Hints and Suggestions.

Otago Witness, Issue 2362, 1 June 1899, Page 52

Hints and Suggestions.

If liable to catch cold, always take your bath immediately before retiring to rest.

Veils should always be neatly folded into a square or lightly rolled up when taken off.

Laced boots are better than buttoned ones for keeping the feet trim and in shape. Patterns of material commonly known as " harlequin " checks are those which contain three or more separate colours.

Here is a useful wrinkle. Grease stains on light cloth dresses may be removed by rubbing them with spirits of chloroform. A medical authority says that the surest proof of a change being required is when the hair becomes limp and lifeless or begins to fall out. Clean piano keys with a cloth that has been damped with a mixture of one part spirits of wine to three of water. Never use milk for the purpose, as in time it turns the keys yellow*

I To Keep Your Plants Green. — The leaves of all plants kept indoors should -be washed every week. Plants take in as much nourishment through then: leaves as through the roots, and it is impossible for them to do this if the leaves are "covered with dust. , Preserves their Shape. — If a tailor-made , or other cloth jacket has become wet in the . rain, it is a good plan to carefully pull the 1 flaps of the pockets into shape when leav- • ing the jacket to dry, otherwise these are apt to cockle up in a most unsightly manner. To Clean Gloves. — A cheap and simple method of cleaning light-coloured gloves that have become at all dirty is to put them on and rub the bands briskly together in a basin of hot Indian meal. This, it will be found, will soonSget most of the j dirt out.. -

The "Mitten Sleeve." — Those ladies who are fond of wearing something novel will, no doubt, welcome the mitten sleeve. This, usually made in lace, comes right down- over the knuckles, and is provided with openings for the four fingers and thumb, just as in an ordinary mitten. It is worth while to know that bits of good toilet soap may be utilised in various ways, and bo made to do good service. Take a teacupful of scraps of toilet soap, add water, and " when the soap is melted thicken with a little oatmeal' and. pour- into cups or moulds to cool. This will' make an Excellent soap -for the hands and face. Corns fchat Shoot. — Anything more try* ing to the temper than a corn is not discoverable. The use of puniice stone after washing the 'feet daily is' good as a preventive. But when the trouble is rampant apply to a hard corn an ordinary half lemon, rubbing the juice well in. Soft corns are speedily cured by wearing between the toes little wads of cotton wool all day and every day, saturated with subnitrate of bismuth — a cheap powder bought at any chemist's. 'Invalid Soup. — Take lib lean beef (cut) up intc little squares), and one rabbit, jointed ; put these into a jar with about half a teaspoonful of salt and one teacupful of water ; place tho jar in a pan of boiling witer, let it stand and simmer slowly by the side of the fire for six hours, strain through a piece of muslin, when it should be quite transparent ; then bottle. A little of this in its cold state is both nourishing and refreshing. For Invalids. — A very strengthening dish, closely resembling cream, is recommended in a popular English magazine for those . recovering from illness. It must be made with care, though very simple. A quarter of a pound of suet must' be put whole into a pint of milk and allowed to simmer gently, being at the same time constantly stirred, until the milk is as thick as cold cream. It must then be well strained and flavoured according to taste with vanilla lemon or almond. It can be taken either warm or cold. ; Moderate Your Activity. — Hair that shows a tendency to turn grey should not be washed more often than once in eight weeks, but should be cleansed and strengthened bi-weekly by a lotion composed of four ounces of dried sage, one pint of pure water, and one pint of alcohol, allowed to stand for several days and stirred occasionally. This is sage extract. Next the sage leaves should be put into one gallon of soft water and simmered down to three quarts ; strain the^result and add it to the sage extract. Damp the roots of the hair twice a week .with- this, and good effects m will soon be apparent. Bear these Hints in Mind. — Have boots that fit well, but are not tight across the " tread." Wear soft stockings, not too thick, say of cashmere in winter, of lisle thread in summer time. Indoors, have "easy, but not loose shoes. To harden the feet, | pedestrians bathe them in a solution of salt, alum, and vinegar, or rub with whisky overnight, and soak in alum and water in the morning. If the skin is chafed or broken apply nothing without medical ad- ! vice.