Household Hints.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 180, 9 August 1909, Page 3

Household Hints.

STEAK IN OLIVE OIL. If troubled with indigestion, prepare yoor steaks as the Califcrnians do, a method as appetising as U is wholesome and digestible. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet, pound and floor yoor steak exactly as if using lard or butter, and fry in the not oil, turning frequently to prevent a crust forming. When the steak is removed, add a little butter to tbe contents of the skillet and make gravy as usual. TO CLEAN KID GLOVES. Beat up the white of an egg with an equal quantity of water and a little sugar. If well made, this compound is transparent and not at all sticky. It is good for all kinds of fine leather, especially kids. TO CLEAN WHITE VELVET. A lady writes: I have cleaned white band-painted velvet with ordinary talcum powder. Lay velvet on table, cover thickly with powder, painted part and all, use small, soft, clean brush, rub in thoroughly fold, lay aside for two hours, then brush out all tbe powder and shake in tbe open air. If not satisfactory, repeat process. Mine has come out nicely the first time." TO CLEAN CUT GLASS BOTTLE. Take warm water, with one teaspoon baking soda; shake it well, and you will find it cleaned perfectly. TRIFLE Take a wineglassful each of sherry and brandy and in these soak four sponge cakes and half a pound of macaroon i and ratafias. When well soaked drain the cakes and biscuits and lay some at the bottom of a glass dish. Cover with good strawberry or raspberry jam and poor over a fine rich custard. Place on tbe rest of tbe cakes and smooth whipped and sweetened cream over the whole. Garnish with glace cherries, blanched almonds, and strips of bright jelly. FRUIT SALAD Have ready a deep glass salad bowl, and into it cut up small any variety of fresh fruit obtainable. Pineapples, oranges, apples, bananas, are practically all that are to be had just now. Cut the pineapple into small squares free of all skin; peel the oranges into sections, taking off all skin, and put in tbe flesh as unbroken as possible. Peel and cut apples into tiny squares slice in peeled bananas. Mix together lightly with a silver fork, and sift over three tablespoon fols of castor sugar. Pour over the strained juice of one orange and of half a lemon, and the dish is ready. Thickly whipped and sweetedncd cream to be served with this. Some people add passion fruit to fruit salad, but so many object to the little seeds that it is better to omit the passion fruit.

When cane seats become slack through use they are uncomfortable and unsightly. Sponge both sides of the cane thoroughly with hot soapsuds, in which a handful of salt has been dissolved. Then stand the chairs in tbe open air, and when the top of tbe scat is fairly dry, cover it with a cloth, and iron with a hot iron. Treated like this, tbe seats will become as firm as when new. When a piece of furniture requires cleaning, wash it first with warm, soapy water, a small surface at a time, and dry thoroughly. Then mix together one pint of linseed oil, and one third of a pint of kerosene. Wet tbe flannel with the mixture and rub the furniture. Leave for half an hour then polish the wood with a soft flannel until it shinse. A CURE FOR MONOTONY. There are not a few women in tbe world today who complain bitterly that their life is insufferably dull. They are almost bored to death with the monotony of their existence The consequences of a dull life are serious, for dulness propagates a host of evils, such as slander, malice and strife. "If tbe brain sows not corn, it plants tnistles." Howevecr restricted may be the cir cumstnees of tbe daily life, it is possible to maintain among least things what Wordsworth calls "an ondersense of greatness.'" This in an absolute and never failing cure for dulness and monotony. Tbe cultivation of ideas is the real charm of life. No life can be common place and uninteresting: where the mind is kept uppermost.

An idea is still the alchemist that turns the world to gold. However petty may be a woman's occupation—and let it be remarked, in passing, that it often calls for greatess to do little things—she can, according to her capacities, and capacity inrcesaes by cultivation, revel in what Macaulay calls "the infinite wealth of the mental world." There is no irksome sameness, no want of variety, in tbe thought world. No two days of any intelligent life ought ot be exactly similar. Every day should be a fresh beginning. Every day should be enriched with these little excellencies which are, after all, so great. "Fear not," said

the late Cardinal Newman, "Jest thy life come to an end. But rather lest it never have a beginning."

