31.  Discarded Toys.—­My baby came in the other day hugging to his breast a toy tin goat.  It was evidently one of the discarded playthings of a neighbor’s child.  On inquiry I found that the toy had been given to my boy, and he has taken so much pleasure in this castoff plaything that I have been saving his old toys and passing them on to other children of the neighborhood.  I have discovered that in their baby hearts these are as good as new, because they have never played with them.  It is nothing to them that they are not just out of the store.

32.  To Clean Silver.—­Try curdled milk for cleaning your silverware.  Let the silver stand for several hours in the milk, and you will be surprised at the result.

33.  Removing Stains.—­Damp salt will remove egg stains from silver and tea stains from cups.

34.  To Keep Free from Mould.—­Jelly and jam can be kept entirely free from mould by pouring a thin layer of melted paraffin on top.  This paraffin can be saved when the jelly is taken from the glass and used the next season so the cost is very small.

[860 Mothers’ remedies]

35.  Hanging Out Clothes.—­The other day I came across a peculiar clothes bar.  It was the same as any other, except that the crossbars had been removed, and for them ropes had been substituted.  The owner told me she had had her husband fix it for her the previous winter when she was bothered with salt rheum.  “I hang up all the baby’s little things, fastening them with clothespins, right here in the house where it is warm,” she explained.  “Then it is but the work of a moment to take the whole thing out of doors, and there is no fishing around for the tiny things when my hands are so cold they feel as though they would drop off.”

36.  A Fine Cutting Board.—­I measured the top of my kitchen cabinet, and had a piece of zinc cut to fit it, allowing an inch for turning over the edges.  My husband tacked it on, and I can cut meat and bread or anything on it, without harming it in the least, besides using it as a moulding board.

37.  Convenient Place for Stiletto.—­It will be found a great convenience to have the stiletto tied to the embroidery hoop by a ribbon about a foot long, when that little instrument is necessary for the work in hand.

38.  Cleaning Paint and Varnish.—­Many housekeepers have been annoyed by finding their paint and varnish brushes dry and hard.  To soften them, heat to the boiling water point some good cider vinegar, immerse your brushes and allow them to simmer in it for a few minutes, then wash out in strong soapsuds and your brushes will be soft and pliable.

39.  How to Keep Cookies from Burning.—­To keep cookies from burning on the bottom, turn the baking pan upside down and bake on the bottom of the pan.

40.  Non-Sticking Cake Tins.—­Cake layers will not stick in cooking if a little meal is scorched on the cake tins and rubbed off with paper.