872 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
JUNE 2 
Woman s Work. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY LOUISE TAPLIN. 
CHAT BY THE WAY. 
^T^here are over sixty thousand “superflu- 
I ous women” in the State of Massachu¬ 
setts, so we are often told. Yet but a fraction 
over 14 per cent, of the prison population in 
that State consists of women. Assuredly we 
women are the moral sex. 
* * * 
Pennsylvania is one of the States still hold¬ 
ing to the legislation of the dark ages, where 
women are concerned. Two sample cases will 
illustrate this: A few months ago a poor 
woman in Philadelphia, who supports herself, 
her children and her lazy husband, caused 
the arrest of the aforesaid protector on the 
charge of coming home intoxicated and 
smashing all the furniture, which she had pur¬ 
chased with money earned by her own work. 
The Philadelphia Solon dismissed the charge: 
under the State law a woman’s earning’s be¬ 
long to her husband, and a man has the right 
to destroy his own property if he so desires. 
The second case in point was about the cus¬ 
tody of a year-old baby. The father threat¬ 
ened to take the child away from its mother, 
so she fled to Kansas with her babe, being as¬ 
sisted by her two brothers. Recently she re¬ 
turned to Pennsylvania and was immediately 
put in jail for stealing her own child. She re¬ 
fused to give it up, in spite of the judge’s order, 
and after she and the child bad been in jail 
some days the generous father permitted her 
to keep her infant on condition that he was 
allowed access to it. The affair will most 
probably end in the reconciliation of the par¬ 
ents, but this does not alter the barbarity of 
the law. It is monstrous and unnatural that 
the law should give absolute control over an 
infant to the parent least able to care for it. 
* * * 
The prepared wood stains, sold at most good 
paint shops, are very convenient and easy of 
application. They are admirable for coloring a 
floor when one wishes to dispense with carpet. 
Cherry, walnut or mahogany are prettier 
than the lighter oak stain. The liquid being 
ready mixed there can be no mistake made, 
and it dries in a few hours. A stained floor is 
both pretty and comfortable for a bedroom 
during the summer. 
* * * 
Mention has been made in the Rural of 
white enameled furniture, now so fashiona¬ 
ble, which can be decorated at home. Very 
pretty was a little old-fashioned table painted 
in this way. It was a square stand, having a 
shelf below. It was first sand papered thor¬ 
oughly, and then received two coats of ordi¬ 
nary white paint. When this was dry it was 
painted with white enamel paint, which gives 
a high gloss like that seen on carriages. The 
legs were ornamented with rings of'gilding, 
and the table really looked au expensive piece 
of furniture. The enamel may be purchased 
ready mixed; a bottleof Devoe’s preparation, 
bolding about a pint, costs 50 cents. A table 
or chair done in black eDamel, with a little 
gilding, is very handsome. Of course it takes 
both time and labor to do these pretty things, 
but most women are very ready to expend 
both in the care of their household goods. 
SOCIAL MORALITY. 
A. E. GIBSON. 
I wish there were 10,000 women in this 
country like Mrs. Fisher. She not only tkinks 
upon all the leading questions of the day, but 
is not afraid to express her thoughts. She 
evidently believes in calling things by their 
right names. Her recent discussion of the 
social problem, iD connection with a report of 
the proceedings of the Women’s International 
Convention at Washington, was timely and 
to the point. 
The spread of social vices and even gross 
immoralities, among what is termed the 
best(?) society, is something that should not 
pass unchallenged. There is cause for alarm, 
and the various movements, like the White 
Cross, Kings’ Daughters, etc., have not started 
too soon. The doctrine, or even insinuation, 
that one code of morals should exist for one 
sex, and a different one for another, is most 
pernicious. Let the line be clearly drawn, 
and let moral impurity be called by the same 
name everywhere. 
The necessity of “starting right,” and of 
teaching children those things that are abso¬ 
lutely essential to their moral and physical 
welfare, and the inestimable value of a clean, 
honorable life—these are matters of the first 
concern. The young should be taught, from 
the earliest moment of understanding, the 
supreme advantage of being pure and true in 
thought as well as action. Flain, honest talk 
is needed, and Mrs. Fisher has done well to 
call up these social topics. The vicious influ¬ 
ences of some of the so called fashionable dress 
costumes of women, and often of the round 
dance and the like, need just the kind of dis¬ 
approval given them by Miss Willard, Mrs. 
