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Inside the House 
Timely Suggestions and 
Answers t o Correspondents 
Practical Letter Boxes 
OLALLY useful iii the country as a 
receptacle for outgoing letters, and 
in town for the mail left by the postman, 
are the letter boxes that are designed with 
the idea of being ornamental as well as 
substantial and secure. Even those made 
of heavy tin and costing but a trifle are 
decidedl}' attractive in ai^pearance. The 
jdainer of the two boxes illustrated is of 
this variety, and is dark green, almost 
black in color, with the lettering in dull 
gold, and the ornamental ligures in a pale 
green that is just the color of verdegris. 
Another box in the same shape is done in 
brown, and b}' way of decoration has a 
small jianel on the front showing a land¬ 
scape in delicate colorings. 
The more elaborate boxes come in heavy 
copper and also in an oxidized silver ef¬ 
fect and are decidedly ornamental without 
being too consi)icuous in apjiearance. 
While intended ])rimarily for outdoor use. 
to be ])ut up in a convenient place on the 
])iazza, somewhere near the front door. 
One of the most satisfactory boxes is of this 
simple style 
they are quite suitable for the inside of 
the house as well. 
They are fitted with strong locks and 
substantial keys that work without any 
difficulty, and the holes for the screws by 
which they are attached to the wall are 
in the back, inside the bo.x, so that the 
screws cannot be removed without using 
the lock and key. 
A \ inc Training Device 
XE of the best labor-saving arrange¬ 
ments is a device to fasten the strings 
or wire netting for the vines of the porch. 
A strip of wood one inch square and 
about six feet long with a strong screw 
eye at each end, is all that is needed. Drive 
two nails into the upper part of the porch, 
the same distance apart as the screw eyes. 
Then after tying the strings onto the strip, 
lift it u]) an(l hook the screw eyes over the 
nails. I-'asten the lower ends of the string's 
into the ground with small pegs, and tr^in 
the vines on them. In case the house is 
to be ])ainted. the vines can be lowered 
witho\it harming them. 
Luxurious W illovv and Adckei 
Furniture 
1 EL()A’, wicker and kindred chairs 
and couches are made most luxu¬ 
rious with box springs. A willow couch, 
which under ordinary conditions would 
scarcely be selected as a comfortable bed. 
may. with the box springs, serve as a 
most downy impromptu haven of rest for 
the unexpected guest. As a piazza sleep¬ 
ing couch, it is most desirable; at any time 
the springs may be lifted out and easily 
carried to a place of safety, while the 
willow frame remains unhurt, no matter 
how severe the rainstorm. The same plan 
may be pursued with chairs, the box 
springs being removed with the ease of a 
cushion. 
Two Tables in One 
E purchasing a square instead of a 
round willow table, consider the twin 
corner tables which when set together 
form a table a yard square. Each table 
is complete in itself, a triangle which will 
fit neatly into a corner; but when a larger 
table is desired, fills the want with merely 
a setting together — it might be called 
three tables in one. 
Placing Building Paper Correctly 
T he usual method of placing building 
paper is to stop it at the corners of 
the house, but a man told me he had his 
builder "lap" it over at the ends and so 
l)revent much cold air from entering. The 
result, a much warmer home with scarcely 
any additional cost. 
Color Schemes for the Porch 
Room 
ly/TA.XY houses have, just oft* of the 
i)orch, a small room which during 
the summer months may most conveniently 
be turned into a "porch room." Indeed, 
during the winter the porch room will be 
just as enjoyable, for if it is well heated, 
it will I'e as near to the delight of sitting 
out-of-doors as it is j^ossible to get in a 
A more decorative effect may be attained 
without sacrificing utility 
(42) 
