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The Commoner.
VOLUME 3, NUMBER 22.
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iURaffyk DkrrlJCXl 111 1 fcfl I L vf
Twenty Year A jro.
I've wandered by the village, Tom;
I've sat beneath the tree,
Upon the school-house playing-ground
Which sheltered you and me;
But none are left to greet me, Tom,
nd few are left to know
That played with us upon the green
Just twenty years ago.
Tne grass is just as green, dear Tom,
Bare-footed boys at play
Are sporting just as we were then,
With spirits jjst as gay;
But Master sleeps upon the hill,
All coated o'er with snow,
That was to us a sliding placo,
Ju3t twenty years ago.
The old school house 13 altered some,
xne benches are replaced
By new ones very like the same
Our pen-knives had defaced;
The same old bricks are in the wall;
The bell swings to and fro;
The music's just the same, dear Tom,
As twenty years ago.
The boys were piayin: some old game
Beneath the same old tree,
I do forget the name just now
You've played the same with me
On that same spot; 'twas played with
knives
By throwing so, and so;
The loser had a task to do
There, twenty years ago.
The river's running, just as still
The willows on its side
Are larger than they were, dear Tom,
The stream appears less wide;
The grape-vine swing is ruined now,
Where once wo played the beau,
Anu swung our sweetnearts pretty
girls,
Just twenty years ago.
The spring that bubbled 'neath the hill
Close by the spreading beech,
la very high 'twas once so low
That wo could almost reach;
But kneeling down to get a drink,
Dear Tom, I started so
To see how very much I'm changed
Since twenty years ago.
Down by the spring upon an elm
You know I cut your name
Your sweetheart's just beneath it,
Tom,
And you did mine the same;
Sosie heartless wretch has peeled the
bark
Twas dying, sure but slow.
Just as the one whoso name you cut,
Died twenty years ago.
My lids have long been dry, dear Tom,
But tears camo In my eyes;
I thought of her I loved so well
Those early-broken ties;
I visited the old church-yard '
And took some flowers to strew
Upon the graves of those we loved
Somo twenty years ago.
Some aro in the church-yard laid;
Somo sleep beneath the sea;
J3ut few aro left of our old class,
Excepting you and me;
But when our time shall come, dear
Tom,
And we are called to go,
I hope they'll lay us where we played,
Just twenty years ago.
Published by request
which seem desirable to you, Set
before the growing children clean,
well-cooked food, served on clean
uishes and neat table covering. You
may not indulge your taste for "spot
less" linen; it might be better to use
the colored; or, indeed, table oil-cloth
in some neat design will save you
many a hard rub on wash-day, and if
you cannot reconcile yourself to this,
have squares of somo inexpensiva
cloth white, if you like to lay un
der the service plates. These squares
will be easily laundered, and will be
a compromise, with your conscience.
Require of the little ones care in han
dling the dishes and food, impressing
it upon them that they must practice
n -tness to make the work lighter for
you. You cannot begin too early to
urge upon their dawning intellect
your claims to consideration.
Do not worry if you -aunot find time
to dress each dish with pretty com
binations of color, such as your fav
orite magazine sets before you. Leave
this additional burden to emptier
hands. You must shun the making of
fancy dishes set forth with trouble
some garnishings, and in their stead
give to your family wholesome, nour
ishing foods, remembering that the
natural appetites of your little,
healthy brood require no sauce so
much as a restful mother's smiling
presence. No amount of toil on your
part will compensate them for the
loss of your cheerful, symnathetic
cempanionship. They can do with
out the rich cake or indigestible pie.
Thej are so many useless tasks done
in this world.
