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Commoner
10
VOL. it, NO. 12
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The Vision of Little Boss
Twos Christinas Eve; the hells rang
out
Proclaiming Christ the King,
And sounding o'er and o'er again
The song the angels sing,
Whilo" many peaceful children slept,
Tucked up in hods so small
And dreamed that Santa Ciaus had
"come1
Wi.th pretty gifts for all. v . '
But little Bess and Bahy Will
Decided not to sleep.
A watch beside tho chimney-piece
For' Santa, they would keep.
Alnd'so when all the' house was still,
! And 'they had said their prayers,
In great excitement children two "
'. Crept' softly down the stairs.
c
TJioy settled down upon tho rug
j; Bqforo he. glowing lire,
Intending when dear Santa came,
T6V$ Aim their desire.
B,ut BahyTiVill was very tired.
so clpsetl his big blue oyes;:
your ambition all alone. You haven't
really believed you could reach the
goal, because you have lacked confi
dence yourself. Why not let God help
you? Ho has Laid he would if you
could believe.' "
Wo asked the girl what belief
meant practically, as she took that
promise.
"Why, I just vent ahead as though
it was a sure thing," said she. "I
wrote that text on all my notebooks,
and I had it framed for my room,
and ! repeated it hundreds xf times
each week. Well, tomorrow I am to
become a court stenographer. I've
been a year and a half learning to
really helieve It has paid."
Old Fashioned English Plum Pudding
With the coming of tho holidays,
the housekeeper's thoughts turn to
that delicious accompaniment of the
winoi.uicu uiuuui mo. ricu una sa
vory plum pudding. Tho following
recine is an old-fash lonoil rinn t-hnt-
has stood the test of over a hundrprl
years, and if the directions are fol
lowed carefully a delicious pudding
Aiud snuggling close to Bess, .lie" slept, ;wi11 result:
Clean one pound currants by wash
ing in warm water, dry "on a towel,
tnem over, toss tnem in flour
turn into a large mixing howl.
' OnO nOUnd TftlsiTlQ afrmorl
slightly chopped and. floured. Hi on'
half a pound of "brown sugar, one
pound of very finely 'chopped fresh
beef suet, four ounces of shredded
citron, four ounces each of chopped
candied Jemo'n and orange peel, one
teaSllOOnflll naif orm crfn ofl ,,,
Soft music sweet c&me floating down half a teaspoon of ginger, oho tea-
xo 'PiftJ-vP s great surprise i
t .Tn3w;i , ., i.vvv
f AWM$fo very queer ; '&&'? j arid
ThorfwU'lightod as witKnreT' Add
l' ."SfSJCT.V' i .u
.tvuuojfy.icBiie xeit no lear.
A" throng of angels there appeared
In whitost raiment ..clad;
And as she gazed .at.vision fahv
Her little heart wasVglad.
Into her childish soul.
And -over, us tha words she heard,
The sound did onward roll. .
The song was- "Peaco, good wll to
men'';
It echoed stialght from Heaven
Then Bessie woke to hear "the. clock
Just peaMnc off "Eleven." '
And yet the child rememhers still
The dream she Lad that night,
And Heaven always, seems to her
A place of song and light." "
Ex.
The Secret of Success
Some years ago I had a sten
ographer who came into the office for
a few daya to do some temporary
work, and I noticed that across the
front page of her notobook were
written tho words: "All things are
possible to him that helieveth," gays
a writer in tho Christian Herald. I
was interested to hear tho meaning
to iier or tnese words, for sho had
already told us that she had a largo
Work in view and could only work
in our office a few' days.
"Has the text anything to do with
your future work?" I asked.
"Yes," said the girir "Strangely
enough, it has all to do with it. I
have always wanted to be a court
stenographer, not simply for the pay,
hut because it represented to me suc
cess in my chosen work. Ouo day
as I was working in a downtown
office a Salvation Army lass threw a
leaflet into the office, and as I pi6ked
it' up, tho Tvords, 'If thou canst,'
caught my eye, and then I read the
Test of the passage. It all flashed
ovef me instantly, 'That Is vour
trouble you have heon trying toget when cooked in'a cool, dry place, and
reheat by steaming for one hour just
before serving.
