4884 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
0 
723 
been arrested bv Anthony Comstock, Agent 
for the Society for the Suppression of Vice, 
for sending ‘’obscene literature" through the 
United States mails. “Dr." Lawrence, of 
Brooklyn, who advertises a Cure for Catarrh, 
is a hum hug. 
for Women. 
CONDUCTED BV MISC RAY CLARK. 
MUSINGS OF A QUIET LIFE.—NO. III. 
ZEA MAYS, 
I am moved and settled. Wordsworth says: 
“Come forth into the light of things. 
Let Nature be your teacher ” 
The “light of things" materially is, if it is 
speaking scientifically, very hot this after¬ 
noon, and I prefer the shade of things. So I 
have come into the orchard—have chosen for 
a parlor the shadow of a tree which l think, 
from certain characteristics, is a Northern 
Spy. Its large branches are upright aud 
close, its boughs slender, the lower ones droop¬ 
ing. aud there were but. few blossoms. This 
apple, if I mistake not, line a good reputation 
for bearing fruit after the tree has age, and it 
is probatdy marked with two stars for some 
localities, and I donot remember to have been 
acquainted with a Northern Spy that bore 
much fruit. But this is certainly a beautiful 
tree. Near by are several peach trees, like 
enormous Y’s tufted with feathers. 
I bad, I was going to say, a text for a little 
preach, but just then I observed that Old 
Nell, who was feeding near, bad her rope so 
wound up around a tree, with her foot over 
it, that she needed attention. I succeeded no 
better in releasing her than Coleridge, Southey 
and Co. (wasn’t it f) did in getting the collar 
off their horse. They were helped by a wo 
man, who turned the collar urside down 
But I called a man. He simply got behind 
the front leg, lifted it up. bent it at a verv 
convenient joiut, which I had not thought of, 
and—presto! the tiling was done. 
Ah! a wee worm falls iuto my lap, I won¬ 
der if it can he a larva of the coddling moth, 
it looks like it, being light straw color with a 
darker head. But it is early in the season. 
It is a great wriggler and seems to try to bite 
my pencil, and can walk backward. So 
much l have learned (I afterward consulted 
our household eutomologixt, and he says that 
description proves that it is not a coddling 
moth larva.) Thinking that it might be 
what I suggested, aud have great, capacity for 
mischief bound up in its tiny form, I des¬ 
troyed it. Such a little life aud so easily 
put out! It gave me paiu—l would like to 
know if it did him. Having my attention 
called to the subject of the eoddiqg moth. I 
rise to examine a cloth which lay in the 
crotch of a tree, to see if there are any chrys 
ulis of that insect there. I find none, but there 
is a great plump spider, with, what would be 
a beautiful marking upon its back. If one did 
notfeel dLgu-ted with spiders, and belies very 
quiet with his fore-legs stretched forward, 
two on each side of his head. I can see well 
enough to discover that he has hairs or spines 
on some of his legs. This old rag has quite a 
colony. Here is a small brown snapping bug, 
cousin, I suppose, to the great Alaus oeula- 
tus, with a jumping-stick that will enable 
him to spring perhaps to the bight of two 
feet or more. Here is another—these fore 
bode wire worms, I suppose, but T do not like 
to turn mv out door parlor into a butcher’s 
shop. Another insect with long black wing- 
covers, having a brown stripe on the inner 
edge of each, may boa firefly. There is an¬ 
other queer mite of a thing, bug or larva, 
or “what is it?” It looks like a miniature ant- 
eater, and gets away lively, and one of the 
littlest of the “grandfather-gray-beard tell 
me where the cows are” family—well, even 
though this is an “aside.” nature has been 
teaching me, even in the shade. 
Now let mo return to my toxt and get that 
oft my mind. It is a shoe -a dilapidated shoe. 
I have it on It is not an old shoe, but one 
broken down in the prime of usefulness—goue 
to pieces almost like the “one ho*s shay.” I 
bought the shoo at-s, because his name 
was not on any saloon bond. That is accord¬ 
ing to thi policy recommended by the W. C. 
