JAN 42 
THE BUBAL NEW-YOBXEB. 
27 
Domestic Ccottomi) 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE. 
FROSTED FEET. 
JOHN M. STAHL. 
The farmer often suffers from frosted feet. 
He must be out-of-doors the greater part of 
the day, notwithstanding the thermometer 
may be frozen up and the snow a foot deep. 
Cattle must bo fed and watered, wood cut and 
stables cleaned out Overshoes are clumsy 
and inconvenient, and some of us may feel 
that we are not rich enough to wear them. 
Thus we get our feet frosted aud, instead of 
thawing them out with ice or cold water, we 
put them close to the stove aud suffer for it. 
Not in frequently the women of the farm suffer 
the same torments. 1 know all will be thank¬ 
ful for a cure. 
For years I so suffered with frosted feet 
that l am certain 1 swore, and am not certain 
that I did not pray For days and weeks at a 
time I could not wear leather boots or shoes 
at all. And when Spring came and my feat 
“ thawed out," the itching was almost intoler¬ 
able. I tried every remedy 1 could think of. 
I had been schooled to believe that turpentine 
was an effectual cure; but although I soaked 
my feet with it till I was afraid to cover them 
up warm at night lest there should be a con¬ 
flagration, the soreness aud itchiug seemed to 
increase rather than diminish. Then I bathed 
thorn night after night with sweet oil. coal oil. 
castor oil. and a few other oils. This seemed 
to only put the itchiugtn better running order, 
but it didn't run away and leave me 1 tried 
physicians' and druggists' prescriptions, and 
would probably be wailing at m v lot yet bad 
l not read of fins simple remedy: 
“ Iu a gallon of water as hot as can be borne 
dissolve all t he powdered alum you can. In 
this soak your feet two hours, adding warm 
water as the ot her cools. The next morning 
draw on your boots in comfort." 
1 tried it the same evening. 1 remember 
that l wanted to go to a protracted meeting 
that night, aud could not get my boots on. 
My feet were swollen like the face of a fat boy 
who is enjoyiug the luxury of a toothache, and 
were ns red as beets. I prepared the water 
and sat by the stove, reflecting on what I had 
lost by not being permitted to atteud upon 
the tneausof grace and sit under the drop¬ 
pings of the sanctuary, and soaked my pink 
pedal extremities till all their beauty and 
soreness faded away and they looked like the 
thumb ot a Woman who has boeu washing 
blankets all day and using soft-soap. I went 
to bed and once more slept the sleep of the 
.lust. The uext morning I pulled on my boots 
without pain and caracoled around iu the ex 
ress of my jay. My feet have rarely troubled 
me since; aud when they have showed signs 
of agaiu taking up the old habit, a dose of hot 
water and alum brings them buck to the paths 
of rectitude. 
Although 1 can recommend this as au iufal 
lible rernedy.it is not desirable to let your 
feet be frost-bitten. Roots op shoes should be 
roomy. If tight they retard the circulation 
of the blood and your feet, will freeze much 
more quickly. Wear woolen socks. If you 
can get those made of home-spun yarn, do so. 
Factory yarn is twisted so hard that, the yarn 
holds very little air in its interstices, hence is 
not so warm as that more loosely spun. If 
your boots aud shoes are roomy enough to 
easily admit of it, wear a pair of cotton stock¬ 
ings inside of these. Or, if you will get some 
tissue paper and wrap it around your foot 
outside of the woolen stocking it will save 
your feet very much. I have come to con¬ 
sider it poor economy to deprive one's-self of 
overshoes. 
THE "STAFF OF LIFE." 
ANNIE L. JACK. 
“ You will have to excuse the bread, if it is 
sour,” said a neighbor. I was not hungry, 
and it did uot matter to me, but. I thought 
how often this happens in our households, and 
begau to tbiuk out the causes. If dough re¬ 
mains too long before baking, acetic acid is 
produced. Hornet i ues, when yeast is added 
that, contains decomposed flour, a small 
amount of alcohol is formed and the carbonic 
acid is set free. This makes the bread light 
and porous. It becomes then a study to know 
just when the right time is for baking up. 
The temperature at which the dough is kept 
has a decided influence on its quality. If 
kept warm the bread will bo whiter and ten¬ 
derer than if set to rise at a low temperature. 
The yeast plant glows best at about 7'J de¬ 
grees, and every little item makes a differ 
dice iu the quality of the bread. The best 
y east does uot contain flour, und is made as 
follows: Boil a handful of hops in two quarts 
of water ten minutes; strain, and add to the 
liquor one cup of sugar, six grated potatoes 
and a tablespoonful of salt. Let it simmer 
half an hour, add a cupful of good yeast 
when lukewarm, and let it rise without being 
in any way chilled. 
A CHAPTER ON PIES. 
