8
The Comnioner.
VOLUME 3, NUMBER 35,
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Wen Watts Mcy3 '
eparTmeni
sVfj) ) Jr-
One of the Fine Arts
There's a beautiful art that is sadly
neglected,
And dally I wonder to see it rejected
13 those who'd bo healthy and
wealthy and wlso
By just condescending to open their
eyes
.And look at things fairly,' with never
a pout
1 refer to the fine art of-Doing With
out. "Why, that's- nothing wonderful,"
maybo you'll say,
."I do without things that I want, ev
ery day."
Quito likely you do. But how do you
do it?
With good grace, or a face that's as
bluo as a bluet?
There's a wonderful difference (just
jot that down)
Botween giving up things with a
smile or a frown;
And that is precisely the difference
between
The artist and bungler you see what
I mean? .
You can't do as you like? Why, then,
do as you can;
I'm sure you will find it an excellent
plan.
Can't have what you want? Then
take what you can get;
No better device has been patented
yet
'Tis tho bravest and blithest and best
way, by far,
Not to lot little lessons your happi
ness mar; -
'Tis an art that needs practice, of
that there's no doubt
But it's worth it this fine art of Do
ing Without
New Orleans Picayune.
Homo Chats.
These cool, crisp Septembor even
ings draw us closely about the lamp
light, and on many a hearth a little
blaze is kindled, more . for tho sake
of the cosy air it Imparts to tho room
than for any needed warmth it sends
forth. Tho business of the daylight
is ended, tho tired hands folded, and
the mind, relieved from tho strain of
tho working hours, seeks relaxation.
Too often these evening hours aro
wasted, despite tho fact that they are
golden. What mines of intellectual
riches they should be not to tho
young, alone, but to every member of
ttie family.
It is well to plan for these evening
hours to devoto at least a part of
them to the enriching of our mentali
ties. Did you over notice into what
miserable channels tho evening con
versation of the average family drifts?
In too many Instances, it is tho mer
est tittle-tattle tho entire conversa
tion being given to tho doings, and
sayings of the neighborhood, social
gossip, which, though it may not be
harmful, certainly is not helpful, and
when at length tho group is dispersed
by tho bed timo hour, wo go to our
rest feeling if we stop to analyze our
emotions that we have lost some
thing. And wo have golden hours,
priceless opportunities have slipped
from our lax hold never to be ours
again. Should we not rather seek to
make each moment doubly our own
by weighting them with a sense of
gain?
r A noted lecturer said that our field
of diamonds is the little patch of
ground on which we stand, and tho
diamonds aro there, if we would but
well our best thoughts, and strive
to make them -helpful in the true sense
of tho word, we could accomplish im
measurable good. A helpful para
graph, read by some one, and dis
cussed by all, would be much better
than aimless rehashing of the doings
that may concern us but for tho mo
ment. It is well to have plenty of
reading matter, and to have it of tho
right sort, but reading will not take
the place of social converse, and young
folks, especially, require the contact of
other minds, in order to interest and
develop thoir own. It would be a good
plan to appoint one of the family for
each evening to find out all within
reach on- a certain subject, asking
each of the other members of the
family to give whatever help he or
she could, and in this wise many new
ideas could be brought out
Not long ago, a mother placed in
tho hands of the children a clipping of
newspaper containing a poem, telling
them there was a hidden picture in a
certain line which the author did not
intend to place there, and offering a
penny to those who found the picture,
The first evening, nobody could find
the picture, but on the second even
ing, after a few minutes search, the
little girl laughed merrily, and said
she had found the picture. The
mother told her to wait until the oth
ers had either discovered it, or had
confessed their Inability to do so,
which they shortly did, and the little
girl read the line, "There's many a
bird with foliage fair," pointing out
tho cause of her laughter in the fact
that tho author had dressed his bird
in leaves and grasses, rather than
feathers.
