1887 
THE RURAL WIW-YORKER. 
race of life, but because it is neither kind, nor 
right, nor Christian. 
Long ere the Lord calls the pious man to 
heaven, the pious man has brought heaven 
down to earth in himself . 
Let us make a beginning by knowing one 
little thing well, and getting roused as to what 
else is to be known. 
Whenever you doubt whether an intended 
action be good or bad, abstain from it_ 
To have what we want is riches, but to be 
able to do without is power_ .. _ 
Teach thy tongue to say “1 do not know.” 
CONDUCTED RY MRS. AGNES E. M. CARMAN. 
"To moldmankind at xvillavd shape their acts. 
First dine them well and they’ll become as wax.’’ 
TRAINING NEEDED. 
“We will not have a hired girl in our 
house except as an extreme necessity,” is 
often said by overworked women or by those 
who are abundantly able to hire all the help 
needed to give them leisure for other duties. 
And the listener knowing too well the trials 
that come with many hired girls, sighs envi¬ 
ously, From every comer of our country the 
story seems one of dissatisfaction. Its chap¬ 
ters are headed “Impudence,” “Slovenliness,” 
“ Extravagance,” “ Dishonesty” and by like 
harsh terms—too often more than true. 
What would result if every housekeeper in 
the land should take up the problem with 
determination to solve it ? Plans would in¬ 
evitably be devised to lessen the e\ il at least. 
Is it not a question worth studying i Lack of 
proper knowledge and preparation on the 
part, of hired girls, for their duties is the 
cause of a large share of the trouble.. A girl 
who can do housework nud cooking skillfully, 
can have no sufficient reason for habitually 
failing to do well. A girl who cannut do well 
for lack of knowledge and training,will not do 
better—because she cannot—for fault-finding 
or scolding, and only careful teaching will 
accomplish much improvement. The de¬ 
tails of every kind of work make or mar its 
perfection. Sweeping seems an easy thing, 
but dusty corners attest to the incapacity of 
many girls. Making a bed is not an intricate 
work, but many girls canuot put. the coverings 
on straight, and leave ends and cornel’s un¬ 
tucked. Building and replenishing a fire 
seems so simple to an experienced woman that 
her impatience is unbounded at the mistakes 
of her untrained help. And so through every 
department of the work, ignorance blunders 
and stumbles where experience works with 
skill. 
Unfortunately an obstinate pride is often 
awakened by harsh reproofs, in the minds of 
the blunderers and they w ill not try to learn. 
Sometimes the kindest, most patient instruc¬ 
tions will not overcome the faults fixed by 
a lack of early training. 
The question is truly serious to thousands of 
women wautiug help and thousands wanting 
work. a. B. 
<»» - 
It was Loi’d Chesterfield who said that, next 
to the consciousness of doing a good action, 
that of doing a civil one was the most pleas¬ 
ing. 
THAT COMPANY DINNER AGAIN. 
I was 8,000 miles away from my home in 
the land of the setting sun, when passing a 
newspaper stand one day my eyes chanced to 
lighten a copy of the dear old Rural, which 
1 had not seen for many weeks. 
Among the words of wit and wisdom from 
its Home Circle. I found the answer of Eu¬ 
nice Webster to “My Company Dinner.” At 
first I laughed heartily, so true were friend 
Eunice's remarks from her point of view, but 
when l read of the extra hired men and the 
three sickly children, I first wanted to shake 
her husband, and then to comfort her by help¬ 
ing to care for those ailiug little ones. 
1 have lived on uu Eastern farm as well as 
on a California ranch, and 1 know how poor 
and bare life on the former Can be; but the 
many readers of the Rural west of the Rock¬ 
ies will bear me out in m> assertion that my 
picture of ranch life need not be an overdrawn 
one. I say “ need not,” because oven in Cal¬ 
ifornia,you cannot have peas and cauliflowers, 
aud all the fresh vegetables on the table for 
eight, months of the year, unless you plant 
successive crops. As for the mushrooms, 
there are localities where they may bo picked 
iu July (although that is the season in which 
they are the least plentiful) since the San 
Francisco markets are never without both the 
field and the cultivated varieties: neither are 
we ever without one or tho other on the 
Brown ranoh, siuce 1 have a mushroom bed iu 
the cellar. The Rural has told its readers 
how easily and cheaply they may be raised for 
home consumption. I have sold more than 
enough to pay for the cost of mine, besides 
furnishing many a dainty dish and addition 
to stew, and mince, and meat pie for my 
table. , 
Now Eunice Webster, with a very pardon¬ 
able air of “I’ve got you there." wants to know’ 
what I would do for a company dinner if I 
had only old potatoes and salt pork. The 
paucity of my materials would not trouble 
me one bit, for I never saw the guest yet 
whose comfort. I would study more than that 
of my own husband, and if that was to be his 
dinner it would have to do for my guests. 
