SEPTEMBER 1, 1911
Commoner.
9
necting cords to hold you to one
place. It Is claimed these Irons are
perfectly safe to handle.
Many bluings contain Prussian
blue as an ingredient, and the Prus
sian blues are a compound of two
salts, which are precipitated by alka
lis; this accounts for many of the
rust spots found in clothing, and to
avoid the rust spots, be sure to wash
out every particle of soap by good
rinsing.
An Improvised Kitchen
One of our girls who keeps bache
lor hall while she earns her living
with the typewriter In a big busi
ness house, sends the following: "I
could hardly afford to board at a
desirable place if I wanted to save
my wages, and that's just what I did
want, for I don't expect to work at
small wages forever, and there is a
lot of expense in fitting one for
'something better,' if one pair of
hands has to do everything which
was the case with my own. So I got
a comfortable room in a' nice locality,
with just as little furniture as I
could get along with to make it
home-like. Some of the furniture
was 'improvised,' and other pieces
were gathered out of a second-hand
store, sandpapered and varnished
and renovated nicely by those same
hands. Behind a screen (homemade,
from a cheap 'clothes-horso' frame)
in one corner of the room and under
one window, was a large box, such
as dry-goods come in, which cost me
twenty-five cents, delivered. I used
the loose top for shelves two of
" them and turned the box on its
side, with the open side toward the
room. I covered the top of the box
with oil-cloth, tacked on around the
edges, with a scant curtain of silko
line falling in front, and I papered
the ends with yellow wrapping paper.
On the oil-cloth I set an oil stove
which had a separate baker. Inside
the box were the shelves, and a row
of nails, and on the nails were hung
my few kitchen utensils, while the
shelves hold my dishe3, groceries,
and other 'necessities.' When not in
use, the stove and baker were set
in the bottom of the 'table.' The
back of the screen had a few more
nails and hooks driven into it, and
these nails held dust-pan, brush, and
many handy things. There were
hooks for hanging things, and
everything was kept off the floor.
The whole thing took up but little
space, even when we count in the
set of shelves in one corner which
held other 'things' dear to the house
wife's heart. But there was a' lot
of, good cooking and laundering of
small pieces done in the seclusion
of that screened corner, and it saved
me many dollars by being there."
Dorothy M.
The Necessary Broom
A good broom is a rather expen
sive necessity in the household, in
these days of high prices, and it pays
to take care of one and make it last
as long as possible. A broom should
never be stood on the straws after
using, but there should be a string
loop, or ring with a screw attached
to the upper end of the handle, and
it should be hung up by this fasten
ing If set in a corner, as Is usually
done, the straws will be bent to one
side, and if the user is a careless
person, its after use will tend to in
crease the one-sidedness until it is
ruined. By hanging up, and learn
ing to hold it straight when sweep
ing, it will give much better satis
faction. The broom should be
washed at least once a week in hot
water and hung up to thoroughly dry
by the water dripping from the
points of the straws, not being al
lowed to run down into the sewing
at the handle, where the moisture
will rot the threads. It Is not neces
sary to use soap and soap will not
make tho straws last any longer.
Dip tho broom up and down in the
hot, clear water until the straws are
clean; and you should have a care
about dipping in tho head, or sewed
part. ' When clean, hang to dry by
the handle, the straws pointing
down .
For tho Housewife
Paper doileys and lace mats come
so beautifully made now that It Is
difllcult to distinguish between tho
real and the Imitation. Novelty fans,
fancy paper fans, and parasol's, paper
garlands, and other paper ornamen
tations are all of great assistance in
decorating walls and columns; these
can be folded into small space and
remain uncrushed.
Paper cases come for serving ices;
big, fluffy paper roses or other
flowers that can hold the salad cup
or Ice cup; the handles for chops;
frills for croquettes and game, any
of them costing but a trifle, are but
additions to the paper plates and
cups and other dishes, while sets of
napkins and lunch cloths made of
paper are also Inexpensive, and for
the busy housewife, these "acces
sories" are invaluable for helping
out. Ever so many bargains may
be picked up in the way of pretty
paper things for a trifle. In the
matter of paper napkins, a1 twenty
five cent L-iece will buy a hundred of
them" In varieties, or perfectly plain.
To remove cresote from the' chim
ney, burn scraps of zinc; any old
scraps will do. A gas arises from
the burning zinc which destroys the
cresote oil and prevents the burning
out of the chimney, while it also
removes the soot.
Lavender cushions are very pleas
ant things to have. Partly dry the
stalks of. lavender, gathered while
in blpom, and atrip the leaves and
flowers from the wood, removing all
stems; make bags of heavy muslin
and fill them with the leaves and
flowers. Cover as other cushions.
Rose geranium leaves are also much
liked for pillows, giving a delightful
odor to them.
Volatile soap for cleaning is made
by mixing four tablespoonfuls of
spirits of hartshorn, four of alcohol,
one of salt. Shake well, and apply
with a sponge or cloth. ' It will re
move paint.
A very handy imitation of glass,
for the shutting out of undesirable
sights, or insuring privacy in a room,
Is now sold in the department stores.
It Is inexpensive, and easily applied.
It comes in many designs or colors,
imitating stained glass.
