Ladies' Column.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2061, 29 April 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

Ladies' Column.

Etiquette, or Baby.

The late Madame Ruderdorf, the famous singer and teacher, was a great favorite of the Princess Royal of England who is now the Crown Princess of Prussia. The following story is associated with the two ladies : After the marriage of the Princess, Madame sang at a court concert at Berlin, and was invited by the Crown Princess to breakfast with her. They breakfasted together informally,and afterwards Madame sang several songs of Handel, the Princess’s favorite composer,her Royal hostess playing her accompaniments. The Princess proposed a visit to the nursery. As madame sat on the floor with one child playing with the charms on her watch-chains, another hanging over her shoulder, and the baby in her arms, the door opened, and the Crown Prince walked into the midst of the frolic. The Princess arose, and introduced her visitor. Madame looked up, and with her ready tact and wit said—- “ Your Royal Highness, I must either disregard court etiquette, or drop the court baby.” The Prince bowed courteously, and said with a smile ; “ Do what you like with etiquette, but regard the baby.”

Questions to a Fretful Wife.

“ Hester 1” exclaimed Aunt Susan, ceasing her rocking and knitting, and sitting upright, “do yon know what your husband will do when you are dead ?” “What do you mean?” was the startled reply. “He will marry the sweetest-terapered girl he can lind.” “Oh, auntie!” Hester began. “Don’t interrupt me until I have finished,” said Aunt Susan, leaning back and taking her knitting. “She may not be as good a housekeeper as you are—in fact, 1 think not ■, but she will be goodnatured.”

“ Why, auutio ” “That isn’t all,” composedly continued Aunt Susan. “To-day your husband was halfway across the kitchen floor bringing you the (irst ripe fruit, and all you did was tolook on and say, ‘ There, Will, just see your footmarks on ray clean floor! I won’t have my floor dirtied.’ Some men would have thrown the fruit out of the window. To-day you screwed up your face when ho kissed you because his moustache was damp, and said, ‘I never want you to kiss me again.’ When he empties anything you tell him not to spill it. From morning until night your sharp voice is hoard complaining andfault finding. And last winter, when you were sick, you scolded him for allowing the pump to freeze, and took no notice when he said, ‘ I was so anxious about you that I did not think of the pump.’” “But, auntie ” “Hearken, child. The strongest and most intelligent of men all care more for a woman's tenderness than for anything else in the world; and without this the cleverest and most perfect housekeeper is sure to lose her husband’s affections in time. There may be a few more men like Will —as gentle, as loving, as chivalrous, as forgetful for self, and so satisfied with loving, that their affectionswill die a long struggling death; but in most cases it takes but a few years of fretfulness and faultfinding to turn a husbrnd’s love into irritated indifference.”

“But, auntie— —” “Yes, well you are not dead yet, and the sweet-natured woman has not been found; so you have time to become so serene and sweet that your husband can never imagine that there is a better tempered woman in existence.”

RECIPES.

Scotch Broths. On thee aft Scotland chows her cood, In souple scones the wale o’ food ; Or tumlin’ in the boiling flood Wi’ kail an’ beef.— Burns,

Mutton broth is the favor! te Scotch broth. For it a gallon and a half of water is put into the broth pan, with one half pound of pearl barley, the latter being previously washed in two or three waters to free it from dust or other foreign matter. This is allowed to boil. A neck of mutton weighing about live pounds, the bone of which is chipped so as to be easily cut, is put into the boiling water, together with any vegetables in season. J nst now a pint of green peas, half a Swede turnip cut in square pieces, a bunch of parsley, a cabbage leaf cut very finely, a huge bunch of green onions and two rather largo carrots cut in slices would be suitable. A little salt only is put in with these to make the scum rise. It is skimmed off as it rises. The whole is boiled two hours; it is boiled gently at first for about halt an hour and then more quickly the remainderof the time. Tlie mutton is placed on a hot meat dish or “ ashet " as it is called in Scotland, and the pieces of turnip placed round it as a garnish. The broth is turned into a tureen, from which it is ladled into the soup plates, The mutton is eaten as a second course with the pieces of turnip and whole boiled potatoes. Leg of mutton is often used for mutton broth, but that made from the neck is much sweeter and richer. Beef broth is made in the same way as the preceding from a good boiling piece.

Skink soup is another much liked and often used eoup ; it is made from the shin of beef, A well broken shin of beef is put into a gallon and a half of boiling water and boiled for two hours; it is then taken out and the meat cut from the bone in small neat pieces, the liquor being skimmed at the same time. The bone is returned to the liquor and boiled four hours longer. This part of the process is generally dune the day before the soup is wanted. The vegetables are then added in about the same proportion as for mid ion broth ; see above. Add the pieces of beef at the same time, with pepper and salt to taste, and boil till the vegetables are tender.

Fowl Broth is made like mutton broth, the fowl being used instead of mutton. Fowl and mutton broth is excellent, about throe pounds of the mutton being used with one fowl. A fowl which has passed its chickenhood some time is often used in making broth as it gets. well cooked. To prepare a fowl for broth it is plucked and drawn, wiped out with a damp cloth, then stuffed both in the crop and body with a stuffing made as follows :—A little oatmeal, according to the size of the fowl or fowls, is put. into a basin with a little salt and a level teaspoonful of p' ppcr (one for fowl) and a few green onions or chives cut very finely. This is mixed to a paste with good fresh butter. The crop and body are tribal with this, and the fowl Irnsswl so I bat (lie stuffing cannot escape, h'ii should do so the broth is practically so ■ I d. Wden pearl barley is let piocur. aM ■ who! - rice i- oi(, it -uhstiliitcd. but it is not lit art v so nice.