Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1891-01-31
FLOWERS AND PERFUMES.
THO Way TO Mako n Roso Jar that VIII 10
Worth HAVING.

THO Way to Mako Rose Jar that VIII Bo
Worth Having.
"How did you make your rose jar?"
asked certain gay belle. She an.
swered, with a laugh: "I'll give you my
recipe and the resultI then you go and
try the exact opposite method. / pur-
chased the finest potpourri jar in tho
market, the finest table salt, the very
spiciest spices and the sweetest per-
fumes, and then had sent me the low
liest flowers you ever saw, which ruth
lessly destroyed in their first freshness
without taking time to enjoy them -
great roses as big as cup. Well, put
in first layer of salt; this, you know,
is supposed to catch and hold the fra
grant essence of the flower, as do the
grease in the oils of commerce. The
salt strewed thiclsly with rose leaves,
sprinlSling 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 or
thodoS recipe, and followed it careful
ly; but, instead of growing sweeter, it
became more and more offensive, until
finally did not dare open it. BAIL it
was awful.
"A friendly druggist suggested a 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 piece of
paper--his love-letters, If you lil<e-in q
dark room, so that they may retain
their color When ready for your pot
pourri, roll them in your hands, mixing
with them aromatic spices and the best
sachet powders, sprinlling them with
the finest essence and oils, mixing with
them the sweet lavender flowers which
are already dried. Then you will have
n 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 a comparatively new
craze, only two or three years DID, but a
very dainty one. 1t fills long-felt
want, and suggested perhaps the many
devices for refreshing our parlors and
bedrooms, with pretty, artistic tribes.
The taste for sweet scents is not, how
ever, or recent origin. 1t seems inher-
Cilu LII lIlt DTcdSJ. ana Is dsS Olu
as the hills upon which the flowers
blow. Though somewhat accentuated
of late, since they are brought more
readily within our reach, the fondness
for sweet odors seems to date back to the
most ancient of days-to the Garden OF
Eden, no doubt. Fragrant woods, san
dal and cedar, were used in the con-
struction of the tabernacle in the will
derness, 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
insence and myrrh," and these same fra
men of the East to the Infant Saviour.
The ancient Greeks and Romans were
inordinately fond of perfumes, which
they used, not only in the amounting of
their heads and boards, but also about
their houses and garments.
Even the tyrant Nero showed weak
ness for perfumes. for one of the most
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 in
wild profusion in Greece and Italy. But
long before this, fragrant waters were
in use in Arabia. Through all genera
tions and circumstances this taste has
come down to us. Our grandmothers
could not afford or procure essential oil
or sweet-scented powders, perhaps, but
they had their beds of lavender and
chamomile and sweet fern, the leaves
of which We're carefully gathered and
laid on the shelves between the folds of
snowy homespun linen, and few leaves
tied in the corner of a handkerchief. or
a little bag of sweet lavender deity
concealed about the gown, then as now,
was Indispensable to lady's toilet
Boston Gazette.