M.
J
y.
I
K'i J
w
M
The Commoner.
VOLUME 11, NUMBER' 7
ft
KSr4J-aFfff
r I&sr '- sliwiVi
Jwm-J w ir" " jnnnt'unP.-M,
r l h .tiM- i . i jh iiiiiiim rhTuiiii i "
t MflR Mil'111 111 UAT v
WiilS5
) Conducted 6y
Wdm Watts Weffi
Departmen
" A
Tho Survival of tlio Unfit
'Tls tlio crackod and nosoless pltchor
That survivos tho hardest knocks;
'Tls tho gown that loast becomes us
That outwears our favorite frocks.
'Tls tho broken ribbed urabrolla
That confronts us, rainy days,
Whllo our own, pearl-handlod treas
ure In some othor hall-rack stays.
'Tls tho coarso and common fabric
Goos unscathed through suds and
dust,
Whllo our beat and finest linen
Gots tho coffee-stains and rust.
'Tls tlio weed that's most obnoxious
That Is loft to spread and grow,
Whllo tho slips wo dearly chorlsh
"Fall a victim to the hoo.
"PIS tho battlo-scarrod old Thomas,
Who spits and growls and bites,
Who stays with us from year to
year,
And murders Bleep o' nights,
Whllo frollcsomo young Tabby,
With temper sweet and mild,
Becomes tho prey of vandal boys,
Or Is by thief beguiled.
'Tls tho friend our heart most
longed for
Who can jiiBt a minute stay,
While tho family avorsion
Comes prepared to spond tho day.
Thus, numberless examples
Do not provo one llttlo bit
Tho correctness of that saying
"Tho survival of tho fit."
Prances E. Downing.
smooth surface, and with a sponge
dipped in tho liquid clean tho silk
on both sides. Then go over it again,
still on tho table, with clean water
and a sponge, cleaning both sides.
Dissolve a' little gum arable or gela
tine in water, moisten the spongo
with this and pass it over tho wrong
side of the silk. Pin the silk care
fully and smoothly on a cloth to dry.
denning and Dyeing
In sorting over tho contents of
boxes, bags, closets and attics, the
housowife finds many things that
may bo either used in tho original
form, or renovated with a few extra
yards of materials or trimmings, or
renowod with sponging, cleaning and
dyeing. If tho last year's lawn
dress Is faded or streaked, boil it
In water in which cream of tartar,
a teaBpoonful to a half gallon, has
boon added. This will make a white
dress of it.
For renovating most of dress
goods, it is bettor to rip all tho
seams, pick out tho threads, wash
well and remove all grease stains
before attempting to dye it. Where
tho goods is a mixture of wool and
cotton, a wool dye should be used
to dye tho wool, followed by a cot
ton, linen or mixed-goods dyo of
the same color as the wool dye, in
order to dye It a uniform color.
Strict attention Bhould be paid to
turning and stirring tho goods while
In the dye. Read the directions
carefully, and follow them implicity.
Have a vessel large enough to allow
tree turning and stirring of the
goods. Do not crowd.
To clean black Bilk, and many
other kinds of goods, mako an in
fusion of equal parts of clear coffee
and household ammonia, and after
carefully brushing tho material, ap
ply the liquid with a cloth or Bponge,
sponging It well. If the Bilk is in
breadths, wind It
When House-Cleaning
Do not use a carpet sweeper on a
rug, and never beat it on tho back,
as this breaks the threads. Orientals
never beat their rugs, and never step
on them with shoes worn in tho
street; when they become much
soiled, they wash them and spread
them in tho sun to dry. Tho best
way to clean a rug In your own
home, if small and dyed with vege
table colors, is to put it in luke
warm water in a' tub, soap it well
and brush with a clean brush. In
tho summer, rugs can be hung on
a line or railing and the hose turned
on them. For the daily or weekly
care of rugs, keep a clean broom,
not too stiff, for their especial use.
