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The Commoner.
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VOLUME 11, NUMBER
Conducted y
men waits M
fDepartme
i
Always tho Woman"
His Independence) mado hlra proud,
He scoffed at double-breasted
coats;
Mon who to fashion's dictates bowed
Ho likonod to a Hock of goats
That followed whoro their loader
wont,
And never8' know what freedom
meant.
He sneered at mon and called them
fools,
Becauso they woro clothes a la
mode;
He laughod at fashion's foolish rules
And clUng to shoes that woro
wide-toed,
And wont about declaring that
A fool was under each stiff hat.
Ho boasted that ho didn't euro
What fashion said was right or
wrong;
Ho spurned the razor, and his hair
Was ragged and uncombod and
long;
The linen collar ho eschewed
As something only for a dude.
A woman smirked at him one day,
And said a silly word or two;
Ho put his loose old clothes away,
And dressed in flno ones that were
- - now;
'Thon got his hair cut and a shave;
And fashion had another slave.
Anonymous.
Literary Work
- Wo get quite a few letters from
our readers who wish to take up
authorship or correspondence, to say
nothing of editorial work, as a means
of "making money at home." We
wish most heartily that wo might
recommend them to do so. But,
everything is or may bo dono. In
editorial writing, as in housekeep
ing and home-making, the woman
writer must bo more or less familiar
with every aspect of tho work, and
bo able to tell clearly what she
knows. Unlike the man editor, she
must hold a dozen reins in each
hand; she cannot "specialize" until
sho has reached an eminence that
gives her authority along that line,
and thon well, very few of us reaoh
such a height, so it is unnecessary
to point out its advantages. Besides,
we may all be sure that who ever
wins tho prize has paid tho price.
The Price of Success
In tho Ladies Home Journal, Ham
ilton W. Mabie says: "The plain
fact is that those who cry out against
their limitations instead of resolutely
working through them, are not wil
ling to pay tho price of patience,
self-forgetfulness and resolute work
which must bo paid before we can
touch the goals of the higher suc
cess. The Real is set in the way of
thoso who think they want the Ideal,
to test tho sincerity of their deyotion
and the depth of their purpose. The
higher successes are for the few, and
the happiest thing that can befall
many who think they want to follow
the paths of art as singers, painters
or writers is to so discourage them
nt the start that they give up the
vain quest before they waste time
and opportunity. Those who have
the true passion in their hearts will
go through storm and fire to their
appointed end; those who have only
a desire will stop short and go about
their real business. It cannot be
said too often that a taste for an
art, a love of it, a pleasure In it, and
a strong feeling that one is destined
to practice It, do -not decide the
fh-Bt of all, It is as well to disabuse question; the 'one thing that decides
the minds of women in general of
tho erroneous Ideas concerning the
advantago of a '"literary" career,
literary work, In whatever branch,
Is a -profession a matter of long,
drugging, unpaid preparation, and
wornen must not expect to find any
pla.y! in tho work. A practical writer
leads n life of bona fide drudgery,
'unless she loves tho work supreme
ly and has a natural ability for it.
Bhq, may, now and then, find her pet
poem or story accepted and paid for,
but if she would make an actual liv
ing at tho business, she must devote
herself to It Just as she would to
dress-making, or any other trade.
Only the writer not dependent on her
ponwork for s living possesses the
delightful privilege tf waiting for in
spiration before she writes. The
professional writer must compel her
Inspiration, or write without It She
must hold herself In readiness to
write upon any subject at any and all
vumea. dub must do ready to send
manuscript by return mall, no mat
ter how unfamiliar the subject, and
she must not writ "guess" work. If
she .does not "know," she must know
who does, and how to gain access to
the source of knowledge. She must
know more than the average woman
on tho current events of the day In
very line she Is liable to have to
touch, She must know something
of science, art, theology, practical
economy, history, social matters, and
the thousands of other interests
which appeal to her readers of what
ever class. She must know simply
everything about the horn and
aouseaeeping, and must have an un
It is the possession of the unappeas
able passion and the unmistakable
gift for it. It is far better to be a
competent artisan than an incompe
tent artist; to do obscure work thor
oughly and earn pay for it, than to
deal feebly with great things and
rovile society for not paying for that
which has not been done."
"Babies' Whit Peril"
A medical magazine has this to
say: A new terror has been added
to babyhood. It is a white peril
iouna-m tno small child's environ
ments. Through over-careful atten
tion to the laws of cleanliness, every
thing around the baby has become
white, and now this whiteness Is dis
covered to be blinding to the child's
eyes, and to cause a species of color
starvation. Everything that is bought
or mad for the babies in these days
wuiio. wnit clothes, a white
bassinette, wliito blankets and
Bpread, overhead a whit celling,
around him white walls; ho must
drink out of a white cup, be fed with
a whit spoon; his nurs must be
dressed in white and th so-called
ideal nurseries have whlte-palnted
floors and light-colored carpets. This
is said to bo weakening to the eye
sight; the Intensely lnmlnm.o Xk
Jects which surround th child act
as a constant ont!r nrtm oft,i
and finally bring about a reaction
and a corresponding weakness. If
a grown person sees nothing but
white about him, particularly by
strong daylight, his first sensation U
closing his eyes. But baby is con
stantly surrounded with glaring
white objects, and has no possible
means of escape. In the white per
ambulator, on white pillows, he is
taken out into the glaring sunlight,
with no thought for his delicate eyes,
and is thus made to exist in a blaze
of light from which there is no re
fuge. Instead of the glaring white
ness, a soft, dull gray or dull green
may In time le substituted for the
white wall-covering, and some dark
colors may be used to alternate with
the white, thus affording rest spots
that may be gazed at wide-eyed.
