Home Department -" - The Battle Field. Bt William Cullen Brtakt. ,Once this soft. turf, this rivulet's sands, . . Were trampled by a hurrying crowd, And fiery hearts and armed hands Encountered in the battle-cloud. Ah! never shall the lan,d forget How gushed the life-blood of her brave . Gushed, warm with hope and courage yet, ' , Upon the soil they fought to save. . Now all is calm, and fresh and still; Alone the chirp of flitting bird, And the talk of children on the hill, And bell of wandering kine, are heard. '' ' r No solemn host goes trailing by t .'; ' , The black-mouthed gun and staggering wain;; Men start not at the battle-cry, Oh, bo it never heard again! Soon rested those who fought; but thou . .Who minglest in the harder strife . - . For truths which men receive not now, Thy warfare only ends with life. A friendless warfare! lingering long Through weary day and weary year, 'A wild and many-weaponed throng Hang on thy front, and flank, and rear. Yet nerve thy spirit to the proof, , And blench not at thy chosen lot. T The -timid good may Btand aloof, . The sage may frown yet faint thou not. Nor heed the shaft too surely cast, The foul and hissing-bolt of scorn; For IJh.thy side, shall dwell, at last,.; 1: j The victory of endurance born. ', a . Truth, crushed to earth, shall rise again; Th' eternal years of God are hers; But Error, wounded, writhes in pain, And dies among his worshippers ' " Yea, though thou lie upon the dust, When they who helped thee flee in fear; Die full of hope and manly trust, Like those who fell in battle here. -Another hand thy sword shall wield, . -' Another hand the standard wave, .. ". Till from the trumpet's mouth is pealed ,"' The blast of triumph o'er thy grave. -V Mother's Fun. Perhaps there is no quality which in a woman i3 more needed or more often lacking than humor. The woman who can see the funny side is rare and fortunate. So many times when the day has been full of little worries and the climax Is capped by a failure in cooking the supper, a woman bursts into tears or vents her temper on her family, when, if she could only have seen it, there was a very funny side to the day's experience and a good laugh would have relieved the strain and rested the tired nerves. Still oftener the mother takes the trifling mis demeanors of her children too seriously. If she could poke a little fun at them the children would be ashamed to repeat the mistake'. Again, the tempers of mothers and children are strained to the point of giving way because of natural wil fulness on both sides, when a joke and a laugh would adjust the whole difficulty and the trouble would soon blow over. Again, when mother has good cause to be tired and worried a little fun on the part of the alert and thoughtful daughter is better than a sleeping powder for worn nerves. "This charming power to throw away for the moment the conditions which keep us from fun ought not to belong exclusively to babies," writes The Commoner. Helen 0. Candee, in the Ladies' Homo Journal. "Wo took outrageous liberties with mother's sweet face when wo lay cooing in her arms, and she was the happiest of women in consequence. Is it not a pity that through our years of necesary train ing we should forget the trick of playing with her by the time we are grown? No girl, I am sure, could possibly misinterpret mo into meaning that wo are to turn sober considerations into foolish ridicule. What I really mean is that many mat ters would be improved if a flense of humor shed its light upon them; and this can best bo accom plished by girls." The samo author says: A. fairy's wand has no such joy-provoking power as- a compliment from a daughter to her 'mother. A girl doesn't know what it can do until she tries It." Farm, Field and Fireside. . Terse Suggestions. All floor and whisk brooms should be wet in scalding hot brino before using them. It will effectually .prevent the' straw from breaking. B'rooms will last much longer if they are dipped for a moment or two in a ketle of boiling suds each week. This will make them tough' and pli able. The gum that exudes from cheery trees, if boiled in soft water, makes a good mucilage. 