FEB. 8 
SVKJOBE’S BUBAL NEW-YOwK 
Diodes and fanners. 
FASHIONS IN FEBRUARY. 
February is the month to shop. Already 
there are hints toward Spring in the putting 
forth of new designs and material; but above 
all, goods are cheap. Merchant® are prepar¬ 
ing for new stoc k and anxious to dispose of 
that on hand. At such times prices are so 
reduced that the temptation is to be more 
extravagant than ever in the number of pur¬ 
chases. At present 
IRISH POPIINS, 
In the newest shades and of superior quality, 
are offered at 81.75 and *3 a yard, and Ly¬ 
ons poplins at $1.50. These, when made up, 
I It is expensive, but saves a great deal of 
I trouble in making. 
A pretty design hi under sleeves is a fall of 
Valenciennes luce, a puff between inserting 
bands and a standing ruffle of lace. 
Bonnets and hats are made of silk oftener 
than of velvet. The silk used is of rich, heavy 
texture, and called Sieillenue. Two colors 
are generally mingled. One, the foundation 
of the shade of the costume, and the ribbons 
of contrasting color. Olive-brown and pea- 
) cock-blue, or sage-drab and pink, or light blue, 
bronze and yellowish-green are the prevailing 
contrasts. Streamers in the back are of two 
shades, tied in a bow on the chignon, with 
the lighter color to fall as a lining to the 
darker. 
Long feathers arc not worn. Ostrich tips 
are the favorite ornament, with tea roses, 
The meal should be all ready to serve as soon j 
os the steak is done. 
If you buy steak in hot weather, which 
you wish to keep a day or two, never sprinkle 
on the salt and allow it to stand in that way, 
as it is sure to draw out the juices, and hard¬ 
en and toughen the beef. It may bo c ooked 
ready to turn, then set, in a cool place and re¬ 
main a day or two without taking any hurt; 
when wonted heat, quickly, turn find linish 
cooking, when it will taste fresh and new. 
a. n. it. 
-♦♦♦- 
BOX FOR DOME TIC USES, 
Last week we gave an illustration of a 
wood-box covered. This week we give one of 
a box of different shape. It is stuffed, covered 
with black cloth, which is tufted down with 
are the most substantial of costumes, and the i pr,-een and bronze berries, and dark 
^ __1_J_ a... n...« * 
most appropriate of home dresses. One that 
we have just seen is a dark, Bnuil-brown. The 
underskirt, is in box plaits to the knee. The 
overskirt is short, in front, draped in the 
back, scallopped and finished with a hand¬ 
some silk fringe around the scallops. The 
waist is a basque with fronts cut away, scal¬ 
loped and trimmed with fringe. A trinuuiug 
of scallops and fringe simulates a square cape. 
The neck is finished with collar and revers. 
SILKS. 
For ladies who do not desire to be strictly 
fashionable, there are great opportunities in 
buying silks. Batins with silk back, in the 
most exquisite of shades, as ruby, light aud 
dark brown, pink, gray, arc sold at 83 a yard. 
Moire antiques, rill silk, of first-class water, 
in blue, pink, lavender, gray, wine colors, are 
sold at $2.50 a yard. They make beautiful 
costumes for full dress, and dispense with 
much trimming. They are especially suita¬ 
ble, in the darker shades, for elderly ladies. 
Black and white silks in broken stripes are 
very stylish. The handsomest, of good width, 
cost s 1.75. The lighter qualities at 81 and 81.25 
are the most desirable Spring dresses. They 
are so cool, also, that they can be worn 
throughout, the Summer. 
SATINES, MOHAIRS, ETC. 
Satines are somewhat, coarser in grain, lint 
very lustrous, and in any color ; they are sold 
at sixty cents, and make up like much hand¬ 
somer material. Mohairs are of beautiful 
quality, especially the grays and browns. 
They come also in stripes. Price fifty cents. 
Winseys are in browns, grays and plum 
color; they are very substantial for ordinary 
wear, and properly made, are very becoming. 
They are sold at, sixty cents. "Wool delaines 
and challles are seen in the most delicate pat¬ 
terns. The prevailing style for all such goods 
will bo polka spots. White grounds, with 
polka spots of lavender, blue and block, are 
the most, desirable. They cost twenty cents 
a yard. The trimming should be silk or vel¬ 
vet ribbon of the color of the spot. 
