The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-09-09
ideas for qlMornem.

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shink it needs no thought nor care. But
Notwithstanding its appearance this in
s~trurnent is quite as needy Of attention
as a more frail looking piece
And a piano well looked after may be
expected to outiast a neglected one by
many years.
One of the most important necessar1es
with regard TO the instrument is the
practice Of keeping it closed when not in
use. This is also one Of the little health
hints most often disregarded. It Is
much easier to leave the instrument the
moment when the Inspiration which
prompts one to indulge in a tune or SO IS
over. And it may also be claimed that
an open plano with a handful OF loose
music thrown here and there IS apt 10
give a more picturesque and artistic ar
to the apartment; the fad. of the day be-
ang decidedly the careless and artistic ar
arrangement of things as opposed to the
prim. set style of former times; but be-
ing left open lie really injurious to the in
strument and it is far better to sacrifice
the arrangement of the room in this one
particular and b able to ask your
guests to use = piano which does not
cause their hair to stand ON end.
There are several periods when 1t is
particularly advisable to attend to this
hint. Namely when coal Is being brought
into the cellar. When the music room
is undergoing the process of cleaning.
When the cellar is being swept. For
even closing the registers will often fail
to keep away all dust during this opera
ton. And whenever the atmosphere
outside is moist or damp. By this | do
not mean to say that the instrument
should be kept continually closed during
these periods but only that this precau-
ton should be taken when 1t Is not In
use.
Tuning should take place every three
months. Oftener il the piano be old. An
old one is more liable to be frequently
out of tune. Make an arrangement with
a good piano tuner that he shall come
around for the work at least four times
In the year. Or the house AT which the
instrument was purchased is often willing
to attend to this requirement by sending
an operator ait due season. In this way
the matter is sure not to be overlooked
from week to week, and the mortifcation
of the wheezing, i~ll-sounding piece is
spared the household.
Old pianos may require a more frequent
attention. And every instrument is more
or less sure to require tuning during the
spring Immediately after winter fires are
allowed to go out. When the house is apt
to become for a few weeks subject to a
certain amount of dampness. Another
point which should be looked to while
the tuner is with You is the condition of
the pedals. Make him examine these TO
make sure that-fhey have not sunk This
is a common and most uncomfortable
occurrence.
They should be elastic and respond Inn
medtately to pressure in order to impart
the effect desired. The instrument, if a
square grand, can easily be busted by
raising the lid and this is undoubtedly
beneficial. Any small objects which may
have become lodged there may easily be
removed in an u of this shape.
With regard to cleaning and polishing
Water and a good piece of channels are
all the requirements needed for this work
Warm water may be used upon keys and
piano case as well, and the polishing done
with the channels. Some piano players ad-
yocate the use Of soap OF q pure variety.
They consider that this accomplishes the
work more rapidly. Polish of many varie-
ties is upen the market, which claims to
be able to repair scratches and other dis
asters occurring to the best guarded in
strument.
Sometimes these preparations effect
good for cid Instruments on which the
gloss has been more or less reduced, but
with new affairs, the polish of the case
itself Is usually too high for a secondary
gloss to effect any improvement.
Few h~ousekeepers know VIA an i'm
mense saving it Is to a fine instrument
If before placing ornaments upon the top
they cut a small strip Of canton flannel
to fit the top Of the case, and place the
vases, bric-a-brac. etc, upon it. A. small
scarf will answer the same purpose if it
is made short enough. A scarf which
hangs over the edges is an abominatfon
to the eye, outside of the fact that 1t de-
stroys the sound of the instrument. But
the canton flannel will be found to be a
great aid, and as 1t is bought to match
the shade of the wood of which the in
strument is made, 1t is invisible. In dust
ing the piano a strip of old silk material
should be used, the softer n older the
better.
They are such troublesome little fell
lows that the mothers are inclined to
wonder how they can live with any COM
fort through the mischievous, romping,
irrepressible age through which all the
youngsters of boydom have to pass.
What a piece of work is man" ex-
claimed a great poet, and he might have
added how much more wonderful a
piece of work Is a boy. Can there be a
greater bundle of contradictions thar a
real, live, healthy, stirring boy? Loving,
yet thoughtless; tender. yet often cruel;
Needless, yet never meaning to do any
harm; fascinating, yet often provoking;
they come into our lives bringing an en-
tirely new element with them, and max
ing US tremble with their vast RESPONSE
biiities for good or evil. Often we are
at a loss what to do with them: but
what would we do without them2 Some
one has said that there are a great many
different kinds of girls, but only one
kind Of boys, and to q certain extent
this is true.
With all their diversities of character
there are. constant points Of resemblance.
Was there ever a boy born without an
instructive love for balls and tops and
marbles and kites? Wanting mo end,
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