Occupations > Frugal housewife

24 THE FRUGAL
in the water takes out a large portion of the
slimy matter so injurious to health. They
should be eaten with high seasoning.
Where sweet oil is much used, it is more
economical to buy it by the bottle than by
the flask. A bottle holds more than twice
as much as a flask, and it is never double
the price.
If you wish to have freestone hearths
dark, wash them with soap, and wipe them
with a wet cloth ; some people rub in lamp-
oil, once in a while, and wash the hearth
faithfully afterwards. This does very well
in a large, dirty family; for the hearth
looks very clean, and is not liable to show
grease spots. But if you wish to preserve
the beauty of a freestone hearth, buy a
quantity of freestone powder of the stone¬
cutter, and rub on a portion of it wet, after
you have washed your hearth in hot water.
When it is dry, brush it off, and it will look
like new stone. Bricks can be kept clean
with redding stirred up in water, and put on
with a brush. Pulverized clay mixed with
redding, makes a pretty rose colour. Some
think it is less likely to come off, if mixed
with skim-milk instead of water. But black-
lead is far handsomer than any thing else
for this purpose. It looks very well mixed
with water, like redding; but it gives it a
glossy appearance to boil the lead in soft
soap, with a little water to keep it from