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»i^    FRUGAL  HOUSEWIFE, 


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MUTTON 


PORK. 


1.  Le^. 

2.  Loin,  l)est  end. 

3.  Do.  Chump  do. 

4.  Neck,  l>est  do. 

6.  Do.  fcjcra^  do. 
().  Shoulder. 

7.  Breast. 
Saddle,  2  Loins. 


L  The  Sperib. 

2.  Hand. 

3.  liclly,  or  Spring 

4.  Fore  Loin. 
6.  Hind  do. 
C.  Lcff. 


VEAL. 


BEEF. 


L  Loin,  best  end. 

2.  Do.  Chump  do. 

3.  Fillet. 

4.  Knuckle,  hind. 

5.  Do.        fore. 
G.  Neck,  best  end. 
7.  Do.  scrag  do. 
S.  Blade  Bone. 

9    Breast,  best  end 
10.  Do.  Brisket. 


Hi7id  Quarter. 

1.  Sir  Loin.         6.  Veinv  piece. 

2.  Rump.  7.  Thick  Flank 

3.  A  itch  Bone.    8.  Tlnn  do. 

4.  Buttocic.         9.  Leg. 

5.  3Iouse  do. 

Fore  QtiorUr. 
10.  Fore  Rib,  5  Ribs. 
IL  Middle  do.  4  do. 

12.  Chuck,        3  do. 

13.  Shoulder,  or  Leg  Mutton 

piece. 

14.  Brisket. 

15.  Clod. 

16.  Neck,  or  Sticking  piece. 

17.  Shin. 
13.  Cheek 


THE 


AMERICAN 


FRUGAL  HOUSEWIFE, 


DEDICATED    TO    THOSE 


WHO  ARE  NOT  ASHAMED  OF  ECONOMY. 


BY    MRS.   CHILD, 

AUTHOB  OP    "hOBOMOK,"    "  THE    MOTHEr's    BOOK,"    EDITOR    OP 
"  THE  JUVENILE    MISCELLANY,"    ETC. 


A  fat  kitchen  maketh  a  lean  will. — Franklin. 

"  Economy  is  a  poor  man's  revenue ;  extravagance,  a  rich  man's  ruin." 


TWENTY-SECOND  EDITION, 
ENLARGED    AND    CORRECTED    BY    THE   AUTHOR. 


NEW    YORK: 

SAMUEL   S.   &   WILLIAM    WOOD, 

No.  261  Pearl- Street. 


1838. 


It  has  become  necessary  to  change  the  tiilc 
of  this  work,  to  the  "  Amencan  Frugal  House- 
wife," because  there  is  an  English  work  of  the 
same  name,  not  adapted  to  the  wants  of  this 
country. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  tiie  year  1835,  by 

Carter,  Hendee,  &  Co. 

ill  the  Clerk's  OfHce  of  the  District  Court  of  Massachusetts. 


SRIE 


INTRODUCTORY    CHAPTER. 


The  true  economy  of  housekeeping  is  simply  the  art 
of  gathering  up  all  the  fragments,  so  tliat  nothing  be  lost. 
1  mean  fragments  of  time,  as  well  as  materials.  Notli- 
ing  should  be  thrown  away  so  long  as  it  is  possible  to 
make  any  use  of  it,  however  trifling  that  use  may  be ; 
and  whatever  be  the  size  of  a  family,  every  member 
should  be  employed  either  in  earning  or  saving  money. 

'  Time  is  money.'  For  this  reason,  cheap  as  stockings 
are,  it  is  good  economy  to  knit  them.  Cotton  and  woollen 
yarn  are  both  cheap ;  hose  that  are  knit  wear  twice  as 
long  as  woven  ones  ;  and  they  can  be  done  at  odd  minutes 
of  time,  which  would  not  be  otherwise  employed.  Where 
there  are  children,  or  aged  people,  it  is  sufficient  to  rec- 
ommend knitting,  that  it  is  an  employment. 

In  this  point  of  view,  patchwork  is  good  economy.  It  is 
indeed  a  foolish  waste  of  time  to  tear  cloth  into  bits  for 
the  sake  of  arranging  it  anew  in  fantastic  figures  ;  but 
a  large  family  may  be  kept  out  of  idleness,  and  a  few 
shillings  saved,  by  thus  using  scraps  of  gowns,  curtains,  &.c. 

In  the  country,  where  grain  is  raised,  it  is  a  good  plan 
to  teach  children  to  prepare  and  braid  straw  for  their 
own  bonnets,  and  their  brothers'  hats. 

Where  turkeys  and  geese  are  kept,  handsome  feather 
fens  may  as  well  be  made  by  the  younger  members  of 
a  family,  as  to  be  bought.  The  sooner  children  are 
laught  to  turn  their  faculties  to  some  account,  the  better 
for  them  and  for  their  parents. 

In  this  country,  we  are  apt  to  let  children  romp  away 
(heir  existence,  till  they  get   to  be  thirteen  or  fourteen 
This  is  not  well.     It  is  not  well  for  the   purses  and  pa- 


1  THE    FUUUAL    HOUSEWIFE. 

ticnce  of  parents ;  mid  it  has  a  still  worse  cllect  on  the 
morals  and  habits  of  the  children.  Begin  cnrhj  is  the  great 
maxim  for  everything  in  education,  A  child  of  six  years 
old  can  be  made  useful ;  and  should  be  taught  to  con- 
sider every  day  lost  in  which  some  little  tiling  has  not 
been  done  to  assist  others. 

Children  can  very  early  be  taught  to  take  all  the  care 
of  their  own  clothes. 

They  can  knit  garters,  suspenders,  and  stockings;  they 
can  mak^  patchwork  and  braid  straw;  they  can  make 
mats  for  tlie  table,  and  mats  for  the  floor ;  they  can  weed 
the  garden,  and  pick  cranberries  from  the  meadow,  to 
be  carried  to  market. 

Provided  brothers  and  sisters  go  together,  and  are  not 
allowed  to  go  with  bad  children,  it  is  a  great  deal  better 
for  the  boys  and  girls  on  a  farm  to  be  picking  blackberries 
at  six  cents  a  quart,  than  to  be  wearing  out  their  clothes 
in  useless  play.  They  enjoy  themselves  just  as  well ; 
and  they  are  earning  something  to  buy  clothes,  at  the 
same  time  they  are  tearing  tliem. 

It  is  wise  to  keep  an  exact  account  of  all  you  expend 
— even  of  a  paper  of  pins.  This  answers  two  purposes : 
It  makes  you  more  careful  in  spending  money,  and  it 
enables  your  husband  to  judge  precisely  whether  his 
fannly  live  within  his  income.  No  false  pride,  or  foolish 
ambition  to  appear  as  well  as  others,  should  ever  induce 
a  person  to  hvc?  one  cent  beyond  the  income  of  which 
he  is  certain.  Jf  you  have  tvro  dollars  a  day,  let  noth- 
ing but  sickness  induce  you  to  spend  more  than  nine  shil- 
lii^gs;  if  you  have  one  dollar  a  day,  do  not  spend  but  sev- 
ent)-five  cents;  if  you  have  half  a  dollar  a  day,  be  satisfi- 
ed to  spend  forty  cents. 

To  associate  with  influential  and  genteel  people  with 
an  appearance  of  equality,  unquestionably  has  its  advan- 
tages ;  particularly  where  there  is  a  family  of  sons  and 
daughters  just  coming  upon  the  theatre  of  life ;  but,  like 
all  other  external  advantages,  these  have  their  proper 
price,  and  may  be  bought  too  dearly.  They  who  never 
reserve  a  cent  of  their  income,  with  which  to  meet  any 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  6 

unforeseen  calamity,  '  pay  too  dear  for  tlie  whistle, 
whatever  temporary  benefits  they  may  derive  from  society. 
Self-denial,  in  proportion  to  the  narrowness  of  your  in- 
come, will  eventually  be  tlie  happiest  and  most  respecta- 
ble course  for  you  and  yours.  If  you  are  prosperous, 
perseverance  and  industry  will  not  fail  to  place  you  in 
such  a  situation  as  your  ambition  covets ;  and  if  you  are 
not  prosperous,  it  will  be  well  for  your  children  that  tlrey 
have  not  been  educated  to  higher  hopes  than  they  will  ever 
reahze. 

If  you  are  about  to  furnish  a  house,  do  not  spend  aM 
your  money,  be  it  much  or  little.  Do  not  let  the  beauty 
of  tliis  thing,  and  the  cheapness  of  that,  tempt  you  to 
buy  unnecessary  articles.  Doctor  Franklin's  maxim  was 
a  wise  one,  '  Nothing  is  cheap  that  we  do  not  want.'  Buy 
merely  enough  to  get  along  with  at  first.  It  is  only  by 
experience  tliat  you  can  tell  what  will  be  the  wants  of  your 
family.  If  you  spend  all  your  money,  you  will  find  you 
have  purchased  many  things  you  do  not  want,  and  have  no 
means  left  to  get  many  tilings  which  you  do  vi'ant.  If  you 
have  enough,  and  more  than  enough,  to  get  everything 
suitable  to  your  situation,  do  not  think  you  must  spend  it 
all,  merely  because  you  happen  to  have  it.  Begin  hum- 
bly. As  riches  increase,  it  is  easy  and  pleasant  to  increase 
in  hospitality  and  splendour ;  but  it  is  always  painful  and 
inconvenient  to  decrease.  After  all,  these  things  are  view 
ed  in  their  proper  light  by  the  truly  judicious  and  respec 
table.  Neatness,  tastefulness,  and  good  sense,  may  be 
shown  in  the  management  of  a  small  household,  and  tlie 
arrangement  of  a  little  furniture,  as  well  as  upon  a  larger 
scale  ;  and  these  qualities  are  always  praised,  and  always 
treated  with  respect  and  attention.  The  consideration 
which  many  purchase  by  living  beyond  their  income,  and 
of  course  living  upon  others,  is  not  worth  the  trouble  it 
costs.  The  glare  there  is  about  tliis  false  and  wicked 
parade  is  deceptive  ;  it  does  not  in  fact  procure  a  man 
valuable  friends,  or  extensive  influence.  More  than  that, 
it  is  wrong — morally  wrong,  so  far  as  the  individual  is 
concerned ;  and  injurious  beyond  calculation  to  the  inter- 


6  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 

ests  of  our  country.  To  what  are  the  increasing  beggary 
and  discouraged  exertions  of  the  present  period  owing  ? 
A  multitude  of  causes  have  no  doubt  tended  to  increase 
the  evil ;  but  the  root  of  the  whole  matter  is  the  extrava- 
gance of  all  classes  of  people.  We  never  shall  be  prosper- 
ous till  we  make  pride  and  vanity  yield  to  the  dictates  of 
honesty  and  prudence  ?  We  never  shall  be  free  from 
embarrassment  until  we  cease  to  be  ashamed  of  industry 
and  economy.  Let  women  do  their  share  towards  refer 
mation — Let  their  fathers  and  husbands  see  them  happy 
without  finery;  and  if  their  Imsbands  and  fathers  have 
(as  is  often  the  case)  a  foolish  pride  in  seeing  them  deco- 
rated, let  them  gently  and  gradually  check  this  feeling 
by  showing  that  they  have  better  and  surer  means  of 
commanding  respect — Let  them  prove,  by  the  exertion  of 
ino-enuity  and  economy,  that  neatness,  good  taste,  and  gen 
tility,  are  attainable  without  great  expense. 

The  writer  has  no  apology  to  offer  for  this  cheap  little 
book  of  economical  hints,  except  her  deep  conviction  that 
such  a  book  is  needed.  In  this  case,  renown  is  out  of  the 
question,  and  ridicule  is  a  matter  of  indifference. 

The  information  conveyed  is  of  a  common  kind ;  but 
it  is  such  as  the  majority  of  young  housekeepers  do  not 
possess,  and  such  as  they  cannot  obtain  from  cookery 
books.  Books  of  this  kind  have  usually  been  written 
for  the  wealthy  :  I  have  written  for  tlie  poor.  I  have 
said  nothing  about  rich  cooking  ;  those  who  can  afford  to 
be  epicures  will  find  the  best  of  information  in  the  '  Sev- 
enty-five Receipts.'  I  have  attempted  to  teach  how 
money  can  be  saved,  not  how  it  can  be  enjoyed.  If  any 
person  thinks  some  of  the  maxims  too  rigidly  economical, 
let  them  inquire  how  the  largest  fortunes  among  us  have 
been  made.  They  will  find  thousands  and  millions  have 
been  accumulated  by  a  scrupulous  attention  to  sums 
'  infinitely  more  minute  than  sixty  cents.' 

In  early  childhood,  you  lay  the  foundation  of  poverty 
or  riches,  in  the  habits  you  give  your  children.  Teach 
them  to  save  everything, — not  for  their  own  use,  for  that 
would  make  them  selfish — but  for  some  use.     Teach  them 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 


to  shai-e  everylliing  with  their  playmates ;  but  never 
allow  them  to  destroy  anytliing. 

I  once  visited  a  family  where  the  niost  exact  economy 
was  observed  ;  yet  notliing  was  mean  or  uncomforta- 
ble. It  is  tlie  character  of  true  economy  to  be  as  comfort- 
able and  genteel  widi  a  little,  as  others  can  be  with 
much.  In  this  family,  when  the  father  brought  home  a 
package,  the  older  children  v.ould,  of  their  own  accord, 
put  away  the  paper  and  twine  neatly,  instead  of  throwing 
them  in  the  fire,  or  tearing  them  to  jiieces.  If  the  litde 
ones  wanted  a  piece  of  twine  to  play  scratch-cradle,  or 
spin  a  top,  there  it  was,  in  readiness ;  and  when  they 
thi'ew  it  upon  the  floor,  the  older  children  had  no  need 
to  be  told  to  put  it  again  in  its  place. 

The  other  day,  I  heard  a  mechanic  say,  '  I  have  a  wife 
and  two  little  children  ;  we  Hve  in  a  very  small  house ;  but, 
to  save  my  life,  I  cannot  spend  less  than  twelve  hundred 
a  year.'  Another  replied,  '  You  are  not  economical ;  1 
spend  but  eight  hundred.'  I  thought  to  myself, — '  Neither 
of  you  pick  up  your  twine  and  paper.'  A  third  one,  who 
was  present,  was  silent ;  but  after  they  were  gone,  he  said, 
'  I  keep  house,  and  comfortably  too,  with  a  wife  and  chil- 
dren, for  six  hundred  a  year ;  but  I  suppose  they  would 
have  thought  me  mean,  if  I  had  told  them  so.'  I  did  not 
think  him  mean;  it  merely  occurred  to  me  that  his  wife  and 
children  were  in  the  habit  of  picking  up  paper  and  twine. 

Economy  is  generally  despised  as  a  low  virtue,  tending 
to  make  people  ungenerous  and  selfish.  This  is  true  of 
avarice  ;  but  it  is  not  so  of  economy.  The  man  who  is 
economical,  is  laying  up  for  himself  the  permanent  power 
of  being  useful  and  generous.  He  who  thoughtlessly 
gives  away  ten  dollars,  when  he  owes  a  hundred  more 
than  he  can  pay,  deserves  no  praise, — he  obeys  a  sudden 
impulse,  more  like  instinct  than  reason  :  it  would  be  real 
charity  to  check  this  feeling ;  because  the  good  he  does 
may  be  doubtful,  while  the  injury  he  does  his  family  and 
creditors  is  certain.  True  economy  is  a  careful  treasurer 
in  the  service  of  benevolence  j  and  where  they  are  united, 
respectability,  prosperity  and  peace  will  follow. 


THE  FRUGAL  HOUSEWIFE, 


ODD  SCRAPS  FOR  THE  ECONOMICAL. 


If  you  would  avoid  waste  in  your  family,  attend  to  thfc 
following  rules,  and  do  not  despise  them  because  they 
appear  so  unimportant:  'many  a  little  makes  a  mickle.' 

Look  frequently  to  the  pails,  to  see  that  noticing  is 
thrown  to  the  pigs  which  sh.ould  have  been  in  the 
grease-pot. 

Look  to  the  grease-pot,  and  see  that  nothing  is  there 
which  might  have  served  to  nourish  your  own  family,  oi 
a  poorer  one. 

See  that  the  beef  and  pork  are  always  underhrme ;  luid 
that  the  brine  is  sweet  and  clean. 

Count  towels,  sheets,  spoons,  &:c.  occasionally;  fhiit 
those  who  use  them  may  not  become  careless. 

See  that  the  vegetables  are  neither  sprouting  tior  de- 
caying: if  they  are  so,  remove  them  to  a  dri^^i  plt.cc, 
and  spread  them. 

Examine  preserves,  to  see  that  they  are  n  *1  <  oi.tract- 
ing  mould;  and  your  pickles,  to  see  that  I  hey  are  not 
growing  soft  and  tasteless. 

As  far  as  it  is  possible,  have  bits  of  bread  eaten  up  be- 
fore they  become  hard.  Spread  those  that  are  not  eaten, 
and  let  them  dry,  to  be  pounded  for  puddings,  or  soake^^ 
or  brewis.  Brewis  is  made  of  crusts  and  dry  pieces 
of  bread,  soaked  a  good  while  in  hot  milk,  mashed  up, 
and  salted,  and  buttered  like  toast.  Above  all,  do  not  let 
crusts  accumulate  in  such  quantities  that  they  cannot  be 
used.  With  proper  care,  there  is  no  need  of  losing  a 
particle  of  bread,  even  in  the  hottest  weather. 

Attend  to  all  the  mending  in  the  house,  once  a  vreek. 
if  possible.  Never  put  out  sev/ing.  If  it  be  impossible 
to  do  it  in  your  own  famih'-,  hire  some  one  into  tlie  house, 
and  work  v.'ith  them. 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  i* 

^lakc  your  own  bread  and  cake.  Some  people  think 
it  is  just  as  cheap  to  buy  of  the  baker  and  confectioner  : 
but  it  is  not  half  as  cheap.  True,  it  is  more  conveni- 
ent; and  therefore  the  rich  are  justifiable  in  employing 
them ;  but  tliose  who  are  under  the  necessity  of  being 
economical,  should  make  convenience  a  secondary  object- 
lii  the  first  place,  confectioners  make  their  cake  richer 
than  people  of  moderate  income  can  afford  to  make-  it ; 
in  the  next  place,  your  domestic,  or  yourself,  may  just  as 
well  employ  your  own  time,  as  to  pay  them  for  theirs. 

When  ivory-handled  knives  turn  yellow,  rub  them  with 
nice  sand  paper,  or  emery ;  it  will  take  off  the  spots,  and 
restore  their  whiteness. 

When  a  carpet  is  faded,  I  have  been  told  that  it  may 
be  restored,  in  a  great  measure,  (provided  there  be  no 
grease  in  it.)  by  being  dipped  into  strong  salt  and  water. 
1  never  tried  this  ;  but  1  know  that  silk  pocket  handker- 
chiefs, and  deep  blue  factory  cotton  will  not  fade,  if  dipped 
in  salt  and  water  while  new. 

An  ox's  gall  will  set  any  color, — silk,  cotton,  or  woollen. 
1  have  seen  the  colors  of  calico,  which  faded  at  one 
washing,  fixed  by  it.  Where  one  lives  near  a  slaughter- 
house, it  is  worth  while  to  buy  cheap,  fading  goods,  and  set 
them  in  this  way.  The  gall  can  be  bought  for  a  kw  cents. 
Get  out  all  the  hquid,  and  cork  it  up  in  a  large  phial. 
One  large  spoonful  of  this  in  a  gallon  of  warm  water  is 
suflicient.  This  is  likewise  excellent  for  taking  out  spots 
from  bombazine,  bombazet,  he.  After  being  washed  in 
this,  they  look  about  as  well  as  when  new.  It  nmst  be 
thoroughly  stirred  into  the  water,  and  not  put  upon  the 
r-loth.  it  is  used  without  soap.  After  being  washed  in 
this,  cloth  which  you  want  to  clean  should  be  washed  in 
warm  suds,  without  using  soap. 

Tortoise  shell  and  horn  combs  last  much  longer  for 
having  oil  rubbed  into  them  once  in  a  while. 

Indian  meal  and  rye  meal  are  in  danger  of  fermenting 
»n  summer  ;  particularly  Indian.     They  should  be  kejjt  m 
a  cool  place,  and  stirred  open  to  the  air,  once  in  a  while 
A  large  stone,  put  in  the  middle  of  a  barrel  of  meal',  is  a 
eood  tl'ing  to  keep  it  cool. 


10  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 

The  covering  of  oil-flasks,  sewed  together  with  sti-ong 
tliread,  and  lined  and  bound  neatly,  makes  useful  table- 
mats. 

A  warming-pan  full  of  coals,  or  a  shovel  of  coals,  held 
over  varnished  furniture,  will  take  out  white  spots.  Care 
should  be  taken  not  to  hold  the  coals  near  enough  to 
scorch  ;  and  the  place  should  be  rubbed  with  flannel  while 
warm. 

Spots  in  furniture  may  usually  be  cleansed  by  rubbing 
them  quick  and  hard,  with  a  flannel  wet  with  the  same 
thing  which  took  out  the  color ;  if  rum,  wet  the  cloth  with 
rum,  k.c.  The  very  best  restorative  for  defaced  varnished 
furniture,  is  rotten-stone  pulverized,  and  rubbed  on  witli 
linseed  oil. 

Sal-volatile,  or  hartshorn,  will  restore  colors  taken  out 
by  acid.  It  maj-  be  dropped  upon  any  garment  without 
doing  harm. 

Spirits  of  turpentine  is  good  to  take  grease-spots  out  o 
woollen  clothes ;  to  take  spots  of  paint,  he,  from  mahogany 
furniture  ;  and  to  cleanse  white  kid  gloves.     Cockroaches, 
and  all  vermin,  have  an  aversion  to  spirits  of  turpentine. 

An  ounce  of  quicksilver,  beat  up  with  the  white  of 
two  eggs,  and  put  on  with  a  feather,  is  the  cleanest  and 
surest  bed-bug  poison.  What  is  left  should  be  thrown 
away  :  it  is  dangerous  to  have  it  about  the  house.  If 
the  vermin  are  in  your  walls,  fill  up  the  cracks  with  ver- 
digris-z^reen  paint.* 

Lamps  will  have  a  less  disagreeable  smell  if  you  dip 
your  wick-yarn  in  strong  hot  vinegar,  and  dry  it. 

Those  who  make  candles  will  find  it  a  great  improve- 
ment to  steep  the  wicks  in  lime-water  and  saltpetre,  and 
dry  them.  The  flame  is  clearer,  and  the  tallow  will  not 
'  n»i.' 

Britannia  ware  should  be  first  rubbed  gently  with  a  wool 
leai  cloth  and  sweet  oil ;  then  washed  in  warm  suds,  and 
rubbed  with  soft   leather  and  whiting.     Thus  treated,  ii 
will  retain  its  beauty  to  the  last. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  green  paint;  one  is  of  no  use  in  tlestroyin*? 
insects 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  H 

Eggs  will  keep  almost  any  length  of  time  in  lime-water 
properly  prepared.  One  pint  of  coarse  salt,  and  one  pint 
of  unslacked  lime,  to  a  pailful  of  water.  If  there  be  too 
much  lime,  it  will  eat  the  shells  from  the  eggs ;  and  if  there 
be  a  single  egg  cracked,  it  will  spoil  the  whole.  They 
should  be  covered  with  lime-water,  and  kept  in  a  cold  place. 
The  yolk  becomes  slightly  red  ;  but  1  have  seen  eggs,  thus 
kept,  perfectly  sweet  and  fresh  at  the  end  of  three  years. 
The  cheapest  time  to  lay  down  eggs,  is  early  in  spring,  and 
tlie  middle  and  last  of  September.  It  is  bad  economy  to 
buy  eggs  by  the  dozen,  a^  you  want  them. 

New  iron  should  be  very  gradually  heated  at  first.  Af- 
er  it  has  become  inured  to  the  heat,  it  is  not  as  likely  to 
crack. 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  put  new  earthen  ware  into  cold  water^ 
and  let  it  heat  gradually,  until  it  boils, — then  cool  again. 
Brown  earthen  ware,  in  particular,  may  be  toughened  in  tliis 
way.  A  handful  of  rye,  or  wheat,  bran,  thrown  in  while 
it  is  boiling,  will  preserve  the  glazing,  so  that  it  will  not 
be  destroyed  by  acid  or  salt. 

Clean  a  brass  ketde,  before  using  it  for  cooking,  with  salt 
and  vinegar.  i 

Skim-milk  and  water,  with  a  bit  of  glue  in  it,  heated 
scalding  hot,  is  excellent  to  restore  old,  rusty,  black  Italian 
crape.  If  clapped  and  pulled  dry,  like  nice  muslin,  it  will 
look  as  well,  or  better,  than  when  new.  ; 

Wash-leather  gloves  should  be  washed  in  clean  suds, 
scarcely  warm. 

The  oftener  carpets  are  shaken,  the  longer  they  wear  j 
the  dirt  that  collects  under  them,  grinds  out  tlie  threads. 

Do  not  have  carpets  swept  any  oftener  than  is  abso- 
lutely necessary.  After  dinner,  sweep  the  crumbs  into  a 
dusting-pan  with  your  hearth-brush  ;  and  if  you  have  beea 
sewing,  pick  up  the  shreds  by  hand.  A  carpet  can  be  kept 
very  neat  in  this  way  ;  and  a  broom  wears  it  very  much. 

Buy  your  woollen  yarn  in  quantities  from  some  one  in 
the  country,  whom  you  can  trust.  The  thread-stores 
make  profits  upon  it,  of  course. 

It  is  not  well  to  clean  brass  andirons,  handles,  inc.  with 
vinegar.     It  makes  tlicm  verv  clean  at  first ;  but  tbsj 
2 


t2  THE    FKUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 

Vj"^ot  and  taniisli.     Rotten-stone  and  oil  are  proper  mare- 
■]als  for  cleaning  brasses.     If  wiped  every  morning  with 
iannel  and  New  England  rum,  they  will  not  need  to  be 
cleaned  half  as  often. 

if  you  happen  to  live  in  a  house  which  has  marble 
fire-places,  never  wash  them  with  suds  ;  this  destroys  the 
polish,  in  time.  They  should  be  dusted  ;  the  spots  ta- 
ken elf  with  a  nice  oiled  cloth,  and  then  rubbed  dry  with 
a  soft  rag. 

Feathers  should  be  very  thoroughly  dried  before  they 
are  used.  For  this  reason  they  should  not  be  packed 
away  in  bags  when  they  are  first  plucked.  They  should 
be  laid  lightl}  m  a  basket,  or  something  of  that  kind,  and 
stirred  up  often.  The  garret  is  the  best  place  to  dry 
t])em  ;  because  they  will  there  be  kept  free  from  dirt 
and  moisture  ;  and  will  be  in  no  danger  of  being  blowD 
away.  It  is  well  to  put  the  parcels,  which  you  may  have 
from  time  to  time,  into  the  oven,  after  you  have  removed 
your  bread,  and  let  them  stand  a  day. 

If  feather-beds  smell  badly,  or  become  heavy,  fron:j 
want  of  proper  preservation  of  the  feathers,  or  from  old 
age,  empty  them,  and  wash  the  feathers  thoroughly  in  a 
tub  of  suds;  spread  them  in  your  garret  to  dry,  and  they 
will  be  as  light  and  as  good  as  new. 

New  England  rum,  constantly  used  to  wash  the  hair^ 
keeps  it  very  clean,  and  free  from  disease,  and  promotes 
its  gro\\1.h  a  great  deal  more  than  Macassar  oil.  Brandy 
is  very  strengthening  to  the  roots  of  the  hair  ;  but  it  has  a 
hot,  drying  tendency,  which  N.  E.  rum  has  not. 

If  you  wish  to  preserve  fine  teedi,  always  clean  them 
tiioroughly  after  you  have  eaten  your  last  meal  at  nigh.t. 

Rags  should  never  be  thrown  away  because  they  are 
dirty.  Tvlop-rags,  lamp-rags,  fee.  should  be  washed,  dried, 
and  put  in  the  rag-bag.  There  is  no  need  of  expending 
soap  upon  them  :  boil  them  out  in  dirty  suds,  after  you 
irave  done  washing. 

Linen  rags  should  be  carefully  saved ;  for  they  are  ex- 
ticmely  useful  in  sickness.  If  tliey  have  become  dirty 
and  worn  by  claaning  alver,  k.c.,  wash  them,  and  scrape 
them  into  ';ot. 


THE    FRUGAL    H  it  SEWIFE.  13 

After  old  coats,  pantaloons,  kc.  have  been  cut  up  for 
boys,  and  are  no  loager  capablo  of  being  converted  into 
garments,  cut  them  into  strips,  and  employ  the  leisure 
moments  of  children,  or  domesiics.  in  sewing  and  braid- 
ing them  for  door-mats. 

If  you  are  troubled  to  get  soft  water  for  washing,  fiU 
a  tub  or  barrel  half  full  of  ashes,  and  fill  it  up  wi'Jb^ 
water,  so  that  you  may  have  lye  whenever  you  want  it. 
A  gallon  of  strong  lye  put  into  a  great  kettle  of  hard  water 
will  make  it  as  soft  as  rain  water.  Some  people  use 
pearlash,  or  potash ;  but  this  costs  sometliing,  and  is  very 
apt  to  injure  the  texture  of  the  cloth. 

If  you  have  a  strip  of  land,  do  not  throw  av.-ay  suds. 
Both  ashes  and  suds  are  good  manure  for  bushes  and 
young  plants. 

When  a  white  Navarino  bonnet  becomes  soiled,  rip 
it  in  pieces,  and  wash  it  with  a  sponge  and  soft  water. 
While  it  is  yet  damp,  wash  it  two  or  three  tim.es  with  « 
clean  sponge  dipped  into  a  strong  saifron  tea,  nicelv 
strained.  Repeat  this  till  the  bonnet  is  as  dark  a  utrw 
color  as  you  v,ish.  Press  it  on  the  wrong  side  with  a 
warm  iron,  and  it  will  look  like  a  new  Leghorn. 

About  the  last  of  Alay,  or  the  first  of  June,  the  Ihtle 
millers,  which  lay  moth-eggs  begin  to  appear.  Therefon* 
brush  all  your  woollens,  and  pack  them  away  in  a  darl 
place  covered  with  linen.  Pepper,  red-cedar  chips,  to- 
bacco,— indeed,  almost  any  strong  spicy  smell, — is  good  to 
keep  moths  out  of  your  chests  and  drawers.  But  noth- 
ing is  so  good  as  camphor.  Sprinkle  your  woollens  with 
camphorated  spirit,  and  scatter  pieces  of  camphor- guin 
among  them,  and  you  v/ill  never  be  troubled  with  moths. 
Some  people  buy  camphor-wood  trunks,  for  this  purpose ; 
but  they  are  very  expensive,  and  the  gum  answers  just  a» 
well. 

The  first  young  leaves  of  the  common  currant-bush, 
gathered  as  soon  as  they  put  out,  and  dried  on  tin,  can 
hardly  be  distinguished  from  green  tea. 

Cream  of  tartar,  rubbed  upon  soiled  white  kid  gloves, 
c/eanses  them  very  much. 


14  THE    FRUGAL   HOUSEWIFE. 

Bottles  that  have  been  used  for  rose-water,  should  be 
used  for  nothing  else  ;  if  scalded  ever  so  much,  tliey  will 
kill  tlie  spirit  of  what  is  put  in  them. 

If  you  have  a  greater  quantity  of  cheeses  in  the  houst 
than  is  likely  to  be  soon  used,  cover  them  carefully  with 
paper,  fastened  on  widi  flour  paste,  so  as  to  exclude  the 
air.  In  this  way  they  may  be  kept  free  from  insects  for 
years.     They  should  be  kept  in  a  dry,  cool  place. 

Pulverized  alum  possesses  the  property  of  purifying 
water.  A  large  spoonful  stirred  into  a  hogshead  of  water 
will  so  purify  it,  that  in  a  few  hours  the  dirt  will  all  sink  to 
the  bottom,  and  it  will  be  as  fresh  and  clear  as  spring 
water.     Four  gallons  may  be  purified  by  a  tea-spoonful. 

Save  vials  and  bottles.  Apothecaries  and  grocers  will 
give  something  for  them.  If  the  botdes  are  of  good 
thick  glass,  they  will  always  be  useful  for  botding  cider 
or  beer ;  but  if  they  are  tliin  French  glass,  hke  claret 
botdes,  they  will  not  answer. 

Woollens  should  be  washed  in  very  hot  suds,  and  no 
i-insed.     Lukewarm  water  shrinks  them. 

On  tlie  contrary,  silk,  or  anything  that  has  silk  in  it, 
should  be  washed  in  water  almost  cold.  Hot  water  turns 
it  yellow.  It  may  be  washed  in  suds  made  of  nice  white 
.soap  ;  but  no  soap  should  be  put  upon  it.  Likewise  avoid 
the  use  of  hot  irons  in  smoothing  silk.  Either  rub  the 
articles  dry  with  a  soft  cloth,  or  put  them  between  two 
towels,  and  press  them  with  weights. 

Do  not  let  knives  be  dropped  into  hot  dish-water.  It 
is  a  good  plan  to  have  a  large  tin  pot  to  wash  them  in,  just 
high  enough  to  wash  the  blades,  %vitliout  ivettlng  the 
handles.  Keep  your  castors  covered  with  blotting-paper 
and  green  flannel.  Keep  your  salt-spoons  out  of  the  salt, 
and  clean  them  often. 

Do  not  wrap  knives  and  forks  in  woollens.  Wrap  diem 
in  good,  strong  paper.  Steel  is  injured  by  lying  in 
woollens. 

If  it  be  practicable,  get  a  friend  in  the  country  to  pro- 
cure you  a  quantity  of  lard,  butter,  and  eggs,  at  tlie  time 
lliey  are  cheapest,  to  be  put  down  for  winter  use.     You 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  15 

will  be  likely  to  get  them  cheaper  and  better  than  in 
the  city  market ;  but  by  all  means  put  down  your  winter's 
stock.  Lard  requires  no  otlier  care  than  to  be  kept  in  a 
dr}-",  cool  place.  Butter  is  sweetest  in  September  and 
June  ;  because  food  is  tlien  plenty,  and  not  rendered  bit- 
ter by  frost.  Pack  your  butter  in  a  clean,  scalded  firkin, 
cover  it  with  strong  brine,  and  spread  a  clotli  all  over 
the  top,  and  it  will  keep  good  until  the  Jews  get  into  Grand 
Isle.  If  you  happen  to  have  a  bit  of  salt-petre,  dissolve 
it  whh  the  brine.  Dairy-women  say  that  butter  comes 
more  easily,  and  has  a  peculiar  hardness  and  sweetness, 
if  the  cream  is  scalded  and  strained  before  it  is  used.  The 
cream  should  stand  down  cellar  over  night,  after  being 
scalded,  tliat  it  may  get  perfectly  cold. 

Suet  and  lard  keep  better  in  tin  than  in  earthen. 

Suet  keeps  good  all  the  year  round,  if  chopped  and 
packed  down  in  a  stone  jar,  covered  witli  molasses. 

Pick  suet  free  from  veins  and  skin,  melt  it  in  water  before 
a  moderate  fire,  let  it  cool  till  it  forms  into  a  hard  cake, 
tlien  wipe  it  dry,  and  put  it  in  clean  paper  in  linen  bags. 

Preserve  the  backs  of  old  letters  to  write  upon.  li'  you 
have  children  who  are  learning  to  WTite,  buy  coarse  white 
paper  by  the  quantity,  and  keep  it  locked  up,  ready  to  be 
made  into  v.riting  books.  It  does  not  cost  half  as  much  as 
it  does  to  buy  them  at  the  stationer's. 

Do  not  let  coffee  and  tea  stand  in  tin.  Scald  youi 
wooden  ware  often ;  and  keep  your  tin  ware  dry. 

"When  mattresses  get  hard  and  bunchy,  rip  them,  take 
tlie  hair  out,  pull  it  thoroughly  by  hand,  let  it  he  a  day  or 
two  to  air,  wash  the  tick,  lay  it  in  as  light  and  even  as 
possible,  and  catch  it  down,  as  before.  Thus  prepared,  they 
will  be  as  good  as  new. 

It  is  poor  economy  to  buy  vinegar  by  the  gallon.  Buy 
a  barrel,  or  half  a  barrel,  of  really  strong  vinegar,  when  you 
begin  house-keeping.  As  you  use  it,  fiU  the  barrel  with 
old  cider,  sour  beer,  or  wine-settlings,  &ic.,  left  in  pitchers, 
decanters  or  tumblers;  weak  tea  is  likewise  said  to  be  good  : 
nothing  is  hurtful,  which  has  a  tolerable  portion  of  spirit,  or 
acidity.  Care  must  be  taken  not  to  add  these  things  in 
2* 


16  THE   FRUGAL   HOUSEWIFE. 

too  large  quantities,  or  too  often  :  if  tlie  vinegar  once  geta 
weak,  it  is  difficult  to  restore  it.  If  possible,  it  is  well  to 
keep  such  slops  as  I  have  mentioned  in  a  different  keg, 
and  draw  tliem  off  once  in  three  or  four  weeks,  in  such  a 
(juantity  as  you  think  the  vinegar  will  bear.  If  by  any 
carelessness  you  do  weaken  it,  a  few  white  beans  dropped 
in,  or  white  paper  dipped  in  molasses,  is  said  to  be  usefuL 
If  beer  grows  sour,  it  may  be  used  to  advantage  for  pan- 
cakes and  fritters.  If  very  sour  indeed,  put  a  pint  of  mo- 
lasses and  water  to  it,  and,  two  or  three  days  after,  put  a 
lialf  pint  of  vinegar  ;  and  in  ten  days  it  will  be  first  rate 
vinegar. 

Barley  straw  is  the  best  for  beds  ;  dry  corn  husks,  slit 
into  shreds,  are  far  better  than  straw. 

Straw  beds  are  much  better  for  being  boxed  at  the  sides ; 
in  the  same  manner  upholsterers  prepare  ticks  for  feathers. 
Brass  andirons  should  be  cleaned,  done  up  in  papers, 
and  put  in  a  dry  place,  during  the  summer  season. 

If  you  have  a  large  family,  it  is  well  to  keep  white  rags 
separate  from  colored  ones,  and  cotton  separate  from 
"woollen  ;  they  bring  a  higher  price.  Paper  brings  a  cent 
a  pound,  and  if  you  have  plenty  of  room,  it  is  well  to  save 
it.     '  A  penny  saved  is  a  penny  got.' 

Always  have  plenty  of  dish-water,  and  have  it  hot. 
There  is  no  need  of  asking  the  character  of  a  domestic,  if 
you  have  ever  seen  her  wash  dishes  in  a  little  greasy  water. 
When  molasses  is  used  in  cooking,  it  is  a  prodigious  im- 
provement to  boil  and  skim  it  before  you  use  it.  It  takes 
cut  the  unpleasant  raw  taste,  and  makes  it  almost  as  good 
as  sugar.  Where  molasses  is  used  much  for  cooking,  it  is 
svell  to  prepare  one  or  two  gallons  in  this  way  at  a  tim.e. 

In  winter,  always  set  the  handle  of  your  pump  as  high 
as  possible,  before  you  go  to  bed.  Except  in  very  rigid 
weather,  this  keeps  the  handle  from  freezing.  When  there 
is  reason  to  apprehend  extreme  cold,  do  not  forget  to 
llirow  a  rug  or  horse-blanket  over  your  pump ;  a  frozen 
pump  is  a  comfortless  preparation  for  a  winter's  breakfast. 
Kever  allow  ashes  to  be  taken  up  in  wood,  or  put  into 
^TDod.     Always  have  yoiur  tinder-box  and  lantern  ready 


THE    FRUGAL    H0USE^V1FE.  17 

for  use,  in  case  of  sudden  alarm.  Have  iniponam  papers 
all  together,  where  you  can  lay  your  hand  on  them  at  once, 
'n  case  of  fire. 

Keep  an  old  blanket  and  sheet  on  purpose  for  noning 
and  on  no  account  sufier  any  other  to  be  used.  Have 
plenty  of  holders  always  made,  that  your  towels  may  not 
be  burned  out  in  such  service. 

Keep  a  coarse  broom  for  the  cellar  stairs,  wood-shed, 
yard,  &lc.  No  good  housekeeper  allows  her  carpet  broom 
to  be  used  for  suc'a  things. 

There  should  always  be  a  heav}-  stone  on  the  top  of  your 
pork,  to  keep  it  do\^Ti.  This  stone  is  an  excellent  place 
to  keep  a  bit  of  fi-esh  meat  in  the  summer,  v/hen  you  are 
afraid  of  its  spoiling. 

Have  all  the  good  bits  of  vegetables  and  meat  collected 
after  dinner,  and  minced  before  they  are  set  away  ;  that 
thev  may  be  in  readiness  to .  make  a  little  savoury  mince 
me  It  for  supper  or  breakfast.  Take  the  skins  off  your 
potatoes  before  they  grow  cold. 

