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HOW TO ORMMENT DINNER TABLES. 
Housekeeping is simply home making, and the 
housekeeper who makes the pleasantest home is the 
best one. The first thing is to provide for the neces¬ 
sities of life, then for the comforts, then ornaments and 
elegancies. What hungryman or woman would fully 
appreciate a tastefully arranged bouquet, on a dining- 
table, if the meat itself is ill-cooked and insufficient. 
First, however humble the meal and unpretentious, 
the table-cloth should be clean, and put on straight, 
and the napkins arranged orderly, all the dishes in 
their proper places, not looking as if they were thrown 
on, bright spotless silver, and well cooked food, and 
plenty of it. It is not necessary to have the viands of 
many varieties, if not desired, or very rich, or of com¬ 
plicated preparation, but good and wholesome, then 
decorate the table as well as your time, means, and 
taste will allow. Perhaps a bouquet or two, or some 
easily produced ornament is as much as oue would be 
justifiable in using for common, but on state occasions 
for large parties, the floral decorations have become a 
large item, in the programme. Large, almost fabulous 
prices are paid for the decorations for a single party, 
yet very fine effects can be produced with very little 
expense, if taste and ingenuity are used in the arrange¬ 
ment. We will suppose that a large party is to be 
given, aud that the host has a large house, and spa¬ 
cious dining room. The cloth is laid and we will 
propose a way to produce the required floral decora¬ 
tions. If we have a tall, slender, gold or silver 
epergne, for the center of the table, we will fill it with 
drooping sprays of Srnilax vine, a few Rose buds, aud 
whatever fine white flowers we find available. If we 
can obtain it, a large white Lily for the centre. A little 
way on each side of this we will erect au aquatic bou¬ 
quet. For this we need two hell glasses of equal size, 
and as large as we can procure. We will take a nice 
variety of flowers, and using considerable green, make 
some not very compact bouquets, which will almost 
fill the hell glass, when they are inverted over them. 
Tie a stone of considerable size inside of the stems. 
Have a dish, a soup plate, ora larger dish, into which 
the hell glass can he turned, and the edge of the plate 
come a little beyond and above the edge of the glass. 
Place the bouquet in this plate, and around the stems 
of the bouquet arrange moss and shells, to completely 
bide the plate. Have a tub of water largo enough to 
completely immerse the bell glass. Set the plate, 
with the bouquet, in the tub aud take the glass and 
put in the water with oue side first, so the water will 
fill it clear to the top; keep turning it down in the 
water, and over the bouquet, setting it firmly on the 
plate. Lift the whole carefully from I he tub, by 
the plate, leaving the water around the edge of the 
plate. Arrange fern fronds and shells to completely 
hide the edge of the plate. Smaller bouquets in small 
glasses may he placed around these large ones if de¬ 
sired, of course the process of preparing is materially 
the same. They should be prepared the day before 
they are to be shown, as they assume a frosty appear¬ 
ance about that time, that is very charming. Smaller 
epergnes, or vases with bouquets may be placed at 
each end of the table. Floral ornaments should be 
high at the center of the table, aud diminish toward 
each end. 
Very pretty ornaments, besides furnishing edibles, 
are formed by piling oranges in glass dishes, with tall 
standards, the oranges first being prepared in the fol¬ 
lowing manner. With a sharp knife first divide the 
peeliug, half way down from one end, into twelve 
equal parts, then begin at the end and raise the peel¬ 
ing from the oranges as far as it has been cut. Leave 
every other section only raising it a little from the end. 
Turn this peeling back, and it gives it somewhat the 
appearance of a yellow lily, or some singular flower. 
Fill two other glass dishes with iced fruit, piled on 
green leaves. This is very beautiful, indeed, and is 
exceedingly charming when seen by gaslight. 
A large napkin is now spread at the head and foot 
of the table. This is expected to be of the very finest 
linen, and the monogram beautifully embroidered. 
When people have arrived at the dignity (?) of 
adopting a coat of arms, these also are emblazoned 
upon them. 
Sometimes the monogram and crest is woven into 
the linen, which, of course, must he of the finest and 
whitest. 
The napkins, on grand occasions, should he folded 
in some elaborate design. Perhaps^ the eamelia 
shaped is as pretty as any. Fold into the centre the 
four corners of the napkin, repeat this for the second 
time, and again for the third time. You now turn it 
over. The corners must this time be folded under¬ 
neath the napkin to the centre, and the upper centre 
points drawn back, and the corners of the napkin 
slightly raised, when it will have the appearance of a 
eamelia. 
