DEC. 24 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
845 
SONG OF THE CAKES. 
With features heated and red. 
With head that throbs and aohee, 
A woman stand* in passionate dread. 
Turning' buckwheat cakes. 
Bake ! bake! bake! 
In autumn, winter and spring. 
And stUl with a voice of tremulous quake. 
She but of the cake doth eing. 
Beat I beat I beat! 
While the batter is foaming high. 
And bake, bake, bake.’ 
Till it teems our men must die! ; 
It’s ob ! to eat the most 
Along with the glutton and knave. 
That woman may ftzzle and toast, 
And never a oa&e to save ! 
Bake, bake, bake, 
Till the brain doth seem on Are ; 
Bake,’bake, bake, 
Till arm and nerve both tire! 
Spread and turn and lift. 
Lift and turn and spread. 
Till over the whole as I work so deft 
I seem to be dreaming or dead I 
Oh, men with sisters dear I 
Oh, men with mothers and wives' 
It is not the cakes that disappear 
As honey—minus hives! 
Bake, bake. bake. 
In kitchen furnace, and glow, 
And still, in a voice of trembling quake. 
We eing while spreading the dough. 
[Norristown Herald. 
-- 
GLEANINGS. 
Scientific Reliance on Soap.— Dr. Rlohardson 
lectured recently in thlB city on fcho germ theory 
of disease. He ackno wledged Ills obligation to 
Tyndall for his microscopic Investigation on air, 
dust, spores, and other comforting and salutary 
topics. It is worth while for common people to 
learn that 50,000 typhus germs will thrive In the 
circumference of a pin head or a visible globule. 
It is worth while for them to note that these 
germs may be desslcated and be borne like this¬ 
tle needs, everywhere, and, like demoniacal pos¬ 
sessions, may jump noiselessly down any throat. 
But there are oertaln things spores cannot stand, 
according to the latest ascertained results of sci¬ 
ence. A water temperature of 120' bolls them to 
death, and soap ohomlcally polsona them. Here 
sanitary and microscopic solenoe come together. 
Spores thrive In low ground and under low con¬ 
ditions of llfo. For redemption, fly to hot water 
and soap, ye who live In danger of malarial pol- 
Honlng. Hot water is sanitary. Soap Is more 
sanitary. Fight typhus, small-pox, yellow (ever 
with soap. Soap Is a board of health.—T/ie Phil¬ 
adelphia Press. 
New Yoke's Costly Buildings. —New York can 
boast of some buildings, bridges and other tilings 
that ooit very handsome sums. The following 
are the most noted examples: The new Postoflice, 
designed by Mullett and built of Dlx Island gran- 
lte, cost about *z,ooo,ooo. The Brooklyn Bridge 
bas cost a little over * 8 . 000,000 up to dare. Wnea 
completed the total bill will bo about $U,000,000, 
according to present estimates. The City Hall, 
with Its marble front and brown-stone back, cost 
*500.000 at the beginning u( the century, when la¬ 
bor was cheap and Jobbery rare. Vanderbilt’s 
Grand Central depot cost *2,250,000. but the ap¬ 
proach to the depot, through the Fourth avenue 
viaduct and tunnels, ccst six or aeven millions, 
half paid by the Vanderbilts aod half by the city. 
The Tribune taU tower la mms stories high, haB a 
gin snop and a clock, cost about *600,000 and Is 
mortgaged for $300,000, which Is Just about Its 
present value. The Croton Water Works have 
cost between $25,000,000 and $30,000,000. The 
house that Mrs. A. T. Stewart lives in cost $2,0oo,- 
000 . The Custom House cost*!,SuO.uoO. The Now 
York Life Insurance Company’s building cost a 
round million. Tho Western Union Telegraph’s 
building cost $2,800,000. The County Court House 
was originally estimated at ISOO.OOO, but owing to 
unforeseen circumstances, the expense was be¬ 
tween twelve ana fourtoen millions, nearly six 
millions of which went for furniture, and three 
millions for plastering and painting .—Boston 
Post. 
