Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-03-11
Household Decoration.

THE decoration of houses and Of
special apartments is the object at pres
ent of great deal of attention, and a
set of artist-tradesmen have arisen, who
usually, at a heavy charge and at fancy
rates, furnish wares of nearly every sort
to carry out the wishes of amateur
patrons.
But 1t is not In what Narcotic and his
brethren produce, nor even what East
lake and Cole recommend, that we are
just now interested, much as they deserve
attention, but rather with certain little
odds and ends, without pecuniary value,
that seem nearly as purely spun from the
spirit of some refined men and women
as the web Of spider Is drawn from its
body. Nearly everybody who is inter
ested In such things is aware OF the great
artistic beauty Of Chinese Grape; and, in
the pictures of Armstrong, Cabanel, and
other eminent English and French paint
ers, we are constantly called upon TO adj
mire the clinging folds Of this material,
that resemble the drspery on Greek
statues. Besides the natural grace OF
this material, there is something very
exquisite in the way in which, when hung
against the light, its crumpled surface
transmits the sunshine, speckled and
streaked into surface as charming as
the broad petals of the poppy or the
hollyhock. But India Grape is costly,
and, while its delicate tissue makes IL fit
for elegant garments, II Is too fragile
in appearance for the coarser decora-
ton Of room. But we saw lately in
New England city a cheap and salts
factory substitute for Grape, in the shape
of curtains suspended on big rings and
swinging in the sunshine, as soft in their
rich and heavy folds as Grape, and as
pleas antly streaked and clouded in trans
hitting light These curtains, OF tex.
ture absolutely artistic, were made OF
strips of Russia crash toweling, costing a
few cents yard. Yet nobody, we
fancy, comparing these cheap dec
orations with the most expensive
German, French or English fabrics,
could fail TO perceive the absolute
charm they possessed over com.
mon-place though costly draperies. One
OF the most agreeable materials for cur
tanning windows is coarse, unbleached
cotton, The irregularity Of the thread
and the roughness of the surface give its
soft folds much the charm of the Russia
crash, and its yellowish hue warns the
light of cool, north windows almost TO
the glow of sunshine. On the other
hand, the tints of daylight, passing
through the gray Of crash, subdue the
glare of the room and harmonic green
or blue and pale walls and furniture in,o
a refreshing. genial tone. Mrs. Skew
ton, in "Dombey 81 Son." always APP
peared under the glow OF rose-colored
hangings. and every woman knows that
pink globes 10 gasburners enhance beau
ty This matter Of cool or warm day
light is great adjunct 10 the charm OF a
sitting-room or library.
L. is now fashionable TO admire India
screens. curiously lackered and covered
with every queer beast, bird and Hover
One of the pleasantest OF these articles
we have ever seen was an ordinary fire.
frame of Two or three leaves. over which
was nailed a covering OF unbleached
muslin, and upon which the owner, who
was an artist, had chalked out In black
crayon Haunting sunhowers, cat-o'-nine5
tails. and other coarse, strongly-marked
plants, that seemed to wave as In sum
mer wind.
To be sure, everyone is not an artist,
but nearly every telerably-educated
women nowadays Ii capable Of copying
and charging some natural object, such
as flowers or leaves, and then, with a
little /" fixative" OF gum or varnish, she
csn make for dollar or two screen as
pleasant In It's way as the excessively
costly French or Indian ones, which only
vary in degree, not in kind, from such q