The Penn's Grove record., 1893-07-14
REMARKABLE BEDS.

ssuned them With the hnest WOOL, "a
they attained the highest pitch OF 10!
ury In the appointment OF thei
!. touches. Riohly-carved wooden frame
inlaid with ivory or silver, and hnall
with gold, sustained cushions, pillows
and counterpanes OF gold and purpl
Ia striking contrast TO the fock,hiie'
. 1russes OF their plebeian brethren
Ihe old Greeks used beds surporte'
on IRON frames; while the Egyptian
mad couches shaped more like easy
chairs with hollow backs aud seats.
/. Climatic considerations must b.
taken into account by different nj
tions in their bed-makiug arrange
mnet. The Russian day and nigh
mugs sheepskins round him; and tint
Pacific islander finds In palm-leaves {
sufficient ~coyerlet. In the tropics
mats Of grass answer the same purpose
The East Indian unrolls his portable
mattress, and in the morning literally
takes up his bed and walks off with 1t.
The Chinese use low bedsteads, often
well carved; while the Jap, with an
uncomfortable wooden rest for mis-
neck, stretches himself on o mating,
and has q lighted paper lantern for
company.
German beds are furnished with
large quilts filed with feathers or
down. which answer the purpose
OF ordinary bed clothing. Travellers
agree that there is not enough OF the
Continental bed-that, in fact, it ends
too quickly.
Europeans living In the East soon
become acquainted With the slender
iron bedsteads with tall iron rods. de.
signed to support the mosquito curtain
which seldom really answers its pur-
pose.
On view in one of the early London
Exhibitions was q Chinese bed orna.
mented with all sorts of curious and
elaborate cabinet work, the greater
part OF which consisted OF inlaid
mother-of.pearI How useless and ex.
travagant ornaments may be heaped
upon q single domestic article was
proved by the grand bedstead ex-
hlbited In the Austrian department.
The enormity Of its bedposts, OF which
there appeared to BIO at least a dozen
risin1 in spires Of different heights,
with the high relief of the carving, and
the massive magnlfcence Of the whole
design, and the finish OF the carving in
all its parts, made this bed appear not
unlike a great model of a Gothic cathe-
dral.
Chambers Journal tells US that some
Of our wealthy American cousins ap-
pear to be puzzled in what new form to
lavish their money. A brass bedstead
inlaid with renl pearls was recently
male for q lady 10 New York. On a
brass rail which runs across the top
the owners name is wrought in pearls.
Still more Of o curiosity is the ''Silent
Alarm Bedstead, TO turn any n out
Of bed at given hour" the production
Of an inventive genius in London some
years ago. This amusing contriysnce
assumes Q degree Of density n the
sleeper which no alarm can affect, or
else . singular amount OF ln1urions
weakness OF purpose. Tho bed therefore
acts the part of Resolution for the
sleeper; and having been set overnight
for 0 given hour in the morning, the
said incorrigible sleeper finds the bed
revolye 80 as to tilt him out; and a
bath being placed by the bedside. he
may at once be relieved OF all need Tor
summoning o resolution either to get
up or take a plunge. -.
Another remarkable and, we should
say, more generally useful bedstead-
exhibited in the Workmen's Exhibit
ton at Paris-was made so that it can
be taken down and put up again in the
short space Of half q minute. By o
curious combination of springs, the
bed can be instantansously surrounded
with curtains, q washstand wheeled in.
side, and the occupant go through his
or her toilet without being seen. By
another spring the bed is turned into a
canopy suited for Invalids, who havo
no need to stir to perform the trans
formation.
We are told that NJ. Thicrs died in
. little iron bed scarcely larger than a
child's, which he had used for fifty
years. 1t was wheeled into the small
drawing.room where he had breakfast.
He took it with him on his tour
through Europe In 1870.
An interesting historical relic will be
familiar to all who have visited Holy
rood Palace, where may be seen the
four.poster bedstead of Scotland's
beautiful and luckless Que, n, in its
faded splendor and melancholy sug-
~gestivensss of misfortune and decay
The darkness and secret veness Of
Richard Ills character had an illus.
tration, strange as IL may appear, in
the construction Of his bed. Among
his camp baggage 1t was his custom to
carry q cumbersome wooden bedstead,
which he ayerred was the only couch
he could sleep In; bat in which he con-
trived to have o secret receptacle for
treasure, 80 that il was concealed I'M.
der . weight of timber. Quite a
romance could be made out OF its sub
sequent history. After the battle oil
Bosworth, Richmond's victorious troops
piliaged Leicester; but the royal bed
was neglected by every plunderer as
useless lumber. The owner OF the
house, afterwards discovering the
hoard, became suddenly rich without
any visible cause, and became Mayor
of Leicester. Years afterwards, his
widow, who had been left in great at.
fuence, was murdered by her servant,
who had been privy to the affair: and
ut Lu6 tIlhl VI buio ouAp3As tno WASAo
transaction came to light. Concerning
this bed o public print Of 1880 states
''about half a century since the relic
was purchased by q furniture-dealer,
who slept in it for many years and
showed it to the curious. II was well
preserved, being formed Of oak, and
having o high polish"
Many great personages seem to be
careful that their importance should
be reflected, as it were, In the luxuri-
n appointments Of their sleeping
apartments. True, it is said on one
occasion when o Persian ambassador
WAS shown into his bedroom in q GER
tain hotel, where . grand canopied
state bed had been prepared for him,
he supposed 1t was Q throne In his au.
dience chamber, received his visitors
seated on il, and retired TO sleep on
the carpet in the corner OF the room.
But Eastern potentates show as a
ruIe a much greater appreciation OF
costly beds. A remarkable bedstead
was made in Paris for an Indian
Prince, who paid thousands Of pounds