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The Commoner.
VOLUME 3, NUMBER 3,,
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1
The Old Faililoned Flrt.
To stoara heat the cities aspire
As they shiver and shako in the
' cold,
But give mo tho old-fashioned fire
Tho ruddy old hack-log of old.
The warmth and tho light
Of its flames leaping bright
Tho drowsy heads huddled around it
at night.
In tho darkness tho winter wind sigh
ing, Made the flame take a r.uddier glow;
Tho spams' up the wide chimney fly
ing Like witch-eyes that gleamed in the
snow.
'., O, the warmth and the light
Of thoso red flames so bright,
.And tho comfort and joy of the wild
winter night.
Jfar better that friendly old fire
Than buildings of simmering steam,
With never a flame to admire;
With never, a beautiful dream.
0, tho love- and tho light
Where tho old flames danced
bright,
&nd the old-fashioned joy of the old
fashioned night.
Frank L. Stanton.
Home-Mad Furelturt.
Every, once in a while, the mania
. takes irresistible hold on us, and we
imaginot that, we may do wonderful
things, without money and Without
price, by becoming our own cabinet
. makers. Many of us have tho inven
tive genius and mechanical ideas, but
arc lacking in tho practical skill nec
essary to make our ideas available.
To such I would suggest that the call
ing in of a comfortably teachable car
penterone who is not above taking
his instructions from a woman is a
good thing to do. Fortunately, many
of us possess, in our husbands, tho
needful smll, and wo should not hesi
tate to press the matter upon his
notice. A woman Generally knows
what she wants, though sho may not
be able to make her ideas as plain as
would bo desirable to tho mechanic,
but, with a little questioning and pa
tient trying to understand on the
part of tho workman, matters will
tako form.
0 0
Do not start into the home-mado
furniture business with the "some-thing-for-no
thing" Idea in your head;
it will cost you a little money; much
less, however, if you hire a compe
tent mechanic than if you attempt to
do it yourself, and with greatly moro
gratifying results. In these days of
ofton-flittings, it hardly pays to over-
stocu one's self with expensive furni
ture which must so often be sub
mitted to tho tender mercies of the
moving wagon and its driver, or even
to tho caroful vans of tho cities, and
thero aro many useful articles for
kitchen and bedroom which must eith
er be gotten up cheaply, or done with
out While I1, in no sense, advocate
tho idea of tho wonderful, well
stocked, impossiblo (to us moderns,
-at least,) old garret, filled with all
sorts of valuable material which,
now-a-days, exists only in tho imagin
ation of tho writer I still do think
that many useful, time, money and labor-saving
articles of home furnish
ing can, with tho holp of a "strong
right arm," skilled in the use of the
. necessary tools, paint and varnish
brush, be wrought out of tho ubiquit
ous goods . boxes, ' to be had at' any
store, a pocketful of nails and a paper
ttf screws. Last week I told you of a
table-desk, and this week I want to
suggest a kitchen cabinet But I re
peat my warning, that, it will be
money in your pocket, as well as a
saving of your "nerves," if you let the
job out to tho aforesaid carpenter;
and, as husbands are not always (to
their own wives, at least,) the most
tractable workers-out of women's
ideas,-I strongly urge you to give the
job into the hands of some other wo
man's husband.
oiriathIng About Fruit Jarf.
Probably tho Mason glass jar is
most widely used of any; its cheap
ness recommends it; it is convenient,
in a measure. Its disadvantages are,
a metal cover in contact with the
fruit, and its often imperfect finish at
the shoulder or place where the rim
of tho cover meets the lar. Another
disadvantage is the lack of durability
or tne cover, liiass-topped jars are
neater in appearance; no one can ac
cuse the Mason jar of being preten
tious in appearance, but its cover is
pliable enough to allow gas to escape
in case of fermentation, whereas some
glass tops are fastened so rigidly ;that
fermentation bursts the jar. Tops of
Mason jars are sometimes sharp on
tho edge and cut the rubber; this edge
may be made smooth by use of a flat
file drawn across; the file touching
opposite sides to insure uniformity.
