The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-12-16
ROCKS AS FURNITURE.

Regarded purely from utilitarian
standpoint, with no reference whatever
to their contents, but simply looked at as
furniture the value of books can hardly
be oYerestimated. Although popularity
supposed to be dear, books considered
as investments, are amazingly cheap.
In no other direction does so small an
expenditure go so far in returning good
value for money spent.
To say nothing of the obvious fact
that the presence of books in assem-
blages, so to speak, at once sets stamp
of cultivation on a household, giving 1T a
certificate of refinement which neither
costly bric-a-brac nor beautiful uphol-
stery can confer, books are decorative.
They lend themselves to the furnishing
of alcoves and corners. They are beau
tiful in shape and charming in color,
and marshalled in rows in bookcases tall
and stately or bookcases low and cOzy,
they form agreeable points on which the
eve can rest. A bright red book makes
a spot from which other colors radiate
pleasantly. 1t is garnered sunshine in
permanent form.
Books lying about on tables, or placed
in quantity carved racks, or standing on
brackets, take away from the baroness
of room, and impart to it an exquisite
| living quality, quality of life.
This is inseparable from the idea of a
book, which is really bit of embalmed
personality, the exhalation of a human
soul saved to an earthly immortality.
Women always love their things" in a
clinging way to which men are usually
strangers. But man loves his books,
loves to see them around him, loves to
sit surrounded by them as by friends
while he enjoys the ease of slippers and
the homely luxury of an evening pipe.
| Let nobody fancy herself eXtravag ant
when she buys book. Books are to be
owned, not to be borrowed. Is there
lacking to your best room the nameless
distinction which you have sought in
vain, in rugs of price, in family toned
and glimmering draperies. in billowy
chairs and pillOwy dlvans? Let the car
penter construct for you a set of shelves,
of pine, if you do not desire costler
wood. Pine is a fragrant, close grained
wood, beautiful in itself, and eaSily
stained. if deeper tone is required.
Have your shelves low. On the upper
one leave a space for bit of royal Wor-
cester or of Lowestoft, for statuette OF
a candlestick, Arrange your books be
low--Black and Besant, Hardy, Dicker.S,
Scott, and others who have given you Of
their intellectual, %,ealth. Your Shak
speare is of course many volumed, an
notated set-Rolfe's probaby-for yor
must have Shakespeare you can hold in
your hand and slip under the pillow Of
your lounge. You need a shelf fol
Shakespeare. And when the book
shelves are made and filed, your room is
no longer bare; it is well furnished.
In little hamlet among the hills, re
mote from railroad, in region where
the good wife still sews her rags into
a great many-colored balls, and weaves
her own carpet at her own hand-loom
there stands a house most simply, yet
most luxuriously furnished. No cur.
tain to hide the hills that go to sleep
daily opposite the Windows, AMI awake
in the morning flushed and rosy like
children opening sweet eyes to the new
day. No rugs or the floors, few pictures
on the walls, but everywhere books-in
the mothers chamber, in the boys
room, in the fathers study. And the
house is aGundantly furnished. Margd-
ret e. SangSter, in Hdrper's Bazaar.