2^3 
February 15, 
Woman and the Home 
From Day to Day. 
SEA WRACK. 
The wrack was dark an’ shiny where it 
floated in the sea. 
There was no one in the brown boat but 
only him an’ me; 
Him to cut the sea wrack, me to mind the 
boat, 
And not a word between us the hours we 
were afloat. 
The wet wrack. 
The sea wrack, 
The wrack was strong to cut. 
We laid it on the gray rocks to wither in 
the sun, 
An’ what should call my lad then, to sail 
for Cushendun ? 
With a low moon, a full tide, a swell upon 
the deep, 
Him to sail the old boat, me to fall asleep. 
The dry wrack. 
The sea wrack, 
The wrack was dead so soon. 
There’s a fire low upon the rocks to burn 
the wrack to kelp, 
There’s a boat gone down upon the Moyle, 
an’ sorra one to help! 
Him beneath the salt sea, me upon the 
shore, 
By sunlight or moonlight we’ll lift the 
wrack no more. 
The dark wrack, 
The sea wrack, 
The wrack may drift ashore. 
—Moira O’Neill in “A Little Garland of 
Celtic Verse.” 
* 
Here is a tested recipe for maple 
frosting: Break half a pound of soft 
maple sugar into small pieces and put 
into a saucepan with half a cupful of 
boiling water. Stir occasionally until 
the sugar is dissolved and boil without 
stirring until the syrup will thread when 
dropped from the tip of a spoon. Pour 
gradually on the beaten whites of two 
eggs, beating constantly, and continue 
beating until the mixture is of the right 
consistency for spreading. 
* 
Serge sailor dresses never go out of 
style for girls and young women, but 
one recent improvement is making them 
in one piece. Thus there is none of 
the bother of the separate blouse, and 
also the extra bulk around the hips is 
removed. Such dresses, strictly tailor 
made, are not cheap, but in a good 
men’s wear serge, well finished, they 
stand any amount of wear without look¬ 
ing shabby. One of the good New York 
shops making a specialty of clothing for 
children and young women charges 
$22.50 for such a dress, sizes 14 to 20 
years. 
In reading "help wanted” advertise¬ 
ments of a high class, which form a 
specialty with some newspapers, we no¬ 
tice that a cultivated governess capable 
of speaking three languages, and form¬ 
ing the minds and manners of two or 
three children, is offered exactly the 
same wages as a good cook—$35 a 
month. Of course there are governesses 
who receive more than this—but then 
there are cooks who receive a great deal 
more, too. We refer to this, not to 
bring up any question as to the relative 
value of either, but because it may in¬ 
terest some woman who begins to feel 
that life is one endless round of pre¬ 
paring meals. Out in the open market 
the world estimates her economic value 
as equalling that of a woman acquainted 
with several languages and a wide range 
of general knowledge. Furthermore, 
there is sometimes an excess of gov¬ 
ernesses and a dearth of cooks. But it 
does not follow that a cook must think 
of nothing but cooking, and here we 
think some good women make a mis¬ 
take. They treat their cooking and 
housework as the end, and not the 
means to the end. The whole reason 
for good housekeeping is that it makes 
us all, men, women and children, 
stronger in mind and body and better 
able to do our part in the world’s work. 
If our household affairs shut out every¬ 
thing beyond our own dooryard we are 
in the position of Bunyan’s man with 
SmHHJ RURAL, NEW-YORKER] 
the muck-rake, who was so much ab¬ 
sorbed in the straw and litter gathered 
up that he could never take time to 
raise his eyes to the glories of the 
Heavenly City. 
* 
During January women in New York 
have the pleasure of studying new straw 
hats and new fashions in wash goods. 
Not being able to flit to the South at 
this season we do not indulge in straw 
hats, though they do not look out of 
place this unusual season, but there is 
a good deal of pleasure in buying wash 
goods, and having something made up 
before the warm days come upon us. 
