FEB. 47 
THE BUBAL NEW-YORKER. 
W 
barometer usually indioates a heavy atmospheric 
pressure, and hints that our exhilaration is some¬ 
what akin to that, experienced by those undergo¬ 
ing the “air-cure,” when confined in a chamber 
where the aerial density has been artificially in¬ 
creased. In foul, moist and foggy weather, on 
the other hand, when soul and body are alike 
sluggish, and the very air seems an oppressive I 
burthen, a low barometer generally proclaims a 
light atmospheric pressure, and the fledgeling 
scientist is apt to attribute his inert ness partly to 
a lack of the normal amount of oxygen in the 
attenuated air. 
gomfstif (tronomi). 
ANENT THE KITCHEN. 
It is my custom to read all the pages of our 
highly-prized Bubal, even the love stories, that 
might be thought only for the young and senti¬ 
mental. But the loves of tho world's people, 
the trying ordeals, dramatic situations, or smooth 
courses are very fascinating and call forth one’s 
sympathy, especially for the lovely heroine of 
the romance. But now and then, in spite of 
pathos, or beauty, nr sentiment, I am inclined to 
question the good sense of the young ladies who 
consider kitcheu-work as drudgery and cooking 
an art to be shunned. As my daughters bent 
eagerly over the pages that told of tho longings 
and aspirations of Ciderella, as written for us 
a few weeks ago, I realized tho influence of such 
a story. It has been my aim for many years to 
teach my girls that no work, however menial 
apparently, is so In reality, if done with method 
and dispatch; and while I pitied Cinderella, 
who was represented ns deprived of other ad¬ 
vantages and kept always in the kitchen, I do 
not approve of the moral of the story. 
Better for our girls if they were content and 
happy, like Mrs. VViiitney’s Barbara, to “ make 
things pleasant in one little place, “ rather than, 
like the heroino in question, to feel a “groat 
pity ” for a pictured Cinderella and say through 
her tears, '* Oh! she has to be in the kitchen, 
like mo!" And the secret of this is all told 
when the young man exclaims, " You would 
rather pasa your days in an artist's etudio than 
in custard-making ?" Yet. with an eye to the fu- 
ture, he chose the maid of tho kitchen as his 
bride, and I fancy would not see things with 
such a sentimental view if tho lady of his choice 
left the kitchen and nursery of his house to 
hired help while she spent her days in a studio 
and ignored domestic duties altogether, leaving 
the custards and the arrangement of his privato 
room to untrained servants. 
I smiled grimly when in last week’s paper 
came a chapter on cooking the very opposite of 
the above-mentioned story, which chapter truth¬ 
fully says that one may tire of poetry and art, 
of sweet singing, or of witty conversation, bnt 
never of good cooking. Ear be it from me to 
despise tho arts or sciences in the hands of wo¬ 
man, for I glory in her advancement in every 
way; but when there are thousands of farmers’ 
daughters and of farmers' wives whose art and 
science is a blessed domestic life, let us sco to it 
that we give them no mental food calculated to 
destroy the dignity we would fain see ascribed 
to woman’s work at home. 
Let her he ambitious to excel in whatever tal¬ 
ent may be given her, as painter or poet, or as one 
well versed in any of the sciences, but do not 
teach her to despise the needs of every day, that 
require more skill, more patience, and deserve 
more prai-e than any picture ever painted or 
poem ever written. This it is that makes girls 
shun household work as a means of earning a 
living. Is not Susan the help represented as 
“clattering down for the parsley?" and are net 
the idle daughters models of grace and beauty ? 
Yet, is It so ? and if so, why ? I am certain a 
far prettier scene would have been drawn if the 
daughters and their artist cousin had shared the 
kitchen-work, giving it the brightness of their 
presence and helping for the love of mother in 
the pleasant household tasks that among so 
many clever gills might have been but child’s 
play; and for this I have repeatedly in my heart 
thanked Mrs. Whitney, whose domestic stories 
are calculated to elevate domestic labor, whose 
choicest pen-pictures are seen in folding clothes 
or in washing dishes, without drudgery; and to 
those who are ambitious to become artists or to 
excell in any study, I would say, persevere. 
It is not those whose hands are idle, whose time 
is of no value, that always lead the van, but 
those who, with full hands and brain, find in the 
busy walks of life and duty then' inspiration. 
Annie L. Jack. 
A MEDLEY PICTURE. 
In the Rural New - Yorker, a few weeks ago, 
some one asked how to make a medley picture. 
In response, I send inclosed directions taken 
from the Rural some two years since. It is 
well to test one’B skill with wood engravings, for 
the sake of gaining a little experience before the 
finer ones are cut. Of course we put the views 
of sky and trees at the top and those of water 
below. Touch lightly with the paste, as some 
change may be desired before the picture is 
complete. 
