The National tribune., 1891-12-03

1ssS EzszSE ", many hours in looking
S2SsSS after a host of frIil
80 things thatTepresented,
- either i'm their purchase
or making, so large an amount Of money and
labor, aud fell so far short Of fulfilling their
mission.
called the place bric-a-brac shop. but it
was not so really, only the crowling together
OF so great a number Of fancy things made it
appear so. II was "a home, and intended 10 be
pretty one. The mistake was in collecting
together such a museum Of ilimsy articles To
handle over; articles that were, by reason OF
their great number and the small space they
must be put in. gathered in such close prox-
unity tl.at they lost all semblance Of meaning;
aud k now and you know, that even an Orna-
ment must be placed 50 that it seems to have
reason for being. II that cannot be done, il
would be much better to omit it entirely from
the household arrangements.
The home keeper ! speak Of was actually
giving the best part Of herself 10 the task of
keeping in order a quantity Of frail things
whose absence would make that home look
prettier and more comfortable. Meanwhile
there was the world Of books almost unknown
20 her; there was world Of people who were
awaiting her ministrati0ns, as there is await
ing those Of everybody whose time and strength
are not all demanded by necessary duties.
Many OF The NATIONAL TRIBUNE readers
decoration, except in the homes Of the rich,
was not considered possibility. Pictures were
about tho only things that were thought Of in
the purely ornamental light and they. if they
had any claim TO merit, were beyond the pock-
cts of ordinary people.
] remember well the parlOr Of family Of
refinement in which the sole wall ornamental
ton was a drawing by one Of the daughters,
done during her school days and which was
| thought 10 be so exceptionally good as 10 be
worthy Of preservation in this way. Bare aud
| ugly as that room would seem to-day, lacking
as il did any individuality, at least its mistress
was not wearing herself out in vain effort TO
| preserve what have in them from the first the
| smallest element Of durability Only in the
| homes Of the rich where. when the sun and
dust have accomplished their work Of destruc-
! tion, and such things may be thrown away
without regret 10 make way for others, is IL
wise 10 indulge 10 any large extent in what is
/ in their nature 50 eyanescent. The revolt
| from the baroness Of the old time has brought
about the other extreme OF, in many cases,
/ over decoration.
/ No necessity exists for either the one thing
or the other. To-day the woman Of limited
means may make her homo a thing Of beauty
and Joy forever. The most exquisite pro-
! auctions Of art are brought within her reach
! by the skill Of the photographer and the en-
| grayer.
Then, too, there has been such growth In
the artistic sense Of the people az large, as 10
develop home talent for flower and landscape
/ painting 20 a wonderful degree, thus widely
charging the possibilities Of home decoration.
! All that is required Is the taste 10 select and
| the judgment 20 know where to stop. Tho
decorations Of a home should always be key
! 20 the character Of its mistress. 10 should be
indiydualized so as 70 be, in a measure, the
| Tevealment of her inner self. Each article
Ehp le fUr IA
| be ia harmony with tho place II IS 70 occupy.
| Then, aud only then, will a perfect whole be
formed which will give q sensation Of pleasure
/ 10 those who look upon IT,
The mission Of every home is not only 10
send forth its children developed into good
men and women who have found their insp.ra-
/ ton there, but % Tadiate peace and content
/ mcnt upon all VINO enter therein. IL seems TO
! be a little thing but believe IL is truc,-the
/ world is made up Of little things, you know
| that "a lack Of harmony IN cOiOrS in q room may
/ produce a feeling Of unrest and disturbance, the
! outward effects Of which will be an apparently
! uneXplainable irritation that sometimes pro-
! duces far-reaching results. Remembering that
1 harmony is the law Of life, and this will not
/ appear 50 strange. Colors " howliug" at each
4 other in disgust al their association are far frcm
/ fulfilling the law
II is not only the home training By precept
| and example that develops the sensbilitiCs OF
| the boy and girl in tho right direction. The
i silent influences OF their surroundings have,
! sometimes think, even a greater potency in
| determining their character. One cannot esti-
mate the power that a beautiful picture looked
al day after day, has in directing the thoughts
/ 10 higher things. 10 is with that as with flow
eTs. Their lOvcliness speaks To the heart and
| puts 10 Eight the meaucr impulses
do not mean 20 say that this is always the
result, but 1t is true ia general way. ] once
r. n III l.. a
I hard that she thought 20 end it by her own
| act. Accidentally, SO far as human agency
! was concerned, a bunch Of flowers was placed
| ia her hands. They were blossoms that she
/ had loved in her childhood, and they brought
10 her so wildly the memory Of her mother,
aud Of her mothers prayers for her, that she
| took new courage 20 lift her burdens and so on
again. Happily the skies cleared away, and
she became a most useful woman, with an ex-
tended influence.
If 50 much good could come from the silent
language Of a single handful of flowers, il can
| be easily understood that beauty and harmony
in the home surroundings must have much "a
do in making children reach 4 true manhood
and womanhOOd.
A deeper thought underlies the matter Of
homo decoration than the mere passing gratif-
cation OF having pretty house. 10 has 10 dc
with the education Of the family, being in il
no mean factor. IL merits. and should receive
careful consideration. And there are a few
rules in regard to It that arc inyariGblo
whether the home is in n cottage or a mansion
and some Of them are these:
!. Remember that carpets and walls are sim
ply backgrounds for furniture, pictures. etc.
and therefore should be quiet and restful il
their cOloring.
2. BE careful not to put two cOlors in close
proximity that swear at each other. Let Their,
be harmony both in blending and In contrast
ing shades.
3. DO not take for purposes Of decoration
things which are intended for hOmely uses
Think Of the ahsurdity Of painting shOvcls
water-pails, milking-stools, aud host Of othel
things that are excellent in their places, which
however, are not in the parlor.
4. Buy few good pictures aud articles o
bric-a-brac, adding TO them from time to time
as you may afford 10 do so, instead Of filling NJ
your rooms with cheap, aimsy stun that sOol
is neither beautiful nor useful
g. Lastly keep in mind the fact that strength
and vitality are too valuable TO be employed il
any scheme Of home decoration that exhaust
them daily, to the exclusion of better things.
The "Innoceni Abroad"