amtsixc (£c0tt0wtn 
CONDUCTED BY MARY A. E. WAGER. 
“FEATHER BEDS.” 
“ A.” thinks if we had spent our girlhood 
on a farm, among a dozen or more geese, etc., 
we would value feathers more highly than 
we now seem to. We did spend our girl¬ 
hood on a farm, but not exactly among a 
“ dozen geese,” or more. But we know all 
about the feathered, downy bird, and its dis¬ 
position. We have a very distinct memory 
of helping “ the boys” drive them in a stall 
to be picked, and how we nearly “ shoo’d ” 
our breath out at ’em; and then of standing 
off at a safe distance and watching the pro¬ 
cess of picking; and of being scolded off the 
premises.for “ bumming around” and mak¬ 
ing the feathers fly; and of holding bed-ticks 
and pillow-ticks open, for other hands to put 
in feathers; and of being taught how to 
“ make up” feather beds, and pull the feath¬ 
ers back that had started out; of being im¬ 
pressed with the importance of airing and 
sunning the “ bags,” etc. It has, moreover, 
been our good fortune to never come in con¬ 
tact. with “nasty, lifeless, lumpy bags of 
feathers,” either in city or country. Wo 
think of the beds only in their highest and 
best estate of geesey perfection, and yet do 
declare them an “abomination.” 
Oh! if you had only been with us and 
seen the beds exhibited at the Fair of the 
American Institute, you would understand 
how the people who lived to be a hundred 
years old by sleeping on feathers, would have 
lived to be two hundred if they only had 
reposed their bodies on any one of these 
springy, elastic, coaxing, healthful, clean, 
charming, delightful beds, fragrant with the 
odors of pennyroyal instead of geese ! That 
we are not alone in thinking as we do, read 
the following “gushing” tribute to our 
praise: 
Dear Madam:—You certainly deserve a 
medal. I am charmed and delighted that you 
are banging away so bravely at the feather bed, 
that device of the enemy; don’t lot the pillows 
escape, I beg. 
Horrible things! 
For my own part, when I go to the country, I 
am forced to carry a small hair pillow In my 
trunk. Before I adopted this plan, I was accus¬ 
tomed to ask for some hay or straw which, tilled 
In a pillow case, la to mo far more agreeable 
than horrible feathers. If my “queer pillow” 
would sometimes persist in being “bumpy,” a 
few lliiekiiuHsee of linen or shooting made it 
very nice—for an Impromptu arrangement. 
If you can persuade even a few people to lay 
their feather beds out on a roof, in a good blow¬ 
ing day. with a deliberate slit, in the licking, just 
think 1 how mueti you will have accomplished I 
—S. S., New York, October, 1870. 
Whitney Blankets. 
Florida Subscriber :—The Whitney 
blankets are manufactured only by the 
Cocheco Mills Co., and are for sale at almost 
any first-class dry goods house. They come 
in three sizes, with blue or red borders, and 
cost $6.50, $7.50, $10.00 per pair. The name 
“ Whitney,” in England, signifies napped 
cloth, which probably is the origin of the 
name of the blankets, as they have a fine, 
soft nap. They are thick and warm, but 
not heavy. Merchants have been known to 
give the name “ Whitney ” to blankets not 
of this manufacture. The ends of the gen¬ 
uine are bound with silk. 
Cookiug Oyster*. 
If the lady will turn to page 31 of the 
Rural New-Yorker, January 8, 1870, she 
will find full directions for cooking oysters 
in seven or eight different ways. In asking 
for information it is well to ascertain if it 
has not already been given. 
- . . . -- —— 
“SCIENCE IN CANNING FRUIT.” 
When the Rural New-Yorker of Sept. 
10th arrived, I had my peaches gathered for 
canning; so, remarking to some lady friends 
present that it must he delightful to have 
fresh peaches in the winter with so little 
trouble aud no expense, I, without stopping 
to theorize, proceeded at once to be practi¬ 
cal, by putting up one can (having but few 
peaches) in pure cold water brought fresh 
from the bottom of the well at the moment 
of filling; and as I found the method in a 
paper whose recipes had never yet failed me, 
I carefully put them away, and entirely for¬ 
got them, until to-day’s Rural, Oct. 8lh, 
was brought in containing Julia Coi.man’s 
experience. This brought them to my mind. 
