534 
phosphate, nerve food, beef tea, chicken tea, 
etc. As a business affair, this place is a grand 
success. 
Lady Havberton and her rational dress is 
exciting much interest in London. It is pro¬ 
posed to give a bazar or garden party at 
which all the women are to appear in this 
attire. But according to the illustrations in 
the London Queen, apron draperies are so ar¬ 
ranged that the divided skirt is entirely hid¬ 
den. This removes any eccentricity of ap¬ 
pearance, but it must also remove the freedom 
of movement, which is to bo the great boon of 
this new style. 
Very practical directions for home nursing 
were given before the National Health Society 
in London. We are told that, a sick-room 
should have a south-west aspect and little fur¬ 
niture; a single bed is better than a double 
one. It is important that the chimney should 
be clear. In place of lire-irons there should 
be a wooden poker, the coal wrapped in paper 
in pound packets, to be put on without noise. 
Cheerful pictures ou the wall, often changed. 
Oil-painted walls are better than paper of 
distracting patterns. A fire is the best vent¬ 
ilator, for the foul air when cooled falls to the 
floor, and passes out through the fire-place. 
Doors are made to shut, windows to open; air 
without draught is what is needed. The room 
should be kept clean bv dusting with a damp 
cloth, rubbing the floors in the same way: the 
less carpet the better. Fresh flowers are not 
deleterious. Visitors should sit between the 
door and the patient, gt tting the benefit of the 
air. and not between him and the fire, thus 
getting in the direct, current of foul air rush¬ 
ing towards the fire-place; they should be well 
in sight of the patient, and never admitted at 
meal times. Amateur nurses should not show 
over-anxiety or hover continually over the 
patient, asking what they will take, or wear 
creaking boots or rustling silks, or be bustliug 
or fussy, nor stealthy nor cat-like, and whis¬ 
pering should be mercilessly tabooed. A nurse 
should be of all things, cheerful, compassion¬ 
ate, kind, but never sentimental Decision 
and firmness are needed. Medicine must be 
given with the regularity of clock-work A 
sick-room should be kept tidy; plates, cups, 
etc., that have been used should be turned out 
at once. In case of faintness, where stimu¬ 
lants are not ordered, the patient should be 
made to sip some liquid slowly; the mere 
effort of sipping accelerates the action of the 
heart. A reaction is setting in against beef 
tea; to make it veritably nutritious, it should 
be mixed with Dr. Ridge’s or some other far¬ 
inaceous food. Milk is the most nutritive of 
all such diets. The several symptoms should 
be written down by the nurse from time to 
time ou a slip of paper, always at hand, Cor 
the doctor. In infectious disorders, uothing 
should be kept iu the room except for use. 
Clothes iu a wardrobe under such circum¬ 
stances have been known to spread infection 
ten years after. A sheet should be kept sus¬ 
pended outside the door always wet, by keep¬ 
ing one end dipped in carbolic or Sauitas 
Handkerchiefs should be replaced by mgs, 
burnt when used. Letters from the patient 
should be baked, or written on post-cards 
dipped in carbolic; they are capable of spread¬ 
ing disease otherwise. 
DRESS AS AN ART. 
Undoubtedly it is the greatest mistake in 
the world for any girl to regard dress as her 
sole end and aim in life. It begets a host of 
frivolous cares, none the less galling m that 
they are really absurd, and pitches one’s life 
and purpose in a trifling key. But too great 
a carelessness iu this matter is equally to be 
deprecated. Outward appearances have much 
to do with first impressions, and a woman 
with the wisdom of Portia and wit of Rosa¬ 
lind would be the reverse of attractive if she 
displayed a crumpled collar and ill-fitting 
gown, composed of colors that “swear,” as 
the French say. 
“Costly thy habit as H 13 * purse can buy,” 
says the worldly-wise Polonius, anil he contin¬ 
ues with unimpeachable advice on style. 
There is nothing where the fitness of which 
our recent correspondent writes can be more 
fully regarded or ignored thau iu this matter 
of dress. Not only fitness for social condition, 
but personal appearauee aDd peculiarities. 
Really, it is rarely that any two persons can 
dress alike becomingly, unless some very un¬ 
ostentatious style and color is chosen; color and 
fit are the two prime requisites in a becoming 
gown. This matter of color is always trying, 
in more senses than one, uuless one is born 
with an artistic sense of harmony—which, 
alas! is not the good fortune of all. Thrice 
blessed is the woman whose eye instantly sees 
the harmony of color; who can always pick 
out the correct hues for every combination. 
