332 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
April 25 
—P 
[ Woman and Home j 
From Day to Day. 
OIRI.S, DON’T YOU DO IT. 
Now i.s the time, most women say, to 
wrestle 
With stubborn nails and horrid, headless 
tacks; 
To drag from dusty floors the dusty car¬ 
pets. 
And beat them well with many sounding 
whacks; 
To search witli piercing g-aze. the cracks 
and corners. 
For bits of fluff and slyly hidden crumbs; 
To sweep from ceilings high the webs of 
spiders— 
Because the breezy, sneezy Spring has 
come; 
But girls, don’t you do it. 
Now is the time, they also say, for dash¬ 
ing 
Cold water 'gainst each window and its 
blind; 
For hanging quilts and rugs, and mats and 
blankets. 
Out on the lines to flutter in the wind; 
To vex poor men so that they wildly utter 
Such words as strike their wives—a 
moment—dumb. 
The time to turn the whole house topsy¬ 
turvy. 
Because the feezy, wheezy Spring has 
come. 
But girls, don’t you do it. 
Now is the time, they say. hut I say 
“nonsense!” 
Better remain in peace till by and by; 
Then by degrees, set everything in order 
When days grow warm benealh a warm¬ 
er sky. 
I^et those who will biing to their homes 
discomfort. 
And make their kith and kin look pre¬ 
cious glum; 
Catch cold for want of fires—go faint and 
hungry. 
And all because uneasy Spring has come. 
But girls, don’t you do it. 
—The Housewife. 
Tius New York Sun tells how a young 
woman for whom housekeeping has yet 
the charm of novelty was discovered in 
the kitchen with an open recipe book 
and eight teacups, each cup containing 
an egg, yolk and white together, ranged 
before her. She was industriously beat¬ 
ing the egg in one cup. 
“Marianna, what do you think you're 
doing?” asked her friend, for whom 
housekeeping had lost both novelty and 
charm. 
“I’m making a cake,” said Marianna 
beamingly. 
“1 thought maybe it was egg-nog for 
eight. Why this array of cups?” 
“Why the book says, ‘Break eight 
eggs and beat separately.’ ” 
We have often been amused by the 
way in which some children decline to 
acquire any information or form any 
personal judgment that is not sanctioned 
hy the teacher’s authority. The Central 
Christian Advocate tells how a small 
girl who had just begun to attend school 
recently brought home a pumpkin seed, 
and told her mother that the teacher 
said that although the seed was white, 
the pumpkin would be yellow. 
“And what will the color of the vines 
be?” asked the mother. 
The little girl replied that the teacher 
had not taught her that. 
“But,” said her mother, “you know, 
dear, for we have pumpkin vines in our 
garden.” 
“Of course I do, but we ain’t expected 
to know anything until we are taught.” 
* 
Just why a woman should wear a 
trailing skirt and then incessantly hold 
it up is one of the mysteries mere man 
has never been able to solve. All sorts 
of elaborate strings and clasps have been 
devised for this purpose, so as to leave 
the wearer’s hands free, and it is quite 
amusing to see them reappearing in the 
shops, after a disappearance of two 
decade.s. The present-day skirt lifter 
looks like a man’s watch fob, with a 
pendant ornament having a clasp under¬ 
neath. It hangs from the waist. The 
old style in vogue during the hoopskirt 
period usually had several hanging cords 
terminating in clasps, looping up the 
skirt at intervals. The effect was not at 
all beautiful, according to our modern 
ideas, but then it is equally questionable 
whether a needlessly long skirt, that 
must either be held up or else sweep the 
dirt of the streets, can ever be beautiful 
in itself. The question is further com¬ 
plicated by the long drop skirt, which 
must be grasped with the outer skirt, or 
else permitted to trail alone, affording 
an asylum for all the homeless microbes 
and accumulated filth in its path. Fol¬ 
lowing the example of the drop skirt, 
most underskirts are longer than for¬ 
merly; it is no wonder that the short 
walking skirt gains in favor with sen¬ 
sible women. 
Cook books have assumed many forms 
since the days of the famous Mrs. 
Glasse. The modern instructor omits 
many of the old directions for dyeing, 
brewing, pickling, etc., because special¬ 
ized trade takes these allied arts out of 
a housekeeper’s hands, and, as a rule, 
giA-^es more attention to the hygienic 
value of food, and to the best and sim¬ 
plest method of preparing it. The Home 
Science Cook Book, recently published, 
is intended to tell how to put food to¬ 
gether for the best results, and it will 
appeal especially to busy housekeepers 
of moderate means, who often find some 
of the larger cook books too elaborate 
for their usage. The authors are Mrs. 
Mai-y J. IJncoln and Miss Anna Bar- 
rows, editors of the American Kitchen 
Magazine, who have succeeded in stor¬ 
ing an amazing amount of information 
within its 281 pages, adding to its con¬ 
venience by a copious index. It is pu*b- 
lished by the Home Science Publishing 
Company, Boston, Mass., and costs $1. 
We note that with the April issue the 
Motherhood Magazine has been incor¬ 
porated w'ith the American Kitchen 
Magazine, which will now assume the 
title of the Home Science Magazine. This 
“merger” seems a very natural and ap¬ 
propriate one. 
The Rural Pattern s. 
