Original in GOOD HOUSEKEEping.

BONBONNIERES.

As the memory of a dream

Which now is sad because it hath been sweet.-Shelley. S time passes and civilization increases, public taste changes in all things, small as great. The bonbonnieres displayed in the shops and fancy stores to-day are not what they were ten years ago; on the contrary they are infinitely handsomer and more luxurious. The fashionable confectioners produce as elegant designs as are to be found in Paris, but, alas, they are too costly for ordinary purses. A few suggestions, therefore, as to their manufacture will be appreciated by those who have the gift of making fancy trifles artistically. Many wealthy ladies have made the pastime fashionable in New York by learning how to make them from the French women, who are adepts in the art. The simplest of all forms of bonbonnieres is the small silk or satin bag, presumably stuffed with sugar almonds, and tied up by knots of gold twist, the side of the bag being decorated with a delicately painted spray of flowers, such as the time-honored forget-meFig. 1. not, ox-eyed daisies, a spray of heather or myrtle, or by a few small feathers, or a motto conveying good wishes.

Insert the finger And the thumb. And pull there out Sweet sugar plum.

A more elaborate receptacle, and one often seen in the leading confectioner's stores, is a melon-shaped box, composed of five sections, cut in the form of figure 2, but enlarged, of course, to the size the box is intended to be, a good proportion being six inches long by two and a half across. To make the box, cut the sections out of thin cardboard, cover three of them with pink satin and two with pale blue or cream color, line them neatly with white

satin or linen lining goods and sew them together, leaving one side open. The fifth section will fit under the first one, and so close the box, which can be

Fig. 2.

opened by a slight pressure at the two ends. Loops of ribbon should be added to the ends, and if a very handsome effect is desired, fine silk cords may be sewn down each of the seams, or they may be overcast with gold or crystal beads. This

Fig. 3.

melon box will answer admirably for containing sugar almonds or any kind of dry bonbons, and it will be useful afterward as a receptacle for silks or other odds and ends.

Smaller melon boxes can be made by cutting the sections out of bristol board, binding them with narrow silk ribbon, and inscribing upon the outer sides some suitable motto. The sections must be joined as previously described, and the loops of ribbon added at the ends, and it will be found that they

will command a ready sale at bazars, or come very well for family gifts, though, of course, they will not have so gay an appearance as those that are covered with satin.

C

Figure 3 shows a very handsome box in the form of a jockey cap; this is amongst the latest novelties shown at one of the leading fancy warehouses. It should be made full size, but, of course, if preferred it may be of smaller proportions. The method of construction is very simple. Two pieces of card must be cut out the shape of figure 3a, of course, in due proportion to the size of the cap, one of which must be covered with a piece of satin of two colors, previously joined together, say pale salmon and white, blue and pink, or scarlet and white. The joint should run straight through the center of the tip, so that it may be parti-colored, and the second piece of card, which should be a shade smaller than the first one, should be covered with white sarsanet, and fixed to the under part, either by slip stitch or about an eighth of an inch from the outer edge, a ring of by strong gum. To form the box, fit on to the foundation cardboard covered and neatly lined with white silk; the ring should be about three inches and a half in depth. Six sections must now be cut out, after figure 3b, three of one color and three of another, to match the foundation piece (measuring them, of course, with due regard to the box fitted on to the foundation); these sections must be joined together, and neatly lined with white silk, Fig. 3b. taking care to insert between the cap and the lining a strong piece of cord, corresponding in height to that of the box, to which the cap will form the cover.

Fig. 3a.

Original in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING.

SPRING COMING.

-S. E. Archer.

Have you seen the bluebird tilting,
Tilting on the topmost spray?
Have you heard his blithe notes falling,
Calling out as though 'twere May?

Soon we'll see the pussy willows,
Billows foaming o'er the hedge;
And the crimson maple blushing,
Flushing all the forest's edge.

I have heard a jolly varlet,

Scarlet breasted, piping clear;
Robin's sure that earth is waking,
Shaking sloth, and spring is near.
Gentle showers will soon be gushing,
Rushing from more genial skies;
On the barren hillsides falling,
Calling to the flowers-"Arise!"
Soon the bee will gaily hover
Over fields abloom anew,
Reveling in sweets, the gipsy,
Tipsy with the honey dew.

Rouse thee, then, O soul, with gladness!

Sadness, quickly now begone;

Winter goes-the cold, the dreary-
Cheery, sunny spring comes on.

-Emma W. Crain.