To make dress truly an art., w'e must take 
into account all the personality of the wearer. 
Thus, a young girl should wear simply made 
frocks of some unostentatious material. Dur¬ 
ing the Summer she should confine herself as 
much as possible to thin light-colored fabrics; 
in the Winter, soft woolens; if she desires 
silk, it should be soft surah, or else India silk. 
1 am sorry to say a great many couutry girls 
look upon a stiff black silk gowu, cracking 
with jet. as the higlit of their ambitiou iu 
dress. A plain black silk is a very useful 
gown, and often has a sort of demure dressi¬ 
ness about it—don't you remember Polly?— 
Miss Aleott’s “Old Fashioned Girl.” with her 
best black silk—but there are plenty of other 
things, more suitable for a girl. An older 
woman who has lost her youthful bloom, may 
wear richer fabrics, of dark and undecided 
colors. 
We must always take figure into account. 
A large person, inclining to corpulence, must 
use light colors very sparingly, and carefully 
avoid straggling figures, large pi ids, or bay¬ 
adere Stripes. Perpendicular stripes, if not 
too large, will appear to lessen the bulk of the 
wearer. Consequently, a thin woman must 
avoid these stripes, which would make her ap¬ 
pear like unto a gridiron. Velvets and bro¬ 
cades may 1 >c recommended to sleuder women: 
silks and satins to their plumper sisters. But 
excessively stout women must not wear very 
shiny fabrics: stuffs which absorb rather than 
reflect the light should be chosen. Similarly, 
short or stout women must avoid fussiness in 
trimming. Conspicuous ruffles or fichus must 
not be worn on the street. A plain ruche or 
linen collar only is admissible. Some women 
cannot wear the stiff collar: the ruche is allow¬ 
able with them. Iu colors, cue sober hue may 
be chosen for the gown, lightened by some 
little touch of brilliant color, as a sort of key¬ 
note. 
Brown is a color universally becoming to 
blonde or brunette, but dirty-lookiug, unde¬ 
cided brown should never be chosen. Light 
colors increase the wearer's color; darker ones 
reduce it. Thus a pale blonde may wear light 
blue or green, but navy or my idle would give 
a sallow tint. Pale brunettes must wear very 
light or very dark colors. Ruddy brunettes 
may wear decided tints—no neutrals. White 
is very becoming, and so is clear yellow. If 
not natural, the sense of harmony iu color may 
be acquired, and since the art of dress is incom¬ 
plete without it. it is one of the necessary trifles 
iu a woman’s education. 
GOLDEN GRAINS. 
Cheerfulness makes the inind clearer, 
gives tone to thought aud adds grace aud 
beauty to the countenance. 
George Elliot says: “Failure, after long 
perseverance, is much grander than never 
having a striving good enough to be called a 
failure”. 
He who shows the most loving nature to¬ 
ward everybody, is almost always the man 
who has gained the power of loving all by 
loving one as if there were none other to 
love.... 
Kingsley says: “As the rays come from 
the sun. and yet are not the sun. even so our 
love and pity, though they are not God, but 
merely a poor, meek image and reflection of 
Him, yet from Him alone they come. If 
there is mercy iu our hearts, it comes from the 
fountain of mercy. If there is the light of 
love in us, it is the, ray from the full suu of 
love”.. 
Isn’t there too much truth in the statement 
of an exchange which says: “Our church fes¬ 
tival is over. The treasury has $58.19 net 
gain—that is the credit side. The debit shows 
an appalling list of misunderstandings; sever¬ 
al cases of dyspepsia, aggravated by late sup¬ 
pers, eaten on the supposition that church 
suppers are uot injurious; a thin attendance 
at prayer meeting the evening following; a 
spirit of exultation because we cleared $1.79 
more than our Baptist neighbors: a spirit of 
bitterness because some one said their singing 
was better than ours”.. . .. 
Religion which docs not restrain evil ten¬ 
dencies and produce a sober life, which does 
not lead a mail to love aud practice justice 
and mercy, which does not teach and preach 
supreme love and service to God, is a form of 
godliness without its power, a garment which 
hides a skeleton, a useless machine. 
It is said the doorwa vs of some of the (triente 
al Churches a rc uot more than three feet high, 
to teach men that they should humiliate them¬ 
selves by entering into the house of God upou 
their kuees.... 
It is only those who have character aud 
principle themselves that are qualified to 
praise character in others. What does it avail 
for a deceitful man to praise truthfulness in an¬ 
other, for a mean man to commend another’s 
liberality, for a swindler to shower plaudits 
on one who i® the soul of honor. If any one 
should give praise worth having he must know 
of what he speaks. . 
