March, 1907 AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



107 



corner is a "beaufat" which belonged to his 

 mother. On the walls are family portraits, 

 and grouped over the fireplace with its 

 swinging crane are to be seen a number of 

 quaint old silhouettes. Those who are in- 

 terested in china and its collection would 

 find much to delight them here if not to 

 tempt and tantalize; for arranged in the 

 several glass-faced cases are sets of Lowe- 

 stoff and Nankeen, as well as many rare 

 individual pieces. In the small side hall on 

 shelves are assembled the pewters and 

 brasses, and over the front door stand now, 

 as of old, the fire buckets belonging origin- 

 ally to Mr. Talbot's great-grandfather. 



On the second floor the interest is equally 

 sustained, each room having its open fire- 

 place, deep window seats, four posted bed 

 with contemporary hangings and other an- 

 tique furnishings, but it is not after all until 

 the attic is reached that the chief attraction 

 of the old place is found or its true spirit 

 entered into. There are the looms, the 

 spinning wheels, the warping-frame, the 

 reels and the hackles which at one time were 

 counted as household necessities and are 

 now, after almost a century of idleness, 

 again being put into use. As in the attics 

 of tradition, the roof is low and slanting 

 and under the eaves are chests. The win- 

 dows are deep set and vine curtained, the 

 sunbeams dusky, and over in the corner is a 

 door opening into the smoke chimney, cav- 

 ernous and sooty, wherein, on hooks, hung 

 in the "good old days" many a savory ham 

 and side of beef and bacon. 



This top story is divided into four rooms, 

 three of which are given over to the weav- 

 ing industry. In the larger of the front 

 rooms are the heavier looms used for the 

 coarser weaving, and here is the great attic 

 dormer leading up a short flight of inside 

 steps to the portico's roof and platform. 

 When these doors are open great floods of 

 light flow in, and the outside world itself 

 seems almost to gain admittance. Its shape, 

 its light, and its environment make this 

 room an ideal artist's workship — a place 

 wherein it would be difficult to produce un- 

 lovely things. 



About two years ago, on an idle evening, 

 Mr. Talbot and his wife took out a small 

 hand-loom, which had long been unused, 

 and began experimenting with it. So suc- 

 cessful were they at the start, and so inter- 

 ested did they become directly in their new- 

 found occupation that ere long their past- 

 time became an absorbing business. The 

 industry in fact almost evolved itself, and 

 scarcely before the workers themselves real- 

 ized it they were obliged to seek helpers 

 and procure other looms. Then ensued an 

 interesting search. In attics, wood sheds, 

 and cellars the old frames were found with 

 their splendidly seasoned wood and strong 

 joints thought fit for nothing but chicken 

 coops or burning. Eight have now been 

 restored to their own, rejuvenated, and set 

 up in the "Hearthside" attic. At these a 

 little band of weavers (the owners and 



In the Attic Are the Looms, Spinning Wheels, Warping Frames, Reels and Hackles 

 Long Counted as Household Necessities 



Mr. and Mrs. Talbot Weaving in the " Hearthside " Attic. Mr. Talbot's Loom Has Been 

 in His Family for Over a Hundred Years. Mrs. Talbot's Was Made in 1 725 



Weaving in the " Hearthside " Attic 



