OHie shorn 
pernio n,. 
139 
THAT HOUSE OP MINE. 
[To this Article teas Awarded First Prize for Household 
Topics.] 
There could be no doubt. The place was a bargain, 
and I told Harry he had better buy it at once. To be 
sure, the house was somewhat old-fashioned, and situ¬ 
ated on a quiet, secluded street; but everything was in 
good repair, the rooms were large and sunny, there 
was a small conservatory for my plants in winter, and 
a yard about as large as a handkerchief for them in 
summer. A grape-vine and rose-bush covered the trel¬ 
lis by the kitchen-door; and here, said Harry, tragically, 
“shall we dwell in peace and contention under our 
own vine and fig-tree. Let May come and go. Ho 
moving-day shall afright us or make us afraid.” 
After the house was bought and paid for, the next 
question was: What shall we put in it. Here I paused, 
dismayed, for Harry had spent all his money on the 
house; but I had $650 Grandma Mills, for whom I was 
named, had given me, on my 18th birthday. 
This magnificent sum, together with two oil paint¬ 
ings, several chromos, a nice lot of plants, a canary, 
and a napkin-ring, was all I had to furnish six or eight 
rooms. How Papa, dear old soul, did laugh when I 
told him; but there was something like tears in his 
eyes, as he took me in his arms, and said that was 
more than Mamma and he had when they began 
housekeeping, and that Harry was a fine fellow, and I 
was a sensible girl, so he would furnish the parlor for 
me. Then Aunt Mary, who had no girls of her own, 
said she would give me my table and household linen, 
and a set of decorated China; and Prank, who could 
handle a saw or paint-brush as if to the “ manner born, ” 
offered his help. Much encouraged, I went on a voy¬ 
age of discovery to the attic, which had been used as 
a store-room for worn-out furniture ever since Mamma 
went to housekeeping, thirty years ago. 
Here I found one old parlor set, covered with hair¬ 
cloth, much worn, about a dozen cane-seat and rocking 
chairs, six or eight stands and tables, of all sizes and 
shapes, one large easy-chair, a bureau, and a lounge, 
whose springs protruded like so many bones. All these, 
together with a number of barrels, kegs, soap-boxes, 
and old blankets and quilts, I had sent over to the 
came the tug of war. I did feel “ dubersome ’’when 
I looked at the hair-cloth set. But, after providing my¬ 
self with an upholsterer’s needle (they are about four 
inches long, pointed at each end), a number of yards of 
brown rep, striped with crimson, gimp, and buttons, I 
“went at it.” The hair-cloth served as a pattern to 
cut the rep by, and by long-continuing in well-doing 
I succeeded in getting the rep on without its looking 
“baggy.” For the frames I made a polish by taking 
alcohol (98 per cent.) one pint, gum-copal and shellac 
of each one ounce, dragon’s blood one-half ounce. 
Mix and dissolve. Apply with a sponge (by a fire is 
best), two or three coats, about fifteen minutes apart. 
Then polish with a cotton cloth. The more you rub 
the better. This gives a beautiful polish. At the win¬ 
dows I put curtains of Hottingham lace, over buff 
shades; six yards to each window. The lambrequins 
supports for an easel for my prettiest picture. Still 
others made a standard for a lovely screen, which was 
really quite simple. A smooth pine board of the right 
size was fastened to the standard. The center was 
painted an oval of cream color and ornamented with a 
large decalcomanie Cupid. The edges were then inlaid 
and ebonized. The hanging of the pictures came 
next. Frank bought the moldings at so much a foot, 
and put them together himself. It is much cheaper. 
My next step was to order the tinman to make me 
a number of wedge-shaped pans. These were filled 
with earth and planted with Ivies, both German and 
English. These pans I huxg by cords behind the 
pictures, and twined the branches over the cords and 
frames. Over the mantel hung my favorite Beatrice, 
on one side of the window a Swiss Lake, and on the 
other an Italian Rustic Scene, in rich colors. On the 
I cut from a pattern I bought. They were of crimson j opposite walls are a large Sea-scape and a view of the 
rep, bordered with oak leaves of brown velvet, veined ! Hudson. I had two large Waxen Hoyas. The pots 
with yellow floss, and a fringe of crimson and gold, to these I painted black, with gilt bands. I cut an 
The table-spread was brown, with a heavy applique ; oval from gilt paper, pasted it on the sides of the pot, 
border of crimson velvet leaves on an oak ground. 
The largo arm-chair I covered with ecru Turkish 
toweling; a medallion on the cushion and back, a 
bouquet made of crimson leaves and flowers in velvet 
and satin, the entwined border of brown, edged with 
gold cord. It was “perfectly lovely” when finished. 
