372 
for Women. 
CONDUCTED BY MISC RAY CLARK. 
TWO HOMES. —“LOOK ON THIS PIC¬ 
TURE AND THEN ON THAT.” 
MKS, L FISHER. 
A friend, in speaking of discontented na¬ 
tures, said it was a habit acquired in child¬ 
hood through unhappy home influence, or too 
strict discipline. The old saying, “Train up a 
child in the way he should go and when he 
is old he will not depart from it,” is morally 
correct. It is also the duty of parents to see 
that the right kind of principles are instilled 
into young minds. But do not very strict peo¬ 
ple become stern as they advance in life? Are 
they as affectionate, and their hearts as tender 
as more yielding, sympathizing parents? 
“And, indeed,” she went on, “I think we have 
it in our power to make or mar the whole 
future of the little beings placed in our care. 
I think we owe what we are to early home 
influence, whatever it may have been, and 
my heart always bleeds for the children of 
stern, uusyrnpathizing parents. Last week I 
had an old friend staying with me; she was 
acquainted, too, with some of our neighbors, 
and od6 evening—the sleighing being flue—we 
thought we would call on some of them. Ac 
cordingly our favorite mare, “Norna Doon,” 
was hitched to the cutter and we sped away 
over the smooth track right merrily, the 
rapid click, click of her iron-shod hoofs on 
the frozen snow seaming to keep time with 
the bells. A strong, biting wind from the 
east commenced blowing soon after we started, 
but ueither of us minded it, as we were snug 
amid the robes 
We first stopped at neighbor Jones's. By 
this time, the evening was becoming positive¬ 
ly blustering; the wind whistled down the 
road in furious blasts, catching up bits of 
frozen snow, and hurling it hither and thither 
in a spiteful manner; my heart misgave me 
as we secured our faithful steed to the hitch¬ 
ing post, but surely, [ thought, they will send 
some oue to remove her to some more shelter¬ 
ed place. A poor, half frozen, half-starved 
dog came shivering out to meet us, but after 
one or two poor attempts to bark his greeting, 
he slunk shiveringly back to a bole beueath a 
hay-stack, leaving us to make our way to the 
house alone. 
We were admitted to the family sitting- 
room, and after the greetings, I had time to 
note various things. The room was well 
furnished, and extremely clean and tidy—not 
a speck of dust, not a shred on the carpet, not 
a disarranged paper or chair. I think, from 
what 1 saw, nothing ever becomes disarranged 
in that bouse. At a table before the stove sat 
Mr. aud Mrs. Jones and their oldest son, 
Robert. Mr. Jones was silently perusing a 
paper, his wife industrious ly knitting a tidy, 
and Robert was thumbing his school books—1 
cannot say studying, for his countenance wore 
a dissatisfied expression, aud his mind evident¬ 
ly wandered far from them, as his eyes turned 
longingly toward the windows. As Robert 
was a very studious boy at school, and nearly 
always in advance of his classes, I wondered 
why he should be studying at home through 
vacation. Surely the boy needed rest and 
recreation after long weeks of diligent study! 
and 1 remarked something to that effect. Not 
waiting for Robert to reply, his mother s iid, 
“he had far better be studying than running 
about aud getting into mischief, and that 
was what most boys of his age did through 
vacation.” 1 told her that I thought differ 
ently; that it was necessary for the tired body 
and mind wearied by study to have rest and 
recreation, saying that I thought they should 
be allowed their boyish sports aud innocent 
fun. She spoke rather stiffly, X thought, as 
though I were meddling with something that 
did not concern me, and said: “she thought 
she knew howto manage boys.” 
Feeling that my poor attempt to help Robert 
had proved unsuccessful, I turned my atten¬ 
tion to Alice—the 17 year old daughter, who 
was seated at the sewing machine—with some 
pleasant remark about the sewing. She sigh¬ 
ed wearily as she folded a finished garmeut, 
but before she could reply her mother again 
spoke, saying, she had a great deal of sewing 
on hand and she thought Alice ought to be 
able to get through with most of it in her va¬ 
cation. Boor girl, poor cbildl I thought as I 
viewed her stooping shoulders, her pale, 
thin features and bloodless hands; she will go 
back to her studios wearied aud worn out with 
her hard month's work over the sewing ma¬ 
chine, and very likely before Spring comes 
she will fall a victim to that dread disease, 
consumption! 
