davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington herald., 1913-08-10

Mineola Tribe. No. IA. held its regular
meeting last Friday. with all the stumps
fiIled. Important committee reports AMI
interesting talks followed the regular
business.
The Washington herald., 1913-08-10

Mr.. p. B. Gunter. Of Jasper. Ala, a
compositor in the document room about
twenty years ago. was an ONCE visitor
on Tuesday.
The Washington herald., 1913-08-10

Former Public Printer Samuel B. Dom
nelly. on the eve Of his departure for New
York, waS presented with valuable gold
nelly with . handsome diamond and
pearl brooch, the gift of. the employees
|of the G. p. o.. Chief Clerk william J.
The Washington herald., 1913-08-10

Harry Murray Is acting as press-room
reviser while John A. Mossey Is on
vacation.
The Washington herald., 1913-08-10

william L. Bluett q member Of Gov
ernment Printing Once Council. No. III.
National Union. died Monday after long
illness. Mr.. Bluett had an extensive &C
quaintance among G. p. o. employees
The Washington herald., 1913-08-10

Charles d. Elder. of the hand sec
tion. day. returned to work on Saturday
upon the completion Of his
eave.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-28
MARION HARLAND'S HELPING HAND.

pan in clear water to keep the mush from
sticking to 1t. Turn the mass into the pan
and smooth the surface with a wet spoon
to prevent a hard crust from forming
When ready to do the frying have the grid
die hot, but not scorching; use just enough
fat TO keep the mush from sticking, adding
a little more from time to time Slice the
mush thin and dip each slice into tho
crumbs. which will make a fine brown
crust. 1t is a great mistake TO think CORN
meal mush should boil for hours.
MRS. A"
II have given all this space to so simpba
a dish as fried mush it Is because II is one OF
the many varieties of cookery which are 50
easy that no one has a rule for doing them.
OF the same class is the business OF making
tea and coffee and toast Since every one
Is supposed TO understand how to mak~
them no one takes any trouble with them.
and the result is often either failure or a.
poor performance. Try mush cooked by
the plan given by Mrs. A. with such clear.
ness and 1 am sure you will find It a differ
ent and better dish from that you have
seen on most tables.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-28
YOUR DUTY TO YOUR BODY.

middle of the window. The air which comes
through this opening will not pour down
upon you as it does from window which Is
let down from the top.
Some housework you can do with all the
windows open and the outside air admitted
freely. When you are making beds or sweep
ing or engaged in some other active exer-
size you need have no fear Of taking cold
IL you do such work in correct style there
are few finer forms of exercise Lift the
weight of the mattress or the spring In the
right way, without putting undue strain
on the abdominal muscles. bringing those
of the back and the arms into play and
deepening and Strengthening your breath
ing powers. In sweeping bear the same
sort of thing in mind and use the broom in
such fashion that it will develop your arms
and shoulder and chest as well as your back
and legs.
Always recollect that while you are doing
this you must have just as much OF tho
outside air as you can get. II the weather
is cold slip on a loose sweater or flannel
jacket to protect you from chill but don't
shut the windows
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-28
Z; Z:
Fried Mush Made Right.

have something to say about that time
honored dish fried mush. l suppose every
old housekeeper has her own ideas, and
here are mine: First. 1 keep ON hand a sup
ply Of clean, dry bread crumbs dry pieces
of stale bread in the oven and grind them
fine in the meat grinder Then have a can
of nice clean drippings. l say nice, Clean
because | have seen cans of drlpplngs that
are anything but that. | use any sort of
meat fat except ham, and that | keep for
potatoes and eggs. The can of drippings I
always have in the refrigerator so that it
cuts down hard. Then if | want the fried
mush for breakfast make the mush the
evening before. To do this have O saucepan
of water. salted, boiling furiously. Into
this sprinkle slowly the cornmeal. stirring
1t we'll all the time. II the boiling subsidies
wait moment before putting in any more
meal. BY this process every grain Of the
meal is scalded and burst. so that when the
mass is as stiff as 1t can possibly be stirred
the mush is thoroughly cooked. Rinse a
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-28

