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Home Department,
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' The "Stronger" Sex.
For years men have boasted that they are the
representatives of the "strongor , sex," and for
years women have been designated as the repre
sentatives of the weaker sex.
The gentler sex, perhaps, but not the weaker
sex by any means. It is true that in the point .of
physical strength the average man surpasses tho
average woman. But it is not true that in emerg
encies, when real strength of character is essen
tian, when conditions require a moral force that
provides all other essential forms of strength,
even for the moment of the physical kind, that
man is the superior of woman.
We have seen this question tested in the
homes of the country, at the bedside of sick chil
dren, where the father's boasted superior physical
strength often fails in comparison with the
Btrength and endurance of the devoted mother.
iWe have seen it at tho open grave of some loved
one, where frequently the man gives way to emo
tion, while the woman, often weak and frail, rises
to the occasion.
Have you ever noticed at a country fair on a
hot and dusty day, some little mother patiently
trudging along with an infant in one arm, another
child holding her hand, and yet another tugging
a her skirts? Have you noticed how bravely and
patiently she carries the burden? Have you ever
thought how long even a strong man could endure
such an inconvenience? Or have you ever been
privileged to actually see the manner in which a
Btrong man did attempt to endure such an incon
venience? '
Have you ever noticed that when misfortune
and disaster comes upon a home, the strength of
the mother and fihe wife generally compares more
than favorably with the strength of the father
and the husband.
Have you ever noticed that however frail and
delicate a woman may bo, when the occasion re
quires real strength, the strength that prompts a
person to "suffer and be strong' and to stand
erect in the pitiless shadows of misfortune, that
the woman is generally equal to the occasion?
In this connection it may be observed that
very general anxiety was manifested for Mrs. Mc
Klnley at the time of the attack upon the presi
dent. She had so long been an invalid, was so
frail and delicate that the news was kept from her
as long as it was possible to do so, and when the
news was finally broken to her everyone expected
that she would suffer a shock from which It would
be very difficult for her to recover. What was te
result? The news was broken as gently and ten
derly as possible. This wife was brought face to
face with the terrible truth. She did not collapse,
she did not faint. But the woman within her as
serted itself, and she stood up strong under her
great load exactly as thousands and thousands of
other women have stood up before her day under
loads to them equally heavy and exactly as thou
sands and thousands of women will yet stand up
in the presense of mighty griefs.
Men may flatter themselves that through some
mysterious agency they have inherited the title,
"Lords of Creation." But the women generally
prove their strength in withstanding pain or en
during affliction according to the requirements of
the situation.
The Commoner.
a pot scraper, however, nothing else equals the
humble clam shell.
A useful undergarment at all seasons, but espe
cially in early fall, when sudden chilly days come,
Is a woven underwaist which comes in cotton,
thread or wool. It has a high neck and long
sleeves, fits like a glove, has but little bulk, and is
a very useful extra garment. Many women wear
the woven underwaist in place of an ordinary
muslin corset cover, during the winter.
Fish and Macaroni Scallop. Put into a but
tered baking dish, in layers, equal parts of cold
cooked fish and cold boiled macaroni cut fine, For
one pint of tho mixture make one cup of tomato
sauce. Fry one teaspoon of minced onion In one
tablespoon butter; add one even tablespoon flour
and one cup of stewed tomato. Salt and pepper
to taste. Strain it over the fish. Cover with threo
fourths cup of cracker crumbs moistened in melted
butter. Bake until the crumbs are brown. Farm,
Field and Fireside. y t
covered. Squeeze the juice from tho lemons, add
tho cold water and tho water from the lemon
parings, then add tho sugar, strain and put into tho
freener, and when frozen to a mush, sorve, or if it
is to stand awhile before serving, scrape the mix
ture from tho sides and bottom of tho can.
Household Hints.
Cheap little whisk brooms are very useful
about the kitchen. One should always be kept
for no other use than sprinkling clothes; others
for cleaning. There is nothing' better than the
whiskbroom to clean a horseradish grater. The
useful chain discloth is now much improved from
its f.rst estate, being -mounted upon a firm handle,
which enables it to bo used with greater ease. As
Birds of a Feather. ,
Four little birds in a nest too small, ..
Only one mamma to care for them all;
'Twas twitter and chirp the livelong day,-.
No wonder mammas soon grow gray.
Papa bird was a dashing fellow,
Coat of black with a flash of yellow;
Never a bird of early spring
Could rival him when he chose to sing.
He helped the mamma bird build the nest
Where the winds could rock it the very best,.
And while she sat on her eggs ail day,
He would cheer her up with a roundelay.
