T1IH RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
7o7 
1004. 
The Work of a Stormy Day. 
If I were older and husband were 
younger, we would both be 60. This will 
explain why there cannot be much ex¬ 
pected of us in the farming industry. 
Husband was for many yqars after the 
Civil War, of which he is a veteran, a 
carpenter and builder. To-day many souls 
are sheltered in good homes of his de¬ 
signing and construction. There came a 
time after the loss of our children when 
the vicissitudes of life liore so hardly upon 
us that we were broken in .strength and 
spirit. At about the same time there was 
great business depression in our town, and 
the building industry became dormant or 
dead. We were tired and sad, and sat 
quietly down in our snug little home to 
wait till the “clouds rolled by.” We 
waited for seven years, making now and 
then an effort to lit into the procession, but 
the crow’s tracks deepened, the grey hairs 
increased and we were no longer “stren¬ 
uous” enough to keep up. The vital ques¬ 
tion finally became, What shall we do? 
City life was expensive, and our little rainy 
day provision might not carry us through 
a lingering old age. Many times the ques¬ 
tion arose. At last we decided that we 
would exchange our dear little home for 
the best we could get in the country, where 
expenses would be lighter and where we 
could grow some of the necessaries of life. 
Many places were offered, but it took a 
long time to find one for which we could 
exchange on terms at all favorable to our¬ 
selves. When at last we did so it seemed 
as though we had come into possession 
of the worst looking piece of property in 
New England. The land looked as though 
it were the dumping ground for rocks that 
were left over after the mountains were 
made. In fact, it is partly mountain, 
edged with a large tract of swamp maple. 
A glorious spectacle it is these Autumn 
days, and a feast to our eyes, as the pure 
air and sweet well water is strength to 
our bodies. We have about 20 acres of 
meadow with scattered fruit trees. The 
old house was built previous to the nine¬ 
teenth century and was of the most se¬ 
verely plain and substantial type of the 
old Colonial residence. I say was, because 
we have added large square porches, new 
and larger windows and made other im¬ 
provements. At this time we are laying a 
new floor in the sitting room, and that 
brings me to the present day’s work which 
began late. The fierce storm of last night 
kept me wakeful; consequently it was 
near seven when I had finished my morn¬ 
ing nap. If T were nearer 30 than 60 T 
would have foregone the indulgence. 
Husband had arisen, lighted the kitchen 
fire, filled the kettle and gone about his 
chores, which consist in caring for two 
cows, one horse, one hog, and 50 hens. 
His method of doing this is painstaking and 
thorough. While he was so engaged I 
prepared a breakfast of fried ham, creamed 
potatoes, fried sweet potatoes, bread, but¬ 
ter and coffee. After breakfast I skimmed 
several pans of milk, washed dishes, 
cleaned a churn that had been out of use 
for a year and gathered dust, churned my 
cream, worked the butter and washed up 
all dishes and vessels from the same. I 
then ran out to the hickory tree and picked 
up half a bushel of nuts unshucked. It 
was stolen time, but the tree stands be¬ 
hind the school house and the—squirrels 
—might get the nuts. I returned to find 
the mulley cow had uncovered my best 
barrel of red apples, and it took me sev¬ 
eral minutes to persuade her that they 
were mine, and to cover them securely. 
They stand under the great oaks till it 
shall be time to put them in the cellar. I 
disposed of my basket of nuts, ran in to 
replenish the fire, and “see to things,” 
then to the garden to gather a pan of 
kale and prepare it for cooking, having 
already put a piece of home-cured pork to 
boil. 
After putting the kale to boil with the 
pork I went to the Greening trees to 
save the best of the storm-strewn apples. 
