Iowa County democrat. [volume], May 09, 1879, Image 6

About Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938

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THE MAIMS'S LA MENT.
vno ra* urns*s or oaiu.sn.
Tnu oak-wood mnamati—
The ( loads puss o'ur;
Tla* maiden ({Utah
Upon the shore.
Tli lallows aro breaking with might, with might;
Aud sho turnrUi fsr mil to the lowering night
llor uyes that are darkened with wcnplnu.
••>ly heart It la perished;
The world la hare
For mu h heopkth
My w lehrs nowhere.
Chou Holy One, backward thy child hut recall;
Him Joys of the world I lisvo tttslud th in all.
Kor, alusl 1 hjavu lived mid bavo lut ed."
■•The Uara they aro falling -
They (low but In vsln;
The puna cou awaken
Thu doiul ne'er iigsln.
Yet say what cun comfort unit heal the poor heart
Whgp tipi vanishing pleasures of sweet lor# de
part;
f, the Heavenly One, will not deny ’
Lot lours then tie fnlllnii
_ Anti lull Inn In vsln!
• The |dunt can awaken
The d* .and nc or a .’gin*
Tot dealest of Joor Id the sorrow lil t bean.
When the vanishing pleaamea ol sweet love de
ArtAhu pangs and roirtplslnlrigs ofiova."
>1 aiiison, Was. (iuai.ua Nom.K tiKKiemr.
lIOMKHTIC Kt’O.NOMV.
Ilarpcr'a lta/.ar.
I don’t suppose Kmily and I would
have dreamed of marrying last May if
it had not been for old Miss Vanteltny
fed’s legacy. Thu old lady left all her
household furniture, including her
china, silver, and table-linen, to Kmily,
who was her favorite niece as well as
namesake; and, of enure, I hat made us
think al once of setting tip a house of
our own. Wo had been engaged two
years already, them was no likelihood
that my salary would be raised, and
atlogtfher we decided that we might as
well mttko a beginning.
KinilyV papa and mamma in fact,
the whole family-- objected at lirst to
what they called onr Want of common
sense; hut flhding m quite unmoved by
their forebodings, they yielded, and be
gan to make preparation for the wed
ding.
"Kul now, < iiarleß," said Kmily to
me, assooii us every thing wastimieiihly
settled "now, Charles, wo have a great
deal to learti. Suppose We begin by
studying domestic, economy ?’’
‘‘How?’’ ! asked, somewhat bewild
ered by this proposition.
"In ihis way," was the prompt answer.
Him drew fiout her pocket a small note
book, and placed it in my hand. "Hoe
there," she added, proudly, "that is my
beginning, and 1 intend to follow it up.
You must have a hook too, Charles."
1 glanced over the lirst page and
read: " Ihi'/ul informiUioo, Heard Mr.
Hmitli lull papa that beef was Hold by
farmers for just half the price asked by
city butchers. jlicirt.—-To buy onr
beef and mutton always of a farmer.
Might order vegetables, milk, and fresh
eggs at. the same time,”
“There, Charles dear, what do yon
think of Ihnl'f" asked Kmily, triumph*
iintly. “Isn’t that economy ? And only
think how you will enjoy a nice fresh
laid egg for your hreukiasi!"
"llui, my dear girl," I said, trying to
look grave, "we couldn't buy a whole
shoe)) ora whole ox at once,you know.”
" llui if the whole animal didn’t cost
as much as half an animal at the
butcher's price, what then?'' persisted
Kmily, looking annoyed.
" liven then, my darling, I think it
would he cheaper to buy our chops and
cutlets from the hotelier,” said I, per
suasively ; " because, you see, we should
gel so tired of a whole animal before
we laid eaten il all."
" Well, we won't argue. You know I
diia'l approve of arguments, Charles,”
replied Kmily, feelingly, and so the
subject was dismissed.
However, 1 too!: Kmily's advice, and
begun to study domestic economy. 1
provided myself with a notebook; 1
askiil my married friends so many
questions about prices, values, mid
quantities Unit 1 became positively tire
some; i lost no opportunity of adding
to my stock of knowledge as regarded
fuel, provisions, wages, and bouse rent.
All the inform.uion thus gleaned was
carried duly to Kmily, and carefully
classified by her under various head
ings.
