The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1897-04-21
.HOME DECORATION
And all that Relates TO Comfort, Con.
venience, Health and Enjoyment
in a Country ROme."


end of her life"-
have been running thro' my mind ever
since consented to write a paper for this
Institute, and in them found the only
reason why should have been selected
to write, for farmers daughter / am
and shall be to the end of my life.
One cannot long livein a home in either
town or country without becoming keen
ly alive to its comforts and discomforts.
its beauties or its lack of beauty, and
where is to be found a farmers wife or
daughter who is not ever on the alert to
discover some new way to disguise some
ugly, stubborn, fact of every day life. A
mistake in the location or plan of the
house, or maybe, only mistake in the
color of paper or carpet, seeking ever to
find out the tones which will harmonize
with the notes already struck till all is
tone grand sweet song"
The things have seen may not be new
sights to many eyes but they may be TO
some, and may open some eyes to see the
heaven that lies around us at home-our
country homes. First let us view our
nollb lIOln lllb OulSluts Itilltblbtilnh
other homes that nestle among vines and
branches. Think of the robins nest,
built up of bits of sticks and grass, yet
so carefully set among the branches as to
seem quite in place, after all; the big
gray hornets nest, part of the limb
from which it swings, and the orioles
nest, piece of natures own drapery on
favorite tree. Seeing these we will not
set oar house out by itself on an open
field but will leave some sturdy mon
archs of the wood to guard our homes as
he has guarded the homes of bird and
squirrel in years gone by. OF course no
tree should be left so near the house as
to endanger its safety in a time Of
storm but yet near enough that its pro-
tecting shadow may fall upon us daily.
But if our house is already built and the
woodmen have not spared a single tree
what may we do to get into harmony
with our surroundings? Other trees
may be planted and while they are grow
ing into shade givers, we may plant vines
to cover our porches and windows to
catch the feverish fingers of sunlight ere
they penetrate too deeply into the life
centres of our home. 1t is well to plant
two varieties at first, one annual that will
Chamber clear to the roof in a single sea-
son, and the other a slow grower that
will at first only reach little ways up
wards but year by year mounting high
er clinging to brick or board, wherever
it can find footbold till the annual need
no longer be planted. Are vines health.
fnl? / think so. OF course we do moi
want them to screen our windows but in
slender columns to sway back and forth
with every passing breeze not excluding
the sunlight entirely but extracting from
it its finest glare ere it reaches our rooms
1t is now asserted that vines, instead o
inducing dampness as is sometime:
urged, really absorbs moisture in thei
close contact with moist surfaces. Blu
vines can never take the place of trees 81
what shall we plant in our yard? apple
peach, pear and cherry trees. FrUi
, trees yes, but not because they are frui
trees but because they are truly decCra
tive. What other tree presents such
| variety Vi dilIdNllOuS dS luOSt L v
, named? Take the apple tree, a mass O
, daintiest pink and white blossoms il
May; next mound of pale greei
E changing TO a deeper shade as the seasol
, advances till, in September, the rich hue
[ of the ripe fruit shine out from a back
ground of dark rich green. What sweet
err scent than that afforded by these bios
+, SONS?
D "Blow, wind, and wait thro' all our room
The fragrance of the cherry bloomsr"
Let somber yews and spruces find plac
elsewhere there is no room for ther
about the farm house door.
But we must hasten, we are only in th
yard let us mount the steps and stand o
e the porch not the veranda or portic'
h please, just porch, good, big, ride on,
Big enough TO accommodate the who
family on summer evenings withol
having to hold an overflow meeting o
p. the steps and grass below.
:, Let us visit the livingroom first; Il
brightest cheeriest room in the who
&c house. The room which eXerts on ever
r, member of the household an influen,
either uplifting or depressing. In Il
winter season this room is hung with p
?. per of some warm tint perhaps of yellov
q since it catches and makes much of evel
chance sunbeam and helps light up Il
room on gloomy days. Yellow, the coll
J. of sunshine and ripened grain is alwa
8, cheerful color and when skillful
q. used never trying one.
There is plenty of light in our livil
~ room; the vines have been taken dow
10 and the winter sunshine enters UNI
sr strained. A few thrifty, hardy hou
al plants brighten one window, not maj
for the farm housewives are busy fol
70 but they are sufficient to bring to 0
ct minds thro' the long, dreary winter t
r. green and the bloom of summer
q. come. Above them in his cage a bi
fits about singing, now and again,
az brighter days and SUMMER skies.
ee Pictures are on the walls of this roo
We not expensive ones, perhaps, but pictul
an which mean something. a restful lar
! scape maybe, for one; the pictured face
is' a saint or cberub i1r the second and sol
historical scene ar the third. Cho,
this latter esf..a..E .ar children ask of
10 for stor' N, sr. sny "a good story
OF suggested Nr ~ nrrt Lot no unwort