The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-05-10
HOUSEHOLD.
What to do with Old Things.
IHarper's Bazar.l

IHarper's Bazar.l
Spring opens for the housekeeper with vi
sions of closets and boxes whose accumula-
tions must be sorted and stored for future
use. Probably every woman will ask her.
self the same question as she sorts her treas
ures: "What is the use of keeping SO many
old things2" and, visited with sudden des-
peration, she will give half to the washer
woman, 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 newspa
pers and given away the old sacques, will
she find that the account of Daniel Web
ster's great speech was in the village paper
she threw away, and that the files of the old
picterisls she sold the ragman fora cent a
pound, will be in request by collectors, be-
cause the plates are to be destroyed; while
the old jacket was just the right shade to go
with Cousin Sarah's applique, and both are
useless divorced from each other.
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 "baI barian
hordes"-io quote an unprincipled willing
to order. What is fit to save, how to keep
it in best shape and with least trouble, and
what you may destroy with clear con-
science, are worth learning.
1t is good rule n over to allow a news
paper to be destroyed till it is a 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 go over them, clipping the re-
cipes, the interesting descriptions of foreign
places, of trades, and adventures, which are
so large part of the best journals. Hav-
ing picked the brains of your papers, send
them neatly piled to the big box in the cell
lar, where they can be found for lighting
the fire, polishing windows, rubbing stoves,
or for the rag vender. Save all your rags
and clippings, not more for your own thrift
than for the good of the world for manufac-
lures find it difficult to get as much paper
stock as is needed. am amused to see the
anxious air with which publisher who some
times visits our house regards every scrap OF
letter-paper and of rag which comes in his
way. Don't waste it." he protests; "we
never can get fine paper cheap enough.
Save all your rags" So l save them for
love of literature and nice books. One can
not run to the great ag-bsg with every
days clippings, so there must be gay
round bag, with rattan in the casing to
hold its mouth open, at the corner of the
workable or sewing machine, and the red
and black waste-b basket, with its felt and
plush appliques and large tassels, has no
sinecure. If you haven't scrap basket, 1
will mention that half bsshel peach basket,
painted with black japan and lined with
Turkey red, looks genteel enough to bring
into company. Once week all receptacles
are emptied into one, and the scraps carried
to the big bag in the closet. Ali the nice
Manila wrapping-paper from parcels is
saved, ironed smooth, and laid in wide
drawer till wanted for lining trunks, draw
ers, covering books and shelves, and for
parcels sgain. Some families never have a
sheet of tidy Manila wrapping, and are re-
duced to the ignominy of carrying parcels
done up in newspaper. With paper you
want string, so every bit is saved, not wound
in ball, which isn't convenient way of
getting at it, but coiled by itself, and dropped
into a pasteboard box In the closet, or in
pocket of the waste-basket. A box for
the cotton string and another for the
Irvine keep each sort separate and handy.
A box for small white wrapping paper and
druggists colored string helps to do up
DacktLS neatly lOT O0TlSLInds. All the ldD-
cy papers which come about fine goods or
choice groceries, even to the blue paper
around the macaroni, are saved for child
ren's fancy-work, covering boxes, making
tissue-paper flowers for lamp-hghters, and
forty other things. 1 never knew bit
which didn't find use if kept in good condi-
ton. A big ribbon box keeps all these
things out of the way and saves them for ten
years, yet you will find in holiday carni-
val or church work society grateful occasion
for them all. The only thing it is useless to
save is brown grocery paper. The ragman
will not take it, and it should be burned at
once, unless you have garden, when it
may be wanted to shade hot-beds or plants
Just set out. Keep it then IN sheets evenly
spread out, with board on the top of the
pile.
If you are no. in settled home, and re-
move frequently, it is not best TO keep files
of newspapers, unless of illustrated Ones
Your scrap-book viii hold the pith of them
all. But if you have home-blessed stated
you viii find il profitable in the end new
or to throw away anything which you or
any one else can make useful. To do this,
you want home with garnet, which re-
lieves she rest of the house from lumber. A
model garrett should be finished to keep out
DUST rain, and insects for storage. Once
sorted and packed, your possessions will give
yoa no care for years.