Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-07-11
LaNNIE IOpICS.
some tsrrul uints on the Adornmen
orthc Home.

was odd and pretty. She had little clumps
of books scattered here and there like
bouquets of bright flowers in the winter
grayness of the room. A half dozen or
more books, set up on end as IN book
case, with narrow, satin ribbon passed
around the middle of the six or eight
books and tied in bow, fastening them
together like book clamp, so they would
not fall when touched. One bunch OF
poets thus banded by orange ribbon stood
on so odd and effective n table, that |
must describe it, 1t had been one OF
those common wooden washstands with Il
lower shelf, drawer, and strip OF wood
on three sides, around the upper shelf, to
keep the wash things from falling oil
the back standing up six inches or so
higher above the top of the stand. The
stand was dilapidated old thing, too
common for anybody, so the lady CON
cluded to put it back in the parlor She
Knocked off the little upright piece ut the
back and ends, covered the top with ma
room colored felt, put on with little
gimp. and gilt lacks. The wood was
painted black, -ebonized,- ii tiny dash of
gilt here and there. The Knob of the
drawer gilded, the lower shelf covered
with crimson like the top. On the lower
part of the stand was II low, gilded, WICK
er basket, filled with fruit. On the top
the books, and monthly magazine; a
paper knife made of a smooth corset steel,
one of the stays worn in the sides OF cor
sets, gilded, and ornamented with bow
of ribbon about three inches from one
end. Above the ribbon the steel was
painted black, forming handle. ms
little table with its fruit, its new maya
zine and paper knife, with the poets IN
reach tied i'll their pretty ribbons, was
the very spot one would wish to sit down
for half an hours rest and refreshment.
And, there, as it should be, was low
rocking chair convenient for the mood.
This was an especial charm that made
this the prettiest house; things sat
around so naturally, so invitingly. The
tables We're ont little from the wall, and
often standing crooked, the chairs were
grouped easily, the lounge with its gay
pillows stood facing the fire, an the book
cises were us odd and charming MS the
rest of the luwless place. They were of
various kinds. One was n door, the re-
cess filled with shelves by the village car
penter, the moulding painted black with
IA gilt line like the stand, and the shelves
with strips of pinked, narrow felt like
the stand cover, hanging about three
inches over each shelf, not only protect
ing the book tops, but making artistic
lines of color against the sombre book
bindings There were also, set of hang
ing shelves, three | think. They came
from drygoods store ; had and alpaca
wrapped ON them, glmlet hole bored in
each corner about an inch from the point,
then, the wood covered with leather col
of Ire =
wedding dress, the wood was wrapped SO
to speak, i'll the goods, which was sewed
tightly mt the back Of the shelves, thei,
neatly hemmed together at the ends of
the board, the scissors punched through
the glmlet holes, to make room for the
crimson curtain cord which fwas lknotted
ut the end passed through the hole, II
second knot made ten inches from the
first, second shelf strung on, third
knot, a third shelf, then three quarters of
yard of cord above to reach to the nail
or hook, from which it hung. This one
lung from one of those cast-iron bronzed
PIE -es for bird cages or hanging baskets,
that stand out from the wall the lower
shelf was finished by worsted fringe
three inches deep The only trouble III
these shelves is the difficulty of getting
the hard knots in the cord at equal dis
tances, to prevent the shelves being lop
sided. There must be careful measure
lnent, and when finished, it will be found
a tasteful object for books or brio brac.
Over these book shelves, sheaf of pea
cock feathers, tied with bright streams OF
ribbon, was slanted diagonally in agrace-
full way, and tackled to the wall. Two
wooden bookcases about three feet wide
and five feet high stood on either side of
II long window. A wide board or shelf
connected the two bookcases, at the top
The board extended across the window,
the shelves being directly on either side
the window casing, not connected with
the window in any way. a curtain hang
ing by rings from rope covered with two
shades of ribbon wrapped spirally around
it, was drawn across the centre shelf hid
ing tine window to the heighth of the
bookcases, gave the effect of curtains
withdrawn from the books to the centre
Of the case, but behind the curtain, in
the window, We're first, on the floor, open
face out, an old croquet box, holding di-
lapidated, torn books on top of these,
boxes filled with letters, pamphlets, and
various things. Above the curtain, the
window was by means of transparent pa
pers transformed into stained glass, Il
lambrequin similar to the bookcase-cur-
tains forming pretty finish to the win
dow top. These curtains l will describe
hereafter. On the upper shelf, some nine
feet long, extending across the top OF
bookcases and i'll front of the window, toe
long to have been pretty if unbroken
two large engravings rested above the
books, two vases filled with pampas grass
fanked the window. An ivy wreatheu
luxuriantly about the window frame
clusters of the prettily tied books, ano
trinkets filled the remainder Of the space
The entire side of the room, with its
bright curtains, its glowing, square win
dow and lambrequiu, the engravings
vases and book groups, was something ne
rich person could initiate, | doubt wheth
er anyone but Mrs. Busyhand would hav,
originated SO daring thing.
| noticed a scrap basket, or waste has
ket in Mrs. Busyhand's little library tina
was very pretty and inexpensive. The
materials were soft, coarse, brown linen
Sits an inch long and two inches apar
buttonholed in red red ribbon run
through and tied in loops, Transforming
peach basket into stout receptacle o
odds and ends. The linen had beei
measured one and half times arounC
the top of the basket, and over twice a
deep-that is, double the height of TIN
basket; one end was drawn together lik
bolster, and nailed with double pointe,
) tacks in the inside bottom of the basket
The ribbon drawn tight through the but
tOnholes on the outside about two inche
e from the top cords run in tucks or clus
a ter of three near the bottom, drew tn
= fullness snugly about the outer bottom
i the edge of linen, hanging in n rufiie
couple Of inches wide, and touching tn
carpet.
A table cover ON small, square tabl
that held the student lamp may be wort
II describing, Squares Of alternate velv,
Al and cretonue six inches square, basted O
- "A lining, their edges covered with drei
W lrul1 Lu.tnl l.ll At tAnn nutstinL