Domestic (Earaomg. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE. 
LOG-CABIN SKETCHES; OR, JESSIE SEA- 
BRIGHT’S DIARY.—No. 9. 
MAY MAPLE. 
September 24, 18—. 
How the weeks glide by; and oh ! such busy 
ones! I often wonder now so many of my 
neighbors can find time to visit 60 much, and 
then complain of beiug lonely if they are com¬ 
pelled to remain with their families for a day 
or two. My time is so fully taken up that I 
never think of being louely. Yet I enjoy the 
society of my friends most intensely when I 
am privileged to meet them. 
For the last few weeks all my spat e time has 
been employed in making a pair of white bed¬ 
spreads. I used the heaviest sheeting, bleach¬ 
ing it myself till it was pearly white. I 
marked one in diamonds and the other in 
checks an inch wide. Then I tied in coarse 
knitting cotton so that it looked like little 
halls of fringe. The spreads were really 
pretty, and the material tor the pair cost only 
$1.50. This I earned picking berries and sell¬ 
ing them to those of my neighbors who had 
either no strength or time for such work. A 
week or two ago John invited, me to go over 
to Mr. White’s. So I took one of my counter¬ 
panes and rolled it up into a snug parcel, and 
carried it. to Louise for a proseut. 
I think I never saw anyone more pleased 
with a costly gift than sho was with my hum¬ 
ble offering. Of course we enjoyed the visit, 
as we always do, and had mauy a merry laugh 
as we looked about the cosy home, finding so 
many counterparts of the “Seabrigbt Cabin." 
Soon after our entrance to the house, Mrs. 
White called my alien lion to some improve¬ 
ments her husband had made quite recently; 
for instance, a flight of stairs in place of the 
ladder. 
“Oh! that is nice," said I. “1 wish Mr. 
White would let his mechanical cloak rest on 
John’s shoulders for awhile, for that is just 
what we need so much.’’ 
“ Why," said John, who was standing - uear, 
“ I thought my wife was a boru carpenter, and 
I have been looking for those stairs to make 
their appearance for the last six mouths.” 
“ That being the case, you shall not look in 
vain much louger,'’ said I. 
But how the work was to be accomplished 
was more than I could tell. And for the next 
ten days I thought of but little else. There 
was no way that I could see for getting the 
material, lor my purse was nearly empty—no 
new thing—and there seemed no way of re¬ 
plenishing it. 
Yesterday morning I had scarcely finished 
my work whcti our friends, Mr and Mrs. 
White, drove up to the door, with what ap¬ 
peared to be a wagon-load of lumber. And, 
sure enough, when Mr. White came in, he 
brought in a flight of steps, and told Louire to 
move the ladder out of his way. In half an 
hour the stairs were placed and the partition 
boards up. Of course, Louise and I bad not 
been silent all tbis time ; but when the work 
was all done, Mr. W hite turned to me, with a 
low bow and mock gravity, and said: “Ac¬ 
cept this little service from your friend Louise 
and her other half, as a token of sw f ect remem¬ 
brance for your own kind deeds," We both 
laughed at bis dignified speech, but the tears 
would come to my eyes as I thanked them most 
heartily for this unexpected gilt. 
When John came iu an hour later, he de¬ 
clared there must have been conjurors about 
the house; and at night, when he went up¬ 
stairs to bed, he thought our preseut really 
worth having; he had never thought there was 
so much difference. 
Ah! he had not been obliged to climb that 
ladder twenty times a day, bundles and boxes 
in band, and at the same time holding up 
dress skirts from beneath the feet, or he prob¬ 
ably would have found, long ago, that a lad¬ 
der in the house for a woman to climb was not 
a convenient thing. 
-♦-♦--*- 
A LITTLE GIRL’S CLOTHING. 
E. K. K. 
I have just been dressing my little nine- 
year-old daughter in her winter clothing, 
which I have been at work on for several days. 
She and I are so delighted with the suit that I 
am tempted to describe it for the benefit of 
other mothers, who may be as ignorant as I 
once was of making clothes iu the most health¬ 
ful and comfortable manner. 
