Year: 1873

"Shirley Dare" in the Golden Age,
writes 81 know a room where sunshine
fingers, and there is breath of summer
and mlgnonettes in the air whenever l
think OF it. There q tired man comes
home, and throws off overcoat and hat
without looking to see what becomes Of
them. There is q broad table in the light,
strcwn with papers and magazines, and
women's work. with litter of rose leaves
dropping over them from a central vase.
There is wide sofa of the days Of the
Georges, fresh covered in chintz, with
ferns and harebelles for patterns, and q
tired man goes down there with great
ruilled pillow under his shoulders, and
opens parcels and letters, dropping them
on the floor, the most natural place for
them. girl has been painting, and her
water colors and paper lie on side table,
just as she left them to rush away for an
impromptu ride. l have never been able
to discover any disarrangement of the
household economy by this flight. Some
body left shawl on a chair. There will
be nothing said about it at breakfast next
morning


There are no laws here against playing
with the curtain tassels. no regulations as
to how often the snowy curtains may be
put up Or let down. They do not last the
season out. crisp and speckless as our
lncighbor's do across the way, but the on
ly consequence is they are oltener new
and clean. There is nothing very fine
about this house, but things are renewed
oltener, and look brighter than they do in
statelier houses. The chairs have no par
ticular places, and anybody feels at liber-
ty to draw the sofa out when it pleases him.


There is no primness about the place. If
there is grass on the lawn, it is meant to
be walked on. and the geraniums are fon-
died and petted, and caressed as if they
were children. Do you know there is
magnetism in green leaves and growing
flowers derived from the earth's heart.
that makes it good to handle and feel
them This house is known as the place
where one dares to be late to breakfast.
There is no ceremony OF waiting. Coffee
and cakes are put where they will be hot;
the table is cleared to suit the housekeep-
ers convenience, and q small one set for
the late conner.


Nobody lies awake at night till the light
ceases to shine under your chamber door,
if you want to sit up and read your novel
through. There is an unwritten law of
convenience for the household which reg
ulates everything better than any code
Napoleonic. And the benefit Of allowing
people to be q law unto themselves is,
that they are much better natured about it
when they do obey. There is indulgence
and repose in this lovely home, and
great deal Of time for things which most
people cut short. an hours play with the
children, fright down good" chat with
neighbor, day of letter writing once
a fortnight. And the worth Of these mer-
ry, comforting letters quite outweighs the
fact that there are segar ashes on the man
tie, and pile of work on the sofa. Dis
order does not imply dust or soil of any
kind. 1t does not include shabbiness or
mean chaos. 1t means 'leave to be"-in
most cases, thinking of people more than
of things. Order is simple harmony OF a
few notes. Disorder is the Towering,
branching melody of one theme-and that
theme. individuality.