Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-12-29
Household Art.

DONALD C. MTG HEELS IDEAS OF INTERIOR
AKRtNGENEN> AND DECORATION.
trCI, q Lecture deferred ut Nelc Hdren. i
The cEief consideration IN planning the
TCom> - Il house must pf course be that of
convenience. Anything done in the nominal
interest OF artistic results which interferts
with this consideration i wholly bad. The
way OF building houses ~ common among MS
by which the pas>er-by can tell the whole in
terror arrangement by the exterior FORM and
can count the ROOMS. and see just how the
halls run. and where the doors open. almost as
well a. though the front were of glass. is not to
be commended. I'm house there should be-
something Ike surprises; doors opening in
unexpected places into unlOOked for Rooms
leading the visitor To feel that there may vet
be surprises in store for him, and that he has
not seen the whole house at Il glance.
Ample space should tie given To halls and
staireases- though it be taken from the parlors
ana pOudolrs and sitting rooms. The hall
should not be- narrow, width being more i'm
portant than depth in giving sense of hos
pitabe welcome To one who enters the house
Hall floors are often decorated prettily with
ties anu MAY even pear an maid inscription
Saxon. however. OF one gentleman who had
the Latin welcome Saye' thus displayed. a
rural visitor asked II the :" salve was good TO
cure cornS- Above almost everything else
make the staircase easy. The health of the
women OF the family as We'll as the comfort of
the family require this. As to decorations, let
the hall he synOptical Introduction to the
house. A few books will do much To make one
feel that he has penetrated the home when he
has crossed the threshold. picture or two
htly selected. and, il your taste runs that way.
lew ceramics are in place in the hall il so dis
posed.
There seems tn he nothing for the ceiling of
rooms preferable To plaS,ering. Wooden cell
ings absorb too much light and give but little
opportunity for change of decoration The
plaster ornaments Of relief which were i'm
vogue a few years ago are fortunately now
disappearing. If any decorations are applied
10 the ceiling. those ia color are the best: but
they, as We'll as the paper -hangings, II such are
used: should be modest lest they destroy the
effect of other parts OF the room and furniture
Many beautiful and tasteful designs i'm wall
paper are now made, but for the rooms in
most Of our homes there is danger that what
ever we have in pictures and other room Orna
ments viii be out of harmony with ANYTHING
elaborate in wall decoration. From these and
the various other methods used for wall deco
ration, i iall back ON plain tlnting. and prefer
too, the neutral tlnts, that our common fur
nlshlng and pictures may fit easily into a sub
dued and unassuming setting.
The modern tendency To do away with the
Painting of the woodwork, such as doors
window sasheS. wainSc0iing and the like is to
be commended In the grain of the wood we
have nature. and are reminded. perhaps when
the brain is weary and sick. by tie twists and
turns in n e grain. of the processes out in the
woods unGer the open sky and in the free air
by which all these We're wrought. How much
better the association than the thought of thar
painter with paper cap on. smelling strongly
with Narnlsh and creeping catlike about the
house. Nor j IL necessary to have expensive
woods. Butternut and chestnut are not much
more costly than pine. and pine itself has great
advantages for decorative work. With a thin
coating OF asphaltum il has good surface
and by careful selection shows "a good grain
a. the more costly woods while il is the best
Of all Ia endure the yicissitudes of our climate
The fre place II an -SSential 10 the house
No other means of ventilation is 50 good. Ii
is remarkable that large number of our lead
ing physicians when inquired of rs TO the best
msaAS Of ventilating a hospital replied al
most unanimously and without conference to.
eethsr-the FIRE place. About the fire place
and the mantel gather the pleasantest aSsOci-
atiOns of the room. and here Is the place for
true home art 10 be at its best. Most of our
IRE places are built in imitation of either the
French, narrow and low with faring lamb or
tne Ehgnsh; high pn, sun narrGw;we ADAPTED
What we want for our homes is the generous,
old fashioned New England fire place, and we
ought not To import these exotic forms. On
the mantei we naturally look. if anywhere in
The room, for vase or two, and perhaps some
thing more pretentious in the way of cera-
mics. But We ought not 10 nil our rooms too
full OF these fragile articles, putting upon our
visitors the necessity Of great care lest they
accidentally break some of our household
goods a cabinet secured firmly to the wal
is a proper receptacle for such treasures.
OATMEAL IN THE HoUsEHoLp-In Great
Britain children Of all ranks are raised on al
oatmeal diet alone. because it causes them to
grow strong and healthfui. and no better food
can possibly be found Tor them- Ii Is also
quite as desirable for the student as the la
borer, and for the delicate lady as for her hard
working sister: indeed. all classes would III
greatly benefited by its use, and dyspepsia
with AL its manifold annoyance, can be Kept nj
a safe distance. Oatmeal is more substantial
food il is said, than veal, pork or lamb an,
quite equal To beef or mutton, giving as mucl
or more mental yigOr. while its great desidera
tum consists i'm ones not becoming weary O
H. for 10 is as welcome for breakfast or tea as i
wheat or Graham bread. Ii can be eaten Will
syrup and butter or hasty pudding, or will
cream and sugar like rice. Ii is especially
good for young mothers upon whose neryou:
forces too great a demand has been made
when they lose the equilibrium of the system
and become depressed and dispirited. Dat
neal requires TO be cooked slowly. and ths
water should be boiling hot when il Is stirred i'm
Aslnteryiew with Bob Toombs:-'. Yes, sir
am going TO Paris. IL will be the third ex
POSITION that i have attended In that city.
attended the exposition Of 1855 as Senator;
ATTENDED, the opposition i'm ls67 as q refugee