The  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
.  447  w 
A  Vermont  Home  in  Winter 
The  end  of  the  12  days  of  Christmas 
usually  finds  me  ready  to  settle  down  for 
the  Winter  schedule.  Grandmother  used 
to  say  that  each  day  of  the  12  days  fore¬ 
cast  the  weather  for  the  coming  12 
months.  If  that  is  true,  we  are  going  not 
to  have  a  severe  Winter.  Anyway,  it  is 
marked  down  on  a  calendar,  and  the  boys 
will  have  the  fun  of  watching  it  through 
the  year.  It  has  been  a  fine  Winter  so 
far ;  one  crow  stays  with  us.  and  other 
towns  near  report  a  fetv  robins  and 
1  hoebes,  and  the  old  bear  hasn't  denned 
yet,  for  he  was  talking  ho-hoo  in  that 
peculiar  fashion  of  his  only  last  night. 
They  tell  us  cotton  goods  will  be  higher, 
so  the  next  thing  must  be  a  5-lb.  bundle 
of  gingham  remnants  for  blouses  and  suits 
for  small  boys,  and  a  friend  even  got  two 
or  three  house  dresses  from  her  bundle. 
Finding  a  use  for  everything  is  a  hobby 
of  ours,  and  for  a  time  old  sweaters  both¬ 
ered  me,  but  the  best  parts  make  nne 
bed  socks  for  the  small  fellows  who  un¬ 
dress  by  the  fire,  then  scamper  for  bed. 
The  white  and  light-colored  sweaters  fur¬ 
nish  the  filling  for  holders,  and  the  back 
of  an  old  mackinaw  will  furnish  material 
for  a  warm  bib  or  chest  protector  for  the 
faithful  horse  who  is  drawing  up  the 
Winter’s  wood. 
Our  boys  had  16  weeks  of  school  with 
no  vacation,  till  Christmas  gave  us  two 
weeks,  and  we  have  been  enjoying  it. 
Laddie  is  cookee,  and  we  have  been  try¬ 
ing  new  recipes.  By  midwinter  we  begin 
to  tvant  “something  different.”  and  al¬ 
though  most  outdoor  workers  like  the  sub¬ 
stantial  best,  they  enjoy  something  new, 
or,  as  Jack  laughingly  told  us,  “I  can 
stand  most  anything  once.’’ 
Farmers’  wives  are  sometimes  accused 
of  making  none  of  the  lighter  soups,  and 
the  milk  soups  are  especially  nice  for 
children.  Here  are  the  two  new  ones  we 
liked  best.  As  both  burn  down  easily,  a 
double  boiler  is  nice  to  cook  them  in,  but 
for  mv  family  I  doubled  the  recipe,  so 
brought  the  soup  to  a  boil,  then  drew  it 
to  the  back  of  the  stove  to  simmer: 
Cornmeal  Soup — Fry  brown  and  crisp 
two  slices  salt  pork,  chopped  line,  add 
one  onion,  chopped,  one  carrot ;  when 
brown  add  one  quart  hot  water.  Add  one 
cup  cornmeal  stirred  smooth  in  a  little 
cold  water,  salt,  pepper.  Boil  two  hours, 
add  one-half  pint  milk  and  serve  hot.  If 
desired,  milk  can  be  substituted  for  part 
or  the  whole  of  the  water. 
Potato  Cream  Soup — One  quart  milk, 
heat  and  slice  in  an  onion  and  a  stalk 
of  celery,  if  at  hand ;  nut  four  good-sized 
potatoes  through  the  food  chopper  or  mash 
line.  Cook  a  few  minutes,  add  a  table¬ 
spoon  flour,  stirred  smooth  in  a  little 
<<•1(1  water,  add  a  lump  of  butter,  salt  and 
pepper.  I  dry  every  celery  leaf,  put  in 
an  airtight  can,  and  add  a  half  teaspoon 
of  the  powdered  leaf  to  each  soup. 
Hid  you  ever  place  a  layer  of  parboiled 
beans  in  your  bean  pot,  then  a  layer  of 
canned  corn  tor  dried  corn  that  has  been 
soaked),  more  beans  than  corn,  till  full, 
then  season  as  usual?  We  are  going  to 
try  it  soon.  A  friend  savs  it.  is  good. 
