mantelpieces, and she passes every spare hour embroidering,
braiding, or fringing some material to adorn her rooms. At Christmas her
friends contribute specimens of their handiwork to the collection.

The view of other houses and other decorations before long introduces the
worm of discontent into the blossom of our friend's contentment. The
fruit of her labors becomes tasteless on her lips. As the finances of
the family are satisfactory, the re-arrangement of the parlor floor is
(at her suggestion) confided to a firm of upholsterers, who make a clean
sweep of the rosewood and the bow-knots, and retire, after some months of
labor, leaving the delighted wife in possession of a suite of rooms
glittering with every monstrosity that an imaginative tradesman, spurred
on by unlimited credit, could devise.

The wood work of the doors and mantels is an intricate puzzle of inlaid
woods, the ceilings are panelled and painted in complicated designs. The
"parlor" is provided with a complete set of neat, old-gold satin
furniture, puffed at its angles with peacock-colored plush.

The monumental folding doors between the long, narrow rooms are draped
with the same chaste combination of stuffs.

The dining-room blazes with a gold and purple wall paper, set off by
ebonized wood work and furniture. The conscientious contractor has
neglected no corner. Every square inch of the ceilings, walls, and
floors has been carved, embossed, stencilled, or gilded into a
bewildering monotony.

The husband, whose affairs are rapidly increasing on his hands, has no
time to attend to such insignificant details as house decoration, the
wife has perfect confidence in the taste of the firm employed. So at the
suggestion of the latter, and in order to complete the beauty of the
rooms, a Bouguereau, a Toulmouche and a couple of Schreyers are bought,
and a number of modern French bronzes scattered about on the multicolored
cabinets. Then, at last, the happy owners of all this splendor open
their doors to the admiration of their friends.

About the time the peacock plush and the gilding begin to show signs of
wear and tear, rumors of a fresh fashion in decoration float across from
England, and the new gospel of the beautiful according to Clarence Cook
is first preached to an astonished nation.

The fortune of our couple continuing to develop with pleasing rapidity,
the building of a country house is next decided upon. A friend of the
husband, w