Should there be any patches of grease upon the silk, they should be removed as previously described, or by the application of a little camphine and alcohol. Folding or wringing silk when wet must be scrupulously avoided, as creases made in silk when wet will never disappear; and, in like manner, hot suds must not be used for washing silks, as it will in most instances remove the colors. WHEN AN EGG CRACKS.-Eggs sometimes crack upon being immersed in boiling water, or are found to be so when required for use. The plan to adopt, so as to prevent the contents from oozing out, is to gently rub the crack with moistened salt, allowing a little time for it to penetrate, and then it will boil as well as an uncracked one.

TO CLEAN COLORED FABRICS.-Nearly all colored fabrics stain the lather used to clean them, and that without losing their own brightness in any way. No article of a different color must be plunged into a wash or rinse so stained, but must have fresh ones; and no colored article must be rinsed in a blued lather. Scarlet is particularly prone to color a wash.

Different colors are improved by different substances being used in the wash or rinse ; sugar of lead has the credit of fixing all colors when first cleaned, and may be used to those likely to run. To brighten colors, mix some ox-gall, say two-pennyworth; but of course the quantity must be regulated by the quantity of suds in the wash and rinse. For buff and cream-colored alpaca or cashmere, mix in the wash and rinse two-pennyworth of friar's balsam for one skirt. For black materials, for one dress, two-pennyworth of ammonia in the wash and rinse. For violet, ammonia or a small quantity of soda in the rinsing water. There are some violets and mauves that fade in soda. For green, vinegar in the rinse, in the proportion of two tablespoonfuls of vinegar to a quart of rinse. For blue, to one dress, a good handful of common salt in the rinse. For brown and gray, ox-gall. For white, blue the water with laundry blue.

Dresses, mantles, shawls, opera-cloaks, under-skirts, Garibaldis, and Zouaves (the latter and such small articles need not be unpicked if the trimming is removed), articles embroidered with silk, self-colored or chintz-colored, damask curtaining, moreen and other woollen curtaining, may all be cleansed as specified so far.

Pull them out well, whilst wet,
When half dry it is a good

Blankets should be cleaned in the same way. at both sides and both ends, between two persons. plan to take them off the line, and pull them again; when quite dry, just give them a little more pulling out. This keeps them open and soft. Blankets are not blued so much as flannels, presently described. Never use soda to them, and never rinse them in plain water, or rub on soap.

The dyers and cleaners have a mode of pressing articles which gives to many of them, such as damask and moreen curtaining and Paisley shawls, a superior appearance to anything that can be achieved at home; but some of them will press articles at a fixed price for persons cleaning them at home.

Worsted braids and fancy trimmings can be cleaned the same way.

MUSLIN DRESSES, even of the most delicate colors, can be cleaned in ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, without losing their color. Melt half a pound of soap in a gallon of water, empty it in a washing tub; place near two other large tubs of clean water, and stir into one a quart of bran. Put the muslin in the soap, turn it over and knead it for a few minutes; squeeze it out well, but do not wring it, lest it get torn; rinse it about quickly in the bran for a couple of minutes. Rinse again well for a couple of minutes in clean water. Squeeze out dry and hang it between two lines. A clear dry day should be chosen to wash muslin dresses; half a dozen may be done this way in half an hour. The last rinse may be prepared the same way as the rinses for woollen fabrics. A colored pattern on a white ground must not be blued. The bran may here be dispensed with.

When the dress is dry make the starch; for a colored muslin white starch, and unboiled, but made with boiling water, is best for muslin dresses. Stir the starch with the end of a wax candle. Dip the dress. Hang it again to dry. When dry, rinse it quickly and thoroughly in clear water. Hang it to dry.

again. Sprinkle and roll it up; afterwards iron it with very hot irons. Hot irons keep the starch stiff. This rinsing after starching is called clear-starching; none of the stiffness but much of the unsightliness of the starch is removed in

this way.

All kinds of white muslins, lace curtains, cravats, etc., may be washed in a thick ley of soap as described, well rinsed, blued, and starched, like the muslin dresses above named. Use blue starch to white. White muslin Garibaldis should be very slightly blued, and the same may be observed of book-muslin dresses and cravats, as blue-looking muslin is very unbecoming to the complexion; a slight creamy tinge is preferable.

Morning cambric dresses may be washed the same way as muslin dresses; but they do not generally clean quite so readily, and perhaps may need rubbing a little in places that are soiled.

The advantage of thus cleansing dresses instead of washing them is, first, if colored, the process is so rapid that there is not time for the colors to run. Secondly, the fabric is not rubbed, and therefore not strained and worn out. Thirdly, the process saves nearly all labor, and is so quickly done, that any lady may manage it for herself in the absence of a laundry-maid or a lady's maid.