Still I canuot imagine any circumstances in 
which, if 1 lived in the country, 1 would be 
without such valuable additions to the Stoic’s 
fare as onions and parsley. She confesses to 
skim-milk, so with salt pork, old potatoes aud 
milk and flour, this is what I would do. 
Cut the pork iu thin slices about two by 
four inches, aud if there is any danger of its 
beiug too salt, freshen it by soaking in milk 
for an hour or two. Then simmer it until 
tender, iu just enough water to cover it. 
Slice and parboil the potatoes to take away 
the rank taste which old potatoes have, and 
add them to the pork with enough sweet skim- 
milk to just cover all. If salt and pepper are 
the only condiments you have, make them go 
as far as possible towards a tasteful seasoning. 
It is scarcely likely that bread and butter 
will lie absent from any larder, so trim the 
mi=t from some slices of stale bread, toast 
them delicately, and butter them as lavishly 
as you can afford; Jay on a large platter and 
pour the stew over. If you should read this 
as I am w’ritiug it, on the eighth day of your 
journey on a Pullman Car, and if your sole 
nourishment for ‘24 hours had been a big, 
nasty doughnut, tasting and smelling of bad 
fat, I am sure tny pork stew would sound as 
appetizing to you as it does to me. To add to 
my “sorrow’s crown of sorrows,” 1 have tan¬ 
talizing visions of impossible delicacies, and 
most especially does my last lunch in civiliza¬ 
tion haunt rne. A glass of triple cream, ice- 
cold, and suggestive of sweet-smelling hay 
fields, and clover blooms, a dish of luscious 
peaches floating in cream aud dusted with 
sugar, and a toasted aud buttered muffin. 
Pardon this digression, ami I will tell you 
of some further uses to he made of old pota¬ 
toes. Boil and masli a quantity of them, using 
some hot milk in the mashing process, and as 
generous a piece of butter as youeau manage; 
season nicely with salt, and work iu sufficient 
flour to enable you to roll out thinly. Cut in 
squa. e or diaraoud-shaped pieces aud browD 
on a hot., ungreased griddle, over a moderate 
fire. Eat hot with butter, and my word for 
it, your company will find no fault. 
If the bread has run low, flour, salt, baking 
powder and skim-milk will make very good 
biscuits. If I aspired to a dessert I should 
fluid it au easy matter to keep down my aspir¬ 
ations wheu it came to feeding friends who 
could visit me uuder such circumstances; still, 
if I did want pudding, a minute puddiDg is 
very good, aud almost as quickly made as its 
name implies. 
Heat to boiling a quantity of milk, salting 
lightly, and while boiling dredge in about, one 
cup of flour to a pint of milk, stirring mean¬ 
while with a large wooden spoon. It will 
have a ridgy, lumpy look wheu done, but if 
you have shaken the flour iu slowly, and 
stirred constantly, it. will be all right. Let it 
puff for a few minutes on the back of tho 
range, and serve with butter, sugar aud cinna¬ 
mon. or grated nutmeg. It is also nice with 
sweetened cream, or stewed or canned fruit. 
Pork fritters and mashed potatoes aioue 
make a nice family diuner or company din¬ 
ner, if you can bring to the feast the Spartan 
sauce of hunger Soak thin slices of pork iu 
milk until there is no suspicion of over-sult- 
uess. Dip in a batter of milk, flour, salt and 
baking-powder, adding a beaten egg if the 
hens are not on a strike, aud fry brown in 
hot fat. Make a poor man’s gravy by frying 
out a few spoonfuls of the fat from some salt 
pork, aud stirring iu a cup of milk iu which 
you have mixed smoothly a spoonful of flour. 
When you mash the potatoes have the milk 
that you add to them hot, and whip with a 
folk uutil they are light and creamy. 
