355579555''
The Commoner.
8
Tol. a, No. 36.
tt.
. I mmmmm
I
THE HOME DEPARTMENT.
The Voices of the People.
Oh, I hoar tho peoplo calling, through
tho day time and tho night tlmo,
Thoy aro calling, thoy are crying for
tho coming of tho right time,
It behooves you, men and mastors, It
behooves you to bo heeding,
For there lurks a noto of menace un
derneath their plaintive pleading.
Let tho land usurpers listen, lot tho
greedy-hearted ponder
On tho meaning of the murmur rising
hero and swelling yonder.
Swelling louder, waxing stronger, like!
a storm-fed stream that courses
Through tho valleys, down abysses,
growing, gaining with now forces,
Day by day that river widens, that
rivor of opinion;
And its torrent beats and plunges at
tho baso of greed's dominion;
Tho' you dam it by oppression and
fling golden bridges o'er it,
Yot tho day and hour advances when
in fright you'll fleo before it
Yes, I hear tno peoplo calling, through
tho night time and tho day time,
"Vrctched toilers in lifo's autumn,
weary young ones In lifo's May
time,
Thoy are crying, thoy aro calling for
their share of work and pleasure,
You aro heaping high your coffers
while you givo them scanty meas
ure, You have stolen God's wide acres, just
to glut your swollen purses
Oh, restore thorn to His children ero
their pleadings turn to curses.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox, in Locomotive
Firemen's Magazine.
anything to "pass tho kindness along,"
if sho over had opportunity.
I went homo and forgot all about
tho occurrence. Several years after, a
lady said to mo, "Do you remember
giving Mrs. H. a basket full of under-"
wear, ono October morning, some years
ago?" I could not recall it, until
sho made it more plain, and then I
said, I believed I did recall it. "Well,"
sho said, "Mrs. H. was at that tlmo in
tho direst straights, financially, and
thoy were greatly worried on the sub
ject of clothing for that Httlo sick
boy of theirs, and for tho little daugh
ter who was in school. Mrs. H. has
often told mo she believed that basket
of clothes was tho means of saving
her sick boy's life, and that, but for
thorn, tho little girl could not have
gone to 3chool; that your gift had
mado her see the possibilities that
might accrue from a kindly act, and
over since sho had tried to do all tho
good sho could in a similar way."
Mrs. H. was, at the-time my friend
recalled the incident, in prosperous
circumstances, and in a position to
make her kind-hearted helpfulness felt
by a largo circle of working people.
It was such a little thing to do, but
its influence, who shall estimate.
Those Worn Garments.
In looking over your .stores from
last wintor, bo sure to lay aside some
articles that you do not care for, or
can do without Look, at tho same
time, over your list of acquaintances,
and see if you cannot find ono or moro
families hard working, deserving
people to whom those garments, prop
erly presented, would be a God-send.
I am sure ono can do better with
them, thus disposed of, than to devote
them to tho promiscuous, and often
unwise distribution by some charitable
association, for tho "charity workers"
do not always reach tho self-respecting
deserving poor, and often these same
well-intentioned workers make their
offering in such an indelicate, offen
sive manner as to make tho acceptance
of them either impossible, or, at least,
a degrading admission of need so gall
ing to a sensitive, high Strung nature
as the recipient may bo.
Remember, in making your offering,
that it is no crime, now-a-days, to b
poor, and that your needy neighbors
aro quite often as refined and delicate
ly reared as yourself sometimes oven
moro so. Try to mako ..them feel that
their accoptanco is a favor to you, as
well as tho pleasure it gives you to
have found a uso for tho articles.
I never shall forget one autumn
when I found myself possessed of a
lot of outgroNyn and discarded under
wear, too good to bo thrown away,
and not worth whilo to keep. Across
the street from mo lived another fam
ily, with half a dozen growing chil
dren; tho parents were hard working,
and everything seemed in good shapo
about thom. I wondered if I might
offer, these things, and Anally decided
to do so. Catching a time when the
mother was alone, I put the garments
neatly in a basket and ran over to her
houBO. Using considerable tact in ap
proaching my object I at length mado
the offering. Tho mother was pleased,
and, looking over the things, said sho
could find a use for them, and would
gladly pay for them; but I told her if
he really felt that thoy were worth
That Pot of Hyacinths.