Many ladies make a strong solution of sugar of lead-some put two pennyworth in enough cold water for one dress; stir it well when dissolved, and let the dress, muslin or cotton, soak a couple of hours to set the colors before washing it the first time. It does not need to be repeated. Those using sugar of lead should be careful not to do so if they have any scratches, abrasions, or wounds about their hands.

Chintz may be cleaned in the same way as muslin and print dresses.

TO CLEAN BLACK SILK WITH VERY LITTLE TROUBLE AND EXPENSE.-Take entirely to pieces the dress, jacket, etc., and well shake each piece; then spread

over a deal table a newspaper, or sheet of clean paper, and on it lay a breadth of the silk. Brush it well both sides with a fine soft brush—a hat-brush would very well answer the purpose. Shake it again; fold together in half, and place it on one side of the table. In the same manner shake, brush, and shake again each piece of the silk. Remove the paper, and place on the table a clean newspaper, or sheet of paper. Newspapers answer best; they are large and smooth, and probably at hand. On the paper again place a breadth of the silk, and to a clean quart pudding-basin pour a half pirt of cold water, adding half a pint of good sweetened gin, which is better for the purpose than unsweetened, as the sugar stiffens the silk. These are the proportions for any quantity required. Have ready a piece of black crape, or black merino, about half a yard square; dip it well into the liquid, and thoroughly wash over the best side of the silk. Be careful that it is well cleaned, and, if possible, wash it from edge to edge, and wet it well all over. Then fold over the silk in half; then again, till the folds are the width of those of new silk. Place it in a clean towel, and clean each piece of the silk in the same manner, laying one piece on the other; and remembering by a mark which is the last piece done, as that must be the last ironed. Let the silk lie folded in the towel until a large iron is well heated; but be careful that it is not too hot; try it first on paper, or a piece of old damped silk. Use two irons. Open the towel when the iron is ready, and place the piece of silk that was first cleaned on an old table-cloth or sheet folded thick; iron the wrong side quickly, from edge to edge, until dry. Fold the silk over lightly to the width of new silk, and place it on one end of the table until all is done. This simple process stiffens, cleans, and makes the silk look new.

DIRECTIONS FOR CLEANING BLACK MERINO, OR ANY WOOLLEN STUFF, BLACK CLOTH JACKETS, CLOAKS, OR GENTLEMEN'S CLOTHES, ETC.-Purchase, at a chemist's, one pennyworth of carbonate of ammonia. Place it in a clean quart pudding-basin, and pour upon it a pint of boiling water; cover it over with a clean plate, and let it stand to get cold. Having taken entirely to pieces the dress, jacket, or cloak, shake each piece well; then spread a large newspaper over a deal table, place one breadth of the material upon it, and brush it well on both sides with a fine hard brush; shake it again and place it on one side of the table, folded in half. Brush and shake in the same manner each piece, folding and placing one piece on the other at the end of the table. When all are brushed, remove the paper and replace it with a fresh one, upon which place another, if thin. Lay upon the paper one breadth of the stuff, quite smooth and flat, the wrong side next the paper; then take a piece of black merino, about half a yard square; dip it in the carbonate of ammonia and water (cold), well wet it, and wash over the stuff or cloth. If cloth, care must be taken to wash it the right way, so as to keep it smooth; when well washed over, fold the material in half, and place it in a clean towel, laying one piece over the other, until all are done. Mark the last, as that will be the last to be ironed. Let the merino, or cloth, rest in the towel for about an hour; then iron the wrong side,

after placing it on a thickly folded blanket, or sheet, with a thin sheet of paper, old glazed lining out of the dress, or piece of linen, over the blanket or sheet. Iron each piece on the wrong side until quite dry, and have two heavy irons, one neating while the other is in use. Fold over the pieces, the width of new merino, but be careful not to fold it so as to mark it sharply, especially cloth. Gentlemen's clothes can be thus cleaned without taking to pieces, or ironing, unless quite convenient. Vests and coat collars are thus easily renovated, the color is revived, grease spots and white seams removed.

TO RENOVATE CRAPE.-Brush the crape well with a soft brush, and over a widemouthed jug of boiling water hold tightly the crape, gradually stretching it over the jug of boiling water. If a strip of crape, it is very easily held tightly over the water, letting ti.e piece done fall over the jug until all is completed. The crape will become firm and fit for use, every mark and fold being removed. White or colored crape may be washed and pinned over a newspaper, or towel, on the outside of a bed, until dry. Crape that has been exposed to rain or damp-veils especially-may be saved from spoiling by being stretched tightly on the outside of the bed with pins, until dry; and no crape should be left to dry without having been pulled into proper form. If black crape, lace, or net Is faded or turned brown, it may be dipped into water, colored with the bluebag, adding a lump of loaf-sugar to stiffen, and pinned on to a newspaper on a bed.

