218 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE. 
LOG-CABIN SKETCHES; OR, JESSIE SEA- 
BRIGHT’S DIARY.—No. 4. 
MAT MAPLE. 
Self-Helpfnl Woman. 
March, 15,18—Evening. 
It i6 something less than a month since Mrs. 
White came for the first time to spend the 
day with me. 1 think it will be a day long 
to be remembered; to her do I owe the sug¬ 
gestion, “Help thy neighbor, and in so-doing 
thou shall help thyself.” Slie is riot without 
means, as so many are. But she has not one 
bit of ingenuity in her make-up. She cauuot 
make herself comfortable without going di¬ 
rectly to the market, upholsterer and mautua- 
maker; and in this country none of these is 
to be found. She knows nothing of self-reli¬ 
ance and is therefore dependent almost en¬ 
tirely upou hired help, and servants are not 
always prudent, especially with other people’s 
property. I had heard of this lady long be¬ 
fore I became acquainted with her; and some¬ 
times had been selfish enough to wish that she 
were a near neighbor—she lived several miles 
from us—for I believed we might help each 
other. 
She had not been in the house an hour be¬ 
fore she 6aid: “Mrs. Seabright, I wish you 
and your husband would come to my house 
and make me a couple of easy-chairs, like 
your6. I see you have half-a-dozeu good 
enough for the President. I think your John 
must ho a pretty good carpenter.” 
I very soon informed her that John had 
nothing to do with the manufacture of my 
easy -chairs. 
“ But you don't make the frames yourself?" 
When told they were old barrels and boxes, she 
fairly shook with laughter. 
“Well, if you will come and make me a 
couple, I’ll give you a dozen yards of good 
calico, and more if that does not pay you. I 
haven’t had so comfortable a seat since we left 
our home in Ohio, two years ago.” 
Of course, I said that I would help her in any 
way I could. Yesterday I had an opportunity 
to ride over to Mrs. White's, and when I came 
away she bad two handsome easy-chairs, aud I 
was rich with my twelve yards of new 
calico and a bundle of half-worn clothes to 
make over for Bertie when he should need 
them, and some old, bright flannels which she 
said I could aud w ould find use for; while if 
she kept them, they would be m thfe way and 
furnish food for the moths. 
To-day I have made a lounge. Almost every 
day I thank my “lucky star ’’ that I was a so- 
called hoiden in my youth; and learned, with 
my brothers, to use tbe hammer, axe and saw\ 
How I wish girls were more frequently en¬ 
couraged to use the tools of the carpenter and 
the farmer, instead of being ridiculed if they 
show any aptitude in driving a nail or spading 
a bit of grouud. But my lounge! First a half- 
dozen slicks of wood, which chanced to be 
bird’s-eye maple, were selected from the wood- 
pile. These were about fourteen inches long, 
and after they w T ere hewn off smoothly, were 
about two inches square. These made three 
legs to each side; for, in the absence of boards, 
the rest of the frame must be made from my 
pile of “ shakes " that was growing beautifully 
less; and, of course, it would take two lengths 
for a side, one at each end, and one in the 
middle for a brace. These pieces were nailed 
firmly to the legs; then some strips or cleats 
were placed lengthwise inside, an inch or tw r o 
lower down than the top of the frame to serve 
as slats, which were also made of the shakes, 
sawed the right length, aud then tacked to 
their places, aud the frame was completed. 
Bertie claps his hands and hurrahs for “mam¬ 
ma's ’ittle bed-’ted.” 
A tick was quickly made of a coarse sheet; 
and then Bertie and I took a stroll down to the 
woods, basket and tick in hand; for I had 
neither sea-grass, hair, nor straw for a mat¬ 
tress. But there was plenty of nice loug moss 
growing on the north side of the old forest 
tree6. And this would make very good cush¬ 
ioning till we could raise some nice bright 
straw. The spring air was soft and balmy, 
and I fancied fragrant with the sweet odors of 
some far-off southern clime. My little boy 
and I really enjoyed the out-o’-door exercise ; 
tor while 1 gathered the long fringy moss from 
the stiff old dowagers and their liege lords, 
Bertie managed to put quite a quantity into 
the wide-mouthed sack ; and it was not long 
ere we returned, he with the basket, and I 
with a well-filled cushion, which I doubted not 
might need refilling several times before the 
harvest. Now for the covering. My new 
calico was a neat, small figure with a brown 
ground, and would correspond very well with 
my chair covers. Two yards were torn off 
and then cut in two lengthwise for the valance. 
