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The Commoner.
VOLUME 12, NUMBER 19
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Conducted by
Welen Watts Nc3
Departmen
The Same Old Things
The housewife, tired of tho beastly
grind, turned looso somo thoughts
that wore In her mind, when her hus
band came from his toil at night;
sho said tho world didn't use her
right. "I'm always doing tho same
old chores, I'm always sweeping the
samo old floors, I'm always washing
tho samo old frocks, and darning
holes in the samo old socks. I'm
Bick and tired of this wretched life.
Tlicro is no joy for a poor man's
wife." Tho wife of tho rich man
sighed and said: "Geo whiz! A
damo might as well be dead. I'm
always doing my social chores, I'm
always wearied by stately bores; I'm
'always choosing tho proper gown.
I'm always motoring through tho
town. I'm always doing tho same
old things. I wish, I wish I had ten
foot wings; I'd fly away to somo
lonely cot, and do a stunt with a
coffee-pot." Wo all grow tired of
tho work wo do, and sigh and rant
till tho air is blue. But it does no
good and it bales no hay, and tho
wise man chases such thoughts
away. The world Improves with
each passing year, because each man
In his little sphoro, takes off his
jacket and grins and sings, and
keeps on doing tho samo old things.
- Walt Mason.
"Not Feeling Well"
Where there is a coated tongue
und bad breath, they should be
rocognlzod as danger signals; there
Is formontatlon going on In tho poor,
Abused stomach, only too common a
complaint, and this loads to dyspep
jia, norvousnoss, kidney and liver
trouble, rheumatism, sick headache,
and a great many other disorders.
Those Bufforors are tho victims of
lual-assimilation and auto-lntoxlca-tion,
and if told that such words
described their disease, they would
rush into tho drug business as much
bocauso of tho formidable words as
from tho disorders. These words
simply mean that tho digestive tract
la so coated with impurities that tho
Walls can not tako up the nourish
ment from tho food, which ferments
rots and fills tho system with
poison. Tho blood takes up these
impurities and tho whole body
juffers from a system of poison.
Thoso disorders aro tho results of
bad habits of diet and disposition,
and nature cries out for house-cleaning
and moving. The thing to do is
to get back to nature; indulge in
fresh air, simple food, exercise, diet
ing, and leavo all artificial lifo out
Bide. As one grows from childhood,
tho artificial living accumulates
poison in tho system and wo call our
Bufferings ill-health. Dieting does
not moan starvation or fasting, but
it does mean eating the proper food
in bucIi quantities as are nocessary
to tho health of the body. No two
persons can oat allko. Each indi
vidual has his or nor idiosyncrasy as
to foods.
senators put on their robes ofofflce
and sat, scepter in hand, awaiting
tho end. It is so with every race
that deserves to live; to roam, to
fight, to court death on land and sea
is normal for the male; but the life
of women is sacred because the
futuro lies with them. Springfield
(Mass.) Republican.
Requested Recipe
For roofs, this is said to "look
bettor than paint and wear better,
Is as durable as slate, stopping small
leaks in roofs, making tho roof in
combustible and rendering brick im
pervious to water." The recipe was
taken from an old scrapbook: Here
it is: Slack stono lime by putting
it into a tub, covering to keep the
steam in. When slacked, pass the
powdered lime through a fine sieve,
and to each six quarts of the powder
add one quart of rock salt and one
gallon of water; then boil tho mix
ture and skim. Take off every bit
of scum. To each five gallons of this
mixture add one pound of pulverized
alum, half a pound of pulverized
copperas, and slowly add three
fourths pound of powdered potash;
then fine sand or hickory ashes, four
pounds; now add any desired color
and apply tho niixture with a brush,
smoothly coating it on. Keep stir
ring it well as you add the ingred
ients, so it will bo thoroughly mixed.
fectly clean 'and well ventilated,
with no bad or musty smells, or
mold on walls or shelves. For
bottlinc juices, some of our house
wives say the corks should be
soaked in cold, instead of hot water;
but the hqt water is safe, and swells
the cork more thoroughly than the
cold. Have good, fine-grained,
clean corks.
