The Portland daily press., 1893-04-24
THE HOME.
FOOT CUSHIONS.

|
pecially for invalids or people who are
inclined to be susceptible to draughts
and changes of temperature, are the foot
or floor cushions that are among the fads
Of dainty housewives. These cushions
have for their foundation square of or
binary carpet. body Brussels or Wilton.
This is placed on the floor face down,
and to the upper OF wrong side is stitched
cushion filled with hair. The cushion
is about the size of a large square pillow,
and after filling and shaping, it is tufted
or drawn down with buttons. It is a
good plan to put very large, smooth but
tons on the under side and smaller fancy
ones above. By this means the cushion
is moved more easily across the floor, the
buttons making little runners, as it
were.
The cover can be of plush, tapestry, or
any preferred material, but should be of
some fabric that is durable and does not
readily soil. A couple Of very handsome
cushings have been covered with the long,
fieecy Angora-wool rugs that are so much
liked. They are very soft for the feet and
warm. Provided with one of these as a
protection for the feet, even the most SEN
sative invalid may sit near window and
enjoy what is going on in the world out
side.
There are various grades of wool plush
that are valuable for such purposes, and
some cushions have been made entirely
of fine carpet. Wilton rugs and squares
are specially adapted for this use. The
edges can be plainly sewed in or finished
with cord or bit of narrow wool fringe.
and the corners may have tassels, ro-
settles of material or ribbon bows, loops
of cord, or any decoration that the maker
may choose to use.
tits good plan to put one or two very
heavy strong loops of cord or thick braid
in the sides. These should be sewed to
the carpet square before the other portion
is put on, for by these the rug may be
hung out upon a line to be beaten or dust
ed. A profusion of useful little comforts of
this sort adds greatly to the appearance
Of a room, as wellas to the ease and rest
fitness of leisure hours.-N. Y. Ledger
THE GIGGLING HABIT.
A serious aspect of the giggling habit
is that it is so nearly incorrigible. Man
nerisns of all kinds strike their roots
deeply, but "hel hep become part and
parcel of the offenders against reason
and taste. That which makes the listen
er nervous to irritability, fretting the
amiable into desire to smother the
cackle in the throat that
gives it birth if he cannot escape beyond
hearing Of it, is practised involuntarily |
by the habitual Laughter. Like the fam
Gus button on the learned advocates |
coat with which he fumbled necessarily |
while pleading, the giggle would, if
suddenly taken away, deprive its slave of
the power of speech. To command |
gravely temperate articulation would be |
to strike dumb.
The origin of the obnoxious trick is, of |
course, in youth and inexperience, and
almost always in native diffidence or |
temporary embarrassment. When the
girl has 10 fitting words at CALL she |
giggles. When the lad is oppressed by
weight of bashfulness and would swag-
ger it off, he outlaws. In the tyro's !
opinion a laugh outdoes charity as a
cloak for every defect, and extricates
aim from the most trying position
Affection is an active ally in the evil
york, and the ambition to be agreeable
brings up the rear-guard.
The interjectional damsel is usually a
giggler as we'll Surprise that both
faults are not cured by educators before
5hey are confined passes before the
recollection of the fact that education
nowadays is accomplished by means of
textbooks. And textbooks do not
each the noble art of conversation. For
getful of the edacere which is the geniuv
If their mission, the makers of nanuals,
and those who apply them to growing
minds, drills and cram and ''tant' as if
blasting, and not permeation and growth.
we're the business in hand. Our girls
ind boys come out from the schools with
narrowed rather then en-
arged by the curriculum. The girl who
,ook the Latin prize last year at Welles-
ey giggles and makes giggles with the
irst honor man from Yale as effusively
rs Robin and Jenny guffaw. and litter
over the music-books at the Village
,hoir meeting. Sedately cheerful of
oonsaeJ1fivnt diSci1Ssions of sany