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HOUSEKEEPING MADE EASY. 
Regarding theories only as nicely poised specula¬ 
tive principles—to be more admired than practiced— 
we pass them lightly by, and deal with the facts of 
commonplace things of every day life. For the benefit 
of the young housekeeper, just embarking on this 
chequered voyage, we would repeat the few simple 
principles given to us twenty-five years ago by an ex¬ 
perienced, practical friend, in favor of which we now 
declare after so long a test. First, look with care that 
nothing he wasted; second, a place for each article, 
and always in its- place. This is quite easy even for 
those who occupy small houses. A few bags, each 
with two eyelets, by which to hang agkinst the wall, in 
some convenient place, will afford ample storage for a 
great number of articles. One will contain the hosiery 
for a family; another, the waste scraps, fit only for 
the ragman ; in another may he deposited in neat rolls 
the larger pieces for future need. One should always 
be provided in the pantry for bolding spare ted cloths; 
balls of cotton, also, are quite safe in -such a place. 
Thirdly, see that everything is kept scrupulously clean. 
Once each week the labors of the laundry should em¬ 
brace and cleanse each soiled garment or piece of cot¬ 
ton or linen, no matter how small or unimportant it 
may seetn. Let no garment pass from the ironing- 
board to its fixed deposit without being in perfect 
readiness if called for at any moment. Especially is 
cleanliness desirable in all culinary operations. First, 
in the proper care of stove furniture, well washed and 
rinsed, then dried and hung or placed on shelves, then 
rinsed again with scalding water before being used; 
this will insure freedom from the least particle of 
impurity. 
The comfort and elegance of a meal consists not so 
much in the elaborate display of china, glass, and sil¬ 
ver, or the great variety of viands, as it does in sim¬ 
plicity and neatness. A snowy, well-ironed table¬ 
cloth, with bright service neatly arranged, and a few 
well prepared dishes, chief among which are the soft, 
fresh bread, and sweet golden butter, from out a dairy 
kept sweet by plenty of pure air, and whose pans are 
regarded as carefully as though they were china vases. 
With these few easy principles accepted as guides, 
many a gloomy house would be converted into a cheer¬ 
ful, smiling home. Many a poor man would become 
wealthy. Comfort and plenty would take the place of 
disquiet and want. 
In every well regulated home there are seasons and 
hours for recreation, both for body and mind. Best, 
consists not in the entire cessation of labor, but we find 
it most and sweetest in the change from drudgery to 
some lighter employment in which the mind takes a 
pleasing interest; something that calls into exercise the 
pleasing emotions of our nature, from the constant ex¬ 
ercise of which we receive a healthy vigor that laughs 
at nostrums. A thrill of joy sends the blood through 
its channels with an accelerated motion that drives 
disease away. Hence, we find the care of flowers; of 
so great consequence, and assign to them a place in 
every home. So easy it is to achieve success, that the 
novice need only make the trial; and with the aid of 
a few suggestions, her first experience will be crowned 
with satisfactory results. At least we have been 
abundantly rewarded by treating our plants much as 
we did our children. After giving them a good soil, 
cleanliness next, allowing no insect vampire to feed on 
them, neither dust to obstruct the free influence of the 
atmosphere through their delicate leafy textures, for 
these are the lungs through which they inhale the same 
air in common with mortals, and very important it is 
that it should be pure and moist; after this, we con¬ 
sider their nourishment. Once a week, or at farthest 
once in two weeks, we give ours liquid manure. This 
treatment, in temperature suited to my own comfort, 
is rewarding me even now with bloom on very many 
of my floral children, also a vigorous growth that 
ensures me blossoms through all the coming winter. 
If there are a few very delicate varieties requiring 
special treatment, with the Floral Cabinet as our 
oracle, together with the instructive gleanings from 
the many “ Floral Guides ” so liberally distributed 
among us, one can scarcely fail to realize their most 
sanguine expectations. 
The above we have written, not for the connoisseur 
with wealthy surroundings, hut for the tyro whose 
scanty means make economy an important matter in 
their everyday life. Mrs. M. E. Walden. 
The Housekeeper’s Table.—The following is a 
table by which persons not having scales and weights 
at hand may readily measure the article wanted to 
form any recipe without the trouble of weighing, 
allowance to be made for an extraordinary dryness or 
moisture of the article weighed or measured: Wheat 
flour, 1 pound is 1 quart; indian meal, 1 pound 2 
ounces are 1 quart; butter, when soft, 1 pound is 1 
quart; loat sugar, when broken, 1 pound is 1 quart; 
white sugar, powdered, 1 pound 1 ounce are 1 quart; 
10 eggs are 1 pound ; fioiw, 4 pecks are 1 bushel; 16 
large teaspoonfuls are 1 pint; 8 large teaspoonfuls are 
1 gill; 4 large teaspoonfuls are gill; 2 gills are \ 
pint; 2 pints are 4 quart; 4 quarts are 1 gallon ; a 
common-sized tumbler holds | pint; a common-sized 
wine-glass holds } 2 gill; a teacup holds 1 gill; a large 
wine-glass holds .1 gill; a tablespoonful is l ounce; 
40 drops are equal to 1 teaspoonful; 4 teaspoonfuls 
are equal to 1 tablespoonful. 
