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The Commoner,
VOLUME 7, NUMBER 48
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"Home-Made" Christmas Gifts
O, Christmas time will soon be here,
With mirth and merry cheer;
'Tis time to think of presents now,
For all our friends so dear.
What matter though we're poor in
purse?
And destitute of pelf?
Why, don't you know, the nicest gifts
Are those we make ours.elf?
We'll take a broken sewer-pipe
For an umbrella jar;
Just put a coat of gilt paint on,
And there's a gift . for Pa!
A .quinine pill-box painted blue
Will make a bonbonniere,
A picture, painted on the top
..Will give a festive air.
From Uncle's old suspenders
We'll fix a belt for Kate,
And mark it "Price two dollars "
'Twill please her, sure as fate!
An empty pickle bottle -
Will make' a lovely vase;
Tie scarlet ribbon round it,
And niark it "Love to Grace."
A box with Ma's old wrapper
Upholstered smooth and neat,
Will make a handsome footstool .
For Grandma's dear old feet!
We'll rummage through the garret,
And lug the things about;
Through musty piles of cast-offs
We'll turn it inside out;
We'll tack and paint and polish,
From gilt to golden brown;
And broken sofa, chair and couch
Re-vamp with some old gown.
O, won't our" friends be glad to get
The presents we have made!
They're sure to put all purchased
gifts
Away back in the shade.
And naught so useless, worn or old,
But by device or shifts
Can be' made into "home-made"
things
To serve as Christmas Gifts!
Elsie Duncan Yale, in Housewife.
. '.
"Casting? Bread Upon the Waters"
."Give to tlie world the best that you
nave, .
And the, best shall come back to you."
George MacDonald said: "The
woman who cares for her own chil
dren is a good mother; but the
woman who cares for the children of
another, giving them room in her
heart, is one of God's mothers."
While it is not always best to look
for rewards fn doing acts of kindness,
it is always best to do them, and
few fail of having their broad "cast
upon the waters," come back to them
in some form or other, although it
may not reach them in this life.
Many times, there tyM be occasions
where there will seem not the slight
est return in kind to be expected.
But we do not always know. An
Instance of this has just come to my
knowledge. A young mother, griev
ing over the death of a little child
an only daughter had her attention
directed to a forlorn, homeless little
waif whom nobody wanted because
of a bad heredity back of her. Pity
for this helpless little piece of drift
wood caused the defrauded mother
to ignore the counsel of her friends,
and take into her home the little cast
away, and as time passed, the tender-
est love sprang up between them.
As the years went by, bringing the
child to the verge of womanhood,
the cruel "leavening" began to work,
and despite the tenderest watch-care,
she proved a terrible weight upon
the aching heart of her foster mother,
who followed her through all her
wild ways, pitying, guarding, loving,
and seeking to lift her; but in vain.
Bye and bye, in a mad frolic, .the
girl disappeared, and for several
year3, was not heard of. But the
poor, grieving mother-heart sought
her everywhere, calling her always
to come home.
One day, in a crowded street, the
mother, grown feeble with sorrow
more than years, was knocked down
and terribly mangled under an auto
mobile filled with a gayly dressed
crowd of merry-makers. When the
poor bleeding body was pulled from
under the wheels, and her face
turned up for identification, one of
the women of the party, the most
dissolute looking one of them all,
sprang -from the vehicle, and knelt
in the mud of the street, pulling
the "poor, blood-stained head upon
her breast and crying, "01v; my more
than mother! My more than moth
er!" The girl followed the broken
form to the hospital, 'refusing to
leave her" until she had nursed her
back to a condition to be removed
to her own home, and, in the mean
time, she had investigated matters
and found that the old lady was but
a wage-worker, living cm the pit
tance her feeble hands could earn.
"Her working days are over," she
said, "if I can find anybody to trust
me with work. All I ask is a chance
to prove myself." That, was five
years ago, the coming Christmas
week, and the redeemed one has
proven herself to be true gold. The
poor old lady never fully recovered
from the hurt, but she has never
known sorrow since. As tenderly
as though she were a little child, the
reclaimed foster child has ministered
to her every want, working so con
scientiously and determinedly., that
she now holds a good position in a
large manufacturing plant, self-respecting
and respected, and to the
woman who, despite all discourage-'
ments, gave the best of herself, the
best is being returned, full measure,
pressed down, and running over.
Offers of marriage have come to' this
girl, from honorable .and pure-hearted
men; but she says she, has but
one love to give, and that love be
longs to mother. While tenderly
caring for her invalid, she finds much
time and means through which to
do mission work among the fallen
girls of a great city, and more than
one of these give the credit of their
reform to the kindly lifting and sus
taining given by this once "sinful
and fair."
less price than at the regular coun
ters, and knit-weaf, muslins, wraps,
and suits, as well as threads, laces,
braids, and "notions" in general, can
often be had at a great saving of
money. On special sales day, the re
duction In prices on some specialties
are very alluring.
But not everything offered is a
"bargain," and unless one is a Judge
of values and materials, one is apt
to pay dear for the purchase and the
article snatched or dragged from the
"bargain" counter may cost more
than a better article over the regu
lar counter would have done. Many
of these . goods are very deceiving,
made to sell, not to server and in
the excitement of shopping, the hasty
examination under dim light, and the
anxiety to get out of the pushing,
struggling crowds, one can not al
ways choose wisely. The better
values are usually taken by the early
shopper, who is generally experienced
in such matters, but, if one "learns
wisdom by practice," and can con
trol her "bargain counter" craze, it
is a good thing to "go with the
crow'd." But be sure you know what
you want, and how much you can.
afford to spend, before you venture
into the stream o.f shoppers.
