fie J#a3ies’ Ifloml sSnEiiiet miS f iciortail l 
onie feoeipartion,. 
of it is, I can’t help, every time I look about me, 
seeing also, just as plainly as I see my own surround¬ 
ings, your clean, orderly and beautiful home. 
“ If I say to myself, ‘ No wonder. She has no 
children to litter, and only three in the family,’ there 
looms uji a picture of the long ago, when you lived in 
that small, inconvenient house in the country, with 
four little children, and kept no servant. To he sure 
everything wasn’t quite as nice as it is here, hut it 
was always neat and homelike. I remember I used 
round table covered with a crimson and black spread, | to think it a great treat to go to Aunt Millie’s. The 
on which lay two or three hooks, the last Evangelist , kitchen with its white floor, bright stone, white- 
She was sitting, dear Aunt Millie, in her cosy par¬ 
lor. It was not grand or elegant, but it was very neat 
and tasteful. In the centre of the room stood a small 
the Cabinet, and the morning papers. A vase of 
bright autumn flowers stood in the centre and a pretty 
work-box at one side. The one window fronting the 
street was shaded by white muslin curtains, looped 
back with narrow crimson ribbons. A lounge, Uncle 
John’s easy chair, and Aunt Millie’s low rocker, were 
covered with a thick worsted stuff of the same warm 
color. The carpet was of a dark brown ground, with 
a running vine of green leaves and crimson buds peep¬ 
ing out here and there, and two or three footstools 
were covered with the same material. A bay window 
on the south side was partly filled with rare house 
plants, in the nicest order, but only so as partially to 
intercept the rays of the morning sun which danced 
on the carpet as the clear invigorating breeze found its 
way through the open casement. A little fire burned 
washed walls, and clean windows over which climbed 
the morning-glories, seemed the pleasantest room in 
the world to me. The nice fresh biscuit and 
butter were so good. 
“ Oh, dear ! Auntie, do tell me how you managed. 
I’ve wanted to ask you before, but I was too proud. 
golden 
However, this 
morning, when Henry left our untidy 
breakfast table, scarce eating a mouthful, I grew des¬ 
perate and resolyed to swallow my pride, if you would 
be so kind as to help me institute a thorough re¬ 
form.” 
“ Well, my dear, I mil first tell you how I man¬ 
aged, and then, if you would like to try it, wo will 
consider the ways and means. 
“In the first place, I remembered how comfortless 
the days used to be in my early home, when work of 
in an open grate opposite. A “ what-not,” the lower ' several kinds was crowded into one day, and this led 
shelves filled with choice books, the upper ones with me to jflan a division of labors. 
knick-knacks, many of them very precious for their 
associations, stood in one corner. A pretty cottage 
organ and four light cane-seat chairs completed the 
furniture. 
The walls were covered with light paper, of a neu¬ 
tral tint, with bordering to match the carpet. The 
wood-work was stained to represent curl maple, and 
varnished. The ceiling was white and smooth as art 
could make it. Two beautiful landscapes in oil, a fine 
chromo, and several family likenesses, adorned the 
walls. 
The room, together with Aunt Millie in her neat 
morning dress and spotless collar, with her gray hair 
combed smoothly back, as she sat sewing in her rocker, 
by the table, made a very attractive picture. She 
might have been sixty years of age. There were 
lines of care and suffering on the thoughtful, earnest 
face, but they were softened by a settled expression of 
peace, and the smile with which she rose to welcome 
her niece, was a very sweet one. 
“Oh! Aunt Millie, I’m clear discouraged, and, as 
usual, I’ve come to you. If you can’t help me, I do 
believe I’ll give up in despair.” 
The sjieaker was a lady of perhaps thirty years. 
She was a decided brunette, with a round merry-look¬ 
ing face, on which the doleful expression was evidently 
not at home. She was somewhat carelessly attired, 
and her hair and the little et cetera of dress showed a 
lack of that perfect neatness always so fresh and win¬ 
ning in woman. 
“ And what can I do for you ? If I have any magi¬ 
cal charm or common sense prescription that will 
chase the gloom from your face, I shall be most glad 
to use it; but, if I am to prescribe for your disease, 
you must frankly state the symptoms.” 
“ Well, Auntie, if you would go over to our house, 
you would see for yourself the symptoms. I do want 
to make a pleasant, attractive home for my husband 
and children, but it’s no use trying. Annette seems 
willing enough, but she don’t know how, and, to be 
honest, I don’t think I know how myself. Things 
get into a terrible snarl. The pantry is so dirty and 
disorderly that I can’t bear to go into it, and the worst 
“ Monday, of course, was washing day. My white 
clothes having been ‘ put to soak ’ Saturday night and 
everything picked up, I rose half an hour earlier than 
usual that I might have my clothes on boiling before 
breakfast. Then we had none of the helps that almost 
every one uses now, but our washings were not as 
large. Breakfast was a simple affair, but as carefully 
prepared as usual. A little extra cleaning of steps 
and out-of-door places was done washing days, but, 
usually, everything was finished before our dinner at a 
quarter past twelve. 
“ Tuesday forenoon I baked bread and ironed my 
colored and flannel clothes. Wednesday forenoon I 
churned and finished ironing. Thursday I cleaned 
my silver and tin, and swept and dusted, thoroughly, 
my whole house, cleaning the paint about door knobs, 
and wiping windows, et cetera, on alternate weeks. 
Friday I baked pies and cake for a week’s use, or, 
rather, pies for two or three dinners. 
“ I always liked to have a pie for dinner washing- 
days, unless I had fruit for dessert. As a general 
thing, however, if we had not fresh fruit, I prepared, 
and do still, some kind of pudding for dessert, as more 
healthful, and if not as elaborate, prepared with less 
trouble. 
“ Saturday I churned, baked bread, and set my 
house in order for the Sabbath, always providing for 
that day something a little extra, so that, though we 
had a nice dinner, it should take little time for prepar¬ 
ation. Thus my housework rarely extended into the 
afternoons, though in the fall, when fruit was to be 
put up for winter, it sometimes did. I was so fortun¬ 
ate as to learn early that system and attention to little 
things in housekeeping are better than hard work ; 
that it is much easier to keep things in order than to 
have ‘ clearing up days.’ 
“ At the right hand of the broad shelf in my pantry, 
where I did all my mixing, was a row of narrow 
shelves, on which I kept in boxes, spices, soda, sugar, 
and everything of that kind needed for cooking. These 
were labelled, and after being used the boxes -were 
carefully wiped and set back in their proper places. I 
always kept a kettle of warm water on the stove fore¬ 
noons, and dirty dishes were never allowed to stand 
long. 1 think few know how much easier house¬ 
keeping is made by keeping all articles of use clean 
and in their places.” 
“ But would you always make your plans w r ork ? 
Didn’t unexpected company interfere ? ” 
“ Sometimes, yes; but I learned to carry them out 
as a general thing. Reasonable guests are always 
satisfied with such attentions as can be given without 
interfering with the comfort and order of the family.” 
“ It seems easy to hear you talk, but I don’t know 
how to begin.” 
“ Well, my dear, Uncle John is going to the city in 
the morning. Eva can take her dinner to school, and 
I will shut up the house and come over and help you 
set things in order. Then you will find it easier to 
begin your system.” 
“ Oh ! you dear Aunt Millie, I can’t tell you how 
much lighter my heart is. I am going to try in 
earnest to be a good housekeeper.” 
American Pitcher Plant. —Please tell me through 
the Cabinet what kind of plant is the American 
Pitcher Plant? E. T. Kuffner. 
Ansiver. —Sarracenia Drummondii; a curious and 
interesting plant found in swampy places, from New 
York to Florida; it will grow in a mixture of sphagnum 
and sand if kept in a close, moist place. 
Rhododendrons.— Where can wo get those ever¬ 
green Rhododendrons spoken of in the Cabinet, and 
what is the price of them ? Phebe C. Z. Ashby. 
Answer. —Samuel Parsons & Son, of Flushing, N. 
Y., are the largest dealers in this country. Price 
from one to three dollars each. 
Prairie Rose. —Can the wild Prairie Rose be made 
double by cultivation; if so, how to go to work ? Or 
tell me of some book on the subject. 
R. W. Gillette. 
Ansxver. —No. New varieties of Roses are produced 
from seeds. 
Tulips. —Please inform me if there is anything we 
can grow to hide the uugainliness of Tulips after they 
blossom. L. M. Mills. 
Answer. —Could not give the name of the plant 
from flower sent. Take up your Tulips two weeks 
after blooming, heel them in in some shady situation 
until they dry off, then fill their place with bedding 
plants or annuals from the hot-bed. 
Tradescantia. —I sent for several plants this year, 
and among them were a Lantana and Tradescantia; the 
last named I made a frame-work of sticks for it to 
climb up ; it grows very fast; it does not show any 
signs of blossoming as yet. Will you please tell me 
what is the meaning of Zonale Geranium ? Can you 
tell me where I can get a florist’s syringe and the 
price of it ? Mother tells me I take too much care of 
them, and still I cannot get rid of the spider. I give 
them a good washing often with clear water. I have 
tried tobacco water. I have tried soapsuds, and lime 
water and ashes; nothing drives them away. T. F. 
Answer. —Tradescantia rarely flowers; when it does 
it is not much; it is grown for foliage only. Zonale 
Geraniums are those with a zone or ring in the leaf, of 
different color or colors. Garden syringes can be ob¬ 
tained from any seedsman, price one to ten dollars. 
Put your plants in a small room and fumigate with 
tobacco. 
To Illi-Nois. —W T ill Illi-Nois please inform us 
through the Cabinet where we can get the bronze 
powder for dusting on paint in baskets and brackets. 
I would like to know the direction for making 
skeleton leaves. A New Subscribee. 