Washing Silk and Lisle-Thread
Gloves
Once wearing usually leaves such
gloves fit for the tub only. For
washing them, use a soft suds made
of soft warm water and a good white
soap; put the gloves on the hands
just as you would to wear, and wash
your hands in the suds just as though
the gloves were not there, rubbing
more soap on any soiled place. When
clean, rinse through several waters,
wipe with a 50ft towel, but do not
rub them; then take off carefully and
hang in a draft to dry, pulling
them into shape occasionally. Pure
white gloves should be hung in the
sunshine, but delicate tints should
be dried wrongside out in the shade.
The delicate threads of such gloves
can not stand rubbing on the wash
board. All rents and repairs should
be made before washing.
Cold Water and Insomnia
A reader sends the following:
When one is working hard, it pays
to get good sleep. During the warm
nights (and we are sure to have
some of them yet), lie flat on the
floor, close the eye and relax every
muscle, trying to forget all worries,
for five minutes. Most beds are too
soft for good sleep, and tho springs
should be taken off. Sleep on your
back if you can, without a pillow.
If you must sleep on your side, ubo
a1 small pillow, and Ho on tho right
side, but train yourself to push the
pillow away and lie on your back
as soon as possible. A good, hard
bed, open windows, and no propping
up the head with pillows is a good
way to Induce sleep. A warm bath
Just before retirinc is good, and it
should bo followed on rising by a
cold sponge bath and vigorous rub
bing of tho body with a turkish
towel, or the bare bunds after dry
ing. No matter how sluggish you
feel on getting out of bed, try tho
cold sponge bath, and see how it in
vigorates you. A warm bath is tho
cleansing bath, while the cold water
is a nerve bracer, or tonic. Thoro
is nothing like it for that tired feel
ing. Try it; begin now, and keop
it up all winter.
Tho Clothes Lino
About every woman who "does her
own work" knows how aggravating
It is to have tho clothes marked with
a streak where they double over the
clothes line, or to have the lino
break just as one gets tho wash
pinned on it from end to end. Such
things will happen to the hempen or
cotton rope, in spito of care, and it
is much better to buy the braided
wire line, If it can bo had. This can
be left out all the time, and can be
washed clean on wash-day with gaso
line, or even soap suds, and it will
las! for a long, long time. But tho
common, twisted wlro, sold at tho
grocery storos for 00c to 7Gc per
hundred foot, is an oxtrnvaganco, as
it is nothing but poorly galvnnized
wire, will rust, and tho strands will
break, and tho clothes will bo rulnod
in a very short time with Iron rust,
and tearing on the broken strands.
Get the best.
Of General Intcrcnt
Young people Just starting out In
life can not afford to "run accounts"
at tho storo. It Is a policy that will
surely cause trouble In a short tlmo.
It would bo fnr hotter to live closely
and pay as they go; and many pooplo
resolve to do this; but tho merchants
are so anxious for their trade that
they Insist on tho credit plan, and
tho foolish and Inexperienced young
people do not look ahead, until they
get Into trouble. Pay as you go, and
you will not go so often.
Teach the little one tablo manners
as soon as ho can sit at tho tablo
and handle a spoon. Nothing forms
so complete a dividing lino between
well-bred and ill-bred people as their
manners at table. Eating in com
pany with others should bo taught
as a festival, not merely for tho
gratification of appetite. Many n
child whoso education at homo has
been neglected has suffered untold
mortification when making mistakes
In company In tho llttlo etiquettes of
tho table.
LATEST FASHIONS
FOR COMMONER READERS
::ik mox,
8807-8808 MISSES COSTUME
Waist, 88G7 and skirt, 88G8, cut
in sizes, 14, 1G and 18 years. Re
quires 7 yards of 44-inch material
for the dress, with 1 yards of 27
inch material for the tucker for tho
lG-year size. This calls for two
separate patterns which will bo
mailed on receipt of 10c for each
pattern.
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'II II
8802-8801 LADIES' COSTUME
Waist, 8802, cut in sizes 32, 34,
3G, 38, 40 and 42 inches, bust 88h
measure, blurt, aui, cut in sizes
22, 24, 26, 28 and 30 inches, waist
measure. Requires 6 yards of
36-inch material for the medium
size. This calls for two separate
patterns which will bo mailed on
receipt of 10c for each pattern.
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It IrWfl
Ir mm
8855 GIRLS' DRESS
Sizes 4, G, 8, 10 and 12 years.
Requires 2 yards of 44-Inch ma
terial for the dress and -yard of
36-inch material for the tucker for
the 6-year size.
0008 BOYS' SUIT
Sizes, 2, 4 and 6 years. Requires
4 yards of 36-inch material for the
4-year size.
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MS8S5
THE COMMONER will supply its readers with perfect fitting, seam
allowing patterns from tho latest Paris and New York styles. The de
signs are practical and adapted to the homo dressmaker. Full direc
tions how to cut and how to make the garments with each pattern
Tho price of these patterns 10 cents each, postage prepaid. Our large
catalogue containing the illustrations and descriptions of over 400 sea
sonable s'tyles for ladies, misses and children, mailed to any address on
receipt of-10 cents. In ordering patterns give U3 your name, address,
pattern number and size desired.
Address THE COMMONER, Pattern Dept., Lincoln, Nebraska.
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