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The Commoner.
Volume 10, number-37,?
no longer needed,
out of the weather.
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I Ttl - , III
Conducted w
Helen Watts Mcty
fDefarterri:
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To o Tired Mother
A littlo elbow leans upon your knee,
, Your tired knoo which has so much
to bear.
'A child's dear eyes are looking lov
ingly From undorneath a thatch of
tangled hair;
Perhaps you do not heed tho volvot
touch
Of warm, moist fingers holding
yours so tight;
'.toudo not prizo this blessing over
much ;
You almost aro too tired to pray
tonight.
Tbut it is blessedness! A year .ago,
I did not see it as I do today.
Wo aro so dull and thankloss, and
' f too slow
To catch tho sunshine, till it slips
away. .
And "now it seems surpassing strange
to mo
That, while I wore tho badge of
motherhood
t did not kiss moro oft and tenderly
Tho littlo child that brought me
only good,
And if, some night when you sit
. down to rest,
You miss " tho elbow from your
tired knee,
$?he restless, curly head from off your
breast,
The lisping tongue that chattered
constantly;
If from your own the dimpled hand
had clipped,
And ne'er would nestle In your
palm again,
Si tho white feet Into the grave had
..tipped,
. 1 could not blame you for your
lieaTtache then.
t wonder so that mothers ever fret
At little children clinging to their
gown;
D'r that tho foot-prints when the days
aro wet
Are ever black enough to make a
frown.
Jf I could find a little muddy boot,
Or cap, or jacket, on, my chamber
floor;
. Jf I could kiss a rosy, restless foot,
And hoar It patter in my home
once more.
Xf I could mend a broken cart today,
Tomorrow make a kite to reach
the sky
. tfhere is no woman in God's world
could say
She was moro .blissfully content
than I.
, But, Ohl the dainty pillow next my
own
Is never rumpled with a shining
head,
My singing birdling from its nest has
flown;
. The little boy I used to kiss is
deadl -.
J t -Mary J, Smith.
effective in destroying them, as she
has suffered severely from tho
"plague of ants." She sends us a
romody, given her by a lady who has
had experience, saying that tho use
of it has done moro to keep her
houso free from tho pests than any
thing olse she has tried. Here is tho
romody: A half teaspoonful of co
balt on a plate with sweetened wa
ter sufficient to dissolvo tho cobalt;
placo where ants most do congre
gate, and they will drink and die.
This drug used to bo used in the
same way to kill flies, and will still
prove effective - where there aro no
screens. Cobalt can be had at the
drug store, is quite inexpensive, and
should bo kept out of the reach of
meddling little fingers and mouths.
W. J. D., Mississippi, sends us so
good a letter that wo should like to
pass it on entire, but will have to
eliminate the politics. Ho tells us:'
As I walked across the cotton field, I
saw an ant climbing up a cotton
stalk, and stopped to see what he
was after. About six inches up the
stalk ho caught a boll weevil, brought
it down and carried it to his nest in
a stump nearby. I said: "Here is
a greater benefactor of the human
race than even Columbus, or any
other person." Extending his walk,
he visited the Homo department to
listen to tho ladies, and learned how
to cook tomatoes, fix his hair and
remove his freckles; ho also met the
friend who exterminated the ants
with the coal oil, and now tells us
a reason for the existence of the lit
tlo ant. Ho says: "God made them
as a possible barrier a weak ono
probably but the only one between
tho people, especially the poor people,
and the politicians who are burden
ing them." He thinks that instead
of sending men down into his coun
try to tell the people how to grow
grain, the most urgent need of the
whole civilized world is more ants.
If the ants should fail to come to our
assistance, cotton goods will soon be
classed as luxuries. He is told that
ants are blind, and thinks that is
the reason they stopped to eat the
lady's butter, or nest on the business
man's papers instead of rushing away
down into the cotton fields to feast
on tho boll weevils.
I am Bure our housekeepers my
self Included wish the little ants
could be made to understand their
poor choice of stamping ground, and
induced to take the first fast train
to the cotton fields. "Wo could spare
them.
Another writer tells us that he is
a long-time subscriber to Tho Com
moner, and thinks it is fine, clear
through; that ho always reads the
politics, and political correspondence
and clippings, and Mr. Maupin's page,
and then, if he has time, "looks in
on tho ladies," and frequently gets
some excellent ideas for his pains.
We are delighted 1
is a large, unabridged dictionary.
The cost will probably be ton dol
lars, though now and then one can
be had, second-hand, for a few dol
lars less. Thirty-six years ago, ,a
largo, leather-bound unabridged dic
tionary was bought for $10, and used
regularly and steadily by a whole
family of growing children, until it
began to show its "out-of-dateness,"
when the new International took its
place. As we were all literary, or
otherwise interested in the correct
understanding of language, there
were several smaller, hand-size dic
tionaries that could bo consulted for
ordinary usage of words, but for a
clear knowledge- of just what word
must be used, we always consult the
"big" dictionary. The old dictionary'
of about forty years ago is still use
ful for obsolete words, or fuller de
scriptions of their meanings. There
are large dictionaries advertised by
mail order houses at a less cost to
purchasers, and for the average fam
ily, these dictionaries serve well
enough; but the best is none too
good, and the best in binding and
contents is worth the extra money.
But get a dictionary of some sort;
get also a biographical dictionary,
and a Bible dictionary. If you "don't
care for them," cultivate a taste for
information by getting' and studying
them. It will pay People know by
far too little, anyway.
