The American Girls Handy Book

A COMPANION VOLUME
TO
The American Girl's Handy Book

NEW EDITION.
——————
1 Vol. Cloth. Price, $2.00.
——————
With Numerous Illustrations from
Drawings by the Author.

How to
Amuse
Yourself
and
Others

The American Girls
Handy Book.

BY
Lina Beard
and
Adelia B. Beard
New York
Charles
Scribner’s
Sons
1893

Copyright by
CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS
1887

PREFACE.

“I do wish some one would write a book like that for girls,” is the remark we have frequently heard when a new book of sports for boys has made its appearance; but it was not until the publication of the “American Boy’s Handy Book” that it occurred to us to write a book for the American boy’s neglected sisters, which should be equally original and practical.

In the “Girl’s Handy Book,” which it has been our endeavor to make peculiarly American, we have sought to introduce original and novel ideas, and by their aid to open new avenues of enterprise and enjoyment.

One of our objects is to impress upon the minds of the girls the fact that they all possess talent and ability to achieve more than they suppose possible, and we would encourage a belief in the truth of the remark said to have been made by a famous Frenchman: “When you Americans undertake anything you never stop to ascertain if it be possible, you simply do it.”

We desire also to help awaken the inventive faculty, usually uncultivated in girls, and, by giving detailed methods of new work and amusements, to put them on the road which they can travel and explore alone.

We know well the feeling of hopelessness which accompanies vague directions, and, to make our explanations plain and lucid, we have ourselves, with very few exceptions, made all of the articles, played the games, and solved the problems described.

The materials employed in the construction of the various articles are within easy reach of all, and the outlay, in most cases, little or nothing.

We scarcely deem it necessary to point out the fact that in supplying healthy, sensible work and amusement for leisure hours, employment is given whose whole tendency is to refine the tastes and ambitions of our American girls.

A few of our chapters are taken from articles which were written by us for, and published by, the Youth’s Companion, St. Nicholas, Harper’s Young People, Golden Days, and Wide Awake.

CONTENTS.

Spring

The American Girl’s Handy Book.

CHAPTER I.
FIRST OF APRIL.

THIS is the children’s own day, and no assumption of dignity on the part of their elders can deter them from exercising the privileges granted to them by acknowledged custom and precedent.

“April fool! April fool!” cries my little nephew, as he dances with delight to see his aunt walk out of the room with a piece of white paper dangling from a hooked pin, attached to her dress.

“April fool! April fool!” shout the children in the street, thus announcing the success of some practical joke.

“April fool!” laughs everyone at the table, when some unfortunate bites into a brown, wholesome-looking cruller, only to find it a delusion and a snare, the coat of a cruller, but the inside of cotton.

“April fool! April fool!” is what even the little sparrows seem to chirp, as with a “s-w-h-e-r-r” they sweep down from the tree and, frightening away the kitten, take forcible possession of her bone. What does all this mean? Why is the first day of April called “All-Fools-Day,” and when or where did the custom of the day originate? Who can tell? No one seems to know. Even the derivation of the word April does not appear to have been definitely settled, and this saucy month, with her mischievous tricks and pranks, her surprises and mysteries, fools and puzzles our wisest men.

Through many centuries the observance of All-Fools-Day has descended to us. In many climes and many countries this day is chosen as the proper time for playing tricks on the unsuspecting.

“Festum Fatuorum,” or “Fools’ Holiday,” is what it was called in England at the time of the arrival of the early Christians in that country.

Easily caught like the mackerel, which are plentiful on the French coast in April and are said to be deficient in understanding, the April fool in France derives his name from that fish, and is called “Poisson d’Avril” or “April Fish,” and again, “Silly Mackerel.” From the cuckoo, a bird that does not know enough to build its own nest, the appellation of “gowk” is taken, and is given to the foolish one in Scotland who allows himself to be duped on this day.

In India at the festival called Huli Festival held on the last day of March, the natives make merry at the expense of their friends, just as we do, and their fool is called “Huli Fool.”

So in the East and in the West, in the North and in the South, in the oldest nation as well as the youngest, is this ridiculous custom observed, and, as if to make it still more ridiculous, no one apparently knows why.

Now, girls, since this holiday has descended to us from so far back that its origin appears lost in the dim twilight of past ages, there surely must be some reason for its existence, and that reason may be, that “a little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men,” and is therefore wholesome as an occasional diet. So why not help to perpetuate it; not with rude, practical jokes, but with comical surprises, and absurd, but unembarrassing, situations. Much harmless fun can be derived from the privileges of this day, devoted as it is to nonsense, and we introduce the April Fool Party as an excellent means of concentrating the fun, and furnishing plenty of merriment to the young folks who are bent on having a good time.

First of April Party.

I remember, when quite a little girl, I was granted the privilege of celebrating my birthday, which came on the 1st of April, with a candy-pull, and a few days previous to the event I started joyfully off to invite my friends. The invitations were laughingly given and accepted, and it did not occur to me that I would be suspected of playing a joke, although the party was to be on April-Fools-Day. It seems, however, that my good intentions were doubted, and the children were undecided whether to come or not. I had begun to suspect that a joke was to be played on me by their all remaining away, before they finally arrived in a body, having taken the precaution of coming in that way, so that if the party were a hoax they would all be fooled together.

