4889 
599 
party or company, and neither must thee ever 
be the last to leave.’ ” • 
“But,” said I, “If you are supposed to come 
at half past eight, should you not be there on 
time ?” 
“It will do no harm to be on time, but do 
not be ahead of time, as so many people are 
on such occasions. Let the older folk come 
early if they like, but do not thee do it. And 
again, continued she, “it thee says thee are 
going, go. At a gathering of any kind it will 
not matter so much as it will if thee are 
spending an afternoon. If thee are invited 
to tea, accept the invitation or refuse it as 
thee sees fit; but if thee does accept it, go 
and in plenty ot time before tea.” 
This latter piece of advice I have found in 
my experience to be excellent, and it is be¬ 
cause of this very thing that I write on this 
theme at all. Let us instance a case: We 
may have a caller; the afternoon passes 
quickly, and before we realize it. we find it 
waning. We invite our guest to stay to tea. 
“OhI no, indeed, I cannot,” she exclaims, 
“ Mamma will be expecting me home ”—but 
she does not go. She talks a littlo longer, 
then again exclaims •* Oh! dear, l really must 
be going 1”—but she continues talking and 
still does not go. Meanwhile “Bridget” (if 
one is fortunate enough to “ afford ” a maid) 
is getting tea. Perhaps we had instructed her 
in the morning as to what we would have. 
But if our guesthad accepted our invitation, 
we would have altered our bill-of-fare some¬ 
what. Or if we do not keep a maid we are 
detained from getting tea, and “ Jack ” will 
soon be coming 1 
At last she jumps up saying laughingly: “I 
really ought tc be half-way home by this time” 
—puts on her hat, fusses with her gloves, then 
says, “ By the way. I have something impor¬ 
tant to tell you, and to think I almost forgot 
it!'* Then she discloses some wonderful (?) 
story that is being gossiped about, gets as far 
as the door. Kisses us good-bye—but, instead of 
actually going, she stands on the step, still 
giggling about nothing, never realizing that 
we are worried or anxious. Then the gate 
latch clicks. “Jack” has come! She 
greets him and he cries: “What! going? You 
will surely stay to tea?"—She demurs a 
little, but finally returns to the parlor. You 
rush off to the kitchen. If you have a ‘ ‘ Brid¬ 
get” perhaps you'll find she has put on a 
crumpled table-cloth, which you had meant 
for the wash, so you must either make the 
best of it, or take everything off the table 
and re-set it. But if you are your own 
“Bridget!” Words almost fail me, for—I 
know whereof I speak. The fire is either out 
or very low. You add a few chips or blocks 
of wood to hurry the kettle up. You poke it 
a wee bit, and get down on your knees in 
front of the grate, and blow to make it draw. 
But it won’t ! You blow again. Suddenly 
without a moment’s warning, a great puff of 
smoke followed by some long tongues of flame 
bursts out into your face. You narrow¬ 
ly escape being burned, the tips of your bangs 
are singed, and you are covered with white 
ashes from the top of your head down. You 
are half suffocated in the bargain. Then you 
turn your attention to arranging the table; 
while the tears, caused half bv smoke and half 
by nervousness, are trickling down your 
cheeks. At last tea is ready! You summon 
“Jack,” and your caller. Amid all your 
flurry and worry, you have heard their 
voices and every now and then a merry peal 
of laughter. They come at your bidding. 
Your visitor looks cool and collected, while a 
bright smile plays around the corner of her 
mouth. “Jack” looks at the dainty supper; 
then at your flushed face and exclaims: 
“ Why what’s the matter little girl—are 
you sick? ” 
You don’t thank him a bit for his sympa¬ 
thy, for this only calls your visitor’s attention 
to your looks But men never know anything! 
