334 
Alice was knitting her handsome brows in 
deep thought. Presently she broke out with 
—‘‘Dot. have you a good deal of patience and 
energy, and a little money? You remember 
the plans we made when we were Sophomores 
to live together in a dear little cottage some¬ 
where. after we were graduated? 
1 have built a charming- castle on the cot¬ 
tage foundation. Just let me think a moment 
and I'll put it in shape to tell you." 
Alice was tall, dark and haudsome, Dot 
was what you would thiuk from her pet name, 
round, fair and good-natured, w ith a positive 
little way of her own. 
“And don't you remember," said Dot, fall¬ 
ing in with the spirit of reminiscence regard¬ 
less of Miss Gordon's warning that she was 
going to think. “Don't you remember we 
used to talk of fruit-raising and small farm¬ 
ing in a general way? I should not.besurprised 
if we came round to those old visions again." 
“And why notf’ demanded Alice with a 
kind of suppressed energy. “We believed 
then we could doit, and surely there is nothing 
but bad luck, public opiuiou aud discourage¬ 
ment to prevent us from carrying it out: I 
mean the fruit raising project, “Now Allie, 
don't get excited aud fire me all up, or we shall 
surely get extravagant and forget to be sensi¬ 
ble and calculating. Suppose we take a walk 
up Woolsey canon and talk it over quietly. 
Perhaps there is something in it." 
They talked it over pro and con. and came 
to the conclusion that it was possible for 
two girls to own and carry on a small fruit 
farm. That decision was one important step. 
The next important step was to provide the 
means, which involved more plans, discussions 
aud “walks to talk it over." Alice proposed 
spending the vacation now before them in ex¬ 
ploring some of the northward counties of the 
State, Plumas, Butte or Yuba. 
“I know some influential people up in Plu¬ 
mas County," said Alice musingly. “And 
with the teacher's certificate we shall get c u 
our University diplomas surely, if there are 
any public schools up there to be had, I dou't 
see w hy we should not have them. Teachers 
are not very anxious to get into those out-of 
the-wav places, so 1 guess the competition will 
not be alarming. 
“If Plumas will not do I know some people 
in Yuba. There are ever so many rich farm¬ 
ers aud mine owners scattered about the 
county. I know the Bentons very well—spent 
one long vacation with them. It is a glorious 
country. Allie." 
“Dot, California contains a goodly number 
of square miles of possibilities, aud 1 am 
sure there are two delightful country 
schools up north somewhere just waiting for 
us: say with about “0 pupils and a princi¬ 
pal’s salary. Probably the former teachers 
have just, decided to be married; country 
girls usually do." “How much money have 
you available?" and Dot’s face wore what 
her younger brother called her “I mean 
business” look. 
(To be Continued ) 
for Women 
•JONDOCTEl) BY MISS KAY CLARK. 
AN IDEAL WIFE. 
A FluCRJt <iuile tall, and decidedly plump. 
Still not too [dump to be faultlessly neat; 
A mouth rather large, and decidedly firm, 
Still not too firm to be womanly sweet. 
Eyes Kray or brown with a quick gleam of mischief; 
Kent soft In the shadow of some tale of woe; 
Helling to tears at the grief or another, 
Still bringing warm sunshine wherever they go. 
Complexion—well, fair, but spotless and Hear, 
With Just a faint tinge of the wild mountain rose; 
Hair bright and brown, in ripples and waves. 
With a golden st rand mingled which the sun shows- 
Her foot must be neat and her hand must be small, 
At least such a wife I should choose; 
Just fancy a man with his senses all straight. 
Loving a girl who took sevens In shoes. 
She mils! be rather clever and quite Intellectual, 
Sllll not above keeping your buttons In trim, 
Who’d Chatter wit h you o’er the news of the day— . 
Read Ryrou, too, and appreciate him. 
A woman who’d take the bright side of a picture, 
Still with some sense and a will of her own; 
WhO’d cheerfully shoulder her burden of life, 
And share all your troubles when riches have flown. 
And when from this world with its pleasures and 
pain, 
Towards your long home you are drifting away. 
You’ll find as you’re nearing the eelioless shore, 
She loves you the same, tlio’ you’re feeble and gray. 
E. a. s. 
THE RURAL PRIZES OFFERED LAST 
DECEMBER AWARDED. 
THE PRIZE^TAKER6, 
THE ARTICLES RECEIVED WILL AP¬ 
PEAR DURING THE YEAR. 
