May, 1910. 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
35 
For the | Home. - 
Tips to Men. 
— To Remove Tar from the Hands, — 
Rub them with the fresh peel of an 
orange or lemon. 
* * * * * * 
— To Clean Black Felt Hats. — 
A thorough rubbing with benzine will 
remove all dirt and grease from felt hats. 
They should be hung in the open air 
afterwards to remove the smell. 
* * * *. * * 
— To Mend Handles of Kuives 
and sorks. — 
Fill the holloy in the handle with 
powdered resin, make the iron stalk red- 
hot and thrust it into the handle, where 
jb will remain firmly fixed when cooled, 
* * * * * * 
— To Clean Paint Brushes. — 
Soften them by soaking for 24 hours 
in ra¥ linseed-oil, und rinse them out in 
hot turpentine, repeating the process till 
they are clean. Another method is’ to 
wash them in hot water and sdda with 
soft soap. 
* * * * * * 
— Remove Grease from Stone Steps. — 
Pour boiling water in which soda is 
dissolved over the greasy marks; make a 
thin paste out of fullers earth and boiling 
water, and spread it over the grease 
marks; leave for twelvo hours, and the 
grease will be absorbed. In the case of 
old marks, the process may have to be 
repeated more than once, 
x OF * > aL * 
— Shaving Soap. — 
Melt together 14 oz. of almond oil and 
white wax, and add gradually 14 oz. of 
Castille soap, which should be finely 
shredded. When all the ingredients are 
well amalgamated, pour the soap into 
pots or jars for use. Vaseline makes a 
very good shaving soap for tender skins 
and prevents irritation. 
RATHER A CHILD. 
Rather a child should pray for me 
Than someone in a marble shrine, 
For the words that lisp at a mother’s 
knee 
Are so wonderously fair and fine 
That the words go straight and the words 
go far 
With a power they have alone; 
Go on and outward, past star and star, 
Till they tremble unto the Throne, 
Rather a child should lisp my name 
In the darkness when comes the night 
And to have it breathed while the candle 
flame 
Lends the altar a holy light. 
For the still sweet voice of a child can 
rise 
On the mystical winys of love, 
And cleave the darkness beyond the skies 
To the listening ear above. 
The bed-time prayer, the white, white 
gown, 
‘And the light that is low and dim, 
The fair wee head that is bowing down, 
And the message sent up to him, 
Then you know somehow that the dear 
child heart 
Is anear to the things above. 
For sighs that rack, and pains that smart, 
A Gilhead Balm it brings. 
Wonderful, too, the simple trust. 
¥or the child in the boon it asks 
(an rise us up from the dregs and dust 
With a strength to renew our tasks, 
For a child asks not as we older ones, 
But asks with a heart that knows. 
The hand that fashioned the farthest 
suns ; 
Lent the grace to the climbing rose. 
Rather a child should pray for me 
Than the godliest man on earth, 
For the prayer made in the childish 
key 
Is the prayer of the greatest worth. 
And I sometimes think that the good 
God sees 
How we trust—and has gravely smiled 
At the simple words and the bended 
knee 
And the faith of a little child. — 
HOUSEHOLD HINTS 
— Rusty Grates and Fireirons. — 
They should be brushed over as thickly 
as possible with blacklead, and left to the 
following day. Then a stiff brush will 
remove both blacklead and rust, and 
polishing will be easy. 
sone ee seeceeeenene oe 
~- The Sewing Machine, — 
When a machine works heavily, take 
out the cotton, and oil every part of the 
machine with parafliin, Work it thoroughly 
for a few minutes so that the paraftin may 
penetrate and expel all dirt and grit, and 
then wipo every part clean with a soft old 
custer, Next vil the machine With a 
proper lubricating oil- not with paraflin, 
for it heats the besrings and ciuses them 
to wear out. As a cleanser paraffin is 
most valuable to the mchinists ‘but it 
must be used for that purpose only, 
seer eccane eee ee eras 
— To Clean a Sponge, — 
(et a pennyworth of salts of lemon, 
dissolve it in a quart of hot (not. boiling) 
When 
water, and init soak the sponge. 
it is clean rinse it well. 
— Stained and Dusty Decanters, — 
When a decanter or water-bottle be- 
comes muddy looking. from long use, 
rinse it with water, pour it out, and then 
put a handful of rough salt into the bottle 
Soon the 
salt will become brown and sandy-looking 
the bottle 
well with the cold water, and polish it 
with a cloth, 
and give it a good shaking. 
and the glass clean. Rinse 
Beetecrensenzensesion © 
— To Remove Iodine Stains. — 
Dip the stain in liquid ammonia, and it 
willsoon disappear. Afterwardsrinse the 
article in cold water, and then wash with 
spoon, 
We post the “ Australian 
Gardener’ direct for 3s. 6d. 
per annum. 