Vials,  which  have  been  used  for  medicine,  should  be 
put  into  cold  ashes  and  water,  boiled,  and  suffered  to  cool 
^fore  they  are  rinsed. 

If  you  live  in  the  city,  where  it  is  always  easy  to  procure 
provisions,  be  careful  and  not  buy  too  much  for  your  daily 
wants,  while  the  weather  is  warm. 

Never  leave  out  your  clothes-line  over  night ;  and  see 
that  your  clotlies-pins  are  all  gathered  into  a  basket. 

Have  plenty  of  crash  towels  in  tlie  kitchen  ;  never  let 
your  while  napkins  be  used  there. 

Soap  your  dirtiest  clothes,  and  soak  them  in  soft  water 
over  night. 

Use  hard  soap  to  wash  your  clotlies,  and  soft  to  wash 
your  floors.  Soft  soap  is  so  slippery,  that  it  wastes  a  good 
deal  in  washing  clothes. 

Instead  of  covering  up  your  glasses  and  pictures  with 
muslin,  cover  the  frames  only  with  cheap,  yellow  cambric, 
neatly  put  on,  and  as  near  the  color  of  the  gilt  as  you  can 
procure  it.  This  looks  better  ;  leaves  the  glasses  open  for 
use,  and  the  pictures  for  ornament  j   and  is  an  effectual 


18  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 

barrier  to  dust  as  well  as  flies.     It  can  easily  be  re-colorea 
with  saffron  tea,  when  it  is  faded. 

Have  a  bottle  full  cf  brandy,  with  as  large  a  mouth  as 
any  bottle  you  have,  into  wliich  cut  your  lemon  and  orange 
peel  when  they  are  fresh  and  sweet.  This  brandy  gives  a 
delicious  flavor  to  all  sorts  of  pies,  puddings,  and  cakes. 
Lemon  is  the  pleasantest  spice  of  the  two ;  therefore  they 
should  be  kept  in  separate  bottles.  It  h  •>.  good  plan  to 
preserve  rose-leaves  in  brandy.  The  flavor  is  pleasanter 
than  rose-water ;  and  there  are  few  people  who  have  the 
utensils  for  distilling.  Peach  leaves  steeped  in  brandy 
make  excellent  spice  for  custards  and  puddings. 

It  is  easy  to  have  a  supply  of  horse-radish  all  winter. 
Have  a  quantity  grated,  while  the  root  is  in  perfection,  put 
it  in  bottles,  fill  it  with  strong  vinegar,  and  keep  it  corked 
tight. 

It  is  thought  to  be  a  preventive  to  tlie  unhealthy  influence 
of  cucumbers  to  cut  the  slices  very  thin,  and  drop  each 
one  into  cold  water  as  you  cut  it.  A  few  minutes  in  the 
water  takes  out  a  large  portion  of  the  slimy  matter,  so 
injurious  to  health.  They  should  be  eaten  with  high  sea- 
soning. 

Where  sweet  oil  is  muc'a  used,  it  is  more  economical  to 
buy  it  by  the  bottle  than  by  the  flask.  A  bottle  holds  more 
ilinn  twice  as  much  as  a  flask,  and  it  is  never  double  the 
price. 

If  you  wish  to  have  free-stone  hearths  dark,  wash  them 
with  soap,  and  wipe  them  with  a  wet  cloth ;  some  people 
rub  in  lamp-oil,  once  in  a  while,  and  wash  the  hearth  faith  • 
fully  afterwards.  This  does  very  well  in  a  large,  dirty 
family  ;  for  the  hearth  looks  very  clean,  and  is  not  liable  to 
show  grease  spots.  But  if  you  wish  to  preserve  the  beau- 
ty of  a  freestone  hearth,  buy  a  quantity  of  free-stone  poW" 
der  of  the  stone-cutter,  and  rub  on  a  portion  of  it  wet,  after 
you  have  washed  your  hearth  in  hot  water.  When  it  is 
dry,  brush  it  off,  and  it  will  look  like  new  stone.  Bricks  can 
be  kept  clean  with  redding  stirred  up  in  water,  and  put  on 
with  a  brush.     Pulverized  clay  mixed  with  redding,  makes 


THE    rrtUGAL    UOL'SEWIFE.  19 

a  pretty  rose  color.  Some  think  it  is  less  likely  to  come 
off,  if  mixed  with  skim  milk  instead  of  water.  But  black 
lead  is  far  handsomer  than  anything  else  for  this  purpose. 
It  looks  very  well  mixed  witli  water,  like  redding ;  but  it 
gives  it  a  glossy  appearance  to  boil  the  lead  in  soft  soap, 
widi  a  little  water  to  keep  it  from  burning.  It  should  be 
put  on  with  a  brush,  in  the  same  manner  as  redding  ;  ■ 
looks  nice  for  a  long  time,  when  done  in  tliis  way. 

Keep  a  bag  for  odd  pieces  of  tape  and  strings ;  the} 
will  come  in  use.  Keep  a  bag  or  box  for  old  buttons,  so 
lliat  you  may  know  Vihere  to  go  wlien  you  want  one. 

Run  the  heels  of  stockings  faithfully ;  and  mend  thin 
places,  as  well  as  holes.     'A  stitch  in  time  saves  nine.' 

Poke-root,  boiled  in  water  and  mixed  whh  a  good  quan- 
tity of  molasses,  set  about  the  kitchen,  the  pantry,  &lc.  in 
large  deep  plates,  will  kill  cockroaches  in  great  numbers, 
and  finally  rid  the  house  of  them.  The  Indians  say  tlial 
pqke-root  boiled  into  a  soft  poultice  is  tlie  cure  for  the  bite 
era  snake.     I  have  heard  of  a  fine  horse  saved  by  it. 

A  little  salt  sprinkled  in  starch  while  it  is  boiling,  tends 
to  prevent  it  from  sticking  ;  it  is  likewise  good  to  stir  it 
with  a  clean  spermaceti  candle. 

A  few  potatoes  sliced,  and  boiling  water  poured  over 
them,  makes  an  excellent  preparation  for  cleansing  and 
stiffening  old  rusty  black  silk. 

Green  tea  is  excellent  to  restore  rusty  silk.  It  should 
be  boiled  in  iron,  nearly  a  cup  full  to  three  quarts.  The 
silk  should  not  be  wrung,  and  should  be  ironed  damp. 

Lime  pulverized,  sifted  through  coarse  muslin,  and  stir- 
red up  tolerably  thick  in  white  of  eggs,  makes  a  strong  ce- 
ment for  glass  and  china.  Plaster  of  Paris  is  still  better  j 
particularly  for  mending  broken  images  of  the  same  ma- 
terial. It  should  be  stirred  up  by  the  spoonful,  as  it  is 
wanted.* 

A  bit  of  isinglass  dissolved  in  gin,  or  boiled  in  spirits  oi 
wine,  is  said  to  make  strong  cement  for  broken  glass,  china, 
and  sea-shells. 

*  Sdnic  tliink  it  an  improvement  to  make  wh«y  of  vinegar  and  milk,  and 
beat  it  wcil  up  with  the  eggs  before  the  lime  is  put  in.  1  Tiavc  heai'd  of  troo 
Dieoded  with  it. 


20  THE    FRCGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 

Th(2  lemon  syrup,  usually  sold  at  fifty  ?ents  a  bottle, 
may  be  made  much  cheaper.  Those  who  use  a  great 
quantity  of  it  will  find  it  worth  their  while  to  make  it. 
Take  about  a  pound  of  Havana  sugar ;  boil  it  in  water 
down  to  a  quart ;  drop  in  the  white  of  an  egg,  to  clarify 
It ;  strain  it ;  add  one  quarter  of  an  oz.  of  tartaric  acid 
or  citric  acid  ;  if  you  do  not  find  it  sour  enough,  after  it 
has  stood  two  or  three  days  and  shaken  freely,  add  more 
of  the  acid.     A  few  drops  of  the  oil  of  lemon  improves  it. 

If  you  wish  to  clarify  sugar  and  water,  you  are  about  to 
boil,  it  is  well  to  stir  in  the  white  of  one  egg,  while  cold ; 
if  put  in  after  it  boils,  the  egg  is  apt  to  get  hardened  be- 
fore it  can  do  any  good. 

Those  who  are  fond  of  soda  powders  will  do  well  to 
inquire  at  tlie  apothecaries  for  the  suitable  acid  and  alkali, 
and  buy  them  by  the  ounce,  or  the  pound,  according  to 
the  size  of  their  families.  Experience  soon  teaches  the 
right  proportions  ;  and,  sweetened  v/ith  a  little  sugar  or 
lemon  syrup,  it  is  quite  as  good  as  what  one  gives  five  times 
as  much  for,  done  up  in  papers.  The  case  is  the  same 
with  Rochelle  powders. 

When  the  stopper  of  a  glass  decanter  becomes  too  tight, 
a  cloth  wet  with  hot  water  and  applied  to  the  neck,  will 
cause  the  glass  to  expand,  so  that  the  stopper  may  be 
easily  removed. 

Glass  vessels  in  a  cylindrical  form,  may  be  cut  m  two, 
by  tying  around  them  a  worsted  thread,  thoroughly  wet 
whh  spirits  of  turpentine,  and  then  setting  fire  to  the  thread. 

Court  plaster  is  made  of  thin  silk  first  dipped  in  dissolv- 
ed isinglass  and  dried,  then  dipped  several  times  in  tlie 
white  of  egg  and  dried. 

When  plain  tortoise-shell  combs  are  defaced,  the  polish 
may  be  renewed  by  rubbing  them  with  pulverized  rotten- 
stone  and  oil.  The  rotten-stone  should  be  sifted  through 
muslin.  It  looks  better  to  be  rubbed  on  by  the  hand.  The 
jewellers  afterwards  polish  them  by  rubbing  them  with  dry 
rouge  powder  ;  but  sifted  magnesia  does  just  as  well — and 
if  the  ladies  had  rouge,  perhaps  they  would,  by  mistake 
put  it  upon  their  cheeks,  instead  of  their  combs  ^  and  there- 
by spoil  tlieir  complexions 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  21 

Tlie  best  way  to  cleanse  gold  is,  to  wash  it  in  warm  siicls 
made  of  delicate  soap,  widi  ten  or  fifteen  drops  of  sal- 
volatile  in  it.     This  makes  jewels  very  brilliant. 

Straw  carpets  should  be  washed  in  salt  aiid  water,  and 
wiped  with  a  dry,  coarse  towel.  They  have  a  strong  tendency 
to  tm-n  yellow  ;  and  the  salt  prevents  it.  I\[oisture  makes 
them  decay  scon  ;  therefore  tliey  should  be  kept  thorough- 
ly dry. 

]\yc  paste  is  more  adhesive  than  any  other  paste  ;  be- 
cause that  grain  is  very  glutinous.  It  is  niuch  improved 
by  adding  a  httle  pounded  alum,  while  it  is  boiling.  Tliis 
makes  it  almost  as  strong  as  glue. 

Red  ants  are  aniong  the  v.'orst  plagues  that  cai  infest 
a  house.  A  lady  who  had  long  been  troubled  with  them, 
assured  me  she  destroyed  them  in  a  few  days,  after  the 
following  manner.  She  placed  a  dish  of  cracked  shag- 
barks  (of  which  they  are  more  fond  than  of  anything  else) 
in  the  closet.  They  soon  gathered  upon  it  in  troops. 
She  then  put  some  corrosive  sublimate  in  a  cup ;  order- 
ed the  dish  to  be  carried  carefully  to  the  fire,  and  all  its 
contents  brushed  in  ;  while  she  swept  the  few  that  drop- 
ped upon  the  shelf  into  the  cup,  and,  with  a  feather,  wet  all 
the  cracks  from  whence  thcv  came,  with  corrosive  subli- 
mate.  When  this  had  been  repeated  four  or  five  times,  the 
house  was  effectually  cleared.  Too  much  care  cannot 
be  taken  of  corrosive  sublimate,  especially  when  children 
are  about.  Many  dreadful  accidents  have  happened 
in  consequence  of  carelessness.  Botdes  which  have  con- 
tained it  should  be  broken,  and  buried;  and  cups  should 
be  boiled  out  in  ashes  and  water.  If  kept  in  the  house,  it 
should  be  hung  up  high,  out  of  reach,  with  poison  written 
upon  it  in  large  letters. 

The  neatest  way  to  separate  wax  from  honey-comb  is 
to  tie  the  comb  up  in  a  linen  or  woollen  bag ;  place  it  in  a 
kettle  of  cold  water,  and  hang  it  over  the  fire.  As  the  wa- 
ter heats,  the  wax  melts,  and  rises  to  the  surface,  while  all 
the  impurities  remain  in  the  bag.  It  is  well  to  put  a  few 
pebbles  in  the  bag,  to  keep  it  from  fioaling. 


22  THE    FRUG.U.    HOUSEWIFE. 

Honey  may  be  separated  from  the  comb,  by  placing  it 
m  tlie  hot  sun,  or  before  the  fire,  with  two  or  three  colan- 
ders or  sieves,  each  finer  than  tlie  other,  under  it. 


SOAP. 

In  the  city,  I  believe,  it  is  better  to  exchange  ashes  and 
grease  for  soap ;  but  in  the  country,  I  am  certain,  it  is 
good  economy  to  make  one's  o^\^l  soap.  If  you  burn  wood, 
you  can  make  your  ovm  lye  ;  but  the  ashes  of  coal  is  not 
worth  much.  Bore  small  holes  in  the  bottom  of  a  barrel, 
place  four  bricks  around,  and  fill  the  barrel  with  ashes. 
Wet  the  ashes  well,  but  not  enough  to  drop  ;  let  it  soak 
dius  three  or  four  days  ;  then  pour  a  gallon  of  water  in 
every  hour  or  two,  for  a  day  or  more,  and  let  it  drop  into  a 
pail  or  tub  beneath.  Keep  it  dripping  till  the  color  of  the 
lye  shows  the  strength  is  exhausted.  If  your  lye  is  not 
strong  enough,  you  must  fill  your  barrel  with  fi-esh  ashes, 
and  let  the  lye  run  through  it.  Some  people  take  a  bar- 
rel without  any  bottom,  and  lay  sticks  and  straw  across  to 
prevent  the  ashes  from  falling  through.  To  make  a  barrel 
of  soap,  it  will  require  about  five  or  six  bushels  of  ashes, 
with  at  least  four  quarts  of  unslackcd  stone  lime  ;  if  slacked, 
double  the  quantity. 

When  you  l^ave  dra^^Ti  off  a  part  of  the  lye,  put  the  lime 
(whether  slack  or  not)  into  two  or  three  pails  of  boiling 
water,  and  add  it  to  the  ashes,  and  let  it  drain  through. 

It  is  the  practice  of  some  people,  in  making  soap,  to  put 
the  lime  near  the  bottom  of  the  ashes  when  they  first  set  it 
up ;  but  the  hme  becomes  like  mortar,  and  the  lye  does 
not  run  through,  so  as  to  get  the  strength  of  it,  which  is  very 
nnportant  in  making  soap,  as  it  contracts  the  nitrous  salts 
which  collect  in  ashes,  and  prevents  the  soap  from  coming, 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  2S 

(as  the  saying  is.)     Old  ashes  are  very  apt  to  be  impreg 
nated  with  it. 

Tiiree  pounds  of  grease  should  be  put  into  a  pailful  of 
lye.  The  great  difficulty  in  making  soap  '  corned  origi- 
nates in  want  of  judgment  about  the  strength  of  the  lye. 
One  rule  may  be  safely  trusted — If  your  lye  will  bear  up 
an  egg,  or  a  potato,  so  that  you  can  see  a  piece  of  the 
surface  as  big  as  ninepence,  it  is  just  strong  enough.  If  it 
sink  below  the  top  of  the  lye,  it  is  too  weak,  and  will  never 
make  soap  ;  if  it  is  buoyed  up  lialf  "way,  the  lye  is  too 
strong ;  and  that  is  just  as  bad.  A  bit  of  quick-lime,  thrown 
in  while  the  lye  and  grease  are  boiling  together,  is  of  ser- 
vice. When  tlie  soap  becomes  tliick  and  ropy,  cai-ry  it 
down  cellar  in  pails  and  empty  it  into  a  barrel. 

Cold  soap  is  less  trouble,  because  it  does  not  need  to 
boil ;  the  sun  does  tlie  work  of  fire.  The  lye  must  be 
prepared  and  tried  in  the  usual  way.  The  grease  must 
be  tried  out,  and  strained  from  the  scraps.  Two  pounds 
of  grease  (instead  of  three)  must  be  used  to  a  pailful ; 
unless  the  weather  is  very  sultry,  the  lye  should  bs  hot 
when  put  to  the  grease.  It  should  stand  in  the  sun,  and 
be  stirred  every  day.  If  it  does  not  begin  to  look  like 
scap  in  the  course  of  five  or  six  days,  add  a  little  hot  iy« 
to  it ;  if  this  does  not  help  it,  try  whether  it  be  grease  that 
it  wants.  Perhaps  you  will  think  cold  soap  wasteful,  be- 
cause the  grease  must  be  strained ;  but  if  the  scraps  are 
boiled  thoroughly  in  strong  lye,  the  grease  will  all  float  upon 
the  surface,  and  nothing  be  lost. 
3 


24  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 


SIMPLE  REMEDIES. 

Cotton  wool,  wet  with  sweet  oil  and  paregoric,  relieves 
the  car-ache  very  s^oon. 

A  good  quantity  of  old  cheese  is  tlie  best  thing  to  eat, 
when  distressed  "by  eating  too  much  fruit,  or  oppressed 
with  any  kind  of  food.  Physicians  have  given  it  in  cases 
of  extreme  danger. 

Koney  and  milk  is  very  good  for  worms ;  so  is  strong 
salt  water ;  likewise  powdered  sage  and  molasses  taken 
freely. 

For  a  sudden  attack  of  quincy  or  croup,  bathe  the  neck 
with  bear's  grease,  and  pour  it  dowTi  the  throat.  A  lineD 
rag  soaked  in  sv/eet  oil,  butter,  or  lard,  and  sprinkled 
witli  yeilov/  Scotch  snuff,  i?  said  to  have  performed  won- 
derful cures  in  cases  of  croup :  it  should  be  placed  where 
the  distress  is  greatest.  Goose-grease,  or  any  kind  of  oi^y 
grease,  is  as  good  as  bear's  oil. 

Equal  parts  of  camphor,  spirits  of  v/ine,  and  hartshorn, 
vircll  mixed,  and  rubbed  upon  the  throat,  is  said  to  be  ^o\y(l 
for  the  croup. 

Cotton  wool  and  oil  are  the  best  things  for  a  burn. 

A  Bcultice  of  wheat  bran,  or  rye  bran,  and  vinegar,  veiy 
sxMtr:  takes  down  the  inflammation  occasioned  by  a  sprain. 
Brown  paper,  wet,  is  healing  to  a  bruise.  Dipped  in  mo- 
lasses, it  is  said  to  t;7ke  dov/n  inflammation. 

In  case  of  any  scratch,  or  wound,  from  which  the  lock- 
jaw is  apprehended,  bathe  the  injured  part  freely  with  lye 
or  pearl-ash  and  water. 

A  rind  of  pork  bound  upon  a  wound  occasioned  by 
a  needle,  pin,  or  nail,  prevents  the  lock-jaw.  It  should 
be  ahvays  applied.  Spirits  of  turpentine  is  good  to  pre- 
vent the  lock-jaw.  Strong  soft-soap,  mixed  with  pulver- 
ized chalk,  about  as  thick  as  batter,  put,  in  a  thin  cloth  or 
bag,  upon  the  wound,  is  said  to  be  a  preventive  to  this 
dangerous  disorder.     The  chalk   should  be    kept  moist, 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  25 

till  the  wound  begins  to  discharge  itself;  when  the  pa- 
tient will  find  rehef. 

If  you  happen  to  cut  yourself  slightly  while  cookmg, 
bind  on  some  fine  salt:  molasses  is  likewise  good. 

Flour  boiled  thoroughly  in  milk,  so  as  to  make  quite  a 
tliick  porridge,  is  good  in  cases  of  dysentery.  A  table- 
spoonful  of  W,  I.  rum,  a  table-spoonful  of  sugar-baker's 
molasses,  and  the  same  quantity  of  sweet  oil,  well  sim- 
mered together,  is  likewise  good  for  this  disorder ;  the  oil 
softens  the  harshness  of  the  other  ingredients. 

Black  or  green  tea,  steeped  in  boiling  milk,  seasoned 
widi  nutmeg,  and  best  of  loaf  sugar,  is  excellent  for  the 
dysentery.  Cork  burnt  to  charcoal,  about  as  big  as  a. 
hazel-nut,  macerated,  and  put  in  a  tea-spoonful  of  brandy, 
\rith  a  httle  loaf  sugar  and  nutmeg,  is  very  eihcacious  in 
cases  of  dysentery  and  cholera-morbus.  If  nutmeg  be 
wanting,  peppermint-water  may  be  used.  Flannel  wet 
with  brandy,  powdered  with  Cayenne  pepper,  and  laid 
upon  the  bowels,  affords  great  rehef  in  cases  of  extreme 
distress,  I 

Dissolve  as  much  table-salt  in  keen  vinegar,  as  will  fer- 
ment and  work  clear.  When  the  foam  is  discharged, 
cork  it  up  in  a  bottle,  and  put  it  away  for  use.  A  large 
spoonful  of  this,  in  a  gill  of  boihng  water,  is  very  effica- 
cious in  cases  of  dysentery  and  cohc* 

Whordeberries,  commonly  called  huckleberries,  dried, 
nre  a  useful  medicine  for  children.  Made  into  tea,  and 
sweetened  with  molasses,  they  are  very  beneficial,  when, 
tlie  system  is  in  a  restricted  state,  and  the  digestive  pow- 
ers out  of  order. 

Blackberries  are  extrem.ely  useful  in  cases  of  dysentery. 
To  eat  the  berries  is  very  heakhy ;  tea  made  of  the  roots 
and  leaves  is  beneficial ;  and  a  syrup  made  of  the  berries 
is  still  better.  Blackberries  have  sometimes  effected  a 
cure  when  physicians  despaired. 


*  Among  the  numerous  medicines  for  this  disease,  perhaps  none,  a 

^-cUor,  particularly  where  the  bowels  arc  inflamed,  than  the  oKi-fashi ^  „„„ 

of  Enjlish-maHows  steeped  in  milk,  and  drank  freely.     Every  body  knows, 
of  course,  that  English-mallows  and  marsh-mallows  arc  di.Tcrer.i  Lerbs. 


(Icr  all,  is 
oned  one 


26  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 

Loaf  sugar  and  brandy  relieves  a  sore  throat ;  Avhen  ve- 
ry bad,  it  is  good  to  inhale  the  steam  of  scalding  hot  vine- 
gar through  the  tube  of  a  tunnel.  This  should  be  tried 
carefully  at  first,  lest  the  throat  be  scalded.  For  chil- 
dren, it  should  be  allowed  to  cool  a  little. 

A  stocking  bound  on  warm  from  the  foot,  at  night,  is 
good  for  the  sore  throat. 

An  ointment  made  from  the  common  ground-worms, 
which  boys  dig  to  bait  fishes,  rubbed  on  with  the  hand,  is 
said  to  be  excellent,  when  the  sinews  are  drawn  up  by 
any  disease  or  accident. 

A  gentleman  in  Missouri  advertises  that  he  had  an 
inveterate  cancer  upon  his  nose  cured  by  a  strong  pot- 
ash made  of  the  lye  of  the  ashes  of  red  oak  bark,  boiled 
down  to  the  consistence  of  molasses.  The  cancer  was 
covered  v>-ith  this,  and,  about  an  hour  after,  covered  with  a 
plaster  of  tar.  This  must  be  removed  in  a  (e\v  days, 
and,  if  any  protuberances  remain  in  the  wound,  apply 
more  potash  to  them,  and  the  plaster  again,  until  they 
entirely  disappear  :  after  which  heal  the  wound  with  any 
common  soothing  salve.     I  never  knew  this  to  be  tried. 

If  a  wound  bleeds  very  last,  and  there  is  no  physician 
at  hand,  cover  it  widi  the  scrapings  of  sole-leather, 
scraped  like  coarse  lint.  This  stops  blood  very  soon. 
Always  have  vinegar,  camphor,  hartshorn,  or  something 
of  that  kind,  in  readiness,  as  the  sudden  stoppage  of 
blood  almost  always  makes  a  person  faint. 

Balra-of-Gilead*^  buds  bottled  up  in  N.  E.  rum,  make 
the  best  cure  in  the  world  for  fresh  cuts  and  wounds. 
Every  family  should  have  a  bottle  of  it.  The  buds  should 
be  gathered  in  a  pecuhar  state ;  just  when  they  are  well 
swelled,  ready  to  burst  into  leaves,  and  well  covered  with 
gum.     They  last  but  two  or  three  days  in  this  state. 

Plantain  and  house-leek,  boiled  in  cream,  and  strained 
before  it  is  put  away  to  cool,  makes  a  very  cooling,  sooth- 
ing ointment.  PlanLaia  leaves  laid  upon  a  wound  are 
cooling  and  healing. 

Half  a  spoonful  of  citric  acid,  (v/hich  may  always  be 
bought  of  the  apothecaries.)  stirred  in  half  a  tumbler  of 
water,  is  excellent  for  the  head~?xhe. 


THE    FRUGAL    llOCSEWIFE.  27 

People  in  general  think  tliey  must  go  abroad  for  vapor- 
batlis ;  but  a  very  simple  one  can  be  made  at  home. 
Place  strong  sticks  across  a  tub  of  water,  at  the  boiling 
point,  and  sit  upon  them,  entirely  enveloped  in  a  blanket, 
leet  and  all.  The  steam  from  the  water  will  be  a  vapor 
bath.  Some  people  put  herbs  into  the  water.  Steam 
baths  are  excellent  for  severe  colds,  and  for  some  disor- 
ders in  the  bowels.  They  should  not  be  taken  without 
the  advice  of  an  experienced  nurse,  or  physician.  Great 
care  should  be  taken  not  to  renew  the  cold  after ;  it  would 
be  doubly  dangerous. 

Boiled  potatoes  are  said  to  cleanse  the  hands  as  well 
as  common  soap  ;  they  prevent  chops  in  the  winter  season, 
and  keep  the  skin  soft  and  healthy. 

Water-gruel,  with  three  or  four  onions  simmered  in  it, 
prepared  with  a  lump  of  butter,  pepper,  and  salt,  eaten 
just  before  one  goes  to  bed,  is  said  to  be  a  cur6  for  a 
hoarse  cold.  A  syrup  made  of  horseradish-root  and  sugar 
is  excellent  for  a  cold. 

Very  strong  salt  and  vvater,  when  frequently  applied,  has 
been  knowii  to  cure  wens. 

The  following  poultice  for  the  throat  distemper,  has  been 
much  approved  in  England  : — The  pulp  of  a  roasted  apple, 
mixed  with  an  ounce  of  tobacco,  the  whole  wet  with  spirits 
of  wine,  or  any  other  high  spirits,  spread  on  a  linen  rag, 
and  bound  upoa  the  throat  at  any  period  of  the  disorder. 

Nothing  is  so  good  to  take  dow»  swellings,  as  a  soft 
poultice  of  stewed  wliite  beans,  put  on  in  a  thin  muslin 
bag,  and  renewed  every  hour  or  two. 

The  thin  white  skin,  which  comes  from  suet,  is  excellent 
to  bind  upon  the  feet  for  chilblains.  Rubbing  widi  Castile 
soap,  and  afterwards  with  honey,  is  likewise  highly  recom- 
mended. But,  to  sure  the  chilblains  effectually,  iJiey  must 
be  attended  to  often,  and  for  a  long  time. 

Always  apply  diluted  laudanum  to  fresh  wounds. 

A  poukice  of  elder-blow  tea  and  biscuit  is  good  as  a  pre- 
ventive to  mortification.     The  approach  of  mortification  is 
generally  shown  by  the  formation  of  bhsters  filled  with 
'hod;  water  bhsters  are  not  alarming. 
3* 


28  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 

Burnt  alum  held  in  the  mouth  is  good  for  the  canker. 

The  eommon  dark-bhie  violet  makes  a  slimy  tea,  v/hich 
is  excellent  for  the  canker.  Leaves  and  blossoms  are  both 
good.  Tjjose  who  have  families  should  take  some  pains 
to  drj  these  flowers. 

When  people  have  a  sore  mouth,  from  taking  calomel, 
or  any  other  cause,  tea  made  of  low-blackberry  leaves  is 
extremely  beneficial. 

Tea  made  of  slipper}'  elm  is  good  for  the  piles,  and  for 
humors  in  the  blood  ;  to  be  drank  plentifully.  Wintei 
evergreen'"  is  considered  good  for  all  humors,  particularly 
scrofula.  Soma  call  it  rheumatism-weed  ;  because  a  tea 
made  from  it  is  supposed  to  check  that  painful  disorder. 

An  ointment  of  lard,  sulphur,  and  cream-of-tartar,  sim- 
mered together,  is  good  for  the  piles. 

Ehxir  proprietatis  is  a  useful  family  medicine  for  al! 
cases  when  tiie  digestive  powers  are  out  of  order.  One 
ounce  of  saffron,  one  ounce  of  myrrh,  and  one  ounce  of 
aloes.  Pulverize  them  ;  let  the  myrrh  steep  in  half  a  pint 
of  brandy,  or  N.  E.  rum,  for  four  days;  then  add  the 
cafTrcn  and- aloes;  let  it  stand  in  the  sunshine,  or  in  some 
warm  place,  for  a  fortnight ;  taking  care  to  shake  it  well 
twice  a  day.  At  the  end  of  the  forjnight,  fill  up  the  bottle 
(a  common  size'd  one)  with  brandy,  or  N.  E.  rum,  and  let 
it  stand  a  montli.  It  costs  six  times  as  much  to  buy  it  m 
snjali  <]|uantitiesj  as  it  does  to  make  it. 

Ti?e  constant  use/gi'  malt  beer,  or  malt  in  any  v/ay,  is 


said  to  be  a  preservmve  against  fevers. 

Black  cherry-tree  bark,  barberry  bark,  mustard-seed, 
petty  morrel-roct,  and  horseradish,  well  steeped  in  cider, 
are  excellent  for  the  jaundice. 

Cotton  wool  and  oil  are  tlie  best  things  for  a  burn 
When  children  are  brrned,  it  is  difficult  to  make  them  en- 
dure the  application  of  cotton  wool.  I  have  kno\^Ti  the 
inflammation  of  a  very  bad  bum  extracted  in  one  night,  by 
the  cO'-iStant   application  of  brandy,  vinegar,  and  water, 


*'rk!S  pla'i  resembles  tkb  poisonoa?  kiil-Iajn!),  both  in  the  shape  and  I'uo 
glossir.cES  o;  'Jie  leaves  :  great  care  should  be  used  to  distLiguish  t^em. 


THE    FRUGTAL    HOUSEWIFE.  29 

mixed  together.  This  feels  coo]  and  pleasant,  and  a  few 
drops  of  paregoric  will  soon  put  the  little  sufferer  to  sleep. 
The  bathing  should  be  continued  till  the  pain  is  gone. 

A  few  drops  of  the  oil  of  Cojput  on  cotton  wool  is  said 
to  be  a  great  relief  to  the  tcoth-ache.  It  occasions  a  smart 
pain  for  a  few  seconds,  when  laid  upon  the  defective  tootli. 
Any  apothecary  will  furnisli  it  ready  dropped  on  cotton 
wool,  for  a  few  cents. 

A  poultice  made  of  ginger  or  of  common  chickweed, 
that  grows  about  one's  door  in  the  country,  has  given  great 
relief  to  tlie  tooth-ache,  when  applied  frequently  to  tho 
cheek. 

A  spoonful  of  ashes  stirred  in  cider  is  good  to  prevent 
sickness  at  the  stomach.  Physicians  frequently  order  it 
in  cases  of  cholera-morbus. 

When  a  blister  occasioned  by  a  burn  breaks,  it  is  said 
to  be  a  good  plan  to  put  wheat  flour  upon  the  naked  flesh. 

The  buds  of  the  elder  bush,  gathered  in  early  spring, 
and  simmered  with  new  butter,  or  sweet  lard,  make  a 
very  healing  and  cooling  ointment. 

Night  sweats  have  been  cured,  when  more  powerful 
remedies  had  failed,  by  fasting  morning  and  night,  and 
drinking  cold  sage  tea  constantly  and  freely. 

Lard,  melted  and  cooled  five  or  six  times  in  succes- 
sion, by  being  poured  each  time  into  a  fresh  pail-full  of 
water,  then  simmered  with  sliced  onions,  and  cooled,  is 
said,  by  old  nurses,  to  make  a  salve,  v/hich  is  almost  infalli- 
ble in  curing  inflammations  produced  by  taking  cold  in 
wounds. 

Vinegar  curds,  made  by  pouring  vinegar  into  warm 
milk,  put  on  warm,  and  changed  pretty  frequently,  are 
likewise  excellent  to  subdue  inflammation. 

Chalk  wet  with  hartshorn  is  a  remedy  for  the  sting  of 
bees;  so  is  likewise  table-salt  kept  moist  with  water. 

Boil  castor-oil  with  an  equal  quantity  of  milk,  sweeten 
it  with  a  litde  sugar,  stir  it  well,  and,  when  cold,  give  it  to 
children  for  drink.  They  will  never  suspect  it  is  medi- 
cine ;  and  will  even  love  the  taste  of  it. 

As  molasses  is  ofl^n  given  to  children  as  a  e;eni;le  physic, 


30  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWITB. 

!t  will  be  useful  to  know  tliat  West  India  molasses  is  a 
gentle  catliartic,  while  sugar-baker's  molasses  is  slightly 
astringent. 

If  a  fellon  or  run-round  appears  to  be  coming  on  tlie 
finger,  you  can  do  nothing  better  than  to  soak  the  finger 
thoroughly  in  hot  lye.  It  will  be  painful,  but  it  will  cure 
a  disorder  much  more  painful. 

Whiskey,  which  has  had  Spanish-flies  in  soak,  is  said  to 
be  good  for  ring-worms  ;  but  I  never  knew  an  instance 
of  its  being  tried.  Unless  too  strong,  or  used  in  great 
quantities,  it  cannot,  at  least,  do  any  harm.  Washing  the 
hands  frequently  in  w'arm  vinegar,  is  good  for  ring-worms. 

W^hen  the  toe  nails  have  a  tendency  to  turn  in,  so  as  to 
be  painful,  the  nail  should  always  be  kept  scraped  very 
thin,  and  as  near  tlie  flesh  as  possible.  As  soon  as  the 
corner  of  the  nail  can  be  raised  up  out  of  tlie  flesh,  it 
should  be  kept  from  again  entering,  by  putting  a  tuft  of 
fine  lint  under  it. 

As  this  book  may  fall  into  the  hands  of  those  who  can- 
not speedily  obtain  a  physician,  it  is  w^orth  wliile  to  mention 
what  is  best  to  be  done  for  the  bite  of  a  rattlesnake : — 
Cut  tliC  flesh  out,  around  the  bite,  instantly;  that  the 
poison  may  not  have  time  to  circulate  in  the  blood.  If 
caustic  is  at  hand,  put  it  upon  the  raw  flesh ;  if  not,  the 
next  best  thing  is  tc  fill  the  wound  w^ith  salt — renewing  it 
occasionally.  Take  a  dose  of  sweet  oil  and  spirits  of  tur- 
pentine, to  defend  the  stomach.  If  the  whole  limb  swell, 
bathe  it  in  salt  and  vinegar  freely.  It  is  well  to  physic  the 
system  thoroughly,  before  returning  to  usual  diet. 

GRUEL. 

Gruel  is  very  easily  made.  Have  a  pint  of  water  boil 
ing  in  a  skillet ;  stir  up  three  or  four  large  spoonfuls  of 
nicely  sifted  oat-meal,  rye,  or  Indian,  in  cold  water.  Pour 
it  into  the  skillet  while  the  water  boils.  Let  it  boil  eight  or 
ten  minutes.  Throw  in  a  large  handful  of  raisins  to  boil, 
if  the  patient  is  well  enough  to  bear  them.  When  put  in 
a  bowlj  add  f  little  salt,  white  sugar,  and  nutmeg. 


THE  fhugal  housewife.  31 

EGG    GRUEL. 

This  is  at  once  food  and  medicine.  Some  people  have 
very  great  faith  in  its  efficacy  in  cases  of  chronic  dysen- 
tery. It  is  made  thus :  Boil  a  pint  of  new  miik ;  beat 
four  new-laid' eggs  to  a  light  froth,  and  pour  in  while  the 
milk  boils ;  stir  them  together  thoroughly,  but  do  not  Ist 
them  boil;  sweeten  it  with  the  best  of  loaf  sugar,  and 
2;rate  in  a  whole  nutmeg ;  add  a  litde  salt,  if  you  like  it. 
Drink  half  of  it  while  it  is  warm,  and  the  other  half  in  two 
hours. 

ARROW-ROOT    JELLY. 

Put  about  a  pint  of  water  in  a  skillet  to  boil ;  slir  up  a 
large  spoonful  cf  arrow-root  powder  in  a  cup  of  water ; 
pour  it  into  the  skillet  while  tlie  water  is  boiling  ;  let  them 
boil  together  three  or  four  minutes.  Season  it  with  nut- 
meg and  loaf  sugar.  This  is  very  light  food  for  an  inva- 
lid. When  the  system  is  in  a  relaxed  state,  tv/o  tea- 
spoonfuls  of  brandy  may  be  put  in.  Milk  and  loaf  sugar 
boiled,  and  a  spoonful  of  fine  flour,  well  mixed  with  a  little 
cold  water,  poured  in  while  the  milk  is  boiling,  is  light 
food  in  cases  of  similar  diseases. 

calf's  foot  jelly. 

Boil  four  feet  in  a  gallon  of  water,  till  it  is  reduced  to  a 
quart.  Strain  it,  and  let  it  stand,  til!  it  is  quite  cool.  Skim 
oiF  the  fat,  and  add  to  the  jelly  one  pint  of  wine,  half  a 
pound  of  sugar,  the  whites  of  six  eggs,  and  the  juice  of  four 
large  lemons  j  boil  all  these  materials  together  eight  or 
ten  minutes.  Then  strain  into  the  glasses,  or  jars,  in 
which  you  intend  to  keep  it.  Some  lay  a  few  bits  of  the 
lemon-peel  at  the  bottom,  and  let  it  be  strained  upon 
them. 

TAPIOCA  jelly. 

Wash  It  two  or  three  times,  soak  it  five  or  six  hours 
simmer  it  in  the  same  v/ater  with  bits  of  fresh  Icmon-pecl 


83  tUE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWirE. 

until  it  becomes  quite  clear ;  then  put  in  lemon  juice,  wine 
and  loaf  sugar. 

SAGO    JELLY. 

The  sago  should  be  soaked  in  cold  water  an  hour,  and 
washed  thoroughly  ;  simmered  with  lemon-peel  and  a  few 
cJoves.  Add  wine  and  loaf  sugar  when  nearly  done  ;  and 
let  it  all  boil  to°;ether  a  few  minutes. 


BEEF    TEA. 

Beef  lea,  for  the  sick,  is  made  by  broiling  a  tender  steak 
nicely,  seasoning  it  with  pepper  and  salt,  cutting  it  up,  and 
pouring  water  over  it,  not  quite  boiling.  Put  in  a  little  water 
at  a  time,  and  let  it  stand  to  soak  tlie  goodness  out. 

WINE    WHEY. 

Wine  whey  is  a  cooling  and  safe  drink  in  fevers.  Set 
half  a  pint  of  sweet  milk  at  the  fire,  pour  in  one  glass  of 
wine,  and  let  it  remain  perfectly  still,  till  it  curdles ;  when 
the  curds  settle,  strain  it,  and  let  it  cool.  It  should  not  get 
more  than  blood-warm.  A  spoonful  of  rennet-w^ater  has- 
tens the  operation.  Made  palatable  with  loaf  sugar  and 
nutmeg,  if  the  patient  can  bear  it. 

APPLE    WATER. 

This  is  given  as  sustenance  when  the  stomach  is  tCM 
weak  to  bear  broth,  he.  It  may  be  made  thus, — Pour 
boiling  water  on  roasted  apples;  let  them  stand  three 
hours,  then  strain  and  sweeten  lightly  : — Or  it  may  be 
made  thus, — Peel  and  slice  tart  apples,  add  some  sugar 
and  lemon-peel ;  then  pour  some  boiling  w-ater  over  the 
whole,  and  let  it  stand  covered  by  the  fire,  more  than  an 
hour. 

MILK    PORRIDGE. 

Boil  new  milk;  stir  flour  thoroughly  into  some  cold 
milk  m  a  bowl,  and  po'^r  it  into  the  kettle  wliile  the  milk 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  33 

IS  boiling  :  let  it  all  boil  six  or  eight  minutes.  Some 
pDople  like  it  thicker  than  others ;  1  sliould  think  three 
large  spoonfuls  of  flour  to  a  quart  of  milk  was  about  righl. 
It  should  always  be  seasoned  with  salt ;  and  if  the  patient 
likes,  loaf  sugar  and  nutmeg  may  be  put  in.  In  cases  of 
lever,  little  salt  or  spice  should  be  put  into  any  nourish- 
ment; but  in  cases  of  dysentery,  salt  and  nutmeg  may  be 
used  freely  :  in  such  cases  too,  more  flour  should  be  put 
in  porridge,  and  it  should  be  boiled  very  thoroughly  in- 
deed. 

