775 
MOV. 20 THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
$or Momctt. 
CONDUCTED BY MISS RAY CLARK. 
GRANDFATHER’S PET. 
This is the room where she slept. 
Only a year ago,— 
Quiet and carefully swept. 
Blinds and cmtatTO like snow. 
There, by the bed, in the dusky gloom, 
She would kneel with her tiny clasped hands and 
pray! 
Here is the little white rose of a room, 
With the fragrance fled away. 
Nolle, Grandfather’s pet, 
With her wise Ittt.ln face.— 
I seem to hear iter yot 
Singing about the place; 
But the clouds roll on and the streets are drear, 
And the world seems hard with a bitter doom, 
And Nelly is singing elsewhere—and here 
Is tho little white rose of a room. 
Why, if ahe stood Just there, 
As she used to do, 
With her loug, light, yellow hair. 
And her ryes of blue,— 
If she stood, I say, at the edge of the bed. 
And ran to my side with a living touch, 
Though l know she is quiet, and buried, and dead 
I should uofc wonder much. 
For sho was so young, you know,— 
Only seven years old; 
And her face was so wiso and sweet to see, 
And it still looked living when she lay dead, 
And sho used to plead for mother and me, 
I!y the side of lluit very bed 1 
I wonder now. If sho 
Knows I am standing hero, 
Feeling, wherever aim bo 
We hold the place so dear ? 
It cannot he that she sleeps too sound, 
Still in herlittle nightgown drest. 
Not to huar my footsteps sound. 
In the room wlioro bhe used to rest. 
I have felt hard fortune's stings, 
And b.itlled in doubt and strife 
And never thought much of things 
Beyond this human life; 
But I cannot think that my darling died 
Liko great strong men, with their prayers un¬ 
true,— 
Nay 1 rather she sits at God’s own side 
And sings as she used to do. 
--»♦ » - — 
MISS IRENE AGAIN. 
Poor Mias I rene 1 What a flutter and a stir her 
let ter has instituted ? 
M has been very amusing to read some of the 
replies to It. In the eager haste of some of the 
ladles to refuse to drag the married men over the 
coals, they have unconsciously given an occasional 
thwack that sent them right Into the (Ire. 
1 am a married woman and t Know that my bet¬ 
ter-half (?) Is an exception that don't deserve to 
go over the coals, but at the same time I bear wit¬ 
ness that Miss Irene was right In saying that some 
of Them deserved to be dragged over the coals. I 
know, as all do, that there are exceptions, but 
sometimes I think they are largely in the minor¬ 
ity. 
Taken altogether, tho majorliy or farmers’ wives 
do have a hard life, it Is chui u ami bake, wash, 
scrub and Iron-, make up beds, sweep and dusc; 
sew, patch and darn, year In and year out. Her 
work is monstrous. It Is she who must have the 
children, and she who must have the care of them, 
in addition to tho other work. There la many a 
wife with a kind, affectionate husband, who la 
working herself into an early grave, because her 
husband Is too blind to see that her burdens are 
too heavy, and the toils on, thinking It Is her duty 
and never blaming him. He must have ’• help'' to 
to do his work, and new machines also, while 
week after week she must *• chug, chug, chug,” 
with tho old churn that makes her arms and 
shoulders ache. 
If the baby is cross in the night It Is mother 
whose rest must be broken, while father rests, be¬ 
cause he “ has the living to make.” It makes no 
difference It she does have to wash or Iron the 
next day. 
I tell you, the majority of farmers’ wives are a 
crying shame against their husbands. You will 
know them when you see them; pale, tired-look¬ 
ing women, dowdlly dressed, and who look at you 
as you pass them In the street with a wistful, 
pleading look, that, always reminds one of a deer 
at bay. 
Now, I know exceptions, so don’t all rise to 
quench my eloquence, as you did Miss Irene’s. I 
know whereof I speak, for my mother was a far¬ 
mer's wife and I too have “been around." 
If somebody "dodges” at this, I'll know there Is 
a guilty husband around. 
