HOUSEHOLD SUBJECTS. 
ora. 
I ^niuaei writ! .Pictorial Hnirie 
The manner of furnishing our living rooms, or 
kitelieus, a* they are usually called, where so many 
of our American housewives spend a large share of 
their time, ought to be duly considered. A cheerful 
room will do a great deal towards making the family 
cheerful. I have seen such rooms kept in such a 
manner that I wanted to go out of them and not stop 
for a moment—almost entirely destitute of orna¬ 
ments of any kind ; or, if one chanced to he there, it 
looked A ery much out of place. When there are so 
many simple ways of ornamenting our homes it 
seems too had to spend one’s life in such places, for 
it is not always amongst the needy that we find those 
ill-furnislied homes. There are a class that “ have 
no time ” for fancy-work or to cultivate flowers ; with 
others, it is too much work. 
In painting the woodwork use light colors ; the 
paper the same. Mine is painted a light lavender 
color, with paper of a, corresponding tint, with a nar¬ 
row shaded stripe of green, the hordering mostly 
green with some white, also a little hlack in it. This 
makes a very cool-looking room, as well as light. The 
most of my windowsjaeing north, I do not get much 
sun in winter. In those windows 1 keep a few plants 
that do not want much sun. I have one south win¬ 
dow, and that is full of flowers. There is no curtain 
to that, as the vines answer that purpose. I have 
German ivy and Madeira vine, on the east side; on 
the other, ivy, geranium. This makes a very pretty > 
screen. In front is a stand with a coleus, monthly 
rose, ahutillon, with its golden red hells, and several 
kinds of fuchsias. From the top of the window hangs 
a basket of Kenilworth ivy. East of this hangs the 
“ Rustic Wreath ” which came with your paper. Over 
this some green tassels of pine are, with hitter-sweet 
berries drooping from the hook that holds the pic¬ 
ture. A motto in perforated paper —“ God Bless our 
Home ”—in colors, hangs near; with several other 
prints that are inexpensive, hut pretty, hanging on the 
other walls. In one corner is a very pretty wall-poc¬ 
ket, ornamented with carved work and decalcomanie 
pictures, for newspapers. In another corner, a bracket 
with a vase of grasses and winter flowers. A very 
pretty way for fixing them is to get fine grass that has 
numerous little buds or seeds on it, dip it in water and 
shake it, then dip it in flour and shake also; this looks as 
if covered with white buds. I know that brackets and 
picture-frames, wall-pockets with carving on them, 
cost money if they have to he bought. I happen to 
have a “ John ” (as all of The Cabinet writers call 
them) in the person of a son, who says that he is a 
“ Jack ” at all trades and good for nothing. But I 
find him very useful, as my house is a veil filled with 
all kinds of such work, made of fret-sawing and turn¬ 
ing, also carving. There are very many pretty ways 
for making those things besides those I have spoken 
of. I saw at our Fair, this fall, a picture-frame made 
of old rubber boots cut out in leaves and flowers, then 
varnished with black varnish; it was very pretty. 
1 have wandered away from- my room that I was 
speaking of, so I will just make my way there to fin¬ 
ish it. My remaining windows are north ; for them 1 
have white curtains on rollers. A rag carpet covers 
the floor ; and it is furnished with all that is neces¬ 
sary for such a room. I always keep a wliite cloth 
neatly starched and ironed on my tyble, with a vase 
of flowers as long as there is any to make bouquets of; 
a glass goblet is my vase—it makes a pretty one. My 
parlor is small but well filled with articles of use and 
beguty, most of them made by the one spoken of, so 
I will say nothing more about that. I will try to tell 
how some of those things can be made by those who 
have no “ John.” 
Wall-pockets can be made very nicely out of white 
“ Bristol board.” Cut them any shape you like, and 
pink them around the edge, then transfer some decal- 
comauie pictures on the front piece and one on the 
top of the back. For transferring on those use gum- 
arabic, trim the picture close to the gold, then wet it 
with the gum ; have this in a wide-nosed bottle, dis¬ 
solved in water, about as thick as glue, and apply to 
the picture; press it on with some weight for a few 
moments, then wet the paper over the picture till it 
slips off, then carefully varnish just the picture. Gar¬ 
lands of “ autumn leaves ” are very pretty for them ; 
also moss roses and ferns. I often find boxes at the 
stores that make nice ones ; some with watered paper 
that are very pretty. Some arc a dark brown of this 
kind of paper. After they arc cut in the shape de¬ 
sired, the edges can be covered with gilt paper, as the 
edges when cut are yellow. 