First comes a high-necked and long-sleeved 
red flaunel chemise. The neck, which never 
is seen above the dress, is simply bound with 
plain red calico and the short opening down 
the front is also laced with that; but ike 
sleeves 1 button-hole-stiiehed in small scallops 
with red worsted, which would look a little 
neater in case they accidentally showed at the 
wrist. The binding, however, wears a little 
better for the neck. Next comes a long waist 
made of brown drilling (waist lining) fitted, 
but loosely, by seams under arms and on 
shoulders and buttoned up the back. On the 
lower edge, directly under each arm, is a 
button-hole into which one end of the stocking 
clastic is buttoned, tbo other end is fastened to 
the stocking by a buckle. There are two rows 
of buttons around the waist, the lower ones 
for the drawers, the upper ones to fasten the 
skirts upon, so that there might not be the 
slightest dragging upon the hips. 
If ail of the present mothers would take 
these precautions, to suspend the clothing upon 
the shoulders instead of the hips, would uotlhat 
he oue step toward insuring better health for 
the coming generation of women ? The 
drawers, of thick, firm flannel, are made long 
enough to reach underneath the stockings to 
the tops of the high-buttoned caif-skiu shoes. 
They are cut quite tapering, so as to fit rather 
snugly below the knee, (not to fill the stock¬ 
ings too much ), and are left open three or four 
Inches at the bottom, to allow drawing on 
easily. This opening is lapped together before 
pulling the stocking up. To avoid all clumsi¬ 
ness possible, the drawers are not hemmed, but 
are overcast with needle and thread. Ou best 
occasions a pair of muslin drawers tucked, 
puffed, or embroidered at pleasure, may be 
worn over these ; but they are unnecessary for 
“everyday." The skirt is butternut-colored, 
thick, home-made flannel, cut goring and 
trimmed with three rows of narrow, black 
braid just above the hem. The band at the 
top is made of 6troDg drilling with button¬ 
holes for attaching to waist. The bands to the 
drawers should also be made of strong cloth, 
Or they will be worn out before the flannel is. 
Her dresses are all cut after the Princesse pat¬ 
tern and made without much trimming, as 
large aprons nearly cover them. 
Gingham always seems the most suitable 
apron material, and yet my little girl loves best 
one made of bright, pink calico, which was 
her own selection at “our country store.” 
Children like pretty colors best, and why not 
indulge them .sometimes, even if it isn’t “ the 
fashion to wear ’em.” 
THANKSGIVING WINE AND BRANDY 
IN RECIPES. 
Mrs. Emily Maple: —I have been a reader 
of the Rural in all its departments and am 
especially lutorested in that conducted by you; 
for what woman or housekeeper is not ? In 
last week's number—Nov. 15—1 notice some 
Thanksgiving items. That from Clinton Co. 
Iowa I most heartily approved of, for it has 
always seemed to me a sinful waste of time 
and strength to spread such loaded tables be¬ 
fore our families aud friends upon Thanks¬ 
giving or any other day. Enough aud good 
is good enough. We are naturally a gonuau- 
riizing people, who cannot withstand tempta¬ 
tion of good things. In the same number of 
the Rural are mauy good and inviting 
recipes for Thanksgiving preparations. But 
the wine and brandy found in some of them 
are dangerous. If dangerous iu the saloon, 
surely they eauDot be lees so upou the home 
table prepared by the mother’s hand! Old 
appi t tes have been aroused and new ones 
formed, which have led to ruin, by the use of 
these articles in the preparation of food. 
Uncle Mark icfuses to publish a recipe for 
making wine, to which I call attention. 
If these few words may set some mothers to 
thinking of these things, my effort will not be 
lu vain. Yours, for tht general good, 
Mrs. E. W. Benedict. 
QUESTION i ANSWERED. 
Boxlon llrown Bread. 
Wanted —A good recipe for the above.— 
Geo. Henderson. 
Ans.— One heaping coffee-cupful each of 
Graham flour, rye flour, aud Indian meal. 
Sift all together, and mix thoroughly with two 
coffee-cupsfulof molasses, two of 6weet milk 
aud one of sour, a teaspoonful of 6alt, aud a 
dessert spoonful of soda. 
