Chapter 271

men.

1991. Good Temper.

Avoid Manifestations of Ill-temper. Reason is given for man's guidance. Passion is the tempest by which reason is overthrown. Under the effects of passion, man's mind becomes disordered, his face disfigured, his body deformed. A moment's passion has frequently cut off a life's friendship, destroyed a life's hope, embittered a life's peace, and brought unending sorrow and disgrace. It is scarcely worth while to enter into a comparative analysis of ill-temper and passion; they are alike discreditable, alike injurious, and should stand equally condemned.

1992. Be Humble.

Avoid Pride. If you are handsome, God made you so; if you are learned, some one instructed you; if you are rich, God gave you what you own. It is for others to perceive your goodness; but you should be blind to your own merits. There can be no comfort in deeming yourself better than you really are: that is self-deception. The best men throughout all history have been the most humble.

1993. Affectation is a Form of Pride.

It is, in fact, pride made ridiculous and contemptible. Some one writing upon affectation has remarked as follows:

"If anything will sicken and disgust a man, it is the affected, mincing way in which some people choose to talk. It is perfectly nauseous. If these young jackanapes, who screw their words into all manner of diabolical shapes, could only feel how perfectly disgusting they were, it might induce them to drop it. With many, it soon becomes such a confirmed habit that they cannot again be taught to talk in a plain, straightforward, manly way. In the lower order of ladies' boarding-schools, and indeed, too much everywhere, the same sickening, mincing tone is too often found. Do, pray, good people, do talk in your natural tone, if you don't wish to be utterly ridiculous and contemptible."

1994. Vulgarity.

We have adopted the foregoing Paragraph because we approve of some of its sentiments, but chiefly because it shows that persons who object to affectation may go to the other extreme--vulgarity. It is vulgar, we think, to call even the most affected people "jackanapes, who screw their words into all manner of diabolical shapes." Avoid vulgarity in manner, in speech, and in correspondence. To conduct yourself vulgarly is to offer offence to those who are around you; to bring upon yourself the condemnation of persons of good taste; and to incur the penalty of exclusion from good society. Thus, cast among the vulgar, you become the victim of your own error.

1995. Avoid Swearing.

An oath is but the wrath of a perturbed spirit. It is _mean_. A man of high moral standing would rather treat an offence with contempt than show his indignation by an oath. It is _vulgar_, altogether too low for a decent man. It is _cowardly_, implying a fear either of not being believed or obeyed. It is _ungentlemanly_, A gentleman, according to Webster, is a _genteel_ man--well-bred, refined. It is _indecent_, offensive to delicacy, and extremely unfit for human ears. It is _foolish_. "Want of decency is want of sense." It is _abusive_--to the mind which conceives the oath, to the tongue which utters it, and to the person at whom it is aimed. It is _venomous_, showing a man's heart to be as a nest of vipers; and every time he swears, one of them starts out from his head. It is _contemptible_, forfeiting the respect of all the wise and good. It is _wicked_, violating the Divine law, and provoking the displeasure of Him who will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

1996. Be a Gentleman.

Moderation, decorum, and neatness distinguish the gentleman; he is at all times affable, diffident, and studious to please. Intelligent and polite, his behaviour is pleasant and graceful. When he enters the dwelling of an inferior, he endeavours to hide, if possible, the difference between their ranks of life; ever willing to assist those around him, he is neither unkind, haughty, nor over-bearing. In the mansions of the rich, the correctness of his mind induces him to bend to etiquette, but not to stoop to adulation; correct principle cautions him to avoid the gaming-table, inebriety, or any other foible that could occasion him self-reproach. Gratified with the pleasures of reflection, he rejoices to see the gaieties of society, and is fastidious upon no point of little import. Appear only to be a gentleman, and its shadow will bring upon you contempt; be a gentleman, and its honours will remain even after you are dead.

1997. The Happy Man, or True Gentleman.

How happy is he born or taught, That serveth not another's will, Whose armour is his honest thought, And simple truth his only skill:

Whose passions not his masters are. Whose soul is still prepared for death Not tied unto the world with care Of prince's ear, or vulgar breath:

Who hath his life from rumours freed, Whose conscience is his strong retreat Whose state can neither flatterers feed. Nor ruin make oppressors great,

Who God doth late and early pray More of His grace than gifts to lend; And entertains the harmless day With a well-chosen book or friend;

This man is freed from servile bands, Of hope to rise or fear to fall; Lord of himself, though not of lands, And having nothing, yet hath all.

_Sir Henry Wotton_, 1530.

[RICHES ARE BUT THE BAGGAGE OF FORTUNE.]

1998. Be Honest.

Not only because "honesty is the best policy," but because it is a duty to God and to man. The heart that can be gratified by dishonest gains; the ambition that can be satisfied by dishonest means; the mind that can be devoted to dishonest purposes, must be of the worst order.

1999. General Principles.

Having laid down these General Principles for the government of personal conduct, we will epitomize what we would still enforce:

2000. Idleness.

Avoid Idleness. It is the parent of many evils. Can you pray, "Give us this day our daily bread," and not hear the reply, "Do thou this day thy daily duty"?

2001. Idle Tales.

Avoid telling Idle Tales, which is like firing arrows in the dark: you know not into whose heart they may fall.

2002. Self-Praise.

Avoid talking about yourself, praising your own works, and proclaiming your own deeds. If they are good they will proclaim themselves, if bad, the less you say of them the better.

2003. Envy.

Avoid Envy; for it cannot benefit you, nor can it injure those against whom it is cherished.

2004. Disputation.

Avoid Disputation for the mere sake of argument. The man who disputes obstinately, and in a bigoted spirit, is like the man who would stop the fountain from which he should drink. Earnest discussion is commendable; but factious argument never yet produced a good result.

2005. Kindness.

Be Kind in Little Things.--The true generosity of the heart is more displayed by deeds of minor kindness, than by acts which may partake of ostentation.

2006. Politeness.

Be Polite.--Politeness is the poetry of conduct--and like poetry, it has many qualities. Let not your politeness be too florid, but of that gentle kind which indicates a refined nature.

2007. Sociable.

Be Sociable--avoid reserve in society. Remember that the social elements, like the air we breathe, are purified by motion. Thought illumines thought, and smiles win smiles.

2008. Punctuality.

Be Punctual.--One minute too late has lost many a golden opportunity. Besides which, the want of punctuality is an affront offered to the person to whom your presence is due.

2009. Hints.

The foregoing Remarks may be said to apply to the moral conduct, rather than, to the details of personal manners. Great principles, however, suggest minor ones; and hence, from the principles laid down, many hints upon personal behaviour may be gathered.

2010. Hearty.

Be Hearty in your salutations, discreet and sincere in your friendships.

2011. Listen.

Prefer to Listen rather than to talk.

2012. Respect.

Behave, even in the presence of your relations, as though you felt respect to be due to them.

2013. Humble.

In Society never forget that you are but one of many.

2014. House Rules.

When you Visit a Friend, conform to the rules of his household; lean not upon his tables, nor rub your feet against his chairs.

2015. Privacy.

Pry not into Letters that are not your own.

2016. Ladies.

Pay unmistakable Respect to ladies everywhere.

2017. Silliness.

Beware of Foppery, and of silly flirtation.

2018. Considerate.

In Public Places be not too pertinacious of your own rights, but find pleasure in making concessions.

2019. Conversation.

Speak Distinctly, look at the person to whom you speak, and when you have spoken, give him an opportunity to reply.

2020. Temperance.

Avoid Drunkenness as you would a curse; and modify all appetites, especially those that are acquired.

2021. Correct Dress.

Dress Well, but not superfluously; be neither like a sloven, nor like a stuffed model.

2022. Cleanliness.

Keep away all Uncleanly Appearances from the person. Let the nails, the teeth, and, in fact, the whole system receive _salutary_ rather than _studied_ care. But let these things receive attention at the toilet--not elsewhere.

2023. Jewellery.

Avoid displaying Excess of Jewellery. Nothing looks more effeminate upon a man.

2024. Central Ideas.

Every one of these Suggestions may be regarded as the centre of many others, which the earnest mind cannot fail to discover. (See HINTS ON ETIQUETTE, _par_. 1924.)

2025. Children.

Happy indeed is the child who, during the first period of its existence, is fed upon no other aliment than the milk of its mother, or that of a healthy nurse. If other food become necessary before the child has acquired teeth, it ought to be of a liquid form; for instance, biscuits or stale bread boiled in an equal mixture of milk and water, to the consistence of a thick soup; but by no means even this in the first week of its life. Children who are brought up by hand, that is to say, who are not nursed by mother or wet nurse, require an occasioned change of diet, and thin gruel affords a wholesome alternation to milk. When cows' milk is used it should be obtained, if possible, from one and the same cow, and diluted with boiled water. Swiss milk is recommended by some medical men. The Aylesbury Dairy Company furnish a speciality for young children under the name of "Artificial Human Milk," which is recommended.

2026. Thickening.

Flour or Meal ought never to be used for soup, as it produces viscid humours, instead of a wholesome nutritious chyle.

2027 Introducing Solid Food.

After the first Six Months, weak veal or chicken broth may be given, and also, progressively, vegetables that are not very flatulent, for instance, carrots, endive, spinach, parsnips, with broth, and a little stewed fruit, such as apples, pears, plums, and cherries.

