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The Commoner.
9
SEPTEMBER 30, 1910
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to make the roll round. A spool of
throad should be put into the roll
at each end before sewing down, and
an eyelet-hole worked on either side
of the thimble bag for the end of the
thread to be drawn through, ready
for the needle. Make a pointed
pocket for the scissors below the
spool pocket. Below, the thread
pocket, the article should bo lined
with one or two leaves of suitable
flannel, and in this flannel needles
of various sizes should be rtan, cross
wise, and the thread drawn through
the needles to keep it in place. A
bodkin,cotton and yarn darners and
glove needles should bo added. This
can be rolled up compactly and tied
with a ribbon or tape sewed on the
outside of the free end of tho ma
terial, the corners of which should
bo rounded, and tho whole bound
with ribbon. For one who moves
about much, or travels, this is a very
convenient'affair, and many men or
boys would be very grateful for such
a Ift at Christmas time.
Teach the little ones to be helpful
about the house. " It Is a good thing
to get small brooms, ironing boards
and real irons, little tubs and wash
boards, and the like for the embryo
housewives. A little girl will never
look on the laundry work necessary
for the dolly's comfort as anything
but' pleasure, and can thus be learn
ing a very important lesson. A box
of good tools is a fine thing for tho
boy.
Little Helps
In cleaning windows, rub with a
cloth dipped in a thin paste of Span
ish whiting and ammonia, let it dry
on the glass, then rub off with a
clean, soft cloth. It beats soap and
water, which almost invariably
"streak" the glass. Windows cleaned
in this way keep clean a long time.
When fly-time is over, take down
the screens, brush well, arid paint so
as to prevent rust, then put them
where they will not get damaged by
haying things piled on them, or stick
through the wire.
Get two ounces of washing soda
and an ounce each of powdered pum
ice stone and powdered chalk sifted
together; make a paste of a little of
this with cold water and spread on
your marble slabs; let stay a little
while and wash off with soap and
water. All dirt and stains will come
away with it.
Use plenty of turpentine or car
bolic acid in the scrub water for the
floors; it means death to insects hid
den in the cracks.
Many blemishes on wall paper may
be removed with an eraser such as
is used to rub out pencil marks.
For the spots on the table, dampen
a rag in ether and rub the spot, and
it is claimed it will disappear.
Here is said to be a fine furniture
polish: For a small job, get one
pint of linseed oil, one pint of tur
pentine, half a pint of gasoline, and
live cents worth of muriatic acid.
Mix well in a bottle. Wash the fur
niture and let it dry, then apply the
polish liberally with a piece of old
cotton stocking top; ruh thoroughly
into the wood. The muriatic acid
cuts the greases and blemishes, while
the other ingredients fill and polish
the wood. Vigorous and persistent
polishing is required. When the
piece of furniture has been touched
in all parts with the preparation,
take clean cloths and rub until every
particle is absorbed in tho wood. It
will not act as a varnish, but will
renew cloudy looking pieces made
dingy by gas, steam, sediments, dust
or other wear. It is highly recommended.
soap, using soft water always. Lot
Ho for about an hour, then gently
pat and squeezo and press with tho
hands until the soiled parts aro
clean; squeezo (do not wring) them
out of this suds and put them
through a weaker suds, handling
them tho same, then rinse in soft
cold water of the same tenperaturo
as the suds, squeezing as dry as
possible, or running them through a
wringer, then shake thoroughly, both
lengthwise and crosswise. All the
suds should be rinsed out of them,
and two rinse waters are none too
many. If the flannels aro white, a
few drops of bluing should bo in the
last rinse water. Dry them as quick
ly as possible in tho open air, but
do not let freeze. Iron with a rather
warm (not not) iron when nearly
dry. If ironing is objected to, fold
smoothly and lay under a weight. Do
not let flannels lie about when soiled,
as they are apt to look stained and
discolored.
Black roods, black and white, gray,
very dark purple, must be soaked in
strong salt water, or a cupful of tur
pentine may bo put in the wash wa
ter. Finer black cottons may be
soaked in a strong tea made of whole
black popper boiled until the strength
is extracted. For all kinds of black
and white things, a handful of salt
in the last rinso water improves the
color. Any colored cotton or linen
goods may be safely washed in thin
flour starch, and when ironed will not
have that "smeary" look so much
disliked. Use no soap, and rinse in
clear 'water. Tho fabric will be stiff
enough.
