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The Commoner.
VOLUME 7, NUMBER 41
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, "At Eventide"
High up, in my tower chamber,
I dwell from the world apart;
And the rose-flamed sunset glory
Lies warm on my lonely heart.
Beneath me, the roofs of the city
Shut down o'er the world's unrest,
While the beaten Day lies dying
On the Evening's crimsoned
breast.
And up, from the depthl of darkness
That shadow the streets below,
A low, hoarse murmur rises
The moan of a wordless,, woe.
The plaining of shackled "thousands'
That toil in the marts of trade,
With never a touch of sunshine
To brighten the cruel shade.
Made part of the ceaseless warfare,
Close-linked with the bootless
strife
They never may flee the battle
They never may choose their life.
Chained down to their . round of
labor,
They give no thought to time;
Their dull eyes seldom lifted
They know not how to climb!
When out through the throbbing
darkness
The lamplights fleck the gloom,
I' watch them, bowed and burdened,
Like midgets streaming home.
And I turn to the fading splendor
j The stars shine, large and bright,
'And Day, with her pale hands
folded,
V Lies dead in the arms of Night.
October, 1907. H. W. M.
on the little lamp, and says, "When
you leave us, the lamp must come
to me."
What has all this to do with good
lighting? O, I had forgotten. But
I was intending to say, one of the
things that should be furnished to I
every family, even for the home of
one room and one inmate, is plenty
of good, clear, strong light, and the
quality of the light will depend upon
more than the vehicle conveying it.
For those using gas or electricity,
this is not written, but for the oil
lamp, the housewife has much re
sponsibility. The best oil, the clean
est wick, the best burner, and con
stant attention to keeping all in
good order, are imperative.
i V
t Good Lighting
" When I was a little girl, living
in the primitive pioneer cabin of
the far north, the light of our home
was a tallow candle, and many
weary hours have my idling fingers
ached over the detested task of
threading the moulds which were to
be later filled by older hands. We
wtere practically independent of any
-, 'trusts in those days, for if we did
xlft 'not have, or could not get, the ball
of wicking, narrow strips of twisted
cotton cloth would answer. The tal
low grew upon the wide-reaching
hills in various forms, and was
brought home to us by the herds of
cattle which furnished meat for the
family during the year, to be put
into available form later. Often the
light from the open fire place was
far brighter than that of the candles,
and they were set away for a darker
season.
When the dear old father
brought home the first "kerosene"
lamp, we were considered a very
fortunate family, and I think we
were. It is (and I say is advisedly,
for the same little lamp sits now on
" my bedroom dresser) a tiny little
thing, the bowl holding little more
than a large -teacupful of oil, and I
well remember that it would gener
ally have to be refilled every evening
before the reading hours were end
ed for there were always printed
pages in my father's home. Other,
finer, larger, more available lamps
came to us later, but through all our
V wanderings, we carried the little
lamp, and when the dear father
passed away, the lamp was given' to
, me. "The boy" keeps a jealous eye
Reading for the Family
Care should be taken that the
literature put into the hands of the
young should be of the best. It is
not enough that young people should
read the reading matter should be
of the right kind. Tt is just as es
sential that the mental food should
bo nourishing as that the food for
the body should be; that the read
ing matter shall not only- be harm
less,, but that it be strengthening and
broadening as well more than
mere words. If this is not 'looked
after, the work of reading will be
mere waste of energy. If every
family would form a reading circle
under their own home light, devot
ing if only half an hour each even
ing to the reading and intelligent
discussion of some interesting" page,
the amount of Information gained
during the winter months would as
tonish them. Every family may be
a little world within itself, if it will,
and there is absolutely no excuse
for ignorance in these days of almost
"give-away" papers and magazines.
We frequently see advertisements of
combination subscriptions wherein
are olfered several publications for
the price of one, and in these com
binations are included papers and
periodicals which would be an ac
quisition to any family. The ma
jority of publications are educational
along some lines. In the combina
tions offered with The Commoner
are included many of the very best
publications to be had for a very
small amount additional, and the
range of interests is wide. Reading
may be made a very dujl affair to
the girl or boy, tired and sleepy
from a hard day in the school or
field; but by judicious selections,
short readings and cheerful discus
sions, it may be made very attrac
tive. School instruction may be
largely supplemented by such read
ings, and where school facilities are
limited, they will, in a great meas
ure take its place, if properly select
ed and conducted. This is the busi
ness of the "purse bearer," and he
should remember it when he goes
to town. Good reading matter is a
better investment than liquor or to
bacco, or even cheap candy. Try it
won't you?
kb
AN OLD AND WELL TRIED REMEDY
, Mns. wjnst.ow'8 Sootiuno Syhup for chlldron
Both nirBlioulil always boused for chlhlron whtlo
othlnir. ItfioftoiiB tho Bums, allays tho pSln. cures
lml colic and Is Uio best romody for diarrhoea;
rwonty-llvo cents a botUo. " '"'
Preparations for Thanksgiving
Many tilings should be prepared
several weeks before using, such as
mincemeats, some kinds of cakes,
relishes, sausages, etc., and as the
Thanksgiving dinner will soon be on
hand, preparations should not be de
layed. Owing to the scarcity of
fruits, and the high' price of every
thing in the line of eatableB, as with
other lines, it is well to try to make
"much out of little." This can only
be done by judicious selections,
careful cooking and tasteful dishing,
remembering the dinner of herbs
where love is, is better than the full
board and empty hearts.