The above is what I should do with the ma¬ 
terials of my friend Eunice’s pantry, but if I 
had the three delicate childrcu as well, and 
visitors came, 1 should say, “Get thee to an 
hostelry." BKsslK brown. 
Does the endless round of preparing food 
only satisfy hungry appetites, or does it. build 
up htnlies that shelter maids and souls—things 
of priceless value. 
ONE SUMMER—VII. 
ANNE THRIFTY. 
THE “OLD FOLKS” PARTY. 
Uncle John brought oue load of our guests 
at the same time that father brought another. 
They all came—Mrs. Ray, who unknowingly 
was responsible for the coming of all the rest; 
sweet-voiced little Mrs. Roberts, who had to 
be carried in a chair from the carriage; Mrs. 
Nelson, the widow of an upright business man, 
who had been for years the leading merchant 
of the town: old Mr. Elder, almost helpless 
since his weight had increased to '225 pounds, 
but bringing such a hearty laugh with his 
avoirdupois that every one joined in it, as be 
came up the walk, bringing down his gold¬ 
headed cane heavily at every step, and mak¬ 
ing jokes at his own expense. Mr, Harris 
came too, though mother had hesitated to in¬ 
vite him, knowing that old age had found him 
sour and cross and had not made him less so. 
But Jennie had settled the question by saying 
“Ask him to come mother, and we will mak a 
him forget to be cross for one day.” So here 
he was shaking hands all around and smiling 
as he rarely smiled since old age had made 
him infirm and cut him off from au active 
life. 
“I hope they will talk about old times.” 
Gertie had said, as we were setting the table 
before they came, and when the greetings were 
over, they did talk uf old times. Mr. Harper 
had been in the gold fields of California in the 
days of the excitement there, and he told of 
some of the hardships endured while making 
the overland journey. Mr. Harris so far 
“forgot to lie cross’’that he told the little 
boys of his first journey from a little town in 
Connecticut out to the Far West, then Indi¬ 
ana, before the railroads had reached Western 
Pennsylvania, and when even stages were un¬ 
known for the western part of the journey. 
He found himself talking to au interested 
audience before he had finished, and other 
stories from one and another followed, until 
the announcement of dinner interrupted them. 
Our country dinner seemed to lie very much 
enjoyed by all. Every one gets tired some¬ 
times of the same kind of cooking day after 
day. and some of these friends had not eaten 
a meal outside their homes for months, and 
then the dinner was cooked in mother's best 
style, and we thought it extra good. 
For half an hour after dinner the company 
strolled about the yard or nodded in the easy 
chairs. Then Jeunie, Freddie and Rob gave 
their programme of recitations. They re¬ 
ceived so much praise as to be almost over¬ 
come with embarrassment and pleasure. At 
half-past three father brought the carriage to 
the door to take home the first load of our 
guests. As a parting gift Freddie and Rob 
had prepared a generous bouquet for each 
one, so the carriage became a bower of flowers 
and happy old faces. Before five o’clock all 
were gone, after many parting thanks and 
genuine expressions of pleasure. 
“How much they all seemed to enjoy it,"’ 
mother said, as we talked it all over that even¬ 
ing. “I wonder I never before thought to do 
something like this for the old people among 
our friends.” 
“We eau all express the same wouder,” 
father answered. But he did not explain 
whether the “all” referred to hitnself and his 
family, or to mankind in general. 
The following week mother met Mrs. Ray 
again in town, and this time she came home 
to tell us of her pleasure in meeting her. Mrs. 
Ray had so much to say of the pleasure Mrs. 
Roberts had received from the visit. “I ran 
in to see her yesterday,” she said, “aud we 
had so much to talk about. She said it 
seemed like the times when we were girls to¬ 
gether and talked our parties over across the 
fence ; for we were neighbors then out on 
two big farms iu Hamilton County.” Mother 
said she left her still talking to another 
friend who had co ne in, about Mrs Thrifty’s 
nice, well-behaved children, etc., etc. 
“I think we have given them all more than 
oue pleasant day; for something new to think 
of and to talk about, helps their days to pass 
pleasantly They enjoyed seeing each other 
too. I believe Mi’s, Ray has felt ten years 
younger >iuce she saw how much feebler ill’s. 
Nelson is who is just her own age, aud Mrs. 
Nelson thinking of Mrs Ray will say, “(18 
isn't very old after all.” 
