534 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
July 30 
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♦ Woman and | 
l The Home. | 
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FROM DAY TO DAY. 
It is asserted by one of the bicycle 
journals that the Russian government 
has issued orders forbidding wheel women 
to wear corsets or skirts! We don’t 
know what substitutes they suggest for 
these garments, but no government has 
ever yet attempted to regulate feminine 
costume without getting the worst of it. 
* 
Visitors to the various Shaker com¬ 
munities are always impressed by the 
exquisite neatness everywhere observed. 
When details of household management 
are examined, it is found that the Shaker 
sisters study every way of avoiding un¬ 
necessary work or disorder. Without 
making an idol of neatness at the expense 
of comfort, most housekeepers will find 
sound advice in that old proverb that 
advises her to use her head to save her 
heels It is always easier to avoid mak¬ 
ing dirt than to clean it up. Old news¬ 
papers are of infinite value in such econ¬ 
omy of labor. Always have a newspaper 
to spread out on the floor when filling 
the stove, or removing the ashes. Spread 
over the table when polishing silver or 
cleaning any bright metals, the news¬ 
paper prevents a good deal of dirt which 
would otherwise be removed at the ex¬ 
pense of much labor. In fact, it is wise 
to have newspapers in readiness to act 
as shields whenever extra dirt is likely 
to be brought in, though we wouldn’t 
like to carry our neatness so far as the 
woman who handed her husband a bun¬ 
dle of newspapers every time he came 
into the house, and compelled the poor 
man to lay down a roadway of them 
wherever he went, for fear his dusty 
shoes might soil the floor. It is a wonder 
that neat housewife did not insist upon 
her visitors adopting the .Japanese cus¬ 
tom and removing their shoes before en¬ 
tering the house. 
* 
For a good many years, we have 
cooked our canned fruit in the jars, thus 
avoiding a great deal of labor, as well 
as preserving the fruit without breaking. 
A good many housekeepers, we find, are 
still going on in the old way, cooking 
the fruit in a preserving kettle, and then 
laboriously filling it into the jars. There 
no reason for this trouble, unless 
making preserves. Our method is as 
follows : The fruit is x>eeled or picked 
over, as required, and put into the jar 
while raw. A syrup is made, one cup¬ 
ful of granulated sugar to a quart of 
water, put in an earthen crock stood on 
the back of the stove, so that the sugar 
melts. The jars are filled with this, care 
being taken to avoid any air bubbles. 
The jars are then placed in the wash- 
boiler, sticks or hay being put under¬ 
neath them, to prevent direct contact 
with the metal, and water is poured in 
until two-thirds the height of the jars. 
The covers of the jars may be laid on 
top, but must not be screwed down. 
The wash-boiler is brought forward on 
the stove, the water brought to a boil, 
and kept boiling long enough to cook 
the fruit in the jars. Berries and soft 
fruits need but a few minutes. When 
the fruit is cooked, the wash-boiler is 
drawn back, the jars filled with boiling 
syrup if not quite full, and the covers 
screwed on. This is an excellent way 
to can tomatoes, only, in their case, the 
jar is filled with the peeled tomatoes, 
without any extra liquid. After cook¬ 
ing, some boiling water is added if the 
jars are not quite full. A useful appli¬ 
ance now on the market is the Mudge 
canner, which carries out this style of 
canning in more finished form, but ex¬ 
cellent results are obtained with nothing 
more elaborate than the family wash- 
boiler. 
Where there is a lot of heavy washing 
to do in Summer, such as men’s over¬ 
alls and blouses, some homemade device 
which will lighten the labor is a great 
convenience. We have heard of one 
dairyman who was using an old broken 
Davis swing churn for this purpose. The 
churn is filled with hot water and soap, 
the clothes are put into it, the cover put 
on, and then the whole thing is well 
shaken up. A large barrel or hogshead 
made water-tight is sometimes used. The 
clothes are put into it with the necessary 
soap or washing powder, and then a jet 
of steam is turned into it, until the water 
boils, when the cover is put on and the 
clothes put under high pressure. This 
boiling and steaming will take the 
greater part of the dirt out of the clothes, 
and only a comparatively small amount 
of pounding or stirring with a long stick 
will be needed to finish them. 
HOUSEWORK IN HOT WEATHER. 
To make work in the farmhouse light 
in Summer, is usually beyond the possi¬ 
bilities of any thought and ingenuity, 
but the desire to simplify and avoid un¬ 
called-for labor keeps us on the right 
track. Washings must necessarily be 
large, and ironings wearisome, but the 
latter, we all know, can be lightened to 
almost any extent the housekeeper has 
the fortitude to decide upon. If only we 
did not so love to see a frameful of satin- 
smooth ironing, the courage of neglect 
would be oftener ours. We know that, 
if the white lawns and muslins we used 
to like for church wear are replaced by 
soft, light wools and silks, the little 
girls look no prettier, but mamma is 
more becomingly dressed, and there is 
the gain of much less fine ironing. The 
wrinkled seersuckers for every-day use 
should be kept in vogue, for they, also, 
are labor-savers. 
