Evening star., 1913-06-27
"LIVING ROOM" TAKES
PLACE OF THE "PARLO orr

With the passing of the ''parlor'' the
American housewife has been brought UP
against a new situation And the par
lor' seems to be thing of the past. In
house with pretensions to comfort and
homeliness the room which takes its
place Is called the living room; sometimes
it is called the drawing room, more after
the fashion of England. although it is a
simple room where the family guests
foregather from morning to night The
only objection to the passing of the par
lOr Is that nowadays in many houses
there is no small room always in order
where guests may be received. The idea
of receiving them in the family living
room Is good in many ways, but GER
tain desire for privacy makes it unpleas-
ant to receive some persons in the room
which is the very nucleus of the fam
ily's life.
In the old days the "parlor" was a
pretty room, always in order. Too often
it was cold and gloomy, seemingly, sim
ply because 1t was only lived in on Occa-
sions of moment. There was another
rOOm-sometimes an upstairs or down.
stairs sitting room, sometimes room
called library, sometimes the family
dining rOom-far more comfortable and
hospitable, where the family life was car
its many drawbacks, but 1t had at least
the one good quality-that it was always
neat and orderly.
In many new houses in the country
and in small towns all thought OF privacy
is forgotten in the desire for enlarged
space Hall and living room, ''parlor''
and library are thrown into one big, COM
Portable living ROOM This room, Of
course. is the meeting place of all mem
bers of the family. If some of the mem
bers are careless the room is strewn with
their belongings-boOks and work bas-
kets, tennis racQuets and cameras and
paint boxes. If there are children in the
house toys are delightfully."- mingled with
chair and table legs. The pet canary
and the pet cat and the pet dog all adore
the living room and hold forth there
whenever they get a chance. This sort
of room is delightful: but isn't it bit toe
intimate foI the inspection of every cas-.
ual guest or caller? Isn't the contention
of some Europeans that Americans, in
their open-armed hospitality, lose some
thing of refreshment, something of sub
tie regard for their own individuality well
grounded?
The small reception ROOM somewhat
formally furnished, is a very useful room
1t can be so small that it will hardly
take noticeable space from the big family
living room. 1t can be In the nature OF
an entrance hall into which the outside
door opens, If there are doors or French
windows from the living room opening
on veranda or garden through which the
members of the family can make entrance
and exit The stairway may be in the
living room; stairways are decorative and
the casual guest has no use for them.
This arrangement makes 1t possible to
get along with a very small reception
room. A room with one big window
daintily curtained, with a small table In
front Of the window containing a vase OF
zine, with possibly a single brass candle
stick. with unshaded white wax candle
for ornament, four or five comfortable bu,
not necessarily big chairs, two or three
good pictures-theSe are the only fur
nishings necessary to the formal recep-
ton room. In the living room the family
life can go on as happily as ever; the
reception room can be reserved simply
for the casual, formal things.