52® 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE. 
PEN THOUGHTS FROM EVERY- DAY 
HOUSE. 
ANNIE L. JACK. 
We were busy stemming strawberries with 
a view to bottling aud preserving, and my 
girl visitors were not in the least afraid of stain¬ 
ing their fingers. “ Wash them immediately in 
cold water without soap, aud the stains will 
disappear,” said one, aud so we took the hulls 
off the splendid berries and piled them ou flat 
dishes with alternate layers of sugar that by 
this method was soaked and melted by the 
time they were all ready for the preserving 
kettle. I was moralizing a little. “ Look at 
poor Mrs. Rosclcaf,” I said married at 
twenty, without any knowledge of the work 
before her, aud her life since, aue series of 
difficulties. Now, there were the Doual girls 
that you have heard ine speak of; they could 
do any kind of work in the kitchen or garden, 
and were refined and lady-like in the parlor— 
quite at homo in both spheres." “ I wonder," 
I mused, “what has become of those of the 
family now living. Of one I know 
‘ Dear irirl, the grasses ou her grave 
Haro (many) years hern ktow’hj'.’ ” 
There was a silence for awhile, when the 
sound of carriage wheels broke the stillness. I 
am not given to affectation, so washed my 
hands aud went to the front door in time to 
receive the oldest Miss Doual who had been 
my bridesmaid and whom I had not seen for 
fifteen years. 
“Yes, we are sixty miles from home, and 
have driven over to see vou," she sudd; “ it has 
been a long-talked-of visit, and this year I de¬ 
termined not to wait, any longer but to come 
and see you for old times’ sake.” 
How we looked at each other, and thought 
of the changes since last wc met; talked of our 
children, and sympathized with each other in 
our mutual sorrows for the baby forms we had 
both tenderly returned to mother earth. 
But one cannot live on sentiment, nor yet on 
sorrow, and in a little while I found my 
thoughts wandering to the important subject, 
“What shall we have for dinner?” linen- 
tally reviewed the facts of the case. There 
was a small piece of lamb—chops could be 
improvised ; then we had, of course, peas and 
other vegetables. “Dessert?" said the cook 
of the day, as we hurried to prepare the meal 
for our weary aud doubiless hungry friends. 
I gave a look of supreme indiffcreuce at—just 
then, seeing the question seemed to disturb 
the routine of the preparations, I said, “ Who 
wants a better dessert than strawberries?” 
And so it proved, for they were appreciated, I 
observed, as the best part of that hurried din¬ 
ner. Aud while the fruit seasou lasts I would 
impress upon housekeepers the importance of 
putting up a good supply ol canned fruit. It is 
cheaply done, and in many ways proves useful 
in w'intcr. A dish of canned fruit instead of pie 
or pudding, in a hurry, like that I have men¬ 
tioned, will save work and be wholesomcr as 
dessert. It is perbaps not generally known 
that common salt bottles will keep fruit iu a 
good state of preservation, if properly heated. 
The cork that is put arouud the neck of the 
bottle, effectually keeping out the air. J have 
used them for the last eight years, and found 
them quite satisfactory. In filling hot bottles, 
if they are set upon a wet cloth, they will not 
be at all likely to burst. All corks and lids 
must be made equally hot. So wit h a little 
care and labor we can have a supply of sum¬ 
mer fruit all the year round. 
-■— ♦♦♦ ■ - 
HOUSEKEEPING IN SUMMER. 
When the mercury is up among the nineties, 
and air and earth are full of insect-life, the 
cares of the housewife are greatly increased. 
At that season, all of the apartments of the 
dwelling, especially the pantry, store-closct 
and cellar need the closest scrutiny. 
Those who build and occupy their own 
houses, are less likely to be troubled with 
house-bugs than those who move annually into 
rented houses. However, due caution on the 
part of the housekeeper is always essential, iu 
order to keep her house free from insect pests. 
Without doubt, iusects are much more inter¬ 
esting to the entomologist than to the house¬ 
wife. 
The surest way to keep clear of ants, is to 
leave nothing around that they like. Iu ex¬ 
treme cases, an old table can be put iu the 
cellar to keep provisions on—each foot of the 
table to rest iu a saucer of water, so ihat the 
auts cannot cross it. The food that is kept on 
the table should be in covered dishes to keep 
out dust and flies, although there need be no 
trouble from the latter, if the cellar windows 
have screens. The class of auts called “work¬ 
ers ” that are disposed to visit the sugar barrel, 
cake box, etc., etc.., fortunately have no wings. 
Flies can be kept almost entirely out of the 
house, if movable wire screens be fitted to 
ev^ry window and door. Mosquito netting will 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
answer, but is not so good as wire, which keeps 
in place better, and is not so soon injured by 
storms. But keep these pests at a distance, by 
not allowiug anything to be thrown about the 
yard to attract, them. 
