The Portland daily press., 1871-09-12
The Guest Chamber.

1t is the prevalent opinion among house.
keepers that the guest chamber, or "spare
room," must, in every respect, be the best and
most desireable chamber in the house. We
think this is a mistaken idea. OF course, the
room should be pleasant and inviting fur
nished as tastefuly, and with as many convent
ences, as can be afforded, without curtailmg
the comfort and pleasures of the family, and
with such regard to the comfort that a guest
on entering may feel at once not only at
home, but as if surrounded with kindness and
thoughtful care. All this can be accomplish
ed without appropriating the largest and most
commodious room for that purpose. The
chambers most used, and, next to the sitting
room, most necessary to the comfort and bust
ness OF the family, to whom the house is home
aud not mere transient stopplngplace
should be the best ventilated, the largest and
most convenient. The mothers chamber and
the nursery (if there must be two apartments,
they should be separated only by door, that
the mothers care may be near at handy ought
to be chosen withireierence to the health and
enjoyment of those who are expected to oc-
cupy them for years. The "spare rooms,
should be a secondary consideration for our
guests are but Temporary residents of our room,
to whom, TO be sure, must be given all the
time and attention that family cares will al
low but to the permanent inmates the house
is a resting-pace from hard labor, refuge
from outside care, for some of the family; and
to make it such to husband and children the
housekeeper has daily rotine OF duties which
can be wonderfully tighten by pleasant sur
roundipes; and thus, fol reasons having a
bearing on every member of the household, it
seems to us very desirable that more thought,
care and expense be gwen to secure pleas
ent outlook, a thorough ventilation, and at
tractive and convenient furniture for the fami-
y rooms, than for the one set apart for those
who, however honored and beloved, can OF
necessity remain but few days.
1t is painful to glance into rooms in daily
use, and see no indication that a momentt
thought has ever been bestowed upoh their
adornment, or TO fill them with objects that.
to the childrens eyes, will unite grace and
beauty with usefulness for the iamiy's every
day use. "Oh, this will answer! It's good
enough just fol our own family" But look
into the guests chamber, for which enough
has been expended to compel pinching in all
that belongs to home and family comforts,
and all for the ostentatious display of hospital
ity! When you see such incongruities and
contrasts between the furnishing OF the fami-
ly apartments and the "spare room," you will
find the same rule runs through everything
connected with the family. For everyday
use the commonest kind OF delf, with odd bits
of broken or defaced china, mismated Guns
and saucers, of every variety of color, and the
food, carelessly prepared, and of the poorest
and cheapest quality, showing the same un-
wise disregard fol family comfort. But let a
visitor appear and the table is dazzled with
silver and cut glass, and loaded with dainties
over which the utmost skill in cooking has
been expended. This is all wrong. Home
should be first; company OF secondary impor-