utility and comfort, devoting themselves to the questions of aesthetic
style, it will be useful to our purpose here to confine the discussion
to the neglected qualities. As a rule, a durable, useful, and
comfortable article is a beautiful one. At least it has the beauty
of "grace," by which terms the old writers on aesthetics characterized
perfect adaptation to purpose, and the beauty of what they called
"homeliness," or, as we would now say, since this term has been
perverted, of "hominess," the suggestion of adding to the pleasure
of the household.

The quality of "hominess" is greatly increased in an article of
furniture by a frank look or "home-made" appearance. There is no more
delightful occupation for the leisure hours of a man or woman, and no
more useful training for a boy or girl, than the making of simple
articles of home furniture. Really, the first article of furniture which
should be brought into the house is a well-equipped tool-chest, and the
first room which should be fitted up is the workshop. A vast amount of
labor will be saved thereby in unpacking, adjusting, repairing, and
polishing the old and the new household articles, so that life in the
new home be begun under the favorable auspices of the great household
deity, the Goddess of Order. When it is further considered that often
small repairs made by a carpenter cost more than a new article, the
tool-chest will be valued by the family as a most profitable investment.

If it is not possible to procure the proper materials and tools for
making the entire article, some part of the work, the shaping, and
certainly the staining and polishing, can be done at home. If the
visitor does not recognize the home quality in such an article,
the maker does, and will always have a pride and affection for it.