CARPETS. Ill 



wire. Put them out doors where they will cool and become 

 firm. Do not pull them too early, and before attempting 

 the drawing of them, dip the mould in warm water, and draw 

 slowly. Put them in a cold place, and do not use them for 

 some nights. They burn more economically if allowed to 

 harden. 



The shavings of spermaceti candles should be saved for 

 the laundry ; they give a polish to starch used for linen, and 

 are nice to rub the iron over to prevent the starch from 

 sticking. 



Cut-glass candle-receivers, put on top of the candlestick 

 for the candle to pass through, are pretty and useful articles, 

 as they save wax from passing on to the furniture. 



CARPETS. Where the figure of a carpet is small, the 

 two webs of which it is composed are more closely interwo- 

 ven ; and besides, as a mere matter of taste, large figures are 

 fast being resigned to steamboat upholstery. Colors are 

 chosen with reference to their harmonious toning, to borrow 

 an artist's phrase, with the rest of the furniture ; thus, if the 

 chairs, papering, and sofas of a room are green, it is desirable 

 that the ground-work of the carpet should be of the same 

 color, relieved by some small figure. White should be 

 avoided, as it soon looks soiled. 



Wilton carpets, though extremely elegant, are miserable 

 to wear, a large part of the material following the broom on 

 the first sweeping. Turkey carpets, which are made in one 

 square piece without seam, are rarely used now in the United 

 States. They are swept with little success, and are so 

 heavy that it requires half a score of men to shake one. 



The Tournay, Brussels, and Saxony, among expensive 

 carpets, are the most useful. 



The striped Venetian carpets (used almost entirely for 

 stairs and halls), the Kidderminster, and Imperial carpets 

 are double-sided, and may be put down either side up. 