"OVER his keys the musing organist,
Beginning doubtfully, and far away,
First lets his fingers wander as they list,
And builds a bridge from dreamland for his lay:
Then, as the touch of his loved instrument,
Gives hope and fervor, nearer draws his theme,
First guessed by faint auroral flushes, sent
Along the wavering vista of his dream."-Lowell.

Original in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING.

A BABY'S REQUIREMENTS.

FOOD, CLOTHING, CLEANLINESS AND SLEEP.

I-FOOD.

OOD, clothing, cleanliness and sleep are the baby's chief requirements for the first few weeks of its life. It seems

little to ask from the world into which it has been unceremoniously ushered without its consent being asked or obtained. Yet very often the wee stranger does not succeed in getting even these simple requisites of existence in their proper measure. In vain it protests in the only way open to it by using its lungs as vigorously as it can. In nine cases out of ten its appeals are answered by more food, when, perhaps, it is already suffering from indigestion and cries for relief. If it is fed in sufficient quantities, at proper intervals, and then cries unreasonably it is from some other cause than hunger, and the mother, or nurse, must seek to ease it in some other way than by feeding it. Sometimes unpinning the blanket and warming the little feet by the open fire will soothe it, or putting them into warm water. If there is a paroxysm of crying, a warm bath may cut it short. Wrap the baby in some soft, woolen covering and lay it gently in the warm water. Test the heat first with the elbow, the hand is not sufficiently sensitive to decide the matter. Lift it out on a warm dry flannel and have its clothes warmed before reSometimes it can be quieted by being unplacing them. dressed, wrapped in flannel and a flannel wrung out of hot water laid on the bowels. Merely being undressed and

rubbed with a warm, soft hand will at times still its cries. Gentle rocking and hushing in the arms will be effectual if it is not in pain, or some of the many soothing, caressing ways that come by nature to mothers and lovers of babies, may be tried, but never, never be so weak as to walk with it. These atoms of humanity have brought with them the fatal aptitude for acquiring bad habits which we all inherit, possibly from Adam. Once having tasted the sweets of being carried back and forth, up and down, they will scream for it. As it can do no possible good that cannot be accomplished otherwise, and exhausts the victim who does it, the part of wisdom is not to begin it.

No cast iron rule can be laid down for feeding a baby. Different children require different treatment. Their appetite and capacity for food varies as much as those of adults. A strong, healthy baby with a ravenous appetite requires more food than a delicate, small one. Common sense must modify the general rules, which are all that can be given, to suit particular cases. A little observation soon teaches one when a child is satisfied and when it is not. If it grows and thrives it is the surest test of its being properly nourished.

When a mother can nurse her baby herself it is a very happy thing for both of them. A world of trouble and anxiety is saved and if she is more closely confined than she otherwise would be, she is more than repaid by the well-being of her child. When for any reason this is impossible there are two alternatives, either a wet nurse, or artificial food. The first is a luxury that is possible only for well-to-do people, and it is attended by so many drawbacks and disadvantages that many persons who could afford it prefer the latter instead. A young baby should be nursed every two hours during the day and at not longer intervals than every three hours during the night. When it is six weeks old begin gradually to lengthen the time between the meals until at four months

old it is four hours during the day and once at night if it awakens. Sometimes its supper is so satisfying that it sleeps until the morning. If the mother has not enough milk the baby can be fed twice or three times a day. She should not nurse it when she is over heated, fatigued, or much excited, or worried, but wait until she is rested and can calm herself.

milk should be substituted for it. If it is sweet and good When the baby cannot have its natural food, pure, fresh cows' it need not all be the milk of one cow. If half the care were given to the preparation of the food and the cleanliness of the results would be more satisfactory. When the milk is the nursing bottle that is sometimes bestowed upon this point, brought in it should be allowed to stand for one hour in a cool place, and then the upper two thirds be poured into a hot it had better be scalded at once, but not allowed to boil If the weather is very separate vessel for the baby's use. after it has reached the boiling point. The pitcher containing it should be covered and set on the ice. Until the child is four weeks old the proportion should be half milk and half water with a little sugar. Cow's milk contains one-third less naturally receive, so the deficiency must be supplied, but if sugar than the mother's milk which the young baby would The quantity of water must be gradually diminished until at too sweet it is apt to disagree with the delicate stomach. four months old pure milk is given. About one gill, or a quarter of a pint of food is required at first; it should be freshly prepared each time and heated by standing the bottle ting the nipple of the bottle in her own mouth. A plain clear in boiling water. The nurse should taste it, but never by putglass bottle should be used and a black rubber nipple. tube cannot be kept perfectly clean without an expenditure ticularly in summer, and as it is unnecessary it had better of time and pains that few can give. Death lurks in it, parbe dispensed with. It is well to have two bottles and keep

