PITHS. 
We know of two children who were made 
merry on Christmas day without the aid of 
candy, nuts, raisins, pie, pudding or cake, and 
we also know that if they had eaten of one or 
all of those so-thought necessary holiday ac¬ 
cessor) os, they would not have enjoyed the good 
health and spirits they did the day after. 
Cleanliness of person aud dress is a woman’s 
greatest charm; in truth, she can’t afford to 
be a sloven. 
The loss jewelry worn by children, the 
better. 
In cold weather flour for bread should be 
warmed before mixing, if you would have the 
dough raise quickly. 
One hears much of the duty children owe to 
their parents; how about the duty of parents 
to their children f 
For toothache or neuralgic paius in the face 
wet.several thicknesses of flannel or cotton 
with alcohol and bind tightly over the affect¬ 
ed part. 
It is a crying shame to compel a child who 
is afraid in the dark, to go to bed alone. 
m ^ ■ ■ ■■ — 
KITCHEN TALKS. 
ANNIE L. .TACK. 
The Amateur Cook scalded her hand not 
long ago, aud the scar still remains. She 
applied baking soda, but it blistered so that 
oil aud wadding had to be applied. I have 
since seen that corn meal moistened with good 
vinegar aud applied at once, will give relief. 
It must l>e an old remedy, for an old gentleman 
of Si, tells me that ,vheu he was a child he 
was very badly scalded while his father was 
living on Sir Walter Scott's estate, and Lady 
Scott took a wheaten loaf aud made a poultice 
with it ami vinegar. As such bread was 
scarce in those days the fact was considered 
worth recording. The yelk of uu egg and 
glycerine, if applied at once, will prevent 
blistering, I am told—but it came too late for 
any experiment in thus case. 
One of the children discovered that by soak¬ 
ing his boots in thick soap water they became 
impervious to water, the mixture with the 
fatty acid in the leather forming a preventive 
more effectual than many so-called leather 
varnishes. 
We have been very busy in the kitchen this 
last week or two—Christmas brings extra 
guests aud extra cooking, but there isgeneraL 
ly a happy reunion, and the enjoyment pays 
for the trouble. The new year is a season, too, 
of busy moments to the housekeeper, but gen¬ 
erally afterward there is a season of rest, of 
settling down to the winter duties tnat last, 
till thoughts of spring flowers come with 
Easter. 
The Amateur Sportsman has just now pre¬ 
sented me with the brush of a skunk that he 
found dead in a tree. He thought I would 
imagine it a fox. The other day he captured 
five flying squirrels and wanted to domesticate 
them in t he plant house, but not being sure of 
the habits of the creatures, and whether they 
might not make a salad of my choice roses aud 
carnations. 1 was obliged to decline, much to 
his indignatiou, and now I should like some 
one to tell us of what use these animals are, 
from an ugri-or horticultural point of view— 
we know that skunks are very useful, and the 
head of this household never allows them to lie 
destroyed. Snakes, too. are useful scavengers; 
but 1 do not know whether flying squirrels 
have any particular vocation. These pets of 
the woods are very interesting and possess a 
great charm for most boys. I always toll the 
sportsmen that there is no study more inter¬ 
esting than ornithology, and to those brought 
up in the country it is a useful thing to know 
the habits—bail and good qualities, and other 
information about the denizens of the woods. 
R. N.-Y.—There are several kinds of flying 
squirrels, two species of which are found in 
the United States aud Cnuadu. The common 
flying squirrel (Pteromys volucella) is a noc¬ 
turnal animal, rarely appearing until sunset. 
It is harmless aud gentle and soon becomes 
tame, eating the usual food of squirrels— 
usually nuts, seeds, buds, and even meat and 
young birds. It is gregarious, six or seven 
being found in a nest, and considerable num¬ 
bers in the same hollow or artificial cavity, 
associating with bats and other nocturnal 
animals. It produces from three to six young 
at a time and has two litters in the Southern 
States—in May and September. It extends 
URteccUattfaus gUrntteinfl. 
Wlu-u Baby was sick, we gave her Oastorla 
When she was a Child, she crleil for Oastorla. 