The two younger children, Johnuy and 
Mary, were seated on either side of the stove 
with a book in their hands, conning the lesson 
they already knew “by heart.” each fidgeting 
uneasily in their chair but not daring to move 
without permission. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Soon after our arrival Johnny was told to 
replenish the fire. This he did, I thought very 
quietly and neatly also, but he had no sooner 
taken his seat thau bis mother reached for the 
duster, and while she brushed vigorously at 
imaginary dust, she turned an ominous eye ou 
Johnny. 1 believe that every member of that 
family wore a dissatisfied look. Mr. Jones 
fretted over some losses of hogs or cattle by 
disease, the low prices of grain, bad weather 
aud every thing in general; all higher, purer, 
brighter things, that make life worth living, 
seemed to be utterly lost sight of, and no won¬ 
der, 1 thought, as l glanced round the room. 
Not a book, magazine or paper that would be 
likely to interest any one! A few books were 
piled up squarely and stiffly on the corner 
table, mostly Patent Office Reports and an¬ 
cient volumes that no one would care to read; 
1 doubt if one was ever moved. 
A plaintive “mew,” now attracted my at¬ 
tention, aud glancing towards the little girl, 
I saw a meek looking cat sitting on the floor 
looking wistfully up at her; the next moment 
it had the temerity to jump up on her lap; the 
stern father made an imperative motion to 
Johnny, who arose aud reluctantly gathered 
pussy in his arms, and with a sympathetic pat 
or two put her out into the snow, to keep com¬ 
pany with the poor, half-frozen dog. As this 
little incident reminded me of our poor pa¬ 
tient, shivering horse, we did not prolong our 
stay.” 
PURE AIR AS A MEDICINE. 
“I never saw anyone keep their bouse open 
as much as the Gaylords do. The first thing 
in the morning their windows are open. I 
should think they would catch their death of 
colds,”said Mrs. Grey, as she stood shivering 
over a coal stove, with a thick shawl wrapped 
over her shoulders. 
“I do not think they have as mauy colds as 
we all do. I heard Mr. Gaylord sav a while 
ago that he had never called a physician into 
his house but twice since be kept house, over 
10 years. 1 think he is lucky,” said Mr Grey. 
“I should say so: but their children are as 
tough as little Indians, and Elsie Gaylord is 
always well. I do not believe l have seen a 
single well day since Eddie was born,” she 
sighed. 
“You were sick a good deal before then, I 
think.” 
“Why don’t you say I am always sick? I 
declare 1 would be thankful to have one day 
that I was free from pain. No one knows how 
1 suffer.” 
“1 know, my dear, that you have a bard 
time of it; but I try to make it as easy for you 
as I can. How do you like your uew giri? 
Is she smart?” 
“1 don’t know; about like the rest I pre 
sume. How [ wish I could do as Mrs. Gay¬ 
lord does. She does her own work, aud has 
no bother about help. There goes the break¬ 
fast bell at last. Come, Henry.” 
Mr. Grey was a pleasant-looking man, and 
all the surrouudiugs showed that he was well- 
to-do in the world. Everything was elegant 
and luxurious, and had his wife been a healthy 
woman, nothing apparently would have been 
lacking to make them happy. Two bright 
children ought to have added to their happi¬ 
ness, but instead, they were a constaut care 
and worry. If they were playful and merry, 
they made their mother's head ache; ir they 
were quiet, she was sure they were sick aud 
must have a doctor; nod the poor little things 
were always having colds and, in fact, they 
had rather a hard lime of it. Mr. Grey, too, 
had a tiard time, and the family physician 
had bis patience sorely tried at all times and 
seasons. Of course, the help in the kitchen * 1 
could never meet all the demands upon their 
time and strength, and as a natural 'conse¬ 
quence did not remain a great while, for it 
was not pleasant to work uuder the superin¬ 
tendence or a sickly, nervous mistress. They 
were hardly seated at the table before Mrs. 
