The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-08-28
KENosHA. WIS, AUGUST a8th, 1873
SUNDAY LETTER WRITING.


it presents. The quiet of the day, its
relief from all influences that irritate
and agitate, frees the mind from ir
relevant and antagonistic matter, and
makes it pre-eminently fit occasion
for communing with distant loved
ones. In nine cases out of ten the
letter is written by the head Of the
family, and of those sent, an equal
proportion are addressed to his wifA's
folks. We don't know why it is that
a man so rarely writes to his own
folks, but as it is not the province Of
this article to treat on that subject,
we will pretend we don't care. The
hour being selected for inditing the
letter, the first thing is to find the pa
per. There is always drawer in ev-
cry well-regulated family for keeping
such things. It is either in the table
or stand. Here the writing paper
and odd screws and fiddle strings
and broken locks and fish lines and
grocery receipts are kept. There
may be other things, but if there are
he will see them. The sheet of paper
is finally found the fly stains neatly
scraped of,and the search commences
for the ink and pen. The former is
invariably found on the mantle next
to the clock, and is Immediately laid
on the table convenient to the per-
spring man, who sarcastically in
quires if the letter is to be written
to-day or next Sunday.
This inspires the wife with new
zeal in the search. She goes over
the dl aver again, because she knows
he wouldn't see anything if it was
right under his nose; but the pen is
not there. Then she looks over the
top Of the bureau, and lifts every
thing on the front room table, and
says it seems so singular it can't be
found, when she saw it only the day
before, and thought about the letter.
Then she goes into the pantry, and
after exploring the lower shelf in vain,
stands upon q chair, and carefully
goes over the top shelf where the
medicine bottles and unused cans are
stationed. After she has done this,
she starts up stairs, and pretty soon
returns with the pen, and takes it to
the sink to wash the grease from it,
but does not succeed in quite effacing
the delicate scent Of bergamot. This
leads him to observe that anybody
who takes q pen-holder to lift hair
grease from bottle is too pure and
innocent for this world. Everything
now in readiness, good humor Is re-
stored, the wife takes a seat opposite
with her elbows on the table and her
chin in her hands, and assumes an
expression of countenance that isl
mysteriously calculating to both en-
courage and depress the writer, and
he grasps the pen tightly between his
fingers, and stares at the paper with
an intensity that is entirely unneces,
sary.
The date line starts off glibly, and
then suddenly ceases as it reaches
the date itself. He puts the holder
in his mouth, and Immediately splits
1t out again, making up face that is
nowiSe suggestive Of bergamot, and
pettishly asks her if she knows the
day Of the month. Of course she
does. 1t is the l3th-or is it-but
not must be. She hesitates, stares
at him, waivers and is lost. She don't
know whether it is the 18th or 18th,
but the almanac will tell, and she at
once starts to hunt it up. This occa-
sions a delay of fifteen minutes, du-
ring which he makes ninety, five pass
es at one fly. The date having been
satisfactorily settled upon, and the
things which rolled over the floor, as
that stand drawer unexpectedlY fell