Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1911-09-14
Beautifyiing
7 the Home

them up on the parlor wall. Without
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
womens 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
l had read on refurnishing the home
With can Of enamel paint and
brush and a devout spirit of duty, the
article said, 1t was easy for any intel
ligent person to transform utterly
anything in the house. The two
chairs were birch, the table bird's-eye
maple and the dresser walnut, but l
had sudden visions Of an entirely
white enamel room, so bought the
paint. Just then the weather turned
hot.
Whenever l have special burst
of energy the weather always turns
hot. The heat turks around corners
and lies low, holding its breath, just
waiting for me to get ready to do
something. Then WREN l get ready 1t
pounces upon me and reduces me to
a wilted rag. But, having started the
painting bee, l 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 the 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 varnish, she
said, would roll off like water. When
inquired If my dress and complexion
would do the same If they got spatter-
ed with I've, as they undoubtedly
would. she got mad and went home.
1T was still hotter the next day
when put on the second coat of white
paint, and, really. was somewhat dis
couraged to see how the original color
showed through. The dresser was a
murky white, the birch chairs were
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 l turned from the dresser
found the puppy sitting upright in the
rocking chair wagging his tail expect
antly over its freshly painted surface.
When l went to chase him out of the
room l stumbled over the straight
chair and grabbing it wildly to bal
ance myself, covered my hands with
iSo iiO Sui ldNC. 1Ou hlOW WuSu
white paint dries on your skin it turns
dark gray and has to wear Off
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.
The 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 chair and
stuck there He toof most of its sur
face away with him. thus making me
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
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 and Aunt Sue ar
rived l conducted them to the guest
room and gave them full directions.
l told them that on no account must
they sit on the chairs, because the
weather was SO hot the paint refused
to harden. | told them ALSO that
they must not think of shutting the
dresser drawers because they might
never 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 top
| one before she thought. She had to
stay at home from a tea party given
for her because all her front hair was
in the drawer and she couldn't go
without it. Uncle John broke his pen
| knife trying to pry it open and took
off his coat to work more easily, throw
ing it carelessly back of him on the
rocking chair They eventually got the
coat off by sopping on turpentine, but
they must have been careless. for they
l