Chapter VII: Part 7

The most truly chaste, rich, and elegant carpets are those which are
of one colour only, the pattern, if pattern it may be called, being
formed by a judicious arrangement of every variety of shade of this
colour. For instance, a Brussels carpet entirely red; the pattern
formed by shades or tints varying from the deepest crimson (almost a
black), to the palest pink (almost a white). Also one of green only,
shaded from the darkest bottle-green, in some parts of the pattern, to
the lightest pea-green in others. Or one in which there is no colour
but brown, in all its various gradations, some of the shades being
nearly black, others of a light buff.

302. The Curtains, Sofas, &c.,

must be of corresponding colours, that the effect of the whole may be
satisfactory to the eye.

303. Colours of Carpets.

Carpets of many gaudy colours are much less in demand than formerly.
Two or three colours only, with the dark and light shades of each,
make a very handsome carpet.

304. Hearth-Rug.

If you cannot obtain a Hearth-rug that exactly corresponds with the
carpet, get one entirely different; for a decided contrast looks
better than a bad match. The hearth-rug, however, should reflect the
colour or colours of the carpet if possible.

305. Sheepskin Rugs.

Large rugs of sheepskin, in white, crimson, or black, form comfortable
and effective hearth-rugs for a drawing-room or dining-room. In the
winter these may be removed and an ordinary woollen rug laid down as
long as fires are kept up.

[A BAD BROOM LEAVES A DIRTY ROOM.]

306. Wallpaper.

In choosing paper for a room, avoid that which has a variety of
colours, or a large showy figure, as no furniture can appear to
advantage with such. Large figured papering makes a small room look
smaller, but, on the contrary, a paper covered with a small pattern
makes a room look larger, and a striped paper, the stripes running
from ceiling to floor, makes a low room look higher.

307. Kitchen Floors.

The best covering for a Kitchen Floor is a thick unfigured oil-cloth,
of one colour. Linoleum or kamptulicon is warmer to the feet than the
ordinary painted oilcloth.

308. Family Tool Chests.

Much inconvenience and considerable expense might be saved if it were
the general custom to keep in every house certain tools for the
purpose of performing at home what are called small jobs, instead of
being always obliged to send for a mechanic and pay him for executing
little things that, in most cases, could be sufficiently well done by
a man or boy belonging to the family, if the proper instruments were
at hand.

309. The Cost

of these articles is very trifling, and the advantages of having them
always in the house are far beyond the expense.

310. Example Contents.

For instance, there should be an axe, a hatchet, a saw (a large wood
saw also, with a buck or stand, if wood is burned), a hammer, a
tack-hammer, a mallet, three or four gimlets and bradawls of different
sizes, two screw-drivers, a chisel, a small plane, one or two
jack-knives, a pair of large scissors or shears, and a carpet fork or
stretcher.

311. Nails.

Also an assortment of nails of various sizes, from large spikes down
to small tacks, not forgetting some large and small brass-headed nails.

312. Screws.

An assortment of screws, likewise, will be found very convenient, and
iron hooks of different sizes on which to hang things.

313. Container.

The nails and screws should be kept in a wooden box, made with
divisions to separate the various sorts and sizes, for it is very
troublesome to have them mixed.

314. Maintain Supply.

And let care be taken to keep up the supply, lest it should run out
unexpectedly, and the deficiency cause delay and inconvenience at a
time when some are wanted.

315. Tool Closet.

It is well to have somewhere, in the lower part of the house, a roomy
light closet, appropriated entirely to tools, and things of equal
utility, for executing promptly such little repairs as may be required
from time to time, without the delay or expense of procuring an
artisan. This closet should have at least one large shelf, and that
about three feet from the floor.

316. Drawer.

Beneath this shelf may be a deep drawer, divided into two
compartments. This drawer may contain cakes of glue, pieces of chalk,
and balls of twine of different size and quality.

317. Shelves.

There may be shelves at the sides of the closet for glue-pots,
paste-pots and brushes, pots for black, white, green, and red paint,
cans of oil and varnish, paint-brushes, &c.

318. Hanging Tools.

Against the wall, above the large shelf, let the tools be suspended,
or laid across nails or hooks of proper size to support them.

319. More Effective.

This is much better than keeping them in a box, where they may be
injured by rubbing sgainst each other, and the hand may be hurt in
feeling among them to find the thing that is wanted.

320. Visible.

But when hung up against the back wall of the closet, of course each
tool can be seen at a glance.

321. Organization.

There is an excellent and simple contrivance for designating the exact
places allotted to all these articles in a very complete tool closet.

322. Outlined Tools.

On the closet wall, directly under the large nails that support the
tools, is drawn with a small brush dipped in black paint or ink, a
representation in outline of the tool or instrument belonging to that
particular place.

[A HUSBAND'S WRATH SPOILS THE BEST BROTH.]

323. Examples of Outlining.

For instance, under each saw is sketched the outline of that saw,
under each gimlet a sketch of that gimlet, under the screw-drivers are
slight drawings of screw-drivers.

324. Place Shown.

So that when any tool that has been taken away for use is brought back
to the closet, the exact spot to which it belongs can be found in a
moment; and the confusion which is occasioned in putting tools away in
a box and looking for them again when they are wanted, is thus
prevented.

325. Wrapping Paper.

Wrapping paper may be piled on the floor under the large shelf. It
can be bought at a low price by the ream, at the large paper
warehouses; and every house should keep a supply of it in several
varieties. For instance, coarse brown paper for common purposes, which
is strong, thick, and in large sheets, is useful for packing heavy
articles; and equally so for keeping silks, ribbons, blondes, &c., as
it preserves their colours.

