JULY 30 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
fro, bringing In all my belongings from without. 
When he had finished, he asked me If I should like 
to see my room, and went out to ask hls wife In 
the kitchen In what, room she had made m.v bed. I 
heard their conversation every word, 'rhe old 
lady was extremely deaf, and the gardener was 
obliged to shout very loudly to make her under¬ 
stand. 
“In the state chamber, surely," shesald. “ Why 
not. you old image?” she went. on. " ft’s the big¬ 
gest and beBt of the beds—the downiest in the 
Manor House; you ought to know, for we slept 
in It—" 
“Only once, dame, only once." 
“ Well, and whose fault was It that we did not 
use it offerer? Yours; gaffer. You pretend to 
be deaf when It don’t suit you to hear. But that 
night you heard more than I did with your capers, 
for T slept through It all.” 
“ I wouldn’t sleep In that room again, not for 
worlds. You'd better change It. Come.' 
“I won't. I don’t want to do my work over 
twice, Just to fall In with your tart rums. Besides, 
Miss Judith said he waste have it—so there! The 
gentleman’s not like you. afraid of hls shadow; 
so g’long and show him up to hls room ” 
I gathered much from these remarks: first, that 
there was some mystery about the state chamber : 
last, that Miss Maxied herself wished me to occu¬ 
py It—probably out of mischievous desire to try 
my courage—and as this notion grew with me, I 
felt that I was bound not to draw back. 
FIG. 364. 
When the gardener returned and, holding a can¬ 
dle high overhead, led the way up statrB, we passed 
through those rooms en suite wli h that, in which 1 
was to dine—low snug rooms with ancient hang¬ 
ings and furniture, and each having two or three 
small windows looking upon the moat, on the 
ot her side, all the rooms bad doors opening upon 
the corridor, and the windows of this corridor 
looked Into the central court. The last room had 
a small door at the far end, up three steps, and I 
asked whither it led? 
“To the tower staircase and so to the clock 
tower, " said the old man carelessly ; “ It Is locked 
and never used,” With that we passed out Into 
the corridor, and I found a flight of wide oak 
stairs leading to the first floor. Here there were 
rooms the counterpart, of those below, and that 
which I was to occupy was exactly abovo my din¬ 
ing room. It was entered from the corridor and 
its windows also gave upon the moat. There was 
nothing very peculiar In my bed-room except that 
it had an old-fashioned air. The big bed was of 
dark old oak, richly carved; there was a press of 
the same wood ; the wash-stand was of quaint 
shape, nr.ted with basin and Jug and phials of 
some naeial which, on closer in* pectlon, I found to 
be silver; Ibe floor was of dark oak; and the only 
carpet was a narrow rug by the bed and before 
the fire-place. This laat was a wide, cavernous 
affair with large brass dogs, and on these crackled 
and sparkled a magalflcent tire, which diffused 
warmth and comfort Into every corner. A sweet 
smell pervaded the place as of new lavender and 
some antique perfume combined, if tbe ghosts 
loved this room they were luxurious ghosts, with 
a taste above brimstone and sulphur. 
“ I shall do very well here,” I said cheerily to 
my conductor. 
“ So you ought; so you ought," he replied, but 
it was with an effort, as though he knew of rea¬ 
sons why I should nor. 
“There are a many more rooms,” he went on, 
“ It tc happens you don’t like this one. And you 
may not—you may not!” he went on with a 
dubious, mysterious shake of the head. 
n alt an hour later 1 was at dinner. Mrs. Duke 
gave rae some very succulent f oup, and a cunning¬ 
ly contrived stew, in wnicn there were several 
kinds of game, rabbit, hare, partridge and a 
quantity of vegetables, shreds of cabbage, onions, 
carrots, broad beans and soft marrowfat, peas. I 
had brought a case of wtne with me, and after a 
glass 1 felt equal to face a whole legion of ghosts, 
It they wished to force their acquaintance upon 
me. But the evening slipped away most tran¬ 
quilly ; I aat and smoked, and read an odd volume 
and occasionally dozed. T was disturbed only by 
the visit or old Duke, who came about ten p. m. to 
ask mo It I had any further commands, and at 
eleven 1 took my caudlestlek and went upstairs to 
bed. The state clumber well deserved its name, 
with its rich hangings, Its dark, pollBhed floor, 
which here and t here reflected the flre-Ught, its 
gorgeous bed and general air of splendor, it was 
wonky to be the resting place of a prince. 
