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Le» diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. errata to pelure, }n d D 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 CORNELIUS VANDERBILT, Founder of the Vanderbilt Estate in New York, now estimated to be worth over One Hundred Millions of Dollars. l^SSS Secret of Success in Life; OR, Common Sense in Business and The Home. ^ dompenlrmm of JJrortkal information: SHO-WIBTG- How to Acquire Correct Business Habjts and Education ; Manag* a Farm Successfully ; Become a Skilftil Mechanic ; Accumu- late Wealth by Manufacturing and in Mrrcantile Pur- suits; Form and Dissolve Partnerships; Contract a Prudent Marriage ; Effect Leases and Insu- rance; Avoid Lawsuits and Failure in Business; and Make a Valid Will. The Best Methods of Saving Money in the Household ; Making Home Comfortable and Happy ; Of Purchasing and Prepar- ing Food Economically ; Preserving Healt^ and Beauty ; Curing Children's Diseases, and Prolonging Life. BY *«TaeB e» " Pa^CTlCAI. TRIATISI or IDaiMBMI, ' " LfOlL ADTIRIB, " ■■ OFPOBTVNIIIIH fOB UIB«*nV,* "raUADBLPnu aud it* MANurAOTDBM." ^avitiBoindja ilinstrot^. Whitby, Ontario. J. S. ROBERTSON & BROS 1881. r If \> •' Al'Z-i?^^ Copyright, 1881, by Edwin T. Fbrrdlbt. ALL RIGHTS RBSKKVKD. FERQUSON BROS. * CO., PRINTIRS AND CLEOTROTVPIiRS, PHILAOtLPHIA. '•'. f C 1 9 191S » ** L. ■»■ PUBLISHERS' PREFACE. 'HAKESPEARE has said " there is a tide in the affaire of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune," and a sensible, though less eminent, writer has remarked, "that so long as we see the many instances of men, long experienced in business, failing, we may properly conclude that all is not yet known that can be known, by even the experienced.*' The author of the work which we herewith present is con- nected with a family that has been one of the most successful in Eastern Pennsylvania, and from early life has been asso- ciated with prosperous and self-made men. More than a quarter of a century ago, while yet a young man, he published a " Treatise on Business " which had an immense sale in Great Britain as well as in the United States, and hundreds of men now prosperous in their callings ascribe their success to the ideas suggested to them by a perusal of that little book. Now in the maturity of his powers, and with many years of addi- tional experience, he has prepared this volume, which contains not only his own observations, but the results of the costly experience of many others, whose names are familiar in the markets and exchanges of the world. The work is divided into two parts, which, together, comprise the whole Philosophy of getting, saving, borrowing, lending, and spending money. A glance at the Table of Contents will show how comprehensive are the subjects, and hov numerous the points treated of. Part I. is devoted to answering prac- tical questions that have perplexed the most experienced, and i I ^ ii P UBLISHEliS ' PR EFA CE. to expluiuing the theory, maxims and laws of business, inter- spersed with lively anecdotes and iilustralious of mistakes which have cost merchants and others thousands of dollars. Care has been taken to avoid the discussion of controverted points, and to state only such laws and principles as are well establishcid, and not local or limited in their application. In the preparation of Part II. the author does not claim originality, for originality would be a fault; but he does claim to have expended time, pains and money to. obtain for his readers the most valuable secrets in domestic economy, and how well he has succeeded, they are referred to the chapters on the "Art of Marketing;" of Planning and Furnishing Houses; Practical Suggestions on Clothing; the Secrets of t!ie Toilet, and the Best Methods of Prolonging Life. The chapter on preparing Dainty Dishes contains original contri- butions from professional cooks who receive larger salaries than the Secretary of State ; and those on preventing and curing diseases were read in proof and indorsed by some of the most eminent physicians in the country. Every chapter, in fact, contains advice for every-day use, based on scientific and practical experiments, that is worth more to any man of family or thrifty housekeeper than the cost of the entire work. With this explanation the Publishers commend this volume to the patronage of all who aspire to that true wisdom, which consists " in knowing what is best worth knowing." The Publishebs. ■c CONTENTS. PARTI. CHAPTER I. THE THEORY OF BUSINESS. Business is kino— Definition of Common Sense— What is included in term Biifliness — Original idea of business — Whence the idea of ti fair price was derived — What is the end of business — Dr. John- son's remark on money-making — Why should the accumulation of property bt encouraged — Cicero's opinion of artisans — Bacon's philosophy — Destroying villages to enlarge parks — No million- naires or paupers — The remedy for those who make money too fast — The true use of money — Instances of men who have limited their gains — Nathaniel R. Cobb's resolution — Samuel Appleton'B vow — Peter C. Brooks' observation — Meaning of the needle's-eye passage in Scripture — An impressive admonition — Why books should be written on business — Wealth not the true measure of success — Bible condemns sloth — How professional men are meas- ured — A great merchant compared to a lake — The strong men bound to protect the weak — Definition of wealth — How Locke defines riches — When coal and water are wealth — Wild land not wealth — Sources of all wealth — Rent, wages and capital defined — Interestu of labor and capital identical — Law defined — Different kinds of laws — Moral 'aws defined — The origin of Municipal laws — What compose the Statute and Common law of the United States — Important common law maxims — What is meant by law mer- chant — The laws of honor — Chalmers' beautiful tribute to com- mercial honor ill 3S • t IV CONTENTS. CHAPTER II. THE BEST EDUCATION FOR A BUSINESS MAN. Object of education — Wlmt qualitiea buainesa men need — How to attain |)hyHicul vigor — Health an ingredient of talentfl — Impor- tance of elenientsiry branelien of learning — How good penmanHliip made Shipley's fortune — Importance of punctuation — Want of comma cost a merchant a thounand dollars — How clerks were formerly trained — John Hancock — Value of chemistry — Mathe« maticH as a practical study — Bonaparte — Remark of Dr. Barrow — "What foreign languages useful in a business career — Why young men should be taught drawing and design — Observation of Lord Arundel — A sneer at Americans for their neglect of ornamental art — How to cultivate the senses — How the faculty of memory may be improved — Brassey's wonderful memory- -Great men rely on their memory — Disadvantage of a defective memory in busi- nefls — How to acquire the habit of remembering names and dates — What Mithridates could do — How to develop decision of char- acter — John Foster on decision — Observation of Sydney Smith — Value of good address and polite manners — Emerson's observa- tion — Lord Chesterfield's opinion — Duke of Marlborough — When bees will not sting a man — Whirh are the politest people in the world — The Jews eulogized f^jal intercourse a business training — How to control the temper — The Quaker's plan — How to teach a child the value of money — An original idea — How a wealthy grocer brought up his sons — Where Mayor Hone failed in his family training — A college education for a business man con- sidered — Hilliard's observation on college students — Why the Dan- ish system of educating engineers is superior to the English — >, Commercial colleges commended — What a lawyer should know — ■ An outline of the best education for a youth designed for business pursnitA — The Jesuit teachers — Bacon's remark of the law — Advice to youno men — W^ho should not engage in mercantile pursuits — Best recommendation to obtain a situation — What employers to avoid — How to retain a situation — Why New Eng- land boys are preferred in offices to city boys — Grinnell, Mintum & Co. — Dangers of large cities— What old merchants say — Where the safest companionship can be found — Love of reading a safe- guard — Sir John Herschel'B commendation of booka 49 CONTENTS. CHAPTER III. BUSINESS HABITS AND MAXIMS. Bentham'8 illuRtrution of the power of habit — Definition of habit — Fieiding'H curious ilhiHtrution — Wiiat are meant by Habit« of Rusi- nera — What ia the Hecret of great achievementH — Clarendon's remark on tlie power of Indxislry — Value of Order — A wonderfully methodical lawyer — Method compared to (Kicking gouda in boxes — What Curran said to Grattan — Why m Punctuality a virtue — BlackHtone and Lord Brougham extmipleM of punctuality — John Quincy Adamn more regular than a Government clock — Waah- ington'H remark to Hamilton — What a man Hhould do if he can- not pay money when promised — Mechanics rarely punctual — Meaning of accuracy — Inaccurate statements more numerous than direct lies — Why an accurate youth is always favored — Impor- tance of Perncvcrance — William Wirt's observation — Calcvlation as a business habit — A knowledge of Arithmetic essential to a busi- neaa man — How a person may acquire the Iwibit of quick calcula- tion — Moral lessons taught by ralctilation— Anecdote of John Murray — How calculation proves that honesty is the beat policy — Forcible remarks on the value of good habits— Business Maxims — How maxims help men in their business career — Examples of maxims that embody the sense and experience of men in all ages — Franklin's gleanings 70 CHAPTER IV. ON MARRIAGE AND THE CHOICE OP A WIFE. What may be done by judicious grafting and selection — Meaning of Marriage — Irving's eulogy of marriage — What is the proper age for men and women to marry— Opinions of Aristotle, Plato, Franklin and others — Early marriages condemned — Washington's father — A phrenologist's opinion of the allowable ages for marriage — When may a business man marry — What is the first thing that should be regarded in the selection of a wife — The second — The importance of good health — A quaint remark— Irritable nerves — Houj to tell wliether a woman in healthy and likely to be long lived Difference in religious beliefs— Marriage of Protestints and Catholics — Amiability of disposition — Is it prudent to marry a' woman who is continually finding fault with her beau— A knowl- ▼I CONTENTS. edge of hooflehold dutieti an accompliHhraent — Addi'Mn'ii sugges- tion — Marion Harland'H peculiar friend — What ia not a prudent marriage — Does a want of education disqualify a woman fur mar- riage — The mothers of the Republic — What a wouian ought to know — Can the character of a woman be judged b<' physical niani- feetations — Organ of love, where situated — Should the tempera- menta be similar or diiwimilar — How to judye of ihe adaptationB in candidcUea for malrimony from external ngna — From complexion- Eyes — Mouth — Hair — I'liyaical shape — Causes of unhappiness iii the married state — How to pre»«?rve love during marriage — What husbands and wives should think of each other — How husbands •bould treat their wives — All rules valueless without a perfect union— The great secret of happy marriages 82 CHAPTER V. BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS. Power of a partner to ruin his copartner — Legal definition of Part- nership — When is it prudent to enter into a copartnep What CAPITAL is required to start a farm of average size — What IMPLEMENTS should be purchased — Selection of animals — Ma7^' agement of Soils — Heavy soils — Gravelly loams — Peaty soils — How to improve soils — Value of Manures —JTow to save and manufactura manure — Peat or muck as manure — Accounts that a farmer should keep — Cost of raising Indian com — Profit in poultry and butter — Good farmers keep the best, and poor farmers sell it — Secret of Success in all kinds, of farming 138 t CHAPTER IX. SECRETS OF SUCCESS IN THE TRADES. Eesential qualities in all mechanical pursuits — Meaning of natural aptitude — How some men are born for certain pursuits — Michael Angelo, Nelson and Bonaparte — How is skill acquired — How can a parent ascertain for what trade his son is best suited — Claims of phrenologists — Trade* thai offer the best advantages to young men CONTENTS. IX wUhoui eapUal — Qualifications to become a lumber merchant — A carpenter — A stonecutter — A bricklayer— A stonemaaon — A plumber and gaafitter — A blacksmith- A machinist — Disadvan- tages of the machine business — Qualifications to become a skilful engraver — What an eminent wood engraver has found out — Printers and type-setters- The secret of successful type-setting— Duty of journeymen mechanics to their employers— Ifow journeymen become master-mechanics — How Nasmyth, Stephenson, Franklin and others began life — The best impression a mechanic can make upon his • customers — Why some master-mechanics are always full of work — How some men err in bids for work — Taking contracts without profit — Trades-unions considered — Difference in the comparative efficiency of workmen illustrated — Remark of a great English engineer on Trades-unions — The great practical lesson mechanics should learn — A striking instance where trade was lost by inferior workmanship 151 CHAPTER X. ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS IN MANUFACTURING. What is the glory of manufactures — What manufactures have done for the poor — Why England is pre-eminent in manufactures — Importance of coal — The best location for a manufactoi-y — Should factories be located together or isolated — Babbage's observation — What calculation a man should make before embarking in manu- facturing — Mistakes that are often made — Points to be considered before attempting to produce new articles — Comparative cost of water and steam power — Are large manufactories more profitable than small — The tendency of modern manufactures — Subdivision into parts — Secret of making labor efficient — Nail-niakitig — What kind of men succeed best in managing great concerns — How to treat foremen and employees — Confidence rarely abused — Brassey's treatment of his subcontractors — The secret of retaining good workmen — A model New England manufactory — Should manu- facturers favor high or low wages — Saturday a poor " pay-day " — Elements that give value to commodities — When water and land are valueless — What determines the price of a commodity — The pound sterling the great regulator — What the law obliges a manu- facturer to do — A rope-maker's case — The law of Trade-mauks — How young men vnih limited capital may accumulate wealth in manvr fucturing — Herring, Mason, Disslon, Maydole — Pothschild's advice to a brewer 164 t,^:-, i I X CONTENTS. CHAPTER XI. BUYING AND SELLING MERCHANDISE. 1. Cardinal Principles op Trade. The great test of moral principles — Cardinal principles of TRADE — Wherein man is distinguished from all other animals — Trade an index of a nation's civilizafon — Do profits increase in proportion to the increase of exchanges— Horace Greeley's phil- osophy of trade — The new system of making exchanges — The essential bases of a profitable trade in the future — What proportion of merchants succeed in accumulating property — Statistics in Boston — Changes within twenty-five years in Philadelphia— The secret of a safe trade in merchandise — Iron as an illustration — How far can a trader innocently involve himself in debt — Rule of Amos Law- rence — A banker's opinion — Interest the canker-worm of a credit business — Anecdote of James G. King — How merchants can keep down the raU: of interest — The supply of the precious metals inadequate to the wants of modern commerce — The United States legal tender i otes appreciating in value — Financial theories of London not suited for American traders — The radical difTerence between the British and American schools of Political Economists respecting money — The theories of the English school — Novel ideas of leading American economists — Classification of merchants — The importance to society of both retail and wholesale merchants — Adam Smith's illustration — When is the proper time to engage in a mercantile business — How to establish a new business — Three things essential — Who may legally trade in merchandise — Disa- bilities of married women and minors — When is a person of law- ful ag ^— Are contracts made with intoxicated persons binding — Statute laws that concern traders in merchandise — Provisions in tJie Statute of Frauds — What contracts are binding and what invalid — Staiute of Limitations — Debts are never outlawed unless the debtor pleads the statute as a defence — What laws govern when the par- ties to a contract reside in different States and countries — Law of . lex loci — The customs of each trade the law assumes are known to all dealers — The test question in cases of dispute — When is the bargain for the sale of merchandise completed where the negotia- tion is carried on by correspondence — Why are merchants directly interested in the diffusion of intelligence 182 CONTENTS. XI CHAPTER XII. BTTYINQ AND SELLING MERCHANDISE. 2. Points for Ketailebs. Buying out a businefw— Rule for estimating value of good-will — When good-will is valuable — The best location for a retail store — A hatter's experience— Importance of an abundance of lUjht — Peat arrangement of gas-lights in store-windows — How to ventilate stores and warehoupes— Mistakes made— Best safeguards against burglars — Points that a tenant should have insei-tetl in a lea»e — Verbal covenants to renew a lease should be inserted in written agreement — Stipulations about repairs and to pay taxes and rent to cease in case premises are destroyed — What can a tenant remove from leased premises — How stores should be fitted up — Arrangement of goods — Tawdry decoration condemned — Model dry-goods stores — When dummies are useful — Their use in England — Value of sample cards — Losses by grocers— Changes in style — La« from overweight— iosscs to which retail dry-goods dealers are subjex:t — A gootl phin — How to .ell when goods are going out of fashion — Tlic best method of attracting custom — Circulars to " openings " — Men and women always looking for bargains — What advertising is jwlicious — Wiiat a Frenchman observed about advertising — Value of persistency — Deceptive advertising an injury to trade — Qualities of a good clerk for a retail business — Beauty a magnet — Women in dry-goods stores — Handsome girls not desirable in some branches of business — Safeguards against dishonesty in clerks — What is the best security for the good conduct of clerks — What ooTistitutes ability in a salesman — Who are the best men to sell cloths, books, silks, shoes, hardware — How to avoid remnants in relaillng dry goods — Magnetic power of some salesmen — How clerks by rudeness can drive away business — Demetrius and the old woman — How Lundy Foote made a fortune — The exhaustless patience of a clerk in I^ondon rewarded — The fundamental maxims in a good salesman's creed — About politeness, sample cards, bargains — Abatement in price and inspiring confidence — Duties of clerks to their employers — What clerks are dropped when business is dull — How employers should treat their clerks — The kings of men attentive to their subordinates' welfare — Illustrious examples — Budgett's method of treating his employees — The great secret of succeaa in retail trade— Policy adopted by a large clothing house — Selling i^ople wliut they should have — A personal illustration. 203 31 UM xii CONTENTS. CHAPTER XIII. BUYING AND SELLING MERCHANDISE. 3. Points fok Buyers. How an experienced buyer operatef) — His demeanor towards the nel- ler — A good policy — What qualincations are necessary to be a good buyer of dry goods — Beniarl( of a great manufacturer of car- pets — Buying groceries — Foodt adulterated — How green tea« are colored — Coffees mixed — Brown sugars full of animulculee — Flour adulterated with alum — Butter mixed with lard — Best plan of detecting adulterations — Buyers beating down sellers in their price — Anecdote of Girard — One-price houses — Why it is better to buy from close dealers than those who do not tw/uc money— How buyers can tell when to purchase largely and when not — Art of buying goods at auction — Points to be attended to — What the Com- mon law warns buyers to beware of — Importance of a Bill of Parcels — Buying goods sold by sample — What the buyer must attend to — Who must bear the loss for goods destroyed before delivery — When a warranty cannot be relied upon — Buying goods by letter — How long a seller is bound to stand to his ofter — The law respecting articles taken on trial — Danger of delay in mailing letters accepting offers — When is a contract of sale made by cor- respondence closed — Why an acceptance that varies the terms of an offer is not binding — What to do when goods are sent differing from the order in quantity or quality — Duty of buyer when goods have perished — When invoices should be examined — When defects should be reported to the seller 231 CHAPTER XIV. BUYING AND SELLING MERCHANDISE. 4. Duties of Country Merchants. Great influence of storekeepers in rural districts — Their first great duty — What they can teach their neighbors about paying debts — Busi- ness texts that should be circulated on cards and bill-heads — What a country merchant must know — Infinite variety of details — Has no time to study credits — And should not give credit on goods purchased for consumption except in exceptional cases — The philosopher's stone discovered by John Randolph — How country CONTENTS. xm merclinntfl can dminish the applications for credit and increase their mleajor cash— YoWy of trying to please everybody— How country merchants can increase the prosperity of their neighborhood and benefit themselves — Discretion required in the sale of liquors- Why a country merchant should support churches and schools— His duty in regard to his county newspapers — How a merchant in the country should look upon the debts he owes to wholesaU dealers in cities — His best investment i44 CHAPTER XV BUYING AND SELLING MERCHANDISE. 6. Selling Goods at Wholesale. The true theory of selling goods— Gideon Lee's maxim — The plan adhered to by an old and successful merchant — Value of good sales- men to wholesale houses — Commercial travellers — Qualifications of a good salesman considered — His fundamental maxims — Must possess frank manners and a social nature — Is there friendship in trade— How country merchants are captivated and made life-cus- tomers — Importance of keeping eflScient clerks — What merchants generally fail to appreciate in their clerks— The secret of retaining efficient salesmen — How salariea should be regulaied — Practice of some firms to offer gratuities in proportion to service rendered — Rule in public offices in England — What fair treatment of em- ployees implies — How merchants can aid their salesmen to increase their trade — Advertising as an art — Elements of judicious advertis- ing — Gambling in advertising — What journals to advertise in — Advertising agencies — What is the secret of attractive advertising — Advertising in books, when advisable — Sales on short credit con- trasted with long credits — A remarkable calculation — Disastrous errors that merchants frequently make in discounts — What is the best plan — Selling goods on credit a losing business — An aston- ishing statement — How the issue of legal tender notes has bene- fited commercial business — A safe rule for extending credits — Banking principles should be adopted by merchants— When busi- ' ness will become permanently safe — A wise precaution — What questions should be asked of a new customer who solicits goods on credit— The penalty for false statements— What amounts to obtain- ing goods under false pretences— W^hen a man, who recommends another as worthy of credit, makes himself liable for the debt — What precaviion mu«< a merchant take who gives credit on a letter of i Mi aiT CONTENTS. guaranty — How to distinguian between a continuing and temporarj guaranty — A model letter of guaranty that cost the writer $60,000 — Must guarantied be in writing — What to do when the provifiions of a statute have been neglected — What words do not amount to a guaranty — When a seller must disclose latent defects in the articled he offers for sale — What is the seller's duty after bargain has been made — What peculiar privilege does the law give a man who has sold goods on credit in case he hears of the buyer's imaolvency — What care is a seller obliged to take of goods sold and not delivered — The duty of the seller with respect to shipping and insuring goods sold 252 CHAPTER XVI. BUYING AND SELLING MERCHANDISE. 6. Selling by Agents, Auctioneers, Brokers, etc. The principal classes of commercial agents enumerated — Auxtwneera — Their authority — Have no right to employ by-bidders, nor sell on credit — When is a pale completed — Definition of a broker — When paymentH cannot safely be made to brokers — When brokers are entitled to their commission — Rules in charter parties — Can a broker selling property incumbered charge commission on gross amount — When is a broker not entitled to commissions — Commis- sion MERCHANTS — Points of difference between factors and bro- kers — How far can a commission merchant bind his principal — Important caution — A factor bound to obey orders — When he can sell contrary to orders — When he cannot sell even to reimburse advances — His duty to follow the usages of trade — How a commis- sion agent should construe ambiguous orders — Mistake of a pork- merchant — When a factor is obliged to insure — What is his duty when he cannot insure — Keeping up correspondence — What care is he required to take of his principal's property — Penalty for mix- ing another's goods with his own — The law with reference to ad- vances and interest on advances — A commission merchant's lien, for his charges — When it is prudent to send a supercargo with valuable consignmentB 273 CONTENTS. XV CHAPTER XVII. BUYING AND SELLING MERCHANDISE. 7. Fob Promissory Notes, Bills op Exchange. The essential requisites of a Promissory Note — When due if the date lias been onlitted — Different forms of Promissory Notes — Tiie peculiar privileges given to notes and bills by the law — What makes a note negotiable — Form of indorsement — How holders of railroad and other bonds may protect themselves against lose — Effect of a seal to a note — When is a note not good even to a bona fide holder — Accommodation notes — How to calculate when notes become due — When and where must notes be presented for pay- ment — If unpaid when must notice be given to the indorser — Duties of Notaries Public — When uotirc of nonpayment not neces sary to charge indorsers — A prudent precaution before taking notes overdue — Effect of alterations in a note or bill after signature — Releasing maker discharges indorsers — Rule with respect to pre- senting notes payable on demand, and sight bills — When may a man be compelled to pay his note twice — Bills of exchange — What are drafts — When and where must bills be presented for acceptance — P'orm of acceptance— Irregular acceptances, when good — Effect of taking an accej-tance that varies from the terras of the bill — The duty of the holdiT when acceptance has been refused — Damages for bills returned trader protest — How a man may become the creditor of another without his request or consent — Acceptance supra protest — Conflict of laws between different States and couiitries 284 CHAPTER XVIII. INSURING GOODS — POINTS FOR INSURERS. Insurance in some cases a ' ral obligation — Nature of insurance — Prudent inquiries to miiKe before taking out a policy — When a man can insure property he does not own — Insurance by commis- • sion merchants — Effect of misrepresenting or concealing a material fact — How the questions of Insurance Companies should be answered — Effect of representing a risk as first cliiss when it is not — Is a man permitted to introduce extra-hazardous articles on the premises insured — Liquors — What alterations may be made without consent of insurers — What are double insurances — XVI CONTENTS. How policies of inaurnnce may be awtgned — Are lofwen from indirect caiiHCH covered by fire policiefl- -In lightning fire — Steam explosions — What doeH an innurance on /unueliold (jood» cover — Does the removal of goods vitiate the inHiirance — The duty of the inmircd when he Hiilil-ra a loss — An option the inniirance companies have — Effect of not paying the premium — Marine tn«uronce 300 CHAPTER XIX. FORWARDING GOODS. Liabilities of common carriers— Who are legally common carriers — Drivers taking parcels — Duty of carriers when goods are specially marked, as, "Glass, with great care" — Oil of cloves — Responsibility for goods destroyed by {ire — What is a delivery to owners or con- signees of goods — How a carrier can relieve himself from respon- sibility — Notice on a ticket or in a newspaper — Responsibility of railroad companies for u passenger's baggage — Trunks containing mechanics' tools — How contents of a trunk lost may be proved — Shipping goods by sea — Ship liable for damage — Bills of Lading — When freight is payable on goods lost at sea — Goods thrown overboard — Meaning of general average — Claim for salvage — Who may save a vessel or goods and claim salvage 312 CHAPTER XX. SPECULATING IN MERCHANDISE AND STOCKS. Bulwer's remark on Speculation — The peculiar field of a specula- tor — How speculators may benefit both producers and consumers — Difference between regular traders and speculators — What a speculator must possess to succeed — Fluctuation in price necessary — Proper objects of speculation — Good articles to speculate in — "What are not safe — How is a speculator to know when to buy and when to sell — Speculating in hops — Nerve necessary in a speculator — Holding too long dangerous — Safest rule for speculating in stocks — Observation of an old broker — Ricardo's rules to make stock speculating safe — How inexperienced men operate — Trying to sit out losing hands — How to know whether a stock is likely to rise or fall — How small operators may secure themselves against large losses — Peculiar privileges sold in New York — Meaning of " Puts and Calls " — What a Japanese official said to an American captain . . . 320 CONTENTS. xvii CHAPTER XXI. ON FAILING IN BUSINESS. Wliy the ndvioc of baiikrui)U is often better than that of rich men — Eanicr to fall tlian to Hiicceed — Princii)al caiweH of failures — Kx- travuf^ance of exi)en(iitiire — How a new nofa caused an outlay of $;50,0l)0 — What is iinprudiul expenilitnre — Why indulgence in wines and lifjuors is injurious — How bad legislation may cause failures — Who shoidd he selected as representatives to make lawa * — The Parliament of (ireat Ikitain a factory for making laws — Injudicious investments a cause of failure — How men in business get their cash locked up in unavailable securities — Outside specu- lations — Imprudent advances to producers — The Rothschilds' mis- take — When should a ma ail — llow to foretell approach! ii ij in.wlv- e7icy — Sargeant's advice to a man in end)arrassed circumstances — What proposition for compromise will a debtor (ind most accepta- ble to his creditors — The ofier of a suspended house — Filing a petition in bankruptcy — The Bankrupt law of England — Of the United States — \'olui)tary and involuntary bankruptcies — What will prevent a merchant's discharge in bankruptcy — How may a • creditor obtain security from insolvent debtors notwithstanding ! preferences to creditors are forbidden — Best way to escape bank- ( ruptcy — A lawyer's sagacious advice 321 I CHAPTER XXII I , OF PAYING DEBTS. 1» payment, like charity, twice blessed — To wliom can a valid payment ,^ be made — If payment be made in bnvk-notea and the bank fails, wliomust bear thelpss — Payment in r/ir^^^s wliich the bank refuses ^ to honor — How long can a man keep a check safely — Who must bear the loss if the bank fails, or if the drawer withdraws the money [from the bank — Rule in presenting checks for payment — Who [must bear the loss if a bank pays altered or Jnrroloc- lioii iigidiiHt firt.' — Uiddifr-iiiK'd tiddiig lor waU'r-jiipch — Di'CirtH in watt r-tl()s«'trt — All alainduiici' of rootn-cloHcts ri'coiiinK'ii(K'd — Iiu- j)orlaiic»' of Inippiiig drain-pipoH — DwyiVH plnn for hi-ating and cooling rooms — SnggcHtionn on puiulin;/ and puperin;/ roiniiH—Xn arlixl'H idea for di-corating nnuiHioiiH — Hclcction of paper govcrnotl by the light and ni/.c of rooinH — SuggcHtion on l»njintj CONTENTS, XXI 892 CHAPTER IV. HOUSEHOLD CONVKNIKXCIOH NOT IN GENERAL UHE. noiinekei'jiiiiK art — Novel inodt- of Hlii'lliiiK beana — Importance of kitclieii convi'iiiences — Vi liy there hIioiiUI be an Rbiindanec of kitchen cloths — Convenieiice8 in u c(X)k'ri bailey — Articlen to l)e foiiM(i in a well-kepl kilciien — Wiiiit kind of (inmirc Hhonid be bought — Novel iirlicIcH — The «<(>r/;-;w< a Htandurd fixture in Fniich kitcheiiH — VVhitewood boards preferable to tablew — Tiie Duti ii oven liighly coniiuenf the buyer. This is what is implied in a fair price, and it looks back to a time when prices were fixed by superior authority for the common good. • ii, i THE THEOItY OF JlUSINESS. ) more H lexi- nploy- gain. y tliiwe )I)(>rty, i3 other L'. By Tviince protit- Uite itH erlying itnj, not m were r art or le good of the cen its prices, y idea • price K'C that icn are cthren, lawful buyer. vs back rity for 2. Wiiat may be naid to be the eud or object of busincsa at tiio present day? To Hupply th(! wautH of others in oxoliancjc for the meanB of witislying our own wants or desi»'es. JJusinesn, more- over, furnisheH a pleasurable exercise those faculties in man that delight i:i lu-tion, or, ils Dr. Johnscm has cx- j)ressed it, there are few ways in which a man vnu be more imiocently employed than in getting money. The mer- chants and mamifacturers of to-day take the i)laco, in their influciuie upon society, of the knights and priests of t..j Middle Ages. 3. Should the accumulation of property be encouraged, and are money-making pursuits honorable? All civilized nations have deemed it wise and politic to j)rotect and encourage the ownership of property, for without it there could be no progress or permanent advance- ment in growth. If no man could have any right to his habitation except while he was actually within it, and another might take possession the moment he stepped out, there could be no motive for any one to provide more than a temporary shelter. But while the right to accumu- late property has probably never been questioned, there has been great diversity of opinion, even among philosophic writers, as to the social rank of those engaged in work and business compared with rulers, warriors, orators, and authors. Wherever slavery has tainted the atmosphere labor has been degraded. In Rome both the tillers of the soil and the mechanics were principally slaves, and there even tht enlightened Cicero wrote, "All artisans are en- gaged in a degrading profession " — " There can be nothing ingenuous in a workshop." In fact, it was not until after the philosophy promulgated by Lord Bacon had taken M C0M3I0X SENSE IN BUSINESS. root in the understandings of men that the pursuits by which men acjcumulate property were regarded as worthy of philosophic consideration and universal esteem. 4. Is there a limit beyond which the accumulation of property by individuals may become detrimental to the common good ? So long as capital is used for the employment of ^ labor and the production of things useful there can be no excess which is harmful ; but where it is absorbed by a few indi- viduals who use it for their own aggrandizement it may prove very detrimental to the common weal. In Europe whole villages have been depopulated, and hundreds of worthy families have been consigned to death in the work^ house, that a few proud land-owners might add to the area of their worthless parks. Great fortunes, in fact, are rarely a blessing to society, and in a Utopian common- wealth there would be neither millionnaires nor paupers. 5. What is the remedy for an individual to adopt who finds himself in danger of becoming a millionnaire ? To indulge liberally in discriminating charity, and especially to spend freely to encourage art and literature, and to stimulate languishing industries. With some men the process of accumulation is so rapid that unless they distribute as they go, freely, largely, and systematically for the good of their fellow-men who do not possess their peculiar gifts and opportunities, they are in danger of realizing practically that the love of money is the root of all evil, and also of advertising themselves to the world, by the fact of their vast possessions, that they have lived selfishly, or not philanthropically. Fortunately, according to the Rev. John Todd, " Our business men are iiits by worthy tion of to the )f labor excess }W indi- it may Europe reds of e work-^ • the area iict, are ommon- npers. opt who J? ity, and terature, so rapid ;ely, and o do not y are in money is selves to hat they tunately, men are THE THEORY OF BUSINESS. $f beginning to learn the true use of money. They are beginning to understand that he who digs a well, like Jacob, which will gush up with fresh water for ages, has done a good and a great deed ; that he who has used his money to found a school where the little feet of children will gather, and the hum of young voices be heard, ages after he is dead, has done a good and a great act ; that he who founds a professorship in a college will have an edu- cated and a polished mind there instructing young men generations hence ; that he who uses his money to stereo- type and publish a good book, has opened a well that will send forth the waters of life as long as time shall be ; that he who provides an asylum for the blind, the deaf, or the tleranged, will be ministering directly to alleviate the woes of humanity in all future time; that he who with his money plants a church or a school-house in a community too poor to build churches or school-houses is opening a fountain never to dry up." 6. Are there any instances on record of men who re- solved to limit their acquisitions and adhered to their resolution ? Nathaniel R. Cobb, of Boston, whose name is en- deared to hundreds of young business men, by acts of kindness extended to them, resolved that he would never become rich, and drew up the following covenant with himself, or vow, and it is said strictly adhered to it : " By the grace of God, I will never be worth more than fifty thousand dollars. By the grace of God, I will give one-fourth of the net profits of my business to charitable and religious uses. If I am ever worth twenty thousand dollars I will give one-half of my net profits, and if I am ever worth thirty thousand dollars I will give three- m I m •■ m\, I 18 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. fourths, and the whole after fifty thousand dollars. So help me God, or give to a more faithful steward and set me aside." Among the resolutions formed by Samuel Appleton, of Boston, as found among his papers, was the following ; " I promise during the following year to spend the whole of my income, either in frivolity, amusement, public utility, or benevolence." Peter C. Brooks remarked to one of his sons, not long before his death, that " of all the ways of disposing of money, giving it away is the most satisfactory." 7. What is meant by that passage of Scripture which says, " It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God " ? The " Needle's Eye " was a narrow gate in the walls of Jerusalem through which a loaded camel could not pass ; and as the rich men of eighteen centuries ago had obtained their wealth principally by conquest and the plunder of the weak, it may reasonably be (supposed such as they could not find easy access into the celestial kingdom. The famous Roman roads were made not to facilitate a beneficent commerce, but for the transport of troops out of Rome, and for carrying back the forced contributions of those they had conquered. Moreover, the whole spirit of Christianity, while favorable to enterprise and an equit- able interchange of commodities, is adverse to the accumu- lation of great riches in the hands of individuals ; and it is probable the passage of Scripture referred to means exactly what it says, or, in other words, that — the possession of great wealth being of itself evidence that the man possessing it has not been charitable in proportion to his ^'^ rs. So lud set LETON, owing ; B whole public ms, not isposing 3 which 2ye of a ;dom of le walls ot pass ; )btained nder of as they THE TIIEOBY OF BUSINESS. 89 means, has not loved his neighbor as himself— one of the two great commandments on which hang all the law and the prophets— it will be easier for a camel to squeeze through the " Needle's Eye " at Jerusalem than for him who has acquired much more of this world's goods than his neighbors, and held on to them, to enter into the king- dom of heaven. There is, we apprehend, a more fearful significance than many persons will concede in that mild, but impressive admonition, " Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime received^t thy good things.'' 8. If the accumulation of riches be interdicted, why should books be written to aid men to become successful in business? We may reply in the first place that wealth is not the true measure of success in business; and secondly, that while the Bible holds out no promise of a blessing for the rich beyond this life, it commends diligence in business, points to the ant as an example of industry and foresight, and St. Paul admonisl^cs his Romish congregation, " Be not slothful in business." To make money in every honorable way is morally right ; but to use it so selfishly as to become rich seems to be Scripturally wrong. To plan, work, and save that one may liave larger opportunities to benefit his fellow-men is commendable, nay, a religious duty ; but by heaping up riches a man may imperil his soul. Economy, which is always a virtue in a poor man, may become a vice in one who has acquired a competency. Lord Bacon, one of the wisest of modern philosophers, advises : " Seek not proud riches, but such as thou mayest get justly, use soberly, distribute cheeffully, and leave contentedly." If wealth were the true or only measure of success in business, a rich robber would seem more worthy of honor 40 COMMON ISENSE IN BUSINESS. than an honest but bankrupt merchant. A business man, like the statesman or professional man, undertakes to do a certain work, and his success is to be measured by the ability he displays in its performance, not by the reward he receives. A lawyer's talents are not estimated by the fees he receives, nor a minister's zeal by the salary he gets, nor a statesman's fidelity by the amount of money he accumu- lates while in v ♦!ice ; why should a producer or distributor of the world's products be judged by a lower standard than these? A great merchant may be compared to one of those vast interior lakes which gathers its waters from a thousand streamlets and distributes it again in rain and moisture, fertilizing the earth and stimulating vegetation. So busi- ness men gather the products of the earth from various sources and distribute them in the channels of consumption, supply wants, organize forces, and furnish employment to thousands, who would otherwise be idle. A man with great brain power and executive ability is God's trustee for the weak, and he is enjoined, not to gather riches, but " to feed the hungry, and clothe the naked ; " "freely ye have received, freely give." A great preacher has used this forcible illustration : " Here is a man who is knit together on purpose to suc- ceed. He is organized like a machine for weaving, which will certainly carry the thread and produce the fabric of success. He has in his make-up something of the sterling qualities which have been handed down from his grand- father, from his father, from his ancestors on his father's' and mother's sidas for generations back. He is like a bag in a mill, which hangs below and receives all that is put into the hopper and ground above. The tendencies and trainings of unknown generations behind come down into GEORGE W. CHILDS, The Ph.lanthropist, and Proprietor of the Philadelphia " Public Ledger.' •J .t l^ .^;-.' I*:' , rn\' .•a.-y.iu- THE THEORY OF BUSINESS. 41 ; him. He finds himself intelligent and aetive. It is easy for hira to do things. And he is tired to death of that shiftless brother of his, of whom he says, 'If I have helped him onee, I have helped him twenty times. If I stand him up, he is like an empty bag and down he goes ; and if I fill hira up, he is as limpsy as before, and down he goes again.' Now, the truth is, you inherited the excellences which make you so much superior to him. They were never bestowed on him, either by inheritance or training. He was made as he is. He could no more do as you do, unaided, than a mowing-machine could cut grass without being drawn. And you, who do well by an imperious necessity, unjustly stand over against him who never does well, to criticize, and annoy, and blame him, and finally to cast him off and get rid of him, saying, * I cannot stand it any longer.' Every man who is strong ought to have buttoned to hira one or two of these shiftless men, that he, having organized power, may take care of them, they having it not." Generally, we may remark, a successful man has more than one or two " shiftless " persons buttoned to him. 9. "What is an acceptable definition of wealth ? According to some political economists every commodity which has an exchange value is wealth ; and according to Locke, riches do not consist in having more of these com- modities, but in having more in proportion, than our neighbors. Riches, therefore, are comparative, and wealth a relative term. What is wealth in one country may be nothing in another. Thus, coal, which is one of the most valuable of coraraodities in the United States and in England, is nothing but " black stones " in Eastern coun- tries, where there is no demand for coal, or facilities for T '' 42 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. transporting it. Water, ordinarily, is not wealth, but in cities, or wherever people are willing to pay for its use, it may yield large annual revenues. Land may be wealth, or not, according to location, for there are wild lands so situated that the more a man owns of them the worse off he is. 10. What are the sources of every species of wealth? Labor, land, and cajjital ; or in other words, labor ap- j)lied to appropriate natural agents, with a fund reserved from consumption, to support the laborer while engaged in future production. Those who have appropriated land receive a rcnuineration in the form of rent, when they permit others to use the land which is appropriated. Those who apply their lal)or to the production of wealth receive wages as a reward for their physical exertion ; and profits denote the remuneration v.liich those receive who supply the remaining requisite of production, namely. Capital. "As capital is the result of saving, the OAvncr of capital exercises forbearance when he saves his wealth in- stead of spending it; profits are therefore the reward of abstinence, in the same manner that wages arc the reward of physical exertion. If an individual invests a certain sum in any productive employment, his profits will consist of the entire surplus which remains after the capital has been replaced." 11. Is there any natural or well-founded antagonism between the interests of the classes who receive profits and those who receive wages ? None whatever. Capital and labor are necessary to each other, for unless they are united and combined there can be neither wages nor profits. When capital earns large i THE THEORY OF BUSINESS. 43 profits tlicro is an inorcusod doinand for labor, and the greater the demand for labor the greater its rewards, or in other words, the higher the wages ; therefore laborers, as sueh, are direetly interested in promoting the prosperity of the owners of capital. Again, as capital increases in a community the current rate of interest for its use tends to decline, and a decline in ^ rate of interest tends to stimulate enterprise and enlarge industrial operations, which in turn increase the demand for labor and advance wages. Capitalists, on the other hand, are interested in promoting the prosperity of labor, for well-paid laborers consume more, both of agricultural produce and manu- factured fabrics, than those poorly paid, and high wages tend to make workmen more intelligent, industrious, and efficient agents of production, whereby the aggregate of products and of profits is enlarged. All legitimate in- terests, if intelligently viewed, are in harmony, but none more strikingly so than Capital and Labor. 12. What is the supreme regulator of all classes of men in all their various relations in society ? Law ; which has been called by Burke the pvide of the human intellect, the collected reason of ages, combining the principles of original justice with the infinite variety of human affairs. In business the law is so intimately interwoven with its rules and customs that it is difficult to distinguish c^use and effect, and a man who knows all commerciat usages may be said to know the laws of commerce. All the laws which govern men in their business relations may be divided into three classes : mornl laws, of which the penalty is the displeasure of the Creator; municipal laws, which prescribe their own penal tv; and ? I I 44 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. the laws of honor, of wliich tlic penalty is the loss of reputation among honorable men. 13. What is meant by moral laws as applied to the regulation of humai: actions? All those. principles of eternal and immutable justice which the Creator of the universe has prescribed and revealed, either through the Holy Scriptures, or in nature, antecedent to any positive j)recept. Justinian has reduced the whole doctrine of the moral law, bo far as it applies to the conduct of human actions, to three general precepts : to live decorously, to do no one any hurt, and to give every one his due. Natural and revealed law, being dictated by God himself, is superior in obligation to any other, and no human laws are of any validity, if contrary to natural justice. 14. What is the origin of municipal laws? Municipal law is defined by Blackstone to be " a rule of conduct prescribed by the supreme power in a State, com- manding what is right, and prohibiting what is v»rong." It differs from moral law in the fact that it derives its force and binding obligation fx'om the consent of the people. When the people wish to change or abolish one of their municipal laws they have the right to do so, but they have no power to change a moral law. This consent, when expressed in writing, through the people's repre- sentatives, duly empowered to act in their behalf for the purpose, gives rise to what are called statute laws, and when expressed in the decisions of regularly authorized courts, confirming as law immemorial usages or principles accepted as maxims or the statutes of other countries, constitutes what is known as the common law. . LEGAL MAXIMS. H 15. What compose the statute laws of the United States? ' First the Constitution of the United States, which is the supreme law of the land, and any law made in contra- vention of the express declarations of the Constitution is, for . that reason, ipso facto void. Then the acts passed by the Congress of the United States, and the treaties made with foreign governments. The Constitutions of the several States, and the acts passed by the State Legislatures since their organization, and unrepealed, are statute laws within the limits of the respective States. 16. Of what does the common law of the United States consist ? In the first place, of all the law of England, whether statute or common there, which was in force at the time of the Declaration of Independence, and recognized by our courts, and which has not been repealed or disused. And next, of all those universal usages and maxims which the courts have recognized as having among us the force of law. In fact, the whole superstructure of legal science, both in England and the United States, rests upon certain fundamental common law maxims, like the following : Every man'a house is his castle ; and, therefore, even an officer of the law is not permitted to break open the outer door to serve any process, writ, or execution against the owner, except where a felony or misdemeanor has been committed, and then, only after stating the cause of his coming and demanding admission. The owner of the soil has an exclusive right to it, from the centre of the earth even to the skies ; and consequently he may build as high, and dig as deep, as his heart desires, and means allow. But there is another maxim which li 46 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. I i etijoiiis upon every one to uf^c hh ovm properfj/ so as not to injure another^s; mul if in buildin}^ up lie obstruct aiiciiMit lights and wliulows, or in ted as one of its fundamental principles, that the pub- lic good requires there must be an end of litigation ; conse- quently, in civil cases, after a final judgment obtained in a court of competent jurisdiction, neither of the parties to the suit can reopen the matter in dispute by commencing another action upon it. The previous decision must be regarded as conclusive between the same parties. 17. What is meant by the LAW-MERCHANT? It is that branch of the law which is founded partly on statutory enactments, but principally upon those well- established usages of merchants which have been adopted, sanctioned, and confirmed by courts. A large proportion of the law of shipping, and of insurance, and nearly all the peculiar rules relating to promissory notes and bills of noyoit IN nusiNEns. 4T cxclmngo, belong to the luw-morcluiiit. Tlio oourtH liavo nhvayH ju-kuowlcdgi-d that a (niHtom of nuTcliaiitH, if it wcro proved to be ho nearly uiiiverHal ami ho long entab- lishcd that it must be considered that all nierchantH know it and make their bargains with refcrenec to it, eonstitutcs a part of the common law, known as the law-merclmnt. 18. What is meant by the laws of honor with reference to mcireantile transactions? All those unwritten rules of conduct originating in a nice sonao of what is right, just, and true, which honorable men observe in their inter"arded by mctaj)hysicijins as one of the j)riuiary powers in man, and where nature haw denied it as a gift, it cannot bo created by education. But *Tlie (liHiMlvantiiKOof a (Kifuctivo memory in biiHine.ss men, uiui tliu nieiiUH l)y wliidi it may lu- improved, have been ilhistrated thus : How often do we have to Hay, and liear otliern say, " Your face, HJr, is (luitc familiar to me, but I nniHtasi< yonr pardon tliat I can't recall your name ?" Now, this in never agree- able to the person addressed. No matter how sensible we considtr ourHclves to be, and no matter liow well we know that we for '-t fiimi- larly ourselves, our vanity is always a liifle wounded, and we uncon- soioi'.sly think that at any rate he mif^ht have remembered me. If we rame intending to buy a bill of goods, it is very possible that we will conclude to ."look elsewhere before buying," which means that a seller with quicker memory will get our custom. On the contrary, it makes a highly agreeable impression when a man who has not seen >is but once or twice, and who is not expect- ing us, meets us promptly as we enter his store with — "Why, Mr. — , how do you do ? Glad to see you. When did you leave Alexandria?" We feel at once that we have made an impression on that man, and have occupied his tlionglits since wo met, JJe appreciates us at our proper value. Young men will find the cultiva- tion of this faculty of more money value than they can now estimate. When introduced to a jjcrson, always ascertain the name distinctly and its orthography. Such attention is rather gratifying than otherwise ; whereas, to mis-pronoimce a name or to spell it falsely, is with many an unpardonable sin. Then in conver- sation, make it a rule to notice your new acquaintance closely, fix Ills features clearly in your mind, and note the sound of his voice or any peculiarity of gait or demeanor. Afterwards, when you write liis name on your books or in a letter, summon up his features and pecu- liarities in connection with it. Go over your list of customers occa- sionally with this object in view, and associate each with liis resi- dence. The habit you will thus acquire will soon become mechan- ical, and in time you may rival Mithridates, the ancient king of Pontus, who, it is said, could ad- dress by name every soldier in his army of 30,000 men. THE BEST EDUCATION. ' tT- it has Ik'Cii wisely remarked that it is probable every man possesses a i^crm of this quality whieh can be cultivated by favorable cireumstanecs, and by method and order in the prosecution of his duties and tiusks he may by habit greatly augment his will-power, or beget a frame of mind so nearly resembling resolution that it would be difiP^'ult to distin- guish between the two. John Foster has written a whole volume on decision of character, and as Chalmers remarked that he wrote it at the rate of a line a week, all the while hard at work, it may be worth perusal l)y those who arc conscious that they are lacking in resolution and will- power. [A vacillating man, no matter what his abilities, is inva- riably pushed to the wall in the race of life by a deter- mined will. It is he who resolves to succeed, and who at every fresh rebuff begins resolutely again, that reaches the goal. The shores of fortune are covered with the stranded wrecks of men of brilliant ability, but who have wanted courage, faith and decision, and have therefore perished in sight of more resolute but less capable adventurers, who succeeded in making port. Hundreds of men go to their graves in obscurity, who have been obscure only because they lacked the pluck to make a first effort; and who, could they only have resolved to begin, would have aston- ished the world l)y their achievements and successes. The fact is, as Sydney Smith has well said, that in order to do anything in this world that is worth doing, we must not stand shivering on the bank, and thinking of the cold and the danger, but jump in and scramble through as well as we can.] 29. What may be said of courtesy and good manners in educating youths to be business men ? 'I 68 COMMON SENUE IN liUSINEHS, "Give tv boy adtlrcss and ac'conipH.slimcnts," says Emer- son, "and you give him ti»o mastery of* palaces and for- tunes wherever he goes; he lias not the trouble of earning or owning them ; they solicit him to enter and possess." " You had better," wrote Lord Chesterlield to his natural son, "return a dropped fan genteelly than give a thousand pounds awkwardly ; and you had better refuse a favor gracefully than grant it clumsily. All your Greek can never advance you from secretary to envoy, or from envoy to ambassador; but your address, your air, your manner, if good, may." Ghesterfield wrote three volumes of letters to his son on the im[K)rtance of nuinner as an rid to advance- ment in political life, but did not succeed in overcoming his natural awkwardness. Politeness or courtesy of man- ner has a thousand advantages, but one of the most impor- tant is, that it enables a man, without giving offence, to say " No," to a request which he should not grant, and which is one of the most difficult of things for a man with a kind heart to do, and yet often one of the most important. It is related of the Duke of Marlborough that to jc denied a favor by him was more pleasing than to receive one from another man. Politeness also is a foil to the attacks of rude and boorish persons which they cannot understand or j)enetrate. It is said bees will not sting a person whose skin is smeared with honey.* * It ifl a matter of daily observa- tion that the Jews are more suc- cessful in money-getting than any other people. As ricii as a Jew, is a proverb. Kow to account for this — to what cause to ascribe it — has no doubt been a puzzle with many. If the following statement be cor- rect, there is no difficulty in ac- counting for it : "The politest people in the world are not the French, the English, the American, the Italian, nor the German, but the Jewish. For the Jews are mal- treated and reviled, and despoiled of their civil privileges, and their social rights ; yet are they every- where polite, aflable, insinuating, .X THE BEHT EDUVAriON. 59 In this connection wo may romark tiiat when a youth is cmerginj; into numliood, a certain amount of* Hocial intcr- coiirHC, if it l)G of tlio rii^'iit kind, will he of" advantago in forming his mannorH, .u>d also in forming; actpiaintancc- ships that may bo us(!ful to him In after life. A late writer remarks, if you do nothing more than assert your indlvi:.; ,:*; 60 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. accomplished business man is judged should be, not his dexterity in bargaining, but the mastery he has attained over his temper. The Quakers, as a class, arc remarkable for their success in business, and alf?o for their self-control, and one of them has revealed one of the methods by wliich this mastery may be attained. He was asked by a mer- chant whom he had conquered by his patience how he had been able to bear his abuse, and replied : " Friend, I will tell thee. I was naturally as hot and violent as thou art. I knew that to indulge this temper was sinful, and I also found it unprofitable. I observed that men in a passion always speak loud ; and I thought that if I could control my voice, I should repress my j)assion. I have therefore made it a rule never to let my voice rise above a certain key, and by a careful observance of this rule, I have, by the blessing of God, entirely mastered my natural tongue." 31. What is the best method to adopt in order to teach a child the use and value of money? The seeds of fortune, it has been said, if sown to grow, must be sown early, and the sooner the lesson of economy, self-denial, prudence and skill in handling money is learned, the earlier it can be put in practice. Some of our most successful traders were in their early boyhood what are called "street Arabs," and in the rough school of the street, selling newspapers and blacking boots, learned the art of trading, and sharpened their wits for their work in after-life. Davies advises parents to allow both their sons and their daughters, when they have attained the age of twelve, an annual stipend, and require them to make the purchases themselves of every article of clothing they may need, under parental supervision, and also pay for their subsistence, keeping a systematic and exact account of THE BEST EDUCATION. 61 not his attained arkable •control, y wliicli a mcr- he had 1, I will hou art. d I aleo passion control lierefore tain hey, \, by the every expenditure.* In this way, at every step in his career, from the day he is twelve yean old until he is twenty- one, a boy would acquire some useful and practical knowi- )> ?ue. to teach to grow, jconomy, loney is le of our )od what ol of the rned the work in heir sons e age of nake the ihey may for their )ount of * Peter Embury, a wealthy gro- cer of New York, seems to have adopted a plan Hiinilar to this in hia education of hia sons, for in an- swer to Mayor Hone's inquiry liow it was that his sons all turned out well, while his own did not answer his expectations, replied as follows: " You are a foshiunable man, and you have a fashionable family, and you liave brought up your children in tlie fashionable schooh I have brought up mine to work, to t:ike care of themselves. They are all employed, but they all board at home. I make them pay me board just as regularly as if they were entire strangers. If they want money, I lend it to them, and take their notes for the amounts, with an understanding that they pay those notes to me when due, the same as if they had been placed in bank for collection. They pay those notes. I make them know that they must take care of themselves as I did of myself when I was a boy, and when young. "As I said, my boys board with me. I live plainly. I feed them on good food, but I never have any wines or liquors on the table — never — thus my boys never get a taste of it, never hanker after it. I live plain and cat honest food, and by example in eating and drinking, I inculcate honest and healthy pre- cepts into the minds of my boys. Now I have given you my method of bringing up a lot of boys. Let me tell you what you have done. You are fashionable. You hold a high position in the community, as you deserve to do ; but, my friend Hone, you have done as hundreda of rich and prosperous men have done. You have brought your sons up under greatly mistaken ideas if you wished to make men of them. They lived with you. You had upon your table, every day, the choicest wines that money could procure. They joined in drinking healths day after day, and remained at the table for hours when they should have been attending to busi ness. You taught them this. Is it strange that by such examples they should have been taught how to spend money, or that they should be anything else than what they are? Stern industry, friend Hone, is all that can rectify in your chil- dren the faults arid follies of the liopio education you have given them." " You are right, old friend ; but your advice is too late for me to profit by it. Everybody should hear your experience. Here ia where I have failed in my family," replied Mr. Hone. 62 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. ,:!i -ill •■■ ■ ' iji. r ■; i I edge, and though he may fail a few times before he is of age, til is may prevent heavier and more serious failures in later years. 32. In view of the qualifications required, is a collegiate education to be recommended to those designed for business pursuits ? We doubt whether among the prominent business men of the United States, who are the architects of their own fortunes, a half-dozen can be mentioned who are graduates of any college. A university education may be of advan- tage to professional and literary men, but it seems to dwarf and cripple the energies of those whose lives are to be spent in action more than in study. The Hon. George S. Hilliard has remarked, "So far as my observation goes, I should say that one-quarter, at least, of the young men educated at our colleges leave them with impaired health. From the recluse life he has led, he is likely to have awk- ward manners, and an unprepossessing address. From not having been trained to self-control, he is perhaps impatient of contradiction, and needlessly sensitive. He is probably conceited, possibly pedantic, and pretty sure to want that sixth sense which is called tact. He knows much of books, but little of men or life; and from mere confusion of mind, incurs the reproach of weakness of character." A writer in the London Times is still more severe in his doscrijition of the average young man who takes the first honors at college, and says, "At sea he is a landlubber, in the country a cockney, in town a greenhorn, in science an ignoramus, in business a simpleton, in pleasure a milksop — everywhere ou{ of his element, everywhere at sea, or in the clouds adrift." When tilt English were constructing railways in Den- THE BEST EDUCATION. 69 mark, under the superintendence of military engineers who had been educated in the Polytechnic School of Copenhagen, it was found that these young men, though liighly educated, were utterly ignorant of the world, and, like children, wholly unable to form a judgment, or come to a decision. In every difficulty they wanted to inquire and to investigate, and they never came to a result. There was one, however, who was an exception to the Danes generally, and extremely energetic and deckled ; and INIr. Rowan, one of the English sub-contractors, said to him, " My friend, will you tell me why it is you arc so different from all your countrymen ? " " Yes," he said, " be- cause I learned my business in Liverpool." " Will you go further, and tell me where is the difference between Liver- pool and Copenhagen ?" He said, " I will tell you in one word. If I had been learning my business here, and I came to a difficulty, I should go straight to one cl' ray superiors in the office, and he would take a great deal of trouble to tell me how to get over the difficulty, and show me how it should be done. But when I was in an office in Liverpool and I came to a difficulty, and went to my superior there, and asked him to explain it to me, he said, ' Don't bother me about it, find it out.' And," he added, " that is the secret." Within the last quarter of a century schools called Commercial Colleges have been established in all the principal cities, which are designed to give students an in- sight into the routine of commercial operations, which formerly Avas only attainable by an apprenticeship in a counting-house. They are the nucleus of what -re destined to be the true business man's college. Though the course of study is now not so comprehensive as it will be when rich men endow the professorships, they impart precisely 64 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. ;f ■ 1 I that kind of information which is needed in practical affairs. While they are especially intended for the in- struction of those who propose to engage in trade and commerce, they are a good school where farmers and mechanics may learn what tiiey csp.ecially need ; — the best method of keeping accounts, improved penmanship, and the value of order and system, and those intended for the professions ma}- obtain in them an insight into the practical operation of business affairs.* All education that is of any value is self-education. As well attemjtt to fdl a barrel \vith the spigot oj)en as to pour knowledge inio a pupil's mind. All that books or teachers can do is to c^id in tiie work of self-cultivation. An out- line of a plan of education that would seem best adapted to make a bright and accomplished business man would be, first, the primary studies under the tuition of a good- tempered, sensible, and intelligent woman, who understands the kindergarten system, or teaching by play ; secondly, the severer studies, as mathematics, surveying, navigation, natural, mental, and moral philosophy, geography and history, and the modern languages, in a private seminary, presided over by men fitted by nature to be teachers, such as the Jesuit fathers who turned out the most accomplished * "A lawyer in a commercial city," writes the Hon. John Freed- ley, himself a successful lawyer, "must not only be a merchant, a mechanic, a navigator, a seaman so far as navigation and an acquaint- ance with the different parts of a vessel are concerned, but must also be able to read, speak, and translate Jlie different languages in use in the different parts of the commercial world. No man can try a case and do it justice unless he is perfectly master of the matter to which the dispute relates. Hence I have ob- served that those persons who have spent some time in business, cither mercantile or mechanical, previous to studying law, generally succeed best in obtaining practice." .JL COUNSEL TO THE YOUNG. 65 men the world ever had, and who taught more by their conversation than from books; thirdly, a course of instruc- tion in one of the commercial colleges in connection with an apprenticeship in a counting-house; and lastly, a course of study in a law school, where he is likely to come in contact with superior minds and acquire that sort of knowl- edge without which a man cannot perform his part well, or even live safely in society. " I would have every man," says Bacon, " know as much law as would enable him to keep himself out of it." Where the student is expected to fill the very higliost positions in the business world, his education may be more complete than this, or liberal, as it is called, and perfected by foreign travel.- A few words to young men who must make their own way in the world without parental aid or instruction. I. If you are conscious that you are not thoroughly honest, do not think of engaging in any mercantile pursuit. If you cannot handle money without feeling an inclination to appropriate some of it, select some trade where you will not be exposed to temptation. Preachers sometimes utter wise practical remarks, and the Rev. J. W. Alexander gave excellent advice when he said : "No young man ought to look forward to a life of business, if he is conscious that it is hard for him to be honest in the smallest matters. If he would defraud his sisters, or brothers, if he would take more than his share in a division, if he ever conceals what falls in his way without actually stealing it at the time, he ought never to go into business. When property is passing through your hands continually, when it is so easy to over- charge here and there, to clip a little here and there, to use 5 C6 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. ;iil wliat is in your hands with the intention of repaying it, you ought to be very careful to be honest to a mill." II. In seeking a situation as boy in an ofFicc or store, remember tliat manner and appearance are of more impor- tance than letters of recommendation. Experienced men are accustomed to regard externals as indicative of char- a(!ter and form a favorable or unfavorable oj^inion from slight circumstances. A gentleman advertised for a boy to assist him in his office, and nearly fifty applicants pre- f^ented themselves to him. Out of the whole nund)er he in a short time solecstcd one, and dismissed tlie rest. " I should like to know," said a friend, "on what ground you selected that boy, who had not a single recommendation?" '^^"ou are mistaken," said the gentleman, " lie had a great many. lie wiped his feet wlien he came in, and closed the door after him, showing that he was careful. He gave up his seat instantly to that lame old man, showing that he was kind and thoughtful. He took off his cap when he came in, and answered my questions promptly and respect- fully, showing that he was polite and gentlemanly. He picked up the book wiiich I had pur{)osely laid upon the floor, and replaced it on the table, while all tlie rest stepped over it, or shoved it aside ; and he waited quietly for his turn, instead of pushing and crowding, showing that he was honest and orderly. When I talked to him, I noticed that his clothes were carefully brushed, his hair in nice order, and his teeth as white as milk ; and when he wrote his name, I noticed that his finger-nails were clean, instead of being tipped with jet, like that handsome little fellow's, in the blue jacket. Don't you c^all those letters of recom- mendation ? I do ; and I would give more for what I can tell about a boy by using my eyes ten minutes, than for all the fine letters he can bring mc." X . ing it, ' store, impor- 1(1 men f eliiir- n from ' a boy its prc- IV lie in St. "I ind you ition?" a great 3sc(l the gave up that he when he respect- ly. He pon the t stepped y for his that he I noticed ' in nice he wrote 1, instead } fellow's, of recom- hat I can lan for all COUNSEL TO THE YOUNG. 07 III. In seeking a situation to learn business, cither as apprentice or clerk, endeavor to obtain one with a nierciiant or firm luiving a good reputation for integrity. Some mercantile houses arc ( orrupt throughout, from the senior j)artner to the porter, and all who enter their portala become morally diseased. No amount of wages will com- pensate a young man lor the loss of his moral health. On the other hand it 1ki8 been noticed that the clerks of some merchants and the a})prentices of some master mechanics always turn out well, and make valuable men, and a situa- tion in a house having a reputation of this kind is an auginy of future [)rosj)erity. IV.- When a situation has been obtained, do not bo afraid of work or stand too nmch upon dignity in obeying requests not strictly within the line of your j)rcscribcd duties. It has been remarked that country boys, especially New England boys, who come to the cities of New York and Philadelphia, succeed oftener in bece fleem- ingly till important cvetitH of life mieceed one another. Aa the snow gathers togialiiT, w) are our luibils formed: no Hingle flake that iH added to the pile produces a Hensible ehange ; no single action creates, however it may exliil>it, a man's character: but as the tempest iinrls the ava- lanche down the mountain and overwhelms the inhabitant and his Iiahitation, so passion, acting npon the elenientH of mischief which per- nicious habits have brought together bv imperceptible accumulation, may overthrow the edifice of truth and virtue." — Bentuam. *jf[pABIT lias been defined to be the doing of certain j|j tbings, first by determination or tbougiit, until tlie fijA doing becomes so common, that it is done without a special tliinking or resolution to do. In other words, it is the training of the faculties, by use, to such a degree of perfection in action that their labor is performed automatically. Such was the power of habit over the minds of these illustrious })ersons, says Fielding, tiiat Mr. V/ild could not keep his hands out of the Count's })ockets though he knew they were enii)ty ; nor could the Counf abstain from palm- ing a card, though he was well aware Mr. Wild hud uo money to pay him. • 33. What is meant by Habits of EuniNESf? ? Habits of business include six qualities — Industry, ar- rangement or method, punctuality, accuracy, jjerseverance, 70 i BUSINESS HABITS AND MAXIMS. 71 nnd calcuUillon or prudence. To these soino writer.'^ add desjniteh and readiness, or ability to do things quickly and promptly, but this is rather a natural gift or aceoinplish- raent than an acquired habit. 34. What is the value of Industry a.'} a habit? Industry is the energetic cngngcnient of body or mind in some usefid employment. It is the ojiposite of tho Indian's maxim, Avhich says, " it is better to walk than to run, and bettor to stand still than to walk, and better to sit than to stand, and better to lie down than to sit." Industry is tho secret of those grand results that liil the mind with wonder — the folios of the ancients, the pyra- mids of the Egy{)tians, those stupendous works of internal communication in our own country that bind the citizen« of many different States isi the bonds of harmony and Interest. "There is no art or science," says Clarendon, •'that is too difficult for industry to attain to; it is tho gift of tongues, and makes a man understood and valued in all countries and by all nations; it is the philosopher's stone, that turns all metals and even stones into gold, and sulFors no want to break into dwellings ; it is the Northwest passage, that brings the merchant's ships as soon to him as ho can desire; in a word, it conquers all enemies, and makes fortune itself pay contributions." The tendency of matter is to rest, and it requires an exercise of force or of will to overcome the vis inertice. When a thing should bo done, it must bo done immediately, without parleying or delay. A repeated exercise of tho will, in this way, will soon form tho habit of industry.* *Tiris and otiior paragraphs in copied into other books and into this chapter appeared in the first many journals, work of the author, and have been , 72 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. 35'. What is meant l)y Aiiuanokmiont or Method? Arranircincnt digcstH tijo iimttor tliat industry collects. Tt apixu'lions titno to (luti(\s, and kecjps un exact register of its transactions ; it has u post for evciy man, u placje for every tool, a pigeon-hole for every juiper, and a time for every Hettlement. A perfectly nictiiodical man leaves his books, aecoinits, ct(\, in so ('om|)le((! a sha[)e on going (o bed that if he were to die during tin; night, (!V(!rything could be perfectly understood, .rcremiah i'A'arts is re])r(;- Hcntcd to have been a model of industry and arrangement. A friend says, "During years of close observation in the bosom of his family, I never saw a day piuss without his accomplishing more than he expected; and so regular was he in all his habits, that I knew to a moment when I should find him with his pen, and when with his tooth- brush in his hand; and so methodical and thorough that though his papers filled many shelves when closely tied up, there was not a i)aper among all his letters, correspondence, editorial matter, and the like, whieli he cumld not lay bis hands on in a moment. I never knew him search for a paper; it was always in its place." Cecil says, " ]\Iethod is like packing things in a box; a good packer will get in half as much again as a bad one." Curran,thc Master of tlie llolls, said to Mr. Grattan, " You would be the greatest man of your age, Grattan, if you would buy a few yards of red tape and tie up your bills and papers." Some ac(piire this habit at an earlier age than others, and ap- parently exercise it with less difficulty ; but any cue with attention may become systematic and methodical. 36. What is the value of Punctuality as a habit? Punc^tuality is a virtue that all men reverence in theory, but comparatively few carry into practice. We like a I ^V>:.-:S COL THOS A SCOTT, One of Americas Railroad Magnates. '± BUSINESS HABITS AND MAXIMS. 73 punctual man because he respects his word, and has a rc- <>-ard for our convenience : we dislike an un[)unctual man, because he interferes with our plans, consumes our tunc, causes uneasy feelings, and imi)licdly tells us that we are not of suffitiient importance, in his estimation, to make hira prompt. Punctuality has reference to time engage- ments, money engagements, and engagements for work. It is a quality that is usually found in connection with other good (pialities, as the want of it argues the absence of other essential habits. A want of system, defective calculation, and imprudence in making promises when the j)robabilities of fulfilling them are very uncertain, are frequent causes of want of punctuality. To bo unpunctual is sometimes considered a mark of consequence by little srreat men, but trulv threat men have always thought differ- cntly. Blackstone Avas punctual, and could never be made to think well of any one notoriously defective in this virtue. Ixird Brougham, while a kingdom seoaied to be resting on his shoulders — who presided in the House of Lords and the Court of Chancery ; who gave audience dailv to barristers, and found time to be at the head of at least ten associations which were publishing works of use- ful knowledge — was so punctual that when these associa- tions met, he was uniformly in his place in the cihair when the hour of meetir had arrived. John Quincy Adams was so [)ro-emincnl ^ auctual that, when in his old age he was a member of he Plouse of Representatives at Wash- ington, and a gentleman observed that it was time to call the House to order, another replied, " No, Mr. Adams is not in his seat." The clo(>k, it was found, was actually three minutes too fast; and before three minutes had elapsed Mr. A-dams was at his \>r-'-. Washington was rigidly punctual, aud when Haiuiiton, his Secretary, 74 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. pleaded a slow watch as an excuse for being live minutes late, he replied, "Then, sir, cither you must get a new watcli or I must get a new Secretary." In engagements to pay money, it is not possible to be invariably jHuictual, but it is always possible to avoid the infliction of trouble and uneasiness. .In payments of money, creditors generally compel their debtors to fix a time of payment, and these promises arc made, and under- stood to be made, conditionally on the fact of having the money at the time, which is not always the case. When this occurs, a punctual man will not keep his creditor in suspense as to the cause, or put him to the trouble of call- ing to ascertain it ; but will give him timely intimation of the fact by sending him a note or an agent, or calling himself, and renew the promise. A man who does so, though he fail a dozen times in the same transaction, is more worthy of credit than the clown who, besidc>fi keeping you out of your m.oney, consumes your time, and causes inieasy and unhai)py feelings. In engagements to perform work, mechanics are noto- riously deficient in their appreciation of the importance of Punctuality. A tailor who will deliver a coat, or a shoe- maker a pair of boots, or a plumber who will fix the pipes exactly when ho promises to do so, is so exceptional In his class that, if the fact were known, he would soon have Fo many orders that he would find it impossible to con- tinue to bo invariably punctual. % I 37. What is implied in Acr: xiacy as a business habit? Careful observation of facts, exactness in stating them, and thoroughness in work. There is scarcely a more valuable incident of education than accuracy. Whatever is worth seeing or sayin.g or doing, is wortl doing well BUSINESS HABITS AND MAXIMS. 75 and accurately. Tlie lies that are told with the purpose and intention of deceiving arc few compared to the false- hoods that have their origin in careless observation or inaccurate statement. The expenses and perplexities of business are multiplied largely by the ncce&sity of guard- in (»• ao-ainst the inaccuracies of those who are paid to do their work accurately. President Tuttle remarks "that the accurate boy is always the favored one. Those who employ men do not wish to be on the constant lookout, as though they were rogues or fools. If a carpenter must stand at his jour- neyman's elbow to be sure his work is right, or if a cashier must run over his bookkeeper's column, he might as well do the work himself as employ another to do it in that v/ay ; and it is very certain that the employer will get rid of such an inaccurate workman as soon as he can." 38. What is meant by Perseverance as a habit? Perseverance means the steady pursuit of a plan, whether good or bad ; but it would be very unwise to persevere in a plan which conscience or practice had j>rovcd to be bad. In actual life, where there are so many different pursuits, and dilferent ways of doing the same thing, it means steadiness in the execution of whatever plan is determined upon. Bcrgh makes mention of a merchant who, at first setting out, opened and shut his shop every day for several weeks together, without selling goods to the value of two cents, who by the force of application for a course of years acquired, at last, a handsome fortune. But I have known, he says, many who had a variety of opportunities for set- tling; themselves comfortably in the world, yet for want of steadiness to carry any scheme to perfection, they sank from one degree of wretchelness to another for many n 76 COMMON SENi^E IN BUSINESS. years togothcr, without the least liopcs of ever getting above distress and pineliing want. There is liardly an employment in life so trifling that it will not afford a sub- 8isten(!e, if (;onstantly and laithfully followed. Indeed, it is by indefatigal)le diligence alone that a fortune can be acquired in any business whatever. The accomj)lished AVilliam Wirt says, " That the man who is perjK'tnally hesitating which of two things he will do first, will do neither. The man who resolves, but suffers his resolution to be changed by the first counter- suggestion of a friend — who fluctuates from opinion to opinion, from plan to plan, and veers like a weather-cock to every point of the compass, with every breath of caprice that blows, can never accomplish anything great or useful. Instead of being progressive in anything, he will bo at best stationary, and, more probably, retrograde in all. It is only the man who carries into his pursuits that great quality which I^ucan ascribes to Cossar, ncscia virtus stare loco — who first consults wisely, then resolves firmly, and then executes his purposes with inflexible j)erseverancc, undismayed by those petty difficulties which daunt a weaker spirit — that can advance to eminence in any line." 39. What is meant by the habit of Calculation ? Calculation is so intimately interwoven with all details of business that, so far as synonymous with reckoning, it scarcely needs any remark. Without some knowledge of arithmetic it is scarcely presumable that any one would undertake to engage in business enterprises, and certainly the chances of success would be all against him. But an accomplished business man cannot only add, subtract and multiply with the aid of a slate and pencil, but without them, and, either with or without them, quickly and accu- ^retting nlly an (1 !l siib- ulcod, it 2 can be tlio man lie will vos, but oountcr- )inion to hcr-cock »f caprice )r useful. )o at best It is lat great anings "of the sense of all ages and nations," such as the foUowiu!!: : CJnd liclps llieni tliat liolp tlicmsclvcp. Diligence is the mother of good liicl\. Time is nioiiey. What we call time cnoiigli, always proves little enough. God gives nil things to industry; then plough deep while sluggards Hleej), and yoii will have corn to sell and to keep. The sloepin:^ fox catches no poultry, and there will he sleeping enough in the grave. He that riseth late must trot all day, and sliall scarce overtake his hnsiness at ni'^lit. Drive thy husiineas, let not that drive tliee. ' ' . Early to hed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wi.«e. lie that hath a trade hath an estate. One to-day is wortli two to-morrows. Have you somewhat to do tn-morrow, do it to-d.-iy. Iliindle your tools without mittens. A cat in gloves catches no mice. Three removes are as had as a fire. A rolling stone gathers no moss. If you would have your husiness done, go; if not, send. If you would he wealthy, think of saving a» well as getting. A fat kitchen makes a lean will. BUSINESS 11 An ITS AND MAXIMS. 81 Beware of little rxponseH. A Bmall leak will flink a great ship. Ihiy what thou liant no need of, and ere long thou flhalt sell thy ncces* BaricH. SilkH and Hatins, Kcurlet and velvet, put out the kitehen flre. If you woidd know the value of money, go and try to borrow some. A child and a fool imagine twenty HhillingH and twenty years can never be spent. Pride in aa loud a beggar as want, and a great deal more aaucy. Rather go to bed supperless than rise in debt. The borrower U a slave to the lender, and the debtor to the creditor. They that will not be counselled cannot be helped. If you will not hear Reason, she will surely rap your knuckles. The most trifling actions that affect a man's credit are to be regarded. The sound of your hammer at five in the morning, or nine at night, says " Poor Richard," heard by a creditor, makes him easy six months longer; but if he see you at a billiard table, or hears your voice at a tavern, when you should be at work, he sends for his money next day, and demands it before he can receive it in a lump, 6 ^ I CHAPTER IV. ON MARRIAGE AND THE CHOICE OF A WIFE. "If by judicious grafting or breeding nnd Bclection we can improve flowerH, fniitH, borscH, cattle, and poultry, in it not a bigber and a more sacred duty to do tbe Hanie for tbe race of man? If bappinoHH be tbe end of our existence, wby not ho act as to Hccure tbe greatest measure of it? Happiness cornea of rigbt relations, bealtb, development, and a careful observance of God's laws." — Wells. tiRRIAGE, when it means the union of one man to one woman, as in Christian countries, exerts such a jwwerful influence over tlie fortunes and happi- •" ness of individuals, tiiat their success or failure in business often depends on the choice of a life-companion. It is an old proverb that a man is what his wife will let him be ; and he that has a good wife has very little more to ask of the Lord till he dies. Washington Irving, though himself a bachelor, observed that a married man, falling into "misfortune, is more apt to retrieve his situation in the world than a single one, chiefly because his spirits are soothed by domestic endearments, and self-respect kept alive by finding that, although all abroad be darkness and humiliation, yet there is still a little world of love at home, of which he is monarch; whereas a single man is apt to run to waste and self-neglect, to fall to ruins, like some deserted mansion for want of an inhabitant. Re- 82 M Aim I AGE AND CHOICE OF A WIFE. 83 gnnling nuirriuKO luuiiily from Ji liii.siiioss or priulontial point of view, wc hIuiII uksiiiuo that it i« poHHiblc to love wiHcly ; or in otlicr wordn, tliJit the piiHsion can bo ho con- trolled that a sensible man will only lull in love with a person suited for him. , 40. What is the suitable age for men and women to marry ? The right age to marry is a question that hafl been dis- cussed by ancient and modern philosophers with varying opinions. Aristotle taught that the proi)er age for a man to marry was thirty -seven, and for women eighteen ; and IMato rc(!ommcnded thirty for men and twenty for women. Dr. Johnson thought that the male should be at least twenty-eight, and the female at least twenty-one, before they became united in marriage; while Franklin and some other wise men favored early marriages. In the case of the lower animals, the birds and beasts mate as soon as they " feel like it," and those lads and men who are about e(|ual to birds in intellect follow the same animal instinct. But as they ascend in the scale of reason and social position, passion yields to prudential considerations, and men do not marry until they have reasonable prospects of being able to support a family comfortably, and not then, unless they are in physical and mental health. Marriage involves responsibilities too weighty to be assumed by misses in their teens, and lads who have scarcely shed their milk teeth, and though there is exaggeration in the suggestion made by the author of the "Old Merchants of New York," that a law should be enacted, making any man liable to ten years' imprisonment in the State Penitentiary, for marrying under thirty-five, or for marrying a woman not younger than himself; yet it is certain the law should IMAGE EVALUATION TESi TARGET (MT-3) V wJo (./ A *li^ m ..«- A t ^ m (/. ^ V %/ 'a '^ '3 ^ y w 1.0 i.l 2.2 12.0 1.8 11.25 nil 1.4 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MA! J STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (714) 872-4503 l■^■ i 84 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. guard the institution which is at the i.,antlation of society, and prohibit fools from rushing in where angels may well fear to tread. Washington's father was forty-six M'hen his son George was born, and, it is said, no distinguished man has ever descended from parents who were under twenty- five years of age.* 41. When is it prudent for a business man to marry? When he has arrived at mature age, and has laid the foundation of what promises to be an established business. Lyndall remarks : " Too often marriage is contracted be- fore a business connection has been formed which could justify such a step. The young tradesman, at least during the first year or two after entering on business, has sureiy anxiety and trouble enough without adding household cares to the list. Besides, in order that his trade may be well and speedily established, it is essential that his per- sonal supervision should be devoted to it, with as lew intermissions as possible. By taking u])on himself, at too early a period, the important duties of the head of the family, * Though up to twenty-two, says Professor Fowler, those who pro- pose marriage should be about the same age, yet a difference of even fifteen years after the youngest is twenty-five need not prevent a marriage when everything else is favorable. But a man of forty-five may marry a woman of twenty-six or upwards, much more safely than one of thirty a girl below twenty, for her natural coynesH requires more delicate treatment than he is likely to bestow. He is apt tc err fundamentally by presupposing that her mental sexuality is as mature as his own. Though a man upwards of forty must not marry one below twenty-two, yet a man of fifty may venture to marry a woman of twenty-five if he is descended from a long-lived stock. Still, no girl under twenty should ever marry a man who is over twenty-six. The love of an elderly man for a girl is more iparental than conjugal, while hers for him is like that of a daughter for a father, rather than wife for husband. JOHN ERICSON, Inventor of the Ironcloid Monitor. JOHN ROACH. The Great Sf earn ship Builder. \:n '. SMi .'i" 1 I iili v^rV 1^1 1' •^^»\f ,> ill k >l H 'it ii 1- ir i^l ! ..i i ** — ( Jkl^,f .-.■ A. ...-Vi.: ■-.^fr MAUEIAOE AND CHOICE OF A WIFE. 85 it is certain that neither the calls of business, nor those of the household, will be adequately met." 42. What is the first thing that should be regarded in the Selection of a Wife? The parentage. It is an old proverb that " if the dame trot, the foal will not amble," and if the mother be foolisli or vicious, it can hardly be expected that the daughter will be wise and virtuous. It is also an axiom that a good daughter makes a good wife, and she who has been affec- tionate, dutiful and obedient to her parents,' will, it is probable, be the same to her husband, if the marriage be one of her own free will and choice. 43. What is the second requisite not less important than the former? Good health. In ancient times in some countries very severe penalties were imposed upon those who married when afflicted with hereditary diseases of a serious char- acter, and in Scotland we read it was the law at one time that, if a woman afflicted with fiiUing sickness, madness, gout, or leprosy, gave birth to a child, both she and her offspring should be buried alive. A quaint writer, refer- ring to this law, remarks : "A severe doom, one might say, and not to be used among Christians, yet more to be looked into than it is. For now by our too much facility in this kind, in giving way for all to marry that will, too much liberty and indulgence in tolerating all sorts, there is a vast confusion of hereditary diseases ; no family secure, no man entirely free from some grievous infirmity or other." "It is the duty of every man," says Dr. Hufeland, " when he chooses a wife, to be particularly careful that her nervous system be not too irritable. Should this be the 88 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. ! l!*ii l !$5l m\'' ilt m^ lu case, the principal object of marriage, to produce sound and robust children, is entirely lost." * * It is certainly a crime against society of no inconsiderable magni- tude for persons who know that they are the victims of diseases that are transmissible to children to en- ter into a relation of which the chief object should be the procrea- tion of sound, healthy offspring, yet it is notorious that such infirmities are often carefully concealed, and it therefore becomes important for those who do not wish to rush heed- lessly into trouble to know the signs by wliich latent ill-health may be ' detected. " There are numerous means of calculating upon the durability of human life," says Dr. Culverwell, "by an examina- tion of the countenance, the gait, the attitude, the form, the skin, the temperament, the breathing, the sleep, and, in fact, to a practised professional eye, there is not much difficulty in observing some diag- nostic mark if sickness be secreted in the constitution. The counte- nance in health varies with the age. Health is indicated by a plump, not puffy or bloated state of the face, a fresh complexion, and an absence of that depression around and particularly below the eye so observable in persons of ill health: The nose should not be pinched, as it were, at its junction with the face, nor should there be deep in- dentations called furrows or wrin- kles at the angles of the moui.a or eyes, which rarely are manifested in healthy individuals, except they be aged through care or time. In health the countenance is expres- sive of contentment and gayety, which indicate a happy state of mind and healthy condition of body. In ill health it is pale and expressive of languor and sadness, signifying discontent and nervous debility. Where asthma exists, or other nervous affections of the chest prevail, there is pallidness or liv- idity, a worn-down and distressing look, and in consumption, in addi- tion thereto, there are alternately, on the slightest exertion, gentle flushings. A bluish tint of the skin denotes some organic affection of the heart. In dropsy, the coun- tenance is bloated or of a waxy puffiness; and in acute indigestion there is a lividity of the lips, nose and cheeks. Hurried breathing, palpitation of the heart, frequent attacks of perspiration, sleepless- ness, are all symptomatic of weak- ness, hysteria or disea.se. A vofa- cious or scanty appetite, a dry and shrinking skin, a furred and loaded tongue with indented sides, signify the digestive organs to be deranged. In long standing dyspepsia, the nose, feet and hands are generally cold. Emaciation is an infallible diagnostic of disturbed healtli." MAEBIAOE AND CHOICE OF A WIFE. 87 44. Is her religious belief a matter that should be cou- sidered in choosing a wife? A woman without any religious sentiment or a scoffer is wholly unfit to be a wife or a mother. When the storms of temptiition or sorrow shall assail her, she will be with- out the sustaining influence of Hope and Faith, and, like a rudderless ship, will drift helplessly on the waves or be overwhelmed. All the advantages which the women of England and America enjoy over their Pagan sisters, and their deliverance from bondage, they owe to the beneficent teachings of Christianity, and she who does not recognize the obligation adds the crime of ingratitude to the rin of impiety. Moreover, it is desirable that persons to be united in marriage should entertain the Game doctrinal beliefs, for difference in creeds, if it does not always lead to serious contention, deprives the family of one of its strongest bonds of union, and robs old age of one of its sweetest sources of consolation. It is said that no instance can be cited in which an extreme Catholic ever lived hap- pily with an extreme Protestant; and that a man who marries a woman of different religion from his own, think- ing afterward to bend her to his views, has very little idea of timber. 45. Is amiability before marriage or mildness of dis- position an essential pre-requisite ? Marriage generally brings about such radical changes in the temper, especially of women, sometimes converting the vixenish shrew into the gentle, obedient Katharina, more often the reverse, that we are not disposed to lay so much stress on amiability of disposition as some writers do ; yet, as a general rule, it may be said that it is imprudent to many a woman inclined to fault-finding and scolding. 8d COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. "A girl who is all the while finding fault with her beau during courtship is sure to scold him intolerably after marriage, and one who is hard to please before marriage will bo much harder after ; while one who patiently endures and forbears during courtship will be more forbearing after marriage if kept in a loving mood. On the other hand, a man who insists on having his own way before marriage will be dogmatical if not domineering afterwards, and should be allied only to a very meek, patient and complaisant woman." 46. Is a taste for household duties an accomplishment in a wife ? Addison, in one of his papers in the " Spectator," sug- gested that every young woman, before being permitted to name her wedding-day, should be comi)elled by law to exhibit to inspectors, articles of clothing, bed-linen, etc., made by her own hands, and show that she possesses some practical knowledge of housework and cookery. Marion Harland alludes to one of her acquaintances, unfortunately the mother of four children, whom she saw sitting in a slatternly morning gown, amid dust and dirt, whining that kitchen and housework and sewing were absolutely hateful to her — utterly uncongenial to her turn of mind — and declarir.g that the height of her ambition was " to have nothing to do but to paint on velvet all day." An alliance with a woman of this description does not constitute a prudent marriage. " You may depend upon it," says some one, " that there is a good deal of domestic happiness in a well-dressed mutton-chop or a tidy beefsteak for breakfast. Tht woman who can cook contributes more to the happi- ness of society than twenty who cannot cook." M MARRIAGE AND CHOICE OF A WIFE. 80 47. Pocs the want of education disqualify a woman for marriage with an educated man ? Education is a term so comprehensive in ita scope or rather so vague in its signification that it has scarcely any meaning when applied to a man, and none at all with refer- ence to women. Judged by some standards no man can be called educated, while in women sound common-sense or a quick wit, coupled with an amiable disposition, is an excellent substitute for scholastic learning. Most of the famous women of past ages, many of the mothers of the republic, were what the belles of modern drawing-rooms would call wholly uneducated. Few of them could speak French, or read Italian, dance the German, embroider, or play on the piano. But they acted well their part and there the honor lies. A woman, however, to be a suitable helpmeet for a man of business, should certainly understand the rudi- mentary branches of knowledge. She should know enough of music to sing sweet lullabys to children ; enough of botany to train a nasturtium around a cottage window ; enough of physiology to appreciate the importance of cleanliness in house and cleanliness of person ; and enough of aritlimetic to check the accounts of storekeepers and niarketmcn, and calculate the percentage saved by paying cash. The want of knowledge of arithmetic is the cause, says a popular author, not only of great waste, but of great misery. Many a family of good position has fallen into destitution merely because of their ignorance of this branch of knowledge. 