838 
THE RURAL 
NEW-YORKER. 
December 10 
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| Woman and | 
| The Home. | 
❖♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦I 
Meadow Gossips. 
[Mrs. E. Watts Gannett’s painting, “ Meadow 
Gossips,” ranks among the celebrated Ameri¬ 
can works of art. She dreamed the following poem, 
the only one she has ever written, or thought 
herself capable of writing, and awaking, com¬ 
mitted the lines to paper while they were still 
vivid in her memory. The conspicuous objects 
in the painting are three trees leaning towards 
one another, with their bracches intermingled in 
such a way as strikingly to suggest the appro¬ 
priate name.] 
Down by the meadow, there grew the three: 
The oak, the ash, and the apple tree; 
They tossed each leaf to wooing wind, 
And close together their arms entwined. 
“ See them ! See them! ” the bobolink cried, 
“ See the gossips by the meadow side! 
Listen! Oh, listen! to what they say, 
With heads together the livelong day! ” 
“ They laugh and chaff with each passing breeze, 
And point with scorn at clover and bees; 
Hint there’s dross in the buttercup’s gold, 
And snub outright the bumblebee bold.” 
“ Even the violet, so I’ve heard, 
Has never, never a kindly word 
From the old sinners across the way, 
Without any care for what they say.” 
But the old trees with scorn and disdain 
At the slander of the bobolink’s strain; 
Shook high their branches, and quick replied, 
“ No gossips we, by the meadow side.” 
Then bending low, away from the bird, 
Whispered softly, not to be heard, 
“ We know a story that we’ve not told, 
Ever new story, ever the old.” 
“ One night when Spring to Summer was wed, 
Full of odor the air overhead, 
Fast asleep both daisy and clover, 
Heads low bowed, the meadows over ”, 
From out the open, with timed tread, 
Came a maiden fair with golden head, 
We only knew, but without prating 
Of trysting plan, of lover waiting.” 
“ So let the flowers, the birds and the bees. 
Call us gossips as much as ever they please, 
We know a story that we’ve not told ; 
Ever new story, ever the old.” 
FROM DAY TO DAY. 
Golf stockings (which are devoid of 
feet) form a good feminine substitute for 
leggings, very comforting in cold or 
snowy weather. Buttoned leggings are 
a nuisance with long skirts, not only be¬ 
cause they are tedious to fasten, but also 
because the buttons are so likely to 
catch in the skirts. A good many femi¬ 
nine bicycle riders wear these golf stock¬ 
ings in place of leggings. 
* 
Cotton plush, that is a grade of cot¬ 
ton flannel made for upholstery use, has 
been used quite freely for curtains and 
draperies, but it is losing its popularity 
now, and there is no doubt that its facil¬ 
ity for catching dust is the strongest 
reason for its decline in popularity. Its 
chief rival among the inexpensive drap¬ 
eries is soft-finished denim, which is far 
more easily kept free from dust than 
the cotton plush. A similar reason has 
caused cheesecloth to lose ground as a 
covering for inexpensive quilts, the 
smooth silkaline keeping clean much 
longer, even when very pale colors are 
selected. 
* 
Fringes have reappeared among popu¬ 
lar trimmings, and some ingenious 
women are making such garnitures in 
lieu of other fancy work. Strands of 
beads and spangles are not very expen¬ 
sive, whereas the finished fringes are 
costly. One fringe, described in Har¬ 
per’s Bazar, consisted of a narrow silver 
cord, which formed the heading, from 
which depended strands of small beads, 
of alternate cut steel and jet. The fringe 
was about five inches long, a larger bead 
being placed as a finish on the end of 
each strand. Ribbon fringes, which 
were very popular a few years ago, are 
also coming in again. They may be 
made by using taffeta ribbon half an 
inch wide. A band of the ribbon is used 
for a foundation, and from this depend 
pieces of ribbon four or five inches long. 
At the top, the ribbons are folded over 
into a point, while the lower end, also 
pointed, is finished off with a large bead. 
These fringes are used on both waist 
and skirt. 
* 
Window pantries are one of the house¬ 
hold economies noticed in most city 
apartments, and though these window¬ 
sill boxes are less needed in a country 
house, with ample room, they are a great 
convenience for cooling pies and other 
viands. A box having a slat bottom and 
closely-covered top and sides, open tow¬ 
ards the window, and fastened upon the 
sill, is really useful. It is a convenient 
place, too, for storing food from one 
meal to another, often saving the weary 
walk up and down the cellar stairs. In 
some city apartment houses, the rule is 
made that such boxes are to be used 
only in windows opening on the air 
shaft, to prevent the unsightly appear¬ 
ance at outside windows, but this rule is 
often broken. 
