The Van Buren press., 1870-10-25
NO. 20
Jenkin'. Experience Of House Painting


Jenkins Experience Of House Painting.
There are number Of things concerning
which am possessed OF profound igno.
rance. With regard to the coarse arts,
such as house painting. ! have recently
learned few lessons from experience.
consider experience thorough teacher;
but his charges for tuition are, perhaps,
a trife high.
Maria Ann said we must have the
house repainted, and as what Maria Ann
says must be, generally is, at once went
and made bargain with house painter.
lie said he would send his painters around
the next morning. At the usual hour
next morning got my breakfast and
started ont to earn my bread BY the per-
spiraton Of my classic brow. ! opened
the front door and put my foot into
bucket Of paint. Then took II out
SET ~ -saa-.- - saat sa~ss~s
assisted me from there, and ! took NJ.
ing leap over the painter to the sidewalk.
The painters painted the fence aud the
front steps that forenoon. Every ono
who came to see US either painted their
hands on the gate and left prints thereof
on the chairs, or else painted their soles
on tire steps, and made tracks all over the
parlor carpet The cat laid down on the
steps to sleep lin the sun, and the paint
dried so fast that when she got up one
side of her was baldheaded.
The next morning the men came before
any one was up, and began to take out
all the windows. During the entire day
they were working around the window
castings. One OF them would stand by
the open kitchen window, and anot thcr by
the open parlor window, and then they
would talk about the Painters Union,
about the picnic, about the price offlour,
about the girls, about all the while. The
retirement which is among the charms Of
domestic life did not characterize our
house to any great extent that day.
The next morning about five O'Clock I
heard some walking into our bed room.
| sprang boldly from bed. grasped boot
in one hand and the pitcher in the other,
and determined to sell my life as dearly
as possible, unless got chance to run
down stairs. Said !, "Who is there 2"
oh" replied the intruder, - its me, the
painter; am taking down the window
blinds" / felt much relieved; but Maria
seemed rather out Of patience She told
the man what she thought about him,
and made pointed comments upon his
manners, his appearance, and the proba-
bi!tics that he ever enjoyed common
school education. The painter was we'd
ded to his art, and paid no attention to
the prattle OF Miss Maria Ann. With the
windows and blinds both out, the interior
of the house was somewhat exposed, and
the task Of getting dressed was attended
with some embarrassment, especially as
the painters seemed to. be at work at all
the windows. While We were eating
breakfast one Of the planters came in
with an aimful Of towels, and remarked
that he found them hanging on the clothes
line, and he supposed Maria would have
no objection to his using them to wipe
off the doors before he graf led them.
Maria stated her objections in detail, and
the man withdrew
The next morning ] was up early.
When the painters came volunteered to
help them "Come right along"
shouted, Let's take OIL the clapboards
and paint them. Let's take up the cellar
and paint that, inside aud out Let's
paint the cistern. Let's take down the
chimneys and paint the bricks. Let's
paint the front yard. Let's paint the hole
that the cellar leaves. Lct's----.. They
assured me that was planning more
work than was necessary, and as they did
not act as though they needed my help,
went back to breakfast.
The next time the house wants paint
ing ! shall move into the back yard and
send the house down to the shop where
the painters can swarm around it at their
pleasure. - Utica Herald.