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inviting。 Even 〃mother's〃 face betrays no admiration。 Untenanted
〃furnished apartments〃 viewed in the morning sunlight do not inspire
cheery sensations。 There is a lifeless air about them。 It is a very different
thing when you have settled down and are living in them。 With your old
familiar household gods to greet your gaze whenever you glance up； and
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THE IDLE THOUGHTS OF AN IDLE FELLOW。
all your little knick…knacks spread around youwith the photos of all the
girls that you have loved and lost ranged upon the mantel…piece； and half a
dozen disreputable…looking pipes scattered about in painfully prominent
positionswith one carpet slipper peeping from beneath the coal…box and
the other perched on the top of the pianowith the well…known pictures to
hide the dingy walls； and these dear old friends； your books； higgledy…
piggledy all over the placewith the bits of old blue china that your
mother prized； and the screen she worked in those far by…gone days； when
the sweet old face was laughing and young； and the white soft hair
tumbled in gold…brown curls from under the coal…scuttle bonnet
Ah； old screen； what a gorgeous personage you must have been in your
young days； when the tulips and roses and lilies （all growing from one
stem） were fresh in their glistening sheen！ Many a summer and winter
have come and gone since then； my friend； and you have played with the
dancing firelight until you have grown sad and gray。 Your brilliant colors
are fast fading now； and the envious moths have gnawed your silken
threads。 You are withering away like the dead hands that wove you。 Do
you ever think of those dead hands？ You seem so grave and thoughtful
sometimes that I almost think you do。 Come； you and I and the deep…
glowing embers； let us talk together。 Tell me in your silent language what
you remember of those young days； when you lay on my little mother's lap
and her girlish fingers played with your rainbow tresses。 Was there never a
lad near sometimesnever a lad who would seize one of those little hands
to smother it with kisses； and who would persist in holding it； thereby
sadly interfering with the progress of your making？ Was not your frail
existence often put in jeopardy by this same clumsy； headstrong lad； who
would toss you disrespectfully aside that henot satisfied with onemight
hold both hands and gaze up into the loved eyes？ I can see that lad now
through the haze of the flickering twilight。 He is an eager bright…eyed boy；
with pinching； dandy shoes and tight…fitting smalls； snowy shirt frill and
stock； andoh！ such curly hair。 A wild； light…hearted boy！ Can he be the
great； grave gentleman upon whose stick I used to ride crosslegged； the
care…worn man into whose thoughtful face I used to gaze with childish
reverence and whom I used to call 〃father？〃 You say 〃yes；〃 old screen； but
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are you quite sure？ It is a serious charge you are bringing。 Can it be
possible？ Did he have to kneel down in those wonderful smalls and pick
you up and rearrange you before he was forgiven and his curly head
smoothed by my mother's little hand？ Ah！ old screen； and did the lads and
the lassies go making love fifty years ago just as they do now？ Are men
and women so unchanged？ Did little maidens' hearts beat the same under
pearl…embroidered bodices as they do under Mother Hubbard cloaks？
Have steel casques and chimney…pot hats made no difference to the brains
that work beneath them？ Oh； Time！ great Chronos！ and is this your power？
Have you dried up seas and leveled mountains and left the tiny human
heart…strings to defy you？ Ah； yes！ they were spun by a Mightier than thou；
and they stretch beyond your narrow ken； for their ends are made fast in
eternity。 Ay； you may mow down the leaves and the blossoms； but the
roots of life lie too deep for your sickle to sever。 You refashion Nature's
garments； but you cannot vary by a jot the throbbings of her pulse。 The
world rolls round obedient to your laws； but the heart of man is not of your
kingdom； for in its birthplace 〃a thousand years are but as yesterday。〃
I am getting away； though； I fear； from my 〃furnished apartments；〃 and
I hardly know how to get back。 But I have some excuse for my
meanderings this time。 It is a piece of old furniture that has led me astray；
and fancies gather； somehow； round old furniture； like moss around old
stones。 One's chairs and tables get to be almost part of one's life and to
seem like quiet friends。 What strange tales the wooden…headed old fellows
could tell did they but choose to speak！ At what unsuspected comedies and
tragedies have they not assisted！ What bitter tears have been sobbed into
that old sofa cushion！ What passionate whisperings the settee must have
overheard！
New furniture has no charms for me compared with old。 It is the old
things that we lovethe old faces； the old books； the old jokes。 New
furniture can make a palace； but it takes old furniture to make a home。 Not
merely old in itselflodging…house furniture generally is thatbut it must
be old to us； old in associations and recollections。 The furniture of
furnished apartments； however ancient it may be in reality； is new to our
eyes； and we feel as though we could never get on with it。 As； too； in the
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case of all fresh acquaintances； whether wooden or human （and there is
very little difference between the two species sometimes）； everything
impresses you with its worst aspect。 The knobby wood…work and shiny
horse…hair covering of the easy…chair suggest anything but ease。 The
mirror is smoky。 The curtains want washing。 The carpet is frayed。 The
table looks as if it would go over the instant anything was rested on it。 The
grate is cheerless； the wall…paper hideous。 The ceiling appears to have had
coffee spilt all over it； and the ornamentswell； they are worse than the
wallpaper。
There must surely be some special and secret manufactory for the
production of lodging…house ornaments。 Precisely the same articles are to
be found at every lodging…house all over the kingdom； and they are never
seen anywhere else。 There are the twowhat do you call them？ they stand
one at each end of the mantel…piece； where they are never safe； and they
are hung round with long triangular slips of glass that clank against one
another and make you nervous。 In the commoner class of rooms these
works of art are supplemented by a couple of pieces of china which might
each be meant to represent a cow sitting upon its hind legs； or a model of
the temple of Diana at Ephesus； or a dog； or anything else you like to
fancy。 Somewhere about the room you come across a bilious…looking
object； which at first you take to be a lump of dough left about by one of
the children； but which on scrutiny seems to resemble an underdone cupid。
This thing the landlady calls a statue。 Then there is a 〃sampler〃 worked by
some idiot related to the family； a picture of the 〃Huguenots；〃 two or three
Scripture texts； and a highly framed and glazed certificate to the effect that
the father has been vaccinated； or is an Odd Fellow； or something of that
sort。
You examine these various attractions and then dismally ask what the
rent is。
〃That's rather a good deal；〃 you say on hearing the figure。
〃Well； to tell you the truth；〃 answers the landlady with a sudden burst
of candor； 〃I've always had〃 （mentioning a sum a good deal in excess of
the first…named amount）； 〃and before that I used to have〃 （a still higher
figure）。
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THE IDLE THOUGHTS OF AN IDLE FELLOW。
What the rent of apartments must have been twenty years ago makes
o