davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28
CHILDREN AND MOTHERS AT PLAY.

1 give her as my own need not interfere
with advice from other mothers and shall
hope to receive a full response from many
of you.
I have said that the most satisfactory
plays are those children make for them
selves and it was interesting to to watch
how the suggestions made in the nursery
were worked out by the small boys and
girls and led to fresh branches of enter
tainment. Give them start and they will
go of themselves.
Probably the best single implement for
scissors when guarded by firm prohibition
against cutting anything not meant to be
cut. With the scissors all sorts of Won
derful things can be shaped of paper and
cloth. In addition to the scissors provide a
paste pot and you have the material for
boundless joys
When my children were small they had
what they called farm books Why
" farm " have never been able to make
out; house books . would have been
much more appropriate title. Pasted on the
different pages were pictures of the various
objects which go to furnish room There
were windows draped with curtains of
colored tissue paper. fringed pinked on
the edges. The sleeping rooms contained
beds, dressers, washstands, mirrors, the
drawing rooms were splendid with orna-
mental sofas. chairs. card tables, ottomans;
in the dining room were the table, side
board, serving table, chairs, and the like,
Pictures hung on the walls, figures were
pasted in here and there where they would
do most good in giving the human interest
to the apartment
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28
MARION HARLAND'S HELPING HAND.

soda. Line a pie plate with crust and pour
in the second part and crumb in the first
part. This makes three pies. l often serve
them with milk. and they delicious. 1
want to thank you for the recipe for rasin
puffs. 1 made them, using blackberry jam
and the following sauce over them never
tasted a better dessert. Four tablespoons
sugar, three tablespoons butter; cream and
add the white of one egg. beaten stiff: flavor
with vanilla. MRS. A. d. A.
I pleased that you like the puffs
much as We do, and am glad to have the
recipe for the sauce you used. as well as
for the e Centennial " pie and the butter
scotch pie. The latter had already been
sent in by another friend and printed in
the Corner
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28

~ AM sending you some ideas for the
90 Helping Hand and in exchange
won't you give us an idea how to
conduct a cooking club which four
or six of us wish to organize? We
have a; few plans, but would like your
suggestions, and will name our body the
Marion Harland club, in appreciation of
the columns which we all enjoy
MRS w. B. W.
Thank you for the ideas. which shall
appear from time to time in the Corner,
and thank you also for the compliment to
the Corner itself. in giving the name you
do to your club. 1 wish for it all success.
There are several ways of conducting such
an organization and perhaps one Of the
best and pleasantest is to have it meet
from house to house and have each mem
Der prepare some portion of the menu. On
these she may practice between the meet
ings. You might devote yourselves to GER
tain branches Of cookery, and take your
turn at them. For instance. savories, in
GLIDING cookery of meats in their first state
and as made-overs, breads of different
sorts. raised and quick in their many kinds;
salads and vegetables, sweets comprising
cakes pies, and other desserts, Each one
may make a study of her special branch,
and after she feels she has attained a fair
degree of proficiency in 1T let her turn 1t
over to some one else and attack the one
her neighbor resigns. In this way you can
swing all around the circle, and each sec
ton of the cuisine receive its full share OF
study Should these Suggestions not meet
your views, let me know and will give
further advice
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28
Happy in Making Own Play.

So far as my own experience and obser
vations go I have concluded that the hap
pest children are those who make their
own plays and amusements. This does not
mean that they do not need a certain
amount of guidance. Weghave come to the
point where We take it for granted that
when a public playground is provided for
city children there shall be director ap-
pointed to teach the youngsters how to
play. One reason for this is that they gen
orally come from class which has had no
instruction in playing and they have to be
introduced to games as they would be to
any other unfamiliar occupation.
Our children have usually had a different
sort of start in life. No matter how
slender the purse. unless you belong to
the abjectly poor-and sometimes even then
your child has toys by the time he is
able to hold them. A rattle. ring, a ball.
a rubber doll are put into his hands and
in a way you teach him what the trifles are
for. He learns to play with them before
he knows what he is doing and when other
toys come his way he picks up the methods
of amusing himself with them in natural
ia shion.
The little girl seems to develop some
kinds of pa shines naturally. The maternal
instinct displays itself in her devotion to er
doll; and the manner in which she dresses
and undresses it. feeds it, and rocks it to
sleep she copies from what she sees in
other babies or what she recollects of her
own experiences. But the most attentive
of miniature mothers sometimes wearies
of her parental duties and longs for fresh
fields of activity. Haven't all mem
cries of small elbows leaning upon our
knees of small voices beseeching: Tell
me what to do now. mother. I don't know
what to play with"
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28
Cut-Outs Furnish Fun.

