The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-09-10
think they are pretty and servic eable,i
and will outwear any three store car

think they are pretty and serviceable,5
and will outwear any three store5car-I
| pets.
II agree with you that they are
serviceable, but that is all. They are
not pretty, and no matter how well
they are woven the stripes never
seem to match. Still, if you would
like me to make one will try, though
/ warn you beforehand I think it will
cost as much as it would to buy anew.
Ingram
"Not when there are sufficient mate
rails in the house to make one. There
is a whole barrel Of rags upstairs, to
begin with" said Tom.
"a barrel OF rags will not be enough,
am afraid" ..
"Well, you have some old dresses,
and there are old clothes of mine
hanging up in the attic that can be
worked in. Really, Jennie, I think
you will be glad we thought OF it.
There is a satisfaction one enjoys in
the use, of homemade articles they do
not experience in those purchased at
the stores. have no doubt we will
take great pleasure in the fruit OF our
honest labor when it is finished"
'"The fruit of my honest labor"
thought Jennie, mentally qualify
ing the speech, for she knew
very we'll what part Tom
would have in this enterprise.
Having carried his point, Tom was
charming the rest of the evening, and
when Jennie looked into his smiling
face and listened to the words of WIS
dom that fell from his lips, and the
extravagant terms of endearment he
lavished upon her (Tom could afford
to be extravagant when the question
OF money was not raised) she readily
forgave his little peccadilloes, and
with wifely devotion, felt paid in ad-
vance for the hard task she had
agreed to undertake. s..&
And now behold Madame Jennie
seated at her daily work, tearing and
cutting, sewing and winding. She rip
ped and sponged, and washed and
stripped up rags and clothes, inhaling
dust and dirt and must and lint, and
before she had worked a. week had
planted colonies Of microbes in her
delicate throat and lungs enough to
stock hospital with all manner OF
vlrulent diseases; and still the good
work went on. She had brought a fair
share Of enthusiasm to it in the be-
ginning; but she soon found that
something more was necessary to the
accomplishment OF her task. It was
incredible how many rags it took to
make a small-sized ball, and the
weaver said it would require thirty
six pounds for the carpet. Thirty-six
pounds! Where would she ever get
them? The barrel OF rags was already
half exhausted, and she had lust
seven pounds and a. half sewed, by
actual weight. The other half barrel
would make as many more, fifteen
pounds in all. Not half the amount
required. The weaver told her she
had better buy some plain, bright
calicoes for the stripes-turkev-red,
yellow and green. She wondered how
much would be necessary of each,
probably ten yards would do. It
seemed pity to buy new calico and
strip it up, but then everybody
did it, and if she was going to make
new rag carpet she supposed it
might as we'll be pretty. True, she
had told Tom she did not think they
were pretty, and she never had seen
one that suited her, but with this
she hoped for better things. The
weaver assured her it would be love
ly. Yes ten yards of each color would
surely. be enough, and then there
We're her dresses, remnants of her
bridal trousseau, and Toms old
clothes still in reserve.
She bought the new cloth, and
made three handsome bright balls,
and under the fresh stimulus OF the
added pounds worked up everything
she could find in the attic. And the
old overcoat was great help-it
made two elegant balls, for the cloth
was hardly worn, only dusty and dis
colored slightly about the collar, and
the cape was so strong it weighed so
much it was like an additional gar
ment: 1t was the last thing she
sewed, and it helped her out nicely.
On the whole, she was rather glad
Tom had bought the new one. Mrs.
Jennie was very proud when she saw
her array of balls, and Tom was de-
lighted, praising her so much that she
blushed as prettily as she did in the
sweet never-to-be-forgotten days of
her courtship. a..
And at last the new carpet was fin
ished: 1t was certainly pretty, even
Jennie was forced to admit when she
saw it, and besides, it had not fulfill
ed her prediction of costing quite as
much as new one would, notwith-
standing that the weaving had been
ID cents a. yard, the warp of extra.
quality and high, and the dye for the
F'hit and MISS rags, together with
the thirty yards of new calico, and all
helped to swell the bill. Her work she
did not count. That, of course, was
nothing; so all things considered it
had been a slight saving, and would,
as Tom said, be desirable and salts
factory. Yes, on the whole, she was
glad sheh had made it. s@
"Jennie," said Tom one dav six
months later. t'Where is nv over
coat?" TIKI.
"What overcoat, Tom?'' asked
Jennie lookingup from her work.
"My new one, dear. l cannot find