4t .
The Commoner.
Ag. a9, 1903
9
choosing her own costume, except in
generally accepted regulations.
-Any woman who has tried to go up
stairs, carrying a baby, a glass of milk
and a lighted lamp, and at the same
time trying to hold up her skirts, will
advocate some sort of dress reform, at
least for the house. It won't be the
divided skirt, however, for one woman
who wore one said she had to hold up
both leglettes when going up stairs,
and how could she manage to get the
baby, lamp and milk.up also? Give us
short skirts, bloomers, or anything
that will tend to prevent us from fall
ing over ourselves.
While women are not the moat inter
ested observers of homo life, 'they have
the most to do with it, and they are
demonstrating that, notwithstanding
all the desertions and all the negli
gences, the home is bound to survive,
and we may bo sure that it will re
main as essential to the best civiliza
tion, the strength of respectable so
ciety, and the stay of public virtue.
We cannot expect our children to be
better men and women than we are,
in the natural order of things. If we
by our example set the moral standard
of purity on a low plane, how can we
expect that our young people will
have high views of morality and
honor?
A reasonable amount of work is a
h very good thing for every one, but
f there are other good things which we
ought to try to make time for, and
work past a certain limit, Is apt to bo
K bad both for health and temper. A
housekeeper whc is always in a hurry
is more trying to the rest of the fam
ily than unswept floors and unwashed
windows.
"Hints to Housekeepers."
These are the days when "Hints to
Housekeepers," in the matter of pre
serving, pickling, canning, etc.,
abound in the newspaper and the
periodical. Many of these hints are
most helpful to the inexperienced
housekeeper, well worth reading and
heeding; but there are others that
must bo regarded with a touch of dis
trust; they are not always reliable.
Especially so Is this the case where
they are "clipped," regardless of sea
son or accuracy of detail, by the busy
"man editor" who knows that his
publication, to bo up-to-date, must
have a Woman's Column, and who
yet has no "woman" to preside over
his selections. Some of these hints
are remarkable for their originality
and impracticability.
To Avert Strikes.
It is reported that the ladies of Chi
cago have appointed a board of arbi
tration whose avowed object is to set
tle the differences between themselves
and their housemaids, and the "strong
er sex" Is having a quiet laugh over
the fact that only employers are ap
pointed to serve on the board, over
looking, or ignoring, the right of the
employes to also have representation.
The association proposes to eet&b-
Llish employment agencies; and pro-
tection for young women from the
country and from foreign lands la
promised, also. According to the by
laws, a housewife who ill-treats her
employo will bo expelled from the association.
Tomato Flips.
Six pounds of brown sugar; sixteen
pounds pear-shaped tomatoes. Remove
the skin from the tomatoes in the us
ual way. Cook with the sugar, add
ing no water, until clear. Tako off,
lay-on plates, flatten and dry in the
sun. A small quantity of the syrup
should bo occasionally sprinkled on
them while drying. When dry, pack
them in boxes, treating each layer
with powdered sugar. Concentrate the
syrup and bottle. These flgs keep
well and have a fine flavor. C. A D.,
in Housekeeper.
The Sixty Club.
Laramie, Wyo., has one of the most
unique organizations In the country,
known as the Sixty club. It Is now in
its third year of existence, and num
bers twelve members. One of the re
quirements of the club is that the ap
plicant must be past her sixtieth birth
day, and its members range in ages
from 62 years to 80. Today these old
ladies are as hale and hearty as women
past 60 could be expected to be, cheer
ful, happy, and always going about
doing little acts of love and kindness.
They are all pioneers of Laramie.
H. W. McV.
Tho Man Who Watched Fly-Trap.
This is a true story; not an ac
cumulation of pseudo facts.
A man had spread out a sheet of
flypaper. He noticed that from day to
day the number of small black specks
increased, each speck telling the story
of the fly's tragic end.
One day, out of idle curipsity, he
fell to studying the flies as their doom
overtook them.
One fly came to the edge of the pa
per, tasted the treacherous, sticky pre
paration, then went away for the time
being.
Another fly did the same thing, but
waded boldly in and was soon caught
fast.
Another fly, flying down straight
from above, landed in the middle of
the flypaper. His pleasant buzz of an
ticipation soon changed to a loud sing
ing noise that told of helpless rage
and fear.
As the flies landed on the paper
each acted in a different way.
Some beat their wings frantically
for a second or two, only to fall over
on their sides very soon and succumb
to the sticky poison.
Others showed more intelligence,
and, when they realized the danger,
stood on the tips of their tiny legs,
endeavoring to draw themselves up
and fly away.
Now and then some fly, with a vio
lent effort of his muscles and of his
will, would actually tear himself from
the flypaper and escape.
Others could not get away, but
made a heroic struggle. They walked
across the paper, dragging their heavy
legs and sticky wings, climbing up on
the bodies of the other flies in search
of some means of escape.
