46 
Re i^oRies’ ifloral cuiil S^ktorkil 
Lome {&om,jmn,ioiu 
THE LAUNDRY. 
The time is fast approaching when women will be 
obliged to dispense with the “help” of hired assist¬ 
ants. So many occupations have arisen (with the 
varied improvements of “the times”) by which wo¬ 
men and girls may make a livelihood in what they 
consider a more “genteel” and agreeable way than by 
serving those they have come to consider their equals, 
that it has become almost an impossibility to secure 
even the aid of a competent washing-woman. And 
in any case, the satisfaction of wearing crisp muslins 
and immaculate linen, at the cost of some poor ser¬ 
vant girl's weary limbs and heated blood, has become 
the manner in which it is done. G-ood irons are es¬ 
sential, and the light, smooth, nickel-plated ones, now 
so easily procured for about a dollar or a dollar and a 
half, are by far the best. If possible, use a gas or 
kerosene stove, for these tiny comforts can be set on a 
stool or stand by your side, and save hundreds of 
steps. Above all, if you A'alue your health and feel¬ 
ing, learn to iron, sitting. Standing is wearing and 
wearying work. A man may plough all day who will 
faint if required to stand a few hours. Have two 
“ironing-boards,” one about three by four feet, which 
j can be used for skirts, if rested upon two chair backs, 
or for ordinary articles, upon a table; then another 
the size of a shirt-bosom; cover both with a piece of 
old blanket, and then a strong piece of cotton cloth. 
Always have a strip of white with strings, and tie 
over while ironing, and which can be then removed, 
so questionable, that to be able to wash and iron our and thus kept clean for a long time. When one can 
own clothes properly and satisfactorily will be felt a p e procured, a board hollowed out in the centre, like a 
comfort. Having made up one's mind to perform the a cutting or lap-board,” is very comfortable, as it en- 
household labor of the family, I think the second step ' ables the ironer to sit up close to her work. In warm 
is to do it with the least possible labor and trouble, j weather, a small, portable stove and a few irons can be 
A good washing-machine has become as much of a carried to a cool room, when the doors and windows 
necessity as a thresher or mower; but see that it is a ma y p e opened and the entire ironing completed with- 
good one. Tuesday, not Monday, will be found the out over-heating or undue fatigue. Every household 
very best day for the family wash, simply because the | should own a set of bags for certain purposes, and one 
preliminaries cannot be attended to cn Sunday even- 0 f these is to hold the articles for ironing, viz .: a 
ing. On Monday, at any time after the general work g00 a holder, made of two thicknesses of flannel, filled ! 
is finished, make ready the clothes by sorting into with saw-dust, and quilted, or of a few folds of paper 
three parcels, putting fine, medium, and coan-se articles j covered. Outside covers should always be provided j 
each into separate bags of unbleached cotton. Have j 0 f ca ]jco or muslin, with strings, in order to remove 
ready a w r ashing fluid, of sal soda, one pound; stone or W ash them. A stand also, either an oyster can, 
lime, one-half pound; water, five quarts; boil a few .muffin ring, or one of the iron ones sold in the shops, 
moments, stirring once or twioe, then let it settle, and : A piece of soft old to-wel or other linen, or a small 
pour off the clear liquid into a bottle; cork tightly. : sponge, is always requisite to wipe off starched articles 
Lay the bags of clothes in warm water (having an( j little specks and spots from various pieces. An 
rubbed soap on the wristbands, bands, &c.); they may ( >1<I 1 , 00 k or pamphlet should always be at hand on 
remain there until the following day, when put into a w hjeh to rub the iron; also, a cloth which has been 
boiler of scalding water a teacupful of the fluid, and dipped in melted wax, on which to rub the iron if not 
boil steadily for one hour; then put into the machine perfectly smooth. Linen goods should be ironed on 
and rub thoroughly, throwing each piece into a tub of the right side, cotton and embroidery on the wrong, 
warm suds. When one set is in, go over each article, Never use heavy irons for muslins; but iron off rap- 
and if any streaks remain, rub on an ordinary wash- idly, and finish the gathers, &c., on the right side, 
board; then rinse through two waters, in which is dis- Lace curtains must never be ironed, but pinned to a 
solved a little blueing. For each additional boiler of ro d on which a strip of cotton i§ tacked, and a heavy 
clothes add a half cupful of fluid. Soak the woolen ro d, with weights fastened to the ends, pinned to the 
and colored clothes in the w'ater in which the clothes bottom. Two rods finished with the strips of cotton 
have boiled, doing the woolens first, of course. The should be in every family v r ho owm lace curtains, 
fluid will brighten the color of the colored articles. 
The articles used about starch-making must be deli¬ 
cately clean, then the only art is in dissolving thor¬ 
oughly until as thick and smooth as cream, when pour 
on sufficient boiling water, adding to every pint a 
piece of spermaceti, the size of a filbert, or a piece of 
lard or butter; a little dissolved gum Arabic, one 
ounce, and a half pint of winter, adding a teaspoonful 
to the starch, gives a fine polish to shirt-bosoms, col¬ 
lars, &c. Muslin dresses should be starched in rice 
w^ater, made by boiling two tablespoonfuls of rice to a 
pint of w r ater, and boiling until entirely dissolved; this 
will stiffen twro dresses. When the clothes are per¬ 
fectly dry, lay all starched articles (excepting shirts 
and collars) upon a sheet, and sprinkle with a patent 
sprinkler, or a whisk broom kept for the purpose; 
cover with another sheet upon the table, and, taking a 
new broom, pound the clothes for five or ten minutes; 
then straighten and roll tightly, letting them remain 
covered in a cool place one hour before ironing. Dip 
the shirt-bosoms and collars in a little cold starch- 
water, squeezing very tightly and rubbing well. 