PITHS. 
For hiccough, take a teaspoouful of vine¬ 
gar with a little sugar iu it. 
There is always one member of the house¬ 
hold that upsets things as fast as the others 
right tli< in. Are you the one? 
Is the coffee-pot thoroughly cleaned aud 
dried every day f 
Children hate patches and it is a kindness 
to respect their feelings and make Lb* mend¬ 
ing of their clothes as inconspicuous as p<» si- 
ble. We never did approve of mortifying 
children by compelling them to wearelothiug 
that they especially detested. Children have 
their likes and dislikes, and it is but right for 
parents to consider them. 
gUmtissing, 
That Feeling 
Of exhaustion expressed in the words 
“all run down,” indicates a thin and 
depraved state of the blood, reacting 
upon the Nervous System. Nothing 
will reach this trouble with more speed 
and certainty than Ayer’s Sarsaparilla. 
“I was all run down,” writes Mrs. 
Alice West, of Jefferson, W. Va,, “be¬ 
fore I began to take Ayer’s Sarsaparilla, 
and now I am 
GAINING IN STRENGTH 
every day. I intend using it till my 
health is perfectly restored.” 
“ Being very weak and despondent 
after an illness which caused frequent 
loss of blood, I tried Ayer’s Sarsaparilla, 
and two bottles have restored me to my 
former health,” writes Miss Blanche S. 
Brownell, 4 Boylston Place, Boston. 
Ayer’s Sarsaparilla, 
Prepared bv Dr. J. C. Ayer & Co., T.owell, Maes. 
Sold by all Druggists. Price $1; six bottles, $5. 
BROWN’S FRENCH DRESSING, 
The Original. Beware ol Imitations. 
AWARDED HIGHEST PRIZE AND ONLY 
MEDAL, PARiS EXPOSITION, 1878 
Highest Award New Orleans Exposition. 
SAHPLE PACKAGE —Thro- choice ROSES 
or three CONi'ORD or one ROfJBRK GRAPE, with Ca 
talogue and directions for culture, by mall, for v!.» 
cts. WJi, B. REED, ( hnmhrrshnru, Pa. 
Pit. Feb. 2 
NORTH-STAR Washboard is made 
of one solid sh et of Zinc. t-roduo 
in - a. doubl—faced board of the 
ureatesi durability. The deec 
rtutiov make-lt hold more wa er 
Shun any o.her board. A hard¬ 
wood frame, firmly ht-ld to- 
gt-iher with an iron bolt, se¬ 
en ri‘S strength, durability ami 
'economy. Theobjeetion raise • 
against th s boa d comes from 
dea era, who say ’’they last ton 
ong. ? If your irrocer refuses to 
Drocu e this hoard fory-u,write us. 
FANSCHMIDT. DODGE A i O-. 
248 A 250 W. Polk St . Chicago 
GOLr MEDAL, PARIS, 1878. 
BAKER'S 
Warranted absolutely pure 
Cocoa, from -which the excess of 
Oil has been removed. It has t k ~ee 
times the strength of Cocoa mixed 
with Starch, Arrowroot or Sugar, 
and is therefore far more economl 
ca costing less than one cent a 
cuj. It is delicious, nourishing, 
strengthening, easily digested, and 
admirably adapted for invalids as 
well as for persona in health. 
Said by Grocers eve rywhere. 
I. BAKER & CO.. Dorchester, Mass. 
A NEW BUTTER PRESERVATIVE. 
KELLOCC’S 
ROYAL SALT. 
POSITIVELY PREVENT' BITTER 
FROM EVER BECOMING RANCID. 
Endorsed by the Leading Agricultural Papers and 
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office AXD Factory: 
Foot of West Eleventh Street, New York City, N.Y. 
RREN 
BOTTLES 
March 23d, 1880. 
Adapted for the Delivery 
of bilk iu all Cities 
and Towns. 
A LONG-NEEDED WANT 
AT LAST SUPPLIED. 
A. V. WHITEMAN, 
73 Murray St., SEW VO UK. 
t o S15Q 
easily made, selling 
STEAM COOKER 
IRKE. T*rrilor> KRF.E. 
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& BRO. 
Y. 
FLrFeCt^p O/yGcN 
Entirely Different. Greatest Improvement. 
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1235 Arch Street. - PHILADELPHIA. PA 
