FURNISHING. 41 



CHAPTER III. 



FUKNISHING. 



What woman, unless she is a Laplander, or wealthy 

 enough to know no wish denied, but has her day-dreams 

 in which she furnishes this or that room after her own 

 heart, and makes her house so beautiful to her own 

 mind at least that waking from her dream-work she 

 sighs over the limitations of her purse, and looks wearily 

 about upon the plain, perhaps shabby things that must 

 " do " until that indefinite period, Better Times, can re- 

 place them with something more desirable. 



Now, for the benefit of these unsatisfied home-mothers, 

 ingenious thinkers women who have time to think have 

 hit upon many tasteful, cozy, and yet inexpensive ways 

 for making rooms to appear very well furnished ; so that 

 even without the upholsterer's aid, or the stockingful of 

 money so vainly waited for, their apt sisters have only to 

 set to work at once and have surroundings more to their 

 liking. 



It is not worth while to sigh any longer for the marble- 

 topped tables, flaming carpets, and slippery hair-cloth 

 chairs which neighbor Luckyhand has had so long in his 

 parlor, for they are "out of fashion," and you should 

 beware that no desperate local dealer induces you to take 

 similar goods "at cost," that he may be rid of them. 

 With the small-patterned and small-priced ingrain car- 

 pets now in market, and plenty of good and cheap pic- 

 tures offered 011 every hand, it will be found that a few 

 yards of pretty chintz, a little furniture-gimp, and maybe 

 a little paint and varnish, will go farther in furnishing a 

 room tastefully and comfortably than a whole " set " from 

 the upholsterer's and cost, of course, a great many dol- 

 lars less. 



