Morning journal and courier., 1881-07-09
Bedroom Decorations.

Some Valuable Hints for Home Uphol-
 st,ry-Hoyv Make Dainty Draperies
 Pretty Convenfences for the Toilet
 TAbIc-Enshion Jottings for the Ladies.
 [From the London Times.l
 No doubt could perpetual freshness and cleanliness be insured, nothing would be prettier than white dimity and muslin for bedroom windows, beds and dressing tables, but unluckily, in large towns especially, these materials soon lose their crispness and purity, and once these are gone, farewell to their beauty. Besides, in these days, when one has to look pretty closely after expendi- ture, even the washing bill cannot escape; and necessary, unavoidable outlay already swallows so much that the expense entailed by these easily soiled draperies is often grudged, even in the country, where, from the absence of smoke and the purer air, they last clean longer. Then in our climate. these light draperies are only in keeping during hot weather, and how short time that lasts we all know to our sorrow. Still bedroom may look very fresh, cosy and dainty without a scrap of muslin or glazed lining, beyond the morsels required for the pretty pln-cush- ion In the first place, try and realize that hangipgs of any kind are unnecessary, how ever pretty, and in cases of illness have al- most always to be got rid of. The lumber ing old four poster, with damask or moreen hangings and its soft, smothery feather bed, has all but universally been replaced by the light modern bedstead with its spring mat tress, while the hangings have either dw1n- dled to small tester or vanished entirely.
 For curtains, nothing looks prett1er than the coarse, striped woolen, Algerian ma terial, to be procured at any depot for Moor ish and eastern goods; it looks bright and fresh. and will bear thorough dustlng, and, if really soiled, washes as well as any stuh known. The counterpane may be of two or three widths, as required, or the same ma- terial, edged with ball fringe, and sufficiently long at the side and ends to hang below the frame of the bedstead an inch or two. If you prefer it your counterpane may be em- broidered on strips of plain and colored sheetings, and finished off with coarse fur niture lace instead of fringe. For your man. tel valance you can have row of Vandykes of the Algerine stuff, finishing each point with bushy woolen tassel; or again you may have a straight stripe of creweE work, or Q vandyked border of alternate plain and colored sheeting, with small spray of flowers of each plain vandyke Whatever you choose. don't let your border be very deep, and by all means eschew fireplace cur tains The down draft of the chimney in any room should never be prevented, but more especially not in 8 bedroom.
 The same objections apply to dressing table hangings as to bed valances, though natural ly, on smaller scale. Fortunately one meets more and more frequently now with thedress- ing table made to match the rest of the fur niture and requiring nothing but a white cover Of course this may vary from the plain mareella with it's cotton fringe to the linen cloth edged with more or less costly lace or embroidery. If by chance you have table of the old type positively requiring drapery, choose some material that, though evidently capable of renovation at the hands of the laundress or professional cleaner, will require the process as seldom as possible. Velvet and stuff are out of place in an ordinary bedroom as muslin and lace, for at any rate the latter will wash should they be soiled. Nothing looks better for this purpose than the old-fashioned white dimity, with bands of color (such as red Tur- key twill, for example), which is as service able as the dimity Still, the pure white of this soon spells, and, though easy enough to get up, where expense has to be studied the cost of it outweighs it's daintiness. Work house sheeting of the unbleached creamery