PRI0CILIA 
 
 Housekeepers 
 
 jVerudau fjousekecping 
 oenes - Vol. 2 
 
 The Priscilfei Publishing Co., Boston, Mass. 
 
iPrfectlla 
 Help* for Jtous-efeeeper* 
 
 Cfje gbeconb J&ook of llje 
 
 Cberpbap housekeeping Series; 
 
 A COLLECTION OF EVERYDAY HOUSEKEEPING "HELPS" 
 
 GARNERED FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF NEARLY 
 
 500 PRACTICAL PRISCILLA HOUSEWIVES 
 
 Edited by 
 
 THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF 
 
 THE MODERN PRISCILLA 
 
 PRICE, 25 CENTS 
 
 PUBLISHED BY 
 
 Cf)f $rt£iriUa rPubligtnng Company 
 
 85 BROAD STREET. BOSTON. MASS. 
 
 Copyright, 1915, by The Priscilla Publishing Company 
 
 Trade Mark Reg. U. S. Patent Office 
 
 All rights reserved 
 
 Copyright in Creat Britain and the Colonies 
 
CONTENTS v W\W 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Outside the House i 
 
 Helps with Flowers 2 
 
 Decorative Helps 3 
 
 Library Suggestions 4 
 
 Helps with Home-Made Furniture 5 
 
 Concerning Walls and Windows 6 
 
 All About Stoves 7 
 
 Secrets in Cooking 8, g, io 
 
 Economies in Household Planning n 
 
 Economies in the Kitchen 12 
 
 Frills with Meat and Eggs 13 
 
 Tricks with Cakes and Frostings 14 
 
 Helps at Preserving Time IS 
 
 Ways with Vegetables 16 
 
 Suggestions for Pie Making 17 
 
 Helps with Kitchen Utensils 18 
 
 Helps in the Laundry 19 
 
 Helps in Starching and Laundering Colored Garments .... 20 
 
 Helps in Ironing and Cleaning Fabrics 21 
 
 AH Sorts of Stains 22 
 
 Helps with Floors and Floor Coverings 23 
 
 Helps about the Dining Room 24 
 
 Helps with Linen 25 
 
 Helps when Entertaining 26 
 
 Serving for Family and Guest 27 
 
 Helps with Glass and China 28 
 
 At House Cleaning Time 29 
 
 Cleaning This and That 30 
 
 Cleaning and Dyeing 31 
 
 Things Good to Know 32 
 
 Little Things to Remember 33 
 
 Helps with Personal Belongings 34 
 
 Little Things about the House 35 
 
 Helps in the Sick Room 36 
 
 Helps in the Bedroom 37 
 
 Helps with Children 38 
 
 Helps with Shoes and Stockings ' . . . -39 
 
 Toilet Helps 40 
 
 When Thinking of Others 41 
 
 Helps when Shopping and Traveling 42 
 
 
 
 g)CU4H998 
 
 DEC 10 1915 
 
Outside the House 
 
 A Lawn or A lawn seat may be 
 Hall Seat made from a discarded 
 wooden bedstead. Use 
 the footboard for the back. Insert the 
 side rails and measure the width desired 
 for the seat (about eighteen inches). Saw 
 these off. Saw the front legs from the 
 head-board and use the remainder of it for 
 the seat-board. Paint to harmonize with 
 house. — Mrs. J. H. F. 
 
 For the Camper'* Stout manila envelopes 
 Napkin* w ' tn *' le owner's name 
 
 on the front make good 
 napkin-holders for between meals, particu- 
 larly where there are a number of napkins 
 to be kept separate, as on camping trips, 
 informal house-parties, etc. We have also 
 used clothespins (the ones with a spring) 
 for our family reunions, the name being 
 printed with India Ink on the flat side 
 of the pin. — G. C. H. 
 
 A Condensed When one has little 
 Bonfire space and must burn 
 
 papers in an alley or 
 small yard where there is danger of small 
 bits flying and setting fire to near-by prop- 
 erty try the following plan : Buy galvan- 
 ized chicken wire fencing and make a wire 
 basket in which to place the papers. Cross 
 wires in the bottom a few inches from the 
 ground to let the air pass under. — K. K. 
 
 On the Veranda We had several palms 
 in large tubs on our ve- 
 randa and were greatly troubled by our 
 playful kittens scattering the soil over the 
 floor until we conceived the idea of cover- 
 ing the soil with window-screen wire, cut 
 to fit the top of the tub. After this we had 
 no trouble, and they could climb all over 
 the palms without doing any harm. Cut 
 the wire the full size of the top of the 
 tub. then cut a circle in the centre for the 
 stem and slit it from the centre to the edge 
 and slip in place. Tack lightly to the edge 
 of the tub. The roots can be watered 
 through the wire. — Mrs. H. J. B. 
 
 A Home-made We have made a ham- 
 Hammock mock, which we find 
 very enjoyable, out of a 
 spring cot. We took the legs off and turned 
 them up, nailing securely and connecting 
 with a strip of one by three across the top 
 of the back. We hung it from the limbs 
 of trees with a heavy rope and tacked 
 striped ticking on the ends and back, put 
 in the mattress and some pillows. This 
 cost us nothing, as we had the material 
 on hand. Such a hammock is delightful in 
 summer and equally so in winter if hung 
 in the attic or some unused room as a jest- 
 ing spot. — Mrs. G. H. C. 
 
 For the Camper't 
 Napkin* 
 
 An Adaptable Folding 
 Awning 
 
 A Home Made 
 Hammock 
 
 Water-proof Many of us have en- 
 Matche* countered the annoying 
 
 experience of finding 
 ourselves miles from a store and all the 
 matches in our possession so damp that 
 they cannot be used. A fact worth know- 
 ing is that matches can be made water- 
 proof, without injury, by dipping them 
 in very hot melted paraffin. Allow them 
 to cool and they are ready for use. The 
 paraffin does not interfere with their use 
 in the regular way, and they are abso- 
 lutely protected from dampness. It is well 
 to remember this when the spring and 
 summer fishing and camping trips com- 
 mence. 
 
 An Adaptable This adaptable and coin- 
 Folding Awning fortable awning is bet- 
 ter than a mere um- 
 brella in that it allows more shade and a 
 freer amount of circulation. Following is 
 the mode of making: Buy four bamboo or 
 cane poles about five feet long and fasten 
 a brass hook into the top of each one. 
 Now take four yards of material, one yard 
 wide, either heavy unbleached muslin or 
 dark green denim (either is soft and pli- 
 able). Cut goods into two-yard lengths 
 and sew the strips together, making a four- 
 yard square. Hem all four edges and at 
 each corner sew a good sized brass eye to 
 fasten over the hooks in the poles. Now 
 drive your poles one foot into the earth 
 or sand — wherever you have elected to 
 pitch your habitation, about two yards 
 apart in a square, and when you have ad- 
 justed your top to it you will have a four- 
 yard area of shade open to the cooling 
 breezes in which four people can sit com- 
 fortably. The chief joy of this awning 
 is the fact that it can be easily carried, 
 and as readily moved from place to place 
 without inconvenience. — R. T. N. 
 
 A Cheap A cheap refrigerator that 
 Refrigerator for may be used in the sum- 
 Campers mer cottage or for any 
 emergency "camping 
 time" is made by using a large iron wash- 
 tub, a large granite pail, and a square of 
 thin boards (cleated together) large enough 
 to cover the tub. Use old table oilcloth 
 to cover one side of this square, tacking 
 along the edges with small furniture tacks. 
 Wash well a small piece of ice and place 
 in the pail. Fold a clean bath-towel and 
 cover the ice pail. Place in centre of tub 
 and your butter, meat, milk, etc., around 
 the pail in the tub. You will have room 
 for fruit, tomatoes, etc., between the other 
 dishes. Then cover the tub with any clean 
 white cloth and lay on the board top with 
 the oilcloth cover down. Set the tub in 
 a cool place and the ice will last for twenty- 
 four hours. — Mrs. E. F. K. 
 
Helps with Flowers 
 
 Geranium Tree* The burly Scotch gar- 
 d e n e r showing us 
 through the greenhouses smiled as we ad- 
 mired the luxuriant geranium and helio- 
 trope trees. "You could grow these just 
 as well," he declared, "simply keep all the 
 side shoots trimmed off the little plant un- 
 til it is at least twelve inches high, then 
 let it branch out and you'll find you have 
 as nice a little tree as you could wish. 
 These are particularly pretty to grow for 
 the autumn house plants. On leaving he 
 gave us each a tiny heliotrope. I treated 
 mine as he advised, and obtained a stocky 
 little tree which is more interesting than 
 an ordinary plant. — M. D. 
 
 Rubber Plant When the rubber-plant 
 droops, and its leaves 
 turn yellow and drop off, mix a teaspoon- 
 ful of mustard in a cup of boiling water, 
 cool slightly and pour on the soil in the pot. 
 Sometimes a long, black, hard-shelled worm 
 comes to the top, and if this is killed the 
 plant will generally recover. — Mrs. C. P. 
 
 To Preserve Dip the flowers in melt- 
 Natural Flower* e d paraffin, withdraw- 
 ing them quickly. The 
 liquid should only be hot enough to main- 
 tain its fluidity, and the flowers should be 
 dipped one at a time, held by the stem and 
 moved about for an instant to get rid of 
 the air bubbles. Fresh flowers that are 
 free from moisture make excellent 
 specimens. — Mrs. N. M. M. 
 
 A Table Two years ago when 
 
 Ornament serving grapefruit I 
 planted some of the seeds 
 in a flower-pot. Now I have four little 
 grapefruit trees. With their dark green 
 glossy leaves they make a beautiful table 
 decoration, and there is no tropical plant 
 more easily grown. — Mrs. S. E. B. 
 
 Resetting Ferns When resetting ferns, 
 after placing soil around 
 the roots place sawdust between that and 
 the top soil and moisten it. The sawdust 
 retains the moisture and the result is 
 excellent. — Mrs. J. M. C. 
 
 Fertilizer for Dissolve thoroughly in 
 House Plants a P' nt ° f boiling water, 
 four ounces of sulphate 
 of ammonia and two ounces of nitrate of 
 potash. Bottle the liquid and cork tightly. 
 Use a teaspoonful to three quarts of water. 
 It stimulates growth better than liquid 
 manure and is entirely inoffensive. A few 
 drops put into the water of hyacinth 
 glasses makes the bloom stalks richer in 
 color and stronger, and has the further 
 merit of being obnoxious to the white 
 worms which attack the plants. — C. J. S. 
 
 Geranium Tree* 
 
 Rambler Rose Safeguard 
 
 Sending Flowers An excellent receptacle 
 in a Mailing for sending flowers by 
 Tube P ost i s a mailing tube. 
 
 Lay the flowers upon a 
 sheet of waxed paper in such a shape that 
 they will fit the tube. Sprinkle lightly with 
 water. Place a bunch of wet cotton or tis- 
 sue-paper at the ends of the stems. Roll 
 the flowers up carefully in the paper and 
 twist the ends securely. Slide them into the 
 tube. The paper which wraps the tube 
 should be large enough to tuck in well at 
 the ends to prevent the flowers from slip- 
 ping. — M. E. S. 
 
 Rambler Rose A neighbor of mine who 
 Safeguard ha s beautiful rambler 
 rose bushes told me that 
 the little green denim bags that hung here 
 and there among the bushes contained moth 
 balls. A friend had told her that she could 
 keep vermin off her rose bushes in this way 
 and to her surprise she found that it 
 worked beyond her expectations. They 
 should be hung there just as soon as the 
 bushes begin to leaf in the spring. — F. F. 
 
 Strong Plants 
 from Seed 
 
 Plant Stand for 
 Small Room 
 
 To make plants, grown 
 from seed, stocky, fill 
 the box about half full 
 of soil when the seeds are first planted, and 
 as the little seedlings grow up spindling, 
 add more soil until the box is about full. 
 The plants will be stocky and have fine 
 roots for planting out-of-doors by the time 
 the box is filled with soil. — S. P. K. 
 
 To Keep If you wish to send 
 
 Flowers Fresh flowers to a distance, 
 push the stem ends into 
 pieces of raw potato. Line a pasteboard box 
 with dampened cotton, lay the flowers in and 
 cover with another sheet of damp cotton. 
 In this way they will stay fresh for a long 
 time. — Mrs. C. C. 
 
 Plant Stand for Not wishing to mar the 
 Small Room window-casing by put- 
 ting up supports for 
 shelves, I had a carpenter make me a plant- 
 stand like the illustration. The back legs 
 are perpendicular, so that the stand can be 
 set closely against the window. The front 
 legs slant out at the bottom, thus acting 
 as braces and also giving a greater width 
 to the lower shelf and more room for 
 flowers. From the lower shelf I hung a 
 pretty curtain. The upper shelf is ten 
 inches wide, the lower, twelve. — Mrs. P. G. 
 
 Kitchen A pretty and useful idea 
 
 Decoration f° r kitchen decoration is 
 
 a few pots of parsley in 
 
 the windows. It is always ready to garnish 
 
 dishes and is an attractive companion to 
 
 watch. — Mrs. E. J. P. 
 
Decorative Helps 
 
 Flower To utilize for flower re- 
 
 Receptacles ceptacles the many beau- 
 tiful jars and bowls of 
 Indian and Mexican pottery, and other 
 wares through which water percolates and 
 forms a dampness ruinous to line furni- 
 ture, etc. : Heat paraffin wax, in double 
 boiler, and, having the vessel slightly 
 warmed to prevent cracking, pour in the 
 liquid wax and keep turning and twisting 
 the bowl or vase until every portion is 
 covered with the paraffin, and it is cold. 
 As only cold water is used for flowers, the 
 vase will never leak. — M. L. P. 
 
 Novel Portieres Handsome portieres re- 
 sembling those of beads 
 can be made by gathering in the autumn, 
 and stringing in strings of strong linen 
 thread, the bright seed pods of the sweet 
 briar rose. Before being hung on tiny 
 brass hooks, screwed into the door casing 
 or a stick, to be placed in the doorway later, 
 they should be hung where they can dry 
 thoroughly. A thin coat of varnish or 
 shellac greatly improves their appearance 
 and makes them durable. — F. J. B. 
 
 Stenciling with I wonder how many am- 
 Crayons ateur stencilers know 
 
 how successfully ordi- 
 nary colored crayons may be used as a sub- 
 stitute for oil-paints or water-colors? 
 Place the stencil on the material in the 
 usual way, then fill in the design with the 
 crayons in the same way as if one were 
 using paints, and when all the pattern has 
 been transferred, press with a hot iron. 
 Before washing article so stenciled, soak 
 first in a solution of salt and water to set 
 the colors. — Mrs. T. A. O. 
 
 Artistic Lanterns My studio is a large at- 
 tic with great oak raft- 
 ers. Wishing to use candle light I thought 
 of making pierced brass candle-lanterns, 
 but it required too much time to make and 
 properly shape them, and it occurred to me 
 to use empty tin cans of a good size and of 
 "brassy" hue. I made a paper pattern of 
 right demensions and pasted it upon the 
 can. Then I fitted the can upon a round 
 piece of wood and pierced the pattern by 
 aid of a common small punch and hammer, 
 also two rows on the bottom close to the 
 rim. Remove the paper, which should be 
 lightly pasted at joining ends and perhaps 
 one or two other places, and the lantern is 
 ready to be hung. Pierce three holes in 
 the top of rim of the can and insert three 
 small chains about fourteen inches long. 
 (I obtained a small box for twenty-five 
 cents which contained twelve yards of fine 
 brass chain.) Join the other ends of chains 
 in a small brass ring. 
 Inside the can drop a bit of hot candle 
 
 Home Decoration 
 
 Novel Portieres 
 
 Home-Made 
 Shirt- Waist Boxes 
 
 grease and quickly press a small can-cover 
 upon it. Any baking-powder-can cover will 
 do. Then, repeat the same process in the 
 cover to hold the candle in place. When 
 lit the effect is charming. The little can- 
 cover put inside keeps the candle grease 
 from dripping through the bottom perfo- 
 rations to the floor. — J. F. M. 
 
 Home Artificial roses latticed 
 
 Decoration across the windows are 
 among the favorite de- 
 vices of the professional decorators at the 
 large balls, and suggest a charming deco- 
 ration for a home wedding. Cut a square 
 of pasteboard to fit across the inside of 
 the smaller windows, making a lattice-work 
 across it with white listing, and on this 
 pin long festoons of pink or red rambler 
 roses. — Mary V. 
 
 Bungalow Ideas A beautifully primitive 
 bungalow I know with 
 bark still on its rafters and rough stone 
 within and without for the walls, boasts a 
 dome for the dining-room light which is 
 nothing but an inverted peach-basket stained 
 green and attached to the ceiling rafters by 
 means of three dog-chains. The candle- 
 sticks in the other rooms are nothing but 
 short sections of birch branches with a 
 hollow dug in the middle to receive the 
 candle; and birch twigs nailed so the walls 
 serve as hooks to hold clothing. — M. A. 
 
 Unsightly In an old house that had 
 Gas Fixtures been modernized, we 
 found the clumsy brass 
 gas fixtures not only hideous but hopelessly 
 out of harmony with hardwood floors and 
 simple furniture. We stripped off the heavy 
 gilding and exposed the foundation of plain 
 half-inch gas pipe. Two coats of dull black 
 paint gave a finish like wrought iron. The 
 simple fine curves of the original designs 
 of both brackets and chandeliers, when 
 stripped of the ornate covering of 
 tarnished gilt, were unobtrusive and indeed 
 beautiful. — Mary S. 
 
 Old Chenille To use up old chenille 
 Curtains curtains, ravel, cutting 
 
 the warp each inch or 
 two. Wind four strands together on balls 
 and weave as ordinary rag carpet is woven, 
 using fine dark-colored warp. With skill 
 and taste in arranging colors a good imita- 
 tion Smyrna rug can be made. — S. B. F. 
 
 Home-made Get a box of dc.sired 
 Shirt-Waist size, hinge on the lid 
 Boxes an d cover with tea mat- 
 
 ting. At top and bottom 
 of sides and on edge of lid tack half- 
 round molding to cover rough edge of 
 matting. 
 
Library Suggestions 
 
 For Wrapping When I have received 
 Package* packages by mail or 
 
 , express, containing pic- 
 
 tures, photographs, calendars, etc., and 
 found a corner broken I have almost in- 
 variably noticed that the wrappings came 
 only to the edge of the article enclosed. In 
 sending thin packages, particularly at the 
 holiday season, I always cut pasteboard or 
 corrugated paper larger all round than the 
 article, then cut little notches in the sides to 
 keep the cord in place, thus preventing any 
 slipping. Many times a valuable article has 
 been marred or spoiled through careless 
 wrapping. — M. H. B. 
 
 A Good Library Wanting a library table 
 Table wc made a splendid one 
 
 out of a common oblong 
 kitchen table. We fitted a piece of dark 
 green leather over the top, putting a round 
 beading around the edge to hold the leather. 
 Then we painted the sides and legs a dull 
 dark green color, and we had a table that 
 looked well enough for any library. — M. 
 
 Typewriting In these days when type- 
 Hint writers are so widely 
 used in homes as well as 
 offices, the following may be helpful — the 
 hint was given me by my brother who is a 
 typist. When making carbon copies and the 
 carbon sheet seems ready to discard, try 
 cutting off of one end the width of the type- 
 writer space. You will in this way get the 
 use of the space between the worn lines of 
 the carbon. This cannot be realized until 
 tried, but it is a considerable saving. — M. E. 
 
 A Help for This is of particular 
 Students interest to high school 
 
 boys and girls, and for 
 those who have to carry books for ref- 
 erence. It has been used with a great 
 saving of time and patience. In the back 
 of each book, in a course where lectures are 
 given or problems or exercises to be worked 
 out, fasten a large envelope, or make one 
 by fastening the ends and bottom of a large 
 sheet of paper, to the sides and outside 
 edge of the book in question. The opening 
 for the papers will then be against the back 
 of the book and they will be held firmly, 
 saving the annoyance of having papers fly- 
 ing every which-way when the book is 
 dropped or opened, and they will be where 
 they can be consulted in a moment. — E. K. 
 
 Pretty Little The familiar little white 
 Match Safes i ar s which hold extract 
 of beef make very good 
 match-holders. I have found the idea 
 particularly helpful by placing them in a 
 hallway or room in pairs, one for the un- 
 used, the other for burnt matches. — E. G. 
 
 A Good Library Table 
 
 ^=C* 
 
 Pretty Little Match Safes 
 
 A Home-made 
 Magazine Stand 
 
 A Home-made An attractive magazine- 
 Magazine Stand stand may be made for 
 about $1.50, by following 
 the illustration given below. If one does 
 not care to use good oak for this purpose 
 until assured of success a trial stand could 
 be made of cheap wood, which could be 
 painted or stained and used in the children's 
 room for toys and picture-books. — Mrs. G. 
 
 The Troublesome Draw the cork from the 
 Glue and mucilage bottle. Grease 
 
 Mucilage Corks cork wel1 with lard and 
 return. It will never 
 stick again. — M. F. 
 
 Passe-partout I keep rolls of passe- 
 Tape partout tape in white, 
 black, red, and brown, 
 and am always finding new uses for them. 
 The white, clipped into pieces and properly 
 lettered, marks my fruit-jars and other 
 kitchen cans, etc. Cracks in a cake-box 
 where ants might have entered were first 
 covered with the tape and then the box 
 was painted. Clippings from magazines, 
 torn by much handling, were made more 
 lasting by a strip or more of this useful 
 friend. Odds and ends of white paper may 
 be cut into any desired size, clipped together 
 and bound with the tape to make "im- 
 promptu note-books." Pictures from 
 magazines can be preserved by covering 
 with a piece of glass and binding with the 
 tape. If pictures are smaller than the glass 
 paste them on a piece of soft-tinted card- 
 board and cut the cardboard to fit the 
 glass.— E. W. W. 
 
 Uses for Paper A few of the wire paper- 
 clips C ''P S u sed in offices are 
 exceedingly useful to 
 have on hand. When sewing long seams 
 use them to fasten the edges of the cloth 
 together and no basting will be necessary. 
 Turn up a hem the desired depth and place 
 the fasteners at the bottom edge to hold in 
 place. This also saves basting. Every 
 woman receives numerous circulars and 
 advertising letters which are printed on just 
 one side of the paper. Lay a number of 
 such sheets together with plain sides up. 
 Fasten sheets together at the top with a clip 
 and you have a handy writing-pad, which 
 costs nothing. — Mrs. I. M. K. 
 
 When Stamps If stamps have become 
 Are Stuck glued together do not 
 
 Together soa k tnem ' n water ( t,K ' 
 
 old method almost always 
 used). Instead lay a thin paper over them 
 and run a hot iron over it. They will pull 
 apart easily and the mucilage will stay 
 on them. — J. A. V. 
 
Helps with Home-made Furniture 
 
 Modern Furniture An old-fashioned dresser 
 from Old w ' tn side mirror and hat 
 box was made over into 
 a pleasing table in less than fifteen minutes 
 with the aid of a screw-driver. The back 
 and box-like compartment were removed 
 from the base, and the mirror was removed 
 and hung the other way. This was much to 
 be preferred to the clumsy dresser which 
 was hard to arrange tastefully. A long pin- 
 cushion broke the line at the back of the 
 top, which might otherwise have seemed 
 abrupt.— A. M. P. 
 
 A Sewing Chair My husband placed a 
 drawer in the side of 
 my sewing-chair. This little drawer slides 
 under the seat of the rocker and is the 
 most convenient place to keep my scissors, 
 thread, thimble, and "pick-up work." Only 
 upon close examination can this small 
 drawer be detected. — Mrs. W. P. B. 
 
 A Handy Work Secure a medium-sized 
 Stand cheese-box, a round piece 
 
 of board, a little smaller 
 than the box, three pieces of wood for the 
 legs, size i'A x iyi inches and 26 inches long. 
 Saw a notch about J^-inch deep and the 
 thickness of the board, which is to be used 
 for an under shelf, on one edge in each of 
 the three legs at a distance of 10 inches 
 from the top. Slip the board into these 
 notches and fasten with small nails. Brace 
 the top of the legs with small strips of wood 
 and nail the bottom of the box on to the 
 legs. Sandpaper all over and stain. 
 
 Cut a strip of suitable cloth long enough 
 to go around the box and as wide as the 
 box is high, allowing enough in width for 
 turning under at top edge and for a seam 
 on the bottom and a seam on ends. Cut 
 another strip of cloth the same width and 
 one-third of its length longer. Run a small 
 hem in each edge of this and slightly gather 
 about }$-inch from each edge, having the 
 bottom gathered a little fuller than the top, 
 so as to have sufficient looseness at the top. 
 Stitch the gathered piece on to the plain 
 piece at the bottom, letting the small ruffle 
 at the bottom extend below the line of stitch- 
 ing. Also stitch the two pieces together 
 about every five inches, forming pockets, and 
 seam together at ends on the wrong side. 
 The upper edge of the top ruffle should be 
 a little distance below the top of the plain 
 cloth. Slip the cloth around the outside of 
 the box and tack the plain cloth to the top 
 of box, using a narrow gimp to hold it 
 securely in place. Also tack at bottom on 
 line of gathers. When complete this is a 
 useful work-stand. The pockets are to keep 
 thread, scissors, needles, buttons, etc., the 
 box is to hold work, and the shelf is {or the 
 '"many things." — Mrs. H. M. W. 
 
 A Home-made Wardrobe 
 
 A Sewing Chair 
 
 The Old Bureau 
 
 A Home-made I had a table four feet 
 Cabinet w '^ c an d five feet long 
 
 and I secured from my 
 grocer six boxes of the sort that canned 
 goods come in. I nailed them firmly one to 
 another and the bottom ones to the table at 
 the back. I covered table and shelves with 
 oilcloth, hung a curtain across the front of 
 the boxes, and I had as handy a kitchen- 
 cabinet as one could wish for. Under the 
 table I nailed cleats to support a wooden 
 shelf on which I keep some of the kitchen 
 utensils. — Mrs. E. W. 
 
 A Home-made When one cannot go to 
 Wardrobe the expense of buying a 
 real wardrobe a fairly 
 good substitute may be made from a large 
 dry-goods box. Get a long box and stand 
 it on end. Line the interior, either with 
 wall-paper or cretonne, put in hangers, and 
 paint or stain the outside any desired color. 
 Put a ten-cent curtain rod across the front, 
 and hang from it a pretty figured cretonne 
 curtain. — Miss C. H. 
 
 A Sewing Stand An excellent sewing- 
 from a Camp stand can be made from 
 Stool an old camp-stool. Re- 
 
 move seat, stain or en- 
 amel brown or white, get one yard brass 
 chain, divide in half, tack this to posts on 
 each side, so as to hold chair upright. 
 Procure one and one-half yards of pretty 
 cretonne, denim, or Art fabric, fold through 
 middle, so as to have pattern on outside, 
 now tack to cross pieces of frame with 
 brass tacks, allowing three-fourths yard to 
 hang down from between cross pieces, so 
 as to form a bag with ends falling on out- 
 side of cross pieces or turned up and 
 stitched so as to form pockets for scissors, 
 threads, etc. This little article of furniture 
 will serve equally well for holding maga- 
 zines, papers, or music. — G. M. A. 
 