Fisher and other courageous women of the 
land. The protest should become universal. 
A BIT ABOUT HOSPITALITY. 
I T is a question in my mind whether, even 
in the case of invited guests, you do your¬ 
self justice and them an honor in making their 
stay a season of unprecedented toil and trou¬ 
ble. It is well for those who are dependent 
upon the labor of their own hands about their 
kitchen and household to ask no company 
whom they do not know to be willing to take 
them as they find them. What is good enough 
for John is good enough for his or your 
friend. 
The season is approaching when city people 
begin to cast about in their minds for the 
name and address of some, until now, forgot¬ 
ten country friend—one to whom they can 
write that they are coming to spend the month 
of June with them, if that is the season when 
strawberries are ripe. “The dear children are 
so anxious to be of service in harvesting the 
fruit.” And so they come with bag and bag¬ 
gage, and as many of the “dear children” as 
Heaven has blessed them with; and the dear 
children, like young Vandals, as they are, run 
over your fruit beds and destroy instead of 
harvesting. They climb your cherry trees, 
stone the birds and rob their nests, and your 
poor wife works for their entertainment from 
morning to night, while my lady from the 
city sails around in a lovely cool, white gown 
(which, if your wife has not a proper amount 
of spirit, she may even hand her to be 
laundried). When they go back to the city, 
after a sojourn of several weeks, they borrow 
your best basket, which they fill with your 
choicest fruit to take back with them, and in 
parting coolly ask you to hunt them up when 
you come to the city. You will never find 
them, and if you did they would be ashamed 
of the signs of honest toil on your hands, and 
of the country cut of your clothes. 
I may seem to write with an undue amount 
of indignation, but “in my salad days, when I 
was green in judgment,” I have been a suf¬ 
ferer from such inroads. There came a time, 
however, when I found courage enough to 
throw off the yoke, and to reply to all such 
letters of self-invitation that we had not 
found it convenient to take summer boarders, 
preferring the quiet of our homo life to any 
emolument that might arise from such a pro¬ 
ceeding, but that good accommodations could 
be had at such and such a place, and we should 
be happy to have them stroll over when in 
the neighborhood. I hope that if any of the 
readers of the Rural have been made the 
victims of a like imposition, they will make a 
bold strike for freedom. mrs. g. e a. 
--■ 
NOTES FROM HILLSIDE FARM. 
EMMA L. BLISS. 
I think Dr. Hoskins has presented the true 
dark side of farming, at least as I see it. To 
toil early and late, contrive every way to 
keep up and improve the farm, stock, etc., and 
never get out of debt, or at best just make a 
living and be always cramped for money. We 
like the farm life and enjoy the work, but wo 
do like to see it pay. Then we could buy the 
books and papers we would like, aDd have 
time to enjoy them, we could beautify our 
homes, and take an occasional trip for pleas¬ 
ure and profit without having it spoilt by 
thinking of the time and money that ought to 
have been used some other way. 
If any of the Rural readers have any speci¬ 
mens of Trailing-arbutus or anemone I would 
consider it a great kindness if they would send 
me some. I have never seen either. We have 
Spring-Beauty, hepatica, adder’s-tongue, 
Dutchman’s breeches, squirrel-corn, red and 
white birthroot, dentaria or crinkle-root, 
blood-root and globe-flower: all these in pro¬ 
fusion and some others in the spring. The 
dentaria that Margaret B. Harvey speaks of 
is not like ours. We have the small pink ge¬ 
ranium in the summer, and that is the first 
growing thing I find in the spring. Its pretty 
green and red leaves will grow nicely in the 
house by pulling it up by the root and putting 
it in water. 
After washing the hands in suds, rinse in 
clear water. If they are rough and chapped, 
wipe out of the suds, and while still damp rub 
on a little glycerine. 
It is late now, but next year try frying 
your parsnips in butter after they are boiled. 
They are good. 
Save your orange peel and dry it to put in 
apple sauce, pies, etc. 
