Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-10-27
A pREAKrAsr rApLE pARoMrrER.

A BREAKFAST TABLE BAROMETER.
| Is it not pity that SO much scientific
energy and research should be wasted in
providing forecasts of the unpleasant
weather forwarded to US regularly from
Washington, when every household and
every lodger has at his daily disposal-so
it would seem-an infallable meteoro-
logical prophet in the shape Of a cup of
ordinary cafe au lait, taken with sugar.
Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof !;
few pine to penetrate the secrets of the
morrow. To discover those of the coming
six hours or so all that they have to do
is to drop two Jumps of the "best loaf" ex-
actly in the center of cup filled with
coffee and milk in just proportions, and
then to watch the surface of that refresh
ing beverage. Gaseous bubbles will pres
emily rise and gather together in group
or groups. If they make sudden rise to
the side of the cup much rain" will be
the order of the day Should their &C.
centric movement be performed with
stately deliberation "showery" will be the
word If however, they retain their
stately central station, slowly rotating
until they burst, the barometer that does
not indicate 'set fair may be assumed not
to know its business.
| This is the latest of the thousand and
one unerring appliances of weather wis
dom, and bubble prognostication looks as
oinopIa nc fortuna-tallinu
A SAD SITUATION.
One of the saddest stories we have read
for many day has been told by an Odessa
correspondent, slightly lifting the somber
veil that hides life of the wretched exile
beyond the Siberian frontier, showing how
pathetic is the alienation OF JOY and sor-
row in the political convicts existence. A
Tobolsk journal briefly describes the mar
riage ceremony between the former Russian
officer, condemned to ten years hard labor
in the mines and lifelong banishment, and
a young and beautiful girl, possessing an
ample fortune in her own right, who had
faithfully and wearily followed the foot
steps of her lover. The bridegroom was
brought to the alter of the prison chapel
in the soiled gray clothes of a miner, his
ankles bound by chains riyeted to an iron
waistband The marriage ceremony over,
the husband and wife babe each other
sad but hopeful farewell he to return to
his gloomy, toilsome life, and she to wait
wearily until her husband obtained the
freedom of colonist. What the Tobolsk
journal does not tell is how uncertain is
the prospect that the convict bridegroom
will ever survive the cruel hardships Of
his term of labor in the mines. Knowing,
also, what we do of Siberian penal settle
ments and the morals of their administra-
tors, we are left to our own reflections as
to the added torture of mind this wretched
convict must endure through years for his
young wife's honor and safety.
HINTS FOR WOMEN WHO WORK.
Girls whose homes are in the country
where summer sojourners from the city are
frequent may earn many dollar by put
ting up preserves, iellies and pickles, which
the city folks will gladly buy to take back
home with them. In small town in
Western Massachusetts, story is told of
two young ladies who were suddenly neces-
STATED to earn their own living. One of
them started out as music teacher and
the other placed in conspicuous position
sign announcing that preserves, jellies,
pickles and canned fruits would beprompt
ly prepared to fill any order, and If de-
sired made from the customers own recipes.
Throughout the summer both girls had all
the orders they could fill and are talking
of hiring help. This business proved
more profitable than music teaching, and
besides earning a comfortable living en-
abled the girls to remain together in their
old home.
The number of women who earn good
salaries, or fairly large amount of 'pin
money" is constantly increasing, and so,
apparently, is the number of those who
need to earn the "wherewithal." Many
who would like to increase an insufficient
income seem to find no opportunity for so
doing, or else they lack the ability or the
courage to improve the few opportunities
which offer themselves. Perhaps one rea-
son for the failure Of this class of women
to acquire their small fortune" is that
they wait for openings in the ordinary
channels of work, or for large opportuni-
ties, not seeing the openings into new
fields, or, seeing, not having the courage to
start therein. Occasionally a woman,
brayer, or more energetic than her sisters,
starts out in a new line of work and meets
with rich success, but she is only the 'oc-
casional' one, the larger number of bread
winners being too conservative, preferring
the older and more tried ways.
There is one point regarding a woman's
work that has been brought out more
plainly by popular writer; they are not
prompt, that is, they are not ready to ac-
complish any work at a moments notice.
They must wait to do something else first,
which something else" is usually of
no real consequence. They need
too much preparation, and have not
enough go-ahead-a-tiveness." The same
writer, Shirley Dare" gives some useful
hints for those who need some renumera
tive work. "If it were known that once
or twice a week some little relish like
gingerbread, crisp-crusted, and hot tea,
could be had from trusty, private
hands, farmers wagons, and ladies' pony
carriages would soon find way to call for
it, and this might be followed by baked
beans and pears baked in season, especially
if the business woman had the sense to use
the old brick oven which has been walled
up for so long. There is work for women