The raw edge was turned down, then laid in 
plaits and tacked to the upper edge of the frame 
work; another piece was torn off nearly the 
length of the tick and a 6trip six inches wide 
was sewed on around the breadth; the lower 
edge was fastened to the under side of the 
cushiou with strong thread after the cover 
was put smoothly over it. When it was all 
completed, I viewed my handiwork with a 
good deal of satisfaction, and I must say pride. 
It was strong, looked neat and comfortable, 
and I knew it would be an excellent resting- 
place. And oh! how many times it would 
save me from mouuting the ladder with Bertie 
iu my arms, to put him to bed on a hot sum¬ 
mer day. Oue thing still is lacking, aud that 
is a pillow. I will make that to-morrow if 
the weather keeps fine, so that Bertie and I 
can go out to the woods for more moss. 
“ Jessie, why didn’t you make this comforta¬ 
ble piece of furniture a long time ago?” says 
John, as lie awakes from his evening nap and 
stretches full-length upou the lounge. “ If j-ou 
have any more such pleasant surprises, bring 
them along. 1 expect to come home some 
night from the woods and find our log cabin 
turned into a paluce.” 
SOME OF THE MANY WAYS TO COOK 
SPINACH. 
No. 1.—Wash and cook twenty minutes iu 
salted water aud then drain and chop fine. Put 
into a pan over a slow fire with a tablespoonful 
each of butter aud cream, with pepper and salt 
to taste; stir coustantly while heating. Turn 
over thin slices of buttered toast. 
No. 3.—Boil, drain aud chop same as iu No. 
1 .; put back on the stove, with a spoouful of 
butter, and pepper arid salt to taste; beat until 
hot aud turn into a deep dish; cover with a 
dressing of the yelks of four hard-boiled eggs, 
rubbed and mixed to a paste, with a table¬ 
spoonful of melted butter, oue of cream, aud 
lastly one of viuegar. Spread this dressing 
over the top aud garnish with a border of ring¬ 
ed whites. 
No. 3.—While the spinaeh is boiling prepare 
a teacupful of butter beaten to a cream, after 
which add the raw yelks of two eggs, salt aud 
pepper and a teaspoonful of made mustard; 
mix thoroughly aud add a teacupful of thick 
cream. Stir this dressing with the chopped 
spinach; return to the fire to heat, beiug care¬ 
ful to take off just as soon as hot, that the egg 
may not separate. 
No. 4.—Cook twenty minutes, drain and 
chop fine; return in a sauce-pan to the fire, 
with a tablespoonful of butter and three of 
good gravy; salt aud pepper to taste. Stir 
lightly until quite dry; then fill egg-cups, 
which have first been dipped into hot water, 
with the mixture ; press down aud turn upon a 
flat dish. Place a slice of egg upou each eup- 
shape. Mary B. 
-- 
COFFEE EXTRACT. 
Alluding to our remarks ou the above 
named extract in Rural of last week, a friend 
sends us the following : 
“Essence of Coffee.—A highly concen¬ 
trated infusion of coffee, prepared by percola¬ 
tion with boiling water, gently and quickly 
evaporated to about £ or % its bulk, and mixed 
with a thick aqueous extract of chicory and 
sirup of burnt sugar, so as to give the whole 
the consistence of treacle. The proportions of 
the dry ingredients should he: coffee, 4 parts; 
chicory, 3 parts; burnt sugar, 1 part. It should 
be kept iu well corked bottles in a cool place. 
This resembles the advertised essence of Dunn 
and other makers. It is convenient for extem¬ 
poraneous coffee; but the beverage so made is 
inferior iu flavor, aroma and piquancy to that 
made at home.” 
