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THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
October 1 
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| Woman and ♦ 
l The Home. J 
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FROM DAY TO DAY. 
The best remedy we have ever tried 
for prickly heat, that torment of Sum¬ 
mer weather, is vinegar and baking soda, 
one part of soda to 10 of vinegar. Allow 
the effervescence to subside and then 
apply it. This old-fashioned remedy was 
recommended by the physician of St. 
John’s Guild. Many of the tenement- 
house babies come to the Floating Hos¬ 
pital in misery from this eruption, fret¬ 
ting and sleepless. The doctor orders a 
vinrgai-and-soda sponge bath, adminis¬ 
tered by one of the trained nurses, and 
the little sufferer is soon sleeping peace¬ 
fully. This remedy seems more effica¬ 
cious than many more pretentious sub¬ 
stances. 
* 
We recently spent a day in company 
with two young women who devote all 
their time to work among the poor in 
New York tenement houses. One works 
in a King’s Daughters’ Settlement, the 
other is a district nurse, sent out by the 
Settlement to work among the ailing 
poor. They told us many saddening and 
pathetic things of the lives of the poor, 
but it was their united opinion that the 
most crying need now, among the city 
poor, is for additional education. 
There are so many charities that actual 
need can liardly r go uncared-for; the 
tenement buildings are being improved, 
and the general condition of the poor is 
immeasurably better than it was. Now 
these people must be taught to make the 
best of the things they have. The lack 
of knowledge regarding housekeeping is 
appalling, and this is responsible for 
both moral and physical deterioration. 
Mothers arc incapable of teaching their 
daughters, and this knowledge must be 
supplied. Good cooking and cleanliness 
would work a wonderful change in 
another generation. 
* 
A young woman who is interested in 
philanthropic work told us recently how 
she assisted three friends in taking a 
party of 125 children up to Central Park 
for a day’s outing. These children came 
from a free kindergarten, and they all 
belonged to the New York tenement- 
house class, most of them being foreign¬ 
ers. We thought four young women had 
taken rather a large contract in manag¬ 
ing 125 children, and asked our friend 
whether they were not afraid of accident¬ 
ally mislaying some of the youngsters. 
“ We did come quite near to it’’, she 
responded ; “ I was marching along, near 
the middle of the procession, as we were 
passing one of the lakes, when I looked 
around, and was horrified to see a man 
pulling one of the children out of the 
water ! He went in again and pulled out 
a second, and I began to wonder how 
many were drowned ! We were relieved 
to find that the damage was limited to 
two, who were soaked, but unhurt, so 
Miss II-and myself staid to dry off 
the victims, while the others were sent 
home under convoy of the two other 
guardians. It was a very warm day, so 
we undressed the children in one of the 
shelters, wrapped them up in our petti¬ 
coats, and spread out their clothes to 
dry^. They didn’t seem to dry very fast, 
so I suggested that we spread them on 
some bushes. Pretty soon a policeman 
strolled across the grass, and inquired 
to whom those garments belonged. We 
confessed, and he said that they must be 
moved. They were in view of the main 
drive, where New York’s upper ten takes 
its afternoon airing; the 61ite was an¬ 
noyed by the drying clothes, and de¬ 
manded their removal. I told the police¬ 
man that I thought it rather mean if a 
poor child wLo only sees the park once a 
year couldn’t be dried without lacerating 
the feelings of rich people who come 
there every day, but we had to move, and 
hunted up a stretch of asphalt walk, in 
the full sun, on which we stretched the 
garments and dried them quite quickly. 
The children didn't mind it a bit, and we 
restored them to their homes a little 
late, but safe and sound.” 
A HOME AMONG STRANGERS. 
A FAMILY' CIRCLE OF SELF-SUPPORTING 
WOMEN. 
Where It Is. —Situated on one of the 
busiest blocks of East Fourteenth Street, 
between Third and Fourth Avenues, 
New York City, is a home for working 
girls. The purpose of establishing this 
home was to provide shelter and board 
at reduced rates for some of the many 
young women in this city who are obliged 
to go out into the busy world and win a 
livelihood for themselves, a home where 
they would come under the influence of 
a Christian mother in the capacity of 
matron. The rent of the three floors oc¬ 
cupied by' the home is given by Mr. A. W. 
