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WHAT I SAW “WHEN I WENT VISIT¬ 
ING-.” 
I visited the home of a dearly-loved friend, not 
many weeks since, and saw so many beautiful things 
to admire that I asked permission to tell everybody 
how they were made; in other words, to write it for 
the readers of The Cabinet, provided, of course, Mr. 
Williams saw fit to give it them. My friend readily 
signified her willingness, only saying: “Begin with 
the parlor, if you please, Estrella, as that is furnished 
or, rather, ornamented entirely by. my own hands. The 
house is of stone, fronting south, and the parlor has 
two south and two west windows. 
The windows were all hung with lace curtains, of 
beautiful pattern. At the sides, between the sash and 
curtains, about one-third of the way from the bottom, 
were placed brackets, on which stood dishes, in which 
were planted vines, that were growing luxuriantly and 
were trained in an arch over each window, and also 
looped the curtains back at the sides. In the west 
windows were planted Morning Glories and Madeira 
Yines. In the south Smilax and Cypress mingled their 
delicate tendrils. 
At the parting of the curtains a dainty contrivance 
was suspended, which greatly enhanced their beauty. 
In one window it was a hanging vase of crystallized 
alum, made of wire ripped from old hats and bonnets, 
twisted into basket shape, tied with twine, bits of 
twine were tied on here and there, and the whole 
dipped in a strong solution of alum water and left in 
the water twenty-four hours. When removed, it was 
covered with sparkling crystals, strongly resembling- 
frost-work. The basket was filled with green moss, 
from which peeped pansies of various colors made of 
zephyr; but so true to Nature were they that we were 
deceived and thought they were real hearts-ease. 
In another was a similar basket, only, instead of 
alum, a mixture of two parts beeswax and one of resin 
were melted, carmine enough stirred in to give it a 
coral tint, and poured over the basket, covering a small 
part at a time, and when entirely covered put away 
in a cool place to harden. In this was placed a lovely 
bouquet of white feather flowers, with green foliage, 
the edge fringed with delicate grasses and ferns. 
At the third was suspended a cluster of egg-shells— 
one goose and four hen’s eggs. They had a small 
round opening cut at the largest end and were each en 
closed in a crochet cover of rose-colored zephyr. The 
goose egg was placed in the center; the others at equal 
distances apart, about half way to the top of the cen 
ter one, and sewed firmly to position. Tiny tassels of 
the zephyr were attached to the points of the shells. 
In the center one was placed a large lily, made of white 
horsehair; in the others a rose, a tulip, a dahlia, and 
a carnation, of natural hair, and all glued to position. 
In the last window hung a small hoop of wire twined 
with woodbine, with its leaves and berries. In it was 
perched a canary. “Poor Dickie!” said my friend, 
“When he died I could not bear to lose him altogether 
beauty of those windows, with their lovely green 
arches lit up by the crimson stars of Cypress and the 
blue and pink cups of the Convolvuli, as they appeared 
through the misty lace, the sparkling baskets with 
their flowers, the novel egg-castle, and Dickie swing¬ 
ing on his perch. Between the two west windows 
hung a mirror, around which a luxuriant Wax Plant, in 
full bloom, was trained. In the southwest corner 
stood, upon a little stand, a deep frame, two feet high, 
lined with crimson satin. In it was placed a cross, 
wreathed in flowers, all in wax of purest white. On 
the east side of the room, in the middle, stood an or¬ 
gan. Upon the wall at each end of it was hung a wall- 
pocket for music, that, while extremely useful,was neat 
and pretty and not at all expensive. They were of the 
same size, cut of pasteboard, the fronts an inch larger 
each way than sheet music. The backs were the same, 
only shaped to a pretty point about six inches higher 
than the fronts. One was covered with braid of two 
old hats, which were no longer wearable—one brown, 
the other white. The brown braid was stretched 
across the front quite closely (lengthwise) and fastened 
at the ends; the white was then woven over and under, 
from side to side. Any simple crochet pattern may be 
used. In this the border was simple checks; the mid¬ 
dle, brown background, with initials in white. The 
upper part of the back was covered with checks and 
each piece bound with brown braid; the bottoms 
sewed together; and sides laced together, with brown 
cord and tassels at the bottom. A cord is fastened at 
the two upper corners of the back, allowed to fall 
loosely over the back, brought to the point, tied in a 
knot with three loops, sewed firmly. The middle one 
served to hang it by. The other was covered with 
corn-husks. Pieces were cut in strips half an inch 
wide and sewed in loops around the edge—two rows. 
