JULY 31 
435 
Is not a small spray of Frencli flowers Just as 
Handsome as a large one ? A sliort ostrich tip 
just as genuine as a loDg plume ? A black velvet 
hat as rich as a white oue ? Is It not wise to wear 
thread gloves In Summer, and so better afford to 
have spotless kids In winter? 
You see what 1 mean This Is how young ladleB 
no richer than yourself, but always as nicely 
dressed, manage to have money for new music, 
magazines, and singing and painting lessons. 
Don’t be discouraged. You and I can accom¬ 
plish something If we try. 
The lesson the writer has endeavored to 
teach (‘-Don’t get discouraged”) Is a hard one 
for us to master, when we make the application 
“reflecting upon the mistake In the art icle, entitled 
“Gentleman Friends.” Who would think that a 
few small letters could make so much mischief ? 
As something animate must bear the hlame—we 
shoulder it and beg pardon tor the offense, a. c. 
HOW CAN WE SAVE WORK! 
Will not some one of the ladles of the Rubai, 
who give so many helpful hints to housekeepers 
write a treatise on “How to Save Work"? or, If 
you choose, give a more high-sounding title, as 
“ Economy of Labor ” and this, perhaps, Is more 
expressive and appropriate, as economy signifies 
management, thrift, and frugality; but of these 
three implied meanings It la to the latter that we 
have special reference. 
Frugality, as opposed to wastefulness and ex¬ 
travagance In labor—such an Intelligent expendi¬ 
ture of time and strength as shall exclude all un¬ 
necessary labor—tor example:—tne model house¬ 
keeper oi our neighborhood. You may enter her 
house at any time of the day or any day or the 
week, search the house from cellar to garret and 
you will never And anything in disorder, not one 
particle of dirt or dust. And yet she does not get 
the mastery over these foes of the housewife by 
tolling early and late. The most noticeable part 
Is that there Is apparently very little work to be 
done. 8ne seems to possess the talent of banish¬ 
ing dirt from her domain so that there is seldom 
any cleaning to do. 
Her large and pleasant kitchen Is used for din¬ 
ing and cooking purposes. The floor ot this room, 
which Is nicely painted, always looks clean 
enough to be used for a table. It Is seldom 
cleaned (seldom here means once, twice or, per¬ 
haps, three times during tne year); we know of 
Its going atone time a year without being cleaned, 
and then did not show the need of it as much as 
ours did at the end of a week. 
Her stove which always wears a first-class pol¬ 
ish Is blackened once or twice a year and fussed 
with very little In the Interim. 
It may be necessary to vouch for the truth of 
this—we therefore assure you the writer Is a per¬ 
son of veracity and relating only facts. This may 
not seorn as wonderful to otners, but to us twho 
are obliged to thoroughly clean our work-room at 
least once a week and blacken our stove as often) 
It seems a most astonishing fact worthy of being 
recorded with the seven wonders. 
Just think of the precious hours saved from 
these two household duties and add a cor¬ 
responding number saved from sweeping and 
the care of other rooms, and what is to hinder the 
ladles of the farm from becoming accomplished in 
art, music, science, or whatever may be their 
hearts’ desire? 
Of course this model housekeeper cannot, her¬ 
self, tell how she manages, but we have gathered 
a few points from observation. She never sets a 
kettle on her stove, that is blackened by smoke, 
but has a broad, flat iron to rest, it on. She never 
turns meat In a spider when It Is frying and spat¬ 
tering grease, but removes It w a work-table near 
at nanu betoro taking off the cover. 
She occasionally takes the dust from her floor by 
sweeping a second time with a cloth of coarse, 
rough texture over the broom. She never lays 
anything down out of place or allows one of her 
family to do so, and, wbat we consider most im¬ 
portant, she has the masculine portion of her 
household under unusual subjection. 
Their shppers are not merely for ornament but 
are always worn in the house. They have also 
learned that door knobs are for use and not for 
ornament. 
We have many times come from this house In¬ 
spired to go anu do likewise, but have as often 
been compelled to yield to the force ot circum¬ 
stances or perhaps to a lack of knowledge or of 
talent in this direction. 
