165 
The  RURAL.  NEW-YORKER 
the  racks  for  the  boilers  myself,  so  any 
one  can  make  one,  it  seems,  for  I  am  not 
handy  with  a  saw.  The  tight  cover  keeps 
the  steam  in  and  prevents  boiling  dry, 
which  is  a  boon  to  the  busy  housewife, 
especially  so  in  the  Summer  season. 
-My  husband  bitterly  protested  canning 
meats  but  has  been  convinced  that  it  is 
safe  and  the  flavor  unimpaired.  That  is 
the  greatest  triumph  to  my  mind — to  con¬ 
vince  him!  He  was  fearful  of  poisoning 
and  all  sorts  of  bacterial  growths. 
Winter  is  a  busy  time  and  we  find  the 
Summer  is  much  more  easily  lived  if  we 
have  some  of  the  extras  of  Winter  put 
aside  to  use  when  so  many  demands  are 
made  on  one’s  time  and  strength  and 
now  is  the  best  time  of  all  to  study  the 
bulletins  which  the  government  is  ready 
to  furnish  us.  The  latest  cold  pack  bul¬ 
letin  is  rich  in  food  for  thought  on  this 
important  subject. 
1  have  not  been  able  to  get  a  pressure 
cooker  but  those  of  the  family  who  have 
find  it  a  great  boon,  the  twins’  mother. 
After  a  Mid-Winter  Storm;  Occupations 
Indoors  and  Out  in  Rural  New 
England 
b  our  days  of  storm,  beginning  with 
billowy  sheets  of  snow — days  of  frost,  fog, 
wind,  sleet,  ice  and  successive  snowfalls 
— and  now  morning  breaks  with  a  sky  in¬ 
tensely  blue,  and  a  general  pearly  invita¬ 
tion  to  choose  your  own  path  in  a  virgin 
wilderness !  Freezing  and  thawing  have 
given  such  a  crust  to  the  great  curled 
drifts  that  you  can  skim  their  surface 
without  skis  or  snowshoes,  your  violet 
shadow  running  beside  you,  and  a  million 
pinpoints  of  light  spangling  the  fields  that 
slope  to  the  sun.  IIow  unfamiliar  the 
landscape  looks  after  such  a  storm ! 
Walls  and  fences  obliterated,  the  great 
crotches  of  trees  suddenly  accessible, 
birds’  nests  hanging  within  reach,  while 
far  below  sleeps  the  earth,  full  of  seeds 
and  roots,  and  insect  hosts,  and  wild, 
furry  creatures — woodchucks  drowsing  in 
their  burrows,  or  chipmunks  secure  in  the 
midst  of  their  stores. ,  As  for  the  rabbits, 
their  light  footprints  are  everywhere,  and 
regular  runs  extend  along  the  buried 
stone  wall,  and  under  the  old,  half-smoth¬ 
ered  trees  where  a  few  withered  apples 
still  hang;  but  of  mouse  tracks,  so  com¬ 
mon  after  lesser  snowfalls,  there  is  not 
one  to  be  seen.  A  few  birds — arctic  chip¬ 
pies  and  goldfinches — are  picking  off  ber¬ 
ries  in  the  honeysuckle  arbor,  and  a  trio 
of  handsome  bluejays  venture  to  the  back 
door  in  search  of  a  breakfast.  Farther 
afield,  the  delicate  birches  lie  almost  pros¬ 
trate.  the  laurel’s  glossy  leaves  point 
earthward,  and  the  dark  stream  moves 
glassily  between  whitened  banks,  and  un¬ 
der  the  jutting  boles  of  snow-burdened 
trees. 
There  is,  after  all,  something  refreshing 
in  the  proof  that  nature  is  still  our  su¬ 
perior,  and  can  show  up  man  when  she 
chooses  as  a  pygmy  in  the  grip  of  the  ele¬ 
ment. s.  With  a  kind  of  unwilling  admira¬ 
tion  we  see  trains  stalled  and  trolleys  dis¬ 
comfited  and  shipping  tied  up,  the  butcher 
and  baker  halted  at  home  with  their 
motor-carts,  the  doctor  and  schoolma’am 
taking  a  vacation  not  down  in  their  sched¬ 
ule.  Storm  and  cold  do  their  utmost,  and 
for  a  moment  they  triumph  ;  then  the 
wind  dies  down  in  a  long  sigh,  snow¬ 
plows  and  snow-shovels  vet  to  work,  and 
the  pent-up  stream  of  labor  and  traffic 
again  plunges  forward. 
