©IG. 3 
£or Women. 
CONDUCTED BY MISS HAY CLARK. 
KISSED HIS MOTHER. 
She Bat on the porch In the sunshine, 
As I went (low'll the street— 
A woman whose hair was silver, 
But whose face was blossom-sweet, 
Making me think of a garden 
Where In spite of the frost and snow 
Of bleak November weather, 
Late, fragrant lilies blow. 
I heard a footstep behind me, 
And the sound of merry laugh. 
And 1 know the heart it came from 
Would be like a comforting staff 
In the time and the hour of trouble, 
Hopeful and brave and strong, 
One of the hearts to lean on 
When we think that things go wrong. 
I t urned at the click of the gate-latcli, 
And met his manly look ; 
A face like h is gives me pleasure, 
Like the pages of a pleasant book. 
It told of a steadfast purpose, 
Of a brave and daring will— 
A face with a promise In It 
That Ooil grant the years fulfill. 
He went up the pathway singing ; 
t saw the woman's eyes 
Grow bright with a wordless welcome, 
As sunshine warms the skies. 
Back again, sweet mother,” 
He cried, and bent to kiss 
The loving face that was lifted 
For what sono- mothers miss. 
That boy will do to depend on, 
1 hold that this is true— 
Ftittn lads in love with their mothers 
Our bravest heroes grew. 
Earth's grandest hearts have been loving hearts 
Since time and earth began ! 
And the boy who kissed his mother 
Is every inch u man ! 
Eben E. Ukxford. 
CONCERNING THE CARE OF 
CHILDREN. 
MARY WAGEK-FISHER. 
I was a visitor at a house a short time ago 
where one of the members of the family, a 
little girl of four or live years, was the object 
of much solicitude by bar parents. She was 
a bright and pretty child, but had suffered 
from attacks of “fits” or “spasms.” The 
immediate guardians of the child seemed to 
be intelligent, sensible people, and I was 
amazed, while at dinner, to see the little girl 
served the same as an adult, with rich and 
hearty food, including even chow-chow, 
apple pie and coffee! It was no wonder the 
poor little creature had “ fits,” or whatever 
the nervous malady may have been that was 
so designated. The ignorance displayed in 
the diet of the child was too utterly abomin¬ 
able to be excused, and I was scarcely able to 
bold my tongue from crying out agaiust it. 
But I cased my conscience in answering the 
question how I managed to give my little 
boy his look of superb health by emphasizing 
the fact that he had never so much as lasted 
coffee, or apple pie, or chow-chow, or various 
other things commonly allowed to children. 
The other day an acquaintance complained 
to me of the dainty appetite of her children, 
of their leanness, their propensity to be 
“ forever on the stretch,” their total disinclin¬ 
ation to take sufficient sleep and rest. The 
children were often guests at my house, and 
I knew that the most delicate one of them 
all had never been trained to drink pure 
milk. The stuff she daily drank was a mix¬ 
ture of warm water, milk and sugar. All 
the children ate candy, cakes, fine crackers, 
and were put to bed much later at night 
than they should buve been. To my mind 
there was nothing surprising in the fact that 
a good appetite was a stranger to her little 
ones, or that they wore lean and unduly 
active. 
Another mother declares that her children 
always have “colds” from October until 
June. She drosses them daintily, in apparel 
both fine and costly, in sealskin coats, muffs, 
tippets and thiugs of such ilk. Their frocks 
are worn very short, their drawers are of 
finest cambric, aud their only “under flan¬ 
nel” consists of a fine and dainty knitted 
shirt, so that while the upper portion of the 
body is well protected and over protected in 
a sealskin garment, the lower part is very 
shabbily clothed so far us warmth goes. The 
cold scurries up the poorly clad legs, which 
the short petticoats—handsomely embroid¬ 
ered-fail to protect. With the clothing of 
the body so unevenly distributed, is it any 
wonder that the children always have colds ? 
A good woolen undergarment, cut to fit the 
body, an os, logs and all, and worn next to 
the skin, would do more for the welfare of 
her children than all the sealskin coats, feath- j 
eml hats and ornamented toggery iu the uni- 
verse. There is something atrocious in sacri¬ 
ficing a child’s health to finery, or iu being so 
iguorant und careless as not to know that it 
is being so sacrificed. 
