THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
747 
1889 
That woman is well-dressed, who is 
dressed appropriately for the time and place, 
as well as for her own circumstances in 
life. Even a strong, self-reliant woman 
feels more at her ease, and can better do 
herself justice when she knows her dress is 
not attracting attention by its outre ap¬ 
pearance. How much more, then, is this 
felt by the timid, shrinking woman, who 
requires the most favorable environment 
to bring out the luster of her character. 
And this principle applies with equal force 
to children. I know the great tendency is 
to overdress our girls, yet I also know some 
excellent mothers who go to the other ex¬ 
treme and endeavor to impress upon their 
children’s minds the idea that the old-fash¬ 
ioned theory—long ago exploded—“ that it 
matters not how one looks,” is true, and 
so are doing their susceptible, oversensitive 
children an irreparable wrong. 
An instance recently came under my im¬ 
mediate observation, where a boy of 16 
years of age, though a strong, sturdy, self- 
reliant and independent fellow, yet proved 
to be as sensitive at heart as a timid girl. 
His father had insisted, against his wishes, 
as a matter of economy, in purchasing him 
a frock coat for school, and when the child 
could endure it no longer, he confided, with 
apologies and blushes to the little mother 
that the sneers and jeers of his companions 
when he rose in the high school to answer 
the questions asked of him, were so cutting 
and confusing that he could not do himself 
justice in his studies. The world will soon 
enough knock off these sensitive corners 
without our assistance. 
To the woman compelled to study 
economy and dress herself and her family 
on a small allowance, the purchasing of 
materials becomes of first importance. 
Almost without an exception, it will be 
found most satisfactory to buy the best 
materials possible. It costs no more for 
lining and making a good, all-wool dress 
that will do excellent service for two sea¬ 
sons, and which can then be cut over for a 
child, than for a half-cotton one which will 
be faded and vulgar-looking before one 
season is half over. Very many goods 
which are needed annually or semi-annually 
in a family, such as standard cotton goods 
and all such as comes under the head of 
“notions,” can be very advantageously 
bought at wholesale of a jobbing house, 
and all materials should be purchased of 
large dealers. Shopping by mail is now so 
easy that the dweller in the most remote 
country town need never be compelled to 
pay country merchants such exorbitant 
prices as they usually ask on all but stand¬ 
ard goods. Illustrated catalogues and 
samples of all kinds of goods are freely sent 
out, and one can thus deliberately compare 
the different, kinds of goods and select ex¬ 
actly what she wants and be sure that the 
order will be carefully filled. 
There are also great opportunities for 
saving in buying goods after the liight of 
the season is over, as our merchants are 
fast learning that to dispose of their sur¬ 
plus stock cheaply is far preferable to let¬ 
ting the goods accumulate. For a trifling 
sum many a remnant of fine goods can be 
secured, which, in the form of collar, cuffs, 
vest and panel, will liven up many an old 
dress and make it really handsome. It 
used to be often advisable to have a dress 
nicely fitted by a professional maker, when 
making it yourself; but patterns can now 
be obtained which are so reliable as to fit 
any style, and so definitely explained, as to 
cut and make, that this is seldom now re¬ 
sorted to. In the hands of an ingenious 
woman, one of these patterns is capable of 
an almost unlimited amount of changing, 
so that several suits can oftentimes be 
made with but one pattern. Care should 
always be used in placing the patterns 
properly on the goods: all are plainly 
marked in this respect, and nothing stamps 
your work as unprofessional and bungling 
sooner than lack of careful attention to 
this point. 
It is good economy to get a yard more 
than is needed for a dress, as one almost 
invariably wishes to remodel it. But if you 
ever have fears about the quantity of cloth 
for a garment, lay it down and carefully 
place each part of the pattern as it must 
go, before puttiug your shears to the cloth. 
