OORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
<§<ratt8thf dSgirmratg. 
KITCHEN vs. SOMETHING ELSE. 
At a late indust rial aid society meeting in 
Chicago, III, the usual stock lament over 
woman’s averseness to kitchen work was not 
permitted to go unchallenged. Rev. Mr. 
Parkhurst was the first to touch the kitchen 
question and to mourn over the tendencies 
of women toward the stores and the work¬ 
shops. while his wife had to send to Scotland 
for domestics. This gentleman, if we may 
believe the reporter, wound up by saying 
that “all that woman had that made her 
more than the merest piece of property was 
Christianity,” which was a queer way of say¬ 
ing that the elevation of woman is largely 
due to Christianity, while that of mau is d le 
—to himself, eh ? Rev. Robert Collyer 
thought it was “a sad fact” that njt an 
American girl had taken service in his 
kitchen for twenty years, although he would 
rather work for Mrs. Collyer than for 
Queen Victoria! But the women in the 
audience had stood this talk long enough. 
One of them said she was “glad to know 
that American women abhorred kitchen 
work.” Mre. Swisshelm said woman was 
what man had made her, and should the 
clay say to the potter—” Why am I thus V ’ 
Miss Anna Hulett, attorney-at-law, said she 
did not see why women should be relegated 
to the kitchen. She herself had fought her 
way from the kitchen to a position where 
she was earning $8,500 per year instead of $3 
a week, and she didn’t blame the American 
girl for fighting shy of the kitchen, in fact 
the kitchen party got rather severely I 
handled. 
HOW TO CLEAN TABLE LAMPS. 
Remove the shade carefully before you soil 
your hands with the oil. Provide a bottle of 
warm water (a little above blood heat), and 
in this first wash the glass chimney, then pour 
the oil from the fountain, and remove any 
sediment from about the brasB work ; screw 
up the wick, and if it is not long enough for 
the time it may probably be required to burn 
replace It with a fresh one, by means of the 
stick. Having washed all the brass work, 
wipe the parts carefully, screw everything in 
its former position, and take care, in replacing 
the wick, that the small notch at the side of 
the brass enters the groove which is sunk to 
receive it; turn it up and down once or twice 
to make sure that it works freely ; then prime 
it (t^at is, singe the top), replace the fountain 
(filled with oil), chimney, and shade; the 
lamp is now ready for use. 
Purchase the best oil; as the inferior 
qualities emit an offensive smell, and produce 
so much sediment that the delicate works of 
the lamps are quickly clogged, and the 
current of air impeded, which causes it to 
burn dimly, 
Occasionally it is necessary to wash the 
shade, which should be done in clean, luke¬ 
warm water, with the admixture of a little 
soda, which removes all the stains and does 
not injure the appearance of the ground 
glass. The glass chimneys will sometimes 
crack with the heat, particularly in frosty 
weather. This may be prevented by scor¬ 
ing a small notch in the glass at top and 
bottom. 
ORIGINAL RECIPES. 
Cleaning the Pcjdding or Mush Ket¬ 
tles—was a rather tedious task until I learn¬ 
ed to have the vessel well buttered in which 
it was cooked, and after taking up the 
pudding to fill the kettle with, water cover¬ 
ing it closely, leaving it on the stove where it 
would keep only moderately warm When 
these directions are observed the cleaning of 
the kettles is but a very small item. Thi6 
reminds me of an improved method, 
which I have lately tried, for washing 
vessels, in which milk has been scalded and 
scorched. (The rice or bread pudding pan, 
for instance.) Though very simple it saves 
patience and time. Put a handful of ashes 
in the vessel and a pint of boiling water 
Let it cook a few minutes, when it may be 
rubbed clean with a chip or cloth and then, 
washed as usual. 
Nice Graham Bread.— Make a sponge of 
two quarts warm sweet milk. (It is better to 
scald the milk and then cool it to the desired 
temperature before mixing,) % cup of good 
lively yeast and two quarts of sifted 
Graham flour made of clean, plump wheat. 
Let it stand in a warm place and when light 
add a cup of sirup or sugar, soda the size 
of a pea (rubbed into a part of the flour), and 
Graham flour until it becomes a very stiff 
batter. Put it into two deep tins or basins, 
after greasing them, and smooth over the 
top of the loaves with the hand wet in cold 
water. When they become sufficiently light, 
bake in a moderate oven about one hour. 