Where fruits are scarce and wild
grapes are plentiful, the grapes
while green lend themselves admir
ably to many ways of "putting up."
They may be canned, made into jam,
jellies, chutney, catsup, or marma
lade. They usually have an excel
lent flavor, if well made.
Where wild fruits are abundant
and jars and sugar scarce, many
kinds may be dried, and when
cooked are very palatable. These
have the merit of being easily kept,
and inexpensive. The berries and
soft fruits will all dry nicely and be
very palatable either in sauces or in
pies or puddings.
Salad Plants
Mustard, chervil, corn salad, cress,
dandelion, endive, chicory, garlic,
oardoon, celery, spinach, lettuce, and
many other plants aro used for
salads, some with leaves blanched,
and others just as they come from
tho garden. Many of these will serve
through tho winter, if removed to
tho collar in proper form. Spinach,
mustard, kale, the young leaves of a
variety of garden plants, and the
sprouts of others, are all good for
salads, some of them being eaten
raw, while others require cooking.
Many things may bo sown for use
during the summer, while the same
plants will start in the fall, if the
seeds are fall sown, and will be
ready very early in tho spring for
the table. At your earliest leisure
study the vegetable catalogues, and
see what you can have for the rais
ing. It will pay.
For the Fruit Season
The housewife expecting to put up
her supply of fruits at home should
try to get pure spices, and in order
to grind them as wanted, should have
a small spice mill which only costs
a small sum, and is handy for many
things besides spice-grindtng. Have
a supply of rubber rings, perfect
tops, paraffine, sealing wax, and
necessary kettles, spoons, and funnel,
with other handy devices to help
economize time and strength. Get
the fruit as frefeti as possible, and be
careful not to use stale, decayed, or
bruised fruits. You get out of the
jar only what you put into it.
onco a week, and the drain pipe kept
free from obstructions.
Mrs. C. S. Copper or brass
kettles are entirely safe if kept
clean. Rub with a cut lemon
dipped in salt, or rub with hot vlno-
ltgar and salt, rinse thoroughly with
clear. water and polish with a soft
cloth.
T. C. S. Spinach may be served
raw, like lettuce, with a salad dress
ing. A mixture of lettuce, spinach,
cress, or tender mustard, and young
onions, covered with a dressing and
garnished with youne radishes, is
very nice.
Mrs. L. H. Put half a pint of
sweet cream into a bowl and beat
with an egg-beater while another
person Blowly drops in vinegar
enough to make it quite sour. This
method insures against curdling.
Can be used as a dressing on coarse
ly chopped lettuce, adding ealt and
pepper, or a little dry mustard stir
red to a paste, if liked. Used with
lettuce, and finely-sliced cucumbers
and onions, is fine.
Home Laundress Where the
water supply for- laundry purposes
is muddy, or discolored by earthy
matter, put a large tablespoonful of
powdered alum in each large tubful
of water, and let stand for several
hours after stirring well. The dirt
will settle, and the water will be
clear, but he alum will harden the
water somewhat, and something
like sal soda, borax, or soap powder
must be used to "break" it. No
"breaking" is necessary for rinse
water, but borax will whiten.
"Women First"
"Women first" is not a mere
phrase or a conventional flourish of
chivalry, nor is it to be explained as
the magnanimity of the strong for
tho weak. It is something far
deeper than that, for it is tho in
Btlnct of race preservation; it is re
gard for tho mothers of men. When
tho Gauls sacked Rome, tho women
were crowdod into the citadel with
what garrison was needed; but tho
For Preserving and Canning
Tho first fruits are with us, in
somo regions, and it is well to do
our work well. Too much- cookinc
makes the fruit dark, and will not
only darken, but spoil the flavor.
