i89o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
MY IMPROVISED BOOK CASE. 
HILE there is a decided taste for old 
furniture, all that is old is by no 
means desirable. For years I had disliked 
the looks of that very convenient but old 
sideboard in the dining-room. Finally, it 
dawned upon me how to get rid of it 
and at the same time utilize it 1 I 
must do one of two things: either get a new 
writing table with drawers, or a new book¬ 
case with some kind of accommodations 
for stowing away my constantly accumulat¬ 
ing correspondence, my books and papers 
for filing, and my scrap-books. The thought 
occurred to me: Why not buy a fac-simile 
of the old sideboard with the modern 
improvements of delicate carving, a nice 
mirror back and a shelf below for glass and 
silver, and then convert the old sideboard 
into a book-case ? 
Well, why had this brilliant idea never 
dawned upon me before ? Yes, why ? I 
readily found a pretty oak sideboard, as 
convenient and beautiful as the old one had 
been convenient and ugly, and my glass, 
silver and china seemed twice as handsome 
within and without as they had in the old 
one. The new sideboard had one drawer 
less than the old one ; but the two drawers 
for silver and napkins were deeper, and held 
just as much as the three old ones, and the 
table-linen drawer was also deeper. 
The question next was how to make a 
thing of beauty of the old sideboard when 
converted to new uses, since it would now 
be constantly under my eye if set up in my 
best of everything or go without.” Well, 
while believing in a good article every 
time, I think it would verge upon the sin¬ 
ful for every person to follow that old, 
threadbare saying : I prefer to get the best 
I can afford. Each person ought to know 
what is the best she can afford—and not 
let some Mrs. Grundy decide for her what 
she should get or could afford. My new 
sideboard cost only $20 ; but the new writ¬ 
ing table I coveted, or the smallest book¬ 
case, would have cost that. Therefore I 
am satisfied with my management, and 
even Mrs. Grundy is welcome to come to 
take tea with me; but she need not think I 
care for her sniffs of scorn at my selection 
of a sideboard, or my old new book-case. 
If a woman cultivates enough indepen¬ 
dence to manage her own domestic affairs 
and carry out her ideas, she need not go 
without a great many things merely be¬ 
cause she cannot have the best of every¬ 
thing. One of the prettiest compliments I 
ever heard paid to a home-making little 
woman was this: One day a guest, a rich 
lady in delicate health, arrived. She was 
a woman who reveled in soft, warm 
clothing, and in having luxurious furnish¬ 
ings and rich tones of color about her. 
On that cheerless November day, coming 
into the well-warmed and cosy but unpre¬ 
tentious room, which had no bank account 
behind its simple and homey furnishings, 
with the home-made touch everywhere, 
even to the scrim curtains with double- 
faced, crimson, canton-flannel hangings, 
the good man said it was a “ long way 
ahead of elderberry pie,” and that was either 
a commendation of the experiment or else 
a disparagement of the elderberry pie, and 
I know his opinion of the latter. Hence I 
cannot hug myself in the belief that it was 
a remarkable success ; but this is not the 
last of it 1 Has any one else thrown herself 
into the breach to find out how those pies 
were made ? lina hadley. 
WOMAN AS A COMPETITOR WITH 
MAN. 
ENNY WISE” in The Rural for 
July 19, tells some plain truths 
which cannot be too strongly emphasized. 
Women prate about their rights, but are 
unwilling to fill the places they appear to 
be seeking. The hard hits, the biting sar¬ 
casm, the constant warfare between capital 
and labor are too severe for the tender sen¬ 
sibilities of the average woman. 
We like to have men give up their seats 
to us on street car or ferry boat. We like 
the courtesy which makes a man pick up 
and restore the roll of papers which we 
drop, or hand us the fan, although it may be 
easily within our reach. No matter how 
hurried a man may be, we want him to give 
us the smoother side of the road through 
life. 
I once heard it said of a woman who 
received the very masculine salary of $1,200 
a year in a general insurance office: “Why 
of course she receives man’s wages. She 
AS IT WAS. Fig. 338. 
Drawn by a Girl 
15 
study. “ When a woman will, she will, 
you may depend on’t.” I took its mea¬ 
sure across the frout, which I found to be 
42 inches. The plain shelf six inches from 
the top was the same. Two brass rods 42 
inches long, cut at the furniture dealer’s 
were obtained. I bought one-half dozen 
brass handles to replace the wooden knobs, 
and also one yard of double-width dark 
crimson all-wool rep for two curtains—one 
three-quarters long aDd one a quarter for the 
front and shelf; for my plan was to take 
off the lower doors. I then added to my 
purchases one can of prepared rosewood 
paint, and one half-pint bottle of furniture 
varnish. My bill footed up : 
One yard of woolen rep.*1.50 
Seven feet of brass rod .63 
Brass rings, small, three dozen.03 
Brass mountings for rods. t<* o pairs.20 
One pint prepared paint.20 
One-half pint varnish.10 
Total.$2.?2 
Ah, if you could have seen the result! 
