TWE RURAL NEWCOMER, 
have to be constantly on the lookout lest wil¬ 
ful waste bring woeful want later on. 
I was thinking of the force of example as I 
sat mending the guidman’s socks. A little 
waif that we took into our family some years 
ago, who took a pride in idling her time, now 
seems to enjoy the light tasks of housework 
thoroughly, and improves more than our own 
little girl of the same age in thought and at¬ 
tention to duties. Children of good, sound 
stock can be molded,and it is only where there 
is moral and physical unsoundness that there 
is a defiance of improvement in training. 
Looking back upon my own family govern¬ 
ment I can see many mistakes that I have 
made, but it is useless to rehearse them. 
Experience is the best school for learners and 
it is very seldom one mother profits by 
another’s blunders. Meanwhile in our kitchen 
the newly fledged cooks are busy and feel 
their responsibility, for to make good bread 
and puddings, to get up a simple dinner for 
the family well cooked and on time is work 
far more important than it seems. And most 
young girls like to do the important and 
changing work that entails some responsibility 
and requires thought and skill better than the 
routine of sweeping and dusting. And now 
and then we are surprised on seeing how well 
things turn out even at the hands of a novice. 
At any rate it is best to let the young things 
try to make our burdens lighter. 
FLCm ERS IN THE HOUSE. 
Everybody worthy of a home strives to 
make it pleasant and cheerful. This is neces¬ 
sary at all esasons of the year, but particu¬ 
larly so during tne long, dreary winter even¬ 
ings of the North. Nothing will aid this 
desirable work so cheaply and effectually' as 
flowers. They are a constant yet evercbang- 
ing source of pleasure, every day presenting 
new forms of loveliness. A little skill and 
knowledge are necessary for the management 
of house plants, and with these as with all 
other things success is necessary to enjoyment. 
I shall endeavor to give a few suggestions 
that, I hope, will make the road to success 
easy. 
Those who have green houses and gardens 
perhaps will not need my counsel. My hints 
are designed for amateurs, for the thousands 
who have not these helps; but who love 
flowers and cultivate a few in the house. 
Thousands of persons annually purchase vigor¬ 
ous plants from the green-house and are 
pained to see them gradually fade and perish. 
How this can be prevent! d and how the plants 
can be kept in health and vigor, is the question 
1 wish to discuss. Plants, like ourselves, need 
air, light, warmth, food and drink. If these 
are furnished in proper quantities they will 
live aud grow, barring accidents of course. 
Where good soil is used in pottiDg plants they 
seldom need any special fertilizer. The best 
soil is found near old fence rows where sod has 
grown a long time; this mixed with sand is 
superior for potting purposes. In watering, 
to each gallon of soft water used add a table¬ 
spoonful of liquid ammonia. In winter 
the temperature of the water should 
be about blood heat. Do not water often, 
but do so thoroughly. Most plants wintered 
in rooms are injured by too much heat. For 
a genera collection a room should not be 
kept at more than 65 degrees Fah , during the 
day, and 45 to 50 at night. Give a little fresh 
air every day when the thermometer is above 
o5 in the shade. An effort should be made to 
give moisture to the atmosphere. This can 
be done by evaporating water. Light and air 
should be given freely and sunshine when it is 
available. Plants deprived of these grow 
sickly and colorless. Cold drafts should be 
avoided as much for plants as for their 
owners. 
Cleanliness is of vital importance to plant 
life. Every possible precaution should be 
taken to secure them from dust, also to 
cleanse the leaves by sponging or spraying. 
Even here a little caution is necessary, for 
while smooth-leaved plants are benefited by 
spraying or sponging, the rough-leaved va¬ 
rieties, like Rex Begonia, should not have the 
leaves often moistened. All plants should be 
turned around every day to give each side the 
same amount of light. This prevents them 
from growing one-sided. A thorough fumi¬ 
gation with tobacco smoke should be given 
them once a week to destroy insects. 
