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The Commoner.
VOLUME 11, NUMBER 4
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Conducted by
Weri Watts Mty3 J
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rimem
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"Blessed Bo Nothing"
Now, blosBod bo nothing! Wo don't
havo to diiBt it;
It novor wears out; tho dampness
can rust it;
It noods noithor flopr-spaco nor room
on a sholf;
Naught olso in tho houso takoa such
caro of itself.
It will not got broken; wo don't have
to mond it;
Children can't scratch it, and ser
vants can't bend it;
Tho poorest of all noed not bo with
out it;
Thoro's novor a rulo that ono must
know about it.
Its prlco novor rises It's always in
season;
You may hato It, or love it, without
rhymo or roaison.
Usoloss, you say? Ah, thero you
mlstako! ,
For all minor ills 'tis tho best drug
to tako;
It's tho right repartee to an ill
natured sneer;
Tho healthiest drink, except water
clear.
So, blessed bo nothing! When weary
and sad,
It oft seems that nothing can make
tho heart glad.
-Tudor Jenks, in Good Housekeeping.
sensation is felt, tho head should bo
wrapped, always leaving plenty of
uncovered spaco for breathing.
Health Notes
It is well to caro for tho throat
and lungs by protection from with
in, rather than from without. When
passing from a warm room to a cold
ono, or when going out into a colder
atmosphoro, keep tho mouth closed,
and breathe through the nostrils.
Sometimes the chest protector will
do hotter service if worn as a back
protector, as tho back of many per
sons is extremely sensitive to cold
while tho front does not mind. A
chain of sympathetic nerves runs
along tho spine, and It is the spinal
column which should bo cared for
Tho back of tho neck should bo pro
tected from draughts of cold air, and
it is a good thing to use the coat
collar rather than a muffler.
It In well to keep tho hands and
wrists warm; the feet will make their
own complaints, and so will the fing
ers: but the hand nnri .n,
mako.ono very uncomfortable if
cold, without tho sufferer knowing
exactly where tho trouble lies. The
old fashioned "wriBtors," or wrist
lots wero valuable.
Where children have the habit of
kicking the clothes off at night in
cold weather, it is a good plan to
sew a largo button to each corner
of the covering, and attach a long
tape loop to tho corners of tho bed
stead. With this precaution the
restless child cannot displace tho
fn0V anl conact tho chill which
Is often tho source of more or less
sickness. A small child should have
night gowns made of thick canton
flannel (not flannelette), with ieK8
and feet as well as arms. Tho lower
night. ttUB b0 ProtGctl at
Many delicate or nervous peonle
suffer during cold nights from a sen
J?"0? J chm or cold on th?top 0
the head, which Is seldom covered
evon by a cap such as our mothers
use I to wear Such should keep a
KnSblQ Y2Lins tor 0 head at
hand, and when the disagreeable
'A Food Cup of Coffee"
An expert-gives us the following
directions as to how to make a cup
of good coffee: Have a nickle-plated
or granitewaro pot that can be
brought to tho table, and have it
perfoctly clean, Inside and out.
Cleanliness cannot bo too strongly
urged. Have a fitted cover, rather
than a lid, with a cover for the
spout. Take a piece of medium fine
whito flannel and sew into a bag
terminating in a point, long enough
to reach half way down the pot and
wide enough at tho largo end to fit
closely over the top of tho pot; have
tno correo or a good grade, and
ground as fine as powder pulver
ized, as tho excellence of your bever
age depends upon tho flno grinding.
Pour boiling water into the pot to
heat it, empty it and fit tho flannel
bag (previously dampened) over the
top of tho pot. It may be kept in
place by a ring with open ends that
can be slipped over tho rim of the
pot. Put into the bag tho usual
heaping teaspoonful for each person,
and tho customary "one for the
pot," and perhaps ono or two for the
person who expects an extra cupful;
pour slowly into -this bag one large
cup of boiling water (freshly boil
ing, not boiled), for each spoonful of
coffee. Have the water boilincr and
pour slowly. Set tho pot on the
back of tho range for several min
utes, but it must not boil. Then lift
out the bag and send the coffee hot
to tho tablo. Put into each cup the
required amount of sugar, then rich,
sweet cream, then pour in the cof
fee and serve. This is the drip cof
fee any housewife may make, as it
does not require any special pot. But
tho pot must be clean; the bag thor
oughly washed and dried every time
it is used. If the pot is not clean,
your carelessness will be betrayed at
once, the moment the cream is mixed
with it, as it will have a very ugly
color, and the taste will be as un
pleasant as the color.
Fashion Notes
Narrowness seems to be the pre
vailing idea in all clothing. All lines
must remain straight, with great
closeness about the hips, no curves
being permissible. Tho coat sleeves
are made to fit fairly close, without
fullness at tho shoulder. The indi
cations are that tho spring jackets
and coats will bo short, averaging
about twenty-six inches in length
The shoulders are made to appear as
narrow as possible, and the principle
difficulty is in placing the sleeves so
they will be comfortable as well as
iasnionable.
For dresses, tho peasant sleeve
will remain In tho lead.
Many tailored skirts have the
raised waist-line; models having
overskirts are shown, some of the
skirUtsar SkIrtS haViDS drc over!
iS.IrI!Land women who aro clever
. w TCljr 14tuu coat which
bought ready-made, would be extrav
agances. AUttV
Foulard is a very stylish silk for
one-pieco dresses, and can bo had in
?iJQatTlrarIfty of colora and de
signs. Its adaptability to draperies
and semi-tailored suits is much to
its favor. For houso dresses it is
very popular.