48. Are there any signs in the physical conformation of woman by which one may judge of her character? " Most women have no characters at all," says Pope, by ym i mr m u • 90 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. wliicli we suppose he meant no marked characteristics of • form or feature. One is more or leas pretty, or more or less amiable than another, but the majority are like pot- ter's clay to be moulded by the plastic hand of love as the master may will. When, however, there is any marked deviation from the average type in mouth, nose, eyes, or forehead, then the lover should look sharp to understand what that means before he becomes the husband. A pointed or large square chin, thin and close or very curved lips, a Roman or a snub nose, small black piercing eyes, or gray ones with a large pupil, a very high or a very low forehead, are all indices of character that warn the ex- perienced mariner on the look-out that the coast is danger- ous. The organ of love is situated in the cerebellum, according to the phrenologists, in a direct line " backward an inch and a half from the middle of the back part of the ear," and if this organ be very large or entirely deficient, tlie seeker after happiness had better beware. A woman whose chin is thrown forward, and who has a marked breadth and fulness in the red part of the lips, is no<^^ a suitable consort for a bloodless man, or one of the Senator Sumner type. 49. Should the temperaments be sirailai or dissimilar ? While there should be similarity in tastes, and a man fond of the beautiful or poetical should not ally himself with a " clod," or a man of strong social affections marry an icicle, experience proves that happiness in married life is best promoted by a conjunction of dissimilar tempera- ments. Thus, two persons of the sanguineous tempera- ment, for instance, having light hair and eyes, are less suited for marriage with each other than when one of the parties is of a phlegmatic or bilious temperament. Those MABIilAQE AND CHOICE OF A WIFE. 91 whose motive temperament decidedly predominatofl, who arc bony, only moderately fleshy, qnitc muscular and pro- minent-featured, should not marry those similarly formed, but a person either sanguine or nervous, or a comijound of both ; for being more strong than susceptible or emotional, they re(piirc that their own emotions should be perpetually prompted oy an emotional comi)anion, and that their children should also be endowed with the emotional from the other parent. Those who are cool should marry those who are impulsive and susceptible ; but little nervous men should not marry either little nervous or sanguine women, lest both they and their children have quite too nmch of the hot-headed and impuhivey and die 8uddetdt/* 50. How can mutual affection bo cemented and pre- served during Marriage ? * Phrenologiats, who claim to be experts in the art of judging adap- tatio 1 in candidates for matrimony fr. m external signs, have prescribed the following points for the guid- ance of the inexperienced : A person of dark complexion should select a blonde for his life- companion, but red-whiskered men should marry brunettes, the color of the whiskers being more deter- minate of the temperament than that of the hair. The florid should not marry the florid, but those who are dark in proportion as they themselves are light. Gray eyes may marry any color except gray, and so of blue, dark, and hazel. Roman noses are adapted to those which turn up, and pug noses to those turning down, while straight noses may marry either. Large mouths and lips signify hearty sexualties. Women with small mouths are poorly adapted to large-featured, bony, broad built, robust men. Those ^vil08e hair curls naturally should not marry curls, but should select those whose hair lies smooth and close to the head, while wavy hair is Jidapted to either or neither. Very fleshy persons should not marry those equally fleshy, but choose those more spare and slim, and this is doubly true of females. A spare man is better adapted to a fleshy woman than a round-favored man. Two who are short, thick- set and stocky, should on no' ac- count unite in marriage, but should choose those differently constituted. M COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. I pnR) P. M rfffill Marriage lias been so fruitful of uulmppiness that it luis been ealled the grave of love. Applications for divoree are overywlioro crowding the courts and injpeding oth'^i* business, and yet, it is believed, not one in fifty who desires a divorce applies for it. This, however, ceases to be sur- prising when we know that it is j)ossil)lc for an ignorant boor to ruin a woman of delicate organization at the start through sheer stupidity, and turn her love into disgust, if not into hatred; and when we observe how little effort is made after marriage, in the majority of instances, to keep alivfl the flame of mutual affection. When the parties discover that they are not sexually adapted to each other, nothing in the world that either or both can do or say can prevent discord, disappointment, and a longing for release; but where the union is complete, love grows by what it feeds uj)on, and a slight husbandry will suffice to keep the garden in perpetual bloom. In order to maintain affection during marriage, it is probable, that at the present time, no better advice can be given than that the husband should not cease to be the lover, and that both should strive earnestly, honestly to avoid all occasion of offence. " Words," says some one, "utterly fail to express the estimate in which each sex should hold the other, because words cannot measure the happiness it is possible for each to confer on the other. Each should think that of all the creations of earth the other sex is most perfect, and that of all its other speci- mens this one chosen is the most perfect for me."* * Books have been written that too radical and deep-seated to be contain rules to direct hunbandg reached by ordinary panaceas. The and wives ;n vheir treatment of husband is enjoined in these man- each other ; but where advice is uals to regard his wife as his equal, at all necessary the difficulty ia not aa a mere housekeeper, not to MAllItlAOE AND CHOICE OF A WIFE. 93 interfiTe in her tloiiicHtic couccrnH, to keep her mipplii'il witli money for hoimeliold pnrjKweH witliout lii-r conHtnnt Holicitation ; never toMcold I»er, to coHHiilt her in a'i operalionn involving risk, to coinniuniciUe to lier tiie real Htatr of his buniiieHH attair», to cuddle, careas arid j)raiHe her, and never to chide and rebuke her in the presence of others. Ail tluH Ih Hensiblc and commendable, but Btill the fact BtandH out clearly an the nun in the heavens, that men \»ho violate all these precepts, even crin.inal and abusive men, arc wor- shipped by their wives, while others who observe them all and are uni- formly kind and considerate are despised and hated. This must re- veal to the dullest apprehension that far down below the surface of society there is a secret agency at work which is more powerful than law, morality or religion in regu- 8 lating the union of the sexes. This is the law of sexual aflTuiity, which, from its far-reaching consorjuonces, is worthy of studious investigation by the profuundest intellects of the age. Not Ilarvey by revealing the circulation of the blcMKl in the body, nor Newton by making known the law of gravitation, nor Junner by discovering that vaccination will modify small-pox, has rendered so great benefit to njciety as he who shall make known an infallible guide by which men and women contemplating wedlock may tell in advance whether they arc suited to each other in marriage. Now a man must live half his days before he finds out what he should have known in the beginning. " Siifler- ing humanity needs many things, but nothing half so much as accu- rate scientific family knowledge." CHAPTER V. BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS. " The trust reposed in copartners, notwithstanding all precautions, is wholly indefinite and unlimited; and when one thinks of forming a copartnership with another he should ask himself if he is willing to trust him with the power to ruin him, for such and no less is it." — Sargent. '^^ASSING iroin the considerations which should govern in the formation of life partnerships between the sexes, we come to consider commercial partnerships, or where two or more persons combine their labor, skill, money or property in the transaction of business for their common profit ; and the first question that presents itself is, 61. Under what circumstances is it prudent for a man to enter into partnership with another ? Partnership undoubtedly increases the risks of business, inasmuch as a partner's property is subject to the contin- gencies that arise not only from his own unskilfulness or misdoing, but that of others. A partner has the power to sell, mortgage or assign the property of the firm, and to bind all its members by loans, indorsements of negotiable paper, or by any other transactions which fall within the usual business of the firm; and each partner is absolutely responsible to every creditor of the copartnership for the whole amount of the debt, though not created by himself. 94 I II I. !. I BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS. 95 A partnership, therefore, is not to be recommended ex- cept where the business cannot be managed with a reas- onable degree of success without it ; nor unless the parties have a thorough knowledge of each other's character, temper, honesty and disposition to do what is right. In business, as in war, it is often true that one bad general is better to manage an army in action than two good ones. 52. What are the qualities that should be considered as essential in the selection of a partner ? A distinguished commercial lawyer advises one who thinks of forming a copartnership with another to consider not only his business capacity as a man of shrewdness, skill and experience, but to look into his social and moral quali- ties. "Is he a man of good temper, with whom difficuiiies will not be likely to occur ? Is he placable, one who will not lay up the memory of an accidental slight, of a heated expression, or of an unreasonable wrong, which you have done everything in your power to redress ? Is he a man keen in the pursuit of his own interest ? Will he listen to any candid views adverse to ais own ? Will he in a differ- ence between you be willing to unite with you in consult- ing mutual friends as mediators? Are you sure of his principles? Do you know his associates? All these are questions not merely of taste and curiosity, but entering into the very essence of your decision as to a partner." 53. What is necessary to constitute a Partnership ? To constitute a partnership the contract must be founded in good faith and positive consent of the parties, the pur- pose must be lawful, and there must be a common interest in the profits. These are its ingredients. Hence, if the contract be founded in fraud or imposition, either upon one 96 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. of the parties r upon third persons, or if it be framed for illegal or immoral purposes, as for illegal gaming, or illegal insurances or wagers, or to support a house of ill- fame, it is utterly void. And if the contract be for the sole and exclusive benefit of one party — for instance, if it bo agreed that one of the parties shall have all the profits — this would be a nullity, and constitute no partnership as between themselves. But in order to constitute a partner- ship, it is not essential that the parties shall share the profits and losses in equal proportions. It is even competent for them to sti])ulate that the profits shall be divided, but if there be no profits, the loss shall be borne by one or more of the partners exclusively, and the other shall be exempted therefrom. A joint contract to do a piece of work, if the price for it is to be divided immediately among those entitled to it, will not make them partners. t 54. Are written articles of agreement necessary in the formation of a Copartnership ? No especial form is necessary, and it may be by oral or by written agreement, with or without a seal. The liability and the authority of the partners begin with the actuci formation of the partnership, and do not wait for the exe- cution of any articles. In general, if there be an agreement to enter into business, or into some particular transaction together, and share the profits and losses, this constitutes a partnership, which is just as extensive as the business proposed to be done, and not more so. The parties may agree to share the profits in what proportion they choose ; but in the absence of any agreement the law presumes equal shares. But while no especial form is necessary, it is always advisable and prudent to have the terms of the JOHN A. ROEBLING, Builder of Niagara Suspension Bridge and Projector of the East River Bridge, New York, >) !l BUSINESS PAIiTNEliSHIPS. 97 agreement embodied in written and carefully prepared articles of copartnership. 55. Can persons be liable as partners to strangers who are not partners as between themselves ? The rule seems to be that any one who holds himself out as partner by suffering his name to be used in cards, or advertisements, or on signs, is responsible to every creditor who on these grounds believed him to be a partner, but not to those who knew he was not a partner. Hence a person who lends his name as partner, though he contribute neither money nor time, nor receives any share of the profit, or a person who suffers his name to continue in the firm after he has ceased to be an actual partner, is respon- sible as partner to all persons not cognizant of the facts. 56. Can a person on the other hand be a member of a firm and yet not be liable for its debts ? When a person receives a share of profits in lieu of otljer compensation as agent, clerk or salesman, and this is mani- festly the intention of the parties, such person, it is now held, is not a partner as respects liability for tlie debts of the firm. Parsons remarks, " Formerly it was held, but as we think on insufficient authority, tliat if a person received any certain share, say ' one-tenth part of the net annual profits,' this made him a partner, but if he received *a salary equal in amount to one-ten<^' of the net profits,' this did not make him a partner, we apprehend, however, that now the courts would look more at the actual intention of the parties, and their actual ownership of the funds of the partnership, and not be governed by the mere phi 56- ology used. If, in fact, he works for wages, although 7 d8 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. i ¥ these wages are measured by the profits, he is no partner, and therefore not liable for the debts as every partner is." 57. Is it prudent to form -i copartnership willi a man in embarrassed circumstances ? The rules of law in regard to the liability of partnership property for the private debts of partners are as yet some- what obscure and uncertain, yet it is certain that creditors of individual partners, if they choose, may often cause great embarrass! l to the partnership affairs and probably compel a dissolution. " The partnershij) property," says Justice Story, " may be taken in execution upon a separate judgment and execu- tion against one partner ; but the sheriff can only seize and sell the interest and right of the judgment partner therein, subject to the prior rights and liens of the other partners and the joint creditors therein. By such seizure the sheriff' acquires a special property in the goods seized ; and the judgment creditor himself may, and the sheriff also, witli the consent of the judgment creditor, may file a bill against the other partners for the ascertainment of the quantity of that interest, before any sale is actually made under the execution. The judgment creditor, however, is not bound, if he does not choose to wait until such interest is so ascer- tained, but he may require the sheriff immediately to pro- ceed to a sale, which order the sheriff is bound by law to obey. In the event of a sale, the purchaser^ at the sale is substituted to the rights of the execution partner, quoad the property sold, and becomes a tenant in common thereof; and he may file a bill, or a bill may be filed against him by the other partners, to ascertain the quantity of interest which he has acquired by the sale." The purchaser thus acquires all the rights the insolvent partner had in the ri ARTICLES OF COPARTNERSHIP. 09 property, but he is not bound to become a partner, nor arc the otliers bound to admit him ; therefore the effect of such sale is to dissolve the partnership. Hence Justice Story further remarks : " It is a strange anomaly in jurisprudence, that third persons should be en- titled to dissolve the solemn bona fide contracts of partners, at their own caprice and pleasure, however ruinous may be the effects to innocent partners ; for the partnership may thus be dissolved in the midst of the most successful adven- ture, and thus irreparable losses may ensue therefrom. However, this is not a peculiar feature of the common law ; for it is found equally recognized in the Roman law, at least where all the effects of the partner are sold to his creditors." 58. When articles of copartnership are drawn up, what should be specified in them with reference to the duration of the firm ? Articles of copartnership should specify the time when the partnership shall commence and when it shall expire, and whether, in the event of dissolution by death, the repre- sentatives of the deceased partner may carry on the busi- ness in connection with the survivors for the benefit of the widow and children. Where no definite period is fixed for its duration, a partner may withdraw at a moment's notice, and at his will and pleasure dissolve the partnership. But even if a defi- nite period be agreed upon, it is now considered that a partner may, by giving notice, dissolve the partnership as to all future capacity of the firm to bind him by contract ; but in this case he subjects himself to a claim of damages for a breach of the covenant. It is also held that the death of either party within the period named dissolves the part- ;ii 100 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. ir c I.' ( W^ s iii't wx. nership; but parties may provide against this, by stipu- lating that in case of dcatii the representatives of tlie deceased partner may carry on the business in connection with the survivors for the benefit of his widow and chil- dren. Stipulations of this kind are common in partnerships established for a long term of years, where the original outlay in permanent fixtures is great, and numerous ques- tions have arisen a« to their precise meaning and effect. One was whether it is a matter of election with the widow, children, appointee or executor or administrator of the de- ceased, to continue the partnership or not ; or whether it is absolute and peremptory upon them. It was held, in the absence of any positive direction, that it is optional with the party so appointed to continue the partnership or not, as they may think proper, but they will be considered as partners unless they give notice within a reasonable time to the contrary. Another question was, where a provision for the continuance of a partnership after the death of one of the partners had been inserted, as to the extent to which contracts made after the death of that partner binds his assets. It was held, in the absence of clear and unambigu- ous language to the contrary, that the general assets of the deceased are not liable for the debts of the partnership, contracted after his death ; but the responsibility is limited to the extent of the funds already embarked in the trade, or any specific amount to be invested therein, for that pui'pose. 59. Where the partners are numerous, what provision should be inserted in the articles with reference to the management of the partnership aifairs ? It should be stipulated that the majority shall have the right to direct and regulate the concerns of the partner- I BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS. 101 ship, and in cases of difficulty that they shall have the power to wind up or sell the concern. Without an express stipulation of this kind, it is doubtful whether the majority have the power to bind a minority who dissent, and it is certain that the power of a majority to wind uj) or sell a concern will not be presumed, but must be expreasly given. In case it has been agreed that one or more of the partners shall have exclusive management of the business, or any particular branch thereof, insert this provision in the articles of copartutifthip, and a Court of Equity will uphold it and give it full effect. 60. What provision, if any, should be inserted in the copartnership articles with reference to the copartners be- coming bound as surety or guarantors for others? It is exceedingly useful to insert in the articles that neither of the copartners shall become hound as surety or otherwise except with the consent of all, under penalty of giving the others the right to dissolve the partnership. Not that such contracts of suretyship bind the firm, for ordinarily they do not, and being private stipulations between the parties, they do not affect the public ; but this prohibition acts as a salutary restraint upon the copartners, especially the younger members of firms, saving them from the indulgence of a heedless kindness, and relieving them from solicitations for fav^ors which it is often difficult to resist, and generally wrong to grant. 61. What is the most important stipulation of all that should be inserted in articles of copartnership? and the one most generally neglected ? To specify what disposition is to be made of the joint property in the event of a dissolution. An eminent lawyer 'i '> i > 11^'' 102 COMMON SIi^NSE IN BUSINESS. liaH remarked, it is inaiiiibstly one of* the first dictates of prudence, at the commencement of the union, when there is mutual confidence and good feeling between the parties, and when the uncertainty as to which party shall fall under the adverse operation of any stipulations insures the adoption of such as are mutually and reciprocally just, to provide for the disposition of the property in the event of dissolution. Where this provision is neglected and the copartnership terminates either by dissension of the partners or by ex- piration of its term, the property may be placed in such a position of embarrassment that nothing but the interposi- tion of a Court of Equity can save it from destruction.* * Tlie dissolution generally finds the debts unpaid ; the property with its ownership balanced among dis- senting parties, so as to bo rendered incapable of application to its pur- poses ; the debts liable to be seized by each partner, as he can persuade the debtors to pay him ; the credit- ors left to suits exhausting the funds with expenses; while the copart- ners are striving for their own in- terest, or the gratification of angry passions. If none of the copartners rasort to a Court of Equity, the creditors recover their judgments at law for debts, and pursue the copartners individually, exhausting first the man of most property, or whose effects are most accessible ; it therefore becomes at once his in- terest to have the property put into a train of proper administration, and he applies, in a suit in chan- cery, for a settlement of the part- nership accoimta, for the ai)point- ment of a receiver to whom the partnership property and debts shall be delivered, and for an injunction against the partners ^"^pectively, from receiving or interfering with any of the efiects until distributed by order of the court. This course secures tlie property from the wan- ton waste of the copartners, but subjects it to heavy expenses and to those losses which invariably at- tend the closing of estates by others than those immediately interested in them as owners. This course also involves some delay, and it ia therefore in many cases resorted to or threatened as a menace by those who would be ashamed, and re- strained by public opinion, from producing the same injuries in a more direct manner. But it is to be remembered by all such, that the Court of Equity, wliile it acts LIMITED PARTNERSmrS. 103 i 62. What are tlie peculiarities of limited partnershipH and the privileges of Hi)eoial partners? Limited partnerships, which, it is said, arc uidcnown in England, are purely the creatures of statute law, and arc designed to facilitate trade by giving persons the privilege of investing capital in firms without being liable for the • "■eneral debts of the firm. The statutes of the States allow- ing limited partnerships differ in some of their provisions, but generally they require, first, one or more general part- ners whose names shall be known ; secondly, si)ecial i)art- ners whose names are not to be used in the firm ; thirdly, the sum to be contributed by the special partners shall bo actually paid in ; and lastly, all these particulars shall be verified under oath, the signature of the parties acknowl- according to principlca well Hcttled, yet acts in modes ever varying ac- cording to circumstances. If a case of oppression or great injury to the property occurs, it will, under suita- ble precautions of security, appoint pome one of the copartners receiver ; may allow advances to be made out of the collections by the receiver, in case suitable securities arc of- fered, and the apparent siifety of the creditors' interests allow it; and generally it will so adapt its remedy, as to create the least pos- sible injury to the contending par- ties, acting on the reverse of the warlike principle. The man re- sorting to it, in preference to an amicable settlement on terms of mutual concession, may therefore sometimes find that, although he has inflicted on his former associate some wounds, his blows have chiefly recoiled upon himself. The court will cause the property to be sold for the payment of the debts, \m- less a specific division can be agrectl on, and fimds supplied from other sources than a sale for the payment of the debts; cases of specific divi- sion by legal proceedings are not to be found. No right exists in any party to take the property on appraisal. The court will also cause the copartnership accoimt« to be settled under its own direction, and by its own officers, according to the copartnership books, and other suitable evidence. The final termination of the affair thus be- comes somewhat protracted, and exceedingly troublesome and ex- pensive; still it is a better resort than submission to threats of its inconvenience. 104 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. I 5r' 1 ; 1 ■il'l IH^'ii t ■n ''''v ' • IPI'f': illii : li^r- odgoil Ix'foro a niQgi.stmte, and a registry nuulc in thn clerk'H oirK!o of tlio county and correctly pnhllHiicd (or a Kj)ecilied time for tlie iMl()rniation of tlu; puhlic. M'iicn all tlutjo rc(jii:.site.s an; complied with, the Hpecial |»;irln(r.s may lose all they have put ijito the; husiiu.'fw, hut tiny can- not he held to any further responsihility. JJut any neglect of thcni, or any material mistake in regard to them, even on the part of the j)rinter of the advertisements, wholly destroys their ellect, and then the special partner is liable in the same manner as the general partners. Thus, in a New York case, where the amount contributed by the special j)artncr was, by mistake of the printer, stated at $5000 instead of ^2000, it was held that he was liable as general partner. 63. After the formation of a partnership, what arc the Duties of PAiiTNErw to each other and to the ])tddic? The duties of partners to each other and to the public may be summed up in two general rules of eondmit, which are ihe cardinal prineij)les of the contract, viz., the observ- ance of good faith in all their dealinr/s, and the exercise of a reasonable skill and dili(/ence in matters pertahxing to the Copartnership. The obligations implied in the observ- ance of good faith are manifold, but the principal ones are, that each partner shall conform strictly to the stipulations contained in the copartnership articles, that neither shall deal on his private account in any matter, or conduct any business which is obviously at variance with the interest of the partnership, and that each member of tlie firm will keep precise accounts of all his transactions on joint ac- count, and always have them open for the inspection of his partners, and ready for ex})lanation. "No partner will be permitted to treat privately, and it' DISSOLUTION OF rAIiTNEIiSIIIPS. 106 for lii.s own benefit alone, u r the renewal of* u leiuso, or to transfer to liinj.self any benefit or interest projierly belong- ing to the firm ; and so earefiil is u Conrt of l^jnity in this respeet, that it will not permit a eoi)auiner, by his private contra(rt or agreement, to subjeet iumself to a bias or in- terest whieh nught be injurious to the firm, and oonfliet with his duty to them, but will deelare void any eontract of the kind." G4. Can a partner (iharge his copartners for services rendered in l)ehalf of the firm? .The relation of partnership implies that each partner shall exert h'ln best skill, diligenee anlacing us amidst objects so ill-suited to our perceptions as to have continually offended us, instead of ministering to our refreshment and delight. He might have made everything we tasted bitter ; everything we saw loathsome ; everything we touched a sting ; every smell a stench ; and every sound a discord." Whatever, therefore, would tend, if generally done or allowed, to increase the happiness of mankind, is in conformity with His will, and whatever would produce evil, or inconvenience, or misery, is a violation of the moral law. Here we arrive at the foundation of the obligation of contracts. Hence, a man is obliged to keep his loord, to perform his promises, to execute his contracts ; because, if men's promises and agreements could not be relied upon, there would be an end to confidence, which is essential in all the relations of life, and to the existence of happiness. 72. What is the test by which the morality of bakgains may be determined ? The obligation of promises is to be measured by the ex- pectation which the promiser voluntarily and knowingly excites ; and, therefore. Moral Philosophy, which is one of the interpreters of moral law, has deduced a rule governing the construction of contracts, which is that — Whatever is expected by one side, and known to be so ex- pected by the other, is to be deer,icd a part or condition of the contract. . i. w 112 C03IM0N SENSE IK BUSINESS. (!'.!! 73. What relation has tliis rule to prices tliat a seller may charge for his commodities in the absence of an express agreement ? ' ' A seller has a right to fix whatever price he pleases upon his property, and to liold it until he can obtain his price. A buyer has a right to decline to purchase a property or article of merchandise until he can obtain it at his price, or both may agree upon a price without regard to others* prirs. But in the event of a sale without an agreement as to price, the rule that has been stated obliges a seller not to charge more for his commodities than the market price. " Whoever opens a shop," says Paley, " or in any manner exposes his goods to public sale, virtually engages to deal with his customers at a market price ; be- cause it is uj)on the faith and opinion of such an engage- ment that any one comes within his shop doors, or offers to treat with him. This is expected by the buyer ; is known to be expected by the seller : which is enough, according to the rule delivered above, to make it a part of the con- tract between them, though not a syllable be said about it. The breach of this implied contract constitutes the fraud." ii' 74. Is a seller or buyer bound to disclose to the other any information that he may possess that is likely to have an important influence upon the market price in the future ? This is a point that has been discussed by writers on ethics from the time of Cicero to the present. Cicero pro- pounded the question, whether a corn merchant, who had arrived at Rhodes with a cargo of grain during a season of great scarcity and knowing that other vessels laden with grain were also on the way, was bound in conscience to inform the buyers of that fact. Upon this question he quotes the opinion of Diogenes, who thought such a conceal- CONSCIENCE IN BUSINESS. 113 mont was justifiable; and of Antipatcr, with whom Cicero a'Tces, wiio thoiiglit that it was in bad faith. I^ater writers dissent from this doctrine, and Pothier asks whether any one ever thought of accusing Joseph of injustice in taking advantage of the knowledge which he had of the years of barrenness to cause Pharaoh to buy the fifth part of the corn of his subjects, without informing them of those years of sterility which were about to come. Analogous to the question under consideration there is another : Suppose that a merchant of Philadelphia has early information of a great rise in flour in England and he goes out into the market to buy flour : is he bound to inform sellers of what he has heard ? We think that neither seller nor buyer would expect such information to be communicated ; that the rule stated above is broad enough for practical use, and that a seller who charges no more than the market })rice at the time of sale without regard to the market price at some other time in the future, and a buyer who gives the market price at the time the bargain was made, have done all that is required of them in law or conscience. 75. Again, is a seller bound in conscience to disclose the faults or defects in what he has to sell ? The rule with regard to the concealment of extrinsic circumstances that affect the value of an article — as for instance, the state of the markets — and its intrinsic qualities is very different, even in law, and some writers contend that " a sound price warrants a sound article," as a prin- ciple which is obligatory everywhere. They argue that the buyer expects a certain article, or an article of a certain quality, and the seller knows of his belief and confidence; hence he is bound to furnish such an article, or make known its faults. The man who advances a direct false- 8 114 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. hood, ill recommendation of an article, is called a cheat. He wlio conceals faults which he knows it possesses acts from the same motive, viz., to procure a higher price than he could otherwise expect, and the effect to the prejudice of the buyer is precisely the same. This is a just and a practical rule, obligatory on all alike, irotn the manufac- turer to the retailer, and on all who buy and sell. 76. Does a merchant violate any law of morals by ask- ing more for his commodities than he is willing to take? It is argued by some that the mere attempt to ask a different price from that which you are prc})ared to take is most injurious, both morally and in a business view; for the instant it is found out, you have no end of bantering and bargaining to get the very lowest price, and all con- fidence in you vanishes. An Englishman writes that he always tries to beat down the price where he docs not know the exact value of an article, or the character of the tradesman, but if he succeeds he never again enters that shop, whereas if ho fails he continues his custom. But while the plan of having only one price, and adhering to it, is the most pleasant, satisfactory and politic way of doing busi- ness, we can see nothing morally wrong in accepting less than the price first asked, or even less than a fair market price. In order to raise money, or reduce stock, or to gain a customer, a merchant who cannot get what he asks may be justified in taking what he can get. 77. Is a merchant morally justified in buying goods much below their market value because the seller is in necessitous circumstances, and obliged to accept his offer ? The author of " Business Life in London " depicts in strong colors the practice in this respect. He says : " To CONSCIENCE IN BUSINESS. 115 beat down a poor, .starving mechanic or poor tradesman, who brings his goods to you for sale, and such goods as you want, because it is late on Saturday night, or you know there is no phice where he can get tlie money immediately for them, and that unless ho does, he cannot get his family a Sunday dinner, — under such circumstances to offer him half of what they are fairly worth, is not only a sin, but a crime against the community at large. If you want to know whether this is ever done, I refer you to the furniture trade, and the poor, half-starved little masters who make up goods, and then take them round to tho upholsterers and wholesale cabinet-makers for sale. Some houses in that trade are known as ' slaughter-houses,' and tne poor little makers never go to them until they have exhausted every other hope, and are compelled to make a sacrifice. " That it is done on a much larger scale by bankers, money-lenders, and sharp bill-brokers, and wholesale men in all departments, where an immediate realization ia absolutely necessary, is well known. I know of one miser- able rich man, who had always £100,000 at his command, and who for years used to make it his boast, when he went on the Exchange, tliat he was the man for burnt-offerinf/a and saaijices, and was accustomed to say, * Whoever wants cash and must have it, let him come to me and I will supply him.' This impious wretch only spoke out coarsely and brutally the principles which too often our sharp men of business practise in their dealings with their fellow-men, when they are pressed, or must make up money on an emergency." 78. Does the principle, that a man has a right to do what he pleases with his own, justify a merchant in selling no COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. his goods below cost in order to break down a rival in busi'iesH? Where the object is an injury to anoth(!r, the statement of the question is ius sufficient answer. Jkit it has been made a question, whether a man established in trade has a moral right to sell goods below cost unless necessity com- pels the sacrifice. Lyndall remarks, " lie may do so with one article, and may in this way, perhaj)s, increase his general business. But to do so in all cases is, for the time, certain injury to himself, and the result may be calamitous. The public are benefited. But what right has the public; to the products of his skill and labor, without giving for them an equivalent of the same market value? Should business be converted into a species of sale, in which the public, as auctioneer, urges on the rival bidders for its custom, knocking it down to the highest at twice its real worth ? Some people give their goods away ; and a rail- way company has carried passengers ten miles for one penny. Of course some one gains a profit hy this folly, but not thorie who are entitled to it. The Scriptural in- junction, * He that worketh not, neither shall he eat,' is the foundation truth of economic science. That the idle and worthless should seize upon the gains of the indus- trious, even though it be through the indiscretion of the latter, is a result that every right-minded person must lament. To him who has a family dependent upon him for support, it must be a bitter grief to see his earnings constantly drained away in the attempt to beat his oppo- nent; and he will learn, sooner or later, that there is a limit beyond which the contest cannot be carried without moral guilt." 79. Can a merchant have a conscience " void of offence," CONSCIENCE IN BUSINESS. 117 who sells certain leading articles at or below cost in order to attract trade by creating an impression that all his goods arc j)roportionably ehcjip ? When a man resorts to the practice of offering (!ertain articles at tempting prices, in order to entrap the unwary, and sell them other and inferior goods at high pri(!es, he is undoubtedly a cheat, for he deceives his customers by creating an imi)ression that he is selling cheaper than others, whereas in fact ho means to charge more. Ikit where a merchant feels confident tliat he can serve a buyer better than he has been served by others, and means to take no unfair advantage on other articles by offering ono or more below the market, in order to attract his attention, the question is one more difficult of solution, and many conscientious men have thought the practice did not in- volve any wrong. But Mr. Arthur, the biographer of^ Samuel Budgett, who, though a model merchant in some respects, resorted to the expedient of selling leading articles at or below cost, remarks : " If a man feels that he can serve the public with a certain article better than they are usually served, he is right to do so. But he ought only to take such modes of attracting the attention of the public as arise out of the actual advantages he has to offer. He is not bound to withhold a general advantage because it may cause an individual loss — quite the contrary ; but he ought not to parade any advantage that is not real, to create any im- pression that is not correct ; to hold out the bait of one kind of service, while he means to perform another. As a mode of competition, the system of leading articles is decidedly to be condemned in itself, and especially so as it offers to dishonest men a bait whereby to entrap prey." 10 * !n. 118 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. 80. Ih adulteration of merclmncliHc allowable where the articles used for adulteration are not injurious in thcm- sclve.^, and a compensation is allowed to the buyer in the price ? No one pretends to justify adulteration where the object \a manifestly deception or an inordinate profit, or when the ingredients used are deleterious ; but it is claimed by many that where the adulteration is harmless, as chiccory with coffee for instance, no injury is sustained by the public and no moral wrong is done. But the question, as Lyndall remarks, " is not as to the seeming goo)j 82. Is a man who has failed and been released frojn his obligations by the consent of his creditors, or the operation of the law, morally bound to pay those debts if he subse- quently obtain the means? We have before us the opinions of a merchant and of a divine on this point, and both in the affirmative. The author of "Business Life in London" thinks that "as soon as a man who has been relieved of his difficulties, by the law preventing the creditor from oppressing him, is in a position to pay without absolute injury to his business, it is a solemn duty and only an honest act that he should do so. In other words, if he have £5000 to spare, and which he thinks he oug)'*^ to invest for the benefit of his fami.y, it is his duty as an honest man, if his family is young and totally unprovided for, to insure his life for that amount, and pay his creditors back the money belonging to them." Rev. Stephen H. Ty ng refers to the man who compounds witL 120 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. I his creditors for part of his debt, and subsequently engages in successful trade, builds him new houses, sets out with new furniture and display; and often meets the men whose hopes he has broken, and whose families ho has ruined, with an unblushing front, and a self-satisfied smile of wel- come, while he honestly owes them it may be ninety per cent, of all their claim, with interest accruing, and asks, "Can ho be honest? Can he be religious? Is such a course to meet the approbation of upright men ? Can it ever deceive a God of truth and justice? We ans\ver, NEVER. And every dollar that the man subsequently earns is the righteous property of others, until his whole obligation ie discharged." This is strong language, but, we apprehend, more forcible tlian true. There is no scrip- tural injunction that layman or clergyman can quote which places debts above all other promises, and certainly an ordinary proniise can be released in conscience as well as in law, and when released is no longer binding. If I promise a man to go to a certain place, and he afterward excuses me from going, am I still bound in conscience to go in order to fulfil my promise? We think the true doc- trine on this question is. that where the debtor knows that his failure was produced by his own carelessness, or ex- travagance, or wrong-doing of any kind, he is bound to make restitution whenever he has the means under all cir- cumstances, whether his creditors have or have not released their claims ; but where the failure was caused by some one of the hundred accidents and mishaps to which all trade on credit is liable, without fault on the debtor's part, a release in law is a release in conscience. In all cases of credit, where there are no words or acts of especial trust and confidence, the relation of buyer and seller, of borrower and lender, is one of mutual promise and mutual CONSCIENCE IN BUSINESS. m risk. The seller impliedly promises to deal fairly, aud charges a profit proportionably to his opinion of the risk ; and the buyer agrees to make a fair representation of his circumstances, to act with such prudence and to live with such economy that he may reasonably hope to pay his debts, and where both parties act in good faith, but the buyer is compelled to fail, a full surrender of property is as much as the creditor can ordinarily demand in justice. Credit originates with men of large capital with a view to increased profit, and partakes largely of the nature of agency. Agency and credit in a commercial community are necessary and eminently beneficial ; they should be used in perfect good faith, aud guarded by the nicest honor ; but where misfortune occurs, it is a misconception of justice that all loss shall fall on the agent and none on the real owner of the property. There are many other interesting questions of Ciisuiatry in business that might be considered, but we close the chapter by submitting a few that every one can answer according to the enlightenment of his own conscience. 83. Is puffing or extravagant commendation of wares allowable ? 84. Is a man justified in buying cheap clothing or other goods when he knows that the cheapness has been attained by not giving laborers a fair remuneration for their work ? 85. Is a manufacturer of clothing justified in employing women who work only to earn spending money, and encourage them to enter into competition with those dependent on their needle for their daily bread ? 132 COMMON SENSE IK BUSINESS. 86. Would a merchant be entitled to a license from a court of conscience for two stores, one where his legitimate business is carried on, and another where, under a feigned name, he disposes of his unmarketable goods by pretending to sell out to close busiuess ? 87. Is a creditor justified in refusing to unite with the other creditors in releasing an honest debtor who offers to give up all his property to pay his debts, or to endeavor by severe measures to obtain the full amount of his claim ? 88. Is a man who has attained a competency morally justified in continuing on in business, or should he retire and make rootn for others ? 89. Is a Christian man justified in dealing with unprin- cipled adventurers who neither fear God nor regard man, because.tboy sell cheaper than honest tradesmen, or should he sustaiii by his custom men who carry their consciences into their business ? [So, then, every one of us shall give an account of him- self to God. — Rom. xiv. 12.] « li CHAPTER VII. PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESS REVEALED BY SUCCESSFUL MEN. " If you want to test a young man and ascertain whether nature made him for a king or a subject, give him a thousand dollars and see what he will do with it. If he is born to conquer and command, he will put it quietly away till he is ready to use it as opportunity offers. If he is bom to serve, he will immediately begin to spend it in gratifying his ruling propensity."— Pabtok. T may be profitable, before entering upon the main subject of our inquiry — the usages and laws of busi- ness — to tarry a while and hold converse with those who have achieved great distinction, whether as authors, orators, or men of business, and endeavor to dis- cover, if possible, the secret of their power, and especially ascertain what finger-boards they have set uf) that will serve to guide others who are travelling the same road to reach the same goal. First, then. 90. To what circumstances r"^ eminent writers attrib- ute their power of commanding the world's attention ? My morning haunts, says Milton, are where they should be, at home ; not sleeping, or concocting the surfeits of an irregular feast, but up and stirring ; in winter, often ere the sound of any bell awakens men to labor or devotion ; in summer, as oft with the bird that first rouses, or not much tardier, to read good authors, or cause them to be read, till attention be weary or memory have its full freight, then 123 I 11. ill 124 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. with useful and generous labors preserving the body^s health and liardiness. There is but one method of attaining to excellence, says Sydney Smitli, and that is hard labor ; and a man who will not pay that piice for distinction had better at once dedicate himself to the pursuit of the fox, or sjiort with the tangles of Nesera's hair, or talk of bullociks, and glory in the goad. There are many ways of being frivolous, and not a few of being useful ; there is but one mode of being intellectually great. There is not a man on earth out of a lunatic asylum, says Bulwer, who has not in him the power to do good. What can writers, haranguers, or speculators do more than that ? Have you ever entered a cottage, ever travelled in a coach, ever talked with a peasant in the field, or loitered with a mechanic at the loom, and not found that each of these men had a talent you had not, knew some things you knew not? The most useless creature that ever yawned at a club, or counted the vermin on his rags under the suns of Calabria, has no excuse for want of intellect. • What men want is, not talent, it is purpose ; or in other words, not the power to achieve, but the will to labor. Charles Dickens writes : The one serviceable, safe, certain, remunerative, attainable quality in every study and every pursuit is the quality of attention. My own invention, or imagination, such as it is, I can most truthfully assure you would never have served me as it has, but for the habit of commonplace^ humhle, patient, daily, toiling, drudging attention. Washington Irving says : Well-matured and well-disci- ^1 PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESS. M plincd talent is always sure of a market, provided it exerts itself, but it must not cower at home and expect to be sought for. TJKTC is a good deal of cant, too, about the success of forward and impudent men, while men of retir- ing worth are passed over with neglect. But it usually happens that those forwart^ men have that valuable quality of promptness and a(3tivity, without which worth is a mere inoperative property. A barking dog is often more useful than a sleeping lion. The longer I live, says Sir Folwell Buxton, the more I am certain that the great difference in men between the great and the insignificant is energy, invincible determi- nation, an honest purpose once formed, and then death or victory. This quality will do anything in the world, and no talents, no circumstances, will make a two-legged crea- ture a man without it. The very reputation of being strong-willed, plucky, and indefatigable, is of priceless value. It often cows enemies, and dispels at the start oppo- sition to one's undertakings which would otherwise be formidable. My rule is, says Sir John Hunter, to consider, before I commence, whether the thing be practicable. If it be not practicable, I do not attempt it. If it be practicable, I can accomplish it if I give sufficient pains to it ; and having begun I never stop till the thing is done. To this rule I owe all my success. I respect the man, says Goethe, who knows distinctly what he wishes. The greater part of all the mischief in the world arises frdm the fact that men do not sufficiently understand their own aims. They have undertaken to H ' 1 J m COMMON SEKSE IN BUSINESS. m |,: , if'-' Pj • 1 i^j l)uild a tower, and spend no raorc labor on the foundation than would be necessary to erect a hut. The secret of all success, says Mrs. Oliphant, is to know how to deny yourself. If you once learn to get the whip- hand of yourself, that is the best educator. Prove to me that you can control yourself, and I'll say you are an edu- cated man, and without this all other education is good for next to nothing. " Learning, by study must be won ; 'Twas ne'er entailed from sire to son." 91. Secondly, How did the great orators obtain their command of language ? William Pitt, before he was twenty years old, had read the works of nearly all the ancient classic authors, many of them aloud, dwelling sometimes for hours on striking passages of an orator or historian, noticing their turns of expression, and trying to discover the secret of their charm or power. Wh( overwhelmed with official duties he divided his work into three parts: that which was not worth doing; that which would do itself; and that which was quite enough for any man to attempt. Charles James Fox, even greater than Pitt in oratory, developed his talents by practice, and he made a point of speaking in Parliament as often as he could, once every night if an opportunity offered, expressly with a view to his own improvement. When appointed Secretary of State, being piqued at some observation as to his bad writing, he employed a writing master and wrote copies like a school- boy until he had sufficiently improved himself. Though a corpulent man, he was wonderfully active in picking up cut tennis balls, and when asked how he contrived to do PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESS. • 127 80, he playfully replied, " Because I am a very painstaking man. }) Gladstone, when Prime Minister of England, re- marked : Believe me when I tell you that the thrift of time will repay you in after life with a usury of profit beyond your most sanguine dreams, and tliat the waste of it will make you dwindle, alike in intellectual and in moral stature, beyond your darkest reckonings.* Henry Clay attributed his success to the fact that, at the age of twenty-seven, he began and continued for years the practice of daily reading and speaking upon the contents of some historical and scientific book. " These off-hand efforts," he says, " were made some times in a cornfield, at others in the forest, and not unfrequently in some distant * It is wonderful what results have been achieved by those who have been misers of time, and who let none of their moments fall idly to the ground. The biographer of George Stephenson tells us that the smallest fragments of iiis time were regarded by him as precious, and that he was never so happy as when improving them. Henry Kirke White learnt Greek while walking to and from a lawyer's office. Hugh Miller foand time, while pursuing his trade as a stone- mason, not only to read but to write, cultivating his style till he became one of the most facile authors of the day. Elihu Burritt acquired a mastery of eighteen languages, and twenty-two dialects, not by rare genius, which he dis- claimed, but by improving the bits and fragments of time which he could steal from his occupation as a blacksmith. Mr. Grote, the his- torian of Greece, and the author of two large volumes on Plato, was a banker. Sir John Lubbock, the highest English authority on prehistoric archaeology, is a merch- ant. John Quincy Adams, to the last day of his life, was an economist of moments. To redeem the tima he rose early. He said, " Time is too- short for me rather than too long. If the day were forty-eight hours long instead of twenty-four, I could employ them all, if I had but eyes and hands to read and write." T 1, 128 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. bani, witli (lie liorsc and ox for my auditors. It is to this early practice in the great art of all arts that I am indebted for the primary and leading imj)ulses that stimulated me forward, and shaped and i loulded my subsequent entire destiny." Calhoun's wonderful power of abstract thought had its origin in cultivating the faculty of attention, by which he could concentrate his whole mind and retain it upon any subject until he had mastered all its details. lie states that to this end he had early subjected his mind to such a rigid course of discipline, and had persisted without falter- ing, until he had acquired such perfect control over it, that he could confine it to any subject as long as he pleased without wandering even for a moment, and that it was his uniform habit, when he set out alone to walk or ride, to select a subject for reflection, and lie never suffered his attention to wander from it until he was satisfied with its examination. i Daniel Webster, "when a lad at school, could not declaim before his class. Though he had prepared himself and rehearsed his piece in h> 'oom over and over again, when his name was chilled in school he could not rise from his seat, and when the occasion was over, lie went home and wept bitter tears of mortification ; yet he persevered and became an orator. His power of accomplishing a vast deal of mental labor in a short time he ascribed to the fact that, when engaged in .thought, he put forth all his powers, he exerted his mind to the utmost ; but when his mental vision began to become obscure, he ceased en- tirely, and resorted to some amusement or light business as a relaxation. [us ted ino ire its he my ites ill a tcr- tluit ised hia }, to his 1 its laim and irhen 1 his and and vast ! fact his n his en- iness ) .. ■- MM STEPHEN GIRARD, Founder of Girard College (for Orphans^ itii PlilNCIPLES OF SUCCESS. 129 Longfellow's lines scH.in true as well as poetical : "The heightH tlmt great men guined and kept • Were not iilUiined by Hiuldon flight; But they, while their conipanionH slept, Were upward toiling in the night," 9iJ. Tliirdly, What were the keys used by the Napoleons of wealth to unlock the vaults where nature has deposited Iwr golden treasures ? Rothschild, tlie founder of the wealthiest family of modern times, began life as a peddler, and literally, as also did John Jacob Astor, travelled with a pack on his back. He speculated heavily, took great risks, was lucky, and laid the foundations of a vast fortune. His early success he ascribed to his adherence to the following rules : 1. " I combined three profiia ; I made the manufacturer my customer and the one I bought of my customer; that is, I Bupplicd the manufac- turer with the raw material and dyes; on each of which I made a profit, and took his manufactured goods, which I Bold at a jirofit; and thus combined three profits. 2. " Make a bargain at once. Be an olT-handed man. 3. "Never have anything to do with an unlucky man or place. I have seen," said 1 e, " many clever men who had not shoes to their feet. I never act with them ; their advice sounds very well, but fute is against them ; they cannot get on themselves ; how can they do good to me ? i. "Be cautious and bold. It requires a great deal of boldness and a great deal of caution to make a greal fortune ; and when you have got it, it requires ten times as mucli wit to keep it." Stephen Girard, the founder of the Girard College, in Philadelphia, combined a remarkably bold, venturesome commercial spirit, with a narrow, miserly attention to petty details. If the stories which are related of him be not apocryphal, he was a sincere believer in the maxim 9 130 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. commended by Franklin, that tlic rents sliould he looked aft(?r, fur the dollars will take care of themselves.* John McDonough, the millionnaire of New Orleans, imparted to a lawyer of that city the following outline of his career: "I fiTHt came to TiOtiiHiana, when it was a SpaniHli colony, aH (lie agent for a lioiiHe in IJallimoro and a Iiouho in Ilowton, to diHpoHO of ey are afraid of Hpene 8i»ani«h authoriticH, I obtained their good-will and cHteem, and by thirt I was enabled to make a large Buni of money. To Huccced in life, then, you muHt obtain the favor and influence of the opulent, and the authoriticH of the country in which you live. Thiw in the first rule. "'The natural span of a man'w life,' obHerved Mr. McDonougli, ' is too fliiort, if he in abandoned to bin own rcHources, to acquire great wealth, and, therefore, in order to realize a fortune, you muHt exercine your influence and power over tiiose who, in point of wealth, are inferior to yon, and, by availing yourHelf of their talents, knowledge, and informa- tion, turn them to your own advantage. Thiw is the second rule.' Here he made a long pause, as if lost in thought, and seeing him remain wlent, I asked, ' Is that all? 'No,' said he, 'there is a third and last nde which it is all-essential for you to observe, in order that success may attend your efl^orts.' 'And what is that ? ' I inquired. " ' Why, sir,' said he, ' it is Ihayer. You must pray to tbe Almighty with fervor and zeal, and you will be sustaitied in all your desires. I never prayed sincerely to God, in all my life, without having my prayer answered satisfactorily.' He stopped, and I Kaid, 'Is this all?' He answered, ' Yes, sir ; follow my advice, and you will become a rich man.' And ho arose and left me." John Jacob Astor, the founder of the wealthiest family in New York, was fortunate in many things, but in noth- ing more ti . n that early in life he appreciated the value of mercantile integrity. No more laudatory inscription could be carved on his monument than the following words of one who knew him well : He never asked but one price^ and he never departed from it. I 11 < 'Mr: 182 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. Ho represented everything as it was, and never deceived anybody. He never told a lie, even ' v implication, to sell a lot of goods J they were always found to be as he had represented them. i. ■'t The modern Astor, Mr. Stewart of New York, is ac- credited with adherence to similar principles in the man- agement of his business. He affixed a price to his mer- chandise, and, it is said, did not depart from it. When he first embarked in the dry-goods business in New York, having been an assistant teacher in the Mechanics' Society school, he adopted a suggestion made to him, of having seats in front of his counter, so that women might rest themselves while purchasing, an idea that had not been adopted at that period by other dealers. This proved an attractive feature, and " many ladies, who did not really wish to buy any thing, would stop at Stewart's and buy sixpence worth of something, simply to get the benefit of a rest. The consequence was, there was always a rush for the little store with seats.'' His stock at first consisted princi- pally of " sample lote " of auction sales — that is, collections of small quantities of various articles thrown together in con- fusion and sold in heaps for what they would bring. These he purchased, and after the business of the day was over, he and his wife assorted them, put them into salable condition and arranged tliera in their proper places on the shelves of the store. Early in his mercantile career he noticed that ladies while " shopping " were given to the habit of gossip- ing and flirting with the clerks, and he adopted the expe- dient of mploying as his salesmen the handsomest men he could procure. Women then came to his store in greater numbers than before, and " Stewart's nice young men " were PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESS. 188 the talk of the town. Thus by tact and knowledge of human nature, especially fashionable women's nature, he attracted fashionable custom, and by employing men of extraordinary good taste in the selection of goods as buyers, and selling at a moderate profit, and having one price, he built up an enormous trade. If I were to try to compress into one sentence, said Nasmyth — the inventor of the steam hammer, and who retired with a large fortune before he was fifty — the whole of the experience I have had during an active and success- ful life, and offer it to young men as a rule and certain receipt for success in any station, it would be comjirised in these words — Duty first ! Pleasure second ! From what I have seen of young men and their after progress, I am satisfied that what is generally termed " bad fortune," " ill luck," and " misfortune," is, in nine cases out of ten, simply the result of inverting the above simple maxim. Such experience as I have had convinces me that absence of success arises, in the great majority of cases, from want of self-denial and want of common sense. The worst of all maxims is — " Pleasure j/irs^; work and duty second." Jonathan Sturgis, an eminent Boston merchant, ascribes his success in life to three valuable lessons given him by three different persons : Never you mind who neglects his duty, said his grand- father, be you faithful and you will have your reward. Make yourself so useful to your employers, said another, that they cannot do without you. Be careful, said another, who you walk the street with. He says, " Fidelity in all things ; do your best for your employers; and carefulness about your associates: these 134 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. are the foundation-stones of character and honorable success." Hon. Daniel J. Morrell, the manager of the great Cam- bria Iron Works, at Johnstown, Pa., which employs in one way or another the inhabitants of a whole town of seven thousand persons, when asked what was the secret of such a development of business as his — answered, " We have no secret. We always try and beat our last batch of rails. That is all the secret we've got, and we don't care who knows it." I »i P. T. Barnum, recently elected Mayor of Bridgeport, and who in his day has contributed to the enlightenment as well as the gayety of nations, ascribes his success to the fact that he gave his patrons more for their money than any one else in his peculiar line, and to persistent advertising, or, as he phrases it, " a liberal use of printer's ink." [ Mr. Barnum is the only man who ever lived that made a million of dollars and also wrote a dissertation on Money Making that was worth reading. Generally, the men who can write about money are not the men who have it ; and the men who make money laugh at those who only write about it, and apparently they have the best of the joke. But Mr. Barnum has made a fortune, and told others how they may do likewise. At the request of the author of this Treatise, he wrote a series of rules for business success, which were published in 1852, and which he subse- quently expanded into a lecture on the Art of Money Getting; from which he realized considerable sums, and for the copyright of which he declined an offer of six thousand dollars. Among the valuable sugges- tions and apt illustrations contained in that lecture are the following : Those who really desire to attain an independence have only to set their minds upon it and adopt the proper means, as they do in regard to any other object which they wish to accomplish, and the thing is easily done. There are many who think that economy consists in saving cheese I HON DANIEL J. MORRELL, Manager of the Great Cambria Iron Works at Johnstown, Pa., employing over 7000 People. l^''- ivi fri PBINCIPLES OF SUCCESS. 135 paringfl and candle ends, in cutting off two pence from tlie lanndrcR'*' bill, and doing all sorts of little, mean, dirty things. Economy in not meanness. The misfortune is also that this class of persons let their economy apply only in one direction. They fancy they are so wonder- fully economical in saving a half-penny, where they ought to spend two- pence, that they think they can afford to squander in other directions. Punch, in speaking of this "one idea" class of people, says, "They are like the man who bought a penny herring for his family's dinner, and then hired a coach and four to take it home." I never knew a man to succeed by practising this kind of economy. True economy consists in always making the income exceed the out-go. Wear the old clothes a little longer, if necessary ; dispense with the new j)air of gloves, live on plainer foorightly horse. " When we see a thin-skinned, fine-haired, sharp-featured, sensitive man working as a stonemason," says Sizcr, "^ we think of a light road horse harnessed to a plow or a heavy tru(;k, each being equally out of place, and a candidate for being early broken down from strains and exhaustion. Many a man would work forty years and retain his health as a brickmason, when he would be used up in five years as a stonemason ; and many a great, square, heavy, slow man engaged in bricklaying would be unpopular because BO slow, and bo left out of employment except when help was scarce and work pressing, who, if he were ])ut into stone-masonry, would be the man of men for that posi- tion." A plumber and gasjittei', on the other hand, must SECIiET OF SUCCESS IN THE T HADES. 155 1)0 iijituriilly quick in eye and haiul. In tliis as in all otiier light trades, wlioro there are many little things to he handled and adjasted, one quick man will soiuctimes do as nuK'h as two clumsy, stronj; men, and this activity will of iUielt' he a large margin of profit. 112. What aro essential qualifications for those who aspire to hei'ome lirwt-class workers in iron? The ideal blackmnith is a man of hrawny nmsclcs and large hones ; a head wide at the temples, broad between the eyes, with a prominent brow, strong and coarse hair, and rather dark (M)inplexi()n. No one who is })hysically weak, who docs not possess an energetic constitution to strike while tlie iron is hot, and some artistic talent to mould and shape, can become a first-class smith, who is tiie maker of not only his own tools, but the tools of all other mechanics. A blacksmith who is also a horse-shoer needs a keen sense of hearing, because he is chiefly guided by the sound of his blows as to whether the nail is turning out of the hoof at the projier place to make the clinch, or whether it is being driven into the "quick," which will cause lameness. The machinht requires less physical strength than the blacksmith, but more mental ability. To take a respecta- ble rank in this vocation one needs a talent for drawing, so that he can make complete drawings for the construc- tion of engines or other machinery. A workman who has a talent for drawing will also more readily u^nderstand those Avhich may be furnished to him. No one, however, should apprentice himself to learn the machinist's busines-s who is impatient ofcontrol, and has a strong disposition to be his own master ; for, as has been well remai-ked, " he will fret and chafe under the restraint of going to a shop by the t)ell, and being ranked as one of several hundred men ; 166 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. if ! :^': being practically like a single pi(!ket in a string of fence or one of the cogs of a large wheel, with his indivicluulity almost lost. Such a n)an should stay away from that business; he will make trouble as long as he stays in a shoj), and be likely to go out of it in disgust at the very time when he should be laying the foundations of his fortune." Both in England and America, the machine business is now carried on by firms or companies having a large capital ; and a young man who learns this trade can hardly hope to be more than a journeyman machinist all his days. 113. What qualifications are necessary to succeed as an engraver ? Accuracy of eye, quiet nerves and a very steady hand. A bluo-eyed, sandy-haired, round-cheeked, ruddy-faced boy, says Prof. Sizer, who would prefer to drive a Iiorse, or play a game at ball, rather than to sit either at books or . business, should never undertake to be an engraver ; for he would run away from himself, if he did not from his master. He would feel like an eagle chained to a rock, and almost "die daily." A wood engraver must work by the eye and judgment rather than by rule. An eminent wood engraver says that he has found out by experience that if a boy is mathematically inclined_, and therefore feels the necessity to demo.istrate c^'erything in connection with his work, he wiil never suciiced in wood engraving. So firm is he in this idea, that when a boy applies to him to become an apprentice, he inquires if he is good in figures and mathematics. If the boy blushingly confesses to a deficiency in this respedt, the engraver considers it a favor- able indication, and is willing to try him. 114. What are the qualifications necessary to become a I first-class type-setter and printer ? ELIAS HOWE, Invtjntor of the Sewing Machine. r lii'i 4.. iV «•*■ §'M :^-'V':'[i^ -'i,' > >\' < ai SECRET OF SUCCESS IN THE TRADES. 157 A quick cyo, and a quick hand, and a good English edu- cation, especially in orthography. To excel as a job printer, a man must be something of an artist as well as a mechanic, to harmonize the different styles of letters in cards, circulars, title pages and show bills, and give a fine effect to the whole.* 115. What is the first duty of a journeyman mechanic to his employer? To consult his interests as carefully as if he were a partner in the bur ess. This he virtually is, and often without any risk of loss. Look at the business, says Davies, as your own, only managed by the employer as a means of bringing you money. You then become inter- ested in its good credit, thereby insuring your share in its results. You are in fact a partner in it, drawing profits, but paying no losses, expenses, or running any risks. Your pay comes, whether the business in general is successful or not. In one sense you are the principal, the business your subordinate. It is your bank which pays you a daily dividend. Why, by your carelessness, drive custom from its doors, when your bread and meat and money depend upon its support? * The secret of successful type- setting is tliis : tliat when one type is being adjusted, the eye of the compositor shall look to thr box containing the next letter, and bo fixed on the " nick " of a particular ype, and having got hold of it he need have no further thought : his hand will do the rest, while his eye selects a letter in the next box, and thus he will "set" the types pro- perly in his "stick" as fast as he can pick them up. But if he gives liis entire attention to the type which is being adjusted before he looks up the next, he learns to " duck and bob," makes many false motions, and does not work nearly 80 fast as one who lets his eye pre- cede his hand. T 158 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. 116. How can journeymen mechanics improve their condition, and become master mechanics? It is not possible, nor desirable, that every journcynmn mechanic should become the employer of others' labor. Most men are born to serve others, and find their happi^ ness and profit in so doing. Only the few who possess administrative and executive talent, are ingenious and fertile in resources, and have the requisite education, are justified in holding themselves out as master mechanics. But it is Iwjth j)ossible and desirable that working men should enjoy more of the comforts of life than they now do. Skilled mechanics in the United States, and also in England, re- ceive wages which, if properly used, would yield them an independence after middle age. In fact, it is believed, the chances for acquiring an independence are altogether in favor of the men who receive regiilar wages and save a portion, over those who depend upon profits and are sub- ject to losses. Many of the most successful men in Eng- lish history began life as laborers with very small wages. Nasmyth, who retired with a large fortune before he mils fifty, worked, Avhen he was twenty-one, for ten shillings or two dollars and a half a week. George Stephenson worked his way from the pit head to the highest position as an engint?r. When he earned twelve shillings a week, he declared he was " a made man for life." Franklin was a journeyman printer; and Ferguson, tiie astronomer, fol- lowed painting until he was forty-six. But these and many others who began life with no advantages did not spend their surplus earnings in rum and tobacco. They did not muddle their brains with beer or ale, nor waste their leisure time in pot-houses. They were frugal of time and money, eager for knowledge, and polite to all witii whom they came in contact ; and fruc/alitij, order, temper- SECRET OF SUCCESS IN THE TRADES. 166 ance, and polHcncus, arc the levers by which journeymen mcchani(\s may inii)rovc their condition, now and at all times, and attain independence. " Know when to spend, and when to spare, And when to buy, and thou shall ne'er be bare.'* 117. What is the best impression a young mechanic, at the outstart, can make upon his customerH ? That he understands what tlioy want, and that he is able to supply it — that he will do this at a fair charge, and consult their interests. When a mechanic is found honest and capable, working for a small or fair profit, doing his work lor the interest of those who employ him, he soon becomes crowded with orders, and his independence is assured. "A trick, a dishonest job, or an exorbitant profit, is a dead loss." 118. Why are some master mechanics always in demand, • and others equally skilful frequently idle ? One great secret of the success of some mechanics is, that they strive to do good work, and if an imperfection accidcntuily occur, they remedy it at their own expense. No man likes to pay twice for the same thing, or to pay for another's carelessness. Davies relates an instance of a stonemason who, passing a costly house where he had done work, saw that one of the front steps had cracked because the foundation had settled. Though not legally bound to remedy the deficiency, he argued with himself that he had been paid for good work, and his work proved not to be good, and, unsolicited by the owner, he asked permission to replace the stone at his own expense. This so won the confidence of the man, who subsequently built many 160 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. 1 I . liouscs, tlmt lie employed tlio mason without requiring written contracts, or making stipulations as to price. 119. In making bids for large contracts, what is a fre(|uent cause of loss ? It is a common error in estimating, as it is called, for new work, for master mechanics to over-estimate the per- ibrmance of men and machines. A man who is himself a practical and rapid workman is apt to take his own ability as a standard of others' performance, when, really, they cannot do more than two-thirds as much work in the same time. An employer should remember that he sells not his own labor, but that of others, and his prices must be based not on his but on their average perfortnance. In all trades there are men who are unskilled in com- putation and others who are so unscrupulous in disposition that they will take contracts at cost or less, trusting to some lucky chance or opportunity to. slight their work in order to escape loss. It is idle for a mechanic who values his reputation to enter into competition with such as these, and for him to put down prices to cost or below cost is to invite bankruptcy. 120. Are Trades-Unions among mechanics to be commended or discouraged ? Theoretically, it would seem to be a good expedient for men in the same trade to combine and regulate the hours of work, and the minimum price which shall be accepted for their labor. Without some concert of action and uniformity in price, employers, as well as the employed, can have no fixed scale to guide them in making contracts, especially when times are dull, for then the market value of labor is regulated principally by the demands of tJie ii SECIiET OF SUCCESS IN THE TRADES. 101 most needy. The result is confusion, embarrassment and losses. On tiie otlier hand, it is undoubtedly unjust to compel an employer to pay as nmch for the services of an inferior workman, whom he may be compelled to employ when the demand is qui(!k, as for the best; and practically it has been found that the tendency of trades-unions is to advance the prices for labor to such an extent, that capital does not find it profitable to employ it ; consequently the least efficient workmen are soon thrown out of employ- ment, and, as they are not permitted to sell their services for what they will brins. I am ready to admit that if a man only makes the lu'ad of a pin, no man can do that so well as the man who does that alone; but his intellect" becomes cramped by that fact, and he soon loses all grasj) of mind." 121. What is the great practical lesson that all mechanics should learn, and M'ithout which, all other education is comparatively worthless ? It is the lesson of fidelity in workmanship, to do thoroughly and well whatever one undertakes to do at all. Thoroughness is the golden precept which should be engraved on the heart of every mechanic, whatever the work he is called upon to do. England has achieved her pre-eminence in mechanism mainly by observance of this SECRET OF SUCCESS IX THE TRADES. 103 principle. EnpllHh workmen arc excelled by the Anieri- eniiH in ;^ '/ /^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 1458U (716) 872-4503 ip M^ w, 166 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. importers of iron ; iu other words, of the materials of ma- chinery. The elements, if we may so speak, out of which steam-engines and spinning-mills are made, would have been dearer here than in most other countries. The fair presumption consequently is, that the machines themselves would have been dearer ; and such a circumstance vvoulil have counteracted, to a certain extent, even if it did noi neutralize or overbalance, the other circumstances favora- ble to our ascendency. But now we have the ores and the means of working them iu greater abundance than any other people ; so that our superiority in the most impor- tant of all departments — that of machine-making — seems to rest on a pretty sure foundation.] 124. What is the best location for a manufactory? Wherever the goods to be manufactured can be pro- duced with the greatest economy. If the raw material be the principal item in the cost of production, the manufac- tory, other things being favorable, should be located near where the raw material is obtained. An iron furnace should be located near the ore beds ; a cotton factory, pro- ducing coarse fabrics, near the cotton fields ; but where skilled labor is the essential Ingredient, the manufactory should be located in or neav a city, where alone a regular supply of such labor can at all times be had. Many manufacturers have been seriously disappointed in their enterprises, and some have failed, in consequence of diffi- culty in procuring and retaining an adequate supply of good mechanics in an unattractive locality ; and to a dis- position to select such situations, because of a good water- power or some other circumstance, may be ascribed many of the past embarrassments of our pioneer manufacturers. SUCCESS IN MANUFACTUBINO. 167 125. Is isolation or aggregation the true policy to be observed in locating a manufactory? It seems to be a law of business, confirmed by expe- rience, that both merchants and manufacturers thrive in proportion as they are located near the centres of their trade. Taxes may be higher and expenses greater, but other circumstances more than compensate for the draw- backs. Babbage noted the advantage of placing manu- factories in proximity to each other more than forty years ago, and said the accumulation of many large manufac- turing establishments in one district has a tendency to bring together purchasers or their agents from great dis- tances, and thus to cause the institution of a public mart or exchange. This contributes to increase the information relative to the supply of raw material and the state of de- mand for their produce, with which it is necessary manu- facturers should be well acquainted. The very circum- stance of collecting periodically, at one place, as large a number as possible, both of those who supply the market and those who require its produce, tends strongly to check those accidental fluctuations to which a small market is ever subject, as well as to render the average of the prices paid much more uniform in its course. 12 3. What is the most important calculation that a man, about to engage in manufacturing, can make ? To calculate, with some approximation to accuracy, what amount of business he will be likely to do, and to provide machinery accordingly. Most manufacturers expend all their profits throughout a series of years in alterations and changes, and in trying to remedy what should have been right at the start. They generally begin by degrees, as it called, and the second year take down most of the 168 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. macliiiieiy they put up in the first year, because not large enough, and again discard tills for something else ; then new buildings are required to accommodate the increased machinery, until at last they fiud themselves in possession ■ji' an establishment too large for j)rofit or too unwieldy for tiieir management, and then einbarrassments begin which often end in failure. It is good advice which some one has given, to strike high enougli at the start, commence with a view to a fair business as a maximum, make all things cor- respond to it, and when it is attained, be satisfied, and reap the benefit in a thrifty and steady business, always under control. 127. What points should be fully considered before en- gaging in the manufacture of any new article? First, the expense of tools, machinery, raw materials and all tlie outgoings necessary for its production ; sec- ondly, the extent of the demand likely to arise for the manufactured article ; thirdly, the time in which the goods produced will replace the circulating capital <>s well as the time the new article will take to supersede those already in use, and also the opposition which the new mar.ufacture may create by its real or apparent injury to other interests, and the probable extent of that opposition. Some of these points it is by no means easy to determine in advance, and hence the risk of embarking in untried enterprises. 128. What is the mdfet economical motive power, water or steam? Water power ha.s heretofore been considered cheaper, especially for small manufacturing establishments, than steam power ; but eminent engineers have carefully inves- tigated the subject, and are of opinion that in any position II SUCCESS IN MANUFACTURING. 168 M where coal can be had " at ton cents per bushel/' steam is as cheap as water power at its iniuimain cost. Even for cotton factories, the manufacturers of New England, ac- cording to Montgomery^ consider the advanUujiH of a good location as fully equal to the extra cxpcnae of steam power, even when coal must be transported from Pennsi/lvania to Massachusetts, and the largest mills that have been recently erected have steam as a motive power. In England, since the introduction of steam-engines, water-falls, unless under very peculiar circumstances, have lost almost all their value. Steam may be supplied with greater regularity, and being more under command than water, is therefore a more desirable agent. This, however, is but a small part of its superiority. Any number of steam-engines may be constructed in the immediate vicinity of each other, so that all the departments of manufacturing industry may be brought together and carried on in the same town, and almost in the same factory. A combina- tion and adaptation of employments to each other, and a consequent saving of labor, is thus effected, that would have been quite impracticable, had it been necessary to construct factories in different parts of the country, and often in inconvenient situations, merely for the sake of waterfalls. 129. Can large or small manufactories he operated with the greatest efficiency and economy ? Where the division of labor can be carried rigidly into practice, and every process can afford full employment to each separate machine or workman, a small manufactory may be as profitable, in proportion to the capital invested, as a large one, but as a general rule, a moderately large estab- lishment can produce with the greatest efficiency and 170 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. economy. In a large manufacturing establishment, the expenses of superintendence, repairs, ete., form I'ut a tri- fling percenta<'e on the aggregate product, while the time consumed in making a large purchase is very little more than in making a small one. Producers on a large scale can also afford to procure the best and most expensive machinery; and in some kinds of manufactures, those who produce largely are content with " savings " as their profit, and are enabled to save what would be "waste" in a small establi.shment. A car-wheel manufacturer, in Philadelphia, can save, from the cinders, enough iron to constitute a moderate profit; but a manufacturer of car-wheels on a small scale would not find it profitable to provide the machinery requisite for that purpose. From these and other considerations, we infer that in future the manufac- ture of leading articles of consumption will be more and more conducted by large establishments, in a locality pos- sessing, in the highest degree of perfection, the moral and physical advantages that are essential to manufacturing prosperity. But it does not follow that large establish- ments will swallow up all smaller ones, unless it be those of a precisely similar kind, situated outside of the centres of combination. The economy which results from produc- ing on a large scale induces an increased demand for the manufactured goods ; and an increased demand leads to a more minute subdivision of a manufacture into parts. When thousands of machines composed of iron and wood are required, we find establishments springing up, devoted exclusively to making parts — one, the nuts and washers ; another the screws ; another the bolts ; another the nails ; and others tools and machines to facilitate making parts, and so on, each extensive in its way ; and thus large estab- I -1^ SUCCESS IN MANVFACTUIUNQ. 171 blishmcnts in the loading branches of manufiicturcs are tlie parents of other large establLshments. 130. Is the tendency of manufacturing enterprise to- wards centralization in a few, or dilliision among many, establishments? The great law of the division of labor whicih underlies all success in matuifacturing has its natural outgrowth in the subdivision of leading manufactures into branches, of branches into })Mrts, of parts into single articles, so that large factories are now employed in making one article only. In a country district a blacksmith makes the shoe and the nails and ai)plies them to the foot, but where manufactures are developed, there are establishments for making the nails and others that make horseshoes, and the smith is simply the shoer. In the future it is probable machine-shops will be principally setting-up shojis, where the parts are put together that are made in separate estab- ments, as the bolts, screws and nuts and washers now arc. Each manufactory will be limited to its specialty which it can produce in its most complete form and at minimum cost, and those who would enjoy the advantages of a monopoly need only be wige in the selection of their specialty. 131. What is the secret of combining labor so as to secure its utmost efficiency ? To subdivide the manufacture as much as possible, pnd have a separate workman, or a separate machine for each process, and afford each workman or machine full employ- ment in that special occupation. The dexterity acquired by workmen who perform day after day the same opera- tions, and the rapidity with which they can execute work, has long been noticed, and was remarked upon by Adam 172 COMMON SBXSE IN BUSINESS. Smith, who ohHcrvod that a smitli, tliough accustomed to make nails, but whose whole business was not that of a nailer, could make only from 800 to 1000 a day; whilst a mere lad, who had never exercised any other trade^ could make upwards of 2300 a day. A manufacture which may be divided into ten different processes should have ten workmen or machines, or a multiple of ten, and all similar manufacturers that do not employ a multiple of this number will produce the article at a greater cost. 132. What class of men seera to succeed best in manag- ing great concerns ? Those who in their own time have mastered the details of the business, and in emergencies can show to their sub- ordinates that they know how to deal with details, and yet in their general management do not waste their time, thought, or strength in doing what can be as well done for them by others. An English statesman, remarkable for the ability with which he discharged varied and multiform duties, when asked how it was he accomplished so much, replied, " By doing nothing myself." 133. What is the wisest method to pursue in the treat- ment of foremen, superintendents and agents who are necessary to carry on great enterprises ? First to exercise care in selecting them, and then to trust them. No two men in the world have exactly the same way of doing a thing, and a judicious employer, it has been remarked, will abstain from unwise interference and need- less criticism, and be content with allowing his work to be done by other people somewhat in their own way, so that it be well done. Where most men fail in governing, says Helps, is in not intrusting enough to those who have to SUCCESS IN MANVFACTURINO. 173 act under them. Most human beings intend well, and try to do their best as agents and subordinates ; and lie is the great man who succeeds, with the least possible change of agents and subordinates, in making the most of the ability which he has to direct and supervise. Besides, men must act according to their characters ; and he who is prone to confide largely in others, will mostly gain an advantage in the general result of this confidence wliich will tar more than counteract any evil arising from that part of the con- fidence which is misplaced. [Thomas Brassey, the great English contractor, who built railways in Great Britain, France, Austria, Austra- lia, India, South America, and the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada, who employed thousands of men, had twenty- seven different partners and nearly a hundred agents, was one of the most remarkable men of his time from the fact that he conducted all this vast business without contention, lawsuits or losing the natural refinement of his character. Though doing a rough work he never became coarse, and though the master of many men, he never became domi- neering or dictatorial. His visits along the line of his works were welcomed by his employees with unfeigned delight. He placed unlimited trust in his agents; they felt they had his confidence, and what is remarkable, we believe no one of them ever abused this trust. He was also extremely liberal in his dealings with sub-contractors, and if the work they had undertaken turned out to be of a more difficult character than had been anticipated, they were sure of redress. An interview of this kind is thus described : He came, and saw how matters stood, and invariably satisfied the man. If a cutting, taken to be clay, turned out after a very short time to be rook, the sub-contractor 174 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. would be getting diHlieiirteiied ; yet he still j)ersevered, looking to the time when Mv. lirusHcy should eonie. lie eaine, Widking along the line as usual with a nund)er of followers, and on eoniing to the cutting he looked around, counted the nundjer of wagons at the work, scanned the (uittinsr, and took stock of the nature of the stul!'. "This is pretty hard," said he to the sub-contractor. " Yes, it is a pretty deal harder than I bargained for." Mr. Brassey would linger behind, allowing the others to go on, and then commenced the following conversation : " Wl.at is your price for this cutting?" "So much a yard, sir." "It is very evident you are not getting it out for that price. Have you asked for any advance to be made to you for this rock ? " " Yes, sir, but I can make no sense of them." "If you say that your price is so much, it is quite clear that you do not do it for that. I am glad that you have persevered with it, but I shall not alter your price; it must remain as it is, but the rock must be measured for you twice; will that do for you?" "Yes, very well, indeed, and I am very much obliged to you, sir." " Very well ; go on ; you have done well iu persevering, and I shall look to you again."] 134. What is the secret of securing and retaining good workmen ? The relation of employer and the employed ia one of reciprocal and mutual dependence, and he who can, at all times, command the services of the best workmen in his trade, has an advantage over all competitors who cannot. It is a fact patent to all observers, that some employers always have good clerks, faithful apprentices, and skilful journeymen, while it is equally notorious that others are always in trouble with, and constantly changing theii* SUCCESS IN MANUFACTURING. m employees, gcnorjiUy to tlioir (li-sad vantage. Tlio art (»r inaiKigiiig workmen and retaining tlie best belongs to that ehiAS of talent of which diplomacy is a re[)resentativQ word ; and, as there arc few Talleyrandn in the world, there arc comparatively few men among master mechanics anondence, wiieu is the bargain (ronipletcd ? Wiicnevcr tlie proposition as made is accepted, and the letter accepting it is dciMwited in the po.st-offi(!e before notice of withdrawal had been received. Tiiu.s, if a mer- chant in Philadelphia make an offer to a merchant in Baltirnon' of a certain price for, say one hundred hogs- heads of tol)a(!CO, he may withdraw his offer at any time by letter or telegraph, but if this notice of withdrawal docs not reach the Baltimore merchant until after he has depo.s- ited in the post-office a letter accepting the offer, the bar- gain is completed, and the merchandi.se is sold. It is therefore often important, when a desirable offer or propo- sition is received, that it be accepted promptly, and to have a witness who can testify when the letter accepting it was deposited in the post-offi(!e. The decisions on this subject have fluctuated very much, but the law as stated may now be considered as conclusively settled both in England and in this country. ',■' in'. • :'^^^ 157. Why are merchants directly interested m the diffu- sion of intelligence and the spread of morality? Because intelligence and morality are highly favorable to exchanges, and, other things being equal, the wealth, happiness and power of a people are in exact proportion to its intellectual and moral character. Merchants are directly interested in the suppression of knavery because every knavi-sh act tends to create a disinclination to trade. 17 1 H 1 H 1 1 1 If 1 , 1! H 202 COMMON isEynE IX LVSINESS. A nmn wlio is clicatcd every time he buys or sells, will lose his relJHli to jmrsiie sueh an unequal eont^jHt. Mer- ehuntw, moreover, are interested in elevating n»oral char- acter in trade bccauHC integrity is the surest foundation of a permanent prosperity. It is quite possible, says a well- known writer, nay, it is notorious, that dishonest men have acquired wealth by traffic; but they arc exceptions to the general rule, and their success, holhfw and unreal at best, was a consecpience of some good (juality they possessed, and not of their lack of the best quality of all. If twenty have succeeded out of one hundred merchants who have traded in any county, or in any particular block in some city, at least fifteen of them would prove, on a careful scrutiny, to have been more upright and conscientious than the great mass of their less fortunate rivals. Vainly shall a man hoj)e to live and thrive by buying and selling after his neigiibors, his customers, have learned l)y sad exj)e- riencc that his word is not reliable — that his representa- tions of the cost or quality of his wares are not to be trusted. Of two persons of equal capacity, who have been ten years in trade, one having acquired therein only expe- rience, with the decided confidence of his neighbors and a fair circle of dealers and customers, while the otiier has amassed some twenty thousand dollars, but at the cost of a reputation for slipperiness and dishonesty, the latter is this day the poorer man, as time will clearly establish. Noth- ing is more common, or more fatal than the grasj)ing of an advantage at the cost of ten times its value ; and he who has traded out his neighbor's good opinion is pretty certain to die a poor man, however high the price for which he sold it. CHAPTER XII. BUYING AND SELLING MERCHANDISE. 2. POINTS FOR RETAILERS. d[ SSUMING timt in tlic natural ordor of events a man [I wIjo has (letcrminod to engage in tlie .sale of nier- J,\ cliandiHe will begin in a retail business, we shall consider first those questions that more especially concern retailers, though they are of more or less iniimr- tancc to all who buy and sell. Usually the first (question that presents itself for the consideration of the inchoate merchant is, whether he shall buy out a business already established by another or endeavor to build up a trade for himself, and, if the former, — 158. What is the rule for estimating the value of the Good-will of an established business f Good-will, which means the favor of the customers who frequent a business place and the probability of their con- • tinning to deal there, is so essentially speculative in its nature, that there is no general rule for estimating its value. In most cases, however, when an established busi- ness is sold, the stock is taken at its net wholesale price, the fixtures at two-thirds of their original cost, and a sum ' is paid as good-will equivalent to the net earnings of the previous year, as shown by the books. When it is st'Dulated that the seller shall not carry on 208 i 204 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. a similar business within a certain time or distance, a sum should be mentioned as liquidated damages in case of his violation of the agreement ; for courts regard such restric- tions as contrary to public policy, aad do not favor com- pensatory damages. 159. What adds largely to the value of a good- will of an established business? • A favorable lease of a store in a good location. This is of more importance in a retail than a wholesale business, and in cities than in small country towns. A retail store should, as a general rule, be established on a leading thoroughfare; and, where the custom desired is not purely local, it should be in the immediate neighborhood of other similar stores. Good customers make their purchases where the leading stores are, and by keeping together, all have a chance to share in the trade. When a suitable location has been obtained, permanency should be secured by a lease. Steady improvements in a retail business, it has been observed, are almost invariably local ; that is, they follow the stand, and not the man. " When I was a young man," said a retired tradesman (as illustrative of the advantage of close proximity and apparent opposition), " I set up in the hat trade, and took a store in London where there was not a hat-store within a quarter of a mile, thinking I should do more where there were no others ; but I found that, at the end of the year, all that I made might have been put into the corner of my small eye, and not injured its sight. I sat down, one day, and, after thinking that my lot was a mighty hard one, told my boy that I was going out a while, and that he must keep a sharp lookout for customers. I went down town, and, looking around, found that two or three POINTS FOR RETAILERS. 205 hatters were driving a very good trade very near together ; and passing in to one store, I found its owner quite a talk- ative man. We put our lieads together, and in the course of a week, the store directly opposite his received my stock in trade, and a coat of blue paint on the outside, while his received a coat of green. The first day I did nothing but stand at the door, and look pouty at the green store, and my friend Blake stood on his steps looking ditto at me. As people came in, I commenced running down the green store, and Blake always run down the blue; so between us both we built up a trade that was quite respectable. People having taken sides, and new-comers always purchasing of one or the other, we gradually grew rich, and at the end of some dozen years, we settled up, and I found that oppo- sition, or apparently so, had made my fortune." 160. What should be a consideration, second only in importance to location, in the selection of a store ? An abundance of light, which should be regulated with artistic skill, so as to enhance the beauty of the stock. Customers look upon a dark store with suspicion; they are fearful they may deceive themselves in colors, shades or quality, and frequently leave without purchasing for no other reason. Sunlight is also a matter of economy, for Franklin has conclusively shown, in one of his essays, that it is cheaper than any artificial light. It imparts a cheer- ful, pleasant appearance to the store, without that artificial glare produced by elaborate ornament, which sensible people always look upon as deceptive, and, what is of more importance still, it promotes cheerfulness of mind in the employees, which is an essential ingredient of polite- ness. " Light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun." I' 206 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. liight is a desideratum that cannot always be obtained in cities to a desirable degree ; but, were it insisted upon more than it is, an improvement would be effected. The counting-house should be light. Abundance of light pre- vents mistakes both in money and accounts, and saves the time that would be employed in the discovery of errors. The desk of the bookkeeper should be placed so that the window will be on his left hand. In a retail store, a capacious double window is very desirable, as it admits of variety and display. Goods in store- windows are also displayed to much greater advantage when the lights illuminating them are hidden from the eye ; and nothing is simpler to arrange than this. Most classes of merchandise are exhibited under the best conditions when the light descends from above, suitable reflectors being provided to throw the light on the goods. ... Where gas is used, all pendants should be fixed ; for in the hurry of business a movable gas-burner may be turned dangerously near to inflammable goods. Where coal-oil is used, it should be tested, and none purchased that can be set on fire by a lighted match. Any oil which will blaze up like alcohol when a lighted match is applied to it for two or three minutes, contains benzine, and is there- fore unsafe. 