Geobob Henkt lkwks, the English author 
whose death Is now noted, was without doubt 
chiefly known in this country as the husband of 
“George Eliot,” but he had won a considerable 
reputation In literature before bo bad met that 
great woman. He was known as an essayist and 
biographer, and especially as asubtle philosopher 
or the positivist school; he had, besides, tried his 
hand at a tragedy, “The Noble Heart," and had 
twice published a novel, tho results being « Ran- 
thorpe” and “Rose, Blanche and Violet,” the latter 
of which was before the public so years ago. His 
name as a student,and lu some measure as a teach¬ 
er, of philosophy is more than a respectable one; 
bis “ History of Phllosphy from Thales to Comte,” 
and his life of Goethe aro sure of readers ror 
years to come. Ho had also recently made some 
remarkable studies in physiology, and had pub¬ 
lished the flrgt two volumes of “ Problems of 
Life and Mind,” designed to be a system of phil¬ 
osophy. He was founder of the Fortnightly Re¬ 
view, besides having been contributor to nearly 
every English review and several or the maga¬ 
zines. The relations of Mr. Lewes with Mtse 
Marian Evans loug attracted muon attention 
and criticism. Tho facts are that his flrst wlte 
proved unfaithful to him, and yet on her pro¬ 
fession of penitence he had condoned her fault, 
when she again dishonored and deserted Ulm. 
The condonation debarred him from procuring 
a divorce, but when Ills acquaintance with Miss 
EvanB grow Into mutual attachment, neither of 
them recognized any moral wrong in assuming 
the relations of husband and wife, aud they ac¬ 
cordingly did so. We believe they were mar¬ 
ried upon the death of tho uuworthy Mrs. Lewes. 
The companionship of tho two has been helpful, 
but we believe they have suffered the severity 
of British social ostracism on aocount of lb— 
Sprtngjtsld Republican. 
Jfor fflU omra. 
CONDUCTED BY MISS FAITH RIPLEY. 
CHRISTMAS. 
Olory to Ooa in the highest, and on earth, peace, 
good wta toward men. 
Wake! Wake! Wake! Do you hear them— 
Bells pealiuar out on tho wintry air ? 
Bells oAteblnpr echoes from bells, and fllnfrinsr 
New echoes forth till tlia world 1 h ringing-,— 
Ringing and echoing everywhere. 
"Joy, Joy. Joy I 1 ’ they are culling,' 
Lives shall respond to tho vibrant chord, 
Hearts catching echoes from hearts, repeating 
Still through tho world the angel greeting. 
Welcome and welcome, new *' year of our Lord.” 
—( 4 nan . 
But while Joy’s echo falls 
In gay and plonteoiiB halls, 
Let the poor and lowly share 
The warmth, the sporte, the fare ; 
For the one of humble lot 
Must not shiver In bis cot, 
But claim a bounteous meed from wealth and pride. 
Shed kindly blessings 'round 
Till no aching heart be found. 
Then all hall to merry Christmas tide! 
—[Eliza. Cock. 
-- 
TALK8 ON TIMELY TOPICS.-No. 9. 
FEATHER TRIMMINGS AND MOLE-SKIN DECORA¬ 
TIONS. 
ROSE GERANIUM. 
If you oovet, feather trimmings and cannot 
have them upon any other terms, up and make 
them for yourselves f 
A certain little matron I know has more than 
once been accused ot extravagance. The truth, 
os she has oonflded it to me, goes far In evidence 
of her superior economy. Of course her little 
Dotty always is daintily dressed, bur, ir mamma 
works it all out of her own brain and Angers, 
without » ffectlDg the tax-blll3, need Mrs. Grundy 
be too severe? 
Dotty’s pretty, blaok straw walking hat fell 
under the l ist-named personage’s tb3ervatlona 
short time since. 
“Just behold!” she exclaimed. “ Mattie Dor¬ 
ris is the wife of a man struggling with a heavy 
mortgage upon his farm, and yonder goes Dotty 
with ft dollar and a half’s wort h of feather-band 
around her bat. it looks In elegant taste, to be 
sure, but DorrlB can’t afford It!’’ 
Mrs. Grundy was nor at all In the secret; but 
the Black-Spanlsb, crowing patriarchs of the Dor¬ 
ris?’ fowl-yard knew all about it, having heen 
party several to deftly performed “clippings.” 
A strip ot foundation mualln, two Inches wide, 
and a needle and thread, flying to the time of 
Mattie’s happy bumming, did the rest. 
More than this,—a few yards of the same 
trimming, made possible by a judlclously-tlmed 
slaughter of market-birds, found grace In the 
eyes of the town mini ner. The result was several 
dollars set down to the credit of tho little home 
manufacturer. 
An excellent pretense at marabout bordering, 
to hedge about your hoods and cloaks, may be 
devised from the soft black feathers of your tur¬ 
keys. 
