The WENDY HUT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 19 August 1933, Page 9

The WENDY HUT

LONG AGO STORIES PHYLLIS, THE LACE MAKER Phyllis made hone lace, which her father sold. She was known as a very charitable maiden, for when the beggars from Queen Elizabeth’s highway came to the low door, where she sat with a hard pillow on her lap and a number of little bone bobbins in her hand, she always had something for them. Now. at this time, the beggars were an organised band of robbers, and Phyllis and her father were actually highly-placed ollieers in this dreadful army of rogues who terrified people on the ' Queen's highway. Discharged soldiers and sailors, poor farmers, men, girls and boys of all sorts came to see Phyllis, and she it was who fitted them out for their new occupation. Afterwards they paid part of their ‘■earnings” to her, and her father, the peddler, kept a sharp eye on them as lie tramped from town to town. Some of the rogues were called Clapperdudgeons, and these Phyllis dressed in filthy rags. By putting certain herbs on their arms and legs, she could make them appear wounded, and then, with crutches and a lot of dirty bandages, they went begging in the markets, saying (hey were old soldiers. Others pretended to lie mad, and to these Phyllis would give an old doll, or a stick with a piece of bacon on it, or a net full of holes with which they tried

to catch stars, and they would go round the streets pretending to have fits—and sometimes, they made a lot of money ! Phyllis was very clover, and she made up all the stories which the beggars told to travellers on the road. At sunset, when she could no longer see to make her fine bone lace, she would creep to the cellar, and by the light of a rush she would look into a barrel which was nearly full of silver and gold.

“When it is quite full, my father and I will go to another part of England and begin a new life,” she thought happily. “I will bury this old life in my herb garden, and nobody else will ever know anything about it.” Life was so strange in those days that one evening Phyllis actually went into her herb garden and buried a lump of wax which she said was her old life. And in the North of England a grave doctor appeared with his daughter who was learned in herbs. They became good citizens, and bought a fine house, and Phyllis, the daughter, married a nobleman, and made fine bone lace for her own beautiful petticoats. But people always said she had a very strange smile. WHY IS A “TUMBLER?” We call a certain kind of drinking glass a “tumbler,” although it stands quite firmly on the table. Why? A “tumbler” muxs originally a glass with a rounded or pointed base, which coxdd only “stand” when emptied and turned upside-down. As a matter of fact, all drinking vessels were at one time of tho “tumbler” variety, excepting the heavy and beautifully-carved goblets that were studded with precious stones. In the Middle Ages, it was considered bad form to put down a drinking vessel without finishing off the contents. So, to prevent pcoplo from feeling they were being discourteous because they were unable to swallow a whole cupful of liquid at once, tho vessels were made so that it was impossible to place them on the table until they were empty. People just kept them in their hands between sips. The old drinking-horns were shaped exactly like horns. Indeed, in many instances they were actually horns,* cleaned and polished. Of course it was impossible to stand these on their tips! When people became more enlightened, they made stands for glasses and cups that wouldn’t stand up themselves, rather than throw them away. It is rather interesting to know that some of the huge goblets of tho past were so heavy that two hands had to be used to lift them. WENDY’S LITTLE DRESSMAKERS play overall for baby BROTHER One of my “little dressmakers” wants instructions for making a play-overall for her baby brother. Perhaps all of , you would like to know how to do it? It takes only half a yard of 30 inch wide cotton material, and is trimmed with a pretty embroidered design of dandelion-clocks and leaves. Fold the material lengthways and width ways, and cut ns shown in the diagram, which gives all tho measurements you need. I think it would be a gonif plan to draw the diagram to scale on a piece of paper, and cut out a pattern which you can pin on to the material. Then you’ll be quite certain lo cut out the garment accmatcly. Sew up the shoulder-scams, and the side-seams. Cut a little opening about J

three inches down the centro back from the. neck, and then bind the neck opening, including this three inch cut, with bias binding in a contrasting colour (see diagram A). You can buy bias

binding for a penny a yard, and it makes a good trimming. When you have bound the neck, bind the sleeves, and all round the bottom of tile romper. Sew three halves of press-studs in tlm central curved piece in front, and corresponding halves on the one at the back. You can see this in diagram B. When the press-studs are clipped together the romper will have two -cq>u rate leg spaces. Pencil round a penny placed in (!::■ centre of the romper front, then draw a straight line for a stem, and a point cd leaf each side. Work round the circle with white thread French knots to represent the dandelion clock, and do the leaves in green fish-bone stile!), and the stalk in stem-stitch. The last little diagram shows the decoration that goes round the legs of the romper —circles worked in white French knots with small green leaf-tops in between —Wendy’s Dressmaker. THE BILLY BOYS’ WORKSHOP A USEFUL TRAY FOR THE KITCHEN A useful wooden tray, like the one shown in tho diagram, is not at all difficult, to make. Only five pieces are required, the ends and sides being cut from wood three-eighths of an inch thick, while tho bottom is made from three-ply wood. To make the ends, cut two pieces of

