TO BELIEVERS IN DOMESTIC ECONOMY 
and fill it with proof gin. Leave out the 
cork and stand it neat-the tire until dissolved. 
When it is needed, stand the bottle in a cup 
of warm water. It can also be used to mend 
broken glass or china. 
Skirt Trimming . — Alice Russell.—O n 
your old black silk skirt place around the 
bottom a bias flounce about seven inches 
deep. Do not get it too full. Above, a nar¬ 
row plaited ruffle a finger length deep; above 
this, two full puffs, slightly drooping. A 
bias band heads these, and a plaited stand¬ 
ing ruffle. 
Children's Hair. —Mrs. E. B. B.—Cut your 
little girl’s hair short in front, and let the 
front locks curl over the forehead. Gather 
the side hair back of the crown of the head 
and tie it with a ribbon. Leave the rest of 
the hair flowing. Do not crimp it if you 
desii^ to preserve its beauty. By brushing 
it over a stick with warm water, and letting 
it dry before combing it out, large waves 
can be secured, If your daughter has such 
abundant hair, do not permit her to do it up. 
Girls of her age wear the hair drawn loosely 
back from the sides of the face and caught 
with a little comb or a bow of ribbon. The 
ends of the hair are curled, and a ribbon bow 
confines them. The bow is tied at the. nape 
of the neck. Many young children have the 
front hair cut oil straight above tho fore¬ 
head and combed down perfectly fiat. 
Children’s Costumes. —Mrs. Ellen C.—A 
pretty costume is of bright blue cashmere,, 
with two box plaiting* caught half way 
down, the ends loose. Over this is worn a 
little black silk over-dress, with a bodice cut 
with a slashed basque. The over-dress Is 
trimmed with a ruffle, bound on each edge 
with blue velvet. A full niching is placed 
around the neck. These over-dresses are 
very popular, and may bo made of muslin 
and. lace for children’s parties. 
Kindergarten . — Mother. —Your determi¬ 
nation to attend to the education of your 
own little family is very praiseworthy, and 
you will find no method more successful 
than the kindergarten. Miss Elizabeth Pea¬ 
body" has paid much attention to this sub¬ 
ject, and her works will give you many val¬ 
uable hints. We have seen it work in great 
perfection on the Continent. The children 
study by means -of objects, such aR blocks, 
printed cards, pictures, sticks, stones, prints; 
but better than all, they spend much time 
in play, and tor them many charming plays 
and songs have been invented. We would 
suggest that you would find it very pleasant 
to include in your little family school two or 
three of the children of your friends, as even 
brothers and sisters grow weary of contin¬ 
ual companionship. 
Garniture.— Flora Macdonald.— Buckles 
of jet, oxydized silver and steel are in com¬ 
mon use. Sometimes a dozen are seen on 
one dress. Horse-shoes are another favorite 
style. They come in immense sizes, but we 
cannot Indorse any style so pronounced. A 
buckle should never be used except when 
apparently there is reason for a buckle. 
Amy. — This word is but the 
Thanks to all of those who have contrib¬ 
uted to this Department in tunes past; it 
lias been filled with as many good recipes 
and sensible articles upon Domestic Economy 
as have ever appeared in any periodical 
published. Its recipes have been perhaps 
more widely quoted than those of any journal. 
We take little of this credit ourselves. It is 
due to the fact that the Rural's Housewives 
arc women of practical experience and intel¬ 
ligence, and interchange their knowledge 
with each other through these columns. 
This, we earnestly hope they will continue 
to do during 1 STL, as much for their owu 
sakes a.s for ours. 
SLEEP FOR WIVES 
FLOWERS ON THE TABLE 
‘ Blessed be the man who first invented 
sleep "—Sancho Vanza. 
11 Men folks!” I want to talk to you, a 
moment, so please read tliis, and if you don’t, 
I iiope your wife will call your attention to 
it. Have you a wife who goes about in a 
listless, spirit lassfashion, as though she could 
but just drag herself about I Or is she cross 
and fretful, and do you wonder how she 
came to have such a temper ? Ten to one, 
all she needs to make her bright and happy, 
is rest, sleep and loving words. In the ton, 
fifteen or twenty years of your married life 
has she not worked as faithfully as you? 
