Itrmcstic Econoiitn. 
A CALL TO BREAKFAST. 
Breakfast ! Como to breakfast I 
Little ones and all,— 
How tbelr merry footsteps 
Patter ut the call 1 
Bieak the bread ; pour freely 
Milk that creum-like flows; 
A blessing on their appetites. 
And on their lips of rose I 
Breakfast I Winter breakfast 1 
Recruit the blazing fire; 
Heap coal upou the glowing grate. 
Or fill the furnace higher. 
Breakfast I Come to breakfast I 
8omo there arc who hear 
No such household music 
Ringing on their ear. 
Wilt thou from thy storehouse 
Cheer them when they pine— 
Shedding blessed sunbeams 
On their day and thine? 
[.Mrs. Sigourney. 
COOKERY AS A SCIENCE. 
If donkeys never went about in human 
form, the matter of discrimination would be 
greatly abetted. But. here they are all about 
us, in broadcloth and in calico ; they screech 
at us from pulpits, stare at us from the pages 
of books and newspapers, and prey upon us 
in private and social life. 
I have sharpened my pencil, and the don¬ 
key I am now after, is one who has de¬ 
nounced Cookery as a Science, attempting to 
lower it to the level of trades, and even lower. 
If Medicine is u science, then Cookery is a 
science; and to tell the exact truth of the 
matter, the more important science of the 
two. If the science of cooking were ad¬ 
vanced to the same degree as that, of medi¬ 
cine, how very little need there would be of 
the latter 1 But alas I it is largely in the 
hands of the most ignorant women in the 
world. A few men have given their time 
and talents to the advancement of the sci¬ 
ence, and the gratitude of the race should 
be theirs. 
Why, oh why, must this science, so vital 
with interest and value, longer languish ? 
Must women have the elective franchise be¬ 
fore they learn to cook? Must they first 
learn to cure our ills, before learning how to 
prevent them ? Must the title of M. D. be so 
immeasurably and falsely greater than that 
of C. D. V Are they to fold their hands and 
wait until men have lifted this science to 
high honor, usurped the domain themselves, 
and then moan because they are shut out of 
the scientific kingdom on account of un¬ 
fitness? 
It seems to us that now is the day and the 
hour for women to act in this matter. How 
many RuHAi.-reading women are willing to 
devote two or three years to the study of 
Cookery, which must necessarily embrace 
chemistry, physiology and hygiene? It 
would he folly, indeed, to found a university 
for Domestic Science, if there he no active 
demand for one. Will not the enterprising 
young women who read this, digest the 
matter, and send us their “ thoughts” in re¬ 
gard to it. 
-»■»» 
ODDS AND ENDS. 
To Produce nti Anlubaater Effect. 
Plaster of Paris figures may he made 
to look like alabaster by dipping them in a 
strong solution of alum water. 
Stlirur Cookies. 
One cup of sugar, one cup of butter, one 
egg, a little butter and flour—enough to roll 
them. Bake quickly.— l. s. 
8uet Pudding. 
Put into a cloth half a pound of chopped 
suet, a pound of flour, two eggs, teaspoonful 
of salt, half a pint of milk; boil one hour. 
—L. D. 
To Clenn White Paint. 
To clean paint without soap, use powdered 
French chalk and hot water. It adds to the 
whiteness of the paint without injuring it. 
When soap is used, add a little saleratus to 
the suds, wash with a flannel cloth, then 
rinse and wipe with a linen cloth. 
To Remove Mildew from Clothing. 
1 saw an inquiry how to remove mildew 
from clothing. Here is my way:—Take a 
handful of salt, half a cupful of soft soap, 
rub on the cloth and expose to the aim. It 
will come out with one or two bleachiugs.— 
A Rural Reader. 
Raw Orulers at Fulton Market. 
The oysters are served on a plate, each 
one lying in its own gravy, in the under 
shell. A quarter of a lemon furnishes the 
acid, in lieu of vinegar. Pepper, etc., to taste. 
