MUSICAL MATTRESSES.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3158, 17 May 1883, Page 3

MUSICAL MATTRESSES.

Nana’s bed and bedstead, as described with such amplitude and detail by M. Zola, was a most wonderful effort, of the cabinet-maker and upholsterer—a tour de force, in fact; but the India i Rajah’s bedstead, which by now has reached Calcutta, is really a much more wonderful effort of art. The fact that immediately the bed feeD the weight of the Rajah’s form it will burst forth into melodious selections from Gounod s most tuneful opera, is in itself enough to make this piece of furniture count as an inspiration. This is not all. The Rajah seems to be afraid that even the garden music from “ Faust ’’ will sometimes fail to sooth his perturbed breast, so at the four corners of the bed are four life-sized female figures, which are iu fact automata worthy to claim relationship to Xellar and Ounard’s wonderful family we have seen at the Theatre Royal. . The Rajah’s young ladies do something more to tbe immediate purpose of their presence than play whist, or blow trumpets, or draw outline sketches of popular statesmen, howuver. That is to say, they proceed, oh being wound up, to generally fan their luxurious master, at the same time, if the details received are correct “ making eyes ” at him Jin the moat languishing manner. But sleep, as we most of us know is a very capricious visitor, and we should not be at all surprised, if tbe Rajah in spite of his musical mattresses and his four fanning houris, had not to fall back on a dose of chloral after all. The musical mattress, however, is likely to become fashionable, and several are already in use in London, But all who have to sleep on one should have complete personal control over the supply of music. This is an indispensable condition to its being enjoyed.