WKcft iStWe Da? / N, %* i: w © There are some matter-of-fact, high ly practical ways in which women can manifest their patriotism. They are not At all spectacular—just plain, ev eryday, commonplace services—but they leave no room for doubt ns to the sincerity that prompts them. First of £hes« is the conservation of food for future use. It appears that an abun ma! times. Then, in case of shortage In any quarter, there will be a reserve to call on in other localities. About the next most useful thing to -do is to gather up all old materials fthat can be used to make surgical dressing, and have them thoroughly washed. These materials may be »hipped to the National Surgical Dress ings Committee, at 209 Fifth avenue, New York city. In old materials the committee asks for linen and cotton, blankets and spreads, sheets and pil low cases, tablecloths and napkins, towels and underclothing. This com mittee Is thoroughly organized for war rpllef and Is engaged In making a va riety of surgical dressings out of old *nd new materials. Many cities and towns have sub-committees who gather and forward donations to headquar ters. Over 1,000 hospitals are served on the continent and over 8,000,000 *fre»lng8 have been shipped to them. Women who have the leisure, may organize a sub-committee in communi ties t hat have none. The national committee welcomes the names of peo ple who might be Interested in form ing sub-committees. Volunteer work «rs make up old and new materials Into surgical dressings and nil other Wort Is donated, so that the real spir ly It. .. . •v. -v'. ' * . sä ses m mm mm mm m i : -> v. * NEAl HOUSE DRESSES OF HEAVY COTTÔrfS Some women contrive to do their housework In neat housedresses that bespeak them the mistresses of > their occupation. They never look -driven and overwhelmed by work, or •ma If they were left with no time to «msider the matter of personal ap jpearance. They look capable—as they are —of meeting the obligations of life, that are of all, most Important, and their housedresses tell their whole some story. The house dress, like the tailored -suit, is here—was here and is always suing to be here, like bread and but • ter. Its business Is to be strong, con ' veulent, plain and shapely and to atnnd wear and tear with little change «C aspect It must be put to the test the washtub and emerge therefrom tfcesh and whole. Because it is plain fs no reason why It should be unattrac tive. The house dress of today Is made of cotton fabrics with very oc it of service Is maintained throughout the organization. A greut work is to be done for the American Red Cross. Its membership must be brought up to the strength required by the war and that is the tirst business in hand. Individual mem berships for one year, cost only one dollar and two dollars will pay for u year's membership and subscription to the Red Cross magazine, which is is sued monthly. Nearly all communities have a chapter or other representation of the Red Cross, but where there is none, anyone may send In an applica tion for membership addressed to the American Red Cross, Washington, D. C. We must look to the Red Cross to save the lives of wounded soldiers and every American woman will want to help in this matter. There are many activities in the work of the Red Cross that are in the hands of women. The making of hos pital supplies, comfort kits and many other things for the soldiers will keep a big army of women busy for some time. This part of the work is done under the supervision committee on hospital supplies and workers in each community must he trained in order to make and pack these supplies up to the standards required by the U. S. army. Hospitals, churches, schools, clubs and organizations of all kinds are assisting In this work. Classes for Instruction are being formed every where. Pupils In these classes are be ing taught how to make bandages, hospital garments and everything needed, how to pack them In the right way, and fitted to teach others to do this work. Unemployed and especial ly unmarried women, can give much of their time to this work and every woman will want to have some part la It. casional exceptions, when coarse un bleached linen is used. These excep tions are destined to become more rare and cotton fabrics are the best for them. The heavy ginghams, galatea and border garden cloth, chambrays and Scotch madras linene and other strong weaves repay best the work of making them up. A good model in linene is shown in the picture. This is a heavy cotton that looks like unbleached linen. Fluid gingham, in white and green, is used for a sailor collar and for a belt that goes twice about the body, also for the cuffs. The belt buttons In front and the dress is fastened up the side with bone buttons. This allows it to be spread flat for ironing and adds to its trim finish. : Irenes Little ! Adventure Jij:j j .