161. What is the best method of securing a free circu- lation of ' ir in stores and warehouses ? Air kills more than the sword, is the translation of a Latin proverb. Medical men have written volumes on the advantages of a free circulation of air, and the un- wholesomeness of confined apartments and crowded cities. It is said a person afflicted with consumption of the lungs l^A POINTS FOR RETAILERS. 207 may communicate tlie complaint to others, if they inhale the same atmosphere he has breathed out. Ventilation is of importance to the merchant in the construction of his ships, his warehouse, his counting-house, and his residence. It is well known that there are many commodities which a confined air will effect; some change their qualities, others are predisposed by it to decay, and some are actually destroyed, li is also well known that a free circulation of air is necessary to decarbonize the blood, to preserve the health, and that it will prevent the liability to take cold. Where a store or warehouse is so unfavorably located as not to allow of a natural circulation of air, it may be remedied by an artificial ventilation. [In all warehouses where gas is much used, and defective ventilation exists, one or more openings should be made in the highest part of the room, which openings may be regu- lated by a valve or valves leading into a staircase or pas- sage, or communicating direct with the open air. To guard against draughts where the communication with the open air is direct, the orifice should be covered with a sheet of pierced zinc or wire cloth. In order to permit the vitiated air to issue with every facility, openings should exist in the lowest part of the apartment for the admission of fresh air ; and if carefully distributed in a series of small orifices at the back of or in the skirting boards, no draught will be perceptible. An error is often committed by leaving a large opening in the roof or ceiling for the emission of impure air, without making any provision in the lower part for the supply of fresh air. Under such circumstances proper ventilation is impossible. In all cases where goods are kept in the highest part of an apartment or store, it is of the greatest importance to have 7" I ■ P!fn 208 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. ill good ventilation in the ceiling, so as to carry off the heated air and vapor formed by the combustion of the gas. The lower part of a room may be only at a moderate tempera- ture, whereas above the level of the top of the door, and near the ceiling, the heat will be almost insupportable, so that, in consequence of the absence of proper ventilation, goods are often spoiled and the gas condemned.] 162. What is the best safeguard for a store or warehouse against the depredations of burglars ? In the country, so far as known, burglars seldom make an attempt upon a store which is also used as a sleeping apartment, unless they ascertain that the occupant has regular evenings when he is absent. A small, barking dog is feared and disliked by these predatory gentlemen even more than an armed man. In the city probably the best protection is a light left burning so that the whole interior of the wareroom can be seen through an aperture in the door, and a clock placed opposite the opening for thf^ con- venience of patrolmen and belated wayfarers. The light must be uniformly kept there or its absence would not be regarded as a suspicious circumstance by those accustomed to notice it. Sheet-iron shutters, bars, and belts are hin- drances to hurried operators, but a padlock on the outer iloor is a public notice that there is no one inside. 163. When a written contract for the letting of a store or other business place is drawn up, what are the points which a tenant should have inserted in it for his own protection ? Landlords, in letting stores or houses, usually provide the leases all ready for the tenant to sign, and are generally careful to insert all the provisions which are for their own 2 m :r X ■n H I fl r > m (/) H m H > H H 1 m r D ■'•kf i ■■'.■' •m'! POINTS FOR RETAILERS. 209 benefit. In most cases, too, printed forms of leases are used which contain all the necessary specifications for the protection of both parties, but still tenants should know what are the points to which their attention should especially be directed. (I.) Tenants should observe that all those stipulations which have been verbally agreed upon, and which they deem favorable to themselves, are inserted in the lease. Thus, if the landlord has agreed to renew the lease on the expiration of the present term, the tenant should see that a covenant to renew be inserted in the lease, and note that it is not expressed in terms too indefinite to be enforced, "as, to re- new on such terms as may bo agreed upo.n," which has been held void for uncertainty. Where the landlord has agreed to put the premises " in repair," or " in good habit- able order," have a provision inserted to this effect, and it may be greatly to your interest to add to this, that in case of faillire to repair you shall be acquitted of the rent. A landlord is under no implied legal obligation to repair, nor will the uninhabitableness of a house, or the uselessness of a building for the tenant's purposes, be any defence to an action for the rent, wdiere the tenant has expressly cove- nanted to pay it. Even if the landlord has expressly covenanted to repair, but failed to do so, a tenant may commence an action for damages, but he cannot withhold the rent without a provision to this effect. If the premises,, however, be made uninhabitable by the landlord's fault,, after possession had by the tenant, a different rule would, probably apply. (II.) If it has not been agreed that you, as tenant, shall' pay the taxes, you are not bound to do so ; but be care/td' that no clause be inserted in the lease which may, by con- strudion, be interpreted to impose an obligation to pay the 14 « 1' !( i » 210 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. iW m taxes. Thus, in a case where the lessee had covciiiuited to pay the rent, "free from all taxes, charges, or inipositions;" and in another, where he had agreed to pay a "net rent," it was held he was bound to pay the taxes. (III.) Take heed that the lease does not contain an uncon- ditional covenant on your part to repair, or to redeliver the premises in good order, or you may be compelled to make good all deterioration arising from natural decay ; and if the building be destroyed by fire, or otherwise, you may be compelled to rebuild it. In the absence of a covenant to repair, a tenant is only bound to repair injuries occa- sioned by his voluntary negligence, as to put in windows and doors that have been broken by him ; and under a general covenant to repair, with the express exception of casualties by fire or the elements, he is not bound to leave the tenement in a better state than it was when he entered it. (IV.) Have a provision inserted in the lease that the rent shall cease, or proportionably abate, while the premises are w^holly or in part unfit for use ; otherwise, if the premises be accidentally destroyed by fire, and the landlord does not rebuild, you may, nevertheless, be compelled to pay rent until expiration of the term agreed upon. (V.) Where there are appurtenances and accommodations necessary for the tenant's comfort, as the use of a cellar, pump, water closets, etc., it is always safest to have a pro- vision inserted in the lease that the tenant shall be entitled to use them. Upon the expiration of a lease a difficulty not unfre- quently occurs between a landlord and tenant in determin- ing which of those things that the latter has annexed to the freehold he retains the right of removing ; or, in other ilkl-j POINTH FOR liETAILERS. 211 words, what arc fixtures? Legal aiithoriticH seem to liavc found equal difficulty in agreeing upon any consistent and clearly defined principles of general application, by which the question may in all cases be solved. But in modern times the courts have adopted a rule of construction more strongly in favor of tenants than formerly, and more so in respect of fixtures established for the jMirjJOses of trade and manufiictures than for other things, and now it may be said tliat a tenant may remove wJuitever he has added, if he can do 80 without injury to the premises, unless he has built it in, or otherwise manifested an intention to make it an integral part of what was there originally. Thus, things affixed with screws may be taken away, when if the same things were fastened more permanently they could not be removed. 164. What is the rule that should govern the fitting up of stores and the arrangement of the goods ? One of the devices of avaricious traders, in order to monopolize business and throw obstacles in the way of men with limited capital, is to convert stores into palaces. To such an extent is expensive decoration carried, that, it is said, a pastry cook's shop in London, with a stock worth one hundred dollars, will often have a capital of fifteen hundred dollars expended in fixtures. Thus young men are debarred from engaging in business or are tempted to sink in tawdry decorations the capital which they should employ in purchasing a well-assorted stock. The prevailing extravagant style of store decoration should be discouraged by those who wish well to their fellow-men, and conve- nience, not ornament, established as the rule which should be observed, both in fitting up stores and in arranging goods. Money expended in curtains which can let down |: .i . ■ 212 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. 7 ; ■• ^■■'jf" i P when (lust is blowing; in Hliadcs and linen coverins^H for fabrics that lose their lustre by exposure, is money well invested. [Some of the dry-goods stores in the principal cities are models of order and system in the arrangement of goods. Every department in the store is alphabetuuilly arranged. The shelves and rows of goods, in each dei)artment, are numbered, and upon a tag attac^hed to the goods are marked the letter of the department, the number of the shelf, and row on that shelf to which su(!h piece of goods belongs. The respective counters are designated by some imaginary color, and the yard-stick and counter-brush belonging to that counter are painted to (correspond. Kaeh establishment has a tool-closet, with a small workbench in it, and every tool has its j)lace. All wrapping-paper, as soon as it is brought into the store, is taken into the cellar, where boys cut it into sizes to suit the })arcels of the different depart- ments, and carried there. All pieces too small for use are put into a sack, and reserved for sale. The cashier or book- keeper is responsible for all worthless money that he takes, and is paid an extra sum for this responsibility. Pages are kept to carry the bills and change from the '^ashler's desk to the customer, so that the salesman is not obliged to leave the counter. The proprietor's desk is on an ele- vated platform, facing the front, that overlooks every section of the retail department, and from this desk acoustic tubes communicate with every department in the building, by which a person in any part of it, from the garret to the cellar, may communicate with the principal without leaving his station. Every salesman has a small book in which he enters his sales as soon as made, which serves as a guide by which the proprietor may judge of the relative value and comparative efficiency of his employees. POINTS. FOR ItETAILEUS. 2Vh These matters may aj^^pear trifling; but it is by atten- tion to small thin^j that Honietimes large fortunes bxv. made.] 165. Wha'.; ingeniouB device can be refiorted to, where the store i'. too largo for the stock, to avoid the unfavora- ble impression produced by empty shelves? In England and on the continent, the manufacture of wrodcn goods, or what are called "dummies," is carried on to a great extent, and has attained great perfection. Pieces of linen, rolls of broarlcloth or Brussels carpeting, splendid brocades, chests of tea, backs of elegantly-bound books, j)i|»es of Old Jamaica rum, packets of patent medi- cines, and other things, are counterfeited with such com-^ plete effect as to reality and beauty, that they not oaly defy recognition by a stranger, but sometimes deceive the store- keeper himself, who wicasionally takes down the dummy in mistake for a genuine piece of goods. Where the show windows are very large and very high, storekeepers find it poor economy to exhibit perishable stock, far above tlie heads of the gnzers, exposed to smoke, dust and glare ; and they also resort to the makers of dummies who can provide them with a " rich stock " of imperishable wares. 106. In what way can retailers, of dry goods especially, greatly facilitate the transaction of their business? By having samples on cards of all the goods in stock that cannot be conveniently shown in bulk. The advan- tages of sample cards are manifold. They not only save the retailer or his clerks the trouble of taking down and untying packages that may not suit, but they frequently remind a customer of some article he or she wants, which would otherwise have been forgotten. They afford special 18 M 214 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS, facility for matching colors, and oftentimes enable tho inercliaiit to sell older or less desirable styles which tlius attract tho notice of a customer and seem prefer- able to newer j)attern8. In the United States, sample (•ards are not yet appreciated as highly as they are in Europe. 167. What are the losses to which retail grocers are liable, and how may they be avoided ? A grocer's stock, probably more than that of any other retailer, contains articles of a perishable nature, and losses from this source can only be avoided by quick sale., and careful buying, or, in other words, in not buying more at a time than can be readily sold. Leakages are also the occasion of considerable loss, esi)ecially with those unfor- tunate persons who are in the habit of postponing until to-morrow what should be done to-day. A l)ucket of brine put to-day on a barrel of pork, it has been remarked, together with the stoppage of the leak in the barrel, may save a considerable sum which would be lost, if the work is left for that " to-morrow " which seldom comes. Changes of fashion and style, new articles superseding the old, are the cause of loss to those who do not keep their eyes open and notice the changes that are going on around them. Who, it has been aptly asked, now buys the old-fashioned two-pronged, ivory-handled table forks, or brass door-knobs, or lard-oil lamps, that were formerly conspicuous on every retailer's shelves ? But probably the source of the greatest loss to retail grocers is in giving overweight and overmeamre. This is contrary to the impression of many who do not hesitate to accuse grocers of giving light weight, but those .who have had experience in the business estimate that grocers lose from one to two per cent, from overweight, POINTS FOIi RETAILERS. 215 especially in stores where the gale» arc numerous and tlio clerks iiicxperionccd. [Mr. Terry, who has hud thirty years' experienw in a rotiiil .store, rcmurUM, it is very easy to lose one or two per eeiit. by ('arei('.ssiu'H.s in this resj ect, and when it is renjonj- bercd that tliis loss is out of the net profits of the busiucs;:, wiiich in many casiw will not exceed eight or ten per cent., it can readily be believed that the net profits may fall short one-(juartcr of the contemplated result from this cause. The proportional loss is still greater where the gross profits are small, and the business depends for its 8ucd against all advertising tradesmen. Advertising lies is more damaging than not to advertise at all. No man in business ean thrive on chance custom alone; to attain permanent prosperity he must have permanent customers wJio buy, and return and buy again. 170. What are the qualities that should be sought for in those appointed to assist in selling goods, commonly called CLERKS ? Honesty, ability, and politeness. In some branches of business good looks are a valuable auxiliary in drawing custom and facilitating sales. Beauty is "a natural mag- net, a powerful loadstone ! and 'tis a great matter," saith Xenophon, "and of which all fair persons may worthily boast, that a strong man must labor for his living if he will have aught; a valiant man must fight and endanger himself for it; a wise man speak, show himself, and toil ; but a fair and beautiful person doth all with ease ; he com- passeth his desire witliout any painstaking." By some writers it is contended that women should mainly be em- ployed to sell dry goods at retail, for they practically know more about such merchandise, and that men ought to be asiuimed to occupy a place which a woman could more properly fill ; but experience proves that some customers have a prejudice against dealing with saleswomen, and that in a well-appointed and moderately large store it is wise to employ clerks of both sexes. It must be remembered that while beauty of person is an attraction worth paying for in a saleswoman to wait on male customers, as in the sale of gentlemen's furnishing goods, it is a disadvantage in stores where ladies are the principal patrons, for it is a foible in woman's nature to bristle with jealousy ( : 5% "I'""'" COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. at the sight of one of her own sex more beautiful than herself. 171. How can honesty in salesmen and employees be assured or promoted ? There is no infallible guide by which the honesty of any person in a position of trust can be foretold and assured ! Every day there are revelations of dishonesty in the most unexpected places, apparently surrounded by every safe- guard; and eminent merchants will confirm the assertion that cases of private dishonesty are much more common than are ever publicly made known. As soon as detected, influences are brought to bear to prevent exposure, and the culprit is merely dismissed, very probably to be heard of again in the police reports of some distant city. Much, however, may be done to guard and promote honesty in employees by removing temptation to be dishonest; and among the safeguards the best are to pay fair and even liberal salaries, without regard to the fact that others will work for less ; to look to the antecedents of young men before employing them, to let them know that their con- duct and pursuits outside of the salesroom or counting- house are not unobserved, and to provide checks as far as possible iiiat will render detection certain in the first attempt at peculation. 172. Where security is taken for the good conduct of clerks, what has experience proved to be the most effective ? A security by which the father becomes obligated for the good conduct of his son, and may suffer by his misdeeds. " I know enough of human nature," says an old merchant, who always required security from the parents of the clerks he employed, " to tell me that, though a man may some- T*:! POINTS FOB BETAILEIiS. '211 times do an act forgf tful of his own, and his wife's, and children's interests, yet if he feels that he will bring down his parent's gray hairs with sorrow to the grave, he will be very careful what he doc ." 173. What constitutes ability in a salesman f Phrenologists, in expounding the capabilities of indi- viduals, do not err in saying that a first-class salesman rer quires an active temperament, and a clear, quick intellect, that he may be able to understand the qualities of his merchandise, an ample development of language, to enable him to explain its virtues and value to the buyer, and large Form and Color, to remember faces so as to recognize a customer a second time, and also to judge of form, and proportion, and color in goods. To sell books, a man should know something of the contents of each one, and be able to talk about it in a way to create an interest in the mnids of buyers. To sell hardware successfully, a man should possess a certain robustness of frame, M'ith a me- chanical turn of mind, and understand intimately the wants of mechanics whose tools he sells. On the other hand, a man who handles and sells laces, silks, and satins, should possess a slender, effeminate frame, a poetic temperament, and a delicate touch. It has been said that the best seller of cloths is one who has manufactured cloths; the best seller of books is one who has made books ; the best shoe- dealer is the tanner ; the best man to sell lumber is one who has served his time at carpentry; and the man to sell hardware is he who has learned the machinist's, or locksmith's, or the tool-maker's trade. But in addition to an intimate knowledge of the qualities of the goods he sells, ability in a salesman impliies that he knows how to save his employer from ail unnecessary loss. I ■nL COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. For instance, in the retail dry-goods trade it is possible for a salesman, either by want of skill or by his indifference, to make so many remnants that there will be no profit on his sales. Often the remnant will contain all the net profit of the piece from which it came, and though loss from this source cannot always be avoided, very much may be done by a good salesman to diminish it, and something may also be done by good buyers in selecting such lengths of pieces, especially of costly goods, as will cut to the quantities which are ordinarily required without remnant. [In retailing goods, says Mr. Terry, the quantity which may be advantageously cut off from any piece should be considered before it is cut off, and even calculated so long beforehand that any piece, which cannot be cut to suit the customer who is then purchasing witl^out bad loss by rem- nant, should not be shown at all, at least not until every other effort has been made to suit without effect, as the consequence would often be that the customer's choice would fall exclusively on the i)iece which the dealer could not afford to cut in the length that would be required. In retailing valuable dress goods or other articles, remnants of which cannot be readily sold, excoT)t at a great sacrifice, it is a very good plan to mark on the ticket the length which may be cut from the piece, and as each prescribed length is cut off, the salesman runs a pencil-mark through so much of the memorandum ; and never allowing other lengths to be cut except with permission of the principal, who only is to decide whether it will be advantageous to cut the goods at a different length or not. As, for instance, a piece of dress goods of 52| yards might be marked 12, 13, 13J, 14, these being the ordinary range of lengtli re- quired for a dress. The first purchaser may wish 12j^ yards, and can be accommodated, slightly altering the POINTS FOR RETAILEBS. 228 figures for what is left. So, probably, the second piir- clmsor. Any change for the tiiird purchaser requires more consicleiation. Observance of these two precautions will tend to k'Hsen very much the number of remnants made in retailing, but still many will be made, and some special efforts arc recjuired to sell them off quickly, as they are not only unprofitable stock of themselves, but often hinder the sale of other goods, through the customer fancying a rem- nant which is insufficient in quantity for her wantfl, and will not be satisfied with any other style. Of these efforts, the first is a prompt reduction in the price. Sometimes guch a rediiction will induce the purchavscr of the last previously sold quantity to take the portion that would be a remnant; though it cannot always be sold in this way without a too great and unprofitable reduction. But when a remnant is about being made, it is at least always worth an earnest trial. The next effort will be to keep them in such a prominent position as that they will be often brought to the notice of the customers as special "bargains." Every community has its ." bargain " hunters, who will buy articles and find use for them afterwards. Sometimes sucli remnants can be manufactured into something more salable. This, though, requires some tact and experience, and does not always succeed.] But above all, ability in a salesman implies that he possesses that magnetic attraction or indescribable some- thing which wins the confidence of buyers, impresses them with the conviction that he understands their wants and will consult their interests, and leads them to think the satisfaction of dealing with him is full compensation even for an extra price they may have paid him for the merchandise. ■rr 224 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. i 174. Why is politeness an essential qualification of a good clerk? The advantages of pleasant manners and politeness as elements contributing to business success, have already been alluded to ; and to a clerk or salesman thoy are so iru]isj)ensablc, that it would seem improbable that a rude or irritable person could retain a situation as clerk. I^ady customers, however, continue to complain that thoy are treated in a pert and disagreeable manner in many retail stores, and are often badgered and bullied into buying what they do not want. Some of these stores are described as perfect traps where the unlucky visitor is dragged from counter to counter, and held fast until she buys something she never desired to own. Such stores are afterwards avoided by sensible people. An impolite, ill-mannered and impudent clerk can drive away more custom from a business-place than five good men can bring to it. Deme- trius, king of Macedon, had a petition offered him again and again by an old woman, and always answered he had no leisure to attend to it. Whereupon the woman said aloud in his presence, "Why, then, give over to bo a king." The same may be said to salesmen in stores : if you can- not be polite and patient, " give over " clerking, and try some occupation where politeness is not essential. [Hundreds of men have owed their start in life to their winning address. " Thank you, my dear," said Lundy Foote, to the little beggar girl who bought a pennyworth of snuff. "Thank you, my dear ; please call again," made Lundy Foote a millionnaire. Some years ago, a dry-goods salesman in a London store had acquired such a reputation for courtesy and exhaustless patience, that it was said to be impossible to provoke from him any expression of irrita- bility or the slightest symptom of vexation. A lady of wmSm POINTS FOB RETAILERS. 225 rank, liearlng of liis wonderful equanimity, determined to test it by all the annoyances with whicli a veteran shop- visitor knows iiow to tease a salesman. She failed in the attempt, and thereupon set him up in business. He rose to eminence in his trade, and the mainspring of his later as well as his earlier career, was politeness.] 1^ I 176. What are some of the fundamental maxims in the creed of a good salesman ? To treat all who enter the store, whether they purchase or not, with the same deference and attention as the most favored custorier, for they may become such in the future. To meet the in-comer with a pleasant, welcoming look and word, as a gentleman would receive an acquaintance at his private residence. To have an ample supply of sample cards, so as to avoid handling goods unnecessarily; but when the buyer has made a selection of what he would like to see, an expert salesman spares no trouble to give him an opportunity to examine the goods for himself. A good salesman does not show indifference, whether the customer purchases or not, but does not urge him to buy what he does not seem to want, nor manifest so much anxiety to sell as to create the impression that there must be great profit in the sale. A good salesman talks enough to explain what the cus- tomer ought to know as vo the cause of difference in price and value of various articles of merchandise ; but at the same time avoids talking overmuch, especially on outside matters during a negotiation of sale. Discretion in speech is more than eloquence. A good salesman pays deference to the opinions of his 16 i 1 i TT COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. cuHtomorH, and docs not nmko tliem feel that ho knows everythinjT and tlioy nothing. A good HulcHiuun does not cntor into contisntious argu- niont with customers; nor when they depreciate liis goods, answer back rudely, but either insinuate that they are trying to cliea|)en the merchandise, or express regret that tiie article (h)e8 not suit. A good salesman (sdls the attention of his cfustomcr to the speciial bargains he may have to offer, but does not ex- patiate on them as something unprecedented and wonder- i'ul ; on the contrary, creates the imj)ression that bargains arc nothing unusual or rare in that store. A good salesman endeav()rs to ascertain the price the customer expects to pay, and then does not begin by show- ing something nuich higher in price and superior in quality, and then go down to the graihis that can be afforded at the price named, lest he become dissatisfied with the niferior quality find wish to look further. A good salesman, who sees that an abatement in price is necessary to effect a sale, does not wait for the customer to make an offer, but proposes a reduction voluntarily as a favor or for some friendly reason, and not as a rule of the establishment. ■ A good salesman has a quick appreciation of the wants of buyers, and does not comment with equal praise on all kinds or styles of goods to all persons ; but catches at the fancy of the customer, and presses delicately upon that ; or, if it is an injudicious choice, he points out its defect, and produces a more suitable article, and thus inspires confidence. 176. What are the relative duties of clerks to their employers ? POINTS FOR UETAILEUS. 227 The whole (hity of a clerk to his employer may be ex- preHHed in Jidcfifj/ to Inn intcreMta. IJut faitlifiilnesH implien somethiii}; more than the mere doing of thingH one is obliged to do : it means the exercise of care and perform- an(!e of acts when netressary for the interests of emj)loycr8, for whi(!h no direct reninneration is paid. Many young men seem to think tiuit if they labor at the employment regtdarly assigned them, it is all that should be expected of them. It is probably all that is expected; but a faith- ful clerk will not, therefore, neglect opportunities that may present themselves, when by a little extra labor — arranging a few parcels of goods or putting down an item of account — he can do his employer great service. It has been well said, that the clerk who is always pushing for more pay and earning as little of that whi(^h he gets as may be ; who is tardy in the morning and in a hurry to get off at night; who begins to black his boots and brush and comb half an hour before quitting-time; and requires half an hour in the morning to make himself presentable for the busincas of the day, will be dropped out of the corps of helpers whenever business becomes slack or any plausible excuse offers for ridding the concern of leeches. 177. What are the relative duties of employers to their clerks ? These may be summed up in — fair pay and fair treat- merU — pay sufficiently large to make the employee con- tented with his situation, and treatment uniformly just and considerate; giving words of approbation for well- doing, and not alone disa})probation for wrong-doing. It has been said that every truly superior man, every natural king of men, has uniformly been attentive to the interests and feelings and welfare of those who executed his will. M ! 228 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. Bonuparte was an illustriou.H cxaniplo, and Iiis soldiers worshippcxl him. Nelson, also, was most Holicitous for the health, comfort and honor of his men. It has also heen Huid, that he who snubs those dependent on him, or be- trriid{^8 them their just oxmipensation, and cares nothing ior their interests or their honor, is not naturally a master; he is one by accident only ; merely a beggar on horseback, and iKjrhaps he stole the horse. [8amuel Budgctt, an English merchant, with a biogra- j)liy, was noted for the smooth and easy way in which ho disposed of business discrepancies, and annoyances among his employees, and says he found his account in so doing. " Well, what is the matter ?" said ho to ono of his clerks, " I understand you can't make your ca.sh quite right." " No, sir." " How much are you short ? " " Eight pounds, sir." " Never mind — I am quite sure you have done what is right and honorable ; it is some mistake, and you won't let it happen again. Take this, and make your account straight." The young man sees the proffered paper — an order for ten pounds — and he brightens up as full of admiration and good resolve as he had previously felt anxiety. Now, what is the next matter? This time a porter is summoned. He comes forward as if he expected a rebuke. " Oh I I have had such a complaint reported against you. You know that will never do. You will not, I'm sure, let that occur again." It certainly did not occur again. Thus, with the greatest despatch, another after another was settled in this way — "without the grieVous words which stir up anger;" and all who belonge ^ ..^^^s/ , 250 COMMON SEKSE IN liUSTNESS. ences of sensuality and vice. That commnnity wliich luis ciist off all faith in the Invisible and Everlasting, and cut down its creed to a mere recognition of the niat^!rial and the palpable — whi(!h realizes only that sugar is sweet, that fire will burn, and that 'ginger is hot i' the mouth' is on the broad highway to destruction, liowever dazzling its present outward show of prosperity." 198. What is the duty of a country merchant with reference to the Newspapers published in his county? He should be a liberal supporter of the press in his locality, and use it to disseminate principles of sound finance and a wholesome morality. "A merchant," says an able journalist, " will not feel an obligation to patronize any and everything that wears the form of a newspaper, but will scan carefully the intellectual ability and moral fitness of those who assume the lofty responsibility of public teaching through the press. He will not encourage the dissemination nor continuance of journals edited by the incompetent or unworthy ; but if there be none other than these already in existence in his county, he will combine with men like himself to procure the estal)lishment of such a journal as is needed, or the transfer of one already existing into the hands of some one qualified to guide opinion and dispel mental darkness. Such a journal he will liberally and steadily encourage and support by advertising in its columns at good prices, by urging upon other business men the duty of doing like- wise, and by soliciting his customers and neighbors to give it at least their subscriptions, regularly continued and uni- formly paid in advance. By pursuing this course, the merchant may do very much toward the diffusion of intel- ligence, the predominance of sound principles, and the DUTIES OF COUNTRY MEJiCITANTS. 251 puiifictttion of inorulH. Ho iichhI not ho ii [)()liti(uil brawler nor Imbituul agitator on any Hubjoct — there in a more ex- cellent way. lie nuiy give to an approved and inlinen- tial journal in lii.s county from two to five hundred dol- lars' worth of advertising jjcr annum, and procure from others, by the power of his solicitations and exaiiipl<>, five times as much more; while each name added to the list of its subscribers extends the pid)licity of his annotniccments and their potency in enlarging his business." 199, What is tho moral obligation duo by ft comitry merchant to his creditors? A conscientious merchant, residing far from the centres of trade, who has been favored with credit by Avhoksulo dealei"s in the city, will protect them by every means in his })ower. He will realize that he has no right to sell the goods he has bought on credit for cash, and then Bjieculate with the proceeds in lands or stocks, nor sell them on credit to people who are not likely to pay hitn promptly. He will remember that the money to the amount of his debts does not belong to him but to his creditors, and is a sacred trust to be sacredly guarded. He will feel that he is one of the pillars that sustain the connnercial credit of his country, and that if he and any considerable number of his fellows do not act well their part, the whole superstructure will fall in a crash to the ground, burying thousands of innocent and helpless per- sons in the ruins. As a general rule no surplus money can be so profitably, certainly not so safely invested as in paying notes or accounts before they are due. >• ( IMAGE EVALUATION TEST lARGET (MT-3) 5^ / O ^ ^^ ^^^ 23 WEST MAIN STRcET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 M <° €£>. Si :& e? ^ \ vV uiiuujHur I chap::er xv. BUYING AND SELLING MERCHANDISE. 5. SELLING GOODS AT WHOLESALE. 200. (^i\ 1 [HAT is the true theory of selling goods at wholesale f To regard the interests of the buyer, and to sell him goods that are adapted to his market, or such as he can resell again quickly and advan- tageously. It was a maxim of the late Gideon Lee that no trade can be sound that is not beneficial to both parties — to the buyer as well as to the seller. A man may obtain a temporary advantage by selling unsalable fabrics or articles for more than they are worth, but the recoil of such opera- tions is felt in the shape of bad debts and increased rihks. [An old merchant, eminently successful, says, he thinks more traders fail through a lack of interest in their cus- tomer's welfare than for want of devotion to what they selfishly consider their own advantage. When in the retail trade, this merchant was noted for his candor in advising his customers against any purchase which he thought would not give them permanent satisfaction. He would always forego a sale if he believed the article under examination was not the one which the buyer really re- quired. When he left the retail trade, and engaged in a large wholesale business, he continued to practise upon the same principle. He did it conscientiously as a matter 252 SELLING GOODS AT WHOLESALE. 2o3 of duty ; but he always insisted that it was also the true mercantile policy. Ilis customers could pay him because they were enabled to sell ev^erything they bought of him at a iirofit. They liked to trade with him because he sought their interest, advised them what to purchase, and would not, to clear out his own stock, transfer to their shelves any article he did not believe they could turn to advantage. He would often take back, to his own present loss, some fabric which proved unsalable. He called such dead stock " shopkeepers," and he often declared that he would rather dig a hole in the ground and bury them than to have them lie year after year on the shelves of his patrons, a continual reminder that they had made a bad bargain in the purchase. This may sound strangely to some of the young mer- chants of our day, but it is the true theory of business.] 201. Upon what agencies does success in the wholesale trade mainly depend ? Upon good salesmen, men who know both how to sell and to whom to sell. In a retail trade it is generally con- sidered that business follows the stand rather than the man, but in the wholesale trade the converse is genen>lly true. It is becoming more and more the practice in the United States, as it has long been in England, for wholesale firms to employ commercial travellers, who visit buyers at their homes, either to sell them goods there by sample or to cul- tivate their acquaintance, and these salesmen often hold ill their hands the prosperity, as well as the honor, of the houses they represent. Where sales are principally effected through these agencies, the store becomes little more than a warehouse in which goods are packed to order, and its loca- tion is a secondary consideration, while everything depends upon the efficiency of the salesman. 254 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. 202. What are the qualifications of a good salesman in the wholesale trade? A man who would control the custom and retain the confidence of those who buy to sell again must himself be :i merchant. He must possess a varied and comprehen- sive knowledge both of human nature and of merchandise, knowing not only the market value of the articles he deals ill, but the sources of their supply and the circumstances tliiit are likely to deteriorate or improve their value. Among the fundamental maxims in their creed the mas- ters of their profession contend tjiat a good salesman must believe: That the life of business is profit ; and as a general rule, he will not make sales without profit. " To sell low for cash, never mind profits," is not his maxim. lie will sell to a punctual payer at less profit than to an unpuiictual one; and on a short credit, lower than on a long one. He will use every precaution with a stranger that he would wish he had taken, should he turn out to be a vil- lain, and yet treat every man as an honest man until he proves him to be otherwise. He believes in the Italian proverb, "There is commonly less money, less wisdom, and less good faith, than men do account upon." It is not all that can be sold to a customer that is well sold, but only what he c-an conveniently pay for. A past due-bill is a detestable object, and goods not paid for are not sold but thanklessly given away. But the chiefest qualification that fits a man to influence and deal successfully with country merchants is a social, sympathetic nature and genuine frankness of manner, that can welcome a buyer more as a friend than as a merchant. SELLING GOODS AT WHOLESALE. 255 In trade, as in love, the heart is often snperior to tlie head : [" It is sometimes said," says Professor Sizcr, " there is no friendship in trade." There never va» a greater fallacy. Suppose a man has travelled night and day among strangers, a thousand miles, to a great market town. He has left his family and friends, and his heart is hun- gry. He remembers, perhaps, a salesman who is cheerful and has shown himself friendly; and when he crosses his threshold, his heart bounds with delight as, with a smile like a burst of sunsiiine, that man takes him heartily by the hand, and in a moment becomes to liim as it were a substitute for the family and friends that he has left behind, and it only remains to select the goods ; they are already sold, and if the man bo honest and name only fair prices for the goods, why should not that man be a life-h>ng customer? Who could win him away or prevent him from bringing his own friends to be well treated and become permanent cus- tomers? Suppose a salesman has five hundred such. They cannot be coaxed away from him, unless goods are offered at prices below their market value by others. The cold, stern, stanch, dignified man, g' *m anr" severe in his man- ners, may be able to sell drugs to sick neople, o» articles of necessity w'lere there is little or no competition, nut in a large market town such a man would freeze out his prosperity.] 203. What should be the rule ooserved wi^h reference to retaining or changing employees ? AVhcn merchants have secured efficient clerks or sales- men, they should endeavor to keep them. An employee with brains is all the while gaining in exj>erience, and is worth more to his employer each succeeding year. An old and faithful clerk should not be parted with for slight causes, provided his habits remain good. But sometimes it happens that an employee, who knows that his services are valuable and are appreciated, demands an exorbitant increase of salary; in such cases, there seems to be no alternative but to discharge him, for a man who thinks he is invaluable and cannot be spared soon becomes good for nothing. v» 256 COMMON SENSE IX BUSINESS. Mex'chants, as a general rule, do not value brain-power ami intelligonce in their employees as highly as they ought to do. They have not the sagacity of the bank manager, who, in advocating libraries in banks for ti»e use of the clerks, remarked, "Their superior knowledge is always useful ; the mental discipline they have acquired improves their business habits ; and, possessing within themselves a constant source of enjoyment, they are less likely to indulge in those expensive pleasures which are the usual tempta- tions to neglect and dishonesty." Every store and bank and office and workshop should have a select Business Library, to which the employees should have access in their hours of leisure. 204. "What is the secret of obtaining and retaining efficient colaborers? This has been already revealed, and stated to be Ubei'al liny and fair treatment. With regard to salaries, it may be said that competition among those soliciting situations should not be allowed to reduce a clerk's salary below a certain point, but it would seem a better policy to fix an amount sufficient to insure contentment in the situation, and then require qualifications of zeal and efficiency that will be worth it. There are salesmen who are cheaper at a yearly salary of $2500, than others at $500, and it is better to employ ten first- class men than fifteen medium men at the same aggregate amount of compensation. Some firms pay stipulated wages, and then at the end of the year give premiums to those who have cheerfully done their best, and they find the few hundred dollars thus spent are well invested, in making the young men more saving, prompt and vigilant. In public offices in England, the rule 's to offer a moderate SELLING GOODS AT WHOLESALE. 257 remuneration to the beginner, with successive expectancies proportioned to the merits which he shall manifest, and of such incrcasHg amount as will be calculated to keep easy, through the progressive wants of single and married life, the mind of a prudent man. Fair treatment implies that an employer will speak words of encouragement and apj)robation at times as well as disapprobation ; that he will not imitate those ignorant and despotic naval commanders who never speak to their men except to find fault ; that he will give advice to his employees when needed, knowing that they will give heed to him as to no other person living ; that he will supj)lc- raent their want of experience by his own ; that he will guard them as much as possible from temptation ; in a word, that he will take an interest in their welfare, and do unto them as he would wish them to do unto him were their situations reversed. 205. What is the most effective aid that wholesale dealers can afford their salesmen in obtaining orders? To prepare the way for a successful personal interview by advertising their business in some way that will produce a favorable impression, in the minds of those whose custom is desired, of their resources and respectability, or if the wares be of a novel or special character, to create a demand among the consumers which will be felt by the dealers. It h;is hcon well said that an old business may subsist until its customers gradually drop off by death or removal ; but he who would build up a new business now, must be " like the time " and improve the advantages it offers. It is quite certain that the merchants of the United States do not spend, by many thousands of dollars, as much money in advertising as they should do, and it is equally certaia 17 A:ll COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. that much of that which is expended is lost, by being in- etfectively and injudiciously spent. The art of advertising is one that should be taught as a branch of the studies j^ursued in commercial colleges, if persons competent to teach it could be found. [To the merchant, said Greeley, who is sure of his ability 10 fill orders on the most favorable terms, the attainment of an adequate publicity is the matter of primary concern. If his circle of trade is properly the county in which he lives, then he should take eifectual measures to let every family in the county know what he sells, and on what conditions. 1 1 is idle to speak of the cost as an impediment. He might as well object to the cost of sheltering his goods from bad weather, protecting them from thieves, or dealing them out to customers. All the other cost of his business is incurred without adequate motive or return, so long as the essential element of his business is neglected or scrimped. If his location and his stock only entitle him to expect the custom of his own township and neighbor- hood, then he should incur the expense of fully informing that loadity. Just so with the wholesale merchant who aspires to a custom coextensive with his State, his section, or the whole Union. If he is prepared to satisfy so wide a demand on favorable terms, the expense of apprising those whom he desires for customers of the nature of his business, the character of his stock, the range of his prices, and the reasons why he should be dealt with, is one which he cannot refuse to incur without gross incompetency and ruinous prodigality. By thus refusing, he increases his expenses for rent, lights, fuel, clerk hire, etc., from one- half per cent, to three, five, and in some cases ten per cent, on his aggregate sales, and renders it morally impossible ihnt he should sell at a profit, and at the same time sell aa SELLING GOODS AT WHOLESALE. 250 cheaply as his more enterprising and capable rivals. In effect, he confesses defeat and incapacity, and retreats to the rear-rank of his vocation.] .o, 206. What are the elements of judicious advertising in newspapers ? The first is to select only such journals as will certainly reach those who buy or consume the wares to be advertised. The quality of the circulation is of far more importance than its extent. A journal having only a thousand sub- scribers will often yield richer returns to an advertiser than another having a circulation of a hundred thousand, be- cause the readers of the latter do not need, or consume the articles advertised, or the journal may be so peculiarly made up that the advertisements in it a^e hidden and not seen. A compounder of a fever and ague mixture, for instance, will not be likely to receive benefit from adver- tising his mixture, however extensively, in a district where ague does not prevail. A publisher will not advertise judiciously who selects journals that circulate principally among the uneducated classes. A manufacturer of fine furniture will not be likely to get many customers from advertising in the " Prairie Log-Cabin," nor a distiller by selecting the "Temperance Bugle." A merchant who may inadvertently ship warming-pans to the West Indies, will not be likely to effect sales by advertising them as warming-pans, though, if he can persuade the people they are good for some other purpose, he may make a fortunate speculation out of a foolish venture, as Timothy Dexter, of Newburyport, is Reported to have done. Nothing is easier than to lose money by advertising without knowledge, or what may be called gambling in advertising. Another element of judicious advertising, besides select- fipl' MO COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. tJ'*' ing only such journals as will certainly reach those who buy your commodities, is to choose only such as by their general appearance and " make up," are attractive in their advertising as well as in their reading columns. A journal may be a very good newspaper, and yet be a very poor advertising medium, and the reverse of this is also true. In all the large cities there are agencies where all the principal journals of the country are on file, to which advertisers can have ready access, and the advice and services of men experienced in advertising can be secured without expense to the advertiser, as their commissions are paid by the publishers. Nearly all who advertise exten- sively now use these agencies, which are growing in favor and popularity. Another element in the art of advertising judiciously, is to attract the attention of buyers by announcements differing in style from the dead level of ordinary adver- tising. A well-known and successful advertiser once said, that a good advertisement is one that attracts by the peculiarity of its display or arrangement, and convinces by its argument. Some men have a peculiar genius for writing striking advertisements, and here the advertisers of specialties have a great advantage over others. In fact, adv^tising is of very little benefit unless the merchant has a specialty to which he can invite attention. Every new firm, at least, should secure some one article different from all others, either better, or cheaper, or entirely new, and present it as their apology or justification for entering a market already overcrowded with competitors, and by advertising that, in connection with their general business, they may build up a prosperous trade. With regard to books, they are often desirable adver- tising mediums for manufacturers and wholesale dealers, SELLING GOODS AT WHOLESALE. '2Q\ and (leservcdly so, provided thoy are faitliiully distributed in i)ul)lio })laecH, and are durable in form. They eonibine the advantages of attractive disphiy, elieapness and per- manent publicity. Those books, especially, which giv(! an account of the industry and business resources of the town or city in which we live, are invariably useful, and, when well designed a!id emanating from responsible sources, should receive the united support of all the business men of the place, wholly irrespective of expectations of in- dividual profit, for no evidence of enterprise is more con- vincing than a brilliant array of cards in a work of local interest, and by putting on the appearance of business the reality generally will follow. 207. Which is the more profitable in the end, to sell at a small advance on cost for cash or short credits, or for a large percentage of profit on long credits? It will astonish any one who has never examined the sub- ject hoio small profits on short credits will accumulate in com- parison with large profits on long credits. One Hiousand dollars turned over every four months at 10 jxjr cent, profit will amount, in six years, to $5,559 iVo- The same sum turned over every six months, at the same profit, will amount in six years to $3138 40 Do. every 12 months, at 10 per cent., in 6 yrs., 1771 66 " 18 " « " 1464 10 « 2 years, « « 1331 00 One thousand dollars, turned over every 2 yrs., at 20 per cent, profit, will in 6 yrs. amount to 1728 00 " 2073 60 <^ 2985 98 ■« 8916 10 « 26,623 33 Do. every 18 months, « " 12 « (( « 6 « *t « 4 u << 22 'II l> M aft2 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. Thus a man may make a profit of only $728, or a profit of over $25,000, from the same capital, in the 8ame time, ami by selling at the same jHircentage of profit, with merely a (Hffereuce in the length of credit which he gives. 208. What error do merchants and manufacturers some- times make in their discounts on bills for merchandise sold? In not observing that there is an essential diiference be- tween the an the value of the security offered. Some years ago the directors of one of the old banks in Boston had occasion to look back over their records for forty years, and they found that, of the one thousand accounts which were opened with them in starting, only six remained : the others had either failed, or died destitute of property. But the bank stood, though nine hundred and ninety-ft.ur out of a thousand of its original customers failed; and until merchants adopt banking principles in their scrutiny of credits they will continue to fall as the leaves in the forest, sometimes singly and alone, and then again altogether in the whirlwind of panics. Neither manufacturers nor merchants will ever be per- manently prosperous so long as they are subject to the losses inseparable from the present system of giving credit, or until buyers can arrange their loans with bankers, and not think of tendering to merchants anything less valuable than pledges of the nation's faith in exchange for mer- chandise : in other words, when it will be the business of merchants to sell goods, and of bankers to sell credits. 211. Where credit is solicited by a new customer, what precautions should be universally taken? SELLING GOODS AT WHOLESALE. 265 To require the applicant to register in a book such par- ticulars in regard to his circumstances as a creditor ought to know. This should be done, not in exceptional cases, or after a verbal inquiry or lengthened conversation, but at the outset, as a matter of course, precisely as applicants for life insurance are required to answer a preliminary series of printed questions. This statement should include not only the amount of the assets and the liabilities, but whether any part of the capital is borrowed, and, if so, whether the amount so borrowed is " confidential ; " and if not, whether it is his intention, in case of difficulty, that the loan shall be paid before other debts; and of the liabilities, what proportion are "confidential," and what are "general;" the amount of his collateral engagements, as indorser, surety, or guarantor ; the amount of goods he has already purchased at other houses, or intends to purchase ; for if you knew he intended to buy $50,000 on a capital of $5000 it is probable you would not care to credit him. A statement of this kind should be required periodically, and one of the inquiries should be whether any change in his circumstances had taken place since the preceding state- ment. Where it was the uniform rule of the house, applicable to all alike, to require a written statement from credit buyers, no one worthy of receiving credit would ob- ject to giving it; on the contrary, all such would solicit the privilege. " When a party obtains goods upon false statements of his financial condition, and upon false representation that the said goods are to be retailed in due course of business, he will be held guilty of fraud if he dispose of the goods other than in the ordinary course of business, and, upon conviction, may be punished by imprisonment for such a term as the court may see proper." Charge of Justice Blodgett to the jury in U. S. vs. Frank, 3 B. R. 176. 266 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. « 212. What representations, with regard to his solvencj, made by a person soliciting credit will, if false, render him liable for obtaining goods by a false pretence? The decisions are not uniform, but the courts seem to make a distinction between answers to interrogatories and representations voluntarily made as an inducement to give credit. " To say, as in this case," says Judge Tracy, " that an untrue reply to an inquiry made of a person how much he is worth, or whether he is embarrassed, is what the statute means by a false pretence, is to give to it a sweep- ing and mischievous construction which, if carried out to all the cases it would reach, no court could enforce, no commu- nity could tolerate. But when a man voluntarily, not in answer to interrogatories, represents falsely any occun'enee that has not happened or assumes a character he does not sustain, or represents himself in a situation which he knows lie is not in, to which representations persons of ordinary caution would give credit, and thereby obtain goods, money or valuable security, he is guilty of obtaining them by a false pretence." 213. When will a person who recommends another as worthy of credit, render himself liable to indemnify the seller in case the buyer defaults ? When he makes a representation that he knows to be false, with intent to deceive. The law on this point seems to be the same to-day as when Pothier wrote : " If you had only recommended Peter to his creditor as honest and able to pay, this was but advice and not any obligation ; and if Peter was at the time insolvent, you are not bound to indemnify the creditor for the sum which he loaned to Peter by means of your advice, which he has lost. The rule is the same if the advice was given rashly and indis- SELLING GOODS AT WHOLESALE. 267 creetly without being duly informed of the circumstances of Peter, provided it was sincerely given. But if the recommendation was made in bad faith, and vnth knowledge that Peter was insolvent; in this case you are bound to indemnify the creditor." 214. When Lpplication is made to a merchant to sell goods on credit, on the faith of a letter of guaranty from a third person known to him as responsible, what precau- tions must he take to render the guaranty available ? He must see that the promise is expressed in plain and unambiguous words, for a surety is never bound beyond the precise scope of his undertaking, and that, in case of loss, it is safe to assume he will seek every loop-hole or flaw in his engagement, by which he may evade responsi- bility. He must see that the letter, if addressed at all, is addressed correctly to him or his firm, for it was decided that where James & Joseph N. furnished goods on a letter of guaranty addressed to James & Jeremiah N., the guar- antor was not liable, though manifestly the letter was intended for them ; and so where B furnished goods on letter of guaranty addressed to B <& Co., that firm having dissolved their copartnership, it was held that the guar- antor was not liable to B. A merchant who furnishes goods on the faith of a letter of ci-edit should also give the guarantor notice that he has done so, that he may know " when and to whom, and to what extent he :s bound ; and consequently he may be able to watch over the debtor for whom he engages, and in season demand such counter securities as may be useful to him." When the merchant receives a letter of guaranty signed by a firm, he should ex- amine closely, before parting with property on the faith in it, and see whether it comes within the scope of their part- 268 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. nership business to give such a guaranty, for " if the act of one partner do not concern the partnership business, or be not in the usual course of their trade, though made in the name of the firm, it will not be binding on the other partners, except by their express or implied consent." 215. Suppose that A engages to become responsible for B for a specific amount, say $1000, is the guaranty ter- minated when that amount has been trusted and paid for, or does it continue so long as that amount, credited fr( n time to time, remains unpaid ? The rule would seem to be, that where a guaranty ib limited as to amount, but not as to time, it may be con- strued as a continuing guaranty ; but where neither amount nor time is expressed upon its face, it cannot be extended beyond the first parcel of goods delivered upon it, unless otherwise stated in express terms or by necessary implication. The decisions, however, are not uniform, and the safer rule for a seller to adopt is that of a strict con- struction, or, in the language of Chief Justice Story, " in doubtful cases the presumption ought to be against hold- ing a guaranty to be continuing." [The following is a model form of a letter of guaranty for a creditor to receive ; for it cost the lady drawer nearly $50,000, and therefore its virtue haa been tested : " Messrs. McCalmont, Bros, & Co., London. Gents : In consideration of Messrs. J. & A. Lawrence having a credit with your house, and in further consideration of one dollar paid me by yourse.^ yes, receipt of which I hereby acknowledge, I engage to you that they shall fulfil the engagements they have made, and shall make with you for meeting and reimbursing the payments which you may assume under such credit at their request, together with your charges, and I guaranty you from all payments and damages by reason of their default. ; . . " You are to consider thiii a standing and continuing guaranty witLout SELLING GOODS AT WHOLESALE. 269 the necessity of your apprising rae frona time to time of your engage- ments and advances for tlieir house ; and in case of a change of partners in your firm or tiieirs, the guaranty is to apply, and continue to trans- actions afterward between the lirms, as changed, until notified by nie to the contrary. " Yours respectfully, "SUSAN LAWRENCE."] 216. Suppose a person tells a merchant to let another have a bill of goods on credit and he will be responsible for the payment, is this a sufficient guaranty ? In England, and in most of the American States, the statute to prevent frauds provides, that no action can be brought upon any special promise to answer for the debts of another person unless there is some memorandum in writing signed by the party to be charged, and conse- quently a promise of guaranty, except it be in writing, is invalid. A merchant who furnishes goods under such cir- cumstances, and has neglected to have the guaranty reducetl to writing, had better charge the goods directly to the guarantor on his books of entry, for if he charge the party for whose use they were obtained, or if he charge them both, the guarantor will not be liable. 217. Suppose a person recommending another as worthy of credit writes, that he " would have no objection to guaranty" his accounts, will this amount to a guaranty? This will be considered as a mere oifer or overture to guaranty, and neither in law nor equi^- can a man be held responsible to pay the debts of another unless his undertaking manifests a dear intention to bind himself for the debt. Whenever a seller intends to hold another as a guarantor he should require a plain and explict declara- tion of obligation. 270 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. Even a distinct promise made in writing to guaranty a credit already given is worthless in law for want of consid- eration unless the credit was originally given at the guar- antor's request. I 21 8. What obligation does the law impose upon a seller to disclose defects in the articles he offers for sale ? \v here the defects are patent and open, as for instance a horse that is blind, the law presumes that the buyer knew of the defect, if nothing was said by the seller to mislead him ; but icre they are latent and concealed, and the buyer does not rely on his own judgment, but on that of the seller who knew or might have knovm the existence of the defects, the law implies a warranty against latent defects. But " if the buyer do not rely on the seller," says Story in his " Treatise on Sales," " and the seller be not aware of the existence of a latent defect, and do no act and say no word in relation to the article sold which has a tendency to mislead the purchaser, the rule of cavexit emptor would apply. He must, however, be very careful not to do, or say anything calculated in the slight- est degree to mislead the buyer or the contract will not be binding. But in cases where the defect is latent and such that the vendee could not by the closest and strictest attention detect it, he is always understood to rely upon the openness of the seller, and if the seller, knowing of the existence of such latent defect, do not disclose it, such a concealment is considered as a fraud which annuls the contract." 219. When goods have been sold, what duty does the law impose upon the seller? To prepare them for delivery. If they have been sold SELLING GOODS AT WJIOLFSALE. zn by weight, or measure, or number, it is the seller's duty to weigh, number or measure them at his own expense and set them apart from the rest, and so long as anything remains to be done by him, in order to distinguish, identify or separate the goods, they are at his risk, whether they have been paid for or not. If, in such cases, the seller have done all that is required of him as to a part, but something remains to be done to the rest, the risk of the goods which are ready is in the buyer, but the risk of those which are not ready is in the seller. Where, by the usage of trade, any special acts are required to be done by him, they im- pliedly form a part of the terras of his contract, and he is bound to perform them. 220. When goods have been sold and made ready for delivery but not paid for, what right does the law give the seller over them before actual delivery? The right of lien, by which he is enabled to retain pos- session until payment is made, unless by the terms of the bargain, credit was to be given ; and in case the goods have been forwarded and the buyer becomes insolvent when he has the right of stopping and retaking them, if lie can do so before they actually come into the buyer's possession, called in law the right of stoppage in transitu. The right of the seller to stop the goods on their way to the buyer, in case of his insolvency, is not ended until they have actually been delivered, or third persons have acquired rights to them in good faith, as by the bona fide assignment of the bill of lading. When, however, the buyer gets actual pos- session of the goods, whether by delivery into his hands or at his warehouse, or at some warehouse used by him, or into the hands of his agent, the right of stoppage is gone. J^'!!^. 7^ i II m m 272 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. 221. What is the duty of the seller with regard to the care of goods sold but not delivered? The mcafiure of diligence required of tlie seller in keeping the articles sold is that of a depository. He is obliged to exercise common and ordinary diligence, but not the most exact and scrupulous care. If the goods be destroyed in consequence of his gross neglect or direct fault, he will be responsible therefor even after default of the buyer to remove the goods according to his agreement. 222. What is the duty of the seller with respect to the shipment of goods to a distant place ? It is the duty of the seller to follow the buyer's direc- tions with regard to the way of sending the goods, and if he disregard such orders, he is responsible for their loss in transportation. If no directions be given or if they be general, a seller who follows the usual course will be pro- tected. On delivering goods to a carrier, the seller must be careful to secure to the consignee a remedy against the carrier by tiiking a receipt or bill of lading, and if they be sent by ship or otherwise, it is the seller's duty to notify the buyer of the fact so that he may insure them or take other precautions for their safety. 223. Is it the duty of a seller to INSURE GOODS in course of transportation to the buyer ? If it has been the usage between the parties for the seller to insure, or if he has received specific instructions to insure in any particular case, he must do so or be liable for any loss occasioned by his negligence. CHAPTER XVI. BUYING AND SELLING MERCHANDISE. 6. SELLING BY AGENTS, AUCTIONEERS, BROKERS, ETC. 224. ^Wf HAT are the pi'incipal dasaes of commercial agents f Auctioneers, brokers, factors, or, as tliey are usually called in the United States, commission merchants, are the principal classes into \/hich commercial agents are divided. 225. What are the legal rights of Auctioneers ? An auctioneer is a person authorized to sell goods or property at pul)lic auction, for a commission. Before the knocking down, he is exclusively agent of the seller; but after this he becomes also the agent of the purchaser, and the latter is [)resumed to give him authority, to write down his name as purchaser. The memorandum, so made, will bind both parties. A bid, however, is considered in the law as a mere offer, and may be retracted at any time be- fore the knocking do\»^n, which signifies acceptance. 226. Is an auctioneer permitted to employ by-bidders, or to sell on credit ? An auctioneer has no right to place hindrances in the way of bidders, or to employ by-bidders to run up the price, and a buyer who discovers that he has done so may 18 278 274 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. refuse to take the gootls, even if the fraudulent act was done without the knowledge of their owner. An auctioneer, however, may withdraw any article ottered, as a bidder may withdraw his bid before the article m " knocked down," but not afterwards ; for then the sale is completed, and the ownership passes to the buyer. Neither an auctioneer nor a broker has a right to sell on credit unless this privilege is given him expressly, or by some known and established usage. 227. What is the legal definition of a Broker? A broker is an agent employed to negotiate between other parties, and he is presumed to act not in his own name, but in the names of those who employ him. Hence, if he sell the goods of his principal, in his own name, without some special authority, the principal will have the same rights and remedies as if the name had been disclosed. The purchaser in such case cannot set off a debt due him from the broker, against the claim of the principal, and pay- ment cannot in general be safely made to a broker when the principal is known. 228. Are there instances where a broker may be en- titled to his commission, even if the bargain be completed by another? The rule with regard to charter-parties, effected through brokers, is said to be this . that if a broker recognized by both parties as their agent, "communicates to the mer- chant what the shipowner charges, and also communicates to the shipowner what the merchant will give, and he names the ship and the parties, so as to identify the trans- action, and a charter-party be ultimately effected for that voyage, the broker is entitled to his commission ; but if he SELLING BY AGENTS, ETC. 275 docs not mention tlio names so as to identify the trans- uction, he docs not got his conrnission, to the exclusion of another broker wIjo afterwards intnxhiccs the parties to each other." This rule, it is probable, would apj)ly in other contracts effected through brokers. 229. Where a property subject to incumbi'ancea is sold through a broker, is he entitled to charge a comoiission on the gross amount of the sale ? In employing a broker or auctioneer, to sell property on which there are incumbrances, it is advisable to have aw understanding, whether he shall charge a ci)mmission on the gross or net amount of the sale ; for, in the absence of an agreement, it is probable he will be legally justified in charging his commission on the whole amount, including the incumbrances. A broker will not be entitled to a commission where he has been guilty of such gross negligence, or unskilfulness in conducting the business, as to render what he has done altogether useless to his principal, or actually hurtful to him ; nor for business done after notice that his authority has been revoked. A factor or broker, some writers assert, will likewise cease to be entitled to his commission, in the event of his becoming the executor or administrator of his principal. 230. What is the legal definition of a Factor? A factor, or commission merchant, is an agent employed to sell goods consigned, or delivered him, by or for his principal, for a commission. A factor may buy and sell" in his own name, as well as in the name of his principal. He is distinguished from a broker by the fact, that he has possession of the goods ; and when the latter has possession of what he is employed to sell, or is empowered to obtain 276 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. 'H I ;: i I porisoisslon of what he bu^'8, ho is in these cases prnporly u facte »r. Thus, a note broker who has [mHWission of the noto.s ho oHers to sell on diHcount, or a st'X'k broker who lius the otM'tiHcates of stock (h'livered into his posHesHion, is actually wliat tlie law calls a factor, and has a Hen on the property held by him for his charges and conunissions. 231. What is the power of a factor to bind his prin- cipal within the .scope of his employment? A known factor can bind a principal by all [)urcha.sc9 or sales as factor, whether he has ever been employed before by the same principal in the saiiie direction or not, and such power cannot be limited by private in.structiems with which persons dealing with the factor are not aecpiainted. " Whenever it is proved that A is agent of B, whatever A does, or says, or icritcs within the scope of his general authority at the time of making the contract, binds B." A principal is bound by the concealment of any material fact on the part of his general agent as well as by his o[)en declarations and admissions. If a cargo of goods be con- signed to a commission merchant with instructions to make an insurance thereon, and he conceal any material fact, the underwriters will be discharged ; and if a factor sell goods of one kind or quality, and represent them to be of another, the merchant will be liable for the consequences of such fraudulent act, although there has been no fraud on his part. A payment made to a factor will bind the principal, unless the latter has given the debtor an express notice not to pay him. " Let a man take heed what factor he makes/' is the caution of an old law writer. 232. What is the first and great duty of a factor, or commission merchant? , HSLLINQ BY AGENTS, ETC. 277 To olK!y tmlciv Htrietly, and generi '" witlioiit regard to constHjiuMicofl. If goods be cotihigned to Hell on arrimd, the coDHigiire niUHt 8ell on thu Hixt opportunity, and no cirouniHtunccH, knowlwlgo, or dwire to benefit hi.s print'ipnl will justify him in )\olding for a change in the niark(>t. By Haying, however, that he niuHt sell at the firnt oppor- tunity, it in not meant that he must clor^c with the ilrKt ofler, be it what it may, but that he niunt mulcc the sale without delay, at the best pri 242. What is the common form of a Promissory note ? 284 FliOMISSOBY NOTES. 285 The common form of a promissory note, in the United States, is: — "1^1000. (place) (date) days (or months) after date, I (or we) promise to pay to the order of A B One Thousand Dollars, value received." Signeil "CD." In Pennsylvania it is customary to insert tho words, "without defalcation," before "value received;" and in Missouri, to render a note negotiable, it is said a statute regulation requires that the word "negotiable" ap- pear on the face of it. A modern innovation, adopted by mercantile men to facilitate the transfer of notes without requiring the holder's indorsement, is to make them paya- ble to the maker's own order, with his indorsement, some- times expressing, " for value received " of the party to whom it is given. No particular words, however, are necessary to constitute a promissory note, and the form may be varied at will, provided it always amounts to a written 'promise for the 'payment of money, absolutely and at all events, and provided it interferes with no statute regula- tion. Thus, a receipt for money " to be returned when called for," or a promise to be accountable or responsible to an individual named, for a certain sum of money, or an instrument drawn — "I, A B, promise to pay C D Four Hundred Dollars," without any signature at the bottom, has been decided to be a good note. The signer of a note is called the maker, the one to whom the promise is made is called the payee, and when he writes his name on the back or face of the note he be- comes an indor ser. 243. What are the peculiar privileges with which the law invests Promissory notes and Bills of exchange ? It assumes that a valuable consideration was given for a bill or note; and though the maker of a note may 24 ^^w> if 280 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. escape piiyment when sued hy a payee, on the ground of I'ailure of consideration, yet tJic law compels him to prove there was no consideration. It allows bills and notes to be assigned when payment is directed to be made to the j)ayee, or his order, or to bearer, by the latter writing his name on the back of the instrument, and when properly transferred, the holder can sue and recover in his own name; and further, such assignment, when made before maturity, and in the usual course of business and for a valuable consideration, gives the assignee a better title than his assignor had. Any defence or set-off which the maker of the note may have had against the payee is not available against a third person, a bona fide holder without notice. The law, however, fixes a grave responsibility u[)on a })crson who transfers a note or bill payable to bearer or order, by writing his name on the back of it. A man liiay write his name on the back of a bond or an assignment of a book-debt, and he guarantees nothing more than that it is due and the title is good ; but a man who assigns a bill, or negotiates a note by putting his name on it, unless he qualifies tK<> act by words limiting his responsibility as " without recourse on me," engages that he will pay it if the proper party does not, provided the holder demands payment and gives him due notice of de- fault. He becomes an indorscfr — a word of ominous im- port to thousands whose fortunes have been wrecked by unguarded indorsements. 244. What is the effect and form of an indorsement on a Promissory note? Only a note or bill payable to a certain person or order is in the Jaw-merchant, and, strictly speaking, subject to indorsement. The words "or order" is the negotiable riiOMISSOItY XOTES. element whiiih transifers tlio ori«;inal promise to the in- dorsee of any number of indorscrH. Each indorser, by his indorsement, does two things : first, he orders the ante- cedent parties to pay to his indorsee ; and secondly, he engages with his indorsee, that, if they do not pay, he will. It is usually said there are but two forms of indorse- ment — an indorsement in blank, which is simply writing the name on the back or face of a note (which makes it transferable as if it had been originally payable to bearer), and an indorsement in full, as " pay to A B or order," and then the note cannot be transferred except by A B's in- dorsements. There is, however, another form of indorse- ment sometimes used, which may be called a special in- dorsement, fis " pay to A B only ; " then A B is indorsee, but cannot indorse it over. This is often done for secu- rity ; that is, to guard against the loss of the note by accident or theft. It is the opinion of some law writers, that our railroad and corporation bonds, and all instru- ments payable to bearer, may be protected by special in- dorsement, so that if lost, the finder will not acquire any property in them which he can transfer to others; but at the same time it must be remembered that every indorse- ment or signature on a coupon bond lessens its salal)le value in the market. 245. Supposing an instrument of writing, in the form of a Promissory note, have a seal attached, does this change its legal character? It is no longer, in the eyes of the law, a promissory note, and has none of the peculiar privileges with which the law invests mercantile paper. Whatever may be its form, if it have a seal, it is a specialty and not a negotiable note, and o-onsequently an indorsement in blank, on the back of 286 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. it, docs not make the indorscr liable as sucli, and it is also Hubjcct, in the hands of the h^i.ler, to wluitever defences the maker may have apiinst the original payee, thonfjjh he may have p'uvhascd it in the market before it was due, for valuable consideration ' nd without notice. 246. What is the exception to the rule that a note or bill is go(xl in tiie hands of a bona fide holder who has received it from the payee or an indorser and given value for it? Where a holder hns notice at the time he obtains it that the note is void in the hands of the payee, either from fraud, or want of consideration, ho will take it subject to the same equities and disabilities as the payee. Thus if A makes a note to B or order which somehow B defrauds A out of, B cannot, of course, sue A upon it. But if B in- dorses the note for value to C, and C to D, and D to E, and. so on, any one of these indorsees who does not know of the fraud can recover the amount of it from A. But no one of them, who had notice or knowledge of the fraud before he bought the note, can sue A upon it. 247. Do accommodation notes differ essentially from notes given for merchandise sold or money borrowed? An accommodation note between the original parties, that is, the maker and the payee, is invalid for want of consideration; but when it passes into the hands of a third person who buys or discounts it, before its maturity, it is even better than other notes, because he can recover upon it even though he knew there was no consideration given for it. Thus, " if A makes a note to B or his order," says Parsons in his work on Contracts, " intending to lend B his credit, and gives it to B to raise money on, B cannot sue PROMISSORY NOTES. A on that note ; but if he indorses it to C, who discounts the note in good faith, but knowing it to be an accomniodution note, and without vahmble consideration, C can, neverthe- less, recover the note from A. The maker may tiierefore have a defence against the payee which he cannot have against an indorsee with knowledge of that defence. But this is true only where the consideration paid by the in- dorsee may be regarded as going to the maker in the same manner that it would if the payee had been promiser and the maker had signed the note as his surety. In general, accommodation notes or bills are now governed by the same rules as negotiable paper for consideration." 248. What is the rule for computing when notes become due? In calculating the maturity of notes the first rule is — to exclude the day of the date. That is, a note dated on the first day of January, 1876, payable ten days after date, without grace will be due on the eleventh (not tenth) day of January, and with grace on the fourteenth. Another universal rule of the commercial world is to construe a month in all cases of negotiable instruments to be a calen- dar and not a lunar month. Thus, a note dated on the thir- tieth day of January, payable in one month, will become due on the 28th day of February, if the year be not bis- sextile, and if it be, on the twenty-ninth day of February, and grace is to be calculated from and after the 28th or 29th day of February accordingly. A note dated on the twenty-ninth day of November, payable in three months, is due, including days of grace, on the third of March following. [These days of grace, which take their name from being days of indul- gence to the maker, originated in a usage of merchants at an early period, 19 MO COMMON SENSE IN TiUSfNESS. when precioiiH iiR'talH wore «c»rce. The usnge hofl now become a ponlflve riRht ; and in Flngliind and America, and moHt commercial conntriiw, with the exception of Krancc, it can be iiiHiHted on by ti>e nuil' ] ■ .t ■ - '-i .;i.* h^': \M M- ,-J;;.jii: ;l|:'' &• :■' hj ■■':"J;|Rji j lil ' '-iml - , 'tW'^ ' il 1 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. iiig notice to the antecedent parties ; for, if he should miss a day without any legal excuse for the omission, a link in the regular chain will be broken, and all the prior parties will be discharged from their obligations to him, unless, indeed, they shall have received notice from some other party to the note to whom such indorser is liable. If the indorser's residence is not known, some time is allowed to make inquiries ; and if, after the exercise of due and reasonable diligence, it cannot be found, the holder is absolved from giving notice. In the case of a foreign bill of exchange, or a bill drawn in one State upon a person residing in another, a protest by a notary is absolutely necessary ; but in respect to Promissory notes, a demand and notice by the holder in person or his agent, whether verbal or in writing, will be sufficient to hold the indorsers, provided the facts can be proved by competent and disinterested evidence. But inasmuch as by statute enactments in most of the States, the protests and certificates of notaries public are prima fade evidence of the facts set forth in them, it is always advisable to place notes which have not been paid at 3 p.m. in the hands of a notary. It is his duty to use all due diligence to give notice to the indorsers, and if a loss occur through his neglect he is liable to the holder. 251 . What is the effect, if an indorser waives notice, or waives demand, by writing these or equivalent words over his signature ? A right to notice may be waived by any agreement to that effect prior to the maturity of the paper. It is quite common for an indorser to write, " I waive notice," or " I waive demand," or some words of similar import, but it must be remembered that these rights are independent, and BILLS OF EXCHANGE. one does not imply the other. An indorser who waives demand may not require notice of non-payment; but a waiver of notice of non-payment does not imply a waiver of demand ; therefore if an indorser write on the note, " I waive notice," still he will be discharged if there be not due demand on the maker. 252. What is it prudent to do before taking or purchasing a note that is overdue ? To obtain from the maker an admission in writing, or in the presence of witnesses, that he has no defence or sct-oif. A person who takes a note, even for value, after it has been dishonored or is overdue, takes it subject to all the equities which properly attach thereto between the original parties ; and if the maker has paid part, or the whole, or if it was giverk for the accommodation of the payee, the holder can- not recover more than the payee could have recovered. If, however, the maker admit before the transfer that he has no defence or set-off, he will then be estopped from claiming one after the transfer made upon faith in his statement. 253. What is the effect of making an alteration in a note after it has passed into a state of negotiation ? A material alteration in a bill or note, as in the date, or sum, or time of payment, will discharge all parties who have not consented to such alteration. Every fraudulent alteration amounts to a forgery. " To misapply a genuine signature, to sign the name of a fictitious non-existing person, or to sign a man's own name with an intention that the signature should pass for the signature of anotlier person of the same name, are as much forgeries as to fraudulently write the name of an existing person." 1 ■ ,;' 294 COMMON SENSE IK BUSINESS. 254. \yiiat is the effect of releasing the makers or prior iudorsers of a note? A release of the maker, or of one joint maker of a note, by the holder, is a discharge of all the indorsers, and a re- lease of the antecedent indorsers is a discharge of subse- quent indorsers. Accommodation notes are in this respect l)lacecl upon the same footing as notes for value. 255. When must bills of exchange, payable at sight, or indorsed notes, payable on demand, be presented for pay- ment in order to hold the indorsers ? The law does not assign a precise time within which sight bills must be presented for acceptance and payment; but the holder must bear the loss proceeding from a neglect of presentment for an unreasonable time. So of indorsed notes, i^ayable on demand. In Massachusetts it is provided by statute that such notes shall be presented within sixty days without grace, from the date of note, and a forbearance to demand payment for a longer period will discharge the indorser. On refusal of payment, the indorser must have prompt notice as in other cases. 256. Are there instances where the maker of a note may be compelled to pay it twice ? A maker of a note is bound to see that payment is made to the true proprietor of the note, or his authorized agent or personal representatives. It is true that in ordinary cases the possession of a note is sufficient to entitle the person producing it to receive payment thereof; but if the signature of the payee or other indorser has been forged, or if the note has been indorsed in full, as " pay to A or order," and a person, falsely representing himself as A, re- ceives payment, such payment will not discharge the maker. BILLS OF EXCHANGE. 2&5 So payment of a note before it is due is no extinguishment of the debt ; and if it subsequently get into the hands of a bona fide holder, the latter will still be entitled to full payment from the maker at its maturity. 257. In what respect do bills of exchange differ from promissory notes ? Bills of exchange and drafts are written orders or requests for the payment of a certain sum of money to a person therein named, or to his order, or to bearer. When the order is addressed to a person residing in a foreign state or country it is called a bill ; and when both parties reside in the same state or country it is usually called a draft. To insure safety, bills of exchange are generally drawn in sets of three — one being paid, the others to be void. No form is prescribed in which the order or request must be drawn to entitle it to the privileges established by law in favor of bills of exchange ; but it must be for the pay- ment of money only, and for payment absolutely and at all events, and not upon a contingency that may or may not happen. 258. When and where should bills or drafts be presented for acceptance ? Bills payable at sight, or at so many days after sight, or after demand, must be presented j the drawee for acceptance; and when accepted the drawee is called the acceptor, and is primarily liable for the payment. Bills drawn at so many months after date need not be presented for acceptance, only for payment ; but nevertheless it is advisable to present all bills for acceptance. Bills should be presented for acceptance at the usual t96 COMMON s'e:nse m BUSINJiJISIS. M place of business of the drawee, or at his residence ; and if he have left the country, at his house or to his known agent; or if the drawee is dead, to his personal repre- sentatives. 269. Can a bill be regard'^d as accepted, unless the acceptance be in writing and si< iied by the drawee? The approved form of accepting bills of exchange is to write the word "Accepted" across their face, and the ac- ceptor's signature ; but an acceptance may be valid though irregular in form, and even if not signed by the drawee; any expressions indicative of an intention to pay the bill when due being in many cases sufficient. Indeed, so liberal have courts been in construing such expressions to be acceptances, that they have decided that the words " pre-^ sented," " seen," or the day of the month written upon bills by the drawee, prima fade amount to acceptances. They have held that a promise to accept a bill already drawn upon an executed consideration, or that " the bill shall meet with due honor," or that the drawee will cer- tainly pay the bill, to be valid acceptances. " But, though a promise to accept a non-existing biJI may probably amount to an acceptance if some person be thereby influenced to take the bill, yet it will not in any other case ; and a promise by the drawee to the drawer who is not the payee, that the bill ^fehall have attention,' is no acceptance, unless in the course of their dealings it has usually been considered such; and there are other cases, each depending on its own peculiar circumstances, in which equivocal words have been held not to amount to an acceptance. Hence, the only general rule that can be safely given, is to demand that the acceptance shall be- in writing and signed by the acceptor." ..■■1 I I;. GEORGE PEABODY, The Great Philanthropist. B ■-^:jm BILLS OF EXCHANGE. 209 260. Is a holder of a Bill of exchange justified in taking an acceptance that varies from the terms expressed in tlwi bill, either in the sum, time, place or mode of payment ? A holder will not be justified in taking any acceptance that varies from the terms of the bill ; and if he do take a qualified or special acceptance, he does so at his own risk. When an unqualified or unconditional acceptance is refused, it is his duty, if he wishes to maintain a claim against the other parties, to treat the bill as dishonored, unless they assent to the proposed conditional acceptance. 261. When acceptance has been refused, should the holder have the bill protested or hold it, without protest,, for payment ? The States composing the United States are, so far as respects mercantile paper, foreign countries to each other ; and in some of them special laws require that a foreign bill of exchange shall be protested for non-acceptance,, and notice given ; in others, this is held to be unnecessary. But the safe rule to follow is, in all cases, to protest for non-acceptance, and give notice promptly to the drawer and indorsers. "A foreign bill of exchange," says Wallace, " payable so many clays after sight, must be presented to the drawer for acceptance. If accept- ance be refused, the law of Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Maryland, Virginia, and the two Carolinas, require that the bill be pro- tested for non-acceptance, and notice given. "The same rule was laid down by Judge Washington in this, the Third Circuit ; but the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has decided that pro- test and notice of non-acceptance "are unnecessary. If, therefore, a mer- chant of Philadelpliia draws a bill on Europe in favor of one of New York, who indorses it and remits it to his foreign correspondent, and the bill be refused, and at maturity protested for non-payment and notice given, the holder cannot recover against the New York indorser, because 26 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. I , I "^ !■' fiiSI ' ' ' iri ); jjl .jiiMM of want of protest, and notice of non-acceptance ; but he can recover againnt the Pennsylvania drawer, notwithstanding the want of both. But tliis is not the worst: Suppose tiuU the bill is drawn in New York and indorsed in Philadelphia, the holder can recover against the Philadelphia indorser ; but when tiiat indorser resorts to the New York drawer, he cannot recover, because no protest was made and no notice •given. Hence, no Philadelphia merchant is safe in indorsing a bill drawn In any other State; as he may be compelled to pay it as indorser, and yet fail to recover it from the drawer, on account of an omission made by a third person, and which the Philadelphia merchant could not help." When a bill is due, the holder must exercise the same •diligence in presenting it to the acceptor for payment^ and, in case of his refusal to pay it, in giving notice to the drawer and indorsers, which we previously noted in our sugges- tions to the holders of Promissory notes. The statute laws of the different States prescribe the damages which shall be paid upon bills of exchange, re- turned under protest, and the want of uniformity between those laws in this particular has been a source of considera- ble loss and inconvenience. Thus, in Virginia the damages affix' for protested bills is or was ten per cent., while in Pennsylvania it has been twenty per cent. ; and thus a Philadelphia merchant who indorses a bill drawn in Virginia, "nay be compelled to pay twenty per cent, damages, while ne can only recover from the Virginia drawer or indorsers one-half the amount. Between some of the States there is a variation of as much as fifteen per cent. 262. What is meant by the acceptance or payment of a bill of exchange supra protest, for honor? If a bill be protested for non-acceptance or non-payment/ any person may go before the notary public who protested BILLS OF EXCIIANQE. 29» the bill, and there declare that he accepts or pays the bill for honor, and designate for whose honor he accepts or pays it, which should be noted by the notary. Such per- son so accepting or paying a bill acquires an absolute claim against the party for whom he accepts or ;)ay8, and against all parties to the bill antecedent to him, for all his lawful costs, payments and advances; and this anomaly in the law-merchant presents a remarkable exception to the gen- eral rule — that no person can be the creditor of another without his request or consent. 263. Where a bill is drawn in one State or country and payable in another, with different laws, which governs ? It is a rule in general, that every contract is governed by the law of the place where it is made ; and in bills or notes, the law of the place where they are payable con- strues and governs the contract. Thus, if a bill be drawn in the United States on a firm in France, the law of France will govern the acceptance, or the protest and notice of dishonor. Again, if a firm in New York, where the legal rate of interest is seven per cent., draw a bill on a merchant of Philadelphia, and it is accepted payable " with interest," the acceptor will not be bound to pay more than the Pennsylvania rate of interest. But parties have the right to declare what shall be the place of the contract ; and it is believed that a note made in California (where there are or were no usury laws), promising to pay twenty per cent, interest, though payable in Philadelphia, would not be considered usurious by the Pennsylvania courts. But in suing on contracts or notes or bills, the Statute of Limitations of the place where the suit is brought governs, and a note may be " outlawed " in one State and not in another. III ^^i CHAPTER XVIII. INSURING GOODS — POINTS FOR INSURERS. " Inasmuch as every one has the power of avoiding risk by paying a small premium, every one whose property is small, and liable to be lost by a single accident, is culpably negligent if he sufier it to remain a moment uninsured. Specially is this the c» e, when he holds the prop- erty of others ; or when their only security for payment depends upon the stock in trade which he possesses." — Wayland. 264. ''^Itl^HAT kinds of insurance can be effected upon goods and mei'chandise f Insurance against fire, and against the perils of transportation by land and by water. The contract is an undertaking on the part of the insurers to indemnify the insured against certain enumer'- ated perils that may happen to certain specified property. The party who takes upon himself the risk is called the insurer, sometimes the underwinter, from subscribing his name at the foot of the policy ; the sum paid to the insurer as the price of the risk is called the premium ; and the in- strument in which the contract is set forth is called the polic/y. But in all cases the contract is made subject to certain conditions which the assured must comply with strictly, or his indemnity may be invalid. 265. What is it prudent to do before taking out a policy of insurance? To inquire into the solvency of the company in which 800 INSUIilNG GOODS. 301 you propose to insure, and to examine carefully the condi- tions of their policies. The object of insuring l)eing in- creased security against loss, it is folly to allow any extrinsic consideration, such as low premiums, acquaintaiuie with the officers, or any other circumstance, to tempt a man into insuring in an office of doubtful solvency. And in estimating the probable solvency of a company, it may be well to note the character and qualifications of the officers; and if men, distinguished for nothing but a want of financial talent, have been appointed to fill the cliief offices merely because they had a prefix, as " Hon.,'' to their names, it would seem a suspicious circumstance. It may also be sound policy to inquire in what manner the com- pany have settled their previous losses, and whether their names appear frequently as defendants on the records of the courts. To examine the conditions inserted in a policy previous to accepting it is a dictate of wisdom, not only because a man ought to know what the terms of his contracts are, but in order to know what descriptions and representations the company requires from persons desirous to become insured. 266. Can a person insure property that he does not own? In all contracts of insurance it is an established rule of law, that to make a policy valid and enable the assured to recover the loss, he must have an interest in the subject insured at the time when the contract is made, and when the loss occurs. He must have such an interest when the con- tract is made, otherwise it is a wager policy and void ; and when the loss occurs, otherwise he suffers no damage, and can have no claim upon the contract of indemnity. Hence, if an owner insure his house, and subsequently sell it, T- IT 802 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. ■i s V:i though it ho hurnt within the time limited, he has no legal claim upon the insurance company. It is not, however, neoeasary for the insured to have an al)Holute or unqualified interest in the property insured; a trustco, mortgagee, factor, or agent may legally insure their respective interests, subject to the rules of the different offices. In fact, it has been recently decided that a mortgagee who has insured the mortgaged property at his own ex- pense, and for his own benefit, without limiting it in terms to his interest, as mortgagee, is entitled in case of loss by fire before the payment of the debt to recover both the amount of his insurance and the mortgage debt. King vs. The State Mutual Fire Insurance Company, 7 Cush. (Mass.) R. 16. Decisions, however, which seem to oppose this ruling, may be found in Pennsylvania, in New York, in the Supreme Court of the United States, and in England. 267. Can a commission merchant, or insure goods that do not belong to him, and are ..d possession ? A consignee, or commission mei ^, may insure in his own name, against fire and against marine loss on goods " held on commission," or in transit, so as to cover the owner's interest as well as his own. But the policy should expressly state that the goods are held in trust, or on com- mission ; and it has been decided that an insurance against fire on merchandise in a warehouse, " for account of whom it may concern," protects only such interests as were in- tended to be insured at the time of effecting the insurance. [It is now common for a commission merchant to cover in one policy^ in his own name, all the goods of the various owners who have consigned to him. It has been held, that the words " held on commission " in fire policies have INSURING GOODS. I» an effect equivalent to the words " for whom it may con- cern " in marine policies.] 