JAN 5 
THI SURAL N1W-Y0RKIR. 
simply to be eaten or trodden on by some 
awkward, lubberly cow or ox. How delight¬ 
ful it must be to sit at an intellectual feast 
with the giant minds that lead the world; to 
meet in a club the poets and novelists that 
one haR worshipped so long afar off. But 
none of this is for me. I could almost cry 
over myself, so much do l feel self-pity, aud 
I always think of that chapter i f Ike Mar¬ 
vel’s “Farm at, Edgcwood,” where poor 
Dorothy becomes a weazen-faced old maid, 
and the only notice she receives is where iu 
the darkened parlor she lies, and the country 
parson says: "Let ns pray to God for his 
blessing,” and, when “the grave closes, over 
all” it seems a mockery to read that, the 
“artemesias bloom on, aud the purple tufts 
of hydrangea—poor Dorothy’s flowers,” after 
all she ha*. done, und worked, aud honed 
vainly for. 
But it will uot do for me to sit hereandmor- 
alize; better to make the best of what one has, 
I suppose But who can blame a girl for wish¬ 
ing? And 1 do wish, oh! so heartily, that the 
men folks would help us iu our efforts toward 
improvement. I thought in December I 
would speak to father and the boys about 
some of these “reveries” of mine; but they 
were so busy with the wood drawiug, the cat¬ 
tle housing, and pig killing that I had uo op¬ 
portunity. Pigs! ugh! how I detest the work 
that comes to rny share of that hateful busi¬ 
ness. How cau people write recipes for “try¬ 
ing lard and for sausage meat?" And yet I 
go through the programme every year with a 
serene face, and no one knows how 1 abhor it. 
The men make a sort of half-holiday of it in 
this locality; the neighbors gather together, 
especially at the scales, and all the little boys 
learn to follow in the steps of elders, who take 
immense pride iu having the heaviest animal. 
Aud if there is mud or soft snow, then pity 
the poor women's cleaning up, added to the 
extra cares of the butchering. But once more 
we have tided it over, and are settled down 
for Winter leisure. Christmas is past. New 
Year calls are reduced to a mere minimum 
now, and I have brought out my brushes and 
pulette to finish up some little studies I 
worked at almost by stealth in Summer; but 
which had to lay aside when preserving time 
came on. And [ have set myself lessons in 
history to study every day, aud readings iu 
some of the sciences. I wonder if I shall be 
able to carry it out? There are so few books 
in the house that it is difficult to study any¬ 
thing “without a masterand yet the men 
folks seem satisfied to go on in the old way, 
and, if they get the political news and the 
agricultural paper,they require no more; and 
so we save aud pinch and live out our base 
and meagre lives, with souls only half devel¬ 
oped, like a chrysalis I once found in the 
woods that had partly developed, and died 
before it could escape from its prison. But. we 
must strive to make the most of our lives, and 
I will, iu writing my weekly reverie, try to be 
satisfied if I find that 1 can improve. The 
Winter’s sewing is done up, there is only the 
regular mending (mid how boys do make holes 
in their stockings), and the pantry is so full 
I his week that cooking will bo easy. That is 
one of the blessings of Winter. Things do 
not sour or spoil on your hands. Let us try 
to find fresh blessings iu our everyday life, 
and have faith in Him who guides aud gives 
what is best for us, 
"We take with solemn thankfulness 
Our burden up, nor ask tt less. 
And count It joy,that even we 
May suffer, serve, or watt for Thee 
Whose will be done.’’ 
CAKE OF INFANTS. 
Many ladies who write for the Rl-RALspeak 
of their children, so a few questions cannot 
conte amiss. The following experience will 
suggest them. 
