The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-06-01
Camp Comfort---An lmpromptu Sum-
mer Home
nner Home

from the three Oldest girls who now
work In the city, past my one boy and
another sister who are at school. down
to the baby and myself who stay at
home and keep house. We did so
much want q place to 60 in the sum-
and the rest to come there in vaca-
tions- We would have taken almost
anything Inexpensive that offered, so
eager were We for new scenes, sea or
country air, and a change from the
ordinary routine Of housekeeping
However, nothing did offer. and we
had almost lgiven up the idea of be-
ing away at all. when somebody re-
membered the old shinyled barn at
grandfather's place on Cape Cod. Mas
sachusetts. The farm mas been in the
family for years: my brothers and sis
ters and used to spend happy sum-
mers there when we were children.
and the place was remote and lonely
Now = summer colony has sprung up
about there. the old house stands near
State road, and the property has be-
come more valuable. We now let the
house every summer but the barn
had long been used only A. a sort of
storehouse for old junk--things that
would be much better thrown away.
The more we Thought Of that barn.
the surer we all felt that in some way
We could ffx It over to live in; but
the thing grew slowly in our thought
The beach. with its stretches Of
sand dunes and it's broad view OF blue
waters was not far away: ocean breez-
es blew In and stirred the old apple
trees back of the barn. Such recol-
leccons as these spurred us on. and
several small happenings helped us in
our plans. For instance, there had
been a little summer-house of ours
down on the beach, a shack which we
used for bathing house and bungalow
in which to spend an occasional day
We found that this tiny building had
been blown down and that ii would
not pay to rebuild IT, We therefore
had the use of some wood from that
window frames and such like bits"
Here the enthusiastic lady paused
to draw rough sketch of the barn,
showing II to be an ordinary square
building, with roof slopinE down over
two little additions. one on either side
the righthand wing had been q car
Rage stand. large enough for two
good-sized carriages. and. adjoining IL,
a coachman's room about six feet by
twelve: the lefthand wins had con-
tanned two stalls and 4 little passage
way. At the back of the harm. near
the apple treeA was platform for
running out the carriAses and cleaning
them. The central part Of the barn
was tust one big room. containing
the usual hay-mowa. There was a
wide arm door, with a smali win low
In H. and windows OF either Size OF
the door.
Well. how did you balm? the lit
tie mother was asked. and she needed
but slight encouragement to tell all.
We cleaned II all out. OF course"
she continued brightly. Then we had
the floors renewed and strengthened
where necessary. We knocked down
the partition in the rixht-hand wing
between the carriage stand and the
coachman's room. and there was my
bahy's bedroom. In the lefthand wing
the stalls were all taken away and the
space divided into half by a partition
which does not reach quite TO the
ceiling; there were two very good bed
rooms, There We're no windows here
but we used the ones from the beach
house We kept tire oil barn door,
with its three panels and ( tiny door
in the center one. all we iii 10 mat
was to fill in the fr,,ncwork of Tie
dboi with ~*NNtAliftE. ftN tlbbE tS AZ
WHY'S open Il iring the lay il II ever
needs to he closed, the windows give
Ia plenty of light We do not lack
fresh air. you see; at night. too the
low partitions allow splendid air
space"
"Of course. you use the big central
part as a livinE-room." someone pat
In !nterestedly-
Yes. with the alcoye as a dining
room. There we have put up shelves
to hold our china. The refrigerator
stands in the corner, We have INK
pensive curtains of chinfz at the win
dow. But its very primitive, YOU
know. There Is nothing on the living
room floor. and only odd bits of carpet
in the bedroom, In some paris the
walls have once been painted, in
other places they are quite bare en-
cept for the posters anu photographs
which the children have pasted up.
But we don't care. We are happy
and free there :he whole day long:
We don't want one single thing of
which we must tc 2areful, one thing
which requires extra work And
then. Of course" she continued smil-
Ing. there's our kitchen. You enter
II by a door from the dininE-room
corner. The kitchen Is built over the
old carriage platform, at the back.
Extra supports were put TN under
meath. the platform was enclosed. and
there we have kitchen about twelve
feet square, with two windows and a
door We put in chimney between
the kitchen and dining-room. so that
q range could at any time be Installed.
At present we use only oil and fire
less cookers. however, and We get
on very comfortably with them. In
the living-room there Is an old-fash-
toned alright stove.
I'VE put boards across corner OF
each bedroom to make A washstand.
and these look pretty when covered
with a flounce OF chintz Closets We
made in the same way-putting boards
across the corners. screwing nails on
the under side and shielding our
clothes by hangings of chintz We
have furnished the place with odd
pieces OF furniture; none of them
match, they sye not all things Of
beauty. but they suit us we'll enough
When we have company, we put up
cots in the loft. which we reach by a
funny little staircase. on a hinge that
hooks back when not In use and does
not take up any space. It's like. a
ladder. but has fairly wide flat steps.
Won sea