growing  grass. 
And  in  his  fields  now  left  forlorn 
He  could  behold  the  tasseled  corn. 
Beyond  the  mire  and  dismal  chill 
He  knows  that  there  is  beauty  still. 
And  so  he’s  waiting  for  the  day 
When  such  despair  shall  pass  away. 
And  yet.  when  in  life's  mire  we  grope. 
We  lose  our  faith  and  give  up  hope. 
— Author  Unknown. 
* 
We  keep  right,  on  talking  about  can¬ 
ning  meat,  for  this  is  one  of  the  great 
new  questions  connected  with  household 
work.  Canned  fresh  meat  is  far  better 
for  the  family  than  so  much  salted  and 
smoked  meat.  It  leads  to  nioi’e  canning 
of  fruit  and  vegetables.  It  is  possible  to 
develop  a  trade  in  home-canned  meat,  and 
those  who  take  Summer  boarders  will  find 
it  an  indispensable  help. 
* 
When  a  woman  starts  in  to  take 
boarders  she  must  remember  that  people 
come  to  her  for  good  food  rather  than  for 
scenery.  City  people  like  to  look  at  bills 
and  woods  and  streams,  but  these  will  not 
prove  the  greatest  attractions.  They  want 
their  money’s  worth  in  food  and  Comfort, 
and  these  are  the  things  to  prepare  for. 
They  do  not  seek  your  society  particu¬ 
larly,  and  they  will  not  he  particularly 
interested  in  private  history.  Give  them 
good  food  and  good  beds  and  let  them 
alone.  That  is  good  advice  to  a  hoarding- 
house  keeper. 
❖ 
Tiif,  thing  which  most  farm  women 
need  more  than  anything  else  is  a  little 
money  of  their  own — to  spend  just  as 
they  like.  If  they  can  earn  this  money 
themselves — so  much  the  better,  but  they 
should  spend  it  as  they  like  without  in¬ 
terference.  Give  the  women  and  girls 
that  privilege  and  they  will  soon  take 
care  of  the  higher  ideals  which  lecturers 
and  advisers  are  so  anxious  about.  It  is 
a  st  range  thing  that  more  of  the  uplifters 
cannot  see  that  the  money  income  is 
what  the  farm  woman  needs  most  of  all. 
Her  money  would  he  widely  spent.  Find¬ 
ing  a  way  for  her  to  earn  it  is  the  great¬ 
est  problem  in  keeping  the  girl  on  the 
farm. 
•1; 
Much  lias  been  said  about  the  possi¬ 
bility  of  home  canning,  with  both  vege¬ 
tables  and  fruit.  Farm  women  are  ad¬ 
vised  to  put  up  their  own  supply  of  such 
goods,  and  even  prepare  a  surplus  for 
sale.  It  sounds  easy  the  way  they  tell 
about  it.  but  perhaps  they  have  not  told 
the  whole  story.  The  N.  Y.  College  of  Ag¬ 
riculture  states  that  in  order  to  make  this 
canning  a  success  the  best  vegetables  are 
necessary.  They  must  he  tender  and 
crisp,  and  just  the  right  size  if  these 
home  canned  goods  are  to  be  of  the  best 
grade.  Thus  the  College  has  issued  a 
circular  in  its  reading  course,  entitled 
“Raising  Vegetables  for  Canning.”  This 
tells  how  to  grow  the  more  common  vege¬ 
frage ?'  The  mute  wrote  back.  ‘No.’ 
“She  then  wrote.  Why  not?’  and  when 
the  boy  made  a  motion  of  washing  over 
a  scrub  board,  as  though  to  say  that  a 
woman  should  be  in  the  home,  she  grew 
furious  and  the  end  of  the  whole  matter 
was  our  retreating  from  the  house.  It 
was  very  embarrassing,  and  I  stopped 
having  friends  come  to  my  home,  even  on 
business.” 
We  have  no  comment  to  make  on  votes 
for  women  as  a  borne  destroyer,  but  have 
you  ever  seen  the  average  person  try  to 
convey  their  meaning  to  the  deaf  by  pan¬ 
tomime?  One  deaf  man  we  knew  who 
has  endured  much  of  this  in  public  places 
says  that  the  ability  to  deliver  this  sigu 
language  is  the  highest  test  of  human  in¬ 
telligence  ! 