AVOIDING SHORTSIGHTEDNESS. Shortsightedness is rapidly on the increase. Tbe great cause of this deterioration is not so much due to overwork as to straining tbe eyes by working or reading in a deficient light. When tbe light is poor we unconsciously bring our eyes and the object on which tbey are focussed nearer together. This means that all tbe fine focussing mechanism of tbe eye is working under an unnecessary strain. A plentiful supply of light is not all that is required; it should strike evenly on tbe object at which one is looking, and should fall on the worker's head rom a height. When tbe light comes from above, the eyebrows and upper lasbes prevent any direct rays falling on the unprotected eyes. When tbe sources of light jb on the level with or below that of the eyes, the more scanty lower lasbes do not afford adequate protection. Let the light, if possible, come from behind, over one shoulder, so that when tbe eyes are unconsciously raised, as they are from time to time, they will not meet any perceptible change in the intensity of the light. Avoid working by the light of French windows. The rays coming through the lower part of such windows, and striking the unprotected eye in an upward direction are common causes of eyestrain. A CROWNING GLORY. A woman's crowning glory is her hair, and there are many methods of hair culture. In these days of transformations, curls and plaits, which are within the reach of nearly every woman's purse, it does not matter if the hair is thin, straight and wispy. However, if a woman bas a good bead of hair she should take care of it, and hair specialists are almost unanimous as to the adviability of frequent massage. The hair should be well brushed, and starting at the base of the skull, working toward the forehead, gentle friction should be persisted in until a warm glow is experienced. In massaging the thumbs should be chiefly employed, the movement being carried out in a circular direction, varied with an up and down action. HINT FOR CAKE FLAVOURING. An orange or lemon placed in the jar with newly made cakes or cookies will give them a delicate flavour. RICE MOULDS. One quart of milk and water equal parts, half teaspoonful salt, one cup of sugar; bring to boiling point; one cup ground rice, moteten well to prevent clodding, stir in fluid, boil fifteen minutes, pour in custard cups or any small pretty form. When ice cold turn out. FIG PUDDING. One half pound suet, one half pound figs, half cup of bread crumb, half cup sugar, three eggs, and a little milk. Put in a bowl with wet cloth tied over; steam three hours. Some authorities declare that tbe periodical house-cleaning is an unnecessary nuisance. "My house," remarked a complacent woman recenty, "is always clean. If one's bouse is always clean, one does not need to clean bouse in the spring." This savours somewhat of the moral reflections of tbe Duchess in "Alice in Wonderland," and yet it is not difficult to see what tbe lady in question meant. I think, however, that she was wrong. It really is desirable once a year to set one's house in order from garret to cellar. What else can give such a sense of satisfaction to a woman's soul? For when tbe spring cleanng is "un fait accompli," she feels that at least once a fear she is prepared for all the sudden evils enumerated in the Litany. Where method is used, spring cleannig need not be a terrible infliction. One Room at a Time In order to avoid having the whole house upset, beginning at tbe top of the house and working downwards. It is always a good plan to burn sulphur in each room to purify it before starting to clean it. For this, close all windows and stop op crevices and cracks. Have some bricks arranged on tbe floor, and on the top of these put pan of water; across this place securely a fire shovel, filled with red hot coals. Put one or two good handsful of sulphur on the coals, shut tbe door, and leave the room for about two hours. At the end of that time open the windows—if possible from tbe outide, or if from the inside, put a towel ovecr the mouth and nose while doing so; then shut the door again for a time while the sulphur fumes escape. All ornaments and pictures must, of course, be removed before this is done, as sulphur tarnishes gilt picture frames and metal.