1871. 



XEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



107 



■WHO ■WOKE THE PIKST KnsrQP 



"Conclusive evidence is not obtainable," 

 remarks a recent writer, "when rings were 

 first used." But one fact is plain — they are 

 of great antiquity, were always worn as 

 tokens of trust, insignia of command, pledg- 

 es of faith and alliance, and as marks of 

 servitude. The religious system of Zoroaster 

 is exceedingly ancient, and in some of the old 

 sculptures of that sect, images hold a ring, in- 

 dicative of omnipotence and power. And to 

 this day, the Persians, Hindoos and all the 

 Eastern nations attach great significance to 

 the ring. The Egyptians were particularly 

 fond- of this ornament. There are specimens 

 in the Museum of the Louvre. Some date 

 as far back as the reign of Moeris. At the 

 British Museum there is an exceedingly fine 

 specimen. This is a ring of the finest gold, 

 of the Ptolemaic or Roman period, with fig- 

 ures of Serapis, Isis and Horus. The same 

 collection Mas also others of a similar metal, 

 set with the scarabasus or sacred beetle. 

 Others have the names of Thothmes 11 L and 

 Rameses 111. The most ancient ring in ex- 

 intance is that formerly worn by Cheops, the 

 builder of the great pyramid, found in a tomb 

 in the vicinity cf that monument, of the finest 

 gold, with hieroglyphics. Sundry passages of 

 Holy Writ prove the antiquity of the rings. 

 When Pharoah confided the charge of all 

 Egypt to Joseph, he took the ring from his 

 finger and committed it to him as a symbol of 

 command. Ahasucrus did in like manner to 

 his favorite, Ilaman, and subsequently to 

 Mordccai. The impression of the Monarch's 

 ring had the force of a command. "Write 

 ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the 

 king's name and seal it with the king's ring ; 

 for the writing which is written in the king's 

 name and sealed with the king's ring, may no 

 man reverse." Rings among the God-favored 

 people, when used as seals, were called "ta- 

 baoth," the name of a root, signifying to im- 

 print and also to seal. They were commonly 

 worn on the little finger of the right hand. — 

 The Young Ladies' Journal. 



DRESSING FOR THE HAIR. 



It is a common practice now, — perhaps it 

 always has been, — to use something as a dress- 

 ing for the hair. If the hair falls off, some 

 Phoenix-hke substance is expected to make it 

 spring up again into all the beauty and redun- 

 dancy of youth. If it turns gray, some po- 

 tent alchymy is to restore color, freshness and 

 lustre. A good head of hair is certainly desi- 

 rable, and to feel young and look young, 

 appropriatelij, makes the world more agree- 

 able, and promotes long life. So let us aW 

 wear the graces of simplicity, pleasing man- 

 ners, and sympathy with all our feUow-men, 



and if need be to gire more grace to the per- 

 son, to dress the hair. In doing so, however, 

 read the timely and valuable suggestions be- 

 low, which we copy from Dr. Nichols's Bos- 

 ton Journal of Chemistry, which calls atten- 

 tion to the diflferent preparations sold by drug- 

 gists for di'essing the hair. It says : — 



All the oils and greasy pomades with eupho- 

 nious names are manufactured from lard oil 

 and simple lard. Bears' gi-ease is the most 

 filthy of all animal fats, and it is safe to say 

 that the genuine stuii' is but rarely or never 

 sold by the druggists. Castor oil and cologne 

 spirits makes a good and cheap dressing. The 

 oil derived from the castor bean possesses pe- 

 culiar properties which admirably adapt it for 

 use on the hair. A cheap and very good 

 dressing is made by dissolving four ounces of 

 perfectly pure, dense glycerine in twelve 

 ounces of rose water. Glycerine evaporates 

 only at high temperatures, and, therefore, 

 under its influence the hair is retained in a 

 moist condition for a long time. As a class, 

 the vegetable oils are better for the hair than 

 animal. oils. They do not become rancid and 

 offensive so rapidly ; and they are subject to 

 difierent and less objectionable chemical 

 changes. Olive oil, and that derived from 

 cocoa-nut, have been largely employed, but 

 they are far inferior, in every respect, to that 

 from the castor bean. Do not use any oils 

 whatever, is the best advice. Those men and 

 women having the finest and glossiest suits of 

 hair, simply use soft water, washing the Jiead 

 every few days with pure castile soap. But 

 as we do not expect everybody to subscribe to 

 this formula, it is well to caution the general 

 public against the indiscriminate use of pre- 

 parations sold for the hair." 



DOMESTIC RECEIPTS. 

 Sausages. — The proper seasoning is salt, 

 pepper, sage, summer-savory, or thyme ; they 

 should be one-third fat, the remainder lean, 

 finely chopped, and the seasoning avcU mixed, 

 and proportioned so that one herb may not pre- 

 dominfite over the others. If skins are used, 

 they cannot be prepared with too much care ; 

 but they are ab *t as well made into cakes ; 

 spread the cakes on a clean, white wood board, 

 and keep them in a dry, cool place ; fry them 

 long and gently. 



Lard. — Leaf lard is the nicest for all cook- 

 ing purposes ; skin all the fat that is to be tried 

 into lard, and commence by fr}'ing gently a 

 little leaf lard, or your fat will scorch ; let it 

 cook slowly, and dip oil' the fat as fast as it is 

 liquefied, and strain it through a cloth; when 

 aU is sti-ained that can be dipped oil', squeeze 

 the remainder by itself in the cloth, ii. the 

 lard is to be used for cooking, salt it a trifle 

 when first put on ; nnu h of the salt will be 

 found at the bottom of the kettle undissolved, 



