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Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 322, 9 July 1889, Page 4

It is remarkable how very oddly people proceed about taking care of their pianos—from sheer ignorance. It is a popular notion that pianos ought to be kept very dry. Nothing could be more fallacious. Pianos are not nearly affected so much by hear or cold as they are by dryness, bfli, reversely, also by dampness, It not generally known the sounding, board—-the life of a piano—is forcer 1 , into the case, when * it is made so tigp tly that it bulges up in ■ h C j ntre > °P ’nas a “belly," as it is called by pi anoforte makers, on the same princiy ,Je as a violin. The wood is suppuawd, to be as dry as possible, but, of course, it contains some moisture, and gathers more on damp days and in handling. Now, when a piano is put into an over-heated, dry room, all the moisture is dried out, and the board loses its “belly,” and gets flabby, and finally cracks. Even if it does not crack, the tone loses its resonance and grows thin and tinny, the felt cloth and leather used in the action dry up, and the whole machine rattles. Now how to prevent this. Nothing is easier. Keep a growing plant in y&ur room, and so long as yon plant thrives, your piano ought to, or else there is something wrong with it. It should be noted how more water will have be poured into the flower-pot in the room where the piano is than in any other room. In America it is the practice to keep a large vase or urn with a sopping wet sponge in it near or under the piano, and keep it moistured. This is kept up all the time the fires are on.—lron. There are several thousand languages spoken throughout the world, and a man never feels so much like wishing he could speak all of them as when he sits upon a cat. A Continental court has decided that unless a woman is pleased with her photographs she need not -pay for them. Since this decision was. rendered, forty-five photographers have spilled their chemicals out of the window and left the country. Father : ‘You girls y.nould fix your minds on something higher than dress,’ One of the Girls ; ‘that is ivhat we have, pa. We have got our minds fixed on a couple of lovely high hats down at Mrg Feather’s millinery rooms. Ethel ; ‘When does your breach of promise suit take -place, Clara ? ’ Clara (sobbing) ; T-to-morrow.’ Etbel (sv-hipathizingly): ‘ I am sorry to see yr; a g 0 overcome; Clara, dear.’ x : ‘ Oh, it’s nothing, Ethel; I’m B'.'mply practising for the jury.’