432 
Bomtstir (finmomg. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE. 
LOG-CABIN SKETCHES; OR, JESSIE SEA- 
BRIGHT’S DIARY.—No, 7. 
MAT MAPLE. 
“ Be it over bo humble, there’s no place like home.” 
June 7th, 1879.—How forcibly these words 
struck me as I sauntered up the walk, leading 
my little boy, and closely viewing the thrifty 
plants my own hands tended with the most 
vigilant care. As my eye rested upon the little 
cabin, set down, as it were, in the midst of a 
green plain, with the dim old forest and its 
wealth of glossy leaves aud tassel-like blos¬ 
soms for a background, I could not help think¬ 
ing that, taken as a whole, the scene was a bit 
of rural loveliness worthy of an artist’s pencil. 
Stepping into the cabin through the wide- 
open door, and surveying the room with a 
critical eye, I was sure 1 need not be ashamed 
of my humble home, even though the Presi¬ 
dent and his lady wife should chance to call at 
my door. Since the last jottings in my journal, 
I had hung up some pretty engravings aud a 
couple of handsomely-tinted ehromos. The 
latter had been handsomely framed by one of 
our neighbors, who was a '* jaek-at-all-trades ” 
with a large family, and more ambition to 
whittle and “potter about ” thau to labor. I 
had tried to make some cone frames with 
pasteboard for a foundation, and failed m the 
attempt; for the cones and shells were con¬ 
stantly falling off. But the jack-knife frames 
were made of bits of cherry wood, and, when 
oiled and varnished, were as pretty as need be, 
and far more satisfactory than any cone ones 
I could ever make. In payment for these I 
made the little girls some dresses, The en¬ 
gravings were small—one a bit of mountain 
scenery. This I surrounded with an evergreen, 
which we call “Traveler’s ,Joy.” I never 
learned its botanical name. It grows in the 
form of a miniature tree, from six inches to a 
foot lu bight, uear swamps and damp places, 
and is much sought after in some rural dis¬ 
tricts for decorative purposes- I also made a 
cross of bits of cedar wood, aud covered it 
with the same evergreen. This I hung over 
the corner what-not. 
A portrait of Dickens was framed with a 
handsome wreath of immortelles, given me by 
friends. Some large fungi, found on old hem¬ 
lock and beech logs, when varnished, made 
handsome shell-like brackets for bouquets. 
The vases were wide-mouthed bottles or, taore 
frequently, beheaded bottles, set in odd-shaped 
boxos of my own manufacture. These, wheu 
tilled with sweet-scented wild flowers, that 
were kept fresh by an abundance of spring 
water, showed no jagged edges, aud together 
added wonderfully to the cheery appearance 
of the room. 
“ I know what I fink,” said Bertie, as be set¬ 
tled himself comfortably in his little “ resting 
chair.” 
“Well, what do you think?” said I. 
“I finks we have the p'ettiest home of any 
body. Mama, why don’t Mr. Brown’6 folks 
have lings too ?” 
I didn’t tell the little boy that Mrs. Brown 
had neither energy nor perseverance; or that 
she had rather sit down beside dingy walls to 
read sensational stories or gossip with some 
neighbor, than to spend time and strength in 
“fixing up” her house, and making it attractive. 
Yet l knew this to be the ease. And I did not 
so much wonder that the Browns were always 
so anxious to “sell out,” and go where they 
could see something new to talk about. Those 
who are so unwilling to exert themselves are 
very seldom content with their lot; and yet 
they invariably envy the neighbor who “has 
the knack" of “fixing up,” and of making the 
best of everything. 
-■•-*-♦- 
TO SKELETONIZE LEAVES. 
Select well-grown leaves, and examine care¬ 
fully to see if they be perfect before soaking. 
Put into an earthenware dish or wooden tub, 
keep covered with rain-water and stand in the 
suu. In from two to three weeks’ lime the skin 
and fleshy part—epidermis and parenchyma- 
will be found to be pulpy and decayed. Pro¬ 
vide yourself with some cards as large, or 
larger, than any of the leaves, a soft catnel’s- 
hair brush, as well as one a little stiffer. 