Bright objects should not be held
close to the baby's eyes, as this may
cause squint. The fascination of
glittering toys should not be allowed
to imperil the child's sight by being
shoved directly under his little nose.
. Hi I m
Comfort Cushions
Not full-sized, heavy feather pil
lows, but small, light ones, filled
with wool. down. hair, or even cot
ton or hops; these should range in
size from ten to eighteen inches in
length, and from eight to twelve
inches wide; larger ones can be made
of hair and tufted like a comfort.
These little comfort cushions can be
slipped under the neck or the small
of the back, under the knees or heels,
or where the tired arm can rest on
them, where a sick person is In bod;
they can be tucked into all hollows
and between the body and hard sub
stances, when the person is able to
sit up. In some cases, a small tick
filled with meadow hay, or fresh,
sweet straw, is more comfortable
than anything else, especially in hot
weather, or where the head is habit
ually hot. The pillow should never
be a large one, and where one is of a
nervous temperament, pillows of sev
eral sizes, to be changed at will, or
all to be discarded at times, will be
found restful. Cushions filled with
shredded paper, moss, or excelsior
are of fen extremely comfortable for
the hammock, or for the floor of the
veranda. Often one of these is just
what is needed for the tired feet of
the busy housewife when she finds
time to sit .down a minute. Have
plenty of the comfort cushions doz
ens of them, and none too good for
daily use wherever needed or want
ed. They aTe extremely handy for
th little ones who like to" n d
on the floor and kick up their rest
less little heels.
cedar chest is best,. but if you havo
no cedar chest, and have access to
cedar trees, try .this: Sun, brush,
beat and shake well everything that
cannot be washed. See that all
grease or oil spots are removed, as
moths love grease spots. Wash
cleanly and carefully all washablo
articles, to remove all dirt, and havo
these perfectly dry. Strip from the
cedar trees the young' twigs and
green pickles called leaves; put them
into them into thin muslin or cheese
cloth bags, and have plenty of them;
you vill want quite a lot. Then, in
to the bottom of your trunk, or
chest, put a layer of the cedar trim
mings, and lay over this ,a strip of
cheese cloth, then put in' your gar
ments and woolens, and distribute
the little cedar-filled bags plentifully
among the folds and lay over the
top another strip of cheese cloth,
and pile the cedar clippings thickly
on that; then close your trunk tight
ly and moths will hardly seek the
inside.
Water as a Pood
Water that has once been boiled
will not heat as quickly as freshly
drawn water. Fresh water is living
and water that has stood long, ab
sorbing gases and heat, or has been
boiled Ib either dead or poisoned,
7C V, CttD1,1 LO uo" iresh water
than stale or dead water. Tho flat
disagreeable taste of tea or coffee is
much of the time due to the use of
this dead water. One "of tho best
tonics for nerve disorders is pure
SS2?waJ?1 lots of lt m btwi
meals. It is a 7ierve food, and when
sipped gradually, has a soothing
-strengthening effect. It may be used
as liked hRRt ht ZZ!r" uo ?flea
. -- -, - -"" wuim, cool or
cold; but ice water should not be
used.
Ifcdfcd taowW ., iw ,7T oni tZXTU
Tho Pot Herbs
When ordering see'ds or plants,
this spying, include in your order a
supply of the garden herbs used for
cookery and for family use. They
are easily raised, and should find a
place in every garden. Once having
raised, gathered in the proper sea
son and dried your own herbs, you
will be -loth to patronize the grocer
or druggist afterwards. Sage, mint,
rosemary, lavendar, dill, and dozens
of other things will grow with little
care, somo of them being perennial,
others biennials, and the annuals
generally 'seeding" themselves. The
uses for some of them are almost
without end, and many of them are
"good medicine" and harmless.
What could we do without sage,
either in the kitchen, toilet, or medi
cine chest? Mint, horseradish,- dill
are household words. Don't neglect
to start your herb bed, and start it
now by ordering th seeds or plants.
For th Toilet
Tho old remedy for a muddy com
plexion was sulphur and molasses;
but this must not be taken in the
winter season. A teaspoonful of
cream of tartar may bo taken for
purifying the blood; take in the
morning before breakfast.
To remove tartar from the teeth,
squeeze half a lemon Intp half a glass
of water and brush the teeth thor
oughly with this. Uric acid in tho
blood will loosen the teeth and cause
the gums to recede, and the only
remedy is to clear the system of the
acid. When the teeth havo become
very badly loosened, nothing will
make them firm again.
To dry and lessen the disfigure
ment Of Dimnlea On thft fnn nnan
each pimple and touch with a drop
of hydrozone; this will dry up tho
secretion and no mark will he left.
Those who are afflicted with
pimples would do well to' keep in
mind that if the skin performs Its
functions properly, throwing off tho
waste matter actively, there will be
a decided improvement In the com
plexion. Hard water will ruin the
best complexion, and should never
be used. Keep the body clean as
well as the face.
One of the best complexion beauti
flers is a diet in which meats and
sweets are seldom used. Plenty of
drinking water. nlntv st ,ir
exercise, cleanliness of the body in-
sLd0 nd ut a eood digestion, a
cheerful habit of mind, and a dwel
ling on pleasant thoughts are the
very best medicines.
Cases of extreme nervousness and
general ill health have resulted from
the wearing of ill-fitting shoes. Few
things are SO UHr.nTnfartBhlA a ihioii
& do ' not conform to t feet.
A Moth Preventivo
The season will soon bo with ua
when winter ninth "-,.uu u!
furs, must be stored, and thia tt" ' not conform to the feet,
recommended for their protectiX A w5l' Kher too narrower too
i uiecuon. a Bhort. The feet should be kept at
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