1 presume some of you have heard of the man 
who was struck In a crowd, but knew not who did * 
It; seizing a stone he sprung upon a stump (it 
might have been a barrel, but it Is proper to say 
"stump speech,”) aud said: “Somebody In this 
crowd struck me aud I am going to hit him with 
this,” at tho same time aiming as though about to 
throw ; every oue but the man who had struck 
him stood still, while he quickly dodged and the 
llrst man threw away his stone ana proceeded to 
thrash number two. 
Speaking of "No. 2,” Dr. A. E. S., Is It not a little 
singular that she has lived to be nearly thirty 
years without ever having a chance to help make 
tomato cat-sup? (How absurd I a firmer help his 
wife make tomato oat-sup '!) And you are nearly 
twenty-tour, aud are faithful and kind? Just wait 
until you and "No. 2,” or her prototype are 
twain, and see how long you will be the latter. 
A man generally Is that until he gets married, and 
then he pulls off his .loves and lets his wife see 
how brawny bis hands are, and hovy hard he can 
hit with them. 
For my part, I am strongly Inclined to suspect 
" No. 2” of being a fraud—In other words, a mar¬ 
ried woman dodging for a guilty spouse. 
Now, No. 2 , if I’m wrong, I suppose you will 
“ pitch Into” me, and make it lively. They say 
old maids are generally pretty high-tempered, and 
the way you criticised Miss Irene, leadB me to sus¬ 
pect you of being so. 
An uncle of mine used to say that at twenty-live 
a woman was " simply an old maid,” but at thirty 
she was a '• darned old maid,” and would explain 
to his reproving wife that by " darned” he meant 
" snarled,” because, he would say, they were gen¬ 
erally so “ snarly at that age.” 
Alline Ray. 
-- 
ECONOMY IN DRESSING. 
Fob those who have money enough to buy dress 
material; take them to a fashionable modiste and 
there leave all care of them 'til they go for the 
finished garment,for these, articles are not written 
l suppose, however, that that class comprises 
about one percent. The remaining ninety-nine 
have to look more or less closely after the dressing 
of themselves or daughters; turning old dresses or 
renovating by adding to material, or renewing 
trimmings. 
In i he revolution that has taken place In dress- 
lng-gradually—during the last two years, home 
dressmaking has become a much easier matter 
than formerly. Twenty-two yard3 was a mod¬ 
erate dress pattern (t bought 2 T yards of striped 
summer silk five years ago for a dress, and I have 
this last year, maae two complete coBtumes of 
that dress). Dressmakers would make up the 
pattern tor you at a cost of from *12 to $20, and 
declare they made very little at that, while they 
were assisted by a person not a boru genius, serv¬ 
ing an apprenticeship, to put on the elaborate 
trimming that made a dress a work of art. 
There ore such dresses now. We read of act¬ 
resses who have costumes the trimming or which 
cost $15,uoo, hut It Is last becoming bad taste to 
wear such dresses In private life. 
Twelve yards or black satin, or seven yards of 
the plain satin, and five yards of brocaded satin, 
at a cost of $1.40 a yard, will make a lovely suit, 
rich, stylish, and at a cost of $is.50. Make the 
basque, round and finish to wear either over or 
under the skirt, make It plain aud laced behind. 
The sleeves tight-tlttlng and trimmed to the elbow 
with three bauds of brocaded slllc, graduated, tho 
highest band one-third the width of the one at the 
wrist, tlrilshed at the neck with a shirred ruffle of 
the brocade. 
Make a short walking skirt of tho plain satin 
trimmed with a flounce 12 inches In depth of the 
brocade cut bias and shirred—very scant, for It 
sets out too much II made full. The back of the 
skirt Is two breadths of satin shirred at the top 
six Inches In depth very closely. A wide belt lined 
with very stiff material, and two yards or the 
brocaded silk tacked to the dress us a sash and 
tied loosely, eLther on the left side or at the back 
finishes the dress. It can be worn without the 
sash. 
The dress is lined throughout with flue, corset 
jean—without dressing or starch in it. 