Gently float a leaf onto a card, aud with the 
soft, brush carefully remove the skin on one 
side. Have ready a pan of clear water, re¬ 
verse the card in the water aud slip it under 
the leaf so that the other side is uppermost. 
Brush this to remove the skin, when most of 
the parenchyma, or fleshy part will come with 
it, but if not it may generally be washed out 
in the water. If the soft brush fails to re¬ 
move all the green particles adhering to the 
framework, the hard brush may he used, but 
with great care. Any brushing action or hori¬ 
zontal motion will surely break the veins, and 
the use of the stiff brush can only be success¬ 
ful iu a perpendicular direction—a sort of 
gentle tapping—to loosen the tissue 60 that it 
may he washed out with the soft brush. Holly 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
JULY 5 
leaves make beautiful skeletons, but they 
should be soaked in a dish by themselves, as 
their spines are apt to damage the more deli¬ 
cate leaves. 
TO BLEACH. 
Prepare a weak solution of chloride of lime— 
dissolve one-half pound in three pints of rain¬ 
water, straiu, and use one part of solution to 
one of water—put into a basiu in which the 
skeletons may be put Ly floating them off the 
cards. We have found it best to prepare and 
bleach about half a dozen at a time. They 
require watching, and if allowed to remain iu 
the solution loo long will fall in pieces—from 
one to three hours will generally suffice. By 
aid of the cards, wash iu two or three clear 
waters, and finally leave in clean water half 
on hour. Then take up ou the cards or pieces 
of paper; arrange the skeletons as flat aud 
natural as possible with the assistance of the 
soft brush, and before they are qutte dry re¬ 
move from the paper aud place iu a book or 
>otanical press. 
The unskilled novice will uot be apt to be 
successful iu her first attempt to skeletonize, 
for it is a tedious operation, and requires care 
and great patience to obtain satisfactory re¬ 
sults. We have found the holly, English ivy, 
grape, rose and pear among those easiest to 
skeletonize, aud we recotumeud the beginner 
to try them. Gather the latter part of June, 
or as soon as the leaves are fully developed. 
- 
REMEDY FOR A COUGH. 
A friend tells us that a mixture of equal 
parts of Jamaica rum, honey aud linseed oil, 
taken three times a day, a spoonful each time, 
is a most excellent medicine for a cough. Iu 
her owu case, where the cough was brought 
on by an attack of pneumonia, she was en¬ 
tirely cured by its use. 
- 
DOMESTIC RECIPES. 
Steamed Pudding. 
Put two tablespoonfuls of sour cream into a 
pint basin; theu fill up with rich buttermilk; 
add a little salt, a teaspoonful of salaratus, 
aud flour to mix soft; roll out and spread with 
the preserves left from yesterday's tea. Place 
in a buttered tin aud steam one hour and a 
half. Eat with a sauce of butter, sugar and 
boiling water, thickened with corn-starch aud 
flavored with nutmeg. 
To Clean Zinc. 
Scour with sifted coal ashes; afterward rub 
with kerosiue. Kerosine also gives a new look 
to oilcloths. 
Sickness. 
When going to sit up with a sick neighbor, 
take your night luuch with you. that you may 
not make any more trouble for the already 
tired aud overworked family. In many cases 
I have found that it would ease the patient to 
bath in strong vinegar with a little warm water 
aud then wrap in soft flannel. Put the lights 
out of the room, aud, if possible, lie down 
yourself on a couch ; it may induce sleep to 
the sufferer, Mus. C. F. Reynolds. 
Strawberry Blanc-Mange. 
Stew nice, ripe strawberries, strain off the 
juice and sweeten to taste ; place over the fire, 
and wheu it boils stir iu corn-starch wet with 
cold water—two tablespoonfuls of corn-starch 
for each pint of juice; stir until sufficiently 
cooked; pour into molds wet in cold water 
and sot aside to cool. To be eaten when very 
cold with cream and sugar. Raspberries may 
be substituted for the strawberries, although 
the blanc-mange does not look as uicely. 
Mus. Flokistek. 
Ripe Currant Pie. 
Line a pie-tin with a good crust and.fill with 
a mixture of one cup of crushed ripe currants, 
one of sugar, two spoonfuls of water, one of 
flour mixed smooth with the beaten yolks of 
two eggs; bake: theu cover with a meraugue 
made of the whipped whites, and two table¬ 
spoonfuls of powdered sugar; return to the 
oven to brown. Housewife. 
