The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-04-03
Putting DOiOfl q Carpet.
TIE SAD ExPERIENcE OF FAMILY MA,

n. |
There are times in the life OF man OF !
family when he feels like throwing himself |
entirely away, never more to be heard from:
and one Of these trying times * when he |
has a carpet to lay down, especially if the |
carpet is too small for the room, and it |
must be made to fit l,y stretching, and he
has 20 do the stretching himself.
Smith fell upon trying times last night. |
and from my heart l pitied the poor fellow.
He laid in a supply of tacks, borrowed a
hammer from his landlady, and went to
work after supper. The carpet was unrolled
and Smith noticed its shortcomings. lie
figured up the length and breadth of the
room, then of the carpet. 1t was near nine
O'Clock before he reached anything like
correct estimate of the fitness of his carpet
! for his room. His wife added her knowledge
| Of arithmetic to his own scanty store, and
| between them the problem waS solved, and
| preparations made to make IGxIS carpet
fit 1920 room.
Smith spread ous the woolen plaster in
! one corner and commenced to tack down.
The first tack tGrned over before the hammer
| reached il, and Smith stuck a mashed finger
in his mouth, perhaps te prevent that organ
from giving utteranCc to n well-Ieveloped
cus4-word." Tie next tack went home,
and then Smith stretched the carpet for
| another drive. Finally, the carpet was fast
in one corner, and then Smith bcthought
himself to tack it in another corner. Nov
| ing couple OF heavy trunks, turning over
the wasE-stand and breaking TIE bowl and
/ pitcher, did not deter him in his purpose.
! Smith l. q man Of firm resolution.
" hen Smith had worn al the skin of his
! fingers stretching one side, his wife discoy-
cred that he had tackled down the wrong
side. The double process of ripping up the
carpet and ripping oat Sdnday-~chool words
vas here instituted, and now the thing went
down right. The carpct-laying business
was going on swimmingy Smith was ham,
nerins away happily, whistIing . Down on
the carpet you must knecl - the children
were playing all sorts OF didos; the wife
was straiuing her weak back trying to move
the bureau oat of the way, when message
comes up from the landlady saying that, As
there was a sick boardcr in the next room,
and company in the par.or underneath, less
noise would be highly appreciated. To
comply with her request, Smith tied one of
his Yife's stockings over the face of the
hammer, and attempted - drive home the
tacks; but the best stocking his wife evel
had $50 she said) soon presented the appear.
ance of having been chewcd by hungry rats
Smiths wife saw how her property was
being destroyed, and laid an embargo or
] ~ / Il
head. Then Smith tried pcw plan.
lie started the tack with his thumb, then
hit it lightly with the hammer; then he d
wait a while a. if for the musical echo to
die away before he would give it another
lick. During these charming intervals Smith
mentally calculated bow long it would take
him to put down the carpet at that rate
He found that it would take him just two
weeks, including Sundays. Here ne rested
from Ii, labors. lie scratched his head anl
bawled at the children. Eureka He re
solved upon new departure-one good hci
to each tack, and his wife TO give the res
when the sick boaTder got well. 1t was
capital idea, and Smith put il into execution
at once, forgetting to let his wife know any
thing about it until the job was done. The
idea worked we'll he got three sides of the
room done in jiGy. But when he went tc
stretch the carpet preparatory to mailing il
down on the fourth side, the halEdriyer
tacks broke loose from their moorings, and
the tortured carpet went adriit. 1t was
really too bad
Smith sat down on lis vife'z toilet set
and wept-not because lie wished the carpet
somewhere else, but because he was tired
The children, bless their dear souls took ir
the situation at glance, and sympathizet
with their dear papa by turning over Tho
centre table on his Pct corn. But, n 1 saij
before, Smith was d man Of firm resolution
He did not howl with pain over the calamity
that had beiallen his corn, nor give that a
an excuse for letting the carpet alone, a.
many a fond parent would have done under
similar circumstances but he took mp IL
idle razor-strop, and the way he caressed the
round places on his oldest boys body was
t sight to see Then he went back to his ,gorl
F., somewhat recuperatcd by the diversion. ii,
retacked the broken-looSe carpet with TIVE
licks to the tack. regardless Of noise and thu
sick boarder. Again the three sides weri
| hlldCLitu " Ilst lbOi anu All attempt wa
made to stretch the fourth side iuto position
But it wouldn't stretch worth d cent Tn
more Smith would pull, the le~s the carpe
would come and when he did get II right
the plaguey tack would turn over before b
could get his hand on the hammer SmitI
began to get excited. The piano in th
parlor beneath struck up the tune In
Dying, Egypt, DYING" and if there
anything in this world that Smith docs reall,
:, deSpise, it is that. 1t was enough to driv
Il MIN crazy but in the frlnneS7 of his leso
luton he hammered his tacSs, mashed hi
fingers. and smothered his oaths in silence
F just about O'Clock in the morning he go
up, stretched his cramped limbs, yaTncd
F and announced the job completed. lie lai,
down and slept IN hour Then hc awoke
, and looked at his-last nights adventure
The carpet was on the hoor-he knew tina
, much and if the stripes looked like row
of crooked rivers, he didn't care-he haC