The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-02-02
FEATHER BEDS AGAIN..
Change In the Science and Practice Of
Bed Making.


The science and practice OF bed
making has Undergone a radical
change in the past few years. In new
ly done-over and decorated houses,
nothing could be more impressive,
more luxurious and more radical in its
departure from the hitherto accepted
laws of hygiene than the new beds.
The model just now in the houses
where antique mahogany completely
sweeps everything before it is the
Georgian bed. Three could sleep.
with an abundance of stretching room
in the area inclosed by the four mas
sive carved posts of one of these big
couches and three mattresses are re-
quired to bring the sleeping platform
up to the required height. One is Of
hair, one of cotton, and in winter on
top of these repose a mighty tick
stuffed full of the best white goose
feathers. When these requirements
are fulfilled the full-fedged Georgian
bed is dressed with great attention to
detail and elegance. Old brocade
edged with bullion fringe is used for
the hangings and counterpane that
sweeps the floor, and the coat of arms
VI inc OMnGl 10 Cdl GU VII lHG uedu-
board of the couch.
1t is not everybody who can lay
hands on a genuine carved Georgian
bed or dress it in antique brocade,
but even with the modern brass and
iron bed, curtains about the head and
big feather-stuffed mattresses for win
ter use are no longer a mere fashion,
but are general custom. For half a
| century the feather bed has been look
| ed upon very coldly by experts in hy-
giene, but recently both with regard
to the hangings and the feather mat
tress, a change of heart has come
and delicate, nervous, neuralgic, rheu-
matte women, and particularly elder
| ly persons, and those afflicted with in
somnia has been recommended to
take the feather bed cure in the win.
| ter. Queen Victoria is one of the shin
ing proofs of the efficacy of the feather
bed for where she goes a big tick full
of feathers, in it's leather travelling
Jacket, goes too, and always the cur
tains are drawn about the head of
the bed to shut off any draughts.
Queen Victoria and her doctors be.
lieve that the proper way to sleep in
winter is in a cold room luxuriously
Tapped in nest of feathers that pre-
serve all the heat of the body and
necesSitates in the coldest weather a
covering of only one pair of blankets
and down quilt. The modern bed,
so-called hygienic, requires more
heavy covering than a pair of tired
shoulders can stand. and a hair mat.
tress constantly dissipates the human
heat instead of conserving it, besides
drawing away that priceless force,
human electricity; at least this is
what advocates of the feather bed say.
All this drain the feathers prevent,
the easily yielding surface they pre-
sent permits perfect relaxation of the
/ muscles that can never be gained on a
bed of even the best hair With the
/ coming of the eighteenth century type
Of English bed the feather mattress
was introduced, and now there are
| numbers of women who have not only
| learned their virtues, but, like the
| Queen of England. travel about with
their beds done up in leather cases.
! some of the rheumatics and sufferers
from cold feet have pronounced them
selves free from their Affections when
luxuriating among the feathers.
Feather beds are coming into use
as well in nurseries. and though for
children the Georgia four-poster is
not yet the fashion, the gayest beds
are made to chime in with the schemes
Of nursery decoration Charmingly
carved and painted wooden beds are
newly introduced. else they have brass
or sometimes silver let into the dark
wood in appropriate scenes and in
scriptions. On the headboard of a
light maple bed. for example will be
painted night scene of clouds across
the moon and fight of owls: on the
footboard a line of caroling cocks
greeting the sun typifies morning.
N. Y. Sun.