Abergavenny Chronicle

A FAMILY MATTER. I The next batch of wisdom is contained in this parcel, which 1 doiiv-ar for your benefit. Fatness runs in families. You remember those funny packs of car-Is we used to play with when we were children? There was Mr. Bung the Brewer; he was fat, and, strangely enough, Mrs. Bung and all the little Bungs had the same plump appear- ance. Mr. Snip the Tailor was thin, and so were tho rest of the family. I used to won- der it Mr. Snip would get fat if he took to brewing, or if Mr. Bung's bulk would be reduced if he sat cross-legged stitching trousers. However that mav be, we shall have to accept as a fact that it is not always possible to overcome natural ten- de ncies. We cannot add a cubit to our p ec t ?;, it i.-3 tt-ue stature, and, in some respects, it is true that we cannot add a stone to our weight. n:

METABOLISM. I Hive you ever heard the word Cf metahol- ,.sin It is rather a mouthful, but it means all the chemical changes that take place in the body. I eat a piece o: sugar (when I can get it); it is absorbed into my blood; it travels to my biceps it l*elps me to move my arm; it is altered and travels in the blood-stream to my lungs, where it is given out in the form of That is a wonder- ful story, and it is metabolism: Well. it is the same with fat; each particle we eat gees through a marvellous life history, and the metabolism of Mr. A is not the same as that of Mr. B. The fat may be burnt up at once, and the man remains thin; or the fat may not lie burnt but stored up, and then the man gets fat. And we do not know ill the rules that 'govern the metabolism of the body. We all know thin people who eat Heartily. And some fat men do not eat to 5XCCSS. o

MORE THAN MERE EATING. I New some more wisdom. We are made fat, not by the food we eat, but by the food wo absorb into our blood by good digestion. Mother provides a lovely piece of bacon on your plate, and down it goes; thus it is eaten. But it was gobbled; it was swallowed in lumps; it gives a pain in the .stomach: it causes intestinal catarrh: it is passed from the bedv and never goes to build up the frame at alL Something- mere k demanded than mere s=walk>wing of the food. It must be acted on by the juices of the stomach, by the digestive juices of the pancreas or sweet- bread, by the juices of the liver and in- testine—a long series of abstruse chemical reactions must be gone through before we can get the real benefit of our food. A thin person's thinner is often due to the absence of grinders and to the presence of seven or eight poisonous teeth, aLl discoloured and covered with tartar. He takes the food into the mouth, but it k never properly ab- scrbed.

A "WORRITING" DISPOSITION. 1 If you wish t-o reduce your bulk it can be done by eating le--ii avoiding fat foock; taking more exercise; Turkish baths, or vapour baths, as I suppose we ought to call them; by being miserable, I wae, going to add, but I don't really mean that—better be fat than miserable. But still, in this question of fatness and thinness the mental side of the matter cannot be ignored. Of the two tasks you might set me, I would rather try and make a thin giri fat than a fat girl thin. I could not try to make a fat girl miserable; but I could try to make a thin girl so happy that she had to grow fatter. A "worriting" disposition will make anyone thin. Unhappiness will cause loss of sleep, loss of appetite, and interfere with digestion—and all these things lead to a loss of weight. j -:0:

FOOD AND FAT. I On the whole. I am inclined to put all my money on eating less to produce a loss of fat. Suppose a man weighed twenty stone, and he had nothing to eat at all, only a little water to drink; he could not main- tain that bulk by eating air or looking at the good things in a pastrycook's window. He would have no alternative but to grow thinner. The- work that i.s done by the body cn only be done by burning the fuel in the bedv, and the fuel is fat. The twenty-stone man would indubitably lose weight on a diet of nothing. But suppose he required six pounds of food a day to keep up his i bulk, and you only gave him five, he would have to get the odd pound from the fat stored up in his body, and that would use up his weight. Dear old ladies who sit knit- ting all dav need very little food; they do not use up much fuel by knitting; no, even though thcT declare they eat scarcely any- thino, that amount is a little too much, and the eight goes up. The blacksmith across the way dees an enormous amount of work, eats ten times as much as the old lady, and yet -outs on no weight at all. -0:

