Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1885-01-21
said Kate, with bookkeeper prompt


said Kate, with bookkeeper prompt
why" said Beth, beginning to b.
eager, lots of families live on less thar
that, and pay for everything out of it.
clothes and doctors bills and every
thing"
Well, We talked till midnight, and thu
more we talked, the more feasible thu
scheme seemed and f was decided Thu
We should commences tenemelt huntil1
the very next morning, and after Betf
and had gone to our own room, Kat<
came hurrying across to say that she
had some spoons and forks which had
been her; mothers, and sthst Mamie
said she knew how TO / make lovely
waff1es.
We expected tedious time finding
rent within our means; but it is as
tonishing how fortune helps those who
try to help themselves. That very
weeks nice. little scbolax+o Nanniet
stopped after school to say that he,
parents were going to move out of the
city. We knew where she ived-a
pleasant house in respectable locality
20: after supper Kate and I hunted up
the landlord, the next day we went in q
body to inspect the place, and the bar.
gain was concluded.
Between that time and our departure
We babe fair to lose our reputation OF
being the quietest borders in the
house, for every night there was talking
and laughing in one room or the other,
while we stitched and hemmed and
fgured-this last the hardest of all.
Kate, with confidence born of much
han dhng Of money. made out, list in q
twinkling, which list was perfectly salts.
factory to all of us-unti We inquired
prices. One thing We were agreed up
on, and that was, rigid economy, 80 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 hall door,
We felt that We had burned, our ships
behind US.
The outgoing tenants seemed to re-.
gard our experiment in the light of a
huge joke, which they were willing to
help along, so they gave us q number
OF housekeeping things, among others
braided mat, and q half-dozen plants
all in blossom, and sold us their range
at q very low price. Those familiar with
the peculiar attributes of stove and
stove.pipes will understand the relief it
was to have q reliable range in running
order. Besides this, we had couple
of bedsteads with the furnishings, q few
dishes, our trunks and a half-dozen
packing boxes of different sizes.
The next fortnight was q busy one.
We roso 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 any body
buta jamming considerable
plaster from the walls, and skin from
our kpuckles, We decided that there were
times when q man could be made USE
full, and at Nannie's suggestion certain
young architect from the boarding.
house was taken into our confidence,
and did valiant service in putting up
shelves and hooks.
One Friday night, with the last screw
in the kitchen clock shelf, the work was
done, and I doubt if many brides, going
into houses luxuriously appointed with
out care of theirs, feel half tho satisfac-
lion that we did in looking round on
The result of our ingenuity and hard
work. And it was q right cczy little
place. There was good-sized sitting
room with two sleeping-rooms opening
rom it, kitchen adjoining, q store.
room, closets, etc., and as the house was
On a corner, we had the sun most of the
day.
Kate and Mamie painted the floor of
their room soft gray, and covered their
dressing-table and washstand with blue
and drab chintz. The one window was
draped with full curtains of unbleached
cotton, trimmed and topped back with
bands OF the chintz, and 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 oarpeting before
the larger pieces took away any suspicion
of baroness.
The room Beth and I shared was pre-
cisely similar, except that our floor was
painted bright warm brown, and our
cretonne covers and bits of carpet were
scarlet and white. But it was on our
sitting-roonl that we lavished
our greatest skill. The three windows
we're curtained with full draperies of
cheese cloth, over cream-colored shades,
q big crimson bow at the top of each
window whsre the draperies parted.
Mamie, who was not in the least esthetic,
pleaded to have the whole floor covered,
but as this meant twenty-five yards of
she was voted down on the
score of economy as well as of art. A
wide margin was stained most delight
full dead-leaf brown, and nine yards of
ori neon and wood-colored carpet made
= square large enough to come we'll out
around the center table. And the table
we saw it one day in front of an auc-
ton room. The top looked as though
opposing forces had fought across it,
but the standard was good and solid !; 80
home it went, and when it was covered
with Beth's old gray shawl dyed GRIM
son: 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 for piano and plants go
towards furnishing q room. We had
comfortable lounge bought lin the
,loth" and covered by our own hands, q
big Shaker rocking chair, and two or
three smaller rockers and camp chairs.
The wall paper was subdued, and our
few pictures and brackets made quite q
show, and when we had scattered our
books and trinkets about the room. it