Tennessee Notes 
“Do you want to go to the singing con¬ 
vention ; we’ve room for two more, and 
let Lee come.” Such was the welcome 
query from some friends. I have become 
a regular gadabout, every chance to go 
offered is accepted, because—well, one 
just cannot rest at home, and it removes 
the blues a bit to get out among old-time 
friends. 
We started Sarly, and how fresh the air 
was, how green the fields, how fair and 
prosperous looking, the waving wheat and 
barley. It reminded me of my oft-fancied 
vision of the ocean. How I have longed 
for just one glimpse of the briny deep, to 
be just once out of sight of land. I used 
to tell them that if I never was lucky 
enough to visit the seaside in life, I hoped 
to go by on my way to that land of free¬ 
dom. Do you know I think that in the 
spirit world we can go where we- will, 
and scale the heights Ave desire to climb, 
if Ave only do our best here ! 
We passed houses small, large and me¬ 
dium-sized ; one large, old-fahsioned brick 
Avhose Avails Avere beginning to crumble, 
one little, old log cabin with a mud chim¬ 
ney leaning to the east like a pale flower 
toward the sun. IIow I did long for a 
< amera to show you just how old-fash¬ 
ioned it looked, as well as the old white- 
headed couple avIio stood in the little 
porch behind a cluster of vines, peering 
out at the passers-by. Just below the 
house Avas the clearest spring and Avee 
log spring-house, green Avith moss, and 
surrounded by rocks, while over all a 
giant weeping AvilloAV drooped its protect¬ 
ing branches. On our return we sam¬ 
pled the water, and found it to be just 
as good as it looked, and found, too, an 
old-fashioned gourd, with a long handle, 
to drink from. 
The singing convention was in a one¬ 
time prosperous country town. Today it 
is dead; the railroad failed to come. 
Six stores, a tannery, mill, postofiiee, 
shops and many dwelling houses are de¬ 
serted, falling into decay. Years ago a 
fire gutted the main part of the town, 
and it looks like an old, deserted grave¬ 
yard. The church Avas only large 
enough to hold the classes, so we specta¬ 
tors had to use the outside. We could 
hear some parts of the songs, and even 
while uncomfortably Avarm, Ave had an 
enjoyable time. About two o’clock clouds 
came boiling up, and in a few minutes 
we were busy seeking shelter. How it 
did rain, hail, thunder and blow! The 
street was covered Avith yellow, muddy 
Avater, that played havoc Avith white slip¬ 
pers and dresses. The clouds blew away 
and the sun shone, and Ave found the hard 
rain had not extended beyond the rock 
road until we Avere nearly home; then 
there had been quite a shower, and the 
slick road made the driver dance the tur 
key trot with the car; but we reached 
home safe. There was churning to do, 
supper to prepare, and the other members 
of the family to tell all about the trip, 
but it Avas sure enjoyable, and I feel bet¬ 
ter. even if I am tired. 
On the Avhole trip I saw only four 
apple trees that shoAved up Avith fruit. 
Blackberry vines were loaded, though, and 
I think they will be the. only dependence. 
What a raking and scraping of berries 
there will be! They say there will be 
plenty of huckleberries in the mountains. 
A gang of young chickens has located 
the peas; I fear I am not going to enjoy 
many of the shelled peas. The Avorms 
are gaining on me in the cabbage patch. 
We have had one mess of early potatoes 
out of the Fall planting. We have eight 
turkeys out of our first hatch of 20 and 
21 two Aveeks old. Lee is the turkey boy ; 
he laments over their loss, but it seems 
almost impossible to raise them Avith a 
chicken hen. 
Speaking of bottoming chairs, a friend 
of mine used the ordinary binder twine 
to rebottom a number or chairs, folloAving 
the same design in weaving the bottoms 
that was used in the original chairs. 
After finishing the chairs were painted, 
and the bottoms as well; they are yet 
giving good service. MRS. D. B. p. 
