The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1221 
Training in Kindness 
We all like the kindly, unselfish person 
■who is mindful of others. We want our 
children to grow up into men and women 
of fine character. But do we teach them 
with definite aim, not only by example, 
but by having them practice it, the virtue 
of kindliness? Kindness, like music, needs 
to be practiced, and I believe that chil¬ 
dren should be encouraged in that direc¬ 
tion. 
I know of one school whose teacher en¬ 
deavors to teach this beautiful grace to 
her pupils. The results have been won¬ 
derful. After several years of this train¬ 
ing it is delightful to see how the chil¬ 
dren have developed initiative in thinking 
of others, and in the performance of kind 
acts. Not all communities are so favored 
as to have a teacher of this type, but 
every mother can resolve to train her 
children in this way. 
When I read some time ago in The 
R, N.-Y. of the family who had moved 
into a new community and were ostra¬ 
cized in the social life of it as well as at 
school, I thought of a little incident that 
occurred in connection with the school I 
have mentioned. A new family had 
moved into a poor little house on the cor¬ 
ner of a large farm. The father had 
worked some for the farmers, but for some 
months he had been ill. People were sor¬ 
ry, of course, but no man or woman felt- 
that the responsibility for the welfare of 
the newcomers was on their particular 
shoulders. When school opened and the 
oldest little girl started to school, the 
teacher noticed that while the child was 
clean, the same little dress appeared on 
her week after week. The weather was 
chilly, but she suspected from the limp 
way in which the little garment hung that 
there, was ny petticoat beneath. The 
lunches each day told a pitiful tale, and 
she decided to call at once on the family 
and find out the conditions at first hand. 
Being a woman of rare tact and beauty of 
character, she so made her sympathy felt 
that the tragic facts of the home were 
soon revealed. Another child was soon 
to be added to the family. The father’s 
earnings had long since vanished. There 
was no money to provide for present 
needs, much less to meet future emergen¬ 
cies. The teacher went home thought¬ 
fully mapping out a plan for relief. 
Through friends she would see that the 
mother entered a hospital in a nearby 
town. Several charitable families would 
help with the food and clothing. This 
was the first year of her teaching in the 
place, and she saw that there was another 
need as vital as the wants of the family ; 
the people of the community needed to be 
taught to think in terms of others. She 
would start with the children. When the 
little girl was absent from school one ses¬ 
sion she presented a few of the facts in 
the case. By her sympathetic personality 
she managed so to stir the childish imag¬ 
inations that each little one saw itself in 
the place of the unfortunate child. Noth¬ 
ing more was needed. Nothing more ever 
is needed. When she called for sugges¬ 
tions as to some things that might be done 
for Janet and the little brother at home, 
how the little hands flew up, and how the 
eyes shone, as each child thought of some¬ 
thing ! I do not know whether or not all 
the arithmetic classes were heard that 
day. Perhaps the geography or language 
lesson was omitted. Be that as it may, 
I am sure that there was a lesson taught 
that day that will bear fruit when many 
other things have been forgotten. 
The children were guided so that there 
might be a tactful bestowal of their 
favors. The next day one little girl shy¬ 
ly approached with : “My mamma is go¬ 
ing to pack enough lunch for both you 
and me, Janet, because your mamma and 
papa are not well.” Every day there was 
something to take Lome to the little 
brother. Warm clothing was brought for 
both of them. Food and fuel were taken 
to the home, and a wonderful outfit pro¬ 
vided for the new baby by the parents 
who had been interested in the family 
through their children. Medical treat¬ 
ment was provided for the father, and as 
soon as he was able there was work for 
him, so that the little family was soon on 
a self-sustaining basis. Legalized charity 
would have provided for the family, of 
course, if the neighbors had not, but legal¬ 
ized forms of charity can never take the 
place of the warm personal touch, and 
more valuable than anything else, to my 
mind, was the training the children re¬ 
ceived. 
