Flintshire Observer Mining Journal and General Advertiser for the Counties of Flint Denbigh

GARDENING GOSSIP. (From Cottage Gardening") FLOWER GARDEN. This is a suitable time for making alterations and making new beds or doing away with beds altogether. I confess I have a good deal of sympathy with those who have many beds and wish to do away with some. First, as to the making of new beds. The form or outline should be as simple as possible, if they are to look well when planted. Circles, ovals, or beds in which easy, graceful lines are predominant are sure to please, because they can be easily filled. No plant that ever existed can fill one of those sharp-pointed stars or diamonds. Oblong, or even square-shaped beds are better than the fancy designs which run into many acute angles. This is also a good season to make new walks or to improve old ones. Walk-making is a weak point in many gardens. The contractor generally carts in a little gravel and levels it down on the bare earth or clay, and the consequence is the walks are always damp and tull of weeds. It will cost a little more to make a dry, firm path, but I then the trouble of keeping it in condition afterwards is very small. To make a good path there should be at least nine inches of rough porous materials in the bottom. Stones, brick rubble, clinkers from the gas- works, or the breeze from the gas-works will make a good dry bottom, and it is generally free from weeds, and there is no fear of worms working. With a good foundation, three inches of good binding gravel on the top, so placed that the water will quickly run to the sides, is better than more, and if a walk of this character wears unevenly at any time all that is required is to fork or dig over the gravel, put up into shape, and roll it down firm. Lose no time now in getting out the Tulips. The Pansy beds, also, should be made good if any are gone off. It must not be forgotten that in some soils Gladioli left in the ground suffer a good deal, and it is safer to take them up and, after drying, store in some dry place safe from frost. FRUIT GARDEN. This is a capital time for planting fruit-trees of all kinds, and there is no doubt, I think, the Apple is the most useful fruit to plant. Where several neigh- bours could agree among themselves upon what they require, and all send their orders together to the nurseryman, the trees can be bought much cheaper. Trees cm be bought cheaper by the dozen than singly, and they can be purchased still cheaper by the hundred. Therefore, in buying fruit-trees, if the co-operative principle can be adopted there will be a considerable saving. I have never tried to raise false hopes that the nation, or any part of it, is to be saved by fruit-growing, but, so long as very large sums of money are spent upon Apples and other fruits which might be grown well here, there must be room for the fruit-grower who tries to learn and understand his business. Jam factories in a district are useful, but there is no jam like the home-made article, and I should like to see every owner or occupier of a garden grow enough fruit to make all the jam required for his own family. Before this is accomplished a great deal more fruit will be required. Most of the leaves are down now, and Apples and Pears may have what pruning is required to put them into shape and ensure the access of air and sunshine. When a tree ceases to increase in size it begins to decline, and in order to maintain vigour a certain amount of annual progress is necessary. After a tree begins bearing freely it will, as a matter of course, make less wood, but some pro- gress is essential to continued health and fertility; therefore, in pruning any tree or bush do not cut away all the young wood. Let in the air and sunshine, but let the trees increase in size. I VEGETABLE GARDEN. Spinach sown early in August, will now be yielding large leaves. This is a very wholesome, hardy vege- table it is not so much grown in small gardens because many people are under the impression that it is not profitable to grow. Very often after a severe winter the only green crop left in the garden is the bed of Spinach. It is true, of course, it is not as easily got at as are Cabbages. To obtain a dish of Spinach one must pick and wash the leaves, and all this takes time, while a Cabbage may be cut and prepared in a short time but a bed of Spinach coming in now may be gathered from, more or less, till next June. Early Rhubarb is another matter deserv- ing of attention. Apples will be scarce and dear by and by, and Rhubarb forms a good substitute. Start with an early kind, such as Paragon or Linnaeus. If there is any warm spot anywhere lift some roots and move them with as little laceration as possible to where the warmth is. I know a baker who rigs up a place in the dark corner of his bakehouse, and the Rhubarb comes very early. Where there's a will there is generally a wav, and warmth and shelter will make everything grow. Take care of the Potatoes they are, I think, sure to be dearer after Christmas, unless the home-grown stock is supplemented from Germany or elsewhere. GREENHOUSE. Should any of the cut-back Geraniums or other plants show signs of damping, dress the wounds with a little fresh lime. This will act as a styptic and check damping. It will soon be time to think about Chrysanthemum cuttings. There is no reason to be in a hurry with many kinds, but after the middle of November, in the case of any scarce kind, whenever a good cutting can be obtained it