Panel fronts, from neck to skirt
hem, are shown; the neck may be
high, with stock collar, or yoke and
collar, of any suitable material. Filot
lace, embroideries, fine tucking, in
sertion, may bo used, while those
who prefer it may have the sailor
collar.
Many handsome materials may be
picked up in short lengths and rem
nants during the spring sales; many
short lengths will serve for house
dresses, whilo no end of flno lingerie
and neckwear may be made of rem
nants. Checked nainsook, batiste,
lawns, muslins, long-cloth, are all
used for lingerie, while embroidered
flouncing makes lovely and inexpen
sive corset covers, easily and quickly
fashioned with only one seam under
the arm.
For tho Home Seamstress
For Joining shirt waist and skirt
in tho one-piece houso dress style,
put your skirt on over the waist and
adjust the waist so that it fits nicely
and comfortably across the back and
under the arms, arranging the full
ness of the front in a becoming man
ner, and pin or otherwise fasten the
dkirt and waist together so as not
to disarrange ihe meeting line when
taking it off. See that it fits perfect
ly, back and front, and at the sides,
so there will be no awkward waist
line. Take it off and baste the skirt
and waist together carefully and
substantially enough so .it can be
tried on again without twisting. If
the joining is done satisfactorily,
take it off and stitch the two to
gether, and cover the seam with a
belt of suitable material, or ribbon
or insertion. When the belt is ap
plied satisfactorily, stitch both edges
of the belt, and cut away the ma
terial underneath, so as to have as
little bulk at the waist line as pos
sible. If liked, a thin lining may be
applied to reinforce the outer belt.
Eudora cloth is really a fine hen
rietta, and Is appropriate for street
gowns when very deep mourning is
worn It is light in weight and
closely woven, and requires no trim
ming, unless folds of the material,
or folds of crepe.
Tho coats now wprn by girls and
women are very easily made, as all
lines are straight. The tailoring of
SS S?mari?n fronts of the cat is
not difficult, but requires great care
diSal?ful pressln&- Every part
should bo carefully basted and tried
S y U Is BtItched, and it should
be fitted smoothly and comfortably.
Tho machine stitching must be as
neat, regular and even as possible
For a woman having a full abdo
men, an alteration of tho skirt pat
tern Is a necessity in order to allow
n SV11?.1?1 needed at tha
top of the skirt, and this provisioa
must be mado in the cutting op th-
skirt will draw up in front and I poke"
out vory unpleasantly at the bottom.
Ground Meats
The hatnburger steak usually sold
m r " Buupicion. it Is tho
"last resort" for unclean leavings
scraps and much spoiled meats'
there Is an acid mixed with it to
preserve the red color and prevent
further spoiling. Though the aS?rt
may not bo poisonous, tie fact that
t preserves the meat 'indicates Sat
Ylot aiiJn its digestion.
Another thing wo often see-
women buying steak or other meat
and having the butcher grind it for
them; the butcher's grinding ma
chine may not bo washed as often
as ono would like, and thero may be
bits of tainted or stale meat sticking
to its inside which wil1 not add to
the flavor of that we buy. The best
way is to buy your meat and take it
to your home, grinding it with your
own machine to suit yourself. It may
receive cleaner handling, too.
Sausage' is another form into
which many waste scraps, and much
spoiled meats are worked up, as in
other forms it could not be so read
ily, if at all, disposed of. It pays to
make one's own sausage, and tho
work is neither difficult nor disagree
able. A small grinder -will not cost
much, and you will be pleased with
the result.
Improvised Bookcase
Where one cannot have the hand
some sectional bookcases that cost
so much, this is a sood plan to try
Go to a house-furnishing store and
get as many empty boxes as you have
use for. Ask the dealer to let you
have those in which blinds or shades
are packed, and get them all of a
size, if you can. These boxes are
about thirty-nine inches long by ten
wide, and will probably cost you ten
cents each. In your room, lay the
boxes on the side, with the bottom
against the wall, one above the oth
er, as many as you wish. They may
be covered with cretonne, or -with
table oil cloth with oak or mahog
any coloring, or they may be paint
ed and varnished, or painted white
and enameled.
For Tough Meats
Stewing is the very best way to
cook tough, or very lean meats.
Long, rslow cooking , produces nour
?. lng' dlsestible' and appetizing
dishes, and is the most economical
waJ i)f ,cookin&. saving time, money
and fuel. There should bo a pan or
kettle with a tightly-fitting cover, or
lid, which must not be taken off too
frequently, and the contents must
not be allowed to" boil- just a slight
simmering being enough. Neither
too much nor too little water must
bo added, and the stewing may bo
performed in stoneware covered jars,
or stew-pans either in the oven or
over the fire, usually on the back of
the range on days when a slow, con
tinuous fire must be kept up.
For tho Toilet
This is recommended for remov
ing superfluous hair from the face;
but it is also recommended that it
be tried first on the "arm, or other
Ft? , the body before using on
the face, as some skins are more
sensitive than others. It does not
permanently remove the hair. Take
two dramB of barium sulfld with
three drams each of oxide of zinc
and starch. At the time of the ap
plication, sufficient Water is added to
make a thick paste, and this paste
must be thickly spread over the
parts and allowed to remain for a
minute or two, then washed off with
water and a- cold cream applied.
More or less redness will result, and
ordinarily a slight sense of warmth
win indicate when the paste has
been on long enough. When the
hair re-appears, about once in ten
days or two weeks, repeat the ap
plication. To soften h'ard water for the bath,
put one pound of wheat bran in a
muslin bag, and put this Into four
quarts of water; boil for' fifteen min
utes. Add enough of this water to
the bath to make it'mtlky. This is
flue. ' 1
with the hands and fingers in tho
way of cleaning the face aa with the
.complexion brush Iff the brush i
used, the bristles must not be ver$
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