New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-14
roURNrNq DINNER DRESS.

taking It for granted that we can't afford
fat, we inform ourselves on the subject
I'VE did. And the result Of our Investigations
was that by the end Of February was keeping
house with Hope, and spending no more money
ual surprise to me at first to find that 1t could
be done To be sure we didn't live on the scale
I had pictured In my dreams, and the fiat was
very small and very plain; but it was home, and
we had what we wanted to eat. and we were
much happier than we'd been In the boarding
house that it seemed absurd to think 1t was
costing so little.
1--WE have left that fat now. graduated into a
bigger one, in q better part Of the city; but
shall always remember it with affection. though
IT was In East Side model tenement house It
wasn't entirely q question OF low rent that took
US there Further uptown we saw hats OF the
same size, in good locations, at $40 and S22 a
month. and we paid SO 80 The fact was, we
thought il would be interesting to live on the
East Side for a while. 1t was. I got moro than
one bit Of copy over there. The slums were
around US, but building was kept clean, and
we, the top floor, got plenty of light and air
and q glimpse of the boats on the East River
We had four rooms opening separately off
private hall; parlor of a quaint. irregular
shape, two small bedrooms ana a long Kitchen.
so arranged that one end could be screened off
for a dining room. But the steam heat was what
appealed to US, and the bathroom, with its
supply OF hot and cold water; unless you have
lived in a cheap boarding house you can't know
what It meant to get a. bathroom Of our own.
FURNITURE QUESTION.
when one takes nat. naturally one has 20
think Of furniture. Hope possessed $50, which
she had been boarding with the intention Of
buying some new clothes; she resolved to wear
her old things and to lay her money on the
altar of home. raised $50 by selling my one
treasure, an antique gold chain. One hundred
dollars was not large sum. considering that
we had to get everything, that we had not so
much a spoon to begin with; but, as Hope
remarked, 1t is vulgar to have too much furni-
ture We keyed our decorations, if stunts
he oolOr Of he
walls which were painted soft pale yellow
brown, with q dado Of dull red in the hall and
kitchen. Nothing had been done to the floors.
stained them with a mixture OF burnt
Turkey lumber and equal parts of turpentine
and inseed oil. The stain commended itself to
US because It was easily applied and lneXpen-
sive but the result was very satisfactory.
pecially when the floors were used awhile and
the natural beautiful grain of the wood showed
out in lighter markings against the brown.
Having done the floors it occurred to US to
get furniture in the white, if we could, and
stain it. Down on 1st-ave. we found a shop
the owner of which caught our idea. I see
what you want he said. No gingerbread
work to bother you when you do the staining
he got the things from the factory-a plain
round dining table, four chairs-they were
kitchen chairs, but the lines were good-a
chiffonier, a small rocker, and set of plain
book shelves And they cost us only $23. In
the basement Of a department store we found
a bench with high ends, Of shape we nked,
at 81 49, it was meant for the kitchen but
stained and with some cushions it made not
inartistic settee for parlor. We bought a
WIDE TWO leaVeQ clOlneSnOISep lOO, SLolilSO II
and tackled burlap on for a screen. to hide the
gas stove and the sink when we dined.
Before we let our decorative ardor loose,
however, we took care to lay in beds and bed
ding and a few pots and pans We wanted
metal beds, but they cost too much so for the
first time we had to be satisfied with cots
wood cots with woven wire springs-and with
wool pads for mattresses. We bought three
cots and put in the parlor for a couch,
with slip OF denim and cushions covered with
tapestry in leaf-brown, with touches OF red and
gold The couch with its trimmings and the
beds and bedding. two downies. blankets Pill
lows cases half dozen sheets and two spreads
cost $50 80 precisely. our sheets were cotton,
and so were the tablecloths; our silver was
plated and our stock Of cooking utensils was
tvpically East Side, it was so small. but we
consoIed ourselves with the hope of getting more
and better things anon. And by rummaging in
the easements of department and art stores
we picked UP some really pretty pieces OF
china. odd cups and plates and so on for almost
nothing.
'As we could afford only chiffonier just
then we drew lots to which of us should
have it. II fell to Hope. Luckily my trunk
was one of these with the bureau drawer in
terror arrangement and l fixed up a dressing