The Republican journal., 1871-03-09
House Paintinu.

There are Il number of things concerning
which | am possessed of profound ignorance
Among these may be numbered the fine arts
With regard to the arts, such as house
painting, have recently learned few lessons
from experience. | consider experience Il
thorough teacher; but his charges for tuition
are perhaps rather high.
Maria Ann said we must have the house re-
painted, and as what Maria Ann says must be
and generally is. at once went and made bar.
gam with house painter. lie said he would
send his painters round The next morning |
got my breakfast and started out to earn nv
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 ii
on the hall door mat. Maria Ann assisted me
from there, and l took flying leap over the
painter to the sidewalk. The painters painted
the fence and the front steps this forenoon. All
who came to see US either painted their hands
on the gate and left prints thereof on the chairs
or else printed their soles on the steps, and
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, and begun to take out all the Win
d0Ws. During the entire day they were work
ing around the window castings. One of them
would stand by the open kitchen window, and
then they would talk about the Painters Union,
about the picnic, about the price of flour, about
the girls-about all the while. The retirement
which is among the charms Of domestic life
dItl not characterize our house to any great eX-
tent that day. The next morning about five
O'Clock, heard some one walking into my bed
ROOM l sprang boldly from the bed. grasped
a boot i'll one hand and pitcher in the other,
and determined to sell my life as dearly as pos
sble, unless | got chance to run down stairs
Said ], who is therew "Oh.' replied the in
truder. .it's me. the painter. I am taking down
the blinds lelt much relieved; Maria rather
seemed To be out of patience. She told the man
what she thought about him. and made pointed
comments upon his manner, his appearance
and the probabilities he ever enjoyed of com
mon school education. The painter was welded
to his art, and paid no attention to the prattle
of Maria Ann. With the window and blinds
both out, the interior of the house was some
what exposed, and the task of getting dressed
was attended with some embarrassment, es-
pcclally as the painter seemed to be at work ut
all the windows. While we We're eating break
fast 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 in
! volunteered to help them. ''Come right along,''
| shouted, ''let's take off the clapboards and
PANT them. Let's take up the cellar and paint
mat inside and out. Let's take down the
chimney and paint the bricks. Let's paint the
hole the cellar leaves. Let's -" They as
strfed me mat was planning more work than
| was necessary ana as they did not act as
| though they needed my help went to break
fast.
The next time the house wants paintiny
will move into the back yard, and send the
house down TO the shop, where the painters
can swarm around it at their pleasure.