Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 305, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 December 1913 — Page 2

Christmas Gifts by Little Fingers

I—Doll’s Coni Hammock. s—Raffia Collar Button Box. B—Match Strike. 2 Thermometer. 6—Neck Tie Rack. 9—Crochet Bag. 3 Doll’s Raffia Hammock. 7—A Pretty Bag. 10—Thread and Needle. 4 Caird Board Work Basket. 11—Ring Toss.

S Christmas draws near, < the little folks are wonders I ing what they shall make y | this year. They should nr rj know that something made ML* by themselves is appreciAffl* j ated a hundred times more than anything money could buy. As Christmas draws near, the little folks are wondering what they shall make this year. They should know that something made by themselves is appreciated a hundred times more than anything money could buy. Doesn’t mother still use the needle case given her two Christmases ago, and isn’t father as proud of his desk calendar as the day he found it hidden under his breakfast napkin? Remember, whatever it is, wrap it neatly in tissue paper when finished, tie it with ribbon and stick a piece of ‘evergreen or holly through the bow. A carefully wrapped present always adds to the pleasure of receiving it. Here are some ideas that will help answer the question of “What shall I make this year?*’ The first five suggestions are chiefly for the boys, because to make these presents they will need their tool chests, although, of course, many girls are as handy with tools as their big brothers. Ring Toss. Make a base or stand of wood nine Inches square, and two inches thick. Bore five holes in the top of this, one “in the center and one in each corner, one inch from the edge. In these holes fit rounded sticks about an inch thick. Paint or Shellac the wood. Shellac can be bought at any paint store. If It is too thick, thin it with a little alcohol. The tops of the sticks are gilded for about an Inch. Six rings are made of reeds formed in circles. Soak the reeds for about 20 minutes to make them bend easier. Cover them with raffia. This game will give much pleasure during the long winter afternoons. Neck Tie Rack. Basswood should be used for this rack, because it is soft, easily cut and light In weight Saw out of the wood a design as shown in the picture. It is % inch thick, 5% inches wide and 13 Inches long. The rod is inch thick and 11 inches long. The posts are % inch by inches. The rod and •posts should be made out of birch or maple wood because it is harder. •Give the rack an even coat of shellac. Tlace two screws and two screw eyes «n the top of the rack so it will be uready to hang up on Christmas morning. Match Strike. Out of a piece of bass wood that measures inch thick, 6% inches wide and 7 Inches long, cut with a iscroll saw a match strike like in the ipicture. Place a piece of sand paper (around a small block of wood and .sand paper it in the direction of the Igrain of the wood. Never work against itbe grain. Give the board a coat of Cut a square of sand paper and place it on a thin layer of glue in •the center of the panel. Place someI thing heavy on the sand paper until

WIDOW HAVE TO HAVE HIM

(Remarkable Story of Worldwide Chase for Man Who Sought to Evade Matrimony. Regretting an engagement into which he had entered, a young German named Dreher, an employe of a large Lancashire (England) firm, threw up his situation and left for Berlin. No news of any kind reached his fiancee, a widow of some means, and, as her rspMttd letters remained unanswered,

By PEGGY POWERS

the glue is hardened. With your carving punch and hammer strike light, careful blows over the board to decorate it. Thread and Needle. How glad mother will be receive this useful gift! It Is made” of basswood % inch thick, 3% inches wide and 14% Inches long. (See picture.) This must be given a coat of shellac. Bore a hole In the middle of the board one inch from the top by which to hang it Two, four and six Inches from that bore holes and place in each of them a peg % inch thick and 1 inch long, which holds the spool of thread. Two inches from the lowest one glue a velvet pin cushion. This cushion is 2% inches square. It is stuffed with cotton batting. One inch below the cushion screw a brass hook to hold the scissors. ,

Thermometer.

