The Commoner.
8
VOLUME 10, NUMBER 2
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Conducfcdby
Helen Watts N
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Juno
But Juno Is full of Invitations sweet,
Forth from tho chimney's yawn, and
thrlco-road tomes
To lolsuroly dollghts and Baunterlng
thoughts
That brook no colling narrower than
tho bluo. Tho boo,
All dusty as a miller, takes his toll
Of powdery gold and grumbles,
"What a day
To sun mo and do nothing!" Nay,
I think
Moroly to bask and ripen Is some
times Tho studont's wiser business; tho
brain
Will not distil the juices it has
sucked
To tho sweot substanco of pellucid
thought,
Excopt for him who hath tho secrot
learned
To mix his blood with sunshino and
to tako
Tho wind Into his pulses.
In Juno 'tis good to Ho beneath a
treo
Whilo tho blithe season comforts
ovory sense,
Steeps all tho brain In rest and heals
the heart,
Brimming it o'er with sweetness un
awares. James Russell Lowell.
Shopping Alono
The mld-suminor sales will soon
o "on," and neaTly ovory woman
who can, will want to spend some
tlmo In tho big stores. Sometimes
It pays, and sometimes it don't. But
If you havo timo to spare, oven
though you havo no money (or very
little) to spend, looking over tho dis
play of goods is very interesting, and
you will bo able to get a good many
Ideas that may "come handy" when
you get ready for tho sewing ma
chine. Hero Is a good bit of advice,
and It may bo well to act on It. When
you go for real shopping, with an
Idea of getting tho most possible for
your monoy, even though somo of
our purchases may be shop-worn and
a shade out of style, go alone. There
are seldom two women with tho same
tastes and purposes, to say nothing
of ideas of economy. Perhaps you
think you don't know what you want;
but It is generally the case that you
know pretty clearly what you do not
want, and if your companion per
suades you Into getting something
you have tho least dislike for, you
will hato It unreasonably, and tako
no comfort In Its possession, after
you count the cost, and It is far bet
tor to go alone and do your own
choosing or refusing. You can make
much bettor use, of your time, and
look at only what you are Interested
In. But if you just simply mean to
"prowl" through tho store, and en
joy the display while you asic tne
prices, why, thon Is when it Is very
nice to havo a congenial friend to
help you look at things.
"When tho Bon Marries
It is natural that a little heartache
should qome to tho mother when she
finds that another stands first in the
heart or tne ooy sue nas neia so
long; but if she will, she may have
a daughter, and an added bond' be
tween her son and herself In the
daughter's love. The wife la queen
of tho new homo, but wo may still be
tho queen-mother, and our first duty,
In the new relationship, should be .to
find all the good points in the wife's
character. If she have faults, which
is possible, wo should bo sorry, but
not censorious. Nothing will set us
apart from tho dear ones so quickly
or effectually as to begin open train
ing of tho daughter-in-law, and we
should bo blind, blind, blind, to all
her little failings, both for our own
and our children's sake. So, too,
your training of your son must stop.
Ho is a man now, with a man's re
sponsibilities, and ho must think for
himself. If ho asks your advice, or
If tho new daughter turns to you for
counsel, glvo It freely, but give it
lovingly, with due realization that it
may bo but an act of kindly courtesy
on their part, and do not feel ag
grieved If they should prefer their
own way. Do not allow yourself to
be too sensitive, and to take as slights
or affronts any little seeming neglect,
either of your presence or of your
opinions. Do not attempt to revise
their household affairs, or to settle
their disputes; in the life of the hus
band and wife, "it must needs be
that offenses must come; but woo
unto the one by whom the offense
cometh," if it be an outsider; espe
cially If It be the mother, whom every
daughter-in-law is taught to look up
on as her arch enemy, because of
their mutual love for the one man.
