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ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS, AND GOSSIP 
ABOUT HOME AFFAIRS. 
China Painting. —Mary and Addie B.—You will 
find china painting a most eaptivaliug recreation ! 
indeed, sufficient cannot be said in its praise, and it 
is our ardent desire that every girl in the land should 
be on the alert to make herself acquainted with all 
such artistic work. Surely, you may succeed ; why 
not? You have hands, deft fingers, good sense, and 
we verily believe, would not put a green ribbon on 
your hair, and a red one below on your breast, and you 
testify from your dainty note-paper that you possess 
an innate sense of the delicately beautiful. Oh, yes; 
you will learn to paint. One will aid the other, too, 
as there is a pair of you. In commencing painting on 
china there is one advantage that a very tyro pos¬ 
sesses ; there is no need of carefully graded shades, 
extreme accuracy as regards perspective, or strict re¬ 
gard for precision in form, truthfnl copying, or deli¬ 
cate strokes. 
Examine the celebrated relics of ancient times, and 
you will find that though the ceramic art was perfect 
as a whole, it does not appear so if judged by the 
standard of excellence exacted for dedicate painting on 
paper, velvet, or other such material; and even in the 
French schools, where the lovely Rose du Barry and 
Pelissy china show exquisite touches, and the most 
charming combinations of form, if closely examined, 
though the general effect is perfection, the outlines 
sharply defined, the colors finely balanced, the forms 
graceful, yet the manipulation is not of the pre-Ra- 
phaelite order by any means. In an article such as 
this, it is not possible to give you clear directions on 
this subject, but we hope the day will come when we 
shall feel able to do it justice, for several articles on 
the subject, published in one of our leading art papers, 
has brought us so many letters on the subject, that we 
believe this charming art-work is awakening our 
beauty-loving people to a sense of what, may be done 
in this line, for no other offers so wide a scope for 
beautiful household elegancies in form of dinner, tea, 
breakfast, and dessert sets, plaques, tiles, jardiniere, 
slabs, etc. 
Laundry Work. —Mrs. A. W. M.—We know 
well the perplexity young housekeepers have concern¬ 
ing the simple and homely duties of their new avo¬ 
cations, especially when, as in your case, they are 
obliged to perform them with their own hands. The 
very first piece of advice “ Aunt Carrie” offers you is, 
save yourself in every possible way; because you of 
necessity perform your own household labor, and are 
nurse to your two little ones, is no reason for your be¬ 
coming a mere “ drudge,” for in this day, and with a 
house such as the cottage you describe, you may so 
arrange your duties that each day you will secure an \ 
hour or two, at least, for reading and the musical prac¬ 
tice in which you so delight. But we will at once 
answer the questions you ask. 
1st. As regards the laundry question. We at one 
time were so situated for several months, during the 
dreadful “ war epoch,” and while residing in one of 
the slave states, that we were obliged to attend to our 
own washing, household work, four little children, 
and to assist daily in the hospitals; so we can give 
you a “ leaf from the book of real experience.” We 
would advise you to wash on Tuesday, when obliged 
to do it yourself, for the reason that Monday invari¬ 
ably brings so many extra duties. There are numer¬ 
ous things to be picked up, and the bouse to be ad¬ 
justed. the larder has grown low and must be replen¬ 
ished, and above all, there are preparations to be made 
for the wash which will materially aid you. First 
collect all the clothing, and, sorting them into three 
separate groups, fine, medium, and coarse white cloth¬ 
ing, put them loosely into large thin muslin bags; vve 
use two thin flour-sacks opened and sewed together, 
with a string at the top. We then place the wash- 
boiler on the hack of the stove, and in it put soft wa¬ 
ter and the following washing-fluid, using one teacup¬ 
ful to eight gallons of water : 1 lb. sal soda, 1 do. bo¬ 
rax, J do. chloride of lime, boiled in 6 gallons of water. 
When cold add half a pound of salts of tartar, which 
acts upon any grease, paint, etc., and dissolves them. 