268. What is the effect of u FAT.8E reprehkntation of any material fact respectinjr the projK'rty inHured ? A misrepresentation, if material, vitiates a policy. A misreprcHcntation is said to be material when it communi- cates any fact or circumstance which may be reasonably supjjosed to influence the judgment of the underwriters in undertaking the risk or calculating the premium ; and whatever may be the form of the expression used by the insured or his agent in making a representation, if it have the effect of imposing upon or misleading the underwriter, it will be material and fatal to the contract. "It is a just ])rinciple in the law of insurance," says Lord Eldon, "that where a representation is material it must be complied with ; if immaterial, that immateriality may be inquired into and shown ; but if there is a loarranly, it is a part of the contract that the matter is such as it is represented to be." It is the practice of most offices to insert tlie state- ments or representations made at the time of effecting the insurance in the body of the policy. By this means they become a warranty, and preclude questions from arising u[)on the subject of the materiality or immateriality of the statements. 269. What is the effect of a concealment of any fact material to the risk ? Concealment is the converse of false representation, and the effect is the same, if, thereby, the underwriter is de- ceived as to the nature or extent of the risk. ' Thus, in a case where an insurance was made on a warehouse which was separated by one other building from the workshop of Wi COMMON 8ENSE IN BUSINESS. ■■■4" rtJM, a boat builder, which had been on fire in the afternoon of tiie day when the letter applying for the insurance was written, it was held that the circumstance of this fire ought to have been communicated to the rompany, and conse- quently they were not liable for the loss resulting from a fire which again broke ouL in the same workshop, though on a subsequent day. So it seems that the fact that a particular individual had threatened to burn the premises in revenge for a supposed injury, should be disclosed to the insurer ; and even the rumor of an attempt to set fire to a neighboring building should be communicated ; " because the insurer should be informed of any unusual fact, or any use of the building materially enhancing the risk." A pending litigation, affecting the premises insured, and not communicated, will not vitiate a policy. *, 270. What is the general rule with regard to questions that are asked by insurance companies? Every question that is asked should be answered, and all answers should be as precise as the question requires. If there is a provision in the policy that a certain fact, if existing, as for instance that there are incendiaries at work In the neighborhood, must be stated : silence in reference to it would be fatal. Concealment in an answer to a specific question can seldom or never be justified by showing that it was not material. Thus, in general, nothing need be said about the title to a property, but if it be inquired about, full and accurate answers must be given. 271. Where there is a scale of premiums attached to a policy, what is the effect of representing a property or stock to be of a differe? v class than that to which it belongs, in order to reduce the premium? INSUIUH^G GOODS. m^ The law is well settled that if a statement is made by an tipplicant, which puts his building or stock in trade into a class of which the risk and premium are less than for the class to which it actually belongs, and in that way an in- surance is effected at less premium, the policy is undoubt- edly void, even if the false statement were made innocently. Thus, in the case of the New Castle Insurance Company vs. Maemoran & Company, where the defendants represented their factory to belong to the first class of risks, when it really belonged to the second, the only difference between the two being in the length of the stove-pipe, and which, after the policy was issued, was altered to conform to the state- ment made, it was held that the variation at the time of the execution of the policy was fatal, and the parties lost their insurance. . , 272. Where goods or other property are insured and classified according to the scale of risks described in the policy, is the insured permitted to introduce upon the premises articles that belong to the more hazardous classes? The general rule is, that where certain trades or occupa- tions or kinds or classes of property are enumerated as "hazardous," or otherwise specified as peculiarly exposed to risk, the repression of one thing excludes what is not ex- pressed. But this rule is generally construed in a liberal or at least not arbitrary manner. Thus, it does not apply where a single article, or one or two, ij kept in a store as part of a stock of goods, although that article, as cotton in bales, is among those enumerated as hazardous. So, if the ^' storing of spirituous liquors " be prohibited, the keeping of wine or brandy in a house for domestic consumption, or even for sale by retail to boarders, would not discharge the insurers. It has even been held that where the "storing'* 20 I 806 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. ' / of certain articles was prohibited as hazardous, the having a pipe or two of such articles in the cellar from which smaller vessels in the store were replenished did not come within the meaning of the word "storing" in the policy, any more than the keeping of such articles for home con- sumption in a dwelling-house insured by ^i similar policy. 273. Can alterations be made in an insured building without consent of the insurers? Where it is desired to make alterations in a premises during the continuance of the policy of insurance, it is always advisable to notify the insurers and obtain their consent. But if this be neglected, or if they refuse con- sent, it is the opinion of men skilled in the law that alter- ations may still be made without vitiating the insurance, unless they cause a material increase of the danger from fire. The same general rule applies to repairs, or in other words, the insured may repair without especial leave, and the insurers are liable, although the fire take place while the repairs are going on, and even if it be caused by the repairs. [Suppose a man gets his dwelling-house insured for a term of years, truly describing it as having a shingled roof. After two or three years he determines to take off the shingles, but says nothing to the insurers about it. If he now put on slates, or any metallic covering which does not require soldering, he does not increase the risk, nor is the work of putting on the new covering hazardous, and there seem to be no grounds for its having any effect on the policy. But if the new covering be secured by solder- ing, which is a hazardous operation, and the building takes fire in consequence of this operation, the insurers are cer- tainly not liable.] INSURING GOODS. 3U7 274. What is the effect of insuring the same property in more than one company without giving notice of the other insurances? Policies usually contain a condition requiring notice of all previous insurances upon the same property to be given to them at or before the time of making the insurance, and of all subsequent insurances within a reasonable time there- after, or the policy to be void and of no effect ; but without this special condition in the policy, a party effecting a double insurance can only recover the actual amount of his loss, and if he sue one insurer for the whole, that insurer may compel the others to contribute in proportion to the sums they have respectively insured. Doul)]e insur- ances without notice are said to be opposed to tl»e first principles of insurance, for in this way an individual might recover many indemnities, for one loss, which would open a great temptation to fraud. Where an insurance has been effected on the same prop- erty in several different offices, and one or more of" llicm becomes insolvent, it is prudent to surrender or cancel the policies in such companies, and give notice to the others, for, in case of loss, the solvent companies will only pay their proportion of all existing policies. Thus, an ad- ditional insurance in a weak company may reduce, instead of increase, the total insurance. 275. What is necessary to give validity to an assign- ment of a policy of insurance? Great care should be taken to have all transfers of poli- cies regularly made and notified, and the consent of the company duly indoreed or certified, and all the rules or usages of the insurers in this respect complied with. It has been before observed that the insured, in order to m ' f! 808 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. recover on a policy of insurance, must have an interest in the subject of the insurance at the time of the insuring, and also when the loss happens. The mere assignment of a policy is useless, unless the subject insured is assigned also ; but if a policy be assigned to a person already in the possession of the subject insured, and the office allows the assignment, it will bind them — the assignment, as against them, being considered a new contract. Without notice^ however, it is very questionable whether the holder can have any legal demand against the insurers, notwithstand- ing the assignment ; and if the assignment be made to him after the fire happens, and without consent of the office, though he may have become possessed of the premises or goods before the time of the fire, it is certain he cannot recover. 276. Is the damage which is caused by the indirect effect of excessive heat covered by an insurance against fire? The risk taken being that of fire the insurers are not chargeable for any damage which is not caused directly by ignition or combustion. But "if there be actual ignition, the insurers are liable for the immediate consequences, as the injury from water used to extinguish the fire, or injury to and loss of goods caused by their removal from imme- diate danger of fire ; but not from a mere apprehension from a distant fire, even if it be reasonable ; and not if the loss or injury might have been avoided by even so much care as is usually given in times of so much excitement and confusion." [Lightning is not fire ; and if property be destroyed by lightning, the insurers are not liable unleas there was also ignition, or unless the policy expressly insured against INSUBING GOODS. 309 lightning. An explosion caused by gunpowder is a loss by fire; not so, it is said, is an explosion caused by steam. Scientifically, it might be difficult to draw a wide distinc- tion between these cases; but the diiference seems to be sufficient for the law.] 277. Will a policy of insurance on household furni- ture, or siocK IN A STORE, cover articles not strictly of this description ? It has been decided that an insurance expressed to be on household furniture would not cover jewels, plate, paintings, statuary, sculpture, or other similar articles of mere ornament; and that by an insurance on a "stock in a store," books of account, securities, or evi- dences of debt, deeds, writings, money or bullion, unless particularly specified, arc not protected. It is not uncom- mon for companies that insure plate, pictures, statuary, books, or the like, to agree on what shall be the value in case of loss. 278. Can goods that are described in the policy of in- surance as in a certain building, be removed to another without vitiating the insurance ? Not without consent of the company, or the use of some phraseology that the goods were to be considered insured wherever situated. "An insurance of chattels, described as in a certain place or building, would be held to amount to a warranty that they should remain there." 279. When a loss occurs, what is the duty of the insured ? It is the duty of the insured to give the company prompt notice of the loss, and to present such certificates as are 26 810 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. required by tlie rules of the office. A reasonable time is of course to be allowed to present evidences of loss, but where the policy stated that a certificate should be furnished "as soon as possible," it was held that a delay until March after a fire which took place in November was not a sufficient compliance with the conditions. So a delay of thirty-, eight days in giving notice of loss was held to release the insurers. 280. When a loss occurs is it optional with the insuranca companies to pay the amount insured, or to replace the property destroyed? Most of the fire policies used in this country give the insurers the right of rebuilding or repairing the premises destroyed or injured by fire instead of paying the amount of the loss. But where they elect to rebuild or repair, and the cost does not equal the amount insured, the balance is not extinguished, but remains as an insurance on the new building, or, in other words, if the new building burn down while the policy continues, the insured may claim so much as, added to the cost already incurred, shall equal the sum for which he was originally insured. When it is desired to insure loss of rent, or of profits, during the time the premises are being rebuilt, this must be specifically stated, otherwise the policy will not cover it. 281. Will non-payment of the premium vitiate a policy of insurance? In insurance against fire it is important, on taking out the policy, to pay the premium. Policies against fire usually contain a provision or condition that no order for an insurance shall be of any force until the premium be ir ' ?■ INSUEINO GOODS. 311 •first paid to the company : and all persons desirous of continuing their insurances can do so only by a timely payment of the premium. In marine policies, the non- payment of the premium will not affect the validity of the insurance. The subject of Marine Insurance is so comprehensive and full of points that it would require an entire volume for its consideration. ' > _ tx. V,^: ( I I '"T :i' CHAPTER XIX. FORWARDING GOODS. " Common carriers undertake generally, and not aa a casual occupa> tion, and for all people indifferently, to convey goods and deliver them at a place appointed, for hire, as a business, and with or without a special agreement as to price. They consist of two distinct classes of men, viz. : inland carriers by land or water, and carriers by sea. As they hold themselves out to the world as com^ion carriers for a reasonable com- pensation, they assume to do, and are bound to do, what is required of them in the course of their employment, and if they refuse, without some just ground, they are liable to an action." — Sharswood. 282. iCT/*UPPOSE you send goods to their destination by a private carrier, who takes them either for or mthout pay, what recowrse have you vpon him in case they are lost or damaged during the transit f A man who is not a public carrier, and yet undertakes for hire, to carry and deliver goods, is responsible if he do not exercise ordinary diligence in their care, but if he carry them as a favor without expecting compensation, he is responsible only for gross negligence. 283. What are the rights and responsibilities of a " com- mon carrier ? " The law in relation to the rights and responsibilities of one who undertakes the carriage of goods as a business is quite peculiar. He is bound to take the goods of all who offer, if he be a carrier of goods ; and the persons of all 312 ROBERT FUI-TON, The Inventor of Steam Navigation. fer. ^- FOIiWARDINO GOOD a. aii. who offer, if he be a carrier of passengers ; and to deliver them safely. He has a lien upon the goods whi(!h he carries, and on the baggage of passengers for his connHjn- sation. He is liable for all loss or injury to the goods under his charge, although wholly free from negligence, " unless the loss happens from the act of God, or from the public enemy." 284. Who are considered in law as common carriers? Railroads, expressmen, lake, river and coast packets,, truckmen or draymen, hackney coachmen within their accustomed range, and proprietors of stage coaches so far as respe(!ts the carriage of passengers and their baggage. [If drivers of stages or omnibuses, says Parsons, com- monly curry and receive pay for goods or parcels which are not the baggage of passengers, and are held md and advertised, or generally known as so carrying them, they are common carriers of goods, and the proprietors are liable for the loss of such parcels, although neither they nor the drivers were in fault. But if there is no such habit or usage, and the driver receives such a parcel to be carried somewhere, and is paid for it, the driver carries it as a private carrier, and not as a common currier, and is chargeable only for negligence or fault. And if a line of carriages is established for passengers, and the driver does not account for what is paid him for occasional parcels, but takes it as his own perquisite, the proprietors are not answerable even for the driver's fault or negligence, unless circumstances in some way bring the fault home to them.] 285. What is the duty of a common carrier with refer- ence to goods marked with specific directions, as "glass,. 114 COMMON HENiSE IN BUSINESS. :^ i •rii with great care," or " this side uppermost," or " to be kept dry?" He may decline altogether to take goods marked in this way ; but, if he accept them, he is bound to comply with the directions. In a Massachusetts case, where a box containing a glass bottle filled with oil Of* cloves was delivered to a sailing packet, to be carried from Philadelphia to Boston, marked " gliuss — with care — this side up," it was held that this was a sufficient notice of the value and nature of the contents to charge him for the loss of the oil occasioned by his dis- regarding such direction, although it was contended that the bottle was not strong enough, and was badly packed. The court said, that as the carriage is a matter of contract, as the owner has a right to judge for himself what position is best adapted to carrying goods of this description with safety, and to direct how they shall be carried, and as the carrier has a right to fix his own rate of carriage, or refuse altogether to take the goods with such directions, the court are all of opinion that if a carrier accepts goods thus marked, he is bound to carry the goods in the manner and position required by the notice. 286. When goods have been carried to the place of their -destination, but are destroyed by fire before they are actually delivered to the party for whom they were in- tended, is the carrier responsible for them ? As a general rule, a common carrier is always liable for loss by fire, unless it be caused by lightning ; and this rule has been applied to steamboats. But the question of responsibility generally arises when goods are lost after they have arrived at their destination, but before their actual delivery. FORWAHDINO 0001)8. 9IS As to the way, and the place at which the goods Hhoiild be delivered, nm
  • chaser for value without notice ; on the other hand, if the ship fulfils all its duties, the owner may look to the shipper for the payment of his freight, but is not obliged to do so, because he may keep his hold upon the goods, and refuse to deliver them until the freight is paid. 290. What should the bill of lading contain ? It should contain the names of the consignor and con- signee, of the vessel and the master, of the place of de- parture and destination ; also, the price of the freight, with primage and other charges, if any there be ; and either in the body of the bill, or in the margin, the marks and num- bers of the things shipped, with sufficient precision to designate and identify them. Usually one copy is retained by the master, and three copies are given to the shipper ; one of them he retains, another he sends to the consignee with the goods, and the other he usually sends to the con- signee by some other conveyance. 1 w, ■'■■ is- JyrCi^' 291. If goods are damaged by any of the perils excepted in the bill of lading, as " the dangers of the sea," is the freight payable? If the goods, though damaged so as to be worthless, can be delivered, as it is called, " in specie " (as corn or hides, although rotten, flour though wet, fish although spoilt), the freight is payable ; for an excepted risk is *^ -^ loss of the shipper, and not of the ship-owner. But where the goods are lost in substan e, though not in form, that is, " although the casks or vessels are preserved, as if sugar is washed out of the boxes or hogsheads, or wine leaks out of casks, by reason of injury sustained from peril of the flea, though the master may deliver the hogsheads or boxes ■ .-i'- 4 818 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. ^RHF' -■; ■ '■■■ t or casks, this is not a delivery of the sugar or of the wine, and no freight is due." If the goods are injured or actu- ally perish and disappear, from internal defect, or decay, or change, tliat is from causes inherent in the goods, as where cotton thread was damaged by the humidity of the ship, the merchant must bear the loss as well as pay the freight. 292. Where goods are forwarded by sea, river, or lake, and they are thrown overboard to save the vessel, what claim has the owner of the goods on the owners of the ship? The claim of "general average." The law supposes that all who are interested in the ship or cargo agree together beforehand, that if a sacrifice of a part can save the rest, that sacrifice shall be made ; and if it be beneficial to any for whom it was made, such persons shall bear their share of it by contributions to him whose property was purposely destroyed for their good. In other words, if any man's property be destroyed for the benefit of his neighbors, they who are helped by his loss ought to make up his loss ; and their contributions shall be in proportion to the value of the property saved for them by the sacrifice. Any loss which comes within this reason is an average loss. 293. When a ship or cargo is in imminent danger of destruction, and is saved by the exertions of others than the officers and crew of the vessel, what claim have the salvors upon it? They have what is called in law a claim for salvage, and have a right to keep possession of the saved property until their claim is satisfied ; or until a court of admiralty takes possession of it for their benefit, and decides whether any salvage, and if so, how much, shall be paid. Any persons FOJiWATiDINO GOODS. 318 may save property in danger of perishing at sea, whether tiiey are or are not requested to do so by the owner, or hia agent; and the persons so saving it acquire a right to com- pensation. A passenger may be a salvor of the ship he sails in, because he has no especial duty in regard to it; but neither the master, nor officers, nor sailors of the ship that is saved can be entitled to salvage. The law considers that sailors might be tempted to let the vessel get into danger, if they couH expect a special reward for getting her out of it. n CHAPTER XX. SPECULATING IN MEECHANDISE AND STOCKS. " Let your first efForta be, not for wealth, but independence. Whatever be your talents, whatever your prospects, never be tempted to speculate away on the chance of a palace that which you may need as a provision against the workhouse." — Bulwer. 294.f"\iiflHAT is the peculiar occupation of a specvr- lator f A speculator is an important business- man without any business. He exercises a controlling influence in all markets and yet belongs to none. He has been compared to a comet among the fixed stars, for he moves in*a mysterious way. He buys when business is dull and prices are depressed, and sells when prices are high and the demand is brisk. A speculator may be called the fly- whet i of trade, for he equalizes its motions, pre- venting the extreme of prices. He often benefits both producers and consumers, for by buying when prices are be- low the average, he keeps them from going still lower, and thus benefits the producer ; and by bringing out his stock and selling it when prices are high, he puts a limit to extortion, and thus benefits the consumer. 295. What is the distinction bcitween a trader and a speculator ? A trader depends upon customers ; u speculator has none. A trader buys when he needs stock, whether prices be high 320 JAY GOULD, A noted Wall Street Operator and Constructor of Railroads and Telegraphs, estinnated to be worth over Eighty Millions of Dollars. m SPECULATING IN MERCHANDISE. 821 or low ; a speculator buys only when prices arc below the average and will probably rise. A trader sells to his cuh- tomers at a small advance on cost; a speculator holds until he can get a satisfactory profit, and regards the world as his market. A trader depends upon small but regular gains for his profits; a speculator expects to make a fortune, and suddenly. 296. What things are essential to success as a speculator? A merchant of Boston enumerates time, capital, and courage, and these are of little avail without judgment. All speculation has reference to a future in which the question of time is involved. Results are never immediate. Capital is of course essential, and if a man lacks courage he will never make a speculator, for he ought to be large of faith — a believer in things not seen. Activity is essen- tial to trade; patience in speculation. Nothing is to be done when nothing is to be gained — a maxim which, from the necessity of keeping customers, cannot always be followed in trade. 297. What qualities fit any commodity for the purposes of speculation ? Frequency in the change of its price, and, secondly, the extent of that change ; it being obvious that alteration — a fall as well as a rise — is necessary to the purpose of a specu- lator; and the extreme of prices is that which he will chiefly look to, or in which he will seek his gain. As a general rule, manufactured articles are not safe objects of speculation, except, perhaps, certain standard fabrics, which from accidental circumstances have been depressed in price, or, as it has been advised, " You should not speculate in axe-handles, wooden bowls, hoop-poles, shoe-pegs, washing- 21 822 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. nia(!liincs, or mousc-trai)S, l)ccaiise country-men and me- chanics cjm make them to order in any quantity when they are wanted." 298. Wliat are the proper objects of speculation ? Agricultural j)roduce of most kinds : flour, cotton, sugar, coffee, tea, etc., which will amply suffice for a speculator to make a fortune, or to lose one. " Without doubt," says the authority before quoted, " occasionally very large sums are made by opportunities which it requires but a very ordinary share of sagacity to foresee and take advantage of. Such, however, is the variety of productions afforded by commerce, or brought into demand by the necessities and luxuries of man, and the complex state of things there- by occasioned, that when an object of speculation is dis- missed, or fails, a wide field exists in which to look out for another ; there is, in fact, always something which is plenti- ful or scarce, that is, at a price below or above the average — namely, grain, or a particular species of grain, cotton, hemp, flax, wool, leather, oils of various kinds — whale, palm, olive, seal, sperm, cod — whalebone, rice, sugar, coffee, tallow, tar, tur|)entine, saltpetre, indigo, etc.; so that a per- son may, at any given or particular time, have an oppor- tunity of laying the foundation of a speculation by pur- chase, or of finishing it by sale ; if not the one, at least the other ; and the state of things which fits for the one is just as necessary as that which fits for the other. Thus may irregularity be converted into regularity, and that which is in its nature occasional, made permanent, or the subject of a continued mode of operation, or one speculation be uniformly succeeded by another." 299. Should a speculator invest all his capital in one commodity, or have different ventures at the same time? SPECULATING IN MERCHANDISE. 823 If a person be inclined to make speculation a business, it would seem best to invest only a part of his capital in any one commodity, so as to iiave several speculations afloat at the same time, different in their stages ; some, if possible, always commencing, and others falling in, or terminating. By these means it may be brought more nearly to the nature and condition of a regular trade, in which not only is a person's whole capital with some certainty engaged, but an average established, rendering it more uniform and safe. 300. How is a speculator to know when a commodity is at its highest or lowest price? By careful reference to elaborate statistics, and attending to great political and commercial changes. "Take a com- modity and find out the average price of years, excluding from consideration extreme cases, and when the price has fallen below the average of years, buy. Thus, let us sup- pose that this commodity is flour, that there has been a great crop of wheat, or that the price has fallen below the average, or in other words, it has become cheap; if the harvest after all be bad, you gain ; if otherwise, it does not follow that you are to lose ; sell, and replace your old stock by a new one. "An Englishman of some celebrity used to say that the first of his ancestors of any note was a baker and dealer in hops, who, on one occasion, to procure a sum of money, robbed his feather-beds of their contents, and supplied the deficiency with unsalable hops. In a few years a severe blight universally prevailed, hops became very scarce, and enormously dear; the hoarded treasure was ripped out, and a good sum procured for hops, which, in a plentiful season, would not have been salable ; and thus, said he, 1 824 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. 'our family hopped from obscurity.' Hops arc said to fail, on an average, every five years — a hint to speculators. The rule laid down in reference to flour applies equally well to cotton, but — take care of your statistics. Distrust the newspapers which tell you that 'the cotton crop has entirely failed at the South.'" 301. Why is nerve especially necessary to a speculator? Because he must always act contrary to appearances as men generally view them, and, believe, "contrary to what the fabulous first inhabitants of the earth are reputed to have done, that the sun will rise again after it has set. Pic must buy when other persons will not buy, and sell when no other person will sell. If he buy at high prices in the expectation of their rising still higher and they begin to decline, ho must sell at once, whether at a gain or a loss ; if at a loss, to save a greater loss, for the long holder, in cases of this kind, is always the sufferer." Few have the nerve to do this: they hold on in hope of a favorable change, and thus many ruin themselves or throw away the fruits of a long life of industry by a single false step. 302. "What are the rules that should govern speculation in stocks? The safest rule for those who think of speculating in stocks to adopt is — not to speculate at all. Said a prominent broker to a gentleman who wished him to invest for him a large sum in a certain stock, "I will do so if you wish, but I advise you to first take a good look at your money, for you will never see it again. I have been in business in Wall street thirty-eight years, and during that time ninety- eight out of every hundred who have put money in the street have lost it." SPECULATING IN STOCKS. Tlic railroad and other Htocks, of which over a hundred thousand shares aro often sold daily at the New York Stock Exchange, are controlled in their market price by men who have large capital and very little consciioncie, and those who deal in these stocks simply bet on the probable action of tricky men and invisible cliqnes. Stocks thus manip dated abnormally rise when every extraneous cir- cumstance favors a decline, and they fall when all outward indications point to a rise. All stocks subjected to such influences, or which are not allowed to follow the natural causes that produce fluctuations, should be rejected as not affording a fair chance for legitimate speculation. But while speculating in stocks is well known to be extra hazardous, men and women and even preachers will con- tinue to try their luck in spite of protests and of their own better judgment, and in so doing, they cannot adopt safer rules than those given by Ricardo, who made a large fortune at the London Stock Exchange by acting upon them, and who is the author of several works on finance. These were : "Never refuse an option." " Cut short your losses." "Let your profits run on" By cutting short one's losses, Mr. Ricardo meant, that when a man had made a purchase of stock, and prices were falling, he should immediately sell, and not hold on in the hope of a better market ; but while profits were running on they should not be arrested until they had culminated. " Cut short your losses," is the most valuable advice that can be given to a speculator ; but to do so requires more nerve than most men possess. The inexperienced specu- lator, when he finds that the stock he has bought has begun to decline, holds on more tenaciously in hope that it will rise again, and thus he allows his losses to swell from t2e COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. I 't'l M ^ liundrcdH Into thouBiuids, until he in ovurwhclniod. A man who hafl not the ncrvo to cut .short Iuh Iohsos may take it for granted that Providence has not dcMigncd him for a Htock speculator : " Who Htriveo to sit out loHing liniidH, m \mt." With regard to the indications by which one may foresee a rise or a decline in a speculative stock, they are as unre- liable as the weatiier j)rophecies in an almanac. It may, however, be aaserted with reasonable certainty, that when the bonds of a corporation have advanced in value, this will be followed by a rise in its stocks. And when a railroad company passes its dividends or loses its business, there will be a decline in its stock. But the safest rule is — to follow the market and cut short losses. Within a few years the long-headed operators of Wall street have devised a series of privileges that, if properly used, afford small operators a safeguard for their ventures which they did not formerly possess. These privileges liave been severely condemned by writers whose opinion on some subjects would be entitled to respect, but they seem more worthy of commendation than condemnation, if speculation be at all admiasible. For instance, a small ()l)erator wishes to buy a hundred shares of a certain stock: he can now buy the privilege of putting this stock within a specified time to anothqr party at a specified price, and thus limit his risk to an ascertained sum, or if he wish to sell a stock "short" he can buy the privilege of "calling'^ it at a certain price and thus limit his loss; in other words, he buys a guaranty that his losses in the operation will not exceed a certain sum, provided the guarantor remains re- sponsible during the continuance of the contract. This is FUTURE OF PRICES. m a very judicious way of Hpcculating in stocks, eapoclully for opcrutors who van iiilbrd to Iohc only a hiiiuII .sum. [Kecuntly a book htm been written by an Oliio furnior, and pnbliHhed on the "future \i[m unU downs in priceH" uf certain ieuding Htuplert of commerce and Hpui-ulation, nuch on Pig Iron, Pork, Corn, and ProviHionit. IlH antluir Iuih made prodictionH in tliu poHt ihut iiave been vorilicd, and clainiH to have discovered a rule by whi(;h the future of niarketH in thcHe commoditieH may be foretold. He HtutcH it thuH: " We muHt look to the puflt upH and downs of average prices ; then ascertain how many yearo it takes to complete an up and dovn in any j»rodiict or commodity, tlien determine in what order tiie ups and downs are repeated in the next cycle, and if there is found any noticeable periodicity in cycles, then wo have a rule which can be applied to the future." lie prudiets that the price of pig iron for the years 1878 to 1881 inclusive will be on the ascending scale, that the iron trade will then be prosperous, and " in these years, CHpocially the last two, money will be made very fast in this business, unless triinimeiled by unwise legislation upon tho currency and the tariff; but in the year 1881, in the months of 8e\>- tember and October, the price will be at the highest. After these months in that year, the prices will have a downward tendency and begin to tumble," and will continue to decline for seven years, causing a great depression in the iron business. In the years 1889, '90, and '91, the price of pig iron, he prophecies, will again be on the advance, and it will require three years to reach its highest point which will be in 1891. This will be a perio /'■ . r J ■' ■>■„•. a„::' HN'lM iu .i.::ulM'i ;;'i^fO ':;SiOi'^';f>'] :Oif iJ-ti FAILING IN BUSINESS. 3S7 knows what they would sec if they were opened. He per- ceives, but he voluntarily makes his perception indistinct, and persuades himself, or tries to persuade himself, that the truth is obscure when he knows it is clear. He cannot plead ignorance, and is therefore accumulating for himself a store of self-reproach ; for finally he will be compelled to confess that he has sinned against knowledge. The next thing to be done is to consult judicious friends. If it be hard for a man to look steadfastly at a painful and humili- ating truth, still harder is it for him frankly to make it known to others. Yet it must be done, if we would profit by the advice of friends. And, lastly, it is the duty of a man, in these circumstances, to counsel with his creditors ; for it is their interest that is to be dealt with. Safe coun- sellors they will be found, and generous ones, too, if they are honestly treated." nf!>. 309. Where a debtor proposes to compromise with his creditors and obtain their release, what proposition as a general rule will he find the most acceptable to the majority ? Creditors very naturally prefer a hundred cents on the dollar for their claims, but where they cannot obtain that, they prefer a smaller dividend in cash to the promise of the whole amount at some long period in the future. " Ordi- narily," says Mr. Terry, " short time compromises are much more readily obtamed than long time ones. When no security is given, the difference in rate between the two may fairly be estimated at 2 per cent, a month for the difference in time. That is, practically, an offer of 60 per cent, at an average of twelve months' time, could readily be commuted to 44 per cent, at six months, and the latter would geuer- •ally be preferred. When security is given, the difference 28 338 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. is much less, and depends somewhat on the completeness aiid availability of the security. It will always be found in practice greater than the current rate of interest in the business circle of the particular locality. In 1857 a sus- pended house offered to their creditors the following option : they would pay in full at one, two, three, and four years, or would pay 75 per cent, in six, twelve, and eighteen months, or give indorsed paper for 60 per cent, at tliree, six, nine, and twelve months, or 50 per cent, cash paid down. The greater portion of their creditors preferred the 50 and 60 per cent, offers." 310. Where a satisfactory arrangement cannot be made with creditors, what is the duty of a debtor who finds himself in failing circumstances ? " When a person becomes aware," says Gazzam, " that he is what the law denominates insolvent, he should with- out delay file a petition to have himself declared a bank- rupt ; as this is a duty he owes to his creditors and himself, and except in extraordinary cases there can be no just cause for delay, for the law clearly contemplates this action on his part." During the decade, beginning in 1860, both England and the United States enacted what are called General Bankrupt Acts. In England, under their various bank- ruptcy acts, the courts have treated with much severity business men who* have absented themselves to delav credi- tors, or who have departed from the realm without making suitable provision for the payment of their debts. They have decided that a trader who absents himself from his place of abode, or place of business, even for a short time, to avoid a creditor, commits an act of bankruptcy. They decided that a man who was in the habit of frequenting FAILING IN BUSINESS. 'xm the Exchange to collect news, and left it at tlu^ siglit of a creditor, desiring a friend to say he M'as not there, slionld be declared a bankrupt (2 March, 23G). Jiut the United States bankrupt law of 1867 is much less strict in its pro- visions than the English. It provides for voluntary and involuntary bankruptcies. A debtor, whether citizen or alien, having debts exceeding $300, which he is unable to pay in full, may apply to a United States judge of the dis- trict where he has resided or carried on business for six months immediately preceding the time of filing his petition, setting forth his place of residence, his inability to })ay his debts in full, his willingness to surrender all his estate and effects for the benefit of his creditors (annexing to his pe- tition a schedule of his indebtedness, and an inventory of his estate, both verified by oath), and if he com])lies with the requirements of the act, and has assets equal in value to 50 per cent, of the debts proved against his estat(^, or if he can produce the written assent of a majority of his creditors in favor of his release, he shall be entitled to a discharge from his indebtedness to all creditors mentioned in the schedule. A creditor whose name is omitted ^Voni the bankrupt's schedule is not bound by the dis(!harge, and may maintain an action to recover his debt in a State court. A debtor may also be thrown involuntarily into bank- ruptcy, on petition of one or more of his creditors, who shall prove that he has left the State with intent to defraud his creditors, or who, being a " banker, broker, merchant, trader, manufacturer, or miner," has stopped payment on his commercial paper, and not resumed within a period of fourteen days, and for other reasons set forth in the 39th section of the act. Ordinarily a bankrupt estate is settled up by an assignee, appointed by a majority of the creditors^ . 340 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. ' 1 ( J or by the judge or register; but where three-fourths in value of the creditors shall prefer that the estate be wound up and settl 1 by trustees, nominated by themselves, and to act under instruction of a committee of creditors, it shall bo lawful for the court to apjwint such trustees. This act forbids preferences among creditors on the part of the debtor, though wages to the amount of $50 have priority in settlement under the law itself, and declares that all conveyances of property made in contemplation of insol- ven(!y, or within four months before the filing of the petition by or against him, to one having reasonable cause to believe such person to be insolvent, shall be void, and the assignee may recover back the property or its value. A merchant or trader who, since the passage of the act, has not kept prop'^r books of account will not be entitled to his discharge if opnosition be made. It has been decided that a fiiilure to keep a cash book, or an invoice or stock book, will prevent a bankrupt merchant from obtaining his dis- charge. The law, though lengthy, is so important that we may insert it in full in the Appendix, for no brief summary can give a correct idea of its many and nice points, and those who are specially interested should consult Bingham's or Gazzam's Treatises on the subject. 311. Inasmuch as preferences are forbidden under the American Bankrupt Law, how may creditors safely obtain security for doubtful claims from insolvent debtors ? The Bankrupt Act does not, or will not disturb any security, whether a mortgage security, attachment, or judg- ment lien, given to a creditor fully four months previous to the filing of a petition in bankruptcy by or against the •debtor ; hence it is the interest of creditors who have secured their claims by preferences to assist and sustain their FAILING IN BUSINESS. 841 debtors so that they will not be thrown into l)ankrui)tc'y before the securities have fully matured. Creditors may also dispose of their claims to their debtor's customers who are indebted to him; and this, if done in comijliance Mith the State laws, and prior to the commencement of bank- ruptcy proceedings, cannot easily be disturbed. 80 mort- gages, and other conveyances of land, may be given by a debtor to a creditor, who need not place them on record until a sufficient time has elapsed since their execution t(' prevent their being declared acts of bankruptcy. " If the beneficiaries in a conveyance or mortgage are satisfied with the security afforded by the instrument unrecorded, there is neither necessity nor obligation to record it. The re- cording is only necessary to make an instruiKcnt valid against creditors under State law (and thus a lien on the bankrupt's estate), and the bankrupt act recognizes and respects such validity if it be prior to bankruptcy proceed- ings." (4 B. R. 6.) 312. What is the best means of avoiding all connection with bankruptcy proceedings? To buy and sell for cash only. " Without adopting the doctrine or opinion," says Gazzam, in his work on Bank- ruptcy, "of a celebrated American statesman, that those who do a credit business ought to fail, we do not hesitate to recommend +0 merchants, or others, having goods, wares, or merchandise to dispose of, to adopt, so far as possible, only a cash system ; not the system commonly called cash or thirty days, but an actual exchange for cash of the property sold, at time of sale or delivery; for although their profits on such sales may be less, we venture the opinion that their ultimate business gains will be greater. When giving credit becomes unavoidable, and security is 342 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. required ar.d the debtor agrees to give it, in all cases it ought to be obtained at or before the sale, loan, or other transaction, or where the security is intended to cover a series of credits, then before the first sale is consummated by delivery of the goods, or the first loan by handing over the money. Securities covering the series of credits should be obtained :it or jn'ior to the time of the first transaction, for where payments are made, or securities given without passing consideration, there will exist a taint of bankruptcy if it should afterward appear that the party making such payment, or giving the securities, was insolvent at the time he did so. Hence where it is suspected that a person offer- ing to purchase and desiring credit is either insolvent, or that he may become so before the maturity of the credit, it is only by obtaining prior security, or security at the time of the delivery of the goods or advances, that the creditor can, in case the debtor should afterward fail in business, secure the debtor from the imputation of having committed a fraudulent act subjecting him to all the pen- alties of the bankrupt law. A trader ought to be continu- ally on the alert in dealing with those of whose solvency he is not fully satisfied, so that he may obtain an equivalent in money, or property, or good security, at the time of the delivery of the commodity which he is selling." CHAPTER XXII. OF PAYING DEBTS. "A good rule for any one who has money is, to keep away from all entanglements with others. Never sign a paper, or your name to any- tiung that you do not fully understand, and never to a contract of any magnitude, without consulting a lawyer. The trifle you would pay him for advice may save you much in comfort and money." — Davtes. T is a Droverb in commercial circles that "short settle- ments make long friends." It would greatly increase the profits and reduce the risks of business if settle- ments every thirty days were the rule generally adopted and not departed from, except in rare instances and for special reasons. It is also a wise saying that the best investment any one can make of his surplus money is, to pay his debts with it, or buy up his paper not yet due. We have elsewhere remarked that payment, like charity, is twice blessed ; it blesses him that pays and him that receives. With a transaction so agreeable to the persons interested, and so indicative of a disposition to deal fairly and to do justice, the law is rarely called upon to interfere, and con- sequently the law-books have but little to say in respect to the subject of paying debts. 313. What is a payment tha^ is good under any and all circumstances? A payment in cash of the amount due at the exact time it is due and to the person entitled to receive it. Payment 84» ^rnv'i 844 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. h , in good and current bank-bills is sufficient, unless expressly objected to because they are not a legal tender. Payment to the creditor himself is of course good, so also to an authorized agent and attorney until his authority is revoked. A payment is also good if made to a person aittinff in the couniing-rooM of tlie creditor with account booics near him, and apparently intrusted with the conduct of the business, but not if made to an apprentice, or ?Jot in the usual course of business. Payment is also good, if made to one of several partners, trustees, or executors ; and if the debtor has made liimself absolutely liable to a third person by the accept- ance of the creditor's order drawn on him, this, as against the creditor, is a good payment of his claim to that amount, even though the creditor has subsequently countermanded the order. 314. Suppose that payment is made in genuine notes of a bank which has failed, or does fail before the receiver has reasonable time to present them for redemption, will such payment bar a recovery on the original debt ? It is well settled that a payment in bank-notes after the bank issuing them has stopped payment, if the fact was knovm or suspected by the payer, is no payment, for it would amount to a fraud. But where both parties are innocent, there is some conflict in the authorities as to whether the payer or receiver must bear the loss. In Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, it has been decided, that payment in bank-bills, after the bank has failed, but the fact is un- known to both parties, is good, and the loss is to be borne by the receiver ; but the weight of authorities seems to be in favor of giving the creditor a reasonable time to present the bills to the bank for redemption. [Story, C. J., in his work on Promissory Notes (§ 501-2), OF PAYING DEBTS. 846 has reviewed tlic authorities, and says : " In respect to persons who receive the same (bank notes) in the course of circulation, either in payment of prior debts, or of debts then contracted, the general rule is that the creditor takes them at his own risk if the bank is then in good credit, nnd he does not present the same for payment within a rcnsonaMe time, that is to say, as early as he may after the day on which he has received the same. If the bank has actually failed, or should fail before the notes can, withi.i such rea- sonable time, be presented for payment, then the holder, upon giving due notice of the dishonor, may recover the amount or consideration from the person from whom he received the same. But it has been thought that even the failure of the bank will not disi)ense with a due present- ment for payment at the banking-house; and at all events, it will be necessary to give due notice to the person from whom the notes were received of the failure of the bank, accompanied with an offer to return the notes in order to bind him. We have already had occasion to state that there is some conflict in the American authorities upon the point, whether bank-notes arc to be deemed an absolute payment, and taken at the risk of the creditor who receives the same, or not. What has been stated in the preceding part of this section is the doctrine asserted in the English authorities, and it seems supported by what may well be deemed the preponderance of authority, as well as of reasoning, in America."] 315. Is the debt discharged by payment in the debtor's oion check on a bank which refuses to honor it ? " The general rule of our law," says Greenleaf, in his work on Evidence, " is, that if the creditor receives the debtor's check for the amount, it is payment, if expressly 29 840 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. ^ it •1 accepted ii8 such, unless it was drawn colorably, or fraudu' lently, and knowin^jly without cflfects. But in the absence of any evidence of an agreenicnt to receive a clicck or draft as payment, it is regarded only as the means whereby the creditor may obtain payment, or jis payment provisionally until it has been presented and refused ; if it is dishon- ored, it is no payment of the debt for which it was drawn." JJut it is also a rule of law that the re(^eiver or holder, in order to charge the drawer, must show that he has used due diligence to ol)tain the money, and that it cannot be obtained ; and if a loss accrue through iJs uegligence, it must be borne by himself. 316. Suppose that before the check is presented for pay- ment, the bank fails with sufficient funds of the drawer in its possession to meet the check, who must bear the loss ? The holdev of a check is allowed a reasonable time within which to present it for payment, but if he do not use due diligence to obtain the money, the delay is at his own peril. .[What is a reasonable time, says Story, C. J., " will depend upon circumstances, and will in many cases depend upon the time, the mode, and the place of receiving the check, and upon the relations of the parties between whom the ques- tion arises. If the payee or other holder of the check receives ic immediately from the drawer in the same town or city where it is j)ayable, he is bound to present it for payment to the bank, or bankers, al furthest, on the next succeeding secular day after it is received, before the close of the usual banking hours. Where he receives the check from the drawer in a place distant from the place of payment, it will be sufficient for him to forward it by the post to some person at the latter place, on the next secular day after it is received ; and the person to whom it is thus forwarded OF PAYING DEBTS. •47 will not be bound to present it for payment until the day after it has reached him by the course of the post. If payment is not thus regularly demanded, and tiie bank or ha^dcers should fail before the check is presented, tho loss will be the loss of the holder, who will 1 vo made the check his own, and at his sole risk, by his IucIwh. The reason of this strictness is said to be that a check, unlike a bill of exchange, is designed for immediate pay- ment^ and not for circulation; and therefore it becomes tho duty of the holder to present it for payment as soon as ho reasonably may; and if he does not, he keeps it at hia own peril."] 317. What is the effect if, after giving a check wnicn the holder has neglected to present within a reasonable time, the drawer withdraws the money from the bank? Wliile the bank remains solvent, the drawer is liable. He cannot withdraw the money appropriated to the check, and plead .leglect of the holder in presenting it.. If he has not pla(!cd sufficient money in the bank to pay the -check, or if he has withdrawn it before payment, whether the bank does or does not fail, he remains liable notwith- standing the lapse of time ; for it was a fraud upon the holder to withdraw the money which should have been appropriated to the payment of the check, and in this case he is not entitled to notice of presentment and non- payment. 318. Where payment is made, not in the debtor*s own check, but in thai of a third person^ and the bank fails who must bear the loss ? Where a check has been in circulation longer than the iime above stated, the receiver cannot hold the drawer in 348 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. t case the bank fails, but the person giving the check will be held to guaranty the bank's solvency, until the holder has had the above reasonable time to present it. "Though each party/' says Chitty, "may be allowed a day, as between him and the party from whom he received a chec k, it would be otherwise as to the drawer, if the banker should, during a succession of several days, fail, and would have paid, if the check had been presented the day after it was drawn ; a check being an instrument not in general intended by the drawer to be long in circulation, and in that respect differing from a country banker's note, which is known to all parties to have been intended to be in circulation, and not so promptly presented for payment as a check." 319. Where a bank pays a forged or altered check, who must bear the loss ? " If a bank pay a forged check," says Professor Parsons, " it is so far its own loss, that the bank cannot charge the money to the depositor whose name was forged. But we think the bank could recover the money back from one who presented a forged check innocently and was paid, provided the payee loses no opportunity of indemnity in the meantime, and can be put in as good a position as if the bank had refused to pay it. But if somebody must lose, the bank should, because it is the duty of the bank to know the writing of its own depositors." If the sum for which a check is' drawn be fraudulently altered and increased, and the bank pay the larger sum, it cannot charge its customer with the excess, but must bear the loss. But should any act of the drawer himself have facilitated or given occasion to the forgery, he must bear *he loss. Thus, where a person filled up a check for ffiy- OF PAYING DEBTS. 349 two pounds two ahillingSf beginning the word fifty with a small letter in the middle of a line, and his clerk inserted " three hundred " before the word fifty, and the figure 3 before the figures £62 2s., and presented it, and the bank paid £352 2s., it was held that the improper mode of filling up the check had invited the forgery, and therefore the loss fell upon the customer, and not the banker. 320. When, in settlement of an account, the debtor gives his own bond, what are the points to which the creditor should direct his attention ? He should observe whether there is an interlineation or an erasure in an important part of the bond, and if so, that it is noted *;hat it was made before signing and delivery ; otherwise the bond may be void. He should see that the term heirs is named in the bond, for, though executors and administrators are bound, heirs are not, unless specially expressed. He should see that the seal is a lawful one in the State where the bond was made, for, while in some States a scrawl of ink attached to the obligor's name is regarded as a sufficient seal, others require that the .im- pression should be stamped upon M'ax, or wafer, or other tenacious substance. And, also, he should note that the penalty is sufficient to cover all loss and damage that may result from non-fulfilment of the condition, for the law will not allow the obligee to recover more than the penalty, though he may recover less. A case is recorded where A B was bound in a bond to convey to C D, on payment of a certain sum of money, a deed for a lot of land. C D proceeded to erect on the premises a building of greater value than the penalty in the bond, whereupon A B refused to convey the ground, but paid the penalty of the bond in full. 350 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. m iili 321. Wliere the creditor accepts a promissory note, or bill of a third person, which proves to be worthless, is the original debt extinguished ? When a creditor voluntarily accepts a note or bill of a third person for a pre-existing debt, the debt is extin- guished though the security may prove to be worthless. " But here," says Professor Greenleaf, " it must appear to have been the voluntary act and choice of the creditor, and not a measure forced upon him by necessity, where nothing else could be obtained. Thus, where the creditor received the note of a stranger who owed his debtor, the note being made payable to the agent of the creditor, it was held a good payment, though the promisor afterward failed. So, when goods were bargained for, in exchange for a promis- sory note held by the purchaser as indorsee, and were sold accordingly, but the note proved to be forged, of wJiich, however, the purchaser was ignorant, it was held a good payment. So, where one entitled to receive cash, receives, instead thereof, notes or bills against a third person, it is payment, though the securities turn out to be of no value. But if the sale was intended for cash, the payment by the notes or bills being no part of the original stipulation ; or the vendor has been induced to take them by the fraudu- lent misrepreseiitation of the vendee, as to the sob; ency of the parties ; or they are forged ; or they are forced upon the vendor by the necessity of the case, nothing better being attainable, it is no payment. If, however, a creditor, who has received a draft or note upon a third person, delays for an unreasonable time to present it for acceptance and payment, whereby a loss accrues — the loss is his own." 322. When money is remitted by mail to pay a debt, and a loss happens, is the debt discharged? i OF PAYING DEBTS. 861 When payment is made by remitting money by mail to tlie creditor, the debt is discharged if the debtor can show that the letter containing it was properly sealed and dire«^*ed, and that it was delivered into the post-office, and not lO a private carrier or porter ; and further prove either the express direction of the creditor to remit in that mod* , or a usage, or a course of dealing, from which such authority might be inferred. Where these circumstances concur and a loss happens, it is the loss of the creditor; otherwise the remittance is at the debtor's risk. It is held by some, that the sending of bank-notes uncut, will not discharge the debtor ; because, among prudent people, it is usual to cut such securities in halves, and send them at 3 liferent times. 323. When a debtor has an oifset against part of his creditor's claim, which the creditor is unwilling to allow, what should he do to protect himself in the event of a suit ? He should make a tender in the presence of a witness of the balance which he admits to be due, and then, if his claim for offset is allowed, he will be relieved from costs. The law in regard to offsets is this : One demand may be set off against another whenever it is founded upon judgment or contract — is for a sum certain, or that may be ascertained by calculation, — and exists between the parties at the commencement of the suit and in their own right. A claim against a man as administrator cannot be oifset against a debt due him in his own right. Whenever a person has a claim against a party suing him, which he cannot avail himself of by way of offset, he should immediately commence suit on his claim, and with the permission of the court, oi!set one judgment against the other. B52 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. Whenever a certain part of a claim is admitted to be just and due, the debtor should tender the amount ad- mitted, in gold or silver, or bank-notes, to the creditor or his attorney, in the presence of a witness, and if the court decide that the disputed portion shall not be paid, the debtor will be relieved from costs. Care, however, must be taken to eocpresa distinctly the grounds of the tender, li\ litivfj it to the unobjectionable part of the claim, and to make tht tender without any qualification or conditions. A tend( r for more than the amount that is due is believed to be got for what is actually due, but if accompanied with a requirement of change or " of the balance," it is not good. mM '-U iSiliiii-i 324. Is a receipt for money paid, or "in full of all demands," conclusive evidence of payment? A receipt is an exception to the general rule as to con- tracts in writing, and is always open, not only to explana- tion, but even to contradiction, by extrinsic evidence. A receipt is strong evidence of payment, but not conclusive, and either party may shov/ that the amount was more or less than the sum stated. Even if it be " in full of all demands," it is still open to explanation or denial by evidence. A release under seal should be taken where evidence of payment is required that is final and conclusive. 325. What is the law in regard to appropriation of pay- ments where several debts are owing to the same creditor ? The general rule of law is, that a debtor, owing several debts to the same creditor, may apply the payment, at the time of making it, to which debt he pleases. If he makes a general payment without appropriating it, the creditor may apply it, as he pleases. And where neither party ;appropriates it, the law will apply it according to its own ". i r ' OF PAYING DEBTS. 353 view of the intrinsic justice and equity of the case. As a general rule, in case of divers claims, courts will apply r, payment to those debts for which the security is most pre carious. Where there is a running account, in the absenct of circumstances to show a different intention, they will apply it to the items of debt antecedently due in the order of the account. If one debt is illegal, and the other is lawful ; or, if one debt is not yet payable, but the other is already overdue, a general payment will be ascribed to the latter ; and if one debt bears interest, and the other does not, the payment will be applied to the one bearing interest. If Aj says a recognized authority, owes a debt to B on B's own account, and another debt to B as trustee for somebody, and A pays B a sum of money without specify- ing for which account, B cannot apply it all to the debt due himself; but must divide it between that debt and the trustee debt in proportion to their respective amounts ; because it is his duty as trustee to take as good care of the debts due to him for another, as of those due to him on his own account. CHAPTER XXIII I HOW TO MAKE A WILL. " People are and will be careless, and they are and will be presumpt- nous as to their knowledge of the law. In these caaes the peaalty falls not upon them, but upon their posterity. Every one either is, or hopes to be, some day in a position to make a will, and there is, perhaps, no one who does not live in hope of some day receiving a legacy. We know no greater benefit, in a small way, to the population generally, than to have facilities offered to them to make a will which shall reduce to a minimum the chances of its becoming t'le parent of a law suit." — Anon. ■» ft ' ii26.(YWliO may maJce a valid will? Every person of sound mind, and of the proper, age may make a will. A mar- ried woman, however, cannot, unless the statute law of the State in which she resides gives her the privilege, or unless in relation to trust property, whereof the trust or marriage settlement reserves to her this power. One must be of full age to devise real estate, but minors may bequeath personal property in most of the States, and the usual limitation of the age for such bequest is eighteen years for males, and sixteen for females. 327. Should a person write his own will, or employ a lawyer to do it ? In all cases where it is practicable, and the estate and bequests are not of the simplest kind, he should employ a lawyer, or a person accustomed to write wills. " Nearly 364 fe^^9fiii?l« HOW TO MAKE A WILL. half the business of the courts oflaw/'siikl tlie London Times, some years since, "hangs upon bliiiuler.s nuule by- testators. It is not once or twice in a hunth'cd cases, but it is a normal fact that a laborious, stupid, thrifty man — and he is the man who never fails in the art of money- making — spends his life in rolling np a huge snow-ball of wealth, and then, in his stupid way, makes a blundering will." " If you wish to tie up your property in your family," says Sugden, " you really must not make your ow>i will. It were better to die without a will, than to make one which will waste your estate in litigation to discover its meannig. The words ' children,' ' i;s.sue,' hoirs of the body,' or ' heirs,' sometimes operate to give the })arcnt the entire disposition of the estate, although the testator did not mean any such thing. They are seldom used by a man who makes his own will without leading to a lawsuit. It were useless for me to attempv to show you how to make a strict settlement of your property — and therefoi-e I will not try. I could, without difficulty, run over the names of many judges and lawyers of note, whose wills, made by themselves, have been set aside, or construed so as to defeat every intention which they ever had. It is not even a profound knowledge of law which will capacitate a man to make his own will, unless he has been in the habit of making the wills of others. Besides, notwithstanding that fees are purely honorary, yet it is ai.iost proverbial, that a lawyer never does anything well for which he is not feed. Lord Mansfield tells a story of himself, that, feeling this influence, he once, when about to attend some professional business of his own, took several guineas out of his purse and put them into his waistcoat pocket, as a fee for his labor." W^ 866 COMMON i^ENSE IN BU(:iINESii. 328. VV^ho sliould be remembered in a will ? The law, both in England and America, gives a widow certain riirhts in her deceaaed husband's estate which can- not be defeated even by a will ; but where it is purposed to give the widow a provision different from that prescribed by the law it should be stated in the will to be in lieu of dower, and then she can choose between the provision of the law and that of the will. Children have no legal claim to their father's property, contrary to his manifest wishes, nctt even to a shilling, as is commonly supposed ; but if children are not mentioned or provided for in a will, the law presumes they were forgotten ; and it gives to any such child the same sliare as if there were no will. The same rule applies quite generally to the issue of a deceased child. If the child were provided for in the lifetime of the father, the law generally will not presume he was for- gotten, but it is best, in order to guard against any ques- tion of the kind, to name the children, and say that the omission to give them anything by the will was intentional. [It is of course the duty of every man who makes a will to provide first of all for those who would inherit his prop- erty by law if he made no will, but it is not wise to endow children by testamentary bequests with more than an inde- pendence. Inherited weulth is rarely a blessing, and the sons of rich men generally end where their fathers began. But the object in making a will is mainly to remember those whom the law does not provide for, and here a testa- tor's attention should be directed first to those who are likely to suffer hardship by his decease. If he have natural or adopted children unprovided for, these by every princi- ple of justice are entitled to a liberal and most careful testamentary remembrance. No imaginable condition can ■be more unfortunate than that of those who, haying been HOW TO MAKE A WILL. ;jo7 nursed in the hot-houses of opulence, and enervutod by de- pendence, are suddenly subjected to poverty, in the heli)le88 state of those " who cannot work, and to beg they are ashamed." Duly reflecting upon the innnensity of the evil, he will not neglect to make a will, nor overlook a due provision for natural and ado])ted children. After these, the circumstances of ricedy rekilions — especially of those to whom he has been a patron — will deserve consideration. The fact that an individual who is so unfortunate as to need charity is related to a man of wealth, is in itself, a hard- ship ; for in this case, even the Samaritans of the world pass by on the other side, c\ ising themselves with the reflection that the stranger, if worthy, can obtain relief f om his relatives. Secondly, a testiitor's attention should be directed toward those from wliom he has received bcncfita or pleasure. He should reflc(!t whether he is not greatly indebted to some authors for words of wisdom that have aided or cheered him in his journey through life, and whether it would not be an act of justice to remember them or ^:heir children by a testamentary bequest. He should consider whether he is not indebted for part of his fortune to some inventory who, like Agassiz, had no time to make money for himself. Old servants and faithful clerks should not be forgotten, and personal friends " who have beat through every quarter of the compass and could never once get into the trade-wind." Donations to public institutions should be made in the lifetime, and while the donor can exercise some supervision over the management of his gifl. A man may show more of his conscience in his will than in any other act of his life. A man without conscience is al- ways disposed to feed bloated fortunes, or to make a testament "As worldlings do, giving thy sum of more To that which hath too much."] !-■■ , i ■(•'a 90 nr>A COMMON HENtiE IN BUSINESS. ft. i JBiiiittHiiB 320. How should a niaii who uudcrtakes to make hia own will coiniiicMCC it? He shoukl begin by describing himself so clearly that then; may be no confusion or uncertainty in ascicrtaining the maker of the will. He should give his Christian and surname, his place of residence, and his trade or ocinipation, but t\u\ preliminary flummery which some persons use in the l)erive his father of his legacy. The only saf(> way, in all such cases, is to describe the legatee with such j)arti( iilurity as cannot admit of a doubt ; as " to John Smith, jun., son of my friend, Mr. John Smith, of German- town, for whom I stood godfather, the sum of," etc., or something of a similar kind, which cannot fail to fix identity. Accuracy in description is especially important in making provision for a natural or an adopted child, in order to ex- clude the pretension of heirs-at-law ; and an eminent English lawyer advises a testator to copy the register from the parish books where it was born and christened, and preserve the certificate thereof with the will.] 332. What is the most important direction that should be observed in making a will ? To avoid all ambiguous words or expressions by which the intention of the testator may be so obscured that it can- not be clearly ascertained. [Courts are loth to set aside a will or a devise for iin-r certainty, but nevertheless they must and will do it where they cannot penetrate through the obscurity in which the testator has involved his intention. " Conjecture," says Jarraan, " is not permitted to supply what the testator has failed to indicate, for as the law has provided a definite successor in the absence of disposition, it would be unjust to allow the right of this ascertained object to be super- seded by the claim of any one not pointed out by the testa- tor with equal distinctness." Thus, a direction to trustees to apply the residue of the testator's personal estate to liHt fill mi seo COMMON ISKNSE IN liULINJiiiii. *' audi benevolent, charUabU'f and relUjioua purposes, an they, in their discretion, may think most advantageous and beiW' Jicial," was hold to he too uucertiiiii, uiul tlicrcforo void. So a rccitiest hy a testator, tliat a " handsome (jratuity " ho given to eacjh of tlic executoi>i. A heciiiest to one of the 80118 of J. S., witlioiit Hpet'ifyiiig whicli son, he luivinj^ several, was held void for uiicertuiiity. So, a devise to two or more of " my poorest kindred." In one of the earliest eases decided to be void for uncertainty, the testator usckI the words: "I give all to my mother." It was adjudged that this expreasion was insufficient to convey the testator's land to his mother, as it was doubtful to what the word " all " referred. So a bequest of " some of the best of my linen." An instance of a boquest held void for uncertainty, on account of the vague use of the word " survivors," occurs in a recent case, where the words of the bequest were, " I give to my executors £1000 upon trust, to be in- vested in the funds of the Bank of England, during the lives of the survivors or survivor for the widows of John Sagee and Thomas Draper, to be divided betwe(;n them, share and share alike." It was contended for the two legatees that the words "survivors ur survivor" applied to the executors, and did not affect the gift to the widows, who therefore were absolutely entitled ; but Sir J. Leach observed, that it was impossible to put any rational con- struction upon the bequest, which therefore was void for uncertainty. A devise of "what shall remain" or "be left'' at the decease of a prior devisee or legatee is an expression that, as a general rule, should be avoided.] 333. When will words of recommendation, or ex'^ressions of desire or hope, be construed as actual bequests ? now TO MAKE A WILL. 861 In modpni timeH it haw been the policy of the law to limit the doctrine of recoiuniendatory trusta, and to conipd testators, if they expect their wishes to be carried into effect, to use words clearly exi)reHHing their intention. " The first case," says Sir Jolm Leach, ** tJiat construed words of reconnnendation into a command, made a will for the testa- tor; for every one knows the distinction between them." Hence, if you intend a conuiiand, do not say, " I dative my executor " to pay a person a certain sum of njoney. Do not recommend your wife to give certain property to certain persons after her death , or, a.s a testator once did, becpieath to her all the residue of the personal estate, " not doubting but that she will diHjmse of what shall be left aL her death to our two grandchildren," or "to my near relations, should she survive me." Even in a case where, after a devise of all his property to his wife, a testator earnestly conjured her to make provision for their only child and a granddaughter, it was held no trust. It is said that the words " it is my wish " will generally be construed as words of bequest or gift, but sometimes as merely an inclination of the mind. 334. When you give a bequest to a married woman, and intend it to be free from the control of her husband, what is the best form to adopt ? To appoint trustees, and give specific directions that the legacy shall be • for her sole and separate use. And this precaution is of importance to be observed in a bequest to a woman, whether married or unmarried, for women will marry ; and, in the event of their marriage, the husband, by virtue of the marital tie, will, in the abseuce of a Married Woman's Act, be entitled to the same. 862 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. .:f 335. What is the effect of marriage ou a will made before the marriage ? It is now fully settled that marriage and the birth of a child, operate as a revocation of a will made previously, be- cause they produce a complete change in the situation and the duties of the testator. In several of the United States, as Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Louisit'na, the effect of marriage and the birth of a child upon a prior will, have been definitely settled by statute. Where, how- ever, it is intended that, notwithstanding these events, the former will shall stand, it may be re-established by simply re-executing it, or republishing it, as it is called : that is, take your will, and sign and seal it once more in the presence of the former, or any other witnesses, and let them sign the following attestation at your request, and in your presence : " Resigned, Resealed, Republished, and Rede- clared by the above-named testator, this — day of as and for his last Will and Testament, in the presence of us, who in his presence, at his request, and in the presence of each other, have hereunto set our names as witnesses thereto." It is especially important for persons who are married, but have no issue, to reflect, when making their wills, upon the possibility of yet having children before their decease, and to make the dispositions in their wills expressly con- tingent upon leaving no surviving issue, for as the birth of children alone is not generally, or except by statute, a revo- cation of a former will, they may be excluded under a will made when their existence was not contemplated ; and cases of great hardship of this kind have sometimes arisen from the neglect of testators to make a new disposition of their property at the birth of children ; indeed, it has sometimes happened sow TO MAKE A WILL. 363 that a testator has left a child en ventre, without being con- scious of the fact. For the same reason, provisions for the children of a married testator, who has children, should never be confined to the children in existence at the making of the will, unless so intended. 336. Will the legatee of a specific chattel, as railway- shares subject to future calls, or a house encumbered with a mortgage, take it free from or subject to the incumbrance ? In the absence of any clear expression of the testator's intention, the legatee or devisee will have the right to require the incumbrance to be discharged out of the gen- eral estate, as a debt : the testator " being considered to use the terms merely as descriptive of the incumbered con- dition of the property, and not for the purpose of subject- ing his devisee to the burthen" — a construction whieli, though well established, it is i)robable, frequently defeats the intention. It is however best to avoid bequests of specifiG property altogether, for you mfiy dispose of that property before your decease, and then • ir intended legatee, though re- membered in your will, w 1 not be benefited by it. 337. What is the eifect of omitting the words " heirs and assigns " in a devise of lands ? Ordinarily it will operate to give a life-estate only. "A man thinks, when he gives his house to another," says Sugden, " that he gives him the entire interest in it, in the same way as if it were a horse. If, however, you intend to give the estate out and out, you must either add what wo call words of inheritance to the gift, or words tantamount to them. It is better not to tell what is equivalent to words of inheritance ; you should use the very words themselves. frv* 364 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. ^ im Tftru * ■■ Thus, if you intend to give your estate in Kent to youp wife, not for her life merely, but out and out, give it to 'her, her heirs, and assigns forever.' " It is also advisable, in a devise of lands, or of all your estate, to use the words, " which / have, or may have at my. death;" for though, by the statute laws of miiny of the States, lands acquired after the execution of a will pass thereby, if such were the apparent intention of the testator, yet in most instances the intent must clearly appear on the face of the will. 338. How must a will be executed, that will be good everywhere in the United States and in England ? In the United States, the laws of the various States differ in their requirenv-nts as to the execution and attesta- tion of wills. In New Hampshire, wills are required to be under seal; while in Pennsylvania, and some of the other States, a will proved by two credible persons to be in the handwriting of the testator, and signed by him, is good without subscribing witnesses. In most of the States two witnesses are required, and in others, three ; therefore,, a will to be good everywhere, and convey lands in every State, should be executed as follows : The testator should call in three disinterested persons to witness his will, and should then in their presence sign and seal it, and declare it to be his will ; and then each of the witnesses then and there should sign his name to the following attestation : "At — j on this — day of — , the above named — signed and sealed this instrument, and published and declared the same to be his last will and testament; and we, in his presence, and at his request, and in the presence of each other, have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses." If the testator is too feeble to write his name, he may mm HOW TO MAKE A WILL. 365 make his mark, and for this purpose any mark is sufficient, although a cross is commonly made. So, if a witness can- not write his name, he may make his mark, but this should be avoided if possible. 339. What description of persons should be selected to witness a will ? Individuals of intelligence and good character, whose testimony, if needed in court to establish the will, would be received with respect and attention, and persons who have no interest under the will. Any one who is com- j>etent to testify in a court of justice, including mar- ried women and minors, may be a witness to a will ; but then, if questioned as to the state of the testator's mind when he executed the will, the evidence of a foolish or incredible person would have very little weight. With regard to interest, the general rule is, unless changed by statute, that where a person takes a personal or beneficial interest under a will he is incompetent to testify in its support ; hence, a legatee must abandon his legacy, or he is incompetent. But where the interest is merely fiduciarj^, as that of an executor, he is competent to testify, unless he is primarily responsible for costs. In some of the States an executor is so responsible, at least in the first instance, while in others he is not ; hence an executor is competent in some States, in others he is not. Oreditors are generally competent to be witnesses to a will, but the credit to be given to their attestation is a question for the determina- tion of a court and jury, 340. What is a nuncupative will f In some countries and States, a person suddenly over- taken by his last sickness, and unable to execute a written ; ■'■ , ; 366 COMMON SENSE IN BUSINESS. will, may dictate to friends within hearing his wishes^ announcing them as his last will and testament ; and if soon afterward they are reduced to writing from recollec- tion by those to whom they have been intrusted, they will be carried into effect. Such wills are technically called nuncupative wills. 341. What is a codicil? A codicil is an addition to a will, not revoking it, but adding to it or varying it in some way. There can be but one last will, but there may be any number of codicils, all valid, if executed and witnessed in the same manner as the original will. Where a legacy i.'' already given in the will and you afterward give another to the same person by codicil, you should state whether the latter is intended to be given in addition to or in lieu of the former bequest. And where advances have been made to a child since the execution of the will, a codicil should be added, stating whether these advances are to be charged to him, and if so, with interest or without. 342. What is a wise precaution, where there is danger that a will may be tampered with or destroyed ? To execute two or three copies of the original will, enclose them in wrappers well sealed up, and deposit them in different places with bankers, or trustworthy friends. A precaution of this kind will save the expense of copies, and prevent the danger of forgery. It will defeat, and perhaps expose, the machinations of those unmitigated scoundrels, who secretly destroy wills that do not comport with their interests, of whom more than one is yet living, unhung, and even unwhipt of justice. And further, it may be observed, if, in addition to the HOW TO MAKE A WILL. 367 above necessary precaution, every testator would take the trouble to look over his will once a year, as regularly as he balances his books, and consider for a few minufes what alteration has taken j)lalwter.s or crabs, ,'}00,000 prawns, siirinips, sardine.-, etc., 500 lbs. of grapes, .'iGO ll)s. of jiine a|)ple, 24 ' melons, Honic litiiidred thousand api)les, pears, plnins, eiu, and some millions of eh(Tries, strawberries, eurrants, and other BMiall fruit, us walnuts, chestinits, and figs; 5475 lbs. of vegetables of all kinds, 'lA'.W'l lbs. of butter, G84 lbs. of cheese, 21,000 eggs, 4^ tons of bread, half u ton of salt and pepper, id near 2^ tons of sugar; and tiiat he will drink 273G gallons of water, 2394 gallons of coHee and tea, 13()8 gallons of beer, and 4200 gallons of other li(pii(ls. This ealeulation, if oidy apj)roxiniately aeeurate, demonstrates most ibreibly how great is the cost of our daily subsistence, and how important is that knowledge which enables us to select and prepare these vast (piantities of food without loss or waste, and in accordance with tho law3 of health. It is undoubtedly true that the greater part of human labor is directly employed in producing materials for human food. Another serious drawback to the attainment of Domestic Comfort is ignorance of the elements of comfort, especially of good cookery. In the princely establishmenta of Kuropo and tho mansions of the wealthy, where a dinner is not merely a necessity, but a luxury, all the great chiefs of the kitchen are men. The Francatellis, the k^'yers, the Blots, and the Gouffds, whose names are familiar in both conti- nents, are simply by profession male cooks, but they are also men of genius, and deservedly take rank with artists, for it requires as much talent to prepare a modern banquet as to paint a modern picture. In the homes of ■I 874 HOME COMFORTS. 1^1 -^^ i'i' / luxurious living the health of the chief cook is a most important matter, and is guarded with assiduous care, because when there is any ailment in the body the palate cannot be relied upon. Some enthusiastic gourmand reconmiends an employer to feel the pulse of his cook every morning, and examine his tongue, for he says if his system be out of order, and "the cook's palate is dull, his master will find the ragouts and sauces too highly seasoned." It is the conceit of some philosophers that men are not only the best cooks, but the only fit persons to write books of cookery. The oldest and one of the best books in this class of literature, known as " Mrs. Glasse's Cookery," was M'ritten, it is said, by Dr. Hill. " Women," said Dr. Johnson, " can spin very well ; but they cannot make a good book of cookery." The learned doctor himself thought of writing a book upon the philosophy of cooking, and said that as " a prescription, which is now compounded of five in- gredients, had formerly fifty in it, so in cookery, if the nature of the ingredients be well known, much fewer will do. Then, as you cannot make bad meat good, I would tell what is the best butcher's meat, the best beef, the best pieces ; how to choose young fowls ; the proper seasons of diiferent vegetables; and then how to roast, boil, and compound." In France, all classes, the men as M'ell as the women, study the economy of cookery and practise it ; and there, as many travellers affirm, the people live at one-third the expense of Englishmen or Americans. There they know how to make savory messes out of remnants that others would throw away. There they cook no more for each day than is required for that day. With them the art ranks with the fine arts, and a great cook is as much hon- ELEMENTS OF COMFORT. 875 ored and respected as a sculp tor or a painter. The conse- quence is, as ex-Secretary McCullough thinks, a French village of a thousand inhabitants could be supported lux- uriously on the waste of one of our large American hotels, and he believes that the entire population of France could be supported on the food which is literally wasted in the United States. Professor Blot, who resided for some years in the United States, remarks, pathetically, that here, " where the markets rival the best markets of Europe, it is really a pity to live as many do live. There are thousands of families in moderately good circumstances who have never eaten a loaf of really good bread, nor tasted a well- cooked steak, nor sat down to a properly prepared meal." But in American households it is not the fashion for men to concern themselves with the details of the kitchen. The wife is the prime minister in the administration of the household, and within the limits of her jurisdiction her power over the fortune and well-being of her subjects is more absolute than that of the most despotic sovereign. If she be ignorant of the arts of frugal management, or wilfully extravagrant, or carelessly indifferent, not only the exchequer but the health of the family will suffer. The Avife is the central figure in the household, and the secret or philosophy of Home Comfort consists principally in getting a good wife, who knows the things worth know- ing in household management, or is teachable and willing to learn. The Qualifications of a Good Wife. A good wife, it may be remarked, is not a natural growth, springing from the soil without care or cultivation. Some- thing undoubtedly is due to parentage and example, but in the main a girl is trained to be what she becomes. Writers 8 876 HOME C0MF0BT8. on physiology and hygiene, as well as those on morals, have had a good deal to say on the education of women, but probably no one has written so much that is practical and useful as Dr. Chavasse, in his little books entitled "Advice to Wives " and "Advice to Mothers." ^WV-f I »- .' ' ' First of all in the list of qualifications that fit a woman for marriage, and above all others, he, in common with most otlier sensible writers, places Good Health. Life without health is a burden ; life with health is a joy and gladness. It is a fearful responsibility both to men and women to marry if they be not healthy, and the result must, as a matter of course, be misery. How needful it therefore is that all necessary instruction should be im- parted to every young wife, and the proper means shown by which she may preserve her health. How to Preserve a Wife's Health. In order to maintain health, a young married woman ought to take regular and systematic out-door exercise, so far as it can be done without interfering with her house- hold duties. Walking expands the chest, strengthens the muscles, promotes digestion, and exhilarates like a glass of champagne, but unlike champagne, it never leaves a head- ache behind. " If ladies would walk more than they do, there would be fewer lackadaisical, useless, complaining wives than there at present are ; and instead of having a race of puny children we should have a race of giants." In order to preserve health a young married woman nmst attend to the ventilation of her house. Ninety-nine out of every hundred bed-rooms, doctors assert, are badly ventilated ; and in the morning after they have been slept in they are full of impure and poisoned air. " I say ad- 114 ELEMENTS OF COMFORT. 377 visedly impure and poisoned air, for tiie air becomes foul and deadly if not perpetually changed — if not constantly mixed, both by day and by night, with fresh, pure, external air. Many persons, by breathing the same air over and over again, are literally poisoned by their own breaths. This is not an exaggerated statement — alas, it is too true ! " For ventilation open the windows both at top and bottom, that the fresh air may rush in one way, while the foul air makes its exit through the other. This is letting in your friend and expelling an enemy. In order to preserve health a young wife should wash her body thoroughly every morning. " There is nothing," Buy 8 Dr. Chavasse, " more tonic, and invigorating, and refreshing than a cold ablution. Moreover, it makes one feel clean and sweat and wholesome ; and you may depend upon it t'mt it not only improves our physical constitu- tion but likewise our moral character. A dirty man has generally a dirty mind." In order to preserve health a young wife should have a nourishing diet, and especially a substantial breakfast. She must frequently vary the kind of food, of meat especially, as also the manner of cooking it. AVhere a lady is very thin, good fresh milk, if it agree, should form an important item of her diet. The meagre breakfasts of many young wives, eating scarcely anything, is one cause, the doctor thinks, of so much sickness among them, and of so many puny children in the world. A woman who has no appe- tite for her breakfast is not in perfect health, and should consult her medical adviser. In order to preserve health a wife should have seven or eight hours of sound, refreshing sleep. " Sleep is of more consequence to the human economy than food. Nothing should therefore be allowed to interfere with sleep. And r-^ 378 HOME COMFOUTa, fell as the attendance on large assemblies, balls, and concerts interferes sadly, in every way, with sleep, they ought one and all to be sedulously avoided." Early rising, not later than six in summer and seven in winter, is also recom- mended, as it imparts health to the frame as well as gives animation to the household. "The early risers make the healthy, bright, long-lived wives and mothers." In order to preserve health it is necessary to avoid the use of alcoholio stimulants, except as a medicine. " It is surprising," says Dr. Chavasse, "the quantity of wine some young ladies, at parties, can imbibe without being intoxicated ; but whether if such ladies marry they will make fruitful vines is quite another matter ; but of this I am quite sure that such girls will, as a rule, make delicate, hysterical, and unhealthy wives. The young are peculiarly sensitive to the evil effects of over-stimulation. Excessive wine-drinking with them is a canker, eating into their very lives. Time it is that these facts were proclaimed through the length and breadth of our land before mischief b<^ done past remedy." Other Qualifications of a Good Wife. • A good wife is not only a healthy woman, but one who thoroughly understands household duties. In Sweden, it is said, the young ladies of wealthy families esteem it a priv- ilege to be permitted to cook the family dinner ; and in France every woman can cook, hence good cookery is with them the rule, while with us it is the exception. It is true, as Dr. Johnson remarked, that a man is in general better pleased when he has a good dinner upon his table than when his wife speaks Greek. But it is also true that a good house-wife is of necessity an educated woman, learned not in the dead languages, but in the physical sciences. ■^ ELEMENTS OF COMFORT. 879 She is a cliemist, technologist, and a physician. On tlie walls of her laboratory are hung texts of practical wisdom for the instruction of her domestics, and in an appropriate corner, within convenient reach, is a small but select library of books on Household Science, Domestic Economy, and Common Sense Cookery. " The practical value of cookery books," says Delamere, "consists not so much in the in- struction they afford to persons totally ignorant of the art, as in their suggestiveness to heads of households who do know something about it. A lady is puzzled how to vary agree- ably and economically her day's bill of fare. She consults her books, and there are many good ones ; and without slavishly following their indications, adapts them to her own tastes and circumstances. A clever housekeeper, with only half a hint, will improvise pleasing culinary novel- ties — novelties, that is, to the habitual diners at lier own family table, whereas without the hint she might have gone plodding on in a wearisome routine of roast, boiled, and cold. A good wife not only knows the details of household duties, but the secret of economical management. There are many women who have the disposition to do, and suc- ceed tolerably well, provided they have plenty of means ; but their management is inordinately extravagant. They throw away as remnants what would suffice a good cook for a meal. They cook more than is required and allow the surplus to spoil. They spend the time in making iced cakes which should be devoted to making good bread. It has been said of American women that there are more who can furnish you with a good ice-cream than a well-cooked mutton-chop ; a fair charlotte-russe is easier to gain than a perfect cup of coffee; and you shall find a sparkling jelly to your dessert when you sighed in vain for a well-cooked m 380 HOME COMFORTS. if li potato. They forgot that to do common thhigs perfectly is far better worth our endeavor tliaii to do uncommon things respectably. A good wife also cultivates cheerfulness, and i)lacidity of temper and disposition. Nothing disturbs digestion and consequently injures health so much as a fretful, easily rufiled temper. "Our jiassions," says Dr. Grosvenor, "may be compared to the winds in the air, which, when gentle and moderate, fill the sail and carry the ship on smoothly to the desired port ; but when violent, unmanageable and boisterous, they grow to a storm and threaten the ruin and destruction of all." Fortunately temper is susceptible of cultivation, and may be controlled. A Quaker^ who was remarkable for the mastery ho had acquired over his ten^oer, was asked by one, who had roundly abused him, the secret, and he replied that in his youth he was also hot and irri- table, but having observed that those who got into a passion elevated their voices he resolved never to allow his voice to rise above a certain pitch, and that was his secret. A good wife, moreover, avoids giving cause for jealousy. There are some women who delight to test their husbands' affection by flirting with others and mean no harm, but jealousy is too dangerous a passion to trifle with. When aroused it is rarely ever allayed ; it grows by feeding on apprehension, and magnifies mole-hills into mountains. Trifles light as air "Are, to the jealous, confirmations strong As proofs of Holy Writ." Lastly, a good wife is something of a physician, and in the minor ills, and especially infantile complaints, the best of physicians. She knows the proper remedies for cuts and bruises, mumps and measles, as well as the best cos- ELEMENTS OF COMFORT. 881 metics for the eomplcxion, and pomades for tlie hair ; and is an expert in destroying bugs and banisliing fleas. All the information contained in the subsequent j)ages of tliis volume is in substance familiar to a properly educated Avoman, though we may wonder "That one small liead c6uld carry all (she) knew." It is related thot a lad who had been brought up in a wilderness by a hermit, and had been kept from the sight of women, saw by chance two girls \valking, and inquiring what they were, wa? told they were fairies. Long after- ward, when he was asked what was the pleasantest thing he had ever seen in all his wanderings, he replied, "The two fairies in the wilderness." So a man who has known a good wife or mother treasures her memory as the pleasantest recollection of his life. I ■m #1 . #1 V..' ill i' ■■ t' - i • Ml JLi I CHAPTER II. ON HOUSE-PLANNING AND SELECTINO WALL-PAPER. " Taste — which has been described as the finest ornament and purest luxury of a land — is a thing of culture, and to its full enjoyment we may not hope to attain till the eye has been trained as well as the mind. I>erytliing that is strained, forced or unnatural, is repulsive. An ezceso of color, an elaboration of carved ornaments, or extravagance of any kind, in matters of taste, should meet a well-merited censure." — Mason. I NE of the fundamental principles or elements of do- mestic comfort is, for most persons, a convenient and well-planned dwelling. Much has been written on the subject of house-building, but a digest of it would probably be of very limited practical value. Those who intend to build for themselves will be likely to study the works specially devoted to architecture; those who have already built do not need to be told what mistakes they have made, and those who have not the means to build for themselves must take such houses as they can get. There are a few points, however, that have such an impor- tant influence upon economy in housekeeping, that they they should be borne in mind when erecting or selecting a house. Points to be Observed in Honse-Flanning. In building a house in the coimtry the first consideration is a selection of a site or location, and this should always be, if possible, on dry, gravelly soil, moderately elevated 882 " ■ HO USE-PLANNINO. S83 and slightly declining on every side to afford good drainage. Trees upon a site always improve it, but they should not be too numerous or too near the house, or they will make the rooms gloomy and injure the walls and roof by their con- tinual shade and dampness. With regard to the aspect of a house, all architectural writers concur that the principal front should be towards the aoiUheast. Mr. Repton remarks, " I consider tUe aspect of infinitely more consequence to the enjoyment and comfort of the inhabitant than any prospect whatever ; and every common observer must be convinced that in this climate a southern' aspect is most desirable; but few are aware of the total difference in the effect of turning the front of the house a few points to the east or to the west of south, be- cause, although the southeast is the best, the southwest is the worst of all possible aspects, for this reason, that all blustering winds and driving rains come from the south- west, and consequently the windows are so covered with wet as to render the landscape hardly visible." With regard to the plan of a proposed house, it is de- sirable to spend a good deal of time during the winter in discussing and considering it, and it is well to take counsel from an intelligent woman. Women generally havcj a nmch better idea of what constitutes real comfort m a house than men ; and on all points connected with the relative arrangement of apartments, so as to save labor on the part of servants, we would far sooner take the opinion of an intelligent woman than that of the cleverest architect who ever handled drawing square and pencil. The follow- ing points deserve careful consideration in any plan that may be adopted : 1. Let the kitchen if possible be on a level with the principal floor, and for strong light and free ventilation i^ '.'•1 « vi 3&1 7/OJtfi; COMFORTS. should have windows on opposite or nearly opposite sides. 2. The pantry, or dish closet, should 1)C between the kitchen and dininfjj-room ar.d easily accessible from cither. 3. Tlicrc HJionld he a set of easy inside stairs from the kitchen to the cellar, and also an outer set into the cellar for admitting barrels, hogsheads, etc. 4. Every entrance, except the one to the kitc^hcn, should be from an entry or hall, not only to prevent the abrupt in- gress of cold air and for pr^per seclusion, but to prevent the too common evil of passing through one room to enter another. 