Any one is glad to have a pretty thermometer for his or her room. Look at the picture aflfi cut a design like it out of basswood. Bore a hole near the top for hanging. Sand paper the board the same as you did the match strike. Shellac both sides. If you put a coat on only one side the board will warp. Stamp the background to make it look pretty with a carving punch and hammer stamp. Cut out a background like picture for the thermometer. Glue it in place. Tack on a thermometer with the brass escutcheon pins that are used for that purpose. v

Cardboard Work Basket. And here is a dainty basket that does not require the tool chest, and “big sister” will be glad to have it. It is useful as well as pretty. Cut out of heavy white cardboard four pieces shaped like the picture. They should be 2 inches across -the bottom and 4 inches across the top. On each one embroider several spider webs with mercerized silk. Cut out of cardboard a square, a trifle less than 2 inches, for ttyp bottom of the basket Fit and sew the sides to the bottom and then sew the sides together to form a basket Run a ribbon, about an inch wide, along the edges of the basket. Sew it firmly-at the corners. At each top corner place a pretty bow. A Pretty Bag.

This is - crash bag 14 inches long and 7 inches wide when finished. At the top a piece 4 Inches long is turned over and 1% inches of it at the bottom is ravelled for a fringe. An inch from the top of the bag eight small embroidery rings are sewed, each 1% inches apart Through this a silk cord is drawn. You can make up your own embroidery design. The one in the picture is worked with a simple chain stitch. Crotchet Bag.

This bag was crotcheted with a very pimple stitch and was made by a little “girl only nine years old. Get out your crotchet needle and see what you can do. This bag may be used for many different things and if well made will last for years. For the bottom of It, cut a piece of cardboard 4 inches by 5 Inches. Cover it with any piece

she soon became very anxious, when her Uneasiness suddenly gave place to rage on receipt of an anonymous communication, telling her of her faithless lover’s flight and informing her of his address. Next day, accompanied by her brother she left for Berlin, only to find on her arrival that Dreher, no doubt scenting danger, had fled southward. * Through Austria she traced him to Italy, where he was found in Rome, employed as waiter at a case. Overawed by the. brother’s threats, he con-

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, JND.

of pretty silk you have in the house. Crochet, with mercerized silk crotchet thread, a chain of 160 chain stitches. For the second time round take seven stitches and go into every fourth stitch of the first row. Keep on crotcheting, in this manner until your bag is ten inches long; then sew it to the cardboard base. Run a pretty draw ribbon finished with bows through the top. At each corner of the bottom of the bag place a bow.

Raffia Collar Button Box.

How the children love raffia work! And it is wonderful what beautiful things even very little children can make. The raffia box ip this picture was made by a six-year-old youngster. It is for father’s collar buttons. In the middle of it cut a tiny hole. Wind raffia evenly around this circle from the center to the edge. Cut a piece of cardboard 2 inches wide and long enough to fit the base. Wind the raffia around this piece and with a piece of raffia sew it to the bottom of the box. Braid three pieces of raffia for a handle. Punch one hole on each side of the basket near the top and run the ends of the handle through them. You can sew smaller bows where the handles join the basket if you wish. Any one who has ever made a raffia basket knows how much pleasure it is and how glad one is to receive it for a gift. Soak a reed in hot water. Thread a needle with raffia. Make a point at one end of the reed with a knife. Wind the piece of raffia around the reed. Form this end into a coil and sew tightly. Wind the thread over the reed and place the needle through the coil of reed and raffia. In starting a new thread, bold it along the reed and work over it until the end is fastened. The designs are worked in colored raffia. When the bottom of the basket is finished begin the sides by placing the reed right on top of the last colt When the basket is finished sharpen the end of the reed to a point, finishing the coil gradually.