J. F. POWER. 
GOSSIP, GASTRONOMICAL AND 
OTHERWISE. 
The great question of domestic help, the 
despair of so many establishments, seems at 
last about to meet with a happy solution. A 
plan is on foot for the establishment of train¬ 
ing schools especially adapted to benefit for- 
eigu-born girls who come to thispouutry t iguQ- 
rant of American house-keeping. Everything 
pertaining to domestic service, from black¬ 
leading a stove, and washing dishes, to mend¬ 
ing fine laces will be taught. A diploma will 
be given to every girl who graduates, and 
those who take but a part of the course, will 
receive a certificate stating what they can 
do, and to what wages they are entitled. 
Many American girls who wish to be edu¬ 
cated it is hoped will avail themselves of this 
opportunity to become good mistresses of 
homes, even if they still retain their foolish 
prejudice against working in other people’s 
homes. The school is being organized under 
the auspices of the Sunshine Mission, in the 
form of a joint stock company. A capital 
stock of from $50,000 to $75,000 is needed. 
Shares are to be put at $1. each to make it 
possible for many to lend a hand in the enter¬ 
prise. This, I am sure will be welcome gossip 
to many over-tired housekeepers. 
White is again coming into demand for 
table linen. Plush and satin scarfs are to be 
discarded, and napery itself must not only be 
white, but plain and fine as my lady’s ker¬ 
chief, and hemstitched in like manner. Table 
floral decorations are to be a matter of taste. 
Handsome china dishes in three compart¬ 
ments are used for wafers, butter and cheese, 
to be passed with salads, and also for jellies, 
olives and like relishes. A sensible article of 
dining-room furniture, known as the “ dinner 
wagon” in England, and “etagfere” in France, 
has been brought into use here. It consists of 
a set of open shelves holding extra silver, nap¬ 
kins, the salad bowl, jelly, and dessert dishes, 
and finger bowls. The large, heavy napkins 
used with the first courses should be replaced 
by smaller and finer ones with the Roman 
punch, or game or dessert, or a new one with 
each of the lighter courses. 
A New York lady has established a new' 
industry, if it may so be called. She is a lady, 
too, by the way, lacking only the wealth 
recently lost to make her sought after for 
other qualities than those which she now 
exercises. She attends to the marketing for 
a number of wealthy families; going to each 
house each day immediately after breakfast 
she ascertains by an inspection of the larders 
what will be the necessary supplies for the 
next three meals, receiving suggestions from 
the mistress in regard to certain wished for 
viands, or relying entirely upon her own 
judgment in the matter. She more than saves 
her salary in the greater economy employed 
In making purchases, on which she has in 
addition a percentage from the “butcher, 
baker and candle-stick maker.” Generally in 
these establishments the cooks are competent 
to follow her suggestions regarding certain 
made dishes and entrees to be made from the 
“left-overs,” which also greatly diminishes 
the waste and extravagance. palmetto. 
The London Queen thinks that to be really 
a good neighbor demands the possession of 
many excellent qualities—tact, temper, dis¬ 
cernment, and consideration for other peo¬ 
ple’s feelings: Aneut intimacy, it thinks it is 
necessary to exercise a little tact and to try to 
find out when one’s neighbors have most leis¬ 
ure and at what hours they like best to re¬ 
ceive visitors; there are, it thinks, very few 
neighbors, even if intimate friends, whom one 
cares to see every day; their society is apt to 
pall if one sees them too often. In fact, friend¬ 
ship with near neighbors, however nice and 
charming they may be, is best sustained by 
not too constant intercouse; there are very 
few people we can see daily and do not tire 
of; one does not meet more than one or two 
in a life-time. 
WINTER SO UPA 
I often envy farmers’ wives who can go to 
their root cellars, and from their abundant 
stores draw material for many delightful 
and different soups, whereas we unfortunate 
dwellers in cities and towns must buy all these 
little items, not perhaps at a great cost of 
anything except memory. 
