good dark-room lantern with very
little trouble. Across the cover at each end nail a thin strip of wood
an inch wide. In the centre of the cover cut a hole 4 by 6 inches, and
over this paste two thicknesses of yellow post-office paper. The strips
of wood are to prevent the cover splitting. For the chimney, remove the
bottom from a round tin spice-box, and in one end of the box cut slashes
an inch in depth and half an inch apart. In one end of the wooden box
cut a hole into which this tin shall fit snugly. Slip it into the hole
as far as the slashes are cut in the tin, turn the piece of tin back
against the wood, and fasten them with small brads or tacks. For the
covering of the chimney, to prevent the escape of white light, take an
empty tin fruit or vegetable can--the cans used for corn are the best
size--cut slashes in the tin the same as in the small can, and above
these slashes for about two inches puncture the tin full of holes. Turn
back these pieces of tin at right angles, place it over the chimney, and
tack it in several places to the box. This arrangement will allow plenty
of air to enter for ventilation, but no white light will escape. For a
light get a small brass candlestick like those used for camping, and use
adamantine candles.

A NEGATIVE WASHING RACK.

If one has an old washboard half the work of making a negative rack is
already done. From the washboard cut two strips seven inches long and
three inches wide. The strips must be cut so that the corrugations go
across, instead of lengthwise, the strips. These two pieces are for the
sides of the rack. Now take four pieces of wood six inches long and
about an inch square, and nail a piece to the end of each strip so that
they project an inch beyond the strip at one edge and two inches the
other. Fasten these two side pieces together by nailing pieces of wood
from one of the ends of the projecting sticks to the one opposite,
allowing just space enough for a 4 by 5 plate to slip between the
corrugated zinc as they are turned in toward each other. On the bottom
nail a thin piece of board to the four pieces of wood on which the
plates may rest when in the rack. You thus have a skeleton box, grooved
on the inside, which can be filled with plates; and when necessary to
change the water the box can be lifted out of the pail without danger of
breaking the plates. A negative-box costs from $1.75 to $5.00, and this
negative-box costs but half an hour of time.