As there are two sides to every question I 
wish to say’ a few words for the much slan¬ 
dered pie. Perhaps the condemnation so 
severely passed on this common article of food 
refers to those which are unskill fully' made; 
but iu my opinion laud 1 have had loug exper 
ience iu planning for the ever-recurring three 
meals a day fur a family) uotliing gives the 
housekeeper more satisfaction thau good pies 
which can be easily and quickly made at any 
time. She may then welcome the unexpected 
visitor without, being troubled with the first 
anxious thought, “ What shall 1 have for diu- 
uer «” 
For dessert what is nicer than a greeu- 
apple pic made of tart, mellow apples and flav¬ 
ored with cinnamon or lemon peel ! 1 never 
thought, pics unwholesome either. 1 know 
people who have eaten them iu moderation 
for three score years, whose health compares 
very favorably with that of many people of 
halt their age who live aud diet scientifically' 
and do every thing by nile. It is my custom 
lute iu the Autumn, or after cold weather has 
fairly come mi, to prepare mince meat for the 
coming season by boiling several pounds of 
lean, fresh beef; when cold it is chopped and 
seasoned with cinnamon, cloves, allspice and 
salt, and so forth. Chopped raisins are added 
in such quantities as one feels like using. 
It is sweetened with part, sugar, part 
molasses. Apples are chopped aud added last 
—about twice the bulk of the other materials. 
If they are insipid in flavor, two or three tea¬ 
cups of vinegar will •• help it,” then water 
euough to make all moist, enough for pies A 
piece of butter does no harm. This is'then 
placed on the stove in a proper dish, aud 
cooked until the apples are done, or nearly’ 
so. Dried currants, cherries, or raspberries 
stewed, add both to the color or flavor if they’ 
are at hand. 
This may be packed while hot iu small 
stone jars and put a way in a cool place for 
future use. or fastened up in glass preserving 
cans, if oue has them empty. It will keep all 
Winter iu a cool place with molasses spread 
over the top, and covered tightly. 
Enough may he used of it at any time to 
make pies tor a week or two if desired; or the 
apples may be left out. and added to the 
seasoned meat, as the pies are made. 
This plan gives a housekeeper a sense of sal 
isfaetiou equal to any other preparation for 
Winter: and any one who trios it as an experi¬ 
ment will be quite apt to repeat, if afterwards 
as u matter of convenience. W batever makes 
housekeeping easier and pleasanter is to be 
recommended. Pie ma king or eating need not 
bt3 overdone; neither need pies be banished 
from the house-wife’s bill ot fare. 
AUNT RACHEL. 
-- 
COOKING MEATS. 
If the steamer were used in the preparation 
of meat, for the table we should have less that 
is poorly’ cooked, or half cooked. During the 
past Summer we have used a great deal of mut¬ 
ton, which was raised and fattened on our own 
farm. As wc eschew pork in our family, and 
eau buy very little beef that, we can chew at 
all, we consider mutton our dependence for 
food in the meat line. Several times the 
preparation of it has been commended by’ 
persons at our table, prefaced by the remark. 
‘‘I never did relish mutton before.” If the 
Rorai. will give our method a place in its 
household column, it may induce those who 
adopt it to change their opinions in regard to 
this most wholesome and excellent article of 
diet: 
Place a large steamer upon the stove with 
plenty of boiling water in it, and also a deep 
tin or earthen dish to hold the meat aud re¬ 
ceive the juices. We cook half a quarter at 
once. Rub each piece with salt aud pepper; 
place it iu the dish and cover tightly. From 
two to three hours will tic required to cook it 
thoroughly. Keep a steady lire and try the 
meat, with a fork after an hour or more; the 
time must depend on the quality of the meat 
and all sorts require more time than beef to 
be well done. 
When quite tender, remove the steamer 
from the stove. Have ready a dripping-pan 
with a little boiling water aud flour to dredge 
t he meat. Place iu this the leg and other 
parts suitable for roastiug; put into :i quick- 
oven for a half-hour, basting it. Meantime 
the steamer should be placed w here the cold 
will harden the tallow, which must be care¬ 
fully taken off. Every particle of fat may be 
thus removed, leaving u clear jelly-, similar 
to that obtained from beef, and with proper¬ 
ties peculiarly adapted to the weak digestion, 
of invalids and aged people. One cup of this 
stock should be added to the gravy served 
with the roast, also butter aud flour to thicken. 
The remainder make an excellent soup with 
a variety- of vegetables, or simply the addi¬ 
tion of peas, meal, flour or corn-starch. The 
fat may be utilized for shortening, put with 
beof dripping; but do not allow- it to wander 
about in the soup. George Eliot, in an article 
on servauts, writes thus of soup-making: 
“You desire soup hut. you desire it without fat. 
You are perhaps a genius; the world is in 
need of your new poem; or you are evolving 
a momentous theory-, and the evolution of 
fatty acids within you is a serious impediment. 
Au investigation showed that the cook handled 
the stock as a gardener would turn the soil 
when digging for roots; thus the particles of 
fat adheriug to the spoon were mingled with 
jellied soup beneath, she all the time stoutly 
affirming there could be no fat in her soup, 
for she took it from under the fat. - But 
there’s stomachs that won't stand soup, aud 
there's where it is,’ was the lucid explanation 
offered.” 