One of the prettiest pictures I have seen lately 
—among a picturesque-loving people, too—was 
a medley picture. As it. is composed of many 
smaller ones, almost any lady of taste and inge¬ 
nuity can make one, provided she has a liberal 
supply of engravings as a basis to start from. If 
one has enough pictures representing some par¬ 
ticular subject—as school or rural scenes—it is 
more interesting to choose a subject and then so 
arrange the pictures that they may represent it 
as nearly to perfection as possible. It will not 
do to make such a picture in a hurry, as il re¬ 
quires considerable time and patience, as well as 
artistic skill, to do it well. While some of the 
pictures will jot, on to each other nicely, the 
objects must be cut out from others and pasted 
on wherever they will produce the best effect, 
for they must be so arranged that one could 
hardly imagino so many engravings had helped 
to make such a beautiful picture. A large, blank 
sheet, of unruled, white paper, should be used as 
a foundation, and upon this mark with a pencil 
the exact rize you design the picture to be, leav¬ 
ing a white margin of about two inches, n. e. 
WASHING PLAIN BLACK CALICO. 
I do not wash such dresses as other colors so 
long as it can be avoided, but simply wipe them 
off carefully with a damp sponge and warm 
water and iron them smoothly on the wrong side, 
or with a cotton cloth or paper between the iron 
and the goods. And they alwavs look nicely and 
retain their new look after being thus treated. I 
havo worn such a dress, usually, for afternoons 
for nearly a year, and was quite surprised a short 
time ago when a friend upon examining it, told 
mo she “ had thought it woolen goods all the 
while." The lining of tho waist and sleeves I 
have made so they can be detached and washed 
as often as required. Many omit the starch for 
black goods, but I have not found objectionable 
as a stiffening one part of sweet, milk to two of 
boiling water. Mrs. Julia M. Wheelock. 
•-- ♦- 
ORIGINAL RECIPES. 
Scotch Cake. —While visiting a Scotch lady— 
who, by the way, is noted for her skill in the 
culinary art—some months ago, I partook of 
“soinothing now under the sun,” a Scotch cake, 
which many others, as well as myself, are very 
fond of. But it is too rich for dyspeptic stom¬ 
ach*, except in very small quantities. Take onc- 
half pound of whito sup ar, one-half pound of 
nice fresh butter, one-lmlf teaspoon of pulverized 
soda rubbed well in a handful of flour. Do not 
melt the butter; but heat the sugar, butter and 
soda well together, adding tho flour as fast as it 
can ho krloaded in. A hit, of salt is needed if the 
butter is unsalted. Some prefer one-quarter 
pound of lard and one-quarter pound of butter 
instead of all butter. Elavor to suit the taste. 
I use nutmeg. When tho flour is all worked in, 
roll it out about threo-fourlhs of an inch thick, 
and after it is in the pan, cut it with a knife in 
small squares or pieces, ns it will not cut smooth¬ 
ly after it is baked. Bake in a moderate oven- 
such a temperature as light bread requires— 
about three-fourths of an hour, I hope, Mr. 
Editor, your printer will not make ft mistake, ns 
he did one year ago with my Parmer’s Dried 
Apple Cake, when ho said, bake “Jr/teen minutes" 
instead of fifty. 
Beef Suet instead of Lard —I wonder if any 
of the readers of the Rural New-Yorker have 
ever used beef suet instead of lard for frying 
doughnuts ? The idea was new to mo, hut I am 
satisfied it i3 a very good one. A friend, a very 
skillful housewife in every department, tells me 
that she uses suet instead of lard for all culinary 
purposes when butter is not used, as lard is de¬ 
cidedly unwholesome for herself and some of her 
family. For pie-crust she uses half suet and half 
butter. Her doughnuts fried in suet, are just as 
nice as they can bo mudo. Everything is nice 
that she does. In early spring she iieats her 
suet to the boiling point, seals it np while hot in 
stone jars—usually by pasting paper over them. 
Thus preserved, it keeps sweet and free from all 
rancid taste. j. ai. w. 
Mrs. Rea's Molasses Pound- Cake — One cup 
of butter ; one of sugar; one of molasses ; one 
of milk ; one teaspoon of allspice; one of cinna¬ 
mon , half teaspoonful of nutmeg; two table- 
spoonfuls of ginger ; two eggs: one teaspoon of 
cream of tartar; half of soda; sufficient flour to 
make same as pound-cake. Bake in cups or 
small tins. 
CMcken Pie. — Cut a chicken or two into 
pieces ; season high with pepper and salt; put 
puff paste round the side of the dish; put some 
bits of butter on the Chickens; fill up the dish 
with water ; cover it with puff paste; bake in a 
moderate oven. You may make it richer by put¬ 
ting gravy instead of water. 
