The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-02-19
TIE HOME.
CARE OF BRooMs.

Don't hang your broom brush end upper
most, unless you want to spoil it, advises
the New York Ledger. If the brush is
the least bit damp, the moisture will
work down into. the body of the broom
and make it musty, and after time will
rot the threads out l know there is a
great fancy nowadays for fastening the
brooms on the wall by means of nails dri-
ven through spools, as well as various
broom-holders and similar devices, but
it is all mistake, as one may see by CIV
ing the subiecta little thought. Hang
up wet broom in this way, and the wa
ter naturally soaks into the tying. Be-
fore it could be thoroughly dried, it gets
wet again.
The inside portion of the broom is fast
ened with wires. These become rusted
and break away and the threads which
fasten the outside get rotted and some
little blow breaks them loose; then the
broom is spoiled. Go to the hardware
store and buy dozen screw-eyes. Put
one of these in the end of the handle of
every broom in the house. Drive nails
and hang them up; Before putting them
up it is well to dip them for about four
or five inches of the length of the brush
into hot water, then rap them smartly to
throw out the water, hang them up and
let them dry thoroughly before using;
In this way the brush dries straight and
the broom will last as long again as when
treated in the usual way.
These screw-eyes have various uses,
and it is economy to buy them by the
gross. The busting brush, hoor-brushes
anything with a wooden handle-may
be hung up by the means Of them. The
bread-board, the ironing board, indeed
every wooden utensil about the house
may be much more conveniently placed
by means of these trifing appliances.
Such small wares cost almost nothing,
and by their use one finds elbow-room.
shelf-room and order much more easily
than by almost any other means.
EXCHANGE OF OCCUPATIONS.
In. Frank Leslie's Weekly for Jan. 2,
there appeared the following:
The present generation of women,
even though they do not appreciate the
fact themselves, will be noted in history.
Not because of their salons, their ex-
travagances and their Alterations, for,
unlike the women of the past, they have
had few indeed, but because of the posi-
ton they have taken in the world
through their own endeavors. The
much thought of and too much talked OF
emancipation of women is being
brought about by what are known as the
working women rather than the restless
reformers. Claiming modestly merely
the right to support themselves, they
have invgded almost every branch of
industry in countless swarms, and the
result is a social revolution that is but
half appreciated. The woman Of to day
is independent of the man if she cares to
be. She need but work, and it must be
said to her credit that she apparently
loves to work. The result of this is a
curious exchange Of occupations between
the sexes.
Today the best dressmakers, cooks,
cleaners of clothing, servants and nurses
are men, while women have proved
themselves to be in like manner superior
to or equal to men as clerks, saleswomen,
amanuenses, telegraphers, writers, ar
fists, authors, designers, and even as
occupants of executive positions. They
are writing the best newspaper articles
and inventing mechanical appliances.
They are train-despatchers on railroads
and officers Of corporations. And their
field is rapididly charging.
EXERCISE FOR THE LUNGS.
New York Weekly: The following
exercise in the fresh air is one of the best
known:
Hold head up, shoulders back and
chest out; initiate the lungs slowly
through the nose until they are brimful;
hold until you have counted ten, without
opening your lips exhale quickly till your
lungs are as nearly empty of the bad air
as it is possible to get them.
Repeat same exercise, trying to hold
the lungs full while counting twenty,
Try it again, and see if you can hold your
breath half minute. Finish with three
or four deep, long drawn inspirations.
One of the best times for taking this
exercise is when you are going to and
from your work and studies. Hold your
breath while walking ten steps, then
twenty, etc. The advantage of being in
the open air and sunshine is that the air
is fresher than is generally found indoors.
Try this three times a day, either be-
fore or after meals. If taken after, it
will be found to greatly help digestion.
If this exercise should be unpleasant at
first, take it in smaller doses until your
blood can stand the stimulation of its