The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1897-04-21

couch-tho porch-made less hard by his
faithful floor cushion. There is not much
that is merely ornamental in our living
room but much (which pertains to the
health, comforts and convenience of our
country home"
Let us visit the parlor: Have you ever
seen parlor like this the door creaks
little as we enter showing that it is sell
dom opened; the couch springs arc as
stiff as when set here years ago; the
chairs are so unused looking we dread
getting acquainted with them; the cur
lains hang primly; tho family portraits
frown at us from the walls, and our con-
versation languishes and we long to be
back i'm the free and easy living room.
No amount of cost and labor will impart
to our rooms the charm which belongs TO
rooms in which every day lives are liUed.
So let us open wide our parlor windows
in summer to let the wind blow the
primness out of the curtains even if it
should bear with it some unwanted dust
Let us all gather here for music on sum-
mer evenings and Sabbath afternoons.
Let us have fire in the parlor sometimes
in winter when no company is expected
and spend an occasional evening here
Just by ourselves. For some of us win
use these homes of ours only little lon
ger till we hear the call to "the upper
country, the fail er day. and let us enjoy
to the full the best we have-all by our
selves-occasionall for we love our own
the best.
In this room the clever fingers of the
girls find expression in embroidery,
drawn work, ETC., for table covers, drap-
cries, photograph holders and dainty sofa
pillows. Care should be taken in work
of this kind that each piece harmonize
with every other. Many hit of really
beautiful fancy work loses its charm by
being placed among uncongenial neigh
Dor. Who has never seen a pink head
rest on a red chair? Parlor decoration
sometimes assumes curious forms.
! Gilded clothes pins and tosting sacks
may be decorative, but 1 must confess
my inebility to view them in that light
In faraway city homes decorated spin
ing wheel may serve to show show the
y
homes where the busy whir of the wheel
has scarce died away, it is quite too soon
to attire it in paint and ribbons and use
it as decorative possibility. Wouldn't
it be quite as good taste to treat the dis
carded scythe and rake TO a coat of paint
and ribbon or two? Where would the
the end of these things be
"Dinner is served"
Few farm houses can boast dining
room and especially in winter; the most
of us like Mrs. Whitney's girls must
either "dine in the kitchen or kitch in the
dining ROOM" So into the kitchen we
go to dine. The table linen tho not very
fine is white and clean; the clever fin
gers of the giils have wrought a center
piece and doiles. In winter we
must do without floral table decorations
but all summer long flowers may be had
for this purpose. II we have no time to
cultivate flowers the children can find
some very effective wild ones. A center
piece of daisies or wild roses is within
reach of us all in their season. One o
the prettiest center pieces | ever saw wa:
made otthorns and the feathery blossom:
of the elderberry. Apple and peact
blossoms can be made to form as beau
tiful table decorations as ever appear OF
: the tables of the city bred. Let us "takt
stock" at the first of next season and le
not single week pass without new
flower for our tables. Beginning will
arbutus in April and ending with colder
rod in October we need not have singh
flowerless day.
Let MS go upstairs and visit the sleep
ing rooms, the children's first: quit
early in Life children begin to show artis
tic tendencies-crude efforts they are a
o first. But children ought to have som
, place where every harmless hobby ma
be ridden without fear of ccnsure, and
q know of no better place for this tha
n their own rooms. OF course the result
may not always be artistic to our olde
!, eyes, but never mind, the children ar
q learning, and we are needed only to di
# rect their ideas into proper channels.
:, one boy has collection of birds nest
let us furnish him with little tree firm
- ly fixed TO a block of wood which wi
"a hold all the nests he'll collect while th
v fad lasts and not prove an eyesore eithe
% Old picture frames may be made to hol
"a mounted specimens of insect life, Will
\ his geological specimens neatly labele
= are arranged on a convenient shelf ne5
" the window. If our boys room contain
70 no wardrobe let us make one which wi
~ serve more than one purpose box, sa
- four feet long by eighteen inches wide,
v furnished with castors and a hinged to
The inside is divided into two compar
~, ments one for clothes and the other f
N boots and shoes. 1t is neatly papered il
a. side; the top is padded with perhaps 4
Ga old comforter and covered with son
~ bright cretonne or demin brass mai
k hold it firmly in place along the edge
mr. the lid. The box proper is concealed
,e a deep tiounce Of the same material as Il
To top and 10 d combination wardrobe al
rd couch for our boys room, a much mo
of decorative feature than is afforded by
drapery of mems clothing on the wall
N The girls room we will find contai
es draperies and many fancy articles the
p clever fingers have devised 10 adorn tho
of own room. Both boys and girls are
ouirad T., L aan tbair rpong in ordar n