tacked or pinned, it will be sure to be on the twist, and set badly. Having done this, run on your braid, which must be put on easy, or rather full. Attend to this, or you will spoil the set of the skirt. If the skirt is to have flounces. thev must be put on before you guage the top; and while the skirt is on the table, put a white tacking thread round the skirt where each flounce is to be fixed. Flounces take the same quantity of material if cut either on the straight or the cross. It is a common error to suppose they tak more on the cross. For the fullness of a flounce allow one width on the cross to one width on the straight of your skirt; so that if you have six widths in your skirt, you will have six widths in your flounces on the cross. If there are three flounces of different widths, let the bottom and widest one have the most fullness; three inches more fullness will be sufficient. If the flounces are on the straight, allow eight widths in the flounce to six widths in the skirt. A small cord run in at the top of the flounce makes it look neat. Before running the cord in your flounce, join it round the exact size of the skirt; join round likewise your flounces, and full them on the cord as you go on. Halve and quarter your flounces and also the skirt, and you will find them no trouble to put on.

To cut flounces on a good cross, have the material on a table, and turn down one corner in the exact shape of half a pocket handker chief, and then cut it through. In turning down your half, try two ways; one way lays flat on the table when folded, and the other does not look so flat, cut through the latter. In silk there is no perceptible difference which way you cut it; but in crape you will very easily observe it. Take any piece you have by you, and try it while reading this. Now begin to turn down your material on the ross, like a gentleman folds his neckerchief; keep folding until you have the number of pieces you want for one flounce, and keep each ne pinned to the other as you fold them, so as to leave them all exact in width. Mind the edges measure exact. Supposing you to keep turning each one as you fold it. If the flounces are to be nine inches, cut the selvage the same depth. Some persons are at a great loss to know how much three or four flounces will take. Supposing you to have three flounces, one ten, one eight, and one six inches deep at the selvage, the flounce of ten inches wide would take not quite one yard and three-quarters; that of eight inches, one yard a quarter and three inches; and that of six inches, exactly one yard; making in all four yards for three flounces; this, you will understand, is for flounces cut on the cross or straight in any material you may wish to use. I should advise you to have paper and pencil and your inch measure, and reckon before you purchase your material. Trimmings down the front of a dress, when on the cross, should be cut the same as flounces. In trimming the front of a skirt, it is a good plan to cut a paper the length of the skirt, and pin it on the way you intend to trim, and then tack a tacking thread by it. Put tackings wherever you mean to trim, before you begin trimming, and lay your skirt on a table to do is put on all

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trimmings with a light hand; do not sew them as you would a shirt, it gives them a puckered look. Now mind a good cross, no attempts at making pieces do, unless they are good corner pieces that will join well; you are more sure of making a trimming well, if cut all from one piece Before cutting a skirt off, that you wish to put tucks in, have a piece of lining or calico at hand, pin the tucks in it as you wish to put them in your skirt. Supposing you to have pinned your calico exactly like one width of your skirt, take out your pins and measure with an inch measure the exact quantity and then calculate the quantity you will want for the whole skirt. As a general rule, a tucked skirt takes more than a flounced one, and makes less show for the quantity of material used. When running seams of a silk skirt, notch the selvage all the way up the seams of every breadth, and pass a moderately warm iron over the beams when finished; seams in a merino skirt, require to be run thickly and pressed open; press every join you make in every part of a dress. In guaging a skirt of any kind, guage the four back widths in larger stitches than you guage the three front ones; the rule in guaging is to take as much on your needle as you leave; that is, if you took up on your needle a quarter of an inch, you would leave a quarter of an inch; this size would do for the back gathers, but the front must be smaller. All seams should be run with silk the color of the dress. It is a good plan to have fine black thread in your work box, to sew waists on and guage the skirts of a dark dress.

Cloaks: How to make them.

