SPILLING THE SALT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3467, 24 August 1920, Page 49

SPILLING THE SALT.

Most of us know that it is "unlucky to spill the salt" (says John o' London's Weekly). In the famous "Last Supper'' of Leonardo da Vinci we may observe Judas Iscariot, with an overturned saltcellar at his elbow; a significant symbolic detail of his treachery and his doom which would not have been lost on the painter's contemporaries. The idea of the sacredness of salt is very ancient. In the East its valuable preservative qualities made it seem an emblem of good faith and eternal friendship. In this sense it was offered to a guest, and so disregard of it or care-

' lessness in its use was taken very seriously. The Jews believed there could be no blessing on a meal taken without salt.' It was even used as a protection against the Evil Eye and other had influences. Jewish babies used to be rubbed with salt as 60021 as they were born; and a lump of salt, tied ur> in a bag, was often hung round a child's neck. It was thought that demons disliked anything so clean and non-decaying as salt, and would fight shy of it. The practice of throwing salt, spilt by accident, over one's shoulder seems to be prompted by a blind desire to shift the ill-luck to someone else, or to get rid, at least, of the thought of it. But, probably, : it was once a serious form of exorcism j | of frightening the salt-hating fiends awayi

HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS.

To freshen a man's silk hat take a piece of black velvet and squeeze it out of cold water. Place it on top of a hot iron, and when steam raises take the velvet off, and rub the hat with it, the way of the pile. As the velvet cools, wring it out again until all the hat has been done, when a delightful result will be obtained.

Woollen articles will shrink less if they art not rinsed. Wash them in two lots of soapy water, adding a little blue to the last, then put them through the wringer and afterwards shake well. When coal is left out of doors, exposed to the weather for, say, a month, it loses one-third of its heating quality, if a ton of coal is placed on the ground and left there and another ton is placed under a shed the latter loses 25 per cent, of its heating power, the former about 47 per cent. Hence it is a great saving of coal to have it in a dry place, well protected on all sides from ths weather.

When washing any icind of leather gloves rinse in soapy -water; this keeps the skins soft.

Wash woollen jerseys in a good sud of white soap, neither hot nor cold. Hang to dry on a coat-hanger, and if the sleeves have a tendency to lengthen in the wash stuff them with newspaper while drying.

Printed cotton washed for the first time should first be steeped in a solution of salt and water.

An iron should never be placed direct on black or other dark stockings. They should bo ironed over a cloth—to preserve the colour.

Lace should be ironed on the ironing blanket —with the wrong side up. Bv this means the pattern is pressed up well. Where many collars have to be washed it is a good plan to run a string through the button-hotes and tie the string to the line. This saves time and pegs. When only a little ironing has to be done, and quickly, the little device known as the "iron slipper" is very convenient. Kept in a drawer, it is always bright and ready for use. It costs sixpence-halfpenny at- the ironmonger's. Rusty flat-irons can be made bright by standing them in a dish of paraffin for a day or two. Afterwards wipe them with fine emery paper. Finally, polish them with powdered bathbrick made hot in the oven. If irons not in use are rubbed over with an oily rag and wrapped up in an old piece of flannel they will not become rusty. A very easy way to obtain a good polish on collars after they are starched and slightly pressed is to rub over the surface a little white soap. Then take a small sponge and dip it into one pennyworth of French chalk, and" rub it lightly over. Iron it with a -warm iron, and a lovely polish will be the result. "Blackheads" are among the most disfiguring signs of an unhealthy skin. To get rid of them steam the face thoroughly bv holding it over a basin of boiling water. Throw a towel over the head and basin to keep the steam in. Then lightly dab the affected parts with some cold cream—knoline is excellent —and massage the skin, using the tip of the third right-hand finger with a circular movement. When the cream is thoroughly absorbed by the pores wash the face in warm water. Then examine the pores to make sure that the blackheads have gone before you apply an astringent lotion. A simple astringent is eau-de-Cologne or diluted lemon juice.