Pour into a buttered tin pail or form; the 
batter should not quite fill it, a6 it must have 
room to swell; cover tightly, place in a kettle 
of cold water, put ou and boil four hours, 
looking, from time to time, to see if the water 
is boiling away, and replenishing aLways with 
hot water. The water should not boil over 
the top of the form. Take the bread out at 
the end of the four hours, aud set with the lid 
off in the oven for about ten miuutes. This is 
to dry oft the outside steam aud form a tender 
crust. 
To Roast n Pig. 
Wanted —Directions for the above.— Mrs. E. 
Newton. 
Ans.— »See that the pig is well cleaned ; wash 
iu two or three waters—a little soda may be 
added to the first water; wipe dry inside aud 
out. 
Prepare a dressing of crumbs, seasoned with 
a little minced onion, two teaspoonsful of 
powdered sage, yelk of an egg, salt, pepper, 
and butter, and moisten with a little water. 
Stuff into his original shape. Sew up, place 
in a kneeling position iu a dripping-pau. 
skewering the legs iu place. Pour a little hot 
water in the pan. Baste once or twice with 
butter and water; afterwards with the gravy 
in the pan. Roa-t in a moderately-heated oven 
from two hours to two hours aud a half. To 
keep the skin from cracking, rub every few 
minutes with a rag dipped in melted butter. 
Garnish with parsley, or blanched celery tops. 
1 rtos at fljc Mcrli. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
Monday, Dec., 1.1879. 
A brief summary of the President's Message may 
be given as follows: The President congratulates 
Congress upon the success of resumption, but. 
takes tbe ground that unless the coinage of sil¬ 
ver dollars is limited, gold will Boon begin to flow 
out of the country and will be replaced by silver. 
He says that as it has been the policy of the gov¬ 
ernment, ever since the adoption of the constitu¬ 
tion. to pay all Indebtedness as soon as possible 
after It has been incurred, a sinking fund should 
he provided by which the public debt can be paid 
within some limited time. Very decided ground 
is taken in regard to polygamy in Utah. This 
Territory will soon demand admittance as a Stab?, 
and he recommends that polygamy be made a 
bar to suffrage and to the sitting on juries, and 
that the. test oath be used to ascertain the facts. 
Considerable space Is devoted to clvll-servlce re¬ 
form, and the Improved condition of the public 
service Is referred to, with the recommendation 
that a commission be appointed to consider the sub¬ 
ject and act as an advisory board. The President 
reports a very agreeable condition of affairs with 
all foreign nations. Be advices against reopening 
the question of transferring the Indians to the care 
of the army. He also gives renewed attention to 
the election laws, and urges that a sufficient sum 
of money be promptly appropriated to pay 
marshals for whose services congress at its last 
session refused to pay. 
From Boston we learn of the following sudden 
deaths:—William A. Heenoy, or Cambridge, while 
intoxicated fell down stairs last week aud broke 
Ills neck. James Woods, of Greenfield, shovelling 
sand was burled alive, the einbankmeut giving 
way. Charles Stevons, a bachelor farmer, of North 
Pond, aged 45, was found insensible In his barn. 
His skull was fractured. It ts supposed that he 
fell from the scaffold. He died. 
A terrible explosion of a portable saw mill oc¬ 
curred at Hush Creek, Indiana, last week. The 
mill was blown to atoms. Joseph Hanger, engi¬ 
neer, was struck by a piece or the holler and car¬ 
ried across the highway. The body was tound an 
unrecognizable mass, 'three school children near 
the mill, were cut and scalded, hut not fatally. 
Most of the mill hands were away at the time 
and escaped. The mill was old. Hanger, ou leav¬ 
ing home, Monday, said to Ids mother: “III be 
home Saturday, unless the old boiler blows up aud 
kills me.” 
The fools are not all dead yet. One day last 
week a young man named George L. Sherry of 
Brooklyn, attempted to commit suicide by shoot¬ 
ing himself in the left breast. He gave as the rea¬ 
son of this outrageous act, that he was suffering 
from ill health from which ho thought he could 
not recover. His wound may prove fatal. Another 
man, also of Brooklyn, uarned John 8. Francis, 
attempted to take his own life In the same maimer 
and on the same day. He may possibly recover. 