 The Old Many housekeepers have 
 
 Bureau stowed away an old-fash- 
 
 ioned bureau. This is 
 what I did with mine. I unscrewed the 
 cumbersome top and had the bureau moved 
 to my sewing-room. The large lower 
 drawer I use in place of a scrap-bag and 
 to hold new material. All pieces of 
 material left over I roll up and tie, placing 
 them in this drawer. When I am looking 
 for them it is not necessary to turn out 
 the whole collection. I see it as soon as I 
 open the drawer. The other large drawer 
 I keep for unfinished work. When I am 
 sewing I place the work in here out of the 
 way. Ironing-day the things needing a 
 stitch are laid in here so that when I can 
 snatch a moment everything is in readiness. 
 The two small drawers hold scissors, thread, 
 button-boxes, tape, and all sewing utensils. 
 
Concerning Walls and Windows 
 
 Substitute for I had no curtain rods 
 
 Curtain Rod* and hung my curtains on 
 
 a cord, but had to tighten 
 
 the cord constantly. Finally I tried using 
 
 wire instead of string and have had no 
 
 trouble since. — L. E. 
 
 Uniform I have found that the 
 
 Curtains most satisfactory and 
 
 economical way to cur- 
 tain the windows on the second floor is to 
 buy a bolt of pretty muslin ; make the 
 curtains of a uniform length and the hems 
 at top and bottom of an equal width. There 
 are always three or four curtains more than 
 I need, and by changing them about, using 
 them in turn, I have not to solve the ques- 
 tion of curtains again for from two to four 
 years, according to the care used in launder- 
 ing. — "Merit." 
 
 Rings for White Get small screw-eyes, 
 Shades open the eye wide enough 
 
 to insert a large-sized 
 ivory ring, then press together with pincers. 
 With a small brush enamel the screw-eye 
 with white paint and you have an attractive 
 and serviceable ring for your white shades. 
 These are easily cleaned with a damp cloth. 
 — "Josephine." 
 
 To Remove Wet a strip at a time 
 Wall Paper w >th water in which 
 pulverized saltpetre has 
 been dissolved in proportion of one-fourth 
 of a pound to one gallon of water. It soaks 
 through very quickly and allows the paper 
 to come off easily in strips as it was put 
 on.— Mrs. M. W. U. 
 
 To Clean Oil A slice of Irish potato 
 Paintings W 'H clean oil paintings 
 
 without injury, and dip- 
 ped in soda is excellent to brighten silver. 
 —Mrs. G. S. T. 
 
 To Clean Rub all the dust off of 
 
 Mirrors the mirror with a clean, 
 
 damp cloth, then pour a 
 
 little camphor on another cloth and rub over 
 
 mirror. Let dry, then polish with a dry 
 
 cloth. — Mrs. A. M. M. 
 
 Painted If a dirty wall that is to 
 
 Walls be painted be first given 
 
 a coat of starch water 
 
 the dirt may be brushed off with the starch 
 
 when the latter dries, and gives a clean 
 
 foundation for the new paint. 
 
 Backs for Old When housecleaning we 
 Picture Frames found some of the pic- 
 tures would have to be 
 taken apart and new backs put on. We 
 bought table oilcloth and stretched on the 
 back, gluing to the frame. It is so easy to 
 clean and dust and I think helps save the 
 picture. — Irene. 
 
 To Clean Mirror* 
 
 A Hint for 
 Wall Treatment 
 
 Backs for 
 Old Picture Frame* 
 
 To Prevent Wall To prevent wall-paper 
 
 Paper Fading or calcimined walls from 
 
 having a different color 
 
 behind a picture place a tack at both lower 
 
 corners of frame to allow the air to circulate 
 
 through.— Mrs. J. S. V. 
 
 Renewing Gilt Pour a few drops of 
 Frames ammonia on a piece of 
 
 bread, preferably of the 
 day's baking, but not over a day old, and 
 rub the frame carefully with it. If the 
 bread is very fresh it will clean them with- 
 out the ammonia, but the latter makes the 
 effect more lasting. — Mrs. A. McA. 
 
 To Clean Wash- For any one having oil- 
 able Wall Paper c,otn covering on walls 
 and ceiling and dreading 
 the thought of cleaning it, try my plan of 
 steaming it by putting a boiler of water 
 on the stove and letting it boil for two 
 hours or more. The walls will be very 
 damp and all dirt will be loosened. Take 
 a dry cloth and go over the whole surface 
 and it will clean like magic. This method 
 will not loosen or injure the paper in the 
 least. I discovered this by accident and 
 cleaned two rooms in one and a half hours. 
 
 Ecru Curtains Keep your ecru curtains 
 and dresses the right 
 shade by using a little ochre (powdered) 
 mixed with a little water and strained into 
 the water in which you rinse or starch the 
 articles. Does not streak as coffee does and 
 gives a clear ecru tint. — Mrs. D. I. Y. 
 
 Passe-partout First bind everything 
 Large Pictures together with wide white 
 tape (use library paste 
 for this), using it the same as binding, 
 then carefully cover with the fancy binding, 
 being sure the tape does not show. Care 
 must be used with the long strips of bind- 
 ing or they will not go on straight. Also 
 these pictures, being heavier, must have 
 heavier cardboard for backing, through 
 which loops of flat, narrow tin can be 
 fastened for the hanging cord to be tied 
 through. 
 
 A Hint for Wall Being late with house- 
 Treatment cleaning I overlooked 
 the pantry. The paper 
 had become yellow, but was not torn, and 
 having had the woodwork painted blue I 
 put on a coat of the blue paint on the paper 
 and found to my delight that paper can be 
 successfully painted. — K. P. 
 
 Protection for While cleaning mop- 
 Wall Paper boards the wall adjoining 
 may easily be protected 
 by using a piece of cardboard held at the 
 upper edge of the board. This allows 
 the cleaning-cloth to soil the cardboard 
 instead of the wall. — Mrs. C. W. P. 
 

 A// About Stoves 
 
 A Prevention of When there is danger 
 Fire* from a defective flue, the 
 
 fiercest fire can be ex- 
 tinguished in a few minutes by wetting 
 newspapers thoroughly and placing on the 
 coals, closing all dampers. — Mrs. W. G. 
 
 A Sheet-iron It will pay to get this 
 Convenience simple device ready for 
 the cool autumnal days. 
 After the noontime luncheon we do not 
 keep up the wood fire in the kitchen range 
 during the afternoon, yet are enabled to 
 serve a delicately browned roast at the six 
 o'clock dinner. We shake the ashes well 
 down in the hard coal stove in the sitting- 
 room and then remove the ash-pan and slip 
 in a piece of sheet-iron which has been fitted 
 to the place occupied by the ash-pan. This 
 iron prevents the ashes from falling, and 
 all we have to do is to place our roast in 
 this improvised oven, adding the potatoes 
 about an hour before serving, and we have 
 a roast with browned potatoes fit for a king. 
 Anything in the way of meats and vegetables 
 which require long slow cooking may be 
 baked in this oven, and oatmeal is delicious 
 cooked in this way in a covered dish with 
 plenty of water. — Mary L. D. 
 
 A Home-made I got a fifty-pound 
 Fireless Cooker wooden lard bucket from 
 my grocer and lined it 
 with a number of thicknesses of newspaper, 
 breaking the points. I then put in my 
 bucket (an enameled one is the best), which 
 must have a tight lid. Then I tore up 
 pieces of paper and packed in tightly 
 between bucket and lining, making a sort 
 of nest so as to exclude all air. After 
 putting the things to cook I placed several 
 newspapers over the top, over which I 
 threw a cushion. I have cooked chicken, 
 tongue, stews, all sorts of vegetables and 
 breakfast foods with perfect success. All 
 kinds of cereals, meats, and stews I bring 
 to a boil, put immediately into the cooker 
 and allow them to remain all night. In 
 the morning I repeat the process, season- 
 ing and thickening if required. If vege- 
 tables are put in after breakfast, at dinner- 
 time they are piping hot and ready to 
 serve at once. — Mrs. W. K. G. 
 
 A Gas Stove I reduce the amount of 
 Plan m y £ a s bill in many little 
 
 ways, as follows : Place 
 the dish-pan on one burner of the gas stove, 
 one-third full of water ; then put vegetables, 
 rice, and meats in small cans or crocks and 
 place these in the pan of hot water. In a 
 few minutes they will begin to cook, and 
 one can attend to one's other duties without 
 fear of their burning. When your dinner is 
 cooked the dish-water is also ready. — S. 
 
 One Way to Save Cat 
 
 Warming Oven 
 
 A Com Stove Plan 
 
 One Way to One hot day I was going 
 Save Ga* to ' ron a "d D0 '' my din- 
 
 ner on a two-burner gas 
 plate when I found one burner was clogged. 
 The idea struck me to set my stewer on top 
 of the two flat-irons and let it boil. So the 
 one burner boiled my dinner and kept the 
 irons hot. — Mrs. T. B. D. 
 
 Warming Oven From my oil stove oven 
 I have made a fine 
 warming oven for my cook stove by sus- 
 pending it on strong, small ropes run 
 through rings in the ceiling directly over 
 one side of the stove next to the stovepipe. 
 The hot air from the stove enters the bot- 
 tom opening in the oven and keeps dishes 
 warm as toast, and crackers always crisp. 
 
 To Save Gai I have only recently gone 
 to housekeeping, and had 
 had no experience, but was anxious to live 
 economically. Using gas only for cooking, 
 I found the bills unreasonably large. Then 
 I bought an oven which fits over one burner 
 of the gas range. I paid one dollar for it. 
 In this, with a little planning, I cook my 
 whole dinner. For instance, I have one 
 day cream of celery soup, beef stew in cas- 
 serole, baked potatoes, and "Brown Betty" 
 or baked custard. Another day I have 
 vegetable soup, roast lamb, baked tomatoes, 
 escalloped potatoes, and prune whip. It is 
 very little trouble, and gas bills are not a 
 quarter what they used to be. — M. C. R. 
 
 Gas Stove On top of the metal plate 
 below the gas burners on 
 a stove place a sheet of newspaper. This 
 paper catches the particles which drop 
 through while cooking. At the end of each 
 day this paper may be removed and a fresh 
 one made to take its place. — R. Z. 
 
 Home-made This suggestion is for 
 Water System those who live in the 
 for the Range country, or in a town 
 where there is no water 
 system. Take a common vinegar barrel 
 and put a faucet near the bottom ; put a 
 coil in the stove, and connect the coil and 
 barrel by means of water-pipe. The water 
 will boil in an hour. We have a forty- 
 gallon barrel with a lid for the top, so it 
 can be easily filled, and find it very 
 convenient. — Mrs. J. R. L. 
 
 To Mend the When my coal range 
 Coal Range needed a new back I 
 bought a few cents' 
 worth of asbestos cement and made a 
 plaster of it. Don't put it on too thick or 
 the oven will be slow in heating. It dried 
 in a few hours and has given perfect satis- 
 faction.— H. B. P. 
 
m. 
 
 
 \ /Met- Tn , 
 
 Secrets in Cooking 
 
 Secret* With Flour is one of the 
 Flour kitchen secrets which I 
 
 employ in many ways. 
 A teaspoonful sprinkled over the top of 
 apple (juicy ones) or berry pies before 
 placing the upper crust on enriches the 
 flavor and keeps the juices from running 
 out. A teaspoonful (for a pint) mixed 
 with the sugar and cocoa or chocolate for 
 a drink, gives a wonderful additional rich- 
 ness and smoothness and is the secret of 
 the delicious chocolate served in European 
 cafes. In custards also, in cooked salad 
 dressings, Welsh rabbit, and in all recipes 
 depending on eggs alone for thickening, a 
 little flour adds to the dish. In some 
 recipes calling for corn-starch flour can be 
 used as a substitute. Added to the sugar 
 and cooked together as the basis for sherbet 
 and water ices, the flour gives a body and 
 delightful smoothness besides bringing out 
 the fruit flavors to advantage. No gelatine 
 or white of eggs is necessary when flour 
 is used in this manner. — Mrs. G. R. L. 
 
 Hard Lemons When a few lemons are 
 found to be hard and dry 
 do not throw them away, but put them into 
 a small vessel and cover them with boiling 
 water. Place a cover over the pan and let 
 them stand for two hours and they will be 
 found to be almost as good as new. — M. D. 
 
 Instead of Grat- 
 ing Chocolate 
 
 Break up a cake of 
 chocolate and put 
 through your meat 
 grinder. Keep in a tight can. You will 
 find it very convenient when in a hurry and 
 it takes only a few minutes. — Mrs. J. B. O. 
 
 A Lemonade If the sugar is dissolved 
 
 Hint m a little hot water 
 
 before putting in it will 
 
 not sink and will sweeten lemonade more 
 
 quickly. — Mrs. E. W. 
 
 A New Fudge My fudge is the envy of 
 Secret a " mv friends who want 
 
 to know just "how I do 
 it." I cook the fudge until I am sure it is 
 done, that is when it balls firmly in cold 
 water. Not until then do I add the butter. 
 I find three drops of almond oil gives a 
 better flavor than vanilla. I set the fudge 
 dish in a pan of cold water and then stir 
 it hard and fast {not whip or beat it), until 
 it almost sets in the pan. Then I hurry it 
 into biscuit tins into which I have fitted 
 oiled paper, and mark into squares. As a 
 rule it can be lifted out of the tins almost 
 immediately. If the fudge starts to set too 
 fast while in the cold water I take it out at 
 once and stir it rapidly until it is ready to put 
 into the tins. A couple of minutes stirring 
 is all that is necessary, but the fudge is, oh, 
 so creamy. — Mrs., A. F. B. 
 
 To Soften Lemons 
 
 Instead of Grating 
 Chocolate 
 
 A New Fudge Secret 
 
 When Stewing When preparing apples 
 Apples to stew first wash them 
 
 well and wipe dry, then 
 cook the peelings first; when soft drain 
 through a colander. Cook the apples in this 
 liquid and when nearly done add the sugar. 
 The flavor is delicious. A half-dozen cloves 
 make it still better.— F. I. H. 
 
 A Short Cut in Much work is avoided 
 Cooking >f. when flouring chops, 
 
 steak, chicken, or any- 
 thing to be rolled in cracker-crumbs or 
 meal, one uses a small tough paper sack to 
 hold the flour or meal instead of putting 
 it on a plate. Drop one or two pieces into 
 sack, catch by the top and hold tightly, turn 
 upside down quickly once or twice, remove, 
 drop into hot fat. Doughnuts may be 
 sugared in the same way. — Mrs. H. C. 
 
 A Sour Milk Many cooks hesitate to 
 Precaution use sour rnilk and soda 
 for biscuits, because of 
 the uncertainty of the amount of soda to be 
 used to combine perfectly with the acid in 
 the milk. I hit upon the idea of putting a 
 small amount of cream of tartar in the 
 flour. My plan is as follows : Into the 
 sifter of flour I put a teaspoonful of soda, 
 half a teaspoonful of cream of tartar, and 
 then salt. Then I add the flour and lard 
 and mix with sour milk, handling as lightly 
 as possible. Every one praises the puffy, 
 delicious result. The same idea works for 
 dumplings, meat-pie crust, and other things 
 in which sour milk and soda play a part. 
 
 Salt in Soup Do not put salt into soup 
 until you are through 
 skimming it, as salt will stop the rising of 
 the skum. — A Pearl. 
 
 To Renew Lard If lard is becoming 
 slightly rancid the old 
 flavor and odor may be removed by heating 
 it, dropping in a lump of charcoal and letting 
 it stand on the back of the stove for a while. 
 I make my own charcoal by taking brands 
 from the wood fire and dropping them in 
 water. — Waahyuntah. 
 
 A Cocoa Hint Cocoa will not lump if 
 
 a little sugar is mixed 
 
 with it before the hot milk is added. — M. D. 
 
 To Soften Butter How provoking it is 
 for Sandwiches when one wishes to 
 make sandwiches to find 
 the butter too hard to spread, when one 
 must soften only a little at a time, or else 
 have much of it too soft. Try this way : 
 Thoroughly heat a bowl, then turn it over 
 the butter. In a few minutes you will find 
 the butter soft throughout. — A. I. M. 
 
Secrets in Cooking 
 
 Mini in Tea In addition to a few 
 
 drops of lemon to a glass 
 
 of iced tea add a sprig of mint. This makes 
 
 a cooling and refreshing drink. — Mrs. E. 
 
 M. P. 
 
 A Valuable Particles of egg yolk can 
 Hint be removed from the 
 
 white when accidentally 
 dropped in. Touch bits of yellow with a 
 dry cloth and they will readily adhere to 
 same, while none of the white is absorbed. — 
 Miss A. L. S. 
 
 To Make Over I thought I had spoiled 
 Jelly a fruit jelly by adding 
 
 too much water and at 
 dessert time it had not congealed. I put 
 it in a pan and brought to the boiling point, 
 then poured into it three tablespoon fuls of 
 corn-starch moistened in water and returned 
 it to its mold. It was delicious served with 
 whipped cream. — Mrs. R. Mel. 
 
 Burnt Sugar A splendid syrup that is 
 Syrup almost as good as genu- 
 
 ine maple, may be made 
 by putting a cupful of sugar, dry, into a pan 
 on the stove. As soon as the sugar begins 
 to burn a dark brown pour in about a cup- 
 ful of hot water, let it boil until the syrup 
 is of the right thickness. This is excellent 
 for flavoring cakes, etc., and added to any 
 ordinary frosting gives a fine color and 
 flavor.— Mrs. H. A. C. 
 
 A Whipped To prevent whipped 
 Cream Secret cream from getting 
 watery after standing a 
 short time, dissolve a little gelatine in two 
 teaspoonfuls of water and whip in the 
 cream. You can let it stand for hours and 
 it will be as firm as at first. — W. W. 
 
 To Whip Cream To whip cream quickly 
 Quickly a dd a pinch of baking 
 
 soda. — Mrs. C. W. 
 
 To Prevent Milk When boiling milk for 
 from Scorching a pudding or a soup take 
 a little butter and grease 
 the bottom of the vessel you intend using. 
 — R. G. B. 
 
 To Remove When bread, cake, pie, 
 
 Scorch from cookies, etc., are scorched 
 
 Baked Article* in. baking, grate it off 
 
 with an ordinary grater. 
 
 Leaves a smooth surface and does not 
 
 break food as a knife does and there is 
 
 no waste. — Mrs. A. S. K. 
 
 To Remove the Just douse the orange 
 White Skin from in cold water or hold it 
 Oranges under the faucet and 
 
 scrape with a very sharp 
 small knife. It will disappear as if by 
 magic— J. T. G. 
 
 A Foreword about Pre- 
 serves and Marmalade 
 
 To Make Over Jelly 
 
 To Remove Scorch from 
 Baked A t tides 
 
 To Keep Olives When a large bottle of 
 olives is opened and only 
 part of the contents used, the remainder, 
 though left in the brine, becomes compara- 
 tively tasteless. If half an inch of olive oil 
 is poured on the top, and the bottle well 
 corked, the olives will keep their flavor. — 
 Mrs. C. B. 
 
 For Baked Try melting a table- 
 Dishes spoonful of butter in a 
 pan and stir your bread- 
 crumbs in it with a fork till well buttered 
 for top of puddings, etc. It will brown 
 much better. — M. 
 
 A Foreword When you wish to pre- 
 About Preserves pare preserves, fruit 
 and Marmalade butters, marmalades, 
 etc., in fact any confec- 
 tion which requires great care to prevent 
 burning or sticking when cooked upon 
 the top of the stove, the oven, moderately 
 heated, is your best friend. Get every- 
 thing ready in the usual way and when 
 prepared for the final boiling process that 
 requires constant watchfulness, place the 
 fruit in granite or enameled pans in the 
 lower part of the oven, close the door 
 and just let them cook, being careful not 
 to get the fire too hot. A steady moderate 
 heat, such as is used in baking a fruit 
 cake is the right thing. Once in an hour 
 or so stir the fruit thoroughly, as the up- 
 per porton will otherwise become dry and 
 may scorch. I make all sorts of preserves 
 in this way. They cook slowly, the fruits 
 preserve their shape and are delicious. 
 Try it for orange marmalade in the spring 
 and you will keep on I believe. Peach, 
 plum, pear butter, etc., can be cooked in a 
 large quantity in any kettle or small granite 
 dish-pan — anything that your oven will 
 contain. Catsups, etc., can be made in the 
 same way. They can be cooked while the 
 upper part of the stove is in use. — Mrs. 
 A. S. 
 
 To Remove Nut If nuts arc soaked in 
 Meats Whole hot water a few hours, 
 the meats will come out 
 whole. — E. L. Mo. 
 
 Substitute for When it is impossible to 
 Whipped Cream ,lave whipped cream a 
 delicious substitute can 
 be made in the following way. Beat the 
 whites of two eggs very stiff, slice evenly 
 one banana, add to the eggs and beat un- 
 til thoroughly dissolved, sweeten to taste 
 with powdered sugar. With some left- 
 over slices of cake it makes a good "emer- 
 gency dessert." 
 
 Boiled Custard If boiled custard curdles 
 
 pour quickly into a cold 
 
 vessel and beat with the egg-beater and the 
 
 custard will become smooth. — Mrs. W. F. B. 
 
Secrets in Cooking 
 
 To Sweeten A little soda stirred into 
 
 Cream cream only slightly 
 
 soured will restore its 
 
 sweetness for use in coffee. — Mrs. C. H. M. 
 
 A Beef Tea Hint When making beef tea 
 never add the salt un- 
 til the meat has cooked some time. Salt 
 acts upon the fibre hardening it and 
 preventing its giving out all its nourishing 
 qualities.— Mrs. W. H. G. 
 
 Testing Cake When buying a new 
 broom pull out a couple 
 dozen or more of the fine smooth straws 
 and put them in a clean bottle and place 
 in cupboard to use when testing cake, etc. 
 They will always be ready and clean. 
 
 The Secret of To insure light dump- 
 Light Dumpling, lings drop them in the 
 stew and leave the cover 
 off the kettle until they are twice the size 
 they were when dropped in, then place the 
 cover on and boil for ten minutes. 
 
 To Turn When baking cookies 
 
 Cookies use vour ca ^ e turner f. or 
 
 removing soft cookies 
 from the rolling board to baking-pan. They 
 are easily placed in the pan with no dan- 
 ger of getting them out of shape. — Miss E. 
 
 Custard Hints Before using milk for 
 custard heat it thor- 
 oughly and cool it, then use in the usual 
 way. The custard will not become watery. 
 Add a little salt, as it improves the flavor. 
 If the custard is to be put in a pie, mix 
 one teaspoonful of flour with the dry sugar 
 before adding the milk and eggs. This will 
 take the place of one egg.— Mrs. W. L. O. 
 
 To Improve Grind with the steak 
 Hamburg Steak some pieces of boiled 
 beef fat thoroughly 
 cooked, make into balls and fry as beef- 
 steak in hot spider with some fat. This 
 is an experiment of my own and I find it 
 far more delicious than the usual method 
 of grinding with raw fat of any kind, pork 
 or beef, as one does not have to overcook 
 the beef in order to cook sufficiently the 
 fatted portions, and it is more juicy and 
 sweet. — M. E. F. 
 
 When Baking Wash and dry them 
 Potatoes a "d ruD them over with 
 
 some kind of grease. 
 When baked they will have a rich satiny 
 look and the outer skin will peel off as 
 thin as tissue-paper, leaving the rich, 
 nutritious part under it to be eaten instead 
 of wasted as usual. — L. S. R. 
 
 Testing Cake 
 
 For Freezing Ice* 
 
 10 
 
 To Remove Fish To take the odor of fish 
 Odor lrom a frying or baking 
 
 pan place a good hand- 
 ful of potato peelings in it, pour boiling 
 water on and let them boil ten or fifteen 
 minutes. This is generally sufficient, but 
 if any odor remains put in fresh water 
 and peelings and let stand on the stove 
 again. — Mrs. J. H. B. 
 
 When Cooking A good way to prevent 
 Fish nsn from breaking or 
 
 sticking when removing 
 it from the pan is to place three or four 
 slices of salt pork in the pan, then after 
 the fish has been thoroughly washed, dried, 
 and rolled in flour place it on the salt pork. 
 Besides preventing the fish from breaking 
 it gives it a delicious flavor. — Mrs. H. S. L. 
 
 Easy Way to To prevent sticking, cook 
 Cook Macaroni macaroni in a vessel with 
 a sieve bottom. Pour 
 boiling water over and cook in the usual 
 way. When tender lift out the inner ves- 
 sel and set on pan or sink-board. You 
 will find this does away with sticking, also 
 there is no danger of being burned with 
 the steam while pouring water off, and 
 the kettle and strainer are not hard to 
 wash as is apt to be the way with vessels 
 in which macaroni is cooked. This does 
 not take as long as the double boiler. 
 
 To Freshen Butter which has ac- 
 Butter quired a strong taste, as 
 
 it sometimes will if kept 
 a long time, may be made to seem fresh 
 and be perfectly sweet if it is cut in rather 
 small pieces and allowed to stand in sweet 
 milk for six or eight hours. Wash off in 
 clear, cold water and keep in an earthen 
 jar.— F. B. P. 
 
 To Keep Cheese After it is cut, wet a 
 from Molding cloth in vinegar, wring 
 out and smooth same 
 over the cut portion. For a small amount, 
 cut the cheese in small pieces and press 
 them in a glass jar, screwing the top on 
 tight when the jar is full. — L. W. 
 
 For Freezing In snowy winter weather 
 Ices scoop up a pailful of 
 
 snow when making ice 
 cream, mousse, or parfait. Salt as for 
 ice. It costs nothing, does not need to be 
 cracked, packs down easier, and be- 
 ing semi-frozen melts more quickly than 
 ice, and hence does the freezing better and 
 quicker. — A. P. 
 
 To Improve 
 Brown Gravy 
 
 to brown gravy. 
 
 Freshly cooked rice or 
 steamed cold rice makes 
 a most palatable addition 
 
Economy in Household Planning 
 
 Help in Getting I find it a great help to 
 Meals have menus made out 
 
 two or three days in 
 advance and hung in the kitchen (especially 
 where the cooking is entrusted to hired 
 help). This gives ample time for dishes 
 that need lengthy preparation and to see 
 that all needful articles arc on hand. These 
 menus may have to be varied somewhat 
 to use left-overs, or added to in case of 
 unexpected company. They are a help in 
 preventing repetition. — Miss L. D. 
 
 A Saving of In making pies or bis- 
 Work cuits, instead of using a 
 wooden baking-board, I 
 take a large sheet of clean white paper (a 
 supply of which I keep for the purpose) 
 and sift the flour and roll the dough out 
 on this. When the work is done, and the 
 pies are in the oven, the dishes and uten- 
 sils used ran be roughly scraped into this 
 paper, which can be rolled up and burned. 
 
 To Save Have a stool that can be 
 
 Strength pushed under the kitchen 
 
 table. Sit down to peel 
 
 potatoes or prepare your dinner. You will 
 
 not feel as worn out when night comes. — 
 
 Mrs. M. E. G. S. 
 
 Work by Women who have never 
 Schedule worked by schedule do 
 not realize the amount 
 of time and energy that is wasted from 
 lack of system. In a day that is carefully 
 scheduled over twice as much can be ac- 
 complished as in a day that is not so or- 
 dered. Get an ordinary notebook, and on 
 the first page write, "Work for to-mor- 
 row, July 6." On the page opposite, "Work 
 accomplished." Each book should hold at 
 least a month's record. Each night sum 
 up your day's work under the heading, 
 "Work accomplished," and then make your 
 program for the following day. If you 
 have not finished all that is planned, carry 
 whatever is left undone to the next day. 
 You may at first make the mistake of at- 
 tempting too much in a day, but you will 
 soon learn what can be accomplished with- 
 out feeling hurried. 
 