Cooked oysters are not particularly whole¬ 
some for dyspeptics or bilious people. 
Corn Bread. 
Take four quarts of sifted meal in a pan, 
pour boiling water over it and stir well until 
it is all well scalded. Let it stand until 
lukewarm, then stir in a teacupful of lively 
yeast, a teacup of molasses and a handful of 
salt. Let it stand a couple of hours to get 
light, and then bake slowly for two hours, 
and it makes a delicious loaf. 
Graham Bread. 
Take a pint each of sour milk and butter¬ 
milk, a teacup of cream, a small teacup of 
sugar, two eggs, a tablespoonful of salt, a 
large teaspoonful of soda. Stir in Graham 
flour with a spoon until it is quite stiff. This 
is not as dry as the bread that is raised with 
yeast.— Aunt Lib. 
FrosHug for Cake. 
Nine tablespoonfuls powdered sugar and 
one of starch to the white of an egg—unless 
you have the ready prepared pulverized 
sugar, which contains sufficient starch. 
Fruit Cake. 
One-half pound flour, onc-half pound 
butter, onc-half pound sugar, two ounces 
citron, one pound currants, nutmeg, lemon, 
one-half cup cream, five eggs, one-half tea¬ 
spoon saleratus.—L. E. k. 
Red Bug Exterminatov. 
A lady who moved into a house swarm¬ 
ing with bed bugs, after cleansing the house, 
tells how she exterminated the bugs from 
her bedsteads:—“ I took a teaspoonful of 
quicksilver, costing ten or fifteen cents, 
which 1 heat up with the whites of two eggs, 
just as 1 would make frosting for cake, or 
till the quicksilver was thoroughly mixed 
with the egg; this l applied with a feather 
to every crack and crevice where a bed hug 
could hide, after washing the bedsteads in 
cold water. This I repeated three or four 
times durtng Lho first summer, and about 
three times during the second summer. The 
result is, I have not seen a hug for two 
years. As the bugs will not stay where 
quicksilver is applied faithfully, it is neces¬ 
sary to overhaul the bedding frequently, to 
capture stragglers who are seeking a more 
healthful abode.” 
Polittliing Skirts, 
The Scientific American says:—Put a lit¬ 
tle common white wax in your starch, say 
two ounces to the pound ; then if you use 
any thin patent starch, he sure you use it 
warm, otherwise the wax will get cold and 
gritty, and spot your linen, giving it the ap¬ 
pearance of being stained with grease. It 
is different with collar starch—it can he 
used (ptite cold; however, of that anon. 
Now, then, about polishing shirts: starch 
the fronts ami wristbands as stiff as you can. 
Always starch twice, that is.sLareli and dry, 
then starch again. Iron your shirt in the 
usual way, making the linen nice and firm, 
hut without any attempt, at a good finish ; 
don’t lift the plaits; your shirt is now ready 
for polishing, but you ought to have a board 
the same size as a common shirt board, made 
of hard wood, and covered with ouly one 
ply of plaiu cotton cloth. Put this board 
into the breast of your shirt, damp the front 
very lightly with a wet sponge, then take a 
polishing iron, which is flat and beveled a 
little at one end—polish gently with the 
beveled part, taking care not to drive the 
liuen up into wave-like blisters; of course 
this requires a little practice, hut if you are 
careful and persevere, in a short time you 
will be able to give that enamel-like finish 
which seems to be so much wauted. 
To Dreset Collars. 
For this purpose use the best starch, say 
two pounds, and four ounces of wax and 
six and a-lrnlf pints of water; first dissolve 
the wax in tho boiling water, take the vessel 
off the fire and allow it to stand for five 
minutes; during this time dissolve the starch 
in the smallest possible quantity of cold 
water, then pour it gradually into the vessel 
and boil for twenty-five minutes—keep stir¬ 
ring all the time; this starch can lie used 
quite cold; rub it well into the collars, 
wring as tight as you can, finish by wring¬ 
ing in a cloth, then iron; thus you will have 
them stiff without being hard, and when 
well dressed will have that beautiful elastic 
finish so much admired in new collars. 
l’urificnriou of Lard. 
