Window Gardening.
Many a home, now dark and cheerless, might be made bright and cheery by a few plants in the window, or bunches of ferns and bright autumn leaves, fastened on the wall, or on the pictures.
Homes cannot be made too bright and home-like for the husband and the children; and these little things cost little or nothing, and add much to the general appearance.
A novel and pretty window ornament can be made in this way: Take a white sponge of large size, and sow it full of rice, oats and wheat. Then place it, for a week or ten days, in a shallow dish, in which a little water is constantly kept, and as the sponge will absorb the moisture, the seeds will begin to sprout before many days. When this has fairly taken place, the sponge may be suspended by means of cords from a hook in the top of the window where a little sun will enter. It will thus become a mass of green, and can be kept wet by merely immersing it in a bowl of water.
“CHEER UP.”
BY ANNA ELIZABETH C. KELLY.
“Oh, it is too bad; too bad! that mother should be so troubled for the want of a little money,” said Mabel.
“Cheer up! Cheer up!” rang out a voice close at hand, “pretty Poll; cheer up!” and a bright green parrot with a yellow breast began to beat against the bars of his cage as if he would like to get out.