How I Reseated Chairs 
I had a couple of flag-bottomed chairs 
given me. From one the bottom was 
gone; the other had part still on. I 
picked it out as I repaired the other and 
followed the pattern and succeeded in 
making a nice-looking job of it. 
I gathered cat-tail flags just before the 
September frosts; spread them in the 
shade to dry and toughen. I threw away 
the long stalk the tail was on. When 
the flags were dry I put a few at a time 
in warm Avater in the wash boiler to 
soften. When they seemed soft enough 
not'to break. I selected enough of uneven 
lengths to make a rope about the size 
of my little fingei-. twisted them into a 
hard rope. At the left-hand corner of 
the frame I passed the cord under from 
the inside up over the outside, leaving 
a finger length out, keeping the long cord 
in my right hand. Wind around once; 
pass the long cord under the back round 
of frame of the seat, bring the cord up 
over, close to the corner post, pass cord 
tinder where you started, up over round. 
Take care to keep the short end under 
the long cord to bind it fast. The work 
is all over and under, going clear round, 
keeping the work firm and close. After 
you pass the corners the work will be 
straight for a while; then plan for the 
other corners. working toward the cor¬ 
nel’s. Your last end of cord should meet 
the plain, straight seam near the middle 
of your seat. Tuck the end through to 
1o,e under side; do not cut it off until it 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
91 I 
is dry. Keep the flag seat painted to 
make it last. 
As fast as one of the strands begins 
to get short, lay a longer one from your 
Avet ones alongside and twist it to lengthen 
out your cord, and keep it the same thick¬ 
ness. Keep your loose flags in soak to 
soften until your work is done. 
Binding twine or water elm bark can 
be used in the same way. The bark can 
be woven like the old splint-bottom chairs. 
To do this, first cover the seat frame 
loosely, going clear around the frame 
loosely one Avay. With another strip of 
bark, +hen darn the strip in to the upper 
layer c f bark, the same as you would darn 
a sock. When you get across do not turn 
round, but pass the bark under the seat, 
and come over the outside of the round 
where you started, going over tAvo strips 
and under one. Fasten by tucking the 
end under the other strips at the finish. 
MRS. J. H. B. 
Overcoming Shiftlessness 
I Avas much interested in the letter of 
the woman who wrote recently deploring 
the dilapidated conditions about her home, 
and asking Tiie R. N.-Y. to aid her in her 
campaign for impi’ovement. I am sure 
the sentiment of that letter will find an 
echo iii many hearts. There are many 
otherxvise good men Avho try the orderly, 
beauty-loving souls of their wives almost 
beyond endurance. I remember a much¬ 
loved uncle of mine, who was of this type. 
Why is it that these careless, happy-go- 
lucky persons are usually lovable? All 
ray life my aunt endured fallen fences, 
flapping boards, and weather-beaten, un¬ 
painted surfaces, and she, poor soul, was 
the personification of neatness. Every¬ 
thing on their farm looked as if it needed 
a prop. My uncle, of course, 1 *was always 
“going to ” repair things, but. neverthe¬ 
less, “By-and-by and Afterwhile arrived 
at the house of Never,” for him, just as 
they do for everyone else. My aunt, Avith 
the aid of saw, hammer and nails, with 
the help of her boy as soon as he became 
old enough, kept the house and immediate 
surroundings in a semblance of repair; 
but, of course, there Avas much that she 
could not do. 
It seems to me there is just one remedy 
for this situation : The wife must take 
things into her own hands. Let her in¬ 
form. her husband that unless the needed 
repairs are made by a certain time she 
Avill hire a man to do it. And then act 
accordingly! But, above all, I would 
train my children to keep their belongings 
“ship-shape,” for the sake of themselves 
and the families they may have. A Avife 
is certainly justified in taking any meas¬ 
ures that will relieve the situation. “Des- 
perate diseases require desperate reme¬ 
dies.” Apropos of this I am reminded of 
a story that a friend of mine used to tell. 
