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The Commoner.
VOLUME 9, NUMBER ,
A
Tho Spinner
Tlio spinner twisted her slender
thread
As she sat and spun;
"Tho earth and tho heavens are
mine," she said,
"And tho moon and tho sun.
Into my web the sunlight goes,
And tho breath of May,
And tho crimson life of the new
blown roso
That was born today."
The spinner sang in tho hush of
noon,
And her song was low;
"Ah, morning, you pass away too
soon,
You are swift to go.
My heart o'erflows like a brimming
cup
With its hopes and fears;
Love, como and drink tho sweetness
up
Ero it turn to tears."
Tho spinner looks at the setting
sun
"Is it time to rest?
My hands are weary my work is
done;
I have wrought my best.
I havo spun and woven with patient
oyes
And lingers fleet;
Lo! where the toil of a life-time
lies;
But a winding sheet!"
Mary Ainge DeVere in St. Louis
Globe-Democrat.
CONGENIAL work
Ami Strength to Perform It
A person in good health is likely
to havo a genial disposition, ambi
tion, and enjoy work.
On tho other hand, if the digestive
organs havo been upset by wrong
food, work becomes drudgery.
"Until recently," writes a Wash
ington girl, "I was a railroad stenog
rapher, which moans full work every
day.
"Like many other girls alone In a
largo city, I lived at c boarding
house. For breakfast it was mush,
groasy meat, soggy cakes, black cof
fee, etc.
"After a few months of this diet
X used to feel sleepy and heavy in
the mornings. My work seemed a
tqrrlblo effort, and I thought the
work was to blame too arduous.
"At homo I had heard my father
speak of a young fellow who went
long distances in the cold on Grane-
Nuts and cream and nothing more
for breakfast.
"I concluded if it would tide him
over a morning's heavy work, It
might help me, so on my way homo
ono night I bought a package and
next morning I had Grape-Nuts and
milk for breakfast.
"I stuck to Grape-Nuts, and in
less than two weeks I noticed im
provement. I can't just toll how
well I folt,, but 1 remember I used
to walk tho 12 blocks to business
and know how good it was simply
to live.
"As to my work well, did vou
ever feel tho delight of having con
genial work and the strength to per
form it? That's how I felt. I truly
believe there's life and vigor in every
grain of Grape-Nuts."
Name given by Postum Co., Battle
Crook, Mich. Read "Tho Road to
Wollvllle," in pkgs. "There's a
Reason."
Ever read the above letter? A new
ne appears from time to time. They
iro genuine, true, mid full of human
Interest.
"Before Taking"
The real business of house-cleaning
is generally a pretty big dose for
the mother of the family, yet the
spring medicine must be taken, and
it is well to begin with a gradually
increasing measure until the final
plunge must be tr'-en. Now is the
time to weed out the attic, overhaul
tho closets, bureau drawers, cup
boards, boxes and bundles, and other
storage places, and get all the
tangles out of the edges during the
dull dark days the month always
brings. Undesirable, or useless
things should be given away or cre
mated; the bane of most households
is the spirit of hoarding of useless
things. Things that are to be made
over in the way of clothing, bed fur
nishing, table linens, carpets, cur
tains, etc., should be got ready nov
for the renovation at an early date.
Tho ripping and brushing out of
seams will keep little hands busy and
little heads interested if the mother
goes at it right; and tho wise woman
will get all the help she can, by fill
ing the idle hand:? of the adults with
some of her daily duties. Get tho
"gude mon" interested in furnishing
up things indoors, or make the job
attractive to the big boy who will be
only, too glad to earn the proud title
of "mother's helper" by "tinkering
with tools."
things may be mado more attractive
and comfortable. Nothing is more
extravagant than to let furniture and
property go to rack through neglect,
when a few hours at odd times can
make most of such things "like new"
for a very small amount of expense.
Many a man will sit around the fire,
drowsing and idle, wasting precious
time, who might be putting finishing
and freshening touches to his sur
roundings, adding to his own com
fort and brightening up the lives of
his family. It is not what one earns
that makes for riches or comfort, but
the use to which one puts the earn
ings, and the care that is given the
product of the wage. A few dollars
spent for paints, oils, brushes, lime,
sand, cement, glue, hardware, and
the like, will add many times the
amount to the value of his belong
ings. No man, woman or child, of
average refinement and intelligence,
is ever proud of dilapidation, or
neglect. In every neighborhood
there is urgent need of an improve
ment club. Do you belong to one?
If not, why not?
Household Pests
This is the month that should find
the bed furnishing completely over
hauled and free from the remnant of
pests left over from last fall, if any.
The wise woman will make it her
business to see that not one of the
brown things that crawl out of hid
ing places ever reaches a square
meal. A war of extermination can
be carried on victoriously now,
where a few months later there
might bo a losing battle for a long
time. Begin now, and "stand by
your guns." During the latter part
of this month, and the month follow
ing, many woolen things will be put
away, and before any wool or fur
is stored, see that everything has a
good sunning, switching and airlnc-
what can be washed, should be, and
wo should remember that every pre
caution should be taken to keep such
things out of the reach of mnthR n
this pest lays its eggs In April, May
or June, according to climate.
March Work
Tho Greatest Need
"A Discouraged Mother" asks for
help in undoing the tangles that lie
in wait for her on every hand, and
says: "It is injustice with which
we are called to combat more often
than any other trouble we are so
often misunderstood, and we meet
opposition ana mamerence more
often than any other hardship."
