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The Commoner
VOLUME 12, NUMBER 41
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Tho Passing of Summer
Thinner tho leaves of the forest
show,
Motionless held In the languid air;
Fainter by waysides the sweetbriers
grow,
Wide-blooms laying their gold
hearts bare;
Languishing one by one
Summer is done.
'All the roses havo long since died
Silent tho birds through tho white
mists fly;
Down of tho thistles by hot suns
dried,
Borno on tho air sail slowly by.
Little brooks in silence run
Summer is done.
Later the flush of the sunshine
sweeps,
Shorter the reign of the slow
coming day;
Earlier shades of tho twilight creep,
.Always the lono birds southward
fly.
Autumn chorus of earth be
gun Tho summer Is done.
Reed M. Fisher.
Prevention, Rather Than Ouro
As tho days take on the faint chill
of autumn, there will bo an increas
ing tendency to shut up the house
and exclude tho fresh air, especially
t night. By this means, the body
will be debilitated and rendered
liable to contract colds on going out
of doors. Care should be taken,
therefore, not to begin closing up the
floors and windows too early. Rooms
that are shut up always leave a sense
of languor and fatigue, whether
sleeping or living rooms. For a sit
ting room, the temperature Bhould
not bo above 70 degrees, and the bed
room should always be much cooler,
with good ventilation through open
"windows. Nothing is a better pre
ventive of disease than plenty of
exercise, and walking to and from
business, if not too far, is to bo
recommended. Tho chill of winter
requires good, warming f,ood, but this
Bhould not mean overeating of un
suitable .diet. Every housewife should
try to know something of health-giving
and heating properties of food
stuffs. Many an attack of indiges
tion brought on by over-eating, or
eating of unsuitable food at unsuit
able times, has been followed almost
immediately by a heavy cold that Is
only the forerunner of a severe case
of sickness. It then interests the
nousewife to know juBt what is best
"in tho way of food, shelter, clothing,
eierciso, and sanitary conditions in
and about tho house. Got up a club
for tho purpose of gaining a knowl
edge of so great importance to the
health and happiness of the family.
If no qthor meeting place offers, use
the school Iioubo on an afternoon or
evening. Take the men folkB along,
and make them talk; insist on a sup
ply of literature, such as bulletins,
and other like pamphlets from tho
experiment stations, and other
sources of information. Road, think,
talk, and discuss better methods' of
living. This Is a matter vhich
should deeply interest every man
and woman.
work is one of the side issues of tho
domestic problem; that the ability to
handle tho flat-iron skillfully is a
gift of nature, and no matter how
careless and clumsy the hand, any
teaching or training in that line Is
unnecessary. How untrue this view
of the question is, many discouraged
housewives learn at the expense of
ruined linens, napery, lingerie and
fine -fabrics. Once it was the com
mon opinion that every female of the
human species was a born cook and
housekeeper; that it was only neces
sary for the ignorant, inexperienced
girl or woman to turn out a first
class meal. It is now known that
the art of good cookery, the combi
nation of foods for the best interests
of the consumer, js one of the sciences
and ignorance has no place in the
kitchen. Cooking schools are spring
ing up everywhere, but few girls get
any practical instruction or ex
perience in fine laundry work. There
should be a course of such Instruc
tion Included in every girl's educa
tion, and it would be a wipe thing for
the young girl or woman to serve
an apprenticeship to such work In a
first-class laundry. She may never
have to endure the heavy work of the
family wash, but she will never re
gret knowing how to superintend the
doing of her fine garments or house
hold articles, even when done by an
other, and there are many times
when such work, done by her own
hands, falls to the lot of tho woman
who loves daintiness and cleanliness.
Not one in a thousand of the swarm
of laundresses are proficient In this
line. Many are teachable, but more
will never be anything but common
"wash ladies," though they make
loud claims to being of the best.
When looking about for work to
be done in the home, give a thought
to tho business of doing up fine
lingerie, laces, napery, linens, and
decorative fancy work. The work is
not heavy; It is clean work, and will
pay well. It may take some time -to
work up a good, paying business, but
it pays better tnan working In shops,
stores, or factories.
women berate her severely; but when
a man has to care for the babies,
even for a day, every woman in the
neighborhood is very quick to pity
the poor fellow, and offer "her ser
vices in behalf of tho children. Once,
in the long ago, it was the custom,
where a woman was sick, or had a
large family of little children, for
the neighbor women to go to her
assistance, several meeting together
to sew for her, or to bake or in
ways, give a helping hand. But In
very few communities is this now
done, even among the "charity"
workers in city or village, while the
farm woman is forced to struggle
along unaided and alone. Tho com
mand to "Do unto others" seems to
havo been lost sight of.
Poisoning Rats
Several inquiries have como on
this subject. It is well known that
a rat will avoid any food that has
been handled, especially if it is
poisoned. Where poisons are used,
they must be put out of the way of
other live creatures for Instance,
fowls, cats, dogs, and often children.
Here are some effective poisons; but
it must be remembered that they are
real poisons, and so handled and
placed understanding. Mix two
pounds of carbonate of barytes with
one pound of lard and lay It in their
way. It is tasteless, odorless, im
palpable, and produces great thirst,
and death follows after drinking. A
basin of water should bo within their
reach. Arsenic and lard mixed and
spread on bread; push a piece into
every rat hole. Or some small pieces
of sponge may be fried in drippings
or wet with honey, and the bits
strewn about for them to eat. The
sponge will swell in their intestines
when wet, and will cause their death.
A good, strong steel trap hitched to
something so that they can not" drag
it away if caught, Is also good. It
Is claimed that, when caught by any
of their limbs, they will gnaw them
selves free, leaving the severed
limb in the .trap.
For the Laundry
Judging from tho lack of atten
tion given by editors of household
literature and their writers to this
subject, one Is tempted to suppose
hat a knowledge of fine laundry
Caring for tho Children
Mothers can not take the place of
tne nurse or tno doctor, for but few
mothers really understand tho cause
or cure or tne many ails to which
Children are subject through poor
feeding, clothing, or caro. Tho
much-lauded "mother Instinct" U not
always satisfactory, or successful in
carrying tho child through even its
well spells, but all mothers should
bo able to recognize tho symptoms of
trivial sicknesses, and the little dis
orders and discomforts that fret and
worry the little one. Many mothers
are lax in the matter of properly
clothing and protecting the child
from sudden changes of weather,
such as we must have durine- tti
fall and oarly winter. A slight cold
contracted durintr the earlv fall rJnvH
Is but a nucleus around which other
colds may gather until the child is
really often dangerously sick; but
if tho mother knew just what to do,
and did it, In the first place, the affair
would be very trivial, and only a
little discomfort would result. I
know it Is urged that mothers should
constantly watch over the child; but
when there aro sevoral children, the
mother herself ailing, with no help
In any department of tho homo, tho
exhausted woman Is forced to neglect
something. Mothers aro often blamed
because of the neglect of the chil
dren and tho house, and many other
To Cure tho Bed-Wetting Habit
Tho following will prove a boon
to many a discouraged mother, and
has been sent to us to pass along. It
Is harmless, and has proven effectual
where tried. Get a handful of clean,
thrifty plantain leaves the door
yard weed that is often called "hog
ear," as the leaves resemble a hog's
ear In shape; the flower or seed stalk
Is like a rat's tail. It is tho pest of
the door-yard. Wash a half dozen
of tho leaves clean, put Into a pint
of water and steep slowly for an
hour or until the strength is ex
tracted. Strain, and set away. After
breakfast, and again after dinner,
give the child a half teacupful of the
infusion, sweetened, if you like, and
at night just boforo going to bed,
give another dose. ImnrnvAmnnf
will show very quickly. Continue
giving for two or threo days, then
omit two or three days, then begin
again, until Improvement Is noted
Worms are frequently tho cause of
this disagreeable habit, and the child
should be treated by some simple
homo remedy for this trouble.
What You Want to Know
A simple way to clean discolored
silverware Is to put a quarter of a
pound of sal soda Into a gallon of
water, if one has muoh silverware to
clean; put this over tho fire and brine
to a boil; when at boiling heat, dip
the pieces of silver" in the solution,
talcing it out quickly and wash in
soapsuds and dry "with a soft, clean
cloth. This removes every sign of
discoloration and ' leaves tho silver
bright and new looking. The silver
muBt not lie in the Solution merely
dipping it in quickly is enough.
Silver spoons or .forks may bo
cleaned and brightened by leaving
for sevoral hours- in strong borax
water; the water should bo boiling
hot when the silver is put in. Silver
ware which is frequently washed
with ammonia water will need clean
ing much less often, and much work
saved.
Embroidery on ribbons or silk may
be cleaned by sponging with a mix
ture of equal parts of alcohol and
highly rectified benzine; but it must
not be used where there is tho
slightest bit of fire. Pongee em
broidered in colors should be washed
in gasoline; grease spots on pongee
may be rubbed rapidly with butcher's
paper, and the friction will draw out
the grease, generally; but if this
fails, lay the article over au ironing
board, right side down, between two
clean blotting papers, and apply an
iron just hot 'enough to barely
scorch the paper.
For linen sofa-cushion covers, or
those of Aberdeen crash or art-ticking,
moisten fuller's earth to a soft
paste and spread a thin layer wher
ever the cover is soiled. Let dry and
brush off. To remdye grease spots,
mix the fuller's earth with a little
turpentine, hang the cover in a dry
place for a day, then brush off tho
earth and press. ,'
When the stbve pipes seem
"choked up," and the fire refuses to
burn, the chimney is 'often very dirty.
Lay a piece of zinc, old or new, on
a bed of coals, and the fumes aris
ing from tho burning zinc will clean
both pipe and chimney of all dust
and soot.
Query Box
M. M. For poison Ivy effects, It
is recommended to stir a piece of
blue vitriol about in a saucer of thick
cream until it has a greenish tinge
(the cream), then apply this salve to
the affected places. It will not harm,
and is said to be effectual.
Julia C. If you will pufc tho new
wooden bowl in cold brine and heat
to the boiling point, then set off the
fire and leave in the brine until it
cools, I do not think it will crack.
Several of our readers have writ
ten to me for the bulletins, cata
logues, etc., mentioned and recom
mended. The bulletins can be ob
tained from your congressman, or
from the Department of Agriculture,
Washington, D. C. Tho catalogues
may bo had by writing to florists who
advertise at this season.
Anxious Mother Sugar, lemou
juice and the white of an egg, beaten
together, is a common remedy for
hoarseness. Lemon juice and gly
cerine, equal parts, sipped slowly Is
a relief for the irritated throat.
A Young Wife For twenty-five
yards of carpet, one yard wide, get
ten pounds of carpet chain; tho old
rule as to prepared rags was ono
and one-half pounds, if finely cut.
q. s. P. Where the cheese Is too
soft to grate, press the pieces
through a coarse wire strainer,
using the back of a spoon.
Mrs. L. S. An excellent way to
sweeten the air in the musty cellar
that has been closed all summer is to
open it up, and give the walls ana
ceiling a good coat of whitewash.
One or two bags of charcoal In the
corners, or musty places Is purifying
Contributed Recipes
Ragout of Vegetables-Parboil
one carrot, two potatoes, ono cupful
of string beans, one cupful of green
neas ( canned), one slice of onion ana
one-quarter pound of fresh sale
poiit. jjram, wxien wuuv,
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