Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-30

y
north, especially in towns apart from the
largest cities There the summer is the sea-
son for making a specially of having the
homes at their prettiest, for the warm months
are the time for festivities, for visitors and
gayety. This came to my mind as took up a
paper today printed in northern city and
read the beginning of an article on house af-
fairs In the winter DAYS" it begins "be
proyident like the wise grasshopper who labors
IN summer for winters welfare. Begin to
tnlnk OF the fresh, sweet things that are to gar
nlsh the home in the fragrant summer time"
and SO 1t goes on with the idea of winter stag
nation IN which to prepare for busy summer
AS said, this state of things is quite reversed
In Washington. One cannot connect the idea
OF leisure for any such things during the all
too-full DAYS Of the season here. For those
who wish only moderately to keep up with So
ciety there are constant demands on the time
quite distinct from really home occupations.
ana all such matters as relate to making or re-
n2wlng the minor attractions in a house must
walt for Lent or some other deferred season of
leisure.
NOVEL SCHEME FOR ARRANGING PICTURES.
lament this time for restful occupation, some
suggestions for its employment will not come
amiss to those who like to work with their own
hands for their homes. novel scheme for
arranging pictures was thought of last autumn
o
quite large, and beginning was made accord
lngly, but the holidays and later pursuits inter-
rupted the work. which is awaiting further de-
velopment Several experiments were made,
but only the best result will be of interest to
the reader. and this may also be capable of bet
terment when more time is available for further
trial AS 1t Is, little reading ROOM not i'm
portant enough to be called library. is hung with
numerous OF these pictures in black and white
Whlcn Tor the place or any similar one quite
pleasing and effective Allsorts Of pictures had
been collected from all sorts of sources; wher-
ever pretty or interesting subject had been
well executed by wood engraving, Photographic
process or any means of reproduction it had
Oeen cut from magazine paper and laid
aside. sometimes number of related subjects
had peen secured-portraits of authors, must
clans, or different illustrations of one artist or
views OF our own or other cities-so that q set
might be arranged together.
HOW THEY WERE GROUPED.
Al many of the prettiest pictures are small
ones, too Insignificant in size to be hung on the
wall above, and yetpretty enough to be SO digni-
fed, the idea Of grouping them on one back
ground was one of the first ideas in the matter
One day before the work was begun or even
definitely planned a board was noticed in the
store room on which some dress goods had
been sent home from the store. It was the
usual thin board used for this purpose. about
3Gx6 inches, and bound with green paper on
the edges. This instantly suggested the shape
and material for good background ready to
hand. As said, some experiments were made
and improved upon in the course of mounting
number of pictures, and finally an almost
satisfactory process evolved. though something
still better may be thought out. To tell, then,
the manner OF doing: First. piece of water
color paper, the thinnest quality, was cut ex-
actly the Same size as the board; then a piece
OF white bleached cotton cloth was cut which
was an inch and a half wider than the board
on each of the four sides; next the pictures
were selected, all small ones, which would
leave margin OF an inch on the sides, and
these were laid on the board so that a margin
came between each one also, as u mat borders
picture ordinarily when several are framed
together.
HOW THE FASTING WAS DONE.
The board was intended to be hung I'D and
down panelwise, and after the right number of
pictures was chosen and the arrangements as
to situation made the work went on. cup of
Hour paste was made, some flatirons heated and
paint brush an inch wide added to the outfit,
which was all carried to the big kitchen table
for convenience in putting together The
pictures had been cut close to tine outline and
the paste was brushed well over the back of the
first one for the top place on the panel. and it
was laid in place on the water color mat and
The next was managed in the same way, and
when all were in place the paper was laid face
downward on the ironing board and hot iron
run over it until the paste was dry and the
pictures smooth against the mat. Next the
mat itself was brushed over with paste on the
back. taking care to do it quickly and
thoroughly, 80 that all would be damp
alike. The mat was then laid on the
piece Of white cotton and the iron
put on the back of that, so the mat was firmly
each side. Lastly the edges OF the cloth beyond
the mat were wet with the paste and closely
drawn over the edge of the board and pasted
down on the back and the board put under a
pressure until they dried, as ironing was not
easy. The drying was not q long process, and
then screw eye was put in the back of the
board two inches below the top, a short string
tied in and a small tack put in the wall from
which to hang it. The narrow space where the
chimney breast came out into the room made
Just the right nook for the panel and low
couch where one was apt to sit and read gave
the opportunity. to study the small pictures
which composed it.
DIFFERENT SIZES AND SHAPES
The pictures are Of different sizes. though
similar In shape. being wider than they are
deep, except tho middle one, which is square.
larger than the others, so that almost no mar,
gin is at the sides; this diversity in shape adds
to the good effect and the same difference in
subject exists in this particular group. Several
of the little sketches have shipping for their
subject. while spring scene of an orchard on
hillside with ali the trees in blossom con-
stantly suggests in miniature one of Mr.. Max
Weyls charming springtime pictures. though
1T lacks all color. As this board from the dry
goods store made such O satisfactory founda-
ton for the pictures, inquiries were made and
shorter ones also procured, on which double
width goods are rolled. The next panel
was made on one of these, two
OF Percy Moran's girl figures. both
In grayish tones, and SO suiting each other.
being just right in size to fill the panel with a
wide margin, which sets them off well. These
hang also on a narrow wall space under an
arch, and below them hangs a smaller panel
with Gainsborough's ever-charming Duchess of
Devonshire as its picture. The background OF
this last is the top OF u cigar box and after il
was once thought of the idea proved very
useful, for great variety in size and shape can
DO gotten at cigar stores, giving good oppor-
tunity for making an effective group of single
small pictures, and on the larger pieces of wood
two or three very small ones may be put
together.
FLUCTUATIONS OF WASHINGTON.
In many magazines articles ON Washington
are SO beautifully and Interestingly illustrated
that one often wishes the pictures might be
kept when the temporary interest of reading
the paper has passed; this idca gave q sugges-
ton in connection with this style Of picture
making, and an entertaining group. with WASH
ington for the theme, has been hung near o
desk in the little room, for the pictures are,
some OF them, very small and would be lost il
hung SO Us to be viewed from distance. Some