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The Commoner.
VOLUME 12, NUMBER 39
Tlio Mother
I. am the pillars of tbo house
Tho keystono of the arch am I;
Tajto me away, and roof and wall
Would fall to ruin utterly.
I am tho twist that holds togethor
The children In Its sacred ring
Their knot of love, from whoso close
tether
No lost child goes a-wandering.
X am their walls against all danger,
Their door against tho wind and
snow.
Thou, "Whom a woman laid in
manger,
Tako mo not till the children
grow!
-Katharine Tynan in the Francis
can Review.
Requested Information
Several questions have reached mo
that I should like very much to
answer; but they are out of my line
entirely, belonging to the editor of
tho stock and agricultural publica
tions. If tho writers are subscribers
to The American Homestead, pub
lished by Mr. Charles W. Bryan, and
will send the questions to that paper,
they will get information from well
Informed, practical writers. If they
are not subscribers, and will send 25
cents to Tho 'American Homestead,
Lincoln, Neb., they will get reliable
information on all subjects relating
to agriculture, horticulture, stock,
and tho household, whenever asked
for, for one year, and they will like
tho paper.
Some Experiences
For tho past year, owing to a com
bination of conditions and circum
stances, I have been "knocking
.about" over the country, and tho un
settled condition has .brought me into
contact with quite a few housewives.
Being naturally observant, I "have
Been a great deal of life at the home
fireside, and have found much food
for thought. In the matter which
greatly concerns us all, the cost of
living, I have found that women are
not more to blame than men, but
both are very much to blame in dif
ferent ways. The old-time frugality
and forethought seems to have been
entirely loBt sight of, even in the
cities. Among my hostesses have
been wives of men in different sta
tions of life, with varying incomes,
and when I assure you I was a "pay
ing guest," you will see that I am not
prejudiced. Among the housewives
have been wives of professional men,
business men, trades people, skijled
laborers, and tho man who simply
works for hire the very small wage
given where circumstances force tho
man to take what ho can get. And
I have found tho same lack of
management in them all. The very
best housekeeper I mot was ono of
tho sweetest women, a born worker
and her house and table were beyond
criticism, so far as neatness is con
cerned; her kitchen was as neat as
her parlor, and her bedrooms were
ideal in appointment nothing costly
or fine, but immaculately clean and
comfortable. The work of tho house
hold seemed to move with no fric
tion, and she was always drossed in
white, lacy clothing that never
seemed to get soiled. .She did all her
work everything. But she did very
Httlo cooking; about everything, ex
cept occasional meats, and a few
vegetables, was brought cooked from
the stq
few "stores" were kept, but the
paper parcels, packages, cans and
glass jars were brought in at each
meal. The meal was quickly pre
pared, with no unnecessary garbage
or litter. There were no children.
Both herself and her husband were
always ailing with stomach troubles.
Yot she was a fine cook, and had
been raised on a farm. Do you see
any "lack of management here?"
Any cause of complaint against the
"cost of living?" On a salary of $6
a day they saved nothing. Why?
1
"Rules for Training Children"
From a private letter, written by
ono who has wrought much good in
the world, and who writes from ex
perience, not theory, I copy:
"People may theorize about what
they would do, and lay down rules
for tho training of children, their
environments, education, etc., but I
know, and so does any one who has
a normal thinker in good running
order, and who uses it, that nothing
can supply the deficiencies of brain
which one's ancestors neglected to
furnish. If there is one streak in
tho clouded brain, it may be broad
ened by tho utmost painstaking; but
if the streak is lacking, or if the
painstaker is not at hand, who is to
blame? There are. thousands of
mothers who should never have been
mothers, and, while the "mother in
stinct," so far as tho animal is in
question, is strongly in evidence, the
power to rear the young in the
human way is most wretchedly de
ficient. As to environment, in this
day and age, how very, very few
there are among the working class
and the very poor (who are tho ones
who have the most children) that are
at all able to .choose their environ
ments, even as to their housing, for
are not one or more families crowded
into houses to which eithor no
ground is attached, or, at best, only
an ash-dump In a dirty few feet of
back yard! As to education they
get it; but the education within the
reach of the majority is not what
theorists insist they can and should
easily get at any school house. The
worker must be housed near his or
hor work, and where the worker is,
there must tho family be, also no
matter what tho environments!
There is no choice to the toiler of
either sex, unless there is a fat
pocketbook to choose from."
laundered, and do not shut out the
sunshine and light during the short
days of winter, while giving privacy
to the room from tho outside.
Some Good Salads
Cabbabe Salad One small, firm,
white head of cabbage, ono cup of
sugar, two eggs, one teaspoonful of
mustard, ono teaspoonful of salt, one
cup of vinegar, ono tablespoonful of
vinegar. Mix the sugar, eggs, mus
tard and salt, then add the vinegar
and beat all thoroughly; add the but
ter and cook in a double boiler until
thick. Stir in the finely chopped
cabbage while the dressing is hot,
and serve immediately.
String-Bean Salad Marinate two
cups of cold cooked beans with
French dressing; add one teaspoonful
of finely cut chives; pile in the cen
ter of a salad dish, and arrange
around the edge thin slices of rad
ishes slightly overlapping each other.