2028. After Weaning.

When the Infant Is Weaned, and has acquired its proper teeth, it is advisable to let it have small portions of meat, and other vegetables, as well as dishes prepared of flour, &c., so that it may gradually become accustomed to every kind of strong and wholesome food.

2029. Simple Food.

We ought, however, to be cautious, and not upon any account to allow a child pastry, confectionery, cheese, heavy dishes made of boiled or baked flour, onions, horseradish, mustard, smoked and salted meat, especially pork, and all compound dishes; for the most simple food is the most wholesome.

2030. Potatoes.

Potatoes should be allowed only in moderation, and not to be eaten with butter, but rather with other vegetables, either mashed up or in broth.

2031. Time-Table.

The Time of Taking Food is not a matter of indifference; very young infants make an exception; for, as their consumption of vital power is more rapid, they may be more frequently indulged with aliment.

2032. Regularity.

It is, however, advisable to accustom even them to a certain regularity, so as to allow them their victuals at stated periods of the day; for it has been observed that those children which are fed indiscriminately through the whole day, are subject to debility and disease. The stomach should be allowed to recover its tone, and to collect the juices necessary for digestion, before it is supplied with a new portion of food.

2033. Daily Diet.

The following Order of giving Food to children has been found proper, and conducive to their health:--After rising in the morning, suppose about six o'clock, a moderate portion of lukewarm milk, with well baked bread, which should by no means be new; at nine o'clock, bread with some fruit, or, if fruit be scarce, a small quantity of fresh butter; about twelve o'clock, the dinner, of a sufficient quantity; between four and five o'clock, some bread with fruit, or, in winter, some preserve as a substitute for fruit.

2034. Tea.

On this Occasion, Children should be allowed to eat till they are satisfied, without surfeiting themselves, that they may not crave for a heavy supper, which disturbs their rest, and is productive of bad humours: lastly, about seven o'clock they may be permitted a light supper, consisting either of milk, soup, fruit, or boiled vegetables and the like, but neither meat nor mealy dishes, nor any article of food which produces flatulency; in short, they ought then to eat but little, and remain awake at least for an hour after it.

2035. Bread.

It has often been contended that Bread is hurtful to children; but this applies only to new bread, or such as is not sufficiently baked; for instance, nothing can be more hurtful or oppressive than rolls, muffins, and crumpets. Good wheaten bread, especially that baked by the aerated process, is extremely proper during the first years of infancy; but that made of whole wheat meal, or wheat flour from which the bran has not been eliminated is, perhaps, more conducive to health after the age of childhood.

2036. Drink.

With respect to Drink, physicians are decidedly against giving it to children in large quantities, and at irregular periods, whether it consists of the mother's milk, or any other equally mild liquid.

2037. Improper.

It is improper and pernicious to keep infants continually at the breast; and it would be less hurtful, nay, even judicious, to let them cry for a few nights, rather than to fill them incessantly with milk, which readily turns sour on the stomach, weakens the digestive organs, and ultimately generates scrofulous affections.

2038. Liquids.

In the latter part of the First Year, pure water, milk-and-water, or toast-and-water may occasionally be given. On no account should a young child be permitted to taste beer or wine, unless specially ordered by a medical man. Those parents who accustom their children to drink water only, bestow on them a fortune, the value and importance of which will be sensibly felt through life.

2039. Drinking with Meals.

Many Children acquire a Habit of Drinking during their meals; it would be more conducive to digestion if they were accustomed to drink only after having made a meal. This salutary rule is too often neglected, though it is certain that innundations of the stomach, during the mastication and maceration of the food, not only vitiate digestion, but they may be attended with other bad consequences; as cold drink, when brought in contact with the teeth previously heated, may easily occasion cracks or chinks in these useful bones, and pave the way for their carious dissolution.

2040. Crying.

If we Inquire into the Cause which produces the crying of infants, we shall find that it seldom originates from pain, or uncomfortable sensations, for those who are apt to imagine that such causes must _always_ operate on the body of an infant, are egregiously mistaken; inasmuch as they conceive that the physical condition, together with the method of expressing sensations, is the same in infants and adults.

2041. Difference.

It requires, however, no demonstration to prove that the state of the former is essentially different from that of the latter.

2042. Power.

In the First Year of Infancy, many expressions of the tender organs are to be considered only as efforts of manifestations of power.

2043. Exertions.

We observe, for instance, that a child, as soon as it is undressed, or disencumbered from swaddling clothes, moves its arms and legs, and often makes a variety of strong exertions; yet no reasonable person would suppose that such attempts arise from a preternatural or oppressive state of the little agent.

2044. Exercise.

It is therefore equally absurd to draw an unfavourable inference from every inarticulate cry; because, in most instances, these vociferating sounds imply the effort which children necessarily make to display the strength of their lungs, and exercise the organs of respiration.

[HASTE MAKES WASTE.]

2045. Functions.

Nature has wisely ordained that by these very efforts the power and utility of functions so essential to life should be developed, and rendered more perfect with every inspiration.

2046. Development of the Breast.

Hence it follows, that those over-anxious parents or nurses, who continually endeavour to prevent infants crying do them a material injury; for, by such imprudent management, their children seldom or never acquire a perfect form of the breast, while the foundation is laid in the pectoral vessels for obstructions and other diseases.

2047. Independent.

Independently of any particular causes, the cries of children, with regard to their general effects, are highly beneficial and necessary.

2048. Sole Exercises.

In the First Period of Life, such exertions are almost the only exercises of the infant; thus the circulation of the blood, and all the other fluids, is rendered more uniform; digestion, nutrition, and the growth of the body are thereby promoted; and the different secretions, together with the very important office of the skin, or insensible perspiration, are duly performed.

2049. Extremely Improper.

It is Extremely Improper to consider every noise of an infant as a claim upon our assistance, and to intrude either food or drink, with a view to satisfy its supposed wants. By such injudicious conduct, children readily acquire the injurious habit of demanding nutriment at improper times, and without necessity; their digestion becomes impaired; and consequently, at this early age, the whole mass of the fluids is gradually corrupted.

2050. Cold.

Sometimes, however, the Mother or Nurse removes the child from its couch, carries it about frequently in the middle of the night, and thus exposes it to repeated colds, which are in their effects infinitely more dangerous than the most violent cries.

2051. Indulgence.

We learn frum Daily Experience, that children who have been the least indulged, thrive much better, unfold all their faculties quicker, and acquire more muscular strength and vigour of mind, than those who have been constantly favoured, and treated by their parents with the most solicitous attention: bodily weakness and mental imbecility are the usual attributes of the latter.

2052. Free and Independent Agent.

The First and Principal Rule of education ought never to be forgotten--that man is intended to be a free and independent agent; that his moral and physical powers ought to be _spontaneously_ developed; that he should as soon as possible be made acquainted with the nature and uses of all his faculties, in order to attain that degree of perfection which is consistent with the structure of his organs; and that he was not originally designed for what we endeavour to make of him by artificial aid.

2053. Guide and Watch.

The Greatest Art in educating children consists in a continued vigilance over all their actions, without ever giving them an opportunity of discovering that they are guided and watched.

2054. Instances.

There are, however, Instances in which the loud complaints of infants demand our attention.

2055. Causes.

Thus, if their Cries be unusually violent and long continued, we may conclude that they are troubled with colic pains; if, on such occasions, they move their arms and hands repeatedly towards the face, painful teething may account for the cause; and if other morbid phenomena accompany their cries, or if these expressions be repeated at certain periods of the day, we ought not to slight them, but endeavour to discover the proximate or remote causes.

2056. Sleep.

Infants cannot Sleep too Long; and it is a favourable symptom when they enjoy a calm and long-continued rest, of which they, should by no means be deprived, as this is the greatest support granted to them by by nature.

2057. Faster Life.

A Child lives comparatively much faster than an adult; its blood flows more rapidly; every stimulus operates more powerfully; and not only its constituent parts, but its vital resources also, are more speedily consumed.

[DO A LITTLE WELL, AND YOU DO MUCH.]

2058. Aid of Sleep.

Sleep promotes a more Calm and Uniform Circulation of the blood; it facilitates the assimilation of the nutriment received, and contributes towards a more copious and regular deposition of alimentary matter, while the horizontal posture is the most favourable to the growth and development of the child.

2059. Proportion.

Sleep ought to be in Proportion to the age of the infant. After the age of six months, the periods of sleep, as well as all other animal functions, may in some degree be regulated; yet, even then, a child should be suffered to sleep the whole night, and several hours both in the morning and in the afternoon.

2060. Night Preferable.

Mothers and Nurses should endeavour to accustom infants, from the time of their birth, to sleep in the night preferably to the day, and for this purpose they ought to remove all external impressions which may disturb their rest, such as noise, light, &c., but especially not to obey every call for taking them up, and giving food at improper times.

2061. Day Sleep.

After the Second Year of their age, children will not instinctively require to sleep in the forenoon, though after dinner it may be continued to the third and fourth year of life, if the child shows a particular inclination to repose; because, till that age, the full half of life may safely be allotted to sleep.

2062. Proportion of Sleep.

From that period, however, sleep ought to be shortened for the space of one hour with every succeeding year, so that a child of seven years old may sleep about eight, and not exceeding nine hours: this proportion may be continued to the age of adolescence, and even manhood.

2063. Gradual Awakening.

To awaken Children from their sleep with a noise, or in an impetuous manner, is extremely injudicious and hurtful; nor is it proper to carry them from a dark room immediately into a glaring light, or against a dazzling wall; for the sudden impression of light debilitates the organs of vision, and lays the foundation of weak eyes, from early infancy.

