The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-02-04

to have the trum in their drawing
room, for in itself a piano is a cumber-
| some piece of furniture, and the rule is
that any bric-a-brac placed upon it inter
feres seriously with the tone thereof, says
"Harper's Bazaar However, pianos are
necessary-absolutely necessary-an SO
all that can be lone is to make them look
as attractive as possible.
Mi upright piano is more generally
used in the ordinary drawing room than
| the square or the grand. The squar
piano, indeed, is very ~rarelysseen, and the
grand piano is limited to the music room
or to a very large drawing room. For a
grand piano the finest kinds of Indian
embroidery, pieces Of rare old tapestry
that are laid on velvet of some color
which will either harmonize or contrast
with the colors used in the decorations ui
the room. This rule does not apply to
pianos hat are mad to match the furni-
ture in the room or its woodwork Large
photograph frames do not look badly ON
a grand piano, and a pretty idea is to
have a large three leaved frame holding
photographs of the great composers. 1t
is most inappropriate and in very bad
taste to have a variety of cheap pictures.
even though they may be in handsome
frames.
Very much depends upon the position
of the piano in the room. and it is really
very amusing to see at what different
angles people manage to dispose. of it,
for it is the exception now to see it
pushed back against the wall. A piano
should be set well out into the room,
at right angles. so that the light from
the windows will fall Upon the keys. To
conceal the back of an upright piano the
Eastern embroideries again come into
play. and tapestry is also sued, or oddly
colored brocades. Often the most con-
spicuous thing in the room will be this
drapery. On the top of piano may be
placed small articles of bric-a-brac, ard
an excellent effect is obtained by a plant.
a palm-not a large one-or a rubber
plant, with some bright bowl, or set in
a dark India-red flower pot. When the
room is SO constructed that it is impossi-
BILE to get a good light from the window
without blocking the room with the piano.
it must be turned so that only the back
is visible. This of course shows the
drapery to great advantage. Another
clever way is to place it in the corner of
the room, standing out from the wall,
and just behind it have a high stand
with a plant, while near the piano one
may use a tall and imposing lamp with
a beautiful shade.
A very odd fashion, but one which
seems to gain in favor in very many
New York houses, is to place the piano
so that the back comes nearly across the
door, and the drapery is the first thing
which one sees on entering the drawing
room. Here again it is well to have a
plant on the piano. The drapery is of
course very much more effective when
the expensive materials are used. but a
great deal depends upon the coloring. In
figured brocades and tapestries there
are many effective designs to be found
in short lengths that will drape very
well, whereas the plain colors. pushes
and velvets, are not at all satisfactory.
When plain colors are used the heavy
silks are better thar velvets. and the
best colors which can be used in rooms.
where a color scheme is carried out. are
the pinks or yeIlows, of which there are
a great many shades. Sometimes a piece
of old or new tapestry can be found not
large enough in itself to drape we'll across
the bach of the piano. In such eases it
is best to take a piece of velvet or plush
of a dark color and applique the brocade
to it.
Where the material lies on the top of
the piano it should be arranged in such a
position that it can be easily folded back
whenever the piano is opened, as is very
often lone for some particularly good
player, and this is easily done without
disarranging the drapery, as all pianos
now open in the centre. In arranging the
piano according to the shape of the room
it is often well to attempt a bold scheme:
something out of the ordinary often looks
well. Only two things should be avoided
the first, to put the piano straight
against the wall: the other, to put it
across one corner, with the keyboard
turned toward the centre of the room. By
using taste in the drapery. and taking a
little trouble in the arrangement, a piece
of furniture, ugly in itself, can be trans
formed into one of the most decorative
articles in the house.
49,
Don't don't in the nursery.
Don't use a common pin in the nursery.
The safety-pin or none for all nursery
folk-babies. mother, nurse or maid.
Don't powder baby after the bath. Cen
tly pat him dry with linen. Powder is
permissible only to soothe or cool baby
temporarily. for accidents or emergencies.
and to be carefully washed off at next
bath.
Don't Civ HOUSEHOLD directions in nor
permit complaints to be brought into the
nursery, for children, especially our very
little ones, are our guests of honor. having
neither escape nor redress. They may
only depart with death.
Don't leave 10 on baby's kin nor
in his clothing. Baby may not at will
nor necessarily change valet or laundry,
and he chafe. what more natural? Clean
wafer and clean cheesecloth to rinse baby
with are not costly.
Don't use damp or steamy articles OF
clothing about baby's body. The lower
orders keep their young both dry and
immaculate.
If baby could get his back up like a
cat or reach his clothing as a bird does
its feathers, dampness would not cut
off ventilation. and ventilation is abso-
lutely necessary for baby's well-being.
Don't speak loudly to baby. There is
nothing created so ender as a baby. and
the reverberating against baby's ear-drum
must seem Dynamite and monstrous.
Don't trot baby for every discomfort II
he worries. Fancy being sent to sea in a
storm for every discomfort. In my opinion
Mnthar Goosa meant