STEWED     PRUNES. 

Stew  them  very  gently  in  a  small  quantity  of  water,  till 
the  stones  slip  out.  Physicians  consider  them  safe  nour- 
ishment in  fevers. 


VEGETABLES. 


Parsnips  should  be  kept  down  cellar,  covered  up  m 
sand,  endrely  excluded  from  the  air.  They  are  good  only 
m  the  spring. 

Cabbages  put  into  a  hole  in  the  ground  will  keep  well 
during  the  winter,  and  be  hard,  fresh,  and  sweet,  in  the 
spring.     Many  farmers  keep  potatoes  in  the  same  way. 

Onions  should  be  kept  very  dry,  and  never  carried  in- 
io  the  cellar  except  in  severe  weather,  when  there  is  dan- 
ger of  their  freezing.  By  no  means  let  tliem  be  in  the  cel- 
lar after  March ;  they  will  sprout  and  spoil.  Potatoes 
should  likev/ise  be  carefully  looked  to  in  the  spring,  and 
the  sprouts  broken  off.  The  cellar  is  the  best  place  for 
diem,  because  they  are  injured  by  wilting  ;  but  sprout  them 
carefully,  if  you  want  to  keep  them.  They  never  sprout 
out  three  times ;  therefore,  after  you  have  sprouted  them 
diree  times,  they  will  trctible  you  no  more. 

Squashes  should  never  be  kept  down  cellar  v»'hen  it  is 


34  THE    FIIUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 

possible  to  prevent  it.     Dampness  injures  tliem.     If  Intense 
cold  makes  it  necessary  to  put  them  there,  bring  ihem  ud 
as  soon  as   possible,  and  keep  them   in   some  dry,  warm 
lace. 

Cabbages  need  to  be  boiled  an  hour ;  beets  an  hour 
and  a  half-  The  lower  part  of  a  squash  should  be  boiled 
half  an  hour  ;  the  neck  pieces  fifteen  or  tv/enty  minutes 
longer.  Parsnips  should  boil  an  hour,  or  an  hour  and  a 
quarter,  according  to  size.  New  potatoes  should  boil  fif- 
teen or  twenty  minutes  ;  three  quarters  of  an  hour,  or  an 
hour,  is  not  too  much  for  large,  old  potatoes ;  common- 
sized  ones,  half  an  hour.  In  the  spring,  it  is  a  good  plan 
to  cut  off  a  slice  from  the  seed  end  of  potatoes  before  you 
cook  them.  The  seed  fend  is  opposite  to  that  which 
grew  upon  the  vine  ;  the  place  where  the  vine  was  broken 
ofFmay^e  easily  distinguished.  By  a  provision  of  nature, 
tlie  seed  end  becomes  watery  in  tlie  spring  ;  and,  unless 
cut  off,  it  is  apt  to  injure  the  potato.  If  you  wish  to  have 
potatoes  mealy,  do  not  let  them  stop  boiling  for  an  instant ;  and 
when  they  are  done,  turn  the  water  off,  and  let  them  steam 
"or  ten  or  twelve  minutes  over  the  fire.  See  they  don't 
stay  long  enough  to  burn  to  the  kettle.  In  Canada,  they 
cut  the  skin  all  off,  and  put  them  in  pans,  to  be  cooked 
over  a  stove,  by  steam.  Those  who  have  eaten  them,  say 
tliey  are  mealy  and  white,  looking  like  large  snow-balls 
when  brought  upon  the  table. 

Potatoes  boiled  and  m.ashed  v/hile  hot,  are  good  to  ase 
in  making  short  cakes  and  puddings  ;  they  save  flour,  and 
less  shortening  is  necessary. 

It  is  said  that  a  bit  of  unslacked  lime,  about  as  big  as  a 
robin's  egg,  thrown  among  old,  watery  potatoes,  while  they 
are  boiling,  will  tend  to  make  them  mealy.  I  never  saw 
the  experiment  tried. 

Asparagus  should  be  boiled  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes } 
half  an  hour,  if  old. 

Green  peas  should  be  boiled  from  twenty^ minutes  to 
sixty,  according  to  their  age  ;  string  beans  the  same.  Corn 
should  be  boiled  from  twenty  minutes  to  forty,  according 
to  age  ;    dandelions  half  an  hour,  or  three    quarters,  ac- 


THE    FiniGAL    UOUSEWiri!  36 

rording  to  age.  Dandelions  are  very  much  improved  by 
ctiitivation.  If  cut  ofF,  without  injuring  the  root,  they  will 
spring  up  again,  fresh  and  tender,  till  late  in  the  season. 

Beet-tops  should  be  boiled  twenty  minutes  ;  and  spinage 
three  or  four  minutes.  Put  in  no  green  vegetables  till  the 
water  boils,  if  you  would  keep  all  their  sweetness. 

When  green  peas  have  become  old  and  yellow,  they 
may  be  made  tender  and  green  by  sprinkhng  in  a  pinch 
or  two  of  pearlash,  while  they  are  boiling.  Pearlash  has 
the  same  effect  upon  all  summer  vegetables,  rendered 
tough  by  being  too  old.  If  your  well-v/ater  is  very  hard, 
it  is  always  an  advantage  to  use  a  little  pearlash  in  cook- 
ing. 

Tomatoes  should  be  skinned  by  pouring  boiling  water 
over  them.  After  they  are  skiimed,they  should  be  stewed 
half  an  hour,  in  tin,  with  a  little  saU,  a  small  bit  of  butter, 
and  a  spoonful  of  v.-ater,  to  keep  them  from  burning.  This 
IS  a  delicious  vegetable.  It  is  easily  cultivated,  and  yields 
a  most  abundant  crop.  Some  people  pluck  them  green, 
and  pickle  them. 

The  best  sort  of  catsup  is  made  from  tomatoes.  The 
vegetables  should  be  squeezed  up  in  the  hand,  salt  put  to 
them,  and  set  by  for  twenty-four  hours.  After  being  pass- 
ed through  a  sieve,  cloves,  allspice,  pepper,  mace,  garhc, 
and  whole  mustard-seed  should  be  added.  It  should  be 
boiled  down  one  third,  and  bottled  after  it  is  cool.  No 
liquid  is  necessary,  as  the  tomatoes  arc.  very  juicy.  A 
good  deal  of  salt  and  spice  is  necessary  o  keep  the  catsuj) 
well.  It  is  delicious  with  roast  meat ;  and  a  cupful  adds 
much  to  tlie  richness  of  soup  and  c\  j^vder.  The  garlic 
should  be  taken  out  before  it  is  bott-xl. 

Celery  should  be  kept  in  the  cellai,  the  roots  covered 
with  tan,  to  keep  them  moist. 

Green  squashes  that  are  turnmg  yellow,  and  striped 
squashes,  are  more  uniformly  sweet  and  mealy  than  any 
other  kind. 

If  the  tops  of  lettuce  be  cut  off  when  it  is  becoming  too 
old  for  use,  it  will  grow  up  again  fresh  and  tender,  and 
may  thus  be  kept  good  through  the  summer. 
4 


36  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 

It  IS  a  good  plan  to  boil  onions  in  milk  and  water ;  it 
diminishes  the  strong  taste  of  that  vegetable.  It  is  an  ex- 
cellent way  of  serving  up  onions,  to  chop  them  after  they 
are  boiled,  and  put  them  in  a  stewpan,  with  a  little  milk^ 
butter,  salt,  and  pepper,  and  let  them  stew/about  fifteen 
minutes.  This  gives  them  a  fine  flavor,  ^lil  they  can  be 
served  up  very  hot.  •  /■*'' 


HERBS. 

All  herbs  should  be  carefully  kept  from  tlie  air.  Herb 
tea,  to  do  any  good,  should  be  made  vcrij  strong. 

Herbs  should  be  gathered  while  in  blossom.  If  left  ti/l 
lliey  have  gone  to  seed,  the  strength  goes  into  the  seed. 
Those  who  have  a  little  patch  of  ground,  will  do  well  to 
false  the  most  important  herbs ;  and  those  who  have  not,  will 
•io  well  to  get  them  in  quantities  from  some  friend  in  the 
eountry;  for  apothecaries  make  very  great  profit  upon 
them. 

Sage  is  very  useful  both  as  a  medicine,  for  die  head- 
ache— when  made  into  tea — and  for  all  kinds  of  stuffing, 
when  dried  and  rubbed  into  powder.  It  should  be  kept 
light  from  the  air. 

Summer-savory  is  excellent  to  season  soup,  broth,  and 
sausages.  As  a  medicine,  it  relieves  the  cholic.  Penny- 
royal and  tansy  are  good  for  the  same  medicinal  purpose. 

Green  wormwood  bruised  is  excellent  for  a  fresh  wound 
of  any  kind.  In  winter,  when  wormw^ood  is  dry,  it  is  ne- 
cessary to  soften  it  in  w- arm  vinegar,  or  spirit,  before  it  is 
bruised,  and  applied  to  the  wound. 

Hyssop  tea  is  good  for  sudden  colds,  and  disorders  on 
the  lungs.  It  is  necessary  to  be  very  careful  about  expo- 
sure after  taking  it ;  it  is  pecuHarly  opening  to  the  pores. 

Tea  made  of  colt's-foot  and  flax-seed,  sweetened  with 
honey,  is  a  cure  for  inveterate  coughs.     Consumptions  have 


THE    FRUGAL.    HOUSEWIFE.  37 

been  prevented  by  it.  It  should  be  drank  when  going  to 
led  ;  though  it  does  good  to  drink  it  at  any  time.  Hoar- 
hound  is  useful  in  consumptive  complaints. 

Motherwort  tea  is  very  quieting  to  tlie  nerves.  Students, 
and  people  troubled  with  wakefulness,  find  it  useful. 

Thoroughwort  is  excellent  for  dyspepsy,  and  every  dis- 
order occasioned  by  indigestion.  If  the  stomach  be  foulj 
ti  operates  like  a  gentle  emetic. 

Sweet-balm  tea  is  cooling  when  one  is  in  a  feverish  state. 

Catnip,  particularly  the  blossoms,  made  into  tea,  is  good 
to  prevent  a  threatened  fever.  It  produces  a  fine  perspi- 
ration. It  should  be  taken  in  bed,  and  the  patient  kept 
warm. 

Housekeepers  should  always  dry  leaves  of  the  burdock 
and  horseradish.  Burdocks  warmed  in  vinegar,  with  the 
hard,  stalky  parts  cutout,  are  very  soothing,  applied  to  th(j 
feat;  they  produce  a  sweet  and  gentle  perspiration. 
Horseradish  is  more  povrerful.  It  is  excellent  in  cases 
of  the  agu(',  placed  on  the  part  affected.  Warmed  in  vin- 
egar, and  ^lapped. 

Succory  is  a  very  valuable  herb.  The  tea,  sweetened 
with  molasses,  is  good  for  the  piles.  It  is  a  gentle  and 
[)3althy  physic,  a  preventive  of  dyspepsy,  humors,  inflam- 
ti^ation,  and  all  the  evils  resulting  from  a  restricted  stata 
of  the  system. 

Elder-blow  tea  has  a  similar  effect.  It  is  cool  and  sooth- 
ing, and  peculiarly  efficacious  either  for  babes  or  grown 
people,  when  the  digestive  powers  are  out  of  order. 

Lungwort,  njaiden-hair,  hyssop,  elecampane  and  hoar- 
h  mnd  steeped  together,  is  an  almost  certain  cure  for  a 
cough.     A  wine-glass  full  to  be  taken  when  going  to  bed. 

Few  people  know  how  to  keep  the  flavor  of  sweet-mar- 
joram ;  the  best  of  all  herbs  for  broth  and  stuffing.  It 
should  be  cathered  in  bud  or  blossom,  and  dried  in  a  tin- 
kitchen  at  a  moderate  distance  from  the  fire  ;  when  dry, 
it  should  be  immediately  rubbed,  sifted,  and  corked  up  in 
a  bottle  carefully. 

English-mallows  steeped  in  milk  is  good  for  the  dysen- 
tery. 


88  THE    FHUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 


CHEAP  DYE-STUFFS. 

A  FEW  general  rules  are  necessary  to  be  observed  in 
coloring.  The  materials  should  be  perfectly  clean ;  soap 
should  be  rinsed  out  in  soft  water ;  the  article  should  be 
entirely  wetted,  or  it  will  spot ;  light  colors  should  be  steep- 
ed in  brass,  tin,  or  earthen ;  and  if  set  at  all,  should  be 
set  with  alum.  Dark  colors  should  be  boiled  in  iron,  and 
set  with  copperas.     Too  much  copperas  rots  the  thread. 

The  apothecaries  and  hatters  keep  a  comjsound  of  vitri 
ol  and  indigo,  commonly  called  '  blue  composition.'  An 
ounce  vial  full  maybe  bought  for  nine-pence.  It  colors  a 
fine  blue.  It  is  an  economical  plan  to  use  it  for  old  silk 
linings,  ribbons,  he.  The  original  color  should  be  boiled 
out,  and  the  material  thoroughly  rinsed  in  soft  water,  so 
that  no  soap  may  remain  in  it ;  for  soap  ruins  the  dye. 
Twelve  or  sixteen  drops  of  the  blue  composition,  poured 
into  a  quart  bowl  full  of  warm  soft  water,  stirred,  (and  strain- 
ed, if  any  settlings  are  perceptible,)  will  color  a  great  many 
articles.  If  you  wish  a  deep  blue,  pour  in  more  of  the  com- 
pound. Cotton  must  not  be  colored  ;  the  vitriol  destroys 
it ;  if  the  material  you  wish  to  color  has  cotton  threads  in 
it,  it  will  be  ruined.  After  the  things  are  thoroughly 
dried,  they  should  be  washed  in  cool  suds,  and  dried 
again  ;  this  prevents  any  bad  effects  from  the  vitriol ;  if 
shut  up  from  the  air  without  being  washed,  there  is  dan- 
ger of  the  texture  being  destroyed.  If  you  wish  to  color 
green,  have  your  cloth  free  as  possible  from  tlie  old  color, 
clean,  and  rinsed,  and.  in  the  first  place,  color  it  a  deep 
yellow.  Fustic  boiled  in  soft  water  makes  the  strongest 
and  brightest  yellow  dye  ;  but  saffron,  barberry  bush,  peach 
leaves,  or  onion  skins,  w^ill  answer  pretty  well.  Next  take 
a  bowl  full  of  strong  yellow  dye,  and  pour  in  a  great  spoon- 
ful or  more  of  the  blue  composition.  Stir  it  up  well  with 
a  clean  stick,  and  dip  the  articles  you  have  already  colored 
yellow  into  it,  and  they  will  take  a  lively  grass  green 
This  is  a  good  plan  for  old  bombazet  curtains,  dessert  cloths, 


THE    FRUGAL,    HOUSEWIFE.  39 

old  flannel  for  covering  a  desk,  &c  ;  it  is  likewise  a  hand- 
some color  for  ribbons. 

Balm  blossoms,  steeped  in  water,  color  a  pretty  rose- 
color.  This  answers  very  well  for  the  linings  oi"  children's 
bonnets,  for  ribbons,  Sec.  It  fades  in  the  course  of  one 
season  ;  but  it  is  very  little  trouble  to  recolor  with  it.  It 
merely  requires  to  be  steeped  and  sti-ained.  Perhaps  a 
small  piece  of  alum  might  serve  to  set  the  color,  in  some 
degree.     In  earthen  or  tin. 

Saffron,  steeped  in  earthen  and  strained,  colors  a  fine 
straw  color.  It  makes  a  delicate  or  deep  shade  according 
to  the  strength  of  the  tea.  The  dry  outside  skins  of  onions, 
steeped  in  scalding  water  and  strained,  color  a  yellow  very 
much  hke  '  bird  of  paradise'  color.  Peach  leaves,  or 
bark  scraped  from  the  barberry  bush,  colors  a  common 
bright  yellow.  In  all  these  cases,  a  little  piece  of  alum  does 
no  harm,  and  may  help  to  fix  the  color.  Ribbons,  gauze 
handkerchiefs,  he.  are  colored  well  in  this  way,  especially 
if  they  be  stiffened  by  a  bit  of  gum-Arabic,  dropped  in 
while  the  stuff  is  steeping. 

The  purple  paper,  which  comes  on  loaf  sugar,  boiled  in 
cider,  or  vinegar,  with  a  small  bit  of  alum,  makes  a  fine 
purple  slate  color.     Done  in  iron. 

White  maple  bark  makes  a  good  light-brown  slate  color. 
This  should  be  boiled  in  water,  set  with  alum.  The  color 
is  reckoned  better  when  boiled  in  brass,  instead  of  iron. 

The  purple  slate  and  the  brown  slate  are  suitable  col- 
ors for  stockings ;  and  it  is  an  economical  plan,  after  they 
have  been  mended  and  cut  down,  so  that  they  will  no 
longer  look  decent,  to  color  old  stockings,  and  make  them 
up  for  children. 

A  pailful  of  lye,  with  a  piece  of  copperas  half  as  big  as  a 
hen's  egg  boiled  in  it,  will  color  a  fine  nankin  color,  which 
will  never  wash  out.  This  is  very  useful  for  the  finings  of 
bed-quilts,  comforters,  he.  Old  faded  gowns,  colored  in 
tliis  way,  may  be  made  into  good  petticoats.  Cheap  cot- 
ton cloth  may  be  colored  to  advantage  for  petticoats,  and 
pelisses  for  fittle  girls. 
4" 


10  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 

A  very  beautiful  nankin  color  may  likewise  be  obtained 
from  birch-bark,  set  with  alum.  The  bark  should  be  cov- 
ered with  water,  and  boiled  thoroughly  in  brass  or  tin.  A 
bit  of  alum  half  as  big  as  a  hen's  egg  is  sufFicient.  If  cop- 
peras be  used  instead  of  alum,  slate  color  will  be  produced. 

Tea-grounds  boiled  in  iron,  and  set  with  copperas,  make 
a  very  good  slate  color. 

Log- wood  and  cider,  in  iron,  set  with  copperas,  makes 
a  good  black.  Rusty  nails,  or  any  rusty  iron,  boiled  in 
vinegar,  with  a  small  bit  of  copperas,  makes  a  good  black, 
— black  ink-powder  done  in  tlie  same  way  answers  the 
same  purpose. 


MEAT  CORNED,  OR  SALTED,  HAMS,  he 

When  you  merely  v/ant  to  corn  meat,  you  have  nothuig 
io  do  but  to  rub  in  salt  plentifully,  and  let  it  set  in  the  cel- 
lar a  day  or  two.  If  you  have  provided  more  meat  than 
you  can  use  v/hile  it  is  good,  it  is  well  to  corn  it  in  season 
io  save  it.  In  sunimer,  it  will  not  keep  ^vell  more  than  a 
day  and  a  half;  if  you  are  compelled  to  keep  it  longer,  be 
sure  and  rub  in  more  salt,  and  keep  it  carefully  covered 
from  cellar-flies.  In  winter,  there  is  no  difficulty  in  keep- 
ing a  piece  of  corned  beef  a  fortnight  or  more.  Some 
people  corn  meat  by  throv/ing  it  into  their  beef  barrel  for 
a  fev/  days ;  but  this  method  does  not  make  it  so  sweet. 
A  little  salt-petre  rubbed  in  before  you  apply  the  com- 
mon salt,  makes  the  meat  tender;  but  in  summer  it  is  not 
well  to  use  it,  because  it  prevents  the  other  salt  from  im- 
pregnating ;  and  the  meat  does  not  keep  as  well. 

If  you  Vv  ish  to  salt  fat  pork,  scald  coarse  salt  in  water 
md  skim  it,  till  the  salt  v/ill  no  longer  melt  in  the  water. 
Pack  your  pork  down  in  tight  layers ;  salt  every  layer ; 
when  the  brine  is  cool,  cover  the  pork  with  it,  and  keep  a 
heavy  stone  on  the  top  to  keep  the  pork  under  brine. 
Look  to  it  once  in  a  while,  for  tlie  first  few  weeks,  and  if 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  "ll 

the  salt  has  all  melted,  tlirow  in  more.  Tliis  bnne,  scald- 
ed and  skimmed  every  time  it  is  used,  will  continue  good 
twenty  years.  The  rind  of  the  pork  should  be  packed  to- 
wards the  edge  of  the  barrel. 

It  is  good  economy  to  salt  your  own  beef  as  well  as 
pork.  Sis  pounds  of  coarse  salt,  eight  ounces  of  brown 
sugar,  a  pint  of  molasses,  and  eight  ounces  of  salt-petre, 
are  enough  to  boil  in  four  gallons  of  water.  Skim  it  clean 
wliile  boiling.  Put  it  to  the  beef  cold  ;  have  enough  to 
cover  it ;  and  be  careful  your  beef  never  floats  on  the  top. 
If  it  does  not  smell  perfectly  sweet,  throw  in  more  salt; 
if  a  scum  rises  upon  it,  scald  and  skim  it  again,  and  r'^ur 
it  on  the  beef  when  cold. 

Legs  of  mutton  are  very  good,  cured  in  the  same  way 
as  ham.  Six  pounds  of  salt,  eight  ounces  of  salt-petre, 
and  five  pints  of  molasses,  will  make  pickle  enough  for 
one  hundred  weight.  Small  legs  should  be  kept  in  pickle 
twelve  or  fifteen  days  ;  if  large,  four  or  five  Vv  eeks  are  not 
too  much.  They  should  be  hung  up  a  day  or  two  to  dry, 
before  they  are  smoked.  Lay  them  in  the  oven,  on  cross- 
ed sticks,  and  make  a  fii'e  at  tlie  entrance.  Cobs,  wal- 
nut-bark, or  walnut-chips,  are  the  best  to  use  for  smoking, 
on  account  of  the  sweet  taste  they  give  tlie  meat.  The 
smallest  pieces  should  be  smoked  forty-eight  hours,  and 
large  legs  four  or  five  days.  Some  people  prefer  the  mut- 
ton boiled  as  soon  as  it  is  taken  from  the  pickle,  before  it 
is  smoked  ;  others  hang  it  up  till  it  gets  dry  thoroughly,  and 
eat  it  In  tliin  slices,  like  hung  beef.  When  legs  of  meal 
are  put  in  pickle,  the  thickest  part  of  tlie  leg  should  bo 
placed  uppermost,  that  is,  standing  upright,  the  same  as 
the  creature  stood  when  living.  The  same  rule  should  be 
observed  when  they  are  hung  up  to  dry  ;  it  is  essential  in 
order  to  keep  in  the  juices  of  tlic  meat.  I\Ieat  should  be 
turned  over  once  or  twice  during  the  process  of  smoking. 

The  old-fashioned  way  for  curing  hams  is  to  rub  them 
with  salt  very  thoroughly,  and  let  litem  lay  twenty-four 
hours.  To  each  ham  allow  two  ounces  of  salt-petre,  one 
quart  of  common  salt  and  one  quart  of  molasses.  First 
baste  them  witli  molasses ;  next  rub  in  \hn.  anlt-nntre  :  and. 


12  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE, 

last  of  all,  the  common  salt.  They  must  be  carefully  turn- 
ed and  rubbed  every  day  for  six  weeks ;  then  hang  them 
in  a  chimney,  or  smoke-house,  four  weeks. 

Tliey  should  be  well  covered  up  in  paper  bags,  and  put 
in  a  chest,  or  barrel,  with  layers  of  ashes,  or  charcoal,  be- 
tween. When  you  take  out  a  ham  to  cut  for  use,  be  sure 
and  put  it  away  in  a  dark  place,  well  covered  up ;  espe- 
cially in  summer. 

Some  very  experienced  epicures  and  cooks,  think  the 
old-fashioned  way  of  preparing  bacon  is  troulilesome  and 
useless.  They  say  that  legs  of  pork  placed  upright  in  pic- 
kle, for  four  or  five  weeks,  are  just  as  nice  as  those  rubbed 
with  so  much  care.  The  pickle  for  pork  and  hung  beef, 
should  be  stronger  than  for  legs  of  mutton.  Eight 
pounds  of  salt,  ten  ounces  of  salt-petre  and  five  pints  of 
molasses  is  enough  for  one  hundred  weight  of  meat.;  wa- 
ter enough  to  cover  the  meat  well — probably,  four  or  five 
gallons.  Any  one  can  prepare  bacon,  or  dried  beef,  very 
easily,  in  a  common  oven,  according  to  the  above  direc- 
tions. The  same  pickle  that  answers  for  bacon  is  proper 
for  neat's  tongues.  Pigs'  tongues  are  very  nice,  prepared 
in  the  same  way  as  neat's  tongues ;  an  abundance  of  thera 
are  sold  for  rein-deer's  tongues,  and,  under  that  name,  con- 
sidered a  wonderful  luxury. 

Neat's  tongue  should  be  boiled  full  tln-ee  hours.  If  it 
nas  been  in  salt  long,  it  is  well  to  soak  it  over  night  in  cold 
water.  Put  it  in  to  boil  when  the  water  is  cold.  If  you 
boil  it  in  a  small  pot,  it  is  well  to  change  the  water,  when 
it  has  boiled  an  hour  and  a  half;  the  fresh  water  should 
boil  before  the  half-cooked  tongue  is  put  in  again.  It  is 
nicer  for  being  kept  in  a  cool  place  a  day  or  two  after  being 
boiled.  Nearly  the  same  rules  apply  to  salt  beef.  A  six 
pound  piece  of  corned  beef  should  boil  full  three  hours  ; 
and  salt  beef  should  be  boiled  four  hours. 

The  Salter  m.eat  is,  the  longer  It  should  be  boiled.  If 
very  salt,  it  is  well  to  put  it  in  soak  over  night ;  change  the 
water  while  cooking  ;  and  observe  the  same  rules  as  in 
boiling  tongue.  If  it  is  intended  to  be  eaten  when  cold,  it 
IS  a  good  plan  to  put  it  between  clean  boards,  andiDress  it 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  43 

down  with  hea%7  weights  for  a  day  or  two.  A  small  leg 
of  bacon  should  be  boiled  three  hours  ;  ten  pounds  four 
hours  ;  twelve  pounds  five  hours.  All  meat  should  boil 
moderately  ;  furious  boiling  injures  the  flavor. 

Buffalo's  tongue  should  soak  a  day  and  a  night,  and  boil 
as  much  as  six  hours. 


CHOICE  OF  MEAT. 


If  people  wish  to  be  economical,  they  should  take  some 
pains  to  ascertain  what  are  die  cheapest  pieces  of  meat  to 
buy ;  not  merely  those  which  are  cheapest  in  price,  but 
those  which  go  larthest  when  cooked.  That  part  of  mut- 
ton called  the  rack,  which  consists  of  the  neck,  and  a  few 
of  the  rib  bones  below,  is  cheap  food.  It  is  not  more  tlian 
four  or  five  cents  a  pound ;  and  four  pounds  will  make  a 
dinner  for  six  people.  The  neck,  cut  into  pieces,  and  boil- 
ed slowly  an  hour  and  a  quarter,  in  little  more  than  water 
enough  to  cover  it,  makes  very  nice  broth.  A  great 
spoonful  of  rice  should  be  washed  and  thrown  in  with  the 
meat.  About  tv/enty  minutes  before  it  is  done,  put  in  a 
little  thickening,  and  season  with  salt,  pepper,  and  silted 
summer-savory,  or  sage.  The  bones  below  the  neck, 
broiled,  make  a  good  mutton  chop.  If  your  family  be 
small,  a  rack  of  mutton  will  make  you  two  dinners, — broth 
once,  and  mutton  chop  with  a  few  slices  of  salt  pork,  for 
another  ;  if  your  family  consist  of  six  or  seven,  you  can 
have  two  dishes  for  a  dinner.  If  you  boil  the  whole  rack 
for  broth,  tliere  will  be  some  left  for  mmce  meat. 

Liver  is  usually  much  despised  ;  but  when  well  cooked, 
t  is  very  palatable  ;  and  it  is  the  cheapest  of  all  animal 
food.  Veal  liver  is  by  some  considered  the  best.  Veal 
liver  is  usually  two  cents  a  pound  ;  beef  liver  is  one  cent. 
After  you  have  fried  a  few  slices  of  salt  pork,  put  the  liver 
in  while  the  fat  is  very  hot,  and  cook  it  through  thorough- 


44  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 

ly.  If  you  doubt  whether  it  be  done,  cut  into  a  slice,  and 
see  whether  it  has  turned  entirely  brown,  without  any  red 
stripe  in  the  middle.  Season  it  with  pepper  and  salt,  and 
butter,  if  you  live  on  a  farin,  and  have  butter  in  plenty. 
It  should  not  be  cooked  on  furiously  hot  coals,  as  it  is  very 
apt  to  scorch.  Sprinkle  in  a  litde  flour,  stir  it,  and  pour 
in  boiling  water  to  make  gra\y,  just  as  you  would  for  iried 
meat.  Some  think  liver  is  better  dipped  in  sifted  Indian 
meal  before  it  is  fried.  It  is  good  broiled  and  buttered 
like  a  steak.  It  should  be  cut  into  slices  about  as  thick  as 
are  cut  for  steaks. 

The  heart,  liver,  Sec.  of  a  pig  is  good  fried  ;  so  is  that  of 
a  lamb.  The  latter  is  commonly  called  lamb-fry;  and  a 
dinner  may  be  bought  for  six  or  eight  cents.  Be  sure  and 
ask  for  the  sweet-bread  ;  for  butchers  are  extremely  apt  to 
reserve  it  for  their  own  use ;  and  therefore  lamb-fry  is  al 
most  always  sold  without  it.  Fry  five  or  six  slices  of  salt 
pork  ;  after  it  is  taken  out,  put  in  your  lamb-fry  while  the 
fat  is  hot.  Do  it  thoroughly  ;  but  be  careful  the  fire  is  not 
too  furious,  as  it  is  apt  to  scorch.  Take  a  large  handful  of 
parsley,  see  that  it  is  washed  clean,  cut  it  up  pretty  fine ; 
then  pour  a  little  boiling  water  into  the  fat  in  which  your 
dinner  has  been  fried,  and  let  the  parsley  cook  in  it  a  min- 
ute or  two  ;  then  take  it  out  in  a  spoon,  and  lay  it  over 
your  slices  of  meat.  Some  people,  who  like  thick  gravies, 
shake  in  a  little  flour  into  the  spider,  before  pouring  in  the 
boiling  water. 

Bones  from  which  roasting  pieces  have  been  cut,  may 
be  bought  in  the  market  for  ten  or  twelve  cents,  from  which 
a  very  rich  soup  may  be  made,  besides  skimming  off  fat 
for  shortening.  If  the  bones  left  from  tlie  rump  be  bought, 
they  will  be  found  full  of  marrow,  and  will  give  more  than  a 
pint  of  good  shortening,  without  injuring  the  richness  of  the 
soup.  The  richest  piece  of  beef  for  a  soup  is  the  leg  and 
the  shin  of  beef ;  the  leg  is  on  the  hind  quarter,  and  the  shin 
is  cm  the  fore  quarter.  The  leg  rand,  that  is,  the  thick 
part  of  the  leg  above  the  bony  parts,  is  very  nice  for  mince 
pies.  Some  people  have  an  objection  to  these  parts  ol 
beef,  thinking  they  must  be  stringy ;  but,  if  boiled  very  ten' 


THE    FRUGAL    UOUSEWIFE.  45 

der^  the  sinews  are  not  perceived,  and  add,  in  fact,  to  tins 
richness  of  a  soup. 

Tlie  iliick  part  of  a  thin  flank  is  the  most  profitable 
part  in  the  whole  ox  to  buy.  It  is  not  so  handsome  in  ap- 
pearance as  some  other  pieces,  but  it  is  thick  meat,  W'ith 
very  little  bone,  and  is  usually  two  cents  less  in  the  pound 
man  more  fasliionable  pieces.  It  is  good  for  roasting,  and 
particularly  for  corning  and  salting.  The  navel  end  of 
the  brisket  is  one  of  the  best  pieces  for  salting  or  corning, 
and  is  very  good  for  roasting. 

The  rattle  rand  is  the  very  best  piece  for  corning,  or 
salting. 

A  bullock's  heart  is  very  profitable  to  use  as  a  steak 
Broiled  just  hkc  beef.  There  are  usually  five  pounds  in  a 
heart,  and  it  can  be  bought  for  twenty-five  cents.  Some 
people  stuff  and  roast  it. 

The  chuck,  between  the  neck  and  the  shoulder,  is  a  very 
good  piece  for  roasting, — for  steaks,  or  for  salting.  In- 
deed, it  is  good  for  almost  anything;  and  it  is  cheap,  be- 
ing from  four  to  five  cents  a  pound. 

The  richest,  tenderest,  and  most  delicate  piece  of  beef 
for  roasting,  or  for  steak,  is  the  rump  and  the  last  cut  of  the 
sirloin.  It  is  peculiarly  appropriate  for  an  invalid,  as  it  is 
lighter  food  than  any  oilier  beef. 

But  if  economy  be  consulted  instead  of  luxury,  the 
round  will  be  bought  in  preference  to  the  rump.  It  is 
lieartier  food,  and,  of  course,  less  can  be  eaten  ;  and  it  is 
cheaper  in  price. 

The  shoulder  of  veal  is  the  most  economical  for  roast- 
ing or  boiling.  It  is  always  cheap,  let  veal  bear  what  price 
i*.  may.  Two  dinners  may  be  made  from  it;  the  shoulder 
roasted,  and  the  knuckle  cut  off  to  be  boiled  witli  a  bit  of 
pork  and  greens,  or  to  be  made  into  soup. 

The  breast  of  veal  is  a  favorite  piece,  and  is  sold  high. 

The  hind-quarter  of  veal  and  the  loin  make  two  good 
roasting  pieces.  The  leg  is  usually  stuffed.  Tlie  line 
has  the  kidney  upon  it ;  the  fore-quarter  has  the  brisket  on 
it.  This  is  a  sweet  and  delicate  morsel ;  for  this  reason 
some  people  prefer  the  fore-quarter  to  nn"  ot'.o-  nnpj_ 


46  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 

Always  buy  a  shoulder  of  pork  for  economy,  for  roast- 
ing, or  corning  to  boil.  Cut  off  the  Jeg  to  be  boiled 
IMany  people  buy  the  upper  part  of  the  spare-rib  of  pork, 
thinking  it  the  most  genteel ;  but  the  lower  part  of  the 
spare-rib  toward  the  neck  is  much  more  sweet  and  juicy, 
and  there  is  more  meat  in  proportion  to  the  bone. 

The  breast,  or  shoulder,  of  mutton  are  both  nice,  either 
for  roasting,  boiling  or  broth.  Tiie  breast  is  richer  than 
tlie  shoulder.  It  is  m.ore  economical  to  buy  a  fore-quar- 
ter of  mutton  than  a  hind-quarter ;  there  is  usually  two 
cents  difference  per  pound.  The  neck  of  fat  mutton 
makes  a  good  steak  for  broiling. 

Lamb  brings  the  same  price,  either  fore-quarter  or 
hind-quarter ;  therefore  it  is  more  profitable  to  buy  a  hind- 
quarter  than  a  fore-quarter  ;  especially  as  its  own  fat  wiJl 
cook  it,  and  there  is  no  need  of  pork  or  butter  in  addition. 
Either  part  is  good  for  roasting  or  boiling.  The  loin  of 
lamb  is  suitable  for  roasting,  and  is  the  most  profitable  for 
a  small  family.  The  leg  is  more  suitable  for  boiling  than 
for  anything  else  ;  tlie  shoulder  and  breast  are  pecuUarly 
suitable  for  broth. 

The  part  that  in  lamb  is  called  the  loin,  in  mutton  is 
called  the  chop.  Mutton  chop  is  considered  very  good 
for  broiling. 

Pig's  head  is  a  profitable  tiling  to  buy.  It  is  despised, 
because  it  is  cheap  ;  but  when  well  cooked  it  is  delicious. 
Well  cleaned,  the  tip  of  the  snout  chopped  off,  and  put  in 
brine  a  week,  it  is  very  good  for  boiling :  the  cheeks,  in 
particular,  are  very  sweet ;  they  are  better  than  any  other 
pieces  of  pork  to  bake  with  beans.  The  head  is  Hkev/ise 
very  good  baked  about  an  hour  and  a  half.  It  tastes  like 
roast  pork,  and  yields  abundance  of  sweet  fat,  for  short- 
ening. 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  47 


COMMON  COOKING. 

It  is  necessary  to  be  very  careful  of  fresh  meat  in  the 
summer  season.  The  moment  it  is  brought  into  the  house, 
it  should  be  carefully  covered  from  the  flies,  and  put  in 
the  coldest  place  in  the  cellar.  If  it  consist  of  pieces, 
they  should  be  spread  out  separate  from  each  other,  on  a 
large  dish,  and  covered.  If  you  are  not  to  cook  it  soon,  it 
IS  well  to  sprinkle  salt  on  it.  The  kidney,  and  fat  flabby 
parts,  should  be  raised  up  above  the  lean,  by  a  skewer,  or 
stick,  and  a  httle  salt  strewn  in.  If  you  have  to  keep  it 
over  night,  it  should  be  looked  to  the  last  thing  when  you 
go  to  bed  ;  and  if  there  is  danger,  it  should  be  scalded. 

VEAL. 

Veal  should  boil  about  an  hour,  if  a  neck-piece ;  if  the 
meat  comes  from  a  thicker,  more  solid  part,  it  should  boil 
longer.  No  directions  about  these  things  will  supply  the 
place  of  judgment  and  experience.  Both  mutton  and 
veal  are  better  for  being  boiled  with  a  small  piece  of  salt 
pork.     Veal  broth  is  ve-y  good. 

Veal  soup  should  be  slowly  stewed  for  two  hours.  Sea- 
soned the  same  as  above.  Some  people  like  a  little  sift- 
ed summer-savory. 

Six  or  seven  pounds  of  veal  will  roast  in  an  hour  and  a 
half. 

Fried  veal  is  better  for  being  dipped  in  white  of  egg, 
and  rolled  in  nicely  pounded  crumbs  of  bread,  before  it  is 
cooked.     One  egg  is  enough  for  a  common  dinner. 

calf's  head. 

Calfs  head  should  be  cleansed  with  very  great  care  ; 
particularly  the  lights.  The  head,  the  heart,  and  the  lights 
should  boil  full  two  hours ;  the  liver  should  be  boiled  only 
one  hour.     It  is  better  to  leave  the  wind-pipe  on,  for  if  it 


48  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 

hangs  out  of  the  pot  while  the  head  is  cooking,  all  tlie 
froth  will  escape  through  it.  The  brains,  after  being 
thoroughly  \vashed,  should  be  put  in  a  little  bag,  with  one 
pounded  cracker,  or  as  much  crumbled  bread,  seasoned 
with  sifted  sage,  and  tied  up  and  boiled  one  hour.  After 
the  brains  are  boiled,  they  should  be  well  broken  up  with 
a  knife,  and  peppered,  salted,  and  buttered.  They  should 
be  put  upon  the  table  in  a  bov.l  by  themselves.  Boiling 
■water,  thickened  with  flour  and  water,  widi  butter  melted 
in  it,  is  the  proper  sauce  5  some  people  love  vinegar  and 
pepper  mixed  with  the  melted  butter  ;  but  all  are  not  fond 
of  it ;  and  it  is  easy  for  each  one  to  add  it  for  themselves. 

BEEF. 

Beef  soup  should  be  stewed  four  hours  over  a  slow 
fire.  Just  water  enough  to  keep  the  meat  covered.  If 
you  have  any  bones  left  of  roast  meat,  he.  it  is  a  good 
plan  to  boil  them  with  the  meat,  and  take  them  out  half  an 
hour  before  the  soup  is  done.  A  pint  of  flour  and  water, 
with  salt,  pepper,  twelve  or  sixteen  onions,  should  be  put 
m  twenty  minutes  before  the  soup  is  done.  Be  careful 
and  not  throw  in  salt  and  pepper  too  plentifully  ;  it  is  easy 
to  add  to  it,  and  not  easy  to  diminish.  A  lemon,  cut  up 
r.nd  put  in  half  an  hour  before  it  is  done,  adds  to  the  flavor. 
If  you  have  tomato  catsup  in  the  house,  a  cupful  will 
make  soup  rich.  Some  people  put  in  crackers ;  some 
thin  slices  of  crust,  made  nearly  as  short  as  common  short- 
cake ',  and  some  stir  up  two  or  three  eggs  with  milk  and 
flour,  and  drop  it  in  with  a  spoon. 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  to  each  pound  of  beef  is  consider- 
ed a  good  rule  for  roasting  ;  but  this  is  too  much  when 
the  bone  is  large,  and  the  meat  thin.  Six  pounds  of  the 
rump  should  roast  six  quarters  of  an  hour ;  but  bony  pieces 
less      It  should  be  done  before  a  quick  fire. 