326. Printed Papers.

Printed papers are unfit for wrapping anything, as the printing ink
rubs off on the articles enclosed in them, and also soils the gloves
of the person that carries the parcel.

327. Waste Newspapers.

Waste newspapers had best be used for lighting fires and singeing
poultry. If you have accumulated more than you can use, your butcher
or grocer will generally buy them of you if they are clean.

328. Waste Paper.

Waste paper that has been written on, cut into slips, and creased and
folded, makes very good allumettes or lamp-lighters. These matters may
appear of trifling importance, but order and regularity are necessary
to happiness.

329. Beds for the Poor.

Beech-tree leaves are recommended for filling the beds of poor
persons. They should be gathered on a dry day in the autumn, and
perfectly dried. It is said that the smell of them is pleasant and
that they will not harbour vermin. They are also very springy.

330. To Preserve Tables.

A piece of oilcloth (about twenty inches long) is a useful appendage
to a common sitting-room. Kept in the closet, it can be available at
any time, in order to place upon it jars, lamps, &c., whose contents
are likely to soil your table during the process of emptying or
filling them. A wing and duster are harmonious accompaniments to the
oilcloth.

331. Protecting Gilt Frames.

Gilt frames may be protected from flies and dust by pinning tarlatan
over them. Tarlatan fit for the purpose may be purchased at the
draper's. It is an excellent material for keeping dust from books,
vases, wool work, and every description of household ornament.

332. Damp Walls.

The following method is recommended to prevent the effect of damp
walls on paper in rooms:--Line the damp part of the wall with sheet
lead, rolled very thin, and fastened up with small copper nails. It
may be immediately covered with paper. The lead is not to be thicker
than that which is used to line tea-chests.

333. Another Method.

Another mode of preventing the ill effects of damp in walls on
wall-paper, is to cover the damp part with a varnish formed of naphtha
and shellac, in the proportion of 1/4lb. of the latter to a quart of
the former. The smell of the mixture is unpleasant, but it wears off
in a short time, and the wall is covered with a hard coating utterly
impervious to damp, and to which the wall paper can be attached in the
usual way.

334. No Wet Scouring In Winter.

Bedrooms should not be scoured in the winter time, as colds and
sickness may be produced thereby. Dry scouring upon the French plan,
which consists of scrubbing the floors with dry brushes, may be
resorted to, and will be found more effective than can at first be
imagined. If a bedroom is wet scoured, a dry day should be chosen--the
windows should be opened, the linen removed, and a fire should be lit
when the operation is finished.

[A WIFE'S ART IS DISPLAYED IN A TABLE WELL LAID.]

335. To Get Rid of a Bad Smell in a Room Newly Painted.

Place a vessel full of lighted charcoal in the middle of the room, and
throw on it two or three handfuls of juniper berries, shut the
windows, the chimney, and the door close; twenty-four hours
afterwards, the room may be opened, when it will be found that the
sickly, unwholesome smell will be entirely gone. The smoke of the
juniper berry possesses this advantage, that should anything be left
in the room, such as; tapestry, &c., none of it will be spoiled.

336. Smell of Paint.

To get rid of the smell of oil paint, let a pailful of water stand in
the room newly painted.

337. Airing a Larder.

If a larder, by its position, will not admit of opposite windows, a
current of air should be admitted by means of a flue from the outside.

338. Keeping a Door Open.

To keep a door open, place a brick covered neatly with a piece of
carpeting against it, when opened sufficiently.

339. To Ascertain whether a Bed be Aired.

Introduce a drinking glass between the sheets for a minute or two,
just when the warming-pan is taken out; if the bed be dry, there will
only be a slight cloudy appearance on the glass, but if not, the damp
of the bed will collect in and on the glass and assume the form of
drops--a warning of danger.

340. To prevent the Smoking of a Lamp.

Soak the wick in strong vinegar, and dry it well before you use it;
the flame will then burn clear and bright.

341. Encrusted Tea-Kettles.

Water of every kind, except rain water, will speedily cover the inside
of a tea-kettle with an unpleasant crust; this may easily be guarded
against by placing a clean oyster-shell or a piece of stone or marble
in the tea-kettle. The shell or stone will always keep the interior of
the kettle in good order, by attracting the particles of earth or of
stone.

342. To Soften Hard Water.

or purify river water, simply boil it, and then leave it exposed to
the atmosphere.

343. Cabbage Water

should be thrown away immediately it is done with, and the vessel
rinsed with clean water, or it will cause unpleasant smells.

344. Disinfectants.

A little charcoal mixed with clear water thrown into a sink will
disinfect and deodorize it. Chloride of lime and carbolic acid
considerably diluted, if applied in a liquid form, are good
disinfectants, and carbolic powder--a pink powder with a smell
resembling tar, and sold at about 2d. per lb.--is both useful and
effective. The air of a bedroom may be pleasantly sweetened by
throwing some ground coffee on a fire shovel previously heated.

345. Chimney Smoking.

Where a chimney smokes only when a fire is first lighted, it may be
guarded against by allowing the fire to kindle gradually, or by
heating the chimney by burning straw or paper in the grate previous to
laying in the fire.

346. Ground Glass.

The frosted appearance of ground glass may be very nearly imitated by
gently dabbing the glass over with a paint brush dipped in white paint
or any other oil colour. The paint should be thin, and but very little
colour taken up at one time on the end of the bristles. When applied
with a light and even touch the resemblance is considerable.

347. Oiling Clocks.

Family clocks ought only to be oiled with the very purest oil,
purified by a quart of lime water to a gallon of oil, in which it has
been well shaken, and suffered to stand for three or four days, when
it may be drawn off.

