JAN. 8 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
27 
figures on It, giving It a brocaded appearance, but 
this only when you wish to mate a very elaborate 
affair. Silk, velvet, or ribbons with colored edges 
—nearly all black silk has a colored selvedge— 
contributes to a better effect. The smaller your 
pieces are, the prettier will be your quilt, but it 
Is best to use your pieces Just as you find them, so 
there will be no waste, and the chance shapes 
they are in will produce quite as gay and “ Japan¬ 
ese" an effect as any you could cut to order. OI 
course, when your blocks are done, your quilt is 
wadded and quilted. You have but to sew the 
blocks together and fasten the lining to the seams. 
The quilt may bo simply bound around, or a nar¬ 
row ruffle of “ nlnked ” silk may be sewed In be¬ 
tween the cover and lining to finish the edge. 
This ruffle should be ot various colored strips or 
slLk to match the cover. 
Scraps of silk may be used in this Baine way for 
making covers for sofa pillows, cushions for up¬ 
holstering chairs and stools, or for ornamenting 
the border of a curtain for a door. It is good 
economy to preserve pieces of silk. Wben once 
the work Is begun, progress Is very rapid, oa It 
forms very fascinating employment. A cover of 
this sort Is very nice to spread over an Invalid; It 
la light and warm, and the bright and curious ap¬ 
pearance It presents Is entertaining and amusing. 
I see no reason why pieces of worsted and even 
calico could not bB similarly worked up. if one has 
more time than money, or has little girls who need 
exercise with the needle and training as to ar¬ 
rangement and color. It Is more economical than 
to cut the pieces Into auy specified shape; while 
the sewing of the pieces forms also the quilting, 
and that is a great Item. 
DOMESTIC SERVICE. 
An impartial observer must often be Btruck 
while hearing the frequent complaints made 
now-a-days against servants, that that spirit 
of fair play ” so characteristic of Englishmen, Is 
a little lost sight of In their case. 
Surely all servants are not bad! 'There must be 
some good, bad and indifferent, as there are good, 
bad and Indifferent mistresses. 
In the choice of her servants a housekeeper must 
not be entirely guided by her Instinct and the Im¬ 
pression she receives at first Bight ot the person 
she wishes to engage. A pleasant voice and cheer¬ 
ful face are generally an indication of an obliging 
disposition. 
How can a young mistress be expected to train, 
or at least direct her servants, wben she has her¬ 
self but a superficial knowledge ot housekeeping 
and servants’ work? There Is no denying that 
servants will take every advantage of the laxliy 
of household reins. 
It Is really past understanding why mothers, 
who have their children’s future happiness so much 
at heart, should so mistake what Is for their real 
good, and allow them to grow up in Ignorance of 
their most serious duties In life. After leaving 
school a young girl’s time ought to be given up. 
not as It usually Is, in keeping up her "accom¬ 
plishments,” which ought to become from that 
time but a secondary object—but In acquiring a 
perfect knowledge of housekeeping, bo that she 
may become In deed, as well as In word, a“ true 
helpmeet.” 
To resume, then, The best servants are those 
who have been trained In a large establishment, 
under an orderly and methodical housekeeper, 
who Is herself responsible for the proper working 
of the house. This will show, therefore, that if 
the mistress ot an ordinary household Is desirous 
of having good servants, she must be her own 
housekeeper on a smaller scale. The amount of 
housework for each servant varies according to 
their number, and also greatly on the style In 
which the household Ut es. I n a household of small 
means a general servant,” which literally means 
everything useful, la usually employed. The 
amount of her work depends, of course, upon the 
kind of situation she occupies; if she be method¬ 
ical la her habits, does everything In Its proper 
time, keeps everything to its proper use, and puts 
everything in its proper place, she will greatly 
lessen her dally labor. 
in the household In which there is more than 
one servant, the cook, If&Ue has much cooking to 
do, cannot help with the housework; but she has 
generally to clean the kitchen, scullery, and all 
downstairs offices, as also the doorsteps, hall, and 
passages; she Is also expected to make her own 
bed and clean her bedroom. 