Floral Notes
':
e
' Among Our letters
"A Brother," South Carolina,
writes us that he "thinks tho ant is
an Interesting little customer, doubt-
lees made to fit snugly in somewhere,
but his proper place does not seem
to be among the eatables, nor in his
fruit garden. Ho is not prepared to
Slace him definitely, and thinks the
ousewlves aro right in denying him
quarters in the culinary department,
gantry or storage.
A. Dictionary a Necessity
I have a" letter from a reader in
California, who writes, asking the
meaning of a word used in the Bible:
I have also, a letter from a reader
in Texas, asking the meaning of two
words used in the newspapers of re
cent date. These words aro "new
words," and are not to be found in
tho really out of date dictionary, but
are In all dictionaries printed within
the last ten years. One of th very
best investments for a family that
P. H. V., Michigan, says she ia in take any interest whatever of the
lavor of anything that shall prove' meaning of tho words heard or read,
The seeds of- perennial-' phlox
should be sown in the autumn as
soon as ripened, as they do not ger
minate readily, sometimes lying In
tho ground a year before the young
plants appear. After sowing the
seeds, do not disturb the soil for two
years. Perennial phlox is one of our
finest blooming plants, and gives
quite a variety of colors. It is per
fectly hardy, and will form a large
clump in a short time. If bloom is
wanted at once, get plants from the
florist and give good care in the
spring.
Among tho old-fashioned favorites,
than which none are better, are the
Dianthus family, sweet Williams and
several kinds of pinks. Sown this
month, they will give a fine display
of flowers the coming year; they are
naray, ana most or them self-sowing.
Tho young plants from seeds sown
now are much more satisfactory than
old plants. .
Don't fall to get a few hardy
spring-blooming bulbs They make
a bright spot very early in the spring
months, the hyacinths and crocuses
often blooming before the late snows
are gone.
Fall sown pansy seeds give plenty
of flowers next spring. They are so
pretty, and so easily grown that one
should not be without -them. Seeds
of the tarragon plant may be had of
any reputable seedsman and the
herb ia much prized at pickling time.
The Plant Doctor says spirits of
ammonia', a teaspoonful to a gallon
of water, applied to the soil once a
week is a fine tonic for plants. For
developing buds and flowers, stir in
about the roots occasionally a little
bone meal or phosphate. Quick
lime, stirred into the soil, or lime
water made by stirring quick-lime
In water, will sweeten sour soil. Lime
should be fresh-slaked, applied; to the
soil and raked In. Rains will carry
it down to the roots. i ". .
As soon as tae season will admit,
For tho Homo Seamstress
An improvement on the old way
of fastening separate flounces on the
foundation skirt by means of buttons
and button-hples or snap buttons, is
to edge the upper part of the flounce
and lower part of the foundation
skirt with beading, then lace the two
together with ribbon; this insures an
evenness of gathers which can not
be obtained by buttons, and is a much
safer way of fastening the two pieces
together.
Many entire dresses for tho littlo
folks are made by hand; the tops of
the sleeves are rolled and gathered
and whipped into the arm-hole with
an almost invisible seam; lace is
whipped on, and many times, the
different parts are joined by beading.
The cotton of the skirts are hem
stitched with a three-inch hem, and
a cluster of tucks run above tho
hem. v
The dresses of children under
three years old do not vary much
with the changing seasons, and little
white dresses may be worn all the
year. Outer wraps and underwear
must be suitable for the season and
temperature. For little dresses,
batiste embroiders and launders
beautifully. Keep the seams, neat
and the stitching dainty. For older
cnimren, cam one, . nnen, pique are
much used, and all may be more or
less embroidered, using fine cotton
floss, button-holing the edges with
care in neat scollops.
If one lias not the time, or skill;
or the inclination to embroider' her
underwear, strips of nice, well done
embroidery of suitable width may be
used, and the edges may be finished
with lace .edging and beading. .This
is especially 'desirable for corset" cov
iers, and many embroideries vcome-es-1
pecially for:that purposes ' ''
In selecting ready made embroid-i
ery, it is well to select the best one
can afford, and if the work is done
by hand, it should not be wasted on
poor material. Cotton floss will work
much smoother than linen, arid" give
better satisfaction fqr embroidering:
Some Reminders
It is none too early to remember
that winter will soon be with us, with
many discomforts in its train. It is
of importance that the feet are kept
warm and dry, and the cold autumn
rains bring sickness to those who
neglect proper precautions. Try water-proofing
your foot-wear, and be
ready for emergencies. Here are
some tried methods:
Water-Proof Leather: Tallow, one .
pound; beeswax, one-fourth pound;
castor, or neat's-foot oil, half a pint;
lamp-black, half an ounce. Put
these into a vessel and set in another
vessel containing boiling water, and
as the Ingredients melt, stir, mixing
thoroughly. When thoroughly blend
ed, put into proper receptacles
boxes, small cans, and apply quite
warm to the foot-wear, soles and
uppers, letting thoroughly dry be
fore using, aa they will In a very
short time. If for use out-doors,
they can be worn at once. '
Another method is to heat togeth
er two parts of tallow and one paTt
resin, and when quite hot and melt
ed together, apply to the bottoms, or
soles, of the shoes quite hot, until
the leather will absorb no more. If
a polish is wanted, after applying to
the uppers, dissolve one ounce or
beeswax in spirits of turpentine, with
a teaspoonful of lamp-black thor
oughly stirred, in. This should be
applied to? the shoes twenty-four
hours after water-proofing them, and
it must be kept away from the fire-
ThA rfifiRfiTi Ifni unlnr rfisln ia that tttl-
gather up the plant supports,-garden' low br -othegrease rots the stitching
tools, and. other implements that are I and the leather, but the resin pre-
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