V\ ill not some of the Rural sisters who are 
skilled in the art, reduce It to a science and give 
ub the digest? august. 
Many of our lady friends have given Ideas upon 
this subject H orn time to tune; out to would begrail- 
fjlag to the above writer and to ourselves if some 
one woulu treat It In a more particular manner. 
“August' has escaped tne waste-Oaskei; however, 
her name and address would be acceptable, k. o. 
•-- 
A JAPANESE MANTEL LAMBREQUIN. 
The narrow mantel was painted black, so the 
lambrequin was tacked on the edge with small, 
brass-headed nails. 
The materials were LQ yard of yellow opera 
flannel, one dozen Japanese crepe tidies and bits 
of scarlet uud purple satin, and bright velvets, 
that a friendly milliner laid aside tor me. 
The crepes were placed two in olios apart on the 
flannel, one Inch from the top and two Inches mar¬ 
gin at tne bottom. The bottom, pinked In hue 
scollops, was umbruldered with black and purple 
silk, herring-bone stitch, uud the crepe tidies but¬ 
ton-holed loosely on with scarlet and blue. 
The spaces between the crepes were ornamented 
with velvet and satin designs of butterflies, 
dragon-flies and pagoda-shaped pieces, cut from 
patterns obtained from scrap pictur es. 
The mantel ornaments are two vases painted 
THE BUBAL WEW-YOBKEB. 
black, and Japanese pictures decalcomanled on 
and varnished. 
Two Japanese fanB In black and gold (with a 
stiff pasteboard back on which they are fastened) 
half opened and filled with pressed ferns, dried 
grasses, &c., make a very pretty basket which Is 
the middle ornament on this very gorgeous and 
oriental mantel-piece. o. w. d. 
-- 
well to attempt something in water-colors. 
Would Miss narvey recommend drawing from 
natural flowers or patterns. If flowers, which 
would she choose first, as earleat for a beginner ? 
1 attempted a daisy, but failed miserably. Any 
Information upon the subject, through the col¬ 
umns of the Bubal will be most thankfully re¬ 
ceived by a Constant Reader. 
“Where have you been to get linen for 
Bertie’s new suit?” was Mrs. White’s inquiry, 
as soon as we found ourselves alone, after she 
had expressed her entire satisfaction at the 
color, fit, etc. I told her all about my little 
economical plan. She also told me of the 
pretty compliments the little boy had received 
for his pretty, stylish suit, and gentlemanly 
ways. And yet the material for the two suits I 
had made, did not cost over twenty-eight cents ; 
and they would last him many weeks for 
every-day wear. Of course, the little pants 
were lined. Now that I have been obliged to 
think and act for myself, I wonder that other 
mothers have not tried the experiment, rather 
than wait to be able to get cloth worth thirty 
or forty cents per yard, and meanwhile allow 
their five or six-years-old boy to go for weeks 
and, perhaps, months in untidy and uncom¬ 
fortable rags. 
—-- 
DOMESTIC RECIPES. 
Excellent White Cake. 
Two cups of granulated sugar beaten to a 
cream with a scant cup of butter, then add a 
third of a cup of sweet milk, the whites of 
eight eggs beaten to a stiff iroth, and three and 
a half teacupsful of sifted flour, with two tea- 
BpoonBful of yeast powder mixed with it. 
Flavor and bake in a moderate oven. 
Mbs. A. B. C. 
Walnut Catanp. 
Select young, tender walnuts; prick in sev¬ 
eral places with a large needle; bruise them 
with a wooden mallet, and place iu a jar with 
sufficient water to cover them, adding a hand¬ 
ful of salt for every 25 walnuts. Let stand 
two wee ks, stirring two or three times a day. 
Then drain off the liquid into a saucepan; 
cover the nuts with strong, boiling vinegar; 
crush to a pulp ; strain through a sieve into 
the liquid in the saucepan, and for every two 
quaris allow two ounces each of whole black 
pepper and ginger, and one ounce each of 
cloves and grated nutmeg, a pinch of cayenne 
pepper, a shallot minced flue and a half tea¬ 
spoonful of celery seed. Tie all in a muslin 
bag and boil with the catsup an hour. When 
cold bottle and seal the corks. 