 To Remove Rutt To remove rust from a 
 
 from Knives knife plunge the blade 
 
 into an onion and leave 
 
 it for an hour or so, then polish it in the 
 
 usual way — .Mrs. H. J. F. 
 
 A Cutting By using a warm iron 
 Suggestion when cutting out cloth- 
 ing you can do away 
 with pins and weights on tissue-paper pat- 
 terns. Lay the pattern on the material and 
 press it lightly with a warm iron, tHe pat- 
 tern will cling to the cloth. — S. C. Clarke. 
 
 To Save Strength 
 
 To Remove Rutt 
 from Knives 
 
 A Cutting Suggettion 
 
 A Regular Time There are certain odds 
 
 for Odds and and ends where every 
 Ends housekeeper will gain 
 
 much by having a regu- 
 lar time in which to give them attention. 
 Let there be a regular fixed time once a 
 month in which the housekeeper attends 
 to the following things : 
 
 First. Go around to every room, closet, 
 and drawer in the house, see what is out 
 of order and what needs to be done, and 
 make arrangements as to time and manner 
 of doing it. 
 
 Second. Examine the store closets and 
 see if there is a proper supply of all arti- 
 cles needed there. 
 
 Third. Go through the cellar and sec 
 if the salted provisions, vegetables, pickles, 
 vinegar, and all the preserves and jellies 
 are all right. 
 
 Fourth. Examine the closet of family 
 linen and see what needs to be repaired 
 and renewed. 
 
 Fifth. See if there is a supply of dish- 
 towels, dish-cloths, bag-holders, floor- 
 cloths, dust-cloths, wrapping-paper, twine, 
 lamp-wicks, and all articles needed in 
 kitchen work. 
 
 Sixth. Count over the spoons, knives 
 and forks, and examine all the various 
 household utensils to see what need replac- 
 ing and what should be repaired. 
 
 Seventh. Have in a box a hammer, tacks, 
 pincers, gimlets, nails, screws, screw-driv- 
 er, small saw, and two sizes of chisels for 
 emergencies when no regular workman is 
 at hand. Also be prepared to set glass. 
 Every woman should be able in an emer- 
 gency to do such things herself. System 
 in planning one's work is more than half 
 of its accomplishment. M. M. 
 
 For Light-house- I have reduced cooking 
 keeping on a li,t,e common one- 
 
 burner kerosene stove to 
 a fine art. For a light-housekeeping dinner 
 for myself I place a deep two-quart pan 
 half full of water on the stove. In the 
 centre of this is a new tin cup containing 
 custard. In the water surrounding the cup 
 are peas and potatoes cut in small pieces. 
 On this is a perforated pie-plate containing 
 anything I wish to warm over, a piece of 
 steak or fish on oiled paper, a roll or a 
 slice of dry cake, or all three. This is 
 covered with an inverted basin fitting snugly 
 all around. And last of all, on the top of 
 the basin is set my tiny coffee-pot covered 
 with a cozy. The vegetables will cook in 
 the time required for the custard, the bread 
 or meat or cooked vegetable will be 
 steamed through, and the water in the little 
 coffee-pot will reach the boiling point, — 
 ready for the one minute boiling over the 
 flame — essential for good coffee. — H. C. W. 
 
Economies in the Kitchen 
 
 With Limited When the milk supply is 
 Milk Supply limited from any cause 
 save the water in which 
 rice is boiled. When this is allowed to 
 stand till it is jellied it makes a very eco- 
 nomical substitute for milk, and can be 
 used in all the cream soups, and needs not 
 the thickening with butter and flour that 
 milk must have. — S. M. H. 
 
 Some Uses for Perhaps other young 
 Vinegar housewives like myself 
 
 have found trouble in 
 making flaky pie crust. I tried many reci- 
 pes but could not seem to make good crust. 
 A friend of mine told me to add one-half 
 teaspoonful of vinegar to the cold water 
 used to mix the dough. Since then I have 
 had no failures, my crust is always good. 
 A teaspoonful of vinegar added to the 
 water in which beef is either boiled or 
 roasted means more tender nieat. A lit- 
 tle vinegar boiled on the stove at the same 
 time that cabbage is cooking takes away 
 much of the evidence of that vegetable's 
 presence. Last but not least add a tea- 
 spoonful to the water when cooking string 
 beans. They become tender much more 
 quickly and the vinegar does not spoil their 
 flavor in the least. — Mrs. F. C. C. 
 
 Use for an Old When the flour sifter 
 
 Flour Sifter has become useless as a 
 
 sifter use it for boiling 
 
 eggs. Place sifter with eggs in it in the 
 
 boiling water, when done remove all at 
 
 once.— Mrs. P. W. B. 
 
 Use for When we have hot 
 
 Chafing Dish dishes of escalloped po- 
 tatoes or oysters, maca- 
 roni, etc., I put them on to the table warm, 
 simply setting the pan in which they were 
 cooked inside one of the pans of my chaf- 
 ing-dish, and using its cover to cover the 
 whole thing up. This keeps the food warm 
 and we enjoy it served in this way. — H. 
 
 How to Utilize If there is any pancake 
 
 Left-Over batter left over from 
 
 Pancake Batter breakfast put it in a cool 
 
 place until the next 
 
 morning so it will not sour. Take slices 
 
 of bread and dip in the batter and fry. 
 
 This is as good or better than "French 
 
 Toast."— C. R. 
 
 To Keep Ice After the cream is 
 Cream frozen, instead of using 
 
 more ice for packing, 
 tear newspapers into medium-sized pieces 
 and stuff firmly into the freezer. It can 
 be wedged closely together, keeping out 
 every bit of air. In this way ice cream 
 will keep for several hours. 
 
 A New Use for 
 Old Tinware 
 
 Use for an Old 
 Flour Sifter 
 
 Use for Chafing Dish 
 
 Left-Over Many of us have some 
 Breads left-overs in the bread 
 
 line which we would 
 like to send back to the table in as attrac- 
 tive and disguised manner as possible. I 
 keep a ten-pound bucket with lid into which 
 I put all left-over biscuit and light bread. 
 When I want toast (either dry or milk) 
 I have it ready sliced. We are fond of 
 biscuit a day or so old, cut and buttered 
 plentifully and toasted to serve with jam, 
 honey, or baked apples for breakfast. Af- 
 ter breads are left longer than two days 
 I carry them through the food-chopper 
 (after drying thoroughly in the oven) and 
 put away in glass jars for use in bread- 
 ing chops, rolling croquettes, etc. I make 
 a cheese dish with milk, egg, cheese and 
 from a half to one-third the quantity of 
 bread-crumbs. We are fond of the flour 
 muffins for breakfast and to save the ex- 
 pense of so much flour, also to make the 
 muffins light, I use half as much crumbs 
 as flour. — Mrs. M. E. W. 
 
 Rice Water for Boil a cupful of rice for 
 
 Bread twenty minutes in plenty 
 
 of water. Drain off the 
 
 water with which to set the bread sponge 
 
 and steam the rice for half an hour and 
 
 use for dinner. — Mrs. R. J. 
 
 Soap Pieces An excellent way to 
 save soap is to have 
 ready an old tin can with holes punched 
 in its top, into which put all little odds and 
 ends of soap. This can may be put in the 
 dish water, and by shaking it in the warm 
 water one will soon have suds. 
 
 A New Use for I had a small tin-boiler 
 Old Tinware *°r hams which soon 
 showed a number ot 
 small leaks and was unfitted for its origi- 
 nal purpose. After I enameled it with 
 white its tendency to rust was overcome, 
 and it is very useful to keep my bread in. 
 I also had a tin oven belonging to a one- 
 burner oil-stove. This was discarded for 
 years, but I rescued it from the loft, and, 
 after enameling it inside and out, it makes 
 a splendid closet for my pies, which I bake 
 four at a time. 
 
 Drippings from The waste of the smok- 
 Ham and Bacon ed drippings was a great 
 worry to me until I 
 found out a way to clarify them. To each 
 quart of melted fat allow a small raw 
 potato. Slice this and cook in the fat 
 for twenty minutes. The drippings can 
 then be used to fry doughnuts, as shorten- 
 ing for molasses cookies, etc., without the 
 least taste of smoke. I treat the fat from 
 chicken and turkey in the same way, and 
 strain through a cheese-cloth after clarifying. 
 
Frills with Meat and Eggs 
 
 Left-Over Take cold roast or fried 
 Meat ' lam (*ny kind will be 
 
 good), run through the 
 chopper and season a little if necessary. 
 Make a rich biscuit dough, rolf on the 
 board and spread the meat over it. Roll 
 up to make a good shape. Now make a white 
 or brown sauce, or, if you prefer a tomato 
 sauce, and after you have baked the meat 
 roll, pour over it one of these sauces and 
 serve. For the sauce use a tablespoonful 
 of drippings and one of flour, add a half 
 pint of milk, or tomato liquid (if you wish 
 the tomato sauce), season and serve. This 
 is the most successful way I know to utilize 
 a left-over of meat. One precaution: Bake 
 your roll slowly as it cooks outside quickly 
 and may not be done in the middle. 
 
 A Cooking Kink As our family do not 
 care for chicken unless 
 fried, I have evolved a way in which a 
 young chicken, weighing four or five 
 pounds, may be successfully "fried." After 
 the chicken is jointed dip in a batter of 
 flour and water of the consistency of thick 
 cream to which a little more than a half 
 teaspoonful of soda has been added (it will 
 require about four rounding tablespoonfuls 
 of flour for the batter), then roll in tine 
 cracker or bread crumbs (the latter pre- 
 ferred). Have ready a good-sized baking- 
 pan, in which place the chicken in plenty 
 of hot fat, season and cook in a slow 
 oven at least one hour, longer if the 
 chicken is large. When done each piece 
 should be coated with a delicious crisp 
 brown crust, adding to its size. Few cooks 
 know that the rib, if broken next to the 
 back, may be easily removed with the 
 lingers, thus making a fairly good piece of 
 chicken. The fat not used in the gravy is 
 superior to butter for seasoning vegetables. 
 Cook pork chops in this way. 
 
 A Convenience After preparing a tur- 
 in Cooking key or goose for the 
 oven take two strips of 
 clean white cloth about two inches wide, 
 pass one under the shoulders and the 
 other under the thighs and tie each in a 
 knot on top of the breast as the bird lays 
 on its back. Leave short ends which will 
 serve as handles when taking up the bird 
 and will also prove much help when turn- 
 ing it during the cooking. — Mrs. B. 
 
 To Fry When eggs are expen- 
 
 Croquettes *>ve, I find if I dip cro- 
 quettes, veal cutlets, etc., 
 in rich milk or cream, then roll them in 
 bread-crumbs or cracker dust they will fry 
 a delicious brown and will taste the same 
 zs if dipped in egg.— A Subscriber. 
 
 To Lift Poached Egg* 
 
 A Convenience 
 in Cooking 
 
 When Eggt are Poaching 
 or Frying 
 
 To Fry Liver Parboil in sweet milk, 
 roll in bread-crumbs and 
 fry in butter or bacon fat. The parboil- 
 ing greatly improves the flavor of the liver. 
 
 To Lift Poached For lifting poached eggs 
 Egg* out °f water, tli 
 
 nothing so good as a 
 milk-skimmer. — Mrs. G. E. W. 
 
 Baked Hash In making hash moisten 
 with milk instead of 
 water and bake without stirring. This im- 
 proves it very much. — E. D. 
 
 To Fry Oysters Rub or wipe large oys- 
 ters dry, salt and pep- 
 per them, then beat the yolks of two eggs 
 well and add cracker-crumbs, a little sweet 
 milk or liquor from oysters may be used, 
 a little flour added to make a thick paste. 
 Roll oysters in this paste and then in dry 
 cracker-crumbs. Fry in hot grease. This 
 recipe will enable one to have fried oysters 
 as large as those bought from a caterer. 
 
 Cooking Ham I have discovered a 
 nice way of frying ham. 
 Put it in a tin pan and place in the oven. 
 Close the doors. It need not be turned as 
 it browns nicely on both sides. This 
 method leaves the meat tender, and pre- 
 vents the offensive odor from penetrating 
 rooms. 
 
 A Roast Meat How many know that if 
 Help y° u DO 'l a pork roast 
 
 until partly done and then 
 put in the oven to brown and finish cook- 
 ing it will not shrink away as it would if 
 it had been cooked entirely in the oven, 
 and will also be more tender. Chickens 
 may also be roasted or broiled with suc- 
 cess after partially boiling. — Mrs. J. M. 
 
 When Eggs are Cover the pan with a lid 
 
 Poaching or just the last moment of 
 
 Frying their cooking. This will 
 
 give the pretty pink 
 
 glazed-over look so desirable. — Housewife. 
 
 To Keep Cut In providing for a small 
 Ham family, as a rule, one 
 
 wishes to have fried ham 
 often, and the cut ham soon deteriorates 
 in flavor. To keep it as good as when 
 first cut, slice as much as desired and pack 
 down in a stone jar. Melt some pure leaf 
 lard and pour over the slices, covering 
 deep enough to exclude all air. Tata 
 and fry as needed and the last cut will be 
 found as delicious as the first. — Miss F. 
 
Tricks with Cakes and Frostings 
 
 Make White Cake-mixing is made 
 
 Cake with easier if, when you have 
 
 f. plenty of cream, all 
 
 eam cream is used instead of 
 
 butter and milk. When the recipe would 
 
 call for one cup of milk and one-half cup 
 
 of butter, use one and one-half cups of 
 
 cream. This takes less time to mix with 
 
 the sugar, when butter and sugar do not 
 
 have to be creamed, and is just as cheap 
 
 when butter is expensive. This hint was 
 
 given me by one of the best known cooks 
 
 in the country. — M. E. 
 
 Layer Cake When putting a layer 
 Suggestion cake together with icing, 
 and the layers seem de- 
 termined to slide off one side, insert one 
 or two toothpicks around the outer edge 
 and leave until the icing is thoroughly set, 
 when they may be easily removed, if de- 
 sired. — Mrs. M. L. M. 
 
 A Good Cake My experience in mak- 
 Method m £f cakes is to beat the 
 
 cake thoroughly before 
 putting in the baking-powder. The more 
 most cakes are beaten the nicer and lighter 
 they will be, but it should be done just 
 before putting in the baking-powder. Sift 
 the baking-powder in with a little flour, 
 then put in your stiffly beaten whites of the 
 eggs, folding them in, but do not beat 
 again. — W. L. P. 
 
 To Bake Fruit To prevent loaf cakes 
 Cake from burning at the 
 
 sides and bottom place 
 the pan containing the cake in a larger 
 pan of hot water, and when the cake is 
 beginning to brown remove from the water 
 to allow the bottom to brown. This is an 
 excellent way to bake fruit cake, as it is 
 sure to scorch if one is not very careful. 
 —Mrs. L. W. D. 
 
 When Making If you have no pastry 
 Angel Cake fl our, equally good re- 
 sults can be obtained in 
 making angel food cake by using one part 
 of corn-starch to seven parts of ordinary 
 flour.— Mrs. C. P. B. 
 
 Fruit Cake If fruit cake is to be 
 kept for any length of 
 time, wrap it nicely in a cloth, and sew 
 around the edges. Melt paraffin in a pan 
 and dip the cloth-covered cake in, until 
 it is well coated. — A. L. R. 
 
 To Moisten Dessicated cocoanut can 
 Shredded hardly be told from 
 
 Cocoanut f rerii opoomut if it is 
 
 soaked in milk for three- 
 quarters of an hour and then squeezed dry. 
 —Mrs. R. G. 
 
 Layer Cake Suggestion 
 
 To Bake Fruit Cake 
 
 A Sanitary Cake Tester 
 
 To Mix Butter When stirring sugar and 
 
 and Sugar butter together for cake 
 
 use a wooden masher 
 
 and see how much quicker and easier it is 
 
 done. When the butter is hard set dish on 
 
 the stove in a warm (not hot) place. — H. 
 
 For Layer To make icing stick to 
 Cakes ca ke layers, allow cakes 
 
 to cool thoroughly, then 
 rub flour well on the layers before apply- 
 ing the icing. In order to keep whipped 
 cream stiff add one teaspoonful of gela- 
 tine, dissolved in a little water, to the 
 cream before whipping. — Chappelear. 
 
 In Making Instead of boiling choco- 
 Chocolate Cake late icin S for cake I buy 
 the chocolate drops, put 
 in an enameled pie-pan (not tin) on the 
 back of the stove until melted, then beat 
 in two tablespoonfuls of cream. Beat un- 
 til smooth, then ice the cake with the 
 mixture. It is superior to boiled icing. — 
 — Mrs. Hugh S. 
 
 To Make This never fails; partly 
 
 Boiled Icing beat the white of the egg, 
 then put in about two or 
 three tablespoonfuls of the sugar syrup 
 which is half boiled and beat vigorously 
 with the egg-beater. When the remainder 
 of the syrup will "ball" in cold water it is 
 ready to pour on the egg. Continue to beat 
 until cold. Icing made in this way will 
 be firm on the outside, like cream under- 
 neath, and you will never have a failure. 
 — E. M. W. 
 
 Uses for Cream Put a pinch of cream of 
 
 of Tartar tartar in your frosting 
 
 or fudge to prevent it 
 
 from "going to sugar." It will make it nice 
 
 and creamy. — F. E. N. 
 
 To Save Boiled When making a boiled 
 Frosting frosting I left it a little 
 
 too long on the stove 
 and it became rough and crumbly. I added 
 a piece of butter the size of a walnut and 
 beat it and it became smooth and creamy, 
 and a delicious rich flavor. — M. A. C. 
 
 Fruit Cake Help When making fruit cake 
 and you wish the citron 
 cut in thin slices, put it in the oven and 
 heat through. You can then cut it as thin 
 as you wish and it does not stick to the 
 knife. — Mrs. J. G. 
 
 A Sanitary I find a toothpick a very 
 
 Cake Tester bandy cake - tester. I 
 
 keep a box on hand in 
 
 the kitchen and when making have several 
 
 on the baking-table so that they can be 
 
 picked up quickly. — Mrs. E. B. T. 
 
Helps at Preserving Time 
 
 A Hint for Having some old-style 
 Preserving Time preserving jars for which 
 rings can no longer be 
 bought and needing to use them I took a 
 discarded rubber hot-water bottle and cut 
 rings from it. I found my jars were 
 securely sealed. — B. E. G. 
 
 For Preserving Make a note of this for 
 Time preserving time : The 
 
 peach season was not 
 work for me last year. 1 no longer sit by 
 the hour peeling peaches, with a tired back 
 and stained hands as a consequence. 
 Instead I place peaches to be skinned in a 
 wire basket and slip the basket into a kettle 
 of boiling water for a second or two. The 
 peach skin will then slip off easily. The 
 peach in this way retains a perfect shape and 
 its beautiful color. — Mrs. P. H. 
 
 Sealing Grape Take narrow strips of 
 Juice paper, wind around the 
 
 neck of the bottle, letting 
 them extend half an inch or so above the 
 cork, paste or tie in position. Then fill this 
 with melted wax or paraffin. When the 
 bottles are opened the wax can be taken 
 from the cork in one piece, and may be 
 melted and used again. — Mrs. J. J. O'C. 
 
 Speaking of The juice of pineapple 
 
 Cherries w '" remove cherry stains 
 
 from the hands as if by 
 
 magic. A little nutmeg or cinnamon 
 
 sprinkled over the cherry filling for a pie 
 
 will bring out the flavor wonderfully. — M. D. 
 
 Washing Small A corn-popper without the 
 
 Fruits handle is very useful in 
 
 washing berries and small 
 
 fruits, as the cover can be fastened and the 
 
 whole shaken in a pail of water. — Mrs. L. 
 
 To Fill Jelly Stand the glasses in 
 Glasses granite muffin-pans near 
 
 the kettle containing 
 fruit. Each glass rests in a separate en- 
 closure, so that if any fruit is spilled it is 
 caught and does not smear the others. Also 
 they are easily lifted and set aside to cool 
 in these receptacles without disturbing. — 
 Mrs. C. R. T. 
 
 Economy with Don't throw away sweet 
 
 Vinegar pickle vinegar but use it 
 
 in mince meat. — E. F. B. 
 
 Making Can Instead of buying labels 
 Labels f° r fruit cans, purchase 
 
 a sheet of gummed 
 paper, this can be cut into the desired size. 
 A large sheet of the paper may be bought 
 at any stationer's for ten cents and cut and 
 marked as required. — Mrs. M. W. U! 
 
 A Useful Kitchen Table 
 
 For Preterving Time 
 
 Washing Small Fruits 
 
 A Useful A most useful article of 
 Kitchen Table kitchen furniture is a 
 small movable zinc- 
 covered table. It should be about twenty- 
 eight inches high and the top two feet square. 
 The top should be covered with zinc, and 
 three sides have a heading of an inch board 
 around to keep articles from slipping. The 
 table should be mounted on ball-bearing 
 casters. When canning fruit or making 
 griddle-cakes, etc., it can be rolled close to 
 the range. One can set saucepans or frying- 
 pans on it, as the zinc Is easily cleaned. An 
 under shelf, if required, may be added and 
 placed about ten inches from the casters. 
 This handy table is also serviceable when 
 rolled near the sink, to set the dry dishes on, 
 then wheeled into the pantry, thereby saving 
 many steps. — Mrs. J. M. 
 
 To Prevent Put a silver spoon in 
 
 Glasses from when any hot liquid is to 
 
 Cracking be poured into the glass, 
 
 pouring directly on to the 
 
 bowl of the spoon. The heat will never 
 
 crack the glass in this way. — C. S. 
 
 A Jelly Hint If jelly does not harden 
 when it gets cold, instead 
 of putting it back in the kettle to cook 
 longer, place the glasses in a dripping-pan 
 half full of cold water and set in the oven. 
 Cook that way until you think it is done. 
 This saves both jelly and time. — Mrs. W. 
 
 Preparing Cans Before putting the fruit 
 into the jars, I put into 
 a pan of cold water to which has been added 
 a teaspoonful of pulverized borax. I let 
 these jars stay in the water on the stove 
 until the water becomes quite warm, then 
 take them out and put in my fruit. I have 
 found this to be of great help and have 
 never lost any fruit since I tried using the 
 borax. — A. B. 
 
 A Use for Dis- When making jelly and 
 
 carded Rubbers one nnd s they have not 
 
 enough lids for jelly 
 
 glasses, try covering the glass with paraffin 
 
 paper and slip a discarded fruit jar rubber 
 
 over it. 
 
 A New Jelly Last summer I was 
 obliged to make most of 
 my jelly out of apples and thus was led to 
 experiment on different flavoring in order 
 to avoid monotony. The most satisfactory 
 results were obtained by simply drawing 
 several leaves of rose-scented geranium 
 through the hot jelly just before it was 
 put into the tumblers. The resulting flavor 
 was something like quince, although most 
 people who tasted it declared it far better 
 than quince jelly. — A. C. H. 
 
Ways with Vegetables 
 
 A Potato Hint Before baking sweet po- 
 tatoes rub a little lard on 
 them and when baked they will peel easily 
 and perfectly. — Mrs. J. M. W. 
 
 Potato Salad In making potato salad 
 if you will add a cup of 
 chopped cabbage and a little onion it will 
 correct the cold potato taste so unpleasant 
 to many people. It is also an advantage 
 to the salad in flavor and appearance. 
 
 To Help When Put into the pot a piece 
 
 Potatoes are °f ,'' me as large as a 
 
 Watery hen's egg, and howsoever 
 
 " watery the potatoes may 
 
 have been they will be found dry and mealy 
 
 when the water is poured off. — H. S. 
 
 For Mashed If the busy housewife 
 Potatoes w '" add one or more 
 
 teaspoonfuls of baking- 
 powder, according to the amount of potatoes 
 to be mashed, when mashing them, she will 
 be rewarded by white and flaky potatoes 
 with little labor.— B. H. W. 
 
 Potatoes in a A quick and economical 
 Hurry wa y to make mashed 
 
 potatoes. Instead of 
 leaving the potatoes whole or cut in half, 
 slice them thin as for French fried potatoes 
 and boil. It does not affect the quality, and 
 the saving in gas and time is considerable. 
 —Mrs. N. H. 
 
 Washing I find by washing vege- 
 
 Vegetables tables in salt water all 
 bugs, worms, or insects 
 of any kind come to the top. It is especially 
 well to do this in washing greens, lettuce, 
 celery, cabbage, etc., as they so often have 
 insects or worms almost the same color, 
 which are hard to see. — Mrs. H. G. H. 
 
 To Freshen Pour off old liquid, wash, 
 Canned Peas add new water, butter, 
 and bit of sugar, add 
 milk if desired^ — Mrs. L. F. 
 
 Good Potato Try adding two table- 
 Soup spoonfuls of tomato 
 catsup or a little highly 
 seasoned chicken gravy, if you have any left 
 over. You will find it takes on a piquancy 
 undreamed of in potato soup. — M. S. H. 
 
 A Good Use for When cooking a boiled 
 Mosquito Netting dinner try tying your 
 greens or cabbage in a 
 square of mosquito netting and put in your 
 kettle. When ready to take it out raise with 
 a fork and hang on the faucet to drain while 
 the rest of the dinner is dished. You can also 
 find many other uses for these squares, such 
 as draining cottage cheese, squash, pumpkin, 
 and the like. — M. H. 
 
 Salad Cups 
 
 Potatoes in a Hurry 
 
 A Good Use for 
 Mosquito Netting 
 
 To Make In making tomato soup 
 
 Tomato Soup w ' tn milk, always put the 
 
 soda in the milk before 
 
 putting the tomatoes and milk together, and 
 
 your soup will never curdle. — Mrs. A. G. 
 
 A Kitchen There are many good 
 Economy thrifty cooks who have 
 not learned that green 
 peppers have an economic value equal to 
 that which puts them at the head of savory 
 dishes. Green peppers may be stuffed with 
 anything left in the refrigerator except 
 sweets. When I have peppers to stuff I 
 boil rice as a foundation. I use this rice, 
 chopped meat, tomatoes, onions, the last of 
 the olives, chopped off the pit, bits of bacon, 
 cold potatoes, or the cold corn left from 
 some previous meal. I season the cut-off 
 tops of the peppers and the next day chop 
 them up fine, mix with rice and a tomato or 
 two, using just enough juice to moisten and 
 bake in a slow oven. My family like the 
 baked "pepper pudding" as well as the dish 
 the first day.— F. L. G. 
 
 Salad Cups While tomatoes are still 
 too expensive for many 
 purses try the following and see how 
 delighted you will be. Dissolve one-fourth 
 box of gelatine in hot water, cool, strain 
 in the juice of a can of tomatoes, seasoning 
 with pepper and salt to taste. Pour into 
 teacups to mold, about a fourth full or size 
 of half a tomato. When firm turn out on 
 a lettuce leaf and serve with mayonnaise 
 dressing. — Mrs. H. C. A. 
 
 To Keep Prepare the lettuce for 
 
 Lettuce Fresh use - Shake all the water 
 
 from the leaves and place 
 
 in a tin pail with a very tight cover. Then 
 
 set in a cool place and the lettuce will be 
 
 crisp and fresh the next day. — A. W. 
 
