The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-10-25
lUcnnen and Society.

BY MRS J. M. DE coTTEs.

dislikes concerning its arrangement. This is evident in many of the hand some old homes still remaining about the city. But as a rule. the facts are quite different now. Whenever a man feels that he Is able to build a house. at sonce the wife is called to his side that she may make what suggestion she desires. for greater convenience or beauty. The two together consult the architects plans, and combine their taste and judgment in the arrange ment of details, until as a rule, modern houses are not only handsome, but convenient.
 In the House Beautiful is an article by Elizabeth Emery, The Vital Things in the Home. and the Brtc-a-Brac habit, by Oliver Coleman.
 MT. Coleman says:
 It can not be made too strong prin- ciple that whereas an ugly useful object is unfortunate but sometimes un- avoidable. an ugly or counterfeit object dart Is a real crime. Where an object has no possible use. it must be perfect artistically to justify its being. How many of us can afford to have about us. on our mantels and in our cabi- nets, such creations? The collector buys a jar because its peach blow color Is the rarest in the world, because the decoration needs a mfscroscope to bring. it out. He buys an ivory for the minuteness of the carving, a snuff-box for the gorgeous inlay of rare enamelsj all this is right enough, but why should we spend our money for frivolous imi- tations, which will not bear close scrutiny. and which merely clutter our houses?
 This is added:
 Most of our houses are too full, even If all the objects are really worthy, Only last year I told of a great col lector who has adopted the Japanese plan of storing the bulk of his treasures in his basement. only having about his house a few choice articles at a time. Having so many, he takes pleasure in changing them about; but never more than few at time are in sight. Thus each has chance to display it's real beauty. This is artistic, and am tempt- ed to say we'll bred. We need the sense of space, and few seem to know how much more beautiful a blank space may be than poor. weak. or ugly object
 Some people of genius have not re- vealed in their childhood, the set-apart- ness of their mature years. Sometimes there Is absolutely a tendency to sug- gest dullness or want of special capac- ity. as in the case of Byron or Walter Scott, in their early days.
 The Literary Worlds Little Journey of this month gives a statement con- corning the childhood of Mrs. Kate Douglass .Wiggin. tending to prove that children need not be holy terrors" or absurd in any way in order to give evil dence of the lofty genius that would show up at a later day.
 The alaa QinO nF tn Wiggins shows the sweet naturalness of a well balanced life of a young girl that Is wholesome for its example,
 In Little Journey" the following is said of Miss Wiggins
 My sister was certainly a capable little person at a tender age, concoct- ing delectable milk toast, browning toothsome buckwheats, and generally making a very good Parents Assistant. l have also visions of her toiling at patchwork and oversewing sheets like nice old-fashioned little girl in a story book; and in connection with the linsey-woolsey frock and the sled be- fore mentioned, I see a blue and white hood with a mass of shining fair hair escaping below 1t, and a pair of very pink cheeks"
 Wood alcohol is much more danger ous than was formerly supposed. A re- cent laborious investigation through American physicians and health officers has traced 142 cases of blindness and sixty-two deaths directly to this sub stance. either pure or in adulterated essences. extracts and other prepara- tions. Even the vapor from 1iniment may cause partial or total loss of sight.
 A new vegetable for table use is the crambe tataria, an umbelliferous plant resembling sea-kale. The sweet roots, raw and cooked, are eaten by Tartars and Cossacks, and for these and the sprouts also 1t is recommended for cul-