- Trr ',r'wvr'nVTimfTm ?mi$pniv- i ' i.t aWMit-JWr MW ,...--W.'""- - I'M vfl A ;i The Commoner. A Lo lEfe.f .' f Jmfr75T rirfP rTffYCSttT HT J U?3S I M 1TI fcJI 1 I II IlL'I I Ik. W b VOLUME 9,: NUMBER 12 zmjsn ConduefedS? WelfmWatfsMWp Tho Woman at (ho Tub From oast to west their praises ring Tho stalwarts with the hoe, Tho sturdy man behind the plow, Who till tho earth and sow. What would thoy do, these- toil-spent men, Who plow and plant and grub, Without tho patient, plodding hand Tho woman at tho tub? Tho soldier's fame, through every age, Tho sweetest bards havo sung; In trumpet tones, their daring deeds From sea to sea havo rung. In minor note, with clarion horn, You hear tho gentlo "rub" That makes him neat for dress parade Tho woman at the tub! Honor tho stalwart with the hoo, , Tho patriot at the gun, With laurels deck tho noblo brow For victories well won; But if you've more bouquets to throw, Deem it not poor or mean To toss a few to that poor soul "V&ho keops tho whole world clean. .vriQ Lf Spalding in American '- .Motherhood. ; tho boy for the intelligent care of his futuro family. " ' Neglected Education Wo are constantly reminded that tho girls must be trained so as to bo good wives, mothers and house lcoopors, but how very seldom do wo read or hear that the boys should bo trained for husbands, fathers and home-providers. There is ono thing which is almost universally over looked, in their training. How very tow young mon know any tiling about uio care or tno sick. They are anx ious and willing to do, but they know nothing of tho ways and means of making the sickroom comfort able, or of meeting emergencies. Young men marry, and assume tho guardianship of tho girls they love without giving tho least thought to tho fact that in thus assuming the relationship, thoy are indeed the guardian of the health of the pros pective family. They consider nurs ing as the woman's business, and do not realize that thorn win ho mm, times when tlio wife must needs bo For tho Young Mother Tho young mother usually has all tho advice she can listen to, but the mass of it is so confusing and inap plicable to her own case, that she hardly knows where to turn. An swering several inquiries, we give a few general rules, but the inex porienced nurso must use every bit of common sense she can get hold of, and the baby's needs and wants must bo studied oloselv. Trv to teach the little one to be 'as regular lu habits as possible, beginning from tho first day, else the little creature will become a perfect tyrant to the worried, working mother. A young child should be kept warm and clean and comfortable, and it should sleep at least three-fourths of its time dur ing tho first month of existence, but its food should bo given it; regularly, and it should then as regularly be laid down in its bed. It is well to give it bottle food if the mother fails to supply it with enough nourish ment, and these days many mothers fail to satisfy tho baby's appetite, or tho mother's milk , does not agree With the child. Get the best advice possible on this point, and then care fully watch results, as no two babies thrive alike. Even the experienced mother has trouble, and one can only uo the best possible, and try to learn better. Gjvo just as little medicine as may be not any, if you can help' it, and try good nursing and careful feeding; but above all things, keep tho little feet warm, and the baby's body clean. At night, if the baby is restless, on putting it into its night clothes, rub the entire body with the warm, mother-hand, usinc n vrv lit tle olive oil to prevent friction, until tho skin is warm and glowing. If the little one is feverish, n nninir sponging of cool (not cold) water may precede tho rubbing. If tho baby is "bottle fed," be sure to keep the bottle and nipple clean, and when not in use, keep the bottle and tho nipple in a medium solution of bak ing soda and water, as this will keep thorn sweet. Use only plain, smooth bottles and a plain, fitted nipple, and it is well to havo several sets of these. Many babies are over-fed and suffer from indigestion. The stom- acn oi a six-weeks-old baby will hold pecially for cleaning the dirt from corners in window sash and glass in any furniture. Put a soft, wet cloth over tho point of tho stick and poke out the dirt. Soft woods, like pine, are usually enameled or painted and varnished, while hard woods oak, mahogany, walnut, etc., are waxed or varnished. Either kind of wood may be stained arid varnished and the grain in many of them is lovely. Enameled wood work should not be scrubbed with a brush, nor should Bcouring soaps, or strong ammonia be used on it. For filling cracks, crevices, or holes In wood work, putty is good, or a pulp made of soaked paper can be. used. For filling breaks in plas tering, or holes, be sure to piill off all tho hanging, and very loose por tions, and wet up plaster of paris with vinegar and apply. It does not harden so quickly as when wet with water. Cement floors for out-door or base ment kitchens, are not as easily kept clean as tiling or wood, and are very hard on the feet, unless bits of car pet or rug are scattered about to stand on. They are very t excellent however, and can be washed or scrubbed with good effect. tho compost heap, if you have but a garden spot. Do not throw dish wa ter out in the back yard to attract flies. Remember that flies and mos quitoes are disease carriers. nursed, and that in raanv p.rrrr tiiom .--.ii . . . w..w, ui. n ai.