82 
WOMAN AND HOME 
From Day to Day 
Aunt Hester’s Kitchen 
A low, dark raftered, homely, cosy room, 
Gay with long rows of polished pots 
and pans 
And quaint blue figured china jars and 
. cans: 
In the deep window sills are plants in 
bloom— 
Geraniums and musk and yellow broom, 
Whose fragrance filters through the 
spicy scent 
Of juicy goodies, with the leisure blent 
That knows no hustling city’s stressful 
boom. 
Here friendly neighbors drop in for a 
chat. 
And favored children stop to beg a 
sweet 
And stroke the drowsy, purring tabby 
Celt 
Who keeps herself so clean and sleek 
and neat; • 
Here all the village brings each grief and 
fear, 
And goes home comforted with warmth 
and cheer. 
—Charlotte Becker 
in New York Herald. 
* 
Silk manufacturers are looking for¬ 
ward hopefully to an increase in home 
dressmaking. They say that the high 
price of readymade clothing is causing 
more women to make their clothes, or 
have them made, at home. This will help 
to move the accumulated stocks of ma¬ 
terials, and enable the makers of textiles 
to start work again. In too many cases 
the great obstacle that is impeding trade 
is the retailer who insists on high profits. 
If the usual January and February sales 
of wash goods offer reasonable prices, 
home seamstresses all ,over the country 
will absorb the stocks on baud, and set 
the textile workers busy again. January 
and February “white sales.” if made at¬ 
tractive by prices really reduced, will not 
only help manufacturers, but cotton grow¬ 
ers also. But if the retailers are deter¬ 
mined to exact great profits to the last, 
they will find that a great many women 
will try once mox - e to make- their old 
things last a bit longer. The woman who 
does her own sewing is far more impor¬ 
tant in trade and commerce than many 
merchants realize. 
* 
According to recent statistics, 15.000 
men. women and children are burned to 
death in the United States every year. 
A few of these deaths are due to unavoid¬ 
able misadventures, but the majority re¬ 
sult from so-called “accidents” brought 
about by carelessness or indifference. 
Says the New York Herald: 
Many of these deaths result from im¬ 
proper construction of dwellings and pub¬ 
lic buildings, from unguarded heating 
and lighting devices, from inflammable 
hangings and decorations thoughtlessly 
placed where they may come into contact 
with open flames. 
Others are the direct consequence of 
brutal, barefaced violation of building 
ordinances and fire prevention codes by 
employees and employers in mercantile 
and manufacturing establishments, by 
patrons and proprietors of theaters and 
assembly halls, and in other places where 
many persons gather. 
A great many of these deaths are di¬ 
rectly attributable to the criminal care¬ 
lessness of men and women smokers w T ho 
throw lighted matches and burning cigars 
and cigarettes away without a thought 
concerning the injury they may do. 
This appalling and heartrending death 
list is a monument to stupid, criminal 
disregard of elementary principles of 
sound building construction and simple 
good behavior. It is the terrible price the 
nation pays for heedlessness and short¬ 
sighted selfishness in individuals. 
The authors of these tragedies should 
be held responsible for their acts and, 
for the safety of the public, punished. 
* 
We were reading a very sad letter from 
a man in one of the Northern States, who 
wrote of family troubles and disunion. 
There was no real tragedy or trouble re¬ 
lated—merely daily frets and jars, and 
petty quarrels and sordid disagreements 
over the work and the money. Said one 
of the men who read the letter: “Well, 
life is pretty gray on a back-road farm 
in Winter—just daily chores for the men ; 
like as not they haven’t even a woodlot 
to work in—and the women working at 
the same old l’ound, with their kitchen 
cluttered up with men drying their boots, 
or doing odd jobs.” Perhaps that was 
the real trouble—a crowded family 
thrown together in a few rooms, where 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
January 15, 1921 
every trouble was magnified by hasty 
words. We think that good heating and 
good lighting, which make the whole 
house comfortable in Winter, have a 
moral and spiritual effect not always 
realized, and when in addition to this 
there is a fine water supply and a big 
boiler for domestic use, a good many 
sources of daily friction fade out of sight. 
We wish the new year could bring these 
blessings to every farmhouse throughout 
the United States. 
Knitting a Man's Socks 
These directions are for size No. 7. 
Materials—Yarn, 1 lb.; four steel knit¬ 
ting needles. The needles should be about 
the same size as the yarn. 
Cast on 28 stitches on three of the 
needles, join; knit once around. Plain 
purl and knit the top for about 2 in., and 
knit the balance of leg plain, unless you 
want the whole leg purled. When you 
have 5 in. knit in one of the seams of 
purl in middle of one needle; fasten a 
safety pin as a mark. Decrease two 
stitches, one each side of pin ; knit seven 
times ai-ound, narrow again, until the leg 
is 10 in. long. When narrowing the 
stitches on the right should be slipped. 
Skip the second stitch from the seam 
or purl stitch ; knit the one next the seam, 
lift the skipped stitch with the other 
needle and pull it over the other stitch, 
drawing the knit stitch up through the 
unknit stitch. Purl the next stitch. Nar¬ 
row the next by knitting the two next 
stitches together. 