A plain skirt to look well, must set well, and for 
years I "labored” over skirts pulling back, so 
they would not "bulge” before, or “flop” behind, 
as a tantalized dressmaker said. I finally got a 
perfect lit and am happy. 
Money cannot buy that pattern: If 1 had to do 
without It, 1 would feel much Inconvenience. In 
my next article I will describe a made over ladles 
cloth polonaise. o. w. d. 
Mich. 
-—--- 
HINTS. 
Ink on Cab vets. —Take up as much of the 
freshly-spilt ink as possible with a sponge, then 
wet with w ater and soak with a sponge repeated¬ 
ly ; finally, rub the spot with a little wet oxalic 
add, or Balt, of sorrel, wash off with cold water and 
rub with aqua ammonia, 
TO Clean Looking-Glasses. —Keep for this pur¬ 
pose a piece of sponge, a cloth, and a Bilk hand¬ 
kerchief, all entirely free from dirt, as the least 
grit, will scratch the flue surface of the glass. 
First, sponge it with a little spirits of wine, or gln- 
and-water; so as to clean off all spots; then dust 
over It powder-blue, tied In muslin, rub It lightly 
and quickly off with the cloth, and finish by rub¬ 
bing it with the silk handkerchief. Be careful not 
to rub the edges of the frame. 
11uw to Clean 11aih Brdshes.—I t is best to 
clean two at a time, In this way : First comb them 
well, to remove the loose hair or dust, then dip 
the bristles only In very warm water, sprinkle 
each brush with plenty of powdered borax, and 
rub tho two together; after they are cleansed 
thoroughly, have a pitcher of hot water, aud pour 
It over the bristles: keep tne back of tbe brush as 
dry as possible. Shake the water well out, and 
dry quickly in the Eun. Brushes washed In this 
way will retain their stiffness. 
Bleaching Flannel.— Flannel which has be¬ 
come yellow with use may be bleached by putting 
It for some days In a solution of hard soap to 
which strong ammonia has been added. The best 
proportions are one pound and a halt of hard curd 
soap, fifty pounds of sort water, ana two-thuds of 
a pound of strong ammonia solution. The some 
object muy be attained b a shorter time by plac¬ 
ing the flannel ror a quarter of an hour In a weak 
solution of bisulphate of sodium, to which a 
little hydrochloric acid has been added. 
—--- 
ABOUT WOMEN. 
Miss Kellogg hftB been very successful in opera 
at Vienna. She la the only cantatrloe who, during 
the past few years, has been allowed to sing in 
jrallan In the Imperial Opera House, all others 
singing In German. 
Miss Fanny Davsncobt has everything about 
her new play ("The American Girl,” written by 
Amadecheron) American; and her dresses are not 
only made In America, but she publishes the faot. 
Mbs. Lydia Maria Child, the well-known 
authoress, who died recently, was born In Mid- 
ford, Mass., February 11, 1802. Her ancestor, 
Richard Francis was born in Cambridge, Mass., In 
1030. She was educated at the public schools and 
spent one year In a seminary at Midford. From 
1825 to 182S she kept a private school In Water- 
town. In 1828 she was married to David Lee Child 
a lawyer of Boston. 
Mias Kate Field has been successful In arrang¬ 
ing with Mr. AnlhODy Pulbrook, the founder of 
the London Ladles’ Dress Association, to visit 
New York and start the association In this city 
In connection with the parent establishment, but 
each as a separate undertaking. Mr. Pulbrook 
expects to leave England early in November, and 
on his arrival the public will be informed of the 
manner In which the association will be con¬ 
ducted. 
She was only a factory girl, but she had a lead 
pencil, and she had faith. She earned her living 
In the thread-room, and one morning wrote on a 
clean, white spool her name and the words, 
" Wanted a husband.” When It had been wound 
with thread It was sent to a South Norwalk shoe 
factory, where It fell Into a man's hand. He opened 
a correspondence, the girl replied that she was 
engaged, but would And him another as good as 
3 he, and a marriage has taken place as the result 
of the spool's message. Who says that the age of 
romance has gone by ? 
Miss Emily a. Smith, Assistant State Entomol¬ 
ogist or Illinois, bus been elected a member of the 
Entomological Society of London. 
