Twentieth Century Culture and Deportment / Or the Lady and Gentleman at Home and Abroad; Containing Rules of Etiquette for All Occasions, Including Calls; Invitations; Parties; Weddings; Receptions; Dinners and Teas; Etiquette of the Street; Public Places, Etc., Etc. Forming a Complete Guide to Self-Culture; the Art of Dressing Well; Conversation; Courtship; Etiquette for Children; Letter-Writing; Artistic Home and Interior Decorations, Etc.

by Maud C. Cooke

Plenty of Pillows.

All cosy corners and all couches are incomplete without numberless pillows of all sorts, shapes and sizes.

A serviceable pillow, and one that can be laundered, is of blue denim, with a band of Irish point embroidery running around the four sides of the square with the edge toward the center. A ruffle of denim with a narrow embroidered insertion to match the edge, completes this sensible head-rest.

An Indian silk pillow is always pretty, and is pleasant next to the face when one is lying down.

An open-work scrim with rows of ribbon placed upon the plain stripes, made over a contrasting color of silk, with ruffle of sheer lace over the color of the pillow, is effective and bright looking.

Any one who is fond of an Oriental effect can have it in the pillow by sewing silks and satins hit and miss, as in making an old-time rag carpet, then having it woven with black linen chain.

One who is expert with crochet needle can have a creation worthy of handing down for ages to come. Crochet a number of artistic wheels or medallions of knitting silk in a golden yellow shade; join together, making a square the size of the pillow desired. Place this lace cover over a contrasting shade of yellow, finishing the edges with yellow silk pompoms placed close together.

Yellow cheese cloth perfectly plain on both sides, with two ruffles of the same and a fullness of lace between, makes a dainty and inexpensive pillow; the under ruffle being six inches, lace ruffle five inches, and the top ruffle of cheese cloth three inches in width.

For the woman whose tastes run to the elegant, a pillow of silk-faced velvet and satin ribbon is grateful. A novel pillow is the clover pillow, but to carry out the idea as originally designed one must await the coming of the season when clover is at its fullest and sweetest blossom. Then gather the large red clover heads. Take as many as would fill a large washtub, sprinkle a pound of fine salt over them, and stir them well, about once a day, until they are thoroughly dried, without falling to pieces. This is the filling for a pillow made of white linen duck, embroidered with a straggling design of clover.

The convenient and ornamental floor pillow is especially adapted for the summer home, the piazza, the lawn or the lounging-room. The frame, which is made of good springs enclosed in a strong linen covering, is on casters, and can be readily moved from place to place. Covered with Baghdad stripes, tapestry, or any artistic material, it makes a Christmas present that would please the most fastidious taste.