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FEATHER-WORK.

It is some little time now since feather trimming came into vogue, and the fashion has been very popular. Little round hats trimmed with feathers, jackets, peplums, and dresses, ornamented in the same manner, have been very familiar to our eyes of late, and now the fashionable parasols and bonnets are decorated after the same fashion.

I do not think it is generally known how very easy this pretty feather trimming is to manufacture, and it is on this subject that I would give a few hints and the result of my experience. It has been in the country that most of my work of this description has been done, where it is very easy to procure any amount of feather pickings from farm-yards and private game-bags; but I have also continued it in the city, and I find poulterers are very willing to help one, through the instrumentality of the cook. In one respect am afraid this work may come under the imputation of untidiness, for it is very difficult to prevent the feathers and down from flying about and settling on the dress and the carpet. I always keep my feathers in a large flat box, so that I can see and sort them without taking more out than I require at the moment. The way to fix them is to tack them on to a piece of ribbon or braid; I think the former is the stronger. The feathers should be arranged so that the tips cross each other, and the stitches run through the centre so as to cross the crossed tips, and these should be hidden by the plumage of each succeeding feather. The feathers should be wider than the ribbon, which is only intended for the foundation. White feathers mixed with pheasants' look very well together; the one gives a lightness and the other a richness to the appearance, which is very effective. For day wear I would suggest black ribbon being used, and for white feather trimming white ribbon. The width of the ribbon would of course be in accordance with the width of the trimming. Every feather should have a separate stitch, to keep it firm and in its place, and then the two crossed feathers should have another stitch, as a sort of finishing security. Yards of trimming may be made in this way, and it is such easy and agreeable work. I have seen very pretty white evening dresses trimmed with white feathers in this way, manufactured by the wearers. Round the top of a dress and a peplum, or tunic, the effect is singularly light and elegant. A black velvet hat trimmed with either white or variegated feathers is very pretty and becoming. I have also seen black velvet and plush muffs ornamented in a similar manner, children's little jackets and pelisses, as well as parasols of every hue and description, tops of gloves and gauntlets, &c. Novelties in dress are very charming, and sometimes rare to obtain, particularly in the country far away from town; but by this work a great many novelties and pretty additions to a lady's toilette may be obtained, and by means of personal taste and very little trouble. There is a way of dyeing feathers which I strongly recommend as being very simple and very effective. It is by means of a compound called "Judson's simple dyes," sold in bottles from a shilling upwards. By mixing it with water and following the printed directions, a very good dye is obtained of any color wished for. I may as well mention, as being apropos to the subject, that a lady, well known in the fashionable world, appeared last summer in a toilette which was much admired for its beauty and singularity, and was trimmed solely with feathers arranged and dyed by herself-parasol and all!

I will now speak of another way of working with feathers-namely, with gum. The most beautiful screens may be made in this way, especially small hand screens for the mantelpiece. First get a!

foundation of the shape required, and cover the
back with colored silk; then, when you have sorted
and chosen your feathers (and I should advise white
ones for this kind of work), dip the tip of every one
in very strong liquid gum, and fix it to the frame.
Arrange the feathers in a circle, commencing from
the edge, and so filling up towards the centre. This,
when finished, has a lovely effect, and looks like a
mass of white down. A bird fastened in the centre
of the screen by a stitch or several stout pins is a
great improvement, and by using the dye I have
mentioned, any common bird may be made to look
like a rare foreign one. A handsome butterfly,
nestling in the mass of feathers, looks light and
pretty. Sometimes the lining at the back of the
screen is sewn on after the feathers are dry and
fixed, in case of the liquid gum penetrating, and so
soiling the silk; but this is rather tiresome work,
and requires very cool, delicate fingering, for fear
of ruffling the feathers. I have seen penwipers
arranged in the same way with equal success.
fancy bazaars these things sell wonderfully well,
and are a very great ornament to a stall as well as
to a room. Mats for the table may be covered in
the same way, with a round bare space left in the
centre for an ornament to stand on, and many other
things which the taste and imagination of the worker
may suggest. Though this work is essentially for
ladies' fingers, I have found it very popular with
boys, who naturally take an interest in birds and
anything connected with them; and several beauti-
ful articles, which sold for very high prices at a
recent fancy fair I visited in the country, were
manufactured by boys during their holidays.