Every nine men out of ten that have 
achieved distinction in this country were in 
THE RURAL MEW-YORKER, 
childhood inured to plain food and clad 
in cheap, often mean, apparel. Nobody looks 
for great men or great women from the 
homes of wealth where luxury abounds. A 
certain amount of hardship seems indispensa¬ 
ble to the development of character. Who 
can imagine the brave man, (whose death 
we all so deplore, und upon whose coffin 
were heaped more honors than were ever be¬ 
fore laid upon that of any person who has 
hitherto lived and died) as reaching bis high 
place from a boyhood pampered iu luxury, 
nursed and reared by a mother who coddled 
him with dainties and tricked out his body in 
furbelows! 
What is it to us, who are grown to woman¬ 
hood or manhood, that we wore broadcloth, or 
“ linsey,” or silk, embroidered or patched gar¬ 
ments in our childhood, calico or India mull, 
whether we had ribbons, or laces, or sashes, or 
ruffles, or finery of any sort ? It is of not the 
smallest real consequence. What is of real 
consequence, however, is that we had plain, 
nutritious food, so that our bones and our 
teeth were properly supplied with building 
material, that we were healthfully clad, that 
we were taught to breathe well, to chew our 
food well, to sit and walk erect, to be truth¬ 
ful, honest, clean, industrious, earnest, to read 
only (jaml books, to take excellent care of 
our teeth, and—to speak good English. If 1 
could be bora again, and cotdd have my pa¬ 
rents perform but two duties for me, the one 
would be to make me a splendid animal 
physically, and the other, to have me taught 
to speak my native tongue finely. Given those 
two things at eighteen years of age, and after 
that, every other desirable earthly thing can 
be acquired if diligently sought. 
If parents could only discern between im¬ 
portant and unimportant things, and hold to 
the former and discard the latter, how im¬ 
measurably the welfare of the race would be 
advanced. But they waste and worry them¬ 
selves over trifles especially the mothers, who 
will sit up o’ nights and prick their fingers sore 
over some foolish bit of finery—and perhaps 
weep and sigh ami lie very unhappy because 
their little boys or girls can’t have hats and 
frocks like certain other children. Oh ine, 
how foolish! Or have money for a “start in 
life.” How much money had Garfield or Lin¬ 
coln, or Edison, or Howe, the inventor of the 
sewiug machine, or Stephenson, or Fulton, or 
Christopher Columbus, or A T. Stewart, or 
Vanderbilt, or Harriet Beecher Stowe, or 
Jenny Lind, or Rosa Bonheur, cr Ida Lewis, 
or John Roper, or John Banyan, or General 
Grant, St. Paul, or Michael Angelo with 
which to make a. “start in life." The best 
wealth to make a “start in life” on, for man 
or woman, is a good strong body, good prin¬ 
ciples, good character and industrious habits. 
Persevorance is genius, energy is talent, and 
industry and economy united with tend-to- 
your-own-business, menu competence. 
To conclude for this time, f would like to 
put a few things plain. One of them is this: 
See to it that the children's teeth are well 
cared for, if^they never have a “ Sunday ” 
garment. Give them plenty of oat meal, milk, 
good bread aud fruit, and don’t worry if they 
haven’t meat once a year. Train them to grow 
erect, deep and broad-chested, hardy and fond 
of work, and never mind the fashionable cut 
of their clothes. Do these things and your 
children will not fail to “rise up and call you 
blessed.” 
- ♦-»-♦ - 
" LOOKING OVER THE OLD PAPERS." 
CARRIE V. SWEET. 
Going into a little-used but large and welL 
lighted clothes-press, a pile of old newspapers 
met the sight. Instantaneous with this view 
came the desire to look over those old papers; 
two, three aud four haul’s found us bending 
eagerly over their various columns, perusing 
articles on all household subjects inclusive 
from cellar to garret. 
1 here were recipes for cooking, baking, can¬ 
ning and coloring; instructions for knitting, 
crocheting, embroidering and painting, with 
hints upon visiting, reading and letter-writing. 
All written clear and concise, yet so full that 
one could follow them with little difficulty. It 
seemed as if the old papers had grown more 
interesting as they grew in years. Their con¬ 
tents embodied a good deal of matter, and un¬ 
doubtedly the second reading brought to light 
much that had been merely glanced over at 
the first; or perchance the intervening days 
had been rife with an experience that had 
quickened our understanding. However, be 
that as it may, we fell to musing and querying 
as to what had become of the hands that 
had guided those several peus in the days 
gone by. Were they warm and active, or 
were they folded quietly aud sileutly l It 
mattered little whether the pen was gold or 
not, the words it had traced were golden. 
