Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-12-12
PAPER ON THE WALL.
PATIENTS DRIVEN NEARLY INSANE BY
WEIRD AND INTRICATE DESIGNS.

NY Irresistably Att ract the Eyes From
siloor to Ceiling-Headaches Result From
the strain-suggestjon for Purchasing
the Proper Wall Covering.
1t is we'll establi she'd fact that chill
dren are often haunted at night by the
hideous objects they have traced in the
patterns on the wall. Older persons are
familiar with the fact that certain pat
terms irresistibly attract the eyes from
floor to ceiling and from one corner of
the room to the other.
Endless headaches are the result Of
such straining of the eyes. The writer
once occupied room, which had such
paper upon its walls. 1t was small
room and the consequence was a sue
cession of severe headaches that finally
took the form of vertigo, and which
were not relieved until a change Of
room was effected. The paper was
very pretty, but the amount of activity
displayed by the pattern, which seemed
after a brief scrutiny to be literally
alive, was impossible to endure.
Elderly people may be loath to admit
1t, thinking it weakness, but they are
frequently subjected to much discom-
fort by walls that to the casual OBJ
server appear attractive. l know of one
blue and silver paper that had to be
covered by plain pepper-and- sur
face before the mistress of the room
could be induced to return to it.
Papers are frequently one thing in
the shops and quite another thing up
on the wall. In buying a plain paper
this discrepancy cannot occur
For bedrooms plain papers with a
roughly finished surface are the best.
These should be light and cheerful in
color, and can be relieved by a richer
border and contrasting woodwork if
desired.
In a hall richly figured paper may be
used, but better results are invariably
obtained by the use Of plain paper of
some dark tone. A deep, old red is
very effective. With this the wood
work should be painted black and high
ly vanished. The floors can be cover
ed with mating or with dark carpet
On planning room, the first consid-
Grafton should be the walls, the wood
work and the covering of the floor. Any
room will have some architectural fea-
lures that will assert themselves il it is
not swamped in unnecessary nick
nacks. The ends to be sought are, as
in dress, simplicity, use, good color, and
pleasing effect. The fewer materials
used the better. The trouble is that our
walls are usually so offensive that in
stinctively we seek to conceal them
beneath pictures, photographs, fans
and draperies which only serve to hold
the dust and weary the eyes.
good wall needs very few pictures.
A plain wall will set off the few en-
cravings to which one may cling to es-
cape monotony. But if one has the
courage to do without pictures alto
gether in bedroom one will save ones
eyes from detecting that this or that
frame is hanging out of plumb. and
will keep them for the parlor where
they belong. 1t may require some
heroism to simplify the bedroom in this
way, but the result will more than
compensate.
There is a space, freshness, a sense
of cleanliness obtained in this way that
cannot be achieved by all the decora-
tion that could be crowded on the
walls. Simple muslin curtains at the
windows, clean mating on the floor, a
plain wall with pretty border, a
white iron bed with brass trimmings
and linen sheets-these things togeth-
er make a bedroom that must be ac-
knowledged faultless by the most fas-
tidious taste.
Yet these things could be purchased
for half the price of the useless decora-
tions with which we constantly dis
figure our homes.