Soak madder tints, browns, brown
reds, tans, and their shades in a so
lution made of one ounce of sugar of
lead to one gallon of water, letting
soak in this ten minutes before put
ting in the wash.
Tho Laundry
' " Do not ruin the soft fine flannels
lof the baby by careless washing. Put
them to soak in strong suds of cold
Skater made with the best of white
Query Box
L. !: To prevent ants from climb
ing walls or tree-trunks or vines,
paint a horizontal line, with gas tar,
on the walls, or around tho trunk.
Mrs. C. L., of Missouri, wishes to
know how to bleach a switch which
is too dark for her hair. The switch
was made of her own hair of an
earlier date.
Mrs. C. L. also wishes to know
what will remove the "grassy" smell
from matting. It sickens her, and
tho matting is on her bed-room.
E. J. C. There is nothing known
that will in all, or a majority of cases
permanently remove superfluous hair.
Electrolysis often fails, besides being
expensive, and the operation very
painful.
"Johnny D." The reason why
scratching with the nails is dangerous
is that there is always more or less
poisonous secretions under the nail,
which infects tho scratched surface
sometimes seriously.
"Elderly Reader" There are few
materials more becoming to an elder
ly lady than velvet. When used close
to the face, it has a beautiful effect
in softening the lines of age.
"Sistene" Fur cloth is not the
real fur, but an excellent imitation
of it, and the material is very popu
lar for coats and jackets. It requires
care in cutting and making, and
should have a good lining.
Mrs. J. L. For a one-piece dress
for an elderly lady, velvet is very
handsome and warm. The long coat
will be worn. Black and very dark
blue aro the season's leading colors.
Housewife When one gives the
"cup" as a measuring article in
cookery, it is supposed that the one
cup shall be used for every measure
ment, no matter what the size of the
cup. A cup is supposed to hold half
a pint, but it does not, always.
Contributed Recipes
Chocolate Layer Cake One cup of
sugar, half a cup of cold butter, two
eggs creamed together, half cup of
milk, four level teaspoonfuls of bak
ing powder, two clips of flour. Mix
and beat thoroughly. Put two-thirdB
in two tins, and to tho remaining
third add some grated chocolate,
about one tablespoonful, then hako
in tins as tho other two parts. For
filling, uso one-fourth cake of Baker's
chocolate, one cup of milk, one table
spoonful of corn starch; cook until
thick, then sweeten to taste. Have
tho dark layer between the two white
layers.
Tho next time you aro baking, I
wish you would try this cooky
recipe; tho cookies aro fine: Ono
cup of butter, one cup of sugar, one
egg well boaton, ono level toaspoon
ful of soda, two tablcspoonfuls of cold
water and one level tableBpoonful of
ginger, stir wen, then stir In pastry
flour to make a dough that can just
bo rolled out smoothly; roll thin, and
wiin a cutter tne size of a silver dol
lar (a quarter-pound baking-powder
can is flne) cut out the cookies and
bake. Put away in tin cans or lard
pails, and when they aro all gone,
make some more.
If you have a sllco of toast loft
one morning, save it to put with the
left-over slice the next morning. But
ter your baking dish, put In one slice
of toast, shave over it somo cheese
(about half a cupful) clap on tho
other slice of toast, add a little salt
and pepper, pour over milk to nicely
cover, and set in tho oven to bake.
It calls for about one cupful of milk,
and should bake twenty minutes.
A tablespoonful of vinegar put in
lard in which doughnuts aro to be
fried, will prevent them absorbing too
much of the fat. Lard in which
doughnuts are cooked should be
smoking hot (not scorching) when
the dough is dropped in it. As soon
as done, take out and lay on brown
wrapping paper. Mrs. W. A. Travis,
New York.
mf Hiding that nothing but tho abso
lutely necessary shall bo provided.
We aro finding our Ideals in tho
slmplo sanitation of th&'fioispltal fur-ulshings.
tf
In darning damask, draw a few
threads from one end-.of the material
and uso for the darn, and if neatly
done, It will not be noticeable.