The heel: You now take off stitches 
enough from both needles on the end 
next to the narrowed needle to divide the 
stitches even, having as many stitches 
on the seam needle as on the other two 
needles. Have the seam stitch exactly in 
the middle. Do not knit the other needles 
but knit the needle with most stitches on. 
The Rural Patterns 
In ordering always give number of pattern 
and size desired, sending price with order 
9916. House Dress diurn size will re- 
or Apron, 34 or 36, 
38 or 40, 42 or 44 quire 2 y& yds. of 
bust. The medium 
size will require 3% material 40 ins. 
yds, of material 36 
or 44 ins. wide, with wide, 1% yds. 44. 
1 yd. 36 for band¬ 
ing to trim as illus- 20 cents, 
trated. 20 cents. 
Knit across; increase one stitch in every 
fourth stitch. Now turn the wrong side 
of work toward you, take off .the first 
stitch, knit the second stitch clear across. 
Turn the right side toward you, knit 
plain across, turn wrong side next, and 
knit as before. (When knitting on the 
wrong side the yarn should be carried 
under the needle and up over the needle 
and down, or the stitches will twist.) 
To narrow off the heel, divide the 
stitches into three equal parts. Mark the 
division with safety pins or thread. Do 
not knit the side stitches; knit across the 
middle. Narrow the right stitch onto the 
middle stitch ; knit across the middle and 
slip the left side stitch bn the middle 
stitch. They middle should not be de¬ 
creased, only the side stitches. The mid¬ 
dle should be knit double, the same as 
the top of the heel, and narrowed only 
every other time across. When your side 
stitches are all narrowed off. have middle 
stitches on the needle. Take up stitch 
on each side of heel, increasing one stitch. 
Y"ou now have all the stitches on the 
needles and the foot started. Now divide 
the stitches on the bottom of heel be¬ 
tween the two needles to make the work 
even at the two corners where the heel 
joins the top of foot. Narrow the right 
side one stitch and slip the left one stitch 
every time around until the ankle of sock 
is the same size as the leg just above the 
heel. The slipping and narrowing makes 
the gore and shapes the foot. 
Now knit plain until the foot is 7 in. 
long. Narrow off every seventh stitch 
once around; knit around seven times, 
narrow every sixth stitch. Continue to 
knit, decreasing the number of stitches, 
between each narrowed stitch and the 
number of times around, until you have 
only four stitches on each needle. Draw 
the yarn through all the stitches after 
you break or cut it off. leaving about a 
6-in. end. so you can fasten with a needle. 
If you wish the toe double, knit around 
plain; next round take off every other 
stitch, as in the heel; knit plain every 
other time. 
When knitting children’s stockings I 
narrow on each side of the leg instead of 
the middle back. When the knees get 
thin I carefully pick out the yarn, just 
above the heel, turn the back to the front, 
join the foot on again, or knit a new foot 
if the other is too badly worn. 
When the store stocking legs are extra 
good I knit new feet and join them to the 
legs. The knit feet are warmer and de 
not show above the shoetops. 
Children dislike -to wear home-knit 
stockings when their friends do not. 
MRS. JEANIE H. BUSKIRK. 
Cutting the Hat Bills 
There never lived a woman, or girl 
child, anywhere, any place, any time, that 
did not want a new hat at least twice a 
year, and no objections would be offered 
if one was to be had oftener. Neverthe¬ 
less, many of us have to be satisfied with 
much less than this. I, for one, simply 
cannot afford to buy, ready made, as 
many new hats as I need, of the quality 
I want. The only alternative for me is 
to do it myself. Fortunately the days 
have gone by when the trimming of a 
hat was a “fearful and wonderful” job. 
to be attempted only by the initiated. 
Perhaps some of my experiences along 
this line will be useful to some other 
woman who is situated as I am. 
I buy the untrimmed hat and whatever 
I desire in the way of trimming, and do 
the work myself. The result is as good- 
looking a hat as I would buy at the 
millinery store, and at a very much less 
price. I have sent for many of these 
hats to mail-order houses, and have al¬ 
ways been pleased with my purchases. I 
am fortunate in being able to wear almost 
any style hat; but every woman has at 
least one style of hat which she is sure, 
be it sailor, tricorne, turban or mush¬ 
room shape, that it will be becoming. 
Any of the modifications of this particu¬ 
lar type will be a safe choice. If you 
order the hat by mail, measure the inside 
of the crown of a hat that fits you com¬ 
fortably, and send this measurement 
when you order. This will insure your 
getting the correct size. It is best to 
stick to the plain and conventional in 
style, rather than the odd and bizarre, 
for they are more universally becoming, 
and one does not tire of them so quickly. 
The same is true with colors; the quiet, 
conservative shades look well with almost 
TorKheumatism 
—Tather Uses 
Mnsterole 
At the first twinge of 
rheumatism, father asks for 
Musterole—that clean, 
white ointment which 
rightfully takes the place of 
the old-fashioned mustard 
plaster. 