Excellent Tomato Catsup. 
Take a peck of perfect, ripe tomatoes; wash 
cleaD—they must be absolutely free from fer¬ 
mentation—cut in halves, putintoa porcelain- 
lined kettle and boil until Ihepulp is dissolved. 
Strain and press through a colander and then 
through a fine sieve. Return to the kettle and 
add one ounce each of salt and mace, one 
tablespoonful each of black pepper and ground 
cloves, two of grouad mustard, and one of 
celery seed—the last tied in a fine mnslin bag. 
Boil slowly for four hours, stirring almost 
constantly the latter part of the time. More 
salt may be added, if liked, as also a little cay¬ 
enne. Turn into an earthen di6h to cool, and 
when cold add a pint of strong vinegar. 
Bottle and seal the corks and keep the bottles 
inverted m a cool, dark place. Mart B. 
Keeping Catsup. 
A friend tells us she experienced much dif¬ 
ficulty in keeping her catsup from ferment¬ 
ing after bottling, until she tried the experi¬ 
ment of storing it in unused fire-places. She 
has no trouble now with the corks flying oat 
or bottles bursting. 
Eggs for Winter Use. 
To two and a half gallons of soft water add 
two pounds of salt and two ounces of saltpeter. 
Boil 15 minutes and, when almost cold, stir in 
four tablespoousfnl of quicklime. Let staud 
two or three days, then pack the eggs, small 
end down, into a stone jar and cover with the 
mixture. Keep where it is cool aud do not 
move the jar. Mrs. L. E. K, 
— -»♦»■ 
QUESTIONS ANSWERED. 
Greatie on Carpets. 
I have been unfortunate enough to spill 
grease upon a Brussels carpet. How shall I 
remove it? Mrs. L. Jones. 
Ans.—C over thickly with dry buckwheat 
flour. In a few hours brush off into a dust-pan 
and apply another coating of flour. Repeat 
until all traebs of the grease have disappeared. 
Washing Woolens. 
Please give your method for washing flan¬ 
nels. m. i. w. 
Ans.— Make a strong suds with good, hard 
soap iu boiling water; throw iu the flannels 
and let soak until cool enough to handle. 
Thou wash—do not rub on soap—and throw at 
once into a tub of boiling water which has 
been slightly blued. Shake up aud down with 
the clothes stick aud when cool enough to 
handle wring out, suap, pull into shape and 
hang out. Just before they are dry take down, 
fold tightly aud after an hour or so press, pull¬ 
ing into shape as you do so. If the flannels 
be much soiled, wash through two suds. 
FASHIONS. 
The prettiest of dresses for the seaside are the 
self-colored cretonnes with Madras borders; the 
waist Is a jacket with pleats on each side, from 
the shoulder down to the edge ot the basque. 
These pleats, which are applied on to the bodice, 
are of the Madras fabric; the overskirt forms two 
superposed shawl-points In front, each edged with 
a Madras border. At the back It Is draped and 
also edged with a similar border; tbe underskirt 
cut round, without any train, has a deep kilting 
round the bottom; this kilting can be put ou over 
coarse muslin to render the whole costume lighter 
or it can be merely t acked on under the edge of 
the over-skirt. The sleeves have facings of Mad¬ 
ras, pleated at the top. 
Dresses ot percale or batiste, trimmed with 
printed borders, are all the rage. The printed 
borders are either in Madras patterns, or floriated, 
or In Japanese designs. With dotted fabrics the 
border is generally one of larger dots in the same 
colors. 
The Madras kerchief Is extensively used for 
trimming washing-dresses, and one kerchief to 
match is used to trim the hat. 
Traveling-cloaks are made ot fancy woolen ma¬ 
terial or light cloth, In the shape of a semi-long, 
seml-flttlng paletot, to which is added an ample 
cape, coming down a little oelow the waist. There 
la a square collar of silk, fancy velvet, or satin, 
triangular pockets at the sides, Just below the 
waist; large buttons of carved wood or dark pearl. 