Bean Salad. 
String young beans, cut into small pieces, 
wash and cook tender in salted water, drain 
well aud add so much fluely chopped onion as 
liked, with pepper, salt aud vinegar. Serve 
when cold, and add a little olive oil or melted 
butter. 
Potato Salad. 
Chop cold boiled potatoes very fine; add 
enough minced raw onion to season, aud pour 
over a good salad dressing. M. l. 
- « » ♦-- 
QUESTIONS ANSWERED. 
Chow-Chow, Stiffening and Ironing Silk. 
G. J. II-, asks for a recipe for making chow- 
chow ; also how to iron a siik which has been 
colored, so as to give It a little gloss aud stiff¬ 
ness. 
Ans.— 1. The best recipe for chow-chow that 
we have ever tried was given by Mrs. Beek- 
man in the Rukal of August 17th, 1878, which 
we -will again'pnblish. It is as follows : One 
peck of green tomatoes chopped fine; sprinkle 
one cup of salt over them and let stand over 
night; in the morning drain in a colander, add 
eight green peppers chopped fine, one cup of 
white sugar, cover with vinegar and boil twen¬ 
ty minutes. Chop fine six large onions; two 
hunches—the white part—of celery, with three 
or four red peppers. Add to the other ingredi¬ 
ents, when cool aud drained, a cup of mixed 
mustard, whatever 6piceyou like aud a pint of 
grated horse-radish. Put into a stoue jar, 
cover with cold vinegar and tie down tightly. 
2. Dilute ammonia with alcohol, sponge on 
the right side aud iron at once ou the wrong. 
Or, cut into shreds an old kid glove, as near 
the color of your silk as possible; pour over a 
pint of water and boil until reduced to half 
the quantity; strain, add a tablespoonful of 
alcohol aud sponge and iron as above. Spong¬ 
ing with flax-seed water will also give a gloss 
aud stiffness to an old silk. 
gUtos of fjje ®Ewk. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
Monday, .Tune 30,1679. 
The prospect of the appearance of philanthropic 
Northern steamers on the Mississippi to carry col¬ 
ored people away to Kansas has so alarmed the 
planters, that a convention of those of Washington 
Co., Miss., has drawn up an address to Northern 
“business men and benevolent societies,” protest¬ 
ing against their lending countenance to any such 
scheme, on the ground that, though the negroes 
were not badly treated In Mtsslssppl, their imag¬ 
inations would be so fired by the proposal to carry 
them to “fresh woods and pastures new” that 
even the well-to-do would abandon their homes, 
and utterly disorganize the Industry of the State. 
There Is doubtless a great deal of truth In all this; 
but the sober and sensible and conservative plan- 
tern who sign addresses of this kind ought to know 
that a Utile personal activity on their part In put¬ 
ting down lawlessness In the State would, In a 
very few years, make It as absurd to send steam¬ 
boats to carry off Its laborers as to send them 
up the Hudson River for a similar purpose. The 
negro Is such excellent material for electioneer¬ 
ing purposes at the North that southerners need 
have little hope oi taking him out of politics until 
they police themselves better. The movement which 
these Mississippi planters dread Is the one pro¬ 
moted by General T. B. Conway, who is collecting 
subscriptions to enable him to take a steamer down 
the Mississippi to carry off intending emigrants, 
whom he Is going to deposit In Wisconsin, General 
Butler having promised lilm 17,one acres of land 
for the purpose; aud he has, be says, agents In 
halt a dozen States engaging employment for 
colored emigrants among the farmers. We sin¬ 
cerely trust, however, that none but the really 
destitute will avail themselves of General Conway’s 
munificent offers. We are quite sure that a ne¬ 
gro who owns anything will be better off In Ills own 
home than on General Conway's boat or General 
Butler’s land-grant. It Is a Curious fact that at 
the meeting held In aid of the Conway movement 
In tills city a couple of weeks ago the only person 
who spoke of war and seemed to be prepared for 
battle was a clergyman—the Rev. Dr. Newman. 
