The Baltimore County union., 1883-02-10
she was like my Maria" interrupted

"Well, pleasant time any way-in-
stead OF this, my wife writes to the man
who edits her ait paper, TO ask his ad-
vice And he gave it. The woodwork
was all to be painted black and yellow,
and he sent the wall paper. There was
'dado' ard 'frieze, and stuff to 90
between them but Jeannie'd forgotten
to say that the house was an old-fash-
ioned one, and thought the rooms were
large, they were very low, and so, when
we came to paste on the 'dado,' there
was only narrow strip between that
and the 'iricze'-and all the rest OF the
paper was wasted But, as long as she
just only ordered things, didn't so
much mind. II was expensive, that's
fact; but, as | told you, I've been
making money, and could afford it,
but-the house got so dark, and so full |!
All the comfortable chairs were sent up
garret, and we have straight backed
things that look as il you'd stolen 'em
out Of meeting-house. Then came
the painting on china--I liked il at
first"
"Did it herself?" asked John, in
terested.
"Yes and considering it was home.
made, il wasn't bad. But Jeannie lost
her head about it. She'd BE- ground
ing a plate, and the baby had to go
hungry"
"Lost something besides her head, !
should say" muttered John.
"Or there would be a meeting OF the
Decorative Society, and, as she was
president, she had to so, while poor
little Ursula--isn't it an old fashioned
name for baby ?-was left TO the nurse,
and was bad with the measles before we
found i, out. Then came the glass
staining, and the nursery windows were
all fixed up with oolortd glass like 4
church window. Really very pretty,
but you couldn't open one of them.
"But the worst OF all is the 'bric a.
brac. That means everything from
cabinet down TO an egg. shell, costing
ten times what it's worth. Our house
is full Of the stuff, and little Sule-I
can't always say Ursula-is just as care
less baby as il her mother knew moth
ing about aesthetics, and, you bet, she
makes havoc amongst the bric-a brac.
Yesterday she was shut up in a closet
till | came home, Cause boxed 4 itty
cup she said But the cup WIS 4 real
something with grand name, and
had cost thirty dollars"
"Whew," exclaimed Iohn.
"Oh it's all very lovely looking for
a while. Only the 'dado' and 'frieze'
have made Jeannic hate the house. But,
| tell you I'd give good deal for real,
old-no, ! mean new-iashioncd tea, out
of plain white china, so that you could
enjoy it, and not be admiring the paint.
ing, and complimcnting the artist and
| long 10 sit in 4 comfortable chair,
without any chair-back.
Don't you like baokto your chair,
old man?"
"Wait till you see 'chair-back and
have TO admire the needle work, and
hear all abouti, Then, even Mamie has
caught the craze, and is intense and un-
natural. Little Sule is the only natural
thing in the house
"l'm real sorry" said John, sympa-
thctically. ado you think Marie could
help you? What say you to bringing
your wife and children-the two won't
count among our halfdozen-and stay
ing awhile at the farm. Maybe il your
wife got away from that society, and
left her art paper behind"
Paul Schait thought the offer 4 most
kindly one, at all events, and the friends
parted, with the understanding that they
were to meet again At Moss Farm, the
following month. Mrs. John Rodgers,
whole.souled and hospiiable as her hus.
band, yet felt some fears when she heard
of all that leannie Schaft had learned.
"les," said John, "she can paint on
china, and work flowers on silk and
canvas, and pays no end OF money for
old cups and saucers, but you're to hold
your own, or you won't do her one bi,
of good. amt afraid of your being
taken up with such folly" he added,
with tone of pride in his voice, rs he
looked on the thorough-goin country
matron the best butter-makcr in all the
ncighborhood, and a master-hand at
crullers and doughnu,s.
June brought the expected visitors.
Could that easy, languid woman of the
world be the helpless Jeannie of former
years? Sulc was the only one of the fam.
ily that Mrs. Rodgers and her girl,
could understand-at first.
But alas the guests had not been in
the house more than week, when Tot,
the Rodgers baby, was heard screaming
with delight over the "pitty fowcr" in
her bread and milk bowl. painted, oh
wonder Of wonders, by Polly Rodgers
Paul Schaft gave warning sigh-toC
late John confessed to pride in hi.
daughters taste and skill, and was even
found bringing home stray peacock,
feathers to be placed "esthetically" ir
the sitting-room while ''dado" o.
India mating gave new and cool lool
to the parlor. And so, by degrees, in
stead Of Mrs. Schait's being won bacl
to simplicity, the whole Rodgers fami
ly caught the craze. and the visit from
which such different results had beer
expected, ended in Polly Rodgers being
carried off to spend the winter in Var
mouth, and entering as an art student
at the society's rooms.
"China painting, "art-needlework,
and "bric-a-brac," are now household
words at Moss Farm, but the basis Of :
good, solid, prastical bringing-up, ha
given to what John will still sometime
call "the craze" n sensible turn ant
the girls, who never had possessed mucl
surplus money, have so perfected them
selves in the particular branch to which