1 hoped to get our baby into somewhat regu¬ 
lar habits from the first; I tried to feed her 
once in two hours, but she would not be regu 
lated; she cried to be fed every fifteen min¬ 
utes, and when fully satisfied would sleep for 
three or four hours, and no amount of slink¬ 
ing, coaxing and .jumping would wttkeu her 
sufficiently so that she would eat. The con¬ 
trast between the ravenous, little hungry body 
and the ltmpsy, passive, sleepy one, was very 
funny. Finally, we agreed with a preacher 
friend that Nature was wiser than we. He 
said: "There is as much difference iu chil¬ 
dren as tu adults. Each bit of physical ma 
chinery must run on its own plan Some 
three-vear olds cannot, sleep all night, without 
eating. !\J y Charlie never goes to lied without 
a cracker." Then, we had to fight sore mouth 
for nearly three months, used every thing that 
our friends suggested: gold thread and borax, 
white of egg aud water, vino aud pumpkin 
seed tea, besides the doctor's medicine, but 
nothing seemed to cure. After a while some¬ 
one told me that a toaspo infill of cold water 
given the first thiug every' morniug would 
prevent it. This is important if true. 
When it was found that our baby must sub¬ 
sist partially ou Jersey milk, the question was 
how to feed it to her. She ate well from a 
spoon, but the process was too slow. Babies 
have amazing appetites which they manifest 
with much the same vigor and impatience as 
birillings iu the nest. A bottle with rubber 
tubing was pi*oposed, but mamma was opposed 
to rubber; she had hoard and read that it wa s 
poisonous. She fixed a quill in a sponge, 
which answered the purpose and took note of 
people's opinions. 
Sister in-law Mary from the city: “That’s 
right. Don't use rubber. Why, my cousin's 
baby died, and the doctor said it was nothing 
but the rubber that killed it: if you take ever 
so much pains iu the cleaning there will be a 
taiut left.” 
Mrs. Jones: “Olyou must have a rubber; 
it is so convenient; you can lay the bottle 
down anywhere and let the baby feed herself. 
Nonsense about its not being healthy. My' 
boy was brought up on one: does he look 
sickly?” Surely he did not: a lustier eight- 
year-old it would be hard to find. 
Dear Aunt Ruth: “I am so glad you don’t 
use rubber. Several children iu Maitland 
have diet! from the effects of it—white aud 
black are both bad.” 
Neighbor Lucy Barnes: “ l should have a 
rubber by all means. See my Hetty and David 
and Belle, all raised on a bottle with rubber 
tube. I shouldn’t think of doing without a 
rubber.” 
Uncle Joseph: “Bates’s baby has ulcers iu 
its mouth from sucking a rubber tube." 
Mrs. Amos: “The rubber tubing is had, 
but the rubbers can be turned inside out aud 
washed |>erfectly clean. You need not be 
afraid of them. Your baby must draw in a 
great deal of air through that sponge: that’s 
just what makes her cry'.” 
Dr. Marks (being consulted about baby’s 
sore mouth): “ Does she use a rubber ? I 
think that is apt to give a child sore mouth ” 
This is all the testimony' so far, except that 
some of the aforesaid come in occasionally and 
say, “Why, haven't you got a rubber yet? 
I should send for one by ail means the very 
first chance.” SENA claybournk. 
SOME OF AUNT MABBY'S WAYS. 
I have found that if a little salad is mixed 
with mustard, it helps to keep it sweet longer? 
•jnd when one ik aloue, it is notpowiMe t* 
up all the mustard at once, aud it gets dry' or 
moldy. I have got tired of beefsteak, so w hen 
the butcher came last week, I took down 
mother's book and following directions, made 
a very uiee dish, for any meal. It is good, 
particularly as a lunch, and is made as fol¬ 
lows: 
I take two pounds of steak, half a pound of 
pork, chop together fine, mix; season with 
pepper and salt and bake. Cut in thin slices 
when cold. If you tire of it served in one 
w ay—as I do, being aloue—dip lu egg batter 
and fry for breakfast. It is very nice with 
baked potatoes. I suppose every one does not 
try' apples cooked in the same way, that is 
dipped in batter und fried—they are very 
appetizing. Mother always kept the spare 
silver iu Canton flannel bags, with bits of 
gum-camphor around, and this w ay of keep 
ing it preserves it from tarnishing even where 
coal fires are made. I took out some lately to 
use, when extra company came, and it did not 
need any fresh polishing. It w as as bright as 
a new dollar, and as I looked at the treasured 
relies. I felt my eyes till with tears, as I 
thought of the hands, now folded away, that 
took such pride iu keeping the silver so clean 
—the tea-pot so old, and worn: the spoons of 
antique make and form, and the sugar tongs, 
that are mi t hin, aud spore-looking; and then 
I think that some day I shall lay them aside, 
and they w ill perhaps fall into the possession 
of those who will care very little more for 
“Aunt MabbyV’ treasures than they do now 
for her old fashioned ways, in these fast-living 
days. 
