Evening star., 1901-06-08
WHEN SHE COMES HOME
PRETTY ROOM PREPARED FOR THE
ELDEST DAUGHTER.
Arranged for a Surprise and All the
Family Having a Token
in 1t.

The attitude of the household is modified
In regard to it's eldest fair idol when she
comes home from college armed with a
sheepskin and all the airs and graces of
grown-up young ladyhood. Her father and
| mother cannot forget that when she went
away they lost a harum scarum in short
| skirts who climbed trees and fences with
the same agility that she afterward dis
| played In ascending to the head of her
| classes and to the captaincy of the basket
| ball and boating teams of the alma mater.
With the airs and graces and wisdom she
acquires during her collegiate career the
| family finds its awe of her increasing in a
mighty ratio. What was good enough for
| little Dolly Bess is far from being
| worthy of the accomplished Miss Dorothy
or the elegant Miss Elizabeth, and after
the commencement, while the damsel is
| away on round of visits of ceremony or
| pleasure to her classmates and relatives.
| father and mother put their heads together
| to decide how they can best please their
| little girl" for such she will always be
| to them in spite of long skirts, turned up
hair, society manners and the wisdom of
| a Minerva.
John" says mother 'T think Dolly
| ought to have room. to herself; all young
| ladies do. 1t is too much to expect her
to lodge with the younger girls now. OF
| course, it's hard for us to realize that she
| Is out of the nursery, but we must face
| 1t. Dolly is a young lady, and she needs a
place where she can entertain her girl
| chums, where she can retire unmolested
| for a quiet cry when things don't go just
they should or she is a bit nervous.
| Girls have moods, and dispositions are
| often spoiled because they have no chance
in a crowded household to fight out their
| little troubles alone. All young women
| have their fads and foibles and fancies.
| Two girls in a room are apt to be check
| on individuality, for one is certain to copy
| the other in everything even to the way of
| dressing char2
| is laughed or teased out of her eccentrici-
| ties by her roommate. oh. of course, l
| agree with you that eccentricities are bad.
| but 1t is better for the girl to find that out
| for herself than to give them up out of
| cowardice-a fear of ridicule. / want my
| girls to have individuality; let them be
| bit eccentric rather than colorleSS 1nant-
| ties''
well, what room shall we give her?"
Small, but Pretty.
"Yes, I was thinking of that. We are
crowded but there is the sewing room. I
can just as well as not move the sewing
machine into my room. and when the seam
| stress comes some other place will have to
be found. The sewing room is light and
airy and large enough for a girls den. I
think 1 can make 1t very pretty and COM
Portable without much expenditure"
So John agrees that it is the very thing
only he should not have been clever enough
to think of it, and he goes off to business
pondering the intricacies of female
character. which his wife seems to so
marvelously comprehend. but which, man
like, he has always found beyond his abil
ity to unravel
Meanwhile mother calls in for consulta-
tion Jane. the faithful domestic of the |
family. They plan and plot until by even
ing mother has a well defined idea Of how
that room will look when she puts all her
designs into execution. She assumes a
mysterious air and will not take the family |
into her confidence, although she says that
any one who may wish to contribute some |
thing toward furnishing the room will be
cordially seconded either with advice or !
assistance All are delighted and anxious |
to add their mites to the beautifying of |
sisters room, even to baby, who pipes out |
anXiously me too! Me tooi' to a spoon |
accompaniment that would amply repay
big sister, for the time she has sacrificed |
to amusing him during vacation times |
when she has had heaps of more interest |
ing things to do.
All Take Hand.
Sofa cushions are worked; the boys make |
frames for pictures and even build book
shelves and brackets for snug corners
Father borrows a hammer and saw and |
tolls evenings in the basement, knocking |
together frames for corner window seats or |
couches which mother hopes to fit with |
cushions cut from old mattresses and COW
cred with bright -colored shawls and chntz |
draperies
The door is locked, and no one is allowed |
to enter until Dolly herself comes flushed |
trlumDhS,
oh, so glad to be with the home folks
again
They all escort her in triumph to her
sanctum Dolly going arm in arm with |
mother and leading the procession. When
the door is flung open and she looks about |
discovering this or that familiar personal
possession bestowed where it will be most
effective, her gratitude bubbles into smiles
and thanks.
You dear, kind, generous darIingsr' is
all she can say. and then kisses them
with
father and winding up with baby, who gets
an extra hug when ne roarS in ecstasy: IT
did it! l made that!"
1t is perhaps just a Smudgy pin tray of
woven paper, baby's kindergarten master
piece, but she knows how the little fellow
toiled over it, and she rewards him with
exaggerated gratitude that warns his in
FAINT heart.
The Boys Part.
There in corner are the tables that
the boys made. One has crossed legs made
from discarded curtain poles cut to the
p1 oper length and nicely stained to match
the color of the square board screwed on
as top. The other table is a low, three
legged affair, with a circular top and won
derful shelf. Its surface is covered with
white enamel, and the legs were nothing
but 'broomsticks carefully cut down and |
sandpapered before enameling but no one
would ever guess that. The folfos reposing
upon the top contain the cherished souve-
Mrs of college life,her botanical specimens
the alDum OF photographs, amateur and |
otherwise, illustrative of college scenes
friendships and larks Another volume |
contains complete set of the college paper
bound aid covered with a decorated linen
cover. the work of Sister Daisys patient
fingers.
James Success.
The larger table is intended for writing
materials and holds everything that will
tighten the labors of correspondence Back
of 1t hangs pretty calendar. contributed
by an artist friend. Suggestively near the
table is a cozy wicker chair. The family
had supposed that that chair had seen it's
best days when Jane carried 1t Off to the
store room, and they had all smiled when
that worthy domestic suggested that
something can be made of It." Jane had
offered to be responsible for it's rehabilita-
tion and was quite positive that her sister
in-law's cousins chair, which had bloomed |
anew after passing into more abject
stages, would not be a circumstance to this
when she had completed her labors Jane
scrubbed the chair and tackled in q cheap
perforated bottom to take the place of the
wrecked wicker one. Then she purchased
some green enamel and went carefully