Very pretty baskets are made of alspice (hanging 
baskets). Take a small wire, the size you want, the 
top of your basket, string the kernels on so they will 
touch, join the ends. Then over the same way for a 
handle. String the rest of the alspice on thread arid 
loop from the top as long as you want them; tie the 
bottom of the loops together, and finish with a tassel 
of the same. 
Snow-baskets are made the same shape, only of 
white cloth cut in narrow strips and the edges raveled; 
wind the top wire and handle with the same. 
Cigar-lighters make very pretty card-receivers. 
Point the ends of each one, cross them in squares— 
four each way—fasten where they cross with bright- 
colored wool. They are made in various shapes, to 
suit the taste ; some have one at the bottom and one 
each side above, then one at the top. Large-nosed 
bottles or small glass cans filled with shells and little 
pebbles, with stray buttons of bright colors that have 
done service on children’s clothes, and all such things 
as are found in every family, make a pretty ornament 
for a bracket or table. Some fill with alcohol after it 
is done to make them look bright. It is not neces¬ 
sary, as they look nicely without it. 
A little time and taste will make almost any home 
more cheerful. If the room is poor or small it will 
look more home-like if only one little flower sets in 
the window. 
An economical and wholesome preserve, cheaper 
than molasses, can be made out of any kind of canned 
fruit or tomatoes simply by adding to every two 
quarts of fruit one pound of sugar and boiling to a 
proper thickness; after which can precisely as when 
canning, using quart jars. H. A. Earhakt. 
Oakdale Gardens, Pa. 
THOUGHTS ABOUT HOUSEKEEPING. 
Housekeeping is not one of the lost arts, as those 
who daily deplore the “ good old times ” would have 
us suppose. And, though 1 am aware that too little 
attention is being paid to a thorough domestic edu¬ 
cation by the girls of to-day. I still venture to say 
that there are more well-kept and well-ordered homes 
now, in proportion to the population, than there were 
fifty or seventy-five years ago. 
The immaculate order of those ancient, households 
was owing in great'part to the small amount of fur¬ 
niture and the absence of all those adornments 
which add so much grace and elegance to our mo¬ 
dern homes. 
These croakers would lead ns to believe that the 
traditional grandmothers were capable of and ac¬ 
complished much more than the women of the 
present time. They contend that the spinning, 
weaving, knitting, quilt, butter, and cheese making 
to which tlieir time was given was more of a strain 
on their nerves and health than we could endure. 
I do not agree with this idea. The average house¬ 
keeper of to-day works more hours and accomplishes 
more than her ancestors. Think for a moment of the 
manifold duties of which they had no idea in the 
olden time. But, you will say, look at the labor- 
saving inventions that she has to help her. I admit 
this; but whenever we Yankees have a labor-saving 
machine we at once spend the time saved in that 
manner in doing some other work, instead of devot¬ 
ing it, as we should, to recreation and rest; and, so 
far as my experience goes, the greater number of 
these labor-savers make more work than they do. 
Some patent machines offered for use in the house¬ 
hold are what they claim to be, a help. One sees 
now and then a good washing-machine; but the best 
one I ever saw was a stout, willing Irishwoman 
whom I employed for years. Wringers are indeed a 
blessing, and save no end of sprained wrists, lame 
shoulders, and colds. The Welcome Carpet-Sweeper 
should also be in every family. 
Have regular days for sweeping. If you go all 
over your house and put it in order once a week, you 
will be rid of one of the horrors attendant on unex¬ 
pected company. Before beginning to sweep re¬ 
move or cover all articles. Use damp Indian-meal, 
damp paper, or tea-leaves to keep the dust from fly¬ 
ing; keep the windows closed till you are through, 
then open them to let the dust out. 
Ilouse-cleaning is a bugbear to most of us, but it 
w ill be relieved of many of its terrors if you attack 
one room at a time and finish it, so far as is possible, 
before beginning another. Remove furniture, cur¬ 
tains, pictures, etc. Wipe the walls carefully from 
top to bottom in Straight lines, using a dry, clean 
cloth ; turn often to prevent soiling. 
Use but little soap on paint ; the less the better, as 
it eats out the'oil, thus destroying the gloss. Rub 
soiled parts w ith bath-brick and use pulverized borax 
on the yellow portions. Wet but a small part at a 
time, and wipe dry before leaving it. Have the car¬ 
pets put to air and whipped carefully, but by no 
m cans have it. done with a blunt stick, as it will cut 
them. 
H. Maria George. 
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