davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-05
Household Hints.

Rub your black walnut sewing ma
chine. tables, your cabinet organ, or any
piece of solid furniture you may have,
with cloth moistened with kerosene oil,
and you will quickly see an improve
ment. but keep it away from varnish.
When putting away the silver, tea or
coffeepot, which is not used every day,
lay little stick across the top under the
cover. This will allow fresh air to get
in and prevent the mustiness of the con-
tents, familiar to hotel and boarding,
house sufferers.
Grape may be renovated by thoroug hly
brushing all dust from the material,
sprinkling with alcohol anG rolling in a
newspaper, commencing with the paper
and Grape together. so that the paper
may be between every portion of the ma
terial. Allow it to remain so until dry.
A convenient article for the kitchen is
stout tin box, in which may be kept
the stove polish and brushes and cloths
used about the stove. 1t should have a
handle and cover. 1t will pay for itself
over and over, in lessening the cleaning
of the shelf upon which brushes and
backing are usually kept, and it will BIZ
found also that more attention will b.
given to the stoves where the necessary
means are so easily carried about from
room to room.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-05
Fashion Notes.

Pearls are the present Partisan fashion.
Orchids are the latest rage among the
Gner plants.
The navy blue blouse is revived for
little girls spring wear.
Silver beads are worn in two or more
strands, according to the fancy of the
wearer.
miniature swans head and breast,
nesting in feathers, is seen on some
French bonnets.
Steel bonnets. with ruby velvet strings
and ruby algrette, are considered be-
coming by Parisians.
For dinner parties large quantities of
palms, dracenas and tree ferns are used
Tor decorating purposes.
Leather garters lined with soft flannel
OF bright color and fastened with a
buckle are very fashionable again.
Pincushions are made in shape of gold
horseshoes, the cushion part being of
velvet or plush, raised in the crevices.
Numbers of small brilliant brooche
and pins are put. into gathered lace
| waistcoats from the throat to the waist
The full lace fronts to bodices are
called s. blouse fronts, and are princi
! pally seen in fcelle or thread colored
lace.
Ornamented hairpins are much worn
| this season. Some are of gold, set with
gems, others are of silver and tortoise
shell.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-05
FOR FEMININE READERS,
Wooden Lace.

Wooden lace is another lately revived
novelty, and is used in the millinery dc,
partment as well as on dresses for ola
and young. In its former days OF popu,,
larity the designs in which it appeared
were very limited, and there was about
them coarseness that even the useful
ness and durability of the lace could not
compensate for. In its recent revival,
however, there is not only greater va
riety of designs, but the quality is much
improved, and even the heaviest grades
are soft in texture, while the finest quail
ties are much improved and are exceed
ing!y delicate and admirable in finish.
A special advantage OF the lace is that 1t
comes in all colors and shades and varl-
Gus widths. In some of the more snowy
styles tinsel threads are woven with
carelessness that is only seeming. Even
for evening toilettes these wooden laces
of all colors, with the designs embrold-
cred with gold or steel, and sometimes
with both, are used. In effect skeln
of gold or silver has been dropped among
those Of wool, and found its own way
in little f1ecks through the wooden
ground, but in reality every spot OF gold
is carefully placed and arranged with
view to its future effectiveness.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-05
Bound to Say his Prayers.

Mrs. Speedy, in her Wanderinss in
the Soudan," relates the following cur
ious episode: After a long days march
she was lust settling herself down to
sleep when her host, an Arab telegraph
clerk, separated from her Only by thin
partition, began to say his prayers in a
loud sing song chant. She demonstrated;
for time there was silence; she was fall
ing asleep when the clerk began his
prayers again. Again she demonstrated,
again there was brief silence, to be
broken, alasl too soon by the indie
fatigable clerk, who once more began
saying his prayers " da capo, this time
faster than ever It was like speaking
by machinery; the whirr and buzz was
terrific We learned next morning that
our host belonged to sect which obliged
him to repeat his prayers aloud, and
which also enjoinod as one of its most
stringent rules that the voice of either a
woman, donkey, or dog, if heard at
any time during the service, made it
necessary that the whole of the prayers
should be repeated"
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-05
:: Cd p4etsttixealsgttbn M111s.