A fine and firm quality of silesia is prefer¬ 
able to a coarse, heavy one for waist and 
sleeve linings, and the former should be 
cut cross-wise of the goods, as this will pre¬ 
vent any stretching—and cause the gar¬ 
ment to retain its shape much better. 
Do not be tempted with making a sham 
skirt for any new dress, unless it is a heavy 
cloth one, and should be very careful that 
by no possibility will it show. Many a 
costume which looked well when draped in¬ 
doors, has, when subjected to out-of-door 
breezes, had its beauty totally spoiled by 
the sight of a contrasting “ sham.” 
A skirt form for draping over is one of 
the most efficient aids to home dress-mak¬ 
ing, as it relieves one person, and often two, 
of a hard, nervous strain. Sensible women 
of abundant means consider it wiser to 
have but few dresses at one time, and to 
wear them out while in style, thus often 
having fewer in number than many a vil¬ 
lage maiden thinks essential for her ward¬ 
robe. 
Because ultra fashionable people who 
have both the time and means for such 
wasteful extravagance, are again endeavor¬ 
ing to make trains stylish for the street, 
do not be enticed into making your one 
garment with such an appendage. Neither 
make an ample train on your simple tea 
gown, which must be worn on going into 
the kitchen, “up stairs and down stairs and 
in my ladies’ chamber,” because your 
wealthy friend K-s was beautiful in a dress 
of that style. Though old and trite the ad¬ 
vice, I must reiterate it—a nice quality of 
black silk is preferable to anything else 
for the one nice dress; for by the aid of 
trimmings and lingerie it can be made to 
do duty as full dress, semi-dress, or elegant 
simplicity. 
In the remaking of dresses careful atten¬ 
tion to details is, if possible, more essential 
to success than when making new ones. 
All garments should be carefully ripped 
apart and the stitches be taken out; then 
each must be either sponged or washed— 
and smoothly ironed. Sometimes, however 
the material is perfectly good, and requires 
only to be larger or smaller, longer or 
shorter and so on. A sleeve too tight at 
the shoulder may be made comfortable by 
inserting a Y-shaped gore, either plain or 
puffed, of similar or of contrasting mater¬ 
ial, and covering the seam with cord- 
gimp, etc. Sleeves that are short may be 
lengthened by piecing out the lining, and 
covering it with a plain or fancy cuff, or a 
puff of silk above a narrow wrist-band. A 
sleeve that is worn only at the elbow can 
be cut apart an inch or two and the worn- 
piece taken out and a bias puff inserted of 
similar or contrasting material. Skirts 
may be lengthened from the top and cov¬ 
ered by draperies; if the breadths are 
gored, each must be ripped apart, pieced 
down separately and then trimmed off and 
the different Darts sewed together again. 
Children’s skirts can often be lengthened 
by the addition of a flounce at the bottom 
or by setting in a band of insertion. A 
rent or a soil in a skirt can often be effect¬ 
ually covered by changing the style of the 
drapery somewhat or by covering with rib¬ 
bons, braids, gimp, etc., etc. 
Waists can often be made larger by in¬ 
serting a Y-shaped piece in the center of the 
back, after piecing out the lining, and a 
garment of wash goods is handsome made 
of all over embroidery. The same thing 
may be done in the front by piecing out the 
lining and then covering with a fancy vest 
of the desired width. The odd effect pro¬ 
duced by trimming the fronts of a basque 
unlike are not only stylish but sometimes a 
convenience in cutting out. 
It is even more essential when cutting 
over an old dress tlnin with new goods that 
one should carefully make her plans before 
commencing operations. By the exercise 
of ingenuity and good taste, two old dresses 
can often be combined in one new one with 
great success and at a very trifling cost. The 
domestic dyes are easily and successfully 
used and will freshen up many a faded gar¬ 
ment so as to look almost new. 