Supposing you to have a pattern of a cloak that suits you, if it is a paper pattern you have bought, before cutting your material, cut the shape in lining and fit it on; in case it should be too large or too small in the neck or shoulder, pin it the size you require, and before taking out the pins put a black tacking thread in, to mark the size you want it; having done this, untack the lining and lay it on your material, and then proceed to cat out your cloak. What ever you are going to line the cloak with, must be cut the same size as the outside. If the cloak is not lined, and there are white selvages on the silk, be sure to cut them off, it is very ugly to see a black cloak on the wrong side with white selvages. If you trim your cloak with lace, and it measures three yards round, put four and a half yards of lace on,-wide lace requires more fullness than narrow. Gimpe and fringe require to be put on easy. To make up a winter cloak, it generally requires to have wadding in it. Buy two or three sheets of good white wadding-white is better than black for anything; before opening the sheets of wadding, lay them before a Are for half an hour, they will then open nicely in the midde; they are better opened by two persons than by one; if the wadding is a little thick, all the better; pull off a little of the soft part and leave the skin. Lay your silk lining on the table, the wadding on top, the soft part towards the silk, keeping the skin side up; lay one

sheet of wadding on first, and tack it all over with white cotton in large stitches; having done this, have ready the finest black cotton you can get, or fine black sewing silk; have ready your inch measure, place a row of pins an inch apart, and now put a stitch in place of each pin, and so keep going on throughout the cloak that your stitches form squares of an inch. Mind, the silk must be cut out one inch larger than the shape of your cloak before you begin to wad it. If you wish to quilt a cloak, the wadding and silk are prepared in just the same manner, and it is a matter of taste which you do. Thin flannel is sometimes used to line cloaks with, but to my taste very ugly, there is nothing like good wadding for warmth, for dresses, petticoats, or any thing else. To see if a cloak sets well, it had better be fitted on some one before quite finished; any part on the cross always will droop a little, and requires care in hxing. If you trim a cloak with velvet or any light trimming, do it before you line the cloak; fur or heavy trimmings are better put on after the cloak is lined, but don't take the stitches through. Half of any round table will make a very good pattern for a cloak, cut a piece out of the part where the middle of the table comes, half the size of the top of a gentleman's hat; now make two pleats on each shoulder; this is the round or circular cloak, which is now worn; lined or not lined they do equally well.

General Remarks.

Cut your plain skirt off the piece first, body and sleeves after, leave your trimmings to the last; large turnings are bad and waste the stuff; measure carefully and cut exact. I have met with many who fail in making a dress, owing to their really cutting every part of the body too large, and getting confused; recollect to cut all your body double, that is, the two halves of front, and the two halves of back, at the same time. When you are about to commence a dress, have the following things in a basket or box at your hand, viz.: sewing silk, the color of the dress,-one or two reels of cotton, fine and coarse-a pair of scissors, not small—a penny inch measure, you can procure one at a trimming shop; don't cut without a measure, and always measure all that you have bought or have given you for a dress, before you begin to cut.

ART OF GOOD BEHAVIOR.

THERE are numberless writers upon this subject, from Chesterfield to Willis, but the great fault with all of them is, that their works are designed exclusively for the bon ton. They are very well for those who spend their whole lives in the fashionable circles; but if a plain, unpretending man or woman were to follow their directions, they would only make themselves ridiculous.

In view of this fact, I shall now present a few plain directions

fashioned not after an imaginary model, but upon the world as it is. I address only sensible persons, and expect them to be satisfied with such rules and principles as shall form well-bred men and women, and not coxcombs and dandies. My directions are all the result of my own observation and experience, and may be relied upon as being the actual practices of respectable people, both in this country and in Europe; for the manners of well-bred people are the same in all parts of the world.

(1.) Of the Person.

Cleanliness, absolute purity of person, is the first requisite in the appearance of a gentleman or lady. Not only should the face and hands be kept clean, but the whole skin should be subjected to frequent ablutions. Better wear coarse clothes with a clean skin, than silk stockings drawn over dirty feet. Remember that dirt is the never-failing sign of vulgarity, as cleanliness is of gentility. Let the whole skin be kept pure and sweet, the teeth and nails and hair, clean, and the last two of a medium length, and naturally cut. Nothing deforms a man more than bad hair-cutting, and unnatural deformity in wearing it. Abstain from all eccentricities. Take a medium between nature and fashion, which is perhaps the best rule in regard to dress and appearance that can be given.