sthe- seuthsjus now lis building SO
MANY COTTON ihtffss,,- it might be we'll to
cali attentionto the face. that the most
.prosperous mills in Great Britain arc
those run on cooperative principles, at.
gid The frsf cooper mill was
established at that town twenty years
ago, the employees Hein s5gHen an interest
in the establishing ut and its earnings.
SINCE then CO .operi ttSoa- has become -mprc
and more common; and what was at first
anse xperment Is pafsfn aGkhd W7aaaged
4hefe de -to.tlay 1sdVenfs one
cooperative cotton mills in Oldham with
1877, 600, 900 ofckphal operating 4, 217. :
COS spindies, apd.selinge $27 ,9Ql, 900 Of
goods annualfY kEa,he outfit re presents
more spindles thai there are i in Russia,
Italy, Spain, s92a ssAast riasS and nearly as
many as in Ge.x1aarls or France. ~.
Epgland's ability to compete for the
cotton goods trade, of HE world is nearly
wholly due .t9 these co=operative mills,
agement, havA enabled a2sh it to reduce th.-
margin of psssa3a profit between the
cost OF cotton afd the price of yard oye1-
twenty per cent.
8 Ere being ereeted
dSTasT nSzeVtf7Ih '3fundni ncW cOmYa-
MES, withs ,Na, gQespiaules and SO, 500,
900 of capital having been organized.
during the past year.
It's scarcely NECESSARY to point out the
sdistlngn acteristic of these CO.
operative mills and the advantages they
possess: The Strict supervision of them,
the natural fidelity of the operatives, who
are interested in their profits, arc two
very important factors which have tended
to make co operation so great success
in England. We have never tried them
in this country, although, as matter of
fact, a very large proportion of the stock
of Fall river mills is owned by the ope-
ratives but with the rapid development
of this industry in the United States the
time cannot be far distant when we will
enjoy the advantages of cooperative
mills, which encourage, stimulate, and
educate the operatives. Orleans
Times Democrat.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-05

Gus. Where the catch of clover last year
failed barley is probably the best spring
grain to seed with Where clover seed
is sown with the grain bushel and a
bushel and half of barley per acre Is
sufficient seeding.
An apple tree that has been long
plowed around will generally have one
deep tap root with branches below where
the pillow can reach. 1t is not nearly 50
difficult to dig out such tree as might
be supposed, provided it is alive. When
the layer of earth is removed and a few
roots cut, the weight of the top strains
the roots so that they are readily severed
on one SIDE A rope attached to the TOP
limbs and pulled by two or three men at
a little distance on the ground helps
this exceedingly.
Where cornstalks are dry and hard
when cut it will not pay to mix meal or
other fine feed with them for feeding.
Cattle will nose them over to lick
off the meal, and finally leave much of it
to be wasted and thrown out on the ma
nure heap. But if cooked sufficiently to
incorporate the meal with the stalks, cat
tie will eat the whole. Whether this
will pay or not, depends on the kind of
stock, abundance or scarcity of labor,
and general facilities for cooking food.
1t may not pay with small herd, while
it will with large one.
American farmers will scarcely credit
the fact that on the experimental grounds
at Rothamstead, England, wheat has
been grown forty years in succession
without manure, and averages fourteen
bushels per acre. But the other side OF
this story helps to explain it. The land
is thoroughly titled after each harvest
before seeding, is carefully hoed the fol-
lowing spring. and not weed is allowed
to grow. The fourteen bushels, there
fore, represent the amount of plant food
which good culture will develop IN mod
erately fertile soil without manure.
All kinds of domestic animals fed
upon dry hay require an abundant supply
of water. 1t is true that sheep can live
without it when they can have access to
pure snow, but that they suffer severely
when deprived of it is evident from their
lack of thrift Every farmer who keeps
sheep should see that his flock has free
access to the watering trough at all
times, and the nearer the water to their
feed racks the: better. By watching
ferlkg cat sgpp4lied:s with water close at
hand, it will be noticed that a sheep will
occasionally 1eaye the hay, step to the
water and sip little, then return to the
feed rack. This is much better for:the
animals than it would be to drink
heartily once or twice day in cPld
weather. n
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-05
Waking at Will.