WHITE GOODS. 
Although the snows are still upon the 
ground, this is the best season for buying 
white goods. In piques there are several new 
patterns. One is fine ribs, with squares 
marked by a thin satin line, and interspersed 
with polka dots. The same is again in stripes, 
with the dots; or again without hars or 
stripes, but with polka dots on a ribbed 
ground. They arc very fine in texture, aud 
cost 75 ets. t,o 81 a yard. 
In Victoria lawns there is a very wide goods, 
with a vine at intervals, for twenty cents a 
yard. These lawns are very useful, on ac¬ 
count of doiug up so well. Dotted muslins, 
thin and sheer, are in all varieties ; they make 
up in the soft, fleecy manner of the present 
fashion, and are sold ut fifty cents a yard. 
French cambrics are wide, of good quality, 
but of the same old Dolly Varden jxitterns, 
which, it is safe to predict, will uot be in 
vogue this season. They are cheap, but it is 
better to wait for the new stock. Percales 
are, so far, seen in stripes—blue, brown and 
black. A pleasing variety is bull, with a laee- 
work design in black. 
GRENADINES. 
Black grenadines, this season at least, will 
take precedence in ordinary promenade cos¬ 
tumes. The prices will not vary from last 
season. It must be remarked, that it is poor 
policy to buy a cheap grenadine, as they very 
soon turn brown. Suitable grenadine e»n- 
not be bought under 81. A novelty in party 
dresses is a silk grenadine woven in leaves 
and flowers. It is very thin, comes in all 
light shades, and is to be made over silks of 
the same color. It sells at 82.50. 
NOVELTIES, 
A very handsome trimming comes for thin 
muslin dresses. It is a raffle of Valenciennes 
inserting and rnuslin in alternate strips ; the 
muslin makes a box plait; the inserting is 
plain ; on the edge is a narrow Valenciennes. 
leaves. Young ladies wear no strings, or tie 
them under the chignon. 
SKATING COSTUME. 
The skating dress (see page VI7) consists of a 
polonaise and skirt, made of waterproof 
tweed, trimmed witH'milltaiy braid ; it is also 
worn as a promenade or traveling costume, 
and can be made of a variety of shades in 
thin wool cloth. Hat of black felt, trimmed 
with black velvet and ostrich feather. 
Ulome.stic Okoitomtr. 
WASHING COMPOUND. 
I noticed, some weeks since an inquiry 
from a young housekeeper, for a recipe for i 
washing compound, and have not seen one 
yet as good as mine, which I will send: 
Three tablespoonfuls of salts of tartar; the 
same of common saleratua; one pound of 
hard soap, or a quart of soft soap ; one and 
one-half gallons water ; boil ail together, and 
when cool add one tablespoon of spirits of 
ammonia. One pint of this preparation is 
sufficient for nearly a tub of white clothes. 
Put nearly half in warm water, allow the 
clothes to soak over night, or longer if conven¬ 
ient ; wring out, and having put the other 
half pint in the boiler, place the clothes in it 
and boil twenty minutes, st irring most of the 
time ; take out and suds ; then let them soak 
in a tub of cold water while the colored 
clothes are rubbed in the suds, heating it 
with water from the boiler; or a still better 
way Is to scald again in clear water in the 
boiler, then blue in cold water. 
APPLE BUTTER. 
It is late in the season for apple butter ma¬ 
king, but I would like to give the old method, 
which is much better than any you have yet 
published. It Is this To one peck, quar¬ 
tered and cored sweet apples, use two quarts 
thick boiled eider from sour apples, and two 
or three quarts of water; cook in a large 
brass kettle until very soft, placing an invert¬ 
ed tin, or a small quantity of clean straw, 
with ail the leaves stripped off, or any thing 
which the ingenuity may suggest, to prevent 
burning to the bottom. When well done, 
remove from the kettle and rub through a 
colander. This may be done while hot, with 
a potato tnasher. Clean the kettle immedi¬ 
ately, before using again. Return to the ket¬ 
tle and cook half an hour, stirring almost 
constantly to make it smooth and prevent 
burning. Add alspiee, cloves and cinnamon 
to the taste ; if it remains frozen it will keep 
all winter. 