Tim evenings we uncut together were
ini longer devoted to “ sweet nothings"
with winch ordinary lovith arc wont to
delight thcniHclvcH. On the contrary,
we gave ouim Ivch i|> to the numl ab
struse and perplexing calculation*, in
which my slender salary was divided
and Huhdivided to suit our plan*. I
should have enjoyed these evening*
much more II I could have persuaded
Kmily to add up a column of figure*
without counting on her lingers, hut 1
couldn't.
‘‘Seventeen and six let me see
eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one,
twenty-two, twenty Ihrte, she would
say, drumming each linger on the table
until she reached the sum total, which
she gave with triumphant emplmsi*
always.
However, finding that my remon
strance* *i cnied to hint the dear girl’s
feelings, I said no more.
About this time our correspondence
lost much of its distinctly love-like char
acter, and for the same reasons I used
to send Kmily so many scraps of useful
information fur her note-honk, and gel
so many dilutions in return, that the
results were rather peculiar. For in
stance, I woii'd write thus:
“My t l>, I’. IV L. T. litiliih is al
ways dearer than mutton, and does not
go as tar. 1 find that cream of tartar
is certainly cheaper hy the barrel, hut
•lone*' will' say* she never buys hut hall
a pound at a time. Kver yours,
VllAUl.lK."
Hut perhaps you may not understand
the meaning ot those six initial letters
at the beginning of my note. ■ Why,
that was a very simple and convenient
arrangement to save time and space in
writing. Instead of having to write
over and over again, “ Mu turn dixi r pir
ctdttl do Win// lillir ] */," 1 just Used lla>se
initial letters, and Kmily knew exactly
what 1 meant every lime. It was really
a capital idea, and we wee the origina
tors; anil the truth is, if it had not been
for the publicity involved, 1 would have
taken out a patent for (he invention.
In the same way she would write to
me;
“D, O. D. IV (and 1 understood
"Ikurrat old <lo i tin it iimkii" at cnee),- ■
“I’leaso find out it corned beef is more
economical when hashed. Ask your
friend Smith, thue’s a IV S. IV’
Cbuld any one with ordinary iutclli
genoe fail to read “dear nurtt prfclowt”
in those lust three letters?
Then, again, what could lie more
touching and tender than this closing
sentence? “Come up to dinner to-night,
for lam going to make the apple
dumplings, I*. 0. P.” Of course that
means “pneitnu old pet,"
Out enough. 1 have, as 1 said before,
an objection to make public the lender
secrets of two fond hearts. Therefore
I will puss over the rest of our couit
ship, the wedding, with its accompany
ing hustle, and our trip to Niagara, and
came at once to the time when
wo began our housekeeping.
After much searching and many vex
atious disappointments, Kmily and I
nad picked out a “flul”- —for a house we
could not a (lord. The agent said that
this flat consisted of five spacious and
elegant rooms. My own impression
was that there were one room and four
closets. Ho said that it was infinitely
superior to any house he had ever seen.
I difibred from this view also, hut 1 said
nothing. Tint then there certainly was
a (inn hay-window ill the parlor, and a
beautiful tiled hearth in the dining
room; so we look the Hat without fur
ther discussion.
Hut when the refrigerator arrived on
the lirst load next day our troubles be
gan. I must explain that this refrigera
tor was not among Miss Vanteltnyfel's
gifts. It was anew one, of the latest
and most popular style, which 1 had
just bought. 1 had been naturally a
good deal influenced in my selection of
that refrigerator by (ho very agreeable
mid intelligent salesman at Zinc it Co.’s.
He had entered so heartily into my
view's, he had been so patient while 1
surveyed the entire stock, and he had
laughed so appreciatively at my criti
cisms, that I felt as if 1 could not do
leas than take his advice, after all.
And lit made it plain (hat (he very
largest refrigerator one can get is al
ways the right one to buy. Ho 1 bought
it, and though I was certainly astound
ed at tlie price, mill that salesman’s
Maud and cordial assurance that I had
done a wise thing," “a really sensible
thing in selecting that refrigerator," was
a great comfort. Hut when the refrig
erator utterly refused to go into our
kitchen. I must confess I had doubts
as to my wisdom, though 1 did not ex
press them to Kmily.
“Whitt shall we do?" asked she,
despairingly. The men who hud forced
it up the stairs wined their hot faces and
grinned,
“ I’ll tell yon,"said I, with sudden in
spiration. “We must gel a carpenter
to lake down the door casings, Then
it may pass.”
