THE RUBAI, NEW-YORKER, 
©6T 13 
which it is buDg. A small-sized length of bam¬ 
boo should be sewn into the upper edge before 
binding, to prevent the pocket from sagging 
when hung up. Another pretty and durable 
rack is made by taking two large beveled - 
edge panel=, either of wood or paper. One 
should be much larger than the other. The 
smaller, which forms the pocket, should be 
laid on the larger one, holes be pierced both 
back and front at the corner, and a cord, 
gold or silk, be drawn through and tied closely 
on the front, the ends being finished with little 
tassels. Then the upper corner should be 
pierced, and a small brass chain or cord 
matching the lower one be fastened on the 
back at a suitable distance to allow for the 
drop of the pocket. A pretty design of birds 
or flowers, painted in browns and grays, 
touched with white, is suitable for this, or 
the figure of a news boy would be effective. 
Sometimes the boards are gilded and then 
painted. 
* * * 
The same paper tells how to make a pink 
satin table scarf. It should have a four inch 
band of plush at the ends. It should have an 
embroidered design about five inches wide, 
coming over the edge of the plush, so as to 
lose the hard effect. The embroidery should 
be done in monotones—that is, in shades of its 
own color, outlined in gold, which gives a 
very rich effect. Or the entire design may be 
done in gold outline—one, two, or three 
threads being laid side by side and done in al¬ 
ternate stitches. The ends should be finished 
with three inch tassels in silk of the same 
color, the heads wound with gold. These 
tassels should be about one and one-half inch 
apart. 
* * * 
While there are many novel hues in the 
new winter fabrics, it is reassuring to know 
that none of the colors fashionable last season 
are really out of date this. The new grays 
have rather a bluer tinge, and very charming 
and Quakerish they are. Most of the new 
greens have a shade of blue also, like the 
breast of a peacock. It is doubtful whether 
those frightfully rampant greens will be so 
much worn, though this is a favorite color. 
There are lovely browns with a terra-cotta 
tinge; but don’t buy them. Everything sug¬ 
gestive of terra cotta has been so vulgarized 
that women of refined taste should leave it 
alone. The newest trimmings are copies of 
Oriental work, in both colors and pattern ; 
they are exceedingly rich and artistic. 
FOR LONE WOMEN. 
A recent and anonymous writer, speaking 
of the growing willingness of women to go 
through life unmarried, says: “Once it was 
considered a bad thing to be an old maid, and 
light-minded people made fun of one. Now it 
is different. Some of the brightest and pret¬ 
tiest women become so much interested in the 
serious work of life that they regard husbands 
as altogether unnecessary inconveniences. 
They are satisfied with the state of single 
blessedness, and appear to be just as happy 
an i useful as their married sisters. It is all 
right. If a woman remains single it is her 
own affair, and outsiders need not concern 
themselves about it. As a rule an old maid is 
an intellectual and interesting woman.” 
There, those are appreciative words, wheth¬ 
er written by man or woman. Now, I believe 
marriage is the happiest and most natural 
condition for most women, but the fact that 
a woman remains single doesn’t give every¬ 
body the right to wonder why she did so, and, 
in nine cases out of 10, to decide that she is 
single because she never had an offer. Women 
certainly have the right to remain single 
without any more criticism than is be¬ 
stowed upon men who elect to do the 
same, and — let me whisper it—single 
women are usually very much more useful 
than are single men. They are the very salt 
of the earth—whatever should we do without 
the maiden aunts who tie up cut fingers, make 
rag dolls, sit up with invalids, make prepara¬ 
tions for unusual company, and pick up the 
loose ends for every one? The church, and the 
guild, and the hospitals, and the King’s 
Daughters—what would become of them all if 
it wasn’t for the spinsters? When does an old 
bachelor sit up with sick children, or wait till 
the second table so that the young folks may 
have their fun together, or make toys for the 
juveniles, or amuse the baby? Sometimes, 
perhaps, but not often. And yet he' is the 
very first to sneer at old maids! 