Minute Pudding.— Put two quarts of 
sweet milk into a kettle on the fire, and 
when it boils stir into it, a little at a time, 
sifted Graham flour until it forms a rather 
thin mush. Put a tigb r, cover over it, ait it on 
the top of the stove where it will not burn, 
and let it keep steaming hot for twenty 
minutes, when it may l;>e eaten—unless pre¬ 
ferred cold, as it is by a few persons. It is 
very nice when eaten with cream, sugar 
and jelly or preserves, or with cream and 
sugar, flavored with nutmeg or lemon. Some 
prefer it made of white flour instead of 
Graham, or of equal parts of each. 
Another Wav.—T wo quarts of sour milk 
not devoid of cream, )4 tea cup of sirup or 
sugar, four even teaspoonfuls of soda, dis¬ 
solved in a little boiling water. Stir into this 
nice Graham flour, as above until a very stiff 
batter is formed. Put into tins and bake 
immediately in a rather brisk oven for near¬ 
ly an hour. While Graham bread is so 
healthful, so cheap and easily made, and I 
there are such a variety of ways for making ^ 
it really delicious, we can but wonder that it 
does not find its way into every family.— 
Julia M. W. 
SELECTED RECIPES. 
Cooking Meat.—The time it takes to cook 
meat depends as much on the quality of the 
meat as on the fire. Some persons like meat 
more done than others ; in many cases you 
must consult your own taste or that of your 
guests. Beef, lamb, mutton and game may 
be eaten rather underdone, according to 
taste; domestic fowl must be properly cook¬ 
ed ; but pork and veal must always be over¬ 
done, or else it i3 very unwholesome, if not 
dangerous. 
Economy.— It is often from economy that a 
woman washes meat, because some part of 
it does not look clean, instead of washing it, 
do not buy it; or if bonght, cut off a thin 
slice and throw it away ; it is more econmi- 
cal than washing the whole piece, which 
you partly destroy by the process. 
Hggtqmii information. 
NURSING THE SICK. 
BV HOPE EVERMORE. 
As my province is nursing a sick friend in 
these days, I prefer to write on that subject. 
It seems so grievous to see the strong arm 
made weak and helpless,' that one longs to 
remove all annoyances as well as to procure 
all the comforts which would be healthful 
for them. In doing this there should be no 
sharp or loud noises, no loud, coarse talking, 
no business matters transacted in the pres¬ 
ence of a sick person which would excite or 
weary them. No excitement whatever 
should be allowed in tneir presence. Those 
who administer to their wants should learn 
to move, quietly about, to speak in low, 
soothing tones, and refer everything , so far 
as is consistent, to their wishes. In some 
cases of chronio difficulties their wishes 
should be consulted in nearly everything. 
Where there is a very slender hold on life, a 
careless disregard of their wishes will nearly 
or quite snap the feeble thread asunder. 
How cruel to see the weak and helpless thus 
abused !—criminal indeed I —nothing short 
of it. And yet one sees mauy such cases in 
life. Heaven grant that they may be fewer ! 
One of the most pleasing sights in a happy 
family is to see the weak and helpless care¬ 
fully watched over and all their wants 
promptly supplied. No sad events or oruel 
practices which may have oocurred in the 
neighborhood should be spoken of in the 
presence of an invalid. Children should not 
be chastised, even justly, in their presence, 
unless they require it done. I have known 
persons to be much injured by this who 
could not bear to hear of the slightest cruel¬ 
ty, especially where there is trouble with 
heart disease. 
In preparing food for chronic invalids great 
care should be taken to do it as the patient 
requests, as he may be deprived of the nour¬ 
ishment he is much needing by a little disap¬ 
pointment of this kind, which might have 
been prevented by though tfuilness. Squeak¬ 
ing boots or shoes are inexcusable in a sick 
room. Standing or passing between the sick 
one and any object he may wish to look at 
is often annoying. There should be no ap- 
, parent hiding of anything from him — no 
i mystery about anything talked of. 
Sometime* kind friends throng a sick 
' room thoughtlessly until the patient is almost 
deprived of breath. This should be better 
understood than it is by many persons. 