THE DOCTOR'S PRESCRIPTION. 1 You remember the old story of the fat man who called to see the doctor and asked how he could reduce his bulk? The doctor told him to go and punch the nearest police- man on the no-e as hard as he could, and refuse to give an undertaking to the magis- trate that he would be of good conduct. The fat old gentleman got a month's hard labour on prison diet. and came out with a figure like a fairv. And now to be serious again. I forbid vou to take remedies for reducing fat Mot,t of them contain a a acid, and as the drug turns everything acid and prevents you from getting the proper nourishment 3roii from o-ettill)T out of your food, of course ycu get thin. To upset your digestion is a grand wav to get thin A Chinaman u, c e burnt his b 0use down in crd-r to ro-st p, 1;1' had tied up irside He got roast pig :11) right, but lost hia house. If you tnk> th» acid remedies you will get thin all right, out you .will lose your health. ——

T G Lausrliam, a Leicestershire T. G. Lanrrlwm. <l Leicestershife <lg-riculturist, has left J.:ü,UCO to Leice6ter Infirmary. made Deputy Mr. S. P. V'lvian has been made Deputy R?tr?n.r.1 of Births, D?th.. and ?? M.vcr. of E.che.tcr M-. Tl10 neow :\Iayorcss of RJchestcr }fr8. Granville Winch, is a mayor d Vrlf^; a ?r-3 ??h?r, ?ayor? granddaughter, ,and mayor's neœ. WUIe?n Guard LaM have refused an offer of free Siristmas beer for their paupers. Fkhing -th.rod^nd^ine^f-m a W £ Great Yarmouth, Mr. E. Po\ynall and his nephew rau™ht nearly lewt. of cod. A Metropolitan Asylums Board hospital tJHSgfto lilldc"red is, by rmiæioft of the Kin, to be called" Princeæ Mary's Hospital Sr Children, Margate. Fruit trees are bemz attacked by a diseaae lcaawu as "ailver tea."

OUR CHILDREN'S CORNER. I i THE PRETTY GROWLING NOISE. Once upon a time there lived a Striped Tiger, and be used to rush about and catch things and eat them. And while he was rushing about and catching things he used to growl to himself. And he used to make his growling sound very pretty, so that the things he was rush- ing after used to stop and listen. Then the Striped Tiger caught them and ate them. And one day the Striped Tiger got very hungry, so he rushed out into the forest and tried to make pretty growling noises. But somehow the noises weren't pretty, so that the Striped Tiger had to rush very fast indeed to catch anything for dinner. And on the next day he went out inte the forest and tried again but this time he made such a dreadful noise that all the things he was rushing after hid away Now, outside the forest there lived a Wise Stork. So the Striped Tiger went to the Wise Stork and told him all the story. And he was very hungry. And the Wise Stork shook his head very much and looked very cleveij, and he asked the Striped Tiger to open his mouth very wide so that he could look right down it. And the Striped Tiger was very hungry. And when the Wise Stork was quite close to the Striped Tiger, the Striped Tiger could not help himself at all, and he just ate up the Wise Stork. But afterwards he was very sorry, because there was not anybody else who could tell him about his growling. And after that he used to make ugly noises when he growled, ruid all the things" used to run away directly they heard him. So that when he wanted to catch things he had to stop growling altogether. And he liked growling very much. THE NAUGHTY DUCKLING. Duckling Dips hated lessons, but liked his warm bed, And he always had made it a rule, No matter how lovely the weather might be He'd be-late every morning for school. Oue day Mummy Duck got him ready in time, And gave him an apple for lunch; But Duckling Dips loitered about on the way, And started his apple to munch. Now, when it was done, he saw old Mother Quack Sitting quite sound asleep on her chair, With her etring of balloons, red and yellow and blue, Bobbing gaily about in the air. And he chuckled, and thought that to set the balls free Would be surely the jolliest fun; So he