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The Commoner.'
VOLUME 4, NUMBER 51
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"VjfMen Watts N J Y iXliC I jf
Tho Bost Of Llfo
Not till life's heat Is cooled,
Tho headlong rush slowed to a quiet
pace,
And every purblind passion that has
ruled
Vnnr tinlnlor vonrn nf lfit
Spurs us in vain, and weary of the!
race,
Wo care no more who lo3es or who
wins-
Ah! not till all tho best of life seems
past
Tho best of life begins.
To toil for only fame,
Handclappings and tho fickle gusts of
praise.
For place or power or gold to gild a
name
Above the grave wnereto
All paths will bring us, wero to lose
our days,
We, on whoso eara youth's passing bell
has tolled,
Inblowing bubbles, oven as children do,
Forgetting wo grow old.
But tho world widens when
Such hope of trivial gain that ruled us
lies
Broken among our childhood's tbys,
for then
We win to self-control!
And mail ourselves in manhood, and
there rise
Upon us from the vast and windles3
height
Those dearer thoughts that are unto
the soul
. What stars are to the night.
m ' "' .. Tlie Spectator:
Homo Chats
Now that tho New Year has been
given us, what are wo going to do with
it? As we look upon its opening leaf
lets, a half-fear assails us, and wo
wish wo knew just what to do with the
days to come that our record of them
may not mar and disfigure. Wo know
what-wo should like to do. and wn -
solve bravely for betterment; we are
sincere in our desire to make tho
world's load lighter because of our
strengthful. assistance; but wo are
afraid. If wo could but manage to
mako stopping-stones of tho failures
and mistakes of the past, by which to
lift ourselves to greater heights, it
would bo well with us. and with the
Now Year.
But of this wo may be assured: there
will be the same need of courage and
onueavor; tne same call for faith and
prayer; the same demand for deeds of
loving sympathy and thought-care for
others. Tho world will need the same
helpful, hopeful hearts, the same hon
est toilers in the vineyard. The com
mand to "Do unto others" in the
spirit of love and self-sacrifice will
still bo in force it is the same old.
sorrowful world, and tho "poor," in tho
widest meaning of the word, wo havo
with us,jtlways. Tho opportunity for
doing good will be no less, nor will the
demand for its improvement be less
rigid. Upon every side, other lives will
touch our own, and from us will go
out influences for weal or for woe. It
will depond upon ourselves which it
shall be.
We can not lift tho veil of the fu
ture our stay hero may not bo for
long, so wo should do our best right
now; let every day b-ar fresh evidence
of our willingness tp work tho will of
the Father. Let us look for the sun
shine, and seek to kindle it, not alone
in our own hearts, but in tho hearts
of others. If we 3eek earnestly, tho
work will bo given us to do, strength
for the service will be supplied. Let
us, then,, strive to meet tho coming
days -with a cheerful optimism, a faith
in the rulings of the All wise so strong
and so full of earnest endeavor as to
make failure impossible. Let us" so
work as. not only to wish, but to mako
of the New Year a happy, heartsome
one.
but "bargain counter" articles are not
all bargains and anything worth hav
ing must be paid for.
AN OLD AND WELti TRIED KEMEDY.
Mns. Winslow'8 Soothing Syrup for children
teething should always bo usod for children while
teething. It eottena tho sums, allays all balu, cures
wlndchollo and Is tho best rciRody for. diarrhoea,
'Iirenty-nvo cents a bottlo. Tv ."
In Tho Kitchen
One of the absolutely "imperatives"
about the house is a good, reliable
cooking rango. Nothing else in the
way of furniture adds so materially to
the health, wealth and happiness of the
family as does this one article. It is
possible for a good cook to get up a
respectable meal of victuals on a poor
cook stove, but she does it in spite of
the stove, not with it, while a poor
cook or a beginner at the business
finds failure to be about the only out
come of her best endeavors.
There are ranges and ranges, "and
then some," to use tho common phrase.
