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The Commoner.
VOLUME 10; NUMBER 3
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The Siunincr Girl's Grievances
Tlio Bummer 1b ended. Tho season
Was cold at tho seaside, you know;
Tho weather perhaps was tho reason
That nono of us captured a beau.
Tho mon found it cool in the city,
And brokers woro blue, it is
thought;
So wo lost overy chanco (what a
pity!)
And no dashing follow was caught.
And nothing is done in tho "Wintor
In town, with gay talk an.d fine
clothes;
"Despite our most charming endeavors
Tho men just refuse to propose. .
ut when you walk out by tho water,
And moonlight falls soft on, tho
shoro,
Tho primmest and plainest of
daughters
Some masculine heart will adore.
But tho coats and tho hats were all
lacking;
No possible captive was seen;
And some gray-haired old maids were
taunting
Us of it. Now, wasn't that mean?
Another such year would bo awful,
For what are lino feathers and
clothes,
And moonlight, and starlight and
seashore,
If girls are not furnished with
beaux?
Harper's Magazine.
ment, by a regularly organized corp
of skilled workers, will yet dawn
upon tho world, and tho individual
woman will have time and strength
to make a home for her family with
out killing herself with worry.
Household Cares
Tho luxuries which, ono by one,
havo como to the family, the multi
tudinous things (hat are required to
mako homes attractive, the modern
houses which havo their mountain
ous stairways to worry weak backs,
aro all things which havo combined
to mako housekeeping a drudgery,
and tho intelligent minds of Ameri
can women are rebelling constantly.
Tho remedy lies in simplifying home
life; in leaving out of houses the
numberless traps that aTo hard to
get, harder still to keep clean, and
of no earthly good wherever they are.
Women need to know so much that
they do not know, and can not learn
whilo they fret and worry over the
superfluities and shams that the
"fashions" even in housekeeping, de
mand of them. They try to do their
best, working early and late, saving
hero, spending there not always do
ing the wisest in either; they try to
emancipate themselves from tho
thralldom put upon them by "con
ditions," but they begin at the wrong
end of tho task. In these days,
houses aro not adapted to home
making; they aTe planned by mon,
not women, and the man's idea of
house-building is to get the largest
number of houses on tho smallest
possible space, so more houses can
he put upon what is sr.ved. To over
come the inconveniences, women in
troduce troublesome furnishings, and
many things aro demanded by
"fashion" which tho family purse
can not afford. If a simpler style
of living wero tho "fashion," how
soon the burdens would drop away
from the bent shoulders, tho com
plaining and fault-finding cease, and
the family purse allow of pleasures
undreamed of now! Wo need not
go back to the dug-out, tho cave, or
tho cabin; tho old-timo flro-placo
cookery may still bo a dream, and
first-class cooking arrangements may
still be installed; but the time, It is
Tho Opening of tho Schools
It is claimed by some of our most
progressive educators that our chil
dren can not read, and many of them
can not spell, no matter how heavily
they may be "crammed" in other
branches. Ono of tho most serious
defects in the present conduct of
schools is said to be the fact that the
children aro not taught to read, and
that they do not understand what
they attempt to read. In many cases,
it is said that tho teachers, them
selves, can not read clearly and in
terestingly, making the proper
pauses and emphasis. It is true, too,
that children aro not taught tho care
ful shades of meaning of words, or
that certain words alone may be used
for certain things or ideas, either
singly or in connection with other
words. In the homes, tho practice
of reading aloud, by one member of
tho family, for the entertainment of
the others, has fallen into disuse;
or, if still continued, the reading Is
made largely from, somo popular
work of fiction. If the family were
supplied with good, instructive
books, and tho older ones, properly
the fathers and mothers, should bo
able to mako the work interesting
land Instructive to tho younger ones
Dy explaining ana illustrating, to
gether with the discussion of the
topics treated of in the schools, the
child would get a clearer Idea of
what education means, and all would
bo benefited. As tho school season
is now opened, it would bo well to
plan for this during tho long even
ings soon to follow. Lessons learned
under tho home lamp aro more ele
vating than thoso tho street lamp
shines upon.
Care must bo taken when fitting and
putting the pieces together, particu
larly when using thin materials, as
an unlined waist has nothing to hang
upon and keep it in position except
tho collar-band. The waist-band must
bo depended upon for the rest, so
both the collar and waist-band must
have careful attention.
A woman who is at all clover with
her needle can make much pretty
neckwear from a few scraps of fine
lawn and lace, or embroidery. The
bows, jabots and front ruffles are so
easily imitated from the illustrations
in the many woman's magazines that
one with even ordinary ability can
have plenty of them at small cost.
It is full time to begin to fill the
"Christmas box," and many dainty
pieces of embroidery or fanpy-stitch-ing
can now be made at odd times
and laid away for the holiday season.
The ten-cent stores carry many really
valuable little things that may be
picked up whenever one has a "spare
dime," and it will come useful.
Floral Talks
Parents would do well to visit the
schools and see for themselves wheth
er the children are getting what they
aro sent for. Many a child Is ac
counted "dull" because he has a dull
teacher; there are multitudes of poor
teachers, and tho fault of dullness is
very often but a reflection from the
teacher. Not every one who takes
up teaching as a profession is fitted
for such, either by nature or education.
