pointed leaves of black broadcloth or silk to receive the ink,
and finish the top with a small bow of ribbon.

[Illustration: A LEAF PEN-WIPER.]

A BIRDS'-NEST PEN-WIPER.

Girls are always trying to find something which they can make to
delight their papas, and a gay little pen-wiper with fresh uninked
leaves rarely comes amiss to a man who likes an orderly writing-table.
Here is a pretty one which is easily made. For the pattern you may
borrow a moderately large beech-leaf from the nearest tree (or
botanical work); lay it down on paper, pencil the outline and cut it
out neatly. Repeat this six or eight times in black cloth or velvet,
and sew the leaves round a small oval or circle of black cloth. Knit
and ravel out a quantity of yellow worsted or floss silk, and with it
construct a nest in the center of the oval, putting a hen into the
nest. This hen may be made of canton flannel, stuffed with cotton-wool
and painted in water color, with a comb of red flannel, two black
beads for eyes, and a tuft of feathers by way of tail. But better
still and much easier, buy one of the droll little Japanese chicks
which can be had at the shops now for twenty or twenty-five cents, and
fasten it in the middle of the nest. Three plain circles of cloth are
fastened underneath for wiping the pens.

JAPANESE PEN-WIPER.

[Illustration: A JAPANESE PEN-WIPER.]

A nice little pen-wiper can be made by cutting three circles of black
cloth, snipping the edges or button-holing them with colored silk, and
standing in the middle one of the droll little Japanese birds just
mentioned. Of course it should be secured firmly at the feet. There
are long-legged birds and short-legged ones. A tiny stork is very
pretty.

BLEACHED GRASSES.

Some of you who have been pressing autumn leaves for winter use may
like to hear of a new way of bleaching grasses to mix with them. The
process is exceedingly simple. Take a few of the grasses in your hand
at a time, dip them into a pan of water, shake gently, dip into a pan
of sifted flour, and again shake gently. All the superfluous flour
will fall off, but enough will remain to make the grasses snowy-white.
When dry it is perfectly firm, and you would never guess what process
produced the effect. A bunch of these white grasses in a coral-red
basket is a vivid object.

Colored grasses, to our thinking, are not half so pretty as the same
grasses when left in their own soft natural browns and yellows.