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O WOMBS' work ®
A JOURNAL OF LITERATURE AND DOMESTIC
ECONOMY.
PUBLISHED MONTHLY.
Athens, Ga., Oct., 1888.
Edited by KATE GARLAND,
WHO WILL BE ASSISTED BY THE BEST TALENT IN
THE COUNTRY.
Subscription price, 60 cents a year.
Great inducements to club-raisers. Send for
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ADVERTISING RATES.
Subject to Monthly Change.
Sixty cents per inch each insertion. The
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or yearly contract, amounts to a very
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Communications intended for editorial depart
ment should be addressed to the Editress, at
Athens, Georgia.
All subscriptions and business communica
tions should be addressed to T. L. Mitchell,
Publisher and Proprietor, Athens, Ga.
Let our readers make a general informa
tion bureau of the Correspondence depart
ment, in which all may feel free to ask and
answer questions. What*more valuable
feature could a home paper possess?
Can’t write for Woman’s Work? Did
you ever try? You won’t find it very
difficult, and your recipe, or meth
od of doing something to add to the
brightness or comfort of home may help
some one out of a difficulty. If you know
nothing to tell, suppose you ask for some
information and thus afford an opportunity
B--UlUhars to-“•press themselves.
Woman’s Work, published as Athens,
Ga., has improved with every issue, and
the last is, of course, an exeellent number.
It is just as well adapted to the North as
to the South, and is worth five times what
it costs. Any woman, whether she has a
family or not, will find its suggestions and
instructions very valuable, and if she acts
in its spirit, will be a better, happier wo
man, wife, mother, sister. Try it a year;
only fifty cents.— Ottawa (III.) Globe.
It is a disappointment that we cannot
give our usual sketch and portrait of some
prominent woman in this issue, but wait
ing until the last moment for closing forms
did not bring the desired cut. We trust
this will not occur again, and hope in each
future number to continue this popular
feature of Woman’s Work. We are
promised pictures of several popular con
tributors to our columns, and will feel a
special pride in giving these to our readers.
Woman’s Work probably reaches a
thousand homes, each of which claims the
smartest baby in America. Now it is an
injustice to hide this wit and wisdom from
the world. “ Why, I could Jill your
‘ Bright Baby ’ column with my little one’s
smart sayings,” a subscriber recently re
marked. Well do so, by all means. It
will amuse our readers and give you these
remarks in good shape for preservation,
even if the judges do not pronounce yours
the brightest of bright babies and award it
the prize.
Were we so inclined, page after page of
complimentary notices and encouraging
letters, could be published each month, but
we feci that each reader individually ap
preciates Woman’s Work, and the space
can be more profitably devoted to other
matters. There are many improvements
yet to be made, as increase of patronage
authorizes, and our readers can greatly
assist in the good work, ’by showing the
paper to friends and sending their sub
scriptions. Each one could easily send
several names and all parties would be
benefited.
Each month we welcome new names to
our pages, and each month we are informed
that Woman’s Work is better than ever.
We hope this opinion will always prevail,
and believe it will, if every reader will only
tell us what she knows about promoting
comfort, health and happiness in the home.
Why should you hesitate to write to your
paper more than to a friend? You have
no better friend than Woman’s Work.
Matter should reach us for an issue as
early in the previous month as possible—
by the 15th any way.
We cannot agree with those writers who
speak of the coming of autumn as a time
for sadness and regret. With equal glad
ness do we welcome spring, summer,
autumn, winter. Each has its beauties and
blessings which are not detracted from be
cause of their varied nature. Autumn
with its golden ripenings, and winter with
its bleak and icy winds, are not more to be
despised than golden hair, as ’tis streaked
with silvery threads or bleached to snoWy
whiteness, when the promising buds of
youth have long since blossomed into full
manhood and their petals begin to fade and
fall. Nay, bountiful and all wise Nature,
we thank thee for every change thy sea
sons bring.
For Woman’s Work.
COMFORTABLE WOMEN.
Comfortable. Yes that is just the word
I want. I came across the idea not long
ago in a home paper I was reading, and it
set me to thinking. Am I a comfortable
woman, that delight of her husband’s
heart ? Do I give or impart comfort, as
Webster defines the word? I think there
is perhaps nothing so inducive to an irri
table temper as sickness or ill health its
one for long years used to robust strength.
I wonder is it possible to lose energy and
not ambition ? I know that when physi
cally unable to do any work at all, I yet
fretted because I wanted to do it. Ac
customed to the utmost sympathy from my
husband, I would very "often express my
sense of restlessness at being unable to do
for him or the baby any of the thousand
and one things relegated to hired help, and
oh I so poorly done.
“Why fret over it?” he would say, “is
not your comfort and freedom from pains
of more consequence to me than anything
else ?”
“Oh ! you don’t understand how it makes
me feel.” I would cry, with the hateful
thought of being a burden constantly be
fore me.
