10
The Commoner.
VOLUME 7,' NUMBER 50
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"Snow-SIiioIded"
This is not death, but sheltered life;
'No'dold, -white shroud spreads
here;
'TIs'but the downy coverlet
'That swathes the New-Born Year.
v. , Fireside Magazine.
,....
'At tho Close"
BuVy it out of sight
" The last of tho gray Year's eves,
pride, I;,, 6ht tempest and rain of night,
CoVer .t it, snow wreaths chill' , and
white, "
From tho blush of the New Year's
festal light,
vv .And the Bpell of the coming leaves.
,For4my beautiful fell asleep
5 In the light of its sinking sun;
When a pallid glory on land and
deep
Shone wan and wild, with a musical
sweep
SThe shining gates on the sunset steep
' "Clashed to, and the day was 'done.
Somber and old and gray,
Lieth the shrunken year,
The wind' wails weirdly; far away
The dinT'qhipg rock on the stormy
,;bay, -
And tho snows, like a frozen cere-
(. cloth lie
i Heaped p'.er fiis lonely bier.
-" ' VC E. A. B.
f & r-
.' (P plaiting Rules
Between the passing of the Old
Year and the beginning of the New
id the days devoted to the social
life the holidays of mid-winter and
there will be much "running to and
fro,"v Visiting and being visited. Here
are some good rules to observe: Do
nok stay top long at one place; even
the dearest, friends are apt to grow
ilresome niter a visit is over. Pay
no attention to urgings for further
stay, but go at the appointed time.
Confornt absolutely to the arrange
in fvnftt. nf thA household as tn thn
tlrrm inf-w-riflinir and retiring and ho-
N ijng rfeady'tpr meals. Carry with you
g&ttyhpeded toilet supplies in order not
P5f?)roi:ry your flstess lr such tilings
are lacking in the hmnw. nv nf
place. Enter heartily into all the
plans for your entertainment, but do
not suggest plans you would like car
ried out. Do not insist on having
all your liostess' time, but delicately
show that you can entertain your
self part of the time. Try to enter
tain your hostess, and be pleased
with everything that is done for your
comfort. If you can do so without
fn 8? SS18, assist yur hostess
in the little duties of tho house, and
especially take care of your own
room, and keep your belongings in
order, not piling them about on
tables or chairs in tho family rooms.
. . in all families iiiAi.A --- "-.
Al.11,1 "w LliVUU UIO
UCw V , ,ny adults and but one
wotaan to look after all, you qan
make yourself most useful An many
little ways, but do not insist on do
ing what you have the slightest bub-'
hi?fUr h0stess would "ither not
bntrust to you. Many women who
re used to working alone would
.much rather disnense with 1 7UAd
fence, or even heln. in ih MitlJ "!
J?!S0?8 .as thG Wonted distrac-
wi4 UL iiuvinb- another around will
make the work all the harder for her!
hen' to' many ne0Dl have to prac
tice little economies in order to G5-
hv au ana tneSQ yu should
by no means appear to notice, in
'---I T '"-JM. "M
short, do as you would. ,be done by, and "try,, try again," experimenting
but respect another's idiosyncrasies, i with small quantities, studying close-
'JCho Wild Oats Crop
Qne of our friends ' urges me to
'Uceep before the readers of the Home
pages the fact that boys, dny more
than girls, should not be excused for
sowing wild oats; that one should
be held equally accountable with the
other, notwithstanding the fact that
custom and society condones the
boy's escapade, while it crucifies the
gin." This is too often true, and it
should be urged upon the young peo
ple that, if they sow this dreadful
crop, there will be no haphazard
seeding every grain will germinate
the growth will be sure, the har
vest plenteous and bitter. Wild oats,
Unlike .the domestic kind, never fail,
but the pity is that the sower is
seldom the only sufferer; others, in
nocent ones, must eat of the bitter
husks, and often the direst effects
of the recklessness will fall upon the
shoulders least deserving of the pain.