Not light, trilling, airy nothings to amuse us 
for the hour only, but practical, good senti¬ 
ments, so concise aud clear that one seeing 
them could understand, feel and remember; 
thus they make an impression not eusily 
erased. They were not sad, sombre nor dry, 
but they contain, d something, or things worth 
knowing. We felt we had learned much and 
were better able to workout our homo-life more 
satisfactorily—better able to do or direct the 
doing of various household duties. Our wilted 
ambition had been refreshed, our tired flesh 
revived, and, withal, our silent visit with those 
old papers had doue us good. We knew more 
of the practical side of life and could cope with 
more of its varying problems. We had learned 
how to sot the table more skillfully, how to 
arrange articles in the parlor more tastily, 
how to renovate aud renew furniture more 
deftly, and what to make over and bow to 
make it. We bad read various articles on va¬ 
rious subjects and had learned a little from 
each one. Thanks welled from our hearts to¬ 
ward all these several writers, and we blessed 
the day we sat down to look over the “old 
papers.” 
- 
"THAT CHIP.” 
I have many doubts as to whether “ that 
chip” is, as yet, knocked off by 0. W. I).; cer¬ 
tainly it was not by her last communication. 
Oh, no! I had no doubt whatever as to the 
location of the text which she hinted at and 
failed to correctly quote iu her first communi¬ 
cation but which in her “ revised edition ” of 
October 8, was correct. That’s Bible, of 
course; but, “ by the sweat of thy brow thou 
shalt earn tby bread ” is not Gen. Ill, lit, nor 
Genesis anything else; but, as she was on 
the cars where she could not consult, any 
authoritative Bible, au error in quotation from 
memory is quite excusable. 
I have very carefully perused O. W. D's 
last article, and have been greatly puzzled in 
interpreting some parts of it. Here is one 
passage, “ When the world through the eyes 
of Adam and Eve saw vice, become as gods 
knowing good and evil, choose the evil, they 
could not be left idle longer.” What became 
“ as gods,” etc.; who knew “ good and evil ”; 
W'ho “chose the evil” and who “could not 
be left idle longer!” Will 0. W. D. parse 
and explain? 
“ I can agree with her that a curse was pro¬ 
nounced, but it was on Adam aot on labor. 
Would labor have been less fatiguing to us if 
no curse had been pronounced on it as she as¬ 
serts? Is it because it is accursed that it is 
hard for so many to bear with it. If we are 
to consider labor a curse what shall we do 
with such passages as Prov. xiii, 11; xiv, 23; 
Ecc. v, 12; Eph. v, 28? 
0. W. D., says all vices are curses to 
humanity. True, but how came they to be so 
considered? By the evil effects und influences 
they have on mankind. Bring labor, as a 
curse, to this test, and ascertain its effects, its 
influences, its results. Does it degrade and 
impoverish man and ruuderhim but a little bet¬ 
ter than a brute. If so, then by our test, it may 
be classed as a curse with intemperance and 
other vices. But does it not tend to elevate 
aud ennoble him? If so, then it should not be 
classed with intemperance aud kindred vices, 
or curses in other words. J udging labor as 
we judge vice we find ever divergent effects, 
the results of the former as a general thing 
tending toward the good, of the latter toward 
the laid. O. W. D, intends to take her share 
of the curse cheerfully “ though originally it 
was not intended for the woman.” How 
comes it now that labor is a curse to her for 
whom it was not intended! If the curse lies 
in its pronunciation upon Adam, and not on 
Eve, then labor is not a curse for woman; but 
to draw such a distinction, is folly. O. W. D. 
exhibits remarkable magnanimity in thus as¬ 
suming a curse which is not justly hers, and 
probably does it on the principle that what is 
her husband’s is hers, und what’s hex’s is her 
own. Howevei*, opinions will differ, and if 
0. W. D, wishes to consider the performance 
of her daily duties a curse to her, I shall no 
longer object. j. w. 
CORRESPONDENT'S CORNER. 
Please tell a farmer’s daughter, one who 
likes to keep up with the times, what kinds of 
head coverings are mostly worn. Pansy. 
We should say red for color, though there 
can lie seen dark olive, browns and navy blue. 
But shades of red, such as garnet, dark wine 
ami maroon, dot our congregations and places 
of amusement very closely. And four long 
feathers are not out of place on one hat, as 
they are so very large. A milliner was heard 
to say that whore last year one-half yard 
would cover a frame, this year she used one 
yard and a quarter. Of course thetrimmiug s 
are in accordance. But unmistakably dame 
fashion orders the head covered with a spa¬ 
cious bonnet of any shape one may choose. 
Will you be so kind as to show through 
the columns of the Rural some pretty styles 
for making ladies’ dresses. I made one hist 
Winter after a pattern you published, and 
liked it very much. 3. a. s. 
