The Commoner.
8
VOLUME' 10, NUMBER 30
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"Tho Ifiuid That Smites"
Thoy say this world Is round, and yet
I often think it squaro;
So many little hurts wo get
From corners, hero and there.
But one great truth in lifo I've
found,
Whilo journeying to the
west
The only folks who really wound
Aro thoso wo lovo the best.
Lovo does not grow on every tree,
Nor true hearts yearly bloom;
Alas, for thoso who only seo
This truth across tho tomb!
But soon or late, tho fact grows
plain
To all, through Sorrow's test,
Tho only folks that give us pain
Aro thoso wo lovo the best!
Anonymous.
(Tho above poem was sent us for
re-print by ono of our readers, and
wo give it place with pleasure. "We
aTo always glad to have our friends
send in thoir favorite poems, or to
hunt up poems which aro wanted
and asked for.)
daughter who has to leavo school
to earn less than a dollar a day, at
work which the father can do far
better, if allowed.
"Everybody Works but Father"
There aro indications, says an ex
change, that man always alive to
his opportunities is essaying a re
lapse to tho primitive conditions in
which, tho woman not only support
ed herself, but man, too. There is
a popular song which tell us that
"Mother takes in washing, and so
does Sister Ann." It Is presumed
that tho other girls help to swell the
family revenue, one r.s a sales-lady,
another as a typiBt, and a third as
an employe in a box factory. The
minor sons, whilo cubject to the
mother's influence, earn wages, and
very soon learn to spend them on
their own pleasures. Interpreted as
a reversion to conditions of former
days, not merely to thoso of a cen
tury ago, but to tho days of savagery,
this emancipation of man is interest
ing. The man, It is claimed, sees
in his leisure nothing less than a
just recompense for his labors and
deprivations during tho long period
in which his family was growing
from babyhood to adult ago. Man,
it would seem, haB "come into his
own," but as elderly women are los
ing out at every point, the mothers
will soon be asking where she
"comes in." Yet there aro many
fathers willing to work, if allowed.
One of our readers gives this bit of
experience, in a private letter: "A
little over a year ago, I answered an
advertisement for help wanted.
When I made known my business,
tho manager said they advertised
for girls, as girls could do the work,
and would work cheaper than men.
I asked what thoy wore paying, and
was told, $1 per day, but was as
sured that a man could not afford
to work for that. I told him I had
Cruelty to House Pests
Ono of our readers takes excep
tions to tho treatment of ants Bug
gested in the "Little Helps" glean
ings in a recent Homo Department.
Wo give her argument as sent in:
"I am not much pleased with the
following paragraph which appeared
in tho Home Department of July 8,
under 'Little Helps' 'A good way
to get rid of ants Is to give them
something they liko to gather on,
then burn tho whole bunch when
they get busy.' Will you kindly ex
cuso me for offering a few words in
behalf of the little ants as a' protest
against the cruelty suggested. It is
true that the ant gets into houses
and pantries, which is very annoy
ing to many good folks; but it may
be gently brushed out, then a little
pepper sprinkled on its runway will
make it understand that its com
pany Is not desired. Then, why
should we daTken our own souls by
tho misuse of a power Intrusted to
us? God, in his infinite wisdom,
placed these little insects here along
side of us for some good purpose;
why not seek to learn the purpose?
Perchance God designed them to try
our souls and teach us patience, of
which we are often sorely in need.
"But, of course, The Commoner
does not endorse this method of get
ting rid of ants neither can it deem
such teachings as wholesome food
for children. Could one Imagine any
little girl of seven to ten years of
ago, who could look upon such de
struction of life without shrinking
from the sight with horror? I ven
ture that there Is not one amongst
The Commoner's 'enormously' paid
staff, as Will Maupln says, who would
deliberately set foot on even a single
tiny ant. Now, then, would the
Homo Department editor, with false
pretense, call all the little hungry
ants to a great banquet, and while
they wero confidently eating, with
thankful hearts full of love for the
hand that bestowed on them tho
good things of life, raise the other
hand and with murderous intent,
burn them all to death? It Is scarce
ly believable, and yet we shall be
glad to hear what plea can he made
to the Indictment." M. S., Ohio.
The above writer's argument will
apply just as justly to the destruc
tion of any and all household pests.
The destruction by fire or scalding
water is surely as swift and painless
as by poison, and in many house
holds, the little red ant can not be
gotten rid of by tho delicate meth
ods she offers. Some houses and
grounds are so Infested by tho ant
family that self-protection from their
depredations is a serious problem,
not only to tho housewife, but to the
gardener and fruit grower. When
tho little girl shall have grown to
tho dignity of having a house of her
own, I fear she will feel Justified In
doing many things without a shrlnk-
upon some other form, and in many
cases, such destruction is justifiable.
Without radical measures, the fields
forests, gardens, orchards, as well as
the comfort of the family life, would
be devastated, and the dear Lord,
himself, has often set into motion
the machinery for shortening the
life of myriads of his creatures, not
oven excepting the human family,
because the necessity for the meas
ure existed. We shall be glad to
hear from others.
Two tablespoonfuls of washing soda
io a- ganon on Doning water makes
an excellent and cheap wash to pour
down tho drain pipe. Do this after
every use of it, or once a day.
Heavy damask linen does not need
starch, but the inferior quality
should have a little starch. Even
the poorer quality of linen may be
made to look beautifully stiff and
glossy if, when washed and dried
and ready for ironing, it is dipped in
to boiling water, then wrung as dry
as possible between cloths before be
ing ironed; then iron at once with
an iron as hot as .can be used with
out scorching it.
