National Republican., 1877-10-12

It takes something from our hearts,
And II never comes again.
We are stronger, and are better,
Under manhood's sterner reign:
Sui we feel that something sweet
Followed youth, with aying feet,
And will never come again.
Something beautiful is vanished,
And we might sigh for II in vain;
We seek II everywhere,
On the earth and In the air,
But II never comes again
Autumn Work for Homo Adornment.
now TO SELECT AND PRESERVE LEAVES,
GRASSES, FERNS AND HERDS.
Every year IL becomes more popular to dec
crate our drawing-rooms and boudoirs with
woodland treasures, which, tastefully arranged,
add greatly 70 the beauty Of any room however
elegantly furnished. Curtain cornices Of gor
gcously variegatcd autumn leaves, picture cords
cntwined by the creeping fern and variety
called "naiden's hair" hanging baskets, bou-
qucts, delicate sprays and festoons here and
there, Of grasses and sea-moss and suflach, en-
hance greatly the upholsterors art. But II Is
some trouble and requires no small amount Of
skill and practice to properly gather and pre-
serve them. True, they are a part Of every
florists stock in trade, and you may purchase
them all pressed and ready for use: br., IN that
way you are not only aenied re delight Of
collecting -nd preserving them, but the
pleasures Of memory" as well In trcasuring
them afterwards as souvenirs Of woodland ram
blcs and gentle reminders through all the long
days of winter of charming country excur-
sions when Nature was dressed in the gorgeous
earb Of autumn. And then, you know, that
IL Is n.t In our unreasonable human nature to
prize anything much which has cost us no
trouble to obtain.
FIRST As TO LEAVES.
Collect them on some bright, dry day, before
the autumn glory has quite reached its height
1t is question In the minds of many rs to
whether the action of early frosts gives them
their brilliant coloring, or IL they ripen by
natural process independent Of the cold. We
| incline to the latter opinion for the reason
| that tho same transformation occurs, though,
perhaps, In less degree of brilliancy, In lati-
tudes where frOsts are unknown. However
| this may be, the point is TO gather them before
they arc fully ripencd, as they retain fresh
ness longer, and in dry weather, a. great pains
are required ut best to prevent them from mil
dcwipg. Not only maple leaves arc desirable
In coloring and durability, but those of the
dog-wood, elder, oak and linden-one variety
of which is smooth and turns lemon color,
| aud the other rough and russet-and also the
poison sumac-the "shoe- make" Us children
call it-which must be gathered somewhat
earlier. At every step of your wood land
walk the painted souvenirs will tempt You
| into desire to carry the whole wealth Of the
forest home-each individual leaf holding
more Of autumn glory and intricate depth and
marvel of tinting than q whole landscape Of
| light and shade beheld at distance. The
slower and ld-fashioncd way of pressing them
between the leaves of a book and thickness of
soft paper is the surer, placing heavy books or
weights of some sort on top. day or two
after putting them to press examine them If
they are damp, and If so, change the papers
between which they lie. After once dried they
may be kept indefinitely.
Others prefer the quicker pr ,cess of warm
irons; but have a care, for If your iron Is too
hot the color will be Destroyed; II you press
them too long they will be- ONE brittle, and II
not long enough they will soon fade. When
removed from the iron, t,uch over with a
pencil brush or the tip of a feather, dipped in
common furniture varnish. Others varnish
them with a solution Of gum shellac, which
gives them q brilliant but stiff appearance;
others Use q warm iron, thinly smeared with
speriy yaceti which the iron, Of course, must be
warnj enough to keep liquid, and that Is too
warm for the future welfare of the leaves.
Some paint them with boiled linseed oil,
which Is disagreeable piece Of work, and i'm
partt an unnatural lustrc.
MRS HENRY WARD BEEcHER's METHOD.
as set forth in the Christian Union, Is as fol.
lows: ave have tried waxing the leaves,
both when freshly gathered and when hall
dried, and are greatly pleased with the result.
Those half dried do not look as well or keep
the color as perfectly as those waxed when frst
gathered. Common yellow wax is preferable
to the white. Lay several thicknesses Of
thick, firm wrapping paper on the ironing
table. Fold up paper, or old cloth, into pad
on which to put a cake Of yellow wax. Lay
the leaves smooth, and, il a spray or branch
pick ont those leaves which overlay on the
branch and hide good part of the leaf; pass
warm flat-iron over the wax quickly and ther
over the leaf or spray, on the upper Side first
then turn over and do the same on the under
side, and remove to the paper in which 1t is t
be pressed When the sheet Is full, cover will
: two or three thickncsses Of paper and proceed
! the same way with more leaves till all ar
waxed. This done, put all under an even bu
heavy pressure and change them odry paper
every two or three days, till the leaves are per
, fectly cured" A good way to press them is T.
lay q smooth board at the bottom of your pile
and another on the top, piling your weights oi
. 1t, thus acquiring an even pressure"
OTHER TREASURER.
Grasses should be gathered when in ful
flowe and dried by hanging up in a room, no
dark, but where the sun will not shine ol
them. Many of our common field grasses hav
beautiful seeds, as effective for decorative pur
poses as costlier imported varieties, and ever,
one knows how ornamental they are arranged
in vases and baskets. A few butterflies, caugh
and chloroformed, will add much to the bcaut
of such boqucts.
TO CRYSTALLINE GRASS
dissolve one pound of alum in one quart @
! watcr-not heated quite to the boiling point
! in brass kettle. Pour it in a stone jar, an
when quite cool suspend therein, by strin
/ tied around their stems, the articles You wis
, to crystalline. When the size Of the crystal
t suit you remove gently from the liquid an
:. handle with care. Dry moss and Kitchens cal
Z be crystallizcd beautifully for covering frame
and brackets. An effective picture-framo 70
, winter pieces may be made by wrapping
rough frame with white cotton, candlewick, o
, twisted strips and crystallizing. This sound
i homely but try it,
IN PRESERVING FERNS
c IL Is best to take a book into the woods wit
: yo u and arrange the delicate sprays betwee
3 the leaves then and there. When this is ne
u pra cticabls put them to press rs soon as poss
Bile, for some Of the Trailer varieties will M
remain fresh even for a day. Lay thei
smoothly in large volume, and then tic
string around the book; this is all the pre-
1 sure they will need, and more gives them
= mashed look. The Hartford creeping fern
II | especally beautiful in festOOns and wreath