The times., 1897-09-26
FOLLOWING THE DRUM.


tu-e and objects around her usually
possess for her some strong feeling of as
ISOLATION. Some friend gives piece Of brio.
a-brac which she grows fond OF, or she has
been economizing a tong time to be able to
buy some special piece OF furniture on
which size has set her heart. Maybe 1T
happens that her husband surprises her
by bringing home rare vase. All these
things mean so much to a woman.
A rfiend OF mine once had very strong
attachment to her home, and when one daY
an army officer asked her to marry him
she almost refused him on the score of haV-
ing to part with her dearly beloved posses
sicus. However, Cupid pierced with too
strong dart, ana she ended b Y marrying.
IL was then, when she found it would be
necessary to leave behind many Of her
much-prized belongings, that she set her
self 10 wc-k To devise a plan whereby She
could have portable furniture, which when
packed for transportation would make but
q few pieces OF luggage and at the same
tine enable her to always have with her
her own furnitare, and seeing the familiar
objects about would do away with the
feeling Of strangeness which an array Of
ficer's wife feels on arriving at q new
place.
A bureau did not seem feasible with
large, heavy mirror, 50 she had made in
stead chest OF drawers. They were
made OF mahogany and in two sections
The lower section consisted OF two large
drawers, and the upper OF four small
drawers. anG a large one which ''let
down" aad formed a desk. The top OF
the lower section had four short wooden
pegs. which sank into holes in the tot
tom of the upper section; this made the
two sections rit perfectly solid as ono
piece The top surface OF the upper sec
tioa had inlaid in each corner small
brass anFle pieces. Brass bands an inch
wide ana two inches long Were also set
in down the front, each band being set in
just @love the Top Of every drawer and
carried around the table for two inches.
When polished the brass was very deco
ratiye, and gave the chest great strength.
The Ian dIes Of the drawers. also of brass,
We're sunk into the wood to make them
pack easily. Tie chest was set up Oh
short turned" legs. which screwed into
ioIes in the bottom OF the lower section
These TN 5cIewed easily, and were neither
heavy nor clumsy 10 pack inside any of the
drawers. The chest was completed by
three mahogany booksheIves which rested
on the top.
Ny frjend knew that her polished chest
could not travel unprotected, SO sne had
two boxes made into which the mahogany
sections were fitted. They were built
of inch-rhCk pine and Were constructed to
open at the site With two hinged cupboard
doors The boxes weEe strengthened at
the corners and sides With wide bands Of
iron and the hinges of the doors We're long
and ornamental iron pieces. There was
aISO an iron strip on theOutside edge of one
OF the doors. TINS extended an inch above
and an inch below the top and bottom of
the door, making the iron piece even With
the box, at top and bottom. Round holes
were bored through the iron strip, through
which screw b0ltsY screwed into an irop
setting, sunk In the upper and lower edges
of the box. n this way the box could be
securely closed. 1t had iron handles that
It might be easy to carry and a movable
shelf was fitted in each box so that when
the chest was packed inside the shelf
board helped to make it fit tight. The
boxes Jnpacked could be placed one On
top IS the other, when they formed q
cupboard, or be used separately. When
painted a dark, olive green, and the iron
bands enaElcled glossy black, they pre-
sented the appearance OF old picturesque
chests. These boxes and tue chest Of
drawers made three useful pieces OF
furniture.
As they were so successful, she de
vised methods for the smaller pieces OF
furniture. She planned a chair which in
general outline was similar to a steamer
chair without a foot rest. 1t had arms
made Of enameled leather, so they might
fold easily. In enc end Were round holes,
| two inches apart. with circular brass pieces
as eyelets. These leather arm pieces were
long enough TO reach the edge of the chair,
where they me. a short arm OF wood, with
a book in the end. BY hooking the hook
into the holes in the strap it held the back
at auy angle, so the chair could be used
for lounging or for sitting upright The
leather cushions, and the elasticity Of
| the leather arm pieces, made the chair
| extremely comfortable. 4 box was then
built, into which the chair, with many odds
and ends, fitted, and, as the box was
square, and but eighteen inches in depth
| 1T elsO served as a kitchen table, Ia wins.
four rounded legs which screwed into it
| It opened on the side with a hinged lii
| and, if desired, the lid could be- used as
an extension. When the box was thus
turned into a table. the inside space full
| filled the purpose of drawer. Another
| table, intended for a tea table. was de
viSed in the following way: A large ova1
wooden cover was made the exact size
! of tin hath tub, aad built to fit tight
on the rim Of the tub. With the cover on
| the tub served as a packing case.
The oval cover formed a top for the
| table. and in the center of the cover
screwed a rounded column. as center
| support. Near the base three curved legs
| screwed in. by means of screwheads pro
truding slightly from the legs. These fitted
| into slot$, keyhole shaped, sunk in the
| column. at which points the column was
| flattened. The next piece Of furniture
| needed was washstand, which was con.
| structed with three oval mahogany shelves
| supported by brass rods. The rods were
| pointed in the middle, with one screwine
| into the other, SO that the middle shell
| rested between the upper and the lower rod
\ The top shelf screwed between the upper
| rod and small brass knobs, and the bot
| tom shelf between the 10 wer rod and larger
| brass knobs the kno bs forming feet for the
stand The top shelf had a large circular