Fig. 7. Fig. 8. Fig. 9. Fig. 10. Fig. 11.
Of course the speaking parts are taken by boy and girl performers, who stand on either side of the stage, and are concealed from the view of the spectators by screens or curtains. The stage-manager and his assistant stand still closer in, so as to manipulate the puppets. A curtain-bell arranged under the stage, and rung by a knocker or electric apparatus, adds to the realism.
This theatre is to be mounted on two horses, and it must so be screened off that nothing is visible but the proscenium, fore-stage, and footlights. This curtaining may be done with heavy muslin, or Canton flannel of dark color, or any material through which light will not show.
Chapter XVIII
FITTING UP A BOY’S ROOM
When once a boy realizes what may be done in the way of fitting up his den or room, he is sure to take an interest in the subject. A certain amount of manual skill and artistic feeling are, of course, desirable, but these qualities may be cultivated, and to a much greater extent than one would at first be willing to believe.
The color schemes, designs, and general suggestions in artistic handicraft that may be carried out in fitting up a boy’s room are almost without limit; but the following ideas are all practical, and the illustrations and explanations should enable the young craftsman to get satisfactory results at the minimum of labor and expense.
In the selection of woods from which to build furniture, the natural product of the locality in which the boy lives must be taken into consideration. Some States grow pine, white-wood (cottonwood), poplar, or cypress, while in others spruce, hemlock, maple, and fir will be found easier to obtain. In the Far West, gumwood, redwood, cedar, and cypress form the staple supply. The cost of the wood is a matter to be considered, and often the more artistic result may be secured by using an inexpensive wood, since the beautiful grain of the finer varieties can only be brought out by the skilled and experienced workman. Many woods have an open and broad grain that, if carefully filled and varnished over, will give a very pleasing effect. Chestnut, butternut, quartered oak, and ash have this quality, and all of them are adapted to furniture construction and room trimmings. For chairs and other furniture, spruce, apple-wood, and cypress will give good results; and all of them have a pretty grain when stained and varnished. Ash is harder, and makes good, solid furniture. If not found too difficult to work, it will prove a very satisfactory and serviceable wood for chairs, tables, benches, and other pieces of furniture that are subjected to hard usage.
In the construction of the various pieces of furniture illustrated, the simple rules of carpentry are to be followed, and only the lap, mortise-and-tenon, and tongue-and-groove joints are employed. These joints must be well made, however, so that perfect unions will result, for every piece of furniture will rack in time if not properly braced. For this reason only the plain joints are advocated for the young workman; and nothing has been said about the dowel, key, and other joints that are frequently employed by cabinet-makers in the general construction of furniture. These latter require much more care and accurate fitting, and for the open and exposed joint the simple forms are far better.