The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-05-20
For the Farmer and Mechanic
Where, oh, Where are the He
brew Children 2"

answer TO ron call, nOJlCc SuCn d gem
teel sufliciency'' Of unoccupled space in
our Household brigade that | feel tempt
ed to enquire with the poet:
''yVhere, oh, where are the Hebrew
children -
For not one Ewes daughters do | be-
hold -
To be sure it is busy seas on with the
most of US, for a backward spring
wherein the year seemed to be retro
grading to try another winter, has put
that WEAKNESS Of the flesh and spirit
house cleaning, way in arrears.
1t was no use to try and clean until
the carpets could be taken up, stoves
moved out, and wood boxes be relega
ted to the cellar, and certainly we have
not yet reached that point in tempera-
ture; at least, we have not staid there.
But all the same, the summer work
has to be done, aud inevitable making
over is always looming up to seize lis
prisoner. To say nothing OF sundry fur
tile attempts at gardening. AA this
takes up the time O. day" to the eX-
clusion Of other things far more agreea-
BILE.
When you do begin the deferred house
cleaning remember if you will pull all
your bed steads to pieces, and wash
every Joint, hole and groove with strong
alum water-it cannot be too strong
and paint over each washed place with
mixture of quicksilver and white OF
egg, (two egg whites and 5 cents worth
of quick liver r)wlll make enough paint,tol
four bedsteads. You beat the two to-
gether until the egg white is still
froth. it seems an impossible Job at first,
but steady beating will make a success OF
it, and you apply it with a teatherl
you will be delivered from 1.-The pesti-
lence that walketh in darkness but
don t limit its promenades strictly there
to. If your mattresses and beds are
not as Caesars wife should have seen,
you can also touch them up with the
same mixture. aud my word for it, you
will enjoy undisturbed repose.
Nanny says the proper time to clean
bedsteads is early in March, before the
full moon in March was her rule, and
then you stood fair chance of not hav-
Z inc To clean again.
When you begin to clean up take al
| the old magazines, illustrated newspa-
pers, aud the like and put them il
! box or a bundle and send them off tC
the nearest charitable institution that
YOU are interested in. also the christmas
easter. and birthday cards that are s
| little of color There will be plenty
of sick and forlo,n eyes that will be glad
dered by the sight of them.
Indeed you could teach your owl
/ |chiIdren lessons Of practical helpfu
charity by making them make scral
books for orphan Asylums, and hospi
tails. Take some grey or lead colOreC
paper cambric, old Holland linen, o.
any grey cotton cloth that is at hand
/ Cut it into pieces which when folded il
the middle will make leaves from twelve
TO sixteen inches square. Put as many
of these pieces together as you choose
but not less than sixteen, and faster
them with a basting thread to keep th(
middles in line, and then arm chllC
with scissors, a bottle of good mucilage
and a brush, and some clean cotton rag
with which to press the pictures dowr
after they are gummed, and to wipe o
any excess of mucilage. The pictures
should not come near than an inch t.
to the margin of the leaf on either side
though they can go to the edge at tol
and bottom.
Let the child use its own taste in Sc
lecting and arranging (subject OF cOurs
to your advice) all sorts Of pictures
cards notices, engravings, etc, an
pasting them neatly and firmly on bot
sides ofeach leaf. When finished, max
two holes through the middle OF th
leaves equi-dstant from the ends an
each other, and draw a bright colore
ribbon or piece of dress braid throug
them and tie in bow, and your scra
book is ready to 90 on its mission OF low
and cheering to some of Chrit's suffer
ing, OF homeless little ones. "Despls
not the day of small things could we
J be one of the texts chosen for our dali
life 1t is the little things that make u
the sum of our days's happiness or trol
BILE. Small plans where thoughttulnes
could help or cheer others constant
occur if you choose to see them, even
those of us who can never give or
: much at any one time.
For example we could send newspi
pers, magazir es or Seaside library booE
0 which we have read to some less fort,
nate neighbor, either near at hand {
through the mail.
A wish to give and little thougl
l and trouble is all that is needed. i
| take heed to little things will often say
ourselves a vast deal of work and weal
ness in the days duties.
If one has no cook for example al
has TO endure ante-mOrtem crematC
the operation should be as painless
possible, and al labor saving deyic,
resorted to that will tighten in any W.
the frey trial oil summer cooking.
. have lately discovered what saving
strength it is to have a good stror
] round handle to the spoon with VIII,
i. YOU beat up batter, or stir thing. \ WOO
en- spoon Is no.e2d of comfort.
Among our Easter presents from
J friend of quaint yet practical taste We
three things of great usefulness, and
cheap as be in reach of the most limitt
means.
One was Silver's Egg Timer, a card ,
which was marked graduated spaces, al
E a little reversible glass cylinder attac
ed to it, full of sand, on the old hou
glass principle.
Hang it By two tacks on the kltcht
), wall, and when you put your eggs on
cook-see first that the water Is DoIlil
at the moment you put the eggs into 1t
reverse the glass when the sand fills t
. corner, end up to the level opposite t
degree you want them cooked. take the
out, and they viii be done to the degr
marked on the indicator. 1t is mu
more convenient than timing them
your watch, Another thing was an iro
dish rag, a net work of flexible steel ring
to clean pots and pans in which al
thing has stuck or burnt. 1t is sort
scraper much more convenient to u
than a knife. Just fling it in the p
and with a mop or other dish cloth. ii