In my jwn family I have found a steaming 
hot vegetable soup both an appetizing and 
economical thing to begin a dinner with on a 
cold day. Even when I have to buy the milk 
and vegetables, the cost never exceeds from 
five to 10 cents for a sufficient quantity for 
six persons. Cream of celery is our favorite 
aud would be somewhat extravagant, if I had 
not learned a new wrinkle in buying the 
celery. Every Monday I ask my butcher for 
three bunches of soup celery. For these 1 pay 
from 10 to 15 cents. This is merely the celery 
left from Saturday which has become wilted 
aud is no longer salable. An hour in a pan of 
cold water restores it to its pristine treshuess. 
The tops are then cut up for the fowjs.aud the 
roots are trimmed and laid in a pan of 
cold water with the outside pieces which are 
to be used for soups, sauces and stews. The 
roots are good for flavoring soups made with 
bones and meat which require long boiling. 
The crisp, white inner stalks are reserved for 
the table. 
The Rural has, I think, given directions 
for celery soup, but my recipe may be slightly 
different. Chop first a pint bowiful of celery 
with one small onion; cover with one quart of 
boiling water and if you have a rind or bone 
of bacon, or salt pork, add that also; boil for 
one to two hours until the celery is very 
tender; rub through a sieve with a potato 
masher and return to the fire with one pint of 
boiling milk, season with salt, pepper and a 
BURLINGTON ROUTE DAILY EXCUR¬ 
SIONS TO THE PACIFIC COAST, 
COLORADO, WYOMING 
AND UTAH. 
Railroad ticket agents of the Eastern, 
Middle and Western States will sell, on any 
date, via the Burlington Route from Chicago, 
Peoria or St. Louis, round trip tickets at 
low rates to San Francisco, Los Angeles, San 
Diego, Portland, Tacoma. Seattle, Vancouver, 
or Victoria; also to Denver, Cheyenne, Col of 
rado Springs, or Pueblo. For a special folder 
giving full particulars of these excursions, 
call on your local ticket agent, or address P. 
5 Eustis, Gen’l Pass, and Ticket Ag’t, C. B. 
6 Q. R. R , Chicago, Ill. 
dash of Cayenne;add a tablespoonful of butter 
cut in bits, and rolled in the same quantity of 
flour, and one tablespoonful of finely chopped 
parsley. Give one boil and serve. 
Carrot soup. Scrape and slice a pint bowl¬ 
ful of carrots, and boil until very soft in a 
quart and a pint of water. Put a tablespoon¬ 
ful of butter in the saucepan, and when 
melted, stir in a heaping tablespoonful of 
flour; mix smoothly, add the carrot pur£e, 
salt, pepper, and one cupful of hot milk. 
This Is a cheap and pretty soup. A slice of 
bacon boiled with the carrot adds a nice 
flavor. 
Onion Soup. Fry the above quantity of 
sliced onions in a little hot dripping until 
turning yellow; dredge with two level table¬ 
spoonfuls of flour; add a quart of boiling 
water and simmer for one hour: mash through 
a sieve; add a pint of boiling water, and a 
few bits of butter, and put three dozen 
croutons in the dish. Any of these soups may 
be varied, or improved—if you call it an im~ 
provement—by the addition of yesterday’s, 
chop, steak, or veal bones, but they are very 
^The Gladstone” 
LAMP 
lamp In the 
a pure, 
white 
candle 
- a marvelous 
ordinary 
oil! 
is Believing 
A “ wonderful lamp” 
It is indeed. Never 
needs trimming, never 
smokes nor breaks 
chimneys, never 
“smells of the oil;” 
no gumming up, no 
leaks, no sputtering.no 
climbing of the flame, 
no annoyance of any 
kind, aud cannot ex¬ 
plode. And besides 
all these advantages it 
gives a clear, white 
light, 10 to 20 times 
the size and brilliancy 
of any ordinary house lamp! Finished in either 
Brass, Nickel, Gold or Antique Bronze. 