Our favorite standby for house dresses 
is always percale at 12j4 cents a yard, 
because it washes well, irons easily and 
does not shrink. If extra ironing is an 
object, the solid colors in crinkled seer¬ 
suckers, called ripplette at some stores, 
will be admirable. For an active grow¬ 
ing girl of eight to' 14, a skirt of dark 
blue seersucker and a middy blouse will 
be neat, easily laundered and quite suit¬ 
able for school or town. It should be, 
by preference, a real sailor blouse made 
by a naval outfitter, the material white 
duck; the strong material is so care¬ 
fully tailored that it practically never 
wears out. For younger girls the sim¬ 
ple Russian dresses worn over bloomers 
of the same material mean comfort and 
little trouble. For the housekeeper’s 
afternoon dress it is nice to have a light 
color and thin material when occasion 
demands it, but linen or fine Scotch 
gingham (some of the ginghams look 
like Summer silks) will be more dur¬ 
able. Ramie linen 35 and 36 inches 
wide has been selling for 28 to 32 cents 
a yard, in a great variety of colors, and 
is very attractive. A white linen gown 
for better wear is suitable for any age 
from one year to one hundred, and 
when it is too far gone for a dress there 
is always some part of it still good 
enough for tray cloths or doilies. Among 
the new materials there are many fancy 
weaves with rough or brocaded sur¬ 
faces, like the ratine and eponge of last 
season, but the practical, easily laun¬ 
dered familiar materials are always in 
fashion; the only changes are in color 
and design. Coin spot lawns or dimi¬ 
ties, or those with small dots, never go 
out of style, and some attractive models 
have trimmings of a solid color, with 
white buttons. An overskirt effect is 
shown in many of these dresses. 
it will likely be a failure and a great loss 
of patience. Very few paperhangers in 
the old days could do a good job of 
varnishing. I employed many, and I 
know. The consistency of the “size” 
will be a puzzle, as it must be neither 
too thin or too thick, but just right. 
F. M. GORMAN. 
Shellac on Wall Paper. 
A correspondent asks if shellac can 
be applied to wallpaper. It can, but I 
doubt if an inexperienced person can 
do it satisfactorily. As a paperhanger 
in New York City from 1864 to 1876, I 
did considerable of such work, and can 
give the inquirer an idea how it is done. 
First two coatings of “size” must be 
applied to the surface of the paper to 
prevent the varnish or shellac from 
penetrating. Said “size” is made from 
white glue, soaked till thoroughly soft, 
then diluted with water to the right 
consistency, allowed to cool, then apply 
with kalsomine brush. When first coat 
has dried, apply second coat. We sel¬ 
dom used shellac, but instead used white 
Demar varnish. The paper must be of 
a heavy body; thin, cheap paper would 
“wash” when sizing was applied. If 
the colors are soft great care must be 
used or they will “run” when size is 
put on. The size must be cold and the 
room warm, especially when putting on 
the varnish, otherwise it will set quickly, 
the brush will stick and oh, dear! what 
a pucker the poor workman (or woman) 
will be in! Now that washable tints are 
in vogue it is cheaper to paper with 
them than to undertake to varnish paper 
to make is washable. Mrs. R. S. will 
find it a very difficult job and probably 
wish she hadn’t undertaken it. If I 
lived near by I would gladly show her 
how, as without a teacher to start with 
Bran Biscuits; Shellac. 
J. E. W. asks about the use of bran 
for food, and how it can be sterilized. 
I have used bran a great deal, and like 
it very much. I would just as soon 
have bran bread as graham. I use bran 
as it comes from the mill, and do not 
think it needs any sterilizing at all. Will 
give J. E. W. my recipe for bran bis¬ 
cuit, which is the same as bread, only I 
prefer them baked in gem pans: Two 
cups bran, one cup wheat flour, V /2 cup 
sour milk, J4 tup melted butter, three 
tablespoonfuls molasses, one teaspoon¬ 
ful soda dissolved in warm water. Mix 
in order given. Bake in gem tins and 
bake thoroughly. 
Would say to Mrs. R. S. that I would 
not try shellacking the paper, but wait 
until it became slightly soiled, then put 
on oiled paper, apply floor varnish, and 
it will last for years. I have had it on 
my pantry for five years, wash it once 
a year, and now it is as clean and good 
as new. I put the floor varnish on my 
linoleum (two coats) and it has lasted 
four years. I am going to put another 
coat on now so as to preserve the pat¬ 
tern. MRS. L. s. D. 