The inexperienced or tho credulous, or
the one who is looking for "something
for nothing," more times than not will
be beguiled into buying a range that is
"as good as any on the market," and
one that carries a "warrant" from its
maker that it is to bo returned if not
found "just as represented," but such
warrants are seldom an insurance
against unsatisfactory results. When
the cheap range is delivered to you, it
is yours, and you must use it or throw
it away which you are generally
tempted to do, after a brief trial of it.
A range cheap in tho financial sense
is about the dearest thing ono can buy,
so far a3 results and after expenses are
to ue considered. A good steel or
malleable iron range, made by a re
liable firm, will last a life time with
average care, but; its first cost will sel
dom be less than $45 to $50, and it will
be a thoroughly good, serviceable, war
ranted article, with a large, fifteen gal
lon or more copper reservoir, or water
heater, its parts unbreakable and its
inside linings not to burn out. And it
is worth It, for it is perfectly satisfac
tory, or i irom some seeming defect
it does not at once respond to demands,
it will bo made satisfactory, with no
further cost. I havo used such a rango,
hauling it about from city to mountain
ous country, for ten year3, and then
sold it, as good and satisfactory as
when now; not a crack in it, nor a
sign of "burnt-out" on the inside, with
never in tne time a cent of expendi
ture ior repairs.
There are ranges to be had as low
as $15, and from that up to $35; I saw
one of the $35 kind a few days ago;
it had been in use two years, but it
was ready for the "scrap" pile, and was
a. constant worry and detriment to the
whole family. I have seen quite a few
of them, but experience has tauerht.
that, whatever the difference in first
cost, a good, serviceable range is al
ways tho cheapest in tho long run. Bet
ter sacrifice on something else and buy
the best to be had suitable in size
and capacity for the wovk you expect
it to do. and don't get ono that is too
small, even of tho best. "Selling Out at
Cost," "Fire Sale," "Unloading from
Over-Production," and such headlines
.'are 'baits for your sense of economy,
Windows In Wintor
-Jn cold weather it is often difficult
to wash windows as often as they re
quire it, as the work can not be done
in freezing weather and should not be
done when the 3un is shining on the
glass, to insure the best results. At
such, times dust them well with a dust
cloth, and leave them until a warm
day and an hour when the sun is not
shining on them. Or, uso a large paint
er's brush to brush the dust off, brush
tho ledges of the windows and wipe it
off tho glass with a dry cloth. Do not
use soap in washing windows, but rub
them over the inside with a little whit
ing moistened with alcohol and water
about equal parts. Polish off the
whiting, using a chambi3 skin or an
old newspaper which must be softened
by crumpling with the hands. Care
should be taken not to allow the pow
der to scatter -around the room, as it
will if not gathered up in the paper or
chamois skin while it is being rubbed
off. Regular glaziers always polish
glass with whiting. Do not use strong
ammonia in washing windows, or it
will leave a film on the glass which
will be difficult to remove.
Fashion Not no
The new summer goods is already a
topic under discussion in the "Fashion"
columns of our high-class magazines,
although the real necessity of the hour
forces most of us to still handle wool
ens and goods of fleeced texture. In
tho new styles, quantity is a leading
question, as it takes "yards and yards,"
even of very wide goods, to make the
new style garments. Skirts are to be
very full, and to remodel the skirts of
tho past will require some close plan
ning. For a plain five, seven or nine
gored skirt, it is wise to confine tho
alterations to the lower half nf fho
skirt only, and this can be done by the
addition ,pf braid, wide bands or ap
plied tucks put on to encircle the skirt,
or by U3ing gathered ruffles on the
dressier skirts. The plainer skirts of
wool may be ripped up the bottom of
each side seam (and this means every
.seam except the one in the middle of
tho back) to a depth of about twelve
inches, and in this opening introduce a
plait or a set of plaits. These plaits
may be of a different sort of material
that will combine well, with the orig
inal. Another method is to rip up the skirt
and add four full new Eroroa. nf o
terial tho exact shade of tho original
uiuiu, me new gores to bo either shir
red at the top or laid in plaits, out
lining the old gores with one or more
rows of braid. Another plan is to in
troduce an outside double box-plait at
the bottom of each side seam- tho
plaits to be of the material of the' orig
inal goods.
