s
The Commoner.
VOLUME 13, NUMBER n
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iJjCfMn Watts Me3
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Tho Cry of tho Toiler
O, God, for a moment of rapturous
quiet
A day, to steal far from the bustle
and riot
The want, and the woo, and the striv
ings of men,
And dream me tho dreams of my
childhood again;
To sit and to gaze at the crimson
ing west,
And live In the light of the rapturous
rest.
O, God, for a moment in days that
are long
And sunken In sorrow and weighted
with wrong,
To turn from the rattle and roar of
tho strife,
To dream of the days of the fullness
of life;
One moment, to spare from the striv
ing for gain
Tho rack of unrest, and the longing
of pain!
To stand as of old in the sunlight of
love
A promise before, and a heaven
above;
Ono moment to turn to the things
undeflled
To feel, onco again, with the heart
of a child.
Ono moment to look on the blue of
tho sky
That deepens and darkens and fades
from the eye;
To turn 'neath tho tollings and bur
dens of care
That shift to the shoulders of reel
ing Despair
From secret and sorrow of spirit
opprest
O, God, but to dream for a moment
of rest!
It. L. Masker.
will buy but little at most; but
when it must be partitioned out to
cover room rent, car fare, laundry,
board, and the thousand "little
things" that are forever demanding
attention, even with the closest
economy, they will be astonished.
"Economy" to the city wage-worker
is a very different thing to that of
the farm or village family. Even
where several girls or women occupy
the same room, and work together,
the wages will scarcely cover the ex
pense of necessity. Before me lies
a letter received from a woman who
wishes to leave the farm for the city,
to whom I had written something of
the absolutely necessary expense of
hving In such a place. She at once
wrote back to me that she could beat
any woman she ever saw stretching
a dollar over expenses, and she
knew both she and her husband could
live well on $100 a year! That any
woman with a particle of common
sense would know better than to be
lieve it would cost a man and woman
$500 a year to live in town! This
woman owns a small farm; has her
own cow, pigs, chickens, garden,
orchard and fields; the husband is an
invalid, and the fields and meadow
land is "let out," while their fruit
is sold on the trees. She wants the
easy life of the town!
relaid, thus a good ventilating chan
nel is obtained, and the moisture pre
vented from coming in contact with
the floor.
Wages of Girls and Women
Hero is an item that should bo
read by every girl or woman who is
thinking of trying life in tho turmoil
of tho groat cities: 'Reports of
women investigators of tho working
conditions of women in Chicago show
that approximately 50.000 Chicaco
womon wage-earners receive $5 per
"woek or less for their services. This
condition of affairs was brought out
in investigations made by the senate
'whito slave committee,' of which
Lioutonant Governor O'Hara is chair
man. On this bare stipend, these
tnousands of women and girls, who
aro receiving as salary $5 or less per
week, aro struggling for existence
with practically no relief in sight.
These womon, living for the most
part in furnlshod rooms, aro absolu
tely underfed, and the greater part
of them, it is claimed, do not know
what a full moal means. Half of
them aro living on two meals a day,
of tho 10 and 15 cent variety. Many
of thorn have to depend for clothing
on what cast-off garments others are
able to glvo them."
This is practically truo of women
workers in every large city. If tho
girl or boy who is turning longing
yes toward tho city as a placo of fun
and good wages, would only think of
theso things, and compare such an
existence with 'ho comforts of their
Jarin or village homes, how mucn
bettor it would bo for all! Tho young
people living at homo, or In village
or farming communities where real
want is unknown, may think that $5
a woek is a safe salary; but It would
glvo them a good object lesson If
they would count tho cost, .Just for
one day, at market prices, of the
food they consumed -Five dollars
Damp Walla
During the rainy season now to
be expected, many buildings will
have damp walls, and thi3 will be
very apt to damage any Interior
decoration that is not waterproof. A
very common source of dampness is
"drip"; oven the small quantity of
rainwater falling on a window which
after draining down finally drips
from tho window-sill, has a great
tendency to render tho wall immedi
ately below that sill damp, as, when
ever the wind blows toward the wall
every drop will likely be blown
against its wall surface. The drip
from a roof not furnished with a
gutter, or from a veranda that is too
snauow, or. from a detenu v i
water pipe, is more damaging, owing
to the greater quantity, and this
source of dampness often remains
undetected for a long time, as the
placo where the water falls against
the wall will usually be some dis
tance from that where it escapes
Much of tho difficulty is the fault of
uie Duuaer, ior with proper pro
visions for a free circulation of air
about any part of the building, such
as hollow walls, openings communi
cating with cavities or vacant spaces,
ventilation under lower floors, and
general attention to tho proper pro
tection of tho walls, much of the
trouble can be prevented. In many
places where trees are allowed to
grow tnicKiy about a building, cut-
uuk cm ine air and sunshine, the
dampness and mildew can be re
moved by a vigorous trimming out of
tho superabundant shade. The effect
of damp walls on Interior decora
tions and house furnishings 1b by no
means the most to be dreaded. It Is
a serious menace to the health of
any one living in tho house.
If tho danger of dampness Is not
attended to by the builder, It may
uo leusenea Dy rorming a dry aTea
around the walls, where the lower
part of the house Is damp, and drain
ing the site of any superfluous mois
ture. Where feasible, tho lower floor
may ho taken up, a foot or two of
tb.0 80,11 removed, and the, fjesh sur
faco covered with concrete,-, tho floor
For the Toilet
Nothing. Is so good for the com
plexion as good health. There should
be no clogging of the bodily sewers;
every organ of elimination should be
kept active. Keeping these sewers
active is better done through dieting
than with drugs. Kidneys, bowels,
lungs and skin should all do their
part in throwing off the effete matter
that would otherwise result in
poisoning the system. Look well to
the dieting; find what is best or you,
and then stick to it.