The man watched the flies, their
different kinds of efforts, their dif
ferent ways of dying, the long strug
gles of some,, tho quicK su omission or
others. It was a grewsome but .n
teresting spectacle.
"What intarABterl him most wa th
stupidity of the flies, and the fact that
not one of them seemed to learn any
thing from tho fate of scores of oth
ers stretched dead on tho sticky sur
face. "It Is evident," said tho man, "that
these flies have abslutely no capacity
for thinking or for estimating conse
quences. "Each fly as ho approaches the pa
per must see that there are score? of
files lying dead on It. Each of those
Hies, as he joes back and forth near
this deathtrap, must seo tho other flics
struggling, see their usoleas efforts,
hear their terrified buzzing yet each
fly In his turn runs tho risk, and,
tempted by tho sweet, sticky sub
stanco, gops to death In his turn.
"I suppose that each foolish fly
thinks that he will cscapo tho fate of
the others. Each one imagines that
he can alight on tho paper and get off
again. Perhaps each has noticed tho
occasional fly that gets on tho fly
paper and does cscapo safely.
"What fools these flies are. What a
fool each one of them Is not to say to
himself that what has ruined so many
flies will surely ruin him. Why do
they not get out of this room, If tiny
can, or at least koop as far away from
the flypaper as possible?"
. ......
Having thus mused philosophically,
tho man put on his hat and went out,
leaving the flies and their foolishness
to take care of themselves.
The man turned to the right, then
turned to the left, then went through
a doorway, and then ho was on the
flypaper that catches human beings.
He was In a drinking saloon and he
had a glass of whisky in front ot him.
At this point we will study this man
In tho saloon as ho studied tho flies
on the flypaper in his bedroom. Whut
happens to the man in the saloon?
Exactly that Which happened to the.
flies on the flypaper.
One man goes near the edge of tho
whisky habit, takes a little and goes
away, like the fly first mentioned,
who approached the edge of the flypa
per.
This human fly who takes a littlo
and goes away is almost sure to come
back asain in timo.
Other men who approach tho whisky
'flypaper tako a little and promptly
wade right In to their doom.
The human victims that alight on
the whisky flypaper have as many
ways of struggling, as many ways of
dying, as many ways of suffering and
as few chances of escaping as the Ig
norant flies that alight on the sticky
flypaper in the hot kitchen.
Of human flies on the whisky fly
paper, some struggle feebly for a
while against the habit that has caught
them, and soon succumb.
Others last for a long while. Only
the ends of their feet touch the fly
paper. They keep their bodies erect,
and for the time being feel quite
proud of themselves, and call them
selves "moderate drinkers.".
But their feet" are on the flypapor,
and with nine out of ten of them It is
only a question of time when tho
body and mind will sink to the level
of the feet, and that will bo the end if
the struggle.
An occasional human being escapes
from the whisky flypaper and . goes
away to tell others that "whisky never
hurt him."
This human fly does the most harm.
Ho sends others to whisky, and sooner
or later he Is pretty sure to go back
there himself.
. . - m
When you go into a restaurant or
any other place where flypaper Is
pprcat? out, take a look at tho strug
gling, suffering Insects dying slowly
and horribly in the sticky mass that
falsely attracted them.
Ttou.will wonder at the stupidity cf
each fly as It alights regardless of the
fate of others.
Don't duplicate that fly's stupidity
in your own life.
Remember that what has ruined oth
ers may ruin you. Keep away from
the er-loon and from tho whisky bot
tle. Tako a walk through tho Pottcr'u
Field somo day any man at the
raorguo can tell you how to got thero
and you will find tho fruits of tho
whisky bottlo, quiet and peaceful at
least in their final rest on tho sur
faco of tho flypaper that caught them,
Now York Journal and American.
She Declined.
Tho following anocdoto, tho Ob
server thinks, ought to plcaso the
brethren who do not tolerate Instru
mental music In tho house of God.
An old woman who had been vainly
urged for years to attend church ser
vices at last made her appearance and
took a scat In a reserved pew. Just
a3 tho sexton told her tho mistake and
asked to give hor another place, tho
harmonium began to play. Being a
littlo deaf she answered:
"You will have to ask someone else,
for I don't dance,"
PltiVluIlP 125.000 made from ono-half acre
Kanlly grown throughout tho Ualtct
btatcs and ( nn&du. boom In rour
garden to grow thousands or dollars worth. Hoots aad
seeds for sale bead -to for postage and get our book,
let telling all sbou lit,
McDowell Ulaseiig; Qardens, Joplln, fllssourl.
To Democratic Readers.
, It was the Trust Workers that
defeated us In 1900. They Wanted to Vote for
Mr. Bryan, but would not vote themselves out
of their jobs.
.. Hut If we make the Referendum
the Paramount Issue, by which to settle the
important questions, we will have all tHe Union
Laber of the Country, and 2,000.000 Republicans
to help us get it.
Rkad HOW TO TREAT THE TRUSTS
...AND MOW TO WIN IN 1904...
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W Mr. Gregg was bora blind. He Is a dee
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2
