The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-08-23
produce impression by exaggeration
wakens distrust In the mind orr child,
almost unconsciously to himself.

almost unconsciously to himself.
So
Children's surroundings have a great
deal 10 do with forming their character.
Our little daughters are more apt to grow
up to be quiet, dainty and dignified If
they have been reared in homes that are
neatly and ta%stefally furnished.G and
where all the work is done Systematically.
The refining influence of a pretty room
is never lost upon them. This does not
mean that the amount spentFfor furnish
ing should be a large one, for very pleas
ing effects may be had with a small out
lay.
If the rooms need paper or kalsomine,
choose some pretty dainty color, and let
everything harmonic with that Blue,
white, gray or green make a room look
cool; while yellow is especially good for
rooms that are not we'll lighted. Paint of
any shade can be had already prepared,
and it is an easy matter to apply it.
Plain or striped scrim, cheese cloth and
lace are al pretty for curtains, and the
condition Of your pocketbook should be
your guide as to which material is chosen.
Dotted swiss is also a fayorite with many
housekeepers.
The floor can be covered with mating If
desired, or it can be painted and partly
covered with rugs. The floor of a hand
some room seen recently was oiled, and
a large rug, made of a remnant of in
grain carpet, with a border to match,
laid in the centre, leaving a margin of
two feet all around it that was not COW
cred. If you nave a good smooth floor,
it will look well oiled; but if it is rough
or worn, paint is much better.
Two shelves fixed in a corner, one two
| and a half feet, the other a foot from the
floor, makes a nice dressing table. Cover
| the top with plain, white oilcloth. and
make a splasher of the same material,
edged with scallops crocneted OF Saxony
yarn. The top is used for the washbowl
| and pitcher, and the shelf, which is hid
den by a curtain of cretonne, sateen or
dotted swiss, is used for shoes, brushes,
backing and other articles that must be
put out of sight.
Many an old beadstead has been made
| p~resentable by painting it white or some
| delicate color. Sandpaper it very smooth,
| give it two coats of ommon house paint,
then a coat of enamel.
If you need a closet, put up a shelf in
| one corner, six feet from the floor, and
place a curtain in front of it. The shelf
may be used for books, vases or plaques,
or if one is handy with tools, a corner
cabinet may be fitted into the space be-
tween shelf and ceiling, which will make
| a very handsome and convenient recep-
tacIe for the various little odds and ends,
with which we adorn our houses.
Have you a bed for which you would
like a mattress, but do not like to spend
the money necessary to get one? If you
keep sheep on the farm, very likely you
have a quantity of wool stored away.
| Take enough for a mattress and wash it
through two or three hot, soapy waters.
Rinse through two waters, and lay it on
a sheet to dry. After it is dry take it up
by handfuls and pull it apart, picking out
any trash or burrs that may adhere to 1T.
| Make the cover the size and shape you
wish, using bed ticking of a medium quail
ity,and fill it with wool; taking care to
| have it smooth and even. Tie it just as
you would a comfort, using a long mat
| tress needle for the work. This makes a
very light and comfortable mattress, and
with white pillow cases and bed spread,
the bed will nave a clean, neat appear
ance that is always attractive.
A couch is useful as well as ornament
| al, and may be made of a long box, up
| holstered on the top and covered with ere
| tonne or other suitable material. A
| 1ounce extending from the top almost to
the floor will hide the box from view.
Put rollers under each corner and fasten
the top on with hinges, so it can be rails
ed whenever desired. This box will be
an excellent place for quilts or other bed
clothes not in use. There must be pic
lures, of course. Pictures are now cheap
and of increasing excellence. Frames
may be simple, homemade ones. En-
| cravings look well in frames of natural
wood.
One Of the busiest of the many busy
women with whom l am acquainted, says
a writer in Harper's Bazaar is also the
most charming woman with whom to con-
verse. She is not a brilliant, perhaps
hardly a clever talker, Tut one loves to
talk with her. After mature and thought
full consideration, I have come to the
conclusion that her charm lies in the
fact that she is an admirable listener.
| BY her evident interest in and sympa-
| thetic attention to the matter of the
conversation, she brings out all that is
best iii the one with whom she talks.
Difident people forget their shyness in
her presence, and leave her with the COM
| Portable and novel conviction that they
| have, after all, acquitted themselves
| rather we'll. Few persons cultivate the
art of being good listeners, and yet to
| listen well is perhaps even more desir-
| able thar for one to ak well. The good
talker is often over-eager to say his say,
to utter his witticisna, to tell his anec-
dote, and ,his conversation is often a
monologue. The good listener inspires
the talker by strict attention to all he
says. and, above all, by looking at him
while he speaks.
There is nothing more trying than to
find that your putative listener is giving
only partial heed to your utterances. 1t
is strange that a well-bred person should
be guilty of the Grass rudeness of pick
ing up a book or magazine and looking
through it while pretending to pay heed
to the talk Of a friend. The assurance
81 am only looking at the pictures in
this magazine, not reading, and | hear
every word you say" is no palliation of
the offense. The speaker would be justi-
fed in declining to continue the con-
| yersation until the pictures nave been
properly studied. If a speech is worth
hearing it is worthy OF respectful and