Carving the Fowl.

IN THESE DAYS everything is "carved that is, when we speak of cutting up any manner of meat or fowl for serving at table. But it would appear that in the olden times there was a special phrase for each and every kind of meat subjected to the knife. A recent writer, referring to some of the lore in an ancient English book remarks: There were carving masters in those days -professors of the art. They were itinerants. They did not keep school. They went from house to house and taught the ladies. As for their social position, I have not ascertained it. Probably they were classed with the itinerant portrait painter. Certainly they did not sit at table with the gentlefolk. I fear that their place was the kitchen, and that Lady Mary took her lessons in that room surrounded by the admiring maids. But the only thing she "carved" was mutton or beef. You had to "break a deer, rear a goose, lift a swan, sauce a capon, spoil a hen, frush a chicken, unbrace a mallard, unlace a cony, dismount a heron, display a crane, disfigure a peacock, unjoint a bittern, untack a curlew, alaye a pheasant, wing a partridge or a quail, mince a plover, thigh a pigeon or any other small bird and border a game pie."

“Daughter, what time did your company leave last night?"

"Why, papa, he started home at half "

"Never mind when he started. I want to know when he left."-Ohio State Journal.

Learn to Converse.

ONCE AND AGAIN GOOD HOUSEKEEPING has deprecated the comparative decadence of the art of conversation, in these days of admirable opportunities and meager accomplishment. The home conversation, especially, is bare and meaningless. It has truly been said that many a girl, intelligent, educated, as our ideas go, is mortified by her lack of ease in conversation. She finds other girls, inferior in actual ability, ever ready in the shifting round game we call small talk, and is forced to the conclusion that shallowness is the passport to social favor. But she is mistaken; she is simply in the condition of a person overloaded with large bills when there is need for a little change. Perhaps she is self-conscious; perhaps -let me whisper it-she is selfish; like the man in

Punch, who said: "Oh, Robinson is such a bore; he's always talking about himself and his affairs when I want to talk about myself and my affairs." There is one great reason for this lack of conversational power: In too many cases the art is never practiced inside the home circle. No attempt at pleasant converse is ever made save when visitors are present; the various members of the family may gossip a little or discuss purely personal affairs, but they make no attempt at entertaining talk. In point of fact the art of conversation is like the game of battledore and shuttlecock, one needs the quickness and dexterity of constant practice. In many busy households the only general gathering of the family is at meal time-a time above all others when worry should be banished, if only for the sake of physical comfort. Yet this is the very time when the mother will complain of domestic worry, the father of business cares and the daughter of shabby frocks.

MISS MEADOWSWEET-Excuse my ignorance, but ought I to call you Mr. Squills or Dr. Squills?

The Doctor-Oh, call me anything you like. Some of my friends call me an old fool.

Miss Meadowsweet-Ah, but that's only people who know you intimately!-London Punch.

Old-Time Victuals.

CHAUCER, who wrote for thirty years prior to 1400, when he died, gives some interesting pictures of the customs of his time. It is interesting, as illustrating the changes which have transpired, that Chaucer himself, returning to England after having rendered some service for his king in foreign lands, was made the recipient of royal bounty in the form of a pitcher of wine daily. To judge from his narrative, the more well-to-do of the working classes in his day evidently spent a vast deal of time at the public house, eating and drinking, telling idle tales, playing at skittles when the weather was fine, or listening to fiddlers and pipers, or to gleemen and janglers of jests-that is to say, ballad singers and professional story-tellers. At high prime-the hour in the middle of the forenoon when agricultural work broke off, as it still does, for a brief rest and slight meal-Langland speaks of the plows standing idle in the field while the plowmen sit at the ale and sing, "How trolly lolly." The cook comes out to the tavern door and cries, "Hot pies, hot!" and the alewife fills pots of half-and-half by pouring penny ale and pudding ale together. Indoors there is plenty of food in great variety for such as can afford it-bread and broth, potfuls of boiled peas and beans, pieces of salt bacon, stewed fowls, fried fish, baked meat, green cheese, curds and cream, and baked apples. Poorer people had to be content with half-penny ale, and bread not made of clean wheat, but of oatmeal or beans and bran. Idlers are threatened that they "shall eat of barley bread and of the brook drink;" but it would seem that water drinking, except under some religious rule, was not com

mon even among the poor, who drank milk and mean ale-I suppose the same as what Langland elsewhere calls farthing ale, and not much more than water with a taste in it. In the profuse use of vegetables the English of the fourteenth century were like the modern French peasantry. All through summer, till Lammas-tide brought harvest to the croft, and new corn came to cheaping, occasional fowls and bacon were the mere embroidery upon the peas, leeks, cabbages, onions, parsley, and beans which, together with the coarse bread and the abundant milk and cheese, were the staple of poor people's diet.