A man’s work is harder than a woman’s, but 
not so hard for him as hers is for her, she 
being the “weaker vessel.” A woman's 
work tires the brain more than a man's. 
(I should say that I am talking particularly 
at farmers). But men are not fond of think¬ 
ing so, therefore wc will say that she hus 
worked as hard as you have. Besides this 
work has she not borno and reared your 
children for you ? How much of the trouble 
and care of these children have you shared t 
Who has attended to their wants each night, 
while you lay sleeping and resting for to¬ 
morrow’s work i Very few nights of sound, 
refreshing sleep does that wife get. Often 
she does not get to bed until long after you 
are asleep, and she la up betimes in tho 
morning. Some men arc selfish enough to 
let tho wife build the fire ; but you don’t, of 
course. Through all the work of the day 
there is baby to tend, perhaps carry, and the 
other little ones claim their share of moth¬ 
er’s attention. Is it any wonder she is worn 
out and cross ? 
What is tho remedy ? Hire efficient help, 
that the wife who has passed a restless night 
may take advantage of baby’s morning nap 
and have one of her own. Or, If she choose, 
lie down in the afternoon and make up the 
lost sleep. You can afford ft if you will. Do 
you begrudge a hundred dollars n year for 
your wife’s comfort and health ? If you 
really cannot afford it, then remember your 
marriage vows, and share, yourself, the bur¬ 
den. It is but just. Does she not have all 
tho suffering ? Why should you not help her 
in the care of your children ? Her rest is 
broken quite enough by the baby in her 
arms. Do you attend to the wants of the 
trundlebed, or the child crying with earache ? 
She will thank you for it in her heart, and 
with words, if neglect hasn't driven kind 
words from your home. You can’t work 
without plenty of sleep ? She does. And 
you are a selfish old bear if you brhig in that 
for an excuse. Many men do it, “ all honor 
to theta.” There is love for them in the 
hearts of their wives worth more than a 
dozen farms. 
My dear sir, you may not be so very bad ; 
I presume you are not. But there are, alas ! 
only too many homes, of which I have given 
a correct picture. In MW I spent the night 
in a farm house in Iowa. Seventeen yeai’s 
the family had lived on that farm. There 
were seven boys, varying in age from sixteen 
to two. The wife was a wee little body, thin 
and careworn, and hard at work. The hus¬ 
band was a large, robust, burly iooldng man. 
One would think ho might last a gen¬ 
eration yet. He look the place ncunest 
the lamp and spelled out the words in his 
paper, while she sowed on the dimly-lighted 
side of the table. They were “ well-to-do,” 
but the most common conveniences about 
the house, wore lacking. It needed no tell¬ 
ing, to know how “things went” in that 
house. Why, no valuable breeding mare 
would ever bo worked as some men work 
their wives! 
Give women their home rights ; help them 
to bear their burdens ; give them a few kind, 
loving words, every day, and you will have 
healthier and happier wives, children and 
homes. Aunt Phebe. 
A question now being discussed in the 
Rural New-Yorker with regard to adorn¬ 
ing our tables with flowers, deserves further 
notice. For many years ray husband was 
engaged in a manufacturing business that re¬ 
quired a great many laborers, most of whom 
became inmates of our house. These men 
were in the aggregate poor, illiterate and 
untutored ; yet among them all I think 
there was not one who did not in a short 
time become interested in the flowers by 
which our home was surrounded, and whose 
eyes did not brighten at the sight of a beau¬ 
tiful bouquet of flowers on tho tabic. Par¬ 
ticularly have T noticed this when, scarcely 
more, than aroused from their heavy slum¬ 
bers, they came lagging to their morning 
meal, and we're met at the table by tho fra¬ 
grant perfume of the dew-laden flowers 
placed there to give them pleasure. Often 
was the vase passed from one to another 
that all, hungry and sleepy though they 
might be, might feast the eyes and the senses 
first on tho fragrant and the beautiful. Often, 
when my time wasso limited, or the weather 
too inclement for me to gather the flowers, 
the one among those men apparently the 
most uuinteresting, would be the one to re¬ 
quest. the privilege of gathering flowers for 
the table. 
