Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-26

| lINTS

''At Easter let your clothes be new,
Or else be you will 1t rue"
From time immemorial new clothes have
been the order of the day for Easter, the
Persians even having a royal mandate is
sued to that effect. Undoubtedly there
were good sanitary reasons behind this
autocratic decree, for many of the oriental
semi-barbaric peoples do not voluntarily
change their garments until absolute neces-
sity demands it.
Even after reaching this country, with
it's gospel of weekly Tubing and clean body
linen, half the scions of classic Italy, his
toric Jewry and Syria have themselves and
their young "sewed up in the early
autumn, only to be "unpicked' and d.
vested of yards and yards of body wrap
pings when the ardent beams of the spring
time sun make it's longer continuance I'M
bearable.
Happy, then, that custom even to these
hygienically benighted ones says Some
thing clean and something new"
While the American mother praise be!
has never had this crime against bodily
cleanliness imputed to her charge, she often
feels with Mrs. Caudle that thick merinos
and beaver bonnets'' should no longer be
tolerated lest 1.-THE Briggs girls in their new
chips turn up their noses, and the Browns
look at the Smiths" and then at the little
Caudles, as much as to say Poor crea-
lures! what figures for the first of May"
Although this year thick merinos and
beaver bonnets" may be quite ass COM
Portable as more summary garments, there
must at least be a freshness of apparel If
one would feel in full accord with the
spirit of the day, and sponging, pressing
altering and renovating take time and
strength.
A spotless Home.-Then the house must be
made fresh and spotless, as BELTS the cele-
bratlon of the resurrection, and as there
is general homecoming and much enter
n rlY ic of
corresponding amount of preparatory cook
ing is essential. If all these arrangements
can be perfected during the week, menus
and decorations thought out, purchases
made, gifts prepared for mailing and the
precious notes of sympathy or love and
remembrance for the absent written then
the home mother, as well as the rest of the
family, may feel that there is ample rea-
consciousness of a body too tired for any,
thing but the bed.
Easter Flowers.-Flowers have ever had
part In the celebration of Easter, and this
year Will be no exception. While there will
De an unusual dearth of wild or garden
mowers; owing to the unprecedentedly Sc
we're winter and the early date upon which
Easter tails. the florists have been busy
and there will be the usual importation of
Easter lilies; there are quantities of the
Chlnese water lilies, hyacinthS daffodils
narcissi, tulips, azaleas and gardenias If
one has been providently minded and taken
time by the forelock, boughs of cherry
sweet currant, doswood and pussy willow
may nave been put in water and brought
INTO bloom against this time At the
swell florists the newest things for hold
ing Easter flowers are little stumps and
logs made of real birch bark and covered
with lchens and moss These make ex
quisitely dainty Easter gifts and decora-
tons-an idea that may be utilized nv anv
one VINO mas access to bit of woodland
and Is at the same time the possessor of a
set of nimble fingers and a fair amount NJ
inventive skill VI
Easter Eggs.-Although the shons are
niIed with eggs of every size, material and
style OF decoration, the average child feels
aggrleVed unless allowed to do some ar
ustc work on his ow.. account with gem
ulhe hen-laid egg as the foundation 1t
IS not necessary to buy dyes for colorine
eggshells. Beautiful shades of red or orr
ange may be obtained by boiling the out
side skin of an onion for few moments.
saffron gives yellows and spinach ar nars
ley delicate green. If a Flower pattern
Is desired cheap, new calico Wranned
sm i,I about the egg and then boiled
Will leave its pattern behind If different
name or motto is desired upon each tinted
egg write with liquid fat on the surface Of
the egg and let 1t stand long enough to
set before putting into the dive This
keeps the shell from taking the color and
the inscription comes out in pure white
Homemade Sugar Eggs.-These are not
nara TO make They may be made with
boiled sugar or much more easily with con-
fectloner's sugar and white of egg Wbip
the whites of three eggs until stiff. Then
peat In pound OF sugar little at a time
When just the right degree of stiffness for
moldinS divide with different portions and
color some green with little spinach Juice
some pink and red with a few drops of IL
quId cochineal, some yellow with bit of
saf1ron or the yolk of an egg. Flavor also
to taste. Then mold egg-shape and set
aside on sheet of oiled paper In a cool
place to dry. When ready for the decora-
tons. soften little of the sugar left for
that purpose with white of egg or milk and
place it in a regular pastry tube or funnel
of stiff white note paper, from which a bit
of the end has been cut. With this blow
pipe names, notices, even little figures of
rabbits or chickens may be tracked upon
the eggs, according to fancy. If a colored
design is required, the contents of the tube
may be colored brown with chocolate or
red with the cOchineal or a little cranberry
juice.
Some Easter Cakes.-Among the cakes in
separately connected with Good Friday and
Easter, the hot-cross bun stands first in
point of honorable descent and popu-
larity.
The true Good Friday bun is supposed by
those of over-much faith never to mold, and
is kept from one year to the next to pre-
vent disease and ensure good luck. Dried,
grated and added to water, the beverage
thus provided is believed by the supersti-
tious to provide a panacea for many ills.
Although all bakers nowadays make a
point of providing hot-cross buns for their
patrons, many housekeepers have senu-
Eent about making their own.
Hot-cross Buns.-For two dozen buns
scald one cup of milk, add one table
spoonful of butter, quarter of cup of
sugar and a saltspoon of salt. When
cooled to just lukewarm, add half a COM
pressed yeast cake, softened in little
water, and pint of flour. This should
be done early in the evening Beat well
and let the batter rise until foaming and
about double It's bulk. Then add one-half
cup of sugar, a quarter teaspoonful of
mixed Cinnamon, nutmeg and mace, half a
cupful of currants, thoroughly washed and
dried; a tablespoonful of finely shredded
candied lemon peel, and enough flour to
make dough that can be kneaded. knead
well, cover and set in a warm place over
night. In the morning turn out a we'll
Toured board and divide into pieces weigh
ing about three ounces each. Pat them
out round. let them stand few moments,
then roll into oblong shapes and lay in a
creased dripping pan, taking care to give
them room to expand. Let them rise from
half to three-quarters of an hour dip a
knife in boiling water and cut a cross in
the center of each, taking pains not to cut
deep enough to make the dough settle, and
Ia hE1f