Among the prettiest of children’s toilets for the 
Summer I may mention a rrook of blue-spotted 
muslin-de-lalne. Two hollow pleated flounces en¬ 
tirely cover tne short skirt, while the bodice comes 
down very low, and Is divided from the skirt by a 
blue sash tied in a bow at the side; this bodice 
opens In front with racings edged with white lace, 
over a long plastron of puffed white surah, and la 
finished at the top with a deep collar edged with 
lace. The sleeves have cuffs of the white surah 
edged with lace. The flounces of ihe skirt are 
also edged with lace. This Is for a little girl about 
six or seven years old. 
Another costume for about the same age is of 
light beige material aud fancy-wool brocade in 
two shades of brown. The frock Itself Is of the 
beige material, and trimmed round the bottom 
with a deep kilting of the same. A drapery of the 
rancy brocade is arranged across the front, form¬ 
ing punlere at the side, and disappearing at the 
back under a loose puff, formed of the beige ma¬ 
terial, just above the kilting. A deep collar and 
cuff of this same brocade complete the trimming. 
This model can also be made of plain linen or 
cambric, combined with figured ditto. 
For a girl of fifteen a dress also of the same 
shape, made of any light fancy woolen material. 
Is trimmed with three rows ot close 6hlningsdown 
the front, and with a deep fluting round ihe bot¬ 
tom. To mitigate the stiff, straight look of this 
dress, a secoud skirt Is added, on which Is merely 
a sort of scarf drapery pleated across the front and 
draped up at the back into a tournure. This can 
be made either of the same or of some other ma¬ 
terial. if the latter, the fancy fabric should also 
he used for the collar, cuffs, and pockets of the 
dress. 
-» » »- 
Female Education.— In the days of Queen Anne 
the education oi women, as we understand the 
term, was very much neglected. The daughter of 
a country gentleman was taught the duties of a ' 
cook; sometimes, also, If the parents were ambi¬ 
tious that sbe should snlne tn after life as an ac¬ 
complished hostess, she received lessons irom a 
carving-master. I he cardinal duty of hospitality, 
as she heard it Inculcated at home, was tor the 
lady to press the guests to repletion; while it was 
the province of the master of the house to make 
them drink to excess. This, pernaps, was a titling 
education oi a young w oman who was to become 
the helpmate of a ruue landlord, who regarded a 
wile as an upper servant, and who thought the 
company of women an irksome restraint upon the 
ireeaom of social intercourse. To a woman of any 
edhcauon and refinement, an English manor- 
fiouso, during at least the earlier years of the Han¬ 
overian succession, must have been an intolerable 
home. 
CORRESPONDENT’S CORNER. 
Miss Clark In a letter of Miss Harvey’s upon 
the subject of drawing, which appeared In the 
Rural, June 11, last year, she says that she is 
able to give the address ot a house tor the sale of 
artists’ goods, to any who wish It. I w r ouid like 
the address as l wisu to purchase some of the pat¬ 
terns lor pencil pictures for^beglnners as recom¬ 
mended by her. 
Her interesting and Instructive letter Inspired 
me with a deslro to learn to draw; but not until 
the past tew mouths have 1 found the leisure for 
such an underraking. At the risk of be.ng con¬ 
sidered u dull pupil by Miss Harvey, 1 cannot for¬ 
bear giving a little of my experience and asking a 
few questions. 
l nave followed her directions carefully, drawing 
leaves at first until tiring ot that, i have at¬ 
tempted engravlug. By selecting the easiest sub¬ 
jects l could dad I have done a few things that 
are quite satisfactory. 
But In moat engravings the lines are so fine and 
delicate that It is rather confusing, and I am be¬ 
coming somewhat discouraged. 
I wish also to learn to draw flowers sufficiently 
ilomrstir (gtoitotmi. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE. 
PEN THOUGHTS FROM “ EYERY-DAY 
HOUSE.” 
ANNIE L. JACK. 
An Ideal Summer Dinner. 