I doubt not that just as often as flowers 
came upon my table, just so often did those 
hard-working men begin their day’s labor 
with a sure armor against one-half of its 
weariness. My only regret npw is, that I 
ever allowed want of time or inclination or 
the pressure of multiplied cares to prevent 
me from adding to lives in which there was 
too much of life’s labors and not enough of 
its beauties. 
It is a great mistake prevalent among us, 
that men whose minds are filled with anxious 
thoughts of business cares, or those whose 
hands are hardened and limbs never wearied 
with incessant toil, neither admire, nor ap¬ 
preciate such thiugs. There is inherent, in 
every human mind a “love of the beauti¬ 
ful ;” and if to their lives have come adverse 
circumstances, apparently driving from their 
over-burdened hearts and toil-wearied souls 
all pleasure in the beautiful, which an All- 
Loving Hand has scattered so profusely along 
our earthly pathway, it. is a duty which we 
owe, not only to them but to the world in 
which their lives must make its impress, to 
make them for a time forget their cares and 
their weariness by giving them something 
which, if only for a moment, may lighten 
their monotonous hours and awaken in their 
seared hearts the love of God’s A11-Beauti¬ 
ful now dormant, yet existing there. It is 
so little for us to do, and may be so much to 
them ! So let U3 grvo to our tables, homely 
though the viands may be, tho enhancing 
influence of fragrant and beautiful flowers. 
It may be the only way we may win an in¬ 
fluence over a wayward heart ! 
Aunt Lou. 
DOMESTIC BREVITIES 
Salads for Winter.— What do Rural read¬ 
ers do for fresh salads in winter ? ■ I wish 
some of them would tell.—M ary G. P. 
Pickling Onions — Will some practical 
housewife, give a recipe, through the Rural, 
for pickling onions. —o. l. 
COSTUME FOR A YOUNG LADY, 
The engraving (see page 13) illustrates a 
costume for a young lady. The material is 
bronze cashmere. The jacket-bodice opens 
over a vest of bronze velvet. Tho over-dross 
and jacket are bound with bronze velvet. 
The former is looped by a cashmere sash, 
which knots underneath the*l'olds half way 
down. The sash is trimmed with heavy knot¬ 
ted fringe. A bow of bronze ribbon is placed 
on the right shoulder, hanging down behind. 
The collar is large and square in the back. 
VIDE POGHE HAMMOCK. 
For this little trifle (see page 13) to orna¬ 
ment a dressing table, make a light stand 
only in a rustic style, similar in shape to that 
of the illustration. Cut out in satin or meri¬ 
no two sides exactly alike of the shape 
given. These may be embroidered or braid¬ 
ed, and of any color one may desire. Fasten 
the two pieces on stiff card-boanfl, cut in the 
shape of a hammock. Unite the two by a 
band of silk, neatly sewed to each piece. 
Line the whole with a quilted silk lining, 
scarlet or blue, and conceal the seams by a 
thick ruche of ribbon. To attach the ham- 
mock to the frame, tie. It with ribbon bows, 
leaving it to swing loosely. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Hair ,— Annie B. —Doescrimping the hair 
with hot irons injure the color? It certainly 
changes the color, besides rendering it stiff 
and wiry. The best method of crimping 
the hair is on regular crimping pins, or 
braiding ir. with a string for the third plait, 
and pushing the hair up on the string. The 
crimps, however, must stay in one night. 
Of course for a sudden emergency heat must 
be applied. But we would advise our cor¬ 
respondent to anticipate her toilet as often 
as possible, and keep her crimps in braid. 
Drying Ferns. — [dally asks the best 
method of drying ferns. They should be 
placed between leaves of blotting paper, 
which, for the first few days, should be 
changed. It is convenient to have board 
covers the size of the blotting papers, which 
should be cub about six inches or a foot 
square, and laid an inch deep. Each leaf 
then having a paper to itself, the whole may 
be tightly fastened with a strap and buckle. 
When t he ferns arc perfectly dry they will 
be quite stiff. 