Throwing auother log or two on the fire, I pre¬ 
pared tort tiro to rest. There was a small table 
by the bedside, aDd on this, according to custom, 
I placed xny candlestick and match box. l might 
want a light during the nlgUt. Last of all, I thought 
It advisable to lock and bolt my door. Ghosts, like 
love, may langh at locks, but the latter are use¬ 
ful against living humanity; and, after all, I was 
alone In a strange deserted house. 
I soon went to sleep. How long my slumbers 
lasted I could not say, but It seemed to me barely 
ajshort hair hour bptorc I was suddenly awakened 
by a most, tremendous noise, i could not have 
been more startled, or have more suddenly re¬ 
gained all my faculties, If I had been drenched 
from bead to foot by buckets of Icy cold water. 
To be continued. 
or Morara. 
OONDtfOTED BY MISS BAY CLARK.. 
DESCRIPTION OF CUTS. 
Fig. S66 —Lamp-Cylinpkk Cleaner. 
It Is made of soft, unbleached knltting-cotton. 
Make a chain of twenty stitches, 
join round, draw the thread 
through the flrst stitch, work six 
chain, and draw through both 
loops on the needle together; 
work to the end of the round. 
The following rounds (twenty- 
two In number) are worked In the 
same way. 
For the handle take a piece of 
cane 16 Inches long, cover 10 Inch¬ 
es of the cane with soft cotton¬ 
wool, and fasten It firmly on. 
The cover Is drawn over the pad¬ 
ding and tacked at the top, so 
that It may easily be taken off 
to wash when soiled. A chain 
of cotton Is fastoned through 
the handle to bang It up by. 
Fig. 867.—Chinbsb Antimacassar. 
This novel antimacassar Is com¬ 
posed of Japanese pictures, which 
are sold at most Japanese and 
fancy repositories, at a very low 
price. Tbe pictures are each 
bound with olive-green saTsanet 
ribbon, and are Beamed together 
at the edges like ordinary patch- 
work. One corner of each corner 
picture Is cut off and the edge is 
bound. The border Is composed of oblong pieces 
of cotton batiste, alternately olive-green and 
crimson; they are bound, joined together and 
Axel to the center. 
FIGS. 364 AND 366,—CHUB'S STOCKING : KNITTING. 
This stocking is suitable to be made in knitting- 
cotton (No. 16) and pins (No. 18) or knlttlng- 
silk and the same size pins. Fifteen stitches 
are cast on, and twenty rounds knitted for the 
inch. As the stocking may be made for acblld 
of any size, we think these directions will be 
more useful than if we gave any stated number of 
stitches. We may, however, mention that for a 
stocking to fit a child from four to live years of 
age knitted with the pins and silk or cotton de¬ 
scribed, about lit stitches should be cast, on. The 
number of stitches cast on must be divisible by 
ten, as that number Is required to form each pat¬ 
tern. Eleven extra stitches are allowed, which 
must be knitted plain in the middle of the hack of 
leg, so that tbe requisite decrease may not throw 
the pattern out. 
For the top of stocking: Commence with the 
ribbed pattern, knit two and purl two alternately 
ted plain. The center stitch of the eleven must 
be purled In every round for the seam. In order 
to remember to do this, tie a piece of colored cotton 
l n the stitch In the flrat round. As these stitches 
m nowise form the pattern, we shall not mention 
them In the following directions. 
2 nd. Round: Purl two, knit one, make one, knit 
six, pass the next stitch over the sixth knitted 
stitch, and repeat from the beginning of the 
round. 