This is not hard work. Unless you catch
cold easily your garb may be of cotton
stuff. which will wash readily-a one piece
frock of the sort sometimes described as
housemaids dresses, which you may pur-
chase ready made at an absurdly small sum.
or make for yourself if you are quicker
with your needle or sewing machine than
you are with your pocketbook.
There is nothing of the kimono effect
about this garment 1t fits to the figure
although it is not tight enough in the waist
or the arms to tear readily or to hinder
your working with comfort. The skirt is
short enough to clear the ground; the
sleeves are either short or cut in a fashion
which enables you to turn them up without
difficulty; the collar is soft. or else the neck
is shaped, in order you may not become
overheated about the throat while you are
doing hot work.
When you are clothed in this style, an
apron to save the front of the frock from
spots, you need not be ashamed to be seen
by callers, any more than a man is when
he has on overalls at his work. You are
suitably dressed for your occupation. You
are neat and clean, and what more can
any one want? This sort of garb is diff
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-28
Seeking Diversion Rests.

In the kitchen 1t is not invariably easy
to get all the fresh air you wish and neea-
Sometimes the draft interferes with the
work of the oven. or the water In which you
are washing dishes cools too quickly IL the
window near the sink or the dishpan is
open Some kinds of cookery must not De
done in a cold room, and when woman IL
standing near hot stove there is danger OF
her catching cold If current of fresh air
nlavs about her feet Yet even the kitchen
may be aired often enough TO prevent Its
becoming unduly close and heated
So much for keeping yourself in good
might nv methods you may follow about
vour home. Another kind of care you must
take of yourself is by diversion. Don't Try
to stick too closely to your work. don't
n,aan that YOU must neglect it-if you are
like most of my Cornerites | fancy there Is
little danger of that-but that you must rec
ollect that the proverb about all Work and
no play applies to Jill as well as to jack
You will do all the better at the regular
tasks which await you day after day II you
run away from them occasionally, for
mental as well as material change OF air
Where you run to is of less Importance than
the fact that you turn your back upon your
stated employments now and then.
Perhaps you find that it does you more
good than anything else to go into your own
room lock the door, put on wrapper. and
read yourself into a nap. With this habit
I have strong sympathy. born of long ex-
perienee. Or you may have a garden in
which you love to grub" or flowers in
your window whose society rests you when
you are weary of human beings, or you may
gain refre shment by listening to music or
going to the theater or to - movie " show
or even by solitaire Whatever II is,
make a conscience OF utilizing 1t as one OF
the ways by which you keep yourself up to
the mark and increase your ability to do
good with the least strain.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-28
Needs a Reed Orpdn.

p =" In planning Sunday school for foreign
children in our neighborhood find that we
need a reed organ to lead our singing.
Should any reader Of the Helping Hand
have an organ or know of one which is no
longer In use and that can be given to US
for little or nothing We would greatly ap-
preciate such a gift. Our other expenses
for equipment are large that we can
scarcely afford to invest anything in a mu-
sleal instrument. Mrs. L. N. q"
This seems to me a reasona BILE request.
constantly hear CT churches and Sunday
schools which are introducing pipe organs
and discarding their old Instruments. ana
hope the friends Of some such Organize
tlons may see this paragraph and write 70
me for the address of this correspondent
The Sunday school IS within the limits Of
Chicago, and so the organ should be given
from somewhere in that city or the vicinity.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-28

