The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-08-02
THE COMFORTABLE HOME.
Agnes R. 0rnSbee Tells Of Some Of lis First
Requirements.

To achieve the House Comfortablesit is
necessary to start with sound principles,
and to keep constantly in mind the ends for
which a home is established. A home
should yield rest, refreshment and inspira-
ton TO the members of the family; should
be the place in which each member gathers
renewed courage. 1t follows, then, that
those parts of the house which most affect
the daily health and happiness Of the house.
hold should be equipped first and most thor
oughly, ana that those rooms which are
shared with the outside world should not
be beautiied at the expense OF more impOr-
tant portions.
A weIl-furnished and well-managed
kitchen, which shall daily send forth three
Savory meals, and from which the spirit of
strife shall not arise, filing the whole house
like miasma, IS of more moment in the
House Comfortable than a drawing-r room
that shall be the envy of every woman who
sees It. Sleeping-rOons supplied with the
best spring mattresses and blankets, and
filed with an atmosphere that is fresh but
not raw, and mild without STIFFNESS, are to
be preferred before the costlieSt carved
cabinet from Holland, filed with treasures
| from Vienna.
1t is not that beautiful drawing-room is
| not desirable thing 1t is as goodly and
| attractive in the House Comfortable As else
| where. 1t does contribute more than little
| IT. and of the husband whose house and
| whose wife are admired because of its
| beauty. The point is that it is not the first
| thing, or the second thing. perhaps not even
| the third thing; that If need be the House
| Comfortable can flourish without il, and that
| if tile money at hand is limited, the draw
| ing-roOm should be considered last, and that
| in any case it should not usurp an undue
| proportion of thought and attention.
| In furnishing home of seven or eight
| a n i
| BILE, the money may well be divided into
| three equal parts, to he distributed among
the three floors of a city house--one-third for
| the basement, of kitchen and dining-room,
| One-third for the parlor floor. and one-third
| for the Sleeping-roOms. In country house
the arrangement of the rooms are different,
| but the proportion of money for the three
classes OF rooms should be substantially the
| same. Where the supply of money is prac-
| ticaIly unlimited, there win naturally be a
larger number of rooms to furnish, and the
| distribution of the increased money is
! largely matter of taste. But In such q
! case, il the Home Comfortable is desired
| rather than the House Artistic or the Castle
| Display, it Will be the part of wisdom te
make liberal appropriations for the kitchen
and above all. for the dining where q
| lavish use of artisticaHy beautiful furnish
ings, OF fine linens and dainty china, j:
more conducive TO comfort than IL
any other part of the house. 1t is alsC
wise to provide well for the sitting
rooms, the smoking-room, the nursery, The
sewing and sleeping rooms. rather than tt
reserve the bulk of the expenditure for tbs
drawing rooms. and leave the rest of th,
house to be filed up by chance. The latte
course is too often followed by those VIII,
! have much money as well as by those will
little. AS to that large class of people VIII
must furnish, if they furnish at all, on
much smaller scale, their case is by n
means hopeless, but it requires more careful
| and detailed consideration than can be GiYel
in a general Introductory chapter.-Agne
T. Ornfsbee in Harper's Bazaar.