Take twenty-eight pounds of perfectly 
fresh lard; place it in a well-glazed vessel 
that can be submitted to the heat of a boil¬ 
ing salt-water hath, or of steam under a 
slight pressure. When the lard is melted, 
add to it one ounce of powdered alum and 
two ounces ot table salt. Maintain the heat 
for some time—in fact, till a scum rises, con¬ 
sisting in a great measure of coagulated pro- 
teine compounds, membrane, etc,, which 
must he skimmed off. When the liquid 
grease appears of a uniform nature it is al- 
lowed to coo). The lard is then washed, 
lias is done m small qimniities at a time, 
and IS ft work of much labor; which, how¬ 
ever, is amply repaid by the result. About 
one pound of grease is placed on a slate slab, 
a little on the incline, a supply of good 
water being set to trickle over it. The sur¬ 
face of the grease is then constantly renewed 
by an operative working a muller over it 
precisely as a color-maker grinds paints in' 
oil. In this way the water removes any 
traces of alum or soap ; also the last traces 
of nitrogenous matter. Finally, the grease, 
when the whole is washed in this way, is 
remelted, the heat being maintained suffi¬ 
ciently to throw off any adhering water. 
When cold, the operation is finished.— 
Druggists' Circular. 
ffiobrs anit banners. 
cep 
MINTWOOD’S CONVERSAZIONE, 
— 
Calico Dresses. 
Mintwood :—Perhaps you have forgotten 
that you promised to give us some pretty 
patterns for calico dresses. I have been wait¬ 
ing patiently for the past two months. Are 
we to receive them noon ?— Miriam. 
No, I have not forgotten, but have been 
waiting in vain to see something pretty to 
chronicle. As yet, nothing prettier than the 
Garibaldi waist, loose coat sleeve, and apron 
fronted overskirt, have been developed. 
Trim the front of the waist, to simulate a 
round bertha, ends of the sleeves and bottom 
of the overskirt with a double ruffle, gathered 
half an inch from the upper hem or edge, a 
double ruffle is one hemmed on both edges, 
and gathered through the middle, or nearer 
one edge than the other. 
Spring Travellmr Drenn. 
Please inform me of what material I had 
better make a traveling dress for spring 
(about April.) I want a neat dress, though 
not. too expensive. Also, how shall I make 
it, and what to wear with it, making an en¬ 
tire suit ?— Addie. 
Poplin in very narrow black and white 
stripes; the diagonal cloth, in gray and seal; 
or alpaca, in the various shades of gray, 
brown and fawn, would he suitable. Trim 
with the same, in broad folds, three inches 
wide, or with side plaiting headed with a 
fold or folds. Styles remain unchanged ; 
overskirts long and looped at the sides and 
back; waists with postillion back, and 
pointed or basque front; outside wraps, 
basque or sac.que, with small flowing sleeve. 
The outside wrap should be lined with flan¬ 
nel. A wrap of cloth or beaver the same 
shade of the dress would be suitable. 
How lo Malta a Mink Far Capo. — flair 
Curlers. — Preserving Complexion, Etc. 
Please tell me how a mink fur cape 
should be made. Some of the folks say I 
should keep the tails on; others say cut 
them off. Another young lady wishes to 
know if tburc is any article that will curl 
stubborn, straight hair prettily. We see 
numerous advertisements, but arc afraid of 
them. Please tell us, and how and where we 
can get the article. Also how to preserve a 
fine complexion and render us loveable.— 
Two Girls. 
I do not remember ever to have seen a fur 
Capo with the tails the skins. The 
usual shape is that of a circular with tubs in 
front. These tabs are fringed with tails. If 
you have skins enough, why not make a 
sacque, and fringe the bottom with tails? 
I know of no way by which “ stubborn, 
straight, hair” can be curled, except by roll¬ 
ing it on curl papers, or using a heated iron. 
