108 
better not smoke.”” ‘The beauty of the mantelpiece lies in 
its simplicity. ‘The motto relieves in a pleasing way the 
somewhat severe lines, and the effect is altogether delight- 
ful. 
Another illustration shows a handsome and somewhat 
elaborate mantelpiece designed by Mr. William Price. On 
the breast of this mantel is painted the following quota- 
tion :— 
“O turn thy rudder hitherward awhile, 
Here may thy storm-beat vessel safely ride, 
This is the port of rest from troublous toil 
The world’s Sweet Inn, from pain and wearisome 
turmoil.” 
Still another illustration shows a simple living-room with 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
March, 1911 
‘The fire burns brightest on one’s own hearth.” 
‘‘Fireside happiness, to hours of ease, 
Blest with that charm, the certainty to please.” 
—Rogers. 
‘Sure the shovel and tongs 
To each other belongs.” 
These words, though ungrammatical, might be applied 
to the side of a mantel close to where the andirons are 
placed. 
‘There is no fire without some smoke.”’ 
‘Now stir the fire, and close the shutters fast, 
Let fall the curtains, wheel the sofa round, 
A billiard room with a motto painted on the wall 
a little Ingle-nook. Above the fireplace hangs a board on 
which is painted :— 
‘“Two at a fireside.” 
And also— 
“T built a chimney for a comrade old, 
I did the service not for hope or hire, 
And then I traveled on in winters cold, 
Yet all the while I glowed before the fire.”’ 
On a beam that supports the rafters are painted the 
words :— 
‘Who hath smelt wood smoke at twilight? 
Who hath seen the birch log burning? 
Who hath lain alone to hear the wild goose cry? 
It is there that we are going with our rods and reels 
and traces, 
To a silent smoky Indian that we know, 
To a couch of new pulled hemlock, with the starlight 
in our faces, 
For the red God calls us out and we must go.” 
The following quotations are very apt for fireplaces :-— 
And while the bubbling and loud-hissing urn 
Throws up a steamy column, and the cups 
That cheer but not inebriate wait on each, 
So let us welcome peaceful evening in.” 
—Cowper. 
‘(How great a matter a little fire kindleth.” 
—New Testament. 
“Sir, he made a chimney in my father’s house, and the 
bricks are alive at this day to testify it.” 
—Shakespeare. 
Motto treatment is no new method of ornamentation— 
no passing fad. It is as old as history. Nor is it a revival © 
of an old custom, for mottoes and inscriptions have been 
used steadily in buildings and houses for many generations. 
Since mottoes in the home enhance its charm by their inter- 
est, their educational value and their decorative appearance, 
surely they deserve to be more generally used. Moreover, 
when painted, they afford an excellent opportunity for in- 
troducing the right note of color into a room, and when 
tastefully applied, and thoughtfully chosen, the mind and 
eye are treated to the pleasure of harmony in both thought 
and color. 
