cochineal, one ounce of cream of tartar, two drachms of alum,
half a pint of water; boil the cochineal, water, and cream of tartar
till reduced to one half, then add the alum, and put up in small bottles
for use. Yellow is obtained by the infusion of Spanish saffron in a
little water, or a still better one from the grated rind of a ripe
orange put into muslin, and a little of the juice squeezed through it.

Be careful in boiling the sugar for _fondant_, not to stir it after it
is dissolved; stirring causes it to become rough instead of creamy.

CHAPTER XIV.

A CHAPTER FOR PEOPLE OF VERY SMALL MEANS.

I AM sorry to say in these days this chapter may appeal to many, who are
yet not to be called "poor people," who may have been well-to-do and
only suffering from the pressure of the times, and for whose cultivated
appetites the coarse, substantial food of the laboring man (even if they
could buy it) would not be eatable, who must have what they do have
good, or starve. But, as some of the things for which I give recipes
will seem over-economical for people who can afford to buy meat at least
once a day, I advise those who have even fifty dollars a month income to
skip it; reminding them, if they do not, "that necessity knows no law."

A bone of soup meat can be got at a good butcher's for ten or fifteen
cents, and is about the best investment, for that sum I know of, as two
nourishing and savory meals, at least, for four or five persons can be
got from it.

Carefully make a nice soup, with plenty of vegetables, rice, or any
other thickening you like. Your bone will weigh from four to six pounds,
perhaps; put it on with water according to size, and let it boil down
slowly until nice and strong. If you have had any scraps of meat or
bones, put them also to your soup.

When you serve it, keep back a cup of soup and a few of the vegetables,
and save the meat, from which you can make a very appetizing hash in the
following way: Take the meat from the bone, chop it with some cold
potatoes and the vegetables you saved from the soup. Cold stewed onions,
boiled carrots or turnips, all help to make the dish savory. Chop an
onion very fine, unless you have cold ones, a little parsley and thyme,
if liked, and sometimes, for variety's sake, if you have it, a pinch of
curry powder, not enough to make it hot or yellow, yet to impart
piquancy. If you have a tiny bit of fried bacon or cold ham or cold
pork, chop it with the o