540 
AMERICAS AGRICULTURIST. 
[December, 
A Christmas Cross of Mosses. 
BY KITTY CLOVER. 
Very pretty Moss Crosses can be made by follow¬ 
ing the directions below, with little trouble and ex¬ 
pense. They are especially beautiful as Christmas 
decorations. Wreaths and stars can be arranged 
in the same manner. The 
frame, made of any kind of 
wood, no matter how rough, 
is 12 to 14 inches high, and 
the length of the arms in pro¬ 
portion. Gather from the 
woods a large quantity of the 
soft crinkly moss, which clings 
to rocks in damp places, and 
carefully dry it in the sun for 
a few hours, then 6crape off 
the loose earth neatly. Make 
a stiff paste of flour and wa¬ 
ter, and spread it over the 
back of the moss, and cover 
the entire cross. Paste a piece 
of scarlet flannel on the bot¬ 
tom end, to keep the table 
from being scratched, and to 
give a neater appearance to 
the work. While collecting 
the moss, gather also other 
ornamental things, such as 
the little red cups and white 
cups among the gray “ moss¬ 
es,” and little twigs covered 
with lichens. The hanging 
“ moss,” called “ Old Man’s 
beard,” is very pretty, and 
you will need yards of it. The 
Bitter-sweet is another essen¬ 
tial ornament. Tiny autumn 
leaves, and small ferns can be 
pressed and made of great ser¬ 
vice. When the moss cover¬ 
ing is dry, the cross is ready 
for decorating. Begining at 
the base, make a mound all 
around it of the little red and 
white cups;stand among these 
the little moss-covered twigs, 
also ferns, and a delicate va¬ 
riety of dried grasses. The 
body of the cross may be ar¬ 
ranged according to taste, 
adding the different kinds of 
mosses and lichens, whibhgrow on rocks in various 
shapes and colors. A small vine that nature has 
gaily colored, may be pressed, and gracefully twined 
across the front. Add the bitter-sweet berries to 
help give brilliance. When the decorating is fin¬ 
ished, drape in a light graceful manner with the 
hanging moss. When completed, this cross is a 
beautiful and appropriate emblem for Christmas. 
one of the regular “old woman’s remedies.” 
There is certainly a choice in oils, and the grease 
from unhealthy swine would never be chosen 
for either outside or inside application. Grease 
from the goose, turkey and chicken, carefully tried 
out, are all better than lard. Beef and mutton tal¬ 
low are both too solid for this use. Olive oil (sweet 
oil that is fresh and pure), is much used. Coeoanut 
oil is perferred to this, but is sometimes rancid, as 
any oil may be if not carefully prepared and kept. 
A lady of my acquaintance, who has tried va¬ 
rious oils for several years, with much benefit, pre¬ 
fers “ Oil of Cream ” to all others. She makes it 
for her own family use. Good, thick, sweet cream 
is put in an iron vessel upon the top of the stove, 
The External Use of Oil—Oil of Cream. 
■-<£>- 
Physicians seem to countenance the practice of 
rubbing the human body over with some kind 
of good oil, as a curative and a preventive of 
disease. For many years past I have been reading 
and hearing occasional testimony as to the virtue 
of oil when applied to the skin. 1 have a sus¬ 
picion that this is much like the various herb teas 
given to babies and invalids, to cure their aches 
and colds. In the latter case I think the virtue of 
the dose is in the hot water rather than in the pai- 
ticular herb steeped in it. Hot water alone works 
wonders, and in the various anointings that work 
marvelous cures I suspect that the potency is not 
so much in the oil or the drugs compounded with 
it as the rubbing. Hot lard rubbed into sprains has 
often had an excellent effect, and goose grease is 
A CROSS OF FERNS, MOSSES, LICHENS, LEAVES, AND BERRIES FOR CHRISTMAS. 
where it can boil slowly. It is stirred as it boils, 
until the watery portion has all boiled away; it is 
then strained through a cloth and is ready for use. 
If the water in the cream has been fully removed 
by boiling, the oil will not grow rancid or 
spoil with age. Several who have used olive oil 
and oil of cream greatly prefer the latter, imagin¬ 
ing that it has “ more virtue ” in it, when it may 
be simply that its different texture causes it to be 
more readily absorbed by the skin. No one who 
has seen the prompt effect of greasing a baby’s 
nose upon the appearance of “ snuffles,” or ex¬ 
perienced the relief to a cold in certain stages, of 
greasing the outside of his own nose can doubt the 
frequent efficacy of oil. In some cases of emacia¬ 
tion it is claimed that the 6kiu absorbs oil with 
good effect. Acquaintances of mine tell me that 
a little oil rubbed well over the bpdy after a bath 
(the weekly bath for cleanliness) makes them feel 
much better than the bath alone, and they believe 
strongly in the nourishing effect of oil applied to 
the skin, especially when there is poor assimilation 
of the food taken. F. R. 
[The external use of oils dates very far back. 
In the ancient Roman baths there was an apart¬ 
ment called the unctuarium or “greasing room,” 
where oils were applied. In our large cities some 
of those who give “Tuikisli baths” also give- 
“Roman baths,” which includes a polishing off 
with oil, claimed by them to be the genuine 
“Roman,” whatever that maybe. There are dif¬ 
ferences of opinion as to the value and efficacy of 
these various kinds of baths.—E d.] 
“Just for Looks.” 
BY LUCY RANDOLPH FLEMING. 
A little boy was playing around the table set for 
dinner, busily arranging several spoons which he 
had taken from the side-board. “What is that, 
for?” inquired his mother. “ Oh,” said the little 
fellow, in an apologetic tone, 11 just for looks." 
There was an idea iu the child’s mind, an element 
which, if properly directed, would grow into 
something well calculated to give pleasure to him¬ 
self and others. There often appears in individ¬ 
uals, and even in some whole communities, par¬ 
ticularly rural ones, a seeming contempt for any 
improvement put forward “just for looks.” 
City regulations provide for the removal of 
garbage, and compel householders to be careful 
as to unsightly objects on the premises; but in 
villages and agricultural districts these matters are 
not so closely looked after by boards and corpora¬ 
tions. The householder, who “ just for looks,” is 
careful about emptying slops in the back yard, and 
the various odds and ends which accumulate about 
the premises, is not only instituting neatness and 
order, pleasant to the eye, but doing a good work, 
for the health of her own home and neighborhood. 
W’ithin doors, I would advocate many little 
things, for whose doing we can give no other 
reason than, “ just forlooks.” Avery little man¬ 
agement makes the table pleasant to the eye ; not 
merely a place at which we gather to eat. Expen¬ 
sive adornments are not essential. It requires no 
more time to set dishes straight than crooked. 
Not'only does attention to outside appearances 
beautify the home, but it pays as well. The 
painted fence about an inclosure will last longer 
than an unpaiuted oho. The gate swinging free 
upon its hinges is certainly more lasting than if 
suffered to drag upon the ground, uttering a most 
uuhospitable welcome to the visitor. The scraper 
at the step and mat at the door, for muddy feet, 
the tasteful wall-basket for loose papers, the 
neatly-covered shoe-box, serving for a seat as 
well—are all little things of great value. 
If there are children in the household this atten¬ 
tion to appearances will exert more influence than 
many are aware of. The little one required to 
have clean hands and smooth hair before sitting 
down to a meal is not very apt to grow up a man 
or woman careless of personal neatness. This at¬ 
tention to small things is not an evidence of men- * 
tal smallness. A sense of order, a conviction of 
the mwality of cleanliness, a nice development of 
taste, may not be given in the same degree to each 
one, but in beautifying our homes, in giving due 
regard to the adornment of our persons, in seeking 
out various conveniences, which often prove ameni¬ 
ties of life, if we can act upon no better principle 
let us do it “ just for looks." 
Box for Holding Scouring Materials. 
A box in which all the various materials required 
for burnishing silverware, knives, brass, and the 
A CONVENIENT SCOURING BOX. 
more common tinware may be kept, is a con¬ 
venience to every house-keeper. A very useful 
