The National tribune., 1883-06-21
LOYAL W0MANS WORK
The FireSide and the World Wide.
Helpful Hints and Friendly Talks.
Ioonducled By Kaie B. sAer.sood.l

"
a certain amount of credit it is small comfort
20 feel that liens and mortgages cover has pos
sessions Far better have less and know tnab
ii is paid for Much or little every householder
should be able to stand i'm his own dwelling and
complacently say, ain monarch OF ah
survey"
say every householder, but expect the term
to apply 70 the wife eqnAlly with the husband.
The term helpmeet, as applied TO wife, should
not be taken ia a limited sense. It is not only
help-work but heipenjoy. A helpheef Is a
shaTer, not only of tolls and cares, but OF re-
wards and pleasures There are those who tasle
the opposite view. claiming that helpmeet is
simply help-eat. and that it is not the wife's
duty either to earn by labor OF earn by saving,
but simply TO spend her husbands income IN a
comfortable and genteel style. It is not 10 this
class the present article is addressed.
When the capacity Of your purse has been
duly considered, then cast about TO see what
can be done with the money. 1t Is the nrst
duty OF those who would 60 to housekeeping IN
a rational way, TO see to il that the rent they
pay-if they have the disadvantage OF being
renters-is not out OF proportion 10 the remain
ing expenditures Of the household. The rent
paid should never exceed One-SlXth OK mans
income III il does there is the necessity OF plec-
ing out with dodgers OF table boaTders, or some
other means Of eking out a slender income.
The house secured, the next thing Is to find
something To pot in It. And here is the oppor-
tunitv of a lifetime. Not only Judgment but
taste must be called into requlSltion. Aud IN
this small beginning may tne surest tounda-
ticn be lad for home of culture and beauty
To furnish tastetully one need not have costly
and elegant GuTnifRre. superior carpets and rare
works OF art What is wanted is knowledge
OF coiors a sense Of harmony IN design and pro-
norton Care must be taken that sofa II
Cre.n does not glover at . liable cover III blue,
OF that red curtains do not blaze out against
peach-bow wall. 1t will also be remembered
that chromos and Brussels carpets are rs IN
congraous as BFnsscis carpets and rag rugs.
There is . propriety in household combinations
quite as imperative as IN the makeup of the
toilet: and 10 have fine arch itectur&i effects
and expensive furniture oyert0pped With cheap
pictures is as bad as 10 sec a lady rugged out IA
velvet and cmbrolderles wearing a calico sun
bonnet
The first care in furnishing is TO place the
various rooms as nearly on an equality as posi-
bic. To have hne psrlor oyercrowded with
or1lamentati0n opening into q bare and dreary
Eittins-r0gsn, and that again into neglected
dining room. is IN the worst possible taste Bet
ter divide Up the expense and let each depart
ment have is share OF The sd0rnments provided.
Lice paslor with shabby, iIl-kep5 rooms ad-
joining. il TOO much like the sioven who only
drcsses up when company is expected.
Do not be afraid Of plainncSs. The Greeks
were the simplest people III the world, and yet
the simplicity of Greek art is still the best
model fDr the world of taste. know little
hoHle where all the carpets are in green and
ali the furniture plain rep and eT-work,
with q few choice engravlngs and water coiors
on the walls. aud neither fire sideboard Eor
imported china IN the sunny little dining
ro0m: and yet even the dwelieTs IL towering
mansions, with velvet carpets and costly paint
ings and marbles and faience from the looms
and studios of the old world, pronounce it a
gem Of household art.
EFFECTS TO CONSIDER.
While only the cultivated taste can secure
the best effects with small means at command,
there are few things worth remembering,
which, If followed, viii contribute much TO that
end.
First in selecting wallpaper and carpets,
remember that small patterns make a room
seem larger than il is, while. on the contrary,
large patterns give il the appearance Of being
smaller. UHless. therefore, the room IS very
large. 3 running pattern, the figures IN which
are small and not well defined, win produce
the most satisfactory results. For walls with
low ceiliaes perpendicular stripes should By al
meaas be avoided as they have the effect OF
lowering TIE wall The depressing effect OF
lcw ceilings may be ebgiated in papering by
covering thcln with a creamy paper with a
small figure, allowing a chocolate or crimson
baud foot wide TO run all around above the
D4rQLT OF S< WALL winch SfBhf1 De striped
horizontally A bead should be placed between
the band and the main ceiling. This has the
esiact Of raising the wall several inches. a bor-
der around the carpet has the effect of enlarg-
ing the room; or the floor may be left bare and
painted browa, forming margin of q foot OF
more. This last is particularly pleasing in
eject. and does away with the fear OF moths
whose rsvages are always greatest next ths
chairbo2rd sisld in corners
Second. While individual taste must eontrO
IN th- selection Of c0iors, care lnust be takeI
that the general harmony is not broken. Say
the prevailing tsne ia The carpet Is an Olive
OF Il br5nss the sz1ae tone or les cosni,ie Al
should ruL threagh window shade PORTER and
table aud piano coEer. By It's complement i
meant tiaf wiiieh blends IN shade oT is pleasing
il contrast. Either olive or brown will bt
found very accommodating on this aocolnt
admitting Of the combinations Of pale blue
cardinal brocaaei c0lors and the high shades
Of red. though red should always be ased spar
ingls and as trimming Rather than SOLD
covering
Third Not only shonld the size Of you
rooms. the height Of ceilings and hArmouiou
c9laJlE.isi0Bs be considered, but the nature o
yoar woodwork ard tle condition Of The pas
tering. II tae woodwork Is old and common
and yaa aud ceiling present uneven surfaces
II viii be found that mixed pattern for you
paper, On a light back ground, VIII cover up
contrast with the plain woodwork. On thi
cousary, Il the i,lastering IS smooth and ever
znd the woodwork handsome sna well finished
plain tinted 0F lig..t-lisErea wall. With a rel
cadO and frioze, and gilt and cardinal bands
viii be iould very elective IS well Us beau
tiiul. Much depends On the pictures one OK
pec.s 10 ineaieC IL For OF paintings dark
rich background. cardinal preferred, VII bfia.
on tie best effects. Engra wings, on the con
trssEg, and photographs require light back
ground. Much may be doae With framing
however. Oh paintings and water color
look sester II gold frame, which 4s5l4tss
tncBi icclu surrounding objects AS mncl
ss fssSs5le Iz1er no circumstances shsu.s
tise sE2ale cost more than LIE picture Th
w0rst o. al possible frauds is . handsome FRAN
aronrd dsrb LngrAvinEs need little xii
o. crimson band TO bring them out, taougl
ghea framed with a wide margin, as the,
saouiG alsays nc, Re frame is a matter of les
coase4ucaec, provided they are to bS hung on
li-ht wall.
Sonae enc snqsircs whether photographs at
esteemed Desirable. For merely decorative pur
poses the answer is. no but from the fact taa
Taang arc ii0m Jiicir subjects highiy Interest
ifig collection, particularly Of foreign sight
and scenes, may he very desirable As a rule
i5css are best unframed; preserved IN port
ieiio they afford amusement Tor many = curi0u
gaest. Tho custom o1 s,ringing f..iily photo
graphs around lhe room is by 10 sacaas % q
s0l.iine@saed. Very few l1er49ns are ornaments
~ . IhntQ~sAi,h. and the lrA-alag of such treas
Hrcs - eelrEsly ailrthing b.2s ad rir..Dle.
GI2At deal OF reaffus asf.a-i,- .-a.t-,3 -