So thinking, of course, mine were spoiled, 
too, I hastily brought them to the light, but 
was gladly surprised to full! them, to all ap¬ 
pearance, as fair aud fresh as when first put 
up—about four weeks ago. And they seem 
as likely to keep as those from which the air 
was excluded. I sincerely hope the method 
will prove successful, as It will save us 
housekeepers a deahof warm work, besides 
enabling us to treat our families and friends 
to nice fresh peaches in the winter, instead 
of cooked ones, as now.—II. M. Gray. 
Julia Colman objects to the “ unreason¬ 
able and unscientific ” recipe for canning 
peaches given by L. A. T. (I will here take 
occasion to say that “ he” wears crinoline.) 
Now, I do not care if a thing is not ad¬ 
mittedly scientific, so long as it can be done; 
and knowing that peaches can be, and are, 
canned in the way directed, and considering 
it an easy method, I wished to let it be 
known. If I attempt to do anything and 
fail, anil another person attempts it and suc¬ 
ceeds, I am unscientific enough to think it 
can be done. 
I have never put up my peaches in this 
way; but 1 have a sister who last year 
canned nearly all her peaches in this way 
and a number of other ladies in her vicinity 
did the same, and they did not spoil. Are 
there uo lady readers of the Rural New- 
Yorker who have tried it, who will report? 
“ Thinking” certainly doss pay in regard 
to women’s work. Being a woman myself, 
I should be the last one to attempt to impose 
on them. 
It is still considered by many as utterly 
“unscientific and unreasonable” to put up 
fruit without heating the cans and setting in 
hot water after screwing the lids down 
lightly, &c., &c. Nevertheless it can lie 
done. A lady friend of mine this year put 
up thirty-three glass cans of fruit without 
either heating the cans, or placing them in 
water after they were filled ; and they have 
not fermented. She last year did the same 
way. Why not save yourself work, whether 
the method of doing it be scientific or other¬ 
wise ?■—L. a. x. 
-- 
SELECTED RECIPES. 
iUiikiua Sour Itvaul. 
This is the appropriate season for mak¬ 
ing sour kraut, which Is not only a prepara¬ 
tion of cabbage highly relished by many, 
but an easy and economic method of keep¬ 
ing cabbage ready for use through the win¬ 
ter. Tlie Germantown Telegraph, good au¬ 
thority, gives the mode of making as follows: 
“In the first place, let your * stand,’ holding 
from a half a barrel to a barrel, be thoroughly 
scalded out; the cutter, the tub and the 
stamper also well scalded. Take off all 
the outer leaves of the cabbages, halve them, 
remove the heart, and proceed with the cut¬ 
ting. Lay some clean leaves at the bottom 
ofthe stand, sprinkle with a handful of salt, 
fill in halfahushel of cut cabbage, stamp gent¬ 
ly until the juice just makes Us appearance, 
Mien add anotlier handttill of salt, and so on 
until the stand is full. Cover over with cab¬ 
bage leaves, place on top a clean board fit¬ 
ting the space pretty well, and on top of 
that a stone weighing twelve or fifteen 
pounds. Stand away in a cool place, and 
when hard freezing comes on remove to t he 
cellar. It will he ready for usu in from four 
to six weeks. The cabbage should be cut 
tolerably coarse. The Savoy variety makes 
the best article, but it is only half as produc¬ 
tive as the Drumhead aud Flat Dutch.” 
Sail Water Cm rum Iter*. 
A correspondent of the South Land tells 
how these are made:—“Procure say fifty 
cucumbers, (more or less,) fully grown but 
not too ripe. Pack them in close layers, in 
a stone Jar or clean keg, putting between 
each layer of cucumbers other layers of 
grape leaves, sweet fennel, and dry pods of 
red pepper. Then take weak salt and water, 
(not brine ;) pour this over all, so as Lo cover 
well, and in ten or twelve days they will he 
fit to use. A heavy weight of stone, marble 
or similar substance {not iron) must be put 
on top of the pickles, so as lo keep them at 
all times under the liquid. Try them—they 
are good! 
N'MiiriHliinir Jt-lly for Invalid*. 