The letters and designs upon table linen should be 
large and handsome. The linen must he spotless and 
well arranged, or the ornamentation of flowers and 
shining silver will he useless, as far as producing a 
good effect is concerned. The napkins must he ar¬ 
ranged in uniform places, and the knife and fork placed 
on the right side, with edge of the knife, turned out¬ 
ward, and the tines of the forks downward. Each 
article designed, for individual use should correspond 
with the like ones in position to give an air of order 
to the table, which is one of its greatest charms. 
The fashions in china ware are as changeable and 
arbitrary as in all things else. Just now the rage is 
for real china, well decorated. “The Centennial” 
has been the favorite for the past year. It has a cen¬ 
tury blossom on each piece, and is really very hand¬ 
some. 
All sorts of dishes break out noty-a-days in fantastic 
and singular shapes, so that we almost have to stop 
and ask what they are for. The shape of some arti¬ 
cles have changed very much in the last few years. 
For very elaborate occasions a net-work canopy of 
green moss, and evergreens, and bright colored berries 
may be erected over the centre of the table. Of course 
it must be arranged before setting tlie table. Then 
the viands themselves must be ornamental to make it 
all harmonious, cooked in an artistic manner, and 
brought in on suitable dishes. 
One word about dinners should always be remem¬ 
bered. Do not attempt more than you can carry out 
well; have everything to correspond. Nothing 
makes articles, which are only passably nice, look so 
mean as to be surrounded with elegant and costly 
things. And surely you must not spoil the effect of 
an elegantly and expensively arranged table by one or 
two articles of shabby appearance. It takes talent, 
and thought, and good execution to make a grand 
dinner a success; and if one lacks the means or ability 
they should avoid attempting it. A small cozy din¬ 
ner party is really much more pleasant, and lifts such 
a burden from the hostess. Everything should he 
just as perfect in its way, even if no guests are ex¬ 
pected ; but such elaborate decorations as a large 
party demand can be dispensed with. It is very un¬ 
pleasant for a dining-room to have a cramped appear¬ 
ance after the table is laid. It should be large, and 
pleasant, and airy, suitably ornamented according to 
your means and the manner in which the rest of the 
house is furnished. 
In placing the dishes of cooked food upon the table, 
never set them at the edge of the table, but reserve 
the spaces between the plates clear for the convenience 
of cups of tea, dishes of sauce, etc. To see dishes so 
placed always suggests the possibility of their being 
brushed with the sleeve of any one who should reach 
over them. If the table is crowded, leave some of tlie 
dishes off sooner than put them on in this way. Al¬ 
ways arrange the food in as handsome a manner as 
possible upon the dishes. G-ive it a nice pleasing ap¬ 
pearance instead of a mugsy hurried-up appearance. 
Then arrange the dishes upon the table in the order 
in which they belong. Our first endeavor must be to 
satisfy the appetite, our next to suit the taste, and the 
next to please the eye. A general satisfaction with our 
surroundings gives a better relish to our dinner, pro¬ 
motes digestion and increases our health. 
HOUSEHOLD HINTS. 
Croup can generally he greatly alleviated, if not 
cored very speedily, if the following remedy is applied 
promptly: Take a knife, and grate and shave off 
in small particles about a teafepoonful of alum ; then 
mix it with twice its quantity of sugar to make it 
palatable, and administer it as quickly as possible. 
Almost instantaneous relief will follow. 
A small piece of paper or linen, moistened with the 
spirits of turpentine, and put into a bureau or ward¬ 
robe for a single day, two or three times, is said to he 
a sufficient preservation against moths. 
Lemon-juice and glycerine will remove tan and 
freckles. 
Lemon-juice and glycerine will cleanse and soften 
the hands. 
Lunar caustic, carefully applied, so as not to touch 
the skin, will destroy warts. 
To obviate offensive perspiration, wash with soap 
and diluted spirits of ammonia. 
The juice of ripe tomatoes will remove the stain of 
walnuts from the hands without injury to the skin. 
If you are buying carpets for durability, choose 
small figures. 
Benzine and common clay will clean marble. 
If your flat-irons are rough, rub them with fine salt, 
and it will make them smooth. 
Castor-oil is an excellent thing to soften leather. 
To clean a browned porcelain kettle, boil peeled 
potatoes in it. The porcelain will be rendered nearly 
as white as when new. 
To ascertain whether a bed be damp or not, after 
the bed is warmed, put a glass globe in between the 
sheets, and if the bed be damp, a few drops of wet will 
appear on the inside of the glass. 
A strong solution of carbolic acid and water, poured 
into holes, kill all the ants it touches, and the survi¬ 
vors immediately take themselves off. 
Linen garments, which have become yellow from 
time, may be whitened by being boiled in a lather 
made of milk and pure white soap, a pound of the 
latter to a gallon of the former. After the boiling 
process the linen should he twice rinsed, a little blue 
being added to the last water used. 
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