Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-05-16
PORTALS NEW YORK LETTER.

no wanderipgs In the mart OF Dame
Fashion. The frivolous world goes on
Milady Of leisure exhibits new aud
startling spring gowns, but Portia is
lust doing the prosy house cleaning,
Lit is all very we'll for the woman with
country house or villa by the sea 10
flee to when the Dog days come, to just
ignore the importance OF the spring
cleaning, the awful tearing up, when
the lord OF the house taxes to his heels
and his clubs for fear Of being asked
TO partalse OF cold dinner off hot
Kitchen table-now-I have no country
place and no villa, but wager / can
make my winter apartments look as
cool ard attractive as the average
suburban home. 1t is surprising how
lovable an apartment can be made
for the summer with lite effort, and
the first warm days suggest to the
housewife that che had better make
ready for the summer. Those Of us who
have lived in this climate for number
Of yenrs know that the month of spring
blossoms usually brings US at least
one week of very warm weather, and it
is we'll 10 be prepared for it. Heavy
draperies OF all kinds should be taken
down, brushed, and carefully put away
for the summer. All elaborate orna-
ments should be removed from the
rarlors. libraries---in fact, all rooms
and pat away on a closet shelf for the
heated term. Redundant things fill up
a room and look anything but cool.
Again when they reappear in the
autumn they always seem to be doubiy
attractive. Any object that is likely to
accumulate dust should be put away il
nl Ettr oh he, n1a
and securely seaied from the deadly
moth, and 1t is well to put email rugs
away. There is an endless number of
charming cretons TO select from that
can be laundared, and the ever useful
striped heavy Jinens make excellent
covers The materials for them should
be selected with regard to the general
tone Of the room. Aclever woman who
has already made her living room into
summer Eittingroom selected an at
tractiYe ofetonne in green ivory, the
green design on the ivory background.
The room has plain green walls, and
the effect Is cool and wholesome. The
couch pillows. ohairs-in fact, the
tHbles-are all covered with cretonne.
The comfort Of the table cover must be
tried to be appreciated. The dampness
In summer, comoine with dust, make
it quite impossible to keep the smooth
surface OF furniture polished. Before
furniture is covered it should be
thoroughly brushed and covered tightly
with cotton cloth before the slip covers
ARE placed upon it. This protects it
we'll, and unless So covered the slips
should be removed at least once week
and the furniture brushed.
All draperies, even sash curtains,
should be done away with in summer,
except at bedroom or diningroom
windows. Screens are a necessity, but
they are ruinous to curtains, and 1t Is
impossible TO keep them clean, as they
necessarily fly in the breozeJ aad flap
against the wire netting. which is a
great acoumulator of dirt. If the
diningroom looks hopelessly bare when
the heavy draperies are taken down, try
first placing flower boxes on the
window stills. In nine cases out of ten
the gay towering blossoms will furnish
and refresh to such a degree that the
draperies will not be missed. kob the
sideboard and eide table Of some OF the
silver and glass articles, as bothywill
gather dust and the silver Will become
hopessly duh after a few days expos
ure to light and air. Use only the
most delicate china, that is, delicate
in design, blue and white, green and
white and gold and white, for example.
If the floors of bedrooms are covered
with mating and rugs, remove the
rugs and have them carefully cleaned
and put AWAY. Light and dust will
ruin any but the finest quality. II
oouches ind chairs are upholssered
select cotton coyer and cover them
s..Yst k.... q. =
white paper use cotton to match and
much care aud Washing will be saved il
cover Of the same material is con-
yerted into bedspread, using only a
bolster on it and covering all with the
spread, which can be made more at
tractiye by placing four inch ruffie
all around it,. Fascinating cottons can
be found with white grounds be-
sprinkled with pink roses, which are
appropriate for a pink or green room.
There is nothing SO pretty after all as
pure white bed, and inexpensive
dimity spreads can be; found in all
sizes which can be easily laundered and
they look much cooler than the heavi or
variety OF lace OF embroidered cover
let A dainty woman who has a
passion for violets has used the color Of
these sweet flowers as the dominant
| one in her bedroom. The walls are
covered with an ivory paper, orna-
mented with punches of violets, tied
with yellow bow knots. In her leisure
moments she has embroidered two OF
| the light dainty spreads with punches
| OF violets, single bunch In one corner
Of each spread, which gives them de-
| cidedly summery lock,
Denim makes an excellent summer
covering for floors. 1t is not dust
| collector and is not apt to fade. II
can also be used for slip covers and
! draperies for bookcases ard the like.
Lamp and gas shades andCglobes should
| be shaded to eubdue the light except
| on a reading lamp, as light always
suggests heat in the summer. Tho Use
| full and various colored tissue paper is
exoellept fol this purpose, or better
still, the paper empire shades decorated
with flowers. The kitchen, too. In the
| town houss should not be forgotten, fol
ven il can be given touches that are
| suggestive of the refreshing elements
OF the season. Naturally II there is q
yard this Is easily done by planting a
| few flowers or shrubs, and adding a
garden seat. But in the case of an
apartment it is different. IL there is q
balcony 1t can be made very attractive
with vines ard plants. TIE railing cat
be made one mass of refreshing. greer
| vines il boxes are placed upon it ano
seeds planted early in May, and all
| this breath of summer freshness can be
procured at trifling expense. If there
is no balcony to be converted into 9
garden, place boxes in which seeds have
been planted in the windows and by the