A rug for the floor, of brown, had a medallion in the 
and transferred a brilliant little decalcomanie on its 
center. I wanted something to put the pots on; so a 
pedestal was made of a pine box, painted cream color, 
with a border of narrow black lines. On this I put 
the Hoyas, ons in each corner, and tacked their 
branches to the wall. I like Hoyas and wish they 
were more cultivated. They are much prettier than 
center of toweling, with an applique bouquet, like the ( English Ivy to train up the walls. It delights in a soil 
large chair. The border of brown, with crimson leaves. ; of chip-dirt and the leaves should be occasionally 
A heavy fringe at the edge. I made Ottomans of the ! washed in warm soap-suds. I now wanted some 
starch-boxes, to match the rug. The mantel and win- J bronzes and Parian figures. As these were expensive, 
dow-seats had lambrequins of the same design, with the ' I bought a number of plaster figures. Some I made 
addition of tassels. I found an old cabinet at the , into bronzes by painting a greenish-gray or brown, 
auction-store. This I ebonized by the following re- When dry, varnish with bronze-powder, ground on a 
cipe: Take a quarter of a pound of the best size, with ; marble slab with gum-water; or grind tin, sift fine. 
sufficient water to cover; put it in a stone pot and set 
over the range to melt (not boil). Then take three 
cents’ worth of lampblack; a little blue-black to im¬ 
prove the color. Mix it up with oil until as thick as 
paste. Pour the melted size on this black paste and 
mix thoroughly together. Use while warm, painting 
it on thickly. When quite dry, varnish with three or 
four coats of oil-copal varnish. While varnishing 
keep the room at a temperature of sixty degrees and 
free from dust. Use a large brush, putting on uni¬ 
formly. Take the finest pulverized pumice-stone. 
Mix with water until as thick as cream and polish the 
house, in spite of the horrified protestations of Mamma I work until as smooth as glass. Then dry and rub 
“that the old trash was only fit for a bonfire.” I 
decided to furnish the sitting-room first. For the walls 
I chose a creamy-brown paper, with a wide border. 
The carpet was an ingrain; a mottled design in oak and 
brown and a deep crimson border. I made the carpet 
myself, at the expense of a “pain in do head and mis 
ery in de back”; and Frank nailed it down. I put 
newspapers under it. Straw is so “humpy.” The 
gilt chandeliers being tarnished, I took six onions; 
boiled them in water until soft; then dissolved as much 
flour of sulphur in a quart of water as would tinge it 
a bright yellow; then strained the onion-water into the 
sulphur-water. When cool, wash your chandeliers 
and gilded picture-frames, letting it dry on. This will 
also prevent the flies from specking the gilding. The 
Mix with a solution of isinglass, which is then applied 
with a brush. Burnishing gives a brilliant luster. 
To imitate the film of carbonate of copper on real 
bronze apply sal ammonia with vinegar. 
Some of the figu. es I marbleized. A wash was 
made of plaster of Paris, soaked in a strong solution of 
alum. Bake this in an oven and then grind to a pow¬ 
der. Mix a little in water. Spread evenly and quick¬ 
ly over the figure. This is a thin wash, setting like a 
coat of marble, taking a high polish. Sometimes I 
had to try the second coat. Frank being an adept at 
fret-sawing, I was provided with a number of pretty 
brackets. These were fastened in the corners of the 
room and under the pictures. On these I placed my 
marbles and bronzes, and they were as handsome as the 
“ rale thing” and cost very little. The conservatory 
of which I have spoken was separated from the room 
by large glass doors and was arch-shaped at the top of 
the entrance. On each side of the door was placed a 
pot full of large English Ivies, which were trained 
to the top of the arch, making the entrance a wreath 
of living green. Directly over the door was a stuffed 
onto each shelf with gilt-headed nails and crimson 
gimp. 
Frank had the parts to a number of folding chairs 
turned on a lathe. These were ebonized, put together, 
covered with rep, with an embroidered strip down the 
globes and chimneys were washed in cold tea. How back and seat. Some of the turned pieces made the I Carnations, Callas, Abutilon, Geranium, both double 
with sweet oil and tripoli. Dry again with a soft 
linen rag, rub with starch-powder, and polish with a 
clean linen cloth until you can see your face. I forgot 
to state that, before ebonizing, I drew some simple 
double lines and center design, and painted them with 
Mars yellow and Chinese white. This work is well 
worth trying; it being quite easy to do and very 
rich looking. A closet in one end of the room I con¬ 
verted into a book-case. The door was taken off the 
hinges; a valance of pinked brown leather tacked j w hitc dove. On each side and a little below was a 
marble bust of Flora, on a walnut bracket. As I am 
yet a novice in horticulture, my collection of plants con¬ 
sisted of the more common kinds. For climbers I used 
Smilax, Cobca, Tropajolum, Lobbiaum, Madeira Yine, 
and Ivies. For flowers I found I succeeded best with 
