554 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
August 10 
From Day to Day. 
HOSS-HAIR SNAKES. 
Sile sez it’s so, an’ Sile he knows; 
Fer he knows ev’ry thing. 
Why Sile he growed Ih’ apple-tree 
Down where us fellers swing! 
He sez he ’members jes’ ez weil, 
More’ll twenty year ago 
He dug a hoie an’ put it in. 
An’ he jes’ hnuwed ’twould grow. 
An’ Sile sez ’at he knows it’s true; 
His gran’pap tol’ him so; 
He’s seen it, too, jes’ heaps o’ times— 
Onct not long ago. 
Th’ hoss-hairs must be long an’ white 
Ter make th’ bestes’ ones. 
Y”u put ’em in th’ bar’l where 
Th’ rainin’ water runs. 
An’ shore ez fate, Sile sez it’s true. 
Nine days is all it takes 
A-soakln’ in that bar’l thar 
Ter make them hoss-hairs snakes! 
Sile sez thar’s lots o’ crank idees; 
He’s hearn folks tell jes’ loads; 
But two things shore is hoss-halr snakes 
An' gittin’ warts from toads. 
—Frank Leslie’s Popular Monthly. 
• 
A FRIEND asks US what is gumbo fillet 
powder, used by Creole cooks in certain 
soups and stews. It is a iiowder made 
from the young leaves of the sassafras, 
which are dried in a cool, shady place, 
rubbed to a fine powder, passed through 
a hair sieve, and then stored away 
where the powder will keep dry. 
* 
One of the most satisfactory inex¬ 
pensive covers for the dining table is 
made from plain art denim in any dark 
shade. Two breadths are required, 
which should be seamed together on the 
sewing machine, and pressed smooth. A 
deep hem is turned up on the outside, 
and this may be worked with white rope 
linen floss, if desired. 
* 
We are asked how to pickle corn. We 
have never seen corn pickled alone, but 
it is mixed with cabbage as follows: 
Cut the kernels from 12 large ears of 
corn, add as muCh chopped cabbage as 
there is cut corn, one large sweet pepper 
freed from seeds and chopped, one cup¬ 
ful of brown sugar, two tablespoonfuls 
of salt, one-half tablespoonful of ground 
mustard and one quart of vinegar. 
Bring all to a boil and then can. 
* 
We often hear of fathers whose ex¬ 
perience, after educating their sons, is 
rather like that of the old man who thus 
described his troubles; 
“It’s a queer world when you come to 
look it over,’’ said the old man. “You 
know I eddicated Jim fer a lawyer.’’ 
“Yes.” 
“An’ Bill fer a preacher.’’ 
“Exactly.” 
“An’ Tom fer one of them literary fel¬ 
lers.” 
“Yes.” 
“An’ Dick fer a doctor.” 
“Yes.” 
“Well, now, what do you reckon I’m 
a doin’ of?” 
“Can’t say.” 
“Well, sir, you might not believe it, but 
I’m a-supportin’ of Jim an’ Bill an’ Tom 
an’ Dick, an’ it keeps me a-goin’ from 
daylight to dark.” ^ 
Miss Eleanor A. Ormerod, the distin¬ 
guished Englisih entomologist, botanist 
and meterologist, died after a short ill¬ 
ness July 19. Miss Ormerod began, in 
1868, to make a special study of agricul¬ 
tural and horticultural entomology. She 
was the consulting entomologist of the 
Royal Agricultural Society, and a mem¬ 
ber of the Royal Meterological Society. 
She was one of the highest authorities 
in her special branch of science, and 
was the only woman upon whom the 
University of Edinburgh has ever be¬ 
stowed the honorary degree of LL.D. 
Miss Ormerod devoted herself to ento¬ 
mology from pure love of science, and 
it is gratifying to note that full recog¬ 
nition of her talents was given during 
her lifetime. 
The most comfortable collar to wear 
with a shirt waist is the stock tie, made 
from a strip of white nainsook or dim¬ 
ity, 1% yard long and four inches wide. 