The  quicker  beef-steak  can  be  broiled  the  better.  Sea^ 
soned  after  it  is  taken  from  the  gridiron. 


THE    FIIUGAL    hoCSEWIFE.  49 


ALAMODE    BEEF. 

Tie  up  a  round  of  beef  so  as  to  keep  it  in  shape  ;  make 
a  stuffing  of  grated  bread,  suet,  sweet  herbs,  quarter  of  an 
ounce  of  nutmeg,  a  few  cloves  pounded,  yolk  of  an  egg. 
Cut  holes  in  the, beef,  and  put  in  the  stuffing,  leaving  about 
half  the  stuffing  to  be  made  into  balls.  Tie  the  beef 
up  in  a  cloth,  just  cover  it  with  water,  let  it  boil  an  hour 
and  a  half;  then  turn  it,  and  let  it  boil  an  hour  and  a  half 
more  ;  then  turn  out  tlie  liquor,  and  put  some  skewers 
across  the  bottom  of  the  pot,  and  lay  the  beef  upon  it,  to 
bro\vn  ;  turn  it  that  it  may  brown  on  both  sides.  Put  r- 
pint  of  claret,  and  some  allspice  and  cloves,  into  the  liquor, 
and  boil  some  balls  made  of  the  stuffing  in  it. 

MUTTON    AND    LAMB. 

Six  or  seven  pounds  of  mutton  will  roast  in  aa  hour 
and  a  half.  Lamb  one  hour.  i\Iutton  is  apt  to  taste 
strong  ;  this  may  be  helped  by  soaking  the  meat  in  a  lit- 
tle salt  and  water,  for  an  hour  before  cooking.  However, 
unless  meat  is  very  sweet,  it  is  best  to  corn  it,  and  boil  it. 

Fresh  meat  should  never  be  put  in  to  cook  till  the  wa- 
ter boils  ;  and  it  should  be  boiled  in  as  little  water  as  pos- 
sible ;  otherwise  the  flavor  is  injured.  IMutton  enough  for 
a  family  of  five  or  six  should  boil  an  hour  and  a  half.  A 
leg  of  lamb  should  boil  an  hour,  or  little  more  than  an 
hour,  perhaps.  Put  a  little  thickening  into  boiling  water ; 
strain  it  nicely ;  and  put  sweet  butter  in  it  for  sauce.  If 
your  family  like  broth,  tlirow  in  some  clear  rice  when  you 
put  in  the  meat.  The  rice  should  be  in  proportion  to  the 
quantity  of  broth  you  mean  to  make.  A  large  table  spoon- 
ful is  enough  for  three  pints  of  water.  Seasoned  with  a 
very  little  pepper  and  salt.  Summer-savory,  or  sage,  rub- 
Ded  tlirough  a  sieve,  thrown  in. 

PORK. 

Fresh  pork  should  be  cooked  more  than  any  other  meat. 
A  thick  shoulder  piece  should  be  roasted  fiJl  two  hours 


50'  THE    FKUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 

and  a  half;  and  other  pieces  less  in  proportion.  The  slight 
sickness  occasioned  by  eating  roasted  pork  may  be  pre- 
vented by  soaking  it  in  salt  and  water  the  night  before  you 
cook  it.  If  called  to  prepare  it  on  short  notice,  it  will  an- 
swer to  baste  it  with  weak  brine  while  roasting  ;  and  then 
turn  the  brine  off,  and  throw  it  away. 


ROAST    PIG. 

Strew  fine  salt  over  it  an  hour  before  it  is  put  down.  It 
should  not  be  cut  entirely  open ;  fill  it  up  plump  with 
thick  slices  of  buttered  bread,  salt,  sweet-marjoram  and 
sage.  Spit  it  with  the  head  next  the  point  of  the  spit ; 
take  off  the  joints  of  the  leg,  and  boil  them  with  the  hver, 
with  a  little  whole  pepper,  allspice,  and  salt,  for  gravy 
sauce.  The  upper  part  of  the  legs  must  be  braced  down 
with  skewers.  Shake  on  flour.  Put  a  litUe  water  in  the 
dripping-pan,  and  stir  it  often.  When  the  eyes  drop  out, 
the  pig  is  half  done.  When  it  is  nearly  done,  baste  it  with 
butter.  Cut  off  the  head,  split  it  open  between  the  eyes. 
Take  out  the  brains,  and  chop  them  fine  with  the  liver 
and  some  sweet-marjoram  and  sage  ;  put  this  into  melted 
butter,  and  when  it  has  boiled  a  few  minutes,  add  it  to 
tlie  gravy  in  the  dripping-pan.  When  your  pig  is  cut 
open,  lay  it  with  the  back  to  the  edge  of  the  dish  ;  half  a 
bead  to  be  placed  at  each  end.  A  good  sized  pig  needs 
to  be  roasted  three  hours. 

SAUSAGES. 

Three  tea-spoons  of  powdered  sage,  one  and  a  half  ol 
salt,  and  one  of  pepper,  to  a  pound  of  meat,  is  good  season- 
ing for  sausages. 

MINCE    MEAT. 

There  is  a  great  difference  in  preparing  mince  meat. 
Some  make  it  a  coarse,  unsavory  dish ;  and  others  make 
It  nice  and  palatable.  No  economical  house-keeper  will 
despise  it ;  for  broken  bits  of  meat  and  vegetables  cannot 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  51 

SO  well  be  disposed  of  in  any  other  way.  If  you  wish  to 
have  it  nice,  mash  3-our  vegetables  fine,  and  chop  your 
meat  very  fine.  Warm  it  with  what  remains  of  sweet  gra- 
vy, or  roast-meat  drippings,  you  may  happen  to  have 
Two  or  three  apples,  pared,  cored,  sliced,  and  fried,  to  mix 
with  it,  is  an  improvement.  Some  like  a  little  sifted  sage 
sprinkled  in. 

It  is  generally  considered  nicer  to  chop  your  meat  fine, 
warm  it  in  gravy,  season  it,  and  lay  it  upon  a  large  slice 
of  toasted  bread  to  he  brought  upon  the  table  without  being 
mixed  with  potatoes  ;  but  if  you  have  cold  vegetables,  use 
them. 

BEANS    AND    PEAS. 

Baked  beans  are  a  very  simple  dish,  yet  few  cook  them 
well.  They  should  be  put  in  cold  water,  and  hung  over  the 
fire,  the  night  before  they  are  baked.  In  the  morning,  they 
should  be  put  in  a  colander,  and  rinsed  two  or  three 
times ;  then  again  placed  in  a  kettle,  with  the  pork  you 
intend  to  bake,  covered  with  water,  and  kept  scalding  hot. 
m  hour  or  more.  A  pound  of  pork  is  quite  enough  for  a 
quart  of  beans,  and  that  is  a  large  dinner  for  a  common  fam- 
ily. The  rind  of  tlie  pork  should  be  slashed.  Pieces  of 
pork  alternately  fat  and  lean,  are  the  most  suitable  ;  tlie 
cheeks  are  the  best.  A  little  pepper  sprinkled  among  the 
beans,  when  they  are  placed  in  the  bean-pot,  will  render 
them  less  unhealthy.  They  should  be  just  covered  with 
water,  when  put  into  the  oven  ;  and  the  pork  should  be 
sunk  a  little  below  the  surface  of  the  beans.  Bake  three 
or  four  hours. 

Stewed  beans  are  prepared  in  the  same  way.  The  on- 
ly difference  is,  they  are  not  taken  out  of  the  scalding  wa- 
ter, hut  are  allowed  to  stew  in  more  water,  with  a  piece 
of  pork  and  a  little  pepper,  three  hours  or  more. 

Dried  peas  need  not  be  soaked  over  night.  They  should 
be  stewed  slowly  four  or  five  hours  in  considerable  water, 
with  a  piece  of  pork.  The  older  beans  and  peas  are,  the 
longer  they  should  cook.  Indeed,  this  is  the  case  with  all 
vegetables. 

5* 


52  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 


SOUSE. 


Pigs'  feet,  ears,  he,  should  be  cleaned  after  being  soak- 
ed in  water  not  very  hot ;  the  hoofs  will  then  come  off 
easily  with  a  sharp  knife  j  the  hard,  rough  places  should  be 
cut  off;  they  should  be  thoroughly  singed,  and  then  boil- 
ed as  much  as  four  or  five  hours,  until  they  are  too  tender 
to  be  taken  out  with  a  fork.  When  taken  from  the  boil- 
ing water,  it  should  be  put  into  cold  water.  After  it  i? 
packed  down  tight,  boil  the  jelly-like  liquor  in  which  it  was 
cooked  v/ith  an  equal  quantity  of  vinegar  ;  salt  as  you  think 
fit,  and  cloves,  allspice,  and  cinnamon,  at  the  rate  of  a  quar- 
ter of  a  pound  to  one  hundred  weight :  to  be  poured  on 
scalding  hot. 

TRIPE. 

^ 
Tripe  should  be  kept  in  cold  water,  or  it  will  become 
too  dry  for  cooking.  The  water  in  which  it  is  kept  should 
be  changed  more  or  less  frequently,  according  to  the 
warmth  of  the  weather.  Broiled  like  a  steak,  buttered, 
peppered,  &lc.     Some  people  like  it  prepared  like  souse. 

GRAVY. 

JSIost  people  put  a  half  a  pint  of  flour  and  water  mto 
theii-  tin-kitchen,  when  they  set  meat  down  to  roast.  This 
does  very  well ;  but  gravy  is  better  flavored,  and  looks 
darker,  to  shake  flour  and  salt  upon  tlie  meat ;  let  it  brown 
thoroughly,  put  flour  and  salt  on  again,  and  then  baste  the 
meat  with  about  half  a  pint  of  hot  water  (or  more,  accord- 
ing to  the  gravy  you  want.)  When  the  meat  is  about 
done,  pour  these  drippings  into  a  skillet,  and  let  it  boil.  If 
it  is  not  thick  enough,  shake  in  a  little  flour  ;  but  be  sure 
to  let  it  boil,  and  be  well  stirred,  after  the  flour  is  in.  If 
'  you  fear  it  will  be  too  greasy,  take  off  a  cupful  of  the  fat 
before  you  boil.  The  fat  of  beef,  pork,  turkeys  and  geese 
is  as  good  for  shortening  as  lard.  Salt  grav}'  to  your  taste. 
If  you  are  very  particular  about  dark  gravies,  keep  your 
dredging-box  full  of  scorched  flour  for  that  purpose. 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  63 


POULTRY. 

There  are  various  ways  of  deciding  about  tlie  age  of 
poultry. 

If  tlie  bottom  of  the  breast  bone,  which  extends  down 
between  tlie  legs,  is  soft,  and  gives  easUy,  it  is  a  sign  of  youth ; 
]i'  stiff,  the  pouhry  is  old. 

If  young,  the  legs  are  lighter,  and  the  feet  do  not  look 
so  hard,  stiff,  and  worn. 

There  is  more  deception  in  geese  than  in  any  other  kind 
of  poultry.  The  above  remarks  are  applied  to  them ; 
but  there  are  other  signs  more  infallible.  In  a  young  goose, 
tlie  cavit}'  under  the  wings  is  very  tender ;  it  is  a  bad  sign 
if  you  cannot,  \\'ith  very  little  trouble,  push  your  finger 
directly  into  the  flesh.  There  is  another  means  by  which 
you  may  decide  whether  a  goose  be  tender,  if  it  be  frozen 
or  not.  Pass  the  head  of  a  pin  along  the  breast,  or  sides, 
and  if  tlie  goose  be  young,  the  skin  will  rip,  hke  fine  paper 
under  a  knife. 

Something  may  be  judged  concerning  the  age  of  a  goose 
by  the  thickness  of  the  web  between  the  toes.  When 
young,  this  is  tender  and  transparent ;  it  grows  coarser 
and  harder  with  time. 

In  broiling  chickens,  it  is  difficult  to  do  the  inside  of  the 
thickest  pieces  witliout  scorching  the  outside.  It  is  a  good 
plan  to  parboil  them  about  ten  minutes  in  a  spider  or  skillet, 
covered  close  to  keep  the  steam  in ;  tlien  put  them  upon 
the  gridiron,  broil  and  butter.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  cover 
tliem  with  a  plate,  while  on  the  gridiron.  They  may  be 
basted  \\ith  a  very  little  of  the  water  in  which  they  were 
broiled  ;  and  if  you  have  company  who  like  mehed  butter 
to  pour  upon  the  chicken,  the  remainder  of  the  liquor  will 
be  good  use  for  that  purpose. 

An  hour  is  enough  for  common  sized  chickens  to  roast. 
A  smart  fire  is  better  than  a  slow  one  ;  but  they  must  be 
tended  closely.  Slices  of  bread,  buttered,  salted,  and 
peppered,  put  into  the  stomacli  (not  the  crop)  are  excel- 
lent. 

Chickens  should  boil  about  an  hour.     If  old,  they  shoul(  I 


54  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE 

boil  longer.     In  as  little  water  as  will  cook  them.     Chick* 
en-broth  made  like  mutton-brotli. 


FRICASSEED    CHICKEN,    BROWN 

Singe  the  chickens ;  cut  them  in  pieces ;  pepper,  salt, 
and  flour  them  ;  fry  them  in  fresh  butter,  till  they  are  very 
brown  :  take  the  chickens  out,  and  iTiake  a  good  gravy,  in- 
to which  put  sweet  herbs  (marjoram  or  sage)  according  to 
your  taste  ;  if  necessary,  add  pepper  and  salt ;  butter  and 
flour  must  be  used  in  making  the  gravy,  in  such  quantities 
as  to  suit  yourself  for  thickness  and  richness.  After  this  is 
all  prepared,  the  chicken  must  be  stewed  in  it,  for  half  an 
hour,  closely  covered.  A  pint  of  gravy  is  about  enough 
for  two  chickens ;  I  should  think  a  piece  of  butter  about 
as  big  as  a  walnut,  and  a  table-spoonful  of  flour,  would  be 
enough  for  the  grav}^  The  herbs  should,  of  course,  be 
pounded  and  sifted.  Some,  who  love  onions,  slice  two  or 
three,  and  brown  them  with  the  chicken.  Some  slice  a 
half  lemon,  and  stew  witli  the  chicken.  Some  add  toma- 
toes catsup. 

FRICASSEED    CHICKEN,  WHITE. 

The  chickens  are  cut  to  pieces,  and  covered  with  warm 
water,  to  draw  out  the  blood.  Then  put  into  a  stew-pan, 
with  three  quarters  of  a  pint  of  water,  or  veal  broth,  salt, 
pepper,  flour,  butter,  mace,  sweet  herbs  pounded  and  sift- 
ed ;  boil  it  half  an  hour.  If  it  is  too  fat,  skim  it  a  little. 
Just  before  it  is  done,  mix  the  yolk  of  two  eggs  with  a 
gill  of  cream,  grate  in  a  little  nutmeg,  stir  it  up  till  it  i? 
thick  and  smooth,  squeeze  in  half  a  lemon.  If  you  like 
onions,  stew  some  slices  with  the  other  ingredients. 


TO    CURRY    FOWL. 

'\  Fry  out  two  or  three  slices  of  salt  pork  ;  cut  the  chick- 
en in  pieces,  and  lay  it  in  the  stew-pan  witli  one  sliced 
onion ;  when  the  fowl  is  tender,  take  it  out,  and  put  in 
thickening  into  the  liquor,  one  spoonful  of  flour,  and  one 
spoonful  of  curry-powder,  well  stirred  up  in  water.     Then 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  55 

lay  the  chicken  in  again,  and  let  it  boil  up  a  few  minutes 
A  half  a  pint  of  liquor  is  enough  for  one  chicken.     About 
half  an  hour's  stewing  is  necessary.     The  juice  of  half  a 
lemon  improves  It ;  and  some  like  a  spoonful  of  tomatoes 
catsup. 

CHICKEN    BROTH. 

Cut  a  chicken  in  quarters  ;  put  it  into  three  or  four  quarts 
of  water ;  put  in  a  cup  of  rice  while  the  water  is  cold  ; 
season  It  uith  pepper  and  salt ;  some  use  nutmeg.  Let  h 
stew  gently,  until  the  chicken  falls  apart.  A  Ihtle  parsley, 
shred  fine,  is  an  improvement.  Some  slice  up  a  small 
onion  and  stew  witli  it.  A  few  pieces  of  cracker  may  be 
thrown  in  if  you  like. 

A  common  sized  goose  should  roast  full  three  quarterb 
of  an  hour.  The  oil  that  drips  from  it  should  be  nearly 
all  turned  off;  it  makes  the  gravy  too  greasy ;  and  it  is 
nice  for  sliortening.  It  should  first  b.-  turned  into  cold 
water  ;  when  hardened,  it  should  b**  •*  ^en  off  and  scald 
ed  in  a  skillet.     This  process  leaves  it  as  sweet  as  lard. 

Ducks  do  not  need  to  be  roasted  more  than  fifteen  or 
twenty  minutes.  Butter  melted  in  boiling  flour  and  water 
is  proper  sauce  for  boiled  lamb,  mutton,  veal,  turkeys, 
geese,  chickens,  and  fish.  Some  people  cut  up  parsley 
fine,  and  throw  in.  Some  people  like  capers  put  in 
Others  heat  oysters  through  on  the  gridiron,  and  take 
them  out  of  the  shells,  and  throw  tliem  into  tlie  butter. 

A  good  sized  turkey  should  be  roasted  two  hours  and  a 
half,  or  three  hours ;  very  slowly  at  first.  If  you  wish  to 
make  plain  stuffing,  pound  a  cracker,  or  crumble  some 
oread  very  fine,  chop  some  raw  salt  pork  very  fine,  sift 
some  sage,  (and  summer-savory,  or  sweet-marjoram,  if 
you  have  them  in  the  house,  and  fancy  them,)  and  mould 
them  all  together,  seasoned  with  a  litUe  pepper.  An  egg 
worked  in  makes  the  stuffing  cut  better  ;  but  it  is  not  wortPj 
while  when  eggs  are  dear.  About  the  same  length  of  time 
js  required  for  boiling  and  roasting. 


56  TUE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 

Pigeons  may  be  either  roasted,  potted  or  stewed.  Por- 
ting is  the  best,  and  the  least  trouble.  After  they  are 
thoroughly  picked  and  cleaned,  put  a  small  slice  of  sail 
pork,  and  a  little  ball  of  stuffing,  into  the  body  of  ever^ 
pigeon.  The  stuffing  should  be  made  of  one  egg  to  one 
cracker,  an  equal  quantity  of  suet,  or  butter,  seasoned  with 
sweet-marjoram,  or  sage,  if  marjoram  cannot  be  procured. 
Flour  the  pigeons  well,  lay  them  close  together  in  the  bot 
torn  of  the  pot,  just  cover  them  with  water,  tin-ow  in  a  bit 
of  butter,  and  let  them  stew  an  hour  and  a  quarter  if  young  ; 
ftn  hour  and  three  quarters  if  old.  Some  people  turn  off 
ihe  liquor  just  before  they  are  done,  and  brown  the  pigeons 
on  the  bottom  of  the  pot ;  but  tliis  is  very  troublesome,  as 
mey  are  apt  to  break  to  pieces. 

Stewed  pigeons  are  cooked  in  nearly  the  same  way 
with  the  omission  of  the  stuffing.  Being  dry  meat,  they 
require  a  good  deal  of  butter. 

Pigeons  should  be  stuffed  and  roasted  about  fifteen 
minutes  before  a  smart  fire.  Those  who  like  birds  just 
warmed  through,  would  perhaps  think  less  time  necessa- 
ry. It  makes  them  nicer  to  butter  them  well  just  before 
you  take  them  off  the  spit,  and  sprinkle  tliem  witli  nicely 
pounded  bread,  or  cracker.  All  poi^try  should  be  basted 
and  floured  a  few  minutes  before  it  is  taken  up. 

The  age  of  pigeons  can  be  judged  by  the  color  of  the 
legs.  When  young,  they  are  of  a  pale  delicate  brown  ;  as 
tliey  grow  older,  the  color  is  deeper  and  redder. 

A  nice  way  of  serving  up  cold  chicken,  or  pieces  of 
cold  fresh  meat,  is  to  make  them  into  a  meat  pie.  The 
gizzards,  livers,  and  necks  of  poultry,  parboiled,  are  good 
for  tlie  same  purpose.  If  you  wish  to  bake  your  meat  pie, 
line  a  deep  earthen  or  tin  pan  with  paste  made  of  fiour^ 
cold  water,  and  lard ;  use  but  little  lard,  for  the  fat  of  the 
meat  will  shorten  the  crust.  Lay  in  your  bits  of  meat,  or 
chicken,  with  two  or  three  slices  of  salt  pork  ;  place  a  few 
thin  slices  of  your  paste  here  and  there  ;  drop  in  an  egg  or 
two,  if  you  have  plenty.  Fill  the  pan  with  flour  and  water, 
seasoned  with  a  little  pepper  and  salt.  If  the  meat  be 
very  lean,  put  in  a  piece  of  butter,  or  such  sweet  gravies  as 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  57 

you  may  happen  to  have.  Cover  the  top  with  crust,  and 
put  it  in  the  oven,  or  bake-kettle,  to  cook  half  an  hour,  or  an 
hour,  according  to  the  size  of  the  pie.  Some  people  think 
lliis  the  nicest  way  of  cooking  fresh  chickens.  When  thus 
cooked,  they  should  be  parboiled  before  they  are  put  into 
tlie  pan,  and  the  water  they  are  boiled  in  should  be  added, 
A  chicken  pie  needs  to  be  cooked  an  hour  and  a  half,  if 
parboiled  ;  two  hours,  if  not. 

If  you  wish  to  make  a  pot  pie  instead  of  a  baked  pie, 
you  have  only  to  Hne  tlie  bottom  of  a  porridge  pot  with 
paste,  lay  in  your  meat,  season  and  moisten  it  in  the  same 
way,  cover  it  with  paste,  and  keep  it  slowly  stewing  about 
the  same  time  that  the  other  takes.  In  both  cases,  it  is 
well  to  lift  the  upper  crust,  a  little  while  before  you  take  up 
the  pie,  and  see  whether  tlie  moisture  has  dried  away ;  if 
so,  pour  in  flour  and  water  well  mixed,  and  let  it  boil  up. 

Potatoes  should  be  boiled  in  a  separate  vessel. 

If  you  have  fear  that  poultry  may  become  musty  before 
you  want  to  cook  it,  skin  an  onion,  and  put  in  it ;  a  little 
pepper  sprinkled  in  is  good  ;  it  should  be  kept  hung  up, 
in  a  dry,  cool  place. 

If  poultry  is  injured  before  you  are  aware  of  it,  wash 
it  very  thoroughly  in  pearlash  and  water,  and  sprinkle  pep- 
per inside  when  you  cook  it.  Some  people  hang  up  poul- 
try with  a  muslin  bag  of  charcoal  inside.  It  is  a  good  plan 
to  singe  injured  poultry  over  lighted  charcoal,  and  to  hold  a 
piece  of  hghted  charcoal  inside,  a  few  minutes. 

Many  people  parboil  the  liver  and  gizzard,  and  cut  it  up 
very  fine,  to  be  put  into  the  gravy,  while  the  fowls  are 
cooking  ;  in  diis  case,  the  water  they  are  boiled  in  should 
be  used  to  make  the  gravy. 

FISH. 

Cod  has  wliite  stripes,  and  a  haddock  black  stripes  ;  they 
hiay  be  known  apart  by  this.  Haddock  is  the  best  for  fry- 
ing ;  and  cod  is  the  best  for  boiling,  or  for  a  chowder.  A 
thin  tail  is  a  sign  of  a  poor  fish  ;  alv/ays  choi^se  a  tliick 
fish. 


58  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 

When  you  are  buying  mackerel,  pinch  the  belly  to  as- 
certain whether  it  is  good.  If  it  gives  under  your  finger, 
like  a  bladder  half  filled  with  wind,  the  fish  is  poor ;  if  it 
leels  hard  like  butter,  the  fish  is  good.  It  is  cheaper  to 
buy  one  large  mackerel  for  ninepence,  than  two  for  four 
pence  half-penny  each. 

Fish  should  not  be  put  in  to  fry  until  the  fat  is  boiling 
hot ;  it  is  very  necessary  to  observe  this.  It  should  be 
dipped  in  Indian  meal  before  it  is  put  in ;  and  the  skinny 
side  uppermost,  when  first  put  in,  to  prevent  its  breaking. 
It  relishes  better  to  be  fried  after  salt  pork,  than  to  bo  fried 
in  lard  alone.  People  are  mistaken,  who  think  fresh  fish 
should  be  put  into  cold  water  as  soon  as  it  is  brought  into 
the  house ;  soaking  it  in  water  is  injurious.  If  you  want 
to  keep  it  sweet,  clean  it,  wash  it,  wipe  it  dry  witJi  a  clean 
towel,  sprinkle  salt  inside  and  out,  put  it  in  a  covered  dish, 
and  keep  it  on  the  cellar  floor  until  you  Avant  to  cook  it. 
If  you  live  remote  fi'om  the  seaport,  and  cannot  get  fish 
while  hard  and  fresh,  wet  it  with  an  egg  beaten,  before  you 
meal  it,  to  prevent  its  breaking. 

Fish  gravy  is  very  much  improved  by  taking  out  some 
of  the  fat,  after  the  fish  is  fried,  and  putting  in  a  little  but- 
ter. The  fat  thus  taken  out  will  do  to  fry  fish  again  ;  bui 
It  will  not  do  for  any  kind  of  shortening.  Shake  in  a  little 
flour  into  the  hot  fat,  and  pour  in  a  little  boiling  water : 
stir  it  up  well,  as  it  boils,  a  minute  or  so.  Some  "veopie 
put  in  vinegar ;  but  this  is  easily  added  by  those  wno 
like  it. 

A  common  sized  cod-fish  should  be  put  in  when  the 
water  is  boiling  hot,  and  boil  about  twenty  minutes.  Had- 
dock is  not  as  good  for  boiling  as  cod  ;  it  takes  about  the 
same  time  to  boil. 

A  piece  cf  halibut  which  weighs  four  pounds  is  a  large 
dinner  for  a  family  of  six  or  seven.  It  should  boil  forty 
minutes.  No  fish  put  in  till  the  water  boils.  Melted  but 
ter  for  sauce. 

Clams  should  boil  about  fifteen  minutes  in  their  own 
v/ater ;  no  other  need  be  added,  except  a  spoonful  to  keep 
^e  bottom  shells  from  burning.     It  is  easy  to  tell  when 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  69 

they  are  done,  by  the  shells  starting  wide  open.  After 
they  are  done,  tliey  should  be  taken  from  the  shells,  wash- 
ed tlioroughly  in  their  own  water,  and  put  in  a  stewing 
pan.  The  water  should  then  be  strained  through  a  cloth, 
so  as  to  get  out  all  the  grit;  the  clams  should  be  simmered 
in  it  ten  or  fifteeri  minutes ;  a  httle  thickening  of  flour  and 
water  added  ;  half  a  dozen  slices  of  toasted  bread  or  crack- 
er ;  and  pepper,  vinegar  and  butter  to  your  taste.  Salt 
5  not  needed. 

Four  pounds  of  fish  are  enough  to  make  a  chowder  for 
four  or  five  people  ;  half  a  dozen  slices  of  salt  pork  in  the 
bottom  of  the  pot ;  hang  it  high,  so  that  the  pork  may  not 
burn  ;  take  it  out  when  done  very  brown ;  put  in  a  lay- 
er of  fish,  cut  in  lengthwise  slices,  then  a  layer  formed 
of  crackers,  small  or  sliced  onions,  and  potatoes  sliced  as 
tliin  as  a  four-pence,  mixed  with  pieces  of  pork  you  have 
fried ;  then  a  layer  of  fish  again,  and  so  on.  Six  crack 
ers  are  enough.  Strew  a  little  salt  and  pepper  over  each 
layer  ;  over  the  whole  pour  a  bowl-full  of  flour  and  water, 
enough  to  come  up  even  with  the  surface  of  v^-hat  you  have 
in  tlie  pot.  A  sliced  lemon  adds  to  the  flavor.  A  cup 
of  tomato  catsup  is  very  excellent.  Some  people  put 
in  a  cup  of  beer,  A  few  clams  are  a  pleasant  addition. 
It  should  be  covered  so  as  not  to  let  a  particle  of  steam 
escape,  if  possible.  Do  not  open  it,  except  when  nearly 
done,  to  taste  if  it  be  well  seasoned. 

Salt  fish  should  be  put  in  a  deep  plate,  with  just  water 
enough  to  cover  it,  the  night  before  you  intend  to  cook  it. 
It  should  not  be  boiled  an  instant ;  boiling  renders  it  hard. 
It  should  lie  in  scalding  hot  water  two  or  three  hours 
The  less  water  is  used,  and  the  more  fish  is  cooked  at 
once,  the  better.  Water  thickened  with  flour  and  water 
while  boiling,  with  sweet  butter  put  in  to  melt,  is  tlie  com- 
mon sauce.  It  is  more  economical  to  cut  salt  pork  into 
small  bits,  and  try  it  till  the  pork  is  brown  and  crispy.  It 
should  not  be  done  too  fast,  lest  the  sweetness  be  scorch- 
ed out. 

Salted  shad  and  mackerel  should  be  put  into  a  deep 
plate  and  covered  with  boiling  water  for  about  ten  minutes 
G 


CO  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 

after  it  is  thoroughly  broiled,  before  it  is  buttered.  This 
makes  it  tender,  takes  off  the  coat  of  salt,  and  prevents  the 
strong  oily  taste,  so  apt  to  be  unpleasant  in  preserved  fish. 
The  same  rule  applies  to  smoked  salmon. 

Salt  fish  mashed  with  potatoes,  with  good  butter  or  pork 
scraps  to  moisten  it,  is  nicer  the  second  day  than  it  was 
the  first.  The  fish  should  be  minced  very  fine,  while  it  is 
warm.  After  it  has  got  cold  and  dry,  it  is  difficult  to  do 
it  nicely.  Salt  fish  needs  plenty  of  vegetables,  such  as 
onions,  beets,  carrots,  Stc. 

There  is  no  way  of  preparing  salt  fish  for  breakfast,  so 
nice  as  to  roll  it  up  in  httle  balls,  after  it  is  mixed  with 
mashed  potatoes ;  dip  it  into  an  egg,  and  fry  it  brown. 

A  female  lobster  is  not  considered  so  good  as  a  male. 
In  the  female,  the  sides  of  the  head,  or  what  look  like  cheeks, 
are  much  larger,  and  jut  out  more  than  those  of  the  male. 
The  end  of  a  lobster  is  surrounded  with  what  children  call 
'purses,'  edged  with  a  little  fringe.  If  you  put  your  hand 
under  these  to  raise  it,  and  find  it  springs  back  hard  and 
firm,  it  is  a  sign  the  lobster  is  fresh  ;  if  they  move  flabbily, 
it  is  not  a  good  omen. 

Fried  salt  pork  and  apples  is  a  favorite  dish  in  the 
country ;  but  it  is  seldom  seen  in  the  city.  After  tlie  pork 
is  fried,  some  of  the  fat  should  be  taken  out,  lest  the  ap- 
ples should  be  oily.  Acid  apples  should  be  chosen,  be- 
cause they  cook  more  easily ;  they  should  be  cut  in  slices, 
across  the  whole  apple,  about  twice  or  three  times  as  thick 
as  a  new  dollar.  Fried  till  tender,  and  brown  on  both 
sides — laid  around  the  pork.  If  you  have  cold  potatoes, 
suce  them  and  brown  them  in  the  same  wav. 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  61 


PUDDINGS. 


BAKED    INDIAN    PUDDING. 


Indian  pudding  is  good  baked.  Scald  a  quart  of  mlik 
(skimmed  milk  will  do,)  and  stir  in  seven  table  spoonv 
fuls  of  sifted  Indian  meal,  a  tea-spoonful  of  salt,  a  tea* 
cupful  of  molasses,  and  a  great  spoonful  of  ginger,  or 
sifted  cinnamon.  Baked  three  or  four  hours.  If  you  want 
whey,  you  must  be  sure  and  pour  in  a  little  cold  milk,  af- 
ter it  is  all  mixed. 


boiled    INDIAN    PUDDING. 

Indian  pudding  should  be  boiled  four  or  five  hours.  Sift 
ed  Indian  meal  and  warm  milk  should  be  stu-red  together 
pretty  stiff.  A  little  salt,  and  two  or  three  great  sj)oonfuls 
of  molasses,  added ;  a  spoonful  of  ginger,  if  you  like  that 
spice.  Boil  it  in  a  tight  covered  pan,  or  a  very  thick 
cloth ;  if  the  water  gets  in,  it  will  ruin  it.  Leave  plenty 
of  room;  for  Indian  swells  very  much.  The  milk  with 
which  you  mix  it  should  be  merely  warm  ;  if  it  be  scald- 
ing, the  pudding  will  break  to  pieces.  Some  people  choj> 
sweet  suet  fine,  and  warm  in  the  milk  ;  others  warm  thin 
slices  of  sweet  apple  to  be  stirred  into  the  pudding.  Water 
will  answer  instead  of  milk. 


FLOUR  OR  BATTER  PUDDING. 

Common  flour  pudding,  or  batter  pudding,  is  easily  made. 
Those  who  live  in  the  country  can  beat  up  five  or  six  eggs. 
with  a  quart  of  njilk,  and  a  litde  salt,  with  flour  enough  to 
make  it  just  tliick  enough  to  pour  without  difficulty.  Those 
who  live  in  the  city,  and  are  obliged  to  buy  eggs,  can  do 
with  three  eggs  to  a  quart,  and  more  flour  in  proportion. 
Boil  about  three  quarters  of  an  hour. 


62  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 


BREAD  PUDDING. 


A  nice  pudding  may  be  made  of  bits  of  bread.  They 
should  be  crumbled  and  soaked  in  milk  over  night.  In 
the  morning,  beat  up  three  eggs  with  it,  add  a  little  salt,  tie 
it  up  in  a  bag,  or  in  a  pan  that  will  exclude  every  drop  of 
water,  and  boil  it  little  more  than  an  hour.  No  puddings 
should  be  put  into  the  pot,  till  the  water  boils.  Bread 
prepared  in  the  same  way  makes  good  plum-puddings. 
Milk  enough  to  make  it  quite  soft ;  four  eggs  ;  a  little  cin- 
namon ;  a  spoonful  of  rose-water,  or  lemon-brandy,  if  you 
have  it ;  a  tea-cupful  of  molasses,  or  sugar  to  your  taste,  if 
you  prefer  it ;  a  (evf  dry,  clean  raisins,  sprinkled  in,  and 
stirred  up  thoroughly,  is  all  that  is  necessary.  It  should 
bake  or  boil  two  hours. 


RENNET    PUDDING. 

If  your  husband  brings  home  company  when  you  are  un 
prepared,  rennet  pudding  may  be  made  at  five  minutes' 
notice  ;  provided  you  keep  a  piece  of  calf's  rennet  ready 
prepared  soaking  in  a  bottle  of  wine.  One  glass  of  this 
wine  to  a  quart  of  milk  will  make  a  sort  of  cold  custard. 
Sweetened  with  white  sugar,  and  spiced  with  nutmeg,  it  is 
very  good.  It  should  be  eaten  immediately ;  in  a  few 
hours,  it  begins  to  curdle. 

CUSTARD    PUDDINGS. 

Custard  puddings  sufficiently  good  for  common  use  can 
be  made  with  five  eggs  to  a  quart  of  milk,  sweetened  with 
brown  sugar,  and  spiced  with  cinnamon,  or  nutmeg,  and 
very  little  salt.  It  is  well  to  boil  your  milk,  and  set  it  away 
till  it  gets  cold.  Boiling  milk  enriches  it  so  much,  that 
Doiled  skim-milk  is  about  as  good  as  new  milk.  A  little 
cinnamon,  or  lemon  peel,  or  peach  leaves,  if  you  do  not 
dislike  the  taste,  boiled  in  the  milk,  and  afterwards  strained 
from  it,  give  a  pleasant  flavor.  Bake  fifteen  or  twenty 
minutes. 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWITE.  63 


RICE    PUDDINGS. 

If  you  want  a  common  rice  pudding  to  retain  its  flavor, 
do  not  soak  it,  or  put  it  in  to  boil  when  the  water  is  cold. 
Wash  it,  tie  it  in  a  bag,  leave  plenty  of  room  for  it  to  swell, 
tlirow  it  in  when  the  water  boils,  and  let  it  boil  about  an 
hour  and  a  half.  The  same  sauce  answers  for  all  these 
kinds  of  puddings.  If  you  have  rice  left  cold,  break  it  up 
in  a  little  warm  milk,  pour  custard  over  it,  and  bake  it  as 
long  as  you  should  custard.  It  makes  very  good  puddings 
and  pies. 

bird's  nest  pudding. 

If  you  wish  to  make  what  is  called  '  bird's  nest  pud- 
dings,' prepare  your  custard, — lake  eight  or  ten  pleasant 
apples,  pare  them,  and  dig  out  the  core,  but  leave  them 
whole,  set  them  in  a  pudding  dish,  pour  your  custard  over 
them,  and  bake  them  about  thirty  minutes. 

APPLE  pudding. 

A  plain,  unexpensive  apple  pudding  may  be  made 
by  roUing  out  a  bit  of  common  pie-crust,  and  filling  it  full 
of  quartered  apples ;  tied  up  in  a  bag,  and  boiled  an  hour  and 
a  half;  if  tlie  apples  are  sweet,  it  will  take  two  hours  ;  for 
acid  tilings  cook  easily.  Some  people  hke  little  dumphngs, 
made  by  rolling  up  one  apple,  pared  and  cored,  in  a  piece 
of  crust,  and  tying  diem  up  in  spots  all  over  the  bag.  These 
do  not  need  to  be  boiled  more  than  an  hour  :  three  quar- 
ters is  enough,  if  the  apples  are  tender. 

Take  sweet,  or  pleasant  flavored  apples,  pare  them, 
and  bore  out  the  core,  without  cutting  the  apj)le  in  two 
Fill  up  the  holes  with  washed  rice,  boil  tiiem  in  a  bag,  tied 
very  tight,  an  hour,  or  hour  and  a  half.  Each  apple  should 
be  tied  up  separately,  in  different  corners  of  tlie  pudding 
bag 

CHERRY    PUDDING. 

for  cherry  dumpling,  make  a  paste  about  as  rich  as  you 
make  short-cake ;  roll  it  out,  and  put  in  a  pint  and  a  half, 
6* 


64  THE   FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 

or  a  quart  of  cherries,  according  to  the  size  of  your  family. 
Double  the  crust  over  the  fruit,  tie  it  up  tight  in  a  bag, 
and  boil  one  hour  and  a  hah". 


CRANBERRY    PUDDING. 

A  pint  of  cranberries  stirred  into  a  quart  of  batter,  made 
]ike  a  batter  pudding,  but  very  litde  stifFer,  is  very  nice, 
eaten  with  sweet  sauce. 


WHORTLEBERRY    PUDDING. 

Whortleberries  are  good  both  in  flour  and  Indian  pud 
dings.  A  pint  of  milk,  with  a  litde  salt  and  a  little  molas- 
ses, stirred  quite  stiff  with  Indian  meal,  and  a  quart  of  ber- 
ries stirred  in  gradually  with  a  spoon,  makes  a  good-sized 
pudding.  Leave  roum  for  it  to  swell  j  and  let  it  boil  three 
hours. 

When  you  put  them  into  flour,  make  your  pudding  just 
like' batter  puddings;  but  considerably  thicker,  or  the  ber- 
ries will  sink.  Two  hours  is  plenty  long  enough  to  boil. 
No  pudding  should  be  put  in  till  the  water  boils.  Leave 
room  to  swell. 

PLUM    PUDDING. 

If  you  wish  to  make  a  really  nice,  soft,  custard-hke  plum 
pudding,  pound  six  crackers,  or  dried  crusts  of  hght 
bread,  fine,  and  soak  them  over  night  in  milk  enough  to 
cover  them  ;  put  them  in  about  three  pints  of  milk,  beat  up 
six  eggs,  put  in  a  little  lemon-brandy,  a  whole  nutmeg, 
and  about  three  quarters  of  a  pound  of  raisins  which  have 
been  rubbed  in  flour.  Bake  it  two  hours,  or  perhaps  a 
litde  short  of  that.  It  is  easy  to  judge  from  the  appearance 
whether  it  is  done. 

I      The  surest  way  of  makmg  a  light,  rich  plum  pudding,  is 
'  to  spread  slices  of  sweet  light  bread  plendfully  with  but- 
ter ;  on  each  side  of  the  slices  spread  abundantly  raisins,  or 
currants,  nicely  prepared  ;  when  they  are  all  heaped  up  in 
a  d'sli,  rover  them  with  milk,  eggs,  sugar  and  spice,  well 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  6& 

beat  up,  and  prepared  just  as  you  do  for  custards.  Let  if 
bake  about  an  hour. 