Apple picking with us has been mostly 
from the ground this year, but by careful 
management we hope to have apples all 
Winter, depending upon Russets for late 
use. It is now time to pare potatoes to 
add to the pork aijd greens, and remove 
from the oven a nice bread pudding that 
I made as I went along, always feeding 
the wood fire between acts. The pudding 
makes a favorite dessert for our homely 
dinner, and while the potatoes claim their 
30 minutes for cooking I put the sleeping 
rooms in order. It is perhaps half past 
4821 Three Quarter or Arm Length 
Coat, 32 to 42 bust. 
twelve when we take our dinner leisurely, 
resting a bit at the table. It is not to 
be supposed that my husband has been idle 
while I gathered nuts and apples and to¬ 
matoes, which I forgot to mention, or that 
lie usually allows me to turn the churn 
handle. After doing the- necessary work 
around the stables he began work in the 
sitting room, which we hope to have 
wholly renovated at the close of another 
week. After dinner he resumed this occu¬ 
pation while I of course, washed dishes, 
and tidied up a little, sweeping and dust¬ 
ing where I could with furniture all out 
of place. 
It was two o’clock before I found myself 
ready to begin painting doors and casings 
in the new room, changing the gloomy old 
red for light flesh tint. I worked at this 
till near supper time, when I gathered the 
eggs and assisted in housing the chickens, 
husband caring for the stock as usual, 
milking the cows and feeding every thing. 
By the time this is done I have prepared a 
light supper of bread and rqilk, sliced 
pears, cake and tea, with a piece of cus¬ 
tard pie on the side for the head of the 
family, after which I washed dishes. Hus¬ 
band fills the wood box and we sit down 
in our easy chairs for one hour, he read¬ 
ing the home paper and commenting on 
local politics, while I look through Tiie 
R. N.-Y. It is by this time eight o’clock 
and we both take out paint brushes and 
apply paint till nine. The day has been 
a stormy one, .and I have kept one old 
skirt hanging behind the stove all day, 
changing as often as my work took me out 
of doors or in; have worn rubbers nearly 
all day, which is tiresome. Soon after nine 
o’clock we thank God for a bed and retire 
with a feeling that if we were younger 
and stronger we might earq. our living. 
The country life grows dearer to us every 
day, and the rough old farm contains more 
beauty spots and “tasty” things than we 
ever found before within the limits of a 
hundred acres. p. m. o. 
At the punch bowl’s brink. 
Let us pause and think 
What they say in Japan; 
First the man takes a drink. 
Then the drink takes a drink— 
Then the drink takes the man! 
—Isabella Bird Bishop. 
The Rural Patterns. 
Fitted coats in severe tailor style are 
among the features shown for the coming 
season. This one allows a choice of three- 
quarter or arm length and can be made 
as part of a costume or as a separate 
wrap as may be preferred. In the case 
of the model the material is wood brown 
cloth with bands of the same stitched with 
silk as a finish. The coat is made with 
fronts, backs, side-backs and double under¬ 
arm gores, the side-front and side-back 
seams being continued to the shoulders, 
so making long and graceful lines. The 
quantity of material required for the 
medium sizes is 5$4 yards 27 inches wide, 
4 yards 44 inches wide or 3/ 2 yards 52 
inches wide for three-quarter length; 4^+ 
yards 27 inches wide, 3 yards 44 inches 
wide or 2 l / 2 yards 52 inches wide for arm 
length. The pattern 4821 is cut in sizes 
for a 32, 34, 36, 38, 40 and 42 inch bust 
measure; price 10 cents. 
Plain flared skirts never lose their vogue, 
no matter what other styles may appear. 
