Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-04-03
PETALS AND PERFUME.
fow to Make Rosc-Jar That VIII be
Worth Having.

PETALS AND PERFUME.
Eow to Make Il Rosc-Jar 1ha1 WIN o
Worth Having.
"How did you make your rose-Jar? = l
asked a certain gay belle. She answered.
With laugh: I'll give you my recipe
and the result; then you go and try the
exact opposite method. I purchased
the finest potpourri jar in the market,
the finest table salt, the very spiclest
spices, and the sweetest perfumes, and
then had sent me the loveliest flowers
YOU ever saw, which l ruthlessly ae-
stroved in their first freshness without
taking time to enjoy them-great roses
as big as cup. Well, put III first
layer of salt; this, you know, IS sup.
posed to catch and hold the fragrant
essence of the flower, as do the grease
in the oils of commerce. The salt L
strewed thickly with rose leaves. sprlnk'
ling them with the spices and perfumes;
then came another layer of salt and
LAYER of rose leaves and spices, so on to
the top. This is the orthodox recipe,
and followed it carefully but, instead
of growing sweeter it became more and
more offensive, until finally did not
dare open it. Bah! it was awful.
"a friendly druggist suggested most
happy compromise. Preserve all OF
your flowers, wear them and enjoy
them; then. when they are quite with
cred. pull them to pieces and dry them
thoroughly, spread out upon q piece OF
paper-his love-letters, if you like-in
dark room, so that they may retain
color. When ready for your potpourri.
roll them in your hands, mixing with
them aromatic spices and the best
.;achet powders, sprinkling them with
the finest essences and oils, mixing with
them the sweet lavender flowers which
are already dried. Then you will have
rose-jar that you will not be afraid to
open. Or, better still, take your dried
leaves to the druggist, and he will mix
for you potpourri that will be joy
forever"
The rose-jar is comparatively new
craze, only two or three years old, but
very dainty one. 1t fills long-felt
want and suggested, perhaps, the many
devices for refreshing our parlors and
bedrooms with pretty, artistic trifes.
The taste for sweet scents is not, how
ever, of recent origin. It seems in
herent in the human breast and is as
old Us the hills upon which the flowers
blow. Though somewhat accumulated
of late, since they are brought more
readily within our reach the fondness
for sweet doors seems to date back to
the most ancient of days-to the garden
of Eden, no doubt. Fragrant woods,
sandal and cedar, were used in the con-
struction of the tabernacle in the wild
erness and also in Solomon's temple,
while frankincense and myrrh were
burnt as incense continually in the
service. Among the gifts sent by Jacob
to the rulers of Egypt, when he wished
to propitiate them. were gifts of frank.
incense and myrrh," and these same
fragrant gums were brought by the
wise men from the East to the infant
Savior. The ancient Greeks and Ro
mans were inordinately fond of per.
fumes, which they used, not only in the
amounting of their heads and boards
but also about their houses and gar
ments.
Even the tyrant Nero showed weak
ness for perfumes, for one of the mos
costly is called by his name, "Neroly,
and, though still brought from Egypt
was quickly adopted for the production
OF essences from the numerous fra
grance.bearing flowers which grow il
wild profusion in Greece snd Italy. But
long before this fragrant waters were ir
use in Arabia. Through all generations
and circumstances this taste has come
down to us. Our grandmothers could
not afford to procure essential oil
or sweetscented powders, perhaps, but
they had their beds of lavender end
chamomile and sweet fern, the leaves o.
which were carefully gathered and laid
on the shelves between the folds O.
snowy homespun linen, and q few leave:
tied in the corner of handkerchief OF
little bag of sweet lavender deity
concealed about the gown, then as now
was indispensable to lady's toilet
Boston Gazette.