For

As to the kind of feathers employed in the work, I have generally used the breast feathers of white chickens and ducks. They are soft, fluffy, and very pure white, and, being light and small, adhere better when gummed to the foundation. I should think the feathers of white gulls would answer the purpose very well, though I have not yet tried them. I have lately seen a new specimen of white feather manufacture used as trimming, and which I mention as being very novel and pretty, and likely to become fashionable. It was on a very pretty blue bonnet that this work was exhibited. Across the bonnet was a white ribbon, which served as strings, and on each side it was bordered with little white feathers, very small and downy. I think that they must have been tacked inside the ribbon, and in such a manner that the ribbon when folded hid the stitches, as I do not think that gum alone would be quite strong enough to hold them on against a wind. piece of ribbon) were trimmed in the same way, and The strings passing under the chin (all of the same the feathers looked very soft and pretty against the fall. A narrower piece of ribbon, edged in the same way, was quilled up into a rosette on one side of the bonnet, and looked like a small powder-puff. The effect of this feather trimming was excessively peculiar and attractive, and formed one of the loveliest bonnets I have seen this season. I strongly advise any lady who has a taste for this sort of light work, and an eye to a pretty bonnet, to try her hand at this style of ornament. I am sure she would be pleased with the effect, and it would not be at all difficult to do, though perhaps a little niggling. Colored ribbon of some delicate shade on a white bonnet would look equally well.

I think I mentioned that in making the feather screens the feathers should be arranged in circles, beginning from the outside and so graduating towards the centre; and they should lie flat and close upon each other, so as to give a fluffy and full appearance to the work. The other day I was shown some screens made in this way, only with different

colored feathers. There was an outer rim of peacocks', then those peculiarly marked ones of the pheasant, then a round of the variegated plumage of the wild duck, then another circle of the pheasant (those gold-colored feathers tipped with purple that look so rich), and in the middle of all was placed a very small, brilliantly-tinted humming-bird. Such screens would sell well at fancy bazaars, where purchasers are more easily attracted by pretty trifles, and are not so particular as to price, knowing they are (at least generally speaking) in the relentless hands of friends, and must pay a certain amount for their patronage and presence. Little pockets, hanging at the side from the waistband by two broad straps, are very fashionable just now, and these trimmed with feathers (white or colored) would be very pretty. The straps edged in the same way. Little tiny white downy feathers gummed at intervals round the edge of white veils were very popular in Paris last summer. This would be a pretty way of adapting the feathers, which are left as too small for other kinds of feather-work, such as the screens, &c. I imagine that gum would be strong enough for this purpose, as the down adheres well and fast. I hope at some future time to send some more information about this very pleasing and agreeable work, as I have several friends who are ambitious of outdoing their fellow workers, and are continually inventing some novelty in this line. A FANCY WORKER.

EDUCATION.

The striving of modern fashionable education is to make the character impressive; while the result of good education, though not the aim, would be to make it expressive. There is a tendency in modern education to cover the fingers with rings, and at the same time to cut the sinews at the wrist. The worst education, which teaches self-denial, is better than the best which teaches everything else, and not that.

New Publications.

Stephen Dane. By Amanda M. Douglas, author of "In Trust," &c., &c.

Of the building of life God is the architect, and man the contractor. God has one plan, and man another; is it strange there are clashings and collisions?

H. W. BEECHER.

Boston: Lee & Shepard. For sale by G. W. Pitcher, 808 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia.

A story that will increase the growing reputation of Miss Douglas for power in the direction of pure womanliness-power of sentiment, of pathos, of all that makes the life of the heart. It is shadowed with clouds of mystery and sorrow; a young lady reader complains that it deals more with rough, uncultured people than is customary with this favorite writer-this, of course, is nothing against its merit as a fiction. For ourselves, we think that Miss Douglas has done herself full justice, and proved her varied ability by producing something excellent, yet unlike what has gone before. The book is dedicated to her friend, Louise Chandler Moulton.

The History of Pendennis. By Wm. Makepeace Thackeray. New York: M. Doolady. For sale by G. W. Pitcher, 808 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia.

This is the diamond edition, convenient in size, profusely illustrated, and with a handsome portrait. It is abundantly entertaining, as everybody knows; but this author is not one of our favorites, probably because of "the subtle scepticism as to the worth of existence itself, which infects Thackeray's narratives, and makes us close his most entertaining novels with a jaded feeling." We always remember in his favor, however, that the author of Jane Eyre admired him enthusiastically.

