They simply confined themselves to making a mess; and all they spoilt, to do them justice, was the panelling of a door.
Mr.Franklin's universal genius, dabbling in everything, dabbled in what he called "decorative painting." He had invented, he informed us, a new mixture to moisten paint with, which he described as a "vehicle." What it was made of, I don't know.

What it did, I can tell you in two words--it stank.

Miss Rachel being wild to try her hand at the new process, Mr.Franklin sent to London for the materials; mixed them up, with accompaniment of a smell which made the very dogs sneeze when they came into the room; put an apron and a bib over Miss Rachel's gown, and set her to work decorating her own little sitting-room--called, for want of English to name it in, her "boudoir." They began with the inside of the door.

Mr.Franklin scraped off all the nice varnish with pumice-stone, and made what he described as a surface to work on.

Miss Rachel then covered the surface, under his directions and with his help, with patterns and devices--griffins, birds, flowers, cupids, and such like--copied from designs made by a famous Italian painter, whose name escapes me: the one, I mean, who stocked the world with Virgin Maries, and had a sweetheart at the baker's.