Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-26
Written for The Evening Star.
A RAINY DAY FUN SHOP.

some Lovely nursery AmuSc'ncntS Tor
Restless Boys and Girls.
Every mother knows the trials of that
day of downpour when restless babies drive
her and nurse to the edge of distraction.
and when all wonted diversions fail any
longer 20 amuse.
Has that unhappy lady any idea that If
she will send nurse down to the pantry for
the box Of old corks, which she thriftily
lays away against time of need, woes will
disappear as If by magic from the small
bosoms, and SO rapidly will the hours pass
! that there will be cry of surprise when
nurse comes to announce the arrival of sup
per ard bed time.
"Corks" the lady mother says What
on earth have they to do with keeping chill
dren uuiet?-unless ore uses them to cork
UP naughty. fretful mouths!
First spread on the nursery table a big
newspaper to catch all the eSscs that are
to be made. Next get a bottle of good thick
mrci!age a sharp pen knife, box of
matches, Bobby's box of water color paints,
a hair pin or two, scme old visiting cards,
the pin cushion and p stout pair of short
but sharp pointed scissors. Al the nursery
population will begin to be interested at
eeing these pre- para tons, and when they
are completed chairs cen be drawn up all
round aud the announcement made that the
rainy day amusement shop is open for bust
ness.
Perhaps the best thing to begin with is
the cork out of the mustard pot, which Is
large and fiat. Snip the sulphur heads off
Of four matches, leaving them square at
the ends. Sharpen the other ends little.
rake fourt inCiSionS with the pen knife into
the under side of the cork, stick the pointed
ends of the matches into these, and at
once the attentive circle about the table
begins to see that another little table is
swiftly coming INTO being. Cut out IA circle
of visiting card somewhat. larger than the
mustard cork. paste it on top Of the cork,
and there stands beautiful piece of
nursery carpeEtery; a table all complete
A small square bit of cork with four short
bits of matches used as legs makes a good
stool. and by taking the cork that once
served to stop the mouth of a little glass
Jam Jar and sticking IN four matches for
feet and two moro on the upper side for
back, with bit of cork at the top of these
one has at once q delightful chair to go
with the table and sstool-furniture which
nc doll would be too proud TO use. The
next piece of manufacture might he beau
ttul teetotum, and here Bobbys paints be-
gin to come into play.
a Beautiful Tectotum.
Cut a match IT. half; sharpen one end a
little. Cat a thin slice crossway from
claret cork and stick the match through
the middle of it. pointed end first Cut out
a circle Of card board four times as large
as the cork, ard draw two lines at right
angles across the disk. That will leave 1t
divided into four quarters and these QUAR-
ters are to be painted blue, yellow, green
and red. Bore a hole in the center of the
disk and slip the blunt end OF the match
through it until the card board rests upon
the cork. Next cut another, but rather
thicker slice from the cork, bore hole in
the center and stick the blunt end of the
match through, pressing it down till it
match haf
and thumb for spinning this fascinatingly
beautiful teetotum.
Cutting long slices through the middle of
the corg leaves pieces, which, with the aid
of Bobby's paints, can be turned into
beautiful set of dominoes, and by cutting
out square pieces one can make a beautiful
set of noiSeleSS dice to be used with the
backgammon board.
But perhaps the incest toy of all made In
this nursery shop, which has for it's sign,
"Old corks taken in exchange for new play
things is the set of parlor croQuet. To
begin this heavy but fruitful labor cut out
eighteen small squares of cork. Bend into
a curved hoop-a miniature of those used in
lawn croquet-nine hair pins; and these,
of cork will stand upright and serve as
table wickets for the game. Cut slices
cross-Ways from the vinegar bottle cork.
and into the middle of each of these stick
a match, whose end has been sharpened for
the purpose This can be painted around
with rings Of contrasting colors as Is done
to the goal stakes of lawn croquet
Nursery Croquet.
Next, for the mallets hunt about in the
cork tox for four small ones of even size
those from the small medicine phials serve
nicely If they have not been stained by
drugs. These, If nice shape, need no cut
ting at ALL Matches will serve as handles
for these mallets, and band of color must
be painted around each SO that players may
distinguish their own mallets Some nice
large old sugar-coated pills would make
beautiful balls for this nursery croquet,
with a stripe of paint around each one.
but If all the pills were given to Bobby the
last time he ate too much cake and had
tummy ache, then fresh bread pinched up
between the fingers, and then rolled on the
table beneath ones palm will make very
good substitute balls and will take stripe
Of paint quite well.
BY this time there is no more fretting in
the nursery. The tools can be put away,
bits of cork folded and thrown into the
waste basket, the teetotum spun, and when
they are tired of that game of croquet
to gun. The children have helped in all the
process Of manufacture and have learned
how to make the whole set of toys them
selves. For many rainy days thereafter
these will suffice, but when they begin to
gall any ingenious mamma can show how
to make others-chessmen, mice, ducks.
cranes hobby horses, even dogs and cats
and men, If she has little skill with paint
brush and pen knife.
To Make Sure.
From Life. ~
Dashaway.-''You believe in the efficacy