good songsters in the cage. The goldfinch builds a very beautiful nest of moss, and other soft materials, and lays five or six eggs which are white, and marked at the end with purple spots.

| confining it flat. The centre of a flower may be also finished with bullion; in that case, the stitch taken should be shorter than the piece of bullion, the under-side of which will, therefore, be compressed, and the upper side expanded, so as to give it prominence. Gold spangles may be occasionally

by bringing the thread from beneath, passing it through the spangle, then through a very short bit of bullion, and back through the hole in the centre of the spangle; this is better than sewing the spangle on with a thread across its face.

The Linnet has a great number of admirers, and, when rich in song, is deemed valuable. Young birds are often brought up under an old linnet of re-introduced, and they should be secured putation as a songster; and from being kept in the same room long enough to acquire the variety of notes and execution of its master, the little pupils are reckoned worth two or three guineas each, or even more, if they exhibit any unusual powers of voice. The nest of the linnet is usually built in a white thorn, or furze-bush; it is composed of bents, moss, &c., and lined with fine down, and sometimes horsehair; the hen lays four or five whitish eggs.

Gold-Thread Embroidery.-Not a long time ago this art was very popular with ladies, and is still practised by a great number. In splendour and richness it far exceeds every other species of embroidery, and is principally used in court dresses and for the ball-room. It is practised on crape, India muslin, or silk; and, principally, in large and bold designs. The gold-thread should be fine, and it may be worked with nearly the same facility as any other thread. Where the material is sufficiently transparent, a paper pattern is placed underneath; the outline is run in white thread; and the subject is then worked with gold thread, in satin-stitch. For a thin stalk to a flower, the running-thread should be omitted, and gold thread laid on the material, and sewn slightly over with another gold thread, thus giving the stalk a very pretty spiral appearance. In embroidering a thick material, the design is to be sketched with a pencil, if the ground be light, or with a white-chalk pencil if dark. The pattern is frequently varied by the introduction of short pieces of fine gold bullion; sometimes two or three of them coming out of the cup of a flower; the stitch passes lengthwise through the twist of the bullion, thus

Gauze Screens.-These screens are made of gauze, stretched over a frame of wire, and ornamented with figures, which are usually cut out of chintz. The handles, as well as the shapes, are merely of wire, bent and fastened in various modes. The gauze must be doubled, stretched lightly over on one side of the wire frame, and neatly sewed at the edges, which should be bound with gold or coloured paper. The ornaments, such as flowers, birds, &c., cut out of chintz, are to be gummed on the front of the screens; but should a difficulty occur in procuring a variety from chintz, an engraving, rather gaudily coloured, will answer the purpose. Artificial butterflies, and other insects, look well, if fastened to the gauze by their bodies, with their wings extended. Flowers, also, gummed by their calyces and stems, with their petals free, produce an equally good effect. The handles are bound over with ribbon, and decorated with bows.

Old Maids.-Being an old maid implies decision of character; neither sham nor show, nor courtly manners, nor splendid person, have won them over; nor fair promises, nor shallow tears. They looked beyond the manner and the dress, and finding no cheering indication of depth of mind and sterling principles, they gave up the specious present for the chance of a more solid future, and determined in hope and resignation to "bide their time."