A LITTLE GIRL had a kitten. She was very fond of it, and it was a great delight to her to hear it purr. One night she was restless, and her mother said, "Cynthia, why don't you lie still and go to sleep?"

"I can't," answered the little one, "papa purrs so loud."

The Center Table.

SOME ONE has recently taken up earnest discussion, says a Philadelphia paper, in favor of the old time center table, and it would indeed be a good thing could it be restored. The very presence of its bright lamp, its periodicals and its books suggests sociability and delightful intercourse. The very opportunity it offers for the drawing up of many chairs is a silent invitation, and it so possesses a subtle charm that is all its own. What we most need in our modern social life are informal gatherings where companionship can be enjoyed without the preparation and the fuss attendant upon a dinner or a reception. And, as the center table may properly be called a promoter of just such happy homes, it would be well were it once more given a place,

TEACHER-You know, Johnny, if you cut an apple in two each part is called a half.

Johnny-Not if my brother Dick cuts it. The part I git ain't never more'n about a quarter of it, ma'am. -Chicago Tribune.

A Worthy Reform.

A MOVEMENT, the purpose of which must certainly be commended, whatever we may think of the probability of its becoming a power for good, has been organized in New York, where a society of young women has been formed "for the prevention of hereditary diseases." The members of this organization pledge themselves" not to marry into any family subject to such hereditary diseases as consumption, insanity, or an appetite for strong drink." This is good so far as it goes, even if there be scientific doubts as to the hereditary phase of some of these "diseases." But it would seem that there are other hereditary weaknesses, not wholly of a physical nature, which might properly be included. Perhaps they are. If so, we wish these heroic young ladies much success in the making of converts, since

those who are left outside their fold are quite likely to perpetuate for the world at large the evils which these reformers seek to avoid for themselves and theirs. The subject is a broad one, very broad, and worthy the attention of true philosophers.

Open the Door:

Open the door, let in the air;

The winds are sweet, and the flowers are fair;
Joy is abroad in the world to-day,

If our door is open wide, he may come this way.
Open the door.

Open the door of the soul; let in

Strong, pure thoughts, which shall banish sin :
They will grow and bloom with a grace divine,
And their fruit shall be sweeter than that of the vine..
Open the door.

Open the door of the heart; let in

Sympathy sweet for stranger and kin;

It will make the halls of the heart so fair
That angels may enter unaware.
Open the door.

"He is Poor Indeed."

IT WAS OBSERVED, in connection with the recent opening of a great hotel in New York city designed for people of limited means, that the projector, in the simple speech outlining his purpose, failed to use the word "poor" in connection with the class of people for whom his establishment is designed. The explanation of this failure to use a term which is such a favorite with most of those claiming to be the champions of the "deserving poor" is to be found

in a remark he has been heard to make: “No; I do not design this for poor men. There are no poor men in this country if they have health and good habits. Their income may be limited for the time, but they have capital. The only poor man in America is the man who is sick or has bad habits." This is sound American sense, and we cannot have too much of it in the discussion of our social and economical problems. The standard of money may be gold, or silver; but the standard of true wealth is manhood and womanhood. Let us never forget that.

sick sister and child. Her necessities are greater than mine. I want you to let this woman have my promotion until she is in better circumstances. Then we may change again." The request was granted, and two women were made happy-and there is no question that the deepest, sweetest, most abiding happiness was that of the woman who denied herself in the exemplification of a broad-souled humanity.

MISS SMASHUM-I don't care for men; in fact, I've already said "No" to seven of them.

Miss Comely-Indeed! What were they selling?Odds and Ends.

The Old Oaken Bucket.

THERE ARE FEW POEMS, So simple in their pretensions as "The Old Oaken Bucket," that have taken such a firm hold upon popular life. For eighty years this has been a national favorite, having been written by Samuel Woodworth, at New York, in 1817. It is related that the poet, who was also a man of business, came home to dinner one very warm day, having walked from his office near the foot of Wall street. Being much heated with the exercise he drank a glass of water from the pump, exclaiming as he placed the tumbler on the table, "That is refreshing; but how much more refreshing would it be to take a good draught this day from the old oaken bucket, I left hanging in my father's well at home." Hearing this, the poet's wife said, "Seline, why would not that be a pretty subject for a poem?" The poet took the hint, and under the inspiration of the moment sat down and poured out from his heart the beautiful lines of the poem. The orchard, the meadow, the deep tangled wildwood, and the widespreading pond, are the same to-day as when the poet immortalized them in song in 1817. The old well remains intact, and the water is as pure and sweet as when the poet sang its praises. The place remains in the family-it is in the village of Greenbush, in Scituate—and many admirers of the beautiful poem visit it every year.