softly crept near, made a snap at the string, And the deed in a moment was done. The balloons sailed away, and naughty Dips too, For the string twisted tight round hia beak; And when old Mother Quack woke and saw where they were, She fell flop on the ground with a shriek! Duckling Dips, when he felt himself rise in the air. Began to entreat and complain, And when the string broke and he fell to the ground, He vowed he'd ne'er loiter again. THE THREE PENNIES. Joan and Freddy had three pennies given to them by a strange old woman. One was a Queen Victoria penny, one a King Edward the Seventh, and one a King George the Fifth. So off they went, like good children, t) out them in their money-box; but when they found it, they stood still in great sur- prise For the money-box had eyes and morth, and hands as well, and was grinning at them like anything. "Full! Too iull:" it said in a tinkly voice. "Then let's buy some sweets," whisperedI Freddy. But when they got to the sweet-shop they found that the sweets had faces too, and so had the scales. pennyworth of toffee, if you please, Mr. Brown," said Joan to the shopman in a verv trembly voice. "More hard work for me!" said the scales. "First lifting up one heavy thing, and then another, for ° greedy children!" The shopman, who didn't seem to notice this talk, now asked Freddy what he wanted. "A pennyworth of chocolate cream, please," said Freddy; and at once a dear little chocolate cream came racing across the counter and fell on the floor. Then Joan chose a halfpenny sugar-stick, and Freddy a halfpennyworth of red and white sweets; and then they gave the shop- man their three pennies. And just as the shopman put the pennies into t j?:t till the children heard them shout out, "Ha, ha! We were ma gic pennies I" And immediately all the faces Aranished, and with them all the sweets. "I'm not a bit sorry," said Freddy. "Nor am I," said Joan. "I shouldn't like to eat sweets while they were smiling at me. "Still," said Freddy, "I should have liked to have some real sweets, all the bame." And so they did, after all, because when thev arrived "home they found their uncle had come to see them, and had brought them each a large bag of sweets. When they told their uncle about the magic pennies, he said they had been dreaming. But Joan said to Freddy: "That 6 always what the grown-ups say J when we tell them." THE- MAGIC APPLE. The elves were having a perfectly lovely time in Teddy's garden. The tall apple treo was laden with the rosiest, ripest, and juiciest apples that they had ever tasted. In fact, Whiff declared to MIff, Piff, and the rest of the merry little sprites that no ordinary apples could be half so delicious. This must certainly be fairy fruit. Very early in the morning, before Teddy or the birds were awake, the elves used to fiutter up among the branches for just one tiny sip of juice-all, that is, but poor little Spiff, who had torn his wings in a prickly thorn bush, and could not fly. He could only wait wistfully under the tree for the windfalls that never came. Now, Teddy had longed quite as eagerly as little Spiff to taste the ripe apples, and he shouted "Hurrah!" when William the w h en William the gardener said it was high time to gather them in. So Teddy brought the hampers, and William let him climb several times up the fine long ladder. "There is only one apple left," cried Teddy at last, "and we won't gather it. I want to play at Robin- son Crusoe up the tree to-morrow, and it will just do for my dinner." When the moon rose, little Spiff came to gaze sadly at the empty tree. But what was that The rosiest apple of all, 'and hanging right above the ladder. Up and up he climbed with a beating heart- Yes, he could reach it. Carefuily, so that it should not fall, he took a long, glorious sip. And Whiff must have been right about the fairy fruit, for Spiff felt on a sudden that his bruised wings were mended, and with a whoop of joy he fluttered gaily over the orchard hedge.

