Evening star., 1912-11-24
BY DAY ALLEN WILEY

thistle pattern, and there are twenty pieces
in the set. With that, if | am putting on a
great many airs, | use the buff and gold
china. Each piece has different view of
Naples and Vesuvius, with two human fig
ures, on it. Grandfather bought it at the
sale of Joseph Bonaparte' household goods.
If | don't care for people, | use modern
china and put them in the only modern
room in the house. 1t relieves my feelings,
and they never know.
FINDING room for so many people to sleep
! is more trouble than feeding them. Cots
are kept in the attic for the boys; the children
have cots placed for them in their mothers
room; and the girls have cots put in my
room, which is a very large one. | don't
sleep wink with that giggling crowd; but
it's just one of the customs that someway
we seem never to change. And, after ALL
should miss the noise and chatter and nightly
condolences about everything under the SUM-
Each girl has her special quilt, without which
she refuses to sleep. James choice is a red
and green Temperance Tree" (why that
name, | don't know, as it's the most intem-
perate thing | ever saw. GATHERINGS fa-
vorite is pink and blue philadelphia Pave
ment'; while Betty always covers herself
with the "Lone Star of Texas" At bed
time, after a raid on the pantry for cocoa
nut cake and stuffed figs they wrap up in
their quilts, and sit on my bed and tell me all
that has happened since they were last here.
With the older people the selection of
rooms becomes difficult. Each one wants
Mothers Room kept just as she left it. l
open it only when her children come home:
never for anyone else. The beautiful, carved
four-post bed still has the knotted tester
fringe she made for it; the ruffled linen pill
low cases are also her handiwork, and so is the
tufted counterpane. Hers also the beaded
mats and pincushion on the mahogany
bureau, where the red Bohemian glass set has
stood ever since | can remember. On the
candle stand at the head of the bed is her
Bible, the brass candle stand and snuffer, and
the copper-luster water set. Her sewing
table with its tiny drawers is over by the fire.
place, with its old-fashioned brass andirons,
fender, and bellows. Her rocking chair,
made without arms, so that her baby could
be rocked comfortably, is still in its old
place, with the low ottoman matching the
chair right alongside; SO the older children
could take turns sitting by her to recite
their Bible verses and catechism while she
rocked the baby. Chair and ottoman are
upholstered in black cloth, with roses and
morning glory done in cross stitch, and if
one were very careful, and sat exactly in the
center, there was beautiful purple rose on
one side and yellow morning glory on the
other So | was always very careful to sit
exactly in the center. Somehow, it enabled
one to rattle off the Ten Commandments
without missing a word.
Even l. who live with it, can feel the abso-
lutte peace of the room, and | have often
been really distressed to know what is
really best to do, when different members of
the family write to ask if they might stay
in Mothers Room during their visit. How
ever, the rule is now that it shall be occu-
pied only by the one who has been i'll or in
trouble during the year, or, if all have been
happily spared, the oldest of our kin has
the honor of occupying it.
The Preachers Room is another favorite
In Grandmother's day one minister would
have charge of several churches, travelling
from place to place, holding services at each
in turn, and staying with the members of
the congregation. All denominations were
made welcome by Grandmother, and this
room was a real prophets chamber, set
aside for the sole use of Gods servants. Gus
toms have changed since then; but the
name remains. The four-post bed is SO