Puff Paste.-Mrs. Beeton, in her | ounces of beef suet, and half a pint of "Household Management," gives the water. Free the suet from skin and following recipe for making good puff shreds; chop it extremely fine, and rub paste:-"Ingredients; to every pound it well into the flour; work the whole of flour allow one pound of butter, and into a smooth paste with half a pint of not quite half a pint of water. Mode of water; roll it out, and it is ready for mixing:-Carefully weigh the flour and use. This crust is quite rich enough for butter, and have the exact proportion; ordinary purposes, but when a better squeeze the butter well, to extract the one is desired, use three quarters of a water from it, and afterwards wring it pound of suet to every pound of flour. in a clean cloth, that no moisture may Some cooks, for rich crusts, pound the remain. Sift the flour; see that it is suet in a mortar, with a small quantity perfectly dry, and proceed in the fol- of butter. It should then be laid on lowing manner to make the paste, using the paste in small pieces, the same as for a very clean pasteboard and rolling-pin: puff-crust, and will be found exceed-Supposing the quantity to be one ingly nice for hot tarts. This quantity pound of flour, work the whole into a of suet to every pound of flour will smooth paste, with not quite half a pint make a very good crust; and four of water, using a knife to mix it with; ounces will be found sufficient for chilthe proportion of this latter ingredient dren, or for stomachs that do not like must be regulated by the discretion of rich pastry. the cook; if too much be added, the Management of Table Lamps.— paste, when baked, will be tough. Roll If the wick be turned too much, the oil it out until it is of an equal thickness will not rise readily; nor should it be of about an inch; break four ounces too loose, or it will cause the capillary of the butter into small pieces; place attracting power to raise too much oil. these on the paste, sift over it a little Lamps require constant attention to the flour, fold it over, roll out again, and wick, otherwise the light will be uneqal. put another four ounces of butter. Re-Trim your lamps daily. The wick should peat the rolling and buttering until the paste has been rolled out four times, or equal quantities of flour and butter have been used. Do not omit, every time the paste is rolled out, to dredge a little flour over that and the rolling-pin, to prevent both from sticking. Handle the paste as lightly as possible, and do not press heavily upon it with the rolling-pin. The next thing to be considered is the oven, as the baking_of pastry requires particular attention. Do not put it into the oven until it is sufficiently hot to raise the paste; for the best-prepared paste, if not properly baked, will be good for nothing. Brush-it off, and set it aside, letting the phials ing the paste as often as rolled out, and the pieces of butter placed thereon, with the white of an egg, assists it to rise in leaves or flakes. As this is the great beauty of puff-paste, it is as well to try this method.

Suet Crust for Pies or Puddings. -To every pound of flour allow six

be cut perfectly level with scissors; any ragged bits on the edge of the wick cause the flame to burn unevenly, and to smoke.

To Wash Phials.-In most families are gradually collected a number of phials that have been used for medicine. It is well to have a basket purposely to keep them in, and occasionally to wash them. Put into a wash-kettle some sifted ashes, and pour on it a sufficiency of cold water. Then put in the phials (without corks,) place the kettle over the fire, and let it gradually come to a boil. After it has boiled awhile, take

remain in it till cold. Then take them out, rinse, drain them, and wipe the outsides. You may wash black bottles. in the same manner. If you have occasion to wash a single phial or bottle, pour into it through a small funnel some Iye, or some lukewarm water in which a little pearlash has been dissolved.

able, useful, and ornamental to the laundry-table.

point of the braid, 5 chains, observing who is disposed to make it, very durto pass the needle through both braids. On this row work 6 double on each ehain scollop. Illustration No. 2 shows the In a subsequent part of our volume pattern in full size. we shall give pattern of a cover for a This cloth will be found by any lady polished box-iron.

Sugar as Food.—In alluding to the | wear. Inferior carpets usually have a uses of sugar in assisting assimilation, reduction in the quantity of surface Mr. Bridges Adams says:-" I know by worsted, produced by dropping loops. experience, the difference in nutritious The quality of worsted is not less imeffect produced by the flesh of tired portant than the quantity; indeed, a cattle on a march, and those slain in a carpet made of good worsted, in a condition arising from abundant food smaller quantity, is to be preferred to and healthy exercise. In the former one crowded with an inferior material. case any amount might be eaten with- Good worsted is bright, evenly twisted, out the satisfaction of hunger, while in free from loose, hairy fibre, soft and the latter a smaller amount removed elastic to the touch. Scarlet and crimhunger. But I discovered that certain son are very durable colours; greens other food, of a different quality, such are sound; and brown, buff, and fawn as grape-sugar and fruit, would help colours, somewhat less permanent. the tired meat to assimilate, and thus remove hunger."