While  talking  of  “eats,”  we  have 
pickled  pickerel  and  suckers  and  a  neigh¬ 
bor  packs  other  fish  in  the  same  way.  We 
use  a  wooden  lard  tub  from  the  store  to 
pack  in.  Clean  the  fish  and  wash  thor¬ 
oughly,  put  in  a  layer  of  coarse  fine  salt, 
then  a  layer  of  fish,  pack  closely  and  put 
a  little  salt  inside  each  fish.  Cover  with 
a  clean  board  that  fits  down  on  the  fish, 
weight  it  down  with  a  heavy  stone.  Add 
no  water,  as  they  make  their  own  brine. 
These  will  keep  at  least  a  year.  Next 
comes  the  freshening.  Remove  a  fish 
from  brine,  wash,  place  in  a  frying-pan 
full  of  cold  water,  set  on  the  back  of  the 
stove  to  heat  slowly.  When  quite  warm 
turn  off  water  (be  sure  to  turn  it  where 
the  fowls  will  not  drink  it)  and  repeat 
four  or  five  times. 
In  regard  to  the  men  not  attending 
church,  one  thoughtful  man  remarked : 
“Why  should  they?  When  the  minister 
makes  a  call,  he  always  has  on  good 
clothes  and  calls  on  the  ladies  in  the  par¬ 
lor.  while  the  man  is  on  the  farther  side 
of  the  farm  in  his  work  clothes.  It  seems 
to  me  if  I  were  a  minister  I  would  wear 
clothes  so  that  I  could  go  out  in  the  field 
and  hunt  uo  the  men.  Perhaps  I  could 
help  a  little,  and  we  could  get  all  the 
better  acquainted.” 
Another  reason  for  the  failure  of  the 
rural  churches  is  the  lack  of  sociability. 
A  young  man  walked  three  miles  to 
church,  and  although  he  knew  many  of 
the  people  -week  days,  not  one  bade  him 
as  much  as  "good  morning.”  When  he 
goes  to  church  he  goes  somewhere  else 
now. 
Too  many  times  the  calls  of  church 
members  on  the  rural  members  and  new¬ 
comers  is  limited  to  the  pastor  and — 
shall  we  confess  it? — the  soliciting  com¬ 
mittee.  Should  there  not  be  a  welcoming 
committee  of  every  member  of  every 
church?” 
Get  hold  of  the  young  people.  We 
criticise  the  young  people  for  their  per¬ 
haps  questionable  amusements.  What  is 
your  church  doing  to  provide  sane,  clean 
enioyment  for  every  young  person  in  your 
community?  Think  it  over. 
'  I  notice  Mr.  Farrington  thinks  ferns 
are  not  injured  by  picking.  If  is  the  exper¬ 
ience  of  fern-pickers  that  after  five  sea¬ 
s'  ns  of  continuous  picking  the  bed  is  usu¬ 
ally  “run  out.”  Fern  banks  that  three 
or  four  years  ago  yielded  over  $50  this 
year  yielded  less  than  $2.  so  some  banks 
d'Oer^-ate  faster.  The  ferns  grow  fewer 
and  smaller  after  the  second  or  third 
picking.  -**“-  - -  mother'  ree:  *  - 
Pennsylvania  Cup  Cheese 
Has  anyone  a  recipe  for  making  “cup 
cheese,”  as  sold  in  markets  in  cups?  The 
cheese  on  the  market  varies  so ;  lumpy, 
too  thick,  too  thin,  etc.  t.  g.  y. 
The  following  instructions  for  making 
cup  cheese  were  given  by  a  Pennsylvania 
reader  several  years  ago  : 
“I  use  skim-milk,  allowing  it  to  re¬ 
main  until  thickened  like  junket.  When 
it  comes  to  this  stage,  put  it  in  a  kettle 
on  stove  until  boiling  hot;  then,  by  stir¬ 
ring,  it  will  be  all  crumbly.  Heat  on 
back  of  stove  or  on  very  low  gas  burner. 
Now  pour  this  in  cheesecloth,  drain  off 
whey  and  pour  cold  water  through  curd. 
