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The Commoner
VOLUME 7, NUMBER 27
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.dPh,o Buttle of Life
Did you tackle tho trouble that came
your way,
With a rosoluto heart and cheor
ful? Or hide your faco from tho light of
day,
With a craven soul and fearful?
Oh, a trouble's a ton or a trouble's
an ounce,
Or a troublo is what you make it;
And it Isn't tho fact that you're hurt
that counts,
But only how did you take it.
You aro beaten to earth? Well, well,
what's that?
Come up with a smiling faco;
It's nothing against you to fall down
flat,
But to lie there that's disgrace!
Tho harder you're thrown, why, tho
higher you bounce;
Be proud 'of your blackened eye;
It isn't the fact that you're licked
Hi nnn i4-rt
It's how did you fight and why.
And though you bo done to the death,
what then?
If you battlod the best you could,
If you played your part in the world
Of. men,
yhy, tho critic will call it good..
Death comes wili . a crawl or conies
with a. pounce, h
And whether he;s slow or spry,
It isn't tho fact tfrat you're dead that
. jfiqjintB, ' .. w ,
. But only, how did you dlo. ,
Edmund Vance Cook.'.
roods are set in. Most articles must
bo kept in tho box, tightly closed,
for from two to four hours, though
it may bo kept from ten to twelve.
Roasted or boiled meats, or soups
require from fifteen" to thirty min
utes actual cooking over tho fire, al
ways in tightly covered vessels from
which tho cover is not to be, opened.
As to tho amount of water, used in
the first place, "just enough" is a
good rulo, and tllat must be learned
by oxperionco, as the water can not
ovaporate. The length of time for
the various foods must also be
learned by experimenting, and it is
well to have sovoral boxes, or one
divided Into compartments, each one
having its own lining, pillow and lid,
for the box must not be opened until
all the food is to be taken out. The
food is literally cooked by steam
moist heat, and the higher degree of
this heat that is retained, the better
tho food will be. The packing, of
whatever nature, should bo renewed
every few Weeks, to nrevent sourness
or smells, and after one has "learned
I Hi a trfnlr " flinfo wilt 1 nn v.i,Vl
in doing this. The packing must be
under, as well as around, tho cooking
vessels.
The ITomo Made Cooking Chest
Several calls have been made for
a description of a cooking chest
which can be made by the home car
penter. There are many ways of
constructing them, the main thing
being to make them as heat-retaining
as possible. Here is a good way:
Take any 'box or 'trunk that can be
made perfectly air-tight as" far as
cracTcs and crevices aro concerned.
Fill tho box with'hay, fine shavings,
excelsior, crumpled newspaper, or
something similar. n.nrl intn tMa fin
ing set the vessels intended for use
in cooking, which may bo tin', grati
itoware, or crockery, which' must
hav6 tightly-fittod covers. Pack the
filling very tightly around the ves
sel, pounding it .down hard, so that
when tho vessel ih Hffmi uv af
will remain in stiape for it to" be re
turned. A muslin bag, filled with
loose hay, should be made to fit into
the top of tho box,, and the outside
cover or lid be 'put on so it can be
shut down upon this hay pillow very
tightly. Into tho cpoking vessels
must be' placed the foods, given tho
requisite timo over the fire, and then
the vessel, with the contents boiling
hot, must bo put Into the nests, the
pillow adjusted, and the lid ..closed
down tightly. Over tho closed box
it Is well to throw an old quilt, piece
of carpet, or blanket, as this will
further conserve the heat.
