Ifi 
Judies’ S’tonal 
Wood-mosses and lichens can be used to beau¬ 
tiful advantage ; and a friend, writing, thus describes 
some charming and inexpensive ornaments con¬ 
structed out of the natural moss found in the for¬ 
est : 
“ Mosses can be advantageously gathered in the 
woods at almost any season of the year. I found 
beautiful specimens the other day deep under the 
snow, but I generally succeed best in preserving the 
beauty of those collected in early summer or in No¬ 
vember. You scarcely can have too great a variety 
either of lichens or mosses in this kind of fancy- 
work. Gather such as are to be found on old 
rail fences, decaying logs, or the bodies of trees 
in moist, shady woods and in patches under 
fallen forest-leaves. Let them dry in a dark, 
cool place. The body of your frame should 
be of wood, cut either square or oval, or it 
may be rectangular at its outer and oval at 
its inner edge; or, better still, formed as 
found in our illustration. (About Christmas 
times I generally have half a dozen at once 
cut out at the wood-turner’s, at an expense of 
about fifteen cents each.) Next make a paste 
by stirring flour in cold water and cooking it 
very slightly, stirring all the time ; leave it as 
thick as it can be to work well; apply it to 
the frame; select and paste on the moss ac¬ 
cording to your fancy, gradually covering the 
entire frame, and taking care not to press 
the moss down any more than is necessary. 
In putting on the moss and lichens let them 
overlap each other as they do when growing, 
with various shades of green blending togeth¬ 
er, and cool grays and pearly shell-forms creep¬ 
ing close upon the bright, emerald tips. Use 
mainly the low, flat varieties, and ornament 
with little groups of the taller sorts, introduc¬ 
ing here and there a fern-like spray with its 
livelier green. With taste and delicate hand¬ 
ling, an exquisite picture-frame may thus be 
produced at little trouble and almost no ex¬ 
pense. For illuminated texts, paintings of 
flowers or autumnal leaves, these frames are pecu 
liarly effective, though they look well on an engrav 
ing, or almost any style of small picture. 
have a tight barrel, with a paper spread over the 
bottom and a sprinkling of fine tobacco scattered 
over it. I put my balls in the barrel, and every 
spring cut the rags at my leisure; the children can 
sew and wind them just as well as anyone. I sprin¬ 
kle fine tobacco over the balls and tuck an old sheet 
over them; cover the barrel up tight, and it is all 
right till I get ready to add another contribution. 
In this way I get my rags ready and keep the house 
clear from an accumulation of old, dirty garments 
that are a nuisance any way. 
In making carpets I allow a pound and a quarter 
of rags to fill a yard of cloth ; for a room twenty- 
five feet square I calculate to have about thirty-five 
or thirty-six pounds of rags. If there are any odds 
or ends left over they are woven into a rug that can 
be spread before stoves or doors. I never expend 
time or labor in coloring my rags. The last carpet 
I made I had rags enough for seventy-eight yards, 
BREVITIES. 
Lycopodiums are among the prettiest greens for 
fringing. 
The newest baskets for flowers are clover-leaf 
shape with handles. 
A bunch of pretty Pinks and Roman Hyacinths, 
interlaced with Maiden’s-Hair ferns, is a charming 
combination. 
At a New York entertainment there was present¬ 
ed to one of the artists a large three-masted ship 
laden with Callas and Poinsettias, the rigging of 
Smilax, and flower flags streaming. 
Of new decorations by florists for graves, this is 
the latest; a monument made of white Immortelles, 
the relief being represented by purple Immor¬ 
telles. It can be made to look exactly like 
marble. 
The following floral decorations were at the 
house of a lady who held a small party recently 
in this city. The mantel-piece of the drawing¬ 
room was a “ lace draping ” of Smilax. Two 
large baskets of the choicest blossoms stood 
thereon. 
On a cabinet stood a basket of rare flowers, 
in the centre of which was a growing Palm. 
Each of two smaller cabinets was decorated 
with a round basket built high with flowers. 
The chandeliers of both front and back draw¬ 
ing-room were festooned with Smilax. Between 
folding-doors was suspended a crescent of choice 
white flowers. 
On the piano stood a basket of rare blossoms 
with an Erica in the centre. The dining-room 
mantel was seven feet long, and was a bank of 
growing ferns and fresh flowers. Two large 
hand bouquets of Marshal Niel buds and Vio¬ 
lets graced this, as did also a German straw 
basket exquisitely filled with buds, Pansies, and 
Carnations. 
RAG-CARPETS. 
Noticing- a short time since the remarks of seve¬ 
ral housekeepers about rag-carpets as published in 
the World, I thought I would set down my experi¬ 
ence upon the subject. All admit that carpets 
manufactured from cast-off garments are both useful 
and comfortable. I cannot see much beauty in them 
myself, but I discovered long ago that comfort is of 
more importance than beauty. I am always making 
rag-carpets, and I presume I shall do it as long as 
life and strength permit. When a garment is laid 
aside for good, my practice is to rip it to pieces, wash 
thoroughly, and cut, sew, and wind it into balls. I 
Moss Frame. 
and I never felt the labor at all; it was done at odd 
jobs, and I was astonished to find I had such a quan¬ 
tity finished. I generally allow three knots and a 
half of warp to the yard. The labor of reeling and 
coloring the warp is the hardest part of the work for 
me. I know ever so many people who color and 
pass a whole season over a carpet, but when it is 
done it is only a rag-carpet. The prettiest one I 
ever saw was just brown and blue, narrow strips of 
each, and shaded from dark to light; a little black 
was woven in to give the dark contrast. One reason 
why we enjoy rag-carpets is this: We are not afraid 
to use them, and when one is worn out we can make 
another just as good. Sweeping carpets wears them 
out faster than using them by half. A stiff broom 
should never be used on carpets; picking up shreds 
and bits is the best way, and brush the dust off with 
a Soft brush. 
Excellent Furniture Polish.— Take two 
ounces of beeswax and half a pint of turpentine, 
which put in a basin, cutting the beeswax into shav¬ 
ings. Set the ingredients on the stove and melt 
gradually, stirring constantly. On using, apply with 
a woollen rag and rub well with another. 
Yankee girls are now cutting and polishing dia¬ 
monds. The art has been monopolized by Amster¬ 
dam experts, who have uniformly refused to teach 
any apprentices except Dutch boys of their own se¬ 
lection. Henry D. Morse, after employing Dutch 
diamond-cutters in Boston for many years, learned 
the secrets of the trade. He opened a shop in Rox- 
bury, and privately taught six or eight young women 
this mysterious occupation. He finally apprised his 
Dutch workmen that American boys must be taught 
by them. They peremptorily refused to instruct the 
apprentices. He then discharged them, and brought 
the young women from Roxbury to fill their places. 
