Huh.

It's been a lovely, relaxing few days reading random books (see example of a very random book, below) Now for some homegrown salad in the garden, and to catch the train.

These are both from Good Housekeeping in the 20s, collected in "Things My Mother Should Have Told Me" (Ebury Press, 1991).

"When Sending Food Away
When packing a box of food to be sent by post, do not put each sort of food in a separate box to go in one big box, but wrap each package containing cakes, sandwiches, etc., separately, then run string round each package, through two holes in the side and two in the bottom of the large box. Then place sweets and fruit in the spaces which are left. Each article keeps its place and reaches its destination in perfect condition, with a great saving of postage."

That just feels such a remote world- why are they sending sandwiches by post?

This advert makes it clear that Murder Must Advertise is a documentary disguised as a mystery novel. More ads should use the word "'gainst", I think.
Above the text is a charming engraving of Pan playing his pipes in a clearing in a forest. Please imagine me saying "can you tell what it is yet?" in a Rolf Harris voice after line 9.

"Lustrous coils of transmuted sunshine

Sunshine poured into the forest,
through the long and by-gone years.
Fed on sap the leaves and branches,
lived again in verdant green.

Thro' the ages dreamed the forest;
lovely, lonesome, unexplored.
Then came Science with its magic:
waved a wand and, lo--From the
trees that once stood sturdy, 'gainst
the tempest's cruel beat, came a
wealth of lustrous fibres; shining,
gleaming, dazzling, fair--
SYLVAN
ARTIFICIAL SILK

Of all drapers and
fancy repositories
Manufactured by C. A. RICKARD LTD. Bradford"