The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-07-13

-.y &
When tho boys aud girls are all grownup
Aud scattered far aud wide,
}s O. gone to the undiscovered shore = ~
- where youth and age come ncvcrlnore,
You will miss them from your side.
Then gather them close to your loving heart,
a Cradle them on your breast,
They viii soon enough leave Your broodlng care,
Soon enough mount youth's iopmost stsir-
Little ones in tho nest. ~.
Drapcries.
A room can hardly be considered furnish
ed without drapery OF some description 1t
may be applied to doors, drcSsers, on as
table-corers- The most natural place for
this seems to he tlse window, Indeed, its
origin was probably due to the need OF it
there for the purpose OF keeping of those
draughts which found their way through
the imperfectly-astin sashes, and the pro-
totype of windew-hangfngs was q simple
curtain made to achieve this purpose The
nearer we come to this primitive idea the
more satisfactory, think. we shall find it.
The present fashion of deliberately dressing
our windows. an which damask and lace are
festooned and looped up, vieiRg in their
fuliness with fashionable weIaan's dress,
is inartistic in the extreme. These absurd
folds, burdening our easements and Shut
ting out the light, have cumbersome APP
pearance, while a little draPery tastefully
arranged is suggestive Of elegance and
grace.
| At the present time, when our workman
ship is Of that superior orderias to exclude
these UNIV clcome drauyhts, there is no prae-
teal necessity for curtains ut all, as shades
arc sufficient to subdute the light; and, as
we have stated In a former chapter, ii the
window nlouldings are colered darker than
the walls, and thus do for thcwindow what
picture-frame does for the canvas, cur
tains seem almost superfueus.
| The original mode of hanging drapefies
was by rings run on metal rod, over which,
the more fully to keep cut the drauShts from
above, a slight valance or canopy WAS slls-
rrnded- These yalancas, however, are no
longer necessary, and had better be done
away with altogether The metal rod and
rings nav be somewhat embellished. and
form an ornamental crown to the curtain,
ms shoYp in dining-Ioem Of former chapter.
Yut instead of adopting this method, we
have stupidIy retained this now meaning
less feasrlye, which hss been developed into
n huge and useless border called the td1aGre-
ousqa, srrmesnted by a monstrous gilt cor
nice, covering up the raal construction; and,
indeed, the curtains are usually nailed to
this, rendering it Impossible to slide them
at all. and making it necessary o:loop them
lid at the sides. The edges OF the folds thus
become meanatrrely faded, while thespaces
between might retain their freshness were
they not the natural receptacle OF dust ana
Yernlln.
The la,nlusu1rin seems ito be the favoritc
srstean OF a vicious art, and is not only ap-
Dlied to windows, but to doors, mantels,
and even arranged along the walls. 1t
must not he supposed that i object to hang
inss as q rule; on the contrary, l. think,
when properly disposed, Shey do much to
relieve the stiffness of a room, making it
coxy and "liMabe"; and j would not oEly
advise their introduction In windows, but
! in inches and On Ilace OF sliding doors-in
fact. as have before said, for every Open-
inr where security is not 8 considerations.
But to place tEam unmeaningly on walks
and mantcls, where they can serve no other
purpose than collecting dust, seems in the
highest degree absurd; ,and'oae would sup
pose that careful housekeepers would object
to them on that account, for the only merit
they do possess is that, in the absence Of
color, they sometimes form q relief to
white or cold-tited wall. These ideas,
whiek have been ,fssieloped during an age
of perverted taste, aEe in q measure bccom-
! ing reformed, and when we arc sufficiently
advanced to Judge for ourselves rs to what
| is suitable, better things may he expected,
and the sooner we free ourselves from the
upholsterel's notions Of elegancethe better.
Silk OF damask We consider lis anappro-
pirate fer window-aangkDgs, and rep"
which is good covering for furniture,
should not be employed for curtains. There
| is nh article of German manufacture called
"cotelan," which is mixture OF silk, wool,
and cotton. and when alIisisally designed
forms one Of the best materials Tor tits iDur-
pose. Vertical stripes Should always, be
avoided. Lateral bands, with zigzag bor-
ders top and bottom, may be Used with adj
vantage, giving somewhat the effect OF 1nleze
and dado to the wall, and, like these latter,
NAV be treated with any degree of elabara-
ton, while the centre, il not entirely plain,
is best OF a quiet running pattern.
Some OF the English material has advanced
to q great degree Of perfection within
the last few years, and the most cele-
brated architects have contributed designs
for this purpose, among whom are Bloom
field, Goodwin, Burgess, Eastlakc, and Tai
bert. Mr.. Talbert seems to excel in his ap
probation of the loom, and his designs are
exceedingly satisfactory, as evidenced in
some of tie fabrics manufactured by CowIi-
shaw, Nicol & Co., of Manchester, whose
superior goods are becoming widely known
both in this country and on the Continent.
Jute, for cheap article, has proved an en-
cellent material for hangings. Another
stuff, made Of raw silk and cotton, not only
wears we'll and retains its color, but has
great advantage over wool, as it is not liable
to moths.
Cretonne, q very satisfactory material for
bedrooms, may be much improved by the
introduction OF plain centre. White cot
ton would be, of course, too violent con-
trast, but cream or amber, perhaps rcsem-
bling most the shade Of unbleached mus
lin-which, indeed, need not be despiscd-
would produce the most harmonious result.
Owing to the cumbersome manner in
which bed-curtains We're formerly hung,
that ancient custom has been almost en-
tirely abandoned. The traditional four
poster, with its massive cornice and musty
hangings, originated, like the window-cur-
tains, in the necessity Of keeping off the
draughts. Their use Is now no longer |
necessary, yet in an aesthetic point OF view
there is something to be said in their favor |
II. Hudson Holly, in Harper's Magazine
for august.
GOVERNOR TILDEN's HOUSEHOLD |