Grey felt a chill coming on—the room was too 
cold. She hurried into the sitting-room and 
was cuddled up ou the lounge, under a pile of 
blankets, before a roaring fire. Her husband 
was distressed; he had hardly'tasted his cup 
of coffee, and bis breakfast was growing cold; 
busiuess was urgent at his office. He stepped 
to the kitchen door, “Haunan, please go over 
aud ask Mrs. Gaylord to come here a few' mo¬ 
ments.” The girl went iu haste. 
“ Why did you send for her instead of the 
doctor?” moaned the sick wife, as she looked 
reproachfully at her husbaud. 
“Because she is better thau a dozen doctors; 
if you would only heed her advice you would 
uot suffer as you do, She is a sensible wo¬ 
man and knows how to keep well. I think if 
you would admit the fresh air into the house 
aud allow the sunsbiue to brighten the rooms 
it would be better for us all; we live too much 
in the shadow.” The entrance of Mrs. Gay¬ 
lord interrupted bis remarks, and he went out 
to finish his breakfast, so as to hurry down 
town in season. 
The children were still at the breakfast 
table. Mrs Gaylord gently removed the blank¬ 
ets from Mrs Grey’s head. “You must suffer 
covered up so tight; ibis uncomfortably warm 
here. May 1 opeu the window, and close the 
draft to the stove?” she asked softly “1 shall 
freeze to death if you do," she replied. “Oh, 
no. you need pure air, the atmosphere here is 
quite suffocating. I will put hot flannels on 
your stomach so as to stop the chills, but it will 
never do for you to iubale such a foul air. It 
would make a well person sick.” She quietly 
moved around the room, raised a window, and 
opened the hall door, and took off half a dozen 
blankets from Mrs. Grey’s shoulders, took a 
flannel and laid across the pit of her stomach 
and gently rubbed her hands aud arms. 
“I feel better, Mrs. Gaylord," she said with a 
faint smile. “I am glad of it. You were too 
warm, there is much more danger from get¬ 
ting over-heated. Than there is of being too 
cool, I think you would feel better at all 
times, if you were particular about ventilating 
your rooms. Pure, fresh air, is the best med¬ 
icine a person can take. I always open the 
doors and windows of all my rooms every 
morning, and I really believe tbat is the 
reason why I am so well and my children so 
healthy.” 
It took a good many loug talks before Mrs. 
Grey could be induced to follow the good 
woman s advice, but her husband urged her to 
try the pure air remedy, and dismiss her med¬ 
icines, aud iu a few mouths she began to 
brighten up, had a good appetite, and became 
a firm couvert to the practice of proper ven¬ 
tilation and fresh air. s. h. r. 
A GREAT PANACEA FOR TROUBLE. 
“What an uneven world it is!” sighs the 
busy worker, as she plies her tasks in the 
morning hours, while an easy carriage rolls 
by, whose occupauts seem to have not a care 
or trial in life. Yet, bow little we know 
many times of the heartache uuderneath 
robes of velvet. If the offer were giveu us, 
we should And few people with whom wo 
should be quite williug to exchange burdens. 
Where it is not too excessive, useful labor is a 
panacea for many of the ills of life. 
“It is a good thiug sometimes,” said a sor¬ 
rowing woman, “to have the head and hands 
so full of busiuess you have uot time to si: 
down and think.” 
Many have found very true the seutiment 
of the little verse: 
“Along the path of n useful life. 
Will heart/, ease ever bloom. 
And the bu*y mind bus no time to think 
Of sorrow or rare or gloom. 