Doll's Raffia Hammock. Take a piece of strawboard !• inches long and 7 inches wide. Along the longest edge make notches % inch apart. Fasten two brass rings in the middle of back of strawboard. Carry, a cord from one ring on the back through the corner notch in front across the length of the board, through over the back, and loop it through the other ring. Do this until the thread passes over each notch. Then weave across. Weave once across the back dose to the edge. Work over this last row and sew between the strand so that when you place your dolls in the hammock it won’t ravel. Unfasten the rings and break away the cardboard. Doll’s Cord Hammock. Here is a picture of a hammock for dolly, made of macreme cord. A ten-year-old child made this hammock for her little sister. It is about one yard long and made of the Solomon’s knots. You can also have mamma show you how to crochet one, too. v • (Copyright, by W. Chapman |

sented to accompany the couple t« England, but contrived, on landing at Dover>,to give them the slip. Once, again was the hue and cry raised, but Dreher managed to reach New York with his pursuers on his track. For a second time did he avoid capture, and succeeded in reaching San Francisco, where he had the misfortune to break his leg. Crippled by the accident, his means almost exhausted, and broken in spirit, he no longer attempted evasion, but allowed himseU to be taken possession of by ths widow

VALUE OF CARD CATALOGUE

System Makes for Efficiency tn Hous* work and Also Is of Great Aid to Economy. •

Few women outside of business and academic cfrcles realize the convenience . of the card catalogue system. One energetic woman who had been a very successful secretary, made an efficient housekeeper and homemaker because she remembered in her married life the devices that bad helped her in business. She had a number of catalogues to indicate tile state of her household supplies—linen, etc. —but the most interesting of all was her card catalogue cook book and menu index. It was just like a library catalogue, being composed of a couple of little drawers in a little cabinet filled with cards on which were typed recipes. These cards were grouped tinder appropriate heads and made readily accessible through a number of guide cards headed, Dinner, Soups, Entrees, Salads, Meats and Desserts. When faced with the awful problem “What shall we have to eat today?" she sijnply ran through her cards for the meal in question and often found the recipe for a dish she had quite forgotten about. For use as a cjok book, this arrangement Is much more convenient than the old book form. The collection of recipes grows rapidly too, as it is so easy to paste on a card a newspaper suggestion or a recipe from a household magazine, and slip the card into its proper place where it does not get lost, as loose papers have a habit of doing. The catalogue outfit is quite inexpensive and the utility of the scheme will certainly repay the original trouble of making.

PROPER STORAGE OF FLOUR

Easily Taken Precautions Will Insure the Absence of the Pestilent White Worm.

When flour is stored in quantity, or even when bought in small supplies, .care is needed to guard against the presence of that pest, the little white flour worm.

Before putting away new flour, thoroughly clean the receptacle, being sure that not a particle of the old flour remains. It is the old flour that is left, even though it may be a very small amount, that causes these marauders.

If the flour is kept in tin the tin. must be washed with absolutely clean water and a good soap, and great care must be that the tin is entirely dry before putting in the flour. If a wooden holder, or bin, is used it must be cleaned by brushing and airing. When flour is bought in paper bags, it is well to look carefully in the creases of the paper at top of bag before untying, for here are found the white flour worms, if there are any at all, and these can be removed without their getting into the flour. But, when a bag is simply opened and turned into a bin, they are in this way in the bottom, and in a short time will work their way all through the flour.

Turkey Rechauffe.

Melt two and one-half tablespoonfuls of butter, add three tablespoonfuls of flour and stir until well blended; then pour on gradually, while stirring constantly, one cupful of rich milk. Bring to the boiling point and add one teaspoonful of salt, one-fourth teaspoonful of celery salt, and one-eighth teaspoonful of pepper; then add. one cupful of cold roast turkey cut in thin strips, one-half cupful of cooked spaghetti cut in one-half inch pieces and one-half cupful of sauted, sliced mushroom caps. Turn into a buttered baking dish, sprinkle with one-third Cupful of grated Parmesan cheese, cover with three-fourths cupful of buttered cracker crumbs and bake until the crumbs are browned. ,

Cookies.

One cupful of butter, two cupfuls ok sugar, three eggs, half a teaspoonful of baking powder, one even teaspoonful of nutmeg, half a teaspoonful of cloves and flour for a soft dough. Begin with two cupfuls and add carefully that you may not make them too stiff. Cream butter and sugar, add yolks of eggs, spice, one cupful of flour with baking powder, the whipped whites and the rest of the flour. Roll into a sheet a quarter of an inch thick, cut into rounds and bake in a good oven. These cookies ought to be of the soft variety if you keep them wrapped in a cloth in a tin box and will not let them dry out.