The center- Should be rounded slightly, 
using a good collar opening at the back 
for pattern, this being for the purpose 
of fitting at the front of the neck. With 
a bias strip of colored lawn one inch 
wide bind the entire tie, sewing one 
edge of the strip to the edge of 
tie, folding it 'in the center, and stitch¬ 
ing down the other edge over the 
first seam. Bindings of light blue, rose 
22 to 32 waist. 
or black are very pretty. These ties are 
worn without any other collar, being 
put around the neck, crossed in the 
back, and tied in the front with either 
a butterfly bow or four-in-hand. The 
crush stocks are made of two thick¬ 
nesses of white piqu6, stitched along the 
edges, with the addition of a colored 
tie, either a small bow or four-in-hand, 
but very often the crush stock is so very 
crushy in effect as to look distinctly un¬ 
tidy. The misguided men who have 
taken to crush stocks this Summer, as 
a correct finish to their shirt waists are 
a solemn warning against them. The 
fii-st of these seen were plain white 
piquC stocks encircled by a colored tie, 
and were quite unobjectionable, though 
it was evident that many of the wearers 
had not acquired the art of pinning 
them down securely in the back. These 
were followed by large stock ties of co- 
ored cheviot or madras, which are cross¬ 
ed in the back, the ends being brought 
forward to form a large Ascot. The 
thick swathing of colored material, ris¬ 
ing above a man’s coat, is not attractive, 
and it brings back visions of the wor- 
stea comforter which the old-fashioned 
boy used to wind about his neck in win¬ 
try weather. On the whole, we think 
the Summer man would do well to stick 
to collars. _ 
The Rural Patterns. 
The seven-gored skirt has certain dis¬ 
tinct advantages over every other skirt. 
Its numerous seams provide vertical 
lines that give an effect of height. It is 
fitted without hip darts. Withal it is 
economical, as it requires less material 
than the models which include wider 
gores. The excellent model shown is 
cut on the latest lines and has the ad¬ 
vantage of including the popular band 
flounce, that can be used or omitted as 
desired. As illustrated, the material is 
light-weight cheviot, in soft tan color, 
but any wool or silk material is appro¬ 
priate, as the narrow gores lend them¬ 
selves to narrow fabrics with singular 
effect. The skirt fits with perfect 
smoothness over the hips, and is laid in 
an inverted pleat at the back, but widens 
toward the bottom. To cut this skirt 
for a woman of medium size, 91,4 yards 
of material 21 inches wide, 5% yards 27 
inches wide, 51,4 yards 32 inches wide, or 
5 yards 44 inches wide, will be required 
without the flounce; 12% yards 21 
inches wide, 8% yards 27 inches wide, 
8 % yards 32 inches wide, or 6% yards 
41 inches wide, when the flounce is used. 
The pattern No. 3860 is cut in sizes for 
a 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 and 32-inch waist 
measure; price 10 cents from this office. 
The simple sailor waist, with con¬ 
trasting shield and stock, is a marked 
favorite of the season, and possesses the 
merit of suiting many styles and ma¬ 
terials. As shown, it is of ox blood mer¬ 
cerized Chambray, with stitched bands 
of a darker shade, collar and shield of 
white all-over tucked lawn, and is de¬ 
signed for wear with odd skirts; but the 
moilel is admirable for the popular shirt 
waist suits of chambray, linen and the 
like, and all shirting materials are suit¬ 
able for the separate waist. The back is 
smooth across the shoulders and is 
drawn down in gathers at the waist line. 
The fronts are plain at the upper por¬ 
tion, but full at the waist, where they 
blouse slightly, and the neck is finished 
with the sailor collar that terminates in 
IKiints. The shield of white is joined to 
the stock, then stitched to the right 
front, beneath tne collar, and hooked or 
buttoned into place on the left. A sailor 
knot of the material adds a finishing 
touch. The sleeves are in bishop style 
with straight cuffs. To make this waist 
for a woman of medium size, four yards 
of material 21 inches wide, 3% yards 27 
inches wide, 2% yards 32 inches wide, 
or two yards 44 inches wide will be re¬ 
quired. The pattern No. 3872 is cut in 
sizes for a 32, 34, 36, 38 and 40-inch bust 
measure; price 10 cents. 
Fruit Juices. 
