43 $ 
THE 
SEPT. 4 
gomrstk (Erotioraj. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE. 
MANAGEMENT OF CHILDREN. 
“ Bee, mamma ! see what 1 have done!” said 
little three-and-a-luilf-year-old Flossy, rh she 
held up to my view the flowering stem of a 
choice Amaryllis that I had been watching and 
caring for so tenderly, and now, when it was 
about to reward me, this little mischief had 
plucked it! 
I looked at my poor flower, then at my little 
white-haired daughter-gill’s upturned face. She 
stood eyeing me closely, knowing that she had 
had done wrong, and wondering as to the result. 
I mildly replied, “I Bee, daughter: let mamma 
put it in water,” and as she ran out J called after 
her, “ Flossy, 1 prefer that you should not pick 
any more flowers off, hut then you can do as 
you choose.” 
“ Well!” said Mrs. Ji., w'ho happened to he in 
at tho time, “and is that all you are going to 
say to her? If one of my children had done 
that, I would have shaken her well, 1 can tell 
you.” “Yes,” said I, “and tho next time she 
would bo almost certain not to toll yon of 
anything wrong that she had done, knowing 
that punishment would surely follow. My 
dear Mrs. B., wo make our children untruth¬ 
ful and deceitful through fear. Now, supposing 
that 1 had punished Flossy, is she going to tell 
mo of tho next liowor that she breaks off and ho 
punished again ? No, she would sooner hide it, 
and then, when questioned, would perhaps add 
falsehood to deceit. Some time during the day 
I shall talk to her of the flower, and 1 trust that 
the little lesson may not he in vain. She loves 
flowers, and to gather their bright, gay colors, 
is such a temptat ion that she cannot resist it. 
Sometimes she makes sad havoc, hut bo long as 
she tells me, it is all right; for I had much rather 
that she would destroy every plant in the garden 
than that she should tell me one lie.” 
“ That, sounds all very well,” said my caller, 
as she arose to go, “ but then it is not my way 
of doing. I suppose, however, that we are all 
entitled to our own way of thinking.” As the 
door closed behind her, 1 thought that it was a 
pity for her poor children’s sake, that it had not. 
been her way of thinking, knowing how unman¬ 
ageable they wore, and that they did right only 
through fear of the rod, not from any sense of 
goodness, or love for their parents. 
■■ ■ •» ♦ ♦- 
EORAX. 
Although mentioned by Other as long ago 
as the tenth century, the chemical nature of 
borax was first discovered by Geoffrey in 1732. 
It is found nativo in some Alpine lakes; in the 
snowy mountains of India, China, and Persia, in 
Ceylon and very abundantly in Lake Teshu- 
Lumbu in Great Thibet. It also occurs in still 
greater quantities near Potosi in Bolivia, in 
Pyramid Lake, Nevada, and near Columbus in 
tho same State, and in Borax Lake, California. 
From Clear Lake, in the latter Stale, 4.000 lbs. a 
day are obtaiued. The Crude Borax, which has 
a greasy feel and smells like soap*, was first re- 
fiued in Venice, hence the name Venetian Borax 
is synonymous with refined. Borax is also 
largely prepared from the natural product boric 
acid. The uses of the article are very numerous. 
It is employed in making certain kinds of glass, 
as a flux for reducing certain metals from their 
ores, as an ingredient in varnish for stiffening 
hate, and for many other purposes in the arts 
and manufactures. In medicine it is used for 
many diseases, such as a wash for cutaneous erup¬ 
tions, canker in the mouth, ring-worm, and in 
connection with several other ailments. In do¬ 
mestic economy new applications are found for 
it every year, and a few hints as to its value in 
this connection may not come amiss. 
Mixing a talilcspooiiful or so of powdered 
borax in the water i 11 which you hoi I your clothes, 
adds to their whiteness without injuring them. 
For blankets and other largo articles it is espe¬ 
cially valuable, and in all cases the use of a 
little borax will savo labor when articles are 
much soiled. Ill cleansing woodwork, a little 
in the water helps to remove the dirt without 
tho aid of a brush which, ns all know, will ruin 
tho host of paim. Lso an old woolen doth and 
for those places stained or yellow, soap) the cloth 
and sprinkle a little of the powder on it. then 
rub well, using plenty of rinsing water and dry 
with a soft cloth, and you will be well repaid for 
your work, besides having your hands soft and 
white, a thing not to he despised; for if there 
is ever a thing exasperating to a w oman's tem¬ 
per it is to have her hands chapped and bleeding. 
