858 
‘ THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
December 9 
[ Woman and Home j 
From Day to Day. 
NOVEMBER IN THE GARDEN. 
The sunflowers in the garden 
Are bending limp and low, 
Two cornstalks, brown and withered, 
Stand rusting in a row. 
"We were so fine,” they murmur, 
"A little while ago!” 
The sky is gray and gloomy 
Without the sunshine’s glow, 
There is no smiling anywhere 
Unless—oh, gladsome show! 
Twelve plump and golden pumpkins. 
All beaming in a row! 
They say, "Why so despairing? 
We’re always here, you know. 
At this unpleasant season, 
Expressly sent to show 
The need of glad Thanksgiving, 
In spite of frost and snow.” 
—Grace Winthrop, in St. Nicholas. 
* 
Peppekmint wafers are often more 
popular than more pretentious sweet¬ 
meats, with elderly people as well as the 
young. They may be made at home as 
follows: Pour half a cupful of cold 
water over two cupfuls of granulated 
sugar, stir well together, then place on 
the fire and melt, stirring until the 
sugar is dissolved, but no longer. Boil 
exactly 10 minutes. Remove from the 
fire, add three drops of oil of pepper¬ 
mint, and stir until the candy becomes 
creamy. Drop on oiled paper, and allow 
the wafers to stand for 24 hours. These 
wafers usually relieve slight flatulence 
and some other simple stomach disor¬ 
ders, and most people like them. 
* 
We know many people who complain 
that they find breakfast cereals indi¬ 
gestible, in spite of their strong en¬ 
dorsement by health authorities. With¬ 
out doubt, the trouble is often the re¬ 
sult of insufficient cooking. Half-cooked 
cereals are certainly indigestible, and 
likely to cause serious trouble in many 
cases. The various manufacturers as¬ 
sert that the preparation given to the 
cereals renders less cooking necessary, 
which is, no doubt, true, but we do not 
believe that any of these materials are 
sufficiently cooked in 10, or 15, or 20 
minutes. Time being limited, in most 
houses, when breakfast is prepared, it 
is far better to soak the cereal over 
night, even where it is supposed to be 
cooked in a short time. The flavor is 
incomparably superior when the longer 
cooking is given, nor can we doubt that 
superior wholesomeness and nutritive 
quality result from this. 
* 
Some new hassocks or footstools are 
made in very eccentric shapes, such as 
melons or monster oranges, the cover¬ 
ing being velvet or velours of appro¬ 
priate color. Others are crown-shaped, 
triangular, or oval. A footstool is often 
such a comfort, both in giving an easy 
position and in raising the feet above 
the drafts that play about too many 
floors on windy evenings, that it seems 
a pity not to have them. The common¬ 
est form of homemade hassock is, of 
course, a small box with a stuffed top, 
covered with carpet; the care with 
which it is made can render this a 
pretty accessory to the room, instead 
of an aggressively homemade article. 
The box forming the foundation should 
be padded or stuffed all around, not 
upon the top only; this removes hard 
outlines, and also makes the hassock 
more comfortable. An unpadded box- 
hassock can give a very sharp rap to 
unwary shins. The cover should be 
cut to fit, and neatly seamed together, 
then slipped over the padded box and 
fastened firmly with tacks at the bot¬ 
tom. It is always well to cover the bot¬ 
tom of the hassock with slippery oil¬ 
cloth, like those sold in the stores; it 
may then be moved more readily, as it 
does not catch on the carpet. Burlap 
worked in wool, felt, and other fabrics 
make suitable covers for hassocks, in 
addition to carpet. A supply of has¬ 
socks, and a screen to cut off windy 
corners, will add much to the family 
comfort during the Winter. 
