AUGUST 397 



painted as he alone can paint such effects. The distance is 

 cut off by the black roofs and gables of the houses opposite. 



Hitherto I have always moved from smaller houses to 

 larger, which is comparatively easy. Changing from a 

 large house to a small flat is the most difficult thing I 

 have yet had to do. All the flats I have ever seen are, to 

 my mind, spoilt by being so much overcrowded, and yet 

 in many cases it is for the preservation of property that 

 the flat or smaller house is taken at all. To help 

 the non-crowding of these small rooms I got rid of as 

 many superfluities as possible. I reduced the bulkiness 

 and heaviness of curtains, and, where I could, made 

 a broad hearth with no fenders at all. I think tiles and 

 painted wood for fireplaces have been overdone of late. 

 I hope we shall return to more marble and stone. A 

 green Irish Connemara marble makes a beautiful hearth, 

 and this and other marbles could be adapted in many 

 ways where tiles have been used. 



I find that many people have been puzzled by my 

 advice to have inner curtains and no blinds. When they 

 are there, of course it is cheaper to keep the blinds. One 

 friend wrote that she could not make up her mind to have no 

 blinds, as she thought the little curtains attached to the 

 sash looked so untidy when pulled aside, like a petticoat 

 hung up. I do not -think this at all, and have lately found 

 two stuffs which are most useful for curtains in the place 

 of blinds. One is green bunting, which does not fade, 

 and is very cheap, but narrow. It can be got in several 

 colours from Caller & Pope, 113 High Street, Marylebone, 

 and I dare say at many other places. It is very pretty in 

 white. The green looks well from the outside of the 

 house, as does the red twill I recommended before. White 

 cotton-twill sheeting also makes very pretty inner curtains. 

 They are specially pretty with outer curtains of white 

 muslin. This in a small room makes a very pretty effect, 



