The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1862-02-07

They all thought they could manage that

Il lHc kilCHcu WnS oINiheu ior tno uIss 'imo
for ten days. One cry burst from Eve lips.
Tables, chairs. floor, dresser, sink, wero ono
mas of reaches. collected by the piles Of
greasy dishes. They ovcrnn every place.
Shut the dovr! Now for It., cried Geo.,
and dashed at the invaders. In reaching af.
ter ono Of tho CRITTERS Charley upset the
table. Crash went tho crockery. Screams
Of laughter, cries Of disgust, blows thick rs
hail. comments ON the heat, jokes, warnings,
Few about for On hour. and then tho painting
party ceased from their labos, and viewed
sternly the .cold corpuscs' Of their foes. A
scream from Minnie {.
There's one down my back!'
George cricd-Joc, there's ono on your
hair!'
Don't mention II. Look at thefellow on
your shirt sleeve
A general stampede for the bath room fol-
lowed.
Las wash up here
i No sooner said than done. The soiled
clothes were collected from all the rooms,
and tho boards and soap brought up from
the kitchen.
Joe and Harry washed, blstcrins hands
and streaming forshcads testifying to their
efforts. Cold water required great deal Oh
rubbing, und somehow the things had yel.
low tnge after oil, rs George remarked as he
wrung them out. Minnie, objccting to GO
ing into the yard, hung them over the chairs
in the dining room and the banisters In the
entry as fast as George and Charley wrung
them out. Dinner time came, and found
them still at work. Dinner eaten, the dish.
cs carried of by the waiter from the rcstau.
rant, they changed places, and the washers
vrung and hung up, while the others wash
cd.
Six o'clock saw the last shirt hanging in
damp limpnoss over tho parlor chandelier;
tho handkcrchie6 waved from the mantel.
piece, and the stockings dapgled FROM the
bars of the Canterbury.
They always iron the next day, so they
can dry in the night said Harry.
After another slaughter Of reaches in the
morning. the FIRE was lighted, the irons put
on, and tho clothes collected, rough dry, Tor
the finishing touches. Every man had Wis
ions OF smooth, clean linen to repay him for
his unaccustomcd efforts. Such is hope
Charley took the first step. Planting his
iron on the front Of shirt. smell greeted
his nostrils, and he lifted It again to behold
large brown mark, the precise shape of the
flatiron. burned on the 3osom of his 'go-to-
meeting shirt. Minnie's iron, being almost
cold, was travelling briskly up AND down his
shirt, but producing no visible effect.
1t was humiliating, but true, that Joe
took an order to q gcntlcmcn's furnishing
store that morning for supply Of linen, and
the washed clothes were consigned to the
'pot.closet' to await Susy's return.
Susy's return! How can I describe 1t!
Every man on that day found ho had an i'm.
perative engagement abroad, and the little
maiden found an empty house. Sho went
frt to the parlor. Dust lay In piles. One
curtain was torn from the cornicc. and lay
in limp folds against the window. Cigars
lay about loose, some whole, some half-smok.
cd. somc reduced to mere stump. spittoons
were in every corner tho chairs werc pro
niscuously deranged;' : on the centre table 3
bottles, two demijohus, n pack Of cards, and
about two dozen tumblcrs replaced her prct.
ty book. The piano bore two pairs Of boots
deposited there when the owners were too
tired to 60 up stairs, and forgotten after.
wards; the Canterbury had a dish Of chick
en- salad reposing peacefully upon 1t; one
ottoman supported'a hat and cane, another q
coat; every chair bore some relic Of she de-
parted guests, here handkerchief thcro a
cigar-case, on one pocket-comb, on another
toothpick. Susy was dismayed, but, like
brave little woman, determined to face al
the NUS ut once. Tho kitchen camo next.
As wc have described II on the eyentful IRON
ing day, so II remained, reaches inclusive,
lncanderins every where. The library was
next in order. and It was the counterpart OF
the parlor. only moro SO; dining.room ditto
bedroom to match.
Susy looked ut the washboards In the bath
room, tho market basket in the library, the
parlor chairs in the kitchen cIt was nearest,
Joe said when he brought them out y the
frying-pan in the best bedroom Charley
broke his basin y the bread.pan in the store
room (for dirty water Joo said y tho dish.
cloths in the bedrooms, (towels oil dirty.)-
She contemplated tho floors, unswcpt for Q
month marked the dust, the accumulation
Of similar time; /; and then went to her own
room, tho only orderly because undis'urbed
place in the house. A littls note lay on her
table: s.e ~. f."
We own beat! It takes woman We
beg pardon! Wen mover do 90 nc, moro
Clcar up and invite Us to dinner.
FIVE RrrrrAsr hcurIoI'.
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