Baked Sweet Apples.— Sweet apples, which are 
not relished for eating by the many, may be converted 
into-a palatable baked apple dish, half jellied, delicious 
in flavor and moisture, which any one can have by 
stewing them in a porcelain kettle with just enough 
molasses and water to prevent them from burning, till 
cooked through, aud then transferring them to the 
oven with all the liquid residium, to dry and brown. 
Apple Fritters.— Make a batter, not very stiff, 
with one quart of milk, three eggs and flour to bring 
it to a right consistency. Pare and core a dozen 
apples, and chop them to about the size of small peas, 
and mix them well in the hatter. Fry them in lard as 
you would doughnuts. For trimmings use powdered 
white sugar. 
French Pancakes. —Two eggs, two ounces of but¬ 
ter, two ounces of sifted sugar, two ounces of flour, 
half a pint of new milk. Beat the eggs thoroughly, 
and put them into a basin with the butter, which 
should he beaten to a cream; stir in the sugar aud 
flour, and when these ingredients are well mixed stir 
in the milk ; keep stirring and heating the mixture for 
a few minutes. Serve with a cut lemon and sugar, 
and pile the pancakes high on a dish, with a layer of 
preserve or marmalade between each. 
Italian Beefsteak. —Score a steak transversely 
with a sharp knife, cutting it through, lay it in a stew- 
pan with a small piece of butter ; season it with pep¬ 
per and salt and an onion chopped fine. Let it cook 
three-quarters of an hour in its own gravy, and serve hot. 
Oyster Omelet.— Whisk four eggs to a thick froth, 
then add by degrees one gill of cream ; heat them well 
together; season the egg with pepper and salt to taste. 
Have ready one dozen fine oysters; cut them in half 
and pour the egg into a pan of hot butter and drop 
the oysters over it as early as possible. Fry a light 
brown and serve hot. 
To Bake Beans. —Soak one quart of beans over 
night in warm water; set them on the stove in the 
morning and let them come to a boil; drain the water 
all off, and fill up again with hot water; set them on 
the stove again, and let them cook slowly until they 
commence to be soft; throw the water all off, put the 
beans in a deep pan, or “ Yankee bean pot,” with a 
small piece of salt fat pork ; fill up with hot water, 
three tablespoonfuls of molasses, and a piece of soda 
the size of a bean ; bake four or five hours, and keep 
them filled with water. 
Corn Bread. —Two cups of buttermilk, one cup of 
sweet milk, half a cup of molasses, small teaspoonful 
of soda, three cups of indian meal, one and a half cups 
of flour—Graham is best. Steam three hours. 
Paradise Cake. —Three eggs, one cup of butter, 
two and a half cups of sugar, one and a half cups of 
sweet milk, a small teaspoonful 6f soda, four large 
cups of flour, one pound of raisins ; cloves, cinnamon, 
and nutmeg. 
To Iron Velvet Ribbon.— Dampen the underside 
slightly, and draw it hack and forth over a hot stove¬ 
pipe, until the velvet is quite dry. A still better plan 
—though in winter it is not always convenient—is to 
lay a wet piece of cotton cloth on a hot flat-iron 
placed upside down, and while the steam is rising 
from it draw the underside of the velvet lightly back¬ 
ward and forward over the wet cloth. 
To Remove Paint from Windows.— Take strong 
bicarbonate of soda and dissolve it in hot water; wash 
the glass, and in twenty minutes or half an hour rub 
thoroughly with a dry cloth. 
A Solution of gum arabic will remove dirt and 
stains from marble. Let it remain till it dries, when 
it will peel off or can be washed off. 
When it is necessary to break a bottle, the quickest 
way is to soak a string in turpentine and tie it round 
the neck of the bottle, and then set fire to the string 
and it will break in good shape. 
The appearance of old wall paper will he very 
much improved by rubbing it with a woolen cloth 
dipped in dry indian meal. It removes the dust and 
smoke. Pieces of stale bread are equally efficacious. 
To prevent the smoking of a lamp, soak the wick 
in strong vinegar, and dry well before you use it; it 
will then burn both sweet and pleasant, aud give much 
satisfaction for the trifling trouble of preparing. 
To extract Ink from cotton, silk and woolen goods, 
saturate the spots with spirits of turpentine, and let it 
remain several hours ; then rub it between the bands. 
It will crumble away without injuring either the color 
or texture of the article. 
An Economical and effectual method of cleaning 
greasy cooking utensils, like kettles or spiders, is to 
use wood ashes with a little warm water instead of 
soap. After standing awhile, scrape and rinse out the 
ashes, and then only ordinary dishwater will be re¬ 
quired. 
A Teaspoonful of powdered borax, dissolved iu a 
quart of tepid water, is good for cleaning old black 
dresses of silk, cashmere or alpaca. 