The housemaid has the care of the siding-rooms, 
bedrooms, staircase, and passage; she also washes 
the breakfast and tea things, cleans the crystal 
and plate, and answers the door, and waits at 
table. She should be provided with a closet on the 
bedroom landing, having hot and cold water taps, 
hooks for hanging her brooms, etc.; also a number 
of drawers, in which to keep her dusters, gloves, 
etc. 
The under-nurse has the care of the nurseries, 
lights the fire, cleans the grates, sweeps and dusts 
the rooms, makes ihe beds, bas charge of the ta¬ 
ble, and assists In washing and dressing the chil¬ 
dren, and helps In the mending. 
To discharge her various duties properly should 
he the aim of every conscientious servant: Indeed, 
it would be but reasonable, If the relations be¬ 
tween mistress and servant were based on the 
mutual accommodation principle, seeing they can 
not very well do without each other; and a good 
servant is not often wilting to leave a situation 
where she la well treated, even when tempted by 
higher wages elsewhere. Therefore, whculn the 
possession of good servants, a uilatre- will do well 
to study how to keep thefii.—Correspondent. 
- ♦- ■ 
FEMALE FARMING EXTRAORDINARY. 
Asa case ot extraordinary female farming, I 
Bend the following and ask can any town, county 
or state, In the United States beat or equal it ? in 
this township—McCamlsh—we have a lady, who 
thlfl season, with the assistance of her little girl 
alone, has broken the ground, harrowed, planted, 
and cultivated three times, sixty-five acres of 
corn—plowed the ground, harrowed twice, and 
drilled, thirty acres ot flax—done all the work of 
preparing the ground and putting In six acres of 
millet—harvested, with dropper, eight acres of 
wheat-plowed, prepared, and sowed the wheat 
stubble to buckwheat, has plowed the ground, 
harrowed three times and drilled, forty-five acres 
of fall wheat, which looks exceedingly well, with¬ 
out a skip, balk or bobble In the drilling—broken 
ten acres of prairie eod for next springs sow¬ 
ing to flax-put up, I4xu hills, two hundred 
neatly bunt and securely bound shocks of corn- 
fodder—kept a dairy of ten cows, an aptary of 
twenty stands of bees, done all of her own house¬ 
work for a family of three, and kept her house 
always presentable and in order. She weighs 
only uh pounds, and presents a Trail and delicate 
appearance. During the time she hasalsobroken to 
work and ride, four colts, and written three serials 
which have been bought, paid for, published and 
praised by a respectable journal. Her husband- 
well, lie does the dirty work on the farm, clerks at 
election occasionally, every ten years helps to 
enumerate the u. S. census, and writes poetry 
under tho sweet sounding nom de plume of “ Edg- 
erton.” 
These people are not growing rapidly rich, for 
unfortunately such is not the reward of farm la¬ 
bor; but they own a good little farm, free from 
encumbrance, and can look the human race 
squarely In the face with the happy consciousness 
" we don’t owe you*” W. F,, Jr. 
N. B. It Is proper to state that all the above 
farm work was done on three-horse and other 
riding Implements, except the corn cutting. 
Edgerton, Kan. Dec. 7, ’30. W. F. Jr. 
[The above Is a little startling. We are assured 
tho statements are true.— Eds. 
-.—+- ■»- * — - 
CONFEDERATE EXPEDIENTS. 
Any one having read a letter headed “ How 
Comfort may be had and the Fashions Followed,” 
and another “Dress Under Difficulties,” which 
was published in a Richmond paper will remem¬ 
ber, no doubt, the contrast to have struck them In 
an almost ludrleroua way. as to what is now con¬ 
sidered a necessarily decent appearance m society, 
and what was, during the late war, regarded as 
an elegant costume. I doubt, however, If the 
costly fabrics of to-day are worn with half the 
satisfaction, that the home spun costumes afford¬ 
ed the ladles of the confederacy when the indi¬ 
vidual taste of the wearer was alone consulted, 
and they vied with one another In Ingenuity of 
invention. 
