The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-04-12
A Scarlet Room.

N CCHFlCI NUOu.
sBlesscd be scarlet flannel" said Laura
Gay" land blessed be the man who in
vented It,"
She had certainly dono wonderful things
with it, and viewed her work with pardon
able pride. Such a lovely scarlet room as
she had gotten up for poor Cousin Annie.
who was well-nigh craZed with decade of
"plain living and high thinking" nev 1r
Icing able, as she said, to have her sur
roundings represent her in the least, until
this deft-handed maiden appeared upon
the scene, and, waving her magical wand
Of red flannel, made
the low, rude furnished room
Burst nowcr-like into 10 bloom.
Mrs. hlathers had scarcely been de-
lighted at first, with the advent of hc1
city visitor. Three small children, and
doing her.own work, left little time for
extras. and she had 10 idea that Laura
would prove SO helpful and gifted. No
airs, either, but just took right hold and
worked as though she had always been
used to 1t. So charmingly frank, TOO; her
most admired dresses she confessed had
been made out of old ones, her bonnets
were fashioned by her own hands, until
her cousin declared, half enviously, that
She believed there wos nolbir those hands
could not do.
But that scarlet room was her crownlng
triumph.
''What is the use of your telling me, -"
said Mrs. Mathcrs, one day, "of the won
celtul things that can be done in the CITY,
l haven't the '1ittle money!" and | Ger
!ainly am not gifted with genius 1t is
like saying things can be bought for mere
song what then2"
She was rocking in an irritatcd frame of
mind in a II ost ungainls. rocking chair,
one of those Mdeous sprawlcrs that are al
may" ,o"slinS thon,colvoo with pooplo'o
feet; she was fresh, too, from the kitchen
fire and baking day." and altogether
sense OF injury was strong upon her.
IL have never had any thing l wanted in
IN the way Of furniture" she continued.
land l never expect to. like pI city things
MS we'll as anyone, and know them, too,
when see them; but just look at this par
lor 1t makes ne mad every time come
into it. pve got about twenty, dollars
saved from the chicken money! have the
sale OF the eggs, you know-but what
would that buy, even if they kept anything
ut the stores here that one wanted 2"
Laura glanced around the bare, unattrac
tive room, and SAID very quietly:
"Curtains would be a great improve
ment."
'Undoubtedly they would" was the re-
ply, "but where am to get thcm?"
will you lot nc spend your twenty
dollars for you, was the smiling question,
IF will engage to returnlsh the parlor 50
that you would scarcely know 1t 2''
''Spend 1t and welcome; / am sure that
you will get ut least hund ed dollars
worth of goods with it. Only you will find
nothing In b, my dear"
'They keep led flannel at tho stores. |
suppokc9" asked Laura, demurely.
.! suppose they do" replied her cousin.
Aud unb!oached muslin?"
And unbleachcd muslin, to the best
of my belief. But what, In the name of
common sense. has that to do with civiliz-
Ing the "cr'-' o"
"a gl
lily see; ~
take 1t fo!>
lection to sCo..>
'None in the
beautiful color, a.
Precisely my own senrin.
60 out this afternoon al d do our Sill.
But nrst, Laura, who was a very exact
little body, did great deal of measuring
she measured windows, sofa, rocking hair,
manlle-piece; eyed great, awkward table
very severely, and finally appeared to be
satisfied.
The salesman at the dry goods and gro.
Gerry store, evidently considered Miss Cav
fanatic on the subject of unbleached mus.
lin, and had his views in regard to her
passion Tor red flannel but the young lady
pursued the even tenor of her way and re-.
turned triumphant
What she did with her purchases was
this: Curtains were made of the unblcached
muslin and flannel alternately: and a
delightfully."- comfortable pillow to match
at each end, with Il scarlet worsed tassc
on every corner. The rocking.chair was
trcatcd IN the same way, after being sawed
low and few yards OF rockers being sawed
or, and moss cushion fitted to tho un
comfortable back and seat This. and The
front OF the sofa Welo Ornamamented with
scarlet worsted fringe; for Laura never
= believed in doing things by halves. The
fringe was knotled with crochet needle
on piece Of SCARLET braid, and then tackled
on the furniture.
l he table cover, a round one, was fitted
closely to the table of unbleachcd muslin:
then Harlequin, or hanging border, OF the
same, attached, and trimmed with gradu-
ateu rows of flannel, the whole finished
with scarlet worsled fringe.
The mantel shelf was high, narrow
abomination OF wood, painted white; this
was covered with flannel, and finished with
plcttily shaped, pointed lambrequin
Y trimmed with the fringe. On tho shelf
N'aurh placed two plain white vases of
iaceful shape, present from herself, and
Sled them with dropping sprays Of Ira.
fscantia The effec. of the scarlet, green
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