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The Commoner,
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VOLUME 10, NUMBER 14
AN OLD POEM
"For nn Album"
You look to tho future on abovo;
I only look on tho past;
You aro dreaming your first dream
of lovo,
And I havo dreamed my last.
You watch for feet that are to tread
With yours, on a shining track;
I hear but tho echo, dull and dread,
Of tho feet that conio not back.
Vou aro passing up, on tho flowery
slopo
I loft so long ago;
Your rainbows shino through the
drops of hope, .
And mino through tho drops of
woo.
Night glides In Its visions sweet
away,
And at morn you dream thorn o'er;
From my dreaming by night and
ray dreams by day,
I have wakened to dream no more.
You aro roach in g forth with a spirit
glad
To tho hopes that aro still untried;
I am putting away tho hopes that I
had
That havo slippod from my arms
and died.
And I pray that tho blessedest
things there bo
On your future may descond;
But, alas, for mino! It wero well
for mo
If I make a peaceful end.
Author Unknown.
(By request.)
in the cool of tho morning, even if
tho housework must bo' done later.
Indoors you will have shade. Let
tho "gude mou" do the heavy gar
dening with tho horse and plow, or
tho hand hoe.
For the Summer Outings
One of the most useful things for
the summer outing, is tho micro
scope. Beetles and bugs may not be
very interesting to tho casual ob
server who sees them only at a dis
tance from the eye; but seen through
even a low-priced microscope, there
aro many wonderful things about
them. Children are naturally inter
ested in tho lowly life at their feet,
and a little helpful guidance will
mako tho study not only an inter
esting, but a fascinating one, and
much information may bo gained
from the use of the glass a few min
utes every day. Not only is the ani
mal lifo interesting, but plant life
is full of mystery which only the
miscroscope will elucidate. One
docs not need to go outside the gate
way of the home to find food for
thought. The fly will present a fas
cinating study, in itself. The soil,
tho pebble, tho vegetation, aro all
full of interest to tho student, and
the shore of the little purling stream
swarms with most wonderful things
unnoticed by the natural eye. A
kodak is also a fine thing for the
outing, and the cost is
nished, it will cost but little more
to fro over the furniture.
There is nothing better for the
kitchen floor than a good coating of
hot oil. Scrub it perfectly clean, let
dry, fill in the cracks and then go
over it with linseed oil, made hot
enough so the boards will at once
absorb it; let this coat dry, then
give it another, repeating. A coat
ing of varnish is a good thing, after
the paint is perfectly dry, but it will
do very well without. It is much
moro satisfactory than a painted
floor, as the paint will wear off.
Do not neglect to screen doors and
windows with wire, in order to keep
out flies and mosauitoes and the
moths and bugs that fly about at
night. This is a necessity, as flies
are a menace to health, as well as a
destroyer of comfort. Economize on
something else, and have the screens.
If you have no frames for the win
dows, let the screen cover the whole
opening, tacking it on the outside of
the frame, then tho window can be
opened from top or bottom. Do this
as soon as the windows are cleaned
for tho spring. Do not neglect it!
Use plenty of limo and whitewash,
and remove everything that will rot
or mildew or retain dampness.
Among the oftenest neglected places
above stairs are the closets, and
these should receive close attention
especially those in which groceries
and kitchen supplies are stored.
Housewives are too prone to har
bor up scraps and useless articles
that will probably never be of any
use, and only serve to cumber and
create disorder. The housewife
should nerve herself to give, throw
away, or consign to a bonfire the
rubbish that will never be missed
except with a sensation of relief that
.it is gone. The rag man will take
a great deal off one's hands, and
anything of any worth will find value
with the charitable associations.
There is such a thing as keeping
things too long. Some one has said
that a fire is a good thing, now and
then, as it relieves the congestion.
A bonfire will answer the same purpose.
A. Simple Relief
After Garden Work
Many beautiful bits of scenery may
bo brought home from the afternoon
outing, and tho cost is not great
source of pleasure for years. We
slight so much that is at our hand,
in sighing for the far-away.
One of our mothers writes: "We
hear often that baby should have
frequent drinks of water, and so it
should. But often the baby cries
from nthp.r thine'R than thirst.. A
not great. hot tired baby ig very muph likG the
Many women, after working over
their plants, or in tho garden, find it
very hard to romovo tho soil from
tho fine creases of tho hands and
fingers. If tho hands aro well
rubbed with a little clean, sweet
lard, and tho lard allowed to soak
Into tho creases for a short time, this
will softon tho dirt so it can bo read
ily washed off with a mild soap and
quite warm water. A brushing with
a soft flesh brush will help matters,
and when all tho marks of soil are
removed, tho hands should bo rinsed
in cold water and a littlo cold cream
rubbed into tho cuticlo to restore
tho oil removed by the hot water.
CaToless washing and hasty drying
causes rough, ugly handB, and sud
den changes from hot to cold wator
in tho various household duties
mako thom rough and red. Such
hands are always dirty and always
uncomfortable, as tho rough surface
catches and holds tho dirt. One of
the best things for smoothing tho
hands is a lotion raado of rosewater,
eight ounces, pulverized borax, one
ounce, glycerine, ono ounce. After
drying, whllo the hands are still
moist, rub a few drops of this lotion
over them.
To prevent tan, there is nothing
bettor than tho old-fashioned sun
bonnet, the capo of which protects
the back of tho neck, while the deop
front protects the race. Loose cot
ton gloves should bo worn about the
work, as well as for all kinds of
sweeping, dusting, and other grimy
work. 'Woolen gloves should not bo
used, as they heat the hands and
Injure them. The loose gloves may
be home-made, or they can be bought
in the stores for ten cents jper pair.