4
But when from each egg in the swinging bed,
A little birdie popped its head,
He said to his wife: "I've done my share
Of household-duties. They are now your care."
Then off he went to a concert fine,
In the apple-tree and bright sunshine;
Without a tho't of the stupid way,.
His poor little wife must pass her da7.
At last, the mamma bird fell ill,
And 'the papa was forced against his will -To
take her place with the birdies small,,
Ready to answer their chirp and call.
Sorry day for the wretched fellow,
Dressed so gay; with a scarf of yellow;
Shut in the house from morn till night,
Was ever a bird in such a plight?
'.
Tie on a hood or fasten a shoe,
Or mend a dollie good as new, , . -, N
Or tell a story over again, ,. ' Zj
0: kiss the fingers that had a pain.
Or sew a button on baby's shoe, ' " ! ' '
Or settle disputes of which and who;
These were the parts of the calls he had '
In that single day, to drive him mad. ,
At eve'n, he said, "Another day
Would turn my goldenous plumage gray, .
Or else in a fit of grim despair
I'd fling these children in the air."
Have I mixed up birds with human folks,'.
And nest with homes in lofty oaks?
This story is true, and I overheard
Those very words of the papa bird.
But who he was and where he did dwell,
I'll never, no never, no never tell;
. The truth for once is truth for aye, .
And this is the reason mammas grow gray.
Exchange.
Lemon Frappe.
Four lemons, one pint of sugar, one pint each
of cold and boiling water. Pedl three of the lem
ons very thin, being careful not to use any of
tho white rind. Cover the paring with the boil
ing water and let stand fifteen minutes, closely
A Thoughtful Mother Says., (
That if you want your children to be courteous,
you must treat them with respect.
That thoy will invariably copy your manners,
so you must talto caro that they are the best.
That you should bo as careful of their feelings
as you wish them to be of the feelings of others.
That when it is necessary to administer re
proof it should be given in private.
That most children aro sensitive on this point;
it injures their self-respect and thoy fool It acutely,
though they arc not able to express it in words.
That to tell a child in public that it has been
rude or lacking in good breeding is as unwarrant
able as it would be to tell a guest so.
'That It is no excuse to argue that you arc do
ing It for the purpose of making the child hotter
and more thoughtful.
That this can be accomplished much better If
you take the child aside at tho first convenient
opportunity and gently but firmly point out what
the error was, and what should be done on tho next
occasion.
That It Is possible to callous a child's con
science by too rigid discipline, and this Is a mis
take made by too many mothers. Farmers' Ad
vocate. .
For the Sewing Hot her.
The chango of seasons is a trying time to
mothers with several growing children, but if they
have been wise enough to make provision for alter
ing the garments tho work is greatly lessened.
There are so many ways of-economizing in chil-"
dren's clothing that they may be comfortably and
nicely dressed and yet not have anything really
new. Many kinds of woolen goods wash well and
it is much better to use old material of good qual
ity than to buy now cheap goods. Some children
take great pride in their mother's ability to mako
pretty new dresses from old ones, and never hesi
tate to say that this dress is made from sister's
old tan cloth, or from mother's old gray serge,
and well they may, for this ability stands in the
place of money in a household of limited means.
When the mother has learned the art of successful
making over, it means pretty clothes, becoming
hats and stylish jackets, for when these articles
are needed they are always forthcoming. There
io always some garment carefully put away that
can befashioned Into the needed article. But un
less the new clothes are made up prettily the chil
dren are not so proud of them, and It is just as easy
to make a dress neat and stylish as to make it
plain and ill-fitting. The most necessary require
ment is for them to be of a becoming color and
when garments of all kinds can be dyed suitable
eclors they can have pretty and becoming clothes,
no matter if they are made from old material. A
"made over" that is as handsome as any new dress
was originally a drab colored woolen dress skirt.
After the dress was taken apart it was cleaned
and dyed a lovely shade of dark red. It was made
with a dainty blouse waist with plaid trimmings
and it is both becoming and stylish. The faded
gray ,or tan suits of men dye beautiful shades of
red by dipping in diamond dye for wool, and as this
color promises to be worn for young girls the
coming season, a small cape or eton jacket can be
made for a very small outlay of money. It is al
ways well to have new linings for made over gar
ments and thoy should bo finished as neatly as if
they were made of new material. Many woolen
fabrics may be made up with the wrong side out,
ahd by using tho best parts of tho cloth very ser
viceable garments for the small boy or the little
girl can be made at almost no expense and one
may exercise her own taste and Ingenuity in plan
ning them. A. M. H., In Farmers' Advocate-
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