Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-05-12

would not recognize 1t.
She sighed delightedly as she Iooket
lround when she had put on the last
touch; she decided on final tour OF IN
;pection and ascended the stairs.
She went to the guest room first. Here
;tood an old mahogany bed and bureau
IF no great beauty or value, but substan,,
tial and good. They were pollshed tii
hey shone and each rejoiced in new COW
erings. The bed had quaint Ola piue a
md white spread, woven many years be
fore but as Marcia knew to be prlZeu
more highly today than ever. Inc pu,
eau had a frilled white muslin SQUARE on
it, and an inexpensive tray or TWO OF
blue and white china. The, walls were
oapered in Delft and blue and white In
'arge, old-fashioned pattern. Ihe moor
lad cheap mating. and its center was
covered with a blue and white japanese
'ug. 1t would not receive much wear here,
and so was not a foolish purchase as 1t
would have been for another room.
There were a couple of mahogany
chairs with chintz cushions like the pa
per;-Marcia had recovered all the chairs
in the house herself-and willow rocker.
There was a good sized table at one side
with some books on it. The wash-stand
had been an anxiety, for there was none
in the house like the furniture and she
lid not wish to use another wood, while
buying one of mahogany was out of the
question. A compromise was finally
made by gettinr cheap iron one painted
white and putting it behind dainty
clothes-horse but was now disguised by
covering of paper, like that on the
walls. tackled on over unbleached cotton.
dows. as fresh as possible, and the eff
feet of the whole Marcia found charm
ing" with complacent self-approval.
''The benefits of college education are
'House-furnshing was not in the curric
ulum yet | learned it because I went
there. This room is like the guest room
at Helen Anderson's where | stayed at
Easter in iIlpiDr only If really
prettier. if anything. And my room is
like one in Howell dormitory, and the
parlor is like the Deans. So after all.
nothing is wasted!
She passed out and crossed to her moth
er's room This Mrs. Noble had begged
her not to change. but Marcia had pa
tains. spread bright rug by the bed
and lowered the family pictures foot.
and it was vastly improved
Her own room was lovely, though sim
pie A white paper covered with huge
roses. was on the wall. and the chairs
were covered with chintz to match. Mar
cia had repainted the furniture herself
with two coats of paint: she had also
nailed strips of wood to the four corners
of the bed and others across them. until
she had frame work from which to
hang a canopy of muslin curtains; val
ance to match reached from the mat
tress to the floor. where a mating took
the place of the discarded carpet; the
room was dainty and pretty enough to
womankind.
The room over the kitchen belonged to
the hired girl. when they had one. 1t
had always been close and hot, and
crowded with furniture too shabby to he
used elsewhere. Now it was fresh and
cool, with open windows, a little iron bed
a shelf of books, and a wash-stand with
mirror over it. The floor was painted
yellow and strip of fresh rag carpet
lay by the bed.
f1n nlIr o rir ms Sf
cia thought COntentedly.
Down stairs the dining-room was now
one not only in name but in fact. To be
sure the lounge was still there. but it
had been recovered. and the bookcase
changed into a cupboard. Plates and
cups We're visible through the glass
doors; and it wore quite a fashionable air.
A very simple oak side-board stood oppo-
site it, Mrs Noble felt this was almost
too stylish but still she admired it.
This floor was stained brown. and neatly
covered with a plain finely woven Eng
lish rug of olive green. The walls too
were olive. and held a few framed pho
tographs. Marcia luckily owned dozen
fine ones, brought her from Europe by
classmate. The open windows looked in
to Il shady side porch. and altogether ev-
erything seemed cosy and home-like.
Best of all Mrs. Noble had promised that
there should be no more meals served in
the kitchen.
The best room was inspected last.
It had been rather difficult to arrange.
too fine for daily use. 1t was north
room, and as substitute for sunshine it
had now q yellow paper with large ,bu but
floor was stained brown like that of the
diningroom. and a large rug of mixed
but harmonious colors lay upon it. NO
one would ever guess its origin" thought
Marcia. 1t looked oriental. ii was thick
and velvety. and would wear a lifetime,
but it was really woven in the city from
all the old carpets Of varying ages and
textures in the house.
The mantel and woodwork were white.
On the walls were hanging shelves also
white, some filled with books. some hold
ing pieces Of Grandfather Hoods old blue
china, rather cracked to be sure. but OF
beautiful color. There were framed pno-
tograpns here, also, not many, but good
ones, n Madonna, Venetian scene in col
There was a low white table with books
on it; box couch made by the village
carpenter and draped with the other one
of Marcia's pair Italian blankets. 1t had
some pillows made from a discarded
featherbed and covered with Oriental cot
tons The chairs We're the old ones Ie-cov-
cred with remnants of tapestry In the
windows under the muslin curtains were
Green-painted boxes full Of beautiful ferns
and a great pot Of them stood in the
empty fire place also. Marcia sat down III
the rocking chair.
ITS certainly a transformation, she
mused. 1T is cheerful and fresh and har
monious. I'll not be ashamed now To- have
any one of the girls visit me. Mother
and father are really delighted, and when
| tell them that I've spent less than
hundred dollars on it all. they won't be
able to believe me. It's all perfectly sat
isfactory, simple, suitable to our station
in life. and yet as pretty as can be. Isn't
it pretty. mother?" she repeated aloud, as
Mrs. Noble appeared in the door.
'Pretty?' repeated her mother with en-
phaSiS, there isn't as pretty a house at
the Corners. no. nor in the village, either.
Marcia. what thing it iS to 20 to col
lege. ge."-American Kitchen Magazine