The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1877-06-21
DO aRTI

CARPKTs.-There is no question, says
a lady In the american Grocer, but the
bare painted floors Of a German or
Swiss home make the air Of q house
much more healthful 10 breathe than
the photographed English or Ameri-
can ones. Think Of the accumulation
Of a years dust under, or In, the sub
stance Of a carpet; rising in an imper.
ceptible cloud at every football, TO be
inhaled by the lungs Of all the dwellers
in the house. Few housekeepers think
Of raising their carpets more than once,
or at the most, twice a year-and under
the prevailing fashion Of covering every
jog and corner Of floor, and mailing the
whole down with a firm, solid line OF
lacks, IL is too formidable a task TO
undertake, except at those heroic
periods Of a woman's history yclept
house. cleaning. OF course In this
climate we cannot do without our warm
carpets, not to speak Of the fact that we
have become accustomed 10 the fur
nlshed look which a carpet gives, and
could not easily renounce 1t. Clearly
we must have them, but a carpet would
answer all the requirements of warmth
aud color, without covering every inch
Of floor, and without being nailed
! down.
A square of carpet which leaves bare
a foot, or two feet Of space along the
sides Of the wall for the chairs and fur
niture Is quite as nice in effect, and has
the advantage Of being easily handled
and shaken. Such a one, for an ordi-
nary sized room, can be taken out of
doors weekly or fortnightly, and hung
upon the line, or laid upon the n or
grass, for a good sweeping or beating,
and brings in with it a sense of c~leanli-
ness, when it Is again laid down, which
is highly refreshing. The writer of
this adopted this plan some ten years
ago, and finds such comfort in 1t that
she feels impelled to state some of its
advantages.
Firstly, then, there Ia the wholesome
ness.
Secondly, saving of labor; a room
covered with a square of carpet being
much more easily kept clean than one
entirely covered.
Thirdly, economy; as the amount of
carpet which usually covers one floor,
will in this case, nearly cover two.
And fOurthly, the deliverance from
annual or semi-annual house cleaning,
which is so dreaded and so necessary
in every household where carpets are
nailed down, and must be "taken up"
or course the space OF floor which Is
left uncovered should be painted, and
1t is a very good plan to paint 1t In
stripes to initiate the floors laid of alter
nate pine or oak and black walnut.
When the planks are Of uniform width,
this effect can be produced by painting
the half of every board Qongitudinally)
in dark brown, leaving the other half
the natural color; if it is then oiled, a
very poor floor will look we'll and be
easily taken care of.
For ordinary rooms, a binding finishes
the square of carpet sufficiently, but
where something in the way of orna-
ment is desired, a black yarn fringe, or
a fringe of wooden cloth cut in short
strips, or a border of carpet of some
other color than the square central
piece, answers the purpose well, and
gives the look of a large rug, which is
the thing to be desired. Every ingeni-
Gus, intelligent woman will see how
possible it is to make nice central rugs
from carpets which are very much the
worse for wear, by taking the unworn
edges and putting them together and
using the worn parts for fringes and
borders. A painted floor, such as we
have described above, is in summer
pleasant and c~ool-looking without even
the square of carpet.