Telegram-herald., 1890-09-03

IN his great armchair and toasting his
toes through TWO generations Of domes-
tic nights Or whether the delicate
slippered foot OF some dainty woman
rested on IL as she wore her life out In
silent waiting. Or whether some child
grew 20 manhood and built his way 10
fortune there Whatever its history II
never itself rested before cheerier logs
than those which on cool autumn nights
60 swapping and sparkling in great
flames up my chimney.
OF course, / had 20 overcome preiu-
dice In the building OF my boat. Tho
purely practical and unpoetic said IL
would blow over IL built IL on scow.
And must confess there was much 10
be said in the way OF canal boat An
old one can be bought for twenty-five
dollars. Then, too, there were all the
suggestions held out by "Rudder
Grange" | consulted authorities on
Chinese boats and men who were filed
with the delights of boat life in Terra
del Fuego But something failed to
please me in them all There were queer
things that happened to peoples feet
standing always so far under water.
/ wanted my house on deck l
wanted TO live, feet and all, in the
wide open of pure air and sunshine. So
in spite of every one l took a scow.
Now. a scow is eighty feet long and
sixty feet wide, so your house can be
sixty by twenty, leaving deck room at
either end But the price of mine
and every one always insists on the
price of every thing where an innova-
tion is made-the price OF mine de-
cline TO give, for l paid for my expert
ments, as a novice must always do But
] have two friends who for four hundred
dollars are building one on a canal boat
which, with much arrogance, they main
tain will outrival mine. l decline to
believe them.
The walls, from the floor to the cell
ing. were covered with old tapestries,
and upon them were hung rare etch-
ings. delf plaques, brass sconces and
choice pictures. There was still plenty
of room 70 tack up sketches as fast as
made. At intervals, along the sides.
Venetian church lamps, censer or two.
and some richly-hued marine lanterns
were suspended from the dark, heavy
beams which upheld the deck, aud
served as magnificent ribbed ceiling,
bold and agreeable in tone, and beauti-
ful in it's curved lines At the farther
end OF the salon was built permanent
table of generous dimensions, placed
longitudinally, which served as
dining table, and which became
between meals and in the even
were exchanged the adventures of the
day and the plans for the NOR
row. About IL were grouped a number
OF carved and ornamental antique arm
chairs, of larger pattern, and one OF
which was 20 its neighbor stranger
from a strange land. Holland, Spain,
Italy. Mexico, England and Plymouth
Rock logged elbows and tread under
their feet prayer rugs from smyrna,
BOkhara and HindOostan. The coal
stained floor, and the battered keelson.
upon which had been dumped many a
ton OF anthracite. carefully scrubbed
and cleaned, wera covered throughout
the length Of the boat with fresh, clean
china mating. The cots along the side
were perfectly disguised as divans. and
brought into tone by a judicious use
OF Turkish and India rugs, csmePs-hair
blankets. etc. carved oaken chest
OF the thirteenth century. served as a
sidebOard. and from the opposite side
an English high chest OF drawers. OF
two hundred years ago, fsunted its brass
handles A japanese bronze vase. as
hish as the back OF an old-fsshioned
chair, richly oruamented in relief with
tangled gods and sacred snak es degraded
from the spieudor for which it vas de-
serve6l7 intended now served as a de-
p0sitory for smoking materials. Near
bY, an old-fashioned writing desk. al
ways open, presented a continual oppor-
tunitY fer Communication with tho un-
fortnnates in the outside world
LILIIE HAMILTON FRENCH.