American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-01-30
Cheapness, Comfort and Luxury.

never think themselves luxurious unless
| they first secure comfort; and pcrhap
| they are not altogether in the wrong. A
all events, comfort is a far cheaper COZ.
| modify than luxury, and since not al
| young people can begin housekeeping Oh
| $40, 600 a year, it may not be amIss t.
show them how to be cheaply comforta
BILE; for to simulate luxury on small
means generally results in securing for
mality and losing everything else. 1t II
a common mistake to cOnfOund luxury
with OstentatiOn.
In the first place, then, don't put toe
much money in your sofa and chair GOV
erings. If you have silk or satin, every
thing else must be made to match, which
will never do for moderate incomes. Gel
plain reps, wooden damasks, or even Q
pretty chintz. The color is, of course, a
matter of taste, but, if you have only
one receptions room, you will find deep
crimson or maroon looks warm and coZy
or a genial brown, contrasted with Grim
son table-covers and bright rugs, is
charming Blue looks cold and fades
easily, and So does purple; while gray is
not only cherries, but easily gets soiled
into the bargain.
WindOw-curtains in the old English
style, which can be drawn entirely across
the windows at night, are very textbook
Their arrangement is most simple: a
pole about the thickness of the wrist,
with knob at either end, is fastened
across the top of the window; wooden
rings furnished with little brass eyes are
slipped on it, and to these eyes the cur
tains are hooked. These wooden poles
are stained to match the furniture; they
save the cost of cord and tassels and of
valances and cornices. If white curtains
bah v,I hn
pole holds them, and thus prevents their
interfering with the drawing of the reps
curtains.
Carpets, like children, should be seen
but not heard, should be soft to the feet
"a sheet of carpet-felt or of thick brown
paper makes an ingram feel soft as
velvet and prevents its wearing) and I'M
Obtrusive in color. The dark Persian,
not Turkey, patterns are admirable;
black grounds behind dull crimson, blue
and yellow arabesque designs, flowing,
tasteful carpet, and it doesn't knock
you on the nose" as the French say.
Some of the money saved on furniture
covering might be put into one or two
Oriental rugs, which add greatly to the
rooms good looks.
As for chairs, be sure and have them
ensy in nature as well as in name; an
error in this respect will crumple your
rose leaf for years. If you have already
bought uncomfortable ones, however,
saw off an inch or two from their hind
legs and fit them up with ingenious cusli-
ions. In both chairs and sofas deep
seat is the main thing, and select such
styles as have the least amount of visI-
BILE woodwork about them. Antimacas-
sars you must have, of course, but avoid
those crOcheted horrors that are SO com
mon and choose the pretty fancy ones.
Those of modern point lace are lovely
enough, but even if homemade are ex-
pensive, at least in America. In Lon
don, where they are made and sold by
ladies for charitable purposes, they cost
from $1.50 to 81. Simple but elective
ones are made of squares of sheer white
muslin, edged with pleating or frilling
and tied at the corners with cOlOred RIB
bon bows; or of squares of muslin, with
two strips of colored satin or velvet rib
bon three inches wide, carried from the
sldes-nOt corners-so as to form cross
on the muslin; border these with imita-
lion lace, or the muslin may have deep
hem and four bows of ribbon to
cover the ends of the cross. Black
silk or satin makes pretty anti
for crimson recovered chairs
you may embroider large monogram III
them to the chair with crimson bows.
Mind and have but one brilliant color in
/ room. Many woman who would be
tortured rather than have two cOlors on
Ter person will admit two or three into
lcr drawing room without wincing.
Keep clear of center tables. Three or
our small tables scattered about the
Dom are far more useful, and don't look
70 stiff. Let them be of different sizes
md shapes, and do not mind plain wood. |
You can ebonize" them yourself with IA
title black oil paint and varnish, and if
you are anything of an artist, inlaid
worry or marquetry is at your brush's |
md. At all events, have pretty covers |
or them, matching the color of the |
hairs and sofas. A square of double
width reps, with Il fOur-inch band of
lack velvet ribbon sewed round 1t at |
our inches from the edge, makes a |
nipple and tasteful cover. Otherwise |
tut ii piece exactly fitting the table top, |
With allowance for seam; to this sew IA |
trip four inches wide to nit round the |
dge of the table, and finish of with
leavy worsted or chenille fringe. This
lyle is not SO graceful as the other, but |
S good for a change.
Oriental covers can be made by who
yer has chain-stitch sewing-machine.
Three colors of cloth are needed-scar-
et, black and either sage green or very
'ale blue. Cut center piece from the
reen or the blue about two feet in di-
meter, scallop the edge in shallow seal
ops; round this lay six inches deep of
lack (Which may be Joined as often as
onvenient to save the CLOTH; the
dye next the blue must be cut to fit
nto its scallops; the other edge, which
ONES next the scarlet, Is also scallOped
a like manner. Black comes outside of
II; its inside edge is scalloped into the
inside edge of the scarlet and it is cut
traight on the outside. Lap the edges
nd stitch them lightly by hand. Then
race on the cloth with "a piece of chalk
number of arabesqucs, diamonds,
ircles, etc, and on the center medallion
opy some of the Chinese characters that
ou find on tea-chests. The tracings
lust be drawn on the wrong side of the
over, since the hain-stitching is to show
n the right side. The stitching is loose
, done in white, yellow, scarlet and
lue silks or any cOlors you may happen
have. Odds and ends of spoOls are
list the thing, for no one line need be of
he same color throughout. Small sofa
lshions and piano and stool covers can
e made in the same way. The table
overs cost in London about S15.
bort fail to have plenty of books
bout the room; not drawing room
ooks," elegant and uninteresting, but
ooks you are reading Gf they are a lit
e loose in the back all the better, nov
IS, brochures, or whatever they may
e. Scatter them over the tables, and
ave one or two on the sofa. Let there
e two or three hanging book shelves on
lie walls, filed with your literary ,
lends, old or new You can ebonize
lem to match your tables. Get the