He assumed that the use of the Mississippi as “a 
highway” by the Conway boat would be resisted 
by force, announced, amid thunders of applause, 
that In that case “ the people of the North would 
make it a highway." In fact, within a few weeks 
an extraordinary number of ministers have been 
heard sharpening their swords. 
One of the heaviest “strikes” that have ever 
occurred In this country Is now under way in Fall 
River, R. I. It is said to be mainly promoted by 
foreign labor agitators, and It promises enforced 
Idleness lor many weeks to 12,000 or in ,000 men, 
women and children, and the suspension of pro¬ 
duction amounting, In the case of 30 print-cloth 
mills, to 1 - 19,600 pieces weekly. All these strikes 
are, of course, lu reality an attempt to manage 
very complicated business enterprises through 
universal suffrage ; and the history of the eo-oper- 
atlve movement lu England seems to make it cer¬ 
tain that In the existing state of human nature 
they cannot succeed. Official reports to Che agent 
of che Western Associated Press at Memphis, 
Tenn., from the mayors and presidents or boards 
of health of Memphis, Vicksburg, Jackson, Miss., 
Canton, Miss., Shreveport, La,, Collierville, Tenn., 
Hickman, Ky., Grenada, Miss., Helena, Ark., Hol¬ 
ly springs, Miss., Decatur, Ala., and Tuseumbla, 
Ala., all bearing the date June 20 , state that the 
health outlook has never been more favorable, lu 
no instance has there been any indication or a re. 
turn of yellow fever. A return made by the Secre¬ 
tary of the Treasury shows that the exports of live 
cattle from this country have increased from 733,- 
395 In 1868 to 6,344,663 In 1878, or nearly eight-fold. 
One-half the exports are to England. A Bohemian 
Sunday-school picnic at Chicago last Sunday week 
was disturbed by outside roughs, when a company of 
Bohemian sharpshooters recklessly flred Into the 
rabble, wounding seven men and killing one. A 
number of the rifle-men have been arrested and 
held lor murder. 
The June report of the Department of Agricul¬ 
ture confirms the conclusions from our crop re¬ 
ports except a few slight, cases, In which we are 
strongly disposed to prefer our own reports Ac¬ 
cording to it the average of oats has decreas¬ 
ed about 4 per cent. The general average of 
acreage and quality Is 81, against 103 last year. 
The condition Is unfavorable In nearly all sections 
of the Union. The decrease In the acreage of lyels 
about 3 per cent. New England Is full. New York 
only 80 and Pennsylvania 88. Barley Is low, the 
general average being 85 while In 1878 it was 102 . 
corn Is backward, owing to drought In many local¬ 
ities the seed did not germinate. The condition 
of clover Is very low all over the country, ex¬ 
cept In New England and the States bordering on 
the Gulf of Mexico. The prospect for a good crop 
of fruit Is gloomy, the late frosts being fatal In 
many regions. There will be a short crop of ap¬ 
ples, the average being low except In New Eng¬ 
land. The crop in the Atlantic States Is lair. In 
the Gulf States the yield wlB be only halt a full 
crop. Peaches suffered most from the frosts of 
May. In the Eastern Status, and particularly in 
those where the culture Is a specialty, the crop 
is represented as good, but In the Atlantic States 
south of Virginia It Is a failure, and that Is the 
case In the States bordering on the Ohio river, ex¬ 
cept a few localities. 
The following reports from the southern cot¬ 
ton exchanges show the condition in which the 
cotton crop was 31: In Mississippi and Louis- 
lsana, acreage about as last year: crop generally 
good; but few hands gone to Kansas and the ex¬ 
odus fever nearly subsided; crop In Louisiana 
one or two weeks later, but to some parts of Mis¬ 
sissippi as far advanced as last year; labor good. 
In Alabama there Is an increased acreage of lJi 
to four per cent; labor excellent; crop In some por¬ 
tions earlier than last year. In Arkansas there 
Is a 2j* per cent Increase or acreage; stands good; 
crop In some parts earlier, In others later, aver¬ 
aging about as last year; no loss of labor by the 
Kansas movement,. Georgia reports three per 
cent Increase of acreage; stands good; labor 
abundant; the plant small and somewhat re¬ 
tarded by the cool nights and heavy rains, but the 
weather now dry and warm; no loss of labor. In 
Florida the increase of acreage Is two per cent; 
stands good; labor about as last year; crop two 
weeks later; the Sea Islands report, a live percent 
Increase of acreage. The crop In North Carolina 
and Virginia Is generally good, and the planting 
about the samo as last year. In South Carolina 
a live per cent Increase of acreage Is reported; 
crop 10 days to three weeks later than last year, 
except In a few portions of the state, where It Is 
earlier; labor good In half the districts, scarce In 
the rest. 