THE RIGHT WAY TO FRY A BEEFSTEAK. 
Just how many nice, juicy steaks are spoil¬ 
ed by the cook will never be known ; yet in¬ 
ferior beef, if rightly cooked, is a savory dish 
in comparison. Many cooks cover a steak 
while frying, thinking if it steams it will lie 
more tender and juicy. This is a mistaken 
idea, as the steam condensed by the cover 
falls back on the meat and must he boiled 
out again, giving the meat a taste of half 
boiled beef, which is very insipid. Never 
cover a beefsteak while cooking. This should 
be pasted Sn plain letters in the cook room, 
for it is of the utmost impartanee. 
Place the spider, (or for a large steak, a 
dripping pan is better,) on the stove with 
some fat shreds from the meat and a gener¬ 
ous piece of sweet butter ; when hot, sprin¬ 
kle over half the salt to be used ; have a care, 
however, not to salt too much ; then, having 
well bruised, and with a sharp, heavy knife, 
hacked the tough fibers of the beef, lay It In, 
add the other half of the salt, a little pep¬ 
per, and allow it to cook rather quickly on 
one side; then turn and cook the other a 
short time : when done remove to a hot plat¬ 
ter, dipping over it part of the gra vy ; add a 
little flour, water, salt and pepper, to the rest 
of the gravy, and scald, to eat on vegetables. 
buttons of various colors to match the em¬ 
broidery at the top. The valance is fastened 
to the chest, not the lid. It is of cloth, with 
appliques embroidered in silk. A thick cord 
is sewn above the valance, and finishes the 
bottom of the box. 
-- 
BEANS AND VINEGAR. 
1 see Mrs. North is unable to explain why 
beans were put into eider to make it turn 
sour. I will give you my idea about it. The 
principal requisites to form good vinegar arc 
1st, contact with the air; 2d, a temperature 
not exceeding 77 dogs, of Fahrenheit; 3d. 
the addition of some extraneous vegetable 
matt er to promote the acetous fermentation ; 
and 4th. the presence of alcohol. Now beans 
contain a very acetous vegetable matter. 
Take boiled beans in warm weather, how 
quick they got sour ! This will show you that 
It contains acid. Now beans put into eider 
will soon start this acetous action and cause 
the cider to turn sour. Put .about 1 lbs. of 
the beat brown sugar hi a laurel of cider in 
addition to the beaus and; it will get sour 
much faster, and keep the^ cider warm to 
cause it to work. Beaus are used because 
they are clean, and will not destroy the flavor 
of the vinegar like other vegetable matter. 
Meadville, Pa. J. n. f. 
-#-»-♦- 
DOMESTIC INQUIRIES. 
Mary M. Larance asks for a recipe for 
making fruit jelly with the use of gelatine, 
asserting that peaches, strawberries, and 
sweet fruit will not thicken sufficiently to 
turn out of the glass and stand alone, 
Mrs. Minnie Rose asks some one to t ell her 
how to make a pair of pants. Site lifts a good 
pattern to cut them by und a machine to 
make them with, but docs uot know how to 
go to work to make them. Ask for direc¬ 
tions similar to those given in Rural Nevv- 
Yorker, Dec. 31, “how to make a coat.” 
-- 
INDIAN PUDDING. 
Mrs. R. C. C. is recommended to try the 
following: 
One pint Indian meal, one-half teaspoon fill 
salt, one half cup molasses,—then boil water 
enough lo make a thin batter, add one tea- 
Hpoonfn] soda, one cup raisins or dried apples, 
one-half cup suet cut in fine pieces. Boil two 
hours. Splendid, for my husband says so. 
Constant Reader. 
-- 
JELLY CAKE WITHOUT EGGS. 
One-half cup of butter, one-half cup of 
cream, one-half cup of buttermilk, one-half 
cup of sweet milk, two cups of sugar, one 
teaspon of soda. Spread thin, and bake on 
long tins. This amount makes five stories, 
and many prefer it to cake made with eggs. 
B. c. D. 
Hggfyraif information. 
FAT AND LEAN. 
Meat eaters and vegetarians show in their 
persons the effects of the diet. The first man 
has the most bmlu force and nervous energy. 
