FROM DAY TO DAY. 
A Michigan woman made 191 pies, 140 
cakes, 84 loaves of bread, 729 biscuits, 
156 fried cakes, and 1,026 cookies in her 
statistical year, which closed September 
1. This, in addition to caring for her 
children and doing her regular house¬ 
work. This list may aid those men who 
sometimes wonder whatever a woman 
does with her time. 
# 
A very convenient bed rest for an in¬ 
valid is made from the back and arms of 
an old chair, the seat and legs being cut 
away. This is padded and then covered 
with chintz or linen. When in use, pil¬ 
lows are used to fill up the space suffi¬ 
ciently to be comfortable. With such a 
rest, and one of the bed-tables to fit over 
the knees, the first attempts at “ sitting 
up ” after an illness are rendered far 
more comfortable and less tedious. 
* 
Just at this season, we go into many 
houses where the lack of ventilation is 
apparent at first entrance, though hardly 
noticed by persons remaining indoors. 
Where the winter fires are not yet 
started, heat is economized by lessening 
ventilation, and the result is a closeness 
of atmosphere injurious both to comfort 
and health. Headaches, chilliness of 
body, and a tendency to catch cold, all 
result from this lack of ventilation. 
Sore throats and inflammation of the 
eyes may, also, be traced to the same 
cause. Close, unventilated sleeping- 
rooms are often the cause of restlessness 
at night, followed by a dull, tired, un¬ 
refreshed awakening. Where a sleep¬ 
ing-room must be used as a sitting-room 
during the day, it should be always 
thoroughly aired and ventilated before 
bed-time. Any observant resident of a 
large city soon grows able to recognize 
what we may call the tenement-house 
complexion—a peculiar pasty, doughy 
pallor, especially noticeable in children 
and young girls. Bad air, bad food, and 
insufficient bathing are responsible for 
this, and the state of health tending to 
induce this appearance will be found 
wherever these conditions prevail. Where 
a person is predisposed to weakness or 
swelling of the tonsils, the trouble is 
likely to be increased by a badly ven¬ 
tilated sleeping-room. 
* 
One of our girl friends wants to know 
whether it will be wise to marry a young 
man who is rather idle and wanting in 
thrift, but who will, she feels sure, de¬ 
velop more energy after marriage. She 
says that she has seen such marriages 
turn out well, the wife literally making 
the husband. We think that there 
would be more chance of happiness 
where the man is readymade. If a man 
does not show energy or thrift when on 
his probation, we cannot help doubting 
the possibility of such qualities being 
developed after marriage. Of course, 
there is a vast difference between actual 
laziness and the thoughtlessness dis¬ 
played by some young men, who have 
sufficient latent energy, but who have 
never felt any special reason for exert¬ 
ing it. Such a man may develop all the 
best qualities of thrift and industry 
when called upon to do so. In any case, 
it is surely wise to give him a chance to 
display these qualities, before taking 
him for better for worse, which may 
prove so very much the worse. In such 
cases, friends who know the persons con¬ 
cerned, and their peculiarities, are bet¬ 
ter able to judge than an outsider. 
There is a good deal of wisdom in the 
recommendation to enter upon marriage 
“soberly, advisedly, reverently and dis¬ 
creetly.” We think that our girl friend 
will do well if she give the young man 
a chance .to prove that he is fully worth 
the making before she decides to under¬ 
take that responsibility. 
* 
A useful and convenient little belt 
pocket is made from five-eighths of a 
yard of three-inch black, double-faced 
satin ribbon. Make a narrow feather- 
stitched hem on each end of the ribbon, 
taking care that the right side of each 
hem is on the opposite side of the rib¬ 
bon. Turn each end up to the depth of 
the width of the ribbon, keeping the 
right side of the hem on the outside, 
and overhand the edges together with 
stout black silk, to form the pockets. 
Fold the ribbon so that the bags hang 
one above the other, and make a narrow 
shirr at the fold. Through this insert a 
strong black safety pin, attaching the 
pocket to the dress band. These little 
bags hold a handkerchief, ey-e glasses, 
or a tiny change purse and memorandum 
tablets. 
* 
Many people seem to be of the opinion 
that good cooking and extravagant cook¬ 
ing are synonymous terms. They ap¬ 
pear to think that half a dozen dishes of 
rich or expensive material, even though 
carelessly cooked, reflect more credit 
upon the provider than the simplicity 
of a single viand, perfectly prepared. 
It is a very mistaken view ; good cook¬ 
ing is better displayed by the per¬ 
fection of common every-day victuals 
than by the preparation of some unusual 
dish. We all know women who can, 
upon occasion, turn out the most com¬ 
plicated and elaborate layer cake, but 
whose everyday tea biscuits are full of 
leaden streaks. Such results are often 
due to the fact that the elaborate dishes 
are made with absolute fidelity to the 
recipe, while the daily food is just 
thrown together. We think that a good 
cook is the woman who can get the 
most appetizing and nutritious result 
from the plainest food materials, and 
she who can always make her potatoes 
floury is more to be commended than 
the architect of a charlotte russe. It 
would seem reasonable for a woman to 
devote her greatest skill to those dishes 
which she is likely to serve most fre¬ 
quently, or to the most agreeable de¬ 
velopment of frugal dishes. An every¬ 
day diet of simple dishes cooked to per¬ 
fection, requires far more knowledge 
than irregular luxury, varied by con¬ 
stant carelessness. 
ELECTRICAL COOKING. 
