283 
April 16 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
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| Woman and ♦ 
i The Home. ♦ 
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FROM DAY TO DAY. 
An odd sofa pillow seen recently, 
showed in appliqut; work and embroid¬ 
ery, the king of spades, copied, in every 
detail, from a playing card. The decor¬ 
ation was formed in black velvet, red and 
yellow silk, upon a white ground, and was 
bordered with black and yellow silk frills. 
It made a very startling pillow, but 
nothing is now' too showy for this use. 
* 
Hammocks are often used now as in¬ 
door lounging places, and they may be 
made very attractive in a room giving 
sufficient space. They are often hung in 
front of an alcove or recess. For this 
purpose, a well-made hammock of plain 
twine is preferred to a many-colored 
weave, and there should be an abund¬ 
ance of cushions. Linen and denim are 
preferred for hammock cushions. 
# 
Boneless codfish” is looked upon as 
a delusion by a good many experienced 
cooks. There is no doubt that much of 
it is not cod at all, but a variety of 
smaller fish; it does not flake as true 
cod does. Neither is the shredded cod¬ 
fish to be highly commended. Some of 
it is, of course, very good, but it often 
suggests, both by taste and texture, that 
it is made from the less desirable por¬ 
tions of the fish. When plain old-fash¬ 
ioned codfish is bought, we certainly 
know what it is. 
it an infringement upon personal liberty, but it 
may well be asked whether society and the State 
should not have the power to protect themselves 
against vicious tendencies in street education. 
Statistics tell us that last year there were 
179,000 arrests of children under 16 years of age. 
That such an ordinance should be neces¬ 
sary, is a severe arraignment of the 
parents who thus compel the State to 
exercise an authority that they are too 
careless or too ignorant to maintain. 
PREMATURE HOUSE-CLEANING. 
While waiting for a little more settled 
weather, let us carefully and systematic¬ 
ally map out the work before us. If car¬ 
pets for our more common rooms are to 
be made, they should be sent to the 
weaver, that they may be ready when 
wanted, and the house rid of rags and 
cast-off garments. Closets and ward¬ 
robes should be overhauled, and gar¬ 
ments that are to be made over carefully 
ripped and sponged, before house-clean¬ 
ing proper begins. Chests, drawers and 
boxes, should be looked over, and an in¬ 
ventory of our belongings taken. Doubt¬ 
less, some of these receptacles contain 
rolls of pieces or trimmings that will work 
in nicely when making over garments. 
The average American woman mis¬ 
takes her calling when she fancies her¬ 
self fitted to hang paper, whiten ceilings, 
wrestle with heavy carpets, furniture 
and many similar occupations. I think a 
good strong girl is needed indoors at this 
season, as much as a hired man is needed 
outdoors. I prefer to have my papering 
and painting done in the Spring, and also 
prefer to reserve my brightest, prettiest, 
and best carpets for Spring use. 
If new bits of fancy work, and other 
interior decorations, new furniture, etc., 
are to be added, I like best to do so now. 
What Woman does not dread the heavy 
carpets that must be taken up and 
cleaned, or if not dusty, to make sure the 
troublesome moth is not present ? Pretty, 
light matting is cool, clean, and inex¬ 
pensive, and need not be taken up for 
two or three years in rooms not very 
commonly used. If desired for bedrooms, 
no one need fear stepping out on a cold 
carpet, for pretty rugs dispel all fears. 
Moths have no desire or inclination to 
make such a carpet their lurking place. 
The matting can easily be cleaned on the 
floor by washing with cloths wrung 
from warm, salted water, and rinsing in 
clear water. Wool carpets that are not 
dusty need not be taken up every year 
to protect from moths. Gasoline, placed 
in an open vessel, and applied with a 
whisk broom, will destroy both the moth 
and eggs, most effectually, but must be 
used very carefulty. Shut the room up 
tightly for two or three hours, then 
throw open the doors and windows until 
all the rooms are thoroughly aired. 
Neither have a fire in the house, nor 
allow 7 a lamp or match to be lighted until 
no trace of the gas remains. If these 
directions are carefully followed, no 
danger can follow in its use, and a great 
deal of heavy, hard work may be saved. 
Grease spots or other soiled places may 
be removed by washing them with cloths 
wrung from hot soapsuds to which a 
little ammonia has been added. Coarse 
salt sprinkled over the carpet, and 
swept thoroughly with a big broom, 
will make carpets look beautifully bright 
and clean. I have grown tired of 
featherbeds and the heavy, dusty, leaky 
straw ticks that have to be washed and 
filled so often. I greatly prefer the springs 
and mattress to either or both, and no 
new ticks will be bought for our family. 