-The quantity given makes a very
large pudding, and half tho quantity
will make one sufficiently largo for a
small family. As this delicacy seems
to improve with age and is always
bettor when reheated, It will bo econ
omy for tho housewife to make
enough to last for "company des
serts" during the winter months. A
very attractive way to serve the pud
ding for the Christmas table is to set
it on a base of lump sugaT, insert a
sprig of holly in the top' and sur
round, with a border of hdll.
The variety of hard sauce par ex
cellence to serve with tho holiday
pudding is mado by following these
directions caK !ully. First, Jf ' poo4
slble, use xmsalted "butter and pow
dered sugar never granulated or
confectioner's sugar. Beat half a
cupful of butter until very creamy,
and then add gradually one . large
cupful of powdered sugar. Beat un
til very light, fold in the stiffly
whipped white of one Bgg and flavor
wth half a teaspoon of vanilla ex
tract. Set it on ice to chill and serve
heaped, in a glasa disk and- dusted
with grated nutmeg.
spoon of cinnamon, half a teaspoon
oi cioves, nair a teaspoonful of all
spice, four ounces of chopped and
blanched almonds,, one and a half
pounds of sifted flour and one and a
half pounds of stale bread crumbs.
Mix thesq ingredients thoroughly, us
ing the hands; then add eight lightly
beaten eggs, a small cupful of hoiled
cider and enough sweet milk to mix
to u very stiff batter.
One of the secrets of success in
making a good plum pudding is to
have it well mixed. Long ago in
England it was part of the mixing
ceremony that every one in tho hnnao.
hold should stir the pudding until
mo Bucufiui gave out, so tuere can
be littlo doubt that the pudding was
Burrou unui it was. iigntness itself.
Cooking .the pudding is no less im
portant than the mixing, and to have
it genuinely ningusli it must be round
and show the creases where it was
boiled or, rather, steamed in a
cloth. Take a strong piece of white
drill ng, dip it In boiling water and
rub it on one side thickly with flour
This forms a crust on the cloth which
the water or steam can not soak
through. On tho floured side lay an
enameled bowl well huttered. Turn
tho pudding into this, cover with a
well buttered -paper and gather the
cloth together loosely, allowing one
quarter of apace for tho pudding to
swell. Set the pudding on a trivet
or stand in a lcettlo of boiling water
and have the water only come up
half way on tho side of the bowl.
Lot it boil six hourB, keeping the
water replenished with actively hoil
ing water. If it stops hoiling for one
moment the nuddinir will hn Mnw
when nnmoulded. Store the pudding
Making Minco Meat
Homemade mincemeat is 'always to
be preferred to the very best va
rieties that can he purchased. As
cleaned currants and raisins ct.n now
be purchased by the package, the
work of prenarinir it is crpjitiv ?tn
plifled. .
With .the conservation of sugar
that is now being s.o strongly urged,
honey, "corn syrup," maple or "brown
sugar may all be used in place of
white sugar In making mincemeats.
There are a number of reaipes for
preparing mincemeat, from the rich
est which is rather costly down to
the green tomato mincemeat and the
v'negar mock mincemeat. Both of
these substitutes are excellent if
properly made, and give a delicious
pie Ailing at a very small cost
Although cooked beef has gener
ally been used as the basis of the
regulation mincemeat compound, beef
tongue, is reall to be preferred. Boil
the tongue until tender, chop finely
and use in the same manner in which
you nave used. beef.
It is also best, when making, mince
meat from the most costly formula,
to prepare a Quantity, as.it requires
no more fuel and but little' mbre time
and labor to prepare six jars than are
required for on . Either veal or
lamb's tongue may be substituted for
the beef. If economy must be closely
considered, plain boiled muttonvwill
form a good substitute. Exact- pro
portions or weight should be used in
the making, although in. the matter
of spices, sweetening and ,other -flavoring
the individual taste may be
followed. Two good recipes are
given below:
Old-Fashioned Mincemeat Two
bowls chopped "apples, one howl
meat, 6ne and one-half cups molasses
one pint old cider, one pound rais
ins, one pound currants; oiie cup
sugar, two oundt suet, chopped
fine, one quart water in which-beef
was cooked, salt, one-fourth pound
citron, chopped flno. Mix. ingredi
ents, heat gradually, stir' occasion
ally and cook' slowly two liours over
a low flame. Add ground spices to'
taste after mincemeat is cooked of
when making pies.