Broth With Bread Dumplings.

Soak three thick slices of white bread in about a pint of broth, squeeze fairly dry and beat up with a fork. Melt a tablespoonful of butter over the fire, add the bread; mix well and season with salt to taste and a little pepper. When cool stir in two well beaten eggs, a quarter of a grated nutmeg, and a little chopped parsley. Mix well and mold into small balls. Roll these lightly in flour, boll them lightly in broth for two minutes and serve at once. ' .

Oil Pickles.

. One dozen medium-sized cucumbers sliced thin, and six onions sliced. Sprinkle one-half cup of salt over them and let stand four or five hours. Pour off water and to them add onehalf cup of white mustard seed, one tablespoon of celery seed, one-half cup of olive oil and one quart of vinegar.

Bolling Cracked Eggs.

Add a little vinegar to the water and eggs that are cracked can be boiled as satisfactory as undamaged ones.

Uncle Sam's Incipient Seamen

Boo . m! ” sounds and resounds the reveille gun of the Naval academy at 6:30 a. m., and as it echoes and re-echoes along the shores of the Chesapeake and is answered by the drum and bugle |corps of, the Marine quarters, a mile north of Bancroft hall in a lively martial air, a stirring scene begins in the midshipman’s halls. The, bugle blares up and down the corridors and the captains , of companies begin to call up the sleepers, who leap from their cots and commence active operations to dress, and put their rooms in orders Immediately, upon the bugle call, the inspecting officers begin the york of Visiting the rooms of the midshipmen to see that they are out of bed. They must be up and stand at military attention when the officer enters. Tken the midshipman dresses, opens .the window, and turns down the bedding for an airing, and hurries below for the first formation and roll call of the day, which is at 7 a. m. At the bugle call, the roll begins, and up to the last second belated ones k are hurrying down the steps and “falling in” just in' time to save themselves from being reported “tardy!” and demerited. Here, demerits count Regular Routine. Immediately after breakfast the chaplain reads the prayers of the day, and the brigade, that, when at its average complement, numbers between 800 and 900, make for their rooms, for these few minutes left them before recitations begin, are the only period for them to put their rooms in order for the daily inspection that begins at 10 a. m. At 8, study and recitation periods commence. They are of one hour each. If a midshipman has a recitation, he, with the other members of the section, somewhere in the neighborhood of 10, assemble at the proper place, and march off in military order to the section room where the instructor awaits them. All stand until he is seated. At the end of the recitation, the section march back to their quarters, are dismissed, and ‘each midshipman goes to his room. In these marches to and fro the ranking midshipman takes command. This rank may be held by appointment as a cadet officer or may arise from being the leading scholor. If it should happen that only two are in the section, the ranking midshipman assumes command, marches his "company” and himself off, and brings him back, halts the squad, brings his one man to attention, and announces: "Squad dismissed!” as though there were a hundred in his command. Everything is military here. When a midshipman usher, at chapel service, escorts a visitor to his or her pew, he halts at the place selected, turns on his military, heel like a pivot, and assumes d martial “attention” until the guest is seated. The brigade comes into church in regular order, the superintendent has his appointed position, and no one leaves the chapel after service until the brigade was marched out, and none dare drop from the ranks udtil it has been regularly dismissed. If a midshipman should have no recitation during any of the morning period, he must stay In his room, and it is a serious offense to visit, or receive visitors during study hours, or even to leavb the floor to get a drink of water if none happens to be in the cooler on that floor. Yet midshipmen will risk demerits and run the gauntlet of detection. One day an officer of the department of discipline, that branch of the work of the academy that has the management of the midshipmen In charge, whose business is, said one of the officers, “to know at all times wherp every midshipman is, and to be able to put your, finger on hlffi,” made an inspection of one of the rooms. He saw by the manner of the two occupants of the apartment that Something was wrong. He could not ask the midshipmen themselves what they were doing that was irregular, so he looked sharply around the room to see what was the matter. The next day the midshipmen in the secret were greatly amused to see on the morning report: “Midshipman A, shoes out of place.” Those shoes were not Midshipman A’s, but Midshipman C’s feet. He was a visitor, and when he heard the inspecting officer coming, he had only time to run behind the wardrobe door, and, as It was not long enough to cover him, his feet stuck below it. Another unlawful visitor was not so successful. His face was to the door and his