The sow-bug often seen near potatoes in the 
cellar, can be banished by sprinkling salt over 
all the vegetables. 
Cockroaches can be driven away, if green 
cucumber parings be put near their haunts. 
Moths may be kept out of carpets by shaking 
them thoroughly at house-cleaning time, 
after which the frequent use of the broom with 
an occasional sprinkling of camphor gum or 
insect-powder, and plenty of sunlight will ex¬ 
terminate them. 
One of the anuoyances of housekeeping in 
summer, is, Ihat food, however carefully pre¬ 
pared, soon spoils. There is no economy in 
using food that is not perfectly fresh. Meats 
that have the least taint about them should not 
be made iuto hashes, and the evil disguised by 
high seasoning. Disease lurks iu such food. 
Fresh meats are best kept in refrigerators with 
plenty of ice above them, while at meal times 
they should be covered with wire screens, that 
are made for the purpose. 
Ice is a great preservative, and the woman 
who has a liberal supply of it, with a good 
refrigerator, will find that these articles lessen 
the perplexities of housekeeping in summer. 
M. G. HAND. 
A WATER COOLER WITHOUT ICE. 
Conn water is not only a luxury but iu many 
cases a necessity during the summer days, and 
yet multitudes of persons are unable to obtain 
iec to secure the desideratum. To such let me 
say it is not really necessary. This fact may 
be new to some persons yet the accompanying 
sketch shows a modification of a plau long in 
use iu the East and in nearly all hot. climates. 
It is based upon the fact that rapid evaporation 
of moisture from the outside of the containing 
vessel, keeps down the temperature therein. 
A 
A. shows the vessel containing the water or 
other articles to be kept cold. It sets upon 
wooden blocks in an ordinary pan B, shown in 
section. Suspended from a bracket or other 
convenient support, is a smaller dish C, in the 
bottom of which are punched a few small holes. 
Hanging from the under side of this dish is a 
woolen blanket D, completely enveloping the 
vessel A—it is cut away on the front side iu 
the sketch. This is kept thoroughly wet by 
occasionally pouring cold water into the dish 
C, which trickles down the blanket and is 
caught iu the large pan B. Water may be 
drawn out of A through the faucet E, as re¬ 
quired without disturbing the apparatus. If 
it. is preferred, butter, fruits, etc., may be 
placed in A. instead of water, aud will be kept 
very nicely. The more rapid the evaporation 
of the water in the blanket, the cooler the 
contents of A will be kept. 
Ontario Co., N. Y. Wm. R. Bkooks. 
-- 
HOUSEHOLD NOTES, 
In picking sour fruit, if it is to stand in tin 
a few hours, put a sheet of brown paper in the 
pail. If obliged to cook iu tin, empty imme¬ 
diately, wheu done, into a stoue or earthen 
vessel. This summer, a family I knew were 
made very sick by eating of pie plant which 
had been left in the basin during the afternoon. 
Let me give a word of caution to inexperi¬ 
enced housekeepers, aud that is, to keep things 
well covered. Now is the time for cheese, viue- 
gar, and green flies, to commit their depreda¬ 
tions. They will lay tlieir eggs iu pickles, 
cooked potatoes, peas, beans or all vegetables, 
meat of auy kind, mush, puddings, pies that 
have but oue crust, dried lruits, wheu arouud 
the stove, in fact on almost everything. Pails 
without handles, jars, bowls or anything that 
can be covered light are safest. Tie a cloth over 
or cover with a plate so as to make positively 
insect-proof and save waste. It’s rather an 
unpleasant thought, but when I hear a woman 
say she never saw any flies’ eggs, I think pro¬ 
bably she has eaten a good many. Avoid this 
by taking good care of everything. 
M. B. M’Louth. 
DOMESTIC RECIPES. 
Tomato Salad. 
Take off the skins with a sharp knife, ent 
into thin slices and lay in a salad-bowl. Make 
a dressing by working a teaspoouful each of 
salt and made mustard, half a teaspoonful of 
pepper, the yolks of two hard-boiled eggs, 
with two tablespoonsful of melted butter; 
then whip in with a fork five tablespoonsful 
of good vinegar. Pour over the tomatoes and 
set on ice or where it is cool for an hour be¬ 
fore serving. Mbs. J. Newton. 
Tomatoes and Corn. 
Peel and cut into slices eight large tomatoes, 
cut and scrape the corn from half a dozen ears 
and mince one medium sized onion ; niLv to¬ 
gether and stew half an hour. Season with 
butter, pepper and salt, aud simmer 15 minutes 
longer. m. g. r. 
Scalloped Tomatoes. 
