1
W HBKLX
AUHWALli
'GAZE
THE. KICKER.
i.1 1 c mo 'ning.
the (lay;
Kicking
Kicking 11
Kicking if l1e.- busy.
Kicking 111' 111.1.5.
l‘hus thechronic kic {er
Fills his life with woes.
Frau-hing. grumbling. wrangling.
Everywhere he goes.
Nothing ever suits him,
A [ways finding fault:
Every ki 1i of pleasure
lie is sure to halt.
Sonwling at the children.
G rowling at his wife:
Turning peace and comfort
Into constant. strife.
f, ' Kicking 1f the weather
5 , {1151,11 ns tobed1y:
‘eiL :1'i111: when the rain is
l‘ unbling from the sky.
Kicking in the summer.
Heat has then no charm;
Kicking in the winter.
l‘hen he'd have it warm.
”Ir ,-
liicking every mealtime.
Glaring at the meat:
0‘ ton be is saying.
‘Nothi 3 fit. to eat."
ch king when he' 5 reading.
G1u1nbling at the light:
Now and then-demon“:
Everything in sight.
Kicking in the morning.
Kicking all the day:
Kicking in the evening,
Kicklm.r should he pray.
Kicking while he‘s thinking,
Kick 111: when in bed;
\‘\ under if he’ll km 11 on
Kicking when he‘ a dead.
-Pittsbu1g Chr1111Wicle-Teleg1aph
JACK’S OBTUSENESS
Theodora was quite sure she had set-
tied the question at last. For a week
past her thinking hours had been filled
with an all-important subject, or, more
properly speaking, two subjects, for
the problem was to decide between
two men, who had seen fit to look upon
her as a fitting custodian for their
Lares and Penates. _
In accepting George Hunt, she felt
he1self fo1tified by a rampart of ap-
p105i11g 1elativ es and a deceicus sense
of p1opriet5. As fo1 Jack: well, she
had always liked Jack. Everybody
liked him. He was a genial, good fel—
low, and always in demand at all so-
cial gatherings. But he was poor as
young laW5 ers generally are, and while
people predicted a future for him, The-
odora thought of the present, and de—
cided to let Jack work out his career
aldne.
1,- y.
The clang at the door bell was the '
signal f01 the last hurIied peep in the
glass. Theodora felt a moment’s pity
for Jack as she caught the reflection.
They were going to Mrs. Hathaway’s
soiree, and the mirror gave back to
Theodora’s vision all the loveliness of
her gown, enchanced by the pretty bare
'neck and crowned by the fair young
face.
It occurred to her several times dur-
ing the evening that Jack was not act-
ing especially worried. Although to-
night was the time she had set as the
utmost limit of her considerations, he
had net intimated by look or word that
he remembered this. '
Theodora resolved to be severe, and
it was with this resolution in mind
that she suggested sitting out one of
the dances which showed a scrawly “J”
opposite on her programme.
“Certainly, if you wish/’1 assented
Jack, arranging the cushions behind
his head. “In fact, I begin to think
I’m a trifle tired myself. Quite a crush
here to-night.”
“Yes,” said Theodora.
“I should think,” continued Jack,
gazing out into the ball room, “that
Hunt would retire from society, or
from dancing, at least. Just look at
him now, whirling around like a top
that hasn’t been .wound up tight
enough. He's beginning to wabble.”
No response from Theodora.
“He gets terribly red in the face, too,
and the way he mops his forehead is a
sign of age. He’s really quite bald,
isn’t he? I only hope I’ll remember it
when I get old.”
“Old!” exclaimed Theodora; “Mr.
Hunt is a comparatively young man."
“Compared to a centenarian, perhaps
no.”
Theodora did not deign to answer.
After a short silence, Jack said, sud-
denly, arranging his head prop more
comfortably, “By the way, I’ve been
considering the question I asked you a
week ago, and I’ve concluded to save
you the trouble of calculating matters,
too. It’s no use, Theodora, I can’t
support a wife. I have figured it in
every way, and I can’t make both ends
meet.” '
Theodora’s face hardened. “I might
have saved you the trouble of calculat-
ing by giving you my answer a week
ago,” ”she said.