It is the ingredient which produces the lather in hair 
washes, making a saponaceous compound. Heat the 
water in the boiler and stir in the fluid ; place one or 
two of the sacks of clothes in a tub and well cover 
with the water; if the wash is not large, the entire lot 
may be put into the tub, but it is better to make a 
i little more prepared water and place the coarse clothes, 
towels, etc., iu a separate tub. Brown towels, and 
any very dirty pieces, we put into the boiler; make 
the water rather stronger, and add a cupful of soft 
soap, allowing them to remain on the back edge of 
stove or range all day. 
One tablespoouful of fluid to about two gallons of 
water is a good proportion. The following morning 
make a boiler of water quite hot, stir into it sufficient 
shaved soap to make a thick lather, and pour it over 
the fine pieces, first turning them out into a tub; 
take your clothes-stick, and, lifting them up and down 
in the water, let the suds act well upon every part; 
next pass them through a washing-machine, of which 
there are several good ones ; we have used a “ Doty ” 
for years, and with great satisfaction, though many 
have these same lyiug idle in their cellars or garrets. 
When examined after this you will find most, of the 
articles ready for the rinse tub, and beautifully white, 
but should any streaks or spots appear, rub a little 
soap on them, add one tablespoouful of your fluid to 
two gallons of water, and boil them for a little time. 
Then rinse through two waters, each slightly blue, 
putting the wringer on the washing-machine and then 
on each tub in succession. Two light-blue waters 
are better than one clear and one heavy blue one. For 
many years we have made our own “ blueing,” using 
one-fourth pound of Prussian-blue and two ounces of 
oxalic acid; add sufficient boiling water to dissolve 
the acid; then mix the blue smoothly in and gradually 
add a half gallon of soft water ; this will make a large 
quantity, but it is easier to make it once for a length 
of time, as it requires no more trouble. It is best to 
obtain a sheet of “ filtering paper ” from your drug¬ 
gist, and, folding it round the inside of a funnel sus¬ 
pended in a pitcher or jar, allow the fluid to slowly 
percolate through, thus retaining all the sediment. 
While rinsing allow your starch to be boiling, in readi¬ 
ness for those articles requiring it, for it is much the 
best way to finish the hag of fine articles first, before 
commencing the second, as thus they may be dried be¬ 
fore the colored clothes are ready for the line. 
Keep a bar of pure white soap purposely for your 
starch, for by shaving off a teaspoonful and making a 
thin lather, with a quart of water, for your starch you 
will have no trouble with “ sticking-irons.” 
STARCH. 
Mix three tablespoonfuls of dry “Laundry Starch,” 
to a cream, with sufficient cold water, then stir 
it quickly into the boiling soapsuds, and allow 
it to boil five minutes, when stir into it a piece of 
spermaceti, or “ star-candle,” and one teaspoonful of 
fine white mucilage of gum arable, made by putting 
two ounces of best gum-arabic in a half-pint bottle of 
cold water. It will require several days to dissolve. 
Bring to a boil, then at once remove. Dip shirt bo¬ 
soms, collars and cuffs, the right sides together, then 
rub the starch well into them, and, passing them 
through a loose “wringer,” stretch and clap them, 
then place in the basket on a towel. Starch your vests 
in the same manner, passing the backs first through 
the wringer. 
If you have laces do not rub them, but after starch¬ 
ing and wringing, place them between two sheets, 
folding each piece smoothly, and with a clean new 
broom, wrapped in a pillow, towel, or encased in a 
pillow-slip, gently pound in all over for about ten min¬ 
utes; this will make curtains quite clear and impart 
the transparent lightness of new lace. Rich thread 
laces, dip in starch boiled in clear coffee, mixing it 
also in the same, cold. When ready to hang out the 
clothes, have an apron with a pocket across the front 
for holding the clothes-pins and a pair of white mit¬ 
tens, made with a thumb and finger. Every lady 
should care for her hands, not only on account of her 
sewing, but also because a smooth soft hand is pleasant 
both to sight and feeling ! 