I relate this incident that warning may be taken from my experience, and that it may be understood how important it is to make the guests invited to your First of April party realize that the invitations are given in good faith, and that your friends are expected to be on hand at the appointed time.

It is well, in giving a party of this kind, to have the whole programme laid out beforehand, so that everything may go smoothly and nothing be forgotten.

The few methods of April fooling given here need not constitute the whole entertainment; the list may be added to by the young hostess, who will, no doubt, have many ideas of her own to carry out. We will head our list with the

Mirror Tableau.

This novel tableau is made ready in the following manner:

In a door-way, or bay-window draped with full curtains, place a large mirror. Instead of having the curtains suspended from the usual pole, it is best to stretch a wire across the space and slip the curtain-rings upon that, as they will slide more readily on the wire; and when it is time to draw back the drapery it should be done quickly. A table placed before the curtains will serve as a barricade, keeping the too curious from taking a peep at the hidden mysteries before they are ready to be revealed.

At the time selected, remove the table, and request all those desiring to see the tableau to arrange themselves in front of the curtain, and to remain perfectly quiet, as any movement will disturb those taking part.

If the front rows of the audience can be induced to kneel or sit upon the floor, those in the rear can obtain a better view, and it will, at the same time, make the group more effective. When perfect quiet is obtained, give the signal to your assistant, who must stand opposite to you at the side of the curtain, and with her help quickly draw aside the draperies, thus disclosing the tableau of a group of young people, motionless, gazing into the mirror with eager and expectant eyes. For an instant the audience will be held spell-bound, scarcely realizing that they themselves are forming the pretty tableau.

“We are April Fools,” written with soap on the mirror near the top, as shown in the illustration, tells what character the actors are assuming, and gives a name to the tableau.

The Mirror Tableau.

During the interval which should be allowed to intervene before introducing the next thing on the programme, the guests will find amusement in the many harmless practical jokes which are awaiting the unwary in all manner of places.

For instance, some boy will print APRIL FOOL in large white letters on his own back, by simply resting for a moment in a convenient chair upon whose snowy tidy the dreaded words have previously been printed backwards with white chalk. On the dark woolly surface of the coat, the white letters will be perfectly transferred, and the boy, little knowing what he has done, or the cause of the merriment, will join in the general laughter his appearance creates.

A treacherous divan can be provided by removing the top of a low, flat packing-box, and putting in its place brown wrapping-paper, tacking it down around the edges of the box. With a piece of drapery thrown over it, entirely concealing the box, and sofa pillows placed upon it, leaning against the wall, the divan looks exceedingly comfortable and inviting. But woe unto the person who mistakes appearances for reality, for to attempt to sit upon this seeming substantial couch is but to break through and sit upon the floor instead.

The box used for the divan should not be more than twelve inches high, so that the fall will be only funny, not dangerous.

The next diversion may be a

Noah’s Ark Peep-show.

Make the peep-show of a box about two and a half feet long and one foot and a half high. Remove the top and both of the end-pieces (Fig. 1). Cut from pasteboard a slide to exactly fit the box, and place it in the middle, thus cutting off the view from either end, as shown in Fig. 1. Make a curtain in two pieces, and tack them around the upper edge of the box, letting them meet at each end. Stout pieces of twine, stretched across the openings at the ends of the box, will serve to attach the drapery at these points.

Almost any kind of material will answer for this purpose, provided it is not too thin and is of some bright hue, for the peep-show should be made to look as gay as possible. Place the box upon a high stand, and so arrange it that a strong light will shine down into it, making the interior, from end to end, perfectly light.

From a list, previously prepared, of the animals supposed to be on exhibition, read the first two, and invite two persons, a girl and a boy, for instance, to look into the peep-show. We will suppose that the first animals on the list are the raven and the dove. Inform your would-be audience that you have two of Noah’s special pets to show them; that from the girls’ point of view will be seen a raven, and from the boys’, a dove. When taking their places at the box, one at each end, the two spectators must part the curtain, and, putting their faces between, hold the drapery together under their chins. This is to keep the remainder of the company from obtaining a glimpse into the wonderful show before their turns arrive.

When all is ready, and the two wondering faces are hidden between the folds of the peep-show curtains, with the words, “Behold the pretty dove, and the mischievous raven,” remove the slide, and expose to the astonished gaze of each spectator a companion’s familiar face at the opposite end of the box. Of course, upon retiring from the show, its secret must be kept, otherwise the joke will be spoiled for those whose turns are yet to come.

Before the next two take their station at the box, replace the slide and pretend to rearrange the show, to divert the suspicion that the box is empty.

The Supper

can be made the means of perpetrating many practical jokes. The shams must be so intermingled with the real delicacies that one can never be sure what the consequences may be of partaking too rashly of even the most tempting-looking morsel.

Small blocks of wood covered with batter and browned in the oven are excellent imitations of cakes. Dainty confectionery, in crimped papers, can be made of small radishes covered with icing of different colors. Button-moulds coated with chocolate will readily be mistaken for candy.

If a small pasteboard pill-box is first filled with flour, and the top then covered with tissue-paper pasted down around the edges, it will look, when iced, like a delicate little cake, and will cause much merriment when anyone bites into it; for the moment the paper cover is broken the flour will fly in every direction. The fertile brain of girls, on mischief bent, will suggest many more frauds of this kind, and enough surprises may be prepared to make the supper as merry as anything else on the evening’s programme.