If you can wait for your purchases,
remember that just after the Christ
mas sales, merchandise will be. a
great deal cheaper than just before,
and many things even for Christ
mas presents can be just as well
bought a few days after as a few days
before.
For. Baby
For the baby's first clothes; the
essentials are softness and warmth,
as the delicate flesh of the newly
born is so very easily irritated by the
least harshness, and the little body
too frail to withstand a chill.- Light
weight materials are necessary so
that the garments may not be
pulled about by their own weight
French and English nainsook are the
prettiest and most desirable mater
ials for the little dresses, but are
quite expensive, and Persian lawns,
swiss and dimities are next in desir
ableness and quite reasonable In
price. Plain little slips should be
worn at first until the baby is to
be put into dresses, and these may
be used later for night gowns. Two
yards of material will make the slip.
A yard and three-quarters will be
needed for the little petticoats, fin
ished with a hem and tucks. Laces
or embroideries may be fulled on as
a ruffle in place of the hem. The
woolens should be of the softest and
finest. Remember that a ' healthy
baby, or one to be healthy, needs
nothing so much as rest, warmth
and proper feeding.
AN OLD AND WELL TIIIED REM1SDY
Mna, WiNsr.ow'8 Soothino Syiiup for children
tccthlnpr should always bo used for children while
tccthlnir. It softens tho cuma. nllnvn tim rmin nimo
wind colic and Is tho best remedy for diarrhoea,
Twonty-nvo cents a bottlo. . -
"Mid-Winter" Sales
The coming month, January, of
the New Year, is usually given over
to shopping and the sewing machine,
and in cities and the larger towns the
importance of the Ja'nliary; of mid
winter, sales has become a recog
nized fact. As our real winter
weather seldom comes before the lat
ter pnrt of January, many people de
lay buying their woolens and winter
wear until these sales. If one is a
judge of values and materials, many
things may be picked up at the "bar
gain" counters at greatly reduced
prices; many bits of choice fabrics
in lengths suitable for children's
ciouung, or for combinations and
Flannolletto
Flannelette, however suitable for
underwear and night garments,
should not be used for children's
dresses where there are open fires,
or where children are allowed to
play with fire, as the nap on the
goods ignites very easily, and burns
Tapldly. For the little folks that
must go to school, a good quality
of flannelette makes much more com
fortable drawers and knickerbockers
than smooth cottons, and will largely
take the place Qf woolens with chil
dren who cap not stand woolen gar
ments next to the flesh. To prevent
flannelette or other doubtful cottons
from fading, dissolve two teaspoon-
sized pailful of water, just warm.
Put in the cottons and let stand an
hour or two, then wash in the usual
way. Bevsure.to rinse all soap out
of tho fabric before drying.
Using Rye Flour
"A Reader" asks for directions fm
making rye bread 'hat will neither
"come up soggy, nor go down boggy "
Unfortunately, successful bread-mak-ing
is dependent upon more than
mere measures and directions for
mixing. The quality of the flour, tho
"liveness" of the yeast, the process
of mixing ingredients, the tempera
ture in which the mixture is allowed
to stand for rising, the reliability of
the oven and, more than all else,
the practical judgment and exper
ience of the maker, are all to be con
sidered. Such things can not be
done "by rule," without experience,
but if the "reader" fails with her
first batch, would recommend that
she "try, try again." as practice will
certainly make perfect, if only she
makes stepping stones of the failures.
Here are the recipes, with hope that
she will have "good luck."
Rye Bread (with two-thirds whole
wheat flour to one-third rye flour,
and compressed yeast) One cake of
compressed yeast dissolved in one
pint of lukewarm water, or equal
parts milk and water, one teaspoon
ful of sugar and-one of salt. Stir
into this mixed flour enough to make
a. rather thick batter, as,, if too thin,
it will not rise good, but it must not
be too thick about like "sponge"
for other bread. Let this batter get
nice and light, then work enough
flour into it to make, a good, stiff
dough, adding as .it is worked, a
tablespoonful of soft lard, same of
sugar, salt and, if liked, caraway
seed, with a half teacupful of luke
warm water. Let rise again, then
work, Qut into long loaves, put into
long,, narrow, well greased pans, let
rise again, then bake. Rye flour
must have considerable kneading.
Where compressed yeast can not be
had, one half pint of good potato
yeast, or its equivalent of dry, will
make four loaves.
Rye Bread To one quart of warm
water add one teacupful of good
yeast, and thicken with rye flour;
put in a warm place to rise over
night; scald one pint of corn meal,
and when lukewarm add it to the
sponge in the morning, adding rye
flour enough to knead well, but knead
the dough only enough to mix tne
ingredients- well, then set to rise;
when again light, mold into loaves,
put into deep pans long, narrow
ones preferred and bake. Or the
sponge may be thickened with rye
flour alone, leaving out the corn
meal; or whole wheat sponge may
be used instead of rye. The dough
should not be so stiff as for wheat
bread. .
"Rye and Injun" One quart of
rye meal or rye flour, and two
quarts of Indian meal; place the corn
meal in a pan and pour over it, stir
ring constantly with a spoon, just
enough boiling water to merely wet
it, but not make batter; add to the
corn meal and rye one-half teacupnu
of molasses, one tablespoonful ot
salt (level), one teaspoonful of soda,
and one teacupful of good, live yeast.
Make this as stiff as it can be stirred
with a spoon, mixing with warm wa
ter, and set to rise overnight. 1 nen.
put into a pan large enough to ho a
it, smooth the top nicely with the
hand dipped in cold water, let "
stand until it begins to rise, then
trimmings, are to bo had for. a much I f uls of sugar of lead In an ordinary
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Free from harmful drugs.
Cure coughs and hoarse
ness. Refieve Asthma.
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