£• j * By Katharine Howe 1 the the one u to is is the D. to the the on up S. (Copyright, 1917, by W. G. ChapmanJ "Mother ! you never want to go any where !" The other woman regarded her re bellious, but undeniably pretty off spring on the other side of the table with a look of mild forbearance. She v.us not yet very old, and had not forgotten her own youth. Rut there were firm lines about her mouth which Indicated that her advice was meant to be followed. "Dearie," she sakl gently, "if you will think that over a minute, you will see you are wrong." "Well," persisted the girl, "it comes so near to being 'never' I don't see much difference." "I wish," sighed Mrs. Folsom, "I could give you more good times, but you know our small income won't al low me to go much in society, where I would like to go for your sake." "Yes, I know," said Irene with some contrition, "but if you weren't so fini cal about whom I went with—there Isn't a girl's mother in town as par ticular as you." "Perhaps I am a bit old fashioned. But It seems to me a custom more hon ored in the observance than the breach." "Yes, but If you didn't want a care fully compiled history of everybody I speak to." "Now Irene, let us get down to facts. I simply don't want you to go to places with young girls or men that I don't know anything about. I want to save you from possibly unhap py experiences. Perhaps I am all wrong In trying to save you. Perhaps I ought to let you have the bitter ex periences, so that you may learn from them. I know you will have them af ter awhile, but you will be older, and better able to face them. So many j a w f "Now Irene, Let Us Get Facts." Down terrible things are happening these days. Sometimes when young girls go off with strange men, they never come back." "Yes mumsy, I know," coaxed the girl. "But Mr. Garston isn't 'a strange man,' you've seen him." "Yes, just twice, and I didn't like him." "That's because you're so wrapped up in Jerry Carver." "Well aren't you?" smilingly asked the mother. "Of course I—I like Jerry, but he can't take me out as much as he'd like to. He can't afford it I haven't been in an automobile in six months, and now when Mr. Garston wants to take me for a little spin, you don't want me to go." "No," answered her mother, "decid edly, I don't Who knows anything about him. He's been in this town just about two weeks." Well, everybody likes him, and I met him at Bessie's house." "Does she know anything about him?" "I didn't ask about his past history. If he was her friend I thought that was enough." "It ought to be enough," responded her mother. "But in this place it doesn't seem to be." "Well," said Irene looktqg at her wrist watch, "I suppose it's time for me to go downtown for these things." Irene now never consulted the clock, since her birthday present had come from her uncle. It was a beautiful lit tle gold wrist watch, set around with diamonds, and the mother had ex claimed Just a trifle regretfully when It came: "Oh, if Uncle Albert had just sent a check for that amount, it would have bought your clothes for two years. It must have cost two or three hundred dollars." But when she saw the girl's delight In wearing It, she remembered her own pleasure in her first watch, and said no more. That evening Jerry Carver called. He was a wholesome, hard-working yoong fellow with the refinement and good breeding which appealed especial ly to the mother, and it was plain he of of as ing she sea. cue the she gers ed the our our so erto and Capt. ously to corn West lack first was deeply in love with Irene. Mrs. 1 gan." the hotel, and is pretty much of a high flyer. I don't suppose they'll let him stay much beyond two weeks, if he doesn't pay his bill." ''How do you know he doesn't pay his bill?" flashed Irene with evident resentment. "I don't know," he answered quietly, but her look and manner stabbed him to the heart. ''because Mr. Garston Is popular j with everyone, that's no reason why j anybody should say such things." 