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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 16, 1910)
SEPTEMBER 10, 1910 9 The Commoner. his arms and ankles. Ono reason why, in spite of reason and--torrid weather, picnic parties always have a danco on tho lawn the moment lunch Is over is to shake tho ants out of their clothes. Nobody ever really assigned this as the reason, before; but everybody feels it, and they feel tho ants, too; henco their antics. Man has no reciprocal love for tho ant; it neither improves his food or his mood, and so the one sided romance of misplaced affection in nature lies before the naturalist an unsolved riddle. It would bo more interesting to know how this love for man, developed and how to stop It than is all wo are told as to tho strategems, plans, tricks, affections, caution and great courage of ants in other relations. The more ants we eat at our picnics, tho more wo find "there the next time; the more we carry home in our clothes, tho greater tho supply remaining, and what wo most want to know is, how to bring about a deficit in the ant crop." Charles Dudley Warner. Cutting Glass With Scissors Mrs. C. G. wishes to know how to cut glass with scissors, as she has heard that it can be done. The only light I can find on tho subject is this: "You can, if you know how, cut a pane of glass with an ordinary pair of scissors as easily as you can cut a sheet of card board. The secret consists in cutting your glass under water. Say, under water in an ordi nary wash-tub, submerging glass, hands and scissors; under these con ditions the glass cuts in curved or straight lines without crack or sliver. Tho density of the water kills the vibrations of the glass and it is vi bration, and that only, which causes glass to break. If the least bit of glass projects above tho water, tho experiment will bo a failure." Pic torial Review. clean cloth, brush with clean wator and press between cloths. To restoro the finish to silk, brush lightly with a very thin solution of gum arable, dry and press carefully. Gleanings Somo. Reminders Tender feet are the cause of much Buffering to women who do house work in hot weather. For this, the feet should be soaked in a bath of hot salt water, then have cold water dashed over them, dried, and well rubbed with witch hazel. For callous soles, rub well with cold cream, and in the morning dust the feet with talcum powder. This will make the feet less tender. After the salt bath, a rub with wood alcohol will often relieve the aching, burning sensa tion caused by too long standing. The cleanliness of the feet can not be too strongly urged, as much of bodily comfort depends upon their condi tion. A tight stocking is often the cause of discomfort, and in buying either shoes or stockings, it is well to insist on a perfect fit, rather than the fashion. Sneer not at old clothes; they are often made Bacred by long sacrifices, careful folding away, and closo darn ings, that they may servo until some noblo end is attained. If many an old coat or oft-turned dress could speak, what tales they could tell of tho nobleness of tho heart they have covered. A true friend is ho who not only shows himself a friend when tho frowns of misfortuno fall upon us, but, even when wo treat him as a foe, builds friendship's altar higher and firmer with tho very stones cast against him by our folly and per verseness. Men of much will and littlo talent arp often wedded to women of genius; their wisdom Is a robuko to tho folly of their husbands, and is resented as such. A woman of a high order of genius will attend to all tho duties of her position as far as possiblo and, if tho cultivation of literaturo occasions discomfort to her family, she will uncomplainingly re sign her tastes to their happiness. Women who neglect their family for the reading of trashy literaturo, claiming' that they are superior to househould "drudgery" have gener ally tho smallest possiblo right to be considered literary women or women of superior talents. A really tal ented woman ono who has, by di vine right, a message to bo delivered to tho world, will find her voice with out neglecting her duties; or a mouth-piece will bo furnished her. Tho message will be delivered. Over-crammed students rarely turn out well; those who can not bo crammed often do. It Is better to be comparatively Ignorant at twenty five than a prodigy at ton, Tho most useful part of a man's education Is not that learned at schools and col leges. Tho world Is the university