After  this  drains  dry,  put  curd  in  bow! 
large  enough  to  work  it  well  with  your 
hands.  To  curd  from  four  quarts  of 
milk,  add  piece  of  soda  the  size  of  a  pea. 
Mix  this  well,  then  cover  up  in  bowl,  and 
set  in  a  warm  place.  Turn  every  morn¬ 
ing  until  it  gets  sticky.  Prepare  a  sec¬ 
ond  lot  of  fresh  curd,  and  add  to  the  other 
when  it  is  sticky ;  put  all  in  a  double 
boiler,  add  enough  sweet  milk  to  moisten 
it,  salt  to  taste,  and  butter  the  size  of  a 
walnut.  Cook  this  until  it  is  all  smooth 
The  Rural  Patterns 
In  ordering  always  give  number  of  pattern 
and  size  desired,  sending  price  with  order 
9772.  Box  Coat. 
34  and  44  bust. 
9593.  Two  -  piece 
Skirt,  24  to  34 
waist.  The  medium 
size  coat  will  re¬ 
quire  3%  yards  of 
material  30  inches 
wide,  3  yards  44, 
2(4  yards  54.  The 
medium  size  skirt 
will  require  2  (4 
yards  oP  Material 
30,  44  or  54  inches 
wide.  Width  at 
lower  edge  1  yard 
25  inches.  Each  20 
cents. 
9853.  One  piece 
dress,  34  to  42  bust. 
The  medium  size 
will  require  3% 
yards  of  material 
30,  44  or  54  inches 
wide,  2  yards  30  or 
44,  1  yard  54  extra 
for  t  ii  e  lining. 
Width  1  yard  25 
inches  at  lower 
edge.  20  cents. 
£83^ 
8839.  Child’s 
dress,  0  months  or 
1  year,  2  and  4 
years.  The  2-year 
size  will  require  2 
yards  of  material  30 
inches  wide,  1(4 
yards  44.  20  cents. 
9973.  Child’s 
dress  with  bloom¬ 
ers.  2  and  4  years. 
1024.  Embroidery 
design,  suitable  for 
any  trimming  pur¬ 
pose.  The  2-year 
size  will  require  1(4 
yards  of  material  27 
inches  wide,  Wi 
yards  36,  %  yard  44 
for  the  dress,  with 
1(4  yards  either 
width  for  the 
bloomers.  Each  20 
cents. 
unci  glossy , .  like  soft  soap.  Then  pour 
into  cups  and  let  it  get  cold.  If  the  milk 
is  hand-skimmed,  and  has  much  fat  left 
in  it,  the  cheese  will  be  soft,  and  not  so 
firm. 
Simple  Soap-making 
I  have  made  my  own  soap  for  years* 
perhaps  my  short-cut  might  help  others’ 
I  use  a  small  pail  that  will  hold  5  lbs  or 
more;  weigh  the  pail  when  empty,  then 
tie  a  piece  of  cheesecloth  over  the  top 
Strain  all  the  waste  fat  through  this,  just 
as  it  comes  alone,  a  little  at  a  time.  When 
there  is  5  lbs.  take  a  can  of  lye  and  fol¬ 
low  directions  (only  I  find  5‘lbs.  better 
than  the  6  lbs.  called  for),  and  add  a 
tablespoon  of  borax.  One  can  make  it 
all  in  less  than  half  an  hour,  without  any 
mess,  as  there  is  when  a  large  quantity 
must  be  strained  and  cleaned.  Also,  the 
fat  does  not  become  spoiled.  This  makes 
S  lbs.  good  soap,  which  usually  “floats.” 
MRS.  II.  p.  II. 
Tender-handed  stroke  a  nettle, 
t  And  it  stings  you  for  your  pains ; 
Grasp  ijt  like  a  man  of  mettle. 
And  it  soft  as  silk  remains. 
—AAEON  -  - 
All  the  Fun  Without  Long  Practice! 
All  the  fun  of  playing  the  music  you  want 
— all  the  fun  of  playing  it  well — without 
hours  of  practice. 