2064. Room for Sleeping.

A Bedroom or Night Nursery ought to be spacious and lofty, dry, airy, and not inhabited through the day.

2065. No Contamination.

No Servants, if possible, should be suffered to sleep in the same room, and no linen or washed clothes should ever be hung there to dry, as they contaminate the air in which so considerable a portion of infantile life must be spent.

2066. Consequences.

The Consequences attending a vitiated atmosphere in such rooms are serious, and often fatal.

2067. Feather Beds.

Feather Beds should be banished from nurseries, as they are unnatural and debilitating contrivances.

2068. Windows.

The Windows should never be opened at night, but may be left open the whole day in fine clear weather.

2069. Position of Bedstead.

Lastly, the Bedstead must not be placed too low on the floor; nor is it proper to let children sleep on a couch which is made without any elevation from the ground; because the most mephitic and pernicious stratum of air in an apartment is that within one or two feet from the floor, while the most wholesome, or atmospheric air, is in the middle of the room, and the inflammable gas ascends to the top.

2070. Cookery for Children.

2071. Food for an Infant.

Take of fresh cow's milk, one tablespoonful, and mix with two tablespoonfuls of hot water; sweeten with loaf sugar, as much as may be agreeable. This quantity is sufficient for once feeding a new-born infant; and the same quantity may be given every two or three hours,--not oftener,--till the mother's breast affords natural nourishment.

2072. Milk for Infants Six Months Old.

Take one pint of milk, one pint of water; boil it, and add one tablespoonful of flour. Dissolve the flour first in half a teacupful of water; it must he strained in gradually, and boiled hard twenty minutes. As the child grows older, one-third water. If properly made, it is the most nutritious, at the same time the most delicate food that can be given to young children.

2073. Broth.

Broth, made of mutton, veal, or chicken, with stale bread toasted, and broken in, is safe and wholesome for the dinners of children when first weaned.

2074. Milk.

Milk, fresh from the cow, with a very little loaf sugar, is good and safe food for young children. From three years old to seven, pure milk, into which stale bread is crumbled, is the best breakfast and supper for a child.

2075. For a Child's Luncheon.

Good sweet butter, with stale bread, is one of the most nutritious, at the same time the most wholesome articles of food that can be given children after they are weaned.

2076. Milk Porridge.

Stir four tablespoonsfuls of oatmeal, smoothly, into a quart of milk, then stir it quickly into a quart of boiling water, and boil up a few minutes till it is thickened: sweeten with sugar. Oatmeal, where it is found to agree with the stomach, is much better for children, being a mild aperient as well as cleanser; fine flour in every shape is the reverse. Where biscuit-powder is in use, let it be made at home; this, at all events, will prevent them getting the sweepings of the baker's counters, boxes, and baskets, All the waste bread in the nursery, hard ends of stale loaves, &c., ought to be dried in the oven or screen, and reduced to powder in the mortar.

2077. Meats for Children.

Mutton and poultry are the best. Birds and the white meat of fowls are the most delicate food of this kind that can be given. These meats should be slowly cooked, and no gravy, if made rich with butter, should be eaten by a young child, Never give children hard, tough, half-cooked meats, of any kind.

2078. Vegetables for Children. Eggs, &c.

For children rice ought to be cooked in no more water than is necessary to swell it; apples roasted, or stewed with no more water than is necessary to steam them; vegetables so well cooked as to make them require little butter, and less digestion; eggs boiled slowly and soft. The boiling of milk ought to be directed by the state of the bowels; if flatulent or bilious, a very little currie-powder may be given with vegetables with good effect. Turmeric and the warm seeds (not hot peppers) are also particularly useful in such cases.

2079. Potatoes and Peas.

Potatoes, particularly some kinds, are not easily digested by children; but this may be remedied by mashing them very fine, and seasoning them with salt and a little milk. When peas are dressed for children, let them be seasoned with mint and salt, which will take off the flatulency. If they are old, let them be pulped, as the skins cannot be digested by children's stomachs. Never give them vegetables less stewed than would pulp through a cullender.

2080. Rice Pudding With Fruit.

In a pint of new milk put two large spoonfuls of rice, well washed; then add two apples, pared and quartered, or a few currants or rasins. Simmer slowly till the rice is very soft, then add one egg beaten to bind it: serve with cream and sugar.

2081. Puddings and Pancakes for Children.

Sugar and egg, browned before the fire, or dropped as fritters into a hot frying-pan, without fat, will make a nourishing meal.

2082. To prepare Fruit for Children.

A far more wholesome way than in pies or puddings, is to put apples sliced, or plums, currants, gooseberries, &c., into a stone jar, and sprinkle among them as much sugar as necessary. Set the jar in the oven, with a teacupful of water to prevent the fruit from burning, or put the jar into a saucepan of water till its contents be perfectly done, Slices of bread or some rice may be put in to the jar to eat with the fruit.

[HONEST LOSS IS PREFERABLE TO SHAMEFUL GAIN.]

2083. Rice and Apples.

Core as many nice apples as will fill the dish; boil them in light syrup; prepare a quarter of a pound of rice in milk with sugar and salt; put some of the rice in the dish, put in the apples, and fill up the intervals with rice; bake it in the oven till it is a fine colour.

2084. A nice Apple Cake for Children.

Grate some stale bread, and slice about double the quantity of apples; butter a mould, and line it with sugar paste, and strew in some crumbs, mixed with a little sugar; then lay in apples, with a few bits of butter over them, and so continue till the dish is full; cover it with crumbs, or prepared rice; season with cinnamon and sugar. Bake it well.

2085. Fruits for Children.

That fruits are naturally healthy in their season, if rightly taken, no one who believes that the Creator is a kind and beneficent Being can doubt. And yet the use of summer fruits appears often to cause most fatal diseases, especially in children. Why is this? Because we do not conform to the natural laws in using this kind of diet. These laws are very simple, and easy to understand. Let the fruit be ripe when you eat it; and eat when you require _food_. Fruits that have _seeds_ are much more wholesome than the _stone_ fruits. But all fruits are better, for very young children, if baked or cooked in some manner, and eaten with bread. The French always eat bread with raw fruit. Apples and winter pears are very excellent food for children,--indeed, for almost any person in health,--but best when eaten for breakfast or dinner. If taken late in the evening, fruit often proves injurious. The old saying, that apples are _gold in the morning, silver at noon, and lead at night_, is pretty near the truth. Both apples and pears are often good and nutritious when baked or stewed, and when prepared in this way are especially suitable for those delicate constitutions that cannot bear raw fruit. Much of the fruit gathered when unripe might be rendered fit for food by preserving in sugar.

2086. Ripe Currants.

Ripe Currants are excellent food for children. Mash the fruit, sprinkle with sugar, and let them eat freely, taking some good bread with the fruit.

2087. Blackberry Jam.

Gather the fruit in dry weather; allow half a pound of good brown sugar to every pound of fruit; boil the whole together gently for an hour, or till the blackberries are soft, stirring and mashing them well. Preserve it like any other jam, and it will be found very useful in families, particularly for children, regulating their bowels, and enabling you to dispense with cathartics. It may be used in the ordinary way in roll-over puddings, and for tarts, or spread on bread instead of butter; and even when the blackberries are bought, it is cheaper than butter. In the country every family should preserve at least half a peck of blackberries.

2088. Blackberry Pudding or Pie.

Pudding or pie made of blackberries only, or of blackberries and apples mixed in equal proportions is excellent. For suitable suet crust see _par_. 1269. and for puff paste see _par_. 1257.

2089. To make Senna and Manna Palatable.

Take of senna leaves and manna a quarter of an ounce of each, and pour over them a pint of boiling water; when the strength is abstracted, pour the infusion over from a quarter to half a pound of prunes and two large tablespoonfuls of West India molasses. Stew the whole slowly until the liquid is nearly absorbed. When cold it can be eaten with bread and butter, without detecting the senna, and is excellent for children when costive.

2090. Discipline of Children.

Children should not be allowed to ask for the same thing twice. This may be accomplished by parents, teacher, or whoever may happen to have the management of them, paying attention to their little wants, if proper, at once, when possible. Children should be instructed to understand that when they are not answered immediately, it is because it is not convenient. Let them learn patience by waiting.

[CARE IN SUMMER, COMFORT IN WINTER.]

2091. My Wife's Little Tea Parties.

My wife is celebrated for her little parties,--not tea parties alone, but dinner parties, pic-nic parties, music parties, supper parties--in fact, she is vhe life and soul of ALL PARTIES, which is more than any leading politician of the day can boast. But her great _forte_ is her little tea parties--praised and enjoyed by everybody. A constant visitor at these little parties is Mrs. Hitching (spoken of elsewhere), and before a certain epoch in her life (_See par._ 215) she was wont to remark that she "never knew _h_any one who understood the _h_art of bringing so many _h_elegancies together" as my wife. Nobody makes tea like her, and how she makes it she will impart at a future time. But for her little "nick nacks," as she calls them, which give a variety and a charm to the tea-table without trenching too deeply upon our own pocket, she has been kind enough to give a few receipts upon the present occasion.

2092. Good Plum Cake.

One pound of flour, quarter of a pound of butter, quarter of a pound of sugar, quarter of a pound of currants, three eggs, half a pint of milk, and a small teaspoonful of carbonate of soda or baking powder. The above is excellent. The cakes are always baked in a common earthen _flower-pot saucer_, which is a very good plan.