Bad  weather,  too,  makes  the  house 
dearer.  Homes  are  dear  everywhere,  but 
houses,  I  think,  must  be  dearest  in  an 
ungentle  climate.  This  is  a  good  time  to 
plan  improvements,  for  even  birds  patch 
up  the  old  nest,  or  adapt  somebody’s  dis¬ 
carded  domicile  to  their  own  uses,  and 
the  most  commonplace  human  nest,  so  its 
timbers  be  sound,  has  alluring  possibil¬ 
ities.  A  few  years  ago  I  resolved  on  a 
fireplace,  my  own  cottage  having  been 
built  in  that  dreary  mid-Victorian  period 
when  fireplaces  were  taboo.  A  partition 
was  removed,  turning  two  small  rooms 
into  a  big  living  room,  and  a  double  win¬ 
dow  cut  to  the  south ;  doors  were  changed 
around  to  fit  new  conditions,  and  soon  a 
merry  fire  was  blazing  on  the  three-cor¬ 
nered  brick  hearth — all  the  work  done  by 
a  country  mason  and  carpenter,  and  at 
small  expense.  Now  I  have  plans  drawn 
to  scale  for  a  new'  piazza,  sleeping  porch, 
tool  shed  and  what-not.  Drawing  plans! 
That  alone  is  a  joy  to  the  architecturally 
minded.  Many  an  old  barn  has  of  late 
years  been  turned  into  a  fascinating  cot¬ 
tage  or  studio;  many  a  little  district 
sehoolhouse,  abandoned  in  the  march  of 
progress,  might  be  put  to  similar  use. 
And  the  countless  minor  improvements! 
The  porch,  or  cupboard,  or  breakfast  al¬ 
cove  that  delights  the  good  housewife; 
the  little  hinged  window,  pushing  out 
like  an  awning,  that  transforms  the  dark 
pantry  or  airless  bedroom  !  This,  too,  is 
the  rime  for  rug-weaving,  needlework, 
basket-making,  cabinet  wrork,  or  whatso¬ 
ever  art  or  craft  you  have  the  wit  and  the 
skill  to  pursue. 
Other  improvements  demand  attention 
in  the  lengthening  Winter  days.  Doubt¬ 
less  the  old  saying  that  everyone  needs  a 
hobby  should  be  amended  to  specify  at 
least  two  hobbies,  one  of  a  domestic  and 
bad-weather  nature,  the  other  for  Hum¬ 
mer  and  outdoor  use.  The  seedsman’s 
catalogue  is  here  with  its  enticing  dis¬ 
play,  and  likewise  the  beekeeper’s  cal¬ 
endar.  I  ast  Angus  we  executed  fwTo 
*i>*ep"s  and  replaced  them  with  Italians — 
and  let  me  tell  you  that  hunting  for  a 
single  bee  among  ten  thousand,  or  fifty 
thousand — i.eedle  in  a  stack  of  ani¬ 
mated  needles — is  a  very  lively  proceed¬ 
ing.  This  year  we  plan  to  transfer  two 
colonies  from  old,  cramped  hives  to  new 
and  roomy  ones,  and  it  were  well  to  con¬ 
sult  the  authorities  beforehand,  and 
learn  the  proper  mode  of  operation. 
Again,  how  best  circumvent  that  wood¬ 
chuck  that  Sam  was  too  lazy  (my  ex¬ 
planation)  or  too  busy  (his  own)  to  lie 
in  wait  for  last  Summer V  Perhaps  it 
should  be  said  here  that  firearms  are  a 
forbidden  joy,  and  though  bowling  over  a 
woodchuck  with  a  stone  is  perfectly 
feasible — I  have  known  a  woman  lo  kill 
one  under  a  bed,  with  a  broom — yet  it 
makes  no  great  appeal  to  the  sporting 
instinct.  And  yet  again,  where  can  I  find 
a  more  secluded  place  for  my  hammock, 
aud  what  are  the  prettiest,  most  cheerful 
and  most  easily  cultivated  Fall  flowers? 
One  thing  I  must  do  while  the  drifts 
are  high  and  hard,  and  that  is  prune  the 
apple  trees  whose  aspiring  young  heads 
are  now  within  reach,  as  well  as  the  boun¬ 
tiful  grapevines  whose  last  year’s  fruit 
still  adorns  our  preserve  closet.  I  often 
wish  I  could  discover  some  form  of  light 
outdoor  work,  less  strenuous  than  woof 
chopping,  for  my  own  satisfaction  in 
Winter,  for  the  spirit  of  play  diminishes 
as  we  grow  older,  and  we  like  to  combine 
exercise  with  a  comfortable  sense  of  ac¬ 
complishment.  One  thing  is  certain— the 
girls  whose  merry  shouts  ring  out  as  they 
coast  with  the  boys  in  the  moonlight,  or 
frolic  like  snowbirds  in  the  powdery 
drifts,  can  never  content  themselves  with 
long  skirts,  small  waists,  and  the  lady¬ 
like.  indoor  life  of  their  mothers. 
DORA  READ  GOODALE. 