The N. Y. Journal of Commerce says; there 
is no royal road from want to possession. 
Whatever the desired acquisition may lie, if it 
is worth having, it can ouly be gained by long 
and wearisome toil... 
As whole acres of Persian roses are required 
to make one priceless ounce of the 1 ure attar, 
so the soul’s balm is the slow product of a long 
course of right living aud thinking, every sep¬ 
arate thought aud act contributing its own 
minute but precious particles of sweetness to 
the rich result.. 
CONDUCTED BY MRS. AGNES E. M. CARMAN. 
can quickly become an accomplished cook; 
but intelligence and perception are absolutely 
required. Some of the best cooking in the 
country is that of the wives of farmers, and 
some of it is of the worst! I have often heard 
Auaximander say that he never enjoyed his 
meals more than in a cabin in Western Penn¬ 
sylvania where the mother of twelve children 
did her own work and the cooking, without 
the help of a housemaid. Of course, there 
were no accessories of fine china aud table 
linen or “style”—and t he food was rated ac¬ 
cording to its unadorned merits. Everything 
was done to a turn and seasoned deliciously. 
Such food makes strong bodies, and strong 
bodies go a long way in producing and up¬ 
holding strong minds. 
HOW PHILADELPHIANS COOK. 
MARY-WAOER fisher. 
A few years ago, if my memory serves 
me aright, I gave a short description in this 
column of the Rural, of the Cooking School 
in Philadelphia so ably conducted by Mrs. 
Rorer, who has also for several years demon¬ 
strated the fine art. of cookery to aristocratic 
classes of young ladies iu the Seminary at 
Agoutz.uear Philadelphia,as well as elsewhere. 
The charming deftness and clearness, the 
economy aud healtbl'ulness of her methods,and 
the deliciousness of her products raised in 
the minds of all persons familiar with her 
work the persistent query, “Why do you uot 
embody in book form, for the benefit of every¬ 
body, the delightful knowledge you have of 
domestic economy?” The suggestion, in course 
of time, took root, and within the last few 
months has blossomed forth in the shape of a 
handsome volume of GOO pages, bound in oil¬ 
cloth, and bearing the tirle “ Philadelphia 
Cook Book.” At the bottom of the paper in 
which the book comes covered, is this legend: 
“If the wrapper should stick to the oil-cloth 
it can be removed with a damp dot h'—a sen¬ 
tence that in a wny illustrates one very im¬ 
portant. feature of the coutents—you are told 
how to proceed in case of emergencies, as well 
as under ordinary circumstances. In referring 
to this book, it may not be amiss to say that 
Mrs. Rorer has more thau justified the high 
expectations of tier friends, for the book is 
capital from cover to cover, and as interesting 
in its way as Webster’s Dictionary, which is 
one of the most interesting books of which I 
know. It is written in a very terse, capti¬ 
vating style, and will do more than any other 
cook book that I know of, to dignify and make 
attractive the noble art of gastronomy, while 
at the same time it. is thoroughly practical in 
every detail, and not only inculcates economy, 
but teaclips us how to utilize everything to 
the smallest scrap, besides being an invalu¬ 
able encyclopedia for “family use,” 
I don’t know that every housekeeper enjoys a 
good cook-book so much as I do. but the mere 
reading of a toothsome recipe gives me almost 
as much pleasure as does participating iu the 
dish when prepared. If all women could cook 
as does Mrs. Rorer—making hardly a mark of 
her occupation on her dress or in her cook- 
room. a lady among pots and pans, iu spotless 
array, everything moving aud harmonizing 
like clock-work, aud odors escaping from oven 
aud stew-pan. that make one’s “mouth water” 
to think of, even—why, then it would lie easy 
to imagine all women accomplished cooks. As 
it is, with schools for cookery aud lectures on 
cookery (not always good and practical, as 
they should be), it has become fashionable 
among aristocratic young women to learn 
how to cook. And still it is surprising that 
among so many intelligent women looking 
about for means of earning a livelihood, so 
few turn their attention to the preparation of 
food. One young woman iu a town iu New 
Jersey not only supports herself, but is amass¬ 
ing a snug little competence in making and 
selling sponge-cake, and her orders are always 
larger than she can fill. A few women in the 
United States put up fruit in various ways, 
and make pickles that, are always in demand. 
