494 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
June 24, 
f Woman and Home 
From Day to Day. 
THE DANCING WIND. 
Now all the world Is dancing, 
For the merry wind doth play 
A tune of .Spring on a golden string 
As he goes upon his way. 
The great trees dance together, 
And bend, as the wind sweeps by, 
To kiss his feet, as the violets sweet 
Peep out at the windy sky. 
And in the spreading meadows 
The ranks of the fresh green grass, 
Dance to and fro as the wind doth blow, 
And laugh to hear him pass. 
The white clouds, too, are dancing, 
Across the wild Spring sky 
But he drives them home, when they fain 
would roam, 
'jo the west where the sun will die. 
The daffodils and lilies 
Beside the garden wall 
Dance to his song the whole day long 
Till evening shadows fall. 
And when the world is sleeping, 
And stars their light have shown 
The wild wind sings to his golden strings 
And dances all alone. 
—Sidney Hesselrigge, in the London Garden. 
* 
Aseptic drinking cups recently noted 
were intended for use in traveling. They 
were made of parchment paper and while 
entirely waterproof, could be carried as 
easily as a little paper bag. They cost 2/ 2 
cents each. 
* 
To clean a soiled white straw hat, dis¬ 
solve two teaspoonfuls of oxalic acid in a 
pint of warm water, and then carefully 
scrub the hat with this, using an old nail¬ 
brush for the purpose. As the scrubbing 
proceeds, mop up the discolored water 
with a white rag, so that it has no chance 
to sink into the straw. It may be 'neces¬ 
sary to go over the straw a second time, 
but this it better than actually soaking the 
straw with the acid, which is very likely 
to rot it. 
* 
Some of the prettiest “bungalow” furni¬ 
ture now offered for the country home 
shows various combinations of woven rat¬ 
tan. I he framework is plain wood in pol¬ 
ished natural finish, the rattan forming 
back and sides of the seats, or tops and 
wings of tables. T he rattan is woven as 
for ordinary cane seats, but the cushions 
are of bungalow cloth, green, blue or tan. 
This furniture is very light (a great ad¬ 
vantage over the “mission” style), very 
durable, and artistic in its simplicity. Of 
course it is not cheap; settees cost from 
$18 to $25; chairs $10 to $15; tables $10 
to $12.50. 
* 
The following recipe for the rich Bar- 
le-Duc preserves is given by the Boston 
Cooking School Magazine. The removal 
of the seeds is, however, too much of a 
“chore'’ for the average housekeeper: 
Take selected red (or white) currants of 
large size, one by one, carefully make 
an incision in the skin, one-fourth an inch 
in size, with tiny embroidery scissors. 
Through this slit, with a sharp needle, 
remove the seeds, separately, preserving 
the shape of the fruit. Take the weight of 
the currants in strained honey and, when 
hot, add the currants. Let simmer a min¬ 
ute or two, then seal as jelly. The cur¬ 
rants retain their shape, are of a beautiful 
color and melt in the mouth. Should the 
currants liquefy the honey too much, 
carefully skim them out, reduce the syrup 
at a gentle simmer to desired consist¬ 
ency and store as before after adding the 
fruit. 
* 
Recent newspaper disclosures have 
awakened the public conscience to the ex¬ 
istence of unspeakable corruption in polit¬ 
ical and commercial life, which is all the 
more dangerous because its exponents are 
among those classified among our “re¬ 
spectable” element. It would be well for 
us to consider how much of this corrup¬ 
tion owes its birth to home influences. 
A case recently brought before us illus¬ 
trates this. A boy received from his father 
a pair of $1.50 skates for a Christmas gift. 
The skates were bought from a friend in 
the hardware business, who gave one- 
third discount. The boy was dissatisfied 
with the skates, and tried to exchange 
them for another style; failing this, he 
tried to return them, but demanded $1.50, 
the full retail price, instead of $1, the 
amount actually paid. This was refused, 
to the boy took the skates to a big de¬ 
partment store, asserted that he had 
bought them there, and received $1.50 for 
them. He did not even spend the $1.50 
lie had thus obtained in this store, but 
took his ill-gotten money to another firm, 
where he thought he could get a better 
bargain. Comment on this transaction is 
unnecessary; it is saddening to know that, 
instead of showing this pitiful little con¬ 
fidence operator his dishonesty, the boy’s 
father proudly related the whole transac¬ 
tion to his acquaintances, as proof of his 
son’s business shrewdness and ability to 
get along. It is quite possible that a boy 
trained to such disregard of common hon¬ 
esty may make a financial success of life 
(if not prematurely jailed) but what can 
we expect from a home where such low 
moral standards prevail ? 