* 
The  question  on  this  page  about  the 
most  suitable  dog  for  children  ought  to 
bring  out  some  interesting  comments. 
Here  is  one — outside  of  the  dog : 
My  advice  is  that  the  children  are 
taught  to  swim.  Soma  childreu  have  an 
instinctive  horror  of  water  which  makes 
them  suffer  acute  nervous  shock  if  taken 
in  bathing,  but  the  average  child  of  ten¬ 
der  years  learns  to  swim  almost  like  a 
puppy. 
* 
Where,  oh  where,  are  the  chimney  ex¬ 
perts  who  can  tell  how  to  cure  the  drip¬ 
ping  chimneys?  In  many  households 
these  chimneys  become  a  regular  nuis¬ 
places  where  the  plan  has  been  studied  or 
worked  out.  If  so  we  would  like  to  hear 
from  them  for  the  benefit  of  hundreds  like 
the  woman  who  writes  the  following 
letter : 
Dur  Grange  (Patrons  of  Husbandry)  is 
trying  to  do  its  part  to  help  the  farmers 
in  every  possible  manner,  and  is  now  con¬ 
sidering  the  possibility  and  advisability  of 
employing  a  community  physician.  The 
local  medical  practitioners  have  advanced 
their  prices  since  .Ian.  1.  1916,  so  it  is 
almost  impossible  for  poor  people,  espe¬ 
cially  to  call  on  them  with  a  surety  of  a 
cash  payment  for  services  rendered.'  Now, 
can  you  give  me  any  data  regarding  the 
community’s  success  in  employing  one 
physician  at  a  stated  remuneration  to 
care  for  a  given  number  of  families?  Or 
have  you  any  theories  regarding  the  prac¬ 
ticability  of  the  plan?  Or  cau  you  give 
me  addresses  of  physicians,  schools  or 
colleges  to  give  me  information  on  this 
subject?  MRS.  c.  J.  F. 
* 
An  Old-fashioned  Peck  Measure 
I  would  like  to  tell  you  of  an  exper¬ 
ience  I  recently  had.  We  are  not  far 
from  Washington-,  D.  C. ;  as  the  road  is 
very  good  sometimes  hucksters  come  out 
from  the  city.  On  this  occasion  a  man 
came  to  the  door;  he  wanted  to  sell  me 
his  last  half  bushel  of  apples  for  (50  cents. 
When  I  said  no,  he  said  50  cents.  I  told 
him  no.  I  would  take  a  peck  for  ”0  cents. 
I  really  thought  ho  was  a  nearby  farmer. 
I  got  my  basket  for  the  apples  and  an¬ 
other  man  brought  them  to  the  door  in  a 
high  peach  basket.  When  I  saw  them  I 
said:  "That,  isn’t  a  peck.”  He  said.  “Yes 
it  is.”  I  happened  to  have  a  peck  meas¬ 
ure  at  hand  and  said.  “Well  then,  just 
put-  them  in  here,”  and  he  in  return  said 
“That  isn't  a  peck  measure.”  I  said  it 
was.  As  he  was  emptying  his  basket,  he 
said,  "Well,  that  is  an  old  style  peck 
measure.”  My  peck  measure  was  just 
three-quarters  full  with  his  peck  of  ap¬ 
ples.  ITe  didn’t  say  a  word.  I  told  him 
to  take  his  apples  and  I  would  keep  my 
money,  I  discovered  there  were  three 
men  on  the  wagon  and  while  living  in  the 
city  I  would  never  buy  from  such  follows, 
they  aim  to  cheat  you  every  time.  They 
never  expect  to  get  around  your  way 
again,  so  you  are  always  the  loser.  I 
never  did  such  a  thing  before  but  was 
very  glad  I  had  that  measure  handy.  It 
may  be  old  style :  it  is  of  wood,  one  side 
measures  a  peck  the  other  a  half  peek. 
I  hate  to  know  that  I  am  cheated;  if  the 
price  doesn’t  suit  me.  I  do  not  buy,  but 
when  I  buy  I  want  all  I  pay  for. 