How often we see some lonely spinster who 
has borne the family burdens, just because 
she was both smart and willing, until brothers 
and sisters are all msrried off, father and 
mother gathered to rest, and the willing one, 
the worker who has given up all her youth 
and brightness to others, pitied as a poor old 
maid! I believe that almost every lonely 
woman has some little bit of a romance care¬ 
fully hidden away since her years of bloom. 
and it always hurts me to hear them called 
old maids. Sid» by side with the good house¬ 
mother put her single sister whose life of 
lonely independence makes her more lovable— 
we won’t call her an old maid, but what she 
is—an unappropriated blessing, that might 
have brightened some man’s fireside—but has 
not. PATTY GARTON. 
“A COZY CORNER” 
The “Housewife” says that many who 
thoroughly believe and generally practice the 
old adage, “A place for everything and every¬ 
thing in its place,” when writing materials 
come under consideration locate them very 
inconveniently. Houses otherwise finely ap¬ 
pointed often contain no place designed 
especially for writing or study. This is par¬ 
ticularly unwise if the family contains chil¬ 
dren, for we are creatures of habit and if in 
youth letter-writing and home-study are ren¬ 
dered difficult we rarely take kindly to them 
in later life. 
If there is a room with a writing-desk con¬ 
veniently arranged, with a good dictionary, 
an atlas, and a cyclopedia within easy leach, 
the school exercise will stand a better chance 
of preparation, the letter to absent friends 
will be more easily written, and the little note 
of acknowledgment of some gift will not seem 
80 burdensome. Ink on a closet shelf, writing 
paper in a bureau drawer, pens rusty and only 
forthcoming after a vigorous exercise ot 
memory, and stamps reposing in the pocket- 
books of the heads of the family, are not con¬ 
ducive to letter-writing. 
Many of us are so situated that a wnole 
room could not be devoted to this purpose; 
nor for want of money could we develop our 
ideal library with its beautiful pictures, fine 
statuary, book cases filled with the works of 
the bestauchors, a writing table with every 
convenience, globes, maps and all the aids 
that to day can be brought to the student’s 
help. But we can set apart a well-lighted cor 
nerof our sitting-room,to which we can bring 
if the convenient desk cannot be ours, au or¬ 
dinary kitchen table transformed by'means 
of a little paint or stain for the wood-work 
and felt for the top into a very fair substitute. 
The large drawers with which such a table is 
usually provided can be divided into compart¬ 
ments suited to the different kinds of station¬ 
ery. With an ink bottle of sufficient weight 
not to be easily upset, a Japanese tray for pen¬ 
holder and pencils,and a dictionary on one cor¬ 
ner, our table is complete. A chair of proper 
bight should be kept in front of the table when 
wanted. If you have a book-case, bring it 
near this coiner; if you have not, one can 
easily be manufactured at home, that will an¬ 
swer every purpose, and whtnfilled with your 
favorite books it will be a great addition to the 
room, for there is more of the furnishing pow¬ 
er in books that are well used than in any cost¬ 
ly furniture or fancy work that many people 
pile into their homes. Once try this arrange¬ 
ment and how you ever got along in the old 
way will be a constant source of wonderment. 
DON’T. 
Don’t neglect your finger-nails, just because 
you have to do so much rough work that clean¬ 
ing and polishing seem to make little impres¬ 
sion on them. That’s an additional reason for 
taking care of them. 
Don’t neglect to wash your teeth on rising 
and retiring, even if they are untouched dur¬ 
ing the day. It does not pay; well-kept, nat¬ 
ural teeth beat any artificial ones. 
Don’t neglect to brush your hair thoroughly 
and braid it loosely before retiring. Don’t 
leave it cramped up with metal hair-pins all 
night. 
Don’t neglect thorough and frequent bath¬ 
ing, if you wish to retain your complexion. 
Don’t forget to say“ Good night” or, ‘ Good 
morning’’ on meeting or separating from 
your own family. Don’t reserve these courte¬ 
sies for strangers only. 
Don’t indulge in ugly habits in the presence 
of your children, unless you expect them to 
copy your example. Better still, don’t in¬ 
dulge in ugly habits at all. 
Don’t forget that your own family have 
even a greater claim upon your courtesy than 
outsiders. 
Don’t tell the children when they must be 
punished, that you will attend to them at bed¬ 
time. It is cruel and vindictive to let the 
thought of the coming punishment hang over 
them for hours. If need be, correct them at 
once and end the matter. 
Don’t nag. There is more saving virtue in 
one quick, stern reproof, than in an hour’s aim¬ 
less scolding. A nagging woman is a constant 
thorn in the flesh. 