And anxious earn may he swept away 
As we merrily wlelu a broom ” 
Mauy look upon the command: “Six days 
shalt thou labor,” as part of the puuishmeut 
laid upon man. But the command was giveu in 
the Garden of Eden itself, that Adam should 
“dress and keep it,” and if it was as tine a 
piece of ground as we generally suppose, it 
must have kept oue pair of hands pretty busy. 
Our Father above knew that work was essen¬ 
tial to man’s highest happiness, as well as his 
highest good. Has anyone ever yet seen a 
really happy idler, nr oue of that stamp who 
developed uuy truly noble or excellent traits of 
character? A busy idleness too, which expends 
itself iu a round of mere dressing and heart¬ 
less calling for form’s sake is no more whole¬ 
some tor body than soul. But there are noble, 
rich women who are ceaseless iu their efficient 
labors for the good of others, and we may well 
hold them in high esteem aud bid them God¬ 
speed. Our lines iu fife are fixed by a higher 
power thau our own—“each according to his 
several ability.” If we can but give a good 
account of the intrusted talents at the last, 
we shall feel more than repaid for all the toil 
and weariness. Lots. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE. 
KITCHEN TALKS. 
ANNIE L. JACK. 
The reader of the R. N.-Y. who inquires if 
the eompauy dinner is in city or country, 
must have missed the fact that it was written 
especially for a novice iu housekeeping in the 
city, as mentioned in her letLers from the 
“Hub.” i agree with the writer in wishing 
to know whether canned goods are freshly put 
up; but have never heard such goods spoken 
of in “derogatory terms,” and many of the 
eatables put up have proved such a boon to 
far-away places that it is uot fair to condemn 
them. In our own household we use very 
little, but a neighbor who has relatives iu the 
busiuess told me last eveuing her experience. 
A box of assorted fruits and meats was sent 
her. Some of them were very good, but the 
jellies all tasted alike, and the plums were 
very sour. 1 think it is possible to improve 
on this system, and if all the fruit could be 
put up in glass cheaply there would be more 
purchasers. My neighbor objected to the bits 
of solder in the can that a careless person 
might not extract; also to the sameness in the 
taste of many things. These were Canadian 
goods; they may not be a fair sample, and to 
many a novice canned food has been a great 
help iu makiug up a meal. 
The “Amateur Cook 1 discussed the subject 
of a country company dinner; but I do uot 
think tu the couutry there is ever any difficul¬ 
ty. Especially in the season of fried chicken 
aud fresh fruit there is really nothing to be 
desired with a variety of vegetables and oilier 
rural accessories, Tho table arrangements 
can be much superior iu a country home, and 
a dinner fit for a King or President can be 
had from the regular supply. Is there any¬ 
thing more delicate than fried chicken? Aud 
if the skin is cut from the breast bone, it can 
be stripped iu a minute, feathers and all, and 
this saves a great deal of labor, forthe feathers 
are of little value on really fry-able chickens. 
Some localities cannot furnish fish, but in 
many places the trout, or bass, or other fish 
from streams is always appreciated in a couu¬ 
try dinuer menu. As for dessert, who wants 
anything better than strawberries and cream 
iu season, and for the few who cannot eat this 
fruit, a custard or light pudding may be pre¬ 
pared. Every odo iu the country, with laud, 
C8n have a variety of fruit from pie-plant to 
fall pippins, just for a trifle and a little work, 
aud wbeu grown they will save the housewife 
many cares in the way of dessert, and be 
health-giving, and a corrective to bilious teiu- 
^HiSccUanmi.s; ^duertisiug, 
“ Dirt rots the iiber 
and invites the 
moth.” To cleanse 
and purify woolens 
t h o r o u g h 1 y, wash 
them with Ivory Soap. 
Professor Cornwall, 
of Princeton College, 
says the Ivory Soap 
is an excellent Laun¬ 
dry Soap, of great 
purity and more than 
average cleansing 
power. 
Free of charge. A full size dike of Ivory Soap 
will be sent to any one who can not gel it of their 
grocer, ff six two-rent stamps, to pay postage, are 
sent to Procter <& Gamble, Cincinnati. Please 
mention this paper. 
