The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-11

Indian maiden You go by winding stairs of
white oak TO the second story, which forms
the living and entertaining part of the
house. You 60 between marble columns at
the head OF it and enter another hall in
which second flag greets you and on the
walls of which you see the red, white and
blue. Through this you come into the par
lors. There are two OF these, and
they are so connected to the library.
the sitting-room and the dinng-room that
you can stand in the corner of the room at
the end and have nearly 100 feet OF
parlor stretching away from you at either
side. Vice-President Morton has 40 feet
of parlors in his celebrated Washington
manslon. but Minister Phelps has here 200
feet of connecting rooms. making up eight
large parlors, all magnifieently furnished
These rooms are separated from one an
other by folding-doors, before which por-
there's of colors which harmonic with the
walls hang. Each room Is furnished In
different color. and in place Of the dark,
souiber hues affected by the Germans. Mrs
Phelps has lighteued up everything and
has arranged the furniture so that il ia
homelike rather than stiff. Every room has
its individuality. and even the stoves have
been made to harmonic with the furniture
and the walls.
The stoves OF a house like this are one of
Its prettieSt features. They are of the
massive Dutch order. made of porcelain,
and as beautifully cOlored and shaped a
though they were ornaments for a dinner
table rather than heating machines. These
stoves take the place of our mantels and
many of them have shelves on which are
set pictures and brio a-bFac. The stove in
the parlor must be twelve feet high. Ii is of
rich lark polished green. while that in
the yellow room. at the corner, is of cream
and sky-blue, touched up with gold Mr.
Phelps tells me that these stoves keep the
house very comfortable, and that they do
very we'll in place OF a furnace. The floors
Of the house are waxed and they are OF fine
woods, aud upon them lie rare old rugs.
which Mr.. Phelps bought at Constantinople
some years ago. From the floor of the par
l0r a dado, about five feet high, runs
around the room, and this, with shelf
at the top, forms a resting place for
photographs and plaques and the thousand
and one curios which Mr. Phelps has
gathered from different parts of the world
Upon the walls are many fine pictures
There Is one. copy from that of the Brit
ish Museum. which represents the trying of
Charles L, and in which John Phelps, one IF
Mr. Phelps ancestors. was the clerk. He
is stiff-looking old PresbS terrain seated
before desk in the midst of the court
room, and William Walter Phelps saws he is
proud OF him because he had the nerve to
write his own name boldly at the end of
each page OF the record of the trial, while
most OF the other men connected with it
were afraid OF future consequences. Near
this there are pictures OF the Emperor of
Germany and the Empress, and beside them
photographs of President and Mrs. Aarri-
son. There are many fine water colors, and
one which | noted was by the most famous
water-colOr painter of the world. Mr.
Phelps pointed out To me and tod Inc face
tiously that it was almost good enough to
be q chrome.
One of Mr.. Phelps pictures has attracted
3 great deal of attention from artists in
Europe 1t is an oil-painting about three
by four feet in size representing prim little
Dutch girl. The coioring of this il very
fine and it is generally thought to be a
ValasgueZ. Mr.. Phelps got it in a curious
way and told me the story. Said he: That
picture came 10 me through John +. Della
plain and he beQueathed il TO me In his will
wien he died in Vienna. This man Della
plain was curious fellow. He lived the
life Of q rich yOung fellow in New York
until be got 10 be about 80. when all at
once lie disappeared. No one knew where
he bad gone until he at last turned