The suggestion for these books came to
my little daughters from some other chill
dren and the books were carried out along
the lines which the fancy of each directed.
One child discovered the picture of a bill
lard table in the pages of magazine and
forthwith established billiard room in her
book. Another one, not to be outdone
started a stable and farmyard and stocked
it with a miscellaneous array of animals.
What did it matter If the cows and pigs
were only a size two larger than the
poultry and pigeons? The fun of cutting
out and paSting them the same, the
victory of having something novel was as
great.
If this meant enjoyment for children in
days when the illustrated advertising pages
did not exist and pictures must be cut from
the story part of the periodical what would
it be now with the wealth of material in
the back part-and the front part, too-of
the magazines, when illustration is run mad
everywhere? Try it and see, for the boys
as well for the girls.
Another delightful occupation for the chill
dren may be devised by the addition of
sewing implements to the scissors and the
paste pot. They can cut animals from
cloth of different kinds, using paper pat
tern to get the shape right, sew these up
and fill them with cotton. A regular menag-
erie can be fashioned by little fingers and
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28

DREAMED CHICKEN WITH MUSH
ROOMS.-In a double boiler make sauc.
of two tablespoons of butter and one of
feur cooked together until they blend and
then thin with half pint of milk and a
gill of mushroom liquor; stir and cook until
smooth. Add pint of cold chicken roast
or boiled, cut into neat pieces; simmer until
hot through put in half cup mushrooms.
sliced thin; cook two minutes longer, stir in
the yolks of two eggs, and when the sauce
has a soft creamy color-about two min
utes longer-season to taste with salt and
pepper and serve.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28
IMPORTANT NOTICE

because Of the enormous number Of
- letters semitic the department must ask
contributors to limit their communications 10
100 uords. except in cases Of formulas or
recipes uhieh require greater space. wont
all my correspondents to hare shouting in
the Corner. and if my request in Ibis respect
Is complied with ii sOiH Be possible to print
many more letters.
Attention Is called to tie fact hot Morton
Harland cannot Teeeioe money for patterns.
as she has no connection uith any department
hat sells them. ( Marion Harland.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28

advantage in mixing work with the chill
dren's play and instructing them at very
early age to make themselves of use III
the home?
One of our Cornerites asked me not long
ago if she should have her little boy and
girl-aged respectively and 6-help about
the housework. The mother had two or
three other children and kept no maid.
said to her say now that thought by
all means the children should have regu-
lar duties, not enough to burden them or
tire them but something which would give
them small sense of responsibility as du-
ties to be discharged systematically.
My observation leads me. as it probably
does other mothers. to believe that chill
dren do not feel themselves drudges when
they are allowed to take q fair share In
the housework On the contrary, it gives
them a sense Of their own Importance and
adds to their happiness.
Teach your children from the outset to
keep their nursery in order. BY the time
they are able to run about the room they
should learn to gather UP the toys they
have scattered and to put them where they
belong. Little more effort Is required to
show them how to lay their playthings in
place in an orderly fashion and this tidi-
ness will stand them in good stead IN later
years.
In the same way they should not be per-
mitted to throw their clothes in a heap on
the floor. The time has gone past when
the good little boys and girls do as we
read they did in books of q generation or
two ago and fold each garment neatly in
taking it off and lay all in a pile on
chair! Now we teach the youngsters to
hang their raiment up to air. but it is as
easy to do this neatly as carelessly. and
If children are accustomed to it from the
first they will take the duty for granted.
y 4,
4 Boy That Set the Table.
More than this, the children may aid you
in your work and will count it a pleasure
if you go about it in the right way. My
mind recalls little boy whose mother
used to say laughingly that he was capa-
BILE of taking place as waitress. By
the time he was years old he could set
the table as well grown person could
have done; he loved to help his mother
put away the clean dishes and to help her
dry the small pieces. and it was his joy
to be trusted to make the toast, to bring
in the food, and TO help clear it away aft
erwards.
He was not of the " Sissy variety. either
I can parallel him by various small girls
of my acquaintance who assumed certain
little duties about the house, not enough
in any case to fatigue them, and were
held responsible for them At early
age girl or boy help put a bedroom
to rights. and both can save the moth
many steps without wearying themselves
From such occupations as these they go
to play with fresh enjoyment and IT is far
less difficult to provide them with recrea-
ton when part of their day is devoted to
dutio.
Don't you mothers agree with me and
won't you tell us how you ma mage abou;
your little children's work and play?
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28