* 
According to the American Florist, the 
largest greenhouse establishment in 
Springfield, Ill., containing 60,000 feet of 
glass, belongs to a woman, Miss Bell 
Miller. 1 he story of her remarkable suc¬ 
cess in business is best told by Miss Mil¬ 
ler herself: “I was a school girl in short 
dresses,” she said, “when I first began 
greenhouse growing. My house was a 
dry goods box sunk into the earth and 
covered with glass. Lettuce was my prin 
cipal crop. 1 made my house with my 
own hands, as my father kept a hard¬ 
ware store and gave me carpenters’ tools 
which I learned to use. My lettuce proved 
a success and with money I earned sell¬ 
ing it, I bought material for my first real 
greenhouse. With the aid of my father’s 
hired man I put it up. Ever since I have 
done much of the work on my houses. 
I can beat any man I ever saw putting in 
glass. 
"In my tiny greenhouse I grew car¬ 
nations and bedding plants and sold them 
to my neighbors. The money I used to 
build a larger house where I grew violets 
As long as I looked after violets myself 
I succeeded with them, but when I began 
to leave the care to hired men they 
wouldn’t grow. But my first violet houses 
paid so well—violets in the Winter being 
a novelty then in Springfield—that when 
I quit school my brother persuaded mother 
to give me $1,000 and let me enlarge my 
plant and go into the flower raising busi¬ 
ness. I his was the only money ever given 
me. 1 he plant has been extended since 
with money earned by it. The $1,000 was 
used to build a house for carnations. 
I hat was 12 years ago and ever since the 
business has grown. My retail trade is 
among my own neighbors and I keep it 
by never being too late on an order and 
always sending the very best stock. One 
poor rose in a dozen will spoil the appear¬ 
ance of the dozen and it never gets in 
here.” _ 
To a Bashful Young Person. 
A young relative came to visit us last 
Winter, and since then a correspondence 
has flourished between us. We found 
him a shy, yet open-hearted lad, somewhat 
under twenty, with an honesty and liveli¬ 
ness of thought and feeling which made 
him a pleasant person to know. Tn a 
letter received last week he makes this 
confession and appeal: 
“Do you know of any cure for bashful¬ 
ness? Is there any hope that an awkward 
blushing, stammering idiot can conquer 
himself? If there is not I’ve about made 
up my mind to give up and stay at home. 
I’ve tried all the rules I know but the 
more I try not to think of myself, the 
more I can’t think of anything else, and 
whenever I’ve made a bold dash and tried 
to do something to add to the happiness 
of others, I have invariably stumbled over 
three chairs, forgot to wait for a reply to 
my questions, made people worried over 
what ailed me and finally floundered into 
some stupidity which would not have 
overtaken me had I stayed in my corner. 
You see I’ve lately become acquainted 
with two families of young people in the 
village and they are no end kind about 
asking me to their homes. But it’s all 
new to me, and I tret hot and mad for 
hours after remembering the balks and 
blunders I’ve made. It is torture to me, 
and if it is no use their trying to make 
anything of me I may as well give them 
up. I suppose you’ll not know of any sure 
cure. Peas in my shoes or pebbles under 
my tongue would be gratefully endured if 
there were a gleam of hope ahead.” 
My first impulse was to send my young 
friend a book I’ve lately been reading. 
On second thought a letter seemed more 
likely to carry comfort. For I felt that 
there was comfort for him and this is the 
best I could do toward pointing it out: 
“By all means keep your new friends. 
Heaven seldom sends us a richer bless¬ 
ing than friends we can admire and some¬ 
times look up to. They inspire us to do 
our best, and are one of the deepest and 
safest sources of happiness life has to 
offer. Certainly you can conquer 1 —not 
your native shyness, but all the unhappy 
effects of it. There are two ways, wait 
till you are fifty and you will have out¬ 
grown it. You will then have found out 
that there are no people whose opinion is 
much worth minding and that you don’t 
after all care a rap what they do think 
of you. 
“The other way reaches the same or 
better results by a short cut. Firstly, you 
must not care if you are bashful. Some 
people have yellow hair, some black. Some 
are born self-assertive, some retiring. You 
don’t quarrel with the color of your hair, 
accept your temperament too, and be sure 
that all the world has a kindly feeling 
for the bashful person. It is not a bad 
sort to be. Try to find it amusing, not 
everybody knows the lively sensations im¬ 
parted by a blushing skin and a halting 
tongue. If your growth in character lies 
along those lines of experience explore 
them thoroughly. There is strength and 
usefulness for you in places where the 
bold man could never find admittance. 