Her husband was one of the good, care¬ 
less husbands who love their wives, but 
sometimes forgot that the woodpile needs 
replenishing. She bore avith his shift¬ 
lessness in this regard as long as she 
could, and then decided to teach him a les¬ 
son. One bright, sunshiny day company 
arrived, and my friend rocked placidly on 
the porch with husband and guests. As 
the dinner hour approached the good man 
looked uneasily at his wife, who seemed 
to be unaware of the time. A half hour 
passed, but still her rocking chair swayed 
back and forth. Finally he ventured : 
“Isn’t it about time for dinner, Mar- 
thy?” 
“As soon as the kettle boils, Henry,” 
she replied in xinruffled tones. “I have it 
setting in the sun. There isn’t any 
Avood.” 
Needless to say that man connected up 
Avith the axe and woodpile in record 
time, and it never was necessary for his 
wife again to make use of the sun for 
cooking purposes. Perhaps if some other 
Avives would emulate her spirit, shiftless, 
easy-going husbands might be brought to 
their senses. It is worth trying at any 
rate. mbs. ciiarles Johnson. 
Teach Reverence 
Phrenologists of a bygone generation 
were wont to assert that venei-ation i3 
born with one, rather than inculcated, 
and pointed to either “bump” or depres¬ 
sion on the top of the head to prove 
their contention. Let the argument stand 
or fall by its own proof; but, like every 
other ti*ait, commendable or less to be de¬ 
sired, it may be fostered or* discouraged. 
Fashion is largely responsible for many 
a virtue or defect, and who Avill deny that 
flippancy is too much in order among to¬ 
day’s youth and beauty? We have swung 
to the extx’eme opposed to that courted by 
our grandsires, Avhen the Sabbath began 
at sundown of a Saturday night, and no 
stewing or brewing was permitted on the 
premises, and the children had to walk 
tiptoe and converse in whispers, with two 
meetings of several hours’ length each. 
Nowadays “the folks” go autoing instead 
of to church, and the youngsters play ball 
or angle for minnows. A blissful medium 
is struck by the thoughtful few, who 
make the day of rest the pleasantest of 
seven to growing children, not ignoring 
sacred sei’vice, but neither insisting upon 
observance so confining, to the rebellion 
of muscle and brain. Church in morn¬ 
ing, afternoon and evening was sufficient 
to set the prejudice of any sensible boy 
against all things religious. Girls—or 
some gii’ls—take kindly to interests of 
that nature, and if influenced judiciously 
Avill early learn to enjoy the doings of 
their denomination, especially in the ac¬ 
tivities of home and foreign miesions, 
Boys must be handled with greater di¬ 
plomacy. 
Something novel may be planned for 
evei’y Aveek end. Even parents in moder¬ 
ate circumstances may provide a treat, 
new for the seventh day, and a family 
reunion ought never be skipped when 
membei-s are within possible reach of 
home. The palate plays so important a 
part in children’s lives that it can be no 
sacrilege to make Sunday a red-letter 
event by setting a better table. Various 
dishes may be prepared on the side for 
that occasion; the best table service may 
then be put to use and advantage; and 
in Summer one meal every week can be 
celebrated in garden or grove. In a hun¬ 
dred ways may Sunday and thoughtful 
home oversight be associated together in 
the sons’ and daughters’ minds-—a bene¬ 
diction when that home has gone out of 
their lives forever. It can be made the 
pleasantest day of all, though quietly 
different — different clothes, different 
amusements, though storms keep every¬ 
body home from church. 
The far-seeing parent makes the min¬ 
ister and family familiar guests, thus 
showing the children in what esteem the 
calling is held. The children ai*e led to 
gather flowers for the pulpit and taught 
to adorn it, so cultivating an aesthetic 
sense along with reverence. And Avhile 
revering the cloth, respect for the aged 
will not come amiss. The tendency to 
jostle the feeble in life’s race is to be 
deplored. The physically crippled or 
mentally decrepit call for unbounded pity. 
