742 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
October 29 
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| Woman and | 
| The Home. ♦ 
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ 
FROM DAY TO DAY. 
At the recent Triennial Convention of 
the Episcopal Church, held in Washing¬ 
ton, clandestine marriages were dis¬ 
cussed, and the clergy were not only 
warned against performing such mar¬ 
riages, but were advised by the bishops 
to deliver exhortations against them, 
from time to time. That there is reason 
for such exhortation, a glance at almost 
any daily paper will show. Foolish 
young people often declare that marriage 
is a purely personal matter, which con¬ 
cerns no one but themselves, urging this 
view as an excuse for a hasty union 
entered upon without the consent of their 
elders. The older and wiser know that 
the whole fabric of society is built upon 
the sanctity and permanence of family 
life. The Anglican prayer-book ad¬ 
monishes all persons to enter upon mar¬ 
riage “soberly, advisedly, reverently 
and discreetly.” Surely this, the most 
important turning-point in most lives, is 
no matter to be undertaken in secrecy, 
or without full consideration. Its con¬ 
sequences are not confined to the prin¬ 
cipals, but are, in a measure, shared by 
the entire community. 
* 
A case recently decided in a New York 
court shows something of the misery 
which may arise through an irregular 
marriage. A respectable young woman, 
a teacher, contracted a secret marriage 
with a foreigner; owing to differences 
of religious faith, the marriage ceremony 
was dispensed with, the man merely giv¬ 
ing a written affirmation or contract de¬ 
claring the woman his wife. But a few 
months later the man made a similar 
secret marriage with a second woman, 
but she was not satisfied with the 
marriage contract, and insisted that 
they be married according to the rites 
of the Episcopal church, which was 
done. The result of this was a suit 
for bigamy, and the law decides that 
the first woman is the only legal wife. 
New York State recognizes common- 
law marriages, in which no ceremony, 
either civil or religious, has been used, 
a declaration by the contracting par¬ 
ties, that they are man and wife, 
being sufficient. The laxness and incon¬ 
sistency of the laws governing marriage 
and divorce in this country lead one to 
think that the only difference between 
Utah and the other States is that, in the 
former polygamy is simultaneous, while 
in the others it is consecutive. 
* 
A READER wishes to know how she 
may make up several partly worn gowns 
of dark material into Winter frocks for 
her little girl. The best material among 
them is black, and is, she fears, too old* 
looking for a child of 10. As the black 
is handsome and in good condition, it 
may be made into a best frock. Make a 
gored skirt and a yoke waist slightly 
bloused in front. The waist should be 
made over a fitted lining, the back hav¬ 
ing fullness enough to make a few pleats 
at the waist line, but not bloused. The 
yoke, which may be round, square or 
pointed, according to taste, may be made 
of cream white silk (lined with canvas) 
overlaid with a diamond lattice of nar¬ 
row gilt braid. Edge the yoke with a 
narrow ruffle of bright poppy red silk, 
and put at the top of the tight sleeves 
small epaulettes of the white silk, bor¬ 
dered with narrow frills of the red. A 
crush belt of the red silk finishes the 
waist, two full rosettes being placed 
close together at the back. Bright bro¬ 
caded silk or plaid velvet might be used 
for the yoke if desired, but the white 
with gilt braid is very pretty and novel. 
Little frills made of No. 2 or No. 3 rib¬ 
bon are very much used for trimming. 
The other frocks for school may be made 
in substantially the same style, having 
gored skirts and bloused waists with 
tight sleeves, ornamented only by a 
small puff or epaulettes on the top. If 
braid is used in trimming, military 
stripes will be pretty on the sleeves. If 
a contrasting yoke is required, a bril¬ 
liant woolen plaid is desirable. It is 
not difficult to remodel children’s frocks, 
if taste and judgment are used. 
THE CHILDREN’S TEETH. 
Not a few mothers who have come 
into the possession of a set of false teeth 
long before they wished to, have earn¬ 
estly desired to save their children from 
a similar experience, says Marion B. 
Knight, in the American Kitchen Maga¬ 
zine. 
How to make as well as preserve good 
teeth is their problem. 
“ The problem is simple enough,” says 
the devout and inexperienced worship¬ 
per of theories. 
“ Here are Professor Atwater's tables. 
Here are chemical analyses of all food 
materials in use, and here are learned 
and encouraging articles in the maga¬ 
zines devoted to the home. 
“ Just find out what foods contain the 
lime, soda and potash needed in those 
coming teeth, and furnish that food. 
The blood will absorb the materials 
needed and attend to the rest. Your 
problem is solved.” 
Thus spake the young woman, and she 
acted accordingly. 
From prenatal days, Baby Harold was 
the subject of intelligent scientific care. 
Later, his plain, substantial food con¬ 
taining the “elements” was so carefully 
cooked and served that he would scorn¬ 
fully refuse mince pie for his beloved 
mush and milk, and was actually known 
at the age of five politely to decline a 
currant-jelly tart at a friend’s house on 
the ground that he liked Graham crack¬ 
ers better. 
The dentist pronounced his baby teeth 
excellent, and the scientific mother felt 
that the key to perfect development, in 
other words, good grinders, was secure 
in her hand. 
Four years of “ eternal vigilance ” 
(and careful brushing) passed by. The 
first toothache appeared. The dentist 
was visited. 
Alas! decay, unnatural and danger¬ 
ous, decay which according to all known 
laws was impossible, had begun. His 
first permanent molars must be filled. 
The mother sought a reason from the 
dentist. Here was her child, who had 
been properly fed, whose exercise in 
open air, and sleep had been conscien¬ 
tiously cared for, who in all respects 
had received more intelligent care than 
she herself had iD her childhood, yet his 
teeth, his permanent teeth, must be filled 
at the age of eight, while she had been 
exempt till 18. 
Imagine her consternation ! What had 
become of all those “ elements ” she had 
given him in his food ? Of what avail 
all her unremitting care and those num¬ 
berless tooth brushes ? “If proper hy¬ 
gienic conditions and cleanliness in the 
mouth would not produce good teeth, 
what would?” she tragically asked the 
dentist. 
That wise man gave her little satisfac¬ 
tion. He acknowledged that she had done 
her part faithfully. The teeth had not 
lacked for care. “ But civilization is 
hard on teeth”, was at first his only 
response. Then he added : “ I sometimes 
think our teeth do not have exercise 
enough. You know how the blacksmith’s 
arm grows large and strong. Our food 
is softer than our ancestors' was and re¬ 
quires less chewing. The mushes and 
purges, soups and puddings, while con¬ 
taining the elements necessary to build 
I THE SATURDAY 
EVENING POST 
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* m * m a 4 
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A series of thrilling C/ofe-Rjmge Studies of Contemporaries The poems in thisse- 
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Along the Shore life Q f poet, with a 
will describe the won- j ... . 
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ing U and o'f'the''perfect POPULAR The Post will give, in the of how each poem came 
system by which our BIOGRAPHIES c ?urse of the year thousands to be written. The 
Government takes , . , . . ljnc ^ biographies, and poems will be selected, 
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