Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-05-08
THE sEHOLD.

LACE MAY BE PAINTED by thinly covering the
parts with Chinese white, mixed with a little
water-color megilp. The brush should be used
rather dry. When the white is quite dry, ordi-
nary water cOlors are used, With the brush not
too fulL-The Art amateur.
RED ANTs.-Take common sponge, soak 1t
until soft, squeeze it dry. and place in closet;
Sprinkle II with fine sugar, when the ants will
kill them, and replace; In a short time the
house will be entirely clear OF them. Dry salt
sprfnkled upon the shelves will also drive away
red ants.-N 7. Times.
BOARDS, made to fit tightly into the fire place
now in vogue for painting on. Sometimes the
background Is light cOlored, but more frequently
black or gold. A design OF long rushes, grasses
spring1ng up the sides, with butterflies above
and tangled brters and flowers below, or
landscape In the center surrounded by a
wreath of flowers, are suitable subjects.
Art amateur.
AVOID USING AN IRON to embroidery. 1t fiat
tens the work and is apt to injure the color.
done, it will be found quite sufficient to stretch
the work as tightly as possible with white lacks
or drawing pins on clean board. and damp it
and then unfasten it, and, If necessary, comb
out the fringe. II 1t is new work it should not
be friDged until after it has been stretched
The Art amateur.
ORNAMENTAL CARDs.-There are many ways
OF adapting the ornamental birthday and Christ
easy method is by mounting them on racks In
horseshoe shape The frames for these are cut
OF stiff cardboard or thin wood and covered
smoothly with plush or velvet or satin.
At the ends and bottom are row of gilt
headed tacks. not driven close, but left SO
mat the edge OF the card may slip between.
The cards are set thick, like an open fan, and
the whole Is suspended on the wall
glasses are as much liked as are bureaus. They
are draped with cretonne or muslin. to match
the curtains of the room. A large packing box
with shelves fitted into It, covered with cretonne
with a full skirt of the cretonne around it,
makes at once stylish and very useful dress
ing table. Indeed. everything antique Is con-
sidered stylish. There is no limit to the range
OF home adornment, and good taste and skill
into objects which might serve to embellish the
most refined dwelling.
To CLEANSE GILT FRAMES-Flrst be sure they
are the real gold, and if SO, and not the imta-
IlOn that water washes Off. they may be cleaned
by busting them well with a soft brush, and
the spots, and they will almost Immediately
disappear. If, on the contrary, they are gilt In
OIL, or imitation gold, a little water applied
effect. and be very Careful not to reverse these
directions. as what cures one kills the other.
To prevent flies injuring picture frames, boil
three or four onions In one pint of water, brush
your frames over with the liquid; no fly will
touch them, and it will not injure the frames
N. Y. Times.
ORNAMENTAL GRASSES.-1f you intend sowing
any OF the ornamental grasses be sure and OBJ
tain packet OF the gyfleTcuHl aTqel,teonl
pampas grass. This sort is the finest OF them
all, and reaches an altitude OF 10 feet. Most of
the sorts are ANNALS, but this one Is a half
hardy perennial. A dwarf variety known as
hares- tail grass is very pretty and grows to
have palm-like foliage, while others have
feathery, spikes The t''icno,ena rosea is a
beautiful rose tinted grass. The variegated
japanese maize Is one OF the latest novelties in
very pretty winter bouquets, when made UP
with the everlasting flowers.
How TO CUT GLAss.-It Is not generally
known that panes of glass can be cut under
water with ease to almost any shape by means
OF pair Of scissors. Two things, however, are
kept quite level in the water while the scissors
are applied: and secondly, to avoid risk, 1t Is
better to perform the cutting by cropping off
small pieces at the corners and along the edges,
thus reducing the form gradually to that re-
quired-for If any attempt be made to cut the
glass at once to a proper shape, as one would
cut cardboard, 1t will most likely fracture
where 1t Is not wanted The softer 81 asses cut
best; and the scissors need not be very sharp.
When the operation goes on well the glass
breaks away from the scissors in small pieces
LII d StIdlSuG llu6 VIII Tie DldQoS.
A PRETTY SOFA CUsHIoN.-To knit simple
but very effective sofa cushion have a pair of
bone Knitting needles and double zephyr wool
OF three shades, say handsome shade of red
and white and black, or you may have French
gray and bright crimson, or any other shades
That may suit your fancy. Cast on thirteen
stitches. Knit across once plain, make one at
the beginning of the next row by putting your
worsted over your needle and knitting six stitch
es plain, then knit two together and knit the re-
n OF n1nfp hi,
continually. This is all the pattern. and it is
!. nit In rows as long as you may desire. The
length OF the row Will decide the number of
fs OF good
with plain crochet stitch In old gold and black
Ner En- land Homestead.
SOME OF MISS CoRsoN's TEAcHINGs.-Potatoes,
any time Of the year, can be made mealy If
Do1,ed IN salt and water and drained and then
the range five minutes. TO retain the
color OF any vegetable plunge it into cold
water after boiling. Cooks make the mis-
take e,,G OF boiling , things too much. After
simmer: The toughest meats can be made
tenderby SO doing. 1t is always best to under
season rather than to over-SeaSon food. When
be counteracted by adding tablespoonful
OF vinegar and a tablespoonful of sugar. Meats
Of any kind should not be washed. but
wiped with towel to preserve the juices and
quality.
LAwNs.-The frequent inquiries we receive
how to make good lawn, induce us to re-
peat, at the present time, few Of the direc-
lions given on former occasions. The quickest
way for limited area is to proc ure turf from
an old, even, cloSely-grOWn pasture Cut
square, and scraped OF even thick
ness. Seeding down is cheaper, and is adapted
to larger grounds. If the soil is weedy, sum-
mer rallow 1t one season, by repeated and con-
tinued blowing and narrowing, turning up,
starting and killing all foul weeds. Make the
surface rich with old manure or compost be-
fore few Of the last borrowings; SOW, early in
spring. at least bushel or two of any fine
grass per acre, brush or roll in and a dense
mat OF new grass will soon make its appear
ance, the manure preventing the bad effects of
drouth. Without the summer fallOw, weeds
may give future trouble. Use the lawn mower
every five days till mid summer, and gradually
less often afterwardS.-C0untI'y Gentleman.
THE USE OF THE EYEs.-In a recent work on
"Eyesight-GoOd and Bad" by R. B. Carter,
M. D., of London, the singular theory is de-
veloped that large part of the trouble with
their eyes among persons who have reached, or
who have passed the middle age of life is due to
the partial d1suse OF the organism of sight. Mr.
Carter maintains that the beauty and efficiency
OF the eyes depend not little upon their health
full and active employment. 1t might be said
that the use Of ones eyes Is something which
kso tod