“Then you weren’t going to accept
me anyway?” exclaimed Jack. “By
Jove, I was almost afraid you would."
"Indeed?" '
“0h, now, see here, Theodora,” ex-
claimed Jack, for the first time turning
toward her. “Don't be down on me. I
supposed you’d look at this thing sen-
sibly. Neither of us believe in long
engagements, and so it is better to
break off entirely than to worry along
for six or eight years until all the po-
etry has disappeared from life.
“You presuppose the case. I never
should have suggested waiting.”
Theodora. rose and smoothed the
folds from her draperies.
“Since I’m going to marry another
4‘
man I don’t see the use of any further
conversation on the subject."
“Marry another man!" exclaimed
Jack, starting forward; “I never
thought of that, Theodora."
The consternation in his voice was a.
satisfaction to her.
“I p'resume not." she said, coldly;
l .
“humbleness 18 not one of your,vlr- -
tues."
He did not answer her, and
moved toward the door.
"But, Theodora, you know that I
she
, alone you. {tile for your sake—’f
“No, I do not know nor can you
make me beli'eie it. However, that is
of no consequence.” .
“But it is of consesuence, Theodora.
May I ask who it is you are going to
marry?”
“It is Mr. Hunt,” she replied hargh~
lily.
One daygabout-a month‘at‘ter Mrs.
Hathaway’s soiree. Jack met George
Hunt on the street. “By the way,
Hunt," Jack exclaimed, “I presume I’m
a little behind hand, but I want to con- -
gratulate ydu, wish you joy, and all
lhat sort of thing."
‘ny dear fellow, to what am I in-
debted for all this?” shaking, in a des-
ultory manner, the hand which Jack
held out.
“To the honor of being the future
husband of one of our most charming
mung ladies’” laughed Jack.
Mr. Hunt blushed unbecomingly.
“You are either laboring under a delu-
sion or else this is a very meagre joke.
i am engagedto no young lady."
“But Theodora—” began Jack,
guardedly.
“The young lady you mention did
herself the honor of refusing me,"
said Mr. Hunt, curtly.
“I beg your pardon, by Jove, I do,
Hunt. It was all a mistake. Some one
misinformed me. I’m awfully sorry,
but I‘ve-been 'b‘ehind'the times lately.”
“It is of no consequence,” said Mr.
Hunt, passing on.
Not Many days after, Theodora
started for a. prolonged visit to her
aunt, who lived in a gay town some
distance from Theodora’s home. She
had seen very little of Jack since the
soiree, but just as the train was start-
ing, he swung himself on, and in his
hurried passage through the car tossed
a box into her lap.
“Good-by,” he called out, and she
watched him swing himself off of the
1111‘
platform. For some unaccountable
reason her heart was behaving
strangely. She took up the box from
her lap and broke the string. A note
lay on a bed of deep purple, fragrant
violets, and as she saw just the one
word, “Theodora,” in the familiar
scrawly .writing, her heart gave a joy-
ous bound. She opened the note and
read these words: “The fool and his
money soon parted."
She stared at the line. So Jack con—
sidered himself a fool for spending a
few paltry cents 011 her. And this aft-
er their conversation at the Hatha-
ways! Oh, it was unbearable for any
man to be so insulting, and Jack, of all
men!
She took a little pencil from her
pocket-book and wrote underneath the
obnoxious message from Jack; “It
would be wise to tack hese violets onto
one of those ends that will not meet.”
When Jack received the box address-
ed in Theodora’s handwriting, he ea-
gerly opened the package. Inside he
found his poor violets, withered, and
then he read the penciled words: “It
would be wise to tack the violets onto
one of those ends which will not meet.”
“By Jove!” he exclaimed. That
borders on sarcasm. Wonder why she
didn’t like them? I'll take a run up
Sunday and find out.”
Jack was as good ashis word, and
quite distracted Theodora’s thoughts
from her prayers when his unexpected
self swung right into church on Sun-
day morning. S'he treated him with a
dignity which smacked of hauteur, but
poor Jack was entirely unconscious.
“By the way,” he remarked casually,
that evening, utterly unaware of, or at
least not noticing the frigidity of The-
odora’s manner; “why didn’t you keep
the violets? I meant you should.”
“Indeed, did you? I did'the best I
could to restore a fool’s money.”
“I say, that’s rather hard on me.
Theodora; but of course I know you
only meant it.as a joke, same as I
did. But I am sorry you did not keep
them."
“A joke!” she exclaimed; “I think
your jokes are in rather poor taste.”
“Oh, never mind. That's all over
now. Say, I congratulated Hunt the
other day, and it didn’t seem to set
well." .
Theodora gasped. "How dare you
do such a thing?” she exclaimed. “How
:l ll'e you insult me in this way? I have
never been treated 110. First you pro-
posed to me, and— and-—"
“I didn’t mean to insult you by that,
l'hecdora."‘
“Oh, you know what I mean! You
told me you did not want to marry me
because 'I would be an expense, then
you dared to meddle in Mr. Hunt’s af-
fairs—4’
"Now, Theodora—”
“Then you send me a box of flowers
.~:o you can pester mewlthyour exces-
sive brilliancy-of thought; then, to cap‘
all, you come up here to taunt me with
all this, and call it a joke. I never
thought it of you. I—”
“Why, Theodora, what is the matter?
Don’t cry, for Heaven' 8 sake,” implor-
ed Jack, attempting consolation, and
exhibiting immense awkwardness.
“Oh, I say, Theodora." he said, “I
didn't know you felt this way about it."
“I don’t,” sobbed Theodora.
“But, my dear, you certainly do. Up-
on my word, I did not know that you
were not engaged to Hunt. I apolo-
gized to him, and it’s all right. And I
sent the flowers because I knew you
liked violets, ,and the note was only a
joke. And I said that I did not want
to marry you because I believed you
would refuse me at first. But I didn’t
believe you would marry any one else
or be engaged so soon. Tell me, any-
way, Theodora, why won't you marry
me?"
‘Because you don’t want me too,”
she said sobbingly.
‘ My dear Theodora, ” it seems to me
you are wonderfully dense,” he said,
taking .0 in his arm —Constantiu
Hope, in "Peterson's Magazine.
41\
1111111“ ‘
g
OVERaTHE RIVER.
Over the River of
Drooplng Eyes
Is ‘the wonderful
land of Dreams.
Where lilies grow as
white as snow,
And fields are green
I, I I
«‘1» and warm wmds
lame“ blow,
.1 11d the tall reeds quiver, all in a row—-
And no one eve1 cries:
Fm- its 11 beautiful place for girls and boys.
W l1e1e there' 5 no scolding and lots of noise,
.111! no lost balls or broken (:05 s—
OVer the Rivenof Dracula: Eyes
In the beautiful land of Dreams.
(film
III
WWII-1M!!!“
|
Q
We.
\
’/
05'1 r the River of Drooplns Eyes
Is the wonderful le’nd of Dreams.
There' s but us to blow and drums to beat.
A111! plenty of candy and cakes to eat.
And no one ever cleans their feet
And no one ever tires!
There's plenty of grassy places for plan
And birds and bees. they throng all the day-
Oh. wouldn't you like to go and stay
‘ Over the River of Drooping ’ES’OS
In the beautiful land of Dreams?
—Maurice Clayton.
NEST AS BIG AS A CITY LOT.
“'onderful Mounds Built by the Malloe
Hens of Australia.
The mallee hen of Australia lays its
eggs in a huge nest. The nest is really
an artificial mound of gigantic propor-
tions for the size of its maker and the
purpose it is to serve. This artificial
mound is a co-operation incubator. It
is built by many pairs of birds, male
and female working alike to construct
it. These same pairs or flocks of birds
annually repair and enlarge the queer-
looking cone, which rises up like a.
turret dome from the level prairie.
Semetimes these tunnels attain a
height of fully fifteen feet in the per-
pendicular, with a radius of equal mea-
surement. Many of these nests have
measured as much as fifty yards, or
150 feet, around their base. That would
give the largest one measured a diam-
eter of about fifty feet. These mound-
uests are entered through a sort of
funnel cavity at the top of the cone.