If some chance guest should happen
in at meal-time, ask that the homely
viands be shared, but do not fret that
you cannot, at a moment's notice, of
fer to your caller a "company din
ner." Perhaps your guest would pre
fer your converse to a more elaborate
collation. Try to think so, anywa,
and supply the material deficiency
with a feast of reason and a flow of
soul. Sometimes it is the "mental
nan" that hungers for food. Leara
to let every day have its share in the
work of life, and when tempted to
despair at some overshadowing bur
den, do, dear, tired mothers, fold your
trembling hands and "consider the
lilies."
unequaled postal facilities. Its strug
gle to get a foothold in this country
was but a struggle of very advanced
ideas to take root in unplowed
ground. It had a hard birth, and, in
fact, there was imminent danger, at
one time, that false propnets would
stifle it.
The generaT del'very clerk at the
postofflce must not only deal with the
j .lous wife who seeks to intercept her
husband's letter, but also the stray
adventuress who has several inter
changeable names and is not sure
which one her mail will bear.
Of the millions of letters which go
through the New York postofflce every
month, over seventy thousand are
thrown aside by the clerks as having
blind addresses, illegible to the ordi
nary clerk, and are sent to the "blinJI
reader." In on . month, of this year,
he examined 73,889 blind addresses,
nearly 64,000 of which he sent to their
proper destination.
world there is nothing to parallel the
simple pathos of that cross, with its
outstretched, suppliant arms telling
the mute story of the thousands who
must sleep "Unknelled, uncoffined, un
sung,' till Time shall be no more.
Ex.
Chopped Pickles.
This is liked by most persons, and
admits of the use of a number of ar
ticles. Green tomatoes may furnish
the larger share, using nearly ripe cu
cumbers with tuj seeds removed, cab
bage, onions, green peppers, green
melons, and whatever pickle-making
n-iterial one may have on hand. Chop
i- - chopping machine, or in chop
ping tray, mix, sprinkle with salt and
allow to stand until next day; draia
off all juices as dry as possible. Pre
pare spiced vinegar enough to cover
the material, using spices according
to taste, as no rule can be given?
scalding the spices in the vinegar.
Some mix up mustard to add to the
pickle when cold; some add a little
sugar; it may be made of a uni
form color by scalding tumeric in the
vinegar. Celei. Is a nice addition,
either the seed or the fresh plant
Tho vinegar should be poured off ani
well scalded at intervals of a few
days before . putting away.
Economizing Self.
If you havo a large family of little
folks, and only one pair of hands to
minister unto them, make up your
mind to dispense with mafcy things
Short Items.
Europo has known the rural deliv
ery service for many years, and it
has thero reached a very high stage
of development, giving to the people
Memorial Customs.
In Wales, when a -young girl dies,
her coffin is wreathed with flowers,
and the youth and maidens plant
white roses over her grave. The graves
of little children are covered with
lillies and snowdrops, and those of
maturer years have roses placed
about them.
In Turkev. the vircrin who dies has
la rose sculptured at the ton of her
monument. The Chinese scatter roses
above their dead and mingle witn
them the lycoris and anemone. Trl
politans place about their dead roses,
myrtle, jessamine and orange flowers.
In far-off Persia the basil tuft waves
its fragrant blossoms over tombs and
graves. In Egypt, the basil tuft is
also esteemed, with the lotus, lily and
rose. In Germany and Switzerland
the dianthus, pink, myrtle and oranga
blossoms are placed about the dead.
In Norway the fir is used to protect
the released soul from evil spirits. In
Italy the periwinkle is dedicated to
the graves of little children. Tho
Mahometan matrons repair at stated
anniversaries with fairest flowers to
sweeten the sad grave. The grand
tombs are often splendidly illumi
nated, but the meanest heap of turf
has also its visitors to chant a re
quiem, light a little lamp, suspend a
little garland or drop a rose as an
affectionate tribute to departed love,
separated friendship, or the memory
of the unknown in their "Cities of Si
lence." The ancient Jews pulled grass as
they turned away from a new-made
mound and threw it behind them, say
ing, "They shall flourish out of the
city like grass upon the earth," to
sho their belief that the bodv
though dead, should spring again as
grass. Tho asphodel and mallov
were planted in all ancient cemeter
ies, as it was popularly believed that
they nourished the dead.
