A Box Book-case.
Boxes of various sizes can be used for this purpose, according to the space on the wall that will accommodate the case; but for general use two cases can be cut down so as to make them thirty inches high and seven inches deep, and in each one two shelves can be arranged. The boxes are held together at top and bottom
Fig. 8. A Box Book-case. with boards seven inches wide and thirty-six inches long; and between the boxes a shelf can be fastened about midway between the top and bottom boards, A wooden back is not necessary to this case, as the wall will form the back; but around the top edge a strip of cornice-molding should be mitered at the corners and attached with long, slim nails or screws.
Under the lower corners wooden brackets may be fastened lo the wall, or when the shoe-cases are being cut down one side may be trimmed, with the compass-saw, in the form of a bracket end. A rod fastened at the top, under the molding, will support light curtains which a mother or sister can make from some pretty goods; but if the curtain feature is not desired, it may be omitted.
Book-ledge and Stool.
Two interesting and useful pieces of furniture are shown in Fig. 9—a book-ledge and a stool; and as the main shelf is but fourteen inches wide, they will not occupy a great deal of space in a room. The main shelf is forty-two inches long, fourteen inches wide, and one and a quarter inches thick. The side pieces or legs supporting it are twelve inches wide and thirty-three inches high. These pieces are thirty-six inches apart, and arranged between them, twenty inches above the floor, an under ledge eight inches wide is fastened with long screws and brackets.
Nine inches above the main ledge a top shelf is supported on side legs which in turn are propped at the outside with wooden braces or blocks six inches high and four inches wide at the bottom. The side supports are placed the same distance apart as the under side pieces, and are held in position on the top of the main ledge with short dowels or pegs driven in their under end and which fit into holes bored in a corresponding position in the ledge. This upper work can he omitted, however, if the plain
Fig. 9. A Book-ledge and a Stool. ledge is preferred. If desired, the main shelf may be made two or three inches wider to accommodate a large book, such as a dictionary or an atlas. The stool is twelve inches square and twenty-two inches high, and the top is covered with a stout square of leather caught all around the edges with nails with mock heads.