with benefit be transported to our homes
and put into the hands of our children.
Little instruction is needed-just enough to
start them, and they will evolve plays and
occupations of their own, which while
they may not be along correct kindergar-
ten lines, are of value in teaching the chill
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28

morning that 1 might give you a more
definite recipe.
MEDLEY MUSH.-Two cups bran, half
cup f1axseede seeded raisins, and salt to
taste; about two cups cold water; cook
slowly for twenty minutes.
Il send two other recipes you may find
helpful:
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28

this completed there is a play already pro-
vided for conducting circus joys If the
animals are made of white cotton cloth or
some similar fabric they may be painted in
natural colors-a paint box should be part
of the furniture Of the nursery.
For older children the paste pot and scis-
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28

low do you amuse your children? Or
IL don't you amuse them at all? This
matter was suggested to me by a.
recent letter from a correspondent
in which she asked for advice along
this line. She has two small girls and they
evidently q greater puzzle to her in
their hours of recreation than at any other
time.
friend was visiting me while ago.
she writes, " and after a few days she
gave the result of her study of me with
my children. You are just as l was with
my paper dolls she told me. was de-
lighted to have them. 1 cut out and made
beautiful frocks for them and dressed them
up and then L stood them in row and
looked at them. 1 couldn't play with them!
You work your fingers off doing things and
making clothes for your children, but you
don't know how to play with them!
I am inclined to think she is right. But
how can 1 teach them how to play il
don't know how to play with them myself"
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28

the fighting men he cuts out for himself
either the sort which come already col
ored those in black and white which he
tints to suit his fancy? Does the little
girl adore the fashionably dressed doll
she does the one for whom she has her
self made part of the clothing, at lea st?
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28

OATMEAL BREAD.-Two cups oat-
meal two cups boiling water, let stand two
or three hours, add one tablespoon shorten
ing, half cup molasses, level tablespoon
salt, two cups white bread sponge. Add
white flour enough to knead hard.
OATMEAL WATERS. Two cups
brown sugar. two-thirds cup hot water.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28
Aids TO Childish Joys.

Evidently some such pleas this stirred
my friend to write to me. They found her
unprepared with an answer and she
turned to another mother for counsel. This
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28

half cup lard, four cups oatmeal or two
cups oatmeal and two cups graham -four.
one teaspoon each soda, vanilla, and salt.
Mix stiff with flour; roll very thin.
&C. V. H.
The 4" medley mush " will doubtless ap-
peal to readers suffering from the trouble
to which you refer. 1 take it for granted
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28
Orange Cake and Lemon Pie.

- Here is a recipe for a Spanish dish
which 1 am sure some of the housekeepers
will like: SPANISH BEANS.-One and
half pounds brown Mexican beans Cook
half an hour in enough water to cover
them. Put into a frying pan good cup
meat drippings or lard and when hot slice
into it two medium sized onions and five
sprigs of garlic. Fry to a nice brown while
your beans are cooking. When the latter
have cooked half hour salt them to
taste, put in a quarter teaspoon chilli pow
der, and add the onions. garlic, and fat.
Let them simmer-not boil hard-for six
hours and as the water cooks away add
more. bringing it just to the top of the
beans but not above this.
Will some one give good orange loaf
cake and lemon pie? L. H. s.
A recipe for lemon pie appeared short
time ago, and by this time you probably
have seen it. The following is a good
orange cake:
ORANGE CAKE.-Four eggs. three cups
flour, half cup butter two cups sugar,
one cup cold water. two small oranges
one large one. two teaspoons baking pow
der. Beat the yAolks we'll and put with the
butter and sugar creamed; stir in the juice
of the orange and half the grated peel.
the water. -four. and baking powder. and
last of all the whipped whites of the eggs
Bake in a loaf and ice with orange frosting
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28
SUND AY.
BREAKFAS ST