in which the grandest and most use ful lessons are taught, and ho who desires to bo a man among men should not despise tho paths which lie through tho market places of mankind. The finest wisdom Is that acquired by observation, reflection and tho independent exercise of tho well-trained judgment. Removing Stains To -remove mildew from cottons, dissolve two ounces of chloride of lime In ono quart of boiling water; add three, quarts of cold water; Mildew may sometimes be removed from linen by wetting spots, rubbing chalk on them and exposing to hot sunshine. Diluted ammonia will take spots out of woolens. It Is very difficult to remove stains of milk or coffee from light-colored or finely finished materials. If tho stained material is woolen or mixed goods, moisten with mixture of one part glycerine, nine parts water and one-half part household ammonia. Apply with brush and allow to re main half a day, renewing the moist ening occasionally, then rub with a clean cloth and press the stained pieces between cloths. If tho ma terial is silk, use five parts glycerine, five parts water and one-fourth part ammonia; allow to remain six hours, then remove remaining dry sub stance by means of a knifo; rub with Query Box Home Seamstress See answer un der heading "For tho Sewing Room." Several Readers Seo answers to queries under other headings. Other recipes will be given later. Mrs. D. Gather the leaves of any highly-scented plant, such as lemon verbena, rose geranium, etc., dry, and put a few handfuls In tho filling of porch pillows and sachets, and the fragrance will bo lasting. L. L. Turpentine, or benzine will remove tho paint or varnish from cot tons or woolens; after saturating with either, scrape off tho loosened substance, wash the artlclo In soap suds, rinse well and dry. "Distressed" For the tanned com plexion, wash with a solution of car bonate of soda and a littlo lemon juice; then, to counteract the chemi cals, wash with fuller's earth-water, or the juice of green grapes. It is claimed that the juice of rlpo toma toes rubbed over the skin will bleach it beautifully. John G. The size of different manufacturers vary considerably. Tho "15" collar of one maker may be 15 or 14 of another maker. Too large a collar makes tho neck look scrawny, while too small a col lar will not only be uncomfortable, but will set badly at certain points and strain the buttonhole. Some processes used by laundries to secure proper results are very injurious to linen. Emma K. This Is probablv 1ho formula you wish: Gather tho gera nium leaves and fill a pint jar with them, pressing down lightly, and cover with glycerine; lot stand three or four days, or until tho fragrance is extracted from tho loaves, then press or squeezo out tho glycorino and bottle. A few drops of this added to tho bath or wnsh water im parts a delightful fragrance. Frag rant roso'lcavcs, the follago of lemon verbena, and other scented plants' may be treated tho samo way for tho toilet. Contributed Recipes Preserved Cranberry with Citron Cook three cupfuls of citron, peeled and cut into dice, in water until tender. Add two cupfuls of picked over cranberries and weigh tho mix ture; then add three-fourths pound of granulated sugar to each pound of fruit, and tho julco of ono lemon; Bimmer until tho fruit looks clear and rich, bottle and seal. For pal atable sweets for Immediate use, two cupfuls of sugar should bo added to four cupfuls of tho fruit. Ripening Green Tomatoes after Frost Before tho first frost kills the vines, gather all tho tomatoes that are full-sized, and wrap each In newspaper; lay away in a dark closet and look at them every fow days. using tho ripening ones for soups, or for sauces. If put in tho sunshine, they will rot. Baked Peppers with Eggs Select tho bull-noso variety of peppers, re move a slice from tho stem end; scoup out all seeds and vhlto mem branes, rlnso In cold water. Stuff with a forcemeat mado of seasoned mashed potatoes, or boiled and creamed carrots, cauliflower or cab bages. Clip a littlo from tho ends so they will stand upright In a but tered baking pan, but not enough to allow tho contents to drop out. Set in a hot oven and bako twenty min utes, baste with molted butter and a littlo water. Then draw the pan out of tho oven and drop carefully on top of each pepper an egg; dust with salt and pepper and put back in the oven to become set, but not over cooked. Servo on rounds of toast. Theso aro nice for luncheons. Baked Egg Plant Wash, but do not peel; put in a deep pot