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I ilafiiiiet xuill Pictorial 
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iooijiamon. 
IRENE’S FURNISHING. 
Frank bought the house ; it was in a quarter of the 
city that suited him, and the price was not higher than 
his salary warranted. It was painted brown, and 
really was not remarkable for its outward beauty; but 
the roof did not leak, the cistern was large and tight, 
the location healthy; so Frank secured it at once, and 
they both counted the days that must slip away before 
they bade adieu to boarding and set up their own 
household gods. Luckily their predecessors vacated 
six days before the momentous first of April, and not 
many hours thereafter our home-seekers inspected the 
premises. Gates were off the lunges, straw in the 
yard, and every blind incautiously left open showed 
broken glass; floors were rough and covered with 
litter and dust; cobwebs festooned the walls, and 
soiled paint, torn and stained paper, met them every¬ 
where. 
“ It’s strange how much difference furniture makes 
in a house, isn’t it ?” said Frank, trying to keep up his 
spirits by a melancholy whistle. 
Poor things ! they had built so many air castles about 
the pretty home they should make, and I do not won¬ 
der myself that their ardor was cooled, for nothing can 
be drearier than a deserted dwelling. But Irene pro¬ 
duced pencil, paper, and line, and the necessary meas¬ 
urements were taken. 
The prospect was more cheerful after a strong 
woman had used soap and water, and the ceilings had 
been whitened. Every day Irene superintended re¬ 
pairs and grew more and more absent-minded, for, 
though housekeeping and furnishing were new to her, 
like Griffin’s spouse “she had a frugal mind” and 
forsaw that rosewood and rep would leave nothing for 
conveniences, to say nothing of the tidy serving maid 
she had pictured. Here was her house. You entered 
from a porch into a square hall, 10 x 10; at the right 
was a large room, 25 x 15; back of the stairs, at the 
lcf^ of the large room, was a smaller one, 10 x 20; 
and this was all of the ground floor. Not much room 
for elegance was there, and I thought so myself; but 
in a day or two Irene’s ideas seemed to have cleared, 
and when I dropped in on Wednesday morning I 
found a couple of carpenters had been taken into 
employ, “for I’m determined, ”, said she, “to see what 
I can do for once, with the least possible outlay. Two 
rooms indeed! I’ve been ‘cramming’ on Miss Beecher 
and I’m going to astonish you !” The result was; that 
the square hall had its. corners cut off by arched recesses 
fitted up with hooks and umbrella stands, closed by 
light frame doors, covered with cloth, and then with 
panel-paper harmonizing with that of the hall. On 
the shelf above the arch were lovely vases filled with 
Ivies and Tradescantia. The hall carpet was a small 
figured ingrain—scarlet and gray. “This was my 
bed-room carpet, you know, and it gave me enough 
for my upper and lower halls ; so cheerful, isn’t it ? I 
like a pretty entrance. And my stair carpet! I’m 
glad you like it. I found that in mother’s attic, com¬ 
pletely worn out in the middle, so I cut and turned it, 
and covered the middle with new towelling.” I stepped 
into the large room, and I could hardly believe my 
eyes, for the whole effect was so beautiful, and yet the 
shabby paper had not been removed. 
“ Let me tell you,” sad Irene. “ Firstly, you see I 
made the room smaller by this movable screen, wasn’t 
that a lucky hint of Miss Beecher’s ? ” But only care¬ 
ful scrutiny dispelled the illusion that the screen was 
not solid, so cunningly had its sides been decorated 
and its cornice adorned. “You see I just got matting, 
for that is always useful, and this wide scarlet braid 
around the edge relieves it somewhat. And how do you 
like my furniture ? ” asked she, as I looked at brand- 
new chairs, graceful sofa, and a luxurious sleepy-hollow, 
all carefully covered with bright chintz; not covered 
with a baggy carelessness, but as smooth as the work 
of an upholsterer. “ Charming,” I replied. “ All 
out of mother’s attic,” laughed Irene, “ and what with 
a little padding, varnish, and chintz, I think they are 
quite respectable. And there are my windows, the 
two front ones have Nottingham lace, you see, the 
pattern is lovely, and those lambrequins I made my¬ 
self, so don’t count thirty dollars for that item. They 
are made from a scarlet merino dress that a queer aunt 
gave me years ago. I never wore it much, and the 
ungored breadths cut over nicely. I lined them with 
heavy muslin, and with the fringe and tassels are 
hardly to be told from rep.” 
In one of these windows hung the golden canary, 
in the other a globe with a pair of shining gold fish. 
The southern window was left clear for plants. On 
the sill was a box, tin lined, filled with pots of Gera¬ 
niums, Fuchsias, &c., the interstices crowded with 
moss, in which were set trailing plants, mostly Ivies, 
which half covered the ornaments of the box, made of 
the large cones of Norway Spruce. From each side of 
the box rose a lovely trellis of spruce branches, fast¬ 
ened together with copper wires, and these meeting- 
over the top of the window formed a beautiful arch, 
from which a sea shell seemed to hang with its freight 
of cut flowers, scarlet and white. 
