The times., 1898-02-06

decided they We're all lacking in the
conveniences and comforts the modern
American woman demands for her
sleeping hours. So she came home, and
of very plain oak her bed was built, the
lofty canopy frame put up, the embroid-
cries, ordered from an American needle
woman, hung, and then the great cur
tains and coverlid were edged with 30
pounds of bullion fringe. These requi-
sites for a perfect Marie Antionette bed
brought the price of it far up into the
thousands, but the end was not yet A
wonderful foundation Of spiral steel
springs first lined the inside Of the
couch, on the top of this a thin felt
mattress was placed, and then on top
hair bed, slipped in a big silken cover,
before sheets or blankets could be laid
on. Finally the headboard, decorated
by the brush of an American artist, was
put into place, and. lastly, the electri-
clan was called in to give the finishing
touches. The good offices of the cleo
trician was not an original idea on the
part of Mrs. Mills, for all the new beds,
built for comfort, as well as beauty,
have, first of all, a tiny button that any
one lying on the pillow can easily reach
up touch and turn on the light in
group of bulbs artistically arranged in
the headboard. In Mrs. Mills bed
couple of gilded cupids in this board
hold each a spray of lights that shed
their radiance down, softly over the
pollow at the exact angle needed for
comfortable reading. To make the
light perfectly agreeable and easy for
the eyes, the globes of glass are first
ground and then treated with varnish
that subdues the hard electric glare.
Beside this arrangement runs little
row of keys along the beds panel, and
turning one summons the 1ady'S maid.
Another sets the front door bell airing
ing, and SO acts on any housekeeper as
a most effectual alarm, and a third key
sets in movement an electrical current
that warns the bed. The bed warmer
is really white bag, incased in pink
flannel and attached to the end of a
green wire, and serves to perfection all
the purposes of big hot-water bottle
or an old-fashioned warming pan.
Mrs. Yerkes, the wife of the wealthy
Chicagoan, is another woman who pos
sesses big French bedroom, with the
bed set on dais, and the room itself is
used exclusively for sleeping. After the
fashion of royal French ladies of a cen
tury ago, these fair Americans. who
can afford the luxury, believe that
bedroom should have great space, a
lofty ceiling, and all day long a cur
rent of air should sweep over the pill
lows, uncontaminated by human lungs.
No furnace heat nor gas lights are
burned in these sleeping apartments.
A half hour before madame retires
fire of dry logs is lighted, to take the
chill off the atmosphere; by candle or
electric light the lady goes to bed, and
all these precautions are taken In be-
half of health, to secure sound sleep
and good compilations.
Mrs. Letter, of Washington. rests
from her labors as the most prominent
hostess Of the Capital, in wonderful
carved English bed. without one scrap
of drapery about it. Too precious and
beautiful is the ancient decorated
woodwork to hide under even the rich
est brocades, and Mrs. Letter sleeps on
a 18th century arrangement of mat
tresses. That is, in place of a spring
foundation, six rather thin mattresses,
made alternately of felt wool, hair, cot
ton and dried seaweed, are used.
By proper disposition of these
most exquisitely comfortable bed is se-