Peel and cut into Blices one-fourth of an inch 
thick as many ripe tomatoes as you wish to 
fill your baking dish; put into the dish, first, 
a layer of tomatoes, seasoned with butter, pep¬ 
per aud salt, then a layer of bread crumbs, aud 
so alternate until the dish is nearly full, hav¬ 
ing bread crumbs last; cover and bake half an 
hour, tlieu remove the cover and bake brown, 
Mbs. W. 
Okra and Tomatoes. 
Peel aud slice eight good-sized tomatoes, cut 
into riugs the same number of tender okra 
pods and chop fine two small green peppers ; 
boil in a porcelain kettle—iron discolors the 
okra- -for 20 or 25 minutes. Season with but¬ 
ter and salt. 
Boiled Okra. 
Boil the tender pods iu salted water for 20 
minutes, and serve with butter, pepper, salt 
aud vinegar. g. w. b. 
Lima Beans and Corn. 
Boil a pint of shelled beaus in water just to 
cover, for 10 or 15 minutes. Cut corn from 
half a dozen ears and add to the beans ; boil 
20 minutes or half an hour, addiug hot water 
as needed to keep from burning, Season with 
pepper, salt and two tablespoonsful of butter. 
Tough Steak. 
Instead of pounding, cut it with a sharp 
knife, making fine parallel cuts on either side 
until every part has been crossed and re¬ 
crossed. Press it together aud lay on a wire 
broiler. Hold dose to the fire until each side 
is seared to retain the* juice, then turn and 
tend with the utmost care. Place the steak 
upon a hot platter aud seasou with bits of but¬ 
ter, pepper and salt. Mary B. 
Jelly Cake. 
One cup of sugar; one-half cup of butter; 
three eggs ; one teaspoouful of soda and two 
of eream-of-tartar; three tablespoonsful of 
sweet milk, and one cup of flour. 
For Low Spirits. 
Take one ounce of the seeds of resolution, 
mixed well with the oil of conscience, infuse 
it iuto a large spoonful of the salts of patience; 
distill very carefully a composing plant called 
■‘others’ woes," which you will find in every 
part of the garden of life, growing under the 
broad leaves of disguise, add a small quantity 
and it will greatly assist the salts of patience 
in their operation. Gather a handful of the 
blossoms of hope, then sweeten them properly 
with the balm of prudence, and if you can get 
any of the seeds of true friendship, you will 
have the most valuable medicine that can be 
administered. Be careful to get the seeds of 
true friendship, as there is a seed very much 
like it called self-interest, which will spoil the 
whole composition. Make the ingredients into 
pills and take one night and morning, and the 
cure will be effected. Mbs. L. Garunek. 
QUESTIONS ANSWERED. 
Baked Indian Pudding. 
Mrs. II. C. G., asks for a recipe for old-fash¬ 
ioned baked Indiau-meal puddiug. 
Ans.—T ake two quarts of sweet milk, scald 
aud stir in oue pint of Indian meal, a scant 
pint of molasses, a teaspoouful of salt and two 
tablespoonsful of butter. Season with ginger, 
if liked. Put iuto a moderate oven, and iu half 
an hour stir up from the bottom and add a 
small teacupful of cold milk. Bake from two 
to three hours. Serve with liquid sauce. 
Should any of our readers know of a better 
recipe, we shall be pleased to publish it. 
fUlus of tjjc 001 crU. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
Monday. August lith, 1879. 
The approaching election iu California Is ex¬ 
citing an unusual amount of Interest In the East¬ 
ern States on accouut of the possible effect it may 
have on the next Presidential election, should that 
be thrown Into the House of Representatives by 
the failure of the people to elect a President. For 
Ibis purpose the successful candidate must have 
an absolute majority of all the votes cast, and It 
three or more candidates are In the field, this Is 
often not easily obtained. Now there are four 
Congressmen to be elected In California, and the 
Republicans expect to elect the entire number. If 
they' do, then the Democratic majority In the 
House will be reduced to one, and unless the Dem¬ 
ocrats decide the disputed election In the case of 
Goodlovc 8. orth against him on a vote by States, 
as they are pretty certain to do, the State delega¬ 
tions which would have to elect a President will 
stand IT Republican to 18 Democratic, with In¬ 
diana a tie and the casting vote lu the hand of 
the Grecnbackor, De la Matyr. The Kentucky 
State election this day week resulted In the elec¬ 
tion of Dr. Blackburn, the Democratic candidate, 
as a matter of course, but It was by a majority 
about 40 per cent, smaller thau that which elected 
McCreary four years ago. The Republicans have 
gained several members of the Legislature. Many 
bothersome inquiries were put to Blackburn as to 
whether he Is the doctor of the same name who, 
during the war, tried to spread yellow fever In 
the Northern cities through the Introduction of 
Infected rags and clothing. From the Tact that he 
did r.ot deny the Implied charge, it is generally 
supposed that he Is the same man. His nomina¬ 
tion for the governorship, however, is due to his 
heroic conduct at .Memphis during last year’s yel¬ 
low fever epidemic there. A couple of months ago 
an account was given here of that Vicksburg Con¬ 
vention assembled to protest against the negro 
exodus, on the plea that all classes and all shades 
of polit ical partisanship were now entirely sate 
and untrammeled In that state—the “Bloody 
Chasm" wasclosed up, the wolf and the lamb wero 
reposing amicably together. Lately, however, a 
Col. Dixon, down in Yazoo county, and three 
other gentlemen announced themselves as candl- 
dates for various local oil ices, subject not to the 
ratiilcatlon of the forthcoming Democratic Con¬ 
vention, but “ only to the choice or the people at 
the ballot-hox," It, being well understood that 
“ the people” included the “ niggers.” of course, 
the regular Democratic organization regarded this 
as a piece ol confounded Impudence, and Dixon 
and his friends were “ waited upon” by an armed 
mob of about 300 indignant bull-dozers who Insist¬ 
ed that the “ Independents” should quit the coun¬ 
try or “ take the consequences,” “ the consequen¬ 
ces,” of course, meaning death. Weil, Dixon and 
the others listened to “ reason,” and effected a 
compromise by which they resigned their candi¬ 
dacy, and were kindly permitted to stay In the 
country with ouly the odium which such conduct 
as theirs deserves from a chivalrous community. 