"I HOPE YOU appreciate the fact, sir, that in marrying my daughter you marry a large hearted, generous girl." "I do, sir (with emotion), and I hope she inherits those qualities from her father."-Harlem Life.

Eating too Much.

DO PEOPLE EAT too much, as a rule? There are many who think so, and that moderation in diet would cure a large proportion of the ills of human kind. This was the firm belief of the late Dr. Dio Lewis, who directed some of his strongest arguments against the evil of overeating, claiming that it was an enemy to activity and endurance. "Temperate people, with good digestion," he said in one of his papers, never feel their stomachs,-forget they have stomachs,-while these big eaters are always hungry, faint, or bloated,

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troubled with eructations, acidity, diarrhoea, or someother unhappy condition of the digestive apparatus. Persons having a good stomach to begin with, can, by practice, learn to digest an enormous quantity of food. If they give their whole force and vitality to this business of grinding grist, they can, in the course of even a short life, grind through immense quantities. But the wiser, the more human way, is to find out just how much food is needed to run the machine, exactly what fuel will keep the system at the best working point, and never pass these bounds. For years the author had eaten three hearty meals a day. At length, upon a careful consideration of the physiology of digestion, he thought he was probably using too much of his force in that function. He reduced to two meals a day. He cannot express what freedom in mental and bodily activity he experienced. Men with large heads and well-made bodies sometimes consume so much of their nerve force in digestion that they have nothing left with which to achieve those triumphs that otherwise would be easy to them.

TOMMY" Ma, when the fire goes out where does it go to?"

Tommy's ma-" How should I know? Why don't you ask where your father goes when he goes out?"

Women in the Public Service.

THERE seems to be one place in the world where a woman is as good as a man, and that is in the service of the United States government. In some departments they have been employed for a long time, while in others they have made a place for themselves more recently. But everywhere the verdict as to their usefulness is the same. From the report of First Assistant Postmaster-General Heath it appears that women are employed in all branches of the postal service, except as letter carriers, clerks in the railwaymail service and post office inspectors, and there are some post offices in the United States at which none but women are employed. The same salary is paid to them as to men for the same character of work, and they are not debarred by regulations from entering any branch of the service. There are 167 women employed in the post office department proper; there are 7,670 women postmasters and about 80,000 women who have qualified to assist in conducting the business of the department. The conclusion of the report is that altogether the services of women have proven almost, if not equally, satisfactory with those of men. It is worth noting that the report has been called forth by a request of the German government for information as to the experience of the government with women employes.

Few things are so conducive to unhappiness in the family as partiality. It may be of a parent for a particular child, or of one brother or sister for another; it matters not the form in which the monster appears, total destruction of true family feeling is sure to follow, and very frequently much worse results are realized. The race was early taught this fact by object lessons; as in the case of Rebecca and Jacob, her son, for whose advancement she forgot justice and honor, and taught him treachery. David, also, from an unreasonable love of Absalom, failed to correct his faults, and allowed him to grow up in selfish indulgence of every whim, till, as the

crowning act of his selfish life, he organized a rebellion to wrest the kingdom from the hands of that doting father.

Family favoritism is a besetting sin that is often aggravated by peculiarities of disposition, which very peculiarities are frequently developed by circumstances. Two children of the same parents are born with very similar dispositions, perhaps, but one is plain and the other pretty; the one possessed of average childish manners, while the other is especially graceful. Now, in many families these qualities would serve to create a different feeling for the children, and while the plain, ordinary child would be well treated and cared for, the pretty, graceful creature would be the favorite from very early life. And if the other one has average sense he will notice the difference very soon. This in turn will tell on his disposition by rendering him still less lovely, from the very consciousness he has that he is unfairly dealt with in being slighted for that for which he is in nowise to blame.

Then, again, the indulgence of such favoritism in the family often brings about its own punishment in quite another way. The father of a family of children seemed to center every hope in the future of one son. He was his pet in infancy and his idol in youth. Every request of the child was granted, and every whim of the youth indulged at whatever cost of comfort to the father or the rest of the family, until Ralph became fully convinced that he was the flower of the flock, a rose among thistles, who deserved commiseration for having been placed by nature among such uncongenial surroundings. At an early age he was sent to college; but the father's doting heart went out after him in one great desire to restrain him from evil, that his bright dreams for his child's future might be realized. So he intensified the evil he had always practiced toward him, of watching him, by appointing other spies over him, who should report everything they heard and saw, and to be rewarded accordingly. The boy had never been allowed to act on his own judgment in any matter of importance, and now valued friends of his father acted in the capacity of guardian for him and regulated his affairs as though he were a child. This

kind of treatment after the indulgence of his youth could result but one way, and the boy was ruined.