A Government Bill to increase compensa- tion pavable to injured workmen is to be introduced. t Since the seven hours day was introduced South Wales coalfields have had fewer stop- pages through disputes. XLr. Sydney Foulger, of Broomhill-.road, Ipswich, a member of tho London Sectional Board of the Co-operative Union, died sud- denly at Ely Railway Station. Alderman Cheetham, the retiring Labour Mavo- of Witan, publicly presented 85 military decorations during his year of office and handed a cheque to each recipient. Gold. worth more than £ 1,000,000, from South Africa has been landed at Plymouth.

HOME DRESSMAKING. I A VERY SIMPLE ONE-PIECE SKIRT. I Owing, probably, to the immense popu larity of the jumper, particularly in it. hand-knitted guise, there is an almost un precedented demand for "odd skirts suit able for wear either with these knitted jumpers or with plain tailored shirt bloiuses The wise woman knows that if she takes the skirt of her coat and skirt to wear with hei blouses it will soon become so shabby that it will be almost impossible to wear it with the coat to which it belongs; consequently, she either purchases a neat and very simple skirt of serge, tweed, or some similar fab- ric. or, better still, she makes one for her- self. In the latter case, she naturally pre- fers a very simple design; something that if » [Refer to H. D. 313.] I neither difficult to make, nor yet takes much time in the making. I am constantly asked for a pattern for a skirt of this type, and so, this week, I am giving you a sketch of one of the simplest skirts it is possible to make-a little, one-piece model that is as smart in effect as it is simple in shape. THE MATERIAL.—Almost any serviceable stuff may be used for this skirt. If it is in- tended chiefly for hard, (serviceable wear, I would suggest serge, tweed, frieze, home- spun, gabardine, cheviot, or suiting. If, however, it is to be a smarter affair, it would look well made up in face-cloth, crepe de Chine, taffetas, soft satin, or char- meuse. It is easiest to make it in a 54in. wide material. If a narrower stuff be used it will have to be joined to the requisite width before the skirt is cut out. It will take li yards of 54in. material, but it will require more than that if the material is any narrower. THE PATTERN.—Nothing could be simpler than this pattern, for it only includes two pieces—the skirt and the belt. In addition, you will need some straight strips of the material for facing-up the edges of the placket. Before cutting out, lay the pattern against you, and make any little alterations that may be necessary. It is much easier and more satisfactory to do this in the pat- tern than in the cut-out garment. Remem- ber that no turnings are alloved for in the pattern, therefore you must leave five inches on the bottom,' one-quarter of an inch at the top, and nothing a,t the sides, whilst you should leave a half-inch turning all round the belt. FOLD I SCLVEBGtS °f .54..«AT I TEE CUTTING OUT.—Lay the material on the table, and fold it in such a way that the selvedges come together. Place the pattern upon it as shown in f j diagram, arranging that the straight edges of both skirt and belt come to the fold of the material. THE MAKING.—Fold back the edge of the right back to the depth of an inch, tack, and press well. Now stitch this fold down to a depth of nine inches from the top of tHe skirt, arranging the stitching to come five-eighths of an inch from the fold. Now lay this folded edge over the left edge of the back in such a way that it overlaps the latter to the depth of one inch, and stitch down from the placket to the bottom of the skirt, arranging the stitching to continue the line of that carried down the placket. Press well. Now put a wrap facing of the material on to the left side of the placket, and bind the raw edge on the right side with a narrow binding. Sew on press studs M fastenings. Next cut a length of peter- sham belting long enough to fit the waist closely when the ends an hemmed. Sew on hooks and eyes. You will notice that there are three notches at the top of the skirt; these must be marked on each side. Make a box-pleat at each side where the notches come. Make each pleat by folding the material and the outside notches, and arranging these folds just to meet under the middle notch. Gather the remainder of the skirt round the top, and pin the top of the skirt to the upper edge of the petersham, arranging the gathers as evenly as possible, and placing the fastenings—both of skirt and belting-exactly in the middle of the back. Now slip on the skirt, and make any little alterations that may be necessary. Next, stitch the skirt firmly to the band, and try HOW TO OBTAIN Paper Pattern of the above SKIRT. Fill in this form and send it, with remittance in s'amrs. to MTSS LISLE. 