Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-09-19

This ID not 40 easy matter ~ Il may
at frat seem; for unless one has had
large experience, or has unusually good
Judgment, she will often hnd that she
has had made mistake 10 her selection,
or that what was most pleasing MOOR
covering In the frat place, soon becomes
rough and shabby on account OF want
Of proper treatment.
AZ far 90 convenience and hcalthful-
meas are considered, the Ideal arrange
meur for the floors Of halls, dining.
rooms and bedrooms, 10 hardwood
floors partly covered with rugs; and
this happens now TO have the addition
nj advantage Of being fashionable. "A
handsome hardwood floor ID ut hrst
more expensive than an ordinary car
net but, once laid, II will never wear
out and good rugs will last q lifetime
% II one 10 settled In her own home and
expects to remain there, the hardwood
floors are cheapest In the end.
In this, as In most other things, the
best IA always the cheapest; but, u
economy Il an object, II II not ut all
essential, either to beauty or appropriate
ness, that the floors should be laid 10
fancy patterns. There ID nothing pref
tier than plain oak floor laid simply
In long, narrow boards. The beauty OF
such floors depends mainly upon how
they are kept. For bedrooms and halls
when there 10 not much hard use, even
yellow pine makes very handsome
door; but being softer than oak, cherry
or wslnut,-the woods most used Tor
fioors-lt is not quite SO durable under
hard wear, or when heavy pieces OF
furniture are dragged across It.
To care for hardw God floors 10 not ~
difficult as many persons Imagine. 10
be ornamental, however, they must DC
kept In perfect condition; and this, nee
essarily, will require some labor, which,
perhaps, does not fall far short Of that
required to keep carpets clean. There
are three ways OF treating them, each OF
which answers the purpose fairly well;
but decidedly the best way IL to wax
them. This IL a little more trouble just
at first, but, when once well done, the
floor Il so easily kept highly pollshed,
that Il more than repays the first labor.
There are preparations OF wax sold,
ready for use; but II one happens to be
where they are not easily prOcurable 1t
may be prepared As follows: Cut COM
mon white beeswax Into thin shavinRs
and pour turpentine over II until u 10
well covered. Let II stand overnight
by which time the beeswax will be SOFT.
Stir Into a smooth paste, and thin With
turpentine until 1t Is the consistency OF
very thin cream. Ii Is then ready Tor
use.
Before using any preparation OF wax,
wipe the floor perfectly clean with q
dry cloth, aud II there are any spots
take them off with turpentine or ben
zine. Never, under any circumstances,
use water on floor that IL to be polish
ed. Then apply the wax With fiannei
cloth, being careful to put on very little
lest It should be sticky. Rub II well
into the wood and polish II with rough
flannel cloth, or clean piece OF Brus-
sells carpet, until It shines like furniture.
Unless the floor Is used very roughly,
this will last ak months with reasonable
care. Dust 1t by puttinga piece OF Can
ton flannel over the broom and sweep
ing, Keen n flannel cloth at hand to
rub up any little spot where the polish
may have become dlmmed. IL after
long use and many waxings the floor
should seem sticky and dirty, clean It
with turpentine, but never with water.
Some persons prefer to simply oil q
wood floor; aud, while this does not
give ms high polish as wax, II is very
satisfactory for q time. An oiled floor
should, however, be gone over carefully
every week or two, and even then the
dust sticks to II so that II soon becomes
duh. In case something other than
wax Il desired, 1t Is better to first oil
and then varnish the floor. IL should
then be taken care of In much the same
way that furniture Is. This Is desir-
able floor, except for the fact that
II Is easily married, and II u damp cloth
is used on II the polish Ii dlmmed.
In buying rugs there Is no economy
In selecting anything but the best quail
ties. Oriental rugs are now Imported
In such quantities that they are within
the reach of every one; and they will
not only outwear the domestic rugs,
many times over, but their subdued tints
are In much better taste than the gaudy
colors and striking patterns OF the
cheap factory-made rug. IL one cannot
afford to buy q good rug 1t 10 much bet
ter to have one made OF carpet than 10
accept any cheap substitute. A rug
made OF carpet Ii both appropriate and
pretty for any room, and may be az
handsome or as inexpensive as the pur-
chaser chooses. For q simple room an
art SQUARE (which IL merely a large
square rug woven like ingrain carpet) Ia
Inexpensive and pretty.
Ii IL easy to make the mistake OF hav'
lug 700 many small rugs. The effect is
much pretticr with one large one In the
center OF the room covering the floor all
but two or three feet around the edge,
the smaller rugs being used only at the
doors and In places where they are Oh
yiously needed. Too many small rugs
scattered about indiscriminately impari
to room the appearances Of having
what Mr.. Howells has wlttily called "ar
archipelago Of rugs" which give sense
of confusion In the arrangement OF TN
room, and are troublesome under foot
To clean rugs they should be swept
and beaten, but never shaken. The
common habit among housemsids OF tax
Ing hold of rug at one end and violent
ly shaking Il, IL more destructive to thu
rug than the wear and tear 1t get,
while on the floor; and many q house
keeper whose rugs are treated In TILL
way has often been distressed to find .
comparatively new rug with the threads
all loosened, and almost separated, neal
the ends. This would not happen II the
rugs were thrown over line, or on thu
grass, and well whipped with one o.
the rattan beaters now sold everywhere
for that purpose, and then swept OF.
However much there Is to say IL
favor of any other covering for the hool
| Il Il certain that carpets Will always
retain the largest popularity. There u
a sense Of comfort and luxury about
them which nothing else gives; and
there will always be many who are Will
ing to take their chances on the health
fuIness Of them, and undergo whatever
Of Inconvenience there may be In theil
dust and periodical fittings, for the sak'
Of their beauty and snug comfort. Ever
n wood floors and mating are used II
some parts of the house, 1t 10 well Il
have at least one room, II not more, car
peted and there Il no real reason WHY
one should not carpet the whole houss
~ her n sta favOra IL.