When she became Miss, she*clung to Oastorla, 
When she had Children, she gave them Oastorla 
from Upper Canada and Northern New York 
to the extreme southern limits of the United 
States, east of the Mississippi. The Northern 
flying squirrel (Pteromys Hudsonius) found 
from Maine to Minnesota and to the north, is 
considerably larger. It is common in Lower 
Canada and is, therefore, doubtless the kind 
spoken of above. This species lives familiarly 
in the walls of log cabins, coming out at 
night in quest of its food, which is the same as 
that of the other species. Neither kiud is of 
any known service to agriculture or horticul¬ 
ture. Indeed both are injurious, and where 
squirrels of any kind are very numerous, as 
iu California, they become a grevious nuisance 
to the horticulturist and pomologist. 
THE BEST OF ALL SWEETS. 
We are pleased to acknowledge the receipt 
of a can of maple sirup from Mr. Emmons 
Pond of Jewett Hights, N. J. He writes: 
“ Take some of it and boil until it sugars— 
you can tell when it arrives at that stage by 
taking a little out into a saucer aud stirring 
very fast. Then pour a part of the hot sirup 
into cold water and see what that will make. 
If the children don’t think it better than candy 
I shall be disappointed. At least it will give 
you a pleasaut evening.” 
AS GOOD AS NEW. 
A member of the family recently made a 
discovery in the method of restoring velvets 
and plushes, which seems of so much import¬ 
ance in an economic point of view, as to merit 
publication in a paper like the Rural, which 
is read by so many whose limited means, as 
well as love of thrift, lead to ls making the 
most of thiugs.’’ A quantity of brown velvet, 
which had seen service in the skirt of a dress 
until the other material of which the garment 
was principally composed was. worn out, was 
required for another purpose, but was found 
to be so soiled and matted as to be wholly un¬ 
fit for use. 
The usual method of steaming was tried, but 
without the desired effect. A silk dress be¬ 
longing to the same young lady had, not long 
before, been restored, almost to its first beau¬ 
ty, by being spread on a table and sponged 
till thoroughly saturated, aud rubbed with the 
spouge till every wrinkle had disappeared, 
then allowed to dry before it was removed 
from the table. This gave the silk an api>ear- 
anee of newness, such as no ironing can give. 
Taking a hiut from this favorable result, the 
velvet was thoroughly sponged ou the back 
till it would stick to the table, and the pile 
was raised by repeated brushing. The brush¬ 
ing bad to be thoroughly done, and of course 
required time aud patience, but the result fully 
justified the work; for when the dry velvet was 
lifted from the table one could scarcely tell 
it from new, and it answered moat admirably 
the purpose for which it was wanted, that of 
covering a fashionable frame for a hat which, 
when completed by the addition of three tips 
aud a satin bow of ribbon of the same shade 
both lieiuga lighter brown than the hat, with 
some loops of the velvet added, made asliaud- 
some and stylish a covering for the head as is 
often seen. Encouraged by the success, a 
plush bonnet, the covering of which bail done 
duty for several winters, first ou one 
frame and then successively on others tosuit 
the style aud shape of thu season 
and which bore such decided marks of long 
service that no milliner would dare make the 
attempt to prolong its usefulness, was sub¬ 
jected to the same process and with still more 
surprising results, tor when lifted from the 
table, its face was as bright, and its pile as 
erect as when first brought from the stone, 
and it is again doing duty on a new fre me, 
and no one suspects that the bonnet is not a 
new one. This method of restoration may 
not be new to others, but it certainly is iu our 
family, and I have never seen any directions 
for it in any book or paper, and as it, may lie 
the means of much saving, I have deemed it a 
pleasure aud a duty to make it known to the 
lady readers of the Rural New-Yorker. 
MRS. w. c. G. 
DOMESTIC RECIPES. 
ROAST TURKEY. 
Kill and clean the turkey the day liefore, 
wash well, rub inside with salt aud lay iu a 
cool place. 
When ready to cook, prepare a stuffing as 
follows: For a ten pound turkey, take about 
three quarts of bread cut up into small pieces, 
crust and all, add a level tablespoonful of salt 
aud a tcaspoouful of pepper aud a piece of 
butter the size of an egg. If the bread is very 
dry, pour over it a cupful Of boiling water, 
cover and let stand a few minutes, break in 
the yelk of an egg aud pour ou about a pint of 
milk or cream, stir with a spoon until thor¬ 
oughly mixed. IStuff your turkey with this, 
but not too full. Tie tightly' aud lay in the 
dripping-pan with about a pint of hot water 
and a piece of butter. Place a piece of old 
muslin dipped in hot water over the breast 
and baste from the pan often enough to keep 
the cloth wet. When nearly done, take the 
cloth oft", and let it brown; as the water boils 
away, add more. Allow two and a half hours 
for ten pounds. When tender, lift and make 
gravy in pan by adding water, and thicken 
with,floiiT aud season to taste. emma. 
son a IN LARD. 