Thousands  are  doing  it!  They’ll  tell  you 
how  easy  it  is.  And  those  are  the  homes 
where  there  is  real  fun  on  tap,  always! 
But  that  isn’t  all!  No  sir.  It’s  good  music 
you  play.  Play  it  any  way  that  appeals  to 
you.  Fast,  slow,  loud,  soft — a  sharply  ac¬ 
cented  note  here — a  quick  riot  of  melody 
there — you  can  do  anything  on  a  Gulbran- 
sen — and  do  it  easily. 
You  learn  quickly.  So  do  your  children. 
Instruction  Rolls  make  it  easy. 
You’ll  find  yourself  singing,  too. 
The  words  of  the  songs  are  on 
the  rolls.  Oh,  it’s  fun,  all  right! 
See  your  Gulbransen  dealer  today.  Don’t 
put  off  this  means  of  real  enjoyment. 
'Nationally  Priced 
GUI  BRANSEN-DIOKINSON 
COMPANY,  Chicago 
Canadian  Distributors: 
Mutual  Sales  Service,  Ltd. 
79  Wellington  St.  W.,  Toronto 
)  >923  G-0  Co 
.  Tw-,, 
ThisyBkby  for  a  Baby 
1  ''(ftlso  Ne^  Book  of  Gulbijrjyisen  Mu.lc.  Free 
f  #  \£  ch£ck  coupoK^ 
rou  do  nai  ow-n  a  piano 
HfRtereste.'d  lWjUuXng 
.  . _  ,  . 
•  .Write  naHit^ariit1  Sdarets  in  margin. 
-^Mnil  to  Gulbran.en-Dickinton  Co  , 
3212  W  ChicagoAvenue.Chicago.Ill. 
(^ULBRANSEN 
V_T  Q/ie  Player^Piano 
Aspirin 
Say  “Bayer”  and  Insist! 
Unless  you  see  (he  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 
Golds 
Toothache 
Earache 
Neuralgia 
Headache 
I  .umbago 
Hheumatism 
Pain,  Pain 
Accept  “Bayer  Tablets  of  Aspirin" 
only.  Each  unbroken  package  contains 
proper  directions.  Handy  boxes  of 
twelve  tablets  cost  few  cents.  Drug- 
R^'s  also  sell  bottles  of  24  and  100. 
Aspirin  is  the  trade  mark  of  Bayer 
Manufacture  of  Monoaceticaeidester  of 
Salieylieacid. 
Stove  for  a  Dime 
A  handy,  sheet  steel 
folding  stove.  Folds  flat. 
Weighs  8  ounces.  Great 
for  cooking, heating  water, 
warming  baby’s  milk,  etc. 
Hundreds  of  uses. 
a n  J  1  ()/.  and  this  ad  to 
OC1IU  1UI  SternoCorp.. 
Dept.  1  -4.  9  East  37th  Street,  New 
York  City,  and  this  sample  stove 
will  be  sent  prepaid. 
STERNO 
Canned  Heat 
The  Daily  Fuel  of  a 
Thousand  Uses 
mm 
MAKES  your  old  kerosene  lamps  find 
lanterns  shine  with  a  brilliant  soft 
white  light.  Non-breakable  steel  mantle. 
No  smoke.  No  soot.  Relieves  eye  strain. 
Over  a  million  satisfied  user*.  Guaranty  < 
safe,  durable,  reliable.  Complete  namp)< 
50  ets.poftt paid, stamps or coin;  3  for  91.55. 
Vour  money  back  if  not  satisfied. 
Live  Uepr§»mtati*m  IIVcr tid 
WHITE  FLAME  LIGHT  CO. 
88  Clark  Building  Grand  Ranid*.  Mich. 
...NTS’  PECK’S  RIVETS  MEND  GRANITE  j 
m 
/|rtAr4i_  WAK»  A  DOLLAR  AN  IIOITK.  SEll  MKM»KT£ 
HlCiIIS  h.  patent  patch  for  lnsf,«ntly  mending  leaks 
O  in  rtl!  w  fc,e  n  * !  I  8.  Sample  ok  ai?  e  free. 
COLLETTE  MIC.  CO.,  Dept.  108  A  mat  era  am,  N.  V. 