-wuuKS-n m nnv nrin v-i look arto,0 ZV" Vs Ju!n? .1 1 .? "??. tabtespooniuls, ,n look after tho comfort of tho sick, uvea wnero money is not in ques tion. A woman, if sho can not do anything olso, can wait upon tho sick in some fashion, and doos do so to tho best of her ability; but when the wife is tho afflicted ono, sho usu ally lares uaaiy ic loft to tho tender mercies of the average young hus band. It is not that mon aTo unsympa thetic, or indifferent, but simply that they are ignorant and'untrained, and when an emergency arisos, they are usually so embarrassed by tho un usual demands, or so ill at easo from ignorance of tho simplest duties of tho sick room, that they are worse than useless. Fathers should insist unit uieir sons become acquainted with tho simpler duties, at least, of caring for tho sick, and seo that the boy is taught tho sacrodness of the sickroom, and to prepare little dish es, or perform little duties which may bo demanded of him in almost any emergency. Mothers and sisters !fl0iid no- bo tb-Q only nurses, Train creasing in holding gets oiuer. capacity as it ITousq Cleaning Before attempting to put fresh paper on tho walls, go over the old paper with plenty of warm water, ap plied with brush or cloth, and loosen every bit of tho old paper, pull, or scrape It off. After the paner is re moved, if it is not to bo repapered, tho wall should be thoroughly washed with soap and water, to re move all paste; if new paper is to be put on, tho removal of the dried paste will make a better job of it Oil paint is a croori onvnrinn ' walls, especially of kitchen walls as the paint can bo washed. ' If you havo a waxed finish wood work, do not use water on it i7i V V, " r CI0Ul moistened with coal oil. as this win rom'7,. Soot, fingor marks and dirt, and is not so destructive as soap. .&& ' Use a small, sharp stick for clean-f jus out creases and corners, and es- Bits of Help Many things are just as well used if not ironed, and In this way much strength and labor may be saved. When taking clothes from the line, fold all knit underwear, kitchen towels, and other rough clothes just aB you would if they were Ironed, and lay them smoothly in a basket or pile. Sheets and colored table clothes come out in very good shape ii aone in tins way. An easy way to iron sheets, if they must bo ironed, is to Drmg tne two hemmed ends to gether, then fold from right to left, having the upper hem of the sheet on tho outside; then iron tho half of the sheet which is uppermost, with out refolding, and fold carefully away for the drawer. When the sheet is on the bed, one can not distin guish that the lower half has not been Ironed. Every room that is occupied dur ing the day should be thoroughly aired flushed with fresh air several times during the day; bed-rooms should be well ventilated all the time, and flushed with fresh air whenever the weather will permit. A kitchen in which much onnvinn- io carried on should have ventilation near the ceiling, and if nothing bet tor can be had, keep the top window sash down as far as can be allowed A shed room is a good place for cooking, as the openings in the walls admit plenty of clean, fresh air and allow for the escape of the smells of cooking. Try doing without the "slop-pail" or garbage can at the door. Keep it well away from the house, and emp ty all refuse where the hogs or chickens can get at it while fresh and clean. Keep the ground about the kitchen door clean and free from scraps of food, and thus give the flies no excuse to gather there A back yard is as easily kept clean as a front one, if every member of the family is trained to habits of neat ness. , See that all wash 'and laundry wa ters and house- slops are emptied on the manure pile on-'tho -farm, -or on For tho Seamstress In gathering by hand, if a double thread is used, one thread is apt to knot, or one is tighter than tho other. Instead, use two lines of gathers an eighth of an inch apart. For stroking gathers, hold the work between the thumb and fingers of the left hand, the thumb on the gathering threads, and stroke with a coarse needle. For placing the gathers, put the point 'of the needle under the lower gathering thread and press on the needle. Always cut the thread from the work, as. breaking weakens the fast ening. Thread may be cut or broken from the spool. In cutting a button-hole with a round end, in thick goods, use a punch for the round, then cut the straight of the buttonhole directly on a line with the center of the hole. Little touches of handwork are seen on all expensive dresses. If one is skilled in needle work many little touches of original ornamenta tion can be added, giving the gar ment that chic appearance for which one has to pay' so dearly. Many wash dresses are trimmed with rick rack braid, which is very inexpen sive, yet may be used with very sat isfying effect. In making over a last season's skirt, the old skirt may be lifted to the new waist-line, and the bot tom lengthened by foot trimming sufficiently irregular on the upper edge not to seem a regulation band. Bolero models are taking on a new lease of life, but instead of a sepa rate, bolero, the bodice is composed on the bolero lines. . Drawn work is much used for table linen, children's dresses, la'dles' waists, scarfs, doileys, and many other articles either of wear or for ornamentation. If the material is very fine, a large magnifying glass may be used when drawing the threads. Linen or crochet threads matching the texture of the material, but a trifle finer or coarser as de sired, are used In drawn work. Many very beautiful patterns are shown in the fancy work and fashion maga zines, with explanations for- doing the work. Query Box Many Inquiries are answered un der appropriate headings elsewhere. In sending in directions for work, or for concocting dishes of eatables, please send name and address of sender not for publication, but for reference. In sending poems, in answer to requests for same, please send au thor's name, and publication from which taken, if possible. M. B. asks for information with out giving address; if address is sent will sond information. D. R. Recipe for shellac varnish given elsewhere, under directions for renovating old furniture. N. M. Nothing will "remove deep scratches from furniture without in juring the finish," but shellac var nish will render them less con spicuous. Allle S. Books of complete in structions in needle-craft can be had at almost any book store or fancy work or art stores. Almost any AN OLD AND WELL TRIED REMEDY H..11S,- iNBw!B ScoTiiika Si'itur lor children rln, SS FllVld alwnyJO usrd Jor children whlU iVi ,, collc ar,d tho bwt remedy lor diar rhoea. 'Jvcr.lj-.flTecccu a bottle. . .. . w .aaakMicfcfifc - lfrJm"irk$0t4b