1 A thick solution of gum arable, with plaster of paris to form a paste, makes a good cement for mending china. It dries in a few days. Figs preserved with lemon juice and ginger, pickled and spiced, make a delicious conserve. If the dried fruit is used the figs should be steamed first. To polish steel surfaces mix a soft mass em ery powder with a liquid turpentine. Coyer the ar ticle with this and rub vigorously, then dust slight ly using a soft flannel rag with dry .emery powder. Cheese may 'be kept from' driving or mold . ing by wrapping it in a thoroughly wrung cloth that has been dipped in vinegar and then putting it into a paper bag, keeping it in a cool place Sunny South. Pound Foolishness. One of the commonest forms of pound fool ishness is countenanced by many high authori ties. This is the purchase of certain household provisions in large quantities. Few writers on domestic topics fail to lay stress upon tl.o econ omy of buying groceries in bulk. That sugar and flour, potatoes, and apples should be bought by the half or whole barrel, cereals by the case, butter by the tub, and other things., in like proportion is one of the early precepts in the "Young House keeper's Complete Guide to Domestic Economy." The ignorant young things buy the provisions flrst and the experience afterward. The flour grows musty, the cereals develop weevils, the p'otatoes and apples rot long before they can be eaten, and the cook exercises a lavishness in the use of-the butter and sugar she would never show were jnfcy bought in such limited amounts that the house keeper could hold close watch over them. Even after these events the young mistress feels as if she were absolutely reckless and no manager at all when she so far departs from household law as to buy food in small quantitiesThe Inde pendent. Losing Temper. The most foolish thing in the world is to lose one's-temper. Of old the wisest of men said, "Better is he that ruleth his spirit than he that takefh a city." The person in authority who la self-controlled can control others children, ser vants, and employes generally. No one can gov ern subordinates who is not able to govern him self. When one loses temper in the home, and says bitter things, in a hasty mood, there is sure to come, an after-time of sorrow and repentance, and there is a hurt in the heart which may or may not last for years. There are scars that never f.a . cease to throb, though the old wound seems to be hoalcd. Should death suddenly snatch hence a dear one, before pardon for somo injustice had been sought and granted, tho regret would never pasa away. Christian Herald. i The Joy of Coming Home. There's joy in sailing outward, Though wo leave upon the" pior, With faces grieved and wistful, . Our very dearest dear; And the sea Bhall roll between us - For perhaps a wholo round year. . There's joy in climbing mountains, In fording rushing brooks, In poking into places Wo'vd read about in books, In meeting stranger people With unfamiliar looks. But the joy of joys is ours Untouched by any pain, ' ' When we take tho home-bound steamer And catch tho home-bound train; There's nothing half so pleasant As coming homo again. -Margaret E. Sangster, in Harper's Bazar. In Lieu ot the Hot Water Dag. Nothing proves better than good dry heat to quiet pain. Hot water bags and bottles are ex cellent, if perfectly tight. Hot sand bags also are good to place beside the body and limbs. A relay of hot plates, wrapped in woolen cloth, will do wonders in giving relief to a patient. In any case of serious bowel trouble it is well to follow up with relays of hot plates, lightweight earthorn, or, better still, because of. their lightness, arc the tin plates such as are used, by bakers, being al ways careful they are as hot as can be boifcie, but not too hot and wrapped in cloth. This remedy vill allay inflammation and pain to a wonderful degree. It is also excellent in rheumatism of the hip, knee or ankle. A frequent change of hot plates, well wrapped in woollen and placed be neath or over the suffering joint, as the patient lies in bed, will bring great relief. Coffee Cake. One cupful of brown sugar, one-half cupful 62 butter, one-half cup of-molasses, one-half cup of strong coffee, two eggs, one-half teasponful of soda, one teasponful of cinnamon, one teaspoonful of cloyes, one-half teaspoonful" of grated nutmeg, one-half pound of raisins, one-half pound of cur ranta, and two cupfuls of flour; cream the butter, add the molasses, coffee and sugar, the eggs well beaten"; add to the flour all the dry ingredients, dis solving the soda in a little hot water; add this to the first mixture. Rice Muffin. Put two cupfuls of sifted Jlour In a bowl; add to it one-half teasponful of salt and three level teaspponfuls of baking powder; beat one cupful of milk into one cupful of cold boiled rice, then add three tablespoonfuls of melted butter and one egg well beaten. Stir this into the flour mixture and beat very light; All buttered "gem pans, two thirds full and bake twenty minutes in a quick oven. Everlasting Yeast. Pare and boil eight good slzed potatoes', and pass them, thrpugh a colander. Add one cup -hop tea mado by steeping a single handful of hops in water. Then add to this one cup salt and one qup white sugar. Stir well and pour over the mixture three quarts of boiling water. Mix and place on tho back of the stove. Now dissolve one cup flour in one quart cold water and add this to the other mixture. Bring to a boil. When cool add one dry yeast cake and one cup yeast. Put in a warm place to rise. Mrs. George W. Butler, in Rocky Mountain Husbandman.