Another. — “Seakle’s Patent Coffee.— 
This is prepared by evaporating skimmed milk 
mixed with 1-40 part of sugar, at a low tem¬ 
perature, and, when nearly solid, adding a 
very concentrated essence of coffee, and continu¬ 
ing the evaporation at a low temperature (in 
vacuum if possible) until the mixture ac¬ 
quires the consistency of sirup, (Coffee Sirup) 
paste (Coffee Paste;, or candy (Coffee Candy.) 
The last may be powdered, (Coffee Powder, 
Dry Essence of Coffee).” 
-- 
BARLEY FOR BUCKWHEAT. 
Mrs. Col. F. D. Curtis, of Kirby Home¬ 
stead, writes as follows to the N. Y. Tribune: 
“ Bannocks o bean meal, bannocks o’ barley: 
Hey ! for the Highland man’s bannocks o' bar¬ 
ley !” Burns believed in barley cakes, aud so 
do we. It is now tfme to put buckwheat aside, 
and there is no better substitute than bailey. 
They are light aud wholesome. Dyspeptics 
who cannot digest buckwheat cakes, have no 
trouble with barley. They can be eaten all 
summer. Every farmer ought to sow a couple 
of acres in order to have barley flour, which 
will make a good saving in the cost of wheat, 
besides being more wholesome, especially for 
children. Barley and oatmeal are staples in 
every Scotchman's home, and help to make 
the stalwart forms and rosy cheeks which 
characterize the men and women of that land. 
Barley biscuit are nice aud more healthful for 
supper than those made of wheat. Flour (the 
Colonel says so) win be high another year, and 
this spring is the time to prepare to supple¬ 
ment it with barley.” 
-»■» »- 
QUESTIONS ANSWERED. 
Scrambled Eggs and Mending Crockery. 
Will you please give me through the col¬ 
umns of your department recipes for the 
above. Annie Hopkins. 
Ans.— For scrambled eggs; Have a frying- 
pan hot and buttered; break half a dozeu eggs 
into a fiat dish and carefully slip, without 
breaking the yelks, into the hot pan; sprinkle 
over a very little salt and add apiece of butter 
the size of a walnut- When the eggs begin to 
whiten, stir carefully from tbe bottom until 
cooked to suit. Care must be taken not to 
have the pan too hot. The mixture when 
done should be in large flakes of mingled 
white and yellow. Three tablespooufuls of 
rich cream may be substituted for tbe butter. 
To mend crockery: Lime aud the white 
of an egg mixed thoroughly together make 
one of the strongest cements as also one of 
the easiest to apply. Shave off a small quan¬ 
tity of lime aud mix only enough with the 
egg to mend one article at a time. Apply 
quickly to the edges and place firmly together 
when it will very soon set and be strong. 
Blue ou Cotton. 
I took the recipe for coloring blue on cotton 
to my brother, who Is a druggist, and ho did 
not know which of the two kiuds of prussiate 
of potash to use. Will you please tell me ? 
M. I. M. 
Ans. —Yellow. 
fUlus uf ijjc ®wlt. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
Monday, April 14,1879. 
On Friday the 4th inst., subscriptions to the i per 
cent, loan amounted to $59,000,000, enough to re¬ 
deem all the outstanding 5-20, 6 per cent, bonds. 
On Jan. 1st last, there were outstanding of the 
latter $350,000,000, and all these have now been 
replaced by bonds at 4 per cent. Interest, making 
an annuaL saving of about $7,000,000 to the coun¬ 
try in its Interest account. The army appropria¬ 
tion bill has passed the House with that *• rider” 
prohibiting the presence or IT, S. troops at the 
polls. It wiu undoubtedly pass the Senate too. 
Then will the President veto It on account of its 
*• rider ?” And if so, will Congress refuse to grant 
i^oney to pay the army, and In that way cause Us 
collapse ? These are exciting questions lor politi¬ 
cians, but the country at large seems pretty confi¬ 
dent that In any ease, the nation Ls in little or no 
danger. As surmised here live or six weeks ago, 
Andrew D, White, president or Cornell University, 
has been nominated to succeed Bayard Taylor as 
our Minister at Berlin. Ills appointment has flben 
confirmed by the Senate and gives general satisfac¬ 
tion. Clarence King has been appointed aud con¬ 
firmed as Director of the newly-created Geologi¬ 
cal Survey, whose object It ls to thorougly ex¬ 
plore and map out all the geographical Ieatures 
of the country, especially of the Great West. 
