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JANUARY 18, 1907
The Commoner.
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be put into the washing machine, add
ing cold water enough to make the
rubbing easy, and rubbed according
to directions that come with the ma
chine. Hot water may be used in
stead of cold, if it is to be had. Do
not "shy" at the washing machine; it
it worth all it costs.
Washing Fancy-Work Articles
The washing of fancy needle:work
is something which requires the ut
most care, and can not be put into
inexperienced hands. If one has not,
personally, the skill to do it, it will
pay to have it put into the hands
of a professional. Here is a method
which is recommended.
Put into half a pint of cold water
the like quantity of wheat bran. Boil
carefully for half an hour, being care
ful to keep the same amount of wa
ter all the time. Then strain the bran
water and add to it another half pint
of clear, boiling water. This mixture
is to be used instead of soap jelly.
Wash "the fancy-work in moderately
hot water, just as soft woolens are
washed, using the bran mixture, gent
ly squeezing in the hands instead of
' rubbing or twisting. For the second
water, soap jelly may be used instead
of the starch, if the colors are fast.
and the article very much soiled.
Have the rinse water prepared be
fore commencing the washing, as the
articles should be put through the
process as rapidly as possible. If
there are a variety of colors, put salt
and vinegar in the rinso water in the
proportion of a dessertspoonful to a
quart of water. Salt alone will do
for the reds or pinks; but in case of
violets, or purples, vinegar is espe
cially necessary.
Dry the article as quickly as pos
sible, and iron if possible before it
becomes entirely dry. If this can
not be done, put a damp white cloth
over the article before ironing. A
very thick pad should be 'on the--ironing
board, .and the pieces ironed on
the wrong side, so as to allow the
embroidery work to stand out from
the material. The iron should never
be extremely hot. Cotton and linen
will stand the most heat; silk will
not need so much, and woolen articles
scorch very easily with even a mod
erately hot iron. Many pieces of
fancy work may be ironed without
drying at all, after patting between
. the hands, as in old-fashioned "clear
starching." For many purposes',
starch water may be used instead of
soap suds, with excellent results, as
the starch is very cleansing.
sweet. Little bags of charcoal should
be, hung or laid about, as it is a dis
infectant and purifier. Don't stock
the cellar with old rubbish of any
kind. Put the old boards and boxes
either in the shed or the kindling
pile. Lime is cheaper than doctor
bills, and a box of it should always
be found in the cellar.
Physicians tell us that every child
should have a bed to itself. A nor
mally healthy child is almost sure to
go to sleep at the supper table or
shortly after that meal. They should
not be encouraged to sit up with the
grown folks. Good, healthy foods
and plenty of sleep are needs of the
growing child.
Neither children nor adults should
be allowed to sleep in a room that is
used as a family gathering place of
an evening. Have the sleeping rooms
filled with fresh air before going to
bed, and this may be done by open
ing the windows for fifteen minutes
or half an hour. Even in stormy
weather, the window should be low
ered from the top at least an inch or
two during the night.
When you buy a can of lard, take
the Inner lid, pound out the edges
straight, and when you cook meats,
slip this lid under the meat in the
bottom of the kettle to keep the meat
from sticking to the bottom and per
haps burning. These lids may also
be used on a gas stove to protect
the bottom of the sauce pan from
the fierce heat of the gas flame.
If you have no other use for the
worn-out pants, coats, vests and thick
skirts, take the best parts of them,
cut into suitable pieces and sew into
quilts, dyeing the lightest of them
some pretty color to "liven" the rest.
Get a lining for it of dark flannellette,
and tack it closely, as you would a
comfort. You will be surprised at the
wear you can get out of it, and the
warmth it holds for the cold nights.
Old, worn blankets may be quilted
or knotted together, turning so that
the thin parts of one will meet tho
thick parts of the other.
raw edges back on the hem strip, turn
up the hem and stitch across close
to ono side of the hemstitching, and
this finishes tho hem. Now put on
your narrowest hoinmor (the feller
is what you want), and, slipping tho
body of tho sheet under tho hem
mor, fell tho narrow edge down to
the sheet. You will have a row of
boauUfully oven hemstitching, with a
row of stitching on each side. After
doing the loose stitching for tho open
work, before doing the stitching on
the turncd-in edges, be sure to tighten
your tensions.
