practise a little industrious research in shops and stores, she would be placed in the way of realizing at a trivial cost effects scarcely excelled by electricity itself. Interspersed amid ferns and flowers, ‘ shaped ’ candles of different lengths, colours, and designs, conduce, when alight, to an almost magical ideal, the light being so subdued and soft. It is not generally known that candles de luxe can now be had transparent, scented, and in any colouring desired, and either ribbed, fluted, spiral, sexagon, octagon, square, and grooved, or even shaped like a Maltese cross, not to mention other fanciful shapes. Another class is orna- mented with charming pictorial designs, reproduced by a new process. All these are within the means of the middle classes : only hand-painted candles are absolute luxuries. To the housekeeper then, we say, 1 Try your ha,nd at candle-decoration, and if you possess taste and talent, disappointment will not be your lot.’ Regarding ordinary parlour candles, there is nothing to beat the Gold Medal ‘ Palmitine,’ which yields a soft, but brilliant, and almost pure light. Belmont Sperm are likewise good, and somewhat cheaper. Together with these, we can recommend Price s Battersea Composites and Pale Wax, and for bed- room purposes, the Belmont Sperm, Sherwood Sperm, and a candle known as the ‘Bropless.’ Self-fitting ends are a great advantage, saving time, grease-splashing, and much needless annoyance; while, for 138 ENGLISH AND FRENCH COOKERV. nurseries and sick-rooms, Child's night-lights, which burn in a saucer containing water, are still the most popular, although many people are now turning their attention to Price’s New Patent Night-light, which, costing the same, are so contrived as to burn in small glasses. Cutlery. — Celluloid and xylonite are now extensively used as sub- stitutes for ivory in the manufacture of knife-handles. The former material, while one-third the price, closely resembles the true tusk in appearance, texture, durability and hardness, but is, comparatively speaking, impervious to grease, and retains its colour much longer. An ingenious carving-knife for disjointing poultry or game, operating similar to scissors, deserves a word of mention. -^‘g'g'-Cookers. — Mr. W. Mattieu- Williams, F.C.S., and other dietetic scientists, are agreed in the opiuion that to boil eggs spoils their delicacy, since albumen coagulates at 180°. As an alternative improve- ment to dropping the eggs into boiling water and setting the saucepan by the side of the fire for 7 or 8 minutes, the ‘ Infallible ’ egg-cooker has been introduced by Messrs. Temple and Crook. Into this cooker the eggs are stood, large end up, with just enough boiling water to cover them. In 10 minutes they are ready, and may remain in the water, soft, properly cooked and warm, for an hour afterwards. Like the useful little egg-steamer, now so prevalent on middle-class breakfast- tables, the ‘ Infallible 5 forms a handsome table ornament. Floor-polisher. — For parquet floorings aud ball-rooms Dukas’s improved floor-brush is a decided advantage. It is fitted with a mov- able handle and iron top, and is encompassed by an edging of stiff bristles, thus affording protection to walls and furniture when corners, etc., are being polished.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

practise a little industrious research in shops and stores, she would be placed in the way of realizing at a trivial cost effects scarcely excelled by electricity itself. Interspersed amid ferns and flowers, ‘ shaped ’ candles of different lengths, colours, and designs, conduce, when alight, to an almost magical ideal, the light being so subdued and soft. It is not generally known that candles de luxe can now be had transparent, scented, and in any colouring desired, and either ribbed, fluted, spiral, sexagon, octagon, square, and grooved, or even shaped like a Maltese cross, not to mention other fanciful shapes. Another class is ornamented with charming pictorial designs, reproduced by a new process. All these are within the means of the middle classes : only hand-painted candles are absolute luxuries. To the housekeeper then, we say, 1 Try your ha,nd at candle-decoration, and if you possess taste and talent, disappointment will not be your lot.’ Regarding ordinary parlour candles, there is nothing to beat the Gold Medal ‘ Palmitine,’ which yields a soft, but brilliant, and almost pure light. Belmont Sperm are likewise good, and somewhat cheaper. Together with these, we can recommend Price s Battersea Composites and Pale Wax, and for bedroom purposes, the Belmont Sperm, Sherwood Sperm, and a candle known as the ‘Bropless.’ Self-fitting ends are a great advantage, saving time, grease-splashing, and much needless annoyance; while, for nurseries and sick-rooms, Child's night-lights, which burn in a saucer containing water, are still the most popular, although many people are now turning their attention to Price’s New Patent Night-light, which, costing the same, are so contrived as to burn in small glasses. Cutlery. — Celluloid and xylonite are now extensively used as substitutes for ivory in the manufacture of knife-handles. The former material, while one-third the price, closely resembles the true tusk in appearance, texture, durability and hardness, but is, comparatively speaking, impervious to grease, and retains its colour much longer. An ingenious carving-knife for disjointing poultry or game, operating similar to scissors, deserves a word of mention. -^‘g'g'-Cookers. — Mr. W. Mattieu- Williams, F.C.S., and other dietetic scientists, are agreed in the opinion that to boil eggs spoils their delicacy, since albumen coagulates at 180°. As an alternative improvement to dropping the eggs into boiling water and setting the saucepan by the side of the fire for 7 or 8 minutes, the ‘ Infallible ’ egg-cooker has been introduced by Messrs. Temple and Crook. Into this cooker the eggs are stood, large end up, with just enough boiling water to cover them. In 10 minutes they are ready, and may remain in the water, soft, properly cooked and warm, for an hour afterwards. Like the useful little egg-steamer, now so prevalent on middle-class breakfasttables, the ‘ Infallible 5 forms a handsome table ornament. Floor-polisher. — For parquet floorings aud ball-rooms Dukas’s improved floor-brush is a decided advantage. It is fitted with a movable handle and iron top, and is encompassed by an edging of stiff bristles, thus affording protection to walls and furniture when corners, etc., are being polished.

English and French cookery