That Advisory Board of officers appointed to In¬ 
vestigate the grounds on which Gen. Fitz-John 
Porter was brought In as guilty ot misbeha vior in 
the field aud consequently cashiered away back 
In 1862, has officially reported that lus conduct 
during the Pope compaign was In every way 
praiseworthy and that he contributed largely to 
the salvation of the army. The evidence and 
“ finding” reflect severely on Gen. Pope and still 
more so on Gen. McDowell. 
One of the most remarkable social phenomena 
of the rimes is the exodus of negroes westward 
from some of the Southern £ tales. Hitherto the 
movement has been chiefly confined to Louisiana 
and Mississippi, but It Is rapidly spreading iuto 
other Southern states, and especially into those 
sections where bull-dozing ls reported to have been 
practiced at elections, in the Pelican state whole 
parishes are denuded of their best laborers, plant¬ 
ers are unable to obtain advances from their fac¬ 
tors owing to the uncertainty or their being able 
to raise a crop through lack of laborers; real 
estate ls rapidly depredating from t he same cause, 
and embarrassment and ruin are stating the help¬ 
less planters in the tace. Fully 5,ooo colored emi¬ 
grants are reported already to have passed through 
St. Louis on their way to Kansas, and this ls 
deemed merely the commencement of the move¬ 
ment. 
In some parts of the South a species or mania 
appeals to nave seized upon the colored popula¬ 
tion Impelling them to quit the hind of their 
bondage and to seek elsewhere the Promised 
Land which they at present seem to think located 
somewhere in Kansas. Numerous causes have 
contributed to this hegira. There has been a 
glut of labor, In comparison with capital to utilize 
It, tu some parts of the south for years, hence low 
wages; among planters there lias been a great re¬ 
luctance to break up large estates, so that the 
negro might get a chance to own a roof-tree and 
garden patch of Ids own; In many cases the rents 
eliarged to colored men have been ruinously high 
so that after a year's hard work and scanty ra¬ 
tions, nothing ls left to reward their toll and econ¬ 
omy; retail dealers have been in the habit of 
charging exhorbiuant prices for poor merchandise, 
their greed being limited only by ability of the 
negro customer to pay; all chance of social ameli¬ 
oration of their condition is nearly everywhere 
denied them; political troubles often endanger 
their lives, and the dread of them ls a constant 
disturber of their peace. For all these reasons 
it ls only natural that In their ignorance they 
should be willing to flee from the evils which they 
know of in search of the blessings which they 
hope for. 
Then, again, there is ample reason for believing 
that the exodus has been strongly stimulated by 
disreputable tricksters who hope to make money 
out of It. and by unscrupulous politicians who de¬ 
sire to make political capital from It. The former 
are still proiuLslng those “ forty acres and a mule ” 
which have been the negro’s hope since the late “ on- 
pleasantness,” and the latter are urging him west¬ 
ward In order to lessen the population of the South 
by the time the census ls taken next, year, and so 
diminish the number of Congressmen from that 
section. Kansas is reported to be making exertions 
to afford ready employment to the swarms of negro 
immigrants. A National Emigrant Aid Society 
has been established In Washington, under the 
auspices of a number of “stalwart ” Republicans, 
to encourage the emigration and aid the emigrants. 
Branch offices will probably soon be opened else¬ 
where, and a vigorous effort made to depopulate 
the strongholds of democracy in the South and 
“ colonize " with stanch Kepubllcans weak demo¬ 
cratic sections In the West. 
FOREIGN. 
In England the reduction of wages ls still being 
steadily enforced by employers iu spite of the 
fierce opposition ot workingmen. The former 
Insist that to presevere the trade of the country 
they must, manufacture goods cheaply enough to 
be able to compete in prices with those made 
elsewhere, especially by the cheap labor of Bel¬ 
gium, Germany and France, and by the machinery 
of this country. The men say cut down the pro¬ 
fits of manufacturers and middlemen but leave 
the producers the bare livelihood they now get. 