The hens of all the building and re-
pairing pairs lay in this immense nest.
The eggs are deposited about six feet
below the surface. While "each hen
lays her eggs in the family mound, no
hen drops her egg closer than twenty
inches to that of her neighbor. These '
eggs are deposited in a cavity made for
it wherein it is placed in a vertical po-
sition, carefully covered, and the sur-
face as carefully smoothed over by the
hen before she quits the nest. Con-
trary to the usual practice of the bird
and fowl species, these mallee hens
lay at night instead of in the day.
Several days elapse also between the
dropping of two eggs by the same
hen.
The eggs of the mallee hen are out
of all proportion to her size. They are
as large as those of a goose, and of
large hense are very much smaller.
The eggs thus laid and covered in
this great sand oven in the hot dis-
tricts are never again disturbed by the
hens. The e c,gs are hatched by the
heat the sun bakes into the soil where
they lay. It has never been known
how the young chicks are excavated
from their egg grave, for the eggs are
deposited fully six feet below the sur-
face, and the hardening rains do not
aid their exit very much.
The hen is so very shy and vigilant
that no one is able to study her ma-
ternal and domestic habits with satis-
faction. As she lays her egg at night,
and transacts most of her affairs in the
night watch so that no naturalist or
curious individual can ferret her out,
possibly she steel; to her expected
brood under cover of night also, and
gives them the parental unearthing
which they must surely need after the
plpping of the eggshell.
Bush naturalists have been curious
to know how this peculiar fowl builds
that nest. The bird's have been seen
working at it, and the mounds have
been inspected, but the piling of the
dirt is not from the immediate vicinity,
for that is undisturbed. Small sprigs
and the like enter into the plastic ma-
sonry, which stands storms and heavy
rains, when they do fall, without ser-
ious injury.
These huge cones stand for years, to
be annually nested in by the same flock
which originally constructed the fam-
ily incubator. .When detected the hens
emit a pitiful little cackle, and flutter
away like a wounded innocent. The
young of a covey either root under the
sand or hide behind some mound or
object of a friendly colon—Col. John
F. Hobbs in Chicago Inter-Ocean.
! Story of a RepentantDog.
i This little dog tried to make amends
for his sins.
did not do it in the best way, although
he did the best he could. A story
comes from New Haven about a. black
spaniel that abstracted a feather dus- ‘
for from his owner's house, and while
:playing with it tore out all the feath.
ers. The dog, after being shown the
featherless handle, was given a severe
.whipping with it. He then disappear-
ed, and about an hour afterward walk-
ed bravely lnto the house with a brand
new duster in his mouth. He walked
up to his mistress and meekly depos-
ited the new- brush at her feet. By the
mark on it she saw that the dog had
stolen it from a neighboring fanc'y
goods store.
But, unfortunately, he‘
Bologna Top.
Each year, with the arrival of Christ
mas, there rushes into the home in
which children dWell a flood of toys
that threatens to inundate the nursery
and make all' semblance of- order 1111'-
possible. The playthings are so nu-
merous that the satieted owners turn
from one to the other without deriving
thorough enjoyment from any one of
them. The novelty soon wears off,
and in a. few weeks the pretty trifies
are more or less broken or marred,
and the little ones view them discon-
tentedly, and' long aloud for fresh
fields and pastures new. 'l‘o avert this
certain reaction from the Yuletide ex—
citement, the judicious mother will se-
lect from among the mass of toys 11
number which are to be 111111 aside for
some future time. It is not necessary
to tell the children of this scheme. 'A
large box in the attic or in the upper
shelf of some closet may be a store—
house for many of these treasures.
There they will rest unharmed until
the playthings in the nursery become
an old story, when they in their turn
-' are arel‘egat-ed _ to ,the . upperhshelf, and
the new toys appear. These will be
hailed with delight by the little ones
by whom they have been forgotten. Or ‘
it may be that the childxen have been
confined to the house by a storm, or,
more trying still, to the nursery by
some ailment that makes life seem
dreary to their baby eyes. Then mam-
ma appears with the reserve fund, and
outdoor allurements and indoor ail-
ments are forgotten in the joy of the
new possessions. This system keeps
the nursery from being overcrowded
with toys, and preserves the toys from
the breakages consequent upon such
overcrowding. But best of all, it pro-
vides the children with a variety of
amusements through the monotonous
winter days.—Harper’s Bazar.
