The true northerner., 1877-08-10
THE HOUSE CLEANING.

U'UT cen Il-- -----o ilsuN
MFR. Walter Ammidon laid his knife
and fork down with n gesture OF absolute
despair. 1oi @
N!Not going to clean house again, Mrs.
Benedict Why, it seems as If we had
only Just recovered from the dreadful
tearing-up process of last fall. y tf
Mrs. Benedict slowly dropped four
Jumps of sugar into his. coffee, then
handed it to him, utterly regardless of
the misery in his face.
dreadful tearing up that's perfect
nonsense, Mr.. Ammidon. AS if you
were very much Inconvenience last Oc-
tober while the carpets were up and the
curtains down and the painting going on.
OF course 1 shall clean it's my habit,
and has been for twenty-odd years"
Mr.. Ammidon gave a little groan at
the sad fate that awaited him that
awaited all bachelors in boarding houses
in the shape of several consecutive
days of bare floors and the odor of
soap of cold dinners eaten wherever it
was convenient to set the dining table !;
Of Mrs. Benedict in a chronic state OF
hustle and crossness, and the servants
impudent, tired and sulky; of wide-open
doors and windows; where the draughts
tore through. . e. 5 r.L.
He was gentleman, however, Mr..
Ammidon was, and 80 repressed his i'll
temper and disgust and mental maledic-
tions that house cleaning was purely
malicious instigation of his satanic
majesty for the torment of mankind.
We'll be so nice and sweet and
clean" Mrs. Benedict went on, with
horrible cheerfulness, "apd I've been
thinking that I'll have your rooms newly
papered, Mr.. Ammidon. I'm sure you'll
like that ?"
Very much-when it is done,
madam"
And he cut his meal short and rushed
out of doors into the cool, fresh October
evening air. .I
'Ah, bah i can already experience
the agonies of last fall Good Heaven
the woman must be made of cast-iron to
attempt such a siege again. 1t is no
wonder her husband died if he suffered
two attacks of house-cleaning year, and
i shall die or go crazy unless / leave her
but L suppose all women are equally
idiotic
A groan of genuine misery broke from
his lips as he strobe along, his hat
iamlned over his eyes-very unlike the
handsome gentleman he really was, with
his frank, CHEEKY face and pleasant
mouth, with the white even teeth, and
the half-curling, thick, dark hair, and
the grave, intelligent eyes, that nothing
could ruffle as the idea of Mrs. Bene-
diets semi-aniiual tearing-up- a court
eous, refined, genial gentleman whom
society found puzzle because of his
persistant bachelorhood, when it knew
OF at least half q dozen who would have
jumped at the faintest chance of an offer
OF marriage from him-who himself
wondered why he had never fallen in
Iove-and whom pretty little Mrs. Bald
win, the blue-eyed, blonde-haired
widow, with no incumbrance, house OF
her own, and an income of three thou
sand dollars a year, often felt piqued
with that he was SO very unimpression-
able.
So Mr.. Ammidon strobe along, almost
mechanically turning corners, his pace
gradually growing slower, and then all
at once he heard the brilliant tones of O
piano as some skilled hand played, and,
looking up, found himself in front of q
warmly lighted, CHEEKY, hospitable house
the very house where Mrs. Bessie
Baldwin lived. r srhl-r
The contrast was so strikingly vivid
between the pictures in his imagination
that he involuntarily paused-one, the
picture of the way Mrs. Benedicts
boarding house would look next day, the
other of how Mrs. Baldwins elegant
little home always appeared when he
called there, and as it appeared now
through the lace curtains-quiet, warm,
hospitable, inviting.
And like a revelation from heaven 1T
came to him-an idea, determination
that was SO strong, so resistless, that he
walked up Mrs Baldwin's front steps
and rang the door-bell, wondering as he
did why the music had ceased, and where
the player had gone.
"I'll marry her if she'll have me, and
then we'll see how many times year
the house is cleaned; that is if"
Then the door opened and the maid
invited him into the parlor. with the in
formation that Mrs. Baldwin had just
run into a neighbor's by the side gate,
but would be back directly if the sick
child was better she had gone to see.
Mr. Ammidon ensconced himself in
the easiest chair in the room great,
deep, wide, cushioned affair was drawn
mp by the little low table under the
chandelier.
BLESS her pretty blue eyesl Gone to
see a sick child; / like that like IL
What blessing it occurred to me TO
oifer myself TO such good-hearted.
cheerful, tender, fond little woman as
she AS; and what miraculous fool have
been not to have done it long ago. WHY
honestly / feel as if had been in love
with her all along; and 1 believe i have
been, and never knew It. al ~
His handsome head leaned comfortable
against the cushions and his well-shaned
weil-booted feet were crossed ON n low