198 The Farmstead 



still bought by the half dozen, without reference 

 to the people who are to sit upon them. Even 

 in such minor matters as chairs and tea -cups, 

 some account should be taken of individu- 

 ality. 



If all furniture be selected with these simple 

 principles in mind, i. e., hygienic cleanliness, the 

 minimum of labor for the housewife, and the com- 

 fort of those who are to use it, there remains 

 only one other way in which to go astray: it 

 may still be superlatively and positively ugly; or 

 it may be comfortable, sanitary, easily moved, 

 and yet be merely negatively ugly; or it may be 

 made decorative by its graceful form, the color 

 of its covering, or the carving upon it. The 

 first principle of artistic decoration is that it 

 must be wholly subordinated to the use of the 

 object which it adorns. For instance, windows 

 are for two purposes: to light the house and for 

 seeing out. If a window opens on a barnyard 

 or some unpleasant prospect, you may put up a 

 sash curtain of light silk or muslin. Thus you 

 obtain light but no view. But if you wish to 

 see out of the window, sash curtains are absurd. 

 In the ordinary private house, elaborate and 

 heavy window curtains are out of place, both for 

 sanitary and artistic reasons. Whenever cleanli- 

 ness is a prime object, drapery should be 

 movable and washable. Silk and velvet dra- 