OOKING by electricity is one of the 
newer developments of science, 
and it has some advantages which 
are not possessed by gas, gasoline or 
kerosene stoves. Electricity gives an 
even heat, with dess heat-distribution 
through the room, and without dirt, 
smoke, or offensive odor. The stoves 
are round disks of iron, on the under 
side of which the heating wires are em¬ 
bedded in a non-conducting, non-com¬ 
bustible compound. The oven is a box, 
so thoroughly heat-insulated that the 
outside metal covering never reaches a 
temperature uncomfortable to the hand. 
The broiler is made of a corrugated 
metal surface, slightly tipped from the 
horizontal, with a drip groove at the 
lower edge for catching the meat juices. 
The flatirons are similar in construction 
to the stoves, the larger ones having a 
low heat switch, which enables the 
operator to control the heat. In all 
these appliances, the heating coils are 
so arranged that the energy is largely 
concentrated at useful points. They are 
also supplied with supports and cases, 
which will not conduct heat. 
These electrical appliances may be ar¬ 
ranged for all the uses to which an al¬ 
cohol lamp is put and, when properly 
insulated, they are certainly safer than 
the alcohol. For heating flatirons and 
curling tongs they are certainly excel¬ 
lent, and the heat can be perfectly con¬ 
trolled. There is no doubt that elec¬ 
trical appliances for domestic use will 
be a feature in well arranged houses, 
within a very few years. 
COMBINATION SETTLE AND TABLE. 
H EAVY old-fashioned settles are 
among popular pieces of hall fur¬ 
niture, and the quaint design shown at 
Figs. 313 and 314, reproduced from the 
Modern Priscilla, is within the ability of 
COMBINATION SETTLE AND TABLE. Fig. 313. 
a home carpenter. It will be found con¬ 
venient, either for the hall, or for the 
family sitting-room. Oak, ash or chest¬ 
nut planks, as free from knots as pos¬ 
sible, will be the most suitable material, 
and it may be made with or without the 
drawer, and be stained or painted. Mala¬ 
chite-green stain would be pretty, and is 
now very popular in all sorts of furni¬ 
ture. The top may be made of one 
board, or it may be two pieces matched 
and glued together, and the pieces of 
plank on the underside through which 
the holes for the pins are bored will 
serve to strengthen them. The pins 
SETTLE CLOSED TO FORM TABLE. Fig. 314. 
should be made of hard wood. A plenti¬ 
ful supply of denim pillows should be 
grouped at the back of the settle ; those 
decorated with heraldic designs would 
be especially appropriate. The cushions 
should never be placed in the center of 
the settle, but rather, be grouped high 
at one end. 
A PERIODICAL CLUB. 
B ESIDES the Grange, Chautauqua 
and similar societies, debating 
clubs, and other unions for religious 
effort, mental improvement and social 
enjoyment are common in country com¬ 
munities. This is the time when these 
societies best flourish, because of com¬ 
parative leisure, and the cold season’s 
HALL’S Vegetable 
.Sicilian 
HAIR RENEWER 
stimulus to mental endeavor. An excel¬ 
lent way of benefiting by union is 
through a periodical club. Its advan¬ 
tages are greatest in the country, where 
public libraries and reading rooms are 
not at hand. Through it may be had, 
for a very trifling sum, the reading of 
numerous publications, and all the 
family, old and young, may share its 
benefits. 
Few can afford all the magazines they 
would like to read. Through this club, 
members have a selection of publications 
brought to their homes for reading, and 
at the end of the year, each retains what 
his subscription to the fund entitles him 
to. Members pay an amount agreed 
upon, usually equal to the price of a 
leading magazine. Each is privileged 
to select in proportion to his contribu¬ 
tion. The choices should include a 
generous number of juvenile publica¬ 
tions. After details, as to order of read¬ 
ing, time to be retained, etc., are ar¬ 
ranged best to accommodate the major¬ 
ity, only one officer is needed. He should 
receive the periodicals and deliver in 
the order determined. At the end of a 
week, if such be the time agreed upon, 
he makes another round, collecting and 
delivering in the order established. In 
fairness to all, there should be no hold¬ 
overs, but when desired, provision 
should be made for subsequent second 
reading. 
A large club is not desirable, for 
obvious reasons. If a considerable num¬ 
ber wish to join, the better plan is to 
form several small clubs, grouping ac¬ 
cording to nearness of residence. If 
willing to wait until magazines are a 
month old, money may be saved by tak¬ 
ing library copies, which usually are in 
good condition. There are subscription 
agencies in most of the large cities that 
deal in them. 
HELEN HUNTINGTON BULLARD. 
Mrs. Lyman Abbott 
is writing a series of 
interesting articles, 
“Peaceful Valley” Papers, 
for 
The Ladies’ Home Journal 
Lilian Bell is writing a 
series of bright letters, “A 
Chicago Girl in Europe.” 
There are more good things 
for the coming year than ever 
before—more and better illustra¬ 
tions—more for a dollar. Novem¬ 
ber number 
TEN CENTS A COPY 
The Curtis Publishing Company 
Philadelphia 
“Intensive Cultivation is tlie Keynote to Success!” 
SUCCESS 
Waits on all who subscribe to 
tal(AN (jlRDENINfi 
* * $1.00 a Year. ” Every Saturday. 
A Complete Practical Guide to Every Phase of 
Plant Culture in the Open and Under Glass 
and the Development of Land and Home. 
THE SOIL’S PRODUCTIVENESS INCREASED. 
Send $1.00 for a year’s subscription; it will earn 
you $100 before the twelve months are tip. A 
premium to every subscriber. Sample copy free. 
State where you saw this advertisement and address 
AH. GARDENING, P.0. Box 1697, New York. 