* 
We came across a new name in cloak- 
maker’s sundries lately — a trimming 
described as “ clergymen’s rabbies.” We 
discovered that these rabbies are tiny 
silk buttons made over a wooden mold, 
such as are used on black silk clerical 
vestments. They are used as trimmings 
on expensive cloaks, and are costly, be¬ 
cause they are of the best materials, 
and must be set on carefully by hand. 
The singular name given them was origi¬ 
nated by the manufacturer who first 
devised them. Finding that they sold 
well, he put aside the income derived 
from them for his little son Rab, label¬ 
ing the tiny buttons “ rabbies.” The 
name was adopted with the buttons, and 
they proved very remunerative. 
* 
Chamois nail polishers are necessary 
wherever any attempt is made to keep 
the hands in order ; yet they soon wear 
out, and it is difficult for an amateur to 
replace the covering of the pad so that 
it will “stay put.” We saw a handy 
homemade polisher recently, which is 
worth describing. It was made from a 
piece of chamois 4x6 inches, an inch 
at either end being fringed, so as to 
leave a square 4x4 inches intact. This 
was neatly overhanded together, so as to 
make a cylinder. This covering is drawn 
tightly over a cylindrical cushion, stuffed 
hard with cotton or curled hair. The 
fringed ends are drawn together and tied 
firmly with tiny bows of ribbon or 
chamois. Such a polisher is very inex¬ 
pensive, and easily renewed. 
A CLEANING TRAY. 
One of the most useful articles I ever 
saw in a farmhouse was called by its 
owner a cleaning tray. It was about two 
feet long and one foot wide, and was 
made out of light pine boards. It was 
divided by partitions running across and 
lengthwise, into four compartments, and 
an old basket handle was neatly fastened 
to it, thus making it possible to carry 
the tray without difficulty. It stood on 
a small shelf in the pantry, with a home¬ 
made wire hook just beneath it for old 
newspapers. 
One of the four sections held the rub¬ 
ber window cleaner and some soft old 
rags for polishing the panes ; another 
contained a box of lamp wicks, the old 
tooth brush for cleaning the burners, a 
pair of shears for trimming the wicks, 
and the lamp rags, while the third one 
held the woolen cloths and polish for 
the modest amount of silver. All these 
boxes were neatly lined with oilcloth 
cut from old pieces left over from tables 
and floor and could be easily kept clean. 
The last section held a miscellaneous 
collection of articles for taking out paint 
and grease spots, for polishing worn 
spots on furniture, for removing fruit 
stains from linen, and the dozen or more 
things that other families always have 
but can never find when most needed. 
Over the top of the last box or section, 
was another tray. Perhaps it would be 
more clear to say that it fitted into the 
lower one without interfering with the 
articles in it, and was held in place by 
a small slat tacked along the sides of the 
lower box. This contained the stove 
polish and brushes, also the mittens put 
on when polishing the stove. These mit¬ 
tens were made of white oilcloth, and 
could be wiped clean in two minutes 
after polishing the stoves. 
When anything was to be cleaned, the 
tray was brought out, and there was no 
hurry and bustle for the necessary arti¬ 
cles. The mistress of the house said that 
she intended having it enlarged to take 
in the blacking box and brushes as soon 
as the master found a spare minute. It 
can be made in 10 minutes, and will 
more than pay for the trouble. 
HILDA RICHMOND. 
AIDS IN MACHINE SEWING. 
Harper’s Bazar recommends that, when 
there is a very large amount of fine 
stitching to be done on the machine, 
when a goodly pile of sheets, table linen, 
white frocks, tucking, and ruffling has 
accumulated, then let the house sewer 
select a day of damp, moist atmosphere, 
or even one of rain, for her task, secure 
that she will be able to run off one long 
seam after another, without any of that 
snapping of the thread, at the same time 
so trying to the patience and so injurious 
to the appearance of the work. For, as 
with the lace-makers, who are obliged 
to work in damp rooms lest the delicate 
threads they weave may break and spoil 
the precious web, the moist air of the 
rainy day renders the thread of the ma¬ 
chine supple and elastic, and better able 
to bear any tension without breaking. 