Before leaving this subject, once more let the caution be given to keep the jokes entirely harmless. It is only poor fun that can be obtained at the expense of injuring others, or by running the slightest risk of hurting them in any way.

The spirit of mischief must be kept within bounds even on All-Fools-Day.

Gathering Wild Flowers.

CHAPTER II.
WILD FLOWERS AND THEIR PRESERVATION.

LONG before the first green leaves make their appearance, while the snows of winter still linger in the shaded nooks, and the branches are still bare, though blushing with the full, flowing sap that tinges their tips pink, yellow, and red—when the air is filled with a sweet freshness and delicate fragrance—it is charming in our rambles to find scattered here and there upon the hill-side, down among the roots of the great trees, or under the hedges delicate little wild flowers waving on their fragile stalks with the faintest passing breeze. They are so exquisitely beautiful with their tender hues and graceful shapes, that a longing comes to possess them.

And why not keep them fresh at home? Plants live in the earth and require light, air, and moisture. All of these requirements can be and are fulfilled in thousands of homes where plants are kept, all over the world. But these are wild flowers. True, and they may need something to be found only in the wild woods. What, then, is it? Let us see. Earth, light, and air abound everywhere. Still, upon inspection we discover that the soil around our timid wild flowers is somewhat different from that to be found in our door-yards. But what is simpler than to take the earth up with the plant?

Be careful in

Transplanting Wild Flowers

to dig well all around and under the roots, so that the earth surrounding and clinging to the plant may be taken up at the same time (Fig. 2). After covering the root and soil adhering to it with a layer of clay, mud, or damp earth (Fig. 3) set the root in a large leaf, and tie it up with string or a wisp of grass (Fig 4), in order to make sure the soil does not fall off the plant. Thus secured the specimens will keep nicely until you reach home; then plant them in a shady place and keep the ground moist. Beautiful little woodland gardens are made in this way, where within a few steps of the door a glimpse may be had of the fair forest flowers.

Sweet-scented white violets, delicate little anemones, odd yellow violets, and quaint jack-in-the-pulpits, with many others, not forgetting the graceful ferns, are now growing in the shaded corner of the writer’s lawn, transplanted there from their home in the woods, where she found them one lovely spring morning, when out with a party of friends on a hunt for wild flowers.

The day was perfect, filled with sunshine and the song of birds. All nature appeared glad and joyous, and the trees seemed veiled in the softest greens and pinks of budding leaves.

It was a happy party that went wandering into the forest, straying here and there, and finding new treasures at nearly every step, stopping to gather a few of the violets that gave a purple tinge to the ground for yards around, then rambling on to the spot that was covered with the fragile anemone, each girl laden with the flowers she loved best. Some had taken them up roots and all, while others preferred the

Cut Wild Flowers.

For these it is best to use a tin box of convenient size and form shutting closely. The flowers must be fresh and not at all damp; in such a box they can be kept for days bright and unfading. They may also safely be sent to friends at a distance, though it is better, when

Sending Flowers by Mail,

if you wish to send a quantity, to pack them in a strong pad or wooden box. First lay down a piece of oiled paper of the proper size; spread a thin layer of damp paper on this; next a layer of flowers, then one of thin wet paper; and so on until the box is full. Over the last layer place a dry paper, and cover this with oiled paper or tin-foil; put the lid on the box and tie it down securely.

By this method a larger number of flowers can be sent in a given space than when simply inclosed in a tin box.

The writer has often sent daisies from New York to Cincinnati where they arrived as fresh as when first gathered.

For the benefit of those who wish directions for sending flowers by mail, we give the following on authority of the American Agriculturist.

“The law passed some years since by Congress, allowing packages of plants to be sent by mail, if not over four pounds in weight, was a capital arrangement for those who lived at a distance from railroad and express offices, but it is so hampered with the various constructions given by the Post Office Department, that it is difficult to know what is required by the officials. The law now is, we believe, as follows: A package, weighing four pounds or less, can be sent at the rate of two cents per four ounces, but the writing of the words “roots” or “plants” makes a letter of it, and is charged letter postage. Nothing should be written except the address, and the package must not be sealed, or contain any writing, and it must be so fastened that the postmaster can examine the contents if he wishes. The plants may, however, be numbered, and their names sent by letter.”

Now let us think of some way in which these lovely blossoms can be preserved.

In Germany they excel in making decorations for rooms, dinner-tables, etc., of

Preserved Flowers.

Bright-colored flowers are best adapted to this method. White flowers are apt to turn yellow. Jack-in-the-pulpits, clover, roses, and daisies came out beautifully when the writer dried them, and why should not many other kinds do just as well? Try and see.

Procure three or four quarts of fine sand; white scouring-sand is the best; wash it perfectly clean. This can be tested by pouring the water off until it looks quite clear; then dry the sand, by placing it in a clean tin in the oven. When it is dry—fully dry and cool—pour enough in a box to enable the flowers to stand by themselves, their stems embedded in the sand, which should be a mass of fine particles of uniform size.

Preserved Flowers.

If the flowers are cut so that they all measure nearly the same length from the tip of the blossom to the end of the stem, they can more readily be covered with sand. The flowers must be fresh and entirely free from moisture. Place them stem downward in the sandy layer, and very gently and slowly pour in the sand a little at a time, until each leaf and petal is firmly held in place (Fig. 5); then fill the box with sand nearly two inches above the level of the flowers.