The following is Dr. Bailey’s recipe from 
the Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine: 
One pint of port wine, two ounces of isin¬ 
glass, two ounces of white sugar candy, one 
ounce of gum arnbic, and half a nutmeg, 
grated; these ingredients to be put in a jar, 
and the jar to he put into a saucepan of 
warm water, anil allowed to boil until all is 
dissolved. It, must be stirred continually, 
but need not be strained. When cold, it will 
be a firm jelly, a piece of which about, the 
size of a nutmeg, may be taken at any time. 
Fried Chicken*. 
Annie Lee, in Germantown Telegraph, 
gives the following :—Cut up the chickens 
and lay them in cold water to extract the 
blood. Wipe them dry, season with pepper 
and salt ami dredge them with flour. Fry 
in lard to a rich brown; lake them out and 
keep them near the tire; skim the gravy 
carefully in which the chickens have been 
fried, mix with it half a pint of cream, season 
with mace, pepper, salt anil parsley. 
Aim>Iv Short Cuke. 
Pare and slice tart apples enough to fill 
two round pie plates, then make a crust of 
one teacupful of cream, salt and soda, roll 
an upper crust, put on, and bake; when 
done turn bottom upwards; put on sugar 
enough to taste; then turn again and so on, 
To be eaten warm. 
it iintt ii a: Pudding- 
One pound of currants, one of raisins, one 
of suet, half pound of sugar, quarter pound 
of citron, ten eggs, one loaf of bread grated, 
a little mace, not quite half pint of milk, 
and enough Hour to make it the consistency 
of batter pudding; two wine glasses of 
brandv, and a little salt. 
-♦♦♦- 
Domestic Inquiries.—H. H. Ware wants to 
know how to properly euro dried beef. —S. 
writes:—“ Will some of the readers of the Ru¬ 
ral New-Yorker tell me how to cook a pie 
melon? I have one that weighs thirty-one 
pounds, but do not know tiow to use it.” 
tflobrs anb jflanntrs. 
_ 
MINTWOOD’S CONVERSAZIONE. 
L. S., Mount Pleasant.—You made a wise 
choice. You can repair your old black silk 
with other old black silk, put on in frills or 
puffs with the edges pinked; or in side ptail¬ 
ings; add a basque, Skirt, or frill to the belt, 
and if you are not tall, no tunic will be 
needed. If you had been more explicit iu 
telling how the dress is now made, it would 
be more easy to advise you. A pretty and 
suitable 
Wedding Dress 
for your sister would be a mauve Irish or 
American poplin, or one of ashes of roses or 
salmon. Make with a medium train, basque 
waist, pointed or square throat, and flowing 
sleeves; trim with plaitings or frills of the 
same, with the added garniture of velvet a 
shade darker than the poplin. If she cannot 
afford real lace for the neck and sleeves, get 
instead fine blonde or tulle (or Brussels net) 
for full standing plaited frill around the 
neck, and with similar frills on the flowing 
undersleeve. 
For Hacqucs, 
the most stylish are made of black cash- 
mere, trimmed with black lace and gimp, 
fringe or plaitings of the same. They are 
cut the same as last, summer, open up to the 
waist in three tabs at the back, which are 
one-third of a yard in length; sailor collar 
and flowing sleeves. These sacques are 
worn with dresses of all colors, and are con¬ 
sidered very stylish. They can be lined and 
made sufficiently warm for winter. Instead 
of cashmere, some use thibet or merino. 
The difference in t lie three is more of quality 
than of difference in the manufacture, Very 
fine cashmere, nearly two yards wide, can 
he had for $9,75 per yard. 
lives* Youv Hall- 
according to directions given to “.Tenettk” 
in Rural New-Yorker of Oct. 15th. A 
“Chinese” braid is simply a tluee-strand 
braid. Braid your hair loosely, so ns to 
give as much width to the braids as possible. 
Chignons have had their reign, and arc 
rapidly disappearing. 
“ Fnwli tunable Supomcviplinn,” Again. 
