The sun., 1910-01-30
CAN'T TELL ABOUT CHILDREN
BRANCH or DECORATION IN
UHICH NOTHING rs SURE.
No way Or FOreseeInE the Eject Of
scheme OF Color or Line on a ChIId's
Mind-rwO Boys with Individuality
pink and Roses for Young Girls

1T is all very we'll for decorators to
theprize about the effect of color and line
on the development OF a child" said a
decorator whose experience has given
her the right to smile at the enthusiasms
Of uthers newer to the profession; lit
j. all very we'll for them to work out
elaborate plans to permit of the growth
Of the childish individuality untrammelled
by surroundings, but how many OF them
have gone back after a year and ex-
amined the results OF their ideas after
rhe childish individuality has really
had a chance to impress itself on their
well planned work2
Il have done children's rooms OF everv
degree, from full suites in millionaires'
mansions to tiny rooms in Harlem fats.
and believe me it is a simple matter to
tell which way the cat will Jump COM
pared with telling what the child will do
with your precious Interpretation OF his
Individuality after you turn it over to
him.
Time was when l too made an elabo-
rate study of the child himself before
undertook to create his surroundings
for him. l remember my first commits
sion of that kind. felt it was my great
opportunity and l neglected my other
work and almost went without my meals
while studied that child. a girl, as
preliminary to decorating her room.
Il walked with her outdoors and I
played with her in the house. She was
not an especially attractive child. and
realize now a very stupid child, and I
hored myself to tears trying to discover
an individuality that wasn't there. But
NJ Pal -
an individuality which felt required
all the more soulful Interpretation for
being so elusive.
Il did the room in soft sea greens.
with willow furniture and a little pale
pink in the rug. A year after when was
in the house the mother told me that the
child had pasted so many advertising pic
lures on her sea green walls that they
had moved her into another room with
a cheap paper that she couldn't hurt and
had turned my symphony into a guest
room where its individuality wouldn't
oppress any one.
Another experience with the childish
temperament was really the cause of my
abandoning the application Of psychology
n decoration. Ii was a boys room this
lime, boy about ~ years old with red
iloAi N cAuO hOcC dhO a AOt VI tIGChIeS.
Il knew that a boy with the hair and
nose had individuality all right, but
had not the time or opportunity to make
the careful study OF him that had OF the
little girl, not that it would have made
he slightest difference il l had. So when
is mother and / were setting out to
choose the paper for the lads room I
insisted that he accompany us. though
his fnOfh0r aaEurad ma that he hol -.
ideas at all and would resent as beneath
us dignity 90 feminine an Occupation
~ choosing wall coverings.
1T was plainly beneath his dignity I
and he treated US both with tn, greatest /
condescension. but, instead of resenting
il he showed plainly that he had ideas OF ,
his own. When asked him il he wanted
his walls blue he firmly declined the suk-
gestion. The idea of red was not more
pleasing to him.
we turned over several books OF papers
before he pointed out his choice lovely
iender gray. soft without being cold.
His mother was as amazed as I az this
surprising exhibition of good taste
But now. Frederick / said 10 him
don { you think we ought to have gay
border Of some sort? Aren't you afraid
YOU will tire OF this without something
to brighten it up?
Frederick agreed. and the salesman
brought out the samples Of borders
Book after book Frederick passed 10y
without the slightest interest. Finally
imported papers. Of really lovely quality
and design. There Frederick found his
choice.
He knew it the moment he saw it, and
ne fell on IL with glad CLEAN in his eye
that his mother and l interpreted as |
ArrlIlipi artlRflN idQnl II waa n ha.anSt |
tll bcrder-a soft blue background. with ,
leafess branches of tress thrown against
II, while balancing on these branches Were ,
'he most Fascinating little plump bright
eyed gray birds you ever saw.
II WAS precisely the border I would
have chosen to go with the gray of the \
walls, and | looked with amazement at .
the smiling Frederick. who was the lest
enid in the world you would have sus-
pected OF harboring such Taste. a
50 the paper was bought, although IL il
was more expensive than the mother had
planned TO get, but she felt that such I'm -
evidence Of individuality should not be
lnwarted no matter what it might cost
she went home dreaming OF an artis- u
u" ctreer for her boy, and | went q
my way meditating on what a horrible A
lnisinterpretation of the child l would
ave made II l had not let him exercise
las own taste.
Well, the room was finishes and was a
really lovely, everything being planned
around the keynote furnished by that n
charming border with its balancing birds. :
Perhaps three or possibly four months .
after the boy had selected his paper his j
mother went out one afternoon TO make a
aIls, the maids were both out and the il
hoy was for the first time since he had a
teen ensconced in his new room left !.
alone in the house.
y heard of it afterward from the a
mother, but this in what happened. She Il
7ad scarcely turned the corner OF the Il
street when the boy by means Of the tele- n
ohone and his own sturdy legs passed the
glad word around that the time had come
quickly there assembled half a dozen OF o
ls cronies to whom he had long held out Il
he hope Of this glorious occasion. m
When the mother reached home three a
hours later she was greeted at the n
loor by strange noises, sharp poppings n
mingled with loud boyish cheers She /,
oHoWed the noise straight to Frederick 3 n
lew room and opened the door a
he bed had been pulled out from the 4,
Sau and was being used as q barricade "
1ehInd it crouched the boys. seven OF a
ghaI ~wrfNk ILL