The sweeping and dusting of a room seems simple enough, but is best done systematically. "Dusters," made of old prints, with which to cover books, statuettes, and such articles as are difficult to dust, and larger ones to cover beds, are indispensable in sweeping and dusting. "Carpet sweepers" are only fit for daily use, when thorough work is not required, a thorough sweeping once or twice a week sufficing even the tidiest of housekeepers. Before sweeping open the blinds and let in the light, and open the windows if it is not storming or too windy. Look on the ceiling for cobwebs, and sprinkle the carpet over with moistened bran, salt, damp coffee-grounds, or tea-leaves. Clean the corners and edges with a sharp-pointed stick and stiff whisk-broom. Brush down with the feather-duster all picture-cords, frames, and curtains, and remove all cob-webs with a broom about which a towel has been pinned, going through all rooms before removing the towel; then clear one corner of furniture and begin sweeping toward the center with a short, light stroke, going slowly and carefully so as to raise no dust, and drawing, not pushing, the broom. The second time over, increase the length and force of the stroke, and the third, brush with long and vigorous strokes, using care as the dirt at the center of the room is approached. In this way it will take twenty minutes to sweep a large room, but it will be clean, and the carpet will wear, bright and fresh, much longer than if the dirt were allowed to grind out the fabric. After the sweeping remove the "dusters" carefully, carrying them out of doors to shake, and rub, not simply wipe, off the furniture and other articles with a clean, soft, cotton cloth or an old silk handkerchief, or, better, a soft dusting-towel with fleecy surface which is sold expressly for this purpose, folding the dust in as it soils the cloth, and when it is filled with dust, shake thoroughly out of doors. Managed in this way, curtains, furniture and carpets will never be loaded with dust, but will remain bright, clean and fresh from one year's house-cleaning to another's. If any spot of dust is too firmly fixed, wash in luke-warm soap-suds, and immediately rub dry with chamois-skin. If there is open-work carving, draw the cloth through, or dust with a paint-brush; and it will be found more convenient to blow out some of the places which are difficult to reach, for which purpose a small pair of bellows may be used. To clean and dust a piano, use half a yard best canton-flannel with a nap free from all specks and grit, brushing lightly over to remove the dust; if there are finger-marks or spots, rub up and down over them, always keeping the nap next to the instrument. Dust under the wires may be blown out with a pair of bellows. Keep the piano closed at night and in damp weather; open on bright days, and if possible let the sun shine directly upon the keys, as the light will keep them from turning yellow. Tune every spring and fall. As a last finishing touch to the rearranging of the parlor, leave late papers, magazines, a volume of poetry, or a stereoscope and views, where they will be readily picked up by callers.