The broom will last much longer
if given a bath in hot soap suds on
wash days. Dip the broom in the
hot suds and shake backward ' and
forward until quite clean; after
wards rinso in cold water and hang
handle end up to dry.
For tho Hot Days
For those who do not have a cook
ing chest, or who do not use gas,
gasoline or oil, it is well to make
good use of the breakfast fire, put
ting on the dinner vegetables while
breakfast is cooking. With a very
little additional fuel, the meats and
vegetables may be cooked while the
breakfast is being eaten and cleared
away. For any that is not done, cov
er closely while still hot, and wrap
in plenty of newspapers, and they
will finish cooking and keep warm.
This will not be an added burden for
the morning hours, as many things
may be prepared over night, ana
once one gets the habit, it is easy
enough to get everything ready in
the cool of the morning. An oil
stove, or a gasoline, where gas can
not be had, or where, as in some
places, the cost is too high for gas,
may be supplemented by a home
made cooking chest. The hot
months should not require so much
cooking as is generally done, and
with a careful planning of hct
weather dishes that are quickly pre
pared, much of the burden may be
done away with.
The housewife can arrange to do
most of her work in tho cool of the
morning, and thus have the heated
hours for rest. It Is largely a mat
ter of habit; but It Is a habit that
housekeepers should cultivate in
thomselves and foster in others.
Many women get up an hour earlier
than the family, and do much of the
work before the breakfast, must be
served; but It Is just as well for her
to press into service other members
of the family, and see that they rest
an hour longer at noon. Unneces
sary furnishings should be removed
from the bedrooms, and every ono
should be required to make as little
work as possible, by keeping things
in place, emptying their own slops,
airing the beds and hanging up their
clothing. If the family washing is
dono on the machine, the clothing
can be on the line very early in the
morning, and where clothing is soak
ed with perspiration, several wash-
Ings a week will not only add to the
comfort of the family, but to the
life of the clothes. Use the washing
machine.
Care of the Nails
It is a common occurrence to see
women take up a sharp penknife with
which to clean their finger nails, or
even other sharp pointed metals.
This not only injures the skin under
the nail, making it ragged and giving
it an inflamed appearance, but leav
ing it rough and in just the right
condition to catch and retain all the
dirt or stains with which it comes
in contact. An orange stick should
always be used for cleaning under
the nails; or a' brush and warm wa
ter is effective.
my own home and a small pension,
and if I could get $1 per day, I was
suro I could do satisfactory work,
and tho wage would help mo out. ing of horror, which she now can
iiut mere was no snow ror mo. I not look unon. Wanton crueltv Is
was an old man, and I stood no
chance, notwithstanding tho fact
that I could do better work, waa
more reliable, and was willing be
cause of necessity to work for the
wage offered." This white-haired
old gentleman is forced to be de
pendent on his elderly wife, who
flnda work in an office, and his young
one thing; self-protection is another.
Many a tender-hearted housewife Is
forced to steel her heart and rejoice
In finding effective meaps whereby
to clear her house of fleas, files, mos
quitoes, roaches, bugs, ants, moths,
and tho army of destructive insects
with which we all have to war, more
Worth Knowing
For cleaning black silk, as well
as many other materials, nothing is
better than ox-gall. Break tho gall
bladder Into as much boiling water
as you wish to use; spread the ma
terial on a perfectly clean table cov
ered tightly with something that will
not soil, and with a sponge dipped In
the gall go over the material on both
Bides, then rinse clean by sponging,
still on the table, on both sides. Dis
solve a little gum arable or gelatine
In the water and sponge lightly on
the wronf Bide of the silk, then pin
the silk to a cloth to dry.
Where the sink is used regularly,
For tho Toilet
There seems nothing whatever
that will restore the color to hair be
come white through age, or from any
other cause. Sometimes a tonic will
restore the color when the hair is
faded from sickness; but for tho
gray hair, nothing short of a .dye
or stain will affect its color. Stain,
Ing, if well and skillfully done, will
be satisfactory In many cases, but
the one who starts out to "dye," or
to do much staining will find herself
a slave to the process, for it must
be a dally affair, and even then, it
will deceive nobody, and the real
color (or lack of color) will show
more or less perceptibly at the scalp
line, with the utmost care. Better
nourish and treat kindly the gray
hair and make it as beautiful as good
care can make it.
For the dry shampoo which is
asked for, equal parts of corn starch
and powdered orris root is used.
This, for oily hair, will absorb tho
oil, and leave the hair fluffy. But
it is not recommended, unless tho
user is very careful to remove every
particle of the powder, as otherwise,
dandruff may be the result.
For the "moth patches," some
times nothing will avail; but tho re
moval must come from within. Gen
erally, they are the result of a lazy
liver and bad dieting, and the liver
must be kept active, while the diet
must be restricted to good, nourish
ing foods, cutting out anything that
will weight the digestive tract. If
this is done, the spots will, in time,
fade away; but sometimes tho
"time" seems Interminable, stretch
ing over years. For local applica
tion, this is recommended: Ono
tablespoonful of sulphur and enough
bay rum and red vaseline to make a
paste; spread on spots twice daily,
until bleached. The red vaseline
will have a tendency to make tho
hair grow, but for those not troubled
with a superfluous growth of hair,
no harm is apt to result.
Spicod Vinegars
If mint vinegar Is made during tho
tlmo of green herbage, one can servo
mint sauce during the winter with
little trouble. Gather the perfect
leaves as tender as possible, and
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or loss. Every form of life preys it must be as regularly disinfected, (glass fruit jar and have plenty oJ
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