Said a man in his seventies: “Someone 
has said that criminals are they whose 
sense of pity is undeveloped. When a 
boy I saw a woman slip and fall on the 
(jcy pavement. With other ui-chins I 
laughed. As she got to her feet she 
looked me in the face and rebuked me 
Avith : ‘Never laugh at the unfortunate.’ 
Then I saw that she Avas lame. I have 
never forgotten her lesson.” Teach the 
boy and girl to look Avith reverence at 
those on whom time or fate has laid a 
heavy hand. Teach them to hold the 
Creator’s name in aAve, and to regard as 
holy the human body as abode of the 
child of a king. And while we are bow- 
ing low to the golden calf and the brain 
that can acquii’e its possession, teach the 
coming man and woman to revere noble¬ 
ness, even when clothed in rags. 
LILLIAN TROTT. 
Oatmeal Bread 
Can you . give me a recipe for oatmeal 
bi’ead that needs to be raised only once? 
MRS. j. s. 
We do not knoAv of any oatmeal bread 
that is only risen once. The folloAving is 
a standard recipe, which we prefer to 
any other: 
Tavo cups oatmeal, ’ 2% cups water, 
five cups white flour, one-half cup mo¬ 
lasses, one-half yeast cake, one table¬ 
spoon shortening, one tablespoon salt, two 
tablespoons sugai*. Soak oatmeal in two 
cups of boiling water, let stand one hour. 
Mix molasses shortening, salt and sugar, 
add to oatmeal, then add flour and yeast 
dissolved in one-half cup warm water. 
The dough is very stiff, but softens Avith 
rising. Let rise over night; in the morn¬ 
ing stir down, let rise again, then mold, 
left rise in the tins, and bake like any 
other bread. 
May’s Mincemeat 
One cup cooked beef, three cups 
chopped sour apples, one cup meat fat or 
butter, one cup seeded raisins, one cup 
seedless raisins, one-quai’ter cup finely 
chopped citron, 1% cups brown sugar, 
one lemon, one orange (juice and grated 
rind), one rounded teaspoon salt, one 
scant teaspoon each cinnamon and nut¬ 
meg, one-half teaspoon each allspice and 
cloves, one-quarter teaspoon black pepper, 
one cup strong coffee, one cup cider or 
canned fruit juice. This rule makes fi*om 
four to six pies, according to the size of 
the plates. It can be made very easily 
and quickly from materials that are usu¬ 
ally in the house, and the proportions are 
right for a satisfactory all-around pie. 
This was the favorite rule of an old New 
England housekeeper, and was made sev¬ 
eral times a year after her family became 
small. CLARA. P. 
Savannah Cake 
One-half cup shortening, 1)4 cups 
sugar, one cup milk, one-quarter teaspoon 
salt, one teaspoon nutmeg, two eggs, 
2)4 cups flour, four teaspoons powder, 1 
teaspoon cinnamon. Cream shortening 
add sugar and beaten eggs. Mix well 
and add (sifted together) half the 
flour, baking powder, salt and spices; add 
milk and remainder of dry ingredients. 
Bake tAvo-thirds of this batter in tAvo 
greased layer tin«, and to remaining third 
add one tablespoon cocoa which has been 
mixed with one tablespoon boiling water. 
Use this for middle layer. Bake layers 
in hot oven 15 or 20 minutes. Put the 
folloAving filling and 1 icing between layers 
and on top of cake : 
Two tablespoons butter, one tablespoon 
cocoa, two cups confectioners’ sugar, 
three tablespoons strong coffee, one tea¬ 
spoon vanilla extract. Cream butter, add 
sugar and cocoa very slowly, beating un¬ 
til light and fluffy ; add vanilla and cof¬ 
fee slowly, a feAv drops at a time, making 
soft enough to spread. e. J. 
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