THE LAUNDRY.

        This department should be supplied with ample and suitable conveniences for the work in hand, such as a substantial ironing-table, with a drawer in which to put away, when out of use, the ironing-cloths, rings, crimping-irons, and clothes-pins. The flat-irons should be slightly greased, and placed on a shelf over the ironing-table.

        There should be a skirt-board, and a low, long table for the tubs while the washing is going on; it should be long enough to hold three tubs, as clothes after washing and boiling should always pass through three rinsing waters, the last having a slight tinge of bluing.

        There should be at least six flat-irons, two rings, and a crimping-iron, two dozen clothes-pins, and an ample line on which to hang the clothes. This very necessary article should be taken due care of, and so managed as to be easily taken within-doors as soon as the clothes are removed, as the night dews and the rain will rot it in a very short time if left exposed to their influence. A good and ample clothes-line will cost a dollar, or at least seventy-five cents; and even twenty-five cents saved in clothes-lines, and many other items of house expenses, will amount to no inconsiderable sum in the course of twelve months, to distribute, if you please, among the needy of the parish, thus securing their prayers for your prosperity, and an addition to your substantial treasures in the time to come.

        Six tubs, a large clothes-basket, a brass kettle for boiling starch, an ironing-sheet and blanket, with two coarse cloths for straining starch, a copper kettle for boiling clothes, a pair of tongs and a shovel, a good and ample clothes-horse, compose the most necessary implements in effecting the work of the laundry satisfactorily.

        In making your starch, take care that it is thoroughly boiled, otherwise it will not iron smoothly or nicely. Drop in a small bit of spermaceti or mutton tallow while boiling. This will cause it to iron smoothly, and give an agreeable gloss to the surface of the article ironed.

        Servants have generally little idea of proportion, and in bluing clothes they seem to have a propensity to color too highly. This should be restricted, as it deprives the clothes of that snowy appearance, which is their greatest beauty.

        Table-cloths, pillow - cases, table - napkins, and under-clothes of all kinds should have but very little starch. This, too, is a matter necessary to be attended to, as servants have little judgment generally in starching clothes. Shirt-collars, cuffs, and bosoms to shirts, frills, dresses, and caps, of course require more starch. Towels, sheets, and the like should be slightly blued, but not starched.

        I have found by personal experience that the following is far the best mode of washing clothes. The labor is much less than in the usual mode, the clothes are subject to less wear and tear, much time is saved, and I earnestly recommend it to every young housekeeper. It is of the utmost importance

to begin right, for then you are not in danger of becoming prejudiced in favor of an uncertain or wrong way.

        Slack five (5) pounds of best lime with five pounds of sal soda in two gallons of boiling water; let it settle, and strain the liquor into a large jug; then pour on the lime and soda two gallons more of water, stirring it well; allow it to settle again, and strain as before, adding this liquor also to the jug, or jugs if necessary. To this mixture add a pint of spirits of turpentine and an ounce of sal ammoniac. Stop it up close.

        On Monday morning sort your clothes. Have ready three large tubs; then take a quart of good soft soap (or dissolved hard soap); add to this twelve tablespoonfuls of the mixture from the jug, as above prepared. Mix it well with the soap, and put into the three tubs half a pint of the soap for each; then fill the tubs two-thirds with lukewarm water; with your hand or a spoon mix the soap well with the water; after which put in your clothes to soak half an hour. Put the remaining half pint of soap into your boiling-kettle. While the white clothes are soaking, make your starch, and wash your flannels and colored clothes. Flannels should be washed out quickly in warm soap-suds, and rinsed in water of the same temperature, otherwise they will be sure to shrink. Shake them out quickly, and hang them out to dry. Don't wring them. This will be sure to shrink them.

        Have ready three tubs on your long table near your boiling-kettle, each nearly full of clean water,

the last tinged slightly with bluing. Having your starch-tub conveniently at hand, now rub the collars and wristbands of the shirts, the hems of skirts, and the feet of stockings; no more; then put the clothes in the boiler, as many as it will hold, slightly wringing them. While they are boiling, finish washing and hanging out your colored clothes, or strain your starch. As soon as these have boiled, remove them to the nearest rinsing-tub, and put more into the boiler. Then rinse in the three waters, starch, and hang out the boiled clothes, and proceed with the rest of the clothes in the same way till the whole are hung out.