One  sauce  answers  for  common  use  for  all  sorts  of 
puddings.  Fiour-and-water  stirred  into  boiling  water, 
sweetened  to  your  taste  with  either  molasses  or  sugar,  ac- 
cording to  your  ideas  of  economy  ;  a  great  spoonful  of  rose- 
water,  if  you  have  it ;  butter  half  as  big  as  a  hen's  egg.  If 
you  want  to  make  it  very  nice,  put  in  a  glass  of  wine,  and 
grate  nutmeg  on  the  top. 

When  you  wish  better  sauce  than  common,  take  a  quar- 
ter of  a  pound  of  butter  and  the  same  of  sugar,  mould  them 
well  together  with  your  hand,  add  a  little  wine,  if  you 
choose.  Make  it  into  a  lump,  set  it  away  to  cool,  and 
grate  nutmeg  over  it. 

HASTY    PCJDDING. 

Boil  water,  a  quart,  three  pints,  or  two  quarts,  according 
to  the  size  of  your  family  ;  sift  your  meal,  stir  five  or  six 
spoonfuls  of  it  thoroughly  into  a  bowl  of  water  ;  when  the 
water  in  the  kettle  boils,  pour  into  it  the  contents  of  the  bowl ; 
stir  it  well,  and  let  it  boil  up  thick  ;  put  in  salt  to  suit  your 
own  taste,  then  stand  over  the  kettle,  and  sprinkle  in  meal, 
liandful  after  handful,  stirring  it  very  thoroughly  all  the 
time,  and  letting  it  boil  between  whiles.  When  it  is  so 
thick  that  you  stir  it  with  great  difficulty,  it  is  about  right. 
It  takes  about  half  an  hour's  cooking.  Eat  it  with  milk  or 
molasses.  Either  Indian  meal  or  rye  meal  may  be  used. 
If  the  system  is  in  a  restricted  state,  nothing  can  be  bet- 
ter than  rye  hasty  pudding  and  West  India  molasses. 
This  diet  would  save  many  a  one  the  horrors  of  dys- 
pepsia. 


CHEAP  CUSTARDS. 


One  quart  of  milk,  boiled  ;  when  boiling,  add  tliree  ta- 
ble spoonfuls  of  ground  rice,  or  rim  tb^t  i.s  boiled,  mixed 


66  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 

smooth  and  fine  in  cold  milk,  and  one  egg  beaten ;  give 
it  one  boil  up,  and  sweeten  to  your  taste  ;  peach  leaves, 
or  any  spice  you  please,  boiled  in  the  milk. 


COMMON  PIES. 


MINCE    PIES. 


Boil  a  tender,  nice  piece  of  beef — any  piece  that  is 
clear  from  sinews  and  grisde  ;  boil  it  till  it  is  perfectly  ten- 
der. When  it  is  cold,  chop  it  very  fine,  and  be  very  care- 
ful to  get  out  every  particle  of  bone  and  gristle.  The  su- 
et is  sweeter  and  better  to  boil  half  an  hour  or  more  in 
the  Hquor  the  beef  has  been  boiled  in  ;  but  few  people  do 
this.  Pare,  core,  and  chop  the  apples  fine.  If  you  use 
raisins,  stone  them.  If  you  use  currants,  wash  and  dry 
them  at  the  fire.  Two  pounds  of  beef,  after  it  is  chopped ; 
three  quarters  of  a  pound  of  suet ;  one  pound  and  a  quar- 
ter of  sugar;  three  pounds  of  apples;  two  pounds  of  currants, 
or  raisins.  Put  in  a  gill  of  brandy ;  lemon-brandy  is  bet- 
ter, if  you  have  any  prepared.  IMake  it  quite  moist  with 
new  cider.  I  should  not  think  a  quart  would  be  too  much; 
tlie  more  moist  the  better,  if  it  does  not  spill  out  mto  the 
oven.  A  very  litde  pepper.  If  you  use  corn  meat,  or 
tongue,  for  pies,  it  should  be  well  soaked,  and  boiled  very 
tender.  If  you  use  fresh  beef,  salt  is  necessary  in  the 
seasoning.  One  ounce  of  cinnamon,  one  ounce  of  cloves. 
Two  nutmegs  add  to  the  pleasantness  of  the  flavor ;  and 
a  bit  of  sweet  butter  put  upon  die  top  of  each  pie,  makes 
them  rich;  but  these  are  not  necessary.  Baked  three 
quarters  of  an  hour.  If  your  apples  are  rather  sweet,  grate 
In  a  whole  lemon, 
t 

PUMPKIN    AND    SQUASH    PIE 

For  common  family  pumpkin  pies,  three  eggs  do  very 
well  to  a  quart  of  milk.     Stew  your  pumpkin,  and  strain  it 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  67 

through  a  sieve,  or  colander.  Take  out  the  seeds,  and 
pare  die  pumpkin,  or  squash,  before  you  stew  it ;  but  do  not 
scrape  tlie  inside  ;  the  part  nearest  the  seed  is  the  sweet- 
est part  of  the  squash.  Stir  in  the  stewed  pumpkin,  till  it  is 
as  diick  as  you  can  stir  it  round  rapidly  and  easily.  If  you 
want  to  make  your  pie  richer,  make  it  thinner,  and  add 
another  egg.  One  egg  to  a  quart  of  milk  makes  very  de- 
cent pies.  Sweeten  it  to  your  taste,  with  molasses  or  su- 
gar ;  some  pumpkin'^;  require  more  sweetening  than  others. 
Two  tea-spoonfuls  of  salt ;  two  great  spoonfuls  of  sifted  cin- 
namon ;  one  great  spoonful  of  ginger.  Ginger  will  answer 
very  well  alone  for  spice,  if  you  use  enough  of  it.  The 
outside  of  a  lemon  grated  in  is  nice.  The  more  eggs,  the 
better  the  pie  ;  some  put  an  egg  to  a  gill  of  milk.  They 
should  bake  from  forty  to  fifty  minutes,  and  even  ten  min- 
utes longer,  if  very  deep. 

CARROT    PIE. 

Carrot  pies  are  made  like  squash  pies.  The  carrots 
should  be  boiled  very  tender,  skinned  and  sifted.  Both 
carrot  pies  and  squash  pies  should  be  baked  r/ithout  an 
upper  crust,  in  deep  plates.  To  be  baked  an  hour,  in 
quite  a  warm  oven. 

CHERRY    PIE. 

Cherry  pies  should  be  baked  in  a  deep  plate.  Take 
the  cherries  from  the  stalks,  lay  them  in  a  plate,  and  sprin- 
kle a  little  sugar,  and  cinnamon,  according  to  die  sweet- 
ness of  the  cherries.  Baked  with  a  top  and  bottom  crust, 
tliree  quarters  of  an  hour. 

WHORTLEBERRY   PIE. 

Whortlebemcs  make  a  very  good  common  pie,  where 
there  is  a  large  family  of  children.  Sprinkle  a  httle  sugar 
and  sifted  cloves  into  each  pie.  Baked  in  the  same  way, 
and  as  long,  as  cherry  pies. 

APPLE    PIE. 

When  you  make  apple  pies,  stew  your  apjiles  very  little 
indeed  ;  just  strike  them  through^  to  make  them  tender. 


68  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 

Some  people  do  not  stew  tliem  at  all,  but  cut  tliem  up  in 
very  thin  slices,  and  lay  them  in  the  crust.  Pies  made  in 
this  way  may  retain  more  of  the  spirit  of  the  apple  ;  but  I 
do  not  think  the  seasoning  mixes  in  as  well.  Put  in  sugar 
to  your  taste  ;  it  is  impossible  to  make  a  precise  rule,  be- 
cause apples  vary  so  much  in  acidity.  A  very  little  sah, 
and  a  small  piece  of  butter  in  each  pie,  makes  them  richer. 
Cloves  and  cinnamon  are  both  suitable  spice.  Lemon- 
^brandy  and  rose-water  are  both  excellent.  A  wine-glass 
full  of  each  is  sufficient  for  three  or  four  pies.  If  your  ap- 
ples lack  spirit,  grate  in  a  whole  lemon. 

CUSTARD    PIE. 

It  is  a  general  rule  to  put  eight  eggs  to  a  quart  of  milk, 
in  making  custard  pies  ;  but  six  eggs  are  a  plenty  for  any 
common  use.  The  milk  should  be  boiled  and  cooled 
before  it  is  used  ;  and  bits  of  stick-cinnamon  and  bits  of 
lemon-peel  boiled  in  it.  Sweeten  to  your  taste  with  clean 
sugar  ;  a  very  little  sprinkling  of  salt  makes  them  taste  bet- 
ter. Grate  in  a  nutmeg.  Bake  in  a  deep  plate.  About 
20  minutes  are  usually  enough.  If  you  are  doubtful  whe- 
ther they  are  done,  dip  in  the  handle  of  a  silver  spoon,  or 
the  blade  of  a  small  knife  ;  if  it  come  out  clean,  the  pie  is 
done.  Do  not  pour  them  into  your  plates  till  the  minute 
you  put  them  into  the  oven  ;  it  makes  the  crust  wet  and 
heavy.  To  be  baked  with  an  under  crust  only.  Some 
people  bake  the  under  crust  a  little  before  the  custard  is 
poured  in  ;  this  is  to  keep  it  from  being  clammy 

CRANBERRY  PIE. 

Cranberry  pies  need  very  little  spice.  A  little  nutmeg, 
-or  cinnamon,  improves  them.  They  need  a  great  deal  of 
sweetening.  It  is  well  to  stew  the  sweetening  with  them  ; 
at  least  a  part  of  it.  It  is  easy  to  add,  if  you  find  them 
too  sour  for  your  taste.  When  cranberries  are  strained, 
and  added  to  about  their  own  weight  in  sugar,  they  make 
very  delicious  tarts.     No  upper  crust. 


THE    FEUDAL    HOUSEWIFE.  69 


RHUBA.RB    STALKS,    OR    PERSIAN    APPLE. 

Rhubarb  stalks,  or  the  Persian  apole,  is  the  earliest  in 
gredient  for  pies,  which  the  spring  offers.  The  skin  should 
be  carefully  stripped,  and  the  stalks  cut  into  small  bits,  and 
stewed  very  tender.  These  are  dear  pies,  for  they  take 
an  enormous  quantity  of  sugar.  Seasoned  hke  apple  pies 
Gooseberries,  currants,  &;c.,  are  stewed,  sweetened  and 
seasoned  like  apple  pies,  in  proportions  suited  to  the  sweet- 
ness of  the  fruit ;  there  is  no  way  to  judge  but  by  your  own 
taste.  Always  remember  it  is  more  easy  to  add  season- 
ing tlian  to  diminish  it. 

PIE    CRUST. 

To  make  pie  crust  for  common  use,  a  quarter  of  a  pound 
of  butter  is  enough  for  a  half  a  pound  of  flour.  Take  out 
about  a  quarter  part  of  the  flour  you  intend  to  use,  and  lay 
it  aside.  Into  the  remainder  of  the  flour  rub  butter  thor- 
oughly with  your  hands,  until  it  is  so  short  that  a  handful 
of  it,  clasped  tight,  will  remain  in  a  ball,  without  any  tenden- 
cy to  fall  in  pieces.  Then  wet  it  with  cold  water,  roll  it 
out  on  a  board,  rub  over  the  surface  with  flour,  stick  little 
lumps  of  butter  all  over  it,  sprinkle  some  flour  over  the  but- 
ter, and  roll  the  dough  all  up  ;  flour  the  paste,  and  flour  the 
rolling-pin  ;  roll  it  lightly  and  quickly  ;  flour  it  again  ;  stick 
in  bits  of  butter  ;  do  it  up ;  flour  the  rolling-pin,  and  roll 
it  quickly  and  lightly  ;  and  so  on,  till  you  have  used  up  your 
butter.  Always  roll  from  you.  Pie  crust  should  be  made 
as  cold  as  possible,  and  set  in  a  cool  place  ;  but  be  care- 
ful it  does  not  freeze.  Do  not  use  more  flour  than  you 
can  help  in  sprinkling  and  roUing.  The  paste  should  not 
be  rolled  out  more  than  three  times  ;  if  rolled  too  much, 
t  will  not  be  flaky 


70  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 


COMMON  CAKES. 


Jn  all  cakes  where  butter  or  eggs  are  used,  the  butter 
should  be  very  faithfully  rubbed  into  the  flour,  and  the 
eggs  beat  to  a  foam,  before  the  ingredients  are  mixed 


GINGERBREAD. 

A  very  good  way  to  make  molasses  gingerbread  is  to 
rub  four  pounds  and  a  half  of  flour  with  half  a  pound 
of  lard  and  half  a  pound  of  butter  ;  a  pint  of  molasses,  a 
gill  of  milk,  tea-cup  of  ginger,  a  tea-spoonful  of  dissolved 
pearlash  stirred  together.  All  mixed,  baked  in  shallow 
pans  twenty  or  thirty  minutes. 

Hard  gingerbread  is  good  to  have  in  the  family,  it  keeps 
so  well.  One  pound  of  flour,  half  a  pound  of  butter  and 
sugar,  rubbed  into  it ;  half  a  pound  of  sugar ;  great  spoon- 
ful of  ginger,  or  more,  according  to  the  strength  of  the  gin- 
ger ;  a  spoonful  gf  rose-water,  and  a  handful  of  caraway 
seed.  Well  beat  up.  Kneaded  stifFenough  to  roll  out  and 
bake  on  flat  pans.     Bake  twenty  or  thirty  minutes. 

A  cake  of  common  gingerbread  can  be  stirred  up  very 
quick  in  the  following  way.  Rub  in  a  bit  of  shortening  as 
big  as  an  egg  into  a  pint  of  flour;  if  you  use  lard,  add  a 
little  salt ;  two  or  three  great  spoonfuls  of  ginger ;  one 
cup  of  molasses,  one  cup  and  a  half  of  cider,  and  a  great 
spoonful  of  dissolved  pearlash,  put  together  and  poured 
into  the  shortened  flour  while  it  is  foaming  ;  to  be  put  in 
the  oven  in  a  minute.  It  ought  to  be  just  thick  enough 
to  pour  into  the  pans  with  difficulty  ;  if  these  proportions 
make  it  too  thin,  use  less  liquid  tlie  next  time  you  try. 
Bake  about  twenty  minutes. 

If  by  carelessness  you  let  a  piece  of  short-cake  dough 
grow  sour,  put  in  a  little  pearlash  and  water,  warm  a  little 
butter,  according  to  the  size  of  the  dough,  knead  in  %  cup 
or  two  of  sugar,  (two  cups,  unless  it  is  a  very  small  bit,) 
two  or  three  spoonfuls  of  ginger,  and  a  little  rose-water 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  71 

Knead  it  up  thoroughly,  roll  it  out  on  a  flat  pan,  and  bake 
it  twenty  minutes.  Every  thing  mixed  witli  pearlash  should 
be  put  in  tlie  oven  immediately. 

CUP    CAKE. 

Cup  cake  is  about  as  good  as  pound  cake,  and  is  cheap- 
er. One  cup  of  butter,  two  cups  of  sugar,  three  cups  of 
flour,  and  four  eggs,  well  beat  together,  and  baked  in  pans 
or  cups.     Bake  twenty  minutes,  and  no  more. 

TEA    CAKE. 

There  is  a  kind  of  tea  cake  still  cheaper.  Three  cups 
of  sugar,  three  eggs,  one  cup  of  butter,  one  cup  of  milk,  a 
spoonful  of  dissolved  pearlash,  and  four  cups  of  flour,  well 
beat  up.  If  it  is  so  stiff  it  will  not  stir  easily,  add  a  little 
more  milk.  f 

CIDER    CAKE. 

Cider  cake  is  very  good,  to  be  baked  in  small  loaves. 
One  pound  and  a  half  of  flour,  half  a  pound  of  sugar, 
quarter  of  a  pound  of  butter,  half  a  pint  of  cider,  one  tea- 
spoonful  of  pearlash ;  spice  to  your  tas'e.  Bake  till  it 
turns  easily  m  the  pans.  I  should  think  about  half  an 
hour. 

ELECTION    CAKE. 

Old-fashioned  election  cake  is  made  of  four  pounds  of 
flour ;  throe  quarters  of  a  pound  of  butter  ;  four  eggs ; 
one  pound  of  sugar  ;  one  pound  of  currants,  or  raisins  if 
you  choose ;  half  a  pint  of  good  yeast;  wet  it  with  milk  as 
soft  as  it  can  be  and  be  moulded  on  a  board.  Set  to  rise 
ever  night  in  winter  ;  in  warm  weather,  three  hours  is  usu- 
ally enough  for  it  to  rise.  A  loaf,  the  size  of  common 
flour  bread,  should  bake  three  quarters  of  an  hour. 

SPONGE    CAKE. 

The  nicest  way  to  make  sponge  cake,  or  diet-bread,  is 
the  weight  of  six  eggs  in  sugar,  tlie  weight  of  four  eggs  in 


72  THE    FRUGAL    HOLSilWIFE. 

flour,  a  little  rose-waic?, .  The  whites  and  yolks  should  be 
beaten  thoroughly  and  separately.  The  eggs  and  sugar 
should  be  well  beaten  together ;  but  after  the  flour  is 
sprinkled,  it  should  not  be  stirred  a  moment  longer  than 
is  necessary  to  mix  it  well ;  it  should  be  poured  into  the 
pan,  and  got  into  the  oven  with  all  possible  expedition. 
Twenty  minutes  is  about  long  enough  to  bake.  Nc  it  to 
be  put  in  till  some  other  articles  have  taken  off  the  firs» 
*ew  minutes  of  furious  heat. 


WEDDING    CAKE. 

Good  common  v/edding  cake  may  be  made  thus  :  Foiir 
pounds  of  flour,  three  pounds  of  butter,  three  pounds  of 
sugar,  four  pounds  of  currants,  two  pounds  of  raisins,  twen- 
ty-four eggs,  half  a  pint  of  brandy,  or  lemon-brandy,  one 
ounce  of  mace,  and  three  nutmegs.  A  little  molasses 
makes  it  dark  colored,  which  is  desirable.  Half  a  pound 
of  citron  improves  it ;  but  it  is  not  necessary.  To  be 
baked  two  hours  and  a  half,  or  three  hours.  After  the 
oven  is  cleared,  it  is  well  to  shut  the  door  for  eight  or  ten 
minutes,  to  let  the  violence  of  the  heat  subsidcj  before  cake 
or  bread  is  put  in. 

To  make  icing  for  your  wedding  cake,  beat  the  whites 
of  eggs  to  an  entire  froth,  and  to  each  egg  add  five  tea- 
-.poonfuls  of  sifted  loaf  sugar,  gradually ;  beat  it  a  great 
while.  Put  it  on  when  your  cake  is  hot,  or  cold,  as  is 
most  convenient.  It  Avill  dry  in  a  warm  room,  a  short 
distance  from  a  gentle  fire,  or  in  a  warm  oven. 


LOAF    CAKE 

Very  good  loaf  cake  is  made  with  two  pounds  of  flour, 
half  a  '^ound  of  sugar,  quarter  of  a  pound  of  butter,  two  eggs, 
a  gui  of  sweet  emptings,  half  an  ou.nce  of  cinnamon,  or  cloves, 
a  large  spoonful  of  lemon-brandy,  or  rose-water  ;  if  it  is 
r;ot  about  as  thin  as  good  white  bread  dough,  add  a  little 
milk.  A  common  sized  loaf  is  made  by  these  propor- 
tions.    Bake  about  thre*:  quarters  of  an  hour. 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  13 

A  handy  way  to  make  loaf  cake  is,  to  take  about  as 
much  of  your  white  bread  dougli,  or  sponge,  as  you  thinlc 
vour  pan  will  hold,  and  put  it  into  a  pan  in  which  you 
'lave  already  beat  up  three  or  four  eggs,  six  ounces  of 
jutter  warmed,  and  half  a  pound  of  sugar,  a  spoonful 
of  rose-water,  little  sifted  cinnamon,  or  cloves.  The  ma- 
terials should  be  well  mixed  and  beat  before  the  dough  is 
put  in  J  and  then  it  should  be  all  kneaded  well  together, 
about  as  stiff  as  white  bread.  Put  in  half  a  pound  of  cur- 
rants, or  raisins,  with  the  butter,  if  you  choose.  It  should 
stand  in  the  pan  two  or  three  hours  to  rise  ;  and  be  baked 
about  three  quarters  of  an  hour,  if  the  pan  is  a  common 
sized  bread-pan. 

If  you  have  loaf  cake  slightly  injured  by  time,  or  by  be- 
ing kept  in  the  cellar,  cut  off  all  appearance  of  mould  from 
the  outside,  wipe  it  with  a  clean  cloth,  and  wet  it  well 
with  strong  brandy  and  water  sweetened  with  sugar  ;  then 
put  it  in  your  oven,  and  let  the  heat  strike  through  it,  for 
tifteen  or  twenty  minutes.  Unless  very  bad,  this  will  re- 
store the  sweetness. 

CARAWAY    CAKES.  ^ 

Take  one  pound  of  flour,  three  quarters  of  a  pound  ol 
sugar,  half  a  pound  of  butter,  a  glass  of  rose-water,  four  eggs, 
and  half  a  tea-cup  Oj|"  caraway  seed, — the  materials  well 
rubbed  together  and  beat  up.  Drop  them  from  a  spoon 
on  tin  sheets,  and  bake  them  brown  in  rather  a  slow  oven. 
Twenty  minutes,  or  half  an  hour,  is  enough  to  bake  them. 

DOUGH-NUTS. 

For  dough-nuts,  take  one  pint  of  flour,  half  a  pint  of  su- 
gar, three  eggs,  a  piece  of  butter  as  big  as  an  egg,  and  a 
tea-spoonful  of  dissolved  pcarlash.  When  you  have  no 
eggs,  a  gill  of  lively  emptings  will  do  ;  but  in  that  case, 
they  must  be  made  over  night.  Cinnamon,  rose-water,  or 
lemon-brandy,  if  you  have  it.  If  you  use  part  lard  instead 
of  butter,  add  a  little  salt.  Not  put  in  till  the  fat  is  very  hot. 
The  more  fat  they  are  fried  in,  the  less  they  will  soak  fat. 


74  THE  frtjGai.  housewife. 


PANCAKES. 


Pancakes  should  be  made  of  half  a  pint  of  milk,  three 
great  spoonfuls  of  sugar,  one  or  two  eggs,  a  tea-spoonful 
of  dissolved  pearlash,  spiced  with  cinnamon,  or  cloves,  a 
little  salt,  rose-water,  or  lemon-brandy,  just  as  you  happen 
to  have  it.  Flour  should  be  stirred  in  till  the  spoon  moves 
round  with  difficulty.  If  they  are  thin,  they  are  apt  to 
soak  fat.  Have  the  fat  in  your  skillet  boiling  hot,  and 
drop  them  in  with  a  spoon.  Let  them  cook  till  thorough- 
ly brown.  The  fat  which  is  left  is  good  to  shorten  other 
cakes.  The  more  fat  they  are  cooked  in,  the  less  they 
soak. 

If  you  have  no  eggs,  or  wish  to  save  them,  use  the 
above  ingredients,  and  supply  the  place  of  eggs  by  two  or 
three  spoonfuls  of  lively  emptings  ;  but  in  this  case  they 
must  be  made  five  or  six  hours  before  they  are  cooked, — 
and  in  winter  they  should  stand  all  night.  A  spoonful  or 
more  of  N.  E.  rum  makes  pancakes  light.  Flip  makes 
very  nice  pancakes.  In  this  case,  nothing  is  done  but  to 
sweeten  your  mug  of  beer  with  molasses  ;  put  in  one  glass 
of  N.  E.  rum  ;  heat  it  till  it  foams,  by  putting  in  a  hot 
poker;  and  stir  it  up  with  flour  as  thick  as  other  pancakes. 


FRITTERS. 


Flat-jacks,  or  fritters,  do  not  differ  from  pancakes,  only 
in  being  mixed  after.  The  same  ingredients  are  used 
in  about  the  same  quantities  ;  only  most  peprjole  prefer  to 
have  no  sweetening  put  in  them,  because  they  generally 
have  butter,  sugar,  and  nutmeg,  put  on  them,  after  they 
are  done.  Excepting  for  company,  the  nutmeg  can  be 
well  dispensed  with.  They  are  not  to  be  boiled  in  fat, 
like  pancakes ;  the  spider  or  griddle  should  be  well  greased, 
and  the  cakes  poured  on  as  large  as  you  w^ant  them,  when 
it  is  quite  hot  j  when  if  gets  brown  on  one  side,  to  be  turn- 
ed over  upon  .  ;;  other.  Fritters  are  better  to  be  baked 
quite  thin.     Either  flour,  Indian,  or  rye,  is  good. 


THE    FRUGAL.    llOrSEWIFE.  75 

Sour  beer,  witli  a  spoonful  of  pearlash,  is  good  both  for 
pancakes  and  fritters. 

if  you  have  any  cold  rice  left,  it  is  nice  to  break  it  up 
fine  in  warm  milk  ;  put  in  a  little  salt;  after  you  have  put 
milk  enough  for  the  cakes  you  wish  to  make,  (a  half  pint, 
or  more,)  stir  in  flour  till  it  is  thick  enough  to  pour  for 
fritters.  It  does  very  well  without  an  egg ;  but  better  with 
one.  To  be  fried  like  other  flat-jacks.  Sugar  and  nut- 
meg ai*e  to  be  put  on  when  they  are  buttered,  if  you 
Uke. 

SHORT    CAKE. 

If  you  have  sour  milk,  or  butter-milk,  it  is  well  to  mako 
it  imo  short  cakes  for  tea.  Rub  in  a  very  small  bit  of 
shortening,'  or  three  table-spoonfuls  of  cream,  whh  the 
flour ;  put  in  a  tea-spoonful  of  strong  dissolved  pearlash, 
into  your  sour  milk,  and  mix  your  cake  pretty  stiff,  to  bake 
in  the  spider,  on  a  few  embers. 

When  people  have  to  buy  butter  and  lard,  short  cakes 
arc  not  economical  food.  A  half  pint  of  flour  will  make 
a  cake  large  enough  to  cover  a  common  plate.  Rub  in  thor- 
oughly a  bit  of  shortening  as  big  as  a  hen's  egg  ;  put  in  a 
tea-spoonful  of  dissolved  pearlash  ;  wet  it  with  cold  water ; 
kp'^ad  it  stiff  enough  to  roll  well,  to  bake  on  a  plate,  or  in 
a  rpider.  It  should  4)ake  as  quick  as  it  can,  and  not  burn. 
Tlie  first  side  should  stand  lon":er  to  tlie  fire  than  tlie  last 


INDIAN    CAKE. 

Indian  cake,  or  bannock,  is  sweet  and  cheap  food. 
Oie  quart  of  sifted  meal,  two  great  spoonfuls  of  molasses, 
Ivro  tea-spoonfuls  of  salt,  a  bit  of  shortening  half  as  big  as 
a  hen's  egg,  stirred  togedicr  ;  make  it  pretty  moist  with 
scalding  water,  put  it  into  a  v;ell  greased  pan,  smooth  over 
th^  surface  widi  a  spoon,  and  bake  it  brown  on  botli  sides, 
before  a  quick  fire.  A  little  stewed  pumpkin,  scalded 
with  the  meal,  improves  the  cake.  Bannock  split  and  dip- 
ped in  butter  makes  very  nice  toast. 
7* 


76  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 

A  richer  Indian  cake  may  be  made  by  stirring  one  egg 
to  a  half  pint  of  milk,  sweetened  with  two  great  spoonfuls 
of  molasses  ;  a  little  ginger,  or  cinnamon  ;  Indian  stirred  in 
till  h  is  just  about  thick  enough  to  pour.  Spider  or  bake- 
ketde  well  greased ;  cake  poured  in,  covered  up,  baked 
half  an  hour,  or  three  quarters,  according  to  the  thickness 
of  the  cake.  If  you  have  sour  milk,  or  butter-milk,  it  is 
very  nice  for  this  kind  of  cake ;  the  acidity  corrected  by 
a  tea-spoonful  of  dissolved  pearlash.  It  is  a  rule  never  to 
use  pearlash  for  Indian,  unless  to  correct  the  sourness  of 
milk;  it  injures  the  flavor  of  the  lueal. 

Nice  suet  improves  all  kinds  of  Indian  cakes  very 
much.  

Two  cups  of  Indian  meal,  one  table-spoonful  molasses, 
two  cups  milk,  a  little  salt,  a  handful  flour,  a  little  saleratus, 
mixed  up  thin,  and  poured  into  a  buttered  bake-kettle, 
hung  over  the  fire  uncovered,  until  you  can  bear  your  fin- 
ger upon  it,  and  then  set  down  before  the  fire.  Bake  half 
an  hour. 


BREAD,  YEAST,  &c. 


It  is  more  difKcult  to  give  rules  for  making  bread  than 
for  anything  else  ;  it  depends  so  much  on  judgment  and 
exnerience.  In  summer,  bread  should  be  mixed  with  cold 
water ;  during  a  chilly,  damp  spell,  the  v/ater  should  be 
slightly  warm ;  in  severe  cold  weather,  it  should  be  mixed 
quite  warm,  and  set  in  a  warm  place  during  the  night. 
If  your  yeast  is  new  and  lively,  a  small  quantity  will  make 
the  bread  rise ;  if  it  be  old  and  heavy,  it  will  take  more. 
In  these  things  I  believe  wisdom  must  be  gained  by  a  fev7 
mistakes. 

Six  quarts  of  meal  will  make  two  good  sized  loaves  of 
Brorvn  Bread.  Some  like  to  have  it  half  Indian  meal 
and  half  rye  meal  j  others  prefer  it  one  third  Indian,  and 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  77 

two  thirds  rye.  Many  mix  their  brown  bread  over  night 
but  there  is  no  need  of  it ;  and  it  is  more  likely  to  sour, 
particularly  in  summer.  If  you  do  mix  it  tlie  night 
before  you  bake  it,  you  must  not  put  in  more  than  half  the 
yeast  1  am  about  to  mention,  unless  the  weather  is  intense- 
ly cold.  The  meal  should  be  sifted  separately.  Put  the 
Indian  in  your  bread -pan,  sprinkle  a  little  salt  among  it,  and 
wet  it  thoroughly  with  scalding  water.  Stir  it  up  while 
you  are  scalding  it.  Be  sure  and  have  hot  water  enough  , 
lor  Indian  absorbs  a  great  deal  of  water.  When  it. is  cool, 
pour  in  your  rye  ;  add  two  gills  of  hvely  yeast,  and  mix  it 
with  water  as  stiff  as  you  can  knead  it.  Let  it  stand  an  hour 
and  a  half,  in  a  cool  place  in  summer,  on  the  hearth  in 
winter.  It  should  be  put  into  a  very  hot  oven,  and  baked 
tliree  or  four  hours.  It  is  all  the  better  for  remaining  in 
the  oven  over  night. 

Flour  Bread  should  have  a  sponge  set  the  night  before. 
The  sponge  should  be  soft  enough  to  pour ;  mixed  with 
water,  warm  or  cold,  according  to  the  temperature  of  the 
weather.  One  gill  of  lively  yeast  is  enough  to  put  into 
sponge  for  two  loaves.  I  should  judge  about  three  pints 
of  qDonge  would  be  right  for  two  loaves.  The  warmth  of 
the  place  in  which  the  sponge  is  set,  should  be  determin- 
ed by  the  coldness  of  the  weather.  If  your  sponge  looks 
frothy  in  the  morning,  it  is  a  sign  your  bread  will  be  good  ; 
jf  it  does  not  rise,  stir  in  a  little  more  emptings  ;  if  it  rises 
too  much,  taste  of  it,  to  see  if  it  has  any  acid  taste  ;  if  so, 
put  in  a  tea-spoonful  of  peai-lasJi  when  you  mould  in  your 
flour  ;  be  sure  the  pearlash  is  well  dissolved  in  water ;  if 
there  are  little  lumps,  your  bread  will  be  full  of  bitter  spots. 
About  an  hour  before  your  oven  is  ready,  stir  in  flour  into 
your  sponge  till  it  is  stiff  enough  to  lay  on  a  w^ell  floured 
board  or  table.  Knead  it  up  pretty  stlfl',  and  put  it  into 
well  greased  pans,  and  let  it  stand  in  a  cool  or  warm  place 
according  to  the  weather.  If  the  oven  is  ready,  put  then 
in  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  after  the  dough  begins  tc 
rise  up  and  crack  ;  if  the  oven  is  not  ready,  move  the  paiijj 
to  a  cooler  spot,  to  prevent  the  dough  from  becoming  sour 
by  too  much  rising.     Common  sized  loaves  will  bake  in 


78  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFK. 

three  quarters  of  an  hour.  If  they  slip  easily  in  the  pans, 
it  is  a  sign  they  are  do  le.  Some  people  do  not  set  a  soft 
sponge  for  flour  bread  ;  they  knead  it  up  all  ready  to  put 
in  the  pans  the  night  before,  and  leave  it  to  rise.  White 
bread  and  pies  should  not  be  set  in  the  oven  until  die  brown 
bread  and  beans  have  been  in  half  an  hour.  If  the  oven 
be  too  hot,  it  will  bind  the  crust  so  suddenly  that  the  bread 
cannot  rise  ;  if  it  be  too  cold,  the  bread  will  fall.  Flour 
bread  should  not  be  too  stiff. 

Some  people  like  one  third  Indian  in  their  flour.  Oth- 
ers like  one  third  rye  ;  and  some  think  the  nicest  of  all 
bread  is  one  third  Indian,  one  third  rye,  and  one  tliird 
flour,  made  according  to  tl  e  directions  for  flour  bread. 
When  Indian  is  used,  it  shouid  be  salted,  and  scalded,  be- 
fore the  odier  meal  is  put  in.  A  mixture  of  other  grains 
is  economical  when  flour  is  high. 

Dyspepsia  Bread. — The  American  Farmer  publishes 
the  following  receipt  for  making  bread,  which  has  proved 
highly  salutary  to  persons  afflicted  with  that  complaint, 
viz  : — Three  quarts  unbolted  wheat  meal ;  one  quart  soft 
water,  warm,  but  not  hot ;  one  gill  of  fresh  yeast ;  one  gill 
of  molasses,  or  not,  as  may  suit  the  taste  ;  one  tea-spoonfui 
of  saleratus. 

This  will  make  two  loaves,  and  should  remain  in  the 
oven  at  least  one  hour ;  and  when  taken  out,  placed  where 
they  will  cool  gradually.  Dyspepsia  crackers  can  be  made 
with  unbolted  flour,  water  and  saleratus. 

To  make  Rice  Bread. — Boil  a  pint  of  rice  soft ;  add  a 
pint  of  leaven  ;  then,  three  quarts  of  the  flour ;  put  it  to 
rise  in  a  tin   or   earthen   vessel  until   it   has  risen  suffi 
ciently  ;  divide  it  into  three  parts ;  then  bake  it  as  other 
bread,  and  you  will  have  three  large  loaves. 

Heating  ovens  must  be  regulated  by  experience  and 
observation.  There  is  a  difference  in  wood  in  giving  out 
heat ;  there  is  a  great  difference  in  the  construction  of 
ovens ;  and  when  an  oven  is  extremely  cold,  either  on  ac- 
'Count  of  the  weather,  or  want  of  use,  it  must  be  heated 
more.  Economical  people  heat  ovens  with  pine  wood, 
fagots,  brush,  and  such  light  stuff.     If  you  have  none  but 


TUE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  79 

hard  wood,  you  must  remember  that  it  makes  very  hot  coals, 
and  therefore  less  of  it  will  answer.  A  smart  fire  for  an 
hour  and  a  half  is  a  general  rule  for  common  sized  family 
ovens,  provided  brown  bread  and  beans  are  to  be  baked 
An  hour  is  long  enough  to  heat  an  oven  for  flour  bread. 
Pies  bear  about  as  much  heat  as  flour  bread  :  pumpkin 
pies  will  bear  more.  If  j-ou  are  afraid  your  oven  is  too 
hot,  throw  in  a  iitlle  flour,  and  shut  it  up  for  a  minute.  If 
it  scorches  black  immediately,  the  heat  is  too  furious  ;  if  it 
merely  browns,  it  is  right.  Some  people  wet  an  old  brooir 
two  or  three  times,  and  turn  it  round  near  the  top  of  tlie 
oven  till  it  dries ;  this  prevents  pies  and  cake  from  scorch- 
ing on  the  top.  When  you  go  into  a  new  house,  heat  your 
oven  two  or  three  times,  to  get  it  seasoned,  before  you  use 
it.  After  the  wood  is  burned,  rake  the  coals  over  the  bot- 
tom of  the  oven,  and  let  them  lie  a  feu'  minutes. 

Those  who  make  their  own  bread  should  make  yeost 
too.  "When  bread  is  nearly  out,  always  think  whether  yeast 
is  in  readiness ;  for  it  takes  a  day  and  night  to  prepare  it. 
One  handful  of  hops,  with  two  or  three  handsful  of  malt 
and  rye  bran,  should  be  boiled  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes, 
in  two  quarts  of  water,  tlien  strained,  hung  on  to  boil 
again,  and  thickened  ■uith  half  a  pint  of  rye  and  water 
stirred  up  quite  thick,  and  a  little  molasses ;  boil  it  a  min- 
ute or  two,  and  then  take  it  off  to  cool.  When  just  about 
lukewarm,  put  in  a  cupful  of  good  lively  yeast,  and  set  it  in 
a  cool  place  in  summer,  and  warm  place  -n  winter.  If  it 
is  too  warm  when  you  put  in  the  old  yeast,  all  the  spirit 
will  be  killed. 

In  summer,  yeast  sours  easily ;  therefore  make  but 
little  at  a  time.  Bottle  it  when  it  gets  well  a  working ;  it 
keeps  better  when  the  air  is  corked  out.  If  you  find  it 
acid,  but  still  spirit  d,  put  a  little  pearlash  to  it,  as  you  use 
it ;  but  by  no  means  put  it  into  your  bread  unless  it  foams 
up  bright  and  lively  as  soon  as  the  pearlash  mixes  with  it. 
Never  keep  yeast  in  tin  ;  it  destroys  its  life. 

There  is  another  method  of  making  yeast,  which  is  much 
easier,  and  1  tliink  quite  as  good.  Stir  rye  and  cold  wa- 
ter, till  you  make  a  stiff  thickening.     Then  pour  in  boil- 


80  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFK 

ing  water,  and  stir  it  all  the  time,  till  you  make  it  as  thin 
as  the  yeast  you  buy ;  three  or  four  table  spoons  heaping 
full  are  enough  for  a  quart  of  water.  When  it  gets  about 
cold,  put  in  half  a  pint  of  lively  yeast.  When  it  works 
well,  bottle  it ;  but  if  very  lively,  do  not  cork  your  bottle 
ve7-y  tight,  for  fear  it  will  burst.  Always  think  to  make 
new  yeast  before  the  old  is  gone  ;  so  that  you  may  have 
some  to  woi'k  with.  Always  wash  and  scald  your  bottle 
clean  after  it  has  contained  sour  yeast.  Ueware  of  freez- 
ing yeast. 

Milk  yeast  is  made  quicker  than  any  other.  A  pint  of 
new  milk  with  a  tea-spoonful  of  salt,  and  a  large  spoon  of 
flour  stirred  in,  set  by  the  fire  to  keep  lukewarm,  will  make 
yeast  fit  for  use  in  an  hour.  Twice  the  quantity  of  com 
mon  yeast  is  necessary,  and  unless  used  soon  is  good  for 
nothing.  Bread  made  of  this  yeast  dries  sooner.  It  is 
convenient  in  summer,  when  one  wants  to  make  biscuits 
suddenly. 

A  species  of  leaven  may  be  made  that  will  keep  any  length 
of  time.  Three  ounces  of  hops  in  a  pail  of  water  boiled 
down  to  a  quart ;  strain  it,  and  stir  in  a  quart  of  rye  meal 
while  boiling  hot.  Cool  it,  and  add  half  a  pint  of  good 
yeast ;  after  it  has  risen  a  few  hours,  thicken  it  with  In 
dian  meal  stiff  enough  to  roll  out  upon  a  board  ;  then  put 
it  in  the  sun  and  air  a  few  days  to  dry.  A  piece  of  this 
cake  two  inches  square,  dissolved  in  warm  water,  and  thick- 
ened v/ith  a  little  flour,  will  make  a  large  loaf  of  bread. 

Potatoes  make  very  good  yeast.  Mash  three  large  po- 
tatoes fine  ;  pour  a  pint  of  boiling  water  over  them  ;  when 
almost  cold,  stir  in  two  spoonfuls  of  flour,  two  of  molasses, 
and  a  cup  of  good  yeast.  This  yeast  should  be  used 
while  new. 


THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE  51 


PRESERVES,  &:c. 


Economical  people  will  seldom  use  preserves,  except 
for  sickness.  They  are  unhealthy,  expensive,  and  useless 
to  those  who  are  well.  Barberries  preserved  in  molasses 
are  very  good  for  common  use.  Boil  the  molasses,  skim 
it,  throw  in  the  barberries,  and  simmer  them  till  they  are 
soft.  If  you  wish  to  lay  by  a  few  for  sickness,  preserve 
them  in  sugar  by  tlie  same  rule  as  other  preserves.  Melt 
che  sugar,  skim  it,  throw  in  the  barberries  ;  when  done 
soft,  take  them  out,  and  throw  in  others. 

