Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1904-05-19
The New Idea In
Summer Furnishings.
BY MARY AxxABLE FAxrox.
AzzANA.

~ INK ABOUT IurnfSDing a nome Tor
summer sounds terribly extravagant,
But it really doesn't take much money,
though undoubtedly some thought and
time. Yon can get. by little hunting
about, very inexpensive cottons, but they
must harmonic In tone with the room
and must be kept fresh during the days
of open windows and dust-laden winds.
Ii is a good thing for US all that the
awful old-time notion Of hiding furniture
during the hot weather i'm humiliating
| garments that were a cross i'm appear
ance between horse blanket and a win
dow-awning has entirely gone out" A
home is no longer supposed to feel cool in
proportion as it looks dismal.
Taking down heavy curtains and p,sek-
ing rugs and carpets and turning furni-
ture into ugly ghosts of comfort. truly
cannot contribute overmuch to n light
hearted enjoyment OF summer days.
1t is right enough to empty ones home
Tor the summer of woods that gather
moths and dust, and to have the pleas
ant sense OF clean GOODNESS suggested by
uncarpeted floors and to have upholster-
ed furniture disguised or put aside for
rush or hard wood.
But it il absurd to think that warm
weather lessons our appreciation ofhome
comfort and prettiness. We NAV feel
the heat, but we do want our windows
cHrtained, our chairs cool and coaxing.
our doors with some sort of drapery,
though light enough to be easily drawn
aside, and of a color to suggest rest and
peace.
In other words, the wise housekeeper
builds up where she destroys. She does
not empty her home, she changes il. for
summer; she substitutes white or cream
or muslins or lowered cottons for dark
veleurs and wool, and If she covers her
chairs it IL in some picturesque fashion
with India grass-cloth, japanese linen or
denim dyed any color she likes. All these
stuffs also make excellent door hanginps.
and all, except the japanese linen, are
very cheap, denim in loveliest shadescost-
| ing but Is cents n yard and imported
grass-cloth % cents.
For sitting-room, cool green denim
for. furniture covering, made i'm some pic-
turesque fashion with valances or fringe.
grass-cloth for doors, and pale dull green
| fish net at the windows, or thin Victoria
lawn at Zoe n yard, or cotton mousse
line covered with a pale green trellis and
scattered Pompadour roses, or a japan
ese design of delicate violet wistaria, and
costing but few cents yard.
II floor covering is desirable. the best
and cheapest stuff il ingram filing i'm dull
tones, or "A canvas filling which is seldom
more than 30 cents a yard.
The bedrooms may all be white, with
dotted Swiss curtains, dimity bedspreads
and door curtains, and bare floors or a
single strip of pale dull yellow filing; or
II money is to be spent, the new Pompa-
dOur cottons will be used.
There il perfect craze this year for the
Pompadour flower designs, not only in
dresses, ribbons, underwear and MILNE
~, but in every sort of upholstery, from
the heaviest satin broeades to the cheap.
est muslins. And they certainly give the
room a charmingly cool flowcr-like look.
For bedrooms, roses are preferred, with
daffodils and Tiolets second; for the din
ing-room, blue-and- white effects are gain
ed by designs of bachelors buttons or
| gentain or corn flowers, or huge splashes
of blue clematis.
| The most popular material is cotton
reps, and often the cottons are mercer.
lied, gaining thereby those rich effects OF
1 brocade, which outlasts washing.
| Ii il really astonishing, too, how com
pletely one can reyOlutionize a house
adding delightful summertime effects
with the expense of but few dollars
One could easily do a sitting-room, az
described here, and two bedrooms in
white, or with an inexpensive Pompadour
effect, for $12.OOor $500. The furnish
ing, if properly cleaned at the end of the
summer, would last two or three seasons
and have no doubt thot a blue-and.
white dining room could be accomplished
for not more than $500.
The washing of these summer draperies
naturally demand some thought and
care. Ii can be easily done, but never
carelessly.
The colored linens or Pompadour cot
tens should he put tn soak In n pail O
hot water i'm which tablespoonful ol
borax has been dissolved When the wa
ter has cooled, then put them into tuI
of boiling water in which you have frs,
dissolved half cup of borax and half a
bar of CASTLE Soap. Do not put ON the
stove as you cannot boil clothes and keeT
the color. Rub lightly in the hands. a
board il not necessary with borax, and
rinse in warm water with a tablespoon
full Of borax, a second rinsing should bt
i'm clear cold water.
Wiring out partially and let drip dry in
the shade, where, If possible. there il a
breeze. Iron on the wrong side befors
quite dry, and il both sides Of goods is t.
show, cover with clean brown wrapping
paper.
Frequently the denim and dark liner
will last without trip to thelaundry al
summer, but Pompadourcottons are very
likely to look dusty by the middle Of An
gust. And all of the summer draperies
and coverings must he packed away per
fectly clean By the 18th of October, or 4.
soon a. the fires are lighted.