I have not seen Mrs. Williams’s compliance 
with .your request for her recipe for soda in 
lard. I use about one teaspoonful to one gal¬ 
lon of lard. I put oue-half m when it comes 
to a boil, and the other half just before it is 
taken off the fire. The soda must be sprinkled 
in, a little at a time, or it will cause the lard 
to run over, and if might cause a fire or burn 
the person using it. J. E. MORRIS. 
TO USE CELERY THAT IS NOT WELL 
BLANCHED. 
Use the tender and blanched stalks without 
cooking and chop the green parte; make soup 
of a quart of rich stock, two quarts of water, 
six onions, carrots and potatoes, all sliced, 
one pint of the chopped celery and one-half 
cup of washed rice. Cook until vegetables 
and rice are tender. Season aud serve. 
CREAM PUFFS. 
One-half cup of butter, one cup of cold 
water, one cup of flour, three eggs. Boil but¬ 
ter and water together iu a small sauce-pan, 
adding the flour when it begins to boil. Stir 
constantly until it is cooked and smooth. 
Cool and add the eggs well beaten. Butter a 
dripping-pan aud drop the mixture in—12 
tablespoon tills. Have a very hot oven and as 
soon as the mixture is in allow the fire to 
Slacken. Bake 20 minutes. Much depends on 
baking. Filling for puffs: One-half pint of 
milk, one-half cup of sugar, one egg, one 
tablespoont’ul of corn starch. Flavor to taste. 
When both are cold, cut slits in side of puffs 
and put in filling. c. J. s. 
ROAST OYSTERS. 
W ash them well and lay on a bed of hot 
coals until the shells begin to open; remove 
quickly and take out of the shell, saving as 
much as possible of the juice, and put into a 
shallow dish containing a little melted butter. 
Season with pepper and salt. They must be 
taken from the coals as soon as the oysters 
begin to sputter aud open ever so little. No 
ordinary kitchen range or stove will keep its 
heat long enough to prepare a great number 
of these, hut they make a delicious meal for 
au invalid. Half a dozen youug people wffio 
are spending the evening together and bent on 
a frolic, if allowed to go into the kitchen and 
roast oysters for themselves, will have more 
fun out of the operation than from a whole 
tableful of sandwiches and cake. 
SCALLOPED OYSTERS. 
The following recipe is from the note-book 
of a celebrated oyster cook: Put the liquor 
from a quart of oysters over the tire, and as 
soon as it boils and you have skimmed it prop¬ 
erly, put in the oysters. When the beards 
begiu to open, which will be before it fairly 
begins to boil, take them out with colander 
dipper and transfer to a small pudding dish, 
or to scallop shells that have been buttered 
and well sprinkled with crumbs. Melt in a 
saucepan one large tablespoonful of butter, 
stir in a teaspoonful of flour, cook a little; add 
a gill of broth aud enough of the oyster liquor 
to make the sauce of the consistency of cream. 
Simmer gently for a few minutes, pour it over 
the oysters, sprinkle bread crumbs over them; 
lay bite of butter on top and bake 15 minutes. 
MRS. G. 
STUFFED POTATOES. 
Pef.i. some large potatoes and cut a piece 
from the top of each; with a small knife 
scoop out the inside and fill them with sausage 
meat. Replace the top piece, lay them side 
by side iu a buttered baking-pan, aud bake 
in a hot oven until the potatoes are thor¬ 
oughly doue. Put little lumps of butter 
lx-tween them before puttiug iu the oven. 
An excellent breakfast dish for a cold 
morning. 
A Little lean boiled ham, or cold boiled or 
roast veal, with a trifle of ham to give it flavor, 
makes a nice breakfast dish. Take equal parts 
•of the minced meat and cracker crumbs, sea¬ 
son to taste and moisten with stock of any 
kind. Put the mixture in a baking dish, make 
depressions the size of an egg in the top. and 
break an egg in each. Bake a delicate brown. 
MOLLIE. 
WHITE FRICASSEE OF CHICKEN. 