“ Kill, (Diaries,’’ exclaimed my wife,”
that won't do. It can not stay in the
kitchen, because then there will he no
room for the kitchen table and chairs -
no, nor for the cook either !" die added,
dolefully.
"<—ii!” said I. "Well, then, my
dear, we must gel a mason, and knock
out these side walls al once.
Hut the result was llmt I had to go
hack Ik iny fricntl, the agreeable sales
man nl Zinc A' (Vs,, and ask him to ex
change iinr large refrigerator lorn small
one, ilut very smallest to bo found.
I did not lit ink lin was as genial this
tinio. 1 supposed allor what, 1 had hoi 11
of him Unit ho would havo shown pro
found sympathy at tho recital of mv
porploMlioH. Hut. ho did not. I don’t
think hi' hoard all I Hul l to him, and I
found that I had miativkon in my esli
main nf his oharaotor. 110 was not
Mioli an agreeable and intelligent young
man an I lim.il imagined. However, I
piokod out a second refrigerator, and
ti.on I was obliged to liny several arti
cles t,i inako up the ilifl'erence in price.
So 1 'link a siiuhuko chopper, an ice
cream Iroi /.or, and a sol ol croipiol.
A ureal part of our furniture could
not bo accommodated in our rooms,
and was therefore stored for ns by
Kmily's mamma. S • wo had to do
witl it iiit a piano, a bullet, or a bureau,
lint then, as Kimly cheerfully observed,
small rooms have llioir advantages.
“ loir you couldn’t poke the lire, raise
and lower the window-shades, and ring
tho bell for Ottilia without leaving your
scat at the breakfast latde, if yon lived
in large rooms," she added; and cer
tainly that was very true.
And, by-lhe-way, 1 haven’t told yon
about Ottilia yet. Most people would
havo called her our servant, but Kmily
said she was onr “ assistant in house
keeping." She spoke of herself in her
note answering onr advertisement as
“ a young person of culture and refine
ment who had met with reverses and
had had a ' blight.' "
My impression of her was that she
was wi II calculated to blight any one
w ho might be doomed to her daily com
panionship. She had an unpleasant
way of becoming suddenly abstracted
while in the performance of her daily
duties, and then rousing herself with a
prodigious start and a succession of
hollow sighs. On one of these occa
sions slip informi and Kmilv confidentially
that “the Vision nl the Loved and bust
had glided on the scene,"
Asa number of mishaps, including
much broken china, had resulted from
those opportune appearances of “ the
Isi veil ami Lost," we did not look ami
ably upon them, lint, when I advised
Kmily to change her handmaid,she re
fused. on the ground of compassion.
“ Why, Charles, she is such a well
educated and rellned young woman
Unit she could not endure the annoy
ances of ordinary service," said my
wife, earnestly. "She tells me every
day that she is so happy with us, and
she looks up to me as if I was her
mother."
" Very aflecling, certainly,” was my
comment, “considering that you are
twenty, ami she will never see forty
again."
“Oh, Charles! why, she isonly thirty,
she told me so; and you know she says
that she is a blighted being," eonehuled
my wife, solemnly; "so you ought not
to be impatient with the poor tiling.”
Of eourse Ottilia remained, and I bad
to recompile myself to her woe-begoue
ways. Hut her cooking was our great
est trial, and before many days Emily
announced to me her intention of join
ing a cooking class,
"It’s such an opportunity, my dear!"
she told me one evening. " IVoiessor
Stoop uin is a very accomplished man.
who has the most charming ideas about
cooking. He considers it a Vine Art.
and he can make any one a perfect
cook in ten lessons. W begin to-mor
row.”
“Don’t you think it would be wiser to
teach Ottilia something,” I observed,
“ and let her do the cooking, instead of
attempting to do it yourself?',
“No, indeed,” said Emily promptly.
“I must take the lesson? and then in
struct Ottilia by example rather than
precept. IJesides”—in a whisper—“l’m
afraid the poor thing doesn’t learn very
easily; she’s had ao much trouble, you
know.”
Ho my wife became a member of the
illustrious Stoopann’s class, and grew
more enthusiastic over his teachings
day hy day.