* 
Commenting on the articles entitled 
The Farmer’s Meat Barrel, recently 
printed in The R. N.-Y., a correspondent 
at Beaver Center, Pa., has this to say of 
preserving hams: 
We put them in pickle, or better still, dry 
salt, and then sugar-cure the same as de¬ 
scribed in The R. N.-Y., then, when smoked 
(if wanted, we do not like it smoked), we 
slice and fry Some rainy day, when I can 
help “the Madame,” as Hope Farm puts 
it, we get down the meat board, one foot 
square and two inches thick; I slice and she 
fries. We have an old-fashioned pancake 
griddle that covers the whole front of the 
stove. Salt and pepper to suit the taste, 
just heat the meat through, pack it in jars 
in layers as close as possible, then cover 
with hot lard while the meat is warm. 
Pack in small jars for a small family, one 
or two gallons. If one wish fresh pork 
steak next Summer, fry as above while the 
ham is fresh. Remember that it should 
be just nicely heated through; salt and 
pepper enough, and finish cooking when 
desired for use. Put in a cool place. We 
have kept the ham until haying; I think it 
would keep longer if left alone. 
We believe that many find this mode 
of packing meat a convenience, especial¬ 
ly where facilities for storing are not 
of the best. 
* 
The girl in the old fairy tale, who 
dropped pearls and diamonds from her 
mouth when she spoke, as contrasted 
with her sister, whose words were toads 
and serpents, offers a good illustration 
of the diverse characters our speech 
may take. A woman can scarcely make 
a greater error in minor morals than to 
permit herself the habit of bitter, sting¬ 
ing, or querulous words. No matter 
how kindly she may be in deeds, her 
unkindly words will offset them. Ac¬ 
tions certainly do speak louder than 
words, but it is difficult to appreciate the 
kindness of one whose industry or self- 
sacrifice 'is combined with a nagging 
tongue. By all means let us show our 
character by our deeds, but be sure that 
our words harmonize with them. We 
have read of a grave in an old New 
England graveyard whose crumbling 
tombstone bore, beneath the name of the 
quiet sleeper below, simply these words, 
"She was so pleasant.” That long-for¬ 
gotten woman was surely one whose 
words were pearls and diamonds to 
those about her. 
* 
After the recent battle of Eland- 
slaaghte, the Boers said that the sol¬ 
diers who caused them the greatest 
trouble were “those that wore the little 
skirts, half men and half women.” This 
was rather an unusual description of 
the fighting Highlanders in their kilts, 
but there is no doubt that it was accu¬ 
rate in its reference to their warlike 
qualities. It will be observed, however, 
that the people who are described as 
half men and half women, whether mas¬ 
culine women or feminine men, usually 
cause trouble, though not of the same 
kind as the Highland soldiers. A wo¬ 
man who dislikes children, despises the 
occupations usually described as femi¬ 
nine, and prides herself upon her free¬ 
dom from all sentiment, or as she puts 
it, "nonsense,” is often successful in 
material things, and useful in her spec¬ 
ial field, but she is never loved as one 
who draws out, by her own character, 
the finer graces of the heart. In our ap¬ 
preciation of smartness and faculty, we 
are rather too much inclined to lose 
sight of the gentler and more sympa¬ 
thetic side of human companionship, 
which is, after all, the better and more 
enduring part. 
Two Shelf Tables. 
Shelf tables are not only very con¬ 
venient, but are pretty pieces of furni¬ 
ture, either for bedroom or parlor. The 
two shown in Figs. 313 and 314 are sim¬ 
ple enough to be made at home. That 
with three shelves is especially suited 
for the spare chamber; many persons 
like to have a lamp or candle by the 
bedside, and this stand is just about 
the right height for this purpose. Fig. 
314 may be used as a music stand, the 
little closet underneath being just suited 
for that purpose. The brass ornaments 
may be purchased from a furniture 
dealer. The stands may be finished by 
enamel or staining; at the present time 
moss or malachite green stains are very 
popular for such pieces of furniture. 
