The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-09-30

wife Penelope From the Aldine fo,
October.
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4 Chapter on Wash ing Day.
WHAT DANBURY THINKS ABOUT 1T.
There is no important difference ia
Monday among those families who dc
their own washing. The way of obser.
wing it is very similar. The first ching
is to get the man up an hour earlier tb an
usual to get down the boiler. We don't
understand why boiler is kept on the
top shelf where nobody but himself can
reach it But perhaps it is not intended
we should understand it. Having got
down the boiler and taken his placs at
the table, and pronounced grace with a
benevolent aspect. he is called into the
kitchen again to lift the boiler up on the
stove He finds it full Of water and
weighing about three quarters of TOP,
but he sinks his teeth into his lips, lays
bis eyes out on his cheek, initiates those
cheeks and accomplishcs the ta,k. AZ.
ter breakfast, which is eaten hastily, and
from table that is garnished with bar
OF soap, u package Of starch, and blue.
Ing bag, he is sent down cellar after the
tubs. wash. board, bench, etc. He puts
both tubs together and the wash board
inside. with view to avoid coming down
stairs again, although he has been years
giving practical demonstration that those
things can't be carried at one time. But he
grasps the inside Of the tubs with one arm
and takes the wash bench under the 9th.
Ell, and starts for the stairs. No one
who has not tried it can begin TO under.
stand the amount of circumspecton re-.
qulred to engineer a wash.tuo and wash
bench up the same stairway at the same
time. lie knows it, but there is an un.
dying hope in his breast that there is
way to accomplish it, and he starts.
Before reaching the stairs the tubs
slide around and the board slips out.
lie thinks at first that he will put his
heel on it and split it in two, but chang.
cs his mind. sets down the things, and re.
places the board. Then he starts again,
and when he has got as far up the stair.
way as ne can 60 without proceeding
sideways, he turns the tubs to the froat,
but as his hold to them has been gradually
yielding all the while, he finds they are
SO low they strike the stair. and in an
effort to raise them the bench gives, and
to save that he loses in part his hold on
the tubs, and before he can recover it the
board slips out and goes back into the
cellar two steps at jump. He turns
round and looks over the tubs down at tho
board, which he eyes with an intensity
there appears to be no call for, and again
attempts the ascent. He gets the bench
started ahead, but the end catches in the
top step, and having exhausted his en-.
durance and reach in getting it that far,
finds himself completely powerless to lif:
1t over the obstruction. 1t has grown
very warm 10 the last minute, and his
breath comes very short and quick, and
1t seems as if the arm which holds the
tubs will very soon drop off at the shoul.
der and leave him cripple for life, and
at this junctuie,the outside tub oosens
and commences to slip and threaten
trouble. He presses his arm all the tight.
er to the inside tub. and tries to get his
knee up against the outside one. but it is
too late. There is squrm or two, and
then it is over.
The outside tub is down with the wash.
board, having accomplished the trip with
a noise that is almost deafeniug. The
other tub follows at once. being urged
thereto by kick that nearly throws him
from his feet, and then getting the door
open he shoves the bench into tho kitch.
On and clear across the room, to the ap.
parent jeopardy ofthe legs Of the entire
family. After that he gets upon the
other things-making no remark to any.
body, but looking around on every one
in manner calculated to reflect the
greatest amount of discredit Then he
puts on his coat, rubs his arms, and starts
iowr street, and gets out on the walk
when he is called back to bring up some
wood. If that wood was in the shape of
burial casket it is extremely doubtful if he
'ould have looked more solemn in taking
I up stairs. At noon be comes home to
Inner and finds only ono leaf up, the
in the wash, aud that his
wife has cut the bread after cutting the
soap, What comment, he contemplates
making on this state of affairs are never
made. He is sent out in the yard armed
with the clothes.line, and an injunction
% not drop it in the dirt, and in the Sc.
,lusion of the space devoted TO the back
yard, he vents the spleen that has been
gathering within him, and whips that
around with sardonic joy.
After that he comes in with his teeth to.
yether, and lifts two tubs full of water to
ne floor, snd then goes into the bedroom
md puts on pair of dry pants, and
yrimly eats his dinner. 1t may occur to
lin that there is no difference in this
Monday from any that has preceded it,
'ut he can't help but wonder what kind
If misery that is which comes up every
line SO fresh and formidable as to appear
'ntirely new.
PRACTIClI .JnEP caw dana 40