In the first place you must thoroughly air your bed every day. Pull the bed-clothes apart, set the mattress on end, if it is in two pieces so that you can manage it, and open the windows widely. Leave bed and bedding this way, exposed to air and sunlight, for at least an hour.

Then spread your under sheet smoothly on the mattress, tucking it well in at the top. Similarly tuck the upper sheet in with great care at the bottom of the bed, so that it will not work loose and leave the feet of a restless sleeper exposed. Be sure in laying on your blankets that the open end of them is at the top of the bed. A person often requires a second thickness of blanket before morning, and can arrange it as she wishes if the closed end of the blanket is at the bottom of the bed.

Now comes your dainty upper spread, to be folded up and laid aside at night, your bolster, and your pillows. I would enjoy sleeping in a bed made by one of my girls if she followed these directions.

Of course you are going to begin making your Christmas presents this summer. The beautiful centre-pieces, doilies, and other bits of embroidery which you intend to send here and there to dear friends must be planned for and finished, from the first careful st.i.tch to the last, during your summer leisure. A set of towels or handkerchiefs with a monogram in the corner of each will delight mamma, and Arthur will be very much pleased if his sister makes a cover for his mantel or his chiffonier. It will be well to select your materials and take them in your trunk, and then set apart a definite part of each day for your work.

Some of you belong to the Needle-work Guild, and are pledged to send a certain number of finished garments to the headquarters of the society in the autumn. You must make these little garments, slips, petticoats, ap.r.o.ns, or whatever they may be, with the utmost nicety. Let only loving, careful st.i.tches go into your work for the poor.

Last summer a beautiful girl from town found part of her pleasure in teaching some little children in a sea-side village how to sew. Her little cla.s.s came to her vine-shaded veranda every week, and there she showed them how to hem and over-hand and fell and back-st.i.tch, and when work was over she gave them a little treat of candy and fruit. Do you suppose they forgot her when the long winter came, and don't you think they are hoping to see her again this summer?

Will you all take notice that if you wish letters answered in this column you must send them a fortnight in advance of the occasion? It is impossible for me to answer in "next week's paper" an inquiry which comes to me on the Sat.u.r.day or Monday just before an issue. Please give yourselves and me a little longer time.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Signature]

A READY ANSWER.

The poorer cla.s.ses among the Maltese have a ready wit, if the story told by a returned traveller is true. An English officer stationed at Malta, failing to make a Maltese understand what he meant, called the poor man "a fool." Understanding this much, the man, who had travelled about a good deal, though he did not understand English, replied by asking, "Do you speak Maltese?" "No." "Do you speak Arabic?" "No." "Do you speak Greek?" "No." "Do you speak Italian?" "No." "Then if I be one fool, you be four fools."

A POUND OF FACTS

is worth oceans of theories. More infants are successfully raised on the Gail Borden Eagle Brand Condensed Milk than upon any other food. _Infant Health_ is a valuable pamphlet for mothers. Send your address to N. Y.

Condensed Milk Co., N. Y.--[_Adv._]

ADVERTIs.e.m.e.nTS.

Arnold

Constable & Co.

Chudda Shawls

IN TAN SHADES,

from 75c. to 3.50 each.

Less than half price.

Broadway & 19th st.

NEW YORK.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Columbia

Bicycle

advertising has for months been conspicuous by its absence. 1895 Columbias at $100--finest, easiest-running bicycles ever produced at any price--have been doing their own advertising.

For the first time this year we can a.s.sure reasonably prompt delivery of regularly equipped Columbias and Hartfords.

You See Them Everywhere

Pope Manufacturing Co.

General Offices and Factories, Hartford, Conn.

BRANCH STORES: Boston, New York, Chicago, Providence, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Brooklyn, Baltimore, Washington, San Francisco.

Postage Stamps, &c.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

100 all dif. Venezuela, Costa Rica, etc., only 10c.: 200 all dif. Hayti, Hawaii, etc., only 50c. Ag'ts wanted at 50 per ct. com. List FREE!

=C. A. Stegmann=, 2722 Eads Av., St. Louis, Mo.