You try to silence him by a fierce glance, and 
attempt to make some agreeable reply. But 
he—the big, good-hearted fellow—can’t un¬ 
derstand, and insists on knowing if you real¬ 
ly are ill—wants to get something or do some¬ 
thing for you. If you are of an especially 
nervous nature 10 to one you'll cry. Then 
your nose will look redder than ever, and 
your caller will look cooler and sweeter than 
ever. (That is always the way!) You’ll mur¬ 
mur something about a headache, which 
won’t be a falsehood either, for in all proba¬ 
bility you will feel as if a dozen blacksmiths 
were at work inside of your cranium, trying 
to finish up a contract immediately. You 
don’t eat much—“ Jack ” knows something 
is wrong, but can’t tell what, so he doesn’t 
eat much either. After tea you chat a little, 
then your visitor really does go. Perhaps 
you and “Jack” must take her home or to 
the cars. It will be safe to say that you don’t 
much regret her going, and it will also be 
safe to add that you won’t yearn for her com¬ 
ing again in a hurry. 
Now if she had accepted your invitation to 
tea, you would have excused yourself for a 
few moments, gone and instructed “Bridget,” 
or in the absence of the latter, you would 
have attended to the fire, put the kettle on so 
that it might boil by the time you were ready 
for it. Then, just before it was time for 
“Jack” to come, your guest might have come 
into the dining-room while you arranged 
the table. But, when she was going every 
instant, how could you do anything? When 
“Jack” did come, in the latter case, tea 
would be ready. You would all sit down to¬ 
gether and have a merry chat. You would 
be in your normal condition, and would 
doubtless say to “ Jack ” when your visitor 
had gone: 
“ Don’t you think Miss Blank a pleasant 
girl? We’ve had such a delightful time, that 
I hope she’ll soon come again.” 
Of course, all I’ve been saying applies only 
to people in moderate circumstances, yet this 
very practice is often disagreeable even in 
wealthier circles. It is said of M’me de Stael 
that even she, though eloquent and refined to 
the highest degree, failed just here. She 
never knew when to stop talking, or when to 
go. It is related of her that while traveling 
through the continent she one day at break¬ 
fast announced to a lady where she was visit¬ 
ing, her intention of leaving that day. Her 
carriage was ordered, but she had started a 
new theme and talked incessantly till lunch¬ 
eon. Th a n, of course, she was invited to re¬ 
main and lunch with them. She did so. Af¬ 
ter luncheon she still kept on talking till it 
was almost dinner time. Her host and hostess 
could do nothing less than press ner to stay 
and dine also. This she did and the conversa¬ 
tion begun at the dinner table lasted till it 
was too late for her to go that night. She 
was invited to remain over-night. She con¬ 
sented, and her carriage, which had stood at 
the gate all day long, was dismissed. 
You may be bright, witty, and entertain¬ 
ing, but perhaps you entertain yourself more 
than others. Listen sometimes as well as talk. 
Another word or two about visiting before 
I stop: If you go to spend any length of time 
— a few days or a week—among friends or re- 
latves in moderate circumstances, where the 
mother or daugntermust assist with household 
duties, do not sit with idly folded hands, but 
assist where you can. You can attend to your 
own room, wipe the dishes, dust up the parlor 
or dining-room, etc. In this way the work will 
be done sooner and you will all have more 
time for social intercourse and enjoyment 
A visitor always makes more or less work, and 
unless your hostess is able to afford to keep a 
servant, or servants, to do this work, she, her¬ 
self must do it. 
To be sure the honor of your visit, as I once 
heard a young girl say, may recompense her; 
but it seems to me that I would simply make 
a formal call (if I went at all) when I felt my¬ 
self so much superior. But any girl with 
common sense, or, as the old-fashioned people 
say, “ mother wit,” will soon learn what she 
may or may not do. Now, assisting in one 
thing, and prying about and being officious 
is another thing all together. 
It is well, perhaps, for children to visit, as 
it throws them in contact with other people, 
and “ smoothes down the corners,” but I 
would advise mothers to let it be short, unless 
there is an older person along to take care of 
them—But I am wandering from my theme! 
This uncertain, wavering way that so many 
of our girls and women have about wasting 
time, is what goes a great way towards mak¬ 
ing society such a hollow pretense of friend¬ 
ship. I do not see (though no doubt I’m a 
heathen), why 1 should call or go anywhere 
where I do not care to go. There’s one thing 
about me,however,that may always be depend¬ 
ed upon at any rate: I never ask anyone to 
come and see me unless I want him or Iyer to 
do so. People so often say: “ Come and see 
me,” while all the time they hope you won’t 
do it. I was visiting a friend a short time 
ago when another lady called. She stayed 
only a litle while. When she was going my 
hostess said: “ I’m sorry you can’t stay any 
longer, but come soon again.” 
