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The Commoner.
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VOLUME 7, NUMBER I
The Mother
Am I not kin to those high houIb, oiato,
too won-
too luivo
lo God as pool, seer mill
Kind tears His mystor
hooii, humblo womon may
llttlo garments day by
Who droamed uroat dreams
dorful and groat
For any tolIliiK? Yon, J
boon
As noar lo
Hiilnt,
And through
los have
Seeing I nat aH
And sowed on
day.
Thoy who havo known Joy, flawlOBH
and complete
Am I not ono or them, whoso joy was
HWOOt
Beyond tho bliss or lovers? Nay,
above
Tho calm or martyrs crowned,
my joy hath been
Tho perfect crowning of perfected
love,
Soolng Unit ono glad day against my
breast
Tho wonder of a llttlo head was
pressed.
whose tears
through the
Am I no( slstor unto Ihonv
All men havo venerated
years?
There Is no sorrow In a world too
wide
1 may not know
understand.
Mine, mine the anguish
Crucified;
Tho heart of Mary seeing on a day
. I kissed a child's dead faco and
turned away.
Theodosia Garrison.
sheer idleness. The busy child, busy
about something ho likes, is rarely
the saucy, disobedient ono.
While plying the needle or run
ning the sowing machine, tho home
keoper can look out on her yard and,
in imagination, plant her shrubs and
perennials, so that when the time
comes for tho actual work, she knows
just what is wanted and where. So,
as she busies about the kitchen, she
can plan Tor her back yard. Some
of tho prettiest things in tho way of
vines and flowers should bo planted
in sight or the kitchen window tho
most chceri'ul, and tho prettiest, so
she can seo them Instead or tho dish
pan when tho "thrcG-tlmos-a-day"
dishwashing has to bo done. If she
wishes tx shut out some disagree
able view, plan for the screen of
vines and let the vines he beautiful
ones bearing beautiful flowers and
fragrance, and, it may bo, fruits. But
havo beautiful, cheerful things. Plan
for your dreams, then work for your
ally with a steel table fork, to admit
air to the roots. If the soil becomes
sour from too much water, set the pot
in a vessel of boiling hot water (tho
water must not touch the plant, and
a newspaper may, if desired, be
wrapped about the top of tho plant).
When tho water cools, lay the pot on
its side to drain thoroughly.
All manner of insects attack plants
in a hot, dry atmosphere. Where do
thoy come from? I do not know. Do
not let them get a hold on your plants.
Water and moisture on the foliage
are good protectives. A fine sprayer,
costing fifty to seventy-five cents will
last a long time, liive uie luuutst:
early morning sprinkle with this,
not snrav at nitrht. and never at
when the sun shines on the foliage.
Always use topid water for spraying
or watering.
tin
Do
noon
plans. Live, and grow,
ful, beautiful life.
into tho cheer-
and feel and
of tho
"Taking
Aro
is done,
a hard
freezing
Thought for Tomorrow"
you ono of those who novei
plan out tho work for tho days to
come? Do you act upon tho impulse
of tho moment, with no thought or
how tho work will stand tho test of
ttmo, or what tho outcome, under un
foreseen conditions may be? If so,
I pity you, tor few people can do this
without making mistakes for which,
when too late, they aro sorry. Be
sides, there is a great deal of pleas
ure in planning ahead "making be
lieve," as the children say. You can
thus havo your dream, though tho
roallty may never bo yours, and tho
grayest life may be made very beau-
tliul by dreams of beautiful things.
Theso dark days, whon tho famllv
is kept Indoors because or tho cold
and storm, is a good timo to lay out
and plant the garden (on paper). By
this means, you will know just what
you want to do, and got your seed
order ott and tho seeds In hand be
fore tho "rush season" crowds you.
Ono of tho very best preventives
against tho "blues," house-norves, stu
pidity and yawning, is to keep tho
mind busy hard at work, ns tho ma
tcrlal business in hand progresses
Most of hand-work will allow the
worker time to brood and "think
thoughts," and one might as well think
good, cheerful, healthy thoughts as
to grow discouraged and discontent
ed by giving way to tho "doldrums."
