The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-01
About Table Linen.

I
Katharin De Forest. in Harper's Ba-
Ear.
About Table Linen.
OF course one can pat any amount OF
money in table linen, and dinner cloths
are to be had with lace or drawn work
insertions TO be laid over color; with
exquisite embroidered nonOgrams: with
elaborate woven patterns, or as plain
and shiny as satin ones taste and
purse must govern the selection, but in
a general way, for ordinary dinner par
ties, it is safer to buy the best quality
of linen with little or no decoration
One tires of even the prettiest patterns,
and styles change so rapidly that a
handsome and expensive cloth will look
out OF date in short time if its figures
are at all conspicuous, while plain dou-
bic damask is always in good taste
The same. thing IN effect might be said
OF center pieces they would better be
intrinsically beautiful than ornate
Lately embroidered pieces have given
place to lace, in either a solid square or
circle or a deep border on a linen foun-
datlOn- These may or may not be laid
over color. according to Individual pref
erence and taste. Just now. however,
there seems TO be a fancy for having the
table in white, the flowers and possibly
the candles alone being colored--Har-
per's Bazaar.
The Value of Perfumes.
A French physician says that certain
perfumes are safeguards against certain
diseases the more QEllCALGr ike NlOtEEs
lavender and rose, being more ef11caci0us
than the coarser, such as musk This is
by no means a discovery, but merely
restatenent of a theory centuries old In
most OF the ancient religions the use of
perfumes was part Of the ritual, as d
means of protection from evil spirits
who brought disease anu disaster.
The present popularity OF sachets.
therefore. may be advocated on hygienic
grounds as well as aesthetic; and never
We're perfumes more daintily delicate
than now. The devices for utilizing
them. too. are Of the last degree Of sub
tlety. A tiny strip OF peau d'espagn
for instance, is stitched in with the
shoulder seams OF bodice or coat Silken
bags OF sach5t powder are rounded to fit
under the arm and S6Wed in the sleeve
seam InfinitesimaI packees OF per
fumed wadding are caught in the palm
Of the glove. Bureau drawers are lined
with sachet pads and wardrobes are
hung with them
The doctrine Of individualism is be-
coming more firmly fixed in the minds
Of women day by day The time when
only the woman of wealth possessed a
boudoir. a room that was her exclusive
property, which 10 one entered without
invitation, has gone, II is TO be hoped,
forever. Nowadays even the small
apartment is compelled to yield a den"
into which the house mother may retire
for rest of nerve and mind. and into
which even the small boy is not permit
ted to intrude- Such a resting place IS
rush and hurry of multiforrn and null
tItudinOus exactions. social and domes-
tic. and many a woman is saved from
nervous prostratiOn and kindred trou-
bles by the little den" that may be
hardly more than closet.
Such a --Noah's Ark of refuge was
constructed by an ingenious woman
from the unpronising material of a tiny
inside room. which was too dark for
ordinary use. having no light except
through the ground glass of the doors
She bought large japanese umbrella
IN the damaged department of a large
dry goods house for a mere tribe. and
suspended il from the middle Of the
ceiling. which II nearly covered At one
end of the room she installed an ordi-
nary cot, which she draped with Japa-
ness cotton, covering the pillows with
the same Artistic kakemonos and some
framed Japanese prints supplied the
wall decoration, and a square bamboo
table. with scarf OF japanese silk. held a
wrought iron lamp with red shade and
the owners favOrite books
There was room for nothing else. but
neither was there necessity. It gave a
comfortable place to lounge. while fur
nishing seat for the valued friend who
might be invited TO enter. It secured
absolute quiet and relaxation
I go there when feel my nerves Civ
ing way and stay until I get hold Of my
self The first thing I do is to light a
the most reStful things imaginable Then /
I lie down and compel myself to think /
Of something pleasant until I can grad |
ually dispOssess my mind of almost all /
thought Or I light the lamp and read I
from q favorite book In 10 or 20 min |
utes I am ready to take up my duties /
and cares a gain with a cheerful spirit /
Oh, my Noah's Ark has saved more than /
my life 1t has saved the happiness OF |
my family. and they know il. Neither /
my husband nor my year old boy |
would disturb me on any consideration /
when mamma wants a quiet time as
p @ he1 Ef~Y -~7, 7
give a little party. and inyite one or both
and that they regard as real festivfty, |
but 1 purpOsely make those occasions /
rare
A Capable Woman.
I heard a story once of a party Of 1
campers. which points a striking lesson. I
A terrible stor- came up and the Ad- |
irondacks camp was cut of from sup /
plies for two Gays The guide and the /
servants were 40 miles distant in the /
wilderness and starvation avvould have +
stared the campers in the face had it /
not been for the one woman in the party +