A business man says that Tor years ne
has been in the habit of waking himself
at any hour he wished simply by impress
ing upon his mind before going to sleep
the fact that he must awake at that time,
and saying further that he seldom varies
five minutes from the moment which ne
had assigned himself. We have very
distinct recollection of many instances IN
which we have ourselves tried the expe-
1iment with success, and at one tlme'
when it was necessary for considerable
period for us to wake on certain Gays OF
the week at very early hour, to take tue
first train to the place where our services
were then needed, we had an opportunity
of studying the circumstances unoef
which this peculiar species of selt~con-
troll is most easily exercised. during
this period we found no difficulty IN
waking regularly within about i've MIN
utes of the time necessary to enable us 10
reach the train comfortably, although ior
a portion of the time this involved getting
up long before daylight; but we dlscoV-
cred also that in order to wake with pre-
cision at the right moment and to rest
quietly until it arrived, it was necessary
to look at our watch just before gong TO
sleep. If we neglected this precautlon
we were apt to sleep uneasily y, waking
first an hour or more before the proper
time, and allowing ourselves IN conse,
quence only short maps afterward until
the minute arrived for getting up. what
ever part of our mind, it might have been
that took charge of waking us seemed to
begin it's count of the hours from the
time at which we composed ourselves to
sleep, and if we did not inform ourselves
of this our conscious reckoning was cor
respondingly uncertain and the effort to
wake vague, but if we took clear note
of the time in the evening we could
sleep peacefully through the whole of the
allotted interval, sure to be aroused at
or near its expiration.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-05

Artistic copper and other metal work
is all the rage now. This work takes
the form of lamps, trays, afterdinner
coffee sets, etc.
Wax candles in silver candlesticks or
candelabra, are fashionable now IN
dining rooms, where the table IS lighted
with two or more candelabra, according
to its length.
A prettier dress for young girl in her
fresh beauty could not be than simple
tulle made over taffeta silk skirt. Some
of these in white, with soft surah sash
in becoming colors are most fairy like
Chemisettes of lace, high to the throat
or square, with very long transparent
sleeves, are now worn with the velvet
bodices cut like stays The bodlces arc
newer than the kid ones, and are worn
with lace skirts.
Very little ornament is worn in the
hair Matrons wear small feather fas-
tened with diamonds; younger women
wear an artif cial flower ;the idea IS merely
to suggest ornament, and not to spoil
the contour of the head by overlooking
it.
A black brocaded velvet dolman has
sleeves of deep red velvet, SO closely
covered with cut jet beads that only a
CLINT of color is visible here and there.
A capote to match is made of red velvet
beaded in the same way, with a large
bow of black velvet for the same trim
ming.
Among the ssrevivals'' of fashion for
evening toilets is the low silk or satin
coroa ra up6or q cnoond one If lace The
low corsage has short sleeves and Is cut
round on the shoulders, as an under bod
ice cut in a square in the neck would
have an ungraceful effect under the
transparent lace. The low bodice matches
the underskirt in color.
The chang" is doomed. London
women and girls who make UP fashion.
able society have entirely abandoned the
bang, and all styles of wearing the hair
down on the forehead. They brush
their hair straight back, showing the
whole of the forehead and temples, knot
it very carelessly on the very top of the
head, and wear it without the faintest
suspicion of curl or crimp.
A bridal dress of plain and silver bro
caded satin, with design of lilies of
the valley, has the bodice and train Of
the brocade, trimmed with duchesse
lace. The bodice has the ''V" shaped
opening filled in with tulle The under
skirt is of the plain satin with large
plaits. and has a narrow box plating
around the bottom OF the: skirt under
the ,plaits.< The front bread th il, draped
long and full, ia hing I'd d cascade at ,Ahp
lefU@side c3 .,ss * e = III -
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-05

For our own sakes and our children's
we cannot afford to loose a single great
thought, or good deed, or beautiful
conception of those who have gone be.
fore u.s. Ruskin says. ''be assured shat
ali the best Things and treasures of this
word are not to be produced by each
generation for itself, but we are all in
tended, not to carve our work on snow
that will melt, but each and all of us to
be rolling great white gathering snow
ball, higher and higher. larger and
larger, along the Alps Of human power. !"
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-05
A Matter of Talk.

It has been estimated that a. public
speaker says in one hour, On an average,
what, if printed, would occupy fifteen
octave pages. In ordinary conversation
words flow from the lips quite as rapidly
as in public speech. Surprising, then,
that all the talk of one day be estimated
as equivalent to four hours consecutive
speaking. a man says in one week what,
if printed, would be an octave volume
of 800 pages. In one year he speaks
fifty-two such volumes; and in thirty
years he would have an extensive library
of 1,565 volumes. It is matter of re
joicing that the talk of society is not
thus printed and perpetuated. = New
York Tribune.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-05
A Clear Voice.

