4834 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
659 
they actually prefer it to any other kind of 
work. The painted canvas has. of course, the 
advantage of requiring no counting of stitches. 
“There is nothing new under the sun.” and 
all these new forms of work are only old ones 
revived ; but everything depends on the intel¬ 
ligence and artistic feeling used iu the re¬ 
vival. 
We show by our engraving an exquisite de¬ 
sign from one of the best French h< uses of 
art. It has Brussell’s net for a foundation, 
and the embroidery represents smull parasols, 
decorated with flowers. Such a pattern al¬ 
lows room for abundant display of artistic 
taste, in the matter of colors, and shades of 
color, and it is decidedly “French;” than 
whom none can excel in arrangements, or in 
stylish effect*. h. b. 
DIRECTIONS FOR KNITTING THE OAK- 
LEAF LACE PATTERN. 
We often have requests for directions how 
to knit different articles, also lace; and one of 
our readers kindly sends the following rules 
for knitting the oak leaf pattern; of lace. 
This is getting to be a very common, because 
serviceable, trimmiug, for cotton or wool gar¬ 
ments, and we think the directions are suf¬ 
ficiently plain. Perhaps it may be well to say 
that the term, narrowing, mean* to put the 
needle through two stitches at the same time; 
and purling, to put the thread over the needle 
towards you, and the needle under the stitch, 
towards yon instead of from you, as the plain 
knitting is done. EDS. 
OAK LEAF PATTERN FOR LACE. 
Cast on ten stitches. 
lgt row.— Knit or.e, thread over, narrow, 
thread over, narrow, thread over twice, nar¬ 
row, thread over twice, narrow, knit one. 
2d row. —Kntt three, purl one, kuit two, 
purl one, kuit one, purl one, kuit one, purl one, 
knit one. 
M row.— Kuit oue, thread over, narrow, 
thread over, narrow, kuit two, thread over 
twice, narrow, thread over twice, narrow, 
knit one. 
■1th row. —Knit three, purl one, knit two, 
purl one, knit three, purl oue, kuit one, purl 
oue, kuit one. 
5th row.— Knit oue, thread over, narrow, 
thread over, narrow, knit four, thread over 
twice, narrow, thread over twice, narrow, knit 
one. 
Qth /-oic.-Knit three, purl one, knit two, 
purl one, knit five, purl one, knit one, purl 
one, knit one. 
1th row. —Knit one, thread over, narrow, 
thread over, narrow, knit six, thread over 
twice, narrow, thread over twice, narrow, 
knit one. 
iith row. —Knit three, purl one, kuit two, 
purl one, kuit seven, purl oue, knit one, purl 
one, knit oue. 
9th row. —Knit one, thread over, narrow, 
thread over, narrow, kuit eight, thread over 
twice, narrow, thread over twice, narrow, 
knit one. 
10</r row, —Knit three, purl one, kuit two, 
purl one, knituine, purl one, knit one, purl 
oue, kuit one. 
llf/i row.— Kuit one, thread over, narrow, 
thread over, narrow, knit rest plain. 
12th row. —Slip and bind until only nine 
stitches remain on the left needle, knit five, 
purl oue, knit one, purl oue, kuit oue. 
Tnis co.nplet.-8 oue scollop. a. e. sabin. 
A WORD ABOUT RUGS. 
The prettiest home made rug I ever saw 
was made as follows; Cut rags nicely, as for 
a rag carpet, using delaines, Haunels, or other 
soft goods; cut on the bias, as the effect will 
be much better, aud gather through the ceuter 
with a strong double thread, drawing it up 
considerably, about as much again as for u 
ruitle; string one piece alter another without 
sewing aud with uo regard for lengths, but 
sprinkling in the bright bits of color among 
the sober shades. When gathered, weave in, 
like rag carpeting. The rug looks like cheuille, 
rich and velvety. I have one. Try it, and tell 
us bow you like it. eva ames. 
The front of Miss Astor’s weddiug gown is 
to be covered with ruffles of old point lace of 
her grandmother's, secured by orange blossoms 
and pearls; the veil will l>e fastened by eight 
large diamond pins; 2,000 invitations will be is¬ 
sued, and there will be six or eight brideumids. 