Hair whicn is not naturally curly cannot he 
made to do so by tho application of any 
nostrum whatever. After taking the curl 
papers from the hair, brush each curl around 
your finger, or a round stick. 
The best method as yet discovered for pre¬ 
serving a fine complexion is to keep the 
digestion perfect, and to this end abundant 
exercise in the open air, plenty of sleep and 
regular habits are necessary. Abstain en¬ 
tirely from the use of powder, rouges, and 
all articles of that ilk. 
To “render you lovable,” I can recom¬ 
mend nothing better for your guidance than 
the Golden Rule. Make it the basis of all 
your actions, and you cannot fail to he loved. 
A “Fire of Ititet-roKatorlcg.” 
Dear Mintwood :—Can you answer the 
following questions—for the “good of the 
sect ?”—and oblige.— h. d. 
(“ 1) Has Catharine Beecher’s scheme 
for a Woman’s University met with much 
favor ? (2.) Have any steps been taken to 
carry it out? (3.) Does Prof. Blot still 
continue his class in the Academy, and (4) 
do you know how many attend, or altend¬ 
ed ? (5.) Were his pupils from the wealthy 
class? (6.) Did any of them take instruc¬ 
tion, in order to become practical cooks ? i 
(7.) Do you consider his style of cooking 
suitable to the lower classes ? (8.) Was the 
tuition free ? (9.) Do pupils at the School of 
Design learn oil painting and water colors? 
(10.) What proportion of them take instruc¬ 
tion in order to support themselves by art? 
(11.) What is the cost of a year’s instruction 
in any one branch ? (12.) Wood engraving 
is not taught, is it ? (13.) Do you know- 
whether ‘ French flowers’ are manufactured 
in New York, and how many are employed 
in flower making? (14.) Do none but the 
Swiss make * Swiss carved goods ?’ (15.) Is 
Miss Marwedrl’s experiment likely to 
prove successful? (10.) Do you know 
whether her school supported itself last 
year? (17.) Do you know of any school in 
New York where instruction is given in 
Domestic Science? (18.) Does Miss Col- 
man contiuue in the Dixon Institute?” 
(1.) No. (2.) None very decided. (3.) No. 
(4.) A large class did attend. (5.) Yes, prin¬ 
cipally. (6.) Most of them took instructions 
fer the purpose of being better qualified to 
superintend their servants. (7.) Eminently 
so. It was “ Frenchy,” and no people in 
the world practice nicer economy in cookery. 
(8.) The tuition was not free, but moderate. 
(9.) Yes. But no pupil is allowed to take 
specialties, at least uot until a pretty 
thorough course of study has been pursued. 
(10.) That is difficult to answer. Quite a 
large proportion 1 should say. (11.) No pupil 
is allowed to pay any tuition whatever for 
instruction. The munificence of Peter 
Cooper provides for that. The only ex¬ 
pense incurred is for the materials used by 
the pupil. With economy, from six to ten 
dollars would cover the expense for materials 
for the first year. (12.) Yes. (13.) To a 
certain extent, hut not very largely. Many 
girls are employed in branching and arrang¬ 
ing the flowers after they are imported. (14.) 
Yes, Germans. Swiss curved goods are im¬ 
ported at much less expense than they could 
possibly he manufactured here, even if 
Americans could equal them as carvers. A 
few Swiss are employed in large houses for 
the purpose of making repairs. Labor here 
is too high to make carving profitable. A 
kind of manufacture which passes among 
uneducated people for Swiss carving, is 
simply pressed wood. There is a manufac¬ 
tory in Connecticut I believe. The wood,by 
some chemical process is rendered soft, when 
it is pressed into moulds of the desired pat¬ 
terns. (15.) No; it is given up. (16,) No. 
(17.) No. She or he who founds such a 
school, will be the benefactor of the ago. If 
Catharine Beecher would confine her 
scheme to that, she would exhibt a streak of 
good, practical sense, enough to immortalize 
her. (18.) No. 
rrimtific antr ut&efuL 
SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION. 