Congress Is very anxious to enjoy junkettlng 
tours at the public expense. Twelve sub-com¬ 
mittees composed entirely or In part of senators, 
and Including In their membership about three- 
fourths of theientlre body, have already been em¬ 
powered to stt during the summer vacation. The 
majority of these committees are armed wit h au¬ 
thority to travel to distant parts accompanied 
by deputy sergeants-at-arms and other attend¬ 
ants, while their traveling expenses are to be 
provided for from the contingent fund of the sen¬ 
ate. Although the House Is a trifle more modest, 
In view of Its larger membership, yet there, too, 
there Is a large number of fortunate souls, who 
will be able fn enjoy the summer months pleasant¬ 
ly at the public expense In making trips through¬ 
out the country, nominally In behalf of Uncle 
Sam’s weffare, but really lor their own enjoyment. 
Judge Christian, of Virginia, has discussed the 
matter of summoning negroes on juries, in reply 
to a petition of some colored men, In a way which 
shows that the Civil Rights Act cannot, really be 
used to give negroes a right, to he summoned with¬ 
out some serious straining of the law. To summon 
a man because he la a negro Judge Christian has 
no difficulty In showing Is Just as much a violation 
of the law as to leave a man uul because he is a 
negro, or to summon him because lie Is white. lie 
says he summons men not because they are either 
white or black, but because they are qualified, and 
It would be hard to prove the contrary. Judge 
Rives, who caused live county Judges to be Indicted 
for not summoning negroes on Juries, laid it down 
that this plea might be met by the presumption 
that w here a Judge habitually abstained from put¬ 
ting negroes on the panel he did so on account of 
race and color, and in violation of the act. But 
this, again, might be upset by showing that the 
negroes ol a particular county supplied no men of 
sufficient Intelligence and capacity. In fact, If the 
object of the act was to put negroes on Juries, It Is, 
as fatally defective in not directing the summon¬ 
ing of negroes on every State Jury. Whether If It 
did so it would stand the Constitutional test, Is 
another question. 
The President has vqjoedthe Judicial Appropri¬ 
ation Bill on the ground that In forbidding any 
department or officer of the Government to Incur 
any liability for the payment of general or special 
deputy-marshals “ for service in connection with 
elections,” and In making no appropriation for the 
payment of such officers, It deprives him of the 
means of executing law’s now on the statute book 
aud which It la his constitutional duty t.o execute, 
and the execution of which can be called for by 
any two citizens of any city or town having over 
twenty thousand Inhabitants. The object of the 
majority In inserting this provision In the bill Is to 
prevent the operation of laws which they are un¬ 
able to repeal, but he points out with great force 
that there are only two lawful ways of overturning 
legislative enactments: “ One Is their repeal; the 
other Is the decision ol a competent tribunal 
against, their validity.” Neither oi these being 
within the reach of the majority, there is some¬ 
thing perverse In attemptiug to accomplish their 
object by reducing the Executive to helplessness 
I nt.lie presence of a duty ol which they acknowledge 
they cannot relieve him. It must be said, how¬ 
ever, that the veto would have more weight If 
there was any possibility of the President being 
called on to perform this duty before congress 
meets again In December. As there Is not, it must 
be treated as simply a contribution to the contro¬ 
versy now raging over the powers ol the General 
Government m the regulation 01 Federal elecilons. 
A lew days since exciting rumors of cattle dis¬ 
ease on the Divide, thirty miles south of Denver, 
Col., were current,, and a long sensational tele¬ 
gram to a paper in this city depicted, in exagge¬ 
rated style, the vast ravages ol the malady, which 
was reported to be highly contagious, investiga¬ 
tion, however, goes to prove that there w r as need¬ 
less alarm, no new cases being reported lor ten 
days. Timely precautions have been taken, and 