Grooms fur the “’heel.
Bicycle grooms and bicycle stables
are the newest additions to the modern
establishment. The stable may, in a
mall city house, he in the basement.
he stalls for tandems and single ma-
chines are properly fitted up, and the-re
the groom attends to his duties of oil-
ing, cleaning, polishing, and inflating.
His main duty, however, is to follow
his mistress at a stated distance,
whether she rides demurely along a
city avenue or files over a country.
road; so appearance isrthe main con
sideration in his selection. Observa-
tion shows that a rather young boy, of
the “buttons” type, with a decided
English air, is looked upon with the
most favor. The liveries for these
new attendants may be as resplendent
or as picturesque as the taste of the
mistress dictates.
The great majority of people, how-
ever, cannot afford the luxury of an
especial attendant for their wheels,
and “cleaning companies" have been
established to meet their wants. Oper-
ators are sent to residences and for a
comparatively small amount they keep
the machines in perfect order. Very
soon the people who persist in groom-
ing their own wheels will be looked
upon with the raised eyebrows that are
bestowed on those who are so poor, or
‘so independent, that they “do their
own work."——Puritan.
The Mirror Does Not Flatter.
No doubt the human race would con-
sider it little short of a universal trag—
edy if there were no looking glasses.
Yet, in 'spite of their widespread use,
it is an astonishing fact that none of
us have ever seen ourselves as others
see us.
In the first place, the reflection in the
mirror does not portray our likeness
with any attempt at accuracy. The
hair is wrong in tone; the eyes are
not correct in color, and our complex-
ions are hopelessly libelled by this spe-
cious household deceiver. It is certain
that if the looking glasses spoke the
truth the sale of various complexion
washes would decrease to half, for any
fair skin looks gray and pallid in the
glass, and numbers of women who
have splendid complexions ruin them
by trying to improve them because
they look bad in the mirror. You may
be certain that, however plain your
face seems, it is by no means as plain
as it appears in the telltale mirror.
Secondly, you cannot assume your nat-
ural expression while peering in the
looking glass. The eye must be in a
certain position before you can see at
all, and the eye, so far as expression
is concerned, governs the face. The
consequence is that you can see only
,one. of your expressions in the glass;
’and that expression is one of attentive
examination. All the other expres-
sions by which your friends know you,
favorable or unfavorable, you have
never seen, and never will see.
Good for Throat Irritation.
A troublesome throat irritation or
cough, the result of a winter cold, is
most annoying, but a home remedy
will relieve and oftentimes cure it
without the aid of other medicines.
The following formula was given by a
physician many years ago, and has
been found to be of great value: Take
one-quarter of a pound of the best
gum arable and pour over it a half pint
of hot water; cover and leave it until
the gum is dissolved; then add- one-
quarter of a pound of pure white sugar
and a generous half gill of strained
lemon juice. Place these ingredients
over the fire and let them simmer
about ten minutes; then pour the mix-
ture into a bottle and cork. When
taking this syrup 5 little water may be
added.
'But, at all events, the 2‘United State:
..,Gov.exzmn.ent‘ doessmol: encourage
' Warship has ‘viSited‘that'iisland, though
i penitent to do such things.
_she is building warships obviously in-
one for her to take, if Japan were real-
CURRENT COMMENT.
nature " up
that
The Massachusetts Left
propriated $800,000 to be .sed .1.
building in various part.» of the ..-..~.e
Every American returning to his na-
tive land from abroad is expected tc
have a thrill of pleasure, but the man-
ner of celebrating is not always the
same. A Boston man went straight
from the steamer to~ arestaurant and
_ ordered'a lunch confiisting of a. cup-oi '
coffee with'four pieces of pie, apple,
custard, lemon and blueberry.