Some of tne ladles plaited (heir own hats of spilt 
oat-straw and made them up with trimmings of 
straw, really displaying an artistic taste of which 
they might well be proud. Others developed a 
turn for manufacturing gaiters and slippers from 
scraps of black cloth, that was truly wonderful. 
Some made capa for their sons and brothers oi rab¬ 
bit skins; while the boys busied themselves during 
the day making candles for them lo pursue their 
various occupations at night. Tlic light given 
forth by these candles has no doubt Injured many 
eyes, but at that time they were considered lux¬ 
uries. They were made of beeswax and resin 
melted together, with a slack-twisted cotton 
wlc-k drawn through It several times, and wound 
Into a ball of which one end was drawn up and 
lighted. 
A lady of high positional the North, who was 
living at the South during the war, developed 
great Ingenuity In utilizing the material at hand. 
She originated the plan of using persimmon seed 
for buttons; for this Idea we gave her great credit 
aB they made quite a pretty finish to a neat calico 
dress. 
Serviceable mats tor the table were plaited from 
soft strips of white com shucks. 
Old scraps of black silk were utilized by cut¬ 
ting them into small squares, picking them up 
fine and mixing with cotton, which was spun, 
twisted, and knit Into soft and comfortable socks 
for the gentlemen. Eulalie, 
- »♦» -- 
Truth is mighty and has prevailed. See Its tri¬ 
umph in Hop Bitters. 
gmacstit (Brottoin]}. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE. 
ONE WEEK FROM MR3. CLAY’S JOURNAL. 
ANNIE L. JACK.. 
Wednesday.—A day in the city! It doe6 
one good once in a while to visit the busy 
thoroughfares and see the bustle and struggle 
amoug the citizens for their daily bread, or 
the wealth they covet. The faceB we meet 
have a preoccupied air, and are often deeply 
lined as if with care and anxiety. Business is 
the chief end of man and woman, too, there. 
You go into a store and they measure you by 
the length of your puroe, or the richness of 
your dress. How soon those clerks learn to 
kuow from whom to expect a purchase! al¬ 
though they are sometimes mistaken, and 
find the most money belongs to those whose 
appearance is plainest. I came home think¬ 
ing of these things and many others to add 
to our contentment. What a sure, safe way 
of living is this! The luxuries of the land are 
on >8 for the growing, and we have no fear of 
waut that the loss of a situation will cause to 
tho middle classes of a city. We are all the 
time engaged in the production of articles 
that every one must buy. Flour and potatoes, 
vegetables of all sorts, fruit, grain, aud cattle, 
with butter and cheese, are staples,'that will 
always command a market, even when peo¬ 
ple cannot afford new clothes or furniture. 
Let ua be thankful Then we have constantly 
around us what is of great value but cannot 
be found in citv streets,—the fresh pure air 
that greets us as soon as the cars leave those 
smoky environs. 
I think Ihe greatest drawback to country 
life where there is a growing family, Is the 
isolation. We read of the great singers, lec¬ 
turers, and other prominent stars who visit 
the large towns, and in our quiet homes envy 
the citizeu who with all these choice advan¬ 
tages within reach, is often too tired or too 
careless to atteud them. Our provincial 
towns or villages are too small to attract any¬ 
thing but a circus, or third-rate singers that 
only fill us with diBgust by giving us only 
the dry husks of what our r'onls crave, and 
so we plod on with this unfulfilled desire in 
our unsatisfied hearts. I have been thinking 
it would be a good plan to return in the Win¬ 
ter the visits our city friends pay us in Sum¬ 
mer, I suppose it is the experience of most 
of us that as soon as the “ Dog Days" come, 
city cousins arrive as if by a law of nature. 
They praise ouv cream, our fruit, our trees 
and fields, and accept the full benefit of our 
unwearying attentions. 8o I shall think it 
over, and another season try and avail myself 
of their Invitations to "come and see ns—do.” 
But I know from past experience what such 
things are to many a woman who cannot leave 
home for a night to attend to any of these 
concerts or lectures, and who feels that this 
loss deprives country life of half its worth 
when the long winter evenings come on. 