Neckties .— Sally,— Have we no new fash¬ 
ions in neckties? Wo presume this young 
lady has found out for herself how conven¬ 
ient and pretty are the soft ties of China silk 
I which 1 iave been so long in vogue. Of course 
the quality of the silk is much deteriorated, 
and they are consequently less pretty and 
cheaper. The newer ties, however, are in 
the same style. The silk is more lustrous 
and ribbed. The better class of ties arc 
trimmed with Valenciennes and black thread 
lace, arid are exceedingly pretty. This little 
addition auy lady oan make herself, and by 
washing carefully and ironing, old ties can 
be made even prettier than before. The 
water should be very hot, and very little 
soap used, which of course xnust be put in 
tho water—not on the tie. 
Shell Boats.—Mrs. Gordon.— If you find 
trouble in making your large shells stick, use 
a cement prepared of equal parts of alabas¬ 
ter aud whiting, and covered with Venice 
turpentine, reducing it to the consistency of 
strong gum water. For the small shells fill 
au ounce bottle three parts full of isinglass 
Reseda, 
French for mignonette, a pale green color, 
which bas been very fashionable. It is a 
great pity that our writers should resort to 
the use of French words when their equiva¬ 
lent is as well expressed in English, and 
much better understood. Taffetas is the 
lustrous silk now out of date ; Faille the 
heavy gros graine now in use. 
Pictures .— Angelica.— When you come to 
New York you will always be able to see 
fine pointings at Goupil’s, corner of Twen¬ 
ty-second street and Fifth avenue; Schaus’, 
on Broadway, below Eighth; Sxedicor’s, 
on the other side of Broadway, between 
Eighth and Ninth streets. You, in each 
case, will walk through the salesrooms to 
the galleries at the back. You should uot 
neglect visiting the Metropolitan Museum, 
on Fourteenth street, between Sixth and 
Seventh avenues. Here is the magnificent 
Ccsnola collection of Cyprian antiquities, a 
good collection of loan pictures of the mod 
ern school, and some interesting works of 
the old Flemish and Italian schools. On 
Mondays the museum is thrown open to the 
public gratis. 
Boots. — Aglaia. — Fancy boots are not 
worn; neither are they worn very high. A 
plain black buttoned boot, with broad sole 
aud heel, is the favorite style. For full 
dress, boots arc worn the color of tho dress. 
Kid boots arc more substantial than satin, 
and can be cl:anod. For dancing, boots arc 
made that lace on top, as they keep the boot 
firmer than buttons. Slippers are utterly 
useless on such occasions. They still have 
French heels and large satin bows. 
SALT RISING BREAD 
Here is a recipe for making this bread 
which answers a question asked not long 
since b$- a correspondent of the Rural New- 
Yorker : 
Put three teacups of water, as warm as you 
can bear your finger in, in a two-quart cup 
or bowl, and three-fourths of a teaspoonful 
of salt ; stir in flour enough to make quite a 
stiff batter; this is for the rising, or empty¬ 
ings, as some call it. Set tho bowl, closely" 
covered, in a kettle, in warm water, as 
“ warm as you can bear your finger in,” and 
keep it as near this temperature as possible. 
Notice the time when yon “set” your rising; 
in three hours stir in two Lablespoonfuls of 
flour, put it back, and in live and one-half 
hours from the time of setting, it? will be 
within one inch of the top of your bowl. It 
is then light enough, and will make up eight 
quarts of flour; make a sponge in t he center 
of y'our flour with one quart of water of the 
same temperature as rising, stir the rising 
into it, cover over with a little dry flour, and 
put it where it will keep very warm, and not 
scald; in three-fourths of an hour mix this 
into stiff dough ; if water is used be sure it is 
very warm, and do not work as much as 
yeast bread ; make the loaves a little larger 
and keep it warm for another three-quarters 
of an hour; it will then be ready to bake. 
While rising this last time have your oven 
heating; it needs a hotter oven than yeast 
bread. If these rules are followed, you will 
have bread as white as snow, with a light- 
brown crust, deliciously sweet and tender. 
HYGIENIC NOTES, 
Health for Women from Apiculture.—Mrs. 
Tupper says: — “It has proven to me of 
great benefit. I came West twelve y r ears 
ago, under sentence of speedy death from 
one jf New England’s best physician*, yet 
now rejoice in perfect health restored. More 
than to all other causes I attribute the change 
to the interesting occupation which lias kept 
me so much of the time in the open air, and 
paid me for being there. I most heartily 
recommend it to others, who are seeking 
either health or a pleasant and profitable 
employment.” 
