The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-09-26


which had been her mothers, and that
Nanny said she knew how to make
lovely waffies.
We expected tedious time finding a
rent within our means: but it is aston
Ishing how fortune helps those who try
to help themselves. That very week a
nice little scholar of Nannie's stopped
after school to say that her parents
were going to move out of the city.
We knew where she lived-a pleasant
house in respectable locality, so after
supper Kate and | hunted up the land
logrd, the next day we went in body
to inspect the place, and the bargain
was concluded.
BetweeR that time and our departure
we babe fair to lose our reputation OF
being the quietest boarders in the
house, for every night there was talk
ing and laughing in one room or the
other, while we stitched and hemned
and figured-th last the hardest of all.
Kate, with a confidence born of mach
handling Of money. made out list in a
twinkling. which list was perfectly sat
isfactory to all of us-untiI we inquired
prices. One thing we were agreed upon,
and that was, rigid economy, SO we
cheapened this and left out that, until
it looked quite reasonable
Well, the first day of December found
us in ''our own hired house, and as
Beth turned the key in the door, we
felt that we had burned our ships be-
hind us.
The outgoing tenants seemed to re-
gard our experiment in the light of
huge joke, which they were willing to
help along, so they gave us a number
OF housekeeping things, among others a
braided mat, and half dozen plants
all in blossom, and sold us their range
at a very low price. Those familiar
with the peculiar attributes of stoves
and stove-pipes will understand what q
relief it was to have a reliable range in
running order. Besides this, we had a
couple of bedsteads with the furnish
ings, a few dishes, our trunks, and a
half dozen packing boxes of different
sizes.
The next fortnight was busy one.
We rose early and went TO bed late, and
lived in picnic fashion, while we
painted, and pounded, and planned.
we were in state of mind where we
wished for no advice, much less help,
from anybody outside; but after jam
ming considerable plaster from the
walls, and skin from our knuckles, we
decided there were times when man
could be made useful, and at Nannie's
suggestion a certain young architect
from tho boarding house was taken
INTO our confidence and did valiant serv-
ice IN putting up shelves and hooks.
One Friday night, with the last screw
In the kitchen clock shelf, the work
was done, and l doubt if many brides,
going into houses luxuriously appointed
without care of theirs, feel half the sat
lsfaction that we did in looking round
on the result of our ingenuity and hard
work. And it was q right coy little
place. There was a good-sized sitting
room with two sleeping rooms opening
from it, a kitchen adjoining, store
room, closets, ETC., and as the house
was on corner, we had the sun most
of the day.
Kate and Mamie painted the floor of
their room soft gray, and covered their
dresslng-table and wash-stand with
blue and drab chintz. The one window
was draped with full curtains of I'M
bleached cotton, trimmed and looped
back with bands OF the chintz, and a
low cushioned chair and ottoman were
covered with the same blue and drab
covering.
A low painted bedstead and chest of
drawers completed their furniture, and
strips OF blue and gray carpeting before
the larger pieces took away any suspic-
ion of baroness.
The room Beth and I shared was pre-
clsely similar, except that our floor was
painted a bright warm brown, and our
cretonne covers and bits of carpet were
scarlet and white. But it was on our
common sitting-room that we lavished
our greatest skill. The three windows
were curtained with full draperies of
cheese-cloth, over cream colored shades,
big crimson bow at the top of each
window where the draperies parted.
Mamie, who was not in the least
aesthetic, pleaded to have the whole
floor covered, but as this meant twenty
five yards of carpeting, she was voted
down on the score of economy as we'll as
OF art. A wide margin was stained a
most delightful dead-leaf brown, and
nine yards OF crimson and wood colored
carpet made square large enough to
come well out around the center table.
Ana the table-we saw it one day in
front OF an auction-room. The top
looked as though opposing forces had
fought across it, but the standard was
good and solid; so home it went, and
when it was covered with Beth's old
gray shawl dyed crimson, and the
student-lamp set over the darn in the
middle, the effect was all that could be
| desired.
Then we had Beth's piano and the
plants, and nobody knows until she
tries it how far a piano and plants 90
toward furnishing room. We had a
comfortable lounge, bought Gin the
cloth, and covered by our own hands,
a big Shaker rocking chair, and two or
three smaller rockers and camp-chairs.
The Wallpaper was subdued, and our
few pictures and bracket made
quite show, and when we lad scat
tered our books and trinkets about the
room; it was decided success.
"There, Nannie.' said Kate, when
we reached the coy kitchen on our
tour of inspection, ''you can tuck your
little feet right into the oven, and feast
your eyes on the braided mat, and if
the cat was only here, you would have
reached the climax of earthly happi-
ness"
The young architect looked inquir-
ingly. and Nannie's ideal of bliss was
explained to him. He made no com
ments, but looked at her with peculiar
expression in his handsome eyes, and I
felt that the stability of the society was
threatened.
The next night, as we were sitting
down cozily at our tea and toast, and
baked apples and milk, there was rino.
at the door, and Kate. answering it,
came back with a basket.
1T is directed to you, Nannie,s she
said, holding it to the light. So. Mamie
opened it, when out stepped a plump,
self-satisfed Maltese kitten, and at