Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
orrepresentationsofwell-knownobjectsofanykind,shouldnot
beenduredwithinthelimitsofChristendom.Indeed,whether
oncarpets,orcurtains,ortapestry,orottomancoverings,allupholstery
ofthisnatureshouldberigidlyArabesque.Asforthoseantiquefloor-
cloth&stilloccasionallyseeninthedwellingsoftherabble—cloths
ofhuge,sprawling,andradiatingdevises,stripe-interspersed,and
gloriouswithallhues,amongwhichnogroundisintelligible—these
arebutthewickedinventionofaraceoftime-serversandmoney-
lovers—childrenofBaalandworshippersofMammon—Benthams,
who,tosparethoughtandeconomizefancy,firstcruellyinventedthe
Kaleidoscope,andthenestablishedjoint-stockcompaniestotwirl
itbysteam.
GlareisaleadingerrorinthephilosophyofAmericanhousehold
decoration—anerroreasilyrecognisedasdeducedfromtheperversion
oftastejustspecified.,Weareviolentlyenamouredofgasandofglass.
Theformeristotallyinadmissiblewithindoors.Itsharshandunsteady
lightoffends.Noonehavingbothbrainsandeyeswilluseit.Amild,
orwhatartiststermacoollight,withitsconsequentwarmshadows,
willdowondersforevenanill-furnishedapartment.Neverwasamore
lovelythoughtthanthatoftheastrallamp.Wemean,ofcourse,the
astrallampproper—thelampofArgand,withitsoriginalplainground-
glassshade,anditstemperedanduniformmoonlightrays.Thecut-
glassshadeisaweakinventionoftheenemy.Theeagernesswith
whichwehaveadoptedit,partlyonaccountofitsflashiness,but
principallyonaccountofitsgreaterrest,isagoodcommentaryonthe
propositionwithwhichwebegan.Itisnottoomuchtosay,thatthe
deliberateemployerofacut-glassshade,iseitherradicallydeficient
intaste,orblindlysubservienttothecapricesoffashion.Thelight
proceedingfromoneofthesegaudyabominationsisunequalbroken,
andpainful.Italoneissufficienttomaraworldofgoodeffectinthe
furnituresubjectedtoitsinfluence.Femaleloveliness,inespecial,
ismorethanone-halfdisenchantedbeneathitsevileye.
Inthematterofglass,generally,weproceeduponfalseprinciples.
Itsleadingfeatureisglitter—andinthatonewordhowmuchofallthat
isdetestabledoweexpress!Flickering,unquietlights,aresometimes
pleasing—tochildrenandidiotsalwaysso—butintheembellishment
ofaroomtheyshouldbescrupulouslyavoided.Intruth,evenstrong
steadylightsareinadmissible.Thehugeandunmeaningglass
chandeliers,prism-cut,gas-lighted,andwithoutshade,whichdangle
