Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-09-29
Beautifyiing
the Home

once who could gid rollingpins and
paint snow scenes on them and hang
them up on the parlor wall Without
doubt there We're also clever crea-
lures who could crochet circles OF
heavy cord and dip them In glue and
dry them in the shape of baskets when
those items Of fancy work were popu-
lar. However, have strong doubts OF
women's ability nowadays to accom-
plish the feats advised in family mag
azines and columns of household sug-
gestions
When gazed at the old style. bat
tered furniture in our extra bedroom
last spring | remembered an article
! had read on refurnishing the LONE.
With can of enamel paint and a
brush and devout spirit OF duty. the
article said. II was eusy fer any Intel
ligert person to transform utterly
anything in the house The two
chairs were birch, the table bird's-eye
r1ap.e and the dresser walnut. but I
had sudden visions OF an entirely
white enamel room. so bought the
paint Just then the weather turned
| hot
Whenever have special burst
OF energy the weather always turns
hot The heat turks around corners
and lies low. holding It's breath, Just
waiting for me to get ready TO do
something. Then when get ready IT
pounces upon me and reduces ne to
wilted rag. But. having started the
painting bee. had to keep on. be-
cause we had company coming the
following week.
| After had applied one coat Of paint
Mrs. Ringsted dropped In. Mrs. Ring
sted Is one OF those appalling persons
who. apparently. without the slightest
effort on their part. know how to do
everything. thereby increasing the en-
| vious dislike of all their acquaint-
ances. In this case Mrs. Ringsted
threw up her hands and walled be-
cause had not first removed all the
old finish on tho furniture before be-
gan painting
| she said 1t was very simple All
you had to do was to move the pieces
out into the back yard. make pail
| full of strong I've and with an old brush
| scrub the surface. The varaish. she
said, would roll on like water When
| l inquired II my dress and complexion
would do the same II they got spatter-
ed with I've. as they undoubtedly
would, she got mad and went home.
TT was still hotter the next day
| when put on the second coat Of white
paint. and. really. was someVhat dis
couraged to see how the original color
| showed through The dresser was
murky white. the birch chairs we're
streaky and the maple table was
speckled. With the worry and the
heat. looked like combination Of all
| three Of the conditions that afflicted
the furniture.
when turned from the dresser I
found the puppy sitting upright IN the
! rocking chair wagging his tail expect
antly over its freshly painted surface.
When went to chase him out Of the
room stumbled over the straight
chair and grabbing II wildly to bal
ance myself covered my hands with
it's fresh surface You know when
white paint dries on your skin z turns
dark gray and has to wear on.
Each successive day devoted three
solid hours TO putting on another coat
Of the paint Thus missed one pic
mic. one matinee and one luncheon
Gradually began to see the result OF
my efforts, and after five coate OF
paint ] put on the white enamel BY
this time could have drawn with my
eyes shut pictures Of every curlycue ON
each separate stick Of furniture Fur
ther, loatEed each piece with bit
ter hatred. Each morning had to ex-
cavate the moths and gnats that dur
ing the night had unwisely chosen to
roost on the white paint. and then I
had 70 al In the little hollows.
tie family would come and stand
around and tell me how much better
the things would have looked had put
in a little yellow or blue or cerise
into the white enamel to get what they
call tint Once father absent
mindedly sat down on a chair and
stuck there He took most OF its sur
face away with him. thus making me
lot Of extra work The morning aft
er the enamel was on found that the
dresser drawers were stuck tight from
the paint on their edges. In pulling
the lower one out by main force I
went over backward and hurt my
head. also losing my coil Of false hair
In the. open can Of paint on the floor.
When Uncle John anC Aunt Sue ar
rived conducted them to the guest
room and gave them full directions.
told them that on no account must
they sit on the chairs, because the
weather was SO hot the paint refused
TO harden I told them also that
they must not think Of shutting the
dresser drawers because they might
,ever be able to open them again with
out blowing up the whole thing with
dynamite and wasting my handi-
work
Aunt Sue. who Is good house
keeper Of the old fashioned sort. was
greatly annoyed at the open drawers
and from force Of habit shut the ton
one before she thought. She had 10
stay at home from a tea party given
for her because all her front hair was
in the drawer and she couldn't 20
without it. Uncle John broke his pen
~ n.