5. Let the jiartitions of the upper floors stand over those of the lower, as nearly as may be, to secure firmness and solidity. 6. If possible arrange that the windows be placed diagonally to the four cardinal points, so that at no lookout will a living or sleeping room be all day deprived of the sun's rays, nor all day be exposed to them. 7. Let the sills of the windows be low, so that while Bitting you can easily, without effort, see out; say not much exceeding two feet. 8. Avoid having too many doors opening into in apart- ment of moderate size.* * Mr. Huggins, in the " London Building NewB," remarks : " I have noted plans of recently erected noblemen's and other mansions, showing four or five doors opening into one room of but moderate di- mensions, sometimes two of them in the same wall with the fire-place, which must render freedom from draughts impossible, and give all ideas of domestic enjoyment to the winds that ride rampant through them. At one of Her Majesty's residences, if it be not belied by the engraved plan of it, scarce one of the rooms contains a snug comer, so numerous are the doors opening into them from every direction, one-half of which might be built up with great advantage to the place." HO USE-PLANNING. 385 9. The chimneys should he curved gently in the form of an S, instead of having them porjwndicular. By this means the draft will l)c good, the heat having a longer passage through the wall, and the wind outside cannot puff the smoke down further than the bend. The inside sur- face should be perfectly smooth, which will prevent the accumulation of soot. 10. The ceilings should be only moderately high, as it is difficult to heat rooms with high ceilings, except with an enormous expenditure of fuel. 11. The ben tlio quantiticH of inj^rc- dients used, and to verify the woiglit of goods received into tiie house, are not as common in Amcri(;an kitchens as tlicy ouglit to bo. Fady pans are a useful arti(!le for making a savory and delicious preparation of meat and potatoes. They consist of a circular pan with a perforated lid, having a valve ])i|)e screwed on to it. The meat is i>laced at the bottom of the jMin, with seasoning, butter, and a little water, and the perforated plate is laid over it. Some mashed potatoes mixed with milk are next arranged on this plate; filling up the whole space to the top of the tube, and finishing the surface in an ornamental manner. If carefully baked the jwtatoes will be covered with a delicate brown coat, and retain all the savory steam arising from the meat. Revolving grkUrons are made, liaving fluted bars lined with enamel. The gravy that flows from the meat runs into the fluted bars, and thence into a small reccj)- tacle in the middle of the handle, so preserving a nice quantity of the gravy. As the part on which the meat rests turns round, the necessity of frequently moving the meat is obviated. A novel egg boiler has been invented, to which the name of the " Whistler" has been given. It consists of a cyliti- der in which the eggs arc placed. Attached to the cylinder is a whistle which, acted on by the steam, gives notice that the cooking of the eggs is completed, and renders it un- necessary to watch the process. A bronze egg steamer has recently been invented. A little water is poured in, the eggs placed in a frame inside. ii 412 HOME COMFOItTS. '^' and the spirit lamp \n>'m\r lij^litcd, the stoain cooks tho eggs. It is ('j(g-H Imped, in bronze, and very netit. Several ditt'erent kinds of a/f/ bvalera are to be had, but purehasers should remend)er that eggs should be beaten with a circular [notion from right to lefl. Of coffee pots tho number is so great, each possessing Bonie point of excellenoe, that a selection is bewildering. One of the most useful styles, however, is the "Old Dominion Coflee Pot," made in Philadelphia. In this the grouiul coffee is placed in a strainer, forming the lower portion, and boiling water poured on it; a condenser con- taining cold water is then placed over, forming the upper part ; the aroma-bearing vapor rises, h condensed, and re- turned into the coffee, the aroma being thus perfectly retained. Another plan forces the boiling water to filter through the coffee, carrying away the aroma, and leaving the bitter principle in the worthless grounds. An elegant but rather pretentious utensil is " The French Balance Coffee Machine," composed of two parts connected by a tube. The coffee being heated in one receiver, passes through the tube and strainer into the other perfectly clear and containing all the aroma, A very useful and at the same time neat coffee j)ot is "The Vienna Coffee Machine," especially for summer use. The water is poured in, and the coffee then placed in a strainer over it; a spirit lamp is lighted under, and as the water boils it rises through the coffee and overflows into the main holder. This coffee pot swings on a stand, and a slight motion pours the coffee into the cup. Some shapes arc very elegant. For roasting meat and game or poultry, which is always preferable to baking, a French turnspit is useful. In this CHE(?RY SrONEfl. APPLE PARER. APPLE SLICER. ' NOVFL. HOUSEHOiD COMVENIENCES THE VIENNA COFFEE MACHINE. /•. // ^\ m \\>' JC- ■'\if»;^'l . .^ HO USEIIOLD CONVENIENCES. 413 the spit runs through an improved form of Dutch oven, and is kept revolving by machinery, wiiich, when wound up, runs for about two hours, a gong calling the cook's attention when it stops. But the most useful meat-cooker for a family of any size is WarrerCa Cooker, the invention of a captain in the English navy. The principle is cooking by the heat of water and steam ; the meat being placed in a pot without water, which fits into a boiler and just touches the water, the steam from which encompasses the sides and rises by a passage into another chamber, in which puddings are cooked, and heating a third, in which are vegetables, escapes through the lid. When cooked enough the meat is placed for about ten minutes in the over, to brown. The advantages arc, that no meat juices evaporate in the cooking ; no trouble is needed in watching the meat atler the water boils ; it cooks easily over a small gas jet, and the most inexperienced help can use it after once being shown. Fish and game it cooks in perfection. An economical way of using cold meat is to mince it, and a mincing knife with two or more blades, for a small family, is useful. For large families and hotels mincing machines are now made. Apple and pear carers are great labor savere, and arc now made to cor. .. addition to paring. Raisin seeders of diiferent kindj have been invented, and also cherry stoners, A little machine for slicing potatoes is an ingenious in- vention, and can be used for slicing beets and other similar vegetables, A graduated spring pushes the potato forward after each cut. In families where sausages ate luach appreciated, a ■•■•■. ' ] II 414 HOME COMFOIiTS. aaumge machine, which can be purchased for a small sum, is (Usirablc. It can also be used for chopping vegetables so that they will dissolve perfectly in soups and stews and afford many savory dishes. A pea shcller lias been invented that will shell a peck of peas in ten miinites. The pea pods arc throv/n into a hop- ])er, and afler a handle has been moved backward and forward a few times, the pods fall out in front, while the peas i>ass into a drawer underneath. A tendon separator is pronounced by some to be he greatest boon ever conferred on unskilled carvers. Soycr says of it, " If it were more generally used there M'ould be no more birds flying across the table in the face of guests; no more turkeys deposited in a lady's or gentleman's, lap ; no more splashing of gravy to spoil satin dresses; but all would be divided with the greatest facility and in the most elegant manner, and the poultry would look much better at table." Refrigerators are valuable articles of household con- venience not so much in gener:vi use as they ought to be. They serve for keeping meat wholesome, vegetables crisp, drinks of different kinds cool, milk from souring, butter solid, etc., etc ; but it should be remembered that an often renewed jug or open dish of lime-water adds much to their efficiency, absorbing the impure ga^es Mdiich meat, fish, etc., give off at even a very low temperature ; and in pur- chasing a refrigerator be particular to choose one in whicli the ventilation is perfect. Portable refrigerators are now m ie, easily carried from room to room, and placed on the table at meals. lee-Gream freezei^s, too, are useful in many families, adding greatly to comfort at a small expenditure, ^'^irious HOUSEHOLD CONVENIENCES. 415 im, )lcs ind of styles arc made, each claiming a peculiar excellence ; but tiie most simple are the most efficient. For the summer, gas cooking stoves are very desirable. Several kinds arc now made, giving great heat with small consum])tion of gas ; one — The Table Gas Stove — being especially useful. This connects with the ordinary gas burner by a flexible tube, will stand on the breakfast table, and boil sufficient coffi3e for an average family. It cannot be overturned, and the flame burns so well as not to soil the brightest tinware. A griddle greaser and scraper is a recent invention for saving lard, and for cleanliness. A no-drip molasses jug saves much discomfort. Knife-cleaning is a duty which often becomes irksome in small families, and is always laborious. The Rotary Knife Cleaner saves a great deal of time and labor, and cleans very effectually, but unless care is exercised it is apt to wear tlie knives quickly. A cinder sifter is useful and economical. One we have seen will stand in a corner and occupy little space. The ashes, as taken from the grate, are poured in at the to]), and falling on a cone and sieve, the cinders fall into a hopper at the front and the ashes into a hopper at the back, and are easily removed. Among the patented articles there is also a funnel strainer, or a funnel and strainer in temporary combination, united very simply by a catch and spring handle, so arranged that when the funnel and strainer are used jointly, they are heid firmly together ; and when either one is to be used alone, they can be easily separated. There are also a number of contrivances patented for filtering water, many of them worthless ; but a good and cheap domestic fJter can be made as follows: Take a 416 II03rE COMFOJITS. HI flower pot, and insert a sponge in the hole in the bottom, fill the pot with alternate layers of sand, charcoal, and small pebbles. The flower pot thus filled up may then be placed on a jar or other convenient vessel, into which the water can be received as it filters through. A clothes line protector is not a new invention, but it cannot be said to be in general use. It consists sim})ly of a little box fastened to a post and enclosing a wheel and a crank, with which a hundred feet of line can be wound up in one minute. When the line is wanted it can be run out with equal facility, and by a turn of the wheel can be tightened, then a catch holds it in its place. How to Sharpen Edged Tcols. It has long been known that the simplest method of sharpening a razor is to put it for half an hour in water, to which has been added one-twentieth of its weight of muriatic or sulphuric acid, then lightly wipe it off, and after a few hours set it on a hone. The acid here supplies the place of a whe^^stone, by corroding the whole surface uniformly, so that nothing further but a smooth polish is necessary. The process never injures good blades, while the badly hardened ones are frequently improved by it, although the cause of such improvement remains unex- plained. Of late this process has been applied to many other cutting implements. The workman, at the beginning of his noon-spell, or when he leaves off in the evening, moistens the blades of his tools with water acidulated as above, the cost of which is almost nothing. This saves the consumption of time and labor in whetting, which, moreover, speedily wears out the blades. The mode of sharpening here indicated would be found especially advan- tageous for sickles and scythes. UO USEIIOLD CON VENIENCES. 417 In tins connection wo may remark that, to remove rust from steel articles, as knives, forks, razors, etc., cover with Bwcct oil, well rubbed on, and let it remain for forty-eight hours, then rub with unslacked lime, powdered very fine, until the rust disappears. "To prevent rust on iron or steel," says Dr. Brewer, in his " Guide to Science," " take one pint of fat oil varnish, mixed with five pints of highly rectified spirits of turpen- tine, and rub with a sj)onge. This varnish may be applied to bright stoves, and even to mathematical instruments, without hurting their delicate polish, and they will never contract any spots of rust." We have already advised our readers not to buy a tea- kettle of which the handle rests against the bulge, as it may burn your fingers; and for the same reason do not buy a soup ladle except it has a non-metallic handle : that is, one either of wood, bone, or ivory. To prevent a lamp from smoking, soak the wick in vin- egar, and dry it well before you use it. 27 Hi m i^it/fi:^ CHAPTEK V. ON THE ART OP MARKETING. "Tell me what kind of food you eat, and I will tell you what kind of man you are." — Savarin. jfl R. KITCHINER, in his well-known " Cook'n Oracle," J says the best rule for marketing is to pay ready J,^ money for everything, and to deal with the most *' respectable tradesmen in your neighborhood. He thinks if you leave it "to their integrity to supply you with a good article at a fair price, you will be supplied with better provisions, and at as reasonable a rate as those bargain hunters, who trot 'around, around, around about' a market, until they are trapped to buy some unchewable old poultry, stringy cow-beef, or stale fish, at very little less than the price of prime and proper food." But on the other hand, it is reported that two Frenchmen, in order to test the question, agreed to buy precisely the same articles on the same day in the Paris markets, the one to take everything at the dealer's prices, and the other to bargain, jew, and beat down, and on comparison of cost it was found that the latter bought his marketing for twenty-five per cent, less than the one who did not bargain. Those who are really good judges of provisions can, with cash in hand and plenty of assurance, no doubt derive an advantage from buying in the open mwket, but others will do better by adopting Kitchiner's advice, and deal with " respect- lld ABT OF MARKETING. 1^ able tradesmen;" and especially those whose conceit is greater than tlieir knowledge, or who pretend to know more than the dealers, when tiiey really know nothing, should not trust themselves among the Philistines of the markets. • How to Choose Beef. Of beef, that from the steer or ox is generally considered the best, though heifer beef is but little inferior to that of the ox. Good beef will exhibit a grain of deep coral red with white rather than yfllow fat, and will yield easily to the pressure of a finger or knife, rising up quickly after pressure. Yellowish fat is an evidence that the meat is of an inferior quality. In old beef the texture of the meat will appear closer, the flesh coarser to the sight, as well as harder to the touch. Mr. De Voe, superintendent of one of the New York markets, and author of books relating to markets, makes the following remarks on Beef and its Different Kinds. The hindquarters, as is well known, furnish the choicest cuts, and supply the celebrated " baron of beef," so much esteemed in England as the crowning dish for a Christmas dinner. The thick part, in which is the hip- bone, gives the largest pieces, while the small end cuts to pieces each from eight to twelve pounds. The best of these is usually called " the middle-cut sirloin." The other part near the ribs is the thin-end sirloin, resembling the middle- cut sirloin, but with less tenderloin, and is sometimes taken in preference by those who have small families, or who like it on account of its closeness to the prime ribs. It is cut up also into small loin or porter-house steaks. The thick 420 HOME COMFORTS. t , (I'll part of the sirloin contiiiiiH tiio larj^o.st part of the tciider- loiii {Jillet-de-lxeuf^, making a hirjjjo hiuI choice piece of from twelve to twenty-five poniuls for roasting, soinetiines called the thick-end nirloin. When not u.sed for roasting it is out into three 4tinds of the finest dinner steaks, of which the first and hest contains the largest quantity of tenderloin, and is known as the " hip sirloin steak." The next in order is the ** flat boiu; sirloin steak," of which there is about the same number as the " hip sirloin steak." Next comes the same luimbcr of the " roiuid bone sirloin steak," which is cut up to the socket bono, and makes excellent beefsteak pie, beef tea, minced collops, v.U.\, as it is leaner than either of the foregoing. The Hmall-end sirloin, when not used for roasting, is commonly known as " porter- house steaks." The tenderloin, the most tender portion of the beef, is taken from the kidney side of the whole sirloin, and is considered by many the choicest portion of the ani- mal. This choice piece owes its tenderness to its situation in the living animal, this muscle being seldom used or called into action. The whole rump piece is usually divided into two or more pieces. The one that joins on the sirloin is the "socket piece," the other is called the "rump of beef." When this last is divided through the centre streak of fat, cutting about half way across the dark bone on the left side of the fat, the smallest piece on the left side is called the edge bone, and the other side the " rump piece." From the rump of beef are also cut pieces for bouilli, stewing, potted beef, fricandeau, etc. The buttock forms three pieces for smoking— the in- side piece, outside piece, and veiny piece — of which the first is generally preferred, but the last is the most tender. ' If the buttock be cut into tw^o rounds of beef — the first and ART OF MABKETINQ. 4AV second cuts — the first will l)o larger and better tlian the latter; they are used for d la mode, a la doube, bouilli, stewing and corning. There are thirteen ribs in the forequartcr, nine of which are cnt off from the chuck. The first seven are called prime ribs, and are cnt into the choicest roasting pieces, by snbdivision into three or more pieces. The chuck contains the last fonr ribs running under the shoulder-blade, and the neck piece. The second-cut chuck rib is a very sweet, juicy-eating piece of beef, as well flavored but not quite so tender as the first-cut chuck rib. This joint costs much less per j)ound. The next cut being the twelfth and thirteenth, or both ribs together, is commonly known as a chuck piece. They are not so good, but with the blade out and a i)iece of nice fat or suet placed within, makes an excellent piece to " roast in the pot," d la mode or for potted beef, bouilli, mince pies, soups, etc. The brisket piece is nmch used by the Fren(?h for bouilli, soup, and a very good piece corned or salted. Of beef, the back part of the rump is a convenient and economical piece, especially for a small family. It is a long and rather narrow piece, weighing about ten pounds, and contains less fat and bone than any other, equally good, in the ox. The thickest end affords nice steaks, and next to them is a good roasting piece, and the thinnest end, which contains the bone, is very good corned or for a soup. The whole is an excellent piece for roasting in case so large a one is needed. Dr. Kitchiner advises that you should never think of ordering beef for roasting, except for Sunday, and when you order meat, poultry or T.sh, tell the dealer when you intend " to dress it, he will then have it in his power to serve you with provisions that will do him credit, which 422 JIOME COMFORTS. the finest meat, etc., in the world will never do, unless it has been kept a proper time to be ripe and tender." A iK^efs tongue has always been regarded as a \ ABT OF MARKETING. 427 g is, lis (ir d k same remark is applicable to all kinds of prepared meats. Lard is frequently adulterated. It is a common practice among the dealers in lard to mix from two to five per cent, of milk of lime with the melted lard. A saponaceous com- pound is formed, which is not only p>^yrly white, but will allow of the stirring in, during cooling, of twenty-five per cent, of water. When there is water in lard, it flies all over the fire ; in that case, boil it a few minutes with a cover on the pan, and then use. How to Keep Meat from Spoiliag. The following is a recipe for this purpose, for which hundreds of persons have paid ten, and even twenty dol- lars, amounting in the aggregate to thousands of dollars : Take a quart of the best vinegar, two ounces of lump sugar, two ounces of salt. Boil these together for a few minutes, and when cold, anoint with a brush the meat to be preserved. For fish the mixture is to be applied in- side ; for poultry, both in and outside. Meat, either before or after it is cooked, may be pre- served for a considerable time, even in warm weather, by being placed in the centre of a clean earthenware vessel and closely surrounded with common charcoal. To prevent the flies from " blowing " the meat, the vessel ought to be covered with a wire gauze. Another mode of preserving meat sweet ai :1 good for several days in the warmest weather, is to cover it lightly with bran and hang it in some passage where there is a current of air. ilBi: iSSSti,, 428 HOME COMFORTS. How to Judge Poultry. In chickens that are fresh the eyes will be full and bright, and the feet moist, soft and litnbcr. If stale, the eyes will be dry and sunken, and if any j)art of the body is dark-colored or green it is spoiled. If the rumj) is hard and stiff, says Professor Blot, it is fresh enough ; but if soft, it is necessary to examine the bird carefully, for it may be tainted. Buy a chicken with white flesh and pale yellow fat. If young, the cock will have small spurs, and the hen will liave the lower part of the legs and feet soft and smooth ; in old chi'ikens these parts are rough, as if they had seen hard service in many travels. In young poultry the lower end of the breast-bone will yield readily to the pressure of the finger, but some dealers arrange this in old fowls in order to deceive. Soyer recommends that, where chickens are to be killed in the morning and eaten for dinner, to give each, " sht.rtly before killing it, a teaspoonful of vinegar, which will cause them to eat tender. This can be done with all kinds of poultry." A young turkey has a smooth leg and a soft bill, and, if fresh, the eyes will be bright and the feet moist. For a small family a young hen turkey will be most suitable, as it is likely to be smaller, fatter, and plump. Young ducks feel tender under the wing, and the web of the foot is transparent. The best are thick and hard on the breast. Young geese have yellow bills, and the feet are yellow and supple ; the skin may be easily broken by the head of a pin ; the breast is plump and the fat white. ART OF MAIiKETmO. 429 If the skin be thick and tough, and the bill and legs are of a dark, reddisii yellow, let the dealer keep the goose. An old goose is unfit for the human stomach. Buying Game. There is no article of food so deceptive in appearance and so difficult to judge whether it is young, tender and good or not, as Game. In general, we may say thrt young birds may be distin- guished by the softness of their quill8,.and that females are more tender and juicy than males. Old pheasants may be known by the length and sharpness of their spurs; in young ones these are short, and blunt. Old partridges have light blue legs, instead of yellow brown. WiM fowl may be known to be old f.om their bills and the stiffness of the sinews of the legs ; those that have the finest plumage are the poorest eating. Hares and rabbits are tested by tearing the ear, and breaking the jaw-bone between the finger and thumb; if they do not tear or break easily, they are fit only for soup or "jugging." When game is not to be cooked immediately, it is prudent to pepper the place where they were shot. In buying venison, choose the dark-colored meat, not the black, but the rich reddish-brown flesh, with fine grain, and well coated with fat. Keep it hung up in a cool, dark cellar, covered with a cloth, and use as soon as you can conveniently. Vegetables Appropriate to Different Meats. Potatoes are good with all meats. With poultry they are nicest mashed. Sweet potatoes are most appropriate with roast meat, as also are onions, winter squash, and asparagus. 430 HOME COMFORTS. Carrots, parsnips, turnips, greens, and cabbage are eaten with boiled meat, and corn, beets, peas, and beans are appropriate to either boiled or roasted meat. Mashed turnip is good with roasted i)ork and with boiled meats. Tomatoes are good with every kind of meat, but specially so with roasts ; apple sauce with roast pork, and cranberry sauce with beef, fowls, veal, and ham. Currant jelly is most appropriate with roast mutton and venison. Pickles are good with all roast meats, and capers or nasturtiums with boiled lamb or mutton. Horseradish and lemons are excellent with veal. How to Select the Best Vegetables. Of all vegetables the Potato takes rank as ^he most use- ful and Avholesome and least expensive. In buying pota- toes, those should be preferred which are of good size, free from blemishes, and having a small eye. In order to test their soundness, cut off a piece of the larger end, and if spotted, they are not sound, and therefore very inferior. Those are best which are fresh from the mould, and have never been wetted until they are cleaned to be cooked. Turnips are among the least nutritious of all food, being nearly ninety per cent, of water, but for thoso who are dis- posed to eat too much, they are useful by stimulating intes- tinal action and removing constipation. Turnips of middle size are the be^st for the table, as the large ones are apt to be spongy. Tomatoes are among the most healthful of vegetables, and good whether eaten hot or cold, cooked or raw, fried in sugar and butter, or stewed with salt and pepper. The medium sizes are the best. ART OF MARKETING. 431 en re Caulijlowers arc considered best when they are large, solid, and creamy. They are stole wiien the leaves arc much wilted, and soft dark 8[)(>ts arc seen through the head. In purchasing celei^, choose the solid, close, clean, and white stallis, with a large close heart, as they arc likely to be the most crisp and sweet, though all celery is rather bitter early in the season. The season begins about the middle of August, and celery is sweeter and better after frost. Of egg-phntf the large, purple, oval-shaped kind is the best, and thoy taste, when fried in thin slices, something like an oyster. They should be firm, not ripe. Mushrooms are a dangerous article for an inexperienced person to buy, as it is difficult to distinguish the genuine from the poisonous. As a general rule, it may be stated that in eatable mushrooms the stalk and top are dirty white, and the lower part has a lining of salmon fringe, which changes to russet or brown soon after they are gathered. The poisonous manifest all colors, and those which are dead white above and below should be let alone. A good test is said to be to sprinkle salt on the spongy part, and if they turn yellow they are poisonous, but if they become black they are good. Let the salt remain on a little while before you decide on the color. Mushrooms are in season during September and October, but may be culti- vated artificially throughout the year. Peas should be always bought in the pods, which should feel cool and dry. Close packing gives them a mashed or wet appearance, and a warm feeling, which injures their natural flavor ; and when the pods begin to look rusty the 41^2 HOME COMFOTiTS. it!i poa has a black spot, atul is too old to bo p^ood. Tboy should be cooked as soon as possible after iiaving been picked. As a general rule, it may be said of all kinds of vege- tables, that if they snap (Tisply they are fresh, but if, on the contrary, they bond rather tiian snap, and have a flabby ap])earanee, tiiey have been gathered for some time, and should be bought for stale vegetables. How to Preserve Fruits and Vegetables. Potatoes should be put into the cellar or a cool, dark place, as soon as they are dug. They are injured by being exposed to the sun or air or frost. Some housekeepers keep them in barrels, and have sods laid over them. Others lay them in heaps in the cellar, and cover them with mats, or bury them in sand or earth. Others, again, dip them for a minute or two in boiling water, and after they are dried, put them in sacks. This is to destroy the germs, and is a valuable discovery. To prevent them from sprouting in the spring turn them out on the cellar floor. To thaw frozen potatoes put them in hot water. Cabbages may be kept by burying them in sand, with the roots upward. But the best v.'ay to keep them tln-ough a severe winter is to leave about ten inches of the stem at- tached to them, and scoop out the pith to the extent of an inch. Suspend the cabbages by means of a cord tied around the stem, so that the portion from which the pith was taken remains uppermost, which regularly fill every morning with fresh water. Celery should be buried in sand, and turnips and beets should be put in a dry part of a cellar. AliT OF MAliKETINd. 483 Apples should ronuiiu out of doors, in barrels, until tijo weatlior becomes eold. They shoidd not be bended up ini- nicdiutcly after having been gathered, as a nioistwre accu- nudates upoji them, which causes decay. When brought in, set them in a back room until the weather requires that they shall be put into the cellar. A linen elotii laid over them will suffice until very cold weather. Many good housekeepers prefer not to have apj)les headed up at all. There is an advantage in being able to pick them over sev- eral times during the winter, as one decayed apjdc may injure all its neighbors. If they are moist, wipe them. If frosted, ])ut them in cold water. Onions keep best spread out over the floor. Parsnips should be buried in a ])it in the garden, and in very cold climates not opened until March or A})ril. Squashes should be kept in a diy place, and as cold as may be without freezing. Herbs should be gatherfid on a dry day, and when they are just beginning to bloom, as they are then in their perfection. Medicinal herbs should be dried, put up in paper bags, and labelled. The leaves of those used in cooking should be pounded, sifted, and put in labelled boxes or stoppered bottles. Herbs retain their virtue best if dried by artificial heat. The warmth of an oven, a few hours after the bread has been taken out of it, is sufficient. Cranberries will keep all winter in a firkin of water. Oranges and lemons keep best wrapped in soft paper and laid in a drawer. In purchaping seeds there arc two excellent methods of testing their quality. One is to throw them into water.* 28 434 UOME COMFORTS. the Mcetls wlii(;h llout on the Hurfiu-o arc wortlilcss, and tlio otluT is to |)liico tlu! Hoods in a wanccr bctwcon two pieces of cloth saturat(!(l witjj water. Ilavinj^ Iain the time rc- qnired (or Heed in tlie eurtii to .sprout, they will declare tlieir quality, either good or had. Note that fruit coining from old seed that has retained its germinating power is better tiian that grown from new seed. How to Manage Winos and Beer. All wines, particularly the li^ht-hodicul and sparkling, rc(|nirc to be ' Of all kinds, the best wood for fuel is made from trees that have attained full maturity, without falling into decay. An elm a century old furnishes much better fuel than one of thirty years. Wood that is straight and solid is the most profitable to buy. A cord of small, crooked sticks does not contain half the wood there is in a cord of straight and solid logs. m llfrH; 440 nOME COMFORTS. Wood is bought by mcaHiircmcnt. A cord of wood \h 8 foot long, 4 foct wide, and 4 fcot higli, and contains 128 cubic feet. To ascertain the amount of wood in a load, nuiltiply the Icngtli by the breadtii, and this product by tiie height, and you will have the nund)er of cubic feet. Wood is usually clieaj)est in Atigust and Se|)tcrnbor, and if cut into short pieces, will furnish the most fuel. Rut in the principal cities on the Atlantic oount anthrncite coal is the principal fuel, and nothing will (!omj)are witii it for yielding the largest amount of heat from a given weight of fuel. Ordinarily, it is considered that there is no great difference between a cord of seasoned wood and a ton of anthracite coal, but if used with care and skill, a ton of hard coal can be made to go much farther than a cord of any kind of wood. How to Judge Hard Coal. Good hard coal is in square lumps, and breaks with a smooth, shining fracture. Bad coal litis flat i)ieces of a dull color, as thick as the palm of the hand, and of greater or less size, wliich, when burnt, remain hard, heavy, and be- come whitish, hence called " bone." If a common scuttle- ful of coal, about twenty-five pounds, yields, after the cin- ders are washed next morning, half a pound of white pieces, the coal cannot be commended. This explains the reason why, of two carts of coal standing side by side, though an ordinary purchaser would have no choice, a practised coal- dealer would gladly take a cargo of one, while he would not be hired to take the other into his yard, if compelled to send it to his customers. He knows that one kind will burn almost entirely up, leaving only a little ashes, while in a single day's burning the other will leave the grate full FUEL AND FIUE8. 417 Ml 18 of "sing." So, one ton of ooal at four dollars a ton nuiy he dearer than another at ton dollars, and y(!t not one nmn in fifty conld tell the diircrcnec from external inspection. A shiny, wpiare IVaetnre, we reiunit, is what an honest coal-dealer loves to sec. He considers tlu; article good in |)roi)()rtion as it hreaks at right angles firmly. If it shat- ter in breaking, or hreak nns(]uarely, he will not look at it. If the coal have among it flat pieces, with a dnll, coal- dust look, it is "bony." Sn(;li a piece gives no more heat than a bono ; it is a black rock, nothing more ; it is hard to kindle, and goes out directly. How to Kindle a Coal Fire. Hard coal will not ignite until it is tlioroughly heated through and through, and as small coal will not recpiire as much wood to heat it up as large, it is important, where the supply of kindling wood is limited, that the pieces of coal which touch the wood should be small. As wood in cities is more expensive than coal, economy suggests the use of as little as practicable. The coal, then, for kindling, should not only be as small as a pigeoi. 's egg, called " chestnut coal" by the dealers, but to economize the wood, the pieces should not be over four inches long, so that they can be laid compactly, then the heat will be more concentrated on a given point of coal, and thus the sooner heat it through and through to the degree requisite for actual ignition. If the wood is thus placed, and is covered with one layer of chestnut coal, it will redden with great rapidity and cer- tainty. As soon as this is the case, cover over the red- dened coal with another layer or two, and in a minute or two put on the larger size. By putting a handful of shav- ings or paper in a grate compactly, then some splinters of dry wood, not larger than the little finger, and outside ot r "■■'. 448 HOME COMFOllTH. m that a layer of pieces an innli or nr re tlii<'lc and throe or four lonijj, then ai)|)Iy a match to the pni»er, and while it is catch inj;, ptit on the small coal as above, there will not he a faihu'e durinj; the winter, nor a jjjrowl in the honsc- hold, for the want of a j^ood and timely fire. To lessen a roal fir?, prf'SH it from the toj), so as to make the mass more compact, (^ivin.uj less room for air. To revive it, lay on small pieces teii(l(>rly, put on the hhnver, and when red, add larger pieces, and riddle ont from below. Hcapin}:; on more coal, or lettinj; out the ashes below, will certainly pnt ont a low coal fire. Cliulrrs caw be removed from stove f^ratos and ranp;e backs by throwing half a dozen broken oyster shell.'- into the fire when the coal is all aglow, and covering them with fresh coal. When all are red-hot the clinkers become donghy, and are easily removed. Some one recommends as a cheap fre-kindlcr, cheaper than wood, to melt three ponnds of rosin in a qnart of tar, and stir in as mnch sawdnstand pulverized charcoal as yon < can, and then spread the mass npon a board till cool, and then bicak it into lumps as big as your thumb. You can light it with a match, and it will light a fire, for it burns with a strong blaze. It is economical of time and money. How to Ubo Coal Economically. In the matter of burning coal, says the " Scientific Amer- ican," there is also a great want of intelligence, and it is not to be expected that common servants will know or care much about saving it. The grate of the range is stuffed so full that the oven top is loaded with it, so that the fire will not die out nor require looking after; then the draft is FUEL AND FIltES. U\) opened, uiid iho money, or wh.. 's tho siuiie, the heat, goes flying up tlio (iliimucy. With u little forethought all thin could be prevented, and a ton of coal made to last three monthfl instead of one. A good bright hre can be steadily nia! itained with coal, with less troul)le than with any other kind of fuel, but not by raking, poking, and piling in green fuel continually. After break Hist, the lire should be cleared of ashes, if there are any, and fresh fuel put on to fill the grate mod- erately. Let the oven dam[)er be turned up so as to heat it, and leave the small top door open, more or less, accord- ing to the intensity of heat required. In this way air enters over the top of the lire, and maintains a far bettor combustion, and conse(juently greater lioat than when the draft-dampers are tlirown down. A washing can be done, or "ironing" acoomplislicd, with one-third less coal than is generally thouglit necessary to use. There is also great waste in throwing away half-burned coal under the su[)position that it is cinders. One wIjo has experimented with coal for twenty years, both in the house and under the boiler, writes : In cleaning the grate in the morning, you will find there is a quantity of unburned coal, which has been externally subjected to combustion. It is covered with ashes, and looks to the inexpcr'.enced eye like cinder. It is often re- lentlessly dumped into the ash-box. The fa(;t, in many cases, is, that the lump is only roasted on the outride, not even coked, and is in a better condition for igniting than the fresh coal. We have stated that coal is a condensed form of carbon. Tlie superficially burned lumps, found in our grates or among our ashes, sufficiently i)rove this. But take a lump of anthracite coal froia the tire, red-hot and 29 450 UOME COMFOBTS. m ill all alive. Throw it into the water until the ashes are washed from it, and it is black externally and cool. Take it out, and break it open with a hammci-, and you will find it red-hot and glowing inside. This shows that time, and a plentiful supply of air, are necessary to burn coal, and that large amounts of what we call ashes and cinders are really excellent fuel. To i)rovc this fact, let any one carefully sift his ashes, throwing out the inevitable slate, which can be readily de- tected, and start his coal fire on wood or charcoal, kindling his coal fire with the savings. He will, find that he can get a good bed of incandescent coal sooner than with green C5oal on the kindlings. Solon Robinson says forcibly : Never, whether rich or poor, suffer your cinders or un- burned bits of coal to be wasted in the ash-barrel. Measure for measure, they arc worth more than coal. Save them, soak them, try them. Water renovates the coke, and wet cinders upon a hot coal fire will make it hotter, and keep it so longer than fresh coal. Saving cinders is not meanness, it is economy. How to Measure Coal. Ten times the price of this book may be saved to any family which uses coal largely, by remembering that the quantity of coal is determined as accurately by measure- ment as by one of Fairbanks' best scales. A bin or box, of thirty -four and a half feet cubical, holds exactly one ton of two thousand pounds of white ash coal, such as is used in ranges, stoves, and furnaces, but it takes thirty-six cubi- cal feet for one ton, or two thousand pounds, of red ash coal, such as is generally used in grates. A lawful ton of \M SAVING OAS. 451 coal in Pennsylvania and, wo believe, in New York, is twenty-two hnndred and forty pounds, or twonty-ei stoves are now so arranged that the flame of the gas acts on an in- combustible, fibrous material, called offbestof^, which speedily becomes incandescent, and this produces a lively and cheer- ful appearance, How to Regulate and Save Gas. In all the principal cities of the United States and Europe, gas is now the most popular agent for producing artificial light, though hardly known at the beginning of 452 HOME COMFORTS. the present century. But notwithstanding its general use, consumers have very vague ideas on the proj)er manage- ment of gas, and large sums of money are unnecessarily ex- pended for want of attention to a few simple details. For the purpose of economizing the consumption of gas, tiiere is n^ part connected therewiili of more importance than the burners. If these are improperly constructed, or their flames unsuitably adjusted, the light derived from gas is reduced in a most extraordinary manner. Under such circumstances the account of the consumer is much in- creased, and it is no exaggeration to state that a large pro- portion of consumers, through their own mismanagcu.eit, .pay twice as much as there is any occasion for, or, ii> oilier words, by proper burners and control, they could have their usual light for one-half the money now expended. Of burners there are three principal kinds in use — the argand, which are best for stores and warehouses; the bat-wing, which is best for outside light ; and the fish-tail, which is generally adopted in hotels and dwellings. In all of these the most important considerations for gas consum- ers to attend to are, to see that the orifices for the egress of gas are perfectly regular in size, smooth, and not rusted, and sufficiently large to permit it to issue with very feeble pressure or force. " Whenever the orifices for the emission of gas," says the " Gas Consumers' Guide," "arc too small, a greatly increased pressure is required to expel it, and the light derived is diminished just in proportion to that in- creased pressure. With burners constructed in this defec- tive manner, the flame has a dull, blue tinge, which in- creases in intensity according to the augmented pressure ; the jets forming the flame are more or less detachetl, and a large portion of the lower part of this is of a deep blue use. ex- SAVINO GAS. 453 color. Defective burners are very common, and by their use the consumer frequently does not obtain more than one- hulf the available light to be derived from the gas." Lava- tipped burners are preferable to metal, because they will not rust. Next to proper burners, a good regulator is an econo- mizer of gas. This is a small self-acting instrument, gener- ally attached to the outlet of the gas meter, at the en- trance to the premises, and contains a suspended plug, or cone, which opens or closes the orifice through, which the gas passes in direct accordance with the decrease or in- crease of the pressure in the company's pipes. By this means the pressure in the consumer's premises may always be maintained at one uniformity, so long as there is a suffi- ciency of supply. " The economy derived by the use of the regulator must depend on circumstances, such as the pressure of the gas in the locality, the care previously employed in adjusting the lights, the kind of burners employed before and after using the instrument ; but it is by no means un- common for a saving of from 25 to 40 per cent, being effected by its use, and still retaining the same amount of light. Professor Silliman gained even better results than these by using a regulator, thereby, as he stated, effecting a .saving of nearly 50 per cent. In all large establishments of several stories high, a distinct regulator is essential for each floor, inasmuch as gas by its lightness has a tendency to ascend, so that in the absence of this instrument there is often an excess of gas in the upper portion of a building, whilst the lower premises are in comparative obscurity." There is a method of enriching]: riras, bv causinj; it to pass, just previous to coinbu;-tio;;^ Cv^^r:.^.). ;^nrpared oils 454 POME COMFORTS. v.! 1 which are rich in carbon. By tliis process the gas becomes loaded witii the carbon of the oil, which is thereby carried to the buri>ers, and produces a much larger amount of light at a comparatively small cost. The apparatus is called a carbonizer, and is attached to the meter. The best way to regulate the flow of gas, and thereby economize it, to the burners, is not by the burner valves, but the main valve near the meter. When the gas jets are burning, this valve should be turned to regulate the flame to the profjcr length, with the burner valves freely open. The object of this is to reduce the total pressure in the pipe before the gas comes t<3 the burners, so that some gas may not escape unconsumcd, as is usually the case wheu the burner valve is used as the regulator. How to Extinguisli Fires and Prevent Conflagrations. Science has deplorably failed as yet in teaching builders iiow to erect a perfectly fire-proof building. The great conflagrations in Chicago and Boston demonstrated that those buildings which were supjiosed to be fire-proof could not withstand a whirlwind of flame. They demonstrated that neither granite nor iron can arrest the progress of a great fire, and that the fire departments, as at present or- ganized in American cities, are powerless to prevent con- flagrations. Of all the safeguards that have been invented, and the ingenious plans that from time to time have been promulgated, not one remains, except the simple idea that the only certain method of preventing eonflagrations is to ex- tinguish f res at their bcg'niing. Whenever a fire is allowed to destroy one building, it may destroy hundreds of others. In order to extinguish a fire at its beginning, it is neces- sary that every building should be provided with a suitable PEE VENTING CON FLA QRA TI0N8. 455 apparatus for the purpose, such as a small hand-pump, ono or two buckets of water, and an axe or hatcliet. The "Scientific American" recommends portable 4iand forc- ino-'pumps, and remarks: "The rule is, that the be- ginnings of fires are small, and their progress compara- tively slow. In most cases, a very little water judiciously applied will extinguish a fire within five minutes of its icrnition. It is for this reason that small portable hand forcing-pumps have been approved by the most experi- enced firemen as the very best means, all things consid- ered, for extinguishing fires." Mr. Bird, the author of a valuable work on " Protection from Fire," recommends that every city and large town should reorganize its fire department, alter the present steam-engines so that they may throw steam into build- ings where the flames have not burst from the doors, win- dows or roofs, and in addition thereto, place in every large building, store, stable or manufactory, a small engine, three buckets, and one axe, with a card of directions what to do in case of fire. Each family should organize its " Home Fire Brigade ; " and in buildings where many persons are employed, there should be some of them trained to do duty as firemen. [In order to prevent fires, the *' London Builder " offers the following suggestions : " Keep matches in metal boxes, and out of the reach of children ; wax matches are particularly dangerous, and should be kept out of the way of rats and mice. Be care- ful in making fires with shavings and other light kindlings. Do not deposit ashes in a wooden vessel, and be sure that burning cinders are extinguished before they are deposited. Never put firewood upon the stove to dry, and never put ashes or a light under a staircase. Fill fluid or spirit (or 456 HOME COMFORTS. ^ kerosene) lamps only by diiyliglit, and never near a fire or light. Do not leave a eandle burning on a bureau or eheat. Always be cautions about extinguishing niatehes or other lighters before throning them away. Never throw a cigar stump upon the floor, or into a H})it-box containing saw- dust or trash, without being certain that it contains no fire. After blowing out a eandle, never j)ut it away until sure that the snuff has gone entirely out. A lighted candle ought not to be stuck up against a frame wall, or j)laccd upon any portion of the woodwork in a stable, nianui'ac- tory, shoi), or any othbr })lace. Never enter a barn or stable at night with an uncovered light. ' Never take an oj)en light to examine a gas-meter. Do not put gas or other lights near curtains. Never take a light into a closet. Do not read in bed. " The principal register of a furnace should always be fastened open. Stove-pipes should be at least four inches from woodwork, and well guarded by tin or zinc; rags ought never to be stuffed into stove-pipe holes ; openings into chimney-flues for stove-pipes which are not used, ought always to be securely protected by metallic coverings. Never close up a place of business in the evening without looking well to the extinguishment of liglits and the proper sec irity of the fires. When retiring to bed at night, always see that there is no danger from your fires, and be sure that your lights are safe."] What to do when Clothing is on Fire. To preserve life when clothing has caught onjire the first great requisite of safety is to preserve presence of mind. Mr. Bird says: "Throwing one's self upon the floor, and wrapping a rug or blanket or overcoat about one, will oc- cupy two or three seconds, and the danger would be over. PREVENTING CONFLAOUA TIONS. 457 Th3 reason ior lying down is, that then tlic flumes bnrn quite slowly towards a vital part, but almost instantly while standing upright. "If persons uwalce in the night, and find the room filled with smoke, they should get out of bed, and cree[) with the face as near the floor as possible to a door or window. A room may be so full of smoke as tosuffbeate any one stand- ing uj), and be perfectly safe to breathe in, a few inches from the floor." Vr'^ith regard to the use of kerosene lamps, whidi so often cause fires and death by their explosion, he says : " Never blow down the chimney of a kerosene lamp to extinguish it. Never use great quart lamps. They are very dangerous. If you hav^e tliem, throw them against a stone wall. Never buy the cheapest oil. Get the best. Lamps, when lighted in the morning without being filled, and taken quickly about the housG, are very liable to explode." * To Save a Person on Fire. Seize a Ijlanket from a bed, or a cloak, or a carpet, or any woollen material. Hold the corners as far ajjart as * There are sellers of " patent burning oils" who claim you can- not explode tlieni if yon try all clay. To show this they pour the oil on a tin plate or pan, apply a match to the fluid, and the fire is extin- guished. The fallacy of this is ex- plained, as follows: Benzine does not explode, but the vapor which rises from it does. When the ben- zine is poured upon the plate the vapor passes off into the ait safely. When it is gone, the match is ap- plied with tlie result as stated. But when the dangerous oil is in a lamp, the vapor cannot find its way to the air, but fills tlu- lamp above the oil. Now we have the flame of the lamp over the vapor. If we blow the flame down to the vapor, or so shake the lamp as to force a tiny stream of the vapor up to the flame, or the vapor increases until it fills the lamp, and is forced up the side of tlie wick to the flame, the vapor takes fire, and 1 irns its way back into the lamp, when the whole of the vapor explodes, setting fire to the oil, and often killing the person holding the lamp. 1 Km m ^u^ 458 HOME C0MF0BT8. M you can, stretch them out higher than your head, and rush •boldly on the person, throwing the fabric around the upper I)art of the body. This instantly smothers the fire, and saves the face. The next instant throw tlic unfortunate j)erson on the floor. This is an additional safety to the i'ace and breath, and any remnant of flame can be put out more leisurely. The next instant immerse the burnt part in cold water, and all pain will cease with the rapidity of magic. Next get some common flour, remove from the water, and cover the burned parts with an inch thickness of flour; if possible put the patient in bed, and do all that you can to soothe until the j)hysician arrives. Let the flour remain until it falls olf itself, when a beautiful new skin will be found, and unless the burns are deej), no other application will be needed. The dry flour for burns is the most admirable remedy ever proposed, and the information ought to be imparted to every one. The i)rinciple of its action is, that like the water, it causes instant and perfect relief from pain, by totally excluding the air from the injured parts. . •• f/^#- CHAPTER VII. ABOUT EATING AND ARTICLES OP FOOD. "Animiila fill thetnaelvcH, man eats. The man of mind alone knows how to eat."— Bbillat Savakin. LL tlic inferior animals arc endowed with instinct to direct them to the right food, that has been provided for them, and wliich requires no cooking or previous preparation ; man, on the contrary, was predestined to exert not only his body in gathering his food, but his intellect in adapting it to the wants of a complicated organ- ism. All the elements that compose the human body have corresponding elements in the animal and vegetable crea- tion ; but man is compelled to exercise his mind and reason to select from the various articles, those which are adapted to his peculiar and constantly changing circumstances. Food, that to the Esquimaux would be wholesome nutri- ment, would disgust and poison the inhabitant of the tropics, while the cooling fruits and vegetables of the equator would freeze or starve the sojourner in polar rea-ions. All food in ordinary use may be divided into four classes: heat-producers, of which the representative articles arc, butter, lard, fut of meats, vegetable oils, fine flour, etc.; 2d, muscle-makers, of which the representative articles 459 460 HOME COMFORTS. nre, loan meats, chceso, peas and beans, etc.; Hd, i)raln fwdei'H, represented by shell fishes, lean nuMits, active fislics, birds, etc.; and waste articles, or those containing little nutriment, but which are useful to modify a::d dilute con- centrated food. As a general rule, that food is best and most economical which contains the proper proportion of heaters and muscle-producers, but all of these classes of food are needed, and everyday; varying, however, in pr()i)ortions, acc!ordin;]j to age, circumstances and temperature. Those who ar ignorant of dietetic laws provide nearly the same kind of food in summer as in winter, for the young and for the aged, for the active and the sedentary ; and the result is seen in the prevalence of bowel and liver complaints, gastric and typhoid fevers, dysenteries and dyspepsia. The great secret in the preparation of food that will pro- l()ng life in good health is to adapt it to the mental or mus- cular employments of those consuming it, and to provide a varietv suited to the ages of the individuals and the season. Divine wisdom has in nature provided an infinite variety of articles adapted for food, but it requires some knowledge of their constituent parts, and a good deal of intelligence, to select and properly prepare thera. 1. Grain as Food. Of grains, the most extensively cultivated and most generally used is Wheat. Of this the varieties are so numerous that the French Academy of Arts and Sciences has described no less than four hundred. All of them, however, con- tain the elements which correspond with the requirements of the human system, though differing in proportion and value, and it is possible to maintain life and health on !:■ t , EATING AND ARTICLES OF FOOD. 461 slies, little coii- iuid II (»r food tioii.s. wheat iiloMo for an indL-finito porlod, with good water and good uir. The proper niodiH of prcparin- wheat, and baking bread, will be considered subsecpiently. liye is a valnablo grain for persons predisposed to constipation, ant 462 JIOME COMFORTS. well adiiptcd to aotivc pcoj)lc wIiohc dif^ostivc j)OvvorR arc Htron^. Two poinidH of hoauH will do inoro imiMciilar work than tlircc! pounds of wlicat, and more brain work tlian tlirce and one-half pounds. But, as tiioy I'ontain less hy twenty per (!ent. of the requisite aino»n»t of heaters, they are appropriately eaten with fat pork or some other hcat- niaking food. Pais, which contain nearly the same elements as beans, and in similar proportions, arc more easily digested, and require to be eaten with potatoes, and such heaters as })()rk, butter, or fat meats. Potatoes, par mips, tuiiiips, carrots and green vegetables generally coiuain some nutritive elements, but with such an amount of water and waste, that the capacity of the human stonuuih is insufficient to hold the supply necessary to keep the body in good condition. Eaten, however, with lean meats or other concentrated food, they perform a useful office in distending the stomach, and facilitating digestion. 3. Animals as Food. The flesh of animals, fat and lean together, like a grain of wheat, contains every one of the elements that compose the human system, but not in the same proportions. The difference in the nutritive properties of five articles of animal food, in common use, is set forth in the following table. In one hundred parts are — Fll'rin and allm- Minornl mattor, men, or food or food for for iiiiiHrlcs Fat, or food for brainB. and tisHucs, beat. Water. Veal 5 16 16.5 62.5 Beef 5.0 15.0 30.0 «0.d- Mutton 3.5 12.5 40.0 44.0 Lamb 3.5 11.0 35.0 60.6 Pork 1.5 10.0 50.0 88^ itt^, EATING AND AliTlCLES OF FOOD. 403 It will l)C perceived that pork rontaiim five times as mueh of the food f«>r heat as of the food for tniiscles and tisHiU'H, and is therefore the best for eold ^veather, while veal is better suited to warm weather. In lean heefstealc, thcninsele-niakinj^pri'ieiples predominate,and e()nse<|nently bntter or potatoc rici; or Indian corn should aeeompany it, while with fat pwi k we recinirc beans, peas, etc. Pork and beans contain the muscle and vital elements as well as the h(>aters, and are cxceedin^jjly wholesome diet for those who are active and exposed to the cold, while they arc stupe- fying to the sedentary, and tend to produce inflammatory diseases or congestion if eaten in hot weather. Fitthcs arc found to contain, Avhon chemically analyzed, about the same muscle-making elements as are found in lean beef and mutton, with a larger pro|)ortion of phos- phorus or food for the brain. The active kinds of fish, as trout, i)ickercl, and shad, arc more valuable as food than the common wliite fish, like cod and haddock. Containing a largo proportion of phosphorus, or the vital element, they are especially suited to student? and sedentary men, thouj^h fisii j)ickclled in brine arc more suitable for laboring men than others. Chickens or poultry arc not equal to fishes as a food for the studious, but they contain more of the muscle- making and heat-producing elements than beef or veal. This is especially true of the legs of a chicken or turkey, which are far superior to the breast as a valuable food. The breast is white, dry, and somewhat insipid, while the muscles that move the legs are dark, juicy and have a rich flavor. In birds which live on the wing, it is other- wise. Their breasts are rich in muscle-making and vital 464 HOME COMFOETS. iv I v.:-; m elements, wliile the meat on the tliiglis and side bones is poor and dry. Oysters are unsatisfactory food for laborers, but will do very well for the sedentary, and to sup on. They contain but twelve and a half per cent, of solid matter, " in which are included fibrin, albumen, gelatine, mucus and osma- jj zome. 4. Food Makes the Man. It is unnecessary to pursue the analysis further, for "every moving thing tliat livetli shall be meat" for those who know how to appropriate it. Everything that has life can be used to sustain life in man, and some think that somewhere in the store-house of nature there is a reniedv for every ill t iie flesh is heir to. It is believed by some emi- nent thinkeiv:, that even mental and nervous jiowcr can be greatly increased by the use of proper food. This, if true, is one of the most important applications of science to dietetics ever made. If true, the cook and the caterer are as important agents in a scientific system of education as the schoolmacter, the one furnishing the brain with power to work, and the other training it to do work. Let any man observe his feelings and mental capacities, says Dr. Bel- lows, the author of the " Pliilosophy ©f Eating," " after a breakfast of white bread and butter, or griddle cakes and syrup, or any other such carbonaceous articles of food, and I am sure he will find himself unable to perform the same mental labor as he can on a breakfast of beefsteak, or fish and potatoes, or unbolted bread and milk, or any other articles abounding in the phosphates. Brains ean no more be made or worked without phosphorus than Egyptian bricks can be made without straw. Why not then apply these plain laws to raising children, and cultivating their SlUi?ii|; m EATING AND ARTICLES OF FOOD. 465 minds, ns we do to the raising of wlieat, and liens, and bees, and devel()j)ing their properties and powers? "No man wlio understands iiis business would expect to raise wheat in soil in whieli is no nitrogen, lime, or plios- ])liorns, or make hens profitable on food containing no lime ior egg-shells, or keep bees on a desolate ishuid where no flowers could be found. Why, then, cx])e(^t to develop brains on white bread, griddle-cakes and doughnuts?" This is a theory that every one can test for himself, and if found valuable and prantioal, its application is very ini- ])ortant. Is your boy, says the doctor, frit and stupid, having neither nuisele nor brains? Feed him on lc:in meafe^, fish, o:itmeal cakes, beans, peas, and food in which phosphorus abounds. Is your son, on the contrary, njentally active, thin in body and precocious in intellect? He is liable to danjrerous diseases of the brain, and inffummations, and it Avill be well to confine his diet principally to (tooling fruits, and vegetables, with bread, milk, and articles containing starch and sugar. Is your daughter pale, ferb'e and unde- veloj)ed? Do not feed her on white bread, sweet cakes, puddings and confectionery, but give her lean meats, fish, milk, coarse bread and articles containing iron and phos- jthorus. Is your grandfather fat, stupid and dozy, dis- ])osed to sit by the fire, savinti: nothiuL'", and carin<>: for nothing? Change his diet from fat beef and j)ork, white bread and butter, buckwheat cakes and molasse-:, to fish, beef^^teak, and j)otatoes. Is he, on the contrary, very rest- less and irritable? Let him eat of the fiittest meats, and of butter, sugar, and molasses as much as he desires. Do you exi)cct to spend the day in study or mental exercise? Take a breakfast of beefsteak, fish and potatoes, game, oatmeal or barley-cakes, or any other articles in whicli phosphorus 30 466 HOME COMFORTS. {; \ m\ fe . HI '; ■ 1 i ! ■1 i S'^'i ■1 m ■3 •1 abounds. Do yon intend to spend the day in hard out-of- door work in the cold? Eat fat and lean meats, beans and corn bread. Do you wish to feel badly and be pre- disposed to fevers and inflammatory diseases? Eat in summer what you found wholesome in winter — pork and tjeans for breakfast, a side of pork for dinner, and have your vegetables cooked swimming in fat. As a further corollary from the principles set forth, it may be stated that everything designed for food is wholc- Rome under some circumstancos, and unwholesome under other, circumstances. Dr. Bellows forcibly remarks, "A rattlesnake, all but the head, would make a delicious and wholesome meal to a man who was starving and could get nothing else, while the most delicate woodcock would be poison to a man prostrated with typhoid fever. Tiiat abstract question, then, so often asked, Is this or that kind of food wholesome? is consummate nonsense." V . Keeping Lent. In Catholic countries it is the practice to fast for a season in early spring, especially to abstain f^om eating meat, and the practice seems founded on a wise physiology. " If all [Kjrsons for a month in early spring," says Dr. Hall, "were to abstain from all meats whatsoever, as the spirit of the doctrine of Lent requires, it woul add greatly to the health of communities by enabling the system to tlirow off the impurities of the body acquired by the hearty eating of winter, would cool off the heated blood, and thus destroy the germs of spring and summer diseases, and thus is it that the proper practice of the precepts of religion pro- motes not only the spiritual but the physical health of man. These are simple measures : they are practicable, cost EATING AND AETICLES OF FOOD. 467 no money, and are available to all, and if heeded in a rational manner, death would be kept from many a dwell- ing, and life-time sorrows would be lightened in many bosoms." . i . Digestibility of Foods. With regard to the comparative digestibility of the various articles that are usually used as food, the nearest approach to accuracy which has hitherto been obtained Avas made by Dr. Beaumont, who had an opportunity to witness the operations of the stomach of a Canadian, which had been deprived of its outer coating, and laid bare by a musket ball. He discovered that boiled rice, raw sweet- apples, boiled sago, raw fresh eggs, boiled and fried trout, hurley broth, boiled tripe and broiled venison were tlie most difjcstible of all the common articles of diet. Next to tlicse were boiled tapioca, boiled beans, roasted or baked potatoes, raw cabbage, fresh and raw oysters, hash, broiled liver, boiled and roasted turkey, roasted goose, broiled lamb, fricaseed chicken and boiled beef, which were digested in three hours or less. The most indigestible of all were roasted and boiled pork, roasted wild ducks, fried heart, fried veal and fried beef, beef soup, boiled cabbage ind boiled salmon. These required from four to five hours to digest. It is proper, however, to state that the value of articles as food does not depend altogether on their digesti- bility, except for very feeble stomachs. The stomach requires rest, it is true, but when it has nothing to do for long intervals, it is apt to become restless and enfeebled. How and •when to Eat. To derive full nourishment from the food which is taken into the body, it is as important to know how and when 468 HOME COMFORTS.' to eat as what to cat. All tlic medical authorities concur in recommending people to chew their food well, so as not to give the stomach the work which the teeth ought to perform. Eat slowly, they all say, and at regular hours. Never eat when very tired, or heated, or angry, or the food will i)robally ferment instead of digesting. Take a hearty but not a heavy dinner, and rest, if possible, at least Salf an hour after a hearty meal. Eat light suppers: nightmares are generally occasioned by eating, before going to bed, heavy food which presses steadily on the great veins of the body, arrests the flow of the blood, dams it up in the vessels of the brain, and a man having nightmare is mu jli nearer death than most persons suppose. If he can- not arouse himself instantly, and escape from his imagin- ary peril, ho will probably never awake. Physicians also concui* in declaring that the quantity of food to be taken at a meal is even more important than its quality. Americans as a rule eat too much. Some one has said, "Our men are all gluttons, and our women are all slaves." A little food well assimilated, yields far more nutri- ment and vigor than quantities crudely digested. Lewis Cornarro, who brought himself by dissipation and gluttony to death's door, reversed his practice, and by limiting himself to twelve ounces of solid food per day, prolonged his life for sixty-three years, dying at an advanced age. The lightest and least of meat and drink, says Dr. Cheyne, " a man can be tolerably easy under, is the shortest and most infalli- Wc means to preserve life, health, and serenity." nir lot to irs. the a ;ast CHAPTER VIII. up CHEAP LIVING AND ECONOMICAL FOOD. " No charitable FocieticB liave ever done m much good to the poor by tlie distribution of food, as they could do by printing and putting into the hands of every family, a little tract containing practical lessons of economy in the art of living well and living cheap — an art that would prevent the waste of food, and lessen the expense of first purchases, and increase the nutritious qualities while it added immensely to the table enjoyment of every family." — Robinson. G[ MERICANS are reproached not only for being great /I eaters, but the most wasteful and extravagant con- A V sumers of food on the face of the earth. The -\vhole '' system of American cookery is based upon a state of things that existed when food was so plentiful as to have scarcely any money value. When wheat could be purchased for less than fifty cents a bushel, and corn was burned for fuel, as it has been in some of the Western States, there could be little or no inducement to economize in their use. But where thousands are on the brink of starvation, relying on public soup-houses for the means to sustain life, as has been the case in the Atlantic cities since the late financial panic, the waste of food becomes a crime against the well- being of society. How to get sufficient nourishment from food with the least expenditure of money, is therefore the question we propose to consider in this chapter. 469 470 n031E COMFOliTS. The editor, in his "Opportunities for luduslry," pub- lished some years ago, remarked : " Tlic eost of what are absohite and actual necessaries of life is, in most countries, comparatively little — as is evidenced in cases M-herc stern necessity affixes the bounds of possible expenditure. In France, for instance, there arc tens of thousands of peasants and operatives whose daily earnings do not exceed ten cents, and yet they continue to live gayly on that sum. As a consequence, in no other country has the art of cook- ery made eqnal progress. In Paris an enterprising woman, Madame Robert, furnishes a dinner daily to six thousand workmen for two pence each, her bill of fare being cabbage soup, a slice of bouilli (boiled beef), a piece of bread, and a glass of wine. In our Southern States, the food of the chief laborers — the men who produce an export value of over two hundred millions of dollars per annum in cotton, sugar, tobacco and rice — does not probably cost their pro- viders ten cents per day." What may be done with ten cents a day, even in the extravagant city of New York, was illustrated by Solon Robinson, in his famous story originally published in the New York Tribune of "A dime a day." He told how a woman with four children, whose daily mcome for, some time was only ten cents, managed to provide subsistence for all without charity from any one. Now this is the way she did it : she bought one cent's worth of corn meal, four cents' worth of white beans, and paid three cents for a scraggy piece of salt pork, half fat and half lean. AVith the meal, she made three dumplings, and these, with the pork, beans and a pepper-pod given her, she put into a pot containing plenty of water, for the pork was salt, and boiled the whole for two hours. For breakfast the family ate one CHEAP LIVING. 471 ire fcs. of tlie (liimplingfi, and each had a plate of soup ; for dinner they ate half tlie meat, half the soup and one of the dinnp- lings, leaving the same allowance for supper. For a change, she bought five cents' worth of scraj) pieces of Icaii beef, which, with some potatoes and an onion and the meal worked up into round balls of stiff dough, she made into a stew or chowder that sufficed for the day. 'J'heie are thousands placed in similar circumstances who, not knowing how to use a sum so small, would have invested their ten cents in some cheap poison and swallowed it. Some years ago a Yankee philosopher of the school of Diogonc^^ M. Thoreau, endeavored to ascertain by actual experiment how cheaply a man could live, and his experience is re- corded in a volume entitled " AYalden, or Life in th^ Woods." For eight months his food cost him in money twenty-seven cents a week ; and for two years it consisted of rye and Indian meal (without yeast), potatoes, rice, a very little salt pork, and molasses; and his drink was water. He says, "a man may use as simple diet as the animals, and yet retain health and strength." From experiments made some years ago, in five prisons in Scotland, where the habits of the prisoners were about alike, it was found that to supply the waste of the human system when not in active exercise, about four ounces of muscle-making and thirteen ounces of heat or fat-prodncing food were required daily ; and that a lesser supply wjis insufficient to restore the waste of the tissues, and that the body consequently diminished in weight. About the same proportion is observed in the rations provided for soldiery by governments whose officers study the laws of dietetics. Now, assuming this to be the amount of nutriment daily required, we need only analyze the various articles of food 11 472 ROME COMFORTS. . and Kclcct tliosc containing (lie requisite elements that cost the legist. In other ■words, we need cat only one and tlncc- qnarlcr pounds of cracked wheat or unbolted flour dailv, or one and a half pounds of maize and Southern corn mixed, a jmund of beans or peas and rice, two pounds of barlcv, or two pounds of oatmeal and one of hnckwhciit, or tinee pounds of beef of average fatness, or about ten pounds of potatoes or sixteen pounds of turnips, carrots and parsnips. A bill of fare consisting of one jiound of roast beef, one pound potatoes, one pound unbolted brcnd, one pound milk, and one pound ai)[)!cs, will contain (ho game qin\ntity of muscle-making and heat-j)rodueing clc- ments. The combinations by which the same end may he obtained are almost unlimited; but where cost alone is considered, the simplest and cheapest articles must be selected. Less than two pounds of unbolted flour, or beans or peas or Indian corn, are all a man need purchase and consume daily, to supply the waste of Uis system in ordi- nary circnmstancfs. This statement furnishes a kcv to about all that can be said rcs[)ecting economy in food. • • Soyer's Cheap Soups. Soyer, in his "Culinary Campaign," has given recipes for making palatable soui)s Mliich he says will not cost more than a cent a quart in London. His directions for two of them are as follows: • '. ]So. 1. Take two ounces of drippings; quarter of a pound of nolid meat, at four pence a pound, cut into pieces one inch square; quarter pound of onions, sliced (hin ; quarter ])i)nnd of turnips (the peel will do, or one whole one cut into small slices); two ounces leeks — green lops will do — sliced thin ; three ounces of celery ; three qnar- ters of a pound of common flour; half a pound of pearl CHEAP LIVING. 478 barley, or one pound of Scotch ; three ounces of salt ; quar- ter of m\ ounce of brown 8Uj;ar ; two gaUons of water. I first put two ounces of ;hness of the meal particles giveti the advantage of brown I ; m HOME C03IF0ETS. bread ; its natural sweetness makes sugar or molasses un- necessary ; while the sweet milk answers all the purpose gf soda or cream of tartar. A Keceipt for Indian Pudding. Tlirce and a half pounds of corn (Indian) meal and a handful of salt, one teaspoonful or not, we would prefer not, of carbonate of soda. Mix well, and pour over it a sufficient amount of boiling water to soften the whole, then pour on a quart of cold water; sprinkle over it three- quarters of u i)ound of dry flour, and stir it well. Divide into five puddings; put each into a floured cloth, tie tight, put in boiling water, and boil three hours; cat it hot, or cold, or fried. It is said tiiat this will give a family of twelve persons two hearty meals, at a cost of twenty-fiv# cents. It is eaten with syrup. How to Cook Hominy. • By hominy is meant grains of white corn from which the hull and chit, or eye, have been removed, leaving the grains almost whole. Solon Robinson says, that not one person in a hundred knows how to cook hominy, and gives this as the proper way, which he learned in the land where " hog and hominy " are understood. Wash slightly in cold water, and soak twelve hours in tepid, soft water; then boil slowly from three to six hours in same water, with plenty more adued from time-to time, with great care to prevent burning. Don't salt while cook- ing, as that or hard water will harden the corn; so it will peas or beans, green or dry, and rice also. When done, add butter and salt ; or o better way is to let each one season to suit the taste. It may be eaten with meat, in lieu of vegetables, or with milk, sugar, or syrup. CHEAP LIVING. 479 It Is good, hot or cold, and the more frequently it is wanned over ; it is like the old-fashioned pot of " Bean porridge iioi, or bean porridge cold, Bean porridge best at nine days old." So is hominy. It is good always, and very wholesome, and, like tomatoes, only requires to be eaten once or twice to fix the taste in its favor. Eice and Lentils. Two-fifths of the human family it has been calculated make rice their principal article of food, but like superfine flour, it is almost entirely starch, and therefore for mei.tal or muscular strength it is one of the poorest of the common articles of nutritive food, and those who live exclusively upon it are generally weak and effeminate. It is useful, however, to eat with meat, or in case of sickness, where lit- tle sustenance is required, and when properly prepared, it is very palatable. Rice may be boiled in various ways, or rather with sev- eral ingredients. In Italy they boil it with ham, sausage, and sometimes Parmesan cheese, and it may be made into cakes, croquettes, fritters, or into pudding. The following is a recipe To Make a Rice Pudding Without Eggs. Wash a half pound of rice, and put it in a broad shallow tin pan holding four quarts, witli a large teacupful of sugar and a half teaspoonful of salt. Fill the pan up with milk, fresh from the cow is best, and set in the oven or stove to bake, stirring it occasionally, and trying the rice. When the latter is soft, and begins to thicken the milk, the pud- i' 480 HOME COMFORTS. I. J M '( i I ■"< ^ il m^ -H»j| (ling is done. If it boils too long, or there is too much rice in it, it will be too thick to be good. . Lentils are not much known in America, but in the East they are used largely in connection with rice, su})plying the muscle-making elements in which rice is deficient. Pro- fessor Blot pronounces them an excellent vegetable, and says they are prepared like dry beans in every way. Many persons think them much dearer than beanS or peas, not knowing that they swell three or four times their size ■when soaked in water before cooking them. A puree, of lentils is excellent with almost every kind of meat, and it also makes a good soup. A good supper or dinner may be had from a bowl of Farmer's Rice. " Take a quart of milk, and put it on to boil in a pot of sufficient size. Mix two eggs thoroughly in a pint of flour, and when the milk has begun to boil, sprinkle this into the milk, and stir constantly. When well boiled, transfer to a deep dish, and make it very sweet with brown sugar. Grate some nutmeg over the surface. A Plum Pudding for the Million. Soyer gives the following receipt for a pudding, which, he says, will cost only sixteen pence to malce one large enough to supply ten or twelve people. Put in a basin a pwuid of flour, half a pound of stoned raisins, ditto of currants, ditto of chopped suet, two table- spoonfuls of treacle, and half a pint of water. Mix all well, put in a cloth or mould, and boil from four and a half to five hours. For sauce, take melted l)uttcr, sugar, and juice of lemon, if handy. A little spice, or a few drops of any CHEAP LIVING. 481 essence, or lemon peel chopped, and a little brandy or rum will be an improvement. Oatmeali Oatmeal is especially rich in food for muscles and brains, and this may explain the reason of tlie fact that Scotchmen, who are raised principally on oatmeal porridge and oat- meal cakes, are remarkable for mental and physical activity. It is said to contain the most material for hard work of any known grain, while, at the same time, it is about the cheap- est of foods. In the form of cakes. Oatmeal, it is claimed, is as good as buckwheat, and in the form of porridge it is especially healthy for children. The best way to make porridge is to mix the oatmeal with warm water ; strain the batter, pour it into a farina- boiler (a tin utensil enclosed in a larger one, with space be- tween the two for boiling water), and then leave it on the fire for an hour and a half. It needs no stirring, and will be found cooked to a perfect jelly, free from lumps. Economical Meats. When the best beefsteak is selling at twenty cents a pound, the butchers are glad to sell the " rein " piece at eight or ten cents a pound. It has no bone or fat, and three pounds of it for twenty-five cents will make soup enough for a family of eight or ten persons two days, be- sides furnishing enough meat for a dinner. Of all the parts of corned beef, that is the most nutritious and cheapest which is called the round, for it has neither bone nor gristle, nor waste fat worth naming. Both in the purchase of meat and fish, persons are generally falsely economical in choosing an article with bone in it, at two op three cents a pound less than a piece which has none. They 31 482 HOME COMFOBTS. purchase porgies, blue fish, flounders, and the like, at six or eight cents a pound, instead of halibut at twelve cents (wholesale), but the halibut is the cheapest, and al&o the safest, where there are children. Beef Stew. A very economical and most savory and delicious dish, says some one, can be made with two or three pounds of chuck steak (a cheap kind of beef), which infinitely sur- passes the tasteless, insipid, eating-house stuff, called beef a la mode. Cut the steak into pieces two inches square; put them into a saucepan, with a large breakfast cup of cold water ; put it on the fire ; as soon as it boils up, stand it on the hole to simmer, for two hours, until perfectly tender. While simmering, put in, tied up with a bit of thread or cotton, a bunch of herbs, composed of knotted marjoram, winter savory, and a little thyme; take this out just before the dish is served. Of course the stew must be oc sionally shaken, as all others are ; the more fat there is, the better is the stew. This dish is of Italian origin, and in that coun- try is eaten with plain boiled maccaroni and Parmesan cheese, or with salad, and with either is " a dainty dish to set before a king." A good and economical breakfast dish is made of Fried Rashers of Bacon and Poaclied Eggs. • Cut the bacon into thin slices ; trim and cut off the rind. Put it into a cold frying-pan — that is to say, do not place the pan on the fire before the bacon is in it. Turn it two or three times, and dish it on a very hot dish. Poach the eggs, and slip them on to the bacon without breaking the yolks, and serve quickly. Time, three or four minutes. Allow six eggs for three persons. CHEAP LIVING. 4S3 An excellent family dish, very savory, and which can be recommended also for its cheapness and economy, is Roasted Oxheart Stuffed. Put the heart into warm water to soak for two hours ; then wipe it well with a cloth, and, after cutting off the lobes, stuff the inside with a highly seasoned forcemeat, made, for instance, from six ounces of bread crumbs, two eggs, two ounces of ham or lean bacon, quarter of a pound of suet, the rind of half a lemon, one teaspoonful of minced parsley, one teaspoonful of minced sw at herbs, salt, cayenne, and mace to taste. Fasten this stuffing in with a needle and coarse thread ; tie the heart up in buttered paper, and set it before a good fire, being very particular to keep it well basted, or it will eat dry, there being but very little of its own fat. Two or three minutes before serving, re- move the paper, baste well, and serve with good gravy, and red-currant jelly or melted butter. If the heart is very large, it will require two hours, and covered with a caul, may be baked as well as roasted. Cost of heart, twenty cents, and sufficient for six or eight persons. Seasonable all the year. , A Genuine Pepper Pot. This soup, which is of West Indian origin, should be made in an earthen pot, which always remains by the side of the fire, where the contents simmer, but do not boil. These should consist of an equal admixture of fish, flesh, fowl, and vegetables, seasoned with chilli, or Cayenne pep- per and salt, the only attention it requires being occasional skimming, and the addition of a little water when it gets too dry. As it should at all times be simmering by the I '4m HOME COMFOBTS. I' !.i fire, a good meal is always ready for any guest that may chance to come uninvited. A Scotch proverb says, Tiiey hae need o' a canny cook wha hae but ae egg to their dinner. Cold Meat Cookery. This is a field that offers many resources for economical living to those that understand the art of thrifty house- keeping. In the opinion of most American housokecj)ers, roast or boiled meat left over is good for nothing except to be eaten cold or thrown to the dogs. A few of them know that it can be made into a plain hash, but this is the ex- treme limit of their knowledge in this particular. Those who would learn what savory dishes can be made of cold roast or boiled beef, mutton, veal, and poultry, sliould con- sult Mrs. Beeton's " Etiglishwoman's Cookery Book." No other work that we know of is so complete in its directions for cooking cold meats, and with its aid a thrifty house- keeper, who could secure from her more ignorant or lavish neighbors a supply of cold meats at a small expense, could support a family of three or four persons for a trifle per day. "What can be done with cold roast heeff It can be broiled with mushroom or oyster sauce ; it can be made into beef fritters, beef rissoles, beef rolls, into hashed beef, minced beef, potted beef, and beef ragout. Cut into slices, and with some herbs and vegetables and mashed potatoes, it can be baked into a pie. Cold boiled beef, fried in a little butter, and covered with fried greens, constitutes the hered- itary English dish known as "bubble and squeak." Cold mutton can be broiled, and with tomato sauce, makes an excellent dish, if served hot. Cold mutton may be made into very fair pies, if well seasoned, and mixed with a few CHEAP LIVING. 485 nerbs, or it can be made into " hodge podge," " toad-in-the- hole," ragout, or baked minced mi^tton. Cold veal can be made into Scotch eollops, or veal cake, or pie, or fried pat- ties, or ragout, or rissoles, or rolls, or minced with vege- tables or maccaroni. Cold poultri/rdii be made into French chicken cutlets, chicken salad, curried fowl, hashed, fricas- seed, fried, minced, into a ragout of fowl, or fowl saut<5 with peas, or croquettes. Even cokl pork may be cut into nice-sized cutlets, put into a stew-pan with butter, and chopped onions, and fried, and when properly seasoned, will make a savory and economical dish. Soyer's Thirty Eeceipts in One. Put a pound of the crumbs of bread to soak in cold water, or better, in milk; take the same quantity of any kind of boiled or roasted meat, a little fat, which chop in dice rather fine; press the water out of the bread ; put in the pan two ounces of butter, lard, or dripping, with two teaj^poonfuls of chopped onions; fry two minutes; add the bread; stir with a wooden spoon until rather dry; then add the meat; season with a teaspoonful of salt, half of pepper, a little grated nutmeg, if handy; stir till quite hot; then add two eggs, one at a time ; mix very qnick, and pour on dish to cool. Then roll it into the shape of small eggs, then in flour; egg them and bread crumb; fry a nice yellow color, and serve plain, or with any sauce you may fancy. Anything eatable, the remains of meat, poultry, game, or fish, may be used up in this way. » While considering the subject of economy in food, we may as well here allude to one or two other points ; as, for instance, 480 HOME COMFORTS. OofiPee Substitutes. Frqnch cooks, who are celebrated for making good coffee, mix three or four different kinds, and recommend as a good proportion, to add to one pound of Java about four ouncos of Mocha and four ounces of one or two other kinds. It is said that from three parts of Rio, with two parts of Old Government Java, a coffee can be made quite as good, if not superior, to that made of Java alone. Wheat coffee, made of a mixture of eight quarts of wheat to one pound of real coffee, is said to afford a beverage quite as agreeable as the unadulterated Rio, besides being much more wholesome. It is probably known to many that a very large per cent, of the ground coffee sold at the stores is common field peas roasted and ground with genuine cof- fee. There are hundreds of thousands of bushels of peas annually used for that purpose. Those who are in the habit of purchasing ground coffee can do better to buy their own peas, burn and grind them, and mix to suit themselves. Sturgeon Veal Outlets. There are few persons so poor that they will consent to eat sturgeon, yet this fish, if properly cooked, affords it is said a luxurious meal. Get a few slices, moderately thick, says Mather, put them in a pot or pan of water, and parboil them to get rid of the oil ; then roll in crumbs of cracker and egg, just as you would a veal cutlet, and fry. This makes a veal cutlet that beats the original by far, and you are sure that it is full "six weeks old," as the butcher always certifies in regard to the veal 1 ' J At CHEAP LIVING, 49r Vegetable Beefsteaks. ^ Dr. Badham, of England, thinks he has discovered a large supply of excellent and cheap food in the mosses and fungi that grow uf.ua trees. He says, "I have indeed grieved when I reflected on the straitened condition of the poorer classer, to see pounds innumerable of extempore beefsteaks growing on our oaks in the shape ofjlstulina hepa- tica — puff balls — which some of our friends liave not in- aptly compared to sweetbread for the rich delicacy of their unassisted flavor. It varies in size from that of a small kidney to an irregular mass of many pounds weight. When grilled, it is scarcely to be distinguished from ')roiled meat. No fungus yields a richer gravy. It is to be found in England, principally on the old oak trees, throughout the summer in great abundance. But we spurn the vege- table beefsteak, as we have spurned the horsesteak and the ass steak. And so the ignorant and poor are left hungering in the midnt of plenty j praying against famine in the village church, with plenty rotting in the woods and meadows rownd abovi tlie pnrish" \i m CHAPTER IX. VALUABLE SECRETS KNOWN TO GOOD OOOKS. " Bad cooking is waate — waste of money and lorn of comfort. Whom God has joined in matrimony, ill-cooked joints and ill-boiled potatoes have very often put asunder." — Smiles. " Tiicre is a great deal of good eating and drinking in seven hundred a year, if people knew how to manage it." — Macaulay. [RS. WARREN, in one of her works, relates an inter- view she had with a friend, who expressed deep re- gret that she had not learned the art of cookery before she had married, and who wished that all the time she had wasted in illuminating texts of Scripture had been spent in illuminating instrudiona to promote house- hold comfort. This suggestion stimulated her imagination, and slie saw, or fancied she saw, that very great benefit might be derived both to mistresses and the "help" if handsomely printed cards were hung up in the kitchen, containing general directions for cooking meats, soups, fish, game, and poultry, for boiling vegetables and making pastry, in a word, the points that constitute good cookery. The idea is a valuable one, and in our researches among the works of the masters of the art, we have had in view the preparation of a code of standard rules, or what might be called Family Kitchen Maxims. 488 li !i; m 1 ?• ■- .'f -■;■ i! .. 1. : . YALUAliLE HEVliETS, 488 How to Boil, Fry, Boast, etc. All the esisciitiui opomtions in cooUcry uro comprised in Baking, Boilinu, Buoilinc, Fuying, Uoastinu, Stew- ing, Simmkuing, ami Seasoning; tiio rest are ull fancy, tlioiigli tlie French have wliat tlicy call Biiaihing, in whicli tjjey have a fire both above and nnder tiie braJHlng- j)aM ; and saulcing, which is frying in a very small qnan- tity of bntter or I'at. In Baking meats or fish, it is inij)ortant not only to keep the bottom of the pan covered \\'\{\\ brotli or water, bnt to place a piece of bntterod paper over the object in the pan, wliich keeps the top moist and jnicy, and acts as a self-baster. Soyer recommends in using dishes for the oven, if of metal, that they may bo made of galvunl.'-ced iron, and to have separate ones for moat and fish. In Boiling meats it is the general practice to put all, whether fresh or salted, into nearly boiling water, and from tlioso that are very salty, careful cooks throw off the first water, and fill up again with boiling water. But the modern tiieory is, that fresh meat, if intended for soup, should be put into cold water, and if not intended for soup, injo boiling water; and that salt meat should bo put into warm, or, if very salt, into cold water, in order that by its slow cooking the salt may be extracted. After the water lias boiled up rai)idly, the pot should be drawn bad:, and its contents allowed to Bimmer gently. Simmering is simply slow boiling. Always boil cabbages in two waters, and to prevent the disagreeable odor which arises from boiling cabbages, cut the head in half, and pour boiling water ou it before cooking. ,•» MO nvME COMFORTS. In l)olliii^ peas and potatoes do not bury tliein in water, nor allow tlimn to remain in water after they are done. In Broilinq, it is important to grease the bars o( the gridiron first, and imvc the fire brisk nnJ clear. A layer of coke or charcoal over a pretty strong fire is a good plan. There is a great difference of opinion among professional cooks, whether in broiling a beefsteak it should be turned only once, or often, but the weight of authority is in favor of frequent turning. Soyer says, "My plan is to turn it often, and my reason is, that, if turned but once, the albu- men and fibrine of the meat get charred, and the heat throws out the osmazomc, or gravy, on the upper side, which, when turned over, goes into the fire; by turning it often, BO as at first only to set the outside, the gravy goes into the centre, and it becomes evenly done throughout. As regards the thickness of the meat to be broiled, that depends on the intensity of the fire (three-quarters of an inch is a good thickness for rump steak), but the quicker the better, and also the sooner it is eaten after taken from the fire the better." [Macbcth's receipt fcr broiling a beefsteak is a very good one. • " When 'tis done, 'twere well It 'twero done quickly."^ Broiling, and roasting are essentially the same, though properly roasting is done before the fire and broiling over the fire. Frying, as understood by professional cooks, is to im- merse the article in boiling grease ; in other words, they take a pan, say six inches deep, nearly fill it with fat, and when boiling, insert in this the article to be fried, so that it is completely covered with the fat. " Those articles to be fried," says Soyer, " are generally those that have a coating VALUABLE SECRETS. 49i Iter, of materials (such as bread crumbs and batter), which are quickly carbunizcd, and thus form a crust, wiiicli prevents the grease penetrating, concentrates the licjuids, and pro- Berves the flavor of tiie article ; the carbonization once effected, the fire shouhl be immediately moderated, particu- larly if the article is large, in order that the interior may become properly soliromise to improve the methods of preparing common articles, as practised in American and English households; and so great is the need of improvement, that it would be rank injustice to withhold them. First, How to Make Good Family Bread. The books abound in directions for making bread, and all the authors agree that good flour, and good yeast, and plenty of kneading, are essential ; yet probably nothing was ever published on the subject so comprehensive, minute, and practical as the following directions, taken from Marion Harland's new work on Common Sense in the Household, published by Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. She says: [Chiefest among the conditions to good bread, I place good " family " flour — dry, elastic, and odorless. Next in importance to the quality of the flour is that of the yeast. This should be light in color and lively, effervescing easily when shaken, and emitting an odor like weak am- monia. If dull or sour, it is bad. In cities it is easiest, perhaps cheapest, to buy yeast from a brewery or bakery, '■4 Si VALUABLE SECliETS. 497 exorcising yonr discrimination as to quality. Unless you can satisfy yourself in this respect, you had better make your own from the following receipt for Hop Yeast. Four large potatoes, or six small. Two quarts cold water. Double handful hops, tied in a coarse muslin bag. Four tablespoonfuls flour. Two tablespoonfuls white sugar. Peel the potatoes, and put them, with the hop-bag, into a saucepan containing two quarts cold water. Cover and boil until the potatoes break and fall apart. Take these out with a perforated skimmer, leaving the water still boil- ing, mash them fine with a potato-beetle, and work in the flour and sugar. Moisten this gradually with the boiling hop tea, stirring it to a smootli paste. When all the tea has been mixed in, set it aside to cool. While still warm, add four tablespoonfuls of lively yeast, and turn all into a large open vessel to "work." Keep this in a warm place until it ceases to bubble up, or until next day. In summer it will work well in a few hours. When quite light, put in earthen jars with small mouths, in which fit corks, or bottle it, and remove to ice-house or cellar. It will keep good for a fortnight — longer in winter. When you wish to use it for baking, send a small vessel to the cellar for the desired quantity, and re-cork at once. A half-hour in a hot kitchen may spoil it. Potato Yeast. Six potatoes, two quarts cold water, 4 tablespoonfuls of flour, two of white sugar. Peel and boil the potatoes until 32 ■ ■ -'■■ "'■ , • "■ ill. '-'..'■(,; * ; ■ I 498 HOME COMFORTS. I they break. Leaving the water on the fire, take them out and niasli fine, witli the flour and sugar, wetting gradually with the hot water, until it is all used. When lukewarm, add a gill of good yeast, and set aside in an open vessel and warm place to fiarment. When it ceases to effervesce, bottle and set in ice-house. This yeast is very nice and white, and is prefiarred by many who dislike the bitter taste of hops. It is also convenient to make when hops cannot be obtained. Potato Bread Sponge. Six potatoes, boiled and mashed while hot ; six table- Bpoonfuls baker's yeast, two of white sugar, two of lard, one teaspoonful soda, one quart of warm (not hot) water, three cui)s of flour. Mash the potatoes, and work in the lard and sugar. Stir to a cream, mixing in gradually a quart of the water in which the potatoes were boiled, which should have been poured out to cool down to a blood warmth. Beat in the flour, already wet up with a little potato- water to prevent lumping, then the yeast, lastly the soda. Cover lightly, if the weather is warm; more closely in winter; and set to rise overnight in a warm place. Bread Sponge (Plain). One quart of warm water, six tablespoonfuls baker's yeast, two of lard, two of white sugar, one teaspoonful of Boda, and flour to make a soft batter. Melt the lard in the warm water, add the sugar, then the flour by degrees, stir- ring in smoothly. A quart and a })int of flour will usually be sufficient, if the quality is good. Next comes the yeast, lastly the soda. Beat up hard for several minutes, and set to rise as above. Bread mixed with potato sponge is more VALUABLE SECRETS. nutritiotis, keeps fresh longer, and is sweeter than that made with the plainer sponge. But there aic certain seasons of the year when good old potatoes cannot be j)ro- cured, and new ones will not do for this purpose. The potato sponge is safer, because surer, for beginners in the important art of bread-making. After using it for fifteen years, I regard it as almost infallible — given the conditions of good flour, yeast, kneading and baking. Family Bread (White). Having set your sponge overnight, or, if yon bake late in the afternoon, early in the morning, sift dry flour into a deep bread tray, and strew a few spoonfuls of fine suit over it. The question of the quantity of flour is a delicate one, requiring judgment and experience. Various brands of flour are so unequal with respect to the quantity of gluten they contain, that it is imjjossible to give any invariable rule (m this subject. It will be st\fe, however, to sift two quarts and a pint, if you have set the potato sponge ; two quarts for the })lain. This will make two good-sized loaves. Make a hole in the middle of the heaj), pour in the risen sponge (which should be very light, and seamed in many places on the toj)), and work down the flour into it with your hands. If too soft, add more flour. If yoii can mould it at all, it is not too soft. If stifl", rinse out the bowl in which the sponge was set with a little lukewarm water, and work this in. When you have it in manage- able shape, begin to knead. Work the mass into a ball — your hands having been well floured from the first; detach it from the tray, and lift it in your left hand, while you sprinkle flour with the right thickly over the bottom and sides of the trav. Toss back the ball into this, and knead hard — always towards the centre of the ma^s, which should ■'■mi 500 HOME COMFOllTS. bo rcpoat(xlly turned over and aronnd, tliat every portion may be manipulated. Brisk and long kneading makes the pores fine and regular. Gaping holes of divers sizes arc an unerring telltale of a careless eook. Spend at least twenty minutes — half an hour is better — in this kind of useful gymnastics. It is grand exercise for arms and chest. This done, work the dough into a shapely ball in the centre of the tray, sprinkle flour over the top ; throw a cloth over all, and leave it on the kitchen table to rise, taking care it is not in a draught of cold air. In summer it will rise in four or five hours — in winter, six are often necessary. It should come uj) steadily until it at least trebles its original bulk, and the floured surface cracjks all over. Knead ajrain for ten or fifteen minutes. Then divide it into as many j)arts as you wish loaves, and put these in well-greased pans for the final rising. In a large household baking, it is customary to mould the dough into oblong rolls, three or four, according to the number of loaves you desire, and to lay these close together in one large pan. The second kneading is done upon a floured board, and should be thorough as the first, the dough being continually shifted and turned. Set the pans in a warm place for an hour longer, with a cloth thrown over them to keep out the air and dust. Then bake, heed- ing the directions set down in the article upon bread in general. If your ovens are in good condition, one hour should bake the above quantity of bread. But here again experience must be your guide. Note carefully for your- self how long a time is required for your first successful baking, as also how much dry flour you have worked into your sponge, and let these data regulate future action. I have known a variation of two quarts, in a large baking, over the usual measure of flour. I need not tell you that VALUABLE SECBETS. 