Sunday Afternoon
Jennie: -
Dear sister: - Just rec’d your letter. Attended church this forenoon and we had a nice big audience this morning. Carl Fredericks and bride were in church here last Sunday. It looks like spring is coming, doesn’t it? I am getting the spring fever. I feel like collecting scrub brushes, paint brushes, brooms, dust cloths, varnish, paint, bon ami, dutch cleaner, gold dust, mops etc, etc. and jumping into the game. Have our paper ordered for parlor, sitting room and kitchen. Am going to varnish the wood work in the sitting room (Antique oak). Like our bedroom. Maybe you remember how that looks. It looks fine on this wood. It is already a varnish color, you know. Am going to get new curtains for the parlor. I am also getting springish about setting hens. I am going to set some this week, I think. Wanted eggs from Mrs. Brown, but she has them all said for at least a couple weeks yet. She has full-blood R.I. Reds. I wish I could get 3 or 4 dozen eggs from Bess. If she would only come, I thot maybe she might be able to bring me some.
I am intending to get a suit this spring. Brandenburg don’t keep any on hand. Too high priced. Have been looking at Montgomery’s 10D3539 or 10D3555 suit me pretty well. Tillie got a spring coat instead of a suit. ? She paid $27 for it and it isn’t lined a bit either. Pretty steep but Geo. said she better take it. She wore it to church this morning already.
Say, about farms. Hutchinson thinks he better farm a year yet. Then there is Tybo Shriever place just east of Kielman’s to be rented yet. I think they probable ask $7 for that. As god a farm as any around here, I think. They usually don’t rent that till later so if its impossible for you to get a place around home you might be able to rent that after you have used all your efforts to get one over there. (And come here as a last resort ha! Ha! What?) Then there is Henry Ferehn’s (Mellie Reeverts) just west of Kielman’s or west of Geo. + Tillie rather. Harm Meyer in Wellsbrug owns that. A good friend and an old neighbor of Kielman’s. Comes to visit here sometimes too. Kielman thot he would rent that for $5. Good farm too but some what wet like ours too, I guess. I think it hasn’t been worked as it should the last few years cause Henry is too lazy to do much work and I guess she is still lazier. Its 160 acres. Tybo’s 120. I am mentioning those so you can keep them in mind if you fail to get one there. If Uffe would go to Louie + Vemma, I’m sure Louie could take him to Harm Meyer and he could talk personally with him. I guess the buildings on both farms are about like ours. Some, pretty well shot like our barn too, but I guess not much worse either. Got a little calf the other day. Expect a heifer to come in fresh soon too. Have been “house cleaning” down cellar a little but can’t do much because there is water in it every time it thaws again, but if we get more water in it, I can’t clean a thing. We expect to put the potatoes on stilts pretty soon. Made Mary’s girl a dress of the black + white check. Am going to sew, sew again this week and then start house-cleaning. Will have to paper while the papering is good. Soon my man can’t help, you see? Maybe he is going to make me a “keeckehn house.” Something on the line of a big chicken house but on a smaller scale. But so high that I can almost stand in it. A row of windows on the south. It’s half three. Baby just woke up. Went to sleep on the way home from church. She has 4 teeth now. It’s beginning to creep a little.
Got 3 new pieces of music. “Tell me will my dream come true.: The same old song Frank Lindeman used to sing. I can almost hear him yet. Ask Bess.
Well, let me hear from you again.
Anna
I guess this letter is fit to read and shows I am always as bad as I talk. Have 2 men for dinner today. Geo. + Herman are helping Arius haul straw. We had to buy some yet.