THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
265 
Kitty liked the soft carpet; she worked her little paws 
into it, and soon curled herself down. Then she jumped 
up again, and after turning around several times settled 
herself for a nap. 
“Oh,” thought Polly, “ if she’ll only stay asleep.” 
At last the service was over. The child was sure it 
had been three times as long as ever before. 
Nearly everybody had gone. She walked softly up to 
the stairs. Kitty, wakened by the general movement, was 
sitting looking about her. Just as Polly stretched out 
her hand she heard a laugh behind her. It was the sexton. 
“ That cat’s a real imp, little girl,” he said. “ I just 
saw it shut up one eye and wink at you in the cutest way. 
It knows the fuss it’s been making, I can tell you.” 
“Polly,” said Mr. Blatchley, as they drove home, 
“ What punishment do you think you ought to have for 
doing such a naughty thing?” 
“ I thought I could keep her very still, papa, and, you 
know, mamma said just now, it was a great mortifica¬ 
tion to me. I think the mortification is all I need. 
Don’t you, papa ? ” 
—Frances C. Sparliawk, in Wide Awalce. 
MISS QUITO. 
Down the sultry summer air 
Floats a singer, young and fair, 
Gayly robed, a winged sprite, 
Making musical the night. 
Fine and faint, like fairy-bells, 
Or the voice of ocean shells, 
Through our dreams the music swells; 
Yet more sure to murder sleep 
Than the cataract’s noisy leap, 
Or the thunder rumbling deep. 
Fierce marsh minstrel, make thy home 
’Neath some Orchid’s royal dome. 
Is it not enough to sup 
Nectar from the Lily’s cup? 
Must you drink, small cannibal, 
Living blood, or starve withal? 
Omnipresent little pest! 
Need you never food and rest? 
Flowers bloom by woodland rills, 
Berries redden on the hills; 
Seeking them by sun or dew 
One is sure to meet with you. 
Majesty of things minute ! 
Were you big enough to shoot, 
Strangle, scourge, or bind with chains, 
I would pay you for your pains. 
Can you tell why you were made ? 
And I listened, half afraid: 
“ I was once a maiden fair 
Twining Roses in my hair, 
Singing gayly all day long; 
But when married, changed my song, 
Till my scolding, night and day, 
Wore my husband’s life away. 
Altered, by his dying curse, 
Into something less and worse, 
I must wander for a space 
Hated by the human race.” 
On my nose she lightly lit, 
Ceased her singing, sighed and bit! 
— Independent. 
DYEING EVERLASTING FLOWERS. 
Ammobium, White Acroclinium, and some, few other 
cultivated Everlastings, are already white, as is our 
lightest Pearly Everlasting, which is one of the best. 
With the colored ones, such as the French Immortelles, 
some may be dyed as they are, while others must have 
their natural yellow color removed. This is done by a 
solution of white castile soap, an ounce and a half 
shaved fine, and dissolved in a quart of hot water. The 
flowers are placed in this for a short time, and then 
rinsed in cold water, repeating the operation’if neces¬ 
sary, until they are white. The white flowers may be 
made to take any desired color, while the others may 
have their tints brightened or changed by the use of 
acids and other agents. 
The white flowers and the bleached grasses, may be 
dyed with the ordinary materials used for domestic 
dying, such as Brazil wood, with the colors changed by 
the use of lime, lye, alum, and other mordants, but any 
result obtained from these ordinary dyes, will be quite 
unsatisfactory, and as compared with the imported 
flowers and grasses, be quite lacking in brilliancy ; the 
reason for the superiority of the foreign articles, is that 
they are treated with aniline dyes, which give a purity 
and brightness of color, not attainable by any other 
method. We advise those who wish to experiment 
with dyeing these things, not to be at the trouble unless 
they can procure these aniline dyes. They are put up 
of all colors by several parties, in both the state of 
liquid and powder, and sold by druggists for domestic 
dyeing. All that is required, is to mix the liquid or 
powder, as the case may be, with hot water, and soak 
the flowers or bleached grasses in the liquid until suf¬ 
ficiently colored. The dyes put up in this manner, have 
full directions for their use, and these may be followed, 
using the white flowers instead of silks or other fabrics 
there mentioned. 