Don't neglect it Now is the time to
attend to the bulbs, indoors or out,
but especially Indoors, if you would
have tho springtime in your rooms
while yet the frost lies without
Two or three hyacinth bulbs planted
in a pot, or even a tin can, and set
away in a cool dark; place for six to
eight weeks will reward you with the
sweetest mass of blossoms about
Christmas time.
And there is nothing sweeter, or
surer, than hyacinths. Even a cold
house can have thom, for they will not
mind being frozen, even when in
bloom. Still, don't let them freeze, if
you can help it. Ono of tho prettiest
ornaments for your Christmas dinner
table will.be a pot of hyacinths in
bloom. Plant half a dozen large-sized
bulbs in a six-inch pot, or tin can,
with a hole punched in the bottom,
and set them away in tho darkness
for six to ten weeks, so that the roots
may get well started before bringing
gradually to the light. Some, after
potting, plunge the pots in tho earth
in tho garden, covering several inches
doop with soil, or coal ashes, and leave
them until readv to brine inside. The
roots will start and fill the pots, even
uut uuora, ana your oniy wont will DO
caring for them after the leaves ap
pear; and thoy ask so little care!
Thoy aro so beautiful! so comforting!
so cheering! Do try them.
ists aro various polyanthus narcissus
-to which class belongs tho well
known Chinese sacred lily ,or "Joss"
flower. These will bloom either in
earth or water aro sure to bloom, if
given half a chanco. Ono collection
offers ono "Joss" flower, three golden
sacred lilies, and three poeticus orna
tus, seven, for 25c, postpaid. These
bulbs will grow and bloom .quickly in
a bowl of water, requiring but moder
ate heat, with good light a warm,
sunny window is best. Some are sin
gle, some double, some are white, some
yellow; but all are beautiful.
By planting at different times, a few
weeks apart, one can have flowers all
wintor. If one wishes largo quantities,
they can be had in original baskets,
thirty for $2, by express. The golden
sweet-scented lilies may be had for
25c per dozen.
Another collection offered is, ono
largo Chinese sacred lily bulb, three
new golden sacred lily bulbs, and two
double Roman sacred lily bulbs, for
20c. It almost draws the two dimes
out of the purse just to think of the
glory of blossoms these bulbs will give
one.
There are pther beautiful things;
among them the paper white polyan
thus narcissus, that is sure to yield its
mass of pure white blossoms, and
nothing is more desirable than these.
If one has never tried these sure
blooming bulbs, ono trial will bo a
revelation to them. There is nothing
so sweet as flowers and babies.
die-cake batter; add three eggs beaten
until foamy. Sift half a teaspoonful
of baking soda into a little of the flour
before adding. Have tho waffle irons
very hot, grease both upper and lower
lids, place a cooking spoonful of the
batter in each section, close, and bako
at least one minute on each side
When serving, use butter. Good
Housekeeping.
Crab Apple Preserves.
In preserving crab apples, the stems
should be left on them, and the fruit
preserved whole. Make the syrup of
one pound of granulated sugar to ono
pound of fruit; boil tho syrup until
thiciv, then lay in tho apples and cook
gently until they look clear; take out
and put into jars, and if the syrup
is not thick enough to "jell," cook un
til it is, then pour over the fruit The
fruit, imbedded in the red jelly, is
not only excellent to the taste, but
pleasing to the oyo.
In using elderberries for pies, add
one dessert spoonful of sharp vinegar
to each pie; bako slowly.
Winter Blossoms.
There is nothing that adds moro to
tho cheerfulness and brightness of a
room in winter than a few well cared
for plants. The range for window
gardening is wide, varying from tho
tondorest hot house nurseling to the
sturdy little plant that is not at all
particular as to care or condition, de
fying alike the frost and the heat
which sometimes alternate in tho liv
ing rooms of tho family. Every wo
man loves flowers, and, if chosen wise
ly, every one may have at least one in
her window.
Tno florists' catalogues are now com
ing, and to tho flower lover, the glow
ing descriptions aro a perpetual and
almost irresistible temptation. Among
the bulb collections, there are many
desirable things, which require but
little care, and will repay the little
they get What can bo sweeter or
brighter than a pot of blossoming
hyacinths or lovely amaryllis! In tho
collections offered by some of; the flor-
'September In the Kitchen.
