Pretty and Simple Ornaments. — ^A pretty decoration for the corner of a room is a bunch of ripe wheat tied with a bright ribbon ; or divide the wheat across the stems, tie, and hang over a picture. The beauty of common things is now fully established ; cat's-tails, sunflowers, a,nd dande- lions are at length appreciated. Acorns may also be used to good advantage for trimming fancy baskets for waste paper ; take a piece of wire and fasten around the stems, and you can arrange them in any way to suit yourself. They are pretty bronzed, or may be used in the state of nature, as they were picked up in the woods. To bronze them, get a little bronze powder at a drug store, mix it with varnish, and apply with a soft cloth. The powder must be used very quickly after mixing with the varnish, or that will harden so that it will be impossible to use it. Finding Places for Things. — In common with other young housekeepers, I had a great deal of trouble at first in finding the best places for things, and then in remembering where I had put them ; for example, when the stoves were put up, and the tin covers for the stove-pipe holes were laid away, in the confusion incident to the spring cleaning, I MISCELLANEOUS HINTS. 85 could not remember where they were, and wasted a good deal of time looking in probable and improbable places for them. This is only one example. I hit upon a plan which has operated well. I bought for a-few cents a little leather- covered note-book, and when I put away things that are wanted only once or twice a year, " make a note of it," and so do not have to burden my memory with it ; it proved a great help. The note-book is useful, too, in other ways. Frequently one forgets to do some really important thing which she intended to do at a certain time ; and, though she may suffer a good deal from the vague and troublesome impression which is all that memory will help her to, she can not recall what it is. It takes but little time to write down a sentence in the little note-book, and it will serve as a faithful reminder. It is particularly helpful to the woman who is alone in her house, and has no one to consult with and to assist her. DonH Waste the Juice Left in Cans, — The traditional Frenchwoman, who regales her family with a great variety of dishes made from one small bone, with a little mace and lemon juice, has always been an object of veneration ; she has stimulated many a conscientious young woman to pre- sent her husband with repasts which a Frenchman might possibly have eaten with relish, but which the American husband has been obliged to confess his inability to appre- ciate. (By the way, isn't it about time that we heard less of her ?) Instigated by the thought of her frugality, I tried ftn experiment last week which was a decided success. We had used a can of peaches, one of plums, and one of black- berries ; in each can more than a cupful of juice was left. It seemed a pity to waste it, so I put it all together in a porcelain kettle and let it boil for twelve or fifteen minutes ; at the end of that time I poured it through a common wire sieve into a bowl. This jelly made the filling for a large cake and for a plate of tarts. After the manner of a profes- 86 HOUSEHOLD HINTS. sional cook^ the family were not let into the secret of the jelly, and their approving remarks may be regarded as sin- cere.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Pretty and Simple Ornaments. — ^A pretty decoration for the corner of a room is a bunch of ripe wheat tied with a bright ribbon ; or divide the wheat across the stems, tie, and hang over a picture. The beauty of common things is now fully established ; cat's-tails, sunflowers, and dandelions are at length appreciated. Acorns may also be used to good advantage for trimming fancy baskets for waste paper ; take a piece of wire and fasten around the stems, and you can arrange them in any way to suit yourself. They are pretty bronzed, or may be used in the state of nature, as they were picked up in the woods. To bronze them, get a little bronze powder at a drug store, mix it with varnish, and apply with a soft cloth. The powder must be used very quickly after mixing with the varnish, or that will harden so that it will be impossible to use it. Finding Places for Things. — In common with other young housekeepers, I had a great deal of trouble at first in finding the best places for things, and then in remembering where I had put them ; for example, when the stoves were put up, and the tin covers for the stove-pipe holes were laid away, in the confusion incident to the spring cleaning, I could not remember where they were, and wasted a good deal of time looking in probable and improbable places for them. This is only one example. I hit upon a plan which has operated well. I bought for a few cents a little leathercovered note-book, and when I put away things that are wanted only once or twice a year, " make a note of it," and so do not have to burden my memory with it ; it proved a great help. The note-book is useful, too, in other ways. Frequently one forgets to do some really important thing which she intended to do at a certain time ; and, though she may suffer a good deal from the vague and troublesome impression which is all that memory will help her to, she can not recall what it is. It takes but little time to write down a sentence in the little note-book, and it will serve as a faithful reminder. It is particularly helpful to the woman who is alone in her house, and has no one to consult with and to assist her. DonH Waste the Juice Left in Cans, — The traditional Frenchwoman, who regales her family with a great variety of dishes made from one small bone, with a little mace and lemon juice, has always been an object of veneration ; she has stimulated many a conscientious young woman to present her husband with repasts which a Frenchman might possibly have eaten with relish, but which the American husband has been obliged to confess his inability to appreciate. (By the way, isn't it about time that we heard less of her ?) Instigated by the thought of her frugality, I tried an experiment last week which was a decided success. We had used a can of peaches, one of plums, and one of blackberries ; in each can more than a cupful of juice was left. It seemed a pity to waste it, so I put it all together in a porcelain kettle and let it boil for twelve or fifteen minutes ; at the end of that time I poured it through a common wire sieve into a bowl. This jelly made the filling for a large cake and for a plate of tarts. After the manner of a profes- sional cook, the family were not let into the secret of the jelly, and their approving remarks may be regarded as sincere.

Household hints