Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/61

 1868.] Chairs, Settles, Pews, Forms, Stools, and Seats generally. 41 would have been hardly self-supporting, having a tendency to topple over back- wards. In manufacturing, this would be obviated by throwing the back legs somewhat further back on the floor than at present, thus adapting them to the resultant strain, and rendering the back more nearly vertical. All this is under- stood of course to apply mainly to the hard-seat, or the hard-seat with a stuffed cushion, which must be lowered at the same angle about two-thirds the thick- ness of elastic cushion. Of course the same principles, governing the side pro- file of such an improved chair, must govern the end profile of porch or piazza settles, church pews, school forms, and all seats with backs. The same inclina- tion of seat to floor should appby to chair-stools and high desk-stools. It is already often found in the latter, though hardly ever in the former. Chair-stools, with small circular seats for momentary rest onty, should remain with seats par- allel to the horizon. All that is really needed for a good rest, besides the com- parative lowness and inclination here insisted upon, is a low perpendicular- back of about six inches height. This will brace the region of the os sacrum ; and an erect position is maintained per force. Curiously enough, the ancient Egyptian remains exhibit exactly this very kind of chair, the only exception being that the seat is level and rather high. It is related of Sir Walter Scott's mother, that the Principal of the acad- emy she attended in youth was so strict as never to allow any of the young ladies to rest any portion of the back against a chair-back, and that, as a consequence of this severe training and enforced habit of her early days, Mrs. Scott, even in her extreme age, would never rest against the back of a chair, always sitting erect, with her back parallel to the chair-back, but without ever touch- ing it. This, no doubt, prolonged her life. It is manifest from the foregoing, that, although an outcry was made forty years ago concerning high and straight backs in church-pews, as one had long pre- viously been made respecting the same points in domestic chairs, the fault really resided in the high and level seat. And, although, it has also been shown that it is not necessaiy to make the backs higher than the present fashion, but merely to set them nearly perpendicular, it was likewise demonstrated that it is a vital point to lower and incline the seats. So much for the wants of adults. Yet, in addition, eveiy household should be provided with miniature chairs of dif- ferent sizes, intended for infants, chil- dren, and youth. All of us have a feeling recollection of the misery endured at church or meeting from the width of the seats of pews or benches, the wrong angles of the backs, and their height above the floor. We could not put our backs against the pew-backs, because the seats were broader than our thighs were long ; we could not nestle with our feet on the seats, because that was impolite and unseemly, and, as our legs, too short to touch the floor, dangled down from the seat, and our loose, swinging heels constantly knocked against something or somebody; there we sat, resembling Mahomet's fabled coffin, suspended by loadstones between heaven and earth, and believing every special discomfort belonged to our special case. This brings us naturally to crickets, or low wooden cylinders, turned in vari- ous patterns, which can be upset and rolled along the floor, carpet-stools, ottomans, stools, and so forth. The three former, as usually made, answer their purpose admirably, and may be dismissed at once. High stools have