of boil ing water and cook until tender about half an hour; removo from the water and cut a slico from tho top, scoup out tho pulp carefully, chop tho pulp, season with salt, popper, paprika, two tablespoonfuls of chopped parsley, half a pound of cooked and minced ham; fill tho shell, sprinkle with cracker crumbs mixed with egg yolk, and bako in oven for half an hour. Garnish with nice ripe tomatoes, sliced. Eden M. Schultz, Illinois. out with clear water before washing in tho suds. Do not rub soap on any dolicnto matorlal. Several soaps aro oh tho market with directions not to boll tho ar ticles washed," as thcro is no need. For colorod goods, or articles not specially desired to bo kept snow white, tho soaps aro very good; but there Is nothing like a good scald to whiten dingy clothes and remove for eign materials. Among tho worst stains and tho hardest to bo removed aro thoso mado by sauces and pickles contain ing patent vinegars; tho chemical properties refnso to disappear by any ordinary mothod. In order to rem edy this, tell your chemist what kind of material is stained, and with what, and" ho can generally give you a preparation to destroy tho stain. What will lako tho stain out of linen will ruin silk. It Is best to get tho right remedy rather than try your own. Remember that flour starch is ono of tho host "suds"' In which to wash whito or colored linens or cottons. No soap, and no starch. Just wash and rinse ana hang out. For tho Laundry Whito silk ties, blouses, handker chiefs, scarfs, are all washed in tho samo way. First wet them in cold water to which a littlo borax has been added; then vash them in a lather of warm (not hot) suds mado with castilo or other vegetable oil soap, handling lightly and rubbing if necessary gently between tho hands. Do not twist In wringing, but gently squeeze with tho hands; rlnso well In clear water, then pass through slightly blued water, fold In a clean cloth and pass through a wringer. Let get nearly dry, and Iron on tho wrong side with a moderately hot iron If too hot, It will scorch or yellow. Small articles may bo dried by rolling In a clean whito cloth. For colored silks, do not use the borax, or bluing. If there Is doubt about tho fastness of tho colors, soak in salted water for a few minutes, but tho salt must bo carefully washed A SATISFIED SOLDIER Colonel II. N. Renouf at tho Old Guard banquet at Delmonlco's em phasized tho importance to an army of a good commlsHarhit. "You have perhaps heard," ho said, "of tho company of privates that a patriotic. lady entertained ono Memorial day at dinner. "It was a good dinner, and at its end a pretty maid servant entered with a superb dessert. " 'Dessort, sergeant?' sho, said to tho stalwart young soldier at tho head of tho table. " 'Desert?' tho sergeant an swered. 'When I can get cats like this for nothin'? Nixie! Not me!' " Louisville Times. PRESSED HARD Coffee's Weight on. Old Ago When prominent men realize tho injurious effects of coffee and tho chango in health that Postum can bring, they aro glad to lend their testimony for tho benefit of others. A superintendent of public schools in a southern stato says: "My moth er, since her early childhood, was an inveterate coffee drinker, had been troubled with her heart for a number of years and complained of that 'weak all over' feeling and sick stom ach. "Somo time ago, I was making an official visit to a distant part of tho country and took dinner with ono, of tho morchants of tho place. I no ticed a somewhat peculiar flavor of tho coffee, and asked him concerning it. Ho replied that it was Postum. I was so pleased with It that, after tho meal was over, I bought a pack ago to carry homo with mo, and had wife prepare some for the next meal; tho wholo family liked it so well that wo discontinued coffee and used Pos tum entirely. "I had really been at times very anxious concerning my mother's con dition, but wo noticed that after using Postum for a short time, sho felt so much better than she did prior to its use, and had littlo troublo with her heart and no sick stomach; that tho headaches were not so frequent, and her general condition much im proved. This continued until sho was as well and hearty as tho rest of us. "I know Postum has benefited my self and tho other members of tho family, but In a more marked degree In the case of my mother, as sho was a victim of long standing." Ever read tho above letter? A new ono appears from time to time. They are genuine, true, and full of human interest. i I A 1 ,i