He could give no reasons for the act. 
The Smithsonian Institution has received from 
Professor Forester, of Berlin, the announcement 
ot the discovery by Pallsa, at Pola, November 24, 
1379, or a planet of the elevenlh magnitude, In two 
hours ten minutes right ascension, 15 deg. lo min. 
north declination, with a dally motion of to sec. In 
right ascension and one minute south. 
An enormous fire on the 25th ult. completely de¬ 
stroyed the stables belonging' - to the Eighth Ave¬ 
nue horse railway, situated at Eighth Avenue and 
49tli si reet, this city. The lire broke out about six 
o'clock In the morning, at which time there for¬ 
tunately were assembled a large number ot 
drivers and conductors at the stables ready to 
commence tbo day's work. There were about, l ,200 
horses In the stables, most of which were on the 
fourth floor, and In spite of all efforts about 260 
horses perished in the flames. Total loss 1150,000. 
most of which was covered by Insurance. 
One-half of the town of owensburg, Greene 
County, led., was destroyed by fire on the 20th. 
The Are originated In Burehom’s Hotel, which, with 
the greater part of the mercantile establishments, 
was destroyed. The population of Owensburg Is 
between three and four hundred. 
Treeless Iowa Is being transformed Into a forest- 
covered country, by a law which remits certain 
taxes for five years on every acre of fruit, and 10 
years on every acre ot forest trees planted and 
kept alive. Over 75,000 acres nt fruit and forest 
trees have been planted, and $ 200,000 have been 
remitted In taxes. The Poncas are now doing 
well In Indian Territory. Houses are built for 
many of them, and by the 1st ot January all will 
do supplied therewith. They have also become 
acclimated, and the health of the tribe has greatly 
Improved. Indian children are as blight and 
teachable as white children ot the same ages. Ex¬ 
clusive of the rive civilized tribes of Indian terri¬ 
tory, there are now over 7,loo children taught at 
agency schools. The live civilized tribes have 
6,260 children at school. 
The agent In charge of the While Earth Reser¬ 
vation In Minnesota reports to the Interior Depart¬ 
ment that the Chippewa Indians have made a very 
gratifying success of the expartment of raising 
sorghum In t hat part of the country. Twenty-live 
acres upon which the experiment was tried last 
season yielded 160 gallons of syrup per acre. The 
Cbippewas are much pleased with the Industry, 
and next year will plant 200 acres with sorghum. 
The agent reports that it will grow and ripen upon 
any lands capable of producing corn. The Chlp- 
pewas, about one thousand in number, who were 
all wild Indians ten years ago, have also this sea¬ 
son raised abundant crops ot grain and vegetables, 
and are reported to be happy aud contented. 
The South Carolina rice crop last year was a 
short one, 72,903 tlcrccs, but this season’s harvest Is 
estimated at si ,000 tierces—the largest since the 
revival of rice culture in 1S65. The annual acre¬ 
age is steadily Increasing, extending Inland and 
reclaiming abandoned coast plantations.—This 
year’s crop ot Louisiana sugar will realize $25,000.- 
000 , and it is expected that next season will see 
plantations In cultivation that have been waste 
places for years. 
Despatches from San Francisco have been re¬ 
ceived at New Bedford, and give some Interesting 
details concerning the Arctic whaling fleet. The 
Helen Mar brought home l.ino barrels of oil and 
1,600 pounds of bone. Captain Hlckmottsays that 
when he abandoned the bark Mercury ou October 
21. sbe was caught In the Ice just north of Herald 
Island, latitude 72 deg. 10 min. north, longitude 172 
deg. west, and at the time had on board 4,500 
pounds of tvory in addition to 1,000 barrels of oil 
and 900 pounds of bone. Ills wife and child were 
with him, and all were rescued by tbe Helen Mar. 
Tne Mercury’s freight was estimated to be worth 
$30,000 ; the vessel was only lusured for $ 40 , 000 . 