2093. Gingerbread Snaps.

One pound of flour, half a pound of treacle, half a pound of sugar, quarter of a pound of butter, half an ounce of best prepared ginger, sixteen drops of essence of lemon, potash the size of a nut dissolved in a tablespoonful of hot water.

2094. Drop Cakes.

One pint of flour, half a pound of butter, quarter of a pound of pounded lump sugar, half a nutmeg grated, a handful of currants, two eggs, and a large pinch of carbonate of soda, or a little baking powder. To be baked in a slack oven for ten minutes or a quarter of an hour. The above quantity will make about thirty excellent cakes.

2095. A very Nice and Cheap Cake.

Two pounds and a half of flour, three quarters of a pound of sugar, three quarters of a pound of butter, half a pound of currants or quarter of a pound of raisins, quarter of a pound of orange peel, two ounces of caraway seeds, half an ounce of ground cinnamon or ginger, four teaspoonfuls of carbonate of soda or some baking powder; mixed well, with rather better than a pint of new milk. The butter must be well melted previous to being mixed with the ingredients.

2096. "Jersey Wonders."

The oddity of these "wonders" consists solely in the manner of cooking, and the shape consequent. Take two pounds of flour, six ounces of butter, six ounces of white sugar, a little nutmeg, ground ginger, and lemon peel; beat eight eggs, and knead them all well together; a taste of brandy will be an improvement. Roll the paste into a long mass about the thickness of your wrist; cut off a slice and roll it into an oval, about four inches long and three inches wide, not too thin; cut two slits in it, but not through either end, there will then be three bands. Pass the left one through the aperture to the right, and throw it into a _brass_ or _bell-metal_ skillet of BOILING lard or beef or mutton dripping. You may cook three or four at a time. In about two minutes turn them with a fork, and you will find them browned, and swollen or risen in two or three minutes more. Remove them from the pan to a dish, when they will dry and cool.

[THEY MUST HUNGER IN FROST WHO WILL NOT WORK IN HEAT.]

2097. Muffins.

Add a pint and a half of good ale yeast (from pale malt, if possible) to a bushel of the very best white flour; let the yeast lie all night in water, then pour off the water quite clear; heat two gallons of water just milk-warm, and mix the water, yeast, and two ounces of salt well together for about a quarter of an hour. Strain the whole, and mix up your dough as light as possible, letting it lie in the trough an hour to rise; next roll it with your hand, pulling it into little pieces about the size of a large walnut. These must be rolled out thin with a rolling-pin, in a good deal of flour, and if covered immediately with a piece of flannel, they will rise to a proper thickness; but if too large or small, dough must be added accordingly, or taken away; meanwhile, the dough must be also covered with flannel.

Next begin baking; and when laid on the iron, watch carefully, and when one side changes colour, turn the other, taking care that they do not burn or become discoloured. Be careful also that the iron does not get too hot. In order to bake muffins properly, you ought to have a place built as if a copper were to be set; but instead of copper a piece of iron must be put over the top, fixed in form like the bottom of an iron pot, underneath which a coal fire is kindled when required. Toast the muffins crisp on both sides with a fork; pull them open _with your hand_, and they will be like a honeycomb; lay in as much butter as you intend; then clap them together, and set by the fire: turn them once, that both sides may be buttered alike. When quite done, cut them across with a knife; but if you use a knife either to spread or divide them, they will be as heavy as lead. Some kinds of flour will soak up more water than others; when this occurs, add water; or if too moist, add flour: for the dough must be as light as possible.

2098. Unfermented Cakes, &c.

All cakes of this description may be made with the aid of a little baking-powder, or egg-powder. For instructions respecting these preparations the reader is referred to _pars._ 1011, 1012.

2099. Tea Cakes.

Take of flour one pound; sugar, one ounce; butter, one ounce; baking-powder, three teaspoonfuls; milk, six ounces; water, six ounces. Rub the butter and baking powder into the flour; dissolve the sugar in the water, and then add the milk. Pour this mixture gradually over the flour, and mix well together; divide the mass into three portions, and bake twenty-five minutes. Flat round tins or earthen-pans are the best to bake the cakes in. Buttermilk may be used instead of milk and water, if preferred.

2100. Unfermented Cake.

Take of flour one pound and a half; baking powder, four teaspoonfuls; sugar, one ounce and a half; butter, one ounce and a half; milk, twenty ounces; currants, six ounces, more or less. Mix the baking powder and butter into the flour by rubbing them together; next dissolve the sugar in the milk, and add it gradually to the flour, mixing the whole intimately, and adding fruit at discretion. Bake in a tin or earthen pan.

2101. Luncheon Cakes.

Take of flour one pound; baking powder, three teaspoonfuls; sugar, three ounces; butter, three ounces; currants, four ounces; milk, one pint, or twenty ounces: bake one hour in a quick oven.

2102. Nice Plum Cake.

Take of flour one pound; baking powder, three teaspoonfuls; butter, six ounces; loaf sugar, six ounces; currants, six ounces; three eggs; milk, about four ounces; bake for one hour and a half in a tin or pan.

2103. Lemon Buns.

Take of flour one pound; baking powder, three teaspoonfuls; butter, six ounces; loaf sugar, four ounces; one egg; essence of lemon, six or eight drops: make into twenty buns, and bake in a quick oven for fifteen minutes.

2104. Soda Cake.

Take of flour half a pound; bicarbonate of soda, two drachms; tartaric acid, two drachms; butter, four ounces; white sugar, two ounces; currants, four ounces; two eggs; warm milk, half a teacupful.

[AN HONEST WORD IS BETTER THAN A CARELESS OATH.]

2105. Excellent Biscuits.

Take of flour two pounds; carbonate of ammonia, three drachms, in fine powder; white sugar, four ounces; arrowroot one ounce; butter, four ounces; one egg: mix into a stiff paste with new milk, and beat them well with a rolling-pin for half an hour; roll out thin, and cut them out with a docker, and bake in a quick oven for fifteen minutes.

2106. Wine Biscuits.

Take of flour half a pound; butter, four ounces; sugar, four ounces; two eggs; carbonate of ammonia, one drachm; white wine, enough to mix to a proper consistence. Cut out with a glass.

2107. Ginger Cakes.

To two pounds of flour add three quarters of a pound of good moist sugar, one ounce best Jamaica ginger well mixed in the flour; have ready three quarters of a pound of lard, melted, and four eggs well beaten: mix the lard and eggs together, and stir into the flour, which will form a paste; roll out in thin cakes, and bake in a moderately heated oven. Lemon biscuits may be made in a similar way, by substituting essence of lemon for ginger.

2108. Sponge Cake (1).

(_Very Easy Method_.)--The following receipt is as excellent as it is simple, it gives less trouble than any other, and has never been known to fail:--Take five eggs and half a pound of loaf sugar, sifted; break the eggs upon the sugar, and beat all together with a steel fork for half an hour. Previously take the weight of two eggs and a half, in their shells, of flour. After you have beaten the eggs and sugar the time specified, grate in the rind of a lemon (the juice may be added at pleasure), stir in the flour, and immediately pour it into a tin lined with buttered paper, and let it be instantly put into rather a cool oven.

2109. Sponge Cake (2).

Take equal weight of eggs and sugar; half their weight in sifted flour; to twelve eggs add the grated rind of three lemons, and the juice of two. Beat the eggs carefully, white and yolks separately, before they are used. Stir the materials thoroughly together, and bake in a quick oven.

2110. Almond Sponge Cake.

Almond Sponge Cake is made by adding blanched almonds to the above.

2111. Yule Cake.

Take one pound of fresh butter; one pound of sugar; one pound and a half of flour; two pounds of currants; a glass of brandy; one pound of sweetmeats; two ounces of sweet almonds; ten eggs; a quarter of an ounce of allspice; and a quarter of an ounce of cinnamon. Melt the butter to a cream, and put in the sugar. Stir it till quite light, adding the allspice and pounded cinnamon; in a quarter of an hour, take the yolks of the eggs, and work them two or three at a time; and the whites of the same must by this time be beaten into a strong snow, quite ready to work in. As the paste must not stand to chill the butter, or it will be heavy, work in the whites gradually, then add the orange peel, lemon, and citron, cut in fine strips, and the currants, which must be mixed in well, with the sweet almonds; then add the sifted flour and glass of brandy. Bake this cake in a tin hoop, in a hot oven, for three hours, and put twelve sheets of paper under it to keep it from burning.

2112. Cake of Mixed Fruits.

Extract the juice from red currants by simmering them very gently for a few minutes over a slow fire; strain it through folded muslin, and to one pound of the juice add a pound and a half of freshly gathered cooking apples, pared, and rather deeply cored, that the fibrous part may be avoided. Boil these quite slowly until the mixture is perfectly smooth; then, to evaporate part of the moisture, let the boiling be quickened. In from twenty-five to thirty minutes, draw the pan from the fire, and throw in gradually a pound and a quarter of sugar in fine powder; mix it well with the fruit, and when it is dissolved, continue the boiling rapidly for twenty minutes longer, keeping the mixture constantly stirred; put it into a mould, and store it, when cold, for winter use, or serve it for dessert, or for the second course; in the latter case, decorate it with spikes of almonds, blanched, and heap solid whipped cream round it, or pour a custard into the dish. For dessert, it may be garnished with dice of the palest apple jelly.