 Uses for Canned vegetable soup, 
 
 Canned Soups chilled thoroughly and 
 
 arranged on lettuce 
 
 leaves, with dressing, makes a surprisingly 
 
 good salad. 
 
 Chicken soup run through the fine knife 
 of the meat-chopper makes good sandwiches. 
 Good vegetable hash can be made by adding 
 vegetables, which have been cut into cubes 
 and parboiled, to any meat soup. Consomme, 
 thickened and seasoned, is an excellent gravy 
 to serve with cold meats. Canned tomato 
 soup may also be used wherever canned 
 tomatoes are called for in a recipe. It has 
 an added flavor, and saves the labor of put- 
 ting the tomato through a puree sieve. 
 
 A very little meat "left over," chopped and 
 added to a gravy made of thickened soup, 
 may be poured over slices of toast, and 
 makes a cheap and satisfying supper dish. 
 —Mrs. R. H. S. 
 
 16 
 
Suggestions for Pie Making 
 
 A Help in Pie When making frosting 
 Making for a P' e tr y, after 
 
 separating your eggs, 
 adding one scant level tablespoon ful of 
 granulated sugar to each white and let it 
 melt until you are ready to whip them. You 
 will have a lighter frosting and one that will 
 not fall or stick to the knife when cutting 
 the pie— Mrs. C. W. B. 
 
 Luncheon Pie» For the children's lunch 
 1 often make little pies 
 by lining the patty-pans with pastry dough 
 and filling with any kind of pie material. 
 Cut the dough in a five or six inch circle 
 and take out three little V-shaped pieces at 
 intervals to make the crust fit without being 
 too thick. Carefully press into the patty- 
 pans. If berries are used a top crust must 
 be put on. Little meat pies are particularly 
 nice in this way, and the children are de- 
 lighted with them. — Mrs. B. M. 
 
 When Making When making lemon pies, 
 Lemon Pies instead of using corn- 
 starch or flour, grate one 
 potato to each pie and the pie will be 
 delicious. The potato tastes much like 
 cocoanut, and the custard is thickened just 
 enough. — M. E. A. 
 
 To Cool Pa»try Pastry should be cooled 
 in a warm room. Tak- 
 ing it suddenly from the oven to a cool 
 larder will make it heavy. — Mrs. W. H. G. 
 
 Lemons for Pie I find it a great help when 
 grated lemons are needed 
 for pie, instead of grating to cut in pieces 
 and remove the seeds, then put through a 
 food-chopper, using the fine knife blade. — • 
 L. S. F. 
 
 A Secret for When making puff paste 
 
 Puff Parte or anv pic-crust in hot 
 
 weather fill a bottle with 
 
 ice water and use for a rolling-pin. The 
 
 pastry will be delicate and flaky. — M. 
 
 Andrews. 
 
 Digestible Our family are very fond 
 Pie-cruit °f P' e ' an ^ as some of 
 
 the members are troubled 
 with indigestion it became necessary to use 
 for a pie-crust something more easily 
 digested than the usual lard or butter crust. 
 I tried a cupful of sour cream with the same 
 amount of flour, a pinch of salt, and two- 
 thirds of a level teaspoonful of salaratus, 
 mixed very stiff with a spoon and rolled 
 thin with plenty of flour on the board. The 
 crust proved to be delicious, tender, and 
 perfectly digestible, and has ever since been 
 used with perfect satisfaction. In our local 
 markets the cream costs little more, used for 
 this purpose, than good lard. — L. W. M. 
 
 Luncheon Piea 
 
 To Have Good Pie Crutt 
 
 A Secret About When making pies from 
 Cherry Pie canned cherries, more 
 especially if they have 
 been canned some time and lost their 
 original flavor, try the following: Just 
 before putting on the upper crust, dip a few 
 spoonfuls of canned plums, minus the 
 stones, over them. The result will be 
 surprising, as the pie will taste as if made 
 from freshly picked cherries — and what is 
 more delicious than a fresh cherry pie? — 
 Mrs. L. F. B. 
 
 A New Use for A saltspoonful of bak- 
 Baking Powder ing-powder put in the 
 meringue for pies just 
 before the meringue is placed on the pie will 
 keep it from falling as soon as the pie is 
 removed from the hot oven, as so often 
 happens. — Mrs. C. E. W. 
 
 Economical 
 Pastry Tricks 
 
 To Cook Pies 
 
 Delicious afternoon tea 
 wafers can be made 
 from left-over pie-crust. 
 Roll pastry thin, sprinkle generously with 
 cinnamon and sugar, cut into diamond 
 shapes, and bake on flat tins in a quick oven. 
 For salad rolls, grate cheese over the pastry, 
 cut into squares, and roll each square up 
 tight and bake.— G. R. B. 
 
 To Have Good Never set a pie on a flat 
 
 Pie-crust surface when removing 
 
 from the oven. Use a 
 
 flat-iron stand or wire teapot-stand. This 
 
 prevents steamed and soaked and soggy 
 
 under pie-crust. — F. O. H. 
 
 To Cook Every one knows what 
 Pumpkin a task it is to prepare a 
 
 pumpkin for pies. Try 
 my way once and I fancy you will never 
 peel another. Cut the pumpkin into halves, 
 place into pans, then in the oven. Do not 
 have the oven very hot. Leave the pumpkins 
 in until they are soft. Remove and pour the 
 juice out, then scoop the meat out with a 
 spoon. It is then ready to stew. You will 
 find that by pourng the juice out that was 
 brought out by the heat of the oven, that 
 it will take but a short time for the pumpkin 
 to stew until it is dry and ready for use. 
 — G. C. A. 
 
 A Pie Hint Heat your plates before 
 
 putting hot pies on them 
 
 when first taken from the oven. The hot 
 
 pies on cold plates cause a sweat that makes 
 
 soggy under-crust. — E. K. R, 
 
 To Cook Pies If your pies overflow in 
 
 the oven insert a short 
 
 piece of uncooked macaroni in the top 
 
 crust. This is much better than the so 
 
 much used paper funnel. — B. J. O. 
 
Helps with Kitchen Utensils 
 
 New U*e» for the Did any one ever try 
 Corn Popper " sin g ° ne ° f the large- 
 size corn-poppers to broil 
 with, either in the kitchen or when camp- 
 ing? One can broil quail, wild duck, small 
 fish, sausage, potatoes, sliced tomatoes, and 
 roasting ears in them very quickly, and can 
 also crisp crackers and breakfast cereals in 
 them in a few minutes. Fresh berries, 
 dried fruits, rice, tapioca, beans, and even 
 new potatoes can be washed in them by 
 holding the popper under the faucet or 
 pump. — Mrs. A. M. W. 
 
 Coffee Cant as Have you ever tried 
 Steamer* making your steamed 
 
 puddings in one-pound 
 empty coffee cans ? They answer the purpose 
 just as weir as those "bought at a price," 
 and with the advantage that they take up 
 very little room. Three or four of them 
 can be steamed at once in a good-sized 
 pan. To save fire it is a good idea to make 
 three or four different kinds of puddings 
 in as many separate tins and steam them 
 all at once. Then each requires only heat- 
 ing through before using. Large baking- 
 powder tins are also good for this pur- 
 pose. Grease cans well before putting in 
 the puddings. — B. G. T. 
 
 Card Index Every housekeeper col- 
 for Recipe* lects, from time to time, 
 recipes from widely dif- 
 ferent sources. The usual plan is to write 
 these in a book for future use. If one 
 goes a step further and carefully indexes 
 the recipes she will find the book much 
 more serviceable. Some housewives prefer 
 to keep the recipes written on cards of 
 uniform size. These are kept in a con- 
 venient box or drawer in the kitchen, with 
 a simply devised card index to insure their 
 being in order. This is an excellent idea. 
 — E. R. G. 
 
 A Winter A winter refrigerator 
 Refrigerator consists of a wooden box 
 of three sides, the length 
 of a window, preferably north. It is high 
 enough to accommodate a quart milk bot- 
 tle. The box, of course, is outside of the 
 window and is supported by brackets. The 
 open side is next to the window and the 
 window serves as a sliding door for the 
 box. When the window is lowered the "re- 
 frigerator" is closed. The inside is lined 
 with zinc, which has been given two coats 
 of enamel. This renders it water-proof. 
 It contains a shelf of zinc extending part 
 way across. The high space is designed 
 for milk-bottles, butter-jars, and tall re- 
 ceptacles. In the summer time the refrig- 
 erator is removed and a window-box with 
 flowers is fastened to the brackets. — 
 C. F. C. 
 
 New Uses for the 
 Corn Popper 
 
 A Cooky Cutter 
 
 Pliera in the Kitchen 
 
 A Neat Cover To save the cloth cover 
 for of my kitchen recipe- 
 
 Recipe Books book from grease and 
 flour, I covered it with 
 white' table oilcloth, while for my clippings 
 and odd recipes and hints, I use a heavy 
 covered blank-book treated in the same way 
 with the white oilcloth. These make the 
 neatest looking books imaginable and may 
 be washed when necessary. — Miss V. F. C. 
 
 A Cooky I always have had a hard 
 Cutter t' me securing a sharp 
 
 cooky - cutter, until I 
 made a discovery which I have used ever 
 since. I now use an old baking-powder 
 can which, like most of them, has a very 
 sharp edge. The advantage is twofold, for 
 it is both sharp and high. — A. B. 
 
 Pliers in the A pair of ordinary 
 
 Kitchen "pliers," used in the 
 
 kitchen for lifting hot 
 
 pans, have a firm grip, and save many a 
 
 burn. — "C. G." 
 
 A Lard-pail Tea- A lard-pail may be con- 
 kettle Steamer v erted into a tea-kettle 
 steamer simply by punch- 
 ing the bottom of it full of holes. Two 
 or three holes should also be punched in 
 the cover as outlets for the steam. A 
 smaller sized pail or coffee can furnishes 
 a suitable receptacle inside, in which to 
 steam puddings, small loaves of brown 
 bread or any desired article of food. 
 Dried pieces of bread or cake can be 
 warmed over in this, but a saucer should 
 first be placed in the bottom to prevent any 
 crumbs from falling into the water. — 
 Mrs. S. J. H. 
 
 Baking Powder To open a baking- 
 powder can remove the 
 label about an inch around the top, then 
 lay the can on the floor and roll back and 
 forth several times with the foot, gently 
 yet with enough pressure to bend the tin 
 slightly. The cover will then easily come 
 off, as the movement loosens the lid all 
 around. — E. S. 
 
 Convenient Have castors put on 
 
 Wood-box your wood-box and see 
 
 how easy it is to move 
 
 when sweeping or cleaning floors. — 
 
 E. B. M. 
 
 A Place for Tack a small piece of 
 Sharp Knive* leather about an inch 
 and a half long on the 
 woodwork in the pantry and run the carv- 
 ing-knife through, handle upwards. The 
 knife is thus out of harm's way and easy 
 of access. — S. V. E. 
 
Helps in the Laundry 
 
 To Wash Take lukewarm water, 
 White Silk make it quite blue, and 
 to each quart add two 
 teaspoonfuls of pure ammonia. Use a good 
 white soap, rinse in water prepared the 
 same way, roll up, iron on the wrong side 
 with an iron not too hot. White silk waists 
 look like new, and do not get yellow in 
 the process. — Mrs. A. B. 
 
 To Wash Xow that chamois gloves 
 
 Chamois Gloves are so P°P«lar, we all 
 want to know the best 
 way to clean them. I have tried this plan 
 and find it good. Dip gloves in lukewarm 
 soap-suds of some pure soap. Gently pat 
 between the hands until clean. Rinse in two 
 or three clear waters, but do not wring 
 them. Instead, roll them in a dry towel 
 and squeeze or press the water out. Hang 
 in the sun for a few moments, then put 
 them on the hands and gently rub them 
 dry. This way does not stretch the gloves, 
 and leaves them as soft as new. — Ernesta. 
 
 To Wash Fine 
 Laces 
 
 Make a warm suds of 
 pure soap, into 
 
 any 
 
 which put a little borax. 
 Allow the laces to soak in this a few min- 
 utes, then shake about and wash with the 
 hands, rinsing in two waters. To the last 
 rinsing water add a little white sugar 
 (starch should never be used). Pull out 
 well in shape, place between clean white 
 cloths and lay between the leaves of an 
 old book, or where the pressure will be 
 smooth and constant until dry. — Mrs. M. 
 M. M. 
 
 To Wash Dissolve four kitchen 
 
 Woolen Blankets tablespoonfuls of good 
 soap powder in a dip- 
 perful of boiling water and pour it into a 
 tub of warm water. Open the blanket out 
 wide and put it in the tub and let it soak 
 for fifteen minutes or half an hour. Then 
 rub it all over between the hands, and if 
 there are any stains left rub them with 
 soap. Rinse in a clear water of the same 
 temperature as the wash water. If you do 
 this your blankets will be soft, white, and 
 will not shrink. Don't rub blankets on a 
 wash-board, as it makes them hard, and 
 bluing makes them gray. — M. M. 
 
 Easy Way to An easy way to dry 
 Dry Madras Madras curtains is by 
 stretching each half its 
 full width on its rod, placing it in its fix- 
 ture and then running another heavy brass 
 rod in the hem at the bottom. The cur- 
 tains will not shrink, and will look like 
 new. It is desirable to wrap a piece of 
 old white material around the rods to pre- 
 vent any spots from the rods soiling the 
 curtains. — J. S. B. 
 
 To Wash Fine Lace* 
 
 Easy Way to Dry Madras 
 Curtain* 
 
 19 
 
 To Fill Separate My husband cut a piece 
 Tubs onf our garden hose to 
 
 fill the wash-tubs. It is 
 about ten feet long. I attach it to the fau- 
 cet and the children hold the other end 
 until tubs are sufficiently full. For ten 
 cents he bought a coupling by means of 
 which the piece can be attached to the hose 
 again. — "A Subscriber." 
 
 To Wash a Take a fine small brush 
 White Parasol and scour tne parasol 
 thoroughly, inside and 
 out, with hot suds (while open) ; then 
 rinse well with bluing water and tie stout 
 string to the end of handle and tie on the 
 clothes-line, leaving the parasol open to 
 dry. It will need no pressing, and if 
 dried in the sun will look like new. — Mrs. 
 C. S. 
 
 To Wash Make a lather of soap 
 Velveteen or washing-powder and 
 warm water, put velvet 
 in, but do not rub, but squeeze with the 
 hands. Rinse well with plenty of clear 
 water. Lift the velvet out, do not wring 
 at all, but hang out to drip until dry. This 
 makes it look like new. — Mrs. J. W. C. 
 
 To Keep Tubs Take several layers of 
 
 from Falling newspapers and spread 
 
 Apart in '"' t,om °* tuo and let 
 
 extend up sides of tub. 
 
 Pour in one or two gallons of water. The 
 
 paper holds the water for days and keeps 
 
 the tub moist. — Mrs. M. M. S. 
 
 Emptying the The woman who has 
 Tubs not the convenience of a 
 
 modern laundry may be 
 saved carrying out water by having tub 
 or washer equipped with an ordinary shut- 
 off valve (which may be inserted in place 
 of plug if washer is used), attaching gar- 
 den hose and drawing the water out into 
 yard or garden. — E. F. M. 
 
 To Remove the Wash the sacks in warm 
 Wording from SU(ls . thcn wring and 
 Flour Sack. ' proa , d U P°" the wash- 
 board with the name of 
 the brand uppermost. Rub on a thick layer 
 of soap or washing-powder and roll tightly. 
 Place in a pan of cold water and set on the 
 stove to boil. Do not stir, but when the 
 boiling-point is reached, remove from the 
 stove and wash in a clean suds. The stains 
 will disappear like magic. — L. L. P. 
 
 When I have found when 
 
 Laundering laundering wash dresses 
 
 Wash Dresses ° f any kind, that it is 
 
 much better to hang 
 
 them on the line on a wooden coat-hanger. 
 
 This keeps them in shape, and they iron 
 
 better. 
 
Helps in Starching and Laundering 
 Colored Garments 
 
 To Wash A good way to shrink 
 Flannels flannels and preserve 
 
 their appearance is to 
 soak any flannel material in cold water 
 before making up. Spring water or hard 
 well water is best. Fill a tub and place the 
 flannel in it. As soon as the flannel sinks 
 to the bottom take out and hang up to 
 drain and dry. Do not squeeze or handle 
 it in the tub. Treated in this way it does 
 not lose the appearance of new flannel and 
 will not shrink when properly washed. — 
 Mrs. C. H. N. 
 
 Uses for If a little starch is added 
 
 Starch to tne rinsing water of 
 
 all cotton goods, they 
 will wash much more easily. The dirt 
 comes out with the starch, and they will 
 iron almost as readily as unstarched goods, 
 if ironed before being allowed to become 
 thoroughly dry. Painted ceilings wash 
 easier if gone over first with starch water. 
 Brown cotton fabrics may be dipped in 
 water containing a very slight amount of 
 liquid glue, instead of white starch, which 
 shows on the surface. To starch black 
 sateen, percale, etc., grate raw potatoes into 
 the cold, second rinsing water. — D. M. B. 
 
 To Wash a Prepare a large dish-pan 
 
 Brown Linen full of flour starch. Pour 
 
 Skirt li m tne wash-tub, have 
 
 one - fourth pound of 
 
 cheap coffee steeped and strain in the starch 
 
 until it is quite brown. Put the skirt in 
 
 and rub on a board if very soiled ; if not, 
 
 with the hands. Use no soap, the starch 
 
 will foam up like suds. When the dirt 
 
 is removed wring out by hand, do not 
 
 rinse. Hang in the shade. When partly 
 
 dry roll up and let lie an hour or so and 
 
 iron.— G. W. H. 
 
 To Stiffen Sheer Sheer fabrics, such as 
 Fabrics chiffons or dimities, or 
 
 all goods that do not re- 
 quire starch, will gain their original crisp- 
 ness if three tablespoon fuls of sugar be 
 added to the rinsing water. This applies 
 to all kinds of veiling. — Mrs. R. G. W. 
 
 A Secret About A college girl who wore 
 Crepe Blouses cotton crepe waists to 
 save laundry bills had 
 difficulty in rendering them wearable at 
 first, as they were too limp if not starched 
 at all and, if starched, wringing them made 
 the starch uneven. She found that by 
 washing them in thin starch and hanging 
 them up to drain on a coat-hanger, with- 
 out wringing, they were exactly right. — 
 V. N. 
 
 Rice Water for Fine 
 Starching 
 
 A Secret About 
 Crepe Blouses 
 
 To Set Colors 
 
 Cotton or Linen No matter how fast the 
 Goods in color, they will look 
 
 Delicate Colors faded after a few wash- 
 ings, but can be made to 
 look like new by using a solution of dye (any 
 reliable brand) of the same color as the 
 garment in the same way as bluing is 
 used. 
 
 Rice Water for Save the water drained 
 Fine Starching from "ce for starching 
 thin linens, fine cottons, 
 or any delicate fabrics. — F. E. H. 
 
 Starching In starching muslins. 
 
 Colored Clothes ginghams, and calico dis- 
 solve a piece of alum the 
 size of a hickory nut for every pint of 
 starch. This will keep the colors bright 
 for a long time. — E. R. G. 
 
 Quick When washing out waists 
 
 Stiffening or collars of thin mate- 
 
 rial put a small quantity 
 of borax in the rinse water. This will 
 give the desired stiffness, and is very 
 simple. — Mrs. R. E. 
 
 To Keep the I have discovered . an 
 Color of efficient method of re- 
 
 Delicate Blouses taining the delicate col- 
 ors in the various dainty 
 hued blouses so much in vogue. I had a 
 dainty rose blouse which was fast fading 
 through many washings — a friend advised 
 me to buy some rose crepe paper and use 
 it exactly as one would bluing, and behold 
 the result was most gratifying. I have tried 
 other colors, lemon, lavender, etc., with 
 equally good results. — R. T. N. 
 
 For Colored Tack this up in your 
 Materials laundry. To set colors- 
 
 green, blue, lavender, 
 aniline reds, purple, and pink should be 
 soaked in alum water, two ounces to a 
 tub. Black, gray, and dark blue should be 
 soaked in strong salt water. — Mrs. A. B. 
 
 To Set Colors To one gallon of water 
 use a large tablespoonful 
 of turpentine. Let article to be washed lie 
 in the mixture fifteen minutes, wring out 
 and dry, then wash in the usual manner. 
 This will set the color in the most perish- 
 able of all colors — lavender. Of course 
 it should be done every time articles are 
 washed. It is also good to clean rugs and 
 carpets, as it brightens colors and is a 
 good moth exterminator. After thor- 
 oughly sweeping rugs wring out a cloth 
 and go over them with the turpentine and 
 water. — B. R. G. 
 
 20 
 
Helps in Ironing and Cleaning 
 
 Fabrics 
 
 A Good Use for When we get new cata- 
 Old Catalogues 'ogues from the seeds- 
 men or the large stores, 
 we use the old ones as pads for the kitchen 
 table or cupboard. They are very useful 
 to set a pie or cake or pan upon while cool- 
 ing, and thus save the oilcloth or paint or 
 woodwork. They are also useful for the 
 ironing-board to clean the irons upon, and 
 the leaves can be torn off as fast as they 
 become worn or scorched. — Miss M. S. 
 
 Sprinkling To sprinkle clothes eas- 
 
 Clothei on the >'y leave them on the 
 
 U ne l' n e and use the hose on 
 
 them. Turn the water 
 
 on just enough to run well and adjust the 
 
 sprayer to make a fine spray. — Mrs. J. B. B. 
 
 Candle Ends Tiny ends of candles 
 should be kept to add to 
 the starch on wash days. They will add 
 to the gloss. — C. M. B. 
 
 To Smooth When ironing, take the 
 
 an Iron ' ron °^ tne ^ re an( ^ 
 
 plunge it quickly into 
 
 cold water in which a little soap has been 
 
 dissolved. You will be surprised at the 
 
 smoothness which will result. — Mrs.G.W.H. 
 
 For Quick Take a five-gallon crock, 
 Ironing sprinkle your clothes, 
 
 roll tight, and pack in 
 jar, covering tightly. In two hours they will 
 be as nice as if they had laid all night. 
 Do not sprinkle too much, as the dampness 
 penetrates quickly. — O. McK. 
 
 To Protect the For use in an ironing- 
 Hand holder, a piece of leather 
 cut from the top of an 
 old shoe will protect the hand from the 
 heat, also save callous spots from the grip 
 if one uses the patent handle irons. — Mrs. 
 F. F. S. 
 
 Heating Irons When the top of the 
 
 in the Oven stove is ful '. and >* is 
 
 time to get dinner with 
 
 still some ironing to be accomplished, the 
 
 irons can be heated very nicely in the oven. 
 
 — E. M. S. 
 
 Restoring Black One of jny discoveries 
 Goods which has proved valu- 
 
 able is how to restore 
 black goods and hats which have taken on 
 a forlorn grayish hue of age. Simply 
 sponge them thoroughly with alcohol. This 
 will not injure the most dainty fabric, and 
 they will emerge from their bath looking 
 l ; ke new. — Mrs. A. W. 
 
 Sprinkling Clothe* 
 on the Line 
 
 A Handy Ironing Board 
 
 Heating Iron* in the Oven 
 
 Ironing Hint A hot iron fades more 
 colored articles than the 
 washing. Many years ago a successful 
 housekeeper showed me a red table-cloth 
 that had always been ironed on the wrong 
 side, which was faded pink, while the right 
 side was almost like new. Since then I 
 have many times found out this by experi- 
 ence. — Mrs. E. L. C. 
 
 To Iron Pieces of damask table 
 
 Damask linen rarely require any 
 
 starch. If they are care- 
 fully washed and ironed while damp they 
 will be stiff enough and wear much longer. 
 Use irons as hot as possible without scorch- 
 ing the linen, and iron each piece until it 
 is thoroughly dry. This gives them a crisp- 
 ness which can be gained in no other way, 
 and linen will stay clean much longer than 
 if carelessly ironed and put away limp and 
 not entirely dry. Handkerchiefs should 
 also be ironed with a hot iron while quite 
 damp. — Mrs. J. J. O. C. 
 
 Smooth Tahle I tighten my wringer 
 Linen as ''S nt as possible, then 
 
 after my table-cloth is 
 well rinsed and folded even, I put it in hot 
 water and wring it through wringer. 
 I roll it up in a sheet and let it lie from 
 four to six hours, and then iron until per- 
 fectly dry. I do the napkins in the same 
 way. They are perfectly smooth and look 
 like satin.— B. E. B. 
 
 A Handy Ironing We all know what a 
 Board nuisance it is to have to 
 
 tug out the big ironing- 
 board when we want to press out a waist 
 or a baby's bonnet-strings. Try padding 
 the leaf of your kitchen table and cover 
 it as you would your ironing-board. You 
 then have your board ready at a minute's 
 notice, and you will find that you can do a 
 great deal of your ironing on it. — Mrs. H. 
 M. F. 
 
 Home-made Having on hand a nuni- 
 Ironing Pad b er of pieces of heavy 
 fluted paper which came 
 around bottles, also a cup of candle drip- 
 pings. I poured the melted paraffin over 
 the paper, leaving a thin coating. On iron- 
 ing day, I use this to rub my irons on and 
 have an ideal ironing pad. — C. M. R. 
 
 For Pressing When you press clothes 
 always use a wet flan- 
 nel between the hot iron and the clothes, 
 and it will never leave shiny places on the 
 goods— Mrs. E. P. B. 
 
 21 
 
All Sorts of Stains 
 
 To Take Out The following receipt 
 Iron-Rust Stains served to take out the 
 stains from half a dozen 
 small pieces — handkerchiefs, jabots, etc. 
 The juice of one lemon, two teaspoonfuls 
 of salt, a cup of water. Put this on the 
 fire, and as soon as it boils dip into it that 
 part of the article which is stained. In a 
 minute, or less, the spot will have entirely 
 disappeared. — Frances H. J. 
 
 Old Ink Stains Melt tallow and while 
 in Cotton Goods boiling drop the ink- 
 spotted material into it 
 and keep the spot there until saturated. 
 Then rub with soap until the spot evapo- 
 rates. It may take two treatments, but 
 this has removed spots after they were set 
 by boiling. — E. H. 
 
 Seven Rules Remove mildew stains 
 for Stains b y boiling the garment 
 in cream of tartar water 
 and then laying in the sun. 
 
 Equal parts of turpentine and ammonia 
 will remove paint from clothing, no matter 
 how hard it may be. 
 
 Borax will remove the leather stains 
 made by shoes on light colored stockings. 
 
 Lemon will remove match scratches from 
 paint. 
 
 Spirits of camphor will take off peach 
 stains. 
 
 Ammonia will remove grease stains from 
 white goods. 
 
 Ether will remove stains without leaving 
 a ring on the material. — Mrs. F. G. McB. 
 
 Kerosene Oil Kerosene oil spilled on 
 Stains ru gs. carpets, or any 
 
 woolen goods may be re- 
 moved by dry flour. The flour should be 
 put on immediately after the oil is spilled 
 and scraped off and renewed until no odor 
 is left in the floor. — Kansan. 
 
 After Using Spirits of camphor takes 
 
 Copy Ink tne m k °^ hands and 
 
 nails perfectly and at 
 
 the same time does not injure the skin. 
 
 —Sally. 
 
 To Remove Chloroform, when ap- 
 Tar plied with a piece of 
 
 cloth, will remove grease 
 of any kind from woolen. It has been used 
 successfully when tar from buggy wheels 
 was on the garment. But if on wash goods 
 apply salty butter and rinse well with soap 
 and warm water. — Mrs. L. E. M. 
 