is best to secure it. Last, year, in the case of E. Molyneux and some other kinds, there was a difficulty in getting good strong cuttings till quite late, and, consequently, in many instances the plants are not so strong and the blooms lack substance. Discontinue the use of stimulants where blooms are approaching the full size, as overfed blooms will not keep so well. Keep the house as free from damp as possible COLD FRAMES. We may have frost almost any time now, and it will be as well to bank up the frames containing any- thing at all tender with dry litter; or leaves, with a little long litter to keep them together, will do very well. WINDOW GARDEN. Fetch in the Hyacinths and other bulbs which have been placed outside. If placedtn the window, cover with paper to subdue light for a few days. Cactuses may be placed on brackets by the sill of the window, as they will require little or no water through the winter. DECEMBER WORK. It is just aa well to be beforehand sometimes. Here are some hints for December work Flower Garden: Turf laying and alterations, including the planting of trees and shrubs, may be done in open weather. Shelter anything at all tender with dry Fern or evergreen branches. Manure beds and borders. The digging or forking of borders in which are choice bulbs had better remain till spring. Turn and prepare compost heaps. Fasten Carnations, Pensies, &c., after frost. Renew the labels of choice Alpine and other hardy plants. Prune and nail creepers on walls and build- ings. Roses may still be planted. Fruit Garden Plant, prune, and train fruit trees. Dress Gooseberries and Currants with a mixture of lime and soot, to keep off the bud-eating birds. Make and plant cuttings of Gooseberries and Currants. Mulch and stake all newly-planted trees. Plum and Cherry trees that were infested last year with insects should be syringed with soft soap and water, with half a pint of paraffin oil to every 10 gallons of wash. Dress apple trees infested with American blight. Manure and dig, trench or ridge all vacant land, throwing up the surface rough. Force Sea- kale, Asparagus and Rhubarb wherever there are the means. Repair walks and drains. Box or other edgings may be laid down in suitable weather. Sow Peas and Beans in warm situations. Sow Mustard arm and Cress where there is warmth. Greenhouse Put in cuttings of Chrysanthemums if large blooms are wanted, select the strong sucker-like shoots from the base of the plant. Keep them cool but sheltered from frost. Keep plants free from insects and dead leaves, and the pots clean. Bring forward Hyacinths and other bulbs from cold frames. Water only when the plants are dry. Night temperatures need not ex- ceed 50 deg. 40 will do on cold nights. Window Garden: Plants in blossom must be kept reasonably moist at the root, but withhold water as much as pos- sible in frosty weather. Use the sponge over the foliage often. Geraniums may be kept dry for weeks without iniury in cold weather.

GREATER BRITAIN. L UNDER the presidency of Sir John Gorst, M.P., the Moulvie Rafiuddin Ahmad, a distinguished Mako- medan gentleman and a member of the English Bar, addressed a meeting in London the other day on England and the Mahomedan World." He observed that in India at the present time they were face to face with a political upheaval. Their friends the Bengalis, the Baboos, and the Brahmins, having imbibed doses of English education without properly digesting them, thought the time ripe for a sort of Democratic Government. They had, therefore. established committees and organised an agitation with a view of obtaining what might eventually prove to be a kind of Home Rule. The Mahomedans, who had been the rulers of India for 600 years, felt that to try such an experiment in a country 1;(. altogether unsuited for it would be nothing less than madness, and they had, therefore, refused as a body to join the movement. Some people might think them unpatriotie, and urge that for the progress of the country they should unite with other classes; but they could not be aware that the Mohamedans of India, like the Protestants of Ireland, would be sure to suffer if the fate of their countrv was to be decided by majorities. They had had an experience in this direction in Lord Ripon's Municipal Act, which in the case of Poonah, for example, had resulted in the 60,000 Hindoos securing all the representation to the exclusion of the 40,000 Maho- medans. The Hindoos were also trying to force their language upon the Mahomedans, and to place restrictions upon them in other ways. If Lord Ripon's Act had allowed the Mahomedans to elect their own members they would have had some repre- sentation on the municipality, even if they had been in a minority, but at present they had no voice at all. Naturally they feared any further extension of local government. The Mohamedans had ro objection to British rule; in fact, they were its mainstay, so con- vinced were they of its advantages; but what they did object to was the establishment of Hindoo rule, and the sanction of oppression by Parliament because it proceeded from a majority. At present they were not in the same position as their Hindoo friends, who had a representative in the House of Commons and committees in this country. He was told that Mr. Naoroji could always count on the support of the Irish party, and that a member of that party was actually I sailing on Thursday, in order to preside over the Indian Congress. But the English people had only heard one side of the matter