The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-12-06

| also come into favor with the festal
week, or rather with Advent season, and
it is odd to see how we cling to old GUS
toms and find them new.
All the whist world is alive nowadays,
and even Christmas gifts are held in the
background when the fascinating four
gather around the green-topped table.
And that ~remindsEone than in good old
"merrie" England cards-playing cards,
that js--were sanctioned by law during
the last week in December, and persons
who never touched a. card at any other
time felt bound to play a rubber on
Christmas Day.
The only difference our devotees of the
table make today is that they refuse
to play for money, and cards without
a money venture We're flat, stale and UNI
profitable to our sturdy ancestors of non
Puritanic inclinations. The thrift OF
| Henry VII. caused him to issue a stat
ute prohibiting card playing except at
h Christmastime, but James of Scotland
got from his treasurer on Christmas
| night of 1896 no less than e42 wherewith
10 try his luck.
The old song ran
Christmas to hungry stomachs givessre-
lief,
With mutton, pork, pies, pasties and
roast beef;
And men at cards spend many idle
hours,
AT loadIm, whisk, cross-ruff, put and
all fours.
Our modern DANES have given them
selves up to ''whisk'' with a fervor that
is worthy their inheritance in the way
of gambling propensities, and conserva-
tive bachelors who do not play are apt
to mutter beneath their mustaches the
rhyme of poor Robin:-
1.-THE kitchen, that a-cold may be
For little fire in it, you see;
Perhaps a pair of cards is going.
And that's the chiefest matter doing.
But as yet even our most Jealous adj
vocates of the modern game do not play
on Sundays, as did the Queen and her
ladies in the time of good old Pepys, until
his dairy received his shocked com
plants.
BY the way, cards have a reason Tor
their fascinating qualities since the pos
slble combinations in a pack cannot be
represented by less than At figures.
Think of it-16,2 5O, 56s. $50, 1862, 1862, 1858,
1874, $4,000, 794, 0O6, 367, Go6-400 a of COM
bining hem
But their day is at hand. Christmas
comes 'apace, and for those who want to
delight the card-player's heart there are
gifts galore, from a single ordinary pack
for Is cents to gilt-edged elegance for
several dollars, and silver counters. dupll-.
cate boards, fancy scores, etc., enough
to crafty each and every taste.
1sL 1900 s1o,o-top+ noipf in making
good coffee is to use the water at the first
appearance of boiling, writes Mrs. S. 7.
Rorer in the December Ladies' Home
Journal /" If it boils but a few minutes
it parts with it's gases, becomes fiat and
hard, and will make but an imperfect in
fusion. Avoid, also, water that has been
boiled and put aside on the stove, and
then reboiled at coffee-making time. See
that the tea-kettle from which you take
your coffee water is thoroughly washed
each morning, filled with fresh cold water
and brought quickly to nearly the boiling
point. Put the coffee and chicory in the
upper portion of pot, allowing one heap
ing tablespoonful of finely ground coffee
and a teaspoonful of chicory to each half
of water. Pour over it quickly the
water, put on the lid so that the aroma
may not escape. and as soon as the water
drains through the biggin fill it again, and
SO continue until you have the. desired
quantity. Serve Immediately from the
same pot. The coffee must not be on
the stove unless at the back part, where 1t
cannot boil. Serving coffee is half the
battle. In winter ave the cups heated,
fill them half full with scalded milk, and
pour in the freshly-made coffee. Do not
add cream if you value your health.
now onF ctvlich model for home wear
is the Carmelite tea-gown-a tenure and
1adylike dress made of soft and beautiful
shade of dove-colored India cashmere ana
dove-colored repped silk. Folds Of, the silk
hang straight from throat tc sklrt-hem IN
front, but these are held in trinity below
the waist by q delicatsgWreug a cIti b :
is laid a deeply-pointed yoke OF gray SILK
bordered with cut-steel pa~ssenenterie.
This yoke holds a full narrow Vatican
fold which is laid just at the back. The
drapery is Of the cashmere, and fails
straight, not being held by the girdle,
which goes beneath the Vatican pleat.
the figure snugly below the elbow, flar-
ing at the wrist, where each tab is edged
with the steel gallo e - At rad the tisp Is 1T, a
silk collar is high at the back, curvlng
down into long. slender points that form
revers which frame a dainty Ittie vest OF
crossing folds. This collar is lined with
the pink crepe, and its tabs edged with the
steel ami
Furs, to keep them looking s'equal to
new" in shop parlance, should be handled
as little as possible, because they show
finger marks. Never keep fur packed
should always be hung up on a hanger,
for it wrinkles very easily. A gentle beat
ing or shaking with a combing afterward
is a benefit to them and an aid to keep
them in good condition. Don't hang fur
that has been wet from being out in a
rain or snowstorm near a fire or register
to dry; let it dry out at leisure in a de-
lightly with a rattan on the hair side,
shake and it will regain its pristine fresh
ness.
A sensibly planned library is completely
lined with bookcases to the height of a
rather tall waiDscoating, with no shelves
running farther up the wall, 50 that every
book may be easily reached, and portable
steps-that library bugbear which has
kept many a good book in retirernent-
need never be brought into requistion.
A sofa cushion was seen the other day
Which had the decided merit of original
ity added to its prettiness. The cover
namented with gilt thread in outline and
the design was that little Spanish prin-
cess of VeIasquez, known to all frequent
ers of the New York Museum of Art.
Borches S~iciliennes are made up into
lcrg, ample cloaks for driving and visit
ing. When of black with a richly colored
lining. such garments are very handsome.
In white and colors this fabric is elegant