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The Commoner;
VOLUME 11, NUMBER 88
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Conducted f5yr
tttefen Watts MWp
It Never Oomcs Again
Thero aro gains for all our losses,
There aro balms for all o.ur pain,
But when youth, the dream, departs,
It takes something from our hearts,
And it never comes again.
Wo aro stronger, and are better,
Under manhood's sterner reign;
Still wo feel that something sweet
Followed youth, with flying feet,
And will never come agairi.
Something beautiful is vanished,
And wo sigh for it in vain;
We behold it everywhere,
On the earth, and in the air,
But it never comes again.
Richatd Henry Stoddard.
The Fall Garden
Many of our readers were ready to
take advantage of the "latter rains"
when they came, and from these
come letters telling of the good
things growing, supplying the table,
stocking the market, and filling the
fruit and other jars for the cellar
later on. It is not the busiest per
son that has the least leisure, or who
can not find the time to make a gar
den; usually it is the one who spends
the idle moments in attending to
other people's business, at the
loafers' gathering place, or lounging
about pretending to rest. Such people
do not watch for opportunities, or
take advantage of them, and the
rpBult is a cry because of the lack in
time of need, and the demand .for
every nickel to piece out the scant
Bupply during the winter days. "Unto
him that hath," you know, shall be
given, and if we have energy and
industry, and will hoard the minutes,
the hours will bring a golden return.
If one is too busy saving the pounds
to look after the the pence, it will
be long before the pocket-book is
full. It is not yet too late to do
"gardening," but the crop must be
for next year, as the season of
growth is nearly done. If the garden
beds are plowed, spaded, freed from
weeds, fertilized, and put in shape
for the fall sowing, many things will
bo up and at work in the spring long
before the soil can bo worked for the
later garden. Get out the old cata
logues, or send for the new, and
study the possibilities of a few pack
ages of seeds to be sown in the late
fall or early winter months. You
will be surprised at the "crops" that
you will harvest before the garden
proper can be worked, and the
nickels you can save, while supplying
your tables with lettuce, spinach, and
many like salads. It is not altogether
the "high cost of living" that keeps
us poor, for many things may be
raised even on a city lot, if we would
only improve the opportunity that
presents itself. Where weeds will
grow, vegetables will grow, and a
few pounds of fertilizer will not cost
any more than a few handfuls of
vegetables in the spring. Try it, and
report.
training. It is not all muscular
work, as we well know, and the little
mind Is awakening, and strengthen
ing as the tasks progress. Teach the
little tots to amuse themselves, and
find amusement in the little work
they do. It is better than letting
them run the streets, dressed like
dolls. They must learn something,
and it will never hurt them to begin
at tho beginning and grow up in the
home. Tho child is never so safe
as when trotting beBido its mother
about tho rooms of the home, and
every little task, lovingly laid upon
its dimpled shoulders, and lovingly
eased, draws mother and child closer
together. Let the children assume
a measure of responsibility for the
home-happiness from the first, and
teach them to take a pride in doing
well what they undertake. You may
have to learn a few lessons, yourself;
but no matter. No teacher is fitted
to guide a pupil until she has learned
the lesson thoroughly, herself.
Housework is only drudgery to those
who make it so. It may be distaste
ful in some of its branches; but the
world is full of distasteful duties,
and all promotion is preceded by
preparatory drudgery. Teach the
little .ones to look upon -such work
as "of course" jobs, that must be
done, that are necessary to the happi
ness and comfort of the home nnd.
family, and that must in no wise be
shirked, if they fall to their hands.
Home-making, housework and cook
ery are all becoming matters of
scientific adjustment, and happy is
tho woman-child that has grown up
to a knowledge of such things from
the first.
If you are "forehanded," and can
buy for tho future, many real sav
ings can be had in buying muslins
.and summer goods at the special
sales. But the temptation to buy
simply because "things are a few
cents cheaper" leads many women
into useless outlay, and they buy
many things for which they never
will have any use. Use brains about
the bargain counter for there you
will sorely need them.
mending smooth-faced woolen goods
which can be bought in packages
with instructions on the package.
Setting in patches can be made quite
artistic, and should bo done with ex
treme neatness and great care, no
matter what the garment or tho
material, matching thread for thread
stripe for stripe or plaid for plaid!
For tho Homo Mother
Ro much of family health and
happiness depends upon tho cook,
whether she be the "home" woman
or the hired, that she should be very
carefully trained in her duties. It
Is better to put the little girls into the
kitchen at an early age, letting them
trot along beside the mother or elder
sister, doing little. tasks that carry
a moiety of responsibility with each,
still BiitHner the size of the job to
the little soft muscles that are In'
For tho Housewife
When looking over the woolens
and winter-wear, remember that a
five-cent package of soap bark, used
according to directions on the pack
age, will quickly and thoroughly
clean the soiled garments with none
of the disadvantages of soap. If not
convenient to wash the garment, pin
the goods smoothly on a clean board
and scrub with a soft brush until the
mixture makes a foamy mass, then
add a little clean water to a pint
of the liquid not yet used, and care
fully brush and sponge the goods
again, removing the first sponging.
Hang in the sun to dry, and press
well before quite dry.
Where there aro good garments
that must for any reason be dis
carded by the original wearer, do not
throw away, but rip apart, clean with
the soap bark tea, and press while
drying; then, if not Immediately
wanted, lay away with the sewing
materials, and the first thing you
know, you will have a pattern that
just fits the pieces, and a now gar
ment for yourself, or some other
member of the family will be the re
sult. Extravagant waste in such
matters makes for unpleasant want
in others.
