818 
the RURAL NEW-YORKER 
WOMAN AND HOME 
From Day to Day 
Fidelity 
Here was the garden gate, where the 
clambering woodbine scrambles; 
There is the rotting sill she crossed 
when, a bride, she came 
In with her man to her home where 
unreaching arms of the brambles 
Swarm o’er the broken down walls find 
the sumac bush raises its flame. 
The roof of the dwelling has vanished; 
ailanthus saplings have sprouted 
Where the foundation’s stones are 
dropping in slow decay, 
And rains of the hurrying years have 
gullied and washed and routed 
And buried in grass and weeds the 
road that she trod that day. 
Here was the well he dug; the fungus 
gleams on the curbing. 
That rubble of mossy stone was a 
hearth in the long ago. 
Only the winds walk through this gar¬ 
den of hers, disturbing 
The tangle of leaves and thorns where 
the goldenrod’s lances glow. 
Weather and weeds have joined in an en¬ 
vious, fast alliance 
To blot from the minds of men the 
place where she loved to walk. 
Yet, look ! Where the gate once stood, a 
rosebush flaunts its defiance, 
And valiant and all alone one holly¬ 
hock raises its stalk. 
Were they a part of her dream that they 
hold their places together? 
Men have forgotten her name; the 
heart that once loved them is dust. 
Still, by the ruin they stand, through the 
somnolent Summer weather 
Lifting their blossoms high—soldiers, 
true to their trust. 
So by the gate they wait, though the 
house that they knew has wallowed 
Down to the cellar’s pit, where the 
fires of the sumac burn, 
Watching when Summer comes the road 
that the wood has swallowed. 
Gallant and high of heart; waiting for 
her return. 
—New York Tribune. 
X 
A correspondent who does not sign 
her name asks for agencies which would 
distribute flowers sent in from the coun¬ 
try to the sick and poor. This work has 
been done for 30 years by the National 
Plant, Flower and Fruit Guild, 70 Fifth 
Avenue, New York City. During a sin¬ 
gle year this society has distributed 500,- 
000 bunches of flowers, 600 bushels of 
fruit and vegetables, 10.000 packages of 
seeds and bulbs, and 25.000 plants. Gifts 
may be sent, in by individuals, or by coun¬ 
try branches formed for this purpose. 
The New York office will send full infor¬ 
mation to anyone interested. This is 
worthy work in which country people are 
especially able to help, and ite effects are 
far reaching. 
X 
Several readers have written us who 
wish to furnish country board for city 
children sent out by philanthropic organ¬ 
izations. They do not, as we understand 
it, w'ish to furnish free board, but to pro¬ 
vide for such children on a satisfactory 
financial 'basis. Many of the ‘‘fre^h-air ’ 
children are cared for at camps or homes 
provided for the purpose. Others are 
taken by kindly country people who feel 
able to provide for them. We do not 
know whether many of these children are 
boarded out in private homes, and would 
like to hear from anyone who has had ex¬ 
perience in such work. It would mean 
great responsibility, and might not work 
well in a family that included children. 
It would be quite different from providing 
board for adults, who 3o not call for per¬ 
sonal supervision. 
bought six ordinary kitchen chairs to go 
with the table for $1.85 apiece. We con¬ 
sidered a built-in cupboard to fit in an 
alcove of the dining-room until we 
learned it would cost $60. A sale of 
household furniture yielded an old cup¬ 
board with nice lines for the sum of 90 
cents, which when painted and decorated 
with glass knobs cost $2.90. 
For painting our furniture we chose a 
light drab gray, because it had enough 
yellow in it to be warm and cheery. All 
of the articles we sandpapered a little to 
give a rough surface, and painted with 
two coats of paint. A conventional de¬ 
sign in blue, orange, black, white and 
green, was painted with oil paints on the 
seat of each chair, the drop leaves of the 
table, and the center of the top drawer of 
the buffet. Stencil designs could have 
been used to add a touch of color quite as 
well. 
The drying of the oil design required 
several days; then a coat of shiny var¬ 
nish was applied, and later a coat of dull 
varnish, which gave a soft, satiny finish 
similar to the finish obtained by rubbing 
with oil and pumice stone, although much 
quicker. 
A blue grass rug, size 9x12 ft., price 
$15, was our next purchase. Curtains 
were quite a problem, because we w r anted 
something simple, and yet wished to car¬ 
ry out our color scheme. Unbleached 
muslin was the final, choice, with orange 
and blue chintz for appliqued decorations. 
A quarter-inch border of blue was put 
around each curtain, and on each lower 
corner a tier of small triangles, two or¬ 
ange and one blue one betvreen. slightly 
over-lapping, was appliqued. The effect 
was very pretty, especially when the sun 
came through the curtains. 