Renewing tho Curtains
When fall house cleaning makes it
obligatory to launder the curtains.
those of lace are not always found
satisfactory. Where one wishes 'a
curtain to last a long time, it is best
to discard lace, and use instead some
one of the many suitable fabrics in
their stead. Good scrim, or barred
muslin, Swiss, or oven plain, five-cents-a-yard
white muslin aro all
suitable for white curtains, and will
wash and keep their whiteness a long
time,, uneese cloth does not launder
wel, though while new it looks all
right. Many housewives prefer
colored curtains for tho winter, and
there aro many beautiful colors and
designs in silkoline, etc., which laun
der without fading, and lend an air
of cheerfulness to the room. One
has but to visit tho house-furnishing
department of a largo city depart
ment store, to find many fabrics that
will take the place of tho white dur
tain, and which will launder satisfao-
Getting Ready for Winter
It is not the housewife alone, or
those blest with tho housekeeping
outfit, including a family, who must
begin to get ready for winter. Many
women and girls, as well as many
men, long inexpressibly for a room
where they can set up their house
hold goods, no matter how few, or
plain, and feel that exclusive sense
of proprietorship which no "paying
guest" ' of any boarding house can
ever know. For most of these, the
"light-housekeeping" room furnishes
as near a substitute for the real
home, as can be had; but if they aro
still more ambitious for individu
ality, the "partly furnished," or va
cant room, where heat, lighting,
water, bath, and fuel are part of the
perquisites, 'offers advantages. Or,
the furnished room with "kitchen
and laundry privileges" is not so bad,
and may bo still cheaper. In these
days of alcohol stoves, much can be
done, and if one can afford to have
the laundry "rough-dried," and can
have the electric, or gasoline, gas, or
alcohol iron, they may have comfort
and cleanliness at a minimum cost,
and snap their fingers at the disoblig
ing laundress. The light house
keeping plan offers many advantages
over the boarding house, but even at
its best, it is far from being at-' all
equal to the homo atmosphere. One
great trouble is that, having no one
to cater to except self, many of us
forget that self is a most important
factor in our lives, and worth taking
pains for; we neglect often to pro
vide suitable foods, especially if wo
are "dead tired" when the day's
work is done; or we are too tired to
prepare the food, or too tired to par-
taKe 01 it wuen prepared. Then, too,
light-housekeeping" feature is
tho
torily. Many nrefer sash curtaina fnr
as it was wanted; very J much used rooms, as they are easily
regarded as but temporary, and we
put up with so many make-shifts, in
stead of furnishing a few of the real
ly necessary devices for better prepa
ration of our foods. Just a few really
good cooking utensils should be had,
and when we change our "room," we
can take them with us. A reallv coori
double boiler, a coffee percolator, an
alcohol stove, a chafing dish, will al
ways "como handy."
The Last Garden Tilings
Already frosty weather, and even
snow, Is reported from various locali
ties, and the woods and fields warn
us that t;hevypar is rounding to a
close. But in tho garden there are
still fragments that may bo enthA
I and put away in appetizing form. A
combination of such vegetables as aro
suitable should be mixed and canned
for soups, while others, combined
make excellent relishes or pickles'
String beans, cut into short lengths)
green tomatoes and cucumbers
chopped, onions thinly sliced, the few
lato nubbins of green corn cut from
the cob, with chopped cabbage, or
cauliflower, a few green peppers, and
black and white beans already show
ing a degree of hardiness The beans
that are nearly rip should be cooked
until tender by themselves, then the
rest of the vegetables mixed and
cooked altogether in spiced vinegar,
to which the beans may be added.
The vinegar should be seasoned to
taste, with sugar, or spices, as much
or as little as wanted. A little mus
tard may be stirred in, and a very
little grated horseradish used. For
soups, the mixed vegetables should
bo cooked and canned, just as other
vegetables, cooking with as little
water as will keep them from scorch
ing, packing them in the jars while
boiling hot and sealing.
Query Box
S. S. The curtains may be made
of two long sections and one short
one. The long sections are hung,
ono on each side of the window,
while the short section, about
eighteen inches long, is hung be
tween the long ones, across the
middle top of tho window. When
laundering curtains, always iron
lengthwise, and they will keep their
shape.
Mother of Four Wishes to know
the standard length of skirt for a
small girl. Here is a rule given by
a fashion editor: Have the little
girl kneel on the floor when you try
on the garment, and fold the hem
so that the edge just touches evenly
all' around. For an older girl, com
mon sense and fashion do not always
agree.
Mrs. L. F. The middy blouse
seems as popular as ever, although
worn so long They are easily made
and laundered, comfortable to wear,
and a girl of whatever age looks well
in them. They are frequently
trimmed with contrasting colors,
with or without the decorative em
blems. F. H. V. To kill the willows, or
other objectionable shrubbery, the
growth should be cut .off close to tho
ground during August, with a hand
ful of salt poured over the raw cuts.
Another way is to, cut them down in
July or August and pull the sprouts
off as fast as they grow for some
time. They will die, as this deprives
the roots of air and substance.
Mrs. L. 0. Mercerized ginghams
aro especially pretty for school
Presses, and seersuckers, chambrays,
and percales are also attractive; an
these come in plain colors, or in
figures or stripes or checks. The
solid colors are very pretty in com
bination with the figured, and these
materials launder wonderfully well.
For little ones, the cotton crepes
wear well and launder well, need
ing no ironing. With tho short
dresses be sure to provide stockings
that will protect tho little exposed
limbs, and provide leggings for out
doors. '
Some Good Recipes
Wherever there are school chil
dren, there, too, should be ginger
cake or bread. A good ginger bread
made without eggs is as follows:
Put half a cup of butter, a cup or
sugar, a cup of good molasses, a cup
of water and a pinch of salt in a
saucepan to heat; add two teaspoon
fuls of ginger, half a teasponful or
cinnamon, a full teaspoonful of soda
dissolved in a Uttle water (boiling),
and mix all into five cups of sifted
.flour. This may tie baked In one
large loaf, or in several loaves, using
shallow pans. If a large loaf, bake
in a moderate oven for an hour. Lara
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