Put a chair where you will have to move it 
or stumble over it if you want to remember 
something you_want 4 to_do in.the morning. 
THE DRESSMAKER OF TO-DAY. 
s. c. 
Some one has said that a subject for philo¬ 
sophical investigation is why there should be 
so much trouble over women’s clothes. The 
problem was thought to bo solved for a while 
when we got to employing men as dressmak¬ 
ers, and tailor-made suits undoubtedly are a 
great satisfaction to the wearer, but few 
wearers can pay $40 to have a suit made, the 
cloth of which costs only half that sum. The 
high priced dressmakers who can turn you 
out a really stylish and well-made gown, have 
this disadvantage to one who is obliged to 
economize, in addition to their high charges, 
that they require an exorbitant number of 
yards of goods, and will never take the 
trouble to return what may be left. A cheap 
dressmaker gives your gown a servant-girlish 
air that is intolerable to a lady bred. 
There is just one way in which a woman of 
intelligence can solve this problem, and that 
is by making her own gowns. You may not 
have time, but think what a lot of coarse work 
you can hire done for the price of a well made 
dress. If you once get a dress that fits you, 
never throw or give it away. Rip the waist 
when it is worn out, and carefully cut and 
keep the pattern. If you cannot do this, have 
a perfect lining fitted by the best dressmaker 
or tailor to whom you have access. After a 
little practice you will learn to drape a gown 
as well as any dressmaker, and there is an 
immense amount of satisfaction in wearing a 
dress that you have made yourself. Making 
over a dress is excellent practice. If ladies in 
any rural community would form themselves 
into amateur dressmaking clubs, and do their 
sewing in concert, they would find it very 
pleasant as well as profitable. They might 
meet at each other’s houses, or at the house of 
some friend who may own the best sewing 
machine, and while one among them would be 
sure to have the best eye for fitting, another 
would undoubtedly possess especial skill in 
draping, and so they would prove of mutual 
benefit. Four of the baudsomest costumes to 
be seen on the street were made in this way 
by a number of New York ladies, who rebel¬ 
led against the tyranny of their fashionable 
dressmaker. 
GOLDEN GRAINS. 
This is the Jaw of benefits between men; the 
one ought to forget at once what he has given, 
and the other ought never to forget what he 
has received. 
There is none made so great but he may 
need both the help and service and stand in 
fear of the power and unkindness even of the 
meanest of mortals. 
The N. Y. Observer says that imitation of 
Christ, then, is the true method for living a 
Christian life. It is useful to ourselves, and 
it is the prime way of honoring God. We 
glorify more by endeavoring to become like 
Him than by prayers and offerings, by holy 
services, or learned essays upon the divine 
character and attributes. The more like God 
we become, the more truly obedient and sub¬ 
missive, so much the more do we honor Him 
who has said, “Be ye holy, for I am holy”: 
“Them that honor me I will honor.”. 
A perfect faith would lift us absolutely 
above fear. It is in the cracks, crannies and 
gulfy faults of our belief, the gaps that are 
not faith, that the snow of apprehension set¬ 
tles and the ice of unkindness forms. 
It is possible for a noble life to exist inde¬ 
pendent of motherhood, but is It not true, as 
has been said, that there is but one thing more 
beautiful than the wife—that is the mother... 
The Christian at Work says that every week¬ 
day about 100,000 copies of the Bible, either 
in its entirety or in portions, are sent forth 
from the British and Foreign Society, and 
since its foundation it has issued translations 
in 250 languages. During its last year of 
work, 3,118,304 Bibles, or portions, were issued. 
The Indiana Farmer says that education is 
learning to observe and think. Schools, books 
and teachers are but the tools by which the 
work is done, but if too many helps are em¬ 
ployed the work is, too often, but superficial¬ 
ly done. 
The farm gives the finest opportunity for 
reading the great book of Nature as the sea¬ 
son turns its leaves and exposes each day a now 
page. His hands soon learn to do the work, 
aud his mind is left free to the task of thought 
in the quiet of the field. 
J. W. Faber says that every solitary kind 
action that is done, the world over, is working 
briskly in its own sphere to restore the balance 
between right and wrong. Kindness has con¬ 
verted more sinners than either zeal, eloquence 
or learning, and these three never converted 
any one, unless they were kind also. The con¬ 
tinual sense which a kind heart has of its own 
need of kindness keeps it humble. Perhaps an 
act of kindness never dies, but extends the in¬ 
visible undulations of its influence over the 
breadth of centuries. 