The Forlorn Hope. A Novel. By Edmund Yates, author of "Broken to Harness," &c., &c. Lering, Publisher. For sale by G. W. Pitcher.

We are not partial to Edmund Yates; not being able to see clearly his right to add to the already overwhelming mass of reading in the world. Women of medium ability write better society novels than men of the same calibre, and what they write is enough of that sort-but perhaps we underrate Mr. Yates.

Receipts.

STEAMED FOWLS.-Fowls are better steamed than boiled, especially when there is no veal stock on hand to boil them in. When steamed, the juices should be saved by placing a pan under the strainer to catch all the drips. Drawn butter, plain or seasoned with parsley or celery, is the most common sauce used for boiled fowls. Liver sauce is good; but when oysters can be had, oyster sauce is to be preferred above all others.

EGGS IN A MASS COOKED WHOLE.-Butter a dish, place the eggs in layers with small bits of butter, and season with very little salt and pepper; steam them, and when the whites are solid, serve in the same dish.

EGGS IN THE ITALIAN METHOD.-Moisten butter and flour in a stew-pan, stirring constantly; when the thickness of rich batter, thin with a little boiling milk, and season with pepper and salt; add about three ounces of butter and a little chopped green parsley, worked well together. Have ready eight eggs boiled one hour, slice and add them to the sauce, and serve hot.

SHELLS OF EGGS.-Wash the shells and dry them, to settle coffee in the winter. To use them, soak them over night.

CORN: AN EXCELLENT METHOD.-Cut the corn from the cobs, have ready just enough water to cover the corn, throw in the cobs and let them boil until within fifteen minutes of the time to serve dinner. Remove the cobs, and stir in the corn; let it come to a boil, which will take about five minutes. After it has boiled for ten minutes, add butter, salt and pepper, if relished.

CORN, No. 2.-Proceed as above. When the corn is ready to dish, stir into a quart of corn a pint of rich, sweet cream, that is not old enough to curdle; add a little salt but no pepper.

CORN, No. 3.-Cook corn in its own juice slowly

for fear of burning. The best method to do this is to set the pan or kettle containing it over steam. It will take a half-hour to cook, and must be kept tightly covered while steaming; this is superior to the others, but takes more time; season with fresh butter or cream.

TOMATO TOAST.-This is a nice breakfast dish; prepare the tomatoes, and stew them. Toast a slice of light bread for each member of the family, and spread the stewed tomatoes 'evenly on each slice. If any is left, pour it over the whole; serve immediately.

HERMETICALLY SEALED TOMATOES.-Peel and let them become boiling hot; fill cach can nearly full; seal on the caps; make a small hole in each, and place them in the water bath. Let them remain until the fruit becomes boiling hot, and the air exhausted, which can be told by placing a drop of water over the hole; while there is air in the can, it will blubber; as soon as it is all expelled, the water will draw in, when the aperture must be closed. Mark the cans as soon as taken out. If the next morning any cans are not drawn in, the cans are either imperfeet or the air not fully expelled; in either case, the fault must be, if possible, corrected. If no leak appears, place the swollen cans again in the water bath, to go through the same process before explained.

GINGER BEER-TO MAKE A SMALL QUANTITY QUICKLY. Over three-quarters of a pound of loaf sugar, one and a quarter ounces of sliced ginger, and the peel of a lemon, pour a gallon of boiling water; when lukewarm, add a spoonful of yeast and the juice of a lemon.

FRUITS IN JELLY.-Put half a pint of clear calves' feet jelly, when stiff, into a bowl; lay in three peaches and a bunch of grapes, with the stalks upward. Put vine leaves over, and fill up the bowl with jelly. Let it stand till the next day, and then set it to the brim in hot water. When it gives way from the basin, lay your dish over it, turn your jelly carefully out, and serve it to table.

FARM-HOUSE SYLLABUB.-Fill a china or earthenware bowl of any size nearly half full of cider (if sour it is of no consequence), sweeten to the taste with coarse brown sugar, grate nutmeg and cinnamon to taste; then send the bowl out to the cow to be milked on till quite full of froth. A better syllabub for company is made of port wine and cider mixed (or port wine only), sweetened with white sugar, and spiced to taste. They are generally served quite cold, and will even keep till the next day, though not so well. The bowl is generally placed on the table, and the syllabub served with a punch ladle into coffee-cups placed all round the bowl.