The North American Indians attri
bute a funereal character to the frag
rant flowers of the sacred Champak.
The Flathead mother buries her child
in a cradle hung from tho branches of
tho sobbing pine, its foster mother
so her sad heart believes; or wheti
trees aro not near, she digs a grave
and above tho leveled earth lays the
muo toys anu scatters over it some
bright berries.
A distinctly American custom is
that of decorating the cross in mem
ory of the unknown dead. There Is
something tangible in the mound
above the pulseless heart, though the
heart never throbbed the oulokor fm
your coming, but in the history of the
Helps About Pickling,
Pickles should be kept well coverol
with vinegar, and should not be used
for a month after making.
In making pickles, use only granite
or porcelain-lined kettles. All metals
aro-liable to be dangerously attacked
by the acids used.
Spices sold as "whole mixed" ara
not always reliable, as the mixing is
often Imperfectly done. It is better
to buy and mix as used.
Seven pounds of fruit, three ani
one-half pounds of sugar, and one
pint of vinegar is the standard pro
portion for all sweet pickling. Vary
the spices to suit the taste.
All green fruits which are to be
used for pickles must have a salting
treatment of not less than 24 hours.
either in a brine made of a cupful
of salt to a ga-.on of water, or in a
salt pack.
A good wax for sealing may be
made of a pound of resin, two ounces
of beeswax and one and one-half
ounces of mutton tallow, melted to
gether and run into sticks.
In making catsup, instead of boil
ing, some sprinkle the tomatoes with
salt and let them stand over nighc.
then strain and add spices, etc., and a
little sugar; seal tightly. If on open
ing there is a leathery mold on top,
remove every particle of it, and tho
catsup 'will not be injured. To pre
vent this molding, some do not fill
the bottles quite to the top with can
sup, but fill - ith hot vinegar. If
there are white specks of mold ail
through the catsup, it Is spoiled. 12
on opening and using part, there is
danger of the rest souring, scald, and
if too thick, add Vinegar, and reseal.
Horse radish vinegar is made bv
using six tablespoonfuls of grated
hor-3 radish, one tablespoonfuL cf
whita sugar and one quart of vinegar.
Scald the vinegar, pour boiling hot
over the horse radish, let stand for j,
week, strain and bottle.
Vinegar should be scalded, not
boiled, as boiling weakens it. Tho
usual articles used to give flavor co
pickles are pepper, red or black, all
spice, ginger, cloves, mace, garlic,
eschalots, mustard, horse radish and
capsicum. To walnut liquor may bo
edded a- few anchovies and eschalots.
Unglazed earthen ware or glass jar-?
should be used for pickles in small
quantities, and the articles picked
should be covered with at least aa
inch or more with the pickle. To en
able the articles pickled more quickly
to imbibe the flavor of the niekle. nre
viously to pouring the liquid on them
run a laramg needle through them
several times. A wooden spoon 0?
fork is necessary for 'dipping or dish
ing up pickles.
Grandma's Pickled Walnuts.
In July, when the green fruit can
be, pierced with a darning needle,
gather as many walnuts as you want
t pickle. The proportion is a hun
dred walnuts to a gallon of vinegar,
and do not be afraid of making too
much, for most of people like them,
and, if well made, they will last for
years. Hold the fresh green fruit witli
a ciotn wnile piercing them well witti
a large darning needle, to avoid stain
ing the fingers. Cover them with a
strong brine a pint and a half of salt
toa gallon of water and let them
stand for three days; change tho brlno
every day. On the fourth day, boil
the salt and water, let cool and pour
o-er them. Let stand three days,
change for fresh brine and let stanI
another three days. Drain off tho
brine, rinse and lay the walnuts ifl
the sun, until they become black, turn
ing them, each, so as to expose all
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