L “ Visiting the sick ” is a rather much-abused 
, practice. I have known patients to be so 
• annoyed by visitors on the Sabbath that 
i they really dreaded to have the day arrive, 
when otherwise they would have rejoicod at 
its coming, because the family would have 
no work about on that day. (For be it known 
there are many families who read the dear 
Rural who have not rooms enough to se¬ 
clude their sick entirely from all household 
matter?.) Many persons will understand 
ail this and exercise prudence by making 
short, quiet calls on the sick, leaving some 
little delicacy which makes glad an invalid, 
even though he can scarcely taste it. There 
are too many, especially in newly-settled 
regions, who have mistaken ideas of kind¬ 
ness to the sick, and weary them when they 
should only make them glad. I have known 
persons to be so unwise as to call on the sick 
late at night, just when the weary nurses 
| had made ready for a little sleep and were 
I in no wise prepared to receive callers or to 
be disturbed in any way. No person will do 
this after watching with the sick night after 
night until worn out for want, of sleep. It is 
much better for the family to take care of 
their own sick, if a part can sleep early and 
be ready to change off with others and let 
them rest in the lartter part of tha night. In 
such cases it is exceedingly annoying to 
nurses, as well as invalids, to have oallera 
late in the evening. Do not call on the sick 
at night, unless especially requested to do so. 
See to it often that the air of the rooms is 
fresh and invigorating. If you have no 
chance for draft in the room through win¬ 
dows and doors, you may do much good by 
swinging violently a paint-leaf fan for fifteen 
minutes or more. I have learned this within 
the last year from necessity, and have bean 
astonished at the result of it. Putting Bitch 
pieces of bedding out of doors awhile as can¬ 
not be washed, and oven heating them by 
the fire when the weather is not pleasant. Is 
a good way to air them. No water should 
be used for culinary purposes, or even for 
bathing, after remaining in the sick room. 
Great care should betaken in keeping every¬ 
thing cleanly, ns well as removing all dis¬ 
charges immediately from the room. What¬ 
ever kind of spittoon is used should be thor¬ 
oughly cleansed at least t.wico eaeh day. 
Much more depends upon this watchfulness 
than many inexperienced nurses suppose, 
and many persons fall sick from this and 
similar causes, and diseases are supposed to 
be contagious when they are—many of them 
—only communicated by a lack of care and 
cleanliness. 
Make everything as bright and cheerful 
about the invalids' room as possible. Deco¬ 
rate it with your prettiest pictures and flow¬ 
ers, and if possible bring fresh flowers every 
day to gladden them. Let them see and 
hear of only the beautiful and lovely in life, 
gently shielding them from all its dark and 
shadowy phases. 
- 
VENTILATING A 8LEEPING ROOM. 
Is there any method of ventilating a sleep¬ 
ing-room without creating a strong draft ? 
Yes. Au open fireplace will do. A hole 
cut into the Chimney near the ceiling is a 
good plan. The following simple method for 
ventilating ordinary sleeping and dwelling- 
rooms is recommended by Mr. Hinton in his 
“ Physiology for Practical Use : ” 
“ A piece of wood three inches high and 
exactly as long as the breadth of the win¬ 
dow, is to be prepared. Let the sash be now 
raised, the slip of wood placed on the gill and 
the sash drawn closely upon it. If the slip 
has been well fitted, there will be no draft in 
consequence of this displacement of the sash 
at its lower part, but the top of the lower 
sash will overlap the bottom of the upper 
one, and between the two bars perpendicu¬ 
lar currents of air, not felt as draft, will 
enter and leave the room. —Herald of Health. 
--- 4 -*-*-- 
Swallowing Coin.— If a child swallows a 
coin need danger be feared, and should physic 
be given ? A us.—Generally when a coin is 
swallowed there.is little or no danger. If it 
happens to be a bronze, then there may be 
chemical changes that will cause copper 
poisoning ; otherwise, do not worry, for 
what will pass into the stomach will pass 
through. Avoid physio, it empties the 
bowels when they should be kept full by 
coarse food—as coarse bread, or something to 
distend and enlarge the digestive tube.—I. B t 
<$Itq Ityhtijkttt. 
