Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-11-22
What the Bows Want.

The want may be unexpressed. it
may be unrealized by the boy himself
but it is there nevertheless. Every
boy wants, and needs, and should have
a place of his very own in which to
keep his belongings, and exercise his
own ideas of arranging and caring for
them. And il a whole room, of gopd
dimensions, can be given to each 10y
for this purpose, it will be more APP
preciated than when shared with an
other.
1t is well-known that there are many
mothers who worry because their boys
will not keep themselves neat, that
they will stay out Of doors the whole
day, and have tendency to spend
their evenings anywhere but at home.
Yet they rarely seem to realize that it
| is necessary to make the part of home
| which really belongs to that boy-his
own d-rOOm-attractive. Next to
the room occupied by the maid, the
least habitable one in the house, is the
one which is assigned to the boys.
The daughter has her own room, and
| her mothers sympathy and help in
| furnishing it to suit her fancy, but it is
| taken for granted that John or Charlie
cannot appreciate pretty things; that
| it is his nature to like boots on his
| floor and soiled handkerchief on his
| bureau. and that nothing but age can
alter him, whereas the truth is that
age will only make him worse, unless
is taught him in the beginning, the art
of neatness.
Isn't it rather pity that boys
idea of what his room at home might
| be made is often gained from some
other fellows room when he first goes
| to college?
Muslin and ribbon, to be sure will
not play the important part in furnish
| ing Johns room that it did in his sis
ter's room. John has no fOndness for
| frills; he thinks them a nuisance and
| in the way. The bureau-cOver may
not be dotted swiss, and the pin-cush-
| ion will not be appreciated any more
| for the rosettes of baby ribbon; but a
cover of strong, white linen with a
| wide hem, and possibly some neat de-
sign embroidered on the ends, will
make the bureau fresh and dainty A
big pin-cushiOn cover, with a neatly
hemstitched square of sheer muslin
will appeal to his youthful soul and
boyish fancy more than all the good
or-nOthing lace and ribbon" that
dainty fingers could put together.
Of course, Johns room does not want
tea table. but he does want a desk
an1 lounge as badly as his sister.
Not lounge with an elegant, dainty
cover. RULED pillows. ETC.. but leather
couch or a rattan divan. with cushions
which have plenty of feathers, but no
ruff1es.
This couch would, I fancy. have
many a tale TO tell in after years were
it permitted to relate the number of air
cas,les built. surrounded by it's COSY
pillows, of what is to be done when
am man." for boy has just as many
dreams as girl; they differ from each
other in quality rather than quantity
The desk, too, should he there-ano
there is no reason why it should not,
for the very thing he wants can be
bought for five or ten dollars-for then
there will be a place for MIN to wrestie
with the composition fiend," and a
place to keep his school notes and party
Invitations.
John will soon decorate the walls
with his own ideas Of art but in one
corner there should be a little book
shelf fastened to the wall where his
algebra, his Caesar and the other ter
rors of his existence, may have a place.
and be kept in that place.
The furniture proper should be of a
quality. The basin On the
should be of generous size,
for boys must have space: screw in |
the wall back Of The stand should re-
mind him not to lay his wet sponge on |
Tire dainty stand-cover. which should
be linen. like the one for the bureau: a
threc- prcnged rack. fastened to the
tide Of the stand, will recall to him the