Tennessee  Notes 
New  Year’s  Eve — That  means  another 
year  tucked  away  under  Father  Time’s 
blanket.  How  many  sorrows,  heart  aches, 
pains  and  tears.  Aud  yet  to  all  I  hope 
there  has  been  a  bit  of  sunshine  to 
brighten  the  most  gloomy  pathway.  Yes¬ 
terday  and  last  night  the  rain  fell  in  tor¬ 
rents;  today  the  blessed  sunshine  has 
dispersed  the  clouds;  we  have  not  even 
one  tiny  snowflake  to  remind  us  of  Christ¬ 
mas,  that  was  quite  jolly  for  those  who 
were  able  to  go  to  the  Christmas  tree  in 
the  new  sehoolhouse.  Two  Santa  Clauses 
helped  to  distribute  the  presents  and  make 
merry  the  little  fellows  to  whom  they 
were  an  actual  reality.  And’  now.  like 
other  good  things,  it’s  only  a  pleasant 
memory,  except  for  the  few  toys  and 
books,  handkerchiefs,  gloves,  etc.,  that 
can  neither  be  eaten  nor  broken.  Our 
sick  lad  is  better,  and  has  been  sampling 
a  bit  of  his  Christmas  cheer.  We  have 
to  make  him  go  slow,  first  half  a  biscuit, 
then  a  whole  one,  finally  restricted  to 
three  each  mealtime. 
Meanwhile  I  am  trying  to  gain  back 
strength  and  energy  from  a  spell  of 
grippe.  A  heart  that,  misses  fire  gives 
one  a  nauseous  sensation  hard  to  define, 
but  today  is  a  new  beginning,  and  the 
sun  still  shines,  aud  I  am  48  today.  We 
have  swept  brushed,  dusted,  renovated, 
fumigated  tnd  got  things  back  to  normal. 
It’s  such  a  pleasure  to  have  no  one  sick 
abed. 
Such  a  washing,  though,  and  soap  to 
make  and  hogs  to  butcher.  I  miss  the 
eldest  lad.  who  has  not  come  home.  Cecil 
the  second,  is  not  so  very  handy;  Lee 
builds  the  fires  in  the  school-house,  so  he 
has  to  start  early;  but  he  churned  this 
morning  before  daylight.  Thelma  has 
been  a  bit  in  the  background,  but,  will  not 
hear  of  missing  school,  though  more  than 
half  of  the  students  are  out  with  this 
epidemic.  For  want  of  a  better  name  I 
call  it  “the  distemper.” 
Eggs  have  gone  down,  and  the  hens  are 
beginning  to  lay  more  evgs.  Two  that 
have  been  sitting  part  of  two  years  must 
be  broken  up  when  I  can  get  to  the 
chicken -house.  Some  say  set  the  first 
broody  hen  in  the  new  year  for  luck,  but 
it’s  too  early  for  young  chickens  outside. 
There  are  so  many  things  one  wants 
and  can  never  get ;  sometimes  I  feel  like 
laying  my  head  on  my  arms  and  just  bawl- 
in^  the  choke  out  of  my  throat.  I  guess  it’s 
the  grippe,  but  that  reminds  me.  When 
the  second  daughter  was  small  she  had  a 
habit  of  crying,  especially  at  mealtime. 
Punishing  did  no  good,  so  we  began  to 
talk  about  that  bawler  in  ner  throat. 
One  day  at  the  noonday  meal  she  began 
her  old  tune.  I  said  to  her  father : 
“There’s  that  bawler  again.”  He  said: 
“Yes;  it’s  too  bad.”  She  stopped  to 
listen,  and  I  said  very  seriously  :  “I  am 
afraid  it  will  keep  on  until  it  chokes  her.” 
All  noise  ceased,  and  in  a  moment  she 
almost  fell  off  her  chair  aud  ran  out 
of  the  door,  screaming  as  though  she  was 
hurt.  I  thought  a  yellow-jacket  had 
stung  her,  and  ran  after  her.  T  caught 
her  ui).  and  said  :  “Why.  child,  what  is 
the  matter?”  “Oh.”  she  said,  “dat 
bawler  is  chokin’  me  to  deaf.”  I  was 
sorry  and  amused,  too.  Afterwards  we 
had  only  to  say:  “Look  out  for  the 
bawler.”  And  so  when  I  feel  like 
“bawling,”  I  think  of  Clyde’s  bawler  and 
laugh  instead  when  the  trouble  is  sim¬ 
ply  things  you  want  and  cannot  get,  or 
overstrung  nerves,  or  little  blue  imps. 
For,  after  all,  what  are  we?  Human  ants 
struggling,  pushing,  striving  for  existence. 