Dennett, the proprietor of several busi¬ 
ness restaurants, the lower floors and a 
portion of the third being devoted to one 
of his many lunch-rooms. The originator 
of the work is Mr. C. N. Crittenton, a 
philanthropist interested in mission 
work. He secured the services of Mrs. 
Elizabeth Underhill, a minister of the 
Society of Friends, as matron. She came 
here from a country village, a stranger 
to the city and city ways, but not a 
stranger to humanity and its needs. Mr. 
Crittenton’s idea was to make the home 
as nearly' self-supporting as possible, if 
not entirely so. References as to the 
good character of each young woman 
making application are necessary before 
being admitted to its family circle. His 
mission work is a distinct and separate 
work. 
Home Influences. —At the commence¬ 
ment of the work the young women took 
their meals at the restaurant mentioned 
above, but this was not considered so 
wise as to have a dining-room of their 
own, which was soon provided, and now, 
after seven years of the good work, it is 
the home of 18 self-supporting young 
women who most thoroughly appreciate 
its friendly' roof, and w'ho, without ex¬ 
ception, love most tenderly their matron. 
Some of the young women have been 
there with very little interruption since 
the opening of the home, while others 
are transient, coming and going, but 
those wdio have once been in the home 
always take the opportunity, when it 
presents itself, to call upon the matron 
and express their gratitude for the kind¬ 
ness showm them, and the unselfish love 
and kindly advice showered upon them. 
Its good results have been far-reaching, 
and many a young woman has to thank 
God that “ the lines have fallen to her in 
pleasant places ”, where such personal 
interest i« taken in her welfare, and 
where so many things in so many ways 
are done to benefit her. 
Religious Influences. —The rules of 
the home are few, only those absolutely 
necessary to the good order and well- 
being of the members. Each one is ex¬ 
pected to be in at 10 o’clock i\ M. unless 
permission has been received to remain 
later. Lights are out at 10 30. The 
rising bell rings at 6 35, and the prayer 
bell at 7.10, breakfast immediately fol¬ 
lowing the short prayer service, after 
which the different members are pre¬ 
pared in more ways than one to begin 
the tasks of the day in office, store or 
wherever their duties lie. The matron 
makes it a point to notify the inmates of 
any desirable meetings or lectures which 
they can attend, often accompanying 
Twenty 
Funny 
Stories of 
MARK TWAIN 
They relate to Mark Twain’s 
eccentricities, and his aptness 
in making the most ordinary 
episodes appear ludicrous. The 
stories are brimful of fun. 
When I Stood Face to Miss Wilkins in Her 
Face With Death 
General A. W. Greely, 
the great Arctic ex¬ 
plorer, tells here, for the 
first time in print, the 
graphic story of his fear¬ 
ful exile of 278 days at 
the North Pole, when 
his comrades daily 
dropped dead at his side, 
and when all waited day 
by day for death to come. 
New England Home 
An entire photographic 
page will show the 
author of “Jerome ” and 
“Pembroke” as she is 
at home : her friends as 
they grouped around 
her; going out to walk 
with her dog; with her 
favorite cat; and in an 
evening gown ready for 
a reception. 
John Wanamaker’s Sunday-School 
The Most Interesting Sunday-School in America 
How it has grown to be a factor in a city’s life, 
together with the wonderful man who has de¬ 
voted his energies to its development. Illustrated. 
These are Some of the Special Features in the October Number of 
The Ladies’ Home Journal 
yt yt 
We will mail The Ladies’ Home Journal from now 
until January 1 , i8qq, and The Saturday Evening 
Post, every week from now until the end of the year, 
on receipt of only Twenty-five Cents. 
The Saturday 
Evening Post 
Was established in 1728 by 
Benjamin Franklin. It is 
handsomely illustrated and 
gives weekly the best serials, 
short stories and sketches 
the world can produce. The 
regular subscription price is 
$2.50 per year. Both our 
publications, balance of the 
year as an introduction, for 
only Twenty-five Cents. 
THE CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY, PHILADELPHIA 
