The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-08-29
THE HON E.
Care of Bo oks,

ku0 pdIulU U1uh uAS1E lUv6u ana
treasured libraries accidents Will hap
pen, and the human bookworm Is at his
or her wits end to remove the difficulty.
which threatens perhaps to ruin forever
one or more of the choicest volumes. An
English magazine lately published the
following items which will probably be
found useful by any librarian:
To remove ink stains from books. A
small quantity OF oxaIio acid, diluted
with water, applied with camel's hair
pencil and and blottsd with plotting pa
per will, with two Applicant ons, remove
all traces of the ink.
To remove grease spots. Lay powdered
pipe-clay each side of the spot and press
with an iron as hot as the paper will
bear without scor ching.
To remove iron mold.-Apply first d
solution OF sulphuret Of potash and after
wards-one of oxalio acid. The sulphuret
acts on the iron.
10 kill and prevent bookworms.-Ta
one-half ounce OF oamphor, powdered like
salt, one-half ounce bitter apple. mix
we'll, and spread on the book shelves.
Renew every six months.
To polish old bindings. -Thoroughly
clean the leather by rubbing with piece
of flannel if the leather is broken, fill up
the holes with q little paste; beat up the
yolk of an egg and rub it well over the
covers with piece of sponge; polish it
by passing hot iron over.
Do not allow book to be very long in
too warm plaza; gas affects them very
much. Russia leather in particular.
Do not let books get damp or they will
soon mildew, and it Is almost impossible
to remove it.
Books with clasps or raised sides dam
age those near them on the shelves. In
land Printer.
Coal Fires.
'To start fresh GOAL fire in a range,
lay in suff1c quantity of dry kind
lings. add little coal, open the drafts
and light the kindlings. Be careful to
have the kindlinRs burning briskly, and
the coal well ignited, before any mora
coal is added, and also not to let the
fire get under too great Roadway before
the hampers are closed. Only small
quantity of coal should bs put on at a
time, and when it is fairly ignited more
should be added, until the requisite de-
gree of heat is obtained. When a steady,
continuous heat is wanted for baking,
the front damper should be closed, OF
nearly SO, and an occasional sprinkle of
fresh coal added to the fire. The fire box
should never be packed SO full of coal as
to cause the griddles and top of the stove
to grow red hot. When the fire Is not
wanted for active use in cooking, little
coal should be put on and all the damp
ers closed. Unless the stove is perfectly
air tight, which is seldom the case, it
will, when thus closed, burn slowly and
reduce the coal to ashes. leaving scarcely
any binders or clinkers; aud then fresh
coal Is put on and the hampers are
opened, the fire will be bright and clear
and ready for use in few minutes 1t
Is very important in the managem emit of
coal fire to avoid exposing tn e live coal
to the air, or keeping too strong draft
on the stove. Exposure of burning coal
to the mir deadens and turns it to binders
in short time. and when the draft Is
very strong it causes a greater combus-
ton of fuel than is necessary, carries off
heat that should be utilized and soon
fills the stove with clinkers. Mrs. Ew-
ing. O
The Care of spectacles.
An experienced ooulist says that great
many people injure their eyesight by not
keeping their glasses bright and, highly
polished. They allow dust and perspila-
ton to accumulate upon them then they
are dim and sewi-opaque, and the eyes
are strained withstrying to look through
them.
It is not an easy matter to keep glasses
in perfect order, especially in warm
weather, and just what ia best to clean
themswith has long been an unsettled
question. One man has put himself on
record as declaring that the only cleaner
he found satisfactory was a bank note of
uf the note or the quality had to do with
the efficacy of 1t did not transpire. A
lady has used Japanese paper napkin
with most pleasing results, and says she
buys paper napkins by the dozen ana
keeps them on hand for this purpose.
Another lady who must be.very particu-
lar about her glasses, keeps on hand bits
of mosquito netting thoroughly washed
and rinsed in clear water and ironed, and
prom ounces them in every way better
than anything.
Hints to Housekeepers.
Polish steel knives by rubbing with
brick dust, mixed with little baking
soda. While the amount of time neces-
sary for the proper cooking of cereals de-
ponds greatly upon their nature and the
manner in which they have been pre-
pared, the following list of approx
mate times" req uired for /: some of the
standard sorts is submitted: Farina, half
an hour; coarse homi ny, six to ten hours;
fine hominy, cracked wheat and coarse
oatmeal, three to six hours; rolled
wheat and coarse oatmeal. threeEto six
hours; rolled wheat, barley or oats one
hour. The easiest way to make ohooo-