Reading the articles upon the special sub¬ 
jects, that have been sent us in response to our 
MAY 26 
invitation some months since, has consumed 
more time than we thought would be required 
for so doing. Then we received so many after 
the offer was practically closed, that we waited 
awhile longer in order that all who so desired 
could have the full benefit of the last chance. 
While most of our friends have undoubtedly 
well considered the subjects which they have 
chosen, we think that number eight “Our 
American Girls" has been handled in the 
ablest manner, although numbers four aud 
six show much of thought and culture. We 
thank all who have so kindly responded, and 
hope that their articles may aid in making the 
Woman’s Department more interesting and 
instructive the preseut year. We would 
much like indeed, to have our friends feel 
that the Department is always open for a free 
exchange of thoughts and opinions, on almost 
every subject. It will then be more valuable 
as we come to realize that it is a liviug part of 
every household, into which tlie Rural Linds 
a welcome. We believe that all will be satis¬ 
fied with the award of premiums: and as was 
stated at the outset, the wishes of those who 
have expressed them, shall be carried out as 
far as possible, aud when not possible, as in 
several cases, it is to be hoped that the prizes 
when received will not prove bo be “ just the 
thing I do not want,” 
The following are the names of the writers 
whose contributions have drawn the premiums. 
The first, will be published next week: 
“ City aud Country Kitchens;" Kate Nich¬ 
ols. Henderson Co,, N. C. “ Dining in the Old- 
time aud the New;" Mrs. Sarah Rowell. 
Vt, “Rural Homes Within aud Without;’’ 
Mrs. Caroline L. Douglass. N. Y. “ Time to 
Rise and Retire;” Mrs. Mary Ely, Iowa. “ How 
bo Spend the Evenings;’’ Mrs. Annie L. Jack, 
Canada. “Personal Adornment;'’ Mrs. E, D. 
Boardmau, N. Y. “ Our American Girls;” 
Miss Bertha Winkler, Pa. ” Woman’s Recre¬ 
ation;" Zena Clayboura. “Amateur Art 
Work,” etc. Mrs. T. L. Grimes, La. “A Modern 
Christmas Dinner;’’ Mrs. G. Thompson, Fla 
“CLASHING." 
CARRIE V. 
’Tis seldom I allow myself to interfere with 
other people’s affaire, but when I see a clash¬ 
ing among newspaper writers, says I. then 
says I, now step in, ’cause ’tis your time now— 
to say "tain't pretty, tliat's all. And there are 
so many pretty things to talk about, real beau¬ 
ties they are, too, why should I or my neigh¬ 
bors bother about the ugly things? I says, 
says I, let ’em alone, 'cause they are of no real 
value aud they rile one’s temper, too. The 
ugly things of life are little bits of snippy 
things, happening every day, not of any ac¬ 
count taken singly, but bunch them and land 
sakesalive! they are like brine poured on a 
fresh cut. The unfortunate part of it is that 
these unpleasant trifles affect sensitive natures 
and weakly people mostly, The ones who 
ought not to have anything irritating or har¬ 
assing. While strong, hopeful ones like you 
or I, with buoyant spirits seldom clash with 
any one, anybody or anything. They call for 
no apologies, ’cause they sec no censure in ev¬ 
ery little smitch of a thing that’s been said in 
the neighborhood. They are not twisting and 
turning this and that, in every way possible to 
get the wrong side out so as to make It appear 
wrong on both sides. The over-sensitive na¬ 
tures mean no harm, still they are always stir¬ 
ring up little things, magnifying a frog until 
he swells into an ox, and generally have a lit¬ 
tle feeling toward one or more in their imme¬ 
diate neigblKirhood. Now it don’t pay. And 
I say, says 1 to all such natures, don’t let any¬ 
body find out how nut of trim you are, how 
easily the least little tinty thing can clash with 
you—but just go and “clear the* bile" out of 
your system, have a good night's sleep and a 
good day’s work; wake thorough work of it. 
Clash with yourself physically until your sys¬ 
tem runs true , then trust to clashing with 
your neighbor if you care to uud through the 
paper if you will. Then I say, says i, just, 
give it to ’em, clear, sharp uud strong, so as 
outsiders can have one real good laugh at least, 
and make ns want to hear more. 
CONSIDER YOUR WIFE’S FEELINGS. 