“it’s wonderful—perfectly wonderful
—how much that man knows!” she ex
claimed, when the course was half
through, “And he’s such an economist,
too! Why, ho has heon teaching ns
that nothing need be wasted in a house
hold, not even our old— But there! 1
came very near telling you my secret,
and I want to surprise you some, day.”
That same morning I ran across my
old college chum, .lack Percival, on my
way down town. He had just returned
from a three years’ tour of the conti
nent, sc 1 had a great deal to tell him,
lie seemed to he much interested when
ho learned that I was married and keep
ing house, and he readily accepted my
invitation to dine with ns ti e next day.
When I went home and told Emily
about it, she at once proposed that we
should invite a young lady to make the
party complete.
“It would he so much pleasanter for
your friend to meet a young lady,” she
said.
“But tin n our dining room will he so
crowded with four at the table that Ot
tilia will never he able to wail upon ns,”
said I.
Emily looked shocked. “Oltalia!''
she exclaimed; “I hope you don’t ex
pect Ottilia to wait on the table when
strangers are present! Why, 1 wouldn't
suggest such a thing to her.”
“Chen what is the use of keeping
her?" I asked.
“Oh, Charles, you never have had any
sympathy lor that poor thing! We can
hire a small hoy to wait. The grocer
has a very nice hoy, and I think I can
get him cheap,” said my wife.
“Very well,” I replied, “have it your
own way; hut what shall we have for
dinner? Jack is terribly particular about
his dinner, I can tell you, and I think
111 order something from Delmonico’s
for this time.”
“Oh no, indeed! yon mustn't do any
thing of the kind," said Emily, decided
ly. “I'm just going to show you now
tint inestimable value of I’rofessor
Hloopann’s instructions, and I know
you’ll ho proud of your dinner. Leave
it all to me, Charlie.”
“Kut what are you going to give us?"
I inflicted. Emtly made answer, conli
dent ially;
“Ju t wail and nee, I tell yon. This
mueh you shall know, and no more.
You're to have‘l’otageHt. Kenve, garni,’
and a Russian fish pie. Oh yes, I’m
going to give yen your favorite lamh
chops with tomato sauce, for one course.
Now, don’t ask any more questions,"
When I brought Jack home the next
afternoon Emily met us with such a
cordial welcomi that I could see he was
pleased. The grocer’s hoy was in at
tendance, looking very W"ll. the table
was prettily decorated with fruits and
(lowers, anil I fell intensely hospitable
as 1 look my seat, and Emily began to
dispense the soup. The only drawback
was that the young lady whom she had
asked had been obliged to deal I lie at
the last moisent, but as there was bare
ly room for three people, in our dinitig
room, 1 was not as much disappointed
at this as was my wile. However, she
and .lack appeared to be getting on so
well that I didn't, think he regretted our
intended guest either.
As I was saying, the soup was on the
(aide, hut with my first view of it 1 be
gan to have fearful misgivings. It was
an almost colorless thud, with a slice ol
lemon, a sprig of parsley, and severs
cloves ll iiiting in each i late, and!
ii tasted like hot water well salted.
My resolution was taken in an instant.
I made up my mind that I would eat
that soup, and 1 did, hut .lack never
attempted a second spoonful.
“What is this, my deal?’’ I asked,
with great cheerfulness, pretending to
be entirely at my ease, as the next
course appeared.
Emily smih and sweetly as she answered,
“ That is a Russian lish pie, prepared
after the same recipe used in the Em
poror’s kitchen."
“Let us see, (hen, whether our tastes
agree with the Emperor's," 1 said, face
tiously, turning to Jack, hut he didn't
seem disposed to talk much, 1 fan
cied.
Truth compels i'"' to say that, after
the most careful dissection of the fish
pie, I did not discover any fish. 1 found
an onion, a alien of hard-boiled egg,
aoinn morn parsley, anil finally a scrap
ot innat, hot that was all. 1 vvaa get
ting perceptibly nnrvona now. when a
new non ran rehnvnd inn. “ I lorn nomna
something at last,” 1 aaiil to myself as
a dish of chops, each with a fringed
while paper wrapped daintily about the
hone, and accompanied hy tomato
aaitoe, made its appearance. My
drooping spirits revived. “Chops are
alwava efti;w," was ntv next reflection.
Alas! 1 didn't kno.v Professtr Stoo
pann.
The moment 1 attacked my chop I
found it a fallacy. It was composed of
nomtlhhij;, I could not tell what, care*
Hilly shaped, and then tied fast t*a
notiiing more or less than a tooth-hru'h
hamllf, beautilully scraped and pol
ished.
