The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-03-18
ideas for dmurnen.

The maid received the mornings mail
from the hands Of the post man and
brought It to me as 1 sat STRIVING my
breakfast coffee. There was the usual
and always welcome-letters. and there
was a tiny white wrapped box with some
thing of an air of mystery about 1t.
Obeying the true mini instinct I
opened tho box first. 1t was a very
dainty thought. One of those pleasant
t1tGs act of Thought and friendship
which makes the blood beat quicker in
the veins, which could not hut convince
the yeriest pessimist that life contains
kindness and thought and love-and then,
I am not a pessimist.
The box came from a former school
friend of mine, and it contained the first
Blossoms from the woods and fields of
her part of the country. So much for the
Thought of the gift: 1t was charming.
But there was something more.
presentation of the gift was not properly
attended to. The little blossoms were
dead.
Now, 1t is often that q woman likes to
send a rosebud. a spray of wild blossom
or a handful of violets. There Is no
sweeter and more friendly way of ex-
pressing thought. On Christmas Day, on
st. Valentines, and during the Easter
season these make delightful guests. For
weddings, too. of very dear friends, and
other family events for which she can
not afford a money gift, the woman who
knows the correct thing sends a blossom
or two, and rests assured that these will
be valued for the love which prompted
them.
I asked a florist how flowers might be
preserved when sent by mail. ITO be-
gin with" he answered, provide your
self with a sheet of oiled paper such as
florists use This is very cheap.
if the sender is out of town and
beyond the pale of shops she can
Oil a sheet or two herself. Any pale,
o0oraess oil spread evenly over a
sheet of white paper and allowed to dry
will exclude air.
IF possible. provide a white box of
suitable size. Confectionery boxes which
contained bon-bons do nicely for the pur-
pose. Many of these boxes are lined with
zinc paper, which ~is~another advantage.
The name Of the firm could be removed
from the box before using"
rs the silver paper which florists bind
about a bunch of violets meant in any
way as a preservative?" | asked.
"we use the paper to keep the wet
stems of the flowers from spelling a
gown or coat lapel. 1t may serve to keep
the blossoms fresh by holding out the
heat.
A a general rule T would not advise
tieang of flowers. which are to be for
warded by box. vsolets are perhaps an
exception. Even an amateur can form a
pretty looking bouquet of these. Roses,
orchids, wild flowers, ferns and orange
Blossoms should be sent unbound. Lay
in tn. flowers on the zinc paper careless
ly-but with care. Florists understand
that a certain careless arrangement is a
work of art.
Say the flowers to be sent are a half
dozen long stemmed roses. with a bunch
of sweet violets, with a handful of maid
en- hair. Arrange a bed of the fern, al
owing stalks to lie in the same direc-
tion. Stretch the roses in the same di-
rection and with stems and leaves uncut.
Tuck the violet bouquet down among the
roses and reserve a spray or two of fern
to place across the flowers. 1t is a pref
ty fancy to cover them in this way so
that until the green IS Fitted the blossoms
are invisible.
I'm sending flowers secure some bits
of green to go with them. With wild
flowers, as with cultivated ones. 1t is
perfectly possible to secure a few pretty
leaves for a bed.
Before placing the flowers in the oiled
paper dip the stems in cool (not cold)
water. Lay them In the paper and spray
them with water of the same tempera-
Hure."
Are there any little nice. points to be
observed in sending bon voyage flowers
to outward-bound steamers?"
1.-The sending of these is much the
same as sending other flowers. Good
Judgment in selection adds much to the
pleasure of this gift. It As delightful to
have a flower or two to wear during the
seven OF ten days at sea. C-hrysanthe-
NUNS. carnations. cosmos, ETC., will last
during ten days. Many people now send
a towering plant aboard ship. This is a
new idea and we think a pretty one"
Dame Fashion seems to be returning to
one of her early loves and to be bringing
the noble art and gentle science Of en-
broidery back into daily life. Few women
OF today are aware that feminine edu-
cation a hundred years ago was regarded
as incomplete without a fair knowledge
of needlecraft and embroidery. This
HuUWleuSe was HUI CF0T great. INdIlOLdl
rivalry was too strong and race preju-
dices too bitter.
A fashionable woman knew most of the
aaces and points of Belgium, Holland,
France and Italy had a very slight knowl-
edge of Spanish needlework and a very
vague impression of the art as practiced
by the older civilizations of Asia. She
mad q tamDour frame, and when wealthy,
a set of tambours and t-ambourettes. She
had cambria needles, embroidery needles,
embroidery scissors and embroidery pins
and wires. Upon the tambours were lit
tie holes fitted with pegs to which the
thread could be quickly fastened or I'M
fastened. and several adjuncts which are
today forgotten.
She was taught about a dozen kinds of
Stitching, most of e-r~education, how
eyer. being devoted to what we term
Eamplars. Some Of the threads were
made by expert spinners, ana others
were homemade.
Some were dyed at the spinning works,
Others were colored to order by dye shops.
and many others were dyed at home. The
best rule in the last century was discov-
cred by some ladies in South Carolina.
who grew indigo and exported it to Eu-
rope. When ladies when called upon one
another in those days they brought their