A mixed food of animal and vegetable rat ions 
developed the highest Intellectual powers. A 
strictly vegetable living ordinarily gives a 
fair complexion, and amiability and extreme 
pugnacity when the vegetarian’s views in 
regard to that one engrossing thought of liis 
life are discussed. Thoy are annual-meeting 
reformers without ever setting a river on fire. 
Arabs are a sober, frugal race, rather slender, 
not tall, conscientious and contentious on 
religious subjects. They largely subsist on 
rice, pulse, milk and keimac, something simi¬ 
lar to whipped cream, through a vast region 
of an arid country where they arc indigenous. 
They are not destitute of mutton, goats, 
camels and game ; but they manifest no dis¬ 
position to feed upon meats, as is necessary 
in temperate zones or in high northern lati¬ 
tudes. An intellectual man, one of their kin¬ 
dred, who rises to distinction by the grandeur 
of his mental status, is extremely rare. The 
beer and ale drinkers expand and grow fat, 
but they are not much given to profound 
researches in Science.— Scientific- A merican. 
-♦♦♦■- 
CURE FOR THE OPIUM HABIT. 
In a recent report on the condition of the 
English hospital at Pekin, China, the attend¬ 
ing physician gives a formula for “anti-opium 
pills.” This remedy is composed of extract 
of henbane, extract of gentian, camphor, 
quinine, cayenne pepper, ginger and cinna¬ 
mon, with cnstile soap and syrup to form the 
coating. The efficacy of these pills in over¬ 
coming the opium habit, and in ] reventing 
the suffering on giving up the use of that 
poison, is stated to have been proved in nu¬ 
merous cases. The native remedies, it is said, 
contain opium in some form, and most fre¬ 
quently the ashes of opium already smoked, 
and consequently are inefficacious—it being 
as difficult to discontinue the use of the med¬ 
icine as of the drug itself. 
PURIFYING A ROOM WITH A PITCHER 
OF WATER. 
TIDY 
COMFORTABLES. 
Take a breadth of light cambric, fold it 
over the head of the comfortable, baste it 
on; when soiled take it off, wash it and put 
it on again. The Germans fasten the upper 
sheet to the comfortable. It is a good plan. 
—Katy. 
It having been stated that the foul air in a 
room may be absorbed by a pitcher fit' cold 
water standing in it, the Editor of the Scien¬ 
tific American says:—“It would lift danger¬ 
ous for any one to close a room and rely upon 
a pitcher of wuter to purify the sir. * 1,1 * 
Good ventilation is the best remedy for foul 
air in a room.” The fact that water in a 
room becomes foul does not prove that the 
air is purified by it, by any means. 
--- 
LAXATIVE MIXTURE. 
Prof. Lindsley says the best remedy he 
has ever tried in habitual constipation, is to 
take a half dram of Epsom salts, dissolved in 
half a pint of water—adding ten drops of 
Elixir of vitriol— one hour before lire ul,fact. 
The smaller the dose the better, provided it 
will operate, it may be taken for weeks till 
a cur e is effected. 
■-- 
AMMONIA FOR WHOOPING COUGH. 
Since it has been shown that the inhalation 
of air charged with the vapors of ammonia 
is beneficial in cases of whooping cough, M. 
Groatham of Paris has been experimenting 
on the effects of boiling strong ammonia in 
the room where the patient was with decided 
success. 
-- 
CAKED BREASTS FOR PERSON3 OR 
BEASTS. 
Bathe with “white lye,” which is made 
by pouring boiling water over half to three- 
fourths its bulk of wood ashes. Stir and let 
settle, and use the clear liquor. 
POISON IVY. 
Steep pokeroot in water and bathe the 
parts affected with the resulting liquor. H. 
---- 
REMEDY FOR STAMMERING. 
Do uot speak or attempt to speak when 
inhaling the breath ; but draw as much air 
into the lungs as they will bold, and then 
speak very slow. Repeat the opex ation, and 
by patience I think Willie of Michigan will 
overcome the difficulty. c. h. o. 
TO CURE DROPSY. 
We see it asserted, tho'igh we do not know 
upon whose authority, that a tea made of 
encstnub leaves and drank in the place of 
water, will cure the most obstinate case of 
dropsy in a few days. 
