THE ALL-BLACK BED.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1639, 4 January 1913, Page 11

THE ALL-BLACK BED.

CURIOUS CUSTOM OF MEDIEVAL '.;'; ..■;,', .< i . '•'".. .;- In heT new book, "The English Housewife ill tho Seventeenth 'and Eighteenth: Centuries," Miss Rose M. Bradley draws a fascinating picture of domestic affairs in the English homes of the period., • ' Many pleasing .customs have vanished; •-. some not pleasing have happily vanished with them. At a time when beds and bed- , .steads were regarded as sacred possessions . worthy'to be bequeathed, there was one dreadful bed which, was no doubt the pride asiwell as the burden of the seventeenth century housewife,';. " The Mourning Bed. . / .'-;' I ' "This was the 'mourning* bed, hung en- , tirely in black, probably .black velvet.npt j oven the sheets .in the case of a widow , being permitted to be white, and,the walls of tho'room and nil. tho furniture were j draped in an'equally gloomy fashion. ' 1 -... "It was not until the close of the con- ■ tnry that a young widow in the country I was permitted to have a white sheet because 'she was ill and could not bear the j 'black cloth! •'.' , "'. "Mourning was ,and 'continued to bo a .very ; - expeusivo matter,. sinco. ij;. was "the custom to send it to all intimate friends as well as to near relations. Lady Sussex, with the great good sense sho displayed in practioal matters, twice refused 'blakes' ■, (blacks) from the Verneys during the Civil Wars, because she knew they could not'afford it, and alleging as her reason that she was living quietly at Gorham-; biiry .and' seeing nobody. . '"It was also the habit to lend tho mourning bed round the family and anion* neighbours, for it was not to be supposed that every household could boast so proud a possession." ': ■ _ ■".'■_- Another. household custom which time and advancing civilisation happily abolished is described as follows :— ; "In the Tudor kitchens a dog was ingeniously ..trained to turn tho 'roaster,'.by running : round tho insido of 'a wheel upon the same principle that a captive squirrel revolves in its cage. ' "To incite hiin to this form of exercise, the poor dog had a hot coal applied to his heels—a penalty which wns repeated ■, if he showed any desire to slacken—and when we consider the size of the joints\in those daysi he'must have been often both hurt and astonished at the length of this ; uncomfortable run. ■ • How the DO3 Escaped. > ' "Tho poor turnspit, with his long body - and crooked but powerful legs, obiitiuue<l at this: sad and arduous duty in many j r hbusosVuntil far into tho eighteeuth cen- ;. 'tury, vlhen'ho was relieved by the inven- . tion.ot the smoke-jack.". ,; ~ •.. ■ ■■• ' . One obtains, an impression'■ here and l there that no mean portion of' domestic . life in those days was consumed in'tho [ preparation .and administration of home-. made medicines and possets. "Wo havo ._ heard'of a nurse who poulticed a lady for ' temper." Thero. is n country squire who [. has a quarrel with his sister, which has ; seriously upset his stomach, so -he Hakes "Tipping's miiture and bue' or two dbses or Hiera picra." j ' A JACKET OF QOLD. '. A daring novelty of women's dress i (writes the English correspondent of tho "Australasian") of tile moment is the j use of cloth of gold as a jacket material. .. A. rather 'dark shado is chosen,, avoida ing any glare in the effect; moreover tho „ cloth of gold is generally associated with a black, which modifies its magnificence.- A h delightful example of the fashion.is being shown in one of the AVest-End shops. ,j Above a gown, of black poplin is worn .. a cutaway basque coat of cloth of, gold, r trimmed with /a sablo collar standing j acutelv upright, with a deep "fold-over." c The cloth of gold tone'is also being in- ,. tiv<luced in connection with golf jerseys. 'j Sucli a jersey witli a Ijlnck skirt and ? . black hat presents a pretty appearance < a HAIRWORK. 6 ' Mrs. Haybittlo makes a specialty of 50 Artistio and Up-to-dnto'lTairwork. Only e ' tho'iiest of. English Hair used. Head Massage, Shampooing, Cutting, etc. „ . 2CB, LAMBTON QUAY, st 'Phono 1591. Over Orr, Chemist. iS. ■ ; : — ' Spring Weddings—Brides' Bridesm maids' Bouquets of Fashion. Favourite i- (lowers—rose, carnation, lily of valley, n- exquisitely designed ami forwarded to any + part of Dominion. Miss Murray, Vice- ' 1 liceal Florist 3li Willis Street.-Advt.