Upwards of 30,000 coal hewers are now on strike, 
but the distress among them ls so great that they 
must soon resume work on any terms. Agrlcul- 
tul ists also are In a sorry plight, farms are going 
begging for tenants to work them and within the 
past year upwards of l.uoo ,000 acres have gone 
out of cultivation. Heavy snows still prevent 
active operations out in Afghanistan. Negotia¬ 
tions are still in progress with Yakoob Khan, but 
making slow headway. On tbe advent of milder 
weather some lively fighting is expected as It ls 
not thought likely that the Khan, will submit 
without at least one defeat, aud the half-savage 
mountaineers la rear of the British are reported 
to be ready to fall on them so soon as active op¬ 
erations are renewed. Down in 7 11 Inland about 
5,000 Zulus fell upon a supply train ot 105 English 
and killed nearly all of them. Col. Pearson ls 
still surrounded by vast masses of Celywayo’s 
followers, and although a relieving force ls being 
burned forward as rapidly as possible, fears are 
entertained that it may arrive only alter another 
massacre. PVT contra cetywayo’s brother with 
300 followers, has unconditionally surrendered to 
the British, 'the Zulu ruler years ago, killed the 
rest of His brothers, lest they should aspire to his 
sovereignty', and he lsnow probably sorry he didn’t 
kill this oue also, as the submission was probably 
prompted by a hope that the British may sub¬ 
stitute him for his brother as ruler of the country 
after the latter has been crushed. 
A vote of censure against six Bar tie Frere, whose 
hasty action brought on the Zulu war, aud against 
Lord Chelmsford, to whose military incapacity the 
British misfortunes are attributed, was Introduced 
during the week in the House of Commons, but 
Disraeli's Cabinet contrived to have it defeated, 
though by a smaller majority than they usually 
command. The Khedive has finally dismissed the 
Engilsh-Freuch-Egypllan Cabinet which has, for 
some time back, beeu endeavoring to extricate the 
country from the financial difficulties brought 
upon it by Its ruler’s extravagance. A ministry 
composed entirely of Egyptians has been appoint¬ 
ed in Its place. The English aud French govern¬ 
ments to whose subjects the country ls mortgaged, 
protest vigorously against the change as likely to 
lead soon to national bankruptcy. Under their 
Influence the Sultan, tne Khedive’s suzerain, ls 
disposed to remove him and appoint his brother to 
rule In his stead. Some years ago, however, the 
Khedive paid a large sum to the Porteforattrman, 
guaranteeing to his descendants the government 
Of the country, and at present It would seein like a 
breach of good faith to recall this Arman without 
refunding the price paid for It. But, after all, no 
dishonesty or lack of good lidth seems to deserve 
surprise or Indignation in oriental affairs. It ls 
also supposed that Russia and Germany, chiefly 
through the Instrumentality of Italy, are strength¬ 
ening the Khedive’s backbone In Ills opposition to 
the demands of hls English and French creditors. 
Herman. 
-- 
Balmy sleep, good digestion, rich blood, elastic 
step and cheerfulness in Hop Bitters. 
The Perfume of a Hemisphere. — 
Throughout, an area occupied by more than one 
bundled millions of civilized beings, Murray and 
Lanman’s Florida Water Is to-day the standard 
perfume in society. 
Sore Throat, Cough, Cold, and Simi¬ 
lar troubles, If suffered to progress, result In seri¬ 
ous pulmonary affections, oftentimes Incurable. 
•• Browns BronolUal Troches” reach directly the 
seat or the disease, and give almost Instant relief. 
25C. a Box. 
-•-*-♦- 
Breeders of Fine Dairy Stock 
Should at once Investigate the perfect creamer 
advertised In another column. It will enable them 
to realize the largest possible yield per cow, and 
thus enhauce the value of their stock as well as 
Increase the value of the product. 
Makers of Ollt-Edge Butter 
Or those that desire to become such should use 
tue perfect creamek, advertised In another col¬ 
umn. Butter made by its use, ls always rated Gilt 
Edge, and commands ready sale and an extra price. 
