The long " catkins," or pampas plumes, now so fashionable every-
where, can be arranged in large bunches, the long stems tied once
or twice with bright ribbons. They are placed in a blue ginger
jar, and make a pretty decoration in a hall or a corner of a room.
In hanging-baskets, one of the prettiest styles is made by taking a
common horse muzzle, made of wire, and have it painted, with oil
colors, green. Then, when dry, take large pieces or sheets of the
bright green moss, which abounds in the woods and by the roadsides
in the spring, and line the inside with it, letting the green side be
turned outward. Then fill up the centre with earth and plant your
vines and flowers, three cords being fastened to the top wire at regular
distances, by which it is to be hung up. It can be watered occasion-
ally, and the moss freshened by dipping it into a bucket of water.
Another variety is the rustic style, so popular and beautiful. In
order to make one of these, procure from the woods a number of
crooked branches and rough, knotty twigs. Put them to soak in hot
water, or steam them, so as to render them perfectly pliable. Get
one of the turned wooden bowls, such as are to be found in house-
furnishing stores ; stain it with som.e of the brown staining materials
or black varnish, and then bore holes or insert screw rings on the
outside for the cords or chains to pass through. Now bend around
the outside of the bowl one of the branches and nail it securely at
the top edges on either side. Several pieces can be twined around in
this way, according to one's taste, until the whole surface is covered ;
then finish off with one around the edge for a border. • When this is
varnished it is very pretty, and the vines will, of course, be trained
to hang over the edge.
No picture ought to be hung higher than the height of the aver-
age human eye when the owner of the eye is standing. It is the
most universal rule in our houses to hang pictures much above this
level, and they cannot be enjoyed there. If the picture is a portrait
or it has human faces in it, its eyes should look as nearly into ours
as possible ; and if there be no such simple guide, perhaps a good
rule will be to have the line that divides the picture horizontally into
HOUSEHOLD ORNAMENTATION. 237
equal parts level with the eye. If one starts to hanging pictures with
the determination to place them so that they can be easily seen and
enjoyed without stretching the neck in the least, or stooping the body,
he will be pretty sure to do well. As people come to enjoy pictures
and get some intellectual, spiritual nourishment out of them, they
want them as they want their books, where they can see them and
use them.
Page 151
Presented as published in 1883. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The long " catkins," or pampas plumes, now so fashionable everywhere, can be arranged in large bunches, the long stems tied once or twice with bright ribbons. They are placed in a blue ginger jar, and make a pretty decoration in a hall or a corner of a room.
In hanging-baskets, one of the prettiest styles is made by taking a common horse muzzle, made of wire, and have it painted, with oil colors, green. Then, when dry, take large pieces or sheets of the bright green moss, which abounds in the woods and by the roadsides in the spring, and line the inside with it, letting the green side be turned outward. Then fill up the centre with earth and plant your vines and flowers, three cords being fastened to the top wire at regular distances, by which it is to be hung up. It can be watered occasionally, and the moss freshened by dipping it into a bucket of water. Another variety is the rustic style, so popular and beautiful. In order to make one of these, procure from the woods a number of crooked branches and rough, knotty twigs. Put them to soak in hot water, or steam them, so as to render them perfectly pliable. Get one of the turned wooden bowls, such as are to be found in housefurnishing stores ; stain it with some of the brown staining materials or black varnish, and then bore holes or insert screw rings on the outside for the cords or chains to pass through. Now bend around the outside of the bowl one of the branches and nail it securely at the top edges on either side. Several pieces can be twined around in this way, according to one's taste, until the whole surface is covered ; then finish off with one around the edge for a border. • When this is varnished it is very pretty, and the vines will, of course, be trained to hang over the edge.
No picture ought to be hung higher than the height of the average human eye when the owner of the eye is standing. It is the most universal rule in our houses to hang pictures much above this level, and they cannot be enjoyed there. If the picture is a portrait or it has human faces in it, its eyes should look as nearly into ours as possible ; and if there be no such simple guide, perhaps a good rule will be to have the line that divides the picture horizontally into
equal parts level with the eye. If one starts to hanging pictures with the determination to place them so that they can be easily seen and enjoyed without stretching the neck in the least, or stooping the body, he will be pretty sure to do well. As people come to enjoy pictures and get some intellectual, spiritual nourishment out of them, they want them as they want their books, where they can see them and use them.