The frequent slight ridge on the shoul
der of the jar at opposite sides may
be removed by the same file. The rim
of old covers that have been forced
out of shape can be turned back to
place by using a small hammer and
tho edge filed as before, making tho
cover, much moro easily and securely
adjusted. Ex.
Kitchen Conveniences.
Nothing saves a woman's strength
moro than a grouping within easy
reach of the various utensils and ma
terials necessarily used in the prepar
ation of the meals for the family. Yot,
in the ordinary kitchen, the principal
purpose of arrangement seems to be
to increase, rather than lssRon tho
running about after supplies. A kitch
en cabinet, containing drawers,
shelves, closets, hooks, flour-chest,
moiaing Doara, etc, can be bought for
from ten dollars upward, according
to one's means; but, if a member of
the family has skill with tools, a very
satisfactory article may often be con
structed from bits of lumber, goods
boxes, or from a spare table, chest of
drawers, or wash stand which can be
taken for the purpose. It may be in
expensive as compared to the "store"
article, but it will cost something. Tho
dry goods boxes can generally be had
for a few cents, and bits of lumber
may bo had cheaply from a builder;
scraps of paint, too, may be bought
at little cost from the painter, and
while, by this means, you may not get
just the colors you would wish, the
first two coats will make little differ
ence, and you can finish from a can
of the color desired bought for the
purpose.
0 0
If you 'think a chest of drawers Is
beyond your means, shelves, placed at
different distances apart with dividing
partitions or without, and doors, wil
be found very serviceable, and in some
respects to be preferred to drawers; in
tho making of theso less skill will be
required, and tho work will bo dono
cheaper. If you aro in doubt as to
just how to set about constructing
those conveniences, visit the furniture
store and look at those for Bale.
While, if the article is patented, you
may not have one just like it, you
will get some good ideas to work in
to your own. If nothing better tan
bo done a set of shelves can be placed
in a large, shallow goods box.et con
veniently to your range, and, in lieu
of doors, a curtain of washable ma
terial may be hung across the front,
with a covering of table oilrcloth.
0 0
A set of upright shelves, put to
gether with pegs and screws, and
with or without doors, is a conven
ience. This can be easily taken apart,
for removal, requires very little work
or material, and has. great possibili
ties. Tho outside may be painted or
papered, the shelves covered .with
newspapers or the oil-cloth which
comes for the purpose, and a curtain
may be hung on rods across the front.
Different sized boxes may be had from
your merchant, and compartments
made of these, or they may be set, on
the shelves, to "hold things." Fruit
jars, that from slight defect are no
longer fit for use in canning fruit,
may be used for the spices, starches,
flavorings, vinegars, etc., while other
shelves may hold the many utensils
Without lyhich' culinary operations
cannot be carried on. There should
be hooks, too, on which to hang, in
easy, unobstructed reach, the various
sroons, ladles, forks skimmers and
such things so repeatedly in use,
O O
This is but one of tho many inex-.
pensive ways by which the' house
keeper's work may be simplified and
made easier. With the aid of skilled,
hand. for some parts of them many
articles of serviceable furnishing may
bo cheaply constructed, and with the
tastt-ful use of a few yards of cre
tonne, denims, muslin, or other cur
tain material, very dainty bedroom
belongings can also be had at small
cost. But, remember, my dear madam,
if you wish for satisfactory results,
and to save money, do not try to be
your cwn cabinet-maker.
Autumn.
There is a beautiful spirit breathing
now
Its mellow richness on the clustered
trees,
And, from a beaker full of richest
dyes,
Pouring new glory on the autumn
woods,
And dipping in warm light the pil
. lared clouds;
Morn on the mountain, like a summer
bird,
Lifts up her purple wing; and in the
vales,
The gentle -wind, a sweet and pas
sionate wooer, -
Kisses the blushing leaf, and stirs up
life
Within the solemn woods of ash deop
crimsoned, And silver beech, and maple yellow
leaved, Where autumn, like a faint old man,
sits down
By the wayside, aweary.