Tho most common tasks will never
become drudgery if tho mind is kent
oiaiiiiiK. iu is uio cniui tnat is
idle indoors that gots into all
nor of mischief and mishaps,
Forcing Rhubarb
"A Reader" asks how this
The roots aro dug up aftei
freeze in tho fall, which
seems to bo necessary to mako the
work a success, and then planted in
a dark collar, kept moist and warm;
tho stalks thus produced grow rapid
ly, and aro much more desirable than
those grown in tho open air, being
tonder and of good flavor. In old
fashioned gardens, rhubarb was
forced by inverting a box or barrel
over the plant very early in the
spring and piling fermenting material,
such as horse-manuro. around tho out-
side. In a fow weeks, tender, thin
skinned stalks wore produced. Tho
appearance is attenuated stems, dis
torted and dwarfed leaves. Never
having had any experience of the
kind, I can not say anything about
its value for market purposes.
kept
man-from
AW OLD AND WHTLIiTRlKD ItKMKDT
MIJ8, WINSI.OW'SSOOTIIINO 8TUUP for ChlMr.
teeth nK'shonlcJ alwaya bo used for children iffiK
win', V'Sfi, " 80f"sl"'o Kums, una,. "
For the Window Garden
For those desiring to keep house
plants in tho winter, no more than
general rules can bo given, as much
depends upon tho plant, and more up
on tho condition of the atmosphere of
tho room. It is hotter to begin with
a fow easily-grown plants, study them
carefully, and whon you have met
thoir mutual needs, you will soon
learn to recounizo Umv infUvirinni
wants. Whon thrifty growth Is es
tablished, fertilizer, In the shape of
liquid barnyard manure is the best
to uso. The color of tho water should
bo about like weak tablo tea, and
should be given often.
A good way to got moisture among
the plants is to have a kettle of boil
lug water, pour the water In a shal
low pan sot under the plant shelf,
and let the steam go up among tho
puiuia. Anoinor way is to heat imrri
and put them in the
steam. In addition,
shallow iHrIi fun f
water on tho stove or register.
All dead, yellow or unsightly' leaves
should bo picked off and burned, and
tho remaining foliage should be kept
free from dust. Turn the pots fre
quently, allowing every side to get its
quota of sunshine, and thus assure
a shapely plant. Water only on warm
days in winter-never at night, or at
noon, when the sun is shining on the
foliage. A dry plant can stand much
more cold than a wet ono.
Stir the soil in tho pots occasion-
For the Kitchen Floors
Is it too early to talk about reno
vating the woodwork of our homes?
I think not, and if you are in need
of formulas for floor-stain, it might
be well to clip this one out and put
it where you can get it when wanted.
The reason why many women detest
kitchen work is because the kitchen,
itself, is usually the most uninviting
place in the house, and only to be
kept presentable by hard, drudging
work which might just as well not be
required. No dainty woman likes to
spend tho greater part of her time
scraping and scouring the floors, or
washing and cleaning the woodwork.
If the floor is an old one, it should be
scoured perfectly clean-, being par
ticular to remove all grease spots,
and let get perfectly dry. Then, for
a good stain, take half a pound of
burnt umber, half a pound of raw
umber, and mix with one pint of Japan
varnish and one pint of boiled lin
seed oil, thinning with turpentine un
til it will spread evenly on the floor.
Apply this mixture with a worn paint
brush, rubbing it across the grain. In
about ten minutes after finishing the
floor, go over it with a woolen rag
and rub off all the surplus stain, rub
bing this time with the grain of the
wood. When the floor is perfectly, dry,
which should not be longer than two
or three days, at most, apply a coat
of boiled linseed oil. Let dry before
using. About once in six months, give
the floor a coating of boiled linseed
oil, and it will always look well.
