king, I might sponge from head to foot, which
is what I ought to do to prevent a cold.

But I hope I shall not have a chance to practise. We have never had the
case of a broken leg, and it would hardly be worth while to break one on
purpose.

Then we have had no cases of taking poison, or bites from mad dogs,
perhaps partly because we don't keep either poison or dogs; but then our
neighbors might, and we ought to be prepared. We do keep cats, so that
we do not need to have poison for the rats; and in this way we avoid
both dangers,--from the dogs going mad, and from eating the poison by
mistake instead of the rats.

To be sure, we don't quite get rid of the rats, and need a trap for the
mice; but if you have a good family cat it is safer.

* * * * *

About window-curtains--I mean the drapery ones--we have the same trouble
in deciding every year. We did not put any in the parlor windows when we
moved, only window-shades, because there were so many things to be done,
and we wanted time to make up our minds as to what we would have.

But that was years ago, and we have not decided yet, though we consider
the subject every spring and fall.

The trouble is, if we should have heavy damask ones like the Bromwicks',
it would be very dark in the winter, on account of the new, high
building opposite.

Now, we like as much light as we can get in the winter, so we have
always waited till summer, thinking we would have some light muslin
ones, or else of the new laces. But in summer we like to have the room
dark, and the sun does get round in the morning quite dazzling on the
white shades. (We might have dark-colored shades, but there would be the
same trouble of its being too dark in the winter.)

We seem to need the heavy curtains in summer and the light curtains in
winter, which would look odd. Besides, in winter we do need the heavy
curtains to shut out the draughts, while in summer we like all the air
we can get.

I have been looking for a material that shall shut out the air and yet
let in the light, or else shut out the light and let in the air; or else
let in the light when you want it, and not when you don't. I have not
found it yet; but there are so many new inventions that I dare say I
shall come across it in time. They seem to have invented everything
except a steamer that won't go up and down as well as across.

* * * * *

I never could understa