THE IRONING. 
In ironing, much, indeed everything, depends upon 
Mo. 
Aunt Caret. 
FANCY DISHES FOR PARTIES, FESTI¬ 
VALS, &c. 
A EIED’S NEST, 
or lemons and 
Weigh oranges or lemons and fine white sugar 
pound for pound. Peel the fruit carefully, and shave 
into long, delicate shreds; boil until tender, changing 
the water twice (replenishing with hot from the ket¬ 
tle); squeeze the strained juice over the sugar; let 
this boil until clear; drop in the shreds and boil a half 
hour; boil the syrup to a jelly; then form into a nest 
upon a pretty plate or dish. Having removed the 
inside of a dozen or more eggs by cutting off a sec- 
1 tion from the small end, fill with blanc mange, made 
by soaking a half ounce of gelatine in a teacupful of 
cold water two or three hours; then add sugar, the 
juice of a lemon, and pour over it half a pint of boil¬ 
ing water; when filled, beat the whites of two eggs to 
a stiff froth, and beat w T ell into the gelatine; w r hen 
quite hard, remove the shells and the eggs will look 
smooth and beautiful. Fill the nest with them. Col¬ 
ored ones look beautiful, and can be made by adding a 
little juice from Spinach leaves for the blue green of 
robin’s eggs, or pink with a little cochineal. Speckled 
ones are made with chocolate rubbed fine, and made 
into a paste with a little white of egg, and touching 
the eggs with a camel's hair brush. 
HARLEQUIN JELLY. 
Wash a jelly mold with white of an egg; melt a 
little currant jelly, and pour into it; let it cool; when 
cold, melt pineapple jelly and pour in, then black¬ 
berry or black currant, then cranberry, then green 
grape jelly, and so on until the mold is filled. Great 
care must be taken that the jellies are merely melted, 
as if too warm they will mix, and the whole effect be 
spoiled. High colored jellies, and the white, clear 
calves’ foot jelly, with white blanc mange, make a 
beautiful harlequin; but they must be stiff and cold 
before turning out. Blanc mange made of chocolate 
and com starch, with yolks of eggs, and of gelatine, 
with the whites, also make a beautiful variety. Flavor 
each one differently, and the combination is delicious. 
A BEAUTIFUL CHARLOTTE EUSSE. 
* 
Take a handsome glass dish, and lay in the bottom 
a layer of sponge cake dipped in wine and water; then 
a layer of raspberry, pineapple, or strawberry jelly or 
jam, then a layer of blanc mange or custard, then 
cake again, and so on until the bowl is filled. Pour 
in and over a rich custard made thus: Four yolks of 
eggs, two tablespoonfuls powdered sugar, grated rind 
of one lemon, a wineglassful of w r ine beaten into one 
pint of milk, thickened with two tablespoonfuls of 
arrow-root, and scalded; whip cream or the whites of 
four eggs, and pile on the top. Flavor this with va¬ 
nilla, or, if it is desired, pink with currant or cran¬ 
berry jelly. 
CHARLOTTE “POLONAISE.” 
Bake a sponge cake in a drum-shaped pan, which 
is high and not spreading (a straight tin bucket will 
answ r er); cut out the inside, leaving a wall two inches 
thick. Make four kinds of blanc mange, one of choc¬ 
olate, one vanilla, one lemon, and one almond. The 
last three can be made according to the usual receipts 
of one quart of milk, thickened with four heaping 
tablespoonfuls of corn starch or arrow-root, sweetened 
with two tablespoonfuls of sugar, and flavored; the 
oil of bitter almond (one drop), or peach extract, gives 
the fine almond flavor. Soak the cake cut from the 
inside in sherry or port wine, put a layer of it in the 
bottom of the hollow cake, then the layers of blanc 
mange, sprinkling between each one grated cocoanut. 
and tiny pieces of citron; when the cake is entirely 
filled, cover the top with whipped cream, and orna¬ 
ment with maecaroons and kisses. Ice the sides, and 
set in a cold place. The blanc mange must be cool, 
but not set, when put in. This is a most beautiful 
ornament to a table, and is pretty trimmed with 
flowers. 
CHICKEN SALAD. 
Boil one pair of young, tender chickens one hour, 
or less, if they are very tender; cut into small pieces, 
but do not chop; as much celery and the white, ten¬ 
der parts of a cabbage as will measure as much as the 
meat; chop the cabbage. Boil until hard six eggs; 
chop the whites, and mash the yolks to a pulp, with 
tw'o tablespoonfuls of made mustard, one teaspoonful 
of black and, a half teaspoonful of Cayenne pepper. 
Scald a coffeecupful of best cider vinegar, into w r hicb 
stir very gradually a teacupful of fresh, unsalted but¬ 
ter, and the yolks of three Deaten eggs; wffien thick, 
take immediately from the fire and cool; then stir into 
the other ingredients, with four tablespoonfuls of good 
olive oil; mix into the meat several hours before 
using. If the vinegar is not sour, add a little citric acid. 
Mo. Aunt Carry. 