A teaspoonful in boiling starch improves its 
gloss. In cleaning silver or jewelry, use a soft 
brush, warm water and borax, and a very little 
soap. Brush well, dry with a clean cloth and 
rub with a chamois. A tablespoonlul in the 
bath will freshen the bather, and as a wash for 
tho head and hair wo think it unoqualed. 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Used with oatmeal as a lotion it is a gratifying 
and harmless cosmetic. It is said to bo effectu¬ 
al in driving away red ants, roachoB, etc., if 
sprinkled around on pantry shelves, or put in 
small quantities on paper and placed in the run¬ 
ways of the inserts. 
- 4-*-4 - 
DOMESTIC RECIPES. 
Peach Marmalade. —Peaches too ripe for pre¬ 
serving answer for marmalade. Pare and quar¬ 
ter them, allowing three-quarters of a pound of 
sugar to each pound of fruit, and half a pint of 
water to each pound of sugar. Boil one hour 
and a-half, stirring constantly. 
Baked /'each Pudding. —Lane a deep pudding 
dish with puff-paste ; put in a layer of peaches, 
pared and sliced, then sprinkle with sugar, and 
add a iow hits of butter and a little corn-starch ; 
then peaches, and so on until tho dish is near¬ 
ly full. Add a toacnpfnl or more-accord¬ 
ing to your dish, of hot water, and cover tho 
whole with the paste; prick well with a fork 
and bake one bom’. 
/‘each Pudding. —Pare and quarter nice, ripe 
I teaches and line the bottom of a deep dish ; sift 
throe tablespoonfttls of pulvoriaed sugar over 
them. Take one pint of milk, two t&blespoon- 
fuls of corn-starch, yelks of throe eggs, one cup 
of sugar, and make a boiled custard ; pour oue- 
lialf of the custard over the ponchos ; thou an¬ 
other layer of poaches and sugar, and the rest 
of the cuHtard. Boat the whites of tho eggs to 
a froth, flavor with lemou, and cover tho top of 
tho pudding ; sot into the oven to brown. 
Frozen Peaches. —Take ripe, juicy peaches, 
pare and halve them, and sift powdered sugar 
over them plentifully ; freeze as you would ice¬ 
cream. 
To Preserve Crab Applcs. —To each pound of 
fruit use one pound of sugar, and one hulf pint 
of water; put the sugar and water into a porce¬ 
lain kettle ; let it boil np, then skim and add the 
apples ; boil until you nan run a straw through 
them ; skim out the fruit and put it into jars, 
and boil the sirup down to a jolly; then pour it 
over the fruit. 
Thanks to MrB. McCoy for the following : 
Pork. Pot-Pie.—This is nice when chickens 
are not very plentiful; it helps to make a variety 
for those living on a farm. Slice nice salt pork ; 
soak a short time—sweet milk is nice to freshen 
it in—boil two hours ; then put in the potatoes 
and. a few minutes before they are done, make 
the dumplings as follows : one well-beaten egg. 
one teaoupful of sour cream, half a teaspoon ful 
of soda, enough flour to make quite thick or 
they will fall to the bottom; drop the mixture in 
small spoonfuls and shake the kettlo a few 
times while boiling. Before taking up put in 
some pepper and small lumps of butter. 
Dumplings. Baked apple dumplings 1 think 
Letter than those boiled, besides being healthier. 
Make them in the same w r ay as those for boiling ; 
place thorn in a baking pan with small lumps of 
butter and grated nutmeg on each ; this makes 
them brown nicely. To he eaten with cream, 
sugar and nutmeg. 
Dried Corn. In drying my sweet coru, I 
never scald it, but cut it from the cob when it 
will barely do for cooking, and dry as quickly as 
possible. Then when I use it in winter. I do not 
boil it but, let it soak on the back of the stove. 
Wild Plum Jam.— Take plums, those that are 
nico and ripe; wash and put in a porcelain 
kettle with plenty of w ater, as that takes out the 
sourness ; boil until bursting ; then throw away 
the water. When cool rub through a sieve; 
then to each bowlful of pulp add one and one- 
half bowlfuls of sugar. Boil and stir constantly 
until done. 
Baked Apples. —Pare and quarter and lay 
them in a skillet; sprinkle each layer with 
sugar, small pieces of butter and grated nutmeg; 
set in the oven and bake. I think this much 
nicer than stewiDg. 
INFLUENCE OF THE MIND ON THE CURE 
OF DISEASE. 
Tnii grout influence of mental emotions in 
causing and curing disease, has long been known. 
Indeed, many of the miracles credited to saints 
and charlatans are attributed by the irreverent 
and tho shrewd to the faith of the patient rather 
tbau to the virtue of the former's sanctity, or 
tho latter's nostrums. Cores of diseases of the 
spine and also those of a nervous nature, said to 
have been wrought by bluo glass, and similar 
humbugs, may be safely assigned to tho same 
cause. From experiment and study, an eminent 
physician was lately able to make the following 
suggestions: 
1. The ill-success of patients treating them¬ 
selves, and of physicians treating their own fam¬ 
ilies, was partly due to the want of awe and emo¬ 
tion of w’onder to co-operate with them. 