This is the way all the hemstitch
ing is done on tho handsome under
wear sold in the stores. Sevoral rows
of this hemstitching, with clusters of
tiny tucks between, make nice fin
ishes for underwear, and launders
easily. Sheets, pillowslips, handker
chiefs, and, in fact, anything with a
straight edge can bo ornamented in
this way. Colored muslins, and other
cotton and silk goods may be made
up with this openwork stitching the
width of the openwork to be deter
mined by the looseness of the tension.
Little Things
Do not forget that the cellar should
have a draft of fresh air daily. Use
plenty of lime to keep it dry and
COSTLY PRESSURE
Heart and Nerves Fail on Coffee
A resident of a great western state
puts the case regarding stimulants
with a comprehensive brevity that
is admirable. He says:
"I am 56 yoars old and have had
considerable experience with stimu
lants. They are all alike a mortgage
on reserved energy at ruinous inter
est. As the whip stimulates but does
not strengthen the horse, so do stim
ulants act upon the human system.
Feeling this way, I gave up coffee
and all other stimulants and began
the use of Postum Food coffee some
months ago. The beneficial results
have been apparent from the first.
The- rheumatism that I used to suffer
from has left me, I sleep sounder, my
nerves are steadier and my brain
clearer. And I bear testimony also
to the food value of Postum- some
thing that is lacking in coffee." Name
given by Postum Co., Battle Creek,
Mich. There's a reason. Read "The
Road to Wellville," the quaint little
book in pkgs.
. The Blessing of Labor
It is a curious fact in the history
of nations that only those who have
had to struggle the hardest for an
existence have been highly success
ful. One would think that it would
be a great relief to have the bread
and butter problem solved by one's
ancestors so that he might devote all
his energies and time to the develop
ment of the mental and spiritual fac
ulties; but history teaches us that
those born to a heritage of poverty
and toil, not those reared in the lap
of .fortune, have, with few exceptions,
been the leaders of civilization. It
is the struggle which develops the
effort to redeem oneself from iron sur
roundings which calls out manhood
and unfolds womanhood to tho highest
possibilities. The men and women
who have had to struggle against over
whelming odds are the ones whose
lives liave marked stepping-stones in
their country's progress. Man must
struggle, or cease to grow. Only by
ceaseless work can the highest pow
ers be developed. Success.
Hemstitching on the Machine
In making up bed linen, white un
derwear, and many other things, a
very pretty way to finish them is by
one or more rows of hemstitching.
This can be done nicely on the sew
ing machine, with a little practice.
To hemstitch a sheet, tear off from
the end to be hemmed a strip that,
when folded, will make a hem as wide
as desired. Loosen both the top and
bottom tension, lay one edge of the
hem strip onto the body of the sheet
and sew a seam one-fourth of an inch
deep; take the sheet from the ma
chine and pull the hem and sheet
apart, and there you have your hem
stitching between the hem and the
body of the sheet. Now turn the two
Never-Fail Brown Bread
No. 1 One cupful of graham flour,
one-half cupful each of corn meal,
white flour and molasses, one cupful
of sour milk, one saltspoonful of salt,
and one level teaspoonful of soda.
(The first mentioned flour must be
graham, not whole-wheat, flour, and
sweet milk may be substituted for
the sour by using one teaspoonful
each of soda and cream tartar well
mixed.) Mix the ingredients well,
and put into any can or pan with a
tight cover and bake an hour or more.
A few raisins dropped In after each
few spoonfuls of batter, may be used.
No. 2 For steamed brown bread,
take three cupfuls of corn meal, one
each of rye and white flour, two
thirds cupful of molasses, two cup
fuls of sour milk, one teaspoonful of
soda, and half a teaspoonful of salt.
Stir all together well, and add enough
cold water (if needed) to make the
dough so it will just pour easily out
of the pan. Put the dough into a
tin pail or can with a tight cover,
allowing considerable room in the pail
or can for the bread to rise; set the
pall in a large iron .kettle into which
pour boiling water to come half way
up the sides of the pail. The water
must not be so deep as to boil up into
the pail of dough. The pail should
be greased well inside before put
ting in the dough. Cover the kettle
tightly and keep the water gently
boiling so as to steam the bread for
three or four hours, adding hot wa
ter to that in the kettle as it boils
away. Can be set in the oven and
browned when done. If one is so
fortunate as to have an old fashioned
steamer, the dough can. be put into
tin cans, set in the steamer over boil
ing water and steamed for the re
quired time. Three-pound tomato
cans, with one end melted off, will
do.
