Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-05-21
WORK FOB WOMEN.
The Business of Interior Decoration ant
What it Requires.

The Business of Interior Decoration and
What it Requires.
Women are, it is universally adj
mitted, decorators by nature and choice.
Even under the depressing conditions of
barbarous life or in the discouraging
environment of poverty within civilized
community situation often even more
hopeless than barbarism itself-women
will find some les to adorn first
themselves and secondly their homes.
1t is very touching to see in the poor
dwelling of the struggling farmer or in
the often far poorer abode of the laborer
in our great cities what heroic efforts
poor women will make to brighten and
bea utify their shabby surroundings.
Among the prosperous or comfortable
CLASSES, however, in which are found the
greater proportion Of the jewellers in
our fortunate land, the efforts of wives
and daughters at home decoration are
not thwarted by poverty, and here we
findnumberless beautiful homes adorned
with the work wrought by dainty fin
gers. Indeed, home decoration has been
% & " ollA SCttLo iIllOIS WCll-UOs
do women, and the work has been often
o%verdone, SO that extravaganza of deco
ration has rendered the result re-
pulsive rather than pleasing. Some
women have natural taste in arrange
ment, and, even though without instruc-
ton in the principles Of art and color
combination, can unite decorations so
as to render them pleasing to the eye Of
the beholder. But others have not this
natural gift, and these should call upon
others possessed of some knowledge of
art to help them in the work of house.
hold decorating. Art knowledge is
progressing rapidly in this country,
andhere opens a wide field of attractive
and remunerative work for energetic
women.
With the advance in art knowledge
there is a growing desire everywhere to
become acquainted with the most pleas
ing modes of decoration. Everywhere
there are homes waiting to be made at
t~ractive and beautiful within. Every
where there is a demand for better in
formation On the subject of decoration,
and vet, except in a few large cities,
there is nc organized means of meeting
this demand. In every n of the thou
sands OF smaller cities and towns, then,
throughout the land there is a place
which an enterprising woman could
readily fill, and by so doing create an
industry perhaps for a score of her sex.
Such q person should have primarily, q
knowledge of drawing and painting.
She should take a course of study at
some good art school, and then make
herself thoroughly acquainted with the
material used by the professional deco
rators in u city like New York. Chicago
or Philadelphia. Then. armed with
plans. price-lists and patterns, let her go
to some thriving interior town and es-
tablish herself rs a household decorator.
Such a woman will have to exercise pa
t%ience, of course, in getting her business
started, and she must be able to show
those whose patronage she seeks that
she is both efficient and practical. But
with the exercise of diligence and pa
tience she will unquestionably win sue
cess, and may build up from very small
beginnings, if she can exercise economy,
as well as skill, a lucrative and flourish
ing business. -Phi1ddelphiu Times.