Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-07-13
knife should be pressed firmly and quickly

kuiic SuOulu Dc preSSeu uTunly anu quickly
between the two shells, and in every case,
! if the clam has not been alarmed to exert
its strength, the clam can be opened easily
and deity. Some may smile at this de-
scription, but it should be remembered
that the lowest class of creatures or things
have some means of defense given them
against their enemies. The only defense
of this bivalve is in the strength it has to
prevent its shell from being opened.
PRETTY AND USEFUL THINGS.
Pretty as well as useful things are al
ways in order that is, the enjoying and
making of them. This week 1 am going
to tell you of pretty work stand / have
made. do not doubt but that many of
you have one similar, aud yet there are
many more who have not, for very often |
have callers who have never seen one like
mine before. will tell you first how mine
is made and then / will describe one which
| saw.
/ bought two peach baskets at our groc-
cry store and paid 25 cents for the two.
These constitute the framework. You all
know the shape and size, / presume. They
are about fourteen inches high and taper
at the top and bottom. Stand one bottom
up on the floor and place the other upright
upon it, and nail securely together. This
| will give the framework somewhat in
shape like the old-fashioned hour-glass
| light stands that are seen in so many old
homesteads.
covered the outside with pretty fig
ured China silk, and the inside of the top
most crate, which is the work-basket, with
plain silk to correspond with the color
of the flowers on the outside. Mine is an
olive ground with leaves and pink roses,
and the lining is plain pink. cut a
piece of pasteboard and covered it with
plain silk and put it in after the sides
were covered. The best to cover the in
side, l found, was to tack the silk on
smoothly over the inside, then turn over
and lay the fullness at the bottom with
tacks, placed SO that when the bottom is
put in they will be entirely hidden. Put
| some pockets around for spcols, etc.
The silk covers the whole of the struct-
ure on the outside, brought down, not too
| tightly, and tackled underneath the bot
tom. A pretty silk furniture fringe fin
ishes mine around the top, and ribbon
with the same colors as those in the fringe
| is tied around its waist. think you will
find, should you make one of these baskets,
| that they are very ornamental, as well as
useful for either sitting or sewing-room.
| The other way is to take one basket and
have some of your "men folks" saw out
three legs. Three legs are required
Some ladies take large spools, such as
coarse linen thread is wound on, but of
course they are not SO pretty and will not
allow the basket to stand SO high. Cover
outside and inside as for the other, with
the exception of the trimming, which is of
| double box-plaiting of the silk, caught in
the center and pilked around the edges if
you like, aud tackled around the top and
bottom also Covers can be made for
these baskets; large firkin cover will do.
| Covered as for the outside, with large
pin-cushion underneath which shuts with
in the basket. Then you have stand and
a work-basket combined.
SOME THINGS 1 HAVE LEARNED.
learned from laundry woman who
had some of the incest looking clothes |
have ever seen, that she used kerosene oil
in the starch, which allowed her to
iron her clothes without drying. The
odor is not pleasant, but the hot iron re-
moves every particle SO that in short
time after ironing you cannot detect it.
She told me that when she wished to have
any garment particularly stiff, such as
collars, cuffs and shirt fronts, that she made
thin boiled starch and mixed up quite
quantity of cold starch, i. e., starch wet in
cold water, and stirred into it when cold
enough SO that it would not cook or thicken
it. The kerosene was put in-say a table,
spoonful to quart of starch, and the linen
thoroughly wet with it, wrung out and
rolled up hard in dry towel and allowed
to lie for an hour, then the iron could be
put on without sticking.
| wished very much to learn how to
make pastry to look like that we see in the
bakers shops. A lady told me that after
the pies or tarts were ready for the oven,
they were brushed over with the white of
an egg, which gives them the glossy look.
Another way was after the top crust of the
pie was rolled out to first spread thin
coating of lard over it, then another of
-four put over the pie, and just before put
ting in the oven, pour over it enough cold
water to wet the flour but not let the
water run over into the pie She said
that even without the lard and flour to
pour over it the water would cause the pie
crust to be shorter and give it nice brown
color. NELLIE B. WARD.