To E. A. 8 . We would refer you to cuts Li 
the Rural of last week for information desired. 
Domestic (Economic 
CONDUCTED BV EMILY MAPLE. 
ECHOES FROM EVERY-DAY HOUSE. 
ANNIE L. JACK. 
“ I wonder who invented salsify?” I said to 
the amateur cook, for it is a vegetable that 
was not heard of in my young days. “ I 
think,” she answered pi’ofoundly, “it must 
have been in a year when oysters were scarce, 
or some one had a ‘corner ’ in that delicacy,” 
and she scraped the salsify for lunch, at the 
same time humming: 
“if he’s content with a vegetable love, 
That, would certainly not suit me-” 
There was a simmer in the pot and the sing¬ 
ing stopped, while she lifted the lid from the 
mock oyster stew. As this vegetable stays in 
season from early Autumn till asparagus is 
ready for the table, it is worthy of the cook’s 
attention, aud wheu cooked in a stew is 
relished by those who like oysters in that 
form. But in preparing it for the table there 
is a great deal of care necessary It requires 
thorough scraping and must bo quickly placed 
in cold water, and from that into boiling and 
cooked to prepare it for anything. It is very 
palatable made into fritters, thereby imitat¬ 
ing fried oysters. As the same plan is given 
for parsnips I will copy from Practical Cook¬ 
ing the method there employed for making 
parsnip fritters: Scrape, cut if large, and 
put into well salted boiling water. When ten¬ 
der, mash, adding to each four or five pars¬ 
nips a heaping teaspoonful of flour, one or 
two eggs well beaten, pepper and salt to taste. 
Form the mixture into small c: kes three- 
quarters of an inch thick and two and-a-half 
in diameter (They are smaller for salsify to 
imitate fried oysters.) Fry to a delicate 
brown on both sides with a little hot butter, 
and serve hot. I often think we do not pay 
enough attention to variety in vegetables, 
especially iu Winter, aud everything that 
contributes to a healthful change, should be 
made the best of by those who have to cater 
for a family with different appetites and 
needs. The long Winter without a supply of 
fresh vegetables, and with only a limited 
supply of fruit is calculated to leave the mem¬ 
bers of a household with impure blood and 
subject to the diseases consequent on such a 
condition. 
NOTES. 
It is said that there is nothing that Ameri¬ 
cans are more ashamed of than economy. And 
shame upon them that it is so. 
Never put pieces of raw pastry left from 
baking into the flour Larrel—it causes the 
flour to become musty and sour. 
When one has a large ironing to do, it is 
much better to iron the flue pieces first. Oue 
can then expend upon them the necessary 
amount of patience and strength to cause 
them to look nicely. If the laundress has tired 
herself over the coai-ser articles she will have 
little patience left for the shirts, collars, etc. 
Phosphate of soda is recommended to re¬ 
move ink stains from colored fabrics where 
thei’e is danger of removing the color as well. 
The spots are moistened with warm water and 
rubbed with the phosphate aud then covered 
with a thin layer of tallow. After this wash 
in warm water. If the first application does 
not remove the stains, repeat. 
A Discovei’y. 
The Medical Record gives to us a new rerue- 
dy for chills and fever, namely that of swal¬ 
lowing a live spider. This is said to be a sui’e 
cure and we predict an everlasting fortune 
for the enterprising individual who will raise 
and encase these animals in gelatine capsules 
such as are now-sold by druggists to cover 
quinine and other bitter pills. A word to the 
wise is sufficient. 
Warts on the Hands. 
The ltest remedy we know of for these un¬ 
sightly excrescences is to para off the hard 
part frequently and as closely as one can with¬ 
out bearing too much pain. A large wart 
on the inside of the writer’s fore-finger, 
which was very annoying, (specially after 
the finger had been in water for any length of 
time, was entirely cured by this treatment. 
Time six months. 
Too Much of a Good Thing. 
I admire thorough, methodical and neat 
housekeeping But it is often carried too far 
—it is allowed to interfere with the happiness 
of husband and children. The mother be¬ 
comes petulant, and careworn. Her life is a 
continual round of sweeping, cleaning and 
fault-finding, Front such deliver me. I pre¬ 
fer a judicious mingling of dirt and happi¬ 
ness. e. k. r. 
- - 
QUESTIONS ANSWERED. 
CHICORY. 
We have a quantity of chicory. Please 
tell me how to prepare the roots for mixing 
with coffee, and oblige. Mrs. E. B. 
Ans. —Wash cai’efully and scrape. Cut into 
little bits, dry and brown in the same way you 
would coffee. Then grind in the coffee-mill. 