The girl’s dress figured shows a very 
effective use of tucks. The costume con¬ 
sists of the waist, made over a fitted 
foundation, and the skirt. The lining is 
smoothly fitted and closed with the 
4363 Girl’s Tucked Costumq 
8 ta 14yr8. 
waist at the center back. On it are ar¬ 
ranged the tucked fronts and backs and 
the yoke of lace. The sleeves are in 
bishop style, tucked to fit the arm snug¬ 
ly about the elbows, and gathered into 
straight narrow cuffs. Their upper por¬ 
tions are faced with lace to form the 
caps. The skirt is pleated and stitched 
flat for a portion of its length and falls 
free at the lower edge. The closing is 
effected at the center back, and the skirt 
and waist are joined beneath the soft 
belt of ribbon. The quantity of material 
required for the medium size (10 years) 
is six yards 21 inches wide, 5% yards 27 
inches wide, or 2% yards 44 inches wide, 
with % yard of all-over lace to make as 
illustrated. The pattern No. 4363 is cut 
in sizes for girls 8, 10, 12 and 14 years 
of age; price 10 cents from this office. 
The blouse jacket shown is well suit¬ 
ed to a girlish figure, and the stole cape 
4382 Misses’ Blouse Jacket, 
12 to 16 yrs. 
is a very stylish model. The blouse is 
made with fronts and back. The cape is 
separate and is circular over the shoul¬ 
ders and extended at the front to form 
stoles, at the back to give a V, effect and 
to make the postillion. It can be omitted 
and the blouse made plain when pre¬ 
ferred. To the lower edge are attached 
the basque portions. The sleeves are 
full but tucked above the elbows and al¬ 
lowed to form puffs below. At the wrists 
are plain straight cuffs simply stitched. 
The quantity of material required for 
the medium size (14 years) is 2^/4 yards 
44 inches wide or two yards 52 inches 
wide. The pattern No. 4382 is cut in 
sizes for girls 12, 14 and 16 years of age; 
price 10 cents from this office. 
The Household Congress. 
Fkied Biscuits. —When one fries 
bread dough in hot fat for breakfast 
(after the dough has raised all night) 1 
think if one takes a large or small pinch 
of the dough in the left hand and cuts 
it from the mass with a knife held in the 
right hand, and then drops it into the hot 
fat, it will be found equally as satisfac¬ 
tory as, and much quicker, than the old 
way of rolling it out thin on molding 
board, cutting it into strips and letting 
it rise again. e. r. s. 
A Window Washing Hint. —Windows 
should never be washed or dried, where 
the sun shines on them. I find satisfac¬ 
tory results after washing the windows 
to rub a damp cloth on “Bon Ami,” lath¬ 
ering the glass, not too wet, with it. Let 
the “Bon Ami” remain on the window 
glass till dry, then rub off with a dry 
cloth and you will be pleased with the 
clearness and lustre. When the wood- 
w'ork is not soiled one can at any time 
rub on the “Bon Ami” and clean the 
window glass in a few minutes, and with 
very little trouble. e. e. b. 
Why don't you get a 
Horseshoe Brand Wringer ? 
It •xuill lighten your day's •work 
Every wringer is warranted from one to five 
years. The rolls are made of I’ara Rubber. 
They wring dry, la.st long, and will not break 
buttons, tiur name and trade-mark is on 
every wringer and roll. 
The American Wringer Co. 
99 CHAMBERS ST., NEW YORK CITY 
We manufacture the Wringers that wring 
the Clothes of the World 
Soap=Making: 
At Home 
One van of Banner Lye —10 cents—will make ten 
pontids of the best hard soap—better than you 
can buy. 
It takes less time to make soap with 
Banner Lye 
than to make bread, and it gives you the jnirest 
soap, with jibsolutely no danger to pei-.son or 
clothes. Not old-style lye, but Banner Lye. 
It also makes twenty gallons of soft soap. 
Easy Cleaning 
Cleanliness is a new word since these days of 
Banner Lye. Banner Lye washes away the dirt that 
you see and the dirt that 
you can’t see. This last is 
most dangerous. It spoils 
the milk and butter in your 
bottles and j.ars, and when 
hidden in your drains and 
cellar invites disease. 
Banner Lye aXenusowt all 
this dirt and tbedi.sease- 
gei-ms therein contained. 
You will be sru’prised at 
the difference it makes. It 
is odorless and colorless. 
Get it of your gi'ocer or 
druggist. He can easily 
get it of his wholesaler, if 
he hasn’t it already. 
Write for booklet ‘^Uses 
of Banner Lye." 
The Penn Chemical Works, Philadelphia,U.S.A. 
more than 7,000,000 Jas. Boss StiflTened Gold Watch Cases 
have been sold. Many of the first ones are still giving 
satisfactory service, proving that the Jas. Bo.ss Case will 
outwear the guarantee of 25 years. These cases are recog¬ 
nized as the standard by all jewelers, because they know 
from personal observation that they will perform as guar¬ 
anteed and are the most serviceable of all watch cases. 
BUS. BOSS 
coTo Watch Cases 
are made of two layersof sol id gold with a layer 
of stifl’ening metal between, all welded together ■ 
into one solid sheet. The gold permitsof beau- 
tiful ornamentation. Thestifleuing metal gives 
strength. United they form the best watch case 
it Is possible to make. Insist on having a Jas. 
Boss Case. Y’ou will know it by this trademark 
, by 
Send for Booklet 
THE KEYSTONE WATCH CASE CO.. PhiUdelnhia 
