thought by this to cause an indefinite delay he was mistaken, for Jerry bought the land and broke ground for the cottage at once. When the engagement became known it caused a great flutter among the young people of Newtown. Some declared that "Jerry Lee had been badly caught, and they pitied him!" while other, wiser heads, thought that in choosing Uncle Joseph's niece Jerry Lee had chosen well. There was a new order of things at Uncle Joseph's now. Every evening Jerry was there, and though Uncle Joseph inwardly raged at this, he could not reasonably forbid “ Mary's young man the house. Then, until a suitable purchaser could be found for Kathleen, Mary had many a pleasant drive with Jerry. And they also made frequent little trips on foot together to the newly staked out plot of ground at the top of the hill, where a certain cellar hole was assuming more important features every day. As soon as the framework was raised, they began to plan the simple furnishings for their nest. Each day Jerry had some new report to give her, and each day Mary's practical suggestions made Jerry admire more and more the brightness and good sound sense of the cheery little being he had chosen for his mate. "O Jerry!" she exclaimed one night. "I saw the most beautiful thing this afternoon that ever was, and we must have it for our house!" Jerry laughed. "Well, what was it? A new kind of carpet sweeper, or the very latest improvement in farina kettles? 66 "See here, Mary," he said at last. “I saw that clock to-day, and it's a beauty. There's nothing I'd like more. But they ask a big price for it, and you know I don't mean to get a thing on credit if I can help it. I'm awfully sorry, but some of the things have cost more than I thought they were going to, and I find I've got to draw a pretty straight line now, and the cuckoo clock lies a good way on the wrong side of it at present." Mary's face grew as bright as if he had promised her the clock and all the world besides. "O Jerry," she said, "if you'll always tell me right out this way about everything, then we'll never get into any trouble. And don't ever let me tempt you to spend one penny that you can't afford." Jerry was soon cheered by Mary's wisdom, and the evening sped swiftly away. But after he had gone, Mary sat down in her room to think. She could not remember that she had ever had a dollar of her own, and now she suddenly wanted money as she had never wanted it before. Her earlywidowed mother had taught the village school, and it had taken all of her small earnings to make both ends meet in their frugal housekeeping. When she had died, Mary had gone to live with a cousin, where she had worked and stayed until Uncle Joseph had thought of the help she might be to him, and had offered her a home. Since then he had supplied her actual needs,-but she could not go to him for money, nor would he have given it to her if she had done so. After a while she thought of a plan, and the following afternoon, when all her household tasks were finished, she took her basket and hurried down to one of the factories which bordered the river, where she asked to see the superintendent, whom she knew. "I want to earn some money, Mr. Dean," she said, with flushing face. "I know you give out work for women to finish up at home; do you think I could do it, and could you give some to me?" "All you want, Miss Mary," Mr. Dean said kindly. He knew of her engagement, and he shrewdly guessed that Uncle Joseph held his purse strings pretty tight. Of course the girl wanted some money for her wedding finery. "But it takes a good many finished pieces to make a dollar," he added warningly. "I don't mind that, I'm a real fast worker," said Mary, "and I'll do more than you think. May I take some home with me now?” She was back again in time to get the supper. Then she had hardly tidied things up and slipped into her other gown before Jerry came, and he stayed, as usual, until the stroke of ten. When he had gone, Mary flew to her room. But before she drew her basket from its hiding place she had hung her quilt before the door, so that Uncle Joseph, in his customary prowlings about the house, could not see that her light burned late. At midnight she stopped; and not until the following night did she have a moment's time to resume her work. But then her deft fingers flew, and in two hours every night she found that she could accomplish much. As soon as one basketful was finished she carried it back to the factory and smuggled home a new supply. As the weeks went on, Mary's face grew thinner and her fresh color began to fade. Uncle Joseph saw no change, but Jerry did, and he mutely longed for the hour to come when he, as domestic tyrant, could forbid this cheery, willing little creature to work so hard. The cottage on the summit of the hill was finished at last, and, although Uncle Joseph had striven to heap obstacles before them, the young couple were to be married at the parsonage on the following day. Once more Jerry had overtaken Mary at the foot of the hill, but both were walking now. Mary had a big, odd-looking bundle in her arms, carefully wrapped, and when Jerry tried to take it from her, she demurred. "Oh, if you should drop it!" she said. "But I'm not going to drop it," Jerry replied. "What is it, any way? "I'll tell you at the top of the hill," she laughed. "That's a long way off," said he. "But it never seems long when I go up with you," Mary said softly. At the summit Jerry cast an admiring glance at the pretty cottage, now all in order, and ready for his bride. blue enough to make them look clear and white. Insufficient rinsing will leave them streaked. Hang them on the line in the sunshine until dry. The cold starch should be partly prepared the evening before it is used. This is done by putting "Let's go in, just for a minute," he said, and Mary three tablespoonfuls of powdered starch and six smiled assent. 