The Rural New-Yorker from 
now until January 1st, 18S6, for 
$2.00! A special list of Presents 
to Subscribers—and lo them only 
—valued at $2,000! This list, 
together with the Rural’s Seed 
Distribution for 1SS5, will be 
published in a 16-page Supple¬ 
ment, to be issued early in No¬ 
vember. Send one—send all! We 
will semi the Rural containing 
this Supplement to alj names for¬ 
warded to us before October 1st, 
without charge. 
Progressive Farmers! You can 
not afford to he without the Rural 
for 1885. It will pay you 100-fold. 
Domestic (Economy 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE. 
PITHS. 
Work hurts nobody, but worry kills. 
Fretfulness is a deadly foe to beauty. 
Never attire yourself conspicuously, if you 
would lx> considered well dressed. 
It would be better if American women 
would copy after the economies practiced by 
their French sisters in their household affairs, 
instead of forever trying to imitate them iu 
manners and dress. 
/Square dishes are fashionable. 
Tlie yelk of an egg will bind the two edges 
of pastry together better than the white. 
A trifle of plaster-of-Paris mixed almost 
stiff with mucilage, forms a very good cement 
for mending earthenware. 
It isa pleasure to be well and carefully dress¬ 
ed, but it can be uo pleasure to be dressed far 
beyond the income of the bread-winner; and 
as far more incomes are counted by hundreds 
than thousands, the sooner girls learn to cut 
their ‘'garments to the doth,” the sooner will 
the general complaint come to au end, 
“Young oieu are afruid to murry nowadays,” 
because girls expect to dross aud live when 
they bogiu housekeeping as their parents leave 
off. 
A FARMER’S DAUGHTER’S DOMESTIC 
REVERIES. 
CHARITY SWEETHEART, 
September 18th. 
It seems sad to think t hat the Fall is here 
and September nearly half gone. I am look¬ 
ing to see what Emerson says to day in my 
dear little calendar, and it is this: “The farm¬ 
er times himself to nature, aud acquires that 
life-long patience which belongs to her. His 
rule is, that the earth shall feed and clothe 
him, and he must wait for his crop to grow.’’ 
On Thursday the calendar said: “Never wor¬ 
ry people with your contritions, nor with dis¬ 
mal views of politics or society.” I am afraid 
I ought to take that mandate to myself, for I 
huvu uo doubt been really troublesome to the 
readers of the Ri; hal, It reminds me of a 
little Kansas boy who came here last week, 
aud he said such funuy things, though there 
wasn’t much sense in them, that I had to 
laugh every time he spoke to me, and every 
few minutes he would call out, “Say, girl, 
wliat you lalliu at? I don’t see nothin," so those 
who laugh or scoff at “Charity,” may see 
something to call forth these expressions, but 
“I don’t see nothin.” If it is my ignorance, 
it is all serious to me. 
I made my sweet pickles by the last recipe 
in the Rural, aud they turned out just de¬ 
licious; father says they are the best we ever 
had, and he is quite a judge. 
1 am proud to say that L got the prize for 
raspberry jam at the county show. I value 
it all the more because I went and picked 
the raspberries myself in the hot July sun, 
aud made the jam up extra nice with 
the best sugar. It is firm and well grained, 
but I shall try to do better next year. We are 
rather slack about showing at the fair, be¬ 
cause father has an idea it wastes more time 
than it is all worth; but Burt, showed a lot of 
things this year, and won quite u number of 
prizes, aud be seems quite stirred up to try 
again. Father has been discouraged, especially 
about fruit tree planting, because some years 
ago a peddler came along aud sold us some 
trees with high-sounding names, and of which 
he had big pictures in his book, and when they 
began to fruit, they all turned out to bo crab 
apples. 1 think such cheating as that, hurts 
farmers a great deal, and ought to be punished 
by law. A number of our neighbors have suf¬ 
fered in the same way, and it keeps back the 
work that farmers’ daughters are anxious to 
see go on—thut is, the improvement of their 
homes. No one knows how we hunger aud 
thirst for pretty things out, of-doora, aud for 
good fruit in our gardens. But it is hard to 
establish these improvements, especially after 
having been ouce or twice swindled in pur¬ 
chasing. 
THE OLD HOME. 