A burden 1 I’m afraid I was in a fair
way to become one with such constant
drains on his ever ready sympathy when I
was not even allowing him the luxury of
seeing me comfortable.
By the time I had gone over this ground
in my own mind, I saw. my mistake, and
set about to remedy it.
“Susan,” I said to my girl, when break
fast was over, “if you want to ask me any
thing about the work this morning, you
may come to me in the sitting room. You
have been here long enough now to know
how I like the work done, so I will not
make the rounds of the house with you
to-day.”
Accordingly I established myself in my
favorite easy chair with my books and
writing desk within reach. When my
husband asked me how I felt when he
started for town, I laughed and told him I
meant to be comfortable for one thing.
His hearty “that’s right,” showed me I
was on the right road. Since then we
have talked it over, and he is very much
pleased with my decision. He says my
whole face is changed in expression since
I quit fretting over not being able to do the
work myself; and really that seemed har
der to me than the physical discomfort. I
am naturally domestic in my tastes, and
pride myself on being a good housekeeper.
Most of you will know just how it irritated
me to see my cosy bright little kitchen
dirty and greasy from the lack of pride on
the part of the well paid and not over
worked hired girl.
However, when I came to think it over,
the cheery aspect of my kitchen was of
less importance than that of my/ace, which
was certainly dearer to my husband than
the condition of the house.
Why, he told me just the other day that
the corners of my mouth always turned up
now instead of down. I think it pays; I
believe he is more comfortable, rfftd I know
I am. I am enough of a convert to the
“mind cure” to believe that continued
cheerfulness and brightness of spirit,
brings renewed health and strength.
Maude W. Peablee.
ELEANOR KIRK’S VIEWS.
“ Madam, I cannot take your case,” said
a distinguished medical practitioner, the
other day, to a fashionable invalid, after a
careful diagnosis.
“ But why not take my case?” the lady
asked in some surprise.
“ Because I have had my attendant
weigh your garments while I was making
the examination,” was the frank and most
unusual response, “ and I find that your
skirts weigh fifteen pounds. You have
brought on the disease from which you
suffer by this manner of dressing, and I do
not care to risk my reputation as a physi
cian by treating a patient who will, in all
probability, continue to carry such loads,”
“ This is the first time I ever knew a
physician to tell a patient what she should
wear,” said the visitor with heightened
color. “ How many pounds is it lawful to
carry, if you please ?”
‘‘You cannot carry over three pounds
with safety ; and even such a weight should
be suspended from the shoulders.”
“How long shall I be obliged to limit
the weight of my clothes ?”
“As long as you live, madam, for you
have so outraged every delicate and sensi
tive internal organ, so stretched the liga
ments which would have been faithful had
you treated them well, that you can never
exceed this weight with safety.”
“ Do you think you can cure me if I obey
you ?” was the next question.
“ I can prevent the development of a
tumor, which is now imminent, but all the
medical science in creation cannot make
you strong. But I can help you to help
yourself to more health and comfort than
you have known for many a year.”
Now I heard this conversation, and it
delighted my heart; and ever since I have
been asking, why do not physicians more
generally tell the whole truth in such
cases ? They know the effect of tight lac
ing, and the drag of heavy skirts upon the
hips and the spine. They know the cause
of the frightful increase of ovarian tumors
among American women. Why will they
not all come to the rescue, like the grand
gentleman above mentioned. There are
some time servers and fortune hunters, who
will not tell the truth, because of the fear
of losing moneyed patients ; and doubtless
there are a few practitioners, iff good stand
ing, who delight in lapped ribs and pro
truding and diseased organs because of
filthy lucre. But the majority of our doc
tors are honest, humane men and women,
who love the truth. Sons and daughters
of Esculapius, please step to the front, and
let us have “ the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth, so help you.”
The Detroit Free Press, in a sound arti
cle, says the reason so many parents do
not properly educate their daughters, is
because the majority are afraid of popular
opinion; and calls upon fathers and moth
ers to see to it that their girls are taught
some trade or profession by which they can
support themselves in case of need. This
is another kind of humanitarian work that
the world is painfully in need of. An inci
pient which occurred in Brooklyn not long
since shows the depths of stupidity to which
so-called leaders of society not infrequently
descend.
The daughter of a wealthy man met the
daughter of another wealthy man, and ask
ed where she was going.
“ To the dress-maker’s,” was the reply.
“ I will go with you,” said her companion.
“ But I am going to stay several hours,”
was the frank response. “You seel am
learning to make dresses.”
The next day this sensible girl was cut
by half a dozen of her former friends, and
the report spread like wild-fire, that Mr.
had become embarassed in business. Now,
this young woman had a talent for dress
making, and her parents happened to be
wise enough to allow her to develop it in
a scientific manner. The signs of the
times are hopeful, for there is more said
and written on these subjects than ever be
fore.
The following rule for crocheting lace
caps for babies was given me by a very ac
complished worker, for the Woman's Ex
change, and will be found perfect:
Lace caps, made to imitate the round,
full-bordered caps in which German and
Bavarian mothers dress their children, are
now much in vogue. The sweet little faces
look sweeter than ever, peering out from
these quaint, foreign-looking caps.
