4o6 MORE POT-POURRI 



ture is the new moon shining in at the windows, high 

 up and above a long, graduated space of evening sky 

 and a far, mysterious purple vista, half town -lights, 

 coming through the darkness as in one of Whistler's 

 harmonies, 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 tUes have been used. 



I find that many people have been puzzled by my ad- 

 vice 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 at- 

 tached 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 Cayler & Pope, 113 

 High street, Marylebone, and I dare say at many other 