With soft shirts, fine and attractive as 
the purse permits, and to be worn al¬ 
most anywhere but to church instead of 
stiff linen by the masculine half of the 
family, another important item of labor 
is reduced. Nightshirts, classed in some 
households as necessities and in others 
as “ putting on airs ”, wash easily when 
made of outing, and if shaken smooth 
before drying, few will notice though 
they be left unironed. With the dust of 
hay fields and hoeing absolutely unavoid¬ 
able, a change to fresh clothing at night 
surely saves strength at the washboard 
as well as increases comfort. 
Right here one is reminded how for¬ 
tunate are the farmhouses where some 
sort of bath-tub conveniences are avail¬ 
able for the hired help as well as for the 
family. Be not too sure that Pat and 
Antonio would scorn the privilege of 
keeping their persons clean. An old 
Patrick of my acquaintance, much of 
whose work is cleaning stables and feed¬ 
ing swine is, his mistress avers, the 
most punctual member of her family as 
to his baths, and will never sleep but in 
a nightshirt. There are few boys but 
would be glad of a pair of pajama suits 
made from striped outing, and the latest 
fancy says that girls, too, are adopting 
this comfortable attire for night wear. 
As to how much laundering of table 
linen and how many work dresses there 
must be, the habit of slopping and splash¬ 
ing goes a long way to decide. From 
dislike of being over-nice and fussy, 
don't swing into habits of carelessness 
that not only swells the wash, but sets 
an example of heedlessness to the chil¬ 
dren and hired people. And do let fresh 
air and sunshine lend all possible aid in 
removing odors and keeping sweet and 
fresh ! A morning’s sunning and airing of 
stockings and undervests cleanses them 
surprisingly, and any garment hung up 
in a dry, airy place when removed, keeps 
fresh fully twice as long as if tossed any¬ 
where in a heap. Of course it is not 
easy to inspire the children with the 
necessary spirit of order, but it is well 
worth while to do one's best in that line, 
even bribes and prizes being well spent 
in the cause. 
When the Summer days come, the 
keeping of the house clean is found very 
appreciably lessened in proportion to 
the amount of living out of doors to 
which the family is habituated, kitchen, 
dining-room and bedrooms being the 
only parts of the house necessary to 
living ; in some places, even the dining 
table is laid in pleasant weather on a 
porch or beneath a convenient tree. An 
improvised tent or awning often helps 
to make the little people content and 
comfortable where no shade trees are 
near, and a charming summer room can 
be had with only a few grape vines and 
a framework, however rough, of posts 
and poles; but the preparation of the 
latter is work for late Winter and Spring 
when the men folks have time to prepare 
the frame and plant the vines. 
“Mother” must not forget that the 
more hours she can sit out of doors with 
sewing or paring knife, the happier the 
children will be there with their lunch¬ 
eons and scatterings of all sorts, and 
where the gain is along the line of health 
and vigor for all concerned, the lessened 
sweeping and picking up seem well worth 
while. 
The mattings and painted floors where 
hard-wood finishings are not found are 
so much liked by our city housekeepers 
that we ought to feel encouraged to give 
up heavy floor coverings, in some of the 
bed-rooms at least, even though we have 
only plain carpet rugs to spread before 
bed and bureau. But though city house¬ 
keepers lay aside nearly all draperies, 
even folding away lace curtains to leave 
only cool shades and screens at the win¬ 
dows, we, who see more guests in Sum¬ 
mer than at other seasons, like then 
especially to make our rooms fresh and 
attractive with ruffled muslins and 
touches of soft, cool colors, knowing 
that the world of outdoor freshness has 
scarcely need to be coaxed indoors, but 
is lavish enough in supply to spread 
itself everywhere, if given half a chance. 
These are the days when we realize 
that the simplest of the children’s frocks 
are the most satisfactory; that the tucks 
and ruffles it took so much time to 
fashion, also exact further tribute 
whenever they come to the wash ; that 
being fresh and sweet is better than 
being elaborately decorated, and that if 
we would extract some of Hummer’s 
sweets for our own needs, we must use 
our heads and plan wisely. 
p. T. PRIMROSE. 
HOME STUDY. 
When school days are ended, a majority 
of girls drop all thoughts of further 
study. They go into homes of their own, 
cares and duties multiply ; their time is 
fully occupied. But I hold that no woman 
ought to be such a slave to her work 
that she cannot have, at least half an 
hour each day for instructive reading ; 
not two hours one day and none for 
several days. A little time each day for 
regular, systematic study is what counts. 
