r 
with and will answer the same purpose. 
Cover first inside and out with a layer of 
cotton batting, then cambric, and over this 
put silk or satin, according to one’s taste. 
Sew a large silk cord around edges of cover 
and top of box, or what is much prettier, 
make a pulling one-and-a-half inchin width, 
sewing it on so that half of the puff will be 
on the inside. This can be done easier than 
one might think for, by using a milliner’s 
needle. To cover the edge of this, a cord can 
be sewed on, or chenille trimming. The band 
boards will disappear. There are scores of 
little conveniences that escape the notice of 
most men and of some women, that we would 
procure if our attention were called to their 
usefulness; therefore I propose that these 
things be discussed at our club meetings, believ¬ 
ing that they are just as important as is tbe 
discussion about wind-mills, mowing ma¬ 
chines, etc. 
been lately reported’ from vinegar that had 
been put in a barrel in which there had been 
linseed oil. Meat is almost sure to spoil when 
salted in wood that has beeu saturated with 
certain products. A whisky barrel makes a 
good pork barrel. A barrel in which there 
has been rancid oil, or lard should be avoided. 
Mary W ager-Fisher. 
omen 
CONDUCTED BY MISS KAY CLARK. 
OUR HOMESTEAD, 
BY PHOEBE CARY 
Our old brown homestead reared its walls 
From the wayside dust aloof, 
Where the apple bough could almost cast 
Its fruit upon the roof ; 
And the cherry tree so near It grew, 
That when awake I’ve lain 
In the lonesome nights, I’ve heard the limbs 
As they creaked against the pane, 
And those orchard trees—Oh, those orchard trees 
I’ve seen my little brothers rocked 
In their tops by the summer breeze. 
The sweetbriar under the window sill, 
Which the early birds make glad, 
And the. damask rose by the garden fence, 
Were all the Uuwers we hail. 
I’ve looked at. many a flower since then— 
Exotics rich and rare— 
That to other eyes were lovelier, 
But not to me so fair. 
For those roses bright, oh ! those roses bright, 
I’ve twined them in my sister’s locks 
That are laid in the dust from sight. 
We had a well, a deep old well, 
Where the spring was never dry, 
And the cool drops down from the mossy 
stones 
Were falling constantly. 
And there never was water half so sweet 
As the draught which filled my cup. 
Drawn up to the curb by the rude old sweep, 
That my father’s hand set up ; 
And that deep old well, oh ! that deep old well, 
I remember now the splashing sound 
Of the. bucket as it fell. 
Our homestead lmd an ample hearth, 
Where at night we loved to meet; 
Where my mother’s voice was always kind, 
And her smile was always sweet; 
And there I’ve sat oil my father’s knee 
And watched Ids thoughtful brow, 
With my childish hand in Ins raven hair— 
That hair is silver now ! 
But that broad hearth's light, oh! that broad 
hearth's light, 
And my father's look and my mother’s smile 
They are in my heart to-night. 
DOMESTIC RECIPES 
A COMPLAINT, 
POTATO PUFF. 
Two large cups of cold, mashed potato, 
two spoonfuls of melted butter, two well 
beaten eggs, a cup of milk, and salt to taste. 
Mix the butter with the potato and beat 
smooth. Then add the other ingredients, heat 
well, put into a deep dish and brown in a 
quick oven. Serve at once. 
BROILED POTATOES. 
These are a favorite supper dish with my 
family, and I give the recipe for those who 
have never eaten them, hoping they will try 
them. Boil potatoes with the skins on. They 
should be cooked through, but not overdone, 
or they will fall in pieces. Peel and slice a 
quarter of an inch thick, dip into melted 
butter, place on a line gridiron over a clear 
fire until nicely browned underneath. Then 
turn, and when of a nice color put into a 
heated dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper and 
serve hot. 
GRANDMOTHER C.’S POTATOES. 
Whenever visiting Grandmother I had 
alwflys relished her potatoes warmed up in 
milk. I had often tried to cook them at 
home, as I supposed, in the same manner, but 
had not succeeded. Happening in the kitchen 
while she was preparing them I found why I 
had failed. She cut them into rather thick 
slices, turned them into the frying-pan and 
poured over some hot water (enough to keep 
from burning) and placed over the fire where 
they would boil gently for a few’ minutes, 
stirring frequently with a knife, and chopping 
the pieces a little each time. She then added 
milk, a generous piece of butter with salt, and 
cooked slowly 15 or 20 minutes longer, stirring 
as before. The potatoes when served were in 
dice-like pieces and very creamy. The water, 
she said, she added to keep them from burn¬ 
ing, as the milk would have scorched before 
the potatoes had become creamy. Mary B. 
ANNIE L. JACK. 