The last night in the dear old hornet How 
quiet it is; not a sound, save the far off croak¬ 
ing of a solitary frog, or the nearer nibble of 
a mouse. Another night will find us far from 
this lovely solitude. Farmers’ wives, do you 
know how you love your homes? I thought I 
did not care much for mine, till a year of ab¬ 
sence has shown me how T cherished even the 
stones of the field and the wild vines, as they 
wander here and there, covering the fulleu 
wall. The old smoke house, the elm in the 
meadow, have, each, a grace aud beauty of its 
own, The quinces grow more vigorously, the 
fruit trees are more thrifty; even the black¬ 
berries send up their shoots more luxuriantly 
there than I ever saw them olsewhere. Then, 
the view from the window; the overlapping 
hills, blue in the far distance, the nearer ones 
seamed and broken by ledge and boulder, the 
valley lying at our feet, each field showing 
a color of its own, as it bears upon its surface 
the wheat, corn, oats or buckwheat. 
The early train, speeding swiftly along, 
leaves a long line of smoke, which gleams in 
the sunlight a moment, then gracefully climbs 
the mountain side. From this window only 
can wo see the hill lot whore the Jersey herd 
is feeding. And then the yard; how we love 
each grand old elm and maple; even the grove 
of locusts, with the feathery branches, is not 
to bo despised. Forty trees—and I leave out 
all the little ones whose day of beauty 1ms uot 
come, as well as all the dwaried, misshapen 
ones whoso beauty will uevercome, aud which 
wait only for the brave hand of the artistic 
stranger to lay them low—stund within the 
dooryar l fence, The passers-by say, "Nature 
has made this place very beautiful; you must 
love it, and miss it while away," Yes; but 
not more thun each of my fanner sisters would 
miss hers, be it ever so humble. 
Don’t you believe me? Then try living on 
an eight-by-ten village lot for a year. Try to 
sit in the back yurd, under the clothes line, 
and call it country; try to sing about your 
work as you used to do, uud bo told the neigh- 
bora will hear you; buy a quart of blackber¬ 
ries for a treat, and think of the bushel you 
had the year before, just for the picking, from 
the garden row; live ou a quart of blue milk 
a day, aud think of the pint of cream yon used 
to UHe on your breakfast table. Oh! yes; I 
know both sines; I have been in both positions, 
aud know that there Is uo class of people, the 
wide world over, as happy, as independent, as 
free from the worry of life, as the farmers; 
and although the work is hard, yet the light 
at eve-time shines on a home that is, or may 
lie, all your own; where each tree and shrub 
tells its own story, and only to .you and your 
loved ones. ruth kent. 
AN BABY WAY TO BIND THE RURAL, 
Where the Rural is appreciated, it is 
stitched together, and the leaves are cut as 
soon us it comes; then, if they are carefully 
filed uv\uy, the work is half done. Take two 
sticks, three-fourths of uu inch wide aud the 
length of the paper. Bare with a gimlet six 
holes, two-and a-balf inches apart, at each end, 
and two in the middle. Make corresponding 
holes iu each paper, and thread them in order 
on shoe strings, down through one hole aud 
back through the next, having tho sticks out¬ 
side of the first aud last paper. Tie the strings 
firmly, aud trim the edges of the papers. I f a 
cover is desired, it cau be made of several 
thicknesses of brown, or wall-paper, pasted to¬ 
gether and pressed, with the cover of the Fair 
Number pasted outside of all. Bound in this 
way and properly indexed, it is exceedingly 
handy. 
HOW TO USE POOR PEARS. 
Pare and slice crosswise. To a panful add a 
pint of ’{food molasses, cover tightly, and let 
them steam until tender; then skim them out 
and dry ou plates in the oven, using the re¬ 
maining sirup for more pears. These will 
taste good stewed, with a bit of lemon, in the 
Wiuter, or chopped they will, in many cases, 
take the place of raisins iu pies, puddings, etc. 
MARY MANN. 
EXTRACT FROM A PRIVATE LETTER. 
My letter has been delayed a long time, but 
I caunot let it go till 1 tell you how delighted 
l am with an article iu a late Rural, “A 
Word to Those Who Can Understand.” I have 
so often longed to be able to say just such a 
word to the sisterhood, iu hopes they could all 
bo brought to know that those who would, 
could save time and strength to make of them¬ 
selves something beside scrubbers and scrap- 
ora. Another speaks of “Death in the Dish- 
Rag.” Has she never heard of the wonderful 
dish mop made of twine on a wooden hnudle. 
