1000 
7ht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
WOMAN AND HOME 
From Day to Day 
From “A Child's Footprints on the Way 
to Church” 
Here is a parable 
1 would not lose; 
God made the feet, the living faith,— 
Man made the creed, the shoes. 
And prophets who would help 
Poor souls to heaven 
Must use to make and mend their creeds, 
The best that can be given. 
The after-ttyp-war plan looks to the edu¬ 
cation of young people, with the co-opera- 
tion of mothers and fathers, and the book- 
lending plan is a step toward securing 
that co-operation. All parents who realize 
that ignorance spells neither innocence 
nor safety should add their names to the 
association’s list of book borrowers. 
Uses for Blackberries 
What can the blackberry be used for 
and give recipes if possible? I am busy 
canning same now, but they are so plent¬ 
iful this season that I would like to use 
them further where possible. 
MRS. J. 0. 
O tender feet of faith. 
Too oft ill shod! 
<) wounded feet, turn not aside, 
Press on to home and God. 
And, child, no need to knock; 
The door stands wide. 
Pass in with glory on your head 
And leave the shoes outside. 
ANNA MJN8T0N DE BARRY. 
Several correspondents ask how to re¬ 
move iron rust from cotton goods. If not 
very large or persistent, spots of rust 
may be removed with salt and lemon 
juice. Cover the rust with salt, moisten 
with lemon juice and put in full sunlight. 
Repeat the operation if necessary; then 
rinse. If the rust is more persistent, it 
can be removed with muriatic (hydro- 
chloric) acid. Stretch the fabric over a 
basin of water, and drop the acid on the 
rust with a medicine dropper; then lower 
fabric into the water to rinse, and repeat 
this until the spot is removed. Then 
rinse in water containing ammonia, to 
remove any remaining traces of acid. 
These methods, it must be remembered, 
can only be used with white goods, as 
the acids would take out colors as well as 
rust. 
sk 
The Horse Aid Society of New York 
gives Summer vacations to work horses, 
which certainly need rest as much as 
their human friends. There are many 
poor men in the city whose livelihood de¬ 
pends upon a horse used to draw a ped¬ 
dler’s wagon, express wagon or small 
truck, and a two weeks’ vacation will 
often restore such an animal to efficient 
service, when the faithful four-footed em¬ 
ployee is reduced by toil. The society has 
a farm at Millwood, N. Y., its city head¬ 
quarters being at the Hotel Marlborough. 
Broadway and Thirty-sixth Street, New 
York. 
5k 
A little hole in a window or door 
screen is an aggravation, and has seemed 
troublesome to mend, but wo have learned 
a neat and efficient method of patching 
such holes. Cut a piece of wire screen an 
Inch larger all around than the hole, and 
pull out cross wire all around its four 
sides so as to leave a fringe of wire 
about half an inch deep. Bend this over 
at right angles and put the patch over 
the hole, the “fringe” projecting through 
to the other side. These projecting wires 
are then bent flat on the other side, point¬ 
ing in towards the hole, and the patch is 
held perfectly in place. This is an easy 
way to mend the netting, and the result is 
neat. 
Since the teachers, physicians and 
clergy of the country have given general 
approval to the modern plan of training 
young people for citizenship and parent¬ 
hood through right knowledge of the vital 
forces on which renewal of human life 
depends, efforts have been made to dis¬ 
courage the circulation of objectionable 
books which unhappily have so wide a 
circulation, and to replace them with de¬ 
sirable books for young people and for 
parents who feel, rightly, that the home 
is the proper place for such teaching. 
The American Social Hygiene Associa¬ 
tion lias issued from its headquarters in 
New York City, 370 Seventh Avenue, a 
list of the best books, and the American 
Library Association has approved it for 
public library use. Realizing that many 
parents are not within reach of public 
libraries, the association has arranged to 
lend books by mail to parents who wish 
to have them, making no charge but post¬ 
age. During the war the social hygiene 
movement was directed chiefly toward im¬ 
mediate measures for lessening those dis¬ 
eases which strike at marriage and make 
parenthood a curse instead of a blessing. 
The recipes given for the use of logan¬ 
berries on the Woman and Home page, 
issue of July 16, are all suitable for 
blackberries. 
Spiced blackberries are prepared as 
follows: Seven pounds of berries, 3 lbs. 
sugar, one cuff of vinegar, tablespoonful 
each of allspice, cinnamon and cloves, all 
tied in a bag, and placed in kettle with 
fruit. Bring slowly to a boil, and cook 
for about 10 minutes. Can and seal. 
Blackberry vinegar makes a very nice 
drink, really equal to raspberry vinegar. 
Mash the berries and add enough vinegar 
to cover them. Leave in a warm place 12 
hours, stirring often, then strain and 
press. Add as many mashed berries as 
The Rural Patterns 
In ordering always give number of pattern 
and size desired, sending price with order 
9hl Ov£.t\ b. 
9i$S B LOU 51 
99Si Skip.t 
~ .... BLOUSC 
aia.T 
9666. Blouse with 
round collar, 30 to 
46 bust, 9450. Blouse 
perforated for over- 
blouse, 34 to 42 
bust. 9718A, Two- 
piece box plaited 
skirt, 24 to 32 waist. 
The medium sizr 
blouse will require 
3% yds. of material 
27 In. wide, 2% yds. 
36, 2% yds. 44. The 
medium size over¬ 
blouse will require 
4% yds. 27, 3% yds. 
36 or 44. The me¬ 
dium size skirt will 
require 3% yds. 30, 
2*4 yds. 54. Each 
pattern 20 cents. 
9741. Sleeveless 
over-blouse for miss¬ 
es and small women, 
16 and 18 years. 
9085. Blouse with 
round collar for 
misses and small 
women, 16 and 18 
years. 9953. Two- 
piece skirt for miss¬ 
es and small women, 
16 and 18 years. 
The 16-year over¬ 
blouse will require 
214 yds. of material 
27 in. wide, 1% yds. 
36, 1% yds. 44. The 
blouse will require 
4 yds. 27, 2Vs ' yds. 
36, 1% yds. 44 for 
the 16-year size. The 
16-year size skirt 
require 2% yds. 30 
or 44 in. Each pat¬ 
tern 20 cents. 
before, cover and leave in a warm place 
for six hours. Strain, and measure the 
juice; add half as much water as juice, 
and stir into this 5)4 lbs. of sugar to 
each three pints of juice. Bring slowly 
to a boil, let it boil up once, bottle, cork 
and seal while hot. 
Blackberry Jam.—Pick over and weigh 
the fruit, put in the preserving kettle. 
Add three-quarters of a pound of sugar 
for each pound of fruit, standing the ket¬ 
tle back on the stove so all will beat 
gradually and draw out the juice. Bring 
slowly to the boil, skimming as needed, 
and boil for 20 minutes; put in jars and 
seal. Old-fashioned housekeepers used to 
measure sugar and fruit pound for pound, 
but we think three-quarters of a pound 
of sugar quite rich enough. 
Blackberries make a delicious jelly. 
The method is the same as for other 
fruits of their class. Do not add any 
water, and use firm fruit that is not 
overripe. Use equal quantities of fruit 
and sugar. If you have tart early apples 
they will combine with the blackberries 
in making jelly or marmalade. 
Birds from the Kitchen Window 
I do not pretend to be a “bird man” 
or woman, but Mr. Losee spoke recently 
of cast-off snake skins in the nest of the 
fly-catcher, and I have been told that 
birds use these skins for the same reason 
the “featherless biped” hangs a dead 
crow in his cornfield, as a warning to 
the living members of the clan. 
He likewise speaks of the diminishing 
numbers of useful birds. Our boys take 
a sporting magazine, and the editor puts 
the blame on the crow, stating lie had 
often watched the crow at daybreak, and 
he was busy destroying both nestlings 
and eggs of his small bird neighbors. 
Certainly iu our vicinity crows have come 
in greater numbers each year. One girl 
counted the crows on one-lialf of one 
field and found 70. and there were seem¬ 
ingly as many on the other side. 
I cannot wander far afield with the 
tiny boy. so my observations are mainly 
from the kitchen windows. < )ne day I 
was attracted by tin* number of robins 
in a flock this Spring, and counted 55. 
There was a depression through the mid¬ 
dle of the field that probably hid half as 
many more. 
When hanging out the washing bird 
notes caused me to look in the old but¬ 
ternut tree, and there were eight cedar 
waxwings, and IS more were hovering 
in the air above. 
The warblers came iu the usual num¬ 
bers to us. the two apples trees about 25 
feet southeast of the house being alive 
with them this Spring, although not ns 
many varieties ns usual, I thought. But 
a flock of blackbirds called on us this 
Spring migration, and one morning Son 
fill'd me before five o’clock to see if I 
could tell “Wlhat those big birds are.” 
It was very foggy, and four geese had 
alighted on Astrachan Knoll and were 
waiting for daylight lo get bearings. It 
was fun to watch them ; they craned their 
necks and looked around, then seemingly 
talked together till at last it was light 
enough to rise in the air. At first they 
started northwest, hut in a second dis¬ 
covered their mistake and headed straight 
north. 
