The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1881-08-25
Outdoor Parlors.
BY ELLA RODNAN CHURCH


ing without a liberal allowance of piazzas,
resent it almost as a personal injury, al
though there may be no reasonable pro-
liability that | shall ever sit under that
mans vine or fig tree. The vine, es-
pecialiy, would be altogether tigurative
without the material support of veran
da. AS good a rule would be, in build
ing first make your piazza then attach a
| house to it.
The indoor parlor is sure to be pro-
vided for with the usual amount of sofas
and draperies but the OUTDOORS too often
like a rent-the accident of day. "Shall
we run out a railing here and few steps
| and have veranda? ~ asks Paterfamiias
| in dubious sort of a way, and his wife
usually assents, for she does not dislike
| the idea although she would sooner part
with this appendage than give up the
valuable Enclosure at the back of the
| kitchen, which is so particularly handy
as sort of store house and a place for
doing odd jobs.
| The enthusiasm comes from the girls,
who know the value of a front piazza with
a thick green curtain OF honeysuckle and
wistaria, making Il shady retreat through
the long June days, and the torrid Au
gust moons fragrant, like carefully kept
| linen, with delicious country smells, A.
clover and fresh hay, in place of lavender
and rose leaves, strong distilled sweet
ness of woodbine, faint whit1s ofclematis,
and roses.
And when the moonlight comes and
| traces a lattice work Of leaves on the pi-
ANA floor, and touches with lambent
light each spray and corner,
| Making earth's commoncst things appear
all romantic, poetic and tender,
the outdoor pallor is in its glory. 1t is
| the most delightful, dreamy lounging-
| place, where the odor of fragrant lIavanas
is apt to lningle with the honey sucklc,
and the steps are frequently occupied by
| half-visitOrS who could scarcely nerve
themselves up1o the formula of a regular
call How charming is its twilight dark
ness to a class OF people who do most Of
their talking in whispers, and who are
| seldom characterized as great takers, -
! who look upon the brightness Of the in
/ door parlor and its animated groups with
ont any feelings Of envy, assured that
whatever good times there are in the
world they are having them, What would
| lovers do if there were no piaZzas2
| Some piaZzas aIc simply an eNaspcra-
ton; 50 narrow that the steps rudeIy
crowd the front door instead of keeping
| their distance, as they should do, and
only crossing the front Of the house.
| This is a great mistake: there should be
at least ttc0 sides to Veranda, to allow
OF one corner. and three if possible; while
| 1t should certainly measure four yards III
width. We are speaking now Of the
| piazza for moderate house moderate
in every way Hudson River castles, and
| similar mansions elsewhere, have their
| fall complement Of generous verandas it
is the middle-class houses that suffer.
We recall one Of these mansions, with
its magnificent piazza, on which many
| happy hours have been spent: the deli
cate uells work forming Moorish arches,
each of which framed an exquisite picture
| in living green. When flooded with
moonlight, the place took on tone of
superhuman beauty. There were many
accessories, too, on the piazza things
out Of the common way; and selected
| with an artistic idea of col0ring. Hang
| ing baskets were suspended from every
point of the arches, and their tangled
| vines were masses Of vertlurc and bios
SONS, while rustic stands Tiled With
| plants stood, not in the way OF promena-
ders but we'll back against the house.
Scarlet cushions on backs Of seats made
| the bamboo chairs luxurious, and q pile
Of Moorish cushions in one corner arrest
ed the eve and fascinated the sense.
| They must have been stuffed with pop
pies to account for their sleep -charning
powers; while the arabesque embroidery
on Il scarlet ground which adorned them,
and the rug spread out below, were u
most successful imitation OF Moorish
splendor,
The curious couch, on which one half
sat and half reclined, was quite in demand
among the inmates and visitors Or those
! intOlerabe nights, which are not at all
| like angels visits, between the 20 Of June
and the Goth of August and the hostess
would amiably wish that she had six
! Moorish beds instead Of one. But Il sin
| gle duplicate Of the novelty would have
| spoiled the effect, so far as appearance
| went.
AS general thing, the furniture Of our
| outdoor parlors does not receive sufficient
consideration it is either not picturesque,
or it is uncomfortable. \ rustic chair,
uncushloned, is, to a certain extent,
picturesque on apiazza, but it is not com
| Portable while a bamboo settee is neither
the one nor the other. Camp-chairs with
gaycolored seats are very desirable, il
the color and design are good; and two
or three cushions in a corner will make a
very good substitute for the Moorish pile.
A bright-colored afghan thrown over the
pile, or on the end of the settee, adds
much to the effect. In fact anything that
makes good contrast with green is de
sirablc on the piazza. Prcttiest Of all is
to see Il child asleep on Il gay-colorcd
rug, watched by Newfoundland dog
| Midsummer Scribner