Speaking of dyspepsia and its cure, Dr. 
Oswald says that temporary blue-devils are 
far preferable to a persistent blue-pill Beelze¬ 
bub . 
Aid nature by all legitimate means. Mas¬ 
ticate thoroughly every particle of solid food. 
Eschew spices. Avoid pickles, cheese, salt 
meat, saurkraut and hot drinks. 
Take a light breakfast, a lighter lunch, 
postpone the principal meal till after the day’s 
work is done, and make the after-dinner hours 
as pleasant as possible. 
Goethe said, happy he who soon detects 
the chasm that lies between bis wishes and his 
powers. 
CONDUCTED BY MRS. AGNES E M. CARMAN. 
SOME HOUSEHOLD NOTES. 
MARY WAGER FISHER. 
In some large fruit-canning and preserve¬ 
making establishments, the juice of the rhu¬ 
barb stalk, or pie plant, forms the base of 
jellies that are sold under a variety of names, 
according to the fl ivor used. No other vege¬ 
table that I know of is so inexpensive as to 
time and labor in jelly-making, as rhubarb. 
All each stalk requires is to be clean, nipped 
of its leaf, and cut into lengths short enough 
to go into the preserving kettle which may 
have a tablespoonful of water in the bottom 
to keep the pieces from burning. Stew until 
tender, then strain through a bag, add sugar 
and proceed as in any other jelly-making. 
When unflavored it is a very nice jelly to be 
served with meats. If a strawberry flavor is 
desired, drop a few fresh berries into the juice. 
If no fresh fruit is to be had for flavoring, try 
a cup of old raspberry jelly in several piuts of 
the rhubarb juice, of course, allowing it to 
dissolve in it, and boil up. If all households 
were like my own, the jelly supply would be 
more important than that of butter, as the 
former is vastly preferred for a bread spread, 
while the laddie declares that it is impossible 
for him to eat bread with butter on it for his 
school luncheon, and he thrives beautifully on 
the bread smeared with jelly and never tires 
of it. So I have come to regard rhubarb as 
my best resource in securing a supply of the 
needed article with the least trouble. It is 
quite possible that the rhubarb juice could be 
flavored with a lemon cut up and thrown into 
the boiling mass, but I have never as yet 
tried it. 
A good many people find ordinary floor 
matting au excellent article to lay between 
the wire-woven bed-spring—hospital spring as 
it is sometimes called—and the mattress. The 
matting keeps its place well, and the accumu¬ 
lating dust is readily shaken out of it. As a 
floor covering, there is no economy whatever 
in buying a cheap article. We have had con¬ 
siderable experience in the use of matting, 
and find that it is much cheaper in the long 
run to pay at.the rate of 30 cents a yard than 
to buy for 18 to 20 cents. In low-priced mat¬ 
ting the web is uneven, and for it to wear 
well, it must lie absolutely smooth and taut 
upon the floor. But, all things being equal, I 
doubt if as much good service can be had out 
of any floor covering as out of a closely woven 
three-ply ingrain carpet. 
A fritnd was lately giving me a gentleman’s 
account of an English breakfast, as he found 
it in an aristocratic country house in England. 
He wasau American, and he came down to the 
breakfast room as he would at home, said 
“Good morning” to his hostess, whom he found 
seated at the coffee urn. He sat down to be 
waited on by a servant. After the hostess had 
poured his coffee it stood for some time, when 
she finally said to him, “Come and get it.” 
All this time he was wondering wbat he was 
to have to eat, when presently another guest 
sauntered in—an Englishman. He walked to 
the sideboard, took the covers off the dishes to 
see what they contained, did the same thing 
to dishes on the table, stuck up his nose at 
some, but ended by helping himself to what 
he best liked. No servant appeared during 
the meal, and everybody helped himself as he 
When Baoy was sick, we gave her Castorla, 
When she was a Child, she cried for Castorla, 
When she became Miss, s v e clung to Castorla, 
When she had Children, she gave them Castorla. 
