The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-07-30

niZeS its convenience.
The beautiful way in which the
grounds about houses are kept is apt
to make the admiring visitor feel
that it must be easier to have fine
grounds in California than elsewhere.
But this is not altogether true. In
Oakland, for example, there is hardly
an ill-kept place in the city. The
yards are not large, but so beautiful
ly cared for, the grass being so even
and green, and the flowers and
shrubs in such perfect order. that
everybody is neeessitated, by the ex.
ample al, around him, TO keep his
own domain in like manner. But in
order to pres this year all around
beauty, eternal vigilance. water,
pruning, tying plants to stakes, and
the lawn mower are all needed. The
grass plots between the sidewalks
and the streets are mainly kept in the
same way.
Although the sun is so essential to
warmth and health, there seem to be
just as many women here as else
where who shut the sun out with
blinds and shades, presumably to
save the color in the carpets and the
furniture. l never yet lived in a
house where I had full sway into
which I did not court all the sun
shine to be had. AS to furniture, I
think most people are ''idiotic."
Take chairs AID sofas, for examples;
either to be comfortable, should
conform 70 the outline of the body.
The stuffed chair is convex in it's
seat, when it should be concave-
exactly the opposite to what it
should be-and still women 90 on
generation after generation buying
such monstrositities. I am very par.
tial to luxurious seat, but / detest
upholstered things. They absorb
dust, and to me never seem clean.
Nowadays there seems to be no ex.
cuse for upholstered goods, as there
are so many pretty chairs of bamboo,
wicker, and honest wood with backs
and bottoms of yielding material
that can be beautified with cushions
and quilted work.
ana reminded of this every time
I dust the red stuffed chairs in our
cottage here-and / flourish whlsk
and dust cloth with mental irateness
at the existence of such things. The
one wicker chair in the room is almost
a cause for family feud-only the
fact of possession is fully recognized
as being nine.tenths OF the law. Of
course, as long as people buy illadapt.
ed furniture, just so long manufact.
urers are quick to respond to the re-
qulrements of the public. I CHANGED
to.visit furniture mandatory on
this coast, and one of the ptoprietors
evidently desired some expression
of commentator for his styles,
which were simply atrocious, al
though, of course. I could not say
so. However, l did venture to
ask him why he lett the corners of
foot-boards, bed-steads and covers
of wash-stands and bureaus and 9TH
err things square, as such angles oft.
en- result in great mischief. He con-
fessed that it had not occurred to
him to modify the sharpness of the
corners, but he thought well of the
idea. His very elaborate pieces of
furniture he was particularly proud
of in proportion as they would re-
quire the greater time to keep the
hooks free from dust. The furniture
that most of us require needs to be
plain, with rounded corners, we'll and
gracefully shaped and easily Kept
clean. Most California housekeepers
as yet, have the old fashioned disdain
for things of American manufacture.
Take pottery, for instance. One may
go into almost any shop and ask for
American china, and the clerk will tell
you in very pompous way, that they
only keep English wares, when he
knows very we'll, or should know, that
with the exception of China, there are
as fine china and porcelain made in the
United States as in England or the
world, and the only line in which China
excels all countries is in the application
of color. The finest kaolin for por.
celain in the world, is found in Indiana,
and in Missouri there are extensive beds
of pure white silicon, naturally prepar-
ed TOR use. | have seen as beautifnl