inquirers as to how to get rid of bugs, or re¬ 
cipes and “sure cures” for the same, and I 
have long felt that the cry was especially to me, 
but slight remains of the old “creepy, crawly 
feeling” that I used always to experience at 
the mention of B. B.’s, as we call them, makes 
it so unpleasant for mo to write on the sub¬ 
ject that I have always said to the energetic 
inner-woman who controls my acts, “I pray 
thee have me excused,” but duty refuses 
longer to be evaded so at the risk of a tit of 
nervous prostration my experience shall 
be given. It was our fortune to purchase and 
take possession of the home of a very respect¬ 
able but not very energetic family, who had 
occupied it for nearly 50 years. The house 
contained many rooms and they were large 
and pleasant, hut plaster and paper hung in 
tatters from every one. Everybody knows 
how things look when the man has moved all 
the things over while his wife is picking up 
and packing at the other place, so my readers 
shall be spared the harrowing description. 
Beginning in the middle and working both 
ways, space was soon cleared in which the 
household gods, cook stove, work table, and 
dining-table were set up; then while the 
outside woman was resting, stretched at full 
length on a couch, inside woman planned the 
campaign, but well planned as we believed it 
to have beeu at the time circumstances were 
too much for us, we met a blank wall of in¬ 
surmountable obstacles at every poiut, and we 
were,for reasons not interesting to our readers, 
perhaps, obliged to live in that state of squalid 
misery for months. Meanwhile to add to our 
distress the little daughter, who was fat and 
rosy enough to tempt a cannibal, had an attack 
after every warm night of what appeared to 
be hives. Frieuda offered advice and pre¬ 
scriptions which were faithfully carried out 
but to no purpose, and just as we were about 
to consult a physician, we found that it was 
the invisible powers of darkness in the form 
of B B.s that we had to contend with. Out¬ 
side woman went creepy crawly all over and 
wanted to run away; inside woman said “we 
will conquer or die in the attempt," and won¬ 
dered we were not able to read the writing on 
the wall at the very ILrst, which was so plain 
in uearly every room, even to thesitting room, 
that an experienced eye would not have failed 
to read at once that the B.B.s were long time 
occupants of the bouse, members of the family 
in good and regular standing in fact. The 
physician, who was an old frieud and con¬ 
sidered infallible on all subjects, was consulted, 
and said that to fumigate with brimstone or 
sulphur each room, keeping them tightly 
closed for 24 hours, would almost rid au old 
log house of the pests, so we fumigated, but 
that little “almost" stood in the way, and while 
we almost coughed ourselves to death, some 
hardy old veteran would step out and pro¬ 
claim "I still live” by taking a sly nip at the 
little daughter, who seemed to be the chief and 
almost the only object of their attentions. 
Then we tried turpentine, which had the effect 
of keeping them out of the bedsteads only as I 
would apply It every night, by dipping a 
feather in it and circling each bed post near 
the floor with the liquid. They would uot 
crawl over that so long as the scent of it re¬ 
mained. After carrying on the campaign 
for months, with small success unless the fumi¬ 
gating destroyed other disease germs, we told 
our trouble to our druggist. He fixed up two 
ounces of corrosive sublimate in one pint of 
alcohol, to which I added a pint of turpentine; 
procured a tin oilcan with a good spring in 
the bottom, and set to work with new vigor. 
We pulled off the chair railiugs, which were 
only so many “homes for the friendless,” and 
with which nearly every room in the house 
was provided; pulled off the paper and all the 
loose plaster, aud with that precious oil can I 
injected the mixture iuto every crack and 
crevice, especially below the mop-board or 
base, had the large places plastered up by a 
mason, while I patched all the smaller ones 
myself, with a mixture of plaster of Baris aud 
finely sifted coal ashes, with a case-kuiro aud 
pan cake turner for implements; than 1 had 
the rooms whitewashed (1 bad previously 
cleaned the woodwork), and with my own un¬ 
aided Lunds papered every room in the house 
(14 iu all, including halls and closets); theu, 
after the rooms that needed it had beeu 
painted nud carpets and furniture arrauged, 
we enjoyed the fruits of victory. 
This was last year; this year not a live bug 
have 1 seen, although feeling that “an ounce 
of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” I 
occasionally make the rounds of the base 
board aud bedsteads with my poison eau. No 
veteran steps out aud says, “Thank you," as 
they often did after a hot water bath of alum 
or salt water; nor do they inform mo that 
“adults thrive on it, children cry for it," as 
they did when I favored them with insect 
powder. Auy one liviug ia a reasonably good 
house need go through but little of the trouble 
that I did; use only enough water for deauli- 
ne,s.s, paint qud paper only whore It is unices- 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
sary for, appearance sake, but take the little 
tin can and “go for them,” and they will 
leave faster than ever a dog did with a tin tea¬ 
kettle tied to his tail. You need not even 
“take the atidteetotally down,” as an old lady 
of my acquaintance used to say. Nobody can 
imagine bow unhappy I was while they held 
dominion in my bouse, and pen utterly fails 
to express the exultant happiness I now feel 
to know that they are conquered and gone 
never to return. 1 know they won’t, if “Eter¬ 
nal vigilance is the price of liberty,” for if a 
person whom I suspect of living in a “buggy 
house” comes in 1 get the little can aud go over 
lounge and chairs as soon as they are gone; 
and I no longer feel that I ought, like the 
leper, to cry “Unclean,” when my friends 
visit me. mater domi. 