As tho water does not evaporate
after tho vessel is placed in the chest,
one must bo careful not to use more
water than is just necessary. In
general, it will require from three
to five minutes actual boiling on the
fire for most vegetables, and they
iiVT i , , mG CU03t Just as
lifted from tho, fire no opening or
changing of vessels, and still boiling,
the box to be closed immediately, so
as to lose no heat. It would be well
to have jutrs or inr.Q nf hnllln. . 4.
in the chest, heating it boforo the
Another. Cooking Chest
Procure a close wooden box with
a tight cover, and line sides and bot
tom to a thickness of one-half inch
or so with asbestos or mineral wool,
then take a tightly-covered tin box
(U bread box "will do), and fit it
snugly within the asbestos-lined box;
packing all spaces with the mineral
wool, crushed paper, sawdust, or
similar stuff, pounding it down hard
to the box. The covored vessels con
taining the rapidly boiling foqds can
be at once sot into this tin box and
both covers with a hay pillow be
tween, tightly closed, wlion the heat
will be retained. The tin box can.
bo kept clean with little trouble, and'
no re-lining is neaessary. These'
chests should hold two or three ves
sels only, as It will retain the heat
much better, and they cost so little
mat several separate ones for the
various kinds of food may be kept;
Poods already cooked, or drinks,
which it is desired should be kept
warm for a stated time, can be set
into the cooking chdst, after being
re-heated, and kent for hours. With
an oil, gasoline, alcphol or gas stove,
on which to do tho preparatory boil
ing, the housework, , and especially
the kitchen part of it; may be greatly
simplified.
of heartache that comes with the
thought that we are lost sight of by
our loved ones .who have learned in
so short a time to live without us,
they would not so readily turn away
from pen and paper. Many things
occur during even a brief absence
that in after times make us wish we
had sent the loving word, or written
tho bheery letter. Many unhappy
things, that have taken from us the
power forever more to gladden or to
comfort the dear hearts we so care
lessly neglected.
It is a little thing just a few
words, assuring us that we are not
forgotten that .even in other joys,
our presence is' missed; that the
young heart turnskin joy or in sor
row, to the "old folks at home" for
the sympathy none others can give
Is it a little thing to slight such
love? Dear boys and girls, write
the letter to the home folks. It
takes so little to make them happy,
and come what may, they will al
ways love you. ' Give them glimpses
of your outing joys, and let them at
least touch you in your journeyings.
The partings are so new, and they
so long for you! Bye-and-bye, when
you have gone out to make a life
of your own, if the world fails to
receive ' you kindly, or takes from
you that which you can ill-spare,,
you will realize that in the pld home'
there are love and shelter and a
faith in your strength that can be
.found no other wheres. ,
a
Tho Letters We Wait For
Many of our readers, and especial
ly tho young people, will be going
away on a vacation of longer or
shorter duration during the hot
months now at hand, and in their
joy at their own release they should
not forget the ones they leave still in
the tread-mill of home duties. Among
the things packed away in tho trunks
or suit-cases should bo a liberal sup
ply of, stationery, pencils and postage
stamps, and these should be used,
fre.ely in giving the homo folks a
share in the. merry outing-joys. Many
will be inclined to put off the letter-writing,
even the briefest, with
the excuse that tho day's doing left
thorn too tired for pen work; but
this should not be, If they could
only see the exgp.ctant look of the
home faces at ne approach of the
post-man as it turns slowly into a
sorrowful disaimointmont whn hAA
J is no letter, or could feel tho touch
' '' r- "' 'Sleep"
When to soft sleep w;e give ourselves
away,
And in the dream, as in a fairy bark,
Drift on and, on through the enchant-
. ed dark '
To purple daybreak little -thought
we pay
To that swegtflbitter worldywe know
by day;. -,v. -
We are clean vquit of it, as .is a lark,
bo high in heaven no. human eye can
mark
The thin swift pinion' cleaving
through the gray. , ,
Till we awake ill fjite can dq no ill,
The resting heart shall not take up
again .;- . . -
The heavy load that yet must make
it bleed,:,,' 1
'For this brief space the loud world's
voice is still,
No faintest echo of It brings us pain.
'How will it be when we shall sleep
indeed?
. Thomas Bailey Aldrich.