        All this may be done in the course of the morning, and the colored clothes and flannels may easily be ironed in the same afternoon. In this way time, labor, soap, and water may be greatly saved, besides fatigue and pains from long standing, rubbing, and stooping over the wash-tub. Besides, your clothes will be saved from the certain wear and tear of the wash-board.

        The same water which soaked and boiled the mistress's clothes will do the same for those of the servants.

        SPRINKLING.--Clothes should be sprinkled sufficiently to dampen them throughout, then folded by a thread, rolled up tightly, and laid in the clothes-basket, closely packed, so as to preserve the dampness throughout the whole mass. Clothes should be covered closely from the air, too. At least an hour is necessary for them to remain thus till ironed.

        Clothes should never be dampened the night before ironing, especially in summer, for fear of mildew, which is the most difficult of all stains to remove. In winter this might answer a good purpose, provided the clothes be placed out of the danger of freezing.

        In summer, clothes should not be dampened in too large a quantity to iron in one day; and if this is ever done, those remaining unironed should be shaken out, and hung up to dry, as otherwise they will be sure to become mildewed before morning. Clothes, to be well ironed, should be evenly and thoroughly dampened,--but, observe, merely dampened, not wet. Extremes of all kinds are bad, and in this case extremely troublesome,--consuming much time, and very often with bad effect to the articles so managed. At the same time, if clothes are only partially dampened, or left dry in spots, they will look very badly after being ironed.

        IRONING,--After placing your ironing-blanket and sheet on the table, take care to place a coarse piece of cloth, wet, under your ironing-ring before commencing, to prevent scorching your sheet and blanket; and when it becomes dry wet it again. Unfold, and lay your article before you by a thread, passing the iron over it in the same way. Always iron by a thread. Your clothes will look much better.

        Place your clothes-horse in the air, or near the fire, that the clothes may be dried rapidly; and as soon as dry remove them, so as to make room for others. Never place a double layer of ironed

clothes on your horse,--it gives them a tumbled look, they are apt to remain damp, and if you have not a conscientious and thoughtful laundry-maid, you are in danger of having the clothes placed in the wardrobe in a damp state. This would endanger your health and the health of your family. If you are not so fortunate as to have a careful person in this department, attend to the airing of your clothes yourself.

        Your laundry-maid should be instructed to sort the clothes (separating those which require mending) before placing them in the wardrobe. Those requiring repair should be brought to your notice or that of your seamstress.

        Especially your husband's shirts should never be put away without buttons, his drawers without strings, or his stockings with holes. Before you have been long married you will find this one of the greatest annoyances a man can be subjected to. Would it not be far better to be careful and please him in this matter than to endanger the harmony which should subsist in married life? Who can tell what a spirit of discord may be waked up by the absence of a button? Be wise in time.

        Never suffer your laundry-maid to put away unironed articles till the next week. Insist on having everything brought in and counted. Of course you counted them before giving them out.

        If the washing was all done in one day, two days are quite sufficient for the ironing; and the clothes should be brought in on Thursday morning, having been well aired through Wednesday night.

        As soon as all the ironing is done, and the clothes taken out of the laundry, have all the tubs scoured, sunned, and turned up in a convenient place till required again. Never suffer washing-suds to remain in them, as this causes a disagreeable odor, is uncleanly, and besides will injure your tubs.

        In order to render clothes fire-proof, mix 25 parts tungstate of soda and 4 parts phosphate of soda; then dissolve them in 100 parts water. Starch your clothes first, then immerse them in the above solution; after which dry and iron them. Those you do not wish to starch, dip in the solution also. It will be well to use this solution for children's clothes, as they have not generally the precaution of older persons, and often endanger themselves by approaching too near the fire.

        Wet your table-cloths, napkins, etc., also children's clothes, with alcohol, after eating fruits of any kind, before putting them in the wash, and you will find them stainless when they come in.

        If salt is put immediately on the table-cloth, when wine or other substance likely to stain is spilled on it, there will be no fear of its remaining.

        Ink stains may be removed from clothes by soaking them in oxalic water. Be careful of this water, as it is a deadly poison. Throw it out immediately after it has had its effect. Never leave it in the way of children, or even dumb animals.