would advise you to read for your profit
and write for your own pleasure, without
planning to enter the ranks of professional
writer's. Personally I am not conversant
with book on journalism, but some idea
of the difficulty of an adequate prepara-
ton for such work may be gained from the
fact that at one school of journalism the
course is four years of hard study, and it
is reckoned one of the most severe in the
institution. If any other writer's wish to
reply to the inquiries of this correspondent
1 shall be happy to give place to their
letters
An Old Rug or Carpet.
/ am "a widow with three girls. l have
always rented furnished rooms, but
thought it would be much pleasanter to be
in a house to ourselves. So l have rented
a little house unfurnshed. and have been
trying to meet expenses and to pay for
furniture / wonder If some of our read
ers could help me with an old rug or car
pet 9x11, or anything useful. would be
thankful for it. MRS. B. H."
1 hope there may be some householder
with possessions not in use which may help
to furnish the little house where the widow
and her three girls are trying to make
home for themselves. / can readily un-
derstand their feeling that a tiny house.
even if they have to struggle along with
inadequate plenshing for a while, will
mean more to them in the way of a home
than a succession of lodgings in furnished
rooms. If 1 am not mistaken most other
women will feel as do, and I trust the
feeling may lead to active effort.
X \:
ASKS for Three Recipes.
"Will you kindly give me the following
recipes? One for good cold cream 1.-THE
best you know]. the second a way of pre-
serving the odors of rose petals, lemon
verbena, and lavender II have heard that
these can all be treated in similar wayl
and third for candied nuts, the so-called
nuts glaces. Two of these I realize do
not come under the heading of recipes, yet
1 recollect having once seen a way given
by you to make a rose jar. c. M. G."
I am sorry l cannot help you about the
first two directions. AS you say, these lie
outside my province, and I would advise
your writing to some health and beauty de-
partment for instruction as to the cold
cream So far as the odors of the flowers
go l am under the impression that retort
or still are needed to preserve their per-
fumes. Dried lemon verbena and lavender
both retain their fragrance for long while,
but faded violets do not. am afraid the
business of procuring perfumes from them
is something which demands q good deal
of equipment as well as of instruction. If
1 am mistaken in this shall hope to be
set right by one of our better taught read
ers, whose experience fits her to answer
this query In the third recipe. nuts glaces.
I am happy to be able to serve you. Put
two cups of granulated sugar over the
fire in a saucepan, with two tablespoons
of water, and stir until 1t begins to boil
Stop stirring when this point is reached
and let it cook until little of it dropped
from the tip of spoon spins thread.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-28

a quart of flour, wet with quart OF warm
water, add a tablespoon of sugar and hair
a yeast cake dissolved in a little warm
water. Beat all together hard for ten min
utes, cover and set to rise in sheltered
place. In winter it will take at least six
hours to rise; in summer it may require
less. The surface of the sponge should be
covered with air bubbles when it is ready
to handle. Work into ii two quarts of -four
in which you have sifted teaspoon of salt.
using your hands and having them well
fioured. The dough should be just stiff
enough to handle. Lift it to the bread
board, rinse out the mixing bowl with lit
tie warm water, and work the rlnsings into
the dough; flour the board, knead the dough
we'll for ten minutes return to the mixing
bowl, cover, and set to rise II should in
crease to twice its original bulk after rising
from four to six hours. Knead for ten min
utes more, make into leaves. filing pans
half full; let the loaves rise till the pans are
tWo-thirds full. and bake.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-28

how much keener vigor you Will turn TO
your work You will have even more en-
thusasm for it if you have taken hot salt
bath as soon as you arose and followed TINS
either by cold shower or spray, or If you
cannot stand these, by good friction with
a rough towel and an alcohol rub. These
and my morning calisthenics are an inevi-
table part of my daily routine and are i'm
portant factors in keeping me In sound ply
steal trim
Don't stop taking in fresh air with the
early treatment. Try to repeat the long
breaths at an open window half a dozen
times during the day and keep as much air
as you can in the room where you are work
ing. Yet you must avoid direct drafts. II
you find a chill by lowering the window a
few inches from the top have board about
eight inches high and the width of the
window that you can put under the lower
sash. so that there will be a space between
the upper and the lower sashes across the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-28

heel is a good working shoe, although 1
know some housekeepers who declare that
any low shoe is wearisome to work in and
that to avoid the danger of breaking down
arches they wear comfortable boots in the
house.
The style of the shoe is matter of COM
parative unimportance. What is essential
is that the shoe should be an easy fit.
neither narrow in the toes nor high in the
heels, but of a make which does not call
your attention to your feet and ankles while
you are working. l know of few minor lis
comforts which impair efficiency more than
aching and sore feet-though l don't know
why should speak of this particular va
riety of torture as minor discomfort.
l have known times when the whole face
of the heavens was backened for me by a
shoe that pinched my toes or twisted my
ankle or compressed the ball of my foot.
Even if you spare yourself as much as you
can by sitting down to all the work it is not
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-28
Devise a Working Suit.

