Wichita eagle., 1889-02-17
ghe aathita Daily Eag1e: sunday oriug Eebrnsry T.
rree ano loose over the s1,eIr

even If it consists Of only few straight
shelves, and may or may not have glass,
though this last item is not necessarily ex-
pensive.
give an illustration of the simplest sort
of deck mantel which any carpenter can
make for you from white pine. or even OF
walnut, at small cost. Should it be OF pine
you can stain it, ebonize it, or paint it to
match its surroundings, or, il suitable, it
can be made of chestnut or yellow pine and
treated to a coat of sheilac varnish. Be-
meath the shelf, and around the glass, the
entire panel is covered with Japanese
leather paper in tint to accord with the
color Of the woodwork.
The second illustration is Of mantel
crowned by one of the low, long mirrors 80
beloved of our ancestors, it is rust the
length of the mautel and about eighteen
inches wide. The frame almost entirely
plain may be Of painted, stained or var
nished pine, or may be of white pine COW
cred with the ever useful leather paper,
which, if chosen with special reference to
its metallic luster, is as handsome frame
as any glass wants, infinitely better than
the common lacquer and cheap composition
frame SO often seen. may remark in pass
ing that do not like mirrors framed. or
hung, so that they stand on one corner
diamond-wise-andI have never been able
TO like the frames painted by unskillful
fingers with all manner of fruits and flow
ers, especially those in which the fruits and
flowers wander of from the frame into the
glass itself.
From these simple ''deck-nlantels," begun
by carpenter and finished by your own
4 4 rar 4n nnwv ~
the beautiful and ornate structures madeby
expensive cabinet makers, but in spite OF
their beauty their great expense will always
have to be taken into consideration. The
plainest of these, made in highly polished
oak or walnut viii cost thirty-ive dollars.
and those in white enamel carved with deli
cate designs of leaves and wreaths are much
more costly, according to the work expend-
ed upon them
The great despair Of the decorative wom-
an is the country mantel shelf, which Is
merely plank of wood fastened to plain
wall without breastwork or support, and
only too often no fireplace, only stove
pipe hole beneath it. For such one
should suggest that the best treatment was
to build support in the form OF irregular
shelves at each end connecting the main
shelf to the floor. These do nicely to stand
bric-a -brac upon, and with an appropriate
deck mantel above, small stove or Balti-
more heater between them, will be found to
be great improvements. The little stoves
with crate, initiating an open fire, are the
only pretty stoves know, but they require
so much care that doubt if you will thank
me for recommending them. l may say in
their behalf, however, that where your
draught is good and your care successful
they give great satisfaction and look cosy
and pretty as well.
Beside every open fireplace should be
poker, shovel and tongs. If you have not
inherited a set of these with brass heads
and twisted handles, you can find them at
great cost in the same shop where you buy
your CRATE, but you can find in the same
shop a very pretty little set with Berlin iron
handles with stand 10 keep them ln). for
which you will pay two dollars and fifty
cents for the small size. This will be quite
large enough for ordinary use and as pretty
as any one need ask. You will need beside
these brush for the hearth, and I can
heartily recommend goose CT turkey wing.
These sweep clearly and look quaint and
old-fashioned as they hang by the fireplace
by a loop and bow of bright ribbon.
As for wood and coal boxes the simpler
they are the better. If they must be en-
evidence, the very prettiest things are the
brass scuttle for coal and the open basket
for wood; but these are not always to be
had, and then the only care must be to make
them as unobtrusive, as plain as possible.
can not urge too strongly the absurdity of
coal boxes made Of ridiculous conspicuous
shapes. One parlor know is decorated
by aeoal-box in the shape Of high hat
the top lifting of as lid. And to add the
final touch the mistress Of that parlor has
hung beside the box large wooden shovel
painted blue, decorated with bows of ribbon
and painted with punches of flowers.
1t is far better taste to use plain iron
shovel and square wooden box. give an