It is very essential that every particle of the flower rest in the sand, and that in filling up, the smallest petal has not been bent or crumpled.

Take care not to shake the box lest the flowers inside be injured. Set it in a warm, dry place, and let it stand at least two weeks.

This manner of preserving flowers retains the color, while the shape of the leaves and petals remains unaltered. The flowers will keep for years.

There are other ways also of preserving flowers.

Pressed Flowers and Leaves.

Although these are perfectly flat, they seldom fade and are very pretty and useful. Have ready a large book or a quantity of old newspapers and several weights. Use the newspapers for leaves and ferns—blotting-paper is best for the flowers. Both the flowers and leaves should be fresh and without moisture. Place them as nearly in their natural positions as possible in the book or papers, and press, allowing several thicknesses of paper between each layer. Remove the specimens to dry papers each day until perfectly dry.

Some flowers must be immersed—all but the flower head—in boiling water for a few minutes, before pressing, to prevent them from turning black. Orchids are of this nature.

If possible, it is well to obtain all parts of a plant, the roots as well as the seeds, for a more interesting collection can thus be made than from the flower and leaf alone.

It is advisable to be provided with a blank book or, what is still better, pieces of stiff white paper of uniform size on which to mount the flowers or leaves when dried; also with a small bottle of mucilage and a brush for fastening them, and some narrow strips of court-plaster or gummed paper for the stems and thicker parts of the plants. The sooner they can be mounted the better. Place them carefully on the paper, writing beneath the locality and date of finding. Flowers and leaves thus prepared make beautiful herbariums. Should you desire

Leaves and Ferns for Decoration,

first press them nicely; then give them a coat of wax, by ironing them on both sides with a hot iron over which a piece of beeswax has first been rubbed. Cover the specimens completely with wax, as this renders them quite pliable, and they are no longer brittle nor easily broken. Sprays of small leaves can be pressed entire.

To heighten the effect, use dry colors, rubbing them in, and selecting those corresponding with the color of the leaves when first gathered.

The colors must be put on before the coating of wax. Ferns should be gathered when nearly full grown, and, after they are pressed, painted light green with oil-colors; in that case the beeswax is not used. The oil in the paint, like the wax, makes the specimens more substantial, and they look quite fresh and fair.

Sometimes the late autumn frosts will bleach the ferns perfectly white; then are they even more delicate than before Nature changed their color. We have seen the

Color of Flowers Changed,

and it is a very pretty experiment, very simple, too. Immerse the flowers in ammonia, and you will be surprised to see white lilies change to a delicate yellow, pink roses turn a lovely light green, while dark-red sweet-peas assume blue and rich purple tints; and the change is so rapid it is almost like magic. Another interesting experiment is making

Natural Wax Flowers

by dipping the fresh buds and blossoms in paraffine just sufficiently hot to liquefy it; first the stems of the flowers; when these have cooled and hardened, then the flowers or sprays, holding them by the stalks and moving them gently. When they are completely covered the flowers are removed and lightly shaken, in order to throw off the superfluous wax. The flowers are then suspended until perfectly dry, when they are found hermetically sealed in a film of paraffine, while they still keep their beautiful coloring and natural forms, and for a while even their perfume. Now let us find what can be done

To Freshen Cut Flowers.

When the heat has made them wilt, clip the stems and set the flowers in cold water; in a few hours they will regain their freshness and beauty.

Some flowers, however, must be differently treated, such as heliotrope and mignonette; these keep if placed upon damp moss or cotton and set in a cold place at night.

Rosebuds will retain their freshness for hours when not placed in water, if the ends of the stems are snipped off, and immediately tipped with melted sealing-wax; this excludes the air, and so keeps the flowers from drooping.

If roses are wilted before they can be placed in water, cut off the ends of the stalks and immerse in very hot water for a minute or two, and they will regain their pristine freshness.

Another way to keep flowers fresh is to put a pinch of nitrate of soda into the glass each time you change the water Nitrate of potash or saltpetre in a powder has nearly the same effect, or a drop of hartshorn.

If plants are chilled by frost, shower them with cold water, and leave in a cool room; or set the pot in cold water and keep in a moderately cool place. Now one word about

Crystallized Flowers,

that sparkle and look so beautiful. They must first be dried in sand, then crystallized in the same way as dried grasses—the rougher the surface the better will it crystallize. Dissolve as much alum in boiling water as it will hold; when this is determined, pour it off and boil the solution down to one-half.

Suspend the flowers by a net-work of string tied across the top of a pail into which they must hang; then pour into the pail the boiling alum water, which must completely cover the flowers, and leave it undisturbed twelve hours, or all night.

The flowers should not touch each other or the sides of the bucket. Be careful in removing them the next morning, as the crystals are easily broken off.

Flowers or sprays of grass may be beautifully frosted by dipping them in a solution of gum-arabic and sprinkling them with powdered isinglass.

Flowers are not only very beautiful, but many of them possess a fragrance so sweet that we would fain learn how to keep the

Perfume of Flowers.

Rose-leaves are the most simply prepared. Take a covered jar, fill it with sweet-scented rose-leaves, and scatter through them some salt. Keep the jar closed tight, and when the petals have dried the “scent of the roses will cling to them still,” so that every time the jar is opened a delicious fragrance will fill the air. Or you can cover the rose-leaves with melted lard, and leave them for a day or two in some place at a temperature of about 140° F.; then cool it and knead the lard in alcohol. Pour off the alcohol in fancy glass bottles and use as handkerchief perfume.

