700 
Woman and the Home 
From Day to Day 
LATE SPRING IN NEW ENGLAND. 
Thistle bloom in Scotland, 
Iris bud in Spain, 
Wild tulips gleaming 
All across Touraine. 
Wine dark and burnished 
More than Homer’s sea— 
Violets, roses, 
Crowning Tuscany. 
These can bring no nearer 
Loveliness I know 
Locked in my lilac buds 
Out in the snow. 
Devon fresh with hawthorn, 
Haughty with her heather; 
All the Irish hillsides 
Wearing gorse together. 
Paris spiced with chestnut, 
Tokio with cherry ; 
Baden in pale primrose, 
Garlanded and merry. 
April, gipsy April, 
Gone a-truanting: 
Unlock my lilac buds! 
Yield me the Spring! 
drace Hazard Conkling in Everybody's. 
* 
Farmers’ Bulletin No. 526, just issued, 
“Mutton and Its Value in the Diet,” is 
another of the Department of Agricul¬ 
ture's famous cook books, which will no 
doubt have an enormous circulation. It 
contains 60 ways to cook mutton, as 
well as a discussion of the nutritive 
value of this meat. Many American 
housekeepers care little for mutton, 
and this bulletin will instruct them in 
the best methods of preparation, as well 
as the real value of the meat. 
* 
According to the census of 1910 there 
are, in the United States, the following 
numbers of women engaged in various 
lines of professional work: Women 
teachers and professors, 327,635; women 
physicians and surgeons, 7,399; women 
in trade and transportation, 481,159; 
women engaged in agricultural pursuits, 
770,055; women clerks, accountants and 
stenographers, 239,077; women clergy¬ 
men, 7,395; women lawyers, 1,010; 
women journalists, 2,193; women archi¬ 
tects, designers and draughtsmen, 1,037; 
women in the professions, 429,497. 
* 
Italian risotto is made as follows: 
Cut a small white onion into pieces and 
cook in butter until golden brown. Add 
tw'o cupfuls of cooked rice and one cup 
of chicken stock, soup or gravy. Cook 
gently until the rice has absorbed the 
liquid; then sprinkle into the rice two 
tablespoonfuls of grated cheese. Season 
with pepper, salt and a piece of butter, 
put in a hot dish and serve. If con¬ 
venient sprinkle over the top some 
chopped giblets or shredded chicken. 
* 
Under the Underwood tariff bill as 
first drawn up the importation or sale 
of the skin or feathers of any wild 
bird, domestic or foreign, is prohibited, 
so our adornment would be limited to 
ostriches and domestic fowls. Under 
this tariff regulation the feathers of 
game girds can be imported or shipped 
from State to State only for scientific 
purposes. This measure is aimed to 
protect birds all over the world. There 
is certainly need of such legislation, if 
it will protect the birds, but we still 
see plenty of aigrettes worn, although 
the law in many places forbids their 
use, and we fear there are too many 
loopholes in these sumptuary laws to in¬ 
sure their being worked out effectively. 
* 
A great many New York stores now 
offer to send things by parcel post. One 
store offers coffee and tea by parcel post, 
with the added suggestion, “A nice pres¬ 
ent for your country cousin.” It would 
certainly be a useful present, but we 
think an unexpected parcel of tea would 
not be nearly so exciting as an unex¬ 
pected collar or scarf or motor veil, or 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
May 24, 
some delightful little citified gimcrack 
that one would admire all the more be¬ 
cause it was not one of the necessities 
of life. Why should a countiy woman 
or girl always be expected to accept 
with joy “something really useful” in 
the form of a present? 
The sleeping porch or outdoor bed¬ 
room is now used by so many people 
that stores begin to cater especially to 
this trade. In addition to the cot beds 
used for this purpose there are special 
styles of bed hammocks. The Glouces¬ 
ter hammocks of the best grade cost 
from $12 to $26.50; other couch ham¬ 
mocks cost from $10 to $16; hammock 
supports, $4. Crib couch hammocks for 
babies have a wind-shield on one side 
and a net on the other, so that the 
child cannot fall out. These are delight¬ 
ful for the baby’s outdoor naps. In cold 
weather of course the carriage is bet¬ 
ter. In our locality most of the babies 
take their daytime naps out of doors, 
even in the coldest weather, and there 
is no doubt that they escape many ills 
the old-time hothouse baby was heir to. 
The old-fashioned woven hammocks in 
Oriental tapestry and Bagdad effects 
cost $2.75 to $6, while hammock chairs, 
adjustable to any angle, cost $1.25 to $2. 