An individual signing himself “ Justice,” 
and writing from one of the down town 
streets of this city, takes exception to the 
information given “ Miss Curiosity,” as fol¬ 
lows:—“I am exceedingly surprised that 
you should have committed such a gross 
blunder in answer to‘Miss Curiosity’ on 
‘ Fashionable Superscription 1 f usage is 
any criterion then you have no authority 
whatever for your statement. The fuel is 
that throughout the whole of the Uuiou 
none hut the merest, * gremlins,’ or the most 
disgusting advocates of the extreme Wo¬ 
man’s Rights Movement ever think of using 
their own names. And in the whole British 
Empire the use of a married lady’s name in¬ 
stead of that of her husband, would he con¬ 
sidered decidedly vulgar, etc.” 
“Justice” is hereby given the opportuni¬ 
ty of making a public confession of his own 
“ greenness” and “ vulgarity,” as the infor¬ 
mation given “Miss Curiosity” was entirely 
correct, and in full accordance with the 
usage among the most, refined and cultivated 
society. The mode lie so vehemently in¬ 
dorses was in use five or ten years ago, and 
is now a thing of the past, as it ought to be. 
It is true, and “dreadful” as it is true, that 
married women who have a “perfect hor¬ 
ror” of “ the extreme woman’s rights move¬ 
ment” still believe they have a “right” to 
their own sweet, womanly names, and proba¬ 
bly will, at least so long as to do so is 
“fashionable;” and nobody hut a sublime, 
self-conceited “greeny” would ever question 
the fitness of it. 
Tho Arm tor tlie l.ndy. 
Lotiiair wishes to know which arm is 
the proper one to offer a lady iu a prome¬ 
nade. [Tlie left one.] Also, should a gen¬ 
tleman page from the right to the left side of 
a lady, or the reverse, in walking with her, 
so she may have the inside of the walk? 
[Not necessarily. It is more agreeable to 
her for you to remain at her right, no matter 
in what direction walking. Moreover, it 
dispenses with an awkward proceeding.] 
Novelties In Wullcinsr Hiiitu, 
A recent display of walking suits was al¬ 
most entirely made up of “ odd” styles. A 
very dark green silk had four narrow ruffles 
on the bottom, hound on the bottom and 
faced at the top with black velvet. An over¬ 
skirt coming to the knee in front, and a little 
deeper in Lhe back, was covered with three 
deep bias flounces, the top one being gath¬ 
ered into the belt at tho waist; waist trim¬ 
med with wide aud narrow ruffles to match. 
A brown silk was similarly made, only the 
flounces were narrow at the bottom and 
wider at tbe top, being graduated between. 
One black siLk was covered with flounces* 
(eight inches wide, perhaps,) put on perpen¬ 
dicularly from the waist to the bottom of 
the skirt, where each one was rounded off 
into one scallop; on the front gored width 
I the flounces were applied in the usual hori¬ 
zontal manner. Where the perpendicular 
flounces met at the back, a broad perpen¬ 
dicular puff marked the union. With the 
wind blowing the right way—in the face— 
the flounce would lie back smooth as the 
feathers on an American hen, but if the re¬ 
verse—well 1 you have seen hens with their 
heads at the wrong end of the feather tips. 
An elegant costume was of a basque and 
tunic of violet plush trimmed with black 
lace, over a petticoat of black silk, with a 
straight plaited flounce of violet plush, 
headed with black lace. A serviceable suit 
was of gray waterproof, of light quality, 
with basque and tunic trimmed with gray 
worsted fringe, headed by a reverse plaiting 
of the goods; a row of plaiting and fringe 
was placed near the bottom of the lower 
skirt. 
Tho “Klirht” to Propose. 
Conditions these: — “ A young gentleman 
who has been quite attentive to me for some 
time is about to go very far away. I think 
he loves me, and I love him desperately , but 
nothing has passed between ns. He lias 
been attentive to other ladies also, but he 
seemed to take most to me. Is it ever right 
for a girl to make a proposal ? Would lie 
despise me for it? llow can I show him 
my sentiments in a ladylike way ? — 
Jennette.” 
It is more a question of taste than a right. 
Surely there is no wrong in so doing, if one 
leaves out the current opinion of womanly 
modesty. If he did not actually “ despise” 
you, it would undoubtedly affect Ids estima¬ 
tion of you in an undesirable way. Men are 
so conceited, you must remember, that if 
they find out a woman is “ dying’’ for them, 
tiiey at once place an increased valuation on 
themselves. If tho gentleman in question 
really loves you, he will undoubtedly tell 
you so; or make the confession in the first 
letter he writes after going “ far away from 
you, Jennette.” You can show him your 
sentiments by acting naturally and not af¬ 
fecting the reverse of what you feel. If he 
has the eyes of a—mau, he cun read the 
language of yours. At all events, you better 
not “ propose.” 
