Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-27
What to Do With Old Things.

What to Do With Old Things
From Harpers Bazaar.
Spring opens for the housekeepers with
visions of closets and boxes whose accumula-
tiOns must be sorted and stored for future use
Probably every woman wilask herself the same
question as she sorts her treasures: 'What is
the use Of keeping so many old things?" and,
visited with sudden desperation, she will give
half to the waSherwoman. burn much, and
hoard the rest more closely than ever to atone
for her frenzy. of lavishness. And how surely,
six weeks after she has burned the old news
papers and given away the old sac0ues, will she
find that the account of Daniel Webster's great
speech was in the village paper she threw away,
and the files of the old pctorials she sold to the
ragman for cent a pound will be in request
by collectors. because the plates are to be de-
strOyed; while the old jacket was Just the right
shade to go with Cousin Sarahs applique, and
both are usless divorced from each other. Be-
fore the first bluebird sings, or the garden path
tempts one to stroll on mild afternoons, bring
out these old stores and find the value and the
use for each. Else they will haunt you when
maple boughs are flushing, and the blue sky and
pearly cloud call for clear conscience and care
free mind to share their pleasure. That dear,
wise SOphrona, who ranks in our circle as
domestic Minerva. skilled in all arts and econ
omies alike, declares the bad weather in Febru-
airy and March arranged for the convenience Of
alton to stir abroad till their houses and sewing
are in order for the season. feel a great re-
spect for SOphronia's judgment.
1t is remarkable to view the boards of rubbish
even the best-ordered household brings forth at
the spring cleaning-the empty bottles tin cans
broken chairs, scraps Of iron, paper, and rags.
And not little intelligence goes to reduce these
"balbarlan nOrdes to quote an unprincped
wtiing-tO order. What is fit to save how to
keep it in best shape and with least trouble, and
hat vnIl tnav Lost with nta
worth learning. An hours consideration will
enghten one how to relieve her after-life of
petty annoyance. What to do with the old
newspapers, rags. and leavings Of family is an
oft-recurring vexatiOn in the course of year.
and you may as we'll turn them all to the best
account.
The papers which gather in modern house
hold are tribulatiOn. always in the way when
not wanted, and certain to be missing if sheet
is wanted to wrap parcel. or you wish to refer
to an article week old 1t is good rule never
to allow newspaper to be destroyed till it is
week old, but to draw for use on old stock. Let
the pile gather till some convenient time next
week, when you want to lie down on the lounge,
and 60 over them. clipping the recipes, the in
teresting descriptions Of foreign places of Trades.
and adventures, which are SO large part of the
best Journals. Having picked the brains of your
papers, send them neatly piled to the bic box in
the cellar, where they can be found for lighting
the fire. polishing windows, rubbing stoves or for
-,
not more for your own thrift than for the good
Of the world for manufacturers find 1t difficult to
get as much paper stock as is needed. Old
newspapers can be ground again with little
fresh stock for cheaper grades OF printing paper;
Manila and straw can be worked into printing
and wrapping paper again, but there is never
enough of rags for the nice boOk-paper which
will wear well with handling, and take impress
sions from the engrayer's block. l am amused
to see the anxious air with which q publisher
w i'm vi
scrap of letter-paper and of rag which comes in
his way Don't waste it," he protests; I'VE
never can get fine paper cheap enough. Save
all your rags" So save them for love of litera-
ture and nice books. One can not run to the
great rag-bag with every days clippings, 80
there must be gay round bag, with rattan in
the casing to hold it's mouth open, at the
corner Of the workable or sewing ma
chine. and the red and black waste basket, with
its felt and plush appliques and large tassels.
has no sinecure. II you haven't scrap basket,
will mention that half-bushel peach basket,
painted with japan and lined with Turkey red,
looks genteel enough to bring into company
The youngest child may be taught to throw
every shred into the pretty basket, much i'm
proving the air of the sitting-room, and each
chamber should have its open Japanese scrap
bag and basket, as well as its toilette cover and
hair saver. Once week all receptacies are
empted into one. and the scraps carried to the
big bag in the closet. All the nice Manila wrap
and laid in a wide drawer till wanted for lining
trunks, drawers, covering books and shelves,
and for parcels again. Some families never have
sheet of tidy Manila wrapping, and are reduced
to the ignOminy Of carrying parcels done up in
newspaper. With paper you want string, 80
every bit is saved, not wound In a ball, which
isn't convenient way Of getting at it, but
coiled by itself. and dropped into q pasteboard
box in the closet, or in pocket of the waste
basket. box for the cotton string and
another for the Irvine keen each Rort aenarafa
and handy. A box for small white wrapping
paper and druggists cOlored string helps to do
up packets neatly for Christmas. All the fancy
papers which come about fine goods or choice
groceries, even to the blue paper around the
macaroni. are saved for children's fancy-wQrk,
covering boxes, making tissue paper fiowei For
lamp-lighters, and forty other things. I never
knew bit which didn't ind use II kept In good
condition. A big ribbon box keeps all these
things ont Of the way. and saves them for ten
years, yet you viii find in q holiday carnival or
church work society grateful occasion for them
all. The only thing It Is useless to save is brown
N It'll a. 49,