If it will be any help to such I will give the 
simple experience of one village in which a 
few of the scattered population determined to 
have some method of improvement and en¬ 
joyment among themselves. The one minister 
of the place was a young man of thoughtful 
temperament, whose heart was devoted to his 
work. With the aid of one or two who pos¬ 
sessed advantages In regard to books and 
magazines, a literary circle was stai ted, where 
the literature of the day was discussed, lessons 
given in elocution, and readers appointed to 
give chosen selections—interspersed with 
music, vocal and instrumental. The result 
was that in that village, where the young 
people had hitherto amused themselves with 
card playing and. small talk, a radical change 
took place, and all spare thoughts were cen¬ 
tred on preparing for the next meeting, or 
talking over the merits of the last. This can 
be done in any place where a few are agreed. 
These thoughts come to mind after a visit to 
the city, and at no other time does the glow of 
one’s own fireside seem so bright, or home so 
dear. 
- ♦> < — 
TRYING LARD. 
Several years ago, we were very glad to 
call in the assistance of a near and obliging 
neighbor to help about the " butchering,” or, 
more particularly, about taking off the lard, 
and trying it out. We were in the habit of 
soaking It for two or three days, according to 
the old fashion of our great grandmother’s 
day. But Mrs. B.-wa6 an English woman, 
and had learned something in the way of try¬ 
ing ont laid, that at least was new to us; and I 
will give it for the benefit of others, as it is in 
theseaEonof butchering. She was very care¬ 
ful not to have the entrails opened, and thus 
the fat was kept perfectly clean. If by chance 
an accident happened, the opening whb imme¬ 
diately tied with a bit of twine, all "muss” 
cleared away as quickly as possible, and any 
particles of fat that had become soiled, were 
pat in a dish to be washed and tried by them¬ 
selves. The rest was put into a kettle and set 
upon the stove over a slow fire. Not one drop 
of water or a pinch of salt was allowed to 
come in contact with the fat. As soon as it 
began to fi y, it was stirred from the bottom, 
set into the stove, and allowed to cook sb 
briskly as possible, being occasionally stirred 
to keep from bnrulng; when done, the lard 
was drained and squeezed from the scraps, 
poured into a jar, and when cold covered with 
a plate or paper, and set away. “This," she 
said, "will be ju6t as Bweet and dry a year 
from now as it is to-day, if you do not happen 
to use it all up." We have always followed 
her fashion of trying lard, and none has ever 
become rancid, or strong. 
Mrs. B.-also showed us how to cure 
hams, by a plan which we think is far superior 
to the old way of putting them down in pickle. 
The hams, shoulders and chops were laid upon 
a board either in the cellar or some cool room, 
when the hogs wore first cut up; a quarter of 
saltpeter, and half a pound of brown sugar 
should be mixed well together, and rubbed 
thoroughly around the boneB; then rub good 
salt over the meat and let them lay there (or 
two or three weeks, going over them the third 
day with tbe sugar and saltpetre preparation, 
and rubbing on more salt, for they will dram 
some. If the work has been thoroughly 
done, they will need no other care than to be 
turned over occasionally till they are ready 
for smoking, after which they may be wrap¬ 
ped up and hung away In some cool, dark 
place, till wanted for use. The meat will be 
sweet and tender, retaining much more of its 
natural juices than when the old process of 
pickling for a month and soaking for another 
nr n; h is tbe rule. May Maple 
-- 
DOMESTIC RECIPES. 
Vinegar, 
Where cider is not obtainable, very good 
vinegar may be made of molasses and rain 
water—one gallon of molasses to eleven of 
the water. Put in some "mother,” if to be 
had. If not, boil very soft, a cup of white 
beans and use instead. Keep^n a warm place 
with the bung open. It will make in a few 
weeks. 
Mother’s Johnny-vake. 
One quart of buttermilk, one egg, three 
tableepooufuls of butter or drippings, one cup¬ 
ful of sweet apples chopped fine, a teaspoon¬ 
ful of soda, and a little salt. Meal to make of 
the proper consistency. 
Appte-Bulter Without Cider. 
Stew the apples with a little water till feeder, 
then pass through a sieve and add molasses at 
the rate of a pint to three pints of the fruit. 
