\"Atfirst，yes，theremightbesomesuchmechanicalactioninher;butitwouldbepurelymechanical，anditwouldsooncease.WhentheStandardHousehold—EffectCompanycamedownonthetemporal—manlywithapenaltyforviolationofthelease，theeternal—womanlywouldseethefollyofherwaysandstop;fortheeternal—womanlyisessentiallyeconomical，whateverwesayaboutthedressmaker\'sbills;andtheveryfutilitiesofputtingawayandtakingout，thatshenowwearsherselftoathreadwith，arefoundedintheinstinctofsaving.\"
\"But，\"Iasked，\"wouldn\'tourhouseholdbelongingsloseagooddealofcharacteriftheydidn\'tbelongtous？Wouldn\'tourdomesticinteriorsbecomedreadfullyimpersonal？\"
\"Howmanyhousesnowhavecharacter—personality？Mostpeopleletthedifferentdealerschooseforthem，asitis.WhynotlettheStandardHousehold—EffectCompany，andfinallythestate？Iamsurethateitherwouldchoosemuchmorewiselythanpeoplechooseforthemselves，inthefewcaseswheretheyevenseemtochooseforthemselves.Inmostinteriorstheappointmentsarewithoutfitness，taste，orsense;theyarethemereaccretionsofaccidentinthegreaternumberofcases;wheretheyaretheresultofdesign，theyareworse.Iseewhatyoumeanbycharacterandpersonalityinthem.Youmeanthesortofmadnessthatletitselflooseafewyearsagoinwhatwascalledhouseholdart，andhassincegonetomakethejunk—shopshideous.Eachoftheeternal—womanlywassupposedsuddenlytohaveacquiredatalentfordecorationandagiftfortheselectionandarrangementoffurniture，andeachbegantostampherselfuponourinteriors.Onepaintedahigh—shoulderedstonebottlewithastorkandstooditattherightcornerofthemantelonascarf;
anothergildedthebottleandstooditattheleftcorner，andtiedthescarfthroughitshandle.Oneknottedaribbonaroundthearmofachair;anotherknotteditaroundtheleg.Inaday，anhour，amoment，thechairssuddenlybecameangular，cushionless，springless;andthesofaswerestoodacrosscorners，orparallelwiththefireplace，inslantsexpressiveofthepersonalityofthepresidinggenius.Thewallsbecameallfriezeanddado;andinsteadofthesimpleanddignifieduglinessoftheimpersonalperiodourinteriorsabandonedthemselvestoahystericalchaos，fullofcharacter.Somepeoplehadtheirdoorspaintedblack，andthedaughterormotherofthehousethendecoratedthemwithmorning—glories.IsawsuchadoorinahouseIlookedattheotherday，thinkingImighthireit.Thesightofthatblackdooranditsmorning—
gloriesmademewishtoturnasideandlivewiththecattle，asWaltWhitmansays.No，thelesswetrytogetpersonalityandcharacterintoourhouseholdeffectsthemorebeautifulandinterestingtheywillbe.
AssoonasweputtheStandardHousehold—EffectCompanyinpossessionandrenderitarelentlessmonopoly，itwillcorruptacompetentarchitectanddecoratorineachofourlargetownsandcities，andwhenyouhireanewhousethesewillbesenttoadvisewiththeeternal—womanlyconcerningitsappointments，andtellherwhatshewants，andwhatshewilllike;foratpresenttheeternalwomanly，assoonasshehasgotathingshewants，beginstohateit.Thecompany\'sagentswillbeginbyconvincingherthatshedoesnotneedhalfthethingsshehaslumberedupherhousewith，andthateveryuselessthingisanuglything，evenintheregionofpureaesthetics.IonceaskedanItalianpainterifhedidnotthinkacertainnoblyimagineddrawing—roomwasfine，andhesaid\'SI.Matropparoba.\'Thereweretoomanyrugs，tables，chairs，sofas，pictures;vases，statues，chandeliers.\'Tropparoba\'istheviceofallourhouseholdfurnishing，anditwillbethedeathoftheeternal—womanlyifitisnotstopped.Butthecorruptagentsofagiantmonopolywillteachtheeternal—womanlysomethingofthewisesimplicityoftheSouth，andshewillendbyreturningtotheidealofhousekeepingasitprevailsamongtheLatinraces，whomitbeganwith，whomcivilizationbeganwith.
Whatofaharmless，necessarymothortwo，orevenafewfleas？\"
\"Thatmightbeallverywellasfarasfurnitureandcarpetsandcurtainsareconcerned，\"Isaid，\"butsurelyyouwouldn\'tapplyittopicturesandobjectsofart？\"
\"Iwouldapplyittothemfirstofallandaboveall，\"rejoinedmyfriend，hardily.\"Amongallthepeoplewhobuyandownsuchthingsthereisnotoneinathousandwhohasanyrealtasteorfeelingforthem，andtheobjectstheychoosearegenerallysuchascanonlydepraveanddegradethemfurther.Thepictures，statues，andvasessuppliedbytheStandardHousehold—EffectCompanywouldbeselectedbyagentswitharealsenseofart，andaknowledgeofit.Whenthehouse—lettingandhouse—
furnishingfinallypassedintothehandsofthestate，thesethingswouldbelentfromthepublicgalleries，orfromimmensemunicipalstoresforthepurpose.\"
\"AndIsupposeyouwouldhaveancestralportraitssuppliedalongwiththeotherpictures？\"Isneered.
\"Ancestralportraits，ofcourse，\"saidmyfriend，withunruffledtemper.
\"Sofewpeoplehaveancestorsoftheirownthattheywillbeverygladtohaveancestralportraitschosenforthemoutofthecollectionsofthecompanyorthestate.Theagentsoftheone，ortheofficersoftheother，willstudytheexistingtypeoffamilyface，andwillselectancestorsandancestresseswhosemodelling，coloring，andexpressionagreewithit，andwillkeepinviewtheraceandnationalityofthefamilywhoseancestralportraitsaretobesupplied，sothatthereshallbenochanceofthegrosslyimprobableeffectwhichancestralportraitsnowhaveinmanycases.Yes，Iseenoflawinthescheme，\"myfriendconcluded，\"andnodifficultythatcan\'tbeeasilyovercome.Wemustalienateourhouseholdfurniture，andmakeitsosensitivelyandexclusivelythepropertyofsomeimpersonalagency——companyorcommunity，Idon\'tcarewhich——thatanycareofitshallbeasortofcrime;anysenseofresponsibilityforitspreservationaspeciesofincivismpunishablebyfineorimprisonment.This，andnothingshortofit，willbethesalvationoftheeternal—womanly.\"
\"Andtheperditionofsomethingevenmorepreciousthanthat！\"
\"Whatcanbemoreprecious？\"
\"Individuality.\"
\"Mydearfriend，\"demandedmyvisitor，whohadrisen，andwhomIwasgraduallyedgingtothedoor，\"doyoumeantosaythereisanyindividualityinsuchthingsnow？Whathavewebeensayingaboutcharacter？\"
\"Ah，Iseewhatyoumean，\"Isaid.