Miss Clara Louise Kellogg haH brought away 
from Vienna a souvenir of the pleasant Impression 
she made upon the audiences of the Grand opera. 
An unknown admirer sent to her hotel, anony¬ 
mously, a bird of beautiful plumage In a cage of 
gold. 
Miss Emma C. Thursby has been spending the 
greater part of the Summer In Germany, where 
she has been staying for the benefit of her health, 
studying at the same time, so that her singing 
shows remarkable Improvement. 
-- 
A CRITICISM. 
I don’t like the advice given In the Rural for 
girls to slick their hair with gum-arabic to keep It. 
In curl. It is a wrong to the preity, soft, shin- 
log locks that young girls ought to have, and If It 
will not curl without gum-arabic, why, let it go 
straight. a, l, a. 
(The hint to which the above writer refers ap¬ 
peared In issue of October 23d, and was applied to 
crimping, not curling, the hair.- k. o.] 
Don’t physic, tor It weakens and destroys, hut 
use Hop Bitters, that builds up, up I 
fumfstir Qrtonomii. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE. 
PEN THOUGHTS FROM EVERY-DAY 
HOUSE. 
ANNIE L. JACK. 
" Another cookery book !” It was the fami¬ 
ly cynic who said it wheD, on the occasion of a 
brthday, I gave one of our amateur cooks Mrs. 
Henderson's "Practical Cookrog and Dinner¬ 
giving.” It has been proved to me by exper¬ 
ience that there is no book little girls like 
better; for I am certain rfo gift ot mine has 
given more pleasure or been of more use, than 
Marion Uarland’s "Common cense lu the 
Household.” given to one of my girls nine years 
old, some years ago. Aud we had wanted 
Mrs. Henderson’s book a long time and were 
not disappointed. It was so different from the 
rest of our cook books; so charming in 
Its pictures of tbe breakfast and dinner aud 
tea tables, for which it catered, that we could 
not help feeling a sort of fasciuatlon in its 
contents. It does not make one feel so eco¬ 
nomical as do the thin pages of Juliet Corson’s 
little book, but seems to have struck a happy 
medium that is always needed in cooking to 
make us feel at home with the writer and with 
one’s own provision of ingredients. 
One chapter on "Cooking as an Accom¬ 
plishment,” is especially entertaining and I 
will quote a few lines. “A young lady can 
scarcely have too many accomplishments, for 
they 6erve to adorn her home and are attrac¬ 
tive and charming generall y. But of them all 
—painting, music, fancy-work or foreign lan¬ 
guages—is thure one more fascinating aud use¬ 
ful, or one which argues more intelligence in 
its acquisition than the accomplishment of 
cooking ?” 
There is to be established this Winter in the 
city of Montreal a cooking school by a lady 
from the South Kensington School, London, 
Englaud. It deserves to succeed, but 1 doubt 
if it will for different reasons. Oue is, the 
contempt with which young gills look upon 
this work, inculcated by precept and example, 
and another, that no class could be found in 
this most conservative of cities, every clique 
lu it deeming itself exclusive. And In this case, 
as In all country homes also where young 
girls must practice at. homo the domestic arts, 
I advise mothers to give them some one or 
two of the best works on the subject—even 
though a family cynic should exclaim, 
“What! another cookery book.” 
Ointment for Chapped Hands. 
Melt one ounce of spermaceti and one-half 
drachm of white wax in one ounce of oi 
of sweet almonds, then add one-haif ounce 
of pure glycerine and stir until cold. Scent 
if you please with whatever perfume liked. 
This is excellent for chapped hands or lips. 
For the hands apply at night and draw on a 
pair of old kids to prevent soiling bed-cloth¬ 
ing. _ Mary B. 
Fuff Puddings. 
Four eggs, yelks and whites beaten sepa¬ 
rately. To the yelks add three cups of sweet 
milk, a tablespoonful of melted butter and 
three cups of sifted flour. Stir in the whites 
the last thing. Bake in buttered cups—I use 
10 teacups. Eat hot with sauce. e. l. 
