Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-03-21
How to Begin Housekeeping.

How to Begin Housekeeping.
"That is the keynote" said celebrated
painter, dashing what looked like broad
charcoal scrawl on sheet of drawingpap
Now we will work up to it l"
The youthful pair bent upon the CONVEX
sion of the enchanting abstraction" our
home into the concrete Of sour house,"
may take hint from the anecdote. The
inharmonious interior of many households
results from inattention to the cardinal law
of consistency in design and tone. A per-
nicious custom, more in vogue formerly than
now, ordained the postponement OF the fur
nishment of "the parlor until the family
finances warranted the execution Of the
task in handsome style. When the aus
picious period arrived, the effect Of new
cloth upon an old garment had the added
element of garishness. The spick-and-span
splendor of the state apartment agreed as
well with the rest Of the house as figure
cut from Japanese screen would consort
with the environments, ii pasted upon one
OF Raphael's age.mellow cartoons.
The bride of our day is apt TO blunder to
the other extreme of making her parlor the
keynote and working other rooms up to it.
There can be no question as to the compare
tive taste of the two methods-and none as
to the comparative economy.
To descend to details and practical talk :;
In beginning housekeeping, first get your
house. Avoid the error of choosing too
large a shell. The pains and expense that
would suffice to make small house pretty
would diffuse scant desolateness throughout
large one. The Darby and Joan in whose
behalf these sketches are penned, desire to
house, not establish, themselves. We as
sume furthermore, that they are not yet able
or ready to build. They have hired, at a
nominally moderate rate, one of block Of
brick tenements, twosnd-a-half stories high
and two rooms deep. Every house-hunter
knows the stereotypsd topography OF such.
Being cheap construction, there is not
even the relief of bay-window in the front
elevation. If Joan would introduce nooki-
ness as an element of some comfort she
must make it after the fashion of the Israeli
ties bricks. Darby whistles softly and not
merrily as they tramp up and down the un-
carpeted stairs the bare rectangles of the
walls give back their young voices in un-
sympathetic echoes.
al suppose it will look different when the
furniture-and you-are in it," he says.
| Inc honest Affection which 10 hio boot
| SuDStllulc lOl tnSb bohoAoihi sho aASoi
scene for the brave little wife.
ut begins to feel like home already" she
cries. ave can't make it grand, dear, and
if we could, grandeur does not go well
with youth. But we can and we must make
1t cosy"
She uses the first person plural in loving
compliment. But it is she who spends sue.
ceeding weeks in examinations many and
purchases not few. The pleasant face is
more sober than her husband could wish
and the smile of welcome that greets his re
turn at evening does not efface the thought
lines which he breads may deepen into
care-furrows by.and-by. Once he wonders
aloud 81 if the game is worth the CANDLE"
Joan's start has the energy of surprise.
al never enjoyed anything morel And
it is such fun keeping within our means"
He does not understand the fact or the
fun when the spirit of manly incaution lead'
him to enter fashionable carpet empo
rum and ask the brice of parlor carpets
The chesp and tawdriest Brussels ex
hibted to him is 81 80 per yard. At hi
low.spirited mention of the sizs of the from
parlor, he is told that at least twenty-foul
yards will be required for that room alone
"If YOU would like to look at gooc
body.Brussels, now?" insinuates the sales
man.
"ls that less expensive 7"
Ii takes more than the modicum of mora
courage possessed by the average masculine
customer to say "cheaper," in such pres
ence aud place.
mot less expensive in one sense, per
haps, sir with a smile of compassionate
patronage, "but in the end, the best"
Darby does not look at the body Brussels
He murmurs that he will call again. Ii
sad truth he knows that he will not. 1t il
Joan's affair, not his, he discovers and will
wretched chuckle born OF pity and dis
coursgement, he wonders what she will sa,
when She comes to parlor carpets. She say
nothing on the sui iect. II she has strucl
the reef she hoists no signal OF distress
Her eye is brighter. her silent smile NOR
significant as "opening-day approaches
Papa, as is the duty and privilege of faith
ers who cap do it, has given her a sum 70
, furnishing. 1t is all that he can spare, and
as he thinks, all she ought to expend. DArb.
knows him too well to suspect that he ha
added to it, and Joan too we'll to dream tina
she had asked for more. Expeditions an'
consultations with mamma mean only tina
. the latter is liberal with advice and sucl
manual aid as nobody but mother Cal
, lend.
The important day has arrived. Darb
, has not been admitted to the house sine
their first visit in company, but takes
! hslf-holiday now, ostensibly for moving.
awe will begin at the bottom" chirp
= his conductor, unlocking the basement-dool
! The floor of the tiny entry is covered wit
! linoeum, in block pattern, buff and white
. with sparse cubes of red.
r "It Is prettier than oilcloth, and cheaper,
SAYS Joan. The word has no terrors 70
her. "Moreover, the smell is not so diss
greeable."
The strip of gay Venetian carpeting o
the stairs is woven in the same colors
P at is not easy TO make basement dir
3 ing room cheerful" continues the littl
; mistress, warningly, her hand on the kno
j of that door. ~ did think Of using tn
+ back-parlor as an eating room. But ther
D was no dumb-waiter and no china closet
: that floor, and, as mamma says, food wi
8 attract flies, do what you will, and in war;
s weather the room would have to be kept 5
dark ON that account that we could not 81
l in it except at meal-times. And 1t is col
. yenience TO have eating-room and kitche
d on the same floor. So did my best"
s 1t is seemly best in Darby's eyes. Fortr
3 natsy, the room is well lighted by two fron
a windows of good size. So much of tn
floor as is visible-that is, strip eightee
8 inches wide next TO the walls-is staine
+ Spanish brown. A large rug in warmt
. shade OF redbrown covers the middle of tn
; floor. Darby stoops to examine what look
9 to him like Turkish toweling, the dee
fringe at two ends corroborating the in
preston.
Such find |" Joan relapses into gir
8 lish slang in her glee. "Of course we coul
a not think of velvet or Brussels for an
4 ROOM" Darby pinches a corner of the ru
;, in his vince. "And tapestries are SO gaud,
}, as rule SO | asked boldly for ingram
8 | told mamma we had resolved that our lii
! should be even-threaded all through. N
veneer, no shams and no sophistries. Q,
nlsinad frank lv IN tha oarnat-mArohant tha a