It Is now predicted that this may have a tendency 
to make tile North a trifle more “solid,” and that 
It will certainly revive the “exodus,” at least In 
that part of the South. By the way, that “exodus” 
has terminated in nearly every place for the pres¬ 
ent. Altogether, the Immigration to Kansas has 
not been greater than that which often arrives at 
this port within the space of two weeks—not more 
than four or live thousand, according to the high¬ 
est estimate. 
The Invariable sign and forerunner of good times 
for the last SO years has been the Increased de¬ 
mand for public lands by settlers, and the (5,000,000 
acres sold on homestead entries, according to offi¬ 
cial returns for the year ending June so, form a 
larger area than has heen sold lu any year 
since Lincoln signed the Homestead Act. The 
average number of acres taken by homestead 
settlers In the last ten years has been ISO, 
and at this rate the number of acres sold In 
the last year, Indicates &o,ooo homesteaders ; 
or, supposing each homestead to be taken by the 
head ol a family—which is generally the case—a 
population ol over a quarter of a million must have 
settled on the public lands within the twelve¬ 
month. This return is only for the lands of the 
United States, and does not include the lands sold 
on account of railroad grants, or the lauds sold by 
some ol the States which have special land grants 
within their own borders. In 1878 Texas sold 
3,800,000 acres to act ual settlers, and there Is good 
reason to believe that the sales or that State for 
the year covered by the returns of the United 
States, amounted to 4 , 000,000 acres. The sales by 
the principal railroad companies In the year after 
the panic, amounted only to 400,000 acres, but In 
1877 aud 1878 they rose to 1 , 000,000 and 2,250,000 
respectively; and partial reports make It probable 
that, In the year ending Juno 30, such sales reached 
at least 3 , 000,000 acres. From very fragmentary 
returns of land sales by various Stales, It Is estima¬ 
ted that at least 500,000 acres were disposed ol in 
this way. These estimates, all based on the very 
best attainable Information, make t he total amount 
ol new land sold within the year, at least 13,500,000 
acres, ol which It Is known three-fourths were sold 
to small holders; and 11. is probable that nlne-tentlm 
were. Under the Texas law and by the railroads, 
lands are sold In larger quantities than under the 
homestead act, so that no very accurate data 
exist lor an estimate or the number of single pur- 
chasers. Probably, however, It is not less thau 
75 , 000 , and as each ol these freeholders will, as a 
rule, represent a family, togeth i with male and 
sometimes female help, these sales represent a 
newly-settled population of at least 500 , 000 . Group¬ 
ing all the accessible returns of land sales for the 
previous year—that ending Juue 30, Isfs—we find 
the following resultsgovernment homestead en¬ 
tries 4 , 500,000 acres, Texas 0,500,000 acres, railroads 
1 , 250,000 acres, from State grants 2511 non acres—the 
last three estimated—and 1 he total sales amount 
to 9,500,0oo acres. During the last 24 mouths, ac¬ 
cordingly, the sales of laud In the West have 
amounted to fully 23, 000,000 acres. The total area 
of tWb (turning lands in tills country was placed bv 
the census of 1 S 70 at 400 , 000,000 acres, less than 
half of which was Improved. The additions made 
to this area, judging from the land sale3 down to 
1877, were not certainly over 20,000,00') acres, so 
that the Increase In the last two years, und much 
the larger part of It iu the last twelvemonth, has 
added 5 per cent, to the farming lands of the 
country. 
Yellow Feyer ha? at last been declared epidemic 