For varieties we find this method:

“The delicate odor of pinks and other flowers may be obtained as follows: Get a glass funnel, with the narrow end drawn to a point; in this place lumps of ice with salt, by which a very low temperature is produced. The funnel should be supported on an ordinary retort-stand and placed near the flowering plants, when water and the ethereal odor of the blossom will be deposited on the exterior of the glass funnel, and will trickle down to the point, from which it drops at intervals into a glass vessel below. The scent thus obtained is very perfect, but is apt to become sour in a few days unless some pure alcohol is added. By this process many odors may be procured for comparison and study. To obtain the odor in perfection the blossom must be in its prime.”

Dry some sweet clover, and the fragrance will be sweet and pleasant. Fill a fancy bag of some thin sheer material with the clover, and you will find that you have imprisoned the fresh breath of summer.

Old-time lavender can be prepared in the same way.

Our thoughts so far have been for the flowers in their season. But did it ever occur to you that it is possible to have

Spring Flowers in Winter?

If you search in the woods during December you may find, tucked away in sheltered spots, little woodland plants which, when taken up and carefully transplanted in a flower-pot and set in a sunny window, will soon begin to grow, sending up tender stems, and in about three weeks will blossom. The little fairy-like flowers seem even more beautiful coming in the cold wintry weather.

Fruit-tree twigs and sprays from flowering shrubs will blossom when the ground is white with snow, if cut from trees about the first of February, placed in well-heated water in a warm room, and the water changed every day for some that is almost but not quite hot.

The twigs being kept warm will blossom in a few weeks.

It is quite a pretty idea to take up and plant in a little flower-pot

The Four-leaved Clover.

Very frequently you may find a tuft bearing only the mystic number, and should it happen to have a five- or six-leaved clover in with the others, they will add to the luck.

If you possess one of these charmed plants, it is said “good luck” will always be near at hand.

Besides the foregoing directions for the preservation of flowers, plants, etc., there are numerous other methods, which, although not experimentally verified by the writer, are no doubt as worthy of a place here as any of the former.

The following recipes have been culled from various old papers, books, etc.

Some Old-fashioned Methods of Preserving Flowers.

The first of these ways is more properly intended for botanical collections, and is often resorted to by collectors of rare blossoms. It consists in placing

Flowers in Alcohol,

and possesses the great advantage of preserving the flowers for years, and keeping their most delicate fibres uninjured. They make invaluable specimens to sketch from, and though their beauty may be somewhat impaired by loss of color, their outlines remain perfect.

Place the flowers in a wide-mouthed bottle, fill it to the top with alcohol, cork it tightly, and cover the cork with plaster-of-Paris or melted beeswax, thus hermetically sealing it. Do not use sealing-wax, as experience has taught us that the fumes of the alcohol soften the wax, and not only spoil the neat appearance of the bottle, but allow the spirits to evaporate.

Another way is to

Bottle Flowers.

Carefully seal the ends of the stems with sealing-wax, place them in an empty bottle—both flowers and bottle must be perfectly dry—cork the bottle, and hermetically seal it with either sealing-wax or beeswax.

The next method has greater possibilities of beauty, and consequently the reader will be more interested in learning

How to Preserve a Vaseful of Flowers for a Year.

Take home your basket of wild flowers, “nodding violets,” cowslips, bright-eyed anemones, and all the lovely offerings of the woods, and before arranging them in the vase, carefully seal the stem of each flower. Place a glass shade over the vase; be careful that flowers, vase, and shade are perfectly dry; then fill up the groove in the wood, in which the shade stands, with melted wax. By covering the wax with chenille it can be perfectly hidden.

Flowers kept in this way will last for a twelvemonth.

The flowers preserved in an empty bottle may be taken out, the wax cut from the stems, and, if arranged in a bouquet, will last as long as perfectly fresh flowers.

Those in the alcohol lose their color after being immersed for a time, and will not last when removed from the alcohol.

In following any of these directions be careful not to tie the flowers. No string must be used. The flower stems must be loose and separate from each other.

A florist of much experience in preserving bouquets for an indefinite period gives this recipe for

Keeping Bouquets Fresh a Long Time.

When you receive a bouquet sprinkle it lightly with fresh water, then put it into a vessel containing some soapsuds; this will take the place of the roots and keep the flowers bright as new. Take the bouquet out of the suds every morning, and lay it sideways, the stems entering first, in clean water; keep it there a minute or two, then take it out, and sprinkle the flowers lightly by the hand with water; replace it in the soapsuds, and it will bloom as fresh as when first gathered.

The soapsuds need changing every three or four days. By observing these rules a bouquet can be kept bright and beautiful for at least a month, and will last longer in a very passable state. From another source we learn how

To Keep Flowers or Fruit a whole Year perfectly Fresh.

Mix one pound of nitre with two pounds of sal ammoniac and three pounds of clean common sand; then in dry weather take fruit of any sort which is not fully ripe, allowing the stalks to remain, and put them one by one into an open glass until it is quite full; cover the glass with oiled cloth, closely tied down. Put the glass three or four inches down in the earth in a dry cellar, and surround it on all sides to the depth of three or four inches with the above mixture. The fruit will thus be preserved quite fresh all the year round.