8, La Belle Sauvafie, LONDON, E.C. 4. j Vrile clearly. Name Address PATTERN No. 313. PAPER PATTERNS. Price 9d. each, post free. PATTERNS cut to special measure, 1/6 each. MISS LISLE will be pleased to receive suggestions and to iliustrate designs of tmeral use to the I HOME DRESSMAKER. on again. Now tun up the hem to the proper length, take )ff the skirt, tack the hem firmly along the lower edge, and again a short distance from the upper edge. Sew one edge of a strip cf binding to the raw edge of the hem, and slip-stitch the upper edge to the skirt. Now cut a strip of canvas on the cross, the same shape as the belt but half an inch less all round. Turn the edges of the belt over on to the canvas, and herringbone them to it. Line the belt with a strip of silk or thin lining, taking care that you do not sew through to the front. Stitch the edges of the belt with the machine, make a buttonhole, and sew on a button. Slip- stitch half the belt to the top of <he band, along the left side of the skirt. Tn the case of a smarter skirt of cloth or. of one silk material, the belt may be replaced by a sash or a folded girdle.

FASHION OF THE WEEK. TWO SMART NEW HATS. TWO SMART NEW HATS. Millinery fashions are no longer in the tentative stage; they have crystallised into shape, and now there will be practically no fundamental change until the spring modes appear. Infinite variety there will be, of course, and probably certain small changes in style, but the basic liner of our hats are settled for the next two or three months, at least. And what is the new millinery for this winter of 1919 like? Well, to begin with, it is extremely attractive, and, generally speaking, fairly simple in style. Some of the newest and most extreme hats, however, show a certain tendency towards a greater elaboration of trimming than we have coun- tenanced during the last few seasons. Still, on the whole, the new millinery is oertainljr simple, and depends largely for its effects upon its elegance of line and beauty of material. Miany of the new hats are very bright in colour; unbecomingly bright, I might add, in certain cases. Others are dark or neutral in tone, the general soberness of effect be- ing relieved by a dash of bright colour in the shape of ribbon, feather, or embroidery. And in complete contrast to this fondness for bright colour is the pronounced vogue for the all-black hat, which is shown in every imaginable shape, size, and style. Both the charming hats shown in our sketch are wholly and entirely black. Both are quite new and up-to-date in every de- tail, and both are as smart and becoming as the heart of even the most exacting of women could desire. The first is a very simple model carried out in black hatter's plush. It has.a fairly high crown of the stiff variety, and a brim that is very much wider at the back than in front. This brim is turned up sharply all round the head, and curves outward a little in the most fascinating way. It is bordered by a heavy piping of p the plush, and has a second and similar piping placed about a third of the way up. Another piping runs round the base of the crown, and through it is thrust the quill of a very soft ostrich tip, the fronds of which curl prettily over the brim. The second hat is made of black velvet. Here, the crown is reasonably high and quite. soft, whilst the brim is the eame width ail round the hat. Like the hat we have just been describing, this brim is turned up sharply all round the head. The upper part is ornamented by a handsome Runic design worked in black silk braid. A mount of black osprey placed on the left Bide of the brim forms the entire trimming of the hat.

