Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-04
New Ways to Ease the Domestic
Grind.
NOTE TIE WAY THAT BABY GROWS
How to Meet an Emergency and
an Unexpected Guest.
A DAM O NJ E L E T
Written fer The Evening Star.

ginning to turn their faces homeward
away from sea and mountain and homely
farm house. for those able to remain yet
longer in the country through September
and early October, there is yet the best
of all the game The choicest fruits are
now-juicy melon, the gold and
purple plums, mellow harvest apple and
spicy grape, while luscious peach and pear
turn soft cheeks to the sun. In the woods
the scarlet barberry with thorny fingers
seeks entanglng alliances with the passer-
by, and the rich-fruited elderberry speaks
to country children, at least of pies and
cordial. The air is full of the sweetness
of the ripening buckwheat and garnered
grain The cattails in the meadow are
just dry enough to be gathered and soaked
in oil under the guidance of some careful
elder to be planted in front of the porch
to illumiEe the night with their fiaring
torches, while the acorn cups and SaucerA
furnish infinite delight to small people
woodland housekeeping intent.
All along the roadside-the flame-colored
Dltter-Sweet winds in and out among sup
porting branches, and bursting milkweed
pods reveal their gosSamer treasures. Hap
Ply the mother who can lead her children
among these riches of the autumnal sea-
son. teaching them, with wide-Opened OBJ
servant eyes to keep record of the changes
by which nature marks the ebb and flow
T.
spreads the earth
Three times a day, twenty-one times a
week. and thousand and eight times Il
year, is the table set in nearly every home
In the land: practice enough one would
think for every ole to become perfect in
the art. Yet, in some houses the lesson
seems never to have been learned: and
cloth and dishes might have been fired at
the table for all the order or symmetry
visible In their arrangement. While with
CIV anyNIn l. -
solves itself into mere feelings, with the
majority the purity of the table linen, the
cleanness Of the glass the brigh; ness Of
the silver. and general air of order and
dalntlness are essentials If good digestion
waits on appetite
Make the table as bright and dainty as
possible. There is no excuse now for ugly,
plain china. when you can get dainty
things for the same price. Pick UP cups
and saucers here and there, and pretty in
dlvfdual plates for dessert Food to be
sure, is necessary for the body; but as
we are not mere animals, we should have
as pretty things about US as possible. In
setting the table a thick silence cloth or
cotton-fannel should be placed under the
tablecloth, to deaden the sound. The table
linen should be as fine as the purse allows
Poor, sleazy damask never looks well, and
does not pay; while good table linen al
ways looks well. even If darned In set
ting the table the cloth must be put on
perfectly true and even. Place the center
ornament and put the plates the proper
distance apart. Many think approximately
near quite sufficient: but the spaces sh ould
DC perfectly accurate. If the eye is not
true. measure for a few times with yard
suck. until the eye is educated. Knives
and spoons should be placed at the right,
forks at left having the handles just
reaching the edge Of the table, the knife
with the sharp edge in. and the fork
turned down. Tumblers should be placed
at the right and at the point of the knife
The napkins, if fresh. can be placed in
the plate, or at one side; individual butter
or bread plates at left. All food should be
during the meal. Service should be as
noiseess as possible. Large dishes, like
platters. should be carried in the hand on
folded napkin in passing and small
stard at the left of carver, and all service
should be at the left of the guests, as less
likely to interfere.
While statistics, as rule, are the dryest
OF reading, notable exception is found
in the data connected with the advent and
growth of King or Queen Baby.
Every mother, especially the one brand
new to that responsible position. is bound
to find more of interest in the tabulated
reports of the average age at which the
first tears wont to flow the first teeth
peep from their rosy setting, the first step
taken quite alone, or the first intelligibie
word fall from the pretty lips, than even
the most glowing reports of the queens
jubilee or the sagest dissertation on the
eastern question. To the young mother
then these facts. furnished by an authority
on child lore. are offered with the GER
tanty Of approval. The average weight at
BIRTH says this student of the child, is
seven pounds. and it's weight at the end of
the first year twenty-one pounds. The
length of babies increases during the first
year half an inch month, while the weight
increases quarter pound a week. The
average child holds up his head at three
months, sits erect at four months is able
to creep at eight months, walk with aid
at eleven, and quite alone at fourteen.
A baby begins to initiate sounds at eight
months. A baby never sheds tears until
1t is three or four months old, as the tear
glands do not develop until then. The hair
and eyes change color with age. The eyes
of newborn children are usually blue, but
about the sixth or eighth month they be-
gin to change the color growing lighter
between seven and fourteen. The age
OF teething varies, but the earlier they
appear the easier. If by the end of a
year none have appeared, the delayed dem
tition signifies poor nutrition. The incisors
generally come seven to twelve months of
age; the anterior molars, from twelve to
sixteen. the CANNES. from sixteen to
twenty-four. and the posterior molars,
from twenty-four to thirty. Bottle-fed
babies are usually later in this respect
Girl babies develop in all respects more
rapidly than boy babies.
To almost every housekeeper there comes,
soon or late. the trying experience of find
Ing unexpected guests at the door when
the cupboard is almost bare.
In this emergency it is well to know that
delicious soup may be speedily achieved,
using the accommodating white sauce for a
foundation and adding whatever may be
on hand-canned tomatoes, peas beans,
celery or asparagus stalks, or even cold
mashed potato, for seasoning.
Make the white sauce by the regular
formula: One level tablespoon of butter,
one level tablespoon of flour, one-half tea
spoonful salt, one saltspoon of pepper and
one cupful milk. Combine salt, pepper and
flour. Have the butter melted in the sauce
pan, stir in the flour until smooth; then
add the hot milk gradually, stirring for
Ave minutes. Thin to consistency required
and add any pulp or seasoning desired If
celery or asparagus stalks are to be used
cook an hour or two and pass through a
sieve. If only mashed potato is at hand,
add a cupful to the butter and flour, before
combining with the milk. and season with
little celery or parsley. If tomato, add
pint of strained tomato to flour and but
ter and thin with milk.
Lacking a regular egg poacher, q fair
substitute may be found in the metallic
rim of a fruit can. If this be placed in
a saucepan of boiling water, the egg bro
ken carefully into 1t, will retain an ap-
proved circular shape.