Shingles, a Little-known Disease 
Shingles, though not a disease of fre¬ 
quent occurrence, is yet worth know¬ 
ing about. Its prominent characteristic 
is an eruption of the skin similar in 
kind to the so-called cold sore that 
breaks out about the lips. Its first indi¬ 
cation is a severe neuralgic pain, at¬ 
tended by slight fever, after which, 
within a day or two, the eruption shows 
itself. It may attack any part of the 
body, though its usual site is a little 
above the waist. The eruption comes 
out in patches, which are distributed 
along the course of the nerve trunk, 
commencing usually at the spine, and 
reaching to the middle line of the body 
in front, keeping parallel with the ribs. 
It thus passes half-way around the 
body. There is a popular notion that 
death would be the result of its com¬ 
pletely encircling it; but that is an er¬ 
ror. It is an exceedingly rare thing, 
however, for it to do so. The half circle 
that it forms, with the pain accompany¬ 
ing it, and the slight amount of general 
disturbance of the system that it causes, 
are the features by which you may 
recognize it. It is a self-limited disease 
lasting between one and two weeks, and 
is supposed to consist in an inflamed 
state of the root or trunk of the nerve, 
the cause of which can only be guessed 
at. It is not liable to return. The pain 
that attends it is more severe and per¬ 
sistent in the old than it is in younger 
subjects. I have known the surface of 
the rash in the case of an old patient 
to be so exquisitely tender that the 
lightest touch would be shrunk from. 
In any case it is well to guard against 
it being rubbed by the flannel under¬ 
wear, or otherwise roughly used. Some 
tonic treatment is usually prescribed. 
When the pain is very severe the em¬ 
ployment of morphine for its relief may 
be necessary, but that is something that 
ought never to be used except it be by 
the doctor himself or by his prescrip¬ 
tion. w. o. E. 
Utifermented Grape Juice. 
I think that the making of unfer¬ 
mented grape juice, as given on page 
790, can be improved on, at least an 
easier way given. I believe that this 
beverage should be plentiful enough in 
every farm home, to refresh the tired 
workers, both indoors and out, every 
hot Summer day. It is a mistake that 
the cooked grapes should not be 
squeezed. You get but little from the 
grapes if you do not squeeze them, and 
you are not making jelly, so no mat¬ 
ter if it is not perfectly clear. To cook 
15 minutes would, I fear, make the juice 
too thick when it is cold. I make a 
large quantity every year, and not only 
the family, but the stranger within our 
gates say, “How delicious your grape 
juice 'is.” My way is as follows: 
Pick over the grapes and put on the 
fire with w r ater enough to cover. Mash 
while they are heating until soft enough 
to express the juice. Put in bag, hang 
up and squeeze with the scrap squeezers 
until juice is all out. Put back over fire, 
adding one-third cupful of sugar to one 
quart of juice; let it just boil up, not 
over three minutes at most, and either 
bottle or can. I put mine in cans, as it 
is easier, and keep it where I keep other 
canned fruits. I have never had any 
spoil or ferment. When used I put 
about one-third juice to two-thirds 
water. Some of the family like a little 
more sugar. Add a generous piece of 
ice, and they all say “Do put up more 
next year.” I have always used Con¬ 
cord grapes. I believe that the more 
such drinks are prepared at home, the 
less craving there will be for those not 
SO Safe. ELLA C. GOODELL. 
youn.-t 
3rip to Paris 
ha 9 not yet reverted from a pos¬ 
sibility to an impossibility. 
Many energetic agents can 
earn enough money this Winter 
to pay for a trip abroad by secur¬ 
ing subscriptions to 
The Ladies’ Home Journal 
AND 
The Saturday Evening Post 
and perhaps a good deal more. 
At the end of the season 
(April 15th) we are going to 
divide $18,000 among 764 of our 
best agents. 
This is in addition to liberal 
commissions on all subscrip¬ 
tions, and special rebates for 
large clubs. 
The best agent will get $1,000, 
the next best will get $750, and 
so on. 
Don’t let 764 people outstrip 
you. But, if you should, the 
pay will be ample for all the 
work you do for us. 
Write for particulars. 
Th* Curtis Publishing Company. Philadelphia 
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