Beefsteak Pie — Put puff paste round the in¬ 
side of the dish ; then lay in the steak, cut in 
pieces ; season with pepper and salt; dredge in 
a little flour ; till up the dish with water, then 
cover wi.li puff paste and bake in a moderate 
oven. You may put a few slices of potatoes in 
if vou choose. All meat pies should have a vent 
at the top. 
To Mull Ale .—Take a pint of good strong 
ale ; put it iuto a saucepan with three or .four 
cloves and a little nutmeg and set it over the 
lire ; when it boils, take it off ; beat three eggs 
well and mix them with a little cold ale; then 
put iu tho warm ale and pour it in and out of 
the saucepan several times, to prevent the eggs 
curdling ; then set it over a slow lire aud warm 
it a little; then take it off aud pour it backwards 
and forwards again and warm it in this manner 
three or four times, till it i» quite list, and thick ; 
then serve it up with dry toast; add any kind of 
spirits, if you think proper ; also apiece of fresh 
butter, the latter to ho put in with tho eggs. 
Sweeten to taste. An Old Housekeeper. 
Dygimr Information, 
VACCINATION. 
B. J. Drake, M. D. writes the following very 
sensible article on the above subject to the Pitts¬ 
burgh Evening Leader, and as it is now quite 
timely wo transfer it to our columns. 
“I wish to add a few practical remarks upon 
the subject of vaccination. The subject Is one 
of grave importance, and must sooner or later 
receive more attention at the hands of legislators 
and boards of health. Tho best authorities 
agree that there is nothing as safe as proper 
vaccination. 
“ Proper vaccination consists in the use of non- 
humanizid virus, none other should be used, 
except in extreme urgency when the proper 
virus is not obtainable. Competition has caused 
the propagation of the reliable virus so as to bo 
obtainable now readily, and at small expense. 
With such virus there havo been vaccinated from 
my office iu the last five years over two thousand 
cases, and of the large number that “ worked” 
not an untoward ill has resulted. Hence I think 
I may speak from abundant evidence. 
“ My way of vaccinating is this; Take a 
sharply pointed needle (pins should not bo used) 
and scratch four or five straight marks, and then 
scratch across them at nearly right angles as 
many more—say a half inch in length, each 
series—generally on the left arm, unless there 
bo good reasons for othei where*, and at a point 
on top of tho arm at the insertion of tho deltoid 
muscle—in an adult about four inches below tho 
shoulder -in a child about thiee inches below 
the point of Ihe shoulder. Caro should be taken 
that no superficial vein or largo capillary be vis¬ 
ible, for I once saw a. vurix like a largo blood- 
blister left behind within tho healing cicatrix. 
Then, touching these bloody, oozing scratches 
with a drop of water, paste the virus-clad end of 
the point well over tho marks until nil tho mat¬ 
ter is dissolved off. Let it dry a moment, then 
lot it go without any covering except the ordi¬ 
nary clothes. In four or five to eight days, gen¬ 
erally, (I havo seen cases go fifteen before show¬ 
ing, the later the better), there will appear one 
or more small vesicles, which will go on to full 
Increase, settling down at centers, and turning 
darker as the surface hardens, until the entire 
scale tins become a purplish or reddish brown 
and hard “scab," which dedicates and falls off 
in three or four weeks. Those “ scabs,” to be 
perfect and desirable “ workings," should he 
either round on the skin or ovoid, should jut out 
a little in the crown, beyond the base, and should 
leave soars that, as they fade out, are whiter 
than the surrounding skin, and with little pits 
here and there in tho cicatrix. One small vesicle 
is hardly satisfactory, and if there are several 
noar by or running into oacli other, bo much the 
better, Care should be taken to protect tho 
forming vesicle and maturing see from being 
broken, or losing its lymph, by wearing some 
soft muslin over tho sore. Such a “working” 
as the above from such virus, I hold to prove a 
perfect protection from taking the small-pox or 
varioloid in any form, and may last for a lifetime. 
But as there is a question as to how long it will 
give Immunity, one should bo subjected to fresh 
trials whenever there is any considerable pre¬ 
valence of small-pox. 
“ Now, why the needle is preferred to all other 
instruments whatever, is this : It is steel, non- 
poisonous, it makes a jagged mark that bieeds 
but little, and readily absorbs without “bleeding" 
tho virus out, t o to speuk. It docs not shock the 
mind or frighten the ehild, as the lancet may. 
And as to tho spring vaccinators, they are sense¬ 
less, driving the virus down into the flesh, when 
it belongs to (ho skin only. One might aB well 
think of “ budding ” a limb by whacking the bud 
i down into the wood. It belongs to tho bark to 
[ germinate. Then leave it uncovered, as it is a 
i wound we are striving to make sore, and we well 
l know, air admitted freely is one source of success 
to aggravation. Now, in second vaccinations, 
where we do not know as to the reliability of 
previous vaccination, if tho efficacy of prior 
operation still abounds fully in the system, we 
shall not succeed in getting the al.ovo usual con¬ 
ditions, but the next day or two al ter vaccination 
the wound may begin to itch and get inflamed 
and so make an irregular scaly Herewith little 
redness about it and will soon bo well again. 
