Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-12-06
THE HOUSEHOLD.

HANDKERCHIEF fOCkETS-Autumn weatne
with Its usual accompaniment Of colds makes
handerkerchief very acceptable during the night
To provide for this emergency pocKet of card
board board pas, s or splints. should be pro-
down, and handkerchiefs kept therein.-IC5ua-
try Gentleman.
CHAPrEp HANDs.-The cold, raw winds of
early winter often produce chaps or cracks in
the hands of those exposed to 1t, which are very
disagreeable, and often quite painful IL they are
deep. A friend recommends the following: The
hands should be kept clean, and frequently
washed in boraX water, and afterwards rubbed
with melted suet and glycerine. half and half.
At night apply plenty OF this mixture warm it
In by the fire. and put on a pair OF old kid or
caUurist.
NEW KIND OF CRoCkERY, designed to fill the
Gently been introduced. 1t consists OF cotton
pulp or felt, glazed with a composition into
whit b dissolved glass largely enters. 1t Is
durable, elastic material. possessing neither the
great weight nor brittleneSs OF earthenware;
but 1t has yet to undergo the test of general u.s.
The INJURY OF School SLATEs,-Professor
published an opinion that the use OF the slate
and slate-pencfl s peculiarly injurious to the
eyesight OF the young, and that the hygiene of
mentS from the schools, and the universal SUBJ
Stftution OF pen and ink.
TREATMENT OF HOUSE-PLANTs.-In watering
plants in rooms, discretion must be used; cac-
tus, cereus, and in fact all the so-called succu-
Tents, require but little water in winter; simply
enough to keep them growing. Callas, and all
that class OF aquatic or semi-aquatic plants will
bear watering to Saturation. As rule, smooth
leaved and hard plants require less watering
than pubescent and soft-leaved plants. Many
small pots require water every day, sometimes
twice a day-they dry out so fast-unless
plunged into some moist material. The diff
Guilty with amateurs is, they usually give small
pots too little water, and large pots too much.
Until the true habit and necessities OF plant
is learned, it is better that it dry sufficiently
to droop little, rather than that the soil be
kept saturated. Over saturation kills more
plants than too much dryneSS.
SILK RAG CURTAINs.-A curtain, says the Ar;
interchange, can be made Of scraps of silk.
which will be very effective If woven in with
sary to cut the silk into strips about half an
inch wide "a little more or less makes no differ
ence) either straight or on the bias. Sew the
pieces together strongly, and roll into balls
OF narrow ribbon old cravats and saShes, old
waists of dresses, in fact, every scrap of silk can
be made use 81 whether soiled or fresh. When
the balls are completed send them to carpet
weaver, who will weave them for about twenty
cents yard. 1t will take one and a half pounds
OF Silk to make yard OF material three-quarters
OF yard wide, which is the width OF almost all
LOOMS II the balls OF silk are given to the
weaver with directions how to place the colorS
and the width the stripes are desired, the stuff
when finished will have very handsome effect,
ard is very heavy and suitable for DortiereS,
curtains, rugs or tableclOthS.
INK ON THE CARPET.-lnk freshly spilled upon
IHe Carpet SHOULD at once De taken up WIN sou
paper or slightly damp sponge or even a damp
cloth, care being exercised not to spread the
spot. After all is taken up that can be, wet the
sponge-after first washing it clean-in warm
water, and thoroughly scrub the spot on the
carpet. When no more can be washed out, wet
the spot with aweak solution of oxalic acid, and
after few moments, wash off with cold water,
and finally sponge with weak ammonia water
to neutraliZe any OF the acid that may remain In
the carpet american AgricultuiiSt.
How GIRLS ARE MADE STRAIGHT.-The Hlndoo
their earliest childhood they are accustomed to
carry burdens on their heads The water for
family use is always brought by the girls in
earthen jars, carefully poised in this way. The
exercise is said to strengthen the muscles Of the
back, while the chest is thrown forward No
crooked backs are seen in Hindostan. DR.. II.