601 you liad better shun a brand that requires sucli an excessive (luaiitity to bring the dough to the right consistency. It is neitlier nutritious nor economical. Wiien you niaUe out the loaves, prick the top with u fork. Novices in bread-nmking, and many who should have learned better by long experience, fall into a sad mistake in the consistency of the dough. It should be mixed as soft as it can be handled. Bread will rise sooner and higher, be lighter and more digestible^ and keep fresh much longer, if this rule be followed. Stiff bread is close in texture, often waxy to the teeth, and after a day or so becomes very hard. Set the dough to rise in a moderately warm jihice, and keep it at an even temperature. There is force in the old lament, "My bread took cold last night." Cold arrests the process of fermentation. There is a chance, should this occur, that a removal to a more genial atmos- phere and careful nursing may cure the congestion, should it be only partial. Too much heat carries forward the work too rapidly. In this case, you will find your dough puffy and sour. Correct the latter evil by dissolving a little soda or saleratus in hot water, and working it well in. Knead your bread faithfully, and from all sides, until it rebounds like india-rubber after a smart blow of the fist upon the centre of the mass. The oven should not be too hot. If you cannot hold your bare arm in it while you count thirty, it is too quick. Keep the heat steady after the bread goes in. Too much fire at first, and rapid cool- ing, produce the effect upon the bread which is technically called "slack-baked," i. e., the inside of the loaf is never properly done. Practice and intelligent observation will, in time, make you an adept in the management of your ovens. If the bread rises rapidly while baking, and the crust begins to form before the lower part of the loaf is w G02 HOME COMFORTS. baked, cover the top with clcun paper, until you arc ready to brown it.] Miss Leslie recommends, as soon as the bread is quite done, to wrap each loaf ligiitly in a clean coarse cloth, damped by sprinkling it with water, and staiid it on it» evith cold water, let it boil gently for three-quarters of an hour ; take it up, scrape the under side well, and cut off the rind ; grate a crust of bread not only on the top, but all over it, as you would ham, put it before the fire for a few minutes, not too long or it will dry and spoil it. Bacon is some- times as salt as salt can make it, therefore before it is boiled, it must be soaked in warm water for an hour or two, changing the water once ; then pare off the rusty and smoked part, trim it nicely on the under side, and scrape the rind as clean as possible. Cabbage with Milk. Those who usually find cabbage an unpleasantly indi- gestible article of food, will be gratified with ihc result of the following mode of cooking it: M Cat half of a solid head of cabbage iiiie as for slaw. 510 HOME COMFORTS. ,f, ,:'L - 'iii ' ' ^^^'^ nHi y i'' n^KM «^^^H ' ^HH ' ■: •; . Have a deep spider on the fire and hot. Put in your cabbage, pour quickly over it a pint of boiling water, cover close, and cook for ten minutes ; then pour oft' the water that remains and add half a pint of rich milk. When the milk boils up, stir in a teaspoonful of flour moistened with a little cream or milk, a sprinkle of salt, and cook the flour a minute, then dish up. This closely resembles cauliflower, and is much cheaper. Novel Mode of Making Coffee. Soyer strongly advises his readers to give a trial to cofi'ee made in this \vay : Put two ounces of ground coffee into a stcwpan, which Bet upon the fire, stirring the ])owder round with a spoon until quite hot, whe.i pour over a pint of boiling water; cover over closely for five minutes, Avhen strain it through a cloth, rinse out the stewpan, pour the coffee, which will be quite clear, back into it, place it on the fire, and when nearly boiling serve with hot milk. When the milkman fails to bring the milk or cream in the morning, a very good substitute for it may be made by beating the white of an egg to a froth, putting in it a very small linup of butter, and mixing well. If perfectly mixed, it is said to be an excellent substitute for cream. It is well known that the Turks excel in making coffee. They never grind the berry, but beat or crush it with wooden pestles in mortars. When the pestles have been long used, they become precious and ai:e sold at high prices. Brillat Savarin says he determined to examine and test the question whether grinding or beating in a mortar pro- duced the best coffee ; and having taken equal weights of each and treated them precisely alike, he found that the VALUABLE SECRETS. 511 cofTcc that had been beaten in a mortar was far better than that wliich had been ground. Any one may repeat tho experiment for his or lier own satisfaction. How to Make Tea. There are many ways of making Tea, but Professor Blot says, after many experiments and much information, he has found the following to be the best : Warm the teapot, either by pouring boiling water in and emptying it, or by placing it on a corner of the range. Then put good tea into it (the quantity to be according to the strength and the quantity you want), and pour boiling water on the leaves, just enough to wet them ; leave thus about one minute, then pour on all the water you want. liCt it steep no longer than six minutes and not less than four minutes before drawing it. If allowed to steep longer than six minutes, all the astringency of the tea is extracted and it acts, with bad effect, on the nervous sys- tem, besides losing most of the aroma. Chemists and physiologists generally recommend black tea for not affecting the nervous system so much as green tea. Other authorities on cookery recommend boiling black tea for about fifteen minutes, and state that it greatly im- proves the flavor. Soyer has a somewhat different method of making tea. lie says : Pour the dry tea into the pot a quarter of an hour before you are ready to use it, warm both tea and pot for that length of time, then fill with boiling water and leave it draw from three to five minutes, when it is quite ready. m 812 IIO^fE COMFORTS. J 1 — - — — 111: Points about Chocolate. Cliocolatc deserves a liigher place in tlie regard of the American people than it has obtained, and is especially suitable for literary men, lawyers and persons M'ith feeble stonuiclis. A French authority says, to make it fit for iunnediuto use, about an ounce and a half should be taken for each cup, which should be slowly dissolved in water while it is heated, and stirred from time to time with a spatula of wood. It should be boiled a quarter of an hour in order to give it consistency, and served u}) hot. " Monsieur," said Madame d'Austel, '' when you wish good chocolate, make it the evening before in a tin-pot. The rest of the night gives it a velvet-like flavor that makes it far better. God will not be oU'endcd at this little refinement, for in himself is all excellence." How to Prepare Salads, etc. Mrs. Warren's method of washing greens, etc., will astonish other cooks beside her own. 8he says : " First, I had a pan of warm water rather more than tepid, and a second of cold water. After having carefully picked the refuse leaves from some cabbages which the rain and hot sun intervening had covered with insects, I first took the worst part of the leaves and put two or three in the warm water to show the girl how readily the insects fell off, leaving the leaf clean. Her eyes dilated as if I had been a conjurer. So fresh hot water was had for the cab- bages, each small head was washed singly, and then put into cold water ; and in the warm water each worm and snail and grub found instantly a watery grave. I would here remark that if greens or lettuces are washed in a mass, and not each singly, the process is of little avail, yet better VALUABLE SECEETS. 618 than washing them in cold water. No vegetables lose their orispness, or if for a moment they do, it is instantly re- stored by the ne(!essary act of plunging them into cold water. Who luus not had their teeth set on edge by eating gritty spinach, sea-kale, celery, or leeks, which need not iiave happened if the cook had only known that to wash these tilings in two VKiters that are warm and then imme- diately to lay them in cold for an hour, much trouble and time would have been saved. This is one bit of comfort, a knowledge of which cannot be too widely known." Remember always to boil greens with a small piece of baking soda, in plenty of boiling water and salt. Garnishes. Much :)f the palatableness of food depends on the style in which it is served up. Parsley is the general garnish for all kinds of cold meat, poultry, fish, etc.; and slices of lemon for boiled fowl, turkey, fish and roast veal. Carrots in slices should accompany boiled beef, hot or cold. Fried sausages or forcemeat balls are placed around roasted turkey, capon or fowl. Currant jelly is the garnish for game, and mint, either •with or without parsley, for roast lamb, either hot or cold. Always have lobster sauce with Halmon, And put mint sauce your roasted lamb on ; In venison gravy, currant jelly, Mix with old port — see Francatelli; In dressing salad, mind this law. With two hard yelks, use one that's raw ; Boast veal, with rich stock gravy serve, And pickled mushrooms, too, observe; Roast pork, sans apple sauce, past doubt Is " Hamlet," with the Prince left out ; Boiled turkey, gourmands know, of course Is exquisite with celery sauce ; The cook deserves a hearty cuffing Who serves roast fowls with tasteless stuffing. 38 514 HOME COMFOUrS. II r Drawn or Melted Butter. The foundation oi' many of the principal aauccs is melted butter; and an EnjjjIiHh lawyer, it is said, in hiring a cook, asked l)ut one question — how she made melted butter ; and if her answer was satisfactory, she was engaged ; if not, she was rejected. Where expense is not considered, this is made of two-thirds butter and one-third of cream, warmed gradually with a box spoon; but for families in ordinary circumstances, 8oyer gives the following recipe: Take two oun(!es of butter, and two ounces of flour, half a teaspoon ful of salt, a quarter that of pepper, mixed together with a spoon, put into a quart pan, with a j)int of cold water ; place it on the fire and stir continually until it begins to simmer, then add one more ounce of l.uittcr and stir till melted. This melted butter is fit to servo at the best tables, by adding three oiuiccs of butter. Take as a guide, that the back of the spoon, on being removed, should always be covered with the butter or sauce. Many good housekeepers are sorely puzzled at times to know what to cook for a variety ; they are tired of the same things everlastingly boiled, stewed and fried, and it would be a good plan to have on the reverse side of the Illuminated Kitchen Monitor before recommended, a com- prehensive list of food articles, or Bill of Fare that would suggest something that would relieve their perplexity. It is often difficult to know what to cook for children and for delicate and sick persons; and a list like the following would often be useful for reference : Food for the Sick. Beef tea, oatmeal or Indian gruel, <'hicl-en, mutton, veal or calves' feet broth, arrowroot custard, milk toast, boiled rice> If! I. ,s : VALUABLE SECRETS. 516 sago or tapioca milk, baked aijplcs, i)ana(la, Imast of part- ridge or pigeon, minced fine and stevvod. Beef, riunp- steak, broiled ten minutes or less. Food for Young Children. Milk, scalded or boiled, mixed with farina or barley; rusks or stale bread warmed, pressed and mixed with sugar; crushed white wheat; Graham bread or crackers; rare beef, and well-boiled mutton ; tender roast or boiled chicken, minced fine ; mealy old or dry sweet potatoes ; young onions boiled in two waters; sim])le custard, and rice or farina pudding; inner part of a well-roasted apple; soft-boiled eggs. No veal or pork, or fried meats generally. Food for Sedentary and Delicate Persons. Eggs, fried or j)oached, or soft boiled, or in omelet. Beef, veal, chicken, guinea fowl ; boiled or hashed calf's head; veal cutlets broiled in papers or with cauliflower, or broccoli ; roast fowl, with water-cresses ; broiled partridge ; asi)aragus, with drawn butter ; green peas, macaroni, julienne or hare soups ; boiled rice, oysters, roast api)les, boiled fish, except eels, skate or cuttle fish. No pork, -v sucking pig, ducks, geese, smoked or salted meats, or fat ) and greasy things generally. Standard Breakfast Dishes. Dry or milk toast, toasted muffins, rolls, hot cakes, buns, and rusks, corn bread, fried mush, fried hominy, waffles and catfish, mackerel salt or fresh, haddock, small white- fish, boiled, fried or poached eggs, ham and eotatoes, fried or broiled chicken. ^1' OIH IIOMK CO ^f FORTS, 1^ ; DiBhes for Sundt^y Dinners, to Save Cooking. J*eu, H|>riug, white or tiipioca soup ; cold rouHt boet' with IjorHoradiHli, or roust iiuitton with Halud, or broiled fowls with iniiHhrooin Haucu ; huHhed duck and green peas; giblct 8on[> and ctUf Vhead pie ; macaroni and checHC ; baked C(k1 or boiled pike Htuffed ; fruit fritterH, apple tart, boih^l cuHtard ; pudding, cold ; apple pie, cheese cakes, Welsh rare-bits; creams, syllabubs, tijwy cake, trifles. Many of tlK'H(^ dish(!s can be entirely' or partly prepared on tlie pre- ceding day. There is such a lamentable lack of brains among all classes in the world, that if there be any food which will make brains, it is very important that all of us shouhl know of it and partake of it. Dr. Landwrt asserts that all of the following articles contain brain-making elements, and hiis outlined a bill of fare to show that a dinner may be prepared from them alone, which epicures would uot disdain. i ReliHh (KuHHiiiii FuHhion) : Toasted CrackerH and Toasted Cheese. * Second Course: Oysters on Half-shell and Cold Cabbage. Third Course: Sardines. Fourth Course: Cod-fish and Cream. Filth Course: Oyster-Salad. Sixth Course : Stewed Tripe and Green Peas. Seventh Course : Calves' Brains on Toast. Bread : Orahatn, French Rolls, Oat, Graham Meal Crackers, and Milk Biscuit. Dessert : Oat Groats and Cream. Pancakes : Oat, Buckwheat, and Graham Meal. Boiled Custard. Fruit: Apples and Oranges. Drinks. CoflTee, Buttermilk. mL^glM CHAPTER X. DAINTY DIHIIKH FOR DAINTY PALATJ-S. ** The art of cookery conHiHts in exciting the toHte. To excite a Htoniach of piipier-machA, and enliven vital powern alniuHt reae most skilful of American and English wives and mothers pre- pare those familiar yet dainty dishes that are among the most valued of Home Comports. First of all, as the English are celebrated for their roast beef, we have requested Mr. Boyce, of London, to titil our readers \ . . I m IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) .<;' 'A 1.0 IM I.I 1^ — IliM = 1.8 1 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" - ► Photographic Sciences Corporation ''^%1^\ ^W^ a^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 "ib iV A,Mmiim(b. 518 HOME COMFORTS. How to Roast Beef, English Style. Koastin^^ — that is, cooking by the direct heat of the fire (in front of, and not over the fire, wiiich constitutes broil- ing) — is characteristic of English cooking, as much as stewing or sauteing is of French cookery, or frying and baking oi' ^'inierican, and though the interchange of ideas is breaking up the old distinctions, we can still enjoy the idea that the Englishman looks down upon French dishes as kickshaws and messes, while the French cook still boasts, that From an old shoe, He could make a ragoUt, That should beat the roast beef of Old England. The glorious old English roast beef. The first point of importance is to select beef of the very best quality, and, whether it be the fillet, ribs, or sirloin, see that the fat and lean are mingled, so that the clean cut seems marbled, that it is free from much sinew, which would indicate age, and that the outside fat show of a rich color, which denotes good feeding and proper maturity. Beef for roasting should be kept some days before being used, or as long as it is possible to keep it without salting, for no salt should touch beef until it is cooked ; and then the first thing to notice is, that the fire must burn perfectly clear and bright. In England, bituminous cpal is used, and ranges are made capable of being widened or con- tracted, with the bars running horizontally, and the fire usually extends beyond the meat, so that the ends of the joint may be properly cooked. A Dutch oven is most generally used, the spit passing through, and receiving its motion from machinery, as previously described in the mi DAINTY DISHES. 519 American tin kitehen, a flap at the back giving access for basting. Having a good fire, burning briglit and close up to tlie bars of the grate, proceed to spit the sirloin, exercising caution to spit it evenly, so that it balances, or the spit will turn more quickly at one time than another, and the nioat not be cooked evenly. A cradle spit is sometimes used to obviate this. Pin some thin writing paper over the outside fat, and pour some water in the dripping-pan to commence basting with. Push the meat up close to the fire for a few minutes, until a slight crust forms, v/hich will tend to keep the rich juices from escaping; then drav/ about ten or twelve inches av;ay until nearly done, when the paper is removed, and the joint brought near the fire to brown it. The length of time required for cooking thoroughly averages a quarter of an hour to each pound in weight : a sirloin weighing fifteen pounds requiring three hours and a half; but meat from an old animal takes longer to cook, and in winter longer time must be allowed, and very fat meat requires time to cook it thoroughly. Rub a little butter or fresh dripping over the meat before spitting, in order to supply dripping to baste with — water alone not being sufficient — and baste very often, as on this much of the success of roasting depends. When the meat is nearly done, dredge over it some flour that has been browned by baking, and a little salt, and as soon as a rich brown js obtained, and steam rises from the joint, it is sufficiently cooked. Perfection in roasting is very difficult, and only by observation and experience can success be attained to, as many things, such as age, size (especially the thickness) of the joint, the kitchen conveniences, the time of serving, etc., have to be consideredj and only when everything favors 15 m 520 HOME COMFORTS. m^\ can the cook expect the pruiije that "it was done to a turn." Roast beef should be sent to the table as soon as it is done ; the dish should be very hot, and only a small quantity of rich and rather thick gravy should be made, for as soon as the joint is cut, the juices will add sufficient tO' the gravy to supply all the diners. A dish with a well for the gravy should always be used. The under side of the sirloin is sometimes called the lumbar, and is the most delicious part ; it is usually served to the ladies, a good carver reserving some for the lady of the house. Eoast Oanvaa-back Ducks. Nearly all wild ducks are liable to have a fishy flavor,, and, when L ^dled by inexperienced cooks, are sometimes uneatable from this cause. Before roasting them, guard against this by parboiling them, vnth a small carrot, peeled, put within each. This will absorb the unpleasant taste. An onion will have the same effect ; but unless you mean to use onion in the stuffing, the carrot is preferable. After parboiling as directed, throw away the carro't or onion, lay in fresh water half an hour, stuff with bread crumbs seasoned with pepper, salt, sage, and onion, and roast until brown and tender, basting half the time with butter and water, then with the drippings. Add to the gravy, when you have taken up the ducks, a table- spoonful of currant jelly and a pinch of Cayenne pepper. Thicken with browned flour, and serve in a tureen. Grame, as a general rule, is best if kept for about three days; but when time cannot be afforded, some pereons think that, by burying it in the ground for a few hours, it becomes more tender. Most cooks roll game in strips of linast Fowl with Watercress. t)ui.k .inrt lirceii Peat. 4 lloilea C.iU's Uea.: Miut.in Cliops ami Ma.hfri I'otaloes Salmon garnislici.1 with Crayfish. Boiled Turbot. Cod's Head and Shoulderi -^ J.":^ DAINTY DISHES. 621 bacon before roasting it, but buttered paper is preferable, as bacon spoils the flavor of delicate birds like woodcock. A hare or rabbit, when roasting, should be basted with cream and dredged with flour. , • Barbecued Eabbit or Squirrel. Harland. Clean and wash the rabbit, which must be plump and young, and having opened it all the way on the under side, lay it flat, with a small plate or saucer to keep it down, in salted water for half an hour. Wipe dry and broil whole, with the exception of the head, when you have gashed across the backbone in eight or ten places, that the heat may penetrate this, the thickest part. Your fire should be hot and clear, the rabbit turned often. When browned and tender, lay upon a very hot dish, pepper and salt and. butter profusely, turning the rabbit over and over to soak up the melted butter. Cover and set in the oven for five minutes, and heat in a tin cup two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, seasoned with one of made mustard. Anoint the hot rabbit well with this, cover, and send to table garnished with crisped parsley. The odor of this barbecue is most appetizing, and the taste not a whit inferior. Squirrels may be barbecued in the same manner. • Broiled Pigeons or Squabs. Young pigeons, or "squabs," are rightly esteemed a great delicacy. They should be cleaned, washed, and dried carefully with a clean cloth ; then split down the back, and broiled like chickens. Season with pepper and salt, and butter liberally in dishing them. They are in great request in a convalescent room, being peculiarly savory and nourishing. m 522 HOME COMFOltTS. Broiled Beefsteak, Wakefield Style. Cut a steak an inch thick ; score it on each side cross- wise. Put into a tart-dish two teaspoonfuls of salt, one oi pepper, one of sugar, a teaspoonful of chopped tarragon, a fciblespoonful of some good relish or sauce, two tablespoon- liils of vinegar; put the steak in it for six hours ; turn it now and then. This seasoning is called marinade. Pre- vious to broiling, dredge it slightly with flour while doing, and serve with butter in very small pieces under the steak. Some raw potatoes, cut into very thin slices and nicely fried, and served as a garnish, renders it a dish fit for the most fastidious epicure. Roasted Guinea Fowls are a dainty dish, very little known to American farmers, who keep them chiefly for their plumage and their eggs, which are far richer than those of chickens. For roasting, they should not be more than twelve months old. They are trussed like common fowls, larded, and served plain roasted, rather well done. Season the gravy with a chopped shallot, parsley, or summer savory, not omitting the minced giblets, and thickened with browned flour. Currant, or some other tart jelly, is a suitable accompani- ment for this fowl. Veal Cutlets, with Tomatoes or Oysters. Wash the cutlets, season them with pepper and salt, dip in cracker dust and fry in equal portions of lard and butter until they are of a nice brown on both sides, and when dona, take them up on a dish. Also, stew about a quarter of a peck of tomatoes, drain, mash, and season with red pepper and salt. Pour the tomatoes into the pan with the gravy, after the cutlets ij MriiM DAINTY DI1SJIE8. 3. le cross- ;, Olio oi ragon, a lespoon- turn it Pre- e doing, le steak. i nicely for the farmers, ir eggs, 'oasting. They d plain with a •mitting d flour. )mpani- have been dished, and ptir well together. Pour this over the cutlets, and send to table hot. This dish is very much liked by many persons. In the place of tomatoes, some take oysters, pan them, season with salt and Cayenne pepper, and pour them over the cutlets, which are served hot, in a covered dish. How to Cook Sweetbreads. Widdifield. Take one or more sweetbreads, wash, and put them into a stew-pan, and let them boil five or ten minutes ; then put them in cold water, and when cool, skin, but not break, them; then season with salt and pepper, dredge over a little flour, and fry slowly in butter a light brown on both sides. For persons slightly indisposed, these may be served with potatoes, mashed with a little cream, and seasoned with salt to taste. The French cooks prepare sweetbreads as above ; then place them on a dish, remove all the brown particles from the pan, retaining the butter, and pour over them a gravy made by dredging in a gill of boiling water a dessert- spoonful of browned flour, stirring all the time, seasoning to taste, and adding gradually two tablespoonfuls of Madeira wine. While boiling hot, this is poured over the sweetbreads, which are sent to the table in a well-heated covered dish. alt, dip I butter n don 3, , drain, >ur the cutlets Baked Salmon Trout. Harland. Marion Harland becomes rapturously enthusiastic when she thinks of the salmon trout she ate in the Adirondacks, baked vnth cream. Her recipe for cooking the fish in this way, when divested of its "bathos," is as follows : Handle the beauty carefully and lay in a baking-pan, with just enough water to keep him from scorching. Bake 524 HOME COMFORTS. slowly, basting often with butter and water. By the tini« it is done, have ready in a saucepan a cup of cream — diluted with a few spoonfuls of hot water, lesc it should clot in heating — in which has been stirred cautiously two tablespoonfuls of melted butter and a little chopped parsley. Heat this in a vessel set within another of boiling water, add the gravy from the dripping-pan, be '1 up once to thicken ; and when the trout is laid in state in a hot dish, pour the sauce around him. Salt him lightly, should he need it, but let no sharply-spiced sauces poine near him. Eat, and be happy. Brook trout form a rarely delightful breakfast or supper dish. They should be fried quickly in hot fat or fine olive oil, without seasoning, and taken out instantly they are a delicate brown, and placed for a few seconds upon a hot folded napkin, to absorb whatever grease may cling to their speckled sides. This simple dish, says Savarin, duly sprinkled with slices of lemons, is worthy to be of!er(*i to a cardinal. "liti Boasted or Broiled Bail or Beed Birds are a dainty dish. Skilled cooks roll an oyster in melted butter, then in bread crumbs seasoned with pepper and salt, and put this into each bird before roasting. Then baste with butter and water three times, put layers of toast underneath, and, while roasting, baste freely with melted butter. About twelve minutes will be required to cook these birds in this way, and they will be found a dainty dish indeed. Boast Fig and Apple Sauoe. Charles Lamb claims that, of all the delicacies in the eatable world, the most delicate is a young tender suckling Wf ^M DAINTY Dl till EH. 625 tlio time cream — should iisly two ^liopjjcd tlier of )an, hr\ state iu lightly, ses oome supper ine olive they are uj>on a cling to 'in, duly fiQve\ to I melted per and . Then of toast melted to cook L dainty 1 in the iickling of a pig roasted. It niUHt be roaded, not seethed or boiled. He says: "There is no flavor comparable, 1 will contend, to that of the crisp, tawny, well-watched, not over-roasted, d'ackling, as it is well called ; the very teeth are invited to their share of the pleasure of this banquet in overcoming the coy, brittle resistance, with the adhesive oleaginous — oh, call it not fat — but an indefinable sweetness growing up to it, the tender blossoming of fat — fat croi)ped in the bud — fat and lean so blended, and running into each other, that both together make but one ambrosial result or common substance." For very young roast pig, the best sauce is probably a few bread crumbs, done up with the liver and brains, and a dash of mild sage. For roast pork, bronmcd flour is said to be the best for gravies. Apple sauce is the proper accompaniment. To Make a Haunch of Mutton Eat like Venison. Mix two ounces of bay salt with half a pound of brown sugar ; rub it well into the mutton, which should be placed in a deep dish for four days, and basted three or four times a day with the liquor that drains from it ; then wipe it quite dry, and rub in a quarter of a pound more sugar, mixed with a little common salt, and hang it up, haunch downwards; wipe it daily till it is used. In winter, it should be kept three weeks and roasted in paste, like venison. Serve with currant jelly. Oysters Broiled on the Shell. Lyman. Perhaps no dish is able to give more epicurean delight than this, if \yell managed. It is just the thing for a night supper, or for an elegant breakfast. Select as many dozen as you have guests. They should Aki, ■m ^(■'■>' 826 HOME COMFORTS. be large, and the shells of* good Hhape. Chian them with a Htiii'bruHh, and open, saving the juiee. Throw the oysters into boiling water, »'id let them remain a miiuite or two, according to size. Take out, and lay at once on one luilf of the siiell, and place on a gridiron over a brisk fire. As soon as the oyster begins to broil in the shell, scjison with butter, pepper, and a drop of lemon juice. Serve hot on the shell. French Stewed Oysters. Lkslh;. Wasli fifty fine large oysters in their own liquor; then strain it into a stewpan, putting the oysters ii» a pan of cold water. Season the liquor with a large glass or half a pint of white wine (sherry or Madeira), the jui(!e of two lemons, six or seven blades of mace, and a small gratid nutmeg. Boil the seasoned licpior, and skim and stir it well. When it comes to a boil, put in the oysters. Give them one good stir, and then immediately take thcni from the fire, transfer them to a deep dish, and send them to table. They are not to boil. Many persons consider this the finest way of cooking oysters for company. Chicken Dressed as Terrapin, Boil a fine, large, tender chicken ; when done, and while yet warm, cut it from the bones into small pieces, as for chicken salad; put it into a stewpan, with one gill of boil- ing water ; then stir together, until perfectly smooth, one- quarter of a pound of butter, one teaspoonful of flour, and the yelk of one egg, which add to the chicken, half at a time, stirring all well together ; then season with salt and pepper. After letting it simmer about ten minutes, add half a gill of Madeira wine, and send to table hot. This is liked by many who are not fond of terrapins. DAINTY DISHES. m French Pot-au-Feu. Soyku. In France, no dinner in Hervud witliout soup, and no good sonp is Hn[)po8(!d to be made withont the pot-au-feu, it being tiie national disli of the; middle and poorer chv '^s of that conntry. The following is Soyer'H reeei{)t lor making it: Put into an earthen ])ipkin six i)oundH of beef, four quarts of water; set near the fire; skim. When nearly boiling, add a sjmonfnl and a half of salt, half a pound of liver, two earrots, four turnips, eight young or two old leeks, one head of celery, two onions, and one roasted, with a clove in each, and a jjiece of parsnij) ; skim agam, and let simmer four or five hours, adding a little cold water now and then ; take off a part of the fat, j)ut slices of bread into the tureen, lay half the vegetables over, and half the broth, and serve the meat s(!parate, with the vegetables around. :nig Eggs and Cheese are a favorite dish in Italy, and also in Switzerland, where the recipe originated. Beat well six eggs, and put them in a stewpan, with two ounces of well-grated Gruy^re cheese and about one ounce of butter ; set on a brisk fire, and leave till it becomes rather thick, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon ; take from the fire, add pepper, and stir a little ; turn over on a warm dish, and serve. French Omelets, mixed with sliced apples ^ried, or with asparagus boiled and chopped fine, or chopped parsley, were so much of a favorite with General Washington, that he often had them served on his table when he gave presidential dinners. 52H HOME COMFOHTS. The following is Prof. Blot's recipe for making a plain omelet : Beat well, say eight eggs, with salt and pepper, by means of a fork ; then put about two ounces of butter in a frying-pan ; set on a brisk fire and toss gently, to melt the butter as evenly and as quickly as possible, else some of it will get black before the whole is melted. As soon as melted, turn the beaten eggs in, and stir continually witli a fork or knife, so as to cook the whole as nearly as possi- ble at the same time. If some part of the omelet sticks to the pan, add a little butter, and raise that part with a knife, so as to allow the butter to run under it and prevent it from sticking again. It must be done quickly, and without taking the pan from the fire. When cooked according to taste, either soft or hard — that is, when only about two-thirds of the eggs are solidified, or nearly the whole — turn or fold one-half of the omelet over the other, and serve warm. When it is ready to be folded, you may pour on the middle of it five or six tablespoonfuls of cooked kidney, and you have omelet with kidney ; or spread the surface with stewed tomatoes, or two or three tablespoonfuls of any kind of jam or sweetmeats, then fold and serve. By using different kinds of sweetmeats, a great variety of omelets can be made. The adding of milk to the eggs makes an omelet soft. To make a sweet omelet, beat four eggs in a basin, ^dd a tablespoonful of milk, a teaspoonful of sugar, a pincli of salt, and beat them well up ; put some nice butter into a pan, put in the eggs, and fry as above described. Serve \yith sugar sifted over. A very good omelet may be made of two yelks of eggs and one white, a tablespoonful of cream, a little minced DAINTY DISHES. 629 parsley and .shallot, and a very little nutmeg. Whisk all well together^ and fry in as little butter as possible. ' A Swiss Eare-bit. M. Trollkt. Take as many eggs as you wish, according to the number of your guests, and weigh them. Then take a piece of cheese weighing a third of the weight of the eggs, and a slice of butter weighing a sixth. Beat the eggs well up in a saucepan, grate the cheese, or chop very small, and place the saucepan, with the eggs, cheese and butter in it, over a good fire, stir with a flat spoon until the mixture becomes sufficiently thick and soft, add a little salt and a large proportion of pepper — this being one of the principal points of the rare-bit — and serve it up in a warm dish. ;ii ""'■' . A Welsh Rare-bit. English Recipe. A genuine Welsh rare-bit is made of Welsh cheese — a certain kind only, and prepared for that purpose — melted to a certain degree, and then spread on toast of Welsh bread. The nearest approach to the genuine that can be had here is the following : Grate some Gloucester or Gruytire cheese, and pepper it with Cayenne pepper. Fry some slices of bread with a little butter, but on one side only, until perfectly yellow ; then spread a thick coat of grated cheese on the fried side of the bread, place the slices in a baking-pan, put them in a pretty warm oven, take off when the cheese begins to melt, and serve warm. How to Cook Mushrooms.. Soyer. Mushrooms are regarded by some as the choicest of delicacies, while others denounce them as " a contemptible, rank-smelling fungus." Sover calls them, the pearl of the 34 ti- ts ■ r)30 HOME COMFORTS. fields, and says, if Apicius had known of tliem, he would not have gone to Greece for crawfish, or couunitted suicide. His recipe for cooking them is as follows : Toast slices of bread, cut half an inch thick, and large enough to cover the bottom of a plate, and spread oscr these some rich cream, or milk boiled until it is reduced to the consistency of cream. Remove all the earthy part from the mushrooms, and lay them gently on the toast, head downwards, slightly sprinkle them with salt and pep- per, and place in each a little of the clotted cream, cover with a basin, and place in the oven for half an hour. Another recipe for stewing mushrooms is : Kab them white, stew in water ten minutes, strain par- tially, and cover with as much warm milk as you have poured off water ; stew five minutes in this ; salt, pepper, and add some veal or chicken gravy, or drawn butter. Thicken with a little flour, wet in cold milk, and a beaten egg. A Good Sauce for Every Kind of Fish, baked, boiled, or roasted. Prof. Blot's recipe : - Boil hard two eggs, take the yelks and jiouud them well, and place them in a bowl. Have boiling Avatcr on the fire, and put in it four or five sprifrp each of cive«, burnet, chervil, tarragon, and parsley ; boil five minutes, take off, drain, and pound them well ; then strain them on the eggs, add two tablespoon fuls of cider vhiegar, two of French mustard, salt, pe[)pcr, and four tablcepoonfuls of sweet oil, which you pour in, little by little, at the same time mixing the whole well with a boxwood spoou, and it is ready for use. " ' DAINTY DISHES. 631 A Olam-Ohowder. Harlem River Boatmen. Clam-chowder is made in a hundred different wsm, but it is generally admitted that the boatmen on the liurlcni river mat bhe best : Put in a pot some small slices of fat salt pork, enough to line the bottom of it ; on that a layer of potatoes, cut in small pieces; on the potatoes a layer of chopped onions; on the onions a layer of tomatoes in slices, or canned tomatoes ; on these a layer of clams, whole or chopped (they are generally chopped), then a layer of crackers. Season with salt and pepper, and other wpices if desired. Then repeat this process, layer after layer, in above order, seasoning each, until the pot is nearly full. When the whole is in, cover with water, set on a slow fire, and when nearly done, stir gently, finish cooking, and sorve. When done, if found too thin, boil a little longer; if found too thick, add a little water, give one boil, and pcrve. Fish-chowder is made exactly as clara-chowder, using fish instead of clams. ii Clam-Bake. Riley. The experienced Harlem river clam baker, Tom Riley, is the authority for the following recipe : Lay the clams on a rock, edge downward, and forming a circle ; cover them with fine brush ; cover the brush with dry sage ; cover the sage with larger brush ; set the whole on fire, and when a little more than half burnt (brush and sage), look at the clams by pulling some out, and if done enough brush the fire, cinders, etc., off; mix some tomato or cauliflower sauce or catsup with the clams, minus their shells ; add butter and spices to taste, and serve. 532 HOME COMFORTS. Done in sand, the clams, on opening, naturally allow the sand to get in, and it is anything but pleasant for the teeth while eating them. A Wholesome Summer Salad, Soye?.. Cut up a pound of cold beef into thin slices, and half a pound of white fresh lettuce ; put in a salad bowl, season with a teaspoonful of salt, half that quantity of pepper, two spoonfuls of vinegar, and four of good salad oil ; stir all together lightly with a fork and spoon, and when well mixed, it i, ready to serve. Ohaptal, i ^rench chemist, says the dressing of a salad should be saturated with oil, and seasoned with pepper and salt, before the vinegar is added. It results from this process, that there can never be too much vinegar; for from the specific gravity of the vinegar compared with the oil, what is more than useful will fall to the bottom of the bowl. The salt should not be dissolved in the vinegar, but in the oil, by which means it is more equally distributed throughout the salad. A Spanish proverb says. To make a perfect salad, there should be a miser for oil, a spend- thrift for vinegar, a wise man for salt, and a madcap to stir the ingredients up and mix them well together. Strawberries, with Orange Juice. Parkinson. Place a layer of strawberries into a deep dish ; cover the same with a liberal supply of very finely pulverized sugar; a M another layer of berries ; then the same quantity of sugar. Now another layer of fruit and sugar, alternately, until you have the desired quantity. Express over the whole the juice of half a dozen sweet oranges. Let the "X" mm\> DAINTY DISHES. 533 whole stand for half an hour. Now serve, and let the partaker thank the gods I To those who have never *ried this method, it will afford a delightful surprise to note how much more fully it brings out the fine flavor of the strawberry ; and much of which effect is due to the delicate flavor of the orange. I will now give another expedient for heightening the flavor of strawberries and cream. Prepare in every respect as above described, as to alternate layers of berries and sugar, and substitute for the orange juice half a pint of pure claret wine. In default of claret of known purity, use the same quantity of our best native or home-made wines. Our home-made currant wine is admirable for bringing out in fuller force the delicious native flavor of the strawberry. An Excellent Custard. Mrs. Freedley. Take a pint of milk, four eggs, and a cup of sugar. Put the milk on to boil, and beat together the yelks of the eggs and the sugar until very light. When the milk has boiled, pour it by degrees over the eggs and sugar, stirring constantly and return to the fire. Watch carefully, so as to remove when it has just begun to boil, and set off to cool. Flavor to suit the taste. Beat up the whites of the eggs into a light froth, and pour it over the custard. Very Pine Cold Cup Custard. Widdipield. One quart of new milk, one pint of cream, a quarter of a pound of fine white sugar, three large tablespoonfuls of wine in which renr^t has been soaked. Mix the milk, cream and sugar together, stir the wine into it, pour the mixture into custard cups, and set them 1- '.. r 1 ■ g34 HOME COMFOBTS. away until the milk becomes a curd. Grate nutmeg on the top, and eat them with cream that has been kej t on ice. The Queen of Puddings. Harland. One and a half cups of white sugar, two cups fine dry bread-crumbs, five eggs, one tablespoonful of butter, va- nilla, rose-water or lemon flavoring, one quart fresh rich milk, and one half cup jelly or jam. Rub the butter into a cup of sugar, beat the yelks very light, and stir these together to a cream. The bread- crumbs, soaked in milk, come next, then the flavoring. Bake in a buttered pudding dish — a large one and buttwo- thjrds full — until' the custard is "set." Draw to the mouth of the oven, spread over with jam or other nice fruit con- serve. Cover this with a meringue made of the whipped whites and half a cup of sugar. Siiut the oven, and bake until the mdringue begins to color. Eat cold, with cream. You may, in strawberry season, substitute the fresh fruit for preserves. It is then truly delightful. An Elegant Bread Pudding. Take light white bread, and cut it in thin slices. Put into a pudding mould a layer of any sort of preserve, then a slice of bread, and repeat until the mould is almost full. Pour over all a pint of warm milk in which four beaten eggs have been mixed, cover the mould with a piece of linen, place it in a saucepan with a little boiling water, let it boil twenty minutes, and serve with pudding sauce. A Pleasant Fruit Dessert. Prof. Blot. Beat well the white of an egg with a little water, dip the fruit — whether currants, blackberries, or other fruit — in, DAINTY DISHES. sa-i and roll it immediately in some fine crushed sugar, place it on a dish, and leave it thus five or six hours, and serve. A more sightly and exquisite dessert, he says, than a plate of currants dressed thus, cannot be had. An Excellent Dish of Apples. Frost. Take two pounds of apples, pare and core them, slice them into a pan, add one pound of loaf sugar, the juice of three lemons and the grated rind of one. Let these boil about two hours, turn it into a mould, and serve with custard or cream. An Improved Apple Sauce. * Take sweet cider, as soon as it comes from the press, boil it down nearly one-half, then pare and quarter as many of the best sour apples as you wish to " do up," cover them with the cider when boiling hot, and cook until well done, but not so as to lose their shape. Most of the cider will be absorbed by the apples ; what remains can be bottled for future use. When done, put into jars, and cover or ce- ment. This makes not only a most delicious sauce, but it is also very healthful, as all the nourishment of the apples from which the cider is made is retained, while we lose the sharp, biting taste of the old apple butter made from boiled cider. A Nice Breakfast Disk. Grate some cold tongue or beef, put it into a stewpan with a little pepper and salt, and four tablespoonfuls of cream or milk ; when quite hot, put in four well-beaten eggs, stir all the time till the mixture is quite thick ; have lillii 536 HOME COMFORTS. ready some nicely toasted bread, well buttered, and spread the tongue or beef over it ; send to the table hot. A Farmer's Dainty Dish. Peel and slice thin potatoes and onions (five potatoes to one small onion), take half a pound of sweet salt j)ork in thin slices to a pound of beef, mutton or veal, cut tlie meat in small pieces, take some nice bread dough and shorten a little, and line the bottom of the stewpan with slices of pork, then a layer of meat, potatoes and onions, dust over a little j>epper, and cover with a layer of crust; repeat this until the stewpot is full — the size of the pot will depend on the number in the family ; pour in suffi- cient water to cover, finish with crust. Let it simmer till meat, vegetables, etc., are done, but do not let it boil hard. Serve hot. This, we are assured by one who knows, is a dish fit to set before a king, or his peer — a farmer. Green Com Fritters or Cakes. Harland. Grate green corn from the cob, and allow an egg and a half for every cupful, with a tablespoonful of milk or cream ; beat the eggs well, add the corn by degrees, beating very hard, salt to taste, put a tablespoonful of melted butter to every pint of corn, stir in the milk, and thicken with just enough flour to hold them together — say a table- spoonful for every two eggs. You may fry in hot lard, as you would fritters, or cook upon a griddle, like batter cakes. Eaten at dinner or breakfast, these always meet with a cordial welcome. The same authority also commends, as a most delicious accompaniment to a meat course, the annexed '^yt m DAINTY DISHES. GTJ Green Com Pudding. Take one quart milk, five eggs, two tablcspoontuls melted butter, one tablespooufui white sugar, and a dozen large ears of green eorn. Grate the eorn from the cob ; btat the whites and yelks of the eggs 8e[)aratc'ly. Put the corn and yelks together, stir hard, and add the butter, then the milk gradually, boating all the while; next the sugar, and a little salt; lastly the whites. Bake slowly at first, covering the dish, for an hour. Remove the cover, and brown finely. Buckwheat Shortcf^Ves. Take three or four teacups of nice sour milk, one tea- spoon of soda-saleratus dissolved in the milk ; if the milk is very sour, you must use saleratus in proportion, with a little salt; mix up a dough of buckwheat flour thicker than you would mix for griddle cakes, say quite stiff; put into a buttered tin and then directly into the stove oven, and bake about thirty minutes, or as you would a short- cake from common flour. Dr. Chase, of Ohio, writes strongly in favor of the excellence of this cake, and says he could eat it while dys- ] eptic, when he could eat no other warm bread. He is also the authority for saying that the following is The Nicest Pie Ever Eaten, Peel sour apples, and stew until soft and not much water left in them, then rub them through a colander, beat three eggs for each pie to be baked, and put in at the rate of one cup of butter and one of sugar for three pies ; flavor with nutmeg. Bake as pumpkin pies, which they resemble. 688 HOME CO MFC UTS. Ml 1 ^^mP ' 1 f 1 \-. I Strawberry Shortcake. BEEcnER. Rub into a pint and a Imlf of prepared flour one teacup of butter; beat one «gg very ligiit; add milk to make a soft dough ; divide in three parts; roll out lightly, luy ono portion on a pie plate or tin, sprinkle a little flour on tlio top, then add the second cake, a little flour on the top of that, and cover with the third. IJake quickly, but not too brown. lict the berries stand with sugar sjjrinkled over them till the cake is baked, then pull the thin portions of cake apart; spread half of the berries over the bottom cake, adding more sugar and a little butter, lay the second over them, and put on the remainder of the berries, with more Bugar and butter, placing the top cake over all. Put it in the oven for a few minutes to heat through, and send to the table. National French Cake. SOYER. In Paris it was formerly the fashion, and perhaps is yet, for men and women, as well as children, after having wit- nessed a melodrama, to rush to the shops where a delicious puflp-cake, called Galette, was sold. This celebrated cake was made as follows : Work lightly in a basin, or on a table, ono pound of flour with three-quarters of a pound of fresh butter; add two eggs, a gill of cream, and a little milk if too stiif ; then add a quarter of a teaspoonful of salt, two of sugar ; work all well to form a good stiff paste ; throw some flour on the table, mould the paste round, roll it three-quarters of an inch thick and quite round ; egg over, score it with a knife in diamonds or any other shape, bake for about half an hour in a rather hot oven, sprinkle sugar over, and serve. h Iffil:^ DAIKTY DTSnES. . 639 A cheaper kind of Galeite may be made by takinj; oiio pound of flour, a teaapoonful of salt, and six ounci^s of butter, moisten with milk, and bake as above, adding a tcaspoonfid of sugar. Imperial Southern Cake. Mrs. Toweij.. Mrs. J. C. Powell, skilled in the Southern style of cook- cry, and who has promised to revise the proof-sheets of thi8 chapter, has contributed for the benefit of our readers the following recipes for making Imperial Southern Cuke, Baltimore Tea Cake, and Southern Corn Bread and Pone. Take one pound of sugar, one pound of flour, one pound of butter, ten eggs, one wine-glass of apple brandy, three pounds of blanched almonds, two of raisins, one pound of citron — the almonds put in whole, and the citron cut in large pieces. It will take from five to six hours to bake. Baltimore Tea Cake. Melt a tablespoonful of butter in a pint ©f milk, two spoonfuls of yeast (home-made), and flour sufficient to make a soft paste ; let the dough stand three or four hours to rise, split it open, then butter, close it, slice it, and send to table hot. Grease the pan before putting in to bake. Southern Waffles. Take a pint and a half of flour, three eggs, two table- spoonfuls of lightened corn-meal dough before adding the ingredients for corn bread, or pone, one large tablespoonful of butter in milk (warmed) to make a thin batter, one toa- spoonful of baking powder (Durkee's). Bake in genuine waffle-irons, which are smooth iron of a jet black, which is very hard to find, even at the foundries. 640 HOME COMFOUTS. M Grease the waffle-irons well. I rceoinniend a baking powder, but the old mode was to beat the batter one hour with a hullo before putting all of the milk in it. Tiiis recipe, if followed, will make waffles that cannot be ex- celled. Southern Corn Bread. Take one pint of corn nioal, ])our half pint boiling water over it, then add a little salt, and with cold water reduce it to the consistency of niuffln batter ; place in a cool, dry cellar for twenty-four hours to lighten, for if kept in a warm place, it will sour. Then beat three eggs, melt a piece of butter the size of a walnut, then lard the size of an egg, a cup of sweet cream, then a tablcspoonful of flour ; grease the pan thoroughly, bake a half hour. White corn is far preferable to yellow, and in the South is expressly cultivated for table use, and ground by water, not by st^im power, as the latter mode destroys the sweetness and vitality of the grain. The samc.battcr may be used in rings, which will give you corn muffins, or on the griddle, which are the genuine corn cookies. This i.Uhebest recipe known for con. bread, and next to the old Virginia Corn Pone, stands unrivalled. Virginia Com Pone. Quadru})le the quantities above. The material differ- ence is in the baking, as the pone requires a longer time, and then must stand, after baking, eight to ten hours in the oven (moderately warm). Wood embers and a Dutch oven are requisites to a perfect Virginia pone. DAINTY DISHES. M An Exquisite Marmalade. Take largo ripo oranges, quarter IIkmh, remove the riml, Bccds and the strings or filaments, taking care to save ail the juice. Put the; pulp, witii tlie juice, into a porcelain kettle, and mix with it an ecpial ((uantity ol'Btrained honey, adrs or whiteware marmalade pot,s, and cover it securely. This marmalade is said to be suj)erior to any other, and can bo made when the season for other fruits is over. Saratoga Fried Potatoes. At the " liake House," in Saratoga, thousands of pack- ages of fried potatoes are sold every summer, to be carried away and eaten as a dainty. The following is said to be the method of preparing them : Wash the potatoes clean, slice with a potato-sliccr very thin, throw into cold water long enough to take out some of the starch, then wipe dry and put into boiling lard, a few pieces at a time ; be sure and keep the lard boiling ; as soon as the potiitoes are of a clear, golden brown, skim out, and drain in a colander or sieve. [In Philadelphia potatoes are fried in the following manner : The tools are a common cabbage-cutter, two wire sieves, and a "spider." Take say eight large potatoes, pare them and slice very thin with the cutter, soak the slices for two hours in cold water, stir into it one teaspoonful of salt to a quart, and let them remain half an hour in that. Pour ■^J «2 HOME COMFOETS, 1, 1 1 Hk^ ! i j' ll^^^pTI';. 1 thctn into the sieve to drain, and when weD-drained wipe the slic^p ^^y } pwt a pound of lard into the spider, and when it becomes smoking-hot put in the potatoes. They must be constantly stirred to prevent the pieces from ad- hering to one another, and until they are sufficiently browned to make your mouth water, when they should be served at once.] Delicious Mince Pies. Take a pound of the undressed under-cut of a sirloin of beef, boil and mince it fine; drain off* the fat from it thoroughly, and mix in two ounces of fresh butter, half an ounce of finely-ground allspice, four large apples pared, cored and chopped fine, half a pound raisins washed and chopped fine, half a pound currants well washed, three tablespoonfuls of moist sugar, three ounces of candied orange peel (not lemon) ; mix the whole of these ingredients well together, then place a half-pound preserve jar of raspberry jam in boiling water, and let it remain without uncovering the jar until the jam is dissolved j then strain the jam over the ingredients, taking care not to let the slightest portion of the seeds escape. Make paste and bake in a very quick oven. When the pies are nearly cold, lift the corner of each, and pour over the mince a small quantity of brandy. These will keep good for three wceksi The peculiarity of these pies is, that no suet is used, which agrees but with few persons, and that the juice of the rasp- berries gives them an indescribable but delicious flavor. Superior Vanilla Ice-Cream. Carver. The manufacture of ice-cream, as a branch of household economy, is increasing every year. The essential ingre- dients of all kinds are cream or rich milk, sugar, and some DAINTY DISHES. 643 flavoring material, as vanilla, lemon, strawberry, or pine- apple. Where millc is used, eggs are necessary, about four to two quarts of milk, and generally a tablespoonful of arrow- root, rubbed smooth in a cupful of milk, is added. The yelk of eggs is also stirred into boiled cream, where the richest quality of ice-cream is desired. But to make, say four quarts of superior vanilla ice-cream, take two quarts of pure cream, and add two-thirds of a pound of granulated white sugar; boil about half a vanilla bean, cut in small pieces, in a small quantity of milk or cream, taking care not to let it burn ; after the flavor is thoroughly extracted, add the whole to the sweetened cream, and when all is thor- oughly incorporated, strain into the can of the freezer, of which the best for family use is one of those patent-geared freezing apparatus turned by a crank. Full directions for their use accompany these machines, which are quite inexpensive. Put the can into the wooden part of the freezer, and fill the space between the can and pail with broken pieces of ice about the size of a walnit, adding a handful of coarse rock salt to each layer of ioe. Turn the crank until the whole is frozen, which will .e about twenty minutes. Draw oif the water from the pail, fill up with ice and stand away to harden. One quart of good, pure cream will make very nearly two quarts of ice-cream. For lemon ice-cream, add the juice and grated rind of one lemon to each quart of cream, instead of the vanilla bean. For strawberry, one quart of bruised berries to four quarts of cream. CHAPTER XI. DAINTY DISHES FOR DAINTY PALATES. "Among all the arts known to man there is none which enjoys a jtister appreciation, and the products of which are more universally admired, than that concerned in the preparation of our food. Led by an instinct, which has almost reached the dignity of conscious knowledge, as the un- erring guide, and by the sense of taste which protects the health, the ex- perienced cook, with respect to the choice, the admixture and the prepara- tion of food, has made acquisitions, surpassing all that chemical and physiological science has done in regard to the doctrine or theory of nutrition. In soup and meat sauces he imitates the gastric juices; and by the cheese which closes the banquet, he assists the action of the dia* solved epithelium of the stomach." — ^Liebig. 2. HIGH CLASS COOKERY. ^' ' E are now prepared to approach the professors of T " high class cookery," and learn what they choose J^i} to impart to us respecting the mode of preparing •^•^ those wonderful dishes of which even the names are mysterious. In some of the hotels and club-houses in the large cities, where costly banquets are often served, the chief cooks earn, in salaries and perquisites, sums greater than the salaries paid to the Judges of the Supreme Court or members of the Cabinet. In some of the fashionable restaurants in New York, dinners have been served where the flowers alone placed upon the table to garnish the viands cost fifteen hundred and even two thousand dollars. The kitchen and storehouse for provisions, in one of these 544 ioys a juster \y admired, an instinct, !, as the un- ilth, the ex- he prepara- emical and • theory of juices; and of the difl' Bssors of ey choose preparing le names houses in rved, the IS greater ne Court shionable ed where nish the i dollars, of these V ii Dish of Oysters McrinKiie*- Mayonnaise of Lobster. Christmas Pltim Fuddiiijj. Roast Hare. Roast PartridBBS. Mixed Pickles. Shrimps. Blanc-Mange. Jelly, .J* ^ DAINTY DISHES. 645 hostelries, extends for a square, and so methodically arranged that, it is said, the chef, without a spark of light, could descend into the kitchen and lay his hand at the first trial upon any cut of meat that may be ordered, and it would be found in readiness to place upon the fire. There is as much discipline among the subordinates as on board a man-of-war, and so complete is the system that the respon- sibility for a bad roast, or any other error, can be fixed with absolute certainty. The dinners prepared in these places are marvels of culinary skill, as may be supposed from their cost, which sometimes exceeds fifty dollars for each person. At a famous banquet given on New Year's day by the Owl Club in New York, plates were laid for twenty persons, and the total cost was $1000, or fifty dollars per plate. The bill of fare or menu, consist- ing of a little book containing fifteen leaves, partly printed in gilt, alone cost five dollars each. But the most costly bill of fare probably ever used at a dinner, was that which a Senator from the Pacific coast, largely interested in silver mines, placed before his guests, consisting of slabs of silver on which the courses had been engraved, and each of which was worth forty-five dollars by weight. These menus the guests were permitted to take home with them as memen- toes of their banquet. Mr. Charles Ranhofer, now President of one of the societies of chief cooks in New York, and until recently the chef in Delmonico's celebrated restaurant, has written out for this work the recipes of some of the dishes that were invented in that establishment; and, to make the matter plain to the dullest comprehension, he has given a Bill of Fare or menu of a dinner for twelve persons, and then shown how some of the principal dishes were com- pounded : 85. ■^'i .■ 546 HOME COMFOBTS. siM MENU DINER POUR 12 PERS. Potage. Crfirae d'Asperges. ' Poisson. Truitea de Riviere, Sauce Colbert, Salade de Concombres, I Pommes de terre Duchease. Relevfi. Filet de Boeuf Salvandy. Entries. Escaloppes de Volaille a I'Aquitaine, Petits pois au beurre. Brissotins de Rainiers au Suprfime, Haricots Verts Saut^a. Sorbet au Kircii. BScassines R6ties. Letuce Saljide. Ananas Bagration, Parfait au Caf6. Fruits and Dessert. How to Make Creme d'Asperge. Break the stalks of one hundred green asparagus; cut them in small pieces ; cook them in boiling water, with salt, in a copper sugar-pan. After they are perfectly cooked, drain them, and mash them, with a piece of butter, and pass through a sieve. Then mix a quarter of pound of flour, with quarter pound of butter, and one quart broth ; stir the liquid until ebullition, with the asparagus; imme- diately remove it back, let it boil for about fifteen minutes. Skim the butter coming to the surface ; add one quart of cream, let it come near boiling ; thicken with liaison of six yelks of eggs and about a quarter pound of butter; season with salt and a pinch of sugar. Serve separately a plate of small croutons or crusts of bread cut in small dice, fried with butter. ' If you want the soup to be green, pound a half peck of spinach, strain through a towel, put the liquor in a sauce- ^ DAINTY DISHES. 517 pan on the fire until it comes near to a boil ; pour the liquid on a fine sieve, the water will pass through, and the solid part may be used to color the soup. Truite de Eiviere, Sauce Colbert. Lay enough trout in a fish-kettle for twelve persons ; put on them two carrots, four onions, all sliced, two bay- leaves, a little thyme and parsley, a few cloves, salt and pepper, and a bottle of white wine (Bordeaux) and a quart of water. Set it on the fire and boil it for a few minutes, remove it back and keep it nearly boiling for about half an hour, according to the size of your trout. Strain half the liquor and put it into another saucepan ; stir the liquid to ebullition, until it is reduced to a half pint, add a little brown sauce, gradually introduce into it a half pound of fine butter divided in little bits ; finish the sauce with the juice of four lemons and a spoonful of chopped parsley. At serving time drain the fish, place them on a long dish, the bottom of which is covered with a napkin ; garnish all round with parsley. Serve the sauce separately. Pommes de terre Duchesse. Peel some potatoes, cut them in slices, wash them, salt them, and let them boil on a brisk fire ; as soon as they are nearly done, drain the water ; let them remain about ten minutes in the oven ; pass them through a sieve ; put this puree in a sautd pan, with a little butter, salt and nutmeg; add some yelks of eggs and a little cream ; make some moulds about the shape of an egg, flatten them down a little ; beat one egg and spread some with a brush over the potatoes and brown in a brisk oven a few miuutea before serving. 548 HOME COMFOUTS. Filet de Eceuf Salvandy. Choose a well-sluiped fillet of beef, of tender, streaky flesh ; after having taken away the superfluous skin and fat, the uj)per part is larded from one end to the other; the fillet is then placed in a baking dish, and after having been cooked it is to be placed in a long dish for serving, liaving underneath it a support made with a piece of bread same lengtli and width as the fillet, and about two inches in height, fried in butter or lard. Garnish the fillet all roun1 Parfait au Cafe. Whip eight yelks of ej;<;H witli jv Imlf pound of sugar; wlioM tho |)rop!irMti()n i.s frotljy, dilute it with ii glassful of a very strong infusion of eotfee ; put tiic licpiid into a copper basin tinned inside ; set it on the fire, stir the liipiid until it is thickened, but without allowing it to boil ; pass through a fine sieve ; put it again in the biusin, and whip it on ice until very light ; mix about one (piart whipped crearu which is firm and well drained ; line parfait mould with a white paper inside, pjick it with pounded ice and salt, pour the prej)arati()n into the packed mould, which must be covered with white paper and with the lid ; spread over the lid a thick layer of salted ice, pack the preparation for one hour and a half; at serving time, dip the mould into cold water, wipe it and turn the parfait out on a folded napkin. August Valadon, Chef at the St. James Hotel, New York, contributes the following original recipes : Salad Dressing. This sauce is made in many different ways ; but the best and shortest way to make it is : Take the yelks of two raw eggs to a pound of swoct-oi. ; put the yelks in a small bowl, with a little salt^ white pepper and the juice of half a lemon ; stir with a whip or a wooden paddle, adding little by little the sweet-oli ; if it becomes too thick, soften with a drop of vinegar, and con- tinue until the oil is exhausted. This serves for dressing any kind of salad or cold fish. \ t CJ2 HOME COMFORTS. lis Sauces, Croquettes, eto. Cream Sauce. — Take a half jumnd of butter, four ouiiccs of flour, Halt and pepper to taste; mix thoroughly; add to these one pint of ereani and one pint of milk ; put the mixture on the fire, and stir till it hoiln; add a little grated nutmeg. This in a good sauec for halibut, eod, BcollopH, ete. Carrie ISauce. — Take five ounees of good butter, two ounees of flour, two tcuspoonfuls of India cjirrie, Cayenne to taste, also a little nutmeg. Stir well in a saucepan, and pour in a little of the broth from the meat you want to have in currio. Maitre (V Hotel or Steward 'ft Sauce, Cold. — Take about a pound of good butter, put it in a bowl, mix with it some parsley and chives chopped fine, also the juice of a lemon. Serve under or on top of broiled meat or fish. Enf/liJif or Bread Sauce for Game. — Take crumbs of fine white bread, stew them in equal parts of milk and cream, well seasoned with salt, pe|)per and nutmeg. In fifteen minutes the snuce will be done. Piquante SaiK-"".. — Take a handful of shallots, chopped fine ; put them in a stewpan, wet them with strong vinegar, and boil it on a hot fire until nearly dry ; add sonic capers, pickles, parsley, chives chopped very fine. Then take another pan, and put into this four ounces of butter, and two ounces of flour; mix well,, wet with a little broth, and boil for a few minutes. Mix the contents of the two pans together, and boil twenty minutes, and serve. Rice Q'oqvMtes. — Take half a pound of rice well washed, soak in a pint of milk, season with lemon or vanilla flavor, add half a pound of sugar, a little salt, and a piece of butter the size of a walnut ; cook on a slow fire ; as soon as it is DAINTY DISHES. KS cook'jd, throw in «ix yolUs of t'j^^s, .stir uj) well, pour out into a Hut |)un, and wlicii cold, roll into convenient siiupcM, cover witii egg and breiid crunihs, and Try <|iii('kly in hot fat. Serve well-powdered witii lemon or vanilla HUgiir, Cream fried. — Take a ijuart of milk and boil it Tiien put in another pan half a pint of creauj, two ouh^^..^ of corn starch, half a pound of sugar, liavor to taste, auti six yelks of oggs; mux well and pour this into the boiling milk; stir all well together, and ipiickly pour into u ilat pan to c(M)l ; cut it up into round or square pieces; bread as rice croqu»'Hes ; fry and serve hot, well-pov/dered with sugar. Omelette SouJIee. — Take fDur eggs, separate the yelks and whites; take the yelks and three ounces of powdered sugar, with some grated orange or lemon peel, beat well. Take the whites, beat them to snow, and mix the two to- gether. Shape in a silver dish any form you like. Bake in a hot oven for twelve minutes. Sugar over and serve. [It may be true, as the French say, that "cooking is all pleasure and no trouble;" but we apprehend that our readers will not take the same view of reading French recipes. A dainty chapter of such dainty dishes will satisfy their curiosity, as to what High Class cookery means.] i' 1 ' i I i ■ i ! § ■ ! CHAPTER XII. PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS ON CLOTHING. "All affectation in dress implies a flaw in the understanding."— Ches- terfield. "If there is one thing in which the schoolmaster or the reformer is more wanted than in another it is in our dress. From our birth to our death we are the slaves of fashion, of prejudice, and of circumstances. The tender, unresisting infant, the delicate girl, the mature woman, alike suffer from these evil influences. Souie fall victims to them ; others sufier during life." — Merrifield. CLOTHING constitutes so large an item in the comfort of families and the expenses of many households, that it deserves more consideration in a work of this •' kind than we have space to give to it. Nearly three centuries ago the most renowned of English dramatists wrote : " Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not expressed in fancy ; rich, not gaudy ; For the apparel t»ft proclaim^ the man." And this advice is as good and as practical to-day as when Shakspeare gave it. Thrifty housekeepers know, that to purchase materials of inferior quality for clothing because they are cheap, is not only a want of economy but gross extravagance. A rich man or woman may afford to make a mistake in the quality of a piece of cloth, but a 554 SUGGESTIOXS ON CLOTHING. m poor man cannot afford to buy any but goods of superior quality, handsome and durable. Buying Cloth. "In purchasing cloth for family wear," says Lyman, •'and especially for its adult members, regard should bo had to the various uses to which the fabric may be put when the wearer has done with it. In this way a service- able piece of goods may be kept on duty until it no longer hangs together, and even then its parts may be made to contribute to the family comfort in the form of a quilt, a rug, or a carpet. With this in view, it will be found that cloths of a gray or neutral color can be converted to more numerous and various uses than either black or blue. Clothing of this color -will bear washing, and it cuts up for boys at a better advantage than any other. In choosing cloth for a gentleman's coat, and deciding on its cut, it is well to remember that a frock coat, while suited to a greater number of occasions than a dress coat or a sack, affords larger pieces for the pattern when it is cut up for smaller garments. For instance, the skirts of any frock coat in tolerable preservation will furnish an ample pattern for a business vest, which will be of almost as much ser- vice as though made of new cloth. The linings of the skirt, if not badly worn, will make the back of the vest ; and the body, if ripped in pieces, pressed, and cut down, will make a boy's jacket. The unworn parts of a fine silk or velvet vest will give a number of pieces, which, properly fitted together, will make a handsome cap for a boy; and almost the whole may be used in trimming children's clothing." In a general' way it may be stated, that in a family of the average size, and disposed to a thrifty economy, no 18 556 HO^fE COMFORTS. i:..S S^: article of dross slioiild be thrown away. From the rim of a common felt hat double soles may be cut which will pro- tect the feet from the cold and damp of the winter. It may be worth while to remember that felt makes the best of gun-wads. From pieces left in cutting broadcloth, pin- cushions, caps and slippers may be manufactured. How to Clothe Children. It should never be forgotten that the temperature of children is some degrees lower than that of adults, and that of all ages which resist cold the least, and suflPer from its ill effects the most, is early childhood. From early child- hood to adult age the capability of resisting cold increases, remains nearly stationary during the prime of life, and diminishes towards old age in about the same ratio as it increases in early life. There are certainly some old men who apparently resist the effects of cold as well as the young, but such cases are rare. The covering next to the skin of very young children should be of cotton; never, except in peculiar cases, of flannel. Over the cotton a fine flannel may be placed. When the child arrives at an age to take vigorous exer- cise, the flannel may be put under the cotton shirt, but not till then. The clothing of young children should be loose and free, and absolutely devoid of any tight ligatures around the throat, chest, or knees. Every joint must have full room for play, and no artificial support or bandage should on any account, except in special cases under medi- cal supervision, be applied to any portion of the body of a healthy child. Bandages around the abdomen or stays around the waist are not to be tolerated, and the folly of exposing the limbs of children to the rigors of winter weather is almost inconceivable. "I never see a poor SUGGEISTIONS ON CLOTUINQ. 557 child dressed as a young Highlander," says an eminent medical authority, "or in any fancy dress, with its un- comfortable look and naked appearance, its poor bare knees and open neck, but that I prophesy for that child a future of colds, coughs, and throat disease, and a probable death of consumption." Men's OlothiDg. "While all eccentricity or affectation in dress should be avoided by both sexes, it is not good policy to carry the idea of plainness and uniformity to the extreme adopted by some men, of having only one suit at a time, which is worn until it is sliabby in appearance and then replaced by another. This is decidedly an expensive custom. A very short period of constant wear will cause the new look to leave the surface of the cloth, the button-holes and faces of the lapels will show wear, and it is impossible to appear well-dressed in that siait. Few are aware, or if they are, ever practise the plan of carefully folding and laying their clothes away for a while in a trunk or drawer. All woollen goods, when kept in darkness, renew their lustre, and the dingy look produced by exposure to a great extent disappears. The insensible perspiration from the body, no matter how wholesome or cleanly a person's habits, will linger in any woollen garment. When they are temporarily laid aside they should be well aired and brushed, and folded so as not to show wrinkles, then placed where they will be free from dust and light. If the location is somewhat damp, so much the better ; for when wool is kept very dry the fibre becomes brittle and will not render good service. Two suits bought at the same time and worn alternately, following the above suggestions, the one not in service will last a third longer than one suit ■ r ! 558 HOME C02IF0ETS. purolmscd aiul worn without intermission until not pre- sentable, and then another one procured and served in the same manner. Black and dark shades of blue cannot retain their lustre unless i)rotected at intervals from the blanching effect of sun and wind. A gentleman who confines himself to two suits — one for full dress and one for daily wear — will, in the usual course of life and business, find himself unsuitably attired. It should never be forgotten that sailing, sjiorting, and travelling cannot be separated from roughness and dust, and garments will suffer more from a day of that kind of usage than a week's ordinary wear, not speaking of the luxury of commanding a change. The wardrobe of a gentleman who mingles in society and indulges in the above-mentioned pastimes, should con- sist of, first, a full dress suit, and a medium dress suit for church, calling, or ordinary evening wear; usually made a frock coat, vest to match, and light pants. Then a busi- ness or travelling suit, for which the most proper material is Cheviot or mixed goods. For gunning, velveteens, fustians or corduroy are best adapted, as they resist the briars, and stand any amount of hard usage. Sailing costumes are generally made of blue Cheviot or flannel, and coats cut double-breasted sack. Two overcoats are indispensable ; one for winter and one for spring and fall. The materials suitable for these are so varied that it is simply a matter of taste. Gentlemen provided with an outfit like the above can safely consider themselves prepared for any emergency requiring appropriate dress, and in wearing garments suited to the occasion lies the great secret in the economical management of clothes. ^At SUGGESTIONS ON CLOTHING. 669 If colored trowsers are worn, tliose patterns should be selected wiiich conform to the rules of taste. Bars running across the legs should be avoided, and also all large staring patterns. Stripes down the side, or stripes of any sort, sliould be worn only by those who are tall and whose legs are straight, or ^Ise the eye, running along the stripe, will quickly detect any deviation from the perpendicular. How to Cleanse Broadcloths. The following mode has been tried repeatedly with uni- form success by Miss Beecher : Take one beef's gall, half a pouid of salcratus, and four gallons of warm water. Lay the article on a table, and scour it thoroughly in every part with a clothQS brush dipped in thrs mixture. The collar of a coat and the grease spots (previously marked by stitches of white thread) must be re[)eatedly brushed. Then take the article and rinse it up and down in the mixture. Then rinse it up and down in a tub of soft cold water. Then, without wringing or pressing, hang it to drain and dry. Fasten a coat up by the collar. When perfectly dry, it is sometimes the case with coats that nothing more is needed. In other cases it is necessary to dampen the parts which look wrinkled with a sponge, and either pull them smooth with the fingers or press them with an iron, having a piece of bombazine or thin woollen cloth between the iron and the article. How to Treat Wet Clothes. Handle a wet hat as lightly as possible. Wipe it as dry as you can with a silk handkerchief, and when nearly dry use a soft brush. If the fur sticks together in any part, dampen it lightly with a sponge dipped in beer or MO HOME COMFOJiTS. vinegar, and then brush it till dry. Put a stick or stretcher into a damp hat to keep it in proper shape. When a coat gets wet wipe it down the way of the nap with a sponge or silk handkerchief. Do not put M'et boots or shoes near the fire. How to render Cloth Water-proof. There are various processes for water-proofing cloth, but the following is a very simple and inexpensive method : Take of powdered alum and of sugar of lead each one ounce, and stir them into a gallon of rain water, and when the mixture is clear pour off the upper liquid. Choose Scotch tweed, or any light, closely-woven cloth, and im- merse it in this liquid for twenty-four hours; then dry and press it. The cloth will be uninjured in color or texture, and will turn any amount of rain to which the wearer is likely to be exposed. Puying Boots and Shoes. With regard to boots and shoes, which are a source of much trouble, pain," and annoyance to most persons who have not secured for themselves an accurate last, it may be said in general, that to secure ease it is a good plan to put on two pairs of thick socks before being measured^ and to remind the bootmaker that in walking the foot elongates fully half an inch, and to allow accordingly, or callosities and ingrowing nails may be the result. Of the thousands of boot and shoemakers in the country there are very few who have at all studied the principles of their trade, or know anything of the anatomy of the foot. The upper leather should be soft and pliable ; the soles should be as broad as the foot when the weight of the body rests on it, and the heels neither high nor narrow. It is also econora- im SUGGESTIONS ON CLOTHING. 661 ical to purchase boots some time before they are wanted, in order to allow the leather to season ; and to have two pairs, to be worn on alternate days. How to Preserve Boots and Shoes. F. Maceroni, in a conHiiuuicatiou to the London Mechan- ics^ Magazine, says : " I have only had three pairs of boots for the last six years (no shoes), and I think that I shall not require any for the next six years to come! The reason is, that I treat them in the following manner : I put a pound of tallow and half a pound of rosin in a pot on the fire ; when melted and mixed, I warm the boots, and apply the hot stuff with a painter's brush, until neither the soles nor upper leathers will suck in any more. If it is desired that the boots should immediately take a good polish, dissolve an ounce of beeswax in an ounce of spirits of turpentine, to which add a teaspoonful of lamp-black. A few days after the boots have been treated with the tal- low and rosin, rub over them the wax and turpentine, but not before the fire. Thus the exterior will have a coat of wax alone, and shine like a mirror. " Tallow, or any other grease, becomes rancid, and rots the stitching as well as the leather ; but the rosin gives it an antiseptic quality which preserves the whole." To cure boots and shoes of squeaking, which is a great annoyance, especially in entering a sick-room, or a church after the services have commenced, the remedy is to boil linseed oil and saturate the soles with it well and thor- oughly. Women's Clothing. Woman's dress has been the subject of so much discus- sion without practical result, and is so intertwined and 36 ■''^r,; 662 HOME COMFORTS. \ i :4 interlaced with the caprices of fashion that at first glance it would seem there were no laws regulating it. To the blind votaries of fashion, the willing dupes of milliners and dress- makers who change styles to make work for themselves,, nothing need be said ; but in every community there are many sensible women who would dress with taste if they knew what constitutes good taste in dress, and for their use and benefit we have read many criticisms and disquisi- tions, and digested the following points : 1. Never buy an article of dress unless it be suitable ta your age, style and the rest of your wardrobe. Nothing can be more objectionable in taste than to wear costly laces with a common delaine, or cheap lace with expensive brocades.^ Women, while shopping, are frequently tempted to buy what pleases the eye upon the counter, forgetting what they haye at home to wear with it. "That parasol may be pretty, but it will kill by its color one dress in the buyer's wardrobe and be unsuitable for the others." 2. Whatever the material may be, let the quality be good, for it is never economy to purchase anything of an inferior kind, no matter how cheap it may be. "A good, strong, though coarse gingham," says Mrs. Lyman, " will be far more serviceable for a working dress than a cheap though showy calico ; and one handsomely printed calico, in fast colors, tastefully made and neatly fitting, is of far more real value to the wearer than those of a low grade, carelessly made and ill-shaped. For the mother of a family, whose duties frequently call her into the kitchen and who is sur- rounded by children, there is no dress so suitable as a calico, for none other is so easily cleansed of spots and odors contracted in the ordinary routine of her family life. Every time it is thoroughly washed, starched and ironed it is a new dress, fresh and sweet. To choose calico, rub it SUGGESTIONS ON CLOTHING. ju;^ and see that there is not much dreaa, as it Ih called, in it. If a quantity of white powder falls out do not buy it, how- ever cheap, for it is a poor article and will not wear well. It is well for a mother to consider, when purchasing for herself, whether, after she has done with the garment, it «can be wrought over for her family, and if she is in mod- erate circumstances it will be economy to buy goods that will answer to make over for her little girls. Cliildren should always wear small figures or goods of a solid color, trimmed with braid or some other material of a contrasting hue. A neutral tint may be brightened by a crimson or scarlet trimming, while for bright, decided colors white or black trimming is most suitable." 3. In buying an expensive dress it is advisable for those of limited means to select such as will be sei'viceable under the greatest variety of circumstances. Black silk is of this description, as it may be worn appropriately to a wedding, a party, a funeral, or to church. It is nowhere out of taste, except in the kitchen. It may be made gay M'ith bright trimmings, or sombre with those of the same color. It can be worn with hat and wrappings of every hue, and is never out of fashion. If the silk is figured, let the figure be small, the same on both sides, with no up or down to it, so that when worn at the bottom it can be turned upside down, and when soiled outside it can be turned inside out. Figured silks do not generally wear well if the figure be large and satin-like. Black and plain-colored silks can be tested by procuring samples and making creases in them ; fold the creases in a bunch and rub them against a rough surface of moreen or carpeting. Those which are poor will soon wear off at the creases. A chemist has discovered that hydrochloric acid is a powerful solvent of silk, though it has little effect on cotton ■Art aw i 664 HOME COMFORTS. or wool, at IciiHt for a long time. The practiciul value of thin disiiovoiy to women Ih very gn^at. The pur- cha.ser of a silk has only firnt to buy or ol>taiii a few inches of it and drop a little hydroehloric acid, which ean be ob- tained at any druggist's, on the centre of the piece; if it be of pure ftiflc, a hole will be made; if tijere is cotton in it, th(>s(! threads will remain." * Next to a black silk is a good black alpaca for service and gentility ; and for warm weather the diiferent thin black fabri(!s are ca[)able of great variety and utility. To wear white tastefully a woman must either be very young or quite l)retty, and no stout lady can appear in it to ad- vantage. Its very purity suggests a contrast in complexioti tiiat is hard to bear in florid faces, or in those which have lost youth's downy freshness. 4. In j)urcha8ing dress goods, ladies should not forget their own shape or figure. A pretty, del i(!ate, spotted linen that would make a little lady look charmingly sweet and simple would have a contrary effect on a tall, large one. Plaids are becoming for tall women, as they shorten the appearance of the figure. Stripes look becoming on a large person, as they reduce the apparent size. Flounces should be worn only by those of a tall, graceful figure, and then they should be made of a light material, so that they fall in gracefully with the outline of the dress; when made of any rich stuff which stands out stiffly they break the grace- ful flow of the dress. Flounces, by marking the height at regular intervals, take away from it and make a short figure look shorter. A sensible writer on perfect taste in dress says : " Shawls are only properly worn by women of the camel- opard form. A short, squat figure, with the finest camel's hair shawl that ever left India, never looked really well. Hi im 8UGGJi:iSTI0N8 ON CLOTJIING. .>06 Some are bold enou^li to say that none but a Fivtich wonmn oan ever fold herself gracefully in a shawl. We that as it may, a stout Amerimn female does not shine in one. In a velvet circular she will look grand and impres- Hive ; in a good cloth sacque comfortable and cozy ; but in !Ui astrac^han, or sealskin, she will remind you of un over- jrrown Newfoundland, for fat women will not bear furry wrappings. "A large face should never bulge out of a small bonnet, nor be surmounted by a coquettish hat. A double-cliin is solemnly opposed to butterfly head-gear, and only looks well under a pretty, plain, sensible kind of bonnet. Too many feathers make short forms look topheavy ; one long, Iiandsome plume will improve any one who can carry it gracefully; but a mingling of artificial flowers, feathers and ribbons, is too much — fashion notwithstanding." 5. To dress with taste a woman must know her own f(tce and select colors that harmonize with her cmnplexion. The great art, as regards color of dress, is to modify the tints of the complexion, care being taken to let the flesjj ai)pear of a healthy, natural hue, and to avoid wearing tliosi; colors which give the complexion a sickly or unnatural appear- ance. In this lies the secret of dressing well, but so ab- struse is the problem, so multifarious the considerations involved in its solution, that we wonder any woman's brain ever mastered it. Writers on the combinations of color in dress, divide com- plexions into the " fair and ruddy blondes " and the " pale and florid brunettes." In the fair blonde we find a delicate white skin, light hair — in all the shades from a golden hue to yellow or orange brown ; light blue or gray eyes ; a slight tinge of rose on the cheek, and a richer tint on the lips. In all such complexions the rose color is not dcttided .w>r, HOME COMFOHTH. iilili enoiigli, and the huir would bo improved by a deeper hue — and tlicHe clmngoH can ha made, in a good degree, by a suitable mingling of color in the dress. One of the most favorable colors for the fair blonde is a delicate green, as it imparts to the flesh-white of the skin a tint of red, which mingling with the natural hue forms an agreeable roHc-tint — a good contrast both to the face and hair, especially if the hair is golden, inclining to orange. The most complete summary of what blondes should wear as trimmings for bonnets that we have seen has been made by Mrh. H. W. Beecher, and is as follows : [The best colors to mingle with green, as trimmings, are red, orange and gold. Green and gold form a rich harmony, peculiarly becoming to the fair blonde. Scarlet, blended with green, harmonizes better than red ; but if red, inclining to (;rimson, is used, then orange and gold must also be combined with it. There are some shades of green that are not becoming, unless blended with and enlivened by other harmonious colors. A green bonnet, with rose- color and white, with a white feather, will always be be- coming for this complexion. Be careful that too much white is not used, else it will have a cold eiFect, and there- fore will not aid the fair complexion so much. Orange or gold may be substituted for the pink or rose — ^also red, in a small bonnet, but neither should be placed close to the face. Orange in a green bonnet, in small quantities, is be- coming, if the wearer's eyes are blue. A few autumnal shades of red, orange or yellow-green are also in harmony with the fair complexion; but dark-green is not at all desirable. Blue is very suitable, giving an orange tint, which har- monizes finely with the delicate white and flesh hues of the r m])lexion. There is always a natural trace of orange P. I m 11 SUOGEtiTIONS ON CLOT III NO. a«7 color on the skin, and thm color, by intensifying tiiiH natural tint, is very pleasing; but the blue must ha light, and not too positive. IJlue l)eing the perfect contriLst of orange, it agrees finely with golden or orange-brown hair. This is the reason that light-blue head-dresses are so very becom- ing on light hair. To give a good elfect to blue by gas- light, a little white or very pale blue is necessary to be in contrast, or very near the face. If there are green leaves with the blue flowers of a head-dress, they should be placed as near the face as possible. White, black, a very little yellow, orange, straw or stone color, may either of them be used in the trimmings of a light-blue bonnet, with good effect; but not if there are pink or purple flowers on it, as these colors mingled with blue are unsuitable. The colors to be used c^irefnlly or avoided altogether, with fair complexions, are yellow, orange, red and purple. The light shades of lilac may be sometimes used; but it is very trying to, and must always, if used, be separated from the flesh by an edging of tulle or some similar tiirp.ining — or be associated with its har- monizing colors — cherry, scarlet, light crimson or gold color, and then they will in part overcome the bad effects ; but green and lilac should never be coupled, as it will form a positive discord. A very little light purple is agreeable for a head-dress on light hair, but must be placed near the skin. Neutral colors, if not too dark, accord well with fair blondes — gray, fawn, drab, and some few shades of brown are the best. Black is good for the fair blonde who has some healthy color, because it increases the rose in the complexion ; but it is bad for pale skins, as it bleaches them by the painful contrast. No delicate color can be blended with black without seeming of a lighter tone. !?;'.' ^ \\r pi^ ' i mm 668 HOME COMFOIiTS. Unless used for mourning, black must be mingled with either blue, cherry, mulberry, drab or lilac, to remove the sombre effects ; but cherry and lilac must be used sparingly. Red must not be used at all with black for fair blondes, as it gives a rusty tinge. White is suitable with black, if some other color is added ; otherwise it is too cold. A black bonnet looks well with a fair complexion, but a little white and rose color should be added, keeping the rose away from the skin. White is pleasant for all com- plexions, but more so with the fair blonde who has some color than for any other. Bright colors with white bonnet may be added, but must be kept low and well grouped. White increases the paleness of a pale skin ; but this effect may be neutralized by a blue or green wreath brought well on the face. The ruddy blonde has a full-toned complexion, inclining to a positive rose-red, or carnation ; dark blue or brown eyes and brown hair. All the colors suitable for the fair blonde are generally suitable for the ruddy blonde, but the tones, and in some cases the hues, must be changed. As^ rule this type may use more freedom in the selection of colors than the fair; her complexion, not being so delicate, . is less sensitive. The hair being the medium between gold and black, and the complexion higher toned and more positive, rich and moderately dark colors may be used. For brunettes purple and dark maroon and yellow and orange are suitable colors. Among brunettes there are a few who are so pallid that to wear stone-gray will render them almost ghastly. For such there is drab of the creamy or pinkish order that is singularly becoming. A tiny band or two of scarlet velvet around shining black hair has a very fine effect.] Lastly. Follow fashion so far as it is in consonance with good taste, but avoid extremes. SUGGESTIONS ON CLOTHING. 569 Hints to Wearers of Kid Gloves. It is not generally known, or does not appear to be known, even by those who wear kids almost exclusively, that the durability and set of these articles depend very much upon how they are put on the first time. Two pairs may be taken from one box, of exactly the same out and quality, and by giving different treatment when first put- ting tiie hands into them, one pair will be made to set much better, and to wear doubly, or nearly that length of time longer than the other. When purchasing gloves, people are usually in too much of a hurry ; they carelessly put them on, and let them go in that way then, thinking to do the work more completely at another time. When this is the case a person is sure to meet with disappoint- ment, for as the glove is made to fit the hand the first time it is worn, so it will fit ever after, and no amount of effort will make a satisfactory change. Never allow a stretcher to be used, for the gloves will not be likely to fit as well for it. All of the expansion should be made by the hands. If the kids are so small as to require the aid .of a stretclier, they should not be purchased, as they will prove too small for durability, comfort, or beauty. When selecting gloves, choose those with fingers to correspond with your own in length ; take time to put them on, work- ing in the fingers first, until ends meet ends ; then put in the thumb, and smooth them down until they are made to fit nicely. A glove that sets well will usually wear well, at least will wear better than one of the same kind that does not fit well. When the ends of the gloves do not come down right, or when they are so long as to form wrinkles upon the sides of the fingers, they will chafe out easily. Where the stretcher has to be used to make the fingers ilfl* ' ^70 HOME COMFORTS. HI large enough, the body part will be so small as to cramp the hand so that it cannot be shut without bursting the fieams of the kids. Some recommend putting new kid gloves into a damp cloth before they are put on, and allowing them to remain until moistened. With this treatment they can be put on much easier than otherwise and will fit very nicely until they get dry ; but on second wearing there will be an unnatural harshness about them, wrinkling in spots, and they will not set so perfectly as at first. How to Dress to Sit for a Photograph. Very few women, except actresses and singers, know how to dress so as to secure the most pleasing photograph. Some photographers have written manuals of instruction on this point, and they state that the best materials for ladies to wear are such as are not too glossy and will fold or drape nicely, as reps, poplins, satins and silks. A black silk dress looks well on almost everybody, and if not bedecked with ribbons, or lace which will take white, will photograph satisfactorily. So garnet, cherry, wine color, sea or bottle-green, light .and dark orange, light Bismarck,. and slate color are all excellent colors to photograph. But pure white is bad, and lavender, lilac, sky blue, purple, and French blue take very light, and are even worse than pure white. Striped goods, or goods having bold patterns in them, should never be worn for a picture. Avoid any- thing that will look streaky or spotty. The dressing of the hair is also a matter of importance. If the forehead be high, which is not a mark of beauty in any woman, it should be partially concealed by the hair or €urls ; so on a long, stork-like neck a few drooping curls will add to the effect agreeably. SUGGESTIONS ON CLOTHING. 571 Children should not be dressed in startling plaids and •gaudy colors, or a variety of colors ; nor do they photo- graph well in white or very dark dresses. To Wash Chintz. Many ladies will be glad to know how chintz may be washed so as to preserve its gloss and beauty. The follow- ing are the directions : Take two pounds of rice and boil it in two gallons of water till soft ; when done, pour the whole into a tub ; let it stand till about the warmth you use in general for col- ored linens; then put the chintz in and use the rice instead •of soap ; wash it in this till the dirt appears to be out ; then boil the same quantity as above, but strain the rice from the water and mix it in warm, clear water. Wash in this till quite clean ; afterwards rinse it in the water you have boiled the rice in, and this will answer the end of . starch, and no dew will affect it, as it will be stiff as long as you wear it. If a gown, it must be taken to pieces, and when dried be careful to hang it as smooth as possible. After it is dry rub it with a sleek stone or agate, but use no . -iron. How to Wash Summer Dresses. In the washing of summer suits a few useful hints may be appreciated. Nearly all are made of white or buff linen, pique, cambric or muslin, and the art of preserving the new appearance after washing is a matter of the very greatest importance. Common washerwomen spoil everything with soda, and nothing is more common than to see the delicate tints of lawns and percale turned into dark blotches and muddy :f!treaks by the ignorance of a laundress. It is worth while for ladies to pay attention to this, and insist upon having 672 HOME COMFORTS. their summer dresses washed according to directions, which they should be prepared to give tlieir laundresses them- selves. In the first place, the water should be tepid, and the soap should not be allowed to touch the fabric. Jt should be washed and rinsed quickly, turned upon the wrong side, and hung up in the shade to dry. It should then be starched in thin boiled, but not boiling starch, and after again drying, should be nicely and evenly dampened and ironed upon the wrong side as soon as possible. Bufl* linen should be washed in water in which hay has been boiled, or a quart bag of bran will answer as well. The latter is perhaps best, for it will be found to do for starch as well, and is excellent for print dresses of all kinds. A handful of salt is very useful also to set the colors of light cambrics and dotted lawns. Beefs gall will not only set. but will heighten yellow and purple tints, and has a good effect upon green. How to Detect Cotton in Linen. In buying linen seek for that which has a round, close thread, and is perfectly white ; for if it be not white at first it will never afterward become so. Much that is called linen at the stores is half cotton, and does not wear so well as cotton alone. Cheap linens are usually of this kind. It is difficult to discover which are all linen ; but some housekeepers take a sample from a lot presumed to be good, wash it and ravel it. If this be good, they con- clude the rest of the same lot will also be good. If they cannot do this they draw a thread each way, and if both appear equally strong it is probably all linen. To detect cotton in linen one of the best methods is microscopic examination ; for when flax is magnified three hundred times, it appears like long, compact tubes, with a SUOOESTIONIS ON CLOTHING. 078 narrow cliannel in the cen^'re ; wliile cotton appears to be flattened, ribbon-like cylinders, with a wide channel, and mostly in spiral windings. The test with oil of vitriol h reliable in an experienced })and, but every trace of weaver's gum must have been previously removed by boiling with water. The fibres are laid on a plate of glass, and oil of vitriol dropped on it. A single lens is sufficient to observe the eifect. In a short time the cotton fibre is dissolved, while the flax is un- altered, or only the finest fibres attacked. The oil test is also a good one, and convenient in execu- tion. When flaxen fibres are rubbed up with olive oil, they appear translucent, like oiled paper; while cotton, under similar circumstances, remains white- and opaque. Dyed goods exhibit the same, if previously bleached* by chloride of lime. Flannels. Flannel is the most healthy and serviceable article for underclothing that can be worn by every one except very young infants. Its peculiar merit, in which it excels all other materials, is that it keeps the vessels of the skin con- stantly open, stimulates them to free perspiration, and protects them from the chilling effects of external moisture. All persons who lead lives of exposure should adopt flannel undergarments, and especially farmers, who perform their work under wide differences of temperature, and who are peculiarly liable to diseases that result from a sudden check to copious perspiration. Tliose women who, like cats, are not fond of water on their skin, and who do not take much physical exercise, will he especially benefited by wearing flannel. The objection made to this fabric, that it irritates the skin, is in fact an ^advantage; for the irritation is healthful, and may be 674 HOME COMFORTS. hi i. "4- \l entirely allayed by friction of the skin when woollen gar- ments are removed upon retiring, as they invariably should be. A little persistence in this practice will inure the skia to its new covering, after which no inconvenience will be felt. Many persons fall into serious disease by changing their winter flannels too soon. The first of May is quite early enough to lay them aside for a thinner material, south of Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky ; but the people of those States, and north of them, should not make the change earlier than the last of May. An old physician, when asked what was the proper time to take off flannels, said the thirty -first day of July ; and when to put them on again, said the first day of August. How to Wash Flannels. One of the great difficulties that an inexperienced house- keeper meets with, is in the discoloration and shrinkage of flannels, and few indeed know the best methods of washing them. Mrs. Lyman has summarized the directions in the following rules : Ist. Never apply soap directly to any wooUen fabric. Make a strong hot suds, and plunge the garment in it. 2d. Never dip a flannel in cold, or even cool, water, but always hot. Wash first in hot suds, and rinse in hot water made very blue. 3d. Dry flannels as quickly as possible. Wring dry from the second water, and hang either in the hot sun, or before a brisk fire. When nearly dry, press with a hot iron. It may also be remarked that none but soft water should be used upon flannels, and resin soap is much in- ferior to common soft soap, as it hardens the fibres of woollens. SUGGESTIONS ON CLOTHING. 575 To Soften Hard Water. It is said that lialf an ounce of quicklime put in nine quarts of water, and the clear solution put into a barrel of hard water, will make it soft. It is also said that a tea- spoonful of sal-soda will soften from three to four pails of hard water. This is a valuable recipe for housekeepers if true, and one which can easily be tested. An Easy Way to Wash Clothes. The night before washing day, put the clothes to soak in water, and also place on the hot stove, in a suitable vessel, two pounds of soap cut small, one ounce borax, and two quarts water. These may be left to simmer till the fire goes out ;. in the morning the mixture will be solid. On washing day operations are commenced by setting on a stove or furnace the wash-kettle nearly filled with cold water. Into this put about one-fourth of a pound of the compound, and then wring out the clothes that have been soaking, and put them into the kettle. By the time that tlie water is scalding hot, the clothes will be ready to take out. Drain them well, and put them into clean cold water, and then thoroughly rinse them twice. Refined Borax y in the proportion of one large handful of the powder to ten gallons of boiling water, is said to save nearly one-half of the soap, and make the clothes beautifully white and clear. It is a neutral salt, and will not injure the fabric. The washerwomen of Belgium and Holland, so famous for the beauty of their work, use borax instead of soda. How to Keep Silks. Silk articles should not be kept folded in white paper, as the chloride of lime used in bleaching paper may impair in WP 676 HOME C0MF0HT8. I- 11 '■ Mi* Mi :> '," «» ' the color of the .silk. Brown or blue paper ih better than white, and the yellowisli smooth India paper better than any other. Silk intended for a dress should not be kej)t in the house long before it is made up, as lying in the (olds will have a tendency to impair its durability by causing it to cut or split, particularly if the silk has been thickened by gum. To Secure Woollens, Furs, etc., from Moths. Carefully shake and brush woollens early in the spring so as to be certain that no moth eggs are in them ; then sew them up in cotton or linen wrappers, putting a i)iece of camphor gum, tied up in a bit of muslin, into each bundle, or into the chests and closets where the articles are to lie. When the gum has evaporated it must be renewed. A lady put up her blankets and carpets in this way before going to Europe, and on her return, three or four years after, found every article safe from moths. Furs should not be hung out in the sun in the spring be- fore being put away for the season. The moth miller will be likely to visit them when thus exposed. They should be put in a close box with a piece of camphor, and the box tied up in a pillow-case or bag. Blankets that are in use occasionally during the summer should be laid, when not wanted, under a mattress in constant use, or in a trunk where there are pieces of camphor gum, tobacco, or cedar chips. Boxes lined with ordinary roofing felt are said to be equal to cedar for keeping out moths, and much cheaper. It is more difficult than it used to be, to preserve woollens, carpets, furs, and furniture from being injured by moths. Thirty years ago it was regarded as an indication of very negligent housekeeping to have a moth-eaten carpet. Now the utmost care will not preserve carpets from being injured SUGGESTIONS ON CLOTHING. SJl Jttcr than ttcr tlian )c k{;[)t in iolds will ■^ing it to kened by iths. he .spring em ; then I picee of \\ bundle, ire to lie. I. A lady B going to ter, found spring be- iiiller will ey should d the box ,re in use when not \ a trunk , or cedar :*e said to 1 cheaper, woollens, by moths, n of very et. Now ig injured in this way. Pcrliaps the reason may be that, in general, warehouses and dwellings are warmed throughout, during the winter, by furnaces. New stuffed and cushioned furni- ture is .sometimes found to contain moths. To destroy them pour burning-fluid plentifully upon the cushions, sofas, etc. If it is fresh, it will lejivc no stain, and the disagreeable odor will soon pass away. To preserve a carpet that cannot be shaken often, draw out the tacks twice a year, turn back the edges a quarter of a yard all around, brush out the dust, and then with a painter's brush put new spirits of turpentine upon the boards as far as the carpc*^. is turned back ; then return it immediately to its place, and put in the tacks. The floors of some hou.ses have moths in the cracks. In this case cedar sawdust, sprinkled over the floor before lay- ing the ciirpct down, will protect it from these diligent mis- chief-workers. If this cannot be had, use tar-paper. How to Judge Furs. In purchasing furs, a sure test of what dealers rail a prime fur is the length and density of the down next to the skin. This can readily be determined by blowing a brisk current of air from the mouth again.st the set of the fur. If the fibres open readily, exposing the skin to view, reject the article; but if the down is so dense that the breath cannot penetrate it, or if at most but a small portion of the skin is shown, the article may be accepted. 