'Iht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1321 
quite enough, so we took some paraffin, 
too. We heated it all together and dipped 
our tilings in. How handsome thoy were 
-—till glossy! Il was most becoming to 
the dishes. They held water and looked 
very much more dish like. 
I dou’t think he <1 id it on purpose, hut 
I was glad to see the result of the ex¬ 
periment, He left oue of his horses on 
the porch all night. and again it rained— 
even harder than before. In the morning 
I found the horse, and it was none the 
worse, so far as 1 could see. The chil¬ 
dren said they had been taking their 
paper mush cows to the stream to drink, 
and the COWS seemed to like it. 
Margaret is a real inventor. She 
molded a whole doll out of paper mush. 
We suggested that she paint a face on 
the doll itself, hut she painted it on ft 
sheet of paper, cut it our and pasted it 
mi. She dipped ihe doll in the wax, dried 
it and dipped it again. She kept on dip¬ 
ping it until she had a white wax doll. 
Then she made darning cotton hair and 
dressed it. The only sad thing was that 
real wax teardrops rolled down the doll’s 
face once when she left it in flic sun. 
The doll could swim, though, which is 
more than most dolls can do. 
It ELKN 1!ANI). 
Concerning Christmas Presents 
When Christmas comes we find it 
pleasant to hn\;e a little supply of gifts 
ready. Some must he made within the 
last few days, hut others lose none of 
their charm and value by having been 
planned and finished weeks before they 
are needeo. 
Ir is desirable to duplicate presents if 
one’s friends are scattered. An apron 
sent to Massachusetts will not be any 
less appreciated because its facsimile is 
sent to California. This duplicating saves 
much i bought and also rime, for one 
gains speed by repetition; also sometimes 
goods can he cut to better advantage. So 
when the recipients are not near neigh¬ 
bors it is possible and profitable to re¬ 
duce the variety of one’s gifts very con¬ 
siderably. 
This year the writer plans that her 
standbys shall he aprons, collars, candy, 
marmalade and note paper. These can 
all lie used when the pocket book is slim, 
or the quality may be improved when 
means allow. 
The following apron patterns may be 
uew r to some of The It. N.-Y, readers 
Cress wse fold, IS inches 
Aprons made from them have been much 
admired, and they have the merit of sim¬ 
plicity both in making and laundering. 
\o. 1 is made front one yard of goods, 
fit! in. wide. Have one point tinder the 
chin, shaped slightly. Tape long enough 
to sli, over the head is attached. At 
the opposite point (near tin 1 bottom of 
the skirt l the goods are rounded, as 
shown bj dotted line in diagram. The pit ec 
cut off and shaped a little is used for a 
patch pocket. The apron i- bound with 
bins binding. There is a great variety 
of beautiful cohos in this binding in six- 
yard pieces, sold at notion counters. 
No. 2.—Here is Hum her apron which 
may take the place of a house dress in 
hot weather. It requires three yards 
of MU in. wide goods for a woman of 
medium height. < ’liambray, unbleached 
muslin or any preferred goods, MU in. 
wide, may he used. Apron and pocket 
are hound with V> in. wide bias binding, 
either white or colored. 
Cut off two crosswise pieces, each 4 
iu, wide, for strings. Then fold remain¬ 
ing goods crosswise and then lengthwise. 
Cut out piece about 2^xM^j in. on 
length wise fold, just enough to slip head 
through. Hollow out utitlet- arm, round 
corners at bottom very slightly. The 
pieces from und«r arms make patch 
pockets. Hind entirely around with bias 
binding. Attach tape at lower edge of 
curve on the half which will he at the 
back so as to bring IhOije two s.rings 
around to tie at front underneath the 
front half of apron. Attach Ihe strings 
of the goods’ to the two corresponding 
points of Ihe front half and tie these at 
the hack so that front half will wrap 
over back half of apron. Gray chambruy 
hound with white bias binding is service¬ 
able and attractive. Unbleached muslin 
hound with colored bias binding may 
have t rimming on pockets, etc., of small 
conventionalized (lowers and leaves of 
colored goods overcast on. 