3rd. Round: Purl two, knit two, make one, knit 
live, pass the next stitch over the fifth knitted 
one, and repeat from the beginning of tbe round. 
4th Round; Purl two, knit three, make one, knit 
four, pass tbe next stitch over the fourth knitted 
stitch, and repeat from the beginning of the round. 
6th. Round; Purl two, knit four, make one, 
knit three, pass the next stitch over the third 
knitted stitch, and repeat from the beginning of 
the round. 
6th Round ; Purl two, knit live, make one, knit 
two, pass the next stitch over the second knitted 
stitch, and repeat from the beginning of the 
round. 
7th. Round : Purl two, knit six, make one, knit 
one, pass the next stitch over It, and repeat from 
the beginning of tbe round. 
Repeat from the flrst round. 
The decrease la commenced when you have 
made the leg the length required from above the 
knee to the center of the calf of the leg. To de 
crease, knit two together before and after the 
seam-stitch In every sixth round until you are 
wltnin two Inches of the commencement of the 
heel. These two inches are knit two and purl 
two every round. 
For the heel, divide the studies, leaving the 
same number on one pin for the heel as there are 
on the two other pins for the front or foot, knit 
and purl a row alternately until you have worked 
FIG. 36S 
the length required for the heel. The seam- stitch 
must be purled in the knitted row, and knitted in 
the purled row. For the gusset, begin with the 
knitted row, slip the stitch next after the seam- 
stltcb, knit the second, pass the slipped stltcn 
over, and knit the next, turn baok, purl to the 
other sldeof the seam, purl two togerher, purl one, 
turn back. In the next row, slip the second stitch 
past the seam, knit the next, pass the slipped 
stitch over, knit one, turn back; continue in this 
way until you have taken in all the Btltchos each 
side the seam. Having finished the heel, pick up 
the stitches at the edge, beginning at the left side, 
with tbe pin on wnleh the heel stitches are, knit¬ 
ting each stitch as you pick It up. With another 
pin work off the stitches on the two front pins, 
then with auother pin pick up the stitches on the 
right side of the heel; work halt the gusset-stlteh- 
es on to this pm. Now commence the gusset, of 
the foot; knit arouod to the right-hand side of the 
hack of foot, knit the flrst stitch, slip the second, 
knit tne third, pass the slipped stitch over the 
knitted one, knit to within three stitches of the 
end ot the next pin; slip one, knit one, pass the 
slipped stitch over, knit the last, the front pin la 
always knitted without decrease; knit one plain 
round between every decrease, continue to knit 
without Increase or decrease until the foot Is with¬ 
in an Inch of the length required; then decrease 
for the toe. Knit the flrst stitch of the front pm, 
fig. 367. 
for about forty rounds, or two Inches. After this 
the pattern Fig. 364 is commenced. 
1st Round; Purl two, make one by turning the 
cotton over the pin, knit seven, pass the next 
stitch over the seventh knitted stitch. Repeat 
from the beginning of the round until you are 
within eleven stitches of the end; these are knit¬ 
sllp the second, knit ihe third, pass the slipped 
stitch over, knit to within three stitches or the 
end of the pin, slip one, knit one, pass the slipped 
stitch over, knit one, decrease In the same way at 
the beginning of the next pm and at the end of 
the last pm. Work one plain row between each 
decrease, until you have ten stitches on the front 
pin and five on each of the back pins; take the 
stitches from the last pin on the second, place the 
front and back pins together, and cast tbe front 
and back rows off at tbe same time. 
Fig. 868.—Collar and Cravat. 
The collar and cravat are of blue satin and 
white lace. 
Fig. 369.—Fichu. 
The flehu is of cream-colored surah and lace. 
HOW TO DRESS WELL AND ECONOM¬ 
ICALLY. 
BY MART E. BURROUGHS. 
