brush about one and a half inches wide, and a
tin or jar, large enough to receive the brush, to mix the blacking in.
Apply the blacking to the stove as you would paint, and use a newspaper to
polish with, which can be burned. In this way the hands do not come in
contact with the blacking during the whole operation, and unsightly cloths
and brushes, which soil the hands, are done away with.

183. Making Gravies.--For making gravies, thickening of roast gravies, it
will be found useful to have browned flour on hand at all times, which can
readily be kept in a mason jar or any covered vessel.

184. Kitchen Mittens.--Kitchen mittens can be bought in several
thicknesses and sizes for various branches of housework. There are thick
ones, with straps across the wrist to wear when polishing the ranges, then
there are others to put on when scrubbing the sink or floors, and still
thinner ones with chamois cloth inside to use for polishing silverware.
These mittens are a great protection to the hands and finger-nails, and
they really simplify the work to a great extent.

185. To Improve Baked Potatoes.--To improve baked potatoes let them stand
in a pan of cold water for about an hour, then put them in the oven while
wet. This seems to steam them and cook them much quicker.

186. Meat Shortcake.--Give your household a meat shortcake sometimes. Make
the shortcake as you would for a fruit filling, a rather short biscuit
dough, and put between the layers creamed chicken or creamed veal, and
have it served with plenty of gravy.

187. Put a handful of coarse oatmeal in the water bottle and half fill
with water. Let stand half an hour, then shake well and rinse. The bottle
will look like new.

188. Making a Kitchen Apron.--In making a kitchen apron, provide it with
an immense pocket in which can be carried a large dustcloth. Often one
notices dusty places, on the furniture, windows or banisters while doing
the morning work, and the dust-cloth is at hand. Again one has to pick up
numerous little articles to throw into the waste basket and the pocket
holds such articles until the waste basket is reached. It is equally handy
for holding a few clothes pins, while hanging out the clothes; in fact the
large pocket is recognized as something decidedly useful in the kitchen
apron.

[876 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

189. To Make a Neat Buttonhole.--To make a neat buttonhole in thin white
material that is likely to ravel when cut, take a piece of wh