1015. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
267 
The Baby's Bed. 
1IE Children's Bureau of the U. S. 
B'partment of Labor has issued a 
bulletin entitled "‘Infant Care,” by Mrs. 
Max West. Among the subjects first dis¬ 
cussed is the baby’s bed, and the ad¬ 
vice given is so sensible that it is well 
worth quoting here. Instead of talking 
about expensive and elaborate nursery 
fittings Mrs. West says that the first bed 
may be made from an ordinary clothes 
basket, or from a light box, such as an 
orange crate. Later, a metal crib with a 
firm spring is desirable. Table padding 
or “silence” cloth, folded to four thick¬ 
nesses, makes a very good mattress, be¬ 
cause it is readily washable; when wash¬ 
ed it should be hung out of doors to dry. 
A sanitary crib mattress may be made by 
stuffing bed ticking with excelsior, which 
can be renewed as often as necessary. 
Sphagnum moss, or straw, can he used 
in the same way. The mattress cover 
may be made of bed ticking or heavy un¬ 
bleached muslin, which can be emptied, 
washed, and dried in the sun at intervals. 
In case excelsior or straw is used for the 
temporary filling, it should be made as 
level and smooth as possible, and a piece 
<>f soft felting or a small comfort should 
always be placed over the mattress to 
soften the rough surface. After the baby 
has learned not to wet the bed at night, 
an ordinary mattress of hair, felt, or 
cotton may he used, but it should be 
protected by oilcloth, rubber sheeting, or 
absorbent paper as an additional pre¬ 
caution. Since a rubber or oilcloth sheet 
is both hard and cold, a soft pad should 
always be used directly underneath the 
baby. Table felting makes excellent pads. 
A baby will breathe more easily and 
take a larger supply of air into the lungs 
if no pillow is used. If the mother de¬ 
sires, she may place a clean folded nap¬ 
kin or some other clean soft cloth under 
the baby’s head, but it should not be al¬ 
lowed to elevate the head appreciably. 
Toward the end of the second year a thin 
hair pillow may be used. Feather or 
down pillows are too heating for the 
child’s head. 
When a metal crib is used cover the 
mattress with the oilcloth or soft rubber 
sheeting, to each corner of which a strong 
tape is fastened. These are tied under 
the mattress to hold the rubber smooth. 
Over this place the cotton pad, then 
cover with a small sheet, tucked under 
the mattress on all four sides so the 
sheet is perfectly smooth. For covers, it 
is advised to lay the crib blankets 
smoothly in a flat cotton bag, like a pil¬ 
low case buttoned at one end; then turn 
the sides under about 10 inches, and turn 
the bottom up about one-third its length. 
The baby is laid on the sheet, and the 
covers laid over him, folded side next 
the baby, so that he is laid in a loose 
sort of sleeping bag. This keeps him 
warm and remains in place without the 
rigidity of covers tucked smoothly under 
the mattress, which give the child no 
room to kick. 
Help for Sprain. 
Having sat for several weeks, at two 
different times, with a plump and discol¬ 
ored ankle facing me on a chair, the last 
time this weak member twisted itself off 
a stone, with the well-known grinding 
and pain, I resolved not to be held a pris¬ 
oner by it if help could be found that 
would relieve it without such a tedious 
process of waiting. A walk of two miles 
after the accident gave the ankle a chance 
to swell to twice the normal size before 
treatment could be procured. Pain and 
fever developed, and an uneasy conscious¬ 
ness of company to supper that evening 
put me into an unenviable state of mind. 
As soon as the shoe and stocking were 
peeled off I plunged my foot into a pail 
of cold water and sat with it there for 
about 15 minutes. Meantime my sister 
hunted up the oldest loose pair of high- 
top shoes that I possessed. We rubbed 
the ankle vigorously several times, finally 
drying with as firm a rubbing as I could 
stand, always remembering to let the 
pressure be from the toe up toward the 
leg, thus helping the blood to circulate 
in the veins. This simple treatment had 
reduced the size greatly and relieved the 
pain. Then with a swab made of a bit 
of absorbent cotton tied onto the end of 
a toothpick I painted the upper part of 
my foot, the ankle and well upon my leg 
with a coat of iodine, put on a clean 
white stocking and inserted my foot as 
far as possible in the shoe. By tugging 
we finally got it on and buttoned (it was 
very loose normally) and I hobbled 
around at my usual work. If one want¬ 
ed to take time and had the material at 
hand, doubtless a bandage about 1% inch 
wide begun on the upper part of the 
ankle, carried down to the great toe 
joint, then back up the leg nearly to the 
knee, would be the proper treatment, but 
this requires knowledge of how to put 
on a bandage. One vnnnot do it very 
well for herself, and the material is not 
always handy. If the bandage Is not 
applied with an even pressure it is really 
worse than none, as the loose spotis allow 
the blood to settle back, and prevent 
prompt absorption of the inflammation. 