Hang all pieces carefully, for it gives much trouble 
to have them dry in crooked, gnarled knots, especially ! 
those stiffly starched. Having scalded the last bagful 
of clothes, and passed them through machine and , 
wringer, you will be ready to attack the colored arti¬ 
cles, which saturate one at a time iu any clean suds 
you may have, that is barely lukewarm. This for any 
common pieces, but for your children’s pretty piques, 
I muslins, and Marseilles suits, dissolve a half pound 
bar of fine washing soap in a gallon of water, making 
it boiling hot; then stir the thick suds into a half tub¬ 
ful of cold water, and add half a pint of ox-gall ; 
wash each piece carefully by lifting it up and down 
and pressing it well in the water with a smooth maul, 
kept for tlie purpose; then do the same in the two 
rinse waters, passing eacli piece, smoothly folded, 
through the wringer ; this done several times from the 
suds-water, will aid materially in extracting the dirt 
without much manual labor. Starch heavy fabrics 
with thin starch, but muslins, lawns, etc., with that 
about as thick as cream. Drv by hanging dresses be¬ 
tween two lines placed about five feet apart, pinning 
one-half the bottom of the skirt to one line, the neck 
’ and sleeves to the other. 
: Wash navy-blue, black, dark brown or myrtle green 
dresses, in water in which a handful or two of bran 
has been boiled, straining it through a bag, then grate 
'a half dozen potatoes previously pared, into a"half 
tubful of warm, not hot, water; add a tablespoonful 
1 of aqua ammonia, and wash them through this; rinse 
iu very deep blue-water, in which three or four pota¬ 
toes have been grated, and wring carefully ; use no 
starch, but dry as directed. For ecru, boil hay in soft 
water, adding bran, and rinsing in cold clear water. 
Wash your flannels in cold suds, then rinse in two cool 
blue-waters and well shake them. If very dirty, add 
! a teaspoon fnl of powdered borax to a little tub of wa¬ 
ter, about three gallons. 
For blankets, put two large tablespoonfuls of borax 
into a half tubful of soft water, then stir iu a bar of 
nice washing soap dissolved in boiling water, and add 
a cupful of the washing fluid ; stir all well together, 
then lay in your blankets, and, lifting them up and 
down a few times, cover the tub closely and leave for 
twelve hours. Iu the morning stir and press them 
with your clothes-maul, and when all the dirt is ex¬ 
tracted, rinse through two blue-waters, passing each 
one through the “wringer” after each process. 'Shake 
thoroughly, or pin on the line and whip gently with 
a supple switch. As the water runs to the bottom 
edge, squeeze it down between the hands. Never 
wring by twisting, but invariably use a wringer, fold¬ 
ing each one straight. 
FOLDING DOWN AND IRONING. 
Always fold your clothes down several hours before 
ironing them, using an atomizer, or a little whisk- 
broom, and clean water, stretching and smoothing out 
each piece: the tablecloths require careful folding. 
For shirts, bosoms, collars, cuffs, and vests, dip in 
cold starch, mixed quite smooth in soapsuds, until like 
milk. The general trouble is, persons use cold starch 
too thick. Use a board eight inches wide and eighteen 
long, neatly covered with two or three thicknesses of 
flannel, then with a muslin cover, tied smoothly over, 
and frequently washed. The underside should have 
merely a cover of Canton flannel pasted smoothly 
over, and when dry covered with a piece of heavy 
muslin also pasted, and while damp ironed until dry 
and smooth ; this hard side is for polishing the bosoms, 
first stretched and held smoothly over; while the soft 
padded side will be found admirable for embroidered 
collars and cuffs, Vandyke ruffles, Marseilles vests, 
etc. A patent' shirt-board now sold, is the very best 
thing we have ever used for this purpose. Iron the 
bosom of your shirts the last. Have a board for 
skirts one foot wide at top and two at the bottom, 
five feet long, and covered with an old doubled blanket, 
then a muslin cover furnished with strings. 
For gentlemen’s pants a narrow board of the same 
kind. After ironing quite dry, fold each leg up the 
front to the knee, then press the upper part cross¬ 
wise, without any fold, wrapping up the seams. Ta¬ 
blecloths should be but slightly starched, and folded 
lengthwise, after ironing quite dry on the right side, 
first down the middle, then putting each selvage edge 
to the centre, pressing them down on the right side; 
next placing the two double parts, thus folded, to¬ 
gether, and then doubling the other way in the same 
manner. Use a kerosene stove for ironing by all 
means. You have no idea of the real comfort there is 
in one of these little conveniences. 
Aunt Carrie. 