For collars any sheer white goods, as 
organdie, net, etc., may be used with 
edging of tatting in white or pink and 
white or blue and white. The collar may 
have si might edges, or it may be slightly 
shaped at neck, Hound collars are liked 
by many people, and are very becoming 
to almost everyone. The heat way to get 
a good fit for these is to lay a paper oil 
the waist, fitting it to the neck, then 
having cut it to fit the waist exactly shape 
the desired depth at hack, tapering to 
point in front. A near little tatted edg¬ 
ing is made in Ut> crochet cotton, the 
rings white, the loops pink or blue, or 
the reverse. With this trimming a beta 
% in. wide is dainty. With a wider hem 
a touch of embroidery ratty he used or 
feather stitch around the hem, French 
knots in little clusters are effective, also 
tiny (lowers or other designs, such as 
blanket stitch. 
One yard of organdie will make about 
*ix collars, and the cost is trifling, while 
the price in rite stores is high. No one 
ever seems to have too many pretty col¬ 
lars. Another advantage is that they 
can he mailed easily. 
If is wonderful how many people are 
attracted by homemade candy. Consider¬ 
ing how easily it is made, one would 
expect every home in the land to abouud 
with it. It may not he amiss to repeat 
that the simplest way to make fondaut 
is to combine XXXX sugar with mashed 
potato. It is hardly necessary to say the 
potato should be mashed as finely a- pos¬ 
sible. all the better if it is put through 
rhe river, in order to avoid the least 
little hard lumps. Add butter and a lit¬ 
tle milk as for ordinary mashed potatoes. 
Pur a spoonful on a saucer and add and 
mix in the sugar till the tnixure is just 
stif!' enough to mold with the hands. Hip¬ 
ping the fingers into the sugar may help 
the tuohler to handle the fondant more 
easily. I.et the molded fondant hardeD 
a short time before dipping in melted 
bitter chocolate. As to flavorings for 
fondant, there is almost endless variety. 
Oil of peppermint is a standard. Only a 
few drops are needed, and its flavor is 
much superior to some other peppermint 
preparations. With extract of lemon, a 
tiny drop of orange coloring, with straw¬ 
berry extract, a particle of red coloring 
may be Used, care being taken to use 
little enough of each. Strawberry ex¬ 
tract has. curiously, no suggestion of 
strawberry flavor if too much is used. 
Finely chopped coeoanut added to the 
fondant is nice, also chopped raisins, A 
little ball of chopped orange marmalade 
enclosed in fondant and then coated with 
chocolate is delicious. Crystallized pine¬ 
apple cut In small pieces may he coated 
without fondant. Nuts, chopped or w hole, 
with or without fondant, are appreciated; 
half walnuts make an attractive decora¬ 
tion on top. Molding the fondant into 
different shapes, such as fiat rounds, 
cones and bars, adds to the effect. 
After trying many recipes for fudge, 
this one has been selected as the quickest 
and simplest, and equal to any in flavor 
and texture: One-fourth cup milk. lVa 
tablespoons butter, l l * cups granulated 
sugar, eight teaspoons cocoa, pinch salt, 
one-half teaspoon vanilla extract. Melt 
blitter in milk, add sugar, chocolate, salt, 
stir and boil a few minutes until a little 
will form a soft ball in cold water. Watch 
carefully, for if overboiled it will be too 
brittle and not smooth. When cooked add 
vanilla, beat until it begins to thicken, 
pour at once into well-greased pan, let 
cool a little, mark in squares. 
Daiutv boxes can he bought at candy 
stores, and with waxed papers between 
the layers of candy and pretty paper and 
seals for wrapping, an attractive little 
gift may he produced. Few things cause 
more enthusiasm throughout the family, 
from grandfather to b’ddies, than a box 
of homemade candy. 
The orange marmalade recipe published 
in The H. X.-Y. is one of the many val¬ 
uable helps the paper has given to us. 
Again one is surprised more households 
do not make ir, For it is very popular and 
quite expensive to buy. When strict 
economy i* the rule, an excellent substi¬ 
tute is found in the New Knglaud recipe 
for carrot marmalade. Grind carrots 
enough through meat chopper to equal 
two quarts pulp. Add eight (or less! 
lemons, squeezed, and all except the seeds 
put through a grinder. Add to carrot a 
and lemons six cups water Moil 20 
minutes. Measure and add an equal 
quantity of sugar, or rather less. Took 
to desired consistency, about three quar¬ 
ters of an hour. Cover when cold. 