" Tns lamb weighs six pounds," said the 
amateur cook, “ so an hour aud a half will 
cook it. Let me 6ce—wbat vegetables shall 
we have this very warm day? Mint sauce, of 
course, green peas—new potatoes. Yes the 
Beauty of Hebrou are fit for the table.” We 
planted a row side by side with the “Roses” 
and to-day (June 26th.) they are twice the 
size. Then a dish of cool lettuce, and a sum¬ 
mer salad. ThiB part of the programme was 
not difficult to carry ont, an hour and a half 
doing all tbe work. For dessert we had straw¬ 
berries and ice cream, the recipe for the lat¬ 
ter I shall give you in part, copied from 
Marion Harland’s Common Sense : we have 
tried it for years and always pronounce it 
delicious, while for a dessert to a Summer din¬ 
ner it is refreshing and not unhealthful. I 
take the liberty of making it less rich than the 
recipe, and shall give it as we had it for that 
summer dinner:— 
One quart of new milk, heated almost to 
boiling : the yelks of four eggs beaten light; 
two cups of sugar added to them, and the hot 
milk poured in. beating all the time. Put in 
the whites, well whipped, return to the fire in 
an inner saucepan set within one of boiling 
water. Stir till It is as thick as boiled custard, 
then set aside to cool, When cold beat in 
a pint of cream to which has been added the 
flavoring needed, also any coloring you wish. 
Have, ready a quantity of ice cracked iu pieces 
no larger than a pigeon’s egg. Use an ordi¬ 
nary, upright freezer, set in a deep pail; pack 
around ic first a layer of ice, then one of rock 
salt —common salt will not do. Take a long 
ladle before covering up, uDd beat the cu6tard 
five minutes. Then pack ice and salt over all. 
cover with old carpet or any thick old woolen 
article, and leave for oue hour. When you 
carefully uncover, you will find a thick coat¬ 
ing of frozen custard arouud the sides. This 
you dislodge, beat again smooth and clear, put 
on the cover; pour off the brine, and pack 
again. The advantage of this custard ice 
cream is that it is smooth, fine, not so un- 
healibful as all cream, and if made at break¬ 
fast time, a few minules during the morning 
for the extra beating will put it iu order for 
the mid-day dinner. It requires no steady 
grind, and is superior in quality to anything of 
the kind we have ever made. So we all affirm¬ 
ed wheu the amateur cook brought out this 
crowning refreshment of onr Summer-day 
dinner; nor did she seem to have been 
either tired or over-heated by her successful 
efforts. 
- » «-♦ - 
LOG - CABIN SKETCHES; OR JESSIE 
SEABRIGHT’S DIARY, NO. 12. 
MAY MAPLE. 
May 20. 18.:—Not long ago John and 1 were 
invited to meet a company of friends at Mrs. 
White’s. Now, some of the guests were from 
the “outside” world, and therefore knew but 
little about the economy necessary to be used 
in a new country. It so happened that Bertie’s 
best winter suit was getting the worse for 
Sunday wear; and I had, as yet, been unable to 
get him anything suitable for Spring and 
Summer. 1 was in a dilemma for the first 
time in regard to his clothes. 1 might have 
left him at home, but Mrs. White had said, 
“Be sure and bring Bertie, for he will enjoy a 
play with the youngsters who will be here." 
Well, ii he went he must have something 
fresh to wear. So 1 searched over my “effects,” 
but seemiDgly in vam; there was nothing 
available to make over, either right or wrong 
side out. While looking over bundles of all 
sorts Lhat had been put away for fnture use, I 
opened, in a dreamy sort of way, a roll of 
pound calico, and began looking over the 
scraps. Was I iu fairy land ? Surely here was 
what would answer my purpose admirably: two 
or three remnants of plain brown, and as much 
more of a drab or linen color ; pleuty to make 
him two little suits—punts, shirt waists aud 
coat; the last to be worn only on cool days. 
Of course, patterns and shears were soon 
fouud, and the little suits commenced. 
Two days later, when we were ready to start 
on our visit, I was sure I need not be ashamed 
of our li> tie boy’s general appearance, though 
his play-mates were dressed in velvet. 
