The sun., 1919-06-08
REJUVENATING THE
OLD FARMHOUSE
Crude Interiors Often Due to
Lack Of Thought Rather
Than Bad Taste.

part OF the farm, there are dotted all
over these Eastern States countless
pretty. II unpretentious. houses, old home
farms, that the hearts OF the boys and
girls who got away from them early
must return to now and then with nffec-
ton and longing. 1t IL a natural feel
ing and one which should prove enduring
but for the recollection of the awful dis
comfort they experienced when growing
up In these dear white houses.
u y as so real. this discomfort, and In
retrospect Il seems so much worse, that
tho wonder Is why the boys and girls
who have gone out into the world to
learn among other things what comfort
able living Is, ever 60 back even to pay
a visit OF duty to the old folk.
Why are the farm houses 90 bare of
the comforts Of life? Is there any ne
cessty for It? Has the mistress Of one
OF them no homing instinct?
BACK OF these questions lies the ex-
plantation of so many abandoned farms
Life there has been lived in such a bar
rem way. too often, that nobody can
blame the younger generation for getting
out and away, and staying away from
the very memory Of their discomfort.
But there Is no necessity to keep them
so bare and cold. and the woman who
brought up her family in such condi-
tons had the homing instinct just as city
women have, but she had no direc-
tion given TO her to help In its develop
mont. The things she lives with and
docs with" as she herself would say,
can be changed a. corrected with won
derfully little outlay in money and not
20 very much more in taste. She would
like TO make a homelike interior out of
her apparently unpromising materials
In order that the children might enjoy
coming back there. now and then, but
she is chilled by the fear that every
thing in the old farm would have to be
thrown out.
good many things will.
what to DO with Old Rugs.
First there are the old rugs and the
hideous rag or ingram carpets. These
to the fire. Nothing can be made of
them. and no pretty white house built
OF clapboard or siding, with its wide
front porch shaded by old trees, will
ever be more than a picture in the
landscape until these musty antiquities
60 the way of rubbish. With them
swept away the farmers wife can air
her dwelling to some purpose. II she
keeps them the smell Of must shall con-
tinue to be her only atmosphere.
Then let her paint her floors and buy
some of the rope rugs OF the natural
the farmhouse, especially II these are
not disfigured by gaudy papers. In the
bedrooms she Gan place new rugs that
are pretty, cheap and not moth breeders.
but her most Important task Is to re-
new her mattresses. The old wooden bed
steads can be painted and made really
attractive; nothing can be done with the
ancient feather or corn husk beds In
the former the sleep of hundreds OF
~ IN hA av,1
the latter were always abominable. I'm
the provision for tired natures restorer'
farmers wives are almost always de-
hcient. But let them take thought that
the son and daughter have learned to
know a hair mattress. that in fact II has
become a necessity Of their lives. and
the loss of the old feathers and corn
husks may not cause such a pang.
All silly and unnecessary ornaments
should be ruthessly dumped into the
heap that is rapidly accommodating in
the back of the house-all lambrequins,
wax flowers. books of beauty. ancient
almanacs and much of the furniture that
has accreted no one knows how. Then
to fill these vacancies let the farmers
wife go up into the attic and look
around. Ten to one she will find some
ancient furniture in mahogany OF wal
nut that was discarded before her day.
What II 1t is somewhat heavy of line?
What II 1t wabbles on unsteady legs?
The village carpenter can mend dis
abled chairs and tables. Chintz or other
Powered covering on ancient sofa and
chair will give the Oldest OF them a
modern and coquettish look.
The Selection of Pictures.
In pictures her taste may not be flaw
less. but surely she will know that an
empty wall Is to be preferred 20 tue
hldeous chromos and crayon family por-
traits that her city guests shudder over.
A flower piece in plain frame. a simple
halftone or wood cut with a narrow gilt
border Will enliven her wall prettily and
in character. And all the other bric-a-
brac may be relegated to take the place
Of that old furniture from the attic.
Absence of thought Is often more re-
sponsible for the crude farm interior
than lack Of taste. Let the farmers wife
consult the pictures Of interiors shown
in the monthly illustrated papers she
buys and decide how near she can
como to them without ripping out walls
and doing radical constructive work.
She will be happily surprised to see that
often when she views the kitchen and
dining room as parts of a whole-how
by an opening here to let in light and
air by painting floors OF a warm ana
clean yellow or oak color, by papering
both rooms in dull yellow with
touches OF blue. she has made an interior
that justly claims to be artistic.
When she has curtained the old win
dows with Powered stuffs In the pre-
vailing colors OF her rooms and has
not made the mistake of drawing them
90 that the clean sun and the sweet
air cannot enter freely, and she has had
the same village carpenter whom she
called in to mend her old chairs. fasten
a running board around two sides OF
the dining room wherein she can set
her best china, and the same thing In
the kitchen where she can set her shin
ing cooking utensils, she will be sur
prised at the quaint effect
When the dining table Is not set for
a meal she can unshroud 1t and place
thereon all the magazines and news
papers that are In constant use. and the
place by this simple act Is transformed
into living room.
Parlors Not Necessary.
But what about the parior all this
time? Don't have one. At least don't
call 1t one, and never. never shut II up
and keep 1t for funerals and weddings
II the construction OF the house permits
open the parlor into the dining room
and make each one part Of the living
room"
Cheap furniture, futile bric-a-brac.
hideous hangings. must go the way Of
infutile stun wherever that good taste
rules. Emptiness Is preferable, but In
this day when good furniture In willow
can be procured for little outlay there