Ik your wife is sensitive, do not ignore the 
fact. Refrain from jesting with her on a sub¬ 
ject in which there is danger of wounding her 
feelings. Remember that she treasures every 
word you utter. Do not speak of some vir¬ 
tues in another man’s wife to remind your 
own of a fault. Do not reproach your wife 
with personal defects, for, if she bus sensibil¬ 
ity, you iullict a wound difficult to heal. Do 
not treat, your wife with inattention in com¬ 
pany; it touches her pride, and she will not re 
spent you more, or love you better for it. Do 
not upbraid your wife in the presence of a 
third person; the sense of your disregard fot¬ 
her feelings will prevent her acknowledging 
her fault. Do not entertain your wife by 
praising the beauty and accomplishments of 
other women. If you would have a pleasant 
home and a cheeiful wife, pass your evenings 
under your own roof. Do not he stem and si¬ 
lent in your own house and remarkable for so- 
“nose that smells everything,'’ and my house¬ 
maids and the young “morning star" of the 
house, as well as Anaximander, all have the 
faculty of sailing from one cud of the estab¬ 
lishment to the other and leaving every door 
ajar in their rear, so that wherever 1 may be 
about the house 1 urn continuously made aware 
of the condition of things by my olfactories. 
When I would be absent for the day, the 
moment I would enter the front hall, 1 would 
be greeted with an odor that no chemist ever 
combined -the combined smells of the kitchen 
cookery. How furious I got, over it, and bow 
nearly I talked my “head off" over it. Five 
doors between my library and the kitchen, and 
yet the “pesky” smell of cookery would daily 
creep through the house to drive me into a 
state of desperation. 
Of course, there comes a time in all expe¬ 
rience when desperation breeds a remedy, and 
one day as I stood in a railway station I observ¬ 
ed that the outdoor “ longed to" of itself after 
every outgoerand incomer,' On the Lack of 
it was a simple spiral spring that acted like 
magic in closing the door. The next time 1 
went into the city, 1 stepped into a hard¬ 
ware shop and asked for a machine that would 
shut doors after careless people, aud the sales¬ 
man at once produced a spiral spring, with all 
the lixiugs for 85 cents, and showed me how 
it should be put ou. 1 put. it on the door 
leading from the dining-room to the kitchen, 
and since then I have had )>eaee. Aud ouly 
to think of purchasing relief for 35 cents; of 
being no longer obliged to sing out number¬ 
less times a day that the doors be closed, and 
to feel assured that I can abandon the king- 
dotu for six or eight hours at a time, and re¬ 
turning, find its atmosphere respectably free 
from smells! A lady who chanced to be visit¬ 
ing me and beheld my elation at having 
overcome a great annoyance at a trifling ex¬ 
pense, declared that she should put, a spring 
on her front door, as it “was always being 
left open." And are 
there not many other 
housekeepere who are 
greatly’ tormented by- 
some perverse door, 
which is always left 
ajar ? If so, let me sug¬ 
gest a spring for the 
ill, which is both cheap 
aud effective. These 
spiral springs come in 
three sizes, aud for 
very heavy doors, two 
tire needed ! but the 
largest size will, alone, 
close the ordinary 
house door. In Phila- 
delphia shops one costs 
thirty-five cents com¬ 
plete. You should 
observe carefully at 
what angle to fasten the Spring, or how 
much of it should rest against the door and 
how much on the floor casing, for the effec¬ 
tiveness of the spring depends almost entirely 
upon how it is adjusted. If you haven’t a 
mechanical eye you better take a man along 
with you, when you are to buy it, provided 
“the man" is mechanical." 
There is a tiu measure which I like well: it 
is very ingeniously’ made of block tin, is small 
at the bot tom aud large at the top, and meas¬ 
ures by’ graduated distances, all the measures 
by’ half measures from a gill to a quart. 
It has a largo flat bottom to stand on and is 
extremely’ convenient and “ handy." It costs 
sixty-five cents, and should last one’s life time. 
Rolling pins are made of glare, for greater 
coolness in rolling out pastry. 
In making new pillows or renovating bed¬ 
ding, it is well to bear in mind that much la¬ 
bor and care will be saved, if all the pillows 
in the house are of one size. It is a nuisance 
to have pillow cases of different sizes. 
In sweeping down walls, pin a soft cloth 
over t he brush end of the broom. 