** Block ?” 
Certainly l First bleach them white 1 
To accomplish this, wash them thoroughly In 
very strong, hot soap-Ruds, to remove all the oil 
they may contain. Next, place them in a bath ot 
bt-chromoto of potash and water, to which has 
been added a rew dropa of nitric ac-ld. They wilt 
rapidly bleach snd shculd be removed as soon as 
the process is finished and rinsed In clear water. 
They are now ready to bo dyed any delicate 
shade. Ten cents' worth of rose o: slate dyes 
will color snfflolent feathers to array your entire 
household. 
Cut away the stiff portion of the quill and sew 
Into bands with an luoh-wlde tape for foundation. 
Appropriate reathera from your chickens may 
be shaped into perfect Imitations of those Jaunty 
little bird’s wings which are so popular. If you 
manufacture them from these innocent resour¬ 
ces you not only practice economy, but preserve 
for yourself “a conscience void of offense’’ 
against our much persecuted and harmless min¬ 
strels of the air 1 
Moles for Decoratlv* Purposes. 
I believe we are all agreed that It la but right 
and proper to kill moles. They are meddlesome; 
they are stealthy and dishonorable In the prose¬ 
cution of their business, and they employ their 
capital In direct, violation of that sentiment or the 
common law which directs that “no man”—nor 
mote—" shall use his property In such manner as 
to Injure his neighbors.” 
Therefore, be it resolved, that moles shall be 
exterminated 1 As they will have no possible 
need of their skins afterward, you may as well 
use them. Likely as not they have boon grown 
upon your hyacinth bulb3 and apple tree roots. 
So don’t spoil them 1 Get some dexterous mole- 
sklnner to remove them for you. Stretch and 
tan them. 1 would here Interlard a formula, but 
you will certainly llud a score In the Rur al Nkw- 
Yorkbk, If you will but glance over the Index. 
When prepared, cut cross-wise, In bands adapt¬ 
ed to your taste, purpose and the depot of sup¬ 
plies. Fasten the lengths together wit h delicate, 
overcast stitches. In applying to an article, sew 
t he upper edge with heaTy thread and a plain 
scam. Then turn over, stroke down and catch 
tUe lower edge with a few stitches underneath. 
Around the collar aud cuffs of your velvet 
Jacket or your good, substantial winter suit these 
bands will look very lovely and sort. And, In ad¬ 
dition, you will feel yourself to have done some¬ 
thing practical In favor of agriculture! How 
very alee! 
FOE WHOM THE BOOT FITS. 
If you are one of the men who are always In 
the habit, about Christmas time, of making slur¬ 
ring remarks concerning women “ taking their 
husbands’ money to buy their Christmas pres¬ 
ents,” lest you may plead It don’t fit you, and 
so not put It on, [ will state explicitly, In the 
beglnutng, that It does; 'twas made for you 
specially, though, perhaps, not “to order.” I 
tell yon thus expressly, because I wish to “let 
no guilty man escape,’’and more men are guilty 
than would care to be found so “ by a. Jury of their 
peers”—though it does not 1 rouble them a par¬ 
ticle that their wives know it, and suffer ror tt. 
I happen to know all about the money that 
buys your Christmas present, sir, (which allow 
me to tell you, you don't deserve). I happen 
to know all about the little petty eoonomles 
your estimable wife ba3 practiced for tho past 
year, with a view to purchasing it. I happen to 
know how she saved a penny here, and squeezed 
out two pence there, where you would never have 
dreamed of doing It. I happen to know the 
days when she even did her own washing (more 
fool she ! say 1), that she might have that dollar, 
or half dollar toward It. I happen to know how 
she walked, many a time, to save toward It the 
half dime, you probably wouldn’t begrudge the 
railway company. I happen to know how she 
turned, and twisted, and contrived to make old 
do as well as new, that she might put that with 
the Increasing amount of sacrlffoes. I happen to 
know how she laid awake nights, thinking, and 
planning whPre she could save the la6t needed 
dollar for the purchase. And, then, when tho 
sum of all these self-denials, money that she 
should have spent for herself Is lovingly ex¬ 
pended in a Christmas present for you and proud¬ 
ly and trustingly brought for your acceptance, 
that you, who boast yourself a man, should un¬ 
gratefully, meanly, taunt her of buying your 
presents with your money I I toll yon. sir, that 
money Is no more yours than If you never laid 
eyes or Anger on It. it Is Just as much hers 
as it she had earned It by hard work—wbten she 
did—harder work than you ever think of doing. 
