The morning times., 1896-08-09
Some g
.II Queer |
@ Tricks
Some

To balance a cup of coffee on the point
| of knife is a feat not many Of us would
undertake with any hope of success; but
| with the aid of a few accessories which
are readily at hand, the trick may be
| made comparatively simple. A cork,
| fork-these are all the implements neces-
sary, only do not forget to have on hand
| little adroitness.
Put cork OF proper size into the handle
| OF cup Of coffee so that it will fit Sc
| curely and solidly, though rot so tightly
as to run any risk of breaking the handle.
| Stick a fork in the cork, two prongs on
| one side OF the handle, and two on the
other, iDclining the end Of the fork toward
| the under side of the cup.
| The center of gravity icing thus low
1 cred, place your cup upeD the point of a
| Knife, and you Will find by experiment.
| ing the exact point where Ii Will hold it
I self in equilibrium. The uLderside of the
| cup usually being glazed, you must keep
| the hand that holds the knife steady. In
| the beginning you would do better 10 keep
your other hand very rear the handle OF
| the fork, SO that you could seize ii quickly
iDscase OF the danger OF fail.
I Perhaps if you want to be entirely sure
| OF your morning coffee you would better
| drink it before making your first expert
ment-
one of the little domestic details that
surprised me most when / was first IN
Paris was glass of water doing duty as
| oandestiek. But in spite of its SIM
plidty, it perfectly supported the can
I die, and was in all points of usefulness
quite the equal OF the hest Candlestick
going Only you mast know the little
dodge OF preparing the candle.
You have only to pierce the end OF a
candle with a nail, but you must take
great care that your nail is OF just the
right weight to carry the candle entirely
under water; that is TO say, the water
must be just even with the top of the
candle without wetting the base Of the
wick.
Then light the wick and you may safe
ly wager that In spite of the unfayorable
element into which it is plunged, your
candle will burn to the very end.
l have often vaiDly tried to analyze,
especially on the Fourth Of July, why 10
| is that boys find big noise more amusing
| than all other sports combined. / only
know that they do; that TO touch off can
non, to hear the roar which frightens nefv-
|. Gus people, to see a ball spin into the air
with the "a pidity OF lightning, and to watch
, !, the consequent recOil, is the grea test fun
alive. So am going 10 tell you how to
l produce these effects in the most innocent
manner possible.
| First, procure a any drug store the two
| little packages of powder that are used
I in ina king settler water. Then take an
empty bottle of thick glass, like the one
| indica ted in the illustration, and I'LL 10
a bout third full Of water. Dissolve In
this water the biCarbonate OF soda con-
ained In one OF the little packages, and
put the powder Of the other ttartaric actd)
into a card rolled up into the form Of q
cylinder. Plug up one end OF this little
cylinder with wad Of blotting paper. and
suspend your cartridge. thus made, to the
| cork OF the bottle by means of pin to
which thread is attached, only be careful
| to have your thread Of such length that
| the bottom of your cylinder does not touch
| the liquid.
Force this cork with its little attachment
| well into the bottle, and behold your ar
| tillery charged All that remains to DO
| done is to fire it Off. ny