Mr.. Charles IT, Krebs, 737 Madison
avenue, Baltimore, Maryland, we'll known
in banking circles, certifies to the excel
Ience of the Red Star Cough Cure. A
few doses speedily cured his neice OF
severe hoarseness and sore throat. 1t is
pleasant to take. No one can be poisoned
by this remedy, which is free from opium,
morphia and other dangerous drugs.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-05

There is one point in each life at
which all things appear in their true
colors. It is the point of death. All il
sions vanish there. There are no false
estimates of deeds in the light of that
hour. The things we shall wish then
that we had done are things we
ought to have done. The things that
will look fair and lovely as we sit in the
cleaning of life's day are the things that
are truly lovely. The things that will
shame us then are the things that God
have done.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-05
Farm and Garden Notes.

Mutton tallow is good to prevent COWS
teats from cracking.
If potatoes are kept in cellar six
months, they will shrink 10 per cent. in
weight.
Ensilage is specially adapted to old
COWS as it is as succulent and as easily
digested as grass.
Coal ashes are not of much use except
in garden walks and to fill in wet places
around the house.
1rhas been found that good remedy
for cabbage worms, to be sprinkled on
the heads, is made by dissolvine a ia
blespoonful of saltpeter in twelve quarts
of water.
Dry rot in trees is transmissabie dis
ease, and one diseased tree is capable of
injecting whole nursery. Therefore,
look well to your trees. Clear away the
dead and diseased trees.
When the ground around a pigpen is
thoroughly underdrained, as it should
be, bare earth makes the best and GER
talnly the most desirable floor A fresh
supply of loose earth should he thrown
in twice year and removed as manure
whenever it becomes rich enough.
It is unsafe applying salt in contact
with cut sect potatoes, but, after the
plants are up, little sprinklcd over the
hills will repel worms, and on some land
will make bright, clean tubers, which
would otherwise have been affected with
scab. The salt also helps to keep the
soil moist in dry time.
The richer the feed the better the
manure. This is an old saying, and
generally true. The scarcest elements,
however, in manure, are the phosphate
of lime and nitrogen. Phosphate is
largely found in the coarse parts oil
grain, that have little feeding value
But it is not possible for farmer to
fatten stock without making much valu
able manure.
A difference of four quarts of milk pei
day, at the low price of two cents pei
quart, makes, for 800 days, 1874, which
is the interest for $500 for year. This
does not repres ent the entire difference
In value, as the progeny of superior
mixers will be worth many times as
much to raise as will the progeny of the
inferior animal. No farmer is ricl
enough to afford to keep poor cows.
Barley is commonly sown after some
hoed crop, usually corn or potatoes
Good yield may, however, be secured or
stubble plowed early in the spring, Of
better still, fall plowed the year previ
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-05
~"
Queer Wedding Customs i'm Nor sHay