One of the best beautifiers for the
skin is oatmeal cream. Put a hand
ful of .fine oatmeal in a half pint of
hot water; let stand a few hours,
then apply to the face with the hand,
or a soft cloth, and allow to dry
on the face. This will make the
roughest skin smooth, as well, as
help to whiten. It is just as good
for the hands. This oatmeal cream
Is just as effective for rough,
chapped hands, as the creams you
buy at the druggists, and will cost
a very few cents.
For a few months give up tea,
coffee, pastry, sweets, salads, and
confine yourself to boiled vegetables,
green salads, rare meats and if your
stomach will stand it, plenty of milk
to drink. Eat plenty of spinach and
dress ,tho green things with olive
oil; take .plenty of exercise, breathe
deeply, and bathe frequently,' and
you will find, tho yellow all washing
out of your face and your, fretful
nerves steadying down until you can
really enjoy a good laugh. Drink
plenty of pure water of the tempera
ture best suited to your likes. You
will findhat our best physicians are
giving less medicine and more ad
vice than formerly. Some of them
are willing to acknowledge that drug
doctoring Is nine-tenths guesswork.
Many women have an idea that
Diackneads are a sort of "flesh
worm," but these skin troubles are
merely the daily accumulation of
dust and. grime collected in the pores
of the skin, and held there by failure
to wash the skin properly. Perspi
ration is nature's cleanser, and the
one whose face is wet with perspira
tion during hot weather rarely has
blackheads, if she usps nlt-ir
water to remove the refuse cast out
by the sweat-glands.
them up for an hour or two; then lav
them on tho ironing board, or slip a
board used for the 'purpose inside
smooth with the palm of the hand
until they lie flat; cover with a cloth
and press with a hot iron until dry
Do not "iron" the garment, but
press it; there is a difference. If the
collars and elbows are shiny, sponge
with a damp cloth and press until
dry. If boys were taught to care
for their clothes while at home, in
stead of leaving it for mother or
sister, theywould find the expense of
looking well dressed much lessened
when they are thrown on their own
resources away from home.
Hemstitching on the Macliino
Several readers have asked for
this method, and two dear good
readers have just sent these direc
tions in; so we pass them along at
once. Measure off the hem wanted,
tear off, double the strip, turn in the
raw edges; then turn a very narrow
hem on the goods. Take paper, fold
sixteen thicknesses, put the two
edge3 together, and slip the thick
nesses of paper between, under the
hem. Loosen the top tension of the
machine, and proceed to sew as close
to the edge as you can stitch, then
tear out the paper, pull the goods
apart, and you will have the hem
stitching. Mrs. B. C.
Another: Measure the hem as
desired, draw four or five threads
or as many as desired; turn the raw
edge of the hem, and part your hem
(measure to fit the goods to keep
straight) just as if you were working
by hand: Now fold them and godds
together, set machine so it will make
a short stitch,. loosening, the tension
a very little, then sew very close to
the edge, having the drawn threads
on top, and part , your hem. Some
times you will Have to pull the hem
to get It in place. Test on some old
goods until you knpw.how This will
look like 'hand workElia '&
- i tfr.
For Men's Wear
To keep the coats and other wear
from wrinkling, bo sure to have
plenty of hangers, which may be had
very cheaply, two for five cents, at
many stores; but it pays to get good
ones. Hooks or nails are often
damaging to clothing, besides get
ting them out of shape. Teach the
boys to care for their own clothinc
To remove the dust, keep a smali
SX 2! rattJ? beater' and whip
them thoroughly; then lay the gar
ment out smoothly on a table and
with a hard bristle brush for mud
spots, and a soft brush for ordinary
use, go over the garment thorough-
lv until nil miA j j- . . Ufiu
--- laa iiiiiii nun a
moved. If the garment could be
hung in the hot sun for a few hours
before doing this, it would make the
cleaning easier. Begin at the top of
the garment and brush down
If tho elbows and knees of th
pants are "baggy," and out of shape
lay a damp cloth on them and told
Keeping Things Clean
Don't forget that .the kettles
coffee, tea, and water, must all be
cleaned as often as the other cooking
kettles. Fill the coffee or tea pots
nearly full of warm,, or boiling water,
and add to each kettle two heaping
tablespoonfuls of saleratus; let boil
for twenty minutes, then pour tho
water out, wash well .with clear warm
water, and find out the difference.
The tea kettle must bo washed, and
use the saleratus in this also. Many
people do not regard these kettles as
cooking vessels, and rarely take the
trouble to wash them out
For milk or butter things, the use
of soda is excellent. It will soften
the dish water, and cleanse and
sweeten the dishes.
For the wrinsrer roller?, tiro coal
Oil; It Will keen them nlAnn. For
nickel-plated copper or other ware,
ciean witn a rag moistened with coal
oil, then polish with soft cloth or tis
sue paper. Will remove smoke
stains from cooking vessels.
Query Box
Mrs. H. S. Wishes directions for
making a floor paint with glue. Will
somebody who knows, glvo direc
tions? Mrs. F. W., Washington We can
not use clippings in our Home pages,
unless telling of something very help
ful to our readers.
'Emma S. Get the catalogues of
reliable florists, and you will find
about whatever you want; if not,
write to the florist
C. F. M., Iowa It will probably
be best for us to let the world take
care of its people. Matters adjust
themselves in time, to better ad
vantage than if we tried to help
straighten them.
Mrs. M. B., Kansas Both the
Chinese bellflower (Abutilon) and
Trumpet creeper OBignbna radicans),
- ImWI.v
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