with us.

She is very young and shy, and I'm afraid she isn't having a very good time. May I bring her to see you, and will you help me to make it pleasant for her?"

had made his astonishing announcement, or Elizabeth might have lost her hard-won self control. As it was, as soon as he had gone, she threw herself down on the sofa, and laughed

She thought afterward that it was just like Tom, to be thinking of some one's else pleasure. He brought the little cousin, a pretty girl of about eighteen, with a face as innocent as a child, and soft, timid manners, that won one's heart. Miss Elizabeth invited her to dinner, she gave a little party for her to introduce her to the young people of her own age, she took her to drive and had her come and practice her music on her own grand piano. She was very kind and sweet to her, and all for Tom's sake.

"He has asked me to help him," she thought, “and I will show him that I can give my help freely and gladly."

The only trouble was that she so seldom saw Tom alone now, for Lucy was nearly always with him.

"But never mind," thought Miss Elizabeth, "she will go home before long and then we will drop back into our old ways."

One night however, Tom came alone, and they sat by the fire as they had done so often. She was a little stiff and formal in her manners, for her thoughts about Tom made her conscious now that she was alone with him. She found it hard to be as easy and natural as she had always been, but he did not seem to notice it.

66

Yes," she thought, "I shall tell him that I will marry him. I am not afraid, I know I shall be very happy; how glad he will be!"

"You have always been the best friend I have had, Elizabeth," he went on, "you know how I have always loved you. Years ago, when we were both younger, I asked you if you would marry me, and I have asked you many times since. But you have always given me the same answer, and so as I could not have your love, I have prized your friendship above everything. And that is the reason that I come to you, before any one else, to tell you that my little cousin Lucy has told me, that is- -that we are engaged!"

He squeezed Elizabeth's hand, and looked at her half bashfully, while his happiness shone in his face.

For a moment the world grew black and swam dizzily to Elizabeth. Then she rallied. The Lawton blood of which she was so proud didn't run in her veins for nothing. She held Tom's hand firmly and cordially, she looked at him squarely and her voice was clear and ringing as she said:

66

"O Tom, I am very glad! She is a lovely girl, so young and sweet and pretty. She brings you everything—her youth, her beauty, and I know her fresh, true love, and you deserve them all! I am so glad! I know you will be very happy." Tom's face fairly beamed.

"Dear Elizabeth," he said, you have been so kind to her. She loves you already like a—”

"Mother," said Elizabeth heroically.

"Oh, no," said Tom gallantly. "Sister, a dear elder sister. We can never thank you enough for all that you have done." Fortunately Tom did not stay very much longer, after he

which the tears were ready to follow.

"Oh," she gasped, "this is the time that I was going to accept him, is it? Oh, the satire of it! The irony of it! This is the time I was going to send him away so happy! Well, I have ;" and she laughed again. Suddenly she sat up and was calm.

"It serves me right," she said, "it serves me quite right. I have been ashamed of him, and have trifled with his love all these years. Even now, when I had made up my mind to accept him, I didn't love him with one-tenth the true love that this young girl will give him. I have been selfish, selfish through it all! But," and here her laughter broke out again, "I will never be so sure of anything again in my life, as I was of my next offer!" -Bessie Chandler.

Original in GOOD Housekeeping.

GOLDEN MEMORIES.
I'm growing old. I have outlived
The brightness of the fading past;
The sunny days of youth are fled,
Their memories only last.

I sit and dream of good old times
In the years so long gone by,
Swiftly the pictures come and go
As my knitting needles fly.

I seem to see a generous hearth
With fire-dogs bright as gold,

A flickering blaze, a welcome warmth
Bids defiance to the cold.

O staunch old friend! Back-log of oak!
Giving thy life to make ours bright,
With hiss and blaze and cheery flame
Turning all darkness into light.

I'm near thee, in the corner now,
Thou four-foot log of olden time,
Gazing above to where the stars
Seemed listening to our jests and rhyme.
The dear old saints of long ago

Who smiled serenely on our play,
Watching the roasting apples glow,

Or nuts that in the embers lay,

Have gone. Their chairs are empty now
Hid in the attic side by side.