DINNER FORMATION

host’s not He saw the inspecting of-* fleer coming and, making a desperate dash, hid completely behind the ward? robe; but his action, so unaccountable to the hosts, who had not seen the officer, made them look toward the spot where the visitor had hid, and this hint was enough for the keen-eyed} officer to make him come out from coy* er. < | "Hikes” In the Cqpntry. The responsibility for jorder in a| room is fixed by the authorities requiring one man in each room to take a week’s turn at a time, and no matter who is the evildoer, the authorities know where to lodge the charge. Soon after 12 the morning period of study and recitation ceases and dinner formation and dinner follow. At 1:30. p. m. begin the afternoon periods of study and recitation, and at 4:30 practical exercises commence. The fourth! class will have cutters in oars or sails; the upper classmen will have launches under steam, rifle-range practice, or great-gttn practice on the Chesapeake in vessels under steam. These exercises are alternated In their seasons with artillery and infantry drills, and long “hikes” in the country under command of their proper officers. At 5:30 p. m. the midshipman is free until 7 p. m. to do as he pleases, unless he belongs to some one of the athletic practice squads of the Naval academy. Then he is a slave to it, until the supper formation, after which there are two hours for study. At 9:30 p. m. gun fire relieves the midshipman from his studies and he has a half-hour to glance over the evening newspaper, write a letter, visit a friend! tell a yarn, search bp a “plebe” for a song or a dance, and then to bed by taps, 10. p. m., when the bugle sound-;, and down the corridors echoes the call “All lights out!” A few moments later the Inspection begins, and should a midshipman have,, been tardy in disrobing, he jumps Into bed, boots and all, and covers up to his chin, until the inspecting officer looks in and sees all hands accounted for, then the belated one rises and undresses at his leisure. If he is behind In his studies, an anjthe contraband lamp, and then he will rise, tack a gum blanket oyer his transom, light his lamp, burn his midnight oil and be ready for the next morning’s recitation when it comes. Sometimes the authorities allow nightstudy parties to stay up until 11, and then they work and move by written rules in slippered feet so as not to arouse the faithful sleepers who have been more diligent ajid have Justly earned the slumber they are getting.

CITY DWELLER UTTERS WAIL

Among Other Things, He Seems tn Have a Grievance Against the “Fresh" Egg. An unhatched crocodile, according to a learned Journal, utters' a ciT from inside the egg. As we dwellers in this metropolis know to our cost, the egg of our acquaintance—the domestic breakfast variety, to-wlt—cries aloud after being placed under our noses. Eggs are usually regarded an a comic subject, and the late Dan Leno was wont to deliver a most diverting dissertation concerning them. Too long have we suffered, however, from that ghastly imposture, the “fresh” egg, which may go back to the days of good King George—the Fourth,—for all we can tell. Eggs are far more uncertain than woman’s love or horse races, and whenever I think of them I long to be in the country. For there the milkman brings them along in the morning and we have a guarantee that they will not revive memories of Methuselah. With all our boasted advancement we take remarkable risks where provisions are concerned. Some of the tinned products observable in huckster’s windows I should be sorry' to sample foF a royal ransom. And I couldn’t eat a winkle if you paid me <SO down. It was Llzsle Coote who used to sing: “Did you ever catch a winkle asleep?” Most of us would plead “Not guilty.’* As for seeing an oyster walk the chances are hopeless. The oyster is a swagger mollusc today and would insist on being taken up in a lift— London Chronicle. Second thoughts are best God created man; woman was the afterthought—Proverb.