Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-12-20
~ THE sEHoLD.

i
in saleratus and rub lightly over the stains.
Heretofore l have been obliged to rub with
away with disagreeable task.
ExPANsIoNAND Observation-Disclosures often
become fastened together In the process of dish
washing, and If one only remembers that
cheat expands and cold contracts" the cups
can be released without trouble. Place the
lower one in basin OF boiling water, and fill
the upper one with cold water; they will be
loose In moment.
and south doors, and l knew 1T would be i'm
possible to hang the windows with paper cur
tains Din the daily airing they would surely be
torn), and could afford nothing heavy ami
more durable / at last dec ded on muslin ones.
the chief objection being the impossibility of
daTken1ng the room. l made a pair and IN
dertook to roll them from the bottom and tie.
The first time the north door was opened the
curtains were raised and blown about, leaving
the roller on one end, making very undeSir-
able angle of the window. was in despair, (my
purse being unfortunately too empty to allow
OF my purchasing the necessary fxings from
the hardware Storel, when Charlie came to
the rescue with his knife, and in couple OF
evenings whitfield out pair OF rollers that
answered the purpose nicely. There is some
thing so pure and fresh in white muslin. and
like them so well. would not now change for
anything darker. In summer they need wash
ing every two weeks and In winter once a
month, but the addition to my work Is scarcely
noticed.-("Gussie Thomds.' in the country
Gentleman.
AMONG TIE NEW DESIGNS for table covers is
tern OF wild white c.ematis and barberries,
changil G into woOdbine and brambles and wild
grasses and milk weed pods, no leaf or flower
Ut ing repes ted
The POPULAR HORSESHOE has now been util-
! ed for a hat rack. 1t is o. ebonized wood, with
nickel Gs.l plated plated nails for pegs.
these: Turn back the wings little and watch
the effect on the skin. II it tears, the fowl is
young; If it only stretches, as though tough, the
bird has age on its side. Again, press the lower
end of the breast bone gently. ii 1t is yielding
the turkey may be deemed young and tender.
the skin Is also an indicator, aud If white ana
tnln. makes the fowl much more desirable than
Ii thick and yellow. Chickens may be judged
exactly In the same way.
CoLORED COTTON FLANNEL is used for Tides
and sofa pillows. An inner square OF light
shGda :, with darker border is pretty STYLE In
the tides corner pieces OF a contrasting shade
may be introduced into the border.
things added to the stock of ladies' furnishing
goods. The garments come in four sizes, and
made of scarlet flannel and daintily stitched up
the side to simulate seams
DON'T FORGET THE BIRDS when you eat celery
Save the tender ends and greens, and II you dine
at night place these in water to give the song
sters for their morning refreshment.
A Poison BOX.-The use OF poiSons for the
destruction of insects, and other purposes, is so
frequent, that all possible precautions should be
taken NJ that these deadly agents do not destroy
the writer was killed by taking dose of me1i-
cine (as he supposed) from the wrong bottle
corrosive Sublimate), and thousands of such In
stances occur where life could have been saved
by the exercise of proper care All poiSonS
should be put by themselves IN a poison box,
and the box put where no one can get at 1t
unless specially sought for. The many mistakes
In administering poison instead Of a remedy
should teach that poisonS should never be
placed near the harmless medicines Glaring
labels are not enough, the poisons should have
kert he'p.-[Anielricdn Ag,fculturis,
GAS LEASING had to record two gas ex-
plosions In our last number; one did much in
jury, the other was of little importance. They
were both caused by carelesSness or ignorance
and neither was inevitable. The best general
definition for explosions Is, any instantaneous
solid. liquid or gaseous. They are due to diff
ferent causes. Gunpowder Is a mixture of
nitre, potassia nitrate), charcoal and sulphur
When 1t is ign1ted the oxygen of the nitre in
charcoal, and with the sulphur, and forms an
immense volume OF gas with such rapidity as
to cause an explosion. Other substances ex-
plode by simple decomposition, the constit-
uents occupying when separated a much
larger volume than they did in the combined
state The so-called gas explosions are analo-
gOuS TO those OF gunpOWder. Gas Is essentially
mixture of compounds OF carbon and hydro
gen, and by itself cannot explode. But If 1t be
mixed with from five to ten or twelve times its
voiume of air, we then have a gaseous gun
powder, in which the gas represents the carbon
and sulphur, and the air represents the nitre
If a light be introduced into the mixture the
OAyStu VI Iue ALI COLlUlHeS WIFI UnS CdrDOn
and hydrogen OF the gas, causing very su lden
evolution Of heat, consequent sudden in
crease OF volume and an explosion. When a
leak occurs "a gas pipes In q house, the escaping
gas Uses to the ceiling Of the room on its way
thither mixing to certain extent with air.
This mixing process Is continued after 1T
reaches the ceiling, but the continual supply
OF gas protects that which has first escaped, so
that the state Of affairs after good deal of gas
has escaped will be about as follows: At the
ceiling OF the room there will be a layer of
1nyy n ny..
is mixed with it, until near the floor pure air
is found. II any one finds himself in a room,
therefore, in which there is a strong smell OF
gas he may count upon there being in some
part of the room an explosive mixture, and
should on no account admit any light, not even
pipe or cigar, much less candle or match.
The gas should be shut off from the house at
the meter, where there Is q cock for the pur-
pose. The windows of the room should be
thrown down at the top and the door opened
provided the draft is from the door to the win
dows, otherwise the door had better be left
closed. The cocks on the gas fixtures should
be examined TO see If any Of them are turned
be found, a gas-titter should be sent for, and
Informed that If he cannot find the leak with
out lighted candle or match. his services will
not be made use Of. The locality Of leak can
be found by the OdOr of the gas when 1T is
turned on at the meter again. Sometimes gas
will leak around the base OF fixtures where
they are screwed on the house pipes. In any
such case, where it is necessary to stop leak
on shOrt-nOtice, a little common soap, not too
dry, may be plastered over the aperture In
many cases piece Of newspaper, several folds
In thickness and wetted so as to form a soft
wad, may be put over the leak and tied ON so
as to temporarily stop 1t. These are only ex-
ped1e ntS for use In an emergency; no one should
tolerate leak, as it may prove very expen-
Siye affa1r.-Sdnitd7'y Engineer.
AT THIS SEASON it is well to provide for the
SICK ness OF the winter. Have place properly
warmed and comfortable, where one Ill may be
Sed InuptiVe diseases, colds and earacheS
WI come with the severe weather. Look out
for night sickness; have mustard and remedies
handy, and quick way to heat water. Strips of
flanneS for sore throat, rags for plaSterS goose
grease, and wooden socks to slip on after bath
Ing feet, are indispensable. The mother of a
family should always have wooden gown at
her bedside and warm slippers at hand, as
ready as matches and candle. She must guard
herself If only to nurse her chargeS.-[N. Y.
Commercial.
sPoNGES-There are few things of more i'm
''cltance than sponge In the household in
fact, each member should have one. But having
and ieeiing one are different things 1t is often
the case that SpOngeS become Shiny and worth
less from neglect. A sponge should be thor
uughly dried after using it; II 1T were only well
SOU ezrG out, it would be better than letting 1t
remain filled with water. An old and unpleas-
ant SIN Hing sponge may be renovated by soak
ing In solution of washing soda, and after
wards thoroughly washing and drying it,
[AnaH1Tcnn Ag1icult,tTiSt.
HYACINTHS IN POTS.-An English cOntem-
iNra; y, speaking of the cultivation OF this gen
orally admired flower In pots, says: The sue
ceSSfui cultivation OF these In pots depends in 8