as yet, for they had not had the reasonable demands of the Mahomedan minority lucidly placed before them. If India had indeed become a party question, and the Radicals in India had got the support, of the Irish party and of the Radicals in the House of Commons, then the Ma- homedans could not do better than follow the good example of the Irish Protestants and make common cause with the Unionists. They trusted that they would shortly be able to place before the English people the real facts of the case, and the reasonable demands of the enlightened and loyal classes of her Majesty's subjects in India. Ho hoped that after hearing them they would not give countenance to the view that sedition and agitation paid better than loyalty and contentment, and that, just as the Radicals had placed a Parsee members in the House of Commons, so theywouldhelp to place a Mahomedan member in Parliament. Sir J. Gorst, who thanked ¡ the Moulvie for calling attention to an important branch of England's political duty, observed that if Parliament interfered more than formerly in the Government of India, it ought, at least, condescend to ascertain the conditions obtaining in that dependency. He sometimes obtaining in that dependency. He sometimes trembled lest the rashness and ignorance of some of those gentlemen who were returned to Parliament should destroy the blessings of peace and good government which India had so long enjoyed under British rule. He could not help thinking that if such speeches as that which they had heard that night were sometimes made in Parliament it might add to the wisdom of our statesmen and if any constituency were so patriotic as to send the Moulvie to Parlia- ment he felt sure that as regards their Indian Empire and their Oriental policy they would have a most valuable adviser. Other speakers followed, and the Moulvie was cordially thanked for his addres3. UNDER the title of Speaker's Itulings," an interest ing work has been compiled by Mr. Charles Gavan Duffy, clerk assistant in the Victorian House of Assembly. For the public the chief interest lies in five pages of expressions which have been ruled to bo unparliamentary. Among these expressions the I following occur "This is a corrupt House, presided over corruptly." That is a lie." You robbed me." Infamous traitor." "The wretched man who is Premier." We have no Parliament, we havo only a disorderly mob." "He is possessed of intense personal malignity." "For downright cheek com- mend me to the member who has sat down." The savages of Bogong whom he represented," &c. "The member has relieved his usual aulness by malignity." SIR FREDERICK SARGOOD, the new Minister* for Defence in Victoria, is in favour of continuing to appoint officers of the Imperial army to fill the posts of Assistant-Adjutant-General and Commandant of Artillery. The other members of the Cabinet are I said to favour the appointment of Victorian officers to these posts, but the Minister for Defence thinks that the local soldiers are hardly qualified for these .positions yet. If Imperial officers are appointed I they will receive smaller salaries than the present occupiers of the posts, for in the Estimates, while the Commandant of the Forces is retrenched to the extent of £ 450, the Adjutant-General's salary is re- duced by ICIOO, and no provision at all is made for the salary of the Commandant of Artillery. PARTICULARS of another heavy insolvency have appeared in the Melbourne paper-i. In this case the bankrupt, formerly one of the leading merchants in the city, has filed a schedule showing a deficiency of E169,174, his losses during the last two years having amounted to £ 255,624. THERE seems to be no end to the articles of food which the Australian colonies can supply to the London market. Meat, fruit, and dairy produce have been followed by eggs, of which a shipment of some 10,000 is now on the way and the Victorian Minister of Agriculture is now arranging for trial shipments of green peas, asparagus, and other choice vegetables. MR. ANGUS MACKAY, a Waterloo veteran, has just died at Bowra, New South Wales. Mr. Mackay, who had reached the patriarchal age of 100, was one of four brothers who served in the 78th Highlanders at Waterloo. THE Earl of Kintore is making arrangements to leave South Australia for England some time in January. The date is not yet fixed, but his Excel- lency's term of office expires in March, and he will time his departure so as to arrive in London at the end of his term. QUEENSLAND has the honour of having produced the champion heavy ox of Australia. At the late Adelaide show the owners of Monkira Station, Queensland, exhibited a beast which turned the scale at, 30431b. Although the live cattle trade between Australia and England is yet in its infancy, the ex- t port of fat. cattle from the Colonies to Java has been successfully carried on for some time. Monthly shipments of cattle are despatched from the northern coast of Australia to the Dutch colony, and tho beasts are reported to arrive in excellent condition. FURTHER murders of white traders are reported from the South Seas. The schooner Three Cheers, when calling at Admiralty Island, found the store and dwelling burned to the ground, no trace of the traders being found. The most significant, fact was that the natives refused to come down from the bush, where they had rushed directly the schooner dropped anchor. At Now Ireland the mate of the schooner Senta and a white trader are stated to have been killed by the natives.

