First, the board must be neatly covered with the material, enamel-cloth or whatever is used, the edges of the cloth being brought over and tacked under the edge of the shelf; then the strip composing the lambrequin must be turned in at the top edge and tacked across the front and two ends of the board with brass-headed tacks. It looks better if the corners of the board are rounded as shown in illustration. The piece at the back of the shelf should be about eighteen inches deep and must be tacked at top and bottom with small tacks, the edge at each end being turned in and tacked to the wall with brass-headed tacks. Fig. 377 is the diagram of enamel-cloth ornamented with brass rings, and shows a section of the pattern. The bottom row of rings should be sewed on first, and the edge of the cloth turned up as the rings are fastened on. The stitches which hold the rings catch the hem also. This first row of rings should extend half way below the edge of the cloth, as shown in Fig. 377. Strong yellow embroidery-silk or saddlers’ silk is the best to sew them on with. [Illustration: Fig. 377.—Enamel-Cloth ornamented with Brass Rings.] The gilt moulding can be bought by the foot and small headless nails are furnished to tack it with. Another mantel is treated in very much the same manner as Fig. 376, the difference being that, instead of enamel-cloth, the covering for the shelf and the piece at the back are dark-red canton-flannel, and around the edge of the shelf is tacked a worsted fringe, about six inches deep, matching the canton-flannel in color. This has a warm, comfortable look and is quite appropriate for a bedroom, while the other should be used only in a library or dining-room. [Illustration: Fig. 378.—Shelves around Projecting Chimney.] The writer was once invited into a young girl’s room which was very attractive in its daintiness. It was not pretty in shape, and an uncompromising chimney, in which there was no fire-place, projected into the room; but taste had overcome these difficulties, and the effect produced was decidedly pleasing. Pretty wall-paper and the arrangement of the furniture helped very much, but the greatest triumph was in subduing the awkwardness of that chimney by surrounding it with a set of shelves for holding pretty bits of bric-à-brac. In case another girl may have the same difficulty to surmount in decorating her room, we give an outline drawing of the shelves (Fig. 378) that she may see and profit thereby. [Illustration] CHAPTER XLI. HOME-MADE CANDY. WE have noticed that in none of the books we have seen, which were written especially for the amusement and entertainment of girls, has there been any directions or recipes for making candy. Knowing by experience that most girls consider candy-making one of their prime winter enjoyments, we consider the omission to be quite an important one, and we will in this chapter endeavor to supply the much-wished-for information.