Return to the fire until thick and smooth, 
stirring constantly to prevent burning. When 
nearly done season with nutmeg aud cinna¬ 
mon to taste. 
Colorado Pie. 
One eup of water, one half-cnp of vinegar, 
one cup of sugar, five tablespoons of flour 
wet up with a part of the water, a piece of 
butter the size of a hickory nut. Flavor with 
uutmeg. May be put in a basin over the fire 
till it thickens, or be turned at once into the 
pie. Bake with top ciust. 
Pork Cake. 
One pound of fat salt pork chopped till it 
resembles lard ; one pound of raisins seeded 
and chopped, one cupful of boiling water 
poured over tbe chopped pork, two caps of 
sugar, one cup of molasses, one teaspoonful 
of soda, one-half ounce each of nutmeg and 
clove6, one ounce of cinnamon. Stir in flour 
till quite stiff, and bake slowly. 
To Heal an Obstinate gore. 
Apply raw turnip, grated or scraped, chang¬ 
ing it as often as it becomes partially dry. 
This is an excellent remedy. 
_Mrs. A. E. 8. 
To Corn Pork. 
To eighty pounds of pork (hams, shoulders 
or sides) take one quart of flue salt and two 
ounces of saltpeter. Mix with New Orleans mo¬ 
lasses to a thin paste. Rab the pork well on the 
flesh side and on the hock. 
Let lie twenty-four hours with drainage, in 
single layer. Then rub on fine salt all over,as 
much as will adhere. Let lie two weeks, and 
then hang up in smoke-house for smoking, or 
paint twice with liquid smoke. 
The above recipe 1 regard, after several 
years’ use as unequaled. It is convenient, it is 
a saving of time and labor between the kill¬ 
ing and hanging. It never fails. 
Amob Stouffer. 
— — - 
QUESTIONS AN8WERED. 
Yellow Hair, Bronzing. 
No. 1, Can gray hair be kept from turning 
yellow? Will it do to wash it or oil it ? The 
yellow tint does not look well with silver- 
white hair. No, 3. Can the bronze when worn 
off from lamps be renewed ? Please give di¬ 
rections and oblige, 8 . m. 
Ans.—N o. 1, We cannot tell you. If any of 
our readers have hart any experience with 
gray hair tueniutr yellow, we wish they would 
please reply. No. 2. Bronzing is generally 
effected by the action of some substance which 
combines with and changes the nature of the 
metal. Not knowing ihe metal you wish to 
bronze, we cannot give positive directions. 
Try ihe following: wet the metal, which 
should he free from oil, with a solution of five 
drops nitric acid in a wine glass of water. 
When dry, impart to it a gradual and equable 
heat by which the surface will be darkened in 
proportion to the heat applied. If this does 
not prove satisfactory, please state ihe name 
of the metal. 
Gilding Furniture. 
Will some of our friends please give C. W. 
Wilcox directions for gilding furniture. 
Marble Cake. 
Will you be so kind as to publish the recipe 
for marble cake a a given in the Rural dated 
Jan. 20, 1870 or 1877, I have forgotten which ? 
Alfred Wells. 
Ans.—" Light pari—one and one-half cup of 
white sugar, out half cup of butler, ont-half 
cup of sweet milk, whites of four eggs. iwo 
and one-half cups of flour, one-half teaspoonful 
of soda and oue of cream of-tartar. E.-at. the 
butter and,sugar together, mix the cream-of- 
tartar with the flour and dissolve the soda in 
Ihe milk. Dark part —One cup of brown sugar, 
one-half cup of molasses, one-half cup of but¬ 
ter, one-half cup of sour miik, yelks of four 
eggs, two and a half cops of browned flour, 
one-half teaspoonfnl of soda, one-half tea- 
spoonfnl each of ground cloves and cinnamon. 
When both are prepared, put in the cakepan 
altercate layers of each, or put them in spots 
ou each other, making what Is called leopard 
cake, until both are used." 
Ice water ts perfectly harmless and more re- 
freshing with a little Hop Bitters In each drought. 