Sweep tho rug with tho pile, with
the dry broom, then gently against
the pile. Lastly, dampen the broom
in salt water or ammonia and water,
and sweep with the pilo. ' In winter,
tho sweeping is best done out of
doors. After shaking tho rug, or
beating on the right side, Bpread
on the snow, and brush off with
snow, if snow is to be- had. A piece
of rubber hose is an excellent thing
to use as a carpet-beater. Lastly,
look out for moths, especially in a
furnace-heated house. A rug in daily
use seldom has moths, but rugs used
for hangings are apt to invite coloni
zation. An occasional brushing or
exposure to air especially In winter,
is usually sufficient to dislodge the
enemy; but If moth-eggs do get in
the rugs, and hatch by the heat of
the rooms, shake out all the dust,
dampen the rug and press on the
back-with akhot iron, going over
every inch of it.
on a smooth surface and rub well
with hot corn meal.
To prepare pigeon wings for milli
nery purposes, wash the feathers in
rainwater, after the process of skin
ning, then lay a mixture of thick
starch water over the portions to be
cleaned. Put the wings aside until
the plastering of starch has become
thoroughly dried, then remove the
starch by tapping it with the back
of a knife.
To keep quilts or blankets from
soiling, cover the parts that come
near the face with a wide strip of
cheese-cloth. Cut the strip as long
as the covering is wide, and let it
be at least twelve inches wide. Hem
tho ends, and fold in tho middle,
lengthwise; tack one half on each
side of tho quilt or blanket. When
soiled, it can be removed and washed.
A brass bedstead may be cleaned
with a cloth wet with coal oil, then
polished with a dry, soft cloth.
This polishes beautifully, but does
not harm the lacquer. This should
be done about twice a year.
For pressing trousers, press first
over a cloth only slightly dampened,
then dampen the cloth a little more
and apply the hot iron for a moment,
just long enough to create steam,
then remove the iron and cloth, and
after going all the way, with a' whisk
broom restore the nap by a beating
and patting motion.
A Good Wall Finish
A cheap, yet artistic wall finish
is tho Venetian red, dear to all who
like pictures brought out; for a
good-sized room, take a quarter of
a pound of good glue and ten cents
worth of Venetian red in powder.
Dissolve tho glue in a water-bath
to the consistency of milk, first by
soaking over night in cold water to
soften, then dissolving to liquid form
by heating in the water-bath, then
add two gallons of warm water, stir
in mo powaer slowly, until thor
oughly mixed, then apply to the wall
with a large brush, keeping the paint
stirred up from tho bottom. It will
not rub off, and may bo applied to
any surface.
Washing Baby's Woolens
Dissolve one teaspoonful of borax
in each pailful of soft, worm water
not hot with sufficient white soap
to make a good lather. Rub lightly
with the hands (not on a board),
squeeze well, and put into second
water prepared as the first. Use two
or three waters, as the condition of
the garment requires. Be sure to
have the waters all alike as to
warmth, borax and soap. The last,
or rinse water, requires but little
soap, though the quantity of borax
should be the same. Wash dark
colored flannels in separate water, to
seep me wmto lint trom flecking the
colored. Wring or squeeze the gar
ment thoroughly, twisting as little as
possible. Pull into shape and dry
In the shade in a gentle breeze, if
possible. Delicate colored dress
goods should always be turned wrong
muo out.
All cottons and flannelettes should
be scalded well, and no garment
should be worn twice without a good
washing and scalding.
put Into coffee can. Use this with
equal parts of coffee, or a less quan
tity of coffee, if preferred. It is a
good substitute for coffee, and much
cheaper. Mrs. A. Camp, 111.
Helps for tlio Housewife
Pie-plant must not be peeled;
there is much richness in the peel,
and no matter how stringy it is, it
will cook up all right!
For making hominy, use three
tablespoonfuls of cooking soda to
each gallon of corn, with sufficient
water to make the lye, and proceed
as with wood ashes.
Horseradish sauce is made by
creaming one-fourth cup of butter
and adding the same amount of
freshly grated horseradish root, with
one tablespoonful of lemon . juice.
Beat all together and serve very cold.
Matting is usually cleaned by
washing lightly with salted water,
using a flannel cloth. It should be
wet as little as possible, and wiped
dry with a soft, dry cloth. Any
badly soiled spots should be first
rubbed with dampened corn . meal,
after a gentle, but thorough, sweep
ing to remove all dust. A quart of
salt to a pailful of water is about
the proportions. The water should
be cold, and the matting wet as little
as may be.
