The morning times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1897, 1896-07-19
Furni- @ I'll
\ ture OF \
H Silver.
BYMARION DEEPEN.

I should think every little girl in tho
land, and girls OF larger growth, too,
| would prefer some OF the charming solid
i silver Toys, that are Just beginning TO make
/ beautiful shop window here and there. Ia
every other toy, and almost any book IN the
whole world; becal they are not only as
| lovely as lovely can be, but they art fun Of
story, and are an education, too. in more
ways than one. =.
| The only trouble is that they are very
| expensive. But then as they are intended
| not merely for ones self, but for one s chill
| dren, grandchildren, great gra ndcbilGren.
| and so on-and as they make the prettiesu
| cabinet ornaments possible when not needed
for little girls to play house and give after
noon teas with, do not know that ore
| should Consider the ten or fifteen dollars
| spent for tiny chair, for instance. as
money badly invested. The reason for
their being SO expensive is that each piecd
is hand made; and for such delicate little
coffee and tea urns. such exquisiiely dainty
cream jugs, sugar bowls, cups and Saucers.
such perfectly nodded chairs aDless
such finely cut chasing and beading, a
master hand is required.
want TO be very careful how use that
word education" in spea king of toys, but
no other will quite express what these
little objects are in the dircctiun OF art
aione; for each is d model of what the great
est artists in the world consider best in
art. And any young girl WHO plays
house with Empire and Old Colonial
settees, to admire themselves in "A cbeval
mirror Of the same period. can't but i'm.
bibea taste for beauty OF line and symmetry
of form.
In addition to these, too. re- miniature
models of chairs OF great historic inter.
est as well rs of exceeding beauty OF de.
sign. hechairofGen. George asnington,
for example, simple, stately, Coulmodious.
That of Charles Dickens, not so unlike it.
Then the beautifully carved chair OF tho
artist Rubens, and the less ori.Gte ones Of
Pope and Lytton. That of Theodore Hook
was specially interesting as giving an ex-
ample OF Old style furniture chair nj table
combined, and wa very beautiful. besides.
1t had all the appea rance of a pretty
round center table: but one had but to
lift one side OF the tiny top, and 10, il
formed tine back Of a most comfortable
easy chair. The poet TeHnyson's chair
was there, too. in counterfeit presentment:
and it isto be supposed that no clever little
girl could go on forever pla wing with these
chairs and not want to know all a bout Dick
ems, Rubens and Tennyson and why their
chairs are held sacred.
Besides these there are all sorts of pretty
household implements and the old oaken
bucket to boot The larger sized tea ser,
vices would do to serve tea in to ones
young friends long after her dolls had ceased
TO figure Importantly at social functions
But perhaps the better part OF the educa-
ton after all is, that with such posses
sions little girls learn how to take proper
care of beautiful things: for to allow a
solid silver tea service to become tarnished
would be most unhousewifely. TO saveany-
possible young maiden such disgrace,
1 must tell her the very best way to clean
her silver. Il
For such purpose always have near you
bottle Of alcohol as well as good silver
polish. Dip n flannel rag first into the
alsohul, and then into the powder. and pro-
coed TO rub vigorously every inch of sur
face. Then wash in soap snds. in which is
also suspicion OF alcohol Dry with .
towe, and put on the final polish by briskIy
rubbing with bit of channels skin. ANY
one who follows this method will surely
outshine her Dutch grandmcthers, but th1S
Is another story"
Hundreds of years ago our ancestors
such OF us as had Dutch ancestors PLAYED
with similar solid silver toys ON the other
side Of the great winter. and when some OF
them came to America many years ago
they brought with them. among other treas
ures. these little household gems. which are
still in the possession OF their descendants.
In America there are therefore several OF
these fascinating silver sets $50 and 200
years old. and it was the recent exhibition
of them by the Colonial Danes that first
gave our manufacturers the iGca OF doing
as much for their descendants. One III the
most beautiful and complete is owned by
q descendant of the GladStunes OF Revolu-
tiopary fame. and was only few weeks
ago Oh exhibition in Charleston, s. c.