The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-10-16
E,STEILTICS.
Modern Furniture In England ana Its
Many AasOEB Inn tiOns.

MANY nominations
"An Old Fogy' writes as follows TO tho
London t1ffrldnrI:
Coming up to town for my annual VISIT !
am more than ever struck this year Ivy the
astounding transformation which the man
ners and customs, the tastes, sympathics and
preiudices Of society seem to be undergoing.
Years ago I WIS strongly tempted TO say my
say on the subject, but refrained; the temp
tatlon returns now however. with such force
that it Is not to be resisted, and | ask your
leave to pass my plain Yorkshire Judgment
upon few Of tho characteristics OF West End
London in 1878.
II have just returned, sir, from 81 dinner
party in what is regarded MS q model aesthetic
mansion, and | cannot sleep unless | relieve
my mind as to what saw there. My host is
q, very worthy fellow, q, capital man among
the peasants, and really, until | dined with
him tonight, | bad no idea that he was in
any way different from myself Or tho other
common place Englishmeu with whom /
mingle down in Yorkshire. But what Is to
be said Of - man who has gathered together
i'll n small house in South KenBington oil the
combined horrors Of o budly-furnishetl old
fashioned parsonage in the country. and OF Il
Chinose-or is 1t o Japanese pngotla, as re-
vealed on tho blue and white ware which Is
just now the rage2 Ny hosts drawing room
was something to DO seon, certainly, but hard
~ to be described. Such o. tumble of extra
ordinary Screens, Of hdeous curios, OF basEet-
chairs, in which no Yorkshireman would
venture to sit; Of poaCocks' feathers, nasty
little paper fans from tho teG-EhOp and China
monsters like those which / remem Der as
hidden out Of sight in the recesses of my
grandmOther's cupboard.
"Thero were mirrors in which my round
face WAS stretched out until it threatened to
knock against the door of heaven itself: there
were others III which my nose suddenly be-
came dubious and my mouth opened from
ear to car. with terrifying effect. But,
although in every corner OF the room there
was o mirror, nowhere saw one plain, hon
est looking -glnss in which / could learn
my oid-fashoned frill sufficiently starched.
wanted to sit down, and my host, 1neasur-
ing me with his eye, and evidently satisfied
that the wicl<OrWOrk denominations which
were dotted over the toOr would not do for
nc, invited me to take u sent upon what he
called his 'Chippendalo TO- II was straight
backed sofa such as remember we'll in my
boyhood, and promptly declined the INVITA-
ton. Would ! look at the pictures then2
Yes, | would look at the pictures. Heaven
forbid, sir that | should say what thought
Of theml ] am told however, that there are
really people outside of lunatic asylums who
admire these Symphonies in color, and who
profess to glow with enthusiasm before these
figure-pieces. the models for which must
surely have been found in the Brompton Con
sumption Hospital II by any unhappy
chance | were to Inherit q gallery of such
works ! should promptly make bonfire OF
the whole collection.
II think my host must have seen some
thing OF what was passing through my mind
You don't admire, perhaps, the aesthetic
style Of house-furnishtng, said he while he
glanced with n self-approvng smile around
tho draWing-roon We'll, | replied, it is
rather odd and scrappy. | thought | had
wounded the poor mans feelings, but the
next moment, to my delight, he said: odd
and serappyl You have used the very words
that describe our school. Tho golden rule in
furnishing nowadays is that nothing must be
repeated You must never hhvo two chairs
or two tables or two mirrors alike; and the
grand secret Is to blond all these odds and
ends Of furniture into one harmonious whole
] think you will admit that have succeeded.
And again he looked around with positive
purr Of delight. [ could not say him nay
but oh how my eyes ached and my brain
grew dizzy as looked round at the harsh
colors which were everywhere presented IL
such startling contrasts, at the purposeess
jumbling up Of kitchen clocks, hall chairs ant
Japanese screens, ut tho crudeness, the taW
drtness and the vuIgurity Of tho whole thing
OF course, sir | give my opinion for what il
is worth. / am not man OF taste, thanL
hpnypn ~