And children of that olden time

Are scattered o'er the country wide.
While I, who loved the very stones
That make the household hearth so dear,
Can feel the blaze and see the glow
Only as memory brings it near.

Original in GoOD HOUSEKEEPING.

-Mrs. H. K. Potwin.

MAKING CAMPHOR.

The mode of preparing camphor for commerce as practised by the Japanese is a species of distillation. The wood is cut up into chips and these are put into a tub fitted over a large iron pot under which a slow fire is kept. The pot is partially filled with water and the bottom of the tub is pierced with holes through which the steam from the heated water passes. The tub has a close-fitting cover, and a bamboo pipe connects it with a series of other tubs. The steam passing through the chips separates the oil and camphor from them, and in the last tub the cooled extract falls upon straw which catches the camphor crystals while the oil and water escape and are held in a lower compartment. The camphor is collected and packed for market, and the oil is used for illuminating and other purposes.

Original in GoOD HOUSEKEEPING.

QUAKER HOUSEKEEPING.

III.

Plentiful, Appetizing and Healthful Family Food for Ten Cents a Meal-A Series of Letters from a New England Quakeress to her Newly-Married Niece.

NANTUCKET, 8th month, 4th. Y DEAR NIECE:- I gave thee so little instruction in my last letter relating to "Breakfast" that I think I can continue my suggestions profitably in that direction. I would also say to thee it is much better to buy flour by the barrel. One barrel is considered the quantity consumed by one person for a year. And by the use of oat meal, hominy, Graham, Indian meal and pearled wheat, a family of three persons probably would not use the three barrels, and for cake and pastry I like to have St. Louis flour, of which thee need get only a small quantity. at a time. The articles I have mentioned are very desirable, both in the matter of health, and from an economical point. An English muffin is much liked and which thee can have easily by reserving from the bread when raised a small piece of it sufficient for one dozen muffins.

If the bread is mixed in the morning, and ready to bake in rolls or loaves at tea-time, the dough can be softened with sweet milk to the consistency of a stiff batter and well-beaten. Set in a cool place over night. In the morning butter the muffin rings well, and place upon the griddle half-filling them with the batter. Let them cook slowly and when cooked so as to be full of bubbles, turn them, letting them brown on the other side. Serve them very hot and tear them open instead of cutting them hot. The cold ones are good to split and toast for another time. When in Westerly, I had what they called "Baptist cakes," whether so named from the "Seventh Day Baptists" in that locality I know not, but they were really very nice and are prepared in this way: Take from the bread dough mixed over night, a piece and rolling it very thin, cut it out with a large-sized biscuit cutter, as after they are fried they seem much smaller in size. Let them rise on the board while the fire is kindling and the fat heating, which should be deep enough to have them float and quite hot. They will puff up at once, and can be served in that way or have a sauce of boiling-hot milk in which a piece of butter and a little salt has been added poured over them, which may be the cause of their name.

The bread dough can also be rolled thin, cut into strips and twisted as we do doughnuts. Then, when thee has any cold hominy left over, take one egg to a pint or less, beat it well and I find it better to beat the white first very thoroughly with an egg-beater, and then add the yolk and beat well. Mix this very thoroughly with the hominy, adding a little flour or meal and a little milk in which a small piece of butter and a little salt has been added. It can be fried in cakes, or baked in a gem pan. Then, for a corn cake try this: One small teacupful of cornmeal, two cupfuls of flour, three eggs, a small piece of butter, say a tablespoonful, one pint of milk, a tablespoonful of sugar, and three tablespoonfuls of baking-powder. I mix the sugar and butter together, adding a little salt, then the well beaten eggs, then the meal and the flour mixed together with the milk, and bake either in a loaf, or in small cakes as thee prefers. Perhaps thee would like a "Brown Bread" although nowadays one can get it at the baker's in small quantities. If so, take three cupfuls of Indian meal, two cupfuls of rye flour, one cupful of molasses, one teaspoonful of soda, one of salt, one egg,

although I do not consider that essential, and one quart of milk. Steam it three hours, and bake it slowly one hour.