37 CHAPTER XIII. THE SECRETS OP THE TOILET. **It has been affirmed, and I think correctly, that from the relative attentioti paid in any country to cleaidinesa, the cosmetic arts, dress and hygiene, and from the reH|)cctive prevalence, influence and mutatioiifl of custom and fashion, may ita claims to civilization, refinement and luxury be vindicated." — Cooley. » fHE end and aim of superior skill in housekeeping is to increase the comfort and promote the health of families. Now health is the fountain of personal *' beauty, and the direct and intimate connection be- tween health and beauty leads us to consider what science has to offer for the improvement of the form and com- plexion, and the preservation of the hair, the teeth, the hands, the feet, and other members of the body. How to Keduce Corpulence. With respect to beauty of form, its two greatest enemies are excessive corpulence and excessive leanness. " Corpu- lence," says Dr. Clark, " is a disease that sometimes proves fatal. The difficulty of breathing with which very corpu- lent people are oppressed, is caused by an accumulation of fat on the kidneys, which obstructs the motion of the dia- phragm ; whilst the heart and large blood-vessels being equally encumbered, a slowness of pulse is irroduced, and possibly apoplexy and death." It is remarkable that th^ 578 m^-i 8EC11ET8 OF THE TOILET. 670 lie relative , dress and utatioiiH of Mid luxury ecping 19 liealth of personal ction be- at science uul cora- ccth, the t enemies " Corpu- ics proves ry corpu- lation of f the dia- els being uced, and that th^ rtirn for this .lisoasc is comparatively a modern discovery. Kcmedies, it is true, have been proposed, such ns vioK'iit physical exc'ciso, nnving, boatiii]^, riding on horsclnick, Turkish batli.^, natural waters, fastinj^ ; but none of them iiave ])rove(l effectual in preventing the accumulation of fjit in those inclined to obesity. Modern science, however, has discovered that to prevent or reduce corpulence you must, besides taking ac^tivc and regular exeniise, not indulge in muc^h sleep, and especially (ihdnin from those nrticlcH of food which cnnta'm Hhirchy and ancchni'hie rmdfer. Stock-raisers have long known that certain foods will fatten animals and others will not, and it is inexplicable that medical men have been so slow in ap- jilying this principle for the benefit of the human family. William Rinting, Sr., is entitled to the credit of making known what can be done by attention to diet, ns illustrated in his own ])ersonal experience. Ho was a short, fat Eng- lishman, five feet five inches high, who weighed 202 pounds, when, according to Hutchinson's tables, a healthy man of th;it stature should not weigh more than 142 pounds. Under advice of his physician. Dr. Harvey, of liondon, he commenced a system of diet to reduce corpu- lence, and snt'ceedcd in taking off forty-six pounds of fat in a year, without tletriment to his health. He was per- mitted to eat any kind of meat, except veal and |)ork ; any kind of fish, except salmon, herrings and eels; any vege- tables except potatoes, parsnips, beet'^, turnips and carrots; any kind of poultry and game, a little cheese or boiled rice; and to drink tea without milk or sugar, and claret, Blierry or Madeira wines. He was forbidden to eat bready cxcej>t in the form of toast or biscuit, and buitcr, milky sugar, potatoes, and the other vegetiibles above excc|)ted, or to drink ale or beer, champagne or port wines. After two p w rm HOME COMFORTS, Wff^ w years' experience ho writes: "In my hnmble jinlj;mcnt the dietary is the princtipal point in tlic treatment of cor- pulence, and it appears to nic, moreover, tliat |)ropcrly regulated, it becomes in a certain sense a medicine." How to Cure LeanneBS, To cure excessive leanness the practice must l)e exactly the opposite of that just related, that is, induijj^e in sleep, take but little exercise, eat bread and butter and potatoes, oily fish and porU, take milk and sugar in your tea and coflce, and drink beer and champagne and port wines. A lean dog, however, being the best for a long tjhase, unlosi the leanness is excessive it would be advisable to trust to nature and advancing years for an increase of avoirdujmis. Many ladies wlio are not troubled with general obesity of the system have a supcirabtnidant develo|>ment of the breast. The modern nuxle of reducing this is by a prei)ara- tion of iodine J but as this is a dangerous internal medicine in unprofessional hands, we, says a physician, shall recom- mend its external use, thus : Take Iodide of zinc 1 drnchm, Hog's lard 1 ounce ; mix well, and rub daily into each breast a ]iicco al out the size of a nutmeg; a linen bandage so ])laced as gditly to compress the breast without pressing upon the ni|)ple, will assist its operation. \Vc need scarcely say, this must not be done during lactation. Some of the old practitioners recommend pounded mint applied to the breasts, accompanied with bandages, to check their exuberant growth. For those whose breasts participate in their general leanness, the only remedy that science seems to furnish is to tih ml^mcnt t of (!or- p roper ly » 2 exactly in sleep, potatoes, tea and ines. A le, unlosi ) trust to inlupois. 1 obesity It of the prepara- niedicine 1 rccom- i1 out the gently to )j)Ie, will iiust not :lc(l mint to check general liuh is to SECRETS OF THE TOILET. 581 have the hosom ioosoiy clothed, avoiding all pressure; and Sir Jainea Clark advises that friction with the hand for nti hour or two every day will assist much in its development. Fow to Beautify the Complexion, Boanty of complexion is valued by many even more than beauty of form, and some ladies will spend more time and money to improve the aj)pearance of the face than for any other object. Even young men have been known to use pearl powders and rouges, and to pinch their cheeks until red, to give them a delicate tint. The clearness or Jbeauty of the complexion is 8o inti- mately dependent upon the state of the stomach and liver, that unless these have their proper action, all external ap- plications can be but temporary expedients. In addition to a healthy condition of the stomach and liver, the pores of tlie skin nuist have free and undisturbed action. The skin of the face, as well as of all the other parta of the body, is full of little pores or holes, so minute that it is said a grain of sand will cover 25,000, and if these be clogged, the skin will commence to wither and fade, and the beauty of the face will depart. Hence the importance of daily washing, frequent bathing, and the danger of the constant use of j)owders, balms, blooms, enamels, which fill up the pores and dry the skin. There are many articles that may be used for the face which are not in the least injurious, but, on the contrary, may be of great advantage to it. The following elegant and serviceable lotion any lady can keep as an article of her toilet, and make free daily use of it, as it will be of great benefit in enhancing the healthy condition of the skin ; 682 HOME COMFORTS. E.— Glycerine 2 oz. ,; Rose water 12 oz. Camphor water 1 oz. Alcohol or bay rum 1 oz. Jockey club, oil of rose, or any perfume may be adtlod that niav be desired. This lotion will be found to impart a very soothing and pleasant effect. Should any one prefer not to have tlio glycerine in it, the following can be substituted: E. — Bay rum 5 oz. Ro.se water 10 oz. Camphor water 1 oz. Soap should not be very frequently used ; it is better for the face not to make too free use of that article. Instead of using soap so often, use freely the following harmless wash, wbieh will take the place of soap to a great extent, and keep the skin nice and clean, and not in any way ob- struct the free action of the pores, but will remove obstruc- tions and prevent clogging : E. — Powdered borax 6J drachms. Rose water J pint. Water j[ pint. Dissolve together, and use daily. How often is a well-defined face, with all the lines per- fect, made completely unattractive from being incumbered with pimples, blotches, or a chronic impurity or defect of the skin ! For these Dr. Bateman prescribes what is known as his Sulphur Wash : Break one ounce of sulphur, and pour over it one quart of boiling water ; allow it to infuse for twelve or fourteen hours, and apply to the face two or three times a day. SECFETS OF THE TOILET, 583 )G a(lcl(!(I ling and lavc tlio 3ettcr for Instead harmless it extent, M'ay ob- obstruc- ms. mes per- lunibered defect of what is )nc quart fourteen s a day, for a few weeks. This application is equally useful in removing that roughness of the skin w! 'ch generally suc- ceeds pimples. A more powerful application is sometimes prepared with vinegar and the acetated liquor of ammonia, or the spirit of mindererus. Or the following, which will be equally effective, and known as Sir William Knighton's Lotion : Half a drachm of liquor of potassa, three ounces of spirits of wine ; to be applied to the pimples with a camePs- hair brush, and if too powerful, add half an ounce of cold Avatcr, which has been boiled and strained ; distilled water is better. When the face is to be exposed to a hot sun or a high wind, wash it, previous to and after exposure, with a little pure water, in which pour a teaspoon ful of liquor of potassa and a few drops of cologne water. This it is said will prevent sunburn. Freckles are by no means an easy thing to cure, especially in persons having red hair, but almond paste, made of an ounce of bitter almonds, honey and barley flour, may do it. Dr. Withering' s Cosmetic Lotion for freckles was compounded as follows : Take a teacupful of sour milk ; scrape into it a quantity of horseradish ; let it stand for several hours, then strain well, and apply with a camel's-hair brush two or three times a day. '^'^'le following recipes are also said to remove either freckles, tan or sunburn, and are certainly harmless : Dip a bunch of green grapes in a basin of water ; sprinkle it with powdered alum and salt mixed ; wrap the grapes in paper and bake them under hot ashes ; then express the juice, and wash the face with the liquid, which will usually remove either freckles, tan or sunburn. 684 HOME COMFORTS. it ill Or, put two spoonfuls of sweet cream into half a pint a{ new milk ; squeeze into it the juice of a lemon, add half a glass of genuine French brandy, a little alum and loaf sugar; boil the whole, skim it well, and when cool it is fit for use. Birthmarks and Moles may be eradicated in infancy, but the advice of a skilful physician.should be taken. Readers are admonished against the use of depilatories to remove hair from moles, as a fetid suppurating wound has fre- quently been a consequence of such attempts. Wrinkles, being occasioned by the obstruction or oblitera- tion of the finer blood-vessels, may be prevented by the use of lotions that stimulate the small threadlike blood- vessels and moisture pipes, which have been closed, and if the stimulating process be ado})ted previous to the closing of these vessels, they will not be obliterated. Take two ounces of onion juice, two ounces of the white lily, two ounces of Narbonne honey, and one ounce of white wax; j)ut the whole into a new earthen pipkin until the wax is melted, and thcu take the pi])kin off the fire and continue stirring until it is cold. Apj)ly on going to bed, and allow it to remain on until morning. For Tetter or Ringworm in the face. — Take some aperient medicine daily, and when the eruption becomes painful, or itches violently, take the following sedative lotion : R. — Liquor pliimbi 1 drachm. Distilled water 1 ounce. . This is an excellent lotion for allaying itching and in- flammation generally. The following is a novel cure for ring.vorm: Heat a shovel to a bright red, cover it with grains of Indian corn, press them with a cold flat-iron. They will burn to a coal SECRETS OF THE TOILET. 685 a pint /)f (Id half a and loaf ol it is fit anoy, but Readers ;o remove has fre- ■ oblitera- d by the ce blood- 3, and if le closing the white ounce of kin until e fire and g to bed, aperient painful, ion: and in- Heat a an corn, to a coal and exude an oil on the surface of the flat-iron, with which rub the ringworm, and after one or two applications it will be cured. How to Secure Beautiful Hair, The hair has always been considered one of the most important appendages of the human form, and is the especial glory of women. In ancient times, red or auburn was the favorite color of poets and painters, but gradually this was supplanted in public favor by preference for black or dark-brown hair, though recently red has again been quoted as fashionable. In order to secure a beautiful head of hair, whatever may be the color, it is necessary to begin in childhood, and to observe the following rules : 1. The hair of children should never be plaited, or braided, or twisted, or knotted. 2. Nothing should ever be put on it except simple, pure water, and not even this until the scalp is cleansed. 3. The hair should be kept short. It would be a valu- able accomplishment if when a woman becomes a mother a few lessons were taken from a good barber, so that the child's hair, after the third year, might be trimmed by its mother once a week, only cutting off the longest hairs, by ever so little, so as to keep it of uniform length. This practice is proper for male and female. 4. The hair should be always combed leisurely, and for some considerable time, at least every morning, and nei-ther brush nor comb ought to be allowed to pass against the direction of the hair's growth. To Cure Baldness. — The growth of hair may be promoted on a fuzzy scalp, because in that caee the root is not dead, but lacks vigor or needs nutriment, and new vigor can be imparted and additional nutriment bestowed, by whatever £80 HOME COMFORTS. gives activity to the circulation of ihe blood about the roots of the hair, and what the following application fails to do in this direction all others will, simply because it is the most certain, the most powerful '^ «d safe stimulant known: Half an ounce of vinegar of cantharidcs, one ounce of co- logne water, one ounce of rose water ; to be rubbed in with a tooth-brush, gently and patiently, until the part is thor- oughly moistened and smarts a little. To be repeated night and morning ; if too powerful, dilute with water or use less. Wash for Dandrvff. — Take one pint of alcohol and a tablespoonful of castor oil, mix them together in a Iwttle by shaking them well a few minutes, then scent it with a few drops of oil of lavender. Alcohol dissolves castor oil, like gum-camphor, leaving the liquid or wash quite clear. It does not seem to dissolve any other unctuous oil so per- fectly, hence no other is equally good for this purpose. Mr. John L. Davis, in the American Journal of Pharmacy, recommends a preparation of one ounce flowers of sulphur and one quart of water as an efFectual remedy for dandruff. The clear liquid is to be poured off, after the mixture has been repeatedly agitated during intervals of a few hours, and the head saturated with the liquid every morning. For Darkening the Hair. — AVash the head with spring water, and comb the hair in the sun, having dipped the comb in oil of tartar. Do this about three times a dav, and in less than a fortnight the hair usually becomes quite black. The leaves of the wild vine, infused in water, are also said to render the hair black, and to prevent its falling off. Some persons use a metallic comb, Mhich imparts a dark shade to the hair, and these are now generally kept by the perfumers. To Remove Siq^erJIuous Hair. — The following is said to be an effectual depilatory : Orpiment, one part ; finely pow- SECIIETS OF THE TOILET. 887 dered quick-lime and starch, of each, eleven parts; mix. It sliould be kept from the air. For use, make it into a paste with a little warm water, and apply it to the part, previously shaved close. As soon as it has become thor- oughly dry, it may be washed off with a little warm water. This depilatory should be compounded by a druggist, and used with discretion, as orpiment is an arsenical preparation. In Circassia and neighboring countries the eyelashes of children are clipped with scissors, at their extreme points, while asleep, every six weeks, giving them in time a beau- tiful gloss and curve, besides adding to their length and thickness. How to Whiten the Hands and Beautify Nails. • A well-formed hand, white and soft, with tapering fingers and polished nails, is a rare gift; but where nature has denied these attractions, it is easy by proper attention to give at least softness and delicacy of appearance to the hand and improve the symmetry of the nails. It is well to wear kid or soft Icatlier gloves at every opportunity, light being preferable, on account of the unctuous sub- stances with which they are prepared, although not so healthy, and the application of warm bran poultice to the hands once a week. They should be washed in tepid water, as cold water hardens and predisposes them to roughness and cha})s, while water beyond a certain heat makes them slirivelled and wrinkled. In drying them they ought to be rubbed with a moderately coarse towel, as friction always promotes a soft and polished ivory-appearing surface. The soaps to be preferred are such as are freest from alkaline impurities. The growth and preservation of the nails depend in a great measure on the treatment they receive. They ought '■^»ii m Hi m 51H nOME COMFOBTS. \ '*■ . ' to bo frequently cut in a circular form, and the whitened portion at the root, next the vessels which supply the nail with nutriment for its growth and j)reservation, should always be visible. When the nails arc disposed to break, some simple pomade should be frequently applied, and salt freely partaken of in the daily diet. Foi' Chapped Hands. — A good recipe is: Almond oil, or sweet oil, three ounces ; spermaceti, four ounces ; pulverized camphor, one ounce ; dissolve in an earthen vessel by the aid of heat, and stir while it is cooling. Apply night and morning. Another good preparation for chapped hands, and which will preserve them smooth by constant use, is almond PASTE. Mix a quarter of a pound of unsalted hog's lard, which lias been washed in common water and then in rose water, witli the yelks of two new-laid eggs and a large spoonful of honey. Add as much paste from almonds well pounded in a mortar as will work it into a paste. Perha])S no better ointment for beautifying the hands can be made than to take four parts, by weight, of the yelks of eggs and five parts of glycerine, rubbed together in a mortar. This compound may be preserved for years. For Wai'ts. — Common ink Avill remove them if applied night and morning on their first appearance. When they have been clearly developed, a certain means of extir|7ating them is the following : Take a small piece of court-plaster made upon India rubber webbing, cut a hole in its centre, just sufficiently large to admit the heod of the wart; rub the head with lunar caustic night and morning, and when it becomes hard pick off the top and again apply the caustic. The use of the court-plaster is to prevent the surrounding skin from being injured. Or, i"^' •»r SECRETS OF TJJE TOILET. 6S3 c whitened ly the nail on, should 1 to break, J, and salt ond oil, or pulverized se! by the night and and which i ALMOND ird, which ose water, spoonful 1 pounded the hands ' the yelks ther in a ears. f applied hen they ctirjiating on India ifficicntly lead with becomes :ic. The ling skin Take oxymurlatc of mercury, five grains; lime-water, one ounce. Mix, and apply with a camcrs-hair brush two or three times a day. Be very careful in applying the solu- tion, as it will injure clothes. Wash the carael's-hair pen- cil whenever used. Care of tho Eyes. The eye is the most striking, delicate and beautiful fea- ture of the human face, and no pains should be spared for its preservation. To this end spectacles or eye-glasses should not generally be used until they are imperatively required. Green spectacles are even worse than j)lain ones. If the eye is weak, nine times out of ten, cold water is the best lotion. Strengthening lotions, when composed of spirits or acids, are stimulants ; such, of course, must occasionally be used, but judgment is required in using them, and an oculist's direction is generally required when these become necessary. Sometimes, when the eye is in- flamed, it will be relieved by a lotion made of one tea- spoonful of good brandy in a wineglassful of water; but as inflammation may arise from different causes, sometimes requiring anodynes, sometimes stimulants, no general direc- tions of practical value can be given. If the eyes are inclined to be inflamed after being up late, an unguent, composed of one drachm citrine ointment and three drachms fresh lard, rubbed on both lids when retiring to rest, wiM generally, almost magically, relieve them. Nine times out of ten, supposed affections of the eye are only inflammations of the eyelid : in such cases this unguent will effect a cure. Raw-potato poultice for inflamed eyes is one of the very best ai)plication3 in recent cases. Slippery-elm poultices are good. In nearly all the celebrated eye preparations sold in the stores sulphate of zinc is an ingredient. 590 HOME COMFORTS, Sometimes in travelling by rail, cinders from the locomo- tive get into the eye, causing great pain. These may he removed by introducing between the eyelid and the hall the bight of a horse or other strong hair, so as to include the spot where the particle ai)pears to be, and gently draw out the hair ; the relief is said to be instantaneous and per- manent. For squinting, science has discovered an operation that will effectually cure it. This is not either painful or dangerous; but we strongly advise none to submit to it until they have arrived at the age of from nineteen to twenty-one, as, if it be done before, it is more than prob- able that the eye will be drawn the contrary way by the time they reach that age. A more simple remedy is to cover the stronger eye, which will compel the weaker one to exertion, and thus increase its power. Perseverance in this plan is generally successful. Women often injure the eye by wearing a white veil. The glitter which this causes, and the constant exercise to which its continual shifting exposes the eye in following, its movements, is often the occasion of great injury to the sight. Spotted veils are equally injurious. How to Preserve the Teeth Sound. No remarks need be made at this day on the value of sound teeth, or the beauty of clear, regul^nr, and white teeth. To prevent teeth from decay, it is necessary to keep them clean ; to use the tooth-brush on the surface, and the tooth-pick to remove particles of food between the teeth. Dr. Lewis thinks no one need have decayed teeth, if he will observe the following rules : First. On rising from the table, use a goose-quill tooth- pick thoroughly, and rinse the mouth so as to remove such SECliETS OF THE TOILET. 591 le locomo- «e may be i tlie ball to include ntly draw s and per- ation that )ainful or )mit to it inetecn to ban prob- ay by the ledy is to Baker one erance in ^hite veil, ixercise to following, iry to the value of lite teeth, eep them and the he teeth. !th, if he ill tooth- love such particles as the tooth-pick may have left behind. [Avoid metallic tooth-picks.] Second. On retiring at night, use a tooth-brush, broad and soft, with pulverized soap and prepared chalk, with a little camphor and orris-root to give a pleasant flavor. Do the same on rising in the morning. Third. As often as you discover any tartar about the necks of your teeth, go to a dentist and have the tartar thoroughly removed — in fact, a dentist should be visited frequently, in order that the first appearance of decay in the teeth may be discovered and removed. The following is an aromatic Tooth Powder that cannot possibly injure the teeth : Take finely-powdered prepared chalk, two drachms; pure starch, two drachms ; myrrh, two drachms ; ginger, half a drachm ; cuttle-fish bones, two drachms ; flower of lavender and sugar at pleasure, and mix well together. The following is said to be an infallible cure for all kinds of toothache, unless the disease is connected with rheumatism. It is known as — « Dr. Bkike^s Infallible Care for Toothache. Take alum reduced to an impalpable powder, two drachms ; nitrous spirits of ether, seven drachms. Mix and apply to the tooth. The following is a fomentation for the face, to assist in relieving Toothache< Take three poppy-heads and a handful of chamomile flowers, put them into a quart of soft water; boil until the quart is reduced to a pint, then apply repeatedly to the face by means of flannel, and as hot as can be borne. Take care no draught of air gets to the face while under its operation. In addition, lave the feet in hot water before going to bed. od2 HOME COMFORTS. Toothaclio frequently arises from iiullgestlon or a dls- or(lor(>(l Htoinach ; and when this is the caso, it ean be cured !)y the judieious use of a|)crieiit and tonio niedieiiics. Small pieees of cotton, soaked in a solution of liulf a teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda (bakinjj; soda) in half n tumbler of water, and ai)plied to an aching tooth, has frequently given instant relief. lit::':' m Ik- ;- Wi': '*i iilB iftl^n' 1 1 i\ Bad Breath. One principal cause of an oflTcnsIvc breath is the accu- mulation of tartar on the teeth ; the small jjarticles of food not being rctnoved, become decomposed and incorporated with the tartar and produce an abomiiuible odor. A tem- porary remedy may be found in the use of some strong mouth-wash ; but a cure can only bo effected by liaviiig the tartar removed from the teeth, and those that arc decayed filled or extracted. Dentists arc the best mouth doctors. To prevent the superabundance of phosphate of lime in the saliva, which produces tartar, and to sweeten the breath : Take five to ten drops of hydrochloric acid in iialf a tum- bler of spring water, a little lemon juice and loaf sugar rubbed on lemon peel, to flavor it to suit the palate. Take three times a day for a month or six weeks, and then occasionally. It is a pleasant refrigerant and tonic (h'aught. As a toilet preparation for bad breath, [)robably the best is the concentrated solution of the chloride of soda from six to ten drops in a wineglassful of water, and rins- ing the mouth with a teaspoonful of the solution in a tumbler of water. For breath tainted by onions, parsley leaves, eaten with vinegar or burnt coiFee, are recommended^ > ' \ SECnETS OF THE TOILET. G03 Care of the Feet. The importance of uttention to tlie feet is sliown iji tho fact, tluit many of our moat serious ailments eome tiirou;^!! nenrleetiui; tiiem. It is an axiom aiuoiitj: iiorsemen, " no foot, 110 liorse." And a man with sore or tender ieet Is [)hysi('aily of little account. To ^ivc the feet their just and ])ror)er attention, they Bhouhl be 8oaied round the feet at night; bathing with oak-bark tea, alum water, or glycerine and rosewater, and rubbing with white-lead ointment. Those who suffer from coiii) fekt, if the washing and rubbing recommended before do not prove elfeetual, are solicited to try the experiment of wearing cotton socks next the skin, and woollen stockings outside of them. Those who have tried this plan state that it was successful in keeping the feet warm and dry ; and that they found the cotton socks next the skin to be quite dry at night, wliile the outside stockings M'ere very damj). Cure for Ingrowing Toe Nails. A promj)t and painless cure, it is said, may be effected by inserting the dry sesquichloride of iron between the nail and the protruding flesh, and i)owdering the latter with the same. Over all a large bandage should bo a])plied. Thv exuberant flesh becomes hard as wood on the following SECItETS OF THE TOILET. Z^ \)\i tlio feet twoounoes iiarily prc- luive np- will gen- ,m])liorat('(l I the IiuirIs •cnicnt. ydrocljloric ish tlio feet ks with tlie II tlioy Imve ? rciuediea, t at night; poriiic and nt. a.sliing and Icctual, are socks next Those who in keeping the cotton while the be eflected ecn the nail tcr with the )lied. Th», e following (lay ; suppuration coaMOH, and a cure followB two or three applications. In fonr or five days tlio original pain ceases, tha swelling subsides, and the patient can walk. Dr. daillet, of France, first pul)lishcd an account of this cure as tested by Dr. Walm and himself. , The ]^)ston ^M^ci)ly the })aste, and let it remain on ten minutes; wash off and soak the place in sharp vinegar or sweet-oil, either of which will neutralize the alkali. 2. A man in Ohio offers to pay ten dollars apiece, for every corn not cured in three days, by binding a bit of cotton-batting upon it, and wetting this three times a day with spirits of turpentine. 3. The following is said to be an infallible Corn Plaster: Take two ounces of gum ammoniac; two ounces of yellow wax ; six drachms of verdigris. Mix and spread the composition on a piece of 1' •> or soft leather, first jiling down the corn. Renew in .cnight, if necessary. 4. Another positive cure or corns is : Take the strongest scetic acid, and apply night and morning with a camel's-hair brush. In one week, it is said, the corn, whether soft or hard, will disappear. 5. Another simple, available, and infallible cure is : First, to soak the feet in hot water for fifteen minut' night and morning, for a week ; a^-d after the soaking, ruo a little m 593 HOME COMFORTS. i 8weet-oil on the corn, or any other mild form of grease, with the finger for about five minutes. Then, cut a iiole in one, two or tliree thicknesses of soft buckskin, and bind it on the toe, so that the hole in the bucUskin sliall receive the corn. Tlie object of the water and oil is to soften the corn and parts adjoining; and the use of the buckskin is to protect it from pressure. In a very short time the corn will be painless, and will subsequently fall out of itself, as it is a growth and is pushed upward and outward by the more natural growth beneath. It is thrown out of the body by the action of the parts, as a splinter or a crushed bone, as being no longer a part of the body. If anything else is done to the corn, it should be simply picked out with the finger nail ; as cutting makes it take deeper root, and dangerous bleedings sometimes occur when the knife is used. Bunions may be checked in their early development, by binding the joint with an adhesive plaster, and keeping it on as long as any uneasiness is felt. An inflamed bunion should be poulticed, and larger shoes be worn. Iodine, twelve grains; lard or spermaceti ointment, half an ounce, makes a capital ointment for bunions. It should be rubbed on gently, twice or thrice a day. ' • The resolvent plaster, usually known as the plaster of ammoniac and mercury, which can be obtained of any apothecary, is also of much benefit as an application to bunions. To Eemove Body Vermin. Many persons, even the most cleanly, are 'lable at times to be placed in situations where they cannot escape the various kinds of vermin that infest the human body; and it is a very important item of practical information to know that an application of corpmon sweet-oil will destroy body SECRETS OF THE TOILET. 699 of grease, out a hole , and bind all receive soften the uckskin is ic the corn f itself, as ird by the )ut of the a crushed ' anvthinff ticked out ejier root, the knife pment, by keeping it 3d bunion . Iodine, an ounce, be rubbed >]astcr of d of any i cation to ! at times icape the )dy; and to know roy body vermin. These insects breathe through their sides, and as the oil plugs up the air conduits, a speedy and certain death from sulfocation is the consequence of its application. Sulphur baths are an efficacious remedy for pediculi ; one bath generally elfccting an extinction of every one of them, even though they be all over the body. Dr. Cul- verwell says : Rubbing the parts affected well with a wash composed of half a drachm of calomel, and four ounces of lime-water, or even powdering with calomel, will also at once destroy these insects, and thereby remove the itching. The hair need not be removed, as the above remedies will be all-sufficient without its removal. In this connection it may be of benefit to young house- keepers to tell them how to drive away or Exterminate House Insects and Pests. Roaches devour greedily flour paste, and die while eating it, if into half a pint of it, while hot, a dime's wortlvof Phosphorus is stirred with a stick. The Persian Insect Powder will also destroy roaches, and borcix scattered about the places they frequent will drive them away. House Flies may be banished from a room by hanging in it the common plantain, or " fleawort," dipped in milk, and may be destroyed by feeding them with ground black pepper and sugar, as much as will lie on a dime, moistened with two tcaspoonfuls of cream or rich milk. They eat it, seek the air, and die out of doors. Farmers troubled with flies should plant before their doors the Chinese Linden, which seems to be an attractive poison for flies. Elder and walnut leaves, both in their natural state and as a decoc- tion, will prevent attacks of flies, both on animals and meat, and drive them away. Horses may be protected from flies by washing the sensitive pa^ts with a decoction of walnut leaves. m ■f r" 1 ■7 , ' r w 600 nOME C03IF0nTS. Bedbugs may be extenniimtccl or kept away by many rcmedie.s, most of which we siij»i)ose are effectual in con- nection with cleanliness. It is said they are elfcctiially destroyed by washing infected places with a decoction of common smdH wce(l,ov " water pepper," called by botanists poliff/onwii jjunciatam. Pour a j)int of boiling water on a pint of the weed, and let it cool. The liquor may be put on with a brush. The 2)laat itself may be stulfed into cracks or corners. Another remedy, said to bo elTcctnal, is to take two ounces of quittksilver and the whites of two eggs, or more or less for a larger or smaller quantity. Beat the qiiick- Bilver and the whites together until they unite and become a froth. With a feather then apply this comj)ound to the crevices and holes in your bedsteads, and if done once or twice a year, this will keep away bugs. Spirits of naphtha, also oil of turpentine, rubbed with a 8n)all painter's brush in every part of a bedstead, is said to bo a certain way of getting rid of bugs. Camjjhor is also objectionable to them. Ih destroy rats. Sir Humphrey Davy recommends the following as an infallible, tasteless and odorless rat poison: " Mix carbonate of baryta two ounces, with grease ono pound." It produces great thirst ; consequently water must be set by it, for death takes place immediately after drinking, not giving them time to go back to their holes. Should tills be found as effectual as recommended, it will prove just the thing for rat killing, at they can be gathered up and carried away, thus avoiding the stench arising from their dead carcasses. Care must be taken that no other animal can get at it. A few grains of strychnine on a little fresh broiled meat, j f *_ "^■l ^: i a: .— Ui- ■ SECRETS OF THE TOILET. 601 ' by many iul in con- oiriicttially cioctioii of )' botanista \VdUiv on a lay be put uHed into take two 8, or more tlie qtiick- 1(1 become ind to the c once or cd with a is said to 107' is also nends the it poison : I'ease one lUst be set drinking, Should 'ill prove tlicred up iing from no other iled meat, or an ounce of phosphorus mixed in butter and flour, will kill rats. To drive them away alive, put Scotch snuff and jiulver- izcd Cayenne pepper or potash into their burro wing-holes. They will leave in disgust, (^uick lime scattered over the bottom and sides of holes through which they pass, will also drive them awav, as it cats (iff their skin and hair. To drive them away effectually, the lime must be renewed evepy week or two. If some strong-scented cheese be mixed with an equal quantity of pulverized squills, and placed where rats and mice can have access to it, they will devour it ravenously and soon disappear from the premises. ; Ants are averse to strong scents, and camphor, or a sponge saturated with creosote, will prevent them infesting a cupboard. It is also said that a chalk-mark half an mch in depth around the upper edge of sugar-buckets or barrels will exclude every ant from the interior. The same mark drawn on the edges of shelves will also prevent the ap- proach of ants, as they are not able to crawl over the chalk. Jjiit if they are numerous among jam and jelly pots, take a large sponge, wet in cold water, squeeze it neai'ly dry, and then sprinkle fine white sugar over it. Place it on the in- fested shelf, and next morning dip it quickly and carefully into a bowl of boiling water. Red popper dusted over their haunts will also destroy thera, but the sponge is the surest method. • Fleas may be banished from houses by the use of cam- phor, and from animals by saturating strings with oil of jiennyroyal and tying thera around the neek, renewing the application every week; or, where the herb grows, by making a decoction of it and throwing the dogs or cats into it once a week. The herb should be mown and scattered in the bcd.j of })igs once a month. ) m 602 HOME C0MF0BT8. To get rcl icf from Musquitoea, the most efficacious way 18 to put up a musquito-nctting at the windows and around the beds; and the next best thing is to burn a small quantity of tiie Persian Insect Powder, which can be ob- tained of apothecaries generally. Take as nnich of the powder as can be heaped on an old-fashioned silver dollar, and place it on a plate at bedtime. Apply a lighted match to the top of the heap, and to aid the evolution of the fumes keep stirring it occasionally. The fumes will par- cotize the musquitoes and keep them quiet several hours. The experiment may require repetition. The ]H)wder is said to be equally effectual with roaches, bedbugs, fleas, ants, etc. ; not exterminating, but stupefying them. Its smell while burning is similar to that of a mild cigar. A smart editor says that when musquitoes or other blood-suckers infest his sleeping-rooms at night, he uncorks a bottle of the oil of pennyroyal, and these insects leave in great haste, nor will they return so long as the air in the room is loaded with the fumes of the aromatic herb. If rats ent^r a cellar, a little powdered potash, thrown in the holes or mixed with meal and scattered in their rimaways, never fails to drive them away. Cayenne pepper will keep the buttery and store-room free from ants and cockroaches. If a mouse makes an entrance into any part of your dwellings, saturate a rag with Cayenne in solution, and stuff* it into the hole, which can then be rejiaired with wood or mortar. No rat or mouse will eat the rag for the purpose of opening communication with a depot of supplies. For Bites of Insects, apply spirits of hartshorn to them as soon as possible, and almost instiintaneous and perma- nent relief will be given. The reason is, the poison of ■MWUMMi SECRETS OF THE TOILET. 003 oils way 1*3 id around ti a small m be ob' t'h of the -'cr dollar, ted match on of tlie will par- ral hours. 3 l)owder bedbugs, ng them, f a mild or other 3 uncorks i leave in lir in the . If rats the holes ys, never keep the Icroaches. of your tion, and red with rag for lepot of to them I pcrnia- oison of insects, spiders, reptiles, etc., is an add ; the hartshorn is an alkali, and neutralizes the poison. Another remedy is, throw a handful of wood-ashes into a teacu}) of hot water, stir, and as soon as settled apply the li(piid — which is common lye used for making soap — with a soft rag. A medical writer observes : " Have we not, before now, looked with wonder on the old negro who ran out, when the wasp's sting made us 'holler,' caught up 'three kinds' of weed, rubbed the part well, and in five minutes we were happy in complete relief? But why 'three' kinds of weed? Why, in the first place, you know three, and all its multij)les are mysterious numbers ; and then again, you can scarcely gather up three kinds of plants anywhere, one of which will not have more or less of alkali in it.*^ [The two succeeding Cliaptera on Dlaeaaes have been read in proof and revised by six persons, including an eminent pliys'cian, and a first- class druggist.] 15' 1- ' CHAPTER XIV. ■■h ^I'J lli^ THE FAMILY MEDICINE CHEST "PliyHicians prescribe much, but ime few rnedicineH tlieniHelvcfl. Let tluH hint HtiHice, by Khowiii^ yuii tliut nituh iH to be expecttd lioin simple reniedieH, diHcriiniiiatiiig jiidgnieiit und tiie inliueiice ul' the mind upon the corporeal body." — Dii. Kaymonu. • ICKNESS is one of tlie great wastes and burdens of society, wiiich dej)rives it of the useful services of nearly one out of every five of its meuibers. How to •^ preserve health and cure sickness is therefore a ques- tion of great economic importance, which comes within the scope of a work on Thrift in H()usckec})ing, especially so far as those diseases arc concerned which can be cured as readily without as with the aid of a j)hysiclan. First, as to the management of a sick-room. Select for this apartment, says an anonymous but very sensible writer, the sunniest room in tlie house. There is life and healing in the solar ray, even if its light, which is only a part of the ray, is excluded. We all feel instantly, on entering a room on which the sunlight never directly falls, a chill and an absence of something essential to cheer and brightness. Observation shows that in hospitals more patients die in shady than in the sunny wards, and in cities disease is more fatal on tlie shady side of the street than on its opposite. Next in importance to sunshine in the sick-room is ven- lii solves. Let Iroiii Hirnple ; mind upon I burdens orvicos of . How to )rc' a qucs- villiin the jocially so cured as Select for jIc writer, 1 healing a part of ntering a chill and 'ightness. its die in isciise is n on its a is ven- FAMILY MEDICINE CHEST. U05 tilatlon. If well people need fresh air, much more do they that arc sick. A free circulation of air must be provided without endangering at all the safety of the patient. In cool weather an open stove (if possible, a soai)stone stove), with a wood fire, is perhaps as effective and jjleasant a method as any other of securing this. The asj)ect of the room should be inviting and pleasant. If the walls arc bare, bring the j>ictnres from that shut- up room, the parlor or the guest-chamber, and hang them where the patient can enjoy them. Set a rose or a gera- nium in the window. If plants were unhealthy, the air of greenhouses would be dilfercnt from the outer air, which is not the case. [^Well-aired bedding is essential to the comfort of the patient. This can be secured with a little management. The patient may be removed to an easy-chair or a lounge, and the bedding be thoroughly shaken out of doors, if the weather is fair, or in a room with the windows opened, if the weather is foul ; then warmed by the fire and put upon the bed. None but the sick are fully alive to the blessedness of clean sheets. How much of disease is only the choking in one form or another of the natural outlets of th embody ! The comfort of the patient in many cases is greatly in- creased by wnshincj. A cloth wrung from tepid saleratus or soda water may be passed over the body under the bed- clothes, and, if followed by a dry towel, there is little danger that the patient will take cold. If there must be light in the room all night, by all means use tapers. A box of these, costing ten cents, can be bought at the apothecary's, and will last many weeks. Each box contains a tiny socket or circle of tin with three sharp points, holding a bit of cork ; into this socket sets _ GOO HOME COMFOUTS. a l)iittoii-monl(l a (juavtcr of im incli in dlaiiiotor, with a hole in tiie middle, in whi(!h is inserted a bit of waxed wiek- ing. The wiiole affair, not larger in cireninferenco than a walnnt, floats on the snrface of a cup or tninhlcr full ()f lard oil. It gives a very soft; and pleasant light, and is perfectly safe. Kerosene lamps cainiot be turned down without filling the room with uneonsumed products of combustion, which are very unwholesome; candles and oil lain[)s are apt to smoke. The taper is economical, i)leaH- ant and safe. We have been thus circumstiintial in de- scribing this little contrivance so that those at a distance froin drug stores can make it for themselves. In the nursery it is invaluable. An outlay of 30 cents will keep a light in the sick-room for months. To purify the air in a sick-room from noxious smells, especially of an animal character, put a few grains of coffee on a hot shovel, and roast tlicra in the room. In a moment you will smell nothing but the coffee.] Dr. Carmichael Smytli, of London, is said to have re- ceived $25,000 from the British Parliament, for making public the following recipe: To Prevent Infection in Typlmia Fever. — Take nitre (salt- petre) pulverized, three-fourths of an ounce; oil of vitriol, three-fourths of an ounce ; put the nitre into a teacup and set it on a red-hot shovel, adding the vitriol, one-sixth at a time, stirring it with a pipe-stem, and taking care to avoid the fumes as they arise from the cup. Colds and Coughi The treatment of colds, as set forth in medical works, is radically different ; but all agree that a cold must be broken up within the first forty-eight hours, or it will run its course. The regulars recommend, that as soon as a person FAMILY MEDICINE VIIEST. cr, with a ixed wick- icG tlinn a er full of lit, and is 110(1 down odnctH of Ics and oil cal, plcas- :ial in dc- a distance In the will kcL'|) lis smells, H of coffee a moment have rc- i" making itre (salt- of vitriol, acup and B-sixth at care to works, is * 18 broken run its a person discovers he has taken coltl, ho should slmt himself up in a room of uniform temperature, their bedsides every morning before they rose to dress." And the second precaution is, to have a lively fire kindled in the family room half an hour be- fore sunrise and sunset in -'arm weather, to burn for an hour or longer. This is a most important suggestion to people in many sections of the United States. fort' ei2 HOME COMFORTS. Bleeding from the Nose Often occurs in young persons from ten to fifteen years of age ; and in cases where it is not excessive, is rather bene- ficial in relieving congestion and preventing headache. It often stops of itself; but sometimes it is troublesome to arrest, which should always be done where weakness would result from loss of blood. It may be stopped in many cases by applying cold water or ice to the forehead and nose, the back of the neck, and the roof of the mouth, or wet a plug of dry cotton in strong alum water or tincture of the chloride of iron diluted, and introduje it into the nostril. Bleeding from the arm will often arrest it; or holding the hands above the head. When all these fail, the doctor should be called in. Bleeding at the Lungs Arises from different causes, and will usually require med- ical treatment. Take a tablespoonful of salt at intervals. If the spitting of blood lasts, take five grains of the sugar of l^ad and a half grain of opium, every two hours as required. The diet should be light, and taken cool. Blood Purifiers and Tonics. Sarsaparilla root has long stood at the head of the list of articles used for spring medicines ; but its value has been much overrated. Sassafras bark, which is much used as a blood' purifier in the rural districts, is now rarely pre- scribed by the medical faculty, many of whoni think food is the best spring medicine ; and to purify the blood, recom- njend people to abstain from the fat meats and gravies and coarse foods of winter ; to use eggs, spinach, and vinegar. Keep Lent, at least partially ; and wash the body daily. years of Iier bene- lache. oublesome weakness topped in : foreliead lie mouth, :)r tincture into the est it ; or these fail, [uire med- intervals. ' the sugar hours as ool. )f the list e has been h used as arely pre- hink food 3d, recom- ravies and 1 vinegar. Y daily. FAMILY MEDICINE CHEST. B13 If a bitter tonic is needed, half an ounce of ground quassia, an ounce of powdered gentian, with a drachm of golden-seal, steeped for several days in one pint of well- rectified whiskey, then strained and mixed with one gallon of clear water, will produce nine pints of " Tonic Sto- machic" as good as the very best on sale. This prepara- tion will cost but a few cents per quart, and is " war- ranted tc keep in any climate." Bruises and "Black Eyes." The remedy for all bruises is a fomentation. This is best applied by wringing a piece of flannel out of hot water and keeping it to the injured part as long as it re- mains warm and moist. This should be persevered iu while the pain and swelling continue. The tincture of arnica is a favorite remedy for bruises ; but it does not deserve the high popular estimation it has acquired. It may bo applied, however, without fear of any bad result. A black eye generally must be patiently endured while it passes through the various discolorations^ though it may be partially concealed by wearing a shade, or touching the skin artistically with chalk and paint. A "black eye" may generally be prevented, if the part re- ceiving the blow or bruise be well buttered for an hour or two with fresh butter. For the very severe kind of bruise caused by jamming the finger in r, closing door or drawer, the quickest relief is obtained by plunging the finger into water as hot as it will bear. This will soften the nail, and cause it to yield and give room to the blood, the painful pressure of which will thus be relieved. After giving the finger a thorough soaking in hot water, you should wrap it up in a thick poultice of bread and water or milk. On the. next day 614 HOME COMFOHTS. \n i ^H^H^HHK kk after, if the pain is troublesome, it is a good thing to scrape the nail, with a knife, so thin that it may readily yield to the pressure of blood or matter which frequently forms below. If this does not produce the desired relief, it will be well to make an opening into the scraped nail and let out the fluid beneath. The same remedy may be applied to a bruised toe as to a finger. Chilblains and Frosted Feet. Take a half pound of alum in a gallon of warm water; immerse the feet in this alum water, and let them remain ten or fifteen minutes ; repeat until relief is obtained, and this will prove an effectual cure. Also, it is said that two white turnips, cut into thin slices without paring, mixed with three large tablespoonfuls of the best lard, sinnnerod slowly for two hours, and mashed through a sieve, and ap- plied to a chilblain at night on a soft linen cloth, will cure the most inveterate chilblain or frosted feet. Diarrhoea— Hints for Travellers • During the summer, persons travelling are liable to derangements of the bowels; and some one recommends as a safe remedy for diarrhoea, to stir a little wheat flour in a glass of water until it is of the consistency of thick cream ; drink it down, and repeat it several times in the course of the day, if needed. Meanwhile, eat nothing, drink nothing, aiid lie down if practicable. The flour may act mechanically, not medicinally, by plugging up the relaxed mouths through which the watery particles are poured into the intestinal canal. Diarrhoeas are often the result of tb*^ greater coolness of morning and evening over midday, and the injurious effects of bad air on an empty stomach ; hence, one of the most important rules FAMILY aMEDWINE CHEST. 615 to scrape yield to tly forms of, it will and let e applied m water ; 111 remain ined, and tliat two ig, mixed simmered ?, and ap- will cure liable to om mends leat flour of tiiick es in the notI)ing, lour may up tijc ;icles are ire often evening ir on an nt rules for travellers, in all seasons, climates, and countries, is, Never fail (o hrcdhfad br/ore you ride. Another autiiority on the .subject claims that the follow- ing will always cure diarrhoea : Procure "brandy coloring" from a rectifying liquor dealer, or make it by placing an ounce or two of good brown sugar in a pan or skillet; drop upon it just suffi- cient water to dampen the sugar ; place the vessel over a quick fire ; stir until the mass emits a thick, black smoke, but do not burn it crisp. Pour on half a pint of boiling water and stir till all is dissolved. Dose — a winejrlassful every hour until relieved ; after which eat an ounce or two of very tender beefsteak slightly broiled, dusted sparingly with pure black pepper. The regulars generally prescribe for diarrhoea, small doses of calomel. How to Escape Cholera. The premonitory symptom of an attack of cholera is looseness of the bowels ; hence, when cholera is epidemic in a district, every one should watch carefully the action of his bowels ; and whenever they are moved over once in twenty-four hours, recourse should be had to the proper remedies for checking diarrhoea. The body should be kept quiet; all drinks should be avoided, and the food should consist principally of common rice, parched brown and then boiled, and eaten with salt and butter. A tight compress should he bound around the abdomen ; and the best mate- rial for a bandage for this purpose is a strip of stout flannel about a foot broad, and sufficiently long to double in front, but to be of but one thickness behind. Tape-strings should be attached to the outer end, and also to another part of the piece, a few inches beyond the lapping point, so as to make the flannel conveniently tight, and also aid in keep- 016 HOME COMFOirrS. \w^ it ill j)la('C'. Wlicn tlie cliolera was prcvuiliiij; in Eu- rope, and biokc out bo Hiulilenly ainoii}^ the Prussian sol- diers that it was inipossiblo to procure medical attendance for any consideraMe number, an order was issued that every soldier, sick or well, should instantly wear a llannel bandaj^e around the stomach ; and the disease dis!i[)pcared ill a lew days. Dyeentery. Sir Charles Locock, one of the Queen of England's phy- fiicians, says, " that in severe dysentery, especially where there is sickness, there is no remedy equal to pure calomel, iu full dose," and recommends at the very outset of the dis- ease to give from three to five grains (according to the age of the patient) of calomel, mixed with an equal quantity of powdered white sugar, and ])ut dry on the tongue. In three hours after, let the following mixture be administered: Take of compound ij)ecacuanha powder, five grains; ipeciicuanha wine, half a drachm ; simple syrup, three drachms ; cinnamon water, nine drachms : to make a mix- ture. A tea-spoonful every three or four hours, first urU shaking the bottle. Dr. Baily, who made this disciise his particular study, recommends in cases where dysentery has continued for several days, a combination of castor-oil and opium — as for instance: Take of mixture of acacia, three drachms; sim- ple syruj), three drachms; tincture of opium, ten drops {not minims); castor-oil, two drachms; cinnamon water, four drachms. Mix, and take a teaspoonful every four hours, first well shaking the bottle. A warm bath, at the commencement of the disease, is very efficacious ; and a flannel bag, filled with hot table-salt, made hot in the oven, and applied to the bowels, will afford much comfort. FAMILY I:EDICINE CHEST. eiT "ig in Eu- »s«iuii sol- lft(!ll(laiK!C -luul that a llaiinol •^appeared ind'.s pliy- i!ly where c calomel, ol' the tli.s- to the age iiaiitityof In three torcd : 'e grains; ■np, three ke a niix- , first well lar stiulv, inuod for m — as for ms; sini- ;en drops on water, very four th, at the s; and a )t in the comfort. An Anicrican physician says raw minced Lcrf, adminis- tered as the almost sole article of food, at the usual inter- vals of eatin<;, and in quantities lus great as the patient can comfortably swallow, seems to have an admirable etfect in mastering this disease; and even in consumi)tio i some ]>hysicians are prcstiribing it, and with this agreeable cir- cumstance, that although it is so repellent to our tastes at first thought, to bo eating raw, bloody meat, yet the stomach soon becomes recoiuuled to it, and even to crave it. In the case of one of the members of the cabinet recently deceased, who had been using it in the hope of its benefit- ing a disease of the lungs, there seemed t(/ be suc^h a liking for it, that when the last meal was brought to his bedside, his eye brightened and he exclaimed, "Ah ! that is a dish good enough for a king." When raw beef is administered for dysentery, indicated by bloody discharges and a most distressing and inc'lfoctual "bearing down," it should bn minced very fine, and given every four hours, a tablcspoonful at a time, eating nothing else in the meanwhile. Dyspepsia or Indigestion Is the great national disease of An" . Bad cookery and eating too fast without proper masti ation, and eating too much, liave ruined thousands of stomachs. We doubt whether there is any remedy in medicine, for confirmed dyspepsia. Medicine, says Dr. Hill, cannot make gastric juice, which is one of the essential requisites of a healtliy digestion. "It is a liquid prejiared as a con- sequence of the need of repair; this need of replenishment and repair is occasioned by a previous waste or wear ; that waste or wear cannot be brought about without motion of the muscles, which is expressed by the word exercise ; it is ei8 HOME COMFORTS. 'tf^H k ti^^^^n^ musoular exeixise which crcateH gastric juice." Hence, the first essential element in the cure of dyspepsia is exercise, more particuhirly out-of-door exercise. Some years ago, a physician in New York attained bo great n reputation for curing dyspepsia, that he was ahie to charge a fee of five hundred doUars for eacii case he undertook, payable in advance. His patients were bound by solemn oaths not to reveal the method of treatment; but after his death, some of them considered themselves absolved from their obligation, and revealed the secret, Avhich consisted maiidy in sJapjnng the stomach or bowels with the palms of the hands for five or ten minutes on rising in the morning, a quarter of an hour or more about eleven o'clock, and in the evening before going to bed. Dr. I^cwis calls this excellent treatment, and says he cannot conceive of a case of chronic indigestion which such manipulation would not relieve. Rubbing and kneading for chroni(! maladies is no new thing. For hundreds of years a class of women, known as " rubbers," have figi. jd conspicuously in England and Mexico; and the authority just quoted says, " the most remarkable cures ever achieved among us have been the work of the rubbers." In addition to slapping and kneading the stomach, and exercising freely out of doors, a dyspeptic should cat only when he is hungry, select digestible food, and chew it well. Voltaire claims that he cured himself of dyspepsia by living for nearly a year on the yelk of eggs, beaten up with flour of potatoes and water. The mode of prepara- tion, as recommended by Sir John Sinclair, is as follows: Beat up an egg in a bowl ; then add six tablespconfuls of cold water; mix the whole together ; then add two table- spoonfuls of the farina of potatoes, to be mixed thoroughly with the liquor in the bowl. Then pour in as much ■I'C Tcnoo, the « exercise, taiiifid 80 was ahio caHc l)e bound • iitnient; cinsclvca 1 10 secret, or howek i on rising )iit cloven Dr. Lewis t conceive iiipulation V clironic ars a class iipicuoiisly ist quoted among us nach, and I cat only iw it well, ^cpsia by beaten up ' i)repara- 3 follows: onfuls of wo table- loroughly as much FAMILY MEDICINE CHEST. «10 boiling water as will convert tlie wliole into a jelly, and mix it well. It may be tnkcn either alone or witii a littlo milk and sugar not only for breakfast, but in cases of "^reat stomach debility, or in consumptive disorders, at other meals. The dish is liglit, easily (l.gcyted, extremely wholesome and nourishing. Bread or biscuit may bo taken with it as tlie stomach gets stronger. On the other hand, Mrs. Swisshelm annoi;nccs that slie was cured of a very bad case of dyspepsia, by the hard bread and beer, prescribed by a German physician. She says: " Some years after, when Pennsylvania doctors sent me back to IMinnesota to die among my kindred, a German physician was called in ; but heart and stomach were on a strike, and refused to assimilate food. In great perplexity he said: 'Can you take peer?' I could try, and he went on to ])re8cribe : * You get de Gheneral to get yon «somo coot p2er, fresh from the prewery. Dakc von Icetle half a glass, mit a pit of hart pread and leetle pit uv cheese. Chew de pread schlow, and sip de peer. Do not culp it like some beebles do ; schust sip schlow, and eat do pread and cheese mit it. I dinks maype dat set de stoomach do vork vonce more ! ' " His prescription worked like a charm, and in any fit of dyspepsia now, I go back to the hard bread and beer." For indlgesiimi produced by over-indulgence in an extra rich meal, immediate and generally perfect relief may be obtained by taking a cup of Thomson's Composition powders, w lich are made as follows: Bayberry bark, two pounds ; ginger root, one pound ; cayenne pepper, two ounces; cloves, two ounces — all finely pulverized and well mixed. Take one-half of a tcaspoon- ful of this, and a spoonful of sugar; put them into a tea- cup and pour it half full of boiling water ; let it stand a II ■.m d2e HOME COMFORTS. few minutes, aud fill the cup with milk or hot water, and drink. Tliis will stimulate the stomach to action, promote diges- tion, prevent the accumulation of gas which causes belch-, ing, and give tone to the whole system. This dysjieptic tea or Composition powder may also he made a cure for drunkenness. Wlicnever the craving for liquor is felt, take a cup of this tea, which will give warmth and tone to the stomach ; and, by avoiding j)lace8 where intoxicating spirits are kept or sold, vhe desire for them will gradually pass away, and the whole system be restored to manly vigor. Earache and Deafness. Earache is often an extremely painful affection ; and, when severe, a physician should be called in, as the in- flammation may affect the brain. First, an examination should be made, to see whether an insect or any foreign body has been introduced into the ear ; and if not, ap- ply a neuralgia plaster behind the ear, and pour into the ear two or thi-ee drops of laudanum, with a little sweet-oil, or a few drops of glycerine. A teaspoonful of warm melted butter, dropped into the ear, is a favorite remedy for earache with a noted Philadelphia physician. Glycerine is the best remedy for all cases of earache or deaf- ness originating in concrete wax. It is perfectly safe, and as mild as milk and water ; while it retains its moisture longer than any other substance yet discovered ; lience, if hard- ened wax causes the deafness, it will certainly be softened and brought away. Auricles, or other aids to hearing, improve for a time, but only to bi^ig ultimate. deafness the sooner, and more certainly, as well as more completely. In ninety-nine cases out of a hundred of deafness, in the yii lot -water, iiote digcs- ses belch-, ay also be raving for "will give ling ])lace8 dt'sire for system be tion ; and, as the iu- :amination ny foreign if not, ap- pour into h a little )oonful of a favorite livsician. ;he or deaf- lafe, and as ure longer ?, if bard- ie softened ) hearing, 3 . deafness )mpletely. ess, in the FAMILY MEDICINE CHEST. 621 ordinary valks of life, all tampering with the ear is per- nicious ; and quite as often it will be found that whatever general good health, and the constant (once daily) moisten- ing with pure glycerine does not accomplish in the way of an improved hearing, nothing else will. Erysipelas Is a blood poison, originating in causes not very well un- derstood by physicians ; though cold, mental anxiety and constipation are supposed to be the principal causes, while by some it is regarded as a contagious disease. A poultice of cranberries, pounded when raw, affords a soothing and pleasant relief in erysipelas, and sometimes arrests its progress; while the repeated ai)plication of oxide of zinc ointment, which is preferable to the white- lead coating recommended by some physicians, relieves irritation by excluding the air from the parts affected. Physicians in Philadelphia, however, mainly rely upon a remedy discovered by one of their number, Dr. Andrew Nebinger, which by some is regarded as a speclfiG in ery- sipelas. It is used both internally and externally. The recipe, when anglicized, is as follows: Bisulphite of sodium 2 drachms. Syrup 2 ounces. Water 2 ounces. Mix — Take a tablespoonful every two hours. For ex- ternal application, use bisulphite of sodium, one ounce, in eight ounces of water. In case the bisulphite of sodium does not agree with the stomach, take, as the next best remedy, twenty drops of tincture of iron, every hour, in water. 622 HOME COMFOBTS. m Fainting. When a person faints, that is, becomes unconscious, with paleness, coldness, cessation of the pulse and breathing, he or she should be laid down at o j, with the head lower than the body. The upright position might endanger life ; as in fainting the heart fails to send fresh blood to the brain, and its flow must be favored by the recumbent posture. In fainting there must be plenty of air, and avoidance of crowding; open the windows, unloose the patient's cloth- ing and neck-tie, and apply hartshorn or sal volatile near to the nostrils at intervals. When unconsciousness arises from apoplexy, or liqiuyr, the head is warm or hot, the cheek flushed, the pulse full, and the breathing loud. In such cases the body should be laid down, having the head and shoulders elevated. Felons. Venice turpentine, one ounce j put into it half a tea- spoonful of water, and stir with a rough stick until the mass looks like candied honey ; then spread a good coat of the mixture on a cloth and wrap around the finger. If the case is only recent, this will remove the pain in six hours. A poultice of fresh poke-root on a felon cures by ab- sorption, unless matter is already formed ; if it is, this soon brings it to a head, and saves much pain and suffering. Lobelia is preferred, by many physicians, to either of the above ; and by some is regarded as a " sure cure " of a felon. itLj^jL^^ eious, with ^uthing, he lead lower anger life ; 3otl to the recumbent avoidance 2nt's cloth- )latile near or liquor, pulse full, ody should bvatcd. lalf a tea- : until the good coat inger. If e pain in res by ab- 5, this soon ffering. either of ure cure" FAMILY MEDICINE CHEST. Headache 623 Arises from such a variety of causes, that no one remedy will meet all its varying phases. In delicate females, it is often purely sympathetic ; but the principal and general cause of headache is some derangement of the stomach or indigestion. For Sick Headache arising from this cause, take a glass of warm water, into which has been rai)i(lly stirred a heap- ing teaspoonful of salt and kitchen mustard ; and this, by causing instantaneous vomiting, will empty the stomach of the bile or undigested sour food, and a grateful relief is often experienced on the spot ; then rest, with a few hours of sound, refreshing sleep, completes the cure, especially if the principal part of the next day is spent in mental diversion and out-door activities, not eating an atom of food (but drinking freely of water or hot teas), until you feel as if a piece of plain, cold bread and butter would " taste really good." Two teaspoonfuls of pulverized charcoal, stirred in half a glass of water, and drunk, generally give instant relief, especially when the headache arises from superabundance of acid in the stomach. In nervous headaches, the elixir of valerianate of am- monia is generally prescribed ; and a new remedy, called Guarana, is growing in favor. For Biliousness or BlUoiis Headache, Dr. Lewis recom- mends the patient, on getting up and on going to bed to drink plenty of cold water, to eat for breakfast a littl bread and a piece half as large as your hand of boilea ^ee£ or mutton, for dinner about the same thing ; to go without supper ; and exercise freely, so as to produce perspiration. In a few days the biliousness will all be gone. A speedier 624 HOME COMFOTiTS. remedy is a dose or two of anti-bilious or IMaiulrakc Pills, when the first symptoms of bilious headache appear. Heartburn or Waterbrash May be relieved by taking twenty dro[)s of lemon juice at the close of each meal, and by abstaining from drinks or fluids at meal-time. Any alkali, as bicarbonate of soda, will relieve; but Dr. l>ewis says he has been in the habit. of advising his patients who are temporarily afflicted with heartburn, to chew spruce gum and swallow all the saliva. This affords a grateful relief, and is not liable to the objections which may be urged against soda, saleratus, and other strong alkalies. An agreeable effervescent drink for heartburn, which is highly recommended, is, to mix the juice of one orange, water and a lump of sugar in proportion to the acidity of the orange, together, and then add about half a teasjwonful of bicarbonate of soda; stir, and effervescing will ensue. Hysterical Fits and Nervousness Are very alarming to those who witness them for the first time. Women of all ages are liable to this complaint, as it generally arises from some irregularity in the functions of the parts peculiar to women ; and it is very frequent with girls during the first few months of puberty, and with women when they have reached the " change of life." A sensible writer r ommends cold bathing, open-air exercise, strengthening diet, cheerful surroundings, with the removal of all care and perplexities; attention to a proper regularity of the bowels ; frequent change of air and scene — are positively required. All . home family requirements should be suspended. Iron pills may be taken two at a dose, night and morning; and a bitter akc Pills, uir. " juice at drinks or 3 of soda, tlio liahit oted with le saliva. )le to tlie rat us, and , wliich is e orange, acidity of 'as]>oonful 1 ensue. V the first laint, as it letions of uent with and with ife." open-air ngs, with tion to a ^e of air le family may be a bitter FAMILY MEDICINE CHEST. ^ tonic (quassia, gentian, ct«.), in half wineglass doses, f vO hours before dinner and supper. At the proper season, sea-bathing will prove beneficial. Kindne&s from family and friends is imperatively required. Hysterical women should not nurse infants. Snulf, opium and camphor are not recommended. Strong tansy tea, taken cold and in small quantities, will be found serviceable. A long narrow strip of strengthening-plaster, worn the entire length of the spine during cold weather, will do good. This may * made by mixing by heat, dark resin with half its propoi tion of beeswax, adding a few drops of olive oil. As a relief for nervousness, the following recipe has proved of great benefit to many : Ammoniated tincture of valerian 1 draclira. Compound tincture of bark 1 do. Compound tincture of aloes 10 drops. Camphor mixture 1 J ounces. Mix, and take from twenty to thirty drops three or four times a day. Neuralgia. A remedy, which is sometimes successful in instanta- neously allaying neuralgic pains, is found in mixing equal parts of sweet oil, spirits of hartshorn, and chloroform ; shake well, and before time is allowed for the particles to separate, wet a bit of rag or lint, place it on the painful spot for about a minute, or less if relieved sooner ; but hold a handkerchief on the lint, so as to cowiinc the volatile ingredients ; if kept on too long, the skin may be taken off. The application of bruised horseradish to the wrist, on the side of the body suffering from pain, is a remedy, recently discovered, for the cure of " Nerve Ache." or neuralgia. 40 . 626 hom:^ comforts. Pleurisy, Which is an inflammation of the serous membrane en- veloping the lungs, is a very painful affection, and usually requires the services of a physician. In nine cases out of ten, however, it is believed, the disease may be arrested, if the patient, at the beginning of the attack, take an alcohol or vapor bath until perspiration freely ensues, drinking freely of a strong tea made of pleurisy-root and catnip, and keeping well covered in bed. Turpentine may be applied over the seat of the pain and mustard upon the feet; and rubbing the arms and legs with dry flannel tends to moderate the severity of the attack. Call in a doctor, if relief is not obtained in a few hours. Liver Complaint, Or inflammation of the liver, also requires the services of a physician ; but in its first or acute stage, the sweating process recommended in pleurisy will be beneficial, espe- cially in combination with the use of Mandrake Pills. Piles, or Hemorrhoids, Are painful swellings at the lower extremity of the in- testines, and are both internal and external. The internal are the most painful. The external vary in size and the pain often ceases when they break and discharge blood, but the swelling partially remains and they are soon as large as before. In cases of piles it is important to avoid strong and stimulating food, to take regular daily exercise, and to guard against costiveness. The most succepsful treatment, judging from the certifi- cates of cures which have been made, is the introduction into the rectum of an ointment composed of some astrin- FAMILY MEDICINE CHEST. nbrane en- ind usually :ases out of )e arrested, take an ely ensues, ij-root and •en tine may d upon the innel tends in a doctor, services of le sweating jficial, espe- i Pills. of the in- 'he internal ize and the irge blood, ire soon as nt to avoid ily exercise, the certifi- ntroduction )me astrin- gent and oil or grease, as, for instance, two drachms of powdered gall nuts and an ounce of lard, or the extract of wliite oak bark and bacon oil, or powdered opium, rosin, and tallow, each one ounce, or equal weights of glycerine and tannJn. All of these ointments, it is claimed, have cured piles. Dr. Harriman, of Indiana, it is reported, has been very succeasful in curing piles with an ointment made of the extract of white oak bark, half a pint, and oil of old and strong bacon, half a pint, simmered together until an union takes place w.hen cold. Apply every night until well. For use internally, take a tablespoonful of culphur in half a pint of milk every day. This of itself has been used with complete success by individuals who had spent scores of dollars in medical advice. When the intestine falls down after evacuation, restore it by pressing gently with the finger, and use some astringent %llowing is ned honey, ablespooD- >er ; steep- bottle for according Mie of the r but new- there is a irritation. al, nd which especially boiled in Scrofula and Old Sores. Nicholas Lonjjjworth, the Cincinnati millionnairc, used to say that he hud done wonders in curing scrofula, and old sores, with the following recipe: Put one ounce of a((uaforti8 in a bowl, or saucer; drop into it two copper cents — it will eirorvesce — leave the cents in; when the effervescence ceases, add two ounces of strong vinegar. The fluid will be of a dark-green color. Jt should and will smart. If too severe, put in a little rain- water. Apply it to the sore, morning and evening, with a soft brush or a rag. Before applying it, wash the sore well with water. Small-Pox, or Variola. This is one of the terrible scourges of humanity, baffling often the best medical skill, and we would not allude to it except to show how pitting may be preventtvl, a matter that })hysicians overlook or regard as of secondary im- portance. We may state, however, that the mode of treat- ment prescrl'^cd for the English army in China, by general orders, is, jusu before the eruption appears the chest should be thoroughly rubbed with croton oil and tartar emetio ointment. This causes the whole of the eruption to appear on that part of the body to the relief of the rest, and prevents the disease from attacking the internal organs.* *A Califurnian professes to have discovered, in sulphate of zinc and digitalis, a speedy remedy for small- pox. But as his announcement, though couched in the strongest language, has not attracted the at- tention of the medical faculty, there is probably nothing in it ; and digi- talis being a poison, non-profes- sional readers should not experi- ment with it. lie says: "It is as unfailing as fate, and conquers in every instance. It is harmless when taken by a well person. It will alno cure scarlet fever. Here is the recipe as I have used it, and cured HOME COMFORTS. ]Jut to guard aguiiiHt HimiU-pox, tlic main reliance is upon vaccination in infancy and re- vaccination every mcvcu yeara. Dr. Get<'heli, of the JeffcrHon MerevGnt 4i'a(^c'liil to :s a patient iicaaures to sho'.ild be I it aggra- ting is to ain|)-black iniers-lmir ion lion, of ay 8 lie has ll-l)ox and wnfiil every 'ill disappear liild Hinaller If counties Iiysk-ians to no need of aliic advice Ills for that also in nu'a.sloH, Hcarlatina, ciiirken-pox, to relieve the itching and irritation of the.se coniplaintH. It eonsistfl in Bnieariiig the whole Hnrface of the body, after the eruption is fairly out, with bacon fat, and the sini|)leHt way of em- ploying it is to boil thoroughly a Hinall j)ie<'e of bacon with the skin on, and when eohl cnt olf the sUin with the fat adhering to it, which is to be scored crosswise with a knife, and then gently rubbed over the surface once, twice, or thrice a day, according to the extent of the eruption and the recurrence of itching ami irritation. Dr. Allsliorn, of Edinburgh, uses three parts of oil and one of white wax, mixed by heat, and while warm to paint the face and neck with a camel'.s-hair brush dij)ped into the fluid. As this cools and hardens, it forms a mask which effectiially excludes the air and prevents pitting, A solution of India rubber in chloroform is used by some physicians, but others consider it injurious if not dangerous in suppressing the natural exudation of the skiu. How to Prevent Hydrophobia. If hydrophobia be once developed in the human system we believe no cure for it has yet been found. But hydro- ])hobia may be effectually prevented by the prompt use of proper remedies. As soon as a person has received a bite from an animal, whether dog or cat, that may possibly be mad, he should instantly run a stick of nitrate of silver (lunar caustic) into the wound for the space of five or ten seconds — not minutes. The stick of lunar caustic should be pointed, in order the more thoroughly to enter the wound, and may be obtained, ready for use, from any druggist. The nitrate of silver acts not only as a cau.^Hc, but neutralizes the poison. Mr. Youatt, the celebrated English veterinary surgeon, regarded this as an infallible -T. 634 HOME COMFORTS. ii Isii preventive if properly and immediately applied. He himself had been bitten many times by rabid animals, but regarded that as a slight circumstance when he could apply lunar caustic. Sea-Sickness. An eminent French physician, Dr. Guardes, having heard that American physicians use syrup of chloral as a preventive of sea-sickness, experimented with it on two trips across the English Channel, and with successful results. He compounded a draught, composed of 45 grains of chloral, 50 grammes distilled water, 60 grammes goose- berry syrup, and two drops French essence of peppermint ; and took half of the draught when the vessel left the har- bor, and the other half on the return trip ; and though as a rule affected by sea-sickness when crossing the Channel, he entirely avoided this disagreeable malady, and regards chloral as an efficacious preventive. — Journal de Thera- peutique. Colonel Knox, an extensive traveller, says the following prescription has saved him, and many others to whor He has given it, from being sick at sea : The night before you are to sail, take a blue pill — ten grains — just before going to bed ; and when you get up in the morning, take, the first thing, a dose of citrate of mag- nesia. Then eat your breakfast and go on board, and I will wager four to one that you will not be sea-sick a moment. How to Treat Sprains of the Wrist or Ankle. As soon as possible after the accident, get a cotton band- age one or two yards long, and two to two and a half inches wide ; wet it in cold water, and roll it smoothly and firmly around the injured part. Keep the limb at rest, exposed 1 FAMILY MEDICINE CUEST. 6a5 ied. He imals, but he could ^s, having iloral as a it on two successful ■ 45 grains mes goose- ppermint ; ft the har- though as e Channel, nd regards de Thera- j following ) whor he 3 pill — ten I get up in te of mag- and I will moment. nkle. tton band- lalf inches md firmly \tf exposed to the air, and continually damp with cold water. The sooner after the accident the bandage is applied, the less pain and swelling there will be; but if pain becomes ex- cessive, care must be taken to slightly loosen the bandage. What to do in Oases of Sunstroke and Fits. Sunstroke, which is an insstantaneous inflammation oc- casioned by the sun's rays affecting an enfeebled brain, requires prompt treatment or the patient will speedily die. The approved treatment for aunstroke is, to remove the sufferer into the shade, free the neck from all that binds it, and pour warm water on the head and dash it upon the body, or apply rags dipped in warm water, and renewed every minute. Sometimes it requires an hour or two, be- fore relief is obtained. This, like ail other inflammations, is more safely subdued by the use of warm than cold water. Sunstroke may be prevented by wearing a silk handker- chief or a caTsbage leaf, or a wet cloth of any kind, in the crown of the hat. Persons who indulge in stimulating drinks are more liable to sunstroke than others. Laborers exposed to the sun's ray^ should wash the head in cold water several times a day, and the body with a wet towel every night before going to bed, rubbing sufficiently to cause redness of the skin. When a man falls in slJU, loosen the clothing but keep the head and shoulders raised. Give him plenty of air ; the bystanders must not be permitted to crowd around him. He will soon come to himself if let alone, and should then be kept quiet till he is able to go or be removed to his home. 1 686 HOME COMFORTS. w Tetter, Ringworm and Barber's Itch. Dr. Cliase, of Micljij^aii, says he speaks from extensive experience in rpooninieiidiiig eijjar ashes, as a cure for these complaints. , says, that Italf of one cigar cured him of itch when a i/urber would not undertake to shave him. His remedy is as follows : Take the best Cuba cigar, and smoke a sufficient length of time to accumulate a quarter or half inch of aslies upon the end of it ; then wet the whole surface of the sore M'ith baliva from the mouth, and rub the ashes thoroughly into and all over the sore or eruption ; do this three times a day, and inside of a week all will be smooth and well. A more reliable remedy for itch and tetter ip given in the succeeding chapter. How to Avoid Curvature of tlie Spine. In nineteen cases out of twenty, crook-back results from weakness of some of the ligaments and muscles which sup- port and move the spine, or from irregularity of strength in their various parts. The age of curvature is from eight to eighteen ; the subjects most liable to it are delicate chil- dren of the upper and middle classes, particularly school- girls. At tl 's tender age, the bones, ligaments and muscles of the spine have not yet acquired that consolidation and firmness which is necessary to support the weight of the head, shoulders and chest. The prevention and remedy for this disease are as simple as is the mode of its pro- duction. The muscles must be strengthened by regular exercise ; and that is the best exercise which calls all the muscles on each side of the spine into action. Nothing excels the old skipping-rope for the purpose, if used in moderation The swing of the arms expands the chest and strengthens the respiratory muscles, thereby k FAMILY MEDICINE CHEST. 687 1. I extensive re for these ed him of ilmve him. lient length aslies upon e sore M'itli )ughly into imes a day, [\. A more succeeding 16. esults from which sup- strength in from eight elicate chil- irly school- md muscles dation and ight of the nd remedy of its pro- by regular alls all the Nothing ?e, if used fpands the 3S; thereby giving room for the admission of a larger amount of air to the lungs. The rapid bending of the body and the jump exercise every muscle of the back and hip equally. But the swing-rope and other calisthenic ap- paratus are also useful. Great fatigue must always be avoided, whether curvature has already taken place or is only impending. When curvature has already occurred, the patient must not be taken to a quack or a specialist, to have all sorts of irons and cramping bandages applied. Gentle, but fre- quent and regular, exercise must be used, always short of fatigue ; a little skipping, light dumb-bells, or the swing- rope, will answer the purpose better than long walks. The patient must maintain the erect position for a very shoii 'period of lime at once, and then the horizontal position must be resorted to. Alternations of short periods of activity with long ones of repose, several times a day, succeed the best. For repose, a sofa with a hair mattrass, and with a cushion to rest the arms and forehead upon, is far preferable to the old-fashioned back board; orVerral's apparatus may be used. In any case, the patient should lie principally on her face, as the spine is thus placed in a better position for falling into its normal shape than when the supine position is adopted. In this position, the weight of the body is taken from oif the spine and thrown upon the chest and abdomen, resting upon the couch. In this connection, we submit two or three thoughts that seem to be of great practical importance ; and the first is in relation to Cold Water in Disease. An anonymous writer remarks, forcibly : " It is very doubtful if there is a single possible disease in which the patient should not have cold water ad libitum. Oh, how 638 HOME COMFOIiTS. the babes often suffer for cold water ! A nursing babe is given, no matter how thirsty, nothing but milk. The little lips are dry and cracked, and the little tongue so parched it can scarcely nurse, and yet it has nothing but milk to assuage its craving thirst. Try it yourself, mother, when you have a fever, and we are sure that ever after, when your darling is dying with thirst, the teaspoon and a tum- bler of cold water will be in constant use." Uses of Alcohol as a Medicine. Surgeon-General Hammond said in a recent lecture before the New York Neurological Society, " that alcohol, even in large quantities, is beneficial to some persons, is a point in regard to which I have no doubt, but those per- sons are not in a normal condition, and when they are restored to health their potations should cease. I have seen many weak, hysterical women drink a pint of whiskey or brandy a day, without experiencing the least intoxicating effects, or even feeling excited by it. " The exhausted tissue has seemed to absorb it with an energy as though it were the one thing craved, and re- covery has been rapid under its use when all other means have failed. I have seen strong men struck down with pneumonia and fever, and apparently saved from the grave by brandy or other alcoholic liquors. I have prevented epileptic seizures by its moderate use. Neu- ralgic attacks are often cut short by it, and sometimes entirely prevented. It has been efficacious in catalepsy, and in tetanus ; it is one of the best antidotes to the bites of poisonous serpents, as I have repeatedly witnessed; in the convulsions of children from teething and other sources of reflex irritation it is invaluable; in the spinal irritation to which women, and especially American » FAMILY MEDICINE CHEST. 639 ng babe is Thfi little io parched lit milk to her, when fter, when nd a tum- nt lecture at alcohol, jrsons, is a those per- 1 they are . I have )f whiskey itoxicating it with an 3, and re- her means [own with from the I have e. Neu- sometimes catalepsy, the bites lessed; in ind other tho spinal American women, are so subject, notlimg takes its place, and in certain forms of gastric dyspepsia it must be given if we wish to cure our patients." ■ Of Pycemia, which is a dangerous disease and regarded as incurable by many physicians, Mrs. Swisshelm says she cured every case that came under her care in the army hospitals, by rubbing the body externally with alcohol and water, and giving internally milk punch, sherry wine, eggs, and broths. Keep Ammonia in tlie House. No housekeeper should be without a bottle of spirits of ammonia, for besides its medical value, it is invaluable for liousehold purposes. It is nearly as useful as soap, a, ^ts cheapness brings it within reach of all. " Put a teasp >on- ful of ammonia in a quart of warm soap suds, dip in a flannel cloth, and wipe off dust and fly-specks, and see for yourself how much labor it will save. No scrubbing will be needful. It will cleanse and brighten silver wonderfully ; in a pint of suds mix a easpoonful of the spirits, dip in your silver spoons, forks, etc., rub with a brush, and polish with chamois skins. " For washing mirrors and windows it is very desirable ; put a few drops of ammonia on a piece of paper and it will readily take off every spot or finger-mark on the glass. It will take out grease spots from ever fabric; put on the ammonia nearly clear, lay blotting paper over the place and press a hot flat-iron on it for a few moments. There is no better remedy for heartburn and dyspepsia, and the aromatic spirits of ammonia is especially prepared for these troubles. Ten drops of it in a wine-glass of water are often a great relief. The spirits of ammonia can be taken in the same way, but it is not as palatable. G40 HOME COMFOliTS. " In addition to all these uses, the effect of ammonia on vegetation is beneficial. If you desire roses, geraniums, fuchsias, etc., to beconie more flourishing, you «in try it upon them by adding five or six drops to every pint of warm water that you give them, but don't rc])oat tlic dose oftener than once in five or six days, lest you stimulate them too highly. So be sure and keep a large bottle of it in the house and have a glass stopper for it, as it is very evanescent and also injurious to corks." Also keep a small quantity of Chlorate of Potash in the House. An anonymous writer says we have never found any- thing equal to it for a simple, ulcerated sore throat. Dis- solve a small teaspoonful of it in a tumbler of water; then occasionally take a teaspoonful of the solution, and gargle the throat. It is nearly tasteless, and not at all offensive to take, and is hence well adapted for children. Nothing is better than this for chapped or cracked hands. Wash them in the weak solution, and they will soon be well. It is also good for a rough, pimply, or chapped face. It may be had of any druggist. Common salt has been recommended for the incipient stages of the dreaded disease, diphtheria; but we have no doubt this would be better. If some scheming medicine-man should, under a high-sounding Greek or Oriental name, introduce some ingredients to conceal its nature, and expend a hun- dred thousand dollars in advertising, he might make a fortune out of it, and possibly as honestly as some of the great patent-medicine vendors. FAMILY MEDICINE CHEST. 641 imonia on eruniums, can try it y pint of t the (lose stimulate ottle of it it is very lund any- oat. Dis- of water; ution, and not at all f children. :ed hands. 1 soon be chapped union salt es of the loubt this an should, introduce nd a hun- t make a )me of the Medicinal Uses of Ice and Vinegar. In all inflammations, whether internal or external, ice jliminishes rapidly the size of the blood-vessels, and thus relieves the pain they give when thus swollen by their pressing against the nerves, which are always in the neigh- borhood of the arteries of the system. Swallowing ice freely in small lumps is the chief treatment in inflamma- tion of the stomach, and the constant application of ice, pounded fine, and enveloping the head with it by means of a bladder or other contrivance, is said to be the best remedy for that dangerous malady, inflammation of the brain. To " settle the stomach " when some discomfort is ex- perienced after eating, some persons find relief by taking a pickle, or a little vinegar, which, in its action on food, is more nearly like the gastric juice than any other fluid known. A teaspoonful of vinegar in each glass of water will prevent any ill effects from using the water of lime- stone localities by those accustomed to other kinds of drinking water. Hot Water Relieves Pain. There is scarcely an ache or pain in the whole body which is not soothed or removed by hot water if applied as follows : Dip a piece of flannel or any cloth, of five or six folds or layers, in boiling water and lay it on the pain- ful part, covering it instantly with a dry flannel of which the edges should extend over the wet one an inch or more : as soon as tlie wet flannel has driec^ a little, or in about five minutes, slip it out under one edge of the dry cloth and introduce another flannel as hot as can be handled ; do this in so adroit a manner as to allow as little cold air as possible to get to the skin touched by the hot flannel ; 41 0" 642 HOME COMFORTS. persevere until the pain is removed. Physicians assert that by this hot- water poultice the most violent, dry, and distressing coughs have been relieved in a few minutes, and some forms of croup subdued in half an hour. ■t;,i. im - :.. . 1 ^ t i ■ i ■ 1 • We cannot, perhaps, close this chapter with any obser- vation more practically useful than the following from one of the most prolific writers on health topics America has produced : The great practical lesson which I wish to inculcate, to be engraven as on a plate of steel, on the memory of chil- dren and youth, young men and women, the mature and the gray-lieaded : Allow nothing ahoi't of fire or endangered life to induce you to resist, for one single moment, nature^ s alvine call. So fur from refusing a call for any reason short of life and death you should go at the usual time and solieitf and doing so you will have your reward in a degree of healthfuhiess, and in a length of life, which very few are ever permitted to enjoy. If the love of health and life, or the fear of inducing painful disease cannot induce you to adopt the plan I have recommended, there is another argument which, to young gentlemen and young ladies, may appear more convincing — personal cleanliness. [If you suffer yourself to become and remain costive you will smell badly; the breath of a costive child even is scarcely to be endured.] Cold feet, sick headache, piles, fistulas, these, with scores of other diseases, have their first foundations Idd in con- stipation, which itself is infallibly induced by resisting nature's first calls. Reader, let it be your wisdom never to do it again. Jicians assert ent, dry, and minutes, and h any obser- ing from one America has inculcate, to nory of chil- Eiture and the dangered life ature'a alvine ison short of e and solicit, a degree of very few are • of inducing i plan I have ch, to young re convincing }lf to become e breath of a e, with scores h'ld in con- by resisting visdom never CHAPTER XV. CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. "Nothing can he too inHignificant for the attention of the movat which is not too insignificant to give pleasure or pain to the meaneHt" — Macaulay. CHILDREN, in their health and appearance, are one of the tests of thrift and sources of comfort within a household. To rear up a family of children, strong in body and sound in mind, is about the only evi- dence that most persons can leave behind them that they have not lived in the world in vain ; while puny, nervous, sickly and silly children betray their parents' secret weak- nesses, and are living monuments that the laws of health have been somehow violated.* * Travellers have freqtiently re- marked, that females among the Indian and other uncivilized races bring forth children with far leas pain, difficulty and danger than the women in Europe and the United States. The secret of this exemp- tion from the pains of parturition appears to be, according to the views of moor, feeble and I it. All thoo- oent of flociety ig as there are very day thou- > should never who of neces- curse to their I for want of tnds of feeble 7 deaths daily ; ced, and idiots mt of an item ;e which every ;ht to possess. CHILDREN AND TUElll DISEASES. 645 Pr. Clarke, physician in ordinary to the Queen of Eng- land, adds : " There is no greater error in the management of children, than of giving them animal fooil very early. Children so fed become very liable to attacks of fever and inflammation, affecting particularly the mucous membranes; and measles and other diseases incident to chihlhood are generally severe in their attacks." Oondensad Milk for Infants. Many mothers are now using " Condensed Milk " for their infants, and when perfectly pure, it is well suited for the purpose. Dr. Cuibourt, of the French Academy, says, " Cow's milk with the addition of its weight of water and a little sugar is as nearly as possible equal to woman's milk." The "Condensed Milk" diluted with seven to nine parts of water exactly answers this description, and as it keeps sweet for a length of time without any tendency to sourness and without undergoing any chemical change, "it is superior as food for infants even to the present * ordinary milk." How to Treat Young Infants. On the birth of an infant light should be excluded from its eye for an hour, and when dressed it should be put to the breast, for though the secretion of milk may not have taken place, the effort will promote it and do the child good. The mother's milk is the only food the infant will require for months, and it should not be spoon-fed until it begins to cut its teeth. Food from the first should be given at stated times, and with punctual regularity. A mother when healthy should suckle her own child, and if unable to do so, a wet nurse of good health and morals should be selected. She should Hi 616 HOME COMFORTS. be careful to Imve milk in g(K) ent cause, by day or night, says Mrs. Henry Ward Beecher, let your first act be to examine its clothing, loosen it, remove the pins, or untie the strings, and see if the lungs have full space to expand, and the body a chance to move every limb and muscle. Rub the body gently with your warm hand, particularly the back, lungs and bowels, to promote the circulation which the barbarous swaddling-, bands have all day impeded. Try this remedy particu- larly at night, and unless you again " put on the screws," in most cases your baby will fall into a peaceful slumber and you may hope for unbroken rest. But though the garments may be all properly adjusted . it may be suffering from cold. Touch the little blue hands, and you will find them like ice ; take the child in your lap, draw your chair to the fire, heat a blanket and wrap about it, lay it on the stomach, across your lap, shake out the foolishly long robes, and hold its toes to the fire till warm. Many a child who has cried for hours will, under this simple treatment, in a few minutes be fast asleep. Endeavor to imagine yourself in an infant's place when it manifests symptoms you do not well understand. You wrap its hands and feet so closely, when you lay it down to sleep, that it cannot stir ; could you remain two hours thus fettered without becoming cramped and full of pain ? Loosen the wrappings ; shake up the pillow, and turn it over occasionally (and by the way a good hxiir pillow, not too full, and well beaten every day, that it may not become lumpy, is far more healthful for any child than feathers). If awake, change its position ; or if it has lain long, take it \ '■'> 'isM^iii&^i CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 649 ny appar-. i Beecher, >g, loosen see if the chance to Bntly with bowels, waddling-, y particu^ J screws," I slumber r adjusted ittle blue the child Ei blanket your lap, oes to the ours will, 3 be fast ace when id. You ' it down wo hours of pain ? 1 turn it How, not t become leathers). ;, take it up, toss it gently and play with it a while to give it a pleasant variety, and cause the blood to circulate freely through the whole body. If these simple methods do not pacify a crying child it is very probable that some of the above-mentioned causes have produced ooliCy but do not give the simplest medicine till you have tried what virtue there is in an injection of tepid water. Unless the crying indicates the beginning of some acute disease, we have invariably found the effecta almost magical, and in no case will it be hurtful.] We may add to these excellent suggestions, that infants often cry because they are tormented with thirst, which most nurses and mothers do not gratify. They suppose the crying proceeds from hunger, and the breast milk is given, but this does not satisfy. Dr. Dewees says, that he haB often seen infants, when seeming to suffer exquisite agony, rendered perfectly quiet and easy by a draught of cool water. What Crying sometimes IndicateSi The crying of a child will often indicate to an experi- enced medical man the nature of the trouble. The ciy of teething, says Dr. Chavasse, is a fretful cry : the cry of earache is short, sharp piercing, and decisive, the head being moved about from side to side, and the little hand being often put up to the affected side of the head ; the cry of bowel-ache is also expressive — the cry is not so piercing as from earache, and is an interrupted straining cry, accompanied with a drawing up of the legs to the belly ; the cry of bronchitis is a gruffy, phlegmatic cry ; the cry of inflammation of the lungs is more a' moan than a cry ; the cry of croup is hoarse, and rough, and ringing, and is so characteristic that it may truly be called " the 650 HOME COMFORTS. croupy cry," moreover he breathes as though he breathed through muslin ; the cry of inflammation of the membrane of the brain is a piercing shrielc — a danger signal — most painful to hear; the cry of a child recovering from a severe illness is a cross, and wayward, and tearful cry; he may truly be said to be in a quarrelsome mood; he bursts out without rhyme or reason into a passionate flood of tears ; tears are always in a severe illness to be looked upon as a good omen, as a sign of amendment ; tears, when a child is dangerously ill, are rarely if ever seen. Proper Treatment in Childhood, During infancy children should be encouraged to sleep, and to promote this object light should be excluded from the bed-room as much as possible, the bedding should be soft, the blankets fine and the counterpanes very light; the pillows should be small and not made of feathers, as they are too heating to the head. A good pillow for infants may be made of cotton-batting, enclosed in ticking, with threads run through it to keep the batting in place or from forming knots. Towards evening the child should be kept active and wakeful, so that its rest during the night may be prolonged and undisturbed. Mothers will save themselves a world of trouble by not accustoming their babies to be rocked to sleep either in the cradle or in the arms. Young mothers are apt to err in chis way, and bring upon themselves a vast deal of unnecessary trouble, and then resolve never to have any more children. A child, if placed in a crib or bed, without being rocked, will probably cry at first, but an hour's cry will not hurt it and it will soon get into the habit of going to sleep, especially if stated times are ad- CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 651 breathed lenibrane al — most from a 'ful cry; lood; he late flood )e l(X)ked ars, when to sleep, ded from ihould be ery light; athers, as >illow for Q ticking, in place ctive and prolonged i a world rocked to J mothers nselves a I never to a crib or first, but t into the ia are ad- hered to. During teething, children are always restless and fretful, but medicines should be administered with caution, and if the gums show indications of festering, or white spots, a physician should be called in, who will prob- ably lance them. Nothing tends so much to promote the comfort and the health of children as frequent bathing — in winter in warm or tepid water — but the operation should not be prolonged so as to weary or give pain, and the towels used in drying should be soft. Teething children, says Dr. Hall, have often been cured of looseness of bowels by being allowed to chew the rind of bacon freely with some of the fat attached, and they chew it greedily ; it seems to have a beneficial effect on the gums. When a child has taken cold it is a good plan to spend five or ten minutes two or three times a day in rubbing into the whole breast, with a soft warm hand, about ten drops of common sweet-oil. The doctor just quoted thinks if such a course were promptly taken the moment a child is observed to be not as well as usual, nine-tenths of the aUmenta of children would be averted. It has a powerful influence in helping nature to cure the very worst forms of diseases to which childhood is liable. When children have cut their teeth they should be allowed a variety of nutritious but easily digested food — no pork, veal, fried or greasy meats — and whatever meat is given should- be cut fine or minced to facilitate mastica- tion; white crushed wheat, boiled and sweetened should form a staple article in their diet. In the nursery or room where children play, fenders should be placed around the stove, the furniture should have 652 HOME COMFORTS. i r:'- .