Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 February 1887 — HOUSEHOLD MATTERS. [ARTICLE]

HOUSEHOLD MATTERS.

Economy . In these days of “hard" times” anything that will serve to “lighten and brighten the road” seems almost a godsend. The problem of household economy is a great one, and one that many fail to solve; and it must be solved in a great degree by the women, not ladies, but the common-sense women, the workingmen’s wives, that struggle from day to day, from week to week, and looking forward into the dreary future see nothing but the same hopeless struggle. To you, my sisters, I would speak a few words of cheer. You remember in an old song this refrain: “There is never more night than day.” Let us have an experience meeting, and I will relate my own experience. In my early married days thedoctor’s carriage was oftenest at our gate, and the bills grew and grew as rapidly as Jack’s beanstalk. We were poor and discouraged, and that, with poor health, kept the black cloud hovering over us much larger than a mein’s hand. 'J hen our baby boy came, a weak, puny, and consequently a very fretful, baby/ The doctor was a daily visitor, we lived beyond our income, and could not help it, I then thought. But after many days tho cloud lifted, not all at once, but it began to show a silver lining. I learned that when tired nnd nervous if 1 took a sitz (or sitting) bath, warm enough to be pleasant, that I was rested and my nerves soothed. When baby was cross and feverish a warm bath was much better than powders and pills. I learned that eating graham bread, oatmeal porridge, vegetables, and fiuits well cooked kept that sociable, affable but seldom welcome visitor away. The baby began to increase in stature and weight, nnd to look as a baby should, when one cold night, never to be forgotten, he awakened us with that dreadful bark. Not a moment to spare, two miles to a physician, fires out, and our baby gasping for breath! What did we do? Pater-familias rushed to the kitchen, got some lard and held it in a spoon over the lamp to melt; while he, was doing that I was wringing, not my hands, but a towel out of cold water and laying it on his throat and lungs. When the lard was melted we gave it to him. While we were working I sent up a silent prayer to our Father for our little one’s life, and in sis. teen minutes I was the happiest mother on God’s earth. Our boy said “Ob, mamma!” He could talk and breathe. Soon Mr. J. bought a goose, and now I have plenty of oil for my neighbors nnd myself. I don’t wait until I hear the croup bark, but hard breathing and hoarseness always causes the “goose grease" bottle- to come forth, and then the soles of the feet, nose, chest, and back are oiled, and now I am cot afraid of croup. When our boy wns 3 years old a dnrling girl baby came to bless us with her presence. I had been preparing for her by dieting, bathing, and morning naps; was careful not to overwork, tried (o keep good-natured, cast my corsets aside forever, and when she came, a good“naturecUßeaHhy baby, I felt j fully repaid. I never rocked her to sleep, just laid her on her bed and she went to sleep without any trouble. Of course I bad to let her “cry it out” a few times, but that did not hurt her, and as I did all my work I could not spare the time to rock her to sleep. I often played with her and never neglected her, but did not Bpoil her. She cut her teeth easily, has never been sick, never taken a drop of. medicine, and is over 3 years old. She is the light of‘the bomb. By studying, but mostly by experience, we have learned to use the water cure for simple disorders; have chred the ague and fever with it, nnd we feel very independent of the doctor. Of course there are times when he is needed, 'but not often, and when that no small item of expense is shut off you may feel sure that better days are dawning. There are other ways of lessening household expenses, viz., dress plainer, furnish home as you need, not as you want, food that is plain, wholesome, and well cooked, but I will not touch upon them in this article. — Mrs. H. e. j.

Household V'rlnkles • Never let the tea boil. Kee£ tea in a close chest or canister. Before putting away heavy winter boots, soak and wash them thoroughly, then oil them well,. Clean chromos by dusting well with a soft cloth. A drop of oil on the cloth will brighten dull places. • Soap-bark, steeped in warm water and Strained, is excellent for washing soiled spots from men’s clothing. A little milk and water rubbed over oilcloths after they have been scrubbed and dried will freshen them. Save all your broken and crooked carpet tacks, and deeji them in a box in the kitchen, for cleaning bottles. They are better than shot, for the sharp edges scrape off all the stains. ~ YVHEN ! a carpet is to be put down, spread newspapers layer on layer, evenly on the bare floor. A dozen layers are none too many. They Will keep out the cold, and form as soft a footing as expensive carpet lining. But do not use the T. S. that way.