The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-11

knights of the road" showed their patent
collar buttons. shirt fronts. shoe fasteners,
| watch guards, ard other contrivances. and
| the impression produced upon the mind OF
| the observer was that If an absent-minded
man happened to go to sleep in a suit of
clothes fastened together in these ingenious
ways, he might wake up TO the dismaying
fact that he had forgotten how to get out
of them. The commentator seems 10 think
that most Of these devices are waste OF
time and money.
Undoubtedly they are. and SO are the
thousands of modern conveniences" which
have been multiplied to aid the housewife
in kitchen work, and which do not really
make the work any easier. after all. But
here ard there among these is a really use
full invention, and it may be supposed that
the Patent Office is sort of kindergarten.
in which the inventive spirit CT the Ameri-
can nation can learn to improve all appli-
ances of civilized life until they are abso-
lutely perfect.
The chances are, however. that reac-
ton in favor CT simplicity will take place
before very long. What we most need at
present is not more too,s. but greater skill
In handling the tools. and the wise mother
will teach her daughter to COOK a dinner
with the.simplest machinery available. and
do it iust,as well as if she had whole
tinwaref shop at her command The same
rule holds in other things.
American life is too elaborate. 1t needs
to be siinplifed and made less complicated.
We areo wasting money and time and
thought on lot Of things which Go not
really matter. Our public bui, dings. OR
dress. our furniture show an insane craze
for ornaue6taticn. We use things covered
with w6uld-be ornamental figures when
plain articles would serve the purpose just
as well.--we have not yet learned that
nothing is beautiful when it is ont of place.
If girl is pretty in an organde gown
1t does not necessarily follow that a man
will look distinguished in shirt OF the
same material. If the pillars of the Par
thenon are beautiful it does not indicate
that they will add anything to a kitchen
range or a steam radiator, If reproduced
on its front. milking stool may be
picturesque feature of a farm yard, but /
some time ago there were people who
thought ii was nice TO cover such stool
with gold paint, tie pink ribbons on its
legs and set it on the mantelpiece in the
parlor. Such blunders are perversion
of a natural law, which is that all things
are beautiful in their places. A kitchen
may be as delightful as a drawing room |
to the eye of the artist. but only when |
everything in the kitchen is suited to its
place. Very often. in wou!d-be stylish !
American house, the kitchen is the only |
really attractive room, because it is the /
only one properly furnished. Some sensi- /
bic. old-fashioned grandmother. aunt, or |
housekeeper has been allowed to have her |
own way here, and the result is a pic !
turesque and harmonious effect.
Let popular taste revert to simplicity. |
a safe rule TO follow is to adapt all useful |
things TO the use for which they axe |
intended, TO make them as perfec. in |
their way as they can be. A modern |
bridge. though constructed without Or
nament, on strictly scientific principles, |
is beautiful object, because it is in |
harmony with the laws of nature; and |
ultimately the principles Of use and |
beauty are the same. A church built |
so that it will be accusticaliy per-
feet, and suit exactly the needs of the |
worshipers, will, If well built and simple. |
have a beauty of its own; but if ii is
mixture of half dozen different styles,
an attempt to express the notions of sew |
eral conflicting elements in the congrega- :
tion who are aiming at 'gentility' of eff
feet. the result will be permanent and
haunting horror.