A  pound  of  sugar  to  a  poinid  of  fruit  is  the  rule  for  all 
preserves.  The  sugar  should  be  melted  over  a  fire  mod- 
orate  enough  not  to  scorch  it.  When  melted,  it  should  be 
skimmed  clean,  and  the  fruit  dropped  in  to  simmer  till  it 
IS  soft.  Plums,  and  things  of  which  the  skin  is  liable  to 
oe  broken,  do  better  to  be  put  in  little  jars,  with  tlieir 
weight  of  sugar,  and  the  jars  set  in  a  kettle  of  boiling  wa- 
ter, till  the  fruit  is  done.  See  the  water  is  not  so  high  as 
to  boil  into  the  jars. 

When  you  jjut  preserves  in  jars,  lay  a  white  paper, 
thoroughly  wet  with  brandy,  flat  upon  the  surAice  of  the 
preserves,  and  cover  them  carefully  from  the  air.  If 
they  begin  to  mould,  scald  them  by  setting  them  in  the 
oven  till  boiling  hot.  Glass  is  much  better  than  earthen 
for  preserves  ;  they  are  not  half  as  apt  to  ferment. 


CURRANT    JELLY. 


Currant  jelly  is  a  useful  thing  for  sickness.  If  it  be  ne- 
cessary to  wash  your  currants,  be  sure  they  are  thorough- 
ly drained,  or  your  jelly  will  be  thin.  Break  them  up 
with  a  pestle,  and  squeeze  them  through  a  cloth.  Put  a 
pint  of  clean  sugar  to  a  pint  of  juice,  and  boil  it  slowly,  till  it 
becomes  ropy.  Great  care  must  be  taken  not  to  do  it  loo 
fast;  it  is  spoiled  by  being  scorched.  It  should  be  fre- 
quently skimmed  while  simmering.     If  currants  are  put 


82  THE  fim:gal  housewife. 

in  a  jar,  and  kept  in  boiling  water,  and  cooked  before  they 
are  strained,  they  are  more  likely  to  keep  a  long  time  with- 
out fermenting. 

CURRANT    AVINE. 

Those  who  liave  more  currants  tlian  they  Iiave  money, 
will  do  well  to  use  no  wine  but  of  Oieir  own  manufacture. 
Break  and  squeeze  the  currants,  put  three  pounds  and  a 
half  of  sugar  to  two  quarts  of  juice  and  two  quarts  of  wa- 
ter. Put  'n  a  keg  or  barrel.  Do  not  close  the  bung  tight 
for  three  or  four  days,  that  the  air  may  escape  while  it  is 
fermenting.  After  it  is  done  fermenting,  close  it  up  tight. 
Where  raspberries  are  plenty,  it  is  a  great  improvement 
to  use  half  raspberry  juice,  and  half  currant  juice.  Bran- 
dy is  unnecessary  when  the  above-mentioned  propor- 
tions are  observed.  It  should  not  be  used  under  a  year 
or  two.     Age  improves  it. 

RASPBERRY    SHRUB. 

Raspberry  shrub  mixed  Vv'hh  water  is  a  pure,  delicious 
drink  for  summer  ;  and  in  a  country  where  raspberries  are 
abundant,  it  is  good  economy  to  make  it  ansv/er  instead 
of  Port  and  Catalonia  wine.  Put  raspberries  in  a  pan,  and 
scaif:ely  cover  them  with  strong  vinegar.  Add  a  pint  of 
sugar  to  a  pint  of  juice  ;  (of  this  you  can  judge  by  first 
trying  your  pan  to  see  how  much  it  holds ;)  scald  it,  skim 
it,  and  bottle  it  when  cold. 

COFFEE. 

As  substitutes  for  coffee,  some  use  dry  brown  bread 
crusts,  and  roast  them  ;  others  soak  rye  grain  in  rum,  ana 
roast  it ;  others  roast  peas  in  the  same  way  as  coffee 
None  of  these  are  very  good  ;  and  peas  so  used  are  con- 
sidered unhealthy.  Where  there  is  a  large  family  of  appren- 
tices and  workmen,  and  coffee  is  very  dear,  it  may  be 
worth  while  to  use  the  substitutes,  or  to  mix  them  half  and 
half  with  coffee  ;  but,  after  all,  the  best  economy  is  to  go 
without. 


THK    IRfGAL    HOUSEWIFE.  83 

French  coffee  is  so  celebrated,  tliat  it  may  be  worth 
wliile  to  tell  how  it  is  made  ;  though  no  prudent  house- 
keeper will  make  it,  unless  she  has  boarders,  who  are  will- 
ing to  pay  for  expensive  cooking. 

The  coffee  should  be  roasted  more  tlian  is  common 
with  us  ;  it  should  not  hang  drying  over  the  fire,  but  should 
be  roasted  qaick;  it  should  be  ground  soon  alter  roasting, 
and  used  as  soon  as  it  is  ground.  Those  who  pride  them- 
selves on  first-rate  coffee,  burn  it  and  grind  it  every  morn- 
ing. The  powder  should  be  placed  in  the  coffee-pot  in 
the  propn-iloiis  of  an  ounce  to  less  than  a  pint  of  water 
The  water  should  be  poured  upon  the  coffee  boiling  hot. 
The  coffee  should  be  kept  at  the  boiling  point;  but  should 
not  boil.  Coffee  made  in  this  way  must  be  made  in  a 
l)iggin.     It  would  not  be  clear  in  a  common  coffee-pot. 

A  bit  of  fish-skin  as  big  as  a  ninepence,  thrown  into  cof 
fee  wliile  it  is  boiling,  tends  to  make  it  clear.  If  you  use 
it  just  as  it  comes  from  the  salt-fish,  it  will  be  apt  to  give 
on  unpleasant  taste  to  the  coffee  :  it  should  be  washed 
clean  as  a  bit  of  cloth,  and  hung  up  till  perfectly  dry. 
The  white  of  eggs,  and  even  egg  shells  are  good  to  settle 
coffee.     Rind  of  salt  pork  is  excellent. 

Some  people  thinic  coffee  is  richer  and  clearer  for  hav- 
ing a  bit  of  sv.eet  Dutter,  or  a  whole  egg,  dropped  in  and 
stirred,  just  before  it  is  done  roasting,  and  ground  up,  shell 
and  all,  with  tlie  coffee.  But  these  things  are  not  economi- 
cal, except  on  a  farm,  where  butter  and  eggs  are  plenty.  A 
half  a  gill  of  cold  v/ater,  poured  in  after  you  take  your  cof- 
Ice-pol  off  the  fire,  will  usually  settle  the  coffee. 

If  you  have  not  cream  for  coffee,  it  is  a  very  great  im- 
Drovement  to  boil  your  milk,  and  use  ii  while  hot. 

CHOCOLATE. 

Many  people  boil  chocolate  in  a  coffee-pot ;  but  I  think 
it  IS  better  to  boil  it  in  a  skillet,  or  something  open.  A 
piece  of  chocolate  about  as  big  as  a  dollar  is  the  usual  quan- 
tity for  a  quart  of  water  ;  but  some  put  in  more,  and  somt 
less  When  it  boils,  pou.r  in  as  much  milk  as  you  like,, 
9 


84  THE  riiuGAL  housewife. 

and  let  tlicni  boil  together  three  or  four  minutes.  It  is 
iiuich  richer  with  the  inilk  boiled  iu  it.  Put  the  sugar  in 
cither  before  or  after,  as  you  please.  Nutmeg  improvp-s 
it.  The  chocolate  should  be  scraped  fine  before  fi  is  put 
i;:to  the  water. 

TEA. 

Young  Hyson  is  supposed  to  be  a  more  profitable  tea 
than  Hyson  ;  but  though  the  quantity  to  a  pound  is  greater, 
it  has  not  so  much  strength.  In  point  of  economy,  there- 
fore, there  is  not  much  difference  between  them.  Hyson  tea 
and  Souchong  mixed  together,  half  and  half,  is  a  pleasant 
beverage,  and  is  more  healthy  than  green  tea  alone.  Be 
sure  that  water  boils  before  it  is  poured  upon  tea.  A 
tea-spoonful  to  each  person,  and  one  extra  thrown  in,  is  a 
good  rule.     Steep  ten  or  fifteen  minutes. 


JMusk-melons  should  be  picked  for  mangoes,  when  they 
are  green  and  hard.  They  should  be  cut  open  after  they 
have  been  in  salt  v/ater  ten  days,  the  inside  scraped  out 
clean,  and  filled  with  mustard-seed,  allspice,  horseradish, 
small  onions,  Sic,  and  sewed  up  again.  Scalding  vinegar 
poured  upon  them. 

When  walnuts  are  so  ripe  that  a  pin  will  go  into  them 
easih',  Jjey  are  ready  for  pickling.  They  should  be  soak- 
ed twelve  days  in  very  strong  cold  salt  and  water,  which  has 
been  boiled  and  skinmied.  A  quantity  of  vinegar,  enough 
to  cover  t)iem  well,  should  be  boiled  with  whole  pepper, 
mustard-seed,  small  onions,  or  garlic,  cloves,  ginger,  and 
horseradish  ;  this  should  not  bo  poured  upon  them  till  is 
IS  cold.  They  should  be  pickled  a  few  months  before 
they  are  eaten.  To  be  kept  close  covered  ;  for  the  air 
softens  them.  The  liquor  is  an  excellent  catsup  to  bs 
eaten  on  fish. 

Put  peppers  into  strong  salt  and  water,  until  they  become 
yellow  ;  then  turn  them  green  by  keeping  them  iii  warm 
salt  and  water,  siiifting  them  every  two  days.     Then  drain 


Till:    IKLCAL    nuCSEWIB  85 

them,  and  pour  scalding  vinegar  over  thcin.  A  bag  of 
niiistard-seed  is  an  inipi-ovenient.  It  there  is  moiLcr  in 
vinegar,  scald  and  strain  it. 

Cucumbers  should  be  in  weak  brine  three  or  four  days 
after  they  arc  jjicked  ;  then  tiicy  should  be  put  in  a  tin 
or  wooden  pail  of  clean  water,  and  kept  slightl}^  wami  in 
the  kitchen  corner  for  two  or  three  days.  Then  take  as 
much  vinegar  as  you  think  your  pickle  jar  will  hold  ;  scald 
it  with  pepper,  allspice,  mustard-seed,  flag-root,  horseradish, 
&c.,  if  you  happen  to  have  them;  half  of  them  will  spice 
the  pickles  very  well.  Tln-ow  in  a  bit  of  alum  as -big  as  a 
walnut ;  this  serves  to  make  pickles  hard.  Skim  the  vine- 
gar clean,  and  pour  it  scalding  hot  upon  the  cucumbers. 
Brass  vessels  are  not  healthy  for  preparing  anything  acid. 
Red  cabbages  need  no  other  pickling  than  scalding,  spiced 
vinegar  poured  upon  them,  and  suffered  to  remain  eight 
or  ten  days  before  you  eat  them.  Some  people  think  it 
improves  them  to  keep  them  in  salt  and  water  twenty-four 
hours  before  they  are  pickled. 

If  you  find  your  pickles  soft  and  insipid,  it  is  owing  to 
the  weakness  of  the  vinegar.  Throw  away  the  vinegar, 
(or  keep  it  to  clean  your  brass  kettles,)  then  cover  your 
pickles  with  strong,  scalding  vinegar,  into  which  a  little  all- 
spice, ginger,  horseradish  and  alum  have  been  thrown. 
By  no  means  omit  a  pretty  larre  bit  of  alum.  Pickles  at- 
tended to  in  this  way,  will  keep  for  years,  and  be  better 
and  better  every  year. 

Some  people  prefer  pickled  nasturtion-seed  to  capers. 
They  should  be  kept  several  days  after  they  are  gathered, 
and  then  covered  with  boiling  vinegar,  and  bottled  when 
cold.     They  are  not  fit  to  be  eaten  for  some  months. 

Martinoes  are  prepared  in  nearly  the  same  wMy  as  oth- 
er pickles.  The  salt  and  water  in  which  they  are  put,  two 
or  three  days  previous  to  pickling,  should  be  changed  eve- 
ry day ;  because  martinoes  are  very  apt  to  become  soft. 
No  spice  should  be  used  but  allspice,  cloves,  and  cinna- 
mon. The  martinoes  and  the  spice  should  be  scalded  in 
the  vinegar,  instead  of  pouring  the  vinegar  over  the  marti- 
Does. 


86  TUE  fhugal  housewife. 


BEER. 

Beer  is  a  good  family  drink.  A  handful  of  hops,  to  a 
pailful  of  water,  and  a  half-pint  of  molasses,  makes  good 
hop  beer.  Spruce  mixed  with  hops  is  pleasanter  than  hops 
alone.  Boxberry,  fever-bush,  sweet  fern,  and  horserad- 
ish make  a  good  and  liealthy  diet-drink.  The  winter  ev- 
ergreen, or  rheumatism  weed,  thrown  in,  is  very  beneficial 
to  humors.  Be  careful  and  not  mistake  kill-lamb  for  win- 
ter-evergreen ;  they  resemble  each  other.  Malt  mixed 
with  a  few  hops  makes  a  weak  kind  of  beer  ;  but  it  is  cool 
and  pleasant ;  it  needs  less  molasses  than  hops  alone.  The 
rule  is  about  the  same  for  all  beer.  Boil  the  ingredients 
two  or  three  hours,  pour  in  a  half-pint  of  molasses  to  a 
pailful,  while  the  beer  is  scalding  hot.  Strain  the  beer, 
and  when  about  lukewarm,  put  a  pint  of  hvely  yeast  to  a 
barrel.  Leave  the  bung  loose  till  the  beer  is  done  work- 
ing ;  you  can  ascertain  this  by  observing  when  the  froth 
subsides.  If  your  family  be  large,  and  the  beer  will  be 
drank  rapidly,  it  may  as  well  remain  in  the  barrel ;  but  if 
yo^.  family  be  small,  fill  what  bottles  you  have  with  it ;  it 
keeps  better  bottled.  A  raw  potato  or  two,  cut  up  and 
thrown  in,  while  the  ingredients  are  boiling,  is  said  to  make 
beer  spirited. 

Ginger  beer  is  made  in  the  following  proportions : — One 
cup  of  ginger,  one  pint  of  molasses,  one  pail  and  a  half  of 
watei,  and  a  cup  of  lively  yeast.  JMost  people  scald  the 
ginger  in  half  a  pail  of  water,  and  then  fill  it  up  with  a  pail- 
ful of  cold  ;  but  in  very  hot  weather  some  people  stir  it  up 
cold.  Yeast  must  not  be  put  in  till  it  is  cold,  or  nearly 
cold.  If  not  to  be  drank  within  twenty-four  hours,  it  must 
be  bottled  as  soon  as  it  works. 

Table  beer  should  be  drawn  off  into  stone  jug?,  with  a 
lump  of  white  sugar  in  each,  securely  corked.  It  is  briijk 
and  pleasant,  and  continues  good  several  months. 


Potato  cheese  is  much  sought  after  in  various  parts  of 
Europe.     ?  do  not  know  whether  it  is  worth  seeking  after, 


THE    FRUGAL    HOtSEWlFE.  67 

or  not.  The  following  Is  tlie  receipt  for  making  : — Select 
good  white  potatoes,  boil  them,  and,  when  cold,  peel  and 
rednce  them  to  a  pulp  with  a  rasp  or  mortar  ;  to  five  pounds 
of  this  pnlp.  wliich  must  be  very  uniform  and  homogene- 
ous, add  a  pint  of  sour  milk  and  the  requisite  portion  of 
salt  J  knead  tlie  whole  well,  cover  it,  and  let  it  remain 
three  or  four  days,  according  to  the  season  ;  then  knead 
it  afresh,  and  place  the  cheeses  in  small  baskets,  when  they 
will  part  with  their  superfluous  moisture  ;  dry  them  in  the 
shade,  and  place  them  in  layers  in  large  pots  or  kegs,  where 
they  may  remain  a  fortnight.  The  older  they  are,  the  finer 
they  become. 

This  cheese  has  the  advantage  of  never  engendering 
worms,  and   of  being  preserved    fresh    for  many  years, 
provided  it  is  kept  in  a  dry  place,  and  in  well  closed  ves 
sels. 


GENERAL  MAXIMS  FOR  HEALTH. 

Rise  early.  Eat  simple  food.  Take  plenty  of  exer- 
cise. Never  fear  a  little  fatigue.  Let  not  children  be 
dressed  in  tig!;t  clothes ;  it  is  necessary  their  limbs  and 
muscles  should  have  full  play,  if  you  wish  for  either  health 
or  beauty. 

Avoid  the  necessity  of  a  pliysician,  if  you  can,  by  care 
ful  attention  to  your  diet.  Eat  what  best  agrees  with  your 
system,  and  resolutely  abstain  from  what  hurts  you,  how- 
ever well  you  may  like  it  A  few  days'  abstinence,  and 
cold  water  for  a  beverage,  has  driven  off  many  an  approach- 
ing disease. 

ff  you  find  yourself  really  ill,  send  for  a  good  physician. 
Have  nothing  to  do  with  quacks ;  and  do  not  tamper  with 
quack  medicines.  You  do  not  know  what  they  are ;  and 
what  security  have  you  that  they  know  what  they  are  ? 

Wear  sjioes  drat  are  large  enough.     It  not  only  produces 
corns,  but  makes  the  feet  misshapen,  to  cramp  them. 
8* 


88  GENEHAt,    MAXIMS    FOR    HEALTH. 

Wash  very  often,  and  rub  the  skin  thoroughly  with  a 
hard  brush. 

Let  those  who  love  to  be  invalids  drink  strong  green  tea 
eat  pickles,  preserves,  and  rich  pastry.  As  far  as  possible, 
eat  and  sleep  at  regular  hours. 

Wash  the  eyes  thoroughly  in  cold  water  every  morning. 
Do  not  read  or  sew  at  twilight,  or  by  too  dazzling  a  light. 
If  far-sighted,  read  with  rather  less  light,  and  v.ith  the  book 
somewhat  nearer  to  the  eye,  than  you  desire.  If  near- 
sighted, read  with  a  book  as  far  off  as  possible.  Both  these 
'mpcrfections  may  be  diminished  in  this  way. 

Clean  teeth  in  pure  water  two  or  three  times  a  day  ; 
but,  above  all,  be  sure  to  have  them  clean  before  you  go  to 
bed. 

Have  your  bed-chamber  well  aired  ;  and  have  fresh  bed 
linen  every  week.  Never  have  the  wind  blowing  directly 
upon  you  from  open  windows  during  the  night.  It  is  not 
healthy  to  sleep  in  heated  rooms. 

Let  children  have  their  bread  and  milk  before  they  ha^-e 
been  long  up.  Cold  water  and  a  run  in  the  fresh  air  be- 
fore breakfast. 

Too  frequent  use  of  an  ivory  comb  injures  the  hair. 
Thorough  combing,  washing  in  suds,  or  N.  E.  rum,  and 
thorough  brushing,  will  keep  it  in  order ;  and  the  washing 
does  not  injure  the  hair,  as  is  generally  supposed.  Keep 
children's  hair  cut  close  until  ten  or  twelve  years  old  ;  it 
is  better  for  heahh  and  the  beauty  of  the  hair.  Do  not 
sleep  with  hair  frizzled,  or  braided.  Do  not  make  children 
cross-eyed,  by  having  hair  hang  about  their  foreheads,  where 
they  see  it  continually. 


HINTS 


PERSONS  OF  MODERATE  FORTUNE 


[rirST  PUBLISHED    in   THE  UASSACHU3CTTS  jouanAi_| 


When  clouds  nre  seen,  wise  men  put  on  their  cloaks. — SHAKsrcAaa 


FURNITURE 


The  prevailing  evil  of  the  present  day  is  extravagance. 
I  know  very  v/ell  that  the  old  are  too  prone  to  preach  about 
modern  degeneracy,  whether  they  have  cause  or  not ;  but, 
laugh  as  we  may  at  the  sage  advice  of  our  fathers,  it  is  too 
plain  that  our  present  expensive  habits  are  productive  of 
mucli  domestic  unliappiness,  and  injurious  to  public  pros- 
perity.  Our  weahhy  people  copy  all  the  foolish  and  ex- 
travagant caprice  of  European  fashion,  without  considering 
tliat  we  have  not  their  laws  of  inheritance  among  us  ;  and 
that  our  frequent  changes  of  policy  render  property  far 
more  precarious  here  than  in  the  old  world.  However,  it 
is  not  to  the  rich  I  would  speak.  They  have  an  undoubt- 
ed right  to  spend  their  thousands  as  they  please  ;  and  if 
tliey  spend  them  ridiculously,  it  is  consoling  to  reflect  that 
they  must,  in  some  way  or  other,  benefit  the  poorer  classes. 
People  of  moderate  fortunes  have  likewise  an  unquestion- 
ed right  to  dispose  of  their  hundreds  as  they  please  ;  but  I 
would  ask.  Is  it  wise  to  risk  your  happiness  in  a  foolish  at- 
tempt to  keep  up  with  the  opulent  f    Of  what  xise  is  the  ef- 


90  HINTS    TO    PERS0N3 

fort  which  lakes  so  much  of  your  time,  and  all  of  your  in 
come  ?  Nay,  if  any  unexpected  change  in  affairs  sliould  de- 
prive you  of  a  few  yearly  hundreds,  you  will  find  your  ex- 
penses have  exceeded  your  income  ;  thus  the  foundation  of 
an  accumulating  deht  will  be  laid,  and  your  family  will  have 
formed  habits  but  poorly  calculated  to  save  you  from  the 
du'eatened  ruin.  Not  one  valuable  friend  will  be  gained 
by  living  beyond  your  means,  and  old  age  will  be  left  to 
comparative,  if  not  to  utter  poverty. 

There  is  nothing  in  which  the  extravagance  of  the  pres- 
ent day  strikes  me  so  forcibly  as  the  manner  in  which  our 
young  people  of  moderate  fortune  furnish  their  houses. 

A  few  weeks  since,  I  called  upon  a  farmer's  daughter, 
who  had  lately  married  a  young  physician  of  moderate  tal- 
ents, and  destitute  of  fortune.  Her  father  had  given  her, 
at  her  marriage,  all  he  ever  expected  to  give  her :  viz.  two 
thousand  dollars.  Yet  the  lower  part  of  her  house  was  fur- 
nished with  as  much  splendor  as  we  usually  find  among  the 
wealthiest.  The  whole  two  thousand  had  been  expended 
upon  Brussels  carpets,  alabaster  vases,  mahogany  chairs, 
and  marble  tables.  I  afterwards  learned  that  the  more 
useful  household  utensils  had  been  forgotten ;  and  that,  a 
few  weeks  after  her  wedding,  she  was  actually  obliged  to 
apply  to  her  husband  for  money  to  purchase  baskets,  iron 
spoons,  clothes-lines,  8ic. ;  and  her  husband,  made  irritable 
by  the  want  of  money,  pettishly  demanded  why  she  had 
bought  so  many  things  they  did  not  want.  Did  the  doctor 
gain  any  patients,  or  she  a  single  friend,  by  offering  their 
visiters  water  in  richly-cut  glass  tumblers,  or  serving  them 
with  costly  damask  napkins,  instead  of  plain  soft  towels? 
No ;  their  foolish  vanity  made  them  less  happy,  and  no  more 
respectable. 

Had  the  young  lady  been  content  with  Kidderminster 
carpets,  and  tasteful  vases  of  her  own  making,  she  might 
have  put  one  thousand  dollars  at  interest ;  and  had  she  ob- 
'  tained  six  per  cent.,  it  would  have  clothed  her  as  well  as 
the  wife  of  any  man,  who  depends  merely  upon  his  own  m- 
dustry,  ought  to  be  clothed.  This  would  have  saved  much 
domestic  disquiet  j  for,  after  all,  human  nature  is  human 


OF    MODER.VTE    FORTUNE.  91 

nature ;    and  a  wife  is  never  better  beloved,  because  she 
teases  for  money. 


EDUCATION  OF  DAUGHTERS. 

There  is  no  subject  so  much  connected  with  individu- 
al happiness  and  national  prosperity  as  the  education  of 
daughters.  It  is  a  true,  and  therefore  an  old  remark,  that 
tlie  situation  and  prospects  of  a  country  may  be  justly  es- 
timated by  the  character  of  its  women  ;  and  we  all  know 
how  hard  it  is  to  en2;raft  upon  a  woman's  character  habits 
and  principles  to  which  she  was  unaccustomed  m  her  gu'l- 
ish  davs.  It  is  always  extremely  difficult,  and  sometimes 
utterly  impossible.  Is  the  present  education  of  young  la- 
dies likely  to  contribute  to  their  own  ultimate  happiness,  or 
to  the  welfare  of  the  country  ?  There  are  many  honorable 
exceptions ;  but  we  do  think  the  general  tone  of  female 
education  is  bad.  The  greatest  and  most  universal  error 
is,  teaching  girls  to  exaggerate  the  importance  of  getting 
married  ;  and  of  course  to  place  an  undue  importance  up- 
on the  polite  attentions  of  gentlemen.  It  was  but  a  few 
days  smce,  1  heard  a  pretty  and  sensible  girl  say,  'Did  you 
ever  see  a  man   so   ridiculously  fond  of  his   daughters  as 

Mr. ?     He  is  all  the  time  with  them.     The  other  night, 

at  the  party,  I  went  and  took  Anna  away  by  mere  force  ; 
for  I  knew  she  must  feel  dreadfully  to  have  her  father  wait- 
ing upon  her  all  the  time,  while  die  other  girls  were  talking 
with  die  beaux.'  And  another  young  friend  of  mine  said, 
with  an  air  most  laughably  serious,  '  1  don't  think  Harriet 
and  Julia  enjoyed  themselves  at  all  last  night.  Don't  you 
think,  nobody  but  their  brother  offered  to  hand  them  to  die 
supper-room  ?' 

That  a  mother  should  wish  to  see  her  daughters  happily 
married,  is  natural  and  proper ;  that  a  young  lady  should 
be  pleased  vvitli  polite  attentions  is  likewise  natural  and  in- 
Docent;  but  this  undue   anxiety,  tills  foolish  excitement 


$2  HINTS    TO    PERSONS 

about  showing  off  the  attentions  of  somebody,  no  matter 
whom,  is  attended  with  consequences  seriously  injurious.  It 
promotes  envy  and  rivalship;  it  leads  our  young  girls  to 
spend  their  time  between  the  public  streets,  the  ball  room, 
and  the  toilet ;  and,  worst  of  all,  it  leads  them  to  contract 
engagements,  without  any  knowledge  of  their  own  hearts, 
merely  for  the  sake  of  being  married  as  soon  as  their  com- 
panions. When  married,  they  find  themselves  ignorant  of 
the  important  duties  of  domestic  life  ;  and  its  quiet  pleas- 
ures soon  grow  tiresome  to  minds  worn  out  by  frivolous 
excitements.  If  they  remain  unmarried,  their  disappoint- 
ment and  discontent  are,  of  course,  in  proportion  to  their 
exaggerated  idea  of  the  eclat  attendant  upon  having  a  lov- 
er. The  evil  increases  in  a  startling  ratio  ;  for  these  girls. 
so  injudiciously  educated,  will,  nine  times  out  of  ten,  make 
injudicious  mothers,  aun*^s,  and  friends;  thus  follies  will  be 
accumulated  unto  the  third  and  fourth  generation.  Young 
ladies  should  be  taught  that  usefulness  is  happiness,  and 
that  all  other  things  are  but  incidental.  With  regard  to 
matrimonial  speculations,  they  should  be  taught  nothing  [ 
Leave  the  affections  to  nature  and  to  truth,  and  all  will 
end  well.  How  many  can  I  at  this  moment  recollect,  who 
have  made  themselves  unhappy  by  marrying  for  the  sake 
of  the  name  of  being  married  !  How  many  do  I  know,  who 
have  been  instructed  to  such  watchfulness  in  the  game,  that 
they  have  lost  it  by  trumping  their  own  tricks  ! 

One  great  cause  of  the  vanity,  extravagance  and  idle- 
ness that  are  so  fast  growing  upon  our  young  ladies,  is  the 
absence  of  domestic  education.  By  domestic  education,  1 
do  not  mean  the  sending  daughters  into  the  kitchen  some 
half  dozen  times,  to  weary  the  patience  of  the  cook,  and  to 
boast  of  it  the  next  day  in  the  parlor.  I  mean  tv»o  or  three 
years  spent  with  a  mother,  assisting  her  in  her  duties,  in- 
structing brothers  and  sisters,  and  taking  care  of  their  own 
clothes.  This  is  the  way  to  make  them  happy,  as  well  as 
good  wives ;  for,  being  early  accustomed  to  the  duties  of 
hfe,  they  will  sit  lightly  as  well  as  gracefully  upon  them. 

But  what  time  do  modern  girls  have  for  the  formation 
of  quiet,  domestic  habits  .•*    Until  sixteen  they  go  to  school ; 


OF    MODERATE    FORTL'NE-  93 

sometimes  these  years  are  judiciousl}-  spent,  and  sometimes 
ihey  are  half  wasted  ;  too  often  they  are  spent  in  acquiring 
the  elements  of  a  thousand  sciences,  without  heing  thorough- 
ly acquainted  with  any  ;  or  in  a  variety  of  accomplishments 
of  very  doubtful  value  to  people  of  moderate  fortune.  As 
soon  as  they  leave  school,  (and  sometimes  before,)  they  be- 
trin  a  round  of  balls  and  parties,  and  staying  with  gay  young 
Iriends.  Dress  and  flattery  take  up  all  their  thouglits. 
What  time  have  they  to  learn  to  be  useful  ?  What  time 
nave  they  to  cultivate  the  still  and  gentle  affections,  which 
must,  in  every  situation  of  life,  have  such  an  important  ef- 
fect on  a  woman's  character  and  happiness  ? 

As  far  as  parents  can  judge  what  will  be  a  daughter's 
station,  education  should  be  adapted  to  it ;  but  it  is  well  to 
remember  that  it  is  always  easy  to  know  how  to  spend  rich- 
es, and  always  safe  to  know  how  to  bear  poverty. 

A  superficial  acquaintance  with  such  accomplishments 
as  music  and  drawing  is  useless  and  midesirable.  They 
should  not  be  attempted  unless  there  is  taste,  talen^,  and 
lime  enough  to  attain  excellence.  I  have  frequently  heard 
young  women  of  moderate  fortune  say,  '1  liave  not  opened 
my  piano  these  five  years.  I  wish  1  had  the  money  ex- 
pended upon  it.  If  1  had  employed  as  much  time  in  learn- 
ing useful  tilings,  I  should  have  been  better  fitted  for  the 
cares  of  my  family.' 

By  these  remarks  I  do  not  mean  to  discourage  an  atten- 
tion to  the  graces  of  life.  Gentility  and  taste  are  always 
lovely  in  all  situations.  But  good  things,  carried  to  ex- 
cess, are  often  productive  of  bad  consequences.  When  ac- 
complislnnents  and  dress  interfere  with  the  duties  and 
permanent  happiness  of  life,  they- are  unjustifiable  and 
displeasing  ;  but  where  there  is  a  solid  foundation  in 
mind  and  heart,  all  those  elegancies  are  but  becoming  or- 
naments. 

Some  are  likely  to  have  more  use  for  them  than  others ; 
and  they  are  justified  in  spending  more  time  and  money 
upon  them.  But  no  one  should  be  taught  to  consider  tiiem 
valuable  for  mere  parade  and  attraction.     Making  the  cd- 


94  HINTS    TO    PERSONS 

ucatJon  ol  girls  such  a  series  of  '  man-traps,'  makes  tlie 
whole  system  unhealthy,  by  poisoning  tlie  motive. 


In  tracing  evils  of  any  kind,  which  exist  in  society,  we 
must,  after  all,  be  brought  up  against  the  great  cause  of  all 
mischief — mismanagement  in  education  ;  and  this  remark 
applies  with  peculiar  force  to  the  leading  fault  of  the  pres- 
ent day,  viz.  extravagance.  It  is  useless  to  expend  oui 
ingenuity  in  purifying  the  stream,  unless  the  fountain  be 
cleansed.  If  young  men  and  young  wopjen  are  brought  up 
to  consider  frugality  contemptible,  and  industry  degrading, 
it  is  vain  to  expect  they  will  at  once  become  prudent  and 
useful,  when  the  cares  of  life  press  heavily  upon  them. 
Generally  speaking,  when  misfortune  comes  upon  those  who 
have  been  accustomed  to  thoughdess  expenditure,  it  sinks 
lliem  to  discouragement,  or,  what  is  worse,  drives  them  to 
desperation.  It  is  true  there  are  exceptions.  There  are 
a  iaw,  an  honorable  few,  who,  late  in  life,  with  Roman  se- 
verity of  resolution,  learn  the  long-neglecied  lesson  of  econ- 
omy. But  how  small  is  the  number,  compared  with  the 
whole  mass  of  the  population !  And  with  what  bitter  ago- 
ny, with  what  biting  humiliation,  is  the  hard  lesson  often  learn- 
ed! How  easily  might  it  have  been  engrafted  on  earJy 
habits,  and  naturally  and  gracefully  '  grown  with  tlieir 
gi'owth,  and  strengthened  with  their  strength  !' 

Yet  it  was  but  lately  that  I  visited  a  family,  not  of  'mod- 
erate fortune,'  but  of  no  fortune  at  all ;  one  of  those  peo- 
ple who  live  '  nobody  knows  how ;'  and  I  found  a  young 
girl,  about  sixteen,  practising  on  the  piano,  while  an  elder- 
ly lady  beside  her  was  darning  her  stockings.  I  was  told 
(for  the  moUier  was  proud  of  bringing  up  her  child  so  gen 
teelly)  that  the  daughter  had  almost  forgotten  how  to  sew , 
and  that  a  woman  was  hired  into  the  house  to  do  her  mend- 
ing !  '  But  why,'  said  I,  '  have  you  suffered  your  daughter 
to  be  ignorant  of  so  useful  an  employment?  If  she  is  poor, 
tlie  knowledge  will  be  necessary  to  her  ;  if  she  is  rich,  it 
is  llie  easiest  thing  in  the  world  to  lay  it  aside,  if  she 


OF    MODCRATi:    FORTUNE.  95 

chooses ;  sb.e  will  merely  be  a  better  judge  whether  her 
work  is  well  done  by  others.'  '  That  is  true,'  replied  the 
mother  ;  '  and  1  always  meant  she  should  learn  ;  but  she 
uever  has  seemed  to  have  any  time.  When  she  was  eight 
years  old,  she  could  put  a  shirt  together  pretty  well ;  but 
since  tliat,  her  music,  and  her  dancing,  and  her  school,  have 
taken  up  her  whole  time.  I  did  mean  she  should  learn 
some  domestic  habits  this  winter ;  but  she  has  so  many 
visiters,  and  is  obliged  to  go  out  so  much,  that  I  suppose  I 
must  give  it  up.  1  don't  like  to  say  too  much  about  it ; 
for,  poor  girl !  she  does  so  love  company,  and  she  does  so 
hate  anything  like  care  and  confinement !  JYow  is  her  time 
to  enjoy  herself,  you  know.  Let  her  take  all  the  comfort 
she  can,  while  she  is  single  1'  '  But,'  said  I, '  you  wish  her 
to  marry  some  time  or  other ;  and,  in  all  probability,  she 
will  marry.  When  will  she  learn  how  to  perform  the  du- 
ties, whicii  are  necessary  and  important  to  every  mistress 
of  a  family  ?'  '  Oh,  she  will  learn  them  when  she  is  obliged 
to,'  answered  the  injudicious  mother ;  '  at  all  events,  I  am 
determined  she  shall  enjoy  herself  while  she  is  young.' 

And  this  is  the  way  1  have  often  heard  mothers  talk ' 
Yet,  could  parents  foresee  the  almost  inevitable  consequen- 
ces of  such  a  system,  I  beheve  the  weakest  and  vainest 
would  abandon  the  false  and  dangerous  theory.  What  a 
lesson  is  taught  a  girl  in  tliat  sentence,  '  Let  her  enjoy  her- 
self all  she  can,  xchile  she  is  single  .''  Instead  of  represent- 
ing domestic  life  as  the  gathering  place  of  the  deepest  and 
purest  aFections ;  as  the  sphere  of  woman's  enjoyments  as 
well  as  of  her  duties  ;  as,  indeed,  the  whole  world  to  her  ; 
that  one  pernicious  sentence  teaches  a  girl  to  consider  mat- 
rimony desirable  because  '  a  good  match'  is  a  triumph  of 
vanity,  and  it  is  deemed  respectable  to  be  'well  settled  in 
the  world  ;'  but  that  it  is  a  necessary  sacrifice  of  her  free- 
dom and  her  gayety.  And  then  how  many  affectionate 
dispositions  have  been  trained  into  heardcssness,  by  being 
taught  that  the  indulgence  of  indolence  and  vanity  were  ne- 
cessary to  their  hap})incss ;  and  that  to  have  this  indul- 
gence, they  must  marry  money  !  But  who  that  marries  for 
Mioney,  in  this  land  of  precarious  fortunes,  can  tell  how 


90  HINTS    TO    PERSONS 

soon  ihcy  will  lose  the  glittering  temptation,  to  which  they 
have  been  willing  to  srx'iiiice  so  much  ?  And  even  if  riches 
last  as  long  as  lile,  the  evil  is  not  remedied.  Education 
lias  given  a  wrong  end  and  aim  to  their  whole  existence; 
they  have  been  taught  to  look  lor  happiness  where  it  never 
can  be  found,  viz.  in  the  absence  of  all  occnpntion,  or  the 
unsatisfactory  and  ruinous  excitement  of  foslnonable  com- 
Detidon. 

The  difficulty  is,  education  does  not  usually  point  tlje 
female  heart  to  its  only  true  resting-place.  That  dear  Eng- 
lish word  '■home,''  is  not  half  so  povvcrful  a  talisman  as  '  the 
xvorJd.''  Instead  of  the  salutary  truth,  that  happiness  is  in 
duty,  they  are  taught  to  consider  the  two  things  totally  dis- 
tinct ;  and  that  whoever  seeks  one,  must  sacrifice  the  other 

The  fact  is,  our  girls  have  no  home  education.  When 
quite  young,  they  are  sent  to  schools  where  no  feminine 
employments,  no  domestic  hahits,  can  be  learned  ;  and 
there  they  continue  till  they  '  come  out'  into  the  world. 
After  this,  {e\\  find  any  time  to  arrange,  and  make  use  of, 
the  mass  of  elementary  knowledge  they  have  acquired  j 
and  fewer  still  have  either  leisure  or  taste  for  the  inelegant, 
every-day  duties  of  life.  Thus  prepared,  they  enter  upoz) 
matrimony.  Those  early  habits,  which  would  have  made 
domestic  care  a  light  and  easy  task,  have  never  been  taught, 
for  fear  it  v.-ould  interrupt  their  happiness  ;  and  the  result 
is,  lliat  when  cares  come,  as  come  they  must,  they  lind 
them  misery.  I  am  convinced  thatindifi'erence  and  dislike 
between  husband  and  wife  are  more  frequently  occasioned 
by  this  great  error  in  education,  than  by  any  other  cause. 

The  bride  is  awakened  from  her  delightful  dream,  in 
which  carpets,  vases,  sofas,  white  gloves,  and  pearl  ear- 
rings, are  oddly  jum.bled  up  vmhher  lover's  looks  and  prom- 
ises. Perhaps  she  would  be  surprised  if  she  knew  exactly 
liow  much  of  the  fascination  of  being  engaged  was  owing  to 
llie  aforesaid  inanimate  concern.  Be  that  as  it  will,  she  is 
awakened  by  the  unpleasant  conviction  that  cares  devolve 
upon  her.  And  what  effect  does  this  produce  upon  her 
character  ?  Do  the  holy  and  tender  hifluences  of  domestic 
love  render  self-denial  and  exertion  a  bliss  ?     No !  They 


OF    MODERATE    FOKTUNE.  97 

would  have  done  so,  liad  she  been  properly  educated  ;  Inil 
now  she  gives  way  to  unavailing  fretfjlacss  and  repining ; 
and  her  luisband  is  at  first  pained,  and  finally  di.sgusted,  by 
hearing,  '  I  never  knew  what  care  was  when  1  lived  in  my 
father's  house.'  '  If  I  were  to  live  my  life  over  again>  I 
would  remain  single  as  long  as  I  could,  widiout  the  risk  of 
being  an  old  maid.'  How  injudicious,  how  short-sighted 
is  the  policy,  which  thus  mars  the  whole  happiness  of  life, 
in  order  to  make  a  few  brief  years  more  gay  and  brilliant ! 
I  have  known  many  instances  of  domestic  ruin  and  discord 
produced  by  this  mistaken  indulgence  of  mothers.  I  nev- 
er knew  but  one,  where  the  viciiin  kud  moral  courage  enough 
to  change  all  her  early  habits.  She  was  a  young,  pretty, 
and  very  amiable  girl ;  but  brought  up  to  be  perfectly  use- 
less ;  a  rag  baby  would,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  have 
been  as  efficient  a  partner.  She  married  a  young  lawyer, 
without  property,  but  with  good  and  increasing  practice. 
She  meant  to  be  a  good  wife,  but  she  did  not  know  how. 
Her  wastefulness  involved  him  in  debt.  He  did  not  re- 
proach, though  he  tried  to  convince  and  instruct  her.  She 
loved  him  ;  and  weeping  rejilied, '  I  try  to  do  the  best  I  can ; 
but  when  I  lived  at  home,  mother  always  took  care  of  ev- 
erything.' Finally,  poverty  came  upon  him '  like  an  arm- 
ed man ;'  and  he  went  into  a  remote  town  in  the  Western 
States  to  teach  a  school.  His  wife  folded  her  hands,  and 
cried  ;  while  he,  weary  and  discouraged,  actually  came 
borne  from  school  to  cook  his  own  supper.  At  last,  his 
patience,  and  her  real  love  for  him,  impelled  her  to  exer- 
tion. She  promised  to  learn  to  be  useful,  if  he  would  teach 
lier.  And  she  did  learn  !  And  the  change  in  her  habits 
gradually  wrought  such  a  change  in  her  husband's  fortune, 
that  she  might  bring  her  daughters  up  in  idleness,  had  not 
experience  taught  her  that  economy,  like  grammar,  is  a 
rery  hard  and  tiresome  study,  after  we  are  twenty  years 
old. 