In giving the following recipe for the manufacture of rose-water, it may be as well to state that the original verse is given, not for its merit as such, but simply because it is the form in which the recipe reached the writer.

Rose-water.

“When the bushes of roses are full,

As most of them are about June,

’Tis high time to gather, or pull

The leaves of the flowers. As soon

As you’ve picked all you need for the time,

To each quart of water unite

A peck of the leaves, which, if prime—

And they will be, if pulled off aright—

May be placed in a still near at hand,

On a very slow fire. When done,

Bottle off, and permit it to stand

For three days ere you cork down each one.”

CHAPTER III.
THE WALKING CLUB.

A SOUND of girlish voices is suddenly heard in the quiet village streets, as our Walking Club, issuing from the house of one of its members, starts off on the first tramp of the season. The gay chatter and bubbling laughter blend with the twittering and chirping of the birds fluttering among the budding trees, and all these merry sounds seem in perfect harmony with the youthful gladness of the bright morning.

There is a subtle power and exhilaration in the spring sunshine that stimulates the blood, and sends it tingling through our veins, as with light-springing steps we quickly leave the village behind us and penetrate into the outlying country, stopping now and then to secure a branch of the downy pussy willow or brilliant red blossoms of the maple, and again to admire a distant view where the trees seem enveloped in a hazy mist of delicate color; on we go, exploring sequestered spots or entering deep into the woods in search of early wild flowers.

The Walking Club.

Although possibly timid as individuals, as a club we are brave enough; for a party of fourteen or sixteen girls, including our merry little chaperon, may go, with impunity, where it would not be so pleasant for one to venture alone.

Once a week all through that delightful spring the club might have been seen, now upon a road leading in this direction, now in that. And, often as we stepped aside to allow a carriage to pass, its occupants would lean forward smiling, and waving their hands in greeting; for the moment, perhaps, feeling in sympathy with the vigorous young life that preferred this mode of locomotion to being carried about on the downiest cushions of the easiest of carriages. A ride which accorded with the unconventional mood of our club was not despised however, for, urged on by the girls, our little matron would make bold to accost some countryman driving a vehicle sufficiently large, and persuade him, in the terms of the country, to “give us a lift.” Jolting about in a springless wagon or hay-cart was not in the least enervating, and we experienced no indolent wish to continue our journey on wheels when forced by diverging roads to leave our equipage. It was not until the ever-increasing heat of the sun, and our own languid disinclination to much exertion, warned us that the mildness of spring had passed, that we concluded to disband for the summer. In the fall we again fell into rank, and came home from our walks laden with the gorgeous trophies of autumn, as we had once carried in triumph the tasselled branches and dainty flowers of spring.

We continued our tramps into the early winter, when the frosty crispness of the air made it very bracing, and the brisk exercise of walking brought the healthy color to cheek and lip of the young pedestrians.

Such a club as this, which at the same time promotes health, good spirits, and sociability, is one that most girls will enjoy and derive benefit from.

A closer acquaintance with Nature, which these walks afford, is not the least of their benefits, and to her true lover, Nature has many delightful surprises and secrets to reveal; and as has been said, even for those who cannot read her deeper meanings she has a language which calls attention to her more outward forms of beauty, and which one may study until gradually, with slowly opening eyes, is seen more and more of the exquisite perfection of her work, that long ago might have been seen had one but chosen to look.

As a society, the Walking Club is one of the most informal.

No officers are needed, although a secretary may sometimes be found useful when any word is to be sent to absent members.

The membership of the club should be large enough to insure the attendance of at least twelve or fourteen on each walk; for in this case, as I have said, safety lies in numbers. At a place of meeting previously appointed, the members should assemble, and, before starting on their walk, the route to be taken should be decided by vote; a decision on this point will be more quickly arrived at if a chairman be appointed to keep order.

The first walk should not be too long. Three miles is a good walk to start with; a mile and a half out and the same home again. Gradually the distance can be lengthened, and the club be able to take a ten-mile walk without feeling fatigue.

CHAPTER IV.
EASTER.

EVERYWHERE the children are playing with eggs; eggs colored in every hue—mottled, striped, and gilded; real eggs and imitation ones; sugar, glass, and wooden eggs; for this is Easter-tide, and not only in America, but in many far-away countries, where the habits and customs are very different from ours, does Easter bring to the children the highly prized, gayly-colored eggs.

How nice it would be if we could take a peep into these foreign countries, and discover what else Easter brings the little ones besides the pretty eggs, and also how the people of such widely differing nations keep this happy festival common to all.

If we could look into England now, we should find that the ceremonies there begin on Palm Sunday (the last Sunday before Easter), and on that day many people go a-palming, only they do not, of course, find palm, but gather instead branches of willow, which they stick into their hats and button-holes. On Good-Friday we might see, on almost every breakfast-table, those hot spicy cakes with a cross stamped on the face, known to many of us as well as to our English cousins, as “hot cross buns.” We should feel very much at home looking into the churches on Easter Sunday, for we should find them beautifully decorated with flowers, and hear the Easter anthems chanted as we might in our own country. I do not think we can see in America, though, the ceremony which, on Easter Monday, is performed by the charity school-children in England. Were we among the spectators who, with shouts and merry laughter, crowd around to watch this performance, we should see the children take their places, with their backs against the outside of the church, and then join hands until a circle is formed around the building, thus completing what is called “clipping the church.”

