s
contain most valuable suggestions, that will be constantly useful if
well remembered. They should be read frequently that their full value
may be secured. Let your servants also read them, for nothing more
conduces to good housekeeping than for the servant to understand the
"system" which her mistress approves of.

363. Cleansing of Furniture.

The cleaning of furniture forms an important part of domestic economy,
not only in regard to neatness, but also in point of expense.

364. Method of Cleansing.

The readiest mode indeed consists in good manual rubbing, or the
application of a little elbow-grease, as it is whimsically termed; but
our finest cabinet work requires something more, where brilliancy of
polish is of importance.

365. Italian Varnish.

The Italian Cabinet-Work in this respect excels that of any other
country. The workmen first saturate the surface with olive oil, and
then apply a solution of gum arabic dissolved in boiling alcohol.
This mode of varnishing is equally brilliant, if not superior, to that
employed by the French in their most elaborate works.

366. Another Method.

But another Mode may be substituted, which has less the appearance of
a hard varnish, and may always be applied so as to restore the
pristine beauty of the furniture by a little manual labour. Heat a
gallon of water, in which dissolve one pound and a half of potash; and
a pound of virgin wax, boiling the whole for half an hour, then suffer
it to cool, when the wax will float on the surface. Put the wax into a
mortar, and triturate it with a marble pestle, adding soft water to it
until it forms a soft paste, which, laid neatly on furniture, or even
on paintings, and carefully rubbed when dry with a woollen rag, gives
a polish of great brilliancy, without the harshness of the drier
varnishes.

367. Marble Chimney-Pieces.

Marble chimney-pieces may also be rubbed with it, after cleaning the
marble with diluted muriatic acid, or warm soap and vinegar; but the
iron or brass work connected with them requires other processes.

368. Polished Iron Work

may be preserved from rust by an inexpensive mixture, consisting of
copal varnish intimately mixed with as much olive oil as will giye it
a degree of greasiness, adding thereto nearly as much spirit of
turpentine as of varnish.

369. Cast Iron Work

is best preserved by the common metho