confess l have agreed with her in .
measure when l have seen women doing
housework in petticoats and dressing sacks
or kimonos. looking sloppy" as young
man of my acquaintance put it. Just
plain sloppy!' he said of worthy woman
who had opened the door for him one day
IN kimono. 1t just hung straight, you
know. with no fit to it-like a nightgown-
and she was going about the house and
ioing her work and coming to the door in
thati"
But have to wear something easy when
[ am working" some woman may plead.
can't be all gotten up in my best bib
and tucker to wash dishes, and make bread
and scrub paintl'
OF course, you can't. But there is some
thing Between the =" best bib and tucker +"
and the sloppy kimono. Devise work.
ing suit which will be easy, comfortable,
ara yet neat.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-28

us a woman of 40 too old to take up
% a fad or to try to nurse into life
she has had in younger days?
Some time ago / noticed an item
in one of the papers telling of what
they were pleased to call the vagary of
woman of 40 who was taking up the study
of chemistry, not as a means of livelihood,
but simply as a fad. All her life she had
had longings to know more of it, but not
until. she had reached the above age and
been left a widow had the opportunity
come to her. The article told how all of
her family We're put out about it, and some
of them even voiced the belief that her
mind was giving way. l was greatly in
terested in the item, for | have reached
that unromantic age and am the possessor
of fad that will not down, in spite OF
divers discouragements. / have always
had the writing bee buzzing in my bonnet,
but life on farm, with its round of duties.
puts great dampener on literary work.
Besides. it makes you forget many things
you ought to know. At the present time
| am exceedingly rusty, but love to write
little articles for our small weekly paper
in my home town, also for the farm paper.
Long years on the farm have taught me
many things | would like to pass along.
Now there must be many writer's, and some.
like myself, must be among the readers of
the Helping Hand department. Won't they
write them experiences? What helped
them may help me. is there some book or
magazine on journalism that is no more
use to the owner and could be passed
along? | would be thankful for anything Of
the kind COUNTRY WOMAN"
My hearty approval goes out to any
woman who takes up fad after her hard
Suites are over and seeks to find some such
Gay of filing her leisure and supplying
nerself with a fresh interest in life. One
of these days plan to have talk with the
Cornerites on this topic. But it is one
thing to devote your spare time to a study
like chemistry or language, or anything
else and quite another to attempt to enter
as a money maker field occupied by per-
.r1r- T'1 have given years of study to the
5fafcs "a of authorship. Do you see the
dine1 nee? In the one case you are broad
enins vour mind and increasing your
Knuwiedg ge with view to the happiness
and growth that result from self-culture;
ia the other you are putting your efforts
into competition with those of trained
workers. A mistaken impression prevails
nitn regard to writing. To be an author
II is uot enough to have written good COM
,oeitions at school, to write good letters.
De able to get your productions into a
litiie local paper Study of literature and
Ian lage are required, an acquaintance
with the best books of the. world a prac-
tsce 4 style in writing. All these take time
and toll, and until these have been given.
aAd greatdeal Of hard labor in the way of
Producing many compositions which are
fefle merely for the sake of practice and
Hiih no. thought of publication, it is hard
Z worth while to aspire towards position
he magazines or to authorship of books.
Qt course,-now and then genius appears.
but they are so rare as to be hardly worth
eeasidering in a general discussion. !
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-28

