The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-02-17


says q writer In the ~Philadelp,ia .Fress..
what quality-so far as furnishing goes
-he would consider most necessary for
the ideal home. Simplicity he said
simplicity and convenience"
Most people," he continued, overload
their homes. A non-profcssional in many
GASES would not notice the overlooking
except to feel In a vague way that
something is wrong somewhere" But
a professional fairly shudders. / am
not speaking of the color effects, ETC.,
These come afterward, and Nightmares
they are. too, even in c~ostliest houses.
81 feel II I could get a vast multitude
of family men and women together I
would stand upon the roof tops and
preach a sermon upon household decora-
ton and furnishing. The text should be
simplicity with a big S.
81 have seen e grand piano. a huge
divan with some three dozen cushions,
SIX chairs. a lamp and a table, a corner
stand for statuary and other articles, too
numerous to mention, crowded into q
small drawing room, which could not
carry one third of these with any de-
gree Of beauty"
1t was severe, but true. The profess
| sional spoke out of knowledge. 1t was
not hammering at random. 1t was deaf
ing a blow to the nail each time.
The soverloaded" parlor Is with us IN
| great numbers. In a round of the visits
just how many parlors does one notice
in which any degree of moderation is
| displayed? Outside of the question OF
ugliness-the overworked house is expen-
sive. And 1t makes much unnecessary
work. In many homes so much money
Is expended per annum to supply house
| hold decorations that the butchers bills
| become a mental torture: that the house
| hold table Is poorly furnished and that
| money for pleasant railway journeys, for
| simple entertainments and for stocking
| the family library is always wanting.
80
If expense Is an object don't begin
| economy at the wrong nj It is abso-
| lutely necessary that the boys and girls
of the home should AVE amusements,
tina their friends should be hospitality
entertained, that the table be provided
with good. wholesome food, that the
family library and magazine list show
honored names.
1t is not necessary that the parlor and
other rooms be crowded with brackets,
etageres, statuary and ~bric-a-brac. These
things cost money. In cases where the
household purse Is slim they waste
money.
One of the most delightful of Philadel-
phia homes is arranged upon the plan
Of utmost simplicity. The parlor and
living room have upon the floors neat
mating and rugs. The folding doors
have inexpensive portieres and the street
windows white-dotted curtains. There
are plenty of chairs of a sensible and
pretty pattern-not of the variety upon
which you pay $40 apiece. There are a
few well chosen pictures upon the walls,
with now and then a good plaster head.
1t Is not luxurious. it is well chosen, SEN
sible and pretty. A large amount of
useless busting is saved, and cleaning of
intricate hrfc-a-brac. The money which
might have been expended in furniture is
placed in bank to provide for some pleas
ure trip each year. For some little
dance or luncheon craved by the young
people. For subscriptions to certain
good periodicals.
In the dining room the same good taste
and moderation are observed-a little
plain silver and glass with Inexpensive
china. It IS not ostentatious, but 1t full
falls its usefulness. A few flowers in a
vase go a long way toward hiding de-
ficiencies of table gear. And then those
monthly bills lose half their terrorist
o entertainments in these days are
without number, each person vying with
his neighbor in the effort to get up some
thing original. But the model entertainer
is q rarity.
To be a successful hostess one must ef-
face ones self. In the 'told times,' which
we are all SO fond of quoting as being
the best times" the lady Of the house
considered 1t her duty personally to look
after the entertaining Of her guests, says
"Harper's Bazaar" She made it an in
variable rule to dress simply, lest by
some chance one of those invited might
wear a plain gown; n finding every one
else arrayed in splendid fashion, would
feel embarrassed.
Thus, having donned a simple but ap-
propriate toilet, the hostess Of other DAYS
made up her min to devote herself for
the time to the guests beneath her roof.
regardless as to whether she herself was
amused or not. She felt that she must
get her pleasure from the satisfaction of
seeing her guests enjoy themselves.
A good hostess seldom has an enjoyable
time at her own entertainments unless
she is SO constituted as to be happy In
making others happy, and is pleased at
the pleasure of others. This should be
the acme of her desires.
a
Notwithstanding the rage for the small
elegant Empire fans, the larger ones
made of gauze and real ostrich and mar
about feathers still maintain their hold
on fashionable favor. The latest styles
In the viennese feather, following the
universal craze for color effects, show a
small brillian t mosaic1ike design laid
against backgrounds of black or cream
white marabout feathers. Ostrich feath-
er fans. the oval shape, dotted here and
there with flashing semf-precious gems,
are in delicate colors of pink, cream, vel
low mauve, and Empire fans of lace.
with exquisite designs delicately hand
painted, and sticks of mother of pearl
or onyx set with gems. are carried with
full-dress toilets. With some Of the love-
ly art" gowns are seen some very
dainty fans of h~and-painted gauze, with
silver sticks covered with spangles, and
these hang from the waist in chatelaine
fashion, suspended from slender silver
nike chains. These often match the
gown, and many young ladies' this seq