I think the Chautauqua course of study 
is so nicely arranged for home readers. 
It is a four-years’ course, although each 
year is separate and complete. There 
are five or six books each year, treating 
on history, literature, science and art. 
They are written in a clear, interesting, 
style, so that one need not be highly 
educated in order to understand them. 
Then there is a certain portion of the 
Chautauquan, a monthly magazine, to be 
read. The whole cost is $7.50 each year; 
this includes the membership book con¬ 
taining examination questions on each 
study. A diploma is given at the end of 
the four-years’ course. 
The first year I read, a relative and I 
bought the books together, thereby les¬ 
sening the expense. Besides the expense 
there was, with me, a question of time. 
Could I, with all my housework, sewing, 
entertaining company, gardening and 
chicken raising, study 40 minutes a day ? 
I decided that I could at least try, and 
the 40 minutes’ study proved such a stimu¬ 
lus that, during the four years, I com¬ 
pleted several extra courses of study, 
thus adding seals to my diploma. To be 
sure, I often worked and studied at the 
same time. My book would be propped 
open on a shelf near my work table or 
ironing board. 
When the four-years’ work was com¬ 
pleted, I attended a Chautauqua Assem¬ 
bly, where 17 staid matrons and one lone 
man passed through the golden gate, re¬ 
ceived their diplomas, and were tendered 
a reception. 
This year, with my little ones requir¬ 
ing so much care, I have undertaken but 
one line of C. L. S. C. study—the current 
history course—15 pages in the Chau¬ 
tauquan each month, and one book, The 
Social Spirit in America. I have a new 
fad, however, that of kindergarten. I 
wish my little girls to have the benefit 
of that training, and the only way seems 
to be to teach them myself. I have A 
Study of Child Nature, Finger Plays, Bos¬ 
ton Collection of Kindergarten Stories, 
Mrs. Pollock’s Kindergarten Manual, and 
other books. The more I study them, 
the more enthusiastic 1 become, and only 
wish that I might have a thorough train¬ 
ing in the work. Elizabeth Harrison’s, 
A Study of Child Nature, would be help¬ 
ful to any mother who earnestly desires 
to train her children aright. That re¬ 
minds me that there is a very good course 
of study for mothers in connection with 
theC. L. S. C., the headquarters of which 
are at Buffalo, N. Y. 
Many newspapers offer opportunities 
for home study ; some give the privilege 
of correspondence without charge to sub¬ 
scribers of the paper. At the end of a 
certain time, examinations are passed 
and certificates granted. If farmers’ 
wives and daughters would become in¬ 
terested in home study and, where farm¬ 
houses are close together, organize read¬ 
ing circles, mothers’ meetings, or even 
mending clubs, where good books are 
read by one of the members while others 
mend, there would be less talk of the 
monotony of farm life and the insane 
asylums being filled with farmers’ 
Wives. MARY S. 8TEI.SON. 
ON GEMS. 
“ You see I have made a special study 
of them,” said Cousin Amy, when her 
breakfast gems were praised, “and my 
present recipe is my own invention.” 
“ Do give it to us.” 
“ It is simple. A cupful and a half of 
dry material thoroughly mixed with 
one-half of an even teaspoonful of soda 
crushed fine, and the same of salt. A 
cupful of sour milk, creamy if possible, 
and an egg beaten together, then mixed 
quickly with the flour or meal. They 
should be put at once into smoking hot 
gem-pans, and baked in a quick oven. 
This amount will make 12 gems. Don’t 
fill the compartments too full. Make 
the mixture hold out to fill them all, and 
let the soda and sour milk do the rest. 
“ My little tin measure is very useful. 
It holds two cupfuls, and is marked off 
to show where the half cupfuls come. I 
measure the dry material first, then 
measure the cup of sour milk, break the 
egg into it, and beat in the measure with 
the egg beater, then pour into the dry 
material, and stir together quickly. I 
have tried baking powder, but it is more 
expensive and not nearly so good. I have 
found by many experiments that I get 
the best results by using the proportions 
I have given you.” 
“ But the gems are not the same every 
day. What are your other rules ? ” 
“• I have only that one, really. I vary 
it by changing the dry material. For 
instance : 
“ Flour gems, 1% cupful Haxell flour. 
“Entire wheat, \]4 cupful entire 
wheat flour. 
“ Rye, one cupful entire wheat and one- 
half cupful rye. 
“ Rye and Indian, one-half cupful 
each entire wheat, rye and Indian. 
“ Indian, one cupful entire wheat, and 
one-half cupful Indian. I sometimes add 