Send postal card for illustrated price list. Single 
lamps at wholesale price, carefully boxed and sent 
by express. tWGet our prices " Seeing is believing.’* 
" - GLADSTONE LAMP CO., „ 
10 East 14th St., New lorh. 
Address 
excellent without. A few slices of bologna 
sausage, and a grated carrot added to a split 
pea or bean soup, after it has been strained, 
and allowed to simmer for half an hour, make 
a pleasant addition. 
Cauliflower soup made like the cream of 
celery, with some cauliflower left from 
dinner, is very nice. Potato soup should have 
a quarter of a pound of salt pork to two 
METALAND TAAI Q 
Wood Worker*’ I wwl»w 
FOOT POWER 81K j1okt?skks, 
LATHKS.FOKSKKS, UAPUIklCQV 
circular saws, mMwflll1l.ni 
We carry in Stuck all tlie 
LEADING Machines* 
(A D « VERY LOW PRICES! 
_end stamps for large Illus. Catalog 
JOHN WILKINSON C0„“&r<?» s <3K > ‘- 
quarts of soup. 
Mock bisque made with tomatoes you are 
all familiar with, but if you have a pint of 
pea or bean soup left you can entirely change 
its character for the next day’s dinner by 
adding half a can of tomatoes and a cup of 
water; simmer all together for half an hour, 
thicken with a teaspoonful of flour wet with 
cold water, season, strain and serve. 
An excellent combination soup is made from 
every kind of raw vegetables chopped to¬ 
gether. If they are minced very fine they 
need not be strained. A handful of soup 
beans boiled with them gives the soup quite a 
different flavor. 
A most delightful soup is made from two 
cups of cold baked beans, a pint of canned 
tomatoes and a quart of water. Simmer 
half an hour; mash through a sieve and 
thicken with a little flour and water. 
AUNT ALICE. 
gttimUattfausi gtili’frti.siing. 
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Cotton. Turkey Red, Blue. Yellow, Scarlet. Cardi¬ 
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samples,40c. AgP'ms warned. 
W. CUSHING & CO., Foxcrolt. Me. 
BRIGHT, ACTIVE AGENTS WANTED 
to sell the Rich Book 
“DELIGHTFUL STORIES’ 
Or Home Talks out ot the Wonderlul Book. 
This work contains 11)0 Delightful Naratlvesof the 
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HUBBARD BROS., Philadelphia and Chicago. 
MUSIC 
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free. G. S. KICK Ml'SIC CO„ 24S Sute Su,Chicago. 
GRIND 
Graham Flour 
von* OWN 
Bone, Meal, 
OysterShells, 
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CEJHAND MILL^Sr 
_ _ AJsJ too per cent, more made 
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gent on application. WILSON B llOS. Easton. Px 
AYER’S CHERRY PECTORAL is the 
best of all cough cures. It allays inflamma¬ 
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Mrs. L. P. Cutler, 47 North Washington 
i„ New York City, says : -When I was a 
rl of 17 1 had a cough, with profuse night 
yeats, and Ayer’s Cherry Pectoral cured 
e. l have reconutiendoii this preparatioii 
scores of similar cases.” 
Ayer’s Cherry Pectoral, 
tv- t n a v«r Sr Pn.. Lowell. Mass. 
BROWN’S FRENCH DRESSING 
PLAYS 
Dialogues, Tableaux, Speakers, for 
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RAZORS POCKET KNIVES 
If you have forgotten the name of the Arm adver¬ 
tising Razors and Pocket Knives by mail, write at 
once to ALLING A LODGE, Madison, Ind. 
General Advertising Rates of 
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MEDAL, PARIS EXPOSITION, 1878, 
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33 WAI 
