Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-10
THE MODERN SCREEN.

with place for a pipe, and hook for to-
bacco pouch. For sewing room, pockets are
sewed on, to hold knitting; slips are ar
ranged for the scissors; huge cushion
is suspended on one panel and a
rag bag on another-in short, all the appur-
tenances of q thrifty housewife are ready at
hand, "a place for everything and every
thing in its place." Frequently these screens
are furnished with candelabra tops. FIRE.
quently apertures six inches wide and a
foot tall are cut completely through panel
like the letter q upside down, and shelf
fitted across the bottom of it; upon this a
bit of bric-a-brac rests and gives novel ap-
pearance to the structure.
This is q productive age. went into
house the other day and sat on hall chair
upholstered, venetian style, in what appeared
to be grand old italian leather, but it
wasn't. it was stamped paper. At the win
dows hung shades in what looked like Hol-
land linen, but it wasn't, It was paper. The
wall things were in the friable hard-baked,
ceramic sort, that seemed as though trans
ferred from Cordovan cottage; paper again.
At the windows soft saceldotal light stole
in through what was apparently stained
glass, but it wasn't, it was colored oil paper
The ceiling was in heavy cross bars in relief,
like medieval rafters; again paper. On the
walls hung breast plate, crossed
with arms which spoke OF the days
of he-aldry and romance, but they, like the
rest, were only paper. Papier-mache, l
ought to say, for it is in this pulpy con-
dition that paper is first worked to mold 1t
to the hundred and one purposes it now
serves. A bronze plaque, foot and q half
of surface diameter, the head Of Shakespeare,
or any other subject in relief, is worth about
SlOO. But the other day we saw one Of the
most perfect producHons imaginable in this
papier-mache for 81. Besides plaques. armor
is made of this papier-mache-shield
breast-plates, statuary and anything of this
sort, with price In the above proportions.
Applique work is rapidly becoming "the
rage" You buy plain fabrics, and from an
endless profusion of borders, centers, cor
ners and fringes, you can easily, with
trifling ingenuity, lay out beautiful pat
terms. and patterns you may be sure that
abominable next-door neighbor hasn't got.
Here Is a simple scheme for building
lounge. It is strong and comfortable, and
when draped with any rug or covering large
enough to fall to the floor, you have some
thing you're not afraid to throw yourself
upon. As the artist has sketched it, it's
nothing particularly beautiful, but clothe 1t
in your minds eve and it's solid comfort
and strong, too-an attribute few lounges,
unless expensive, possess.
Did dealer ever take you into his conf
dence and explain the origin of some Of his
Oriental decorations? Listenl This valance
of Hungarian embroidery came of Of a
peasants apron. This sofa back was from
the sides of Turkish saddle bag; this floss
work, from the trousers of Persian woman;
this screen panel from the back piece of
Mandarin's coat; this table scarf part of an
Indian dervish robe. Few Of the Oriental
embroideries which come now to this coun-
try were ever intended for the purposes they
are applied to. They are from secondhand
stores, old clothes shops. private families
and the mosques. For among all classes,
rich and poor, unlearned and learned, en-
broidering is a second nature.
One day about two years ago 1 was look
ing over q lot of embroideries in the store
room of an import dealer, when pricked
my finger on O half tied package. I drew
out the offending parcel, and to my surprise
discovered q petticoat almost complete,
beautifully embroidered, but with the
needle and an end of unused thread still
hanging. How in the world it got into the
lot no one knew, but last week the buyer,
who had taken an interest in the incident
and followed it up. explained. "The bun
dle," he said, "came from Komiah in
Turkey-in-Asia from q mosque. The peo-
pie OF this district in obtaining the spiritual
consolation of their priesthood. indulge Gus.
tom of sending church money or gifts. and
among the very poor these contributions
are usually examples Of their handicraft.
The unfinished petticoat belonged to a
young girl near Komiah who died. She
had no money. and on sending her body to
burial, the unfinished skirt, with its dainty
embroidery just as her fingers had left it,
was sent with her as an humble tender for
some prayer to rest her spirit
The bottom band of that skirt now bor-
ders the mantle valance Of 9 Washington