I IoW many of you who are housekeep-
81 ers make a business of keeping
| yourselves in good condition phys
ieally? If address my question to
you specifically it is because 1 think
housekeepers as class are rather needless
about the details of health. They don't
take every advantage they can in the care
Of themselves in all particulars, and they
don't have helps that come their way in
connection with their work. The business
Woman has many hndrances and trials.
but she is at least obliged to go into the
fresh air morning and evening, though she
may be too tired to get the full benefit of
1t. Still, she wins some good in spite of
herself, and she. has also the vaiue of the
little change of scene. But you who are
keeping house get up into the atmosphere
of work, go about in it all day, lie down
and sleep in it at night. Do you try to
counteract this monotony by taking the
ways?
Let us begin at the question of clothes.
How do you dress when you are working?
Does this seem like foolish query or one
of no Importance? II you will consider a
little you won't think SO. For my own
part. 1 believe that much of the ease and
comfort with which you accomplish your
work is due to the way in which you are
clad.
:" never had any use for that woman
after l saw her at work in her Kitchen"
remarked downright young girl to me
one day. " There she was trailing about
in an old silk tea gown, peeling potatoes
and washing dishes. All spotty and ragged
it was. and she said she was just wearing
1t out because it was too shabby for any
thing decent. L can't approve of any wom-
and who has no more respect for her
work than to do it looking like that!"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-28
!. N
Dictionary Would Help.

am the little boy who wrote you a few
uays ago about wanting that dictionary
which was offered. am 10 years old and in
nigh school, and the dictionary would be a
great help to me, and also to my two sis
tiers, who are younger than /. i know you
must be busy attending to people every
day, but wish you could help me out In
this. ERH"
l am sorry to tell you that the dictionary
to which you refer had been given away
before your letter was received, but hope
that printing this note may bring an offer
of one for you especially. 1 will keep your
name and address
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-28

of thing ready made and will probably have
to get it made to order or do it yourself.
Select neat pattern, mixed goods if you
can get it which will either wash or else
clean readily. A challie is good for this,
and If it is too light you can have a cotton
slip to wear under it. Provide yourself
with long seeved aprons in gingham or
cambrlc which will protect the wooden
dress from spots. 1t is not SO simple a
matter to cleanse this as the cotton frock
and 1t holds the odors of the cooking as a
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-28

wash material will not do. For this reason
some housekeepers wear woolen skirts and
cotton shirt waists My only objection to
this is that it is so difficult and tedious. a
matter to make shirt waist look trim and
neat that the wearer is prone to let it go and
come to the breakfast table and her morn
ing work far from attractive.
See to your footgear as well as to the
clothing of your body. l may say by the
way, that the corset or corset waist you
wear should be comfortable and well fit
ting. Much of your comfort depends upon
this, Don't take old, run down slippers into
service for morning wear. They twist and
tire the feet and oblige you to work under
disadvantages that handicap you from the
start An Oxford tie. with low, broad
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-28
Keeping in Trim.

Having discussed the manner IN which
you array yourself for your work. let me
ask what other means do you employ for
keeping yourself in condition? How about
your allowance of fresh air?
If you have not thought of this before
think of it now and make a business of see
Ing that you get all you can. Begin the day
by going to the open window and taking at
least half a dozen deep breaths of pure
fresh air, expanding your lungs and filling
them with oxygen. You have no idea with
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-28
Tpi, Babies Want Chairs.

Will you kindly print request for two
discarded high chairs for twin girls. 8
months old? Some kind person may have
them who does not need them any longer.
My husband is out of work at present and
cannot get anything to do in the city. The
babies need the chairs badly. Mrs. w. 81
There is not strong probability that a
pair of high chairs formerly used by an
other pair of twins may be forthcoming,
but it is not necessary that the two should
be an absolute match. Two chairs from
different sources will accommodate the
twinnies quite as comfortably as If they
were originally built or bought for pair
l shall hope soon to have an application
for the address of Mrs w. S. from other
mothers who have chairs to give away.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-28
Bread NTH Plain Sponge.

Will you kindly give me your favorite
bread recipe? / found a recipe of yours for
white bread that was published in the cor
ner about two years ago. 1t gave full di>
rections for setting the sponge at night and
finishing 1t the following day. 1 used the
recipe and it was the most delicious bread
we have ever had, but in moving | have lost
the recipe. MRS. H. IL. L."
Bread recipes are many and after this
lapse of time it is impossible for me to say
what was the exact recipe to. which you
refer The directions which l give will
make good bread If closely followed, and
hope they may prove TO make as satisfae-
tory bread as the recipe you lost: Chop
tablespoon of butter and lard mixed into