1 "No," he answered, "if—but I don't tliink I'd better say any more." "I think not," she responded icily. The constraint of the silence that fol lowed was broken by the young man rising, and tuklng his leave. "I think," said Mrs. Folsom, "Jerry knew more than he would say." "I think," said Irene, "It was Just mean contemptible jealousy. I didn't think he'd be so mean!" Irene walking toward the post office late the next afternoon saw Gerald Garston pnssing in an automobile. He saw her at the same moment, and be ing ut the wheel, Immediately stopped the machine. He was alone, and begged her to come with him for a lit tle spin. She objected thut she must j be home In about an hour, but he said she need not stay an hour if she did not wish. The teruptutlon was too much for the girl, and she got in. About half a mile further, in the out skirts of the town, he halted the car before a small house, and excusing himself, went in. He wus not gone more than two minutes when he re turned, and they went on. They bowled along a pretty country road, Garston's manner was respectfully po-! lite, and Irene was enjoying It to the full. After a while she began to re mind him he must get her home in time. He promised, and put on more speed. After a minute or two, he looked behind, uttered an explanation, and said: "A cop's coming! Speed ing I suppose!" Here the man behind yelled a warn ing, and Garston halted the machine. The policeman came up on his wheel, put Garston under arrest, and told him to drive on to headquarters, which was only half a mile away, and he would keep with him. Garstoa, followed by the policeman, went in. After a few minutes Garston came out, worried and embarrassed. He was fined fifty dollars, he hadn't more than five in his pocket, and the prospects were they would both have to spend the night In the station. "Oh, but my mother!" cried Irene. "Oh no 1 no ! something must be done !" "I haven't even my watch with me. It's at the Jeweler's," he said. Nearly crazed, Irene took the Jew eled watch from her wrist, and begged him to leave it till he could pay the fine. Promising to get It back to her the next day, he took it In, and soon they were on their homeward way. Irene anxiously waited for the return of the watch. The second day she telephoned the hotel, but Mr. Garston had left. Then she called up police headquarters at Easton, but they had never heard of a watch or a mac named Garston. It was a very neatly contrived robbery. The policeman was simply a disguised confederate, and the building not "headquarters." The watch was never recovered, and poor Irene had to confess to her mother and acknowledge that In nine cases oui of ten, a girl would better take het mother's advice. Whether or not she followed It In regard to Jerry, the wedding cards were out in about thre« months. Legends of Polar North. The polar North Is filled with welnl Imaginative legends, bnt perhaps th< most imaginative is the theory of the north Greenlanders recently studied bj European ethnologists, concerning th« controlling power of the universe This, they believe, is a woman, known as the Old Woman of the Sea. Accord ing to Hartley Burr Alexander, "one« she was a mortal woman ; a petrel wooed her with entrancing song and carried her to his home beyond th« sea. When her relatives tried to res cue her the bird raised suçb a storm that they cast her Into the sea to sav« themselves. She attempted to cling to the boat, but they cut off her hand and she sank to the bottom, her several fin gers being transformed Into whales and seals of the several kinds. In her house in the depths of the sea Ner rivik dwells, trimming her lamp, guard ed by a terrible dog, and ruling over the anlaal life of the deep." Corn Saved Pilgrim Father*. Had it not been for the Indian's com our Pilgrim Fathers of Plymouth and our Cavalier forebears of Jamestown would have perished from famine They were saved from "The Starving Times" by the Indian corn which th« redskins had stored for the winter, Indeed, the settlers wanted that corn so much that they introduced the hith erto unknown vice of theft among th« Indians. They stole from the caches and cribs, a practice of which, to quote Capt. John Smith, "the Indians griev ously complained." Civilization cam« to its own on this continent through corn not only In the East but In the West for the journal of the Lewis and Clarke expedition shows that those in trepid explorers would have died for lack of food had It not been for the parched maize they obtained from the first Americans. gan." His Case. "The itinerant musician yonder is in grinding need." Poor fellow! Not of food?" No; of new airs on his hand or he Annual Flowering Plants By L. C. CORBETT Horticulturist, Bureau of Plant Industry V. S. Department of Agriculture I 1 ! CLARK! A The clarkia is one of the prettiest hardly native annuals that come to us from beyond the Rocky mountains. It blooms freely, which characteristic, taken In connection with the variety and brightness of its flowers, makes a bed of them in full bloom an attractive Clarkia. sight. They are useful, too, for