Hints and Suggestions.

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 74

Hints and Suggestions.

To cleani velvet, scrape a little pipeclay on it, then brush off lightly with a stiff brush.

When ironing have some kitchen salt on a board close at hand; it is most useful for smoothing the irons upon. ■dr.A mixture of equal parts of lemon-juice and glycerine will clear the throat if the voice is husky through a cold. Do not scrape a frying-pan, as it is liable afterwards to bum. Instead, rub well with a hard crust of bread and wash in hot water.

To shine boots? quickly, do not blacken, but rub with a pieoe of an orange. Let the juice dry in, then polish with a soft brush, when they will shine like a mirror. Hot salt and vinegar, old-fashioned as it- is, will remove tarnish from brass al-, most instantly. Wash in soapsuds, and dry.

Stains in table-linen are easily removed by plunging the articles in pure boiling water. The addition of soap or soda would have the effect of fixing the stain.

Save all your old silk handkerchiefs and pieces of white washing-silk dresses. They are fine to dry cut-glass, drying it quickly, without lint or scratch. A teaspoonful of sugar added to pancake batter will make the cakes a golden brown.

Fish may be scaled much easier by first dipping them into boiling water for a minute.

A teaspoonful of turpentine put into the boiler with white clothes will aid the whitening. An indispensable tool for the handy woman is the plier, costing a shilling, and ranking next to the hammer. Secure those having a wire-cutting arrangement in- the side, so there will be no temptation to use scissors for that work. Lamp chimneys should never be washed. Hold them over the steam from a boiling kettle, then polish them with a wad of newspaper, finally rubbing them perfectly diy with a soft rag. After the carpets have been taken up and beaten well, and' the room scoured out, tack the carpet down, then sprinkle cayenne pepper around the edges, and there will be no danger from moths. p«one of the best remedies for removing corns is turpentine. Touch the corn every night before retiring with a little turpentine. It will come out in a very short time. Apply the turpentine with a toothpick. '

One teaspoonful of ammonia in one gallon of water will restore the colour of a carpet. After the carpet has been well beaten, scour with ox-gall in the proportion of one pint to three gallons of water for a large carpet. . A little turpentine addled to lukewarm water will successfully remove all stains from marble-topped waehstands. Apply with a cloth, and polish with a soft duster, and all stains will disappear. Hold a bruised! finger in a cup of hot water for a few- minutes, and it will prevent further trouble. The water should be as hot as it is possible to stand it. Gatherings and run-arounds can be successfully treated in the same manner. Place pulverised pumice-stone between the layers of a folded piece of soft muslin, and stitoh around the edge to keep the powder from spilling. Wipe -windowpanes with this dry cloth, and they will be clean and sparkling instantly. If a little sweet oil be rubbed on knives

which are to be laid away, they will not rust if rolled in tissue-paper and kept in a dry place. Sometimes, too, if the rust be not too "fixed," it can be removed by careful rubbing with sweet oil, though coal oil is even better.

