Evening star., 1897-03-06
H o U S EHOLD HINTS

Some mothers have been acting very un-
wisely the past week, and it is a question
whether the seed sown will not reap more
tares than wheat. 1t is certainly unwise
FOR young girls of twelve to fifteen to be
turned loose to seak their own pleasure
during a time when the city is crowded
with strangers. These girls have invaded
the Capitol swarmed through the corri-
dors. made acquaintances in the -otunda
and firted with designing men everywherr
when they should really have been at home
or safe under the mother wing. After ALL
a mother who is weak enough to permit
her daughter to do such things is not a
very good companion for her. If mothers
only knew the woe and heaTtachc their
lack of firmness brings in after years. they
would certainly be more careful of their
growing girls. 1t is so easy to smirch the
lily. and impossible to return it to its natal
fairness when once its leaves ale
blackened.
The season has arrived when appetites
are cranky, and it is hard for the house
keeper to cater to the varied desires. If
possible have each day some of the fresh
green things to be had in market. even
though they do come high. The family
that loves new onions can always be happy
at this season of the year and nothing is
healthier than bread and butter and fresh
onions. An old-fashioned remedy for slug
gsh blood, which makes one drowsy and
lazy, and Is better known spring
fever" is sassafras tea. Our grandmothers
would no more think of going through a
spring without drinking copious quantities
of 1t than anything. Steep it. and drink
with cream and plenty of sugar. 1t Is
pleasant to the taste and splendid tonic.
Nervous diseases result from overwork
and under exercise" said a physician re-
Gently preventive measures may be
summed up in two words" he continued
physical development" Worry annually
kills more people than work one should
strive, however, to avoid all things that
tend to disturb the nerves. Throw away
the pen that scratches. and pencil that
has hard spot in it. Discard a-needle
that squeaks, and basin that leaks Use
sharp tools, soft garments that do
not rustic. Oil the hinges of the rheu-
matte door. and fasten the creaking blind.
These may seem trif1eS. but such trfies ir-
ritate the nerves as much as piece OF
woolen does sore. Charles Lamb once
said that carpenters hammer in a warm
summer noon would fret him 20 more than
midsummer madness.
So many women lament their small vo-
cabulary and wish that they We're better
| conversationalists. There is al easy and
rapid way to obtain larger vocabulary
and good pronunciation, ard that VIII nat
| uraly lead to better conversational pow
ers. Buy ThasauruS and a common
school dictionary. and each day take up
word and study 1t and its synonyms Or
spend two three days on the one word.
and in less than year you will have
vocabulary larger than any member of
Congress. 1t should always be remember
| ed, however that the ability 20 use big
words f1uently does not make one fine
conversationalist by any means 1t is the
ability to express in the feWest and short
est words possible the thoughts in your
mind; the aptness with which you can
paint on the canvas of your friends mind
the pictures that you yourself See is the
power that the coHversationalist Wields.
Il hold
Another charm that is absolutely essen
| tial is a sympathetic voice Something
| that but few women have. This is n fault
| that must be corrected in childhood. as
the adult throat never changes enough to
admit of voice culture after long years
| of incorrect speaking.
Cultivate reposeful habits. young lady
| just on the threshold of society When You
sit down, sit still Learn to smile, but do
rot laugh aloud. If you must rock when
| talking avoid the rocking chairs. Do not
change the position of the feet. Seat your
| self comfortably and easily. and then re-
tain that position. One nervous woman of
the writer's acquaintance. otherwise a
pleasant and comranionahle lady, has a
| habit Of rubbing or scratching he, leg just
above 1.-The knee.a most laughable and At the
same time annoying feature of unconscious
nervousness. One day she heard a small
| mission girl. whom she was befriending
| ask her companion if "the loidy in the
black satun had de itcl like US ms" She
was furious. but she sun Kept up the oh
| jectionable habit. Don't drum wit1 the
fingers. and above all things, avoid facial
| contortion. the habit becomes very
| strong and renders very disagree able
| after a time.
| An unusually florid face shows that
| something is wrong with the digestion and
| the circulation. Avoid greasy foods, pork
and pastry. Whatever you do. avoid fried"
things. Eat salads. lettuce water cress
and plenty of fruit. Let plenty CT air into
your sleeping room and take plenty of
| exercise. Following these suGges tions will
igo long way toward making even a
| homely woman wholesome looking and
that is more than mere facial beauty.
| When crackers seem little stale. lay
them in a bread pan and put in moder-
| ate oven for a few minutes.
| To save your rice. oatmeal or anything
of that kind from burning TO the tottcm
| of the vessel, use asbestos 1lats They
| cost very little and will soon save them
| selves in protecting food from burning
| when forgotten and left too long on the hot
| glove.
Patent leather will be improved when
| duh by rubbing with a soft flannel dipped
| in sweet oil.
| When a child has the hiccouGlls give 1t
| lump of sugar saturated with vinegar.
| The juice of a lemon squeezed into the
| water in which you would boil rice will
| whiten and improve the flavor of the same.
| A wise housekeeper says that il you want
| to use your nutmegs to the last Crumb.
| begin grating them at the stem end. The
| way to test nutmegs is to stick pin in
| them. If oil comes to the surface at once
! the nutmeg is good. if not. reject the fruit.
Rancid butter, If you are so unfortunate
| as to have such stuff in the house. can be
| sweetened by boiling 1t in quantity of
| water, well salted Let cool and skim off.
| Some add a few thick slices of raw pota-
toes to the water. The very cheapest and
best remedy is to buy only good hutter,
and much of it you can use up easily
| before it becomes rancid.
WHAT CHILDREN OUGHT TO READ.
| Charles Dudley Warner's Views on
| Juvenile Literature.
Charles Dudley Warner in recent ad-
dress before the Public Education Associ-