It is discouraging to look over the maga¬ 
zines, with their fine illustrations in tbe cause 
of art, science, history and adventure, and 
then discover how little there is adapted to 
the wants of every day life. The poems are 
of the finest fiber; the stories are love tales in 
which the working man or woman is made to 
play a subordinate part; the “art” is too 
high for human nature’s daily food. Travels 
are very instructive, but are wearisome to 
those who know they can never afford to see 
the places mentioned, and searching for 
crumbs of comfort we are sure to find them, 
if at all, in some out-of-the-way comer of the 
magazine. Even in the newspaper there is 
often a list of frivolous items labeled “ For 
Women.” Our girls are told by the reform¬ 
ers that they must attend first to housekeep¬ 
ing, and all other things will be added. But 
is the reading of magazine or book calculated 
to inculcate this doctrine ? Far from it. The 
heroine sits with lily-white hands and warbles 
“ Mother kissed me in my dreams,” or paints 
impossible decorations on pretty china that 
would be still prettier in its plain purity; but 
the routine of housekeeping has no charm for 
her, neither can we wonder when in the new¬ 
est novels and magazine stories the heroine is 
sure to be rich, or too refined to earn her own 
bread and butter. 
And yet everywhere we hear complaint of 
poor and incapable help. Ladies when meet¬ 
ing are sure to discuss the all-absorbing topic, 
and exhaust it without solving its meanings. 
But there is no attempt at reform. I did hear 
of an instance in one home, not long since, 
that caused these very thoughts. A young 
lady returned from finishing her education to 
find her mother a victim in the hands of the 
Philistines, flouted by tbe cook and in the 
power of the house-maid. She persuaded her 
father to dispense with the services of both, 
and with the help of a younger sister and one 
well-paid servant, instituted a new order of 
things. Father and mother rejoice in the re¬ 
form. The one servant is well treated, well 
paid, and has all necessary privileges. The 
house is now a home, and many more might 
become so but for the pernicious teaching of 
the popular novel. All praise to Mrs. Whit¬ 
ney, who gives us so many pictures—where 
Barbara “made things pleasant in one little 
place,” as she folded and damped down the 
clothes; and to Miss Alcott, who taught girls 
how they might be happy while practicing 
such economy as to make oue pair of gloves 
serve two pairs of hands. Let us have more 
of such teaching, and the practical part illus¬ 
trated in our homes. 
HANDKERCHIEF BOX.—FIG. 17. 
is an embroidered strip of canvas, and the 
design here given is just the one to use for it. 
Line the box with Marcelline silk or a. good 
quality of silesia. Wheu done, it will give 
pleasure to the maker and be of great ser¬ 
vice to the user. 
Domestic C 
column} 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE 
NELSON RITTER. 
USES FOR OLD LACE FLOUNCES, 
I wish to suggest to Farmers’ Clubs that 
they set apart stated meetings—say once a 
month to those meeting weekly—for the dis¬ 
cussion of questions pertaining to household 
affairs, and invite their wives to attend and 
take part in these discussions. There are 
many more conveniences and labor-saving im¬ 
plements adapted to the housekeeper’s use 
than most people are aware of. We frequently 
read articles in the papers complaining that 
men fail to furnish their wives with suitable 
tools and implements, and that consequently 
women are having a severe life of it. I have 
no doubt that a good share of the complaints 
against husbands, come from old maids, upon 
the “sour grape” principle. Many are evidently 
written by men who thus misrepresent 
women for some purpose best known to them¬ 
selves. 
1 have a better opinion of the average woman 
than to believe that she wishes to parade any 
faults or shortcomings of her husband before 
the public, however heinous his faults may be. 
All men and most women have their faults 
and I suppose that misunderstandings aud 
differences of opinion will arise in all famil¬ 
ies; but these should be settled and arranged 
among themselves, and should never be 
ventilated in the columns of the papers. 
According to my observation, men are 
Tiie lace once worn on shawls, as some of us 
remember, was two row s deep. As this shawl 
has entirely passed out of style, the lace can be 
used to make an evening dress more rich and 
beautiful. Above the pleating of silk put the 
lace on across the front, plain; then commence 
at the sides to full it, and do so ou around the 
entire skirt. A puffing of silk comes next, and 
above that again the lace flounce, put on the 
same as the lower. A row cm tbe edge of the 
basque or bodice is a good addition, c, a, c. 
boiled onions. 
Skin and wash, put on to boil, and after 
boiling 15 minutes turn off the water and add 
clear, cold water and let boil again. Turn off 
the water the second time and add more cold 
water and boil until tender. This will make 
them clear and mild in flavor. When tender 
pour off all the water; dress with a little 
cream, salt and pepper. Mrs. Sargent. 
Mary Wager-Fisher says: Young people 
should not be discouraged al lack of encour¬ 
agement. Benjamin West said that his 
mother’s kiss made! him a painter; but it is 
said of the great English painter, Turner, 
that his father never praised him but once in 
his life, and that was for saving a halfpenny. 
The instances tire few and far between of 
great success having been achieved in any 
way but through the heavy and difficult path 
of discouragement. The sort of people w ho 
require the sugar-plum of praise at every 
step are eomruoupluce to the last degree. 
CODFISH ON TOAST. 
Take a pint of shredded codfish that has 
been soaked in cold water long enough to 
freshen; drain, put into a skillet with a little 
cold milk, season with butter and pepper, mix 
a spoonful of flour smooth in a little milk, 
add, boil up and turn on to buttered toast on 
a platter. H. e. y. 
New Year’s Calls. —The happy custom of 
making New Year’s calls has been more gen¬ 
erally practiced this year than it has beeu 
for several years past. What is pleasanter or 
more cheery than the heurty hand shaking, 
indicative of good wishes, and the words ac¬ 
companying the same, 
from friends whom . _ 
many of us see only on y?" W;; ; w ;; **■» > j w 
the first day of each 
It is the star 
PRESERVING ICE. 
In the Rural “Hints,” p. 835, there is a 
good suggestion to use pillows (which are ex- 
TO PRESERVE PORK TENDERLOINS. 
Cut the meat into squares, fry until well 
done, press the pieces into hot glass cans, 
pour boiling lard over 
the ton. aud seal the 
iS5 "jES j same as fruit. 
5. . aS.fjSTte ’ a PICKLED CHICKEN. 
Boil four chickens 
until very tender, re- 
gjot move bones and skin, 
pack in a stone pot, and 
ftlagg 1 ^ §g pour over three pints 
of cold vinegar and a 
pint of the liquor the 
1 chicken was boiled in. 
yHw* wJuitfw "U Add auy spice liked. 
J||| It will be ready for use 
lUI « | Yjjijjgy in two days. 
! Farmer’s Wife. 
year ? 
day, socially, to those 
w ho use it rightly, aud 
we hope the good reso - 
lutious made then may 
reap the fullest har¬ 
vest. 0. A. c. 
We give our lady read¬ 
ers a cut of one of the 
most showy designs 
for either crewel or 
worsted work. It is 
shown iu the full size of 
canvas stitch to ena¬ 
ble its being copied. A 
CLAM CHOWDER. 
Mrs. John IF. Stone 
wishes a recipe for the 
above. 
very pretty effect is 
made by using shaded 
wool for the figures, with two shades of con- | 
trusting culors for the lino w ork—blue aud 
browu, olive greens and orange. The Ger¬ 
mantown wools, though not as smooth as 1 
zephyr, retain the color, after washing, much 
better; and as there is considerable labor rep¬ 
resented in working those patterns, it is well 
to use the material that holds the color. 
Also a cut of a box that can be easily 
made to look handsome aud rich—a gift 
suitable for our best-beloved friend. Get a 
box made 10x8 inches, of very thin wood; or 
cigar boxes of the larger sizes may be met 
DESIGN FOR CREWEL OR WO 
more willing to buy new inventions for use in 
the house than their wives are. There is a 
sameness about a -woman’s work that must lie 
extremely disagreeable, and she should have 
any article that w ill iu any way make it 
lighter and more pleasant. 
Take, as a single iustance, the scouring of 
knives. Suppose 20 minutes each day are 
spent in this useless employment; in 40 years 
they will amount to eight months of this 
“ dimnition grind.” Let the husband buy 
knives of solid steel, silver-plated, costing 
about $0 per dozeu, and scouring-bricks aud 
STKD EMBROIDERY. —FIG. 18. 
cellent non-conductors of heat, and always 
at hand as well as convenient in form) under 
and over the covered dish in which ice is 
placed for sick-room use during nights. One 
point is omitted—tbe need of drainage under 
the ice to prevent its being dissolved by its 
own drip. It should rest on a perforated 
plate like that of a soap dish, or ou some equi¬ 
valent support, to keep it dry. w. G. w. 
CONCERNING BARRELS. . 
Be careful what barrels you use for vinegar, 
pork, beef, etc. A case of lead poisoning has 
Ans.—C hop 50 clams, 
peel and slice eight 
raw potatoes, mince six onions, slice a quarter 
of a pound of fat, salt pork, slice half a dozen 
tomatoes (two cupfuls of canned tomatoes), a 
pound of crackers (butter are best) rolled fine, 
butter and seasoning to taste. Put pork in 
the bottom of the kettle and try out, removing 
the bits. Partially cook the minced ouion in 
this fat, then turn on to a plate. Put the in¬ 
gredients into the kettle in layers, season 
with pepper, salt aud bits of butter, cover 
with water and simmer two hours. An iron 
kettle is not a good thing to make the chowder 
in, as it is apt to give it an unpleasant taste. 
