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odes and Manners. 
MOURNING GOODS. 
The chief feature of mourning should be 
its simplicity. Now that, black dresses are so 
generally worn, the distinction between 
mourning and the ordinary costume is some- | 
what lessened, and for this reason, if for no i 
other, elaborate trimmings are out of place. 
Bombazine still holds its place for deep 
mourning, though there are many ot her fab¬ 
rics that, are preferable. Of these, Henrietta, 
a materia,1 resembling cashmere, but with 
silk warp, is in great demand. It is double 
fold, and SI.65 a yard. Lighter than this is 
Drap de Paris, a, very line, pliable goods, soft, 
and of a, faint luster; price, 81.10 to *1.25. 
Tn addition, there are merinos, cashmeres, 
empress cloths and other goods. Foulard for 
second mourning conies in purple sprays and 
white polka spots, at $1.25 a yard. Silver- 
gray pongees are $1 a yard, but they spot, 
and are not profitable. Grenadines still re¬ 
tain favor. They range from 00c. to $1.75. 
The satin-striped grenadines are very beauti¬ 
ful ; the stripe-, are watered and in broken 
lines. For lighter mourning they are striped 
with white, with a black-checkered edge. 
Wire grenadines, with white stripes, are sold 
at 28c. and 50c. They make up very prettily, 
and are very cool for Summer wear. 
Of other good.-, Japanese silks are reduced 
to 50 cents, and Japanese poplins are but 55 
cents. These lost, in steel-gray, with vines 
and black stripes, are very pretty. The ma¬ 
terial is line and light, and costumes or home 
dresses made of this, for ordinary wear, arc 
very suitable. 
In making mourning dresses, crape vests 
are largely used. The trimming is put on in 
plain folds, with here and there a rosette 
decorated with jet. For second mourning 
the trimming is replaced by bands of silk 
and jet. 
Crape vests are in vogue, for other toilets. 
Those of mauve, pink and blue are very 
suitable, and freshen a black silk fordemi- 
toilette. 
SPRING GOODS. 
» 
Batistes are everywhere. The plain goods 
can be bought for 66 cents. In white stripes 
and stripes of the same color, it is sold from 
60 cents to $1. A new variety, called Chenille 
Batiste, is very handsome. Very large spots 
of cut chenille, in black, blue, brown, green, 
on batiste ground, constitutes the novelty; 
it is a very handsome material and will 
make up stylishly in costumes. Price, $1.65. 
Grenadines, all wool, in shades of brown, 
for Summer costumes, cost. 40 cents ; with 
stripes, 75 cents aud $1. Silk grenadines are 
seen in the stores, and though beautiful in 
the material, it is doubtful whether it will be 
much worn. The goods are so thin that a 
great deal of extra care must be taken in 
making, and they require silk underneath. 
In the Dolly Vardeu patterns they are. sold at 
$1, other designs are $1.50. 
A new material, all silk, in alternate thick 
and thin bars, is called Mozaia. The ground 
is white, interspersed with flowers in sprays. 
It is not pretty, and costs $2. Another 
variety, called by the same name (which, 
we believe, is the name of the maker, though 
it. is more properly known as Algerine), is for 
polonaises. It is all silk, with wide spaces 
hairy and rough as camels’ hair cloth, and 
alternate thinner ones crossed by black hair 
stripes. The price is $4, the goods a yard 
and a-lialf wide. Another variety is in 
stripes, and costs 85 a yard. It will be popu¬ 
lar, as Fashion dictates heavy, rough ma¬ 
terials—the coarser the more fashionable. 
The camels’ hair cloth is introduced in light¬ 
er qualities for Spring. The very light shade 
of brown is $4 ; the darker, 83.50 and 83. 
There are many very delicate shinies which 
are very suitable for Spring. When embroid¬ 
ered, they are very elegant and expensive. 
There are no Spring wraps which compare 
with these in style and comfort. They arc 
made in many styles. One of the prettiest is 
a half loose front aud belted back, with silk 
sash. Others are in the form of redingotes, 
with great pockets and large, flat buttons. 
When made absolutely plain, and stylishly 
draped, they make a handsome wrap for 
promenade, visiting and church wear. Five 
yards is all-suliieient for a polonaise of the 
most ample description.. There are many 
goods in imitation of t he camels' hair cloth, 
at §2 a yard, which look very well, as, in¬ 
deed, does ladles cloth, or any of the rough 
materials now so common. 
Among the goods for early Spring, while 
the dull is In the air, is a new worsted fabric 
in soft grays, called Vivogne. It is lightei 
and cheaper than camels’ hair cloth ; the lat¬ 
ter, however, is more stylish. There is a 
French poplin for this season, with alternate 
stripes of solid color and a black and white 
open work. In light blue it iR a beautiful 
material, but the grays and browns only are 
suitable for the street. The price is 75 cents 
a yard. Poulards, aside from the very popu¬ 
lar polka spot, come iu corn, light bull, gray, 
brown, and tue new shades. The light vel 
lows are especially beautiful for Summer pol 
onaisea, trimmed with black velvet or the 
liner varieties of yellow guipure. There, is 
another variety, very new and unique ; it 
consists of alternate twilled stripes of green 
and blue-black. They are $1.50 a yard. 
From the quantity of striped materials, it 
is safe to assert that polonaises will be quite 
as popular t his season as last; but there will 
be infinite variety in their making. The old 
form of t he Marguerite, with its sloping back 
and bows, is entirely passe. The fullness is 
gathered into the waist, and a belt, aud sash 
are always worn. Often the polonaise is full, 
a belt confining the back, while the front 
hangs loose. 
A favorite fashion is the redingote, but¬ 
toned entirely down the front with largo 
buttons, and groat pockets at the sides, or 
gathered back, with only a few buttons be¬ 
low the waist fastened. An apron front may 
be short and jaunty, t hough this is hardly in 
keeping with the style of garment, or it may 
reach nearly to the bottom of the dress. The 
back may be simply two long breadths, left 
open, trimmed with fiat folds, and caught 
in the back with a bow. Great variety is 
also given to the back of the polonaise by the 
mariner of wearing the sash. Generally it is 
fastened at the sides, and is of moderate di¬ 
mensions ; but again it extends from one 
side, catching up the back in a puff, is fast¬ 
ened half way down on the other side. All 
looping and draping can best, be done accord 
ing to the taste of the wearer. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
R. A. M. will find the answer to her first 
question in the remarks just made on camels’ 
hair wraps. Aside from these, the wraps 
should be of the. same material as the cos¬ 
tume. It is very easy to have an extra wrap 
lined warmly, or to have the basque or polo¬ 
naise made sufficiently loose to wear a wad 
tied waist underneath. Trim your blue silk 
with bias folds of velvet the same shade, 
finished with blue croped fringe. 
Your gray poplin make with deep kilt 
plaits, from the knee down ; or, what is bet¬ 
ter, hox-plaits two inches wide and two 
Inches apart, short apron-front looped high 
oil the sides, faced with gray silk, trimmed 
with fringe, and with full draped back. 
Make the basque with vest of gray silk, buL- 
toned all the way down. Deep cuffs of silk on 
coat sleeves; embroidered buttons of gray silk. 
White Swiss muslin is very suitable for a 
bride. Make it with graduated series of 
fluted mffles, with short, apron only in the 
front. Wear wide white sash, looped at the 
side. Full corsage, with Marie Antoinette 
sleeves, and knots of white ribbon. 
LAWNS 
Linen lawns come i a white grounds, sprink¬ 
led over with smn.ll sprigs of lavender, pink, 
purple and green, or in polka dots. They 
are very neat and pretty, and commend 
themselves by their durability and the ad¬ 
mirable manner in which they do up. They 
are sold at 35 cents a yard. Ordinary lawns 
are chiefly in stripes, solid colors alternating 
with white or in broken stripes. Blue and 
white and black and white are the most 
tasteful when made up. Organdies are in 
♦lowers and vines of all colors ; they are 
very beautiful in the piece and inexpensive, 
but they lose their freshness and beauty , 
when once washed. We would advise, in' 
their stead, some of the numerous varieties 
of white goods, as Victoria lawns, muslins, 
Nausooks and Swiss muslin, of which the 
shops are so amply stocked. 
For trimmings and flounces for white dress¬ 
es, there can be bought now six strips of 
Hamburg work, consisting of embroidery, a 
finger's length deep, with hand-embroidered 
edge, twelve yards and a half in all, for $3.50, 
$4 and $5. The work is really very beauti¬ 
ful, and will wash aud wear well. French 
work, very handsome indeed, six inches in 
depth, with clot h above for a flounce a Loot 
in depth, can be bought for $10 and $12. 
These embroideries, which cun rtill bo used 
' after a dress is worn out, greatly simplifying 
dressmaking, and will enable skillful needle¬ 
women to dispense with the service of a dress¬ 
maker. Heavier work, on courser muslin, is 
sold for skirls. It is lighter than tucks, and 
is no more trouble to iron. Linen for Frcuch 
waists comes in white grounds, with blue, 
black, brown and purple stripes. Price, 
■ ' 65 cents a yard. 
^nonantg. 
BOILING MEATS, ETC. 
I am much interested in the “ Domestic 
Economy” department of the Rural New- 
Yorker, and as there is being considerable 
interest manifested in the manner of boiling 
meats, making and boiling pudding, &c., I 
would like to state a few facts in relation to 
cookery, founded on chemistry and common 
sense. In cooking fresh moats, the pores 
should be closed as soon as possible, m order 
to retain the juices and nutriment ; t here¬ 
fore, iu putting them on to cock, boiling wa¬ 
ter should be used. Sail moats, the pores be¬ 
ing already closed, and some -urface freshen 
ing usually being needed, should bo put on 
with cold water, and with larger quantity. 
The rapid boiling Of meats renders them hard 
and unsavory, much the salts and juices 
being extracted by the water, and not a lit¬ 
tle passing off with the rising vapor, causing 
unpleasant, odors and greasy deposits. “How 
to Boil Com Beef,” in the Rural, Feb. 
22d, applies alike to all kinds of meats. All 
meats for soups and stows should be put on 
with cold water, and never allowed to more 
than simmer after coming to a boil. Pud¬ 
dings, improperly boiled, are either pasty or 
heavy, unsatisfactory and unwholesome ; but 
when properly ma de,and boiled us they should 
be, none are more desirable nor more whole¬ 
some. 
Convinced of the foregoing facts, our boil¬ 
ing of meats, soups, stews, &c., has for sever¬ 
al years past been done at two or three de¬ 
grees below the boiliug point of water. Our 
puddings are boiled in a bath ; they novey 
fail ; and l might, say t he same of our coffee 
(which is one of the most, sensitive articles to 
prepare, and I think least understood by the 
masses). Now, don’t imagine that we slant) 
by the kettle with thermometer in hand, Id 
keep tho heat just right, for wo don’t; in 
fact we could leave it for hours aud know 
just, what, it was doing, provided the fire did 
not get too low td boil water ; aud we have 
attained this comfort, convenience and econ¬ 
omy by simply having our pots and pans 
made in a sensible way, adapting them to the 
duties they are severally required to perform! 
They are entirely simple and inexpensive ; t 
think ten dollars would pay the cost of then) 
all from tea-kettle down to tea-infuser. 
The science of cookery is progressing. A 
knowledge of chemistry is rooting out old no) 
lions, and when we shall make the most of 
all the knowledge we have, or may have, it) 
preparing the food from which we derive out 
strength of body and mind, we shall probably 
live longer and more comfortably. 
B. W. Dunning. 
• ♦ ♦♦ - 
CONVENIENT CLOTHES BAR3. 
We often ha ve requests to republish some) 
thing which appeared in the Rural New) 
Yorker “several years ago,” but the specif 
fioations are not always such as to enable 
us to determine just what, our correspond¬ 
ents want. For Instance, a lady asks us to 
republish a cut “ of some clothes bars that 
we published a few years ago,” but she rail 
neither tell us tho number nor the year in 
which they wore printed ; and since we hav(> 
published several forms we are in doubt 
hang a washing on. A three-fourths inch 
auger should be used in making. Any one 
who can use a plane and auger can make 
them. 
- 4 ~«~*- 
“WASHING MADE EASY.” 
This seems to be considerably discussed in 
the “ Domestic ” columns of the Rural just 
now. Mrs. James Saxton gives as good a 
thing as I am acquainted with (and I have 
tried several), except the little steaming ap¬ 
paratus, fitted to any common wash boiler, 
and invented by Charles Beach, and costing 
bul three dollars. Tlds saves half the labor, 
time and wear of clothing, ns a trial of six 
months has abundantly proved. My laun¬ 
dress thinks it a great advantage in her work, 
which She could not say of many of the cum¬ 
bersome contrivances invented by men for 
women to wash with. Mrs. 8. C. C. 
Penn Yan, N. Y. 
-*-*--*- 
DOMESTIC BREVITIES. 
Bread-Cutler .—Herewith we give an illus¬ 
tration of a cheap and certainly very con¬ 
venient bread-cutter, which scarcely needs 
which one is mount. We venture, however, 
to give the accompanying, with . tho descrip¬ 
tion, hoping it may be just what.she means : 
The-bars are two inches wide by one. inch 
thick. Four bars are 3 foci. 11 inches long, 
and four are 1 foot 11 inches. The rods are 
dressed out one inch square, and of the fol¬ 
lowing lengthsFour rods 4 feet long ; two 
rods I feet. 3 inches long ; t wo rods 3 foot 10 
inches long ; one rod 4 feet 3 inches long for 
the center, to project three inches at one end; 
another rod, for the top, 4 feet 4 inches long, 
and to project two inches in order to receive 
the piece shown in the engraving, to regulate 
the bight. It can be shut so as not to occupy 
more than a foot in width, or spread so as to 
explanation. It consists of a well-planed 
maple plank, with a long, thin, steel knife 
fastened to the plank at one end, as shown. 
Those who havo usod it will not do without it. 
Inquiries. — “A Subscriber” wants to 
know how to color scarlet with cochineal; 
also, how to make a good fruit-cake—such as 
is obtained at the confectioners.-W. R. C. 
asks how to make indelible ink.-Will 
some one please inform me of some easy 
and-pretty way of knitting a tidy for a rock¬ 
ing- choir ?—Constance. 
Delicate Cake. —One cup of flour, one cup 
white sugar, half cup butter (stirred to a 
cream with the sugar before using), whites 
of three or four eggs stirred in last, flavor 
with lemon.— j. m. 
Hard Gingerbread. —Quarter pound butter, 
two quarts molasses, one cup sugar, two 
tablespoons ginger, and flour sufficient to 
knead; pound well, and bake in a quick 
oven.— J. M. w. 
S)i)f|icirii| Jttflormatitrn. 
A CHEAP AND GOOD SALVE. 
Take two or three good-sized onions, slice 
them up thin, put about, half a pound of lard 
into a spider, put it over the fire and put the 
onions into it. Cook it. until the onions are 
pretty well fried ; take it off the Are and 
pour it into a cloth and strain into cups, or 
whatever you wish to keep it in. If you do 
not squeeze the scraps too hard it, will look 
just, like clean lard when it gets cold. When 
it is ready for use it is about the best thing 
that can be found for sores of almost every 
kind, such as bruises cuts, etc., etc. The only 
objection to it is the smell of the onion. 
I wish some of the readers of the Rural 
New-Yorker, who may see this, that have 
bad sores, would try it, and report the result 
in the Rural. We have used it for years, 
and expect to always have a supply on hand. 
Farmer. 
-■» » » - — 
TO CURE CROUP. 
Just before going to bed grease the breast 
thoroughly with goose grease, and lay on it 
a double thickness of flannel. If the strang¬ 
ling comes on suddenly, mix Scotch snuff and 
lard together, put on a piece of brown paper, 
aud apply instantly to the breast, nibbing 
^ the throat meanwhile with liot grease, or 
" lard, or oil Or you can do this : Dip a flan¬ 
nel in water, as hot as it can be horne, lay it 
[ on the-breast, take suit butter, spread on a 
piece of brown paper, and apply tothe breast 
and throat. Salty butter rubbed on the 
i throat and’ chest, just before going to bed, is 
a most excellent remedy for sore throat, 
two or three applications being enough to 
.effect a cure,. ' 
--- 
MOUTH WASH. 
The following is indorsed by good authori¬ 
ty as excellent for the treatment of flabby, 
soft gums that bleed easily Tinct. of nut- 
galls, from dr. ii. to oz. ss; Water O. j. 
An ounce of tincture of orange-peel will 
improve the taste. 