THE lwv. Prebendary Swayne, who has just re- signed the Chancellorship of the diocese of Salis- bury, belongs rather to the academic than to the vigorous and active school of Churchmanship. He has lived the life of a semi-recluse, and when he emerged from his half-castellated house—which, by the way, possesses a remarkable Norman gateway—it was only to take part in literary, artistic, or scientific gatherings. A tall, thin, almost gaunt man, with a countenance cast in the sombre mould, he has been seldom seen in the public festivities of the city. He is a student—a litterateur—rather than a cleric. His sermons are not inspiring decalmations, but they are marked by a literary finish and a terseness of aca- demic thought that reveal the true strength of the man. He is by no means narrow and restricted in his social views, but has been too secluded in his life to allow of his opinions and his personality having the influence they deserved. The prebendary carefully writes out all his sermons, but his caligraphy is BO tortuous that it has defied compositors, and is said to have even confounded himself ;l <' ,4:-

HOME HINTS. — PILAU (an Indian dish).-Ingredients Shoulder of mutton, two cups of rice, two ounces of sultanas, two ounces of currants, two onions, two ounces of sweet almonds, cloves, mace, four ounces of butter; cayenne pepper, salt. Method Roast the shoulder of mutton, chop the onions and fry them in the butter; when a nice brown, take them out of the saucepan, put in the sultanas, and let them in turn fry for two or three minutes- there should be enough fat to cover them; then remove, and fry in the same manner the chopped almonds, the currants, and lastly, the rice, till u nice golden brown. Keep the other in- gredients hot, and stew the rice till tender in about half a pirit of stock, adding a pinch of cayenne and salt. Place the mutton on a very hot dish, mix the rice, sultanas, &c., together, and place them on and round the mutton. STEWIm BANANAS. Ingredients: Six or eight bananas, half a pint of claret, 3oz. of sifted sugar, juice of half a lemon, cream. Method: Stew the bananas for 20 minutes in the claret, sweeten with sugar, and flavour with lemon-juice. Serve cold, with whipped cream. TOASTED CHEESE (STEWED). Ingredients Two ounces of grated cheese, T'oz. butter, half-a-gill of milk, one egg. Method.—Grate the cheese and put it in a saucepan with the milk, let it stew gently till dis- solved, take it off the fire, add the butter and the well-beaten egg, heat all up together. Have ready some toasted bread, spread the mixture on it, and serve very hot. STEIHD MUSHROOMS.—Peel the mushrooms, cut off the stalks, and throw them into cold water. Melt a generous lump of butter in a saucepan, with plenty of pepper and salt; as soon as it frizzles, take the mushrooms from the basin quickly, so that some of the water that clings to them may drop into the saucepan. Cover close, and set near the fire to gently boil. Mix a dessertspoonful of flour smoothly with a little cold water. When the mushrooms can be easily pierced with a fork-which they should be at the end of 15 minutes after they boil—pour in the smoothly-mixed flour and water, stirring carefully boil three minutes. Have ready some slices of toasted bread, pour the mushrooms over, and serve. SALAD OF SPANISH ONION AND BEETROOT.—Bake two large Spanish onions in their jackets one hour in a hot ovc-n let them get cold. Boil two or three beetroots, boing careful not to break or bruise them, or they will lose their colour while boiling. Put them in a saucepan of cold water, with a little salt; boil until tender. When cool, peel them, and slice into a dish with the Spanish onions, peeled and sliced. Pour over a little vinegar and oil or cream, seasoned with pepper and salt. CHILI VINE(;AR.-Luy a few ounces of red chillies, put them into a bottle that will hold about a gallon of vinegar, bruise the chillies, put them into the bottle, cork it down. It will be ready for use in a week. How TO CLEAN A SPONGE.—There is nothing more pleasant for washing the skin than a fresh good sponge, and nothing worse than a sponge not kept thoroughly clean. Without the greatest care, a sponge is apt to get slimy long before it is worn out. It may be made almost as good as-in fact, often better than—new by the following process: Take about 2oz. or 3oz. of carbonate of soda or of potash, dissolve in 2 pints of water, soak the sponge in it 2 for 24 hours, and then wash and rinse it in pure water. Next put it for some hours in a mixture of one glass of muriatic acid to three pints of water; finally rinse in cold water, and dry thoroughly. A sponge should always be dried, if possible, in the sun every time it has been used. HOUSEHOLD ITINTs.-Brnslies should never be kept in a close box or drawer, for they will always have an unpleasant odour. Wire brush-racks, with a top cover of any pretty material, are very nice things to hang up in the nursery over the washstand. To prevent moths, try, before laying a carpet, washing the floor with turpentine. To remove oil stains from wall-paper, try powdered pipe-clay mixed with water. To PREVENT FLAT-IRONS FROM STICKING.