Carpets and Bedding. — Never buy a flimsy carpet at any price. Do without until good ones can be purchased. If you can buy a good Brussels, with the pile dense and close, it will last a generation with proper care. In bedding, start with new, clean, honest material. Never let any young person sleep on a feather bed; it will cause undue heat, weaken the action of the skin, and cause those who lie in it to become susceptible to cold, besides other, more serious, evils of over-heating. If the bed or bedding be narrow, the occupant will not rest well, because proper movement cannot be made. Use the same careful discrimination in the selection of all furniture that you would in any other matter. Have less, if necessary, but have that good, rather than crowd the rooms with inferior material. It is easier to add to a small number of good articles than suffer the annoyance of mistakes in over-furnishing with cheap stuff. Hygiene of Bedding. — The system, so prevalent in America, of sleeping on feathers, and of placing two or more in a bed together, cannot be too strongly con- demned. Healthy children, and all others not invalids, should sleep on hard mat- tresses, of which the best are made from curled horse-hair. These are, however, expensive, and many good substitutes may be bought; one of the best of these is the clean wood-fiber, called excelsior. Have springs, or woven wire, under beds if you choose: never feathers, except for very elderly people, who have grown too used to them to change. Never let a grown-up person, and, above all, never let an old person or an invalid, sleep with a child; it Avill destroy the child's vitality. So far as possi- ble, give to each member of the family a bed, Not only is this better for the general HOUSEHOLD ART AND TASTE 343 health, but often, in case of illness, prevents contaejion. Avoid stoves, especially coal stoves, in sleeping-rooms. If a light is needed, never use a turned-down kerosene lamp, for its fumes are injurious. Use hard beds, ventilate by open fires or other- wise, and cover well with coarse woolen bed-clothes, and half the illness in the family will disappear. Ill, The Parlor Furniture. The parlor, like every other room in the house, should be furnished for wear. No sensible person furnishes a parlor to be shut up and remain unused, except upon great occasions. It is the place for the family to gather in when leisure allows, and not a place to be opened only when "Mrs. Grundy" calls. Hence, the furniture must be bought with an eye to use. GLASS CASE FOB HOUSE -PLyVNTS. The Pictures. — The pictures, whether oil, water-color, good chromos, prints or- photographs, should correspond to the condition of the owner. A few really good engravings or paintings are better than any number of cheap ones. If you already have these, paper or kalsomine the walls to correspond. If there arc engravings, composition frames, or those of walnut, rosewood or bird's-eye maple with gilt moldings, will be appropriate. There is no better place to study effect than in a well-arranged picture gallery, yet how few persons visit one of these for this purpose. 3M TWENTIETH CENTURY HOME COOK BOOK. You may also there get some good lessons in hanging, with reference to light, etc. If the room is low, hang on nails behind the pictures, so the wire or cord is not seen. The Curtains. — Curtains are pleasant things to have in every window of the house. They temper the light, keep out cold drafts, j^revent the direct rays of the sun from entering when not wanted, and should be of material to correspond with the other furniture of the room.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Carpets and Bedding. — Never buy a flimsy carpet at any price. Do without until good ones can be purchased. If you can buy a good Brussels, with the pile dense and close, it will last a generation with proper care. In bedding, start with new, clean, honest material. Never let any young person sleep on a feather bed; it will cause undue heat, weaken the action of the skin, and cause those who lie in it to become susceptible to cold, besides other, more serious, evils of over-heating. If the bed or bedding be narrow, the occupant will not rest well, because proper movement cannot be made. Use the same careful discrimination in the selection of all furniture that you would in any other matter. Have less, if necessary, but have that good, rather than crowd the rooms with inferior material. It is easier to add to a small number of good articles than suffer the annoyance of mistakes in over-furnishing with cheap stuff. Hygiene of Bedding. — The system, so prevalent in America, of sleeping on feathers, and of placing two or more in a bed together, cannot be too strongly condemned. Healthy children, and all others not invalids, should sleep on hard mattresses, of which the best are made from curled horse-hair. These are, however, expensive, and many good substitutes may be bought; one of the best of these is the clean wood-fiber, called excelsior. Have springs, or woven wire, under beds if you choose: never feathers, except for very elderly people, who have grown too used to them to change. Never let a grown-up person, and, above all, never let an old person or an invalid, sleep with a child; it will destroy the child's vitality. So far as possible, give to each member of the family a bed, Not only is this better for the general health, but often, in case of illness, prevents contagion. Avoid stoves, especially coal stoves, in sleeping-rooms. If a light is needed, never use a turned-down kerosene lamp, for its fumes are injurious. Use hard beds, ventilate by open fires or otherwise, and cover well with coarse woolen bed-clothes, and half the illness in the family will disappear. Ill, The Parlor Furniture. The parlor, like every other room in the house, should be furnished for wear. No sensible person furnishes a parlor to be shut up and remain unused, except upon great occasions. It is the place for the family to gather in when leisure allows, and not a place to be opened only when "Mrs. Grundy" calls. Hence, the furniture must be bought with an eye to use. [illustration: GLASS CASE FOR HOUSE-PLANTS.] The Pictures. — The pictures, whether oil, water-color, good chromos, prints or photographs, should correspond to the condition of the owner. A few really good engravings or paintings are better than any number of cheap ones. If you already have these, paper or kalsomine the walls to correspond. If there arc engravings, composition frames, or those of walnut, rosewood or bird's-eye maple with gilt moldings, will be appropriate. There is no better place to study effect than in a well-arranged picture gallery, yet how few persons visit one of these for this purpose. 3M You may also there get some good lessons in hanging, with reference to light, etc. If the room is low, hang on nails behind the pictures, so the wire or cord is not seen. The Curtains. — Curtains are pleasant things to have in every window of the house. They temper the light, keep out cold drafts, prevent the direct rays of the sun from entering when not wanted, and should be of material to correspond with the other furniture of the room.

Twentieth century home cook book