If the result of the matter hurt onTy
the doer, it would be bad, enough;
for the ' consequence would be but
just; but too often the conscience is
seared, and the feelings blunted by
evil doing, and the sharpness of the
sting is not felt,,
"Love alone should be inexorable "
and should require of another the
purity that is required of it. When
girls women cease to excuse the
lapses from virtue o the men they
associate with, then will men begin
to count the cost of the sowing of
wild oats. Men tell us that they are
what the women they associate with
make of them. If so, the women
should be a little ashamed of their
work, in many instances. If moth
ers and daughters would join hands
in their requirements, and young
women would- cease to associate with
men of loose habits, the world would
be a healthier, happier place in every
respect.
Bread Making
A majority of our inquiries are
from young housekeepers, asking
help about their cookery. This is
the time .of year when hearty meals
are in fashion, and with plenty of
materials and time to devote to ex
perimenting in combinations, inter
est is awakened in the subject Not
a few of our housekeepers are-young
girls who, their mothers beingdead,
are trying to keen a home for the
father and family, and these dear
gins iind dlfllcultles cropping out
on every hand. It is ,'ri sorrowful
thing when the mother must- leave
her family, but the girls show a
brave, loving heart by attempting to
take up the work of home-keeping
which the mother has laid down.
They need every encouragement, and
I wish every dne of them, had a kind,
motherly neighbor upon whose
patient counsel they could rely in
their need for instruction.
It is almost impossible "'to do
really successful cookery by merely
followingthe recipes and directions
jrfven On the n'riMter1 twita fri no
matter how accurately tho nrnnnr- lumna. ntiH n vnw ti- k m
- j " j-.-w- , -- ..,7- !,"- uiuwu. Alien
tions are givon, or how carefully the add one cupful of hot milk or wa-
uuubuuiw tii ai, turui, mere muse Lr, .stirring, ana as soon as itboils
bo ability to judge of effects and to
to taste.
Vin-nrl nTirl li fa t-kvwio .!.. 4.t,
maturity of mind, and from practi
cal experience attained through ' Some Candy Kecincs
eimer actual woric -or cioha nhsnrvn-. r,v - :.
tion. which, verv foW ,i T. -.. "1"1' IOBS--Jioil one pint
'have. So, dear daughters, take-hea, 3 lTtJI ??aWW
-mv, . .,w-w., . .,.. .m--z"if -,i.vw wtbuuui, otiinug untiji a lit
ly the conditions under which von
succeed or fail." One may have the
best of flour 'and. the "livest" 'of
yeast, and yet fail with the best of
care, because "conditions" may not
be right,
SQine makes of flour absorb more
water than others, and there are
stages in the process of fermentation
(or raising) that . must be closely
watched, else the ferment will sour,
or the yeast will be chilled and re
fuse to. rise at all. Then, some
breads inust not bo kneaded (work
ed) very much, or the dough must
not be, too soft, or too stiff, while
other kinds must be worked a great
deal. And even when the dough in
the pans is all right, the oven must
be "just right," and closely watched.
Requested Recipes
Some good biscuit makers' prefer
to sift the soda with the flour, but
it is a good plan, much practiced by
other 'good cooks, of hollowing out
a cavity in the flour, putting the
milk in it and, after dissolving the
soda in a very little water until there
are no little lumps in it, adding it
to the milk, mixing the dough im
mediately and putting to Ttake.
Lard or other shortening must not
be melted for biscuit or pastry, un
less it is wanted to be tough. Tt is
best to keep a small supply of short
ening in the kitchen, where it will
be plenty soft for biscuit making.
Some prefer to rub the flour and
shortening together before wetting
the dough. For pastry, the shorten
ing must be as cold as it can be to
cut or slice well. The dough should
be wet up, rolled out, then the sliced
lard or butter should be laid on the
dough, -which should be folded and
rolled again, repeating until all the
shortening is used. The dough should
be wetted with ice cold water-, and
as little handled as possible, as the
hands soften it. Made thus, it should
be light and flaky. k
"Drippings" This is the name ap
plied to fats cooked out of meats,
either roasts, broils, bakes, or fries,
arid for frying purposes it is much
preferred to lard, besides being more
wholesome. Drippings do not spat
ter as lard does, and for frying fish,
potatoes, and other materials that do
not require butter, the drippings are
excellent. To clarify drippings, drain
from the cooking pans and pour boil
ing water on them; stir -well, and
let set until the following day, when
the fat should be skimmed off, put
into a saucepan, with more boiling
water, a little salt added, and allowed
to simmer slowly, skimming well, un
til the water evaporates. The fat
shbuld then be "put through a fine
strainer into an earthen vessel, and
kept covered. Treated Hum. x,-,m
keep for weeks, and serve many pur-
1.JUBUS.