Let them learn their lessons, spelling
out each word with no prompting
from you. Let it be your business
to keep their lovo, for as you go down
Into tho valley, It will be tho one
Btar that will relieve earth's darkness
of Its terror.
How Fear Robs Us
Do you ever stop to think how
much of this life's good we miss be
cause wo are afraid? Hero is a
story that came to me one day, re
cently, and as It was so nearly like
somo experiences of my own, It re
fused to be forgotten. A youner
woman, lonely and alone in a new
town, lived In her one little room,
going to and from her work every
day, for two years, without making
any acquaintances outside of her
business circle, which was limited.
She was only a wage earner, and
could not dress finely; but managed
always to keep herself neat and clean
and closo enough to the simple styles
to escape comment. She had always
been a closo attendant at her church
at home, and she so missed her priv
ileges now. There was a fine church
building not far from her room, but
it loomed up so grandly, and Bhe
saw so many finely dressed people
going in and out, that she felt she
never could bo welcomed there. So
she stayed on In her loneliness, until
one day, a "now girl" came into the
office, and for some occult reason,
tho two wore drawn toward each
other. In talking over matters, the
now girl asked what church she at
tended, and our friend, whom we will
call Marlon, told her that she did
not attena any. Agnes, tne new
girl, was astonished, and expressed
herself mildly, asking, "How, then,
do you make acquaintances?" When
she learned of the two solitary years,
she said, "Well, this has got to be
stopped. We are going to church.
and take our places next Sabbath in
the big church you are so afraid of."
This they did, and it- so happened
that they were mot with a cordiality
so utterly undreamed of by the timid
ono, that her seat in the sanctuary
was never thereafter found empty,
and her life became broader and
brighter In every way. Bhe made it
her business to' show Interest in every
lonely girl that "dropped in," -and
thus helped other lonely lives into
happiness.
For tho Laundry
When the picnic season begins,
then the '"trouble?' experts are in de
mand. Pretty figured lawns, per
cales, dimities, and other wash goods
have a habit of "running" and fad
ing when submitted to the careless
laundress. But if care is taken, such
materials may be washed the season
through without having them ruined.
There is a "fine art" in laundering,
as well as in other work in the home,
and many things must be learned
by practical experience. Keep a bot
tle each of ammonia, turpentine and
alcohol, and also one of purified ox
gall in the house. Try to have soft
water for such washing, and if it
can not be had, soften the water with
a little borax, or with a few drops
of ammonia. Alcohol is excellent for
removing grass stains, if they are
first rubbed with lard; molasses, also
Is said to be effective. Turpentine
will remove paint stains, and will
set most colors in wash fabrics. The
ox-gall is used for setting the differ
ent shades of pink, lilac, purple and
light reds. For paint stains, equal
parts of turpentine and ammonia
should bo used, but the axle-tar must
first be well rubbed with lard, rub
bing the lard into the spot to soften
the tar, when it can be washed out
with warm suds.
To settle muddy water, such as
river or hydrant water, use "one
tablespoonful of salt mixed thor
oughly with the yolk of one egg, and
stir well into the tub or barrel of
water. Alum will also settle it.
Ginghams, lawns and percales should
not go into the wash with other
clothes, but should be washed sep
arately and as quickly as possible In
warm suds made of soft water and
white soap. Most washing powders
will fade delicate colors. Colored
goods must not He In the water any
longer than necessary to get them
clean, and should be well rinsed and
dried in tho shade. White goods are
improved by soaking in suds, but
must be thoroughly rinsei and light
ly blued, then starched and ironed
when nearly dry, or when well
damped by sprinkling.
and In cold weather, where the room
is flreless and the sheets "like ice,"
tho child will not dread to go to
bed if there is a pad that can bo
hung to the fire for a few minutes
to warm, and then tucked under the
sheet at bed time. Old coir-forts that
have outlived their usefulness In that
form can be made into these pads by
washing, drying, ripping the old cov
ers off and covering with whole
goods. Often the covers may be
made of pieces of old skirts, or other
cotton or muslin from cast-off gar
ments, and as they last a long time,
they are very economical as well as
cleanly. For infants and old people,
there may be half-length pads made,
and these can be removed and re
placed when necessary with very lit
tle trouble.
