The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-03-20

big, very high, very wide, and very long,
but is it carved and ornamented with
brass trimmings. It is. in some sense,
the symbol of hospitality. The bis
outlook is always standing upon it,
and the decanters of spirits and wines
are always at hand. The papering of
| the dining-room is always dark. and
on its walls are to be found most of the
oil paintings belonging to the family
The tables and the chairs are of kind
with the sideboard-very large and
very heavy.
The drawing-room is almost always
at the back of the house and looks
out upon the garden, for it must be
known that. however large the grounds.
the house is built quite near the
road and there is little or no front
garden; and there is almost sure to
be quite high wall at the front, so as
to shut off the house and grounds
from the gaze aud eyes of the COM
mon herd. The English, b. it known,
are exclusive. They seciude them
selves. They Eaye an adherence of
people seeing them about tier grounds,
or playing croGuet or tennis, and so
these high, exclusive walls. Many
houses, indeed all through the provinces,
have gates in these high walls with
bells. ard the servant comes from
the house to the outside gate to an
swer the bell. The paperiug of the
drawing-room is Of somewhat lighter
color than that of the otner rooms.
The furniture is also less massive, and
has just tendency to decoration and
art The line is strictly drawn at
water-color paintings upon the walls
in no well-ordered English family
does one ever see an oil painting on
the walls of the drawing-room. have
never been able to fully take in the
reason for this custom. | conjecture,
however, that the walls of the draw
ing-room being lighter and of more
expensive papering that it is deemed
bad taste to cover them up with
great pictures and frames. Water
colors. moreover, are more in keeping
with the lighter tone of the room. So
it is; you never, under any circum-
stances, see oil paintings in the salon
of an English house.
The bedroom furnishings are of like
heavy sort with the rest of the house.
The brass bedstead has taken the place
of the OLD '.four-poster." but the can
opy is retained. The curtains are
drawn for the night when the bed is
opened. Day coverings and 'pillow-
shams" for the bed are things unknown
in England. As the bedrooms are not
to sit in, and are only used for sleeping
purposes, the covering of the bed is
thrown up and over the pillows during
the day. and there is no pretension
whatever to beauty or ornament about
the bed. 1t is always deliciously clean,
and with its cretonne or muslin hang
ings looks neat and tidy. In many
houses the feather-bed is still the
thing, and is always used upon all
bedSteads in winter, Running water
is never laid on in the bedrooms. This |
is upon grounds of health, as English |
medical men insist that it is impossible |
to prevent the escape of sewer gases. |
Large washstands--quite two or three |
times the size of those used in American |
DEMONSTRATING upon them exceedingly |
large bowls and ewers. serve every pur-
there is to be found portable bath,
which is arranged over night upon a
large flannel rug and having beside it
a great can of water.
Gas is used in few bedrooms, and, |
for the matter of that, in very few up
per-class houses at all. 1t is being |
taken out of pretty nearly all the old |
houses in England and on the CONT
nent. 1t is deemed unhealthy, consum-
ing the fresh air of the rooms, besides
beng a very hot light, having the
property of soiling the ceilings and
dimming the paintings. Lamps and
candles are taking the place OF gas in
all houses, except, possibly, in halls,
kitchens, and like rooms.
1t may be truthfully said that in all
families of England the
is the livlng-room of the
house. The family-or such of them
as remain at home-sit in the dining
room during the forenoon and until al
ter the noon meal, whether that be
luncheon or dinner. The dining-room
is commonly very large room and is
for comfort. having generally
the most pleasant exposure to garden,
sun. and air. The kitchen is seldom
near the dining-room, and the pantries
are connected with the kitchen: so that
the dining-room is free of all the odor
of cooking and from all the necessary
noise of the kitchen and pantries. As
Rll meats and hot dishes are brought to
the dining-room closely covered,
there is seldom any smell from the
kitchen floating about or lurking about
the house. 1t is not unfrequent that
the kitchen is on the opposite side of
The hall from the dining-rOom, and one
often runs up against the butler or
crossing the hall with the din
1er. | can bear witness to the perfect
cleanliness of English houses. This
prime essential of the dining-room is
never overlooked The English table
5 very tastelully laid, and is very pleas
unity served. The linen is always i'm
naculats. and the steel knives-never
liver, except for fish and dessert-and
he silver forks are polished for every
neal, and the humblest families have
lowers, more or less, on the dinner
able
Were the color of the house less SOM
.er and the furniture less cumbrous;
we're the rooms more open and less
eparated each from the other, tine En-
,lish house would be the center of the
most perfect external comfort known
0 the domestic life of the word. As
is. the English house is thn home of
weet love, of thoughtful c'vilitv, and
+ unforgetting and undyiag loyalty
io6ert Laird collier, in C,i.:agO NetUs.