—Irons are apt to stick to starched articl, s. To prevent this, lay a little fine salt on a flat surface, and rub the iron well over it. This will make the iron smooth, and also remove Bmokiness. MAKING HARD SnoES SOFT.-To a pair of shoes that have become stiff and uncomfortable by constant wear in the rain, npply a coat of vaseline, rubbing it in well with a clo'h, and in a short time the leather will become as soft and pliable as whm it \YL» taken from the shelves of the shoe dealer. IRON AND ENAMELLED SAUCEPANS.—Wash them tho- roughly inside and out in hot soda and water, and if, as is usually the case, any hard substances adheres to the interior, scrub the latter with a brush made specially for the purpose. This brush should have a long handle, and should be fit ted at tho end and up one side with a number of short hard bristles. After the brush has been used, rinse the pan well in clean water, and dry it thoroughly. The brush itself should be rinsed in hot soda and water, and hung up to dry. Saucepan lids should ba as well washed and dried as the pans themselves. If anything has been burned in the pans before washing them boil some soda and water in them, and then rub them inside with sand (nearly dry) until quite clean. DESTROYING BEETLES.- First fill up all holes, crevices, and cracks with hard cement. Loosened plaster and faulty masonry around stoves and grates must be carefully repaired. In the second place, beetle-traps should be laid all about their haunts. One can make traps for oneself by putting treacle all over the inside surface of some tall jars, and laying sticks as inclined planes between the rim and the floor. Beetles will climb up and fall in till the jars are full. In the third place, make frequent raids at night and sweep up the insects as they lie in shoals on the floors. This soon thins their numbers. INDENTATIONS IN PIUR.NITLIRP.-The following plan of removing indentations from furniture is recom- mended Wet the indented places well with warm water; then take some brown paper five or six times doubled and well soaked in water, and with it cover the bruises. Then apply to the paper a hot Hat-iron until the moisture is evaporated, and, if the indenta- tions have not disappeared, repeat the application until the whole surface is completely level. TEA AND COFFEE-POTS.—When putting away the tea or coffee-pot which is not in use every day, lay a little stick across the top under the cover. This will let the fresh air in and prevent a musty odour. LINOLEUM AND OILCLOTII.-Tlie best kitchen floor- cloth is linoleum, and the worst is oilcloth, as lino- leum is warm and oilcloth is always cold. WHITEWASH FOR FENCES AND OUTTIOusEs.-Tiike lumps of quicklime, slake with hot water, add one I pound of grease. Stir and mix thoroughly. Add more hot water if not sufficiently thin. This wash will be very smooth and white. COLOURING FOR WALLS AND CEILINGS. Take 161bs. of Paris white, and put into a tub. Dissolve Jib. of transparent glue in cold water, and heat on the back of the stove; stir into the whitening with hot water sufficient to make thin. Colour pink, blue, or any desired shade, and apply with a brush. This wash will colour the dingiest walls, making them fresh and pretty. SPOTS ON Cnimpn.-Tlie best way of removing the white spots caused by water-drops on crepe is an exceedingly simple one. Lay the crepe on a table with a piece of black silk beneath it. Dip a camel's-liair brush in ordinary ink, and go over the stain. Wipe the ink off with a soft piece of silk. The stain will dis- appear as soon as the ink dries. CHRISTMAS PUDDING.—Half a pound of finely- chopped beef suet, three-quarters of a pound of flour, three-quarters of a pound of stoned raisins, three- quarters of a pound of currants, well cleaned by rubbing them on a clean cloth lightly, half a pound of mixed peel cut in shreds, a heaped teaspoonful of ground cinnamon, half a nutmeg grated, and a quarter of a pound of moist sugar. Mix all well together with three eggs and a little milk, fill well-bsttered pud- ding basins with the mixture, tie a cloth over the top of the basin, boil eight hours. Stored in a dry place these puddings will keep good for months. Giv. them one hour's boiling when you wish to use them.

THE New Woman who loves to hear herself speak on all occasions and on all subjects would fare ill in China. A Chinese husband can divorce his wife for being too talkative. THE lively mosquito is not generally considered in the light of a blessing, but so he proved to a patient in brain fever, according to the tale of a German pro- fessor. A lady suffering from inflammation of the brain was rapidly succumbing to the disease, when her doctor had the happy thought to remove the mosquito net and give the insects full opportunity to indulge their bloodthirsty propensities. They sucked so much blood from the patient in two hours that vilie recovered.

