The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1897-12-25


leaves should not all be wasted in mere
wanton outdoor loneliness when there
are domestic interiors in need of their
Frightening glow. Among the best
leaves for interior decorations are ma
pie and oak. They are easy to find in
city and country, and are vivid in col
oring. The sugar maple and the sill
yer maple are both very brilliant. The
oaks are golden yellow. First in the
list Of temporary uses to which the
leaves may be put is the autumn we'd
ding decoration. The bride whose
marriage ceremony is performed al her
summer home in the country stands
In a bower of autumn leaves, which
I'LL the fireplaces and are twined about
the banister Of the wide, winding
stair. They are banked on the cabinet
and bric-a-brac shelves; they sway
from the top of bookcases and arch
over folding doors.
III the wedding takes place in the
little village church the altar is massed
with the fall foliage combined with
golden rod and loepee weed, elecampane
and cardinal flower. Queen Marguer-
ties and chrysanthemums are also COM
biR5d with the leaves Of autumn dec
oratiOns at weddings in country houses
or at farewell teas or dinners given to
neighboring cottagers before the final
fitting to the city home. It is usually
believed that these unworldly decora-
lions are gathered from the grounds
Of the summer home and are arranged
by the members of the household, but
the truth Of the matter is, unfortun-
ately for romance, that the city florist
sends down the decorations. autumn
leaves and all, accompanied by a man
to put them up. Another very pretty
use of the leaves is popular with the
florists. In every long, fiat, fascinat-
ing box of fragile blossoms sent out
from the best shops is placed a spray
of autumn foliage, down toward the
stems of the flowers, in place where
there would otherwise be seen nothing
more attractive than green stems on
opening the box. The leaves are to re-
call the summer home to the young
woman who had just returned. to town.
It is only sentiment, but, as a florist
himself confessed, 'the flower business
is all sentiment, anyhow" For din
ner decoration the brightest leaves are
arranged in a wreath in the center of
the table. They are tied with a great
bow of ribbon at one side. The dinner
Il. Il hs,frr o., 4
to them, and the plates, all of the thin
nest plain white china, have a wreath
of tiny gray leaves glued round the
edges and vanished over with white
varnish. But these are only fieeting
uses for the gorgeous leaves. There
are many ways in which they can be
made a permanent decoration suited
to almost any room, commonplace or
elaborate, and lending to the most in
artistic apartment a necessary touch
of nature. For long keeping they
should be ironed with a hot iron
pressed for about two days between
books and then vanished. Another
way is to iron them with white wax
but this is not quite so good as the
Varnish. After being prepared they
can be made into most satisfactory
picture frames by gluing them on thu
plain wood or pasteboard frame in AM
design fancied and then vanishing
They also form pretty border To-
unset mirrors if pasted round the mir
TOR in graceful sprays. Porcelain EN-
pire lamp shades covered with then
are extremely attractive. They cal
also be utilized as border for whit
Swiss bedroom curtains. When use,
in this way they are tackled on tn
Swiss very carefully in several places
In the same dainty sleeping ehambe
they may make a border around tn
drapery OF the dressing table.