About Kid Cloven. 
Margaret Pearl —Yes, kid gloves are 
“going up” in price at a fearful rate. They 
have already advanced twenty live per cent., 
so that a pair of good two-buttoned black 
kids cost. $2.75. It is not that the French 
fight in kill gloves,(although one might have 
inferred so from their successive initial de¬ 
feats,) but the difficulty of gening goods 
from France now is so great, is the cause of 
tlie rise in price. “ Why are kid gloves 
always so expensive?" It is said that one 
of the leading merchants of Now York has 
an immense tract, of land in Scotland or 
Germany—somewhere in Europe—entirely 
devoted to the raising of goals; that the 
best kid is only obtained by the sacrifice of 
two lives, the mother goal being killed be¬ 
fore the kid is horn, so that the skin of the 
young kid may he obtained in its finest 
elastic condition. If this be true, it seems 
wicked for one to wear kid gloves. But 
wicked or not, it is a constant source of 
amazement to observe the universal wearing 
of them. Due may go out morning, noon 
or night, and nearly every man and woman 
will look as if having just donned a new 
pair of gloves of tlie moat exquisite shades. 
On account of their present expensiveness, 
gloves in other material will undoubtedly lie 
manufactured In an unusually attractive 
style for winter wear. 
Veil*. 
Rate.—V eils have been almost entirely 
discarded for the past few months. Since 
the advent of cool days, a few have been 
seen—a narrow strip of blue, green, or gray 
silk grenadine, deep enough to just reach 
below the chin, aud of the width of the 
goods. 
--- 
WALKING TOILETS. 
(See Engraving, Page 289 this No.) 
1. Dress of iron-gray poult-de-soie. The 
skirt, is trimmed with five bands of black 
velvet, piped on each side; grey sill; second 
skirt, round In front and forming two long 
points ou each side and behind, trimmed 
with a piped hand of velvet and wide tassel 
fringe. High bodice with round waist, or¬ 
namented with bauds of velvet in front to 
simulate braces, aud velvet waistband. 
Sleeve with deep cuff, trimmed to match the 
upper skirt. Hat of black straw, trimmed 
with black velvet, and curled feather. 
2. Dress of light green poult-de-soie, with 
trimming forming a second skirt composed 
Of dark green pleating, rounded on each side 
and ornamented with bows of the same 
shade. The pleating is about eight, inches 
wide at the sides, and gets gradually wider 
towards the center of the back, so as to 
simulate a train tunic. Bodice with long 
basque iu front and very short, behind, 
trimmed with dark green pleating. Waist¬ 
band of dark green, with long fringed ends. 
Pagoda sleeves trimmed to match. Hat of 
black straw, trimmed with velvet and a 
green feather. 
iggrmrc Information. 
COFFEE DRINKING. 
The effect of coffee drinking upon the 
nerves of some people is astonishing. During 
the years of my childhood, people gave their 
children as strong tea and coffee as thoy 
drank themselves; many persons, unfortu¬ 
nately, follow the same rules to-day, and 
would hardly deem their children well treat¬ 
ed otherwise. 
During those years of strong, unadulter¬ 
ated codec, 1 was regularly subjected to at¬ 
tacks ot the most morbid mental depression 
over experienced, and only to bo surpassed 
by tbe agony of delirium tremens. My suf¬ 
ferings were ascribed to general ill-health. 
For several reasons, I drunk no coffee for a 
year or so, and did not notice the change in 
Hly spirits until visiting, or visitors, seemed 
to make the cup of coffee indispensable. 
What was my horror, to find myself sinking 
into tlie gloom and despondency of the past, 
and which 1 hoped would cloud my spirits 
no more. Still I did not trace the effect di¬ 
rectly to the cause, until repeated trials dem¬ 
onstrated tlie fact beyond doubting. 1 said 
to myself, “ What can he the cause of these 
horrors of mind? Why does this blackness 
of darkness surround me? Sjowly the truth 
crept into my mind, and being of a doubting 
as well as of an investigat ing turn of mind, L 
thoroughly proved the sutlcring, in my own 
ease, to originate in coffee drinking. There¬ 
fore there is no more fellowship between that 
product of nature and myself. 