Nearly all colors will dye some shade of 
brown, and the different shades of blue 
make handsome greens when dipped in a 
yellow dye; drabs and light grays make 
handsome dark shades of red. In short, a 
great amount of satisfaction can be ob¬ 
tained both in the dyeing and remaking of 
dresses, painstaking attention to details 
being the price of success. 
KATHERINE B. J. 
NOT PLEASED WITH CHARITY; 
CLEANING A SEWING 
MACHINE. 
I AM glad that some one has protested 
against Charity Sweetheart’s tirades. 
I rather enjoyed reading her letters at first, 
though I did not necessarily believe that 
all those experiences happened to one per¬ 
son, and that that person would make 
them public. But afterwards I wondered 
at the R. N.-Y. for publishing such non¬ 
sense. I would not expect much kindness 
from my brother if I should make his 
faults public in that fashion, and he would 
be pretry apt to remind me that I had 
faults as well as he. It naturally makes us 
all a little indignant to have any one who 
pretends to have such refined tastes forget 
the common rule of doing as we would be 
done by to those who have the first claim 
for consideration from us. 
I would like to tell the Rural readers 
how I clean my sewing machine. I have a 
wide-mouthed bottle in which I keep kero¬ 
sene and a mucilage brush to apply it with. 
Of course all know that the kerosene must 
be wiped off after it has been thoroughly 
run in, and sperm oil applied. But the 
idea is that by keeping the bottle and 
brush for that very purpose, it is so much 
handier than going to the can and getting 
a little in a dish every time the machine 
needs cleaning. EMMA L. bliss. 
W.R & CO’S 
IMPROVED 
BUTTER 
COLOR 
ir YOU REALLY WISH 
to w too t« 7 bast Battei 
Color Ivor made; one that 
sorer tarn* rancid, always 
giree a bright, natural oolor, 
and will not oolor the butter¬ 
milk, ask for WtlU, Richard - 
ton <$■ Go's, and take no other. 
Sold everywhere. 
More of It Used than of 
all other makes combined. 
Send for our valuable circu¬ 
lars. Wells. Richakdso* 
I dc Co., Burlington, VL 
ICuburgIMI ^S 
COMBINING 5 ARTICLE 
FURNITURE IN 
We retail at the lowest 
.rhnlesale factory prices, and 
'hip goods to be paid for on 
delivery. Send stamp for 
('atalogue. Name goods desire 
LUItCltU MEG. CO.. U~ 
Aotomalle Brak© 
Coaehea FREE 
WHEEL (HAIRS 
TO HIRE. 
8PKCIAL FREE 
DELIVERY, 
rhlledelphla. Pa- 
Ice Cream at Home. 
Made cheaply and quickly 
by using a Triple Motion. 
White Mcuntain Freezer. 
Will freeze in half the time 
of any other Freezer and 
prducc Cream of the finest 
quality. 
White Mountain Treeter Co., 
134 Hollis St., Nashua, N.H. 
CLARA’S ORANGE PUDDING. 
Take four good-sized oranges, peel, seed 
and cut into small pieces. Sprinkle a cup 
of sugar over the pieces and let stand. Into 
a quart of nearly boiling milk stir two 
table-spoonfuls of cornstarch mixed with a 
little water and the beaten yelks of three 
eggs. Let cook for a few minutes, careful 
not to burn. When cool (you must beat it 
up from time to time) pour over the 
oranges. Make a frosting of the whites of 
eggs beaten and a half cup of sugar, and 
spread over the top of the pudding. Place 
in the oven for a few minutes to brown. 
AUNT ELIZA’S JUMBLES. 
Five eggs, two cups of sugar, one and a- 
half cup of butter. Prepared flour to make 
a soft dough. Flavor with lemon or vanilla. 
MRS. KATIE HOPPER. 
