42 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
January 10 
[ Woman and Home ]j 
From Day to Day. 
Ah, mother’s gettin’ old and gray; 
Some day, why, she’ll be laid away 
Down in the fteld by th’ old mill stream. 
Where all the roses love to dream. 
And when thet happens, like ez not. 
The old tarm’ll jest 'bout go to pot; 
We’d lose all hope, ef ma was gone, 
Fer she most runs the farm alone. 
Up with the sparrers every morn. 
Callin’ the chickens to their corn; 
She cooks a meal I wouldn’t trade 
Fer the finest farmhouse ever made; 
She cleans th’ house an’ sets the hen. 
An’ shoos the pigs back to their pen; 
She feeds the cow, an’ then she goes 
Inter th’ house, an’ sews, an’ sews. 
An’ bakes a cake, an’ runs th’ churn. 
An’ gathers in th’ wood t’ burn; 
An’ ef you say, “Ma, rest awhile!’’ 
She’ll answer, with her old sweet smile, 
“Child, I ain’t tired a bit. Are you? 
We can’t rest when there’s work to do.” 
An’, suppef o’er, the chores all done. 
She hears our lessons, one by one. 
An’ then she sees th’ cat is fed. 
An’ puts the children all to bed. 
An’ when th’ family’s tucked away. 
Then she, alone, kneels down to pray. 
* • * • * 
Yes, after all is said and done. 
Your mother is the only one. 
—Success. 
* 
Mushroom pink is one of the new 
colors of the season. It is a very soft, 
delicate tint, and is as attractive in flan¬ 
nel or albatross as in silk, being much 
used for waists. Pink waists are very 
often trimmed with gilt buttons and 
braid, small flat buttons flnishing little 
straps on the stock collar when they do 
not appear on any other part of the 
waist. 
A MAN in Norton County, Kas., has 
been receiving from the State, for the 
period of 14 years, 50 cents a day for the 
care of his insane wife. When the wo¬ 
man was adjudged insane there was no 
room for her in the State Asylum, and 
by an arrangement authorized by law 
for the care of insane persons, the local 
authorities gave her mto the keeping of 
her husband as a charge upon the State, 
There were so many of tnese cases that 
the State Auditor recently suggested 
that they be sent to the asylums. The 
first response came from the Norton 
County man, whose wife refused to go 
to the asylum. Upon inquiry it was re¬ 
vealed that the woman’s insanity was 
soon over, and that for years she had 
been keeping house for her husband, 
who all the time had been putting in 
quarterly claims of 50 cents a day. Of 
course, this pay was discontinued, but 
it is said that a similar fraud has ex¬ 
isted in several cases. 
What we describe as obstinacy in the 
character of others we are very likely 
to consider merely determination in 
our own. The Youth’s Companion tells 
this little stoiy of a New England cou¬ 
ple who possessed the quality referred 
to in excess: 
The lady had been bereft of one helpmeet, 
and her second husband had twice been 
left a widower, before the pair were united 
in the bonds of matrimony. They were 
both of that temperament which causes its 
possessor to be characterized as “set.’ On 
the wedding-day the bride found in the 
back entry, on a conspicuous nail, a sun- 
bonnet which had belonged to her immedi¬ 
ate predecessor. She removed it to oblivion 
in a closet. Her newly-wedded husband 
made no comment, but replaced the sun- 
bonnet on its accustomed nail. During the 
next few days the calico head-gear vibrated 
with more or less regularity between the 
closet and the nail. Then there came a 
day when the bride approached her hus¬ 
band with a man’s hat in her hand, as ho 
was in the act of reinstalling the sunbonnet. 
“If you have that sunbonnet there,” she 
said, firmly, “I shall hang up my first hus¬ 
band’s hat on the next nail.” 
She looked at the bridegroom, and met 
the counterpart of her own expression. 
She hung the hat on the designated nail, 
and although the two people lived to be 
very old, neither the hat nor the sunbonnet 
ever moved again till the house came into 
the hands of a new owner. 
* 
The Youth’s Companion tells this lit¬ 
tle story relative to the habits of some 
unrestrained and untrammeled hens: 
Ephraim Knox lived in the center of his 
native village, and his hens wandered here 
and there at their own sweet will, to the 
frequent annoyance of his neighbors. Eph¬ 
raim, however, was no respecter of per¬ 
sons, and considered his hens “as good as 
anybody,” and desirable visitors. 
When it was decided that the town li¬ 
brary should be built in a vacant lot “next 
door to him,” Ephraim was filled with 
pride and joy, and he and his hens super¬ 
intended operations from the first. 
Ephraim’s brother Seth was not devoted 
to hens. One day he was passing the site 
of the library with a friend and stopped to 
view the progress of affairs. Ephraim’s 
hens were there, cackling away as if their 
lives depended on it. Seth looked at them 
in disgust. 
“What in the world are those hens mak¬ 
ing such a noise for, do you suppose? 
There ain’t any grain in there,” said the 
friend. 
“Well,” remarked Seth, dryly, “they’ve 
had the oversight of ’most everything in 
town. You know the cornerstone of the 
building was laid yesterday, and I calc’late 
that speckled hen over there thinks she 
laid it!” 
* 
The day after Christmas several of 
the big New York stores opened their 
display of washing shirt waists. This 
has come to be a rule now; as soon as 
the holiday shopping is over the Spring 
goods are displayed. It is rather try¬ 
ing to belated shoppers who still wish 
to buy some Winter garments, for there 
is a very scant selection to choose from. 
