Evening star., 1896-09-19

."The doll play house has long been
without an occupant" remarked one OF the
attaches of the Executive Mansion, IN
speaking of the doll house which has been
stored under the eastern portico OF the
White House for a number OF years. Ihis
play house was given to Nellie Arthur, and
was much used by her and her girl friends
1t was nicely furnished. One of the two
rooms was furnished kitchen and dining
room. and the other combination Sit
ting room and parlor. Nellie Arthur, when
she first came to the White House. was of
,he doll age but before she was here long
she grew out of it. and the doll house was
deserted 1t has had no occupant since, and
ia not likely to have any for some time.
"Only two children can get in the house
at the same time There have been num-
ber of applicants for the house, but every
one has hesitated to do anything about IL.
OF course, Nellie Arthur or any one author
lied by her could get the house by simply
sending for it, for it is her private prop
erty, and though 1t has been stored under
the east portico, the government mas no
control over it. Nellie Arthur has children
of her own now, and she may send for 1t
some day for them. For the children. and
especially the girls of doll age, 1t is the
most interesting thing about the White
House.
"Chimneys should be looked after now.
observed specialist In brick work, Tor
fires will be started in couple of weeks,
and trouble may ensue from bad fues. 1t
Is rather surprising how many fires there
are every fall caused by defective flues.
These defective flues can be discovered by
any practical mechanic If the opportunity
is given him. The trouble is. however
that housekeepers do not give the proper
amount of attention to the matter. They
content themselves until some extra cool
evening arrives, when they start a rousing
fire. The result very frequently is
pensive fire In other parts of the house as
we'll as in the latrobes or furnaces. The
fact that chimney does not draw the very
moment a fire is started in ii is nothing
against it. for the best kind of fues refuse
to work well until they are properly warm
ed up.
"Housekeepers need not be surprised
either, if their houses are filled with smoke
for an hour or 50 on starting fire. for this
nearly always follows. 1t cures itself,
however, in a very short time. for as soon
as current is established the difficulty is
ended Vt pays in the long run to have
chimney, furnace and stove work done
such a demand on this class of mechanics
that it frequently happens that they slight
some OF the work that Is given them"
X x X
In the matter of Sleep," remarked a
well-lnown physician. there are as many
peculiar things there are about ea ting
what is one mans food is another's poison.
The same applies to sleep. This much is
generally known and accepted by standard
authorities on the subject, that tall or
bulky people require more sleep than
others. and that women can get along on
much less Sleep than can men. AS with
animals. human beings sleep much longer
and heLrtier in the winter than at any
other times. People of extreme old age re-
qure as much sleep as infants. and 1t IS
beneficial to both classes if they can sleep
one-half the time, or even greater proper
ton. There is thing 1 would like to
impress upon every one. and that is. it is
positively Injurious for any one to sleep
longer than IS actually necessary.
hen you near people talk of forcing
themselves to. sleep loHs hours, it means
as much as If they overdrank or overfed
themSeive;- | am strongly of the belief
that while six or seven hours Is long
enough sleep for the average healthy per
son there are those who need an hour or
SO more. there are others who thrive
mentally and physically four hours
sleep. Early 10 bed and early to rise is
a splendid doctrine but in cases where one
cannot get 10 bed early they should not
you can naturally. but never sleep for
sleeps sake, or longer than is necessary"
y
Lady Instructors on the bicycle is the
latest in the wheeling world" said lead
ing wheelman. .-and they are already ir
demand. The ladies heretofore have had t.
depend on male il structors, and although
they did Eot like ii much there was no help
for them ard they had to get assistance
and instruction from men Or boys or dc
without. This prevented many ladies from
1aa arntn tn Ri yNh h0 "a N ON a
instructors. So far. there are not over q
half dozen lady instructors, but they are
only the pioneers, and in little while
there will be enough to supply any demand
Ladies are better instructors for ladies
than men, for they know more of an,
can arrange the skirts of those learning
to ride better than male instructors can Oh
dare do.
There is no doubt but that it Is harder
for & lady to learn to ride than 1t Is for
man. for the reason that the bicycle i!
necessarily shaped so that II Is more diff
cult TO mount and dismount. OF course
when the learners wear boomers the1
learn to mount and dismount easier thai
when they are compelled to wear skirts. l
matters not how short they are. Severa
of the lady instructors can be seen OF
the streets of the west end section durini
the early mornings. The experience OF tn
best lady riders of the wheel is that NOR
progress can be made with half hour
ing the night 1t Is also much safer 10
riders as well as the wheel
y y X
"Tke fall rains are now nearly due" OBJ
eerved a weather guesser, "and som
things in connection with the same will b
seasonable. Rains diminish as We advanc
from the equator to the poles. and wester
coasts of a country are generally NOR
rLined on than are eastern At the equato
the annual rainfall is often much a
95 inches, while UP in Russia it rarel
rains over IL inches The heaviest rain
are between the tropics. and at Cape Hor
there has been fall of 1J4 inches. 1
sCme parts of the world there are no rain!
This is specially the case in the deserts c
the Sahara and in Egypt. as we'll as
Asia, Arabia, Syria and Persia. There
wcLderfIl scarcity of rains of late year
in Peru. Bolivia and along the coasts {
Mexico Guatemala and small district o
the coast of Venezuela.
Washington and the surrounding couI
try suffers but little from rain, though b
q combination of circumstances which
rather peculiar the rains hereabouts al
very often. too often, in fact, for comfor
st . clock, as the departments are bein
filled with clerks. and at o'clock, as the