Don’t wear your troubles outside. You 
will receive from others the same coin you 
offer them, and a gloomy face begets dislike 
rather than sympathj. 
Don’t croak. This world is hard enough for 
every one, but we were all born with the 
chance of making it a little brighter. 
Don’t think you know so much more than 
others just because you say more. There is a 
great deal of aimless talk in this world. 
Don’t think that fine gowns make a gentle¬ 
woman, but remember that cleanliness, neat¬ 
ness and modesty ara three indispensables 
without which no girl can be well dressed. 
And, finally, don’t think that all these out¬ 
side virtues here enumerated will for a mo¬ 
ment stand the wear and tear of daily life 
without the inner peace which only a pure 
Christian life will bestow, cottage maid. 
GOLDEN GRAINS. 
The Popular Science Monthly says: 
Don’t think that what you don’t know is not 
worth knowing. 
Don’t despise systems of thought that other 
men have elaborated because you cannot place 
yourself at once at their point of view. 
Don’t keep on hand too many cut and dried 
theories. A foot rule is a convenient thing 
for a carpenter to carry about with him ; but 
a man who is always “ sizing up ” other peo¬ 
ple’s opinions by a private rule of his own is 
apt to be a bore..., 
One of the most important things that the 
Christian can do, says the Independent, for 
the culture of his own piety is to acquire the 
habit of systematically and devoutly reading 
and studying the Bible. By this habit he will 
“ grow in grace ” by growing “ in the knowl¬ 
edge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 
The more he reads the Bible the more precious 
will it become in his experience. 
One of our correspondents, says the Chris¬ 
tian Advocate, attended a large union meeting 
a few Sundays ago, in which a somewhat flow¬ 
ery young preacher prayed as follows: “ Oh, 
Lord, we ask that thou wilt bless the Y. M. 
C. A.” This is equal to the colored man’s as¬ 
cription of thanks to the Deity for what he 
bad done for the world, “both B. C. and A. 
D. ”. 
Emerson said that no way has been found 
for making heroism easy, even for the scholar. 
Labor, iron labor is for him. The world was 
created as an audience; the atoms of which it 
is made, are opportunities. 
George Eliot says: We look at the one 
little woman’s face we love, as we look at the 
face of our mother earth, and see all sorts of 
answers to our own yearnings. 
“ See,” said a lad who was walking with 
his father, “they are knocking away the props 
from under the bridge; what are they doing 
that for ? Won’t the bridge fall?’ 1 “They 
are knocking them away,” said the father, 
“ that the timbers may rest more firmly upon 
the stone piers; which are now finished.” God 
takes away our earthly props that we may 
rest more firmly upon Him. 
When one in old age is, in the providence 
of God, stripped of all his near kindred, so 
that he has no child or wife to be his com¬ 
panion or comforter, his life becomes a social 
wreck. How much such a man needs those 
consolations and comforts which God only can 
impart ! No being but God can meet the 
deeply felt wants of his soul. 
Life consists not of a series of illustrious 
actions or elegant enjoyments ; the greater 
part of our time passes in compliance with 
our necessities, in the performance of daily 
duties, in the removal of small inconveniences, 
in the procurement of petty pleasures, and we 
are well or ill at ease as the main stream of 
life glides on smoothly or is ruffled by small 
obstacles and frequent observations. 
Doctrine serves to gather humanity into 
the various folds, according to their individual 
convictions ; but the actual worship flows 
from each through but one channel, finding 
equal acceptance from a loving God. 
CONDUCTED BY MRS. AGNES E. M. CARMAN. 
OCTOBER THOUGHTS. 
Fall is here! The soft wind sighs through 
the branches, as though mourning for the 
death of summer! The leaves, which are 
paling yellow, or kindling into red, seem to 
have been drinking in the glorious sunshine 
all through the summer days, and are now re¬ 
flecting his ruddy tints. Cool October days! 
You are so lovely, but oh, so sad! You 
whisper of the coming winter; of the cold 
dark, bleak, days that are nearing us, and the 
thought of the misery that is in store for the 
poor all over the land, thrusts itself before us, 
robbing you of half your beauty. 