I.et all our packages have the Christ¬ 
mas touch, and would that the spirit of 
Christmas might last right through the 
coming year! a, e. f. 
Tennessee Notes 
October 5. It seems almost impossible. 
Where has the time gone since last Octo¬ 
ber, when 1 was grieving over forty-levcn 
empty jars, crocks, etc., all their sisters 
and cousins? Praise he to the Giver of 
all good gifts, they are filled at last, ns 
well as - a few new ones, and yet apples 
(not our own) have rotted on the ground 
by the bushel, lint no commercial orchards. 
Unsprayed fruit is not worth hauling to 
market, yet. some few sold some of their 
choice apples at a distant town for COe 
per bushel, hut two days for a man, 
wagon and team would about strike even. 
Sun-dried fruit has sold for Sc per lb. 
Walnuts are beginning to fall, and 
already the sound of the hammers may 
he heard. No one knows yet what the 
price will be per pound, but. little bare 
feet in many homes are waiting for wal¬ 
nut meats to he picked out to protect 
them from frost and snow, and some, alas, 
may go hare all Winter. 
S'on ask of our school. It is too grand 
for words, and we have the nicest little 
teacher! Our funds held out until the 
house was painted snow white, window 
sash black, and vou should see how very 
particular the children are of their new 
sehoolhoiise. True, we have only lfi seats 
borrowed until some are. released else¬ 
where. and a borrowed dinner bell to call 
them to hooks; but tin* county has prom¬ 
ised both seats and hell. One will just 
have to keep reminding them of the de¬ 
fect. We have yet to dig u cistern, buy 
a pump, and there are many, many things 
we need. Our teacher boards with one 
of the patrons for $18 per month, and 
draws a salary of $1*5 per month. She 
likes the neighborhood so well that she 
and her husband are trying to purchase a 
home near by. 
While we have ouly 26 students en¬ 
rolled. they go from the first to the ninth 
grade, and one teacher has her bauds 
full with so many classes. 
We are well pleased with our Sunday 
school, first started in a little house, 
moved to a grove aud now sheltered under 
the tin roof of the Alleghany scboolhouse. 
Some were not particularly pleased with 
tlie name our superintendent gave, hut for 
years the location has been known as the 
Alleghany Hill. 
A pleasant interruption. “Do you 
want to go to town?” Such good neigh¬ 
bors! "Don’t ask me if you don’t want 
me.’’ for I was so wishing for a chance 
to procure some dyes and burlap sacks 
for hooked rugs, and, mure than all. to 
slip into the teachers' meeting, where our 
own teacher was to -dug a solo. 
Part of the exercises were over, but 
we heard two good speeches, and the cry¬ 
ing need was more funds for school sup¬ 
plies. desks, etc. Wc had thought we 
would get our needs supplied, hut it 
sounded very discouraging. The presi- 
d* nt. of the school board gave »s an inter¬ 
esting discourse, hut when he spoke of 
the difference in the city and rural schools 
one could not help but feel a little blue. 
When we think of one teacher trying to 
instruct pupils in eight different grades, 
with only six and one-half hours at her 
disposal, wc no longer wonder why they 
arc not drilled iu phonetic sounds, why 
it takes so long for them to be promoted, 
and why wc have to spend hours leading 
them into the light of carrying and bor¬ 
rowing; but with it all. we are grateful 
for what we have. At the same time we 
realize that we. the people, are alone 
responsible, iu the officials that wc elect 
to represent us. and by *ittiug around 
glum-mouthed and allowing the more ener¬ 
getic to walk off with ail the awards. 
All dead neighborhoods need wideawake, 
energetic leaders. And with us they will 
have to he raised up. for after long, hard 
years of experience I find we do not get 
what we need and want, hut just what 
we work for. 
In the majority of cases all this talk 
of tlie success >>f consolidated schools is 
buukoism. It is a success to the few, and 
not only a failure, hut rubberj to many. 
