The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-07-11
Letters From Girls and Boys.
MoNrrcELno-Howro MAKE NEEDLE


MoNTICELLO-HowT TO MAKE A NEEDLE
BOOK.
Deag Editor of the Rmul ~ have been
very much interested in the girls letters to
the Rural Neac- Yorker, and resolved to
write one myself. | don't know much
about writing letters for paper, as this is
my first attempt. / am ten years old, and
live near Charlottesville, Virginia, next to
Monticello, the house of ex-Presdent JEFF
ferson / think can tell the Western boys
a little about his home.
As you enter the house there is large
hall directly over the door there is a clock
that tells the time and DAYS of the week,
and an ingenious ladder to ascend to wind
the clock, made by Jefferson himself. Four
men are necessary to perform the operation.
Then you enter the dining room. By the
fireplace is dumb waiter on each side, to
draw up wine bottles from the basement.
On one side Of this room is an apartment
similar to a bay-window, with niche where
formerly the statue of Voltaire stood, but
it was taken away during the war. Next
comes the parlor. with waxed floor. On one
side are doors into the hall if you open
one the other will open itself. On each side
of the door are two large mirrors standing
nearly to the floor. In narrow passage off
from the hall you ascend the winding stairs,
which are about one foot and a-half wide.
There are about twenty sleeping rooms,
with bedsteads in the wall. Then the dane
ing room, which is round, with circular
windows. There are stairs to go on the
roof. ~ = .4.ssfa,s,.
Now / guess ! Lave said all l can about
Jefferson's home, but / am going to tell
the little girls how to make pretty gift for
their friends An Easy Needle Book"
The materials for this are one yard of mar
row ribbon, any color you fancy, Il like
green the best a little piece of flannel, and
package of those cards you buy at book
stores with bright-colored flowers or autumn
leaves on them. Choose two cards for the
covers, and button-holing the flannel so as
to form a terrace. After you have made
three, then bind them with the ribbon, but
your flannel between the two cards, bore
two holes with darning needle, Zone at
each end, J slip piece of ribbon through
the holes and tie in pretty bow, and your
book is finished. JENNIE, Charlottesville,
Firyiiaia. gag AA
THE GIRLS DEFENDED. AT last /
have come to the conclusion that it is my
duty to write a few words IN defense of the
girls, as Miss Minnie Tyson expressed
hope that they the mem would.
The extravaganza of young ladies is not
looked at as much as Minnie suspects. /
justly hold that if any young lady will dress
according to her means and not above them
will use her intelligence and good sense
and not show her vanity when she is in the
company of men by sighting them and
turning her nose up at them, she never
will be talked of as being extravagant.
Minnie speaks Of asking sisters about it.
First, let me tell her that have no sisters,
that there are five young men in our family,
and that it takes a great deal more to dress
us than it would as many girls. But it
doesn't come out of ''dad's' pocket. We
labor hard in the field for it. ~
Never accuse me of charging you with
idleness, dear Miss NJ, for how could do
it when have dear mother who cooks
all the time mostly! 1 also hold that but
for the society of woman, man would be
nothing, comparatively. How could he
uphold character, sustain virtue and
abstain from evil, if he did not look for
ward to the time when he could call some
pure, untamished girl his own? He would
never do it-never, never.
In conclusion, will tell Miss M. that |
am boy in my teens, too. and would
like to hear from her again. f-.'t
WILLIE FAIR,
Olive Branch, Miss.