Running parallel with my own case comes 
the experience of a lady friend, as related to 
me about a year ago. Said she: 
“ I never suffered so much in my life as I 
did the summer that I worked for Mrs.-. 
1 was in such a frame of mind as 1 never 
could wish my worst enemy to endure. I 
thought that 1 had no friend on earth, or in 
Heaven. 1 could only groan aloud when 
about my days’ work, and wept myself to 
sleep every night. I knew that, simple weari¬ 
ness never would bring such suffering. By 
times I thought that I should become in¬ 
sane. I could sec uo use nor beauty ill the 
world ; I grew tbiu and pale, and felt as if 1 
should die.” 
“What was your food at that time?” I 
asked her. “ Did you eat of the rich viands 
which Mrs. - set before her boarders?” 
“ Eat ?" sin; exclaimed, “ 1 could eat posi¬ 
tively nothing; scarcely more than the value 
of a cracker a day.” 
“ Did yott work on this diet alone?” 
“No; I worked, 1 suppose, wholly on 
coffee,” she replied. “ It was very rich, and 
it. was my whole sustenance—a cupful three 
times a day." 
“ The secret of your unhappiness is mani¬ 
fest,” 1 answered, relating, as proof, my own 
experience, 
After reflecting a moment, she went on: 
“ You must h« right, for now I remember 
that after suffering this unspeakable torture 
of mind until suicide seemed really a tempt¬ 
ing relief, 1 left Mrs.-, and went to visit 
an aunt in U-. She used uo coffee in her 
family, and I immediately began to regain 
my cheerful spirits and hopeful views of life 
aud living.” 
So far so good. Now, let those gloomy 
persons who generally carry a face as cheer¬ 
less as a tombstone, earnestly impure into 
their food and manner of living, to see if 
they may not thus discover the reason of the 
world having such a jaundiced hue iu their 
eyes. Mrs. C. 
--- 
RULES FOR BATHING. 
Thebe arc Dr. Hall’s directions for in¬ 
dulging in this luxurious necessity for every 
Christian. Other doctors would probably 
give other directions. These are worth 
thinking about, at least: 
1. Bathe quickly, wipe dry, and walk off 
rapidly, all within ten minutes. 
2. It is dangerous to bathe when tired or 
at bed-time; hence, it is better to make a rule 
to bathe before breakfast, when the system 
has been rested by a night’s sleep. 
3. Before bathing, wash the face, hands 
and head in cold water. 
4. Do not bathe within two hours after eat¬ 
ing a bill meal; death lias often resulted 
from Inattention to this rule. 
5. Cold water baths are hurtful under all 
circumstances to very young or very old 
people; to invalids. to consumptives, to 
those subject to spitting blood. It. is the 
safest rule that a woman should never take 
a cold hath other than to rub the whole sur¬ 
face quickly with a soft, towel, dipped in 
water pressed out; lay the towel smooth on 
the hand, and rub quickly the whole body, 
within ten minutes. 
The general health of mankind would be 
most benefited by avoiding all cold water 
or sea-bathing, and take but one bath a 
week, and that in a room not under seventy 
degrees, on Saturday night, using warm wa¬ 
ter, soap, and a common new scrubbing- 
brush, bristles at least three-quarters of an 
inch long; wet tho body all over with wa¬ 
ter; then rub a piece of soap Over the brush, 
and with it rub the body with a will, as far 
as can be reached in every direction, rapid¬ 
ly ; then rinse off and wipe dry with a cot¬ 
ton towel at least a yard square; this Laves 
the skin more perfectly dry than common 
linen or crash towel; the whole operation 
should be performed within ten minutes; 
the water should be at least eighty degrees; 
this kind of bathing certainly cleanses the 
skin, stimulates tlie surface, and leaves the 
body in a safe condition. 
Temperature for baths—cold hath, 50 J ; 
tepid bath, 70°; warm bath, 90°; hot bath, 
110°; vapor hath, 13(L. 