Protecting the Bedding
During the hot months, the body
is frequently bathed in perspiration
during sleep, and If not protected,
the bedding is apt to take on a dis
agreeable smell from the perspira
tion absorbed, which is hard to re
move, even by frequent sunning in
tne open air.
For the Housewife
A thick bottle will prove a yery
efficient potato masher; a baking
powder can is just the right size for
a biscuit cutter, and will serve as an
excellent utensil for chopping pota
toes, bread, vegetables and fruits. A
fruit jar, or a long thick bottle will
answer admirably for a rolling pin.
An Inch-wide strip of dean white
cotton cloth, wet and drawn. tightly
around both edges .of the pie and
pasted together with flour will keep
pies from running over while baking.
A collar of stiff white paper pinned
about a layer cake will Jkeep the
icing from running down the sides,
and one broad enough to cover the
whole sides of tho cake will keep
the filling In until it sets.
Equal parts of strong cold tea and
linseed oil about one pint each, tho
whites of two fresh eggs stiffly beat
en, and two ounces of spirits of salts
mixed and well shaken, makes a fine
polish for floors and furniture. For
furniture, put a few drops on an old
silk cloth and rub vigorously, going
over a small space at a time. For a
painted floor, use a 'cotton or woolen,
cloth.
To Insure a straight edge on table
linen, draw a thread before cutting,
and cut with the thread. The same
should be done with sheets and pil
low slips, if the goods is not torn
off the bolt.
When the carpet needs patching,
cut the patch the required size, smear
on the wrong side with a thick paste
of flour and water, lay the patch on
the hole or thin place, smooth it care
fully, then with a hot flatiron, iron
until the paste is dry. Before laying
a carpet, rub the boards over with
turpentine, to guard against ravages
of insects.
Leave a few of the Inner husks on
tho corn for boiling, as they keep
the corn hot longer after putting on
the table, and add a sweeter taste to
the corn.
In Making Pics
Do not roll the paste too thin; If it'
has not sufficient thickness it will be
dry and tasteless when baked.
When using preserves for ple-fll-
11T1C?. lftV strlnn of noafn tvoo.r Tio fAr
The mattresses now lattice fashion, but never use a cover,
in general use are too bulky and or top-crust.
heavy for the housewife to handle.
and in consequence, they do not get
the alrlngB they are so much In need
of. Ono of the best protectlves Is
a cotton pad the size of the mattress
top, made just like a knotted bed
comfort, and about the same weight.
This can be laid on top of the mat
tress, and, being light, can be aired
on tho line dally, or handled with
the washing machine freauentlv.
thus sweetening and cleaning It, and
keeping the perspiration entirely off
the mattress.
For children's beds, these pads are
especially desirable, and there should
bo plenty of them. The covers may
be made of the cheapest light calico,
or cheese cloth, and small enough
to wash easily. The child should
sleep alone, In a bed of suitable sIzq,
Handle paste as little as possible.
and then in as cold a place as you
may have; flour both board and roller
plentifully, and roll quickly. Butter
the tins well before putting in the
bottom crust, and see that it is not
cut until the top is laid on, as it is
apt to Bhrink down at the edges.
Sweet apples should not be used
for pies; when cooked, they are most
Insipid; the tart, sour apple Is the
one for flavor. If fruit is not ripe, It
should be stewed and allowed to get
cold,, the sugar added, and then put
In the crust. If used warm the crust
is apt to be soggy.
It Is better to put too little than
too much sugar in pies, as sugar can
be added at tho table, if necessary.
Where the fruit Is very 5uicy, a littl
flour sprinkled over the top will ah-
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