348. Neat Mode of Soldering.

Cut out a piece of tinfoil the size of the surfaces to be soldered.
Then dip a feather in a solution of sal ammoniac, and wet over the
surfaces of the metal, then place them in their proper position with
the tinfoil between. Put the metals thus arranged on a piece of iron
hot enough to melt the foil. When cold the surfaces will be found
firmly soldered together.

[WHO NEVER TRIES CANNOT WIN THE PRIZE.]

349. Maps and Charts.

Maps, charts, or engravings may be effectually varnished by brushing a
very delicate coating of gutta-percha solution over their surface. It
is perfectly transparent, and is said to improve the appearance of
pictures. By coating both sides of important documents they can be
kept waterproof and preserved perfectly.

350. Temperature of Furniture.

Furniture made in the winter, and brought from a cold warehouse into a
warm apartment, is very liable to crack.

351. Paper Fire-Screens

should be sized and coated with transparent varnish, otherwise they
will soon become soiled and discoloured.

352. Pastilles for Burning.

Cascarilla bark, eight drachms; gum benzoin, four drachms; yellow
sanders, two drachms; styrax, two drachms; olibanum, two drachms;
charcoal, six ounces; nitre, one drachm and a half; mucilage of
tragacanth, sufficient quantity. Reduce the substances to a powder,
and form into a paste with the mucilage, and divide into small cones;
then put them into an oven, used quite dry.

353. Breaking Glass.

Easy method of breaking glass to any required Figure.--Make a small
notch by means of a file on the edge of a piece of glass, then make
the end of a tobacco-pipe, or of a rod of iron of the same size, red
hot in the fire, apply the hot iron to the notch, and draw it slowly
along the surface of the glass in any direction you please: a crack
will follow the direction of the iron.

354. Bottling and Fining.

Corks should be sound, clean, and sweet. Beer and porter should be
allowed to stand in the bottles a day or two before being corked. If
for speedy use, wiring is not necessary. Laying the bottles on their
sides will assist the ripening for use. Those that are to be kept
should be wired, and put to stand upright in sawdust. Wines should be
bottled in spring. If not fine enough, draw off a jugful and dissolve
isinglass in it, in the proportion of half an ounce to ten gallons,
and then pour back through the bung-hole. Let it stand a few weeks.
Tap the cask above the lees. When the isinglass is put into the cask,
stir it round with a stick, taking great care not to touch the lees at
the bottom. For white wine only, mix with the isinglass a quarter of a
pint of milk to each gallon of wine, some whites of eggs, beaten with
some of the wine. One white of an egg to four gallons makes a good
fining.

355. To Sweeten Casks.

Mix half a pint of vitriol with a quart of water, pour it into the
barrel, and roll it about; next day add one pound of chalk, and roll
again. Bung down for three or four days, then rinse well with hot
water.

356. Wrinkly Paintings.

Oil paintings hung over the mantel-piece are liable to wrinkle with
the heat.

357. To Loosen Glass Stoppers of Bottles.

With a feather rub a drop or two of salad oil round the stopper, close
to the mouth of the bottle or decanter, which must then be placed
before the fire, at the distance of about eighteen inches; the heat
will cause the oil to insinuate itself between the stopper and the
neck. When the bottle has grown warm, gently strike the stopper on
one side, and then on the other, with any light wooden instrument;
then try it with the hand: if it will not yet move, place it again
before the fire, adding another drop of oil. After a while strike
again as before; and, by persevering in this process, however tightly
it may be fastened in, you will at length succeed in loosening it.

358. The Best Oil for Lamps,

whether animal, vegetable, or mineral, is that which is clear and
nearly colourless, like water.

359. China or Wedgwood Teapots.

China teapots are the safest, and, in many respects, the most
pleasant. Wedgwood ware is very apt, after a time, to acquire a
disagreeable taste.

[THE BEST PHYSICIANS ARE DR. DIET, DR. QUIET AND DR. MERRYMAN.]

360. Care of Linen.

When linen is well dried and laid by for use, nothing more is
necessary than to secure it from damp and insects. It may he kept free
from the latter by a judicious mixture of aromatic shrubs and flowers,
cut up and sewed in silken bags, which must be interspersed among the
drawers and shelves. The ingredients used may consist of lavender,
thyme, roses, cedar shavings, powdered sassafras, cassia, &c., into
which a few drops of otto of roses, or other strong-scented perfume
may be thrown.

361. Repairing Linen.

In all cases it will he found more consistent with economy to examine
and repair all washable articles, more especially linen, that may
stand in need of it, previous to sending them to the laundry. It will
also be prudent to have every article carefully numbered, and so
arranged, after washing, as to have their regular turn and term in
domestic use.

362. Mending.

When you make a new article always save the pieces until "mending
day," which may come sooner than expected. It will be well even to buy
a little extra quantity for repairs. Read over repeatedly the
"DOMESTIC HINTS" (_pars_. 1783-1807). These numerous paragraphs
contain most valuable suggestions, that will be constantly useful if
well remembered. They should be read frequently that their full value
may be secured. Let your servants also read them, for nothing more
conduces to good housekeeping than for the servant to understand the
"system" which her mistress approves of.

363. Cleansing of Furniture.

The cleaning of furniture forms an important part of domestic economy,
not only in regard to neatness, but also in point of expense.

364. Method of Cleansing.

The readiest mode indeed consists in good manual rubbing, or the
application of a little elbow-grease, as it is whimsically termed; but
our finest cabinet work requires something more, where brilliancy of
polish is of importance.

365. Italian Varnish.

The Italian Cabinet-Work in this respect excels that of any other
country. The workmen first saturate the surface with olive oil, and
then apply a solution of gum arabic dissolved in boiling alcohol.
This mode of varnishing is equally brilliant, if not superior, to that
employed by the French in their most elaborate works.