A chance that has never before occurred 
and may not again, viz., the best sewing 
machine in the world for 40 subscribers. 
CONDUCTED BY EJIH-Y MAPLE. 
EMBROIDERED BIB. 
Fig. *1(57 shows a design for a child’s bib 
made of white, fleece-lined pique, with the 
edge scalloped and worked in button bole 
stitch with red cotton. Each scallop is fin¬ 
ished with a cluster of red dots. The two 
birds in the center, Fig. 408, are worked in 
Fig. 468. 
cross stitch over a small piece of canvas, which 
is tacked on as a guide for the stitches aud 
afterwards pulled out. 
AUTUMN LEAVES. 
MRS. S. B. EATON. 
Oh, beautiful October! As I look out 
through tbe ivy-shaded windows aglow with 
their scarlet aud golden-hued leaves, my eyes 
wander over gorgeous masses of foliage 
crowning mountain, hill-top and valley. Such 
lovely shades, and so many! Our frost has 
come early in Nova Scotia this season, aud, 
touching, here and there, the deep green foli¬ 
age, has left beauty enough to gratify eveuan 
artist’s highest wish. When the dew dries 
from the ivy I must gather the smallest scar¬ 
let sprays and polish them for winter decora¬ 
tion, for, like the beautiful Bummer, they will 
soon be gone. 
The fruit, too, has taken on extra hues; 
highly colored, handsomely streaked, it forms 
a pleasing contrast to the dark, heavy green 
of the trees. If farmers would more largely 
plant fruit tr ees for shade aud ornament, 
they would be amply rewarded. What is 
more lovely than the wealth of blossom laden 
boughs iu Spring, or handsomer than the 
highly colored fruit in Winter? The fruit 
tree excels the common shade trees, such as 
maple, ash, elm aud other kinds, as long after 
the leaves of the latter are withered and dead 
we cau luxuriate iu the delicious yield of the 
former. 
PRACTICAL ECHOES. 
In the Rural of Oct. 3d, the Fault Finder 
says, “Do uot try to poison rats, but get a 
good cat.” I thought I would tell how such 
thiugs are managed at “Evergreen Lawn.” 
In the baru, six or eight cats are kept all the 
time, and when the milking is doue, they are 
fed us regularly as auy of the cattle. They 
live there, aud are seldom seen any where else, 
aud it is voted that every cat is worth #5 in 
keeping the premises free from rats. Au old 
Maltese eat that has almost outlived her use¬ 
fulness, is tbe only one that is allowed auy 
privileges about tbe house; and she, in mem¬ 
ory of her ancient deeds of valor in attacking 
rats nearly half her siae, is allowed to 
occupy a warm corner in,the kUoheu, and iu 
the morning when the proprietor and his 
forces go to the barn to milk, Old Bobby trots 
out gayly after them, knowing that a break¬ 
fast of new milk awaits her in the barn. 
SATURDAY’S DINNER. 
“Ma, give us a good dinner to-day, for you 
know we have to eat a dry lunch all the week,” 
was the schoolboy’s s&lute after breakfast 
Saturday morning. “What shall it be?” was 
the query. After due deliberation, the fol¬ 
lowing bill-of-fare was presented, which 
proved very acceptable: 
Boiled ham: boiled cabbage and potatoes; 
bread and butter; pickled crab apples and 
cracked wheat eaten with cream and sugar. 
While preparing the cabbage for the kettle, 
the cook remarked that she always followed 
the directions given her by a good woman 
years beforeQuarter the heads, if small, or 
cut them of suitable size to handle; lay them 
in a pan, and sprinkle a handful of salt over 
tbe pieces, and let them stand a short time, 
and the brine penetrating the cabbage will 
cause any worms that are hidden inside to 
come out. It should be well washed and looked 
over afterwards and then parboiled, before 
being finally cooked for the table. 
CRACKED WHEAT. 
As there is hardly anything genuine that is 
not home-made, we always prepare cracked 
wheat from the berry. Pick it over carefully 
and grind it in the coffee mill, if nothing better 
is at hand. The kernels should all be cracked 
more or less, and some will be quite fine. 
Spread a newspaper on the table, and sift out 
the finest: grease the kettle in which it is to be 
cooked with a little butter, to prevent burn¬ 
ing on the bottom; then put in the coarse part 
of the wheat with a quart or so of water, al¬ 
ways allowing plenty of water, as the wheat 
swells in cooking. Keep this boiling gently 
for an hour and a half, putting in more water 
as it boils away; then stir in the fine wheat 
meal that was sifted out, and cook fifteen 
minutes longer. Salt when putting this in; 
then pour it out into a deep dish or bowls to 
cool. If it is rather thin when poured out, you 
will find that it will be stiff enough when 
cold. This is an exceedingly healthful dish 
when well prepared. Some pour it in teacups 
and when cool turn out in a saucer and serve 
with jelly on the top. 