This is the month when the women
who "looketh well to the ways of her
household" can find profitable employ
ment for every spare moment and ev
ery idle. hand. In the matter of can
ning fruit, much may be done by fill
ing two or three jars whilo getting the
family mc Is, and if this is done ev
Ory day, it is surprising with what
ease the whole business may be got
out of the way, without appreciable
labor. It takes but a few minutes to
make two or three glasses of jelly, and
the preserving kettle will find the back
of the stove "just right" for its gentle
boiling.
If your peaches are perfectly ripe
and mellow, pick out a quart or two of
the softest of them, pour over them
boiling water, let stand a few minutes,
turn this off, and cover with cold wa
ter, for a few minutes, after which
the peeling will slip off, like tomato
skins; cut the peach in two, take out
the pits, and pack closely and careful
ly in jars that are quite hot, pour over
them a thick, hot syrup, and seal. It
adds to the flavor of the fruit to crack
a few of tho pits and put the kernels
with the peaches before sealing.
An excellent rule for making syrup
of all kinds of sweet pickles is four
pounds of light brown sugar, to seven
pounds of prepared fruit, one pint of
best vinegar, one ounce of whole cin
naman, and half an ounce each of
cloves and alspice. Spices and vinegar
should be of tho best Wash carefully
the fruit; do not peel; put in stone jar
and sprin. lo tho sugar through it, lot
ting stand for twenty-four hours;
drain off the syrup, add to tho vinegar
and spices, and boil for half an hour;
put fruit in the boiling syrup and sim
mer gently until tender, then lift with
a wire spoon and. lay carefully In a
stone jar, continue boiling tho syrup
until it is quito thick and "rdpoy,"
pour over tho fruit, cover tightly and
put away. In order that the fruit may
"keep," it must bo boiled until quite
tender, and the syrup boiled until very
thick.
Recipes.
One is tempted to talk much of the
dominant interest of- the hour, and,
just now, the. pickle jar and preserving
kettle are "on top." From our ex
changes, let us cull some choice recipes
for trial. From tho Woman's Homo
Companion is taken "A new sweet
pickle of peaches," made by cutting
them in two; removing pits and filling
with horse-radish mixed with vinegar.
Tie the two halves together, pack in
jars, and cover with the following liq
uid: To two pounds of sugar, add one
pint of vinegar; tie in a bag some
whole cloves, cassia buds, cinnamon,
and some tiny bits of singer, alspico
and nutmeg. Boil all together and
pour over the fruit Repeat three times
and seal' the jars. Keep in, a dark,
dry place, and when used, take off
the string and serve vith meats.
Yellow tomatoes are nice prepared
in this way. Boil two pounds of sugar
with one pint of water, until brittle
when dropped in. ice water; add a few
drops of lemon juice. Boil the fruit in
this liquid for ten minutes; skim out,
place on a seive to drain, add moro
sugar to the pyvup (one pound to the
above quantity) and boil it down to
about half its quantity. Pour this over
the tomatoes, and dry 'them in tho
sun, or a moderate oven. It will re
quire two or three days sunning for
them to candy.
Try putting a few clean pebbles in
the kettle while jam is cooking, to
prevent burning at tho bottom, but
don't neglect your stirring paddle, de
pending on them.
If patches .of scorch appear on tho
bottom of your kettle, remove by
rubbing with crushed egg-shells.
Tomato Wnffles.
Peel six medium sized ripo tomatoes,
chop very fine; add one level teaspoon
ful of salt, one-fourth teaspoonful of
white pepper, one tablespoonful of
butter, melted after measuring. Now
add flour enough to make a thin grid-
How He Helped riother..
"Certainly," said my friend, "I think
all boys should be .taught something
of the necessary work about tho house,
including cooking. I never shall for
get an experience of my own, which'
happened some years ago. I had been
ailing all summer, and, as my family,
consisted of only my husband, littlo
daughter and self, it was out of tho
question to hire a girl, especially as
work was so uncertain and wages in
termittent Our only son was out in
the world, and came home only occa
sionally, and wo got along very well,
until, during the autumn some countryi
friends came to visit us, and, of course,
we wanted to make their stay as pleas
ant as possible; so we took them about
all wo could.
"One day wo all took an outing on
the river, landing for lunch at some
rlcnic grounds several hours' ride from
the city. Excursions always were a
most trying experience to me, and this
one, having to play hostess as well,
J was particularly trying; and when we
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