Dr. David Starr Jordan is probably
quite right in saying that American
poachers are as guilty as those of any
other nation in destroying the seal
herds. It is not claimed that all men
who happen to live in the United
States are virtuous and law-abiding
its
citizens in their lawless work, as do
those of Canada and Great Britain.
. A United States gunboat has been in
Guatemalan waters since early in the
present struggle for the supremacy 01
111111 country, and will remain until the
disturbance ceases. During the whole
of the Cuban war no United States
there have been loud demands for one
Spain should not» fa? to note this
strong evidence of friendly feeling and
confidence on the part f» ‘4-2 United
States Gove1nment.
The convicts in the Penitentiary at:
Pittsburg have been discovered by theI
Warden tome carrying on an extensive '
counterfeiting establishment. They"
not only turned out such fine speci—
mens of fifty-cent pieces that the Gov-
ernment itself was deceived, but they'
put them in circulation. It is general- 1
1y understood among counterfeiters
now that the only secure place to car-
ry on their business is in prison,
where they can set up their machinery,
manufacture and circulate ad lib. and
never be suspected, the wardens tak-
ing it for granted that they are too
'——_——_—-— I
It is reported from Germany that the
United States Embassy has been ap-
pealed to in the cases of more than
100 young men, sons of Germans who,
after having secured American citizen- '
ship, have returned to their native
land and settled there, but now claim
for their sons exemption from army1
duty. These men are not Americans,
but Germans, and should not be per-'
mitted to claim American rights. 1
Most of them, indeed, do not come un- i
l
de1 'the provisions of existing treaties,
but they are a source of annoyance,
which their increasing number is be-
ginning to make important. There
should be some official action. clearly .
defining their status in order that both
they and their sympathizers in this!
country may understand it. There:
are too many foreigners, of many na-'j
tionalities, making trouble for their
own Governments and ours under a
thin plating of American citizenship.
England at present is building
eighty-four warships, of which thirty- 1
four are to go to foreign Governments. .
That leaves fifty for home use, and as
an increment to her existing naval ar-
maments, it must be regarded as 31
pretty large one. When they are fin-
ished, German military authorities, .
Which now are quoted as asserting
that two army divisions landed in
England could in one week destroy
the military power of that country,
and that under certain circumstances
they could be so landed, may change
their minds in respect to the latter
proposition. Before that would be
possible the Fatherland would require
a much more powerful navy than with
any existing ally or allies she can now-
control, and at any future stage of its
upbuilding she will find England as far.
ahead of her as ever. That country
yet rules the. waves, and. at the rate
tends to rule them-- “s an indefinite pe-
riod to come.
A queer story come from Washing-
ton that Japan was prepared to send a
number of immigrants to Hawaii, with-
a. sufficient escort of warships to en-
force their landing. despite the protest
of the Hawaiian Government, when the
Russian Envoy dropped a significant
hint that the enterprise would not pay,
and it- was abandoned. ’The report
may be unfounded or exaggerated, but
it is not improbable. .Russia domi-
nates the Asiatic side of the Pacific.
She has always been friendly to the
United States. ' She saw that Japan
could not make such 1:1 move as the
one contemplated without stirring up
trouble. and probably war, with this
country, and as she is well disposed
toward Japan also, the reported action
would be a legitimate as well as a wise
ly making the preparations reported.
It was a friendly and sagacious way’
of averting an awkward situation and,
at the same time, of strengthening
Russia's prestige in the Pacific. She
probably caresnothing adout Hawaii,"
but she could not helpr’seelng that the
controversy, if. there was one, would
.nection with the new and
. the milk is an easy task.
them at. all times.
go far beyond the islands.
The Right We} awn-11111: Butter.
The use of a barrel or' box churn is
now quite general, yet many cling to
the old fashioned dash variety. With
the latter it is almost invariably cus-
tomary to churn until the butter
comes in a hard lump or solid mass.
Granular butter can be made in a dash
churn as well as in the most approved
of modern models. The whole secret
lies in stopping the churning at the
proper time. This is when the butter
particles appear about the size of
wheat kernels. By lifting the butter in
granules from the churn with a ladle
or skimmer, the buttermilk can be eas-
ily washed out in the butter bowl.
