In grouping color with color, nothing is more common than to see discordant tints placed together,—purple and green, for instance; and however rich the material or beautiful the wearer, such incongruity is exceedingly distasteful. In arranging colors, it should be borne in mind that there are two kinds of harmony,—the harmony of contrast and the harmony of analogy. When two dissimilar colors are blended agreeably, such as blue and orange, or lilac and cherry, they form a harmony of contrast. Two distant tones of one color, such as very light and very dark blue, associated, harmonize by contrast; but in this latter instance, the harmony is neither so striking nor so perfect. When similar colors, such as orange and scarlet, crimson and crimson-brown, are grouped together, they form a harmony of analogy; and if two or more shades of color, closely approximating in intensity, are associated, they harmonize by analogy.
Harmonies of contrast are more effective, but not more important, than those of analogy. The former are brilliant and decisive, the latter quiet and undemonstrative. Both hold equal positions in matters of dress, and in arranging the colors of the costume be careful to choose the proper species of harmony.
There are two rules to be observed: first, associate with colors favorable to the complexion tints that will harmonize by analogy or similarity, because contrasting colors would diminish and injure its favorable effect; second, if the color selected for the dress is injurious to the complexion, then contrasting color must be associated with it, to neutralize its objectionable influence.
There is much more to be said on the selection of colors for dress, but we must not trespass longer. We hope that, by our having thus called attention to this subject, our readers may find it sufficiently interesting to become familiar with the rules given, and carry the lessons it may have taught into practical use.
We are very largely indebted to “A Manual for Ladies,” by W. and G. Audsley, for much of the information grouped in this and the preceding article.
XXXIX.
A WORD ABOUT MOTHS.
“MOTHS in the winter! Pray don’t speak of them! Some weeks later will be time enough to stir up our minds by way of remembrance. The vexatious little torments! they surely don’t work in winter! And yet I have noticed several little spots, or holes, that looked as if eaten by moths. I am sure they were not there early in the fall: I couldn’t understand it, but was so confident that moths did not do their mischief in winter, that I have been trying to find some other cause for these marks.”
Ah! there was where you were mistaken. There are two kinds of moths,—one a large silver-colored fly; its worm is shaped somewhat like those found in chestnuts. The other was first noticed some eight or ten years since, by the upholsterers. It is smaller, of a brown or dark drab color. It is governed by no times or seasons, but works steadily on, summer and winter. The heat of our city homes or furnace-heated country-houses may promote this uninterrupted activity. The moth or fly, it is said, finds its way into a sofa or chair between the back or seat under the lining, where, among the springs, it finds a safe and convenient hiding-place. They will often secure a home in these secret places within a week of the time that furniture, right from the cabinet-maker’s, has been brought into the house. If they do, they are so enormously prolific that in a month or two they can be numbered by thousands. We cannot but think that when, in a carefully kept house, these moths are found in new furniture, they must have been first introduced through poorly prepared hair or material with which the article was upholstered or the hair, having been wet, was used before it was carefully dried. This theory may be only an imagination of our own but every year’s experience confirms the idea,—upholsterers to the contrary notwithstanding.
It is said that these moths will not eat pure curled hair, but only use it to fasten their cocoons upon, as being secure from any disturbance, through the elasticity of the hair. They use the inside of furniture only for propagation, and here at the same time may be found the fly, the worms, and the eggs. From this concealment the worm escapes, to feed on the plush or woolen materials, or, falling to the floor, feeds on the carpet. Plush being made with cotton back generally, they seldom eat through that, though they do sometimes cut through the muslin backs of sofas, etc. Little protection may be hoped for from the use of cayenne pepper, Scotch snuff, camphor, turpentine, or all other remedies against the large moth. Continual watchfulness is the only safety.
At least once a week the furniture should be moved away from the walls into the middle of the room and well brushed and beaten with a “furniture whip” or braided ratans. After brushing carefully all around the buttons with a furniture button-brush, pull up the material which will lie in loose folds or pleats about the buttons, and hold them up with one hand while you brush off all lint or dust that may have settled in these folds. These are nice little hiding-places for the worm, and must be looked after. As fast as each piece of furniture has been faithfully brushed and whipped, set it into the next room and keep the doors closed.