Skin and joint a chicken, seasoning the 
pieces with salt, pepper and a trifle of nut¬ 
meg. Put them in a saucepan with half a 
pint of cream or rich milk, adding a table¬ 
spoonful of l-utter rolled in flour.simmer slow¬ 
ly, keep the pan closely covered until tender, 
and serve in a bonier of boiled l ire. 
COOK. 
ddtisrcllancou.s ^ydmtisintv 
Very Wonderful 
Are the effects produced by the use of 
Ayer’s Sarsaparilla. Sores, Scabs, 
Glandular Swellings, Boils, Carbuncles, 
and all kinds of Humors disappear, as if 
by magic, by the use of this 
Standard Blood-Purifier. 
F. C. James, of Albany, Greene Co., 
Teun., writes: " Ayer’s Sarsaparilla 
saved the life of my only child. When 
three years old, her head was covered 
with Scrofulous Sores. She became 
almost helpless. Skillful physicians did 
all they could to relieve her, but failed. 
At last I purchased a bottle of Ayer’s 
Sarsaparilla, gave it to her according 
to directions, and she immediately be¬ 
gan to improve. Encouraged by the 
result. T continued to give her this medi¬ 
cine until the cure was complete.” 
Ayer’s Sarsaparilla, 
Prepared byI»r..J.C\ Ayer & Co., T.owell. Mass. 
Sold by all Druggists. Price $1; six bottles, $5. 
We will pay one hundred dollars gold in premiums for 
best results from eight weeks’ trial of Sheridan’s 
Powder to Make Hens Lay. Send your name and 
post-office for particulars. I. S. JOHNSON A CO., 
22 c ustom Hocsk S nts.tr. Bustos, Mass 
The Alliance Metallic Paint Roof Cn. want 
Agents In each county. F. BEISEL. Gleufield, Pa. 
THE “COMMON SENSE” MILK PAIL. 
This ts the 
only perfect 
Pntl made.— 
There are no 
seams in the 
front to catch 
the dirt. It has 
a perfectly fit¬ 
ting strainer, 
which caD be 
i u s t a n tly re¬ 
nt ored, so that 
every part of 
the pail may¬ 
be 'lutcklu and 
thoroughly 
cleaned. 
Exrrastrain- 
PATKNTKa. ers can p e 0 b. 
talned at any time. 
The Pall Is made from heavy XX tin, and is in ail 
respects the best in Che world. 
Send for special circular. Agents wanted. 
MILKING TURFS. 
FOR MILKING COWS WITH SORE TEATS. 
This is the best Tube In the market. Sent, post 
paid to any address, on receipt of price One 
Tube, ascents; Five Tubes, *1.00. send for spe¬ 
cial circulars to 
BARTLETT & DOW, 
Please mention this paper 
LOWELL. >I \SS. 
ycur own Bone, 
Meal, Oystei Shell*. 
ICBAniM Flour at 1 Corn 
tube &3 JWILL 
r ,K. Wilson's Patent' lOO per 
cent, inure made in keeping poul¬ 
try. Also POWEB MILLS and 1VKM 
FEED MILLS, circulars and Testimonials sent 
on application. WILSON BKOS., Lusivu, Pa. 
FOOD 
FOR INFANTS AND INVALIDS, 
The only pcrlcct substitute fur Mother's Milk. 
Tin' most nourishing diet for Invalids and nursing 
mothers. Keeps in ail climates. Commended by physi¬ 
cians. Sold everywhere Send for oar book “the 
Care and Feeding of Infants. Sent free. 
DOURER, thiODAl.K ,t co., Boston. Mass.b 
A SPECIAL SAMPLE OFFE». 
IIiiud-torged. Razor Steel Blades, re¬ 
placed free if soft. New Pattern Price go 
postpaid; 3 for #2; Regular price, 65 cts 
Roys Lb lade, 35 cts. Ladv’ 
’-blade, Pearl.51) cts. Gents 
fine s-blade. $ 1 . Cuiorads 
8 blade stock Knife, 
Grafting, 25 C ls:Bud' 
ding. So ers.: Prun 
mg. Sects, to At. 
mtly Shears, 60 cts.; 
Button Hole Scis- 
airs, St * cts. .'si- page 
,ist Free. Also 
tow to Use a Razor 
Walter # fir 
30 S 
TOL12IH 
