The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1906-02-16

soiltldes Of a New England parish
where abandoned farms were numer.
Gus and neishbors scattered.
Suddenly my companion uttered a
rapfurous exclamation.
Look. OH look. see that ann
spread on the rail fence near those
men ooops, / wonder If that woman
would sell H. Oh. what a beauty"
Appreciation Of old quilts. old chi
ma, old mahogany All all the rest is a
cut. ! have not mastered IL. but |
never quarrel with those who have |
held the horse Will my friend inter
viewed the quilts owner. Presently |
was called from the doorstep.
Come in do. There is a sugar bowl
here In the loyeliesf copper iuster,
Leave the pony He will stand.
lie did stand. until the bargaining
for guilt and sugar bowl was com
pletei.
AS l have said. knowledge Of old
china and mahogany is a cult, Some
have learned il. Some have not. But.
owing 70 its hold on the feminine pub
lie X has created a rev trade. and the
Old a. msteads OF the country have
been searched and cleaned and TOO
often tteir treasures have been bought
for a song and sold for a fortune.
! can understand love and reverence
for furniture and dishes which have
been In ones family for generations.
handed down from mother 70 daugh-
ter, and from father 10 son. An old
clock which has licked faithfully and
steadily in II household during the
changes OF 200 years Is an heirloom TO
be priced. no matter how ugly an arii
Gle * may be in itself
A mahogany table at which ones
great-sreat-erandmo'her poured tea IS
a possession to be tenderly cherished
So with china. II il be Crowned Derby
or WedgewoOd or copper luster. and
women Of the same flood and lineage
have owned IL since colonial days. they
are not 70 blame for considering il as
a thing of which they may boast.
Apart from family associations.
am enough Of a Ph.llistine 10 prefer
examining elegant survivals which
have a large Commercial value when
they are safe behind glass doors in a
museum or whea they stand about IN
halls where historical collections are
IN the custody Of "A curator. | don't
want them in my home. however well
they are insured. Fer chairs and ia
bles that are simply CID | do not care.
IL they have belonged to somebody
else they are nothing TO me. | would
be quite as contented with a good
copy Of sOmethNg antique as with the
antique thing itself were | given the
choice. principally Tor the reason tina
everyday home life brings burdens and
cares enough without stupidity adding
10 them responsibilities which one need
carry.
What We really want OF a chair is
solid.ty. responsibility and comfort
the thought OF spider legged
and tottering sofas and Jim
cracks Of every kind hat are traps for
the unwary. A table should be large
enough to hold papers. books. a lamp
or ghat-not: should have a fiat sur
and good legs OF its own. II ii be
deliberately carved il will need time
and pains TO keep ~ in decent order,
for while carving Is beautiful when
immaculate. il Is net beautiful when
with dust and dirt. Whether
A table be OF oak. ptne. walnut or ma
nogany is a matter OF indifference il il
harmonic with the rest OF ones fur
niture and meet the uses Of a table.
rhe peculiar beauty Of mahogany is in
is deep wine-cOlor and its capahility
IF retaining polish. The older II is
and the more polish il has had the
pleasing it is 10 the eye Of the
h~ousekeeper.
In the south in ente-hellum days
here was a good deal of old mahogany
hat had come down in families. some
II 1t imported from the old home be-
'ond the sea. and II was kept In per
ect condition by the daily rubbing OF
he house servants. The air Of stabili-
v. comfort and leisure In those lovely
outhern homes was in entire contrast
With that OF a clutter ed modern draw
ng room. where there is a chaotic
OF all sorts OF articles. some OF
ne period. some OF another. many Of
hem purchased without the least view
D the general effect. II must be
1o~urnfully admitted that the taste Of
he average householder is a little
oubtful. or else hat the IDEAL Of :
ouse furnishing misses the point Of |
implicitly and utility. :
A house to be we'll furnished must $
ave had one of two al ,antages.
ither it's old china and mahogany.
it'll its old hangings and rugs must |
ave been an inheritance m-llowed and $
lbdued and enriched by time and low
* labor. or else the furniture from
to cellar must have been selected
I'd arranged according TO a good color y
heme. by somebody who knew what b
buy and how to arrange what was .
r.