There is another Indian cake: One cupful of Indian meal (yellow) one cupful of flour, one egg, two cupfuls of milk, onehalf of a teaspoonful of soda in milk, and one teaspoonful of cream of tartar, well mixed in the flour, one tablespoonful of sugar and a little salt. I have no doubt thee will have enough New England taste to wish for fish-cakes sometimes of a First-day morning, so I send thee an excellent receipt for them, Thy Uncle Christopher would mistake the day of the week I fear if he did not have his dinner of salt codfish on Seventh-day, and he often speaks of it as his "Nantucket Turkey." We prefer the small white-fish although many had much rather have the "dun-fish." That is another thing thee can get to advantage by the quantity, say twenty-five pounds at a time, and keep them spread out in some dry place. It will also be well for thee to get soap by the box and put the bars in the attic piled up so that they will dry well. Nothing wastes so fast as green soap, and many a servant thinks nothing of it when she leaves it soaking in the pail or tub. Have one or more wire soap-holders in which to place all small pieces of soap that would otherwise be thrown aside as useless. What a digression from fish-cakes I think I hear thee say, so I will return to them.

Pick up carefully in small pieces a quart of fish and put to soak in cold water. Put potatoes sufficient to make two quarts when cut in pieces, say four to each potato. Then put the fish and potatoes together in cold water and put on to boil. When the potato is sufficiently cooked, pour off all the water and mash all thoroughly and finely together, adding a piece of butter the size of an egg, and two well-beaten eggs. Make them into flat cakes, rolling them lightly in flour, and fry in pork-fat, serving small pieces of the fried pork with each one, or make them in the shape of good-sized croquettes, frying in the double frying kettle with deep fat. Either way is good enough, or if thee has had a salt-fish dinner, take of the fish that is left in the same proportion, but add the potato hot if possible as it so much improves the flavor. We also like a dish of "sounds and tongues." Soak them an hour or so in clear water, and boil them slowly until tender, then serve them with a sauce made of a tablespoonful of butter into which has been smoothly rubbed all the flour it will take, and heat say one pint of milk, stirring into it the butter and flour, and letting it boil up once or twice, stirring it all the time lest it get browned or lumpy. A little lemon and parsley should be used as a garnish. The same "sounds and tongues" are good dipped in a batter and fried. Now I will give thee another cod-fish dish for breakfast. Pick a pint of fish fine and free from all bones; besides being dangerous, it is decidedly disagreeable to find one's self in danger at the morning meal. Put it on in cold water, hot water at first hardens it, and when it comes to a boil turn it off. If it is then too salt repeat the water, but I seldom find it so. Then, add to it one cupful of cream if thou hast it, if not, use milk. Beat well two or three eggs in the manner I have before mentioned, put a piece of butter in with the fish and cream, which should only have been allowed to become very hot, not boil. And, having a dish to serve it in already heated, pour the egg into the fish, stir it quickly and thoroughly for a moment or two, but take it from the pan before it is entirely cooked as the heat of it will finish it. Prepared in this way "picked-up fish" is an entirely different dish from what we oftentimes find set before us, which is only a starchy compound not at all appetizing.

One more dish of salt-fish and then I think I will go on to other branches devoting no more time to this article of commerce. Take a piece of salt-fish about six inches square, and six common crackers. Pick the fish and put to soak

over night. Split the crackers, and pour cold water over them. In the morning mince the fish fine or chop it in a tray, drain the crackers dry as possible, butter an earthen baking dish, add three or four well-beaten eggs and a quart of milk and a piece of butter the size of an egg to the fish and crackers and bake one hour. Our New Bedford friends have a way of adding grated orange peel and some of the juice to this dish; strange as it may seem it is not unpleasant to the taste. - Thee will find this a palatable dish for luncheon as well as breakfast. I cannot well spare more time just now, but let me know what will suit thy needs most. Shall I arrange some meals for thee, or shall I go on in this general way? I think my next letter to thee better be on soups and chowders, which thee will need for thy own table and which will also be very useful to thee for a sick, or poor person. While I would not encourage the giving at the door to those who come regularly with baskets and who in that way accumulate enough to keep boarders at thy expense, I would never turn him that asketh of me away hungry from the door, and a bowl of hot soup and a piece of bread would cost but little and do a deal of good.