Sometimes.one parent is found to be very tender and indulgent towards all the children of the family, while the other is unreasonably severe and exacting. In such cases the indulgent one's methods usually convince the children that the strict one is much worse than is really the case; and they devote their energies to circumventing the one and imposing upon the good nature of the other, until every prompting of justice and integrity is stilled forever.

Frequently, also, brothers and sisters are a party to this kind of proceeding. They select a favorite, on whom they bestow all confidence and affection, to the marked neglect and disparagement of others equally worthy, and the neglected ones are discouraged from trying to make much of themselves.

Or they unconsciously combine against some one younger brother or sister, and make that one the butt of ridicule or the victim of continual fault-finding and scolding. He becomes desperate, and very soon his hand is against every man.

Favoritism in the family is a sorry mistake, which works only injury to the object of affection and untold evil to others of the household.-Hawkeye.

MAMMA'S HELP.

"Yes, Bridget has gone to the city,
And papa is sick as you see,
And mamma has no one to help her
But two-year-old Laurence and me.

"You'd like to know what I'm good for, 'Cept to make work and tumble things down? I guess there ain't no little girlies At your house at home, Dr. Brown.

"I've brushed all the crumbs from the table,
And dusted the sofa and chairs,
I've polished the hearthstone and fender,
And swept off the area stairs.

"I've wiped all the silver and china,

And just dropped one piece on the floor; Yes, doctor, it broke in the middle,

But I 'spect it was cracked before.

"And the steps that I saved precious mamma! You'd be s'prised, Dr. Brown, if you knew; She says if it wasn't for Bessie

She couldn't exist the day through!

"It's 'Bessie, bring papa some water!'

And, Bessie, dear, run to the door!' And, Bessie, love, pick up the playthings The baby has dropped on the floor!'

"Yes, doctor, I'm 'siderably tired,

I've been on my feet all the day; Good-bye! well, perhaps I will help you When your old Bridget 'goes off to stay!' -Southern Presbyterian.

TRUST THE CHILDREN.

Trust the children. Never doubt them, Build a wall of love about them;

After sowing seeds of duty,

Trust them for the flowers of beauty.

Remember

Trust the children. Don't suspect them,
Let your confidence direct them,
At the hearth or in the wildwood,
Meet them on the plane of childhood.
Trust the little ones.
May is not like chill December,
Let no words of rage or madness
Check their happy notes of gladness.
Trust the little ones. You guide them,
And, above all, ne'er deride them,
Should they trip, or should they blunder,
Lest you snap love's cords asunder.
Trust the children. Let them treasure,
Mother's faith in boundless measure,
Father's love in them confiding;
Then no secrets they'll be hiding.
Trust the children just as He did
Who for "such" once sweetly leaded,
Trust and guide, but never doubt them,
Build a wall of love about them.

-New York Ledger.

THE SALT RUB FOR CHILDREN.

Various sanitariums and private hospitals are using the "salt rub," and it is becoming so popular that some Turkish bath establishments are advertising it as a special attraction. It is just as good for well people as for sick ones, is the most refreshing of all the baths and rubs ever invented, only excepting a dip in the sea itself, and is matchless in its effects upon the skin and complexion. With all these virtues, it is the simplest, most easily managed of all similar measures, and can be taken at home easily, and is just the thing for the older children, as it is very strengthening.

Put a few pounds of coarse salt-the coarsest you can get, sea-salt by preference-in an earthen jar, and pour enough water on it to produce a sort of slush, but not enough to dissolve the salt. This should then be taken up in handfuls, and rubbed briskly over the entire person. Of course, it is better to have it rubbed on by another person, but any one in ordinary health can do it for herself or himself very satisfactorily. This being done, the next thing is a thorough douching of clear water, preferably cold, and a brisk rubbing with a dry towel.

The effect of elation, freshness and renewed life is felt immediately, and the satiny texture of the skin and increased clearness and brightness of the complexion swell the testimony in favor of the salt rub.

For young children it is best to drain off the salt and add two tablespoonfuls of pure bay rum to a basin full of this salt water. Apply with a soft flannel, and dry with a soft Turkish towel. Care should be taken that there is not too much salt in the water, as it may irritate the tender skins of some children. -Trained Motherhood.