 Scorch Stains To effectively remove 
 
 scorch marks from linen 
 
 rub with a fresh cut onion, soaking the 
 
 garment in cold water afterwards. — S. C. 
 
 Clarke. 
 
 To Take Oat 
 Iron- Rust Stains 
 
 To Prevent Oil Stains 
 
 To Remove Ink 
 
 Taking Out "A little rose water 
 Spots W 'N ta ke out spots," said 
 
 a physician who had 
 dropped some oil on my light silk waist 
 while treating my throat. It proved very 
 effective and is not expensive. Last sum- 
 mer when the white silk ribbons in my 
 shoes became soiled I rubbed them thor- 
 oughly with a rag saturated in rose water, 
 and then rolled them around large bot- 
 tles to dry. Bandeaux and sashes may be 
 freshened in the same way, as it will not 
 injure the most delicate colors in silks. 
 — C. P. 
 
 Iodine Stains If iodine should be 
 spilled on any article 
 about the sick-room, the stain may be re- 
 moved by immersing the article in cold 
 water to which strong household ammonia 
 has been added. — Mrs. G. C. O. 
 
 To Remove For perspiration stains 
 Perspiration on silk waists sponge 
 Stains tne place with a clean 
 
 rag wet in clear cold 
 water. Cover the wet places with pow- 
 dered prepared chalk. Let dry and brush 
 off carefully with a soft brush. — Mrs. 
 L. R. M. 
 
 To Keep Ivory As the French ivory 
 White toilet sets are now so 
 
 much in vogue and peo- 
 ple are having trouble to keep them from 
 turning yellow, they may be glad to know 
 that by wiping them with alcohol instead 
 of water they will retain their natural 
 color. This also applies to piano keys, on 
 which water should not be used. — Mrs. H. F. 
 
 To Prevent Oil When using the sewing- 
 Stains machine after oiling, tie 
 a piece of common 
 string around the lower part of the needle- 
 bar, just above the screw that holds the 
 needle in place. This will absorb the oil 
 and there will be no more trouble with 
 soiled stitching. — K. U. 
 
 To Remove Fruit Dip the hands in strong 
 
 Stains from the tea, rubbing them well 
 
 Hands w i tn a nail-brush and 
 
 afterwards wash in 
 
 warm water. — Jessie Y. 
 
 To Remove Ink Hydrogen Peroxide will 
 remove ink from all 
 kinds of cloth and wearing apparel with- 
 out changing its color. Take a medicine 
 dropper and fill with the Hydrogen Per- 
 oxide. Saturate the cloth over the ink 
 stain. Sometimes it requires several ap- 
 plications. Lay the goods in the sun or air 
 after each application. — A Subscriber. 
 
Helps with Floors and Floor 
 Coverings 
 
 To Renovate a T have found a way to 
 Hardwood Floor renew an old floor. The 
 oldest and most used 
 up hardwood floor yields to this treatment : 
 Wash the floor, using a good brush, soap, 
 and two liberal tablespoonfuls of strong 
 ammonia to each pailful of water. After 
 the floor has dried, apply with a soft 
 brush equal parts of boiled linseed oil and 
 turpentine. Let this soak well into the floor. 
 It will take five or six days. Then wipe 
 with a cloth soaked in gasoline to remove 
 any dust that may have gathered during the 
 drying process. Apply a coat of good wax 
 (one of the prepared makes), and rub with 
 a weighted brush. Two or three even coats 
 of wax may be applied if a high polish is 
 desired the first time. A floor fixed in this 
 way will last years if a coat of wax is 
 applied about every six months. — L. W. 
 
 Care of When buying, order the 
 
 Linoleum linoleum an inch larger 
 than your room, and do 
 not tack to the floor for about two months, 
 and you will find the extra inch just fills 
 in nicely. Never use soap or any kind of 
 washing-powder, as this takes the life out 
 of linoleum. If clean water doesn't re- 
 move the grease around the stove, use a 
 little extra water and pure soap. After 
 the linoleum has been in use three or 
 four months wash carefully, and be sure 
 it is perfectly clean and then varnish. The 
 dealer we purchased our linoleum of said 
 it would wear twice as long if varnished 
 and cleaned as above stated. I made a 
 little slip of the bottom part of an old apron 
 with a ruffle on, gathered at the top and 
 slipped over the broom, and instead of 
 sweeping go over with this every day. The 
 floor always looks spotless. The ruffle 
 takes up the dirt and the slip is easily 
 washed. — Mrs. A. L. T. 
 
 A Burlap Floor I purchased ordinary 
 Covering green burlap at fifteen 
 
 cents a yard, which I 
 sewed like a carpet and laid, having first 
 removed molding at bottom of baseboard. 
 I then sized the burlap with glue water 
 made by dissolving stick glue in hot water. 
 With this I entirely filled the pores of the 
 burlap. I next applied two coats of 
 "meadow grass" floor paint, and wishing 
 a dull finish, when dry removed the gloss 
 by gently rubbing with a cloth dipped in 
 turpentine. The molding was then re- 
 placed, covering tacks. This makes a san- 
 itary and artistic floor covering, which is 
 as durable as a hardwood floor. When 
 washed with warm water it is as pretty 
 as when new. — L. A. M. 
 
 To Renovate a 
 Hardwood Floor 
 
 Care of Linoleum 
 
 To Clean Rags 
 
 To Keep Rugs For rugs that roll or 
 
 from Curling cur > at the ed 8 es make a 
 thin starch and rub thor- 
 oughly into the parts of the rug that roll. 
 Place wrong side up in a dry atmosphere for 
 a few hours. — A. P. 
 
 A Novel Kitchen I made a neat and most 
 Floor Covering satisfactory covering for 
 my dining-room floor of 
 green denim sewed together on my ma- 
 chine. It was a heavy, durable grade. 
 When this faded I tacked it on my kitchen 
 floor and painted it with a mixture of 
 brown ochre, turpentine and linseed oil. 
 This I prepared myself at a nominal cost. 
 That was ten years ago, and the carpet, 
 or oilcloth, is as good as when first put 
 down. — Mrs. N. H. 
 
 Care of Try sewing your new 
 
 Matting matting with raffia. 
 
 Dampen and split each 
 strand. This will make a fine seam that 
 will look well on either side. When laying 
 new matting, one can prevent ridges and 
 wrinkles if, after putting down as smooth 
 as possible, you will wash with a pail of 
 hot water to which a cup of salt has been 
 added. Leave quite wet, and in drying the 
 matting will shrink into place. The salt 
 toughens it. Wash with the grain of the 
 matting. Never sweep matting with an un- 
 covered broom, as it will split the fibre, 
 but cover the broom with a soft Canton 
 flannel bag and dip in salt water to brighten 
 it. — Grandma. 
 
 A Bathroom A practical bathroom 
 Rug ru 8 can be made from 
 
 discarded underwear by 
 cutting the best parts into narrow strips 
 and joining them as for carpet rags and 
 then crocheting them with a large wooden 
 hook, using the single crochet stitch. — M. 
 R. L. S. 
 
 To Clean Rugs Lay the rug on the 
 
 porch and take a hand 
 scrubbing brush and soap and scrub thor- 
 oughly. After scrubbing take several buck- 
 ets of cold water and dash upon the rug, 
 rinsing it in this way. Do not wring. 
 Take the rug out and lay flat on the grass 
 to dry. Do not hang, as it will stretch an 
 ugly shape. Turn occasionally until thor- 
 oughly dry. — F. E. 
 
 To Save Floors If the iron rollers on 
 furniture are given a 
 coat of paint, they will not leave the 
 unsightly marks on matting that they do 
 if not treated in such a manner. — N. F. G. 
 
 23 
 
Helps About the Dining Room 
 
 A Help in When feeding a small 
 Feeding Children child bread spread with 
 butter or jam, cut the 
 bread into thin slices and fold over into 
 sandwiches. There will then be no "but- 
 ter side" to fall on the carpet, nor will they 
 get the butter or jam on their fingers or 
 dresses. — Mrs. M. 
 
 Color an A housekeeper who has 
 Appetizer a comfortable, happy 
 family declares that ap- 
 petites are as responsive to "color" as to 
 articles of food. In the summer she tries 
 to have the dining-table furnishings and 
 flowers a cooling green and white, and 
 in the autumnal time the supper-table 
 glows with doilies made of red crash and 
 with a similar mat of larger proportion 
 for a centrepiece, on which rests a brass 
 bowl holding a pot of bright red gerani- 
 ums. 
 
 A New Use for In many houses there 
 Ugly Pictures are pictures well faded 
 and strongly framed, 
 which cannot be said to adorn the walls 
 upon which they hang. If you have such 
 a one with a wooden frame, substitute a 
 pretty piece of chintz for the picture un- 
 der the glass, get a pair of brass handles 
 at the hardware store and screw one on 
 each end. Glue a piece of felt to fit the 
 back and you have a nice tray. — K. A. C. 
 
 A Summer Help We are all familiar with 
 
 Not Often paper napkins, but few 
 
 •? «. ii j housekeepers have the 
 Enough Used coufage * to be umike 
 
 other people and use them except for pic- 
 nics. In any summer cottage, however, they 
 can easily save much washing and iron- 
 ing. Paper napkins can be purchased by 
 the hundred in a variety of designs. 
 Choose a floral design to match the fresh 
 flowers used as a centrepiece that day. A 
 variety of designs makes a pretty change 
 from day to day, or the ones which are all 
 white with a gold initial are light and at- 
 tractive. Use a paper napkin for a centre- 
 piece and one under each plate whenever 
 linen doilies would otherwise be used. 
 They may also be used on trays, either for 
 the guest-room or piazza. — Mrs. H. H. 
 
 Table Decorating One of the most satis- 
 Hint factory colors to use for 
 
 table decorating is rose- 
 pink, which bears the light of sun and ar- 
 tificial lights without much change. So 
 often one plans a color scheme and, alas ! 
 when the lights are turned on the blue looks 
 green, violet changes its hue, and yellow 
 looks pale and faded. Red is a splendid 
 color to use in winter, but is dangerous 
 in combination. — Mrs. W. M. C. 
 
 A Time Saver 
 
 A New Vie for 
 Ugly Picture* 
 
 The Old Tray Made New 
 
 24 
 
 A Time Saver To the woman doing her 
 own work a wheel-tray 
 for the dining-room is a great time-saver. 
 Discarded baby carts or any cart with 
 small wheels can be picked up "for a song" 
 in a second-hand store and with a little 
 carpentry work a nice wheel-tray can be 
 built.— Mrs. C. M. B. 
 
 A Rose and In strawberry time it is 
 Green Table verv eas y to nav e a pret- 
 ty table to correspond 
 with the fruit which is a favorite with 
 every one. Choose some green linen of the 
 soft tone described best as "gray-green," 
 and work a buttonholed edge in a rose 
 color that will harmonize with the straw- 
 berry tint. Use these on the polished table. 
 As a centrepiece use a green and rose 
 raffia basket filled with perfect strawber- 
 ries and leaves. — S. L. 
 
 A Handsome One of Grandma's old 
 China Closet bureaus will make a 
 nice china closet by put- 
 ting in glass doors and giving the whole 
 a coat of varnish. If mahogany, have it 
 restored to its own beauty by a cabinet- 
 maker. — R. J. S. 
 
 A Useful Living in a small house 
 
 Screen and finding it necessary 
 
 to combine kitchen and 
 dining-room, I took a fourfold screen and 
 filled each panel with dark green denim. 
 Then I purchased four fruit pictures, six- 
 teen by twenty, and bound the edges with 
 green sateen the shade of the denim. 
 These I tacked across the top of each panel. 
 This was set across the corner I used for 
 the kitchen, thereby suggesting a parti- 
 tion. On the back, or kitchen side of the 
 screen, I made large pockets of the denim 
 and tacked across the lower edge. These 
 are a great convenience in holding kitchen 
 towels, dust-cloths, etc. Hooks were 
 screwed in one panel top and bottom and 
 eyes screwed into the wall, and in this way 
 the screen could be fastened to avoid dan- 
 ger of being knocked over. — E. S. 
 
 The Old Tray When a japanned tray 
 Made New becomes old and chipped 
 give it two coats of 
 white paint and one of enamel, the bot- 
 tom as well as the top. Stand it on edge 
 to dry after each coat. It will be found 
 as good as new, as well as very pretty. 
 The enamel is easily renewed. — N. H. 
 
 New Use for 
 Mailing Tubes 
 
 One mailing-tube will 
 make several napkin- 
 rings. Cut it the width 
 required. Cover with pretty wall-paper, or 
 with embroidered linen if preferred. — E. F. 
 
Helps with Linen 
 
 Strengthening Pil-Pillow-slips made from 
 low Slip* Made tubing may be given a 
 from Tubing longer lease of life by 
 reversing the end seam. 
 Rip the seam and turn half way around 
 from the way it was at first, so that the 
 former side folds are now in the centre, 
 then stitch up again. This gives a new sur- 
 face for the heavier wear and doubles the 
 service of the pillow-slips. — Mrs. A. G. 
 
 To Save Sheet* If the woman who does 
 and Pillow Case* ne >" ° wn laundry work 
 will try folding sheets 
 and table-covers with the selvage edges 
 together and pinning them to the line she 
 will never go back to the old way. As the 
 corners of pillow-cases where pinned to 
 the line are the first to wear out, the wise 
 woman makes them several inches longer 
 than they are needed. When they wear 
 out cut them off and finish as before. — C. 
 F. R. 
 
 To Mark Linen To mark linen easily dip 
 
 Easily tne article to be marked 
 
 in cold starch and let it 
 
 dry. The pen will write then without 
 
 scratching. — Mrs. L. H. E. 
 
 When Putting In putting away white 
 Away Clothe* goods from one season 
 to another, to keep them 
 from yellowing, take a bag made of any old 
 sheet, wash clean, dip in strong bluing water, 
 and dry. It should be very blue. Put clean, 
 unstarched clothes in bag loosely and hang 
 in a dark closet. — F. W. P. 
 
 A Linen Many times, in a large 
 
 Substitute family of children, or in 
 boarding-h ouses, the 
 housekeeper finds her supply of napery in- 
 sufficient to meet the demands for fresh 
 napkins. I have found the following plan 
 a satisfactory one, as it affords an ample 
 quantity at but little expense. To make 
 one dozen napkins I get three yards of soft 
 Indian head at fifteen cents a yard. From 
 each side I cut away the selvage edge, then 
 cut or tear the material through the centre 
 lengthwise, which gives two long strips of 
 equal width. To be accurate, I measure 
 the strips across, then measure the same 
 number of inches down the side, draw a 
 thread and cut my first napkin. This may 
 serve as a pattern for the remaining eleven, 
 or they may be measured in the same way 
 as the first. When cut, I fringe them one 
 and one-half inches around. To prevent 
 raveling, and give a finished look, it is well 
 to whip the napkin between the threads of 
 the fringe. This same Indian head, I find, 
 makes most excellent and durable pillow- 
 cases, which when hemstitched, are scarcely 
 distinguishable from linen. — H. K. G. 
 
 Care of Centrepiece* 
 
 Hanging Tablecloth* 
 
 Care of I have seen a number 
 
 Centrepiece* P* methods for keeping 
 centrepieces fresh, but I 
 like my way the best. Perhaps other 
 people would like to try it. I took two yards 
 of cretonne, hemmed each end and folded 
 it in the centre and sewed on some loops 
 so I could hang it up in the closet or any 
 convenient place. Then I took muslin and 
 made as many folds as I had centrepieces 
 and sewed them in the cretonne cover, 
 exactly like the leaves in a book. As I 
 iron my centrepieces I pin each one in a 
 leaf. When I want one to use it is smooth 
 and fresh and will lay flat on the table. — 
 Mrs. C. K. 
 
 A Help with When you buy a new 
 Napkin* piece of linen for nap- 
 
 kins, before cutting them 
 apart overcast the two ends and put the 
 pieces through the wash once. Then cut 
 them apart and hem and you will find the 
 labor of hemming simplified tenfold. — E. 
 G. H. 
 
 To Whiten When you wash un- 
 
 Unbleached bleached sheeting or tu- 
 
 Sheeting bing, m order to bleach it 
 
 yourself, always rinse it 
 
 in clear water. Bluing in your rinse water 
 
 will make it look dark gray. Rinsing in 
 
 clear water it becomes pure white. — G. R. 
 
 Hanging When hanging table- 
 
 Tablecloth* cloths and sheets on the 
 line hang by the hems, 
 as this will save the hems and keep the 
 wind from whipping them out. — N. M. 
 
 Summer I bought heavy white 
 
 Counterpane* sheeting, cut out the 
 corners to fit the iron 
 beds just as counterpanes are cut, hemmed 
 these all around and stitched on a good 
 substantial torchon lace edging. The beds 
 look nicely dressed, and laundering them 
 is as easy as doing the sheet. 
 
 To Keep Linen Always wrap table or 
 White bed linen which is to be 
 
 stored away in dark blue 
 paper to keep it from turning yellow. 
 
 To Save Dish 
 Towel* 
 
 To Save Dish Towel* 
 
 Besides the ever- ready 
 newspapers for the 
 k i tc hen have a, wall 
 pocket made from oilcloth, ticking, or 
 cretonne. Into this tuck odds and ends of 
 clean cloth to be used for wiping out bak- 
 ing tins and wiping off fingers when baking 
 and for many other purposes. Burn when 
 through with each piece. — C. M. R. 
 
 25 
 
Helps When Entertaining 
 
 Inexpensive Save some of the juice 
 Punch from sweet peach pickles 
 
 (I purposely make more 
 than I need for my pickles), put it in cans 
 just as you do for peaches and every ti.ne 
 you empty a can of peaches save the juice. 
 To one quart of this juice add six lemons, 
 four cups of sugar, one-half bottle of grape 
 juice. From this results a bowl full of 
 delicious punch. — Mrs. W. W. G. 
 
 Entertaining A way out of the dif- 
 Small Children Acuity of the much 
 dreaded muss when 
 mother permits her little ones a holiday in 
 the kitchen with their hands in the dough 
 is as follows : Add two heaping tablespoon- 
 fuls of salt to each half cup of stiff dough 
 made of flour and water. I have yet to 
 discover its equal in entertaining youngsters 
 on a rainy day when they become unusually 
 restless, as this mixture can be molded and 
 remolded and finally made in forms and put 
 aside to dry and harden. If put in the oven 
 to dry it becomes like marble, while the 
 babies emerge perfectly clean. — Mrs. J. S. 
 
 A Reserve If all housekeepers would 
 Dinner trv nl y P' an 0I a reserve 
 
 dinner, they need never 
 fear any inconvenience when the husband 
 telephones that he is bringing home a guest, 
 or when friends appear unexpectedly to 
 "stay to lunch." I have a shelf in my cup- 
 board that always holds some canned goods 
 that, with the help of a fire, can be made 
 into a delicious meal. Soups, extracts of 
 beef to make bouillon, canned meat which 
 can be simply heated and served with a 
 thickened gravy or made into croquettes; a 
 few of the best quality of canned vegetables ; 
 and some canned peaches, pears, and straw- 
 berries ; and a canned plum pudding. Thus, 
 with very little labor, I can serve soup, 
 meat, and vegetables ; make a salad dressing 
 for either egg or vegetable salad and a 
 sauce for pudding ; or beat ten cents' worth 
 of thick cream and have canned peaches 
 with whipped cream. I also keep a few 
 choice crackers in jars — plain ones for soup, 
 and fancy dainties to serve with desserts if 
 the cake tin should be empty when a guest 
 happens in for a cup of afternoon tea. As 
 one can is used I replenish the supply, so 
 am never at a loss for an unexpected dinner. 
 
 To Keep Sand- Wrap in a napkin wrung 
 wicb.es Fresh out OI hot water, and 
 put away in a cool place 
 until needed. — Miss E. H. 
 
 To Keep Choco- Chocolate made before 
 
 late Hot 'he guests arrived, and 
 
 put in the fireless cooker, 
 
 was piping hot two hours later, when we 
 
 wanted to serve it. — G. W. 
 
 Pretty Luncheon Idea 
 
 A Reserve Dinner 
 
 For Round Sandwich 
 Loaves 
 
 26 
 
 Pretty Luncheon Fill a clear glass bowl, 
 Idea suc h as used for gold- 
 
 fish, with carbonated 
 water. In it place a bouquet of nasturtiums 
 and their leaves. The escaping gas in the 
 water creeps over each leaf and flower, 
 making the whole seem covered with dew. 
 It is a most refreshing bit of coolness on a 
 hot day. — Mrs. G. A. 
 
 A New Idea Some friends of ours 
 who have an interesting 
 family of daughters, artistic and literary, 
 conceived the idea of making their note 
 books valuable to all concerned. "One new 
 thing a day" is the rule in the house, to 
 bring to the others. A new joke, a new 
 suggestion or impression, or criticism even. 
 This makes the gathering together at the 
 supper table a cheery event, while the 
 furnishings of the house, the variety of the 
 table, and cheerfulness of the whole family 
 reflect the rule, giving the frequent visitors 
 a "new idea" of charming hospitality. 
 
 A Use for Old I no longer throw away 
 Calendars mv °W calendars which 
 are filled with quotations, 
 good advice, or a bit of fun. In an extremity 
 for place-cards one day, I cut out the most 
 adaptable ones for my guests. They were 
 gaily and prettily printed, and I could not 
 have found sentiments more suitable if I 
 had spent hours searching the shops. — E. S. 
 
 The Small Guest In a childless home the 
 small guest is often with- 
 out entertainment. A little forethought will 
 provide plenty of amusement if all odds 
 and ends, pictures, silk scraps, fashion plates, 
 tissue paper, etc., are stored in a box kept 
 for that purpose. Little girls often enjoy 
 making a kitchen holder or outlining a small 
 doily for their hostess. 
 
 For Round Sand- Pretty frills of entertain- 
 wich Loaves m 8 ar e not necessarily 
 expensive. When baking 
 bread, make one or two little loaves by filling 
 well-greased, pound-size baking-powder tins 
 with dough. Fill only full enough to permit 
 dough to rise just to the top. Thin sand- 
 wiches of these round slices of bread make 
 a dainty bite with a cup of afternoon tea. 
 — Louise. 
 
 The Entertain- On holidays and birth- 
 
 ment Box da . vs man y P rett V but 
 
 useless things come into 
 the house; cards, bits of gay ribbon, gauzes, 
 boxes, spangles, tinsel, tissues and favors. 
 We put them all away in the "Entertainment 
 Box." It is surprising how often the needed 
 things for church entertainments, children's 
 parties, decorations, place-cards, and the 
 dressing of dolls can be found in this 
 box. — E. S. 
 
Serving for Family and Guest 
 
 A Box for Meal A pasteboard box may 
 Suggestions be fastened to the kitchen 
 wall and divided into 
 three compartments marked "Breakfast," 
 "Dinner," and "Supper," or "Breakfast," 
 "Luncheon" and "Dinner." Each member 
 of the household may drop a written re- 
 quest into any of the compartments con- 
 taining the name of some particular dish 
 for which he may be hungry. In this way 
 the mother may receive some ideas or at 
 least know she is giving the family what 
 they particularly desire. — G. M. C. K. 
 
 A Help with If housewives will try 
 Muffins tm s method of taking 
 
 time by the forelock, 
 they need not dread the morning hurry. 
 While supper is cooking every night grease 
 the gem tins and stand them at the back 
 of the range. In a large bowl place the 
 Hour, corn meal, or rye meal, or graham 
 flour, the necessary salt, sugar, and baking 
 powder. Turn the heat into the oven, for 
 a good deal of heat may be stored in this 
 way. In the morning the oven is quickly 
 hot with the new tire, it is but a minute's 
 task to beat one or two eggs, according to 
 the recipe, adding necessary milk and beat- 
 ing into the dry materials. The muffin tins 
 are ready by simply heating. 
 
 For a Child's I have found that there 
 Party ' s nothing prettier for a 
 
 centrepiece for the table 
 at a child's party than wee crocks of tiny 
 growing ferns and others of tiny geraniums 
 in bloom. These are massed in the centre. 
 Attach to each a ribbon leading to a place- 
 card with the child's name thereon. At 
 the end of the party each child hunts the 
 plant at the end of his ribbon and takes it 
 home. Thus the plants serve for decorations 
 and as a favor. — Bf.f.. 
 
 Putting Away Instead of putting away 
 
 Food remnants of food in the 
 
 dish in which they were 
 
 I, or into another clean one, make them 
 
 ready to warm for another meal. For 
 
 instance, a few baked beans, or a little stew, 
 
 may be put into a small granite basin in 
 
 which it is to be warmed. These may be 
 
 purchased for five cents. — Mrs. R. L. 
 
 A Wise Children sometimes form 
 
 Deception a distaste for milk when 
 it should fill an important 
 place in their diet. In some cases it has 
 proved a good plan to get an odd glass (a 
 colored tumbler with their initials on it), 
 a glass water-set or simply a little pitcher 
 and mug. The beauty of the strange re- 
 ceptacle or the fun of pouring the milk will 
 cause them to forget how much milk tjiey are 
 drinking. 
 
 A Box for 
 Meal Suggestion* 
 
 iLCJ 
 
 For a Child's Party 
 
 A Christmas Decoration 
 
 To Cut Butter To cut butter in blocks 
 in Blocks f° r tne taD ' e foW a knife 
 blade in waxed paper and 
 the blocks will cut smoothly. — S. L. R. 
 
 Economy in When one fruit or vege- 
 Cooking and table is expensive, sub- 
 Servi stitute another, always 
 
 " consideringthe food value 
 
 of the article. It is important that every 
 housekeeper should experiment with the fire- 
 less cooker. Where gas is used for cooking, 
 economize by cooking over one burner. The 
 writer purchased a large old-fashioned 
 steamer for a trifle. In this four or five of the 
 three-pound lard pails with covers can be 
 used. In one can be potatoes, in others cab- 
 bage, onions, etc., a pudding, rice, and even 
 the coffee. A beef loaf may be placed in a 
 larger pail in the kettle of water under the 
 steamer, and, if necessary, another steamer 
 may be placed over this one and a dish of 
 apples cooked for another meal. When 
 tomatoes are to be cooked use a bowl. 
 Experiments will show the possibilities of 
 the old-fashioned steamer. When obliged 
 to use the gas oven, plan to use it for the 
 entire meal. Always make foods palatable. 
 A high authority declares that palatable 
 food is more digestible and nourishing than 
 that which does not please the palate. Some 
 of the best French dishes are made from 
 the cheaper cuts. — Mrs. C. W. C. 
 
 A Christmas Whether there be chil- 
 Decoration dren or only grown- 
 ups in the family, sus- 
 pend a hoop wound with evergreens from 
 the chandelier in horizontal position by 
 means of bright red ribbons. From the 
 hoop hang small stockings made out of 
 bright red mosquito netting. These may be 
 tied in place with red bows or green bows 
 of ribbon, and each bears a tag with the 
 name of a member of the family. They may 
 hold bonbons or some little gift. A pretty 
 fancy is to have all the gifts on a table 
 simply numbered. On the top of each stock- 
 ing may be placed a slip of paper with a 
 list of the numbers which mark each in- 
 dividual's gifts, and at a given time all may 
 search and find their own. — Hostess. 
 
