indicated. Wrap two bits of wire, one four inches long and the other
an inch and a quarter, with black worsted, and insert them through
little holes made for the purpose to serve as the handles of the
scuttle; stuff the inside firmly with hair or cotton-wool, cover the
top with flannel, cut after Fig. 4, and button-hole the edges down all
round with worsted of the color of the flannel. If you like to add
a needle-book you can do so by cutting three leaves of differently
colored flannels, after the shape of Fig. 4, snipping the edges into
points, or button-holing them, and fastening the leaves to the back of
the scuttle above the pincushion.

[Illustration: DIAGRAMS OF COAL-SCUTTLE PINCUSHION AND NEEDLE-BOOK.
Fig. 1.--Pattern of Coal-Scuttle Pinchusion. Fig. 2.--Part of Pattern
of Coal-Scuttle Pinchusion. Fig. 3.--Bottom of Coal-Scuttle. Fig.
4.--Top of Coal-Scuttle.]


A BIT OF PLAIN WORK.

There are notable little sempstresses even in these days of machines
("and I am thankful to know that there are," says Mother Santa Claus)
who set their stitches as swiftly and as precisely as ever their
grandmothers did before them, and have the same liking for what used
to be called "white seam." To such we would suggest, what a nice and
useful Christmas present would be a beautifully made under-garment.
It need not of necessity be a shirt, though in old days no girl was
considered educated who could not finish one all by herself, from
cutting out to the last button-hole; but an apron or petticoat or
dressing-jacket or night-gown, over which little fingers had labored
deftly and lovingly, would, it seems to us, be a most wonderful