St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-20
REFUGEES WITHIN DOORS.
Every House Should Have lis Special
Retreat.
THE TWIN BED SYSTEM.
thy Lace Curtains Are Cheap---Luxu-
ries and Short Purses Not
Enemies.


Enemies.
Half the miserable, tired-out women
in the world would feel botter, look bet
ter and be in better temper, II
they only had some retreat III their
house where they could occasionally lie
down and recuperate. The trouble Is
that when one feels exhausted and IN
need of an hours sweet restorative one
has no place to go to. You don't wish
to disturb the bed and its trim dressl-
ness. and the average lounge or SOFA Is
far from restful, so the neeoeo
cat-nap isn't taken, more'S the
pity. The most popular room
have in my house is one that has Dox-s
platform on the floor OF the pay WlndoW
alcove 1t is raised about a 1ooC lroiii
the ground, covered by mattress, up
holstered in plain denim that mas DeeIi
washed to take the stiffness out or IL,
and with five or six pillows and rev
rugs. and shelves placed within con-
yenient reach to hold cotfee-pot. novels
OF pipes, You have surroundings to COM
plete the charm of most delightful
IOafing spot-and cheaply constructed,
too One spends third OF ones life
reclining, so the subject is well worth
discussing.
The French give US charming styles
in beds. dreamy can0pieS and exquisite
upholstarlngs, but the Germans give us
comfort, and they have our grate1ui
consideration just now for new pea
style that Will be sure to come into hlgh
favor in this country. as 1t points 10 the
utter humiliation of the cumbersome
double bed and the substitution OF two
single beds. placed snugly together, with
head and foot boards so faShloned InaJ
they match up and form Unity OF de-
sign. The beds have separate linen,
and although to the casual observer
they look like one structure, IN
every other particular they are
two beds. In sweeping they can be
more easily moved than one big bed.
They are more easily turned. and, fur
nished with separate coverings. Mrs.
Jack Spratt can sleep as nature made
her, while her thin mate can bury MN
self in blankets and sleep without rear
of pneumonia.
The other day saw pair of antique
curtains which john Jacob Astor paid
5000 for. WithN Dalf-hOur and
l.
the same thing, just as fine, as compll-
Gated and as good stock, for Sl5. The
reason was this: The making of antique
lace curtains dates back to aboat ten
wears prior to the Franco-Prussian.w
The poor of Kuxeul, France, were in
Wretched circumstance, and the En-
press Eugene conceived the idea OF
educating them in lace work. She
taught them the peculiar fishing stitch
Of the antiques and sent them the
stock and patterns to work up. ANY
charity of the good empress soon be-
camea fad, and. las she used the products
literally in the draping OF her own
parlors. society did likewise. AND the
demand was soon far in excess OF the
supply. AS time went on, however, the
Iace-Workers became more buSiuesslike
and proficient in their methods. Ihey
now buy their tWineS cheaper and put
all hands at work-child, adult and
aged-and as the fashions relaxed and
supplies accumulated, prices found
their level, and hence you and can
get the same thing to-day for SIS which
cost tie old man Astor 5000.
A Wide-folding doorway can be given
a charming relief by running some OF
the innumerable sorts OF, fretWork,
which you can now obtain so cheaply,
across the top and down one side. The
fretworK can be broken IN upon by
shelves or places wherein to suspend
lantern or drape scarf. Ones fancy
can take many liberties with this style
of work, and it alwass breaks the regu-
larity and monotony of an ordinay door
way.
The time was, and not many years
ago, either, when stylish house furnish
ing was an expensive luxury; taste and
high prices seemed inSeparable. 10
day we have the most refined colorlngs
and designs copied in the most mex
pensive articles. Take the box divan--
woman's supreme delight, for into it
she can dump the litteringS of a sewing
room, the babies toys, shoes. slippers
and the hundreds of odds and ends that
she hasn't time to put away. 1t is no
longer common looking, cretonne-cov-
AIRED affair, but quite an elaborate arti-
Gle. The top or lid is edged with bor-
der of holding, forming simple frame.
Into this frame, which is about half
inch deep, is set cushion top, such as
you see in church pews; from the cor
ners heavy tassels are suspended; the
sides of the box are treated in plastic,
and here ones ingenuity runs riot. The
plastic composition is made as follows:
Three parts whiting, three parts ochre
aid one part plaster of paris mixed with
white lead, turpentine and japan. Ap-
ply it to the surface of the box
as thickly as desired, and with the fin
gers or the pattern-stencilS work up a
relief design. Then color is desired.
The work admits of keen artistic skill.
BY gliding the pattern in its relief parts
YOU can give to your divan a distinct
lively Oriental effect.
An excellent doorway treatment for
the chamber is made by crossing any of
the muslins, drapery prints or cretonnes
into odd folds and applying Stiffiy to the
doorway topand sides with a Chinese
ornament of some sort to set it otf-an
owl kite OF anything of that kind.
''Ive few ''don'ts" to impress upon
you:
Don't use feather buster on your
furniture, for you only disturb the dust,
YOU don't remove it. Use the nap side
of canton flannel.
Don't be afraid that a well-made
brass bedstead Will tarnish or other
wise wear poorly that's along-exploded
prejudice. Lacquer preserves brass
from damp, and the beds are practically
bug-proof, solid, dainty and neat. In
England they have been the correct
thing for ten years. The Monopole ho-
tel, London, hasn't wooden bedstead
in it.
DON'T think because you put your
woolens away in tight box that they
are moth-proof. If your garments are
locked up in a close case with moth
eggs, the grub or worm will hatch, and
when you look at your things next fall
they'll be riddled. These eggs are the
size of pin point, white, and take six
days to hatch. Put your garments away
where no moth can lay eggs in them,
and then every day or so watch for the
worm. Two or three weeks watchful-
ness will discover if it exists, for in that
time it reaches its full size-a quarter
of an inch long-and can be easily SEEN
G. r. CLIFFORD.