366. Another Method.

But another Mode may be substituted, which has less the appearance of
a hard varnish, and may always be applied so as to restore the
pristine beauty of the furniture by a little manual labour. Heat a
gallon of water, in which dissolve one pound and a half of potash; and
a pound of virgin wax, boiling the whole for half an hour, then suffer
it to cool, when the wax will float on the surface. Put the wax into a
mortar, and triturate it with a marble pestle, adding soft water to it
until it forms a soft paste, which, laid neatly on furniture, or even
on paintings, and carefully rubbed when dry with a woollen rag, gives
a polish of great brilliancy, without the harshness of the drier
varnishes.

367. Marble Chimney-Pieces.

Marble chimney-pieces may also be rubbed with it, after cleaning the
marble with diluted muriatic acid, or warm soap and vinegar; but the
iron or brass work connected with them requires other processes.

368. Polished Iron Work

may be preserved from rust by an inexpensive mixture, consisting of
copal varnish intimately mixed with as much olive oil as will giye it
a degree of greasiness, adding thereto nearly as much spirit of
turpentine as of varnish.

369. Cast Iron Work

is best preserved by the common method of rubbing with black-lead.

370. Rust.

If rust has made its appearance on grates or fire-irons, apply a
mixture of two parts of tripoli to one of sulphur, intimately mingled
on a marble slab, and laid on with a piece of soft leather. Or emery
and oil may be applied with excellent effect; not laid on in the usual
slovenly way, but with a spongy piece of fig wood fully saturated with
the mixture. This will not only clean but impart a polish to the metal
as well.

371. Brass.

Brass Ornaments, when not gilt or lacquered, may be cleaned in the
same way, and a fine colour given to them, by two simple processes.

372. First Brass Process.

The first is to beat sal ammoniac into a fine powder, then to moisten
it with soft water, rubbing it on the ornaments, which must be heated
over charcoal, and rubbed dry with bran and whiting.

373. Second Brass Process.

The second is to wash the brasswork with roche alum boiled in strong
ley, in proportion of an ounce to a pint; when dry, rub it with fine
tripoli. Either of these processes will give to brass the brilliancy
of gold.

374. Carpets.

If the corner of a carpet becomes loose and prevents the door opening,
or trips every one up that enters the room, nail it down at once. A
dog's-eared carpet marks the sloven as well as the dog's-eared book.
An English gentleman, travelling some years ago in Ireland, took a
hammer and tacks with him, because he found dog's-eared carpets at all
the inns where he rested. At one of these inns he tacked down the
carpet, which, as usual, was loose near the door, and soon afterwards
rang for his dinner. While the carpet was loose the door could not be
opened without a hard push; so when the waiter came up, he just
unlatched the door, and then going back a couple of yards, he rushed
against it, as his habit was, with a sudden spring, to force it open.
But the wrinkles of the carpet were no longer there to stop it, and
not meeting with the expected resistance, the unfortunate waiter fell
full length into the room. It had never entered his head that so much
trouble might be saved by means of a hammer and half a dozen tacks,
until his fall taught him that makeshift is a very unprofitable kind
of shift. There are a good many houses in England where a similar
practical lesson might be of service.

375. Cleaning Carpets.

Take a pail of cold water, and add to it three gills of ox-gall. Rub
it into the carpet with a soft brush. It will raise a lather, which
must be washed off with clear cold water. Rub dry with a clean cloth.
Before nailing down a carpet after the floor has been washed, be
certain that the floor is quite dry, or the nails will rust and injure
the carpet. Fuller's earth is used for cleaning carpets, and weak
solutions of alum or soda are used for reviving the colours. The crumb
of a hot wheaten loaf rubbed over a carpet has been found effective.

376. Carpet-Beating.

Beat a carpet on the wrong side first; and then more gently on the
right side. Beware of using sticks with sharp points, which may tear
the carpet.

377. Sweeping Carpets.

Persons who are accustomed to use tea-leaves for sweeping their
carpets, and find that they leave stains, will do well to employ fresh
cut grass instead. It is better than tea-leaves for preventing dust,
and gives the carpets a very bright, fresh look.

378. Making a Carpet Last Longer.

A half-worn carpet may be made to last longer by ripping it apart, and
transposing the breadths.

379. Sweeping a Stair-Carpet.

A stair carpet should never be swept down with a long broom, but
always with a short-handled brush, a dust-pan being held closely under
each step of the stairs during the operation of sweeping.

380. Cleaning Oilcloth.

Oilcloth should never be scrubbed with a brush, but, after being first
swept, it should be cleansed by washing with a large soft cloth and
lukewarm or cold water. On no account use soap or hot water, as either
will injure the paint, and in time remove it.

381. Cleaning Straw Matting.

Straw matting may be cleaned with a large coarse cloth dipped in salt
and water, and then wiped dry. The salt prevents the matting from
turning yellow.

[EAT NOT TO DULNESS--DRINK NOT TO ELEVATION.]

382. Method of Cleaning Paper-Hangings.

Cut into eight half quarters a quartern loaf, two days old; it must be
neither newer nor staler. With one of these pieces, after having blown
off all the dust from the paper to be cleaned, by the means of a good
pair of bellows, begin at the top of the room, and, holding the crust
in the hand, wipe lightly downward with the crumb, about half a yard
at each stroke, till the upper part of the hangings is completely
cleaned all round. Then go round again, with the like sweeping stroke
downwards, always commencing each successive course a little higher
than the upper stroke had extended, till the bottom be finished. This
operation, if carefully performed, will frequently make very old paper
look almost equal to new. Great care must be taken not to rub the
paper hard, nor to attempt cleaning it the cross or horizontal way.
The surface of the bread, too, must be always cut away as soon as it
becomes dirty, and the pieces renewed as often as may be necessary.