New England Mincemeat Mix to
gether -two pounds of cobked tongut
and one pound of fresh beef sueL
bdth finely chopped; four pounds of
Baldwin apples, that have heen quar
tered, pared and cored before chop,
ping; two cupfuls of thick honey, on
small cupful of molasses, one quart
of elder, two pounds of raisins, seed,
ed and cut Into pieces; one pound
and a half of currants, a quarter of
a pound of finely Bhredded citron, a
quarter of a ieaspoonful of paprika
salt to taste and two ounces of
minced candied lemon peel.' - Turn
into a kottle, add half a cupful of
liquor in which the tongue was
cooked and simmer for ahout ono
hour and a ouarter. Troi o !,..-
hefore it is cooked stir "In -naif a
tablespoonful of mixed' ground cin
namon and mace, one ground nut
meg, half a tablespbohrul of pow
dered cloves and one " pint tolled
cider. This is a rich and" delicious
mincemeat, the recipe Itfr" which has
been in use for over 10 6T years.
'! V- ,
y'.f.'
Contributed. Becipes ,
Oatmeal Cookies' -- rtfw;6l 'cupfuls'"
sugar, one cupful hutWo'r' lardV Wbr
eggs, two cupfuls- sour Tniiic, pne tea
spoonful soda. -Raisins'' or currants
may be added if '&&ti$. ' Make a
batter that will drop from spoon,
using one-third flour and two-thirds
rolled oats. Sweet milk daii be used
by omitting stda and using three tea
spoonfuls baking ppwder.-r-R, N.. A,
Seed Cakes One. cupful, butter
and two cupfuls sunrar bHrrori
smooth; add three eggs, one largo
spoonful anise seed. Stir all togeth
er,, then add: flour enough to roll out.
Ths. -makes seventy cakes.,' -Must be
rolled thin. Will last indefinitely if
notaten. Mrs. J.. M. H.
Bocks" One and one-half cup
fuls granulated sugar, one cupful
butter, three -eggs, . three cupfuls
flour, one teaspoonful soda in one
tablespoonful hot water, one pound
dates, one pound English walnuts,
one teaspoonful cinnamon, one-half
teaspoonful cloves.A. R. T.
Sweet Rusks Two teacupfuls of
light bread sponge, One teacupful
granulated sugar, two-thirds cup soft
butter or clear frylngs, two eggs well
heaten, one level tahlespoonful salt,
one nutmenr. crated, otir tonvmn worm
water, orlresh milk scalded and let
cool, enough flour to make stiff
dough. Knead well and keep in a
warm place, allowing-dough to r'so
once. Knead again and form into
small rolls placed close together, or
make a long loaf. The addition of
raisins and nut meats when you make
a loaf gives delicious, rich, sweet
"bread for the children school sand
wiches. Mrs. R. Dk S.
California Mince Bie Two cups
chopped apples, oho cup chopped
English walnuts, one cnip chopped
raisins, one cup sugar one-half cup
fruit juice (any kind) juice of ono
lemon, pinch salt, spice to taste.
Flora M,
Cheap Liyer Cake "Cream one
fourth cup of butter and ' one "cup of
sugar. Add two eggs .well beaten,
two cups flour with" two teaspoons
f ul of cream of tartar sifted with it,
one teaspoon saleratus, two-thirds
cup sweet milk. Bake in' long, slial
low pan. When done, spread with
jelly and roll carefully. Spr'nklo
with powdered sugar, before serving.
M. H. T.
Creamed Salmon One ciipful sal
mon (shredded) one pint milk, one
teaspoonful nutmeg,' onehaif' table
spoonful 'salt, dash of : red '; pepper,
one teaspoonful butter,: offe teaspoon
ful flour. This will serve from" four
to six people and is a splendid lunch
..AW-.