THE WOMAN'S WORLD. ANYONE who has lired much on the Continent (says the Paris Mole) must appreciate the facilities for luxurious washing that are to be found in English homes. Not long ago we had the pleasure of staying m a French chateau, which was full of priceless treasures in the way of tapestry, china, and old carved wood; but in our bedroom, though there were seven rare old crucifixes, some splendid Sevres china, and a carved bed that would have made an American millionaire's nwnth water, the only washing arrangements con- sisted of a ricketty wooden table, upon which was placed two oval piedishes, about the size of an ordi- nary rice pudding-dish, and two carved jugs to match to hold the cold water—these were of the size of milk jugs; th? hot water arrived at dressing-time in a cream jug. Baths there were none, and the slops were all emptied out of the window into the moat below But as washing in England is one of our daily necessities, it is as well to be able to make it a source of enjoyment and pleasure. FmsT let us speak of baths, and consider how we can make them pretty. The ordinary iron- monger's bath is not beautiful. We often have wondered why in the name of all that is artistic, iron baths should always be painted a dirtv yellowish-brmm, grained "in imitation of wood, and emi'nelled inside a glaring grey-white. LET US choose our bath in its original tin nakedness, and then have it coloured to suit our rooms and individual taste. The choice of a suitable shape is not a very easy matter. Saucer baths are so draughty and chilly to wash in: besides, the water lies so shallow within them. Many comfortable-shaped baths take up too much room-nnd the great difficulty with a spoon-shaped hip bath is to persuade it to hold the water and you at the same time; it will do either admirably and willingly, but not both at once, and if you insist on putting it to the test, the result is wailing housemaids exhibiting sodden carpets around the bath itself, and stained ceilings in the room below that in which morning ablutions have been performed. THE outside of the bath may be paiuted dark blue, green, or brown, and the inside carefully enamelled pale eati de Nil, duck's-egg green, turquoise blue, or even light-rose pink. The water-cans may be coloured to match-or it is possible to acquire one of those stately brass milkcans that the Dutch use. They are really not much trouble to clean—they keep the water much hotter than the painted cans—and with care last a life-time. They tip up so pleasantly, and the water pours out of them so freely, that they are a real satisfaction to use. The bath-blankets should shade with the bath and cans, and felt or some other thick material is to be preferred to serge; but if serge be used, it should be lined on the wrong side with thin American cloth. The corners and sides of these blankets are often garnished with a coarse kind of embroidery or applique work, and this gives them a cared-for, pretty appearance. THE feel of sodden, wet serge, felt, or towel is not very pleasant to bare feet, so it is a great luxury to have a square of cork to stand upon after emerg- ing from the bath. Then comes the question of water within the bath, to which many people like to add a few drops of toilet scent but the worst of it is that nearly all bath scents are nasty, unless they are expensive, and though the addition of Marechale la Royale, Houbigant Pasta Mack, good lavender water, or Eau de Cologne, make a delicious bath, their price puts them beyond the reach of ordinary purses, at any rate for daily use. Sweet rain-water in the country is unrivalled; but, town pipe-water always seams to require the addition of a little scent. A fair substitute for toilet scent may be made with fresh lemon-juice or crushed geranium or verbena leaves. EVERYBODY who appreciates dainty washing should have duplicate sponges, soaps, tooth-brushes, and loofahs this is not an extravagance, for they will last much better if they are allowed to dry well tcLween each time they are used. ALL soaps that are sticky in use should be avoided, and preference be given to those that have not much glycerine in their manufacture (except when people suffer from chapped hands in winter), as however carefully hands are dried after use they leave a sticky feeling on the skin. A fine, good soap should be kept in one soap-dish for the hands and face, and a good, sound, hard soap, such as honey or old-fashioned brown Windsor be allowed a separate dish for its own habitation no two soaps should be allowed to touch each other, as it makes them slimy and disagreeable to use after- wards. China covers should never, under any circum- stances, be kept over the soaps as they prevent their drying. For the same reason tooth brushes should never be covered, but should stand upright in a china vase or stand. OF course everyone prefers large washing-basins and wide-mouthed jugs, and, above all, a big, roomy washstand but these are not always obtainable. Much additional space can, however, be generally contrived by placing brackets against the wall to hold bottles, soap-dishes,and toothbrushes. Dry towels arc a neces- sary luxury, but owing tothe usual habit of cramming them on to a tiny towel-horse between the washstand and the wall, or hanging them on a brass rod beside the washstand, where the air cannot possibly get at them, it is a luxury that is very seldom obtainable. We think that large Turkey bath-towels ought to be dried every day, and brought into the bedroom aired and fresh every morning with the bath- water, and face-towels hung on a rod at right angles to the wall, if possible, above the wnEh- stand. Before ending this paper, it may be interesting to describe a washstand that we had especially designed for our own use, and have found wonderfully convenient and adaptable. It was not expensive, as it was only made of deal, stained green, and with cheap though pretty tiles. The space below the table is divided