383. Cleaning Rosewood Furniture.

Rosewood furniture should be rubbed gently every day with a clean soft
cloth to keep it in order.

384. Cleaning Ottomans and Sofas.

Ottomans and sofas, covered with cloth, damask, or chintz, will look
better for being cleaned occasionally with bran and flannel.

385. Polishing Dining-Tables.

Dining tables may be polished by rubbing them for some time with a
soft cloth and a little linseed oil.

386. Mahogany.

Mahogany frames of sofas, chairs, &c., should be first well dusted,
and then cleaned with a flannel dipped in sweet oil or linseed oil.

387. To Clean Cane-bottom Chairs.

Turn the chair bottom upwards, and with hot water and a sponge wash
the canework well, so that it may become completely soaked. Should it
be very dirty you must add soap. Let it dry in the open air, or in a
place where there is a thorough draught, and it will become as tight
and firm as when new, provided none of the strips are broken.

388. Alabaster.

Stains may be removed by washing with soap and water, then
whitewashing the stained part, letting it stand some hours, then
washing off the whitewash, and rubbing the stained part with a flannel
moistened with lukewarm soap and water.

389. To Clean Marble.

Take two parts of common soda, one part of pumice stone, and one part
of finely powdered chalk; sift it through a fine sieve, and mix it
with water. Rub the marble well all over with the mixture, and the
stains will be removed; then wash the marble with soap and water, and
it will be as clean as it was at first.

390. Glass.

Glass should be washed in cold water, which gives it a brighter and
clearer look than when cleansed with warm water; or, what is better,
wash in warm water and rinse in cold water.

391. Using Charcoal (1).

Glass vessels, and other utensils, may be purified and cleaned by
rinsing them out with powdered charcoal.

392. Bottles.

There is no easier method of cleaning glass bottles than putting into
them fine coal-ashes, and well shaking, either with water or not, hot
or cold, according to the substance that fouls the bottle. Charcoal
left in a bottle or jar for a little time will take away disagreeable
smells.

393. Cleaning Japanned Waiters, Urns, &c.

Rub on with a sponge a little white soap and some lukewarm water, and
wash the waiter or urn quite clean. Never use hot water, as it will
cause the japan to scale off. Having wiped it dry, sprinkle a little
flour over it; let it remain untouched for a short time, and then rub
it with a soft dry cloth, and finish with a silk handkerchief. White
heat marks on the waiters are difficult to remove; but rubbing them
with a flannel dipped in sweet oil, and afterwards in spirits of wine,
may be tried. Waiters of 'papier maché' should be washed with a sponge
and cold water only, and dredged with flour while damp. After the
lapse of a few minutes the flour must be wiped off, and the article
polished with a silk handkerchief.

[DISEASE IS SOON SHAKEN BY PHYSIC SOON TAKEN.]

394. Papier Maché.

Papier Maché articles of all kinds should be washed with a sponge and
cold water, without soap, dredged with flour while damp, and polished
with a flannel or a silk handkerchief.

395. Brunswick Black for Varnishing Grates.

Melt four pounds of common asphaltum, and add two pints of linseed
oil, and one gallon of oil of turpentine. This is usually put up in
stoneware bottles for sale, and is used with a paint brush. If too
thick, more turpentine may be added.

396. Blacking for Stoves

may be made with half a pound of black-lead finely powdered, and (to
make it stick) mix with it the whites of three eggs well beaten; then
dilute it with sour beer or porter till it becomes as thin as
shoe-blacking; after stirring it, set it over hot coals to simmer for
twenty minutes; when cold it may be kept for use.

397. To Clean Knives and Forks.

Wash the blades in warm (but not hot) water, and afterwards rub them
lightly over with powdered rotten-stone mixed to a paste with a little
cold water; then polish them with a clean cloth.

398. For Cleaning Painted Wainscot or Other Woodwork,

fuller's earth will be found cheap and useful: on wood not painted it
forms an excellent substitute for soap.

399. To Scour Boards.

Lime, one part; sand, three parts; soft soap, two parts. Lay a little
on the boards with the scrubbing brush, and rub thoroughly. Rinse with
clean water, and rub dry. This will keep the boards of a good colour,
and keep away vermin.

400. Charcoal (2).

All sorts of glass vessels and other utensils may be purified from
long-retained smells of every kind, in the easiest and most perfect
manner, by rinsing them out well with charcoal powder, after the
grosser impurities have been scoured off with sand and potash. Rubbing
the teeth and washing out the mouth with fine charcoal powder, will
render the teeth beautifully white, and the breath perfectly sweet,
where an offensive breath has been owing to a scorbutic disposition of
the gums. Putrid water is immediately deprived of its bad smell by
charcoal. When meat, fish, &c., from intense heat, or long keeping,
are likely to pass into a state of corruption, a simple and pure mode
of keeping them sound and healthful is by putting a few pieces of
charcoal, each about the size of an egg, into the pot or saucepan
wherein the fish or flesh is to be boiled. Among others, an experiment
of this kind was tried upon a turbot, which appeared to be too far
gone to be eatable; the cook, as advised, put three or four pieces of
charcoal, each the size of an egg, under the strainer in the
fish-kettle; after boiling the proper time, the turbot came to the
table sweet and firm.

401. To take Stains out of Mahogany Furniture.

Stains and spots may be taken out of mahogany with a little aquafortis
or oxalic acid and water, rubbing the part with a cork dipped in the
liquid till the colour is restored. Then wash the wood well with
water, and dry and polish as usual.

402. To take Ink-Stains out of Mahogany.

Put a few drops of spirits of nitre in a teaspoonful of water; touch
the spot with a feather dipped in the mixture, and as soon as the ink
disappears, rub it over with a rag wetted in cold water, or there will
be a white mark, which will not be easily effaced.