T, U. in our state. Boycotting ? yes, boycott 
every businessman who will help the saloon- 
isfcs to sell destruction to our boys. It was 
not a fashionable shoe, I think, but a com¬ 
fortable. easy shoe, a congress gaiter that one 
does not have to keep breakfast waiting a 
half an hour, while it is being buttoned, j 
thought I had a bargain—eighty-five cents— 
congress gaiters used to bo twelve shillings or 
twodollars. I saw a pair that came from Can¬ 
ada. that were seventy-five cents, foxed shoes, 
which mine were not. If shoes are cheaper 
there than here, has it anything to do with 
the tariff? Shall we women, when we vote, be 
able to understand the tariff question auy 
better than the men do? Will free trade and 
protection divide our ranks? 
The sole of my shoe has broken in two. It 
is made of several layers of shoddy or paper. 
Tt contained a piece of iron—probably to hold 
it together. Dear Sisters of the Union, what 
shall I do now; My good shoe dealer has 
cheated me. Shall I continue to be a martyr 
to principle, aud buy anofherpair like these? 
Or shall T be a “primitive Christian” like 
Johnny Appleseed? 
How the birds sing! But I don’t know what 
kind they are. T would like to be better ac¬ 
quainted with birds. 1 would like to help my 
little children to become acquainted with 
them. I would like to tell them which bird 
sings this song, and which that Of course I 
know something about it—but how little! And 
how aui I to learn? I cannot turn Audubon 
and spend ray days in the forest; and few of 
them are familiar neighbors. They are gen¬ 
erally hidden away among thobrauches when 
they sing. A dead bird was brought in a few 
days ago. a beautiful thing—like carmine, on 
breast and beneath the wings. I did not 
know its name. 
“AT THE CROSSING.” 
Husband and wife, an aged couple, were 
standing at a street crossiug waiting for a car. 
The street car came along aud stopped. The 
lady’s attention was attracted bv a beautiful 
display of laces in a window close by. She 
did not notice the arrival of the car. Her 
husband took hold of her haud and said: 
“(tome, darling, are you ready?” 
“Yes, always ready at that call.” 
There is a magic in the word darling, It is 
one of great significance and should be spoken 
with due reverence for the person meant. The 
lips can form but few, if any. sweeter words, 
and a wife is entitled to that word or name, 
with nil the meaning it can convey. It is 
music to her ear, it gladdens her heart, ini 
parts new life, builds up and beautifies the 
home, makes the world look brighter, liuks 
tbeir souls together and leads them on to a 
higher sphere of enjoyment. The wife Is not 
only gratified by such words of love, but the 
husband who speaks them is blessed. Now, 
while the rose sends out its fragrance to 
sweeten the air, its leaves are slowly unfolding 
uew beauties and developing a more elegant 
form. Thus sweet words from true hearts 
rightly spoken develop higher principles and 
unfold a better existence Wo hope that a 
wife may nevor listen in vain for such effec 
ttve words, but continually enjoy the sweet 
fragrance from the Uower garden of the soul 
of him whom she loves Kind words at homo 
are the dawn of a beautiful morning, sweet 
words keep the day bright, words of love lift 
every burden of life and brighten our path¬ 
way when “our shadows fall in front.” 
[This was sent us by a friend of the Rural, 
who dipped it from his local paper, with the 
special request that i", should appear in our 
columns. Who can read it without making 
the resolution to use kind words only? Eds.] 
HANDKERCHIEF BOX. 
There are muny articles that can be made 
by skillful hands to look as handsome as any 
purchased in an art store at a large price. 
Our cuts represent a handkerchief box, and 
one section showing design of the embroidery. 
Get a cigar box, if one can be had the right 
shape; if not. any cabinet-maker can make a 
box at small cost. Cover the outside with 
plush, having only one seam, and that where 
the ends meet. To get a pattern of the inside 
cut it first from paper, careful to have it a 
trifle smaller than the box, to allow for the 
silk or satin which is to cover this; then cut 
the paste board. The lining phould lie an inch 
larger all around than the paste-board, if you 
want it puffed or full. Fasten the edges on 
the under side of paste-board with glue, then 
dispose of the fullness by tacking it through 
After in this manner preparing the lining, 
apply glue to each corner, and put it In its 
place. Trim the edges with a fancy chenille 
cord, or a box plaiting of the satin, fringed 
either edge. Gilt feet or balls can be purchas¬ 
ed in any worsted store, ready to he screwed 
in the four corners. Here you have an article 
easy to make and at a trifling cost. 
Domestic Ccononu) 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE. 
PITHS. 
Avoid a gossipy woman as you would the 
plague. 