RICE WITH ONIONS.-Cut the onions into pieces the size and shape of dice, using only the bulbs for that purpose, the other parts of the onion not being suitable. Then put them in a pan with a little butter, and let them remain on the fire until brown. Then pour in sufficient water to make the required quantity of soup, and season with salt and fine pepper. Afterwards put into the saucepan four ounces of rice-or more if required-and boil them together for an hour and a half.

TOMATO CATSUP.-One gallon of tomatoes (that is, after they are all boiled down), four tablespoonfuls of salt, three tablespoonfuls of pepper, three tablespoonfuls of mustard, half tablespoonful of allspice, half a tablespoonful of ground cloves, one tablespoonful of cayenne pepper, one pint of vinegar, to be simmered for one hour. Scald and skin the tomatoes first, and thoroughly boil them (they can scarcely be done too much) before adding the above ingredients. When cold put into old pickle bottles and seal the corks.

SALLY LUNN CAKES.-Make a soft dough with flour, a little salt and butter, two or three eggs, yeast, and milk and water. After kneading well, let it rise before the fire. Then make it into cakes of a size convenient to slice across and toast. Bake slightly, but in an oven sharp enough to make them rise. When wanted, slice, toast, and butter your Sally Lunns, and serve piping hot on a plate which you cannot hold with your naked fingers. There are two objections to these and the following-they are indigestible, and are also terri ble "stroys" (destroyers, consumers) for butter.

MUFFINS.-With warm milk, a liberal allowance of yeast, flour, a little salt, and an egg or two, make dough still softer in its consistence than the above. After kneading or beating, get it to rise well. Then make your muffins as you would small dumplings; dust them with flour, flatten them, and bake them slightly on a hot iron plate, or in tin rings, turning them to bake the upper side when the under side is done. The great object is to keep them light, moist, and full of eyes. Muffin-making is a profession, but its secrets are not inscrutable. Once possessed of the iron plate (which you will be able to obtain without difficulty from any ironmonger), a few trials will put you in the way; and if you have one or two failures at first, they will be eaten with the greater relish because they are your failures. Before toasting a muffin, cut it nearly in two, leaving it slightly attached in the middle. When toasted brown and crisp on both sides, slip the butter into the gaping slit, and serve on a plate not quite red-hot.

CRUMPETS are made in the same way as muffins, only the paste is still softer, approaching batter in its consistency. Let them also rise well. Bake slightly in like manner on an iron plate made for the purpose. The usual size and thickness of crumpets you learn from the specimens sold in the shops. After toasting, muffins should be crisp; crumpets, soft and woolly. It is like eating a bit of blanket soaked in butter. If you are pining for crumpets, and have no iron plate, you may bake them in the frying-pan, which is often used for cake-making. RAISED BUCKWHEAT CAKES.-Warm a quart of water. Stir into it a good tablespoonful of treacle, and a teaspoonful of salt. Mix in enough buckwheatflour (or oatmeal or Indian corn-flour) to make a stiff batter, together with a tablespoonful of good yeast. Let it stand to rise before the fire. Then bake on a hot plate, in iron rings, like muffins, or in a slack oven. Toast and eat it hot with butter.

FRIED BREAD CAKES.-To a quantity of light dough equal to five teacupfuls, add half a cupful of butter, three of brown sugar, a teaspoonful of salt, four eggs, and a little grated nutmeg. Knead these well together with flour; let them rise before the fire until very light. Knead the dough again after it rises; cut it into diamond-shaped cakes; let them rise; and fry in lard or dripping, as soon as light. These cakes are best eaten fresh.

JOHNNY OR JOURNEY CAKE. -Boil a pint of sweet milk; pour it over a teacupful and a half of Indian corn-meal, and beat it for fifteen minutes. Unless well beaten, it will not be light. Add a little salt, half a teacupful of sour milk, one beaten egg, a tablespoonful of oiled butter, a tablespoonful of flour, and a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda. Beat well together again. This cake is best baked in a spider (a deep iron pan) on the stove. When browned on the bottom, turn it into another spider, or finish it off on the griddle.

THE FRENCH COUNTRY WAY OF SALTING PORK.—Bacon, so cured, is almost the only meat ever tasted by millions of the French. As soon as the pig is killed, it is invariably not scalded, but singed, in the way so well described by