403. To remove Ink-Stains from Silver.

Ink-stains on the tops and other portions of silver ink-stands may be
completely eradicated by making a little chloride of lime into a paste
with water, and rubbing it upon the stains. Chloride of lime has been
misnamed "The general bleacher," but it is a great enemy to all
metallic surfaces.

[DISEASE IS THE PUNISHMENT OF NEGLECT.]

404. To take Ink-Stains out of a Coloured Table-Cover.

Dissolve a teaspoonful of oxalic acid in a teacup of hot water; rub
the stained part well with a flannel or linen rag dipped in the
solution.

405. Ink Stains.

Very frequently, when logwood has been used in manufacturing ink, a
reddish stain still remains, after the use of oxalic acid, as in the
former directions. To remove it, procure a solution of the chloride of
lime, and apply it in the same manner as directed for the oxalic acid.

406. To take Ink out of Boards.

Apply strong muriatic acid, or spirits of salts, with a piece of
cloth; afterwards wash well with water.

407. Oil or Grease

may be removed from a hearth by covering it immediately with hot
ashes, or with burning coals.

408. Marble may be Cleaned

by mixing up a quantity of the strongest soap-lees with quick-lime, to
the consistence of milk, and laying it on the marble for twenty-four
hours; clean it afterwards with soap and water.

409. Silver and Plated Ware

should be washed with a sponge and warm soapsuds every day after
using, and wiped dry with a clean soft towel.

410. Bronzed Chandeliers, Lamps, &c.,

should be merely dusted with a feather-brush, or with a soft cloth, as
washing them will take off the bronzing.

411. To clean Brass Ornaments.

Wash the brasswork with roche alum boiled to a strong ley, in the
proportion of an ounce to a pint. When dry it must be rubbed with fine
tripoli.

412. For Cleaning Brasses belonging to mahogany furniture,

use either powdered whiting or scraped rotten-stone, mixed with sweet oil and rubbed on with chamois leather.

413. Brasses, Britannia Metal, Tins, Coppers, &c.,

may be cleaned with a mixture of rotten-stone, soft soap, and oil of
turpentine, mixed to the consistency of stiff putty. The stone should
be powdered very fine and sifted. The articles should first be washed
with hot water, to remove grease; then a little of the above mixture,
mixed with water, should be rubbed over the metal; then rub off
briskly with dry, clean rag or leather, and a beautiful polish will be
obtained.

414. To preserve Steel Goods from Rust.

After bright grates have been thoroughly cleaned, they should be
dusted over with unslacked lime, and thus left until wanted. Coils of
piano wires, thus sprinkled, will keep from rust for many years.
Table-knives which are not in constant use ought to be put in a case
in which sifted quicklime is placed, about eight inches deep. They
should be plunged to the top of the blades, but the lime should not
touch the handles.

415. To keep Iron and Steel Goods from Rust.

Dissolve half an ounce of camphor in one pound of hog's lard; take off
the scum: mix as much black lead as will give the mixture an iron
colour. Iron and steel goods, rubbed over with this mixture, and left
with it on twenty-four hours, and then dried with a linen cloth, will
keep clean for months. Valuable articles of cutlery should be wrapped
in zinc foil, or be kept in boxes lined with zinc. This is at once an
easy and most effective method.

416. Iron Wipers.

Old soft towels, or pieces of old sheets or tablecloths, make
excellent wipers for iron and steel goods.

417. To Clean Looking-Glasses.

First wash the glass all over with lukewarm soapsuds and a sponge.
When dry, rub it bright with a chamois leather on which a little
prepared chalk, finely powdered, has been sprinkled.

[KEEP THE BLOOD PURE AND SPARE THE LEECH.]

418. To Clean Mirrors, &c.

If they should be hung so high that they cannot be conveniently
reached, have a pair of steps to stand upon; but mind that they stand
steady. Then take a piece of soft sponge, well washed, and cleaned
from everything gritty, dip it into water and squeeze it almost dry,
dip it into some spirit of wine, and then rub it over the glass. Next,
dust the glass over with some powder blue or whiting sifted through
muslin; wipe the powder lightly and quickly off again with a cloth;
then take a clean cloth, and rub the glass well once more, and finish
by rubbing it with a silk handkerchief. If the glass be very large,
clean one-half at a time, as otherwise the spirit of wine will dry
before it can be rubbed off. If the frames are not varnished, the
greatest care is necessary to keep them quite dry, so as not to touch
them with the sponge, as this will discolour or take off the gilding.
To clean the frames, take a little raw cotton in the state of wool,
and rub the frames with it; this will take off all the dust and dirt
without injuring the gilding. If the frames are well varnished, rub
them with spirit of wine, which will take out all spots, and give them
a fine polish. Varnished doors may be done in the same manner. Never
use any cloth to _frames_ or _drawings_, or oil paintings, when
cleaning and dusting them.

419. China and Glass.

The best material for cleansing either porcelain or glass, is fuller's
earth: but it must be beaten into a fine powder, and carefully cleared
from all rough or hard particles, which might endanger the polish of
the surface.

420. Porcelain.

In cleaning porcelain, it must also be observed that some species
require more care and attention than others, as every person must have
observed that chinaware in common use frequently loses some of its
colours.

421. Red Fading.

The red, especially of vermilion, is the first to go, because that
colour, together with some others, is laid on by the Chinese after
burning.

422. Modern Porcelain Fades Less.

The modern chinese porcelain is not, indeed, so susceptible of this
rubbing or wearing off, as--vegetable reds are now used by them
instead of the mineral colour.

