Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1879-01-25
Our Front ParlOrs.

The average American parlor is not
to be lived in. 1t is solely for "compa-
n.y." 1t may be sat in occasionally and
respectfully gazed at, but no familiari-
ties may be taken with the furniture. 1t
does not invite lounging. 1t confers lit
tie sense of ease. The chairs are always
on dress parade. They never stray an
inch from their places. The books on
the table are likewise accurately and
regimentally disposed. Every thing
bears the impress of the last funeral. 1t
is sad, solemn and often gloomy place.
The front blinds are seldom opened. A
dim, sepulchral light straggles through
them. The sun is au unwelcome intru-
der. If allowed to enter he would cheer
up matters and disperse some of the
poison of dampness which slowly gath
els day by day-but he would fade the
carpet. Health, cheer, light and even
life, in the housekeeper's estimation,a are
trifies when compared with the perpet-
uity of the colors on her carpet.
The front parlor is well furnished
family sepulchre. 1t is costly shrine
consecrated to gloom, silence and OBJ
security. The family live, move and en-
dure being in the kitchen. The furni-
ture acquires no individuality through
use. The chairs and tables are as
bright and shiny as when they came
from the upholsterers. They have no
character. In the comparatively few
parlors which are lived in every house.
hold appliance develops certain fea-
lures the result of use and usefulness.
The armchair of pater familias has
dignity worn upon it; the maternal
rocking chair looks easy, gracious and
accessible; the table covered with OPEN
ed books and papers seems endowed
with mental activity and vigor, the pic
lures on the wall look as if imbued with
satisfaction as source of constant
pleasure to human eyes; the remaining
chairs scattered about, even when not
occupied, seem on sociable terms with
each other and the opened piano sug-
gests the hospitality of harmony.
But for the parlor which is not lived
in the shut piano suggests screwed
down coffin. The ever empty arm chair
seems a we'll dressed chief mourner,
the other chairs are pail bearers. The
pictures are without heart or soul, and
the table might as well be a pulpit.
Every thing seems eternally sitting
wrapped in somber contemplation and
meditating dreadful judgment on some
body. Company can never warm up
and be enlivened in such a place. The
influence of days and days and weeks
and weeks of sad, gloomy, brooding
solitude is too strong. Skeletons and
ghouls haunt the room. You can not
see but you do feel them. Jokes only
weakly fizzle there, wit splutters and
dies out, humor is frightened and fees.
Because the room and its furniture have
not been educated in their parts. 1t is
but an upholsterer's show. Men and
women buy from time to time out of
their hard earnings some new ornament
and dedicate it to the fetch of the sad
and gloomy front parlor. In this they
realize a sort of gloomy pleasure. But
they live in the kitchen. The kitchen
is the stokehole in which much of the
work is performed. The family lives in
an atmosphere and rattle of stoves.
pokers, scuttles, tongs, pumps, suds,
frying pans, peeled potatoes and buck,
wheat batter. The entire family mind
is ever crammed full of these things
Because even when away from the stoke
hole for limited period the stoves,
pokers, tongs, scuttles, peeled potatoes.
suds, frying-pans and buckwheat batter
are still in remembrance ever present
realities. The real use of front parlol
is that of cheerful refuge and rest from
these things. But prevalent custom
has converted it into a tomb. These
parlors need only gravestone erected
in the center to make them consistently
complete On it should be inscribed
"In memory of Life, Light and Cheer
fulness, who starved to death in thi:
place long ago, long agon-NeW YORK
(Irnnhic