At this season, when fruit is cheap 
and plenty, it seems a pity that more 
country housekeepers do not realize the 
value of fruit juices. In the average 
rural kitchen there is wasted every year 
the finest part of the fruit from lack of 
time or knowledge of the value of the 
delicious juices left from canning. Many 
and many a time have I seen busy wo¬ 
men who pride themselves on being eco¬ 
nomical throw away quarts of juice, all 
unconscious of the wastefulness of it. 
Never throw away a bottle large or 
small, but as soon as the medicine or 
extract is all gone, carefully clean and 
store in a dry place in the pantry, where 
they can be made ready by a few min¬ 
utes’ soaking in hot water for the 
syrup. Of course no one would think of 
using bottles that had held poison or 
dangerous strong medicines, but only 
those that have held harmless liquids. 
32 to 40 bust 
It takes only a minute or two after the 
cans are fille<l to strain the surplus 
juice through a jelly bag and put it back 
in the kettle with about half its weight 
in sugar. Tastes differ, and only prac¬ 
tice will teach you how sweet or sour 
your family like the syrup, though half 
the weight in sugar is a good safe rule. 
Boil down about one-third, fill the bot¬ 
tles, and seal the small cavity after the 
cork is pushed well down with paraffin. 
When paraffin comes more generally in¬ 
to use as a sealing wax, the burdens of 
the housekeeper will be lightened very 
much. It is cheap, clean and conven¬ 
ient, can be used again and- again, and 
effectually keeps out the air. 
The uses of these homemade fruit 
syrups are so many and varied that it 
seems impossible to name them. Three 
or four tablespoon fills of it added to 
pudding .sauce flavora and enriches it as 
no extract can, or the plain syrup is 
often used for sauce for almost every 
kind of pudding. In making ice cream 
it is invaluable, and does away with the 
danger of poisonous adulterated ex¬ 
tracts. One large cupful strawberry, 
grape, currant, cherry or blackberry 
juice added to a gallon of ice cream 
gives it a delicious flavor and delicate 
color. Compare ice cream made in this 
way with that colored with drug-store 
coloring and see whether you do not 
prefer the former for your children. In 
hot weather one of the best drinks, as 
well as one of the wholesomest, is made 
by adding one tablespoonful of fruit 
syrup to ordinary lemonade, omitting 
the sugar. The best way is to fill the 
glasses and then add the spoonful of 
juice to each tumbler, stirring well. The 
same amount of juice added to pure 
cold, not ice, water is delicious, and is 
liked by many better than 'if the lemon 
is^used. 
No family where there are little chil¬ 
dren can afford to be without black¬ 
berry syrup during the Summer months, 
and even the older people will find it 
helpful in cases of cholera morbus. Its 
prompt use will check Summer com¬ 
plaint and it will be relished by the lit¬ 
tle ones when medicine is despised. 
Pure grape juice is also of great medi¬ 
cinal value and is strictly temperance 
because not fermented. These are but 
a few ways in which the syrups may 
be used, and every housekeeper could 
find dozens more if her pantry shelves 
held a good supply of the clear bright 
juices. In sickness a few spoonfuls of 
whipped cream flavored with fruit juice 
will tempt the invalid, and help win 
back the fickle appetite better than any¬ 
thing else. 
The sour fruits make the best syrup, 
though any kind may be used with sat¬ 
isfactory results. Small inferior fruits, 
especially berries, may be profitably 
cooked and strained to obtain the juice, 
but be sure that it is perfectly ripe and 
sound. In making quince syrup. Which 
has a very fine flavor, use half sour 
apples, and a better quality of juice 
will be obtained. It is a good plan to 
have a large stone jar that can stand 
out of the way on the back part of the 
stove or in the oven, as slow boiling is 
better than rapid. If you are sceptical 
as to the merits of fruit juices try a 
few bottles at least and see whether 
next year does not find you planning for 
a large supply. Hilda Richmond. 
Our lives hold quite as much romance 
as is good for us. Sometimes more.— 
Kipling. 
When you get me a good man made 
out of arguments, I will get you a good 
dinner with reading you the cook book. 
—George Eliot. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you will get a quick reply and 
‘ ‘a square deal.” See our guarantee 8th page. 
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It is the world’s standard time¬ 
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ELGIN NATIONAL WATCH CO., Elgin. III. 
'liiiiiiMiiiiiiMiiiiiia 