This is satisfactory, but tho virus should show 
some evidence of having “catched,” but that it 
does not " work " because of previous vaccinal ion 
still holding good. Again, after thus “catch¬ 
ing it may run on. not regularly, like first vac¬ 
cinations, but yet with qnite an ext* nt of inflam¬ 
mation and larger sore, but running through all 
these stages more rapidly, and ending with a 
more or less well-marked cicatrix. Such eases 
wo term partially “run-out” old vaccinations, 
and tho individuals would have taken small-pox 
on fair exposure in a modified form, ealled vario¬ 
loid. 
“ Now, as regards some popular notions that 
obtain, I have to say that there is no actual 
known limit of lime to calculate when it may 
runout. Tho seven year idea-is baseless. That 
it is a sure protection for an indefinite lime, 
when done as above, there is no question in my 
mind. The reason why there aro so many cases 
of small-pox in subjects Unit have seemed to bo 
well vaccinated, is because it hti* not been a per¬ 
fect operation iu some of its elements. Either 
virus was taken from faulty vaccine,or there was a 
failure to run through the proper course, as abovo 
noted. Then again, vaccination has fallen into 
bad repute from some unfavorable conditions 
and bad results attending sumo cases. But all 
this is obviated by a recourse to proper virus. 
None should bo taken from the units of others. 
That it is rendered less likely to he fruitful seems 
very plain, as if passes through arm after arm, 
sometimes, perhaps, twenty years in time and 
one hundred thousand systems in ilie circuit 
since it left the heifer. That it may thus > Iso 
get contaminated seems clour to my mind. If 
itch, scald head, syphilis, and mu Ii diseases Lo 
contagious and may he propagated from one to 
another by contact under favoring causes, what 
of virus taken from any such afflicted individual 
and actually inoculated into the system of an¬ 
other? If a case already hau a system laboring 
under some systematic or constitutional humor, 
any vaccination may stir it up and be moro 
severe in the case, but cannot leave behind any 
newly incurred malady from the vaccination if 
(lie vaccine is from original hovino cow-virus. 
Thus I believe I Lave stated the best ways'and 
means aud answered fairly all the objections to 
vaccination. Get none but mm-humanized 
virus ; use the needle method : do not cover tho 
wound with a patch ; do not dry tho bleeding by 
heat, as teat destroys animal poison; renew 
your virus every two weeks; keep it in a cool 
place, above freezing-point and away from the 
air. Observing these rules I think no one will 
fail of abundant success." 
--♦♦♦- 
HYGIENIC NOTES. 
It is well to know that tho caustic effeetof lime 
accidentally introduced into the eye, may bo en¬ 
tirely neutralized by the use of cold sugar-water. 
The lime and sugar form a compound that has 
no action upon the eyes. 
Cure for Worms .—Butternut sirup one table- 
spoonful ; composition two table-spoonfuls; 
castor oil one table-spoonful. Givo in small 
doses until relief is obtained. 
For Colic .—One ounce of cloves; two ounces 
of ginger root, pared; two ounces of allspice; 
three drams oil of lavender ; one and a half pints 
of alcohol; mix tho ingredients together. Bet 
iu the sun for ten days, shako often, then strain, 
and it will be fit for use. Dose a teaspoonful on 
sugar every hour, till relieved. 
Temper and Health .—Gtod temper, with the 
majority of mankind, is dependent upon good 
health ; good health upon good digestion ; good 
digestion upon wholesome, well-prepared food, 
euteri in peace and pleasantness. 
Potatoes, like tho fat of meat, are the heat 
producers for tho body, and they are thereforo 
especially good to eat along with lean meat, 
which supplies the flesh. Meat and potatoes give 
about the same nourishment as bread, but tho 
potatoes must ho nicely cooked to render them 
fit for food. 
A feverish thirst that refuses to be quenched 
by drinking water may be allayed in the following 
manner: Throw a slice of bread upon burning 
coals, and when it is all aflame throw it iuto a 
tumbler of water. This remedy has been tested 
and.proven good. 
Pneumonia scorns to be a favorite (?) disease 
now, in this country. Iu nine cases cut of ten 
it results from exposure which can bo avoided 
with a little caro. Many people who have au 
almost inordinate desire to live, unthinkingly 
expose themselves to this di-ease. Sometimes, 
too, it is total ignorance of their body and its 
functions which causes this. In the latter case 
; there is more excuse than in the former. 
n 
