28o 
April 12 
THE RURAL 
NEW-YORKER. 
I Woman and Home \ 
From Day to'Day 
THE TWO SIDES. 
There was a girl who always said 
Her fate was very hard; 
From the one thing she wanted most 
She always was debarred. 
There always was a cloudy spot 
Somewhere within her sky; 
Nothing was ever quite just right. 
She used to say, and sigh. 
And yet her sister, strange to say, 
Whose lot was quite the same, 
Found something pleasant for herself 
In every day that came. 
Of course things tangled up sometimes 
For just a little while; 
But nothing ever staid all wrong, 
She used to say and smile. 
So one girl sighed and one girl smiled 
Through all their lives together; 
It didn’t come from luck or fate, 
From clear or cloudy weather. 
The reason lay within their hearts, 
And colored all outside; 
One chose to hope and one to mope, 
And so they smiled and sighed. 
—Yonkers Statesman. 
* 
A reader asks how to make the 
sassafras jelly which was an old-fash¬ 
ioned remedy for feverish colds and 
rheumatic affections. This is made 
from the pith of large branches, gath¬ 
ered in the Spring. Pour a pint of boil¬ 
ing water over a dram of the pith; as 
it cools strain into an earthen bowl, add 
a little sugar, and allow it to thicken. 
Either this pith or the bark of sassafras 
root is recommended as flavoring for 
cough candy. 
* 
One of the exasperations of damp 
weather is the tendency to stick dis¬ 
played by many bureau drawers. This 
is usually corrected by rubbing the 
edges with a bit of hard soap, soft lead 
pencil or stove blacking. The same 
process may be used to advantage where 
a door sticks. It is advisable to oil 
locks and hinges slightly at intervals; 
a door that may be opened and closed 
easily and noiselessly is a great relief 
to tired nerves. 
* 
The woman who reveals her inmost 
thoughts to her friend has no reason for 
complaint if that friend passes on her 
confidences to another. We cannot ex¬ 
pect others to exert greater reticence 
than we do ourselves. There is a re¬ 
sponsibility in imparting our own se¬ 
crets, as well as in keeping those of oth¬ 
ers. Many a broken friendship can be 
traced to nothing more than a repeated 
confidence, which should never have 
been bestowed in the first place. 
* 
A noticeable feature in the Spring 
millinery is the use of pearl beads. It 
looks as though the imitation pearl 
necklaces worn so much for a year past 
have suddenly been transferred to the 
hats. Round buttons one to two inches 
across, made of the beads, are used 
quite freely, like buckles; so are loops 
of pearl beads, apparently holding the 
trimming in place. Most of the Spring 
hats shown are large and flat, often 
three-cornered, usually with streamers 
at the back. We have been threatened 
with streamers for some time, and ap¬ 
parently they have really arrived in 
great force. The hats are loaded with 
flowers, especially in wreath form. 
* 
Fob a bit of “pick-up” work for odd- 
moments, those protection collars or 
turnovers of colored linen are very suit¬ 
able. The embroidery on them is sim¬ 
ple, merely outlining and buttonhole 
stitch as a rule, though they may be 
elaborated by French knots or lace 
stitches if desired, and they may be 
worked in either linen or silk. Natur¬ 
ally, a woman who has a great deal of 
regular sewing to do cannot do this; she 
ought not to think of fancy-work when 
it becomes really a task; yet we know 
some very busy housewives • who find 
real rest and relief in taking up such 
work at intervals, as a change from 
their usual occupations. We don’t like 
to see all the fancy sewing given over 
to the daughters, while the mother’s 
stitchery is put into the commonplace 
articles that may so easily become un¬ 
interesting. 
* 
One of our correspondents recom¬ 
mends, as a short cut in stocking mend¬ 
ing, the addition of a new foot, in place 
of continued darning. This recalls an¬ 
other mending short cut, which would, 
we fear, be a severe shock to our neat 
grandmother, who used to put in 
patches as if she were working applique 
embroidery. We always mend worn 
muslin undergarments with the sewing 
machine, felling the patches flat, with 
tiny turnings. This not only makes a 
neat patch, very quickly done, but it is 
also very firm; there is no risk of its 
becoming ripped in washing. Little 
rips in muslin underwear, such as loos¬ 
ened frills, trimming or bands, are al¬ 
ways better stitched on the machine 
than by hand. Merino or knit cotton 
underwear is patched in the same way, 
using a long stitch on the machine. No 
turnings are taken., but one row of 
stitching is put at the extreme edge,and 
a second row a little farther in; this 
prevents any rough edge or risk of un¬ 
raveling. The sewing machine is a use¬ 
ful partner for the mending basket. 
