August 1926

Could Night Ever So Dismal Be?

A Little House from The Arabian Nights

ARCHITECTURE in Southern California is startling. One is just as likely as not to encounter a purple house with a green roof or a pink dwelling trimmed in lavender! The southwestern desire seems to be for something "different."

Adequate Light in the Home

FEW housewives or their husbands know very much about lighting chiefly because they have never thought much about it, or they have presumed there was nothing more to it than inserting a light bulb in a socket. It is a neglected but important subject. The comfort and the appearance of the home after dark can be made or marred by the way it is lighted.

How I Succeed with Asters

ASTERS as gorgeous as hothouse chrysanthemums can be yours-- a thousand-- ten, twenty thousand-- enough to make a bower of your home from July to November-- an abundance to decorate the churches of your community-- plenty for every sick person in your town. Why not? I do it every year. Professionally? Dear, dear, no. I never sold a flower in my life. It's too much fun giving them away. I commute every working day to the great metropolis, and raising asters in season is merely one of my minor hobbies.

Snapdragons For Your Garden

SNAPDRAGONS-- Antirrhinums, both their names are against them; but their striking beauty and prodigality of bloom have forced us to take them again to our hearts-- and gardens. As tho in recognition of our returned favor, they have come to meet us clothed in new shades and colors, and vastly improved in form and size. Grandmother would scarce recognize her old magenta and purplish red straggler from the Mediterranean in the erect spikes of yellows, coppers, pinks, salmons, whites, reds, even lavender and gold that grace our garden borders of today.

Homes of Famous Americans

EMERSON quite truthfully observed that "the President has paid dear for his White House. It has commonly cost him his peace and the best of his manly attributes." In no instance is this better illustrated than in the case of Mr. Madison-- he is always "Mr. Madison!"-- who crept out of the White House by the skin of his teeth, a bewildered and perplexed old man, doubtless thankful to retire to his books and philosophical speculations.

Comfort in the Kitchen

THEODORE ROOSEVELT was a volunteer in the Spanish- American war. After getting to Cuba with considerable men under him, his first desire was to "pitch in" and clean things up, but there was one thing that hindered him, and that was food. The stuff he received for his men was not suitable. The Colonel complained, but to no avail. Government "red tape" was so involved that the future president saw no help for the situation, therefore he cabled the then Commander-in-Chief at Washington direct.

The Cosy Room under the Eaves

THE room under the eaves is the cosy, intimate place where one may listen to the rain patter, think, or "get away from things." It has long been pleasantly associated with old- fashioned attics of our grandparents' time, but its possibilities as a practical and attractive room in the modern home should not be overlooked.

A Plot Plan

Under the Library Lamp

WHICH five or six out of all the new books shall I choose for my vacation reading?" you are probably thinking just about now. "Which ones would I really enjoy?"

Garden Reminders

THESE hot August days one is likely to leave the garden hose exposed to the weather day and night, which practice soon wears it out since the rubber is subjected alternately to dampness and extreme heat. To make the hose wear its allotted time it should be rolled onto a reel when not in use; it should not be left where it will be likely to receive cuts and bruises; it should always be emptied before being put away and should be kept in a frost-proof place in winter.

Dad's Practical Pointers

SANDPAPER or half a brick will clean off that rusty hoe in good shape, altho every garden tool should be cleaned carefully when it is put away and, if wet, wiped on an oily rag. A small paddle, cut from wood, should be carried along when working in a too-wet garden.

What is the Parent's Job?

IN the opening semester of our home school for parents ("Better Fathers and Mothers" in last month's issue of this magazine), we learned the importance of employing self-control, team work and self-sacrifice in dealing with our children. But we must have an objective toward which to work.

Frosty Fruit Drinks

WE at our house like our frosty drinks made according to inspiration rather than hard and fast rule-- inspiration founded upon, or tempered by, the contents of the icebox. When the afternoon is torrid or the evening is dull with heat, someone disappears kitchenward, and soon we are soothed and comforted by the sight, sound, and flavor of a tall, cool, tinkling beverage.

Yellow Tomato Preserves

SOME people like yellow tomato preserves and some people do not-- but since the people who do like them regard them as a special treat (I am one who thinks them that) it is well to have a shelfful of small jars in the preserve cupboard.

ACROSS THE EDITOR'S DESK

WHAT'S wrong with the home?" thoughtless folks continue to ask, in much the same thoughtless way that they chatter about the weather. The truth is, there is nothing wrong with the home; it is just as much the refuge for American family life today as it ever has been. Indeed, it offers greater possibilities for comfort and happiness today than ever before, thanks to modern inventions and business enterprise.