When the lady had gone I said: “Why I 
thought you didn’t like Mrs. X—?” 
“ Well, I don’t!" she replied. “ In met,'I 
detest her, but I had to invite her to come 
again for decency’s sake." 
I didn’t see it exactly. At any rate I deter¬ 
mined to cut my visit short. I was having a 
very delightful time, but after that speech I 
could not help feeling that perhaps I was b«- 
ing pressed to stay for “ decency’s sake.” I 
haven’t gone there since, though I’ve received 
several invitations, and shall not go very 
often, for the knowledge that this lady, whom 
I had always cared for as a friend, was so de¬ 
ceitful in one instance prompted me to fear 
that she might be so in my case. It does 
really seem at times as if— 
“This world Is all a fleeting show. 
For man's illusion given. 
Tho smiles of Joy, the tears>f woe, 
Deceitful shine, deceitful flow— 
There’s nothing true but Heaven.” 
Put in order the room you have been sitting 
in, before retiring for the night. 
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W E have kept our hams perfectly through 
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in the spring in clean, sweet hay and keeping 
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Although I am the dish-washer of the 
household, I have kept my hands presentable 
by rubbing them with lemon juice and oat¬ 
meal. MISS K. G. H. 
Oub currant shrub is a perfect success this 
year. The juice was prepared the same as 
for jelly, except that it was boiled only 10 
minutes. Bottle and cork when hot. Use 
small bottles. When wanted, use one-third of 
the juice to two parts of ice-water. We have 
found this a refreshing drink. mrs e. c. 
GOLD MEDAL, PARIS, 1878. 
W. BAKER & CO.’S 
Breakfast Cocoa 
Is absolutely pure and 
it is soluble. 
No Chemicals 
are used in its preparation. It has more 
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W. BAKER & CO., Dorchester, Mass. 
We think that steamed quinces served with 
powdered sugar and cream are excellent 
either as dessert at dinner or as a tea dish. 
MRS. I. B. 
EPPS’S 
CRATEFUL-COMFORTINC. 
Velvet ribbon will be much used for trim¬ 
ming dressess this winter. 
COCOA 
FRIED TOMATOES. 
Peel and cut in half-inch slices, salt and 
pepper, dip in wheat flour then in beaten egg 
and fry in hot drippings. 
BAKED TOMATOES 
Select firm good sized fruit. Cut a round 
piece from the top of each and with a spoon 
remove two-thirds of the inside. Fill the 
cavities with dry bread crumbs (very fine) 
seasoned with butter, pepper and salt and 
minced parsley and onion, if liked. Arrange 
in a tin, add a lump of butter and a little hot 
water and cook in a moderate oven for tbree- 
qrarters of an hour, basting frequently. 
Cook the pulp taken from the tomatoes 10 or 
15 minutes, remove from the fire and when 
cool press through a sieve. Season with but¬ 
ter, pepper and salt and thicken with a little 
corn-starch. Just before taking the tomatoes 
from the oven, pour a little of the gravy over 
the dressing in each. When taken from the 
oven arrange on a flat dish and pour the 
sauce over. Serve at once. 
MRS. ECONOMY. 
PUMPKIN PIE. 
Steam the pumpkin until tender and when 
cool press through a colander. To a pint of 
the pumpkin add a spoonful of butter, a tea¬ 
cupful of sugar a, little salt and cinnamon to 
taste, a pint and a half of milk and a tea¬ 
spoonful of corn-starch worked smooth in a 
little milk. Bake with an under crust. As the 
thickening property of pumpkin varies, some 
judgment must be used in adding the milk 
MRS. K. i. 
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niucn in praise of this well-known medicine.” 
— Mrs. L. A. Stark, Nashua. N. H. 
Ask your druggist for 
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Prepared by Dr. J. C. Ayer & Co., Lowell, Mass, 
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HANSON’S 
MAGIC CORN SALVE. 
If your druggist does not keep It. do not let him con¬ 
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by mall to W. T. HANLON & f!0 , “Schenec¬ 
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PH ICE 15 and 45 CENTS. 
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