Their success depends <>ii roads, first, last 
and always. When* are the roads? 
Through! the neighborhoods or past the 
homes of those financially able to assist 
their children through high school or col¬ 
lege. and the backwoods pupils or tin* hill 
dwellers arc left to shift for themselves, 
livery fair-minded person who has the 
welfare of his country at heart should 
light, not consolidation, but placing rhe 
curt before the horse. Give us roads that 
will wear; let us know the conveyances 
will be furnish* d. and then vine along 
with consolidated schools Uutil that day 
comes, God bless and prosper the little 
schoolhmisos. ami give every child in the 
world access to one. where the' may have 
at least a tiny window framed to reflect 
a light into their hearts, souls and minds. 
n. i*.«. 
Spice Cake 
I have copied quite a few very good 
recipes from this page, and recently found 
a recipe for shoot!y pie. I tried it today, 
and it is very good. Now 1 would like 
others to try this recipe for spice cake: 
Oue cup granulated sugar, one-hnlf cup 
butter, or butter and lard mixed, two 
eggs, one cup sour milk, three-fourths 
cup raisins, one-half cup walnut meats, 
cut fine, half teaspoon cinnamon, a l»ttl*' 
allspice and doves, two tea-poops hakim: 
powder, one-half teaspoon baking soda, 
two small cups flour, a little salt. 1 bak<> 
this cake in a tube pan. frost it when 
edd with any frosting desired. This cake 
keeps well. J. s. 
The Man of Science 
• never was more alert to the ? 
I importance of pure vitamine- I 
9 bearing cod-liver oil as a I 
I helpful means of building I 
health than now Likewise | 
Scott's Emulsion 
I * r,evei had the confidence of 
jSq so many friends in 
thousands of homes 
I lKffir as I10W Every drop 
hr/ of Scoff’s Emulsion 
t M. is easily digested and 
1 helps build sturdy 
fl children and grown people. 
& Bowne, Blootnficlo. N. }■ 
SPECIAL OFFER FOR CHRISTMAS 
Six sparkling 
Cut Glass 
Tumblers 
like this S'! .25 
— only 
A eet of water glasses hand¬ 
some enough for the richest 
table, inexpensive enough for 
everyday use. Six tumblers 3 \ in. high, hand cut 
in beautiful flower design. A practical gift Send 
51.36. money order or check. If west of the Miss., 
add 20c postage. We guarantee prompt, safe de¬ 
livery. Money back if you're not delighted. 
Dept. 
R»iKrp^talKr^te$ 
Trenton, N. J. 
C/ Intri±i££> \utStrong 
All Colors Except White and Gray 
13 for a $1. Mall Orders Insured. 
Buy Direct from Importer 
FRANK E. LOW, 
Fair St., Paterson, N. J. 
Bank References. 
tii 11 iii 111111 ii iiiiiiiii imt ii 1111 inn im 11 mu 
Is there a single book in the public 
library in your town which gives an ac¬ 
curate picture of farm life or an interest¬ 
ing story of real farm people? 
Many city people form their opinion of 
farmers and farm life from the books they 
read. Therefore, there ought to be at 
least one good book picturing real farm 
life, with it* mixture of bright and dark 
sides, iu every town or grange library. 
"Hope Farm Notes” is a well-printed 
224-page book, containing 25 interesting 
stories of farm life and country people. 
Many consider it the best book of country 
life which has ever been published. 
Ask for ihis book at your library, and 
if it isn’t there tell them they ought to 
have it. You will eujoy the book your¬ 
self. and it will give those not familiar 
with farm life a bettor understanding of 
real country people. 
Many people are making a present of 
this book to city friends or to their town, 
grange or school library, and it is always 
considered a welcome aift. 
The price is only $1.50, postpaid. Just 
fill out the coupon below and mail with 
a check or money order. 
nrn.vt. new-yorker, 
ass West 3"th St., New York. 
Gentlemen.—Unclosed find $1.50, for which 
mail me a clotb-lv md copy of Hope Farm Notes. 
Name 
Street or R. F. D. 
l*ostofflce .... 
State . 
IIIII1I1IItillllllllllllltllllllllllllll II!'. 