I like to begin at the top of the house 
first, and work downward, thus saving 
the dust and traffic passing through 
cleaned rooms below, endeavoring to 
clean one room at a time. It is well to 
clean closets opening out of bedrooms, 
first, and to see that bedding, pillow 
shams, lace curtains, and things about 
the rooms are washed, ironed and made 
ready when wanted. A room in this 
way can easily be set to rights, when 
cleaned, and disorder and confusion 
greatly lessened. Neither do I believe 
in taking down every stove, stopping up 
every grate,* and obliging the family 
and friends to sit and shiver because of 
the false pride which prompts us to im¬ 
agine our rooms are more pleasant and 
comfortable without a place where a 
person could possibly get warm. I abhor 
a cold, damp room, and think it no won¬ 
der that so many fall victims to the 
“ spare room.” 
When the upper rooms and hallways 
are cleaned and set in order, the lower 
rooms are taken, finishing by the kitch¬ 
en, pantry and back room. Couches, 
and other upholstered furniture, should 
be carefully examined for moths. All 
articles of this kind should be ready for 
replacing before removing from the 
room. The painted or varnished wood¬ 
work of a room will retain its luster 
much longer, if little or no soap is used. 
A little common baking soda added to 
the water used will bring about most 
The prevailing war fever is exhibited 
in all the popular toys and trinkets. 
Even the fluffy little Easter chickens 
wear soldiers’ caps, and stand at drill, 
with weapons tucked under their tiny 
wings, and the jolly little brownies wear 
military or naval uniforms. National 
colors are shown in fancy work of all 
sorts. The same tendency is seen in 
clothes. A good many small boys are 
wearing army capes instead of overcoats; 
they are miniature examples of the regu¬ 
lar army officer’s cape, dark blue cloth 
lined with bright red, with a peaked 
hood of the same. They are very pic¬ 
turesque and becoming, and might well 
be worn by the small boy’s sister, too. 
* 
If a woman has leisure for sewing, 
this is a good time to make some shirt 
waists. It is true that they may be 
bought very cheaply readymade, but it 
is not always possible to get just exactly 
the material or color desired, within 
one’s limit of price. Madras shirtwaists 
are always more expensive than percale, 
but it is possible to buy a very good 
quality of Madras for 15 cents a yard, 
and 3% to four yards will make a waist 
of the present style. The sleeves are 
much closer than last year, with cuffs 
attached ; a white collar should be worn. 
Fine tucks, looking like cording, are an 
improvement across the front, and three 
or five of the same little tucks across 
the upper part of the sleeves make an 
attractive trimming. Plaids and stripes 
are, apparently, more favored than fig¬ 
ured or flowered materials. Some of the 
waists have turned-back cuffs with queer 
little points, known as dogs’-ears, stick¬ 
ing out. 
The annual report of the New York 
State Superintendent of Instruction ad¬ 
vocates the adoption of a curfew law for 
the purpose of keeping boys and girls off 
the streets at night. It says : 
The curfew ordinance in many cities is attract¬ 
ing attention. Over 300 cities and towns in the 
West have adopted the ordinance, which requires 
all children under 15 years of age, unless accom¬ 
panied by parents or guardians, or absent with 
leave, to be at home at 9 o’clock in the evening 
in the Summer and at 8 o’clock in Winter. The 
result has been a decrease of from 50 to 75 per 
cent in the number of arrests of children. There 
has been a reduction of from 50 to 100 per cent in 
the commitments of youths to reform schools. 
The curfew law is opposed by those who consider 
k Buying a 
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House 
Without 
| — a practical article by Barton Cheyney, telling 
■ ^ how, without money, to own a home in city or 
1 country. It will be found of great interest to 
young married folks—and old ones, too. It is 
meant as a help for those of you who would like to stop paying rent. 
INSIDE OF A 
HUNDRED HOMES 
Photographic glimpses of interiors 
of all sorts—real rooms that are 
lived in—dainty boudoirs, dens, 
and cozy corners—sleeping-rooms, 
book rooms. Each with an 
idea in it for your helping. The 
fifth instalment of this popular 
series—one of the most inter¬ 
esting features the Journal has 
presented. 
MRS. RORER’S 
ARTICLES 
in this number are of spetial in¬ 
terest to mothers. Under the 
title of “ Proper Cooking for the 
Nursery” she tells what the tiny 
folks must not eat—as well as 
how to prepare their proper foods. 
“The Best Food for a Growing 
Child ” continues the story for the 
babies who have grown into little 
men and little women. 
Easter Ladies’ Home Journal 
Enlarged to 48 pages—this number is, we think, 
quite the best we have ever issued—filled with 
special features of practical worth to every reader 
—and with a wealth of handsome illustrations. 
FOR 25 CENTS WE WILL SEND 
THE LADIES’ HOME JOURNAL 
ON TRIAL FOR THREE MONTHS 
ALSO, a handsome illustrated booklet containing our 
Prospectus for 1898, with portraits of famous writers 
and small reproductions of some of the illustrations 
that are to appear in the Journal in future numbers. 
$1.00 per Year 
The Curtis Publishing Company, Philadelphia 
10 cts. a Copy 
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