It would be great fun to see the Easter celebration in Russia, which includes many peculiar customs, and where the children receive presents as we do at Christmas, besides more eggs than any of us ever thought of possessing; some of the eggs being beautifully made of glass or porcelain, and filled with sugar-plums or small presents. How amusing it would be to watch the people, following a custom always observed on Easter Monday in this queer land, as they go about kissing relations, friends, and acquaintances, wherever they happen to meet them.

If we were really in this great, cold, furry country, we might go with the children to make their Easter visits, and, on entering a house, hear the greeting, “Jesus Christ is risen,” and the answer, “Yes, he is risen;” then after kissing the inmates and exchanging eggs with them, go to visit elsewhere.

All this would seem very strange to American eyes; and it would be a strange sight too, if we could look into the cities of Spain and see the people in the streets shooting at stuffed figures of Judas Iscariot.

A passing glance at Ireland on Easter morning would show us the people making haste to be out at sunrise to see the sun dance in a pool or pail of clear water.

It would be worth while to give more than a passing glance into Germany at this season, for in this country, where the children’s happiness is so much thought of and so well provided for, Easter Monday is looked upon as a grand holiday, and all the young people appear in their gala costumes ready for any fun or frolic that may be going on. It is a pretty sight when the little peasant-girls, in their quaint gowns and odd little caps, dance on the green with the boys, whose costumes are equally as picturesque; and it is also entertaining to watch them as they play various games with their many-colored eggs.

In Germany, too, we should find that the children believe as sincerely in the Easter hare as they do in Santa Claus in our country; and the saying, that “the hares lay the Easter eggs,” is never doubted by the little ones.

After visiting in imagination all these foreign countries to see their Easter celebrations, it may prove interesting to turn our eyes toward home, for, since our country is so large—as large almost as all Europe put together—perhaps some of our little citizens who have never been in Washington do not know how, in the capital of the United States, the children hold high carnival on Easter Monday, nor how the grounds of the White House and also of the Capitol are given up to them on this day that they may frolic on the lawns and roll their eggs down the hills. It would be as novel a sight to some of us as any found abroad, to see several thousand children rolling and tossing their eggs, while shells of every hue cover the grass in all directions.

The following newspaper item, cut from the Evening Star, Washington, D. C., April 27, 1886, shows how these rights of the little Americans are recognized and respected, and how unmolested they enjoy the privileges of Easter Monday.

“THE EASTER EGG-ROLLING.
“CHILDREN SHAKE HANDS WITH THE PRESIDENT.

“The crowd in the White House grounds greatly increased yesterday afternoon, so that the grounds were literally packed with children. The crowd was the largest and best appearing that has collected there in many years. The President and Colonel Lamont watched the children for some time from the library window.

At the President’s reception at half-past one o’clock hundreds of children gave up their sport temporarily and thronged the East Room to shake hands with the President.”

Easter Egg Games.

In the game they play at Washington, on the hills sloping from the White House, the child whose egg reaches the foot of the hill in an unbroken condition takes the one worsted in the journey down. Another game for two is played by knocking the eggs together; each child holds an egg firmly in his hand so that only the small end is visible, and then the two eggs are struck against each other until one is cracked, when the victorious player adds it to his stock, or devours it on the spot. I would not like to state the number of eggs eaten on these occasions, but there is a boy (not a girl) who once consumed fourteen and lived to tell the tale.

Sometimes the egg which breaks another is called “the cock of one,” and when it has broken two it is “cock of two,” and so on. When an egg which is cock of one or more is broken, the number of trophies won by the victim is added to the score of the conquering egg and it becomes “cock of three” or more. Here is a game which comes from Germany, and although in that country it is played exclusively by boys, there is no reason why the girls should not participate in it as well. Two baskets are necessary for this game, one large and shallow filled with soft shavings, the other shallow also, but smaller, and filled with eggs. The plan of the game is that one player is to run a given distance, while another safely throws the eggs from one basket to the other, she who completes her task first being the winner. When the baskets are prepared, and the distance the eggs are to be thrown decided upon, the two contestants draw lots to determine who shall run and who shall throw. This settled, the player who throws takes the basket of eggs, and one after another quickly tosses them the length of the course and into the basket of shavings, which is placed on the ground at the end of the course opposite the thrower. In Germany this basket is held by an assistant, but anyone occupying that position might receive some severe blows from the hard eggs thrown by unpractised hands, and it answers the purpose just as well to place the basket on the ground. Meantime the other player runs the distance (decided beforehand) to an appointed goal, marks it as a proof of having touched it, and should she succeed in returning before all the eggs are thrown, the victory and prize are her reward; otherwise they belong to the thrower.

The game finished, a prize is presented to the successful contestant. Should any of the eggs pitched by the thrower fail to light in the basket, they must be gathered up and thrown again before the runner returns, as the eggs must all be in the basket before the thrower wins the game.

“Bunching eggs” comes from Ireland, and is played in very much the same manner as the game played with a slate and pencil, and known to all children as “tit, tat, toe, three in a row.” A pan or large dish filled with sand or sawdust is set upon a table, around which the children stand, each supplied with eggs; the eggs of each player must be all of one color, and unlike those of any other player. The object of the game is for each player to so place her eggs, standing them upright in the sand, or sawdust, as to bring five in a row touching each other.