-if t'j.'i^^S^i' rounded, not sharp corners, and the windows should be well guarded to prevent accidents ; a panelling of black- board is very suitable for a nursery. Parents are often ambitious to see their infants walk early, and this is the cause of the bow or curved legs and weak ankles so fre- quently seen. Children should be encouraged to crawl, but all are not prepared to walk at the same age, and this is a matter they can best regulate for themselves. The clothing of infants should b^ warm, light, and free from compression. The practice of leaving children's limbs bare, especially in cold weather, which some parents adopt, is cruel as well as unsightly. The shoes should fit easily, and care should be taken that they do not become too short before they are worn out. Tight shoes are as torturing as tight-lacing. It is very unsafe to change the winter clothing of chil- dren before the first of May, or to permit them to remain at any season out in the night-air. A well-known physi- cian remarks, that if children were sent to bed within hUf an hour after sundown and not allowed to go out of doors in the morning until they have had a plain hearty breakfast, " half the diarrhoeas, and summer complaints, and croups, which desolate our hearths and hearts so often in summer time," would be prevented. Parents should compel each of their children, who are over five years of age, to go to a good dentist twice a year and have their teeth examined, and the first symptom of decay removed, and thus children will be spared much suffering and have reason for gratitude during life. [The London Sanitary Record condemns the following as common faults in the treatment of young infants : When they first wake up it is no uncommon thing to HM CBlLDllEN AND THEIR DISEASES. 65S lould be )f black- ire oftea is is the 38 80 f ve- to crawl, and this and free hildren's ! parei:t8 hould fit become 9S are as ; of chil- o I'emain m phyei- i within out of n hearty mplaints, so often who are ;e a year ymptom id much >wing as bhing to have a candle flared before their eyes to amuse them with the "pretty red light;" then, perhaps, they are jumped, screamed or whistled at, tossed up in the air bo violently that their nerves are thoroughly shaken. At other times the infants are "poked in the ribs," unclean fingers are thrust into their mouths, whether the poor things like it or not, or they may be ticklwl into spasms, or "bo-peepeer. Abstinence is recommended, and a phy- sician will probably not be needed. In this disease, afler whooping-cough, scarlatina, or measles, more attention is required, and medical advice is necessary. If such is not at hand, use the warm bath, diet of barley-water, arrow- root, etq. Croup. This is a disease that frequently attacks children at night, and is distinguished by a peculiar resonant, barking sound from the throat, which any one who has once heard will never forget. Hoarseness is one of the earliest symptoms of croup. If treated properly in its first stage it is rarely dangerous ; if allowed to pass to the second stage io is frequently fatal. Promptness in treatment is very essential. Every family with children should have a bottle of some kind of emetic in the house, as ipecacu- anha syrup, or tinctures of lol)elia and blood-root, equal 'parts ; and as soon as a child shows symptoms of croup, apply hot water to the throat for fifteen or twenty minutes .with a sponge or soft cloth, and givfe an emetic until vomiting takes place. Dr. Simpson, of Philadelphia, recommends powdered alum mixed in syrup, as the most ^cient and least dangerous emetic; it can be given in 42 m t^i-^' fr, ^4' ^^JV Wit H' 65S HOME COMFOIiTS. half-teaspoonful doses, repeated every twenty minutes until vomiting takes place. He says no family containing young cfiildren should be without powdered alum and syrup of ipecac. In child-crowing, or spurious croup, which sometimes occurs during teething, and whieli is very dangerous if not instantly relieved, the proper treatment is to imitate arti- ficial re«piration as soon as the paroxysm is upon the child, then put his feet and legs into hot water with salt and mustard in iL; and, if necessary, place him up to his neck in a hot bath, still dashing water upon his face and head. If he does not quickly recover his breath, sharply smack his back and buttocks. The doctor when he arrives will probably lance the gums and prescribe some simple remedy. Regulate the diet, and watch the child, for the spasm is liable to recur, and may be instantly fatal. MeasleSi In the treatment of measles ordinarily very little med- icine is require ( 1 j ; i I . /> 1 i' tM HOME COMFOIiTa. year of the cluld'H age; and these romedics and judicloas diet will greatly relieve the diHtresHJiig Hpasms. If restless at night, give the child a warm Imth. To relieve soreness in the chest rub it with the following mixture: Half an ounce of oil of amber; half an ounce of oil of ■cloves; one ounce of olive oil; and two teaspoonfuls of laudanum. The diet to consist principally of barley ^ater and whey. Dr. Delamere says whooping-cough may be simply and quickly cured, " if the child take, morning, noon, and night, a dose of findy-ground alum mixed in a small quan- tity of powdered sugar for three or four days. The dose varies from one to two grains, according to the age of the child, and goes on gradually increasing. If necessary, after the fourth day a child eight years old must take seven groins of ground alum three times a day. Milk diet must be abstained from, and all draughts of cold air carefully avoided." •u When whooping-cough is not cured within a month, try a change of air, even from a pure country air to the air of a smoky, gas-laden town. Some persons assert that the he»i remedy for an obstinate case of whooping-congh is for a child to live the great part of every day in gas-works. Sea-breezes will often as by magic drive away the disease. Dr. Valentine Mott strongly recommended the following prescription for whooping-cough : Dilute hydrocyanic acid 6 dropi. Extract of belladonna 2 ffn. Paregoric elixir 3 drachma. Syrup of balsam of tolu 1 ounce. Water 3 ounces. '''*1llix. A teaspoonful three or four times daily. judiciom f restless following of oil of onfuls of of barlejT mply and loon, and lall quan- The dose ige of the sary, after ake seven diet must • carefully nonth, try to the air rt that the agh is for gas-works, he disease. I folio wing hmf. e. CHILDREN AND rilElR DISEASES. m Cholera Infantum. This is commonly known to mothers as summer com- plaint, and at its commencement can, in most cases, be re- lievetl by simple treatment. The patient should be put t« bed, and a nuisturd })lii8ter pliu-ed over the stomach and bowels. A small lump of ice should be given every few minutes, and take of tliis mixture: Husband's majjjnesia, and aronnitic spirit of ammonia, one tcaspoonful of each, mixed and shaken in a bottle, with one-half tumblerful of peppermint water — a tea- spoonful every twenty minutes. This is for common summer complaint or Cfiolera In/aiUum, and to be giveu at its commencement. Diarrhcsa. Very many children as well as grown persons die an- nually of this disease, who might be saved by the use of the proper remedies. Rest in bed is the first requisite to eflfbct a cure, in this and all other bowel disorders. If locomotion is compulsory, the misfortune of the necessity may be lessened by having a stout piece of woollen flannel bound tightly around the abdomen, so as to be doubled in front, and kept well in its place. Take a teaspoonful every three or four hours of the following DiARRH(EA Drops — Tincture of rhubarb, and com- pound spirits of lavender, of each four ounces; laud- anum, two ounces; cinnamon oil, two drops; mix. In very bad cases it might be well to use after each passage an injection, composed of new milk, with thick mucilage of slippery elm, of each one pint; sweet oil, one gill; niolasses, one-half pint; siilt, one ounce; laudanum, one drachm ; mix, and inject what the bowels will retain. In all bowel complaints the only remedy, however, that is w^ 662 HOME COMFORTS. worthy the name of specific, is a tea made of the bark of the sweet gum tree (liquid amber), that grows all over the United States, south of latitude 41°. It is said to be an invaluable medicine for children. Diphtheria. A physician of Jersey City, who claims that he has treated two hundred and ninety-three cases of diphtheria, within three months, without losing a single patient, though a majority of his cases were of the worst or malig- nant type of the disease, has published an outline of his treatment, which is as follows : [Our first treatment is directed to destroying the fun- goid viras which is deposited in the throat, bronchial tubes, or both : apply with camel's-hair i>encil chromic acid, properly diluted, to every patch of diphtheritic membrane within your reach; give inhalations regularly by means of Codman & Shurleff 's steam atomizer of prep- arations containing lactic acid, aqua calcis, and chlorate potassa. If the patient is old enough, let him gargle his throat also with the above. The effect of the atomizer is, that no matter how young the patients, every breath they draw will deposit the anti- septic spray directly upon the diphtheritic membrane, or the fungoid virus, where membrane is not deposited, there- by destroying and neutralizing its poisonous influence on the system, and cc.itrolling the spread of the disease, no matter how deep down in the bronchial tubes it may have reached. From the commencement give the most nourish- ing fluids, consisting of milk punch, Wommel's extract of malt ferrated, in milk and wine ; ale, syrups lactate ferri ; by this means we prepare the system to stand the debili- tating influence of the disease which may follow. CHILDREN AKD THEIR DISEASES. GG3 [•k of over to be To the throat apply cloths wet in cold water ; if there is much inflammation use ice-water ; if there is great swell- ing, endangering closure of the throat, use ice cracked fine aiid applied by means of a rubber ice-bag; this always relieves ; also give small lumps of ice to hold in the mouth. When diphtheritic membrane is shedding off, there is at times great hemorrhage ; the patient may bleed to death if it is not stopped shortly. A preparation of per chlor. ferri, used in a steam atomizer, will stop it immediately when nothing else can reach it. Never be without it. Give directions, if patient in your absence suddenly turns cold and has a livid expression about the face, with very feeble pulse, evidencing danger of collapse, to give brandy freely and apply mustard and heat to extremities, with free rubbing of body with stimulating liniment or heated spirits. The third danger arises principally from weakness of the heart's action and albuminous deposits in kidneys, the latter inviting uramic poisoning, which causes coma, convulsions and death. Electricity in both cases will assist in removing the trouble.] Diphtheria is decidedly contagious, and when one child in a family is taken down with it, the rest should be re- moved. Earache. Some children suffer exceedingly with pain in the ear, but generally instant relief may be had by dropping into the ear a little ether combined vnth almond oil^ or apply- ing a small flannel bag, filled with salt heated, or a hog's bladder partially filled with hot water. A bladder is the most effective instrument for applying moist heat, as it adapts itself to all the little inequalities of the external ear. Among the domestic remedies for earache is this : put boiling water with a little soda or laudanum in it into a 664 HOME COMFORTS. I m- L^i M '»<«» rU i i, tflHI ftl < -': 'fl ^»!W' ' -'i^^l Mi?{'' ^H| ^^Vti' ^ Hi H Li; teapot, aud hold the spout as neaf the ear as can be en- dured ; keep a shawl or other covering around the hedd, and over the teapot, so as to confine the steam. Another remedy is to take the heart from a roasted onion, cool it, and dip in sweet oil and laudanum, press the onion slightly into the ear, and tie a handkerchief around the head. Avoid all cold applications. Butns, Soalds, eto. Molasses, carbolic acid, flour, 6r the white of ttn egg well beaten up in a tablespoonful of lard, are good to re- lieve the pain of a burn. J^or serious burns, the following salve has proved excellent, during Without blistering, of leaving a scar. Take equal parts of turpentine, fiweet-oil, befefiwa*; melt the oil and WaX together, and when a little oool^ add the turpentine, and stir until cold ; apply by spreading on thin cloth — linen is the best. This is also good fo# chaps on hands or lips, or sore or cracked nipples. To Oufe Itchitig Feet fwm Trdst Biteg. Take hydrochloric acid, Orte OUhCe ; rain water, sCv6tt ounces ; wash the feet with it two or three times daily, iyt wet the socks with the preparation, until relieved. Itcll. A Quaint Writer sAy^, " that about five dollars worth of advertised ointment will help the itch Wrtttderfully, but a warm bath, a very coartse towel, and a few applications of dry stdphur in p&tvdet; which will Cost five cents, will cure the trouble.^' This ttiay do for the common 6r dirty itch> which domes between the fingers, but for the regular Psora, or " sevea CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. OM n hd ill- he heftd, roasted itn. press kerchief )f an egg 5od to f e- following tering, of be66Wft* i ittld oool^ spreading I good f(Mf 9. 8. ter, s6v6tt 3 daily, Ot I. worth of illy, but a oatiotifi of will oure tidh eomes or " seveft years' itch/' which is .much more common, even among people of good circumstances, than most persons suppose, nothing will succeed so well as red precipitate, in lard or butter. Dr. Chase says the following ointment will cure all cases of" the Itch," and also pimples, blotches, etc.: Unsalted butter, one pound; Burgundy pitch, two ounces ; spirits of turpentine, two ounces ; red precipitate pulverized, one and one-quarter ounce; melt the pitch, and add the butter, stirring well together; then remove ffom the fire, and when a little cool add the turpentine, and lastly the precipitate, and stir until cold. Dr. J. F. Bird, of Philadelphia, who has been remark- ably successful in curing cutaneous diseases, uses for the Itch the following ointment : Red precipitate, one ounce ; Venice turpentine, half ounce ; simple cerate or liusalted butter, one quarter pound. Even tetterous affections are often readily cured, by the application o^ this ointment. Hiccough Is generally of such a trivial nature as not to require in- terference. But should it be severe, give four or five grains of calcined magnesia, with a little syrup, and anise-seed water. Hiccough may generally be traced to over-eating. . Scarlet Fever Is one of those diseases that are very much dreaded when they make theit appearance in the household, though it is by no means so fatal as is generally supposed. With proper treatment and carefUl nursing there is really very little danger to be apprehended from scarlet fever, unless it be of the malignant type. In order to distinguish a cas6 6f scatktitia from other eruptive diseases, as measles, Effw 1} mm Till 666 HOME COMFORTS. erysipelas, eix;., a French physician has discoverfid a very simple method ; that is, by drawing the back of the nail or a penholder along the skin where the eruption is situated ; and if a white line appears, or, in other words, if the skin is observed to grow pale, and to present a waite trace which remains for one or two minutes or longer, then disappears, that is scarlatina. It was the opinion of Dr. Sydenham that scarlet fever is oftentimes fatal " through the officiousness of the doctor ; " and Dr. Chavasse says a truer remark was never made. The following plan of treatment has proved successful in so many cases, that, it is believed, if carefully observed, any ordinary case of scarlet fever may be cured by it and without leaving any ill consequences behind. 1. For the first five or six days, keep the room cool, thoroughly ventilated, and scant clothes on the bed. 2. Note carefully and warily when there is a change in the temperature of the skin, aud the patient feels chilly, then instantly close the windows and put extra covering on the bed 3. Apply to the throat a barm and oatmeal poultice, changed three times a day, and give every lour hours a tablespoonful of the following mixture : Diluted sulphuric acid 1 drachm. Simple syrup 1^ ounce. Infusion of roses (rose leaves and boil- ing water) 4^ ounces. [The sulphuric acid in the mixture. is regarded by some physicians as a specific in scarlet fever as much as quinine in ague.] 4. Administer no opening medicines for the first ten CHILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 667 days at least ; and no leeches, blisters, emetics, sponginga or painting the tonsils with caustic. 6. Keep the patient on a low diet for the first few days, but give cold water freely. 6. The patient must not leave the house in the summer Under a month ; in the winter under six weeks. [This is the plan of treatment recommendeu Dr. Clmvasse, of Birmingham, England, who has written a paper on the Treatment of Scarlet Fever, which has been widely copied into medical journals, and as he claims to have been remarkably successful in his treatment, and the subject is a very important one, we will give his directions in full. He says : Pray pay particular attention to my rules, and carry out my directions to the very letter — as 1 can promise you that if the scarlet fever be not malignant, the plan I am about to recommend will, with God's blessing, be generally suc- cessful. What is the first thing to be done ? Send the child to bed ; throw open the windows, be it winter or summer, and have a thorough ventilation ; for the bed-room miuii be kept cool — I may say cold. Do not be afraid of fresh air, for fresh air, for the first few days, is essential to recovery. Fresh air and plenty of it, in scarlet fever, is the best doctor a child can have; let these words be written legibly on your mind. Take down the curtains of the bed, remove the valance. If it be summer time, let the child be only covered with a sheet : if it be winter time, in addition to the sheet, he should have one blanket over him. Now for the Throat. — The best external application is a barm and oatmeal poultice. How ought it to be applied and how made? Put a half teacupful of barra into a Mucepan, put it on the fire to boil ; as soon as it boils take 1%, iff: 'i N M 11, mi 068 HOME COMFORTS. it off the fire, and stir oatmeal into it, until it is of the consistence of a nice soft poultice ; then jilace it on a rag and apply it to the throat; carefully fasten it on with bandage, two or three turns of the bandage going round the throat, and two or three over the crown of the head, so as nicely to apply the poultice where it is wanted — that is to say, to cover the tonsils. Tack the bandage ; do not pin it. Let the poultice be changed three times a day. The best medicine is the acidulated infusion of roses, sweetened with syrup : diluted sulphuric acid, one drachm ; simple syrup, one ounce and a half; infusion of roses, four ounces and a half; let the infusion of roses be made merely with the rose leaves and boiling water — a tablespoonful to be given every four houre. It is grateful and refreshing, it is pleasant to take, it abates fever and thirst, it cleans the throat and tongue of mucus and is peculiarly efficacious in scarlet fever ; as soon as the fever is abated it gives an appetite. My belief is that the sulphuric add in the mixture is a specif c in scarlet fevers as much as quinine is in ague, and sulphur in itch. I have reason to say so, for, in numerous cases, I have seen its immense value. Now with regard to food. — If the child be at the breast, keep him entirely to it. If he be weaned, and under two years old, give him milk and water and cold water to drink. If he be older, give him toast and water, and plain water from the pump, as much as he chooses ; let it be quite cold — the colder the better. Weak black tea, or thin gruel, may be given, but not caring, unless he be an infant at the breast, if he take nothing but cold water. If the child be two years old and upwards, roasted apples with sugar, and grapes will be very refresh- ing, and will tend to cleanse both the mouth and the throat. Avoid broths and stimulants of every kind. When the appetite returns you may consider the patient to be safe. The diet ought now to be gradually improved. Bread CBILDREN AND THEIR DISEASES. 669 and butter, milk and water, and arrow-root made with tqnffi parts of new milk and water, sliould for the first two or three days be given. Then a light batter or rioe pudding may be added, and in a few days afterward, either B little chicken or a mutton-chop. The essential remedies, then, in scarlet fever, are, for the first few days: (1) plenty of fresh yir and ventilation ; (2) plenty of cold water to drink ; (3) barm poultices to the throat; and (4) the acidulated infusion of roses' mixture as a mcdiciTie. Now, then, comes very important advice. After the first five days, probably five or six, sometimes as early as the fourth day, watch carefully and warily, and note the time the aldn will suddenly become cool, the child will say that he feels chilly ; now is the time you must change your tactics — instantly close the windows, and put extra clothing, a blanket or two, on his bed. A flannel night-gown should be now worn next to the skin, until the dead skin has peeled off, when it should be discontinued. The patient ought, however, to wear in the daytime a flannel waistcoat. His drinks must now be given with the chill off; he ought to have a warm cup of tea, and gradually his diet should, as I have previously recommended, be improved. There is one important caution I wish to impress upon you : do not give opening medicine during tiie time the eruption is out. In all probability the bowels will be opened ; if so, all well and good ; but do not, on any account, for the first ten days, use artificial means to open them. It is my firm conviction, that the administration of purgatives in scarlet fever is a fruitful source of dropsy, of disease, and death. When we take into consideration the sympathy there is between the skin and the mucous membrane, I think that we should pause before giving irritating medicines, suc^ as purgatives. WM •70 HOME COMFORTS. n '' i'4 The Irritation of aperients on the mucous membrane may cause the poison of the skin disease (for scarlet fever is a blood poison) to be driven internally to the kidneys, to the throat, to the pericardium (bag of the heart), or to the brain. You may say. Do you not purge If the bowels be not open for a week? I say emphatically. No! I con- sider my great success in the treatment of scarlet fever to be partly owing to my avoidance of aperients during the first ten days of the child's illness. If the bowels, after the ten days, are not properly oj^ened, a dose or two of the following mixture should be given : take of simple syrup, three drachms ; essence of senna, nine drachms : to make a mixture. Two teaspoonfuls to be given early in the morning occasionally, and to be repeated In four hours, if the first dose should not operate.] These directions are plain, practical and based upon ex- tensive experience in the treatment of scarlet fever ; but . there Is one thing omitted, which physicians in Philadel- phia regard as very important — and that Is, to anoint the body all over, two or three times daily, with some fatty substance, as bacon or ham fat. This allays irritability, and is found to be very beneficial to the patient. The late Simon Gartland, of Philadelphia, was in the habit, for many years, of distributing the following direc- tions for use in cases of scarlet fever and typhus fever, and said he never knew a death to occur when they were followed : Put one peck of charcoal In a furnace and bum the gas ofi" in the open air ; take it to the sick-room, and sprinkle over it gradually about five pounds of common brown sugar ; then sprinkle over this one gallon of cider vinegar. It should be tried every day for three days to make it effec- tual. Of courite medical advice is required besides. brane may fever is a eys, to the or to the bowels be o ! I con- et fever to luring the wels, after two of the iple syrup, ; : to make rly in the : hours, if d upon ex- fever; but, a Philadel- anoint the some fatty irritability, • was in the iring direc- phus fever, I they were the gas off rinkle over wn sugar; inegar. It ke it effec- des. CHAPTER XVI. SLEEP AND ITS APPLIANCES. '^ The real cause of sleep has been a matter of much guessing and speculation with medical men, and even very learned philosophers have (llsngrced in opinion on the subject. Napoleon, whose genius seemed capable of Bei>;ing every subject of contemplation with giant grasp, re- marked, while distinguishing between sleep and death, that sleep was the suspension of the voluntary powers of man, and death was the suspension of those that were tnt)o/it?itory."— Dr. Qunn. I F all medicines for the cure of most of life's ailments, the best is sleep. It is what Shakspeare called it, " The death of each day's life, sore labor's bath, Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course^ Chief nourisher in life's feast." One-third of nearly every man's life is spent in sleep ; and to many of the busy dwellers in cities, home hafi no other meaning than a place in which to sleep. Proper Time to Sleep, In former times, it was supposed that six hours passed in sleep were sufficient to recruit the wasted powers of man; but modern physiologists think eight hours little enough for the majority of grown-up persons, especially those whose nervous waste is great, whether occasioned by anxieties in business or study. Children should be allowed a larger quantity of sleep than adults, in proportion to their 671 873 HOME COMFORTS. I'.ii i'i ^ if! !- youth. Up to six or seven years of nge, tlioy require, in winter, twelve hours; in summer, an hour less. From this age to fourteen or sixteen, nine or ten hours may be allowed ; and so, gradually diminishing to the eight hours, as above stated. Women are supposed to require more sleep than men. This is only partly true. Those who have the cares of a family, perhaps the duties of child-bearing and nursing in addition to the routine of the household to undergo, may take an hour extra with advantage; but ladies in society, and young females employed in indoor labor, frequently require less sleep than men. As so much of our short lives is passed in bed, it be- comes an important question for thrifty housekeepers to know what kind of bed is best. There are writers on hygiene who argue that to be healthy, a man should live on " hard tack," and sleep on the soft side of a plank ; but the weight of authority is altogether in favor of r / Luxurious Eedsi In former times it was considered a great luxury to possess a feather bed, and a straw tick laid upon a net- work of cords ; but of late years, feathers have fallen into diftfavor ; though Dr. Strange, of I^ondon, still thinks that the best bed that can be devised is a moderately-soft feather bed, placed over a hair mattress in winter, and under it in summer. But in cities, feathers are now nearly iliscarded, and mattresses filled with wool, hair ot other materials are substituted in their stead. A good wool mattress is at once the most costly and the most desirable for all seasons. Curled hair ranks next to wool or down, and is the substance of which most first-class ■beds are made. JTiisks, palm-leaf, and oak-splits, make beds which are about alike iu soilness, and all equally whole- SLEEP AND ITS APPLIANCES. 678 HODie and durably. Spanish mntm, which grows in U)ng fcHtoons upon most of the trees in extensive forests in the Southern StiitoH, iimkes a better mattress, if well prepared, than poor hair. For lower mattresses, corn hnnh, Ocr^ vum ffrn88, and hcecli Icdvcn, are a very clean and durable material. Probably there is no material which makes so economical and at the same time so comfortable a bed as husks, or " shucks," as they are sometimes culled. They have also the advantage of being very easily obtained ; so that almost every housekcei)er in the country can prepare and make her own bcids at a very small expense. Lyman says, "the labor of children ni;iy be successfully employed in sorting and splitting the shucks, and removing all ends and fragments of the stalk that are found adhering. A mattress needle may be purchased for twenty-five centa. The cost of ten yards of ticking is from three to five dol- lars, according to quality; so that by labor that would otherwise be unproductive, or nearly so, and an expendi- ture of about five dollars, almost any housekeeper can readily produce a maj;tress comfortable, durable, new, fresh and wholesome." It must be admitted, however, that only wool and hair mattresses make an entirely comfortable bed without either springs beneath them or a softer substance above. The ordinary spiral coils, which make the best springs, may be obtained at any upholstery establishment, for about seventy- five cents a dozen, and five dozen are sufficient for the longest bed. A person moderately skilled in the use of tools can bore the holes, and fasten them to the slats of an ordinary bedstead. With proper usage, these springs will last a lifetime. 43 e74 HOME COMFORTS, m m If; ' j i' i 1,:. ,., J Best Oovering for Beds. The value of bed-clotljing (IcikiikIs more on the quality than the quantity oi the articles UHed. The most eatisfac-^ tory covering for a bed in cold weather is a double rose- blanket, thick and warm. No other substance will com- pare with fine wool, or comforter of down, in the property of retaining warmth, and of feeling light and agreeable. Blankets, however, to be comfortable and wholesome, must be frequently exposed to fresh air. Even those made of the finest wool, if constantly used, without careful airing, will cease to be the luxurious covering that they are when new. When washed, they should be dried as rapidly as possible, and the nap raised by going over them with a fine and short tootfied wool card. By this means the newness of feeling may be retained in blankets and other woollens, as long as they are worn, and their warmth greatly increased. With regard to sheets, the preference that so many housekeepers show for linen sheets rather than cotton is not, in the opinion of philosophical writers, supported by sound rules of health. Sheets of fine bleached cotton, cost- ing not half as much as fine linen, are more comfortable in cool weather, nearly as much so in warm ; are washed and ironed with greater facility, and are wholly unobjec- tionable on sanitary considerations. Linen retains its whiteness longer than cotton, is somewhat more durable, and in the hottest weather is cool and soothing to the touch. But for pillow-slips, linen is decidedly, and at all times, preferable to muslin, being whiter, pleasanter to the touch, smoother and more lasting. When sheets are perfectly dried and laid away for the ironing table, if sprigs of lavender or some other pleasant SLEEP AND ITS ArVLIANCES. 075 lie quality^ it satisfac- uble ro8c- will coin- j property agreeable, irholesomo, Iven those »ut careful that they s dried as going over- By this n blankets and their 80 many 1 cotton is >ported by otton, cost- omfortable- are washed ly unobjec- retains its re durable, ling to the , and at all inter to the «ray for the ler pleasant perfume, as little |)erfurne-bag8 of powderod <»rris-root, arc Ijiid between the folds, the luxury of tiie bed will be very much increased. Some writers on hygiene thinly horse-hair pillows much more conducive to health than feathers, especially for chil- dren, as they keep the head cooler. How to Ventilate Sleeping ApartmentSi So soon as the occupants have left the room, the bed- clothes should be entirely removed from the bed, and hung upon a clothes-horse or the backs of chairs, the bed shaken up, and all curtains, if used, drawn closely to the bedposts. The windows should then be opened both at top and at bottom. Dr. Strange, in his treatise on health, says : " I find in warm weather, healthy people wish to dress with the windows open, to enjoy the invigorating breeze : this should not be done until the proper amount of friction shall have braced the relaxed skin." The windows should remain open in summer, or in very fine weather, until a little before sunset; in very sultry wea- ther some outside air may be admitted all night. In winter and early spring, windows should remain open until a little after midday ^ when the warmth of the air is greatest, and then close;ht side than the left ; for " then the stomach is very much in the position of a bottle turned upside-down, and the oontonts are aided in passing out by gravitation. If one goes to sleep on the left side, the operation of emptying the stomach of its contents is more like drawing water from a well. After going to sleep, let the body take its own posi- tion. If you sleep on your back, especially soon after a hearty meal, the weight of the digestive organs and that of the food, resting on the great vein of the body near the back-bone, compresses it and arrests the flow of the blood more or less. If the arrest is partial, the sleep is dis- turbed, and there are unpleasant dreams. If the meal is more recent or hearty, the arrest is more decided, and the various sensations, such as falling over a precipice or the pursuit of a wild beast, or what is commonly called * night- mare,' attacks us ; and the desperate effort to get rid of it arouses the sleeper." Fourthly. The condition of the body exercises a great influence, '^'^her good or evil, upon the chances of obtain- ing sleep. When the feet are cold or damp on going to bed, a refreshing sleep is impossible; therefore it is a good plan to spend a few minutes, before going to bed, in dry- ing and heating the feet before the fire, with the stockings off. Indians and hunters, it has been observed, always sleep with their feet towards the camp fire. The conditicm of the stomach, also, has a great effect upon the quality of the sleep. When the food is not being properly digested, the sleep will be disturbed ; and some physiologists recommend that persons should not try to sleep until digestion has been completed. But too long a time since the last food was taken should not bo allowed tf) elapse before bed-time, or the want of sustenance in the N ^ 678 HOME COMFORTS. system will cause, especially in weakly persons, a feeling of exhaustion and sinking, which is antagonistic to sleep. Many persons rest better after taking a little supper a short time before going to bed. Dr. Strange recommends a cup of cocoa, with bread and butter, or a cupful of arrow- root with a tablespoonful of brandy in it, to divert the blood from the brain to the stomach. Mr. Buckland, the son of the author of the " Bridge- port Treatise," has given this subject considerable atten- tion, and is in favor of sleeping after eating. He says *' I have no hesitation in saying that the proper thing to do is to go to sleep immediately (or at least very soon) after the meal of the day. All animals always go to sleep, if they are not disturbed, after eating. This is especially noticeable in dogs ; and the great John Hunter showed by an experiment that digestion went on during sleep more than when the animal was awake and going about. This is his experiment : He took two dogs and gave them both the same quantity of food. One of them was then allowed to go to sleep ; the other was taken out hunting. At the end of three or four hours, he killed both these dogs. The food in the stomach of the dog which had been asleep was quite digested ; in that of the one which had been hunting the food was not digested at all. This fact, I think, shows the advisability of going to ii^leep immediately aft«r eating." He condemns both tea and coifee as evening drinks ; for they stimulate the brain, and are therefore unfavorable to rest, though he admits they " actually send some people into sound slumber." If the brain be overexcited by amusement, or important business transacted in heated apartments, a stroll for a half hour or more in the cool air will often calm the nerves and promote sleep. Mi; , SLEEP AND ITS APPLIANCES. 679 Professor Terrier, of King's College, -London, who has made the phenomena of sleep a special study, recently said in a lecture thereon, that anything which has a tendency to abstract blood from the brain favors sleep. Exercise does this, because the moment the weary muscles are at rest the blood rushes to them to repair their loss, and is absorbed by them. Digestion and hot drinks produce the same result by drawing the blood supply from the brain to the stomach. Conversely, anything that stimulates the brain, such as sights, sounds, thought or anxiety, will keep a man awake. If we, therefore, wish for a refreshing slumber, we must begin by avoiding care and anxiety and take sufficient bodily exercise to induce the necessary mus- cular exhaustion. Fifthly, with regard to the use of narcotics, it may be said, generally, that they should be used sparingly, or only with the concurrence of a physician. One of the best medicines for this purpose is the syrup of lactucarium ; though sometimes the eflFect is produced by Hoffmanns anodyne. Hop tea is unobjectionable, and sleep may be procured by laying the head on a hop-pillow, made from hops heated and sprinkled with alcohol. Onions are also soporific in their nature. Mr. Buckland, already quoted, remarks: "I now venture to suggest a new but simple remedy for want of sleep. Opiates in any form, even the liquor opii 8edcU., and chloroform, will leave traces of their influence the next morning. I therefore prescribe for myself — and have frequently done so for others — onions ; simply common onions raw, but Spanish onions stewed will do. Everybody knows the taste of onions : this is due to a peculiar essential oil contained in this most valuable and healthy root. This oil has, I am sure, highly soporific powers. In my own case they never fail. If I am much pressed with HOME COMFORTS. work, and feel I shall not sleep, I eat two or three small onions, and the effect is magical. Onions are also excellent things to eat when much exposed to intense cold." Franklin's Art of Procuring Sleep. When you are awakened by uneasiness, and find you cannot easily sleep again, get out of bed, beat up and turn your pillow, shake the bedclothes well with at least twenty shakes ; then throw the bed open and leave it to cool, in the mean while continuing undressed; walk about your chaml)er, till your skin has had time to discharge its load, wliicli it will do sooner as the air may be drier and colder. When you begin to feel the cokl air unpleasant, then re- turn to your bed and you will soon fall asleep, and your sleep will be sweet and pleasant. All the scenes presented by your fancy will be of a pleasing kind. I am often as agreeably entertained with them as by the scenery of an opera. If you happen to be too indolent to get out of bed, you may, instead of it, lift up your bedclothes so as to draw in a good deal of fresh air, and, by letting them fall, force it out again. This, repeated twenty times, will so clear them of the perspirable matter they have imbibed as to permit your sleeping well afterward. But the latter method is not equal to the former. Those who do not love trouble, and can afford to have two beds, will find great luxury in rising when they wake in a hot bed and going into a cool one. Such shifting of beds would be of great service to persons ill in fever, as it refreshes and frequently procures sleep. A very large bed that will admit a removal so distant from the first situa- tion as to be cool and sweet, may, in a degree, answer the same end. These are the rules of the art j and observing them, and SLEEP AND ITS APPLIANCES. 681 maintaining a conscience void of offence, one may realize "that to be able to lie down at nights and fall to 8lc(M> within ten minutes, and to know no dream or waking until morning comes ; and then to bound out of bed, full of health, I'reshness and good humor, is a blessing well worthy the warmest outgushings of a thankful heart towards Him who giveth us all things richly to enjoy." ^^K!m^ ■■^/t^' f Si'"! , m — ^— 1, ^ CHAPTER XVII. THE ART OP PROLONGING LIFE. "Acute theologistd have shown tliat the chronology of the early ages was not the same as that used at present. Some, particularly Hensler, have proved, with the highest probability, that the year till the time of Abraham consisted only of three months ; that it was afterwards ex- tended to eight ; and that it was not till the time of Joseph that it was made to consist of twelve. These assertions are, in a certain degree, •confirmed by some of the eastern nations, who still reckon only tliree months to the year ; and besides, it would be altogether inexplicable why the life of man should have been shortened one-half immediately after the flood. It would be equally inexplicable why the patriarchs •did not marry till their sixtieth, seventieth, and even hundredth year ; but this difficulty vanishes when we reckon these ages according to the before-nientioned standard, which will give the twentieth or thirtieth jear ; and consequently, the same periods at which people marry at present. The whole, therefore, according to this explanation, assumes a different appearance. The sixteen hundred years before the flood will become four hundred and fourteen ; and the nine hundred years (the highest record) which Methuselah lived, will be reduced to two hun- •dred, — an age which is not impossible, and to which some men in Tnodern times have nearly approached." — Db. Hufeland. » J "ROM the earliest ages, men have sought to discover ' some means by which death may be averted and life may be prolonged. The favorite prescription of the old Egyptian physicians to remove disorders from the human system was a frequent emetic and to keep up perspira- tion. " So general was this idea, that it became a custom among the people to address each other with * How do you 682 THE ART OF PROLONQINQ LIFE. 683 ne men in «weat?' instead of 'How do you do?' The degree of perspiration was supposed to indicate the state or degree ■of health." In Greece and Rome, the physicians prescribed pills and balsams, and the philosophers wrote in favor of gymnastics, bathing, bodily friction, and temperance in eating and drinking, as the best means of preserving health and prolonging life. Among the empirical ideas that have from time to time had their advocates, was the belief that there are fountains in some parts of the world that will renew the youth of those who bathe in their waters. One of these was located in the island of Negropont, in the Grecian Archipelago ; another at Lefucaya, in Peru ; and Ponce de licon reported that he had discovered one of these priceless fountains in Florida. In order to relieve persons from the necessity •of travelling to foreign countries to enjoy these waters, physicians at different times have announced that they had compounded some wonderful preparation from min- -eral, vegetable and animal substances, as the Stone of Fire, the Quintessence of Ambergris and the Essence of Vipers — which, if taken as they direct, would re-establish broken •constitutions, purify the blood, substitute new spirits, re- animate those which were exhausted ; in short, restore youth tind give immortality. Paracelsus boasted that by his "" Mercury of Life " it was as easy for him to metamor- phose an old man into a young one, as to change iron into gold ; and yet the very man who promised to prolong the life of others died at the early age of thirty-seven. i^- \ The average period of human life has considerably de- clined since the days of Noah, when, and for several cen- turies after, it was reckoned at 120 years; but there are "well-authenticated instances of individuals in modern t K84 HOME COMFORTS. times, who livod more than six-score years. In Great Britain there are records containing the names of over fifty persons who lived to be centenarians, some of them by no means models of sobriety and abstemiousness, quite the contrary; and at least three of them lived for one hundred and fifty and more years. Francis Confit, a native of Yorkshire, England, lived to be one hundred and filly years old, and retained his senses to the last. No extended notice of his life has been written, but it appears that he was temperate in his living, that he used a great deal of exercise, and ate largely of raw new-laid eggs. Old Thomas Parr was one of the most notable in-- stances of longevity in English history. He was born in 1483, and died in 1635, in the one hundred and fifty- second year of his age. He was first married when he was eighty-eight, and again at the age of one hundred and twenty; and when he was one hundred and forty-five, he •was able to run races, thrash out grain, and accomplish almost any kind of laborious work. He was accustomed to eat at night as well as in the daytime, but always of the plainest food. His body was covered with hair; and of him it Avas written : ; ' .' ^'' ' ' ' ' : ; f, " From head to heel, his hody had all over, A quick set, thick set, nat'ral hairy cover." Henry Jenkins, though less known than Parr, it aj)- pears was the longest-lived Englishman of whom there is any reliable record. He was born in Yorkshire, on the 17th of May, 1500, and died in 1670, in his one hundred and seventieth year. He was the son of a market gar- dener, and in his early years assisted his father as a fruit- grower. He rose early, drank a half pint of water every THE ART OF I'ltOLONGlNO LIFE. »8d ; r. niomiii^ before breakfiist, uiul lived simply; liis food consistiiif^ principally of eold moats and salads. Following tiie directions of his mother, he always continued the use of flannel and warm clothing which had been eonnnonced in infancy. When hops were introduced into England from Flanders, he became interested in the manufiicture of beer, and drank a moderate portion of that beverage every day. In his youth he was crossed or disappointed in a love- affair, which gav- ijim a distaste for marriage, but not for ■the fair sex ; for it is recorded, that in his hundredth year he became involved in a " woman scnipe," for which he was severely lectured by the minister of the parish, " and nothing but his age excused him from doing penance." When Jenkins was in his hundred and sixtieth year, Charles II. heard of him, and sent a carriage to convey him to London. He, however, declined the carriage, though he accepted the invitation, and actually walked to the metropolis in easy stages — a distance of two hundred miles. On his arrival in London, he was introduced to the King, and by him to the Queen, who, among other questions, asked him, " Well, my good man, may I ask of you, what you have done in the long period oi life granted you, more than any other man of shorter longevity?" The old man, looking the Queen in the face, with a low bow, naively replied, " Indeed, madam, I know of nothing greater than becoming a father when I was over a hundred years old." He was allowed a pension, which he enjoyed the remainder of his life. It is a remarkable circumstance that very little addition has been made to our knowledge of the best means of pre- r«erving health and prolonging life, by modern discoveries ; ttl 086 HOME COMFORTS. V and that some of the best books on the subject are more- than a century old. One of the early writer on health and regimen was CoMlERS, a learned Italian, who obligen healtU o obligoil some of ly be im-- the Bodj ink cing seTcraC Juicea hurt. I first DigefK the Salival \ry, fat afteif may be cort in the leant p r of catching warmed, and t of the winr ; out of the the Stomach sd from Fer- • our though tfr ose who UR^ nd (what i? "Winter, and )thB to ezeite- n, and walk in the open Air, to reanimate the nutuml Heat, loaded with too much nutritive Juice. Diet nn«l Sweating are a Hpeciea of univenul Medicine, capable of pre- Hervingluur bodiefl,and toacertinent to the subject. Its English editor, Krasmus Wilson, remarks : " The reader will be struck with the little real progress which has been made in the science of living, during more than half a century since the original work was first written." A brief digest of this important treatise will appropriately close this volume. What Shortens Life. In the first place, in order to prolong life, it is necessary to avoid all those things that tend to shorten life. Of these the principal are, Delicate nursing and treatment in infancy y as keeping the infant from every breath of air, burying it in pillows and blankets, and at the same time stuffing it with food ; physical excess in yoiUh, especially indulgence in physical love at an immature age ; overstrained exertion of the mental faculties, as thinking hard, and neglecting bodily exercise, or curtailing sleep ; using artificial means to stimulate the mind, as wine, coffee, and snuff; studying in a confined .air and in a bent posture (students should accustom themselves to study lying down, standing, walk- ing, not always in the closet, but sometimes in the open air) ; diseaseSf and the injudicious manner of treating them, as y U8H HOME CO MFC) UTS. taking food when thore is no upixtito, and Htimuluting (IriiilvH ill fevLTiwli (.lisordtTH ; cxtihidiiig tho uir in .scarlet fiiverund eiinall-pox; neglecting rt)itlH ; and eHpeeiuily neg- lecting to regulate the bowels, which is the cause of three- lourthn of all the aihnentH that afflict hunumity; mpure air ; eatinrf too muc/ty aiul wiprojterlt/, an eating until one experienccH a heaviness or fuUneHH of the .stomach, yawning, and confusion of the head ; and eating highly-.spicod or highly-concentrated food, and drinking .spirituous li(|Uor.s; fear, Jis fear of thunder, Icar of ghosts, and fear of death ; idleness, inactivity and hnujuor ; no idler ever attained to a great age, and regular cniploynicnt is liivorable to health ; overstrained power of the imagination, as constant lear and dread of diseases, by reading of their symptoms or indul- gence in imaginary .sorrows from reading scntimentiU nov- .els; exposure to poisons and infectious diseases; and, lastly, engraftimj old age mi youth, by wasting the vital power profusely, by exposure to great fatigue early in life, as taking long journeys, continual dancing, sitting up all night, or by indulging in care, fear and sorrow, and especially by attempting to harden the organs by means of cold bathing, indulged in frequently and for a long time in cold water. " Nothing," says Dr. Hufeland, " can be more proper to produce every symptom of age," * • What Prolongs Lifoi . , : Secondly, in order to prolong life, it is necessary to adopt those means and observe those precautions which promote health and physical vigor. Of these, the principal are proper care, nursing and feeding in infancy ; an active aiul laborious youth free from indulgences that weaken the system ; a happy marriage ; not less than six nor more than eight hours sleep in well-ventilated apartments, free from THE ART OF PROLONGING LIFE. 689 poisonous exhalations, whether of plants or of animals ; exercise in the free air ; occusional joumetfa anil excurmoint, avoiding travelling in the night-time ; cleanliness and care of the skiny wrtwhing m (-old water frccjucntly, taking tepid baths occasionally, and sea-baths when practicable; and wearing flannel next the skin the greater part of the year ; UHing proper food in moderation, iim\ preserving the teeth to chew it well ; cultivating a contented, hopeful, even joyful, disposition; guarding against diseases, especially tlioso to whi(!h one is constitutionally disposed ; and a knowledge of the proper remedies to jmj)loy in case of danger of sudden death, as from drowning, suifocation, poisoning or being struck by lightning. . . What to do in Oases of Suffocation. In all cases of danger of death from suffocation, as drowning or hanging, be as expeditious as poasible to draw the body from the water or to cut the rope ; in a word, to remove the cause of death. This alone is sufficient to save the unfortunate person, if it be done speedily ; but atten- tion to that point is too much neglected. 2d. The body should be immediately stripped, and every endeavor should be made as speedily as possible to excite in it a general warmth. Heat is the first and most general stimulus of life. The same means which Nature employs to quicken life in the beginning are also the most power- ful to restore animation. The best thing for that purpose is the tepid bath ; but if this cannot be had, the patient may be covered with warm sand, ashes, or thick blankets in a bed ; and hot stones should be applied to various parts of the body. Without these means, all others will be of little avail ; and it is much better to warm thoroughly persons apparently dead^ than to use cupping, 44 iS •■m- 090 HOME COMFORTS, m: r A'l ll .(. frictiou or the like, and at the same time to suffer them to> become stiff with cold. 3d. To convey air into the lungs is the next process in pc'nt of importance, and may be connected with the ex- citation of heat. It is, indeed, most beneficial when it is done with oxygen gas by means of a pipe and a pair of bellows. But in urgent cases, and to save precious time, it will be sufficient if one presses on the chest so as to expel the air which it contains, and then by its withdraw- ing the pressure, allows it to expand by its own elasticity, and thus fill the lungs with air. This should be done with regularity, so as to imitate ordinary breathing. 4th. Let fall now and then, from a certain height, drops of frigid water or wine on the pit of the stomach. This, sometimes } as given the first stimulus to restore the motion of the heart. 6th. Rub with a cloth or a flesh-brush the hands, soles of the feet, the belly and the back ; irritate the sensi- ble parts of the body, such as the soles of the feet and hollow of the hands, by friction with stimulating oils ; the nose and throat by means of a feather, or by holding to- the nostrils and dr'^pping on the tongue volatile spirit of ammonia, etc. 6th. As soon as signs of life begin to appear, pour a spoonful of good wire into the mouth; and when the patient swallows it, repeat the same thing often. cases of necessity brandy may be used, but mixed Vf .i two- thirds of water. To Kestore those Struck by Lightning. For those, who have been struck by lightnw^, the earth bath is to be recommended. The body may be either laid with the mouth open, against a spot of earth newly dug up,. THE ART OF PROLONGING LIFE mi or fresh earth may be scraped around it up to the neck. If these simple means, which every one can and ought to use in behalf of his fellow-man, when exposed to the danger of sudden death, be speedily employed, they will be of more service than anything science can suggest, if applied half an hour later ; and at any rate the intermediate time will not be entirely lost, and the feeble vital spark may be prevented from being totally extinguished. To Bestore those who have been Frozen. These require a mode of treatment entirely different ; for by warmth they would be destroyed altogether. Nothing further is to be done than to immerse them in snow up to the head ; or to place them in a bath of the coldest water that can be procured without being frozen. Then life will return of itself; and as soon as any signs of it appear, give the patients a little warm tea or wine, and put them to bed. Antidotes for Poisoning. The third class includes those who hav6 been poisoned. It is here to be observed, tha*: we are in possession of two invaluable remedies, says the doctor, which may be every- w^here found, and which require no previous acquaint- ance with medicine — I mean mUk and &il. By the help of these only, the most dreadful of all the kinds of poisoning, that by arsenic, has been cured. Both of them answer the principal object, which is to expel the poison or to destroy its power. Let persons, therefore, who have been poisoned^ drink as much milk as they can (if it in part comes up again, so much ihe better) ; and let them, every quarter of an hour, take a cup^u! P oil of any sort ; for it is all the same whether it be t .-v of linseed^ almonds, poppies, or 602 .1 > '. \ HOME COMFORTS. ;^'A' common oil. If it l)e known with certainty tiiat the poison is arsenic, corrosive sublimate, or any other metallic salt, dissolve soap in water, and let the patient swallow it. This will be sufficient till a physician arrive, and will often render his assistance unnecessary. Among the modern theories for the prolongation of human life, which have been advanced by modern writers, that seem worthy of attention, are those of Drs. Bostwick and Hall, and George Catlin. •• . * ' / HoM : Bostwick, of New York, has written a book to demonstrate that the cause of " Natural Death," or death from old age, is an obstructed circulation of the blood; and the direct cause of this obstruction is the pres- ence of earthy inorganic matter, derived originally from food and drink. His grand secret for preserving health, activity and life, therefore, is to diminish the necessity, so far as possible, for eating and drinking, and to select from different kinds of food those which contain the least solid earthy matter. According to his analysis of articles of diet, common table salt, Indian corn, spices, wheat flour, and beans, contain the largest proportion of the matter which ossifies and chokes up the system, while eggs, cheese, cabbage, and greens in general, turnips, carrots and onions contain very little ; and grapes, oranges, apples and fruits generally, scarcely any at all.* He thinks he has brought Jk HiUiilL^^,: , * Grapes are very conducive to health, not only in consequence of being free from earthy matter, " but they possess the power of thinning the blood and gently stimulating it and causing it to be sent through all i countless capillary vessels. And those who have never observed the fact will be surprised to be told, the aged whose hands and other parts of the body are much dried up will rapidly become soft, and the little vessels that have for years been closed will reappear, as also will the fine vessels of the cheeks again put on the hue of youth ; the appetite THE ART OF PIWLONQINQ LIFE. m'i forward facts that will prove incontcstably that in propor- tion as individuals, classes, or even nations, subsist upon aliment containing the smallest proportion of earthy elements, so do they prevent or retard the process of consoli- dation, maintain a state of health and activity, and prolong existence. ' "As long," he says, " as we can supply fuel to the fire and keep it free from the ashes, it will continue to burn. If this can be done for one hundred or a thou- sand ages, the fire will continue to warm and enliven for that period ; so, in the same manner, if we can supply the body with proper food, and keep it free from earthy matter — the ashes which choke it up — will it continue to live. Time, or the number of years, has nothing whatever to do with old age or death." The late Dr. Hall, of New York, laid great stress orf the posture of the human body in walking, as affecting the health and longevity of mankind. He says, walking with the head downward, or with a staff or cane, promotes a stooping position and brings on an appearance of old age prematurely, not only by the effects upon the structure of the spinal column, but by throwing the weight of the body on the chest, thus compressing the lungs, and diminishing their capability of receiving an adequate quantity of pure air, thus gradually purifying tlie blood less and less })erfectly, until the whole mass of it becomes imperfect, impure and diseased ; then slight causes carry a man to the grave. An absolute preventive of all this is an habitual, persistent attention to the following rules : Walk with the toes thrown outward. ' * will improve, the bowels will be- follow those who eat plentifully of come regular, elasticity of limb and good grapes. The old man will a more buoyant spirjt are sure to again become young i 094 JIOME COMFOllTiS. \ ' II. Walk with the cliiii slightly above the horizontal line, as if looking at the top of a man's hat in front of you, or at the eaves or roof of a house. Walk a good tlcal with your hands behind you. Sit with the lower portion of your spine pressed against the chair-back. George Catlin, who for many years resided among the Indian tribes, in North and South America, became so much impressed with the conviction that he had made an important discovery in the art of prolonging life, that he issued a pamphlet in scrij)t, entitled "The Breath of Life, a manugraph." He observed that Indian mothers, be- fore transferring their infants from the arms to the crib or plank, pressed the lips tightly together and placed under the head a small curved cushion or pillow just high enough to elevate or bow the head a little forward, so that the mouth would not fall open during sleep; thus establish- ing in infancy the habit of breathing through the nostrils. He ascertained that the Indian men, when they wished to express contempt for another, said he was a man who kept his mouth open.* He noticed that the Indians of all ages were exem])t from most of the diseases that afflict civilized humanity, especially asthma, bronchitis, quinsy, croup, and otlier throat and lung diseases, and had good teeth and w^ell-shaped mouths; and these consideratiors led him to reflect that the nostrils were made to convey air to the *A Sioux brave, who had gone out to fight a duel with liiiives, and no quarter, witli a Hudson Bay trader, who was physically hia superior, was asked, after a recon- ciliation had heen effected, whether he had not felt afraid of a wliite man who was so much stronger and larger than himself — replied : " I never fear harm from a man who don't keep his mouth shut, no matter how large or how strong he may be." THE ART OF PROLONGING LIFE. t)95 lungs which is their food, while the mouth was made to select and masticate food for the stomach. The more he reflected upon his discovery, the more he became convinced •of its importance, until he believed that if mankind would walk and sleep with their mouths shut, not only would snoring in a great measure be abolished, but consumption would become a comparatively rare disease, and men could walk unharmed through epidemics of cholera and yellow- fever. Finally, he says, " If I were to endeavor to be- queath to posterity the most important motto which human language can convey, it should be in three words — > ' Shut— YouB— MOUTH.'" There are, undoubtedly, the elements of important truths 'in these suggestions ; and thousands of men would greatly prolong their lives by keeping their towels open, their heads up, and their mouths shut, even if they did not ob- serve that other rule, which is, in sleeping the head should always be towards the north. How the Old may become Older. Passing on to those means by which people, alread' •old, may prolong their life. Dr. Hufeland prescribes the following rules : Ist. As the natural heat of the body decreases in old age, one must endeavor to support and increase it exter- nally as much as possible. Warm clothing, warm apart- ments and beds, heating nourishment, and, when it can be done, removal to a warmer climate, are all means, therefore, that contribute greatly to the prolongation of life. 2d. The food must be easy of digestion, rather fluid than solid; abundant in concentrated nourishment; and at the same time much more stimulating than would be I HOME COMFOUTS. advisable at an earlier period. Warm, strong, and well- seasoned soups are therefore beneficial to old age ; and also tender roast meat, nutritive vegetables, good nourishing beer, and, above all, oily generous wine, free from acid, earthy and wat^iry particles, etc., such as Tokay, Spanish, Cyprus and Cape wines. Wine of this kind is one of the most excellent stimulants of life, and that best suited to old age. It does not inflame, but nourishes and strengthens : it is milk for old people. ' 3d. The tepid bath is exceedingly well calculated to increase the natural heat, to promote excretion, particu- larly of the skin, and to lessen the aridity and stiffness of the whole frame. 4th. Guard against all violent evacuations, such as let- ting blood, unless when required by particular circum- stances; strong purging, exciting perspiration by too much heat, indulging in excesses of any kind. These exhaust the few powers still remaining, and increase aridity. 5th. People, with increasing years, should accustom themselves more and more to a certain order in all the vital operations. Eating, drinking, motion and rest, the evacuations and employment, must have their determined . periods and successions. Such mechanical order and regu- larity at this season of life may contribute greatly to the prolongation of it. 6th. The body, however, must have exercise, but not violent or exhausting. That which is rather passive will be the best, such as riding in a carnage, and frequent friction of the whole skin, for which sweet-scented and strong ointments may be employed with great advantage, in order to lessen the rigidity of the skin and to preserve it in a state of softness. Violent bodily shocks must in particular be avoided. THE ART OF PROLONGmG LIFE. 697 nd well- aiid also urishing )in acid, Spanish, le of the ed to old gthens : lated to partieu- ffness of h as let- circiira- 00 much exhaust accustom 1 all the rest, the terrained . nd regu- \y to the but not sive will frequent ited and vantage, preserve must iu 7th. A pleasant frame of mind, and agreeable employment for it, are also of uncommon utility; but violent passions, which disturb equanimity and which in old age may occasion instant death, ought to be avoided. That serenity and contentment which are excited by domestic felicity, by the pleasant review of a life spent not iu vain, and by a con- soling prospect of the future even on this side the grave, are the most salutary. The frame of mind best fitted and most beneficial to old age is that produced by intercourse with children and young people. Tlunr innocent pastimes and youthful frolics have something which tei.d, as it were, to renovate and revive. Hope, and extending our views of life, are especially valuable assistants for this purpose. New proposals, new plans and undertakings, which, how- ever, must be attended with nothing dangerous, or that can create uneasiness, in a word, the means of continuing life longer in idea, may even contribute something towards the physical ])rolongation of it. We find, therefore, that old people are impelled to this as if by internal instinct. They begin to build houses, to lay out gardens, etc., and seem in this little self-deception, by which they imagine they secure life, to find an uncommon degree of pleasure. Such is, in brief, an abstract or digest of the rules pro- scribed by doctors, for the prolongation of human existence. But there comes a time for all men, when the wisdom of the wisest philosophers and the skill of the most skilful physicians will avail nothing to prolong life. We may bar the doors for many years against the arch-enemy who rides on the passing bree/e and ** lurks in every flower," but sooner or later he effects an entrance into every habi- tation and robs every human being of what most persons would give all else that they possess to retain. What •098 HOME COMFORTS. Death is, except it be the permanent cessation of all tiie vital functions, the disintegration of the minute cells com- posing the human body, no one certainly knows ; and whether natural death be painless or the extremest agony, no one who has undergone the ordeal has ever returned to tell us (though the few who have been resuscitated, when almost dead, have described their last sensations of con- sciousness as delightful); but we do know, from the records of many death-beds, that a child-like faith in tiie promises of the gospel, a belief that the tomb is but a tunnel through which it is necessary to pass in order to reach the mansion in the skies prepared for us by our heavenly Father, will deprive death of its terrors and tlie grave of a victory. When the blood courses through the veins in riotous, vigorous health, we may indulge in tiic luxury of skepti- cism, we may propound questions that the most learned theologians cannot answer, and then mock at their per- plexity ; but when we see the giiostly finger beckoning to us from the farther shore of the mysterious river, we in- stinctively grasp at the hand of religion as the only pilot that can carry us safely over. So, dear reader, when the dread summons comes, as it will come sooner or later, may you have the consciousness not only that you have used this world wisely and contributed something for the com- fort of others, but that you have also secured a well- founded hope of happiness in the eternal world, and thus, ' " Sustained and soothed By an unfaltering trust, approach tliy grave Like one that wraps the drapery of his couch About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams." i' all the cells coni- 3W8; and est agony, iturned to tod, when 8 of con- ic records J promises A tiirough c mansion ather, will a victory, n riotous, of skepti- st learned their per- ikoning to er, we in- only pilot when the later, may have used r the com- d a well- and thus, INDEX. PARTI. J Id preparing thl« Index, the nnthnr had the asoiBtanco of William T. Carvcr, of Philudulpliiik, whoHo friuixlly aerviceii, reiiUnrHd wliilo thiH lxM)k was hrlii^; HtcriMitypud and Uiu wi'ltvr waii ill, murit aii ackuuwludgiueut Uiut should have buun made in tha Preface.] Acceptance, of bills, how made, 296 ; what amounts to an, 296. Account Books, for farmerH* use, 148. Accuracy, as a buainess habit, 74 ; in bookkeejjers and mechanics, 75, Adams, John Quincy, his punctuality, 73; his improvement of time, 128. Addison, on domestic young women, 88 ; on commercial nations, 180. Adulteration of merchandise, a moral wrong, 118; extent of, in gro- ceries, 233. Advertising, best methods for retailers, 217; what is judicious, 259; agencies for, 260. Advames, what are imprudent in commission merchants, 334; to chil- dren, should be noted in Will, 366. Age, proper, for marrying, 83; conflicting views on, 83. Agriculture, eulogy on, 138; in Great Britain, 139. See Farming. Agricultural implements, when should be sold at cost, 248. Amiability in women, 87 ; influence of marriage on, 87. Alterations in buildings, effect of, on insurance, 306 ; in notes or bills, 293 ; in checks, who must bear loss, 348. Animals, fancy, 143; what, farmers should buy, 143. ' Appropriation of payments, when there are diflerent accounts, 352. Aristotle on marriage, 83; on money, 192. ' Arithmetic, indispensable in business, 50 ; how to learn, without slate or pencil, 77 ; advantage of, to married women, 89. Articles of copartnership, when necessary, 96 ; what they should con- tain, 99 to 104. 699 700 INDEX. \ '. I. Aitor, John Jacob, hl« early life, 1*29; IiIh mercantile integrity, 130. Auction, buying gooilH at, 2'M. AuctioiieerH, priviU'gi^H of, 21'A ; rcHlrictiuna u|)on, 273, Average, general, meaning of, 318, Bacon, I^ord, value of Iuh pbilofiopliy, 35 ; remark of, on richen, 39 ; bow to work men, 175; on HpctTJi-nnikerM, 332. ISiiggage, carrierH* renponHibility for, 316. liunking, hafe limitM in, 188. Biink-notcH, payment in, when lawful, 344 ; cut in balvcH, 351, Hunkruptcy, law of, in England, 338 ; in United ^taleH, 339, Kaird, II. C, on money, 193. UargaiuH, morality of, how tcHted, 111. Barnum, P. T., Iuh art of money -getting, 134 to 137 ; hitt story of buying a Hofa, 330. lieauty, a loadntone, 219; when a diHadvantage in HaleHWomcti, 220. Bentham, on formation of liabitH, 70. BillH of ]-:xcbange, law of, 204 to 299. Bills of hading, what should be exprcHHcd in, 317. Bill of ParcelH, why it is important to exanune, 187, Blacksmith, the ideal, 155; (jualifications required by, 155. Bomlrt, points to be lookinl to before taking, 349. Bonaparte, bis love of matiiematicH, 52; early genius, 152; influence oQ. over his soldiers, 228. Boys, best recommendations for, GO ; country, get on fsister than city, 67. Brassey,' Thomas, his wonderful memory, 55; his treatment of workmen, 173; on diU'erence in efhciency of laborers, 177. Bricklayers, (|ualifioationH for, 154 ; dilli;rence in efficiency of, 177. Brokers, dcfmition of, 274 ; law relating to, 276. Brooks, Peter C, remark of, on giving away money, 38. Brougham, Lord, a punctual man, 73. Budgett, Samuel, why not a model merchant, 117 ; mode of dealing with his employees, 228. Rulwer, on wil' to labor, 124 ; on limits of speculation, 320. Burglars, best protection against, 208. Burritt, E^lihu, his mastery of languages, 127. Business Habits and Maxims, chapter on, 70 to 81. Business, failing in, chapter on, 329 to 342. Business is king, 33 ; how defined, 34 ; object of, 35 ; liow to establisL a new, 195. Butter, with what adulterated, 234. 'Ml nf2>MX, 701 to establisL Buxton, Folwell, on oiuTKy, 125. liUYINt* AND MKLMNO MKIKJII ANDIHK, chRl)ter« Oil, 18*2 to .'MK). BiiytTH, poiiitH for, 231 to 21.'l; cImructcriHtirB of iiiixifl, 232. By-bidding at unction, not allowable, 273. Calculation, diflbront ineaningH of, 70 ; iiow llie value of hont>Hty may be tt'Htcd by, 7'.». u Calhoiui, J. C, liiK babit^ of ntiidy, Vli\. (jupitai, rt-Hiilt of Having, 42; not antagoniHtiu to labor, 43; uniounl ru- qiiirud in farming, 142; proi)<)rtion to liabilitiuH in nuTcbandlK- ing, 1(S8; in banking, IHH. Carpentry, advantagoH of, um a trado, l')3; (lualKicutionH to excel in, ir)4. Cargo, rcHiKMiMlbility for damago to, 310. (JurrierH, conmion, rigbtH of, 312; wbo are, in law, 313. (Jbarter particH, rule in relation to, 274. CheclcH, eflect of dishonor of, 345 ; when nniHt be prcHented, 340 ; not ir'.tended for circnlation, 347 ; elieel of paying forge i. ,« •Commission merchants, see Factors. "'CuNHCiENCE IN BUSINESS, chapter on, 110 to 122. ,, j. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) V. /. .^ ^C '/ rA 1.0 I.I 1^128 US Mi Wik 1^ 1^ M 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" - ► V & /} 'e^. ■WA Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 i 702 INDEX. Contracts of sale, how construed, 199. Corn, great yields of, 160 ; what kinds to plant, 160. Concealnaent, eiliect of, on insurance, 303. Correspondence, bargains made by, 201 ; retracting offers in, 240 ; duty of factors in . fere nee to, 280. Cost, selling below, when wrong, 116. Country merchants, duties of, 244 to 252. Credit, proper view of, 120; as a charity, 246; how country merchants . can refuse without offence, 247 ; advantage of selling on short, 261 ; losses by selling on, 263 ; rule for merchants in giving, 263. Debts, Paying, chapter on, 343 to 353 ; in bank-notes, 304 ; in checks,, 340. Decision of character, a primary power, 56 ; Foster's work on, 57. Delivery of goods by sellers, 271 ; by carriers, 315. Devise, meaning of, 358 ; of lands acquired after Will was made, 364. Dickens, Charles, secret of his success, 124. Disease, external signs of constitutional, 86. Dishonesty, best safeguard against, 220. Dissolution of copartnerships, how effected, 105. Drafts, how distinguished from bills, 295. Drawing and design, knowledge of, always useful, 64. Dry-goods, a model store, 212 ; protection for dealers in, 216 ; losses of.. on remnants, 222; how to buy, 232; buying, at auction, 236. Dummies, use of, in dry -goods stores, 213, Dyspepsia, signs of, in the countenances of women, 86. I Economy, when a virtue, when a vice, 39 ; anecdote of, 78 ; false and true, 135. Education, best fob business men, chapter on, 49 to 69; self-edu- cation the best, 49 ; of women, 89. Embury, Peter, how he educated his boys, 61. Engravers on wood, who succeed best as, 156. Evarts, Jeremiah, a model of method, 72. Exercise, value of physical, 50. Executors, not bound to obey mere requests, 361 ; sometimes liable for costs, 365. ACTORS, definition of, 276 ; difference between, and brokers, 276 ; power of, to bind their principals, 276 ; duties of, 277 ; to obey instruc- tions, 279 ; insurance by, 302. \n jiKf in, 240 ; dutjr try merchants ing on short, ti giving, 203. 4; in checks,, on, 67. cnade, 364. 16; losses of.. ion, 236. r8; false and 69; self-edu- les liable for , 276 ; power obey instruc- INDEX. Toa. Failing in Business, chapter on, 329 to 342. Failures, statistics of, 185 ; causes of, considered, 329. False representations, in traffic, 119; effect of, on insurance, 303. False pretence, what amounts to a, 266. Farming, chapter on, 138 to 150. Fashion, changes of, how may be foreseen, 216. Fixtures, law of, 209 ; extravagant cost of, in retail stores, 211. Flour, if very white, not pure, 234. Foote, Lundy, how he became a millionnaire, 224. FoRWAKDiNG GoODS, chapter on, 312 to 319, Fox, Charles James, a painstaking man, 126. Franklin, Benjamin, business maxims of, 78 ; on marriage, 83 , on sun- light, 205. Friendship in trade, remarks on, 255. Furniture, insurance on, what is not included in, 309. Gas, in store-windows, 206. Girard, Stephen, anecdotes of, 129, 235. Gladstone, on improvement of time, 125, Good-will, meaning of, 203 ; rule for computing its value, 203. Greeley, Horace, prize essay on trade, 184 ; on credit by country mer- chants, 246 ; on advertising, 258. Grocers, competition between, 196 ; remedy for losses of, 214 ; hints to,. 216, 233. Guaranty, letters of, to be closely examined, 267 ; when continuing, 268 ; a model letter of, 269 ; must be in writing, 269 ; effect of change in firm on, 108. Habits of Business, chapter on, 70 to 81 ; how classified, 70. Hammers, the best, 180. Hams, trade in, 184. Happiness, elements of, 82. Hatter, anecdote v^f a London, 284, Health, in wives, important, 85 ; foundation of business success, 135. Heirs and assigns, effect of omitting in devise of land, 363. Hens, how to make lay all winter, 149, Honor, laws of, 47 ; penalty for violating, 47 ; Chalmers' eulogy of com- mercial, 47. Hops, speculating in, 323. ' . ' Hufeland, Dr., ideas of, on marriage, 85, •.;... Husbands, how they may preserve their wives' affections, 92. ' 704 INDEX. i-Ti Inuousemknts, effect of, 286; different kinds of, 287. Industry, value of, 71 ; Clarendon's eulogy of, 71. Insolvency, symptoms of approaching, 335. Insuring Goods, chapter on, 300 to 310. Insure, when commission merchants must, 235; when must seller insure goods sold, 272. Interest, the canker-worm of business, 189 ; on advancea. when allowa- ble, 282. Intoxication, effect of, on contracts, 198. Invoices, proper time for examining, 243. Irving, Washington, on married life, 82; on talent and eneriur. 124. Jesuits, the best teachers, 64. Jewa, a polite people, 58. Johnson, Samuel, on money making, 35 ; on marriage, 83. Jobbers. See Buying and Selling at Wholesale, 252. Kid Gloves a special manufacture, 180. Kindergarten system of education recommended, 64, King, James G., anecdote of, 190. Labor, the friend of capital, 43 ; difference in efficiency of, 161 : secret of combining, for profit, 171 ; true test of cost of, 176. Languages foreign, those most useful in business, 53. Law, Burke's eulogy of, 43 ; maxims in common, 45. Law-merchant, meaning of, 46. Lawyers, benefited by a business education, 64 ; mistakes of, in making their own wills, 355. Lawsuits, frequent origin of, in bad temper, 59. Lease, value of, in a retail business, 204 ; points to be looked at before taking, 208. Leading articles, selling, below cost to draw custom, 117. Legacies, when void for uncertainty, 360 ; in codicils, 366. Libraries, in coimting-rooms and banks recommended, 256. Liens, of sellers on goods sold, 271 ; of factors for advances, 282. " . Lightning, not fire, 310 ; carriers not responsible for loss by, 314. Liquors, indiscriminate sale in country stores condemned, 249 ; dangers of indulgence in, 331. Limited partnerships, care necessary in forming, 103. Limitation, statute of, 199 ; where it prevails, 200 ; in relation tr notes and bills, 299. • ' » ■ • - - • : iiffiiiiin' I \ ft seller insure ^hen allowa- eriEy. J 24, f, 161 : secret •f, in making ed at before 282. ,314. 49; dangers ion trnotesi INDEX. Love, conjugal, where phrenologists locate the organ of, 90. 705 Machinist, qnalifications necessary to tecome a skilful, 155. Mansfield, Lord, story of, 355. Manufacturing, chapter on, 164. Manufactory, a model, in New England, 175. Manures, a Quaker's ideas on, 136; proper management of, 145. • Makriaoe and the choice op a wife, chapter on, 82 to 93. Mathematics, utility of, 52 ; successful men generally excel in, 53. Maxims, common law, 45 ; true by every test, 79 ; Franklin's, for success in business, 80. McDonough, John, his rules for making money, 131. Mechanics, deficie.it in punctuality, 74 ; why some succeed, 159 ; great lesson all should learn, 162. Memory, cultivation of, 55 ; disadvantage of a defective, 56. Merchandise, buying and selling, 182 ; secret of a successful trade in, 187. Merchants, compared to great lakes, 40 ; perseverance of, 75 ; classifica- tion of, 193 ; why interested in diffusing intelligence, 201 ; duties of country, 244. Method, value of, in business, 72 ; compared to packing goods in boxes, 72. Miller, Hugh, how he studied, 127. Milton, his habits of study, 123. * Money, love of, 36 ; true use of, 37 ; how to leach children value of, 60 ; compared to fire, 189; does not exist by nature, 192; different views of, 193 ; best investment of, 343 ; if lost in mail, 351. Moral Laws, meaning of, 44 ; Justinian's summary of, 44 ; superior to all laws, 44; how learned, 110. Moral Philosophy, rule in, for interpreting contracts. 111, Mortgages, on property devised by will, 363. Morrell, Daniel J., on rail making, 134. Municipal Law, as defined by Blackstone, 44. Murray, John, Jr., anecdote of, 78. ' Nasmyth, James, his receipt for success, 133 ; his first wages, 158. Needle's eye, meaning of, 38. Newspapers, advertising in, 218 ; support due to, by country merchant'^ 250. Notes, Promissory, law relating to, 284 ; accommodation, governed by same rules, 289 ; how to calculate when due, 289 ; effect if taken for previous debts, 350. 45 706 INDEX. Offers, points in acceptance and rejection of, 240. Ofi'setfl, law of, 351. Overweight, loss of grocers by, 214. Parliament, British, a factory for making laws, 332. Partnerships, Business, chapter on, 94 to 109. Payment, when good, 344 ; appropriation of, among different accounts, 352. Penmanship, good, made a merchant's fortune, 51. Perseverance, illustration of, 75 ; a valuable business habit, 75. Phrenology, professedly a guide in marriage, 91 ; in learning trades, 152. Philadelphia, changes in firms in twenty-five years, 187. Plumbing and Gas Fitting, qualifications for, 154, Politeness, advantages of, 58 ; an essential qualification in salesmen, 224. Price, fair, origin of, 34; market, meant in absence of agreement, 112; what is a sound price, 113 ; beating down, when allowable, 114, 234 ; what regulates, 178 ; one price the most satisfactory, 234. Property, accumulation of, morally right, 35 ; when detrimental, 36. Protest, of notes or bills, when necessary, 292 ; meaning of supra proUtt, 298 ; damages for, of bills of exchange, 298 ; how notice of, may be waived, 293. Puffing, when allowable, 121. Punctuality, as a business habit, 73 ; mechanics deficient in, 74. Punctuation, value of, illustrated, 51. Puts and Calls explained, 327. ,. ■ ■ Bandolfh, John, his idea of the philosopher's stone, 246. Beading, happiness in taste for, 69. . Beceipts, not conclusive evidence of payment, 352. Belease, by creditors, 119 ; necessary in assigning partner's interest, 107 ; effect of, on joint makers of notes, 294 ; under seal only conclusive evidence of payment, 352. Bemnants, how to avoid loss on, 222. Bent, origin of, 42 ; should cease when premises are destroyed, 210. Betail -s, points for, 203 ; great secret of their success, 229 Bicardo, his rules for speculating in stocks, 325. Biches, accumulation of, interdicted, 39; Locke's definition of, 41. Bothschild, maxims of, 129 ; his advice to a brewer, 181. Salesmen, what constitutes ability in, 221 ; creed of good, 225 ; anec- dot<»t of London, 224 ; importance of, in wholesale trade, 253. * INDEX. 707 €nt accounts, 75. g trades, 152. ilesmen, 224. eement, 112; lowable, 114, tory, 234. jntal, 36. supra protest, otice of, may 74. intereet, 107 ; \y concluBi?e red, 210. of, 41. i, 225 ; aneo- ade, 253. Saleawomen, how to choose, 219; when beauty in, not an advantage, 220. Salvage, legal meaning of, 318. Sample, what coHHtituteH a sale by, 238. Sample cards, advantages of, 213. Seal, effect of, on proiuitwory notes, 287 ; different kinds of, 349. ' Selling goods at v^holksale, chapter on, 252 to 272. Senses, cultivation of, 64 ; expertness of wool-sorters and tea-tasters, 64. Shipley, how he made his fortune, 61. , Skill, mechanical, how acquired, 162. Smith, Adam, on making nails, 172 ; on the advantage of having different classes of merchants, 195. Smith, Sydney, on decision of character, 57 ; on attaining excellence, 124. Soils, different kinds of, 143 ; proper treatment of, 144. Speculating in Goods and Stocks, chapter on, 320 to 328. Statistics, of failures, 185 ; to guide speculators, 323 ; about cotton uu- reliable, 324. ; Statute of Frauds, 198 ; of limitations, 199. Steam-power better than water, 168. Stephenson, George, his marvellous industry, 127 ; his early wages, 158. Stewart, A. T., the foundations of hia success, 132 ; his system of busi- ness, 132. Stocks, speculating in, 324 ; Ricardo's rules for, 325 ; novel privileges in, 327. Stone-mason, qualifications for, 154 ; anecdote of, 159. • • ' Stone-cutters, their need of good lungs, 154. Stoppage in transitu, meaning of, 271. Sturgifl, Jonathan, the three valuable lessons given, 133. Sugden, advice of, in making Wilis, 355. Supercargoes, advantage of sending, with important consignments, 288. Teas, adulteration of green, 233. Temper, importance of controlling, 59 ; how a Quaker mastered his, 60. Temperaments suited for marriage, 90; points of difference in, 91. Tenants, advice to, 208 to 211 ; what they should have inserted in leases, 210. Tender, meaning of, in law, 351 ; when part of claim is admitted, 352. Terry, S. H., on overweight, 215 ; on foretelling changes in fa-shions, 216. Trade, safest time to engage in, 195. Tradks, chapter on, 151 to 163. Trades-unions considered, 160 ; effect of, on mechanics in England, 161. Trade-marks, how secured, 179 ; a new law respecting, 180. 708 INDEX. Trufltees, duty of, 353. Type-Betting, uecret of succeeaful, 167* Value, definition of, 177. Ventilation of stores, 207. , Wages considered, 176; interest of manufacturers to favor high, 177. Wusliington, George, his punctuality, 73 ; age of his father when he WU8 lK)rn, 84. Warranty, when manufacturers must give, 179 ; in sales by sample, 188 ; implied, 239 ; against latent defects, 270. Water, when wealth, 42. Water-power compared with steam, 169. Wealth, definition of, 41 ; inherited, rarely a blessing, 356. Webster, Daniel, his diffidence in school, 128; his habits of study, 128. Widow, rights of, in husband's estate, 356. Wife, choice of a, 85, See Marbiaoe. Will, how to make a, chapter on, 354 to 367, Wirt, William, on vacillating men, 76. Witnesses, proper, for a will, 365 ; may make mark if cannot write, 365. Women, married, statutes for, 197 ; when competent to trade in mer- chandise, 197 ; bequests to, 361, Words, technical, how construed, 200 Wrapping paper, cut to sizes, 212. high, 177. Iier when he sample, 188 ; INDEX. PART II. study, 128. ot write, 365. rade in mer- AciD, hydrochloric, 563 ; hydrocyanic, 660 ; sulphuric, 668. Ague, proper treatment for, GU9; whiskey a novel remedy for, 610; how to prevent fever and, 611. Alcohol, uses of, as a medicine, 638. Ammonia, a remedy for bites of insects, 602 ; should be kept in every house, 639. Ants, how to expel and destroy, 601. Apples, raaclunes for paring, 413; how to preserve, 433; how to thaw, when frozen, 433; an excellent dish of, 535. Apple sauce, the gurnisli for roast pork, 513 ; an improved, 535. Art of Pkolonoino Life, chapter on, 682. Asthma, remedies for, 609 ; preventive of, 694. Bacon, points in good, 426 ; fried rasiiers of, 482 ; how to boil, 509 ; how to extract salt from, 509 ; bacon-fat prevents pitting in small- pox, 633. Bain mari6, a useful utensil, 410. ' Baldness, remedies for, 585. Bathing, cold, injurious to health, 688 ; in the sea, 689 ; tepid, beneficial to old persons, 696. Bass, how lO cook, 435. Beans, new method of .^helling, 407 ; nutriment in, 475 ; how to cook, 476. Beds, luxurious, recommended, 672 ; best coverings for, 674. Bedding, air.ng of, in sickness, 605; shaking up, induces sleep, 675. Bed-bugs, how to exterminate, 600. Bedrooms, proper size of, 385. Bedsteads, different kinds of. 397. 709 J 'r 710 INDEX. Beef, how toohoooe, 419; how (Hvidcd, 419-421; moHt economical piecen to buy, 421 ; for roauting, 421 ; analyaia of, 462 ; benl pnrU for corning, 481 ; beef-stew an ecunoniical diuh, 482; what may be done with cold, 484 ; liow to rouHt, English Htyle, 518-520. Beef's liver, how to diHtinguiHli good, 422. Beef's heart, an economical food, 422 ; how to roast, 483. BecfHteaks, how to broil, 490 ; fungi equal to, 487 ; Macbeth's recipe for broiling, 490; siiould look well on the table, 494; how to broil, Wakefield style, 522. Beef's tongue a great delicacy, 422. Benzine will extract grease from marble, 399. Bills of fare, for the sick, 614; for young children, 515; for sedentary persons, 515; of food containing brain-making elements, 516; costly, 545 ; of a dinner for twelve persons, 546. Birthmarks, how to eradicate, 584. Black eyes from bruises, remedies for, 613. Bleeding from the nose, a cure for, 612 ; from the lungs, 612. Blood, food best purifier of the, 612. Boiling meats, points in, 489. Boots and shoes, suggestions on buying, 560 ; how to preserve, 661 ; to cure squeaking, 561 ; whiskey in, a preventive of ague, 610. Borax, value of, in washing clothes, 575 ; will drive away roaches, 599. Brains, developed by certain kinds of food, 516. Bre;. >h, causes of bad, 692 ; how to sweeten, 692 ; best toilet preparation for, 592. Bread, how to make good family, 496-501 ; how to make stale, fresh, 502 ; how to keep, 502 ; various uses of, dough, 502 ; an elegant, pudding, 534. Bread and milk, best method of preparing, 647. Breakfast, importance of a substantial, 377 ; standard dishes for, 515 ; a nice dish for, 535. Breasts, how to reduce, 580 ; how to enlarge, 581. Broiling, secret of, 490. Brooms, how to preserve, 405. Broth, the foundation of cookery, 410 ; Blot's recipe for making French beef, 504. Bunions, cures for, 598. Bureaus, depth of drawers in, 397. Burns, admirable remedies for, 458, 664. Butter, how to make drawn, 514. ,v -■ >i<"al pieced to Hf<)r corning, be done with Ii'h recipe for Low to broil, for Hedentary ements, 616; eire, 661 ; to ue, 610. roadies, 699. it preparation B stale, fresli, ; an elegant, !8 for, r»15; a iking French INDEX. 711 Cabbage, how to keep, 432 ; how to boil, 489 ; with milk, to render digestible, 509. Cake, recipe for making the national French, 538 ; imperial southern, 539 ; Baltimore tea, 639 ; southern waflleH, 639. Candles, improved by age, 440. Cambric tea, how to make, 647. Carpets, points in buying, 402 ; large patterns in, objectionable, 403; huw to make cheap, 402 ; Brussels, the best, 403; economical way of laying, 403; in bedrooms, 403; how to sweep, 404 ; how to destroy moths in, 405 ; to clean and brighten Brussels, 406. Calrea' heads, how to buy, 423. Calves' feet, how to judge, 423. Calves' sweetbreads a delicacy, 423. Cauliflowers, points in good, 431. Ceilings should be only moderately high, 386. Celery, how to choose, 431 ; how to preserve, 432 ; the garnish for boiled turkey, 513. Chairs, faults in construction of, 396 ; for drawing and dining-rooms, 396; for bedrooms, 397 ; how to clean and tighteu cane-aeat, 400. Charles II., interview of, with Jenkins, 686. Charcoal, value of, 443. Cheerfulness promotes digestion, 380. Cheese, how to judge, 440 ; how to make macaroni, 507. Chilblains, remedies for, 614. Children and their diseases, 643. Chimneys, best form of, 386. China, how to cement broken, 401. Chocolate, points about, 612. Cholera, how to escape, 616, 696. Cinders, how to remove from grates, 448 ; value of, 450. Cinder-sifters, economy of, 416. Clams, how to judge fresh, 436 ; best recipe for making, chowder, 631 ; best method of baking clams, 531. Cloeets should be numerous, 387. Cloth, to extract grease from, 401 ; points in buying, 565 ; how to cleanse broadcloth, 559 ; to render, waterproof, 560. Cz.OTHiNa, chapter on, 554 ; for cliildren, suggestions on, 566 ; on men's, 567-569 ; how to treat wet, 569 ; suggestions on Women's, 561 ; of infants', 652. Clothes lines, protection for, 416. Coal, how to judge good, 446 ; how to kii.dle a, fire, 447 ; economical us* of, 448 ; waste in burning, 449 ; how to measure, 450. 712 INDEX. 'MR' Coflee, how to buy ad vantngcouiily, 439 ; liow to ke«p, 430 ; mibfltitiiteii for 48(i; nuvel iikmIc of making, 510; TurkiHli luelhud of tuaking, 610. Coffee-potfl, bc'Ht kiiidHof, 412. Coke, utility of, 444. Coid-creain, UHvful in pilcn, 627. * • CoUh, projMjr treatment of, 00(5 ; how to avo'u catching, 607. Colic, in infants, remedy for, 655. ' Comfort, definition of, 371 ; elements of, 371-381. Complexion, how to beautify, 381. ConvuluiouH in children, reme Dinners, bills of fare for, 615, 516, 546. Diphtheria, remarkable success in the cure of, 662. i -^ ■ i • ■•,( ,> Domestic economy, an interesting study, 371. Doors, faults in construction of, 384. Dress, suggestions on, 662-566 ; combinations of colors in, 566. * Drowning, what to do in cases of, 689. INDEX, 713 Iwtituten for, liuking, 610. ' cold meats, jeroun, 608, 1 corn i)one, >f, 437, 461 ; dicatcB, 650. ; high-cloflfl 'I '!> ij for, 615 ; ble for old .('„)!. iQ. Dninkennow, a cnr« for, 620. DiicUn, Iiow to rooMl can van-back, 520 ; to extract flHliy flavor from, 520. ByHciitory, reci|)eH of eininvnt {jliyHk-iann for, 616. DyHpcpHin, the national (liiwaHe, 617 ; Hlapping the stomach a remedy for, 618; other novel remedies, 619. Earache, the bent remedy for, in (ultn, 620; in children, 603. Earth-cIoHeti*, advantageH of, 387. Eaxtluke, his dircctionH for hanging wali-papor, 391. Eating, chapter on, 459; pliiloflophy of, 4U4; how and when to eat, 468 ; before going to HJeep, 678. Economical food ani» cheap living, a chapter on, 469. E ; Marketing, chapter on, 418-443. Markets, excellence of American 375. ' .-1. :' ■ ; . ■■■ Marmalade, an exquisite, 541. .'. Mattresses, best kinds of, 673. Measles, proper treatment for, 658. Meats, recipes for keeping sweet in warm weather, 427 ; economy in buy- ing, 481 ; how to use cold, 484; how to boil, 489; how to broil, 490 ; how to fry, 491 ; French method of saul6ing, 491 ; huw to roast, 492, 518 ; how to stew, 492. Medicines, family, chapter on, 604. Milk, a substitute for, 510 ; uses of condensed, 645 ; an antidote for poison, 691. Mirrors, how to clean, 400. Molasses, where to be kept, 440. Moles and birthmarks, how to eradicate, 584. Moths, how to destroy in carpets, 405; in furniture, 406; protection against, 406 ; in woollens and furs, 576 ; in sofas, 577. Mumps, best remedy for, 669. Mushrooms, how to distinguish edible from poisonous, 431 ; good test of, 431 ; recipes for cooking, 529. INDEX. 717 garnish for plosions of, ing, 686. lern times, ps for fur- my in buy- w to broil, 31 ; huw to Qtidote for protection good test MuflquitoeB, best protection against, 002. Mutton, how to select, 424 ; analysis of, 462 ; what can be done with cold, 484 ; to make, equal to venison, 525. Nails, how to beautify, 587 ; a cure for ingrowing, 694. Narcotics, the best, 679 ; onions good, 679. Nervousness, a recipe that will relieve, 625. Neuralgia, remedies for, 625. Noah, longevity in days of, 682. Nutmegs, how to test, 440. Oak, best wood for dining-room furniture, 394. Oatmeal, value of, as food, 461 j best way to make porridge of, 481. Oil, how to test good kerosene, 442 ; an antidote to poisons, 691. Oilcloth, points in buying, 405 ; how to clean, 406. Omelettes, French recipe for making, 528 ; how to make a sweet, 528; recipe for a cheap, 528 ; soufflfi, 553. Onions, how to preserve, 433 ; how to cook, without smell, 507 ; boiled, a remedy for worms, 656 ; an excellent narcotic, 679. Oysters, how to judge fresh, 435 ; best for frying, 435 ; the remedy when too many have been eaten. 136; suitable for the sedentary, 464; broiled on the shell, 525 ; i^'rench way of stewing, 526. Papeb-han ilNGS, suggestions on, 389 ; how to clean, 391. Parr, Thomas, biographical sketch of, 684. Parsley, the garnish for cold poultry, 513. Pasty-pans, utility of, 411. Peas, when best, 431 ; how to eat, 462 ; how to boil, 490 ; a novel machine for shelling, 414. Peat, peculiarities of, and objections to, 444. Pepperpot, how to make a genuine, 483. Photograph, how to dress for, 570. Pictures, proper arrangement of, 390 ; proper height for hanging, 398 ; wire cords for, 398. Pickles, what kind to avoid in buying, 440. Pie, the nicest ever eaten, 537 ; delicious mince, 542. Pig, Lamb's eulogy of roast, 524. Pigeons, how to broil young, 521. Piles, remedies for, 626 ; cold cream a preventive of, 627. Pillows, of cotton batting for infants, 650; honiehair better than feathers, 675. 7^' INDEX. PleuriBj, how to treat first attackn of, 6?6 ; how to avoid, 686. Plum pudding for the million, 480. . . ' Poisons, antidotes for, 691. Pork, how to judge, 425; best piece for roasting, 425 ; how to cook, 425; Soyer's plan for testing freshness of, 425 ; analysis of, 462 ; and beans, when wholesome, 463 ; how to cook pork and beans, 476. Porridge, recipe for making oatmeal, 481. Potatoes, how to select, 430; with meats, 429 ; how to keep, 432; how to thaw when frozen, 432 ; value of, as food, 462 ; how to boil, 490 ; Irish method of boiling, 505; cold, utilized, 506; how to cook sweet, 506 ; Saratoga and Philadelphia fried, 541. Potato-slicer, an ingenious invention, 413. Potash, chlorate of, the gargle for quinsy, 628; in sore throat, 630; many uses of, 640. Poultry, how to judge, 428 ; how to make tender, 428 ; contains muscle- making elements, 463 ; how to roast, 492 ; the garnish for cold, 513. Puddings, queen of, 534; an excellent bread, 534 ; green-corn pudding, 537. Pyaemia, a remedy for, 639. Quaker, anecdote of a, 380. Quinsy, how to prevent an attack of, 628. Rabbits, how to barbecue, 521. Kaisins, a novel invention for seeding, 413. Rarebit, recipe for making a Swiss, 629 ; the genuine Welsh, 529. Rats, how to destroy, 600 ; to drive away, 601, 602. Reedbirds, broiled, a dainty dish, 524. Refrigerators, utility of, 414 ; the remedy for impure gases in, 414. Rheura?>tism, different kinds of, 629 ; remedies for, 629 ; how to avoid, 686. Rice, a popular food, 461; how to cook, 479; 'to make a pudding of, without eggs, 479 ; how to make farmer's, 480 ; croquettes, 552. Ringworm, novel cure for, and tetter, 584. Roaches, how to destroy, 599 ; to drive out, from closets, 602. Roasting, secrets in, 492 ; beef, English style, 518. Rooms, novel method of cooling, 388. Rust, how to prevent, on steel, 417 ; to remove, from cutlery, '^. Saoo, most desirable kind of, 440. Salads, novel method of preparing, 512; best method of dressing, 632; Valadon's recipe for dressing, 551. Salt, best for table use, 439. Santanin, a specific for worms, 656. INDEX. cook, 425 ; ; 462 ; and cans, 476. 32 ; how to I boil, 490 ; jw to cook broat, 630; ins muscle- )r cold, 613. idding,537. », 529. n, 414. ) avoid, 686. pudding of, lettes, 552. essing, 532 ; Sauces, miitablo for every kind of fish, 530; recipes for, 552. SauRagefl, how hiiyera may be protected against deception in, 426 ; meat for, 426; fried, a garnish for poultry, 513; machines for making, 414. Savarin, remark of, on food, 418 ; experiments of, in coffee, 610. 8cales and weights, useful in kitcheng, 411. Scarlet fever, specifics for the cure of, 665-670. Scrofula, Longworth'a remedy for, 631. Sea-sickness, how to prevent, 634. Seasoning, rules for, 493. Secrets in cooking, chapter on, 488. Secrets op the toilet, chapter on, 678-603. Seeds, how to test quality of, 434. Shawls, when becoming to ladies, 564. Short-cake, an excellent buckwheat, 637 ; how to make strawberry, 638, Sickness, a burden on society, 604. Silks, what kinds to buy, 563 ; how to test, 563. SleJep, and its appliances, 671 ; importance of, to health, 377; proper time for, 671 ; how to induce, 676 ; best narcotics, 679. Small-pox, novel remedy for, 631 ; to prevent pitting in, 632. Snoring, how to abolish, 695. Soap, economy in buying, 440. Sofas, defects in, 395. Sore throat, remedies for, 630; Washington's treatment of, 680; to relieve, in scarlet fever, 667. Soups, Soyci's recipes for cheap, 472 ; for French beef broth, 504 ; i la Julienne, 505. Soup-ladle, proper handle for, 417. Soyer, Alexis, a remarkable calculation by, 372 ; his cheap soupe, 472 ; his plan of broiling steaks, 490 ; novel mode of making coffee, 510; his method of making tea, 511 ; his recipe for melted butter, 514 ; for cooking mushrooms, 530. Spine, how to avoid curvature of, 636. Spices, how to preserve, 440 ; what to avoid in buying, 440. Sprains, proper treatment of, 634. Squinting, cure for, 590. Starch, most economical way to buy, 439. Stewing, beet fire for, 492 ; a good beef stew, 482. Stock-pot, a fixture in French kitchens, 409. Strawberries, how to bring out the fine flavor of, 532. Students, suggestions for, 687. Sturgeon, how to cook equal to veal-cutlets, 486. "4T INDEX. Suflboation, what to do In canes of, 689. bugare, how to buy, 438 ; difierent kindfl of, 438. Sulphuric acid, a Hpecific in ncarlet fever, 668. Sulphur bathrt, cfiicacy of, in destroying vermin, 699. Sunstroke, the approved treatment for, 635. Sweating, recommended by old phyH'.cians, 686. . > Sweden, ladies of, good cooka, 378. Sweetbreads, how to cook, 523. Tables, how to remove stains in, 401 ; defects in, 395. Tapers, best light for the sick, 606. Taste, a thing of culture, 382. ', . Tea, Ijow to keep, 439 ; best methods of making, 611. Tea-kettles, faults in, 417. Teeth, how to preserve sound, 500 ; a good powder for the, 591 ; cures for aches in the, 591 ; frequent examination of, recommended, 652. Teething, a relief for pain of, 651 ; convulsions resulting from, 656. ' Terrapin, how to select, 436 ; chicken dressed as, 526. Tetter, remedes for, 584, 636, 665. Thrush, in i:ifants, cure for, 656. Tinware, which is the cheapest, 409. Toast, how to make good, 503. Toilet, preparations for the, 578-598. 'tomatoes, best kinds of, 430 ; accompaniment for roast-beef, 430. Toothache, cures for, 591. Trout, salmon and brook, how to bake and broil, 523, 524. Turkeys, how to tell young, 428. Turnips, how to select, 430 ; how to boil, 506. * . Turnspit, the most useful kind of, 412. Typhus fever, to prevent infection in, 606. Veal, points of good, 422 ; choice part of, 422 ; most economical piece to buy, 423 ; how to roast, 424 ; analysis of, 462 ; what can be done with cold, 485, 608; sturgeon equal to veal-cutlets, 486; how to cook cutlets, 494 ; cutlets with tomatoes or oysters, 522. Vegetables, how to select and preserve, 430-433; as food, 461, 462; injurious when not suflSciently cooked, 493 ; how to cook greens, 493 ; washing greens, 493, 513. Venison, how to buy, 429 ; mutton equal to, 625. Ventilation, of bedrooms, 377, 676 ; of sick-rooms, 605. Vermin, on the body, how to destroy, 598. ^ INDEX. m, 1 ; cures for ded, 652. ,656. • . 30. !al piece to in be done i6 ; how to • it 461, 462; tok greens, Vinegar, a corrective of Btomach disorders, 641 ; which is the best, 439. Voltaire, his recipe for curing dyspepsia, 618. Walking, a healthful exercise, 376 ; proper carriage of body in, 693, 694. Wall-paper, suggestions for selecting, 389-392. Warta, remedies for removing, 588, 589. Warren's cooker, advantages of, 413. Washing, of body, a tonic for women, 377 ; comfort of, in sickness, G05 ; preferable to cold bathing, 689; of chintz and summer dresses, 572 ; of flannels, 574 ; an easy way to wash clothes, 575. Water, how to soften hard, 575 ; drinking of, a relief to the sick, 637 ; beneficial to infants, 638, 649 ; hot water, a remedy for pain, 641 ; for sunstroke, 635. Water-closets, defects in the construction of, 387. Water-pipes, danger of metallic, 386. Weaning infants, proper time for, 646. Wheat, value of, as food, 460 ; crushed, an excellent food, 476. Whitewash, a recipe for a permanent, 392. Whooping-cough, remedies for. Qua. Wife, qualifications of a good, 375-381 ; should be a physician, 380. Wine, quantity consumed by ladies, 378 ; how to decant and cool U» bottles, 434 ; kind of, best suited for old people, 696. Woods, best kind for buildings, 385 ; for furniture, 393 ; for fuel, 444. Working; classes, extravagance of, 372. Wormr«, in children, 655; remedies for thread, 656; a specific for long, 656. Wrinkles, how caused and how to prevent, 584. Yeast, how to make hop and potato, 497. Yellow-fever, observation of Dr. Rush on, 385 ; a protection tgainat, 695. Youth, fountains that were said to restore, 683. 46