. Country life reader . The frame should not attract too much attention. first used on richly colored paintings placed in dim cathe-drals, where the gold of the frames harmonized with thegolden vessels on the altar. But in a small room a goldframe usually becomes too noticeable, and is in poor room looks better now; yet it has a crowded ap-pearance still. Look at the array of bric-a-brac on themantel and on the piano. The wax figures are pushingthose vases almost over! Suppose we apply an old testhere. Let us ask of each of these articles: ^Is it useful?Is it beautiful? If it is neit
. Country life reader . The frame should not attract too much attention. first used on richly colored paintings placed in dim cathe-drals, where the gold of the frames harmonized with thegolden vessels on the altar. But in a small room a goldframe usually becomes too noticeable, and is in poor room looks better now; yet it has a crowded ap-pearance still. Look at the array of bric-a-brac on themantel and on the piano. The wax figures are pushingthose vases almost over! Suppose we apply an old testhere. Let us ask of each of these articles: ^Is it useful?Is it beautiful? If it is neither, it must go! Here is avase, slender near the base, larger farther up, and themouth is so narrow that it cannot be used for a bouquet. A BETTER HOUSE 311. It is not beautiful, for it giyes us an uneasy fear that it may topple over any minute, while an object of beauty should give us a feeling of ease, and of satisfaction in its propor- lions. Besides, the ghttering gilt of the handles and base is not in keeping, with the simple beauty of flowers. But here, just beside this, is another vase, and it is truly lovely. The shape is ideal for long-stemmed flowers, and its color is such as wdll not be out of harmony with any flowers we may choose to use. Many of the other things on the mantel are beautiful as well as useful; but there are too many. If we remove some, there w^ill be space enough between the others to allow our minds and eyes to rest as we look from one to the other. And now that we are through with the mantel, whatdo you think of the chairs in this room? Here is one Ilike very much—and here is one I dislike. Can you seethe difference ? This one is simple in Hne, strong in work-manship, stands true on its feet, and is covered
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