2. The old custom of keeping patients ignor¬ 
ant of tho contents of prescriptions, by writing 
them in Latin, had a knowledge of tho mind on 
its side. Possibly we may be going too far the 
other way. 
3. It is entirely possible that hydrophobia 
and lockjaw may be brought on, with all their 
distinctive symptoms, and that death may result, 
through the emotions of fear and expectation 
alone. 
4. Patients whose will and intellect are feeble, 
have a had prospect of euro ; for with them the 
emotions are not strong and neither is their in¬ 
fluence. 
5. Physicians of great scientific attainment, 
and real worth may fail when an ignorant and 
obscure charlatan succeeds ; because in the lat¬ 
ter case, wonder and awe are excited, and these 
arc more powerful in their healing influence than 
simple respect. 
6. In experimenting in hospitals with new 
medicines, patients must he deceived, or else tho 
rosuits are complicated by mental influence. 
Dr. II. 
-*•♦4- 
EAT SLOWLY. 
An eminent physician states that the average 
time occupied in taking food by the people of 
New England docs not exceed from twelve to 
fifteen minutes for each meal; and iu many 
other parts of the country even this interval be¬ 
tween other occupations would bo considered 
too great a waste of time. Such haste is injuri¬ 
ous to health for many reasons. Tho progress 
of digostion begins iu tho mouth with tho action 
of the toctli and through the oxcitonient of tho 
salivary glands by the presence of food. Unless 
saliva is abundantly mingled with the latter, the 
first act of digestion is obstructed, and nature’s 
plan is changed. This fluid not only lubricates 
but acts chemically in the mouth, if a reasonable 
time be given it, upon all the starch dements 
which make up the great bulk of what we eat. 
When eating in haste, a great deal of air is swal¬ 
lowed. Air is, to a certain extent, always en¬ 
tangled in the saliva and assists digestion, hut 
when “wads" of food succeed each othor very 
rapidly, they seem to act like pistons in the tube 
leading from tho back of the throat, and drive 
before and between them into the stomach such 
amounts of air as to distend that organ and im¬ 
pede its functions. Another effect of ealing in 
this way is that the masses of food imperfectly 
mixed with saliva, become impacted in the 
oesophagus, checking its muscular action, which 
Is obviously intended to propel only one piece at 
a time. This embarrassment is overcome by tak¬ 
ing at one gulp as much fluid as the mouth will 
hold, thus distending the elastic tube and wash¬ 
ing the obstructed food into tho stomach. All 
this is unnatural, and can hardly fail to work 
mischief. 
4 ♦ »- 
NEW REMEDY FOR RHEUMATISM. 
Among the many remedies of modern times in 
tho case of common diseases may he mentioned 
the use of salicylic acid or saliccno in acute 
rheumatism, especially of the joints ; audits ef¬ 
ficacy is attested as the result ol over one hun¬ 
dred cases treated at a London hospital with 
this remedy. Relief was experienced in nearly 
every case, sometimes in three hours, and iu 
other cases not lor several days. Tho minimum 
of time necessary for the disappearance of pain 
from the joints was twelve hours, secondary ef¬ 
fects being observed in a lew cases, such as nau¬ 
sea, a humming in tho ears, partial deafnese, 
eto. Large doses produced a fall of temperature 
also; this, however, not being reduced below the 
normal condition. The pulse and respiration 
became less frequent; the appetite was not seri¬ 
ously effected. The medicine was administered 
in three three-grain pills taken every three 
hours. Salicene seemed to have less effect, but 
possessed the advantage of not disturbing the 
stomach. 
-»•»» 
NOTES, 
To remove dandruff, wash the scalp fre¬ 
quently with bay rum and borax, which will 
raise a lather, and rinse off with cold water. 
To STOP THE FLOW OF BLOOD, OVOU flOUl a 
a severe wound, bind on tho wound tho flue 
dust of tea. After the flow has been staunched, 
laudanum may be applied with advantage.” 
To cure weak eyes, take rose-leaves—the 
more the better—and put them into a little 
water, then boil; after this, strain it into a 
bottle, and cork it tight. You will find this 
liquid very beneficial iu removing redness and 
weakness from the eyes. 
For bleeding at the uose, the best remedy as 
given by Dr. Gleason, iu one of his lectures, is a 
vigorous motion of the jaws, as if in tho act of 
mastication. In the case of a child, a wad of 
paper should be placed in its mouth and the 
child instructed to chew it hard. It is the mo¬ 
tion of the jaws that stops tho flow’ of blood. 