 For a May An effective table-cover 
 Luncheon for a May luncheon is 
 made of any of the cheap 
 flowered materials which come for curtain- 
 ing. Sew the desired number of strips 
 together, with pink or green ribbon .basted 
 over the joinings. For a centrepiece use 
 a pink and green basket filled with apple 
 blossoms. At each place have a small 
 flower-pot painted green filled with pink 
 candies, and stick a spray of apple blossoms 
 in the top of each pot. — S. L. 
 
 27 
 
Helps with Glass and China 
 
 A Great Conve- A tall dipper or large 
 nience to have open-mouthed glass jar 
 Back of the Sink '"to which water can be 
 poured conveniently, is a 
 great convenience to have back of the sink. 
 In it egg-beaters and spoons, knives, forks, 
 etc., used in beating or eating eggs can be 
 placed while preparing other dishes for 
 washing. If stood in cold water one will 
 never have to waste time cleaning an egg- 
 beater on which egg has encrusted, which, 
 as every housewife knows, is a wearisome 
 task. On the same principle fill all cereal 
 pans, vegetable pans, etc., with cold water 
 and stand at the back of the range while the 
 meal is in progress. Much scraping of pans 
 can be saved by this little forethought. — S. L. 
 
 To Wash Milk If the glasses that have 
 
 Glasses ne 'd milk be first rinsed 
 
 in cold water they may 
 
 be safely washed in hot. If dipped in hot 
 
 water as soon as they are emptied, the milk 
 
 is coagulated and clouds the glass. 
 
 The Use of Molds To remove anything 
 from a mold when cold, 
 wrap a hot cloth about the outside of the 
 mold for a minute or two. To remove a 
 hot viand, wrap a cold cloth about the mold. 
 — M. C. 
 
 When Glasses To separate them with- 
 Stick Together out breaking set the 
 lower glass in warm 
 water and fill the upper one with cold water 
 and the heat and cold, respectively, expand- 
 ing the lower and contracting the upper, 
 they are easily slipped apart. — E. 
 
 Cleaning A handful of salt and a 
 Decanters cupful of vinegar shaken 
 up well in a cloudy 
 decanter will clean it like magic. Rinse 
 well in hot water several times to remove 
 all taste of salt. It will be beautifully clear 
 and clean. — M. G. U. 
 
 To Mend China Common white lead will 
 mend glass or china so 
 it will wear as long as if new. Apply to 
 broken edges, place carefully together, and 
 tie the dish to hold it until paint becomes 
 perfectly dry. — L. W. 
 
 To Clean Cruets To clean vinegar cruets 
 use warm water with 
 about a spoonful of soda. After shaking, 
 the cruet is cleaned perfectly. — Miss 
 L. M. F. 
 
 To Hold Plates Glass push-pins put in 
 
 in China Closet with a firm pressure (one 
 
 in front of each piece) 
 
 make a very satisfactory rest for light 
 
 pieces, and are scarcely noticeable. — F. F. 
 
 A Great Convenience to 
 Have Back of the Sink 
 
 To Dry Lamp Chimneys 
 
 The Habit of Trays 
 
 Brushes for Dish I use a little hand-brush 
 Washing i" place of the old-time 
 
 dish-cloth. I find it gets 
 in the creases better than a cloth, besides 
 being more sanitary. It will not scratch or 
 mar, but is quite as effective as a knife for 
 scraping in cases where the food adheres to 
 the dishes or cooking utensils. I keep one 
 for washing the dishes and one for scouring 
 purposes. — Mrs. O. C. McM. 
 
 Tempering China Before I use new thin 
 and Glass china I put it in a pan 
 of cold water allowing 
 it gradually to come to the boil. Then take 
 it off and let it stay in the water until the 
 water is cold. It can then resist the sudden 
 expansion caused by heat and breakages will 
 be far less frequent. The water should heat 
 and cool as gradually as possible. My lamp 
 chimneys I treat in the same way with 
 excellent results. — Mrs. N. G. M. 
 
 Drying Dishes The greatest saving of 
 
 time I have found in 
 
 years is to wash the dishes, place in wire 
 
 draining-basket, scald, and put on the 
 
 radiator or in a warm oven. — Mrs. E. B. 
 
 To Dry Lamp Wash and rinse chimneys 
 
 Chimneys ' n not water. Stand on 
 
 the radiator on a dry 
 
 cloth, or in a wire dish-drainer on the 
 
 back of the stove. The glass will be 
 
 clean, dry, and bright. — B. G. 
 
 To Clean Coffee When teapots and coffee- 
 and Teapots P ots become discolored 
 inside boil them up in 
 cold water with two teaspoon fuls of baking- 
 soda. — "Betsy Clover." 
 
 Excellent China An excellent cement for 
 Cement broken china or bric-a- 
 
 brac is made by mixing 
 half an ounce of gum arabic with a half 
 teaspoonful of boiling milk and adding 
 enough plaster of Paris to make a creamy 
 paste. To use successfully have the pieces 
 that are to be mended warm and apply with 
 a soft brush. Set aside for several days, to 
 become thoroughly dry. They can then be 
 washed in either warm or cold water with 
 safety.— A. C. H. 
 
 The Habit of Use a tray to carry the 
 Trays dishes and other things 
 
 from the cupboard to 
 the table, this saves many steps, not only in 
 setting the table, but in clearing it after the 
 meal. The same may be said of baskets. 
 Have one or two handy sized baskets and 
 make a practice of stocking them to take up 
 stairs or down as things accumulate out of 
 place. Many helps are simply habits to 
 be acquired. — Mrs. B. 
 
 28 
 
At House Cleaning Time 
 
 For Mending For mending tubs or 
 Tub» or Vessels other vessels which are 
 not used about the fire 
 take old can rubbers and melt them in a 
 tin can or lid. Apply while hot, smoothing 
 it with a knife. Vessel will hold water 
 as well as when new and will last a long 
 time, costing nothing but a little time to 
 renew. — Mrs. F. C. 
 
 Any Tin Bucket, especially one used for 
 slops or water, when 
 painted inside and out with asphalt will 
 last for years. When the asphalt com- 
 mences to look rusty after long use re- 
 paint, which will renew all usefulness. Five 
 cents' worth will paint any ordinary water 
 bucket. I have one bucket that has been 
 in use seven or eight years which has been 
 painted only twice. — Laura P. 
 
 For Smoke Black- This is an excellent way 
 ened Ceilings f or cleaning smoke- 
 blackened ceilings. Make 
 a fairly thick paste of starch and water ; 
 apply this with a pad of flannel and allow 
 it to dry on, then brush off with a soft 
 brush and you will find result well worth 
 the trouble. — Miss R. McK. 
 
 To Remove Paint Paint may be removed 
 From Glass frorn . window glass by 
 rubbing it well with hot, 
 strong vinegar. — Mrs. Richard J. 
 
 A Satisfactory An expert wood-finisher 
 Polish gave the following meth- 
 
 od for French polishing 
 with the usual rubbing cut out. Cover wood 
 surface with any good floor varnish, when 
 perfectly hard rub with powdered pumice- 
 stone, slightly dampened with oil. Wash 
 off with cold water and rub with a clean 
 cloth dipped in raw linseed oil. — A. L. L. 
 
 A New Use for When dusting or clean- 
 Dish Mop in g floors there are al- 
 ways some places where 
 even the finest mop will not clean, espe- 
 cially in corners and under some pieces of 
 furniture and under and around radiators, 
 where much dust collects. To clean these 
 places I have found one of the dish mops, 
 to be found at any ten-cent store, works 
 like a charm. — E. T. 
 
 The Use of When using plaster of 
 Plaster of Paris Paris to fill cracks in 
 plaster, etc., mix with 
 vinegar instead of water. The resultant 
 mass will be like putty, and will not "set" 
 for about an hour; whereas, if water is 
 used, the plaster will harden before you can 
 use it successfully. Push plaster into cracks 
 and smooth nicely with a table or J>utty- 
 knife.— A. C. F. 
 
 A Box for the 
 Scrubbing Pail 
 
 Economy of Time 
 and Labor in Dusting 
 
 To Renew Old 
 Varnished Furniture 
 
 Economy of Time Dusting with a rag is a 
 
 and Labor in laborious and tedious 
 
 Dusting task. Feathers are not 
 
 so good, as they leave 
 
 the cracks dirty and have a tendency to 
 
 knock off light ornaments. A soft bristled 
 
 paint-brush, or a duster of similar make, 
 
 something like a soft hearth duster, is a fine 
 
 substitute. I have discovered also that a 
 
 five-cent dish-mop makes a splendid duster. 
 
 It can be washed, too. — Miss E. G. H. 
 
 Renovating Window shades that 
 Shades have become cracked and 
 
 broken can be reno- 
 vated by laying them flat on the floor and 
 painting them with ordinary oil paint 
 bought at any hardware store in small cans. 
 Paint one side, let dry thoroughly before 
 touching the other side. This treatment 
 preserves the shades and makes them last 
 for years. — F. M. S. 
 
 Floor Mop I always get a new floor 
 mop before I begin to 
 house clean and use it for wiping the wall- 
 paper and woodwork. Then when I have 
 finished cleaning I wash it out and use for 
 a floor mop. This is so much better than 
 a cloth tied over a broom or anything of 
 the kind I have ever tried. — "A Sub- 
 scriber." 
 
 A Box for the As an aid when scrub- 
 Scrubbing Pail b ' n S tak e a wooden box 
 large enough to hold the 
 scrubbing-pail. Fit it with castors and set 
 the pail in it and push around as desired, 
 instead of lifting it to move it. — A. D. P. 
 
 To Renew Old To make old furniture 
 Varnished look like new make two 
 
 Furniture quarts of thick starch 
 
 and add to the starch 
 four tablespoon fuls of lye and mix thor- 
 oughly. Using a paint-brush, paint the 
 piece of furniture with this mixture. After 
 a few minutes wash off thoroughly with 
 the hose (if outdoors), a brush if one 
 must be inside. The starch will take off 
 all the finish on the furniture down to the 
 natural wood. After drying well apply 
 a coat of wood filler and then varnish, 
 and the piece of furniture will look like 
 new. The amount of work is small and the 
 result gratifying. — N. C. H. 
 
 To Keep the To keep the zinc on my 
 Zinc Bright work-table looking bright 
 I use an old worn-out 
 scrub-brush and a little scouring pow- 
 der once a week. I find the brush more 
 effective than a cloth and the task is 
 easier. — Housekeeper. 
 
 20 
 
Cleaning This and That 
 
 Some Cleaning I. Clean satin slippers 
 Hints °f an y color with 
 
 denatured alcohol. 2. 
 Straw hats may be cleaned with a piece of 
 velvet dipped in alcohol. 3. Rub a piece of 
 crinoline over suede or velvet shoes, purses, 
 etc. This will remove the dirt, rub up the 
 pile, and make them look like new. 4. 
 Camphor removes peach stains. 5. Ink 
 stains on linen are removed with chloroform. 
 6. Scorches will disappear if diluted peroxide 
 is applied. 7. When washing or cleaning 
 dresses, whether woolen or cotton, hang on 
 a coat-hanger on the clothes-line and the 
 garment will retain its shape and will also 
 be easier to iron. 8. Rub corn meal into 
 panama hats to clean them. — G. J. E. 
 
 To Clean Ivory A paste of dampened 
 sawdust and a few drops 
 of lemon juice applied thickly to carved 
 ivory and allowed to dry before brushing 
 off with a small brush will clean the ivory 
 very nicely. — Mrs. E. A. 
 
 To Clean White To clean white iron bed- 
 Iron Bedsteads steads I use a damp 
 cloth and a little cooking 
 soda. This will leave the bedstead clean 
 and white. I have also found that soda will 
 remove nearly all stains from the sink. 
 
 To Clean To clean leather up- 
 Leather holstery wash the leather 
 with warm water to 
 which is added a little good vinegar. Use 
 an absolutely clean sponge. Wipe dry with 
 a soft, clean cloth. To restore the polish, 
 prepare the whites of two or three eggs 
 with a teaspoon ful of turpentine to each 
 egg. This should be whisked briskly, then 
 rubbed into the dry leather with a piece of 
 clean linen cloth. — Mrs. H. C. W. 
 
 Cleaning Kitchen Every kitchen has a few 
 Utensils ' ron an ^ tm utensils, and 
 
 they are hard to keep 
 clean, even with frequent scouring. Boiling 
 in lye water is the easiest way to do this. 
 I put a can of lye into the wash kettle, put in 
 the pots and skillets which had become un- 
 tidy and filled the kettle with water to cover 
 utensils. After boiling they were easily 
 scrubbed with a stiff brush and good suds. 
 A little scouring makes them bright and 
 clean. This is especially good for broilers, 
 iron pots, griddles, etc. Use a hooked wire 
 to pull them out of the lye water and scrub 
 them while wet and hot. After being sub- 
 merged in the hot suds the lye will not hurt 
 the hands.— B. R. C. 
 
 To Clean Nickel Turpentine and whiting 
 mixed cleans nickel 
 beautifully.— Mrs. J. B. S. 
 
 An Easy Way to 
 Clean Rug* 
 
 To Clean Leather 
 
 To Clean the To remove hair and 
 Carpet Sweeper threads from the carpet- 
 sweeper, buy a ten-cent 
 wire hair brush, remove brush from sweeper 
 and run wire brush through the sweeper- 
 brush. I find this saves time and patience, 
 also the hands. — Mrs. M. E. S. 
 
 An Easy Way to Sweep well, hang over a 
 
 Clean Rugs clothes-line, turn the 
 
 hose on full force, till the 
 
 water runs perfectly clear and let the rug 
 
 drip dry. 
 
 To Clean Lamp When your lamps smoke 
 Burners badly and you think it 
 
 necessary to buy new 
 burners, try boiling the burners for half an 
 hour in water, to which has been added a 
 quantity of soda, removing from water while 
 hot, so that they may be easily dried. This 
 thoroughly cleans them, and your light will 
 be as bright as when burners were new. 
 
 Tufted Leather An excellent way to clean 
 Chairs and tufted leather chairs and 
 r* davenports is to get a 
 
 Davenports soft paint . brush and dip 
 
 in warm castor oil. The dust can thus be 
 removed easily from all plaits and folds and 
 makes the leather soft and bright. 
 
 To Clean Mix equal parts of am- 
 Ivory Handles m onia and olive oil. Add 
 prepared chalk to make a 
 paste. Rub the ivory with this and let dry 
 before brushing off. If very much dis- 
 colored several applications are sometimes 
 necessary. — "A Subscriber." 
 
 A Sweeping Before attempting to dust 
 Hint under dressers, com- 
 
 modes, wardrobes, etc., 
 remove the lower drawers. — J. W. 
 
 Cleaning Paste I find that whiting and 
 
 for Glass and ammonia, mixed to a 
 
 M 1 paste, will make windows 
 
 OTetal and glass and metal of 
 
 almost all kinds extra bright. Five cents' 
 
 worth will make enough to last for a number 
 
 of cleanings. Rub paste on the article to be 
 
 cleaned and leave it on until nearly dry, 
 
 then remove with a dry cloth. When the 
 
 paste hardens, dampen with a little water 
 
 before using. — B. I. S. 
 
 To Clean the I think I have found an 
 Porch easv wav t0 clean porches, 
 
 I use a sprayer, the kind 
 that will throw the water against the ceiling 
 and walls with force. The water should be 
 warm and there should be plenty of it. When 
 through spraying use a broom or long- 
 handled brush to remove what few fly specks 
 there are remaining. — Miss B. S. 
 
Cleaning and Dyeing 
 
 CAUTION. — Never use gasoline near flame or fire of any sort. Large quan- 
 tities should be used in the open air. Fumes should not be inhaled. Keep 
 gasoline in a cool place. 
 
 To Clean To clean ostrich feathers 
 Feather* Quickly'" gasoline so they can 
 be used at once : To a 
 quart of gasoline add about five drops of 
 oil of sassafras. Dip the feathers in this 
 and rub briskly. Then shake out the 
 plumes until dry. This should be done in 
 the open air, away from fires. — G. M. K. 
 
 For Cleaning Take a small piece of 
 Velvet Surface* crinoline after brushing 
 the velvet and rub against 
 the nap. This will remove every particle 
 of dust, leaving it rich and clean. This 
 was recommended by a very good ladies' 
 tailor. Crinoline can be purchased at any 
 dry-goods store. — E. B. 
 
 A White Hat A handsome white sailor 
 Turned to a hat for which I paid $5 
 Beautiful Brown i> ec ? me dusty and soiled. 
 1 cleaned it with lemon 
 juice, but that turned it too yellow, so I 
 bought a twenty-cent can of dark walnut 
 stain and painted the hat inside and out. I 
 gave it two coats, the first very thin. I 
 bought a brown velvet band of a harmon- 
 izing shade and the effect is perfect. — 
 L. L. 
 
 A Quick Way to I cleaned three entire 
 Clean Garments costumes and two waists 
 in my washing-machine. 
 The washer was manipulated in the usual 
 way and the garments run through the 
 wringer, thereby eliminating any possible 
 injury to the hands. Three gallons of the 
 gasoline at sixteen cents a gallon was the 
 amount used. A cleaner would have 
 charged me $1.50 each for cleaning these 
 garments. — S. C. 
 
 To Sponge a Sponge your old blue 
 
 Blue Suit suit with strong bluing 
 
 water, then press on the 
 
 wrong side and you will be delighted with 
 
 the result.— E. W. P. 
 
 To Renew Hat* Once being caught in a 
 heavy shower and with- 
 out an umbrella I thought my new hat, 
 which was thoroughly wet, was ruined. On 
 reaching home I set about to see what 1 
 could do. By turning it upside down and 
 pinning to the gas fixture, through the lin- 
 ing, with hatpins, I found I had it in a good 
 position and put the flowers and ribbon in 
 best condition possible by pulling in shape 
 and left the hat to dry. When thoroughly 
 dry it was scarcely injured. — Rose C. 
 
 To Clean Delicate 
 Fabric* 
 
 A White Hat Turned to 
 a Beautiful Brown 
 
 To Renew Hats 
 
 To Wa*h and Dye This method may be used 
 Cotton Laces to match any color. To 
 wash laces, make a suds 
 of pure soap and tepid water. Let laces 
 soak for half an hour. Squeeze them 
 between hands to get the water out. Make 
 fresh suds, souse in water again, and rinse 
 in two waters. Do not rub, but squeeze, 
 lest the meshes break. In last water put a 
 few drops of dissolved gum arabic. If lace 
 is cream or ecru, add a few drops of orange 
 dye to last water ; if pure white, a few drops 
 of bluing. Spread on sheets to dry. When 
 nearly dry, pull gently into shape and roll 
 from one end, keeping edges even. Wrap 
 in a damp cloth for a half-hour and press 
 with a not very hot iron, pressing towards 
 the scalloped edge of the lace. — M. L. T. 
 
 To Clean Deli- To clean Irish crochet or 
 cate Fabric* an y delicate fabric which 
 will not stand rubbing, 
 put into a fruit jar (or any jar that can be 
 tightly sealed), with enough gasoline to 
 cover the article, seal the jar and shake, 
 about three minutes. Let stand fifteen 
 minutes or more and shake again, open the 
 jar, take out the article being treated and 
 let drain a moment; if the dirt is not all re- 
 moved rub lightly with the gasoline, replace 
 and shake again; when dry the article will 
 look like new. — C. F. L. W. 
 
 Gasoline To clean perfectly with 
 
 Cleansing gasoline use a mild soap, 
 
 washing the article as if 
 
 you were using water instead of gasoline. 
 
 This does not injure the fabric and will 
 
 remove grease. — I 7 .. H. M. 
 
 To Clean Fur* For light furs mix 
 together a pint of flour, 
 a pint of bran, and a tablespoonful of fuller-' 
 earth. Brush 'and shake the furs, then lay 
 them on a table and rub with the above 
 mixture, using a coarse piece of flannel and 
 rubbing the wrong way of the fur. Shake 
 out all the cleaning material, and go over 
 the fur again in the same way, using only 
 bran this time. Shake out the bran and 
 wipe the fur with cheese-cloth. Dark furs 
 are cleaned in the same way, save that hot 
 bran alone is used. Heat the bran in the 
 oven. — H. R. 
 
 A Cleaning Hint I have found that gaso- 
 line will not make a circle 
 on material if it is mixed with corn meal. 
 Rub the spot with the saturated corn meal 
 until the spot disappears then brush 
 thoroughly. — Mrs. F. A. 
 
Things Good to Know 
 
 A Cupid Apron I would like to tell of a 
 for Christmas Cupid's apron which has 
 proved a very fetching 
 gift for young girls. The apron proper 
 is a heart with point downwards. The 
 bib also is a heart while two smaller 
 hearts serve as pockets and grace the ends 
 of the strings. These can be made of sheer 
 organdy, briar-stitched with blue or pink 
 and edged with Valenciennes. — Mrs. J. 
 
 Utilizing Fruit Having lived several 
 
 and Vegetable y ears near a fruit dealer, 
 
 R , I have found many uses 
 
 Baskets for the baskets which 
 
 he lets me have. The small grape-baskets 
 I find convenient for holding clothes-pins. 
 I fasten a wire around the handle, and bend 
 the other end so it will loop over the clothes- 
 line, and in this position it can be easily 
 pushed along. The larger ones I use for 
 bringing vegetables from the garden, and 
 cellar. The small peach-baskets, covered 
 with pretty cretonne, make nice scrap- 
 baskets, for bedroom, or sitting-room. 
 They are nice for mending-baskets, too, 
 much better than a stocking-bag. I keep 
 several in the laundry, for soiled clothing, 
 one for handkerchiefs, one for stockings, 
 another for collars, and so on ; it saves sort- 
 ing on wash-day, which is no small item, in 
 a busy household. — Mrs. L. D. C. 
 
 To Hide the A practical way of elimi- 
 Sewing Machine n ^[ n S t he unsightly 
 sewing machine from the 
 bedroom of your flat is the following: Make 
 a dressing-table by fastening to the wall a 
 board as long as your machine. Cover this 
 with cretonne to match the coloring of the 
 room, or lined dotted Swiss, if you prefer, 
 as the latter launders. Gather or plait the 
 material around the two ends and the front, 
 cutting the pieces long enough to reach the 
 floor. Have a piece of plate glass cut to fit 
 the top of the table so as to keep it clean 
 (this can be covered with the usual linen 
 cloth), and hang a mirror over this table 
 on the wall. The machine slides under the 
 curtains in the space made for it and may 
 be drawn out ready for use at any time. 
 
 When Weary of This state of mind is 
 Housework generally reached soon 
 after dinner or the noon 
 meal. Lie down for at least halt an hour 
 in loose garments and stocking feet with 
 an interesting book or magazine. Then get 
 up, bathe and dress and look at the world 
 through clearer eyes. Wise housekeepers 
 renovate every article of furniture in their 
 house when worn, and wise the woman who 
 renovates herself. — Sally Lunn. 
 
 A Cupid Apron 
 for Christmas 
 
 To Hide the 
 Sewing Machine 
 
 Zinc for Kitchen I would suggest to any 
 Tables housekeeper to use zinc 
 
 on all places in the 
 kitchen where she works. For instance, a 
 working-table covered with zinc, or a shelf 
 put before a pleasant kitchen window where 
 one can do all her dirty work, cutting of 
 vegetables, meat, etc., is a great saving of 
 time when one would otherwise have to get 
 out a board. If you have a plate gas-stove 
 on a table, have the table covered with zinc 
 by all means. It is safer, and when dishing 
 up one can set hot kettles from the stove on 
 it.— M. M. 
 
 The Kitchen Has the drain pipe of 
 Drain your kitchen sink ever 
 
 clogged so that the water 
 did not flow off quickly? Try this simple 
 method next time before you put in a call 
 for the plumber. Take a sl.ort piece of 
 garden hose, a piece two feet in length will 
 be sufficient. Attach to the cold water 
 faucet. Next remove the strainer from the 
 top of the drain pipe and push the hose 
 into the drain. Turn the water on and let 
 it flow, slowly at first, but increase flow as 
 the water is forced through the drain. The 
 water may be allowed to run for half an 
 hour or more so that the pipe is thoroughly 
 cleaned. This method is very effective and 
 in many cases will save a plumber's bill. 
 
 To Measure the For the dress gauge 
 Skirt Length pictured take a lath ten 
 inches long, a piece of 
 smooth board about one or one-half inches 
 thick and a short hatpin. With a carpenter's 
 plane smooth the lath and board and round 
 one end of the lath. Then nail the other 
 end of the lath upright on the board. 
 Measure from the floor and mark spaces 
 one-inch apart on the lath and bore holes 
 to admit of a hatpin, which should just 
 slip through snugly. This little article 
 becomes almost indispensable in the sew- 
 ing-room to measure the length of dresses. 
 
 Economy of We obtained from a 
 Space furnishing store a num- 
 
 ber of shirt boxes, and 
 in them packed things which, although not 
 in frequent use, must be at hand when 
 needed. We numbered the boxes with con- 
 spicuously large figures, and in our cabinet 
 cook-book placed cards, correspondingly 
 numbered. On the cards was written a 
 complete list of the contents of the boxes. 
 By referring first to the cards one is able 
 to locate any article. — C. W. 
 
 To Remove Rub common brown soap 
 Mildew on tne s P ot and scrape 
 
 white chalk on it. Keep 
 wet, and lay in the sun. 
 
 32 
 
Little Things to Remember 
 
 To Prevent a The difficult problem of 
 
 Plate from Slip- placing a dish on ice in 
 
 . the refrigerator so that 
 
 ping on Ice j( wi „ ttg/Uy pu( .. W ; U be 
 
 solved if one of the rubber rings used on 
 fruit jars is first placed on the ice and 
 the dish is placed on the rubber. — S. S. S. 
 
 Mahogany Probably it would help 
 Furniture Polish some housekeepers to 
 know that an excellent 
 mahogany furniture polish is made from 
 equal parts of pure olive oil and warm black 
 coffee. Just dampen a cheese-cloth with 
 this mixture and pass over the surface 
 to be polished, then wipe with an old piece 
 of silk. The result will be surprising. 
 
 A Useful Chest I have caused myself 
 and others great annoy- 
 ance of late by putting away things so care- 
 fully that they could not be found when 
 needed. I therefore have made a New 
 Year's resolution to keep in the living-room 
 an upholstered box, fitted with a padlock 
 and key. In this I am to place all things 
 that I feel called upon to put away in a 
 safe place. It is still too early to judge 
 of its usefulness, but I believe it may be a 
 success. — Merit. 
 
 Another Cure There are many ways of 
 for Mice getting rid of mice, but 
 try this. When mice 
 trouble you hunt out their entrances to pan- 
 try or cupboard and plaster them with a 
 mixture of melted (just soft) laundry soap 
 and red pepper. They will not come a sec- 
 ond time. — Mrs. B. C. N. 
 
 Uses for the Wire The wire tea-stand is 
 Tea-Stand useful to place in a drip- 
 ping-pan or kettle when 
 roasting meat if you have no meat rack ; it 
 can also be used for making toast. Use this 
 convenient article also to set a pie on while 
 cooling. This allows a free circulation of 
 air under the pie and the crust will not be 
 soggy. — Mrs. P. F. L. 
 
 A Use for Salt Save and wash all the 
 
 Bags '' tl ' e c ' otn togs that salt 
 
 comes in and when you 
 
 have squash, pumpkin, turnip, or other 
 
 watery vegetable to cook, wash and cut up 
 
 and put in the bag to boil. When soft you 
 
 can squeeze all the water out, press with 
 
 potato-masher and turn out all ready for 
 
 ning with very little work. — Mrs. K. 
 