423. Temperature with China and Glass.

It ought to be taken for granted that all china or glass ware is well
tempered: yet a little careful attention may not be misplaced, even on
that point; for though ornamental china or glassware is not exposed to
the action of hot water in common domestic use, yet it may be
injudiciously immersed therein for the purpose of cleaning; and as
articles intended solely for ornament are not so highly annealed as
others, it will be proper never to apply water beyond a tepid
temperature.

424. Annealing Glass.

An ingenious and simple mode of annealing glass has been some time in
use by chemists. It consists in immersing the vessel in cold water,
gradually heated to the boiling point, and suffered to remain till
cold, when it will be fit for use. Should the glass be exposed to a
higher temperature than that of boiling water, it will be necessary to
immerse it in oil.

425. To take Marking-Ink out of Linen.

Use a solution of cyanide of potassium applied with a camel-hair
brush. After the marking ink disappears, the linen should be well
washed in cold water.

426. To take Stains of Wine out of Linen.

Hold the articles in milk while it is boiling on the fire, and the
stains will soon disappear.

427. Fruit Stains in Linen.

To remove them, rub the part on each side with yellow soap, then tie
up a piece of pearlash in the cloth, &c., and soak well in hot water,
or boil; afterwards expose the stained part to the sun and air until
the stain is removed.

428. Mildewed Linen

may be restored by soaping the spots while wet, covering them with
fine chalk scraped to powder, and rubbing it well in.

429. To keep Moths, Beetles, &c., from Clothes.

Put a piece of camphor in a linen bag, or some aromatic herbs, in the
drawers, among linen or woollen clothes, and no insects will come near
them.

[LOOSE HABITS LEAD TO TIGHT BANDAGES.]

430. Moths.

Clothes closets that have become infested with moths, should be well
rubbed with a strong decoction of tobacco, and repeatedly sprinkled
with spirits of camphor.

431. To remove Stains from Floors.

For removing spots of grease from boards, take fuller's earth and
pearlash, of each a quarter of a pound, and boil in a quart of soft
water. While hot lay the mixture on the greased parts, allowing it to
remain on them from ten or twelve hours; after which it may be scoured
off with sand and water. A floor much spotted with grease should be
completely washed over with this mixture the day before it is scoured.
Fuller's earth and ox-gall, boiled together, form a very powerful
cleansing mixture for floors or carpets. Stains of ink are removed by
the application of strong vinegar, or salts of lemon.

432. Scouring Drops for removing Grease

There are several preparations of this name; one of the best is made
as follows:--Camphine, or spirit of turpentine, three ounces: essence
of lemon, one ounce; mix and put up in a small phial for use when
required.

433. To take Grease out of Velvet or Cloth.

Pour some turpentine over the part that is greasy; rub it till quite
dry with a piece of clean flannel; if the grease be not quite removed,
repeat the application, and when done, brush the part well, and hang
up the garment in the open air to take away the smell.

434. Medicine Stains

may be removed from silver spoons by rubbing them with a rag dipped in
sulphuric acid, and washing it off with soapsuds.

435. To Extract Grease Spots from Books or Paper.

Gently warm the greased or spotted part of the book or paper, and then
press upon it pieces of blotting-paper, one after another, so as to
absorb as much of the grease as possible. Have ready some fine clear
essential oil of turpentine heated almost to a boiling state, warm the
greased leaf a little, and then, with a soft clean brush, apply the
heated turpentine to both sides of the spotted part. By repeating this
application, the grease will be extracted. Lastly, with another brush
dipped in rectified spirit of wine, go over the place, and the grease
will no longer appear, neither will the paper be discoloured.

436. Stains and Marks from Books.

A solution of oxalic acid, citric acid, or tartaric acid, is attended
with the least risk, and may be applied to paper and prints without
fear of damage. These acids, which take out writing ink, and do not
touch the printing, can be used for restoring books where the margins
have been written upon, without injuring the text.

437. To take Writing Ink out of Paper.

Solution of muriate of tin, two drachms; water, four drachms. To be
applied with a camel-hair brush. After the writing has disappeared,
the paper should be passed through water, and dried.

438. A Hint on Household Management.

Have you ever observed what a dislike servants have to anything cheap?
They hate saving their master's money. I tried this experiment with
great success the other day. Finding we consumed a vast deal of soap,
I sat down in my thinking chair, and took the soap question into
consideration, and I found reason to suspect we were using a very
expensive article, where a much cheaper one would serve the purpose
better. I ordered half a dozen pounds of both sorts, but took the
precaution of changing the papers on which the prices were marked
before giving them into the hands of Betty. "Well, Betty, which soap
do you find washes best?" "Oh, please sir, the dearest, in the blue
paper; it makes a lather as well again as the other." "Well, Betty,
you shall always have it then;" and thus the unsuspecting Betty saved
me some pounds a year, and washed the clothes better--_Rev. Sydney
Smith_.

[BOTTLES OF BRANDY ARE FOLLOWED BY BOTTLES OF PHYSIC.]

439. Domestic Rules.

Mrs Hamilton, in her "Cottagers of Glenburnie," gives three simple
rules for the regulation of domestic affairs, which deserve to be
remembered, and which would, if carried into practice, be the means of
saving time, labour, and patience, and of making every house a
"well-ordered" one. They are as follows:

i. Do everything in its proper time.

ii. Keep everything to its proper use.

iii. Put everything in its proper place.

440. An Ever-dirty Hearth,

and a grate always choked with cinders and ashes, are infallible
evidences of bad housekeeping.

441. Economy.

If you have a strip of land, do not throw away soapsuds. Soapsuds are
good manure for bushes and young plants.

442. Washing Woollens.

Woollen clothes should be washed in very hot suds, and not rinsed.
Lukewarm water shrinks them.