How not to look slovenly at home or shabby 
abroad Is a problem which—to those of moderate 
and often very limited means—seems almost inca¬ 
pable of solution. In this, as In all good work, 
there must be a definite plan of procedure. Y'ou 
must decide m the flrst place, how much money 
you can afford to spend each half year on dress. 
FIG. 369. 
Very few women know how much It has cost them 
to dress heretofore; they Bpent Just as it seemed 
convenient and perhaps found wheD three quar¬ 
ters of their Spring wardrobe was provided, that 
all their money whb gone, and they were obliged 
to go the rest or the Summer only three-fourths 
well dressed and consequently dissatisfied. You 
cannot decide how much you can afford unless 
you have at some time kept an accurate account 
of your expenditures for this purpose and thus 
know how much you have, afforded before. When 
once you know somewhat definitely the amount 
of money at your disposal the next step ts to find 
out for what occasions you are to provide dresses, 
these are usually comprised In the following enu¬ 
meration : parties, church, visiting, shopping, 
calling, etc , and home. 
Of party dresses little, need be said since many 
of my readers probably could not afford it, even 
If they had occasion for an elaborate evening cos¬ 
tume. As a general rule It may be said, however, 
that while dresses with natural flowers or libbon 
trimmings are always Biutable for young ladles 
and need not he either expensive or elaborate 
when made of the materials now so much In 
vogue: dotted muslins, lawns, bun (tog, nun’s 
veiling, eto. .Such dresses can also be worn to 
churcu and elsewhere In hot weather. 
For ehurcb nothing is so appropriate as black 
In cassimere, grenadine or silk materials. But a 
black dress must never be of cheap quality; there¬ 
fore, unless you can afford a tine quality, do not 
get one. A dark blue, brown or gray woolen 
drees, plainly and tastefully made la much more 
ladylike than a cheap black silk or cassimere. For 
church then, any dark materials, whether silk or 
woolen are admissible and suitable, although 
almost everything Is worn. 
For visiting, shopping, etc., woolen dresses are 
moat used, and for home wear in the afternoon; 
these need not necessarily be of very dark shades 
but should always be inconspicuous In color, 
in fact, this is one of the essentials in the 
solution ot my problem. At present, the most ser¬ 
viceable dress one can nave ib a sort flannel suit¬ 
ing which costs 60 cents per yard, single fold. It 
Is usually medium brown or gray, or very dark 
blue In color, and Is made with no trimming ex¬ 
cept a lew rows—tbreo or five—of machine stitch¬ 
ing. It may bBmade round waist, with belt and 
trimmed skirt or plain basque and trimmed skin. 
For home wear, If you do not do your own house¬ 
work, such a dress as the one described above 1s 
appropriate; it you do, two glngh&m drosses 
which may be washed alternately are necessary. 
And I wish here to recommend gingham over cali¬ 
co ; though slightly more expensive at flrst, it 
does not crumple or soil so readily and both wears 
and washes better. Make them simply ; if you do 
not Uko the wrapper style, make the skirt short 
with one plain flounce and the waist either a long 
gored half-fitting sack or a round waist and belt. 
Such dresses are easily laundrled and need never 
be made over. 
Now, about making over ; do not do much of It; 
It does uot pay; you will fltid it a far greater 
saving of time and strength no lets than of money, 
to have fewer and plainer dresses and to 
wear them out as you go. This rule doeB not al¬ 
ways apply to cafiareu’s clothln •. The great 
mistake which women make who have not time 
and money to follow the fashion but who do not 
Wish to look “ dowdy',” Is in fancying t hey must 
have so many changes. Do not bo afraid ot wear¬ 
ing one dress almost everywhere you gu until It 
Is worn out. reople nolle# It tar less than you 
Imagine. 
It Is most economical to wear somewhat the 
same color all the time ; tbeu whatever you may 
have on hand In the way of bonnet trlmmlDgs, 
gloves, etc., will alway s match what you buy new. 
It Is now considered not only sensible but ex¬ 
tremely fashionable to have all dresses short. 
If I have helped even one to the solution of this 