Further along in the same article,
the author spoke of God as "noting
the raven's fall." The mother asked
what was wrong, and the little ones,
who study their Sunday school les
sons, at once pointed out that it was
the sparrow's fall which God took no
tice of, but that he "provideth food for
They decided that the author of the
verse should have said he "noteth the
young raven's call." To carefully set-
tip the question there had to be a ue
sort to Concordance. In like manner,
many questions might be opened up, to
tho enrichment of the minds of all.
A few days ago, I met an old gray
haired lady who did not lenow what
linen cloth was made of. Do you?
forget that the boys have individual
tastes, too, which may be cultivated
bj- deferring to their opinion, and they
will thus be taught to observe and
choose for themselves, later in life.
For the new school dresses, there are
many attractive styles ana weaves in
the mercerized cottons.
Above all things, in fitting out the
school child, pay more regard to com
fort, and the possibility of keeping
their garments fresh and clean, than
to the" stylo and fashionableness of the
make-up and material used. Wash
dresses are better than the unwash
able, on hgylonic principles.
"Suiting" the Children.
The chilly mornings of the early
autumn reminds us of tho fact that
tiio winter wardrobe will soon bo a
necessity, and it is well to begin in
timo, by gathering 'ip the fragments
of the last yea.-'s wearing apparel,
and seeing what can be done with
them. Many garments will be found
still largo enough for emergency wear,
while others, with but little piecing
of sleeves, lotting out of tucks and
seams, may be made serviceable for
at' least part of another season. Oth
ers, hopelessly outgrown by the orig
inal wearers, may be made "good as
new" for tho next in line with new
buttons, a little fresh trimming, or
other brightening up. Try to give to.
the little "passed-down" garment a
look of individuality for the new
wearer, especially in the matter of
taking out all soil spots, smoothing
out wrinkles, and taking up any no
ticeable "slaqk" in the fit of it.
About the Canary.
A little reader of The' Commoner
asks me to tell her how to care lor
her canary, as she has just received
one as a present. ,If she has had no
experience in caring for birds, there
is much to tell her, and she must
learn a great oeal by watching her
bird closely and studying its actions
and trying to understand its language
for the little pet will talk to her,
and tell her its wants, but in actions
and sounds.
0 0,
In the first place, Birdie should not
be confined in too small a cage, and
whatever size the cage is, it should
be kept clean, if she wants her bird
to do well. A paper laid in the bot
tom of the cage must be changed ev
ery day, and at least once a week, the
cage itself must be given a good scald
ing, in order to keep it fresh and
sweet and free from vermin. It will
benefit the bird to allow it to fly about
the room while the cage is being
cleaned or washed, and it can readily
be taught to return to its house when
wanted. His seed and water cup must
bo kept clean, and fresh seed and
water given him every day. He must
also have a little dish of water every
day in which to take his bath, and
after tho bath the dish may be re
moved.
0 O
Fine gravel must be sprinkled over
the bottom of his cage every time it
is cleaned. Coarse sand will answer
every purpose. This is absolutely nec
essary to keep the bird healthy. A
piece of cuttle-fish must be tied to the
bars of the cage, on which he is to
sharpen his beak, and occasionally eat
a little. Give fresh canary seed, a
little millet, and save all the plantain
and lettuce seed you can; also, wild
peppergrass seed, as he is very fond
of this, and occasionally a few grains
of hemp but not much of this, as it is
too fattening, an.l sometimes the bir
die dies of too much fat A bird does
best with a regular diet of good ca
nary seed, with a bit of light bread,
or cracker, or a leaf of lettuce, or a
shred of cabbage. Do not feed him
cake, or sugar, but give him a slice of
apple, orange or other fruits.
