Mrs. Seely's Cook Book: A Manual of French and American Cookery : with ..

They must not be dried in so hot a place as to make them steam, as it is as bad for them as using boiling water. Shake the flannels and turn them now and again while drying, pulling them gently into shape. Iron when nearly dry with a cool iron. Flannels shrink from the soap being rubbed on to them instead of using soap jelly; from being washed or rinsed in over hot or cold water ; from being left lying about wet instead of drying them at once ; from being dried too slowly or in too hot an atmosphere, and from being ironed while wet with too hot an iron. New and sanitary flannels may be soaked for half an hour or so in warm water with a little ammonia as before ; cover the tub to keep in the heat and squeeze and wring them out of this before the water gets cold. Rice Water for washing Callies Rice water is about the best thing to use in washing callies. Boil one pound of rice in five quarts of water. When somewhat cool, put the callies in with rice and the rice water and wash well, using the rice much as you would soap. If no rinsing is used, the rice will have a good effect upon the fabric. To make Staroh With cold water thoroughly dissolve the starch. Then pour on boiling water, stirrìng constantly. When made, stir it round two or three times with a wax candle. By doing this you keep the starch from sticking to the iron. HOUSEHOLD RECEIPTS 46 To remove Iron Bust Mix salt with a little lemon juice; put in the sun. If necessary, use two applications. To take Mildew firom Linen Rub the spots with soap, scrape chalk over them, rub them well, lay the linen on the grass in the sun and, as it dries, wet it a little. The spots should come out in two applications. To take out Mildew Dip the stained cloth in buttermilk and lay in the sun* To cleanse a Chamois Skin Wash it in cold water with plenty of soap, rinse well in clear cold water. You may wash a skin in this way as often as you please and stili keep it soft. To press In pressing slightly rumpled ribbons with a hot iron, lay them between two sheets of manilla paper and they will come out new. PABT II DINNERS AND DINNER-GIVING The two things most essential to a successful dinner in these days are, — well-chosen company and good service. If to these you can add artistic cooking and beautiful table ornamenta, so much the better, but the best food loses half its savor if we are bored while eating it, and the best talk is apt to flag if there are long pauses between the courses. IDinner The hostess should send out her invitations at least two or three weeks beforehand. (These invitations should be answered at once, certainly within twenty-four hours. No obligation is more exacting than a dinner engagement, and nothing but iliness should ever permit one to break it.) To assure the success of her dinner she should be certain that her guests are agreeable to one another, and when seating them at her table arrange so that the talkative ones may be next to the more silent ones. She should consider the capabilities of her cook and not attempt dishes beyond his skill and knowledge. Her dining-room servants should be so trained that they serve the dinner in silence, not even the sound of a footfall should be heard.