A Cooling Shelf for the Pantry 
Window. 
The housewife wants to set pies and 
other hot dishes out to cool in Winter 
as well as in Summer, but blowing 
snow, with blasts of cold air rushing in¬ 
to the pantry, make the plan incon¬ 
venient, while in Summer protection is 
equally needed. Make a framework 
outside the window, as shown in Fig. 
106, so that the window will slide up 
and down by it. Cover well with cot¬ 
ton cloth and you have a cooling closet 
by simply raising the pantry window 
a foot or so. w. d. 
The Rural Patterns. 
The Gibson waist shown is made of 
white mercerized duck, with handsome 
pearl buttons, and is unlined, but when 
silk or woolen fabrics are used they 
should be made over a lining. The lin¬ 
ing fits smoothly but extends to the 
waist line only. The waist proper is 
laid in deep pleats over the shoulders 
that extend to the waist line at the back 
and front; and are stitched to yoke 
depth with silk to give the effect of 
pointed straps. At the center front is 
the regulation box pleat, through which 
button holes are worked. The sleeves 
are in bishop style, with the season’s 
deep cuffs that are buttoned up at the 
inside. At the neck is a neckband over 
which stock, or a linen collar, may be 
worn. To cut this waist for a miss 14 
years of age four yards of material 21 
inches wide, 3% yards 27 inches wide, 
3 Vs yards 32 inches wide, or two yards 
44 inches wide will be required. The 
pattern No. 4066 is cut in sizes for 
misses of 12. 14 and 16 years of age; 
price 10 cents from this office. 
Lengthening a Skirt. 
The shrinking of woolen dress skirts 
after exposure to dampness or rain is a 
serious inconvenience, especially if the 
skirt was originally cut the desired 
length. The front breadth generally 
suffers most in this respect, as the 
goods, being cut on the straight, cannot 
sag as do the parts where a bias cut is 
permitted. Where a skirt has develop¬ 
ed this failing the best and most satis¬ 
factory way of remedying it is to cut a 
circular flounce of the same material if 
possible; if not of some suitable goods 
as a plain cloth of harmonizing color. 
If the skirt is of double-faced cloth no 
lining will be required for the flounce. 
It may be bound top and bottom with 
bias velveteen, and neatly finished be¬ 
fore it is attached to the skirt. If made 
of material differing from that of the 
skirt a lining, and even in case of very 
thin material, an interlining, may be 
required, the different thicknesses being 
kept together by means of parallel rows 
of machine stitching. The upper and 
lower edges can then be bound as be¬ 
fore. When the flounce is completed, 
having made it of such size as will cor¬ 
respond to the width of the skirt, the 
latter should be put on and the flounce 
held in place on the skirt at the middle 
of the front, the middle of the back, and 
at one or two points intermediate as 
may seem necessary. Pins will be suffi¬ 
cient. The skirt should then be care¬ 
fully taken off and a basting thread run 
around to indicate the line where the 
top of the flounce is to be attached. All 
below this, except one inch, may be cut 
4066. Misses’ Shirt Waist, 
12 to 16 Years. 
entirely away and rejected. The edge 
of the skirt may then be neatly bound 
with a piece of the material cut bias, 
the flounce basted on and stitched 
through with the machine immediately 
below its narrow top binding. This 
method of repairing a short or worn 
skirt is much to be preferred to the diffi¬ 
cult and unsatisfactory methods ordi¬ 
narily employed. It has the additional 
advantage of enabling the worker to 
complete the flounce of fresh and new 
material, and comparatively light and 
easy to handle, before making any 
changes in the skirt. Last but not 
least it does away with the necessity of 
ripping off soiled and worn bindings 
and the inhaling of dust and lint that 
accompanies such work. The flounce 
may be cut as deep as desired, and uni¬ 
form or graduated in depth as preferred. 
