Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-11-19
House Painting jenkins Experience.

There are a number of things concern
ing which am possessed ofprofound ig-
norance. Among these may be numbered
the fine arts. With regard to the courye
of arts, such as house painting, | have
learned few lessons from experience. |
consider experience n thorough teacher
bat his charges Tor tuition are perhaps
rather high.
Maria Ann said we must have the
house repainted, and as what Maria Ann
says must be generally is, at once wcut
and made a bargain with house paint
er. He said he would send his painters
round. The next morning got my
breakfast and started out to earn my
bread by the pcrspiration CT my classic
brow. | opened the door and put my
foot into tin pail full of paint Then
took it out and set 1t on the hall door
mat. Maria Ann assisted me from there,
and took flying leap over the painter
to the sidewalk. The painter painted
the fence and the front steps that fore
noon. Ali 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 the steps, and
made tracks all over the parlor carpet.
The cat laid down OH the steps to sleep
in the sun, and the paint dried SO fast
that when she got up one side of her
was hald-headed
The next morning the men came be-
fore any one was up and began to take
out all the windows. During the entire
dav they were working around the win
| 4 ~ ct q III
by the open kitchen window, and anoth-
er by the open parlor window, and then
they would talk about the Painters
Union, about the picnic, about the girls
about the price OF fiuur-about all the
while. The retirement which is among
the charms of domestic life did not char
,acterize our house to any great extent
that day.
The next morning about five o'clock,
heard some one walking into our bed
room. | sprang boldly from the bed
rrasped boot in one hand and Il pitch
er in the other, and determined to sell
my life as dear as possible, unless | got q
chance to run down stairs. Says |, "Whc
is there ?" "Oh," replied the intruder
ats me, the painter. 1 am taking dowr
the blinds" felt much relieved; bu
Maria rather SCENT d 10 be out OF patience
She told the man what she thought
about him, and made pointed comments
upon his manner, his appearance, and th'
probabilities that he ever enjoyed of ;
common school education. '.a.
The painter was welded to his art
and paid no attention to the prattle o
Maria Ann. With tho windows an,
blinds both ont, the interior OF the h0us
was some what exposed, and the task o
getting dressed was attended with SOM
embarrassment, especially, as the paint
ers seemed to be at work ut all the win
dows. While we were eating breaktas
| one of the painters came in with an arm
: full of towels and remarked that he foun'
| them hanging OH the clothes-line, and h
i supposed Maria would have no objeC
1 tions Of his using them to wipe off tn
0 doors before he grained them. Alar
e stated her objections in detail, and tn
? man Withdrew. i'
f The next morning | was up early.T
When the painters came IN volunteer
ed TO help them. "Come right along"
4 shouted, '1et's take off the clapboard
: and paint them. Let's take up the celia
, and paint that inside and out. Let
, paint the cistern. Let's take down tn
! chimney and paint the bricks. Let
: paint the hole the cellar leaves. Let's
0 They assured me that | was plannin
more work than was necessary, and a
r they did no. act as though they neede
t my help went back to breakfast.
I The next time The house wants pant
: ing will move into the back yard, an
a send the house down to tLeir shop, wher
+ the painters can swarm around IL at thel
}. pleasure.