A very convenient piece of furniture is easily made, and any one in need of it will welcome it as a holiday gift, even if the maker is also the recipient.

The post is 4 ft. 6 in. long and 2 1/4 in. square. The top is mitred, as shown, and the bottom is cut down to form a tenon 3/4 in. square and 1 1/4 in. long. The four legs are 15 in. long, 2 1/4 in. wide and 1 3/4 n. thick, and cut to a bevel to fit the post, the upper edges of which are 8 1/2 in. from the extreme lower end of the post.

The cross pieces under 'the post and connecting the legs are 16 in. long, 2 1/4 in. wide and 1 1/4 in. thick ; the joint under the post being halved and tenons cut on the ends 1/2 in. wide and the full thickness of the pieces. The lower edges of the mortises for same in the legs are 3 in. from the ends-. A mortise 3/4 in. square is cut in the center for the tenon on the foot of the post. These mortise joints are pinned with 1/8 in. dowel pins, holes being carefully bored for same, and good fits secured to make them as inconspicuous as possible. The clothes hooks at the top should be of black iron if same can be procured; otherwise use square wooden rods 1/2 in. diameter with 1 in. bottons on the ends. The finish should be dark brown or green stain, rubbed out to show the markings of the grain, with wax or rubbed oil finish.

The amateur pattern maker is quite likely to experience trouble in his first attempt at mixing lampblack and shellac, owing to the tendency of the former to form lumps, thus preventing a thorough mixture of the two ingredients. If the lampblack is first made into a soft paste with alcohol, thoroughly working out the lumps with a wooden or metal spatula, the shellac can then be added and a smooth working shellac result.