THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
163 
handle. The uneven surface of the Palm-leaf is some¬ 
what difficult to paint on, but the effect is pleasing. 
These fans should be painted with oil colors, as it is 
almost impossible to make the water-colors adhere. 
The use of fans dates far back in the history of past 
ages, and at one time ladies considered it necessary to 
have street fans as well as those for ordinary house use 
and dress occasions. The fans used during a promenade 
were larger than those for the house, and supplied the 
place of the parasol, which is the present fashion for 
protecting the eyes from the hot rays of the sun during 
warm weather. One of the uses of the fan at dancing 
parties given in the eighteenth century, was to place 
in a hat all those belonging to the ladies present. Each 
gentleman then drew a fan, and claimed for his partner 
in the dance its fair owner. Many fans have been 
handed down from generation to generation as heir¬ 
looms; some of exquisite beauty, others invested with 
much interest because of the associations connected 
with them, and in many instances, famed for having 
been decorated by the hand of some celebrated artist. 
Though the fan of the present day is perhaps not an 
object of such romantic interest as in by-gone times, it 
is of such practical use, as to be quite a necessary 
article; and as their owners usually wish them to be as 
pretty as possible, it will prove a pleasure to do the 
decorating one’s self, and the work will fully repay 
those who are at all familiar with the use of the brush, 
and willing to expend a little time and labor upon such 
a pleasant occupation. m. e. w. 
Case for Work. 
The little thimble-cases, which several years ago ac¬ 
companied almost every lady’s work-basket, have lately 
assumed larger proportions, and are little work-boxes 
themselves, being made large enough to hold the neces¬ 
sary sewing utensils or smaller pieces of fancy work. 
They are really ornamental as well as useful articles 
when made of rich materials, and cost but a trifle, as 
Case foe Sewing Utensils. 
