The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-11-26
A PRETTY ROOM.

A PRETTY ROOM.
In an old,fashioned country house,
where I boarded a year or two ago to
be under a doctors treatment, there
was a called a parlor, but which
was little like our luxurious modern
drawing rooms. A few family pictures
and an Old-fashioned mirror were hung
high on the walls, which were covered
with paper of a monotonousIy ''set'
design. A mantelpiec9 also so high as
TO neceesitate the mounting of a
chair to see On top, a large, round
center table with stacks of obsolete
books at intervals around it's edge and
a photograph album in it's center; some
chairs, more conducive to backache
than ease, completed it's furnishings.
No, not quite; l forgot the one thing
that almost m lde amends for the rest,
an ancient square piano, not so badly
out Of tune as to keep me from getting
out Of it the patriotic strains of Dixie
or a dreamy nocturne, just as my
mood should call for.
Well, I will tell you how, with the
expenditure of a few cents aud good
deal of brain '~'cudgeIiI g" 1 took away
some of the b~arrenness and chilllness
Of This dear old room, for it is dear to
me now becau,e flied with memories
of the loving friends who often visited
me there. | first obtained permits sion
to move the mirror from where it hung
to the mantelpiec3, covering the latter
first with a lam0requin of olive green
flannel, some I had already, but for
which l obtained d fringe TO match for
Is cents per yard AS the fringe con
tanned old gold twas olive green at top
and shaded into old gold and then TO
card re0), | looped 1t gracefully at the
cid with q bow CT yellow ribbon. !
| goa 10 cents worth of gold paint,
mixed iC with two parts turpenCine and
one of copal varnIsh and guided the
wide walnut frame of the mirror be
fore hanging over the manteI, which
frightened up the room wonderfully.
On each end Of the mantel l placed
d silver candl0stick, or rather, replaced
them there, for they were there at
first, in company with some china
vases which I did not put back. l put
in each of the candlestIcks a candle e,
made of paper from a sketch booB
which was of a soft, creamy white
| color, and quite a good imitation o.
wax In front of the mirror w6s
placed a rose bOwl"-a dumpy little
CHINA sugar bowl with a crack in it
is what l evolved it from, painting it 6
solid, quiet tint, and putting a little
Greek design in gold paint around Its
with tea roses Of pink, yellow, white
and salmon tissue paper. [ was re
warded Tor my pats in making these
Il used a dissected natural n for a
modeD by their being taken for
natural roses by every Il seeing
them. Before the fireplace l put a
ecreen made Of sample Of wall paper,
cut and arranged as 'craz.lv' as posi-,
bic. Tnese 1 got by writing to u deal
er il wall paper, costing ne only a
postal c I'd. fused for a rug a bear
skin which I begged from the boys Of
the family, having been sent them by
en- uncle as a curiosity. I wanted some
picture frames for some lovely fowor
studies l had, and going to the wood,
pile, selected a hickory pole about
three inches in diameter, which was
split in two lengthwise by L Ct the
aforesaid boys and sawed into lengths
l wanted my frames and the ends
trimmed or "cut bias" as the little fel
low helping calle1 il, and after boring
holes in the back part of each piece,
they were wired together firmly and