A despatch to the Galveston News from San 
Antonio states that a private letter dated Chi¬ 
huahua. Mexico, Nov. 14, says:—The Indians are 
reported as depredating the country 100 miles 
west of El Paso, Texas. A party of flfteen men 
went In pursuit, and followed the trail to the Can- 
deleria Mountains, where the Indians ambushed 
themselves all but one or two. When the news 
reached the town a strong party organized and 
started on the trail Arriving at the scene of the 
massacre they commenced to bury the dead, and 
while thus employed were fired upon and eighteen 
killed. The Indians apparently were armed with 
Sharpe’s rifles and supposed to bo frequenters ot 
the state’s reservation. A large force has been 
organized. 
Mr. WlllUanIL Vanderbilt, has sold 1.10,000 shares 
of New York Central railroad stock, equal to 15 
million dollars, to a syndicate ot foreign and do¬ 
mestic bankers. In an interview with a Herald 
reporter he stated In substance that he had learned 
that a strong public sentiment had been created 
against him for monopolizing railroads, and to 
appease this feeling In a measure, he had sold tbo 
above large amount or stock. The noted desperado 
Allen Palmer brother-lu-law of tbe equally no¬ 
torious James Coys, was recently captured In 
Texas. Palmer has been In the hands of the au¬ 
thorities before but have always managed to 
escape Justice. He Is known to have belonged to 
several desperate gangs, and Is charged with a 
dozen murders. 
In the Senate on Monday last, the only new 
member sworn In was ex-Governor Baldwin, of 
Michigan, in place of the late Zach. Chandler, six 
Congressmen were also worn In on Monday, name¬ 
ly—Horace Davis, Horace F. Pago, Komauldo 
Pacheco, republicans; and Campbell P. Berry 
(demoerat), of California; Waldo P. Hulelites 
(democrat), r.t New York, vice Smith (republican), 
deceased; W. o. Thompson (republican), of Iowa, 
vice Clark (republican), deceased. This will make 
a full house of 293 members, of whom tbe demo¬ 
crats have 150, the republicans 131 , greenbaokers. 
H, independent democrat (Or Felton) 1 . This 
gives the democrats a majority of seven over all. 
There are to-day more than 242,000 Government 
pensioners The amount of the year’s pensions to 
all pensioners Is $25,493,742; but the actual pay¬ 
ment Is millions In excess, because the newly- 
admitted eases have arrears of pension due. 
-- 
Eggleston Truss Co.— Gents:— Your Truss Is a 
perfect, support for my hernia. It has not come 
down for some time ; 1 am sure It ts getting well. 
It Is adjustable to every position of the body. I 
have tried a number of trusses, but I never lound 
one before that would serve mo. There Is quite a 
number of men around here that arc ruptured. 
They have been asking me about your Truss; of 
course I recommend It. Send me some bills tor 
them, and 1 w ill get their orders. Yours, 
Murray, Iowa. L. M. Walker. 
-- 
Dr. Pierce’s Extract of Smart-Weed Is a com¬ 
pound fluid extract of smart-weed, or water-pep¬ 
per, Jamaica ginger and other Ingredients known 
to be efficacious In curing colic, diarrhoea, dysen¬ 
tery, blood-flux, and kindred affections. It also 
breaks up colds, fevers, and Inflammatory attacks. 
Sold by druggists. 
-- 
The Youth’s Companion. 
For judicious editing, select and popular con¬ 
tributors, and sprightly, entertaining reading, tho 
Youth's Companion has no superior among the 
Youth's publications. It has twice the circulation 
or any similar publication, and unquestionably 
merits Its success. 
--♦ ♦ ♦- 
A Favorite Cough Remedy. — For Colds. Sore 
Throat, Asthma, Catarrh aud other diseases of the 
bronchial tubes, no more useful article can be 
found than the well-known “ Brown's Bronchial 
Troches" 
On account of the rise lu the price of iron, Os¬ 
good i t Co., of Binghamton will charge $40 for 
their scales on and after Janury 1st, isso. [See 
advertisement ] 
-» ♦ ♦- 
For General Debility and Prostration nop Bit¬ 
ters will do wonders. Prove it by trial. 
The most comfortable boot In town Is that with 
Lyon’s Patent Metallic Heel Stiffener 3 . 