ICE CREAM PUDDING.-To one pint of cream left over from ice cream add the whites of eight eggs beat stiff, into which work gradually six ounces powdered sugar. Stir the egg and sugar into the cream, alternately with four ounces of sifted flour, beat the whole very hard, butter well a deep dish, pour in the pudding, and bake thoroughly. Serve hot, with sweet or wine sauce.

PUFF PASTE; A NEW AND EASY WAY.-One pint measure of sifted flour; a teaspoonful of salt; a teaspoonful of baking powder. Incorporate these by turns. Meanwhile have made a very little icewater; also fill a teacup half full of lard, half buttor, even full; place ice over it awhile; cut this up with a knife into the flour, about the size of a thimble; do not put in your hands, but add a very little ice-water to make it adhere; roll out once on the

pie-board and roll it up; cut off enough for a pie, and roll out; put a piece of ice through while incorporating, taking it out before rolling up; bake ten minutes, not opening oven door the while.

A BEAUTIFUL CHARLOTTE RUSSE.-Cut the inside from a nice sponge-cake, leaving the sides whole; prepare blancmange, and let it remain over steain until wanted; spread on the bottom of the cake a layer of the blancmange, moving it around until a little thick; spread in a thin layer of any marmalade, then a layer of blancmange, and a very thin layer of marmalade, until the cake is full; the marmalade should be much thinner than the blancmange, and the last should be blancmange, to look

well.

white gum arabic, and pound it to powder. Next put boiling water (according to the degree of strength it into a pitcher, and pour on it a pint or more of you desire), and then, having covered it, let it set all night. In the morning pour it carefully from the dregs into a clean bottle, cork it and keep it for A tablespoonful of gum water stirred into a pint of starch that has been made in the usual manner will give to lawns (either white or printed) a look of newness to which nothing else can restore them after washing. It is also good (much diluted) for thin white muslin and bobinet.

GUM ARABIC STARCH.-Get two ounces of fine

use.

WASH FOR SUNBURN.-Take 2 dr. of borax, 1 dr. of Roman alum, 1 dr. of camphor, oz. of sugar candy, 1 lb. of ox gall; mix, and stir well for ten minutes or so, and repeat this stirring three or four times a day for a fortnight, till it appears clear and transparent. Strain through blotting paper, and bottle up for use.

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DESCRIPTION OF COLORED FASHION
PLATE.

FIG. 1.-Short dress with double skirt of brown
Bonnet of blue tulle with blue strings.
silk trimmed with blue velvet. Paletôt to match

FIG. 2.-A trained robe of white muslin, entirely covered with small flounces. Corsage cut low and finished with a ruffle; no sleeves. Wide waistband of crimson silk with a bow behind. In the hair an antique gold comb.

FIG. 3 Dress of buff silk, trimmed with jet. A plain sleeve and over it a long open sleeve lined with quilted white satin.

FIG. 4.-Dress and paletôt of green silk trimmed with white jet and fringe of the same.

FIG. 5.-Child's Costume. A red cashmere skirt and white chemisette; an over skirt, with bretelles of white silk crossed with red, trimmed with black velvet and jet. Hat of white felt, with a red ruche and a white tuft in front.

FIG. 6. Suit or dress and casaque of gray silk: the skirt trimmed near the bottom by a broad biais band of scarlet silk, with a narrow black lace on the upper edge. Tight-fitting paletôt or casaque, fastening by five large fancy buttons, and having a waistbelt with long floating ends at the back. The skirt of this paletôt is cut into five large points or vandykes, two in the front, one at each side, and one at the back; these points are edged by a black lace with a band of scarlet silk for a heading. A similar band of scarlet silk and lace, but much narrower, is carried round the neck and armholes, and forms pointed cuffs at the bottom of sleeves. Hat of white straw or felt trimmed with Marguerites.

GENERAL REMARKS.-An elegant style of combining a long with a short skirt is the following: A black silk dress cut in the Princesse form, with short skirt scalloped out at the edge and bordered with a cross-cut band of blue satin studded with jet buttons, and below the band a fluted flounce likewise blue. Wear this over a plain blue cashmere petticoat, and you have a simple negligé toilette; but wear it over a long-trained petticoat, either striped black and blue or plain blue, and a dressy toilette will be the result.

A dress with a trained petticoat is simply now-adays a dress with two skirts; but the fulness of the lower skirt adds much to the effective grace of the toilette. To make the train flow satisfactorily, it is necessary that the skirt should be perfectly plain in front, and gathered at the back. Small gathers are now occasionally to be seen on the hips, and these gathers are sewn very close together at the back. Small gores are inserted into the lower part of the skirt to widen it.