A

should be provided so that they can be frequently changed. the one not in use filled with cold water. Several nipples Sometimes the hole in the end is stopped up, a fact that the baby will discover if no one else does, and which always excites its deepest indignation. When not in use the nipples should be in a cup of cold water to which in summer a pinch of baking soda has been added.

consist principally of milk. It may have occasionally a little Until the first eight teeth have come the baby's diet should bread, a piece of rare beef steak to suck, thin oatmeal gruel made with milk, or the yolk of a soft boiled egg. After that beef tea, mutton broth and any farinaceous gruels. If at any it can be given all these in greater abundance varied with lime water to each gill. When good milk cannot be obtime milk disagrees with the child add a tablespoonful of tained condensed milk may be used and in many cases spoonfuls of boiling water at first and increase the strength answers admirably. Allow one teaspoonful to six tablefant's food was given by a celebrated physician in Philaas the child grows older. The following recipe for an indelphia, and has been used with success when no other prep

aration was retained. Infant's Food.

Seventeen and three-fourth drachms pure sugar of milk. Dissolve in a pint of hot water and keep it cool. This sours in a day or two, but dry, the milk sugar will keep indefinitely. It can be obtained from any druggist. Three tablespoonfuls of the sugar of milk water; two tablespoonfuls of cream; one tablespoonful of milk; two tablespoonfuls of lime water. Mix these ingredients, warm the food and it is ready for use. After the child is a few weeks old double the quantity without changing the proportions.

When there is diarrhoea, rice water can be substituted for plain water in mixing the ordinary food. If the child suffers from colic two or three teaspoonfuls of water as hot as can be

given will do as much good as any internal remedy and is perfectly harmless. Stimulent, sedatives, or any form of soothing syrup should be strictly prohibited. If a baby is subject to prolonged fits of screaming, a doctor should be consulted and his advice followed.

Warmth.-A new born child has been accustomed to a temperature of about 99 degrees. It requires more warmth than an adult and yet should not be kept in a hot room. It must be warmly dressed and when taken out of the room where it lives protected, by additional covering from draughts of cold air. In summer a window should be kept open day and night and in winter the mercury should not be allowed to fall below 70 degrees in the day and 65 degrees at night. After it is a month old, a baby should be taken into the open air every day unless the weather is severely cold or stormy. It must be well wrapped in winter and put in charge of a trustworthy person. It is a mistaken idea that any child can wheel a baby carriage. There have been more accidents to children and more peril of life and limb from the carelessness of young nurses, when out of sight of the mother, than from all other causes combined. If she is unfaithful she is apt to take it where there is danger of infection, as in visiting friends, or give it improper articles of food to keep it quiet. If the mother cannot take it herself or send it with some one in whom she can put perfect confidence, she had a thousand times better keep it at home. Warmly dressed, as if for out of doors, it can be wheeled up and down a room with the windows open, or laid on a bed under the same conditions, avoiding a direct draught. It has been suggested that if a padded frame about eighteen inches high, is made to fit on a bed, the mattress affords a safe play ground even for a baby who is old enough to creep. In summer it could be placed on the grass, laying down a thick rug, or a couple of blankets, to protect the child from possible dampness of the ground. -Elisabeth Robinson Scovil.

Original in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING.

THE WEE SPRIG O' HEATHER.

Roses, an' orchids, an' a', are naething sae precious tae me,
As this wee sprig o' faded heather which has journeyed across the sea.
I opened my letter an' luiked, an' there, in the inmost fauld,
Lay this wee bit o' Scotia's heather, which "Auld Lang Syne" recalled.
Days, when the haill warl' seemed sae bonnie, an' bricht, an' wide,
Frae my nuik i' the fragrant heather, heich on the mountain side;
The laverock, awa i' the lift, seemed brakin' its hert wi' glee,-
Wha wadna fairly dirl tae hing i' the lift ower the sea?

Oh! for the smell o' the heather, honeyed, an' dewy, an' saft,
The bees hung buzzin'ly ower it, fairly drucken an' daft;

The bluebells nodded their saucy heids, as blue as the lift abune,
At the lang, straicht, purple foxglove, their haughty mountain queen.
Doon at the hillside's fit, whaur the fields lay yellow and ripe,
I could hear the corncraik groan, and the plover cheerily pipe;
The smell o' the saut, saut sea cam' soughin' upon the breeze,-
Oh, there surely were never, never sic bonnie lang days as these!
Dear, wee bit o' faded heather! ye min' o' the days sae lang,
Ye min' o' the bonnie blue sky and the laverock's meltin' sang;
Think ye, wee withered wicht, gin I wandered up there ance mair,
Wad the sky seem aye as blue an' bricht, an' the warl' aye as fair?
Wad the laverock's sang be as lood, an' the haill warl' aye as sweet,
As it was when I climbed the hill wi' fresh, untired feet?
Oh, wee bit o' heather! ye dinna ken hoo ye've cheered an' lichtened me,
Bringin' a message ye wot nae o', frae the dear lan' ower the sea!
-Isabel Gordon.