I SLIDING TO WOPK. SLIDING TO WORK. Following the marvels of electric traction on land and in the air, we now learn that we may all soon be travelling in trains nithout wheels. The idea is by no means new and is easily explained. When two pieces of wet glass are placed together they slip about and glide over each other with perfect ease. Similarly applied, a French engineer has invented a method of replacing the wheels by means of hydraulic skates or shoes which glide over flat rails, and be- tween the skates and the rails a film of water under pressure is interposed. As the water escapes, it is recovered again by suction, and passes back into the water reservoir. The train would really slide along on a film of water, and magnets would be used a,4 a means of propulsion. Since there is no friction in this method, a speed of a hun- dred miles an hour or more can be obtained without much effort. Further no brakes would be required, for by shutting off the water-supply the train immediately cornea to a. standstill.

The Italian Government is to spend £ 1,600,000 on the rapid construction of wooden and cement houses to relieve the shortage. Sixty-four couples in Leeds are postpon- ing marriage till they find houses. Ejected families in rural Kent are living in draughty "hoppers' huts." A valuable shorthorn cow which was to I have been included in a sale at Orfold, Sussex, was found strangled by a chain halter in a stall just before the sale. ) i)

.=:- ? MOT. HER AND HOME. S Useful and Economical Hints on Domestic Management. It should be borne in mind that the beauty of the face is due largely to the layer of fat which is spread over the muscles in much the same way as a modeller spreads the clay all the figure he is modelling. The wear and tear of life, the sorrows, anxieties, and deprivations play havoc with this fatty interlining. When the first bloom of youth departs, it either wastes away, leaving the face full of hollows and the skin wrinkled, or it accumulates, adding unsightly rolls to the chin and deforming the contours cf the cheeks. In both of these conditions much can be done by means of exercises, self-mas- sage, and the care of the skin to bring about a better condition of affairs. The condition of the complexion depends upon the healthy condition of the tiny blood-vessels which carry the blood to the skin. These form a network throughout the skin, dividing and subdividing until they become so small that they can be seen only by the microscope. To keep these tiny bloodvessels in a state of activity, so that the blood can run through them, is the way to preserve the skin. CARE OF THE CHILD. I If full benefit is- to be derived from physi- cal culture in childhood, it is absolutely essential that instruction should be pre- sented in the form of pleasurable recreation-. Drill, games, or physical exercises which are merely mechanical lose half their value. Every endeavour should be made by mother and teacher to get a child keen and enthu- siastic about his drill, for the health of the children is of paramount importance, and it may seem superfluous to say that physical culture is essential to promote this. To STOP FROWNING. I If a child frowns much she must be watched and shown herself in a mirror. Then when she is caught doing it again a re- minder will usually suffice. If the habit of frowning be not checked wrinkles will ap- pear long before she ought to have a trace of any, and these can never be removed if formed in childhood. Sweet expressions can quite readily be formed, and a child taught to naturally assume such. I WORN MATTRESSES. I I The woven-wire mattresws used in bed- steads nowadays aro apt to wear the material of the hair mattress above into holes. To prevent this, spread sheets of strong brown-paper between the two, pin- ning or tying at the corners so that it may not wriggle out of place. If the mattress covering is already worn, the only plan is to have it re-covered at a good furniture maker's. I ) To WASH BLANKETS. Cut up some soap and boil till dissolved, then add as much as is required tofti tub of warm water to make a nice lather, Then add about a tablespoonful of ammonia. Squeeze the blankets in this till clean. then rinse, wring out, and hang in the air to dry. Only do two or three at a time, as it is rather tiring work. I A HINT ON BLANKET-WASHING. After blankets have been thoroughly washed in soapsuds and carefuily rin,, ed- the water for all processes being rold-hang them the long way on the iiue where the wind will have free access, and when nearly dry beat thoroughly with a rattan cr bamboo furniture beater. They will be soft and fluffy as new. I To CLEAN PIANO KEYS. I Piano keys can be whitened by washing in a solution of one ounce nitric acid to ten ounces soft water. Apply with a brush, taking care that it does not flow on the wood upon which the ivory is veneered, or the job will be spoilt. Cleanse carefully with clean water and a piece of flannel. Sul- phuric acid with an equal quantity of water may be used as above. If the discolouration has not gone too far, rub the keys carefully with pure lemon juice. While still damp, put on a coating of whiting or prepared chalk, mixed with a little lemon juice. When dry, brush off with a dry brush, taking care that none of the mixture gets between the keys. If, however, the keys are thoroughly worn and discoloured, they must be dismounted, scrapod, bleached, and re- polkhed, which is a long and tedious affair, and requires to be done by a skilled work- man. HOME MADE METAL POLISH. I Liquid metal polish may be made at home. Get one gill each of benzine, turpentine, and paraffin, and a halfpenny packet of whiting. Crush the whiting and mix it with the liquids, pour into four small bottles, and keep well corked. BUTTKE ECONOMY. I Put butter or margarine in a basin, and cream it up with a wooden spoon, as if you were creaming butter and sugar in the old way for a cake. When the butter is like clotted cream, add the same amount of sieved potatoes and work well together. Add half a saltspoonful of salt to a quarter of a pound of butter and a quarter of a pound of potatoes. When. well mixed, form into little pats or rolls. STAINED BOARDS. I Stained boards are apt to become lighter after a little wear, but if rubbed with paraf- fin oil they will again become darker. When rubbed with beeswax and turpentine after they will look as well as ever. To CLEAN OLD COINS. I Old ooins