REPLY TO DISGRACE. 
I object to anything further from “ Dis¬ 
grace," for I think such a letter is a disgrace. 
She certainly knows nothing about a farmer's 
wife or her life. Truly, 7 think she is one 
fermented old maid, who never had an offer 
Of marriage. If she is a married woman, 
and had no better judgment than to marry 
such a man as she writes about, she is not to 
be pitied. 
Seriously, if what she says be true, 1 think 
she shows very bad taste in making the thing 
so public, l should advise her to get a di¬ 
vorce, aud. if she can find some simpleton who 
don’t read the Rural, marry again. She 
would do better, for ( am satisfied she has the 
meanest man in the world. She makes a 
great fuss about milkiug and churniug, ami 
w earing her elbow through the third patch. 
I doubt if she can tell me which cow gives 
the buttermilk, or if she can patch a sleeve. 
Now, Mr. Editor, I think that if you had the 
good reputation of the farmer at heart, as 
you claim to have, you would not publish 
such letters, for I know' that if you have 
judgment euough to publish a paper, you 
know that such men as she describes are very 
scarce, if they exist at all, yet she would have 
the reader believe that all farmers are such 
men as she says her husband is. All bad men 
are not fanners, or all farmers bad men. 
A MAN. 
BUTCHERING. 
As this work, the hardest and most disagree¬ 
able of all the work to be done on a farm, is 
now at hand, I wdll give the readers of the 
Rural ou r way of keeping sausage, tender¬ 
loins and ribs. Iu a small family of only 
three or four i^crsons it »s impossible to use 
them up before the}- get strong, unless you are 
fortunate enough to be the first in the neigh¬ 
borhood to butcher and can exchange with 
your neighbors. 
Put the sausage in cases aud pack iu jars as 
closely as possible, leaving no space between 
the layers. Pack your ribs iu the same way, 
only trimming off the bloody pieces, as they 
will spoil the brine. Put covers aud weights 
ou the jars, and then pour over all a briue 
made in the following proportions: To one ; 
gallon of water add one pint of salt., one tea- 
cupful of brown sugar and as much saltpeter 
as you can hold on the point of a knife. Dis¬ 
solve the saltpeter in a little boiling water, 
and set the jars in a cool, dry place. Should 
the weather turn w'arm, watch closely, and if 
the brine appears thick and milky looking, 
pour off, boil, skim aud set away to cool. 
When thoroughly cold, pour over the meat 
again. We have kept meat in this way almost 
as good as fresh until late in the Spring. The 
ribs are very nice to boil with turnips or cab¬ 
bage. A nice wti 5 ' to cook tenderloin is to 
cut it iu thin slices crosswise, roll it in flour 
and try like chicken. 
I will also tell you how to clean a kitchen 
table upon which lard had been cut. Now, I 
expect to hear some oue say that such work 
should never be done iu the kitchen, but iu an 
out-house built and furnished for the purpose. 
As we are not nil so situated as to have things 
just as we w ould like them, we must do the 
best we cau, and when the weather is too cold 
to admit of doing the work out-Of-doors, it 
alas? be done in the kitchen. Now to the 
point: Take the table out into the yard aud 
sprinkle over it two or three shovelfuls of 
red hot ashes and coals from the store. Pour 
on boiling water and scrub with a brush or an 
old broom. Rinse thoroughly with hot water 
and you will be surprised to see how quickly 
the grease will disappear. Gretchen. 
