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FOUR-LEAVED CLOVER. 
BY EVA GLEN. 
In the flowery meadow, 
Down upon her knees, 
Searching mid the clover-blooms 
Swaying in the breeze— 
Flitting here and flitting there, 
Followed close by Eover, 
Seeking—seeking everywhere 
For a four-leaved clover. 
Hod the daisies in the grass— 
The buttercups are smiling. 
Sings the brooklet merrily, 
The summer day beguiling; 
"Waiting at the trysting tree 
For her tardy lover— 
Searching, as the moments flee, 
For a four-leaved clover. 
Growing anxious in the search— 
Euby lips aquiver— 
While the blue eyes wander off 
Across the sparkling river; 
Sinks the sun behind the trees, 
Still there comes no lover, 
When suddenly the maiden sees 
A four-leaved clover. 
Smiles chase away the tear-drops 
Gath’ring like the dew, 
As she murmurs—“ How I know 
That my beloved is true;” 
The song-birds twittering in the trees 
Eepeat the sweet words over, 
And whispers every passing breeze— 
“I’ve found a four-leaved clover.” 
Hears she suddenly Ms step 
On the grass behind her, 
Feels the touch of his dear hands 
O’er her eyes to blind her; 
One arm clasps her slender form, 
The other fondles Eover, 
As he whispers—“ Darling, trust 
The message of the clover.” 
MY LADY’S CHOICE. 
BY NELLY M. HUTCHINSON. 
There be laurels in the garden set, 
And glowing roses—Love's own messengers-^ 
And passion-flowers, and dainty mignonette, 
The shyest darling summer doth call hers. 
But my lady would have none of these; 
She bade me bring her only heart’s-ease. 
So in the garden, when the days were bright 
With every gracious charm that Hature knows 
I gathered heart’s-ease for my love’s delight, 
And in her gentle bosom now' it blows. 
Ho other flower doth my lady please; 
She will have none but little heart’s-ease. 
— Hcurp&r's Mag. 
ADORNING- A LADY’S ROOM. 
A lady of true refinement, while gathering around 
her the many little requisites of her daily pursuits and 
pleasures, ever seeks to unite utility with beauty, and 
gives to them something of her own pleasing bright¬ 
ness. Her room is the sanctum free from all disturb¬ 
ance and annoyance, and it is here the real tenor of 
her life may he read by the articles which form the 
companions of her busy as well as leisure moments. 
They acquire something of her own identity, and 
in every feature is, recognizably, an index to her 
character. But as her surroundings partake of the 
nature of the individual, so vice versa will her tastes be 
influenced by objects of constant association. Give 
them then an air of tasty elegance, and its tendency 
will be sooner perceived as conducive to greater re¬ 
finement. Let not the walls be garnished with gaudy 
hangings, but give to them a pleasant and subdued 
tint to relieve the broken surface of gayer ornaments. 
Paper of pale lavender or faintest blue is beautiful, 
and when relieved with leaves in gilt or silver, gives 
to the room a quiet cheerfulness which will heighten 
the effect of every other feature. Curtains of snowy 
whiteness may be brightened by cornices of pink cam¬ 
bric, gathered or draped at the top, and loosely caught 
at the sides with bows of pink. The furniture must 
be in keeping with the rest, whether expensive or not; 
the design should suit the summer brightness of the 
room. Cabinet sets of polished oak would suit our 
room quite nicely, though one of more fastidious taste 
might prefer walnut. Carpets of white straw matting 
should hush the noisy footstep and give the air of 
completion which no room may possess without it. 
And now for the lady’s ingenuity in devising the many 
little fancy articles so necessary to her beauty-loving 
taste. Each article of the toilet and wash-stand must 
have for its especial use a mat to preserve the smooth 
surface of marble slabs. The worsted and crochet- 
needle is brought into requisition, and lo ! what forms 
of beauty her fancy has taken. Wash-bowl, pitcher 
and mug are each fitted with a mat of pretty device in 
white, or of colors that may be laundried without in¬ 
jury; white pique bordered with braiding and scol¬ 
loped edges, and crocheted centres with plain or fancy 
edges, are among the many designs of this work. A 
pretty and effective means of keeping the tooth and 
nail-brush nicely dry, is to use a small bracket with 
holes in the shelf for the insertion of handles. To 
make them ornamental, tack at the edge a border of 
worked canvas with fringe of crystal beads. Brackets 
for this especial purpose may be bought of tin, with 
incisions at the edge for the attachment of ornamental 
work. For the toilet, bright colored zephyrs may be 
used without danger of impairing their beauty. For 
mat borders, nothing exceeds in beauty the crimped 
zephyrs representing moss, with roses and fruit in 
crochet interspersed. Here the taste may indulge in 
every bearing of form and color without losing any¬ 
thing of its beauty, as the designs in this work are 
innumerable. Pin-cushions, too, of white net, traced 
in patterns of colored zephyrs, watch-cases of velvet 
embroidered with chenille, and jewel-stands of silver 
cardboard made in basket form and lined with silk, 
are each indispensable to a well finished toilet stand. 