“But what have you done to the paper?” said I, 
“ this is the same, isn’t it ?—gray and gold, with the 
crimson border.” 0 yes, it was handsomer than we 
could have afforded again, so I took out as many spots 
as I could, then I filled up the nail holes with putty, 
colored to suit, with umber, and the pictures have 
covered the rest, except this comer bracket, which I 
made to match my lambrequins. My Clytie on it 
covers a terrible stain, and I could have kissed my 
Mater Dolorasa when I saw what she would do. Just 
look at Frank’s new carvings; this easel, and card- 
case, and bracket, and frame, are all the work of his 
magical saw. There’s this cornucopia of perforated 
paper and scarlet wool, dosn’t it set off these brown 
grasses and sedges ? My tidies, you see, are all scarlet 
and white. I have kept out blue and yellow, or even 
green, except in my plant window. I am going to 
make two or three things in the imitation coral line ; 
one of them shall be a tiny wall basket, to hold gilded 
ears of wheat and oats; and I am going to paint three 
little water-color flowers, and frame them in straw, 
to hang in a group over the book shelves. The 
mantel is to be covered with red, and when I get 
two or three scarlet rugs I think we shall have 
such a home-y room to enjoy—not grand, nor even 
so expensively furnished as we could really afford, 
but the feeling of a surplus is exceedingly comfortable. 
And then I like so much to make things, like this 
chair now, with a cushion of scraps from my gray 
linen dress, covered by scarlet crochet work, and 
those vases in the hall that were, when black, on a 
couple of stoves.” 
Behind the screen was a pretty bed-room; then I 
saw a lovely little dining-room, and finally the loveliest 
of kitchens that I wish I might describe. I didn’t like 
to leave it, and Irene said quite earnestly, “ this kitchen 
tempts me most sorely to cook my own waffles and 
omelets, and I almost think I shall try the experiment, 
after a little.” 
Dore Hamilton. 
USEFUL HINTS. 
Odor from Perspiration. —The unpleasant odor 
produced by perspiration is frequently the source of 
vexation to persons who are subject to it. Nothing is 
simpler than to remove this odor much more effectually 
than by the application of such unguents and perfumes 
as are in use. It is only necessary to procure some af 
the compound spirits of ammonia, and place about two 
tablespoonsful in a basin of water. Washing the face, 
hands and arms with this leaves the skin as clean, 
sweet and fresh as one could wish. The wash is per¬ 
fectly harmless, and very cheap. It is recommended 
on the authority of an experienced physician. 
Ammonia for Stains. —I am not much acquainted 
with wine stains, but in any case where an acid has 
taken the color from a fabric, ammonia will restore it, 
and I would suggest that washing a carpet in ammo¬ 
nia water, say a tablespoonful of concentrated ammonia 
to a quart of warm suds, will take almost any stain out 
of it. 
I don’t know but I could keep house without my 
bottle of ammonia, but I shouldn’t like to try. In 
cleaning paint, glass, silver or gold, it is invaluable, as 
well as for keeping the hands soft and white after 
cleaning all these other things. For cleaning windows, 
I put a teaspoonful of strong- ammonia in half a gallon 
of clear warm water, wring a cloth out and rub sashes 
and glass, then rub with a dry cloth. 
Stains, pencil marks, fly specks, and all manner of 
dirt disappear under the ammonia treatment, with no 
injury to paint or varnish if not used too strong. 
Cure for Toothache. —“ My dear friend,” said 
B., “I can cure your toothache in ten minutes.” 
“How? How?” inquired I; “do it in pity.” “In¬ 
stantly,” he said. “Have you any alum?” “Yes.” 
“ Bring it and some salt.” They were produced. My 
friend pulverized them in equal quantities, then wet a 
small piece of cotton, causing the powder to adhere, 
and placed it in my hollow tooth. “ There !” said he, 
“ if that does not cure you I will forfeit my head; the 
remedy is infallible.” 
A Cheap Wash for Buildings. —Take a clean 
water-tight cask and put into it a half bushel of un¬ 
slaked lime. Cover it with boiling hot water six 
inches deep, stir briskly, and wait for the lime to slake. 
To the lime and water add two pounds of a cheap salt 
called sulphate of zinc (white vitriol) and one pound 
of common salt. These ingredients cause the white¬ 
wash to harden, and not crack and fall off. To form a 
beautiful cream color, add three pounds of yellow ochre. 
A lump of ivory-black will give a pearl or lead color. 
Lamp-black may be used to produce a darker color if 
desired. Applied to palings, plank fences, and all 
outbuildings, they last much longer and look better. 
Lemons. —A contemporary says that in most cases 
of fevers we have no doubt that an attack might have 
been prevented and the patient well in a few days with¬ 
out a particle of medicine, by rest, partial fasting, and 
free use of lemons and lemonade. The virtue of this 
article in bilious attacks and incipient fevers has been 
tested with best results, and we commend its use as a 
preventive of these diseases. 
For Scalds or Burns. —Dust over the parts in 
wheat flour. It is the best remedy. 
Keep the feet warm and the head cool and you can 
bid defiance to the doctors. 
Chloroform will remove grease spots or stains from 
the finest silks, and not injure them. 
Sage tea, sweetened with honey, and a small piece 
of alum in it, is the best gargle for sore throat. 