Tins was trio much. I looked at Jack.
I saw the expression of dismay on his
nice. I glam ed across at Knuly,
serenely nnconscions of my feelings;
and yielding to an uncontrollable im
pulse, 1 ordered the hoy, in a voice of
thunder, to remove that dish.
As to the rest of Unit dinner I can
only say it was worthy of the Invinning
Kvcn what appeared to he a magnifi
cent tart or podding collapsed like a
soap-huddle at the first touch id the
spoon, and left nothing but a little
sweetened troth behind, too si.uity to
be divided.
I was not at all surprised when Jack
pleaded an engagement, and hastened
away, without wailing to smoke a cigar
with me. He was going to dine. 1
knew.
Having seen him down stairs, j ri ,.
turned to my wife, who was both as
tonished mid indignant at my some
what warmly expressed opinions about
the dinner.
“That soup!” she exclaimed; “you
didn’t like that soup? Why, it’s one of
Professor Stoopann’s own inventions.
He taught us to make it of the water in
which the potatoes have been boiled,
ami it is very nourishing as well as
economical. The professor lias lived
on it for years.”
And that fish pie,” 1 interrupted,
“what was that made of?—for there was
no tish there.”
Emily looked disappointed. “Why,
how did vou find that out so soon?" she
asked; “for I thought the deception was
perfect. Professor Htoonann said no
one ever could tell the difference.
Thai’s wonderful. But since you’ve
guessed so much, I'll tell you the rest.
That fish pie was made entirely of
some scraps of cold roast beef, and is
even more economical than the soup.”
“And how about those chops? Can
you tell me, my dear, what liny were
made of, or why you placed such an
unpalatable joke on our table?” was
my next question.
But just hero Emily burst into tears.
“I —I—think you’re—too—cruel,” she
sobbed. "After I’d taken such pains—
and burned my face and my poo—nr
lingers—ami tried all the professor’s
best dishes—just to he scolded —it's too
much!"
“But, Emily, don’t you see —” 1 be
gan. She interrupted me.
"1 cut all those handles off our old
brushes, and I polished them all my
sell with sand-paper, and tied them on,
and every thing, and then you hud
fault. It is cruel! Oo —oo —oo!"
“Still, my dear, it is a pity that you
had not chosen some other occasion for
that display of ingenuity,” said I, not
yet vanquished. “You must have
noticed that Jack ate nothing."
“Oh, Charles, you are too unkind!
Didn’t ho praise that puli' pudding ? amt
wasn’t it, really lovely ? and all made
out of one egg and two spoonfuls of
sugar ? Wasn't that a success, I should
like to know ? But you are a monster of
ingratitude. Oo —oo —oo!"
i.et me draw a veil over this scene.
Suffice it that peace was loudly restored
hy a compromise. I agreed to say no
moie about I lie dinner, an I Emily
pledged herself to abandon Professor
Sloopann's methods forever. Perhaps,
if no new cooking class is organized in
our vicinity, 1 shall he safe; hut I am
not sure.
Vit Engineer's Need of Nerve.
I mliuiiH|iolitt Journal.
Unquestionably the braved men in
America are those who stand upon the
fool-hoards of the locomotives which
draw the fast express trains. Kut few
persons are aware of it, hut on the
leading railways, where connections
must ho made, if possible, only engi
neers known to he brave and daring
are given engines on express trains,
and,as soon as an engineer shows the
least timidity about running fast, he is
taken from ids engine ami given one
on a freight train to run. Two such
eases have occurred recently on Ind'an
anolis uads. Uiilroad ollicors stale
that the first sign that an engineer is
becoming timid is that he will he live
or Imi minutes late, possibly a hull hour,
lor some days or nights in succession.
He is then called to an account, and,
unless his reasons are convincing,
another engineer is given his engine to
run fora few limes, and should he hi ing
the train promptly on lime, the first
named engineer gels a freight train en
gine to run until he hraees up. It is
stain I however, that after an engineer
allows his timidity to get a fair hold he
seldom so far overeomes it as to have
the bravery to sit o on to an express
train engine and run it at the speed
necessary to make the time. Quite re
cently, an engiius r on one of the roads
running west from here got an impres
sion thiil some accident was to happen
to him, and one night, when running a
fast express, lie constantly losi time.