In addition to the sleeping hammock the 
stores offef special sleeping suits for 
outdoor people. One of these, made of 
two thicknesses of woolen material, slips 
on over the feet and buttons up the 
front. It is completed by a separate 
hood, and costs $5.50 and $7.75. A sep¬ 
arate hood and cape made of three 
thicknesses of material is intended for 
severe weather; it buttons up close 
around the throat, the cape almost reach¬ 
ing the hips, and costs $1.75. Another 
comfort, especially intended for camp¬ 
ing, is a sleeping bag of waterproof can¬ 
vas lined with gray wool and cotton 
blankets. A slumber slip, intended to 
be worn under the nightgown, is a 
loosely knitted chemise-shaped garment 
of white worsted, which costs $1.25. If 
one intends to adopt outdoor sleeping it 
is very necessary to provide for com¬ 
fort first, for it means very different con¬ 
ditions from those of a closed bedroom. 
Home Instruction. 
The busy mother of a little country 
girl was advised by her physician not to 
enter the child in school until she was 
eight years of age, but to teach her that 
which she would readily learn at home. 
This seemed quite a problem, for the 
child was active and eager to learn, and 
the questions were almost distracting. 
'I he mother was always trying to find 
more time for lessons, when one day it 
occurred to her that no set hours or 
rules were required, but lessons might 
follow the line of the daily work. For 
instance, the child seemed anxious to 
cook as she saw her mother do. It was 
much easier to tell her to wait a few 
years and proceed to do the work alone. 
But this mother argued that to create 
was to learn—to grow. So the six-year- 
old began her cooking lessons, and^ it is 
surprising how many dishes a child of 
that age may learn to prepare—cereals, 
simple puddings and other plain desserts, 
soups, bread sponge and many, many 
things. 
Now this particular little girl asked 
an endless number of questions, but she 
thereby learned much—where the raisins 
came from, how flour was made, even 
something of food values. -Moreover, 
she liked publicity and thought each 
achievement wonderful enough to be 
“sent to the paper.’ ’ Mother compro¬ 
mised and gave her a stoutly bound 
book of blank pages, in which now ap¬ 
pears, in childish hand, these various 
tested recipes, with descriptions of the 
manner of preparation, and sometimes 
the praises of those who enjoyed the 
food. A few snapshots add to the in¬ 
terest. Who shall say how much she 
has learned? Besides the value of 
learning to work, and of order and sys¬ 
tem, I see penmanship, spelling, com¬ 
position. numbers and even a little of 
geography and hygiene. L. s. 
Meat Recipes for the Fireless Stove. 
When the housewife attempts to re¬ 
duce her meat expenses by using the 
cheaper cuts she generally meets with 
two objections—toughness and lack of 
flavor—but both of these may be greatly 
overcome by using the fireless cooker 
and roaster. The long and slow cook¬ 
ing softens the connective tissue, brown¬ 
ing the surface and cooking in closed 
vessels retains the natural flavor, and 
other flavors may be given by the use of 
vegetables and seasoning. 
Most of the following recipes, to be 
at their best, should be cooked in a fire¬ 
less roaster with the hot radiators, but 
the homemade fireless will cook them 
in ways much superior to stove cooking. 
Always use the kettle that you can fill 
the nearest full, so the heat will be re¬ 
tained longer, and bear in mind that 
none of the juices or gravy will be lost 
by evaporation. 
For boiled meat or chicken prepare 
as you would for cooking on the range, 
let boil till heated through, then put 
in the fireless from six to eight hours, 
or over night. If very tough it may 
require heating on the stove again. Old 
hens for pressed or scalloped chicken, 
dumplings or chicken pie are at their 
best cooked in this way. 
“Smothered Chicken."—This is our 
favorite way of preparing chicken. Use 
one from four to six months old, pre¬ 
pare as for fried chicken, season, roll 
in flour and brown in hot fat in a fry¬ 
ing pan. (I use part lard and part but¬ 
ter.) Put a little fat in the cooker ket¬ 
tle, heat, arrange the chicken in the 
kettle, the larger pieces at the bottom, 
cover and heat very hot. pour in a cup 
of boiling water, cover and simmer till 
heated through, perhaps 10 minutes, then 
place in cooker from three to four hours. 
Remove chicken and see what a fine 
flavored gravy can be made from the 
liquor. For something very good add 
a cup of cream in place of the hot 
water. 