I think thee would enjoy a corn pudding, so I will send the recipe now while the corn is in its prime. Grate from eight to twelve ears of corn according to size of the same, and for one quart of milk use four eggs, four tablespoonfuls of sugar and a piece of butter the size of an egg, and a little salt. Bake in a pudding dish one hour and a quarter, but not let it cook too long as it will turn to whey or else bake it in small dishes. Thee knows we have on the island corn puddings for tea-parties and they are considered delicious. Now I will give thee a recipe for a berry pudding, and then I must drop my pen or thy Uncle Christopher will have no pudding for his dinner to-day. Take one pint of hot mashed potato, onequarter of a pound of butter, one pint of flour, a little salt and wet it with milk or water, to the consistency of biscuit dough. Roll it out and spread it with any berries, roll it up, fasten it in a cloth and steam it one hour and a quarter, using for it a sauce made of one-half of a cupful of butter and one cupful of sugar well-beaten together, and one egg. If thee chooses add a little boiling water very slowly, until thee has a creamy sauce, or grate nutmeg over it and use it cold. I hope my dear these instructions will be of use to thee. It is with much pleasure I enter into thy household arrangements. If thee has any preference for any particular dishes let me know in thy next letter, and no one will be better pleased to instruct thee than thy loving aunt.

Original in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING.

HIDDEN WISDOM.

The skillful surgeon woundeth deeper
The hidden sources to reveal,
Than he who hides the present trouble
With remedies that cannot heal.

-Rachel Macy.

O Surgeon wise, that spares by hurting
To hinder yet a sharper pain!
God's law throughout the ages shadowed
To those who suffer is made plain.

He also wounds, the great Physician!
He bids us suffer and be still;
His love permits the lesser sorrow
To guard us from the greater ill.

-Lura Bell.

SCORN not the aid one loyal mind can bring;
A noble growth expands by small degrees;
Not all at once leaves clothe the wintry trees;
But each burst bud helps on the greening Spring.
-N. Wilsey Martin.

Fill a pudding dish with alternate layers of bread crumbs spiced and sprinkled with bits of butter and slices of peeled, tart apples, sugared. Let the top layer be of crumbs. Bake and eat with Sauce 8.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 10. Mock Mince Pie (delicious).

Bake in two crusts the following mixture: One cupful of chopped raisins, one cupful of rolled crackers, one cupful of molasses, one cupful of brown sugar, one-half of a cupful of vinegar, one-half of a tablespoonful of cinnamon, one-half of a teaspoonful each of allspice and cloves, one-half of a nutmeg, one-fourth of a cupful of melted butter.

Line a pie-tin with crust, fill up with cut-up canned peaches; pour over one teaspoonful of flour rubbed smooth in a little water, and sprinkle with sugar. When baked, spread with the whites of three very stiff eggs beaten in one-half of a cupful of powdered sugar, and brown.

German Toast.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31.

Soak slices of stale bread in one pint of milk, the yolks of two eggs, two tablespoonfuls of sugar. Fry in hot butter, and eat with Sauce 3. -Ruth Hall.

Original in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING.

BANANAS,

The consumption of bananas has increased enormously in the United States during the last ten years, which is a good thing, as it is a healthful and nutritious fruit and very palatable to most people. West India furnishes us the most of our supply, but the demand so far has run ahead of it and many sugar plantations in the West Indies are being turned into banana orchards. The bulk of the crop comes to New York, whence it is distributed through the country. We buy over $1,000,000 worth a year from Jamaica; yet there are a hundred other places raising them and shipping them to our market.