wwimmyww
tf
t -.'
10
The Commoner.
VOLUME 8, NUMBER 51
h
ll W rSHfttfllLuUS '" HTii WH. PC JP ffwPJrJ r
I
I
Tho Tapestry Weaver
Through many a sad and toilsomo
Hour
Tho patient weaver sits,
While to his bock, obedient,
Tho eager shuttle flits '
A conscious, earnest, life-like thing
With will and purpose fraught,
As on 4ts measured round it speeds,
To work tho Master's thoughts
And now a thread of sombor gray,
Ehmixed with color bright,
A tangled yarn of motloy hue
Offends tho curious sight.
"Thy labor is but fret and fr.ay,
K.With-onaugkt of plan," I cried.
The patient weavor smiled and said:
"iLook on tho other sido!"
"But sure, some mark of fair de
Some form, beneath' thy cunning
ainprnctlcod oyo may trace!"
4Nay, nay;k Thou(.dostjeach thread
mtarcad,.', ;v..i,
The weayer quick replied,) ,
"Tho rard design can only shInoi'
TJpon the other side." .. ,.
My Ibnging gaze I turned, and lo!.
The qr. shifting loom
TJnfblde'dwJth each stroke and stride
A wealth jpf gorgeous blbom , '
Where' ihesh and web of warp and
woof1
In radiance, Tyrian-dyed,
Slione jfortk in beauteous form
comnlete
Upon, the. other side. ; ' . '
good to live, and that tho world 4s
better because of us. We wish you
a happy, prosperous New Tear.
Cleaning Up
This !h lust to remind vdu that
now is tho time, while tho wood is
dormant, to trim your trees into
good 'health and shapeliness. The
Ban boeins to rise earlv. and the
hvork should not bo delayed. Many
of the trees and shrubs will have
dead, or decaying limbs, crooked or
doformed, or out-of-proportlon limbs,
and water sprouts which sap the
life out of the trees, and all these
must be removed. The dead and
dyinc: branches harbor insects and
their eggs, and they should be
burned, either from the top of the
wood pile, or in a bonfire outside.
For trimming, use a small, sharp
saw, or, a regular pruning knife or
nook. For small twigs, a sharp
i --.i
' O, "wary soul! O fainting heart!
How' faros it with this dear emprise?
Post thou behold nor grace, nor
ij bloom .; '
,, Asltfe's swift shuttle files? '
Stay f not thy hand, but woUve thy
stint, i ' .
Though", beauty seems' 'denied; '?-.
Swfceb flow.er and fruit, thou yet
sliall see Suu
Upon tle other. s4e! v ,
, " " -5?tt$la,CIoolr,e.
., ifCTttei labove poem, was furnished
lWIJW C; Zellor of Tlffln, Ohio,
VMofMB our thanks for same.)
f ! , ? ' f
TJip New Year
inner rooms, and for outer doors,
the roll should bo tacked to tho bot
tom on the outside of tho door. The
piece of carpet, or other thickness
that is simply laid against the door,
will always be getting out of place,
and needing constant replacing. The
coldest air is in the bottom of the
room, and many stoves do not throw
heat downward. Cold feet are a
menace to good health. Many win
dows admit cold air around the sash,
and theso should be attended to.
Ventilation should be had, in plenty,
but it Is better to have it at the top,
keeping out drafts from all other
quarters.
Chinese gloss starch Is made of
two tablespoonfuls of powdered bor
ax dissolved in one and a half tea
cupfuls of cold water. Have the
cuffs, collars and bosoms of shirts
thornnchlv rlrloil oTirl unafofMiol
uvswu. a- jm. DUIUII bYri&Q, a OUU1J7 o ' , .u UUUbUl vuvu,
pocket .knife will answer. But let UP them in this borax solution, roll
1 J. 1. . .1 1 - 4V AWt 4f nT i1n mm Jl 1.1 XL , 1
it uo none, ana oe careiui , not to "" uy ueuu; auu let mem remain
mutilato tho tree. Study the svm
metry of the" plant, and "do not de
form by careless cutting oV slashing.