Then with a pencil an oval was marked on, the paste¬ 
board, the ends just touching the center of the ends. 
Next, the space between the pencil line and the cor¬ 
ners was filled in with loops. Now husks were folded 
crosswise and cut off a little over an inch long, double. 
The doubled edge was cut finely, to fringe it, and sewed 
on thickly, putting the fringed edge over the pencil line, 
sewing the other edge fast. Another row of fringe was 
put on, turning the fringed edges inside the oval. A 
row of .loops of strips an inch wide were sewed 
between the fringes, to hide the stitches. A rose- 
berry was put in now and then. The in¬ 
side of the oval was filled in with large loops, 
with a cluster of berries. The upper part of the back 
was ornamented the same; except that, instead of an 
oval, the fringe followed the outline of the point. It 
was finished with brown cords, to match the other. 
Over the instrument hung a group of nine photographs 
of children, arranged in a diamond. A diamond of 
pasteboard was cut, the nine pictures sewed on, and 
worsted leaves in various shades of green and a few 
tiny buds were placed about them, wreathing each 
picture separately and framing the whole in a garland 
of green. Tacked upon the wall, it presented a charm¬ 
ing appearance. The sweet, innocent faces of the little 
ones looking out from their green bower was very at¬ 
tractive. 
There was a lamp-mat of scarlet flannel over paste- 
chickens, that was beautiful. Picture-frames of cones 
and acorns, of shells and mosses, yes, and one of pop¬ 
corn, several of paper, in imitation leather work, 
formed a portion of the attractions of this lovely home. 
A rug that we admired greatly was made of breadths 
from an old alpaca dress, cut into a six-sided square. 
A wreath of leaves of different shades of red, green, 
and brown was sewed on it; and the stems and veins of 
the leaves made of common stocking yarn, old at that. 
But I have not told you of the half of that “ one 
woman’s work ” in beautifying her home. Yet she does 
all the work for her husband, herself, and two little 
ones, and lives on a farm at that, with plenty of extra 
work thrown in. 
Estrelt.a Verne. 
AN JEOLEAN HARP. 
Make a long, Darrow box, as long as the window or 
other place it is to occupy is wide; four inches high 
and five inches wide of wood about 34 an inch 
thick or even less. Pine wood will answer for this 
case. On each end glue very firmly two pieces of hard 
wood, such as oak or walnut, % of an inch high, 34 °f 
an inch thick, and long enough to extend from one 
side to the other—or the width of the box, in other 
words. Before fastening these on, furnish one of 
them with seven brass pins and the other with seven 
wooden pegs—such as piano strings are wound on. 
These may both be procured, as also the strings, at any 
music store. Within the case, 34 of an inch below the 
top, fasten two pieces of wood, beech or pine, one 
inch square, and to fit in the box against each end. 
On this place a piece of thin board, y z of an inch 
thick, with a circular piece cut out in the center, 
larger or smaller according to the size of the case, just 
as you see the sounding-board in a guitar or violin. 
The strings must first be fastened at one end to the 
pins, then wound round the pegs, which must turn, so 
as to allow of their being turned when tuned. Next 
fasten in the corners of the box four pins or pegs, 
four inches high, on which place a piece of 34'-mch 
thick board, to allow a free current of air to pass over 
the sounding-board and across the strings. 
AQUARIUMS. 
so I preserved the semblance as well as I could.” 
I can only leave to your imagination the exquisite I board, with a border of the white, downy feathers of 
A reader of your paper asks how to make an 
Aquarium, and if your space will allow I will give 
her my experience. To begin, I purchased four panes 
of ordinary window-glass, which cost me one dollar. 
Two of these panes were 12x10 and two 16x20. I got 
a carpenter to make me a substantial walnut frame, 
with an oaken bottom and furnished with small 
grooves for the glass, which I inserted and cemented 
with the following preparation, that cost me just forty 
cents: One part by measure of litharge, one part 
plaster paris, one part fine beach-sand, one-third part 
of finely-powdered resin. Mix well and make into 
a putty with good boiled linseed oil. It will stand 
water at once. I was obliged to cement the entire 
bottom of my aquarium, as there were some knots 
in the timber, through which the water leaked, and 
then gave it a good coat of white paint, to make as¬ 
surance doubly sure. 