0 0
Do not hang the cage in the sun
Bhine, or in a draught of air, but give
plenty of light Do not hang it too
near the ceiling, as tho top of the
room. Is always heated. A veranda,
where ho is safe from possible cats,
is a nice place for him. If you have
house-plants, turn him among them
occasionally. A small bag containing
flower of sulphur, hung in his cage
wnero ne win nit it as no tiles about,
fcjuumuuy ue Bumcient to keen
be- Been, with a magnifying glasslit,
tie red dots clinging to the cloth, and
the cloth should bo wrung out of
scalding water before being used
again.
0 0
Mo.ulting season shedding the fea
thers and growing new ones begins
with most birds about the middle of
September, and lasts six weeks; few
birds sing much at this season, and re
quire careful, regular attention. A bit
of rusty nail may be put in their
drinking cup. Feed egg-paste, mado
by rubbingr thoroughly together the
yolk of a hard-boiled egg with cracker
dust and a little cayenne pepper add
ed as a tonic. This should be made
fresh every day, and about a tea
spoonful a day will suffice. White of
the egg, chopped fine and mixed with
cracker dust and a sprinkling of pow
dered sugar, may be given occasional
ly. Many-bird medicines are adver
tised, but it is "best to let them alone.
The red tint which some canaries have
may be imparted to their feathers, it
is claimed, by feeding the bird during
the moulting season on a diet of
cracker and egg, highly seasoned with
cayenne pepper. It is claimed tint
this .diet does not affect either the
health or the song of the bird," but
care must be taken to have the pepper
perfectly pure, as adulterations mipht
kill it One can grow their own ca
yenne pepper, and it makes a very
pretty pot plant.
How Did You Die?
Did you tackle that trouble that came
your way
With a resolute heart and cheerful?
Or hide your face from the light of
day.
,With a craven soul, and fearful?
0, a trouble's a ton, or a troubles an
ounce,
Or a trouble is whajt you make it;
And it isn't tho 'fact' that you're hurt
that counts ':, ;'';r
But only, How did you take' it?
You're beaten to earth? Well, what
of that?
Come up with a smiling "lace.
It's nothing against you to fall down
fiat,
But 10 lie there that is disgrace.
The harder you're thrown, the higher
you'll bounce;
Bo proud of our blackened eye.
It isn't the fact that you're licked that
counts,
It's How did you fight, and why?
And though you be done to the death'
what then?
If you battled the best you could,
If you played your part in the world
of men,
Why, the Critic will call it good.
Death comes with a crawl, or comes
with a pounce;
And whether he's slow or spry,
It isn't the fact that you're dead that
counts,
But, only How did you die?
Edmund C. Vance.
In making over earments -whliVh
stoop to pick thorn up. If we would have been ripped apart and pressed,
each of us, determine to bring to these let the little daughter assist you to
evening gatherings not alone those decide upon tho stylo and finish; it
of tho family, but to all others, as (will teach her many things. Do not
will
away rea mites, nut should they be
suspected because of the bird's rest
lessness at night, a white flannel cloth
should be, sj'veml over tho cage at
night, and examined tho next morn
ing, when, if there aro mites, they may
Requested Recipes.
Cucumber Pickles. Wash small cu
cumbers and place in an earthen jar;
maite a brine, allowing one pint of
salt to one gallon of water, boiling
and cooling; pour over the cucumbers
anu let stand twenty-four hours; pour
off the brine ,and take as much vine
gar as is necessary to cover them, and
to every gallon of vinegar add a piece
of alum tho size of a small hickory
nut; a spoonful of sugar, and must
ard, mace or alspice to taste. Let the
vinegar come to a boil and pour over
the cucumbers. A fow pieces of sliced
horse radish placed among the cucum
bers will add to the flavor. Keep in a
cool room, well covered. Will ho
ready in a couple of weeks.
Tomato Catsup. For this , recipe,
the tomatoes should not bo over-ripe.
Wash and slice the tomatoes and put
In a preserving kettle; boil slowly for
ono hour, t.hnn nih t.hrouch a slevo
I that will not let tho seeds pass
1