This one is well adapted to cloth and all 
heavier fabrics, and allows choice of a band 
flounce at the lower edge or any other 
trimming that may be preferred. As il¬ 
lustrated it is made of copper colored 
cheviot, stitched with silk and trimmed 
with graduated bands of taffeta held by 
ornamental buttons, but all materials in 
vogue for suits and for skirts, that are 
heavy enough to be available for the style, 
are equally correct. The skirt is made in 
seven gores which are cut to fit with per¬ 
fect smoothness at the upper portion and 
to flare freely at the lower. At the back 
are flat inverted pleats and beneath them 
the closing is made. The quantity of ma¬ 
terial required for the medium size is 11^2 
jards 27 inches wide, 7 yards 44 inches 
wide or 5J4 yards 52 inches wide, with 
the flounce; 8*14 yards 27 inches wide, 5 
yards 44 inches wide or 4 yards 52 inches 
without the flounce. The pattern 4826 is 
cut in sizes for a 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32 and 
34 inch waist measure; price 10 cents. 
Endeavor to be patient in bearing with 
the defects and infirmities of others of 
what sort soever they be; for that thou 
thyself also hast many failings which 
must be borne with by others. If thou 
canst not make thyself such a one as thou 
wouldst, how canst thou expect to have 
another in all things to thy liking? We 
would willingly have others perfect and 
yet we amend not our own faults.— 
Thomas a Kempis. 
In comparing Grain-0 and coffee 
remember that while the taste is 
the same Grain-O gives health and 
strength while coffee shatters the 
nervous system and breeds disease 
of the digestive organs. Thinking 
people prefer Grain-O and itfi ben¬ 
efits. 
TRY IT TO-DAY. 
At grocers everywhere; 15c. and 25e. per package 
FREE 
“KITCHEN EXPERIENCE,” by Chris¬ 
tine Terhune Herrick , a valuable book 
embracing the best suggestions from 
years of experience. Also gives an inter¬ 
esting description of the wonderful new 
ROYAL 
( Patented) 
GRANITE! 
STEEL 
WARE 
which she finds so admirably adapted to every 
kitchen use. Being light it does not tire the 
housewife. Is durable, clean and econmical. 
Perfectly pure and absolutely safe to use. 
“Kitchen Experience” gives many ideas which 
housewives find of everyday help. Write for 
r the book—it is free. Koyal Granite Steel) 
“Ware, with the label on each article, is sold™ 
by all dealers. 
NATIONAL ENAMELING 
AND STAMPING CO., 
Dept. O 81 Fulton St., New York. 
YES 
There are other railroads be. 
tween the east and the west. 
BUT 
it is always well to secure the 
best you can for the money. 
THEREFORE 
You should bear in mind this 
remark of an experienced 
traveler: 
“For the excellence of its tracks, the 
speed of its trains, the safety and comfort 
of its patrons, the loveliness and variety 0 } 
its scenery, the number and importance of 
its cities, and the uniformly correct char¬ 
acter of its service, the New York Central <& 
Hudson River Railroad is not surpassed 
by any similar institution on either side of 
the Atlantic." 
Send to George H. Daniels, General Pas¬ 
senger Agent, Grand Central Station, New 
York, a 2-cent stamp for a 52-page i Uustrat-.d 
Catalogue of the “ Four-Track Series.” 
For Information 
as to Fruit and Tracking Lands, Grazing Lands, 
Soil and Climate In Virginia, North and South 
Carolina, Georgia, Alabama & Florida along the 
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad * 
Write to WILBUR M’COY Agricultural and 
Immigration Agent, Jacksonville, Fla. 
“BE GOOD” 
TO YOUR HORSES 
USE FRAZER’S AXLE GREASE 
AND MAKE IT EASY FOR THEM. 
Recognized as the STANDARD 
Axle Grease of the United States. 
Many Thousand Tubs of this Grease are sold 
weekly to the Truckmen of New Y ork City, their 
Trucks are loaded heavy and a saving of both 
time and money Is made, one greasing lasting 
two weeks or longer. 
Ask your dealer for FRAZER’S with Label on 
It saves year horse labor and you too. 
SOLD EVERYWHERE. 
f-razer Lubricator Co., 83 MurraySt.,N.Y 
JAYNE’S TONIC VERMIFUGE 
CURES DYSPEPSIA and BRINGS HEALTH 
