Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-12-14

Margaret in the Ohio Fdrmer, has a
sharp thrust at that nuisance now happily
going out of date. /" the spare ROOM" and
we feel like helping her along in the mat
ter with one vicious pin prick, and pass il
along to the next. We remember such a
room, curtained and close, cold and cheer
less in winter, and that when the windows
looked down a beautiful valley. Now the
blinds are open, double Windows shield
the plants which crowd them with fresh
ness and beauty; the steady fire requires
but little wood to keep the room warm ;
the piano stands open. the Student lamp"
sheds its mellow light over books, papers
music. and good servicabe easy chairs anC
sofa invite to work, recreation or rest
Such room helps to make home, about
which will cluster many pleasant memo
ries in after life, for the children who en-
joy its pleasures:
THE SPARE ROOM.
| don't belong to that famous "F. W.
c." but | want TO say word or two u
the girls who do. 1t is all right to fix up
Lhe nome with all the little ornaments tina
'aste and skill can invent, provided thu
| nothing of more importance Is neglected
You can do this work now better than nllel
while. when you are married and have the
care of family and Il house on you,
hands. No lime then for fancy work.
ave just been re .ding in little work
Farm Homes" that purchased OF tn,
Fa, ner folks-and advise The girls t.
get this book and read it-and want II
give you an extract that suits me 1t it as
follows:
~ know good woman, the wife Of a
had working farmer, who has spent year,
If her life tolling and scrubbing and pinch
ing herself and her family, tothe one end OF
having handsome parlor and spare be,t-
room furnished ter her own heart. She has
them now-the bright Brussels carpet, the
ACE curtains, the upholstered chairs tn,
yilttrame mirror. the glttering wall pa
ler, the heavy pictures, and the magnlfi.
cent bed with all its surroundings. There
Is not even an embroidered fancy matCl
safe or gorgeous tidy, lacking. And owes
I'll this grandeur-tor it is quite grand foI
hat small farming hamlet--relgnS pro-
found shadow and silence, Sometimes On
Sunday Il gray. haired and rather unhappy
faced woman opens one of the shutters
lusL enough to admit the ghost of Il SUR
)eam, and then sits down by the window
he solitary monarch OF all the tine things
around her Her two boys have grown VI
! md branched off into existence that has nj
aiming in it. Her poor husband nightly
)rclers the kitchen or the back porch t,
The sacred splendars vi the " front room.
which he never enters without morla
fear of doing some damage. So the par
| or is her very own. 1t IS too nice for th
church socable and too large to throw
,pen for just the neignbors," and 50
waits in shadow and silence like II yer,
'rderly sepulchre in which The goou
woman will one day lie in state, all VI
IN ndGuI of the neighbors feet upon lht
n;pct And this is all her best room
amounts to-"
| Away, abhorred the " best room
idea. | want parIor and livngroom iuru
| ,,hrd much alike, with substantial things
tnd wiki wide folding doors be- waen. an,
then want them open ana used ever,
,by. The idea of keeping all your nces
md best things just to show 10 Il selec
company once Il year, and get no good o
tenn or the room either, Jhl to be for
:ver exploded.
Girls. make your tides, pictures, cases
etc but don't ever lmprson them in ;
spare ROOM" where they will be like th'
| dover in the wilderness which was "horl
blush unseen and waste its sweetnts
IN the desert air"
| MARGARET