Summer flowers are done, though here and 
there a pale, sweet-faced daisy smiles up from 
the fading grass, like a sad, yet sweet re¬ 
minder of the past. The golden rod and aster 
are with us, sweeping the meadows with one 
great wave of sunlight, with now and then a 
dash of the purple tints of the setting sun. 
This is the time for gathering our fruits. 
What shall we gather? He who tended and 
cared for his vines in the spring and summer, 
will have a goodly yield,but what is in store 
for him who wasted the golden hours of 
spring-time? A stanza from “The State of 
Tulait” comes to my mind as I write. It is: 
“ Would you like to know what the farmers do 
In the State of Tulait? I’ll tell you true: 
They dally and dream in the spring-time sw«*t, 
They plant their crops in the harvest heat, 
They hoe their corn in the frosty fall, 
And winter finds them with nothing at all. 
You'll hunger and thirst, 
And want and wait, 
And that isn't the worst 
In the State of Tulait—” 
Have we wasted our spring-time of life? 
Are we wasting our summer? Has the frosty 
fall overtaken us, or has winter’s snow fallen 
upon our heads, and found us with empty 
bands? Have we nc fruits or flowers to show 
for our time spent in life’s harvest-field? Have 
we “nothing but leaves?” If we are nearing 
Death’s portal with empty hands, it is not too 
late to sow something even now, for the good 
of mankind, though it will be too late for us 
to reap thereof. Those who come after may 
gather the harvest and bless our name while 
so doing. 
As long as we dwell beneath God’s beautiful 
sun it is not too late to work for Him. Let us 
do whatever good comes into our hearts to do. 
Sometimes we make mistakes, and wbat we 
meant for a kindness is not taken as such, 
but never mind, if you meant it for the best, 
God knows it. It is far better, sometimes to 
err in trying to help a discouraged brother or 
sister, than never to attempt to lift another’s 
burden. 
‘‘Crowned, or uncrowned at the end of the fight, 
’Tis better to battle than flee in affright, 
Better to lose than to lament— 
He hath enough, who hath content.” 
DORA HARVEY VROOMAN. 
WHAT TO GET FOR BREAKFAST. 
Make the most of the green corn while it 
lasts, and if you have been a far-seeing pro¬ 
vider, you will have bad a few rows planted 
every ten days, so that you may enjoy the 
delightful vegetable up to the time of severe 
frosts. Corn is never so delicious as when 
you have picked it on a frosty morning with 
the half-frozen dew still on it, and boiled it 
for breakfast. Corn oysters are not a new 
dish, but they are generally made with chop¬ 
ped instead of grated corn, wtnen manes an 
inferior fritter. To a pint of grated corn, add 
a gill of milk, a tablespoonful of melted but¬ 
ter, salt, pepper, two beaten eggs, and flour to 
make a batter that will drop from the end of 
a spoon. Have enough very hot fat to swim 
them, and drop in by small spoonfuls. Fry 
brown on both sides. They accompany a 
breaded cutlet, broiled ham, or boiled eggs, 
nicely. 
You may season this grated corn and 
sautd it in a little hot butter. It will be very 
rich and delicious, and with a thin slice of 
broiled ham, or a rasher of bacon, a poached 
egg with cresses, and a toasted muffin, you 
will have as tasteful a breakfast as any one 
could wish. 
There are three Specialties served at the 
Saratoga Lake House—the Saratoga potato, 
which has ceased to be a novelty, fresh trout 
and boiled corn. Naturally, you fail to see 
how this last can be a specialty, but did you 
ever try boiling it in the husk? See that the 
water, a generous potful, is salted and boiling 
rapidly; open the husks and remove the silk; 
takeoff also some of the outer husks; twist 
the inner husks about the small end and tie 
with a bit of thread. Boil from 15 to 20 min¬ 
utes, according to the size and age. It re¬ 
quires seme heroism to remove the husks from 
the s raiding corn before sending to table, 
but with the aid of a folded towel it may be 
managed, and the added sweetness and flavor 
of the corn will repay you for the trouble. 
The following way of cooking corn is good 
enough to risk a slight attack of dyspepsia 
for, and if you are inclined that way, it may 
When Baoy was sick, we gave her Castoria,; 
When she was a Child, she cried for Castoria, 
When she became Miss, she clung to Castoria, 
When she had Children, she gave ttein.Osstorla 