[PLAIN WORDS MAKE THE MOST ORNAMENTAL SENTENCES.]

2113. Banbury Cakes.

Roll out the paste about half an inch thick, and cut it into pieces; then roll again till each piece becomes twice the size; put some Banbury meat in the middle of one side; fold the other over it, and pinch it up into a somewhat oval shape; flatten it with your hand at the top, letting the seam be quite at the bottom; rub the tops over with the white of an egg, laid on with a brush, and dust loaf sugar over them: bake in a moderate oven.

2114. Meat for Banbury Cakes.

The meat for Banbury cakes is made thus:--Beat up a quarter of a pound of butter until it becomes in the state of cream; then mix with it half a pound of candied orange and lemon peel, cut fine; one pound of currants, a quarter of an ounce of ground cinnamon; and a quarter of an ounce of allspice: mix all well together, and keep in a jar till wanted for use.

2115. Bath Buns.

A quarter of a pound of flour; four yolks and three whites of eggs, with four spoonfuls of solid fresh yeast. Beat in a bowl, and set before the fire to rise; then rub into one pound of flour ten ounces of butter; put in half a pound of sugar, and caraway comfits; when the eggs and yeast are pretty light, mix by degrees all together; throw a cloth over it, and set before the fire to rise. Make the buns, and when on the tins, brush over with the yolk of egg and milk; strew them with caraway comfits; bake in a quick oven. If baking powder is used instead of yeast, use two teaspoonfuls, and proceed as directed, omitting to set the dough before the fire to rise, which is useless as regards all articles made with baking powder.

2116. Belvidere Cake for Breakfast or Tea.

Take a quart of flour; four eggs; a piece of butter the size of an egg; a piece of lard the same size: mix the butter and lard well in the flour; beat the eggs light in a pint bowl, and fill it up with cold milk; then pour it gradually into the flour; add a teaspoonful of salt; work it for eight or ten minutes only: cut the dough with a knife to the size you wish it; roll them into cakes about the size of a breakfast plate, and bake in a quick oven.

2117. To Make Gingerbread Cake.

Take one pound and a half of treacle; one and a half ounces of ground ginger; half an ounce of caraway seeds; two ounces of allspice; four ounces of orange peel, shred fine; half a pound of sweet butter; six ounces of blanched almonds; one pound of honey; and one and a half ounces of carbonate of soda; with as much fine flour as makes a dough of moderate consistence.

_Directions for making._ Make a pit in five pounds of flour; then pour in the treacle, and all the other ingredients, creaming the butter; then mix them altogether into a dough; work it well; then put in three quarters of an ounce of tartaric acid, and put the dough into a buttered pan, and bake for two hours in a cool oven. To know when it is ready, plunge a fork into it, and if it comes out sticky, put the cake in the oven again; if not it is ready. This is a good and simple test, which may be resorted to in baking bread and all kinds of cakes.

2118. Pic-Nic Biscuits.

Take two ounces of fresh butter, and well work it with a pound of flour. Mix thoroughly with it half a saltspoonful of pure carbonate of soda, two ounces of sugar; mingle thoroughly with the flour, make up the paste with spoonfuls of milk; it will require scarcely a quarter of a pint. Knead smooth, roll a quarter of an inch thick, cut in rounds about the size of the top of a small wineglass; roll these out thin, prick them well, lay them on lightly floured tins, and bake in a gentle oven until crisp. When cold put into dry canisters. Thin cream used instead of milk, in the mixture will enrich the biscuits. To obtain variety caraway seeds or ginger can be added at pleasure.

[A DUEL IS FOLLY PLAYING AT MURDER.]

2119. Ginger Biscuits and Cakes.

Work into small crumbs three ounces of butter, two pounds of flour, and three ounces of powdered sugar and two of ginger, in fine powder; knead into a stiff paste, with new milk; roll thin, cut out with a cutter: bake in a slow oven until crisp through; keep of a pale colour. Additional sugar may be used when a sweeter biscuit is desired. For good ginger cakes, butter six ounces, sugar eight, for each pound of flour; wet the ingredients into a paste with eggs: a little lemon-peel grated will give an agreeable flavour.

2120. Sugar Biscuits.

Cut the butter into the flour. Add the sugar and caraway seeds. Pour in the brandy, and then the milk. Lastly, put in the soda. Stir all well with a knife, and mix it thoroughly, till it becomes a lump of dough. Flour your pasteboard, and lay the dough on it. Knead it very well. Divide it into eight or ten pieces, and knead each piece separately. Then put them all together, and knead them very well into one lump. Cut the dough in half, and lay it out into sheets, about half an inch thick. Beat the sheets of dough very hard on both sides with the rolling pin. Cut them out into round cakes with the edge of a tumbler. Butter tins and lay the cakes on them. Bake them of a very pale brown. If done too much they will lose their taste. Let the oven be hotter at the top than at the bottom. These cakes kept in a stone jar, closely covered from the air, will continue perfectly good for several months.

2121. Lemon Sponge.

For a quart mould--dissolve two ounces of isinglass in a pint and three quarters of water; strain it, and add three quarters of a pound of sifted loaf sugar, the juice of six lemons and the rind of one; boil the whole for a few minutes, strain it again, and let it stand till quite cold and just beginning to stiffen; then beat the whites of two eggs, and put them to it, and whisk till it is quite white; put it into a mould, which must be first wetted with cold water. Salad oil is much better than water for preparing the mould for turning out jelly, blancmange, &c., but great care must be taken not to pour the jelly into the mould till _quite cool_, or the oil will float on the top, and after it is turned out it must be carefully wiped over with a clean cloth. This plan only requires to be tried once to be invariably adopted.

2122. Almond Custards.

Blanch and pound fine, with half a gill of rose water, six ounces of sweet and half an ounce of bitter almonds; boil a pint of milk, with a few coriander seeds, a little cinnamon, and some lemon-peel; sweeten it with two ounces and a half of sugar, rub the almonds through a fine sieve, with a pint of cream; strain the milk to the yolks of eight eggs, and the whites of three well beaten; stir it over a fire till it is of a good thickness, take it off the fire, and stir it till nearly cold, to prevent its curdling.

2123. Arrowroot Blancmange.

A teacupful of arrowroot to a pint of milk; boil the milk with twelve sweet and six bitter almonds, blanched and beaten; sweeten with loaf sugar, and strain it; break the arrowroot with a little of the milk as smooth as possible; pour the boiling milk upon it by degrees, stir the while; put it back into the pan and boil a few minutes, still stirring: dip the shape in cold water before you put it in, and turn it out when cold.

2124. Red Currant Jelly.

With three parts of fine ripe red currants mix one of white currants; put them into a clean preserving-pan, and stir them gently over a clear fire until the juice flows from them freely; then turn them in a fine hair sieve, and let them drain well, but without pressure. Pass the juice through a folded muslin, or a jelly bag; weigh it, and then boil it _fast_ for a quarter of an hour; add for each pound, eight ounces of sugar coarsely powdered, stir this to it off the fire until it is dissolved, give the jelly eight minutes more of quick boiling, and pour it out. It will be firm, and of excellent colour and flavour. Be sure to clean off the scum as it rises, both before and after the sugar is put in, or the preserve will not be clear. Juice of red currants, three pounds; juice of white currants, one pound: fifteen minutes. Sugar, two pounds: eight minutes. An excellent jelly may be made with equal parts of the juice of red and of white currants, and of raspberries, with the same proportion of sugar and degree of boiling as mentioned in the foregoing receipt.

[REVENGE IS THE ONLY DEBT WHICH IS WRONG TO PAY.]

2125. White Currant Jelly.

White currant jelly is made in the same way as red currant jelly, only double refined sugar should be used, and it should not be boiled above ten minutes. White currant jelly should be put through a lawn sieve.

2126. Another Receipt for White Currant Jelly.

After the fruit is stripped from the stalks, put it into the pan, and when it boils, run it quickly through a sieve: take a pound of sugar to each pint of juice, and let it boil twenty minutes.

2127. Black Currant Jelly.

To each pound of picked fruit allow one gill of water; set them on the fire in the preserving-pan to scald, but do not let them boil; bruise them well with a silver fork, or wooden beater; take them oft and squeeze them through a hair sieve, and to every pint of juice allow a pound of loaf or raw sugar; boil it ten minutes.

2128. Apricot Jelly.

Divide two dozen ripe apricots into halves, pound half of the kernels in a gill of water, and a teaspoonful of lemon juice; reduce the fruit to a pulp, and mix the kernels with it; put the whole into a stewpan with a pound of sugar, boil thoroughly, skim till clear, and put into small pots.

2129. Ox-heel Jelly.

Ox-heel Jelly is made in the same way as Calves' Feet Jelly (_See par._ 2132).

2130. Arrowroot Jelly.

A tablespoonful of arrow-root, and cold water to form a paste; add a pint of boiling water; stir briskly, boil for a few minutes. A little sherry and sugar may be added. For infants, a drop or two of the essence of caraway seed or cinnamon is preferable.

2131. An Excellent Jelly.

(_For the Sick room._)--Take rice, sago, pearl-barley, hartshorn shavings, each one ounce; simmer with three pints of water to one, and strain it. When cold, it will be a jelly, which give, dissolved in wine, milk, or broth, in change with the other nourishment.