Spontaneous combustion occurs much 
more frequently than is generally supposed, 
and the Boston Journal of Chemistry is of 
the opinion that many fires ascribed to in¬ 
cendiarism have owed their origin to that 
cause. Such combustion differs from ordi¬ 
nary burning only in that the union of the 
combustible substance with the oxygen of 
the air is more gradual. When a log of 
wood rots in the forest, it is as really burned 
up as when it blazes in the fireplace, only 
the process is so slow that the heat is not 
perceptible. The rusting of metals is another 
form of slow combustion; and if the rust¬ 
ing is sufficiently rapid, the rise of temper¬ 
ature is readily detected. In inflammable 
substances, when slow combustion begins, 
the heat set free causes the oxidation to 
go on faster and faster until the mass hursts 
into flame. Oily rags used by painters and 
cotton waste used for wiping machinery, 
are common causes of spontaneous combus¬ 
tion. Oil spilt, on dry sawdust bus been 
known to take fire in this way. Oils that 
oxidize readily, like cotton seed oil, arc es¬ 
pecially liable to take fire without apparent 
cause. Hay, cotton, tow, flax, hemp, rags, 
leaves, spent tow, straw in manure heaps, 
all are liable to take fire spontaneously when 
stacked in quantities in a damp state. These 
are facts which every one should understand, 
as the knowledge of them may in many in¬ 
stances lead to precautions of the utmost 
importance. 
--— 
WATER-CLOCKS. 
An article in the Old and New, says: 
Bowls were used to measure time, from 
which water, drop by drop, was discharged 
through a small aperture. Such howls were 
called water-clocks, ( elepsydrm.) It was then 
observed how much water from such a bowl 
or cask, from sunrise till t lie shortest shadow, 
trickled down into another howl placed be¬ 
neath ; and this time being the half of the 
whole solar day, was divided into six hours. 
Consequently, they took a sixth of the water 
which had trickled down, poured it Into the 
upper howl, and, this discharged, one hour 
had expired. But afterward a more con¬ 
venient arrangement, was made. They ob¬ 
served how high the water at each hour 
rose in the lafger bowl, marked these points, 
and counted them, thus finding out how 
many hours there were till sunrise. With 
the Chinese, water-clocks, or clepsydras, are 
very old. They used a round vessel, filled 
with water, with a little hole in the bottom, 
which was placed upon another vessel. 
When the water in the upper vessel pressed 
down into the lower vessel, it subdivided by 
degrees, announcing thereby the parts of 
time elapsed. The Babylonians are said to 
have used such instruments; from them the 
Greeks of Asia Minor got thorn, at. the time 
of King Ctrus, about the year 550 before 
Christ. But the Romans did not get 
the first water - clock before the year 
160 before Christ. But, though the hours 
of the clepsydra did not vary in length, 
they still counted them from the morn¬ 
ing. When the clock with us strikes 
seven, the ancients counted one; when 
the clock with us strikes twelve, the 
ancients counted six, and so forth. This 
method of counting tho hours wag, accord¬ 
ing to the New Testamant, also customary 
iu Palestine at the time of Christ. The 
water-clocks had that, advantage, that they 
could ho used in the night; and (he Romans 
used them to divide their night-watches, 
which were relieved four times, both sum¬ 
mer and winter. Conformably to these four 
night-watches, time was counted, not only 
iu Rome, but wherever Roman garrisons 
were stationed ; consequently, also in Pales¬ 
tine after she had become a Roman province. 
The first night-watch was called vesper a, 
(evening,) from sunset, to 9 o’clock; the 
second, media note, (midnight,) from 9 to 2 
o’clock; the third, gaUicinium, (cock-crow¬ 
ing,) from 2 to 3 o’clock; and the fourth, 
mane, (morning,) from 3 o’clock to daybreak. 
THE BREATHING APPARATUS. 