SUNDAY.
BREAKFAST
Strawberries
Pulled rice and cream.
Broied parrish.
Corn bread.
Toast.
Tea.
Coffee
LUNCHEON.
Jeied calfs tongue
Saratoga chips
Boston brown bread.
Tomato salad.
Ripe currants
Iced
DINNER A.
Green pea soup.
Fricassed chicken with dumplings.
Boiled rice.
Young onions.
Boiled squash.
Blackberry batter pudding
Coffee.
* y
MONDAY.
BREAKFAST
Oranges
Cereal and cream
Bacon
Toast.
Tea.
Coffee
LUNCHEON
Diced caf's tongue, heated in gravy made Of Jelly
Baked potatoes.
Toasted brown bread Ia left overI.
Crackers
Cheese.
Tea.
DINNER.
Cream of squash soup Ia leftoverl.
Irish stew rice with cheese sauce La leftoyerl-
Onion souf1e Ia leftover1-
Black and red raspberries with cream.
Cake.
Coffee.
:.
TUESDAY.
BREAKFAST.
Oranges.
Cracked wheat and
Poached eggs toast
Bacon
Rolls.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28
Best Treatment of a Eern

wish you would kindly advise me
what is the best treatment can give a fern.
1t was purchased some time ago. have If
IN very cool room with electric lights and
water it every day, but it seems to be drying
up very fast Anything you may be able
to recommend will be greatly appreciated
M. F. j.
Several things may be the matter with II
Perhaps the pot is too small and it needs
TO be transferred to a larger one. Perhaps
the earth is not rich enough and the plant
Graves a little fertilizer added to the soil
or this may be too hard and need to be
loosened a little. Does the plant have its
fair share of daylight and sunshine? You
say that you water it every day, but do you
soak it well? Experienced florists tell me
that constant superficial watering is bad
it a good soaking once a week, when the
plant roots get well noistened
For my own part give my house plants
a weekly bath, when they are taken to the
bathroom, stood in the tub, and this filled
with water up to the top of the flower pots.
After they have remained in this few
minutes 1 let the water off and leave the
plants to drain for while before restoring
them to their regular places.
man told me once that most ferneries
suffered from what he called - toe much
middle of the table" Since then I have
made it a point to keep the fernery which
adorns the center of our table at meals on
the window seat near the light when the
plant is not on duty. Try some of the
treatment 1 have outlined and see il the
fern does not improve
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28

which seem to suit the story better than
those originally supplied for it.
\: *
Soldiers for the BOYS.
All boys take to soldiers all girls take
to dolls There are children, by the way,
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28
entennidl Pie.

Here is a recipe which I never have
seen. except at my grandmother's:
CENTENNIAL PIE.-First part: Four
cups flour. one cup lard. one cup sugar;
rub into crumbs. Second part: One cup
rnolasses one pint hot water, one teaspoon
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28

Crackers
Tea.
DINNER.
Beef soup with vermicel1i
Veal outlet, with baked tomatoes
Carrots. saute
Berry pie.
Coffee.
FRIDAY.
BREAKFAST
Stewed rhubarb.
Oatmeal and cream.
Fried parrish
Corn mullins
Toast.
Tea.
Coffee
LUNCHEON
need veal warmed up. with toma toes 1.-TWO left
oversl.
Heated carrots
Popover jam.
Tea
Dinner
Cream of corn soup.
Baked bluedsh.
Partisan potatoes.
Green peas
Burberry pudding.
Coffee
y -
SATURDAY.
BREAKFAST
Berries.
Cerial and cream.
Shirred eggs.
Rolls
Toast.
Tea.
Coffee.
LUNCHEON
Dreamed fish Ia leftoverl.
Baked potatoes.
Green pea pancakes Ia leftoverl
Crackers.
Cheese
Cookies.
Tea.
Dim Err.
Okra soup.
Boiled mutton with caper sauce.
Macaroni and cheese.
Young onions.
Orangs roly- poly.
Coffee
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28

