St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-09-07
Furnishing a College Boys Room.

1t must be remembered that the aver
age college boys room is usually poorly
cared for. While college girls room is
expected to be, and almost always is, ex-
guisitely kept, our college boys too often
i've III state Of positively disgraceful
DIRT The first requirement of civiliza-
ton IS cleanliness; yet, with a singular
fatnity, college authorities will provide,
with whatever surplus funds are avail
able, an extra professor of Egyptian dia-
lect, or something else equally useless, in.
stead OF increasing and improving the
Janitor servlce-generally shameiuly in
sufilclent and incompetent in every uni
versity.
Therefore it is folly to provide your
college boy with hangings and sofa pill
lows OF delicate hues and fabrics. Every
thing he has, so far as possible, should
be capable of easy laundering. The sofa
pillows may be buttoned into denim or
crash slips, which may be washed often.
Co.ruch-coverings in pale pinks and blues
Will soon look grimy. The curtains on
the bookcases and doors and the scarfon
the mantel should be of firm good colors,
and OF a texture to stand hard usage.
The fioor'covering may well be of rugs,
II there be a hardwood foundation De-
meath 1t. Often broad border can be
painted around rug. If rugs are not
available, strong neutral-tinted Brus-
sells carpet is the best substitute. IL this
can be lifted and cleansed twice a year,
or even once, its germs" will not kill
your boy.
BE sure that the boy has comfortable
loungng chair. Perhaps strong safe
rockIng-chair may not be so harmful as
some critics think. His study chair
should have arms, and should be care
July adapted to the height OF his desk.
Let the desk have plenty of drawers and
pigeon-holes. Get him revolving book
case for his reference books, il you can,
and see that good shelves are provided
for his favorite books. Give him more
than these, in the hope that they may be-
come his favortes also.
A good lamp should stand on the
steady-iooted table, and the boy should
be required, as far as possible, to keep it
in good order and to study by it.
II you happen to have an old piano,
give it to the boy, and get new one for
the family. He may not take very good
care of the old piano, but he will get
much comfort out of it if he have music
in him.
Merry battles will be waged in the
college boys room. In it, too, after
great victories outdoors or in debate,
there will be uproarious celebrations.
The embroidered pink satin sofa pillows,
the ine-webbed lace hangings, and the
white fur rugs will present sorry APP.
pearance after the fray; but your denims
and your wel-wrought Oriental draper
les may remain whole and apparently
unsoiled.
When you and the boy have carefully
looked everything over, and have seen
that the mattress is comfortable, that
the household linen" and personal be-
longings are well slowed, and that
everything is spick and span and in good
order, then kiss him good-by and go
home and pray. You will have done all
you can for him, and in that little room
or suite of rooms he must work out his
own destiny for veal or for woe-Kate
Epson Clark, in Harper's Bazaar.