The work-basket is a perfect treasure of fancy cush¬ 
ions, emery and needle-book, and must occupy a con¬ 
spicuous position. Lace tidies in white should dec¬ 
orate the rocking and easy-chairs, while a low, com¬ 
fortable ottoman may occupy some corner of its own 
for especial uses. Straw baskets for flowers should 
grace the table and brighten by contact the long- 
used volumes robbed of pristine beauty. Suspended 
baskets filled with grasses are graceful ornaments, 
and among the feathery beauty place flowers of bril¬ 
liant hues. Pictures, most certainly, should adorn 
our walls and be a resting place for heart and mind 
in many a weary hour. Faces of dear ones should 
greet us morn and eve with many a glad smile, and 
surrounded with scenes such as childhood loved, be a 
picture from memorv engraven upon our present lives. 
L. W. B. 
HOME COMFORTS AND TASTE. 
Although I cannot hope to say anything new on the 
subject of house decoration, yet I offer a few sugges¬ 
tions that may prove acceptable to young house¬ 
keepers ; more especially those whose income is num¬ 
bered by hundreds instead of thousands. 
Should you be one of the fortunate few who possess 
that something which Yankees call “ faculty,” which 
means brains to invent and ability to execute; brings 
order out of confusion, and uses gold as a servant, a 
means to a desired end; neither accepting an article 
because it represents so much of the coveted dross, nor 
rejecting it because so little; he may call himself 
blessed among men, whose home is your abiding place. 
Every room in your dwelling should be in itself a 
picture. The bare walls and uncovered floors are the 
canvas, waiting for the artist-hand of the mistress to 
be converted into a place of beauty. The walls are 
the background, the perspective, so to speak, of your 
picture; here must be no obtrusive form or glowing 
color, but soft, neutral tints, shades of grey, buff or 
lavender, or whatever may be the prevailing color of 
your room. 
There are many things, very desirable in themselves, 
that may be so placed, or rather displaced, in a room, 
as to be entirely inharmonious with the surroundings, 
and mar the whole. For instance, a full-length marble 
in the room I shall describe to you, would dwarf its 
simple appointments, giving it a meagre and unfin¬ 
ished look, whereas a pretty statuette, or a bracket, 
would only add another charm. 
And now let me introduce you to the sitting-room 
of my friend, Mrs. M. (she is no myth). We enter by 
this veranda, looking to the south, placed here more 
especially for the view we get of that bit of blue 
water and the dark pines beyond; step over the 
threshold without fear; how home-like and cheerful; 
every article fitted to its place; orderly without stiffness 
or precision, yet the upholsterer has done very little 
here; that pretty spread which covers the round work¬ 
table, the border is composed of various pieces of dif¬ 
ferent colored cashmere, each braided in medallions, 
neatly joined together, the seams covered with gold- 
colored cord; the centre is a single piece, braided in 
the same pattern; on the table is an oval basket, 
lined with little pockets and cushions of pale green 
silk; on each pocket is wrought a tiny star in gold 
color; beside the basket is a white porcelain vase, 
filled with mignonette and a few blossoms of the sweet- 
pea. Then there are one or two magazines, nothing 
more. Stop, here is a book open; look at the title- 
page —“ Buskin;” that is well. On the opposite side, 
away from the light, chintz-covered, cool and inviting, 
is the lounge. Trust me, it is not a delusion and a 
snare, like the things we get at the shop, tempting 
the uninitiated with their pillow-like plumpness and 
easy curves. Alas, for the weary mortal who seeks 
thereon repose; he arises from that couch a sadder 
man, and a wiser by far, in the structural anatomy of 
both lounge and lounger. “ Let us return to our mut¬ 
ton,” as the French express it, which is our lounge (it 
is well to be accurate in translation). Your John can 
make one if he is a genius; if not, you must inveigle 
one of the aforesaid clever people into your domicile, 
and, presto, you shall have a couch that shall leave 
you nothing to wish for. Here by the window is an 
arm-chair, covered with the same bright chintz; white 
muslin curtains, thrown tent-fasliion over a pretty 
silver arrow, fall cloud-like to the floor; up among 
the folds sings a canary, in his little gothic dwelling ; 
from a rustic bracket, formed of grapevine, lichen and 
moss, a single vine of maurandia is climbing up, 
and wandering at will over the sheer white muslin, 
dropping here and there in long loops and swinging 
tendrils, in forms more daintily graceful than the most 
elaborate embroidery. Here at your feet is a hassock, 
circular in form, covered with silken patchwork; so 
common an article needs no description; one of these 
in hexagon form, wrought in some tasteful design in 
applique, is really elegant. 
I have not space to finish the picture in detail, but 
will come again another day, should this be acceptable, 
and give you the dining-room or kitchen. Lelia. 