If not, I hope she will try and see liow easy 
one cau wash dishes and pans iu almost boil 
iug suds. Shake out the mop, rinse it, and 
hang it up, and it is always sweet aud clean. 
One is uot apt to like it the first, time it is 
used.it will seetu uwkwanl; but try again, 
aud it will prove Itself a friend after a time. 
M. R. B. 
DOMESTIC RECIPES. 
CRACKED WHEAT. 
Since the thrashing was done, we have been 
feasting on “cracked wheat”- home-made. 
The children are so fond of it that they want 
to prepare more than we can use. And t his is 
the modus OperttHdi: It is taken from the 
granary as the separator leaves it, picked 
free from all sticKs, and dirt, rye, dust, etc., 
by turuing it from one hand to the other. 
This we think cleanses it sufficiently without 
the trouble of washing and drying, as some 
treat it, Clean the coffee-mill with a little 
wheat —a hand grain mill would ho better, but 
as we have none we do the next best,. Grind 
the wheat through with Just sufficient “set” 
to crack each kernel Put to cook in a long 
covered pail in a kettle of boiling water, add 
iug to the wheat about, twice ns much water 
as wheat. Of course, a “farina kettle” is the 
article to use, but we backwoods furmers 
don’t have all these conveniences, so we tnuke 
a virtue of necessity, exercise our inventive 
genius, and improvise such articles us are 
needed. Boil on© hour or longer. Put into 
bow Is or cups to cool. When needed, turn out 
on a plate, uud if you have not done us I do 
occasionally—put too much water on the 
wheat—(you will observe 1 do not always fol¬ 
low my own rule and measure quantities), you 
will have a dish, when dressed with good 
cream and sugar, tit for a king or a farmer's 
baby. 
CANNIWi FRUIT. 
Tho canning season is fully inaugurated for 
another year, and wo are trying to “put up” 
all the fruit we can get. 1 have often thought 
I would like to tell the Rural sisters how I 
fill my glass cans uud never—well, lmnlly ever 
—break one. After I had left, mother’s homo 
for one of my own, and went back visiting in 
the fruit seusou, mother had learned this new 
way I am going to tell you of, and rooom 
mended me to try it. Accordingly 1 did so, 
with very great satisfaction. We rinse the 
clean cans with ©old water, dip a cloth iu cold 
water, wring it slightly, set the can on the 
cold cloth, fill it with Hot fruit, cover and seal 
immediately. I have never broken a can in 
this way, unless 1 could see my own careless 
ness, and 1 never used a silver spoon. This 
plan is also handy, if ouo wishes to put. hot 
sauce as apple or other sauce—iu a glass fruit 
dish. Simply dip the cloth iu cold water, set 
tho dish ou it, or if a high dish with stem, 
wrap the cloth around that, and pour fruit in. 
ELDERBERRIES, 
Yes, elderberriesl Now, 1 imagine I see 
some sister’s hands go up iu horror at the 
mere mention of such a vulgar fruit iu con¬ 
nection with our very diguified “Domestic 
Economy.” But, please, hear my evidence be¬ 
fore pronouncing a harsh verdict. Fruits of 
ull kinds are very scarce with us, and so we 
make the best of what we cau get; and really, 
elderberries are uot to bo despised when well 
prepared; and 1 know people who prefer them 
to almost any other kind of berries—I am not 
oue of that class, however. 
We cun them with about equal parts of sour 
apples, uud when well sweetened and spiced, 
they make very palatable pies during Winter 
and Spring They make good jelly, too, pre¬ 
pared by boiling with considerable water; 
drain in a jelly bag, hut do not press much; 
add some juice of wild crab apples, prepared 
iu the same way. Equal parts do well, but it is 
not particular if there is less of the crab juice. 
Measure and after boiling an hour briskly, 
add as many cups of sugar as you bad of juice. 
Boil together half an hour or until it will jell, 
when a little is cooled. For jam, to uiuepoumls 
of berries, take five pounds of sugar and one 
pint of vluegar, and plenty of spice. Cook 
until thick. 
So much for the cooking qualities; and, be¬ 
side this,they makecxccllout war paiut for our 
youngsters. Three of them came iu the other 
day painted up to look ferocious, ami with a 
wboopand jump they were positively awful. 
u. K. JACK. 
- 
The llui-Nford Almanac nn<l t ook lloolc 
mailed free on application to the Rumfurd 
Chemical works, Providence, R. i. 