Perhaps  some  will  think  the  evils  of  which  I  have  been 
speaking  arc  confined  principally  to  the  rich  ;  but  1  am  con- 
vinced they  extend  to  all  classes  of  people.  All  n^anual  em- 
ployment 15  considered  degrading ;  and  those  who  are  coro 


98  HINTS    TO    PERSONS 

pelled  to  do  it,  try  to  conceal  it.  A  few  years  since,  very 
respectable  young  men  at  our  colleges,  cut  their  own  wood, 
and  blacked  their  own  shoes.  Now,  how  few,  even  of  the 
sons  of  plain  farmers  and  industrious  mechanics,  have  mor- 
al courage  enough  to  do  without  a  servant ;  yet  when  they 
leave  college,  and  come  out  into  the  battle  of  life,  they 
must  do  without  servants  ;  and  in  these  times  it  will  be  for- 
tunate if  one  half  of  them  get  what  is  called  '  a  decent  liv- 
ing,' even  by  rigid  economy  and  patient  toil.  Yet  I  would 
not  that  servile  and  laborious  employment  should  be  forced 
upon  the  young.  I  would  merely  have  each  one  educated 
according  to  his  probable  situation  in  life  ;  and  be  taught 
that  whatever  is  his  duty,  is  honorable  ;  and  that  no  mere- 
ly external  circumstance  can  in  reality  injure  true  dignity 
of  character.  I  would  not  cramp  a  boy's  energies  by  com- 
pelling him  always  to  cut  wood,  or  draw  water ;  but  I  would 
teach  him  not  to  be  ashamed,  should  his  companions  hap- 
pen to  find  him  doing  either  one  or  the  other.  A  few 
days  since,  I  asked  a  grocer's  lad  to  bring  home  some  ar 
ticles  I  had  just  purchased  at  his  master's.  The  bundle 
was  large;  he  was  visibly  reluctant  to  take  it;  and  wished 
very  much  that  I  should  send  for  it.  This,  however,  was 
impossible ;  and  he  subdued  his  pride  ;  but  when  I  asked 
him  to  take  back  an  empty  bottle  which  belonged  to  the 
store,  he,  with  a  mortified  look,  begged  me  to  do  it  up  neat- 
ly in  a  paper,  that  it  might  look  like  a  sm.all  package.  Is 
this  boy  likely  to  be  happier  for  cherishing  a  foolish  pride, 
which  will  forever  be  jarring  against  his  duties  ?  Is  he  in 
reality  one  whit  more  respectable  than  the  industrious  lad 
who  sweeps  stores,  or  carries  bottles,  without  troubling  him- 
self with  the  idea  that  all  the  world  is  observing  his  little  un- 
important self?  For,  in  relation  to  the  rest  of  the  world, 
each  individual  is  unimportant ;  and  he  alone  is  wise  who 
forms  his  habits  accordmg  to  his  own  wants,  his  own  pros- 
pects, and  his  ov/n  principles. 


OF    MODERATE    FORTUNE.  9* 


TRAVELLING  AND   PUBLIC   AMUSEMENTS. 

There  is  one  kind  of  extravagance  rapidly  increasing  in 
this  country,  which,  in  its  effects  on  our  purses  and  our  hab- 
its, is  one  of  the  worst  kinds  of  extravagance  ;  1  mean  the 
rage  for  travelling,  and  for  public  amusements.  The  good 
old  home  habits  of  our  ancestors  are  breaking  up — it  will 
be  well  if  our  virtue  and  our  freedom  do  not  follov/  them  ! 
It  is  easy  to  laugh  at  such  prognostics, — and  we  are  well 
aware  that  the  virtue  we  preacli  is  considered  almost  obso- 
lete,— but  let  any  reflecting  mind  inquire  how  decay  has 
begun  in  all  republics,  and  then  let  them  calmly  ask  them- 
selves whether  we  are  in  no  danger,  in  departing  thus  rap- 
idly from  tlie  simplicity  and  industry  of  our  forefathers. 

Nations  do  not  plunge  at  once  into  ruin — governments 
do  not  change  suddenly — the  causes  which  bring  about  the 
final  blow,  are  scarcely  perceptible  in  the  beginning ;  but 
they  increase  in  numbers,  and  in  power;  they  press  hard- 
er and  harder  upon  the  energies  and  virtue  of  a  people  j  and 
the  last  steps  only  are  alarmingly  hurried  and  irregular.  A 
republic  without  industry,  economy,  and  integrity,  is  Sam- 
son shorn  of  his  locks.  A  luxurious  and  idle  republic! 
Look  at  the  phrase ! — The  words  were  never  made  to  be 
married  together ;  every  body  sees  it  would  be  death  to 
one  of  them. 

And  are  not  we  becoming  luxurious  and  idle  ?  Look  at 
our  steamboats,  and  stages,  and  taverns '  There  you  will 
6nd  mechanics,  who  have  left  Jebts  and  employment  to 
take  care  of  themselves,  while  they  go  to  take  a  peep  at 
the  great  canal,  or  the  opera-dancers.  There  you  wii^ 
find  domestics  all  agog  for  their  wagcs-worUi  of  travelling  j 
why  should  they  look  out  for  '  a  rainy  day  ?'  There  are 
hospitals  enough  to  provide  for  them  in  sickness ;  and  as 
for  marrying,  they  have  no  idea  of  that,  till  they  can  find 
a  man  who  will  support  them  genteelly.  There  you  will 
find  mothers,  who  have  left  the  children  at  home  witli 
Betsey,  while  they  go  to  improve  their  minds  at  the  Moun 
tain  House,  or  the  Springs. 
9» 


100  HINTS    TO    rERSONS 

If  only  the  rlcli  did  this,  all  would  be  well.  Th&y  ben- 
efit others,  and  do  not  injure  themselves.  In  any  situation, 
idleness  is  their  curse,  and  uneasiness  is  the  tax  they  must 
pay  for  affluence  ;  but  their  restlessness  is  as  great  a  ben- 
efit to  the  community  as  the  motions  of  Prince  Esterhazy, 
when  at  every  stej)  the  pearls  drop  i'rom  his  coat. 

People  of  moderate  fortune  have  just  as  good  a  right  to 
travel  as  the  weakhy  ;  but  is  it  not  unwise  ?  Do  they  not 
injure  themselves  and  their  families  ?  You  say  travelling 
is  cheap.  So  is  staying  at  liorne.  Besides,  do  you  count 
all  the  costs  ? 

The  money  you  pay  for  stages  and  steamboats  is  the 
smallest  of  the  items.  There  are  clothes  bought  which 
would  not  otherwise  be  bought ;  those  clothes  are  worn 
out  and  defaced  twenty  times  as  quick  as  the/  would  have 
been  at  home ;  children  are  perhaps  left  with  domestics,  or 
strangers ;  their  healih  and  morals,  to  say  the  least,  undei 
very  uncertain  influence  ;  your  substance  is  wasted  in  your 
absence  by  those  who  hmve  no  self-interest  to  prompt  them 
to  carefulness ;  you  form  an  acquaintance  with  a  multitude 
of  people,  who  will  be  sure  to  take  your  house  in  their 
R-ay,  when  they  travel  next  year ;  and  finally,  you  become 
so  accustomed  to  excitement,  that  home  appears  insipid, 
and  it  requires  no  small  effort  to  return  to  the  quiet  routine 
of  your  duties.  And  what  do  you  get  in  return  for  all  this  } 
Some  pleasant  scenes,  which  will  soon  seem  to  you  like  a 
dream ;  some  pleasant  faces,  which  you  will  never  see 
again ;  and  much  of  crowd,  and  toil,  and  dust,  and  bustle. 

I  once  knew  a  family  which  formed  a  striking  illustration 
of  my  remarks.  The  man  was  a  farmer,  and  his  wife  was 
an  active,  capable  woman,  with  more  of  ambition  than 
sound  policy.  Being  in  debt,  they  resolved  to  take  fash- 
ionable boarders  from  Boston,  during  ihe  summer  season. 
These  boarders,  at  the  time  of  their  arrival,  were  project- 
ing a  Jaunt  to  the  Springs ;  and  they  talked  of  Lake  George 
crystals,  and  Canadiaa  music,  and  EngUsh  officers,  and 
*  dark  blue  Ontario,'  with  its  beautiful  little  brood  of  lake- 
lets, as  Wordsworth  would  call  them  ;  and  how  one  lady 
was  dressed  superbly  at  Saratoga ;  and  how  another  was 


OF  MODERATE  FORTUNE.  101 

scandalized  for  always  happening  to  drop  her  fiin  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  the  weahhiest  beaux.  All  this  fired  the  quiet  im- 
agination of  the  good  fanner's  wife  ;  and  no  .sooner  had  tiie 
boarders  departed  to  enjoy  themselves  in  sp!\e  of  heat,  and 
dust,  and  fever-and-ague,  than  she  state^'  uer  determina- 
tion to  follow  them.  '  Why  have  we  not  as  good  a  right  to 
travel,  as  they  have  r'  said  she;  '  they  have  paid  us  money 
enough  to  go  to  Niagara  with  ;  and  it  really  is  a  shame 
for  people  to  live  and  die  so  ignorant  of  their  own  country.' 
'  But  then  we  want  the  money  to  pay  for  that  stock,  which 
turned  out  unlucky,  you  know.'  '  Oh,  that  can  be  done 
next  summer  ;  we  can  always  get  boarders  enough,  and 
those  that  will  pay  handsomely.  Give  the  man  a  mortgage 
of  the  house,  to  keep  him  quiet  till  next  summer.'  '  But 
what  will  you  do  with  the  children  ?'  '  Sally  is  a  very  smart 
girl ;  I  am  sure  she  will  take  as  good  care  of  them  as  if  ) 
were  at  home.' 

To  make  a  long  story  short,  the  farmer  and  his  wife  con- 
cluded to  go  to  Quebec,  just  to  show  they  had  a  right  to 
put  themselves  to  inconvenience,  if  they  pleased.  They 
went ;  spent  all  their  money ;  had  a  watch  stolen  from  them 
in  the  steamboat ;  were  dreadfully  sea-sick  off  Point  Judith ; 
came  home  tired,  and  dusty  ;  found  the  babe  sick,  because 
Sally  had  stood  at  the  door  with  it,  one  chilly,  damp  morn- 
tng,  while  she  was  feeding  the  chickens ;  and  the  eldest 
girl  screaming  and  screeching  at  the  thoughts  of  going  to 
bed,  because  Sally,  in  order  to  bring  her  under  her  author- 
ity, had  told  her  a  frightful  '  raw-hcad-and-bloody-bones' 
story ;  the  horse  had  broken  into  the  garden,  and  made 
wretched  work  with  the  vegetables ;  and  fifty  pounds  of 
butter  had  become  fit  for  the  grease-pot,  because  the  hoops 
of  the  firkin  had  sprung,  and  Sally  had  so  much  to  do,,  that 
she  never  thought  of  going  to  see  whether  the  butter  was 
covered  with  brine.  « 

After  six  or  eight  weeks,  the  children  were  pretty  well 
restored  to  orderly  habits;  and  the  wife,  being  really  a  not- 
able and  prudent  woman,  resolved  to  make  up  for  her  lost 
butter  and  vegetables,  by  doing  without  help  through  the 
winter.     When  summer  came,  they  should  have  boarders, 


f02  HINTS    TO    PERSONS 

she  said  ;  and  sure  enough,  tliey  had  hoarders  in  plenty 
but  not  profitable  ones.  There  were  forty  cousins,  at 
whose  houses  they  had  stopped  ;  and  twenty  peo))le  who  had 
been  very  polite  to  them  on  the  way  ;  and  it  being  such  a 
pleasant  season,  and  travelling  so  cheap,  every  one  of  these 
people  felt  they  had  a  right  to  take  a  journey  ;  and  they 
could  not  iielp  passing  a  day  or  two  with  their  friends  at 
the  farm.  One  after  anodier  came,  till  the  farmer  could 
bear  it  no  longer.  '  1  tell  you  what,  wife,'  said  he,  '  1  am 
going  to  jail  as  fast  as  a  man  can  go.  If  there  is  no  other 
way  of  putting  a  stop  to  this,  I'll  sell  every  bed  in  the  house, 
except  the  one  we  sleep  on.' 

And  sure  enough,  he  actually  did  this ;  and  when  the 
forty-first  cousin  came  down  on  a  friendly  visit,  on  account 
of  what  her  other  cousins  had  told  her  about  the  cheapness 
of  travelling,  she  was  told  they  should  be  very  happy  to 
sleep  on  the  floor,  for  the  sake  of  accommodating  her,  for 
a  night  or  two  ;  but  the  truth  was,  they  had  but  one  bed  in 
tlie  house.  This  honest  couple  are  now  busy  in  payirg 
off  their  debts,  and  laying  by  something  for  their  old  age. 
He  facetiously  tells  how  he  went  to  New  York  to  have  his 
watch  stolen,  and  his  boots  blacked  like  a  looking  glass  ; 
and  sl)e  shows  her  Lake  George  diamond  ring,  and  tells  how 
die  steamboat  was  crowded,  and  how  afraid  she  v/as  the 
boi'-T  would  burst,  and  always  ends  by  saying, '  After  all,  ii 
was  a  toil  of  p.'^aure.' 

However,  it  is  not  our  farmers,  who  are  in  the  greatest 
danger  of  this  species  of  extravagance  ;  for  we  look  to  that 
class  of  people,  as  the  strongest  hold  of  republican  simpli- 
city, indusfy,  and  virtue.  It  is  from  adventurers,  swindlers, 
broken  dov/n  traders, — all  that  rapidly  increasing  class  of 
idlers,  too  genteel  to  work,  and  too  proud  to  beg, — that 
tve  have  mast  reason  to  dread  examples  of  extravagance. 
A  very  respectable  tavern-keoper  has  lately  been  driven 
to  establish  a  rule,  that  no  customer  shall  be  allowed  to 
rise  from  the  table  till  he  pays  for  his  meal.  '  I  know  it  is 
rude  to  give  such  orders  to  honest  men,'  said  he,  '  and 
three  years  ago  I  would  as  soon  cut  off  my  hand  as  have 
done  it ;  but  now,  travelling  is  so  cheap,  that  all  sorts  of 


OF  iMODERATF.  FORTUNE.  103 

characters  arc  on  the  move  ;  and  I  find  more  than  half  of 
tliem  will  get  away,  if  they  can,  without  paying  a  cent.' 

With  regard  to  public  amusements,  it  is  still  worse. 
Rope-dancers,  and  opera-dancers,  and  all  sorts  of  dancers, 
go  through  the  country,  making  tliousands  as  they  go, 
while,  from  high  to  low,  there  is  one  universal,  despairing 
groan  of '  hard  limes,'  '  dreadful  gloomy  times  !' 

These  tilings  ought  not  to  be.  People  who  have  little 
to  spend,  should  partake  sparingly  of  useless  amusements; 
those  who  are  in  debt  should  deny  themselves  entirely. 
Let  me  not  be  supposed  to  inculcate  exclusive  doctrines. 
I  would  have  every  species  of  enjoyment  as  open  to  the 
poor  as  to  the  rich  ;  but  I  would  have  people  consider  well 

«  how  they  are  likely  to  obtain  the  greatest  portion  of  happi- 
ness, taking  the  whole  of  their  lives  into  view ;  I  would  not 
have  them  sacrifice  permanent  respectability  and  comfort 
to  present  gentility  and  love  of  excitement ;  above  all,  I 
caution  them  to  beware  that  this  love  of  excitement  does  not 

•  grow  into  a  habit,  till  the  fireside  becomes  a  dull  place,  and 
The  gambling  table  and  the  bar-room  finish  what  the  theatre 
began. 

If  men  would  have  women  economical,  they  must  be  so 
themselves.  What  motive  is  tliere  for  patient  industry, 
and  careful  economy,  when  the  savings  of  a  mondi  are 
spent  at  one  trip  to  Nahant,  and  more  than  the  value  of  a 
much  desired,  but  rejected  dress,  is  expended  during  the 
stay  of  a  new  set  of  comedians  ?  We  make  a  great  deal 
of  talk  about  being  republicans ;  if  we  are  so  in  reality,  we 
shall  stay  at  home,  to  mind  our  business,  and  educate  our 
children,  so  long  as  one  or  the  other  need  our  attention,  or 
can  suffer  by  our  neglect. 


104  HINTS    TO    PEKS0N3 


PHILOSOPHY   AND   CONSISTENCY, 

Among  all  tiic  fine  things  IMrs.  Barbauld  wrote,  she  nev- 
er wrote  anything  better  than  lier  essay  on  the  Inconsis- 
tency of  Hmnan  Expectations.  '  Everything,'  says  she, 
'  is  marked  at  a  settled  price.  Our  time,  our  labor,  our 
ingenuity,  is  so  much  ready  money,  which  we  are  to  lay 
out  to  the  best  advantage.  Examine,  compare,  choose,  re- 
ject;  but  stand  to  your  own  judgment;  and  do  not,  like 
children,  when  you  have  purchased  one  thing,  repine  that 
you  do  not  possess  another,  which  you  wi'^'d  not  purchase. 
Would  you  be  rich  ?  Do  you  think  thai  the  single  point 
worth  sacrificing  everything  else  to?  You  may  then  be 
rich.  Thousands  have  become  so  from  the  lowest  begin- 
nmgs  by  toil,  and  diligence,  and  attention  to  the  minutest 
articles  of  expense  and  profit.  But  you  must  give  up  the 
pleasures  of  leisure,  of  an  unembarrassed  mind,  and  of  a 
free,  unsusjiicious  temper.  You  must  learn  to  do  hard,  if 
not  unjust  things ;  and  as  for  the  embarrassment  of  a  deli- 
rate  and  ingenuous  spirit,  it  is  necessary  for  you  to  get  rid 
of  it  as  fast  as  possible.  You  must  not  stop  to  enlarge 
your  mind,  polish  your  taste,  or  refine  your  sentiments  ; 
but  must  keej)  on  in  one  beaten  track,  without  turning  aside 
to  the  riglit  hand  or  the  left.  "  But,"  you  say,  "  I  cannot 
submit  to  drudgery  like  this  ;  I  feel  a  spirit  above  it."  'Tis 
well ;  be  above  it  then  ;  only  do  not  repine  because  you 
are  not  rich.  Is  knowledge  die  pearl  of  price  in  your  estima- 
tion ?  That  too  may  be  purchased  by  steady  ajiplication, 
aul  long,  solitary  hours  of  study  and  reflection.  "  But,"  says 
the  man  of  letters,  "  what  a  hardship  is  it  that  many  an 
illiterate  fellow,  who  cannot  construe  the  motto  on  his  coach, 
shall  raise  a  fortune,  and  make  a  figure,  while  1  possess 
merely  the  common  conveniences  of  life."  Was  it  lor  for- 
tune, then,  that  you  grew  pale  over  the  midnight  lamp,  and 
gave  the  sprightly  years  of  youth  to  study  and  reflection? 
You  then  have  mistaken  your  path,  and  ill  employed  your  in- 
dustry. "  What  reward  have  I  then  for  all  my  labor?"  What 


OF    MOD.-^RATS    FORTUXE.  105 

reward  !  A  large;  comprehensive  soul,  purged  from  vul- 
gar fears  and  prejudices,  able  to  interpret  the  works  of  man 
and  God.  A  perpetual  spring  of  fresh  ideas,  and  the  con- 
»<^ious  digaity  of  superior  intelligence.  Good  Heaven! 
Vv-hat  other  reward  can  you  ask  !  "  But  is  it  not  a  reproach 
upon  the  economy  of  Providence  that  such  a  one,  who  is 
a  mean,  dirty  fellow,  should  have  amassed  wealth  enough 

0  buy  half  a  nation  .^"  Not  in  the  least.  He  made  him- 
self a  mean,  dirty  fellow,  for  that  very  end.  He  has  paid 
his  health,  his  conscience,  and  his  liberty  for  it.  Do  you 
envy  him  liis  bargain?  Will  you  hang  your  liead  in  his 
presence,  because  he  outshines  you  in  equipage  and  show? 
Lift  up  your  brow  with  a  noble  confidence,  and  say  to  your- 
self, "  I  have  not  these  things,  it  is  true  ;  but  it  is  because 

1  have  not  desired,  or  sought  th.em  ;  it  is  hecause  I  possess 
something  better.  I  have  chosen  my  lot !  I  am  content, 
and  satisfied."  The  most  characteristic  mark  of  a  great 
mind  is  to  choose  some  one  object,  which  it  considers  im- 
portant, and  pursue  that  object  dirough  hfe.  If  we  expect 
llie  purchase,  we  must  pay  the  price.' 

'  There  is  a  pretty  passage  in  one  of  Lucian's  dialogues, 
where  Jupiter  complains  to  Cupid,  that,  though  he  has  had 
so  many  intrigues,  he  was  never  sincerely  beloved.  "In 
order  to  be  loved,"  says  Cupid,  "you  must  lay  aside  your 
(Egis  and  your  thunder-bolts ;  3'ou  must  curl  and  perfume 
your  hair,  and  place  a  garland  on  your  head,  and  walk  u'ith 
a  soft  step,  and  assume  a  winning,  obsequious  deportment." 
"  But,"  replied  Jupiter,  "  I  am  not  wiHing  to  resign  so 
much  of  my  dignity."  *'  Then,"  returned  Cupid,  "  leave 
off  desiring  to  be  loved."' 

These  remarks  by  Mrs.  Barbauld  are  full  of  sound  phi- 
losophy, \Viio  has  not  observed,  in  his  circle  of  acquaint- 
ance, and  in  the  recesses  of  his  own  heart,  the  same  m- 
consistency  of  expectation,  the  same  peevishness  of  discon- 
Vent. 

Says  Germanicus,  *  There  is  ray  dunce  of  a  classmate 
has  found  his  v/ay  into  Congress,  and  is  living  amid  the 
perpetual  excitement  of  intellectual  minds,  while  I  am 
cooped  up  in  an  ignorant  country  parish,  obliged  to  be  al 


105  HINTS    TO    PERSONS 

tlie  beck  and  call  of  every  old  woman,  who  happens  to  feel 
uneasy  in  her  mind.' 

'  Well,  Germaniciis,  i.he  road  to  political  distinction  was 
P';  open  to  you  as  to  him  ;  why  did  you  not  choose  it  ?' 
Oh,  I  could  not  consent  to  be  the  tool  of  a  party  ;  to  shake 
jjands  with  the  vicious,  and  flatter  fools.  It  would  gall  me 
to  the  quick  to  hear  my  opponents  accuse  me  of  actions  1 
never  committed,  and  of  motives  which  worlds  would  not 
tempt  me  to  indulge.'  Since  Germanicus  is  wise  enough 
to  know  the  whistle  costs  more  than  it  is  v/orth,  is  he  not 
unreasonable  to  murmur  because  he  has  not  bought  it  ? 

Matrona  always  w'cars  a  discontented  look  when  she 
hears  the  praises  of  Clio.  '  I  used  to  write  her  composition 
for  her,  when  we  were  at  school  together,'  says  she  ;  '  and 
now  she  is  quite  the  idol  of  the  literary  world  ;  while  1  am 
never  heard  of  beyond  my  own  family,  unless  some  one 
happens  to  introduce  me  as  the  friend  of  Clio.'  '  Why 
not  wTite,  then  ;  and  see  if  the  world  will  not  learn  to  intro- 
duce Clio  as  the  friend  of  Matrona  ?'  '  I  write  !  not  for  the 
world  !  I  could  not  endure  to  pour  my  soul  out  to  an  un- 
discerning  multitude ;  I  could  not  see  my  cherished 
thoughts  caricatured  by  some  soulless  reviewer,  and  my 
favorite  fancies  expounded  by  the  matter-of-fact  editor  of 
some  stupid  paper.'  Why  does  Matrona  envy  what  she 
knows  costs  so  much,  and  is  of  so  little  value  ? 

Yet  so  it  is,  thi'ough  all  classes  of  society.  All  of  us  cov- 
et some  neighbor's  possession,  and  think  our  lot  would 
have  been  happier,  had  it  been  different  from  what  it  is. 
Yet  most  of  us  could  obtain  worldly  distinctions,  if  our  hab- 
its and  inclinations  allowed  us  to  pay  the  immense  price  at 
which  they  must  be  purchased.  True  wisdom  lies  in  find- 
ing out  all  d^e  advantages  of  a  situadon  in  which  we  arc 
placed,  instead  of  imagining  the  enjoyments  of  one  in  which 
we  are  not  placed. 

Such  philosophy  is  rarely  found.  The  most  perfect 
sample  I  ever  met  was  an  old  woman,  who  was  apparent- 
ly die  poorest  and  most  forlorn  of  the  human  species — so 
true  is  the  maxim  which  all  profess  to  believe,  and  which 
none  act  upon  invariably,  viz.  that  happiness  does  not  de- 


OF    MODERATE    FORTUNE.  107 

pend  on  outward  circumstances.      Tlie  wise  woman,  to 
wliom  I  have  alluded,  wal/cs  to  Boston,  from  a  distance  of 
Iwenty-five  or  thirty  miles,  to  sell  a  bag  of  brown  thread  and 
stockings ;  and  then  patiently  foots  it  back  again  with  her 
little  gains-     Her  dress,  though  tidy,  is  a  grotesque  collec- 
tion of '  slireds  and  patches,'  coarse  in  die  extreme.     '  Why 
don't  you  come  down  in  a  wagon?'  said  I,  when  I  obser- 
vea  that  she  was  soon  to  become  a  mother,  and  was  evi- 
dendy  wearied  with  her  long  journey.     '  We  h'an't  got  any 
b.orse,'  replied  she;  '  the  neighbors  are  very  kind  to  me, 
but  they  can't  spare  their'n ;  and  it  would  cost  as  much  to 
hire  one,  as  all  my  thread  will  come  to.'     '  You  have  a 
husband — don't  he  do  anything  for  you  .'     '  He  is  a  good 
man;  he  does  all  he  can ;  but  he's  a  cripple  and  an  inva- 
lid.    He  reels  my  yarn,  and  sjoecks  the  children's  shoes. 
He's  as  kind  a  husband  as  a  woman  need  to  have.'     '  But 
his  being  a  cripple  is  a  heavy  misfortune  to  you,'  said  I. 
'  Why,  ma'am,  I  don't  look  upon  it  in  that  light,'  replied 
the  thread-woman ;  '  I  consider  that  I'v'e  great  reason  to 
be  thankful  he  never  took  to  any  bad  habits.'     '  How  ma- 
ny children    have  you  ?'      '  Six  sons,  and    five    darters, 
ma'am.'     '  Six  sons  and  five  daughters  !     What  a  family 
for  a  poor  woman  to  support !'      '  It's  a  family,  surely, 
ma'am ;  but  there  an't  one  of  'em  I'd  be  willing  to  lose. 
They  are  as  good  children  as  need  to  be — all  willing  to 
work,  and  all  clever  to  me.     Even  the  litdest  boy,  when 
he  gets  a  cent  now  and  then  for  doing  a  chore,  will  be  sure 
and  bring  it  to  ma'am.'     '  Do  your  daughters  spin  your 
thread  .''     '  No,  ma'am  ;  as  soon  as  diey  are  old  enougli, 
they  go  out  to  sarvice.     I  don't  want  to  keep  them  always 
delving  for  me ;  they  are  always  willing  to  give  me  what 
they  can  ,  but  it  is  right  and  fair  they  should  do  a  litde  for 
themselves.     I  do  all  my  spinning  after  the  folks  are  abed.* 
*  Don't  you  Uiink  you  should  be  better  off,  if  you  had  no 
one  but  yourself  to  provide  for  r'  '  Why,  no,  ma'am.  I  don't. 
If  I  had'nt  been  married,  I  should  always  have  had  to  work 
as  hard  as  I  could  ;  and  now  I  can't  do  more  than  that. 
My  children  are  a  grca'  comfort  to  me  ;  and  1  look  forward 
10 


108  HINTS    TO    PERSONS 

to  the  time  when  they'll  do  as  much  for  me  as  1  hare  done 
for  them.' 

Here  was  true  philosophy!  I  learned  a  lesson  from  that 
poor  woman  which  I  shall  not  soon  forget.  If  I  wanted 
true,  hearty,  well  principled  service,  I  would  employ  chil- 
dren brought  up  by  such  a  mother. 


REASONS  FOR  HARD  TIMES. 

Perhaps  there  never  was  a  time  when  the  depressing 
effects  of  stagnation  in  business  were  so  universally  felt,  ail 
the  world  over,  as  they  are  now. — The  merchant  sends 
out  old  dollars,  and  is  lucky  if  he  gets  the  same  number 
of  new  ones  in  return  ;  and  he  who  has  a  share  in  manu- 
factures, has  bought  a  '  bottle  imp,'  which  he  will  do  well 
to  hawk  about  the  street  for  the  lowest  possible  coin.  The 
effects  of  this  depression  must  of  course  be  felt  by  all 
grades  of  society.  Yet  who  that  passes  through  Cornhill  at 
one  o'clock,  and  sees  the  bi'ight  array  of  v.'ives  and  daugh- 
ters, as  various  in  their  decorations  as  the  insects,  tlie  birds 
and  the  shells,  would  believe  that  the  comm.unity  was  stag- 
gering under  a  weight  which  almost  paralyzes  its  move- 
ments? 'Everything  is  so  cheap,'  say  the  ladies,  '  that  it 
is  inexcusable  not  to  dress  well.'  But  do  they  reflect  why 
things  are  so  cheap  ?  Do  they  know  how  much  wealth  has 
been  sacrificed,  how  many  famihes  ruined,  to  produce  this 
boasted  result  ?  Do  they  not  know  enough  of  the  machin- 
ery of  society,  to  suppose  that  the  stunning  effect  of  crash 
after  crash,  may  eventually  be  felt  by  those  on  whom  tliey 
depend  for  support  ? 

Luxuries  are  cheaper  now  than  necessaries  were  a  few 
years  since  ;  yet  it  is  a  lamentable  fact,  that  it  costs  more 
to  hve  now  than  it  did  formerly.  ^Vhen  silk  was  nine  shil- 
lings per  yard,  seven  or  eight  yards  sufficed  for  a  dress; 


OF    MODERATE    FORTUNE.  109 

now  ii  Is  four  or  five  shillings,  sixteen  or  twenty  yards  will 
hardly  satisfy  the  mantuainakcr. 

If  this  extravagance  were  confined  to  the  wealthiest  class- 
es, it  would  be  productive  of  more  good  than  evil.  But 
if  the  ricli  have  a  new  dress  every  fortnight,  people  of  mod- 
erate fortune  will  have  one  every  month.  In  this  way,  fine- 
ry becomes  the  standard  of  respectability ;  and  a  man's 
cJoth  is  of  more  consequence  than  his  character. 

]Men  of  fixed  salaries  spend  every  cent  of  ilieir  income, 
and  then  leave  their  children  to  depend  on  the  precarious 
charity  and  reluctant  friendship  of  a  world  they  have  wast- 
ed their  substance  to  please.  Men  who  rush  into  enter- 
prise and  speculation,  keep  up  their  credit  by  splendor ; 
and  should  they  sink,  they  and  their  families  carry  with 
them  extravagant  liabits  to  corrode  their  spirits  with  discon- 
tent, perchance  to  tempt  llicm  into  crime.  '  I  know  we 
are  extravagant,'  said  one  of  my  acquaintance,  the  other 
day;  '  but  how  can  I  help  it?  Aly  iiusband  does  not  like. 
to  see  his  wife  and  daughters  dress  more  meanly  than  those 
with  whom  they  associate.'  '  Then,  my  dear  lady,  your 
husband  has  not  as  much  moral  dignity  and  moral  courage 
as  I  thought  he  had.  He  should  be  content  to  see  his  v.-ife 
and  daughters  respected  for  neatness,  good  taste,  and  at- 
tractive manners.'  '  This  all  sounds  very  well  in  talk,'  re- 
plied the  lady;  'but,  say  what  you  will  about  pleasing  and 
intelligent  girls,  nobody  will  attend  to  them  unless  they 
dress  in  the  fashion.  If  my  daughters  were  to  dress  in  the 
plain,  neat  style  you  recommend,  they  would  see  all  theii 
acquaintance  asked  to  dance  more  frequently  than  them- 
selves, and  not  a  gentleman  would  join  them  in  Cornhill.' 

'  I  do  not  believe  this  in  so  extensive  a  sense  as  you  do. 
Girls  may  appear  genteelly  williout  being  extravagant ,  and 
diough  some  fops  may  know  the  most  approved  color  for 
a  ribbon,  or  tho  newest  arrangement  for  trimming,  I  believe 
gentlemen  of  real  character  merely  notice  whether  a  lady's 
dress  is  generally  in  good  taste,  or  not.  But,  granting  your 
statement  to  be  true,  in  its  widest  sense,  of  what  consequence 
is  it?  IIow  much  will  the  whole  happiness  of  your 
daughter's  life  be  affected  by  her  dancing  some  fifty  time^ 


110  HINTS    TO    PERSONS 

less  than  her  companions,  or  wasting  some  few  hours  less 
in  the  empty  conversation  of  coxcombs  ?  A  man  often  ad 
mires  a  style  of  dress,  which  he  would  not  venture  to  sup- 
port  in  a  wife.  Extravagance  has  prevented  many  mar- 
riages, and  rendered  still  more  unhappy.  And  should  your 
daughters  fail  in  forming  good  connexions,  what  have  you 
to  leave  them,  save  extravagant  habits,  too  deeply  rooted 
to  be  eradicated.  Think  you  those  who  now  laugh  at 
them  for  a  soiled  glove,  or  an  unfashionable  ribbon,  will 
assist  their  poverty,  or  cheer  their  neglected  old  age.-*  No; 
they  would  find  them  as  cold  and  selfish  as  they  are  vsin. 
A  few  thousands  in  the  bank  are  worth  all  the  fashionable 
friends  in  Christendom.' 

Whether  my  friend  was  convinced,  or  not,  I  cannot  say  j 
but  I  sav/  her  daughters  in  Cornhill,  the  next  week,  with 
new  French  hats  and  blonde  veils. 

It  is  really  melancholy  to  see  how  this  fever  of  extrava- 
gance rages,  and  how  it  is  sapping  the  strength  of  our  hap- 
py country.  It  has  no  bounds ;  it  pervades  all  ranks,  and 
characterizes  all  ages. 

I  know  the  wife  of  a  pavicr,  who  spends  her  three  hun- 
dred a  year  in  '  outward  adorning,'  and  who  will  not  con- 
descend to  speak  to  her  husband,  while  engaged  in  his  hon- 
est calling. 

Mechanics,  who  should  have  too  high  a  sense  of  their 
own  respectability  to  resort  to  such  pitiful  competition, 
will  indulge  their  daughters  in  dressing  like  the  wealthiest  j 
and  a  domestic  would  certainly  leave  you,  should  you  dare 
advise  her  to  lay  up  one  cent  of  her  wages. 

'  These  things  ought  not  to  be.'  Every  man  and  every 
woman  should  lay  up  some  portion  of  their  income,  whetli- 
er  that  income  be  great  or  small. 


OF    MODERATE    rORTUNE.  Ill 


HOW  TO  ENDURE  POVERTY. 

That  a  thorough,  religious,  useful  education  is  the  best 
security  against  misfortune,  disgrace  and  poverty',  is  univer- 
sally believed  and  acknowledged ;  and  to  this  we  add  the 
firm  conviction,  that,  when  poverty  comes  (as  it  sometimes 
will)  upon  the  prudent,  the  industrious,  and  the  well-in- 
formed, a  judicious  education  is  all-powerful  in  enabling 
them  to  endure  the  evils  it  cannot  always  prevent.  A  mind 
full  of  piety  and  knowledge  is  always  rich ;  it  is  a  bank  that 
never  fails  ;  it  yields  a  perpetual  dividend  of  happiness. 

In  a  late  visit  to  the  alms-house  at ,  we  saw  a  re- 
markable evidence  of  tlie  truth  of  this  doctrine.     Mrs. ' 

was  early  left  an  orphan.  She  was  educated  by  an  uncle 
and  aunt,  both  of  whom  had  attained  the  middle  age  of  life. 
Theirs  was  an  industrious,  well-ordered,  and  cheerful  fam- 
ily. Her  uncle  was  a  man  of  sound  judgment,  liberal  feel- 
higs,  and  great  knowledge  of  human  nature.  This  he 
showed  by  the  education  of  the  young  people  under  his 
care.  He  allow-ed  them  to  waste  no  time  ;  every  moment 
must  be  spent  in  learning  something,  or  in  doing  something. 
He  encouraged  an  entertaining,  lively  style  of  conversation, 
but  discountenanced  all  remarks  about  persons,  families, 
dress,  and  engagements  ;  he  used  to  say,  parents  were  not 
aware  how  such  topics  frittered  away  the  minds  of  young  peo- 
ple, and  what  inordinate  importance  they  learned  to  attach 
to  them,  when  they  heard  them  constantly  talked  about. 

In  his  family,  Sunday  was  a  happy  day;  for  it  was  made 
a  day  of  religious  instruction,  without  any  unnatural  con- 
straint upon  the  gayety  of  the  young.  The  Bible  was  the 
text  book;  the  places  mentioned  in  it  w-ere  traced  on  maps ; 
the  manners  and  customs  of  different  nations  were  explain- 
ed ;  curious  phenomena  in  the  natural  history  of  those  coun- 
tries were  read  ;  in  a  word,  everything  was  done  to  cherish 
a  spirit  of  humble,  yet  earnest  inquiry.     In  this  excellent 

family  jNIrs. remained  till  her  marriage.    In  the  course 

of  6fteen  years,  she  lost  her  uncle,  her   aunt,  and  her  hus- 


112  HINTS    TO    PERSONS 

band.  She  was  left  destitute,  but  supported  herself  com- 
fortably by  her  own  exertions,  and  retained  the  respect  and 
admiration  of  a  large  circle  of  friends.  Thus  she  passed 
her  life  in  cheerfulness  and  honor  during  ten  years ;  at  the 
end  of  that  time,  her  humble  residence  took  fire  from  an 
adjoining  house  in  the  nighttime,  and  she  escaped  by  jump- 
ing from  the  chamber  window.  In  consequence  of  the  in- 
jury received  by  this  fall,  hor  right  arm  was  amputated, 
and  her  right  leg  became  entirely  useless.  Her  friends 
were  very  kind  and  attentive ;  and  for  a  short  time  she 
consented  to  live  on  their  bounty ;  but,  aware  that  the 
claims  on  private  charity  are  very  numerous,  she,  with  the 
genuine  independence  of  a  strong  mind,  resolved  to  avail 
herself  of  the  public  provision  for  the  helpless  poor.  The 
iiame  of  going  to  the  alms-house  had  nothing  terrifying  or 
disgraceful  to  her  ;  for  she  had  been  taught  that  conduct  is 
the  real  standard  of  respectability.  She  is  there,  with  a 
heart  full  of  thankfulness  to  the  Giver  of  all  things;  she  is 
patient,  pious,  and  uniformly  cheerful.  She  instructs  the 
young,  encourages  the  old,  and  makes  herself  delightful  to 
all,  by  her  various  knowledge  and  entertaining  conversa- 
tion. Her  character  reflects  dignity  on  her  situation  ;  and 
those  who  visit  the  establishment,  come  away  with  senti- 
ments of  respect  and  admiration  for  tiiis  voluntary  resident 
of  the  alms-house. 