2132. Calves' Feet Jelly.

It is better to buy the feet of the butcher, than at the tripe-shop ready boiled, because the best portion of the jelly has been extracted. Slit them in two, and take every particle of fat from the claws; wash well in warm water, put them in a large stewpan, and cover with water; skim well, and let them boil gently for six or seven hours, until reduced to about two quarts, then strain and skim off any oily substance on the surface. It is best to boil the feet the day before making the jelly, as, when the liquor is cold, the oily part being at the top, and the other being firm, with pieces of blotting paper applied to it, you may remove every particle of the oily substance without wasting the liquor. Put the liquor in a stewpan to melt, with a pound of lump sugar, the peel of two lemons, and the juice of six, six whites and shells of eggs beat together, and a bottle of sherry or Madeira; whisk the whole together until it is on the boil, then put it by the side of the stove, and let it simmer a quarter of an hour; strain it through a jelly-bag: what is strained first must be poured into the bag again, until it is as bright and clear as distilled water; then put the jelly in moulds, to be cold and firm; if the weather is too warm, it requires some ice or some of Nelson's gelatine.

If required to be very stiff, half an ounce of isinglass may be added when the wine is put in. It may be flavoured by the juice of various fruits and spices, &c., and coloured with saffron, cochineal, the juice of beetroot, spinach juice, claret, &c. It is sometimes made with cherry brandy, red noyeau, curaçao, or essence of punch.

2133. Orange Marmalade.

Select the largest Seville oranges, as they usually contain the greatest quantity of juice, and take those that have clear skins, as the skins form the largest part of the marmalade. Weigh the oranges, and weigh also an equal quantity of loaf sugar. Peel the oranges, dividing the peel of each into quarters, and put them into a preserving-pan; cover them well with water, and set them on the fire to boil. In the meantime prepare your oranges; divide them into gores, then scrape with a teaspoon all the pulp from the white skin; or, instead of peeling the oranges, cut a hole in the orange and scoop out the pulp: remove carefully all the pips, of which there are innumerable small ones in the Seville orange, which will escape observation unless they are very minutely examined. Have a large basin near you with some cold water in it, to throw the pips and peels into--a pint is sufficient for a dozen oranges.

Boil these in the water, and having strained off the glutinous matter which comes from them, add it to the other parts. When the peels have boiled till they are sufficiently tender to admit of a fork being stuck into them, scrape away all the pith from the inside of them; lay them in folds, and cut them into thin slices of about an inch long. Clarify the sugar; then throw the peels and pulp into it, stir it well, and let it boil for half an hour. Then remove it from the fire, and when it becomes cool, put it by in pots. Marmalade should be made at the end of March, or at the beginning of April, as Seville oranges are then in their best state.

2134. Apple Marmalade.

Peel and core two pounds of sub-acid apples--Wellingtons are excellent for the purpose--and put them in an enamelled saucepan with one pint of sweet cider, or half a pint of pure wine, and one pound of crushed sugar. Cook them by a gentle heat three hours, or longer, until the fruit is very soft, then squeeze it first through a cullender and then through a sieve. If not sufficiently sweet, add powdered sugar to taste, and put away in jars made air-tight by covering them with a piece of wet bladder.

2135. Plum, Green-gage, or Apricot Jam

After taking away the stones from the fruit, and cutting out any blemishes, put them over a slow fire, in a clean stewpan, with half a pint of water, and when scalded, rub them through a hair sieve. To every pound of pulp put one pound of sifted loaf sugar, put it into a preserving pan over a brisk fire, and when it boils skim it well, and throw in the kernels of the apricots and half an ounce of bitter almonds, blanched. Then boil it fast for a quarter of an hour longer, stirring it all the time. Store away in pots in the usual manner.

2136. Almond Flavour.

(ESSENCE OF PEACH KERNELS--QUINTESSENCE OF NOYEAU.)--Dissolve one ounce of essential oil of bitter almonds in one pint of spirit of wine. Use it as flavouring for cordials and pastry. _In large quantities is exceedingly poisonous_. A few drops only should be used to several pounds of syrups, pastry, &c. This and other flavourings may be bought in small bottles, ready for use, of grocers or oilmen.

2137. Syrup of Orange or Lemon Peel.

Of fresh outer rind of Seville orange or lemon-peel, three ounces, apothecaries' weight; boiling water, a pint and a half; infuse the peel for a night in a close vessel; then strain the liquor; let it stand to settle; and having poured it off clear from the sediment, dissolve in it two pounds of double refined loaf sugar, and make it into a syrup with a gentle heat.

[PRIDE COSTS MORE THAN HUNGER, THIRST, OR COLD.]

2138. Indian Syrup.

(A delicious summer drink.) Five pounds of lump sugar, two ounces of citric acid, a gallon of boiling water: when cold add half a drachm of essence of lemon and half a drachm of spirit of wine; stir it well and bottle it. About two tablespoonfuls to a glass of cold water.

2139. Apples in Syrup for Immediate Use.

Pare and core some hard round apples, throwing them into a basin of water as each is peeled. Clarify as much loaf sugar as will cover them; put the apples in water with the juice and rind of a lemon, and let them simmer till they are quite clear; great care must be taken not to break them. Place them on the dish they are to appear upon at table, and pour the syrup over.

2140. Pounding Almonds.

The almonds should be dried for a few days after being blanched. Set them in a warm place, strewn singly over a dish or tin. A little powdered lump sugar will assist the pounding. They may be first chopped small, and rolled with a rolling pin.--Almond Paste may be made in the same manner.

2141. Blanched Almonds.

Put the almonds into cold water, and heat them slowly to scalding; then take them out and peel them quickly, throwing them into cold water as they are done. Dry them in a cloth before serving.

2142. Freezing without Ice or Acids.

The use of ice in cooling depends upon the fact of its requiring a vast quantity of heat to convert it from a solid into a liquid state, or in other words, to melt it; and the heat so required is obtained from those objects with which it may be in contact. A pound of ice requires nearly as much heat to melt it as would be sufficient to make a pound of cold water boiling hot; hence its cooling power is extremely great. But ice does not begin to melt until the temperature is above the freezing point, and therefore it cannot be employed in freezing liquids, &c., but only in cooling them. If, however, any substance is mixed with ice which is capable of causing it to melt more rapidly, and at a lower temperature, a still more intense cooling effect is the result; such a substance is common salt, and the degree of cold produced by the mixture of one part of salt with two parts of snow or pounded ice is greater than thirty degrees below freezing.

In making ice-creams and dessert ices, the following articles are required:--Pewter ice-pots with tightly-fitting lids, furnished with handles; wooden ice-pails, to hold the rough ice and salt--the pails should be stoutly made, about the same depth as the ice pots, and nine or ten inches more in diameter, with a hole in the side, fitted with a good cork, in order that the water from the melted ice may be drawn off as required. In addition, a broad spatula, about four inches long, rounded at the end, and furnished with a long wooden handle, is necessary to scrape the frozen cream from the sides of the ice-pot, and for mixing the whole smoothly together. When making ices, place the mixture of cream and fruit to be frozen in the ice-pot, cover it with the lid, and put the pot in the ice-pail, which proceed to fill up with coarsely-pounded ice and salt, in the proportion of about one part of salt to three of ice; let the whole remain a few minutes (if covered by a blanket so much the better), then whirl the pot briskly by the handle for a few minutes, take off the lid, and with the spatula scrape the iced cream from the sides, mixing the whole smoothly; put on the lid, and whirl again, repeating all the operations every few minutes until the whole of the cream is well frozen.

Great care and considerable labour are required in stirring, so that the whole cream may be smoothly frozen, and not in hard lumps. When finished, if it is required to be kept any time, the melted ice and salt should be allowed to escape, by removing the cork, and the pail filled up with fresh materials. It is scarcely necessary to add, that if any of the melted ice and salt is allowed to mix with the cream, the latter is spoiled. From the difficulty of obtaining ice in places distant from large towns, and in hot countries, and from the impracticability of keeping it any length of time, or, in fact, of keeping small quantities more than a few hours its use is much limited, and many have been the attempts to obtain an efficient substitute. For this purpose various salts have been employed, which, when dissolved in water, or in acids, absorb a sufficient amount of heat to freeze substances with which they may be placed in contact. We shall not attempt, in this article, to describe all the various freezing mixtures that have been devised, but speak only of those which have been found practically useful.

Many of the freezing mixtures which are to be found described in books are incorrectly so named, for although they themselves are below the freezing point, yet they are not sufficiently powerful to freeze any quantity of water, or other substances, when placed in a vessel within them. In order to be efficient as a freezing mixture, as distinguished from a cooling one, the materials used ought to be capable of producing by themselves an amount of cold more than thirty degrees below the freezing point of water, and this the ordinary mixtures will not do. Much more efficient and really freezing mixtures may be made by using acids to dissolve the salts. The cheapest, and perhaps the best, of these for ordinary use, is one which is frequently employed in France, both for making dessert ices, and cooling wines, &c. It consists of coarsely powdered Glauber salt (sulphate of sodium), on which is poured about two-thirds its weight of spirit of salts (hydrochloric acid).

The mixture should be made in a wooden vessel, as that is preferable to one made of metal, which conducts the external heat to the materials with great rapidity; and when the substance to be cooled is placed in the mixture, the whole should be covered with a blanket, a piece of old woollen carpet doubled or some other non-conducting material, to prevent the access of the external warmth; the vessel used for icing wines should not be too large, that there may be no waste of the freezing mixture. This combination produces a degree of cold thirty degrees below freezing; and if the materials are bought of any of the wholesale druggists or dry salters, it is exceedingly economical. It is open, however, to the very great objection, that the spirit of salt is an exceedingly corrosive liquid, and of a pungent, disagreeable odour: this almost precludes its use for any purpose except that of icing wines.