Camphor for {lacking with woolens and for 
Summer, now comes in small oblong cakes, 
at two cents a cake—a great convenience 
and economy over the old way of buy¬ 
ing camphor by the pound or half pound in a 
lump. 
The best broiler for meat is of wire, and 
costs about fifteen cents. It opens and closes 
something like a book, and has a long handle. 
The iron broiler perforated with holes, which 
costs hal f a dollar, was very’ popular for a time. 
There can tie nothing better than wire for a 
broiler, as it admits the direct heat of the fire 
to the entire surface of the meat, which is 
necessary. Iron broilers or gridirons do not 
admit, of this—besides being heavy aud diffi¬ 
cult to clean. 
The printer made my recipe for Graham 
muffins in issue of May’ 5 read “ Beat like 
mead" “Beat like MAD !” It should be in 
capitals ! 
EVERY-DAY HOUSE—“AFTER MANY 
DAYS.” 
ANNIE L. JACK. 
A week of preparation, a month of ab¬ 
sence, and a week to recover from fatigue 
aud once more we are in May-time, and the 
Violets are in blossom in the garden of “Every¬ 
day House." What, dropped threads to pick 
up I What stories of our travels to toll! How 
the children have grown! and the amateur 
house-keepers have worked hard to gel things 
in ordersothut. “mother" would not feel that, she 
had been so much missed, The snow isa dream 
of the past, and for the third time this season 
I see the forest trees put forth their (lowers. 
A month ago at the Rural Grounds, t hey’ were 
just, ns I see them here now; t wo weeks later 
in Boston, they again blossomed. It is the 
yearly miracle thrice repeated for me, and 
Crocuses ah»I Hyacinths will give me this year 
six weeks of bloom. 
1 found the mail nutter had been accumu¬ 
lating to an alarming extent, and among 
other things T was much pleased with a little 
book sent me by Helen Campbell, the talented 
editor of the “Household” of The Continent, 
I advise every one interested lu housekeeping 
to procure one at. once, the price living only’ 
50 cents. It is called the “Housekeejiers’ Year 
Book,” Besides a page of household accounts, 
it gives one family dinner, “The Day's Work” 
and Dints on marketing, inventory of supplies 
on hand, and many other useful hints. The 
heading of each week is a well-eliosen verse, 
and in view of my return, I was very much 
ciability elsewhere. Take your sunshine home 
with you. w. A. B. 
Clearing Off.— Fig. “07. 
Domestic (£ to no mi) 
CONDUCTED BY KMIIY MAPLE. 
HOW TO KEEP THE DOORS CLOSED- 
KITCHEN SMELLS—A NEW MEAS¬ 
URE-GLASS ROLLING-PIN—PIL¬ 
LOWS—CAMPHOR CAKES— 
BEST MEAT BROILER- 
ERRATUM. 
MARY WAGER-FISHER. 
I remember reading a very funny story 
once called "My Wife’s Nose"—how her nose 
detected many strange smells, often to her 
husband’s annoyance; but one night his life 
was saved by her “peculiar nose," and he ever 
after held her keeu smelling power in high 
esteem. I suppose every "wholesome house¬ 
keeper,” lieeomes from the exercise of percep¬ 
tion, keen-scented, and upon entering a house 
detects odore that uro overlooked by’ earelere 
or unobservant persons. Nature aud educa¬ 
tion also have much to do, as regards the del¬ 
icacy of the organ of smell, as persons of 
refinement are far more sensitive to odors than 
persons who are less refined, and it not [in¬ 
frequently’ happens that delicate health sharp¬ 
ens the smelling faculty to a very uncomfort¬ 
able degree. At all events, as a protection to 
health, t he organ of smell is one of the best 
guards w r c have, and can be cultivated, like 
any other organ of souse, to extreme acuteness-• 
r used frequently to be much amused by my 
little boy of two or three years, who woulil 
detect the slightest presence of gas in the 
house, aud would instantly run and push up 
the windows as if his life were in great, peril. 
But all this is neither here nor there, for what 
I had in mind to comment on at the outset, 
were smells from the kitchen, how they’ fill 
every nook and cranny of a house; such delec¬ 
table odore t<i greet one when entering from 
the fresh out-of-door air! If 1 had a kitchen 
with a skvlight veutilator, as has one of ray 
friends, I should have been spared a great 
deal of “trouble”—what we ordinarily call 
trouble. For I have the misfortune to have a 
