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OUR ARM- CHAIR.
THE WIFE'S DEPARTMENT .
OUR ARM - CHAIR. WHAT THE PRESS SAYS.-The newspapers, with extraordinary unanimity, pronounce " Peterson's Magazine," the best and cheapest of all the lady's books. These newspapers see all the monthlies, and when they give this verdict in favor of " Peterson," they speak of " that which they do know." Says the Western (Mo.) Landmark :-"No magazine can compare with Peterson. " Says the Allentown (Pa.) Vindicator:-" This Magazine contains more for the money than any in the world." Says the Appleton (Wis.) Crescent :"Should be in every household in the country." Says the Bennettsville (S. C.) Journal:-"The fashion-plates are unequaled." Says the Decatur (Mich.) Republican :—“ The best Magazine published for the price." Says the Minneapolis (Minn.) Union :-" Peterson for August is at hand. It is, without doubt, the cheapest of the many magazines, as well as the best." Says the Kingston (N. Y.) Press :-" The Work-Table department is unequaled." The Cape Girardeau (Mo.) Democrat says :-" Deservedly the most popular of all the monthlies." Says the New Lisbon (0.) Patriot :-"The best and cheapest Magazine in America." Says the Albion (Mich.) Mirror :-" The reading matter is from the best female authors of the country 19 The London (C. W.) Prototype says :—“ Its contents are of surpassing artistic and literary merit." Says the Mechanic Falls (Me.) Herald:"Just what everybody needs in the house." The Batesville (Ark.) Times says : -"The number before us is superb. The Springfield (Mass.) Union says :-"The favorite Maga zine with the ladies. " The Peeksville (N. Y.) Enterprise says :-" Contaizs a splendid steel engraving, but what makes it still more attractive, is the attractive stories." The Douglas (Mass.) Herald says :-In point of literary merit it is unsurpassed." The Lapeer (Mich.) Clarion says :-" There is an interest and fascination about the stories of this Magazine which few publications possess." The Reading ( Pa.) Gazette says :-" Becoming more popular daily, and deservedly so." Says the Boston ( Mass.) Banner of Light :"Its brilliant fashion-plates are fresh from Paris." The Coburg (C. W.) Sentinel says :-"The literary contents are of the best description, being from the first writers of America." We could give, if we had space, hundreds of similar notices. But these are enough to prove to our subscribers that they take the best and cheapest ofthe lady's books. W. F. TAYLOR, Berlin, N. Y., says : "I have a Wheeler & Wilson Machine, ( No. 289, ) bought of Mr. Gardner in 1853, ho having used it a year. I have used it constantly in shirt manufacturing, as well as family sewing, sixteen years. My wife ran it four years, and earned between seven hundred and eight hundred dollars, besides doing her housework. I have never expended fifty cents on it for repairs. It is today in the best of order, stitching fine linen bosoms nicely. I started manufacturing shirts with this machine, and now have over one hundred of them in use. I have paid at least three thousand dollars for the stitching done by this old machine, and it will do as much now as any machine I have." ADVERTISEMENTS inserted in this periodical at reasonable rates. "Peterson" is the most valuable vehicle in the United States for advertising, for it has a larger circulation than any other Magazine, and goes to every town, village, and cross-roads in the Nation. For terms, etc., address PETERSON'S MAGAZINE, 306 Chestnut street, Philadelphia,
A COPY of" Peterson's Magazine," and a copy of the " Star of Bethlehem ," will be sent to one address for $2.50. Address C. J. Peterson, No. 306 Chestnut street, Philada., Pa. " IN ITS PECULIAR FIELD," says the Vergennes (Vt.) Vermonter, "Peterson's Magazine is the ladies' favorite. It defies competition ."
THE WIFE'S DEPARTMENT. HOW TO COOK A CHOP.-A mutton-chop is one of the best things in the world, if properly cooked : it is one of the worst ifnot cooked rightly. We are old-fashioned enough to think that a wife ought to know how to cook, even if she is so rich that she never needs to do any cooking herself, and, therefore, we shall give our fair readers, with their permission, a hint or two about cooking mutton-chops. It may help them out some time, in getting up an appetizing repast, when nothing but mutton-chops can be had. The requisites for serving up a good mutton-chop are, that the chop should be cut properly; that there should be a bright, clear, fierce fire ; that the chop should be broiled, and not fried ; and that the cook should turn it quickly, at the right moment, and know exactly, by the change of color on the surface of the chop, when that right moment has come. A few chops, under these conditions, make a dinner of themselves. The first thing is to have the chop cut properly. This is really the butcher's business. But butchers, like other people, frequently do not know the things they ought to know, and many of them, especially in country towns, are ignorant how to cut a chop artistically. It ought to be sawed, and not cut, (to be critical in our phraseology,) and should be at least an inch or an inch and a quarter thick, Ifit is too thin it will not contain sufficient gravy to keep { the interior in a soft and tender condition, and in spite of all the care possible, it will become hard and tasteless in cooking. The fat, of course, must be trimmed according to taste ; it is a good plan, where a number of chops are served up together, to trim them differently, so that all tastes may be suited. If there is the slightest suspicion about their tenderness, they should be well beaten with a knife-handlə or silver spoon, about an hour before cooking them, taking care not to alter their natural shape. The next consideration is the fire. This should be a bed of live coals, hickory being the best, where wood can be had, or is used. If anthracite, or bituminous, coal is employed, the fire should be intensely hot, without smoke. It is generally dangerous to touch a fire during cooking. Make a good fire at first, and the rest is comparatively easy. The gridiron, of course, should be scrupulously clean, and should be placed well slanting forward, so that the fat may trickle along the bars, and drop into the fire away from the chop, otherwise the chop will be scorched. The chop should never be turned with a fork, for this lets out all the most delicious gravy. A couple ofsilver spoons, properly handled, will turn it much better. This may seem a trifling point; but it is really a very important one. Let us look into the philosophy of it for a moment. Chemists tell us, that raw meat consists principally of fibrin and certain juices holding albumen and various salts in solution. This fibrin, or solid portion of the flesh, constitutes only about one-quarter of the weight of the meat, the rest being made of a watery fluid containing the albumen and salts. The liquid portion is held by the fibrin much in the same waythat water is held in a sponge; but as soon as the fibrin is submitted to the action of heat, it contracts and squeezes out these juices, which contain not only the greater portion of the nourishment, but also the flavor of the meat. The fibrin from which the juices have been separated contains scarcely any nourishment, and is almost tasteless. On the other hand, the cooked juices are sapid and full of flavor and nourishment. Hence, it is very important not to lose these juices, by sticking a fork into the chop. Of course, it is even worse to overdo the chop, and nearly as bad not to turn it at the right moment. Let us follow this up. You put your chop down to a bright, clear, and even somewhat fierce fire. The first thing that happens is the coagulation of a portion of the albumen on the under-side of the chop, and a contraction of the fibrin which draws the juices into the center. If you leave your
