Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-01-24
WOMAN AND HOME.
HOW OLD ARTICLES OF FURNITURE
 MAY BE RE-FASHIONED.

The Children's Party-Sitting Posture oi Infants-A Philosophical yiev-NIar-
 riage Partnership-Mans Downfall. For the Baby.
 It is very fortunate for people ill medium l circumstances that odd furr::ture is now in vogue, for many articles that would ill former years be relegated to the attic, unfitted for sight or use, may, with a little ingenuity and taste, be converted into handsome and artistic articles of furniture. No matter how old fashioned chair or table may be- ill fact, the older it is the better; as long as it holds together, it can be used in some way to help furnish the home.
 An old fashioned washstand can be con- verted into a beautiful table for the parlor, and, if it is put together carefully, will never give hint of home manufacture. Remove the back and rungs used for towels and over the hole in the top, intended for the bowl, fasten thin pine board as to cover the whole top. With soap and water and a brush SCOUT off the old varnish and paint. Wipe, and when thoroughly dry go over the whole with sandpaper until it is as smooth as you can get it. Then it is ready fer the stain, which must be ebony. To make this stain get at the druggists a small piece of asphaltum gum and break it up fine. Into an old pint tin half filled with turpentine, put two heaping tablespoonfuls of the as- phaltum. Set it where it will be warm, never hot, let it stand four days stirring it ire Quently, and it will be ready for use. With a brush an inch wide spread the stain over every part of the stand and set to dry. In half an hour, when it is dry. give it another coat. Three coats are sufficient to make it a ,o+l ! ;f,,1 some pressed ferns and with mucilage paste them neatly on the stand. Arrange two groups of large ferns, two or three in each group, and paste in the center of the top and bottom shelf. Around these paste small ferns in any design liked. Two or three small ones, grouped in each corner of the shelves look pretty with tiny single ones scattered carelessly about the sides and legs of the stand
 When the mucilage is thoroughly dry gild the fern with gold paint, usi,4g fine camei's hair brush, and going over each fern very carefully, so as to get as little as possible of the gliding outside of the fern. Use the finest grade of ferns you can possibly get. for, although it is more troublesome to gild them, yet they look so much nicer that they repay fully tho labor spent on them. When the ferns dry give the whole stand a coat of copal varnish, let dry, and it is done. To be sure, it will take time to make a table of this kind, but it need not all be done at once. The arrangement and gliding of tae ferns i the most tedious part of the work, and how many of these shall be used depends wholly upon the maker. A group of large gildeo ferns ill the centre of each shelf and the rest of the stand left plain is a simple and artistic way of ornamenting. This is good imta- ton of Japanese ware, and can be used for cabinets, plaques, panels etc, and answer the purpose for which it is intended every bit as we'll as the real, more expensive arti- cle. A simpler and easier way of doing tfs work, which may be liked by some as it does away with washing or sand papcring the article to be decorated, is to paint it black instead of staining it, and proceed as though stained. To be sure, it will not in any way be as smooth and nice as if done in the first way, but where time is scarce it will iI most cases do as we'll.
 A pretty and inexpensive and easily made table is one made of the cover of small but ter firkn and three broom handles or round stick. as thick as broom handles. Cut the sticks the length desired, and crossing them ill the center get the exact angle wanted. then with long screw attach them firmly together. Fasten the top securely to the sticks, and gild the legs. Cover the top with garnet plush or felt, and around the edge at tach garnet and gold chenille ball fringe. Tie a bow of broad garnet satin ribbon around where the sticks are fastened to- gether, to conceal the screw. Another way is to take off the rim of the cover, after glue ing firmly narrow piece of wood across tEe inside of the cover to keep it together, and fasten the cover to the top of the CT ssed sticks. Ebonize the whole, and tie a bright scarlet satin bow ribbon around the center of the sticks, or paint the table white, with a narrow stripe of gold running around the edge and down the outside of each leg: varnish with white varnish, and tie where the sticks cross bright gold bow of broad l satin ribbon.
 White furniture Is so much sought after 1 that, to be up to the times, some one article, | at the very least, of white and gold should be 1 found in all homes. White paint, white valnisl and gold paint are all that are re- l qured to transform any article of furniture l into the fashionable shade. An old mirror that has been set aside on account of its frame being worn and old may, with white paint, varnish, and one or two stripes of gold, l be converted into a handsome piece of l furniture, for, of all the furnishings of the i home, the mirror stands at the head as the most beautiful when framed in white and l gold. An old fashioned light stand painted WulLo Wllu DttlIlS ol Soltt, "1oll tt Hu1Cc Ic4t scarf thrown over it, the ends embroidered with golden rods or daisies, is a pretty addition to any room. A willow chair or rocker that has grown dark may be made beautiful by painting in white and gold, upholstering the seat and arms in myrtle green plush, running
 myrtle green satin ribbon through the space
 around or across the back, and fastening at l the right hand corner in q broad bow The
 back may have round or square cushion of
 the same shade of plush, or need not have
 any. A common cane seat chair, painted in
 white and gold. upholstered in peacock blue
 with a bow of the same shade of ribbon tied
 at the upper right hand corner of the back
 is very pretty. It does not matter what
 color the article is that is to be decorated, ii
 can be painted white 1t is advisable to have
 but a few articles of white in a room, for one
 or two give a much better appearance to the
 room, where it is small one, than larger
 number. Too many are apt to give it mo
 notonous loolz-Boston Budget.
 Marriage is Q Partnership
 Marriage is still only too often bargain
 but, at least, it is no longer an entirely one
 sided bargain. It is tending toward the only
 true ideal of lifelong companionship-a part l with a0ua1 piV0