‘ Tooe'much washing undoubtedly in-
jures» the flavor. ’While it is generatly
conceded that washing until the water
comes off clear assists in retaining its
quality, if it is not to be consumed in
the month or six weeks first following
its manufacture a middle course is ad—
visable. Wash the butter in two or
three waters, then salt to taste and
work up into shape.
Probably no single feature in con—
improved
methods of butter‘maklng which'have
been advanced of late years finds so
slow acceptance among farmers’ wives
l as that recommending only a single
working. This is the rut in which
many of them stick; The fact is one
working, and that at the time of salt-
I ing, is all that is required. When gath-
ered in granules, only sufiiciently to
allow the butter to float upon the sur-
face of the buttermilk—~and, by the
way, this is greatly facilitated by add-
ing a. handful or more of salt to the
contents of the churn when the sepa-
. ration begins—the washing free from
Every grain
is distinct and separate from every oth~
er grain. The cold water prevents
their adherence and each is individu—
ally brought in contact with the cleans-
ing fluid. Then when drained and
while still in granules, add the salt,
scattering it over the mass and incor-
porating it thoroughly with the ladle.
The action of the salt will be to start
the brine formed by its dissolving.
Drain this off and work exactly as
would be done had the butter been
previously salted. Work until all ex-
cess‘of moisture is removed, and the
butter is a smooth, waxy mass. One
test of sufficient working is to make a
wafer-like pat with a. portion of it, us-
ing the ladle, of course, then lift one
side and fold it together. If it almost
folds over without becoming broken
yet finally does break, it is worked
enough.
Overworking butter is injurious, ren-
dering it salvy and spoiling the grain.
Insufficient working leaves an excess
of water incorporated with it and also
leaves the butter mottled and streaked
in appearance after standing a. few
hours. The whole operation may as
well be done at once as to let it remain
with the salt insufllciently blended.
Try the once working plan and you are
sure to like it, especially in very cold
weather. ——Mrs. E. R. Wood in Agri-
culturist.
“’hat‘to Feed Fowls in “'inter.
We all like a warm breakfast 'on a
cold morning and farm fowls appreci-
ate one, too. Place clover rowen, cut
to one-quarter-inch length, in a pail
I and pour on sufficientboiling water to
scald it. Let stand for a few minutes,
then add equal parts of corn and oats,
ground together, and wheat bran to
which is added one-sixth part animal
meal. Mix and feed at once. Give
plenty of pure water to drink. Be sure
not to forget the water. .
At noon, scatter a few spoonfuls of
wheat in the litter, to afford the hens
a. little exercise. Gather what eggs
there are, to keep them from freezing.
Towards night give a feed com—
posed of four parts oats and one -
part each of wheat ' and corn.
Scatter in the litter. Gather up
the remainder of eggs and see that
there is plenty of clean water. When
the fowls have gone to roost for the
night, empty out water dish and lock
up the house. The amount of corn
may be increased or diminished ac-
cording to condition of fowl. Small
and active breeds can eat more corn
to advantage than the larger fowls.
Boiled potatoes “or other vegetables
may be given frequently to good ad-
vantage. Cabbages, beets and turnips
may be fed without cooking, and will
help to increase the supply of eggs.
Ground oyster shells should be kept
where the fowls can have access to
It is well 'also to
have a box of gravel or crushed rock
within reach.
There are other methods of feeding
that give good results, but, cost con-
sidered, it is not easy to find a better
one. [With the exception that the clo-
ver rowen may be omitted during that
part of the season when the poultry
have a grass run, practically the same
method of feeding'may be practiced
throughout the year.——E. Randall in
American Agriculturist.
A Winter Feed Cooker.
Warm meshes are desirable for
fowls and hogs in winter. To cook the
food with but little labor, take half a.
barrel and set it in a grocery box, fill-
ing in about it with chaff. Make two
covers, one to fit inside the barrel, the
other to shut tightly down over the
box. Put in the meal and wet it soft
with one or more pails of boiling wa«
ter. Do this at night and close tightly.
The mass will Cook all night long and
. be, nice and warm for feeding in the
morning. ,
Norwalk Chronicler