sive flashlight should be
kept in the sewing machine drawer. It will not only save many
precious minutes, but will relieve eye strain when threading a
machine needle on a dark day or at night.

IN THE BEDROOM

To Clean Bed Springs--To clean the dust and dirt from bed
springs, set them out in the yard on a sunny day and turn the
hose on them freely. The sun and wind will afterward dry them in
a few minutes.

If Your Alarm Clock Rings Too Loudly, slip an elastic band
around the bell to diminish the noise. The wider the band that
is used, the greater will be the suppression.

Protection Against Spilled Water in Sick Bed--If water is
accidentally spilled in bed when attending someone who is ill,
it can be quickly dried by slipping a hot-water bag filled with
very hot water between the bed covers over the wet spot and
leaving it there for a few minutes.

To Clean and Polish Brass Beds--Brass bedsteads can be cleaned
by rubbing them with a cloth which has been slightly moistened
with sweet oil; then polished with a soft, dry duster, and
lastly with a chamois leather. If this is done occasionally, it
will keep them in good condition for years. But it is a better
plan to use the lacquer, given below, after cleaning.

Wooden bedsteads should be wiped every three months with a cloth
moistened with turpentine to keep them clean.

To Keep Brass from Tarnishing--To keep brass beds and other
forms of brass work from tarnishing, and also to avoid frequent
polishing, the brass should be lacquered with gum shellac
dissolved in alcohol. Apply the lacquer with a small paint
brush. Ten cents worth will lacquer a bedstead.

Clear, hard-drying varnish is also good for this purpose.

IN THE PARLOR

New Way to Fasten Lace Curtains--The best way to secure lace
or net curtains in place over the poles is to fasten with the
very fine wire hairpins, known as "invisible" hairpins. These
are so sharp that they can be pushed through the curtains
without injury to the fabric, and are so fine that they are more
invisible than pins. They have the added advantage of never
slipping out of place like small-headed pins, or becoming
entangled in the lace like safety-pins. Put them perpendicularly
(up and down) in the curtain with the rounded head at the top.

Filling for Sofa Cushions--Cut a roll of cotton in small
squares and put it in a pan in the oven and heat it for half an
hour. Do not let the cotton scorch. Every square will swell to
t