The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-05-05
USEFUL HINTS.

10 TAKE fresh paint off o woolen gar
mont rub the spots with stale bread un-
til removed.
LEMONS can be kept sweet and fresh
Tor months by putting them in q clean,
tight cask or jar, and cover with cold
water. The water must be changed as
often as once every other day, and the
cask kept in a cool place.
To DESTROY ANTs.-Take carbolio
acid diluted with water-take one part
acid to ten parts water-and with n
syringe throw this liquid into all the
cracks and holes where they nest, and
ants will soon vanish. Cockroaches are
also driven away by it.
WHEN sewing buttons on children's
clothes where there will be much strain
on the button, the danger from tearing
the cloth out will be greatly lessened by
putting q small button directly under
the larger outside hutton. This applies
of course, only to buttons with holes
through them.
AN exchange says: "For worms and
flies infesting house plants, several read
ers recommend watering them with lime
water. Close the opening at the bottom
of the pot, fill with lime water and Jet it
stand for au hour or two, then remove
the plug Mt the bottom and drain it Off
If one application is insufficient, try
second"
TO GIVE beautiful gloss to shirt
bosoms, procure two ounces of fine
white gum arabic and pound it to pow
der, put 1t into pitcher and pour on to
1t pint or more of boiling water, nc
cording to the degree of strength YOU
desire, and then, having covered it, let
it set all night. In the morning pour it
carefully from the dregs into clean
bottle, cork it, and keep it for further
use. A tablespoonful of gum-water
stirred into a pint of starch that has
been made in the usual manner will give
beautiful gloss to shirt-bosoms, and to
lawns (either white or printeC) look of
ncwness to which nothing else can
restore them after washing. 1t is also
| good for thin white muslin and all kinds
| of laces.
TO CLEAN MIRRORS. news
paper or part of one, according to tho
size of the glass. Fold it small and dip
itinto n basin of clean cold water when
thoroughly wet squeeze it out in your
hand as you would n sponge, and then
rub it hard all over the face of the glass.
taking care that it is not so wet as to
run down in streams. In fact, the paper
must only be completely moistened or
damped oil through. After the glass
| has been well rubbed with wet paper.
| let it rest for few minutes, and then
go over it with fresh dry newspaper
folded small in your hand till it looks
clear and bright, which it will almost
Immediately and with no further trouble.
This method, simple as it is, is tho
best and most expeditions for cleaning
mirrors, and it will be found 80 on trial
giving q cleanness and polish that
can be produced by no other process.
The Homes OF America.
It is not mere accident that the
homes of America are the most comfort
able and comforting on earth. Nor are
these home comforts due simply to me-
chanical skill or economic Judgment. +
country which has limited the powers of
its government stimulates society, md
highly moral society produces the most
perfect homes which human eyes or
poetic visions can behold No one knows
the American system well who does not
know the American home. Our political
system is publicity itself; American So
ciety has never yet been fully charac-
terized; while the best result of both, the
perfect home, has been praised in gen.
eral terms, but not described and ex-
planned in its true fullness. The novel
writer's, from whom such descriptions
might be expected, have failed ignomin-
iously in their attempts ut showing thA
maturest results of our social system.
Yet this system is unique, and it is a
marked advance upon all European
models. The English home approaches
the American home, while the German
home approaches the English but the
ideal American home, not rarely realized,
has comfort, q character and dignity
all its own. 1t may seem to be wanting
in the graces, traditions and RESPONSE
bilities peculiar to the best English
homes; it surpasscs them in moral dig
nifty; it differs from all the others in be-,
ing the result of bighly-refined civiliza-
tion; it is the best and purest outcome of
our ethical system. There has been
much pleasant banter about the great
American novel that is to come. Let it
not dwell too much on politics.; British
politics are larger than ours. Let it not
tell too much of busy people; the French
are as Industrious and industrial as we
are. Let it not cOnfne itself to analysis
OF character or sentiment; other nations
have both in abundance. Let it describe
the purest and sweetest of American
homes and let it describe, not an ideal,
but that reality which distinguishes the
American home from all others, and
shows it to be the best outcome of our
history, our political institution and our
Nocial system. - B0atnn advertiser.
VANITY OF HIaHwAYMEN.-A Galyes-
weston lady was reading o newspaper ao-
count OF stage robbery that recently
took place west of San Antonio and was
| very indignant on reading that besides
robblng the passengers they had opened
the mail and read the letters, among
them, possibly, letter the lady herself