No. 3 For graham bread, make
yeast about 9 o'clock in the morning,
using white flour. Stand where it
will keep warm and ferment. The last
thing at night, mix two cupfuls of
warm water, two cups of sifted gra
ham (or whole wheat) flour, the yeast,
salt, sugar enough to give it a sweet
taste, and mix as stiff as can well
be done with a heavy iron spoon.
Let set over night, and before break
fast work again with the spoon, add
ing no flour. Place in well-greased
pans with a spoon and bake.
tor and cheaper than you can make it
at home, buying tho Irigrodientp.
S. O. Tho best rofdronce books,
after tho dictionary, Bible and -Stand-,
ard Encyclopedia, are a well-stored
mind and a trained memory. Get"
the habit of picking up items of In
formation and remembering them.
Florence M. The answers to all
your questions are to be found In any
reliable work on mythology. As you
live in a large village, the work should
bo found in your school library. (2)
No answer necessary.
"Querist." Alkalies are used by
physicians to neutralize excesslvo
acidity of the stomach and bowels in
order that other drugs may produce
their specific effects. A physician will
advise you best.
Fannio S.A good, ordinary rulo
for butter Is one ounce of salt to ono
pound of butter. Some persons ad
vise using one ounce of the best
granulated sugar to four pounds of
butter as a preservative.
Mrs. F. This Is recommended for
rendering the shoes water-proof: Lin
seed oil, suet, yellow wax, each eight
ounces; boiled oil, ten ounces. Melt
together, stirring well, and apply
warm to dry leather, rubbing to soft
en, and let dry In before using.
THE VALUE OF CHARCOAL
Query Box
M. B. I can not answer either law
or political questions, as, unfortunate
ly, I know little of either.
E. G. For the sore lips, wash in
a strong tea made by boiling white
oak bark in a little water. It is apt
to stain.
E. B. You can buy tho article bet-
Few People Know How Useful It is in
Preserving Health and Beauty
Costs Nothing to Try
Nearly everybody knows that char
coal is the safest and most efficient
disinfectant and purifier in nature,
but few realize its value when taken
into the human system for the same
cleansing purpose.
Charcoal is a remedy that the more
you take of it the bettor; it is not a
drug at all, but simply absorbs the
gases and impurities always pres
ent in the stomach and intestines
and carries them out of the system. ,
Charcoal sweetens the breath after
eating onions and other odorous veg
etables, and completely neutralizes a
disagreeable breath arising from any
habit or indulgence.
Charcoal effectually clears and im
proves the complexion, it whitens the
teeth and further acts as a natural
and eminently safe cathartic.
It absorbs the injurious gases which
collect .in the stomach and bowels; it
disinfects the mouth and throat from
the poison of catarrh.
All druggists sell charcoal in one
form or another, but probably the best
charcoal and the most for the money
is in Stuart's Charcoal Lozenges; they
are composed of the finest powdered
Willow charcoal, .and other harmless
antiseptics in tablet form or rather
In the form of large, pleasant tasting
lozenges, the charcoal being mixed
with honey.
The daily use of these lozenges will
soon tell in a much improved condi
tion of the general health, better com
plexion, sweeter breath and purer
blood, and the beauty of it is, that no
possible harm can result from their
continued use, but, on the contrary,
great benefit.
A Buffalo physician, in speaking of
the benefits of charcoal, says: "I ad
vise Stuart's Charcoal Lozenges to
all patients suffering from gas In m
stomach and bowels, and to clear the
complexion and purify the breath,
mouth and throat; I also believe the
liver is greatly benefited by the dally
use of them ; they cost but twenty-five ,
cents a box at drug stores, and al
though in some sense a patent prepar
ation, yet I. believe I get more and bet
ter charcoal in Stuart's Charcoal Loz
enges than in any of the ordinary
charcoal tablets."
Send your name and address today
for a free trial package and see for
yourself. F. A. Stuart Co., 59 Stuart
Bldg., Marshall, Mich.
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