Fair play., 1881-06-25
MIR. BIGGs HELPS CLEAN HoUsE.

Sentimentally. disposed people asso-
ciate with spring buddlng branches.
twittering. birds, green grass, azure
skies. frisking lambs and golden dan
deiions. In the spring, the young
mans fancy lightly turns to thoughts
of love-" says somebody. He might
have added-in the spring the middle
aged mans fancy turns, not so lightly.
to thoughts of mud malaria and house
cleaning. have Just finished suffering
from the latter abomination. Among
sundry antiquated notions Of domestic
economy to which Mrs. Biggs clings
with tenacity worthy of more ad-
vanced views is the idea that in every
well-regulated household there should
be an annual scrubbing, overhaulinS
and carpet-beating from cellar TO attic.
l have tried, by every form of argu-
ment and entreaty, to persuade my
wife to abandon SO irrational custom.
How unsuccessful have been, let the
lump that mars the symmetry of my
head and the black and blue spot on
nv left shin testify.
In France, believe, a criminal con-
demned to death is kept in ignorance
VI thC udtt SCI loI Ills CASCuliou uutli IL
arrives. Animated by similar spirit
of mistaken humanity, Mrs. Biggs never
lets me know when she is going 10 clean
house until she actually begins the oper-
alton.
When. a few nights since-on that
very warm night, you know-I came
home and found the basement hall bar
ricaded by the refrigerator, l at once
realized that Mrs. Bigss had commenced
hOstilities. Squeezing between the end
of the. refrigerator and the wall, and
nearly stepping into basketful of
empty glass fruit jars, made my way
into the dining room. The extension
table was decorated with a roll of oil
cloth, standing on end amid an impos-
ing array of glass and china. saw
there. for the first time in many years.
an old fashioned tea service, presented
to Mrs. Biggs byrher father on the day
she becan,s Mrs. Biggs. and also two
decanters, with half q dozen wine glass
es, whose costing Of dust and. cobwebs
spoke more for tho Temperance princi-
Piles of thetazpiy than for the neatuess
of Mrs. Blkks and HermiOne. The
chairs were occupied by what might be
called a job lOt'of household sfticles.
ranging from an earthen. .p6t containing
a geranium that 1 never saH in bloom
to CORRUGATED Aatiron that l never
saw any use for. 'ssss .-.
amos. called Mrs.1 1{ers from the
kitchen, lis that yous"
Yes" answered. How long be-
fore supper will be ready ----
20, in a few moments; TT O. soon
as Hermione takes up the seCond-story
~ is sha noxs" = - & -. :, -
mo; but IS sbink atnwha -
finishes takin don q ck park
stove pipe -
THAT II be some tini6 81 He yil1u1S
of midnight, l suppose.n 4
Il dare saw responded Mrs. Blggs,
coolly. "lIermionc must not be hur-
ried. for she has been working all day
and is very tired. You might expedite
matters. Amos, by going up stairs and
giving her lift. We will have to eat
in the kitchen, you know. because the
dining room is all upset" -ae
l did not follow Mrs. Biggs' sugges-
tion to give Hermione n lift, but waited.
with what patience could muster. un-
til it pleased Providence and my wife to
give me some supper. The meal was
served in the most primitive style upon
n bare table. The tea was weak-the
cheese. otherwise. We had smoked
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