From time to time we have added other 
furnishings to our dining-room w r hich con¬ 
tinue to bring out our color scheme: A 
Maxfield Parrish picture, candlesticks 
with blue candles, a copper teakettle, an 
orange and a blue vase. The vases were 
homemade from a lovely old crock and a 
pickle bottle with nice lines. Orange and 
blue enamel was used to color them. Two 
or three handmade reed baskets we use 
for flowers; also an old crockery vase 
with tones of brown, white and orange. 
A parchment shade w r hich we made at a 
small cost covers the table light and re¬ 
flects blue and orange tints. Most all of 
our luncheon sets have blue or orange 
decorations. One favorite is a soft or¬ 
ange Japanese crepe fringed and finished 
with a blanket stitch in blue. We hope 
some time to add a tea-wagon made from 
an old-fashioned washstand with a lower 
shelf and the arms coming out on either 
side. We shall use a picture frame for 
the top tray, and paint the table gray. 
Instead of wheels we will use large brass 
castors. 
We have had three years of continuous 
enjoyment from our dining-room furni¬ 
ture, and have found it to have so many 
advantages that we have not regretted 
the fact that we had so small an amount 
of money to spend. It does not show 
dust readily, and when washed looks as 
good as new. Then, too, we have a little 
girl who always bumps table and chairs 
May 24, 1924 
with her kiddie-car. and we rejoice that 
it is not walnut or mahogany that is get¬ 
ting the scars. 
The rug has had many scrubbings, but 
still looks fresh and new. We thought 
at first that we would discard our painted 
furniture after a time, but we are plan¬ 
ning now to redecorate it in the future. 
E. R. D. 
Safe and Sane Burning of Waste 
As the burning of w r aste paper in a 
kitchen range tends to clog the pipe and 
chimney with soot, and often deadens the 
fire, it has been my custom to let such 
material accumulate until a comparative¬ 
ly windless day permitted me to burn it 
in the back yard without danger. At 
times it over-flowed the receptacle pro¬ 
vided for it before weather conditions 
were right for my bonfire. Now, with 
my homemade incinerator, I can burn it 
on any day with entire safety. A strip 
of chicken fencing one yard wide and 
about four yards long is coiled into a 
cylinder two feet across (this makes it 
double), and the cylinder is placed on 
end in a convenient location in my yard. 
It is fastened to the ground by a metal 
rod on one side. As there is no strain on 
it from wind, comparatively little sup¬ 
port is needed to keep it in position. No 
scrap of paper has ever escaped from it, 
and sparks from burning paper do not 
carry fire far enough to be a source of 
danger. As I delight to watch an out-of- 
door fire, I get pleasure as well as help 
from this simple contrivance, agreeing 
The Dining-room, a Gastronomic Aid 
The dining-room of the house is almost 
sure to be used the 365 days of the year, 
whether it be for the home folks or for 
guests. Therefore it should be arranged 
with care and thought. An atmosphere 
of cheer and even gaiety may pervade, for 
gastronomic authorities agree that the 
happy state of mind of the diner aids 
digestion. . . 
Realizing the importance of the dining¬ 
room as our family gathering place, and 
a festive board for our guests, it was 
with much trepidation that we. with a 
very small sum of money, considered the 
furnishing of our dining-room. A color 
scheme of orange and old blue was the 
first decision. Painted furniture we felt 
would come within our money limit if we 
did our own painting. We hesitated upon 
the purchase of small unfinished drop- 
leaf tables at a price of $S or $10, be¬ 
cause they could not be enlarged. Final¬ 
ly a friend gave us an old drop-leaf exten¬ 
sion table with four extra leaves. We 
There are millions of kitchens 
which are literally prisons. Three 
meals a day, 365 days in the year, 
represents a stupendous work 
program, yet millions of house¬ 
wives do it efficiently and un¬ 
complainingly. 
But there is a way to lighten 
the burden of housewives, to 
improve their cooking, and to 
make both themselves and their 
families happier, with more 
time to play, and to enjoy life. 
Thousands of housewives have 
discovered the New Perfection 
Oil Cookstove, which burns 
kerosene clean and odorless. It is 
practically automatic in its oper¬ 
ation, ready to cook at the turn 
of the wick and the touch of a 
match, delivers wide range of 
heat—bakes, broils, boils, roasts 
and toasts. It banishes the dirty 
coal and wood cookstove with 
their inevitable dirt and ashes. It 
adds immeasurably to personal 
comfort, and makes the kitchen 
a cool and inviting place. 
Your nearest dealer will be glad 
to demonstrate any style or size 
in the New Perfection line. Each 
one, from the famous Blue 
Chimney to the Giant Superfex, 
with the fast-as-gas burners, rep¬ 
resents the utmost in cooking 
satisfaction at its price. 
NEW PERFECTION 
Oil Cook Stoves and Ovens 
STANDARD OIL CO. OF NEW YORK 
26 BROADWAY 