The quantity of air changed at each in¬ 
spiration varies in different people, and this 
variation has been taken as a measure or in¬ 
dex of the physical strength and constitution 
of the Individual. Thus it has been found, 
by experiment, that a healthy man five fuel 
seven inches in bight, can expire two hun¬ 
dred and twenty-five cubic inches of air, and 
that for every additional inch of stature an 
increase of eight cubic inches in the capacity 
takes place. This rule is not much affected 
by the weight of the person, hut age is 
found to modify il to a certain extent; thus 
the capacity increases from about the 
fifteenth to tho thirty-fifth year, and then 
gradually diminishes. The number of res¬ 
pirations in the minute on an average, is from 
fourteen to eighteen in a state of repose of 
body and mind ; but this is liable to great 
variations from disease, mental emotion, or 
physical exertion. 
LOOSENING SCREWS AND STOPPERS. 
A KNOWLEDGE of the fact that bodies ex¬ 
pand by heat, and an application of this 
knowledge, will often save much trouble. 
Ground glass Stoppers in bottles often be¬ 
come fast by being put into the necks after 
the latter are warmed by the fingers, the 
stoppers being cold. To loosen them, warm 
the necks, by applying a small cloth dipped 
in warm water, which will expand il and 
loosen the stopper. Nuts on threshing amt 
other machines sometimes become immov¬ 
able by being put on the screws in cold 
weather, after the nuts have been warmed 
by bolding in the hands. The only way to 
get them off, Is to expand them again by 
heating. The work should lie quickly done, 
otherwise the screws will also become heated 
and expanded. We once saw three strong 
men trying to unscrew a rusty iron pump. 
We suggested heating the outer or hollow 
screw, when it was loosened with one hand. 
FIREPROOF WASH FOR SHINGLES. 
A wash composed of lime, salt, and fine 
sand or wood ashes, put on in the ordinary 
way of whitewashing, renders the roof fifty 
per cent., more secure against taking fire 
from falling cinders, in case of fire in the 
vicinity. It pays the expense a hundred¬ 
fold in its preserving influence against the 
effects of the weather. The older and more 
weather beaten the shingle, the more bene¬ 
fit derived. Such shingles generally become 
more or less warped, rough, and cracked; 
application of the wash, by wetting the up¬ 
per surface, restores them at once to their 
original or first form, thereby closing up the 
space between the shingles, and the lime and 
sand by filling up the cracks and pores iu 
the shingle itself, preventing its warping. 
USEFUL AND S0IENTEET0 ITEMS, 
To Softcu Kid Boots. 
The Ohio Fanner says:—Melt a quarter 
of a pound of tallow, then pour it into ajar, 
and add to it the same weight of olive oil, 
stir, and let it stand still; apply a small quan¬ 
tity occasionally with a piece of flannel. 
Should the hoots he very dirty, cleanse with 
warm water. It will soften auy leather. 
To Remove Stniim from i* Book. 
The American Artisan says:—To remove 
ink stains from a book, first* wash the paper 
with warm water, using a camel’s hairbrush 
for the purpose. By this means the surface 
ink is got rid of; the paper must now he 
wet with a solution of oxalate of potash, or, 
better still, oxalic acid, in the proportion of 
one ounce to half a pint of water. The ink 
stains will immediately disappear. Finally, 
agaiu wash the stained place with cleau 
water, and dry it with white blotting paper. 
To Mend Rubber Boota. 
Betng an old miner, and seeing a request 
in your columns for a recipe for mending 
rubber boots, I thought I would let you 
know how 1 did it while at work in Placer- 
ville, El Dorado Co., Cal. One day I stuck 
a pick through the leg of my boot. 1 then 
went to a pine tree, took off some pitch, 
then took a piece of leather boot leg, put 
the pitch on, and sewed with fine needle to 
the hoot, and found it made it perfectly 
tight. It is a very simple and cheap reme¬ 
dy— Alfred Fitch, Santa Orue, Cal. 