(2.) Dress.

The importance of dress can scarcely be overrated, but by comparson. It is with the world the outward sign of both character and condition; and since it costs no more to dress well than ill, and is not very troublesome, every one should endeavor to do the best that his circumstances will allow.

A clean, unrumpled shirt, coarse or fine, cotton or linen as you can afford, is of the first importance. If the choice is between a fine shirt or a fine coat, have the shirt by all means. A well bred man may be ever so reduced in his wardrobe-his clothes may be coarse and thread-bare, but he seldom wears a coarse, and never a dirty shirt.

Boots are now men's common wear on all occasions, varying in elegance for different purposes. They should always be clean, and invariably well blackened and polished.

Make a point of buying a good hat. One proper fur hat worth four or five dollars, when a year old, looks more respectable than a silk one bought yesterday.

Be as particular as you like about the cut of your pantaloons. Run into no extravagances of bell bottoms, or puckered waists. Buy strong cloth, that will not be tearing at every turn; and if you consult economy and taste at the same time, let them be either black or very dark grey, when they will answer upon all occasions.

The vest allows of some fancy, but beware of being too fanciful. A black satin is proper for any person or any occasion. Nothing is more elegant than pure white. Some quiet colors may be worn for

rariety, but beware of everything staring or glaring, in materials or trimmings.

If you have but one coat, it will be a black dress coat, as there are occasions where no other will answer. Frock coats are worn in the morning, riding or walking, but never at evening visits, or at weddings, balls, parties, or the opera. Overcoats are worn for comfort; they need not be fine, and should not be fanciful. Stocks are pretty much out of use. Most gentlemen wear a simple, plain black silk cravat, geatly tied in a bow-not before. Bails and parties require white or ight kid gloves. Black or very dark ones, of kid, silk or linen, are worn upon all other occasions, except in driving, when buff leather gloves are preferable.

The best dressed men wear the best jewelry. Of all things, avoid showy chains, large rings, and flashy gewgaw pins and brooches. All these things should be left to negroes, Indians, and South Sea Islanders.

The most proper pocket-handkerchiefs are of white linen If fig. ured or bordered, it should be very delicately,

Gloves are worn in the street, at church, and places of amusement. It is not enough to carry them—they are to be worn.

Ladies are allowed to consult fancy, variety, and ornament, more than men, yet nearly the same rules apply. It is the mark of a lady to be always well shod. If your feet are small, don't spoil them by pinching--if large, squeezing them makes them worse. Be as moderate as you can about bustles. While it is the fashion you must wear them, but don't lay them on too thick. Above all, as you regard health, comfort, and beauty, do not lace too tightly. A waist too small for the natural proportion of the figure is the worst possible deformity, and produces many others. No woman who laces tight can have good shoulders, a straight spine, good lungs, sweet breath, or is fit to be a wife and mother.

The most elegant dresses are black or white. Common modesty will prevent indecent exposure of the shoulders and bosom. A vulgai girl wears bright and glaring colors, fantastically made, a large, flaring, red, yellow, or sky-blue hat, covered with a rainbow of ribbons, and all the rings and trinkets she can load upon her. Of course, a modest, well bred young lady chooses the reverse of all this. In any assemblage, the most plainly dressed woman is sure to be the most ladylike and attractive. Neatness is better than richness, and plainness better than display. Single ladies dress less in fashionable society than married ones; and all more plainly and substantially for walk. ing or travelling, than on other occasions.

In my opinion, nothing beyond a simple natural flower ever adde to the beauty of a lady's bead-dress.

It is a general rule, applicable to both sexes, that persons are the test dressed when you cannot remember how they were dressed. Avoid everything out of the way, uncommon, or grotesque.

(3.) Behavior in the Street.

When you meet a gentleman with whom you are acquainted, you