It would really be a saving of time and 
temper if the house sewer would lay 
aside such work for suitable weather—a 
day in Summer when the warm air is 
saturated with moisture, or one in Win¬ 
ter when fog and thaw render exercise 
out-of-doors unpleasant, for then the 
thread of the sewing machine is on its 
best behavior. A current of air or the 
breeze from an open window will cause 
the thread to break, even though the 
barometer is below “change” and the 
little color barometer has gone from blue 
to violet; neither should the machine 
stand near the fire or the radiator. 
A correct eye is everything in doing 
machine-work well. But there are a few 
common-sense points that may be told 
without waiting to learn by experience. 
For instance, you can stitch more evenly 
on the right of the presser-foot, with the 
bulk of material lying to the left, than 
the other way. The tendency of the 
feed, or teeth, is to throw the work 
somewhat off, as well as on, and the 
stitching is better guided on this side. 
When you are stitching a seam, with one 
piece bias and one straight, let the bias 
side come next the feed—that is, be on 
the under side. This is especially im¬ 
portant in thin materials. Naturally 
the feed takes up the side to it a little 
faster. When the bias, or crossway, side 
is to it, the machine “feeds” all right. 
But if the straight edge is toward it, 
there will be a pucker. 
We use so many machines now in our 
daily life that we may make one word 
of caution serve for sewers, as well as 
for the faithful sewing machine : Keep 
it well oiled and ready, and use it evenly 
and kindly. 
THE FARMHOUSE SITTING-ROOM. 
Mrs. Bascom threw down the paper 
with violence. “Color schemes!” she 
said wrathfully. “ Dainty window dra¬ 
peries ! Proper wall coverings! Cozy 
corners! It is enough to drive one 
frantic ! Just look at this room ! ” and 
she indicated it with an impatient gest¬ 
ure. “ What is its color scheme, I would 
like to be informed ? Look at its dainty 
window draperies, dingy Holland shades! 
The wall covering has been on five years, 
and there isn’t a cozy corner to be seen !” 
“ But that is for city people,” I said. 
“ City people ! Well, don’t country 
people like pretty things, too ? This 
room might be made to look nice, but it 
would take more money than we can 
spare. We are going to have it papered 
and painted next Spring, but in the 
meantime, we have to put up with this 
abominable combination. I think it is 
mean to print such things! ” There were 
tears of vexation in her eyes. 
I had been taken by surprise by my 
friend’s outburst, but now I proceeded to 
argue the point with her. “You may 
talk about 1 abominable combinations ’ 
all you choose,” I began, “ but that 
doesn’t alter the fact that this is an ex¬ 
ceedingly pleasant room.” 
She sniffed contemptuously. 
“ I don’t blame you for wanting to go 
in for color schemes and all those things, 
but let me tell you that, in spite of all 
drawbacks, there are three things in this 
room which make it pleasant, and they 
are three things without which the most 
richly furnished room is, to me, dreary 
and uninhabitable. I have seen such 
rooms, and in spite of beautiful coloring, 
lace curtains, rich carpets and elegant 
furniture, I have wanted to get out of 
them as soon as possible.” 
Mrs. Bascom was looking about the 
room inquiringly. “ What are the three 
things ? ” she asked meekly. 
“ Books, sunshine and flowers,” 1 re¬ 
sponded. “ The books and papers in this 
room look as if they were used and were 
not for show alone. The ‘ dingy shades’ 
at the windows are rolled high enough 
to let in an abundance of light, and your 
flowers are healthy and clean. If I might 
make a suggestion, I would propose saw¬ 
ing a few inches off the legs of that plant 
stand, so the sun could have even a bet¬ 
ter chance to come in.” 
“ That would be a good idea,” she said, 
and she looked more cheerful. “ There 
may be something in what you say,” she 
added. “ I have often noticed the lack 
of one of those three things in houses, 
and they do make a difference.” Then 
she laughed a little ruefully, “ I shudder 
to think what this room would be with¬ 
out them,” she said. 
SUSAN BROWN ROBBINS. 
AN INEXPENSIVE BOA. 
Few articles are more becoming to 
either old or young faces than the ostrich- 
feather boa; but this dainty accessory 
to the toilet is expensive, and necessarily 
beyond the reach of people of limited 
means. But fortunately it is possible to 
make at home, out of almost waste ma¬ 
terials, boas, fully as pretty and becom¬ 
ing as any, time and patience alone being 
required. The foundation is a strip of 
mosquito netting, as long as the boa is 
desired, and cut two inches wide. This 
may be of white or black, according as 
the boa is to be light or dark. It is 
stitched up on the sewing machine to 
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The Curtis Publishing Company 
Philadelphia, Pa. 