wood ten inches long and two inches wide. To form the slot for the handle of each end, make two holes, aB shown, with a three-quarter inch and cut away the wood in between with a pad saw. Cut away the top corners, A.A. with your tenon saw, and then round off the top edge with a chisel. Make the other end in the same way, and give both a good rub over with fine glass-paper to make them smooth. The side pieces are fifteen inches long and one inch wide. Finish the ends quite square, round off the top edges with your small plane, and smooth both sides.with a glass-paper block. For the bottom of the tray, obtain a piece of three-ply wood measuring sixteen and a quarter inches long by ten and a half inches wide, and smooth both sides and edgeß with glass-paper. Fix sides and ends to the bottom with three-quarter inch brass countersunk screws, driven in from underneath. Three screws for each part will be sufficient. Then attach the ends to

the sides with four more screws, as shown in tho first diagram. In diagram B an alternative shape for the ends is shown, the curved top being marked out with compasses set to a radius of six inches. The finished tray can either be coated with cellulose paint in any desired colour, or treated with varnish stain.—The Hut Carpenter. THE JUNGLE GENTLEMEN After a hard winter, Mike the monkey decided to become the gentleman of the jungle. So he called his friends together and explained his idea to them. “A gentleman is always right,” he said. “He is polite, kind and truthful. Ho judges wisely, he is a sport, and lie never docs anything that’s mean or nasty.” “Then for goodness sake be a gentleman at once, Mike!" cried Prim the parrot “Tbet is my inteiEmn.” replied Mike gravelv. “But a gentleman must he provided for. If T become a gentleman, you must keep me. It’s a poor jungle that ean’t support ono gentleman!” The jungle folk said they wer.e well able to keep one gentleman, so Mike started his new occupation at once. His friends built him a fine house in a tree, hung flowering vines round his door and supplied him with quantities of fund. Mike became fatter and fatter, strutted up and down giving advice, and never lost his temper even when creatures like Pepper the porrupine called him a lazy lout. “He never does anything mean or nasty,” sighed Canibite the crocodile. “He’s a fine gentleman.” “He does nothing but talk and eat.” ohiected Pepper. Alike pretended not to hear that, and Cutrb'fe showed such humble »nl; t «. , u .rc that, the gentleman allowed < n ()>■’(> unite close. ('—> -lav Canibite asked M’ke to '’ > on a knollv question ; s so flatten d that he sat <l»-v ; > of the crocodile. Canibite i 1” ’ -dy made a grab at b ; m—s" 1 ’ ;i. !■« escaped is a mystery! He wee ..’.....0' + on f a f to run up his tree, bn* bo -n* away with only a snip of one ear trussing. “T’m no longer a gentleman,” he panted “It’s too fattening!” “You never were one!” shouted Canibite. “You’ve got it wrong somewhere.” While he was waiting for his ear to mend. Mike wondered where the gentleman idea had gone wrong. He never found out. and is still puzzling about it! I expect you could tell him! TIRK’S CROSS-WORD PUZZLE Solution to last week’s puzzle:— ACROSS 1. Catch the breath. (Gasp). 5. Not in a straight line. (Skew). 9. Preposition. (Unto). 10. Girl’s name. (Lena). 11. Christian name of the Bible. (Esau). 12. Rc-ults. (Ends). 13. A colour. (Brown). 15. Name for the sun. (Sol). 17. Historical period, (Era). 19. Notion. (Idea). 21. Thin flat piece of anything. (Slab). 22. Compass point. (N.E.). 23. Roman numerals for one thousand anri fifty. (ML). 24. Good animal to ride or drive. (Horse). DOWN 1. you are probably doing about this puzzle. (Guessing). 2. Short for “answer.” ' (Ans). 3. Where No. 24 across sleeps. (Stable); 4. Tip liquid from one vessel to another. (Pour). 5. Killed. (Slew). 6. Where a dog often sleeps. (Kennel). 7. Termination. (End). 8. Capable of being washed. (Washable). 14. Upon. (On). 10. Poem. (Ode). 18. Animal. (Ram). 20. Fuss. (Ado). 21. Call for help. (SOS). Clues for this week:— CROSS 6. Times to which we all look forward. 8. A single thing. 9. Number. 11. To meditate. 13. Girl’s name. 14. Short for “right.” 15. Compass point. 16. An image. 18. Girl’s name. 20. Part, of verb ‘to he.’ 21. Because. 22. Fragrant herb. DOWN 1. Close. 2. To rob. 3. Day of the week. 4. Small island. C. Within. 7. Not bright. 10. Makes less difficult, 12. Tempest. 15. Another girl’s name. 17. The sheltered side. 19. Preposition.