BOOKCASES

Bookcases in weathered oak, with the top sections of the doors in
leaded glass, seem worth the prices at $28 for 30-inch, $43.50 for
4-foot, and $47.50 for 5-foot; yet a simple 30-inch golden oak case
"made in Grand Rapids," and of which no one need be ashamed, costs but
$14. Sectional cases are very convenient, and are now being designed
in artistic styles, but are not yet altogether approvable for the
parlor or living room. For the library simply, they are to be
recommended. Bookcases and other heavy pieces should either set
solidly upon the floor or have sufficient open space beneath them to
permit cleaning. Unless their contents are (mistakenly) hidden by
curtains, the bookcases should not be placed in too strong sunlight, as
some bindings fade rapidly. Nor should they be near the heat
radiators, or against a wall that may possess moisture. The piano,
too, must be protected against too great heat or moisture, and in a
stone or brick house should be placed against a partition rather than
the outside wall.



SUNDRIES

Useful, but not life-or-death essentials, are a tabouret at, say,
$3.25, a footrest for a little less, and a magazine rack for $5 or $10.
The problem of keeping periodicals in easy reach without too much of a
"litter'ry" effect has not yet been solved. The open rack is the best
compromise between sightliness and utility, because it is more apt to
be used than the more ambitious arrangements with doors. In the
general treatment of the living room the piano and its case are not to