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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (March 22, 1912)
$ -' I The Commoner, & VOLUME 12, NUMBER u "Too Lato" Tho summer wind blew softly. Wide open stood tho door To let tho worn old body Pass through and out once more; For tho oul had gone before It To find that distant bourne From which tho weary traveler Need never more return. Tho stalwart son stood gazing Upon tho placid face, Which never more should greet him From its accustomed place. A tremor shook his body As a tree shakes in a gale, And 'noath the sun's deep bronzing J lis face was drawn and pale. "What ailed you, dear, to shako so When you looked at father last?" Asked the good wife of her husband When tho day was overpast. "His faco was sweet and peaceful; He blest us ere he died; "We'd done our best " "No more of that!" Tho farmer roughly cried. "I thought of all tho long, long days When wo'd let him sit alone; Each of us silent to him Yes, silent as a stone! Or talking to each other, Not caring if ho heard, Or answering, if ho spoke to us With a shortly-spoken word. And thought of how ho'd thank us For every little thing: If I gave a hand to help him, How his hand would clasp and cling! I'd givo tho farm tho orchard The cows, tho bees in hive, ires, everything that wo possess, If ho wcro here, alive. If I could only open Tho door and let him seo Tho love my heart held for him Could let him lean on me! IIo novor murmured, truly; But now that ho is gone, I seo wo let our father Pass down to death alone." -Margaret Vandergrift. ing to tho wife for any money or property belongs to, by right, tho care. Tho money or property is used according to his ideas, and not always wisely, for not all men are good managers. No matter who the property belongs to, by right, the husband uses It as he sees fit, and without any accounting to the wife, whether he gains or loses. In a great many instances, the wife finds herself beggared, no matter how much she may have believed was her own, by the unfortunate speculations or investments of the husband, and she knows nothing of where she stands legally. In many cases, if she only knew the law, she could either hold to her own, or recover at least part of his squanderings. So, you see, whether you want to vote or not, it is just as well (and better) to know whether you have any legal right to anything. Many women can trust to the honor of other men with far less danger of loss than If she trusts her own husband, in money matters. A Knowledge of the Law A groat deal of advice is given to women as to what she should know; what studies to pursue; and what books she should read. But thero is one subject that is seldom touched upon, and that is, the abso luto need for every woman to know something of tho laws of tho state in which sho lives, as regards her rights. Lor overy woman, married or single, has some rights, which her uiouior man is bound to respect. Especially is this truo of tho mar riod woman in regard to any proper ties she may havo, tho proceeds of her labor, and tho ownership of any thing sho may havo come into pos session of by purchase or otherwise Thousands of womnn. in nri,mi . ' doing tho housowifo's work, caring i Kiiuiiy una Keeping every thing comfortable, are engaged in Zll t "u ?a2?luI occupation by , Vi,T . or Iess money, ind this monGV ia nmmllw i , ' pio benefit of her family; if there is any surplus, it is hnmlnri ,, x,. husband for safe-keeping or invest- juwui, uuu m many instances, it is thereafter so safely kept that tho who never sees it again. Not all hug ands aro honest, wifh iiQ . )r families, and mnnv rf i,, n ' by the rule that "What's her'n is I his n, and never dreams of account- Wnsliing Bed Clothes If only our women would consent to use the washing machine, instead of breaking themselves down over tho old washboard! But those who need the help the most are the ones generally who won't hear to ma chinery in the household. A good washing machine does not cost so very much, and those that must be run by hand power are not at all expensive. Where one can have electricity, or water power, or gas, tho work is much easier done, and the machinery more expensive; but we can not all have these helps. Many cleanly-disposed women use dirty bedding simply because they can not wash the quilts and blankets, or uuoru to niro them done, and it seems they just have to put up with the dirt. But it is all wrong. A really good washing machine that will last for years, if given ordinary uuru anu Kept out of the weather, can bo had for less than five dollars and a good wringer that can be used as long as the machine, or repaired when worn out years hence, can be had for tWO to flVO dollars wim, n, machine and wringer, the men or boys of the family, or even the "hired man, can be set to work to rub and wwiib uul uie Deeming before break fast, or after supper. It really 'is not such a terrible task. The wash ing should bo done in warm weather, and the quilts and comforts left on the line until quite dry, then beaten with willow switches to make them ufaut uuu iiuuy. yuuts and comforts can bo cleaned in tho old, old wav by putting them in a tub of suds and sett ng the barefooted boys and girls to treading" them, and iZ will loosen and be pressed out by the dancing little feet. Another way was to put the quilt or comfort in a bar rel with sufficient hot suds and use a "pounder" or pestle to beat the dirt out. The bed clothes should bo ken clean and sweet for health's sake and tho women shmiiri iio,, ".' ing machino and wringer with wiiiJii to do the work. Nothing looks much more "frowsy" than a dirtv w measures, and many exterminators where the insects have become estab lished; but the best of these is of no avail unless you use the first two. Right now is the time to begin the warfare on the bedroom pest. Go over everything in the way of furni ture that will or may harbor uieiu. A few may have lived over the win ter probably have, and these will begin the business of egg-laying just as soon as possible. So the sure way is to catch the first bugs and prevent the laying. Wash tho bedsteads, fill iner everv crack, crevice, or hole in w . v r . - j the frame, whether it be of wood