Cleaning Out the Corners
Some one has said that the attic
and tho bonfire were the two allies
of the courageous housewife. Every
homo is cumbered with things that
are of no earthly value to the family,
kept merely because of a thought
that at some future time they may
"come handy," yet ten chances to
one, when the time comes when they
could bo used, they have either been
forgotten, or their particular where
abouts aro unknown. Or, they may
bo kept merely because of the senti
ment associated with them. It has
been necessary to care for, clean and
house them, again and again, and
they havo taken up room that might
be better occupied. There are sev
eral ways to get rid of them. One
is to givo them to some one who can
find a uso for them; another is to
pass them on to somo one of the in
stitutions which have a happy fac
ulty of placing even the most outcast
belongings where they may serve a
present purpose, and another is, to
consign tiem to tho bonfire. It is
just as well to sort them out merci
lessly, harden your hearts to their ap
peals to our memories, and give the
room and care to something of pres
ent value.
The same condition is recognized
outside the house, and a general
cleaning up in all departments of the
homestead will make life more bear
able to tho whole family.
Housewives are learning to love
cleanliness, and to seek methods of
obtaining it without undue drudgery.
The creed of William Morris is to
"Have nothing you do not know Is
useful and think to be beautiful."
Cosy corners and crowded "dens" are
no longer tolerated. The love -of
cleanliness is demanding simple
things and simple conditions, and de-
For the Home ScamHtrcHS
For making tho plaited skirt, try
this:' Double tho cloth, either two
slnglo widths, or ono folded width,
according to demands of the pattern,
placing right sides together, and tak
ing caro that tho "nap" or design
runs tho samo way In both. Placo
tho pattern on the doubled cloth, and
bo suro tho line of perforations in
dicating tho straight thread of tho
goods Is laid as it should bo. Stick
pins through tho perforations mark
ing places for plaits, and use plenty
of pins to stay tho pattern. Cut out.
Remove the pattern, and fasten pins
securely up and down; turn over ono
sldo of tho cloth directly over tho
first row of pins; basto near the edge,
turn and basto tho other side tho
same way, then remove the pins. Run
a basting on pin rows, showing depth
plaits aro to bo made, but do not
turn the cloth; bring the plaits to the
straight bastings, and both sides will
be perfectly even. Each plait should
receive tho same care as you como
to it.
It pays to shrink almost all kinds
of wash goods. Somo must only bo
sponged carefully, while others, such
as linen, pique, duck, gingham, and
wash fabrics generally, may be laid
in cold salted water, folded just as
they come from the store, and al
lowed to got thoroughly wet, then
hung on the lino until nearly dry,
then well pressed, keeping tho grain
or thread of the material perfectly
straight both hi length and width, to
avoid stretching. Many goods, when
cut off by tho clerk, havo a "near
bias" raw edge, and when this is.
laundered, it is very much out o
shape. Shrinking will givo tho
straight end to tho goods, Thd fit
of any garment deponds upon tho
way it Is cut, nnd directions on tho
label of pattern should be strictly
followed as to straight or bias
threads.
TACT
A reproof tactfully convoyed wab
suggested when Lord Kitchener visit
ed an out of the way district In India
where a new fort had been erected.
Ho was astonished to find that it was
commanded by a hill close by. "I
congratulate you, colonel," said
Kitchener to the offlcer who had se
lected tho site. "It's a capital fort.
And how soon do you begin to removo
the hill?"
A fashionable photographer, how
ever, has undoubtedly achieved the
pinnacle of tactful achievement. A
woman with a decided squint came to
him for a photograph.-
"Wlll you permit me," he said,
promptly, "to take your portrait in
profile? There Js a certain shyness
about one of your eyes which is as
difficult in art as it is fascinating in
nature." Youth's Companion.
THE FAVORITE POETS
For a dyspeptic Chancer
For a religious one Pope
For a jouster Shakespeare
For a cook Burns
For a paperhanger Longfellow
For a diver Dryden
For a philologist -Wordsworth
For a conchologigt. .... Shelley
Life.
"Now, children," said the Sunday
school teacher, "I want you to re
member always what I have taught
you today about the Pharisees and
tho publicans. Who were tho men
tho nation despised because they
levied more taxes than they ought?"
And thd class shouted in chorus,
"the republicans." Ex.
a '
