100.  Needle Sharpener.—­I know a woman who always keeps a small piece of whetstone in her machine drawer for sharpening needles when they become blunted.  It is a great scheme, and saves a lot of needles, as I have proved to my own satisfaction.

101.  Burned Kettles.—­If you have had the misfortune to burn your kettle it may be made smooth and clean by filling it with ashes and water, leaving it for an hour or so, then washing with clear water.

102.  Children’s Petticoats.—­When making washable petticoats for her small daughters, a mother whom I know attaches two skirts to one belt, which in turn is sewed to a little lace trimmed waist.  The lower skirt is made of white cambric, and the top skirt is of swiss embroidery.  This arrangement saves time in dressing the little ones and their upper and lower petticoats are always of the same length and set evenly.

[868 Mothers’ remedies]

103.  Systematic Housekeeping.—­A friend of mine who has a six-room apartment delights in taking care of it in sections, one room a day.  On each of the six days in the week one room is thoroughly cleaned and put in order.  She plans, if possible, to add some little touch of adornment, a new rocker, or vase, or table cover, or pincushion.  In this way there is always something new to notice and admire, and yet no new and startling changes and never any accumulation of hard work.

104.  To Keep Grape Fruit After Cutting.—­When half a grapefruit or melon is left from a meal, place it cut side down on a china or agate plate, so that no air can reach it, and the fruit will keep as though it had not been cut.

105.  How to Freshen Nuts.—­We had a lot of nuts that became too dry to be good, and were about to throw them away, when a friend told us of a very easy and practical way to freshen them.  It was this:  to let them stand over night in a solution of equal parts of milk and water, then dry them slowly in a moderate oven.  They tasted so fresh and proved to be such an economy, that we thought the idea well worth passing along.

106.  Measure the Eggs.—­Try measuring the whites of eggs for angel food instead of counting them, for best results.

107.  Kerosene Lamps.—­A neighbor who has to use kerosene for lighting purposes told me the secret of her bright lights.  After cleansing the lamps well and trimming the wick she fills the oil chamber, and drops into it a piece of camphor gum about as large as a marble.  It is a very simple method of securing a splendid light.

108.  Baking Help.—­When creaming butter and sugar for cake or cookies, add two tablespoonfuls of boiling water, then deduct this amount from the other liquid used.  Beat hard with a spoon, and the mixture will become a light creamy mass in one-third of the time it otherwise would take.

109.  To Destroy Disagreeable Odors.—­The cooking of onions, cabbage, or frying articles always leaves a disagreeable odor in our house.  To get rid of this I place an old tin over a lighted burner and sprinkle some ground cinnamon on it.  When the tin is very hot I carry it through the house on the dustpan, leaving behind me the pleasant pungent odor of the spice.