V, 
lorat B-obEiixet tiriS Pictorial Home ^oBinanion. 
91 
THE UNEXPECTED INFORMATION I 
RECEIVED. 
It was a cold, still night in November. I wandered 
up the street of a small village. The pale moon 
wrapped o’er all Nature her mantle of gentle, silvery 
light. The stars glittered in the firmament, some 
twinkling as with modesty, while others gleamed forth 
with a brilliancy and splendor to compare with that 
of the departed sun. 
Everything without seemed inviting and beautiful 
to behold. As I moved along, slowly, absorbed in 
deep thought, a secret sound came floating on the 
evening breeze. It was a strain of “ Home, Sweet 
Home.” My heart swelled with emotion of love and 
gratitude as I neared the place from whence the 
music came. The magnetism in those notes soon 
drew me to the window of a little cottage, not itself 
costly, but made beautiful by the owner. 
The curtains opened just enough to disclose to 
my view an interesting panorama within. I halted. 
A young lady sat in front of the piano and played 
gracefully an effective air. Around an inviting fire¬ 
side sat a group of females, listening attentively. 
Each face was scanned. A look of comfort and hap¬ 
piness was portrayed on every countenance. 
I was impressed with the thought that persons had 
assembled here for some particular purpose, when 
one of the number broke the silence by saying: “I 
have invited these, my favorite friends, here this 
evening to discuss household items; and let every 
moment be spent as pleasantly and profitably as pos¬ 
sible. Let each one express her taste in regard to 
home beauties and conveniences. A seed may acci 
dentally fall here and there which will spring forth 
and throw light around the family-circle that has 
never experienced the sunshine which should illum¬ 
inate every household.” 
All expressed a desire to hear from Mrs. C., who 
was no other than the cheerful, accommodating 
hostess, known as the model lady of the village; and 
who could doubt but that she was deserving of the 
title, after seeing that sweet and placid countenance? 
Such a look of happiness, comfort, and unsefishness, 
showing that in the years spent from her cradled in¬ 
fancy up till now, when the once raven locks were 
varif gated by streaks of silvery gray, many hours 
had been spent in making others happy. 
“ I believe,” said she, “ all here are married—some 
just starting out in their new life, all thirsting for 
some knowledge in regard to the different means by 
which our homes may be rendered inviting and com¬ 
fortable; and I know of nothing that would be more 
interesting to all than to relate my own experience. 
My mind wanders back now to the ever-to-be-remem¬ 
bered childhood days, when care and anxiety were 
yet unknown; and oh! how my heartbeats as I recall 
the many golden hours from sixteen to twenty. But 
the scene on which my memory dwells with pro¬ 
tracted thought and interest is one of twenty years 
ago to night, when, at the altar of the village church, 
two fair, happy girls were each to their chosen part¬ 
ner for life united in the holy bonds of matrimony. 
One of these was myself and the other a friend. The 
contrast between the two was great. While she was 
dressed in everything that indulgent and wealthy 
parents could secure, I was plainly and neatly at¬ 
tired, not even a jewel to sparkle about my person. 
At the church we parted. She started for her new 
home in the We.-t; and I, with a few invited friends, 
proceeded to the humble cot of my father, where we 
spent a very pleasant evening. The next morning 
myself and husband started out to battle with the 
stern realities of life, in a little house composed of 
four rooms. Business soon called him away, and I 
was left alone. There I sat wondering and planning. 
I said to myself: I am now responsible for the future 
happiness of this household. It is in my power to 
make it either a place where husband and friends 
may come for rest and comfort, or shadow it with 
discontent, disorder, and melancholy. It is not al¬ 
ways those that have an abundance of money that 
have the most poetry in their lives; not always 
the material that is in a house that renders it an at¬ 
tractive, desirable place. But it mostly and we might 
say wholly .depends upon how things are arranged 
and managed, and on the taste and especially the dis¬ 
position of the hostess. I made up my mind that I 
would always try to be cheerful, patient, and con¬ 
tented; for without this any house will fall. I had 
but little to begin with, and my ingenuity and 
economy had both to be exercised. My sitting-room, 
reception-room, and parlor, all in one, required my 
first attention. 
“ Many little fancy articles that smile on our walls 
to-day were yet to be invented; but, by studying 
beauty, and at the same time convenience, I succeed¬ 
ed in making this room a pleasure to myself and a 
wonder to my friends. 
“Everything I endeavored to keep clean and in or 
der; and even the few choice plants that adorned a 
rustic stand of my own invention and the ivy leaves 
that fell in garlands over my front window united 
with me in enjoying and drinking in the first rays of 
rosy morning light and added an indispensable 
charm. My little bedroom, dining-room, and kilchen 
were all furnished plainly indeed; but just as well as 
circumstances would permit. I lived as nearly as 
possible in accordance with the rules that I had laid 
down at first; looked forward to better, and tried to 
be contented, and not wish for the luxuries which 
others enjoyed, for ‘multiplying wishes is a curse 
that ketps the soul perpetually awake.’ 
