Painting Floors

Having had some experience with oiled and paintnd floors, I unhesitatingly reootnmend tbe foruaer. If some uniform dark tint is wanted, like black walnut, mix burnt umber with boiled linseed oil, and rub it in thoroughly with a woolen oloth. The umber can be bought in boxea oontaining a pound and upwarda, already ground in oil, which is most convenient, as that sold in a dry state is apt to be coarse and rough. The depth of tint is varied by using moro or less of the color, whilo the tone may be warmed, if desired, by adding burnt sienna. If an imitation of the h'uidsome ash and walnut floors is preferred, rub every altérnate bosrd with pure boiled oil, and use a paint brush to apply the dark staining, takiug care not to have enough in the brush to spread on the part intended to be light. Leave the floor fov a day or two to dry, though the only harm done by using it immediately is that the oil is hable to bo tracked over the other parts of tho house. The great advantage au oiled fioor posesses over a painted one is that when marked or scratched some oil rubbed over the spots removes them, and it is nover nocessary to repeat tho whole proeess again. All that is needed to keep the floor bright and fresh is to occasionally rub it over with a cloth wet with a little oil or kerosene, as you would treat oiled furnature. Apieco of old caipet or a newspaper may be spread before entrances to othor rooms for a few hour, to prevent the possibility of carrying away footprints, or the extra oil may be rubbed off with dry woolen cloths. ïvo doubt, aftera while, our sensible American housewives will, liko their trans-AUantic sisters, discard the dusty carpet iroin all but a few rooms, and fashion will replace the extravagant Axminister by the no less expensive inlaid floors of various woods and patterns now winning their way into popurar favor. A London writer says : "Every day one may see in Pall Mali and Regent street live or six men walking in the roadway bearing placards on their breasts with these inscriptions : ' lieduced to Poverty by the Erama Mine.' 'Ruined by the Ruby Consolidated Mining Company,' and so on. To the naked eye these men look like the 'ordinary sandwiches,' and for aught I know tbey may be hired by ' bears ' in Emma and Ruby. But their appearance excitos great attentiou." " When a man has been out in th world a long time," remarks an exchange, "earning his ment and drink in any other business than that of school-keeping, it is astonishing how ignorant he soon becomes, and with wliat awe he listens to little girls bounding the principal countries of Europe and stating the latitnde and longitude of capital cities - perha-ps spelling with oase and accuracy many of those puzzling words which always send us to our Webster Unabridged. It is astonishiug how we shed our learning as we get older."