by the good Samaritan, and may be easily restored to normal rectitude.

But the term "saddle-bag," whether for this animal or that, is confusing
and altogether too generally used. It must be borne in mind that a bag was
and is an article of universal utility to the Oriental. For all purposes
of travel, journeying, or visiting, it corresponds to our valise or
portmanteau of to-day; or, in aptest comparison, to our "carpet-bag" of
fifty years ago. And, according to the taste and means of their owners,
these Persian, Armenian, or Turkish carpet-bags varied in size and beauty.
A few rare old Caucasian small rugs can only be accounted for as valued
personal rug-bags of their period.

Among these smaller pieces are alone to be found the most valuable of all
the collector's spoil, the small Sehnas. Very rarely they come in pairs,
about two feet by three feet, and therefore could not have been used as
bags for any purpose. They are pillows; and pillows of course play their
important part in the _menage_ of the East. Besides the exquisite Sehnas,
the finest of the Anatolian mats, as they are generally called, were used
for pillows and not saddle-bags. The warp generally proves their purpose.
When the warp runs vertically to the larger side, and ends in a fringe,
that specimen was of course some sort of a saddle-bag. When the selvedge
is at the shorter end you have the pillow.

Among the other beautiful miniature specimens of textile art, which are
still occasionally offered, are saddle-cloths. They appear mostly in
beautiful Sehnas, and occasionally in fine old Feraghans and other Persian
weaves. They are marred, however, for beautiful floor coverings by the
necessary angular cut in them, through which the straps of the saddle
passed. This is often skilfully filled in, in the case of choice
specimens. But the blot remains. Their irregular shape also condemns them
for the most part with the many admirable but irreclaimable crooked rugs.

These saddle-bags are frequently used for table coverings or for mural
adornment. But in our modern house decoration rarely does a rug look well
upon the wall. The Persians hang them instead of pictures, which is well.
But they do not mix them with pictures on the wall, which is better, and
shows good taste on the part of the Persians. A rug appears best upon the
floor.

The collector of small pieces to-day will do well to buy every bag or
pillow of Bokhara or Beluchistan which may please his