66 "Yes, and it's yours, your very own! Oh, I've wanted to give you something, Jerry, all the time." "But this! Why, it was so awfully expensive, Mary! How did you manage it?" "Don't be angry, Jerry dear; I took home work from Mr. Dean's factory, and did it nights after you were gone. Oh, Jerry, isn't it beautiful? I think I never was so happy before in all my life!" As Jerry looked down at her, the girl's homely, radiant face seemed absolutely beautiful to him. And Mary wondered, as he bent to kiss her, why bright tears shone suddenly in her lover's eyes. Original in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING. -Judith Spencer. LAUNDERING WHITE SHIRTS. M A Simple Process Promising Satisfactory Results. ANY housewives cannot depend on Chinese or steam laundries to do this work, even if they have plenty of money to pay the charges, and it is often more convenient to launder the shirts at home. The washing is fully as important as the ironing, for unless they are perfectly clean, no amount of polishing will make them look well. Some housekeepers wash the shirts with the regular washing, others save them for three or four weeks, and then wash them separately. When the latter method is adopted, put them in a tub the night before they are to be washed, cover them with water, and let them soak. In the morning put on a boiler of soft water. Pass the clothes through the wringer into the second tub, and when the water has heated, pour it over them. Wash through this water, using plenty of ivory soap to remove the dirt. Common yellow soaps contain rosin which turns white muslin yellow. Put the shirts into the boiler with good hot suds, and let them boil ten minutes. Do not crowd them, as they should have plenty of room and water to obtain the best results. When they are done, take them out into a tub, add enough water to make them cool enough to handle, rub them through this, and rinse through two waters, one clear the other just tablespoonfuls of water into a bowl. Mix thoroughly, and cover it to keep the dust out. Next morning add more water until it is thin enough, stir until smooth and put in a drop or two of bluing; then take a piece of soap and rub it between the hands in the starch until the mixture is frothy like soapsuds. A little gum arabic dissolved in water and added to the starch makes it stiffer. Dip the collars, cuffs and shirt bosoms in one at a time, and be sure that every thread of the linen is saturated with the starch. Roll up tightly and let them remain half an hour before ironing. The ironing board should be covered with several thicknesses of old blanket, then with a white muslin cloth, all of which are stretched smoothly, and securely tacked to the board. Two covers may be made like pillow slips, except that they are larger at one end than the other (as that is the shape of most of the ironing boards.) A clean cover can be slipped on whenever it is used. They should fit the board perfectly, and be put on so the seams will be at the edges of the board. A second board, the size and shape of a shirt bosom, and covered like the first, is also necessary. Begin by ironing the neck band, then fold the back and iron it, then the cuffs, sleeves, and front of the shirt. When ready to iron the bosom, slip the small board inside the shirt and press the bosom smoothly upon it. Wet a soft, white rag in hot water and rub the surface, to remove any starch that may adhere to it. Iron until it is perfectly dry, pressing upon the iron to give it the desired polish. It is a very simple process when understood, and a little practice will enable any woman to obtain satisfactory results. Selected for GOOD HOUSEKEEPING. -E. J. C. WHAT FOLKS SAY ABOUT DAINTINESS. Eat and drink with thy friend; yea, partake of his choice dainties; but beware of buying from or selling to him.— Confucius. Plain food is far more wholesome for the young than dainties; they corrupt, enfeeble and destroy the mind as well as the body.-C. J. Davreux. Very few people are dainty, and yet how many pretend to be so! But like the ass that wore the lion's skin, their braying betrays them.-Daa, the Norwegian, 1809 It is not in diminutive size, nor in beauty, nor in finish, that daintiness lies, but in a combination of the three. An ant is small, Yosemite is beautiful, the Venus-de-Medici is finished, but whoever called them dainty?