The plainness of the top of the skirt can be advantageously concealed by a waistband with a fringe appended to it. These fringes, which are made of bugles and beads, are several inches deep, and are sometimes plain and sometimes vandyked round the edge.

China Crêpe has once more come into vogue. As shawls have not been much worn of late, some ladies had their Chinese shawls cut up into peplums, with large sleeves. Crêpe drapes so well that, on its reappearance in this form, it was at once taken into favor.

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A black lace scarf, out of fashion, may be converted into the stylish Zouave Jacket with ends, illustrated in our present number.

Small short paletôts made of lace are worn; they are slightly rounded at the back, but straight in front, and the sleeves are coat-shaped. They are worn over high dresses during the day, and at the theatre over low dresses; they are also used to smarten up a black silk paletôt, by covering it entirely, the silk paletôt being the same form as the

lace one.

Small Greek jackets without sleeves are also made of lace, and are worn over high dresses, white bodices, and low dresses. They are trimmed round the edge either with small gold grelots or with gimp grelots of different colors, as, for example, black and violet alternately. When lined with white cashmere and tastefully trimmed, these small jackets are most stylish for house wear.

The Hungarian sleeves, which are straight and open to the top of the arm, and slashed together again with silk cord, are very stylish. As the narrow coat sleeves are worn under them, many who are economically inclined are remodelling their old paletôts with this novel sleeve.

The favorite style of trimmings are silk braid, either plain or studded with beads, narrow borders of black guipure lace, crimped silk fringes, and

passementerie ornaments. The latter are often imitated by braid-work.

The fancy brocaded silk braids, woven in imitation of the Breton embroidery, or black braid studded with Marguerites of various hues are popular.

Plaits of braid and silk ribbon will be used for trimmings instead of those of satin or velvet, that were so fashionable in the winter.

The newest berthes for evening wear are made entirely of small flowers. A fringe of similar flowers is added below the waistband.

The new parasols have extremely thick handles and sticks, and the fringes are small tassels. In Paris cbony handles with crêpe covers lined with black taffetus are general for deep mourning.

Black crin, or horsehair, lined with pink silk, and trimmed at the side with a rose, and another rose under the chin, forms one of the prettiest neglige bonnets.

The latest idea is to substitute for the small bonnet a hood of black or white lace, garlanded with flowers and adorned with precious stones.

Some ladies are endeavoring to introduce the fashion of wearing the hair unrestrained and flowing, in what has been called the "mane" style; the hair simply held by a small gold bandeau of antique form, set with precious stones.

FASHIONS FOR CHILDREN.

Very pretty costumes, to be worn out of doors without paletots, are prepared for little girls from three to seven years old.

The costume will be composed of a high dress with long sleeves, of some bright color, worn with a tunic completed by a corselet, and sometimes by braces of some neutral tint; this tunic or over-skirt will be cut out round the bottom in scallops, vandykes, or tabs, and very often will be trimmed over all the seams with pipings or rouleaux of the same color as the under-dress.

For instance, under-dress of blue poplin, tunie of any fancy material, light or dark gray piped with blue silk. No paletôt, as we have said, but a wide sash of the same color as the under-dress, may be worn over the tunic and tied at the back.

For very young children the under-dress, or rather frock, may have a low body and short sleeves, and be worn with an under-chemisette, and long sleeves of pleated muslin. In that case the upper-skirt would merely have a rather high waistband, pointed, Swiss fashion, in front and at the back.

Sashes will be very much the fashion through the coming season, not only for children, but for ladies. They are made of the same material as the dress, very wide, with rounded lappets, and trimmed with colored pipings or ruches. They will be worn not only of an evening and indoors, but with walking toilets and under a paletôt.

Little boys wear frocks open slantways on one side and fastened with buttons, and the short loose Breton trousers.

Nothing is so fashionable for little girls as the loose casaque jacket, rather short, cut in vandykes at the edge, and at the point of each a tassel is placed. These jackets may be made of black silk and trimmed simply with beads; or for more dressy occasions, white muslin may be used, and the trimming composed of satin ruches to match the color of the dress. They are also made of the same material as the dress, if preferred. Circular capes are sometimes seen both of muslin and pique, and also to match the dress; but these have not so much style about them, and are less elegant than the casaque.

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