may be cleaned by making a hot solution of soda or potash, dipping the coins in this, then for a moment in nitric acid, followed by a thorough rinsing 'in clear water running from a tap. Potassium cyanide is exce11ent.for cleaning silver coins, but it should be plainly labelled and kept away from children, as it is strong poison; I To CLEAN OIL PAINTINGS. I Take a raw potato and cut it in half; with the cut side rub over the picture, and as it becomes dirty cut off a thin slice, wiping off the dirty froth with a soft cloth. In this way go all over the picture till it is clean, carefully wiping as you go. Then rub with a silk handkerchief till dry. Afterwards apply a proper picture varnish. I To CLEAN WATER BOTTLES. I Water bottlee and vases that become dis- coloured and dirty should have a raw potato cut in bits and put inside with a table- spoonful each of salt and washing sodi, and two of water. Shake well, and rinse in clear water. Equal quantities of paraffin and vinegar make a good and cheap furniture polish. Be sure to shake the bottle before using. For piano cleaning it has no equal. A teaspoonful of cornflour, added to every half-pound of dried fruit, when cooking, will improve the flavour and make a syrup. When making' cakes with margarine or dripping, always add one saltspoonful of cream of tartar, and all taste of dripping will disappear. A tablespoonful of. vinegar added to the dry ingredients takes the place of one egg. BAMBOO FURNITURE. I When bamboo furniture is filled with dust it may be cleaned with a email brush dipped in warm water and salt. The salt preventu it from turning yellow. A HINT ON CARPET SWEEPING. I Scatter salt on a carpet when sweeping. I and you will not only find it has a cleansing effect, but that it keeps away moths. To FRESHEN A CARPET. I Sweep it with a broom previously dipped in salt and water. Shake the broom well before using it, for it is needed damp, not wet. A CHEAP TOOTH POWDER. I Clean your teeth with precipitated chalk six days out of the seven, and on the seventh with a little finely powdered salt. Ueniember that salt must be very thoroughly rinsed off afterwards, or it will do more harm than good. FOR BRITTLE NAILS. I If the naik are hard and brittle, rub them at night with a little cold cream. Lemon- juice will remove stains, and the use of a little ammonia in the bath water will strengthen the nails. ANOTHER WAY. -I I Tr. rubbing them at night witb almond oil, and wear loose gloves. Never cut or file your nails without first soaking them for tivo minutes in hot water. BLACKBERRY WINE. I Put the berries in an open cask with tap near bottom. Cover with boiling water, later mash with the hands. Let stand until crust rises to top. In three or four days draw off into another vessel. To every gallon add llb. sugar. Stir, put in cask to work for a week or ten days. Throw off aay re- maining lees, keeping cask well filled, par- ticularly at commencement. When w3rking has ceased bung down. After six to twelve months bottle. PURIFYING A SICK ROOM. I Apple parings should be dried and used as a purifier in a sick-room. Put some red- hot coal on a shovel, with a few dried parings on it. Carry this about the room, and it will leave a delightful fragrance. THB VALUE OF OLIVE OIL. I Olive oil is an excellent fattener. Some I can take a tablespoonful after each meal easily. It stimulates and saakea active tho I digestive organs, clears the complexion, ana ma-kes the eyes bright and sparkling. How TO TREAT A BURN. I For a burn, cut away the clothes >-ound the burnt part. Do not attempt to pull them off, or the skin will come with them. Dust Hour or powdered starch thickly on the burn, or cover it with rags dipped in olive or linseed oil. If the burn is at all a bad one, the child should in put to bed and kept very quiet. Nothing to cat should be given for a few ):ours, but a drink of warm milk may do good if the child will take it. A CURE FOR TOOTHACHE. I If you have a hollow tooth, and it aches, cut a piece of clove to fit the cavity, and put it in lightly, allowing the upper part to stick out like a cork in a bottle. It will soon swell, keeping the air from the nerve, and the pain will cease until the clove drops out, when it may be replaced by another. SOME USEFUL RECIPES. I POTATO CAKES.—Beat a raT7 egg with some cold boiled mashed potatoes and a little salt, form into rolls «r balls, roll in breadcrumbs, and fry in ole oil till nicely brown. BARLEY PUDDING.—Take about loz. of pearl barley, which must be washed and then soaked all night in cold water—only just enough water to cause it to swell to its fullest extent. The next day put it into a deep piedish with half a pint of milk and 2oz. of sugar, and simmer in a iaot oven until quite soft. Stir in half a beaten egg, mix well, and put it in the oven until the surface is brown, when the pudding will be ready. TEA. BISCUITS.—Mix three cupsful of flour with. a teaspoonful and a-half of bak- ing-powder, a pinch of salt, and half a cup- ful of sugar. Rub into these 3oz. of lard or margarine, and add a sprinkling of caraway seeds. Use milk to make a soft paste. Roll out to the thickness desired —usually about a quarter of an inch. Cut in rounds, and bake in a fairly quick oven for 20 minutes. LIVER DUMPLING.—Mix in a basin two tablespoonsful each of oatmeal and bread- crumbs, one tablespoonful of flour, and two small onions, chopped finely. Parboil half a pound of liver and grate it; add this with a tablespoonful of chopped suet to the other ingredients; season with pepper and 6alt, and moisten with some of the water the liver was boiled in. Turn into a greased paper, and steam for four horits. Serve with mashed potatoes. MEAT AND POTATO CASSEROLE.—Take 13-lb. of mashed potato, loz. of fat, one dried egg (for lining the casserole), 14oz. cold minced meat, half a pint of brown sauce. Mix the potato, egg, fat, salt, and pepper together; then make a border or wall with it in the casserole. Mix the minced meat and brown sauce together and put in the centre. Mark the potato nicely round the edge. Bake in a moderate oven 40 minutes. COTTAGE PIE.-Mince half a pound of bully beef, mix it with three-quarters of a pound of par-boiled potatoes and half a pound of boiled rice. Mix up well till all is a mash, season with pepper and salt, and put it into a pie-dish. Make the top smooth and bako until nicely browned. Serve with thick brown gravy. This makes a very tasty dinner.

