Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-07-19
Staining Our Floor.


Eyer body s doing It."
who'll DO the staining:" said Pumbingo.
"Oh, I'll do IL. Mrs. Dye did hers and ever
so much cheaper than the painter. She's given
ne her recipe. Now, Ill tell you what you must
get for ne at the paint shop
Pumbingo groaned internally.
First coat: Half ard half OF burned lumber
ard sienna. Also half and half linseed OIL and
lurI entine, with little japanese DRYER. That's
the first coat. That must dry Then MI an the
cracks with red putty. The second coat is half
and half burned sienna and lumber 10 one-third
Oil aid two-thirds turpentine, with great deal
OF japanese dryer. Then varnish. There"
Pumbingo was nextseen carrying many pint
bottles from paint shop and emitting In the
street car strong smell OF turpentine and
varnfsh. He was then required TO search for
sundry empty tomato cans, in which TO mix
the stain. AT any other time hundreds OF
empty tomato cans would have been seen KICK
Ing about the street. He had for years been
pursued and waylaid by vagrant tomato cans
NOW, not tomato can could be found All
gore Not neighbor or friend had an empty
up TWO empty tomato cans wherein TO mix the
moor stain. When these were found all the
aoeent tomato cans again appeared. Now that
about his door and got under his feet The
ashmen put everything I'm their carts but TO.
lnalo cails Pumoingo- picked up half dozen,
determined never again TO be out OF tomato
cans
Then 1t was Tombolina's turn. She did the
staining and vanishing. friend loaned her a
brush; 1t was a small brush. too small nv ha,s
bigger brush would have painted twice as
much In half the time.
There was great deal OF mixing the first day
OF burned lumber, sienna, oil and turpentine
Tombolina stained first the floor, then herself.
then the washboards In patches and blotches.
then more OF herself, and finally more or less OF
the bard-fnshed wall I'm splatters aud blotches
"Hulloai" cried Pumbingo, breaking rudaiy
In on the poor gifl hard at work on her knees
Who's been squirting tobacco juice on this
wall?"
ats the brush which spatters," said Tom.
bolina.
"Makes you freckled, don't it? 4" said he.
40, do shut up. SAID she.
But, see here" he continued, ''the stain
don't seem to equalize. Tlsn,t an equal thing
light yellow, part mahogany. How's that?
Looks like map OF Europe"
"Well, you see the cans were so small had
to make so many separate miyiDgs or the stun.
and every mixing somehow makes a difrerent
color on! dear, how my knees do ache." said
Tombolina.
Tombolina stained all that day; the floor and
herself. the washboards and the ceiling Every
thing had to be taken out OF the two rooms
being stained. They dned In the kitchen where
10 chairs sofa, parlor table, extra coal scuttes,
sewing machine, trunks, tubs, bedsteads boxes
and get on their table.
The floor was not dry next day. AT early
morn, Tonoollna going forth TO inspect her
work discerDed through the two rooms double
line OF bare male foot tracks imprinted on the
| still sticky surface.
al told you not to 90 In the rooms tin they
| were dry said she, reproachfully TO Pumbin-
go.
"'Twasnt me-, he said, stubbornly.
bWho else could IL have been? Do you mean
| that mine are those huge footmarks?" said She
at was the cat" said he. "Pshaw! Imust
| have walked IN my Sleep
On the third day she puttied the cracks with
red putty. She had no idea before how much
putty some cracks wanted. They seemed
hungry for red paint. Pumbingo was kept on
the trot after putty. Also more turpentine OIL,
lumber, SIENNA, japanese dryer and varnish
Pumpingo smelled like paint shop. SO did she.
So did the house.
The third coat is now going on. Pumbingo Is
buying extra pints OF turpentine at the drug
store at high price. Tombolina,s back feels
as II it had broken In the middle Her knees
have spawned. and she can't get up without
help, but she's resolved to stain or dye In the
attempt.-[N Y. Graphic.