Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-08
COMFORTS FOR SUMNER HOMES,
Convenient Contrivances That Ar
Easily Carried About.

| Convenient C0ntrivaAces That Are
Easily Carried About.
From the London Queen.
Having satisfactorily solved the annual
problem Of where to 60 the next difficulty
| which inevitably presents Itself at this sea-
| son is what to take. and. as by far the
larger number Of travellers are doubtless
destined for furnished apartments. this
| means not only what to take in the way
| Of clothing. but in little extra comforts
for ones rooms. Most of US have at
| some time or another made the acquaint-
| ance OF the Furnished apartment" with
Its unsympathetic chairs and sofa, its
startling wall paper and its anything but
beautiful ornaments. We have also had
cause to sigh over the scanty supply of
| linen, while another even worse trial
awaits us when we learn the extent Of the
bed room towels. We are all very much
influenced by our surroundings, and. how
ever much we may enjoy to talk of rough
| Ing it, the actual reality is by no means
so pleasant. and when there is abso-
lutte necessity for putting up with discom-
| fort we agree with Mark Tapley. There
| Is 20 credit in it, and those who are wise
VIII take account of the little comforts
and necessaries which go SO far toward
making happiness. Accordingly, when the
furnished apartment is in view it is we'll to
supplement the ordinary luggage with
| few extra things which will help to make
the rooms pretty and comfortable. 1t is
not necessary to go to any extravaganza.
only very simple additions are required to
make the difference between dreary sur
roundings and pleasant ones Naturally
we must exercise little discrimination in
the selection. There must be nothing
that will easily break or come to grief with
the Journey. nothing pretcntious, and 10th
ing so very heavy as to make respon-
sible for large sum for excess Of lug
gage.
Perhaps the very best way of proceeding
| Is to go to good furnisher's and have
| all our purchases packed together. These
ought not to exceed in price the sum of
| $25 or thereabouts In the first place.
there must be a comfortable chair. not a
| large, upholstered "grannie" chair. or any
tEing OF that description. but cane re-
| Ching armchair. with adjustable back
| and a pull-out foot rest. This must have
| loose cushions to fit it. covered in some
pretty, bright-toned cretonne and 1t will
| prove itself boon and a blessing. not
only as q seat, but as lounge folding
up too. into the least possible compass
| and costing only s. complete.
Then another simple contrivance will
tolding camp bedstead. without high
back, the kind generally used in servants
pea rooms. The mattress and pillows
must be covered in plain white calico or
anything else equally suitable which we
may happen to have at hand, and an out
side cover may be made in a pretty Gre
tonne or muslin. This outer cover must
be made to fit all over the bed coming
down at each side and the end and re-
quires finishing all the way round with a
wide frfll of the cretonne or muslin, which
eyer may have been used. For pillows
the two down cushions which must 90
with our order such things being I'M
known in apartments generality can be
used, and We should, for preference have
them IN washable covers, the colors har-
monizing with the couch cover This
primitive construction has a much better
appearance than its description leads one
TO expect, and will add greatly to the
cozlness of. the sitting room.
The next purchase can be a small fold
ing tea table, which will not cost more
than a few shfllings. IL we are content
with simple painted wood, and do not
hanker after mahogany or walnut
Then an Austrian striped blanket a few
YARDS OF plain art serge. and some pretty
.it.osHli, win which we may do wonders in
IN. me way OF decoration. must be added to
the store. with a small stock of linen and
lew fine bed room towels. Another
most necessary item is a folding bath,
Whlie a small reading lamp will prove
itself lso valuable possession. One of
the best one can get is the Little level
an American safety lamp, in nickel silver.
winch can be slowed away into quite a
s snai wooden box. and only means the
10 return to more ornamental things do
not omit few inexpensive flower glasses,
which. when filled with flowers will be a
mentS.
Last. but not least. in Importance, an
! rem out OF which we may get an infinite
amount Of comfort, is bright art square
I Tor the floor. which We can lay over the
flnevitabie shabby Brussels with rapidly
disappearing pattern. and, being SO easy
| to pack, it can be Included in our return
| luggage. and will do duty OH some floor at
nome later on. With these few things we
ought to be able TO convert our rooms into
homelke apartments, If we do not succeed
In making them absolutely pretty. and the
increase of comfort which we are sure to
get out of them will amply repay US for
the trouble of selecting them, and the
drawback of having an addition to the
usual amount of luggage.