Procure a wooden box of convenient size; eighteen inches long,
twelve and one-half inches in width and nine one-half inches in depth
is a good size. Turn it on its side, and line it with pale blue tissue
paper, first the sides, then the top and back, all in one piece. Do not
press it into the corners, but let it be loose or " rounding." Mucilage
is best for putting it on.
For clouds use, in the dark parts, colored cotton, pulled into loose,
feathery pieces. The soft white clouds, of white cotton, pulled very
thin, and put on with the least "touch of paste.
For a foundation use fine shavings, such as confectioners use to pack
sugar toys in ; although sea-grass, moss, hair, or anything of that kind,
will do as well. Pile it into the box until you have it about three inches
high in front, getting higher toward the back, until it is half way up the
box. Cover this with common brown wrapping paper, gluing it down
on every side so that none of the shavings can escape. By leaving the
front to be fastened down last, you can regulate it by taking out a little
in one place, and putting it in another. Press down the brown paper in
places to form an uneven surface. Cover this with moss which has
previously been dried, leaving uncovered any space where you wish
water to appear.
To form distant mountains, cut cardboard in pointed pieces, shading
with small, thin pieces of bark
COTTAGES AND LANDSCAPES. 329
Distant hills of light bark.
Forests of fern-fronds.
Water is formed of light blue tissue paper, crushed very much in
the hand and partly straightened out. Paint with mucilage, place on
it bits of white and blue flake frosting, and dust with diamond frosting.
If a large sheet of water is desired, such as a distant view of the ocean,
it must be placed at the back of the box. Ships can be placed upon it ;
for these, scrap pictures are nicer than anything you can make. They
should be " stumped out," that is without any margin. Little sail boats
are made of tiny pieces of cork and white paper sails.
A stream is made of a narrow strip of blue paper, dusted with frost-
ing. It can flow from distant mountains, widening and becoming more
distinct as it comes nearer, and where it appears to flow over the rocks
in cascades, a little plaster gives it a foamy appearance. A little rustic
bridge can/C~?Oss the stream in the foreground. It is made of a piece of
bark with a-hand-rail of spruce.
You camrnake a ruined stone wall of putty, marked off into irregular
squares like stone ; paint with glue, and dust with coarse sand. Cinders
are also a most effective material, especially the rough porous blocks,
from anthracite coal. Select small ones, clean them from dirt, and
build up with glue.
After all is finished, paint with thick mucilage of white glue, and dust
with sand, powdered bricks, slate, lichens, and moss, using coarse pieces,
in some parts, and fine in others. Touch certain parts with gum water
and powder colors.
German dyed moss is pretty for this work, and can be bought in
packages, green, red, and brown, and is nice to use with our native
mosses ; but is too vivid in color to use alone.
COTTAGES AND LANDSCAPES.
Page 291
Presented as published in 1886. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Procure a wooden box of convenient size; eighteen inches long, twelve and one-half inches in width and nine one-half inches in depth is a good size. Turn it on its side, and line it with pale blue tissue paper, first the sides, then the top and back, all in one piece. Do not press it into the corners, but let it be loose or " rounding." Mucilage is best for putting it on.
For clouds use, in the dark parts, colored cotton, pulled into loose, feathery pieces. The soft white clouds, of white cotton, pulled very thin, and put on with the least "touch of paste.
For a foundation use fine shavings, such as confectioners use to pack sugar toys in ; although sea-grass, moss, hair, or anything of that kind, will do as well. Pile it into the box until you have it about three inches high in front, getting higher toward the back, until it is half way up the box. Cover this with common brown wrapping paper, gluing it down on every side so that none of the shavings can escape. By leaving the front to be fastened down last, you can regulate it by taking out a little in one place, and putting it in another. Press down the brown paper in places to form an uneven surface. Cover this with moss which has previously been dried, leaving uncovered any space where you wish water to appear.
To form distant mountains, cut cardboard in pointed pieces, shading with small, thin pieces of bark
COTTAGES AND LANDSCAPES. 329
Distant hills of light bark.
Forests of fern-fronds.
Water is formed of light blue tissue paper, crushed very much in the hand and partly straightened out. Paint with mucilage, place on it bits of white and blue flake frosting, and dust with diamond frosting. If a large sheet of water is desired, such as a distant view of the ocean, it must be placed at the back of the box. Ships can be placed upon it ; for these, scrap pictures are nicer than anything you can make. They should be " stumped out," that is without any margin. Little sail boats are made of tiny pieces of cork and white paper sails.
A stream is made of a narrow strip of blue paper, dusted with frosting. It can flow from distant mountains, widening and becoming more distinct as it comes nearer, and where it appears to flow over the rocks in cascades, a little plaster gives it a foamy appearance. A little rustic bridge can cross the stream in the foreground. It is made of a piece of bark with a-hand-rail of spruce.
You can make a ruined stone wall of putty, marked off into irregular squares like stone ; paint with glue, and dust with coarse sand. Cinders are also a most effective material, especially the rough porous blocks, from anthracite coal. Select small ones, clean them from dirt, and build up with glue.
After all is finished, paint with thick mucilage of white glue, and dust with sand, powdered bricks, slate, lichens, and moss, using coarse pieces, in some parts, and fine in others. Touch certain parts with gum water and powder colors.
German dyed moss is pretty for this work, and can be bought in packages, green, red, and brown, and is nice to use with our native mosses ; but is too vivid in color to use alone.
COTTAGES AND LANDSCAPES.