We would ware our girls agaiust promiscu¬ 
ous letter-writing to acquaintances of the 
opposite sex. 
As cold weather sets in, see to it that your 
rooms are properly ventilated—that there is 
an outlet for the impure air and an inlet for 
the fresh. 
Don’t talk “baby talk” to children. 
A sheet spread upon the floor to catch the 
litter made when cutting out garments, will 
save much time iu picking and sweeping up. 
When wo see how some infants are fed uml 
cared for, we cease to wouder why so many 
die, and only wonder that so many live. 
It is high time to think of Christmas gifts. 
Few of us are so poor that wo cutmot give 
some little token of remembrance to those 
near and dear tons. Wo know of nothing for 
the sum of 82 that would prove a more valua¬ 
ble gift than a. year’s subscription to the 
Rural New-Yorker for some friend who 
tools too poor to take it. 
When boiling fish, keep the water at the 
boiling point without rapid boiling, as that 
causes it to fall in pieces. 
Slow, steady simmering, with proper sea¬ 
soning, will convert a coarse, cheap piece of 
meat into tender and palatable eating. It 
should he cooked in hut little water, and the 
vessel should he covered to keep in the steam. 
LEAVES FROM A WESTERN HOUSE¬ 
KEEPER’S JOURNAL. 
ANNIE L. JACK. 
We have lately bad a visit from Aunt 
Dorcas, whoso home is in the Far West, and 
she told us so many good aud useful things 
in kitchen talk, and from her housekeeper’s 
journal, which she always curried with her, 
that I told her I would jot. down a little for 
the benefit of Rural readers. Although 
a member of our family for years, we had 
never met, and were only known to each other 
by occasional correspondence. But the 
thought was strong within us to meet at some 
time, and now that her family are able to 
take the helm, she made up her mind to come 
North ami visit her husbund’s reflations. We 
tried to rnuko her comfortable, took her for 
drives, and to see the sights of the neighbor 
hood; but somehow she did not seem happy, 
and we feared homesickness until one day the 
Amateur Cook happening to be in the city, I 
ventured to ask if she would accompany mo 
to the kitchen while I prepared dinner. 
“That's what I’m wanting, doario,” she said, 
as she donned an ample apron and came out 
to me, smiling. “ Let me cook the dinner. 
‘Fried chickens.’ Jacob thinks nobody can 
fry chicken as I do. Now you go to some¬ 
thing else. I haven’t lived so long on the 
prairies without knov* iug just the very knack 
to make a chicken of any kind toothsome. 
Are they this year’s chickens? How big they 
are! Plymouth Rocks, eh? Fine and plump I 
The reason I asked you was because I never 
fry chickens without remembering a trip I 
once made to see my sister-in-law, and we got 
there awfully hungry, and she went out and 
caught the oldest rooster ou the place, and 
dressed it. Then she fried it. Well, the 
kuife glanced off that fowl, I assure you, and 
we couldn’t make a decent meal. She ought 
to have stewed it half a day at least. Get the 
pan good and hot, and I’ll eut them up the 
same as for a fricassee. They are better if laid 
iu cold water fora few minutes, and then pep¬ 
pered and saltpd and rolled in flour, then fried 
in hot lard to a light brown.” 
The chickens wore really a handsome 
brown, aud we gave Aunt Dorcas the credit 
for the dinner passing off so successfully. She 
made a nice gravy and poured it over Mm 
chickens, which were piled neatly on a hot 
dish We bail squash for dinner, too, that she 
said would cook more quickly if cut up into 
inch square pieces and steamed. It was drv 
and fine-flavored, so we made up our minds 
that by this method it Imbibed less water, and 
so improved by quick cooking. Many thiugs 
in the kitchen tabes of our visitor were so 
valuable that I wrote them down, and have 
since tried them, and found that Western 
methods are often the very best and most eco¬ 
nomical. 
SWEEPING NOT ALWAYS DESIRABLE. 
A Indy friend tells us that most of her 
rooms are swept hut once a month ! She 
wipes off the carpet, aftprpickiugup all Utter, 
with a damp—not wet—woolen cloth wrung 
out of warm water, to which she has added a 
few drops of ammonia. This mode of clean¬ 
ing for all rooms but her dining-room, she 
tbiuks preferable to the usual weekly sweop- 
iugs, with their accompanying clouds of dust. 
