Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-09-09

large spoon to soup-piate, wnich
should contain Just enough water to hoat
the moss perfectly. slip the carupoaru
on which Il Is TO be mounted careluiiy
under the moss, being careful not TO as
turb the moss any more tnan possloie'
Much OF the arrangement can pc zone
while the card Is In the water uioer
the moss. Use a needle or long pm 10
bring the moss into the desired shape,
and have very sharp and slender pair
OF scissors to cut out any parts tnat may
have become broken or are In the way
or prevent a graceful arrangement OF the
moss.
DRAIN THE WATER OFF.
When this Is partly done. raise the card
gently. and let the water drain or. III any
part becomes misplaced apd cannot be
fixed with the needle. drop bit of water
on the portion. and 1t will spread into
place again. aided by the needle
Then lay a piece Of linen cloth over the
moss, and place between blotting-papers
70 press The cloth prevents the moss
from sticking to the blotter and torn
from the card, on which the moss is now
arranged.
In collecting the MOSES IL Is hardly
worth while to bring home the thick and
fibrous Sort While they add variety TO
a collection, they are hard 70 manage,
and II is almost impossible TO use them
with artistic effect. Some, however, have
parts that are not so tough, and these
can be cut out with the little scissors and
used to advantage.
or course the pink mosses are the most
sought for, but green ones that look like
pieces of thin silk gauze make exquisite
bits of coloring, they are so thln that
when mounted they seem like aquarelles
rather than vegetable matter.
The MOSES represent every variety OF
shade except blue. and on the coast of
Florida and California there even are
some varieties which are almost purple.
The coiors most frequent are shades OF
brown, yellow, green, pink, red, and even
CT cam color
with this large assortment there are
many lovely combinations to be made in
mounting them. White cards are gene
rally used. but for special purposes un-
sized colored cards can be used, although
the coloring is apt to be injured by the
card being placed in the water when ar
ranging the mOsses.
There are a number of ways In which
these mosses can be used, and any one
with taste and ingenuity will constantly
find new uses for them.
The lovelest-menu cards hostess at
Newport used last year for an elaborate
pink dinner were decorated with the most
beautiful bits of sea mosses. Some had
only one piece. IN the corner OF the card.
Others were encircled with most minute
tendris. that seemed Ike rose-colored
Fayal lace. The mosses were all In shades
Of rose and red, and the cards were the
cause OF much comment They added the
Al a q Il N an
expected way. But to some people who
have been brought up on the coasts and
then removed inland, a little book whose
leaves are decorated with pretty sea-
MOSES comes like rcviving breath.
FOR THE PURPOSE.
A small scrap-book with a pretty cover,
appropriate to the future contents, is
convenient for this purpose. one that |
have seen was about u by II inches, and
had but ten pages. On the first leaf. in
pretty letters, was written. 'Sea Noses y
and under It, Bring me, | said, breath
of the sea"
On each successive page was verse;
the first one ram
Was it the tip Of a dancing plume
That decketh tha head Of mermaid
queen?
Or refuse threads from an efn loom,
Matching the mantle Of pale sea green?
The NOSES were used to illustrate the
poem, and pasted in irregularly, according
to fancy. \ little fiour-paste held each
Of the cards in place. and sometimes two
or more cards were put on one page.
Another pretty book can be made by
having the cards cut the desired size,
using q larger vessel to hold the water.
and mounting the mosses directly on the
thick pages. These can be strung to-
gether by ribbons a, the back. Still an
other pretty gift was a small, fancy
basket Of creamy-whlte straw. which was
lined with Nile-green silk, holding a set
OF cards on which the mosses were al
ready mounted. The cards in this case
had TO fit the basket which was nearly
filed with them, a couplet on the back
Of each bit of pasteboarl making it
very charming gift which would be Of
interest 10 visitors.
These are only few Of the ways in