The man who is capable of stage fright 
has a susceptibility of feeling which en¬ 
ables him to draw his audience to him 
in ways impossible to those of a cold, 
self-sufficient nature. This is as true of 
ordinary conversation as of public speak¬ 
ing. Fate has not dealt unkindly by the 
bashful man. Be content to be bashful, 
but strive to be the most cheerful, amus¬ 
ing. frankly diffident person you can im¬ 
agine.” 
“There is a secondly which goes to the 
root of our self-consciousness. We all 
want to appear well before others. Many 
people are extremely self-conscious but 
assume that they are making always a fine 
appearance. They all the time observe, 
admire and approve of themselves. Their 
bondage is fully equal to that of the bash¬ 
ful person, and the hopelessness of their 
slavery is pitiful. Until they awake to it 
there is no possibility of better things for 
them. To be always asking that people 
think well of us is a childish impulse of 
which we become ashamed when we look 
it in the face. Call it by name and we 
see how truly selfish it is. Surely not a 
thing to agonize one and insist that we 
must have. There is a funny side to this, 
too. Picture yourself one of a roomful 
of twenty people, each of the nineteen 
eager for the approval of all the rest, and 
nobody with time or thought left for 
approving. A audience is the great need. 
Make that your part. Be willing to give 
to others what you at first thought you 
must have for yourself, you will soon 
learn to greatly enjoy your generosity, nor 
would you willingly strut upon the stage 
while there is a seat in the house from 
which applause is welcome. 
“Have I made it clear? You are to be 
perfectly willing to be bashful, and then 
you are to learn to scorn the selfishness 
which asks, ‘what sort of a appearance 
am I making? what do people think of 
me?’ No one can foretell how difficult 
or how long the fight will be for any par¬ 
ticular individual, but the field of battle 
lies all within ourselves, victory is sure 
and the reward great.” 
PRUDENCE PRIMROSE. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See guarantee, page 8. 
IT WON’T R1POFF 
ROOFING 
A Ready Roofing, which u proof against all 
kinds of weather, and an absolute protection 
against storms. It is faced with a mineral surface 
that will wear for years without repair. 
Farmers will like it, for it can be laid by anyone 
old enough to be trusted on the roof. 
Sample free for the asking. 
BARRETT MASL'FACTURISO COMPASY. 
Sew York Chicago Philadelphia 
Allegheny Kansan City New Orleans 
Cleveland 8t. Louis Cincinnati 
Minneapolis 
BOOKS WORTH BUYING. 
Sent Postpaid on Receipt of Price. 
American Fruit Culture, Thomas.$2.50 
Bush Fruits, Card. 1.50 
Dwyer’s Guide to Hardy Fruits and Ornamentals, .50 
Horticulturist’s Rule Book, Bailey.75 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, New York. 
The 
♦♦♦ 
Reeve Kitchen Cabinet 
AT 
WHOLESALE 
PRICES 
We are now sell 
ing these famous 
Kitchen Cabinets 
direct from fac¬ 
tory to you, tlius 
saving you deal¬ 
ers’ big profits. 
Write to-day for 
illustrated cat a- 
logue and reduced 
price list to 
Reeve Mfg. Co., 
27 Main Street, 
Cortland, N. Y. 
TELEPHONES 
ANI) DINE MATERIAL FOB 
FARMERS' LINES 
so simple you can build your own line. 
Instruction book and price list free. The 
Williams Telephone & Supply Co. 
7S Central Ave., Cleveland,O. 
Don’t Cheat 
your face with bad soap. 
Enjoy the comfort and 
luxury and safety of 
WILLIAMS’ 1OTI 
Sold everywhere, 
for 2-cent stamp. 
Shavers Guide 
Correctly.” 
Free trial sample 
Write for “The 
how to Dress 
The J. B. Williams Co Glastonbury, Conn. 
Banner Lye 
10 tbs hard soap or 20 gallons soft soap 
Costs 10 cents Takes 10 minutes No boiling 
makes pure soap 
r BICYCLES ON TRIAL 
for 10 days. We ship on ap¬ 
proval to anyone 'without a cent deposit. 
fe Models */0 tO *24 
with Coaster-Brakes & Puncturc-Proof Tires. 
lilllS & 11)04 Model. ««0 
of best makes. * • tO * M 
500 Second-Hand Wheel* 
All makes & Mod- « Q $ O 
els good, as new O Hr O 
RIDER AGENTS WANTED in 
each town at good pay. Write at once for 
Special Offer on sample bicycle. 
TIKES, SUNDRIES, AUTOMOBILES. 
MEAD CYCLE CO., Dept, w so CHICAGO 
PISOS CURE FOR 
CURES WHERE ALL ELSE FAILS 
Best Cough Syrup. Tastes Good. 
Use in time. Sold by druggists. 
CONSUMPTION 