SALESMEN 
WANTED 
. __I few good meD to sell 
I our goods bv sample to the wholesale 
__I and retail trade. We are the largest 
manufacturers iu our line in the world. Liberal salary paid. Perm*- 
•eut position. Honey adTaneed for wages, advertising, etc. For full 
wmsaddr—• r • 1 Vfv. Co Chlcavo Til or Cine!nnail O- 
thc address of Isriies afflicted 
with SUPERFLUOUS 
H AIR. Two-cent stamp. 
m _ _ _ _ _ _ Mrs. Dr. M. E. Freeman, 
!)9 Stamford Street Boston Mass. 
I WISH 
^ev,Cookyour FOTATOES with the 
^PROFIT FARM BOILER 
With Dumping Caldron, emp¬ 
ties its kettle in one minute. The 
simplest and best arrangement for 
cooking food for stock. Also make 
Dairy and Laundry Stoves, 
Water and Steam Jacket 
Kettles. Hog Sealder*. Cal¬ 
drons. Etc. Send for circulars. 
D. R. SPERRY & CO. BATAVIA, ILL. 
Pi$ceUancou.$ gult'crti.sing. 
VERY OFTEN 
Life has been saved 
by a bottle of 
AYER’S 
Cherry Pectoral 
The best emergency 
medicine, it should be i 
within reach of every s 
one, young and old. 
“Several years ago, 
on a passage home 
from California, by 
water, I contracted so 
severe a cold that for 
some days I was con¬ 
fined to mv state-room, and a physician on 
board considered my life in danger. Hap¬ 
pening to have a bottle of Ayer’s Cherry 
Pectoral, I used it freely, and my lungs were 
soon restored to a sound and healthy condi¬ 
tion. Since then I have invariably used and 
recommended this preparation, and always 
with beneficial results.” — J. B. Chandler, 
Junction, Va. 
Prepared bv Dr. J. C. Ayer & Co., Lowell, Mass. 
Prica $1. Six bottles, $5. Worth $5 a bottle. 
AGENTS_ 
ami Farmers with no experience make 83.50 an 
hour duringsparetime. A. D. Bates. lt>4 W'.Rob- 
Dins Ave., Covington, Ky., made 821 one day. 
8*1 one week. So can you. Proofs and cata¬ 
logue free. J. E. Shepard & Co., Cincinnati, O. 
Bkkcham's Pills cure bilious and nervous ills 
General Advertising Rates of 
TEB RURAL NBW - TOREBR. 
34 PARK ROW, NEW YORK. 
The following rates are invariable. All are there¬ 
fore respectfully informed that any correspondence 
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The subscription price of the Rural New-Yorker 1 
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Agents will be supplied with canvassing outfit or 
application. 
EntertU at the Post-office at New York Chy. N £ . 
— tacond class mail matter 
PAINjTSj 
l/i— 
A QUESTION. 
M ISS S— and I were discussing Mrs. 
C—’s little girl, a pretty creature of 
three years, and Miss S— said: 
“ 1 don’t thiuk her mother is doing right. 
She is always saying: ‘ Speak lower, Cora,' 
and she never allows her to laugh or shout 
aloud at her play. I don’t think it is good 
for a child’s lungs never to use them in 
making loud noises.” Now, the little girl 
is a delicate child who takes cold very 
easily, though her careful mother dresses 
her sensibly. Will some one who knows, 
tell us who prize a low voice, whether we 
are iujuring our little one’s health to se¬ 
cure it? MRS. LEVI NILES. 
PI LLSSv. 
BOX 
G^MEDICINE -- - 
For Weak Stomach—Impaired Digestion—Disordered Liver. 
SOLD BY ALL DRUGGISTS. 
PRICE 25 CENTS PER BOX. 
Prepared only by TH0S.B EECH AH, St.Helens,Lancashire,England. 
B. F. 'ALLEN & COSole Agents 
FOR liyiTED STATES, 305 & 307 CAAAL ST., AEW YORK, 
Who (if your druggist does not keep them) will mail Beecham’s 
Pills on receipt of price —but inquire jirst. (Please mention this paper.) 
