The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-03-10

The old-fashioned library, with its
chilly mating under foot. its heavy wal
nut book cases and its genera, musty
air, is a thing of the past with a big P.
The new library is as bright as the sit
ting room-that little sanctum sanctorum
of intimate family life.
No more funeral wall paper in the
room of books. The library must be
papered in some shade which does not
suggest the mould of centuries. Bur-,
green, blues of several shades, maroon.
cream and browns are all called for IN
the furnishing of to-day. Light coiored
curtains and hangings are also IN evil
dence-lace, silk, chenille and the like.
If Competing be too expensive, mating
Is perfectly suitable, provided the room
be in keeping. Mattings with small rugs
thrown here and there makes, in fact,
an ideal footing for the library. The
bookcases are no. chosen a. they former
ly were. of but one pattern and ma
fefral; the material being usually somber
wood and the pattern OF that towerike
shape which contributed nothing TO the
beauty and symmetry of the room.
Pretty things in the bookcase line are
now to be found at moderate and reason
able prices. Especially happy are the
dwarf cases much in vogue. These have
the lower portion divided off by cur
tains and devoted to the books of the
library while the upper portion is COW
cred with b~ric-a+brac, photographs,
sketches and other pretty things. While
these little combination effects are both
useful and ornamental. the simple book
case, with rows of shelves and glass for
keeping the most treasured volumes free
of lust is not to be despised.
AS to the corners. When your library
is once prettily furnished the andirurls
standing the open fireplace and all in
readiness, why not adopt the very latest
idea, dedicate each corner and nook in
the room to a favorite poet or prose
writer and decorate accordingly
Take, for instance, Tennyson. The
chair or bench and table should. If posi-
bic, suggests the period of the Idylls Of
the King by their rigid simplicity-ai-
though this is optional and depends upon
the purse or the talent for woodcarving.
A photograph of Tennyson's home Is
prettily framed and suspended upon the
wall. There is a cop or photograph or
sketch of the well-known modern paint
ing Elaine Guarding the Shield OF Lace
lot The books of Tennyson lie upon
the table and the picture of the great
poet is somewhere in evidence, or his
bust in plaster. or marble. These are but
a few of the ideas which can be carried
out in the serv CO CT this pretty idea.
A friend of mine who is noted among
other girls for ready adoption of the
newest ideas has also concocted for ner-
self a Longfellow corner There is g
stout wooden. arm chair, which suggests
the one used by the poet. 1t is, of course,
pc: siole to obtain a photograph OF the
original chair. and order one in fac
smile from Jour healer. And there is
q suggestion for the woman who has a
little II oney laid away for house furnish
ing. My friends corner had a small
bracket a photograph of the author in a
tasteful frame. There was also a. STATUE
cite bearing the sweet features of
Evangel.ne. a sketch of Grand Pre- done
in oils was a third idea. A graceful bow,
a sheaf of arrows. an Indian pipe of
peace, black feathers and strings of
wanpGra spoke unfortunately # "Hla-
watha."
A Shakespeare corner is also being
prepared by a pair of skilful hands. An
ireen:ous bas-relief of the great play
wright is the. chef d'oeuvre of this nook.
A sketch of Stratford-on-Avon hangs
nearby. A pair of masks representing
Tragedy and Comedy form another trea-
sure. A crown which giftters like gold,
and yet is not of that precious metal, is
placed on the table side by side with
1.-The cap and bells fer a fool" An ideal
head of Portia is also to be noticed.
While a single American beauty in a
slender vase suggests, SO the executor
informed me. that "a rose by any other
name would smell as sweet"
Here are three pretty corners in as
many small paragraphs. AS to the third.
why not Charles Dicksons? A sketch of
his home at Gad's Fill. or one of the
other residences would be most appro-
pirate. A small bust of the author or a
photograph. equally so. A little thought
will suggest a dozen ways of represent
ing his works. the people he drew and
the maxims he relied upon. The same
idea which applies to the Longfellow
chair may, Of course. be equally well car
ried out in regard to Dickens.
/ know a young married woman who
has originated a Poe corner. To the
usual photographs and statuettes she has
added a minute black cat, sold for hold
ing the taper used in heating sealing
wax. A row of bells of many shapes,
sizes and n~ationalities portrayed another
famous poem this writer. A stuffed
bird of crow species needs no explana-
ton.
These Corners as they are now called,
are in no way limited to the four distant
points of a room. If something prevents
the corners proper being so used, the
bay windows or any other little recess
available will do equally well. Nor are
they limited to poets and prose writers
alone. A favorite musician, and admired
artist will be equally fitting. In fact.
now that the fad is fairly upon us. .
favorite book may lave its own shrine.
Some one win be decorating a Trilby cor
ner before long.
Let not her to whom Nature has been
niggard of charms despair:
If she would see herself in the deceptive
mirror as others see her with the eye, or
as nearly SO as possible Jet her hasten to
a dry goods shop and buy a quantity of
soft. pure white material. galze, if pos
sible. if not Swiss or India muslin will
answer very well.
Be sure and lave it pure white. and
after polishing the surface of the mirror,
gather the material at the center of the
top and bring it down softly at either
SIDE. framing the glass in folds OF pure