Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-03-21
VOL. 7S.-39SS. NO. "a.

we must furnish economically and wanted
to furnish prettily. Like the duck he is, he
brought out this II is ingram in one color,
and unfgured, yard vide, alike on both
sides, wears for ever, cost one dollar and ten
cents yard, and needs no making up. He
told me how TO do it. sewed the breadths
together, fringed out and serged the raw
ends, and left the selvage sides Just az they
were The rug can be lifted and shaken
every day, and should be turned often TO
wear evenly and prevent the edges from curl
ing. Ten yards will go as far twelve of
Brussels or tapestry, that has but one wear
able side"
The table in the middle Of the room is
spread with buffsndwhite tea-cloth. The
recess on each side of the mantel is filled
with shelves of yellow pine rubbed with oil
to fine polish. They are breast-high, and
the urpermost Of each set projects an inch
or more beyond the others. The shelves
nearest the window hold Joan's small scqui-
sitions of ornamental china. A felt curtain,
in color like the rug, with bands of buff laid
on with feather-stitch, and hung from a
ripged pole, is partly withdrawn.
"That gilt rod is bit Of gaspipe," twit-
ters Joan. 81 bought it from plumber
and gilded it myself. The curtain poles on
the next floor | had turned roughly and
covered them with black velvet, that sets
off the brass rings finely. Here is another
cheap Device" lifting the buff cloth. "The
wide felting used by rich people for under
lying their damask table-cloths is swfully
dear. l bought Canton flannel, sewed IL
together In the middle, hemmed the ends,
and spread 1t on the wrong side up. 1t
makes the cloth lie smoothy, look richer,
and binders it from wearing so fast as it
would on the naked table, and cost just
eighty cents. couldn't afford window cur
tains here; | think, too, they would darken
the room too much. The buff linen shades
must do for awhile"
Pine shelves are fitted at the bottom of
the sashes. Pots Of ivy stand on these and
the nAxie stems follow and drape the win
dow-frames.
A head OF a setter-dog, done in charcoal
and framed in yellow pine polished and
vanished, hangs over the mantel water
color pictures of quail and snipe on the op-
posite wall.
You recognize my work ?" smiles the
exhibitor "The frames were fifty cents
piece. This" tapping the uncurtained
shelves, ais our buffet-our sideboard-
meant for holding plates, knives, and forks
between the change of courses. This"
she raises the cushioned top of a low, wide
box, nearly six feet in length, filling the
space between the door by which they en-
tered and the front wall" is my linen
chest shall keep there such napery as we
have in daily use. | stuffed and covered it p
1t is upholstered with carpeting like the
rug A square, fat pillow of butf-and.red-
brown cretonne lies at the wall end.
"a cool place for nap on hot Sunday
afternoons " says Darby. Joan claps her
hands.
Just what | told mamma you would
say When summer comes will slip on
buff Holland cover. Doesn't this room look
really urnished-considering 2"
There are but six chairs, walnut with
cane bottoms, besides what we have de-
scribed, if we except a clock under the
picture of the dog, and an ice-pitcher and
glasses on the buffet top. But Darby's
warmth of speech is sincere"
al don't see what we could do with more
furniture
"And nobody need know; we would die
before we would whisper it," Joan fastens
on his arm and grows yet more emphatic,
her face and feet restless with mischief and
happiness, " but the top of the table is pie
beian pine-if the legs are genteely turned
and a lame carpenter in back street
made the chest and shelves and picture
frames, and a German painters apprentice
stained the floor under my direction. l
don't mind confding to you, moreover, that
everything in this room-except my scraps
of china, of course, that have been collect
ing for years--cost just ffty-one dollars,
eighty seven and a half cents.-ChriSiidn
| Union