The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-06-29

ed or boiled. For this latter you put
the lace into a jar with sufficient cold
water to cover it. add a little soap jelly,
then place the jar into a saucepan with
water three parts of its depth. Cover
the pot and let it boil steadily for two
or three hours, taking care the water in
the pan does not boil away
Whether you starch lace thus wash
ed or not is a matter of taste Some
holusekeepers think starch rots old lace
though it certainly improves the new
The starch should be so thinned that it
feels only like rather thickened water,
in which you soak the lace for some lit
tie time. after which squeeze it gently
to get it thoroughly starched all over.
Then spead it out between the folds of
a soft cloth and pat it out between your
hands or run it through the wringer
Now pull it out gently and roll it up
wrong side in, keeping the edge or
points away from YOU While pulling
out one piece keep the others we'll COW
cred to prevent their drying Iron the
lace on the wrong side with fairly hot
iron. keeping the points away from you
and being careful to iron them well out.
Do not unroH much at time and iron
each piece well till dry, pressing it
gently but firmly with the iron to raise
the pattern and being careful to keep
it very straight and even. Air well
before putting it away.
Always lay piece of soft muslin
over very fine lace and never touch it
directly with the iron Crochet. tatting.
guipure and Irish or Greek lace should
not be ironed, but simply pinned out on
a we'll covered board. point by point
and left till dry pulling it out gently
with the fingers as you unpin it if it
seems too stiff.
II the lace is to be pure white add a
drop or two Of blue to the last rinsing
water before starching it: while if it is
to be family, colored make the starch
with more or less strong coffee or tea
instead of water Tea gives just the
shade Of old lace. Lace passed through
water or tea in which, while boiling
you have dissolved a good Iump of loaf
sugar to each half pint, is preferred by
many to starch.
The PrOdigaIity Of Josephine.
History has pictured the Empress
Josephine of France as a paragon of all
the virtues. and her spouse. the great
Napoleon, has been soundly berated for
his treatment Of her. Yet she was not
an the fancy of her biographers painted
her. and no doubt the patience of the
emperor was often severely tried For
one thing she was inordinately vain and
surprisingly eXtravagant in dress. The
number of pieces she added to her
wardrobe each year indicated a start
ing prodigality. Thus in one year she
bought 136 dresses, twenty cashmere
shaWIs. seVenty-three cOrsets, forty
eight pieces of elegant stuffs, eighty
seven mats. SeNenty-One pairs of silk
stockings, $50 pairs of gloves, $50 pairs
OF shoes If this had been an unusual
purchase it might be explained, but it
was not. says an exchange. With every
season there was the same thOughtleSS
buying of all that struck her fancy. 1t
was out Of the question for her to wear
all she bought for Josephine was not
one who -rided herself on never ap-
pearing twice in the same costume
Many of the things she bought she
never put on at all. and when her ward
robes We're Overburdened she made a
little fetcsOf the task of tightening them,
giving away piece after piece of uncut
lace. pottern after pattern of velvet,
silk or muslin. rich gowns. hats, stock
ings, shoes. Anything and everything
was scattered in the same reckless
fashion in which it had been acquired.
Coming to gowns. the sums they cost
We're enormous. Her simple muslin
gowns. of which her wardrobe always
contained 200 or more. cost from 500 to
S4VV apiece. Her cashmere and velvet
gowns We're much more costly. Orna-
ermine and with buckles buttons and
S1rdies set with precious stones One of
her great extravag ances was cashmere
shawls. She never had enough of them
lit is true. she gave away great
maryland she rarely appeared without
one within reach.
Dainty Table Decorations.
One Of the most satisfactory colors to
use for table decoration is rose pink
cial lights without much change, says
a writer in Good Housekeeping. Blue
often becomes green and vice versa IN
der the influence of gas or electricity.
Violet changes it hue and yellow ap-