Tea
Coffee
LUNCHEON.
Mi1ce or Irish stew, hashed and warmed over
Baked Welsh rabbit.
flashed and Drowned potatoes Ia ieftove-l
Stewed rhubarb.
Cookies.
Tea.
Dinner
Thick tomato soup.
Chicken pie a leftoverI.
Whipped potatoes.
Spinach.
Burberry shortcake.
Coffee
i 4.
WEDNESDAY.
BREAKFAST
Bananas and cream.
Parsley omelet.
Toast.
Tea.
Coffee.
LUNCHEON
Dried beef. boiled ard crisped
Stewed potatoes.
Graham biscuit.
Goosebrries.
Crackers.
Cheese.
Tea.
DINNER.
Brown potato soup.
Hamburg steak.
Baked bananas.
String beans.
Caramel custard.
Cake.
Coffee.
- 4
THURSDAY.
BREAKFAST
Berries.
Mush and milk
Bacon.
Planned eggs
Quick biscuit
Toast.
Tea.
Coffee
LUNCHEON
Baked omelet.
Toasted biscuit Ia leftoverl.
Fried m1sh Ia leftoverl
Cream cheese.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28

inexpensive Vegetable SALADS.
PLEASE tell me how to cook creamed
chicken and mushrooms, also pota toes with
cheese and a good salad of some kinda
vegetable salad. an inexpensive one
CHICAGO"
To take your last question first, to the
salad. There are SO many good vegetable
salads that the difficulty is to choose which
enc to give you. Now that the time of year
IS at hand when vegetables at their
best and cheapest you can have large
variety, AID there are few better ways
CT using cold vegetables than in a salad.
Have them alone or in combination. For
instance, if there are cold string beans
or green peas, beets, or asparagus,
carrots, almost anything you can serve
them cold on lettuce with French or may
crnaise or a good boiled dressing, while if
there is not enough of any one kind you
car put them together into what the French
call a macedoine.
Do not mix all your vegetables together
in the dish, but line this with lettuce leaves
and put your different vegetables in sep
arate piles, the string beans cut short,
the carrots or beets or potatoes in dice. OF
course. you give each person little of each
in helping them and they are naturally
mixed on the eaters plate. Carrots and
green peas together make a delicious salad.
Then there are good cabbage salads, cold
claw, of the shredded cabbage, with a
scalding hot dressing poured over it and
then permitted to get cold; salad or sliced
cucumbers alone mixed with other vege-
tables. and tomatoes alone or mixed and
stuffed peppers-there is no end to them.
Is the following the recipe you wish for
potatoes and cheese?
POTATOES AU GRATIN.-Cut eight
peeled potatoes into dice, boil tender in
sailed water, drain. put with a pint of milk
which has been thickened with tablespoon
eech of -four and butter. salt to taste, turn
into pudding dish, sprinkle thickly with
cheese dot with bits Of butter, and brown
in the oven.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28
Offer of Sunday School Pancrs.

If you know of any shut-in who would
enjoy reading Sunday school papers kfndlv
let me know, 1 would be glad to send
some. MRS. w. H d"
foresee the demand for the papers AL
ways there are shut-ins longing for read
ing matter and we don't have SUNDAY
school papers offered to us frequently. II
will give me great pleasure to send your
address to any one who asks for it.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28

Her feelings for the two may be compared
with the affection of a grown mother for
her own and for adopted child!
The kindergarten has given us much in
the line of nursery plays. The weaving
of colored papers, the modelling in clay
are among them and both of these may
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28
MEDLEY Mush.

For those who suffer from constipation
I am sending directions for making my
medley mush.' I was ordered to take raw
cooked bran. and not liking it in either
forrs and believing that palatable food is
more beneficial than that which is not ap-
petizing, that haxseed is healing as well as
beneficial. that raisins have the same prop
erty-slghtly-end are among the best
nerve foods. guessed at the proportions
and find the mixture helpful and enjoyable.
1 measured what made for breakfast this