Oh, what a glory doth this world
put on
For him who, with a fervent heart
goes forth '
Under the bright and" glorious sky'
and looks
On duties well performed and days
well spent.
For him, tho wind, ayo, and the yel
low leaves
Shall have a voice, and give him elo
quent teachings,
Ho ahall so hear the solemn hymn
that Death '
Ho lifted up for all, that he shall go
tear S PIa? wlthut
-tea! Longfellow.
"Ne Tim.."
How many mothers there are whn
have no time to read, or take the l
essary recreation, yet whoso cake bS
to never empty, nor the cupboard bam
of pies.- Such a mother can alwaja
find time for the boiled pudding
fancy dessert, and all the accompani
ments to a varied and elaborate bill
of fare, but sho has no time to tako
her little one on her knee, and smooth
out the "crumpled roseleaf" which has
made its young life a burden for tho
last half hour. She has time to pon
der over the selection and preparation
of a large list of eatables, many ol
which are simply disease-breeders
but she has no time to get acquainted
with tho school life of her children
or, by quietly listening to their con
versation, discover any dangerous ele
ment in the associations to which
their daily life is subjected.
Let us stop and ask, is there any,
use of making a god of our stomach?
It is all very well to study the very,
best methods of preparing the dailx
meals, and time spent in learning tho
food values and amount of nutrition
contained in the various articles thuB
consumed, is not wasted, but ono
should remember that the life is moro
than meat While "variety is the spice
of life" too much spice is a decided
disadvantage, and ono or two wclD
cooked vegetables, with meat, good:
bread, butter and fruit Is a sufficient
variety for any common meal. Cakes,
pies, puddings and fancy desserts aro
not necessary, or-even advisable, for
every day consumption, or even very
often. Fresh, ripe, or even canned
fruit can well take the place of so
much indigestible cookery, and thug
leave time for tho mothers of families
torest their aching muscles and get
acquainted with .their children.
Helpful Items
A well known writer on matters
pertaining to hygiene says: "One of
tho worst, most dangerous, and yet
most commonly used remedies is pare
goric for infants; and it Ms also used
by older peoplo as ell. I know a
young man of about twenty-seven
years of age who has spent the last
four years in a private hospital, and
has recently been sent to the insane
asylum as a result of the excessive
use of such remedies, the habit evi
dently starting In infancy with thai
use of narcotics for children's colic.
There are cases in which the uses ofl
such agents are justifiable, but they
should never be used except under the
immediate supervision of a skilled
physician, and even then the danger
of contracting a ruinous drug habit
is very great There are many things
eminently fitted to relieve pain, hav
ing no .harmful after effects, and it te
except in very rare cases, unnecessary
to resort to dangerous drugs."
O O
"According to the germ theory of
disease, antiseptics are to. be used for
the purpose of destroying the mi
crobes. According to my observation
and experience, when any wound or
sore is kept perfectly clean nature
and the life principle will prevent de
cay, or the accumulation of the micro
organisms which are in the habit of
gathering, feeding and multiplying so
rapidly wherever a suitable soil 19
presented. In reading the code of laws
of ancient Israel one is at once im
pressed by the frequency of the term
'unclean,' and there is abundant evi
dence to. show-that physicians were
thought but little of. while prevention
of disease by cleanliness, proper diet"
ing, etc., were the means insisted on.
Contagion was prevented by isolating
A nT.-n Alan vowttt. arrnim TtEMEDY
A MR8 WlNSLOW'8 FOOTHINO SlBUP for lJflJ
twthlag: aneroid always be used for children wn
teethlmr. It softena the cuing, allays all pa J , eui
wind collft nd u th hunt romedr for QAM"
I Twenty-five cents a boiUe. It la the bwt.
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