—Annie E. Lancaster. Original in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING. A ROW OF CURRANT BUSHES. Beautiful gems as ever seen, Of the row of currant bushes. With garden hat on her graceful head, Comes Annette with a springing tread, To pluck the jewels, ruby-red From the row of currant bushes. Down in the field where the corn-blades blow, Sunburned Richard drops his hoe Travels straight as his feet can go To the row of currant bushes. The sky is touched with a slender blue, Something is whispered soft and low, -Hattie Whitney. dishes, our people do not at all assimilate the Celestial concoctions and delicacies. Occasionally a venturesome spirit assays a passing taste of a single dish, pronounces it "not half bad," or words to that effect-and sedulously avoids a repetition of the experiment. But there was quite a notable exception to the rule in New York city, only a little time since, when about forty-five persons, prominent in the financial circles of the metropolis and several outlying cities, accepted the invitation of Col. Robert M. Floyd, and partook of a high grade Chinese dinner of a dozen courses, prepared at a Chinese restaurant on Pele street, under special instructions from the Chinese consul at New York. That the readers of GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, 235 Water Lily Tea and Chinese Cakes. Ivory chopsticks were provided, and with these most of the guests wrestled-generally in vain. Little china scoops-otherwise known as spoonswere also furnished, and for the benefit of such as could not manage either of the articles already mentioned, sensible everyday forks were supplied; but there were no knives. Nearly three hours were devoted to the dinner, and it was in order to try each dish as it appeared. There were a good many surprises, and it is recorded by those having "inside knowledge," that frequently a guest left the table with more celerity of movement than formality; returning after a little time with a matter-of-fact, subdued expression of countenance forestalling any impertinent inquiries. It is said that the impression created after the courses had been run was that the Chinese cook was "short" on salt and pepper, but little saucers of hot stuff were at hand in which those who understood the appropriate distribution of occidental flavoring could dip the various bits of food, dispensing with the use of chopsticks the while. The rice wine was poured from small china pots, and the tea from modern Brittania ware. These were the only beverages supplied-except the standard New York Croton. The names given to the principal dishes did not seem to have any particular significance in English, or any "key word" as a guide to further appearance of a portion of the title. For instance, says a correspondent, "No. 4 was duck chopped fine and mixed with something else. As a matter of fact, everything served was mixed with something else—a sort of unknown and undiscoverable quantity. No. 5 was bass cooked whole-a sort of bitter and sweet arrangement, probably a la J. G. Holland. No. 6 consisted of slices of chicken and ham. No. 7 was pigeon, delightfully prepared and voted the piece de resistance. No. 8 was made of something and mushrooms, the latter large and tough and almost impenetrable with either teeth or fork-a regular unpuncturable tire. No. 9 is a dish that takes three days to cook and then is tougher than ever; it is a shell fish with characteristics of rubber shoe. No. II was a success, and exactly as described on the The cakes at the end were of various colors and almost tasteless, save one or two varieties that menu. had the mysterious something inside. The shark's fins (No. 3) were edible—and glutinous.” Naturally the description of such a feast can only be suggestive, at the most, since printer's type and English words—plain and prosaic--have no power to convey the subtle, indescribable, possibly unimaginable, delicacies of the supreme art of Chinese cookery. But to the isolated reader, who has no opportunity for experiencing the delights of such a feast, the reproduction of the menu and brief comment upon some of its characteristics, may be accepted in the place of more immediate knowledge. -Good Housekeeping. Original in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING. WHEN MOTHER TUCKED US IN AT NIGHT. Our little bedroom, “way up stairs," was heated by the sun, That did its duty grudgingly when summer days were done; Yet modern rooms steam-heated ne'er will be so cosy, quite, As ours was, when mother came and tucked us in at night! How long the winter evenings were before the open fire, With rosy apples roasting there and sputtering in there ire; The pop corn snapping blithesomely above the ruddy bed Of coals, that glowed right furiously, with good rock maple fed; While father read the paper through, or when our neighbor came, Discoursed at length of church and state, dispensing praise or blame Impartially; and mother sat, with needles clicking fast While fitful firelight flashes fell upon her gentle face through the hall; Then father brought the Bible worn, and read, with reverent voice, Some "portion" of the Sacred Word, to chasten or rejoice We left our sturdy "copper-toes" the shining hearth before, Our "daytime clothes" in tumbled heaps beside them on the floor, And, holding up our trailing gowns, we scampered up the stairs; Past the big chimney where, we made believe, lurked polar bears; Across the floor that creaked with cold-then into bed we hopped Drawing the home-spun blankets close about each head closecropped; And there we listened, still as mice for mother's gentle tread; The wind might rack the rattling sash and twist the elm trees tall, The storm rage at the pane-to us it mattered not at all. Original in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING. WOMAN'S LOVE. Admetus, so the oracle declared, Must die, unless he could some one secure, Who would the pangs of death for him endure. But when his friends his hopes to tell he dared Among them all he found not one prepared To suffer in the cause of friendship pure, Or for the doomed man succor to procure. Ill would it with Admetus then have fared, Had not Alcestis, his devoted wife, Such friends a by-word of reproach to make, Her purpose formed and given up her life, A joyous sacrifice for love's sweet sake. And thus a woman put to lasting shame The sterner sex, and won undying fame. -A. S. Brendle. Compiled for GOOD HOUSEKEEPING. SALADS AND SALAD MAKING. Some Instructions, and a Variety of Recipes. PRINGTIME is emphatically the season of salads, and the fresh vegetables which gradually appear may all be worked into the delightful compounds. The result is good, bad, or mysterious, according to the skill and judgment of the person who presides over the compounding. "Knack" is everything; but knack simply means the care and study which one gives to a chosen matter, sparing no pains and never dropping into the realm of chance. There are many essentials, in the common acceptance of ideas regarding salad-making success: A silver knife, a silver spoon, ice water, the best butter or oil, sweet milk (if cream cannot be had), strong mustard, pure vinegar, and if potatoes are used, those cooked to just the right point and properly dried. As to ingredients, almost anything and everything may be used: Tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes, beets, cauliflowers, carrots, artichokes, and mushrooms-but not all at once. Oh, no! The tendency is decidedly to use too many ingredients, rather than too few. Except in the case of the Russian or Italian salad, the number of vegetables in a salad should be limited. For instance, if called tomato salad, let us have the taste of the vegetable giving the name, and have it clearly and unmistakably. In case of a French salad, composed of lettuce and a small quantity of finely mixed herbs, good taste rebels against having the lettuce smothered in a mixture of radishes, mustard, cress, and other strong components. Salad dressings may be made with or without oil. In the former case, proceed about as follows: For two heads of lettuce, mix in a cup a salad spoonful of the best vinegar, an even half-teaspoonful of salt, and a scant half-saltspoonful of white pepper. This combination should be made before the oil is added, as the salt does not dissolve in the oil, and gives the salad a gritty taste and a granulated appearance. When the salad is ready to serve, the leaves are coated with the oil-in place of which sweet cream or melted butter may be used-after which the seasoned vinegar may be added. Other methods of procedure may be found in the following collection of recipes, taken from almost as many different sources, and given as showing in a measure the exhaustless resources at command of the studious salad-maker. Orange Salad. Peel the oranges, prick them with a fork in several places and soak in cold water; put them in a preserving pan with boiling water and some shavings of the orange peel; boil for ten minutes; plunge them into cold water, put sufficient refined sirup into the preserving pan to cover the oranges, which drain well and boil in the sirup till quite thick. Take from the fire, pour the sirup and oranges into a deep dish, cut the fruit into quarters when cold, place in a dish with the shavings in the center, and pour the sirup over. Tomato Salad. Scald and peel two or three ripe tomatoes, lay them in ice water till very cold, and then slice them. Peel and slice very thin one or two small cucumbers. Put some fresh lettuce leaves in the salad bowl with one small, finely sliced spring onion; add the tomatoes and cucumbers, and serve with a plain dressing. Cauliflower Salad. Boil a cauliflower till about two-thirds done; let it get cold, then break it in branches, and lay them neatly in a dish. It is then ready for the dressing. Lettuce Salad. Freshen a head of lettuce, tear the leaves apart with the fingers, but do not cut them, as that impairs their crispness and flavor. Arrange the salad in a dish and pour over it a dressing made by grating half an onion, mixing it with a teaspoonful of lemon juice, a saltspoonful each of white pepper and mustard, dry; then gradually stir into these ingredients two tablespoonfuls of olive oil and two of vinegar. Sidney Smith's Famous Recipe. Two boiled potatoes strained through a kitchen sieve Four times the spoon with oil of Lucca crown, |