PUMPKIN PIE. 
One quart of pumpkin stewed and made fine, 
three pints of milk, one teacupful of brown 
sugar, one tablespoonful of ginger, two of 
flour. Three eggs may be used or they may 
be omitted entirely; add a teaspoonful of salt. 
This amount makes three pies. 
RAISED LOAF CAKE. 
One cup of light dough, one cup of sugar, 
two-thirds of a cup of butter, one-half tea¬ 
spoon of soda, one egg, nutmeg, raisins, and 
lemon, to the taste. Let stand to rise again, 
after being well mixed; careful not to put in 
too much flour, as it is liable to be heavy if 
made too stiff with flour. aunt Rachel. 
PITHS. 
Do you study to lighten your labor? 
It is poor economy for the farmers’ family 
to stint themselves in health giving milk aud 
eggs. 
Teething feverish children can often be 
quieted by bathing in warm water in which 
you have dissolved a large spoonful of saler- 
atus. 
Each morning spend a half hour, if need be, 
in planning your work for the day. 
A carpet-sweeper is a labor-saving invest¬ 
ment and if used with care will last eight or 
ten years. 
We admire the mother who has the courage 
to refuse to have her little ones promiscuously 
kissed. 
The most successful housekeepers are those 
who can rightly discriminate between the work 
that must be done to insure the health and 
happiness of their families, and that which is 
superfluous. 
A woman has a right to expect, and to de¬ 
mand if need be, the purchase of labor saving 
contrivances for lightening her domestic work. 
TO WASH BLACK STOCKINGS. 
Wash thoroughly in strong salt water and 
dry, then wash again in another solution, 
finishing in clear water. If properly done 
the dye will not rub off on the feet or under¬ 
clothing. MOTHER. 
DOMESTIC RECIPES. 
JELLY MAKING. 
Boil crab-apples until tender, strain, with¬ 
out pressure, through a cloth bag, boil the 
juice 15 minutes before adding the sugar, 
which should be heated, without meltiug, in a 
moderate oven. There is nothing gained by 
taking less sugar tbaD one pound to a pint of 
juice in making sour jelly, as the evaporation 
is much greater, causing the jelly to be much 
darker in color aud inferior in taste. 
A silver spoon placed in a glass can does not 
prevent its breaking when the hot fruit or 
jelly is poured in, but a cloth wrung from 
cold water and wrapped around the outside 
will. MRS. s. B. E, 
DRINKING HOT MILK. 
Owing to dyspepsia and nervousness I was 
obliged to give up drinking both tea and cof¬ 
fee. Feeling the need of a substitute for 
coffee in the morning, I began taking hot milk 
with my breakfast and soon drank it at my 
other meals. The resalt of this change was 
that in a great measure I overcame my de¬ 
pression and nervousness so that I once more 
acted as a rational being. It is an open ques¬ 
tion, I suppose, whether the giving up of the 
tea and coffee alone is to be credited with my 
improved health, or whether the hot milk 
comes in for a share of the glory. 
MRS. B. D. v. 
QUESTIONS ANSWERED. 
FLEAS ON CATS. 
Will you kindly inform me whether there 
is any way of ridding a cat of fleas? Is it 
true that carbolic soap cannot be used for 
cats? M. E. j. 
Ans. —Make a solution of a gill of Buhacta, 
with a pint of wajer, with the addition of 
soap to make a lather, and rub thoroughly 
through the fur to tbe skin, from the tip of 
the tail to the end or the nose. Let dry, then 
brush or comb the fur, or let the animal dust 
itself. Judging from our own experience in 
washing a cat w ith carbolic soap—a cleansing 
that proved all but fatal—we should say that 
it was true. 
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IT IS 
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Broooklyn, X. Y., suffered greatly from 
debility, and says: “I did not thiuk it was 
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a wonderful change as Ayer’s Sarsaparilla 
has effected in my case. I feel that I have 
entered a new life.” Mrs. E. R. lleury, 
4th st., Lowell, Mass., writes: “ For years 
I was badly afflicted with Salt Rheum in 
my hands. My physician advised me to 
try Ayer's Sarsaparilla. 1 did so. The 
result was perfectly satisfactory. I have 
more recently used it in my family with 
equally pleasing effect. It merits all that 
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IT IS 
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John W. Starr, Laconia, Iowa, writes: 
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I took only two bottles of Ayer’s Sarsapa¬ 
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S. Pettiuger, M. D., Glen Gardner, N. J., 
writes: “Ayer’s Sarsaparilla is au excel¬ 
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such a remedy is needed l prescribe it.” 
Mrs. H. 51. Thayer, Hillside st., Milton, 
Mass., writes: “ Ayer’s Sar- 
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