At the lirst station when the train slop
ped the conductor berated him (or run
uing so slow. The engineer actually
shed tears, and owned that fear had
overcome him, and that ho dare not
run last, and at his own request mi en
gineer of a freight train which stood at
this meeting-point was given the train
to run through that night, the conduc
tor telegraphing the train-master, ask
ing that the uquest he grunted. The
timid engineer has since mu a freight
on the mud.
A Hall In (lie Hawels of the furtli.
Virginia (Si>v.) Enterprise.
A hall was recently given hy (’apt.
Malt Canavati at the New York mine,
Hold Hill, of which mine he is superin
tendent. The hall took place at the
new station opened at the depth of
I.CHU feel below the surface. This
station is quite as large as an ordinary
hall-room, well floored, walled in with
substantial timbers, and has quite a
lofty ceiling. The station is cool and
comfortable, was appropriately decorat
ed tor the occasion, and was lighted
with lamps suspended from the ceiling
file ladies were dressed in calico, and
the gentlemen in corresponding incx
nensive raiment. The Inniitnre was in
keeping with the place, and, w hile there
was furnished everything necessary to
comfort, nothing very extravagant was
seen. Never before in tho United
Slates -if anywhere in the world —has
there been given a hall at the depth of
nearly a quarter of a mile beneath the
surface of the earth. There was no
trouble about persons slipping into the
ball-room without lickils. It was a
queer way, too, of going to * hall —this
stepping upon a cage instead of into a
carnage, and being darted straight
down towards the centre of the earth,
instead of rolling otT horizontally in the
usual way.
CAfsK and consequence are curiously
illustrat'd by'be recent record of the
New York assembly. A prominent
state officer has a daughter very sick
by reason of striped stocking*. A hilt
against the manufacture or sale of poi
sonous giHals and garments was accord
ingly drawn hy him, and l .is been in
trodncd into the senate with a good
prospect of passage. It is not often
that stockings get into legislation.
uiKi< rmiaL.
This is the time for whitewashing. A
good article of whitewashing can he
made by slacking two gallons of white
lime in live gallons nf hot water, in
which (Hie pound of rice has been
boiled until it has all dissolved. Cover
closely while lime is slacking. Add
one pound of salt; use hot.
The English dairy farmers get im
mense returns from their grasslands by
a fret' use of bone manure. One
Cheshire farmer says that by this he
can feed forty cows from land that
formerly gave him product sufficient to
feed only twenty. The English farmers
believe in ‘"honing” the grass land es
pecially.
As regards its fodder value, Trot.
Storer says that from analysis, buck
wheat straw, when mixed hi small pro
portion with richer kinds of foods,
mi. ht, like other straws, he usefully
employed for feeding animals in many
cases, especially if it were previously
softened by steaming or soaking.
It , after the woo! has grown to con
siderable length, sheep or lambs be
come annoyed with lice or ticks, wash
the lambs in a strong decoction of to
bacco. Another way is to take a pair
of bellows and inhale tobacco smoke
with considerable force among the
licks. This will prove instant death to
them,
A coin.esi undent, writing from Guil
ford, Conn., protests against classified
tion of the oriole among mischievous
birds. He says that lie h.is frequently
seen them tear open the nests of apple
worms and devour them, and thinks
that birds with pluck enough to destroy
pitch disagreeable pests ought to he
fostered rattier than destroyed.
A ikw warm days will often tempt
the farmer to doll' his flannels and take
Ins chances on the rheumatism or a
hard (old, as it may turn out. The
same tooling assails the housewife, and
she tak(s up the carpets, opens the
windows, and stores the stoves in the
barn for the summer. A week of cold
winds, or a lour days’ rain dispels the
illusion, and cold feet, bine noses,
coughs, sore throats and croup among
the children are the rewards of a haste
much more ambitious than wise.
Tim lo|) of :i fruit tree, Id secure the
best results in color mill llavor of the
fruit, shottlii he kept open to the ml mis
sion of air and sunlight. If some
branches grow too fast for the harmoni
ous h.ilanee of the tree, pick out the
buds at the nd and thus foree the
growth into the other brunettes that are
not so thrifty. Five years of cultivation
and watchful pruning and you will nev
er have occasion to remove large
branches. It is a terrible loss to a tree
to allow branches to attain a large size
only to lie slaughtered.