If the floor is a new one, of either
ash or hard pine, two coats of boiled
linseed oil makes a pretty floor. Such
a floor should not be scrubbed; wip
ing up with clear, tepid water is all
that is necessary.
glance, a training for bachelorhood,
making for independence from the
'feminine touch.' But the closer con
sideration shows that it is really a
preparatory training to make model
husbands. It is a necessity to meet
a demand created by the development
of the new woman, who no longer
sews, darns, cleans, presses or cooks.
Her sphere having been enlarged to
'all out-door,' she must forgo the in
door, domestic economies in favor of
her new labors.
"But sowing, darning, cleaning,
cooking must be done.. There is a
limit to which frowsy frumpery may
be carried, and the world marks it.
Pegs will serve for emergency uses
for a while, but not as a permanent
substitution for buttons, and a man
tied together with strings is a men
ace to himself and the peace of a
modest world. He must, therefore, -learn
to attend to his own grooming
and to be not wholly dependent on
canned goods for sustenance, he must
know how to cook. Otherwise, he
dare not become a Benedict. Bache
lorhood, out of a small surplus, may
make shift with the services of pro
fessional pressers and menders, but
matrimony has no surplus to bo co
squandered. It must attend to its
own belongings, or go uncared for.
"It is well, therefore, that future
husbands be taught to keep them
selves in order. It will make them
more independent, and the offer of
their hands and hearts less like a
classified want advertisement. And
the woman who marries him will have
more time for tho world-labors which,
engross their minds."
bricks very hot
water to cause
always keep a
The pantry should open into both
kitchen and dining room, and there
should bo a closet near the cook stove
for holding the cooking pans and skil
lets, pots, plates, measuring cups,
kitchen knives and forks, spoons,
bowls, salt, pepper, vinegar jugs, and
other things which are constantly
used in getting a meal. The cellar
stairs should open out of the kitchen,
and a dumb waiter going to the cellar
is a great convenience.
"Domestic 'Economy"
An unsigned nUnnlne-
for Boys
reaches
no
ii om one or our readers, which is not
so huge a joke as it would, on its
faco, seem to be. Here it is:
"In Girard college the boys are
taught to sew, darn, press, clean and
cook. This would seem-, at first
For the Laundry
The housewife should avail herself
of all the helps possible in doing the
family laundering. ' One of the great
est helps is a good machine and
wringer, and there are quite a number
of good ones on the market. Many
manufacturers will send the machine
on trial for thirty days, free of charge,
and this will give one the opportunity
of thoroughly testing it four times,
in the home, with the home help.
Many that do excellent work, lasting
for years, if given care, can be had
for $3.50 up to $6. There are higher
priced ones, but the cheaper ones
will do exoellent work. Neither by
hand or by machine can first-class
washing be done if one does not have
good water and good soap. The wa
ter should be rain water, if it can
be had, though some springs and wells
give soft water. If hard water must
be used, it should bo "broken" with
lye, sal soda or borax. Some excel
lent washing fluids are easily made
and inexpensive, and will save much,
hard labor and soap.
One of these is made by mixing
together one pound of good potash,
and one ounce each of sal. ammonia
and sal. tartar. Dissolve the potash
in boiling water, then add the other
ingredients. One gallon of water
should be used, and the solution, as
soon as made, corked tightly in a
jug, labeled, and put away for use.
The clothes should be properly sorted
the night before and put to soak in
clear water, and if the water is hard,
break it with borax directions . for
using which will bo on the package.
Next morning soap well the soiled
parts, and put them into the boiler in
which is as much water as is needed
for theclothes, and to which has been
added at the rate of half a teacupful
of the solution to every three pails of
water. They should boll twenty min
utes, and when taken out, another
kettleful of clothes may be put into
the boiler, filling up enough water,
while tho clothes just taken out may
TO CURE A COLD IN ONE DAY
Take LAXATIVE BROMO Quinine Tablet
DruRk'lsts refund money if it fails to oure
B. W. GUOVE'S denature is on each box. SS
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