The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1885-05-09
Things in Quaker City
PHIILADEL

But the past week has brought April
showers and the pastures are taking upon
themselves the garnature of virgin beauty.
But with the return of balmy air comes
the evolution of housekeeping, when
the powers that be" turn the house up
side-down in the vain, but generally sue
cessful, hunt after dirt and vermin. The
life of the bug is not happy one in
many respects, and in some homes is
hated by the busy housewife with
deadly hatred. Slaughtered ruthlessly
in their dens, smothered by deadly pow
ders, their secluded spots being made I'M
tenable by soaps and varnish. the poor
back-biter has a hard row to hoe, and
nine chances out of dozen fails to get
his work in without dire revenge. There
are different ways of going for bugs.
Some women go after them with red-hot
pokers and burn them out, but this plan
ends so disastrously to the bed that in
the course of two or three borings out of
a bedstead the screwholes are worn so
big that the screws won't fasten securely,
and in some instances the bed tumbles
down some where in the dead of the
night in one grand crash that wakes up
the whole neighborhood. Other good
housewives hearing of the purifying
effects of varnish give the bed good
coat of the same about the crevices, bury
ing in living tomb the home-like insect,
but when moving day comes around the
taking down of that bed is like the pry-
ing assunder of an alligator's mouth who
has the lock jaw. The bed comes apart,
but you generally knock a window out
before the feat is accomplished
Some salt the beds, and pepper the
bugs. This is good plan, but it don't
pan out we'll The salt soon loses its
SAVIOR, and in course of time whetens the
appetite of the bug, and when they come
out of their seclusion in search for blood
they carry grain of alkali with them
for seasoning purposes.
One good way to get rid of bugs in
beds is to take the bed out on an open
lot and let the boys stone it; its bound
to knock the bugs out. Then take it to
some secondhand shop and put it on the
front pavement with the inscription on it
THIS BUGGY FOR SALE"
1t is hardly worth while to express an
opinion on the war cloud hanging over
Europe. Twenty-four hours may decide
it one way or the other, and as long as
there is no declaration SO we can have no
definite ideas either of one side or the
other as to who will back out or to de-
clare the terrible shock of arms. Specu-
lators are laying low for the declaration
to be made that will devastate property
and give up the ghosts of millions of
men, knowing as they do that wheat, the
great factor of the world, will not stay at
its present market prices, and will in all
probability draw into this upward rise
many more staples. That it will be
fierce and bloody one if it does come, no
one doubts, and although we Americans
are mostly prejndiced against England,
yet all must admit that Russia is not
fighting Turks when her legions are
marching to the conquest of the country
upon whose territory the sun never sets"
1t would no doubt be beneficial to this
country in many ways to have war in
Europe, and if there could be way in
which the battles could be fought with
out the loss of life attending such, then
we would say, let the ball be opened.
Speaking of speculation brings to my
mind the keen perception Americans
have to corner things in advance The
death of General Grant was looked for
ward to as national bereavement, where
In the houses of many would have been
decorated with the habiliments ofmourn-
ing. understand that there were many
enterprising firms who were laying in
vast quantities of this particular fabric
expecting a rise in price. But as to real
izing their scheme it has been, so far,
failure, for the old General holds on to
life as though he would even cheat the
doctors. The whole tenor of Grants
sickness shows what a strong will he has,
and proves that as general in the army
there was no such word as fail, if he once
started out on a campaign This hang
ing'of Grape on the outer wall may be
delayed for some time to come, although
the doctors keeps the spirits up of these
would-be spectators by telling the pub
lie that Grants disease is cancerous one
and no mistake. The Hon Chas. O'Con-
ner of New York, was another instance
where the doctors failed to come to time
as regards death, for he finally recovered |
after consultation had pecided that his
case was hopeless.
SPRING THOUGHTS FOR COUNTRY PEOPLE, |
The good gardener will begin to plant
bean poles about this time We've |
bean" there before and have planted
the beans with their eyes down so far
that they have never come up to see the
poles.
Let the cows out to pasture as soon as
the grass is long enough to cover their
noses, and get them accustomed to green
things, so they won't break into your
sweet corn patch and get the collie and
cause you to get up about two o'clock in
the morning and stab them with pitch
fork
Study well the habits of your poultry
yard, and tie string about the old
ROSTERS leg SO he won't entice the hens
too far away from the barn, as it is dan
gerous for them to steal nests in the
moving field on account of the mower.
Whitewash the trees so they won't
bark, and let the boys stay home from
school to 60 a fishing in the afternoon
after they have tried the STRENGTH of tbn