South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-03-02
Making the Details
Count

The family had not been two
hours in the rented cottage. before
the daughter of the house had every
picture down from the walls. Very
unattractive walls they were, too,
those of the one living room COW
cred with a figured paper in faded
pea green, blurred and marked here
and there where the picture frames
had rested. The entire house was
anything but inviting. and was
cramped and ill-arranged for genu-
inc comfort; yel it was necessary
TO be in that locality for the sum
mer, and this was the only avail
able dwelling. SO the daughter had
resolved TO put up with the numer-
GUS disadvantag es; only one thing
she insisted upon, that all the rent
ed pictures be promptly concealed
in the depths Of very deep and re-
mote closet.
But, my dear" said the mistress
of the family. when she entered the
gazed upon the bare walls, you will
never in the world be able 10 get
those pictures back where you
found them"
What's the difference If I don't?
Anyhow, the end of the summers a
long way off. Really, couldn't have
lived over night in a house which
boosted that hideOus dancing Span
ish lady. the colored prints OF Swiss
and Italian scenes, and awful repro
auctions Of Edwin Landseer, all in
- o.
have slept" Tossing her head, she
slowed away the last print in a cup
board under the stairs. slamming
the door upon the disordered pile
within. Now we shall see what we
shall see."
! Upstairs trudged the daughter of
the house, marveling at the uncon-
Germ which could prompt her rela-
tive to say: 81 don't see why you
couldn't have left the pictures alone.
We aren't having things as we would
choose them this year: you needn't
have needed the walls of the cot
tage. Look outside. I'm sure that
the blue sea and the piled-up red
rocks in the foreground are lovely
enough for anyone"
Being made on quite a different
plan, the daughter didn't know how
not to see those ugly walls; they
seemed to force themselves upon her
notice, as she came near. So up to
the trunks she went, brought forth
sundry soft brown photographs
which she had packed with this
exact purpose in mind, and pro-
ceeded at once TO hang them in the
dismantled living room, carefully
working to cover the faded spots
as best she might. This proceeding
at an end, and other family treas
ures bestowed upon the table, desk
and mantel shelf, the room began
already TO take on a more cheerful
and familiar air. Then the daugh-
ter went on whistling contentedly,
able to consider such trifies as her
clothes TO be shaken out and de-
posted in their appointed places. all
her tennis rackets and golf sticks
to De placed in their allotted nook in
the hall.
Ever since, this daughter Of the
house has wondered exactly why II
/ is so hard for some persons TO work
out color schemes and decorations
which are in good taste. For a
time she fancied that she envied
those who, like her own relative
can at will become oblivious to un-
congenial surroundings; in a sense
such persons do have an easier time
than those who are more sensitive
to the fine in color and form. But
later on, she came to the conclusion
that she would not alter her in
stincts, even if she could: for, when
things were what she called fright,
she managed to get so much deer
pleasure from them. Instead OF
wishing to become unfeeling, she
has turned this instinct to its best
use; she has studied the little things
which. to her, count for so much.
Such a sense of relief came TO her