For tho Sewing Boom
When Insertion of laco or em
broidery aro used on tho shirtwaist
between groups of tucks, It will bo
more economical if the pattern is
pinned on tho piece, and tho fronts
and back cut out before tho Insertion
is sewed on. In this way will be
avoided tho waste of laco or em
broidery when tho neck and arm
holes are cut out. When basting the
insertion on, baste through to the
right sido of the material and Btitch
by machine on each side of the em
broidery. Then cut tho material
from under tho insertion, leaving
about one-eighth of an inch on each
side to turn back and stitch down so
it will not fray when washed. The
sleeves, cuffs and collars of all the
lingerie waists should be trimmed in
tho sanio way.
When cutting out tho waist, the
thread of the material at both the
A floral writer says the average
woman is like the drinking man:
every autumn she swears off from
excesses, but each recurring season
finds her with broken vows and
crowded windows. And crowded
windows mean unclean and unhealth-
ful conditions. Now is the time to
decide what you are going to try to
keep through the dark days, for
plants must .be potted and gradually
accustomed to the artificial condi
tions of the house before the frost
forces them indoors.
Keep all potted plants clean; a
dirty plant, like a dirty person, is
the first to become infected or at
tacked with insects. If scale, or
mealy bugs are found, set to work
at once to free them from the foul
pests. Shower tho foliage, and scrub
the pots; keep all dead leaves picked
off, and trim the plant into shapeli
ness. Keep a close look out for the early
frost it never sends in Its card, but
delights in "surprise" parties. More
plants are lost in early winter
through carelessness than at any
other season. Palms, rubber plants,
hydrangeas, and nearly all potted
shrubs need a rest during the year,
and this should be,gin about October
or November. Let them severely
alone while resting. Let the inter
vals between waterings be long.
Remember it is not the cold of
winter usually that kills shrubbery
and plant life, but the alternate
freezing and thawing, which throw
tho roots out of the soil and expose
them to tho weather. The best
mulch for most hardy plants is coarse
barnyard manure, all the tfetter if it
is partly rotted. Spread a blanket
of this several inches thick over the
bulb bed, and over tho hardy her
baceous plants.
Some of our vegetables make fine
house plants; beets, turnips, carrots,
horseradish, parsley, and such things
make fine foliago plants, and tho
foliage may be used as table garnishes.
reaching to the knees; for older girls
from ten to twelve, the skirt just
covers tho knees; after that ago they
reach the ankles. Sailor blouseB with
plaited skirts will be a favorite stylo
for girls and misses.
For boys, nothing has yet dis
placed tho Russian blouse suit, tho
jacket suit worn with flannel or wash
blouso and knee pants. Long trous
ers aro only for boys in their teens.
Tho slender figure with the nar
row skirt is "the fashion" at present.
The number of gores differ so that
a model can be secured to suit any
width of material, .and to suit any
taste. The "hobble," or girt-in skirt
will not appeal to all tastes.
The slightly open neck will bo
worn throughout the autumn and
winter, finished with either a flat
band or a frill; it has proved so com
fortable that women will not willing
ly let.lt go. Over-sleeves are in great
favor, and the undersleeve can bo
terminated at the elbow, or contin
ued to tho wrist, as desired.
Yokes, plaits and panels remain
the characteristic features of tailor
made garments; the center-front
panel is still in vogue. The peasant
waist, without seam at the shoulder,
the fitting of the waist being done
by a single seam under the arm, is
much liked. The shirt-waists intend
ed for wear with the long coats are
very plainly made. There is little
change in the shirtwaist, the only
difference being the use of embroid
ery, of high or low necks and of
varied sleeves.
Small foot plaitings are used on
tailor-made skirts, headed by bands.
Long coats are made of heavy rough,
mannish goods, tweeds, homespuns,
and the like; they may be wprh either
high or open at the neck.
Adversity's Lesson " ' !
A writer has said, "Poverty to
many of us, represents tie acme of
human misery, because we confuse
it with pauperism, which is a con
dition vastly different. Pauperism
means dependence, while poverty
may mean merely the doing without
various unnecessary articles to which
we have grown accustomed, or to
.which we have aspired, and which we
have come to regard as the very
'bread of life. And you will notice,"
we never are very grateful for bread
until it is taken from us; so that a
touch of poverty Is one of sweet ad
versity's sharpest lessons a sort of
mental mustard plaster, which is very
beneficial. We may have left us
everything else but the one thing
wo once held so lightly, but now that
one thing withheld seems to us more
desirable than anything else in the
world. Let us learn to take thank
fully the good things that fall to our
hand, and be grateful for them, and
learn through doing without, how
very much we should have cherished
that which is taken from us."
center front and center hack must
hoped, when the cb-oporativo kitchen, run Btralght; this must bo strictly
as wen as other household manage- observed when creasing tor tucks..
From tho Stylo Boole
Serge, rough or smooth surfaced,
either In solid colors or stripes, are
the best materials for school dresses,
but if warm underclothing is worn,
any of the cotton or linen wash
goods may be worn. Dresses for the
tiny girls up to eight or ton, accord
ing to b1zq4 aro made quite short, just
"Tho Littlo Ant" -'
"A Reader" sends us the follow
ing: "Scientists have made a study
of the little ant, and the stories they
tell of their intelligence and skill
belittle human generals in war or
modern machinery in peace, and
leave us our self-respect only as they
incidentally illustrate our ability to
comprehend such genius. But these
great students fall to give us a few
habits of the ant. For one thing,
the ant is recklessly fond of being
eaten. Before the picnic table can
bo spread he will be mixing himself
freely with the sugar; he will be in
the cells of the bread, bathing in tho
milk, lost in tho melting butter and,
In fact, whatever wo are to eat, he
will be a part thereof. He seems
bound to get at the Inside facts of
human nature, hut he is equally eager
to get on tho outside. One diTTU-w
will go down a man's neck, whilo
another division counter-marches ug
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