Use the yellowest of old lace, if you have
it; if you haven’t don't take cheap lace and
color it with coffee, for you can make a
much better and more durable imitation
than that. Get a spool of Flax Thread—
the yellowest, unbleached, not the grey—
and try this pattern :
With a fine crochet hook, make a chain
of three stitches, join in a ring, and work
fifteen trebles in the ring. In the second
reund, widen every stitch by putting two
trebles in each one, making thirty in all.
In the third round, widen every second
stitch; in the fourth round, every third
stitch, and so on for nine rounds. Break
off the thread; begin fifteen stitches from
where you left off, and work round with
out widening, until within thirty stitches
of the beginning of this tenth row. Turn
the work, and repeat for the eleventh,
twelfth and thirteenth rows. Fourteenth
row: turn, make seventeen chain, fasten
with a slip stitch into the third treble; re
peat all the way round, including the thir
ty stitches which had been omitted for
four rows. This makes an open-work
space for a ribbon. Now try it on. If
large enough, proceed with the border;
if not, repeat from the eleventh row. For
the first round of the border, make one
treble in every stitch of the preceding
round of the hood. Second round: four
trebles in every third stitch of preceding.
Third round: four trebles in the middle
of each preceding four, also between, mak
ing it very full. Fourth and fifth rounds;
shells in the top of every, shell. Sixth
round : two trebles in the middle of a shell,
three chain, join back into the top of last
treble; two trebles in the shell, again.
Repeat. This makes little loops on the
edge. Line the hood with a thin lining
silk, and run ribbon in the open space,
tying it in a bow on top of the head and at
the back of the neck. Add strings of linen
or ribbon, and you will have one of the
daintiest little caps irriaginable, and one
which will serve three generations of ba
bies, if you get the genuine flax thread.
I will give Woman’s Work an ex
cellent recipe for cough syrup. Take
a handful of sea moss—called by some
Irish moss—and after having washed
ed it carefully, pour on a quart of boiling
water. Let it boil slowly five or ten min
utes. Then strain through a cloth, add the
juice of two lemons, and sugar enough to
make it palatable. In case of a severe cold
and cough and sore throat, drink freely of
it as warm as it can be taken.
Just as I had written the last word of
my letter I received the following commu
nication from a progressive and scientific
Boston physician, which seems to me too
valuable to wait.
“ I have read,” he says, “ with great in
terest what you have written of the bene
ficial effect of sea moss upon invalids, and I.
now send you a most valuable recipe for
sea moss jelly, which I have found invalu
able with patients recovering from typhoid
fever and meningitis, and other illnesses
causing great prostration. Take a tea cup
of sea moss after it has been carefully
washed, and add a pint of cold water. Let
it stew, but not boil, until very glutinous,
then strain through a cloth and add half a
cup of sugar. Let this come to a boil.
Then pour in a pint of sherry or other
good wine. If not sweet enough, add more
sugar, and the juice of a lemon if the pa
tient objects to the sea flavor. Pour into
moulds and cool. Sea moss posesses a dis
tinctive healing quality, and 1 know of
nothing so strengthening and appetizing as
this jelly. Charitable ladies who wish to
take delicacies to the sick, would do well
to learn how to utilize this most valuable
sea food.” Eleanor Kirk.
Why shouldn’t you devote at least a half
acre or an acre to the cultivation of the
delicious and profitable strawberry? It is
healthy work which any woman may en
gage in with pleasure and gratifying re
sults. At the old Brownwood Institute,
situated in the suburbs of LaGrange, I
have nearly four acres in strawberries and
raspberries, and cordially invite any who
are interested in small fruits to come "and
see my place and methods. I have 100,000.
plants for sale at 25 cents per 100, delivered
at Brown woocj; 30 cents per 100 if shipped.
Purchasers must pay express charges. The
varieties for sale are—the Crescent, enor
mously productive, early and sure bearer;
Sharpless, early, very large with delicious
taste; Glendale, later, a fine berry, good
shipper and sure bearer; Jumbo, latest of
all, splendid berry, beautifully shaped and
excellent shipper. Raspberry plants, finest
varieties and some of all, or nearly all.
Best varieties for sale at 50 cents per dozen,
60 cents if shipped. Less than one acre of
the foregoing varieties of strawberries
yielded 3,000 quarts during the last season.
They were grown by Mrs. Sarah B. Malory,
from whom the farm was purchased. Ad
dress, Mrs. S. P. Callaway,
LaGrange, Ga.
Ne’er destroy another’s Idol—
Lacking though - it be in grace—
Till one sweeter, purer, fairer,
Thou canst offer in its place.
A Lady in South Carolina writes:
My labor was shorter and less painful
than on two former occasoins; physicians
astonished; I thank you for Mother’s
Friend. It is worth its weight in gold.