The wash waists so far shown differ very 
little from the Winter models, the 
bishop sleeve, with shallow cuff, being 
a marked feature. In pattern of ma¬ 
terial, stripes seem to predominate. The 
white waists show the same marvelous 
combinations of lace and embroidery 
seen in the first display last year, but 
3692 Child’s Long Coat 
2, 4 and years. 
they are so hard to launder that they 
never became popular. The rich woman 
is almost as badly off as the poor one 
when away from home, where she must 
trust to unknown laundresses, and it is 
amazing how many badly-ironed shirt 
waists one sees. Bolero effects are seen 
on many of the new waists, and the 
sailor collar seems likely to be quite as 
popular as it was last Summer. 
* 
A WOMAN in New York has brought a 
$5,000 damage suit against a druggist, 
because he sold her a substance that 
changed her hair to a vivid green. She 
wished to alter her golden hair to au¬ 
burn, and was advised to use henna 
leaves; the result was a crown of vernal 
sea-green tresses which, while appro¬ 
priate to a mermaid, are distinctly em¬ 
barrassing in any other capacity. The 
druggist claims that henna, being a 
harmless dye, is sold without question 
in the ordinary course of trade, and that 
he is not responsible if the purchaser 
trifles with nature with embarrassing 
results. This brings out the fact that 
most city druggists are insured by a 
guaranty company, which defends them 
and conducts the case when lawsuits are 
brought against them in consequence of 
mistakes made by employees. A certain 
premium is paid for each clerk, and the 
plan is profltable to the guarantor, and 
a saving of trouble to the druggist. 
The Rural Patterus. 
The child’s coat illustrated is espe¬ 
cially suitable for the baby just pro¬ 
moted into short clothes, but may also 
:4703 Home Guwii. 
32 to At 2 in. bast. 
be worn by children from four to six 
years old. As shown the material is 
Russian blue broadcloth, with trimming 
of soft gray chinchilla; but younger chil¬ 
dren wear white bengaline, peau de soie, 
drap d’ete and velvet, corduroy or vel¬ 
veteen can be substituted for the cloth 
when the child has reached the mature 
age of four years. Fur is much used as 
trimming, but narrow frills of ribbon 
and stitched bands are entirely correct, 
q’he skirt portion is laid in box pleats, 
two at the front and two at the back, 
and is attached to a short fltted body. 
The double capes fall over the should¬ 
ers, the upper one being cut in points 
at the front. At the neck is a turn-over 
collar. The sleeves are full, in bishop 
style, and are finished with straight 
bands or cuffs at the wrists. The coat 
closes at the center front, where it is 
supplied with ornamental btittons and 
buttonholes. To cut this coat for a child 
of four years of age five yards of ma¬ 
terial 21 inches wide, 4% yards 27 inches 
wide, 2% yards 44 or two yards 50 inches 
wide, will be required. The pattern No. 
3692 is cut in sizes for children of two, 
four and six years of age, price 10 cents 
from this office. 
The simple, but well-modeled house 
gown shown fits closely at the back, but 
is free at the front, where it is held by 
a ribbon at the waist. The shaped backs 
and under-arm gores give an effect of 
slenderness and grace, and the soft folds 
of the front are universally becoming. 
As shown the material is cashmere in 
dahlia red, but flannel, flannelette and 
all washable stuffs are equally appro¬ 
priate. The princess back, with under¬ 
arm gore, fits smoothly, but the full 
front is made over a short lining fltted 
with single darts. The sleeves are two- 
seamed, and roll over to form cuffs at 
the wrists. The neck is finished with a 
simple turn-over collar that can be 
omitted when desired and one of linen 
worn in its stead. To cut this gown for 
a woman of medium size 8^4 yards of 
material 27 inches wide, 714 yards 32 
inches wide, or 4% yards 44 inches wide, 
will be required. The pattern No. 3702 
is cut in sizes for a 32, 34, 36, 38, 40 and 
42-inch bust measure, price 10 cents 
from this office. 
■YHE world's^ 
Elgin Watches 
possess accuracy and endurance 
under all conditions and in all 
degrees of temperature. 
Full Ruby Jeweled. 
Sold by jewelers everywhere. 
An Elgin Watch always has the 
word “Elgin” engraved on the 
works—lull}' guaranteed. 
Send for free booklet. 
P ELGIN NATIONAL WATCH CO-ELGIN, 1LL.| 
FAMOUS ROAD WAGON $22.50 
This Road Wagon at $22.60 
is but one of 171 bargains we 
offer in Buggies and Car¬ 
riages. Buying from the Man¬ 
ufacturer you save from 26 ^ 
to 75;t. Everything you buy 
n • /- ^7 , .A- - issoldbyus. Mammoth cat- 
Prtce Complete $ 22^0 alogue of Everytliing to Eat, 
Use and Wear, contains 13,000 illustrations and quotes 
wholesale prices to consumers on over 150,000 different 
articles. Lithographed Catalogue of Carpets, Rugs and 
Draperies, shows goods in their real colors— freight pre¬ 
paid and carpets sewed free. Men’s made-to-order 
clothing catalogue has samples attached, and quotes 
prices, Expressape paid. Dress Goods catalogue quotes 
transportation-paid prices from 15c to ^1.50. 
Catalogues free this month. 
Which one do you want ? Address this way : 
Julius Hines & Son, Baltimore, Md. Dept, itso 
Dietz Nos. 30 and 60 Search Lights. 
It is DIFFICULT to tell how large and brill¬ 
iant a light these Lamps give. It must be seen to 
be appreciated. It is EASY to tell how SAFE they 
are—only requires one word “ABSOLUTELY/' 
They burn kerosene (coal oil) and so little of 
it that the cost of lighting your stable, cow shed, 
barn or granary is but a trifle. If you consider 
your comfort worth anything, it is CHEAPER 
THAN DARKNESS, We offer these at SPECIAL 
PRICES to introduce. Write for free circular and 
ue. 
R. E. DIETZ COMPANY, 
Established 1840 . 87 Laight Street, New York, 