He rubs it gently on the aching 
spot, and instantly a pleasant 
tingle of skin tells him that 
Musterole has already begun its 
healing work. 
It penetrates way down and 
generates a peculiar heat which 
eases aching nerves and muscles. 
But strangely enough, after the 
first momentary glow of warmth, 
there comes a feeling of delightful 
soothing coolness. 
Musterole relieves without dis¬ 
comfort. It does not burn or 
blister. 
It is made with oil of mustard 
and a few home simples, and is 
excellent for any ill for which in 
olden days you would have used 
a mustard plaster. 
Try it for coughs, colds (it 
often prevents pneumonia), croup, 
bronchitis, sore throat, stiff neck, 
neuralgia, headache, lumbago, 
rheumatism, or other pains and 
congestions. 
Many doctors and nurses use 
Musterole and recommend it to 
their patients. 
Keep a jar always handy in the house. 
It gives quick and safe relief—and as 
a preventive and dependable first aid—- 
you cannot afford to be without it. 
35c and 65c. jars; hospital size $3.00. 
The Musterole Co., Cleveland, Ohio 
BETTER THAN A MUSTARD PLASTER 
any dress and are always in good taste. 
Often a band of ribbon with tailored bow 
or a single flower are all that is needed. 
Trimmed hats in the catalogs and stores 
are my models. 
Untrimmed hats, beside the trimming, 
need to have the crown lined in order 
that the hat will slip on the hair easily, 
and the roughness of the hat will not 
catch on the hair. A thin cotton or silk 
material of the same color as the hat 
should be used. Cut a strip a little wider 
than the crown is high, and about an 
inch and one-half longer than the mea¬ 
surement around the crown, to allow for 
joining the ends. Hold the hat under 
side up, and holding the crown lining 
next you. sew to the edge of the crown. 
This edge will thus be covered when the 
lining is turned up into the crqwn. Use 
long stitches on the inside and very short 
ones outside. Baste the ends together, 
and turn down the upper edge of lining 
and gather into a circle. A stitch or two 
may be necessary to tack it to the top of 
the crown, but*it is usually not neces¬ 
sary. 
For the children there are many pretty 
patterns sold now by which little hats 
of cloth, plush or similar material can be 
made very easily at a trifling cost as 
compared with the prices asked in the 
shops. A friend of mine made her little 
daughter a charming hat from some 
pieces of an old black plush coat. The 
only trimming needed was a band and 
tailored bow of grosgrain ribbon that cost 
50 cents. This and the cost of the pat¬ 
tern was the only outlay made. The hat 
’-as simple, as a child’s should be. but 
would have cost at least $4 if it had been 
bought ready-made. Wire or buckram 
frames can be bought for a small sum at 
a millinery store, and when covered with 
silk or velvet, that may come from an old 
hat of your own that has gone out of 
style, will invite comparison with the 
newest models. Tam-o’-shanters are uni¬ 
versally becoming to children, and are 
most easily made at home from a pattern. 
Good caps and hats from heavy cloth 
can be made for the boy as well as the 
girl, and if the directions with the pat¬ 
tern are followed carefully there will he 
no objection from the young wearer on 
the score that it looks “homemade.” 
Crocheted hats of wool or cotton are 
very nice for general wear for either a 
grown-up or child. They should be made 
over a frame, and if made of cotton yarn 
it should he stiffened. I saw one of white 
the other day that was really handsome, 
and it added the final touch to the white 
costume worn with it. It was good 
enough looking for church or any dress 
occasion, yet the cost was trifling. A 
little time and ingenuity are all that are 
required. 
In buying tr aiming for a hat I always 
Genuine 
Aspirin 
Name “Bayer" means genuine 
9ay “Bayer"—Insist I 
Say “Bayer” when buying Aspirin. 
Then you are sure of getting true “Bayer 
Tablets of Aspirin”—genuine Aspirin 
proved safe by millions and prescribed by 
physicians for over twenty years. Ac¬ 
cept only an unbroken “Bayer package” 
which contains proper directions to relievo 
Headache, Toothache, Earache, Neuralgia, 
Rheumatism, Colds and Pain. Handy tin 
boxes of 12 tablets cost few cents. Drug¬ 
gists also sell larger “Bayer packages.” 
Aspirin is trade mark of Bayer Manufac¬ 
ture Monoaceticaciderster of SalicylicaoicL 
TELL TOMORROW’S 
White's Weather Prophet fore- Ilf -1 
casts the weather 8 to 24 hoors yy 0 R tnCf 
in advance. Not a toy but 
. a scientifically construc- 
QV ted instrument working automatically. Hand« 
some, reliable and everlasting. 
An Ideal Present 
Made doubly interesting by the little figures of 
Hansel and Gretel and the Witch, who come in 
* and out to tell you what the 
weather will be. Size 6j^x 
7 X A\ fully guaranteed. Post¬ 
paid to any address in (J S, 
or Canada on receipt of 
Agentt Wanted. 
WHITE, Dept 114,419 E W»ter S»., Mdw»uk«, WU. 
Hill, WIIU Willi III 
$u 