-If by spell or incantation
The loved and lost I might again behold,
Breathing and warm in youth's bright incarnation,
And glowing with the loveliness of old,
That word I would withhold, for their sakes only;
Estranged and changed as in a haggard dream,
Time-tossed and tempest-beaten, old and lonely,
To their young eyes what spectres we should seem!
-Charles L. Hildreth.

In New York and some other States venison and grouse have been out of the market for many weeks; but, delicious as these meats are, one does not miss them, since ptarmigan and antelope are plenty and comparatively cheap. In all large seaports one can find also string-beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, egg-plants, French artichokes, Brussels sprouts, and a great variety of other fresh vegetables. Strawberries have been in the market all the winter, of course at high prices, and only in small quantities. We are now beginning to have a good supply at reasonable prices. The extremely cold weather injured the strawberry plants in some sections, yet there is a promise of an ample stock from States north of Florida. All the fresh salads-such as dandelions, chicory, sorrel, escarole, barbe du capucin, etc.—may be had at the large markets, and, put with lettuce, they give freshness to the fare. As a rule, it is well to have about four parts of lettuce to one of escarole, sorrel, or barbe du capucin.

The supply of chives is becoming plentiful. The use of chives improves the flavor of a savory omelet, a potato salad, or soups and sauces, so much that no one who can get a pot of the herb should be without it. Put the plant in a pot of fresh earth and keep it in a sunny place, and well watered. Cut it close to the surface, and in a week there will be a new crop of green shoots from which to cut.

For those who live in the country this is a good time to send to a reliable seed store for a supply of bulbs. Plant them in a pot or box. Keep them well watered and in a sunny corner, and in a few weeks you will have a fine bed of green chives.

WHAT TO DO WITH STALE BREAD.

With a little care on the part of the housekeeper every scrap of stale bread can be made available. All the crusts and small pieces should be spread in a pan and dried slowly in a warm oven. When they are perfectly dry, put them in a

small bag,-made of ticking or canvas,-and pound them fine with a wooden mallet. Sift them and put them in glass jars.

Home-Made Yeast.

Pare seven good-sized potatoes. Put them on to boil. At the same time put a large handful of hops in a cheese-cloth

meat, fish, croquettes, etc.

Another way of using these dried scraps is to roll them until they break in rather coarse crumbs. They are then nice to eat with a bowl of milk for luncheon or tea. Cut all the crust from a loaf of stale bread, and then tear the loaf in long, thin pieces. Spread these in a large pan, only one layer deep, and place in a hot oven. When they are crisp and brown, which will be in about six or seven minutes if the oven be very hot, send them to the table with thin slices of cheese. This dish is nice just before dessert. Frequently it is served with the coffee.

Take a quantity of slices of dry bread. Dip them quickly, one by one, in a bowl of cold water. Place them in a large dripping-pan, having only one layer at a time. Then set the pan in a hot oven. In ten minutes the bread will be brown and crisp. Place on a warm plate and cover with a warm napkin. Serve at once with a little broiled smoked salmon or salt cod. This dish is a good one for luncheon or tea.

After sprinkling stale rolls or biscuit with cold water, place them in a pan and cover them with a second pan. Set in a moderately warm oven for twelve minutes, and they will seem almost as good as if freshly baked.

Put a loaf of stale bread in a deep pan, and, after covering it with another pan, set it in a moderately hot oven for twenty minutes. At the end of that time take it from the pan, and set it on end to cool. This bread will cut like a fresh loaf.