If matting is sewed with strong,
soft thread, making long stitching,
instead of tacking over-laps,, there
will be no ridges to scuff out with
the feet, as there always are, if the
breadths aTe lapped and fastened
with tacks. A poor quality of mat
ting is an extravagance, and one
piece of good quality will outlast
two or three poor pieces.
For papering a whitewashed .ceil
ing, get one pound of dry glue and
soften by letting stand in cold, vine
gar overnight; in the morning boil
in a waterbath (the vessel contain
ing the glue set in another vessel
containing water which is to be kept
boiling until the glue is liquid.)
Lot the vinegar and glue cool, but
not get cold, apply to the ceilings
and walls as you would paste. .Let
this get nearly dry, then put on the
wall paper with paste, as usual. It
is best to put the paste on both paper
and walls. The vinegar neutralizes
the alkali in the lime.
uot - lrkO vl vnf ATtntilvr Ann rP li rx
boardB on which goods aro wrapped
at the mills; If the goods Is in small
pieces, smooth when almost dry with
a cool flat-iron, applied on the wrong
side.
Nothing la so good for cleaning
black silk as beef gall. Break the
gall bladder Into as much boiling
water as you care to use; spread
tho material on a table, or other
Good Things to Know
When hot cloths aTe wanted, heat
them In a steamer and avoid tho
necessity of wringing. A colnniW
evenly about a will do, if covered to keep in the
steam.
Paint splashes on a floor mnv ho
removed by soaking them for a short
time in benzine or turpentine, then
rubbing them with emery paper or
a little pulverized pumice stone, ap
plied with a damp cloth.
noiiana snaaes that bta nii.i
Substitutes for Coffee
Having had several inquiries for
substitutes for coffee, we give the
following:
Two quarts of corn meal, three
quarts of wheat bran, one pint of
ow vneaus moiasses (riot sor
ghum), one pint of boiling water.
Mix evenly, put into pans or one
large, Bhallow pan and roast, in nvfin
until quite brown, stirring to cook
it even. The amount used for one
cupful of beverage depends upon tho
taste of the user. Experiment will
give satisfaction. This is anM t
be better for children than milk
raid where milk Is not to be had as
In many largo cities, tho beverage
will be an excellent substitute
Another Two quarts of bran
pour over it as evenly as possible
tw.4. u"vul OI JNQw urieans molasses.
s55Bafe"slSSsVSSS
--- w vujy tu utirriug irequer
they can bo cleaned, lay scorching. Wh
Requested Recipes
To Bone Fish To remove bones
from either fresh or salt fish, while
raw, take the headless fish - in the
left hand, split down the back; with
the right thumb carefully push" the
meat from the flesh side of the back
bone, then gently force tho thumb
between the backbone and the skin
of the fish from head to tail; now
gently pull sidewise, and the ribs
adhering to the back bono will o.om
out with it. All the remaining bones
can be removed by catching them
between the thumb and the sharp
blade of a knife. If the fish are salt,
they must be freshened before being
boned.
Cornish Saffron Cake Three pints
of raised bread sponge, one generous
uuium ot iara (or butter and lard),
one cupful of white sugar, one tea
spoonful of. salt, one rounded
teaspoonful of Spanish saffron, (this
must be steeped on th hnoir nf tho
stove in a- little water until the water
is well colored, then both water and
leaves must bo used) ; one-half pound
of currants, one-half-pound of rais
ins, washed and dried. Mix thor
oughly, adding flour enough to make
a uoit aougn, let rise, work down and
let rise again; the second time, make
into loaves; let rise the same as
bread and bake the same. If the
weather is warm, a small pinch of
soda will prevent souring. (This
recipe has been frequently asked for,
and is now supplied by one who has
lived much among Cornish people.)
WVVVUM .. vuvij V-tm. IKJ Uiramen. OV ennmli nn Trrt u i ..-. w I J-UUlUll IVIPPI Mlirtriln
OU 11 lfl -W611 nrrvamn ttt . . u6
xuuiuu meai budding (Boiled)-
-wu.tvu, , warm a pint of molasses and a plat
ltAl... ..U