DOMESTIC RECIPES. 
CURE FOR ROUGH HANDS. 
Make a paste of oatmeal and water, rub the 
hands well in it . and wear old kid gloves. The 
next day wash with some good glycerine soap 
and rub with part of a lemon, lettiugthe juice 
go well into the rough or stained part of the 
fingers. Occasionally rub a little olive oil 
into the hands before putting ou the gloves at 
night. 
KRU1T CAKE WITHOUT EGGS. 
Two-thirds of a cup of butter, two cups of 
white sugar, two cups of raisins, the same of 
currants. Mix in two cups of sweet milk, two 
teaspoon fills of cream-of-tartar, and one of 
soda. Wheu it foams turn it iuto six cups of 
well-sifted flour. Mix well, add the other in¬ 
gredients and a little citron and allspice. 
Bake slowly. 
TO HRIGHTKN AX OILCLOTH. 
Wash in tepid milk and water, but if ou a 
floor it is liable to be slippery. 
gftijSffUanfausi Advertising. 
A Safeguard. 
The fatal rapidity with which slight 
Colds and Coughs frequently develop 
into the gravest maladies of the throat 
and lungs, is a consideration which should 
impel every prudent person to keep at 
hand, as a house-hold remedy, a bottle of 
AYER’S CHERRY PECTORAL. 
Nothing else gives such immediate relief 
and works so sure a cure in all affections 
of this class. That eminent physician. 
Prof. F. Sweetzcr, of the Maine Medical 
School, Brunswick, Me., says :— 
"Medical science has produced no o’her ano¬ 
dyne expectorant no good us Ater’b Chehry 
Pectoral. It is Invaluable for diseases of the 
throat and lungs." 
The same opinion is expressed by the 
well-known Dr. L. J. Addison, of Chicago, 
III., who says:— 
"l have never found, in thirty-five years of 
continuous study and practice of medicine, aiiy 
preparation of so great value as Ayer’s Cheery 
Pectoral, for treatment of diseases of the 
throat and lungs. It not only breaks up colds 
and cures severe coughs, but is more effective 
than anything else tu relieving even the most 
serious bronchial aud pulmonary affections.” 
AYER’S 
Cherry Pectoral 
Is uot a new claimant for popular confi¬ 
dence, but a medicine which i» to-day 
saving the lives of the third generation 
who have cornu into being since it was 
first offered to the public. 
Then.* is uot a household in which this 
invaluable remedy has once been in¬ 
troduced where its use has ever been 
abandoned, und there is not a person 
who has ever given it a proper trial 
for any throat or hmg disease suscep¬ 
tible of cure, who has not been made 
well bv it. 
AYER’S CHERRY PECTORAL has, 
in numberless instances, cured obstinate 
i • - chronic Bronchitis, Larnygitis, 
and even acute Pneumonia, aud lius 
saved many patienls in the earlier stages 
of Pulmonary Consumption. It is a 
medicine that only requires to be taken tu 
small doses, is pleasant to the taste, and is 
needed in every house where lhere are 
children, as there is nothing so good as 
VYEK’.s CHERRY PECTORAL for treat¬ 
ment of C’roup and Whooping Cough. 
These are all plain facts, which can be 
verified by anybody, and should be re¬ 
membered by everybody. 
Ayer’s Cherry Pectoral 
PREPARED BY 
Dr. J. C. Ayer & Co., Lowell, Maas. 
Scfid by all druggists. 
i««TH EDITION- PRICE ONLY W. 
BY MAIL POSTPAID. 
ACUK.IT Medical WORK. on MANHOOD. 
