Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-12-23
LADIES' COLUMN.
Il CHANGE.

Was there ever a woman of small
means, who did not desire in her
heart every spring and fall, so to
change the appearance of her living
rooms, that they would look absolute
ly different?
Men who are seldom in the house
for more than an hour in the day, do
not understand this craving of the
"women folks" for something new;
vet there is nothing more distressing
to the nerves than monotony, and too
many of us have not the means to
eyes need as much as the stomach
does food. Now and then there is a
woman whose inventive powers
amount almost to geuius. Lou Hin
shaw is one ofthem. Her sitting room
has dark, fashioned paper on the
walls, and her carpet was rather
dark, too, and great deal worn, and
the old sofa bottomed furniture pref
ty shabby. She did own white rug,
which was none the worse for several
washings, but the blue felt edge look
ed anything but cheerful, and the old
family photographs adjoining the
walls with oval walnut frames, were
certainly not things of beauty. The
dotted swiss curtains were "giving
away in the middle, as such things
are wont to do, and I knew Mrs. Hen
shaw's resources could be covered by
five dollar bill.
Judge then of my surprise when
called there this week and was usher
ed into room SO pretty, cheerful and
bright that involuntarilY exclaimed,
Chow did you do it?"
My hostess babe me use my eyes.
Around the floor was border of pref
ty mating at eighteen cents yard.
The worn out places of the carpet
were cut out, and it was made into
rug, just large enough to lap over the
mating This light border improved
the room more than l could have be-
lieved. The blue felt border of the
old rug was dyed a bright crimson, and
in the window where the house moth
er sits to sew, q cushion covered with
canton flannel of the same hue made
a gorgeous bit of color, CHEEKY in the
extreme, and what is as much to the
purpose, kept out the cold drafts.
This cushion, she tells me, is borrow
ed from an old Dutch fashion. A
board is fitted to the window sill so
that it can be attached permanently
by means of screws, just outside the
upholstering. The board is some eight
inches wide; a piece of coarse muslin
was tackled at one side and excelsior
stuffed under it, until it was shapely, a
LAYER of cotton made it soft and
smooth and lastly a piece of drapery
canton flannel, that had been dyed
crimson, was tackled over it and the
whole completed by pinked out
edge of felt in the same shade, nailed
on with gilt headed nails.
| observed a cunning little book
case with crimson curtains drawn
apart to reveal the title of several
books This piece of furniture had
'tcome to town. filed with boots and
was bought of the dealer for ten cents.
The cover made three shelves, slipped
on cleats, the edges and sides were
stained with the same crimson dyes
before mentiJned; two coats were
used and one of varnish brought out
the color The two back widths of an
old dress furnished the curtains; they
were dyed and pieced into proper
length. Panels of velveteen were
cat stitched over the piecings with
split zephyr in various bright hues,
which gave the otherwise dull curtain
an oriental appearance; a brass rod
held the curtains in place and grow
ing begonia set in an ornamental jar
dinere rested on the top. Behind 1T
there was a Japanese fan tackled to
f. the wall, resplendent with gold and
crimson. Some of the beautiful prints
which are found now days in many of
the weekly periodicals were framed
in cheapest oak, or else glass and pic
ture were bound together by pastlng
strong unbleached muslin over the
edges, using a stout pasteboard back
with which loops of tape were secur-
ed from which the picture was sus-
pended, and a narrow binding of black
silesia was pasted over the muslin
when the first binding was quite dry.
There were also some pretty colored
plates pinned to the wall where they
would catch the right light.
Denim was long esteemed excellent
material for overalls, but now it is
made in various colors, and it wears
Just as we'll as the blue and brown,
though it costs a trife more; selling