Where there are one or more
growing children in the family, it is
well to visit the remnant counter,
and you will find goods in sufficient
lengths to make the little garments
at the saving of a few cents In cost.
Many excellent pieces of goods are
sold over the remnant, or bargain
counter at a low price . simply be
cause they are "out of style," pr shop
worn, or faded from being In the
display windows. Be sure you' know
Substitutes
Sometimes what we look upon at
the moment as a calamity proves, in
the long run, to be a blessing. In
tho matter of the Irish potato short
age, we will learn of many excellent
substitutes. We have grown to think
no meal is complete without the po
tato in some form, and in many fami
lies we find it nearly always served
up in the one, unvarying form, or, if
a change is made, it is so slight, and
so poorly made, that we do not much
relish it. Among the most nutri
tious substitutes is rice, and rice
can be cooked in so many ways, and
made palatable in all of them, that
all tastes can be suited. Rice is not
expensive, and if not all used within
a few days, will not deteriorate but
will be always ready for use. The
old, mushy, sticky cookery is done
away with, and with the new recipes,
every grain will be separate, dry and
white, and it will be ready for
seasoning or uses instead of flour,
potatoes, and many other things.
Macaroni is also a substitute for po
tatoes, and if rightly cooked can be
made into dozens of different dishes,
every one of them suited to some
appetite. The trouble is with the
cook. Under the manipulations of
a careless, or ignorant, or indifferent
cook, such things are readily made
unfit for the human stomach, as in
deed any other good food can be. It
is worth while spending time to en
lighten one's self about such things.
Cookery is becoming an important
part of the school curriculums, and
it is no longer deemed commendatory
to know nothing of the preparation
of foods. Housekeeping knowledge
is "coming into its own," and we are
learning to gather up the fragments,
ana wnen one fountain fails us, we
are learning to turn to another. If
our housewives would but study tho
various uses, as well as leam how to
avoid the abuses, of food stuffs, the
nation would be healthier and hap
pier, and home life grow more and
more wholesome.
Just to Remind You
Do not be in a hurry to put away
the muslins, for they should bo worn
just' as long as the weather will per
mit, and that will be until well along
in October perhaps November.
Keep the garments in good repair as
long as worn, and when the weather
calls for heavier garments, wash
every particle of starch out of every
thing to be kept over. If they aro
to be "passed down," or can bo
lengthened and enlarged for another
season, see that they are perfectly
dry, then pack them in boxes or bags
and put away for the winter.
If blankets and underwear were
not properly washed last spring, now
is a good time to attend to them,
while the sunshine is hot and dis
infecting. When they are clean and
dry, put them in good repair and lay
them where they can be got at when
a sudden cool spell demands.
If you are going to pack away your
summer bedwear, or curtains, treat
them as you would your clothing,
and put nothing away soiled or dirty
or out of order. See that you put
them where the mice can not destroy
them. Better still, see that the mice
are destroyed.
Before you settle down to the fall
sewing, just look over your stock of
threads, pins, needles, and other
necessities for the sewing room. See
that your scissors are sharpened, and
keep a fine little steel file, a piece of
fine sandpaper, and a small oil stone
in the machine drawer. With these
all dulled points, rough rust spots,
and wire edges can be kept from
your needles, scissors and ripping
knife. Impress on the minds of your
family that nothing shall be taken
from the sewing machine, no matter
what the need, and let John be as
strictly enjoined from meddling as
are the children, lieep your own
tools.
Mending and Darning
The fancy work that has for its
object the comfort of the family Is
growing in favor, as other house
wifely progress takes place. A gar
ment properly mended may not be a
"thing of beauty," but It will be a
joy forever, as long as it )s worn, to
tho "wearer. Fine hose or underwear
should be mended before the threads
break, being run with suitable thread
as soon as the place shows thinneRs.
It should be darned on the wrong
biqo, ana xno tnreads Bhould be
about the same size as the threads
of the material not coarser, and if
a little 'finer, it would bo better. To
mend fine embroidery, It should first
be reinforced by a piece of sheer
lawn, then worked over in button
hole or plain stitch, as needed. If
lace is to oe mended, an underlay of
Query Box
Fancy-Worker Stencling outfits
can be bought at any store dealing
in art goods or fancy-work materials.
M. S. The coarseness of texture
of cake is frequently due to letting
tho batter stand, for some time be
fore putting in the oven.
F. L. To remove tar from the
hands, rub well with grease before
washing, then wash in quite warm
water and soap. Tar on garments
should have grease rubbed in the tar
before washing.
Bffie Try washing the silver after
use in boiling soap-suds to which a
little ammonia has been added. This
is said to givo brilliancy to the silver.
Patsey R. Pumice stone is the
lava of volcanoes, and is found float
ing on the sea. It is very useful for
smoothing surfaces, wooden or
metal, and removing rust.
Housewife It is claimed that
slight scratches on plate glass may
be removed bv first cleaning the
glass, then rubbing gently with a
pad of cotton-wool, then rub with a
pad of cotton-velvet charged witn
rogue.
For the porch pillows, put a layer
of sea-moss, curled hair or fine ex
celsior, between the layers of cot?
ton batting, to prevent the matting
down that results when any of these
materials are used alone.
ur tp tvi rrrnsnos for drying
should bo gathered when the seeds
a bargain when' you aeo it, however, net of the texture of the fabric to be aro green, so that after hanging ij
as the "bargain" Is not always on mended, should be used. Profes- a1 dry, dark place a week or two pt
tho buyer's side of tho counter.- - ' atonal tailors have material used fnr until mifflftiontlv dry. the seeds ww
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