In turn each player puts down an egg, sometimes filling out a row for herself, at others cutting off the line of an opponent; and the one who first succeeds in obtaining the desired row sings out—

“The raven, chough, and crow,

Say five in a row.”

Another pretty game from Ireland called “Touch” is played in the following manner:

Six eggs of the different colors—green, red, black, blue, white, and gold are placed in a row in the sand used for the other game. One of the players is blindfolded and given a light wand or stick, with which she must touch one of the eggs, while at the same time she recites these lines:

Peggy, Patrick, Mike, and Meg,

See me touch my Easter egg;

Green, and red, and black, and blue,

Count for six, five, four, and two.

If I touch an egg of white,

A forfeit then will be your right;

If I touch an egg of gold,

It is mine to have and hold.

As is told in the rhyme, the eggs each have a different value. Green counts six; red, five; black, four; and blue, two; and the gold egg is worth more than all put together, for when a player touches that, she wins the game and a forfeit of an egg from each of the other players. The white egg is worth less than nothing, since it not only has no value but whoever touches it with the wand must pay a forfeit.

Each player is in turn blindfolded and makes her trial, keeping account of the value of the eggs she has touched. When the sum of twenty has been reached by anyone the game is ended, without the aid of the gold egg. The position of the eggs are changed after each trial, that the person about to touch them may not know where it is best to place her wand.

Easter Egg Dolls.

In some of the large confectionery stores in New York City may be found at Easter-tide quaint little Easter offerings, looking at first sight exactly like dolls’ heads surmounted by pretty little head-dresses. As dolls are not peculiarly appropriate gifts for Easter, one naturally examines them closer, to ascertain if there is anything about them significant of the day, and in so doing quickly discovers that the heads are not made of wax or china, as was at first supposed, but are simply egg-shells from which the eggs have been blown, leaving the shell perfect. Little faces are painted upon these shells, and the cunning caps or bonnets are made of tissue-paper.

Now it is our purpose to teach the children who do not live in New York and have never seen these pretty toys, and also those who, having seen, cannot afford to purchase them, just how to make some of these little men and women, and how to fashion a variety of head-dresses not to be found in the stores.

Patterns for Head-dresses.

To begin with, select several nice large eggs, those of a pinkish yellow are preferable, being something of a flesh-tint. These eggs should be blown, or the shells emptied of their contents; to blow them make a small hole in each end of the shell, and, taking it gently between the thumb and forefinger, put one hole to the lips; then blow, not too hard, but steadily, until the egg has all run out of the other end.

The Nun.

The face must be painted next, and to those who know nothing of drawing this will seem no easy task, until by carefully observing the following direction they will find that it is in the power of anyone to produce as pretty a face as could be wished for.

Among picture-cards, or in almost any juvenile book, may be found many pretty faces of a suitable size which can be transferred to the egg in this way. Lay a piece of tracing-paper over the head selected, and with a soft lead-pencil trace carefully all the lines indicating the features; then place the paper on the shell so that the pencil-marks are next to it, and with a hard pencil, or ivory knitting-needle, go over the lines again, thus transferring the soft pencil-marks to the shell. Touch up and strengthen the features with a fine paint-brush and india-ink. Anyone understanding painting may color the face in natural tints, but it looks very nicely done merely in outline.

The Old-fashioned Girl.

The simplest arrangement for holding the little head erect is a small pasteboard box turned upside down, and having a hole cut in the bottom just large enough to admit the small end of the shell; this will support the head nicely, and also form the shoulders.

The Dude.

Make the hair of raw cotton blackened with ink, and fasten it on the head with mucilage. When all of the foregoing directions have been carried out it is time to attend to the head-dresses, and we will begin with the quaint and old-fashioned poke-bonnet. Cut this bonnet from ordinary brown wrapping-paper after the pattern shown in diagram; sew together the ends of the “side of crown,” then sew the curved side (which is cut in slits as shown in pattern, and folded back as indicated by dotted line) to the smallest part of brim; fold in the strips marked on the straight “side of crown” and fasten on the “top of crown” with mucilage. The trimming for the bonnet consists of a fold and bow of colored tissue paper.

Make the man’s hat of shiny black paper by the pattern in diagram, and fasten together in the same manner as the bonnet, rolling the sides of the brim when finished. Black and white tissue-paper folded to fit the head, as shown by the dotted lines in the pattern, forms the head-dress of the nun.

By copying the head-dresses of different nations, an odd and curious assembly of these Easter-egg dolls can be formed; but that must be worked out at some future time, for we have yet to tell how to construct some Easter toys that cannot be found in any store. The

Humpty Dumpty

who “sat on a wall,” and the “Humpty Dumpty” who “had a great fall,” must have been like the one I am about to describe, made of an egg; for it is pretty certain that if he should fall, “all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put” this “Humpty Dumpty together again” any more than they could the other.

Diagram of Humpty Dumpty.

The diagram shows the frame of this little fellow and how it is joined together. A large egg should be chosen; and when the contents have been blown from the shell, four holes must be pricked in it for the arms and legs to pass through, as shown in the diagram. These limbs are made of rather fine bonnet-wire, the piece used for the arms being about eight inches long. The hand is made by bending up one end of the wire as in diagram, and with softened beeswax covering the loop thus formed. When one hand has been finished off in this way, the other end of the wire, still straight, should be passed through one of the holes near the small end of the shell and out through the one opposite, then bent up into a hand and arm in the same manner as described.