In this school the new pupil is met 
with friendly advances from both teacher 
and pupils, who vie with each other in 
courteous, kindly acts to make the new¬ 
comer feel at home. This spirit is in 
happy contrast with the one usually 
manifested. Generally the new child in 
school is a little alien who must prove 
himself before he is taken into comrade¬ 
ship. If the child is shy and self-con¬ 
scious, the first few weeks in a new school 
are torture. When flowers are to be had 
the children bring them to school and ar¬ 
range them in pretty paper baskets of 
school construction, and they are sent to 
the sick and old in the community. Just 
what this means to a shut-in cannot be 
appreciated by one who has never filled 
that role. 
In every neighborhood there are some 
children who see the various holidays go 
by with aching little hearts because for 
them there is nothing that sets the day 
apart from other days. I know of one 
dear lady, who, mindful of her own bar¬ 
ren childhood, sees that some appropriate 
reminder is provided for every child in the 
community that otherwise would have to 
go without. At Valentine’s Day a few 
cents expended in an affair of paper lace, 
roses and cupids, sent to some lonely lit¬ 
tle one who expects nothing, will bring 
joy out of all proportion to its cost, and 
will be a magic messenger of happiness. 
It seems to me there is all too little 
happiness in the world, and if it is possi¬ 
ble for any of us to add to the sum total 
of it, it is our plain duty to do so, espe¬ 
cially when it means so little effort on 
our part. Those of us who have an auto 
or even a horse and buggy—do we some¬ 
times think of those in our neighborhood 
to whom a ride is a very real treat? There 
are not many of us deliberately unkind, 
but we are all more or less thoughtless. 
So I believe that it is more than worth 
while to train the children in acts of gra¬ 
cious kindness till it becomes “second 
nature” to them. Not alone for the sake 
of the unfortunate, but for the enrich¬ 
ing of their own lives also. 
MRS. CHARLES JOHNSTON. 
Good Homemade Yeast 
Four quarts boiling water, one-fourth 
cake compressed yeast, one-half cup 
sugar, one-half cup salt, one teaspoon of 
ginger, two medium-sized potatoes, and 
one-eighth of a small cake of compressed 
hops, or about a handful of loose hops, 
as picked from the vine and dried. We 
always raised our hops. Steep the 
hops in the boiling water 15 min¬ 
utes, then strain out the hops and 
throw them away. Boil the potatoes in 
the hop tea until done. Mash them fine, 
leaving them in the hop water. Mix the 
flour, sugar and salt dry (you can leave 
out the ginger if you do not like it, but 
the yeast will not keep so well). Beat all 
together with cold water to a thin batter, 
turn this cold batter into the boiling hop 
tea and potatoes; cook slowly until the 
mass looks a little thick and clear, like 
starch. When done, set aside to cool. 
When about the temperature of freshly 
drawn milk, add two yeast cakes that 
have been softening in warm wat<>r while 
you prepared the other ingredients, beat 
thoroughly, set in a warm place until 
light and foamy, and it is ready to put 
away. Turn into glass bottles or cans. 
Do not fill the cans more than two-thirde 
full, as the yeast will get foamy every 
time it is disturbed. Put on rubber ring 
and covers, but do not fasten down tight 
as the cans might burst; keep in a cool 
place. I have kept this kind of yeast a 
long time. Use one cup for four loaves of 
bread. Cook the hops in enameled ware, 
as iron or tin gives it a bad color and 
taste. This yeast keeps a long time in a 
cool place, and can be renewed by using a 
cupful of the yeast as a starter. 
Yeast cakes can be made by putting 
the salt, sugar and ginger in the boiling 
hop and potato; stir in cornmeal until a 
spoon will stand up in the mass, set aside* 
to cool. When cool as new milk, stir in 
two softened yeast cakes, let rise like 
bread. Put some flour on the pastry 
board (graham flour is best), knead as 
you would a loaf of bread, roll?out and 
cut into rounds or squares, as for cook¬ 
ies ; spread on plates to dry near the fire. 
Do not get too hot, as to scald kills the 
yeast germ. Turn often ; when thorough¬ 
ly dry put away in a cool dry place. The 
tin or paper cans coffee comes in, or a 
cracker box, will keep them nicely. Use 
the same as the yeast you buy. 
MRS. J. H. B. 