This remedy is so very simple that many will feel 
inclined to laugh at it, but it has never been 
known to fail in a single instance, oven in very 
severe cases. 
A SIMPLE AND SAFE VERMIFUGE Consists Of 
powdered rust of iron. It expels the worms and 
strengthens the constitution. To a child six 
years old, twenty grains may bo given. An 
adult may take a quarter of an ounce. It may 
be given in molasses or in beer. Follow always 
with an aperient—senna for a child, castor oil 
for an adult. 
To CURE VERTIGO OR dizziness, arising from 
dyspepsia, eat food that is easily digested, 
avoiding pastry and fat meat. Sometimes it is 
occasioned by costiveness, and in this case the 
remedy is to keep the bowels open with gentle 
physic. Avoid coffee, ardent spirits, late sup¬ 
pers, and go to bed and rise early. Take plenty 
of outdoor exercise. 
Tea and coffee dietary for children is as 
bad in its effects as its use is universal. Dr. 
Ferguson found that children so fed only grew 
four pounds per annum botwreen tho ages of 
thirteen and sixteen ; while those wlio got milk 
night and morning grew fifteen pounds each 
year. This needs no commentary. The deteri¬ 
orated physique of tea and coffee-fed children, 
as seen in their lessened power to resist disease, 
is notorious amidst tho medical men of factory 
districts. 
Offensive breath can bo easily got rid of, 
for from six to eight drops of tho concentrated 
solution of chloride of soda in a wineglassfiil of 
pure froah water, taken immediately after the 
ablutions of the morning are completed, will 
uwOeton the breath by disinfecting the stomach, 
which, far from being injured, will be benefited 
by the medicine. If necessary, this may be re¬ 
peated in the middie of the day. In some cases 
the odor from carious teeth is combined with 
that of the stomach. If the mouth is well rinsed 
with a teaspoouful of the solution of the chlo¬ 
ride in a tumbler of water, the bad odor of the 
teeth will he removed. 
Direct experiments by Durham, Hammond 
and others show that sleep in the brain is pro¬ 
moted by absence of blood therefrom. This is 
proved also, indirectly, by the greater quantity 
of blood which circulates in tho skin and ex¬ 
tremities during sleep, because there is greater 
radiation of heat from the skin. Whatever tonds 
to abstract blood from the brain favors sleep, 
hence, digestion tends to cause sleep, as do hot 
drinks, etc., by drawing tho blood supply from 
the brain to the stomach. Ko, conversely, 
whatever tends to keep up the activity of the 
brain cells and the circulation, lends to prevent 
sleep: this being, therefore, tho effect of any 
stimulus applied to the senses, sights, sounds, 
thought, anxiety and tho like, while the opposite 
tends to favor sleep). 
anti Useful, 
WHY LAMPS EXPLODE. 
The use of the candles and w’hale-oil lamps of 
our grandmother's time has of late years been 
superseded by the introduction of kerosene in 
the country almost as extensively as by tLat of 
gas in the cities, towns, and enterprising villages. 
This new illuminator has the advantage of being 
much cheaper and the disadvantage of being 
considerably more dangerous, both to persons 
and property, than its time-honored predeces¬ 
sors. Statistics of fatal and painful casualties 
from the careless or imprudent handling and 
use of the article throughout the country, would 
aggregate a startling total, judging from the 
great number that find their way into the press 
of each city, although a tithe of those that actu¬ 
ally occur are never published, while the reports 
of different insurance companies show that 
scarcely any other agent is so productive of tires 
and the destruction of property. All but the 
most ignorant are now aware of the extreme 
danger of using this oil to aid iu lighting tiros, 
and none but the most reckless employ it for 
this purpose. The scope for mischief by it, is, 
therefore, nowadays, in a great measure, con¬ 
fined to the explosions of kerosene lamps ; but 
with regard to ibe cause of these there is a great 
deal of misconception abroad. 
Some persons seem to think that they are 
caused in the same way as the explosion of a 
boiler : namely, by the pressure of the vapor of 
oil inside the lamp, just as boilers explode on 
account of the pressure of steam on their in¬ 
terior. In rare instances only are explosions 
produced by this cause ; in oases, for instance, 
where tho ignited oil overflows the lamp and at 
once envelops it in flame. The usual cause, 
however, is that the vapor of kerosene gets 
mixed iu proper proportions with the air, thus 
forming a true explosive mixture which, when 
tired bv a flame, will explode with the force of a 
charge of powder in a gnu. It is on this ac¬ 
count that there is more danger of explosion 
nJx 