443. Keeping Coffee and Tea.

Do not let coffee and tea stand in tin.

444. Freshness of Surfaces.

Scald your wooden-ware often, and keep your tin-ware dry.

445. Re-using Letters.

Preserve the backs of old letters to write upon.

446. Make Writing-Books.

If you have Children who are learning to write, buy coarse white paper
by the quantity, and make it up into writing-books. This does not
cost half so much as it does to buy them ready made at the stationer's.

447. No Waste.

See that nothing is thrown away which might have served to nourish
your own family or a poorer one.

448. Bread.

As far as possible, have pieces of bread eaten up before they become
hard: spread those that are not eaten, and let them dry, to be pounded
for puddings, or soaked for brewis.

449. Brewis.

Brewis is made of crusts and dry pieces of bread, soaked a good while
in hot milk, mashed up, and eaten with salt. Above all, do not let
crusts accumulate in such quantities that they cannot be used. With
proper care, there is no need of losing a particle of bread.

450. Regular Mending.

All the Mending in the house should be done once a week if possible.

451. Never put out Sewing.

If it be not possible to do it in your own family, hire some one to
come to the house and work with them.

452. White Spots on Furniture.

A warming-pan full of coals, or a shovel of coals, held over varnished
furniture, will take out white spots. Care should be taken not to hold
the pan near enough to scorch; the place to which heat has thus been
applied, should be rubbed with a flannel while warm.

453. Acid Fading.

Sal-Volatile or hartshorn will restore colours taken out by acid. It
may be dropped upon any garment without doing harm.

454. New Iron

should be very gradually heated at first. After it has become inured
to the heat, it is not as likely to crack.

455. Before Using a Brass Kettle.

Clean a brass kettle, before using it for cooking, with salt and
vinegar.

456. Shaking Carpets.

The oftener carpets are shaken the longer they wear; the dirt that
collects under them grinds out the threads.

457. Saving Rags.

All linen rags should be saved, for they are useful in sickness. If
they have become dirty and worn by cleaning silver, &c., wash them and
scrape them into lint.

458. Softening Washing-Water.

If you are troubled to get soft water for Washing, fill a tub or
barrel half full of wood ashes, and fill it up with water, so that you
may have ley whenever you want it. A gallon of strong ley, put into a
great kettle of hard water, will make it as soft as rain water. Some
people use pearlash, or potash; but this costs something, and is very
apt to injure the texture of the cloth.

459. Protecting Knife-Handles.

Do not let knives be dropped into hot dish-water. It is a good plan to
have a large tin pot to wash them in, just high enough to wash the
bladet _without wetting_ the handles.

460. Do It Well.

It is better to accomplish perfectly a very small amount of work, than
to half do ten times as much.

[BE TEMPERATE IN ALL THINGS.]

461. Polishing Knives with Charcoal.

Charcoal Powder will be found a very good thing to give knives a
first-rate polish.

462. Preventing Wear.

A bonnet and trimmings may be worn a much longer time, if the dust be
brushed well off after walking.

463. Good Examples.

Much knowledge may be obtained by the good housewife observing how
things are managed in well-regulated families.

464. Apple Pips.

Apples intended for dumplings should not have the core taken out of
them, as the pips impart a delicious flavour to the dumpling.

465. Rice Pudding.

A rice pudding is excellent without either eggs or sugar, if baked
gently: it keeps better without eggs.

466. "Wilful Waste makes Woeful Want."

Do not cook a fresh joint whilst any of the last remains uneaten
--hash it up, and with gravy and a little management, eke out another
day's dinner.

467. Shanks of Mutton.

The shanks of mutton make a good stock for nearly any kind of gravy,
and they are very cheap--a dozen may be had for a penny, enough to
make a quart of delicious soup.

468. Lack of Fresh Air.

Thick curtains, closely drawn around the bed, are very injurious,
because they not only confine the effluvia thrown off from our bodies
whilst in bed, but interrupt the current of pure air.

469. Regular Accounting.

Regularity in the payment of accounts is essential to housekeeping.
All tradesmen's bills should be paid weekly, for then any errors can
be detected whilst the transactions are fresh in the memory.

470. Enough Talk.

Allowing children to talk incessantly is a mistake. We do not mean to
say that they should be restricted from talking in proper seasons, but
they should be taught to know when it is proper for them to cease.

471. Blacking for Leather Seats, &c.

Beat well the yolks of two eggs and the white of one: mix a
tablespoonful of gin and a teaspoonful of sugar, thicken it with ivory
black, add it to the eggs, and use as common blacking; the seats or
cushions being ieft a day or two to harden. This is good for dress
boots and shoes

472. Black Reviver for Black Cloth.

Bruised galls, one pound; logwood, two pounds; green vitriol, half a
pound; water, five quarts. Boil for two hours, and strain. Use to
restore the colour of black cloth.

473. Enamel Paint

Special preparations of paint, styled "enamel," are now made, suitable
for both useful and decorative purposes--garden stands, indoor
furniture or ornaments, baths, &c. They are ready mixed in a variety
of shades, can be easily applied, and dry with a hard glossy surface.

[KEEP THE HEAD COOL AND THE FEET WARM.]

474. Hints for Home Comfort.

i. Eat slowly and you will not overeat.

ii. Keeping the feet warm will prevent headaches.

iii. Late at breakfast--hurried for dinner--cross at tea.

iv. A short needle makes the most expedition in plain sewing.

v. Between husband and wife little attentions beget much love.

vi. Always lay your table neatly, whether you have company or
not.

vii. Put your balls or reels of cotton into little bags, leaving
the ends out.

viii. Whatever you may choose to give away, always be sure to
_keep your temper_.