Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-02


Gather dust month after month, when
other people might have the pleasure of
reading them. A little inquiry generally
will find some systematic mode of distribu-
ton for them. once read. II nothing else
can be done with them the children Of our
poorer neishbors, or Of the cobbler, or the
small shopkeeper generally are glad to have
them. One never knows how far they may
travel. once started.
In cities arrangements are made whereby
reading matter can be sent without cost to
the Philippines for the use of soldiers or to
lonely army posts. Best of all, sometimes,
is the regular mailing OF them to some one
clergyman or teacher to whom they will be
more than mere amusement, and who Will
circulate them among his neighbors.
For the preservation Of pamphlets and
loose papers there Is nothing better than
the heavy wooden boxes covered with mar
bled paper and opening at one end, which
are sold by commercial stationers for %
cents or 35 cents. Half dozen of them
viii accommodate great deal OF the sort
of thing that is unsightly when left out. and
they can be placed on shelves like books
with an index pasted on the outside.
For the orderly arrangement OF letters
one gets for the same price collapsibe
arrangement of twenty-six pockets of heavy
manila paper with a cover. in which letters
and bills can be disposed alphabetically.
Supplied with a tapestry cover, these really
are ornamental. and most convenient.
In No other Country
In the world is all the machinery of COM
mon life. clothing. furniture, utensils, con-
sistently beautiful like in Japan. The Jap
anese house is famous for its esthetic plain
ness Only one kind of flowers Is used in
decorating a room. often only a single spray
is placed in a vase, that the beauty of its
contour may be displayed to the best ad-
vantage.
While we cannot transplant japanese
conditions, sit cushions on the floor,
sleep on the floor and sup from the toy
tables half-knee high many among us
could learn great lessons from Japanese
simplicity.
Enough seats for an audience are not
needed for our parlors. II our houses are
opened to a lecturer camp chairs can be
hired for little. even for less That is to
say, undertakers, at least have been
known when properly entreated, to donate
their use.
1t is vain to cover our halls with an ex
pensive paper only to veil 1t from sight by
crowded pictures. Two pillows are rea-
sonably sufficient for one short couch. A
polished table top is beautiful in unadorned
beauty; why, pray, conceal 1t, as II
ashamed beneath an embroidered center
piece and four doilies, with piece of brio
a-brac on each? AS for bric-a-brac. year
by year 1t increases in our rooms until even
q fairy would not find his way across the
Happy those maids and matrons who have
the courage to reduce the standing army of
ornaments, to take down half the pictures
and Danish them to the upper story, to clear
the top of the piano entirely and distribute
superfious chairs and tables In the bed
rooms where tney really may add to the
comfort of the inmates. The struggle is
worth while. The parlor so overfurnished
with handsome and delightful articles that
AZ takes a days work to get 1t cleaned is
an affront TO a busy world.
In Mending-
Glass and china the pieces should be
washed with soap and water and then care
fully dried in order to remove any grease
that may be on them Care must be taken
not to break off the sharp points from the
fracture, for the more irregular IL Is the
better the cement will adhere. Warm one
OF the pieces and then put the cement on
the other-not in excessive quantity, how
ever; bring the parts close together, and
contrive to have them remain SO until the
cement hardens.
II the pieces are numerous IL Is best to
cement one piece at time. allow 1t to
harden. and then add another, and so on.
In cementing all the pieces at once the diff
ficulty of keeping them together Is IN
creased, and when you get them In contact
al one point you will find you have dis
placed them at another. Be certain to let
the cement harden thoroughly before you
test the adhesion. otherwise you may undo
what you have done. in which case the
blame lies with you, not with the cement.