In Norway the marriage festivtiessex=
tend over several days. Early in the af
ternoon of the day which precedesa the
wedding the guests appear, and are weE
coined in the courtyard by bridefana
bridegroom, with an offering of beer ana
spirits. When all are assembled theA
are invited by the schoolmaster, who acts
as master of ceremonies, to partake Of;
the meal prepared. They sit doWn at a
shining table, over which no cloth is
spread, and. after, grace has besn said
and psalm sung to the accompaniment
of two syfoiins, doejustice to 'thas simple
repast. Flat cakes serve as plattsrs, and
every body cuts the viands witt his or
her own knife, using the fngeaAs of 1.-The
left hand as fork. The greater part OF
the night is spent in reveling ma dancE
ing. The next morning at 8 the bird 9
and bridegroom .appear"fu1ly sssed il
their wedding finery and ready to pro-
coed to church. The most coAspica ous
ornaments of the bride are the. wed q ing
crown and a number.of necklaces, both
times of exquisite ancient workmanship.
F." In some parts sof Norway, especial Sin
the province Of 5Hardanger, tisss brisfe
wearaa purple robe, richly braided aid
embroidered with gold. The wedding
party then proceeds to church, eithersby
water in boats or by land on horseback.
The first boat contains bride AID brides
groom, two bridesmaids, the twt best men
and the fddlers; the second boat IS
rowed by six boys and the third: bysix
girls. If the journey is made on horse
back the musicians open the procession
then follow the bridegroom surrounded
by his friends and male relations; the
| bride, escorted by her bridemaids, and
ultimately the rest of the invited guests.
The cavalcade never stops on its way to
church, but the return journey takes a
long time. From every homestead on
the way shots are fired to announce the
approach of the newly welded pair, who
have then to dismount, acknowledge the
greeting and partake of the customary
offering of beer or liquor.
At last the home is reached, and the
company Immediately sits down to the
wedding dinner, at which bride and
bridegroom preside. When the meal is
over the ''cradle tax" is collected. The
bridegroom's father commences by plac.
ing in a tin dish, which stands in front OF
the bride, bank note and two silver
spoons. friends. relations and guests fol
lowing his example with lesser gifts. In
this way more than one hundred thalers
are sometimes collected The rest of thu
wedding day is spent in drinking ano
dancing, and ultimately the pair are es
corted to their chamber by the guests
with lighted candles. On the third da,
the wedding gifts are presented Eaci
glver announces in loud voice in wha
his offering consists, and shakes hand
with the bride and bridegroom. TIL,
revelries and rejoicings at the home
stead of the welded pair are then con
tinued until the next following Sunday
when the festivities are brought to
definite end.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-05
Recipes.

PIE CRUsT.-Three cups of sifted
flour, half teaspoonful of baking pow
der, pinch of salt, one cupful Of milk,
one cupful of lard. -
COLD CAKE.-One cup of butter, two
cups of sugar, yolks of twelve eggs, one
and three-quarter pints of flour, two and
a half teaspoonfuls of baking powder,
one cup of milk. Bake fifty minutes.
] TEA CAKE.-One cup Of butter, one
cup of sugar, five eggs, one pint Of flour,
two teaspoonfuls Of baking powder, one
cup of dried currants, half a cup of milk.
Bake in a moderate oven forty minutes.
C1TRoN CAKE.-Three cups sugar, one
and half cups butter, five eggs. two
teaspoonfuls of baking powder, enc pint
of flour, one cupful of citron cut in thin
slices. Rub the butter and sugar to a
light cream; add the eggs, beaten light;
sift the flour and powder. together; add
butter, citron. Bake in paper lined cake
pan, in a moderate oven, fifty minutes
: Sour SToCK.-Put a, beef bone weigh
ing. three pounds into three quarts. of
water, and set on to boil. Cut up:small
pound of lean ham or bacon, fry brown.
then add. the liquor from, the bones
cover up the: kettle and simmer. FIVE
hours, strain, through ahair sieve aHd
set by till cold; remove the, fat and it
will be; ready for any soup that may be
required.
ROAST OF MUTToN.-Put little salt
and water into dripping pan, haste joint
for short time with it, then use gravy
from meat itself. basting every ten min
/ 11foc NTH ro,nI ~
The wether leg of mutton is best for
roasting. A leg of mutton, if too large.
can be divided, and knuckle boiled. BY
part cut off, to keep in gravy, it can be
roasted, by which means two roast din
/ ners can be had from one joint.
How TO Cook AN OLD FowL.-An old
hen is not without value. Even if toe
tough for fricessee or roasting, she may
assist in making excellent foundation fol-
soup. A delicious soup is made by cut
ting up an ancient fowl and boiling hel
until all the goodness is extracted; strair
and skim this stock; to every two quarts
of stock allow three ounces of sago or Of
tapioca, to be washed in hot water arc
boiled in the stock for one hour; put the
yolks of two eggs into basin and ado
half pint of milk, or cream, if possible
pour into it gradually little of the no
soup, stirring it vigorously so that it viii
not curdle, then pour it into the hot
soup; stir it all up we'll, but do not let i
boil; season to the taste With salt ant
pepper and any herb you choose. Thu
delicate flavor of the soup should not b.
overpowered or hidden by too high sea
soning.
The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-05
Ways that are Dark.

Pickpockets have rings With delicate
spring Iancefs or cutting hooks inthem,
which they, very adroit1y use IN cutting
-open pockets. Gamblers and other sharp
ers have rings with. small but pe#erfal
mirrors, by which, they can discover
cards while dealingls,.apd there are. are many
other devices too numerous to mention: