Delaware gazette and state journal., 1895-12-19
THE sLEErnE Ess rIsIroR.
An Ideal Guest Chamber Must Have a Bo



How l wish / could impress upon
every young housekeeper the import
ance OF including few books in the
furnishing Of her guest chamber if she
would have u complete, said a bright
woman recently, who was evidently in
the habit of noting many things that
would be overlooked by tho majority
of people.
"You may feel insulted," she con-
tinued, ''if tell you that very i'm
portant item Is missing from your we'll
appointed guest chamber You glance
from bed to dressing table, and are in
dignantly sure that everything is per-
feet. Yet there is ono lack. There ia
not a book in the room. Probably
your friend may, spend several hours
each day in her room, and she will
need something to read; and IL she
chances 10 be a poor sleeper she will
appreciate your reading matter more
than your purple and fine linen.
II visited a house not long ago,
where | occupied gem OF room.
The bed was marvel of daintiness,
the appointments of the dressing table
were perfect, choice pictures hung on
the walls, luxurious chair invited
me to lounge, and to crown all, a
CHEEKY little fire burned in the CRATE.
l retired, but after wooing the drowsy
god in vain for an hour or two, / arose,
lit the gas and looked for book. But
not one page of print could | find in
the room. Back to bed | went and
tried all the sleep inducing schemes |
had ever heard Of.
j coInted myriads of white sheen
going over tho wall. | named all the
people | knew whose names began
with certain letter. tried counting a
thousand, and kept getting more and
more wakeful. How ! longed for the
book | had kept under my pillow al
home, Diseases of the Ear,'' which
is as unintelligible as SanslSrit to me,
and never fails 70 send me off to the
sleepy country. could have read
anything just then, railroad guide or
even last years almanac would have
been vastly interesting.
threw myself into the sleepy, hol-
low chair, thinking regreifully Of the
well-tilled bookcase in the library be-
low. In my desperation | started to go
down. but remembered that the master
OF the house was an expert marksman,
and feared that he might shoot me for
burglar. At last remembered d
railroad novel that was crammed in the
corner of my bag. fished it out, and
although it was one of the Penny
Dreadful" variety, | managed to read
myself sleepy. And / did not forget
to arm myself with book before retir-
ing to my room the following evening.
How different was my experience
in visiting another friend in much
humber home Il little later. The guest
room was a plain little apartment,
hardly capable of holding the necessary
furniture, but little shelf hung in
the corner held few books in cheap
bindings. There was one of George
Eliot's novels, one of Dickens and
Scott, two or three CT poetry, volume
of Emerson's Essays, copy of " Kinder
der Welt, = and a collection of French
plays. There were hardly a dozen
volumes in all, and yet there was
variety enough to suit almost any
mood.
9 l resolved then that l would follow
this practice in my own home, and
that | would give housekeepers hint
ANY one can spare few books from
the shelves and he sure that the few
minutes before breakfast, during the
afternoon rest on the lounge and in the
watches of a sleepless night your guest
will be grateful for your thoughtful-
ness. ~