The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1874-05-28
HOME TOPICS.
BY FAITH ROCHESTER,.

Town-peopleS CRITICISMS on country r%fe'
The de will soon be setting again from
cItv to country. City people are generally
ready to pay country people q good price
for comfortable lodgings and board during
fine hot summer months; but they make
many complaints of disappointment In re-
spect to the fare which they are Obliged 10
take up with along vita rural life among
the farmers.
have had several months OF city lie
lately, but the country seems likely to become
nv permanent home, and that speedily
whereof am glad. So may speak freeiy o.
the shortcomings of country housekeepers
and hoaseholders, as one VINO may De inciuo-
ed somehow in the general castigatlon
A friend writes to me in private letter !:
az do think that there Is a deal of missionary
work to be done among farmers wives. l
was sometimes vexediwith the family where
boarded to see how every drop OF cream
was converted into butter and heavy lard
pie.crust set before us while cracked wheat,
graham meal, and oat meal were unheard
of. felt like exclaiming that good farmers
fare was the most indigestible in the world.
The inevitable pig occupies so prominent
a place in their household economy that l
was tempted to wish that hog-plague
would sweep through the country
So large o proportion of those who lice
from the city during summer are in pursuit
of healthier conditions of living that it seems
as thoAgh it would be the fair and Christian
course fer us who have any of them to en-.
terrain to give some study to the subject OF
the preservation of health by natural means.
First the air. There is plenty of pure, life-
giving oxygen out-of-doors, but the air OF
many country houses Is constantly ioul ana
poisonous. say that which | do know.
The windows are opened to ventilate the
dwelling, perhaps; but ignorance has done
it's best in many cases to make supply OF
pnre air indoors, even in the breezy summer
time, literally impossible until great chan
ges are effected. On one side there is pere
hans big horse barn and cattle shed, with
piles of fermenting manure. On another
side is row of foul pigrpens; on another
the Stops from the kitchen and pantry are
thrown ont to decay and fsrment and send
UP their fetid gases under the floor of the
dwelling is the unclean cellar perhaps, where
very likely there is no such provision for
ventilation as allows fresh breeze to sweep
through it, and where, possibly, some Of last
years vegetables are going to decay. Then
there is perhaps an open, unshaded "out-
house." neglected ard disgusting. So it
seems hardly possible for the dear, good
winds of heaven to blow toward the house
from any quarter without bringing deadly
poison along with them. There is no disa-
greement among scientific men, including all
educated physicians, as to the fact of the
poisonous nature of all these foul odors that
arise fr ON decaying animal and vegetable
matter.
DO you ask what shall be done with refuse
matter? Our wise Creator is trying to teach
us the folly of all waste, and that everything
ia good in its place. The manure FROM which
the early Dutch farmers of New York used
to move their barns away and leave behind
as useless, is now priced and cared for as of
great value to make the land give forth It's
crops. We can not longer afford the deep
vaults as receptacles of human excrement {;
we can not afford to pollutc our rivers OF
water with it by means of sewers. A little
pulverized dry earth scattered in mercy over
each addition TO this kind of ''refuse" or
"waste" matter turns all its apparent fcul-
ness into treasure for the farmer, fruit~grower
and florist The kitchen Stops poured into a
compost heap and properly worked and
mixed with soil save the premises from evil
and yield their blessing to the garden and the
field.
DIFFICULTY WITH GRAHAM GEMS, Ought
to "fuss" a little? Well. do You know ?-l
couldn't make graham gem fit to eat ior
weeks and weeks last summer Actually
L got to thinking lbat graham gems must bs
humbug, for tried every way, and nobody
would eat my gems If they coulc get any
other bread. did not banker for them
myself. .2r
There came an article in Hearth and
Home, beginning with the question ''Did
anybody ever see any of those wonderful
graham gems, made only offour and water
which are said to be perfectly light and
sweet, perfect puffs, etc.," This artlcl,
harmonized with the mood into which j hat
fallen, and despite all my happy experience
of years gone by. | began to read it aloud II
a triumphant tone to my husband, who hat
not ceased to sigh for good graham gems.
looked up after reading little Way, an.
met such look of astonishment lat my ton
and manner suppose) that laid down tn
paperto hear the grave remark But "
have had graham gems made only with fou