The goldfinches seem more abundant. 
One noon I was" washing dishes, and 
looking at the hoary dandelion heads, T 
said: “I will dig Ihose out the first 
chance I get.” They had been prized by 
three-year-old Junior when in bloom, but 
—do stars fall at noon? O’l, no; it was 
Mr. Goldfinch, and then another and his 
wife, until 15 came to dinner, and a little 
stranger bird, with a blue breast and 
blue on his head and drab body*. So that 
is the reason the dandelions were not 
dUg; 
Now Baby Errol woke up. The sun 
is obligingly behind a cloud and there is 
a rumble of faraway thunder, but he and 
I took a short bird walk. First we 
passed the old butternut. If long ago 
passed its usefulness as a nut tree, but 
as a bird tree it is a huge success. One 
day a cuckoo hid in it, but we hunted 
him out. Last year the flickers had a 
home there, and Mrs. Flicker looked so 
pretty peering at us from her window. 
And how pretty they look in flight—a 
bright golden brown with a white 
spot on the back near the tail. This 
Spring six bluebirds inspected the butter¬ 
nut but Reddy, the squirrel, was there 
first. I suppose, lie should be disposed of 
in the interest of the birds, but he is 
such an entertaining fellow and furnishes 
so much amusement to the children he still 
lives. But today there are three young 
swallows on a dead branch, and the par¬ 
ents are busy getting their supper. When 
I was a girl there were 17 nests in our 
barns one year, and once since we were 
married there were 11 inhabited nests. 
This year I have counted 19 old birds 
in the air at one time, But I haven’t 
climbed to the lofts to count nests. 
But look! There is a male goldfinch 
in the old tree. I wonder where his nest 
is. I never found one. 
Now we go across the old stone bridge, 
and there is a rustle of tiuy wings. A 
pair of ruby-crowned kinglets, Laddie 
says, and just over the wall there is a 
shipping sparrow. One Summer one 
came and fed at my feet every time I 
fed the hens. 
Another step and up came six birds; 
their perky crest told me they were 
cedar waxwings. 
Like all well-regulated New England 
stone walls there is a row of apple trees 
beside it. There is a flutter of wings 
inside this big tree’s leaves, and a little 
watching reveals three phoebes. 
There are no more birds, and here we 
are at the little frog pond, but the little 
sandpiper or “teeter bird” is not at 
home here today, so we started home be¬ 
tween the potato rows this time; and here 
is robin looking for a worm for his nest¬ 
lings, a field sparrow hopped from the 
ground to peck at a potato plant. Are 
sparrows potato bug eaters? 
We wait a minute aud “cuckoo, 
cuckoo,” says the bird oh the hill, and 
over Maynard Hill the crows are cawing, 
The baby boy is getting heavy so we 
turn into the, home acre and our bird 
walk is ended. But hear the bird song 
from the Pumpkin Sweet tree. Do you 
know that tiny plain bird is one of my 
favorites, and I think the song sparrow 
knows it. for a pair always live near us. 
All in all we call it a good bird year. 
It was warm and dry when partridges 
were hatching, and the hoys report large 
broods nearly every time they go into tlie 
pasture or brush land. They saw the 
babies when downy, and now they are 
regular little hens. The partridge or 
ruffed grouse is protected in Vermont 
until 1923, so they are increasing, 
especially as last Winter was a good 
Winter for them. 
There is usually a pair of whip-poor- 
wills near enough so we can hear them 
but I have not this year. A few miles 
down the river their concert is worth 
hearing. So far I have not seen a 
scarlet tanager nor bobolink, and Ted 
says the flickers live in the back pasture 
this year. Last year a Summer tanager 
visited us. For the indigo hunting we 
must visit the thickets. 
Our teacher used Birds of Eastern 
North America by Chester Reed, for a 
hand book iu nature study, and we all 
liliCd it. MOTHER BEE. 
August 6, 1921 
The Invalid’s Room 
The invalid’s room, in fact, any sick¬ 
room. plays such an important part iu 
the lif<> of its occupant that it deserves 
careful consideration. That environment 
is a very influential factor for good or 
ill is being realized more and more these 
days. If anyone needs cheerful, attrac¬ 
tive surroundings it is the invalids and 
those who through sickness are shut in 
and deprived of outside privileges aud 
pleasures. 
Many of us have doubtless known in¬ 
stances in which invalids, especially aged 
persons, were cooped up (“cooped” seems 
appropriate) in a bare, untidy room 
which was about as cheerful as a dun¬ 
geon. One haunting childhood memory 
of mine is of a moment spent with a play¬ 
mate in such an abode of an aged man. 