I'd like to see you pinch and scrimp to get your 
wife a Christmas present, or any other present 
the way she does to get your presents. I’d like 
to see you even give up your cigars, your occa¬ 
sional glass of—whatever you are in the habit of 
calling for—your games of billiards, and your 
lodges, to get. your wife a present. 
She has not ono of these indulgences, and 
denies herself even necessaries for you sake, 
and then you sneer and accuse her ot getting 
your present with “ your money,” and, worst of 
all, never dream but tna^you are a full-fledged 
man. 
But, what it your wife did or should get you a 
present with moaey that you give her, out and 
out? though what would ever bring you to that 
astonishing state of generosity I don’t believe 
she w ill ever k no w. from ex perl ence. So long a 3 
3ue guts you some! hlng you need, what If you 
do givo her the money, 1 say? it you are so 
magnanimous would it hurt your mighty lord- 
ship, In your most vital part, your pocket, to al- 
low her to delude herself and others wlLh the be¬ 
lief thatltrealiy was her gift to you ? It would be 
a pleasant delusion—one that she at least, would 
enjoy; but you can’t lot ber cherish It. You must 
needs remind her, smilingly, that “ you might 
juBt as well have got 16 yourself; she got It with 
your money I” 
And, now, 1 want to ask you, sir, evon grant- 
lDg for a moment that It Is “ your money,” I 
want to ask you, sir, “Whose money should It 
be?” 
Do you want your wife to buy your present with 
some other man's money ? or, do you expect her 
or want ber to go to work and earn money from 
outsiders ror it? 
1 tell you, my dear sir, there are more wives, 
to-duy, who wish they could do that than you 
dream of in your shameful Indifference. There are 
more women, to-day, wives ot well-to-do men who 
envy the women who earn, Independently, their 
livelihood, than would like to be found out. There 
are more women, to-day, who would gladly imi¬ 
tate the lawyer’s wife—was It not?—who desper¬ 
ate for money that should have been freely 
given hung out the sign, “Wasntng and Iron¬ 
ing done here,” vrltu satisfactory results from her 
husband than would be brave enough to do It. 
There are more wives, to-day, who long, with tn- 
tenseat longing, ror a single dollar they cau call 
their own—a dollar In which their husbands, sir, 
want not “part or parcel,” than there should be 
for the credit of husbands! Wives wao work 
for their husbands and the children they have 
homo them, as only devoted wives oan; and, 
many of them, women who knew what It was be¬ 
fore marriage, to have money to spend as they 
pleased, to whom tt comes all the harder to be 
told, “You bought it with my money.” 
The man who will say •* my money" to his 
wife and mother of his children, who does tor him 
and them as moat wives and mothers do, Is too 
contemr i tble to live; but if lie must live, he’d 
never get a Christmas present, nor any other 
present, tt ho was my husband. 
Gale Forest. 
There 11 happened to hear that as I was shut¬ 
ting the door, and Just step back to inform you, 
that you needn’t, "thank heaven you’re not"— 
ror 1 cau beat you at that every time I— Cincin¬ 
nati Times. 
- ■ - 
THE KINDLING WOOD. 
}. E. M'C. 
Almost every newspaper we take up hac some 
sad story ot a poor girl who lost, her life trying ’o 
light a lire by the help of coal-oil. And most 
people who read the account exclaim against 
such stupidity In the faoe ot so many warnings. 
But alas 1 the warnings come to you and me, and 
not to the poor girls who try the experiment 
They know nothing of the news of the day, and 
probably could not read It If It was placed before 
them. It la a good plan for housekeepers to read 
such accounts In their kitchens, lor the warning 
may be badly needed there, little as the house¬ 
wife may suspect It. It Is not the lamp-light 
alone that is responsible for the rapid lowering 
of the oil in our cans. 
But these “ accidents ” call up quite a different, 
line of thought In my mind. What Btralts the 
poor girls were doubtless reduced to for kin¬ 
dlings before they adopted this expedient! The 
Ore must bo had by fair means or foul. There are 
no paper or shavings provided, and coarse kln- 
dllDgs will not light with a match. But break- 
fast must be on the table In time or there will be 
trouble enough In the kitchen. What can a girl 
do but expedite the bustnesB by any method she 
can devise? The blame may Ue farther back 
than la commonly supposed. 