Keep tho home grounds cleared of
all Utter, and do not neglect un
sightly , shrubs. Remember' the
yard fence, to keep, it wholly,
.
i
Onqo..nior,e we stand 'upon ,tho
throsliold of a Now Year, The, doors
,,-qf tlio, past are closed; we can never
open them again. Good or bad, tho
) Work we have wrought must stand.
There is- doubtless much wo would
wishf wore blotted off i nnpA-
" 'many a cureless deed; many ai,idle
Wfjrd; many a thoughtless act that
'V j&ought pain to the hearts wo would
gladly have pleased. But there are
many sunny pages, too. Many little,
, unnoticed kindnesses, many gentle,
sympathetic words or acts; many
things that have lifted the load or
lightened the labor; and the bal
ance may be on the right side. When
the pattern Is finished, our work may
shino up brighter than wo can now
over know. Let us deal kindly and
'justly with ourselves; as with others.
Let us seek to make the future atone
for tho past. It will be well to face
f our souls, and judge ourselves. And
when the evidence is all in, let us
forgive ourselves, as we forgive oth
ers, and obey the Saviour's .Injunc
tion to the cruelly accused one, and
"go and sin no more." This year
should be so beautiful with good
deeds that wo shall feel" that- it is
If you like early vegetables, now
is a good time to start the hot beds,
or at least to begin gathering ma
terials for them. If .you , do not
know how to manage a hot bed, send'
to the Secretary p'f -Agrjpujture,
Washington, D. C, for literature on
the subject. When - the literature
comes, road it carefully, arid supple
ment the knowledge thus gained by
gathering all the; information possi
ble from your farm" papers and from
successful gardener but above all,
use a' little common sense, and cul-'
tlvate 'your owrt "lurfe-mAnf tc
b'bds -are started now. thAv. -arm naaA
ivclose attention during the stormy
monins next coming; and it may be
that little or nothing will be gained
by starting growth until a, month or
two later assuredly not, if the work
is carelessly dona or neglected. But
the man who hustles and Is careful
about little things, can supply his
table with many luxuries very early
in tho season. It is largely a matter
of tho man, himself, whether one
succeeds or fails at any undertak
ing. Do no; crowd the space, seeds
well sown and plants well grown are
"worth while."
a few hours in a dry cloth, then rub
off and iron. Powdered borax can
be bought in large groceries in five
pound wooden boxes for forty cents
a box. One pound paper cartons
usually cost about twelve to fifteen
cents.
Keeping tho Cold Out
In , many dwellings, the outer
doors do not fit closely, and a strong
wind will blow more cojd into a
room in moderate weather than will
be likely to penetrate in still weath
er with tho thermometer down to
zero. Such doors should, have strips
of listing, or thick woolen cloth
tacked about thorn in such n. wav na
to close all cracks, thus fortifying
against the admission of very dis
comforting cold air. A room with
such openings will call for a great
deal of fuel and tho drafts of air
constantly sweeping through will oc
casion many colds.
A great deal of cold comes In un
der the doors, and in many homes
It is almost impossible to keep the
foot warm, no matter how hot the
upper air may be. Even from rooms
where no firo is kept, the crack un
der the door adds its quota to the
cold. A roll pf carpeting, or other
thick cloth should be tacked to the
door on the-side that swings in, for
A Mattqr of Preference
If-a, family prefers show to comr
fort -(and some of us do( you know)i
they should not be censured for in
dulging, the taste, if it inconveniences
no ore but themselves. Many wom
en will willingly worry along with
.a worn-xut smoky old stove in the
kltcnen in order to save for a now
rug for the narlor. while nthnra rHU
cheerfully endure the discomfort of
cheap, out-of-season underwear fhac
they may Indulge in up-to-date outer
garments. The butcher's account
and ther. fuel bill may be shortened
that a pair of new curtains or a fine
picture may be purchased, and if the
family are agreed upon the subject,
it is all right they are supposed to
know what they most want, and how
much they are willing to sacrifice
to get it. Such people are no more
to be condemned than are the wom
en who wear shabby clothes and
live in cheap quarters that they may
Save tO give tO SOme onA mmnnnoH
to be in greater need than them
selves; or those who live on crack
ers and coffee for the sake of buy
ing the latest books, or paying for
their favorite magazines. We are
all working for happiness, and what
is intolerable to one Is often cheer
fully endured by another because of
difference in tastes.