Pillow-cases will have their usefulness prolonged if, when they begin to show signs of wear, they are unripped at the bottom, and, before being seamed up again, are folded so that the seam at the side now comes down the middle. In this way the whole of the pillow-case gets an equal amount of wear. Cut-glass may be made very brilliant by washing it in warm soapsuds and drying in sawdust. Put the dish down in a pan of sawdust and cover well with it. When all moisture has been absorbed, lift the dish and wipe with soft pieces of linen. Ordinary glaes may be made very Brilliant by the same treatment. Always pull the leaves that would be under water from the stalks of flowers before placing them in a vase. The leaves that stand above' the water should be left uncut. If the bark is peeled from such haTd-stocked shrubs as roses, lilacs, and co forth, so that there is no bark left on the stems below the water, the flowers will live much longer. A little powdered charcoal in the water acts as a preservative. The ends of the stems should be clipped every day. Oil, fruit, or paint stains can be successfully removed by means of a home-made mixture composed of a teaspoonful each of oil of lemon, peppermint, cloves, and cinnamon, with a wineglassful of rectified spirits of turpentine. This should be rubbed over the surface of the fabric with a piece of silk, an old handkerchief answering tlie purpose excellently. White kid gloves may be rubbed with cream of tartar, and if very blightly soiled it will make them look like new. A piece of flannel dipped in benzine and allowed to nearly dry before it is applied is more efficacious for really soiled gloves, and after the benzine they should be rubbed again with breadcrumbs until all stains and dirt are removed, changing the crumbs as soon as they become' soiled. Here is a plan that has been tried with success for cleaning and pressing skirts. Brueh them first, then whisk off with a clean brush, dampened in ammonia and warm water. Any stain can be removed i. f rubbed out at once «rith a mixture of equal parts of ammonia, aleohol,_ajid water. After the skirt is thoroughly cleansed, brushed, and dried, lay it on the pressing table or board, pin each plait down in_ its proper fold 1 , cover the skirt with a piece of dark woollen goods which has been previously dampened, and then press.

tsg- Descriptions oj balls, &c, must be endorsed by either the Witness correspondent for the district or by he secretary to the ball committee. The MS of any borrehpondents xoho do not comply with this rule will cc sent to the secretary for endorsement prior to appearing.— EilMELlNE

To ensure publication in the forthcoming issue letters shtuld reach the Witness office if possible on Saturday niijht, but on no account later than Monday niQht

WEDDING AT WEST.'

A very pretty wedding was celebrated at the residence of the bride's parents on Tuesday, December 31, when Mr James Cameron, of Waitahuna, was united -to Miss Martha Kell. The bride, who was given away by her father, was prettily dressed in a costume of San Toy material trimmed with white chiffon, with the orthodox veil and orange blossoms. Miss Jeannie Kell, sister of the bride, who wore a very pretty white lustre dress trimmed with lace and insertion, attended as bridesmaid, and Mr W. Cameron, brother of the bridegroom, acted 1 as best men. The ceremony was conducted by the Rev. J. S. Ponder. Waitahuna. Afterwards the guests — numbering about 70 — sat down to an excellent afternoon tea. The health of the happy couple was proposed by die Rev. Mr Ponder, who related many humorous incidents suitable to the occasion, and Mr R. M'Caw proposed the health of the parents. Throughout ' the afternoon the guests amused themselves by indulging in a. variety of games, etc. A social was held in the evening, at which a large number of young people tripped the light fantastic till the small hours. Mr J. French supplied the music, and Mr W. French acted as M.C. During the evening songa and recitations were given. Among the many prettydresses worn by the ladies I noticed the following: — Miss J. Kell, white lustre trimmed with insertion and lace ; Miss S. Kell, pretty white muslin; Miss May Kell, pale blue, white trimmings; Miss M. Cameron, white silk; Miss Cameron- (N.1.). white dress: Miss French, black skirt, pink blouse; Miss H. French, Tussore silk blouse, black skirt; Miss Bryant, blue dress, white trimmings; Miss Grace, -white blouse, black skirt: Miss Henderson, pale blue muslin; Miss Tayborn, delaine blouse, grey skirt; Miss I>. Smith, white dress; Miss Smith, white blouse, grey skrrt; Miss M. Wymar, nolland skirt, white blouse; Mrs Kell, pretty black dress; Mrs Shaw, white blouse, black skirt; Mrs H. M'Gowan, tweed oostume; Mora J. M'CrOwan, ■pale blue; Mrs D. Robertson, white silk; Mrs Wymar, black dress. The happy couple were the recipients of a large number of useful presents, including a drawing room suite, marble clock, eilver teapot, cruets, jam and jelly dishes, biscuit barrels, vases, cases carvers, cases spoons, and many other UEeful articles , too numerous to mention. The bride's travelling dress was a pretty grey costume and white hat. — Guest.