into three compartments. The centre one is a cupboard. At each side, in the two open spaces, like sentinels, stand the two above-mentioned brass cans. Immediately above the large marble slab, four rows of green and white tiles are let into a green board, and above the tiles the back of the table is made into a kind of over- washstand. In the centre is a large convenient two- shelved medicine cupboard, high enough to hold big bottles-at one side the glass cruet-stand bottles, that we described in a former article, are arranged in a little bracket; and on the other two narrow shelves hold a night-light stand or any other object that is required. One large basin and one little one stand on the table with their attendant jugs made of white china, painted with large sprays of one stand on the table with their attendant jugs made of white china, painted with large sprays of laburnum and green leaves, three soap clisho?, a vase to hold tooth-brushes, two sponge-dishes, and two tooth-powder boxes of the same design complete the suite. The bath is painted a dark green with a duck's-egg-coloured lining, which stands, when required, on a dark green felt blanket em- broidered with laburnum sprays, and the whole apparatus is screened from observation by a light screen, bearing a design of laburnum and dark green leaves painted on a pale-green ground. THE hook and eye, so long appreciated for their utility alone, are now to be displayed as ornamental. Magnified to four inches in length, made of twisted silver and fine gilt cord, they will be used this winter for belt buckles, to clasp my lady's fur trimmed coat round her slender throat, while narrower forms will serve to hold the ever popular wrinkled collar in place. ———— PRETTY bright coloured rugs are now in order for house decorations, while handsome lace curtains have plain centres and daintily designed borders. Water silk coats will be worn this season, with the skirt portion reaching to the knee, and the very full sleeve in a single puff with a band or reversed cuff. A dull warm red promises to be one of the most popular shades for winter frocks. The colour is distinctly a shade for brunettes. DELICATE evening fiohus are of crinkled chiffon, edged with coque feathers, and corn yellow, salmon- pink, pale blue, and magenta are some of the colours represented in these pretty novelties. Novelties in galloons and braids are prominent features of autumn I dress trimmings, and the latter are fanciful to a degree which makes it impossible to work over old braids. CHIFFON, that daintiest of transparent fabrics, is frequently seen in combination witn gowns made of cloth. A strange mixture surely, but acceptable, since it fulfils the supreme reauirem»nt of be.eoming- since it fulfils the supreme reauiremAnt. of bfcomiag- ness.

? ART AND LITERATURE. IN Venice, for some tinM past, there baa been a- growing feeling of repulsion against modern exhibi- tions for in Italy they have degenerated into mere big bazaars, in which art, or rather no art, gets prizes at the hands of incompetent juries, who award them to those who are best backed up. For long all the serious painters have ceased to send in their pictures to these paltry shows, and content them- selves with the more limited public which has the food taste to seek them out in their own studios. But the innate artistic feeling of Venice has at last risen in rebellion, and she has decided to strike out a new line for herself, hoping that other art centres of Italy may follow her example. In accordance with this decision, the Municipality has organised a series of biennial international art exhibitions, the first of which will be opened next spring, in which the number of works exhibited will be strictly limited to 500. Of these 300 will be invited," and only 200 will gain admittance by competition, so the level of excellence will be unusually high. The door will thus be entirely barred against all the petty daubers—" Bohemians of art" as the Venetians call them—who flood the ordinary galleries with value- less work. The committee is formed of the chief Venetian painters and sculptors its president is the enlightened and talented syndic of Venice, Com. R. Selvatrio and the secretary is the distinguished pro- fessor and. lecturer, Signor A. Fradeletto. This committee has succeeded in obtaining such a list of patrons as will at once stamp the project with the highest character for true art. England is represented by S:r Frederick Leighton, Sir John Millaia, Sir R. Burne-Jones, and Mr. Alma Tadema; France sends MM. Morcau, de Chavannes, Carolus Duran, P. Dubois and J. T. Henner; Germany sends M. Liebormann, F. von Uhde, G. Schonbeben, and A. von Werner. For Austria-Hungary appear the names of Munkacsv and Passini; and for Belgium C. van Stap- pen. Holland, Norway, Sweden, Russia, and Spain are all represented by their chief artists. Besides these. who have promised to send in some of their best works, a large number of well-known men in each country has been invited to exhibit, and their works will be at once accepted without having to pass through the hands of the jury of admittance. Among the English artists who have accepted there are names as well-known in Venice as in England, such as Herkomer, Holman Hunt, Watts, Sant, Logsdail, Poynter; Clara Mon- talba, Ouless, and others. Great interest is felt among Italians in the work that is coming from England, to which they look for lessons in moral art as 11 they do for many other valuable things. It is wished to make this exhibition a sort of school, where the styles of each country, and of the greatest painters of each country, may be studied and compared. The prizes to be contended for are four-one of £800, given by the city of Venice, and three of £200, given respec- tively by the Government, the Province, and the Savings Bank. These awards, to prevent any risk of favouritism, are to be made by an international jury. It is hoped that an exhibition on these