The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1870-11-01
Jenkins gets his House Painted.

lAI
I'VE house repaired, aud as what Maria
Ann says must be, generally is, 1 at once
went aud made a bargain with a house
painter He said he ewould send his paint
ers around. The next morning l got my
breakfast, and started out to earn my
bread by the perspiration Of my classic
brow | opened the door and put my
foot into tin pail full of paint. Then [
took it out and set it on the hall door
mat. Maria Ann assisted me from there
and | took flying leap over the painter
to the sidewalk. The painters painted
the fence and the front steps that fore.
noon. Every one 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 on the steps to sleep in
the sun, and the paint dried so fast that
when she got up, one side of her was
bald-headed.
The next morning the men came before
any one was up aud 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 another by the open
parlor window, and then they would talk
about the Painters Union, about the
picnic, about the price of -four, about
the girls; about allth while. The retire
ment which is among the charms of do
mestlc life did not characterize our house
to any great extent that day.
The next morning about 5 o'clock [
heard some one walking into the bedroom.
| sprang boldly from the bed, grasped
boot in one hand and the pitcher in the
other, and determined to sell my life as
dear as possible unless I got Il chance to
run down stairs. Said H." Who is therc?"
"Oh," replied the intruder, it's me,
the painter; [ am taking down the blinds"
| felt much relieved; but Maria rather
seemed to be out Of patience. She told
the man what she thought about him, and
made pointed comments upon his man
ners, his appearance and the probabilities
that he never enjoyed a common school ed
ucation. The painter was welded to his
art, and paid no attention to the prattle
of 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 of the win
dows. While we were eating breakfast
one Of the painters came in with an arm
full Of towels, and remarked that he found
them hanging on the clothes line, and he
supposed Maria would have no objections
to his using them to wipe off the doors
before he grained 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" shout
ed, let's take off the clapboards and
paint them. Let's take up the cellar and
paint that, inside and out Let's paint
the cisteru.. Let's take down the Chin
ney and paint the bricks. Let's paint
the hole the cellar leaves. Let'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 will move into the back yard and
send the house down to the shop, where
the painters can swarm around it at their
pleasure.