JWear thick soled shoes while
Working about in the soil, to-pro-tect
the feet from dampness. Do
the garden work as much as possible
Worry Not tho Worst
Wo are often warned not to worry,
and aro assured that it is worry, not
work, that kills. In many cases, it
is worry, tho pure, unadulterated
"looking for things that never hap
pen;" but often in the lives about
us, it is grief grieving that kills.
In many homes where there is not
the slightest occasion to worry, we
see unhappy women, and sad look
ing men. We can not look down
into their hearts, but if we could,
we siiouid see, not worry, but grief
a sorrowing over some loss that can
never be replaced; some vacancy
that can never be filled; some grief
that kills by slow torture. Worry
is not the worst.
hot, tired adult. I learned long ago
thsit ono nf tho most nnnthincr things I
for a nervous, crying baby was a
cloth wrung out of water of a tem
perament to suit, wrapped about the
little head not just laid on the lit
tle forehead, but a light towel or
linen napkin, that would cover the
whole head. Somethimes cold wa
ter is best, but at others, warm (not
hot) water gives the greatest relief.
A quite cool wet cloth, wrung so
dry as not to drip, pinned around
the head, coming well down on the
back of the neck and around the
forehead is one of the best remedies
I have ever tried for sleeplessness
iuiu nervous lrmaDinty. Tne ears
should be covered, and in some cases
tho eyes, if the baby will allow it.
This simply remedy will not harm,
if it does no good."
Children's Ailments
The food of children should re
ceive the closest attention during the
summer months. Carefulness in the
preparation and preservation of foods
together with regularity of feeding,
can not be too strictly enjoined. The
milk for the baby who is so unfortu
nate as to have to "live on a bot
tle," should be so kept as to prevent
any change by fermentation, or in
jurious substance getting into it.
There is more danger of overfeeding
than underfeeding. Acute and chronic
inflammations of the stomach are
very common among children be
tween the ages of two to ten years,
and these attacks are caused in near
ly all cases by eating improper food,
or food improperly cared for. The
most important treatment of all
children's diseases is preventive, and
this no one can give but tho mother,
or nurse, by the most careful atten
tion to what is given it, how, and in.
what condition.
Tho Spring Upheaval
Some housewives go at dust and
dirt with only an idea that it is to
"move on." They never learn to
gather it up with a soft brush and
a dust pan, and thus consign It to
tho ash can. Before taking up the
carpet, it should havo scattered over
it shredded newspaper, squeezed out
of a pan of water, then carefully
swept, a few feet at a time, thus
removing the surface dirt. If there
is a grass-plat (and there should
be, if possible), the carpet may bo
carried out and the under side
turned uppermost and given another
good sweeping, and this will make
tho dusting much easier.
it possioie, remove all tho old
wan paper ana re-nang the walls. If
only cheap paper is used, It gives a
fresh look to tho room, but a good
quality of paper pays, both in wear
and hanging. Paint it the very
cheapest freshener that can be used
on tho wood work, unless It be stain
and varnish. And when the room Is
freshly papered, painted or var-
Gencral Household
W,hen buying rhubarb at the mar
ket, always seek those stalks which
have a red tinge at the root-end;
they are much superior in flavor to
the small, greenish ones. Rhubarb
may be substituted for apple, and
some other fruits, in puddings.
iNeany every one can eat plain rhu
barb sauce, and it is very palatable
with bread and butter; but in the
form of pies, it is apt to disagree
with delicate stomachs.
Unless bread used for sandwiches
is freshly cut, the slices will soon
become dry, and are anything but
mvumg. jut tne bread very thin,
and the loaf should not be too stale
the fresher, so it will cut smoothly,
tho better. Dipping the knife In hot
water is said to mako the slicing
much easier. Butter the bread be
fore cutting the slice off, as other
wise, the slices may break while
spreading tne butter.
In most house-cleaning, it Is best
to begin at the top and clean down
doing the kitchen and cellar last!
But whatever one does, the work
must not stop at the cellar, but the
cellar must be "gone through" as
carefully as any room in the house.
Replying to "Young Housewife"
Allow h.alf a cake of compressed
yeast to a quart of water (or milk
and water), dissolving the yeast in
a cupful of the liquid which has been
scalded and allowed to cool to luke
warm; mix this into enough flour
to make a stiff dough, first adding
a tablespoonful of sugar and tea
spoonful of salt. Exact amount of
flour can not be given, as some flour
absorbs more moisture than others.
The dough should be about stiff
enough to hold a spoon unricht.
Cover this dough with a clean cloth
and set in a moderately warm place
for several hours, and when light
raised to double its first bulk turn
on the bread board, using barely
enough flour to keep from sticking,
and knead for ten minutes; mold in
to loaves and put into well greased
bake pans (lard is better than but
ter) , and set to rise again. It should
rise to about twice its bulk in an
hour or two, and is then ready for
the oven. Just before the loaf
reaches tho top of the bake pan, rub
over the top melted butter, touching
u. usuwy. oo mucn depends upon
the condition of the oven, and this
is a matter of experience. The young
wife must learn her oven, as she
learns any other lesson. The heat
should be even, and should take
about three-quarters of an hour for
a small loaf, and about an hour for
a large loaf. It must not be too hot
to begin with, nor too moderate.
Query Box
J . H.--"Piantlng in the moon,"
or in the signs of the Zodiac, Is not
generally observed now; very fa-
people ''believe in It." 7
Will Mrs. A. B. Smith, of Michi
gan, who wrote of Improving cliU-
Ji imtofr ja.t j.,y