Exhausted Vitality, Nervous anil Physical Debility, 
Premature* Decline in man and the untold miseries 
that it rail is lu*lr to, Ac„ltc. A book for every man. 
young, middle-aged and old. It contains IS prescrip¬ 
tions fur all aoute and chronic diseases, each one of 
which Is invaluable. So found by the author, whose 
experience for ‘IS years Is such as probably never be 
fore fell to the lot of anv physician. SOU pages.hound 
iu beautiful Freturk muslin. embossed covers, full gUt. 
guaranteed to be a finer work sa every sense—me¬ 
chanical. literary and professional—than any other 
work sold in this count r> for $2.50, or the money will 
be refunded In every instance. Price only 81,HO by 
mall, postpaid. Illustrated sample fi cents. Send 
now, Gold medal awarded the author bv theNutlonal 
Medical As-.x’latiou. to the <■ Ulcers of which he refers. 
This book should bo rend by the voting for Instruc¬ 
tion, and by the afflicted for relief. It wiU benefit 
all.— London Laneei. 
There Ls no member of society io whom this book 
will not be useful, whether voutb, parent, guardian, 
instructor or clergyman. — Ary»»«uf. 
Address the Peabody Medical Institute, or Dr W. H. 
Parker. No t Thilfinch street, Boston, Mass, .whomav 
be consulted on all disease*, re-iiuirtug skill amlexpe- 
perlenee. CbroPle and obstinate tt n . f dis¬ 
eases (ha ( have baffled the skill of IT f/AJu all 
other phvsloinnsnspecialty Such TTTVCPT D 
treated successfully without an XIX X OLLI 
instance of failure. 
THE COLD WATER DIP 
CEMENT FOR CRACK IN OVEN. 
Take equal parte of sifted ashes, clay, aud 
salt, add water to make a paste, aud fill the 
crack. Heat slowly so as to dry before burn¬ 
ing. A. L. J. 
QUESTIONS ANSWERED. 
IS NOT POISONOUS OR CORROSIVE. 
Mixes perfectly with COLD WATER Isa sure 
cure for all **kin Diseases and Insect Pests of 
domestic animals, and io the Household, destroys all 
bad smells. Every farmer should keep tt. -send post 
age stamp for prices to 
T. W. LAW FORD. Gea’l Agent, 
■206 E. Chase !»t., Baltimore, Md. 
Please mention the Rural .NY ; - Yorker. 
SHREWSBURY CAKES. 
Will you please iuform the lady readers of 
the Rural if, in making the above cakes, 
soda or c ream-of ta rta r is requi red. k. it. s 
Axs. —Not a particle of either is used. The 
quantity of butter, sugar, eggs, flour aud mace 
given by Mrs. Fisher is all that is required in 
making these really excellent cakes. 
Horsford’* Add Phosphate, 
For Sick Headache. 
Dr. N. i$. Rf.ad, Chicago, says: “ I think il 
is a remedy of the highest value in many forms 
of mental and nervous exhaustion, attended 
by sick headache, dyspepsia aud dituiui lied 
vitality.”— Adv. 
tR to per uay nr home. Samples worth *5 free 
•* vo 04 U Address Stinson A Co.. Portland, Me. 
week in your own town. Term* aud $S, outfit 
*''-/v/free. Address B. Hallet A Co., Portland, Me. 
C79 v WEEK,812 h day at home easily made. Costly 
'v* Outfit free. AddressTnrs & Co. Augusta, Me. 
E .'tC'N New Stylo Chromo Cards w li tew- r nn-i * 
aucy Box ol Water Color Paints 18 colors. 3 
'hina Plates, Brush. <S»e. all post-paid for Id 
•is. \ packs and 4 hoxes, 50crs .Sample Book, 
□ li cts. CAPITOL CARD CO., Hartford, Conn. 
PATENTS' 0 - P ' A --' 
• 9 k I n I W tltenjf Yn. Washington, D. 0. 
Full iu»t.. io*-*. aud llaud-lE* wot Palen;^ seut rxx». 
LOOK 
I 2t>of thelnb'si and m-v (Popular -opgj 
T tool free by mall for one Scent stamp. 
• Address M, HANSON,Chicago, III. 