A s.votso may he etleeted in the con
sumption of oats lor horses by simply
soaking them in ti pin water. Practi
cal experiments which have been made
show that by this method tno rations
for each animal may lie reduced one
third. Horses whose teeth have seen
their best days masticate the grain in
its ordinary condition insulticienlly, and
younger animals often eat so greedily
that the gteater portion of it, is swallow
ed whole. This waste may he obviated
by the simple method recommended,
which so far softens the grain that it is
more completely masticated and di
gested, and consequently yields more
nutriment. Three hours is a sutlicient
length of lime to soak the grain, provi
ded the water is not 100 cold.
Fkiitii.i/.hi Fons. —Many persons who
pay a high price for choice chickens
are troubled hy their neighbors watch
mg them when they take eggs to mar
ket, and go and liny them cheaply, and
in that wav easily gel into the best
breeds. One who has paid dearly, and
wants to get something hack in good
price for his eggs or chickens, wishes to
know how he will head such neighbors.
Flic only way i> not to throw fertilized
eggs upon the market. Allow the cock
to resort only with the special breeding
lions, and use all their eggs for setting,
lor special customers and for eating at
home. When eggs for the ordinary
market is the object, it is claimed that
the mail chicken is a useless piece of
property, as the hens lay better and are
less inclined to act when they have no
attention from their male companions.
—Pis Muines (louhi) Stale Jieyhltr,
The Live Cattle and Fuesh Meat
Tkahe. — The impetus mi von tolhegroip.
stock growing interests of tho country
l>y tlic foreign tlemmul for live cattle
ami fresh meat —a movement scarcely
three years old— premises at no distant
day to develop into enormous propor
tions, and to become regarded as one
of the many remarkable phenomena of
this age and time. But not only has
this movement greatly stimulated into
activity the one and principal industry,
hut it has had an Ilex inlluenee on a
half dozen other related ones, and has
in fact opened a now horizon for the
great corn, hog and cattle lands of tin
west and south, and notably that part
of them known as the ‘‘blue grass re
gion” which, whatever to the contrary
maybe said, is not confined to Ken
tucky, hut embraces areas of land
quite as large in the stales of Ohio. In
diana, Illinois, Missouri, and lowa. It
bad begun, ten years ago, to be suspect
ed that tin- stock interests of the states
named would never hi- able to compete
with the cheap beef of Texas and Col
orado; that a great and radical change
in our productions must be inaugurat
ed, and that however prolitahle in the
nasi stock feeding had proved, it could
not he counted on so long as the far
west and farther southwest sent farward
its annual contingent of cheap coarse
steers.
CruKANTs. —lf these were not so com
mon how greatly would they be ad
mired an 1 valued, and what wonders of
cultivation they would induct ! As it
is, one seldom sees a " currant tree.” as
they are called in England, so taken
e tre of by its owner as to be able to
stiow what returns it is capable of mak
ing. We neglect the hush because of
its readiness to yield fruit under any
circumstances and in all seasons. We
••lick a row of plantsiosome out-of-the
way place, crowding them beyond pos
sibility of development, and leave
them i xp-iscl to robbery by weeds,
grass, sprouts and insects, giving them
no food, but annually strip off what
fruit they arc able under these circum
stances to give us. and scold about its
being small and tasteless. I know a
' j‘ u sh that is more happily situated. It
i , 9 at least live feet square of good soil
all to itself —no large trees or plant
1 Being near enough to cut off light or to
send roots into its Led of soil. Every
autumn a shovelful of good manure is
scatered over these twenty-five square
leet, and every spring a mulching of
| chpipings of grass, or similar litter is
put on thick enough to suppress weeds
and retain moisture. It has several
stems. Grass is prevented from grow
, ing up betweeen them by pads of rhu
barb leaves or brown paper, or the like,
pushed down between them. Some
pleasant leisure day of winter the
pruning shears are taken out, and the
whole exterior is thinned so that each
shoot is *t least six inches from any
other, in order that its leaves maybe
able to expand in full light, unshaded by
others. Besides this, sprouts from the
collar arc pinched as they issue, except
ing any that have full room, and helle
bore is used early in May. This hush
yields a bucketful of currants, every
year, and such currants, for size, brilli
ance and excellence of flavor as many
have never seen. —Country Gentleman,
On Plowinu.—Always have your
plow sharp. Never go to the field with
an instrument which is not in condition
to do good work. A good workman
may he thwarted by bad tools, and dull
tools are a good indication of a lazy
tanner. Uemenibet that to plow well
does not mean to turn over a clean fur
row. to do that may be well, but that
is not nil. Good plowing is the thorough
pulverization of the soil, and ho who
can dissolve an acre of ground into the
finest particles is the best plowman: for
be exposes the mostsurace to the seed
which shall ho sown. Tie ground can
not be too finely ground up. Hero lies
the secret <d line crops,so far as me
chanical agency is concerned. Plow an
inch or so deeper each year, and thus
deepen your seed bed iul bring the
subsoil in contact with light and nir for
chemical operations. You can never
go too deep provided you go slowly.