“I believe honesty pays in the long 
run.” “So do I ; but I often wish it 
were not such a mighty long run.— Chi¬ 
cago Record-Herald. 
America’s Star Rose* 
GUARANTEED 3(50 of 
the Bes t Roses for Amer¬ 
ica, Vigorous, own-root 
plants. 11 leaders shown 
in natural colors. Full 
data how to select, 
plant, prune and grow. 
Write to-day for this book” 
with Frek Delivery Opper. 
The Conard <fc Jones Co. 
Box 4, West Grove, Pa. __ 
Rose Specialists—50 years’ experience 
CIDER PRESSES 
THE ORIGINAL MX. GILEAD HY-. 
RRAULIO PRESS producos morecidorl 
from less apples than any other and is i 
BIG MONEY MAKER 
Sizes 10 to 400 barrels daily, hand _ 
or power. Presses for all pur¬ 
poses, also cider evaporators, 
apple-butter cookers, vine- . 
car generators, oto. Cata¬ 
log freo.«,We are manufac¬ 
turers, not jobbers. 
HYDRAULIC PRESS MFG. CO. 
(Oldest and largest manufacturers of cider 
presses in the world.) 
1*1 lAncoln Avenue, Mount Gilead. Ohio 
Or Roomll9 L 39 Cortlandt St., New York, N. Y. 
10 DAYS FREE TRIAL 
We ship on approval without . 
. freight prepaid. DON’T 
PAY A CLNI if you ar# not mtlril.t 
after name the bicycle 10 daye. 
DO NOT BUY of tires from anycrj 
at any price until you rscolv. oar latest 
art catalogs illustrating every kind of 
bicycle, and have learned onr unheard 
prices and marvelous new offers. 
ONE fiFHT I* »H It will cort yonta 
UI1C Vtn I write a petal andevary. 
thing will be lent you free postpaid by 
return mail. You will get much valuable in¬ 
formation. Do not wait, write it now 
TIRES, Coaster - Brake rear 
wheels, lamps, sundries at half usual prices. 
Mm d Gy do Co . Lent. W^JC/y/eagQ 
THE BALDWIN LAMP 
Projects a 14-eandle power light 
150 feet. Burns Acetylene gas. 
Weight, 6 ox.; height, d >-2 in. 
No oil, soot or glass. Absolute¬ 
ly safe and simple. Fifty hours’ 
light costs 25c. Ideal for night 
fishing, trapping, hunting or 
for work about the farm or 
machinery. Useful as well to 
replace automobile tires in the 
dark. If your •, 3«ler cannot 
supply yon write us direct and 
ask for catalogue and free in¬ 
structive booklet, " Knots and How to Tie Them ” 
JOHN SIMMONS CO. 
ISO Leonard St., - New York City 
PRICE 
SfSU-.OO 
Vaseline 
Cold 
J, Cream 
JSc. Post-paid 
Thoroughly cleanses the pores of the skin and keeps it 
healthy. Relieves irritation and roughness. 
A perfectly pure, safe cream for constant use—for children 
or grown-ups. 
Just one of the famous “Vaseline” preparations, which 
are needed for the little daily ills and accidents in every home. 
If your druggist cannot supply you, write direct. 
Chesebrough Manufacturing Company 
35 State Street (Consolidate.) New York 
Interesting booklet on 
request 
/ 
“5 
Dairy 
Cleanind 
Easily 
Done 
-I 
Old Dutch Cleanser halves the work in the dairy. The 
milk pans, pails, churns and cream separator are thor¬ 
oughly cleaned in half the time with half the effort, if Old 
Dutch Cleanser is sprinkled on cloth or on the article 
cleaned. It leaves the milk utensils shinning, clean 
and sweet. 
It quickly removes cream clots and milk stains from 
shelves, benches and floors. 
Old Dutch Cleanser does equally 
as well anywhere on the farm 
where cleaning is done. 
Old Dutch 
Cleanser 
Cbas«» 
Many Uses and Full Directions 
on Large Sifter Can — 10c. 
turn 
