HOME is Woman's own kingdom. To rule in her husband's heart and home is, or ought to be, every wife's desire. If she can succeed in making his home happy, she need not fear losing her husband's heart; and in her own domain the mistress of a well regulated home realises the idea pictured in the lines of the poet Montgomery:

Here woman reigns; the mother, daughter, wife, Strews with fresh flowers the narrow way of life. England's happy homes have long been her greatest glory; and this is sufficient to prove that her merry maids make true wives and good mothers. Of course all husbands are not what they should be, and it would not be fair to give the wives the blame for all the misery that exists in many households. But certain it is that if both did their best there need be few uncomfortable homes; for modern life, with all its drawbacks, has given us many things to be thankful for. Every land under the sun is ransacked to provide the good things of life for Englishmen and Englishwomen, and there is no other country in which the women have such chances of making a pleasant, happy home, Even in the homes of the working men of to-day there are luxuries and pleasant things that kings and nobles might formerly have sighed for in vain.

Take that simple article, TEA, which has given its name to the pleasantest family meal of the day. Not so very long ago tea was such a luxury, that a two pound packet was considered. a present worthy of an English king! To-day, hundreds of ships, thousands of men, and millions of money are annually employed in order that the families of England may have a supply of tea, in the consumption of which we rival the Chinese themselves; all praise, then, is due to so superior a beverage that cheers, refreshes, stimulates, and gives such universal enjoyment and delight! But what is TEA? that is the question. Real Tea, yielding an exquisite aroma, delicious flavour, and amazing strength in the cup, is produced by infusing the first crop leaf of early Spring (April). This gathering commences just as the bud begins to unfold, and when the shrub is full of succulent sap and rich juices. The preparation is simple; the rolling and drying of the leaves is a process easily applied, and intended to expel all moisture, but at the same time retain all the aromatic and valuable properties of the leaf. The firing is done in iron pans, which are round and shallow, and kept to an even heat by aid of a charcoal fire. It is an interesting sight in the season to view the busy workers carefully preparing tea for the market. Of course our remarks apply to PURE TEA, of the early Spring growth only; there are many later gatherings of the Autumn crop, when the leaf is old and tough, instead of young and tender; and this description would be quite unsalable but for the system of adulteration commonly practised to make the brown withered leaf appear equal to fine tea. That well-known

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and earnest traveller, the late Mr. Robert Fortune, thus describes the process of producing that "beautiful bloom," which is pretty to the eye, but deadly to the taste: "There is now no doubt that all these faced teas are dyed with Prussian blue and gypsum, or plumbago, to suit the taste of the foreign 'barbarians. The process may be seen any day, by those who give themselves the trouble to seek after it. Black teas are coated with gypsum to give weight and a sticky nature to the leaf, plumbago and lampblack to cover the white of the gypsum, and ferruginous earth to deepen the red of the liquor. The Chinese never use these dyed teas themselves." (See Fortune's work-How China Tea is elaborated for the European Market.)

Some forty years ago the well-known firm of HORNIMAN & Co. determined to supply a great want of the public. The strong desire evinced for tea without the usual mineral facing powder induced MESSRS. HORNIMAN to send orders to China for PURE TEA and as the Chinese themselves drink it. The large shipments of this firm found a ready sale amongst all classes of teadrinkers, it being at once apparent that the tea "without paint was infinitely superior in aroma, as well as exceedingly strong and delicious to the taste; from that time the demand for HORNIMAN'S PURE TEA has been daily increasing their specialité is sold in every City, Town, and Village in the Kingdom by four thousand Chemists, who are authorised Agents; the annual sale now exceeds six million packets; and Agencies are extended to all the principal Cities of France, Germany, Russia, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, etc.

etc.

For the guidance of purchasers, HORNIMAN'S TEA has the following distinctive characters:

Each packet bears the signature W. H, & F. J. HORNIMAN & Co., London, Original Importers of the PURE TEA. Ench tinfoil and paper wrapper has the price plainly printed thereon to prevent mistakes. Each label gives a description of the contents-whether BLACK TEA, GREEN TEA, or MIXED TEA. The BLACK is warranted free from plumbago or any other mineral facing powder; the GREEN TEA is free from Prussian blue, gypsum, or any deleterious compound what

ever.

Long experience has shown beyond any question of doubt that the system of packing by machinery-peculiar to MESSRS. HORNIMAN-IS the best for protecting the TEA, and preserving its aroma and flavour. TEA is got up for sale put into bottles, tins, and other costly inventions; but MESSRS. HORNIMAN are enabled to give better value TEA by not adopting a costly and useless exterior covering.

Finally, HORNIMAN'S TEAS are supplied by Chemists in the Country, and Confectioners in London. A list of local names is printed in your district Newspapers, and at the Railway Stations.