Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-10-08
How Miss Irvine Does.

"You must be friends with the lady whom
| shall bring home with me, even If you
don't like her ways very WE'LL" says Lizzie
to me when she started to the state camp
meeting al like her because she seems to
know everything, and she is such a useful
woman, too she can work wherever her lot
is cast"
Oh, remembered the little nudge how
fussy she was, and how enthusiastic, and
earnest, and always on the alert TO be doing
something. | felt uneasy whenever we were
in the same room together, but smiled an
acquiesence to LiEzie's practical plea aud
went up stairs to put the chamber in order
for tho reception of Miss Irvine. ,Ee 4.
We'll, she had not been at our house two
days till / saw the woman's energy begn-
ming to manifest itself. Lizzie was one day
looking over her old dresses, and laying
aside for poor children those she had out.
grown, got tired Of and spoiled by much
wear. Miss Irvine stood with arms akimbo
looking on, but not speaking word until
Lizzie 6nished the job. "Now have one
suggestion to offer, said she, laughing; "and
that is that you take the old black alpaca
dress and the deep blue empress cloth-one
worn aud the other damaged--and make a
good, warmly lined afternoon dress for win.
ter out OF them. You can do il nicely, and
the dress will be pretty and serviceable, and
last as long as new one would"
So the two went to work under the wise
little lady's supervision, aud i wish could
tell you girls what neat dress they did
make. Then Miss Irvine took two black
straw hats and made them over into new
one trimmed with dainty spray Of roses and
buds OF that rare color called cardinal A
jet, that was about the house, fastened some
velvet ribbon loops, and cluster Of ostrich
tips completed the cunnlngest, cheapest lit
tie hat 10 town. What wonderful fingers
had that little woman, Miss Irvine !! Nc
wonder the girl Lizzie, liked her Why
she was beneiactor nsl..
Last evening, whom our yarn was brongh
home from the factory, L said III do wish
| could manage some way to shrink THU
yarn before ii is knit. | boiled it in sOaI
suds last fall, as much as an hour, aud it die
no good, for our stockings shrunk and iuled
up in spite of ALL" a.
"Why, my dear woman" said Miss Ir
vine" sit is not the fault of the yarn tina
your wooden hose shrink | ioand tina
out by experience. Indeed, there is ouly
one way to wash wooden hose 10 keep then
from shrinking. You must pat them int
warm suds made Of hard soap, then squeez
instead Of rubbing them until you get then
clean as you can, then pour over them clea
weak suds or clean water, boiling hot, an,
let them remain in it until they are nearly
cold. That's my way Of doing, aud min
never shrink, and have three pairs that
have had for over four years"
She said this was the way to wash fan
nels, aud that there was no surer way
fulling up aud shrinking them than to ru
soap on dirty places, and give vigorous rub
bing on the washbOard.
II one wishes TO shrink a flannel gal
rnent that is too large, or the quality Of III
goods is too thin for real service, it can b
accomplished by washing with soap sud
rubbing we'll aud rinsing 10 cold water, {
} water OF different temperature. .,l ~