Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-01-20

remember the criticism of our lighted par
lor when a brother brought his bride for
the home welcome. In an aside he said:
Cant you make a better lightl" and !
looked Indignantly at him and replied:
There are two extra lamps on the man
tel and they each have two wicks" But
we learned TO know what light really was
when we came into the possession Of a
lamp in which melted lard was burned.
To be sure its effect had to be accelerated
by the use OF a red hot poker to melt the
lard before the flame was glowing and
radiant. Those were the days when we
did not look for anything better than
hard lamps or conceive that anything
could be more brilliant; days when elec-
tric lights were undreamed Of, telephones
not imagined, telegraphs not even a re-
mote possibility, and yet we felt that we
lived IN an age Of progress which must
have astonished our ancestors.
Much discussion followed, both aloud
and soto voce. One thought houselleep.
ing in olden times must have been easier.
for she could remember in her grand
mothers placid face, in spite Of water to
be pumped and all the work for a large
and hOspitable family to be done with
only the aid of one old servant and the
little colored girl, who was always being
raised. But then women knew their bust
ness in the house and trained their ser
wants themselves. They seemed to have
everything ready beforehand the family
waited on themselves; the daughters
helped and even visitors took care of
their own rooms and often helped some
with the work, and thereby felt more at
home. Then housekeeping was the whole
business of life; now even the maids have
their engagements at parties and operas.
Even the mere matter Of dishwashinp is
a great item when so many courses are
served. One who counted found seventy
pieces to be washed after an ordinary sun
per, but fortunately there is a tendency
to turn back towards greater simplicitv
as people are tired Of eating seven or
eight courusesi but we win probably
never get back 10 the labor-saving davs
where a hostess sometimes asked her
guests to please pass up their saucers 10
be finsed ready for the preserves.
Two promised recipes are as follows:
Mush bread-Separate and beatlight four
eggs; heat pint Of milk; when hot ada
three quarters of a cup of white corn
meals cook two minutes. Take from the
ireadd yolks Of eggs, then whites, 10
which add a little salt. Bake 90 minutes
and serve in dish in which it was baked
Drop bread-One quart Of flour. one
tablespoon cottolene or lard, two tea
spoons Of baking powder, one tablespoon
Of sugar ard salt Rub the flour and
cottolene together until thoroughly mix.
ed add the salt, baking powder and
sugar and mix with milk tabout two
cupsl to a very stiff batter, then drop
from the end Of a spoon in little oblong
mounds in a creased pan and bake In 3
hot oven. These biscuit can be made and
baked in 20 minutes.
A piano solo was kindly PLAYED bv Miss
Rile. The report on home politics dealt
with the apparent retrogression in DO.
litical affairs in Philadelphia and tbe
friction between the President and Con.
gress. Mrs. Baylis reported dramatic az.
fairs, past and 10 come, and closed with
the mention Of committee appointed In
Springfield, Mass, for the censorshin of
plays 70 be given there, a good examnlc
for other cities 10 follow. Mrs. Harlan
Cause read a review Of the wonderful
happenings and achievements Of the wear
1905, and closed by reading a humorous
poem. The programme for next week is: