207 
canes. This is something worth knowing. The 
difference may not be noticeable by the ordinary 
observer, but once known It. la never forgotten. 
We had our sofa, arul organ, and marble-topped 
table. So the rest of our energies devoted to the 
parlor were spent In the little artistic touches. 
And on these, after all, depend the character of a 
room, exactly as a lady’s tasteful appearance de¬ 
pends more on her lingerie ribbons, and jewels, 
than on her soltd dress. But as we had little to 
spend, we knew that our ornamentation must 
be very simple. 
First, as to the pictures : Wo decided that the 
old cliromos should not go Into the new parlor, 
which we girl3 determined to have after our own 
hearts. Ouly ourown drawings, wc said, should. 
So, In the recess, on the left of the chimney and 
mantel we hung “ The Wild Boar,” a large crayon 
piece, representing this animal being torn by five 
great dogs; on the right, “ Cornin’ thro’ the Rye,” 
of the same size. Over the mantel-piece, a pic¬ 
ture of Papa’s head. On the other side of the 
room, opposite the chimney and over the sofa, 
were, highest up, the thorn-crowned head of cok- 
beoio's “ Ecce Homo,” while on a line below, 
forming a triangle with It, a fruit and a flower- 
piece in pencil In front, betweeu the windows 
were four little pencil sketches. On each end of 
the mantel, loaning against the wall, two In wa¬ 
ter colors; one, a sprig of rosebuds, the other, a 
bunch of grasses and daisies. Twelve In all;— 
and besides these, our “ sweet girl’s graduate’s ” 
diploma hung over the organ which stood against 
the back wall. They were all in simple walnut 
frames. 
Now, I have a chance to say to every woman 
who can draw, that you need never he at a loss 
to decorate your home tastefully, for drawing 
materials are cheap ; the work and skill give the 
picture Us value. To every one who cannot I 
would say, learn how rlght-away. ir you cannot 
afford Instruction, teach yourself a little by tak¬ 
ing a simple landscape and copying It, line by 
line, shade by shads, and contlune to do so until 
you can draw at least some Uttle flowers and 
landscapes. Carefully executed drawings neatly 
framed, always give a room an air of refinement. 
Engravings, hellotypes, and photographs of cele¬ 
brated paintings are beautiful. But above all 
things, avoid gayly-colored lithographs In staring 
gilt frames. First, because they arc usually hld- 
ons. Second, the rnouey might be better em¬ 
ployed. Third, oven were they all they pretended 
to he they would not correspond with your sim¬ 
ple appointments. Of chromes—real chroraos, I 
shall tell you more another time. 
Our parlor now looked quite pretty, hut not yet 
was it finished. On the crowning part we could 
afford to lay out a large proportion of our little 
savings, and we did. We bought eight, pretty 
carved brackets, each pair unlike; two pair for the 
Owners, two for the sides. In each corner of the 
two recesses oil each side of the chimney, wc 
hung one ; while of the others, the two large ones 
wen- placed low down on each side of the diploma • 
small were separated, one being in the 
l> iso of the triangle, formed by the three uic- 
t ures over Hie sofa, the other to the center of the 
rhomboid made by t he tour sketches between the 
windows. We stood In the center of the mantel, 
between the water-colors, an exquisite bust of 
Apollo, In Parian marble. On the corner brackets 
In the right recess, farthest from the windows, 
two smaller busts or Milton and Scuilleb. On 
those nearest the windows, two pots of Kenil¬ 
worth Ivy, the delicate green vines trailing al¬ 
most to t he floor. The low brackets on each side 
the diploma and over the organ, held two taper- 
tng glass vases inwrought with ferns, In which at 
one time we kept cut flowers; at another, some 
slips of Tradescantla which wo trained to twine 
up around the diploma. Under the “ Ecce nomo ” 
upon one of the little brackets we hail a large fan 
made of pressed ferns and sumac; and on the 
other one between the windows, a pretty rose bud 
vase, containing a tiny bouquet In wax. Finally, 
on the table which stood between the two wind- 
ows we arranged our low books; on the organ, our 
music ; embroidered a bright cover for the organ- 
stool, laid a soft rug before the sora, made for Its 
center a delicate spatter-work tidy, and wreat hed 
around the picture cords some drooping, "ray 
Florida moss. The room looked slnnuy perfect.' ’ 
Before I close, I would like to express what I 
have often thought. Why is it that, so many peo¬ 
ple spend so much and have nothing alter ail? 
Beauty docs not necessarily cost. much. I have 
marveled again and again why wo do not oftener 
see these exquisite accessories of the beautiml 
among the generality of people. Once procured, 
they never wear out. “ A tntng of beauty la a 
Joy forever.” It must be because the persons In 
question have not taken notice. But It they will 
spend an hour la an art store, they will begin to 
understand. I will tell what the most expensive 
of my pretty things cost: The brackets averaged 
tlity cents per pair; vases one dollar per pair; the 
Wax-work, a dollar and a-half tor the little spray, 
—two hair-blown roses nestling In leaves. The 
busts, one dollar and a-half a-piece tor Milton, 
and Schiller, three dollars for Hie Apollo. 1 have 
seen lovely busrs of Bacchus, Clyde, Lesble, Bea¬ 
trice and Diana, at prices ranging rrom two to 
four dollars 
We have lately read a great deal about pur¬ 
chasing plaster casts of famous statues to adorn 
our homes—bur. to me this is only another kind of 
sham. 1 would say that if you wish to beautify, 
get a tiny, choice bit In Parian; If to study, a nne 
photograph or an original; tins, too. will be an 
ornament. Then what you have will be true to 
ltselr. This is nut all we did, as 1 snail tell you 
next time. 
-♦ ♦ ♦- 
A SHORT CHAPTER ON COUNTRY VISIT¬ 
ING. 
MRS. A. E. STOBY. 
Generally speaking, when a count ry woman 
sees her way dear foi .an afternoon’s release lrom 
the labors and cares wnich are peculiarly hers, 
the Urst thing she asks herself is: “Whom shall 
l visit to-day v” 
Now, these interchanges of visits—tin se “tea 
drinks,” as wo hear a grandmother call them— 
are not to be condemned because some one, hav¬ 
ing weighed them In t he balance, has found them 
wanting. They ought rather to bo encouraged 
as affording at times the only possible escape 
valve for the low spirits engendered by the tur- , 
moll and weariness of every day luo. I 
It Is only the tittle-tattle, the soul-narrowing 
gossip over other people’s affairs that Ls 1o be 
condemned. True, some women cannot talk at 
all unless It be to pick their neighbor’s characters 
to pieces bit by bit, or rattle on In a way nonsen¬ 
sical enough to shame a magpie; and why really 
Intelligent and In every way superior women 
should feel culled upon to exchange visits with 
such, is a problem for the strong-minded to solve 
They derive no benefit themselves from the Inter¬ 
course, and they can Impart none, for no lever 
can be brought to bear on these women’R minds 
potent enough to lift them out of the narrow 
groove In which they delight, to run. Anythin" 
sensible thrown In aa an idea, to turn the current 
of the talk of these rattle-brains but, serves as oil 
to make their tongues run the taster; and the 
more they Mik the less they say, If that Is an al¬ 
lowable expression. 
But why must every woman living in a country 
neighborhood feel bound lo visit every other 
woman living there, and that with clock-work 
regularity. Xn skipping one here and another 
there for her own pleasure or convenience. And 
why must, she, when her own turn to “have 
company ” comes, make such elaborate prepara¬ 
tions for the supper, as though she expected her 
friends bad had nothing to eat for a week. If 
they eumo to her house merely to be fed, then, 
perhaps, this superabundance of food ls permissi¬ 
ble; If not, it la needless, to say the least. The 
average woman has a good deal to loam In this 
respect. 
In mnny homes, the announcement that com¬ 
pany is coming to tea Is enough to set everythin*-, 
from one end of the house to rlip other, in a state 
of commotion, carpets must be swept that are 
as Innocent ot dirt, as a now glove, furniture must 
bo dusted where no dust la visible, stoops must be 
scrubbed, ami the kitchen floor mopped, for Mrs 
So*aiUl-So always will go Into the kitchen 
whether she Is wanted there or not. (Jukes and 
tarts, and cookies, and doughuuts, and what not 
must bo made, and all this, perhaps fora person 
for whom you in reality care less than nothin*', 
between whom and yourself Micro exists not. t.lie 
least degree of sympathy, and whose tastes and 
Instincts are precisely what yours are not. 
Life Is too short and Its necessities too stern 
and real to be frittered away in Idle pursuits or 
prolltless companionship. 
Those women who are bringing up sons and 
daughters should, most of all, give these meddle¬ 
some nobodles a wide berth. 
Children am apt to take pattern In speech and 
manners, and even habit ot thought, from those 
with whom they arc brought to famtUar contact, 
and your gossips are always ignorant and super¬ 
stitious in a greater or less degree, and brew mis¬ 
chief as naturally its storms are brewed In air. 
They are not always Idle ne’er-do-wells; more’s 
the pity for humanity; they would be shunned 
more ir they were, fur idleness lstu Mm thrifty 
what vice is to the virtuous, something to be 
avoided and guarded against as men avoid and 
guard against a pestilence. 
Younuybo called “proud" and “stuck-up ” if 
you break from the association of these people; 
they may even vent their dudgeon by saving 
worse things of you. But what of it? It will be 
but as tne “crackling of thorns under toot,” 
and you will gain more than you can possibly 
lose. 
We admire the Independence of spirit of a cer¬ 
tain old lady, who said: “ I take It as a high com¬ 
pliment to be called proud. When people mean by 
It that I am particular In my choice ot society. 
1 am proud.” 
THE BEWITCHED DOOR-YARDS. 
J, e. m. c. 
1 no not know how the fairies came to be so 
affronted with the good house-wives of Oboram, 
hut they played them a very funny trick one 
bright May morning, a good while ago, when 
fairies were suffered to be more energetic than 
they are now-a-days. 
The spring was forward that year and the 
good laities had their front yards tidied up in 
the neatest manner. The flower beds were as 
neat as could be, and spikes of Finks, and gay 
little Polyanthus Blossoms were beginning to 
peep, while the Blue Flags and Jonquils had 
long ago hung out their banners to the spring 
breeze. Each fence was whitewashed, and the 
gravel path swept up clean, and boilers full of 
boiling suds had been poured over it lo kill off 
every weed and grass spire that might allow its 
head among the stones. Most folks had finished 
their house cleaning and were settling down to 
take their comfort. 
Yet there was something about, most of ihe 
premises that, did not suit the fairies. So what 
do you think they did one moon-shiny night 
when the village was wrapped in slumber? 
They turned the yards “ hind side berore.” 
Every house-mother saw in the morning her 
back-yard Ui front of the house, and when sbe 
opened her kitchen door to throw out Mia dish¬ 
water, she plumped ltlnto ft posy-bed! Oh what 
consternation in the town! An earth-quake 
could not have shaken them up more ! But they 
had no time to study over the problem. There 
was work to be done and that in a hurry. 
“ Run Mary Jane ;uid scratch up those old tins 
and scraps of crockery out front, before any 
body goes by, and Sam make haste to slick up 
your wood-pile and sot things a little more to 
rights. Look at those fence-corners! What a 
collection of old duds they do hold! Father, 
never mind the cattle, they can wait, hut hurry 
out with your rakes, and clean up the yard. 
What In the world will folks think ? If I had 
time I should wonder how It happened, but 1 
hive'nt. I remember hearing my old grandfather 
say that ho dtd’nt believe the world turned 
around because, if it did, his wood-pile would 
sometimes be In front or too house, i guess the 
world has turned around In the night.” 
If there ain’t an old hoop-skirt on that briar- 
bush Just before the door, and the hens have got 
in to the flower beds. Dear, dear, run children 
every one of you and see what you can do in 
less than no time.” 
And that was the way it was all over town. 
Nobody liked the Idea of having the old order of 
things reversed, however well kept they had 
thougnt the premises, somehow things looked 
very different wUen brought to the front, for 
the Inspection ot all passers-by. 
By night things were measurably reduced to 
a system, but the house-wives had had a busy 
time as the fairies the eight before. The women- 
folks took a long breath of relief as they settled 
buck lu i heir straight backed rockers, and now 
“ the wor dor grew.” Thai the town was bewlt* h d 
was a pretty general heller, and some apprehen¬ 
sion existed as to what tho morning might have 
In store tor ttiom. 
Nothing very disastrous did happen, and every 
body was well content when they found things 
In the morning returned to their former order. 
The world bad turned around again. But their 
hack-yards had not had such a clearing up since 
the time that the houses were built. 