THINGS THOUGHTFUL Attention is tho stuff that memory is made of, and memory is accumulated genius. Lowell. Work for the good that is highest, Dream not of greatness afar; The glory is ever the highest Which shines upon men as they are. • They asked a Great One: "How many ways are there to God?" He said: "There are as many ways as there are atoms in the universe. But the best and shortest is Ser. \"ice. I have reached the goal by treading this path and recommend it to my dis. ciples. "—Oriental. If I have not achieved great deeds I have died in at least attempting them.—Cer* vantcs. THE ARROWS. 'Twas a little winged shaft that flew And lodged apace; Its end was tipped with the finest gold Of truth and grace. It softly fell on a bleeding heart, And blessed and healed; Such magic power a word of love Can ever wield. But another shaft with a venomous tip Sped on its way, And the sombre pall of the heavy night Obscured the day. Which shall it be that wings its flight From you and me, Healing or wounding souls as we pass To eternity? -Annette Morrison Stubba. I EQUITY. Equity is a roguish thing. Equity is according to conscience of him that is chan- cellor, and as that is larger or narrower, so is equity. One chancellor has a long foot, another a short foot, a third an in- different foot. "Tis the same thing in the chancellor's conscience.—John Seldon. I IMMORTALITY. i In/mortality ia (Something far more than, and something different from, mere sur- vival through unending tiine. I am sure I need not warn my hearers against the pitiable revival of necromancy, in which many desolate and bleeding hearts have sought a spurious satisfaction. If that kind of after-life is true it will indeed be a. melancholy postponement or negation of all that we .hope and believe about our blessed dead. Belief in immortality firmly held must needs transform everything for us in this world.—Very Rev. Dean Inge. Beyond all question the soul is immortal and imperishable, and our bouls will indeed exist in another world.—Socrates. I MAID, WIFB, AND WIDOW. I In a maiden-time professed, Then we say that life is blessed; I Tasting once the married life, Then we only praise the wife; There's but one state more to try. Which makes woman laugh or cry- Widow, widow; of these three The middle's best, and that give me. —Thomas Middlcton (1630). I BEST MOTIVES. I The gold of our best motives is so mixed with the dross of selfishness and unworthi- ness that we can neither take too much credit to ourselves for any of our good deeds, nor afford to throw discredit upon any performed by our neighbour. I GENTLENESS. Gentleness is a good word to put under the shelter of courage, and a good thing to put among the preparations for the un- known year. It is no uncommon thing, in preparing for a journey, to include articles which, in fact, are never needed. They are brought home again unused, and sometimes spoiled. Now, an absolute assurance may be given to anyone who requires it, that if this moral preparation and prerequisite for the journey of the year be taken, it will be needed, and it will be used not alone on rare occasions, but more or less daily all the time.—A. Raleigh. LOVE. Love touched my eyes-these eyes which once were blind, And lo! a gloriua world revealed to view, A world I ne'er had dreamed so fair to find. I sang for gladness—all things were made new. 'Twas Love unstopp'd my ears, and every sound Borne through the silence seem'd a psalm of praise: Bird-song, child-laughter-yet o'er all J found Thy voice the music of my happy days. Love chang'd life's draught and made the water wine, And through my languid senses seem'd to flow Some pow'r enkindled by the fire divine, Some inspiration I can ne'er forego. Love rais'd the dead to life-and never more Can many waters quench th' eternal flame. Love open'd wide the everlasting door, And bade us enter, called by His name- Una—"In Life's Garden." This is but the nursery ground, from where we are to be transplanted into the great forest of God's eternal univeree.-F- W. Robertson. THE PENALTY OF EVIL. The lines of suffering' on almost every human countenance have been deepened, if not traced there, by unfaithfulness to con- science, by departures from duty. To do wrong is the surest way to bring suffering; no wrong deed ever failed to bring it. Those sins which are followed by ne palpable pain are yet terribly avenged, even in this life. They abridge our capacity of happiness, impair our relish for innocent pleasure, and increase our sensibility to suffering. They spoil us of the armour of a pure conscienco and of trust in God, with- out which we are naked amid hosts of foes, and are vulnerable by all the changes 01? life. Thus, to do wrong is to inflict the surest injury on our own peace. No enemy can do us equal harm with what we do our. selves whenever or however we violate any moral or religious obligation.-Channinl-. I long for household voices gone, For vanished smiles I long, But God hath led my dear ones on, And He can do no wrong. -Whittier. ————————— LIMITED SUCCESS. We limit the success of our own viork oy OUT indolence and lack of faith more than any outside circumstances limit it for us. It is not lack of talent as much as lack of courage and effort that circumscribes oui usefulness.

A basket of raspberries was gathered at Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire. A demobilised Cardiff school teacher and his family, who cannot obtain a house, ar liviug- in a canal boat. Ripe red plums grown in the district on sale in Yarmouth market at eightpellce a pound. Sir G. Blades, M.P., one of the rlpresell- t&tives of the City on the London Cou Council. has  hie æat. Council, haa resigned hia seat. A memorial altar which %as ??° ??Y of in Soutihwell, Minster, consists W?bP,"y of parts of aeroplanes wrecked in Fra.nce and Flanders.