If it is possible to have the feed
ing of the Thanksgiving bird in our
own hands for several weeks before
it is wanted, judicious feeding on
such things as chopped cabbage,
parsley, corn meal, rice, chopped cel
ery, nut kernels of various kinds,
will impart to the flesh a savory ex
cellence not otherwise to be had. If
one must rely upon the grocer, see
that the bird is sbft and clean, with
layers of fat and light-colored or
whitish flesh underneath; the eyes
must be full and bright, the skin
and joints of the feet soft and pliable,
and the odor sweet and clean. There
should be no green discoloration es
pecially about the rump and vent,
the skin should be thin, and not a
superabundance of long hairs, for
thick skin and long hairs denote the
toughness of age, or of poverty of
feeding. With some, a male bird is
preferred, while others like the
sweeter, more tender and whiter
meat of the hen turkey. It is a mat
ter of taste. If the bird gives forth
the least unpleasant odor, reject it.
After the bird is cleaned, singed,
drawn, the head and feet taken off,
the skin scraped and wiped to re
move all scales and dirt, it should
be filled with any liked force-meat.
the openings sewed up, and the car
cass trussed to a plump, compact
shape, and, if larding is desirable,
attend to this, using the freshest and
nicest fat salt pork strips, then
roasted or steamed. There are many
excellent "stuffing" recipes, any one
of which may be used with good
effect.
Sonio Cranberry Recipes
Cranberry PuffsSift together
two cupfuls of flour, three teaspoon
fuls of baking powder, and half a
teaspoonful of salt. Rub one-fourth
cupful of butter into the flour; beat
two eggs to a froth, add a cupful
.lch milk and stir int0 lt the flour
Sm , teacupfuls of cranberries.
Fill buttered cups about half full and
steam an hour. Serve with sweet
ened sauce.
Before cooking 'cranberries, be
sure to pick them over and wash.
To economize sugar in cooking them,
put a quart of berries on in a half
pint of water, cook slowly until
done, then, put through a sieve or
fruit strainer, nnrf fiio i,i -u-
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sugar. - If the berries are to be kept
whole, the sugar may be added, and
the cooking must be done very slow
ly and carefully.
Cranberry Jelly Cook one quart
of berries in one pint of water, cook
ing very slowly until well done
Strain through a jelly bag, and re
turn the juice to the sauce pan; add
an equal quantity by weight of nice
sugar and stir until dissolved, then
let cook Ave minutes, add a table
spoonful of gelatin previously dis
solved in a little cold water, pour
into jelly molds and cool.
Cranberry Pyramid Make a soft,
rich biscuit do.ugh with two cupfuls
of flour,, one tablespoonful of sugar
two teaspoonfuls of baking powder
and a pinch of salt sifted together.
Rub two tablespoonfuls of butter
through the abpve afld moisten-with
milk. Roll out half an inch thick,
and cover with a. large cupful of
flnelv chnnnorl i .
thick spTinSing of sugar- a
dough into four circles gvarvincUtfrthQ
two to six inches in dlameta gp m
the largest one on a buttered ni
cover with the next 8Kf plate
to the smallest. Tet in a'scooT
er (or in a steamer oveHoX;
water, covering close) n,,,i Tg
three-quarters of an hour sT
with sauce. ur Serv
Pies
Pumpkin Stew yellow numnkin
down until nearly dry. Then ?5a
four cupfuls of the stewed pumpkin
two quarts of milk, eight S tl'
cupfuls of white sugar! two tea-
nfnUlS f mI,Xed ginger' and
cinnamon, equal parts of each. Beat
the yolks of the eggs light and stir
Into them the sugar; press the pump
kin through a colander and mix with
the eggs and sugar, add the milk
spices and the whipped whites of the
eggs. Line deep pie-plates with a
good paste, sticking with a fork over
the bottom that it may not puff up
with tho heat, and after stirring the
pumpkin Custard well, All each crust
and bake in a moderate oven. Use
only bottom crust.
Mince Meat Take about two
pounds of a good, juicy piece of lean
meat, and boil the day before using
until tender, after removing any
gristle or tendon. Add half a pound
of raw suet, and chop the cold meat,
mixing twice the amount of good,
juicy apples also chopped fine. Wash
and dry two pounds of currants and
add with them three pounds of seed
ed and chopped raisins, three quarts
of cider, one pint of clear, strong
coffee, one heaping teaspoonful each
of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and
half a teaspoonful of ground cloves
and mace, adding a little salt. Make
as sweet as you wish with brown
sugar. Mix all ingredients thorough
ly, cover closely and set away, and
in a couple of days it will be ready
for use. Any juice from sweet
pickle may be added, and will add
to the flavor agreeably.
Answering "A Reader" Peel ono
dozen large "potatoes and boil until
tender; pour off the water, shake the
kettle and let the potatoes steam dry,
then mash all lumps out of them;
then add one large teaspoonful of
salt, one tablespoonful of butter, and
one pint of rich milk, or a little less
ricn cream. Beat with a strong
spoon until very light and white
the more you beat it, the whiter and
creamier it gets; dish up roughly
with the spoon to keep light. Half
this quantity may be used.
"Larding"
Larding is done with strips of
sweet fat salt pork, that having a
pinkish tinge is best. This will do
away with tho dryness so often found
in the meat of the cooked breast.
The stitch should be short and deep,
in order that the ends of the lard
ing strips may sfand up from the
breast, which gives it a better appearance.
Some Good Dressings
Large, fine chestnuts are used for
chestnut dressing, and may be either
boiled or roasted in order to re
move the shell and skin which is
called "blanching" them. For boil
ing, the nuts should be put on (fifty
is a good quantity) in salted boiling
water and boiled for twenty minutes,
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Invaluable to' speakers and
singers for clearing tne
voice.Absoltely harmless
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