Cut all the crusts from a loaf of stale bread, and put the loaf in a steamer. Set it over a kettle of boiling water for twenty minutes, and serve at once with a sauce which has been made in the meantime by the following receipt: Put three cupfuls of boiling water in a small stew-pan, and place the pan on the stove. Mix three tablespoonfuls of flour with half a cupful of cold water, and stir the mixture into the boiling water. Continue stirring for two minutes. Now add half a nutmeg, grated; the yellow rind of a lemon, grated; and also two cupfuls of sugar. Boil for twelve minutes; then add two tablespoonfuls of butter and the juice of the lemon. Cut the steamed bread in slices with a sharp knife, and pour a generous supply of sauce on each slice as it is served. This is a nice dessert when there are children in the family. Delicious griddle-cakes are made with stale bread. Soak a pint and a half of stale bread in a pint of milk for ten or twelve hours. Keep the mixture in a warm place, where it will sour slightly. At the end of the ten or twelve hours, rub it through a sieve. Beat into the sifted mixture one teaspoonful of salt, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, half a pint of sifted flour, and a slight grating of nutmeg. Dissolve one teaspoonful of soda in half a gill of milk. Add this liquid and two well-beaten eggs to the mixture. These griddle-cakes require a little longer time to cook than the common batter cakes.

The foregoing are only a few of the many ways in which stale bread can be used.

New York Buckwheat Cakes.

At this season everything new in the way of griddle-cakes is acceptable. The following rule gives a delicious buckwheat cake, which is a change from those found almost everywhere:

The materials used are six cupfuls of buckwheat, two of graham meal, one of "middlings," a scant half-cupful of home-made yeast, one large tablespoonful of salt, and two quarts and a pint of tepid water. Put all the dry ingredients in a large bowl or pail, and add the yeast and water. Beat thoroughly for fifteen minutes. Put the mixture in a warm place, and let it rise over-night. In the morning fry on a hot griddle.

Enough cakes for six or eight persons can be made with the materials mentioned.

boiling water. Cover, and set on the fire. When the potatoes have been cooking for half an hour, pour off all the water, and mash the potatoes fine and light. Now beat in a tablespoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of sugar, and half a pint of flour. Pour the boiling-hot water on this mixture, and beat well. Let the mixture stand until it is blood-warm; then add a large cupful of yeast. Cover, and keep in a warm place for twenty-four hours. Stir frequently. At the end of twenty-four hours the yeast will cease to ferment. Put it in glass jars and keep in a cool place. Almond Soup.

For this soup there will be required two pounds and a half of the lower part of a leg of veal, one-quarter of a pound of Jordan almonds, three tablespoonfuls of butter, three of flour, one level teaspoonful of salt, one-third of a teaspoonful of white pepper, the thin rind of a lemon, a small piece of mace, two quarts of water, and one pint of cream.

The day before the scup is to be served, put the veal and cold water in a stew-pan, and heat slowly to the boiling-point. Skim carefully; then cover, and set back where the water will just bubble for ten hours. At the end of that time strain through a napkin, and set away to cool. In the morning skim off all the fat. Blanch the almonds by pouring boiling water on them, letting them stand for two minutes, then pouring off the hot water and covering them with cold water, and finally rubbing them between the hands, when the brown skin will come off readily. Put the blanched almonds in a mortar and pound them to a paste, adding a teaspoonful of cold water whenever they have the appearance of becoming oily. Now put one quart of the veal stock in a stew-pan, and set it on the fire. Put the cream, mace, lemon rind, almonds, salt and pepper in the double boiler, and place on the stove. Beat the butter and flour to a cream, and stir this into the boiling stock. Pour this mixture into the double boiler, and cook the soup fifteen minutes longer. Rub through a fine purée sieve, and serve hot. -Maria Parloa. Copyright by Maria Parloa. All rights reserved.]

Original in GOOD HOUSEEEPING.

CHOCOLATE AND COCOA. There is not much difference between chocolate and cocoa. They are both made from the seeds of a tree that grows in Central and South America and the West Indies. Humboldt first made the tree known to Europeans. It is an evergreen and bears flowers and fruit the whole year. The fruit is a long pod containing twenty to thirty beans in a rose colored sweet pulp. Twice a year, in June and December, the fruit is gathered, and the beans are separated and dried in the sun. The manufacturer roasts these beans about as coffee is roasted, and they go through several processes of crushing, grinding, etc., to remove the acrid oils and the grit, and finally the finely pulverized mass is mixed with sugar, if any kind of sweet chocolate is to be made. Cocoa is the name given to the bean in its native country, and also to the powdered forms of it in the market.

Original in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING.

MARCH.

Windy and muddy, and fitful and dark

Sloughs for our footsteps and clouds overhead;
Oh! for the notes of the bluebird and lark,
Whispering hopes that the winter has sped
Ah! there is blue smiling out of the sky-
Never a day but has one gleam of light;
Never a winter that clouds did not fly:
Never a time but a day followed night.
Here is a blossom right down at our feet,

Pearly and pure as the first flakes of snow;
List to the songs of the warblers so sweet,-
Smiling is hope, and forebodings may go.
-Sarah E. Howard.