be turquoise, or pale blue, or a grayish-green, like the green of a
field of rye. With such walls, a white iron bedstead, enameled
furniture, curtains of white, or a flowered chintz which repeats or
contrasts with the colour of the walls, bedside and bureau rugs of the
tufted cotton which is washable, or of the new rag-rugs of which the
colours are "water fast," the room is absolutely good, and can be used
as an influence upon a lower or higher intelligence.

As a matter of utility the toilet service should be always of white; so
that there will be no chance for the slovenly mismatching which results
from breakage of any one of the different pieces, when of different
colours. A handleless or mis-matched pitcher will change the entire
character of a room and should never be tolerated.

If the size of the room will warrant it, a rocking-chair or easy-chair
should always be part of its equipment, and the mattress and bed-springs
should be of a quality to give ease to tired bones, for these things
have to do with the spirit of the house.

It may be said that the colouring and furnishing of the servants'
bedroom is hardly a part of house decoration, but in truth house
decoration at its best is a means of happiness, and no householder can
achieve permanent happiness without making the service of the family
sharers in it.

What I have said with regard to painted walls in plain tints applies to
bedrooms of every grade, but where something more than merely agreeable
colour effect is desired a stencilled decoration from the simplest to
the most elaborate can be added. There are many ways of using this
method, some of which partake very largely of artistic effect; indeed a