I slept that night with the shoe on. re¬ 
peated the treatment the next morning, 
and twice a day thereafter for three days. 
At the end of that time the sides of the 
ankle began to itch and show signs of 
peeling; this being a sign that the in¬ 
flammation was pretty well gone I 
stopped putting on iodine, simply wearing 
the high shoe during the day and soaking 
in cold water for five or 10 minutes at 
night the last thing before retiring. I 
had kept about my usual work, avoiding 
long walks, but otherwise not favoring 
the weak member specially, yet instead 
of spending a couple of weeks nursing 
this sprain, I had cured it in a few 
days, thanks to the iodine. A physician 
once recommended iodine to me for use 
on a knee where water gathered under 
the patella and caused great pain. He 
said: “The use of iodine is indicated 
wherever there is pain or inflammation,” 
and I’ve found it a great help on bruises, 
sore muscles, rheumatism of various 
kinds, and sprains. If a person’s skin is 
very tender she could not use it as 
freely as I do, because mine is apparently 
very tough, seldom skinning off until 
three or four applications have been 
made. A little careful experimenting will 
show how much each individual can 
stand. MRS. E. L. K. 
The Friendly Kerosene. 
AVING taken a furnished house, one 
of the first and most important steps 
was to sort, classify and arrange the 
cooking utensils—after the stoves had 
been put in order. There was a lot of 
rusty tinware and heavy ironware of all 
kinds, griddles, frying pans, kettles of all 
sizes, and all hopelessly coated with rust 
that scaled off to the touch. It seemed a 
task insuperable; but pouring some kero¬ 
sene into one of the very worst looking 
kettles I attacked the tins with a new 
scrubbing brush, dipped in the oil, when 
they responded with such a bright smile— 
the kind that “won’t come off”—that I 
took heart of grace and began the siege 
of ironware. Every piece was then left 
in its dressing of kerosene, and the next 
day washed in a strong suds, rinsed, wiped 
with a coarse cloth, then with a finer one 
—when each was found to be in a normal 
condition, ready for use. 
One of the bedrooms had been found 
infested with the most exasperating of all 
household pests, but a daily dose of friend¬ 
ly kerosene on mattress corners, under the 
tufts, at seams of pillow-case, and in cor¬ 
ners and cracks of bedstead and wood¬ 
work for a week routed the last vestige 
of bedbugs, and they did not re-appear. 
So with the water-bugs which infested the 
sink and drain pipes. Persistent use for 
a few days cleared them; and occasional 
use kept them free from all nuisances. 
A few drops poured on the window-sills, 
each morning, kept out flies, and used 
each evening prevented the singing, sting¬ 
ing, and worry, of mosquitoes. A cloth, 
moistened but slightly, then used to dust 
woodwork and furniture, brightened pol¬ 
ished surfaces and gave luster to painted 
ones. A scrub brush dipped in oil, used on 
the old stoves two hours before needed, 
made them look like “civilized” equipment 
for a cheery kitchen; and used on the 
painted floor, it had a like effect. Make 
friends with your kerosene can, and it 
will be a friend in very deed. 
LUCY A.^YENDES. 
More Fried Pies. 
NOTICED the request for a recipe 
, for New England fried pies, and will 
send my recipe, only we called them fried 
turnovers. The fried pies of my child¬ 
hood were made this way. The dough 
was rolled out about one-half inch thick. 
and about six or seven inches in diameter. 
These were dropped into the fat and cook¬ 
ed as crullers, then two or three put to¬ 
gether with apple sauce, and sauce on 
top. The sauce was made of dried apple. 
My! but they are good! The way I 
make the dough is by the same recipe I 
use for cream of tartar biscuit, only I add 
one egg well beaten to the milk I mix 
with. The fried turnovers I make the 
same, only use more shortening, about as 
much again, and mix stiffen, about like 
common pie crust. Roll out the size of a 
saucer, put on sauce, moisten half the 
crust, and turn the other half over. Take 
a saucer and press around crust to even 
the edge and fry. I use for filling mince¬ 
meat, or any sauce I have that will do, 
but I like the dried apple sauce the best, 
and the home article at that. A dear 
little woman in Vermont has dried the 
apples for many an apple fried pie and 
turnover I’ve made for my family. The 
crust for turnover wants to be a little 
thicker than common piecrust, thick 
enough to hold well together. Crust for 
fried pies: One quart flour, two tea¬ 
spoonfuls cream of tartar, one teaspoon¬ 
ful soda, one-half teaspoonful salt, one 
heaping tablespoonful shortening, one egg 
in sweet milk for mixing. Flour varies 
so that one must experiment a little as to 
how much milk and how much shortening 
is needed. I always use pastry flour for 
fried pies, doughnuts and cream of tartar 
biscuit, as it does not require so much 
shortening. Good luck to whoever tries 
these recipes. new England. 