Ha venous d nos mouton#: Portions of 
the meat not suitable for roasting can 
be used—sliced up cold for breakfast aud 
tea, with any condiment preferred, and 
will be found very delicate. We think with 
nice breakfast rolls and cooked eeler v it fur¬ 
nishes mi excellent morning meal. We cook 
celery as we do asparagus: cut flue, boil in 
water till soft, then add one cup of cream and 
milk with spoonful of flour, pepper and salt. 
We prefer it to that so highly seasoned. 
JOTTINGS. 
EUNICE BROWN. 
A YU UNO lady gave Phil, a pair of light- 
blue socks; he was so careful of their beauty, 
he would hardly allow them to be washed; but 
I tried them with alum in the water and they 
did not fade at all. He was satisfied at the 
time, but, I do think meu should net have such 
light-colored things, for they are sure to get 
dingy with steady wear. 
A neighbor told me to give the hens all the 
skimmed milk they would drink, and to put 
wheat bran in some and give it to them for 
food. I believe it is better than patent egg 
food. 
I was talking to a lady who has spent some 
years in France, and she told me that no coffee 
is so good aud cheap as that a» the Paris cafe. 
Yet the coffee does not grow in France, aud 
the only reason can be that it is used freshlv 
roasted and ground, and that they put into the 
coffee-pot about throe times the quantity most 
American housewives use. 
It should be coarsely ground, and every 
precaution should be taken to preserve the 
aroma, particularly if Mocha is used, as it is 
more delicate thau other kinds. It is a sim¬ 
ple luxury, but, very pleasant to those with 
whom it, does not disagree. Yet. I have 
known many cases of severe palpitation 
caused by the excessive use of it. “Give it 
to me strong and hot,” Phil says, but I am 
always suspicious that 1 am doing him an 
injury bv so obeying him. Perhaps thp 
readers of the Rural will give their opinions 
on the subject, aud give us the pm aud ron. 
as to whether we shall continue the use of 
this beverage, and how it affects different 
families under various circumstances. It is 
only in this way that we can learn to judge 
for ourselves and for others. 
CURRANT JELLY SAUCE FOR MUTTON AND GAME 
One small sized onion, two spoonfuls of 
butter, a stalk of celery, a pint of stock or 
broth, a tables panful of flour, salt aud pop¬ 
per and a half cup of currant jelly. Slice the 
onion and cook in the butter until it begins to 
brown, add the flour and celery, stir until 
brown, and add the stock and simmer “0 min¬ 
utes, strain, skim off the fat, add the jelly, and 
stir until it melts. b. c. 
♦ « »- 
Prof. Horsford’a linking Powder. 
Universally appreciated. 
Prof. Samuel H. Dickson, of Jefferson 
Medical College, Philadelphia, says: “Prof. 
Horsford’s preparations for making bread, bis¬ 
cuits and cakes, are becoming universally 
known and appreciated.”— At/e. 
Honsford’s Acid Phosphate, 
Admirable Results in Fevers. 
Dr J. J. Ryan, St. Louis, Mo , says: “ 1 in¬ 
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tonic to an enfeebled condition of all (lie or¬ 
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Ol’R new posters in three colors will be sail 
to all who apply. Can not you find a place 
nt your carriage house or hftrn lor the Rural 
poster f All may apjily for Our uni' l'moium 
List also. 
PiSWUanfottSi 
DYSPEPSIA. 
Sedentary habits, mental worn-, nervous 
excitement, excess or imprudence iu eat¬ 
ing or drinking, and various other causes, 
induce Constipation followed by- general 
derangement of the liter, kidneys, and 
stomach, in which the disorder of each 
organ increases the infirmity of the others. 
The immediate results are Loss of Appe¬ 
tite, Nausea, Foul Breath,lleartlmni,Flat¬ 
ulence, Dizziness, -ick Iicttdacbcs, failure 
of physical and mental vigor. distressing 
sense of weight and fullness in tliu stomach, 
and increased Cosfivencss. all of which are 
known under one head as Dyspepsia. 
In every iustancc where this disease does 
not originate from scrofulous taint in the 
blood, Ayer's Piles may be confidently 
relied upon to ofleet a cure. Those cases 
not amenable to the curative influence of 
Ayer’s Pills alone will certainly vield if 
the Pills are aided by the powerful blood- 
purifying properties of Ayer’s .Sarsapa¬ 
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Dyspeptics should know that the longer 
treatment of their malady is postponed, 
the more difficult of cure it becomes. 
Ayer’s Pills 
Never fail to relieve the bowels and pro¬ 
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and thus cure Dyspepsia. Temporary 
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fitful activity into which the enfeebled 
stomach i- spurred by “bitters." and alco¬ 
holic stimulants, i< inevitably followed 
by reaction that leaves the organ weaker 
than before. 
"Costiveuess, induced by my sedentary 
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HOFF, Xtictnk, A*. J. 
••I was induced lr> try AVER'S Fills as a 
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Headache, front which 1 hud long been a suf¬ 
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••A sufferer from Liver Complaint, Dys¬ 
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