Tho 'Country Schools '
Many journals published, in tha
interests of the farming communities
are urging the emnlovmont r H10
.country schools of only experienced
tuuuuers, ana tne school , directors
are advised to "get the best for their
money." While it is patent to any
one who will give the subjects little
consideration, that the country
school is not as good as it .should be",
it Boemd yery hard to awaken a suffi
cient interest in tho matter among
the patrons to bring about the re
form so .greatly needed. Very few
"experienced" teachers apply for the
country school, if there seems any
chance of getting a place in-the vil
lage, town, or city, and nearly" all
teachers given charge of ,the farm
school are getting their first lessons
in teaching through this channel. Of
course, in thickly-settled, well-to-do
neighborhoods this-Js not always, or
often, the case; It is the sparsely
peppled, off-the-railroad districts
that most suffer from this cause, ag
thesk people must take what they can
get at the price they can afford to
pay for it. It seems a pity that some
means can not be devised by which
better educational'advantages' could
be dealt out to the children of these
hardworking, courageous parents,
for "they are fully ,as bright and as
deserving as their more fortunate
city cousins. If tlio farm lifo' is to
be made attractive to these young
people, they should be encouraged
by giving them as 'good as is given
to the better financed neighborhoods,
and the state should see that .all her
children are treated' alike" in the mat
ter of schools Thousands upon
thousands of dollars are lavished up
on the city schools, while the few
dollars doled out to the country
school needs mustt first be wrung
from the scant earnings of tho par
ents, who must talcfc what thev mn
.command in the way of instructors
lor tneir children, and only too often
there is but little choice as to the
applicants.
"The Woman on the Job"
It is . declared that women are
showing an increasing tendency to
prefer a good job to an indifferent
husband. Though. .there is an in
creasing tendency among elderly
persons to discuss- he relative 'merits
and results of tjie European mar
riage of convenience and the Amer
ican marriage of feeling, the whole
tendency of our times is 'to, make
mutual love the only sane motive
for matrimony. ' And the - self-supporting
woman ig Entirely responsible
for this justification' of romancp by
economics. For. 's' a business prop
osition, it is npi( tenable that a
woman should gye up, say, $25 a
wek of her own' to marry , man
making about th.same, or eyenarg
er 'salarv out of wnirth Rb wrmivr no-n
,tainly not .have '$'25 .weekly to dis-'
i'udo m ao ur uwu. inol until senti
ment steps in and the love of the $25--a-week
man becomes the one inesti
mable treasure for which she would
sacrifice millions, if s.he had it, does
a marriage so lacking in brilliancy
appeal to her. The marriages of
successful business' or professional
women are nearly.1 Ull love matches.'
Women have always been sep'tjpien-,
tal; hut formerly,, when mai;riage
was the only recognized and 'respect
ed means of livelihood, wom'fri very ""
often sacrificed tlieir personal feel
ings to establish themselves or their
families by an advantageous Junion.
And they did so with the rib.blest,
though most mistaken notions' qtjself
sacrlfiqe. Now, however, whe& a
wdman has equal1 chances ofwage
earnhig with men, the only, motive
for mercenary marriages is'-s simple
laziness and lack of self-respect. The
trials of a loveless marriage ai& far
greater to a woman than thi'most
arduous profession involves, ancFwo
irien are more anil more realizing
that matrimony for a homewhich
they could create by theft!1 own
efforts, is not only' an error oT taste,
but of Judgment-ijPost-DispaJqfr. '
Some Inconsistencies ,-.
It is greatly to be doubted Wheth
er men, with the possible exception
of a few sensible ones, haveOnuch
real admiration for domestic women,
The average man willfluently extol
the salt of the earth," and press
its superior merits upon his neigh
bor; but 'he quietly helps himself
to the sugar or catsup, as the- caso
m be- While most men are quite
willing that their wives shall shine
in the kitchen to ,the physical well
being of the family, they resent it
deepjy if, as sometimes mor Often
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'AN yP AND "W15J1L. TRIED REMEDY
r; 7,SLO?,8'qo?raiNo STmiRf qr ohii-
5len) tleiJbincBtd fy&y8 toe used, for
dren'iyhilo teothinc'. Itfeottens the min&T'allRya
n nJn.ciires wind colic unci Js the beat remedy
feraiarrhcea. rJJvrenty-nvecenta bottlt
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