Never be in a burry at. this kind of
work. If you have not the time to do
your work right, just make the time.
One ac.'e well plowed is worth two acres
half way done. Book out fir those
hard places where the instrument
tries to jump out, Stop; here is an
enemy that must ho conquered; yon
must not neglect it. These spots de
termine the real from the artificial
workman. Try it over again. If :i
rock, or a root, or any other obstruction
is in your way, stop and get rid of it en
tirely. If it is a rock, pul it into a sink
hole. Never let it bother you again,
dispose of it at once. Do not ride on
your plow handles. Your team has
draught enough to overcome without
your laziness adding fifty pounds. Itid
ing mi the plow handles never does
good work. Stand square between the
plow handles, arms so stiff that you
must ho lifted off your feet before the
(•low can veer Irom its course. Then
hit a little on the handles, and you will
do better work and lighten the draught
by twenty-five or fifty pounds. Keep
your eye ahead of your team and turn
every inch. A bad workman covers,
and grain is lost. When done, take
your plow and clean it well and put it
under cover out of the way of wet
moisture, which, like rot, soon destroy
a valuable instrument.
ForeteLing Ills Own Oealli.
I/UIo Itock (Ark.) OiizeUo.
A singular death occurred out on the
Mt. Ida road, ten miles from t iwn, sev
eral days ago. A farmer, whose name
we were unable to learn, predicted that
lie would dio on a certain day. His
friends, and particularly his wife, re
monstrated with him, assuring him
that he had no foundation for such a
belief. Ho disregarded all entreaty
howev-r, and clinging with peculiar, al
most obstinate, tenacity to his belief in
his death on the day predicted. After
a time lie seemed to forget, ot rather
disregard his peculiar notion, and his
friends thought no more concerning the
prediction, only wondering why tho
man should assume the role of a death
telling prophet.
Finally tho day on which the man
said lie should die arrived. No change
occurred in his physical condition, but
he began working as usual. About 11
o’lock he entered the house and re
marked to his wife that ho felt sick, and
complained that his feet weic cold.
Fulling oil his shoes he sat by the fin
ami held out his feet. Turning to his
wife, he said:
1 am going to die justas 1 told you.”
His wife begged him not to speak so.
but he persisted in bis belief.
“1 am dying now," said be. “Death
has begun at my feet and is creeping
toward my head.”
The woman assisted him to the bed.
Undressing, he lay down, and when his
wife went out and returned with an
armful of wood, he was dead.
Another Microphone.
At tin-recent meeting of the Frank
lin Institute, Fhiladelphia, Mr. T. L.
Young described an ingenious and
novel arrangement of the microphone.
Hie new instrument has the form of a
small box with the usual telephonic
mouth-piece on the lop. Attached to
the under surface of the diaphragm is
a small piece of rubber holding a car
bon cup. A similar cup is fixed on the
inside of the brass ring used for holding
the ferrotype plate diaphragm in its
place. A rod of carbon rests lightly on
Kit- cups, and is covered with rubber a
small watch spring bearing upon it in
the middle. Tne spring is adjusted by
means of a screw. Ttiis arrangement,
it is claimed, does away entirely with
the grating sound in other forms of the
mierophone. The instrument is ar
ranged so as to be placed against a wail
or other support, the carbon rod being
then in a vertical position.
The Hartwell (Da) Ni-n says that
i John lb Mi Curry dreamed that tie bad
| discovered anew pattern for a quilt,
! and when lie arose nest morning to-d
* his wife of the pattern. Sue imiue
, diately pieced up a square according to
’the dream, audit makes the pretties'
1 quilt the editor ever saw .