The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-01-16
THE HON e.
STAINS AND SICKNESS.

STAINS AND sTICKINEss.
II wish I knew of something to take
stains and sickness off my hands" said
young housekeeper, as she rabbed her
fingers with bit of tomato, in the vain
effort to remove some discolored spots.
"That is easy to find," said her friend,
''but it depends somewhat on the cause
Of the stain and sickness that you COM
plain of. always keep on my wash
stand bottles containing alcohol, oxallc
acid and sal-soda. The two latter are IN
saturated solutions, if you know what
that is. A saturated solution is made by
putting a quantity of the crystals"r pow
der into the bottle and adding water
thereto, but not enough to dissolve the
entire deposit. usually get an ounce OF
oxalic acid and add only sufficient water
to cover it well. The water will only dis
solve a certain amount of the acid, which,
of course, makes solution very strong
Two OF three dro Of this will remove
almost any stain of fruit or vegetables
1t must be applied when the hands have
been washed as clean as possible without
soap. Put two or three drops of acid on
the hands, rubbing it thoroughly over the
stained portions. Wait a moment for 1t
to take effect, rubbing it meanwhile with
the nail brush OF fingers. Then rinse very
thoroughly in clear water. Ii the acid is
not all removed, the application of soap
will seem to bring the stains back again.
'sMany ladies fail in the use of such
strong chemicals, because they do not
take the trouble to remove all traces OF
them after using. Thoroughly washed
off, they leave no injurious effects. 1t is
well, if possible, to refrain from the use
of soap for some hours and rub the hands
thoroughly with pure glycerine and water.
A few drops of saturated solution OF soda
will be found useful when the hands have
been in contactwith any greasy substance.
There are certain gummy oils which no
ordinary soap will remove. For these
there is nothing better than little strong
soda water Resinous gums like varnish
and some kinds of paint are best removed
by the use of few drops of alcohol Tar
or machine-oil can be gotten rid OF more
easily by the use of fresh lard than by any
other means. Rub the hands thoroughly
with lard, giving it time to soften the tar
OF pitch; then with some blunt-edged
article like a silver tableknife, scrape
whatever of the grease and tar can be re-
moved in this way. Having cleaned the
hands as Thoroughly as possible, wash
them with a rather strong soap. A little
soda may be found advantage us.
"Whatever may be used, it should be
very Thoroughly washed off, and the hands
may afterward be rubbed with glycerine
or cold cream. It is a very easy matter
to keep the hands in good condition it one
takes little pains after every washing OF
them. A few drops of glycerine or tiny
scrap of honey will prevent roughness
and chapping. and will save the owner
more annoyance than she would imagine
possible. 1t is well worth while to take
a little pains in this particular. as pref
| ty and well-kept hand is one of the most
attractive of possessions. Many persons
claim to read character from the hand,
and certainly the condition in which it is
kept shows the owners disposition as far
as care and attention are concerned. q
New York Ledger.
THE COUCH IN A COSBY ROOM.
A room without a couch of some sort is
only half furnished. Life is full of ups
and downs. All that saves the sanity of
the mentally jaded and physically ex-
hausted fortune-fighter is the periodical
seriousness on the upstairs lounge, or
| the old sofa in the sitting-room.
| There are times when so many of the
| things that distract us could be straight
ened out, and the way made clear. hf one
only had long, comfortable couch on
| whose soft bosom he could throw him
! self, boots and brains, stretch his weary
| frame, unmindful of tides and tapestry,
| close his tired eyes. relax the tension of
his muscles, and give his harassed mind
| chance. Ten minutes of this soothing
| narcotic, when the head throbs, the soul
yearns for endless. dreamless, eternal
rest, would make the vision clear, the
nerves steady, the heart light, and the
star of hope shine again.
There is no doubt that The longing to
die is mistaken for the need of a nap.
Instead of the immortality of the soul,
business men and working women want
regular and systematic doses of DOING
and after a messy bank in the shade of
an old oak that succeeding seasons have
converted into a tenement of song birds,
there is nothing that can approach big
| sofa, OF low, long couch placed in the
corner, where tired nature can turn her
| face to the wall and sleep and doze away
| the gloom.-Halps Journal of Health.
| HOW 10 ~
eff you have never done SO, watch your
self 90 to SLEEPY saba Delsarte priestess,
land you will be amazed to see how tense
your position is. Your knees are drawn
and Bonded, your back is curved, the arms
are held more or less tightly to the body,
and the fingers are folded; the eyelids
are held shut, not allowed to droop over
the eyes, the neck is strained, and the
head seems to touch the pillows only at
the temples. The points of contact with
the bed are really at temples, shoulders,
hips, knees and ankles. Now look at a
child sleeping. Every muscle is relaxed,
every joint is inert, and prone on the
touch; his little frame finds rest at every
point
1.-THE features are undone, SO to speak,
the nose widens, the mouth droops, the
eyelids close easily, and with every line
of expression obliterated he finds utter
/ and conn1eta rnnaSa The abandon makes