Many of us feel thus, no matter what
our work, and in the family, espe
cially, try as we may to smoothly
adapt the varying and various ele
ments to each other without infring
ing upon the rights of any, we seem
only to meet failure, more or less
pronounced, on every hand. There
seems no disposition on the part of
the others to help bring order out
of the chaos of disagreements by
making individual concessions, and
no matter how just we try to be in
our decisions, some one or more is
angered and rebellious. But in such
things, the mother will need not only
all her own patience and wisdom, but
must lean heavily upon the Divine
Arm and prayerfully seek to lead
the restless feet into tho right path.
When she has done all she can, she
should leave the results to a higher
power. Often we censure or punish
the children for the very faults we,
ourselves, are niilty of anger and
hasty action. How are the little
ones to know it is wrong to scream
and fight with voice and fist, when
the exhausted, impatient mother
scolds with raised voice and angry
gestures, and sets the example they
are quick to follow? Patience and
wisdom como only from a higher
play for taste and skill in construc
tiveness, and very pretty and useful
garments may be made of these largo
remnants or scraps, either for grown
ups or children. For the common
cotton goods, the cheap laces and in
sertions may be used, giving a life
of one or two seasons to the gar
ment; but in better goods, the qual
ity of the trimmings should match
that of the' materials.
In joining pieces with insertion,
pin the strip of material to the pat
tern and lay tho inset in place, al
lowing for a generous seam of tho
material under each edge. Baste the
insertion with small stitches close
to the edge on the right side; then
remove from the paper, and stitch
the joinings permanently; turn
wrong side out and trim off the raw
edges, roll into a very small hem
and whip closely, catching tho edge
of the lace with the stitches. Mitre
all corners.
Small remnants may be used for
yoke-tuckers, gauntlets, neckwear of
suitable materials, guimpes, caps,
wash bonnets, etc., for the little folks
and even school handkerchiefs may
be evolved from sheer materials.
Very pretty aprons for afternoon
wear may be made of remnants of
suitable thin materials vlth. the aid
of a few yards of insertion, lace or
embroidery.
In preparing out-grown garments
for "the next in line," remember to
rip carefully, pick out all threads,
brush well, remove all stains and
spots, and if faded or spotted, use
the dye-pot. Make over " only gar
ments that are worth making well
and taking pains with.
Finishing Edges
. In finishing- the edges of garments
made of eiderdown, outing or wool
flannels, flannelettes, krinkledown,
challis, a pretty mode of iinish is to
embroider with scallops in wash silk.
Another is by crocheting all around
the edges with n. doublti-crochet
stitch, making two-chain between
It is none too early to take down
. imiLiumj, scans, times, table cov- source than the human, and everv
S.i'i11? oher fancy-work fur- one of us needs the strength from
u.oiuubh ui uiu aome, snaite all the above
uust out ol tnem, put them to soak
over night and wash on some sunny
day, and they can thus be ironed and
put away ready for immediate uro
without further attention, when the
house is cleaned and the house-mother
exhausted with the heavy work.
Light quilts, blankets, counterpanes',
and such things can all be cleaned
up while the strorig hands of the
"men-folks" are at liberty to help out
with tho washing machine and the
wringer.
Got out your scrap-book and read
ver to "John" the many ways by
which life may be added to the fur
nishings of the .home, as well as the
homo itself. Indoors and out many
For tho Home Seamstress
If materials are several inches
wider, or narrower, than the width
of tho pattern calls for, it is best
io calculate Dy the length, and, in
case of the narrow goods, allow ex
tra length for possible piecing out
of edges. In the wider materials
and those having an "up-and-down "
or a nap, there may be many largo
pieces left over, more than can be
utilized for the small pieces of pat
tern, and those should by no means
be wasted. The present fancy for
combining materials with laces, em
broideries, tucks, fancy stitches, or
simulated tucks or plaits, give fine
In the Morning
Try a Charcoal Lozenger and a Glass
of Water if Your Breath is Foul
and Your Mouth Tastes Bad
Immediately upon arising in the
morning, should you have a bad
breath and a disagreeable taste in
your mouth, try a charcoal lozenger.
Simply chew the lozenger up as you
would so much candy and drink a
glass of water, washing it down 'into
the stomach in this manner. Tho
effect is almost magical. The mouth
becomes sweet and the breath pure
and fragrant in a very short time.
After a few days you will notice
that your stomach is digesting food
much better. All traces of gases and
sour stomach will disappear, and the
perfect assimilation promoted by a
healthy stomach will build up
strength and muscle, and your bad
breath and coated tongue will be a
thing of the past.
Give Stuart's Charcoal Lozenges a
trial results are assured, and posi
tively no bad effects can arise from
the use of charcoal. Stuart's Char
coal Lozenges are made of young
willow wood charcoal and pure, fresh
honey, taken direct from the bee
hive. You may eat all you want, give
them to every member of the family.
They will cleanse and purify the
stomach and keep it clean and
sweet.
Stuart's Charcoal Lozenges are
good for everybody at any time. Try
them. For sale every where, 25
cents per box. Sample box will be
sent free by mail upon request. Ad
dress F. A. Stuart Co., 200 Stuart
Bldg., Marshall, Mich.
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