What  a  contrast  is  afforded  by  the  character  of  the  wo- 
man who  occupies  the  room  next  hers  !  She  is  so  indo- 
lent and  filthy,  that  she  can  with  difficulty  be  made  to  attend 
to  her  own  personal  comfort;  and  even  the  most  patient 
are  worn  out  with  her  perpetual  fretfulness.  Her  mind  is 
continually  infested  with  envy,  hatred,  and  discontent. 
She  thinks  Providence  has  dealt  hardly  with  her ;  that  all 
the  world  are  proud  and  ungrateful ;  and  diat  every  one 
despises  her  because  she  is  in  the  alms-house.  This  pit- 
iable state  of  mind  is  the  natural  result  of  her  education. 

Her  father  was  a  respectable  mechanic,  and  might  have 
•)een  a  wealthy  one,  had  he  not  been  fascinated  by  the 


OF    MODERATE    FORTUNE.  1 13 

beauty  of  a  thoughtless,  idle,  showy  girl,  whom  he  made 
his  wife.  The  usual  consequences  followed — he  could  not 
earn  money  so  last  as  she  could  spend  it ;  the  house  be- 
came a  scene  of  discord  ;  the  daughter  dressed  in  the  fash- 
ion ;  learned  to  play  on  the  piano;  was  taught  to  think  thai 
being  engaged  in  any  useful  employment  was  very  ungen- 
teel ;  and  that  to  be  engaged  to  he  married  was  the  chief 
end  and  aim  of  woman  ;  the  father  died  a  bankrupt ;  the 
weak  and  frivolous  mother  lingered  along  in  beggary,  for  a 
while,  and  then  died  of  vexation  and  shame. 

The  friends  of  the  family  were  very  kind  to  the  daugh- 
ter ;  but  her  extreme  indolence,  her  vanity,  pertness,  and 
ingratitude,  finally  exhausted  the  kindness  of  the  most  gen- 
erous and  forbearing ;  and  as  nothing  could  induce  her  to 
personal  exertion,  she  was  at  length  obliged  to  take  shelter 
in  the  alms-house.  Here  her  misery  is  incurable.  She 
has  so  long  been  accustomed  lo  think  dress  and  parade 
the  necessary  elements  of  happiness,  that  she  despises  all 
that  is  done  for  her  comfort;  her  face  has  setded  into  an 
expression  which  looks  like  an  imbodied  growl;  every 
body  is  tired  of  hstening  to  her  complaints;  and  even  tlie 
little  children  run  away,  when  they  see  her  coming. 

May  not  those  who  have  children  to  educate,  learn  a 
good  lesson  from  these  women  ?  Those  who  have  wealth, 
have  recently  had  many  and  hitter  lessons  to  prove  bow  sud- 
denly riches  may  take  to  tbemsclves  wings  ;  and  those  who 
certainly  have  but  little  to  leave,  should  indeed  beware  how 
they  bestow  upon  their  children,  the  accursed  inheritance 
of  indolent  and  extravagant  Iiabits. 


APPENDIX 

TO    THB 


AMERICAN    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 


Those  sentences  marked  with  a  st:ir  relate  to  subjects  mentioned  in  other  parM 
of  tlie  book. 


To  PRESERVE  Green  Currants. — Currants  maybe  kept  fresh 
for  a  year  or  more,  if  they  are  gathered  when  green,  separated 
from  the  stems,  put  into  dry,  clean  junk  bottles,  and  corked  very 
carefully,  so  as  to  exclude  the  air.  They  should  be  kept  in  a 
cool  place  in  the  cellar. 

Candles. — Very  hard  and  durable  candles  are  made  in  the 
following  manner :  Melt  together  ten  ounces  of  mutton  tallow,  a 
quarter  of  an  ounce  of  camphor,  four  ounces  of  beesM'ax,  and  two 
ounces  of  alum.  Candles  made  of  these  materials  burn  with  a 
very  clear  light. 

*Varnished  Furniture. — If  you  wish  to  give  a  fine  soft  polish 
to  varnished  furniture,  and  remove  any  slight  imperfections,  rub 
it  once  or  twice  a  week  with  pulverized  rotten-stone  and  linseed 
oil,  and  afterward  wipe  clean  with  a  soft  silk  rag. 

Greajt. — The  quantity  of  cream  on  milk  may  be  greatly  in- 
creased by  the  following  process :  Have  two  pans  ready  in  boil- 
ing hot  water,  and  when  the  new  milk  is  brought  in,  put  it  into 
one  of  these  hot  pans  and  cover  it  with  the  other.  The  quality 
as  well  as  the  thickness  of  tlie  cream  is  improved. 

*Teeth. — Honey  mixed  with  pure  pulverized  charcoal  is  said  to 
be  excellent  to  cleanse  the  teeth,  and  make  them  white.  Lime- 
water  with  a  little  Peruvian  bark  is  very  good  to  be  occasionally 
used  by  those  who  have  defective  teeth,  or  an  offensive  breath. 

Tainted  Butter. — Some  good  cooks  say  that  bad  butter  may 
be  purified  in  the  following  manner :  Melt  and  skim  it,  then  put 
into  it  a  piece  of  ivell-toastcd  bread ;  in  a  few  minutes  the  butter 
will  lose  its  offensive  taste  and  smell ;  the  bread  will  absorb  it  all. 
Slices  of  potato  fried  in  rancid  lard  will  in  a  great  measure  ab- 
sorb the  unpleasant  taste. 

Tomatoes  Pie. — Tomatoes  make  excellent  pies.    Skins  taken 


APPENDIX.  115 

off  with  scalding  water,  stewed  twenty  minutes  or  more,  salted, 
prepared  the  same  as  rich  squash  pies^  only  an  egg  or  two  more. 

*It  is  a  great  improvement  to  the  flavor  of  Pumpkin  Pies  to  boil 
the  milk,  stir  the  silled  ptnnpkin  into  it,  and  let  tliem  boil  up  to- 
gether once  or  twice.  Tlie  pumpkin  swells  almost  as  murii  as 
Indian  meal,  and  of  course  absorbs  more  inilk  thi'.n  v.iipn  stirred 
together  cold ;  but  the  taste  of  the  pie  is  mucli  improved. 

Some  people  cut  pumpkin,  string  it,  and  dry  it  like  apples.  It 
is  a  much  better  way  to  boil  and  sift  tlie  pumpkin,  then  spread 
it  out  thin  in  tin  plates,  and  dry  liard  in  a  warm  oven.  It  will 
keep  good  all  the  year  round,  and  a  little  piece  boiled  up  in  milk 
will  make  a  batch  of  pies. 

*Most  people  think  Brass  Kettles  for  washing  are  not  as  likely 
to  collect  verdigris,  if  they  are  never  cleaned  in  any  other  waj 
than  by  wasliing  in  strong  soapsuds  just  before  they  are  used. 

IxK  Spots. — If  soaked  in  warm  milk  before  the  ink  has  a  chance 
to  dry,  the  spot  may  usually  be  removed.  If  it  has  dried  in,  rub 
tabie-salt  upon  it.  and  drop  lemon-juioe  upon  the  salt.  This  an- 
swers nearly  as  well  as  the  salts  of  lemon  sold  by  apothecaries. 
If  a  lemon  cannot  be  easily  procured,  vinegar,  or  sorrel-juice,  will 
answer.  Wiiite  soap  diluted  with  vinegar  is  likewise  a  good 
thing  to  take  out  ink  spots. 

Starch. — Frozen  potatoes  yield  more  flour  for  starch  than 
fresh  ones.  The  frost  may  be  taken  out  by  soaking  them  in  cold 
water  a  few  hours  before  cooking;  if  frozen  very  hard,  it  may  be 
useful  to  throw  a  little  saltpetre  into  the  water. 

Feathers. — It  is  said  tliat  tumbled  plumes  may  be  restored  to 
elasticity  and  beauty  by  dipping  them  in  hot  water,  then  shaking 
and  drying  them. 

lev  Steps  — Salt  strewed  upon  the  door-steps  in  winter  will 
cause  the  ice  to  crack,  so  that  it  can  be  easily  removed. 

Flowers. — Flowers  may  be  preserved  fresli  in  tumblers  or  vasea 
fay  putting  a  handful  of  salt  in  the  water,  to  increase  its  coldness. 

White-washing  is  said  to  last  longer  if  the  new-slaked  lime 
be  mixed  with  skim-milk. 

HoRSE-Fi.iES. — Indigo-wced  stuck  plentifully  about  the  Iiar- 
ness  tends  to  keep  flies  from  horses.  Some  make  a  decoction  of 
indigo-weed,  and  otliers  of  pennyroyal,  and  bathe  horses  witii  it, 
to  defend  tiicm  from  insects. 

Pine  Appx  es  will  keep  much  better  if  tlie  green  crown  at  top 


116  THE    PROOAt.    UOUSEWIFS* 

be  twisted  off.  The  vegetation  of  the  crown  takes  the  goodness 
from  the  fruit,  n  the  same  way  that  sprouts  injure  vegetables. 
The  crown  can  be  stuck  on  for  ornament,  if  necessary 

*The  Piles. — Those  who  have  tried  other  remedies  for  this 
disorder  in  vain,  have  found  relief  from  the  following  medicine  : 
Stew  aiiandful  of  low  mallows  in  about  three  gills  of  milk  ;  strain 
it,  and  mix  about  half  tiie  quantity  of  West  India  molasses  with 
it.     As  warm  as  is  agreeable. 

Warts. — It  is  said  that  if  the  top  of  a  wart  be  wet  and  rubbed 
two  or  three  times  a  day  with  a  piece  of  unslaked  lime,  iX  cures 
the  wart  soon,  and  leaves  no  scar. 

*Cancers. — The  Indians  have  great  belief  in  the  efficacy  of 
poultices  of  stewed  cranberries,  for  the  relief  of  cancers.  They 
apply  them  fresh  and  warm  every  ten  or  fifteen  minutes,  night 
and  day.  Whether  this  will  effect  a  cure  I  know  not ;  I  simply 
know  that  the  Indians  strongly  recommend  it.  Salts,  or  some 
simple  physic,  is  taken  every  day  during  the  process. 

Ear- Wax. — Nothing  is  better  than  ear-wax  to  prevent  the 
painful  effects  resulting  from  a  wound  by  a  nail,  skewer,  &-c.  It 
should  be  put  on  as  soon  as  possible.  Those  who  are  troubled 
with  cracked  lips  have  found  this  remedy  successful  when  others 
have  fliiled.  It  is  one  of  those  sorts  of  cures,  which  are  very  likely 
to  be  laughed  at ;  but  I  know  of  its  having  produced  very  bene- 
ficial results. 

*BuRNs. — If  a  person  who  is  burned  will  patiently  hold  the  in- 
jured part  in  water,  it  will  prevent  the  formation  of  a  blister.  If 
the  water  be  too  cold,  it  may  be  slightly  warmed,  and  produce 
the  same  effect.  People  in  general  are  not  willing  to  try  it  for  a 
sufficiently  long  time.  Chalk  and  hog's  lard  simmered  together 
are  said  to  make  a  good  ointment  for  a  burn. 

*Brdises. — Constant  application  of  warm  water  ia  very  sooth- 
ing to  bruised  flesh,  and  may  serve  to  prevent  bad  consequences 
while  other  things  are  in  preparation. 

Sore  Nipples. — Put  twenty  grains  of  sugar  of  lead  into  a 
vial  with  one  gill  of  rose-v/ater ;  shake  it  up  thoroughly  ;  wet  a 
piece  of  sofl  linen  with  this  preparation,  and  put  it  on ;  renew 
tJiis  as  often  as  the  linen  becomes  dry.  Before  nursing,  wash 
this  off  with  something  soothing  ;  rose-water  is  very  good  ;  but 
the  best  thing  is  quince-seed  warmed  in  a  littJe  cold  tea  until  the 
liquid  becomes  quite  glutinous.  Tliis  application  is  alike  healing 
and  pleasant. 

A  raw  onion  is  an  excellent  remedy  for  tlie  Sti!<g  of  a  Wasp. 


ArrENDix.  117 

Corns. — A  corn  may  be  extracted  from  the  foot  by  bindinor  on 
half  a  ra^vr  cranl)erry,  with  the  cut  side  of  the  fruit  upon  the  foot. 
I  liave  known  a  very  old  and  troublesome  corn  drav/n  out  in  this 
way,  in  tiie  courso  of  a  few  nights. 

IIeart-Burx. — Eat  magnesia  for  tlie  heart-burn. 

CiiLoniDE  OF  Lir.iE. — A  room  may  be  purified  from  offensive 
smells  of  any  kind  by  a  i^cw  spoonsful  of  chloride  of  lime  dis- 
solved in  water.  A  good-sized  saucer,  or  some  similar  vessel,  is 
large  enough  for  all  common  purposes.  The  article  is  cheap,  and 
is  invaluable  in  the  apartment  of  an  invalid. 

Eggs  in  Winter.— The  reason  hens  do  not  usually  lay  cgga 
in  the  winter  is  that  the  gravel  is  covered  up  with  snow,  and 
therefore  they  are  not  furnished  with  lime  to  form  the  shells.  If 
die  bones  left  of  meat,  poultry,  &c.  are  pounded  and  mixed  with 
their  food,  or  given  to  them  alone,  they  will  eat  them  very  eager- 
ly, and  will  lay  eggs  tlie  same  as  in  summer.  Hens  fed  on  oata 
are  much  more  likely  to  lay  well  than  those  fed  on  corn. 

Pearls. — In  order  to  preserve  the  beauty  of  pearl  ornamenta, 
they  should  bo  carefully  kept  from  dampness.  A  piece  of  paper 
torn  off  and  rolled  up,  so  as  to  present  a  soft,  ragged  edge,  is  the 
best  thing  to  cleanse  them  with. 

Varnisiiixg  Gilded  Fraimes. — It  is  said  that  looking-glass 
frames  may  be  cleansed  with  a  damp  clotli,  without  injury,  pro- 
vided they  are  varnished  with  the  pure  ivhile  alcoholic  varnish, 
used  for  "transferred  engravings  and  otlior  delicate  articles  of 
fancy-worlc.  This  would  save  the  trouble  of  covering  and  un- 
covering picture-frames  with  the  change  of  t!ie  seasons.  I  never 
heard  how  many  coats  of  varnish  were  necessary,  but  I  should 
think  it  would  be  safe  to  put  on  more  than  one. 

Cologne  Water. — One  pint  of  alcohol,  sixty  drops  of  laven- 
der, sixty  drops  of  bcrgamot,  sixty  drops  of  essence  of  lemon, 
sixty  drops  of  orange  water.  To  be  corked  up,  and  well  shaken. 
It  is  better  for  considerable  age. 

Grease  Spots. — Magnesia  rubbed  upon  the  spot,  covered 
with  clean  paper,  and  a  warm  iron  placed  above,  will  usually 
draw  out  gre;iso.  Wiiere  a  considerable  quantity  of  oil  has  been 
Bpilled.  it  will  be  necessary  to  repeat  the  operation  a  great  many 
times,  in  order  to  extract  it  all. 

Receipt  for  making  excellent  Bread  without  Yeast. — 
Scald  about  two  handsful  of  Indian  meal,  into  wliich  put  a  little 
salt,  a:;d  ad  n:ucli  cold  water  xi  will  make  it  rntlicr  warmer  llian 


113  THK    FHUGAL   HOL'SEWIFE. 

now  milk  ;  then  stir  in  wheat  flour,  till  it  is  as  thick  as  a  family 
pudding,  and  set  it  down  by  the  fire  to  rise.  In  about  half  an 
hour,  it  generally  grows  thin  ;  you  may  sprinkle  a  little  fresh  flour 
on  the  top,  and  mind  to  turn  the  pot  round,  that  it  may  not  bake 
to  the  side  of  it.  In  three  or  four  hours,  if  you  mind  the  above 
directions,  it  will  rise  and  ferment  as  if  you  had  set  it  with  hop 
yeast ;  v/lien  it  does,  make  it  up  in  soft  dough,  flour  a  pan,  put 
in  your  breod,  set  it  before  the  fire,  covered  up,  turn  it  round  to 
make  it  equally  v,-arm,  raid  in  about  half  an  hour  it  will  be  light 
enough  to  bake.  It  suits  best  to  bake  in  a  Dutch  oven,  as  it 
should  be  put  into  the  oven  as  soon  as  it  is  light. 

Rice  Jelly. — Boil  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  rice  flour  with  half 
a  pound  of  loaf  sugar,  in  a  quart  of  water,  till  the  whole  becomea 
one  glutinous  mass,  then  strain  off  the  jelly  and  let  it  stand  to 
cool.     This  food  is  very  nourishing  and  beneficial  to  invalids. 

Apple  I\Iarmalade. — Scald  apples  till  they  will  pulp  from  the 
core  ;  take  an  equal  weight  of  sugar  m  large  liunps,  and  boil  it 
in  just  water  enough  to  dip  the  lumps  well,  until  it  can  be  skim- 
med, and  is  a  thick  syrup  ;  mix  this  with  tlie  apple  pulp,  and 
simmer  it  on  a  quick  fire  for  fifteen  minutes.  Keep  it  in  pots 
covered  with  paper  dipped  in  brandy. 

Quince  Marmalade. — To  two  pounds  of  quince  put  three 
quarters  of  a  pound  of  nice  sug3r,  and  a  pint  of  spring  water. 
Boil  them  till  they  are  tender ;  then  take  them  up  and  bruise 
them  ;  again  put  them  in  the  liquor,  and  let  them  boil  three 
quarters  of  an  hour,  then  put  it  into  jars,  covered  as  mentioned 
above.  Tliose  who  like  things  very  sweet  put  an  equal  quantity 
of  quince  and  sugar ;  but  I  think  tlie  flavor  is  less  delicious. 

Raspberry  Jam. — Talce  an  equ2.1  quantity  of  fruit  and  sugar. 
Put  the  raspberries  into  a  pan,  boil  and  stir  them  constantly  till 
juicy  and  well  broken  ;  add  as  much  sugar,  boil  and  skim  it  till 
it  is  reduced  to  a  fine  jam.  Put  it  away  in  the  same  manner  as 
other  preserves. 

BLAjfc-MA>'GER. — Soil  two  ounccs  of  isinglass  in  one  pint  and  a 
half  of  nev,'  milk  ;  strain  it  into  one  pint  of  thick  cream.  Sweeten 
it  to  your  taste,  add  one  cup  of  rose-water,  boil  it  up  once,  let  it 
settle,  and  put  it  in  your  moulds. 

Some  prefer  to  boil  two  ounces  of  isinglass  in  three  and  a  half 
pints  of  water  for  half  an  hour,  then  strain  it  to  one  pint  and  a  half 
of  cream,  sweeten  it,  add  a  teacup  of  rose-water,  and  boil  up  once. 

Isinglass  is  the  most  expensive  ingredient  in  blanc -manger. 
Some  decidedly  prefer  the  jelly  of  calves'  feet  The  jelly  is  ob- 
tained by  boiling  fjur  feet  in  a  gallon  of  water  till  reduced  to  a 
quart,  strained,  coo-led,  and  skimmed.     A  pint  of  jelly  lO  a  pint 


APPENDIX.  119 

of  cream ;  in  oUier  respects  done  tne  same  as  isino;las3  oianc- 
Tianger.  Some  boil  a  stick  of  cinnamon,  or  a  grated  lemon-peei, 
a  the  jelly.  The  moulds  should  be  made  tlioroughly  clean*  and 
wet  with  cold  water  ;  tlie  -white  of  an  egg,  dropped  in  and  shook 
round  the  moulds,  will  make  it  come  out  smooth  and  handsomely. 

Pork  Jkllt. — Some  people  like  the  jelly  obtained  from  a  boil- 
ed hand  of  pork,  or  the  feet  of  pork,  prepared  in  the  same  way  as 
calf 's-foot  jelly  ;  for  which  see  page  .31. 

The  cloths,  or  jelly-bags,  through  which  jelly  is  strained,  should 
bo  first  wet  to  prevent  waste. 

Cranberrt  Jelly. — Mix  isinglass  jelly,  or  calf's-foot  jelly, 
with  a  double  quantity  of  cranberry  juice,  sweeten  it  with  fine 
loaf  sugar,  boil  it  up  once,  and  strain  it  to  cocl. 

Rich  Custards. — Boil  a  pint  of  milk  with  lemon-peel  and  a 
stick  of  cinnamon.  While  it  is  boiling,  beat  up  the  yolks  of  five 
eggs  with  a  pint  of  cream.  When  the  milk  tastes  of  the  spice, 
pour  it  to  the  cream,  stirring  well ;  sweeten  it  to  taste.  Give  the 
custard  a  simmer,  till  of  a  proper  thickness,  but  do  not  let  it  boil. 
Stir  the  whole  time  one  way.  Season  it  with  a  little  rose-water, 
and  a  few  spoonsful  of  wine  or  brandy,  as  you  may  prefer.  When 
put  into  cups,  grate  on  nutmeg. 

To  PRESERVE  Peaches. — Scald  peaches  in  boiling  water,  but 
do  not  let  them  boil ;  take  them  out  and  put  them  in  cold  water, 
then  dry  tliem  in  a  sieve,  and  put  them  in  long,  wide-mouthed 
bottles.  To  a  half  dozen  peaches  put  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of 
clarified  sugar  ;  pour  it  over  the  peaches,  fill  up  the  bottles  with 
oraiidy,  and  stop  them  close. 

CocoA->'UT  Cakes. — Grate  tlie  meat  of  two  cocoa-nuts,  after 
pealing  off  the  dark  skin ;  allow  an  equal  weight  of  loaf  sugar, 
pounded  and  sifted,  and  tlic  rind  and  juice  of  two  lemons.  Mix 
the  ingredients  well ;  make  into  cakes  about  as  big  as  a  nutmeg, 
with  a  little  piece  of  citron  in  each.  Bake  tliem  on  buttered  tin 
ilieets  about  twenty  minutes,  in  a  moderately  hot  oven. 

*To  CLARIFY  Sugar. — Put  half  a  pint  of  water  to  a  pound  of 
^ugar ;  whip  up  the  white  of  an  egg  and  stir  it  in,  and  put  it  over 
'Jie  fire.  When  it  first  boils  up,  check  it  with  a  little  cold  water 
the  second  time  set  it  away  to  cool.  In  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
nkim  the  top,  and  turn  the  syrup  off  quickly,  so  as  to  leave  the 
fcedimcnt  which  will  collect  at  the  bottom. 

*Ricn  Wedding  Cake. — One  pound  three  quarters  of  flour,  one 
pound  one  quarter  of  butter,  do.  of  sugar,  one  dozen  eggs,  two 
pounds  of  currants,  one  gill  of  wine,  half  a  giU  of  brandy,  one  pound 
11 


^  'O  THS    FRUu'Al,    HOTTSEWIFE. 

of  citron,  cut  in  slices,  a  ivine-glass  of  rose-water,  three  quarters  of 
aa  ounce  of  nutmeg,  quarter  of  an  ounce  of  cloves,  the  same  of  all- 
spice.  Tlie  rind  of  two  lemons  grated  in.    See  page  72  for  baJdng. 

Still  richer  Wedding  Cake. — Three  pounas  of  flour,  three 
pounds  of  butter,  three  pounds  of  sugar,  twenty-eight  eggs,  six 
pound:5  of  currants,  and  six  pounds  of  seeded  raisins  ;  one  ounce 
of  cinnamon,  one  ounce  of  nutmeg,  three  quarters  of  an  ounce  of 
cloves,  half  an  ounce  of  mace,  one  pound  of  citron,  two  glasse* 
of  brandy,  tv/o  glasses  of  rosc»-water,  and  one  glass  of  wine.  Foi 
balcing,  see  page  72. 

♦Frosting  tok  Cake. — It  is  a  great  improvement  to  squeeze  r 
little  lemon-juice  into  the  egg  and  sugar  prepared  for  frostinj 
It  gives  a  liiTe  flavor,  and  makes  it  extremely  white.  Tor  frost- 
ing, see  directions,  page  72. 

Whip  Svllaeub. — One  pint  of  cream,  one  pint  of  wine,  tlie 
juice  and  grated  peel  of  a  lemon,  and  the  wliite  of  two  eggs; 
sweeten  it  to  your  taste,  put  it  into  a  deep  vessel,  and  whip  it  to 
a  light  froth.  Fill  your  glasses  with  the  froth  as  it  rises.  It  is  a 
good  plan  to  put  some  of  the  froth  in  a  sieve,  over  a  dish,  and 
have  it  in  readiness  to  heap  upon  the  top  of  your  glasses  after  you 
have  filled  them.  Some  people  put  a  spoonful  of  marmalade  or 
jelly  at  the  bottom  of  the  glasses,  before  they  are  filled. 

Lobster  Salad. — The  meat  of  one  lobster  is  extracted  from 
the  shell,  and  cut  up  fine.  Have  fresh  hard  lettuce  cut  up  verv 
fine  ;  mix  it  with  the  lobster.  Make  a  dressing,  in  a  deep  plate,  of 
the  yolks  of  four  eggs  cut  up,  a  gill  of  sweet  oil,  a  gill  of  vinegar 
half  a  gill  of  mustard,  half  a  teaspoonful  of  cayenne,  half  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  salt;  all  mixed  well  together.  To  be  prepared  just 
before  eaten.  Chicken  salad  is  prepared  in  the  same  way,  only 
chicken  is  used  instead  of  lobster,  and  celery  instead  of  lettuce. 

EscALOPED  OrsTERS. — Put  crumhlcd  bread  around  the  sides 
and  bottom  of  a  buttered  dish.  Put  oysters  in  a  skillet,  and  let 
the  heat  just  strike  thens  through  ,  then  take  them  out  of  the 
shells,  and  rinse  them  thoroughly  in  the  water  they  have  stewed 
m.  Put  half  of  them  on  the  layer  of  crumbled  bread,  and  season 
with  mace  and  pepper  ;  cover  them  with  crumbs  of  bread  and  bit3 
of  butter;  put  in  the  rest  of  the  oysters,  season  and  cover  them  in 
the  same  way.  Strain  their  liquor,  and  pour  over.  If  you  fear 
they  will  be  too  salt,  put  fresh  water  instead.  Bake  fifteen  or 
twenty  minutes. 

Fried  Oysters. — After  they  are  prepared  from  the  shell,  tliey 
are  dipped  in  batter,  made  of  eggs  and  crumbs,  seasoned  with 
nutmei^:,  mace  and  salt,  stirred  up  well.     Fried  in  lard  till  browa 


APPENDIX.  ^l 

Vkgetaele  Ovster. — This  vegetable  is  something  like  a 
parsnip ;  is  planted  about  tlie  same  time,  ripens  about  the  same 
time,  and  requires  about  tlie  same  cooking.  It  is  said  to  taste 
very  much  like  real  oysters.  It  is  cut  in  pieces,  after  being 
boiled,  dipped  in  batter,  and  fried  in  the  same  way.  It  is  ex- 
cellent mixed  with  minced  salt  fish. 

Partridges  should  be  roasted  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  longer 
than  chickens,  that  is,  provided  they  are  tliick-breasted  and  plump. 
Being  naturally  dry,t]iey  should  be  plentifully  basted  with  butter. 


EXTRACTS  FROM  THE  ENGLISH  FRUGAL  HOUSEWIFE. 

Ill  was  ihe  intejilion  of  tlie  author  of  the  American  Frugal  Housewife,  to  have 
given  an  Appeiulix  from  the  Evslish  Frugal  Housewife;  but  upon  exami- 
nation, she  found  the  book  so  little  fitted  to  the  wants  of  this  couulry,  thai 
she  has  been  able  to  extract  but  little.] 

CuEESK  is  to  be  chosen  by  its  moist,  smooth  coat ;  if  old  cheese 
be  rough-coated,  ragged,  or  dry  at  top,  beware  of  worms.  If  it 
be  over-full  of  holes,  moist  and  spongy,  it  is  subject  to  maggots. 
If  soft  or  perished  places  appear,  try  how  deep  they  go,  for  tha 
worst  part  may  be  hidden. 

Eggs. — To  prove  whether  tliey  are  good  or  bad,  hold  the  large 
end  of  the  egg  to  your  tongue  ;  if  it  feels  warm,  it  is  new ;  but 
if  cold,  it  is  bad.  In  proportion  to  the  heat  or  cold,  is  the  good- 
ness of  the  egg.  Another  way  to  know  is  to  put  the  egg  in  a  pan 
of  cold  water ;  the  fresher  the  egg,  the  sooner  it  will  fall  to  the 
bottom ;  if  rotten,  it  will  swim.  If  you  keep  your  eggs  in  ashes, 
salt  or  bran,  put  tiie  small  end  downwards  ;  if  you  turn  them  end- 
ways once  a  week,  they  will  keep  some  months. 

Veal. — If  the  vein  in  the  shoulder  look  blue  or  bright  red,  it 
m  newly  killed  ;  but  if  black,  green,  or  yellov/,  it  is  stale.  The 
'eg  is  known  to  be  new  by  the  stifiliess  of  the  joint.  The  head 
of  a  calf  or  a  lamb  is  known  by  the  eyes  ;  if  sunk  or  wrinldcd,  it 
is  stale  ;  if  plump  and  lively,  it  is  fresh. 

Mutton.— If  it  be  young,  the  flesh  will  pinch  tender;  if  old,  <(i 
it  will  wrinkle  and  remain  so.  If  young,  the  fat  will  easily  part 
from  the  lean  ;  if  old,  it  will  stick  by  strings  and  skins.  Strontr, 
rancid  mutton  feels  spongy,  and  does  not  rise  again  easily,  when 
dented.  The  flceh  of  ewe  mutton  is  paler,  of  a  closer  jraic,  and 
partn  more  easily. 


122  THE    FRUGAL    HOUSEWIFE. 

Beef. — Good  beef  has  an  open  grain,  and  a  tender,  oily  smooth- 
ness ;  a  pleasant  carnation  color,  and  clear  white  suet,  betoken 
good  meat ;  yellow  suet  is  not  so  good. 

Pork. — If  young,  the  lean  will  break  in  pinching,  and  if  you  nip 
the  skin  with  your  nails,  it  will  make  a  dent ;  the  fnt  will  be  soft 
and  pulpy,  like  lard.  If  the  lean  be  tough,  and  the  fat  flabby  and 
spongy,  feeling  rough,  it  is  old,  especially  if  the  rind  be  stub- 
born, and  you  cannot  nip  it  with  your  nails.  Little  kernels,  like 
nail-shot,  in  the  fat,  are  a  sign  that  it  is  measly,  and  dangerous  to 
be  eaten. 

To  judge  of  the  age  of  Poultry,  see  page  53. 


CARVING. 

[Written  for  the  American  Frugal  Housewife.] 

To  CARVE  A  Turkey. — Fix  the  fork  firmly  on  one  side  of  the 
thin  bone  that  rises  in  the  centre  of  the  breast ;  tlie  fork  should  be 
j)\a.ceA  parallel  with  the  bone,  and  as  close  to  it  as  possible.  Cut 
the  meat  from  the  breast  lengthwise,  in  slices  of  about  half  an 
inch  in  thickness.  Then  turn  the  turkey  upon  tlie  side  nearest 
you,  and  cut  off  the  leg  and  the  wing  ;  when  the  knife  is  passed 
between  the  limbs  and  the  body,  and  pressed  outward,  the  joint 
■u'ill  be  easily  perceived.  Then  turn  the  turkey  on  the  other  side, 
and  cut  off  the  other  leg  and  wing.  Separate  tlie  drum-sticks 
from  the  leg-bones,  and  the  pinions  from  the  wings  ;  it  is  hardly 
possible  to  mistake  the  joint.  Cut  the  stuffing  in  thin  slices, 
lengthwise.  Take  off  the  neck-bones,  Avhich  are  two  triangular 
bones  on  each  side  of  the  breast ;  this  is  done  by  passing  the 
knife  from  the  back  under  the  blade-part  of  each  neck-bone,  until 
it  reaches  the  end ;  by  raising  the  knife,  the  other  branch  will 
easily  crack  off.  Separate  the  carcass  from  the  back  by  passing 
the  knife  lengthv/ise  from  the  neck  downward.  Turn  tlie  back 
upwards,  and  lay  the  edge  of  tlie  knife  across  the  back-bone, 
about  midway  between  the  legs  and  wings  ;  at  the  same  moment, 
place  the  fork  within  the  lower  part  of  the  turkey,  and  lift  it  up  ; 
this  will  make  the  back-bone  crack  at  the  knife.  The  croup,  or 
lov/er  part  of  the  back,  being  cut  off,  put  it  on  the  plate,  with  the 
rump  from  you,  and  split  off  the  side-bones  by  forcing  the  loiife 
through  from  the  rump  to  the  other  end. 

The  choicest  parts  of  a  turkey  are  the  side-bones,  the  breast, 


INDEX.  127 

J  iundice,    23 

Knife  Handles,  9 

Knives,  washed,  14 

Lamb,  cooked, 49 

Lard,    14,  15 

Leaven,    80 

Lemon  Brandy, IS 

Lemon  Syrup, 20 

Lettuce,   35 

Loaf  Cake,  72 

Lobster, 60 

Lockjaw 24 

Mackerel, 58,  59,  60 

I^Iangoes,    84 

Marble  Fireplaces,  12 

Martinoes,    85 

Mats  for  the  Table, 10 

Mattresses,  15 

Maxims  lor  Health, 87  to  88 

Meal, 9 

Meat,  Choice  of, 43  to  46 

Meat,  corned  and  salted, 40  to  43 

»Ieat  Pie,  56 

Meat  in  Summer, 17,  47 

Milk  Porridge, 32 

Mince  Meat, 50 

Mince  Pies, 66 

ZSIolasses, 16,  29 

Mortification, 27 

Moths, 13 

Mutton,  corned  and  dried,   41 

Mutton  and  Lamb,  cooked,  49 

Nasturtiop-seed,  pickled,  85 

Navarino  Bonnets, 13 

Nerves,  excited,  37 

Night  Sweats,  29 

Ointment  of  Elder  Buds, 29 

Ointment  of  Ground  Worms,  26 

Ointment  of  House  Leek, 26 

Ointment  of  Lard, 29 

Ointment  of  Lard  and  Sulphur, 28 

Oil,  sweet,    18 

Old  Clothes,   ..13 

Onions,  33,  36 

Ovens,  heated, 78 

Pancakes,  74 

I'aper 15 

Parsnips,   34 

Pastry, 69 


128  INDEX. 

Peas,  dry, 51 

Peas,  green, 34 

Philosophy  and  Consistency, J04 

Pickles, 84,  Sr, 

Pictures,  covered, 17 

Pie  Crust, (ly 

Pig,  roasted, 50 

Pigeons, 56 

Piles 28,  37 

Plum  Puddings, 64 

Potatoes,  S4 

Potato  Cheese, 86 

Pork,  cooked, 49 

Pork,  salted, 40 

Poultry,  injured, 57 

Poultry,  young  or  old, 53 

Preserves, ^ 81 

Provisions,    17 

Prunes,  stewed, 33 

Puddings, til  to  65 

Pump  Handle, 16 

Pumpkin  Pie, 66 

Rags,  12,  16 

Raspberry  Shrub 82 

Rattlesnake-bite,  30 

Reasons  for  Hard  Times, 108 

Red  Ants,  21 

Rennet  Pudtiing, 62 

Rhubarb  or  Persian  Apple  Pie, 69 

Rice  Bread,  73 

Rice  Pudding,  63 

Ring-worms,    30 

Run  Rounds,  30 

Rusty  Crape,  11 

Rusty  Silk 19 

Rye  Paste,  21 

*ago  Jelly, 32 

Salt  Fish, 59 

Salt  Fish,  warmed, 60 

Sauces  for  Pudding,  65 

Sausages 50 

Short  Cake,    75 

Silk,  washed,   14 

Sinews,  contracted, 26 

Soap, 22,  23 

Soda  Powders,  20 

Sore  Mouth, 28 

Sore  Throat 26 

Soup, 48 

Souse,  52 

Sponge  Cake, 71 

Spots  on  Furniture,  Cloth,  &c 10 

Sprain, 24 


INDEX. 


129 


Squashes, 3-1,  35 

Squash  Pie,  6b 

Starch, i» 

Stewed  Prunes ^^ 

Sting  of  Bees,* 29 

Stockina;s, ■ *^ 

Straw  Beds,  1« 

Straw  Carpets, 21 


Suet, 


15 


Sweet  Marjoram St 

Swellings, 21 

Tapioca  Jelly, • ^^ 

Tea, 8;| 

Tea  Cake, 71 

Teeth, 12 

Throat  Distempe ,  27 

Toe  Nails, SO 

Tomatoes, •  •  ^5 

Tongue,. 42,43 

Tooth-ache,   .^ ■'=' 

Tortoise-shell  .'ombs, 20 

Towels, ^1 

Travellin<^  an  Public  Amusements, 99 

Tripe,  ..". 5? 

Turkeys, a-' 

Vapor  Bath 2T 

Veal ,  cookd, ■* ' 

Veo-etablef 33  to  3fe 

Vials, ^l 

Vinegar, 1' 

Walnuts,'icklcd, 84 

Wash-le  her  Gloves, 11 

Water,  tfrified, 14 

"•A'ater,  'ft,    13 


Wax,     • 


22 


Weddi?Cake,   72 

Wens ;V  ^I 

Whitp^id  Gloves, 10,  13 

Whoieberry  Pie, 67 

Whc-^'frry  Pudding,  64 

Wicl  oi  Lamps,  Candles,  &.c 10 

Win  Whey, 32 

Wo'Cns,  washed,    14 

Wc''^Q  Yarn, 11 

W«iW 24 

yst 79,  80 


130 


INDEX. 


APPENDIX. 


Apple  Marmalade, 118 

Beef, 122 

Blanc  Manger, 118 

Brass  Kettles, 115 

Bread  without  yeast, 117 

Bruises, IIG 

Burns, llG 

Butter,  tainted, 114 

Cancers, 116 

Candles, 114 

Carving.  Directions  for,  122,  123 

Cheese,'. 121 

Chloride  of  Lime, 117 

Cocoa-nut  Cakes, 119 

Cologne  Water, 117 

Corns, 117 

Cranberry  Jelly, 119 

Cream 1 14 

Currants,  green,  preserved,.  114 
Custards,  rich, 119 

Ear- Wax, ^W 

Eggs, ; 121 

Eggs  in  winter, 117 

Feathers, 115 

Flowers, 115 

Frosting  for  Cake, 120 

Furniture, 114 

Grease  Spots, 117 

Fleart-Burn  117 

Horse-Flies, 115 

Icy  Steps, 115 


Ink  Spots 115 

Lobster  Salad, 120 

Mutton, 121 

Oysters  escaloped  and  fried,  120 
Oysters,  Vcgetc^le, 121 

Partridges, . . . ). 121 

Peaches,  presuried, 119 

Pearls, I. 117 

Piles, 1 116 

Pine  Apples,  . . .  \. 115 

Pork, .\ 122 

Pork  Jelly,. 119 

Pumpkin  Pies,. ..  V 115 

Pumpkin,  dried, 115 

Quince  Marmalade  ,\ US 

Raspberry  Jam,. ..  .\ US 

Rice  Jelly, .\ 113 

Sore  Nipples, 1. . . .   11' 

Starch, -I . . .   llo 

Sugar,  clarified, 1.20, 119 

Teeth, 114 

Tomatoes  Pie, 114 

Varnishing  Gilded  Fra^s,  117 
Veal, \^.   121 

Warts,.. \  116 

Wasp-Sting 1  116 

Wedding  Cake,  rich,. .  .Ill  120 

Whips, '120 

White-washing, )tl5 


\^ALUABLR' READING  BOOKS  ^OR  SCHOOLS, 


PUBLISHED    BY 

SA'vfuiaTi  3.  &  w^lijSvm  wood, 

>Sl     I'EARI.SlFEEf— JSTEW  tORK. 


Ni'EW-YOKK  READER,  No.  1  :  adapted  to  the '.(Rapaci- 
ties of  thft  younger  class  of  Learners  ;   being  seleetipiis 
pasy  lessons  calculated  to   inculcate  morality  stnd 

piety.  ,;- 

NEW-YORK     RE.^DEll,   :«o.    2.     beitig    selecuup.-i    hi 
uvose  air^  poefry,  for  itie  u^'^'^of  Sf-^vools. 


N'KPiVY 


>aDEE,     \0.    3  :  ,b%ing  .suiCCuui.-.  ..; 
V   ifoui  iLo  best  'vrivers  ;  cak||j.'J*'e  1  lo 
it\  acquiriivg  tlie  'i^t  of  Readi'^'^   ^-«''  ^^ 
fix  his  prijficipJes,  cind  inVpi 


\meu3i-- 


Rea  'in<r  and  DeH. 
jf^.ledu 


ii<>  ,Ao  \vb''-'v-re 


uauuri' 


^■ic: 


id 


5EQI 


illudej  to  ill 


Oiajr 


yo  THE  AN  A  LYTIC  AL  REAi:..  . .,,  .^^^ 
the  orig:na4  design  1*8  ext -;;  '  d  so  as  to  «??)  4 
plantition  of  phrases  anc  figurdii;  "^  Jang 

UEL    PfTTNAM,  '    -^'^MM^^k^^^-- '  -4 


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