or iron. Softened soap, putty, or mois tened plaster of paris are all good for this. Fill the hiding places first with a strong solution of carbolic acid, or with gasoline, or with strong, boiling hot alum water before stop ping them with the soap, etc. If gasoline is used, there must be no fire or flame anywhere about the room, and the windows should be open. Go over everything in the room, cleaning and. hatching up rough, splintery places, crevices, cracks or holes. If the nlasterine is broken, patch it with plaster of paris moistened with vinegar. Vinegar is better than water, as the putty does not set' so quickly. Patch up every tiny hole. Especially do this about the door and window frames; pour boiling hot alum solution down be hind the surbase and into cracks of the floor. If the bugs are, or have been, and seem likely to have quarters behind the wall paper, take a long, slim-spouted oil can and squirt the exterminator behind the paper wherever it is loose enough to afford a harbor, but in this case, the solution need not be so hot. Sun the bedding every day, and watch for the first comer. Look over the clothes and don't hang them on the suspected walls. Scald the floors with water in which carbolic acid crystals are dissolved. Mniro iia war a regular siege; a war of extermination. thing oft the paper with the feather and let it drop into the oil. ns j0Ur ney will be ended therefrom. Car pets should not be laid in rooms m infested, and all bed clothes should be hung in the air every day, looking the folds over well and killing ever? bug found and you may find a lot in such places. They hide well. "v0 give some exterminators which our sisters have sent in, but remember persistence and untiring zeal are tho only real exterminators, and they may be aided greatly by some of these recommended helps. But tho battle must be constantly renewnri even after you think you have seen the last of them. Begin tho fighting right away, this month. fsy" than a dirty bed. Insect Pests The usual cry comes always with the spring house cleaning, for wavs and means by which to rid the house of bugs of various kinds. There is nothing so good as perfect cloanli noss; next to this is untiring vi e . lanco. Thero are many preventive "Constant Endeavor" Don't flatter yourself that one cleaning will suffice where the bed bug has become established. One of oui reaaers says she has just moved into a house that is "literally alive" with the pests. If she likes the house and has the courage to stay in it, she can clean out tho very strongest colony by persistence and thorough warfare, but it may re quire several months before she sees the last one go down. Usually, they are only in the rooms used for sleep ing, but if very nrolifln ihL il. swarm out into the other rooms There should be as little household goods as possible stored in the rooms, and nothing qii,i i ",.:" against tho walls. NnSn ""?' starve them out-they will live w en they are the merest shells, and caS run about as fast as their fit est kin A good embalming fluid saVood destructive agent, and there Tre many other fluids that can be used AiUt BD!!llns th0 varnish much Anyhow, tho furniture can ill varnished again after the enemv h driven away. Everything mwy is way until the place Ced' g, some houses, thev dmn S Jn ceiling. Thev 7n ?iP J r,om . tho with a llttlo coal on in it' ? ?an farther from tho duslor."1 "J Bug Exterminators Dissolve five cents worth of camphor gum in a pint of gasoline, and thoroughly spray every place where the bugs can possibly hide, as well as the corners and depressions of tho mattress. It will not hurt tho bedding. Use it on the springs and bedsteads. No fire must be in tho room, and the windows must be left open. Mrs. V. G. P. Two ounces of red arsenic, one fourth pound of white soap, half an ounce of camphor gum dissolved in a teaspoonful of rectified spirits, made into a paste the consistency of cream. Put 'this mixture into open ings and cracks of furniture whero they hide. L. L. M. Wash all bedding as often as con venient; sun every day. Use a swab and lye on places not varnished, especially splintered or rough places. Paint the bedstead all over with varnish containing a lot of turnen- tine; or use the turpentine alone. Iowan. Liquids used plentifully and poured liberally into every crack or opening, or injected with a spring bottom can or syringe, is about the only thing that will reach the egg chambers selected by the wary bed bug. Coal oil, oil of cedar, gasoline, strong solutions of alum or salt water, corrosive sublimate and alco hol, embalming fluids, are all good. Fumigating with sulphur is only effective if thoroughly well done, and few women go about it right. Mrs. M. Long. For walls, fill every tiny hole or crack with a paste made of plaster of paris and vinegar. Paste cloth or paper over the filled hole or crack. If papering is to be done, put a cup ful of household ammonia into tho paste used, or stir in a pint of powdered alum to tho pailful "From Missouri." Paint every thing paintable with a mixture of equal parts of carbolic acid and coal oil, using a brush and using the mixture freely. Have tho doors and windows open while using it, or, better, take everything out of tho house, as the fumes of the mix ture will be sickening. Wash every thing in' the way of furniture with a solution of two tablespoonfuls of carbolic acid crystals to a half gal'on of water. Oil of sassafras is fine. Marion M. Putting Away the Furs and Woolens Wo shall soon-have had our quota of cold, and with the passing of tho winter weathor, will come the houso cleaning and packing away of winter clothing. To keep moths from destroying garments, there aro several successful methods, but tho very safest is to be sure you do not put away the moth-eggs with tho garment, or leave tho slightest entry way to tho garment for the mother moth. In addition to this, hero aro some recommfmriori nrnvontivas: Pro cure shavings of cedar wood and en close in thin muslin bags, laying the shavings of camphor wood. Allspico berries sprinkled among the gar ments; seeds of tho music plant; a few drops of oil of cedar; sassafras root is also recommended scattered E3E "atmrnhmtss! WwiyiMlim.iini ,.. - 'f -..,