The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-26

Prepared for the Sunday journal.

INC topic OF discourse, SUBJECT only less VeX-
ing would yet remain to absorb the feminine
attention.
The short comings of the sewing girl and the
dressmaker are apt TO be an added source of
evaporation to womankind when the cook and
the housemaid are doing their part towards
making life a burden to their employers, and
there is reason to suppose that any
process which would transform the latter into
model servants would produce like change in
the conduct of the seamstress, since the manner
of her offending is not altogether the same
With the dressmaker proper, who "composes
costume" according to her own ideas, regardless
of the expressed wishes of her customers-witb
that autocrat no brief newspaper paragraph can
venture to deal She requires a volume to do
her justice, though, it may be remarked that a
stenographc report of a womans meeting, say
an afternoon tea, would jill the volume at any
time.
1t is the seamstress, the plain sewer" the
woman who undertakes to make the less elabo
rate and expensive but not less important gar
ments, against whom the long suffering house
wife makes the most frequent but hopeless pro
test Why sewing women so seldom know how
to sew is conundrum propounded daily, but
to which no sufficient answer has been made. 1t
is common to ascribe the inefficiency of girls
and women in many of the occupations in which
they are engaged to the fact that they expect,
eventually, to marry, and therefore take no
interest in fitting themselves thoroughly for
dutes which they mean to abandon at the first
opportunity. This reasoning, however, does
not apply to the case of the seamstress, since
every woman, rich poor married or single is
Mt any time, to the latest day of her life, likely
to be called upon to use her needle Whatever
Homework in general and cooking in particular
may be, needlework is field exclusively a
woman's Sewing has been by custom and
choice the occupation considered prominently
her own since the days when the first genius
fell upon the idea of putting an eye in the thorn
which had served as a pin, and drawing fig
leaves together with fbres OF bark Latterly the
accomplishment is neglected by some and SO
carelessy learned even by many who employ it
as means of livelihood that, az a fine art, it
seems to be going out of existence. The ambitious
young women who waiting for a career, for
husbands, as cynics aver all young women are
doing, whatever their protestations, might we'll
employ the interval in learning to do the sort of
needlework of which their grandmothers were so
proud. If the career should open the accom-
plishment would not be without value and
should the husband arrive Or not, the knowledge
will not be found useless
Cretonne hung over the walls makes very
pretty decoration.
Mush to fry will brown better if the meal is
mixed with milk and then poured into boiling
water
Linen lap robes with open work and colored
stripes make useful and pretty table covers for
summer.
Straw mating may be cleaned with a large
coarse cloth, dipped in salt and water, and then
wiped dry.
The long swinging glasses are coming into
favor, and bureaus, dressing tables and walls are
amply supplied with mirrors.
Bangle boards are made in the shape OF pad
lock, painted to suit the fancy and decorated
with some design across the lower part
Toilet sets, showing decoration of delicate
painting on boiling cloth, bordered with soft
lace, are among the most airy elegances
IF you wish to keep a sharp knife don't put it
In hot grease stir your potatoes turn meat
with fork OLD case knife kept on purpose.
The rlnd of o lemon is recommended by a
noted cook as giving delicate flavor to tomato
catsup. 1t should not be put In until the catsup
S
A narrow shelf placed over doorway and
painted to correspond with the woodwork of the
room, is pleasing addition; few pieces of pot
terry. good in color and shape, grouped upon this
shelf, heghtens the effect
Straw or willow baskets are made very orna-
mental by brOnzng gliding, and by further
decorating them with band of satin ribbon
about four inches in width drawn across the top
of the basket and tied IN a large bow.
Tn huviuO haavv ron furpitr1ra nra+oppa ha
careful that it has no stffenng If it is not quite
soft it cannot be used to advantage for unless
it is quite pliable it looks very badly and is apt
to crack and tear when manipulated in uphols-
tering
most excellent lotion for sprains or swelling
is made from drachm of sugar of lead and
two ounces of laudanum mixed with one pint of
water Rub the spraiued swollen part
with the solution and keep it constantly
moist with it,
A good way to test the amount of wool in "al
wool fabrics is to burn them. The wool threads
will crumble to ashes, while the cotton threads
will burn with flame. Cotton is often so in
geniously woven into fabrics that it is impossi-
Bic to distinguish it except by some such test as
this
Try this frozen fruit cream: Mix one pound
of fruit with one quart of good fresh cream
sweetened to taste Press all through fine
sieve and put in freezer and proceed as for
ice-cream. If put into fancy molds freeze first,
then pack well in the forms and put back in the
ice and SALT
In extreme hot weather the temperature of
rooms may be materially lowered by stretching
pieces of flannel or other wooden stuff across the
windows after dipping them in water, and the
process of evaporating will give refreshing cool
ness to the air. This method is especially desir-
able to sleeping rooms.
Ingram or other carpets, after shaking, are
frightened by sprinkling pound of salt over
the surface and sweeping carefully and thorough
Iy. 1t is also an excellent plan to wipe off the
carpet with borax water, using a thick flannel
cloth wrung tightly, taking care not to wet it,
but only to dampen Open the windows and dry
the carpet before replacing the furniture.
Halls Journal of Health says that half a tea
spoonful of common table salt dissolved in a
little cold water and drank will instantly relieve
heart burn or dyspepsia. If taken every morn
ing before breakfast, increasing the quantity
gradually to teaspoonful of salt and a tumbler