Maryland.  mrs.  u.  j.  iiamm. 
R.  N.-Y. — Peck  measures  as  well  as 
habits  become  “old  fashioned”  in  these 
modern  days  whenever  a  square  deal  and 
full  measure  ure  demanded.  It  is  a  good 
thing  to  have  scales  and  measures  on 
hand  to  check  off  a  few  such  sales. 
* 
Women  and  the  Grange 
T  think  the  woman  in  the  extreme 
country  is  indebted  to  the  farm  papers, 
also  to  the  Department  of  Agriculture 
and  the  Grange,  for  it  is  through  those 
agencies  that  the  average  woman  on  the 
farm  first  found  herself,  and  learned 
that  in  the  scheme  of  things  she  is  an 
important  factor.  The  real  old-fashioned 
idea  was  that  woman  iu  the  country, 
with  a  family,  should  be  perfectly  happy 
in  rearing  her  children  and  feeding  her 
husband  and  keeping  his  house  spotlessly 
dean,  and  she  was  reminded  if  she  ever 
felt  inclined  to  rebel  that  her  work  was 
not  as  hard  “as  mother’s.”  for  she  spun 
and  knit  the  family  hose,  to  say  nothing 
of  making  soft  soap,  candles  and  rag 
carpets,  and  each  woman  was  noted  far 
and  wide  according  as  she  kept  her  house 
and  liuen  shining. 
Why  to  this  day  I  remember  ‘  how 
guilty  I  used  to  feel  when  I  dared  to 
bring  in  the  sheets  and  night  clothes  for 
a  family  of  10  and  also  the  coarse  every¬ 
day  towels,  and  fold  them  and  use  them 
without  ironing.  But  when  I  attended 
a  farmers’  institute  about  25  years  ago 
I  heard  a  lecture  on  home  economics 
from  a  very  bright,  talented  woman,  who 
in  the  course  of  her  address  made  men¬ 
tion  how  busy  mothers  and  housewives 
should  conserve  their  time  and  energy 
and  not  do  unnecessary  work,  such  as 
ironing  garments  which-  were  just  as 
well  not  ironed.  If  some  oue  had  handed 
me  a  diamond  I  would  not  be  any  more 
delighted  than  I  was  at  this  practical 
advice,  for  it  was  proof  that  my  method 
was  economy  and  not  slothfulness  and 
laziness.  And  any  woman  who  has  done 
her  own  work  and  reared  a  family  knows 
that  the  ideal  is  far  above  the  reach  of 
the  average  housekeeper.  The  mistress 
of  a  household  holds  the  most  responsi¬ 
ble  position  that  anyone  can  hold.  On 
her  hangs  the  destiny  of  the  family,  for 
cheerfulness  or  discontent.  One  can 
easily  drive  members  of  the  family  out 
of  the  house  if  one  is  continually  nag¬ 
ging.  “Don't  bring  in  dirt.”  “Take  off 
your  shoes."  etc.,  and  I  think  that  .Tames 
Whitcomb  Riley’s  humorous  verses  on 
Mylo  .Tones,  who  says  his  wife’s  neatness 
drove  him  to  the  burn,  where  he  found 
old  Kate,  the  balky  mare,  a  better  com¬ 
panion  than  liis  disagreeably  neat.  wife, 
contain  much  truth.  There  is  where  the 
Grange  helps  the  rural  woman  to  strike 
a  happy  medium  hy  getting  out  and 
mingling  with  others  engaged  in  the 
same  occupation,  and  comparing  notes  on 
doing  work.  There  is  sure  to  lie  a 
helpful  tendency  both  physically  and 
mentally.  Then  the  co-operation  of  buy¬ 
ing  and  selling  will  surely  add  dollars 
to  the  income  and  truly,  that  is  just 
what  is  needed  to  lessen  the  burden  and 
make  the  home  more  attractive  in  every 
way.  Some  one  has  said  Rockefeller  has 
accumulated  more  iu  50  years  than  old 
Father  Adam  could  possibly  do  it'  he 
were  still  living  during  the  more  than 
0.000  years  since  he  was  placed  in  the 
Garden  of  Eden,  still  tilling  the  soil. 
MRS.  FLOYD  GATES. 