Beef Tea. 
Mr. Wilkinson of St. Mary's Hospital, Lon¬ 
don, advises the following improved method 
of preparing beef tea: 
The meat is cutinto small pieces and placed, 
in the evening, in an earthenware vessel, 
with sullleient cold water to cover tho meat; 
In this it is allowed to remain all night. In 
the morning the meat jb taken out, placed in 
other water, and boiled for several honre. 
The meat of the previous day is then passed 
through a mincing machine, and put into tbe 
cold liquor in which the meat was steeped 
the previous night, and upon tbis the boiliDg 
liquor from the day’s beef tea is poured, and 
the whole well stirred, and it then forms the 
complete beef tea- The characteristics of 
good beef tea are that all the nutritious ele¬ 
ments of the beef should be made available; 
and by the process carried out as above this 
is effectually done, the albumen, tlbrine, and 
gelatine being all retained and taken by (he 
patient. Moreover, by tbe ahove method a 
much smaller quantity of meat is required 
than under the oidinary mode, and it would, 
consequently, not become a jelly if allowed to 
stand; but by adding a larger quantity of beef 
this result could of course he obtained. (This 
forms with us what is called beef jelly.) It 
should, however, be remarked that in veiy 
hot weather the beef tea cannot be made in 
tbis manner. as it would become sour from 
the length of time required for its prepara¬ 
tion. 
-♦-*--*- 
QUESTIONS ANSWERED. 
C&fe-au-lait. 
Please tell me how much coffee I must use in 
making the celebrated cafe-au-lait. 
Mrs. A. B. J. 
Ans.— One pound of coffee to a quart of 
water. A tablespoonful of this " black coffee’’ 
is added to a cup of boiled milk. The milk 
should be new, and slowly simmered to a 
creamy richness before usiDg. 
Autumn Leaves; Coloring Grass; Keeping 
Grapes. 
1 . Will you please tell me how to press Au¬ 
tumn leaves so they will keep their color; 3, 
also bow to color grasses red, blue, purple and 
yellow ? 8. Can grapes be preserved on their 
stems until Christmas, and If so, how ? 
D. Thurston. 
Ans.— 1. Immediately alter gathering, rub 
each leaf with a moderately warm iron, which 
has been first rubbed with white wax. Pass 
the* waxed iron but onceover each leaf, waxing 
it airesh each lime. 2 Use Leamon's aniline 
dyes. The different colors come in small 
packages and can be procured of almost any 
druggist. 8. Yes. Pack in perfectly dry, old 
sawdust or cork chips. Keep in a cool, dry 
atmosphere, little above freezing. 
Superfluous Hair, etc. 
Can you give us a recipe that will perma¬ 
nently remove superfluous hair; also, what 
will make the hair soft and pliant? These 
recipes are required by certain lady friends, 
and if you know of anything that will serve 
their purpose it will oblige them very much. 
Have tried some of the super fluous-hair-re- 
moving powders, sold at $1 a small bottle, and 
found them to be complete frauds. J. t. 
Ans.— We know of nothing, neither do we 
believe there is anything that will remove su¬ 
perfluous hair without injuring the skin. In 
bookson hints and of recipes for the toilet there 
are scores of recipes for removing hair, all of 
which in our estimation are harmful, aud we 
advise our friends to let, them alone. As to 
making naturally harsh hair soft- and pliant, 
one might as well set to work to try aud 
change his complexion. All fluids, pomades or 
oils tend, by evaporation, to carry off the nat¬ 
ural moisture of the hair, aud the more vola¬ 
tile the substance used, the more effectually 
the vitality of the hair is impuired. Alcohol, 
therefore, so muck used in preparations for 
the hair, changes its natural color and renders 
it brittle. One of the must harmless prepara¬ 
tions we know of is a mixture of oDe part glyc¬ 
erine to three of rose-water. This, while it 
does uot produce any permanent change in the 
texture of the hair, makes it for the time being 
soft and pliant. 
- 4 -*-*- 
Physicians of all Schools use and recommend 
Hop Bitters ; take their advice. 