A few years ago, the papers contained the har¬ 
rowing story of a domestic who took a handful of 
leaves from one book after another In her em¬ 
ployer's library to light her kitchen Are from 
time to time. She supposed she was doing little 
harm, as “ she seldom went twice to the aame 
book." Everybody was suitably Indignant and 
sympathized with the master; but does anyone 
suppose a girl would have taken that trouble If 
sho had hoen provided with anything suitable 
for flre-bulldlng? 
It Is not city folks alone who are careless about 
these thing*. In the country where wood is 
cheap and abundant, the women-folks are often 
put to great trouble for nice, dry kindlings, cut 
sufficiently fine for this purpose. The wood Is 
split coarse under the Impression that It will last 
longer, with no shadow of regard to a house¬ 
wife's convenience. If to burry up the belated 
dinner a few kindlings are added, there Is a great 
outcry from tho boy who splits them. There 
ought to he a reform In some places on these 
matters. There should he at least equal parts ot 
tine and coarse wood always In the wood-box, 
and never a stick of green spilt up to aggravate a 
good housekeeper’s feelings, and put her work 
back for hours every day. A little forethought 
would save a great deal of wear and tear of 
mind, as well as of body. 
MARRIED WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN THE 
MIDDLE STATES. 
IN New York a married woman has absolute 
control of her separate estate, and Is entitled to 
demand a conveyance of any property held In 
trust for her. provided she has a fee simple es¬ 
tate In the same. 8he has a right to deposit 
money in a bank in her own name and draw out 
the same by oheefc. 
A will requires but. two attesting witnesses. 
In New Jersey, the separate property of the 
wife is not liable for the debts of her husband- 
Wllls mtier, be signed in presence of two sub¬ 
scribing witnesses 
In Pennsylvania the separate property of any 
married woman, owned by her before marriage 
or which sho has become the owner of after mar 
rlage, Is free from any liability, except for her 
own debts, and then not until the creditor falls 
to obtain the amount of debt from the husband's 
estate, if. however, judgment Is obtained against 
the husband for the wrongful act or the wife 
the creditor must flrst exhaust the wife’s separ¬ 
ate property before he can levy on the husband’s. 
Wills must be in writing and signed by the 
testator, or by some one at her request, and must 
be proved by two competent witnesses. 
In Delaware the wife’s property la liable for the 
debts of the husband, unless certain legal pro¬ 
ceedings are taken to prevent such liability. 
Wills must be in writing, signed either by the 
testator or by some one at her request, and mua 
be proven by two subscribing witnesses. 
Shall I not be forgiven for repeating good Ful 
ler's words, even though they may Jar a little 
upon some wedded ears7 “Deceive not tbyselt 
by ever expecting hAppIness In the married state. 
Look not therein for contentment greater than 
God will give, or creature In this world oan re¬ 
ceive—viz., to be free from all Inconveniences. 
Marriage is not like the hill Olympus, wbolly 
clear, without clouds. Remember the nightin¬ 
gales, which sing only some months In the spring, 
but commonly are silent when they have hatched 
their eggs, as If their mirth were turned Into a 
care for their young ones.” 
-- 
ENGLISH LAVENDER WATER. 
Alcohol, - -- ----40 ounces 
Essence of Mlllefleurs, - -1 “ 
" violet, - - - 10 drachms 
“ Jasmine, - - l ounce 
Extract of Musk, - i “ 
Oil ot Bergamot, .... 2 drachms 
" Clove, - - - - 10 drops 
“ Rose, - 20 “ 
“ Lavender, ... 1 ounce 
- - 
The widow ot millionaire Ralston, the Cali¬ 
fornian who suicided a bankrupt, evidently has 
been turning money Into time pretty fast since 
the death of her husband. A. J. Ralston, her 
brother-In-law, made application ror the guard¬ 
ianship ot the widow on the fifth ot last August, 
and the 6th tnst. bad been fixed upon by the Court 
as the day upon which the oase should he heard. 
Mrs. Ralston has received $176,000 since the mil¬ 
lionaire’s death, in August, 18T6, and this sura has 
been cast out of her reach shekel by shekel. She 
has traveled in the most luxurious manner, and 
nsw resides at the Palace Hotel In San Francisco 
A Cheap and Good Prepared Gluk.—D issolve 
common glue In cider vinegar as thick as may be 
wanted; as it becomesjthlck from lime to,.time 
add vinegar. 