A bare, unfinished wood floor, dirty, dull- 
toned wall-paper, only a tattered shade at 
the solitary window, a wood heating 
stove, a bod, and I believe some sort of a 
small table or stand, together with a 
straight-backed chair, completed the fur¬ 
nishings of this dismal room. Not a pic¬ 
ture on the wall, not a single dairt-v or 
cheer-inspiring feature about this veri¬ 
table dungeon. Yet the people were well- 
to-do and the rest of the house was com¬ 
fortably furnished and neat. It was all 
too clearly a case of wilful neglect. 
There are invalids who are given lov¬ 
ing care and the best the house affords. 
These are the ideal conditions which cau 
leave no room for regret in the years to 
come. Then there is another class of 
invalids whose caretakers are willing to 
do for their sick ones; but they lack ex¬ 
perience or time, or both. 
The sick-room should he so located as 
to admit plenty of sunlight and fresh air, 
both of which are so necessary to pro¬ 
mote and maintain health. A dark, mus¬ 
ty-smelling. poorly aired room is neither 
pleasant nor sanitary. • 
The room and its furnishings should 
be as harmonious, cheerful and conven¬ 
ient as it is possible to make them. Iu 
the color scheme of the room the invalid’s 
favorite color may predominate, provided 
it _ is appropriate. Being allowed the 
privilege of helping plan changes and im¬ 
provements in one’s room from time to 
time, often affords pleasant mental occu¬ 
pation for the shut-in, too, and helps to 
relieve the tedium of life for the time 
being. No invalid should be too whim¬ 
sical or exacting; but when there is an 
irritating feature about the room, such 
as a disliked picture or other object, tire¬ 
some wall-paper, etc., it should be re¬ 
moved. The constant presence of some 
annoying feature is a mental irritant, 
which is sure to be more or less harmful 
physically. 
Avoid large-figured, glaring-colored wall- 
paper, choosing instead something soft- 
toned and restful. A quiet background is 
also most desirable for pictures. 
For unfinished floors carpets are less 
sanitary than linoleum and rugs, being 
more difficult to keep clean and far less 
convenient for use in a sick-room, espe¬ 
cially at house cleaning time. 
Changing the pictures and calendars 
occasionally, and keeping at least one 
potted plant or a bouquet in the room, 
all help to relieve the monotony and add 
a cheery note. 
Lastly, dainty curtains at the windows 
and a tidily-lcept room are two more aids 
to cheerfulness. 
These are all simple suggestions, yet 
their application will do much to make 
the invalid’s room cheerful. Some in¬ 
valids possess a patient, cheerful dispo¬ 
sition, which is helpful not only to them¬ 
selves, but to others also. Others must 
catch their inspiration from their sur¬ 
roundings and associates. Whatever the 
circumstances are, it pays ultimately to 
practice the Golden Rule. o. R. b. 
Three Delicious Conserves 
Red Currant Conserve.—Pick 4 lbs. of 
i'cd currants from the stems. Wash and 
put them into preserving kettle, with 1 
lb. of seeded raisins cut in halves, 3 lbs. 
of sugar and four lemons. Peel the 
lemons very thin, remove the white pith 
and seeds and cut in thin slices. Boil to 
a thick jam. If you like spice add one 
teaspoon of cinnamon and one-half ten- 
spoon of cloves. 
Pear Conserve.—Four pounds of pears, 
peeled, cored and sliced ; 3 lbs. of sugar, 
juice and rind of two oranges, juice and 
rind of two lemons; chop the rind of 
lemons and oranges very fine; one pint 
of cold water, two ounces white ginger 
root (cut fine), one-half teaspoon salt, 
two cups of English walnuts, chopped 
(but not too fine). Cook juice and rind 
of the oranges and lemons, the white gin¬ 
ger root and one cup of sugar in the pint 
of water slowly for a half hour, then add 
the pears, sugar and nut mt..ts. Boil 
slowly for three hours. 
Grape Conserve.—Three quarts of 
grapes, one pint of cold water. First 
slip, then boil the pulp and add eight 
cups of sugar and the skins, one-half cup 
of seeded raisins, three oranges. Grind 
two of the oranges, taking out the seeds, 
and use just the juice of the other 
orange. Add two cups of chopped 
nuts, pinch of salt. Boil 1)4 hours. 
ROCK ARBOUR FARM. 
Brick Cheese 
Will some home cheese-maker give 
instructions for making brick cheese? 
Colieeton Center, N. Y. u. A. M, 
