The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-11-14
Letter from Edna. 2

Liz uIedIln0SS u GO-uay, VIII lbS Dlodk
winds, occasional fall of snow, and entire alb
sence of old Sol" has not been one to inspire
me to originate anything, fear, either brilliant
or interesting. 1 acknowledge, somewhat re-
luctantly, that my spirits, to a certain extent,
rise and fall with the weather. The warm
weather of a July morning welcomed me
into this world, and his rays brightly beamed
upon my wedding day H ~
Happy is the bride the sun shines OF" cotld
be, and was, said by many. l am truly thank
full to the Maker of SO glorious an orb.
1t is probable that Longfellow composed his
Rainy Day" upon one fully as gloomy and dis
NAL as this.
The day is cold and dark and dreary;
1t rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vines still cling to the moldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.
Surely there is poetry in the lines, but to me
very little in the reality. Well am not a Long
fellow, and must content myself with being ay0y
down in the list of every ordinary writers, and
do what can in small way for the good of
humanity.
And now to resume our Christmas chat.
Select as many bricks as you will care to use,
cover them neatly with old cambria or muslin,
over this rep, blue, drab, or black flannel,
ornament the top of the brick with a dog cat or
rabbit, cut from cloth or flannel, a color that
will correspond nicely with the brick upon which
they are laid make the eyes of beads and
thread for whiskers. The animals can be made
to look quite natural These are very convenient
to place at doors and behind SOFAS
A pretty needle book can be made from
bronze leather, cut in the shape of oak leaves;
take two of them, paste brown velvet or silk on
the wrong side of the leaf, make veins on the
outside by scratching with needle or pin, cut
the same shape in white flannel, button holed
and brier stitched with orange or buff floss;
now these are ready to place between your
cases for resting place for the needles; fasten
together by means of a wire wound with brown
zephyr; attach to this stem an acorn, and cup
filled with wee brown silk cushion; this will
find a place in the work-basket that you know
mother is to receive In my next letter I will
endeavor to assist you in decorations for the
Christmas tree. EDNA.
A Substitute for Rag Carpets.
After years of suffering from dust and tack
ing, with the inevitable wear and tear we de-
cided to lay floor of hard wood, and selected,
as bright and pretty contrast. ash and cherry.
So the boys and papa went to the woods, cut
down the trees, and, without unloading them
from their sleighs took them to the saw-mill,
where they were sawn into narrow boards,
three inches wide by three quarters of an inch
thick. They were afterward dressed, and when
brought home placed in the kitchen garnet,
closely packed on edge, and left to dry till
spring The carpenters were ordinary mechan-
ics and the floor was laid on top of the old one,
care being taken, however, to insert wedges
wherever it was uneven. It is now SO
firm that not board creaks. and, with
slight oiling once year, it retains its
pretty markings, while the weekly washing is
very easily done In summer rug and bright
piece of mating are placed where there is most
walking, and in winter couple Of sheep-skin
mats and a large rug produce an additional
warmth, and these things are very easily taken
up to be shaken, while the floor gathers no dust,
and has a pleasant glow that carpet cannot
give. So we do not intend to make any more
rag carpets for our living rooms, but to continue
our polished floors to our kitchen at some future
day.
Noise did you say? Then teach the children
to lift their chairs and not to push them, and
console yourself with the reflection that the little
necessary noise is nothing in the way of annoy
ance in comparison with the dust that would
irritate delicate lungs, covering and destroying
every article of furniture in much-used, carpet
ed rooms. ANNIE.