— - - 
TOILET NOTES, 
TO CLEAN THE HAIR. 
Wash the head and hair in warm water iu 
which you have dissolved a teaspoouful or 
more of powdered borax. It is a good plan 
to scrub tho head with a nail brush as you 
wash it. Rins“ off with pure water and let 
the hair hang down until dry. 
Borax is also an excellent; dentifrice. Dis¬ 
solve a little of the powdered borax in water, 
and dip the brush into it; or dip the brush 
into the dry powder. Clean tho teeth in pure 
water the last, thing at night, and it is also 
best to clean them after each meal, but few 
take the trouble to do this. 
FOR PERSPIRING FEET. 
Wash the feet, night aud morning in warm 
water that has carbolic acid in it—it should 
smell quite strong of the acid—and rub with 
a crash towel. mum. e. c, d. 
•»«- 
DOMESTIC RECIPES. 
EXCELLENT MOLAHHKK CAKE. 
Three cups of good molasses, two beaten 
eggs, one cup of sour cream, one of lard and 
butter mixed, one teaspoouful of saleratus 
dissolved in a little warm water, six cupfuls 
of sifted flour and a spoonful of ginger. 
FRICASSEED OYSTERS. 
Two quarts of oysters, four large table- 
spoonfuls of batter, n tablespoonful of flour, 
suit, a dash of Cavenueaiid the yelks of throe 
eggs. Put two spoonfuls of the butter into a 
frying pan, aud let brown without burning; 
add the seasoning and the drained oysters. 
When the oysters begin to curl, stir in the 
flour made smooth iu the remainder of the 
butter. Let bubble up, add tho beaten yelks, 
and take at once from tho fire. Garnish, if 
you please, with sliced lemon. 
WARMED UP POTATOES. 
Cut, into little squares about a quart of cold, 
boiled potatoes. Fry a tahlespoonful of 
minced oniou in three spoonfuls of butter; 
when the onion turns yellow, add tho potatoes 
and season with pepper and Halt. Stir, and 
be careful not to break the pieces. When 
well heated through, Rorve on a hot dish. 
PICKLED BEETS. 
Cut boiled beets iu thin slices, Place iu an 
earthern dish in alternate layers with thin 
slices of onion, a few cloves and whole pep¬ 
pers. Cover with salted vinegar. These 
pickles will not keep longer than a week. 
GRANGE CAKE. 
Two cups of sugar, a scant balf-cup of 
butter, the yelks of five eggs and the whites 
of three, one cup of cold water, the juice and 
half the grated peel of a large orange, throe 
full cups of sifted flour, and two teaspoon in Is 
of baking powder. Cream the butter and 
sugar, add the eggs beaten separately, then 
tho water, juice aud peel of an orange, and tho 
flour with the baking powder stirred iuto it. 
Bake in jelly-cake tins. 
FILLING. 
The reserved whites whisked stiff, into 
which stir a cup of powdered sugar, the 
juice and half the peel of unother large 
orange. Whip together and put betweeu the 
cakes, when cold If you wish to frost the 
top, reserve a little, add more sugar to it and 
spread over the top layer the same as you 
would any frosting. k. c. 
FRICASSEE OF CALF'S LIVER. 
Take two pounds of liver cut into strips two 
or three inches long and half »n inch wido. 
Dredge with flour aud fry iu drippings until 
brown, turning frequently. Have a cup of 
broth or gravy, with it put two small, minced 
onions, a spoonful of minced parsley and 
pepper and salt. Btew gently 15 minutes. 
Then pour over the fried liver, cover tightly 
and simmer onlv ten minutes longer. Take 
the liver out on to a platter and pour over the 
gravy. Tho juice of a lemon added to the 
gravy before pouring it over the meat, gives 
it a flavor liked by many. mrs. e. l. 
Horsfnrd’* 4cld Phosphate 
Ah n Nerve Poo it 
Dr. J. W. Smith, Wellington. O , says: “In 
impaired nervous supply I have used it to ad¬ 
vantage. ”— Adv. 
Professor Ilors'ord’s linking Powder. 
A Valuable Element. 
Dr. M. II. Henry the celebrated family phy¬ 
sician of New York, city, says: “Tue use of 
this Powder offers admirable means for the 
introduction of a valuable element into i he 
system with the food of every-day life."— A d v. 
