River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-05-25
Maks.shihs


Every year certain aged suggestions
for the ediiiCati0n OF hOu5ekC rDers an.
pear in the household" columns Of
family newspapers. 1t would be hard
To decide which are tho most distress
ing 10 a delicate organiZation-the
highly colored descriptions of popular
family murders, or those regular
yearly recipes for making green toma.
10 pickles.
We have seen a spirited correspond
ence sustained IN a "home journal"
concerning the proper size Of dish
towels. One lady argues with great
force and eane5tness that all the ne.
ce5sitle3 Of modern civilization require
us 10 use dish-towels at lea1t three
feet long and made Of home-woven
linen. Another promptly retorts that
some people can use up whole chest
OF linen IN one immense dlsh-towel If
they choose, but for her part, give her
liberty or give her death, and being a
free woman she proposes 10 use
dlsh.clOth that she can squeeze in one
hand, and towels made Of clean old
rags which may be used up in one day
and then give place 10 fresh ones.
Equally undressing are the suggestions
tol homemade window baskets. When
viii that dreadful tunip cease making
j Us appearance : Who wants hang
ing basket made Of a scTaped turnip
II rs pleasant surprise, sometimes, to
see such homely things as a turnip, a
cabbage, or a squash, by chance shape
themselves into suggestion Of some
thing beautiful. Hawthorne used to
lean upon his garden wall aud gloat
over the ruddy-gold squashes with
I their classic shapes. But he never
transferred them TO his parlor win.
dow. a tin can cut in strips half way
down, the strips being cmled over,
forms another of these forlorn make.
shifts. But there is one Of these per.
ennial suggestions for home adorn-
ment in the adaptability of which we
have great faith. That art Is very IN.
attractively designated as putty-work,
and at the risk of becoming a possible
enemy to public peace, it is herewith
presented once more
This work must be cooperative. in
the beginning The original plan was
TO paint and ornament Old tin basins
with designs III putty, but plants will
not flourish IN tin. II is foolish 10 try
wooden bowls and ornament them. be.
cause they cost as much as q handsome
terra-COtta basket. and when orna-
mented viii look no prettier. Indeed,
make-shitts should never be adopted
hW hndTr
every penny for pure necessity, or
those who positively have nothing
more important IN the world for their
hands TO do. In this work YOU must
call on your '.handiest" boy to make
box of wood IN the shape of a basket.
harlng at the top and small at the bot
tom, with four sharp corners-or if
YOU choose, 1t may be made hexagonal
and Will he unique and pretty in that
shape. Next, paint it brown. You
can buy q little umber, some oil, and a
very small quantity of white lead. and
mix II yourself, and Won will need a
small medium-sized bristle brush, such
as artists use, When the box is dry
ornament 1t with designs in putty.
Don't mix paint with the putty, and
use only enough oil TO make IL pllable
Have the handy boy whittle out some
cunning little paddles of hard wood,
and with these it will he easy to shape
the putty into any artistic form YOU
like and then transfer them to the
box. When the putty is dried and
| hardened on the box the whole can be
/ again painted and finally vanished
\ little oil or varnish brushed on once
or twice IN year will bring your has
ket out clean and bright again. The
attraction of this work lies in the fact
that II really calls for some artistic
skin Those of MS who are not pain
| fully mice" viii let the children have
q broad board lump of putty and the
/ little wooden tools 10 make designs of
! thelr own. II is real kinder garten
work, except that putty is used in.
stead of modelling clay. Give the chill
dren real objects 10 copy, such as a
leaf, berry, or a flower, show them
how 10 do &C., and they will soon learn
20 combine these into pretty designs