lines may tend to elevate the whole tone of art in Italy, and no doubt Venice will reap the reward she deserves for this new departure in the crowds of lovers of true art that will flock to the Lagoons in the spring of 1805, and in the success of her first really artistic art exhi- bition. WE often hear laments over our national lack of artistic feeling, as shown in articles of everyday use. It has been said, indeed, that in these matters IYO are far behind most if not all, of the Continental nations, and that we make but little progress in this direction. There will, however, be a good oppor- tunity of disproving these criticisms in April next, when there will be held a great Exhibition of Con- temporary Arts and Crafts in Manchester. All kinds of industrial art will be represented, and in- tending exhibitors should lose no time in applying for prospectuses to the curator of the City Art Gallery, Manchester. No charge will be made for space, and exhibitors will be allowed to put prices on their works. Tim library of Gottingen has a Bible written on p'ilm-leaves. There are 5373 pages, each made of a single leaf. PAINTING is almost a second vocation to Mr. Kendal, the actor. On all his tours the brush and the palette are taken with him, and he has put upon paper or canvas the views to be obtained from nearly all the leading hotels of the country. He is also fond of painting scenes in successful plays. Mr. Kendal never had an art education, beyond a few valuable lessons in drawing from Le Gros. Nevertheless, no one visits his house in Harley-street without being much pleased by the various specimens it contains of the actor's skill with both the brush and the pencil. THE Quiver annual, entitled Christmas Arrows," containing a complete one-voljme story, Never Hot did run Smooth," by Mary E. Shepherd; "A New Year's Address," by the Rev. Gordon Calthorp; and complete stories by the Rev. P. B. Power, Jtnnie Chappell, and A. B. Itomney, is now ready. As a youth, Mr. W. D. Howells, the novelist, was filled with the dream of writing a great poem. In the printing office where he was emploved he was always scribbling verses on the "proofs or other handy slips of paper. He had little leisure for reading or writing. When Mr. Howells had left the little pro- vincial town to become a journalist in New York, the first volume he published was a small collection of poems, written in conjunction with a friend who had been a fellow compositor in the printing office. DR. A. C. MACKENSIE finds that the morning is tha best for the work of composition. When he has an important work in hand, the composer carries a little note-hook about with him in which to enter any ideas that may occur to him. In his opinion the best work cannot be done "to order," and he will, therefore, never accept a commission. WHILE in England marringe with a deceased wife's sister is prohibited, in Canada it has been made legal with the consent of the Queen. A RESIDENT Chinese missionary contributes a paper on Chinese Pagodas to the December number of the Quiver, which contains papers by the Rev. G. Short, B.A., President of the Baptist Unien, and the Rev. Prebendary Harry Jones, M.A. Mr. F. H. Holmes has in the same number an article on The Children of Hunger," with illustrations photographed from life, and the first instalment of a new story by the Rev. P. n. Power also appears. ENGLISH admirers of the work of Puvis de Cha- vannes are certainly not as numerous, proportionally, as those in his own country. There are, nevertheless, a considerable number, and these will be glad to know that the very important decorations which he under- took for the Prefets' Staircase" at the Hotel da Ville in Paris, are now in place. The subject is "The Glorification of the City." It is considered to be a complete success. SrAIN will, with the consent of France, very shortly receive the remains of her great, painter Goya. These have for some GO years reposed in the cemetery of the Chartreuse at Bordeaux. They will be taken to Madrid. THE Commission which was appointed after tha recent earthquakes at Athens to inquire into the 3afety of the Parthenon has been unable to agree as to the best means to be taken for its preservation. The Government have therefore determined to invoke the advice of some of the most eminent European architects. THE exhibition which is to be held at the New Gallery in London during the coming winter oug-ht to rival, if not surpass, in interest the most successful of the previous shows under the same roof. An ex- hibition devoted to the Arts of Venice and the territories of the Republic" should include much that has had an influence almost immeasurable upon the art history of our part of the world; and if the intention of the promoters of the show, to trace the tradition of Venetian style from the date of its origin down to the close of the 18th century, can be at all adequately fulfilled, students of artistic movements and fcsthetic developments will be afforded an opportunity unusually valuable of comparison and analysis. To the sightseer a Venetian collection, which will include not pictures merely, but also drawings by great masters, and examples of sculp- ture, engraving, metal work. pottery, glass, arms, furni- ture, embroidery, and costume, ought to appeal irre- sistibly. An invitation is being issued by the com- mittee to all collectors and sympathisers to help in the organising of this exhibition, uot merely by the, contribution of objects of interest, but also by pro- viding any information that m"y tend to further the object of the exhibition." This committee is in every way representative, and includes the names of most of the leading men in the artistic and anti- quarian circles; of the directors of the British and South Kensington Museums, the National Galleries, and some provincial galleries; of the presidents of many artistic and antiquarian societies; and of other official custodians of artis'ic interests. ) 19 ro I