The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1863-11-04
WOoDsFIELD MONROE COUNTY. OHIO NOV VEMBER 1863.

the PAM, and the men painted, 'perspired,
whistled, and used improper language
over the heat.
1t was good supper, and, piling up
the dishes which il was 'too hot to wash,
the bachelors returned to the parlor.
1t was involuntary; teach oftheir eyes
rested for moment on the seat Susy was
wont to occupy, A little music, more
talk, and still more smoking, filed the
time till midnight, when each one yawned
himself eff to bed. Harry, who was al
ways the one to 1ock up stayed the
latest The kitchen looked dreary; no
fire, greasy frying pan placed as helmet
over the coffee pot, bits of bread lying
about loose, dirty pots here and dirty
dishes there. The parlor was in disorder;
chars stood in forlorn confusion, smoke
hung over all, The dining-room, with
its piles of dirty cups. saucers and plates,
its unswept floor, greasy napkins, and
smoky atmosphere, was worst of all, and
Harry inwardly admitted that somehow
the house didn't look as usual
There was fun the next morning max
ing up beds The milkman and baker
had vainly knocked for admittanee, and
finally retired in disgust, and the bache-
lors breakfasted off the stale bread left
from the nights feast, and coffee black and
sweet - ~
Every man clear up his own room
The order given each started to obey.
Joe pulled seff all the clothes from his
bed, and having laid the bolster and his
pillow on, proceeded to put on first a
blanket, next spread, and finally the
two sheets, finishing on the whole by put
ting himself on top to rest from his tolls.
Minnie, after pulling all the clothes off
one side in trying to tuck them in on the
other, and then correcting the mistake by
tucking them in on the other side and;
pulling them off the first, put his bolster
on over the pillow, and concluded it
would do Charley merely smoothed
his down, eagerly observing that if he
pulled the things off, he never could put
them on again. Harry and George, who
shared the same room, having followed
Charley's plan, put on an extra touch by
sweeping their room and leaving the pile
of dust in the entry. 'Fxcelsier
Three days experience convinced them
that bachelors cookery was slow starva-
ton. Steaks and coffee for breakfast
were followed by coffee and steaks for
dinner and both for tea. Charley suggest.
ed that they should have their meals sent
from restaurant. =
fAll men cooks, so we stick to the con-
tract, was his final observation.
The motion was seconded, and carried
by an unanimous vote. -
BY this time every dish, plate, napkin,
pot and pan in the house was dirty, and
|joyfully concluding that they wouldn' t
want them any more, the gentlemen piled
them up in the kitchen sink, on the floor
and tables, and left them.
"Harry'-it was Georges yoice-eI
havn't got q clean shirt"
Nor [.
sNor L.
sNor l.
'I'ye got enc. st
sNor handkerchief, nor collar, nor
pair of stockings, no.
| Stop. Two weeks since Susy went
and not washing day
There was dead silence. ~
/ who knows how to wash p
| No answer.
!. Tive seen it 'done,,' said one faint
voice. owned by Charley. you soap th'
things and rub them on a board.
Can any body iron 2
They all thought they could manags
that part.
| The kitchen was opened for the frs
time for ten days. One cry burst from
five lips. Tables, chairs, floor, dresser
sink, were one mass of reaches. collecte'
by the piles ofgreasy dishes, They over
ran every place. .
!. Shut the door. Now for It'll crie'
George, and dashed at the invaders. Bed
lam seemed to have broken loose. Il
reaching after one of the critters, Char
ley upset the table. Crash went the crock
cry. Screams of laughter. cries ofdisgust
blows thick as hail, comments en- the heat
, jokes, warnings few about for an hour
and then the painting party ceased tror
their labors, and viewed sternly the col
, corpses' of their foes. A scream fror
Minnie
"There's down my back"
| George cried-'Joe, there s one on you
: hair 81 -
ol 'D0n,t mentlOn IL, hOcA AZ ehas az
low on your shirt-sleeve.
/ A general stampede for the bath-foo'
e followed. ~
: Lets wash up here
q No sooner said than done. The sole
: clothes were collected from all the room
t and the boards brought up from I'll
t kitchen.
Joe and Harry washed, blistsring hane
r and streaming foreheads tcstifying tothe
e efforts. Cold water required great de-
of rubbing, and somehow the things ma
e yellowish tinge after all, as George RI
marked as he wrung them cut. Mimi
d objecting to go in the yard, hung the
over the chairs in the dining an
> the banisters in the entry as fast as Geors
and Charley wrung them out Dinn'
). came and found them still at work. Dil
:. ner eaten, the dishes carried off by ii
+ waiter from the restaurant, they change
q places, and the washers wrung and hur
' up the clothes while the others washed.
: Six o'clock saw the last shirt hangir
t in damp limpishness over the parlor chal
delier; the handksrchiefs waved from I'll
:, mantlepiece. and the stockings dangle