87 
sponge and a soft brush must be used— j 
not a hard brush, whicii would scratch t 
the mould. Every trace of the clay inust j 
be removed. It is better to clean and till 
the mould at once; but if for any reason 
it should be necessary to la,y it by for a 
(lav or two, or for a still longer period, 
during which it will ha,ve dried more or 
less, it must be thoroughly soaked before 
the phisler is poured in. Otherwise, cast 
and ]iiould will adhere so closely to- 
gether that it will be difficult to get the 
latter off. Wheu the mould is freshly 
made there will be no danger of this. To 
hardened plaster, partially saturated with 
water. li(iuid plaster adheres hrmly ; to 
that which is dry, less hrmly; to that 
which is completeiy saturate I, it sticks so 
.slightly as to be easily separated. 
(To he continued.) 
fore, never go al^road in search of your 
wants; if they be real wants they will 
come home in search of you, for she who 
buys what she does not want vv'ill soon 
want what she cannot buy. — Colton. 
#Mr Girl's §cp;irtmciit. 
This department is intended exclusively for " Our Girls," 
and we hope to make it both interesting and instructive, 
and to this end we ask our young lady readers to assist by 
■contributions, suggestions, or illustrations. There are thous- 
ands of little things that can be, and have been, made and 
done by young ladies, .pertaining to decorative art, needle- 
work, etc., etc., that would be gladly followed Init for a 
want of knowledge on the subject, and we know of no more 
p easing task for a lady than that of teacliing her j'ounger 
sisters that which they are anxious to learn, and which 
mav prove of real benefit to them in the future, as 
■well as being useful and interesting for the present. We 
trust we will have no difficulty in persuading those who 
have something nice to show or speak of, to make use of 
this department. Remember, it is open to all, and if you 
have anything worth knowing suitable for this column, 
send It a! mg, and we will give it our best attention. Do 
not be afraid to write because you may fancy your com- 
position is not perfect, or have other scruples of a similar 
Tcind. Do the best you can, and leave the rest to the editor 
of this department, and we are sure you will be pleased with 
•your work. 
RAISE not people to their faces 
to the end that they may pay 
thee in the same coin. This is 
so thin a cobweb that it may 
with little difficulty be seen through ; 'tis 
rarely strong enough to catch flies of any 
considerable magnitude.— i^^///(?r. 
— A wise woman reflects before she 
speaks; a foolish one speaks, and then 
reflects on what she has uttered. 
— It is a cui ious fact that children are 
the best judges of character at flrst sight 
in the world. There is a Scotch proverb, 
"'They are never cannie that tlogs and 
bnirns dinna like," and there is not a 
more true one in the whole collection. 
— We are ruined not by what we really 
want, but by what we think we do ; tliere- 
— The broad, low dressing-table with 
tiled top and swinging glass is now the 
desideratum in every lady's boudoir. 
— The latest menu cards represent lily 
leaves or flowers, without a margin, and 
have the name inscribed in gilt letters. 
— The ugly carpet ottomans have been 
superseded by the old-fashioned foot- 
stools, with square frames and embroid- 
ered cover. 
— Table glass has become almost in- 
finitely diversified iu form and color, but 
the rose pink and pale yellow are pre- 
ferred for decorative effects. 
— Fashionable window shades are of 
cream-colored linen, with a bordering of 
drawn work, and are finislied off by 
knotted fringe cord and tassels. 
— A beautiful ornament for the centre 
table is a large crystal ball mounted upon 
a small spiral pedestal. It catches and 
reflects the light, and forms a wonderful 
radiator. 
— Nobody buys white crockery now-a- 
days or the white China with tlie dreadful 
gilt band, which gradually wore off into 
the tea a few years ago. Why cannot the 
hotel and restaurants get rid of their 
" brutal " white stoneware ? 
— Painting on chamois leather in silver 
and gold is a novel style of decoration, 
especially suital)le for handkerchief- 
cases, glove-boxes, or scent-satchels. The 
chamois cleans well and takes color beau- 
tifully. 
— An umbrella and cane stand is formed 
with a frame work of wood, and a case at- 
tached, which is of pasteboard, covered 
v/ith plush, handsomely embroidered, or 
with one tapered cylinder front and two 
small ones at the back for canes. 
-The fashionable style for portieres is 
not to have them hung from rings from 
the pole, but thrown over it in such a way 
that one side shall turn back and fall 