hang-, lng baskets, for vases, as edging i plants, for low massing, or for borders. The seeds should be sown outdoors In early spring and the plants grown in partial shade. The clarkias thrive in a warm, light soil, and their period of bloom is midsummer and late au tumn. The average height of the plant is lVa feet. CORN-FLOWER (Centaurea) Centaurea Cyanus is also known as "bluebottle," "ragged sailor," "kaiser blumen," and sometimes as "bachelor's button." These bright-flowered plants are of a hardy nature, requiring sim ple culture, yet they are among the most attractive and graceful of all the old-fashioned flowers. When placed in water after cutting, the flowers In crease In size. Seed of the annual sorts should be sown la the open In April or May and the young plants thinned to four to six Inches apart. of Corn-Flower. They thrive well on moderately rich garden soils. The perennials may be grown from seeds sown In gentle heat in March and planted out in May or June. SNAPDRAGON (Antirrhinum) The snapdragon Is a valuable border plant. It flowers the first year from seed sown as an annual. The bright color and peculiar form of the flowers always attract attention. The newer sorts offer variety of colors and of markings. The spikes ara useful for cutting and keep fresh a long time. From seed sown in the open ground in May plants will bloom In'July or Au gust. For early flowers the seed OL^NCtffl, f/0 Snapdragon. should be sown under glass in Febru ary or March and transplanted into beds of warm, dry soil moderately en riched. If protected by a cold frame or even a mulch of leaves the plants will winter well and bloom early the of to I following year. The snapdra 1 most perennials and biennial., [bloom the first year, and of whh ! particular display Is desired, shot be treated like an annual and stwCa every year. The plant blooms freel and continually until frost, its a\eras height being one and one-half feet. ALYSSUM For borders, edgings, baskets, pots, rockwork, and for cutting, a liberal use of this dainty little flower is rec ommended. For borders. the seed -i, Alyssum. should be sown thickly so as to form masses. For winter bloom, sow late iu August and thin the seedlings so as to stand about four Inches apart, but for spring bloom or for borders the seeds should be sown In the open early In the spring, or even late In the preceding autumn in some localities. Where the plant will not endure the , , .. ^" ter > however enrly^pring^anting under cover, either In a cold frame or spent hotbed, or In boxes In n dwelling^ Is most to be relied upon. AlyssuÂ can also be increased from cuttings! made from strong new side shoots, as" well as by division of the roots. By cutting back after the first flowers fade others will be produced. While 1 white is the most common and popu-, Ifir color, there are yellow varieties of alyssum. CANDYTUFT (Iberls) The candytufts are among the best white flowers for edging beds, for planting in belts, beds, or mnssing, for Candytuft rockeries, and for cutting. Several of the varieties are fragrant, and all are profuse bloomers. The seed should bo sown outdoors in April where the plants are to bloom, und well thinned when they have grown about an Inch high. Make a second planting a month later, and a third late In July for fall flowers. September sowings will give winter blooming plants. The soil for best results should be rich, and the plants given an abundance of water. They brunch freely, and if some are removed the flowers will be larger. COSMOS Cosmos Is now one of the notable fall flowers. It is a strong, tall-grow ing annual, yet Its bright, bold flowers have a daintiness and airiness which & Cosmos. is heightened in effect by the feathery green foliage. It is most effective when planted in broad masses or long background borders against evergreens or fences at some distanco from tha house and the gurden walks. From seed started In the house in March or April the (flants will liavo reached three or four feet In height by Sep tember. The bright-colored, dalsyllka flowers are borne In great profusion and come at a season when they are very acceptable. Because of the ro bust habit of the plant the young seed lings should be thinned to IS inches apart when grown on moderately good soil. Sowing the seed lute and in poor soil will dwarf the plants. In latltuda of Washington, D. C., tha plants per petuate themselves from self-sown seed. These volunteer plants cun bo taken advantage of for early bloom. Experiments In oiling the streets of Denver, both asphalt and graveled, ara to be made next summer by the depart* meut of parks and improvements.