"White Gravy" Put into the skil
let, over1 the fire: one tnhlnnnnrmfui
of lard, butter, or meat drippings;
auu uuo uioiespoonrui of flour, stir
ring until it Is perfectly free from
tie droDned frnm n D i.
& SLb;i.1ie into a-Btltt ball.
.. vxu. tu ure, auu ten drons
of essence o peppermint and stir
slowly till tho syrup becomes a lit
tle cloudy; then drop from a spoon
on buttered paper.
Lemon Drops Boil one-half nint
of lemon juice and water, equal
parts, and one pint of granulated
sugar until it crisps when dropped
into cold-water. Do not cook this in
a. tin or iron dish, as the acid of the
lemon will not do in tin. Use either
a granite waye or porcelain-lined ves
sel. When done, pour into a but
tered platter or pan, mark off into
sticks, and when cold break into con
venient size.
Cocoanut Drops Grate one cocoa
nut and add to it one-half its weight
in sugar, and the white of an egg
beaten to a stiff froth. Mix all to
gether thoroughly and drop on but
tered white paper laid in a pan; sot
the pan in the oven and bake fifteen
minutes.
Candled Pop Corn Put into an
iron kettle one tablespoonful of but
ter, three tablespoonfuls of water
and one teacupful of white pulver
ized (not powdered) sugar. Boil
this until it is ready to candy, then
throw 'into it three quarts of nicely
popped corn, stir briskly till the
candy is evenly mixed with the corn;
take the kettle from the fire, stir
until it cools a little, and each grain
should be separate and crystalized
with sugar. Nuts may be prepared
the same way, but with either, 'caro
should be taken not to scorch it.
up, pour into dish at once. If al-
suit the methods ' to conditions at lowed to boil it will bo curdled swu
Query Box
X). A short person shpuld not
wear flounces unless she wishes to
look still shorter.
JElla S. For removing the paint
or varnish, saturate, with oil of tur
pentine, let lie an hour or more, then
wash Tn hot suds.
Mrs. J. M. Answered each of your
letters as soon as received." The de
lay was unavoidable.
C. J. t can give you no informa
tion as to the disposal of your coins,
or of their values, nor can I recom
mend any purchasers,
F. M. Pastel shades are very
light t tints, somewhat opaque in
character. (2) Choux ' is a large
rosette of ribbon, lace, tulle, or tho
like.
Anna "Mercerizing" is a chemi
cal process of rendering cotton
threads lustrous. The threads are
shortened and hardened, giving a
silky effect.
"A Stout Reader" Sewing or but
toning all under-garments to a yoke
which reaches below the point of tho
hips is a good plan for the stout
.ngure. solid (plain;) colors, black,
or dark, give a lessened appearance;
light colors or white give un appear
ance of larger size.
Inquirer It is claimed that tho
"little, wriggling eels" will b$ found
in all genuine cider vinegar, and tho
vinegar which has them not is com
posed of harmful acids. In pure
vinegar, these little eels may often
be seen, if a glassful of the liquid
is held between the light and the
eye. Vinegar is not wholesome in
ternally, but is a good antiseptic or
healing liquid applied externally in'
many cases. ' "
B. L. M. In 'Requested Recipes"
I have answered some of your ques
tions. If you had sent yout address
-would have sent others direct. Your
"dairy" difficulties lmva haa-n ov.
mitted to bur "dairy" woman, -and
as soon as we get your address, her
answers will be sent you."" We' are
all glad to aid n you. . -w
Housewife You can.- Wco)oi; 'your
AN OLD AND WETr. vnrrc-n titcmhtiv.
Mns. Window's SoomiNO SYUvr'for'clUlilron
.teething itW 7), m,- E&MiSi'SiS-
I wind colic mid 1a tho. beat remedy for dlarrliob
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