More About Uninvited 
Company 
The last of September is here, but not 
the last of company. As I write after 
resting my aching shoulders I can count 
four fine sheets, one large heavy bed¬ 
spread, six or more fine pillow slips, be¬ 
sides napkins and tablecloths and what 
not, that goes with having company, be¬ 
sides a dirty, untidy house to clean up, 
after the sixth invasion of company that 
was not invited but just came and asked 
if it would be convenient. Who can say 
no? And more are just waiting a few 
days, and on they come for free board 
and bed and rest. My garden has been 
so neglected that weeds are everywhere ; 
just too tired to use the hoe if by chance 
I have a few minutes. 
I do think it is a shame the way city 
people act, and some are a disgrace to 
our homes, with all the paint and powder 
and make-up, and in all a perfect sham. 
We country housekeepers are just noth¬ 
ing, in their walk of life, but who is the 
best in a moral standpoint? Now there 
are exceptions; that is true; but so there 
are in anything. 
We have always been hospitable, but 
with no help and past the half-way mark 
in age, it seems we certainly will be 
obliged to asert our rights very soon. 
There are but two out of the six I could 
or would go to visit if we ever could get 
away. I read with interest article on 
this last, yean? Frances Barnard ex¬ 
pressed my sentiments. This is just 
another case where the farmer will have 
to do it himself. Next to the city auto 
thief is the self-invited company. 
MRS. B. P. s. 
Sweet-Milk Graham Gem 
A Muffin for the Epicure.—“Just tin; 
best ever, but there never are half enough 
of them,” comes the verdict after one of 
those rare breakfasts when we have had 
the best muffins that ever were. Golden- 
brown pancake®, delicate pop-overs, crisp 
waffles and French fried toast—none of 
them have the elusive appeal inspired by 
genuine goodness that is called forth by 
mother's sweet milk graham gems! The 
natural nutty sweetness of the grain, del¬ 
icate and milk sweet, but hot and 
crunchy, with fresh butter melting into 
it, that is the way one tastes—like more. 
But there, never have been too many of 
them, 'because IS muffins, or 18 at a time, 
is the utmost capacity of her iron gem 
pans. 
To bake them one must have iron muf¬ 
fin pans (the thicker the better), greased 
well and very hot. Tin ones will not do. 
And the oven must also be very hot. 
To mix, for each cup of sifted graham 
flour, take one cup of sweet creamy milk. 
It must be entirely sweet; if skim-milk 
is used allow one or two tablespoons of 
sweet cream in each cup of milk. Do not 
use any soda or baking powder—just 
graham flour and sweet milk. Use very 
little salt, or none at all. Beat batter 
thoroughly for a little while before an 
open window. Fill each muffin ring, 
greased and smoking hot, about two- 
thirds full, and bake in a quick oven un¬ 
til browned. Serve them hot with nicely 
salted butter. The heat from the thick 
iron pans and quick oven, together with 
the beating of the batter, causes the muf¬ 
fins to rise. There is no tinge of flavor 
from any leavening agent to mar the 
natural sweetness of the milk and whole 
grain. Eaten with butter there is just 
enough salt to savor and contrast delic¬ 
iously. So if you are very sure there 
is plenty of butter, why not get out your 
iron muffin pans, get them good and hot 
and have sweet milk gems for break¬ 
fast? DAVTDA R. SMITH. 
5£XKM 
Costs More — 
Worth It! 
Better for Bread , 
Cake and Pastry. 
HEN you try it once, you too, will insist upon 
having OCCIDENT Flour for all your baking because, 
1—it is economical to use—more loaves of bet 
ter bread from every sack. 
2—its quality never varies—exacting tests in our 
laboratories make sure of that. 
3— it contains more food value because only the 
most nourishing portion of the finest wheat 
grown is used. 
4— bread made from this better flour keeps fresh 
longer so you can bake a double batch at one 
time. This saves the work and fuel cost of 
several baking days each month. 
Be sure that the flour you use 
is OCCIDENT. If you don't 
know the OCCIDENT dealer near¬ 
est you, write us. 
Look for the slip con¬ 
tained in every sack of 
Occident Flour giving 
you the privilege of 
sending for a copy of 
"The Children's Party 
Book," a 40-page book 
of parties, games and 
recipes. 
Russell-Miller Milling Co. General Offices Minneapolis, Minn. 
✓cKKKI 