For lengthening a skirt that is too
short, use either silk, velvet, or orig
inal material. If the material is of
lighter body than the skirt goods, it
should be lined with something to
give it "body." Cut the material into
bands of the requisite width to give the
required length, and Insert the band
or band3 into the skirt at the proper
place to servo for trimmings.
A bodice that is too tight across the
bust may have a vest of some suitable
material set in. with hrald n-orntf,,
Many of the new coats have small coal
sleeves, so, if tho old sleeves are not
uncomfortable, give them only a deen
turn-back cuff, of same material as tho
vest, and finish with braid garniture -!
Ladies' Homo Journal.
Ic Wool Pviriteun Hood
The merest tyrq in knitting can
mako a pretty ice-wool Puritan hood
by following these directions: Knit two
wide, long strips, ono in white and
one in pink, or any color desired. Ono
of tho strips to be used for lining, join
them by their edges and fold in equal
lengths; sew one side together, begin
ning at tho fold, for five inches. This
will be for the back of the hood. Gath
er the front on the other side to form
tho hood; place a bow of ribbon over
tho gathers, and another bow at tho
back. Draw the ends of the long pieces
into a bunch and tio with a bow, sew
on a tassel, or leave straight and finish
all around with a pretty crocheted edge.
The end3 may be knit long enough for
ties, or the hood may bo finished with
ribbon ties.
The old-fashioned rick-rack braid is
again coming into favor. It makes a
pretty edge for many things as it is,
but with the aid of a needle, or a crochet-
hook many serviceable and at
tractive trimmings can be made of it
A Chapter On Brctxds
In cold weather, flour should be sifted
and set in a warm place for several
hours before making up, to take the
chill off. Use but a quarter of a cake
of yeast to each loaf, and the bread
will not dry out so quickly.
Boston Brown. Bread. Ono cupful
each of corn meal, Graham flour, white
flour and good molasses; half teaspoon
ful of salt; teaspoonful of soda sifted
with the flour; cold water enough to
make a thin batter; mix all together
and steam sfceadily for four hours.
White Bread With Potatoes. Cook
three "large potatoes until tender and
press through a vegetablo ricer; pour
on four cups of boiling water and set
aside until lukewarm; dissolve half a
yeast cake in a little warm water and
add to this; add, three pints of flour,
beating it in with a spoon; cover the
bread bowl and let stand overnight. In
the morning, add two level teaspoon
fuls of salt, two level tablespoonfuls
each of sugar and melted butter or
lard. Mix with flour to make it a stiff
dough, which will require about threo
or more pints. Knead fifteen minutes,
put back in the bowl, cover and let
rise until double its bulk Chop with
a knife, and knead again; make into
four loaves, put into greased pans and
let rise until double, then bake care
fully so that a hard crust does not
form until the inside is done.
Peptic White Bread. One quart of
flour, ono teaspoonful of salt, two tea
spootifuls of baking powder, about one
pint of cold water (milk is best). Mix
the flour, salt and baking powder thor
oughly by rubbing through a sieve at
least twice into the br-ad bowl; then
make a well in tho center and pour into
this all the water (or milk); be sure
to mako the dough quite soft; with a
largo spqon stir it quickly and thor
oughly together, and when all the flour
Is wet stir it a moment longer to
smooth it, then turn at once into a
well-greased baking pan; do not knead
tho dough or beat it, and after it is
turned into the pan. smooth .the top
with a knife dipped into melted butter,
and bake at once in a moderate oven
for dne hour; as soon as baked, remove
from the pan, sprinkle with water and
wrap in a bread cloth until cold. This
amount will make one loaf, is very
wholesome, and recommended for those
having weak digestion. The pan in
which to bake the loaf should be four
inches wide, four inches deep and eigiit
inches long. .
White Bread. Sift four quarts oi
flour and sot it in- a warm place ior
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