 In a Dark Cellar If your cellar is dark 
 and the coal shovel ba- 
 the habit of eluding you, try painting it 
 white and hanging it near the coal-bin. 
 It can easily be seen. 
 
 To Prevent a Plate from 
 Slipping on Ice 
 
 A Dumpling Steamer 
 
 Brass Polishing To one quart of hot 
 a Pleasure wa ter (soft if possible) 
 add one dessertspoon- 
 ful of oxalic acid. Put the water in a 
 granite pan and have enough to cover the 
 articles to be cleaned. Dip in your brass 
 or copper ware for about two seconds, then 
 dry immediately with a soft linen cloth. 
 The result is that the tarnish has absolutely 
 disappeared, the things look like new — no 
 more rubbing, no dirty hands, and a morn- 
 ing's work accomplished in a few minutes. 
 Remember oxalic aciu is poison and 
 leaves a stain on wood. — H. B. 
 
 Meringues with After having difficulty 
 a Gas Stove for years in browning 
 meringues in my gas 
 oven where the heat comes from below, I 
 stumbled upon the following scheme, which 
 is a perfect success. I place the pie or pud- 
 ding under the burner of my gas plate, and 
 the heat from above browns it beautifully. 
 If I have no other use for the gas at the 
 same time, I put the teakettle or an iron 
 griddle on it, so as to turn the heat down- 
 ward toward the meringue. Another un- 
 expected advantage is that the dish can he 
 seen from any part of the kitchen, and is 
 not forgotten as it sometimes is when out 
 of sight in the oven. — Mrs. C. 
 
 To Beat Carpets An excellent device in 
 or Rugs r "ff cleaning is to put an 
 
 old (probably saggy) 
 wire bed spring upon the ground and lay 
 the rug or carpet to be beaten upon it. This 
 will keep the rugs off the ground thus al- 
 lowing the dust to go through the springs 
 without settling upon the other side of the 
 rug, as is the case when the article to be 
 beaten is spread on the ground. — J. M. C. 
 
 A Dumpling 
 Steamer 
 
 In a Dark Cellar 
 
 A steamer that is inex- 
 pensive, yet best for 
 steaming dumplings, as 
 no water can collect about the edges, is ar- 
 ranged as follows: Not being satisfied with 
 the results obtained by steaming dumplings 
 the old-fashioned way I conceived the idea 
 of using a sieve, the kind with tin sides. 
 I use a cover with perforations for this. 
 With this combination and a correctly pro- 
 portioned recipe, dumplings fit for the most 
 epicurean taste can be produced. These 
 sieves can be obtained in any size and 
 used over any dish or kettle they will lit. 
 and they are light and easily handled. 
 
 For Corn Meal Grease the kettle 'with 
 
 Muoh fresh lard before putting 
 
 in water and make a 
 
 batter of the meal and some cold water. 
 
 The kettle will wash easily and meal will 
 
 not lump. 
 
 33 
 
Helps with Personal Belongings 
 
 To Prolong the When a petticoat begins 
 
 Life of a to wear at 'he edge of 
 
 Petticoat the hem ' tun \ in anc } 
 
 sew a row of waved 
 
 braid on the edge, or embroider a shallow 
 
 scallop. — E. E. 
 
 A Closet Full A closet filled with 
 of Boxes pasteboard boxes of all 
 sizes cannot fail to be 
 of great benefit to the woman who wants 
 a place for putting all sorts of possessions. 
 Little ribbons, good tissue-paper, odds and 
 ends that would be useful at holiday time 
 or in planning some entertainment often be- 
 come soiled and mussed because there is 
 no definite place for them. With neat, 
 clean boxes waiting, all such things may be 
 kept free from dust until silch time as they 
 are needed. Pasted labels -should be used 
 on the outside of each box, and the con- 
 tents of each box marked oh them. 
 
 To Curl Ostrich An easy ' way to curl 
 Plumes ostrich plumes when the 
 
 curl is out' of plumes or 
 tips is to put them in a hoUoven. Leave the 
 oven door open and watch the plumes that 
 they do not burn. In a short time they will 
 be like new. I just put my hat in the oven 
 on a paper if the plumes get damp and 
 straight. This is simple and easy and 
 has helped me many times. — Mrs. M. E. T. 
 
 Inexpensive Cut a flour barrel hoop 
 Dress Hangers m three parts. Cover 
 each piece with a strip 
 of old cotton cloth about two inches wide by 
 winding it around each hoop and turning in 
 the edges of the cloth to give them a neater 
 finish. Then sew a piece of tape in the 
 middle of each hoop long enough to hang 
 it up by. — Miss M. D. B. 
 
 A Valuable My linen and white 
 Button dresses were trimmed 
 
 Suggestion ui J. h lar S e Iine " bu ttons, 
 and to avoid having 
 them lost or broken when the articles were 
 laundered I bought the fasteners which 
 close with a snap, sewed part on the skirt 
 and part on the back of button and simply 
 removed the buttons whenever the garment 
 was laundered. The same idea can be 
 utilized with dress shields with excellent 
 results. — Mrs. C. E. G. 
 
 A Corset Wher. the stays of the 
 Suggestion corset punch through at 
 the top, instead of using 
 goods to mend with, try covering the ends 
 of these bones with pieces of old white 
 kid gloves. They are easily sewed on, 
 and as the edges do not have to be turned 
 under make a smoother finish. The corset 
 will also last longer. — N. M. H. 
 
 A Closet Full of Boxes 
 
 To Remove Wrinkles 
 from Clothes 
 
 Simple Garment Small brass rings can be 
 Hangers bought for three cents a 
 
 dozen and make excel- 
 lent hangers for children's coats. When 
 sewn on the inside band of boys' trousers 
 they save many a torn buttonhole, a button- 
 hole being what most boys use for a 
 hanger. 
 
 Practical Use Do not throw away 
 for Old Dresses faded or outgrown house 
 dresses and wrappers 
 Cut off the waists, launder the skirts and 
 use them to cover your good skirts in the 
 closet. If one cares to take the trouble to 
 boil and dip the old faded skirts into a uni- 
 form shade of dye it will enhance their 
 looks of course ; but I have found these 
 old house dress skirts make effective skirt 
 protectors just as they are. A shirring tape 
 may be run through the belt and gathered 
 tightly around the top of the skirt-hanger 
 so as to keep out the dust. — J. A. P. 
 
 To Keep To keep ostrich plumes 
 Ostrich Plumes during the summer, place 
 in a glass jar and screw 
 on the top.— Mrs. E. C. M. 
 
 For Stringing How often the string 
 Beads on which beads are 
 
 strung stretches, leaving 
 unsightly gaps in the chain, or worse still 
 it may break and the cherished beads go 
 scattering in every direction. I have found 
 a remedy for this : I string beads on a 
 violin string which is made of a very tough 
 substance and which can be purchased for 
 the small sum of five cents. For small beads 
 the E string is the most suitable. — K. S. 
 
 Inexpensive Cuff links to harmonize 
 Cuff Links vv ' tn buttons used on any 
 waist can be made by 
 joining two buttons with strong thread, al- 
 lowing the thread to separate the buttons 
 about a quarter of an inch. Bring the 
 thread back and forth and then twine it 
 around and around until a strong thread 
 is made. This manner of making cuff links 
 enables one to have a variety of effec- 
 tive and pretty links that are both last- 
 ing and inexpensive. — Mrs. G. F. DeL. 
 
 To Remove To remove wrinkles 
 Wrinkles from from clothes, hang the 
 Clothes articles in the bathroom, 
 
 shut the door and win- 
 dows, turn on the hot water to fill the room 
 with steam and leave the clothes for an 
 hour or two. Dry in the open air, if pos- 
 sible.— Mrs. J. E. R. 
 
 To Renew Black To worn and white 
 
 Kid Gloves fingers apply sweet oil 
 
 and black ink (equal 
 
 parts well mixed). Use a camel's-hair brush. 
 
 34 
 
Little Things About the House 
 
 For Window* When one does not 
 Without Weight, have windows with 
 weights, it is very con- 
 venient to have small pieces of board with 
 notches sawed in them. This enables one 
 to raise the window to different heights 
 without having to hunt for something of 
 the desired size. — Miss L. M. C. 
 
 To Keep I keep a small pail 
 
 Wrapping Cord hanging by my kitchen 
 
 . jt ■ table to drop wrapping 
 
 cord into when untying 
 
 groceries. In this way a piece of string 
 
 is always on hand when needed. — H. F. 
 
 To Run Rod* Housekeepers who have 
 in Curtain* trouble in running a rod 
 through the hem of 
 sash curtains; — Cut a little finger from 
 an old kid glove, slip it over the end 
 of the rod, and it will run through 
 smoothly. — N. T. 
 
 For the Cut a circle of paper 
 
 Candle*tick three inches in diameter 
 and lay it over the top 
 of the candlestick before putting the candle 
 in. Just force paper, candle, and all into 
 the stick and you will save yourself the 
 trouble of digging cold candle-grease off 
 the stick when you wish to put in a new 
 candle. — Mrs. G. N. A. 
 
 To Reach High I have wooden boxes to 
 Shelve* stand upon when I need 
 
 to reach the high shelves 
 in closets. I find them a great addition to 
 my house, and it saves the moving of chairs. 
 They may be bought at a grocery store, 
 stained to match the woodwork and fitted 
 with casters. A hinged cover makes the 
 box a useful receptacle for shoes. — M. F. B. 
 
 A Use for Old broomstitcks are 
 Broomstick* often thrown away with 
 the broom, but I have 
 found three good uses for them. The 
 handles make good stout clothes sticks to be 
 used in lifting the clothes from the boiler; 
 varnished nicely they make good portiere 
 poles where only a short one is required ; 
 and lastly make a cap of some strong, soft 
 material, draw it over an old broom and 
 use it in sweeping hardwood floors. — J. H. 
 
 Made from Many nice things such 
 Starch Boxes a s trays, boxes, plaques, 
 etc., may be made at 
 home from the common five-pound starch 
 boxes. I make many gifts from them each 
 year, using my pyrography set and drawing 
 my own designs. The wood is almost as 
 nice to burn as basswood. — Mrs. E. W. D. 
 
 To Keep Wrapping 
 Cord at Hand 
 
 To Save the 
 Umbrella Stand 
 
 Keeping Scissor* Handy 
 
 A Handy Place Having no handy place 
 for Tool* f° r small tools and use- 
 ful household utensils I 
 had the lower step of the back stairs made 
 into a box, the top of the step was hinged 
 to lift up. Now my tools are always out of 
 sight, yet I always know where to find 
 them.— Mrs. C. E. 
 
 Individual After spilling a cup of 
 Tray* coffee into my lap, and 
 
 ruining my best gown, at 
 our club, I decided that I would never run 
 the risk of having that happen to anybody 
 when I entertained. I therefore bought 
 stamped tin trays by the dozen, and serve 
 the plate and cup to each person on a tray. 
 The price is only fifty-five cents a dozen, 
 and no one knows till she has tried them 
 what a comfort they are. Men are espe- 
 cially delighted to have a place to set their 
 cups. — "Merit." 
 
 Saving Step* Busy housewives, save 
 yourselves many steps, by 
 having, upstairs and down, a market basket. 
 As articles collect on either floor that be- 
 long on the other,',lay them in the basket 
 and carry them all-in one trip. In the same 
 way have two slates, one in your bedroom 
 and one in the kitchen, with a pencil fas- 
 tened to each. If necessities are jotted 
 down as thought of, fewer articles will be 
 forgotten in making the shopping or mar- 
 keting lists. 
 
 To Save the Place a large sponge in 
 
 Umbrella Stand the bottom of a china 
 
 umbrella-jar and you 
 
 will avoid striking the 
 
 bottom and breaking it. The sponge will 
 
 also absorb the water from an umbrella, 
 
 and may afterwards be wrung easily 
 
 out.— G. E. N. 
 
 A Protection to Housekeepers will find 
 the Kitchen an old magazine very 
 Table convenient on the kitch- 
 
 en table. On it set pots, 
 pans, skillets, etc., that are necessarily 
 somewhat black on the bottom. By tearing 
 off a leaf or two of paper as they become 
 soiled the magazine will last quite a while 
 and save the labor of cleaning the 
 table.— N. R. F. 
 
 Keeping Sciscor* A colored ribbon tied to 
 Handy scissors will save many 
 
 minutes that are 6ther- 
 wise spent in looking for them, especially 
 if they are used by children who forget 
 where they have left them. A piece of rib- 
 bon is always sure to show, where scissors 
 are half hidden under papers or sewing. 
 
 35 
 
Helps in the Sick Room 
 
 Contents of the Have tacked to the in- 
 Medicine side door of your medi- 
 
 Cabinet c ' ne cabinet an alphabet- 
 
 ically arranged list of all 
 drugs on hand. When a bottle or box is 
 emptied have it replaced, ready for emer- 
 gencies. — Mrs. J. M. S. 
 
 For Tired Feet The following help is 
 used by nurses in some 
 of the leading hospitals. Add a tablespoon- 
 ful of baking soda to a pint of common 
 bran and put in a basin, dampening with 
 sufficient warm water to form a thin paste. 
 Immerse the feet in this for ten or fifteen 
 minutes, and great relief will be felt and 
 the danger of blistering eradicated. — B. A. J. 
 
 Pouring When pouring medicine 
 
 Medicine from a bottle always 
 
 pour from the opposite 
 side from the label. Directions may be ob- 
 literated through careless pouring and mis- 
 takes may occur. — F. L. N. 
 
 To Extract a When a splinter has 
 Splinter been driven deep into 
 
 the hand it can be ex- 
 tracted without pain by steam. Nearly fill 
 a wide-mouth bottle with hot water, place 
 the injured part over the mouth of the bot- 
 tle and press lightly. The suction will draw 
 the flesh down and in a minute or two the 
 steam will extract the splinter and inflam- 
 mation. — Mrs. C. O. H. 
 
 A Cover for From pasteboard make 
 the Tray a cover to fit the tray. 
 The sides can be long 
 strips of pasteboard sewed fast to the top 
 cover, and should be at least six or eight 
 inches high. Line with white linen or mus- 
 lin, and cover the outside with figured 
 lawn or silkoline over fine cotton-batting. 
 A curtain ring may be sewed on the top 
 to serve as a handle for lifting. This will 
 keep the food hot while the tray is being 
 carried to the sick-room. — M. R. 
 
 To Amuse a In giving my little girl 
 Sick Child her nourishment she 
 cried to get up and sit 
 in her arm-chair at the table. This was im- 
 possible, but I did not want her to fret. 
 I had a discarded high-chair in the attic. 
 I brought it down, sawed off the legs, spread 
 a small blanket over back and arms, and 
 put a little pillow in the seat. This chair 
 we put right in the bed and the child was 
 delighted. She would even take her medi- 
 cine better, changing her position rested 
 her, and I could persuade her to eat more 
 at a time. She could have a few toys on 
 the tray for a little while so the impro- 
 vised bed rest served many purposes. — A. 
 
 Contents of Medicine 
 Cabinet 
 
 
 An Emergency Table for 
 the Sick Room 
 
 Sunshine Bag It is hard to find any- 
 
 for Invalid tnin g that wil1 S' ve as 
 much pleasure to an in- 
 valid or shut-in as a sunshine bag. Make 
 a bag of cretonne or other bright mate- 
 rial, which may afterwards be used as a 
 handkerchief bag or small laundry bag and 
 fill it with a number of little gifts prepared 
 by different friends. Tie the packages with 
 bright colored ribbons and leave one end 
 of each ribbon about half or three-quarters 
 of a yard long, so that it will hang out of 
 the bag. Each day one ribbon is to be 
 pulled and the gift at the bottom opened. 
 Try to have at least thirty, so that the 
 bag will last a month. Aside from the 
 pleasure of receiving the gifts the excite- 
 ment of having this little treat each day 
 for a month is a welcome break in a monot- 
 onous life. — M. D. M. 
 
 To Freshen Air Dip a sheet in a pail of 
 in Sick-room water to which has been 
 added a small amount of 
 ammonia or listerine. Wring out until al- 
 most dry, then hang in front of an open 
 window where there is a gentle breeze. 
 
 An Emergency An emergency table in a 
 Table sick-room can easily be 
 
 managed where there is 
 a machine that has a drop-head. Open the 
 machine and push the leaf over the bed. 
 A square or rubber cloth under a white 
 cover will protect the wood, and make it 
 attractive. — E. D. A. 
 
 To Save Black If when children fall 
 
 and Blue Spots and a lump appears, 
 
 one applies a paste made 
 
 of ordinary baking soda and water there 
 
 will be no discoloration. — Mrs. W. N. 
 
 Hot Cloths When hot cloths are 
 for Sickness needed for medical pur- 
 poses, heat them in a 
 steam cooker or double boiler. — M. 
 
 For Scalds and Pare and scrape 
 Burns potato and apply 
 
 For the Delicate Child 
 
 raw 
 di- 
 rectly to scald or burn. 
 It will afford almost instant relief and the 
 affected part will quickly heal. — B. E. M. 
 
 For the Delicate A small boy who thought 
 Child be could not drink milk 
 
 was persuaded to change 
 his views when his mother thought of sup- 
 plying him with straws purchased at a 
 soda fountain. 
 
 For an Invalid A gift for an invalid 
 that proved a great suc- 
 cess was a hand magnifying glass and some 
 prints of paintings by famous artists. 
 
 36 
 
Helps in the Bedroom 
 
 Knocker* A recent fad which has 
 the merit of real utility- 
 is the use of tiny knockers on the doors 
 of bedrooms and other rooms in private 
 houses. A charming little knocker picked 
 up recently in a London antique shop and 
 brought home for a young girl's bedroom 
 door is a tiny brass cupid. The figure is 
 about four inches long, beautifully 
 modeled. One chubby knee is drawn up 
 and forms the handle of the knocker which 
 is hinged to an oval brass plate with screw 
 holes for the fastening. A small brass 
 anchor is used on a door of the library in 
 a seaside bungalow. Individuality can be 
 thus shown in the choice of knockers, and 
 for this reason they are popular as gifts. 
 In a large family they are to be further 
 recommended upon the ground of 
 privacy. — M. S. 
 
 Closet Room If short of closet room, 
 
 place hooks on the back 
 
 of the headboard of a wooden bed. Many 
 
 things can be hung there out of sight. 
 
 Place the bed across a corner. — T. 
 
 Jars for Any one once using 
 
 Dressing Tablet china jars with lids to 
 replace the old - time 
 "catch-alls" and "hair-receivers" on their 
 dressing-tables will acknowledge their su- 
 periority. They are entirely practical and 
 sanitary, and can be bought at the ten-cent 
 stores (under the guise of cracker-jars 
 and sugar-bowls), or they may be as costly 
 as the purse allows. I have two pairs on my 
 dressing-table. One I use for hair comb- 
 ings, the other for small belongings, hand- 
 kerchiefs, jabots, ties, etc., awaiting laun- 
 dering. Two smaller ones I use for 
 wire hairpins and odds and ends of 
 jewelry. — Mrs. A. A. S. 
 
 A New Idea for The washable colored 
 the Bedroom cotton table-covers (not 
 cloths) used so much in 
 country homes make excellent counter- 
 panes for all-year use for boys' beds. They 
 come in many combinations of color so 
 will match any ordinary color scheme, are 
 cheaper than the fancy colored counter- 
 panes and not so heavy to launder. 
 
 A Door Closet Where room is scarce 
 and closets few I have 
 purchased brackets for ten cents and put 
 them on the back of a door with a medium 
 shelf attached. Put hangers from the top 
 of shelf and then make a curtain and at- 
 tach it with hooks and there is a handy 
 clothes-closet with the use of the door re- 
 tained. I have also put a long low box 
 on the bottom of the same door with brack- 
 ets purchased for five cents, and used the 
 box for shoes. — C. W. 
 
 Jars for Dressing 
 Table Use 
 
 A Bar for the Clothes 
 Closet 
 
 A Door Closet 
 
 Dainty Bureau Much is gained if in- 
 Drawers stead of making linings or 
 
 pads for the bureau draw- 
 ers, the drawers themselves are made dainty. 
 I first give the inside as many coats of white 
 paint as is necessary to give a clear white 
 tone, and then a coat of white enamel. 
 This gives a perfectly smooth surface, 
 which is fresher than any other lining could 
 be. The drawers look neat and attractive, 
 and when cleaning is desired a simple wip- 
 ing with a damp cloth produces a perfect 
 cleanliness. I have carried out the same 
 idea with all the shelves, cupboards, and 
 drawers in the house, whether for linen, 
 china, or kitchen utensils, and find them 
 more easily cared for than when arranged 
 with other covers. This really makes a 
 good substitute for the highly recom- 
 mended glass shelves. — Mrs. C. B. 
 
 To Keep the Try keeping the chil- 
 
 Closet Floor dren's shoes together in 
 
 N eat pairs by the use of 
 
 clothes-pins. This will 
 
 relieve the mother and the owners of the 
 
 shoes of constant sorting, and will keep 
 
 the closet floor from getting disorderly. 
 
 A Bar for the Instead of using a 
 Clothes Closet hroomstick in your 
 clothes-closet to suspend 
 extra coat and skirt hangers, try a nickel 
 liar towel-rack with screws at each end. 
 One can be bought for ten cents, screws 
 and all, and looks very neat. Mine is placed 
 on the under-side of a shelf, is screwed 
 to the bottom of it and gives great satis- 
 faction. — E. S. 
 
 My Home-made When one has a bedroom 
 Closet without a clothes-closet 
 
 a very satisfactory sub- 
 stitute may be made with two shelves the 
 same size, about twelve inches wide and as 
 long as desired. One should be placed just 
 at the top of the baseboard, the other about 
 fifty inches above it. A narrow board to 
 hold the hooks should be fastened to the 
 lower side of the upper shelf where it comes 
 against the wall. Hooks can also be screwed 
 to the underside of this shelf, utilizing all 
 the space. Finish with two curtains which 
 meet in the centre and slide on a rod at 
 both top and bottom. If the curtain must 
 continue around the end of the shelves that 
 part can be tacked as there is no need to 
 open it there. 
 
 If desired a third shelf may be placed 
 about a foot above the upper one and 
 finished with a short curtain. This makes 
 a good place to keep hats, etc., while the 
 lower shelf, which forms the bottom of the 
 clothes-closet and which is really designed 
 to keep out dust, makes a convenient place 
 for shoes. — Mrs. A. H. 
 
 37 
 
Helps with Children 
 
 A Help for the To quickly dry a mat- 
 Nursery tress which has been 
 wet, and this often hap- 
 pens where there are children in spite of 
 the utmost precautions, I fill a hot-water 
 bag with very hot water and lay over the 
 wet place, moving or refilling if necessary. 
 Results are quick and very satis- 
 factory. — Mrs. M. P. 
 
 For Soap When children wish to 
 Bubbles blow bubbles and have 
 
 no clay pipes an empty 
 spool is a good substitute. — D. H. 
 
 Home-made One yard of heavy un- 
 
 Books for bleached domestic will 
 
 Children make a large book. Cut 
 
 into leaves the desired 
 
 size. Hem raw edges and sew together in 
 
 the middle. For small children paste in 
 
 pictures of animals, children, farmyard 
 
 scenes, etc. Larger children find scenes of 
 
 any one country or nation interesting and 
 
 instructive. — Mrs. J. E. D. 
 
 For the Try filling a few small 
 
 Children wine-glasses with jelly. 
 
 You will have something 
 dainty to serve at luncheon and a delicacy 
 that simply delights the children. They are 
 pleased to have a little glass of jelly all their 
 own, made especially for them. Even older 
 children delight to take these to their sick 
 friends.— Mrs. E. C. B. 
 
 Care of Baby's Many people complain 
 Bottle that they cannot turn the 
 
 nipple of the baby's bot- 
 tle inside out for cleansing purposes with- 
 out tearing it. I have found this method 
 easy and entirely successful. Take the rub- 
 ber end of a lead pencil and press in the 
 small end of the nipple, then draw the 
 larger end down over the pencil and the 
 nipple is turned in a second. A well-rounded 
 stick may be used instead of a pencil, and 
 is, of course, more sanitary. — C. K. S. 
 
 Mid-Morning My children are allowed 
 Lunches a simple lunch at 10 
 
 a. m. and 3 p. m., and I 
 find it a great economy of time, materials, 
 labor, and patience to prepare the bread 
 and butter sandwiches before leaving the 
 breakfast or lunch table, while the mate- 
 rials are at hand, thus often utilizing 
 broken bits of bread and dabs of jam left 
 from the meal. What a comfort later 
 not to be obliged to leave my work to wait 
 on the children, as the lunch is wrapped 
 in waxed paper and put where they can 
 get it themselves when I give permission. 
 As it is thoroughly understood this is all 
 they can have, much teasing is saved both 
 parties. — J. D. 
 
 Plan to Secure 
 Children's Help 
 
 For the Children 
 
 Mid- Morning Lunches 
 
 38 
 
 Plan to Secure Children often neglect to 
 Children's Help perform the duties that 
 are assigned them, and to 
 secure their undivided interest in their work 
 I have tried the following plan with very 
 gratifying success. I have two slates in the 
 kitchen, and each morning I write on each 
 slate the work that I shall expect each one 
 to do. When a task is completed it may be 
 crossed off, and when the slate is clean it 
 is understood that playtime has arrived. I 
 find the children like this idea, it saves 
 disputes, arranges their work to good ad- 
 vantage, and they try to see which will have 
 the first clean slate. — Mrs. G. P. K. 
 
 The Joy of When rainy times come 
 Variety and the children are kept 
 
 indoors they tire of their 
 playthings. I accidentally lose some of the 
 toys. The next rainy day that comes I 
 put them where they "just happen" to find 
 them. They seem like new toys, and the 
 last used pleasures disappear in the same 
 way. By playing this losing and finding 
 game without the children's knowledge they 
 do not tire of their things as soon. Is 
 not the same true of grown-ups with 
 articles of food and with the pretty things 
 around the house? The joy of variety and 
 the refreshment of change is a possibility 
 of improvement for every housekeeper. 
 
 A Children's A friend who had to eke 
 Club out a small income and 
 
 was not able to be away 
 from home on account of leaving her aged 
 mother, hit upon the plan of forming a 
 children's club, ages five to twelve, meet- 
 ing every Saturday from 1.30 to 5.30, dues 
 two dimes. The parents were delighted to 
 have the children in safe, experienced hands 
 every Saturday afternoon, the children en- 
 joyed the games she played with them, the 
 resurrected toys which transformed the 
 living-room into a club-room, and the 
 cookies provided by "Grandma." My friend 
 made $100 the first year with practically no 
 expense to herself. — M. A. De F. 
 
 To Keep Chil- To keep children's hair 
 dren's Hair ribbons from mussing 
 
 R : ui m..i. cut a piece of cardboard 
 iDbons neat • • i_ 1 j r 
 
 six inches long and four 
 
 inches wide. Roll the ribbons on this every 
 night after removing them from the hair. 
 This will save frequent pressing. Card- 
 board foundations such as described may 
 be covered with silk and would make excel- 
 lent gifts for the young girls of one's 
 acquaintance. — H. Y. 
 
 In the Nursery The baby's diapers can be 
 folded cornerwise ready 
 for use instead of folded in squares. I 
 find this a great help. — J. A. G. 
 
Helps with Shoes and Stockings 
 
 Last Summer's When tan shoes are left 
 Tan Shoes over, and are out of sea- 
 son, buy a bottle of shoe 
 dye (not blacking) and transform the tan 
 shoes into new black ones. New black but- 
 tons must be put on, as the tan buttons 
 do not stay dyed. One coat of dye on the 
 shoes is all that is necessary. A cobbler 
 will do this, but he will charge as much 
 for one pair as your bottle of dye (large 
 enough for several pairs), will cost. 
 Ordinary polishing will keep the shoes in 
 good condition as long as they wear. 
 
 To Make Cut from the side of an 
 Rubbers Wear °|d rubber or a heavy 
 piece of broadcloth a 
 piece the shape and a little larger than the 
 heel, and paste inside. One will find that 
 the shoe cuts through the piece pasted into 
 the rubber and the rubber is thus saved. I 
 have worn out two or three inside pieces 
 of rubber to a single pair of rubbers.— J. 
 
 Shoe Lacing When the tips of shoe- 
 Tip, laces pull off, twist the 
 ends of the strings and 
 dip into the glue bottle. When dry they 
 are as good, or better, than they were when 
 new.— E. D. P. 
 
 Rubbers that The mother of two 
 Wear sturdy little girls less- 
 
 ened the cost of rub- 
 bers considerably last winter by purchasing 
 the heavy rolled-edge boys' rubbers for her 
 small daughters. She found that boys' rub- 
 bers wore about three times as long as the 
 heaviest rubbers manufactured for girls' 
 wear, and cost but little more. — Mrs. C. W. 
 
 Fastening Hose I have a useful hint for 
 Supporters tne mother who uses for 
 her children the hose- 
 supporters which pin to a body. Reen force 
 the body as usual at the place where the 
 supporter is to be pinned, then sew very 
 firmly, about three-quarters of an inch 
 apart and with heads toward each other, 
 two round eyes, and run the pin of the sup- 
 porter through these eyes, so that the pull 
 will be on the eyes instead of on the 
 material. — B. L. S. 
 
 For the Family A good way to keep over- 
 Overshoes shoes off the floor is to 
 have a strong tape hung 
 up in a convenient place with spring clothes- 
 pins attached. Pin the youngest child's rub- 
 bers on the bottom pin, next youngest just 
 above, etc. There should be a pin for every 
 member of the family. The hall closet is 
 a good place to have this useful device. By 
 this plan one is able to get one's rubbew in 
 the dark without making a mistake. — J. K. B. 
 
 For Children 's Rubbers 
 
 Pretty Shoe* to Match 
 Gowns 
 
 For Family Overshoes 
 
 A Stocking Always wash stockings 
 Help before wearing and holes 
 
 will not appear in them 
 so quickly. — M. A. F. 
 
 Shapely Shoes This is a satisfactory 
 and inexpensive sub- 
 stitute for shoe trees. Crowd cotton into 
 the toes of shoes when you take them off, 
 while they are warm from contact with the 
 feet, and all wrinkles and creases will dis- 
 appear. At the same time rub them with a 
 little vaseline, using a soft cloth, and they 
 will be bright, clean, and pliable as well as 
 shapely. — Gazelle S. 
 
 For Children's When putting on chil- 
 Rubbers dren's rubbers, to save 
 
 time and fingers, use a 
 slipper horn. — Mrs. W. L. T. 
 
 Pretty Shoes to Shoes of delicate colors 
 Match Gowns are hard to find and 
 always expensive. At 
 one time I wanted a pair of light gray shoes, 
 and this is how I managed. A pair of 
 white canvas shoes which were somewhat 
 soiled, I first scrubbed with good white 
 soap and water, using a small brush, then 
 drying them in the sunshine. I mixed a 
 little black and white oil paint until I got 
 the desired shade of gray. This I mixed in 
 a cup half full of the turpentine. Very little 
 of the paint is needed — just enough to color 
 the canvas. Brush the liquid over the shoes 
 with a small paint-brush, and you will be 
 surprised to find how nice they look. They 
 dry with no streaks. Match them in ribbon 
 for ties. Of course, any color may be made 
 to match any gown. — Miss N. B. 
 
 Overshoes not If mothers will oil the 
 
 Needed soles of children's shoes 
 
 about twice a month with 
 
 vaseline (not too much), they will find 
 
 overshoes will not be needed to keep out 
 
 the dampness — A. R. M. 
 
 For Tired Feet Pasting a piece of heavy 
 cloth or felt on the heels 
 of my house shoes I find a good substitute 
 for rubber heels. — M. L. M. 
 
 To Clean My shoe dealer told me 
 White Shoes nothing was more satis- 
 factory for white kid 
 shoes than a common rubber eraser. I 
 found "art" rubber even better. I also clean 
 gloves, both white and colored, with the 
 rubber.— M. L. W. 
 
 In Washing To keep black stockings 
 Black Stockings irom turning brown use 
 plenty of bluing water. — 
 A. W. 
 
 39 
 
Toilet Helps 
 
 To Clean the Dissolve a tablespoonful 
 Comb and Brush of baking soda in a 
 basin of water. Let 
 the comb remain in the solution while 
 washing the brush. Shake the bristles of 
 the brush in the water until all dirt is re- 
 moved. Do not wet brush handle and back 
 more than is necessary. Rinse in clear 
 cold water. — M. 
 
 To Clean a When a sponge smells 
 
 Sponge sour rub the juice of a 
 
 fresh lemon through it 
 
 thoroughly, then rinse in lukewarm water 
 
 several times. It will become as sweet as 
 
 when new. — G. H. 
 
 Baking Soda The regular use of com- 
 for Bathing mon baking soda in the 
 bath will be found an 
 efficacious remedy for disagreeable perspira- 
 tion odors. Slightly moisten a small 
 quantity of soda in the palm of the hand 
 and apply to the parts affected as one would 
 use soap. Allow the soda to remain several 
 moments, then wash off as in the case of 
 soap.— Mrs. Wm. R. T. 
 
 Violet Sachet The pure and undiluted 
 scent of violets can be 
 obtained in the following way : Secure the 
 blooms. They must be fresh and perfectly 
 dry — March blown violets are the most 
 fragrant. Remove stems and place in a 
 •fruit jar; pour over an equal quantity of 
 corn meal, one-third violets, one-third meal 
 and the remaining space empty. Shake 
 loosely together and screw on lid. Set in a 
 cool place, shaking the contents a little every 
 day, allowing fresh air to enter the jar by 
 removing cover for a few seconds each 
 time. When the flowers turn brown, the 
 work is complete, and meal and blooms are 
 ready to pack into sachet bags. Corn meal 
 is a powerful absorbent of odors, and will 
 retain perfume for years, if kept dry. — R. R. 
 
 A Handy A receptacle for soiled 
 Hamper clothes may be made 
 
 very easily from a piece 
 of straw matting — one yard wide and one 
 and two-thirds or almost two yards long. 
 Sew together with strong twine. Make 
 the bottom of the basket and the cover 
 from a piece of matting cut round and bound 
 with a strip of denim or strong cloth to keep 
 it from fraying. The height of the basket 
 is the width of the matting and so the basket 
 itself will not need binding. Strengthen 
 with three barrel hoops, placed at the top, 
 centre, and bottom, and tacked to the mat- 
 ting by brass-headed tacks. Use a larger 
 hoop for edging the cover, which is fastened 
 to it by strong twine. Sew a handle on the 
 cover and on each side to lift it by. 
 
 To Clean the Comb 
 and Brush 
 
 Individual Towel Racks 
 
 3D 
 
 ro 
 
 1 
 
 Bag 
 
 A Handy Hamper 
 
 Toilet Soap When the cake of toilet 
 soap is worn nearly thin 
 enough to break, adhere to the new cake 
 by first immersing both in quite warm 
 water, then press firmly together. When 
 cold it will be one solid cake. Do the same 
 with laundry soap. This does away with 
 small pieces of soap and there is no waste. 
 
 Complexion Take some cheese-cloth 
 
 Wash Ragi an d make as many bags 
 
 as you wish. Fill each 
 
 one over half full of oatmeal and scraped 
 
 Castile soap. These last only about three 
 
 or four days. — Mrs. B. 
 
 To Remove When the hands have an 
 
 Unpleasant unpleasant odor from 
 
 Odors onions, fish, or cod liver 
 
 oil, etc., rub and wash 
 
 the hands in mustard water made in the 
 
 usual way but with more water. This is 
 
 excellent. — Mrs. H. S. 
 
 A New Use for During excessive heat 
 the Hot- Water 1 found a new use for my 
 
 hot-water bags. I filled 
 them each night with ice 
 water and laid one at the foot of my bed 
 and the other at the head. They helped 
 to lower the temperature of my body and 
 induce sleep. — Mrs. J. M. 
 
 Individual A sure way to avoid 
 Towel Racks towel troubles is to have 
 an individual towel-rack 
 in every bedroom. This may be accom- 
 plished very cheaply by putting a short sash 
 curtain rod on the back of the bedroom 
 door, and supplying a fresh towel for this 
 rack each day. — E. D. M. 
 
 To Stop Hair Wash the hair in just 
 Falling Out as hot water as it is pos- 
 sible for the person to 
 endure, then take the scalp and gently pinch 
 all over. This is excellent. — L. M. P. 
 
 A Good Towel A good towel rack can 
 Rack De made from a roller 
 
 of a discarded window 
 blind by removing the metal part from one 
 end, sawing the roller the required length, 
 replacing the end piece and nailing the 
 other fixtures on the wall. Paint or enamel 
 the rack and you have one as good as you 
 could buy.— Mrs. D. H. F. 
 
 To Prevent To prevent stove polish 
 
 Polish Sticking sticking to the hands 
 
 to the Hand. *"«» Polishing a stove, 
 
 first rub the hands 
 
 thoroughly with soap and allow it to dry. 
 
 The polish will then wash off without any 
 
 trouble.— R. E. D. 
 
 40 
 
When Thinking of Others 
 
 The Gift Drawer The gift drawer began 
 as a Christmas aid, but 
 is now a year-round institution of great 
 value. Into it go all pretty boxes, pieces 
 of baby ribbon, good tissue paper, and small 
 articles that do not fit into any particular 
 place in our home. Suggestions read in 
 newspapers are clipped, put in an envelope 
 marked "hints," also a note of the page in 
 a magazine or book too valuable to mutilate, 
 so that reference may be ready when 
 required. Into this drawer go also all pretty 
 scraps that might be suited for construct- 
 ing small gifts, and many a little trifle picked 
 up when the "gift drawer" is in mind, also, 
 of course, finished bits of handiwork. There 
 is always something in the "gift drawer" 
 for birthdays and special occasions, and 
 when Christmas comes around again its aid 
 is invaluable. — Mrs. H. G 
 
 Our Bulletin In the hall under the 
 Board telephone, stands a small 
 
 table which we call the 
 "Bulletin Board." Upon it goes the mail 
 that comes for every member of the family 
 absent when the postman calls. Here we 
 keep a pad of paper and a pencil, the latter 
 tied to the table and never taken from it. 
 This receives telephone messages for any 
 absent member of the family, lists of 
 groceries to be taken to the store or tele- 
 phoned there, and any memorandum apt 
 to be forgotten when "some one goes down 
 town." The bulletin board also receives 
 cards of callers, both social and business, 
 and circulars likely to be of interest to 
 anybody are left there for a day. — H. K. O. 
 
 A Time Saver for I lere is a simple device 
 the Mother Let- t>>' which the busy mother 
 
 ter Writer 
 
 can write half a dozen 
 
 letters to children away 
 from the family nest, and do it in half an 
 hour, too ! Get typewriting paper and sheets 
 of the duplicating carbon paper used in 
 typewriting. Suppose there are four letters 
 to write. Take four sheets of paper and 
 between them, with the shiny face down, 
 place three sheets of carbon paper. On top 
 of these write heavily to make the deep 
 imprint, then pull the sheets apart and the 
 letters are ready to send off. When the fam- 
 ily news has been retailed in this way the 
 personal heading and a word of cheering 
 individual love and advice is added to each 
 as a postscript, and the newsy personal let- 
 ters are ready for all the flock in the time 
 it would take to write one. — E. M. B. 
 
 A Beneficial A decided "Help for 
 
 Cluh Housekeepers" is a Town 
 
 and Country Club, which 
 
 can be formed by the ladies of any small 
 
 suburban town and those of a nearby 
 
 In these days of trolley cars, transportation 
 
 The Gift Drawer 
 
 Our Bulletin Board 
 
 Housekeeping Calendar 
 
 is easy, and while the object of the club may 
 be charitable, educational or literary it 
 should have a brief time for "Experiences." 
 These are frank accounts and information 
 concerning both city and rural life, for both 
 types of humanity have much to learn from 
 each other. The city woman can tell the 
 country woman any number of interesting 
 facts about shopping; where to get certain 
 things, how to buy to advantage, etc., while 
 the city woman has much to learn from the 
 country woman regarding birds and flowers, 
 gardening, cooking of many old-fashioned 
 delicacies that are not in recipe books, etc. 
 The country woman needs to have her city 
 sister's example in little matters of speech 
 and dress, while the country woman can 
 teach a wholesome lesson of simplicity and 
 directions for general healthful living. — S. 
 
 Fair Exchange Some years ago I had a 
 navy blue chiffon broad- 
 cloth suit in excellent condition, and still 
 in good style, although it had done duty for 
 two seasons. One day the idea occurred to 
 me to try and exchange it for something 
 that I needed, so I published an advertise- 
 ment in another city, describing the suit and 
 offering to exchange it for fancy needle- 
 work. Several replies resulted, and I wrote 
 to a woman who lived on an isolated ranch, 
 and had a husband who thought women 
 needed neither money nor good clothes. I 
 sent her the suit, and she embroidered some 
 exquisite lunch-cloths in exchange, I fur- 
 nishing the materials. Since then I send 
 her all of my discarded garments and hats, 
 and never have to buy linens for Christmas 
 or wedding gifts. — Mrs. C. A. S. 
 
 Correspondence I have a number of 
 Help friends with whom I 
 
 keep up a regular cor- 
 respondence, and I have found that it 
 simplifies the task greatly to keep envelopes 
 addressed to them in a convenient place. 
 Into these I slip newspaper cuttings, notes 
 of things which interest that particular cor- 
 respondent and memoranda of various sub- 
 jects to be written of. — E. C. A. 
 
 Housekeeping A calendar arranged ac- 
 Calendar cording to individual 
 
 preferences with spaces 
 for jotting down details about purchases, 
 prices for staple articles during the month, 
 and other interesting facts, would soon be 
 found a help when compared month by 
 month and year by year. Made with 
 ornamental covers, such a calendar could 
 be decorative enough for a gift. — Ex. 
 
 An After-Holiday It is a wise plan to make 
 Expedient a l' st °f friends remem- 
 bered and one's particu- 
 lar gift to each, when the holidays have 
 come and gone ; to avoid duplicating. 
 
 41 
 
Helps when Shopping and Traveling 
 
 Quick As it is a matter of sur- 
 
 Shopping Prise to some of my 
 friends how I accomplish 
 so much shopping in the limited time be- 
 tween trains, perhaps my plan may help 
 some one else. In the first place, I keep a 
 handy pad and pencil on my desk, on which 
 I write everything that is needed when the 
 want occurs. Before I go shopping I copy 
 from this list the things I intend to buy or 
 investigate that day, grouping them accord- 
 ing to kind, — as drugs, dry-goods, etc., and 
 arranging them according to the stores I 
 am likely to visit. When I leave the train 
 I go directly to the farthest place and make 
 my purchases along the route back, thus 
 being as long as possible without parcels 
 and saving return trips. If I wish to go 
 afterwards to the club or to make calls I 
 leave my shopping-bag at some convenient 
 place, thus saving my strength. — E. G. H. 
 
 When Any one who travels 
 
 Traveling much will find it better 
 to pack as much as pos- 
 sible in pasteboard boxes which fit the trunk 
 well. Thin starched pieces which muss so 
 easily are kept from wrinkling in this way. 
 If the boxes are labeled "Waists," "Skirts," 
 "Fancy-work," etc., it "will save opening the 
 wrong boxes when one is hurried. 
 
 A Help for I pack my large sailor 
 Summer Packing a "d dressy lace collars 
 by the following device, 
 without folding, and they are ready for use 
 at the end of a journey. I have two large 
 pieces of pasteboard, the dimensions of the 
 largest collar. These may be covered with 
 fancy silk or cretonne and the bottom cover 
 should have ribbons attached for tying 
 securely. Within these place the collars flat 
 and completely open. One of these collar- 
 holders makes an excellent gift, and is not 
 only practical but attractive if covered with 
 some dainty material. — Mrs. G. R. L. 
 
 Little Help in A nice way to keep col- 
 Traveling ' ars > jabots, ribbons, and 
 such things smooth when 
 packing in a suit-case, is to put them between 
 the different leaves of a magazine. This 
 takes up less room than a box in a suit-case, 
 and is very convenient when removed to 
 the dresser-drawer, as it keeps these small 
 articles smooth and nice. — N. M. 
 
 A Use for Old Do not throw away the 
 Spools spools when empty, keep 
 
 them until you go away 
 next summer, and use them to slip over the 
 nails or cheap hooks found in many cottage 
 closets. This will save many a waist and 
 gown. — Mrs. A. McA. 
 
 >*PT" r 
 
 A Help for Summer 
 Packing 
 
 Emergency Dress 
 Hangers 
 
 A Safety Device for the 
 Locked Door 
 
 A Help When When household goods 
 Moving are to be packed for 
 
 moving or storage, it 
 will be the greatest convenience if the box 
 (or barrels) are numbered and a list taken 
 of the articles as they are put in boxes or 
 barrels, the number of the box or barrel put 
 on the list.— H. L. 
 
 To Travelers On a trip South, a friend 
 
 suggested that I pin my 
 
 dress to the curtain of 
 
 the berth with safety-pins. I did so, and 
 
 in the morning there was not a wrinkle to 
 
 be seen. — Mrs. L. R. C. 
 
 A Child's When away from home 
 
 High Chair an d there is no high chair 
 
 available for a child, take 
 
 four door protectors and 
 
 screw on the bottom of the four legs of 
 
 an ordinary dining-room chair. This raises 
 
 it a good bit. The protectors can be easily 
 
 removed without marring the furniture. 
 
 Emergency When visiting sometimes, 
 Dress Hangers ° r when on a journey 
 where one cannot carry 
 all they wish, inconvenience may be experi- 
 enced because of an inadequate number of 
 dress-hangers in the closets. Try a news- 
 paper rolled and tied in the middle with a 
 string. Turn the ends down and you have 
 a hanger just as good for a light-weight 
 dress, and one which will keep it free from 
 wrinkles. — M. H. 
 
 A Bed for Baby A unique and comfort- 
 While Traveling ab, « Ded f°«" baby while 
 traveling may be made 
 of a Japanese straw telescope traveling-case. 
 Line the bottom piece as prettily as you 
 please and tack a little flounce all around 
 the edge of the top, letting it hang over the 
 outside. This flounce may be folded back 
 in the case when the cover is put on, or may 
 be dispensed with entirely if desired. Put 
 a little mattress and tiny pillow in, or simply 
 a good sized pillow for a mattress, and 
 some coverings, and baby will have a very 
 comfortable little bed. When he is wide- 
 awake all his belongings may be carried in 
 the case, the cover being strapped on. When 
 baby is occupying the wee cot all the cloth- 
 ing, etc., may be placed in the cover. This 
 convenience helps both mother and child. 
 
 A Safety Device If one is nervous about 
 for the strange doors when 
 
 Locked Door away from home take a 
 heavy piece of wire, bend 
 double, hang on the door-knob and slip 
 the ends through the key. The key can- 
 not then be turned or pushed out of the 
 keyhole. — Mrs. I. H. 
 
 42 
 
The Everyday Housekeeper's 
 
 SCRAP BOOK 
 
 These four blank pages constitute a little Scrap Book in which you can paste 
 any additional " Helps " you may wish to save. 
 
 LAUNDRY WORK 
 
 CLEANING AND DYEING 
 
 43 
 
HELPS IN COOKING 
 
 KITCHEN ECONOMIES 
 
CARE OF PLANTS 
 
 IN THE SICK ROOM 
 
 45 
 
MISCELLANEOUS 
 
 THINGS WORTH KNOWING 
 
 46 
 
The First Book 
 of the 
 Everyday 
 Housekeeping 
 Series 
 
 For 
 
 Everyday 
 
 Housekeepers 
 
 PRISCILLA PUBLISHING COMPANY. BOSTON 
 
 Price only 
 25c 
 
 Postage Paid 
 
 The Priscilla Cook Book is thoroughly practical. It is designed to give 
 simple, wholesome, full-flavored dishes that will add to the pleasure of every meal. 
 Not only will the recipes selected provide dishes that are dainty and appetizing, but the 
 foods suggested are body and brain builders as well. 
 
 For convenience, the recipes have been arranged in 40 groups, each group representing a 
 different branch of the art of cooking ; besides which, various combinations of dishes are suggested in 
 the form of well balanced menus for breakfasts, luncheons, dinners and special occasions. Whenever 
 Fish and Meat Sauces, Salad Dressings, Pudding Sauces, Frostings and Fillings are called for, full 
 directions for making are given. 
 
 The 40 groups of recipes are headed as follows: 
 
 Soapi 
 
 Bread Making 
 
 Rolls and Muffins 
 
 Flan 
 
 Sbell Fish 
 
 Flab and Meat Sauces 
 
 Meat 
 
 Cheaper Cuts of Meat 
 
 Meat Substitutes 
 
 From Leftovers 
 
 Poultry 
 
 Vegetables 
 
 Potatoes 
 
 Ways with Eggs 
 
 Omelets 
 
 Fish and Meat Salads 
 
 Fruit and Vegetable Salads 
 
 Salad Dressings 
 
 Cheese Dishes 
 
 Uses for Stale Bread 
 
 Uses for Sour Milk 
 
 Layer and Loaf Cake 
 
 Small Fancy Cakes 
 
 Fillings and Frostings 
 
 Cookies and Wafers 
 
 Rot Puddings 
 
 Pudding Sauces 
 
 Cold Desserts 
 
 Pies 
 
 Pastry Desserts 
 
 Sandwiches 
 
 Beverages 
 
 With the Chafing Dish 
 
 Candy Making 
 
 Sick-Boom Cookery 
 
 School Lunch 
 
 Canning and Preserving 
 
 Pickles 
 
 Jams and Jellies 
 
 Frozen Desserts 
 
 There are 442 recipes altogether. There are also fou 
 menus, prepared for the different seasons and for the 
 special occasions which rome up during the year. 
 
 Fannie Merritt Farmer, the Editor of the 
 Priscilla Cook Book was perhaps the most 
 famous culinary expert and writer in the country. 
 She was the author of the Boston Cooking School 
 Cook Book and was for many years head of the 
 School of Cookery which bears her name. For 
 many years also Miss Farmer conducted the 
 Cooking Department in The Modern Priscilla. 
 
 No matter how many other cook books you 
 own, you will find the Priscilla Cook Book 
 a little different from any of the others, and in 
 many respects the best book of the kind you 
 have ever seen. It measures 7H x 10J4 inches 
 and is finely printed on a rugged paper which 
 will bear hard usage in your kitchen. 
 
 Priscilla Publishing Company, Boston, Mass. 
 
HEEL? C0NG ««s 
 
 014 180 sg 1 
 
 The Most 
 Helpful 
 Magazine 
 For Women 
 
 There are many mag- 
 azines devoted to 
 stories, many others 
 filled with miscellane- 
 ous matter of more or 
 less value and general 
 interest; but there is 
 just one magazine that 
 specializes in the two 
 subjects most closely 
 associated with the 
 average woman's daily 
 life— "Fancy- Work" 
 and "Housekeeping" 
 — with just enough 
 clever, wholesome fic- 
 tion added to give 
 zest. That magazine is 
 
 The Modern Priscilla. 
 
 WHAT " FANCY.WORK w MEANS 
 
 When they see or hear the word "Fancy-Work," many people think 
 only of Art Needlework. But as used by The Modern Priscilla, the 
 expression "Fancy-Work" has a much broader meaning. It includes not 
 only Embroidery, in all its manifold varieties, but it includes as well such 
 feminine handicrafts and occupations as Knittino. Crochet, Lace-making, 
 Weaving, Netting. Tatting, Batketry, Bead-u>ork, Oil, Water-color, and 
 China Painting, Stenciling, AH Bran Work, Art Leather Work, Pyrog- 
 raphy, and the like. 
 
 In The Modern Priscilla space is devoted to all these subjects from 
 time to time, and no other magazine covers them half so thoroughly. 
 
 WHAT PRISCILLA GIVES 
 
 In connection with what is broadly termed "Fancy-Work," THE 
 Modern Priscilla gives a three-fold service: 1. It supplies designs in 
 infinite variety and of rare beauty (from 50 to 100 each month), with pat- 
 terns for those who desire them. 2. It gives detailed and explicit in- 
 struction, so clear and complete that any woman of average intelligence 
 can gain proficiency in the work that most appeals to her. 3. It provides 
 a wealth of suggestions for the practical use and application of the knowl- 
 edge thus gained. 
 
 HOW FASHIONS FIT IN 
 
 This last service is especially noticeable in the Fashion Department, 
 where in addition to sane and sensible adaptations of the latest modes, 
 the use of the most appropriate embroidery is pictured and described in 
 connection with each costume illustrated. 
 
 HOW PRISCILLA SAVES ITS COST 
 
 "Fancy-Work," it will now be seen, at least the " Fancy- Work" that 
 The Modern Priscilla stands for, is no frivolous occupation for idle 
 hours, but a decidedly useful occupation, that will supply at small cost 
 many a dainty bit of wearing apparel or household decoration that could 
 otherwise be had only at considerable expense, or perhaps could not be 
 afforded at all. 
 
 Many a subscriber has gratefully acknowledged this debt to Priscilla, 
 more than a few asserting that a tingle copy has often suggested econ- 
 omies amounting to more than the year's subscription price. 
 
 HOW A GOOD MAGAZINE WAS MADE BETTER 
 
 Much as can truthfully be said about the "Fancy-Work" value of 
 The Modern Priscilla, scarcely half the story has been told. 
 
 In 1911 the publishers of The Modern Priscilla purchased the well 
 known domestic science magazine called " Everyday Housekeeping," and 
 in due season merged it with their older publication, making what has 
 well been called a "Double Value Magazine." 
 
 THE MISSION OF "EVERYDAY HOUSEKEEPING " 
 
 "Everyday Housekeeping" is now a distinct and separate section of 
 The Modern Priscilla, and it is the aim of the editors to make it of the 
 greatest possible helpfulness to Priscilla readers. 
 
 Its recipes are economical, appetizing and nourishing, its special 
 articles are authoritative and deal with practical subjects, its hints, helps 
 and suggestions are gleaned from the experience of housekeepers the 
 country over. 
 
 THE PRICE SMALL -THE VALUE UNUSUAL 
 
 When all the foregoing is considered, even the most critical must ad- 
 mit that at $1.00 a year The Modern Priscilla is an exceptional value 
 (Canadian subscription price, $1.25) and that its steady growth in circu- 
 lation from a few hundred copies 25 years ago to nearly 400,000 to-day is 
 but the natural outcome of its policy of helpfulness. 
 
 The news-stand price of The Modern Priscilla is 10 cents a copy. 
 Orders for subscriptions should be sent to The Priecilla Publishing Com- 
 pany, SS Broad Street, Boston, Idas*.