“By good management and accumulating little at 
a time myself and husband became the owners of the 
lovely little home in which you are assembled this 
evening.” 
Every eye was turned in a new direction, scanning 
the different adornments. In front of the fireplace 
was a beautiful home-made hearth-rug, which some of 
your readers would, perhaps, be glad to know some¬ 
thing about. Take a piece of coffee-canvas about a 
yard and a half long and one yard wide, and with 
black Germantown wool fill in the whole piece by 
cross-stitching, taking three threads at a time. Then 
in the same stitch work a deer or some other figure 
in the center with red wool, also a border to corre¬ 
spond. 
Take strips of red and black carpet about three 
inches wide; ravel out two inches for fringe, leaving 
one inch to sew under the rough edge of the rug, 
which must be turned under. Line with another 
piece of canvas. This rug is rather tedious to make, 
but amply repays for the trouble. Various colors 
may be used, to suit the taste. 
The two front windows were dressed in snowy 
white curtains; a beautiful basket, filled with plants 
and vines, hung in the center of each; and at the top 
was a cornice, lovely to behold. It was made of white 
tarlatan. Take a piece about eight inches wide, turn 
in an inch at each edge and gather, making it as full 
as desirable, leaving a little ruffle on each side. Tack 
this across the top of the curtain and nux pressed 
ferns in on the tarlatan to suit the taste, making them 
come down several inches on the curtain in the center. 
In one corner of the room was a beautiful bracket, 
made of light wood or pasteboard, and covered with 
pine-cones, lichens, and moss; and on this was a rustic 
cross, made to correspond, with a little wreath of 
ferns and autumn-leaves twining about it. Above 
this hung a lovely little chromo, framed thus : Take 
four pieces of thin, light wood, an inch wide, long- 
enough to suit the picture; notch the ends, tack at 
the corners, leaving about an inch extended; wrap 
this with candle-wick, and hang in alumn-water till 
it is crystalized. 
The many other attractions which were seen are 
too numerous to mention; but most of them have 
already been described in the columns of The Florae 
Cabinet. The same air of comfort and happiness 
that beautified this room seemed to extend through¬ 
out the entire house. 
The hands of the little clock that sat on the mantel 
had already passed the hour of nine; and, at the 
solicitation of the hostess, the friends passed into the 
dining-room, partook of some nice, yet plain re¬ 
freshments, and then, after an expression of thanks 
for the information received and » kind good-night, 
the crowd dispersed, and each one went on her way 
rejoicing, feeling benefited, and remarking that Mrs. 
C. certainly led an enviable life, and rendered her¬ 
self and all around her happy by cultivating a dis¬ 
position to make the best of everything. 
Fay R. Powell. 
THE POWER OF JAMAICA GINGER. 
It will be good news to that multitude of sorrow¬ 
ing people who have dear friends in the clutches of 
intemperance that a genuine cure for that terrible 
disease has been found in the free use of the extract 
of Jamaica ginger. We publish the following por¬ 
tion of a private letter from a resident of East St. 
Louis, Mo., to a friend in New Britain, Conn. It 
tells its own story: 
“You will rejoice, I know, and help me in praising 
God for the safety of our dear old father. You know 
how long he has been a source of distress and misery 
to all his friends, through the fatal habit. We had 
tried everything to bring back the same old father we 
had before the war; and our prospect looked hope¬ 
less, until-said she had heard that a rich young 
man in Baltimore, a friend of people she formerly 
lived with, was cured by drinking ginger. So un¬ 
happy and anxious were we that we jumped at any 
remedy tbat seemed reasonable, and 1 sent for a bot¬ 
tle of Jamaica ginger and commenced giving it to 
Father: a good deal at first, four or five times a day, or 
as often as he wanted it, for he tried to reform. The 
first few days it went hard with him; but in a week 
or ten days we had him mending, and now, after 
two months’ discipline, he don’t want any other 
stimulant than ginger. How thankful we are you 
won’t believe. A great weight is taken off, and our 
happiness is near complete. It is Jamaica Ginger 
we are using.” 
HOUSEHOLD HINTS. 
To Stop Blood-Flowing .—Take the fine dust of tea 
or the scrapings of the inside of tanned leather and 
bind it close upon the wound, aud blood will soon 
cease to flow. These articles are at all times access¬ 
ible and easy to be obtained. After the blood has 
ceased to flow laudanum may be advantageously ap¬ 
plied to the wound. 
Cleansing Marble Mantelpieces .—There is great art 
in cleaning properly a marble mantelpiece. It must 
be washed with soap and warm water. If there are 
any stains, mix two ounces of powdered pumice- 
stone with two ounces of powdered chalk and a 
quarter of a pound of soda. Sift these; then make 
them into a paste with cold water. Rub the marble 
with the paste, and afterward wash it with soap and 
water. 
