Handsome furniture will not, unaided, make rooms cheer- ful The charm of a cosy home resta principally with its mistress. If she is fortunate enough to have sunny rooms, her task is half done. In apartments into which the sun never shines recourse must be had to various devices to make up, so far as may be, for this grave lack. A sun- less room should have bright and joyous color in its fur- nishings. The walls should be warmly tinted, the curtains give a roseate glow to the light that passes through them. An open fire may diffuse the sunshine but lately impris- oned in oak or hickory, or ages ago locked up in anthracite. Ferneries and shade-loving plants may contribute their gen- tle cheer to the room and suggest quiet forest nooks. An attractive room need not be too orderly. A book left lying on the table, a bit of needle-work on the window-sill, an open piano, may indicate the tastes and occupations of the inmates, without suggesting that there is not a place for everything in that room. There is such a thing as being too neat and nice to take comfort in everyday life, and this is anything but cheerful And then there is such a thing as being so disorderly and negligent that comfort and cheer are impossible. If the house-mother cannot rest while there is a finger-mark on the paint or a spot on the window- panes, she may make a neat room, but her splint will keep it from ever being cheerful. If she has no care for the "looks of things" her failure will be equally sure. A bird singing in the window, an aquarium on the table in some corner, plants growing and blooming, domestic pets moving about as if at home, these give life and brightness to an apartment, and afford constant opportunities for the pleas- an test occupation and companionship. Books people a room, and pictures on the walls, if selected with taste, are Mother's Cook Book. 299 ever fresh sources of enjoyment. Ton may gauge the refine- ment and cultivation of a family by these infallible tests, unless they have been selected by some outsider. Bits of embroidery, of scroll-work, and a thousand tasteful devices may contribute to the charm of a room and make it irresist- ibly attractive. HOW TO BE HANDSOME. Where is the woman who would not be beautiful? If such there be — bat no, she does not exist. From that memorable day when the Queen of Sheba made a formal call on the late lamented King Solomon until the recent advent of the Jersey Lily, the power of beauty has controlled the fate of dynasties and the lives of men. How to be beautiful, and consequently powerful, is a question of far greater importance to the feminine mind than predestina- tion or any other abstract subject. If women are to govern, control, manage, influence, and retain the adoration of hus- bands, fathers, brothers, lovers, or even cousins, they must look their prettiest at all times. All women cannot have good features, bat they can look well, and it is possible to a great extent to correct deform- ity and develop much of the figure. The first step to good looks is good health, and the first element of health is cleanliness. Keep clean — wash freely, bathe regularly. All the skin wants is leave to act, and it takes care of itself. In the matter of baths we do not strongly advocate a plunge in ice-cold water; it takes a woman with some of the clear grit that Robert Colly er loves to dilate on and a strong constitution to endure it. If a hot bath be used, let it come before retiring, as there is less danger of taking cold afterwards; and, besides, the body is weakened by the ablation and needs immediate rest. It is well to use a flesh- 300 Mother's Cook Book.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Handsome furniture will not, unaided, make rooms cheerful The charm of a cosy home rests principally with its mistress. If she is fortunate enough to have sunny rooms, her task is half done. In apartments into which the sun never shines recourse must be had to various devices to make up, so far as may be, for this grave lack. A sunless room should have bright and joyous color in its furnishings. The walls should be warmly tinted, the curtains give a roseate glow to the light that passes through them. An open fire may diffuse the sunshine but lately imprisoned in oak or hickory, or ages ago locked up in anthracite. Ferneries and shade-loving plants may contribute their gentle cheer to the room and suggest quiet forest nooks. An attractive room need not be too orderly. A book left lying on the table, a bit of needle-work on the window-sill, an open piano, may indicate the tastes and occupations of the inmates, without suggesting that there is not a place for everything in that room. There is such a thing as being too neat and nice to take comfort in everyday life, and this is anything but cheerful. And then there is such a thing as being so disorderly and negligent that comfort and cheer are impossible. If the house-mother cannot rest while there is a finger-mark on the paint or a spot on the windowpanes, she may make a neat room, but her spirit will keep it from ever being cheerful. If she has no care for the "looks of things" her failure will be equally sure. A bird singing in the window, an aquarium on the table in some corner, plants growing and blooming, domestic pets moving about as if at home, these give life and brightness to an apartment, and afford constant opportunities for the pleasantest occupation and companionship. Books people a room, and pictures on the walls, if selected with taste, are Mother's Cook Book. 299 ever fresh sources of enjoyment. You may gauge the refinement and cultivation of a family by these infallible tests, unless they have been selected by some outsider. Bits of embroidery, of scroll-work, and a thousand tasteful devices may contribute to the charm of a room and make it irresistibly attractive. HOW TO BE HANDSOME. Where is the woman who would not be beautiful? If such there be — bat no, she does not exist. From that memorable day when the Queen of Sheba made a formal call on the late lamented King Solomon until the recent advent of the Jersey Lily, the power of beauty has controlled the fate of dynasties and the lives of men. How to be beautiful, and consequently powerful, is a question of far greater importance to the feminine mind than predestination or any other abstract subject. If women are to govern, control, manage, influence, and retain the adoration of husbands, fathers, brothers, lovers, or even cousins, they must look their prettiest at all times. All women cannot have good features, bat they can look well, and it is possible to a great extent to correct deformity and develop much of the figure. The first step to good looks is good health, and the first element of health is cleanliness. Keep clean — wash freely, bathe regularly. All the skin wants is leave to act, and it takes care of itself. In the matter of baths we do not strongly advocate a plunge in ice-cold water; it takes a woman with some of the clear grit that Robert Colly er loves to dilate on and a strong constitution to endure it. If a hot bath be used, let it come before retiring, as there is less danger of taking cold afterwards; and, besides, the body is weakened by the ablation and needs immediate rest. It is well to use a flesh- 300 Mother's Cook Book.

Mother's Cook Book: Containing Recipes for Every Day in the Week, Including ..