[FAIR AND SOFTLY GO SURE AND FAR.]

2143. Further Directions.

Actual quanties--one pound of chloride of ammonium, or sal ammoniac, finely powdered, is to be _intimately_ mixed with two pounds of nitrate of potasium or saltpetre, also in powder; this mixture we may call No. 1. No. 2 is formed by crushing three pounds of the best Scotch soda. In use, an equal bulk of both No. 1 and No. 2 is to be taken, stirred together, placed in the ice-pail, surrounding the ice-pot, and rather less cold water poured on than will dissolve the whole; if one quart of No. 1, and the same bulk of No. 2 are taken, it will require about one quart of water to dissolve them, and the temperature will fall, if the materials used are cool, to nearly thirty degrees below freezing. Those who fail, may trace their want of success to one or other of the following points:--the use of too small a quantity of the preparation,--the employment of a few ounces; whereas, in freezing ices, the ice-pot must be entirely surrounded with the freezing material: no one would attempt to freeze with four ounces of ice and salt. Again, too large a quantity of water may be used to dissolve the preparation, when all the excess of water has to be cooled down instead of the substance it is wished to freeze. All the materials used should be pure, and as cool as can be obtained. The ice-pail in which the mixture is made must be of some non-conducting material, as wood--which will prevent the access of warmth from the air; and the ice-pot, in which the liquor to be frozen is placed, should be of pewter, and surrounded nearly to its top by the freezing mixture. Bear in mind that the making of ice-cream, under any circumstances, is an operation requiring considerable dexterity and practice.

2144. To Make Dessert Ices, both Cream and Water.

2145. Strawberry Ice Cream.

Take one pint of strawberries, one pint of cream, nearly half a pound of powdered white sugar, the juice of a lemon; mash the fruit through a sieve, and take out the seeds: mix with the other articles, and freeze. A little new milk added makes the whole freeze more quickly.

2146. Raspberry Ice Cream.

The same as strawberry. These ices are often coloured by cochineal, but the addition is not advantageous to the flavour. Strawberry or raspberry jam may be used instead of the fresh fruit, or equal quantities of jam and fruit employed. Of course the quantity of sugar must be proportionately diminished.

2147. Strawberry Water Ice.

One large pottle of scarlet strawberries, the juice of a lemon, a pound of sugar, or one pint of strong syrup, half a pint of water. Mix,--first rubbing the fruit through a sieve,--and freeze.

2148. Raspberry Water Ice.

Raspberry Water Ice is made in precisely the same manner as Strawberry-water ice.

2149. Lemon-Water Ice.

Lemon juice and water, each half a pint; strong syrup, one pint: the rind of the lemons should be rasped off, before squeezing, with lump sugar, which is to be added to the juice; mix the whole; strain after standing an hour, and freeze. Beat up with a little sugar the whites of two or three eggs, and as the ice is beginning to set, work this in with the spatula, which will be found to much improve the consistence and taste.

2150. Orange-Water Ice.

Orange-Water Ice is made in the same way as Lemon-water ice.

2151. Nitrate of Ammonium as a Freezing Mixture.

Another substance, which is free from any corrosive action or unpleasant odour, is nitrate of ammonium, which, if simply dissolved in rather less than its own weight of water, reduces the temperature about twenty-five degrees below freezing. The objections to its use are that its frigorific power is not sufficiently great to freeze readily; and if it be required to form dessert ices, it is requisite to renew the process, at the expiration of a quarter of an hour, a second time, and, if the weather is very hot, and the water used is rather warm, even a third or fourth time. Again, nitrate of ammonium is a very expensive salt; even in France, where it is manufactured expressly for this purpose, it is sold at the rate of three francs a pound; and in England it cannot be obtained under a much higher price. One great recommendation, however, attends its use, namely, that it may be recovered again, and used any number of times, by simply boiling away the water in which it is dissolved, by a gentle fire, until a small portion, on being removed, crystallizes on cooling.

2152. Washing Soda as a Freezing Mixture.

If, however, nitrate of ammonium in coarse powder is put into the cooler, and there is then added twice its weight of freshly crushed washing soda, and an equal quantity of the coldest water that can be obtained, an intensely powerful frigorific mixture is the result, the cold often falling to forty degrees below freezing. This is by far the most efficacious freezing mixture that can be made without the use of ice or acids. But, unfortunately, it has an almost insuperable objection, that the nitrate of ammonium is decomposed by the soda, and cannot be recovered by evaporation; this raises the expense to so great a height, that the plan is practically useless.

[ALL IS NOT GOLD THAT GLITTERS.]

2153. Sal Ammoniac as a Freezing Mixture.

If the ordinary sal ammoniac of the shops is used, it will be found both difficult to powder, and expensive; in fact, it is so exceedingly tough, that the only way in which it can be easily divided, except in a drug mill, is by putting as large a quantity of the salt into water which is actually boiling as the latter will dissolve; as the solution cools, the salt crystalizes out in the solid form, and if stirred as it cools, it separates in a state of fine division. As this process is troublesome, and as the sal ammoniac is expensive, it is better to use the crude muriate of ammonium, which is the same substance as sal ammoniac, but before it has been purified by sublimation. This is not usually kept by druggists, but may be readily obtained of any of the artificial manure merchants, at a very moderate rate; and its purity may be readily tested by placing a portion of it on a red-hot iron, when it should fly off in a vapour, leaving scarcely any residue.

2154. Coldness of the Materials used.

It is hardly necessary to add, that in icing wines, or freezing, the effect is great in proportion to the coldness of the materials used; therefore, every article employed, viz., the water, tubs, mixtures, &c., should be as cool as possible.

2155. Blackbirds.

The cock bird is of a deep black, with a yellow bill. The female is dark brown. It is difficult to distinguish male from female birds when young; but the darkest generally are males. Their food consists of German paste, bread, meat, and bits of apple. The same treatment as given for the thrush (_See par._ 2456) applies to the blackbird.

2156. Food of Blackbirds.

The natural food of the blackbird is berries, worms, insects, shelled snails, cherries, and other similar fruit; and its artificial food, lean fresh meat, cut very small, and mixed with bread, or German paste.

2157. Thrushes.

A cock may be distinguished from a hen by a darker back, and the more glossy appearance of the feathers. The belly also is white. Their natural food is insects, worms, and snails. In a domesticated state they will eat raw meat, but snails and worms should be procured for them. Young birds are hatched about the middle of April, and should be kept very warm. They should be fed with raw meat, cut small, or bread mixed in milk with hemp seed well bruised; when they can feed themselves give them lean meat cut small, and mixed with bread or German paste, plenty of clean water, and keep them in a warm, dry, and sunny situation.

2158. Canaries.

To distinguish a cock bird from a hen, observe the bird when it is singing, and if it be a cock you will perceive the throat heaving with a pulse-like motion, a peculiarity which is scarcely perceptible in the hen. Feed young canaries with white and yolk of hard egg, mixed together with a little bread steeped in water. This should be pressed and placed in one vessel, while in another should be put some boiled rape seed, washed in fresh water. Change the food every day. When they are a month old, put them into separate cages. Cut the claws of cage-birds occasionally, when they become too long, but in doing so be careful not to draw blood.

2159. Treatment of Canaries.

Care must be taken to keep canaries very clean. For this purpose, the cage should be strewed every morning with clean sand, or rather, fine gravel, for small pebbles are _absolutely essential_ to life and health in cage-birds: fresh water must be given every day, both for drinking and bathing; the latter being in a shallow vessel; and, during the moulting season, a small bit of iron should be put into the water for drinking. The food of a canary should consist principally of _summer_ rape seed that is, of those small _brown_ rape seeds which are obtained from plants sown in the spring, and which ripen during the summer; large and _black_ rape seeds, on the contrary, are produced by such plants as are sown in autumn and reaped in spring. A little chickweed in spring, lettuce leaves in summer, and endive in autumn, with slices of sweet apple in winter, may be safely given; but bread and sugar ought to be generally avoided. Occasionally, also, a few poppy or canary seeds, and a small quantity of bruised hemp seed may be added, but the last very sparingly.

Cleanliness, simple food, and fresh but not _cold_ air, are essential to the well-being of a canary. During the winter, the cage should never be hung in a room without a fire, but even then, when the air is mild, and the sun shines bright, the little prisoner will be refreshed by having the window open. The cage should never be less than eight inches in diameter, and a foot high, with perches at different heights.

2160. Bullfinches.

Old birds should be fed with German Paste, (_See par_. 2164), and occasionally rapeseed. The Germans sometimes give them a little poppy-seed, and a grain or two of rice, steeped in Canary wine, when teaching them to pipe, as a reward for the progress they make. Bird organs, or flageolets, are used to teach them. They breed three or four times a year. The young require to be kept very warm, and to be fed every two hours with rape seed, soaked for several hours in cold water, afterwards scalded and strained, bruised, mixed with bread, and moistened with milk. Not more than one, two, or three mouthfuls should be given at a time.

2161. Linnets.

Cock birds are browner on the back than the hens, and have some of the large feathers of the wings white up to the quills. Canary and hemp seed, with occasionally a little groundsel, water-cress, chickweed, &c., constitute their food.