Spry says that this exercise of carrying small
vessels of water on the head might be advan-
tageousy introduced into boarding schools and
private families, and that 1t might entirely super
cede the present machinery OF dumb-bells, back
board, skipping ropes, &c. The young ladies
H1ndoo women do, without ever touching 1t
with their hands. The same practice of carry
Ing water leads precisely to the same results in
the south OF Italy as In India. A Neapolitan
female peasant will carry on her head vessel
full OF water to the very brim, over rough
road, and not spill drop Of it; and the acquiSi-
erect and elastic gait.
SEA WATER GARGLE IN CHRONIC CATARRH.-
Professor Mosler, OF Greifswald says, in the
~,
for some years most successfully treated pa
tients with chronic catarrh of the throat by
gargllng with sea water. Special rooms for
gargling have been erected on the sea shore in
some watering places, according to his direc-
lions. 1t Is. however, essential that the pa
tients should be given special directions how to
gargle. AS the affection is generally located in
the naso-pharyngeal space, it is necessary that
part OF the water should come in contact with
the nasal cavity. In order to attain this, the
gargling movements must be combined with
mr. nfH l-aI iv,nrnr
ment in the state OF the patient follows as soon
as the latter has acquired this particular art OF
THE "HANpY HusBANp.n-Years ago he
bought him saws, planes, chiSels, square, com
pass and other handy tools, and there isn't
hardly day in the week that he doesn't use
ages at once and saves the cost of two hinges.
If a door settles, off it comes, and the plane
takes off shaving. from top or bottom. II
caster is loose on bedstead or bureau, he has
g1mlet and screws. If shingle blows from the
roof, he has nails and hammer. Added to his
store of tools is pot Of paint, and a brushful
here and there keeps things tidy. handy
husband will put up books and shelves, take off
gas burner and clean it, lay carpet, plaster
up hole in the kitchen WALL box the water
pipes, paint the steps, put lock on door, var
other needed odd job.-[DetJ'Ou Free Press.
THE GOOD POINTS OF THE CoCKRoACH.-Ia am
often asked whether the cOckroach can have
any redeeming points with regard to it's rela-
uonship to civilized man, or whether it be not
an unmitigated pest which ought to be exter-
minated wherever it is found. That 1t is nus-
ance is undeniable, but that 1t ought to lie eX-
terminated is very doubtful. In the first place
1t Is, like the sewer rat, an invaluable Scaven-
ger, eating substances which might de-
cay and breed feverS If allowed to decay.
1t is never seen in dry and perfectly clean
places where it can find no food, and its
very presence is sign that it is needed.
Perhaps people may say that they can
put up with cOckrOacheS in kitchens and
OuthOuSeS but when they come into bed
rooms it is time that they should be abol-
ished very much doubt whether they should
be destroyed even under such circumstances.
Cockroaches are not likely to take the trouble
OF going upstairs into bedrooms unless they
have some object In it, and that object is gener-
ally the f1atter and smaller insect which prefers
bedrooms to kitchens. Sailors are well aware
of this fact, and that "NOrfolk Towards" and
cockrOacheS cannot exist in the same snip, and
a curious instance of this fact Is recorded In the
''Narrative of Fosters Voyage in the Chanti-
cleer: "COckrOacheS, those nuiSanceS to ships,
are plentiful at st. Helena; and yet, bad as they
are, they are more endurable than bugs. Prev-
GUS to our arrival here in the Chandelier, we
had suffered great inconvenience from the lat
ter; but the cOckrOacheS no sooner made their
appearance than the bugs entirely disappeared
The fact Is, the cockroach preyS on them, and
leaves no sign or vestige of where they have
BEEN SO far it is most valuable insect
[GOod Words.
CLEAN BEDS.-It must be false idea of neat
ness which demands that beds should be made
soon after being vacated. Let 1t be remem-
bered that more than three-nfthS OF the solids