The pretty story that went, the rouuds of the 
newspapers a few years ago, of the New York 
lady reduced from riches to poverty, who 
supported herself iu great comfort by taking 
charge of fine dinners iu the houses of people 
where she was once u guest, is worth repeat¬ 
ing. She knew how, to the last detail, to 
have the dishes served, to arrange the table, 
and what instructions to give the wallers, if 
any were needed, so that Lho givers of the 
dinners were relieved from all care and anxi 
ety in the matter. But in how mail}' neigh¬ 
borhoods or towns is there a woman to be bad, 
iu case of need, with sufficient intelligence, 
discretion and t raining to prepare and serve 
an elegant, dinner, breakfast or luncheon 
economically and tastefully ? 
The wholesome preparation of food is one 
of such vast importance that it is a little 
curious that it has been left so long iu the 
hands of ignorant hirelings. It is unquestion¬ 
ably true that a bright and intelligent woman 
HINTS FOR THE HOUSEWIFE. 
Tortoise shells, or those of the small fresh¬ 
water turtle, some of which are very beauti¬ 
ful, are becoming quite fashionable as parlor 
ornaments. To clean ami polish the shells, 
first wash them in warm, soft water, to which 
a little ammonia has been added, using a com¬ 
mon hand-brush. When cleau, rub them 
with a cloth and paste made of whiting and a 
little water. When the shells fed smooth to 
the touch, wash this paste all off and dry, 
after which apply a few drops of sweet oil and 
rub them briskly with the ball of the thumb or 
the palm of the hand—or a piece of soft leather 
will answer. 
It is generally recommended to clean sad¬ 
irons by nibbing them over a paper ou which 
fine salt has been sprinkled. This cleans them 
very well, but it renders them very liable to 
rust on exposure to the least, dampness or even 
to damp air. A much better way to “smooth” 
them is with emery. Purchase a few cents’ 
worth of the flour of emery—about No. 120. 
It can be obtaiued at the hardware stores at 
about 20 cents per pound. Take a piece of 
softish pasteboard—an old box cover will do— 
a foot square, more or less. Moisten it with 
glycerine or oil, ami spriukle ou the emery 
quite thickly. When the iron is rough, rub it 
over this, laid on a table or bench, for a few 
moments. Then finish by rubbing its face 
with a piece of cloth, in which is tied a 
small piece of bees wax or paraffine. This 
will give the finest polish imaginable, and the 
iron will not rust again with uny r fair treat¬ 
ment. 
Now, in the fruit canning season, the women 
of the household, to whom wo are so deeply 
indebted for the good things we cat. should be 
told that the trouble so many of them take 
in warming glass cans before putting hot fruit 
into them, to prevent breaking, is all needless; 
that, in fact,, it results in breaking more than 
it saves. By placing the cold canon a wet 
cloth taken from a dish of cold water, it may 
be tilled with fruit boiling-hot, without the 
least danger of breakage. The only requisite 
is, that the cloth be fully saturated—and with 
cold water. This is by no moans new: but still, 
there are thousands who either have uot heard 
of it, or have not faith enough to try it. I 
know it to be a safe way. 
The rubber rings by the use of which fruit 
cans are made air-tight, after being used, be¬ 
come hard aud unyielding, so much so that 
fruit seldom keeps as well when they are used 
the second time. Though new ones cost but 
little, it is uot always convenient to get them. 
Every one should know that the elasticity of 
the old ones can be restored, and that they 
can be made as good as new by soaking them 
a half-hour in a mixture of ammonia and 
water — two-thirds ammonia and one-third 
water. Try it. 
During the hot weather the less meat we eat 
the better for all of us. The reverse is true iu 
regard to fruits. With the ease and little ex- 
penditure of time and muscle with which 
they can be grown, there is no excuse for 
any farmer who does uot provide a bountiful 
supply for his table at all times. uncle j. 
KITCHEN TALKS. 
ANNIE L. JACK. 
The old labels on shrubs and plants are fast 
fading, aud likely to cause confusion if not 
renewed. So the Florist of the family 
painted some sticks with white lead, and wroto 
the names while yet the paint was wet. and 
they are said to endure all sorts of weather. 
To etcli a name on steel tools, is best cioue by 
spreading n thin coat of bees-wax over the 
place where the name is to be written, aud 
then with a sharp-pointed needle write through 
it. This is Mien to be painted over with nitric 
and muratic acids in the proportion of six to 
one, and when bubbles cease to rise, the writing 
is fixed. Wash afterward iu strong soap-suds, 
and it will keep the name upon it to the gx-eat 
inconvenience of any borrower or thief, aud 
both classes of people are found to lie incon¬ 
venient, at times. 
A neighbor suffering from a severe burn 
found relief by an instant application of the 
