The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-12-15
80 comfortable, and, really, so sensible,
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Just a word, girls, about the gentle art
of writing a graceful note of thanks!
Don't be chary of such notes; does
somebody send you a pretty gift. it goes
without saying that you write a cordial
note of appreciation, but If some act OF
courtesy is done or some little favor rem
often neglected.
It's an art, this art of writing a brief
word Of thanks, but it is one which every
g~entlewoman should cultivate, and it will,
in the long run, be of far more service
to her than even the mysteries of china
painting or mandolin playing!
You so out of town, perhaps, and stay
overnight with a friend, and if you wish
as pleasant a memory of your visit to
linger with your hostess as with your
self, you should write a line repeating
to her your spoken thanks. Oh, that's a
board and lodging letter." you say; very
true, but its always appreciated by the
woman whose hospitality you have ac-
cepted, and, presumably, enjoyed. Then
again, if a man sends you a book or a
clipping from a newspaper, or a card
for club-reception on ladies' day, write
that word of thanks even if you have to
sci III LII Liz VIZ VI NlS Aiio - ~ ~
it! AS a matter of policy, if nothing else,
you will find the habit an expedient one,
for people are much more apt to do a
kindnes for a person from whom the
invariable word of thanks comes quickly
and spontaneously than for that unpleas-
ant and matter-of-faet member of society
who takes all such courtesies as her just
due and does not trouble herself to send
+Jna cfi~bfact ACKNOWLEDGMENT 0f small
social courtesies.
Sewing sets, ranging in degrees of COM
pleteness from the modest thinable, scis-
sors and needle book to the bewildering
tool chest containing sewing, embroidery
and darning implements repose in leather
cases on beds of white satin. To use a
Hibernianisnl. some of the silver sets are
~gold-that is sterling silver washed with
gold, and warranted to last five years.
Gilded silver is very handsome, and some
of the sewing sets are embellished with
relief work or studded with jewels or
adorned with designs in red and blue
enamel The scissors alone, in these sets,
are little works of art, being of artistic
design and chased and carved, without,
however, interfering in any way with
lllSll uSC1u AISSS.
Needle cases of silk. embroidered to
represent a playing card, have silver cor
ners; other needle cases nave corners Of
interviewer bebe ribbon, filigree silver,
colored kid, suede decorated with pen
and ink work and ooze leather with de-
signs in poker work are used for needle
book overs.
Spool baskets of painted or embroidered
linen are made in %octagonal shape, like
the bags in which old ladies kept their
needlework in prehistoric ages. Like
most old-time ideas for housewifely arts,
they are very useful and convenient.
Tape measures of inch-wide satin rib
bon with the measure scale stamped
clearly in black are daintily h~and-paint-
ed with little flowers, or delicate vines,
and are less garish and much more use
full than they appea in print.
Take two of the Japaneses paper
serviettes sold at the novelty shops. They
are of white creped paper, with color
ed borders. Place one serviette over the
other ~diagonally, so that the colored
corners viii form a frill. Run a draw
string in a circle around the inner edges
of the colored borders to form q bag.
In this place a Japanese doll dressed to
the waist, in cotton filled with sachet
powder. 1t is well to sew the cotton bat
ting around the doll, SO as to make the
sachet as compact and solid as possible.
After lacing the doll in the serviette
bag, which should just allow its arms,
head and the big sleeves of its kimona
to be seen, spread the colored corners of
the serviettes out to look like flower
petals; tie marrow ribbon around the bag
under the frill, and leave a long loop
from which to suspend it to the chande-
lier dressing table, or wherever one pre-
fers to hang a sachet.
sPlace the table for the Christmas din
ner in the centre of the room, under the
chandelier if there is one, and then see
that it is perfectly level and the leaves
well ftted,' writes Mrs. S. 7. Rorer in
the December Ladies Home Journal"
..From the chandelier hang a large spray
Of nlistletoe or holly tied with scarlet rib
bon. If there be a mantle-piece in the
room, bank it with holly and ferns. Ar
range a pr city corner, blending all the
green's used in decorating. Cover the
table first with a heavy cotton flannel
cloth, and place over it the spotless linen
tablecloth. Place in the centre of the ta-
BILE a mat of Christmas ferns, in the CEN
ire of which stand a high fruit-dish, filled
with polished red apples, grapes and such
other fruits as may be obtained. Cover
the base of the dish with sprays of holly;
on each side of this place cut-glass or
china dishes filled with %bonbons, olives.
and sailed almonds. The water bottles
and a dish or two of celery may occupy
the other Places"
In these days of uncarpeted floors and
Persian rugs a good wood polish is al
ways welcome. A polish tina halls from
Japan is said to be very fine for furni-
ture as well as floors. It consists of one
pint each of linseed ell and cold, strong
tea, the white of two eggs and two
ounces of spirits of salts; these several
ingredients are mixed thoroughly to-
gether and poured into bottle which
should be well shaken before the polish
is used. A few drops are poured upon
a rubbing pad of soft silk and the wood
rubbed with it, being afterward polished
with an old silk handkerchief. The pro-
cess is a tedious and ~fatiguing one for
the cleaner, but its effect surpasses that
of any easier and quicker method.
Velvet, ve1veteen and corduroy form
costumes that are spoken of together, but
those of the latter fabric are palmer in