The minimum length will be what the 
skirt requires at its shortest point to 
make it of proper length, plus the inch 
or so lost in the attaching. Such a 
flounce as that shown in the skirt pat¬ 
tern on page 220, issue of March 22, is 
useful for lengthening a skirt. 
ELLA H. COOPER. 
Giant Flowering Galadium 
Grandest foliage and flowering plant yet Introduced. 
Leaves 3 to 5 feet long by 2 or 21-3 feet broad; perfectly 
iramenso, and make a plant which for tropical luxuriance 
has no equal. Added to this wonderful foliage effect are 
the mammoth lily-like blossoms, 12 to 151nches long, snow- 
white, with a rich and exquisite fragrance. Plants bloom 
perpetually all summer in the garden, or all the year 
round in pots. Not only is it the grandest garden or fawn 
S lant, but as a pot plant for large windows, verandas, 
alls, or conservatories, it rivals the choicest palms In 
foliage, to say nothing of its magnifloent flowers. Thrives 
in any soil or situation, and grows and blooms all the 
year, and will astonish every one with its magnificence— 
so novel, effective, free growing and fragrant. 
Fine plants, which will soon bloom and reach full per. 
fection, 25c. each; 8 For OOc.; O for Sil.©© by 
mail, postpaid, guaranteed to arrive in good condition. 
OUR GREAT CATALOGUE of Flower and 
Vegetable Seeds, Bulbs, Plants and Rare New Fruits; pro- 
fusely Illustrated; Large Colored Plates; 136 pages; FREH 
to any who expect to order. Many great novelties. 
JOHN LEWIS CHILDS, Floral Park, N. Y. 
GHT DOLLARS 
and ninety-flre cents buys thii 
SEROCO, FIVE-DRAWER, DROf 
HEAD OAK CABINET SEWING 
MACHINE, a thoroughly reliable, 
high arm,aO-ycnr guaranteed inn 
chine, the equal of machines ad 
vertised by other houses at *15.<X 
to $20.00. $l5.201>uy» our MINNE 
SOT A, ‘he highest grade machine made. 
For l>lg 11 lustration nndcomplete 
description write for our Free Complete Sewing 
Machine Catalogue. Address, 
SEARS, ROEBUCK & CO., CHICAGO, ILL. 
ARTISTIC MONUMENTS 
Cost No More Than Plain Ones in 
WHITE EHONTZE. 
We 
have 
designs 
from 
$4.00 
to 
$4,000.00 
Marble Is entirely out of date. 
Granite soon gets moss-grown, 
discolored, requires constant 
expense and care, and even¬ 
tually crumbles back to Mother 
Earth. Besides, It Is very ex¬ 
pensive. 
White Bronze 
Is strictly everlasting. It can¬ 
not crumble with the action 
of frost. Moss-growth Is an 
Impossibility. It is more 
artistic than any stone. 
Then, why not investi¬ 
gate it ? it bas been 
adopted for nearly one 
hundred public monu¬ 
ments and by thousands 
of delighted individuals in all parts of the country. 
Write at once for free designs and Information. It 
puts you under no obligations. We deal direct and 
deliver everywhere. Address 
The Monumental Bronze Co., 
345 Howard Avenue, 
Bridgeport, Conn. 
Are you 
a. Judge? 
If your experiehce 
with sheet metals 
has all been “under 
cover,” you are li¬ 
able to make 'a mistake 
when choosing a rural 
mail box. Even the box 
makers who have had no “out door” 
experience are astonished at what the cruel 
weather can do. We can give'you valuable 
“pointers”, gained by actual experience. 
Write for particulars. 
Bon^SteeTPostCa^drian^MiclG 
HA(TlP-ITiqHA ’ s as eas ^ to ^ la< ^ as home-made bread, 
^ HldtlC and no house j s managed with the greatest 
economy without it. 
Banner Lye 
(one can, costing a few cents,) and the grease that is 
generally wasted in the kitchen, make ten pounds of pure, 
hat'd soap in ten minutes '"without boiling or large kettles. One pound of this soap 
goes as far as two pounds of ordinary soap. It doesn’t turn the clothes yellow. 
Soft Soafi is just as easily made. One can of Banner Lye makes twenty gallons. Easy-directions on 
every can. 
At your grocer’s or druggist’s. If you can’t get it, send for book, and tell us who your grocer or 
druggist is. THE PENN CHEMICAL WORKS Philadelphia 
