The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-22

OF happiness was about full, when
my neighbor. who had been the first
to acquaint me with the situation.
came in with her and fun of dewy
blossoms, and with tears In her eyes,
said. Read that" She landed me
u card. whic was .iAd /, the nowaIs:
Dete mis- jones I send you his
boksS. which ! cut from my cwn
fiour garden, whitcn mis- BROW gived
me. l am sorry l ever stole one NV
our roses, fer If you loved yer roses
like | does my hours. l nc you must
hev thot / wuz offal meal / will
never steal no hours from nobody
agin. fer now'I noes how mulch emmy
one what hez lours luves them. Come
ter see my 1ours.
Your friend In -four luvin'.
MIKE JOHNSON"
Problem No. 2.
1t seemed TO me as I look around Il
living room. that | had never seen 1t
look so shabby. Outside the birds We're
~caroiling their sweetest songs and the
sunshine seemed to WOO one out of
doors. With q sigh. / realized that the
sunshine which Is generally SO gladly
welcomed but served to render more
apparent, the dingy, dusty look of this
room. which had now begun to crate
on my nerves. A large drugget which
seemed to hold the dust. despite vfgo-
rous sweepings, ana an upholstered
parlor suit purchased Q twenty
years ago, formed the main furnishing
OF this room. There was 10 use IN IN
dulging In fairy dreams Of wicker fur
niture, for even a new set OF oak
chairs was not a possibility. But still
! set nay teeth together hard and re-
solved that something should be done.
An Inventory being Ike of the con-
- $3.50 - 49, -rkaa AYz< fi1E I aatYtl
spare only three dollars for the an
dertaking Of completely sevolutionizing
the appearance of this cor "One dol
lar for walls, one dollar for the floor
and one dollar for the furnishings" I
repeated grimly. And all the work 10
do myself, But I'll do II. I'll make this
room sweet and attractive or I'll die
trying" ! resolved heroiraiiy.
My first days work consisted OF TAX
ing down all the pictures. cleaning them
and laundering the lace curtains. My
next vas spent in shopping with three
dollars. imagine IT. But wren T re
turned | was reasonably cheerful, for ]
already had a vista of a cream cool look
ing room. The most peritous undertake
ing was the walls. but after going over
them carefully. wiping off the dust,
with the aid OF q step ladder. a large
table and soma boards. | managed to
tint them a light green by applying
a coat of muresco. I had picked up
a narrow wall paper border at bargain
prices. which toned beautifully with the
side walls. | discarded the family por-
traits with their heavy gilt and plush
frames, for a season. and substituted
some small views and heads which L
had collected from magazines, n
which I partnuts" These and
one dainty calendars completed my
walls.
No one but myself wifi ever know
the degree of satisfaction ! experienced
when I took up the drugget, laid II on
the grass and proceeded to give 1t good
hard vigorous blows, Il seemed ] was
then getting a little even with 1t for
the labor it had cost me all winter. /
resigned it to my packing closet with
out a shadow OF regret. My floor was
next stained with "A walnut staining
containing varnish, ana a new mating
rug, also procured cheap placed across
the fire place. | had III former years
had two vineyard pieces OF mating
left from covering floors. These !
bound with a green border. making
small rugs to place In convenient
pla ces. But though / had succeeded in
painting walls n staining the floor.
vet | could not undertake to reuphoi-
ster furniture. So | bought cheap
white cannon cloth. and cutting pieces
the size of the plush | scafloned these
all around, working with pearl lustre.
These We're smoothly pinned to the
backs n tied to the seats, with white
washable cord passing around the legs
Of chairs and sofa. Some ten or
twelve washable sofa pillows. many of
them made from scraps of dotted swiss,
Powered orgardy and checked bingham.
filled with dried grass. which had been
sayed the previous summer, made an
attractive addition. a white hem
stitched lambrequin. also mad of can
rSsaa. cloih,4 a esha u @ scream made by
Joining the main portions of two old
easels, and filing with dotted swiss,
completed the summer" touch given to
the mantle. And when had hung my
fresh curtains, put clean center pieces
on small stands for books. brought in
my ferns and palms each with its pot
newly dressed in green paper. l felt
that l only needed to don a dainty
white. TO be thoroughly happy and IN
accord with the season. And / could
then in the language of that bright
old hymn,
Clear the darkened windows. open
vide the door,
And let the blessed sunshine in