My magazines and papers to be preserved 
found a fitting resting place on the shelves. 
By adding on one side two or three thick 
pasteboard partitions, at a cost of 20 cents 
more, I was able to set my scrap-books on 
end; and every thing was so handy that I 
congratulate myself every day for having 
had “wit” enough to get rid of that old 
sideboard, and for having converted it into 
a thing of beauty as well as of use ! 
I forgot to say that my new sideboard is 
a comparatively simple affair, and would 
not suit some ambitious housekeepers at 
all; I mean that class who always “get the 
$U.$cclUuicou.o ^(1 vcrtis'ing. 
Always name The R. N.-Y. in writing to 
advertisers. 
When Baby was sick, we gave her Castoria, 
When she was a Child, she cried for Castoria, 
When she became illss, she clung to Castoria, 
When she had Children, she gave them Castoria. 
she exclaimed : “ Oh, how beautiful and 
comfortable this house always is. My dear> 
your artistic instincts, your household 
gifts are charming. You can always make 
a house beautiful out of the simplest 
things.” EMILY L. SHERWOOD. 
THOSE PEACH PIES. 
AVE any of you tried them ? My 
passion for experiment was aroused 
at once. Of course, as the good doctor did 
not tell us how they were made, but only 
that they were “ an accomplished fact,” it 
was not such an easy matter to come out 
j.ust at the place set out for, and I do not 
say that mine were exactly a success. 
No economical mind in this year of scant 
fruit, and especially scant peaches, could 
help experiencing a thrill of joy at the 
tbought of delicious peach pies from so 
cheap and common a commodity as green 
tomatoes. That thrill was mine, as a mat¬ 
ter of course. My theory was that if toma¬ 
toes could by any culinary jugglery be 
made to seem like peaches, it must be by 
the use of peach or almond flavoring. • The 
peach I did not have on hand, so the next 
best thing was the almond. The tomatoes 
were washed, sliced and cooked according 
to directions for sauce, then the flavoring 
was added; but the desired peach flavor 
was not strikingly prominent even to a 
strong imagination, and the evil geuius of 
cookery put into my waiting mind to 
try a few drops of strawberry flavor to 
“qualify the almond a little!” Alas for 
the qualification ! It was all strawberry 
now, and a more sickish mess I never 
tasted. More almond was added—no effect; 
the juice of half a lemon—still no effect; 
desperation now laid hold of me, and the 
mess was finished by the addition of a 
large tea spoonful of ground cinnamon. 
Did it taste like peach ? Well, n-o-o, not 
much. Meditation as to whether it should 
go into the chicken feed or be put into the 
waiting crusts occupied the next five min¬ 
utes, but finally it went into the oven. The 
result? Really it tasted quite like pump¬ 
kin pie, and when it had stood a day you 
could scarcely tell it from apple pie ! And 
does a man’s work as a man would do It 
and expects no small gallantries from 
men.” Therein lies a part of the secret; 
even though we may do a man’s work in 
many departments, we do not accomplish it 
in manly fashion. We require more wait¬ 
ing on, more " fuss and feathers,” and we 
must pay for the luxury in receiving less 
remuneration for our toil. Perhaps 
should woman receive the elective franchise 
it might, iD time, teach her business 
methods. She would be ashamed to go to 
the polls ignorant of .the cause and effect 
of the measures which she was supporting 
and it is po-sible that, her rights once ob¬ 
tained, she would be willing to dispense 
with her privileges. It is very certain that 
if she ever makes a success of business she 
must learn business methods, remembering 
that efficiency not sex controls the large 
salaries. a woman. 
RECIPE FOR YEAST. 
J B., Fort Assiuaboine, Montana, desires 
. to know how good yeast is made. We 
have the best authority that the following 
recipe, strictly followed, will give “per¬ 
fect ” yeast. 
Boil one large tea-cupful of hops from 20 
minutes to one half hour, in three pints of 
water. Strain the water upon three cup¬ 
fuls of grated raw potato, stirring well. 
Continue stirring it over the fire until it 
just begins to boil, then remove and add 
one tea-cupful each of salt and sugar. When 
lukewarm add one teacupful of risen 
yeast. In making bread, one tea cupful 
of this yeast is used to two quarts of flour. 