Liver a la Mode.—Let the piece of 
liver you wish to cook lie in salt water 
over night, drain, wipe dry. roll in flour 
and sear well in some hot fat in the 
frying pan; drain the fat into the cooker 
kettle, place the liver in it. lay a few 
slices of onion on top, cover and heat 
very hot. Pour over it one pint of hot 
water and let simmer till heated through, 
place in the cooker from three to five 
hours. Very good served either hot or 
cold. 
Braised Beef.—Sprinkle a lean piece 
of beef with flour, salt and pepper (a 
cheap cut may be used), fry in hot suet 
till brown on all sides, place in the 
cooker kettle, pour in the fat. cover and 
heat, then nearly cover with boiling 
water, place in the fireless at least six 
hours. If the meat is unusually tough 
add one can of tomatoes and less w-ater; 
the acid in the tomato makes the meat 
very tender. 
Beefsteak.—Two pounds round steak, 
]A cup flour, one pint of water, 14 pint 
milk, two tablespoons butter. Have the 
steak cut about two inches thick, melt 
butter in frying pan. dredge the meat 
with the flour, to which salt and pepper 
have been added, brown on both sides, 
remove to cooker kettle, brown the rest 
of the flour in the butter left in the pan, 
add the water and milk, stir till it boils, 
then pour over meat, cover and simmer 
till well heated, place in cooker about 
three hours. If the flavor is liked, some 
slices of onion may be browned in the 
butter before browning the meat. If 
the steak seems very tough, pound the 
flour into it in place of dredging it. 
Cooked in this way the toughest steak 
will become tender and well flavored. 
Stuffed Beef’s Heart.—Stuff the heart 
with a dressing made of bread crumbs 
seasoned with bits of green pepper, to¬ 
mato, salt and onion. Close up the 
openings with skewers. Cook in fireless 
in hot water seasoned with onion, cloves, 
allspice and pepper at least three hours. 
Let stand in the liquor over night. Put 
the heart in a baking dish with a cup 
of the liquor, bake till brown, basting 
often. Serve hot. This is very fine. 
This sauce may be used over it: Rub 
together two tablespoons of butter and 
two of flour and thicken some of the' 
hot liquor. Strain over heart before 
serving. 
Fish.—About five pounds of fresh fish, 
halibut or salmon is very good. Rub 
well with flour, salt and pepper and 
brown in deep, hot fat. Place in cooker 
kettle with a little of- the fat and a thin 
strip of bacon inside or on top; get very 
hot. then add a cup of boiling water, 
cover and let simmer till well heated. 
Place in tireless about two hours. May 
be eaten plain or with a cream sauce 
made as follows: One cup milk, one 
cup hot water, Z\ cup cream, one table¬ 
spoon each of butter and flour. Melt 
the butter, add the flour and stir till 
well blended, then pour in slowly the hot 
water, add milk and cream and stir till 
it boils, season to taste with lemon juice, 
salt, etc. Chopped hard-boiled eggs may 
be added before serving. 
Ham.—Freshen ham. place in cooker 
kettle, cover with boiling water and let 
boil 20 minutes. Put in tireless over 
night. Take out of liquor, let drain, 
remove rind and place in baking pan, 
stick in some cloves, sprinkle with flour 
and brown sugar and roast till brown. 
Serve either hot or cold. e. m. s. 
YYttfx you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you'll got a quick reply and a 
“square deal." See guarantee editorial page. 
Miss Daisy Field —“Well, Anty 
Drudge, I told Silas last night 
that I would marry him and 
stay here in the country. 
Since you told me how easy 
Fels-Naptha Soap makes the 
work, I’ve decided not to go to 
the city.” 
Anty Drudge —“I know you are 
going to be happy, and I’m 
sure you’ll never regret your 
choice. Love and Fels-Naptha 
Soap make happy homes.” 
H o u s ew o rk 
need not have 
any terrors for 
any woman, if 
she will do it the 
new, cool-water, 
no-hard-rubbing, 
easy way. 
Use Fels-Naptha 
Soap for your weekly 
wash. It will be on 
the line half a day 
earlier, and will be 
cleaner, sweeter and 
whiter than ever be- 
f o r e. Fels-Naptha 
does the best work in 
cool or lukewarm 
water, without hard 
rubbing and scrub¬ 
bing. It dissolves dirt 
and grease, and takes 
out stains. 
Follow the directions on the Bed 
and Qreen Wrapper. 
Fels & Co., Philadelphia. 
_ --when and 
there you want it. Low | 
it. The FOSTER High 
ity Ram is guaranteed. , 
nicy back if not satisfied, 
sts little. Free Hook of facts. 
POWER SPECIALTY CO., 
, Trinlt J Building, Now York ‘ 