CANDIED vs. ADULTERATED HONEY. 
Chan. Dadant writes the Bee World :— 
Some bee-keepers, finding that it is some¬ 
times difficult to sell candied honey, want 
to know how to prevent honey from granu¬ 
lating. No doubt candied honey is not 
as attractive a? liquid and clear honey; but 
candying does not change the taste, and if, 
by candying, honey lacks its beauty for the 
eyes, it gains another quality, viz., it; is more 
easily eaten than in a liquid state. 
But that is not the only benefit derived 
from the candying of honey, this property 
is the best safeguard against adulteration. 
Honey candies or granulates because it con¬ 
tains grape sugar. Sugar dregs do not gran¬ 
ulate because they are formed of cane sugar, 
which do not granulate but crystalizo. 
In Franco the Bale of liquid honey is im¬ 
possible, because the honey deal el's and 
their customers know that candied honey 
is not adulterated ; while liquid honey can 
contain all kinds of sugar drugs without the 
possibility, even for a chemist, of detecting 
the fraud. , 
It is, therefore, of great importance for 
the bee-keepers to inform the consumers 
that if they buy liquid honey, from Decem¬ 
ber to June, that they get a spurious article, 
or a mixture which has lost right to bo called 
pure or natural honey. 
When the majority of the consumers of 
honey of this country will be sure of this 
fact, the honey adulterators will have to 
seek another bui3tiess, and the bee-keepers 
wilt find an easy market and a full price for 
their extracted honey. 
•-*--*-•- - 
BEE-KEEPING IN RUSSIA. 
The following is an extract from “ Russia 
in the Nineteenth Century,” by Vou Th. von 
Leugenfeldt:—Bee-keeping is everywhere 
practised in Russia, more especially in Little 
Russia and New Russia. In the province of 
Pultawa (population 2,000,000), there are BOO, 
000 , and iu that of Yekarterinoslaw (popula¬ 
tion 105,000), 400,000 hives. In Western 
Russia it chiefly flourishes in the province 
of Knowue where the Tykmudo tribe are 
principally engaged in bee-keeping; und in 
Eastern Russia the Finnic tribes ore 
enthusiastic bee-keepers. In Siberia, the 
pursuit is mostly carried on about the Altai 
Mountains, and in Caucasia by the tribes of 
the Meretinzes and Grusinians. In South 
Russia artlflcal bee hives are used, whilst in 
North Russia the bees are kept in a natural 
manner in the forests. 
Iu former times Poland was celebrated 
for its bee culture, and is still now to some 
extent in the province of Lublin, having 
everywhere else fallen into decay. The 
reason why bee-keeping is so industriously 
carried on in Russia is twofold. First, be¬ 
cause the peasauts use honey instead of 
sugar; and secondly because the wax tapers 
to tha value of 1,300,000 rubies (nearly £1,- 
825,000) are required for the churches. 
Buschen state the quantity of honey annually 
produced in European Russia to bo 600,000 
to 700,000 lbs. (9,643 to 11,250 tons), and a 
proportionate quantity of wax. 
•--»♦■»- 
EXPERIMENTS WITH HONEY. 
A corespondent of the Scientific American 
has been experimenting to prevent honey 
candying, and states his experience as 
follows : During the past autumn, I have 
experimented as follows - I put up six l lb 
cans of beautiful Unden honey, being careful 
to make it into one homogeneous mass 
by stirring. It, was thrown from the combs 
by an extractor on July 20, and put into cans 
on August 1, The cans wore placed respec¬ 
tively as follows :—one in a dark, dry cellar, 
one each under shades of red, yellow, gr^pii 
and blue glass, and Che sixth can in full light. 
On November the honey in the cellar 
candied to a white. November 22 to De¬ 
cember 10, honey under colored shades 
candied, first, in ths red, next in the yellow, 
green and blue; while the honey in full 
light remained transparent until January, 
when it soon candled after exposure to 
intensely cold weather. From my experience 
an equal temperature would preserve certain 
kinds of honey, while other kinds would 
candy under almost any circumstances. 
I think bhat candied honey, instead of 
being looked upon with disfavor, should be 
recognized as evidently pure. I hope, how¬ 
ever, that the above experiments will lead 
others to follow up the light theory with 
beneficial results. 
