The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-10-12
Jsaksns' E51e...see- In House

.Cfsis3ins.
There are number Of things con-
corning which am possessed of pro-
found ignorance. Among these may
be numbered the fine arts. With re
gard to the coarse arts, such as house
painting, i have recently learned a few
lessons from experience ] consider ex-
perience thorough teacher; but his
charges for tuition are perhaps trifie
high. ~. -, - ,l -.
Maria Ann said we must have the
house repaired, and as what Maria Ann
SAYS must be, generally is, l at once
went and made a bargain with house
painter. BE said he would send his
painters around The next morning |
got my breakfast and started on
70 earn my bread by the per-
SEPARATION Of my classic brow. opened
the door and put my foot into a tin
pail full of paint. Then l took it out
and set,it on the hall door mat Maria
Ann assisted me from there, and took
q flying leap over the painter to the
sidewalk. The painters painted the
fence and the front steps that forenoon
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 be-
fore any one was up and began to take
out all the windows. During the entire
day they were working round the win
dow 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 Pain
ter's Union, about the picnic, 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 j o'clock, |
heard some one walking into our bed
room. l sprang boldly from the bed,
grasped boot in one hand and pitch
er in the other, and determined to sell
my life as dear as possible unless L got
a chance to run down stairs. Said !,
" Who is there?" ooh" replied the
intruder, it's me; the painter. | lam
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 manners,
his appearance, and the probabilities
that he had ever enjoyed common
school education. The painter was
welded to his art and paid no
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 embarrass-
ment especially as the painters seemed
to be at work at all the windows.
While we were eating breakfast one Of
the painters came in with an armfull of
towels, and remarked that he found
them hanging on the clothes line, and
he supposed Maria would have no OBJ
lection 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 l volunteered
to help them. "Cone right along"
shouted, lets take off the clapboards
and paint them. Let's take up the
cellar and paint that, inside and out.
Let's paint the cistern. Let's take down
the chimney 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.