2162. Skylarks.

The cock is recognised by the largeness of his eye, the length of his claws, the mode of erecting his crest, and by marks of white in the tail. It is also a larger bird than the hen. The cage should be of the following proportions:--Length, one foot five inches; width, nine inches; height, one foot three inches. There should be a circular projection in front to admit of a fresh turf being placed every two or three days, and the bottom of the cage should be plentifully and constantly sprinkled with river sand. All vessels containing food should be placed outside, and the top of the cage should be arched and padded, so that the bird may not injure itself by jumping about.

Their food, in a natural state, consists of seeds, insects, and also buds, green herbage, as clover, endive, lettuce, &c., and occasionally berries. When confined, they are usually fed with a paste made in the following manner:--Take a portion of bread, well-baked and stale, put it into fresh water, and leave it until quite soaked through, then squeeze out the water and pour boiled milk over it, adding two-thirds of the same quantity of barley meal well sifted, or, what is better, wheat meal. This should be made fresh every two days. Occasionally the yolk of a hard-boiled egg should be crumbled small and given to the birds, as well as a little hemp seed, meal, worms, and elder berries when they can be got. The cages of these birds should be kept very clean.

2163. Parrots.

Parrots may best be taught to talk by covering the cage at night, or rather in the evening, and then repeating to them slowly and distinctly, the words they are desired to learn. They should not be kept in places where they are liable to hear disagreeable noises, such as street cries, and the whistling and shouts of boys at play, for they will imitate them, and become too noisy to be tolerated. Parrots may be fed upon soaked bread, biscuit, mashed potatoes, and rape seed. They are fond of nuts. They should be kept very clean, and allowed a bath frequently. When parrots appear sickly in any way, it is best to keep them warm, change their food for a time, and give them lukewarm water to bathe in.

[SHORT RECKONINGS MAKE LONG FRIENDS.]

2164. German Paste.

Good German paste for cage birds may be made in the following manner:--Boil four eggs until quite hard, then throw them into cold water; remove the whites and grate or pound the yolks until quite | fine, and add a pound of white pea-meal and a tablespoonful of olive oil. Mix the whole up together, and press the dough through a tin cullender so as to form it into small grains like shot. Fry these over a gentle fire, gradually stirring them until of a light brown colour, when they are fit for use.

2165. Insects in Birdcages.

To keep away insects suspend a little bag of sulphur in the cage. This is said to be healthful for birds generally, as well as useful in keeping away insects by which they become infested.

2166. Squirrels.

In a domestic state these little animals are fed with hazel nuts, or indeed any kind of nuts; and occasionally bread and milk. They should be kept very clean.

2167. Rabbits.

Rabbits should be kept dry and warm. Their best food is celery, parsley, and carrots; but they will eat almost any kind of vegetable, especially the dandelion, milk-thistle, &c. In spring it is recommended to give them tares. A little bran, and any kind of grain occasionally is beneficial, as too much green food is very hurtful. Care should be taken not to over-feed them. When fed upon dry food a little skim milk is good for them. Tea leaves also, in small quantities, may be given to them.

2168. White Mice.

White Mice are fed upon bread soaked in milk, peas, oats, beans, &c., and any kind of nuts.

2169. Monkeys.

Monkeys feed upon bread, and fruit of any kind. Do not give them meat, but occasionally they may I have small bones to pick.

2170. Guinea Pigs.

Guinea Pigs very much resemble rabbits in their mode of living, and may be treated in much the same manner. They should be kept dry, warm, and very clean.

2171. To Fatten Poultry.

Poultry should be fattened in coops, and kept very clean. They should be furnished with gravel, but with no water, except that with which their only food, barley-meal, is mixed. Their thirst makes them eat more than they would, in order to extract the moisture from the food. This should not be put in troughs, but laid upon a board, which should be washed clean every time fresh food is put upon it.

2172. To Fatten Fowls in a Short Time.

Mix together ground rice well scalded with milk, and add some coarse sugar. Feed them with this in the daytime, but do not give them too much at once; let it be rather thick.

2173. Egg Shells for Poultry.

It is a bad thing to give fowls egg-shells. They supply nothing that is not equally well furnished by lime, and especially bricklayers' rubbish, old ceilings, &c. Never do anything that has a tendency to make them eat eggs. They are apt scholars. If they find worms in a natural way they are good food, but it is a bad plan to give them by the handful.

2174. Gold Fish.

Great care must be taken of gold fish, as they are very sensitive; and hence a loud noise, strong smell, violent or even slight shaking of the vessel, will sometimes destroy them. Small worms, which are common to the water, suffice for their food in general, but the Chinese, who bring gold fish to great perfection, throw small balls of paste into the water, of which they are very fond. They give them also lean pork, dried in the sun, and reduced to a very fine and delicate powder. Fresh river-water should be given them frequently, if possible. Gold-fish seldom deposit spawn when kept in glass-vessels. In order to procure a supply, they must be put into reservoirs of a considerable depth, in some part at least, well shaded at intervals with water-lilies, and constantly supplied with fresh water.

[FIRST BE JUST, THEN YOU MAY BE GENEROUS.]

2175. Dogs.

The best way to keep dogs healthy is to let them have plenty of exercise, and not to over-feed them. Let them at all times have a plentiful supply of clean water, and encourage them to take to swimming, as it assists their cleanliness. Naldire's soap is recommended as highly efficacious in ridding dogs of fleas. After using any soap rinse it well off with clean water. Properly treated, dogs should be fed only once a day. Meat boiled for dogs, and the liquor in which it is boiled thickened with barley meal, or oatmeal, forms capital food.

2176. Distemper in Dogs.

The distemper is liable to attack dogs from four months to four years old. It prevails most in spring and autumn. The disease is known by dulness of the eye, husky cough, shivering, loss of appetite and spirits, and fits. When fits occur, the dog will most likely die, unless a veterinary surgeon be called in. During the distemper, dogs should be allowed to run on the grass; their diet should be spare; and a little sulphur be placed in their water. Chemists who dispense cattle medicines can generally advise with sufficient safety upon the diseases of dugs, and it is best for unskilful persons to abstain from physicing them. In many diseases dogs will be benefited by warm baths.

2177. Hydrophobia in Dogs.

Hydrophobia is the most dreadful of all diseases. The first symptoms are attended by thirst, fever, and languor. The dog starts convulsively in his sleep, and when awake, though restless, is languid. When a dog is suspected, he should he firmly chained in a place where neither children nor dogs nor cats can get near him. Any one going to attend him should wear thick leather gloves, and proceed with great caution. When a dog snaps savagely at an imaginary object, it is almost a certain indication of madness; and when it exhibits a terror of fluids, it is confirmed hydrophobia. Some dogs exhibit a great dislike of musical sounds, and when this is the case they are too frequently made sport of. But it is a dangerous sport, as dogs have sometimes been driven mad by it.

2178. Mange in Dogs.

The mange is a contagious disease, which it is difficult to get rid of when once contracted. The best way is to apply to a veterinary chemist for an ointment, and to keep applying it for some time after the disease has disappeared, or it will break out again.

2179. Cats.

It is generally supposed that cats are more attached to places than to individuals, but this is an error. They obstinately cling to certain places, because it is there they expect to see the persons to whom they are attached. A cat will return to an empty house, and remain in it many weeks. But when at last she finds that the family does not return, she strays away, and if she chance then to find the family, she will abide with them. The same rules of feeding which apply to dogs apply also to cats. They should not be over-fed, nor too frequently. Cats are liable to the same diseases as dogs; though they do not become ill so frequently. A little brimstone in their milk occasionally is a good preventive. The veterinary chemist will also prescribe for the serious diseases of cats.

2180. Choice of Friends.

Dr. Blair has said:

"We should ever have it fixed in our memories, that _by the character of those whom we choose for our friends our own character is likely to be formed_, and will certainly be judged of by the world. We ought, therefore, to be slow and cautious in contracting intimacy; but when a virtuous friendship is once established, we must ever consider it as a sacred engagement."

2181. Words.

Soft words soften the soul--angry words are fuel to the flame of wrath, and make it blaze more freely. Kind words make other people good-natured--cold words freeze people, and hot words scorch them, and bitter words make them bitter, and wrathful words make wrathful. There is such a rush of all other kinds of words in our days, that it seems desirable to give kind words a chance among them. There are vain words, and idle words, and hasty words, and spiteful words, and silly words, and empty words, and profane words, and boisterous words, and warlike words. Kind words also produce their own image on men's souls, and a beautiful image it is. They smooth, and quiet, and comfort the hearer. They shame him out of his sour, and morose, and unkind feelings. We have not yet begun to use kind words in such abundance as they ought to be used.

2182. Gossiping.

If you wish to cultivate a gossiping, meddling, censorious spirit in your children, be sure when they come home from church, a visit, or any other place where you do not accompany them, to ply them with questions concerning what everybody wore, how everybody looked, and what everybody said and did; and if you find anything in this to censure, always do it in their hearing. You may rest assured, if you pursue a course of this kind, they will not return to you unladen with intelligence; and rather than it should be uninteresting, they will by degrees learn to embellish, in such a manner as shall not fail to call forth remarks and expressions of wonder from you. You will, by this course, render the spirit of curiosity, which is so early visible in children, and which, if rightly directed, may be made the instrument of enriching and enlarging their minds, a vehicle of mischief which will serve only to narrow them.

2183. Rules of Conduct.

The following rules of conduct were drawn up by Mrs. Fry, who combined in her character and conduct all that is truly excellent in woman: