I nicest manner by their own mother. I was 
even weak enough to anticipate the tune 
when a less satisfactory performance in 
their kitchens should redound to my own 
credit. Week after week I tried, and was 
disappointed. I read Miss Beecher's Do¬ 
mestic Economy, and adroitly drew out my 
neighbors to talk of their ways. I bought 
starch first of one brand, then of another, 
stirred it while boiling with a spermaceti 
candle, then with white wax, then added all 
the varieties of starch polish that peddlers 
brought to tiie door. But week atler week 
the irons would stick, and the pleats have to 
he dampened over and over again, to rub off 
the brown patches that in some unaccounta¬ 
ble manner would appear. Then I thought 
my fiat irons must be spoiled, because I 
heard some one complaining bitterly of a 
servant who had taken off the stove covers 
and heated them directly upon the coals. I 
was guiltily conscious of the same sin of 
ignorance. So I bought one of those self- 
heating irons, in which you make a charcoal 
fire and propose to do wonders. But it 
able to washing. I think I can give you a 
better clothes-sprinkler than Mr. Snooks, in 
a late Rural New-Yorker. Wasn't it Mr. 
Snooks? [Yes.] Have a tin cylinder made, 
T about six inches in length, 
and three in diameter. One 
end is perforated with rather 
small holes; the other end lias 
one opening, to he fitted with 
a cork. A short handle at the 
side. Fill it two-thirds full of 
water, insert the cork, and it is ready for use. 
Clothes to he ironed Tuesday, should ho 
Sprinkled Monday night. Each article to he 
well sprinkled, rolled tightly, and placed in 
the basket. Fold a shoot and spread over 
the top. 
When ready to iron, have the irons hot, 
and keep them so. Then there will be no 
delay, and the clothes will look well. Iron 
heaters are very desirable, as they require 
much less wood. For summer, the old-fash¬ 
ioned heaters, filled with charcoal, are very 
comfortable, hut rather heavy. 
Calico should he ironed on the wrong side. 
omtsiit vfcc0nanm 
it you have a “switch” or braid, wear a 
round comb, put in as if to draw the hair 
to the back of the head, wind tie 
“switch” over it and around under the 
short hair, to simulate a flat chignon, and 
over all draw a net. For variety, braid your 
hair to crimp it, to give it fullness, and wear 
simply the net and round comb. Make 
Tlio “Niue*Year-OI<l airl> Red Orest*” 
with two narrow bias bounces, bound with 
the same; gather the top of each flounce an 
inch from the top, and put. ou with one row 
ot Imlf-iuch black velvet ribbon to cover the 
gathers. Make plain waist, high neck, long, 
close sleeves, and a short, loose, sleeveless 
jacket, trimmed to match the skirt; sash of 
the same. 
Bacquc for Eight-Year-Old. 
Marik. —Choose a loose sacqne for cight- 
year-old girl, well lined and wadded lor 
winter; velveteen, plush, fur cloth, or any 
of the fancy beaver cloths of one color. A 
black or blue velveteen, if she is fair, would 
probably be most serviceable and inex¬ 
pensive. 
itnncrs 
CONDUCTED BY MARY A. E. WAGER. 
ygumc 
HYGIENIC NOTES 
Dreams to be mode Useful. 
The London Lancet lias published a paper 
by Dr. Henry Maudslcy, who has long 
studied the reciprocal action between mind 
and body. lie takes the ground that each 
disease is attended by certain psychological 
as well as physical effects, and as a conse¬ 
quence that, the involuntary action of the 
brain during sleep may furnish new indica¬ 
tions for diagnosis. In a dream, the back¬ 
ground ou which the phantoms move, is 
often determined by the state of the internal 
organs, tin; irritation of which awakens into 
sonic activity that part of the brain with 
which the irritated organ is in specific sym- 
pathy. Accordingly, sympathetic ideas 
spiinging out ot the feeling unite in dreams. 
VVlien active consciousness is suspended, or¬ 
ganic sympathies, which before were unper- 
ceived, declare themselves to the mind, This 
accounts for dreams in which the dreamer 
imagines himself attacked with a certain 
disease which is soon after developed, ilis 
dream “coming true" is simply an evidence 
that the revelation was the result of that 
sympathetic action which at first only af¬ 
fected the brain during sleep. This new and 
ingenious theory will doubtless lead many 
physicians to make observations in the same 
direction, and thus establish its truth or 
falsity. 
Protect inn from Malaria. 
A writer in Nature urges the use of 
mosquito netting as a protection from muhi- 
1 ial miasmas. lie claims to have had expe¬ 
rience in the jungles of Ceylon, in Africa 
and in New Zealand, and to have found Hint 
he was thus protected from damp, chill, ma¬ 
larious air. The beat within the netting 
would differ by eight degrees from the night 
aii without. As it has been recently nsserl- 
ed that cotton has the power of detaining 
the poisonous germs which float in the au 
mospliere, there may be more foundation to 
this theory than the mere experience of one 
man. Those who pass through malarious 
regions—stieli as pestiferous Panama, lor ex¬ 
ample, where one cannot pass a night with 
open windows without catching the lever— 
would do well to avail themselves of this 
possible and not difficult protection. The 
writer likens it to Davy’s safety lamp. 
Steeping Together. 
The “ Laws of Life” says:—“ More quar¬ 
rels arise between brothers, between sisters, 
between hired girls, between school girls' 
between clerks in stores, between appren¬ 
tices, bteween hired men, between husbands 
and wives, owing to electrical changes 
through which their nervous systems iro by 
une day, ruling with a friend, we visited 
a shirt factory in the next town. T came 
home with new energy and fresh ambition, 
convinced that wax, spermaceti, lard and 
starch gloss were all humbugs, that nothing 
hut salt was needed and a flat iron with a 
rounded back to give the requisite polish. I 
could hardly wait for the next, ironing day, 
found a hoard to slip under the bosom, which 
I covered tightly with canton flannel, nap 
side down and waited for I ho clean clothes. 
When everything was ready 1 rubbed pa¬ 
tiently up and down eacli pleat just as 1 had 
seen it done at, the factory, but was disgusted 
to find ray work flecked with the same little 
spots of dust and blackness. Puzzled ami 
wondering over this new difficulty, the next 
week I made an iron holder of new shirting 
muslin and put on a clean calico dress. After 
finishing L took the shirts over to my next 
neighbor flushed with my fancied success. 
wim ine narrow item, if there is one, upper¬ 
most. After ironing, turn down the narrow 
hem, and iron about a quarter of a yard on 
the wide hem, turn back, fold lengthwise, 
iron and fold twice the other way. Pillow 
cases should bo folded twice lengthwise,ami 
then folded together. Table-cloths, napkins, 
handkerchiefs, (fee., to be folded twice length¬ 
wise, and twice the other way. Tea napkins, 
look nicely folded cornerwise also. Always 
have an ironing sheet, with a woolen blanket 
beneath. When done, fold it up with the 
holder, and lay it away till next ironing-day. 
d. w. 
Yes, and have a skirt board, and board for 
pants, and for shirt bosoms. Also to keep 
starch from sticking, add a lump of butter or 
lard, while it is boiling. 
STARCH. 
emis are cut wider, the turn down points 
will be larger and look better. If cut in a 
circular shape, it will fit the neck better. 
lilnck Alpaca Di-ohm. 
Blanche, \ irginia.—(Material for dress, 
black alpaca; figure of medium bight, quite 
fleshy, etc.) Make with plafn waist, plain 
flowing sleeves, overcoat, a pointed throat, 
or trimming applied to simulate one; short 
gored skirt, with a narrow side, plaited 
flounce ou the bottom, a deeper one over¬ 
lapping it, cut on the bias, and gathered 
slightly, with beading of a narrow upright 
plaited ruffie, to match the bottom; a strait 
overskirt in length reaching the top flounce, 
open or closed in front to your taste, trimmed 
with a narrow ruffle; throat and ends of 
flowing sleeves trimmed to match ; belt and 
loops at the back of black gros-grain or vel¬ 
vet ribbon; cerise or scarlet neck tie. Cloaks 
will be more worn this winter than shawls. 
Jennie —Make your black alpaca dress 
with a bias flounce, fourteen inches deep, 
bound on both edges with the same, and 
CONTRIBUTED RECIPES. 
Bread Irani .Sprouted Wheat. 
Viola asks how to make good bread 
from wheat that is slightly sprouted, and 
prevent it running over the edge of the tin 
while baking; also for what purpose alum 
is used ill making bread, and it what way it 
is used. Try scalding the flour before add¬ 
ing the yeast. Alum is used to inukc bread 
white and light, but is unwholesome, 
“Genera! Training” Gingerbread. 
Sarah wants a recipe for the “ old-fash¬ 
ioned gingerbread, such as we used to buy 
at general trainings.” A Iso, “ how to make 
nice brittle crackers.” The palatubloness of 
the gingerbread in those days depended 
largely upon the sharpened appetites of the 
buyers. We give two excellent recipes, 
\\ Inch, it sensibly followed, will give a great 
deal better gingerbread, probabiy, than you 
bought at “ general trainings.” 
Swift’s Gingerbread Recipe. 
Ingredients, two teacups of molasses, one 
of butter; two teaspoons of ginger, one even 
full of bi-carbonate of soda ; one teacup of 
warm water; flour enough to make a soft 
dough. After placed in the bake tin, flour 
you hands to pat it into shape, and with a 
knifes cross cut the top into squares or 
diamonds. Bake until “ done 1" 
market m proper abundance. One day, how¬ 
ever, nurse having staid, as I thought, too 
long in the kitchen, I went to look after her, 
and found her standing before the range, 
stirring a white liquid in a pan. She \\°as 
about to stiffen her only black calico, for the 
young woman had lately put on mourning. 
Jealous of baby’s rights, I asked her why she 
did not mix her starch with water, instead 
of robbing our scant supply of milk? She 
replied that “sh q hud used water, but that 
starch always looked so at first.” I forgot 
to say that 1 wanted her up stairs, and went 
myself. Whether or not it was onlv mv 
r Eltw.—Most living rooms, we fancy 
will need re-papering- and thorough renovation 
as soon as the frosts come- after sueb a reign of 
flies as the summer of 1870 has witnessed. 
