38 FAR3I HOMES, IK-DOORS AND OUT-DOORS. 



finishing ; and an open stove selected from the several 

 good and cheap ones now manufactured, will prove a very 

 satisfactory substitute for the fire-place itself. 



The mantel need not be expensive. A plain strong 

 shelf placed about four and a half feet from the floor, 

 with three pieces of pine arranged beneath it, something 

 like the accompanying cut, is about all that is required 

 of the carpenter in cases where dollars and cents must be 



considered. The finishing and decorative touches are all 

 within the power of some painstaking wife or daughter. 



First nail a narrow molding along the edges, joining 

 the corners neatly, and filling all nail holes with putty ; 

 then paint the whole with good black paint, and when 

 dry rub all over with emery paper or pumice-stone to 

 remove any roughness, and apply another coat of paint. 

 When dry, varnish. It can now be simply finished with 

 a lambrequin for the shelf, and some sort of decorated 

 fire-board, or it can be brightened up with tiles " in the 

 following manner : 



Take panels, or squares, of glass, and if one is not 

 artist enough to venture on original designs, select pleas- 

 ing pictures of birds, flowers, grains, children, animals, 



