Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-02-22
The Landlady's Complaint.

mere : nObOdy KNOWS what woman that has
the charge of family goes through, but God
Almighty that made her. I've khowed what Ii
was to have women boarders that fud fault
there's some Of 'em would quarrel with me and
everybody at my table: they would quarrel with
the Angel Gabriel If he lived in the house with
Z m aud scold ar him and tell him he was al
ways dropping his feathers round, il they
couldn't find anything else to bring up against
rim But I've done my best for them that /
loved. and for them that was under my roof.
MY husband and nv children was well cared tor
when they lived, and he and them little ones
that buried. has white marble head-stones and
foot ->tones, and an iron fence around the lot ,
and place left for me twiNt him and the . : 3
Some has ALWAYS been good to me--some has
made 1T little OF a strain to me to get along
When woman's back aches with OyerwOrking
herself to keep her house in shape, and a dozen
mouths are opening at her three times day
like them little Young birds that split their heads
open SO you can almost see into their empty
stomachs. ami one wants this and another wants
that, and provisions sdear and rent is high, ami
nobody to look to. then a sharp word cuts. tell
YOU, and hard look goes right to your heart.
I've seen boarder make face at what set
before him, when had tried to suit him lest ~
wei As knew how, and haven't cared to eat
q thing myself all the rest of that day. and I've
iaid awake without a wink OF sleep all night.
And Then, when You come down the next morn
ing all the boar,lers stare at Won and wonder
what makes YOU look 80 low-spirited, and why
YOU don.t look as happy and talk as cheerful a
where they've nothing to do but give a few or
ders. and somebody comes and cooks their din
ners. and somebody else comes and PUTS flowers
on the table, and q lot of men dressed up like
ministers come and wait on everybody as at
tentlye As undertakes at a funeral. Ii isn't but
little while longer that we are going to be to-
gether. and want to saw to YOU, gentlemen as
1 mean to say to the others, and as / have said
20 our two ladies that feel more obligated to
you for the way you've treated me than know
very well how to put into words BOarders some
times expect too much of the lady that provides
TOT them. Some days the meals are better than
others; IT can't help being so. Sometimes the
provision market isn't we'll supplied, sometimes
the IRE in the cooking stove doesn't burn so well
as it does other DAYS; sometimes the cook jsn't
20 lucky as she might be. And there is board
ers who are always laying in wait for the DAYS
when the meals are not quite so good as they
commonly be, to pick quarrel with the one
that is trying TO serve them 50 as thew shall be
satisfied. But you've all been good ami Mind to
me. suppose I'm not quite spry and Quick
sighted as was "a dozen wears ago when my
boarder wrote that first book SO many have
asked me about. But now I'm going to stop
taking boarders. l don't believe you'll think
much about what didn't do, because Icouldn't
out remember that at any rate tried honestly
10 serve Won. hope God will bless all that >at
my table, old and young. rich and poor married
ana single, and single that hopes soon to lie
married My husband, that's dead and gone
always believed that we all get 10 heaven sooner
or later, and since I've grown older and buried
SO many that I've loved, I've come to feel that
perhaps L should meet all of them that I've
known here-or at least as many Of 'em a.
wanted to-in a better world. And though I
don't calculate there is any boar.iing-hous i'm
heaven. hope shall some time or other meet
them that has set round NV table one wear afte r
another, all together, where there Is no fault
hndiEg with the food and no occasion for it, a nd
II DO meet them, and you are there, or any
where, II there IL anything 1 can do for Won
Poet Of the Bre1lfcs, T,yy,