And  when  one  falls  out  he  is  scarcely 
missed.  It  is  only  through  unity  and 
co-operation  we  can  hope  to  accomplish 
anything  worth  while,  and.  knowing  we 
can  never  pass  this  way  but  once,  it  be¬ 
hooves  us  to  “do  all  the  good  we  can, 
in  all  thp  ways  we  can  to  all  the  people 
we  can.”  and  thereby  make  our  own  lives 
a  bit  bigger,  and  our  own  hearts  a  bit 
brighter;  and  here’s  a  sincere  wish  for  a 
happy,  prosperous  New  Year  to  all  the 
friends  of  The  R.  N.-Y.  mrs.  p.  b.  p. 
r  Endorsed  by 
Good  Housekeeping 
and  Modern  Priscilla 
FREE  Demonstration 
Very  likely  there  is  a  Vacuette  dis¬ 
tributor  in  a  town  near  to  you.  Look 
for  the  name  Vacuette  in  the  tele¬ 
phone  directory,  call  him  up  and  he 
will  give  a  free  demonstration  of  the 
Vacuette  in  your  home.  If  you  don’t 
find  a  representative  in  your  locality, 
write  direct  to  us. 
iNo  &£eclfiicitif 
The  Vacuette  is  the  remarkable  vacuum 
cleaner  that  runs  without  electricity.  Costs 
nothing  for  operation  or  upkeep.  As  easy 
to  use  as  a  carpet  sweeper,  and  takes  out 
all  the  dust  and  dirt.  And  its  price  is  only 
about  half  what  you  would  expect  to  pay 
for  a  really  efficient  vacuum  cleaner. 
Manufactured  and  Sold  Exclusively  by 
THE  SCOTT  &  FETZER  COMPANY 
Largest  Manufacturers  of  Non-Electric 
Vacuum  Cleaners  in  the  World 
Dept.  52  Cleveland,  Ohio 
Also  Manufactured  in  Canada  by 
VACUETTES,  Ltd. 
Miller  Building 
48  York  Street 
Toronto 
Thousands  of  farmers’  wives  have  made 
their  housework  easy  with  the  Vacuette 
just  as  the  farmer  has  made  his  work  easy 
with  modern  machinery.  To  have  theVacu- 
otte  is  to  get  rid  of  the  drudgery  of  cleaning 
—it  is  to  see  rugs  and  carpets  always  bright 
as  new,  and  it  is  to  have  more  time  for  other 
things  than  keeping  the  house  clean. 
Why  keep  on  with  those  hard  “sweeping 
days,”  when  the  Vacuette  will  give  you  a 
cleaner  home  with  little  work? 
Costs 
Least 
Lasts 
Longest 
Aspirin 
Say  “Bayer”  and  Insist! 
Unless  you  see  the  name  “Bayer”  on 
package  or  on  tablets  you  are  not  get¬ 
ting  the  genuine  Bayer  product  pre¬ 
scribed  by  physicians  over  twenty-two 
years  and  proved  safe  by  millions  for 
Colds 
Toothache 
Earache 
Neuralgia 
Headache 
Lumbago 
Rheumatism 
Pain,  Pain 
Accept  “Bayer  Tablets  of  Aspirin” 
only.  Each  unbroken  package  contains 
proper  directions.  Handy  boxes  of 
twelve  tablets  cost  few  cents.  Drug¬ 
gists  also  sell  bottles  of  24  and  100. 
Aspirin  is  the  trade  mark  of  Bayer 
Manufacture  of  Monoaceticacidester  ’  of 
Salicylic-acid. 
MAKES  your  old  kerosene  lamps  and 
lanterns  shine  u it b  a  brilliant  soft, 
white  light.  Non-breakable  steel  mantle. 
Noemoke.  No  soot.  Relieves  eye  strain. 
(Her  a  million  satisfied  users.  Guaranteed 
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88  Clark  Building  Grand  Raoids.  Mich 
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Coffee  Advances  in  Price 
But  Quality  Must  Be  Maintained 
I  have  been  hoping  for  months  that 
the  Brazilian  coffee  market  would  show 
lower  prices  on  green  coffee.  Instead, 
it  has  steadily  advanced.  Now  I  can 
no  longer  carry  the  loss.  I  must  either 
substitute  a  poor  quality  of  coffee  or 
increase  the  price.  I  do  not  believe 
my  customers  want  to  change  their 
favorite  coffee.  Therefore  the  price  is 
now  $1.15  for  three  pounds,  prepaid, 
instead  of  $1.00,  as  heretofore. 
If  you  have  not 
tried  my  delicious 
coffee,  send  me 
$1.15  for  three 
pounds.  The 
quality  will 
surprise 
and  please 
you. 
ALICE  FOOTE  MACD0UGALL, 
73  Front  Street,  New  York,  N.  Y. 
Agents 
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In  hermetically  sealed  cans,  strictly  dry  measure- 
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Pori  Norris,  Cumberland  Co..  N.  J. 
Extra  postage  charged  beyond  second  zone. 