However, as our correspondent did not 
wish to use the yeast for bread, it may be 
that the beer or brewer’s yeast, generally 
to be obtained from the baker’s will answer 
the desired purpose better, as it is usually 
quicker and stronger. 
Green Tomatoes in Soup.—G reen toma¬ 
toes may be used iu any of the ways that 
have been given for ripe tomatoes. Even 
after frosts, they form a not-to be-despised 
addition to vegetable and other soups. 
Dried-Beep Soup.—T ake a hand f ul or 
so of finely shaved dried beef, and simmer 
it 15 minutes in enough water to cover it. 
Boiling makes the meat toueh. A few 
minutes before It is wanted, put in a bowl 
of sweet milk—part cream if it is at hand. 
Thicken this when it boils up, with some 
flour mixed with a little milk. Season 
with pepper and a little butter: the meat 
will make it sufficiently salt. This is a de¬ 
licious and nourishing soup quickly pre¬ 
pared and available at all times qf the year 
when dried beef can be procured. The ad¬ 
dition of the milk is a great improvement 
on that prepared by using water. 
AUNT RACHEL. 
Readers of The R. N.-Y. will please the 
advertisers and benefit the paper by always 
mentioning it when writing to advertisers. 
Boils and Pimples 
Are nature’s efforts to eliminate poison from 
the blood. This result may be accomplished 
much more effectually, as well as agreeably, 
through the proper excretory channels, by 
the use of Ayer’s Sarsaparilla. 
“ For several years I was troubled with 
boils and carbuncles. In casting about for a 
remedy, it occurred to me that Ayer’s Sarsa¬ 
parilla had been used in my father’s family, 
with excellent success, and I thought that 
what was good for the father would also be 
good for the son. Three or four bottles of 
this medicine entirely cured me, and I have 
not since—in more than two years —had a 
boil, pimple, or any other eruptive trouble. 
I can conscientiously speak in the highest 
terms of Ayer’s Sarsaparilla, and many 
years’ experience in the drug business en¬ 
ables me to speak intelligently.” —C. M. 
Hatfield, Farmland, Ind. 
Ayer’s Sarsaparilla 
PREPARED BT 
DR. J. C. AYER & CO., Lowell, Mass. 
Price $1; six bottles, $5. Worth $5 a bottle. 
YOU NEED NOT FEAR 
that people will know your hair is dyed if 
you use that perfect imitation of nature. 
Tuffs Hair Dye 
No one can detect it. It imparts a glossy 
color and fresh life to the hair. Easily ap¬ 
plied. Price, SI. Office, 39 Park Place, N. Y, 
GOLD MEDAL, PARIS, 1878. 
W. BAKER & CO.’S 
Breakfast Cocoa 
Is absolutely pure and 
4-j Is soluble. 
No Chemicals 
are used in its preparation. It has more 
than three times the strength of Cocoa 
mixed with Starch, Arrowroot or Sugar, 
and is therefore far more economical, 
costing less than one cent a cup. It i» 
delicious, nourishing, strengthening, Ea¬ 
sily Digested, and admirably adapted 
for invalids as well as persons in health. 
Sold by Grocers everywhere. 
W. BAKER & CO.. Dorchester, Mass. 
USE BOILING WATER OR MILK. 
EPPS’S 
GRATEFUL-COMFORTING. 
COCOA 
SOLD IN LABELLED Ms LB. TINS. 
General Advertising Rates of 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
TIMES BUILDING, NEW YORK. 
The following rates are invariable. All are there¬ 
fore respectfully informed that any correspondence 
with a view to obtaining different terms will prove 
futile. 
Ordinary Advertisements, per agate line(£hls 
sized type. 14 lines to the inch).30cents 
One thousand lines or more,within one year 
from date of first insertion, per agate line, 25 “ 
Yearly orders occupying 10 or more lines 
agate space.25 “ 
Preferred positions.25 per cent, extrt 
Reading Notices, ending with “Adv.," per 
line, minion leaded.75 ceni 
Terms of Subscription. 
The subscription price of the Rural New-Yorker Is 
Single copy, per year.$2.00 
“ “ Six months. 1.10 
Great Britain. Ireland, Australia and 
Germany, per year, post-paid. $3.04 (12s. 6d.) 
France. S.04 (16!* fr.) 
French Colonies. 4.03,29)* fr.) 
Agents wlU be supplied with canvassing outfit on 
application. _ 
Kntered tX the Post-office at New York City, N. T, 
M SMond-oUM mall matter. 