I note what you say in your issue of 
Jan. 2 about New England fried ap¬ 
ple pie—so I send you this old-fashioned 
way of making. The filling is made of 
old-fashioned dried apples (in order to 
get the genuine flavor, but evaporated 
will answer). Soak it out, mash fine, sea¬ 
son with allspice and a little salt. Leave 
quite dry, otherwise it will run out into 
the fat and make it sputter, which is 
likely to happen. The cover is made like 
any doughnut recipe, not too rich (ordin¬ 
ary pie crust is too heavy, fried in lard), 
rolled out and cut out round about four 
or five inches in diameter. Fill in the 
center one-half as much apple as will 
stay in, fold over, wetting the edges be¬ 
fore folding, and crimp thoroughly to¬ 
gether; fry in a kettle of hot lard. 
Massachusetts. mbs. e. m. 
“I know not the way I am going, 
But well do I know my Guide; 
With a childlike trust I give my hand 
To the Mighty Friend by my side. 
The only thing that I say to Him, 
As He takes it, is “Hold it fast 
Suffer me not to lose my way, 
And bring me home at last.” 
—Credit Lost. 
Oh Why Didnt l 
fflailthatCoupon! 
You’d never have to say that, if 
you had _ taken out an Accident- 
Health-Life Policy in this 46-year 
old Insurance Company. While 
you were laid up we would be pay¬ 
ing you ($1.00 or more each day). 
If you died your widow would get 
$ 1 , 000 . 
In some companies, it might cost 
you (on an average) nearly $30.00 
for the accident and health insur¬ 
ance alone, and about $30.00 more 
for a $1,000 life policy. Butin the 
Niagara Accident-Health-Life Pol- 
' icy, you can get all three features for 1 
about $30.00 a year, if you arc about 
35 years old—or slightly more if 
you are older—or less if you are 
younger. Of course, if you want 
more than $1.00 per day, or more 
than $1,000 life policy, the cost will 
be greater. 
Before it is too late, you had 
better mail the below coupon: 
HEEE 
rNIAGARA LIFE INSURANCEiC»] 
BRISBANE BLDG..BUFFALO.N.Y. 
I Without any risk to me or any obligation what* 
| soever, kindly send me Specimen Policy, and per- 1 1 
I eonally advise me how much it would cost me per ‘ | 
. year for $.worth of life insurance, i 
I and an income of $.per day in case 
| I am laid up with sickness or injury. My age, I 
| now, is .years. 
Signed. ‘ 
I _ Address. . | 
1 AGENTS: This P9licy gives the holder so much I 
1 for so little that it is easy to sell. Write to-day | 
for territorial rights, if you are respected in your i 
community. 
s 
UGAR 
When ordered with a 
$10 Grocery Order 
25 pounds, 98^ 
Larkin Groceries, such as Hour, coffee, tea, 
canned vegetables, dried vegetables, ham, 
bacon, lish, cereals, crackers, preserved 
fruits, relishes, confectionery; laundry, 
toilet, and home supplies of all kinds. 
GROCERY BOOK FREE 
Send a letter or postal today for your free 
copy. Just say, “Send me free a copy of 
Grocery book No. 1733.” 
Lttrkm C&+ buffalo, n. y. 
New Spring Wall Paper—Save % 
Buy direct from us at mill prices and 
hang it yourself. Our free instruction 
book tellsyou exactly how. Thisenables 
you to paper 3 rooms for the usual cost 
of one. Write today for sample book 
and instructions FREE. 
Penn Wall Paper Mills 
Dept. F, Philadelphia 
HANDY BINDER 
Just the thing 
for preserv¬ 
ing files of 
The Rural New Yorker. Durable and 
cheap. Sent postpaid for 25 cents. 
The Rural New-Yorker, 333 West 30th St., ». Y. 
“Why, Clara, Your New 
Furniture Is Charming!” 
‘‘Thanks^ Mary, but the fact is, it isn't new! I just decided that the old 
i* ure was t°° 8°od to send to the attic or sell for little or nothing. Besides, it 
field too many pleasant memories to part with. So Will and I got busy with 
<s> 
Purposely Made for Every Purpose 
"—and you see the result—besides a snug sum in the bank—saved—that we were goine- 
to lay out for new furniture. 
"I tell you, Mary, it’s wonderful how many just-ready-to-throw-away things you can 
save and re-beautify with Lucas Home Helps. They’re so simple to use — so effective. 
We went right through the house—refinishing furniture.knick-knacks,shelving,cabinets 
floors, woodwork, bathtub, refrigerator, screens, metal and wooden 
beds —I couldn t tell you all. And you can do just the same. 
/ Lucas Ho vie Helps are sold at the best stores and you can get 
/ lots of suggestions from their helpful literature.” 
/ FRFF Home Book of Painting Helps and 
^^* 4*4 fiiir lafpcf hiilloti’n 44 Qoua Aifnnm, 
