The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1876-09-09
House-kept Women.

Probably it is true, rs the wise one
tells us, that we women should have
fewer "blues" if we spent more OF our
time in the open air. In the State Re
ports concerning the condition of in
sane asylums, it is mentioned rs one OF
the chief causes of the excess of female
over male lunatics, that women live in
doors too much, and breathe too little
out door air. Our silly and barbarous
costume is one thing in the way OF
our regular daily exercise out of doors.
It is almost too absurd to believe, and
vet it is true, that hundreds and per-
haps thousands of good, decent Amer
lean women wear in their kitchens, and
about their daily work, skirts that touch
the floor. They make their calico dress
es according to the prevailing mode,
with under and over-skirt, "caught up"
and "tied back" when fashion says so.
When these come to be old dresses, to
be worn on washing days, how ridicu-
lous they are! And when they are out
of style what silly shapes they have!
Others wear dresses made in plain and
simple styles, which ''just clear the
floor" or ''just touch the feet" But
even this mitigated form of womans
slavery to skirts does not render wo-
man free to run out of doors at mo-
ments notice, as man can, without care
and anxiety for her clothing. When
the dew is on the grass, when q shower
has Just fallen, when the walks are
muddy, she will probably stay in the
house unless obliged to 60 out. Per-
haps she wears slippers in the house,
and cannot afford the trouble of chang
ing them for thick shoes, or Of putting
on rubbers. No house is worth the
name of home which has nowhere about
it shady porch or airy shed where
housekeeper or hired girl can sit down
in cool comfort, to shell the peas, hull
the Strawberries, or peel the potatoes;
where she can sit her ironing table and
wash her dishes without foregoing fresh
breezes and near neighborhool to grass
and vines. Thoreau, who had con-
tempt for such treasures as most NOR
tails love to lay up here below, observed
that when man had comprised his de-
sire and got him home, it seemed at
ter all to be the house that had got him.
So it is with many women-their houses
keep them quite as much as they keep
the houses. --FHHh ROt tester.
GRAPE REFUSE VINEGAR. - Where
grapes are made into wine, a fine article
of vinegar can also be produced. Take
the stalks of the grapes, and the skins
and seeds, and let them heat in a vat or
tub for four or five days; then to about
every 30 pounds of the refuse, add four
gallons of water, and stir it up we'll.
Repeat this process three or four times
a day for two days, then strain or
squeeze out the liquor into cask or
tub, and DIP slice of bread into tea
cupful of yeast, and add the whole to
the liquor. Let it work until it ceases
to hum. then cover the bung hole with
Il piece of wood. and let it remain until
well soured, which will be in few
days if the weather is warm. Then put
it into cool cellar, and if it looks a lit
tie muddy, mix quarter OF pound OF
isinglass with just enough cold water to
cover it; let it stand ten minutes, and
then turn over it pint of boiling water
and let it boil until it is dissolved; then
turn it into the vinegar. In week or
so it will be perfectly clear and can be
kept tightly bunged up.
Orro OF ROSES. this time of the
year, when so many rose leaves fall to
the ground and are wasted, every lady
can If she chooses, manufacture deli
cious perfume Mt cost of less than fifty
cents, and in few minutes time. Take
two-gallon glass jar and fill full OF
clean, freshly picked rose leaves. Then
cork it tight, and take two ounce phial
and fit the neck into the cork OF the two
gallon jar. Cut some sponge into mar
row strips; soak them in good oil, free
from smell or rancidity; put the strips
into the small phial, turn it upside down,
and put the neck into the bung OF the
large jar. Place them in the sun for
four days and the heat will distil the
rose leaves, and the aroma will ascend
and saturate the oil in the sponge. Put
in fresh leaves about four times and you
will have small phial of the finest otto
of roses that can possibly be made, and
in quantity sufficient to scent the clothes
and handkerchiefs of q family for q
year. Pure otto of roses cost $50 per
ounce. Be sure and keep it we'll cork
ed, or it will evaporate.
DUTIES OF MOTHER.-She should
be firm, gentle, kind, always ready to
attend to her child. She should never
laugh at him-at what lie does that is
cunning-never allow him to think of
his looks, except to he neat and clean in
all his habits. She should teach him to
obey look; to respect those older than
himself; she should never make q COM
k1~oA &C. o~co