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Household Conveniences (MATCH SAFE Most people think)

A MATCH SAFE. - Most people think any kind of a match safe will do, and matches are placed in all sorts of receptacles, exposed to all sorts of accidents. Occasionally a baby is poisoned by picking them up from the floor and putting them in its mouth, and oftener houses are burned up by stray matches that are ignited nobody knows how. The only proper place to put matches is in a metal box with a selfclosing lid. The one represented in cut is of metal, and the lid closes by its own weight. டு A POLISHING IRON. - Many housewives wonder why they can not give to shirt collars, bosoms, and cuffs the This fine glossy surface that the laundress puts on. polish is due not so much to any preparation of the starch as vigorous rubbing with an iron made for the purpose and shaped like the one in the cut. It is somewhat like a common flat-iron, but has no sharp corners or edges, and has a brightly-polished steel face. After the bosom or collar has been starched and ironed a damp cloth is passed over them and then the polisher is applied, bearing on hard and rubbing the surface rapidly.

WINDOW Hook.-It is often difficult to find or contrive a hook on which to fasten the bird-cage or a hanging basket, which needs to be hung opposite the center of a window, without marring the casing. The cut represents a neat hook which is perfectly adapted to the purpose. The two upper arms end in rings through which screws pass into the upper edge of the window casing, while the end of the third arm simply rests against the front of the casing. It is firm enough to sustain any ordinary weight.

A SAFE AND REGISTER. -It sometimes happens that houses are so planned that a stove-pipe passes through the floor to the room in second story before passing into the chimney, a drum being used for heating the up-stairs room. The illustration represents the upper end of a safe and register through which the pipe passes. The length of the safe is equal to the width of the joists plus the thickness of the floor and the lath and plastering. The space between the two walls (tin or Russia iron) of the safe is three inches; they are connected together below by a perforated cast-iron circle, and above by the circle shown in cut, which is fitted with a sliding circle which opens or closes the apertures. When open, the warm air from the room below rushes up to the upper room; when closed it is simply a perfect safe, the large air space between the walls being perfect protection. The slide of the register is operated from below by cords which drop to a convenient distance below the ceiling. A BLOWER RACK. - One of the most difficult things to dispose of, after it has served its purpose in kindling a fire, is the "blower." It is too hot to come in contact with carpet or floor or wood work, too hot to hang up, and in fact too hot to dispose of in any way. Just here a happy thought has struck some ingenious fellow, and the rack represented here comes to the front. The difficulty is solved, and there is a place to put the blower after its work is done. Like many other good things it is so simple that everybody wonders why it was never made before. BROOM HOLDER. -A place for every thing and every thing in its place applies to a brush-broom as well as to other household necessities. The neat wire-frame represented in cut is one good way of disposing of that article, and may serve to suggest to ingenious housewives many other ways just as good.

TO MAKE A HANDSOME MAT OUT OF VERY SMALL SCRAPS.-This is good work for children. Take a ball of twine and a large needle, cut pieces of cloth, muslin, silk, or any thing you have, into squares about an inch each way. Thread these on the twine until you have covered about three yards. Then cut the twine and fasten it well to prevent its slipping, and roll it round and round, taking long stitches through and through to keep it steady and flat. When quite firm take a large pair of scissors, and, laying the mat flat, cut the rough edges until the mat is pared to nearly half its former thickness. It should look like a child's worsted ball, and is the same on both sides. These mats were made during the war by the Southern ladies, and if well done are warm and pretty. A SAFE ASH BARREL. - Many a destructive fire originates in carelessness in the handling of ashes. They are thrown out in improper places or placed in wooden receptacles, and a fire breaks out from spontaneous combustion or from some "unknown cause." A proper ash barrel is made of metal, should be heavy enough so as not to be easily bruised, and should be provided with handles for convenient removal. The one represented in cut, when used for coal ashes, is provided with a sieve which holds and saves all the unconsumed coal, while it allows the ashes to pass through.

FOOT STOOLS. - Worn-out hassocks can be prettily covered, and made fit for sitting room foot stools with cuttings from carpets.

Cut them into squares, bind them with common braid, such as is bought for the bottom of ladies' dresses, and then sew the pieces together; a long piece, bound top and bottom, will go round the stool to which the top is sewn, and a piece of strong glazed lining will serve for the under part. If a round shape is preferred, the pieces of carpet must be cut into triangles. .... 0