Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-09-26
THE ANTI-SLAVERY BUGLE..

series OF rooms of different dimensions, separated
and lighted by intervening courts.access able along
q covered corridor communicating with each, or
by side passages leading through the courts. The
custom Of craniping the feet, and thus disabling
tie women in a degree from going 10 and down
stairs, may have had the elect OF making build.
ings low, and causing an expansion on a level, in
order to make the necessary room required tor
large or wealthy families. Dcor-plates and num-
bers are unknown as n substitute Tor which, un-
der the projecting caves, hang paper lanterns, in
forming passers.by OF the name and title Of the
household, which. when lighted at night, serve to
lillumine the street and designate his habitation.
The entrance into large mansions in the coun.
try is by a triple door, leading through a lawn or
garden IN to the hail but in towns a single door.
usually elevoted above the level of the steet, in.
troduces the visitor into q porch or court. The
Intervening space is occu pied by tho porter. Pass.
ing behind the movable screen inside the doorway,
n raved open court, commonly adorned with flow
ers or a fancy fish pool, is crossed upon entering
the PRINCIPAL hall The floors are made Of square
tiles Of brick or marble, or hard cement, and mat.
ted-wooden floors not being common on the
GROUND story. The rooms are dim even in a bright
day. in the absence of carpets and fre-places, and
windows, to afford from it a prospect abroad. The
kitchen is a small affair for the universal use OF
poi table furnaces enables the inmates to cook
wherever the smoke will be least troublesome.
Warming the houses in the southern part of the
kingdom is not frequent, but on the latitude Of
Picking il is dcne by closing the crevices and con-
structing hues under the rooms, which are heated
by one fire.
The poor build a sort of brick fire places, which
is used for cooking by day, and by night for a bed,
where all the family sleep on felt carpets placed
on the warm bricks. Fuel Is scarce and dear
The houses of the poor are dark, dirty, low, and
narrow tenements, with peither floors nor win
:. dows, and but few apartments, wretched In the ex
treme. The door is a mat swinging from the lin
tel, and the whole family sleep, eat, and live in
single apartment, and pigs, dogs and hens dispute
the space with the children, who are apt to be nu
merous.
The best furniture is made Of dark, duraSl,
wood, resembling ebony but the rooms are filled
+, with ornamental articles, such as large porcelain
Jars and vases, copper tripods, stone screens, bool
shelves aud stands, rather than with chairs, couch
es and tables. Though some of them are not dcs
titute Of elegance, there is n want of what we cal
comfort. The bedrooms are small, poorly VENT
lated, and seldom visited, except at night. A rc|
bed stead is a massive article, made of cost,
woods, deliberately carved and supporting q tester
from which hang silken curtains, with musquit
nets Il tached. Mattresses or feather beds are nc
used. and the pillow is n hard square frame of rat
an or bamboo. A wardrobe and toilet usual
complete the furniture of tits part of the house
of the Chinese, who generally care little for thei
sleeping apartments.
The grounds of the wealthy are laid out in goo
style, and, were not their tasteful arrangement
and diversified shrubbery abandoned to neglect
sometimes to n%astiness and offals, they woUl
please the most fastidious. An open space with
, in the enclosure is set aside for the necessary rec
reation of the women and children, and some
thing of this soil is secured, even though it be onl
, a plat of flowers or bed Of Vegetables. In the i'm
, perial gardens, as we'll as in others where the own
t er is able, the attempt to make an epitome Of ut
: ture has been highly successful.