Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-23
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Now stir the IRE and close the shutters
Let fall the curtains, wheel the sofa
round,
And while the bubbling and loud-hiss-
ing urn
Throws up . steady column, and the
That cheer but not inebriate. wait on
each,
So let us welcome peaceful evening In.
This is the season Of the year, above
all others, when the world loves to
welcome peaceful evenings In the quiet
OF the home circle.
Even those who 'rear to go"-to
the movies-are willing this week to
keep company with the Christmas tree
the gifts, the candy, the turkey and the
fruit cake.
It is q pleasant picture the elder poet
brings up, and one which Is duplicated
more times than is realized by those
who have held their ear too close to
the ground Of current life, so that
pocket TASKS seem to obliterate the tea
cup and wild parties" totally eclipse
normal living.
Yes. it is a picture Of decent home
which Cowper gives us In few verses,
a home where the gracious way Of
living held high place. It was In the
days when every house had its shutters
and its heavy curtains to draw over the
windows.
Weather stripping had not been in
vented. Nor had central heating Rooms
with flreplaces were called fire rooms"
to distinguish them from the bed rooms,
which mostly were without heat. Frost
collected on those WINDOWS.
The sofa, probably short affair,
more resembling Virginia love seat
than q davenport, was wheeled around
In front of the hearth.
In all likelihood the tea kettle was
hung out over the blazing logs, where
1t sent UP steady column Of Kissing
steam. The glistening china and the
white napkins had an indubitable APP
PEAL, then as now.
The cups that cheer but not inebri-
ate" were poured, and sugar and cream
passed round. So they welcomed peace
full evening In.
The modern living room Is Just as
well adapted to eating as the drawing
rooms or music rooms of the Victorian
age.
Such eating, Of course, implies a
restrained appetite. It is neither Gus
tomary nor expedient to serve roast
butter and ice cream in rooms ordina-
rily devoted to other purposes.
Yet the family which has missed
the pleasure Of eating in the living
room has missed q treat, indeed. We do
not mean formal tea to which friends
are invited, but the simple family affair.
The advent Of the dining alcove in
many apartments. and even In some
houses, has helped the use Of the more
formal quarters for the pleasant pur-
poses Of food consumption.
A dining alcove, 1t must be confessed,
Is something Of q snare and delusion.
II there are children, they drop crumbs
on the moor, which are difficult to get
and then they slide out beneath the
table, to the utter confusion of guests
Often. too, the members Of a family
want but little to eat, and the habit Of
light eating has been helped by the
universal feminine desire to reduce"
The total result has been q larger
and larger use Of living" quarters, no
matter what they are called, whether
living room, sitting room, drawing room,
parlor or library. for the ordinary pur-
poses Of eating breakfast, luncheon,
tea or dinner.
Such eating must be no bull-in-a-
china shop matter.
II cup Of coffee or tea Is spilled
on the new Oriental rug some one is
going TO pay for It, so the only thing
to do Is not to spill it.
Living room eating must be, IN es-