Have everything clean and whole,
lids well fitted and any additional
sealer, as wax, either paraffin or
ordinary sealing wax, at hand. Have
your preserving kettle, snoona.
funnels, ladles, perfectly clean and
at hand. If not convenient to make
jelly at tho time, because of tho high
price of sugar, put the juice up as
for beverages, and make the jelly
later. Jams can be made of canned
fruits as well as of fresh, and in
order to have tho best of everything,
you must have good, fresh fruits,
perfectly air-tight jars, and a dark
place to keep them in. Not neces
sarily a dark cellar, but the shelves
may be darkened with cloth or paper
curtains, or the jars wrapped in
thick paper that will keep out the
light.
Before putting fruits away in your
collar, see that the cellar 'is per-
Putting Up Fruits Without Sugar
Fruit juices may be put up with
out sugar, and will keep well, if
everything is thoroughly sterilized
and the juice put up in absolutely
air-tight bottles. If intending to put
up juices, one should gather up the
bottles of appropriate size, and clean
and sterilize them, and put tnem
away where they will have good
care. New corks Bhould be supplied,
of the right size a little larger than
the mouth of the bottle, so they will
have to be soaked in hot water to
make them soft enough to force into
the bottle, and when tho bottle is
nearly full, force the sterilized cork
into the neck, leaving a little space
on the top of the cork into which hot
sealing wax is to bo poured, to ren-
aer tne contents thoroughly air
tight. New bottlos may be best; but
any bottle, not cracked, or with flaws
in it that may develop into holes, can
be used, if the bottles are thoroughly
washed and scalded and kept clean.
Some bottles must be cleaned with
sulphuric acid, In order to remove
the filmy coating inside. The drug
gist will tell you how to use it.
Query Box
Annie R. -What is called the
"zest" of lemon is the very thinnest
possible grating of the yellow outer
rind; if any of the white underneath
is added, tho whole will become
bitter,
T. L. Try sponging the nliiRh
goods that have been dyed with ani
lino dyes, with chloroform, to re
store the color.
E. S. S. Wash the refrigerator
every day with a solution of soda
Uses for Mint
For making min,t tincture or ex
tract, pick the fresh green leaves,
wash carefully and drain; bruise and
tear them when dry, and pack into
small bottles, filling as full as pos
sible; pour alcohol to cover, and let
stand about a, week or longer, then
strain and bottle1 the liquid. To
make mint drops, boil together in a
small saucepan -one cup of sugar and
two tablespoonfuls of water until a
little dropped in cold water will make
a firm ball when rubbed between the
fingers. Take from the fire, stir in
a teaspoonful or less of the essence
made as above, according to its
strength, and drop carefully four
drops one on top of another on an
oiled paper; do not put close to
gether. Essence, or extract of mint made
as above is very convenient to keep
on hand, and you know it is "tho
real stuff." Mint will grow any
where, and spread from a few sprigs
to a large bed in a season. When
gathering for drying, the herb should
be just coming into bloom, and flower
heads a.nd leaves may bo picked off,
or sprigs of the pl?.nt broken or cut
off, tied in bunches that will dry
readily, and hung in the shade to
dry. It can be used for many things
during the winter.
Canning and Preserving
Although it is yet too early for
most fruits, the strawberry is with
us, and other Bmall fruits will soon
follow, and it is well to get every
thing in readiness for the coming
busy time.
For making jelly of the soft ber
ries, strawberry, raspberry, or black
berry, put tho fruit in a stono jar
and set in a kettle -of boiling water,
or a porcelain-lined double boiler
will bo better; cover closely and
cook slowly until soft, but not out
of shape; then remove from tho fire
ana mash with a potato masher a
wooden one is best; then pour the
crushed, mass into a jelly bag and
hang to drain. When all the juice
is drained out (do not squeeze),
measure the juice and put into a
preserving kettle, cook slowly for
?hadt ZZ'ZZll$ d7ThG Part minute T and remove all
that holds tho ico should be washed I acum. At th 'n f thnt tima
scum. At the end of that time.
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