Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-10-05
Aatiuual grpnblitaa

THURSDAY EvEnIHG ii::; OCTOBER s, 1885
HoMH BnkUTIFInD.-In speaking, In
former number of the Ne,o Path, OF the
difficulty Of covering the walls OF our
rooms, we might have added that, II We
were, all, artists, the difficulty would be
very easily disposed OF. Thus, Gerome,
who has recently built himself very ele-
giant house In Paris, employs . portion Of
bis leisure In painting the walls In fresco
The studio, as friend tells ne, is nearly
finished. The ground of the walls Ii
black, and on Il are Japanese, Chinese,
and Cairene figures, carefully and beauti
fully painted, their richly colored dresses
making the walls look like q garden Of
flowers, Gerome's studio is also q muse.
um, where he has arranged choice collec'
ton Of Eastern arms, dresses, and utensils,
gathered in that visit to the East Of which
his latest pictures are the splendid rec
ord. ..
But humber hands than those of Ger
ONE may do something to make home
beautiful. We well remember how, years
ago, we saw q country house, one Of the
rooms of which daughter Of the family
had covered with spirited copies from
some Of Flaxman's designs for Homer.
Perhaps her models might have been cho-
sen from q better artist, but, notwith.
standing, no Wallpaper could have made
that room so interesting as II was made
by this young giri's work.
We have little expectations, however,
that any very valuable results will be at
tanned In this matter of Characterization
until we cease to depend on cabinet
makers and upholsterers either for ideas or
materials. A family of small means
with good taste and culture, can make q
house interesting aud beautiful with their
own hands and with the expenditure Of very
little money. 1t Is only necessary for then
TO throw "fashion" out of the window; 10
consult comfort first, elegance next; and
10 let the elegance be simple and natural
All the people who went to see Max and
his wife, were sure, In the course Of the
evening, to express sort of envious ad-
miration of the elegance with which the
parlor Of these good people was furnished.
The first impression was that of delightful
coziness; but, by degrees, the chairs and
tables. the carpets and bookcases were
found to have a charm beyond mere cozi.
ness. What was III Could such result
be bought What did this cost, and this
But the cost aually appeared to be merely
the money paid TO the carpenter for exc
cutting what Max had designed. It seemed
that he never bought anything in the way
of furniture in the shops.
These caudle-sticks were of maple-wood
turned TO good pattern of his designing
and decorated in this pretty fashion, with
colors, by his own hands, of an evening
as he chartered with his wife and child
Meanwhile, she by his side painted thi.
vase, made of yellowish clay at a pottery
over the river, with borders and figures
made up Of flowers and leaves they had
gathered In their afternoon walk. 1t IL
done as simply and naturally, almost, as q
bit OF thirteenth century work. Theil
bookcase, too, how pretty it is! Marcott,
made 1t, you Think Calder the carpenter
made 1t, In his shop In the village; no NOR,
skill than he Is master of went to It. 1t II
nothing, In fact, but pile of long, mar
row boxes laid one on top Of another, the
whole standing on low base, four or five
inches high, to keep the lowest books from
being touched by the foot. There is not a
moulding or chamber on the whole book
case. The end of each box is pierced with
crescentshape trefoil, SO that 1t can be
lifted by two people and carried off, II
necessary and the whole outside Is paint
eda dark, deep green, and the inside and
edges agood vermilion. Plain as 1t is,
1t would have been pretty enough as II
stands, for the books made it gay with their
bright, cheerful, and varied bindings; but
Max was laid up for week last winter, had
Q hurt foot, and SO amused himself with
painting In circles, one at each end of every
box, the portraits of the half dozen great
poets and great men he loves. Max is NO
painter, but he copied such portraits as he
found suitable, and though roughly done,
they are great addition. He and Laura
shared the work; tor while he painted a
head In the circle at one end, she painted
flower in the circle at the other. Thus,
he worked away at Dan Chaucer on one
side, AID she painted in daisies and their
leaves and buds at the other. She didn'
copy English daisies out of a book, bu
went out and got American ones from thu
field. Then Dante's face was matched
with lilies, and Keats with roses, and 81
no wonder unfashi onable people like thu
bookcase. Bnt, 1t is in this way that Ma,
and his wife, with little money, goot
deal of taste, and love of home, have
made their home beautiful. -Net0 Path.