The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-03-16

Easter time is rapidly growing in favor.
Inexpensive articles are generally chosen
rather than the more elaborate gifts of
the earlier holiday season, confined main
" to the dainty souvenirs formed from
embellished eggs and shells.
Charming bonbonnieres are made of
large-sized eggs. First boil the egg very
hard, say for fifteen or twenty minutes.
Next with a sharp knife cut off one end
of the egg and carefully scoop out the
contents. Then glue the bottom to a
wooden mould. such as are used for
dress buttons. Far the handle glue a
narrow strip of stiff paper to the inner
surface of the shell. The whole is then
gilded inside and out and decorated with
grasses, ferns. etc. A tiny bow OF RIB
bon may be fastened to the handle
Another form of bonbonniere is made
by cutting the hard-boiled egg length
wise. Fasten to a mould, glue on a
handle, yarnish and sprinkle with dia'
mond lust. Homemade bonbons may be
prepared for filling these baskets. Take
the white of an egg, not beaten. and a
teaspoonful of rose water; stir in pulver-
ICED sugar until stiff enough to- mould
with the fingers into tiny eggs. These
eggs may be made of various colors.
The cream itself will form the white
eggs. The addition of grated chocolate
gives brown. BY adding currant Jelly or
cochineal. shaded pink and red are eb-
tanned. Grated orange and lemon peel
viii give various shades of yellow, and
beside the tinting OF bonbons may be
varied by the iavoring. Various nuts.
grated ~eocoanut. chopped dates, figs, ETC.,
may be mixed with this French cream
.,,oed 49, the xrhfta Of an arr and
sugar. and with a little Ingenuity on the
part of the candy make the bonbons
may be varied almost Indefinitely.
A variety of appropriate Easter trifes
may be fashioned from clam shells. To
prepare the shells for use boil them for
hve or ten minutes in a quart of water
in which is a saucerful of wood ashes;
then place them in clear water and re-
move the dark outside crust with a stiff
brush. If it does not come off readily
return the shells to the boiling water for
a few minutes, but do not let them re-
main too long. or it will injure the deli
cate c~oloring on the inside of the shell
When clean remove any ~roughness with
fine s~andpaper or a small spenknife. and
polish the shells with a bit of channels
skin or soft flannel.
The back, or outside Of the shell, may
be gilded, bronzed or silvered, except the
small shells, which are very thin. In
the hands of an artist their possibilities
are almost limitless. For decorating the
inside of the shell choose some delicate
landscape tiny WATERFALL a rustic
bridge, a quiet pool or a river with an
old castle. The largest and p~rettiest of
these shells may be simply set upon an
easel, while smaller sorts may be used
to form a number of convenient articles
for appropriate gifts.
As tatting is again in favor, a small re-
ceptacle in which to place the shuttle
and work will be appreciated. Choose
prettily shaped shells and paint the
owners monogram on the outside. bore
TWO holes in the back ard one in the
front edge of each Of the two halves of
t she'll. These tiny holes may be made
IN the shells with a Morse twist drill for
sordng iron. Any tinsmith or blacksmith
could quickly make the holes for you, or
YOU can make them yourself with a sharp
pointed penknife and plenty of patience.
But If there are many Of these holes to
be bored. and there is a bit stock within
reach, it will be well to buy the drill Tor
ten or twelve cents (en~e-sixteenth of an
inch is the smallest made) and make the
holes with that. Pass a narrow RIBBON
through the holes in the back to fasten
the shells together and form hinges, ana
tie the ribbons in the neat bows on the
outside. Put a ribbon through the holes
IN the front edge, to tie when the work is
in. The shells do not need Inning.
Needle books are made of the shells IN
the same way, the leaves being sewed TO
4 ribbon that is afterward glued TO the
inside Of the she'll at the back.
Some of the smaller shells, almost trans
parent and white as pearl. If fitted with a
handle of twisted and gilded wire. make
dainty teascoops. and their usefulness Is
in no way impaired if a Chinese pagonoa,
a tea plant, or ever a representation OF
John Chinaman himself be painted tnere-
on.
Perhaps the p~rettiest use to which these
shells may be put is in forming the recep-
<<acies for the little tapers once SO ex-
tsyssivetv used for lighting the rooms of
;nvalids. Float-lights is the name. | be-
1ieve under which they are sold. They
came 81 thin oval boxes, 300 or 400 hun
drad in a box. and may be described as a
tinv foatof wood about the size and thick
ness of an old-fashioned silver three cent
niece There is a hole in the middle and
q small waxed wick. half an inch long, is
drawn halfway through it. Water IS
placed In a tumbler. bowl or other suitable
dish. a few spoonfHls of oil is put on the
water. and in this the little float is set.
ana when lighted makes what might be
aptly described as a fairy lamp. All sorts
Of odd ARRANGEMENTS for holding the shells