Caring for the Baby
Care must be taken to keep tho
baby's little body and limbs warm;
at tho same time, the little body
must not be kept too warm. Over
heating is as bad as getting too cold.
The baby grows most when most
comfortable. Air the little clothes
before putting them on the delicate
body, and let the airing be done by
a warm stove. Dry the little gar
ments in the open air when pos
sible, but woolens should not freeze.
Freezing makes cotton clothes
whiter. Have no starch in any gar
ment that touches the child's skin.
Keep little thin woolen shirts with
long sleeves on tho little body.
Young babies often suffer seriously
from simple colds, which seem to
travel downward toward tho lungs
causing bronchitis or inflammation
of tho lungs. A cold In the head
should not be treated lightly, as the
stoppage of tho nasal passage inter
feres with the act of nursing, and
the nutrition is seriously impaired.
Common sources of colds in young
babies spring from careless clothing
or being left in a draft, and colds
often result from over-feeding and
over heating. Babies should be
clothed according to the temperature
of the room, and if taken outside
should bo protected from sudden
chills. The baby should be bathed
about the same time every morning,
and it should not have its bath im
mediately after taking food. This
applies to nursing infants, as well
as older children. At least an hour
should elapse after taking nourish
ment before the bath is given. After
nursing, the child should lie quietly
for an hour or more. All young
animals should have rest, food and
warmth with as little disturbance as
possible. A baby should not be
played with or excited at bed time.
Accessories for the Toilet
Imitation jewelry is not now con
sidered in bad taste, as few persons
can afford the expensive kinds be
cause of the constantly changing
fashions. Besides, much of th
"cheap," imitation jewelry is so well
made that only an expert can, in
some instances, point out the differ
ence between the real and the imi
tation. Many pieces are clever imi
tations of very costly wares.
All sorts of neck chains are worn,
especially the rope necklace made
of beads with tassel ends. Cream
white beads make an inexpensive
substitute for seed pearls. Ear
rings are "coming in,'' the long, old
fashioned drop ear-ring being the
favorite; the longer the drop, the
more popular it is. Smoked pearl,
imitation turquoise, and pink corals
of quaint designs, are most, popular.
The ears do not need, to be pierced,
as with the new screw back., thev
can be securely fastened to the lobe
of the ear. Very pretty ones- can
be bought for fifty cents a pair.
Necklace, ear-rings and- brooch
should match in color. ,
Collar pins, three in a. set, are
much in demand. Bar pins and veil
pins come in pretty, . inexpensive
shades and patterns. Jet jewelry is
also revived. Jet bracelets, neck
chains, bandeaux, hair and hat pins
are all to be had in jet, in all sorts
of shapes and designs. Many pieces
of jewelry are made of cut silver, or
amber, studded with rhine stones,
and in many colored Russian enamel.
Hat pins with one or more tassels,
inexpensive as they are lovely, are
shown In many artistic designs. Very
high dog-collars are in style, and
fine gold chains with large pendants
are in style. Brooches are particu
larly handsome.
Many bow ties, stock and ties,
girdles and simple ties are crocheted
of silk thread. For best effects,
silk should be used, notthe mercer
ized threads. Twisted crochet silk
is preferred. Irish crochet patterns,
daisy pattern, star Btltch, or single
stitch crochet may be used, and the
work must be done with nice even
stitches. Woman's Home Companion.
Helps for the Housewife
For the safe-keeping of foods left
from one meal to another requiring
to be kept cool or aired, make a
frame of suitable size, and put in
several shelves, nailing, staying, or
screwing them in securely so as to
bear tho weight of the dishes. The
back, top and bottom should be made
solid of boards the top and back need
AN OLD AND WELL. TRIED REMEDY
Mrs. Winslow's Soonrma SYiiur for children
teething should always bo used for children while
teething:. It sofUns the gums, allays tho pain
cures wind colic and Is tho best remedy for diar
rhoea. Twenty-five cents a bottle.
it-. :
